rob_dAmAgE's GameSpot Friend's Reviews rob_dAmAgE's GameSpot Friend's Reviews rob_dAmAgE's GameSpot Friend's Reviews en-us Copyright (c)1995-2013 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. http://www.gamespot.com 20 Sat, 18 May 2013 08:28:18 -0700 GameSpot rob_dAmAgE's GameSpot Friend's Reviews http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/shared/promos/misc/gs_logo.gif http://www.gamespot.com 135 40 Fri, 17 May 2013 13:58:25 -0700 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Mass Effect 3: Leviathan for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/mass-effect-3-leviathan/user-reviews/811421/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

It is hard to describe "Leviathan" without spoiling the best it has to offer! The lore. This DLC should have been in the game, plain and simple. The DLC offers crucial information for the overall plot in the trilogy, the reapers and their origin. The game is quite frankly incomplete if played without this DLC.
Fortunately, in addition to the lore, which to any hardcore "Mass Effect" fan is unmissable, "Leviathan" is an exciting and very entertaining adventure.
The plot is engrossing, the pacing is perfect and the ending is magnificent, with even a few vibes from James Cameron´s Abyss!
We fight in three different locations, with excellent level design and you can bring your squad along with you, something you cant do in "Omega". In between the combat missions, which all deal with reaper forces, you have two sequences reminiscent of "LA Noire" where you team up with EDI to find clues in an apartment to unravel the mysteries behind "The Leviathan". I found these short sequences highly satisfying and entertaining and very unexpected in the ME games. The whole DLC is about three to four hours which is a decent length for its price. You get two new weapons, five new weapon mods and a bonus power, "Dominate" which is like "AI Hacking" for organics and loads of fun to use.
Unlike the "Omega" DLC which had no impact in the ME3 story, "Leviathan" is a crucial piece of lore and plot. The fact that is so much fun makes this DLC a true must-have for fans.

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"Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Mass Effect 3: Leviathan for the Xbox 360..." was posted by Fat_Boy_PT on Fri, 17 May 2013 13:58:25 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/mass-effect-3-leviathan/user-reviews/811421/platform/xbox360/ Fri, 10 May 2013 14:48:07 -0700 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Sleeping Dogs for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/sleeping-dogs/user-reviews/811185/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

"Sleeping Dogs" manages to be a game without a single trace of innovation or any sense of personality and still be an amazingly fun experience. The game has not a single shred of originality. The fighting is taken from Rocksteady´s Batman games. The shooting from Max Payne. The clothes and cars from Saints Row. The story from every cheesy B movie about undercover cops with a touch of Kung-Fu thrown in. What is surprising about all this is how masterfully the developer, United Front Games, manages to tie all these elements together to create a highly satisfying mix.
The fighting is visceral, brutal and so gratifying you will spend hours just beating goons up all over town. Once you learn the key to the combat, blocking, and unlock more fighting moves, Wei Shen, our character becomes an unstoppable fighting machine and its just a blast to destroy waves of enemies, breaking arms and legs and pushing people into all sorts of deadly environmental traps like stoves. Yes you can push some poor bastard´s face into a burning stove. Charming. Wei can also use all sorts of fun melee weapons like cleavers, crowbars, tire irons and of course knifes. In one of the final missions a machete comes into play in a most enjoyable sequence. There is also shooting which is decent enough but never as amazing as the melee. Still while the shooting is average, with the same old cover system, Wei can leap in slow motion over obstacles and rain down death with time slowed down and people just falling dead all around him.
"Sleeping Dogs" is just a spectacle of violence and mayhem. Even in the cutscenes the game manages to push the blood and realistic brutality to new and incredible heights. Unfortunately the story fails to engage which is perhaps the game´s biggest flaw. Wei Shen is a very likable protagonist but the plot never seems to rise above mediocrity and never seems to have a clear direction. Time seems to move without the player´s knowledge, relationships grow off-screen and while in the previous mission a character suspected Wei was a cop and was ready to kill him without mercy in the next mission they are best friends. Wei´s rise in the triads while working undercover is also meteoric without any sort of effort to explain how quickly these hardened criminals are to trust Shen with so much and how easily he gets to the "top of the food-chain". I understand that its not fun to play as a lowly thug (yes GTA IV i´m talking about you) or to clean urinals as part of a mission (why Mafia 2, why????) but the way after only a few missions Wei has made contact with all of the triad´s bosses is going too far.
The main draw of SD is the open world. The missions are short, a bit on the easy side and only really pick up in the final third of the game. The rest of the missions are average mixing fighting and shooting with some car chases but without a good plot as motivation it all falls a bit flat.
The open world however is lots of fun even if not original. We have the usual activities, like car and bike races and hidden collectibles which are easy to find and after a few side missions even show up on your map to help you. The side missions are also the usual stuff, like stealing cars and driving them back to a garage or maybe romance some girls in a few silly missions which fade to black when Wei is getting "the goods" and then the girls never show up again and there´s no development whatsoever to these relationships. You can also do some "drug busts" that involves beating a bunch of enemies and then hack a camera with a pointless mini-game (one of many put there just to make you waste time). Then you drive home and watch the feed on your tv and point out the main dealer and cops arrest them and you get more cop xp. Yes there´s an upgrade system here and in pretty much every game in the world these days. You have cop upgrades and triad upgrades but they are pointless. What you want is the melee upgrades which unlock more and devastating moves and are acquired by finding jade statues and getting them back to your old "master" to learn the moves. The cop and triad upgrades offer little value in the gameplay and are more of a "me too" feature. There are also a few police investigations you can pursue using your triad contacts and they are fun, with little plots that are actually interesting and well written but they are small side missions that end too quickly. Still I enjoyed these "cases" immensely.
The rest of the features are also competent enough. The cars are more arcade than realistic and they are fun to drive and you can buy them all and have different paint-jobs. You can drive as an absolute maniac and kill all the pedestrians you wish! We all do in these games, you know it! Here the police is a small nuisance at best. You can easily escape them and create more havoc and destruction.
You also acquire a few safe houses, from a dump early in the game to a high class apartment later to show Wei´s rise in the triads and you can even customize them somewhat by buying some furniture but its all very basic to be honest. There are loads of clothes to buy and make Wei look ridiculous or tough or classy or just goofy. The soundtrack is Asian but not "too much" with enough international flavor. The graphics are good with a few glitches here and there, which is expected with open world games and the models are highly detailed and charismatic. Wei Shen especially was just excellent design. The voice acting is of superior quality with a special mention to Will Yun Lee which is just magnificent as Wei Shen.
The city could be bigger but its full of personality and detail. I felt like I really was in Hong Kong and I think that´s the biggest compliment you can give an open world game.
"Sleeping Dogs" is "good enough" in everything it does. You might say it doesn't excel in nothing but in return its never bad in anything. Its a game that "plays it safe". It takes ideas from other titles and reproduces them with care and competence. It needed a better story and a bit of audacity, flair and originality to reach higher. As it stands its a satisfying, fun and remarkable action game and one that i´m happy got released and that I enjoyed thoroughly.

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"Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Sleeping Dogs for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by Fat_Boy_PT on Fri, 10 May 2013 14:48:07 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/sleeping-dogs/user-reviews/811185/platform/ps3/ Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:30:23 -0700 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Mass Effect 3: From Ashes for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/mass-effect-3-from-ashes/user-reviews/810736/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 5.5.

Lets get one thing out of the way! This DLC was an obvious "cash grab" by EA. Its a despicable and disgusting way to get more money from loyal fans by taking a party member out of the game and charging extra for it on the day of release. That´s EA for you! The day they bought Bioware a puppy died of heartbreak!
Now that is settled lets talk about the DLC. We´ll there´s not much here folks. When you buy this you are basically buying Javik the protean party member and lots of lore he hands you in conversations and on Liara´s mission on Thessia. That´s it. Oh and his particle riffle with unlimited ammo and the ability to turn enemies into... well ashes or goo or something.
His recruitment mission lets us go back to Eden Prime where it all began for ME but don't be fooled. This is not the Eden Prime you know. You don't visit any of the previous locations of the first game at all. This is simply a bunch of buildings which reminded me more of Horizon in ME2 than Eden Prime to be honest. The mission itself involves killing a few random Cerberus troops, fighting an Atlas and turning on some terminals. On insanity it took me about 35 minutes! Yes, this is a paid DLC consisting of one of the weakest missions in the game! You cant even take the Virmire survivor with you, like in ME1 unless you wait half the game to do the mission and even then they don't have anything interesting to say! Wasted chance for some ME nostalgia Bioware!
So again what you are paying for is Javik and boy is he worth it!!! Javik quickly turned into one of my favorite characters in the whole trilogy. He is the perfect companion for a renegade Shepard and his dialog both on the various missions and on the Normandy is priceless. This is one funny prothean! Not only that but Javik is quite the troll. He enjoys messing with everyone´s head and his sense of superiority is always amusing. And if you get the "Citadel" DLC his material is just awesome. Bear in mind that Javik is not a nice guy. He is arrogant, racist and totally ruthless so he´s not a character who will click with everyone, I guess. For me he was just too cool and more than worth the money. You also get his bonus power which for an adept Shepard is biotic explosion heaven!
And please, for the love of the Goddess, if you have Javik don't forget to take him to Thessia with Liara. Just... please take him! Probably the best trolling ever in a videogame.
Given how limited the squadmates number is in ME3 and considering you might want to replay the game a few times I suppose Javik and this DLC is useful and like I said this is one fun party member! But if you´re not a huge ME fan and/or wont replay it a few times the DLC just isn't worth it for such a high price. The mission is mediocre and the lack of content is just sad! Shame on you EA, shame on you!

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"Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Mass Effect 3: From Ashes for the Xbox 360..." was posted by Fat_Boy_PT on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 06:30:23 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/mass-effect-3-from-ashes/user-reviews/810736/platform/xbox360/ Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:46:18 -0700 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Mass Effect 3: Omega for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/mass-effect-3-omega/user-reviews/810678/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 5.0.

I love Aria! She´s seriously one of my favorite characters in the Mass Effect universe. Not only that but Omega was one of my favorite things in ME2. Omega just had so much personality, it truly felt alive and I always wished we could go back and explore it more in ME3. When that didn't happen it was one of many other disappointments with the game but soon enough this DLC was announced and all was well! Aria was going to be back and be a squad-mate for the DLC! I read the comic, "Invasion" which told the story of how Cerberus captured Omega and loved it! It had a great villain, Petrovsky, a military mastermind, a truly great opponent for Aria and the end of the comic suggested at a huge clash of "titans" with Shepard in the middle and an all out war full of twists!
What we got was a complete and utter disgrace.
The DLC is basically a bunch of combat scenarios where you fight the same old Cerberus troops again and again! A new enemy, straight from the comic, is introduced and its fun to fight but is absent from most of the DLC. We also get introduced to a new character, a female turian, a first in ME. She´s an decent if somewhat bland character but her role is minimal and in the end she´s just a wasted opportunity for what could be another fan favorite.
The story is also minimal. The great villain from the comic, with depth and dimension turns into a barely coherent fool with a few scenes and no development. Without prior knowledge of the comic, Petrovsky has as much personality and weight to the story as the nameless Cerberus grunts you kill during the game. He´s a cardboard, standing in because the DLC just needed a face for Cerberus in Omega.
No effort is made in the story. Shepard arrives goes on a killing spree, turns off some force fields Cerberus had installed to keep the people under control and just kills every Cerberus in sight on the way to Petrovsky. There´s no thought in the RPG side of things either. ME was always, or at least was supposed to be, about choice. Here we get one or two meaningless decisions where nothing is changed in the outcome no matter the choice. Even the dialog is mostly automatic with a few paragon or renegade options thrown in once in a while. Aria and Shepard´s interactions are also mostly automatic and brief. Even Carrie Anne Moss seems bored for most of her lines as Aria. You only get two brief appearances from ME2 characters for a few moments and Omega just doesn't seem the same. You don't revisit any places from ME2 till the end and the locations where you fight are dull and bland.
And then we get the bugs, the glitches and basically the feeling the DLC wasn't even finished.
Aria´s big speech to the people of Omega has a ridiculous although hilarious glitch that just ruins the whole scene. Then the end speech has no music. I don't think its a glitch, I think they just didn't bother!
So there you have it. An over-priced, buggy, corridor shooting section with practically no story, no choices and no meaning at all within the game. You cant even go back to Omega after you finish the DLC and Aria is back in her couch in the Citadel the next time you go to Purgatory! That´s how meaningless the whole thing is! Why bother?

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"Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Mass Effect 3: Omega for the Xbox 360..." was posted by Fat_Boy_PT on Thu, 25 Apr 2013 21:46:18 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/mass-effect-3-omega/user-reviews/810678/platform/xbox360/ Sun, 21 Apr 2013 21:06:31 -0700 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Enslaved: Odyssey to the West for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/enslaved-odyssey-to-the-west/user-reviews/810533/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

"Enslaved: Odyssey to the West" could have been great. It could have been a contender. Instead its a decent game with too many flaws holding it back from greatness.
Enslaved is set after a war between man and machine which man lost and drove earth into a post apocalyptic era where nature is taking over the cities and crazed Mechs roam the streets attacking every survivor. Our heroes are Monkey, a brutish, tough loner type and Trip a sweet and smart girl who are taken prisoners by slavers. After a narrow escape Trip enslaves Monkey with a headband which will blow up if he tries to leave her behind or if she dies. Monkey is now forced to protect her from danger after danger as they try to make their way back to Trip´s village.
The story is paper thin but at the same time Monkey and Tripp are the strongest points in the game. They are wonderfully acted by the voice actors and very well written characters. They´re very likable and we go along with them on this adventure and see their relationship grow and evolve. Its easy to bond with them and support them in their quest. Unfortunately the story never seems to go anywhere. There are few details about the war or Monkey´s past and although the focus of the story changes halfway through the game there never seems to be any substance to the plot and everything seems quite shallow.
Also shallow is the gameplay. You fight only three or four types of "robots" and three bosses some of which you fight more than once. The combat is satisfying enough but never rises above average and the excitement is somewhat diminished by repeating fights over and over again with little to differentiate them except the increasing amount of enemies at once as the game tries to create challenge by using the awful camera for the AI to get some cheap shots when you cant even see the enemy behind you. Even by the end when the developers throw everything at you desperately trying to squeeze a few more minutes of game time "Enslaved" is not hard as the combat is just so simplistic it just takes some button mashing. There´s also a skill tree, every game has it these days and you spend the levels gathering little orange orbs to buy upgrades but other than health and some combat moves its all terribly bland and unnecessary.
Other gameplay mechanics involve moving from cover to cover, using Tripp to distract a turret as you move closer and closer to disable it. Again this is repeated many many times and it doesn't take long for you to just be going through the motions trying to get to the next level.
The other half of the gameplay involves platforming which is made so simple its borderline ridiculous. Monkey can only jump in very specific spots and every jumping sequence has highlighted spots so you know where to go and well... basically you cannot fail. This means exploration is minimal as Monkey simply refuses to jump anywhere he´s not "programmed" to and you´re on what is pretty much a rails sequence where you push X and watch him go. Its auto platforming with no excitement, no sense of danger and no skill involved. This adds even more to the huge linearity which plagues "Enslaved" from the first to the last minute. Every step of this journey is carefully planned and there are no hidden or alternate paths to discover. If you take some time to watch the environment or even to grab some of those orbs, Tripp quickly urges you to hurry and move along. This is somewhat ironic considering how short the game is at about six hours on "hard difficulty".
I may seem overly critic of "Enslaved" but I quite enjoyed the ride. Monkey and Tripp are very likable as is Pigsy, a character introduced halfway through that strikes the perfect balance between annoying and funny and the art and graphics are absolutely stunning. This is quite honestly one the most beautiful games of this generation with some truly incredible sights. The soundtrack is also amazing and the dialog is well written and even with some repetition the game is never boring. So even though it had flaws I was enjoying "Enslaved" right until the ending. The problem with the ending is that there isn't one. The game offers no closure on the characters or their "journey" and no closure to their relationship. And what little ending there is has a twist which seems out of place in both the game´s tone and previous plot. To be honest it hardly makes sense considering the rest of the game. And then it just ends abruptly. Its an obvious cliffhanger for both future DLC and a sequel. Neither will ever be made as "Enslaved" was a commercial flop and so this is what we get. No sense of accomplishment or closure.
It leaves you sour and bitter and disappointed and kills what little replay value the game had. Because really... why bother? Going through linear levels with lackluster combat and auto platforming for this... again? No, I don't think I will.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/enslaved-odyssey-to-the-west/user-reviews/810533/platform/ps3/ Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:48:35 -0700 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed The Cave for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/the-cave/user-reviews/810212/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

"The Cave"! It could have been a contender! Developed by Ron Gilbert and Tim Shafer, two of the three creators of probably the best adventure series of all time, "Monkey Island", this game promised so much and delivered so little. The cave brings us seven characters with a little bit of back-story and a desire in their hearts. We have the Knight, the adventurer, the monk, the time traveler... well you get the picture. We then pick three characters to take into the talking cave. Yes, the cave is the guide to your adventure. The game never really explains what the cave truly is although I suppose you can call it a sort of limbo where these character are trapped. The twist is that while the tone of the game is light and playful the stories of these characters are anything but. As you progress through each character´s story you discover a dark and twisted tale and in the end you must decide if the character "learned" its lesson and repents... or not. Each character has two endings but this brings us to a problem in the game. To see both endings you must play the game twice with each character. Even worse, even with different characters some levels repeat so to get access to all endings and see every characters story you must play some puzzles six times and each characters story twice! A simple puzzle skip after the first playthrough would have solved this problem but "The Cave" is all about padding its duration! You control three characters at once and the puzzles all require tremendous amounts of backtracking and each character can only carry one object at a time so sometimes you drop something along the map as you´re trying to figure some puzzle out and later find you need it and have to go back and... its all just a tremendous grind and so very tedious. The puzzles are interesting and just difficult enough but the game decided to throw some platforming trying to mix the genres and it doesn't work very well. The movements just never feel quite right and you go up and down hundreds of ladders and ropes for what seemed like hundreds of times and sometimes you miss a jump and you die because the fall damage is ridiculous and there goes another few seconds added to the play time! C´mon!
The stories also fail. None of the characters speak or have any interaction with each other or the player. Their story is told in pictures you find while exploring the levels. Not a very compelling way to bond with the characters as you get to know them through a few jpg´s. If you chose the bad ending you get nothing except a bit of a surprise in the next playthrough. If you pick the good ending you get a final picture with a weak conclusion. It also doesn't help that every character is despicable or that their story revolves around their heinous actions! In fact the game has a serious problem in tone. The usual Ron Gilbert humor is all around, especially in the cave´s narration, with even a nod to Monkey Island and a "cameo" by a character, left unnamed in the game due to copyright but you now its him! Wont spoil it but its a blast if you are a "Monkey Island" fan. However the stories are all very twisted as is the whole cave concept so there´s a constant clash between the wacky funny lines and what the game tries to convey as a message.
You can see the potential in "The Cave". There are brief flashes of brilliance but the game just never takes off. Trying to hide how short the game is the developers hid some content beyond dull puzzle repetition and the platforming adds nothing but frustration. While the puzzles are satisfying the story behind them doesn't engage and the whole experience is at best, average. "Monkey Island" is part of my childhood and for that I thank Ron Gilbert and Tim Shafer. But also for that reason, I know they are capable of much better than "The Cave" and I cannot stop myself feeling massively disappointed!

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"Fat_Boy_PT reviewed The Cave for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by Fat_Boy_PT on Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:48:35 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/the-cave/user-reviews/810212/platform/ps3/ Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:26:44 -0700 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands/user-reviews/809820/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 5.5.

Time for a bad pun! Ready? "Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands" should have stayed forgotten!
After leaving the magnificent PoP of 2008, a game with personality, an interesting story and some of the best art and graphics of this generation, without an ending, Ubisoft offers a dull, repetitive, cheaply made PoP with no shred of charm or creativity.
The story follows the "original" prince from "The Sands of Time" a great game that started the franchise in consoles and of which this is a direct sequel. The unnamed prince travels to a city ruled by his brother, Malik, which is under attack from some... well... unnamed army. The villains take the city and as his rule is threatened, Malik unleashes "King Solomon´s Army" to defeat the invaders. Solomon´s Army was supposed to be what Malik was guarding in the first place to stop it from falling in the wrong hands as it was supposed to be an unstoppable force. Of course the army ends up being a bunch of sand soldiers lead by an evil Djinn with some grudge against humans and its up to the prince to stop it from spreading outside the city and take over the world. As pedestrian and unoriginal as the plot is I supposed its enough of an excuse for some platforming and combat. The problem is the whole thing is lethargic and with a total of three speaking characters in the game and none of them, including the prince, likable its hardly surprising its difficult to find the motivation as the player or any sort of urgency in the gameplay.
Gameplay consists of boring combat and average platforming. The combat is so easy and bland that you cant be faulted for forgetting the prince actually has an upgrade tree with skills and magic because quite frankly a blind man wouldn't have much trouble getting past these boring sequences which drag and drag with a huge number of cannon fodder for you to dispatch with no sense of excitement or fun.
The platforming is at least moderately successful but the environments and graphics are so uninspired its hard to feel engaged. When climbing on the same brown wall or seeing the same ruins again and again its impossible to feel anything other than utter boredom after a few hours in such insipid background. A nice feature in the platforming is the prince´s ability to solidify water which provides some interesting moments but is soon spoiled by jumps which require split second button presses that bring some annoying trial and error and increase the repetition in what is already a highly repetitive game. The final climbing sequence in the game is the pinnacle of unfair, annoying and luck based gameplay. The ending itself is devoid of any sense of accomplishment or excitement. Its abrupt, unsatisfying and after the end credits we get a cheap slide-show with the prince´s voice over giving a bit of closure to the story which at least prevents it from being even more pathetic.
As for length, expect no more than five or six hours. Yeah, Ubisoft really put the effort in this one!
I suppose I might seem a bit too harsh but from such a big "name" more was expected and its hardly a surprise that after such a poor effort and the corresponding poor sales, Ubisoft has put PoP on "pause" indefinitely. Might as well. Better than to drag it on the mud with such cheap titles as "The Forgotten Sands".

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/prince-of-persia-the-forgotten-sands/user-reviews/809820/platform/xbox360/ Thu, 17 May 2012 19:04:36 -0700 dude63 reviewed NeverDead for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/neverdead/user-reviews/794036/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

As a gamer, for quite awhile now, a game that's a new IP obviously has a risk in this open market .A market That has really become plagued with sequels, mundane shooters. Neverdead has been since released gotten mixed reviews from critics. Which is expected because its a new IP. It may not be a COD or a battlefield of course. So in this regard I have to give Konami and Rebellion props for trying something new..that either could succeed..or fail. After playing this, dare I say "gem", I found myself questioning some reviewers. In a wolves den of the game industry today its refreshing see new ips. What did I think of the final product?...Read on

STORY:
In the game you play as Bryce. Bryce is an immortal demon hunter. His immortality came upon him 500 years ago when he and his wife Cypher tried to take down the demon king Astaroth. In their efforts Cypher was killed and Bryce was cursed with immortality. Now in present day Bryce is part of NADA, a demon hunting agency. Bryce, along with his partner Arcadia, must hunt demons and stop a demonic invasion that has recently plagued the city.

Pretty standard stuff here. Neverdeads story is presented well with in game and cgi cut scenes telling the narrative. I enjoyed its nature and how it al played out. It kept me interested.

Graphics:
Neverdead is powered by Rebellion in house Asura engine. It looks fantastic here. Environments are rich with detail. Nice sharp and colorful textures. Main characters are designed well as are the enemies. Lighting, fire and overall the special effects are well done. NEVERDEAD did impress me in this department...its awesome looking. There is the occasional glitch and screen tearing is here, it does not take away from it though. Their engine shows its evolution with every game. It impresses me of what it is capable of.

Gameplay:
NEVERDEAD plays like a third person shooter with an immortal twist. This means Bryce is pretty much indestructible. When you take damage your limbs will fly off. You'll have to navigate your environment to collect your limbs back and get back to fighting. While this is taking place, you can still fire and whatnot. You can also use Bryce immortality to your advantage. Like purposely setting yourself on fire or leading enemies to exploding barrels. Knowing you will not die it brings a great dynamic to combat not seen at all really. At your disposal to kill enemies are numerous weapons like handguns, shotguns, grenade launchers etc. Bryce also has a butterfly demon sword he can use to cut down his foes. You can also use the environment to your advantage as it's destructible.

Each level plays out like your typical Hack n slash game. You enter an area, demons spawn, and you kill them...then proceed. It's like this the whole game. Some sections do have you using Bryce's dismemberment for puzzles. In ND there are numerous enemy types. each with their own uniqueness..and annoyance. At the end of each level is a boss fight. These encounters are exciting and they play on Bryce unique dismember abilities. One such occasion has Bryce throwing his arm into a enemies stomach. Shooting him from the inside to unveil his weak point, then attacking with your other arm. Moments like this are where NEVERDEAD shines. It's always satisfying blowing Bryce up knowing you took 5 other enemies with you.

Killing these demons gives you orbs, much like GOW, to use to upgrade Bryce abilities. These abilities include, faster sprint, better gun power, blade effectiveness...and my favorite using your limbs as grenades. It was fun collecting the orbs and it added some nice incentive to do so. The amount of abilities you can equip is limited. So, using the right ability for the situation is key..Especially during boss battles.

However, with all the fun aspects the dismemberment does become frustrating during certain times. There are enemies known as Grandbaby's that roam the environment during each battle. While you're collecting your limbs they can eat your head. This then throws you into a quick time mini game. If this is failed its game over. Your limbs can be broken off easily by overwhelming enemies and blindsided attacks. Then it becomes somewhat frustrating trying to collect your limbs only to be swallowed once more. Frustrating yet this adds to the games challenge.

Another annoyance is Arcadia. While she can hold her own in a battle. When she is brought down you have to revive her. You can only revive her if your head at least is connected to your torso. So it's a constant struggle or a babysitting to keep her alive. These are just the small gripes I have had during gameplay.

I enjoyed Neverdeads no holds barred take on the TPS/hack n slash genre. Its unique and its welcome. Every level plays out like a playground of destruction for Bryce. There is some annoyances with the dismember mechanic. However, Its nothing that I found game breaking..Just challenging is all.

Sound:
ND sound design is pretty good. Demons sound appropriately demonic. While Bryce and the other characters all have their unique personalities. The dialogue is written to be funny and reminds me of the movie "FEAST". It's not taken too literal and there's comedy in it. Playing mainly on Bryce being immortal. Gun shots, explosions all sound like they should. The actual in game music is a mix of guitar drum and bass with occasional orchestral scores. It's a nice blend and the tunes are catchy. Also included is a track by Megadeth specifically written for the game. All in all..I liked the sound

Replay Value
ND SP story for me lasted about I'd say 10 hours. I played it on normal difficulty. After completing the game you can go back and continue to upgrade Bryce's abilities, collect the collectables, etc. Moderate replay value for SP. ND does offer an online component. This includes co-op, a horde mode and numerous challenges. I have not been able to try any as no one has been online...at all. There is also trophies..of course.

I was pleasantly surprised by Neverdead. Even with its faults and frustrations. It was still a game I couldn't put down from beginning until the end. I think if you enjoy sci-fi mutant movies, or just enjoy action hack n slash games. Neverdead with its unique gameplay and wacky premise will keep you entertained. Its definitely worth picking up, I know I wasn't disappointed..

Get the full article at GameSpot

"dude63 reviewed NeverDead for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by dude63 on Thu, 17 May 2012 19:04:36 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/neverdead/user-reviews/794036/platform/ps3/ Thu, 17 May 2012 17:08:05 -0700 dude63 reviewed Lost Planet: Extreme Condition for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/lost-planet-extreme-condition/user-reviews/794024/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

Story:
Taking place in a game year known as TC -80. Lost Planet takes place on E.D.N III, a planet that is undergoing a colonization effort by NEVEC. This colonization is brought into action due to Earth's environment and overall well being is too hostile for life there anymore.

Upon arriving on the planet to begin colonization. NEVEC soon discovered an alien race known as the AKRID. NEVEC found out the AKRID harvest thermal energy, which is essential to surviving on E.D.N. III. Overwhelmed they left the planet, only for their army to return with military mechs known as V.S. With the new tech Colonist and the military of E.D.N.III pursue the efforts of human existence while battling the AKRID and overall mystery of the planets foundation.

LP follows Wayne, who early on is attacked by an AKRID enemy known as The Green Eye. Despite their best efforts The Green Eye destroys their colonist base and pushes through the defenses. In the effort to stop the monster, Wayne is badly wounded and his father is killed. Wayne struggling with his wounds makes it outside the Colonist dome only to pass out in the snow. Wayne is discovered frozen by Snow Pirates and is brought to their facility. When Wayne wakes up he has no recollection of his past and everything is fuzzy. Wayne bands with these Snow Pirates to take down AKRID hives one by one. Eventually unraveling his past, discovering the mystery of the Planet and a NEVEC conspiracy.

Story is told through cut scenes. Overall I found it interesting in the beginning, later on it unraveled into something pretty crazy. Reminded me of a Metal Gear a little bit. Kind of clich´ but overall pretty decent.

Graphics:
LP came out in 2007. However, this doesn't stop it from still looking great 5 years later. Snow particles are wonderful as is the explosions. The AKRID are all designed well. With each looking unique and menacing. The V.S. mechs look awesome..However character models look kind of subpar in my opinion. Though they are different they just looked odd for some reason to me. I however loved the look of the game. It reminded me of Starship Troopers and Alien.

Game play:
Lost Planet on its surface is third person shooter. It follows a mission based structure with open, yet linear environments. The main enemy in the game is the AKRID along with NEVEC, snow pirates, and others alike. Every enemy drops thermal energy. This is essential to stay alive in this game and powers the V.S. It may sound like a hassle but it's not. Theres always an abundance of thermal energy around, it can be gained by destroying enemies or objects around the world.

The AKRID are challenging enemies in this game. They all have weak points on them that glow orange. Shooting these weak points is key to bringing down these insect like beasts. I found this very fun as each different kind of AKRID offers a challenge. They all are designed well and look menacing when you see them come alive right before you. Nothing is more thrilling than walking to your objective only to have a 30 foot worm AKRID jump out of the snow trying to eat you alive. It's this type of adrenaline rush that brings out the best in LP.

Helping out in the enemy encounters are the V.S. suits. Ranging from your normal machine gun V.S., to a spider driller. They are spread throughout the levels and add a unique dynamic to game play. It's a blessing to have these around as some of the AKRID are tough as nails and doing the job without them is rough. As mentioned these mechs run on Thermal Energy which causes your T-eng meter to drop faster. Another handy tool is your grappling hook. This is used to transcend the levels. Working like Batman's grappling hook you can hook shot to almost anything and sling your way up on it. It's helpful when falling over edges as you'll instantly hook onto the ledge and pull yourself up.

I really enjoyed the game play, it was fun thrilling and exciting, every level played out like a sci-fi action movie. With mechs, the AKRID and overall destruction everywhere. The boss fights were a nice touch and they were all unique. I wish more games were like this. Another plus is each level felt different. There weren't two levels that were alike. A downside for me is the regular on foot enemies. They are push over's and it seemed as if the AKRID did not recognize them and only went after me (the player). Overall, loved the game play. It was challenging, and destructive with very little faults.

Sound:
Sound design is fantastic. The soundtrack is well done with orchestral music hitting at right moments. A sound of the AKRID blowing to bits, or the epicness of explosions is awesome. The mech sounds are surprisingly well done as well. Reminds me of gundam or transformers in that respect. Voice acting was subpar..and the lines were cheesy. However, everything else is spot on.

Replay Value:
LP took me about 7 hours to beat on normal difficulty. There are other difficulties but overall the sp isn't too long. The game offers multiplayer. I have not had a chance to play it. However, it has a good following with at least a couple matches going at any given time. No trophies. Little incentive to play again unless you just want to destroy more akrid

Overall LP is a game I really enjoyed. It offers fun and unique levels. The AKRID is an exciting enemy and the story while cheesy keeps the action moving. I say if you're looking for something unique and fun, give it a go. It came out in 2007 and it's probably pretty cheap now..As is the sequel. LP3 is also in development.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"dude63 reviewed Lost Planet: Extreme Condition for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by dude63 on Thu, 17 May 2012 17:08:05 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/lost-planet-extreme-condition/user-reviews/794024/platform/ps3/ Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:07:29 -0700 dude63 reviewed Rogue Warrior for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/rogue-warrior/user-reviews/761196/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 5.5.

When I first heard of Rogue Warrior it was to be a stealth tactical shooter. One in the same reign as Socom or rainbow six. With the promise of huge levels, 4 player co-op and realistic gameplay elements. Combine this with it being based off of Navy Seal Richard Marcinko (which I read his autobiography and loved). This game sounded like a winner. Instead tragedy hit RW. Bethesda (publisher) scrapped original developer (ZOMBIE) work of the project after 2 years in development. Development was then given into the hands of Rebellion..with a release 8 months later. I picked this up acouple months after release and I was interested in it but understood the history of the game..and the development hell it went through. This is what I thought

--[Story]--

The story of RW is pretty straight forward. In the game you play as Richard Marcinko. Decorated Navy Seal and the Founder of anti-terrorist group Seal Team Six. Marcinko and two other SEALS are sent on a classified mission in North Korea to retrieve intelligence on ballistic missiles. Shortly after arriving though his team members are killed in action. This leaves Marcinko, on his own, to retrieve the missile intelligence and stop the movement of these missiles by an means neccesary.

The story is told through in game cutscens and sound breaifings before each level by Marcinko. Its a very 80'ish type story. Which is what I think they were going for. This story will not win awards..but it works.

--[Graphics]--

While im no graphics whore by any means at all. Graphics do not bother me However, with that being said Rogue Warrior does not look the greatest. Marcinko himself is detailed very nice and is one of the standouts in this game. Other than that..everything else isn't as good looking. There is bland textures..enemies have the same models. While they are nicely designed a little variety would be nice. Exploisons are dull and boring..and very bland. There is no chemistry to them, they just look flat.

There is also numerous graphical glitches I came across. One was very noticable as everytime I turned the screen faded black. There was no skyline or anything...weird. Also I would like to mention RW has some really weird snow animations. If you turn while its snowing in a level the snow stops until you stop, then it falls again.

The good things about RW graphics is as I mentioned Marcinkos model is very nicely detailed. There is some high res textures in here. Its just a shame not all where as good looking. Water and lighting are very nice though. Which is the case in most Rebellion games. Weapons are nicely detailed. Espeically the dragonov sniper rifle. It looks very nice. Levels are varried which is nice..but ultimately they feel the same.

The Asura Engine Rebellion uses is capable of producing better graphics than this. Overall I was dissapointed in the look of the game. This could of been avoided if more polish was done to the game.

--[Gameplay]--

Gameplay is straight forward. In each level you have two options you can either sneak around for the first part of the level or shoot it out right at the get go. Eventually though if you sneak your cover will be blown. You can take cover behind objects and peak and shoot as you please. One nice addition to the standard gameplay is the killing moves. At anytime you can run up to a enemy and activate a quick kill move. There is 25 of them and they all are nice and brutal.

Enemy AI is very dull. I recommend playing on hard as they somewhat have a brain then. However, most of the time they are braindead. The spetsnaz solders you encounter later in the game are smarter and will flank you. Mostly though they are just the same. Weapons also have no punch to them. Theres barely any recoil.

A big problems with the gameplay is its all the same. You enter a level and do the same thing regardless of its location. There is little variety a apart from peak and shoot gameplay. a little more variety would of saved this game. Like a sniper vs sniper battle in the Russian mountains. A full stealth mission just anything. While I did have fun with the gameplay don't get me wrong. Its fun to shoot the enemies and perform these quick kills. Just more variety would of saved this game..as well as polish

--[Sound]--

The sound in RW is very good I believe. Richard Marcinko is voiced by Mickey Rourke and he does a really good job. The soundtrack consist of 80's type guitar rifts and james bond type themes. Its really sweet I thought it fit the games tone nicely. Weapons sound nice and heavy like their real life counterparts. All in all I enjoyed the sound of the game.

--[Replay Value]--

RW has little relay value. The campaign only takes acouple hours to complete even on the hardest difficulty. There is multiplayer but no one plays unfortunately. Which is a shame because you can do the quick kills online..which sounds awesome. Very little replay value here apart from trying to get all the trophies.

Overall Rogue Warrior is a game that fails to reach its potential. Its a shame what happened in its development and its horrible a game like this didn't turn into what it could of been. I hope a sequel is made and more time and effort is given and they turn it into something awesome. However, I did have fun with RW despite its faults. I say If you want a cheap purchase and "some" fun, RW may suit your needs. Just do not expect much from the title...

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"dude63 reviewed Rogue Warrior for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by dude63 on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:07:29 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/rogue-warrior/user-reviews/761196/platform/ps3/ Mon, 21 Feb 2011 07:37:33 -0800 bondeeey reviewed Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare Pack for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/red-dead-redemption-undead-nightmare-pack/user-reviews/756185/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 7.0.

Undead nightmare combines a good campaign with the same online multiplayer as red dead redemption for those buying just the undead nightmare (not add-on). The campaign shows you trying to survive in the western fronteir while infected try and stop you. The challenges inside are good but getting to them takes time as most are spread apart and take to long by even horse to reach. Online multiplayer has free roam and other game modes like liars dice and stronghold (my favourite) but also undead horde which is simular to nazi zombies (call of duty) or firfight (halo). The aim is to stay alive as long as possible through the endless waves of infected while playing with friends or others online. Overall this game is good but could be improved. If you already have red dead redemption then i would say only buy the add on if you really want to but if not buy this game seperatly as you still get the best bits of the previous game.

Get the full article at GameSpot

]]> http://www.gamespot.com/red-dead-redemption-undead-nightmare-pack/user-reviews/756185/platform/xbox360/ Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:57:07 -0800 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed DC Universe Online for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/dc-universe-online/user-reviews/755671/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 6.5.

Well, for starters I suppose I should say that ive played this game for a month straight, both as a hero and a villain and I´ve put well over 70 hours in it.
DCUO has the foundation of a great game. Now they just have to build on it. The biggest problem is you have to pay 12.99 euros a month while they do it.
The game does a great job of capturing the DC universe, you´ll fight along side famous heroes like Batman, Superman or villains like Lex Luthor... well you get the picture. Gotham is pretty cool, seeing the bat signal on the sky is just sweet and Metropolis rocks too. The voice acting is great, especially the Joker and Harley Quinn and the cutscenes are just plain awesomeness. There could be more customization for your character but there´s enough to make you feel unique and very cool. I guess what i´m trying to say is you really feel like you´re in the DC universe and I think that´s a great achievement right there for the game. The powers are balanced, more or less at least (fire cough cough) the controls work, all the powers and weapons are fun to use and the fast paced gameplay really works. For the first few hours the game is pretty much 10/10. Then, after a while you slowly start to see the problems. I guess its a problem with most MMO´s but that doesn't mean it should be excused. The missions are terribly repetitive. The whole game and I mean the WHOLE game is about going somewhere and killing 20 enemies of this kind, then going to another place and blowing 10 things, then killing 20 enemies of another kind, rinse and repeat. Again and again, and again. Go there, kill 20, boss fight, go there, kill 10, etc, etc. Turns boring fast especially because the game is really easy, with little or no challlenge until you reach level 30.
Another fatal flaw and this is an almost game killing flaw in an MMO is the social aspect of the game. Voice chat pretty much doesn't work. Text chat is a pain. You have to pull up the menu (which is really slow) and then use the keyboard and then put the command to group and then... its just a pain. If you don't have a keyboard at all and use the controller, well then its just hell! Most people don't even want to party up, preferring to go solo the whole game.
Then you have the bugs. The queue for anything takes forever. Then the game freezes. Seems every 5 Legends PVP matches the game froze at least once. So you wait and wait and then finally you´re playing and "BAM" the game freezes. Fun!
Then the sound goes out. My final mission for Batman had no sound at all. The final mission!!!!! Just epic, right? You even get attacked by invisible enemies as the game loads the map because your character moves too fast for the game to keep up.
Then you get to the end game, just like that. Leveling up to level 30, the current cap takes about a week if you play a few hours a day, probably 3 or 4 days if you´re more hardcore. Then you start the grind. There are a few missions you have to over and over again to gain points to buy better armor. That´s it! That´s all there is. And by then you better pray you know a decent bunch of people because suddenly, the game is all about grouping up. If you play with randoms get ready for hell because most people don't even know their roles because they´ve been playing solo all game long which is pretty much what the game encourages you to do. So people don't know about being healers, or controllers or tanks, many don't even know how to change stance so random groups usually get destroyed because the end game missions are absolutely brutal. So suddenly there´s not much to do except repeat the same missions over and over again or go outside and beat up some of the opposing players. Which is why you have level 30´s camping mission sites of levels 5 or 6 and destroying newbie players again and again.
So while the road to level 30 is somewhat entertaining even if repetitive, the end game is even more repetitive and also frustrating and dull.
Its a shame really, because with a little more mission variety and a better end game this could be an amazing game. As it is, there´s not much reason to play after a month. The leveling up is too fast and the end game is definitely not enough to pay for it and put up with all the bugs, and freezing! Maybe in a few months, if the developers keep working on the problems this will be worth a monthly fee but one has to wonder if it wont be too late by then. Lets hope not.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Fat_Boy_PT reviewed DC Universe Online for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by Fat_Boy_PT on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:57:07 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/dc-universe-online/user-reviews/755671/platform/ps3/ Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:26:23 -0800 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed MotorStorm: Pacific Rift for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/motorstorm-pacific-rift/user-reviews/750978/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

Motorstorm: PR does a lot of things right. Its got amazing graphics, beautiful sights, exciting tracks with fantastic jumps and lots of different routes to take and discover. It has a decent number of different vehicles for each class, with nice colors and models. It even has a few very cool driver skins to unlock and choose from. There´s a nice variety in the vehicle classes, with bikes, atv´s and even monster trucks! Oh yeah! And the soundtrack is pretty cool and when you´re at high speed, the sound of the motors and the music blasting and you´re on a tropical island jumping over an abyss, lava everywhere, other drivers next to you blowing up and auto parts flying everywhere, oh man its awesome.
Then the game shows its ugly face. Well I guess it depends the kind of gamer you are. Some people love an almost impossible challenge. If you do, this game is for you. To enjoy this you have to be borderline masochist to be honest.
The AI in MS does not want to win the race. No sir. The AI in this game just wants to kill you, destroy you, annihilate you and break your soul. This is the most brutal, unforgiving, unfair game I have ever played on any genre. Everything is against you. You cant get away from the AI. You see, its called rubberband. They´re always there. You can race a perfect race, don't crash, take the best route and... still lose. You cannot shake the AI vehicles. They will always catch up to you no matter what. Not only that but they will do whatever they can to take you out. Its as aggressive as a racing AI gets. If you´re fighting for first place against another car they will throw themselves off a cliff just to take you out too. Everything is against you. Sometimes your vehicle will crash for no apparent reason after a jump or a turn because there was some small rock or something on the track. The vehicle in front of you will make anything to stop you and delay you while the other AI vehicles pass him without trouble. You´re the star of this show. Its like you killed the AI´s dog, had sex with his sister and foreclosed on his mortgage and left him homeless. That´s how much they hate you. You cannot chose what vehicle to use on the races from the game´s main mode, "The Festival". You´re usually give a choice between two classes and usually the AI will be in either stronger or faster vehicles than you. The house always wins! Most of the races end up being about luck more than skill. The best strategy is to take the first lap, without any rush, then by the middle of the second lap try to get up to the top four, while saving your boost and at the end of the race using that boost to pass the others and win the race. All while trying to escape the AI´s attempts to crush you. There´s just no point in trying to get ahead too soon, because the rubberband AI will always be there, right behind you. When you look online for help in a racing game and the main strategy given by "the experts" is to drive slow without boost, because then the AI will also be slower, well then something is very wrong with that racing game.
It hurts me to say this because I desperately wanted to love MPR but when I win a race in some of the later stages of the festival I feel more that ive been lucky than that i´ve raced well, and that´s a fatal flaw in any game. After a while frustration takes over fun and that´s why i´ll probably never play another Motorstorm game. They´re just not for me. If this flaw doesn't bother you though, then this is an exciting, beautiful game and you should totally get it. Its worth it if you just love that extra challenge. Me? Sayonara. This lunatic is out!

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Fat_Boy_PT reviewed MotorStorm: Pacific Rift for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by Fat_Boy_PT on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 08:26:23 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/motorstorm-pacific-rift/user-reviews/750978/platform/ps3/ Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:10:31 -0700 dude63 reviewed Legendary for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/legendary/user-reviews/731287/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.0.

Legendary was a game I watched since it was first unveiled. It looked creative, had promise and its concept was great. Upon release developer Sparks Unlimited had some stuff to prove. Their last game Turning Point was a disaster and like Legendary had a great concept. So naturally I was excited but I was skeptical. When it was finally released it was panned by critics and players alike. It got a range of 2.0-3.0 reviews. Saying Legendary was just a mess and that it shouldn't be played ever. Well I didn't listen (like usual) and picked it up to find out for how it was.

So, is Legendary just another Turning Point, or does its concept live up to its promise? Read more to find out.

--[Story]--

The story of Legendary is pretty straight forward. It revolves around the myth of Pandora's Box in Greek Mythology. The Pandora's Box myth, as described by the game, is a thing of Legend. It was a wedding present from Zeus to his wife with a warning of never to open. Zeus's wife of course peaks inside. In doing so she released all kinds of evil onto all of mankind.

The reality of what happened, described by the game, is that Pandora's Box was a device of great power. After many years of wars raged over the device, a Secret Society called the "Council of 98" hid the artifact. In the 21st century archaeologists uncovered the box in the bottom of the ocean. After this they would put it into a Museum in New York to keep it safe.

The story picks up in present day. A professional thief named Charles Deckard is hired by millionaire Ormond LeFey to open the box and take its contents. Deckard along with LeFey's assistant, Vivian Kane, make it their objective to get to the box. However, once Deckard breaks into the vault that's holding the box and tries to open it something bad happens. The box releases a surge of energy and brands Deckard with a Signet on his arm.

Now that the box is open along with it is its evil contents. Creatures from the box are causing chaos around the world. LeFey backstabs Deckard and Vivian and sends his private army "The Black Order" To take the box and use its power to rule the world. It is now up to Deckard, Vivian, and the Council of 98 to stop LeFey and to preserve the contents of the Box for the greater good of mankind.

The story is very cookie cutter. However, it does a serviceable job. It is told in the way of cut scenes, and some very neat hand drawn art style pictures.

--[Graphics]--

The graphics in Legendary are powered by the Unreal Engine. Sparks Unlimited for the most part have put it to some pretty decent use. While it may not be on the scale of Gears of war or Unreal Tournament 3. It is a decent coding of the engine. Within in the game is some nice water and light effects. Textures are pretty decent. Nothing too great or bad. Its just decent. The character and creature models are surprisingly detailed and pretty nice looking. It is very awesome to shoot a creature only for his backbone to reveal itself under its flesh.

Now for the negatives. Legendary has a array of graphical issues I came across. Its nothing that ruins the experience, It is noticeable though. One of the biggest things I thought was the animations. Some of them were jerky and stick figure like. Also some animations never completed a loop. What I mean by this like in one scene there is a helicopter and its blades are spinning. However, it doesn't make a full spin it just jumps back to the start of the animation...not a full smooth loop.

Another thing I noticed was when turning valves the shadow of the valve doesn't stay, it flickers back and forth. Yet for some valves the shadow stays? Its weird. Its like more effort was put into some things than others. There is also texture pop in and screen tearing but I do not consider these bad as they are in a lot of games. However, pop in is really noticeable. Like walking up onto a blood splat to see it change. There is also some frame rate issues in cut scenes at times, its like they stutter or something.

Like I said though these do not ruin the experience. As they are very minor and something that can be overlooked. Unless your really picky.

--[Gameplay]--

The gameplay in Legendary plays out like a linear fps shooter. There is no branching paths, no side missions. It is the player going from point A to Point B. Killing anything in your way. As the game starts out you get the sense that it is keen on destruction. The creatures you face like Griffins, Firedrakes, Werewolves etc. They are all causing mayhem around the places you visit. As such there is many scripted events. A lot of these scenarios are pretty cool. One scenario has Deckard inside a Council 98 helicopter only to be taken down by griffins. Another sequence has you riding a elevator only to see your friendly helicopter get taken down and fall down through the roof of the tower you are going to. Its awesome to say the least. In the game you visit primarily New York and London. Both are well represented and offer some nice set pieces. One has you fighting around the Statue of Liberty's head.

Apart from the creatures you face, you also fight LeFey's Black Order soldiers. These guys are not the smartest guys out there. They do take cover and they do put up a fight but ultimately they offer their greatest challenge in numbers. The same can be said for the friendly guys as well. They are not great shots, do not offer great resistance. They are mostly cannon filler for the creatures. Which is the shining plate of the game. Without them it would ultimately feel generic. It is just so much fun to shoot a werewolves. Its not long into the game that you are introduced to the minotaur. Fighting these things are awesome and frantic. They are tough and they become even tougher when the game puts you against 2 of them. Its insane.

The controls in legendary are your typical fps controls. It handles well and its responsive. One nice touch I always like is putting the sprint button on L1. It just feels more smooth and fluid compared to the analog stick press. In the game you use many firearms at your disposal to take down the creatures. These range from shotguns to rocket launchers. Its standard affair. More couple of been added but it feels so awesome to shoot off a werewolves head with a shoty.

There really is no bad to say about Legendary's core gameplay. For what it is its pretty fun. It feels like a sci-fi movie brought to life in a game. The negative things I can say about it is that it never expands. There is so much potential here for something greater. In the game the characters talk of monsters invading Europe, smashing the great pyramids. Yet none of this is seen. There is also some potential to bring more monsters into the mix like Dragons, Cyclops monsters, Vampires etc. This could prove unique its modern setting and provide something more than what's offered. Hopefully in a sequel this is realized. I mean imagine the humans fighting in the middle of a war between vampires and werewolves. Also imagine a squad of humans assaulting a base of vampires in the night. With the final boss being Dracula. It could be awesome!

--[Sound]--

The sound in Legendary is good. The music is a retro hard rock style soundtrack that fit's the game perfectly. The voice acting is kind of iffy for some characters and Deckard doesn't even speak which is odd to me. The guns sound appropriate to what they are. I wish the scoped assault rifle didn't sound so flat though. The creatures from the werewolves to the minotaurs all sound good. All in all pretty decent sound production here.

--[Replay Value]--

Legendary has mild replay value. While it is great fun to shoot the creatures. It doesn't expand beyond that. There is data to collect in the levels, but its not something that is needed. Online play is here but no one plays. Which is a shame because I heard the creatures get involved in the mp. Trophies are not here as it was released in 2008. The game will also take around 6 hours to beat depending on how you play. I played this game on hard and it wasn't too hard at all.


Overall Legendary in my opinion is not as bad as what everyone made it out to be. Its very fun and at times engaging in its concept. Its just a shame it never expands and goes beyond what it could have been. However, do not let this turn you away. I recommend picking it up if you can find it cheap, like sc-fi type stories and enjoy killing mythical creatures. As you will find something to have fun with inside Legendary.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"dude63 reviewed Legendary for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by dude63 on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 12:10:31 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/legendary/user-reviews/731287/platform/ps3/ Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:17:00 -0700 annosheh reviewed Silent Hill 4: The Room for the PlayStation 2... http://www.gamespot.com/silent-hill-4-the-room/user-reviews/725715/platform/ps2/ ...and gave it a 10.0!!!

Silent Hill 4 taught me what real horror is. I love this game so much to the point that i cant express my feelings.
It's just a game they all say but to me it is so much more. It's a thrilling emotional experience that challenges me to the max. and thats MY ideal good time.
I played this game 2 years ago and I am still in love. I played dozens of real games but this game remains my all time favourite.
How do u expect me to describe that AMAZING atmosphere i live i silent hill4? It is just so great. Damn I love u Silent Hill!
The music that reaches my soul, The streets that take me there, the foggy creepy weather, the hospitals, the parks, the appartments, the hotels, the dark bloody corridors, the schools, the prisons, the darkness!...Silent Hill!!

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"annosheh reviewed Silent Hill 4: The Room for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by annosheh on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:17:00 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/silent-hill-4-the-room/user-reviews/725715/platform/ps2/ Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:36:10 -0700 MC9988 reviewed Resident Evil: Deadly Silence for the DS... http://www.gamespot.com/resident-evil-deadly-silence/user-reviews/723895/platform/ds/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Resident Evil: Deadly Silence is basically just the good ol' RE. Yep, and it's portable. The most fun is the fact you can go anywhere and have Resident Evil to play. The mechanics are a bit clunky, but it is expected when you take the askew camera angles and awkward walking mechanics and have a D pad to work with rather than a controller. Yet, the game makes up for its losses with a fine-tuned, smaller version of the game all Resident Evil fans love. Also, having the map on the upper screen is effective and easy way to navigate rather than having to open your map every 10 seconds to figure out where to go next. Even though the version is scaled down, it is very much the same game, as well. The creators of the game did not sit down and try to remake the game, but to just put the original on to the DS. The only noticeable change is the characters in some of the games cutscenes are actual people recreating some of the events as a movie would show, not a game animation. For all fans of the survival horror genre, this game is a must to pick up for the DS. It has replay value, as well with mini games and added content to unlock such as different characters to play in the multiplayer function, and harder modes to unlock after beating it for the first time.

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"MC9988 reviewed Resident Evil: Deadly Silence for the DS..." was posted by MC9988 on Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:36:10 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/resident-evil-deadly-silence/user-reviews/723895/platform/ds/ Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:59:25 -0700 Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Genji: Days of the Blade for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/genji-days-of-the-blade/user-reviews/723730/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 2.5.

Just to make things clear, I don't have any problem with Sony or the PS3. I absolutely love my PS3. What i´m trying to say is that I don't have any grudge against this game or Sony! And you know what? I´m not even a very demanding gamer. I mean I enjoyed Haze, how about that? So here goes. Genji: Days of the Blade is truly the worst game I have ever played. After giving it yet another chance I have come to the conclusion that this truly is the worst game I have in my whole gaming collection! I always try to finish every game I buy, no matter how awful it may be but this game has finally beaten me. There is not one redeeming factor in the whole thing. Sure it has pretty graphics but in 2010, with Uncharted and Metal Gear Solid 4 they don't even impress that much anymore. Other than the graphics every single thing in the game game fails in a way you really ask yourself: How is this even possible?
The camera is, again, the worst I have ever seen in a video game. Its so bad you don't even see the enemies most of the time! I mean how can you fight a boss when the camera doesn't even let you see it? You have to use a mini-map to find the enemies! I swear to God i´m not joking! And then, wait for it... you actually have platforming sections where you cant even see where to jump to! Seriously! You fight only five or six types of enemies the whole game! Its waves after waves of fighting the same enemies, using the same methods, over and over again! You have four characters but other than one that is ok and which you´ll use for most of the time, the other three are useless! They´re either too slow, too weak or too bland to even care! In fact the whole game is bland! The music is sickening, the story is almost non existent and most of the missions you don't even know what to do or where to go, because its all hallways that look the same! You´ll be stuck, trying to find where to go, after you defeated all the enemies, going around feeling stupid, until you give up and find an online guide! There is not one redeemable thing about this mess! The checkpoints are long, you cant save the game sometimes for 45 minutes or more, if you die you go back to the beginning of the level! I truly hate this game and I beg you, even if you see it cheap and think, as I did: Well it cant be that bad, right?
Oh yeah, it really is that bad! Stay away!

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"Fat_Boy_PT reviewed Genji: Days of the Blade for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by Fat_Boy_PT on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 11:59:25 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/genji-days-of-the-blade/user-reviews/723730/platform/ps3/ Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:41:38 -0700 dissingu reviewed BioShock for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock/user-reviews/723471/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 10.0!!!

WARNING: If you are looking for an unbiased review then look elsewhere because I'm a huge Bioshock fanboy and don't be surprised if I over exaggerate a little. Okay, This starts off with a little cutscene that shows that your character is on a plane, then suddenly it blows up and your in an ocean trying to find land. You swim over to a strange lighthouse and take your first steps into Rapture. You know this game is gonna be f****** creepy because right when you step in the lighthouse your already scared. I got chills when I stepped in there on my first playthrough. Now your character is a silent character like the pointman from FEAR. He never talks and has no voice at all. When you first go into Rapture you hear a voice from a radio transmission that you pick up. That man is Atlas who guides you through the story. I would like to say this THE STORY IS AMAZING. You know nothing at the start of the game and you slowly gain information as to who are you? Why are you here? and even questions about Atlas. It is all filled with so much twists to the point where its pretty much impossible to know the story until the very end of the game. The leader of Rapture is none other than Andrew Ryan. Andrew Ryan is one of the best characters in a video game i have ever seen. Andrew Ryan supposedly built Rapture to get away from Religion and Politics from the world to create his atheist oasis. Now lets just say that you find out ALOT more of why he is here. The graphics are great and all ways get the job done. The atmosphere is amazing as to the big daddies walking around with little sisters to collect adam from dead bodies. Adam is what keeps Rapture running to create more plasmids and to power Rapture. If you don't know what big daddies and little sisters are then here they are. Big daddies are huge guys in 1950's snorkling outfits (or whatever its called) that protect little sisters at all costs. Little sisters are little girls that scientists put adam into to make them be able to find adam in dead bodies and extract that adam. Bioshcok is quite simply one of the best games out in 07' and is still amazing for anytime to play. You'll never want to stop exploring Rapture and you will get sucked into this game very easily. I HIGHLY recommend this game to anyone looking to take a break from COD and find something with great characters, great story, and a great atmosphere. Bioshock will keep you in its grasp for a while you will be glad it grabbed you.

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"dissingu reviewed BioShock for the Xbox 360..." was posted by dissingu on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 15:41:38 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock/user-reviews/723471/platform/xbox360/ Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:07:03 -0700 MC9988 reviewed Red Dead Redemption for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/red-dead-redemption/user-reviews/723428/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 9.5!

...is Rockstar Studio, Apparently. Since it's debut, Red Dead Redemption has been the buzz of the gaming community, converting all non western gamers alike and dragging them by the heels into it's open, expansive world. I'm sure, like alot of other people, I was doubtful of this game. Sure, I knew it was made by Rockstar. Sure, I do like western movies. It was the mere inkling of a great game being created from many of the same ideas of another great game (GTA, 4 specifically). But then, I watched it being played online, and it struck a note. For many others, it was hard to warm up to that idea that Rockstar had created a massive game that was great...and much like GTA...but what does this say overall about how we look at the new, next generation games that are coming out to many with closed arms, as if to say "Go back to your hole, I remember playing ARCADIA!!"?

To Take another view on what the question i'm trying to ask involves, lets look at some other facts. I think its OK to say many of us gamers out there WANT to know more than what we actually know. This is because those people don't take the time to play the classics and get to the roots of gaming, so they take the easy road which is PRETENDING TO KNOW EVERYTHING. THis is a problem, eh hosers? I mean, i don't pride myself on being a video game guru, but i sure as hell remember playing the classics to know enough! Sitting with my dad and playing some Zelda: Link to the Past (which my mom accidentally ERASED OUR SAVE FILES AT THE FINAL GODAMN BOSS), Super Mario Bros., Arkanoid (RELIC), even some FESTERS MANSION! Even nowadays, i don't hesitate to pop "Hey you, Pikachu!" or "Mischief Makers" into my N64! And SNES? Please. "Total Carnage", "Biker Mice", "KING OF DRAGONS"! That was such a bad game! How can current gamers look at these new games and think many are just a refurbished version of another when the classics they enjoy so much...kinda sucked?

My goal is not to inform all who are reading this of how many cool old games i've played, nor to bash classic games that I do enjoy so much. It's to give many gamers another classic of their own. This game is great. The graphics, physics, and controls are alike GTA, but don't let that be a deterrent! In its own right, it is different in those fields as well. Punchier gunplay (increased kickback of certain Rifles and Shotguns) gives a more satisfying kill, a different world that's about 29 Sq. Miles to roam around in! If none of these work for you, maybe your better off sticking to 8 bit, because if a game like this cant change your mind once you play it, your just a lost cause, amigo.

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"MC9988 reviewed Red Dead Redemption for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by MC9988 on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:07:03 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/red-dead-redemption/user-reviews/723428/platform/ps3/ Tue, 18 May 2010 10:13:36 -0700 dude63 reviewed Afro Samurai for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/afro-samurai/user-reviews/720908/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

Before I jump into my review I have to say something of the incredible anime. I have not seen a anime as unique and great as Afro Samurai. Perhaps that's a stretch however, I'm not lying. I enjoyed every minute of the anime and when I heard a video game was in production, obviously I was excited. Here's what I thought.

--[Story]--

Afro Samurai follows a story and world revolved around the #1 and #2 headbands. Someone becomes #1 by killing the owner of the headband. However, only #2 can challenge the #1. Anybody can challenge the #2. Afro Samurais father is #1 and is challenged by the #2 owner...Justice. In a fierce battle that takes place in front of Afros eyes. He sees his father brutally slain by the blade of Justice. Justice then tells Afro "Challenge me when you're ready to duel a god."

When Afro becomes a adult he is the #2. Afro is now on a journey to reclaim the #1 spot and to avenge his fathers death. Prolonging this goal is the constant challenges to get his #2 spot and a secret group known as the Empty Seven Clan. Who sends agents to get a hold of the headband.

Afro Samurai's story is told in the way of cut scenes. The story as a fan is second nature. However, as it is told in the game is kind of all over the place. If you are new to the series and start through this game you could end up being confused. All in all though Afro Samurai has a good story.

--[Graphics]--

The graphics in Afro Samurai are great. They follow a cell shaded look. The art style combined with this look make it very unique and it follows the anime perfect. Inside this art style is some great effects and some really interesting back drops. Character design for your standard enemies could of been better but its no big deal. Blood effects are a highlight here..they look awesome!

--[Gameplay]--

Afro Samurai plays like a normal Hack N' Slash game. There is levels filled with enemies and your goal is to cut them down. In here is majority of combos and moves for Afro to perform. Some are really diverse but have really satisfying results. However, most players will likely spend their times mashing down Square and Triangle...which works. A unique thing to Afro Samurai's combat is a Focus mode. In this mode it slows down time and allows you to charge up your attacks. If timed right you can perform devastating sword slashes that cut your opponent apart.

A dev. described this feature as sniping with a sword..which is a really accurate statement. You can slice everything from feet, legs, hands, fingers and you can horizontal and vertical slice enemies in half. My favorite one to do is slicing the top of someone's head off revealing the top layer of the brain. Its awesome! You can also use this move to deflect bullets. Without this Afro Samurai combat would be...generic.

Inside the combat is a mini-game called body part poker. Which can be activated by walking up to Ninja Ninja (Afro's alt personality) and the game will begin. In this game you are required to hack off certain body parts. Resulting in something like the "Samurai Leg Shuffle."

Apart from the combat there is some plat forming segments spread throughout the game. This is not Afro Samurais strong front. Thankfully though the game is very forgiving in these segments. There is also some light puzzle elements. These are no brain busters but like the plat forming it separates the player from the combat.

The enemies the player will encounter range from your normal samurai grunts to some tougher enemies like little Ninjas, Giant steroid junkies and even jap. strippers! Every level you partake in has some sort of boss battle sometimes 2-3 in a level. These are incredibly fun and offer some great set pieces. One set pieces has you falling from the sky while battling it out with another samurai mid air. It's incredibly fun and unique.

Perhaps the biggest downfall for Afro Samurai is its camera. Even with the patch that was released the camera sometimes has a mind of its own. Its nowhere near bad..it doesn't harm the game too much. However, you might spend some segments, especially with a lot of enemies, battling the camera. Its nowhere near a game breaker but its something that can be a nuisance at times.

--[Sound]--

The sound in Afro Samurai is top notch. The music is supervised by beat genius the RZA and sounds awesome. Like the anime its easily a highlight In the sound department. Other sounds like slicing limbs off to the explosions all sound good and well done. Voice acting is pretty good here with the highlight being Samuel L. Jackson voicing Ninja Ninja and Afro Samurai. There is some odd and weird sounding vo from some lesser characters but its not horrible.

--[Replay Value]--

The replay value of Afro Samurai is very little. Once you finish the game there is no reason to go back. Unless you want to hack up some more limbs or unlock more combos..there nothing much to do. The PS3 version has no trophies as well.

Overall Afro Samurai is very unique and very stylish. If you're new to the series I recommend watching the anime before you jump into the game. However, if you enjoy Hack N' Slash games..do not miss out on playing Afro Samurai. Even with its faults..its a very fun and unique experience.


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"dude63 reviewed Afro Samurai for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by dude63 on Tue, 18 May 2010 10:13:36 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/afro-samurai/user-reviews/720908/platform/ps3/