DoF - Gaming Haven

InFAMOUS for PS3 by Sichae (A-)

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 +0200

When I log into World of Warcraft, my main toon is a Shaman. I enjoy hurling lightning at people, it makes me giggle. When I heard about InFamous, I was rightly excited. Platforming? Check. Lightning Powers? Check. Collection Items? Check. Sly Cooper's Developers? Check. It was all going so well. I picked it up 2 days ago, just beat it 5 minutes ago. So, let's crack this bitch open and eat the insides.

Story: Meet Cole MacGrath, average man who leads an average life with an above-average gruff voice (think Dark Knight Christian Bale who is starting to lose his voice). Cole is a courier who has to deliver a package and what do you know? It is a bomb. Cue story. Cole is caught in the middle of the blast let off by the Ray Sphere, a device that has the ability, with the energy contained inside, to allow for supernatural traits to develop in those exposed to it. Rats learn how to fly. A chimp blows up. Cole gets the ability to bend lightning to his will. When the blast went off, the city plunged into chaos. A plague started to go around, so the government stepped in and put the entire tri-island area into quarantine. Gangs have risen up in the absence of any sort of authority and have begun to push around the locals.

You can choose to be good/evil through the Karma system. I am gonna play through it as evil to see if there are really any differences. There is a love interest, but she is throwaway (no characterization). Your best friend Zeke is just for comedic timing, except for one large story element later on in the game. He is kinda dull, a cardboard cutout if you will. Even Cole has no really back story. We know he was involved with Trish, the love interest, and her sister died which was then blamed on Cole. Ah well. After a few missions, you will meet Moya, a grade-a badass government agent working in the blackest of black ops. She becomes Cole's handler. Along her guide, you meet the character of John, Moya's alleged lover who was working on the Ray Sphere that disappeared. As time goes on, Moya becomes more and more sketchy. All the while, there is talk of a guy named Kessler, leader of the First Sons (the Illuminati). He is behind the scenes for most of the game, pulling the strings of various events and groups.

Gameplay: Electricity is nice. Cole has the ability to store and exert pure electricity. In order to refill your storages, you have to drain off of the city's power (junction boxes, lights, cars, etc.). Your basic attack is a lightning bolt that is used by holding down the aim button (L1) and the fire button (R1). In order to use any move, outside of Thunderstorm or Shield, you have to hold down the Aim button. It can get a bit annoying when you get swarmed. If you are exiting a roll and try to Aim and fire off a bit, it won't work. You have to exit the animation first. Thunderstorm, the last move you obtain in the game, is positively orgasmic. Once I finished the game and was just running around (prepare for no end game), I would find a bunch of cars and just let loose. It is controlled by the SIXAXIS motion, which is handy and times, but I usually forget to use it.

Howdy, Cole. What is your favourite thing to do? Parkour? Yay! In order to get around, Cole likes to climb shit, balance on shit, grind on shit, and generally just be on shit. In order to make it seamless, Sucker Punch decided to make Cole snap to objects (sticky sticky). This can get annoying, haha. I recall many times trying to scale a building and things I thought he would grab on to, he wouldn't/couldn't. If I was climbing a tower trying to get a Blast Shard (collect enough to get more energy reserves), I would have to jump off and angle myself properly to get to the side needed, except he would obviously be working against me. What a dick.

I have to express my opinion of one type of mission that appears 2 times in the game: Riding on a bus, trying to protect it along the route to the hospital. I'd rather have people die at the hospital than do this mission. If I have one piece of advice: Watch the minimap. Every time you see red, jump off the bus and kill the enemies. Don't try to fight them from on top, because the driver continues to drive and if you can't wipe them out quick enough, more will continue to spill in and fuck up your Christmas.

Art Direction: Any music that was used in the game is purely ambient. I couldn't really tell if it was there or not, which is a good thing. The sound of the lightning is really nice, yet you hear it a lot. Though, it is not as annoying as certain things (at least you don't beep when you are almost dead). When you get to the third island, you will see land mines on top of buildings. If you are trying to climb the side of a building for a blast shard or to escape firing squads, you will hear it constantly. Ah well. Turn on the subtitles (Thank God!), turn off the volume, and turn up the music on a nearby computer or something. Also, I don't know what kind of pants that Cole wears, but when you are climbing something it will sound like latex or squeaky boots.

Graphics... Now, the PS3 is a powerhouse or so I am told. The lightning looks nice, toaster in the tub is funny. If there is fire on screen, you are being fired at, and you are trying to defend yourself... the framerate will chug along. I have had the game freeze 9 times throughout the course of play. I don' know if the game was bugged because they wanted to beat Prototype to market or what, but I was kinda pissed when it locked up the PS3 every time. Couldn't exit out to XMB, had to hard reset (Poor PS3). It does look nice, though. Not exactly eye candy, but is looks decent. If I saw it in a bar, I'd bang it.

Wrap-up: What is it with games going down so fast? I hate paying out 60$ for a game that I could beat in one sitting (InFAMOUS, Star Wars: Force Unleashed, X-Men Origins). I need to find a good RPG to play. Maybe it is just a plague of the Action genre. Companies expect it to have mucho replay value. That is not really the case with InFAMOUS. If trophies could be seen by more people, then I'd play it again and more. But not in the current state of the Playstation Network.

Too Human for Xbox 360 by Sichae (C+)

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Since the release of Too Human, I have been a bit skiddish about purchasing it. After hearing multiple reviews speaking of mediocrity and a general boredom with all my other games, I decided to buy it the other day. This game had been in development for quite some time, spanning a few gaming generations. It has since landed on the Xbox 360 shorted of a few features that were promised. Going into the game with disappointment in mind, I was pleasantly surprised. However, this game didn't make me jizz all over the place. Maybe a tiny twitch of my nipples.

Story: Didn't really engage me. I felt as if it was slapped together. When I finished the game, I didn't feel like anything was really resolved. You play as Baldur, an Aesir who commands squads of soldiers to fight the machines. Not really told why they are fighting, but someone probably slept with someone's sister (Basically, the Machines' evil is causing disruptions in Cyberspace, thus ruining and impeding functions that were once free to go about their business). I can't really delve deep into description, as there isn't much there.

So, SPOILER ALERT! Baldur was brought back from the dead in order to fulfill a "prophecy" and fight against the machines. Turns out that Hod killed Baldur, making him a public enemy, but he was tricked into it by Loki, who gets free by controlling some soldiers. The Aesir Council, led by Heimdall, protect the Earth from the machines (for some reason). It feels like a daytime soap opera in Iceland. When you boil it down, it is like a 5 year old picked up a Norse mythology book and filled in a Mad Lib with random things from the book.

Gameplay: For the first 20 skirmishes, I would just blaze through. Quite mind-numbing. Camera is self-governed and never gets in the way, surprisingly. Some glitches happen when it pans and the direction you were pushing doesn't carry over to the new scene, so you begin to backtrack. So, what takes over the fabled Camera-Stick? Well, when you push the RS in a particular direction, you will attack in that direction. If an enemy is far away, you will slide towards them and attack. Now, this takes some getting used to... but once you have a reasonable mastery over it, you will be mowing down everything in your path.

Each time you level, you get skill points allowing you to specialize down certain paths in a skill tree, unlocking new skills and whatnot. The Y button will allow you to lay a mine, dealing damage or status effects to anyone who goes near it. X is your Battle Cry, self buffing (or possible party buffing, don't recall). RB is your Ruiner, a PBAoE (Point Blank Area of Effect) spell, dealing massive damage to anyone close to you and knocking others back. Helps in a pinch.

Encounters are tailored to be somewhat challenging at times. At first, you will encounter one enemy type. But then an enemy will appear with a shield that needs to be knocked off, so you juggle him or take it down with ranged weapons (LT + RT). Then there are lumbering goliaths which need to have their armor chipped away and limbs shot off in order to down them while you are getting rockets fired at you from far away, and robots are hopping all over the place.

Which draws me to my biggest gripe with this game: Dying. I can speak at length about the flaws of this game, but dying is made extremely laborious. Upon dying, a Valkyrie will come down to claim your body and resurrects you a bit aways from the battle to begin it. The animation for this Valkyrie is TOO FUCKING LONG. I would find myself dying, turning to my laptop and reading an article real quick. And if you aren't careful, you will die a lot. In the course of 1 play through, I died 50 times (mainly from learning new enemies).

The shining part of the gameplay would have to be the customization of equipment. There are different weapon classes, 6 different pieces of armor. Certain armor contains rune slots which can be socketed to give various bonuses, ranging from increased damage to increase XP gain. From certain loot drops, you can acquire Blueprints which is where you will more than likely be getting the highest tier of equipment.

The classes are generally well thought out. However, there are 5 classes meant for a 4 player co-op game and yet, there is only 2 player co-op, which means that one will have to be healing and the other one damage dealing. There is no real way to heal yourself outside of a random Health Orb drop, which doesn't automatically heal you. It takes a second. So, if you down one enemy and you have a sliver of health... here comes another enemy... WHACK, you are dead. Go make a sandwich.

Art Direction: Overall, the theme for this game was cyberpunk Norse. There are furs draped over cybernetic implants, a feasting hall of glowing lights and roasted boar. The music is sometimes fitting, sometimes not. Certain areas of the game, known as Secret Battle Arenas, will launch an awful rock tune to get the player pumped, but ultimately falls flat. The locales are nice and thought-out. Though, after playing so many games, you begin to notice various graphical glitches. While not game breaking, it ruins the immersion. The framerate chugs at times, which can be quite annoying.

- I really wanted to like this game. Well, not really. If you absolutely must buy it, buy it. Otherwise, I suggest a rental. I will continue to play it. I am bored and want to get decked in the best armor... I need to feel good about myself by living vicariously through video game characters.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King for PC by Sichae (A-)

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Kinda like that Sopranos commercial, "Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in." A long time ago, I was playing WoW religiously and dropped it for a year. Came back and have been playing ever since. When Wrath dropped, I made a Death Knight, the new Hero class, and levelled it to 80, so I can safely say I've been exposed to a decent amount of the content. Enough, at least, to review it. So, let's crack this baby open.

Story: Before Wrath came out, there was a patch that introduced the Scourge Invasion, various events all over the world from Tanaris, to Eastern Plaguelands, to Winterspring. Basically, Necropolis' would send down energy to crystals to spawn Scourge to be defeated, bringing in more importance to the Argent Dawn/Crusade. When the expansion came out, players were treated to Northrend which has been thrown into a frenzy thanks to the Lich King and those seeking his approval. Throughout questing, you will be exposed to cutscenes and lore-leavy quest chains, such as the Wrathgate which depicts Saurfang the Younger and Bolvar Fordragon battling against the Scourge at the gate leading to Icecrown (where Icecrown Citadel resides, the homeplace of the Lich King raid in future content patches). The Forsaken, after years upon years of oppression, step in and spread their disease to destroy everything, both living and undeath. Upon seeing the desecration of the land, the Red Dragonflight steps in and cleanses the ground with blazing fire. This is one of the many lore expanding events to take place in Northrend. Not wishing to spoil much, I will quit while I am ahead.

Gameplay: With the raising of the level cap, new talents were introduced to each class, which provided more diversity and increased strength to each possible build that could be created. However, the biggest addition to the game would be the Death Knight Hero Class. Many have already cried overpowered, but I laugh. The DK is meant to fulfill both Tanking and DPS roles, excelling in the DPS role, yet only having a corner market on tanking. Basically, the DK is an anti-caster tank with the ability to silence, interrupt, and directly pull a caster (no more LoS pulls). Another addition is the introduction of vehicles, allowing one to essentially have mounted combat. Example: You'll be able to ride a dragon and use it's fire breath or the ability to devour ground units to regain energy. It is fun, but a bit bugged at the moment. There are a few changes coming in the patch notes for 3.0.8 to the DK class, as well as some comments by Ghostcrawler on the WoW forums relating to the class and removal/moving/changing of talents and spells that'll change the perception of the Unholy build for tanking, but also potentially unbalancing the 2-Hander DPS with Dual-wield DPS Howling Blast, but I digress. With the PvE content, we see the introduction of several new instances as well as a handful of raids, which carry both a 10 and 25 man mode, normal and heroic mode respectively. Though, raid progression is a bit of a joke. Back in the day, Kara was a raid that would tear apart Guilds and served as a major roadblock for the majority of the players. Blizzard has even said that only around 5% of the player base had seen the Sunwell Plateau raid, yet have gone on to say that they will never make a raid that is that hard. But, considering that by now, there are a bunch of guilds that have 10-man Naxx on farm, easily tearing down Heroics night after night, maybe there will be a bit more difficult content with the upcoming patches.

Art Direction: Just by looking at the environments of the starting areas in Northrend, it looks like Blizzard has made a big leap in graphics. Including new texturing and shadows, the environments are far more lush that those of The Barrens or Dustwallow Marsh. I've never much cared for the music of WoW. More often than not, I would put on my own music or just listen to the Vent channel. However, with the migration to a laptop, I have been paying attention to the music a bit more and it is quite nice. Orchestral and haunting at times, adding to the overall mood set in Northrend of depravity and hope.

If you are already playing the game, buy the expansion. It is always fun. The starting DK quest line is one of the most fun times I have had in WoW ever. If you are just joining the game, it'll be a bit of a long time to go from 1-80, or at least 68 to get to the new content. Yet, they have reduced the experience needed to get there, so it should be a bit more easy.

Fable 2 for Xbox 360 by Redfern (C+)

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Fable 2 was hyped up to be this amazing game and it fell short of that mark by about 20 hours. Whats that? You don't understand how a game can be short by hours? The main storyline for Fable 2 lasted about 12 hours and we were expecting a lot more from Lionhead Studios. They told us that the world would be a lot bigger than in Fable 1 but honestly I think Fable 1 was bigger. There are tons of side quests and oddjobs you can take on but the game simply failed to live up to expectations. Microsoft was pushing to get the game out before Bethesda's Fallout 3 and I think they made a huge mistake. Combat is more fun, but that is only when you are kicking ass, otherwise you are bitching about it. The Co-op is laughable, you have to play as a preset character because they could not allow two Heroes to be playing at the same time which makes it aggravating to join up. The camera is shared by both players so if you are not on the same console it makes things much harder to deal with. The ability to get married and have children is a cool aspect but ultimately is really fucking annoying because you have to go back and visit them from time to time otherwise they get upset and decide they hate you and leave. I enjoyed the real estate aspect of the game, allowing you to own pretty much every building in the game and that makes you a ton of money. I also bought the Limited Collectors Edition which was to feature Bonus In-Game content. The in game content was ass! it featured Hal's armor and Hal's energy sword, a nod to the world renown Master Chief of the Halo Series. The bonus dungeon that was included was invariably short and featured the legendary sword, The Wreckager, which also sucked in comparison to the weapons I had by the time i went to explore it. The silver keys make an appearance back from the first game and so do the demon doors, although they are in short supply. LH studios added a new thing to collect: Gargoyles. These stone figures talk a lot of shit to you and you get the pleasure of shooting them. Shoot them all and win a prize. Graphically the game is vibrant in some areas but dismal in others, the sounds are great and the music is catchy. The game introduces a dog as a constant companion and way to rid the game of a mini-map. The dog tells you where treasure is, and alerts you to enemies.

In short unless you already have this game I would recommend renting this game, only because of how the short the main story is.

Lost Planet for PC, Xbox 360, PS3 by Sichae (B+)

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Ever think to yourself while watching A New Hope, "Man... I wish I could be on an ice planet"? Then you think about Starship Troopers and you are like, "Man, I wish I could fight gigantic bugs on an ice planet"? Well, here your chance. Lost Planet centers around the exploits of a VS pilot who travels with some scientists in order to figure out a way to terraform an ice planet to make it habitable for humans.

Story: I've pretty much explained it to you. It is really cut and dry. The story is kinda throwaway, actually. Eventually, you will get to pilot an ultimate VS against some dickwad who wants to, you guessed it, take over the world. Meh.

Gameplay: You move around in a 3D environment in a 3rd person perspective. You have a limited, but replenishable, amount of thermal energy required to sustain your existence in such a cold desolace. By killing monsters, shooting water towers, or activating beacons you will refill your T-ENG (as it is called in the game), the last of which will also point you in your next direction. At some points, you will be able to pilot a VS, which is a mech. You can swap out the weapons on it. This is where the game truly shines, the armory. There are gatling guns, shotguns, sniper rifles, laser rifles, grenade launchers, homing lasers, homing missles, laser blades, grenades of all types and more. Driving a VS will deplete your stock of T-ENG faster than running on foot, but when you meet up with the Prick's forces, they have VSs as well.

Art Direction: This game is made by Capcom, so there are definitely a lot of resources available. The game looks great, never had a hiccup. Environments are lush, though a bit bleak... Interestingly enough, you go from frozen tundra to Volcano to Military Facility pretty fast. The music in the game is decent. I don't tend to listen to the game's music when playing, just throwing on a playlist from my computer is good enough.

Wow... this is a short review. But then again, it is a short game, lasting under 10 hours. There is a multiplayer mode, but I got the game well after the tide had already passed and people were playing Halo 3 and CoD 4. Yeah, I could've played... with the hardcore Lost Planet fans who are going at it back and forth. No thanks.

Portal for PC, Xbox 360, PS3 by Sichae (A+)

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Nowadays, there aren't too many interest game mechanics out there. Most of them are just cut and paste from a previous iteration or a whole copy of a different game, slapped with new characters and a different setting. However, every once in a while a game comes along that kinda shakes things up and Portal is one of them. The Orange Box came with this game, as well as Half-Life 2 (Original, Episode 1, Episode 2) and Team Fortress 2, and I have to say that I have fallen for them all. Portal was the first game I played and was actually the only reason why I bought The Orange Box, so it should be the first to be reviewed.

Story: You wake up in a holding cell and are introduced to GLaDOS, an artificial intelligence program that operates the Aperture Science Research Facility. Sadly, there is not much else I can go into without spoiling the game (seeing as how it is a relatively short game). There is almost no story to the character, other than her name being Chell and she is a research project. Along the journey, you will receive the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, which allows the player to create portals to pass through, moving the game along. GLaDOS will seem cheery at first, but throughout the game her comments will take a less helpful turn and her true nature will be revealed.

Gameplay: When you fire off a portal, you create a rift in space where you can enter in point A and exit point B. You can only have 1 blue portal and 1 orange portal out at a time, which act as entrance and exit (and vice versa, depending on where you are standing). Momentum is conserved, so if you fly in one portal (by jumping off a high point), you will be flung out the other portal at a near equal speed and trajectory. This can make for some interesting effects, such as shooting the floor and ceiling and dropping endless in the same room. Various puzzles will appear that require intelligent use of the portal gun. Once you've beaten the game, you can unlock challenge modes which have you playing rooms over again, but new obstacles are presented (such as black tiling, which you can't shoot portals onto, where you used it the last time around).

Art Direction: This is where the game truly shines. The game looks great, using Valve's in-house technology to render environments and characters. However, the true greatness is in the scripting and voice work, as well as a spectacular end theme song. Most of GLaDOS's comments are extremely memorable and hilarious, as long as you don't mind a bit of dark humor. The end credits song, "Still Alive," was written by Jonathan Coulton and performed by Ellen McLain, the voice of GLaDOS. The song tells of how GLaDOS loves doing science, enjoys eating cake, and actually really "loved" the main character.

All in all, this game is great. You can get it standalone on the PC, but it is a better deal with The Orange Box. The only thing I wish could've been better was the length. It can be beaten in 1 sitting quite easily. But, some things are good in small amounts. I am looking forward to the sequel.

Viking: Battle for Asgard for Xbox 360, PS3 by Sichae (C+)

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Vikings were a brutish folk, forcing their way through country sides, pillaging as they went along. Their most famous warriors, the Berserkers, have made their way into many games. In this particular game, you take on the role of Skarin and fight through droves of Legion forces spanning three islands and an overall gameplay time at around 12-15 hours (factoring in many deaths). Let's get down to business.

Gameplay: As a typical Hack and Slash title, you will mainly be mashing buttons (light and heavy attacks) to fight through many enemies. Blocking and parrying becomes essential later on, but I played through much of the opening hours just slashing and maiming my targets. You are allowed a small inventory of three items: Flame-Pots (grenades), Health Potions, and Throwing Axes. These are accessed while holding down the right bumper to be used on the fly, in the heat of battle. The formula works fine, but brings nothing really new to the table. You can store up Rage, which is gained from killing enemies, and use it to imbue your attacks with one of three elements: Fire, Ice, Lightning. Fire sets your enemies on fire dealing damage over time, Ice freezes them and allows them to be shattered, and Electricity does damage over time and possible stuns them (I didn't see that sort of effect, but it would make sense). If you want, you can release a mega attack of a particular element which drains your Rage meter faster, but can create some interesting things (Fire gives you a flamethrower, Ice makes basically an Frozen Nova [Diablo 2], and Lightning lifts your enemy and draws them to you for an instant kill). There are some "stealth" type missions, but they are rather clunky. Expect a few throughout the game, which do change the pacing but aren't really needed in this sort of title.

Story: One of the main failings of this game is the story. You are Skarin, the Champion of Freya, on a mission to destroy Hel who has been plaguing the world with problems because it is that time of the month. Traveling through three islands, you will meet a bunch of throw-away characters in a generally throw-away setting. There is barely any character development, which keeps you at a distance from getting immersed in this world. But, it is a Hack and Slash game, which are rarely known for their stories. However, seeing as how I've been playing games lately that have rich storytelling, this was a very noticeable break in that sort of experience. This is the type of game that you will play to vent anger, get angry at bullshit mechanics (at times), then swear at your TV, beat it and wipe the sweat from your brow. A game that kicks your ass, then comes back for more. Once you beat it, you will be hardened in the flames of a Giants' Forge and ready for Hard mode (135 achievement points for completing it on Hard).

Art Direction: The character models are quite detailed, but the variety is lacking. There are only a handful of different people that you will encounter and you will see many of the same people in different places. The people from the first island are on the second island and are on the third island. Environments are interesting, but there is a bit of a problem with draw distance. If I play a game like Oblivion, I see that the mountains pop into the distance and that is okay, because they are 2500 meters away. In Viking, there are tufts of grass that will pop up from 5 meters away and keep filling in even as you walk on the same patch of ground. I recall one cutscene where a Dragon flies over a plain and you can see all the grass slowly fill in as the camera pans upwards to a castle. The music is virtually non-existent (maybe it was just me, but there was nothing worthy of note. I mainly listened to my own music during the game). Voice acting in the intermissions are over-acted, the enemies make nary a noise, which results in a lot of "Oh shit, I'm being attacked" moments.

Wrap-Up: The game is worth at least a rental. Since we have no good renting places near my home, I broke down and bought it... no used copies, $60. I am a bit disappointed, but what can I say? I didn't feel like waiting for it to go down in price, it was shiny, and in the famous words of Lt. Lockhart, "In other words, it's a huge shit sandwich, and we're all gonna have to take a bite." Looks like I just took the biggest bite.

Dark Messiah: Might and Magic Elements for XBox 360/ PC by Redfern (B-)

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Dark Messiah is a decent game if you don't mind slaughtering the same monsters over and over for about 10 hours. This game was praised on the PC for innovative skill tree and awesome graphics. However the XBox 360 port was not a gold encrusted jewel. The game came with 4 preset character classes that didn't allow for the diverse class creation a la Oblivion. You could download 2 additional classes for a total of 6 via Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 Microsoft points. Don't get me wrong the game wasn't bad, it was just mediocre and I am glad I waited for the price drop. If you are familiar with FPS then this game will be easy to pick up and play. The story isn't that great and the voice-acting leaves something to be desired. The environments look nice and most of the creatures you will be fighting are well designed too. This game is a relatively good buy and if you like action RPG's and love impaling people on spikes then this game is for you. However if you are like Sichae and prefer JRPG's then you will probably turn your nose up at this game and not even consider it to be a RPG and just a horrible action game.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance for XBox 360 by Redfern (B+)

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Ultimate Alliance is perhaps the best superhero game I have ever played during my lifetime as a gamer. This game has a good storyline with some decent side missions, a large number of mini-games, and one of the largest selections of super-heroes to choose from. Being a rather pompous ass and owning Microsoft's Dream Machine, I had the luxury of playing the Gold Edition of this game which boasted 4 new heroes and 4 new villians to add to your party. In this game you are called upon to create a party of 4 superheroes to battle the Masters of Evil, headed by Dr. Doom. Even though this game only has 28 different heroes to add to your party, the most difficult choice is who to bring along. I chose a party to deal a lot of damage: Wolverine, Deadpool, The Hulk, and for some intelligence and witty quips Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. With this party I more or less walked through the game with no problem thanks to the healing factor 3/4 of my party had. The only knocks to the game I have was limited equipment(each person could only equip one item) and perhaps more superheroes. All in all, if you like Marvel and you like kicking evil's ass this game is a must-buy, however if you like DC then buy Justice League Heroes, you douche nozzle.

Patapon for PSP by Sichae (B)

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Patapon is one of those types of games that comes along and makes you say, "Huh?" Created by the team that made Loco Roco for the PSP (which I really want to find a copy of), it is a delightful romp through the lives and trials of the Patapon race, those who are recovering from near destruction thanks to the Patapon King: You.

Story: The Patapon race has been almost nearly wiped out by the Zigotons, a race of power hungry and militaristic people. You will assume the role of the Patapon God and lead them forth using ancient war drums. All the while, you are trying to lead your people to the end of the Earth to see what the Patapon refer to as "It." Along the way, you will meet and greet with some legendary Patapon, whose general character class will open up for you to bolster your army with. The Zigoton Empire fights against the Patapon's journey, and will go to any lengths to make sure they never reach their goal. The story is a little bit on the light side and on the short side. Honestly, it could be started and completed in a single sitting.

Gameplay: Since this game is rhythmic, you will find yourself trying to keep a beat. There are 4 basic songs to learn, being: Pata-Pata-Pata-Pon, Pon-Pon-Pata-Pon, Chaka-Chaka-Pata-Pon, and Don-Don-Don-Don-Don. Being March, Attack, Defense, and Miracle, respectively. After completing a specific number of combos, you will initiate Fever mode, which makes all sort of good things happen for your units, including increased attack speed and special attacks, as well as being the only time you can activate your Juju or Miracle. After you meet up with the legendary Patapon, you can add their character class to your army. There are a total of 6 different unit types, excluding the Hatapon (Flagbearer) as you can't make any extras and you can never remove it from combat. However, if the Hatapon is to die, you will lose the mission. You are only allowed to post 3 different unit types to the field for a mission and you are allowed to outfit your Patapon with different weapons and armor to increase their effectiveness in battle.

Art Direction: This game isn't that graphically intensive, which causes it to flow smoothly at all times. While there can be a great number of objects on the screen, there were never any slowdowns or hiccups. Each character is just a simple black shape with a bit of colour for pronounced features, with field objects, such as rocks or towers, being a bit more intricate. The creatures are quite interesting to behold, ranging from a form of swamp boar to a gigantic land worm. Overall, the game has a sort of minimalist charm that I've always found to be quite appealing. The sound is mainly composed by the player who will drive much of the music using the basic 4 beats. Little quirks and noises will be issued by the Patapon themselves. All of that along with a background beat thumping makes it rather addictive to listen to. Although, I would suggest using headphones if you are in a room with people talking or a TV going... and because people might end of going crazy.

Wrap-up: This game would happen to be one of my most memorable in recent history. The score is decreased a bit for a simplistic story that can be completed rather easily. I bought the game two days ago and beat it the next day, without too much effort. However, there is a bit of room for a sequel and hopefully that will be longer. I'm just glad I didn't spend most than 20$ on it, otherwise I would've been pissed.

Super Smash Bros Brawl for Nintendo Wii by Kunera (10/10)

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Super Smash Bros Brawl is the latest game in the Super Smash Bros series, and I must say that it's absolutely epic.

However, there have been issues with some people not being able to run Brawl in their systems, due to a dirty optical lens, from a collection of dust and perhaps residue from smoke, as the disc is dual-layered. I had this issue myself, though Nintendo offered to pay for shipping to fix the issue, and I received my Wii around a week later, finally able to play the game.
It's similar to the other games in the series. Same basic concept, where dealing damage to an opponent allows you to knock them further, and eventually win by knocking them off of the map.

There is a brand new adventure mode, called the Sub-Space Emissary, and I found it to be satisfactory, taking around 6-7 hours to complete. It's one of the main ways of unlocking most of the unlockable characters in the game.

There are many new characters in the game, such as Solid Snake, Sonic, Captain Olimar, Pokemon Trainer, Pit, and Wario, to name a few. Along with the ability to play over WiFi, I must say this is one game that I would highly recommend to anyone that owns a Nintendo Wii. It is nothing short of fun and completely chaotic, with many items one can use within the game, such as a pokeball to summon a pokemon to fight at their side, an assist trophy, summoning a minor character to temporarily fight at your side, as well as many different explosives.

I could not express how much I recommend purchasing this game if you haven't already, as you will definitely not regret it.

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for Xbox 360, PS3, DS, Wii by Sichae (B+)

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0100

I don't know who came up with the idea to translate Star Wars to Lego form, but it seems like a nice idea. Developer Traveler's Tales brought pantomime to a new level by not having any spoken dialog in the game, conveying almost everything through facial expressions and physical comedy. A game that the entire family can play and have an enjoyable time doing so.

Graphics/Audio: As for graphics, it is Legos, what do you expect? Despite this fact, the game does look solid. Character models are blocky and meant to be so. The game consists almost entirely of Legos, save for environments (come on, who has enough Legos to make an entire desert?) and is still great to look at. Xbox 360 and PS3 owners shall be treated to 1080p HD, if their TV can support it (mine can't, and it kinda sucks). As for the musical score, you have your classic Star Wars music for various scenes from all six of the films. There were some pieces that were redone or maybe I didn't catch them in the films, such as: whenever you build a radio and it flicks on, it will play a more "rock" version of the "Imperial March" with the Gammorreans rocking out on their axes.

Story: Its the entirety of the Star Wars films, presented in Lego form. No dialog is heard, save for the grunts of Chewie, the beeps of the Astromechs, and the random noises from the Ewoks and other various creature races. Despite not having the spoken word, much of the story is told in an amusing fashion. Key scenes are quite fun to watch, for example: The climactic scene when Luke learns that Vader is his father and Vader pulls out a picture of Anakin and Padme when they were younger, Padme being pregnant. Vader points to the picture, specifically Padme's mid-section, and then points to Luke. Not really funny when told like that, but it'll at least rise a chuckle when you see it.

Gameplay: As you advance in the game, you will be able to get over 150 different character and play as any one of them. There is the ability for Co-Op, online with the Xbox 360 and PS3, allowing each person to even create their own character from various body parts and weapons in the Mos Eisley Cantina. You will need to break up certain environment pieces to gain Studs, the game's form of currency, in order to purchase new characters of special "cheats" gained from finding hidden Red Power Bricks throughout each of the 36 levels. These bricks allow for one to gain Stud multipliers, stronger weapons, auto-deflection of blaster bolts, regenerating life, invincibility, and random things that don't really aide you in any way.

Overall, this game is really fun. It is a nice break from all the serious content that seems to be coming out. It can tide anyone over, young or old, for a long time and keep them satisfied for the most part. All in all, this game made me want to get my Legos out of storage and play around with them for a while.

Super Mario Galaxy for Wii by Sichae (A)

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Shigeru Miyamoto has done it again, bring yet another Mario title that doesn't seem to stagnate the little plumber. Bringing two new costumes, Bee and Boo, to an all new platform posed a bit of a challenge, I would assume. Does this game needlessly tack on the motion controls or does it do them justice? Let's find out.

Graphics/Audio: For a Wii game, this is absolutely beautiful. For a game in the seventh generation, this is beautiful. Many speak of the Wii being an underpowered system, but titles like Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime 3 do wonders for the argument against it. Environments are lush, especially the water planets. Each planet has its own elements and none of them really feel all too similar. You'll find metal industrial planets, ice worlds, water planets, grassy planets, haunted houses, wood grain, etc. Flying through space is delightful, with colours that tantalize the eyes. Character models are rendered well, with nothing ever being too strenuous for the Wii to handle (*cough* Mass Effect *cough*). Old school Mario tracks will make another appearance, with some of them being redone or remastered, as well as some new tracks that show off the caliber of talent at Nintendo's sound studio.

Story: New Mario game, same Mario story. There is a celebration going on and Bowser shows up to crash the party. Princess Peach is carted off and Mario is left to save her. So, you'll journey through space to get stars to access new galaxies to further the game along and eventually confronts Bowser. You can basically see the story coming from a mile away. While it doesn't bring anything new to the table, it does an okay job at making it not feel like a completely old and rehashed adventure.

Gameplay: Movement will be controlled with the Nunchuk's analog stick and various pointing exercises will be done with the Wiimote's pointer. The pointer gathers Star Bits and the B button fires them to stun enemies or break things. A to jump and shake the Wiimote to do a spin attack. You'll stumble upon hidden worlds that usually have minigames to conquer to get hidden stars. Various enhancements, known as Prankster Comets, will show up to planets that will set a time limit for the board, increase the speed of the enemies, enable a sudden death mode, play against a shadow of them self to compete to get to the end first, or make purple coins appear to collect within a time limit for a bonus. The motion controls don't feel tacked on, but feel like they were meant to be in this game and handle quite nicely. There is a Co-Op mode, but it isn't much. 2nd Player will collect Star Bits and fire them at enemies or enable Mario to jump higher by combining jump presses at the same time.

This game happens to be quite fun. Were it not a rehashed story of old games, it would've gotten a ten. However, it scores high due to its fresh breath of life into the Platforming genre, such as Super Mario 64 did it when brought to 3D. I got the game for Christmas and it has been the only game in my Wii since (save for No More Heroes... but that is a review for another day).

Eternal Sonata for Xbox 360, PS3 by Sichae (A-)

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0100

I don't have any idea why, but people tend to bash this game. Every time I've said I've liked it in open forum (only once, mind you), my entire argument has been completely debunked by at least 3 people who said, "By mentioning that game, you have lost all respect." So, I will do my best to explain this somehow. As it turns out, one of those people was basing their entire judgment of the game on the demo and another was not playing it for the story, but was playing it to beat it. My interest in this game began when I saw it in Gamestop and my friend downloaded the demo. Once it came down in price and I could get it used, I picked it up. Little did I know that it would renew my love of classical music, as well as redefine the standard of philosophical thinking in current video games... for me, at least.

Graphics/Audio: The graphics are done in a Cel Shading manner, making the game look quite cartoony, but the specific use of colours allow it to be a bit more than cartoonish. Character models are done well, with each person having a distinct model, outfit, even down to the weapons being representations of musical instruments (Beat having a Clarinet that functions as a gun and a hammer, Jazz having a sort of trumpet attached to a long broad sword). The musical score is where this game truly shines, using classical music from Frederic Francois Chopin's own works (performed by Stanislav Bunin), along with Motoi Sakuraba's own musical stylings for much of the in-game music. Each of the intermediary cutscenes (done with vibrant photography and text) use Chopin's music to evoke an emotional response, as well as suiting to the situation, mostly of Chopin's own life. As I said, this game had renewed my love of classical music.

Story: The story begins as Polka, the lead female protagonist, is selling Floral Powder, her town's chief product, but isn't doing too well due to the recent taxation on Floral Powder, leading to a rise in the use of Mineral Powder, this game's version of crack cocaine. Due to Polka's condition, she is allowed to use magic (as in this realm, those near death have the ability to use magic) and meets up with another magic user, the lead male protagonist, Chopin himself. The game takes place during Chopin's final hours, as he rested and dreamt about a world unlike his own. Allegretto and Beat, two thieves and street urchins, eventually meet up with Chopin and Polka and embark ona journey to ask the Count Waltz to remove the taxation from Floral Powder, encountering government corruption, moral struggles, espionage in another kingdom, a young prince who seeks for peace instead of heading off to war, and an underground resistance group who plans on overthrowing the count. Throughout the story, the game will touch up the subjects of: existentialist thought as Chopin struggles to define the lines of reality and dreaming, young love as Polka and Allegretto move towards each other and Falsetto fights her better judgment against revealing her true feelings for Jazz; as well as the use of colour to illustrate emotions and the dimming perception as one drifts towards death.

Gameplay: Like a traditional JRPG, you will control the character and walk through a world, opening chests, equipping equipment, and getting into random battles (however, these can be avoided as enemies are on the overworld map). Battles incorporate light and dark values to them (torches will give off light and trees will cast shadows) which allows one to play around with Light and Dark attacks, although some of the attacks seem to be just their opposite element's animation, but with different colours. A light attack will damage a dark creature more heavily and enemies may even transform when they change from light to dark areas. You can chain attacks together after your Party Level increases, adding to the games difficulty by removing valuable planning time for attacks and trading it for increased special attack chains or item slots. Items are assigned before battle in the menu and can be cycled through and used with the X button. In early Party Levels, you will be able to have Tactical Time, which allows you to develop a strategy, but as Party Level grows, this amount goes from Infinite to 0. Your Action Gauge, or time to act (who didn't think of that), which dwindles as you move your character, attack, or execute special attacks.

Overall, this game was extremely enjoyable. If you play the game just to play the game, you are going to miss some of the higher elements that this game has to offer. If you stick around and absorb everything, you'll be left with the satisfaction that eludes most gamers today after they finish a game, such as Halo 3.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for XBox 360, PC, PS3 by Redfern (A-)

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Bethesda has been known for creating some outstanding opened ended RPG's and their follow up to Morrowind did not disappoint.

Graphics/Audio: While on my HDTV which only supports 720p I found Oblivion to be rather stunning there are a few problems, mainly draw distance. I love how walking a few more feet allows that mountain to pop into view magically. The water looks great until you give it a second look and realize its a big puddle of mercury. And sound is decent, well except that they used the same damn score for every fucking encounter with an enemy. other than that the sky looks great especially at night and the sound of a thunderstorm is awesome.

Gameplay: Even though Bethesda eliminated several skills you are still able to make just about anything you want. You have a large number of races even though most of them suck. You can go from town to town just killing random monsters or townspeople, or you can follow the main quest which took me about 40 hours to complete. There are 7 different Factions that each follow their own path. and you can do those they are fun but some are short and the Mages guild you can do with your fighter who has no magic abilites.

All in all this game was great and if you have played either Arena, Daggerfall, or Morrowind then I am sure that you will enjoy Oblivion.

Rock Band for PS3, PS2, Xbox 360 by Kunera (10/10)

Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Similar to Guitar Hero (being developed by the same individuals), Rock Band, in my personal opinion, is absolutely amazing. Basically, you can have up to 4 players, playing different instruments in a band. One player can do the vocals, while the other 3 can play bass, guitar, and drums.

While some people have had issues with the different controllers, it is possible to get a replacement online, and the game is definitely worth the money.

Compared to the Guitar Hero series, I believe that Rock Band is a great improvement, depending on what you're searching for. For example, Guitar Hero is definitely better for those seeking a challenge while playing their games, as Rock Band isn't as difficult. However, Rock Band is more of a party game, though it has it's difficulties.

I have to approve of the song list,including many great hits such as Enter Sandman by Metallica, Ballroom Blitz as performed by Sweet, Rush's Tom Sawyer, and Run to the Hills, by Iron Maiden, just to name a few.

On the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, you can customize your characters that you use in the game, though this feature doesn't seem to be present in the PS2 version.

However, I highly recommend checking out Rock Band, as it really is worth playing.

Mass Effect for Xbox 360 by Sichae (A)

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0100

I had originally intended to give this game a lower score, but I stumbled upon a nice feature that has raised the score. In our future, Humans stumble upon some interesting technology that advances our own technology by centuries. You take the role of Commander Shepard, soldier of the Alliance. Humanity needs to break through in the galactic scene and you will be the key player.

Gameplay: In the beginning, you decide male/female and your class. Soliders are adept with weapons, Adepts are masters of Biotics (magic), Engineers are good with machines and whatnot. Then you have your mix classes: Vanguard (Soldier/Adept), Sentinel (Adept/Engineer), and Infiltrator (Engineer/Soldier). After you've beaten the game and earned certain achievements, you can assign new skills to the class. Example: If you get the First Aid achievement, you can give a class the ability to level up the first aid ability in a class that normally wouldn't have it (Soldier). Battles are handled in real time, with skills that can be assigned to the right bumper. Right trigger will act as your gun trigger. By using the left bumber, you can assign your squad to execute certain abilities on certain enemies and the d-pad will be your general squad mechanics button (Guard, Attack Here, Pull back). In dialog, you can use certain good/neutral/evil responses and affect how the rest of the conversation will unravel, how the people will react, what they will give you in the end, etc. You can use Charm/Intimidate to severely sway the conversation at the opportune moment. After you've beaten the game, you can play through again with your already created character on a harder difficulty and with a new level cap (51-60 after one playthrough). New Game+ FTW.

Story: As the player begins, they can assign a particular backstory to their character (Spacer, Colonist, Earthborn) and their military history (Sole Survivor, War Hero, Ruthless). Every combination will lead to different dialog options, certain quests, and an overall different experience with each character. During your first mission, you stumble upon a colony being attacked by synthetic organisms, the Geth, who are in search of a Prothean Beacon. They are led by Saren, an evil Turian who is in search of a way to bring forth the Reapers, who will usher in the destruction of almost all life in the galaxy. Why they do it? No one really knows. Saren wishes to bow to them and join them as a servant, as he does not wish to die, but wishes to rattle the cage of the Humans and wipe them out (the upstarts that they are). Everyone in the galaxy seems to have a problem with the humans rapid ascension and by becoming the first Human Spectre, you secure the human in the next level up. The series is meant to be a trilogy and I can see where it can go after the game is over. To go through much of the main game, it only takes 15-20 hours. Including side quests, you are looking at up to 30 hours. In the end of the game, I almost shed a tear. The story was that engaging and immersive. You will grow to love these characters and all their quirks, and have to choose who you want to live or die when the time comes to it.

Graphics/Sound: The game looks great. Although, there are a few problems. Textures take a bit to load when switch screens and can grow to be an annoyance. The game will sometimes experience framerate issues, but are not too much of a gamekiller. The ambient sounds are wonderful and the sound track doesn't feel to anachronistic. Voice over work is simply divine, with actors such as Keith David and Seth Green lending their vocal talents.

Overall: This game is amazing. The story is one of the best that I've come across in recent game history. Bioware has done a great job and I'm hoping that they fix some of the graphical issues either via patch or with the next games to come out.

Bioshock for PC, Xbox 360 by Sichae (A+)

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Set in a alternate version of 1960, Jack, our protagonist, crash lands into the ocean near a facility in the middle of no where. As he descends into the facility, he finds Rapture, which is where all of Bioshock will take place. Drawing from dystopian themes, olden imagery, along with a sci-fi take on Genetic Modification, Bioshock delivers a grand experience and would happen to rank on my Top 10 games of all time.

Gameplay: As this is a FPS, you will find yourself using guns. Standard issue are Pistol, Automatic, Grenade Launcher, Chemical Thrower, Shotgun, Crossbow, Camera, and the all-mighty Wrench. Each weapon, save for Wrench and Camera, have alternate ammo (Anti-Armour, Anti-Personnel, Liquid Nitrogen, Trap, Electric Shot) which adds a bit more strategy. For instance, electricity tends to stun, ice will freeze, trap bolts from the crossbow are great for setting up an ambush for a lurking Splicer. Along with weapons, comes the element of Genetic Modification which is seen through the use of Plasmids. These little buggers allow you to gain supernatural abilities (Telekenisis, Ability to create insect swarms, Ignition, Freezing, Whirlwind traps, Dummy setup, etc.) and enhancements to oneself (armoured skin, static discharge, gain extra health from First Aid kits). From time to time, the player will come across turrets, robots, and safes which can all be hacked to either become an ally or to open and share their wealth. Hacking works like a pipeline type game, which various Plasmids allowing to slow the rate of water, decrease alarms and overloads. Throughout the game, you will come across Little Sisters which carry ADAM, a stem cell created from sea slugs, and you may use this to purchase enhancements (Plasmids and Tonics) for oneself. A variety of creatures will alter gameplay accordingly. Example: Spider Splicers can climb on ceilings and have long ranged attacks, while Thuggish Splicers will run at you and get in your face. PS: Mix a pool of water with Electro Bolt and Enemies, and watch the fun ensue (and an achievement).

Story: Jack goes down in an airplane and stumbles upon Rapture, an underwater "paradise" developed by Andrew Ryan in 1946. Once down there, Jack meets up with a man named Atlas who has lost his family and aides you initially, but asks that you help him out in return. As you proceed, you will learn of Andrew Ryan's madness and depravity, along with his staff working on different forms of genetic modification, as to create an ultimate being. You will meet a Ms. Tennenbaum, who heads up the Little Sister project, and asks you to make the moral choice to save them, as opposed to harvesting them (one gains more ADAM). You will later find out that the main character is subject to a Pavlovian response mechanism and the pieces will begin to fall into place. Eventually, you will be able to escape Rapture and see the light of day once more. Depending on the choices made throughout the game, the ending will be different. I got the evil ending.

Graphics/Sound: The graphics are top-notch. Character models are done surprisingly well and the levels are properly of their time. Various advertisements seen throughout the game will appear to be of that era with generic human caricatures. Level design is wonderful, with imaginative locales (artificial gardens, a core to run Rapture, markets, wineries, a theatre, etc.). The soundtrack is composed of songs from that time. I was rather creeped out when I was walking through an area and was listening to "(How Much is) That Doggie in the Window", then was attacked by some genetically modified lumbering brute (Known as the Big Daddy, protector of the Little Sister). Ambient noises and effect noises are spot on, which add to the overall atmosphere of desperation and loneliness.

Overall: This game is simply amazing. There is no real fault in this game. Although, it did keep me up until about 4 AM, because I kept wanting to push through the story. It had me hooked. But, then again, I am a fan of Dystopian literature... so it was a natural fit.

Pokemon: Pearl for DS by Sichae (C)

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Here we are, once again. Pokemon Diamond and Pearl create the fourth generation of Pokemon (excluding FireRed and LeafGreen, as they are just remakes of Red and Blue), bringing along 107 new Pokemon to the table. All in all, it is the same game that we have been playing for years: Collect Pokemon, battle 8 Gym Leaders, fight the Elite Four, all the while fighting against a rival. Kinda gets tired after a while.

Gameplay: The player chooses to be either male or female, then sets off into the wild. But, not before getting a Pokemon of their very own. Through a series of events that aren't really relevant, you end up with either a Fire, Water, or Grass Pokemon, your rival choosing the opposite, and you go towards the first gym leader. Other Pokemon can be captured during random battles in tall grass, water, or fishing. Lower the Pokemon's HP or inflict a status ailment, throw a ball, wait for capture. Very routine... and yes, it can get boring. The new Pokemon don't offer much to the table. When I was searching around and found a Bidoof, I knew I was in for trouble. Other than that, you have your standard Legendary Pokemon, along with some that you can only gain from special Pokemon Events held in certain real life locations. That is about it. This time around, the game takes advantage of the Nintendo DS's Wi-Fi capabilities and allows one to trade and battle online. However, trading usually results in: "Search for Squirtle, any level. Requested: Level 9 Mew" or some other random unattainable Pokemon. Even for simple ones like a Bidoof, I found outrageous requests.

Story: Same story. Kid finds Pokemon, and wants to either catch them all and/or beat all the Gym Leaders and take on the Elite Four. Bad guys like to interrupt the progression. This time around, you will be fighting Team Galactic. Their motivation: They wish to harness the energy given off during a Pokemon's evolution and use it to create an alternate dimension. Legendary Pokemon play a key role in their plot, as the two in this game govern space and time and are necessary to be able to rip the world into another. Yeah... they are starting to run out of ideas. What I think they should do: Make a Pokemon game for the Wii (not a Stadium game, but an actual game), have it be able to be played like an MMO, and it would sell like hotcakes. Simple enough...

Graphics/Sound: Graphics are the same sprites. Tiny variations have been made to Pokemon depending on sex. The Pokemon's battle cries, if they came from a past game, are the same. Machop still has that horrible voice, as does Zubat, Geodude, Onix... everyone. Pseudo-3D is used to create houses and environments, but the 2D sprites are still included. I guess completely rendered models like FF3 had my hopes high.

I am hoping for something good to come along and save this franchise. Their latest installments, Battle Revolution and D/P aren't really helping. This game is the same game that we've been playing for years, with new Pokemon thrown in, and some other features that are tacked-on and unmoderated.

Assassin's Creed for Xbox 360, PS3 by Sichae (A-)

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0100

During the Third Crusade (1187-1192) several key leaders, weapons dealers, generals, and recruiters were removed from power. Near the beginning of the Crusades, a secretive Muslim sect rose to power and removed those that were unfit to lead from their positions. They were known as "Hashshashin" or in our common tongue, "Assassin." Amongst us, there might just be some descendants of these activists. Would we know?

Story: Assassin's Creed centers around the exploits of Altair Ibn La-Ahad, a Hashshashin during the Third Crusade. His descendant, Desmond Miles, is taken into captivity by a Pharmaceutical company that wishes to unlock the memory of his ancestor by reading over his DNA strands. Yeah, it is a bit out there. Throughout the course of the game, you will switch between present day and past and try to unravel the nature of your captures, as well as the marks you are sent after to take out. The story could've used a bit more... base. However, it does come together a bit nicely. For those of you interested in science-fiction stories, this one is right up your alley. I've yet to finish the game, so I do not know what the ending has in store. I hope it is good and do kinda have high expectations. Guess I will just have to wait and see.

Graphics: For a 2nd generation 360 title, this game is beautiful. Altair has over 12,000 animations distinct to himself, giving him fluid grace. All of the character models are spot on. Crowds react to your movements with seamless transition. The 4 cities that you will explore (Maysaf, Acre, Jerusalem, and Damascus) have been recreated from maps and records kept from the early 11th century. At various points, you will need to climb to the top of massive buildings in order to see your surroundings. I must say that after climbing on top of my first and seeing the surroundings, I was in awe. There are a few glitches having to deal with shadows (mainly in cutscenes), but nothing to bad. Some collision detection issues are there (Altair's cloak will move through wood when in a vantage point). Other than these points, the game's visuals are exceptional.

Gameplay: The character's actions are mapped to the Y, X, A, and B buttons, with each representing a different part of the body (Head, Armed Hand, Open Hand, and Feet). Depending on the mode, Low or High profile, each button will issue a different command. For example, in Low profile, if you hold down the B button you will gently push people aside as you move through a crowd. While running and holding B, you will tackle people out of your way. While it takes a bit of getting used to, combat will eventually become more about timing and grace than about button mashing and getting angry. In order to assassinate someone, you must collect information from around the city and then get permission by the local assassin's bureau. The three methods of information getting are pickpocketing, eavesdropping, and interrogation. Yeah... only 3 ways. Yes, it does get boring after a while. If they varied it up a bit and allowed eavesdropping to be from anywhere, as opposed to having to sit on a bench, or if they added a few more ways (informants are a different way in the game, but only offer two methods to complete: assassination of local key guards or flag finding) and varied them for each target, it could keep someone more attached to the game. For this game, I recommend taking a break after an assassination. This should make the game not get too boring too quickly.

For having a few minor graphical hiccups and a few gameplay gripes, I'm not issuing a perfect score. However, if you own a 360 or a PS3, you should definitely pick this game up and hope for a future patch for new content or a sequel which will refine what is in place.

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions for PSP by Sichae (A+)

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0200

Everyone and their brother should know about the Final Fantasy series. When you think RPG, you should think Final Fantasy. For those of you that weren't paying much attention: Back in 1997, Final Fantasy Tactics came out for the PS1 and wasn't the traditional RPG adventure. More along the lines of Tactics Ogre, FFT had you creating intricate strategies and battling on a chessboard, interwoven with an amazing plot. Well, Final Fantasy Tactics is back, completely remade for the PSP... and yes, I did buy a PSP just for this game.

Gameplay: As stated above, the battle sequences will take place on a chessboard type format, kinda like Disgaea. Certain moves will hit more than the squares surrounding the attacker. Each character has the ability to become any class (outside of special classes, and males/females becoming bards/dancers, respectively). By leveling certain classes, new classes will be unlocked (Level 2 Chemist -> Black Mage, White Mage; Level 2 Squire -> Knight, Archer). Two new classes have been added since the last incarnation: Onion Knight (Level 6 Squire, Level 6 Chemist) which has the ability to wield any weapon, but has no true advantage stat-wise, and the Dark Knight (Master Knight, Master Black Mage, Level 8 Dragoon/Samurai/Geomancer/Ninja, Kill [crystallize] 20 enemies) which can be likened to Gaffgarion's class but will include more moves. I've yet to unlock either, but am closer to getting the Onion Knight. Each character is assigned a birth sign from the Zodiac and when attacking/benefiting another character, the comparisons of the two signs come into play heavily. In between campaign missions you are able to go to any previously visited battlefield and possibly incur a random battle to level and gain other goodies. Also new to this game is the inclusion of an AdHoc battling system. If you encounter a person with a PSP and FFT, you can battle head to head or work cooperatively on a mission... and get treasure.

Graphics/Sound: Since 1997, graphics technology has improved quite a bit which has allowed for portable devices to get a bit creative in that department. Well, FFT's graphics haven't been changed at all. For those that wished for nostalgia, there ya go. If not, you won't be impressed. However, key cutscenes have been redone with voice acting and cel shaded animation. The soundtrack was composed by the duo that did work on Stella Deus and Final Fantasy XII: Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata. The voice over work is wonderfully done and with the inclusion of Balthier from FFXII and a returning voice actor, this game should appeal to all those women that just melt for that dude's voice.

Story: Ramza Beoulve is a soldier training at an academy. Early on in the game, his father passes on and leaves him in the care of his half-brothers, Dycedarg and Zalbaag, and he has a sister, Alma. Ramza's father, during his last days, signs Ramza's friend, Delita Hyral, into the academy that Ramza attends. You start off by doing a few simple jobs and received accolades from your brother, but a tagalong curves your path towards a rather unsavoury group: The Corpse Brigade. From here, the story boils down to international intrigue, ancient warriors and their abilities passed through stones, the corruption of the Church in search of the Zodiac Stones, and one character's ascent to the top amongst the disarray of the War of the Lions. I don't want to give too much away, but this game has to have one of my most favourite stories of any game I've ever played. Yeah, it is that good.

Great gameplay, simplistic visuals, killer soundtrack, and a story that will make you keep playing to find out more. This game is in my Top 10 Games of All Time, definitely. It is a system seller. At least, it was in my case. I dropped majour buck just to play this game again and I couldn't be happier. :)

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for Wii by Sichae (A-)

Sun, 21 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0200

During the Gamecube era, Retro Studios came out of the rough and created the shining gem that was known as Metroid Prime. The amazing title for the Gamecube pushed the graphical capabilities of the system, as well as ushered Samus Aran into the 3D era, her last installment being Super Metroid for the SNES. The third installment marks the last chapter for Samus and being on the Wii makes it all the better.

Story: Samus starts out in space with a meeting between her and fellow bounty hunters. The Space Pirates have infected various installations around the galaxy and it is up to them to repair the damage before everything goes down the tubes. Thanks to an accident, Samus and her comrades are infused with Phazon and the ability to produce it on their own. However, her companions take differently to the corruption and begin to set their sights on Samus. This game will have Ms. Aran trotting the galaxy to hunt down the rest of the bounty hunters, the infected installations, and the Space Pirates who are responsible.

Gameplay: Seeing as how this is a Wii title, there has to be some sort of motion sensing gimmick, right? Well, yeah. However, this game shows how to best do a First Person setting, as well as showing off how to best use the Wii capably in various formats. Movement is controlled by the analog stick on the Nunchuk, with jumping and locking-on handled by the C and Z buttons respectively. On the Wiimote end, A will handle firing, B jumping, Down on the D-Pad to fire missles, + to go into Phazon Overdrive (increased power at the expense of an energy tank), and - to switch visors. Once you obtain the Grapple, you will be able to rend shields and pull things closer by locking on and casting the Nunchuk forward and back. This control scheme, while seeming a bit extensive, is amazingly pulled off and extremely tight. Various puzzles with have you manipulating the Wiimote in different fashions (twisting, pulling, pushing). By accomplishing certain feats, kinda like achievements, you will earn medals and you can send these to people on your Friend's List. After getting a certain amount, you can trade them in for bonuses and extras in the game.

Graphics/Sound: Being a Wii game, we can't expect much in the graphics department. Likes it predecessors though, this title pushes out some stunning graphics on its respective console. The atmosphere and scenery presented on each new world will have you wondering if you are really playing on a Wii (after hearing all those Gamecube 1.5 slams). Every click that comes through your speakers will have you spinning around to see if an enemy is near, only to see that it is a robot hovering around to fix something. New to this game that was absent from the first two is the introduction of voice acting. If that is a big deal for you, great.

This game is simply amazing, but in the wake of games other games for different consoles, it simply can't hold interest for long periods of time. I wish I could offer it more time, but between work and other things, I rarely have time to pop on my Wii.

Halo 3 for Xbox 360 by Sichae (B+)

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0200

I have not played Halo 2 or the original Halo, so I bought this came without knowing the exposition. What can I say? I'm a rebel gamer. I don't care about the story... yes, Halo did have a story. One day I might go back and play the other two games, but for now, it isn't needed. Halo 3 doesn't need a story to be great. Although, the same can't be said for a game like Shadowrun... I guess the statement should be, "Halo 3 doesn't need a fore running story to make it great." Yeah, there we go.

Gameplay: Halo 3, whether you want to jump straight into campaign or go to multiplayer, is easily adapted to. For those rushing to campaign, you will find the glory of 4 player co-op playing, where 1st player will be the MC, 2nd with take the role of the Arbiter, and 3/4 will be random Covenant whose names aren't important. Throughout the campaign, one can find and enable skulls that add to the difficulty of gameplay (Having Iron activated will cause you to return to the beginning of the mission when you die). The old weapons come back: Battle Rifle, Plasma Grenades, Plasma Pistol, Sniper Rifle, etc. New to the game would be some grand weapons, such as: Gravity Hammer, Firebomb Grenades, Spike Grenades, Spartan Laser, Brute Shot. New weapons add to the strategies that one can use during online matches and solo gaming. There is nothing more satisfying than taking down a Banshee with a well-placed Spartan Laser shot. Online matches have varying playlists that one can join, such as: Ranked -> Lone Wolves, Team Doubles/Slayer/Objective; Social -> Big Team Battle, Social Slayer/Objective; and more. Each game type also has subset game types, such as Shotty Snipers which gives the players Shotguns and Sniper Rifles only, but have infinite ammo.

Graphics/Sound: The upgrade from Halo 2 to Halo 3, in terms of graphics, is a much needed one. The environments are beautifully rendered with proper lighting and water effects. There are times when walking the jungle or a military construct and you can hear the faint footsteps of an approaching enemy unit, which adds to the tension of the situation. At times, the rag doll physics of the bodies can be funny, but they don't seem too natural. I'll explain this a bit: I was playing on Snowbound and died from a beatdown and my body flew up, hit a structure, and just kind stood there for a second, before falling down. Bodies also float down river, which is a nice little effect. Background music is often muted for me, as I like to listen to my own music, but when you do listen it often boosts the atmosphere that ties in nicely with the overall presentation.

Story: The story picks up right where Halo 2 ends, I suppose, as there is no clear description of what is going on in the beginning. Master Chief starts off in the jungle with the Arbiter and various UNSC soldiers. From here, they return to a military installation, which the Covenant have begun to take over. After this, the MC finds out that the Covenant have been excavating the Ark, a device to control the Halos. A ship containing the Flood comes crashing down, spreading them around for a while, adding a bit to the confusion, as MC sets out to find Cortana. Yeah, I guess knowing a bit of the earlier story would help, as much of it just seems like gibberish to the initiated. Psst... Most that do the campaign are just looking for the nice Gamerscore boost. ;)

A nice conclusion to the Halo series, though I haven't been too much of a fan (no Xbox for the 6th generation). For those looking to quench your Master Chief fix, this game should be on the top of your list of things to get, especially if you haven't gotten it already. If you don't have a 360, this game is a system seller. Yes, Halo is overrated... but in a good way.

Blue Dragon for Xbox 360 by Sichae (B)

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 +0200

Blue Dragon is brought to us by Mistwalker Studios. For those of you that don't know, Mistwalker was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series. For this art direction of the game, Mistwalker turned to Bird Studio founder Akira Toriyama, the creator of the Dragon Ball series. For the musical score, Nobuo Uematsu, who was the mastermind behind many of the Final Fantasy titles' music, as well as some of Crono Trigger. With this much heavy artillery, a great game is to follow.

Story: Shu, a teenager, lives in a small town with his grandfather. His two friends, Kluke and Jiro, enjoy adventuring into the caves and are thrust into the reality of world when the cyclic visit of the Land Shark comes to town. The opening hours of the game have you going through ancient medical facilities, massive mechanical fortresses, and sprawling caves and landscapes. Eventually, the kids learn than an evil person, Nene, is behind the attacks and is truly a sadistic villain. In order to gain the required power to stop such an evil force, the kids are asked to swallow Light Spheres by an anonymous voice... Resist Peer Pressure Kids. Upon doing so, their shadows come to life in different forms (Dragon, Phoenix, and Minotaur). After getting out of the fortress, they meet up with an annoying little Devee known as Marumaro who is in search of medicine in a medical facility and also possesses the Shadow power. After following Marumaro back to his village, they find out that Nene is behind more attacks on this village. The story soon unfolds into a massive world conflict, pitting the likes of a group of ragtag warriors against an evil mastermind. Traditional J-RPG, which holds the hopes of Microsoft into breaking into the Japanese market.

Gameplay: Embodied with Shadow powers, the player won't need to worry about equipping weapons or armor, but accessories. Bracelets, Necklaces, Rings, and Earrings will increase the various attributes that the characters possess. The game is mainly played in an overview of the map, which monsters popping up. You can extend your battle circle to ensnare more than one type of creature and battle more in one go (This creates nice effects when you have two creatures that don't like each other in the circle). Each shadow can designate itself to a certain class (Sword Master, Monk, White Mage, Black Mage, Support Mage, etc.) and assign certain skills to create a truly customized battle experience. Warp Devices located in various key points will allow for instant travel across the world. Recent free downloads have increase the amount of modes that can be played (Hard and Impossible?), along with the inclusion of New Game+, which allows one to use a completed save file to play through the game again with saved stats and equipment.

Graphics/Sound: The graphics are cartoonish, with good translation of Toriyama's art to a 3D setting. The cutscenes are masterfully done, with no increase of graphics which provides seamless transition between gameplay and cutscene. The voice acting is simply amazing, but the dialogue could use a little work. After a cutscene, you will hear a little "Playable" pop up that gets a little annoying after a while, but that is a small complaint. Some roles, such as Zola, could've used a better set of lines, but the game is already out and there is no real going back. Overall, the game is presented in a traditional J-RPG format, which was the initial aim for the game from the outset.

The creature/character animations become a bit repetitive and voice acting, while great, could've used come better writing. This game marks the beginning of Microsoft's true campaign into Japanese territory and what a gem it is. With Lost Odyssey coming out of the same development studio, I have high hopes for future games from Mistwalker and Microsoft's RPG library.

Gears of War for Xbox 360, PC by Sichae (A-)

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:00:00 +0200

Almost every Xbox 360 owner owns this game. You can't completely round out the 360 experience (hehe, round) without having played this game. It was one of the most hyped games for the early 7th generation and for good reason. Taking elements from many shooters (effective use of cover, quick reloading, smart AI), this game shines in many areas, yet falters in one.

Gameplay: As this game is a cover-based TPS, you will be using cover throughout much of the game (lest you wish to see yourself die... over and over again). The levels incorporate cover well, as you will find yourself with plenty of it when the game gets heated. Blind-firing is a nice tactic which allows you to fire over/around a barrier without having to target (meaning you don't have to stick your pretty little head out), but you are sacrificing accuracy. Many different weapons for different situations. The Lancer is an automatic assault rifle with a chainsaw bayonet... yeah, I said chainsaw bayonet (hearkening back to the days of Doom). As I have yet to play Multiplayer, I can't accurately describe it. However, if it is anything like the co-op, then it should be very amazing. In co-op, you and a friend take the roles of Marcus and Dom, playing the game as you normally would. Yet, in times when you are both separated into two different areas and one dies, it is game over. You are able to revive fallen comrades in this game, which makes the game a tiny bit easier, yet at the same time, a tiny bit harder (fleeing from cover to heal them gives the enemy a nice target).

Graphics: The Xbox 360 has the capability to create some stunning graphics and this game provides a great example of what the 360 can do. Deal damage at close range and your screen will be flecked with blood. Water effects are stunning when you head into the caverns. Lighting and weather effects add to the subtle disparity of the game's mood. Despite the excessive use of drab colours (even though this game is kinda post-apocalyptic), they designers did extremely well with making it not so tedious and draining. The character models are great, even up to the voice-sync with the faces. From what I recall, there is only one female present in the game. All of the males are of a very bulky build. The female could've used more work, but you only see her in one scene really... so, no point in complaining.

Story: Here is where the game fails. It is short... I beat it in about 7 hours cumulative. In those 7 hours, there is barely any story to the game whatsoever. Throughout the game are many references to events that I had never heard of, nor could I find out by finding some hidden book in the game. Nope... to find the extra information, I had to go onto the internet and found that those that got the Collector's Edition got a bit more background than I did, but still not the full story. There is a movie in the works, supposedly, and it is supposed to tell a lot more about the true story. But, the game came out in November of 2006... I, as a gamer, should not have to wait until a movie comes out and pay 10$ to know what Marcus Fenix did at Aspho Fields. It is bullshit.

All of the story issues aside, the game is solid. Not much can be said about it negatively. Story is lacking, but when you think about it, who really needs a story? Exactly... every game needs a story. The gameplay is tight, with barely any control issues (my cousin could not get things down right, but she isn't a gamer per se). If you have a 360 and do not own this game, go out and buy it. If you do not have a 360, this game might just be a system seller.

Super Paper Mario for Wii by Sichae (A+)

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 00:00:00 +0200

Paper Mario began its humble beginnings on the Nintendo 64. The game was developed by Intelligent Systems (originally Nintendo R&D 1) which had a stunning track record of games/franchises, which included (not gonna list all): Metroid, Kid Icarus, Duck Hunt, WarioWare, Famicom Wars (later became Advance Wars). The second Mario RPG to be released, the first being Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, which was a joint venture between Squaresoft (at the time) and Nintendo, this new franchise was treading new territory. Everyone's memories of Mario were of the platform variety... how would it work in an RPG format? Relatively well, if you ask me. With an interesting art style, clever humour, and terrific gameplay, Paper Mario set the stage for a spin-off franchise that would do well.

Gameplay: Being on the Wii, one would expect the game to go one of two ways, either: gimmicky controls tacked on or well-thought out controls which seem very genuinely done. For this game, the latter is true. The Wii Remote is held like the old NES gamepad (d-pad on left, 1 (b) and 2 (a) buttons on the right). Character is controlled with the d-pad, jump with the 2, 1 uses your Pixl friend. Very basic... but there is nothing wrong with simplicity. The Wii Remote provides 2 functionalities not featured on most other controllers: pointing device and tilt-sensing in a 3-d environment. When a player points the controller at the screen, Mario's tag-along friend, Tippi, gives helpful hints about enemies, NPCs, and also reveals invisible things, such as doors and platforms. Due to the RPG nature of the game, Mario collects items along the way, some of which require a vigorous shaking of the Wii Remote to achieve full power. Also, certain enemies may make Mario fall asleep and what better way to wake a sleeping plumber, than to shake his controls?

Story: Like all games of the Paper Mario franchise, great storylines are standard. The script of the game is littered with corny jokes and dynamic characterizations, which allows the player to be very much involved/immersed into the game. I won't reveal much about the game's story, as it'd be best for you to play the game (if you can find a Wii, that is). Mario and Luigi are at home, Luigi gets bored and suggests visiting Princess Peach. As they leave, Toad appears and tells them about some shady business going down and they hurry to Bowser's Castle. The bad guy, known as Count Bleck, appears and kidnaps everyone, save for Mario. Hmm... I guess I should leave it off there, as I don't really want to reveal anything majour. But, rest assured, the game has a wonderful story, yet isn't at all boring.

Graphics: In the 7th Generation of Gaming, the Wii is the whipping boy for graphical inferiority. With Paper Mario, not much has been expected in the way of graphics. It is a simple 2d side-scrolling playformer. However, Paper Mario has taken the liberty, as the N64 was capable, and placed these 2d characters into a 3d space. Not only does this expand the ability to have jokes, but it also expands the possibilities of what happens when one is able to access the 3d space. In Super Paper Mario, you are able to do just that. While playing Mario, the player will hit the A button and the screen will flip to show the 3d space. Monsters will disappear, monsters will appear, maybe a single monster that was in the 2d space is now 30 monsters spanning across the screen. Impassable canyon? Flip the screen and see that the hills in the background offer save passage. Due to constraints, Mario can not stay in this mode forever (explained in the game). Being able to switch between 2d and 3d opens a variety of gameplay, but also adds to the level of detail that is contained within each stage. Not only is the artwork beautifully done in the 2d space, but it transfers over to the 3d space without any loss.

Overall: This game is a grand example of how to make a Wii game. No more ports of PS2 games. No more tacked on controls. Gameplay over Graphics (although, no game has even come close to pushing the limits of the Wii. I do believe that Metroid Prime 3: Corruption shall take care of that little problem). If you are wanting a game for the Wii, get Super Paper Mario. If you love platformers, get Super Paper Mario. If you love Mario (retro or new), get Super Paper Mario. This game is a great addition to any gaming library and will provide many hours of fun.

Final Fantasy XII for PS2 by Sichae (A+)

Sat, 13 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0100

I've had this game since November and have tried my best to stay away from writing a review, because I wouldn't feel I did the game proper justice. However, now that I am deeply enveloped in the story, I must bring to light what this game really is. What is it? A masterpiece.

Story: Having been a fan of Final Fantasy since the beginning, I've always made it a point to try my hardest to get into the story. I've been disappointed a few times, and have been greatly rewarded others. However, this game's story tops them all. International intrigue, royal usurpation, sky pirates, airships, warring nations, powerful persons seeking more power... this game truly has everything. This tale follows a young boy named Vaan, as he wishes to get back at the Imperials that are occupying his city. He breaks into the palace and meets up with Balthier and Fran, who are both Sky Pirates. Vaan is an orphan and this ragtag group of friends is the closest thing he has to a family and by getting out of his city and exploring the world, he realizes what he truly wants out of life. The last Final Fantasy that I played was Final Fantasy X, and while that had a good story, it left me wanting more at the end. I hope I am not disappointed with this game's ending, but with the way things are going, I don't expect disappointment.

Gameplay: One of the biggest controversies of this game was the change in gameplay. No longer do you wander around and get into random battles, breaking away from the environment, and then you have a static action battle with menus and whatnot. FFXII takes a departure and sets the battles in more of an MMORPG sense, with wide sprawling landscapes and multiple monsters upon it. When you get close to a monster, you can target them and fight. No departure. No setting change. With this new type of battle scene, they introduced a "Gambit" system. A player can assign gambits to characters to have them do actions automatically (example: Foe: ice-weak -> Blizzard, meaning that if an enemy is weak against ice, cast Blizzard). While this can allow one to not have to every press any buttons, which actually is a welcome escape, boss battles, mark hunting, and rare monsters, will all have players overriding their gambits in order to survive. Also, with a new Final Fantasy comes a new way to learn skills. This time around, they bring forth the "License Board." By defeating monsters, characters gain LP (License Points). The License Board is a grid that holds weapons, armor, skills, magic, augments, and summons. A person can't use a certain sword without having first obtaining the proper license. While this may seem a bit difficult in theory, it actually works quite well and allows for some very creative development.

Graphics: Who ever thought a PS2 game could look so good? Being released around the same time of the PS3, this game is still able to contend with the last generation's graphics, even when on the most underpowered system. The landscapes are beautiful, ranging from derelict palaces, enormous deserts, lush forests, and so on. As with any Final Fantasy, after and including FF7, there are many CG sequences. These are simply breathtaking and are speckled throughout the game, giving a certain professionalism that can't really be seen when they are being spammed for long periods of time *koffXenosagakoff*.

Overall: Reading this over, I do believe I did the game justice. If I do feel that I need to change it in the future, I shall do so accordingly. This game is a refreshing break from Enemy Territory and has been able to tide me over until my hand heals and I can start playing the Wii again. Although, once my hand does heal up, I'll continue to play this game, as it is truly epic and does deserve ample playtime.

Metal Slug Anthology for PS2, PSP, Wii by Sichae (A-)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Hailing from the mid 90's, Metal Slug first came to light on the Neo-Geo. Whether played in the arcade or at home, this game has been thoroughly enjoyed for a decade. A decade, eh? Well, I think that calls for a 10th Anniversary and to commemorate such an event, SNK released Metal Slug Anthology on the PS2, PSP, and Wii. My purchase was for the Wii, so this review is based on my experience with the game on the Wii.

Controls: Seeing as how this game is for the Wii, one would expect a new style of control. That is definitely the case, several times over. By visiting the settings, one can select from many different styles of control (my favourite being the default "hold like a NES paddle and flick to throw grenades"). For those that want a bit more variety, there are other control schemes that use the Nunchuk attachment. With the variety of controls, almost anyone can get involved with this game. My cousin and I played it for hours and hours while she was in town.

Gameplay: Ever since the dawn of the series, the gameplay has been the shimmering diamond. This game provides a fantastically hectic environment, complete with fierce fire-fights, a multitude of power-ups, and the inclusion of Metal Slugs (vehicles). With a varying degree of difficulty that is easily seen when playing by oneself or with another, this game packs in tons of replay value and is quite hard to put down.

Extra: By beating full sets of games, you are gifted with Tokens that can be used to purchase Art Galleries. These galleries contain splendid artwork. If you feel the need to challenge yourself, you can turn off Unlimited Continues and try your luck. Sadly, I require for the former to be activated, seeing as how I often lose track of what I am doing while watching the beautiful animation.

Overall: With 7 games, Metal Slug Anthology is a great purchase for the gaming elite or the n00b that we all know and love. I feel that this game shall be entertaining many for a very long time and luckily, I am one of them.

Red Steel for Wii by Sichae (C+)

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Ah, Red Steel... the whipping boy of the Wii console. Hyped to an alarming degree and when delivered... many were disappointed. But, when you brush past all of this disappointment, there lies the beaten and battered corpse of a game that should be cared for and nurtured. If one takes the time to get used to the controls, the game because completely addictive, yet sadly short.

Controls/Gameplay: Once the game was inserted into the Wii slot across the country, a sigh of disbelief washed over us all. Not the good kind of disbelief, mind you. Immediately, people rushed the internet and tore this game a new one. However, I hung back and played the game. Within an hour, I had the entire system down completely. I was hurling grenades, slicing Yakuza, and blasting foes with buckshot. I've heard many people that had said the same thing, by taking the time to get used to the controls, rather that bitching at the first hindrance, the game actually becomes fun.

Story: As history shows, I don't really enjoy revealing spoilers, so I'll have to remain brief. The game follows Scott Monroe and his quest to get his fiancÃ�Â© back from the clutches of the Yakuza. After she is kidnapped, Scott has to follow her father to get the proper help needed to take down the Yakuza. Picking up both gun and sword, Scott must gain back the respect of important persons in order to find his missing fiancÃ�Â©.

Graphics: This was the first Wii game to have screenshots released. From them, it was believe that this game would be beautiful. When playing, it is a different story. I'm not saying that it is utter crap. The graphics are quite good, although I've never been much of a graphics whore. The blast effects and environments are wonderfully done. What brings the score down are the character animations and cut scenes. Some of the character animations are less than favourable and may become an annoyance, if that kind of thing gets to you. Cut scenes unfold with voice-over and what I like to call "cut-outs on Popsicle sticks." While watching the cut scenes, there is absolutely no graphical animation and I was left wanting more.

Overall: This game was hailed as the saving grace for the launch, in the way of third-party. However, it fell short of its intended quality, but not that far from a decent, fun game. People need to start giving this game more of a chance, because it deserves it.

Wii Sports for Wii by Sichae (B)

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0100

When anyone picks up a retail Wii, they will have received Wii Sports. Now, there have been a lot of mixed feelings about the game, but I'm here to lay down the law. The game was never meant to be a stand-alone retail game. It is a tech demo for the Wii. That being said, it is really fun.

Tennis: My exchange student loves playing Tennis, so I thought he'd get used to playing Wii Tennis. Well... he did. He loves Wii Tennis and whenever he gets a chance, he asks me if he can play. I purchased a second controller so that I could play against him/with him. While playing, my cousin, Dave, couldn't quite get the controller to work for him, mainly with getting the ball airborne. Whenever I tried to show him, he just couldn't replicate my actions. Maybe I've just had more practice with it.

Bowling: The first game that I went Pro at. I really enjoy this game. In real life, I am never able to get the correct spin on a ball, so I am usually sending the ball straight down the lane and hoping for the best. With the spin added, I am able to make many different strategies for picking up those tricky spares. The training sessions for this game are very good at acclimating one to the control scheme. One thing I did notice is that to get a perfectly straight roll, I have to do a "grandma" roll. If I didn't do the "grandma" roll, I'd end up with a slight hook to the left, because I am a righty. It is probably because I don't notice that I am twisting the controller ever so slightly.

Golf: I didn't really take to this game until after I had done the training sessions. I got extremely good at the game once I had finished the training. The funny part is that my exchange student plays Golf for fun, yet I completely own him every time I play Golf in this game. I highly doubt I'd beat him in real life, but owning him in a virtual way is good enough. Sometimes the controls are a bit too sensitive and I end up over-powering and hooking when I don't want it to. All in all, I enjoy this game to relax.

Boxing: My favourite, next to Bowling. I actually just got done going Pro in this game. I worked up quite the sweat, because I like to get into the game. Some say that you can just sit down and play it that way, but if you do that, you will develop something called, Toolbox Syndrome. The controls are sometimes unresponsive, but it isn't 1:1 controlling, some unresponsiveness is for balancing purposes to make it not extremely easy. After playing every game for a while, I think that this one is the one that expends the most energy.

Baseball: Swing the controller, bat swings on TV. My father got quite mystified when he saw my cousins and I playing at Thanksgiving. Sadly, he has yet to try it himself, but he has never played a game in his entire life, so it will take a bit of coercion. Varying styles of pitch, that I have yet to discuss the methods with people I play with, allow one to gain the upper hand. I'm sure my friend, who shall remain nameless, loves the ability to bunt. Sometimes, when I get home from a hard day of work, I just sit down and do get into the game that much. Amazingly, this game works both standing up and sitting down with the same results. Yet, I do tend to get more Home Runs when I am sitting down... ah well.

Trauma Center: Second Opinion for Wii by Sichae (B)

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Medical Simulation, eh? From the creators of Golden Sun, comes a simply amazing game. Trauma Center: Second Opinion is actually a remake of Trauma Center: Under the Knife for the DS. Seeing as how I haven't played Under the Knife, it was an entirely new experience. Taking advantage of the controller's pointer, rather than the DS stylus, one can perform many different actions during an operation.

Gameplay: As stated before, you use the Wii's controller's pointer to use different actions, such as: scalpel, laser, and stitches. The game also uses the motion sensing of the controller for the use of forceps and defib. Each operation is given a time limit. To make the game a bit more sporting and a bit more odd, your performance is graded and scored. You receive a grade at the end (C-S). You can go back and redo any of the operations that you didn't rank well in, that you didn't feel comfortable with the procedure, or just for fun. The main character has a special skill, known as the Healing Touch, that allows him to slow down time and perform actions quickly, but with a slower clock. Using items, like the scalpel, presents a problem when using the Wii controller. As in a real operation, you have to be precise, but one's hands will be shaking slightly, which translates to large movements on the screen. There have been many mishaps for me during operations, even before the bulk of the operation has begun.

Story: Without giving too much away, a nervous doctor finds out that he has special skills that allow him to excel. Throughout the missions, a story develops of medical terrorism and clandestine organizations. Taking control of Derek Stiles, you will discover the truth about what is truly going on in the world. Aside from Dr. Stiles, there is a second storyline that opens up. This storyline entails a Japanese girl who was brought to an American hospital, after some complications, through an exchange program. Like Dr. Stiles, she also possesses the special skills. The game is narrated through text with sprites on pre-rendered backgrounds. Some voice acting has been added, but not much to be noticed or passable.

Extra: The game features quite the bit of replay value, seeing as how you will constantly be trying to beat your score on an operation. The game is a bit on the short side and having the replay value allows the game to be stretched out a lot (thank God for the Skip button). I would've liked a full game made for the Wii, but seeing as how this is really a DS port, not much can be expected in the way of length or voice acting. Yet, it is a great game.

Overall: The game received a lower score due to its tacked on voice acting and not-so-well transition from DS stylus to Wii remote. Despite these shortcomings, the game is extremely fun and addictive. I recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess for Wii, GCN by Sichae (A+)

Sat, 25 Nov 2006 00:00:00 +0100

Legend of Zelda, a ground breaking series. Some of this series' spawn have been named the "Greatest Game of Gaming History." Twilight Princess, the jewel of the Wii launch, has brought much controversy to the table. With its original scheduled released in November of 2005, Nintendo decided to hold back and fine-tune the game. Later on, they announced that it would be on the Wii, as well as the Gamecube. Much to the shock of fans, the Gamecube version would be released later than the Wii version. Many have said, "Oh, I'll wait for the Gamecube version, because I don't trust the new control scheme." Well, let's get this review started...

Controls/Gameplay: One of the main points of controversy is the control setup. Why play it on the Wii when you can have the standard gameplay on the Gamecube? Having played Twilight Princess for hours upon hours, this setup works amazingly. I was going along, thinking that the control scheme was doing pretty good... until I got the Hero's Bow. After that event, my faith in the Wii as an amazing console was sealed. If a launch title can nail aiming with the Wiimote that well, then I have much faith for the next 5 years. Swinging the Wii controller allows one to slash Link's sword. Along with the standard moves, they have added several special techniques hidden in the game, such as the Shield Attack and the Mortal Draw. To find these special skills, you will need a keen eye. ;)

Story: Recently, I watched a theory of Legend of Zelda chronology. Depending on how TP's story plays out, the theory concocted may completely shatter. However, the story is going pretty well. There are the usual elements of the Legend of Zelda game: Triforce, Link, Zelda, Evil, Temples. Yet, the game gets a good shaking when you are first brought into the Twilight Realm. Now, I won't reveal that much in the way of spoilers, but Link will change during the course of the game and have a new companion, not as annoying as Navi (Thank God!). If the story so far has been great, I expect it to only get better (I am on the 5th Temple, I believe).

Graphics: The largest point of upset for this game is the graphics. I'll just lay it down now: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess is a Gamecube port. It was designed, graphically, for the Gamecube. Wait for a LoZ built for the Wii and you shall be amazed. All in all, the graphics look beautiful in an artistic manner, offering much to the atmosphere and mood of the game. Seeing as how I play text-based RPGs in my free time, I find these graphics to be amazing. I'm not a graphics whore in the slightest.

Overall: This game receives a perfect score. I love the game and find it not leaving my Wii for long periods of time. I haven't played any games that have been this engaging, deep, and wonderful in a long time. Quite refreshing.

Fable: The Lost Chapters for Xbox, PC by Zeldarock142 (10/10)

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0200

Fable: The Lost Chapters is a highly detailed game, as your actions always have an effect on your future, such as your appearance.

If you kill innocent people, vandalize property, and commit other crimes, your appearance starts to change, and you'll have horns, red eyes, darker hair, and people will fear you more.

If you never do anything wrong and always do favors for other people, your hair will become blonde, butterflies and a halo surround you and you will be respected in the world over.

As for the storyline, you start out as a young child in Oakvale, when you have to get your sister a birthday present. Bandits attack the village of Oakvale, and you are rescued by Maze, the head of the Heroes Guild. You are trained to become a Hero, where your actions can lead to you being respected or feared.

Fable The Lost Chapters is a remake of the original Fable, with more quests, monsters, and weapons added into the game.

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for PS2 by Sichae (A+)

Sat, 19 Aug 2006 00:00:00 +0200

It all started when I was watching reviews on TechTV for certain games and Disgaea popped up. I always enjoyed TRPGs, such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Ogre Battle, so I continued to watch. Later on that week, I bought the game and am still playing it about 2 years later.

Gameplay: The construct of the game is similar to FFT and if you've never played FFT, then I will explain. Basically, you are set up on a grid system. You can attack in 4 directions; special attacks can reach farther or have AoE. You can lift other people on your team and hurl them. Same with creatures... try bashing two creatures together and they will mix. Geo Panels occupy certain grid panels and have various effects (EXP + 50%, Warp, Attacks + 1). Destroying a Geo Stone may cause a large chain reaction, changing colours of the panels and building up the bonus gauge. There are many special characters to be found, secret characters from other games and many monsters.

Story: We follow young Laharl, Prince of the Netherworld. Well, his father passed away while Laharl was napping for 2 years. When he awakes, everything is in disorder. He quickly grabs the reigns of his father's castle and begins exacting his Overlord Rule. Along the way, Laharl meets an Angel Trainee, Flonne, the Dark Adonis, Mid-Boss, and many other heroes of the Netherworld. After a while, the story switches to a conflict between Angels, Demons and Humans, each vying for their own place in the universe. The story lasts for about 40-50 hours and has tons of replay value. This game features New Game+, where you can redo the story with all the stuff you had gained in the past cycle. Oh yeah, the highest level is 9999. Fun goal.

Specialties: This game features a rich development system for characters, involving many different classes of warrior (6 types per tier), monster and mage. On the plus side, anyone can become anything (haven't tested going from Human->Prinny->Monster, but I think it would work). The game has a dark sense of humour and there are some very odd/funny moments throughout the game, "A horse's wiener?! Everyone on your guard!"

Overall: I gave this game a perfect score. It has a wonderful story that is engaging, a long story with unlimited replay value, and it includes a system for leveling weapons/items into stronger versions of themselves. If you can't dig this game, you really need to have your 'dig' cleaned and repaired.