nintendoboy16's GameSpot Friend's Reviews nintendoboy16's GameSpot Friend's Reviews nintendoboy16's GameSpot Friend's Reviews en-us Copyright (c)1995-2013 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. http://www.gamespot.com 20 Thu, 06 Jun 2013 20:48:33 -0700 GameSpot nintendoboy16's GameSpot Friend's Reviews http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/shared/promos/misc/gs_logo.gif http://www.gamespot.com 135 40 Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:36:41 -0700 sh811a reviewed Shantae: Risky's Revenge for the DS... http://www.gamespot.com/shantae-riskys-revenge/user-reviews/812040/platform/ds/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

This is something I wish most other video games would do, have a sequel to those games that rightfully deserve it. Shantae was an under the radar gem for the Game Boy Color which became a sleeper cult gem over the years, but now our wish for it to become a franchise is finally happening.

Not really much to say, the story is soild for what it is, a typical magic heroine saves the world type. And the gameplay really isn't anything totally new but what makes it stand out is in it's execution. The graphics are very good, their colorful but not too cartoony. I really like the designs of the sections there is plenty of depth but most importantly really creating a pulp fantasy world that is a mix of the past with a little of the present and future involved; there is magic but there is also science. I really like the character designs from Shantae, the bosses, and Risky, as well as the facial expressions which really give these characters character. The music is also good, I wouldn't say it's anything too memorable in my book but it's good for what it is.

The gameplay is great, as I said it's not really anything new it's similar to the "Castlevania" series. With the non linar approach, hair whipping action, RPG elements of leveling up, purchasing items, magic abilities and going one place to the other. But what makes this game really stand out is in it's use of multiple planes. This I think is something great because it really make the 2D levels seem more three dimentional. It really increases the amount of depth for each of the sections, where you might have to jump from one plane and get though a section of that to get to a certain position of the plane you were in before. It also gives the game a sense of exploration and also you don't get lost each of the sections are easy to follow.

The only bad things about the game for me is that it's short and kinda easy by my standards. But this game is really by it's nature what is called an episodic game and most of the time it's a common case for most of them so I can't really complain too much.

Overall, "Shantae's Risky Revenge" is a great follow up and one of my favorate Dsiware games. And trust me this won't be Shantae's last adventure.

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"sh811a reviewed Shantae: Risky's Revenge for the DS..." was posted by sh811a on Tue, 04 Jun 2013 09:36:41 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/shantae-riskys-revenge/user-reviews/812040/platform/ds/ Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:12:18 -0700 sh811a reviewed Mighty Flip Champs! for the DS... http://www.gamespot.com/mighty-flip-champs/user-reviews/812013/platform/ds/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

This is the first in the Mighty series and I personally think is still the best in the bunch, for now anyway.

Plot is simple, your a hot anime girl character that travels with a magic wand to different enviorments to get all your friends back and move on. That's it in a nutshell, but puzzle games were never really know for deep plot lines anyway, you just simple do the best you can to solve whatever puzzles are thrown at you, which is all I need.

The graphics are good, look almost like a lost SNES game. I really like the character designs sort of anime like. But most importantly I really like the designs of the enviorments you filp to, each of them are always different and there is a great variety of them. The music is good, I wouldn't say anything particularly memorable but there were at least a few tunes I found catchy.

But most importantly the gameplay, I think is very good. This game is pretty much a platform puzzler, what makes this unique is that it's not just a simple task of getting from point A to B but finding the right order to get there. In a way the game is sort of like the Labryth board game where you had to control the enviorment to get your ball where you needed it to, it's the same principle here only you flipping to different enviorments. I really love the use of duel screens, this game I feel is another great example of that use. On one screen it's the enviorment you currently in, while on another it's an enviorment that's not in use yet. As you are controlling your character in the current enviorment, you can see your character's movements in the other. And as you flip to the other enviorment you character will be in that particular position you put her in from the last enviorment. It really is a matter of using your enviorment/s to your advantage, figuring out the right positioning order to get you where you need to be.

The game's not that hard but it's not that easy, as you get further it does start to get a little harder as there are different principles added in, like flipping colored switches at certain times.

Well, not much left to say but if your a fan of the platform puzzle sub genere then this game is a nice chalnenge for you. Mighty Flip Champs is a champ.

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"sh811a reviewed Mighty Flip Champs! for the DS..." was posted by sh811a on Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:12:18 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/mighty-flip-champs/user-reviews/812013/platform/ds/ Thu, 30 May 2013 23:22:05 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/metal-gear-rising-revengeance/user-reviews/811904/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

Did you ever wonder what's it like to play as a cyborg ninja? If that never crossed your mind, than shame on you sir. Metal Gear Rising gives you the chance to play as Raiden, a cybernetic ninja protecting VIPs under the wing of Maverick a private military company. But things take a turn for worse as a terrorist group under the name of Desperado Enforcement LLC ambushes Raiden. This leaves him with a thirst for vengeance and plans to hunt down Desperado at all costs. MGR is by means no Metal Gear Solid. It's a spin-off and plays totally different from your average MGS game. Instead of the usual sneaking routine you'll be fighting your way through countless waves of enemy cyborgs through sheer force. Is it worthy of the Metal Gear name? Let's find out.

Metal Gear Rising is all about swords. These are not your average blades, no not all. These are called High frequency blades which are basically normal blades but with a very high frequency current going over them. Thanks to this feature these swords have the power to cut almost everything. That's what Rising is all about, cutting everything in sight from enemies to buildings. Obviously it's quite limited. The developers don't want the players to ruin the level by cutting everything and leaving nothing but a desert of nothingness.

The game's story mode is structured in chapters which is great cause you'll definitely want to replay older chapters to find collectibles. Honestly no other hack and slasher comes close to the awesomeness in MGR. You've got your usual combos and moves along with the whole "Cut everything at will" thing but the highlight of the gameplay must be the blade mode. When Raiden enters blade mode everything slows down and the HF blade becomes even more powerful. This allows the player cut to everything with high precision. For this ability to activate Raiden needs fuel cells which operate like a stamina bar. Also health pickups are very different from most action games. Raiden needs to cut the enemies torso in half in order to absorb nanopaste which heals up Raiden. This helps keep gameplay fast, although the animation that Raiden does when he absorbs the nanopaste could get a bit irritating.

Ninja run is an ability used to run faster, climb obstacles and buildings automatically when in use. When this ability works as it was meant to, it feels amazing. But the ninja run suffers a lot from control issues. Sometimes it can be quite annoying to climb something or even just get out of the way of a wall or a rock. Not to mention it's quite spotty, Raiden goes flying off the screen at the slightest touch when using ninja run. But for the most part it works fine. Like any other action game, MGR also features an upgrade system. It uses battle points as a currency which can be acquired easily by making a mess of your enemies. This whole upgrade system is the reason why multiple playthroughs are necessary. Theirs no way that all the items and upgrades can be bought with one playthrough's worth of battle points.

While it's clear that this game has deviated from the MGS formula quite a lot it still retains some of its charm. Cardboard boxes, alert phases and codec calls all make a return. The way they're incorporated don't feel tacky at all as some stealth aspects are still present. It's obviously not as robust as an MGS game when it comes to stealth but sneaking around and killing of a few enemies using the mandatory execution from behind that seems to be in every action game these days, is rewarding and can help make the actual fight a bit easier.

MGR is quite unforgiving. On normal difficulty it can be very challenging for those who aren't well acquainted with action games. Parrying is especially difficult as it must be timed at just the right moment at can take some time to fully master. MGR is quite moody, it likes to swing a lot from totally serious moments to just plain stupid. This can be ignored for the most part but it can ruin the feel of the moment at times.

Like other Metal Gear games, Rising has the usual lengthy cutscenes. Don't worry they're not as long as the cutscenes found in MGS4 but for those who don't care theirs always the skip button. It's been a Metal Gear tradition to include crazy bosses. Rising excels in this department and delivers some of the craziest bosses this series has ever seen. These boss fights usually consist of two parts. The part where you get to fight them one on one and the part with the quick time events. Quick time events get a lot of bad rep within the gaming community but they actually work here.

Remember those awesome VR missions in MGS1 or 2? You know the ones were you'd have to control either Snake or Raiden and complete a challenge within certain parameters. They make a comeback in Rising and they couldn't be better. Each mission must first be found while playing the regular story mode and they're usually hidden really well so be on the lookout. Apart from VR terminals there are plenty of other things to collect throughout the story mode. Things like data storages, hidden enemies and left commander arms give players a reason to replay the game. Theirs plenty of collectibles in here for any completionist nut.

Originally Metal Gear Rising was going to use the FOX engine but after being handed over to platinum games things had to be downsized a bit. Still even though it doesn't look as impressive as it would originally have, it plays at a solid 60 frames per second which more than makes up for the FOX engine. Some frame rate dips do occur especially when using blade mode but these rarely tend to happen. The soundtrack contributes to a lot of the wow factor found in the set pieces. It really helps hype up these epic moments. Their isn't much more to say about the stellar soundtrack, it's fantastic and fits the game's feel perfectly.

All in all Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is an incredible effort by Platinum. It may be short in length but the action it provides in this short span of time is more than enough to meet the needs of any action junkie.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/metal-gear-rising-revengeance/user-reviews/811904/platform/ps3/ Thu, 30 May 2013 01:28:52 -0700 Spinnerweb reviewed Obscure: The Aftermath for the PlayStation 2... http://www.gamespot.com/obscure-the-aftermath-2008/user-reviews/811876/platform/ps2/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Survival horror... the term instantly conjures up thoughts of low ammo and health supplies, avoiding enemies, jump-scares ... and some bad dialogue (cough, Resident Evil, cough). Obscure: The Aftermath has all of these elements, making it a great horror game that can be described as the bridge between Resident Evil and Silent Hill.

What's Resident Evil about it? Combat. Over-the-shoulder aiming is here, and in some places the game borrows the fixed camera from the older Resident Evil games. There are some jump-scares and the monsters are well designed. You will run very low on health and ammo in this game, so there will be places where you'll be forced to run from enemies instead of taking them on. Health items are precious. The psychological horror in this game constitutes the Silent Hill side of it.

The game is the sequel to Obscure, but there are some changes - most notably that while in the original Obscure you could keep on playing as long as you had at least one character left, in this game all the characters' skills will be used, so even if one character dies it's game over. The game is quite challenging, especially compared to its predecessor.

The game features a few characters from the original Obscure as well as new characters. Shannon, Stan and Kenny from the original game are back, and the new characters are Corey, Mei, Sven and Amy. All these characters will be used at one point or another in the game so none of them are useless - Corey, for example, is skilled in acrobatics so he can jump to places others can't reach and then lift his partner up. Amy and Mei are used mostly for solving puzzles, while Sven and Kenny are strong and can push heavy objects. None of the puzzles in this game are very hard, but they are clever.

The graphics are excellent. The characters and enemies are extremely well-detailed and so is the environment. Combat is a bit slow but it's not the focus except in boss fights. The soundtrack is excellent, but the voice acting and dialogue are average at best. There are sometimes screw-ups in the AI, but none of them mar what is a great horror game. If you liked Resident Evil and Silent Hill, you'll like Obscure: The Aftermath.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Spinnerweb reviewed Obscure: The Aftermath for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by Spinnerweb on Thu, 30 May 2013 01:28:52 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/obscure-the-aftermath-2008/user-reviews/811876/platform/ps2/ Thu, 30 May 2013 01:28:49 -0700 Spinnerweb reviewed Obscure: The Aftermath for the PSP... http://www.gamespot.com/obscure-the-aftermath-2009/user-reviews/811875/platform/psp/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Survival horror... the term instantly conjures up thoughts of low ammo and health supplies, avoiding enemies, jump-scares ... and some bad dialogue (cough, Resident Evil, cough). Obscure: The Aftermath has all of these elements, making it a great horror game that can be described as the bridge between Resident Evil and Silent Hill.

What's Resident Evil about it? Combat. Over-the-shoulder aiming is here, and in some places the game borrows the fixed camera from the older Resident Evil games. There are some jump-scares and the monsters are well designed. You will run very low on health and ammo in this game, so there will be places where you'll be forced to run from enemies instead of taking them on. Health items are precious. The psychological horror in this game constitutes the Silent Hill side of it.

The game is the sequel to Obscure, but there are some changes - most notably that while in the original Obscure you could keep on playing as long as you had at least one character left, in this game all the characters' skills will be used, so even if one character dies it's game over. The game is quite challenging, especially compared to its predecessor.

The game features a few characters from the original Obscure as well as new characters. Shannon, Stan and Kenny from the original game are back, and the new characters are Corey, Mei, Sven and Amy. All these characters will be used at one point or another in the game so none of them are useless - Corey, for example, is skilled in acrobatics so he can jump to places others can't reach and then lift his partner up. Amy and Mei are used mostly for solving puzzles, while Sven and Kenny are strong and can push heavy objects. None of the puzzles in this game are very hard, but they are clever.

The graphics are excellent. The characters and enemies are extremely well-detailed and so is the environment. Combat is a bit slow but it's not the focus except in boss fights. The soundtrack is excellent, but the voice acting and dialogue are average at best. There are sometimes screw-ups in the AI, but none of them mar what is a great horror game. If you liked Resident Evil and Silent Hill, you'll like Obscure: The Aftermath.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Spinnerweb reviewed Obscure: The Aftermath for the PSP..." was posted by Spinnerweb on Thu, 30 May 2013 01:28:49 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/obscure-the-aftermath-2009/user-reviews/811875/platform/psp/ Mon, 27 May 2013 14:22:49 -0700 gezegond reviewed Heavy Rain for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/heavy-rain/user-reviews/811781/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

Pros: Features the best possible gameplay for storytelling • Story is fantastic in the middle of the game • Characters look real and are animated well
Cons: Plot holes • Plot inconsistencies • Disappointing ending

I hate QTEs. I just wanted to clear this up before starting the review because Heavy Rain is essentially a series of QTEs strung together to tell a story: An interactive movie. It's a real accomplishment, then, that I actually enjoyed Heavy Rain despite my hatred for pressing random buttons.

Heavy Rain is not my first play in the interactive movie genre. I had previously played "Fahrenheit", another game by Quantic Dream, the developers of Heavy Rain; and while I loved that game for its story and presentation, I hated it for its controls, specially some real frustrating QTE segments.

I remember I was very excited when I first heard about Heavy Rain. Everything sounded great: Being a Playstation 3 exclusive, the developers could focus on bringing out the most of what PS3 can offer both graphically and in terms of control methods, rather than aiming for the lowest point which is supported by all platforms if the game were to be released on multiple consoles. The branching story sounded more complicated than that of Fahrenheit (or any other game I had played); and the new story seemed to be more mature and complicated than the previous one.

Having now played the game, I am quite happy that my expectations are met. Almost.
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Audiovisuals:
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Let's start with the visuals. For a game like this, visuals play a very important role. After all, when you've got little to play with, you'll end up staring at the scenery instead. Considering their importance, the graphics are not as good as I wanted them to be. They might look really great, or ridiculously bland, depending on what you're staring at.

Let me elaborate a bit: Quantic Dream has put a lot of effort on characters, particularly on how well they can express emotions through facial gestures. The results are• well, good. The characters look real (Though some look better than others) but when they express an emotion, sometimes it feels• just too mechanical. Like robots that are programmed to perform a certain expression that is assigned to a keyword. This doesn't happen frequently enough to be immersion braking though, and the characters' details and their animations are otherwise done surprisingly well and accurate. A visual highlight for me was when Jayden, one of the characters, used his augmented reality glasses to turn his tiny office into a vast natural environment. Jayden can choose between a forest in autumn, the ocean floor, the top of a cliff in a valley (my favorite), and on mars. These sceneries give the game's overall gritty tones some needed variation, and they were my favorite part of the game visually.

Those, are however the visual highlights of the game. Other areas are relatively worse. The sceneries have great artistic touches, and look great, but not noticeably better than other PS3 titles. Given the fact that in this sort of game, the engine only needs to handle at most a few rooms, I don't see why they couldn't have used better looking textures and details. The world objects are the worst part. You'll see a lot of these in Heavy Rain. You have to interact with different items throughout the game, which gives you a very close look at the said item: Perhaps you're shaving and the razor is taking up half of the screen, or you're putting some plates on a table, each taking turns to fill the entire screen. These frequent close looks constantly ruin your experience by showing you an ugly model that completely breaks the immersion. And by ugly, I mean UGLY. I have seen 3D models used in 5th gen games looking better than some of these. The cars in particular look very ridiculous. I didn't expect them to look better than the ones in racing games, but I've seen custom models done by hobbyists that look better than these. I understand that a developer can't design a level full of high quality objects, but when something takes the entire screen for 3 seconds, with the player's complete attention focused on it, it has to look realistic.

Voice acting is very important in this sort of game, so it's very pleasing that I rarely noticed anything out of place. Specifically, the actors are pretty good at conveying their character's emotions and their tone go along with the facial expressions well. There is however, some very poor voice acting present as well. These mostly belong to minor side characters with very few lines, but they succeed in ruining the mood when they occur nonetheless. I don't remember any particular piece of music that specifically grabbed my attention, perhaps due to the game's short duration, but for the most part it was enjoyable and contributed to setting the mood reasonably well.
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Gameplay:
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Gameplay? What gameplay? It's an interactive film, you just watch it and make stupid decisions every once in a while, right? At least, that's what one would expect when hearing the term "interactive movie". That line of thought, is wrong. This is where Heavy Rain shines. It achieves something never done before: to make you feel you're living a story. This is not something any movie can ever do, and that, is why Heavy Rain is most definitely a game.

The gameplay is essentially divided into 2 modes: The adventure mode, and the QTE mode. In adventure mode, you have direct control over your character. You walk around, interact with objects and people, and try to accomplish something. It works pretty much like early 3D adventure games such as Grim Fandango. QTE mode triggers when the situation goes out of control, and quick reflexive action is needed to handle it. When combined, these two modes involve the player with the story in an impressive manner: The adventure mode gameplay has been used in story driven games for quite some time with great results, and Heavy Rain is no exception. In most games, QTE is just a cheap method that substitutes more complex gameplay (which is why I hate it), but in this one, they're actually used for what they do best: gauging the player's reflexive reactions.

These modes of gameplay have been done before quite a lot, and their combination has already been done in Quantic Dream's past game, Fahrenheit. So what makes Heavy Rain different? The answer is their implementation. You see, you don't just interact with your surroundings by pressing a button. You need to make the appropriate gestures as well: You want to pick something up from the floor? You have to move the analog stick up. You need to pick it up slowly? You have to move the analog stick up slowly. While this doesn't sound too impressive on the paper, in effect it does a very great job at immersing you in the game. And this goes beyond just "make that analog stick gesture to do x": Every action is a combination of several gestures, which could include making a certain analog stick gesture at a certain pace, using the buttons by pressing, holding, quick tapping, or a combination of them, and doing several gestures with the controller itself: finally a good use for sixaxis motion sensors in Dualshock 3 controllers. The precision is spot on, as I never felt cheated: If a gesture was registered as a failure, it was because I failed to perform it correctly, not because of poor implementation. That's something that Heavy Rain should be applauded for, since many other games fail to implement gestures correctly and in a fun or immersing manner.

Another touch, that immerses you even more in the game, is the fact that there's no HUD layout. Each action prompt is presented over the related object in the 3D environment (as opposed to being drawn on 2D HUD overlay). While this too, seems trivial, it makes a huge difference in your experience, in that you have to actually look around the screen to see whether there's something worth interacting with, similar to real life, rather than staring at a fixed place where prompts would appear on HUD.

And what adventure style gaming is good without the characters talking to themselves like idiots? This "trick" was used in early adventure games in order to give the player information about an object. The same is present here only with a small twist: Holding L2 pops up some keywords that rotate around your character's head and can be selected by pressing one of the face buttons associated with them. Each keyword represents one of your character's thoughts, and they will talk about it to themselves when one is selected. This way, the game gives you information about your surroundings, the objects, the goals, hints, and most importantly the character's emotions at any time, rather than simply giving information on interactive objects.

Not immersed enough yet? Another immersing aspect in gameplay is what I'd like to call "object button mapping". See, in most games, each button represents an action. For instance, by pressing x, you kick. I call this "action button mapping". In "object button mapping" however, each button is mapped to an "object", such as one of the character's limbs, or the camera. While the former is more practical and suited for complex gameplay styles, the latter immerses the player in the environment better, meaning each has its own particular use.

In Heavy Rain, the developers have made the right choice to use "object button mapping": The left analog stick represents your neck, and by moving it you look around, moving the camera accordingly as well as your head. R2 represents your feet, and by pressing it you move in the direction your head is facing. So if you want to turn right for instance, you use the left analog stick to tilt your character's head to right, and then press R2 to move in that direction. While this might sound too unnecessarily complex, it does a great job at immersing you in the game, and you'll quickly get used to it because it makes sense. The right analog stick represents your hands, and you use it to perform various gestures that utilize your hands. Moreover, L2 represents you mind, L1 flips between the 2 camera views at each scene, and your controller on the whole represents the character's entire body (for use in sixaxis motion gestures).

All of the above add up together to make a truly wonderful immersive gameplay style, making this the best method I have ever seen for telling a story in a game so far. This is the sort of meaningful innovation I'd like to see in more games, and I wholeheartedly praise Heavy Rain for it.

There are two more things I'd like to talk about here. First are the extras. Going through the game you unlock 7 concept art galleries and 3 "making of" videos. The most important aspect of the videos is that they show the real actors who the characters are modeled after. I thought the characters looked artificial so I was surprised to see how much they resemble their real actors. The only one that looked a bit different was the FBI agent, which I thought had the least artificial model! Turns out I find realism unreal. The concept art gallery, while not so attractive to regular gamers, is definitely a plus for people who're interested in art or game design.

Next is the origami figure. There is a mandatory hard disk installation when you first start the game. While the game is being installed, it teaches you to make a real origami figure (The one that is the game's main logo). I found this really fun and innovative, and it did a great job at setting the mood effectively while making the wait fun at the same time. I thought this should be mentioned because I have always been intrigued by what game developers do with loading screens, and this one was very innovative as it gives you a game to play even when it's loading and it has a really good reason not to.
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Characters:
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And so we reach the most important aspect of Heavy Rain: the characters and the story. All of the technology, the gameplay, the level of details, and everything I talked about up until now were merely tools for presenting the story. Given the importance it carries, I regret to tell you that the story unfortunately falls short. Very short. Let's get to it, shall we?

The story revolves around the "Origami Killer", a serial killer targeting young boys, leaving an orchid and an origami figure on the bodies of his victims. The story is told through the perspective of 4 different characters that are all in some way related to the origami killer. Each of these characters has their own story theme and gameplay style.

Ethan Mars, the main character, has his son kidnapped early on the game. His side of the story is full of intense emotions, usually pain and confusion. The origami killer demands him to do harm either to others or to himself in exchange of his son's life, leading to a lot of painful decisions he must make. This decision making makes the bulk of his gameplay style.

Madison Paige is a reporter investigating the origami killer. She is the kind of girl you see in Hollywood movies who does extremely dangerous stuff just because she's "curious". She frequently does stupid things, and does stupid things to get those stupid things done. There was this part, for instance, where she goes to a disco club to find some information about its owner who is most likely a criminal. Now if it was me, I would start by asking the people around or bribe the bartender to find something out about him. As a matter of fact, I did try to talk with other people on the scene. But Madison want to talk only and only to the owner himself. The owner obviously does not want to be bothered. So what does she do? Bribe the doorman on his office? Try to find info another way, maybe talk to other people now? No! She decides to get into the owner's private section by dancing and seducing him. And after finally finding her way there, what does she do? Try to wittingly get him to talk about something he shouldn't? Bluffing about blackmailing him? No! She asks him if they could go somewhere "private" to talk. You are free to facepalm. This kind of behavior usually leads to a lot of situations where she is captured by the enemy and must do something to break free, Hollywood style. I found her character very stereotypical and weakest among the four.

Norman Jayden is an FBI profiler in charge of the Origami Killer's case. He has his very own gameplay style thanks to ARI: Short for "Added Reality Interface", ARI is a futuristic gadget used by FBI agents to help them with• everything. It consists of augmented reality glasses and a glove which help him in a crime scene, in his office, or when he just wants to waste time. Most importantly, ARI can do everything the CSI lab team does in a whole episode in a single second. His gameplay style therefore is reminiscent to that of detective games: investigating the crime scene and talking to related people. But that's not all there is to Jayden: In addition to being a rookie cop and dealing with numerous inconveniences brought by it, he is also addicted to drugs, and using ARI too much puts negative side effects on his mind. His part was also the only part where I had to use my brain a little. Overall, I found Jayden the best and most fun character to play with amongst the four.

Scott Shelby is a private investigator who's hired by the families of the victims of the origami killer. He goes around asking the relatives of the previous victims in search for clues. Incidentally, whenever he does that some sort of predicament comes up which he has to deal with, earning the trust of those who don't talk along the way. His gameplay is therefore a mix of adventure and QTE.
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Story:
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The story is actually quite good and would be outstanding if not for its major flaws. Let's start with the weak introduction: The first 30 minutes of the game is dedicated to showing you how to play the game, and in those 30 minutes the story is very thin and doesn't make a lot of sense. Actually, let me rephrase that: it doesn't make any sense. For example, in the first chapter Ethan's son suddenly "teleports" upstairs (I can't think of any other way he could go there that fast) to... find his bird dead. Did he kill the bird? Did the bird die on its own? What is the reason we should know or care about the bird at all? It doesn't have anything to do with the story, and the lines are so bad that it doesn't contribute to the development of characters at all. My only guess is that it's just a failed attempt at sounding deep and metaphorical.

Or in the second chapter, when his other son decides to wander off in the mall despite him warning him not to do so several times. After finally finding his son, he rewards him with by buying him a balloon, after which he wanders off again despite his father telling him firmly not to do so two times. Instead of getting angry and going after him and bringing him back, Ethan spends a whole minute trying to find his wallet to pay for the balloon. Wtf?

The story gets better after the introduction. It managed to successfully attract and maintain my attention, so much that I found myself guessing the identity of Origami Killer midway into the game. One of the highlights for me was a part where Ethan, suffering from agoraphobia, has to go through a station in order to get a package left by the Origami Killer in a locker. The way his mental sickness was portrayed here was downright genius. Another highlight was where Jayden and his partner Blake are investigating a suspect. In the middle of the conversation the suspect suddenly takes out a gun and points it at Blake. As Jayden you have the option to either shoot the suspect or talk him into surrendering. I remember that it felt very real: The gun's trigger was associated with the R1 button, and I kept feeling that I have a real gun in my hand and the life of two human beings at stake. I think I now understand what "the responsibility of holding a gun" means.

One of the most important aspects of the story is that it branches into different directions depending on your choices and actions. All characters can die, and if they do the story will continue without them from the perspective of the other characters. The branching is not limited to deaths though; It goes into different directions based on the decisions you make, things you say, or objects you interact with. As an example, in a part where Jayden has to arrest a suspect, he suddenly starts feeling dizzy due to his drug addiction. You have to find his drugs in his pockets with precise gestures, and if you succeed, you get better on the spot and arrest him and everything's over. But if you fail, the suspect captures you and puts you in a life/death situation where you have to fight for your life.

The problem with the story however, is that there are two flaws that are always present: First, the plot holes. There are a lot of things that go unexplained in Heavy Rain. Unfortunately, I can't elaborate more or I would be spoiling the story, but there are events that happen but never explained why. Similar to the bird in the introduction, you might think that these have something to do with the story, but then the story goes on and on until it's finished and they're left unexplained.

The second flaw, which was my biggest gripe with the game, was the inconsistencies. Ethan has some blackouts early on in the game and they seem to be really important. They also have strong hints about the identity of the Origami Killer. However, once a couple of them occur, they just stop happening out of the blue and then the plot takes another direction and a bit later it's like the writers forgot that blackouts happened at all. Not only are they not addressed, they are never mentioned again.

And finally, my second major gripe was the ending. The ending was• how should I put it? Pointless. And Meaningless. I don't want to spoil it so imagine a mystery murder case. The detective looks for clues one by one, and slowly gathers information. All of them point that Mr. X is the killer. Then at the end in a dramatic twist, it is revealed that the killer was actually Mr. Y. They show you a flashback in which Mr. Y kills the victims. The credits roll. Notice that they never bother telling you why all the evidence pointed to Mr. X being the killer. That would feel like 98% of the story was completely pointless. That is how Heavy Rain's ending feels. Out of the blue, this guy is the Origami Killer. Bye.

There is a reason for both the plot holes and the inconsistencies that the developers have explained: Deleted Scenes. Many of the plot holes and the blackouts are explained in a deleted scenes video that you can watch here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxpdGB6Gbac). (It's full of spoilers, so make sure you watch it after finishing the game) However, this does not make the ending make any more sense. You can also read more about why the ending doesn't make sense here if you want (http://www.destructoid.com/how-heavy-rain-has-lowered-the-bar-for-game-narrative-165426.phtml). (This is also full of spoilers) This leads me to believe that there was something else going on besides deleting scenes which resulted in this.

My theory is that the game's story was dramatically changed mid-development. You see, where the story was going in the middle of the game would make it a bit... controversial. Yes, that's the word. I believe they changed the story fearing the controversial nature of it would negatively affect sales. That's the only way I can explain the ending, the inconsistencies, and the plot holes altogether. The fact that the developers have already admitted that they changed the story to remove all supernatural occurrences is just further evidence to this theory. Perhaps, they changed it a little more than just "removing supernatural elements".

These flaws, when put together, completely ruin the story which would have been otherwise fantastic. And with the story being the most important aspect of this game, the whole experience and fun factor of the game suffers. Unfortunately, the story, and by extension the whole game fails to deliver anything fun, meaningful, or interesting in the end. This would have been an excellent game if not for major story flaws. If these flaws were not present, one could forgive gameplay shortcomings considering the genre, but this is the other way around. Still, I believe that it's worth playing for all the positive aspects that I have mentioned. You can experience something new rather than playing a game that's very similar to the ones you've played before. Just try to ignore the ending and make up your own for this story. I'm sure it will fare better than the real one.
===============================================================
Final Ratings:
=====
Story: 6.5/10
The plot holes, inconsistencies, and the ending ruin the otherwise fantastic story.
===
Audiovisuals: 8.5/10
Despite some minor annoyances it's wonderfully done.
===
Gameplay: 9.5/10
The gameplay is specifically designed for telling a story and it's almost flawless.
===
Technical Performance: 8.5/10
The game crashed a couple of times and on one instance a vital object wasn't rendered at all.
===
Durability: 5.5/10
The game takes around 9-11 hours to complete, and there's not much left to do once it's over.
===
OVERALL: 7.5/10 (Great)

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"gezegond reviewed Heavy Rain for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by gezegond on Mon, 27 May 2013 14:22:49 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/heavy-rain/user-reviews/811781/platform/ps3/ Sat, 25 May 2013 10:00:29 -0700 PHILRYABKIN reviewed Donkey Kong 64 for the Nintendo 64... http://www.gamespot.com/donkey-kong-64/user-reviews/811711/platform/n64/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Donkey Kong 64 is game that shows a lot of Rare's true efforts brought into one. The game does so much thanks to the use of the Nintendo 64 expansion pack and with more content then any other game we have seen at the time as Donkey Kong 64 gave you so much for your money. However all of that content involved may have come at the price of mundane activities. Don't get me wrong it's a really awesome experience but a couple of things in the game should have gotten a better form of polish for the better. Now the story is that King.K.Rool has kidnapped all of Donkey Kong's friends and once again stolen his banana horde. Now it's up to Donkey Kong to defeat King.K.Rool, Save his friends and get back the bananas. Now Donkey Kong 64 will feel familiar to anyone who has played Banjo-Kazooie or Super Mario 64. The Controls are very spot on and it's really easy to get into. You can also get multiple playable characters like Diddy Kong, Chunky, Lanky and Tiny. Everyone feels unique and they all have there own set abilities as well. The world is also very huge with a lot of areas to explore such as Jungles, Beaches, Caves, Factories and so much more. You also get a variety of objects to do such as collecting items. This however is where the game gets sometimes tedious. Atfirst it's really not all that bad but it's get really annoying as you have to switch back to different characters to find certain colors of a banana. The gameplay also seems to focus more on collecting items then just missioned based objectives if anything. But if you can look past that you can find a really enjoyable experience throughout the game. You also get a variety of weapons to use such as Coconut Shotguns and Peanut styled Uzi's. It's all really fun to use and it shows that the game has a sense of humor. Items have a lot of use and it keeps the game flowing for more progression. The graphics are also some of the best on the Nintendo 64 as everything looks really vibrant and areas look awesome. The music is also really great with some Orchestra based sounds and a lot of ambience used as well. Overall Donkey Kong 64 seems like a tedious game with all of it's collecting and tedious backtracking. But if you put time into it you'll enjoy a great platforming experience that is fun while it lasts.

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"PHILRYABKIN reviewed Donkey Kong 64 for the Nintendo 64..." was posted by PHILRYABKIN on Sat, 25 May 2013 10:00:29 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/donkey-kong-64/user-reviews/811711/platform/n64/ Fri, 24 May 2013 07:42:41 -0700 david_lck reviewed The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/the-walking-dead-a-telltale-games-series/user-reviews/811669/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

The stench of rotting corpses fills the air, alone and separated from your group, fear begins to set in. As you scramble gingerly and take a glance of the inhospitable surroundings, a slight misstep could spell the end. In the distance, the sound of chewing and gnawing is all too familiar. A horde of walkers have claimed yet another life. When will it all end?

Lee Everett, the game's protagonist is first seen in a patrol vehicle on route to prison. A former university professor, his reputation is now tarnished and battered. What he doesn't know is that the next few days will make all that pale in comparison. Within minutes, a walker causes the vehicle to swerve and tailspin onto the side of the road, spiraling out of control into a ditch. Dazed momentarily, Lee makes his way out of the wreckage by breaking the windscreen.

Lee's very first encounter with a walker is truly memorable as the policeman, or at least what's left of him is crawling menacingly towards you. A quick glance to the right, you notice a shotgun beside you. Left with no choice, you are forced to put it out of its misery. Fumble and take too long to react, and it could get messy.

The Walking Dead presents you with many different choices to play the game. Do you shoot someone to save them from the unimaginable pain of being eaten alive? Take supplies that isn't yours out of sheer desperation or risk starvation? Choosing to spare the life of a maniac isn't so easy when the opportunity presents itself. Be the guy who thinks of nothing but the safety of the group or one that everyone would loathe and despise. These are just some of the choices that the game presents to you. How you choose to respond, whom do you pledge your allegiance with, or decide to rescue • they ultimately go a long way in altering the game. Which is why, playing differently on your next session just to see what other alternatives can unravel is very much encouraged.

No zombie apocalypse would be complete without a well diverse cast, and this is where The Walking Dead delivers. Staples of the genre; college jock, the journalist with a keen eye, an overly protective dad, and an orphan are just some of the different people you will meet. Their motives and hidden agenda bring much conflict and tension once food and medication supplies run dry. Often at times, Lee will have to play peacekeeper and attempt to diffuse the situation.

With top-notch writing, initiating conversations isn't a chore but an integral experience. Friendships turn hostile, uneasy alliances are formed out of sheer desperation, romance could spark as you get to know someone, this game has emotion down to a pat. And in an industry marred with many one-dimensional characters that fail to engage, the cast here are well-rounded and relatable.

Players use the left analog to control Lee while the right one is reserved for looking around the environment. Everyday tools such as shovels, ladders and wrenches can be used to get out of a sticky situation or to fight off incoming walkers. Conversations are more often then not, timed as you are forced to choose from four options to respond. Get caught telling a lie and you will be called on it, raising further suspicion on Lee. Your actions are also tied and timed to the D-pad. Be too quick and press on the trigger, and it will alert walkers to your presence. With the onrush of footsteps and no escape in sight, scanning the environment for an exit or a tool that you can use, is bound to set your heart racing.

Point and click games will always have the issue of certain items and objectives not being highlighted clearly enough which is bound to frustrate and cause moments of aimlessly wandering around, but as they occur so rarely, it doesn't detract from the experience. If you appreciate a well woven tale that is high on drama and intrigue, $20 is all but a small sum. Ironically, The Walking Dead revives the slumbering point and click games from its grave to new heights, and sets the benchmark for others to follow. Season 2 can't come soon enough, and I am already waiting with bated breath.

Most bizarre moment (LOOK AWAY IF YOU HAVEN'T BEATEN THE EPISODE): Episode 2 will leave you disgusted once the motives of a group is revealed. Something about the St. John's just doesn't seem right. With those shifty eyes and Brenda's willingness to cook up a meal for our whole group, surely something is up. You see, they have a well thought out plan, survivors who wander onto the area will be presented with an offer that is too good to pass up on. Food for gas, you say? Fair trade in a world gone to shit. We will just keep you alive long enough and feast on your flesh. Its downright gory and sick, but that's what make this episode so awesome.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/the-walking-dead-a-telltale-games-series/user-reviews/811669/platform/ps3/ Thu, 23 May 2013 09:20:04 -0700 DS-man reviewed Persona 4 Arena for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/persona-4-arena/user-reviews/811634/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

Pro- Great Graphics and art work, Superb music and voice acting, Fast pace fighting and flashy battles, Easy to pick up

Con- Lame online personality, Story that drags, Short story, little characters

GAMEPLAY- When it comes to gameplay, Persona 4 Arena nails it. To me id rather play this than BlazBlu as its much more easier to pick up and play and pull of awesome looking attacks, Though pulling off some more intense combos can be pretty tricky specialy on the Xbox version as the D-Pad isnt really designed for fighting game genres like Street Fighter. The thing that sets this game aside from other fighting games alike, is that you must work together with your Persona, A magical being that comes from your true self. By doing this you fighting with 2 buttons with the persona and the other two buttons with yourself. it looks and sounds tricky but its not that hard to master, in no time you'll be working together with you Persona to kick some @$$, and trust me, watching you and your persona work together is awesome.

Not only that but some characters can inflict status alignments like poison, shock, fear and silance which all effects your foe in different ways and make it feel like the original RPG game Persona 4, Along with Sweeps, rush attacks and One More hits, With all these little things you know your in the Persona Universe.

GRAPHICS- Persona 4 Arena is really impressive, theres no fault with the graphics what so ever, The stunning anime cutscnes, The pre-rendered characters in dialogs and the swift animations during battles and the amazing background art is just spot on.

SOUND- Persona 4 Arena uses the orignal cast from the original game for the voice acting and introducing Yu with a voice who was the silant character in the RPG game. this is great as their voices were really good, Though Yosuke, as much as i like the guy can get abit annoying. The main problem is during cutscenes, The dialog just goes on and on and on for ever and you will find yourself skipping it all, after about 5 hours of dialog with one character you only get to fight in about 4 matches before the boss battle. Also, The music in the orignal also returns with better quality and sound which really gets the action going.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"DS-man reviewed Persona 4 Arena for the Xbox 360..." was posted by DS-man on Thu, 23 May 2013 09:20:04 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/persona-4-arena/user-reviews/811634/platform/xbox360/ Wed, 22 May 2013 04:15:53 -0700 NightFox313 reviewed Silent Hill for the PlayStation... http://www.gamespot.com/silent-hill/user-reviews/811592/platform/ps/ ...and gave it a 9.5!

It made me cringe.

I yearned to play it, but at the same time I dreaded gripping my hands on the controller to do so. I loved and despised playing it. This is the game that made me question if pressing on was really a thing I wanted to do. It made me want to vomit. It was mentally draining. But still I went on to complete it, and here I am now.

Breathless. "The fear of blood tends to create fear for the flesh."

Silent Hill is just one of those games. A gripping narrative, a believable cast of characters, coupled with a chilling soundtrack and unnerving set-pieces are everything one could want in a horror video game. However, rather than just going for the standard B-movie scare-tactics a la Resident Evil, Silent Hill redefines the horror genre, while - in its own right - the way for a completely new and horrifying genre - psychological horror. A game that was so terribly scary, I had to draw in all of the courage I could possibly take for a human being to play it. And that's what makes this game such a memorable one, and it is indeed an unforgettable experience that I could never forget, no matter how hard I tried. All of the good memories I had with it, complete with all of the ones I didn't want to remember - Silent Hill simply burns a sick, twisted, and distorted image of a peaceful resort gone wrong into the deepest caverns of your mind. And no matter how hard you try scratching it out of your memory, it'll always still be there.

Developed by KCET and published by Konami, Silent Hill was released for the original Sony PlayStation on 31 January, 1999 - during perhaps "the golden age of horror video games". Notable hits such as Clock Tower and Parasite Eve were making their way into the pool of countless survival horror games at the time, but the most renowned and successful survival horror franchise - Resident Evil - was clearly raking in the dough. However, with the release of Silent Hill, things took a disturbingly hard turn. Gone were the zombies and biological disasters, and that Scissor Man lunatic. The horrifying, terrifying creatures of Silent Hill were the things that could only be seen in your worst nightmares - from the deepest bowels of the earth. That's what made the game so intensely scary and yet so satisfying; the feeling of the unknown has never struck more fear into me from any horror game I've played than Silent Hill.

Resident Evil went for the famous jump-scares that plague many of today's independent "indie" horror games. Biological experiments gone wrong would crash through a disturbingly reflective window when you'd least expect it. It's a shame, really, because whenever there was a window to be seen, you could already expect something to crash through it when you come across the same area later in the game. Silent Hill takes all of the cheap scares and throws it out the window. It embraces you relentlessly, throwing every single piece of violent and disturbing imagery as inhumanely possible and envelops you in its pure-evil atmosphere. That's where the magic of Silent Hill lies. And the way the game's atmosphere was so meticulously, so painstakingly designed to remind you of your worst nightmares (and to, of course, conjure up some new ones) works so unbelievably well that you fear that the game you're playing could potentially be a reality. It's like inviting a living hellish nightmare-town into the safety in your own home.

You play the game through the eyes of Harry Mason, a middle-aged man whose occupation is a writer (however, don't take the phrase too seriously; Silent Hill is a third-person psychological horror game - although it occasionally uses fixed camera angles in some cases). He takes his seven year-old daughter, Cheryl, along with him for a vacation in a peaceful resort town, Silent Hill. During a long drive through the night on the highway, Harry notices that a mysterious young girl is walking across the street, and tries to swerve violently to avoid impacting the girl but ends up crashing his car and is knocked out unconscious. However, the long drive wasn't all for naught - upon waking up in Silent Hill after the car crash, Harry notices that Cheryl is missing and ventures out into the ominous fog that defines the town of Silent Hill. He vows to find her and discover the unknown secrets of the creepy town and find out if the world he is in is a reality or a living nightmare.

Trust me, I'd go on and on but that puts you at risk of some major spoilers. So I'll just leave it at that. The third-person camera makes use of some fixed camera angles for more cinematic in-game shots (and in cinematic cutscenes) and the freakier scares, but for the most part the camera is always controllable, giving you a better view of your surroundings. That might seem that having a camera you can easily control takes away from the fear, but it only adds to it in the end. At least it doesn't venture into the notorious trope of Camera Screw and adding artificial difficulty by having a seriously uncooperative camera.

Harry Mason is in a way an "everyman", or an average person who has no real defining qualities other than being an average Joe and simply serves as a sort of avatar for the character. The scary thing about this is, is that Harry is in no way a seasoned veteran, nor has he ever had any sort of experience with fighting, and that makes you feel like you're helpless in some cases - like you're so hopelessly weak and have no chance of surviving in the hellish world. Controlled from a third-person perspective, Silent Hill doesn't feel as clunky in controls or as robust as Resident Evil's infamous "tank controls". There are several ways that give the gameplay a more fluid feeling, such as being able to strafe from side-to-side and - my personal favorite - the ability to shoot and walk in any direction at the same time. The combat system is so limited and hard-to-use, but is effectively scary in the sense that Harry has such little experience with fighting - especially fighting things he's only seen in his worst nightmares.

Harry will also have to take care of himself and manage a rather large assortment of items. The majority of the weapons are melee-based, but ranged weapons can also be used. There is a strangely large amount of ammunition to be found in Silent Hill, and there will be rare cases where you'll run out of ammo for your shotgun or hunting rifle unless you've been shooting it around like a mad dog. Healing items are few and far between, and you're likely to use them frequently, as Harry is a generally weak individual. He can die from a few attacks and is relatively, physically weak - which only adds to the feeling of helplessness, isolation, and desperation. Keys and other items are used for navigating throughout Silent Hill, and maps have to be found to traverse through the large overworld. Locations vary from convenience stores, small houses, to police stations and gas stations. I won't spoil the more important locations.

The atmosphere in Silent Hill is simply the best I've seen in the genre. Derelict and dilapidated buildings, along with cafes and mom-and-pop stores that have seen better days all add to the feeling that Silent Hill is an empty, deserted town. The haunting vision of a town with a dark past is only enhanced by the addition of Silent Hill's trademark: fog. The fog is so thick and heavy that you have no idea what might be ahead of you. Cleverly used as a way to hide the Sony PlayStation's limitations at the time, the game's limited point-distance is hidden with the fog effect that is used so effectively that it made the daytime as scary as pure darkness. The game tricks you into thinking you're in a safe place, and the numerous save points scattered throughout the overworld make each one feel like a breath of fresh air.

And then the lights go down. There is no mercy now. Silent Hill grips you at the neck and refuses to give you any chance of hope or feeling of safety. It is a brutal, mentally-draining experience until the very end. My most memorable moments of the game came from the relentlessly dark portions of the game, where Silent Hill was enveloped in pure darkness. This is what makes Silent Hill so unique in the horror genre. During these portions of the game, enemies are far more disturbing and aggressive. All you have to light the darkness with is a flashlight attached to your jacket - and you never know what lurks ahead or what is hiding in the impending shadows. This is where the radio comes in. Whenever an enemy is nearby, the radio will emit static, and the sounds of demonic children with bloody knives can be heard growling as their bare feet scrape towards your direction. The shrieking of gargoyles and the moaning of the possessed inhabitants of Silent Hill send chills down your spine and make you want to cover your ears in fright.

The tension is further increased with the music and sound departments. Masterfully composed, the game's soundtrack is minimalist in some cases while heart-pounding in others. Depressing and mellow undertones add to the psychological elements of the game, and Harry's feelings that he might not make it out alive with his daughter can be reflected in the game's soundtrack. The haunting blaring of the air raid sirens in the background are so mysteriously timed in the game; so startlingly original. It all makes you wonder about the mysteries of what really happened in Silent Hill. There's nothing scarier when you've just narrowly escaped an ambush from bloodthirsty, savage dogs with the relentless lashing of industrial beats and entering into a room you've never been to before, only to notice that the music has suddenly disappeared. The fear of the unknown is the greatest scare-tactic in this game, and it worked so effectively that I had to play the game in breaks at times, listening to Bossa Nova music - the game is that intense. It robs you of your sanity and throws you into multiple locales that you've never even imagined before and expecting you to explore it.

And where would a great horror game be without puzzles? Silent Hill is chock-full of riddles and clues, many of which left me scratching my head in confusion. Puzzles are abundant and are deviously confusing and devilishly created to make you want to look up answers via walkthrough. Many will leave you frustrated, especially later in the game. The problem about the puzzles is that many of them are so impossibly vague that they put Zelda and Metroid to shame. They are ridiculously hard, but the feeling of conquering the puzzles are so satisfying that it's hard to judge whether the riddles add or subtract from the game. Aside from these, Silent Hill adds a twist on the puzzles. It takes standard items you'd find in your average household and forces you to cleverly use them in a different way. The game really makes you think about that random rubber ball in your inventory, or that metal ring.

The scares of Silent Hill are its core, next to the atmosphere. Even though they almost never use jump-scares to make the player have to buy a new pair of pants, the feeling of imminent death and the fear of what lurks ahead scares me way more than the dogs that crashed through the mansion windows in Resident Evil. Sometimes you'll hear your radio emit static, but there won't be anyone around. You might hear noises in a room next to you, or you might enter a room you once thought was safe but as soon as you open the door a possessed nurse is ready to stab you senselessly. In many cases, you'll wonder if you're hearing things, such as hearing scraping noises on the walls of the room next to you or a banging on the door shortly after you enter an operating room gone wrong. The disturbing imagery works so well here, taking conventional objects and places and turning them into things you'll want to stay away from in real life. The game psychologically attacks you whenever possible, and burns the visions into your skull, making you want to forget the horrifying scenes you've just seen even though it's impossible.

Silent Hill is a startlingly original entry in the horror genre. It builds up the tension to the point where you're simply expecting something to happen, but nothing does. And then it gets you when you least expect it. Although on the short side (the first playthrough can be completed in around five to six hours), every scream you make and every pounding your heart makes makes the journey worth it. It's like an amusement park ride from hell, and the characters are sympathetic. It makes you actually want to care about Harry Mason and whatever might happen to his daughter Cheryl, along with the mysteries of Silent Hill and the tragic occurrences of the past.

It made me want to check into a psychiatrist. It made me want to close my eyes forever. Anything you see in this game will be a thing you'll want to forget about. Silent Hill is a game that defines horror, and is pure psychological horror fuel. It's a game that will build you up and break you down, and drag you through a world you won't ever want to remember.

The game that I wanted to forget. The game that will always strike a chord of fear in my heart.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"NightFox313 reviewed Silent Hill for the PlayStation..." was posted by NightFox313 on Wed, 22 May 2013 04:15:53 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/silent-hill/user-reviews/811592/platform/ps/ Tue, 21 May 2013 16:35:15 -0700 Spinnerweb reviewed Army of Two: The 40th Day for the PSP... http://www.gamespot.com/army-of-two-the-40th-day/user-reviews/811558/platform/psp/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Sometimes you get that feeling. You want a game that is satisfying, but not excessively challenging. Usually you associate it with a good licensed game, like back in the PS1 days, but good licensed games are hard to come by now. Well, Army of Two: The 40th Day for the PSP definitely has that endearing quality that a lot of games don't have. It's easy, it's short, the graphics aren't the best on the system - but the game succeeds most importantly because of its enjoyable gameplay.

Salem and Rios from the first Army of Two game are back, this time in Shanghai, going from meeting a contact to a pointless detour through a zoo to saving the world. The story isn't mind-blowing, but it makes the game hang together, which is enough because it's the gameplay that is the main factor here.

Ever played Age of Zombies? The gameplay is somewhat like that. You press the face buttons to shoot in the direction of their placement, for example, pressing X to shoot downward - this is a top-down game, see. But you can also rescue hostages, buy upgrades and new weapons, pick up items such as cash, shields and power-ups, and then there is the Morality feature. In this, a cutscene plays and you have to make a choice that is either 'good' (which usually gives you no benefit but hey, you did the right thing) and 'evil' (which can give you cash, weapons, and other gear in exchange for pricking your conscience). While Morality cutscenes don't really affect the story except towards the end of the game, it's still fun and makes you go through the game again to make different choices.

There is also an achievements-like feature where you unlock achievements as you progress through the game. For the completionist, this too increases the replay value.

While Army of Two: The 40th Day is not a long game - it can be completed in one long afternoon, it was fun enough for me to play it over and over again. If you know what you're getting with this game, chances are it will be so for you too.

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"Spinnerweb reviewed Army of Two: The 40th Day for the PSP..." was posted by Spinnerweb on Tue, 21 May 2013 16:35:15 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/army-of-two-the-40th-day/user-reviews/811558/platform/psp/ Tue, 21 May 2013 15:32:48 -0700 Spinnerweb reviewed Dante's Inferno for the PSP... http://www.gamespot.com/dantes-inferno/user-reviews/811556/platform/psp/ ...and gave it a 3.0.

Were that there were copyrights for gameplay. Sony's God of War franchise, as I have always stated, sucks - but they might have gleaned even more cash by suing EA for making such an absolute rip off of their games.

The game is set in the Crusades; Dante is busy killing in some place near Jerusalem. But because he's unskilled, he gets stabbed and dies, but fights off Death and takes his scythe. Then he goes to hell (literally) to get back his wife Beatrice from some smoky-hazy guy, who, I don't know, might be Satan or just some demon; I haven't read Divine Comedy (didn't have the patience for bad poetry) and I didn't play Dante's Inferno to the end (didn't have the patience for bad gameplay). So this Satan/demon bloke takes away his waifu for some reason... the game repeats the same cutscene where Dante vows to Beatrice not to have any 'pleasures of the flesh' until he returns from the Crusades... so what did he do? Adultery? Killing? Like I said, I wasn't interested enough to find out.

So the story is pretty bad. Dante is a weak-chinned, unlikeable jerk, and the game never really manages to make you care about what happens. I have played plenty of horrible games to the end just to see how the story ends, but in this case I just couldn't be bothered. I don't know if it's because the base material for this game's story is awful or the game struggles to settle into its twelfth-century setting. Probably both.

The sound in this game is low and is only hearable on the maximum volume both in-game and with the PSP speakers, and it's not memorable either. Some of the music tracks were almost, but not quite, listenable to by a person with functioning aural cavities. The voice acting is just plain awful - especially Dante's.

The graphics are very good and the only plus point in this entire game. This game actually surpasses the God of War games on the PSP because they had an awful framerate, but the visuals in this game are undeniably excellent. The CGI cutscenes were decent too.

The gameplay is identical to that of God of War - so basically, it sucks. A God of War fan might enjoy mashing the square button and pressing triangle only for the heck of it once in a while, but I don't. Like God of War, you can upgrade your abilities and unlock new attacks with 'souls' collected from defeating enemies. I hated the gameplay in God of War, therefore I hate the gameplay in Dante's Inferno. You almost can't tell them apart.

It's a very easy game, since the enemies are so stupid you barely ever have to guard. Unlocked combos don't have crushing power like you'd expect - indeed, some of them are even weaker than the attacks you have at the start. The combo system is broken - if you take a hit, you sometimes don't get knocked out of a combo, and you still build up your combo even if you repeat the same move over and over.

An avid God of War fan might enjoy Dante's Inferno, but I didn't. In my opinion, it's slightly better than the abysmal God of War games on the PSP, because at least the graphics aren't technically busted. But the visuals do not make this game worth playing. The horrendous gameplay, presentation, story, voice acting and music take care of that.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Spinnerweb reviewed Dante's Inferno for the PSP..." was posted by Spinnerweb on Tue, 21 May 2013 15:32:48 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/dantes-inferno/user-reviews/811556/platform/psp/ Fri, 17 May 2013 03:23:03 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Metal Slug 3 for the PlayStation 2... http://www.gamespot.com/metal-slug-3/user-reviews/811398/platform/ps2/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

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

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

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

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

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

Get the full article at GameSpot

"naju890_963 reviewed Metal Slug 3 for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by naju890_963 on Fri, 17 May 2013 03:23:03 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/metal-slug-3/user-reviews/811398/platform/ps2/ Mon, 13 May 2013 18:41:14 -0700 sh811a reviewed Mole Mania for the Game Boy... http://www.gamespot.com/mole-mania/user-reviews/811262/platform/gameboy/ ...and gave it a 8.5.


This game to me was one of the Game Boy's last gems that got kinda buried in obscurity.

The plot is a simple one your a papa mole that has to save your wife and children. But I like that, sometimes that all I need to know to play a game and I like that it's not the cleche save the princess motif but saving a family.

The graphics are good, has a cartoon feel to them which suits the game well. But I just really like the designs of the levels, each of the worlds are different and each section presents a different chalange so things never get boring or repetitive. Music is decent, the tunes are a bit catchy.

The gameplay I think it's great. The game is sort of a mix between "The Legend of Zelda" and "The Adventures of Lolo". What makes this game unique are a few things. One thing is the ability to dig and move underground, I just think this is a great ability because it causes you to venture into one plain and then emerge in some other location in the other. This is very useful not just in getting around (or should I say underneath) locations on the surface unacessable but also to move things you need to open the door to the next section.

Each worlds and level is always a different puzzle with some different methods added in each time, like pipes to transport a ball or barrels to one end out the other. The puzzles are all fun, their not that hard but not that easy either, each of them vary in difficulty where some are easy but other can be tricky but not insoluable. So it's one of those games where you have to take your time and think for a while, it's a process of trial and error.

And the boss battles I think are fun though easy as well as daft since most are strangely random, from a sun, a plumber, a weight (not kidding). But what makes these boss battles stand out is their different from the cleche hit the bulleye a number of times, but their a puzzle as well where you have to utilize a certain methodology to defeat them. Like pushing pipes in the correct position on time for thrown wrenches to travel out. And others I don't want to give away but trust me their easy to figure out.

Overall I had a lot of fun with this game, this is a gem worth digging up.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"sh811a reviewed Mole Mania for the Game Boy..." was posted by sh811a on Mon, 13 May 2013 18:41:14 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/mole-mania/user-reviews/811262/platform/gameboy/ Sat, 11 May 2013 11:28:33 -0700 Spinnerweb reviewed Angry Birds for the iPhone/iPod... http://www.gamespot.com/angry-birds/user-reviews/811201/platform/iphone/ ...and gave it a 2.0.

"Angry Birds is so cute!" "Angry Birds is so awesome!" "Little birdies, take wing..." How many times have you heard sentences like these in the past half-decade? I would guess around 950, 000 times.

But Angry Birds is the Justin Bieber of video games. It's undeservingly popular and is potentially dangerous. Some of the birds are cute, and that's about it. It's a game where skill is thrown into a lake of carnivorous piranhas and all you do is pull the birds back on the slingshot and kill annoying green pigs.

There's only one tune in the whole game (not counting the tune that plays when you beat a level, which is almost the same and lasts, oh, half a second), and it's very annoying. The birds make noises when they launch and when you tap the screen to use their special ability, like the yellow bird can speed up, but that's all there is to it.

The visuals are decent - compared to most iPhone games anyway - but the game isn't enjoyable. It's nothing but pure frustration. You pull the birds and launch them repeatedly just for the heck of it. You become the Rambo of video games. You don't even look if you're hitting the pigs, all you want is to beat the level just so that you can get the hell out of here.

I don't know why this game is so popular - yes, the birds are cute, but then babies are cute and yet except for Charlie in the 'Charlie Bit My Finger' video none of them became exactly famous. Maybe it's because some people don't know what games are. They think they're just crap like this where you just exercise your index finger and leave smudges across your iPhone screen.

One of the worst, no, THE worst because of its undeserved popularity, casual games of all time.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Spinnerweb reviewed Angry Birds for the iPhone/iPod..." was posted by Spinnerweb on Sat, 11 May 2013 11:28:33 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/angry-birds/user-reviews/811201/platform/iphone/ Sat, 11 May 2013 11:12:07 -0700 Spinnerweb reviewed Resident Evil: Deadly Silence for the DS... http://www.gamespot.com/resident-evil-deadly-silence/user-reviews/811200/platform/ds/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is a port of the original Resident Evil on the PS1. What's truly impressive is that everything - the FMV cutscenes, the gameplay and the sound - all of it from the PS1 is intact. This is an amazing achievement for a DS game.

It's the same story, which means it's very good. The graphics are almost identical to the PS1 version except for some effects, and there isn't any slowdown which is a problem in quite a number of 3D games for the DS.

There's more - a new Rebirth mode, which can be called something like, 'Resident Evil Remixed.' Enemies are at different locations from the original version, and it's slightly harder. There are new puzzles, and it makes use of the DS's touchscreen and microphone.

The cutscenes are fully voiced, and the FMV cutscenes are all there and haven't been dumbed down. The game plays quite well with the DS's controls, and best of all, Resident Evil is finally portable.

Any horror game fan with a Nintendo DS would do well to play this.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Spinnerweb reviewed Resident Evil: Deadly Silence for the DS..." was posted by Spinnerweb on Sat, 11 May 2013 11:12:07 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/resident-evil-deadly-silence/user-reviews/811200/platform/ds/ Sat, 11 May 2013 10:07:00 -0700 Spinnerweb reviewed Facebook for the BlackBerry... http://www.gamespot.com/facebook/user-reviews/811198/platform/blackberry/ ...and gave it a 1.0.

Facebook... Why is it so successful? Because it encourages people to waste time. It is a menace to society. People visit it, everyday, posting things like, 'Brushing my teeth', 'having my breakfast' ... I mean, who cares?

The only beings it makes sense for is the older generation. Like, can't-get-out-of-my-wheelchair old. They can talk to their friends and it'll be like old times again.

But oddly, young 'uns use Facebook the most.

And it's glitchy. Every page you go to, it says, "Oops, ironing out a few kinks." There are awful waste-your-time online games like YoVille, FarmVille, ZooVille, CityVille and a possible AssVille.

I urge everyone to stay away from this.

It does nothing but create a bunch of narcissistic self-obsessed attention seekers, and I wish for a crushingly violent punishment for the assclown who came up with the idea of Facebook.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Spinnerweb reviewed Facebook for the BlackBerry..." was posted by Spinnerweb on Sat, 11 May 2013 10:07:00 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/facebook/user-reviews/811198/platform/blackberry/ Sat, 11 May 2013 05:42:33 -0700 Spinnerweb reviewed Tomb Raider: Underworld for the DS... http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider-underworld/user-reviews/811192/platform/ds/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

It's easy to see that unlike other developers, Santa Cruz really did try (a little) to make this a good handheld version of a console game. But for whatever reason, whether out of laziness or because it was rushed to meet the release date, they didn't succeed. The end result is a game that is impressive in terms of visuals, but a mixture of too-easy gameplay and choppy sound results in a game that is disappointing and doesn't last very long.

One feat that I would commend the developers for is that the FMV cutscenes are all here, and all are intact, without any loss in quality. That is something that induces a 'wow', but let's get onto the actual game. The story is the same as the console version - in other words, it's very good, but after that it's downhill.

The graphics, like I said before, are amazing for a DS game. There is no slowdown like in other 3D games on the Nintendo DS, and the lighting is great. The character models aren't HD, of course, but they look very good on the DS.

The gameplay is on the easy side. Like, disappointingly easy. Sometimes you die because you don't expect it to be so easy and overshoot. Unbelievable. And there is no increase in difficulty as the game goes along.

The game plays like a 2D side scrolling platformer, but with 3D character models and environments. You use the touchscreen for the inventory. And man, the screen is dark! You'll only be able to see everything if you play on a DS Lite on the highest brightness setting. It's easy, even though Lara has all her moves from the console games like hanging from ledges, swinging around poles and using her grapple, because it's side scrolling. You can't fall off because you jumped a little too much to one side.

It should take an average of less than six hours to beat this game. So what good you can take from this game, can be taken from its screenshots - the graphics. Aside from that, unless it's your life's goal to collect every Tomb Raider game on every platform, or you don't have any other console to play this on except the DS, I would dissuade you from playing it.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Spinnerweb reviewed Tomb Raider: Underworld for the DS..." was posted by Spinnerweb on Sat, 11 May 2013 05:42:33 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider-underworld/user-reviews/811192/platform/ds/ Sat, 11 May 2013 04:33:39 -0700 chocolate1325 reviewed Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the 3DS... http://www.gamespot.com/luigis-mansion-dark-moon/user-reviews/811202/platform/3ds/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

The first Luigis Mansion was mainly critcised for being to short and being a bit lack in terms of replayability and it was also very easy. Well the sequel Luigis Mansion Dark Moon is a massive improvement.

Story

The game starts where Crystal Shards have been shattered across various mansions. Professor E Gadd notices this and calls back Luigi to help retrieve them.

Gameplay

Luigis Mansion doesn't have a variety of items just your standard Vacuum Cleaner Polergeister 5000 and Torch but things like your torch can be upgraded to have a bit more power to suck ghosts in. You also get something called a Dark Light which lets things that should really be there come back to the area. It is vital because of either doors or wardrobes and sometimes Boos hide in places as well.

There are 6 different themed mansions in the game and that is what the first one lacked. The missions are set out from the word go. You get informed of something wrong in an earlier mission and towards the end find the source of what is causing it such as a boss. The bosses are very well designed and some are really fun and puzzles in themselves but not to hard to figure out.

At the end of each mansion you are ranked on damage,speed,money and are ranked on how well you did but also it is worth replaying the missions not just to get a better rank but to look for jewels in that particular section. The ghosts can make it hard because earlier in the game they are simple to catch but later they might be shielded and the environment can make things tricky as well.

Also throughout each level a bone can be found to resurrect you if you run out of life and also there are little bonus rounds as well.

The game has a multiplayer mode called Scarescraper. One is called Hunter Mode where 4 Luigis work together to get a many ghosts as possible before time runs out. Rush Mode is where you try to reach an exit floor before time runs out and Polterpup mode where Luigis try to catch Polterpups. This adds replay value to the game and makes it feels unlike it's predesscor to have replay value.

Are there any faults with the game. Yes some sections particularly walking on balance beams can be a bit tricky and affect your overall performance in the game. The Polterpups can be a bit of a pain as well and also maybe another slight interference in the game is Professor E Gadd talking to you every 5 minutes at the beginning of the game. Yes if you die you don't get checkpoints but to be honest it's not like each mission is like 2 hours long they are basically up to about 30 to an hour long but that's not a big problem.. Also the Toad sections are annoying but there aren't to many of those missions which is okay.


Presentation

The best looking game on the system at this moment in time. The 3D effects are lovely and with Luigi being a bit of a coward and a bit scared always adds a few laughs to the game. The game has alot of great humor and Luigi really fits this game really well.

Lastability

The main quest about 10 hours possibly but you might play some missions again for a faster time and better rank. As well the multiplayer is fun to and you should get some joy out of it.

Overall Opinion

Luigis Mansion Dark Moon is one of the best games on the system so far with an excellent main quest and the multiplayer being a nice bonus feature. The game should keep you glued to your 3DS for a few weeks. With great humor and impressive graphics Luigi has finally showed he can possibly match his brother high standards. Hope this is the start of many games for the lanky green brother of Marios. A game you should not hesitate in getting for your 3DS. Go buy it now.


Overall Score 9 out 10

Get the full article at GameSpot

"chocolate1325 reviewed Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the 3DS..." was posted by chocolate1325 on Sat, 11 May 2013 04:33:39 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/luigis-mansion-dark-moon/user-reviews/811202/platform/3ds/ Sat, 11 May 2013 04:12:33 -0700 Spinnerweb reviewed Tomb Raider: Underworld for the PlayStation 2... http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider-underworld/user-reviews/811190/platform/ps2/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

Poor Lara. While I enjoyed every single Tomb Raider game in the original series, her popularity has been plummeting for a while now. People just can't be satisfied that easily. So what do the developers do? Do they just put in revealing costumes and a cover starring her midriff and hope it'll sell? Of course not. They do that, but they make a great game as well.

Underworld continues the story where Legend left off, and the story is very good. If this had to be the end of the series it's very satisfyingly so. My greatest fear, however, was that the game would be half-assed on the PS2 and the developers would give all the attention to the seventh generation version. But right from the start, Underworld restored my faith in developers. The FMV cutscenes are excellent, and amazingly the in-game graphics are comparable to the PS3 version - this isn't a joke. Whether it's because the PS3's version's graphics are bad or the PS2 one's are very good, depends on whether you see the glass as half empty or half full.

The gameplay is very similar to Legend, but it's more non-linear. You can do more stuff now - shift along small ledges just by moving the analog stick rather than taking a risky jump, and there's an obligatory bike in one level. There's also a 'realistic' factor that makes it more believable through animations and excellent graphics - when standing near a fire in the first level, Lara will raise her arms in that direction to protect herself from the heat. After climbing out of water, Lara's clothes will be drenched. Yes, the latter also happened in Legend and Anniversary, but I never stopped being amazed at how much the developers did on the PS2 in the matter of visuals. The music is good, and the voice acting is well done. There is some minor slowdown in the gameplay of the second level (the one with the giant squid in it) but it never amounted to excessive frustration.

Of course, it's still a PS2 game, so the developers had to make some sacrifices - namely, the double auto target mode from the PS3 version isn't here. Ah well. Who wants that, anyway?

Overall, the now-bankrupt developers did a really good job with it and it's a shame the series was rebooted, though it couldn't have gone on forever obviously and over a decade is a nice long run for a series... but Underworld is a very satisfying end to the original series whichever platform you play it on.

... Except the Nintendo DS, of course.



Get the full article at GameSpot

"Spinnerweb reviewed Tomb Raider: Underworld for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by Spinnerweb on Sat, 11 May 2013 04:12:33 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider-underworld/user-reviews/811190/platform/ps2/