System Wars Monthly 2.0 January Issue! (WE ARE BACK!)

After two months of being missing, System Wars Monthly is back people!

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Letter from the Editor - LoN

Well...this issue is not your previous account's System Wars Monthly. This is all new! New writers! New editors! New fanboys! No Sheep!

We boldly grade each console's performance this year, we see bold new opinions, bold new columns, and a bold new design, for the bold System Wars of today!

So you in System Wars, why should you care for this magazine? Because this isn't your boring proffesional website.

This isn't your outdated game magazine. This is YOU, for YOUR forum! Who are you going to trust? That one website that views all systems fairly? Or one that tells it like it is?

This may be the last Letter from the Editor. We are so bold, we won't need editors anymore. Because this is SYSTEM WARS MONTHLY!

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Hello, I'm 789shadow, and I'll be your weathersheep this evening........

*phone rings*

Uh....let me get that....

*picks up phone*Hello?

Tsug_Ze_Wind: GET YOUR OWN DAMN LINE!!!!!!!!!

*click**beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*

Oooooooookaaaaaayyyyyy..........

Anyway, I will be reporting on the events that happened in SW during the month of January. And some stuff from December. To pad this out. Yeah..........

Alright, enough dawdling!!! First off, at the end of December, GS awarded Demon's Souls, (try saying that 5 times fast. Go on, I dare you.) a game no one has ever heard of, their 2009 GOTY award. Cows were initially outraged on behalf of Uncharted 2, which was the heavy favorite to win the award, before someone tapped them on the shoulder and politely reminded them that Demon's Souls was also a PS3 exclusive. In general, the PS3 cleaned up in the year-end awards, and had a superb 2009 overall, but none of that matters because the system doesn't have Mass Effect 2.

Indeed, for most of last year, and all of this month, Mass Effect 2 was an instant lemming darling for not being on the PS3. Whenever Mass Effect 2 was mentioned by a lemming, it would inevitably be in the context of, "Ha ha, it's not on the PS3!" To which the cows would respond, "So? I'll just play it on PC." Then the lemmings would retort, "Yeah, sure, because you all have high-end gaming PC's." This is not me being funny, that is exactly what happens every time Mass Effect 2 is mentioned.

But nothing makes SW go around like contreversial scores, and Bayonetta delivered at the very beginning of the month, scoring AAA on the 360, and a full point lower on the PS3. All the pieces were in place for a war of epic proportions, except for whatever reason, no one seemed to care. Perhaps everyone was still drunk from New Year's. Or was too busy playing Bayonetta.

The code for this game was written entirely in innuendo and double entendre.

In smaller news, the release of Final Fantasy Roman Numeral in Japan made everyone very angry.

Also in the news, the December NPD numbers showed nothing interesting was happening in terms of console sales. The Wii was on top, the 360 and PS3 were clawing it out with similar numbers, and most of the top selling games had "Wii" right in the title. Other things that remained unchanged in SW, Crysis is still the unrivaled overall graphics king, the Wii's library is still somewhat inferior to the other consoles', and nothing interesting to talk about has surfaced.

Seriously, SW is very boring much of the time. January in particular was as interesting as watching aluminum decompose, or watching the 2009 NFL playoffs.

Finally, lastly, at the end of the month, Mass Effect 2 was reviewed, with a solid 9.0 on both platforms. Neither of which was the PS3. Ha ha! Anyway, there isn't much room there to make contreversy, and as such nothing really interesting came out of it. Hopefully GS can make something worth writing about happen with the games they have yet to review in January. Maybe MAG could get AAA, so the cows can pretend they actually knew that was going to happen. Or maybe they can give the Wii an AAAE for the first time in years, and bring the sheep out of their cryogenic sleep they put themselves in until the world-destroying Zelda Wii trailer at E3. (Probably.)

Not on the PS3. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!

So that was basically what happened in January in SW. Here's hoping February is slightly interesting, which was more than January could manage.

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By Fabz_95

Resident Evil 0

Although it's technically the 5th main resident evil game, story-wise, Resident Evil starts at Resident Evil Zero. It was released on Nov 10th 2001 in NA and was released exclusively for the Gamecube (it was later ported to the Nintendo Wii). The game was set 24 hours before the original game and it follows Rebecca Chambers and her partner Billy Coen. Although the game used 'Tank Track' controls, it introduced a new gameplay element in partner zapping as you could switch between either player at will. The player would have to use Billy's strength and Rebeccas ability to mix herbs as well as a new inventory system to get through puzzles and to get through the game. It was also seen as one of the most difficlut Resident Evil games. It was also a very good one scoring 83% on Metacritic.

Resident Evil

The actual first game in the series (released in 1996) was Resident Evil on the PS1 and is seen as the best by some fans. The game became knownfor its terrible voice acting and the fact that it took some of its ideas from an NES horror game, Sweet Home. However, although this means the game isn't completely unique, it doesn't take anything away from it as it offered gamers chilling experiences from start to finish. The game was split into two adventures, Chris Redfields one for more experienced gamers whereas Jill Valentines one was slightly easier as she had an expanded inventor and had a lockpick. The game featured puzzles along with killing zombies and was well balanced. The game was remade for the GameCube with better visuals and new zombies. The original game on the PS1 scored 8.2 at Gamespot whereas the Gamecube remake scored 8.9. Please note that there are 7 iterations of the original Resident Evil.

Resident Evil Remake

Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2, released in 1998, stuck to the formula of having 2 characters and using tank track controls. It also used pre-rendered scenery. The game was still largely improved as it was set in Racoon City and was much bigger than the original game (it came on 2 discs). The two characters (Claire Redfield and Leon S Kennedy) ran parallel to each other and featured their own boss battles, enemies and puzzles. One character had to fighter off giant alligators and a zombified William Berkin whereas the other character was hunted by Mr. X aka, a man in a trenchcoat. The visuals in Resident Evil 2 were also improved and there was an extra mode that cleared up plot threads. Unfortunately, the game featured terrible ports to the Dreamcast and PC with a surprisingly well rate port to the N64 version which shares the same metacritic score as the PS1 version.The game scored an 8.9 at GS on the PS1.

Resident Evil 3 Nemesis

With Resident Evil 3 (released in 1999), Capcom decided to set up the 3rd game at the same place and time as the scond game. It took place 4 days after the original RE and you followed Jill Valentine escaping Spencer Mansion ending up in Racoon City. The gameplay was similar to the previous games but featured a new dodge button and featured Jill being hunted down by the Nemesis. The Nemesis stalked you throughout the game and forced boss battles upon you. The reason the game was so scary was that you had to the option to fight the Nemesis and defeat him temporarily for new gun parts, items or weapons or you had an option to avoid him making it a constant struggle for survival never knowing when he would appear.For the first and only time the game featured a choice system which contained 3 different endings based on the users actions. The game was well receieved and scored an 8.8 at GS.

Resident Evil: Code Veronica

Resident Evil Code Veronica, perhapsthe longest and easiest Resident Evil game was something of a detour for the series. The game was originally released on the Dreamcast in 2000 and was then revamped for the other consoles a year later with new cutscenes and slight graphical improvements. It was also the first Resident Evil game that did not debut on a Sony console and was also the first Resident Evil game released on a 6th generation console. It moved away from Racoon City onto a remote Island, albeit an Island plagued with zombies, hunters and something much more powerful. Although the game used the same Tank-Track controls, Capcom made Code Veronica's environments real-time which improved the graphics a lot as the graphics were not pre-rendered.

The new and improved graphics also improved the puzzles in the game has players had to explore more thoroughly so that they could solve puzzles and find items. The game also introduced many new characters including the insane Alex Ashford and his sister Alexia and the game also included the long-awaited return of Albert Wesker. He had a new organistaion behind him, super-human powers and was a huge shock as everyone thought that Wesker was dead. Although Code Veronica was different to previous Resident Evil games, it was still a fantastic game scoring very well with a 9.2 on IGN and a 9.5 on Gamespot.

Resident Evil 4

If you thought that Resident Evil Code veronica was a big change from the Resident Evil formula then you were in for a big shock with Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil 4 was Capcom's re-imagining of the Resident Evil series into a game thats eerie, atmospheric and a blast to play all the way through. The game was originally released on the Gamecube in 2005 and was ported to the PS2, PC and Wii later on. The reason that the game was so different was that there was a new camera and there were new controls, there was an other the shoulder view which gave you the opportunity to run around freely and aim weapons precisely. In addition to this, the game was set in Europe and you weren't fighting Zombies, you were fighting Europeans infected by a virus.

You take the role of Leon S Kennedy, is first appearance since Resident Evil 2. You're being sent to save the President's daughter from an evil cult with villagers that at first glance, seem to be normal people but are in fact, people infected by the Las Plagas virus. With its brand new camera (bringing you closer to the action), wide range of enemies and by staying quite genuinely gory and scary, Resident Evil 4 was a fantastic game loved by Resident Evil fans and gamers who had never played a Resident Evil game. It will be remembered as one of the all time greats with most players having completed the game multiple times and some going on many different runs (most games can be played with a speed-run whereas Resident Evil 4 had specific runs that players made that only allowed you to play with certain weapons).

The PS2 version was even better than the Gamecube version with brand new modes that Gamecube only owners yearned for. The Wii version, some say the definitive version update the game with fantastic controls and allowed gamers to do it all over again. Review-wise, the game did exceptionally well scoring 96% on the PS2 and GC on metacritic while it scored 91% on the Wii. The game only scored 76% on the PC version but that version is known as being a shoddy port.

Resident Evil 5

Resident evil 5 is the first resident evil to be released on a current generation console. Using an upgraded MT Framework engine, it's one of the best if not THE best looking game capcom has released thus far. Using the same template as Re4 for gameplay RE5 was brought to a new setting and ended the S.T.A.R.S and Raccon city story line once and for all.

Introducing for the thrid time in an RE game the game was specifically built around the concept of co-operative play. The story focuses on long time RE veteran Chris redfield and new comer Sheva Alomar, as part of the BSAA (Bioterrorism Security Assesment Alliance) they are hunting down a Ricardo Irving ( A bio-terrorist).They soon realize the situation at hand is much bigger and has spun wildely out of control. Confronting old enemies and friends Chris soon realize's he has to take out long time nemesis Albert Wesker (The man behind the events of every main Resident evil title) Resident evil 5 campaign ranged from shanty town's to derelect caves. Gameplay being the same as 4 hasn't aged well, with games like dead space showing us a simple tweak like moving while being able to shoot can make a world of difference.

As of June 1st 2009RE 5 has sold around 5 million copies becomeing the best selling games in the series. A gold edition was announced in 2009, with two new campaigns Lost in nightmares and Desperate Escape that allegadly equates to a new small game it will be released on 3/9/2010 and will entail the time Chris and Jill spent in the spencer estate shown in cutscene's the game as well as The escape of BSAA soldier Josh Stone and Jill Valentine's escape from the caveside facility. RE has been received well over all with a rating of 86 on metacritic and an 8.5 on Gamespot.

Resident Evil: Spin-Offs

Resident Evil dead aim was the third in a series of light gun games to be released. Released in 2003 Dead aim had you take on the role of Bruce Mcgivern a man who "shoots first and asks questions later". Mcgivern's task is to take down Morpheus D. Duvall a psychopathic madman Umbrella employee who was stolen the T-virus hijacks a yacht and infects everyone on board. The gameplay consisted of the third person perspective and the first person perspective. Roaming in a 3rd person perspective like the original games to solve puzzles collect items and move through the game the zombie genocide was switched into a 1st person perspective where you could either use a light gun or controller. Gamespot gave it a 6.4 saying "It's not the best Resident Evil game, and it isn't a stellar light-gun game, but Dead Aim creates an interesting, unique hybrid of the two, and that is a commendable feat".It also has a score of 65 on metacritic.

Resident Evil outbreak was the series first venture into online play,taking place in Raccoon City during the beginning events of RE2. Starring five separate characters each with their own special ability for the first time you had to survive, with fellow friends. Five different scenarios gave survivors a chance to explore raccoon city a bit more than previous titles even returning them to some old haunts, such as the hospital from RE3 and the underground laboratory from RE2. Online play was laggy but when it worked it was great. The game also had long load times and inventory load times unless you had purchased the PS2 hard drive. The game received above average reviews and sold 1.45 million copies.

Scores: X-Play: 2/5, Famitsu: 36/40, GameSpot: 7.2/10, IGN: 7.6/10.

A sequel was also created but due to similar issue's and the continuation of no voice chat the game received similar reviews to it's predecessor.

Special Note: Thank you to animal_mother who helped by contributing the Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil Spin-offs section of the piece.

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The Issue Part 2

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Big 3 systems...

Report cards after 3-4 years on the market...

By Spazzx625

Brace yourselves, everyone...This entry is likely to ruffle some feathers. First and foremost, all I ask of you, the reader, is that you try to see this as level-headed as possible. Try to take off your fanboy caps for a few minutes while you actually read what I have to say. Also note that these are my OPINIONS...I'm not saying I am right, and I'm definitely not saying you are right either. Now, without further ado...I'll do these in order of appearance.

Xbox 360

Released November 22, 2005 the Xbox 360 was the first out of the gates, which is automatically a plus. It gets developers started sooner, and it gets it in peoples hands first. This is a similar move to Sony's PlayStation 2, which was released approximately a year before the original Xbox.

Originally off to a neutral start, like many new machines, the games available ranged from great to pretty crappy. Stand-outs like Call of Duty 2 were great examples of must-have games. Also, the much-improved Xbox Live service stands strong. Once availability had increased, reports of hardware failures became abundant, eventually leaving Microsoft with a huge bill and an increased warranty for the 360. Several chipsets later, hardware problems are still somewhat rampant.

To measure games, they must be separated by exclusives and multiplatform games. For the purposes of this entire comparison, I will be excluding PC games completely and also handhelds, so for example, Gears of War is an Xbox 360 exclusive. That said, Gears of War and its sequel go on to be huge hits in sales and Xbox Live gaming. Halo 3 goes on to be one of the biggest gaming releases in history. Steady stream of releases continue, despite seemingly tepid first party support from in-house developers like Rare. Multiplatform games with the Xbox 360 as lead development platform seem to fare better, but in most cases, any comparisons result in a wash.

Xbox Live and the 360's dashboard have undergone some major changes in the past 4 years as well. Most recently is the addition of Facebook, Twitter, Last.FM, and the Zune marketplace. Since the release of the NXE dashboard design, Microsoft seems to be trying to capture more of a "casual" market that has been dominated by the Wii since its release. No functionality was lost with the conversion to the NXE dash, however, and I feel more improvements were made than anything else. Xbox Live itself has had some rough times, but overall the service has been stable and continuously updated. Though the Gold membership is not free, the resulting cost is so minimal that it's not much of a factor. Subscription cards can be found for less than $40 online for 13 months, which ends up being about $3/month. Not a bad value, in my opinion.

Oh, and how could I talk about the 360 without talking about achievements?! For those who follow my blogs or are friends with me online, you may know that I'm a bit of an achievement slut. I do play games for achievements at times. This was one genius move on Microsoft's part to give gamers extra incentives to play games, and it's good for the retail and rental industry as well.

Overall, there are titles for nearly every type of gamer, though the focus does seem to be on mature-rated shooters. The interface is easy and accessible and the controller is possibly my favorite standard controller ever.

Game library - A Wish there was better first party support, otherwise strong titles to continue through 2010
Hardware - B- Though only having 1 RRoD from my launch unit, it's too big of a problem to simply dismiss [NOTE: This rating is NOT based on overall failure rates or anything...It's also not a rating of what it doesn't have...It's a rating based on how well the hardware does what it's supposed to do. The one failured unit I had detracted from MY score.]
Online - A+ Despite the fees, integration of friends and services is unmatched (annoying kids playing Halo aside )
Overall - B+ Things seem to be slowing down a bit with the looming presence of Natal, I would be shocked if we don't start hearing of a successor soon
Outlook - Natal is the next big thing for the 360, but is it enough to prolong the life of the system? Games are still getting better, but DVD limitations seem to be a major issue going forward

Playstation 3

Released a week before the Wii on November 11, 2006, the Playstation 3 has had the rockiest time this generation. With a shockingly high price tag, very little software support that wasn't also available on the cheaper Xbox 360, but also being the cheapest and best Blu-Ray player on the market. Sony set themselves in a very weird position from the beginning, but the gamble to choose Blu-Ray has certainly paid off.

Though it's no longer the cheapest Blu-Ray player on the market, it's still one of the best. The fact that it also plays PS3 games makes it a wunderkind of sorts now. I say "now" because Sony has had a procrastinating attitude, it seems. Many features have been added from firmware updates over the years, and even now I feel like the XMB dashboard is clean, but not always that simple. Things like Home have been just a curious disaster of delays and the end result is just lame. I still haven't upgraded to a Dual Shock 3, something I believe should have been there from the start.

Luckily, exclusive gaming on the PS3 is unmatched. Games like Uncharted have set the bar in terms of just about everything, especially graphics. Much of this may be due to the Blu-Ray's capacity, which has certainly become an asset now that HD-DVD is dead. As previously stated, multiplatform support has ranged, mostly dependant on whether or not the PS3 is the lead platform during development.

With the release of the Slim PS3, Sony was able to lower the price to a reasonable amount, and with the games available gamers choosing between the three systems will likely have a hard time making a decision. It all comes down to games, and while all the systems have great games, the exclusives for the PS3 do seem a bit more varied from FPS/TPS games.

The PSN is something I have never been a fan of. By not including any sort of headset, almost no one communicates when I play, and that detracts from the experience when teamwork is needed. I have had some problems with lag and general weirdness playing online moreso than the 360, but I have heard the opposite from some folks, so who knows?

The removal of backwards compatibility has always struck me as a dumb decision as well. I completely understand taking out the Emotion Engine to save on space, power, and heat...But emulation is completely possible and has been mostly overlooked by Sony. The fact that some of the older 80GB units without the Emotion Engine will play 95+% of PS1/PS2 games, it's almost a slap in the face that they don't allow it at all on current systems.

Though I have felt kind of burned being an early adopter, my 60GB unit is still going strong. Since I prefer the 360 controller and Live more, I do tend to play all multiplatform games on that system. However, the high caliber titles that come out for the PS3 are almost always a must-buy for me. If it was my only system, I would be more than happy.

Game Library - A- The only thing keeping this score down is that multiplatform games tend to be better on the 360
Hardware - A With so many hardware iterations and configurations, it's hard to keep track of things. Luckily, problems with the hardware have been minimal, and with the Blu-Ray, integrated WiFi, make a great piece of hardware
Online - B More often than not, the lack of headsets in an online match irritates me. Also, minor issues with stability have been an issue for me
Overall - B+ While originally I would have rated it closer to a D, Sony has taken their time to get things right and they are almost firing on all cylinders now
Outlook - As long as software support keeps up, I'm sure Sony will continue improving on things. I doubt the XMB will ever match the NXE in terms of friendliness and usability, but the entire package with the PS3 is probably a better deal for gamers that can only afford one system.

[update]Increased hardware score based on some things I had not originally considered

Wii

The last contender out of the gates on November 19 2006, the Wii came in with the force of a hurricane. Stores were unable to meet demand for nearly 2 years while Nintendo sat back on their piles of money. Still the strongest selling system, though it does seem to be losing momentum now.

I have had many love/hate moments this generation with Nintendo in general. They did many things right with the Wii, but also stumbled in some areas. First party support for Nintendo has never been an issue. I have long stood by the opinion that they are THE BEST first party developer around, and one of the best around period. I still stand by that. My problem with the Wii releases is the fact that they weren't staggered. Almost all of their standard top-notch titles were released early on in the system's life, leaving us dry right now. Normally, this wouldn't be much of a problem, but third party support ranges from complete garbage to excellent with many mediocre titles in between. Toss in watered down ports of some games and the library is truly all over the place.

Nintendo in general is it's own biggest enemy, they have stellar IPs that have lasted for 20-some years, but they simply aren't advancing. When was the last great new Nintendo IP? I'm not talking about Mario Baseball, either...Some of those off-shoots work great, like Mario Kart, others are pretty boring. Maybe this has always been the case and I've been too young to take note, but I feel that it's a problem now.

I can't talk about the Wii without talking about the controller, either. I love the idea behind it, and the execution is mostly spot-on. I still remember the excitement of finding out exactly what was the secret behind the new revolutionary controller. Speaking of reminiscing, remember when they announced the name "Wii" and the collective Internet both laughed and felt queasy all at once? I do. It seemed like a huge blunder, but now I can't imagine calling it anything else.

My overall view of the system is that it's best as a secondary system behind a 360 or PS3, or as a primary system for the whole family. Innovation is great, and I can't wait to see what they think of next.

Game Library - C+ If it wasn't for the first party games, there would only be a handful of titles I am interested in
Hardware - B+ It's been 4 years and still no DVD player support? No HD support? What's with that? Otherwise solid, and taking a page from the book of Apple in terms of design and packaging, it seems
Online - D Though getting better, this is the one area Nintendo NEEDS to work on for their next system
Overall - C+ A great start from the get-go, but momentum has slowed to a crawl. Even with a price drop, I'm not sure how long it will stay afloat
Outlook - I fully expect a successor announced in 2010. They have pretty much saturated the market with their current offering and we need something new and better, even if it's just a slight upgrade like the DSi

Overview

If you can only own one system this gen, I would personally recommend an Xbox 360 since I find it to be the most diverse system that everyone can find something to enjoy. However, every system has obvious strengths and weaknesses. Find the system that has the features that YOU find important, and remember that games are probably the biggest factor in the decision. What's the point of having a gaming system if you don't like the games available?

While I know the comments will be inundated with people thinking I'm wrong for whatever reason, this just goes to show my point that what you find important is only important to you. I will never understand brand loyalty for the sake of brand loyalty. If a system offers what you want it for, that's great, but it doesn't make anyone elses wants less valid.

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Why No Hype for Super Mario Galaxy 2?

By K_Smoove

When Mario Returns to Space was unveiled at E3, it was largely met with criticism and baseless hate. "Just an expansion pack," they cried, "Just a rehash!" Too bad you could say the exact same thing about Halo 3 ODST, and presumaby Reach. But it's okay there because Halo is "mature" and Mario "teh kidday."

But may I remind you that the original Mario in Space is currently ranked as the third-best game of all time, only 1/100th of a point lower than a game with 20 less reviews? Why wouldn't you want a sequel to that? If GTA5 was announced today, everybody would go wild, even if it ended up being the exact same game as 4, just in a different setting. Even if SMG2 was a rehash, at least it would be a rehash of an undeniably well-made game. And this is of course coming from the grandfather of modern gaming, Shigeru Miyamoto; the only disappointment he's ever had was Wii Music, and he said it himself that that was not a game, but a toy instead.

What did we learn today? Double standards are the standard in System Wars. And that will never change.

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Bayonetta is the Best Game of 2010.

By K_Smoove

Forget Epic Mickey, Metroid, Zelda, and the sequel to 2007's GOTY Mario in Space. And what's this about Mass Effect 2 and Halo Reach? Nonsense. MAG who? God of War III? I don't even see why we should bother playing, let alone reviewing, these games, as none of them can compare the the utter brilliance of Bayonetta. I mean, her hair, it can turn into demons! Demons! That's just crazy. And this demon hair lady looks like Sarah Palin, so you know she's handy with a gun! Also, those guns are on her feet. Her feet! The absurdity of it all. And did I mention that her hair is a demon?

Never mind its screwy performance on the PS3, that console is lucky to even exist after Sony's poor performance last generation. And its plot may not be all that great, or even understandable, but who cares about that? The footgunning is so good that it overshadows the lesser features. I mean, why review the game as a complete package of gameplay, visuals, music, acting, performance, presentation, controls, story, length, et cetera, when you could just review the gameplay alone? It makes the job so much easier.

Because of all this hair demoning and shoe shooting, I must declare Bayonetta better than any game coming out this year, or even in this new decade. Call me crazy now, but in ten years when all the websites are doing their "Decade in Review" segments, they'll award Bayonetta the highest honor. If you disagree with me you're obviously an idiot.

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System Wars: A Cry for Creativity

By Fabz_95

System Wars is becoming boring. It is becoming generic. Every day we see the same type of threads. The "Game X looks better than Crysis" threads. The "The Wii has no games" threads. The "This game is new console graphics king!" threads. Every day we are getting the same thing. Well System Wars, I am asking you, Where has the Creativity gone?

We need more creativity. The threads that I mentioned previously are fine. This is System Wars after all, we need to have comparisons of games, comparisons of line-ups and other general threads. However, we have so many threads like these, System Wars is becoming known for threads like these and I for one do not want that to happen. What has happened to the Epic Hype threads we used to have? The ones with a lot of information on a game, balanced with pictures. We get a few, but not many. We need more things from the System Wars Community. For example, a couple of months ago we had Iron Shop, a photoshop competition between SW users. We need more threads that everyone can take a part in. These threads do not have to become common, but we need these threads so that we have a break in between all the generic threads.

Even the common, boring threads can have some creativity. Next time you have a graphics comparison thread, why not compare the game's on an artistic perspective instead of a technical one? Instead of just including pictures, why not add some videos so SWers can really compare the two games. It's small things like these that can improve SW on a whole. There are many simple threads in which everyone can take a part in. For example, every couple of months there would be a thread where people could post there set-ups. Sure it might be old now, but since we haven't had one in so long, why not make one? Next time you make a thread about graphics, why not ask each user to post a picture instead of you, the topic creator just posting pictures.

Sure it's System Wars and we have to compare our Systems and prove why one System is better than another, the next time you do so, why not make sure your post is well structured, put in some good points and be fair. Remember, it's only System Wars, it's not serious business. The next time post an opinion on a system, try to be more creative, don't use the same arguements over and over again and say things from your perspective, you don't have to follow what everyone else says. If you think Game X is better than Game Y but everyone else thinks otherwise, say so, just make sure you have valid reasons and you'll be fine.

All I'm asking for is a little creativity. Whether it be in your threads or your posts, just try to be a little different, it's better for everyone around you. Everyone in System Wars will benefit from some creativity, just put a little bit of thought into your posts and it'll be better for all of us.

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The Issue Part 3

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Editorial: Games Need Real Human Emotion

-K_smoove

I recently watched Up for the second time, and I am not afraid to admit that my eyes still water during more than a few scenes in that movie. I'm still impressed that an animated movie marketed towards children could evoke such emotions out of me. Throughout the movie there are themes of love, friendship, sorrow, neglect, and redemption, among other things.

Seeing how a simple cartoon had this level of emotion, it shouldn't be that difficult for games to pull it off as well. Yet that almost never holds true. The only video game to ever trigger an emotional response out of me was Mother 3, a game which few of you have heard of and even fewer have played. For the uninitiated, Mother 3 follows the story of Lucas and his family as their peaceful world plunges into dystopia. Mother 3's plot deals with the same themes as Up, especially with redemption and the loss of loved ones, all the while providing outstanding gameplay.

I think part of this advantage comes from Mother 3 being a role-playing game, allowing it to provide plenty of story along with its gameplay. The slightly-slower pace of role-playing games also allow for more genuine emotions, as most action games would suffer from the sudden slow-down of emotional scenes. Yet Up managed to pull off a healthy balance of excitement and emotions, so why not games? Part of it surely has to do with Up's status as a movie, yet games are little more than player-controlled movies when you really boil them down. An action/adventure game could so easily emulate Up's styIe of emotional storytelling with exciting action sequences. You just need to establish characters that the player cares about, which is somehow more difficult with video games than other forms of media.

But there must be a way of making deeper characters in games. Characters could interact more during actual gameplay sequences rather than leaving all of the storytelling to the cutscenes. Make the transitions between playing and viewing almost seamless. Part of that means less pre-rendered cut scenes, as those really take you out of the world as presented in the actual game. Developers need to make the world as you see it in-game more lifelike; maybe have NPCs talk to you without you approaching them and pressing a button. Or tell a full and complete story rather than having the player make their own decisions and detract from a proper narrative.

I think games can only tell a real story by doing just that: telling it, and not placing you in it. That may sound backwards, as the purpose of games is to place you into the action by giving you control, but I'm arguing that stories could be much stronger by following a character's story rather than making it. I'm not saying all games need to be like this, but it would be nice if more games followed the storytelling of books and movies.

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What I want from the PSP 2

By Darkspineslayer

A lot of us own a PSP, and while there are obviously a lot of great things about the system, its a strech for anyone but the hardcore cows to call it the best handheld avalible. lets not kid ourselfs, the PSP has had a lot of issues and false starts. here are my ideas for how Sony could turn it around.

1. Take some time off the revisions and take a long hard look at the system. when its viable, get the PSP2 in the pipeline

2. Launch at about $150. much higher and it will just be compeating with the actual consoles. if you can't sell at that price point, than its not time for a new handheld yet.

3. distance yourselfs from the name PSP, its gotten a bad rap among the casual crowd as a subpar gaming platform.

4. Begin the systems life download only, and offer options for those without wireless internet or a PS3. my idea is a throwaway memory stick that would copy the game to the onboard memory once, and beyond that it would need to be regestered with a PSN account.

5. Second analog nub kthxbai

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Don't Underestimate DSiWare

By K_Smoove

When DSiWare first launched, I thought it was a joke. There wasn't a single worthwhile download for months. But now, almost a year later, the service has become pretty legitimate. It's especially a haven for puzzle games and slightly more quirky games.

Just from the small library of games I've played, I can say that DSiWare alone is worth the upgrade from a normal DS/DS Lite. Today marked the release of Trajectile (or Reflect Missile in other regions), a unique puzzle game (made by Q Games- the PixelJunk guys) that has become my favorite download on the system. It's difficult to describe, but I suppose you could call it strategic Breakout with no paddle. Basically, you have targets up on the top screen and different types of missiles on the bottom. You have a preset number of missiles, and the goal is to wipe out all of the targets on the top screen by setting the missiles' trajectory and making them bounce off walls.

The game has a slick retro theme, with simple blocks making up every in-game object. The soundtrack fits in with the art styIe, presenting catchy chiptunes that liven up the action. There are over 300 levels, each with special medals to earn. It's a challenging and unique puzzle game that's definitely worth the $5 asking price.

Q Games is also responsible for the fantastic Art StyIe games, a series of clever puzzlers with unique twists, including the NES-themed PictoBits, the relaxing Aquia, and the frantic, rhythmic DigiDrive/Intersect. Hudson has an all-out multiplayer version of Bomberman, including 4-player Wifi battles. Meanwhile, Gameloft has an increasing and varied supply of fun, albeit casual, games including an updated take on the edutainment cIassic Oregon Trail, Uno (with Wifi!), and an inspired platformer called Castle of Magic. Newcomer on the Indie scene Powerhead Games has added to the DSi's list of unique puzzle games with its image-based Glow Artisan.

All of these games are similar in one specific way: they're perfect for short, pick-up-and-play sessions, and also fun enough for extended periods. Many of them also happen to be from small studios, which is always nice to see. In conclusion, if you consider yourself a fan of puzzle games, you owe it to yourself to get yourself a DSi and download some of these great titles!

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REVIEWS

8.0 - Great

"Darksiders doesn't try to hide the ideas it borrows from other games, it also doesn't hide how well the ideas are used."

Difficulty: Just Right

Time Spent: 20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line: "Just plain fun"

If you've been keeping an eye on this game, you already know a good deal about how original Darksiders is, or to say, isn't. Darksiders is one of those games that doesn't stray far from the beaten path, but unlike many games it also never stumbles while on this path.

To start, as said, Darksiders brings very little to the table in terms of new ideas. But the execution of the ideas it brings are top notch. The developers have seen what works and put it all into Darksiders and did a fine job of doing so. All of the gameplay elements flow nicely and together they craft an enjoyable game well worth your investment. This is one of those games that is a jack of all trades. Its the best at nothing, but all of its combined elements bring it together to make a great game. This is what I truly appreciated most about Darksiders. Now let's get into each of those elements.

Combat is the big focus here, as with any action game. Unfortunately, I feel this is Darksiders' weakest aspect. While there is a plethora of weaponry and some gruesomely satisfying moves, you'll start to feel its a bit stale towards the end of the game. Many enemies can be defeated without much thought about combos or weapon switching, making the game come off as a bit of a button masher. Don't let that deter you, however. Combat is still very much enjoyable, flowing pretty well and being very pleasing to watch. War has a respectable arsenal of moves at his disposal and several different finishing moves depending on the type of enemy and their location. The amount of weaponry given to you is also worth a nod of respect. War is armed to the teeth. Not only does he have his sword, Chaoseater, but he also can acquire weapons such as a scythe, gun, and bladed boomerang. Mixing up combat with the use of these different weapons (and more) can provide some much needed variety, if no extra challenge.

The strongest aspect in Darksiders is the dungeons. Without any doubt. Much to my surprise, puzzles in Darksiders will put your brain to use, rather than your reflexes. Having to stop and think on how to solve a puzzle makes Darksiders stand out amongst other action games. Dungeons also provide a great deal of longevity, sometimes taking well over 2 hours to complete a single dungeon. You'll be spending most of your time in these while you play Darksiders, and with how well presented and designed the dungeons are, that's hardly a bad thing.

Story takes a backseat in Darksiders. Or at least, it probably should. Its pretty much your standard fare for action games here. Nothing exceptional or memorable about the storyline. Though it should be noted some of the writing is actually quite enjoyable. Most of the voice actors also put forth a good presentation for their parts as well, making the characters a little more likable. The story of the game won't make you think, but if you're looking for an action game, this is probably nothing new to you and won't deter most fans of the genre.

Graphically, Darksiders leaves a little to be desired. Some clipping issues and seemingly lazy collision detection (War can float on certain textures, apparently) break the immersion of the game a bit. There's nothing horrible to the technical aspect of Darksiders, but there is certainly some room for improvement. On the artistic side, I found myself liking the ****of Darksiders. It very much seems to be straight out of a comic book and if you're into that **** Darksiders' look will appeal to you. The game's cover may be deceiving, the game isn't as gritty as the cover art would imply. But again, if you like comic book art ****this is right up your alley.

As mentioned, voice actors do a good job playing their parts in Darksiders. The musical score should also be given a respectful nod. The music perfectly fits the scene, whether its the Apocalypse itself, a barren wasteland, or a desperate struggle with a giant demon. Sound effects also are used to great effect, giving the wasteland a lonely feel, or giving War's attacks the feel of being truly brutal and powerful.

War is also a very multi-talented Horseman. Over the course of the game he gains numerous abilities such as gliding and turning into a super-powered Chaos Form. Luckily, all of War's abilities are used creatively and add a layer of depth to the game that makes it stand out above some games in the genre.

On the downside, Darksiders' controls suffer. War will many times interpret you pressing the X button to mean "Walk straight forward and fall into the lava" instead of "jump". While its a very minor complaint, it is unfortunately very prevalent. There were times I found myself pressing X early so that War would jump instead of walking off the edge. It doesn't bring down the game much, but its a flaw too obvious to ignore. Some of the controls are also too complicated for their own good (Holding down multiple triggers and pressing a face button in the middle of a fight to heal yourself, for example). The dodge mechanics also come off as a little unpolished, with War most often not dodging in the proper direction or getting "stuck" on an enemy. The cooldown seems a bit long as well, considering many enemies have an attack range that extends past the distance War can dodge. Lastly, dodging and blocking are done with the same button. In an intense fight, this can become a little irritating, though its still a minor complaint.

All in all, Darksiders is a good package. What it brings to the table may not be new, but it does everything so well that its hard to ignore the quality of the game. It may be the Apocalypse, but it's truly a great way to kick off 2010.

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Brutal, humorous and fun - Borderlands is part Call of Duty, part Diablo and part Crackdown.

It opens with a stylish cutscene, which as well as setting the scene well lets you choose which cla$$ you want to be, out of a choice of four. The general story is that you're on a scarcely populated planet called Pandora, looking for a mysterious Vault that apparently holds infinite riches and unimaginable alien technlology (on the search for which you'll have to kill thousands of enemies and a dozen or so bosses to boot). On the way you'll pass through a number of big open areas packed with side quests, things to kill and a variety of loot, the most common being ammo and money (which you can swap at one of the many vending machines for weapons, shields, health & more). Though the main plot may not be anything to write home about - nor the mediocre ending, but the characters (especially some of the bosses and earlier friendlies) and witty dialogue both make up for it it in my opinion.

It might not be as polished or satisfying as the big shooter franchises, but Borderlands' gunplay does a fine job. The average enemy will take a good load of bullets to down, so you'll have to make sure you're constantly swapping your weapons for better ones to keep up. And, as you will have been told in the previews, there are literally MILLIONS of guns to choose from. Electric rocket launchers, spiked revolvers, rocket launcher shotguns - this game has everything! You'll want to keep a large supply of weapons in your inventory, which you can expand by doing a few of the Claptrap Rescue side missions, which will have you looking up the location of a tiny repair kit hidden in the game world on Gamefaqs in no time.

You also have a cla$$ specific 'action skill' that you can utilize to take out your opponents; a killer bird named Bloodwing for the Hunter, a portable turret for the Soldier, a 'super fast' mode for the Siren which allows you to run 5 times as fast for a few seconds and finally a 'massive damage' mode for the Berserker that lets you decimate anyone near you using your solid-as-rock fists. These all add a unique twist to gameplay and can be upgraded to recharge quicker, deal more damage, last for longer etc. If you do happen to fall in combat there are two ways you can be revived; killing someone quickly before you pass out, or having someone else help you up if you're playing in co-op. If neither of those happen you'll simply respawn back at the last checkpoint you passed for a reasonable percentage of your money.

The final key element to gameplay is the cars, which pack either a rocket launcher or machine gun and allow you to travel much quicker than on foot. They don't work or handle quite as well as in Halo but they're generally fun to drive and shoot. At around the middle of the game you'll also unlock a much-needed fast travel option that lets you teleport across Pandora to the many different areas.

Although nowhere near the high standards set by the all familiar SW graphics kings, Borderlands puts up a good show on the visual side of things, with the highlight being the very appropriate cartoony art $tyle. The graphics are made all the more impressive by the vast open worlds that they take place in. But, as expected with any game of this scale, it does end up suffering from a fair few (easily ignorable) glitches here and there. The music is decent as well I suppose; the few oft-repeated 'battle tracks' suit the fast-paced gameplay well and keep the adrenaline levels high. It would have been nice to see more licensed songs like the one in the excellent intro though.

Depending on whether or not you decide to do all the side quests, Borderlands will probably last you around 25 to 40 hours - and that's just a single playthrough. There's also a Mass Effect-esque 'New Game Plus' option to carry on with the same weapons and level on a second playthrough with all the enemies toughening up to match. On top of that, there's obviously the extensive 4 player online/2 player splitscreen co-op which works well for the most part and increases the fun, though you need to be roughly the same level as the people you're playing with to have any fun. Luckily, there's a matchmaking system that will find an appropriate group for you. Once you're in a co-op game there's also three 'Arenas' scattered around Pandora that let you play a small 2v2 or free for all deathmatch game against each other, which although fun doesn't work as well as you might of hoped.

Summary -
If I were to judge Borderlands simply by it's gameplay and graphics I'd probably not give it any more than an 8, but considering the above average length and replay value I'd say it just about warrants a 9.

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The Issue Part 4

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By: Brianfox1

Intro

Everyone knows the long history of The Legend of Zelda games. All of them include Princess Zelda and Link. Without them the series would be nothing. In most of them you either walk around, ride a horse around, or ride on a boat. The Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks breaks the chain with a train.

Story

The game starts you out as Link a young boy who is about to become an engineer. But he must graduate and get his certificate first. While he is at his ceremony the Princess of Hyrule slips him a note stating that she needs his help and he agrees to help her. She asks him to take her to the Tower of Spirits but while they're on their way they are ambushed by two people then something terrible happens...

Gameplay

To most people, the most important part of a game. To those that played The Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass remember the Ocean King's Temple you had to keep playing some floors over and over again... The Tower of Spirits (kind of like the game's main dungeon) has a staircase that you can use to skip the floors that you have played through. Your dungeons aren't that challenging but you only have 5 to play through so you will have to make do with those. Along with the dungeons your puzzles differ greatly because they are hard but not impossible. For example one you have a block with a spike on one side you have to keep turning and pushing that block over so that it can land into a hole and make it hit a switch. Sound easy? its not.

Sidequests

It wouldn't be a Zelda game without sidequests now would it. The main sidequest in this game are your passengers. In some towns you may find a character who needs a ride to another city since your train has a passenger car you are free to drive passengers around whenever you want to although you can only drive one around at a time. But it can be a hassle you have to focus on other things while driving them around. Another thing is some characters may need items like iron, wood, ore, etc. once you obtain a freight car you can haul almost anything you want to. Your last sidequest is from a friend who is just crazy about stamps. You see there are stamp stations (20 in all) that you must use to find to stamp a stamp book you have if you collect enough you can get prizes for them.

Conclusion

The Legend of Zelda Spirit Track is a great game since it's a DS game you can play it almost anywhere you want to. Overall for this game I'd have to give it a 9.5.

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Live by the sword...

Die by my blade...

Assassins Creed 2

Platforms: PS3 version under review, also available on 360 and a PC version coming eventually

Score: 9.5

Increase in the presence of hookers: 100%

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2007s Assassin's Creed was met by mixed reviews across the board, and while Gamespots own Kevin VanOrd was among the few that it scored favorably with, the general criticisms were the same. The game was simply too repetitive, had a small hand-full of missions that repeated again and again, and the story was an amazing ride until it smacked you into a brick wall saying everything but "Sequel coming in...."

Happily, Assassin's Creed 2 not only manages to do something with the train-wreck of an ending Altair left you with, but manages to toss out everything wrong with Assassin's Creed, outdo everything, and even throw in some stuff you would never of thought the game needed.

The story picks up a few hours after the ending of the first game, and sees Lucy and Desmond breaking out of Abstergo Industries in the opening level. Already you get treated to the sense that something greater than the just the two of them is at work; fast forward 15 minutes and then rewind about 500 years and your introduced to a new assassin for a new age. While Altair filled the badass, no-talking, stab-happy type of role perfectly - Assassin's Creed 2 offers you an actual person beneath the cloak as you watch a young Italian firebrand hailing from Florence have to grow up quickly when his family is betrayed and killed, overall giving you a much more compelling cast of characters to work with that push the story forward much better than before.

Gameplay remains roughly the same as you remembered it, albeit with some new additions to the formula offered by the new landscape. Since Ezio appears to have avoided the genome that made Altair water soluble, swimming is introduced, although it isn't much use until you're introduced to the city of Venice and can be painfully slow at times. All the stealth aspects have been improved and are now more naturally and seamlessly integrated within the game. Case in point; sitting on a bench looking serious to dodge a pursuing guard is still an option, but no longer will there be wandering packs of monks that you can automatically blend in to. You can however apply the same principal by hiring a small group of courtesans (see: prostitutes) to walk with you and let you move around unnoticed. Further improvements to the gameplay include strategically placed 'fast-travel stations' that allow you to skip the annoying 20 minute horse-rides between city's that plagued the first, a good deal more weapons, a completely revamped and more linear story structure and a 'notoriety meter' on your HUD that tells you how aware the general public and guards are of you and your actions. The notoriety meter brings with it a whole new element of gameplay that can be great at times, and contrived at others. However, as you advance through the story you'll gain items that will basically take it out of the equation all together, which is helpful when you just want to go on a murder rampage but ends up breaking the gameplay in the end.

On a better note the orchestrated soundtrack is flawless and brilliantly synced with each and every on-screen scene. Calm, mellow rifts one moment, and tense fight music the next...

The game controls just as smoothly as the first, though those used to using R2/RT to run will need to learn to use the bumpers. Voice acting and animation are also of the highest caliber.

So in conclusion, is Assassin's Creed 2 worthy of your cloak and dagger, or is it another blade in the growing crowd of "so-so"?

With a completely overhauled mission structure, much more variety, a more compelling story that will leave you satisfied plus the same brilliant free-running gameplay and awe-inspiring views, Assassin's Creed 2 is among the highest legion of gaming - and liable to turn around the biggest hater of Altair's outings in the 3rd crusade.

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The Comic

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Let's just put it simply; Batman is a badass. Few fictional characters kick ass the way Batman does, and his ass kicking appeal has not only translated to great cartoons, but even big budget films as well. So it's actually quite surprising to find that the Batman franchise has had such little success with a medium as largely reliant on ass-kicking action as video gaming is, but Arkham Asylum is here to change that. And it isn't just a good batman game - quite frankly it would be just as good without him, largely thanks to the exceptional pacing, well designed gameplay and one of the more atmospheric environments in gaming.

The game starts off with an extensive intro that does it's job by telling you exactly what's going on, and generally giving you a feel of mood the game going for. Batman has recently recaptured the Joker and is driving him to Arkham Asylum, the large prison facility that keeps all of Gotham City's psychotic villains at bay. The catch here is that Joker appears to have surrendered himself to the police without any hint of resistance, and before you know it he's has taken over the entirety of Arkham Asylum in a matter of minutes. Without getting too far into the narrative, it does a fine job in giving you reason to get to the next checkpoint and progress through the game. If you're a Batman fan it's probably nothing you haven't seen before, but the writing is pretty good for the most part; Joker's dialogue in particular.

What makes the game impressive though, is the excellent combination of action and stealth gameplay. The combat is fairly simple; you have a counter button for your defensive attacks, there's the main action button that lets you seamlessly beat enemies to a pulp and - if you need it - a block button as well. What makes the combat so uniquely enjoyable is how fluid and responsive it is. What it lacks in depth and complexity it makes up with smooth transitions between hits, satisfying feedback and a fluid system that concentrates on timing and flow. It also manages to incorporate a combo system; the longer the streak the faster and more agile Batman moves. This coupled with the great feedback is what makes it so brutally awesome. The game may not give you the grotesque over the top gore of a Ninja Gaiden or a God of War; but every bone crushing, skull cracking hit sends a satisfying echo that just makes it that much more gratifying.

As the game progresses you begin to receive gadgets that add to the action - all of which have a good use (or two in some cases). Just a few of these are the grappling hook, which can be used to take away weapons from certain enemies, and batarangs, which can be used to stun or slow your opponents. Take downs and grapple moves provide a quicker way to down the easy enemies while also giving you a nice flashy badass finisher. Unfortunately the simplicity of the combat does make it very button mash friendly, and it gets very repetitive towards the end of the game. This issue is offset by the hard difficulty forcing you to be even more precise and putting a large emphasis on making sure your timing is exact and that you're keeping up with the flow of the action. This doesn't completely negate the simplicity though, and it might lose a lot of it's luster the further you get into the game.

Obviously entering into a fist fight with Batman might not be the best idea, so logically you'll also encounter areas where you'll have to go against a ton of enemies with guns. This is where the stealth mechanics kick in; you can grapple to high vantage points, glide down and kick your enemies, knock them out while they're down, hang from the strategically placed gargoyles and then grab unsuspecting thugs from under you, use batarangs to stun enemies from behind cover and distract enemies using remotely activated explosive gel.

These areas are enjoyable mostly for how pleasing it is to have eliminated all the enemies in a room without ever being detected. Throw in levels that require you to use specific gadgets in a certain way and you have some of the more memorable moments of the game. Once you start knocking enemies out one by one you can see how the AI is worried about your presence and fear their imminent end - it adds a satisfying layer to the game of cat and mouse you play with the thugs. That said the horrible enemy AI could be an issue for some; it's just far too unaware of so many things, and it takes quite a bit of the fun out of the stealth. For example the game is very lenient with what is considered something the enemy can't see and how far in the open you need to be for them to see you. There are however times where the enemy is efficient enough to cover up a lot of the obvious kill-spots in a given room, thus making you have to figure out what opening you can take. But it makes it seem less appealing when the game forces you to work from the ground instead of the higher vantage points as the stealth mechanics on the ground just aren't as strong or productive.

Arkham Asylum for the most part is a linear game, but there's good incentive to explore the iconic prison if you want. First of all there are audio logs and the 'ghost of Arkham' segments that add to the narrative of the game; the former providing a background and examination of the game's many villains and the latter an in-depth story of how the Asylum itself came about. As well as those two come probably the single best collect-a-thon in gaming period, and possibly the only that's actually worth completing; 240 unique Riddler challenges. They range from simply finding a hidden trophy to destroying a bunch of Joker teeth, but the best portions are the Riddles you have to figure out using yer Brain. Every time you enter a new area a riddle will appear on your HUD hinting you to go to a certain part of the area or to be on the look out for something. They are quite satisfying to solve, and so are the achievements/trophies that you get after completing a certain amount of them. They can also be quite the challenge at times, requiring you to pay full attention to every single detail of an area. You can run around the same spot all day looking for the answer and still not find the answer to some of them.

One of the ways to find these Riddler challenges is to use the detective mode; the closest equivalent I can think of is the eagle vision in Assassin's Creed. It basically allows you to view the game world in x-ray vision, highlighting areas of importance such as riddles, vantage points, spots where you can use explosive gel etc. It's also handy in certain tracking moments where the game requires you to follow a hidden trail, be it a scent, DNA or something of the like. It becomes an extremely vital part of the gameplay but I've found that it can end up being too useful for its own good. It becomes very easy to just stay in detective mode and pass through each area very quickly.

When you are done with the game there are also predator and combat challenges that provide a nice way to freely enjoy the mechanics of the game in a scoring contest. Predator challenges require you to eliminate all the targets in an efficient manner without being detected while combat challenges require you to kill a bunch of enemies, getting hit as few times as possible. The challenges usually take place in an area or scenario from the campaign. The leader boards provides incentive for the competitive and the great gameplay is enough to make it fun.

The most disappointing aspect of Arkham Asylum though has to be the boss fights. It's not necessarily who you fight but rather how these fights are set up. A lot of them are simply: beat up a bunch of thugs, get a hit on the main boss character and repeat. The boss fight with Bane is sort of spammed with mini bosses called Titans that have their own little repetitive strategy; wait for them to run at you and then dodge out of the way as they hit the wall, then punch them a few times before they recover. Then there's the extremely long and drawn out fight with Killer Croc. While a fist fight with him wouldn't make sense, it's far too long and repetitive for its own good. The final boss fight with The Joker is however the single most disappointing moment of the game. In short the boss fights are the largest issue with the game; they aren't intense, exciting, thought out or engaging enough. For all intents and purposes they just aren't good boss fights, and hinder the overall experience.

From a technical standpoint the visuals in this game are very good. Arkham Asylum as a heavy atmospheric environment that is disturbing and eerie in many ways. It keeps you engrossed and immersed like very few game environments. The audio work is excellent, and offers proper sound effects for every bone crushing hit in the combat. Then there is the voice acting. If you don't know by now, it's the entire voice cast from the exceptionally well done Batman cartoon series of the 90s. Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker offer convincing performances and a good bit of nostalgia for Batman fans.

Overall, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a seamless game that takes all of its elements and puts them together to make one strong package. In spite of poor boss fights, bad enemy AI, repetitive design later on in the game and a rather simplistic combat system; Arkham Asylum is an impressive game. The pacing between each letdown boss fight is exceptional. The transitions between action and stealth is seamless. A responsive and fluid combat paired with a creative and extensive stealth design adds to fun and memorable gameplay moments are many. An immersive atmospheric environment is helped out with brilliant level design and polish that keeps you engaged and immersed. Predator and Combat challenges provide enough replay value, and the Riddler challenges are so gratifying you will gladly participate.

If you are a Batman fan, BUY THIS GAME. If you are a fan of third person action games, BUY THIS GAME

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The Issue Part 5

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O HAI System Wars, I hope you're enjoying this beautiful first month of the year. A great first month for gamers, and I, your old friend IB, am going to tell you about that game that stood above all the competition and caused furor this month. So, without further ado, System Wars Monthly proudly presents its Game of The Month for January 2010, and the winner is...

...

...

...

GotM was chosen among games released between Jan. 1st and Jan. 20th.

DMC series creator Hideki Kamiya fans were not surprised when his new stylish over the top action game earned universal praise for its combat system. Such praise was, of course, not ignored by SW, even less when the PS3 and 360 were scored differently. Not only because of its until now unmatched combat system and styIe but also because of the controversy it created, Bayonetta was among the most talked games in SW this month.

Let's all applause Kamiya's and Platinum Games' effort with Bayonetta, the first action game to cause such an impact in the HD generation.

Here are some comments on why Bayonetta won this award:

Bayonetta is that special type of game that feels like a time capsule from the 90s brought over all the best Japanese game designers into the 21st century and showed everyone else how to make an action game.

-Aljosa, IronBass' personal advisor

Bayonetta is one of those games that makes all the others in the genre slowly fade away into nothing. I think this is one woman Kratos won't be able to wrangle.

- musicalmac, GS Mod

Bayonetta, has streamlined action, almost no slow down time and is perfectly difficult. It's a pure action game at heart and it advances a genre that was lacking a bit.

- Animal_Mother, SWM Staff

As a huge fan of Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden, I really enjoy a good action game. I've seen the best of the best, and consider my standards relatively high. Bayonetta impressed me and is easily one of the best of the genre. All in context, that should be a testament to the game's greatness.

- Skittles_McGee, SWM Staff

That's all for this month SW, see you next month. Stay cIassy

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Cheap Games, Good Music

By blizzvalve

It has become apparent that music games have grown in popularity within the last 5 years. Games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band lead the way in bringing licensed music to gaming and having people pretend they're actually playing a real instrument. However, due to the bad economy, music games have gone in the slumps.

The main problem with the new Guitar Hero and Rock Band games are the price. In order to fully play the games, you would need to buy the game and the instruments (games cost $60 each, instruments cost from $30-$100 each, bundles will cost around $100-$200). Even when you get the game, you may only like 20 songs in the setlist, so if you want new songs, you'll have to buy more games. However, new Guitar Hero and (especially) Rock Band have a large selection of downloadable songs for you to play. Each song costs $2 each, but in the end, it all adds up.

In this economy, people cannot afford to pay hundreds to support their music gaming habits. That is why games like DJ Hero have failed in sales. However, people still want to play a game that goes along with music, so they'll have a rich gaming experience while listening to their favorite songs. There are a few cheap alternatives to the average Guitar Hero and Rock Band games. Here is a list of three games for you to enjoy.

You see this? It's your wallet. It's thanking you for listening to me.

Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux

Price: Free

To start things off, let's talk about a free game. Frets on Fire is a freeware game for the PC, Mac, and Linux. It is a Guitar Hero-like game with tons of customization. Although there are only three songs included with the game, you'll be able to download hundreds of songs online, free of charge. This is because you are able to create your own songs and upload them on the internet for others to try. You can take cl@ssic or new songs from your files and be able to make tracks to them. However, the editor only accepts .ogg files (which is used for Linux). This may be a problem for some, but with tons of file converters out on the web, you'll be able to make tracks with ease.

What you look like when you play Frets on Fire

Another part of this game which makes it unique is you're able to change the skins of the tracks. There are tools out there where you'll be able to make the game look like anything you want. There are tons of skins online where you can make the game look like a standard Guitar Hero or Rock Band game. It is completely useless to change the skin, but it's a good feature if you want your game to look nicer.

One big complaint about this game is you have to use a keyboard to play the notes. This puts you into an awkward position where you have to hold the keyboard the same way as you hold the guitar. If you ever play this game in public, you'll look like an idiot. Another complaint is the button layout. Although you can change it, the standard button layout for the notes is F1-F5. If you notice there is a huge gap between the F4 and the F5 keys. It is very difficult to stretch your pinky over to that area and you'll be missing a lot of notes. If you don't want to use the keyboard, you can always plug in a Guitar Hero controller and it will work fine. Also, like I said before, you can change the button layout so you can play the game in any ****you want.

You can change the game from looking like this...

...into this

Platforms: Playstation 3

Price: $3

Although the PS3 is gaining momentum, it still has issues. Although this is a minor one, it's still a pain. When you're playing a game, you can't listen to the music you have saved on your hard drive or what you have on your MP3 players. The Xbox 360 has this feature and had it since the beginning. My question is why doesn't Sony release an update that allows music to play while playing games? This may be a good start for the PS3 gamers.

.detuned is a music game released on the Playstation Network. It's a cheap, quirky game where you're able to play music saved onto your hard drive and MP3 players and be able to mix the sound. With the selection of features available, you can make your music sound as grainy or as trippy as you want it.

Noseybonk will end us all

What makes this game stand out is the guy in the suit. All he does is sit in that little chair with all of these cutesy figures around him. Why is he there? I don't know. Apparently the music changes him into all of these weird creatures like a mushroom, a balloon, a ghost, Noseybonk, and many others. In these forms you are able to control the guy the guy in the suit and make him dance around his chair. You can also change his environment by making it all gray or psychedelic.

Not necessarily a music game, it still is a very interesting game. As you can play around with the options and making the guy do your bidding, you'll be able to listen to your favorite tunes (what many other games are lacking on the PS3). Along with its cheap price point and the fact that you can unlock all the trophies in this game in a matter of minutes, I highly recommend PS3 owners who are a fan of music to get this game.

You know a game is good when you can do the Elephant dance.

Platform: Windows (Steam)

Price: $10

I've saved the best for last: Audiosurf. It is my personal favorite music game. For those who don't know what this game is, Audiosurf is a rhythm game made by an independent studio called BestGameEver. It is distributed on Steam for only a mere $10. It is probably the best $10 you're ever going to spend on a rhythm game.

How Audiosurf works is it scans all of your songs that you have on your hard drive (either as .mp3, .wma, or any other sound file) and converts it into a track. Depending on the sound quality of your file, it will create a perfect track every time. How it works is the game scans a song you choose. If there are any slow parts, the track will slope upwards and the blocks on the track will appear purple or blue. If there are any fast parts, the track will slope downwards with the blocks appearing red or yellow. As you may expect, the faster the song is, the harder it will be.

This is the track for Stairway to Heaven. If this doesn't show how awesome this game is nothing will.

The track is also molded by the vocals and instruments that are in each song. What usually depends the speed in a track is how loud, how fast, and how intense a song is. Along with that, when you hear drums, hills will appear on the track. Sometimes there are sharp turns and you can even loop upside down.

The main goal with this game is to collect the colored pieces and match them together in order for them to disappear and to gain points. If a song is slow it will be hard to gain a ton of points since purple blocks are not worth a lot. If a song is very fast it will be difficult to gain points because it's hard to catch the red blocks in time.

Beautiful scenery is a big plus

There are many different ships to play as (each having their own game mode and difficulty). This expands the game by letting you try out an assortment of features. Mono mode makes you collect the colored blocks and avoid the gray blocks. Pointman lets you mix and match colors in order to gain points. Double Vision lets two people play at the same time and take control of 2 rows.

Like the other two games, you're able to change the scenery. In the options, you can make the game look as trippy as you want it to be. You're able to change the background, change the sounds, and change the track. It gives you the ability to change the track in order to make it more fitting for the song.

This game overall is the perfect rhythm game for any person. Its stunning visuals and perfect synchronization with the songs makes it a must for all music fans.

Not a good idea to fill the grid with gray blocks like that

Overall

Overall, if you're a fan of music, then these games are for you. With these games, you do not need to spend hundreds of dollars so you can play the few songs you like. With these games, you're able to play all the songs you like.

Sure with these games, you'll not get the same experience as a Guitar Hero or Rock Band game, pretending to be some big rock star with a plastic guitar, but for $10 or less, I highly recommend people to try these games out.

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Lego: Rock Band

Platforms: PS3, Wii, Xbox 360 version under rewiew

Naysayers be damned, the music game genre may have entered a precipatious free fall in 2009, but the titles its been putting out have been strong as ever. nowhere is this more evident that in Lego Rock Band. the latest entry from the house that Amplitude and Guitar Hero built might be built around the idea of a child friendly rythem game, but this game is by no means kiddy.

Gameplay wise, your looking at Rockband 2.5 in a nutshell. the same rules that apply in the main game are no different here, take your instrument of choise and follow the on screen notes or pitch and get a score depending on your preformace to any number of licenced tracks from bands anywhere from Bon Jovi to Europe and back again. thats not to say that this is a simple track pack, although it can be if you choose to simply pay the $10 to send it to the main game setlist proper. if you so choose to delve into the actual game proper however, you'll find some compelling additions benieth the ultimatly superficial brikibrake brought the the table by the Lego brand. first and formost you get the Rock den, a kinda hangout for your crew of minifigs, and your launchpad into the more streamlined carrer mode. other improvements include stackable staff effects due to the new entorage componate, saveable albums that you can go back and replay without having to go and reselect your 3 song set each time, and the exciting rock challenges, the only events in the game you can legitimatly fail out of providing an all new and compelling set of animations in the background, though gameplay wise, they play relitivly the same. a new super easy mode is also introduced that asks players to simply strum or whack anything in time with the music, comparable to the Beginner mode introduced in Guitar Hero World Tour.

Sound wise, your looking at exactly what you expect from the rythem genre. the fourty some-odd tracks are all masters, even a Hendrix track that Guitar Hero had to use a cover for. even in keeping with the kid friendly enviroment the game aims for, your not getting a bad selection for your fifty bones. the filter is also suprisingly forgiving with songs such as "I stand alone" by godsmack and "This Calling" by The Fall of ideals appearing in the setlists of this humble rewiewer.

Now the moment of truth, should you hit the bricks right now to pick up Lego: Rock Band, or is the game just another brick in the wall. those looking for some new songs for there setlist, or Jimmy's first music game that you can enjoy with the little tyke, Lego rock band built its brick house on a solid foundation.

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Here at System Wars Monthly, we are all about you; the viewer. The men and women of the proud nation of System Wars, without whom, none of this would be possible. So like the power-hungry cannibals we are (feasting on the hearts of the weak to sustain our immortality), we need your help to keep us alive for another month.

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The people who give meaning to your otherwise worthless, pointless existence.

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That's all folks!

I give you my star of approval.

So much win.Stevo_the_gamer

Indeed.

Wow, amazing issue. I will contribute to the next one, I promise... :P

This is even more awesome than I ever remember it being. Great work gentlemen.

Great job everybody!

It's the single most epic issue ever created. And we're just getting warmed up...

Wow, amazing issue. I will contribute to the next one, I promise... :P

psn8214

"Finally, lastly, at the end of the month, Mass Effect 2 was reviewed, with a solid 9.0 on both platforms. Neither of which was the PS3. Ha ha! Anyway, there isn't much room there to make contreversy, and as such nothing really interesting came out of it."

lols xD

Ah-ha! Spelling mistake! Proof-read fail. :P

Very cool, obviously put some hard work in here.

We are so proud of ourselves right now.......:P

"Finally, lastly, at the end of the month, Mass Effect 2 was reviewed, with a solid 9.0 on both platforms. Neither of which was the PS3. Ha ha! Anyway, there isn't much room there to make contreversy, and as such nothing really interesting came out of it."

lols xD

Ah-ha! Spelling mistake! Proof-read fail. :P

Stevo_the_gamer

lol, We can't always catch them all. We'll try to do better next issue :P

Fantastic Issue guys, everyone put a lot of work into it!

[QUOTE="Stevo_the_gamer"]

"Finally, lastly, at the end of the month, Mass Effect 2 was reviewed, with a solid 9.0 on both platforms. Neither of which was the PS3. Ha ha! Anyway, there isn't much room there to make contreversy, and as such nothing really interesting came out of it."

lols xD

Ah-ha! Spelling mistake! Proof-read fail. :P

LegendofNerd

lol, We can't always catch them all. We'll try to do better next issue :P

There won't be a next issue for me. I have to commit honorable suicide.:P

You go gurls!! :P

that was teh most 1337 thing Ive read in a while on here :o

Well done gentlemen, well done!Thunderdrone

@thread

@thread

R3FURBISHED

Do we need to use our laser beam eyes?

[QUOTE="R3FURBISHED"]

@thread

789shadow

Do we need to use our laser beam eyes?

laser beam eyes?

[QUOTE="789shadow"]

[QUOTE="R3FURBISHED"]

@thread

R3FURBISHED

Do we need to use our laser beam eyes?

laser beam eyes?

It's in legal.

Looks like a call for celebration. Good job to everyone. It turned out very well.

..wow

System Wars Monthly

Maybe it should be called SW Quaterly.

The Darksiders review by that Skittles guy was so touching. I felt it, emotionally :cry: :P Nicely done everyone. Now we have to top it next month! ...I'm not looking forward to that.Skittles_McGee

We do not have to top it next month. That would just be going down a road that would lead to our inevitable demise.

Maybe it should be called SW Quaterly.

immortality20

Oh, you should get one every month. We can always get away with varying amounts of content.

[QUOTE="Skittles_McGee"]The Darksiders review by that Skittles guy was so touching. I felt it, emotionally :cry: :P Nicely done everyone. Now we have to top it next month! ...I'm not looking forward to that.789shadow

We do not have to top it next month. That would just be going down a road that would lead to our inevitable demise.

Woah that is epic...

Thanks for the issue.

[QUOTE="Skittles_McGee"]The Darksiders review by that Skittles guy was so touching. I felt it, emotionally :cry: :P Nicely done everyone. Now we have to top it next month! ...I'm not looking forward to that.789shadow

We do not have to top it next month. That would just be going down a road that would lead to our inevitable demise.