harashawn's GameSpot Friend's Reviews harashawn's GameSpot Friend's Reviews harashawn's GameSpot Friend's Reviews en-us Copyright (c)1995-2013 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. http://www.gamespot.com 20 Tue, 21 May 2013 00:22:58 -0700 GameSpot harashawn's GameSpot Friend's Reviews http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/shared/promos/misc/gs_logo.gif http://www.gamespot.com 135 40 Sun, 12 May 2013 17:22:52 -0700 MaddenBowler10 reviewed Crysis 3 for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/crysis-3/user-reviews/811239/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

Just finished the game so you I can assure you it's fresh in my mind. I read a lot about how much the game disappoints. But I'm not seeing it. This game featured a single player campaign that seemed to be at just the right length and some entertaining multiplayer distractions. I was in absolute awe at the graphics, and this is me playing it on the 360 version. I think the most impressive thing about the graphics is the pure scope of the war that was displayed on your screen all while you are off doing your own missions. The best thing about Crysis 3 in terms of the campaign isn't the graphics though, it's the tightly paced storyline and level design that is sure to please fans. The game invites you to approach each map however you'd like. You can go in guns blazing if you please, but the game encourages that you at least get a little stealthy if you so wish to survive. I went with a combination of both. The guns are plentiful, and definitely pack a punch.

Your nanosuit lets you scout out each map to spot enemies, loot, intel, and upgrades, as well as disabling security measures such as mines, turrets, and even enemies armour capabilities. I can guarantee you will be spending a lot of time using your nanosuit before approaching each map.

Which brings me to my next point, the maps in each level aren't extremely vast by any means, but they certainly open ended enough to let you do what you please. They do bring you to missions that require you go in guns blazing, especially towards the end, but that was fine with me, as too much stealth can wear on gamers like myself who aren't the biggest stealth fans.

There weren't very many big bosses, but there are many new kinds of bigger enemies that require you to use your nanosuit to figure out their weaknesses.

The story itself is entertaining as well and you do care about your character, Prophet, as well as the few allies you work with. I do feel like some scenes were a little melodramatic, but I'm not surprised of their inclusion. I felt that there was definitely a focus on Prophet not being human and questioning whether a machine like him could ever be considered human and make mistakes. It's a moral question that I'm not sure is going to hit everyone at the heart, considering we do not live in a world that sees robot/AI machines doing everyday jobs that humans do. With that said, I liked the story and it kept me hooked.

The multiplayer is entertaining enough, and I had some fun with it. However, the population is near-dead and that's my warning to anyone that wants to buy this game for the multiplayer. There should be a small community that sticks around but this is not the next Call of Duty by any means in terms of multiplayer. I'm also wondering if this game could have benefited from a co-op focused multiplayer in large sandbox like maps. I think the game should have taken advantage of its strengths in that regard.

I definitely felt like a badass in this game. The open-ended level design with multiple objectives and ways to go about each one definitely enticed me. The weapons are awesome, and each level entices you to try every single one. The introduction of the crossbow changes the rules in my opinion. It was definitely the most useful weapon in the game. I felt the game was much more difficult that some people have said, as I played on hard and felt the enemies were very aware of each and every move I made and were also good at helping each other out.

So with all of this said, I recommend this game as a rent. But it will definitely be a very enjoyable rent for sure. It's an underrated game in my opinion. The graphics are amazing, even on 360, and the campaign was quite an adventure.

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"MaddenBowler10 reviewed Crysis 3 for the Xbox 360..." was posted by MaddenBowler10 on Sun, 12 May 2013 17:22:52 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/crysis-3/user-reviews/811239/platform/xbox360/ Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:21:57 -0700 jg4xchamp reviewed BioShock Infinite for the PC... http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/810834/platform/pc/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"jg4xchamp reviewed BioShock Infinite for the PC..." was posted by jg4xchamp on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:21:57 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/810834/platform/pc/ Sun, 21 Apr 2013 02:32:17 -0700 JustPlainLucas reviewed Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem for the DS... http://www.gamespot.com/mario-vs-donkey-kong-mini-land-mayhem/user-reviews/810487/platform/ds/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

Mario's been battling Donkey Kong far longer than he's been battling his other nemesis Bowser. At first, it was just a bunch of ladders and barrels between him and Donkey Kong but over the recent years, he's been taking the fight to Bowser using clockwork Mini Marios. As the player, you needed to guide them to the goals of each level. In Min-Land Mayhem, the Mini Marios return, and this time you have a construction-based mechanic to help you accomplish your tasks.

There's not much in the way of a story here, as Donkey Kong kidnaps Mario's former squeeze Pauline and runs off with her. You'll be puzzling solving over a course of eight different amusement park themed worlds, each containing eight levels, a boss battle and a bonus game. You only get access to the bonus game, however, by collecting letters in every stage that spell out MINIMARIO.

The basics of the gameplay involve removing and placing girders, ladders, springboards, walls and conveyor belts all around the levels to create paths for the Mini Marios to reach the door. You can only place them in certain spots, and you have a finite amount of materials to work with. You can reuse whatever you need, and some of the more complex stages will require a good deal of multitasking to solve. The timer doesn't actually begin counting down until you touch one of your Marios, so you can actually study the level and begin placing girders and other parts before the stage even starts.

Mini-Land Mayhem starts off extremely easy. The level design is solid and varied, but many of the levels simply aren't complex or very large. Most of the game involves simple stages that can be completed in a about a minute and usually on the first try. Only when you get near the end of the game are you met with some real challenges. Once you finish the game, Plus Mode unlocks, so you can play the game again, this time with harder conditions. You also have a ninth special world consisting of 20 stages, and an expert world that requires a certain number of trophies to unlock each level.

When you finish a stage, you earn points in three different categories. You have your general Game Score, Time Bonus and Collection Bonus. The Game Score is for finishing the stage itself while collecting tokens for more points, whereas the quicker you finish, the more points are attributed to the Time Bonus. The Collection Bonus is given when you grab every coin, M token and letter. If you grab every letter in each stage of a world, a bonus game unlocks, where you need to guide clockwork Mario characters into boxes safely before time runs out. Each stage also has a high score goal and if you surpass it, you're granted a trophy. It provides some incentive for perfectionists to keep trying.

Boss levels are scored as well, and you might need to do these over several times to get the trophy, as they can be quite chaotic. Your Mini-Marios will need to get up to where Donkey Kong is to either hit switches or kick objects at him, three different times. Not only do you have to build paths up to him, but he'll also disable certain girder points, causing whatever floor was there to disappear. Lastly, he'll start throwing things as your Mini-Marios, but if you have enough girders, you can simply block them by building a ceiling over their heads.

There's also a level creation mode called Construction Zone. In this mode, you can create levels with unlockable parts that you earn by clearing their respective worlds. You can also share these levels via Nintendo WiFi, and you can download other people's levels as well. It's a great way to expand the life of the game when you've finished all that is has to offer, and it's also a good training exercise as well.

The graphics of the game are very simple. Since it's a DS game, playing on a machine such as the 3DS XL might make the graphics look lower quality. Even though it's not impressive on a technical level, the art design is pleasant. Every level is colorful, and the animations of the Mini-Marios are cute and charming. You'll also come across some levels where you'll be guiding Mini-Donkey Kongs, Mini-Toads and Mini-Princesses to their respective doors and seeing these characters in mini form makes the game even more adorable.

Nintendo loves to dote their games with nostalgia, and it shows in Mini-Land Mayhem's audio. The soundtrack is loaded with recognizable music from other Mario games. You'll hear everything from Super Mario Bros. 2 to the castle theme from Mario 64. You'll even hear the underground theme that got its infamous start in the first Super Mario Bros. Sound effects are simple, but you always feel bad when you hear your Mini-Mario break. Also, every time you close your DS or 3DS, Mario says something along the lines of, "Ouch, my head!" or "Hey, get back here!" It's guaranteed to make you smile.

If you enjoy the Mario Vs Donkey Kong games, you'll find some enjoyment out of this one. It does take quite a while before its puzzles begin to challenge you, but the gameplay is solid fun. With the addition of Plus Mode after you beat the game, and the Construction Zone to build and share your own levels, you could very well keep playing the game long after you've finished it. Give Mini-Land Mayhem a look if you're after a decent puzzler.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/mario-vs-donkey-kong-mini-land-mayhem/user-reviews/810487/platform/ds/ Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:55:15 -0700 JustPlainLucas reviewed BioShock 2 for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-2/user-reviews/810257/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

DISCLAIMER: No amount of time was spend on the game's multiplayer, so this review is focused solely on the single-player aspect.

In 2007, 2K Games introduced the gaming world to a whole new world underwater. It was a submerged metropolis known as Rapture, promised to bring its citizens a life of utopia but it ended up being a disastrous dystopia instead. It had the player using weapons and special powers brought on by plasmids and an upgrading system which let you customize exactly how you wanted to play the game. Three years later, 2K brought it all back with Bioshock 2, but this time playing as one of the first game's most feared enemies: the Big Daddy.

Big Daddies have one purpose, and that is to protect the Little Sisters, genetically engineered girls who siphon off precious genetic material known as ADAM. Bonded by a symbiotic telepathic link, the Big Daddies will guard the Little Sisters with their lives. You begin the game as a Big Daddy, and your Little Sister is claimed by Sophia Lamb, who immediately hypnotizes you and forces you to put a gun to your head in front of your Little Sister Elanor. Years pass, and you hear the voice of Elanor awakening. She's alive, but most peculiarly, you're alive. She needs your help desperately, so now it's time to fulfill your role as a Big Daddy.

The majority of the gameplay of Bioshock 2 remains pretty similar to its predecessor. It's a first-person shooter that has you wielding weapons and plasmids, but this time your weapons are suited to your Big Daddy persona. They're the giant weapons you may remember going up against in the first game, from the machine gun to the spear gun, the rocket launcher and of course the giant drill. There's a visceral sense of satisfaction as you run up on a Splicer and press your spinning drill into its abdomen.

Although weapons still have alternate firing options, there's more of an emphasis on trap ammunition. One of your main duties as a Big Daddy is to liberate the Little Sisters from their respective Daddies and protect them as you have them harvest ADAM from corpses. When you set a Sister down to begin harvesting, Splicers will come out of the woodworks and try to kill her. You have trap rivets, trap spears, proximity mines and mini-turrets to help with your defense, and you'll be needing them, too. Fail to protect her or die in the process and you'll need to start over again from the very beginning.

It may seem like a lot of work, but using Sisters to harvest ADAM is imperative to the game's progress. As with the first game, ADAM is spent at Gatherer's Garden vending machines where you can buy new plasmid powers, gene tonic upgrades, new slots and increase your health and EVE (plasmid energy) bars. Again, you can choose to rescue a Sister from her brainwashing, or you can harvest her and collect extra ADAM. If you rescue them, you might not get as much ADAM, but there will be payoff bonuses in the end. Lastly, there's a new twist in the game called Big Sisters, and these female Daddies are faster and scarier and will come for you whenever you rescue or harvest all the Little Sisters in a given level.

There isn't much in the way of new plasmids, but old favorites have returned. Electrobolt, which paralyzes enemies and machinery; Incinerate, which immolates foes while you pump them full of lead; Winter Blast, which encases them in ice where you can shatter them to pieces; and of course there's Telekinesis which has you picking up enemies and bodies and flinging them around, or even plucking grenades out of the air and pitching them right back.

Hacking has returned as well, but the puzzle-based pipe minigame has been replaced with a simpler system of stopping the needle on bands of color. It streamlines the hacking mechanic, but it also dumbs it down and makes it a frustrating system to use for people who aren't good at timing. You can hack everything from security bots to turrets to health stations and even vending machines. New in Bioshock 2 is a hack gun that lets you hack machines from a safe distance, and there's even an auto-hack ammo type that lets you instantly hack whatever you shoot at.

The world of Rapture feels a little familiar, as many areas of the levels feel like retreads. You could have sworn you've been there before in the first game, and there isn't as much variation either. What is new, though, is being able to walk on the ocean floor in the open water, but these moments are so far in between and so short that they simply aren't exciting. Plus, there's no combat when underwater, and that just seems like a missed opportunity.

Bioshock 2 looks practically identical to its predecessor. The corridors are designed in the same fashion, and the colors and shading are used to the same effect. It's still an impressive looking game from a technical standpoint, but given the fact that it uses the same HUD as the first game, you'll have a difficult time telling the two apart. The water effects also don't seem to be as impressive, which is a shame considering that's one of the features that left such an impression on gamers when they first stepped foot in Rapture.

If the game looks the same and plays the same, there's a high chance that it will sound the same as well, which it indeed does. That isn't to say that's a bad thing, as the game sounds just as fantastic. You'll hear your giant footsteps as you walk around in your diving suit, and you'll make a grunt every time you're hurt. Your weapons make terrific sounds as they fire off, and explosions will rattle inside your helmet. The one sound effect that will terrify you is when the Big Sister starts screeching and howling, announcing her approach. The music is great with original orchestration and licensed music from the 40s era helps establish authenticity. Voice acting is as superb as ever and like the first game, voice recordings that you pick up along the way are delightful to listen to as they give you more insight into Rapture's world.

The prospect of playing as a Big Daddy is honestly the only new feature of Bioshock 2, outside of a few tougher mob types. Everything else seems practically lifted straight from the first. That isn't exactly a bad thing, but the game ultimately feels like an elongated expansion pack. It also doesn't carry with it a story as strong as the first and its ending is very anti-climatic as there's no final boss battle to be had. Still, it's a very fun game and if you enjoyed the first, you'll like the second. You can buy it dirt cheap now that it's been out for a few years but if you paid full price for it, you'd most likely end up somewhat disappointed.

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"JustPlainLucas reviewed BioShock 2 for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by JustPlainLucas on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:55:15 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-2/user-reviews/810257/platform/ps3/ Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:41:19 -0700 MaddenBowler10 reviewed MLB 13: The Show for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/mlb-13-the-show/user-reviews/809989/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

I've always thought that sports games get a bad rep for not having big improvements year over year. When you think about it, developers do not even have a year of development time to make huge improvements to their sports games. Between MLB 10 and MLB 12 The Show, I didn't see many huge improvements with the series. It's because the series has such a solid foundation and the developers have focused on the little things to make MLB The Show that much more realistic.

With MLB 13 The show, the same philosophy holds true. Some of the improvements I've seen this year include an overhaul of the player rating system. Players now have an overall rating(0 up to 99 or 100 I believe) for you to judge their skills by. There are some menu improvements and the interface of the menu continues to be intuitive and quick. I find this to be a huge deal with sports games because of the amount of time you can spend editing player rosters and making trades and such. The game continues to be the premier sports series when it comes down to features outside the actual gameplay.

I am going to just stick with the gameplay and Franchise mode in this review because it's all I play. The biggest change to the gameplay I've experienced is the toned down difficulty in the lower difficulty levels (From Beginner to Veteran). This does not mean that the game has been "Call of Dutied" just to appease newcomers. It's just a way to ease new players in to the game and learn all the controls and enjoy the game while doing so. The difficulty spikes at All-Star and beyond for veteran Show players, so no need to worry about the game being too easy for you.

A new throwing meter has been added to the game and I feel like this option was sort of tacked on. The speed of the meter is appropriate, but the placement of the meter on the screen can very and get really confusing. I've also experienced glitches where the meter gets stuck in the middle of the throw that caused errors. The mechanic needs to be patched and hopefully it will be in the near future.

I've also experienced many other fielding blunders in both the infield and outfield. Once, my pitcher went to field a ground ball in front of him, and he bobbled the ball. But the runner was still getting to first base and my pitcher would not allow me to throw the ball after the bobble. I've also experienced some awkward looking animations by outfielders that can be detrimental to the outcome of the play. I think the developers overall need to just work on the relationship between the fielder and the throwing meter. The ball can sometimes look really awkward coming out of the player's hands.

As far as hitting goes, not much has changed here. There seems to many new welcome hitting/home run animations by hitters. Definitely adds to the realism of the game, and the way the ball comes off the bat. There is one of the few games out there that doesn't assist you in the mistakes you make. You need to practice to be good at hitting in this game. This is where 2K fails. The Show makes you work the counts, bunt to get runners across, steal, and require you to time your stride and swing.

Overall, if you are a big baseball fan, then you need to get this game. Don't even think about getting 2K. There are many ways for you to play. Exhibition, Franchise Mode, Postseason Mode(new), Road to the Show(which has been "revamped"), Beginner Mode(to ease new players in to the game), and many different control options to fit your style. The graphics are insanely good with my only complaint being the inconsistent skin tone colors.

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"MaddenBowler10 reviewed MLB 13: The Show for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by MaddenBowler10 on Sun, 07 Apr 2013 18:41:19 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/mlb-13-the-show/user-reviews/809989/platform/ps3/ Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:36:16 -0700 JustPlainLucas reviewed Brain Age: Concentration Training for the 3DS... http://www.gamespot.com/brain-age-concentration-training/user-reviews/809182/platform/3ds/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

Do you remember Brain Age? Wouldn't it be funny had you played Brain Age but forgotten all about it? The DS was treated with two Brain Age games, designed by Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima. Using the DS's unique hardware features such as the microphone and touch screen, those two pieces of software presented the gamer with different training exercises to enhance a multitude of different brain functions. It's been quite some time, almost six years, since the second Brain Age, and now Dr. Ryuta Kawashima returns with a new Brain Age, this time for the 3DS.

Brain Age: Concentration is quite different from the previous two games. Concentration focuses on our declining ability to focus and, well, concentrate on matters at hand. When you first start up the game, Dr. Kawashima, who now speaks to you with his own voice, introduces himself to you with a mini-lecture about how addicted we've become to information. We're constantly checking our email on our laptops or fiddling around with our phones, unable to focus on our work. The clinical term is called "information addiction", and the good doctor has designed Brain Age: Concentration to help combat it.

Kawashima's new series of brain training exercises is called Devilish Training. You'll notice that when you select Devilish Training, Kawashima's virtual visage is now adorned with horns. Yes, these training exercises are hard, which is why they're called Devilish Training. There are eight exercises in this mode, and they all grow increasingly difficult the better your performance. If you start having trouble, the difficulty scales down to adjust to your current ability. Gone is the actual Brain Age, where you received a number that corresponded with your actual age, and now you are ranked with a training grade which is worn across the chest of your Mii.

Devilish Calculations will have you memorizing answers to previous equations. Devilish Shapes is just like Calculations, but you'll be remembering random shapes instead, and Devilish Listening is like Calculations as well, but Ryuta will be speaking out the equations. Devilish Mice shifts the positions of mice hidden behind tiles and Devilish Cups shifts numbered balls around like a shell game where you need to answer in sequence. Devilish Pairs is like the classic Memory game, where you'll need to flip cards right side up and match them, while Devilish Blocks has you memorizing the positions of blinking blocks. Devilish Reading is the only exercise in the game where it's almost unplayable. It has you reading sentences out loud and memorizing underlined words, but the microphone doesn't pick up on what you're saying well. You pretty much have to scream at the 3DS to get it to register and you're so focused on trying to get the game to hear you, you start forgetting what the underlined words are.

The game is designed to improve your memory, and you will see benefits if you really try to stick with it, but it comes at a cost. Unlike the previous Brain Age games, these exercises prove to be more frustrating than they are fun. One such problem is that Concentration suffers from the same issue as the other games in that its handwriting recognition is still shoddy. Sometimes you will write a three that is very easily legible as a three, but the game thinks you wrote a seven. Once that happens, the game will buzz or Kawashima will go "Uh oh." Kawashima also continues to say things to you while you're trying to focus on these exercises, and that can be counter-productive at times.

Fortunately, the game has more than just Devilish Training. There's other modes, such as Supplemental Training and Brain Training. Supplemental Training focus on improving the speed of your working memory, while Brain Training is centered more around the cognitive functions of your brain. Both modes bring back training exercises from previous games, such as Piano Player, Calculations X 20 and Change Counter, but they also have some new ones as well. Brain Age has many different solitaire games ranging from classic Klondike to Peg to Mahjong.

Relaxation Mode is available to you in case you've had enough hard thinking for a while. Blob Blast has you matching up rows of different blobs and clearing them before the ceiling closes down on you. There's also Germ Buster, which is a remix of Dr. Mario. Then there's Music Appreciation, but it isn't a game at all. All it does is play different pieces of music while it displays some relaxing scenery. The real letdown of this entire package is that it's completely devoid of Sudoku. It also takes 40 days of training before you unlock everything, which means sometimes you go a few days without anything new to play, and once you get something new, it's a revisit to a training exercise you've already done in both Brain Ages.

It's hard to really go into depth about the graphics with a title such as this. Dr. Kawashima's virtual face is rendered and animated better while still continuing the defined polygonal aesthetic Brain Age fans are used to. For the most part, you're just going to witness simple graphics that display basic shapes and white backgrounds that have black text. Aside from a little added definition, there's no real use of 3D in the game.

The same can be said with the audio. Since this isn't really a game per se, there's no need for fancy sound effects. You'll just hear positive bings and negative bongs and scribbles as you write things down and squeaks from mice as they get shuffled behind tiles. There's occasional music that plays while you're shuffling through the game's modes and it's soft and relaxing. When you play Germ Buster, you'll recognize the arrangements of the classic Dr. Mario music, although they are far too tuned down. Dr. Kawashima's voice is pleasant to listen to, but sometimes he can come off a bit patronizing.

Brain Age: Concentration does serve a purpose. It's a harsh reminder that we have become entirely too distracted in the ever-growing Age of Information. Dr. Ryuta Kawashima does come right out and apologize early for his Devilish Training, because it is quite hard. Fans of the previous Brain Ages will take to this game differently; some will appreciate the fresh new take on the series, but others will grow entirely too frustrated with it. Leveling up on a Devilish Training only to level down again can be very discouraging to impatient games. Plus, the value of the game seems to be lacking, as many of the Supplemental and Brain Trainings are repeats. Again, there's no Sudoku, and if anything was going to be repeated, it should have been Sudoku. If you feel you really need help with improving your memory, by all means, give it a look, but just be warned: Ryuta Kawashima is indeed a devil.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/brain-age-concentration-training/user-reviews/809182/platform/3ds/ Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:06:35 -0700 JustPlainLucas reviewed Tomb Raider for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider/user-reviews/808743/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

Disclaimer: No amount of time was spent on the multiplayer, so this review is reflective of the single player portion only.

A couple of years ago at E3, Square-Enix unveiled a new Tomb Raider. This new Lara Croft was instantly perceived as completely different. Very quickly, she was beaten up, bruised, battered and bashed and wore the battle scars from it. It was immediately apparent that this was going to be far from your typical Tomb Raider. Ever since its first unveiling, the gaming world has been keeping a close eye on Lara. Now her new adventure is finally underway, carving out a survivalist origin story with every life-threatening fall she takes.

Lara Croft is fresh out of University, chasing down the myths of a goddess lying in the ancient city of Yamatai. Treasures abound, but they lay hidden in a section of the ocean called the Dragon's Triangle, an area of water that makes the Bermuda Triangle look tranquil. Many of her fellow friends and shipmates do not want to make the journey, but the captain sides with Lara so they sail into the triangle. Just as they enter, a maelstrom swallows them whole and splits the ship in two, washing any survivors ashore a mysterious island. Lara, coming to, sees her friends suddenly overtaken by armed strangers and then gets knocked unconscious. She wakes to find herself hung upside down and now she has to find a way to escape, find her friends and fight for her own life every step of the way.

A lot more has changed besides Lara Croft's more realistic look. The gameplay has been practically reinvented. Traveling from one distant location to another to explore massive tombs has been replaced by one massive tomb spread throughout an entire island. The island that Lara Croft will spend roughly 15 hours in varies itself in scenery quite regularly. She'll be trekking through forests, climbing snow-capped mountains, jumping across rooftops in a shanty town, wandering through ancient shrines and exploring wrecked ships along a sandy beach. Every region of the island will also be peppered with collectable relics and GPS caches, along with documents that fill in bits and pieces of the island's backstory.

It's unfortunate that there are no major tombs to explore and complex environmental puzzles to solve. Sure, there are hidden tombs tucked away behind rivers and buried under rubble, but these tombs are small with puzzles that only take a couple of minutes to solve. You're rewarded with a treasure map that reveals more documents and relics in the region, but you're left wanting more. You see shadows and silhouettes of old Tomb Raiders that never seem to emerge past the background, so every time you come across a new hidden tomb, your excitement tapers a little.

It is fortunate, though, that the rest of the game is extremely solid. While Lara's climbing cliffs and jumping across chasms, she'll be encountering a number of armed guards of a previous expedition and cultists who call themselves the Solarii. Gone are the days of jumping around the playing field like a gymnast firing away duel-fisted with unlimited ammo. Lara's extremely fragile in this reboot, and the game does a great job reminding you of that. She'll need to take cover behind obstacles, but there's no blind fire option. When you pop up, you'll need to make each shot count, or you'll take too much fire and die quickly. Plus, the enemy AI is quite intelligent, and will assault your cover spot with Molotov cocktails and dynamite frequently. They'll also take cover themselves and will work together to flank or sneak up behind you.

You are not without your own means of defense, though. For most of the game, your go-to weapon will be a bow and arrow, but you'll also come across a shotgun and assault rifle as well. One of the most poignant moments in the game is when Lara obtains a handgun from her would-be killer and kills him in self-defense. This is the first time that Lara's killed someone, and it leaves a visible emotional scar on her. It has been quite some since acquiring a weapon has carried that much impact. Each weapon can be upgraded by finding parts and collecting salvage from boxes, enemies and prey that Lara can hunt. Improvements include more powerful arrows, reduced recoil and better weapon efficiency for extra damage. There are also secondary fire options that can be unlocked as well, such as a grenade launcher for the rifle and a focused shot from the shotgun.

Just about everything that Lara Croft does in the game earns her experience points, from killing animals and guards to advancing through sections of the game. Once she earns enough XP, she's granted a skill point that she can use to unlock new abilities and perks from one of three skill sets: Survivor, Hunter and Brawler. She also has a very useful ability called Survival Instinct, which turns the world black and white and highlights objective markers, pick-ups and puzzle-related objects. Some might consider it a crutch, but it's entirely optional and if you want to rely on just your own senses, you're more than welcome to do so.

Ever since the gaming community has been following Tomb Raider, the unavoidable comparisons to Uncharted have been made. This is in large part to the set pieces that have Lara constantly running across the rooftops of collapsing buildings, crashing through cavern floors, and parachuting from wrecked fuselages teetering on the edge of a cliff. They are exhilarating, but don't quite match the cinematic experiences perfected by Uncharted 2 and 3. Lara also climbs set paths along cliffs and wreckage, but it doesn't have the same epic scales as previous Uncharteds. What Tomb Raider does better than Uncharted is its pacing. Instead of funneling you from one scenic set piece to the next, the game lets you breathe and take in the beauty of the island, exploring for hidden nic nacs and figuring out just how the heck you're supposed to get up there! Plus, there are base camps that allow for Fast Travel, meaning you can revisit any area of the island you wish at any time.

Although Tomb Raider might not be as sharp as the Uncharted games, it does pack its own visual flair. The island is painstakingly detailed, creating and upholding a terrific sense of atmosphere thanks to its art direction. The special effects serve to continue the sense of realism with blowing winds and rushing water and settling dust being reflected by Lara's torch, whose fire has a life all its own. Sometimes, the atmosphere can be so immersive, you'll develop a sense of claustrophobia from the dusty and dank caverns. When you come across the light and exit out of the other side to be met with blue skies, you can almost feel the fresh air wafting over you. Animations are also very realistic, with enemies reacting to being hit with painful accuracy. Sometimes Lara's own animations tend to be a bit jerky or spastic depending on what you're trying to do, but it's not that big of a deal.

The audio of the game that compliments the visuals is exemplary. Each weapon fires with its own distinct report, and every explosion rumbles deep into your chest. Lara dies in a number of different ways and hearing her get impaled or have her head smacked on a rock underwater makes you jerk in reaction. Zipping down zip lines carries with it a sense of urgency, and hearing chimes lets you know you're close to a hidden tomb. The soundtrack is terrifically composed, playing very well to the ongoing action of the game. Voice acting is solid all around, with Camilla Luddington playing a great Lara Croft, but the voice acting from the thugs isn't anywhere near on the same level.

Tomb Raider is an exceptional reboot that's drawn the interest of people who may have never cared for Tomb Raider. By its new approach of cover-based gameplay and a large island filed with exciting set pieces, it's also turned away some very loyal fans looking for traditional gameplay. They will miss their classic Tomb Raider elements but if they approach the game with an open mind, they'll find it to be a lot of great fun in its own right. Crystal Dynamics has developed a new foundation for the Tomb Raider franchise with their new engine, so let's hope that they can wrap it around larger, more memorable tombs for the sequel.

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"JustPlainLucas reviewed Tomb Raider for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by JustPlainLucas on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:06:35 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider/user-reviews/808743/platform/ps3/ Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:35:23 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed Shinobi for the 3DS... http://www.gamespot.com/shinobi-2011/user-reviews/808534/platform/3ds/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

Remember when games used to be hard based on the sole premise of getting everything done right in a handful of lives or it's back to the beginning of the level? No check points, no regenerating health. Just a reliance on gaming skill; sharp reflexes and expert timing. Shinobi for the 3DS is one of those games. If you've let yourself grow soft from the hand holding that most modern games have been doing lately, you're going to get a swift ninja kick in the teeth.

The story of Shinobi 3DS centers on Jiro Musashi, father of Joe Musashi, ninja master of the olden Sega days. There isn't much to the game's narrative, and what's there is told through quick anime-style cutscenes. Without digging into the story deeper from external resources, all you're able to glean is that Jiro somehow enters a time portal into the future. Once fighting ninjas in forests, he's now fighting mutants on trains, aliens in space ships and giant robotic sharks in facilities hidden fathoms beneath the earth's surface. Trying to keep up with the story presented in bite size pieces just makes you not really want to care, and it would have been better not to have any story presentation at all.

Shinobi 3DS is a mixture of action and platforming. The action requires memorization of enemy patterns and reflexes to parry, dodge and counter-attack effectively. The platforming requires split-second timing to avoid spikes and other hazards. It gives several nods to arguably one of the best Shinobi games of the franchise, Shinobi III. There's a horseback riding level, mutant brains burst from tanks to attack, Jiro makes his way across a gunship fighting massive energy cannons and more. It's fantastic to see these throwbacks, because it helps deliver nostalgia.

The game feels incredibly natural, just like past Shinobis. Double jumping and dispensing kunai is a staple technique that has returned, and Jiro can now perform combo slashes and other sword techniques. Ninjitsu returns as well, allowing Jiro to attack with fire kunai, protect himself with lightning and use the power of water to jump higher into the air. Jiro can also parry to block just about every attack, but your timing needs to be perfect; there is no constant blocking. There's also a score multiplayer that's been added to the game that increases with each successive hit. Once you take damage, that multiplier resets to zero. After you finish a level, you can also save the replay of it and share it via StreetPass. If you're the type of gamer who loves playing games for high scores, you'll get a rush going for perfect runs.

With all of Jiro's old and new moves, there's a slight problem with the game's controls. During many of the game's more challenging platforming segments, wall jumping will be required. The problem is when you're trying to jump off a wall, if you have not started descending from your apex, you'll double jump instead. Having to pause momentarily before you start wall jumping means you'll need to adjust your reflexes. In the later levels where the platforming becomes devilishly tricky, this will cause several trips to bottomless pits and a good deal of frustration, since you'll have to start from the beginning of the level.

Every level also has secret areas that hide away coins and other tokens. If you collect the bonus coins, you'll get to play ninja star throwing mini-games, like the ones in the old arcade games. Achievements can also be earned by performing well during the game, such as finishing off bosses before enough time has passed. These achievements unlock extras such as different combos and cheats to be used in the game's Challenge Mode. The challenge stages are specially designed stages to test your gaming skills to the limit, while also establishing impressive scores and times.

Shinobi isn't a bad looking game, but it's far from being an impressive game for knowing what the 3DS can do. In spots, it doesn't look any better than the best looking DS game. Animations are smooth and special effects are nice, such as the metallic sparking of projectiles being deflected by Jiro's sword and enemies crumbling in a pile of bones. The levels are designed well, though, and showcase some pretty nifty art direction. You can actually feel the heat the volcano and smelting stages give off. The 3D effect actually harms the game, however, as all it takes is a bit of crosstalk to make you misjudge a jump you have the smallest margin of error for. The way the camera's designed as well poses its own set of perceptional difficulties, as sometimes you can't see what's below or above you until it's too late.

In the audio department, Shinobi holds up well for a side scrolling action game. The sounds of kunai cutting through the air and then being deflected with metallic twangs accentuates battles. Kicks to the head sound like they hurt, and the fleshy sounds of a sword slashing into enemies is nasty. There's explosions ranging from flamethrowers as their tanks blow up and helicopters as Jiro lands the final blow. One of the craziest levels in the game has you fighting on the top of a jet fighter in the middle of combat, and it sounds like you're fighting in an Afterburner game. The soundtrack is also pretty good, but it's not as memorable as the franchise's best, Shinobi III.

Every once in a while, we need to be remembered what games were like. Shinobi for 3DS is one of those games. You'll need to brush up on your skills, because they'll be the only thing carrying you through the game. You'll need to give it your undivided attention to learn where every enemy is and how to react to them and how to handle every jump or risk not having enough lives when facing off against the boss. It requires practice, patience and perseverance, because once you finally get the level down and are able to clear it in just one life, it's a fantastic feeling. Shinobi's a solid game for any 3DS action lover and long-time fans of the franchise.

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"JustPlainLucas reviewed Shinobi for the 3DS..." was posted by JustPlainLucas on Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:35:23 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/shinobi-2011/user-reviews/808534/platform/3ds/ Sun, 03 Mar 2013 17:11:14 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed River City Ransom EX for the Game Boy Advance... http://www.gamespot.com/river-city-ransom-ex/user-reviews/808211/platform/gba/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

The 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System was a beloved machine because it put out so many classics. One such classic was a game by American Technos Inc. called River City Ransom. This side-scrolling beat 'em up had you controlling either Alex or Ryan on a quest to River City High to save Alex's girlfriend Cyndi from Slick, the leader of River City's gangs. It also featured a bit of RPG elements in the way of hit points, shops and increasing stats. In 2004, Atlus published an enhanced remake for the Game Boy Advance, but added some features that didn't really help.

The structure of the GBA version is identical to the NES original. You start out at your own school of Crosstown High and must work your way through River City to River City High beating up various gangs during your progress. You start out with basic punch and kick attacks, but in the EX version, they've been kind enough to start you out with the Dragon Kick technique, an ability that lets you kick three times in quick succession. As you beat up thugs, they drop coins, and each tougher gang member drops more coinage. Bosses will appear in certain areas after you've mopped the streets with its occupants, and each boss will tell you where to go to face your next challenge. Only after you've beat every boss will you be granted access into River City High.

You can pick up and use weapons along the way from lead pipes to chains to trash cans. The EX version has also introduced new weapons such as longer chains and ladders, introduced by new gangs such as The Eagles and The Entrees. You can swing or throw each one, and you can also learn techniques that will bestow upon you new fighting moves. The EX version has included several new techniques, such as Bicycle Kick and Helicopter, but for the most part the old techniques of the original still work the best.

If you've been doing a good job of picking up cash from defeated hoodlums, you can spend your dough in a number of different shops in several malls that you'll pass through. You'll remember all sorts of items and books to learn techniques from, but unfortunately it's a lot more irritating to shop now. The EX version has included many more items for each shop, but the list of items is randomly generated, and you do not have access to the full stock all at once. You might need to enter and exit a book shop more than twenty times until you see that wonderful Grand Slam book that teaches you the ability to swing your weapon three times in succession; it's a royal pain.

Speaking of royal pains, your AI partner is one. Since there is no two-player option (no link support), developer Million included a computer controlled character, but he's no help at best and can kill you at worse thanks to friendly fire. If he throws his weapon and hits you, it can hurt you or even interrupt your attacks to the point where the enemy can get the upper hand and kick your butt. You can tweak his AI behavior to make him less accidentally hostile towards you, but since he's still dead weight, the game's simply better by getting rid of him completely.

There's also an options mode that lets you practically debug the game. You can increase or decrease the power of your punches, kicks, weapons, etc., or you can even play around with the physics and gravity to make the game play wonky. Of course, this would be considered cheating but since it takes some grinding to become strong enough to beat the end bosses, it is a nice feature for those who just want to rush through the game (although the game takes roughly two hours to beat anyway).

The new save system is a double-edged sword, however. Gone is having to write down a 33 character password; you can now save on the spot. The irritating thing is that you cannot save over an existing file, so the game will just keep creating new files each time eventually clogging up the menu until it starts deleting the oldest file. It also only saves your current stats and amount of money so when you turn on the GBA again and resume, you'll be started at the beginning of the game, having you beat each and every single boss all over again. This in conjunction with other convoluted menus and navigation makes the EX version a little more irritating to play versus the original.

The 8-bit graphics of the original have been given a 16-bit face lift. For the most part, the environmental art hasn't been reworked, so every street scene should be instantly recognizable. There were some liberties, however, with the characters as Alex is now in all white and Ryan is now in all blue, instead of a mix of white and blue tops and bottoms like in the original. Gone also are some of the glitches of the original, such as characters stuttering in and out of existence.

The audio of the game has been improved somewhat as well. It still retains all those classic sound effects of punches and kicks and weapons being flung into enemies. There are a couple of sound effects, though, that aren't quite as good as remembered, such as when rocks and brass knuckles fall on the ground. The soundtrack has been preserved, so if you have fond memories of the music, you'll enjoy revisiting the game. Plus, the pinnacle moment when you hear the Double Dragon theme when you encounter the Twins makes that something to look forward to again.

Depending on how cheap you can find River City Ransom EX, you may want to consider buying the NES version off the Wii's Virtual Console for five dollars instead. The problem with playing EX on the Game Boy Advance is that if you own an SP, this is one of those games that unfortunately does not utilize the system's sleep mode. Unless you want to start all over from scratch, (aside from saved stats), River City Ransom EX is something you're going to want to slot yourself a couple of hours to play through. Besides, the purity of the original game is better cherished if you really want to reminisce with River City Ransom.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/river-city-ransom-ex/user-reviews/808211/platform/gba/ Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:55:39 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed Bulletstorm for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/bulletstorm/user-reviews/808114/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

Most first-person shooters these days take themselves too seriously. They try to establish tension and meaning in their narratives, attempting to fill the void from point A to point B with purpose. They give you colorful characters to follow you around in to provide some sort of emotional fodder when they inevitability get killed by a stray bullet. Not Bulletstorm, though. Bulletstorm takes itself about as seriously as a clown hopped up on nitrous oxide. Bulletstorm is about being over the top in its gameplay and purposefully offensive in its presentation. It's everything a crazy shooter should be.

Gray is angry. So angry that he's sacrificing the life of his crew aboard his ship to take out the Ulysses, his ex-commander Sarrano's ship. Sarrano has been using Gray and his squad of Dead Echo to carry out assassinations of innocent people, targets of the Confederation. Gray's alcohol-imbued impulsed idea may have worked in taking down the Ulysses, but it failed in killing Sarrano while killing everyone aboard Gray's ship, except for Ishi. Having undergone massive cybernetic implants to save his life, Ishi is now more computer than he is human. Feeling guilty for what happened to Ishi, Gray now has another objective aside from getting to Sarrano: to get Ishi off the Godforsaken planet they've crash landed on. There's going to be a storm of bullets along the way!

Bullestorm may not seem that special when you first begin, but once you pick up your first toy, the Leash, things get interesting very quickly. The Leash is an energy whip that can grab objects and enemies and yank them your way. As enemies get closer to you, they slow down due to an anti-gravity field that surrounds them. By kicking them with your gravity boots, you also produce the same effect, except they start to slowly move away from you. This allows you time to aim at different parts of their bodies and perform what it called Skillshots, and oh boy, are there a ton of different Skillshots!

Skillshots are how you earn points in the game, which you'll use to upgrade weapons and purchase ammunition at different drop boxes. To get Skillshots, you'll need to do such things as shooting an enemy in the privates and then finishing him off in the head, wrapping a flail grenade around a baddie and then kicking him into a group of his cohorts to act like a human bomb, flinging enemies into cactus, into spinning fans and broken wires, and much, much more. There's also a slide kick that helps you set up Skillshots, while also allowing you to cover ground quickly and safely. There's so much variety to slaughtering that the game never, ever gets old.

Your arsenal is full of fun toys as well. There's the standard assault rifle, the quad-barreled shotgun, the sniper rifle, the flare gun, flail gun, a crazy grenade launcher that shoots bouncing bomb balls and the vicious drill gun that impales enemies with spinning drill bit spikes. Each gun also has a secondary fire option that requires purchased charges to use. They can come in really handy when you're up against a group of foes or a particularly nasty individual. Also, you can even steer the shots you fire from the sniper rifle to ensure you get that critical skill shot. And yes, every gun you unlock also unlocks an entire set of unique Skillshots.

What makes the game even more fun is the massive levels that you'll traverse through. There are deserts outposts. subterranean prisons, overgrown botanical gardens and dilapidated skyscrapers with gaping holes in their walls. You'll need to stop from time to time just to enjoy the beautiful but bleak scenery of the game, as the desolate world is quite captivating in its own way. The levels are chock full of all sorts of environmental hazards as well, from the basic rebar spikes jutting from broken concrete walls to crackling electric storms that blanket the many war-torn buildings. One of the game's most exciting levels has you controlling a giant robotic dinosaur, complete with laser shooting eyes.

And when you're running from point A to point B with nothing to shoot, you're treated to some really well-written dialogue, in a very crass and cheesy sort of way. If you take this game in any serious way, you'll find the lines to be painful and cringe worthy, but if you accept the game for what it is, then you'll laugh at the ludicrousness of the dialogue. To be forewarned, there are a lot of references to male genitalia and many jokes that could be construed as homophobic, so if you're at all bothered by content like that, you should avoid Bulletstorm. For the nature of the game, and considering Gray is a scruffy war-hardened mercenary, the dialogue actually fits perfectly.

When you finish the campaign, there's always multiplayer, but of course it's a ghost town with the game being two years old at the time of this writing. There is, though, Echos which lets you play segments of previous levels over and over again to get higher scores. This is where you can hone your Skillshot abilities to rack up some really high scores and unlock access to new levels. Your scores are also ranked, so if you love to climb leaderboards, you have that much more incentive to keep playing.

Graphically, Bulletstorm is a looker. There's a lot of great texturing, lighting and shadowing, but the game's color pallet is a bit limited. There's a lot of usage of browns and blues and oranges and grays, so when the game mixes nature with urban areas, it isn't as impressive as it should be. Still, the artistic direction is something to behold. They've done an excellent job in making the world seem like it's been through complete and utter hell, and the feel and scope of the game is just massive. There's also the matter of blood, and there's lots of it. You'll see heads implode and bodies get impaled. Torsos separate from legs when shot at pointblank range with the shotgun and bad guys light up like the Fourth of July when shot with the shotgun's molten rounds.

If there's one thing Bulletstorm does well with its sound design is make you squeamish when you're killing people. Hearing your first body get impaled on a cactus is just nasty. Bones being broken and flesh being pulverized establishes quite well that this is a violent video game. Each gun has its own unique report from the cracks of sniper rifles to the firecracker whistlings of flare guns to the metallic banging of the Bouncer balls. The music is well-composed and is as perfect for an action game as any other soundtrack. Fans of MadWorld and Anarchy Reigns will also recognize Steve Blum, as he voices the main character Gray. He gives a fantastic performance, and his gruff voice is perfect for the rogue soldier.

Bulletstorm will not win any awards when it comes to class. It knows that and is proud of it. It flips conventional FPSs a middle finger and goes about its merry way. It doesn't care if you're offended by its language, or if the thought of skewering three people with one drill bit spike repulses you. You're going to play this game and like or it's going to put its size 15 gravity boot up your backside. Bulletstorm is quite the ride, and the fact that it's so unique and so outlandish is the game's best feature. If you're tired of the same old FPS, you'll really want to check out Bullestorm, especially now that it's super cheap.

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"JustPlainLucas reviewed Bulletstorm for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by JustPlainLucas on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 00:55:39 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/bulletstorm/user-reviews/808114/platform/ps3/ Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:33:08 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/lego-indiana-jones-2-the-adventure-continues/user-reviews/808005/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

Traveler's Tales do one thing and one thing only: make Lego games. Any young-hearted fun-loving gamer has played at least one by now, whether it's Star Wars or Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean or Lord of the Rings. Even the Indiana Jones trilogy has been Legoized. Making Lego games out of trilogies and sagas is something that Traveler's Tales does really well, but they seem to have hit a wall when it came to making a game based on one movie. Instead of developing a lengthy adventure of the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, they padded the rest of the game with a redux of the previous Lego Indy games.

The core gameplay is still as fun as any Lego game before it. You run around destroying blocks with fists and plastic weapons collecting millions upon millions of studs. You still build all sorts of Lego objects and cars and look for hidden power up bricks. It's the way the game goes about presenting you with these gameplay opportunities that might not be as appreciated as well as in former entries.

To start things off, there is no central hub that connects every chapter together. Rather, each chapter has its own hub. This might seem that it presents you with more freedom, but the story levels still need to be followed in a progressive order and hidden areas and other unlockables can only be accessed after you've unlocked certain characters. Now, it's the character selection that proves to be one of the more irritating features in the game. You cannot select from every possible character type at will. The main characters will follow you around, but if you need a rocket launcher type, you may have to run to the other end of an island to the base where he spawns to switch to him. It causes unnecessary backtracking.

The other major problem with the game are the levels themselves. Although each chapter now has 15 levels (5 story, 5 revisited, 5 bonus) as opposed to the previous Lego trilogy games only have 6 per chapter, these levels are tiny. Story levels rarely last more than 10 minutes and some are so short, they're over in just a couple minutes. They can be revisited with a preset loadout of characters, but in some cases the revisited levels are even shorter. Bonus levels are a lot of fun, though, as each one is a booby trap infested pit of puzzles. Still, having a larger number of shorter levels is not much compromise when it comes at the expensive of lengthy well-designed levels.

If you loved searching for the mini-kit canisters, you will not find them in this game. That's right, there are no mini-kits to be made. Instead, you can collect artifacts, 15 in each chapter. Doing so grants you golden treasure chests that you can destroy for pieces and build a spaceship or a UFO or an exploding volcano; something that will whisk you away from the hub and into the Super Bonus Level. These simple stress free levels have you collecting 1,000,000 studs, and it's a nice way to wind down the long grind of finding all those artifacts.

There are also issues with controls and ally AI. Each chapter has a driving stage, and each one of those driving stages will not be looked forward to. Driving has never really been Traveler's Tales' strong point, but they have succeeded if only to make the driving worse in this game. Vehicles now have suspension and clip very easily, which of course means you'll roll your vehicle over and over again. There's also the wonky bumper car physics which will somehow bump you back 10 feet in your truck when you've tapped a motorcycle. There's also the aiming mechanic of holding down X and moving the analogue stick to aim at a shootable object, which sometimes doesn't work at all, having you careen your character off a cliff when you were expecting to see a reticule moving.

Ally AI just doesn't seem to get any better with partners unable to beat up enemies or simply not doing anything all. Sometimes they have no idea you need them to stand on a tandem switch, and they love to get in your firing line when you're shooting at a target, not taking the hint to the move out of the way. Also, being bumped off platforms or having someone jump at you right when you're jumping makes some bonus levels a tad more frustrating than need be.

Lego Indiana Jones 2 does feature a robust level creator that lets you create levels from scratch or edit existing ones. Its tutorial is very brief, though, leaving a lot of details out. Its item purchasing system is also a bit cumbersome, and many attempts to 100 percent this mode have failed as a result. You can get really creative with the creator, coming up with some wonderfully inventive puzzles, but the real shame is there's no way to publish your levels and share them. Unless you have friends willing to come over and see your work, there's virtually no incentive for exploring this feature unless you want to 100 percent the game.

At the time of its release, Lego Indiana Jones 2 set the bar for Lego game graphics. The Legos themselves are very realistic. You can almost feel the smooth surfaces of the flat pieces and the bumps of the studs and the corners of the plates. Each character has that whimsical charm about them that only Lego can do. The environments that these bricks are built on are rendered well and look realistic. The camera effect of blurring out objects in the extreme foreground only enhances the realism. Special effects are about as standard as they have been with Lego games, but it's always a joy to see something blow up into a shower of studs.

Traveler's Tales also knows how to take audio source material and put it to good use. Using John William's original scores lends a mighty hand to the game's authenticity. It cues in with different pieces when you reach certain areas and heightens when action is about to happen. The sound effects are about the same as they've ever been, though. There's the snapping of bricks being put together, explosions of them be broken apart, and the plastic rain of studs as they cascade along the floor. The voice acting is the traditional incoherent mumblings that always manage to illicit at least a smile, especially when you hear Mola Ram chanting "RA-REE-RAH!"

Lego Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues is an example of what happens when you break formula and try something new. It's a very risky thing to do, and in this case, it did not pay off. Sure, there are more levels to play, but there are even less truly noteworthy ones. Instead of enjoying a fully fleshed out adventure for the Kingdom of the Crystal skull, we instead see half the game reserved for Indy trilogy retreads. What's even more disappointing is that the game's humor isn't as solid as previous Lego games. It's a fun game that any Lego fan will like, but it just leaves so much to be desired.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/lego-indiana-jones-2-the-adventure-continues/user-reviews/808005/platform/xbox360/ Sun, 17 Feb 2013 17:24:11 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/ni-no-kuni-wrath-of-the-white-witch/user-reviews/807640/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

PS3 owners have gone quite some time without a good, quality old-fashioned JRPG, and now their wait is finally over. In 2010, Level-5 in collaboration with Studio Ghibli, released a game on Nintendo's DS called Ni no Kuni: Shikkoko no Madoshi. It was a brilliant and beautiful game, and now more than two years later, this magical game has been brought to the PlayStation 3 with Wrath of the White Witch. Finally, after waiting for so long, PlayStation 3 gamers can now have a role-playing game that hearkens back to the good old days.

Ni no Kuni's story starts out as stereotypical as most JRPGs do. It begins with a boy, in this case Oliver, who is tasked with saving the world. He doesn't know that just yet. Living in the bustling town of Motorville, Oliver is best friends with an aspiring inventor named Phil and the two of them are working on a powerful racing car. Going against his mother's wishes, Oliver sneaks out of the house and joins Phil to test out the speed demon. An unfortunate mechanical failure occurs, making Oliver lose control and steer wildly into the river. Oliver's mom received a startling vision that her son is in mortal danger, so she raced to the river looking for him and found him drowning. She dove into the river and saved Oliver, but the stress proved too be too much for her heart and she fell ill. Now on her deathbed, she begins to say good bye to her beloved son.

The beginning chapter is told in beautiful hand-animated and in-game cutscenes. It's very hard to not be at least somewhat affected by the game's melancholy opening, but it serves a purpose. It helps you to become attached to Oliver as you see him weep, his tears falling on a fairy doll that he's got tightly clutched. It's understandable if you shed tears yourself, but as Oliver's tears touch the fairy, something happens. The fairy suddenly poofs to life and becomes extremely animated, running off at the mouth a mile a minute. Obviously confused, Oliver asks how this happened, and this is when the story truly begins.

It turns out this fairy - who refers to himself as Drippy, Lord High Lord of the Fairies - comes from another world; a parallel dimension. Drippy tells Oliver that these two worlds are connected, and every person in one world has a soulmate in the other. He suggests to Oliver that there's a possibility of saving his mom in this world by saving her in Drippy's world. That would, however, require something else from Oliver, and that would be to save Drippy's world completely. Feeling remorsefully guilty for being the cause of his mother's death, Oliver wants to save his mom and at the same time do as much good as he can to make up for the one major wrong he's done.

When Oliver learns his first spell of Gateway, he's whisked away to Drippy's dimension. When you begin exploring the overworld for the first time, you get flooded with wonderful memories of just how good JRPGs used to be. The world is expansive and beautiful and detailed, pock-marked with cities to travel to and hidden areas to explore. Dotting the hills and valleys are monsters that you can seem roaming about, so you can choose whether or not you wish to engage them in battle. This is good to know for those who miss old-fashioned RPGs, but don't miss being bombarded with random encounters.

Ni no Kuni's battle system is based on a Pokemon-esque set up of finding monsters, capturing them and bringing them into battle as familiars. The system itself is mostly real-time, but you can pause the action by selecting commands. When you summon a familiar into battle, it takes your place and effectively shares your HP and MP. When you have characters with you, they also replace themselves with their familiars. The problem with the battle system is that it's restrictive at times. Because the familiar is sharing your HP and MP, your own character's stats basically become unimportant. It would have been much more fun if the familiars were able to fight along side you, and that you could call more than just one at a time into battle.

Sadly, the main characters suffer form rather short mana pools at the onset, and artificial intelligence is not very adequate. Your partners will often waste MP on healing spells when you suffered just a scratch, or they'll use familiars in the wrong ways, such as having mage-types physically attack or warrior-types attack when you need to have a defense-heavy familiar tank. You can take over characters at a moment's notice, but seconds are easily wasted this way. It also doesn't help that whoever you change to withdraws their familiar, having you cast it back out again. There are a few spells and actions that take far too long to use when casting, and even using restorative items can take one second too long druing life or death moment. It's far from a horrible battle system, but it certainly has enough idiosyncrasies to annoy you from time to time.

There is a system in place that helps to alleviate the damage sustained in battle, and it's glims. Glims are glowing orbs that sometimes pop out from enemies as they're being hurt, or when you successfully block or counter their actions. Green glims restore HP and blue ones restore MP, and they come in different sizes. The most important glim, however, is the Golden Glim, and these not only completely heal you, but also allow your character or familiar to execute their Miracle Ability. These can greatly turn the tide of a battle, but the only real issue is making sure you get to it first before another character does, or you might have a Miracle Ability activate that you don't want.

Since the game's battle system relies so heavily on familiars, there's a large emphasis on creature collecting. Each familiar is broken down into a genus and has one of four different signs: planet, star, sun, and moon. It basically plays out like Rock, Paper, Scissor, so you need to learn what familiars work best against others. The game contains so many different creatures to collect that it becomes impossible for you to know exactly what set works the best without investing scores upon scores of hours raising them; it's best to use a guide or forum and find out the optimal group right off the bat. Familiars can also be fed, which not only increases their relationships with their masters, but allows them to grow stronger and learn other abilities, or Tricks. After being leveled up enough, they can metamorphosize into more powerful forms.

Aside from collecting familiars, Oliver can also collect a vast array of spells to restore his Wizard's Companion spell book. Some of these are awarded to him by characters in the main storyline, while others are obtained through quests. There's a fair amount of combat spells, but you're better off keeping your MP for healing until your pool increases a notable amount. The rest are for "every day" purposes, such as talking to spirits in town, or manipulating things in dungeons. You also can collect a wealth of formulae for use in alchemy, and you can make everything from food items to incredibly powerful weapons and armor.

As for the dungeons themselves, they are designed wonderfully, but they aren't very long. After you level up to the point where monsters run from you, you can easily run from the starting point to the boss room in just a matter of a few minutes. They also feature some light puzzle elements. You might be wondering how to get to the top of a ledge. Just cast Quick Grow to make a row of mushroom caps grow larger. Icicle blocking your way? Cast a fireball at them and watch them melt. The "Every Day" spells give the game some novel fun, but some spells you obtain may only get a few uses throughout the game.

The main story lasts roughly 30-40 hours, but if you choose to rush through it, you'll find yourself going up against exponentially harder foes and bosses. To really enjoy the game, you'll need to drop by Swift Solutions in each of the game's main cities. These shops not only dole out a list of tasks that citizens need help with, but they also host a list of bounty hunts that you can partake in. Completing tasks and killing monsters for bounties not only allows you to grind your levels a bit more, but grants you stamps on cards that you can turn in for additional perks. These perks include things like increasing the likelihood of glims and dropped items to faster movement speed to the very necessary unlocking of Oliver's potential, which increases both his HP and MP by 100.

What is most enjoyable about these tasks are the side stories that come with them. A large portion of tasks are people who have been broken-hearted. The game's main villain Shadar, also known as the Executor, stole pieces of people's hearts from all over the land. He took such pieces as Kindness, Love, Ambition, Courage and Enthusiasm, effectively reducing the peoples' collective ability for self-improvement. Seeing Oliver seek out those who have pieces of hearts in abundance so he can restore the broken-hearted is heartwarming in itself, because you see this young boy riddled with his own guilt selflessly help others in need. It's a really important emotional element of the game's story, and something that you shouldn't try to skip.

The original Ni no Kuni for the DS ends at a certain point, but the PS3 version has several more hours of content before leading up to the game's final battle. Once you finish that battle, a slew of post-game content opens up. A new list of tasks are posted, and several of these tasks provide closure to several of the game's more vague mentions. There's also a bevy of new bounty hunts as well, testing the limitations of your familiars. These bounty hunts eventually lead up to more powerful bosses you previously encountered, and an ultimate showdown may have you with little chance of surviving. If you manage to overcome these extra challenges, you're awarded with a very special memento from earlier in the game.

Ni no Kuni's gorgeous aesthetics is an example of when art direction meets technical proficiency. The hand-animated cutscenes have that magic only Studio Ghibli knows how to produce, and the in-game cutscenes make excellent use of cel-shaded graphics. Character designs are full of unique whimsy, a clear Ghibli trademark, and seeing them move about freely in the game world is just a delight. Special effects are wonderfully cartoon like, and the battle scenes dance with activity. It's even easy to lose yourself roaming around in the overworld, taking in every single sight you can as the never-ending horizon continues to produce more.

Studio Ghibli is most certainly not known for just its animation; they are masters at sound production. Ni no Kuni displays their proficiency expertly. The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra has produced some delightful and emotionally poignant pieces, and the sound design has applied these tracks to the game with amazing effect. Every moment in the game, whether its a joyful reunion or an intrepid delve into a dungeon, is matched beautifully with the soundtrack. Sound effects also are well-designed, upholding the game's cartoon-like feel. Enemies poof out of existence and deadly spells hit home with impact. The voice acting is quite remarkable as well. Although Oliver himself is far from Oscar-worthy, it's the supporting cast that is so enjoyable. Steffan Rhodri as Drippy simply outperforms everyone with his hilarious Welsh accent and Brian Protheroe delivers an evilly sinister Shadar.

Ni no Kuni is simply a magical, wonderful, beautiful, imaginative, heartwarming and heartwrenching experience. Studio Ghibli is largely accredited for this acclaim, because as it stands, the game's mechanics are good but a bit short of great. There's a chance you'll become frustrated with the game's battle system, and you may not like spending several hours grinding and trying to find the perfect set of familiars. You may be disappointed by how shallow the dungeons are, even though they are visually appealing. You will, however, be immensely satisfied with Ni no Kuni as a whole. Its fantastic storytelling wrapped around a decent engine makes Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch a game deserving to be in any PS3 owner's library.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/ni-no-kuni-wrath-of-the-white-witch/user-reviews/807640/platform/ps3/ Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:38:42 -0800 jg4xchamp reviewed Anarchy Reigns for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/anarchy-reigns/user-reviews/807472/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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"jg4xchamp reviewed Anarchy Reigns for the Xbox 360..." was posted by jg4xchamp on Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:38:42 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/anarchy-reigns/user-reviews/807472/platform/xbox360/ Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:24:22 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed Resident Evil: Revelations for the 3DS... http://www.gamespot.com/resident-evil-revelations/user-reviews/807004/platform/3ds/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

The long running survival horror franchise Resident Evil shows no signs of slowing down. Having started its birth on the PlayStation, it has made appearances on the Saturn, the Nintendo 64, the Dreamcast, the PS2, Wii, PS3 and 360, and now the 3DS. Revelations is a special game, though, as its designed specifically for handheld gaming, and tells a side story following the series' original cast of Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. Making use of a few of the 3DS's hardware features and containing a decent sized campaign with a number of extras, Revelations makes itself a noteworthy addition to the franchise.

The game begins with Jill Valentine and her partner Parker Luciani boarding an abandoned cruise liner named The Queen Zenobia. They're investing the last known transmissions from fellow BSAA partners Chris Redfield and Jessica Sherawat. They're also looking for any information involving the terrorist organization known as Veltro, who was responsible for attacking a paradise city in the middle of the ocean called Terragrigia. As they explore the ship, they encounter new monsters - products of a new virus - and a new enemy altogether. Revelations also follows several other characters as well, giving you more insight into the mysteries of the story.

Resident Evil: Revelations is a survival horror game that follows the basic formula of the games set before it. You explore the ship, entering whatever rooms are locked, finding keys and puzzle pieces to unlock previously barred passageways. Although Revelations is zombie-free, it does introduce some pretty freakish creatures of aquatic nature. You'll see bipedal monsters with mollusks for heads, mutated sharks, and some really sick and twisted boss encounters. Revelations also sees the return of the original bio-weapon, the hunter.

If you're playing the game on normal difficulty, it does a pretty good job of keeping you supplied with ammo, provided you're a decent enough shot. The game introduces a tool called the Genesis, which is a scanner that lets you find more ammo pick ups, as well as healing herbs. You can also use the Genesis to scan enemies and each time you do, you earn a percentage. Once you get up to 100 percent, you're granted a health herb. Scanning every room you come into does slow down the pace of the game, but the rewards are too beneficial not to pass up. Just by scanning alone, you'll ensure you'll have enough ammunition for the game.

You might find aiming with the circle pad to be a bit stiff and sluggish. Fortunately, you can use the 3DS's gyroscope to move the system and aim that way. Not only does it allow for better accuracy, it actually frees up the circle pad letting you do something no other Resident Evil has done before: move while shooting. The only downside is that since you're constantly moving the 3DS, the 3D effect will constantly be interrupted. Still, once you try it, you'll be hard-pressed to aim with the circle pad again.

As far as combat goes, it's pretty similar to Resident Evil 4 and 5. You have your basic handguns, shotguns and rifles with the occasional grenade. You're limited to the number of guns you can carry, but there are gun boxes every so often, and they allow you to upgrade your weapons with any parts you find. If you get grabbed by a monster, you can kick them off you. If you manage to stun them with a few shots, you can run up to them and execute a physical attack. When you're hurt, you use herbs to restore health, but they no longer come in different potencies; one herb will heal you completely, no matter how hurt you are. Also, you do have a partner with you but unlike Resident Evil 5, your partner doesn't use your ammo and health items. Of course, they don't do much to help you, occasionally firing a shot or two but if you're low on ammo, you can just run around the room and let your partner slowly finish them off.

Over the course of the game's 12 chapters, you'll be given control of different characters, such as Chris Redfield or another BSAA member Keith Lumley. Their episodes are usually set in the past, or around the same time frame as Parker and Jill's, but their load outs might be entirely different. You might be given more shotgun ammunition to deal with a pack of zombie wolves, or you find boxes of machine gun ammo scattered about to deal with wave after wave of hunters. Although each character specific moment plays in a similar fashion, each one has its own unique pace.

If there was any doubt that the 3DS wasn't a powerful handheld machine, Resident Evil: Revelations quashes those doubts. Thanks to some nifty shading techniques, the game's able to boast some incredibly detailed character models. Fantastic use of lighting atop superbly textured environments enhances the game's sense of realism. The 3D effect keeps things more subtle instead of having things flying towards the screen at you, but it's because of this that it gives the game a more defined aesthetic. You can also increase the 3D even more so through the game's options, but it can be overpowering for some. There are a few moments during elevator scenes when the game's loading up the next area where the frame rate stutters to crippling levels, but it never occurs during actual gameplay.

The game makes some great use of the audio as well. You can hear the clicking of claws and the stomping of feet as hunters pace back and forth looking for their prey. Monsters wither away with a sickening bubbling effect, punctuated with a disturbing squeal. Gun reports are loud and distinct, and the sounds of your body being slashed by a monster's razor sharp appendage is enough to make you wince. The music is composed nicely, coming in at opportune times; the final piece during the last level is orchestrated in a very spooky manner. The voice acting is nice, although it won't win any awards. Of course, the voice acting has improved dramatically ever since the first RE's classic line "You were almost a JILL sandwich!"

With the consoles and PC set to receive ports of Resident Evil: Revelations, the real question is, should you buy this game for the 3DS? If you want the best possible experience, the answer is obviously wait for the port. If you absolutely need a new 3DS game or simply want to play RE on the go, then you should get it for the 3DS. It's a very solid game in just about every aspect, and does a few things better than its last couple of mainstay installments. Tack on extra challenges to accomplish, a Raid Mode that lets you play cooperatively, and a much harder difficulty, and you've easily got enough game for your buck.

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"JustPlainLucas reviewed Resident Evil: Revelations for the 3DS..." was posted by JustPlainLucas on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:24:22 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/resident-evil-revelations/user-reviews/807004/platform/3ds/ Sat, 26 Jan 2013 12:45:56 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed Anarchy Reigns for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/anarchy-reigns/user-reviews/806774/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.0.

DISCLAIMER: No amount of time was spent exploring the multiplayer. This review reflects the single player campaign only.

Platinum Games has made a name for themselves for making some of the zaniest, most over the top, ludicrous and outlandish action games in the market. In 2009, Platinum Games introduced us to Jack Cayman, protagonist of the Wii exclusive third-person brawler MadWorld. Cayman was a chaser, or bounty hunter if you will, and on his right arm he had a two-bladed chainsaw capable of extreme savagery. Now four years later, Cayman returns for some more chasing, but this time he has to share the stage with Leonhardt "Leo" Victorion as they're after the same bounty, Maximillion Caxton.

The story begins in a bar as a task force of three barges in and begins asking questions. The leader, Nikolai, is soon met with resistance by Jack Cayman as he learns he's asking about his mark, Maximillion Caxton. Jack's quickly sucker punched into his place, and the team leaves as quickly as they came. So much for a relaxing drink. Jack now has to rev up his chainsaw arm and get back to work. Hopefully, he can find Max before the they do. He'll be out of a lot of money if he doesn't.

Anarchy Reigns is more of a spiritual successor than it is a full blown sequel. Sure, it sees the return of Jack Cayman, but Jack has to sit half the game out for newcomer Leo. You can start the game with Jack Cayman's "Black Side" or Leo's "White Side", but after four chapters, you'll be trading off. Mission structures follow a simple formula. After being dropped in one of the game's four hub levels, you roam the apocalyptic deserts and shanty towns and urban areas beating anyone you come across to a slushy pulp. As you smack people down, you earn points. Earn enough points, and a Free Mission unlocks, which will you earn even more points from. Continue to earn points and a Main Mission unlocks, which lets you progress the story further. Although Jack and Leo share similar missions, both of their stories are unique enough to make each campaign distinct.

Combat is less creative than it was in MadWorld. Although you still earn points, you have no inventive opportunities to dispatch your enemies. You can still throw spikes through their heads and bind them with tires, but that's really the only implementations that carried over from MadWorld. You'll spend most of your time mashing Square and Triangle to unleash basic combos while unleashing your Killer Weapon to dispatch gangs of thugs and deal serious damage to the game's bigger baddies. As you're fighting, you have a meter that builds up and when full, you can enter Rampage Mode. In this state, you move and attack extremely rapidly and you have limitless energy for your Killer Weapon. Unlike most games' similar overdrive states, Rampage lasts a good while, letting you go through two or three ridiculously huge mutants before wearing off.

You can block and dodge, but the game penalizes you for blocking and dodging too much. If you do so, you're stunned and become a sitting duck. There's also a serious problem with the combat, as you can't cancel out of an attack animation, and it makes a few of the game's tougher moments more frustrating than need be. The game's always giving you items to use at your disposal, though. You can get item picks up from shields to invisibility cloaks to instant charges for your Rampage mode, and you can also get weapons such as grenades, rifles and lovely, lovely rocket launchers.

The game does try to mix up the action a bit, though. Free missions are usually no more than "beat up this many guys in this amount of time", but some are a little more arcadey, such as knocking balls into goals. Story missions might have you going head to head with another character, or you might end up fighting two or three characters with one or two partners of your own. There's even a multistage battle with an electricity-spewing kraken that's one of the gamer's finer moments. For the most part, though, the game's a cakewalk, with most enemies just serve as punching fodder, letting you pounding on them without much resistance. Yet, when the game decides to finally get challenging, the spikes seem a bit unfair. If you really want a challenge, though, it's best to play it on Hard from the onset.

As for characters, the game has a few returning faces, such as the Asian cutie Rin Rin, the curvaceous yet deadly Mathilda, and everyone's favor pimp Blacker Baron. What's even better is that some missions let you choose who you want to play as. If you really loved Blacker Baron from MadWorld, being able to play as him might be worth the price of admission alone. Of course, there are a lot of new faces as well, such as Onkie, a snout-faced scavenger of parts; Durga, the cybernetic feline human; and Sasha, Leo's seductive partner. All these characters are unlocked as you encounter them in the campaign for use in the game's training and multiplayer modes.

It's easy to tell that not much money was spent on the game's production values. The visuals are obviously dated, as they aren't technically impressive at all. Textures aren't very sharp, and the environments and objects are built rather simply, but the game performs very smoothly. The game can throw a good number of enemies at you, while also doing crazy random things such as carpet bombing the ground while you fight, having an enormous excavator weave its way towards you, or even blind you as a twister summons up a gigantic sandstorm. Its art direction is the only thing that really captures the eye, as the character designs are quite interesting. For some fans of MadWorld, they'll be disappointed that the game's in full color now, abandoning the black and white noir style, and also trading in the red blood for other colors of fluid, such as blue for mutants and gray for cybernetic enemies.

It is a noisy game, though. If you love your action games loud, Anarchy Reigns reigns supreme. Using your Killer Weapons produces satisfying sounds of flesh being rendered with every swipe. Every powerful punch and slam and kick is accompanied with impactful thumps and whams and slams. The soundtrack is composed of a mix of hip hop and electronica and for fans of those genres, the official soundtrack is worth hunting down. The voice acting is pretty solid as well, with performances ranging from campy to deadly serious. If you loved the voice acting of Jack Cayman and Blacker Baron, you'll love it just as much in Anarchy Reigns.

The most appealing feature of the game is obviously its price tag of 29.99. MadWorld debuted at 49.99 and unfortunately was roughly three hours long. Anarchy Reigns is at least twice as long, and although it doesn't give you the same level of creative brutality, it does give you another absolutely crazy campaign. Plus, if you are into mulitplayer, it lets you whale on your friends with one of 16 different characts. Unfortunately, the game really does want you to play it more online than off, as the cursor actually defaults to Multiplayer when you first start the game up. MadWorld fans will be disappointed that they didn't get a true sequel to a game that definitely deserved one, but it's still fun nonetheless and the 30 dollar price tag makes it much easier to forgive.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"JustPlainLucas reviewed Anarchy Reigns for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by JustPlainLucas on Sat, 26 Jan 2013 12:45:56 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/anarchy-reigns/user-reviews/806774/platform/ps3/ Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:29:07 -0800 jg4xchamp reviewed Shadows of the Damned for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/shadows-of-the-damned/user-reviews/806412/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get the full article at GameSpot

"jg4xchamp reviewed Shadows of the Damned for the Xbox 360..." was posted by jg4xchamp on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:29:07 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/shadows-of-the-damned/user-reviews/806412/platform/xbox360/ Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:22:52 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed Afro Samurai for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/afro-samurai/user-reviews/806391/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.5.

Ever heard that saying, "Where there's smoke, there's fire"? Well, where there's blood, there's swords. Afro Samurai's carrying a really large sword, so it's only logical there's gallons of blood. Afro Samurai is based upon the urban anime of the same name, bringing with it the voice of Samuel L. Jackson. The game follows the titular character on a quest for revenge after his father was slain before his eyes by the Number One assassin.

To be a recognized - and godlike - assassin, you have to wear a magical headband. Afro Samurai's head is adorned with the Number Two headband. He's close, very close to finding the Number One assassin. Not only is he seeking that headband, but the head that comes with it after his father's head was tossed to him when he was only a child. The problem with being any kind of assassin wearing a headband is that you have other assassins trying to take it from you. So, Afro Samurai sets off on his bloody quest for vengeance, ending everyone else's quests for advancement for those who get in his way.

If Afro Samurai's anything, it's bloody. This third-person hack-n-slasher with parkour platforming elements is as stylistic as it is gruesome. It's also repetitive and shallow. You have basic light and heavy attacks, along with kicks, and there are a wealth of different combos that you can perform, but the combat simply never evolves. Every enemy that comes at you feels only slightly different than the first and can be beaten almost exactly the same way, by just hitting X and Y. There's even a leveling system, but there might as well not be as it makes no noticeable difference in the gameplay.

Afro Samurai's trick up his sleeve is Focus and Overfocus. As he pulls off combos, his pendant begins to glitter. Pulling the L trigger turns the graphics into black and white and slows down time. Afro can then charge up a horizontal or vertical slash and if he times it just right, his sword will cleave his enemy precisely where you aim it. If you continue to build up focus, you can enter Overfocus by tapping the L bumper. In this mode, Afro zips to and from each enemy, delivering dismemberments and decapitations along the way. It's a powerful tool when the action gets too crowded, and it looks spectacular to boot.

Even with the grizzly flourish of Focus and Overfocus, swinging the razor sharp sword gets mind-numbingly dull after a while. Thankfully, some creative level design offers up some Prince of Persia-esque platforming. Unfortunately, it's not quite as tightly tuned as most platformers are, so you end up stumbling or coming up short when jumping gaps, or cursing as you're trying to perfect the art of the wall run. There are light puzzle elements as well, but it's so straightforward, you'll easily figure them out. If you get lost at all during the mostly linear layouts, hitting the d-pad down causes your foul-mouthed companion Ninja Ninja to appear and show you where to go.

There are the occasional boss fights to be had, and some of them can be quite tricky, summoning perfect reflexes in order to trump them. Still, Afro Samurai's body is tough, almost too tough, as you really have to sit there and try to get beaten up to put yourself in any real danger. This means that most bosses - and the bigger of common enemies - mount to nothing more than an exercise in patience rather than a test of endurance. The same goes when the game decides to throw waves of enemies at you numbering 10 or more; things just tend to go on for too long.

It's a shame that there isn't more beef to the game, because its graphics are impressive, even three years later. The cel-shading allows Afro Samurai to capture that hand-drawn look from the anime splendidly. When in motion, everything animates extremely smoothly, and the dismembering in Focus mode is both incredibly cool and - for the weak of stomachs - nauseating. There are a few minor frame rate hiccups, and some of the animations of basic enemies as they enter the stage seem a bit stiff, but for the most part, the game upholds its gorgeous aesthetics.

Audibly, it's not for everyone. If you're not a fan of hip hop music, it will be hard for you to enjoy Afro Samurai. Its soundtrack has been produced by Wu-Tang Clan's The RZA, and it blends hip hop beats and lyrics with Eastern compositions. For fans of hip hop, the soundtrack is amazing. If you don't like swearing in your games, then again Afro Samurai is a game to avoid as it's voiced by none other than Samuel L. Jackson. That should tell you everything that you need to know. For the sound effects, it's painfully violent as the sword butchers flesh with each swipe and the sprays and splatters of blood produce disgustingly wet noises.

For Afro Samurai to compete against other hack and slashers like Ninja Gaiden and Devil May Cry, it needed much more in the realm of gameplay. More enemy variety, more weapons and more importantly, more meaningful tactics and difficulty could have achieved that. If you love the anime of Afro Samurai, you may very well end up enjoying the game. If you're looking for a dirt cheap action game to kill a few hours, it may even fill that void. Just don't expect to be won over by anything the game does outside of the presentation; the game's merely an extension of the anime.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"JustPlainLucas reviewed Afro Samurai for the Xbox 360..." was posted by JustPlainLucas on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:22:52 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/afro-samurai/user-reviews/806391/platform/xbox360/ Sun, 13 Jan 2013 14:02:53 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed Nintendo Land for the Wii U... http://www.gamespot.com/nintendo-land/user-reviews/806229/platform/wii-u/ ...and gave it a 7.0.

It's always nice to see the return of the pack-in game, provided of course you grabbed yourself the deluxe version of the new Nintendo Wii U. If you did, then you got yourself a fun little game for practically pennies on the dollar. Nintendo Land is a mini-game compilation, Nintendo's new Wii Sports for 2012 if you will, just with Nintendo-themed mini-games instead of sports games. There's a lot of great variety among the mini-games, and it makes some pretty good use of the tablet controller. The only question is, is it worth paying 60 dollars for if you didn't get a deluxe system, or is it even worth it if you're a single player only gamer?

Nintendo Land puts your Mii into a barren amusement park where you're greeted by its automaton steward Monita. She gives you a quick tour around Nintendo Land's central hub simply titled Nintendo Plaza. It's a circular plaza outlined with 12 gates, each gate leading to a Nintendo-themed mini-game. As you play these different games, you earn Nintendo Play Coins. By touching the central tower on your tablet, you're whisked to the top of the tower where you can play yet another mini game (similar to Pachinko) to earn prizes. Each price arrives in a Mario Coin Block and when opened, it decorates the plaza with a memento from one of the twelve different games. The more you play, the more exciting and interesting your Nintendo Plaza will look.

The 12 different games are a mix of single player, multiplayer and multiplayer-only games. They are as follows:

Single Player

Yoshi's Fruit Cart - In this game, you use the stylus to draw a path on the tablet screen from a starting point to a goal. The TV screen shows fruit that you have to collect along the way, so you have to approximate where exactly to draw the line on the tablet screen. It can be tricky sometimes, but after playing for a few minutes, it becomes a rather forgettable mini-game.

Balloon Trip Breeze - Balloon Trip Breeze is obviously inspired by the NES classic Balloon Trip. Your Mii grabs a couple of balloons and then you swipe the tablet screen to cause gusts of wind in whatever direction you need to travel. Your goal is to hit balloons consecutively to build up chains for bigger combos. You can also tap on objects on the tablet screen to destroy them and clear a path. This game is one of the more addictive ones because you'll always want to improve your score.

Captain Falcon's Twister Race - Inspired by F-Zero, this mini-game has you holding the tablet controller lengthwise tilting it left and right to steer. The game wants you to play while watching the tablet screen's overhead view, but it might actually be easier to watch the TV instead, since you can see things coming at you easier. Each area gets progressively harder with more and more obstacles to avoid. This is one of the better single player mini-games, as you'll always strive to go just a little further.

Takamaru's Ninja Castle - In this shooting gallery style mini-game, you hold the tablet controller in one hand, and then flick towards the TV screen to send throwing stars flying at targets. You can also find scrolls to use that give you new powers, and you activate them with different swipe inputs. It's a pretty fun little game, and one of the few that's actually physically demanding.

Donkey Kong's Crash Course - The weirdest game of the bunch, DKCC has you tilting the tablet controller to move around your Mii, which is this triangle .. thing made out of springs. You have to balance the moment just right, or you'll land on your head and break yourself. The TV screen shows the entire stage, but the tablet controller zooms in on your little vehicle so you can focus on particular bits of each area. The latter areas become so hard, they're actually impossible for many people, so this mini-game either might be forgotten about to frustration or become the vice that drives people insane as they dedicate themselves to beating it.

Octopus Dance - In this rhythm-based mini-game, you're partnered next to a dance figure where you mimic different moves by moving the analogue sticks, tilting the controller, or jerking it upwards to make your Mii jump. It's not as easy as it sounds, because your character's orientation is different on the TV screen than it is on the tablet screen. At times, your partner will flip you around, causing you to change your focus from screen to screen. Also, the octopus will blot your screen with ink as well, making it harder to pay attention. This game can be pretty addictive, as you'll want to see just how far you can make it.

Multiplayer

Pikmin Adventure - This is one of the star attractions of Nintendo Land. Not only does the game work well, it sticks very closely to the Pikmin formula and looks absolutely fantastic. You can play the game in two forms: Challenge, where you can play by yourself or with up to four other people; or Versus with up to five people. Challenge has you playing progressively harder stages, while versus has you competing among each other to see who can gather as much candy as they can in a certain time limit. Pikmin Adventure also will have anyone who's awaiting Pikmin 3 salivate that much more for it.

The Legend of Zelda Battle Quest - Another star attraction, this on-rails action game has you either playing by yourself or up to three other friends. If you're playing with the tablet, you can use bow and arrows by flicking the right analogue stick back to fire and moving the tablet around to aim. You can also play using the Wii Remote, which will have you using a sword and shield. There is a total of nine different stages, each progressively harder than the next and each concluding with a boss fight. This mini-game is quite possibly the best of the bunch.

Metroid Blast - Another one of the bigger mini-games, Metroid Blast actually has three different modes. Assault Mission can be played with 1-5 players, and has you fighting off waves of enemies in either your ship or on the ground. Surface-Air Combat is a versus mode with up to five players that has the player with the tablet flying the ship while everyone else is on the ground fighting back. Ground Battle is 2-4 players and is exactly what it sounds like. All players shoot each other while running along the ground. This mini-game will keep those that enjoy death match style multiplayer hooked.

Multiplayer Only

Animal Crossing Sweet Day - In this 2-4 player mini-game, one player will control a pair of gate guards, one with each analogue stick while the other players use Wii remotes to move their Miis around in an attempt to gather up as much candy as possible and transport it to drop off sites before time's up. It can get rather chaotic at times, and it takes a bit of getting used to for the player with the tablet controller, as it can be a bit tricky controlling two guards at once.

Luigi's Ghost Mansion - Another 2-4 player mini-game, the player with the tablet controller controls the ghost and can see where the other players are. The other players use Wii remotes that rumble according to the proximity of the ghost. If they get close enough, they can shine their flashlights on the ghost to hurt him. If the player controlling the ghost can manage to sneak up and scare them enough, then that person wins. It's one of the more charming games of Nintendo Land.

Mario Chase - Everyone gangs up on Mario, who is controlled with the tablet controller. Player 1 has two minutes to survive, while the rest of the players have those same two minutes to catch him. Player 1 has the advantage of having a map of the area showing the other players' locations, but the other players have Yoshi carts that constantly sound off which colored zone Player 1 is currently in. Throw in an occasional Invincibility Star that increases the speed of Player 1, and you have the makings for a lot of chaotic moments.

Nintendo Land is quite pleasing to the eye. It showcases a lot of excellent art direction, as each mini-game has that traditional Nintendo aesthetic. There's a terrific range of bright colors being used, and of course, it's nice to enjoy the game in high-definition. Some mini-games look far more spectacular than others, but that can't be helped based on the nature of the game. Once you get your Nintendo Plaza filled with different prizes, then Nintendo Land really becomes a fun-looking place.

Audiowise, it's just a delight. The Nintendo Plaza is filled with the sounds of footsteps and traffic from other Miis as they make their way about the area. As you approach the gate of each attraction, you hear different music. Once you enter, you may even hear 8-bit melodies from the games of origin. The music in general is classic Nintendo; carefree and laid back. Monita sounds very robotic, as it fits her character rather well, and other sound effects have that arcadey feeling that suits them perfectly.

As fun as Nintendo Land is, however, it does miss the mark. The game has constrained itself for the solitary gamer, as a fourth of the game requires other players. This could have been rectified with computer controlled bots or better yet with the inclusion of online multiplayer. It would be very hard to recommend this game at 60 dollars for that reason alone. If you have a decent sized family or continuously hang out with friends, then it becomes more appealing as the game has more enough things to do for a group of gamers. Nintendo Land is a nice pack-in for the deluxe system, but it is lacking enough to not be considered a must-own game.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"JustPlainLucas reviewed Nintendo Land for the Wii U..." was posted by JustPlainLucas on Sun, 13 Jan 2013 14:02:53 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/nintendo-land/user-reviews/806229/platform/wii-u/ Sat, 12 Jan 2013 12:13:04 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed Scribblenauts Unlimited for the Wii U... http://www.gamespot.com/scribblenauts-unlimited/user-reviews/806182/platform/wii-u/ ...and gave it a 7.0.

Scribblenauts all started back in 2009 on the Nintendo DS. It featured a young boy named Maxwell who was able to literally create objects out of thin air using his notebook. He thought up just about anything to overcome whatever obstacle stood in his path. Super Scribblenauts followed a year later and introduced adjectives into the mix, letting you modify existing objects to solve puzzles. Two years later, a new chapter in the franchise accompanies the launch of the Wii U with Scribblenauts Unlimited.

With great power comes great responsibility, and although this is no Spider-Man game, that saying applies itself no less true to Maxwell. His parents Edgar and Julie entrusted to him a magical notebook that could create anything Maxwell's heart desired. Unfortunately, Maxwell's heart is still too young and he decided to play a mean trick on a wizard who asked him for something to eat. The wizard, having taken a bite from Maxwell's freshly created rotten apple, decided to teach Maxwell a lesson by cursing his sister Lily with a spell slowly turning her to stone. The only way Maxwell could lift the curse would be to gather magical Starites by using his notebook to help the people of the world with their needs. Maxwell swore to right the wrong that he made, so he grabs his notebook and gets to work.

The beautiful aspect of Scribblenauts is its accessibility. Nearly everyone can pick up and play this game without the need of being able to navigate platforms or have the twitch responses necessary to survive bullet-filled onslaughts. The object of the game is pretty straightforward: roam the many locations, find out what their inhabitants need, and type up words in the notepad to create a suitable object. Scribblenauts Unlimited is a game that promotes creativity, because there's no one right answer to get things done. If you need to start a fire, you can do so with a match, a flint, or even a fire-breathing dragon.

The game makes excellent use of your creativity, not just by the many people who need your help, but also with Starite quests. These quests are special events in each of the game's locales that involve a series of tasks following a theme. For instance, you might be aboard a space station as things are going wrong, and you need to come up with ideas to fix each of the crew members' problems. The Starite obstacles are usually more straightforward than the random person's request, and some actually require a very specific solution.

In order to progress through the world, you'll need to gather a certain number of Starites, and you can earn one by collecting shards. You can gather shards simply by helping the people you come across. Some are as simple as giving a clown a rubber chicken to make him more effective at his profession while others require more thought such as repairing a damaged relationship. You can also earn shards by fulfilling Object Shard objectives. This massive list contains simple commands from creating a toilet and using it to tasks that summon your knowledge of pop culture from movies such as Back to the Future II to more obscure Internet memes like Peanut Butter Jelly Time.

There's no real narration to speak of in the game, so you'll be disappointed if you're looking for a story. All there is is an animated prologue and an epilogue, and the rest is just Maxwell doing his job. That isn't to say the game's short on wit, though. Far from it. The game exudes charm and the extreme number of different ways you can do things practically guarantees hilarity will ensue, provided of course you don't keep taking the path of least resistance. The more creative you are with your solutions, the funnier and more entertaining the game will be.

If you play Scribblenauts Unlimited in long bursts, however, the novelty of the game will wear thin. It may seem like loads of fun to whip up random items out of thin air and watch what happens, but as you keep helping people, you'll notice that is all you ever do. The level designs are greatly varied because there's so little to do with the environments themselves, it's hard for them to really keep your interest. Once you've helped everyone in an area, it's immediately off to the next.

The art style of Scribblenauts Unlimited is as charming as the series has ever been. Great use of color and the Wii U's ability to display in HD makes the game as aesthetically appealing as a cartoon. The characters animate like paper marionettes that further establish the game's charm. It's a bit lacking on special effects, though, as many actions are depicted with nothing more than a shake of Maxell's hands. That's not to say there aren't special effects at all, because you can cause wildfires and watch as everything you created slowly burns away, or detonate a nuke and watch the screen white out from a mushroom cloud. It's just the game's taken a rather low-key approach to special effects. Also, there are many similar objects that you can create that share the exact same design making it seem a bit lazy.

To match the game's laid back nature, the audio is relaxing. The music is soothing and mellow and fits the game's charm nicely. For sound effects, there are pops and poofs as items are brought into creation and destroyed. Denizens of the world utter "Ooh"s and "Ahh"s when you give them something pleaseing, and cry out in fear when you create something scary to them. The narrator at the beginning and end of the game also does a great job voice acting, sounding like someone you'd hear as they read a picture book.

The one major flaw of this particular title is its price. Starting at 60 dollars for the Wii U version, it's almost impossible to justify buying it when you can get the exact same game for 40 dollars on the 3DS. Plus, Scribblenauts Unlimited takes no advantage of the Wii U's hardware outside of independent tablet gameplay, and you might as well play solely on the gamepad since there's so much touch screen interaction. If you play games on the PC, you can buy it for 30. If you can find Scribblenauts Unlimited for a competitive price on the Wii U, it's worth picking up. Just don't blow through the game in one sitting, and you'll be fine.

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"JustPlainLucas reviewed Scribblenauts Unlimited for the Wii U..." was posted by JustPlainLucas on Sat, 12 Jan 2013 12:13:04 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/scribblenauts-unlimited/user-reviews/806182/platform/wii-u/ Fri, 11 Jan 2013 20:58:31 -0800 JustPlainLucas reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D for the 3DS... http://www.gamespot.com/the-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time-3d/user-reviews/806153/platform/3ds/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

Not too many games are remembered so fondly by grown-up gamers as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. When the game was first released on the Nintendo 64, it took an already well established franchise and completely reinvented itself as it made its first foray into the world of three dimensions. What the N64 did for Mario, it would also be done for Zelda. 14 years later, after already being rereleased several times, Link once again plays his ocarina but this time on the 3DS.

A young boy raised by the forest-dwelling Kokiri, Link was special as he was the only one in his village who grew up without a fairy. The day came where that was no longer the case, and he was soon joined with a fairy of his very own named Navi. A sickness was afflicting the great Deku Tree, and Link would soon realize he had a very special destiny ahead of him as set out to help the tree. He would become the Hero of Legend, traversing time and eventually combating Ganondorf, the King of Evil. He would need two very important tools to accomplish this: the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword. With those two in hand, it's now time for Link to save Hyrule.

The game starts off as most adventure and role-playing games started off back in those days, with the hero getting out of bed. As a young forest boy, you wandered around your village talking to people who obviously were a little different from you. Your first task was to gather a sword and shield, and then off you went to the Deku Tree, the game's first of many dungeons. As is true to Zelda's form, Ocarina of Time slowly introduced you to the game's mechanics and gradually increased the difficulty of each of their dungeons.

The dungeons of Zelda games always stuck to a formula. You entered, having no map to see where to go and no compass to help you with your bearings. You'd have to figure out puzzles or kill all the enemies in a room to reveal chests with keys to progress through the dungeons. Eventually, you'd find a tool such as bow and arrows or hook shoots that let you overcome specific obstacles, and you'd also need to use your newfound abilities to defeat the dungeon bosses. Ocarina of Time, as old as it is, still finds itself holding up very well in regards to dungeon design, but that all depends on just how fresh your memories are.

If you just played it not too long ago on the Game Cube or via the Virtual Console, you'll end up breezing through them. If this is your first time in a very long time, it'll be like playing it again for the first time. If you never played it at all, then you're about to experience Zelda at its arguable best. Now, if you remember how hard the dreaded Water Temple is, it may not be that hard for you this go around, because the part that many people got hung up at now has a camera cue that shows you were to go. You may not have appreciated the added hint but then again, you may not want to tear anymore hair out of your head like you did 14 years ago.

Ocarina of Time of course contains all the gear that we remembered. There's the sling shot, the boomerang, three different shields, the hookshot, the bow and arrow and many more. The one thing that we wish we didn't remember is how touch and go the combat was. This is one area of the game that really doesn't hold up. Back then, it was called Z Targeting, but on the 3DS it's called L Targeting and it's a mechanic that lets you lock on to your character while being able to move freely. The only problem is, it doesn't work as intended as well as it should. You need to have the camera centered and be within a certain distance for your L Targeting to stick and by the time you finally get it where you want, the enemy might get a potshot or two. Also, even slow-moving enemies can somehow manage to be missed by Link's ranged attacks with the lock-on. It's far from terrible, but it happens enough to remind you that it's there. Plus, with some bad camera angles that still exist to this day, Ocarina of Time's a reminder that we should be thankful gameplay mechanics have evolved over time.

Questing is still fun, but since almost a decade and a half has passed, we've seen questing done so much better in current adventure games. When you relive Ocarina of Time, Hyrule will suddenly appear smaller and less populated than it did before. Still, it's fun to try to remember where you went when you got that Piece of Heart and trying over and over to finally beat Ingo and claim Epona the horse as your own to cruise around the fields of Hyrule. Then there's the ocarina itself, the magical instrument that played all those wonderful chimes you learned as a kid. Discovering hidden grottoes with the Song of Storms is still as rewarding as it once was.

3DS-specific controls do exist in Ocarina of Time 3D. When you enter first-person mode to shoot any one of Link's many ranged weapons, you can move the 3DS around to aim. If, however, you have the 3D turned on, than moving the 3DS even slightly is going to disrupt the 3D effect. The game makes excellent use of the touch screen for map displaying and touch button mapping, but the problem with resistive screens is there will always be that one time where you tap on a button and nothing happens. You can also play the ocarina with touch buttons, but the physical face buttons provides far more reliability. Also, if you play the game on a 3DS XL, you're more than likely to experience more cross-talk (ghosting of images) than you would on a regular 3DS.

Nintendo took their time restoring Ocarina of Time for the 3DS, and it shows. Although far from the best rendered game on the system, every aspect of the game looks far better than it originally did. Environments now have more detail and better texturing. Character models contain more polygons and more facial details means they're more expressive. Special effects have been given more luster and appear livelier and colors are more vivid. The 3D effect also adds a good deal of depth to the game and helps give boldness to the game's many forms.

There's one aspect of Ocarina of Time that has always been celebrated, and that is of course its music. It is rarely argued that Ocarina of Time is the franchise's greatest soundtrack. If you've never heard it before, you'll quickly understand and if this is your first time revisiting the game, you'll be awash with so many memories, it just may bring tears to your eyes. The sound effects are all so memorable from the chime when Link discovers a dungeon secret to the rock shattering explosions of his bombs. Of course, there's that tell-tale sign of a hollow wall when Link strikes it with his sword. So many wonderful audible memories.

The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time is a game that's worth playing at least once. It's also a game that's worth revisiting at least once. If you haven't played the game before, it's about time you do and Ocarina of Time 3D is the definitive version to play with its improved visuals and inclusion of the harder Master Quest. It would have been nice for Nintendo to tweak the actual controls and camera, but then again, there's something to be said about purity. Whether you're in it for the nostalgia or wanting to see all the fuss about it, The Ocarina of Time 3D is a title worth owning on your 3DS.

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