Mass Effect 3 is arriving soon. The critically acclaimed franchise is almost coming to an end with an epic conclusion to the trilogy. To prep us up though, Bioware released a DLC that links to the third game. Is it worth the 560 microsoft points or should you just wait for the main thing?
Mass Effect 2 is probably my favorite game on the Xbox 360. Arrival of course does not change the basic elements of the game except a few details. This time Shepard has no companions with him and takes the mission alone, either covertly or guns blazing. Admiral Hackett from the first game commences the quest for you announcing there is a deep cover agent held as hostage on the asteroid where she was captured. Shepard doesn't hesitate to go on the asteroid and slowly reveal how this links to the last game. The story isn't anything amazing like the actual game's plot but it does its job.
The gameplay is the same, with Batarians, in a few different forms, attacking Shepard and Kenson throughout the game. There is no boss fights like the previous DLC; even though I suspected one but I was proved wrong. You can approach the first half of the DLC stealthily to even obtain an achievement or just blast your way through. It's mainly shooting that you have to do since the dialogue is limited.
Overall, the game looks stunning as always, I wish there was more dialogue since only Shepard, Kenson and Hackett talk in the entire DLC and I wish it was a bit longer. There was some left to be desired but it's not a bad purchase and if you're a Mass Effect fan like me, you should purchase this for more of the best game on the platform.
7/10
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood - Review [single player]
Assassin's Creed 1 started the series off with a great premise. A third person action-adventure game that focused on assassinations. It had its flaws but it was a great game overall. Then came the sequel two years later. It told the story of Ezio Auditore de Firenze and his road to being an assassin after witnessing the hanging of his father. Revenge driven adventure with a very intriguing ending. Brotherhood continues right after the second game, where we left off Ezio. Perplexed from the encounter with the foretold future he tells his guild what happens. Brotherhood starts off with a bang.
I couldn't review the multiplayer because the servers aren't up yet. I will review that once it's ready to be used.
The story of Brotherhood isn't convoluted in any way. Ezio's luxurious villa is invaded by the Borgia family with the aim of regaining the Apple of Eden. They succeed in doing this so Ezio travels to Rome to help Machiavelli to take out the whole family. It's simple and not as interesting as you'd expect. Brotherhood seems to carry the same flaws its predecessor had with awkward pacing and this time worsens because of the lack of my interest for the storyline.
It's a decent story with some twists but the emotional revenge in the second game made Ezio more likable. In this game, the legendary assassin as achieved master status and cutscenes aren't interesting anymore and he doesn't evolve throughout the game anymore. They could've ended the Ezio arc with 2 but they seem to drag it on a bit too much with Brotherhood. You will dislike the enemy family but the rivalry doesn't seem to captivate much so there's no real hatred between the two teams. It seems Ubisoft didn't focus too much on the story and it's a shame since Assassin's Creed 2 showcased a great one. I got to admit there are some epic battles in the game.
Desmond's side is a bit more fleshed out now with even a whole memory to play as him. You can even exit Ezio's world to return to the modern world so you can explore as Desmond and talk to your annoying companions. Especially his male friend.
Left off being chased, they find another sanctuary to find shelter in. This allows them to resume their standard procedure of acquiring assassin abilities for Desmond through Ezio's storyline. The mystery the first Assassin's Creed displayed with who Desmond was and what he was doing is no longer there. I'm just afraid the storyline will get a bit too over the top beyond Ubisoft's control. Other than that, the story is decent and while it's not extremely dull it's not as good as AC 2's story either.
Voice acting in the game is standard quality. Ezio's voice emits the Italian accent it's supposed to and it's all similar to the second game. Probably the only department where it's similar with its predecessor that I don't have a problem with. I am annoyed though with his British friend. Don't get me wrong, I adore the accents but his annoying tone with his equally annoying lines aggravated me. Lucy is voice acted by Kristin Bell still and does a splendid job. It's a good job overall by the whole cast.
The soundtrack is there but you won't write home about it. It's included in the intense moments of the game and slowly permeates in calm scenes. I like the subtle sounds in the game mostly. People talking in the town, horse hoofs cluttering, preachers exclaiming their own concerns and the zooming sound when Ezio drops off a high building is always gratifying. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood doesn't really improve on its audio but it doesn't ruin it either. I liked it but it's not the strongest point of the game either. It's competent though and I appreciate that.
The visuals of Brotherhood are great. Rome is huge and Ubisoft put a great amount of detail into the game. There's a countyside, towns and just dark occupied fortresses infused with superb weather effects like the grey, depressing clouds or the starry, beautiful sky or even the upbeat sun beaming on Ezio's polished character model. Secondary models aren't as great but not terrible by any means. Rome is pretty. Buildings look solid and no texture popping occurred to me and it's essentially a slightly improved version of AC 2 in terms of graphics. Faces might look bland in some instances but there is alot of polish in the game. If Ubisoft succeeded in something it's building the atmosphere and capture the perfect feeling of 1500s Italy aesthetic. Guards roaming everywhere with Ezio's heavy panting while getting chased never gets old.
Infrastructure look the same but there's alot of different stores like banks and bridges that you can repair if you talk to architects. You can amend the town as you progress through the game which will bring you in more revenue. The menu layout is the same as Assassin's Creed 2. I think accessing the map by the pause menu is an outdated option by today but it's not as annoying as you'd think. I still don't understand how Assassin's Creed 1 has better visuals than 2 and Brotherhood. There's some hiccups in Brotherhood like in 2 where detection won't be displayed perfectly in combat and I remember number one never had these glitches. Great visuals nonetheless.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is the same exact thing in gameplay with a few tweaks and an added recruit your assassin addition. It looks they borrowed elements from Godfather II and Fable with the new revenue system. They're both positive supplements. The first few hours of the game though is basically Assassin's Creed 2 DLC. After an action packed confrontation with your villa exploding Ezio has to build himself up again with his team and eliminate the Borgia family.
He has his same weapons; his hidden blade, long weapon, short weapon, your hidden ranged pistol and throwing knives. These are the basics. Brotherhood improves on combat even though not to the extent I expected. It's easier to take out opponents now. You no longer have to counter so you can one-hit one-kill someone. This sounds disastrous on paper but it works great in-game. It enhances the fluidity and Ezio can chain attack rapidly while he slices and dices in combat. You can now kick in the game, so you can break guard of the opponents. This with grabbing enemies, dodging and counter attacking all compose the combat system of Brotherhood. Functions properly but it's nothing you'll find great depth in. I'd compare it to Arkham Asylum just a bit easier.
Your repertoire expands throughout the game with crossbows and new armor for Ezio to extend your synchronization meter. It's the fundamentals that you've seen in Assassin's Creed 1 and later improved on in 2. Stores consist of the painting store, which I found to be useless, tailor which allows you to customize Ezio's robe color, a blacksmith that sells weapons and ammunition and a newly added bank that collects your revenue every 20 minutes. You will have to renovate all these stores and this will automatically set the amount of money you'll be receiving per 20 minutes. It's an easy way to gain money and sooner or later you'll be rich. I can't complain though since you start out slow and progress builds up to this rich status.
The recruiting system of Brotherhood works great. You will have to recruit random civilians but soon become assassins. This will lead to you assigning them contracts to complete in different countries with various difficulties. This will give them XP and progress through the ranks until they become an assassin. Since Brotherhood is testing out this concept I think the next game should have different kinds of assassins with unique abilities rather than a generic recruitment of arbitrary people. Other than that, the most badass moments in the game is when your Assassin team assists you in pivotal moments.
There is alot of content in Brotherhood. I just wish the pacing was better. Rome is controlled by Borgia obviously and you can eliminate the forces of the Borgia by assassinating each Borgia leader in a specific area and normally leading Ezio burning down the Borgia tower. Each area has its own difficulty but I found every area to be fun even when too easy or too difficult. Killing Borgia leaders will usually consist of different ways you can think of like silently stabbing them or just shooting them in the head. Eradicating the tower will allow you to access viewpoints in the area and stores so it's useful. You can also follow guild missions by the three sub-teams in the game that eventually follow you: Mercenaries, thieves and Courtesans. They have their own array of side-missions that consist of different objectives and even their own set of challenges to complete for 100% completion. There's also races in the game also my favorite Leonardo war machine missions. These are the epic, explosive missions in the game and by far my favorite. Without spoiling much it's the most adrenaline-pumping and exciting missions of the game.
There's also the virtual training missions for those who want to practice on the combat and what not.
Story-driven missions are the last missions that detract from the overall experience. They still have the dull, redundant tailing missions and chases. Assassinations are still here but they're too spread apart and the game includes new challenges called 'Full Synchronization' challenges. They're usually extra challenges implemented in each memory you have to complete and if you fail them you can replay them via the Pause menu later on. In main story missions these are broken though, since the stealth doesn't ever work in the game and a slight mistake will have to make you restart the memory if you want that full synchronization. There's some unique ones too though but are rare.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood's singleplayer is barely Assassin's Creed 2.5. It looks like this game's main storyline was just there so something can accompany the newly added multiplayer. The story is alright, the new additions are good but there's nothing innovative in this sequel to guarantee a buy. The weird pacing might even bore you out but if you're a fan of the series you should buy this game. Until I play the multiplayer, all I have to say is: just don't expect alot.
7/10
I couldn't review the multiplayer because the servers aren't up yet. I will review that once it's ready to be used.
The story of Brotherhood isn't convoluted in any way. Ezio's luxurious villa is invaded by the Borgia family with the aim of regaining the Apple of Eden. They succeed in doing this so Ezio travels to Rome to help Machiavelli to take out the whole family. It's simple and not as interesting as you'd expect. Brotherhood seems to carry the same flaws its predecessor had with awkward pacing and this time worsens because of the lack of my interest for the storyline.
It's a decent story with some twists but the emotional revenge in the second game made Ezio more likable. In this game, the legendary assassin as achieved master status and cutscenes aren't interesting anymore and he doesn't evolve throughout the game anymore. They could've ended the Ezio arc with 2 but they seem to drag it on a bit too much with Brotherhood. You will dislike the enemy family but the rivalry doesn't seem to captivate much so there's no real hatred between the two teams. It seems Ubisoft didn't focus too much on the story and it's a shame since Assassin's Creed 2 showcased a great one. I got to admit there are some epic battles in the game.
Desmond's side is a bit more fleshed out now with even a whole memory to play as him. You can even exit Ezio's world to return to the modern world so you can explore as Desmond and talk to your annoying companions. Especially his male friend.
Left off being chased, they find another sanctuary to find shelter in. This allows them to resume their standard procedure of acquiring assassin abilities for Desmond through Ezio's storyline. The mystery the first Assassin's Creed displayed with who Desmond was and what he was doing is no longer there. I'm just afraid the storyline will get a bit too over the top beyond Ubisoft's control. Other than that, the story is decent and while it's not extremely dull it's not as good as AC 2's story either.
Voice acting in the game is standard quality. Ezio's voice emits the Italian accent it's supposed to and it's all similar to the second game. Probably the only department where it's similar with its predecessor that I don't have a problem with. I am annoyed though with his British friend. Don't get me wrong, I adore the accents but his annoying tone with his equally annoying lines aggravated me. Lucy is voice acted by Kristin Bell still and does a splendid job. It's a good job overall by the whole cast.
The soundtrack is there but you won't write home about it. It's included in the intense moments of the game and slowly permeates in calm scenes. I like the subtle sounds in the game mostly. People talking in the town, horse hoofs cluttering, preachers exclaiming their own concerns and the zooming sound when Ezio drops off a high building is always gratifying. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood doesn't really improve on its audio but it doesn't ruin it either. I liked it but it's not the strongest point of the game either. It's competent though and I appreciate that.
The visuals of Brotherhood are great. Rome is huge and Ubisoft put a great amount of detail into the game. There's a countyside, towns and just dark occupied fortresses infused with superb weather effects like the grey, depressing clouds or the starry, beautiful sky or even the upbeat sun beaming on Ezio's polished character model. Secondary models aren't as great but not terrible by any means. Rome is pretty. Buildings look solid and no texture popping occurred to me and it's essentially a slightly improved version of AC 2 in terms of graphics. Faces might look bland in some instances but there is alot of polish in the game. If Ubisoft succeeded in something it's building the atmosphere and capture the perfect feeling of 1500s Italy aesthetic. Guards roaming everywhere with Ezio's heavy panting while getting chased never gets old.
Infrastructure look the same but there's alot of different stores like banks and bridges that you can repair if you talk to architects. You can amend the town as you progress through the game which will bring you in more revenue. The menu layout is the same as Assassin's Creed 2. I think accessing the map by the pause menu is an outdated option by today but it's not as annoying as you'd think. I still don't understand how Assassin's Creed 1 has better visuals than 2 and Brotherhood. There's some hiccups in Brotherhood like in 2 where detection won't be displayed perfectly in combat and I remember number one never had these glitches. Great visuals nonetheless.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is the same exact thing in gameplay with a few tweaks and an added recruit your assassin addition. It looks they borrowed elements from Godfather II and Fable with the new revenue system. They're both positive supplements. The first few hours of the game though is basically Assassin's Creed 2 DLC. After an action packed confrontation with your villa exploding Ezio has to build himself up again with his team and eliminate the Borgia family.
He has his same weapons; his hidden blade, long weapon, short weapon, your hidden ranged pistol and throwing knives. These are the basics. Brotherhood improves on combat even though not to the extent I expected. It's easier to take out opponents now. You no longer have to counter so you can one-hit one-kill someone. This sounds disastrous on paper but it works great in-game. It enhances the fluidity and Ezio can chain attack rapidly while he slices and dices in combat. You can now kick in the game, so you can break guard of the opponents. This with grabbing enemies, dodging and counter attacking all compose the combat system of Brotherhood. Functions properly but it's nothing you'll find great depth in. I'd compare it to Arkham Asylum just a bit easier.
Your repertoire expands throughout the game with crossbows and new armor for Ezio to extend your synchronization meter. It's the fundamentals that you've seen in Assassin's Creed 1 and later improved on in 2. Stores consist of the painting store, which I found to be useless, tailor which allows you to customize Ezio's robe color, a blacksmith that sells weapons and ammunition and a newly added bank that collects your revenue every 20 minutes. You will have to renovate all these stores and this will automatically set the amount of money you'll be receiving per 20 minutes. It's an easy way to gain money and sooner or later you'll be rich. I can't complain though since you start out slow and progress builds up to this rich status.
The recruiting system of Brotherhood works great. You will have to recruit random civilians but soon become assassins. This will lead to you assigning them contracts to complete in different countries with various difficulties. This will give them XP and progress through the ranks until they become an assassin. Since Brotherhood is testing out this concept I think the next game should have different kinds of assassins with unique abilities rather than a generic recruitment of arbitrary people. Other than that, the most badass moments in the game is when your Assassin team assists you in pivotal moments.
There is alot of content in Brotherhood. I just wish the pacing was better. Rome is controlled by Borgia obviously and you can eliminate the forces of the Borgia by assassinating each Borgia leader in a specific area and normally leading Ezio burning down the Borgia tower. Each area has its own difficulty but I found every area to be fun even when too easy or too difficult. Killing Borgia leaders will usually consist of different ways you can think of like silently stabbing them or just shooting them in the head. Eradicating the tower will allow you to access viewpoints in the area and stores so it's useful. You can also follow guild missions by the three sub-teams in the game that eventually follow you: Mercenaries, thieves and Courtesans. They have their own array of side-missions that consist of different objectives and even their own set of challenges to complete for 100% completion. There's also races in the game also my favorite Leonardo war machine missions. These are the epic, explosive missions in the game and by far my favorite. Without spoiling much it's the most adrenaline-pumping and exciting missions of the game.
There's also the virtual training missions for those who want to practice on the combat and what not.
Story-driven missions are the last missions that detract from the overall experience. They still have the dull, redundant tailing missions and chases. Assassinations are still here but they're too spread apart and the game includes new challenges called 'Full Synchronization' challenges. They're usually extra challenges implemented in each memory you have to complete and if you fail them you can replay them via the Pause menu later on. In main story missions these are broken though, since the stealth doesn't ever work in the game and a slight mistake will have to make you restart the memory if you want that full synchronization. There's some unique ones too though but are rare.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood's singleplayer is barely Assassin's Creed 2.5. It looks like this game's main storyline was just there so something can accompany the newly added multiplayer. The story is alright, the new additions are good but there's nothing innovative in this sequel to guarantee a buy. The weird pacing might even bore you out but if you're a fan of the series you should buy this game. Until I play the multiplayer, all I have to say is: just don't expect alot.
7/10
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Super Meat Boy - Review
Super Meat Boy has been released for the XBLA recently and there's been almost no hype surrounding it. I mean, I wasn't surprised. It's an indie game made by two people. That's right. Two people. Team Meat. Yet they managed to develop the most well-rounded, addictive packages of all time. Super Meat Boy is the new platforming legend.
The story mimics Super Mario but the weird characters give it its own charm. Super Meat Boy is a cute block of meat that loves his girlfriend Bandage Girl. Dr. Fetus hates them though so he kidnaps Bandage Girl. I'm not even going to count the story for the overall score since it doesn't really develop throughout the game but it's there and serves its purpose.
Super Meat Boy replicates a NES game visually. What I loved most about it though is the design. The design is so smartly composed that whenever you die. Trust me you'll die alot. You will only blame yourself and never the game. Unless you're an ignorant, obnoxious fool that believes he or she is always perfect and won't admit their own flaws. That's another story though. The game provides colorful backgrounds and are never dull or uninspired. A small detail I loved was the trail of meaty splatter Meat Boy leaves behind when sprinting.
The sound of Super Meat Boy is seamless as well. Listen to the catchy main theme.
Once again it employs that retro feel and doesn't forget that it's supposed to be a splendid homage to all those hard games that frustrated us in the past on our NESs. Anything more would ruin it but anything less wouldn't achieve its state of perfection.
Super Meat Boy is a very simple game. Hold RT to sprint and press A to jump. Team Meat pulled off something alot of devs can't do. They made the game so accessible but so hard as well without it being detrimental to the enjoyability of the game. The design is smartly structured with later levels being a bitch but still; you will never blame the game. I don't know how they did it. I usually rage at games alot and snap them sometimes. And even though I raged at this game I knew it was my fault. The instant respawn of your character also doesn't interrupt the flow and that gratifying feel when you beat the level and look at all of your Meat Boys in the replay failing and seeing that only victorious one reaching to Bandage Girl is simply great.
You can also play as other characters from other games. For example: Commander Video from Bit.Trip. Each of them contain different playstyles so some levels are easier to complete with some of them. There's also boss fights in the game and are more platforming and memory tests than actual boss fights but still perpetuates awesomeness throughout the game.
Super Meat Boy is better than Sonic 4 and all Sonic games. I still prefer Sonic as a character but for me, a Sonic fanboy, to admit something is better than my beloved hedgehog is as rare as balanced COD games.
Everyone should get this. No excuses. Get it before the end of November as well since it's 800 points and enjoy the fuck out of it.
The story mimics Super Mario but the weird characters give it its own charm. Super Meat Boy is a cute block of meat that loves his girlfriend Bandage Girl. Dr. Fetus hates them though so he kidnaps Bandage Girl. I'm not even going to count the story for the overall score since it doesn't really develop throughout the game but it's there and serves its purpose.
Super Meat Boy replicates a NES game visually. What I loved most about it though is the design. The design is so smartly composed that whenever you die. Trust me you'll die alot. You will only blame yourself and never the game. Unless you're an ignorant, obnoxious fool that believes he or she is always perfect and won't admit their own flaws. That's another story though. The game provides colorful backgrounds and are never dull or uninspired. A small detail I loved was the trail of meaty splatter Meat Boy leaves behind when sprinting.
The sound of Super Meat Boy is seamless as well. Listen to the catchy main theme.
Once again it employs that retro feel and doesn't forget that it's supposed to be a splendid homage to all those hard games that frustrated us in the past on our NESs. Anything more would ruin it but anything less wouldn't achieve its state of perfection.
Super Meat Boy is a very simple game. Hold RT to sprint and press A to jump. Team Meat pulled off something alot of devs can't do. They made the game so accessible but so hard as well without it being detrimental to the enjoyability of the game. The design is smartly structured with later levels being a bitch but still; you will never blame the game. I don't know how they did it. I usually rage at games alot and snap them sometimes. And even though I raged at this game I knew it was my fault. The instant respawn of your character also doesn't interrupt the flow and that gratifying feel when you beat the level and look at all of your Meat Boys in the replay failing and seeing that only victorious one reaching to Bandage Girl is simply great.
You can also play as other characters from other games. For example: Commander Video from Bit.Trip. Each of them contain different playstyles so some levels are easier to complete with some of them. There's also boss fights in the game and are more platforming and memory tests than actual boss fights but still perpetuates awesomeness throughout the game.
Super Meat Boy is better than Sonic 4 and all Sonic games. I still prefer Sonic as a character but for me, a Sonic fanboy, to admit something is better than my beloved hedgehog is as rare as balanced COD games.
Everyone should get this. No excuses. Get it before the end of November as well since it's 800 points and enjoy the fuck out of it.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Review
I haven't ever played an amazing Castlevania game in my life until October 2010. I played every game the franchise had to offer and even replaying the classics now I just never found anything compelling about them except the deep customization. In comes Mercury Steam. An unknown dev team that stepped up and dared to reboot the famous franchise. With them, they get help from the masterful Kojima Productions. The hype bar went up from the moment I learned this and here I am typing up my final thoughts on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. A fresh start to the franchise.
Single player 8/10
Gabriel Belmont, the popular surname every zealous Castlevania gamer should recognize is introduced to us as our protagonist. The husky hero is on a quest to find information on his deceased wife, Marie. He meets with the Guardian of the Lake, Pan, and tells him that he can communicate with the dead if he traverses to the Lake of Oblivion. Gabriel eventually reaches his destination and Marie tells him, in a hologram-esque form, that for the world's salvation Gabriel must stop the Lords of Shadow. These Lords conflict with the Guardians of Light and this is where religion comes in. It's a God vs Satan affair in the background and it'll interest even the ones that don't believe in such things. It's very well-told story. Every level of every chapter in the game (about 40-50) initiate with Patrick Stewart's voice giving us a brief introduction to the chapter. It also clarifies Gabriel's emotions and how he transforms throughout the game in ways I will not reveal. Patrick Stewart voices Zobek, a fellow warrior that follows Gabriel secretly and guides him to his goal. The story starts out slow but in the beginning I was caught surprised in a very frightening twist. Just when you think it starts to get boring it'll supplement something to make it fresh. It's a 15-20 hour campaign on Normal and there is incentive to replay it. You can complete trials when done with your initial playthrough of the chapters and the story is interesting enough to experience again. I just wish the pacing was better since during the middle of the game, the story seems to drop too much in exuberance. It makes up for those flaws though with the awesome yet appalling ending.
Gameplay 9/10
Castlevania Lords of Shadow shares the majority of its gameplay features with other popular games. God of War is the primary source. The slow yet effective gameplay that influenced God of War to be the masterpiece that it is, functions superbly in Castlevania even if it offers nothing to segregate it from any other game in the genre. But what it does, it does very well and that's what Mercury Steam wanted with the rendition of this reboot. An idiosyncrasy I noticed though that sticked out in Dante's Inferno is how during combos controls seem to be less responsive. This allows enemies to take jabs at you while performing a pretty complex combo and thus interrupting the flow. It's not as bad and conspicuous as it was in Dante's but still a small gripe. The weapons include your classic whip, gauntlets that deal immense damage but extremely uncomfortable to control while in combat and boots that aids with evading. There's also Light magic and Dark magic to enhance your abilities and you can purchase combos for the corresponding abilities at the end of every stage. Currency is not a problem but you would want to save your money on the later combos than mindlessly spending them on the early ones. Enemies are aggressive especially in harder difficulties but executing every combo you bought will get you through just fine. It's not any Ninja Gaiden but the difficulty is just right and enemy variations will keep it unpredictable and won't end up being repetitive with the combat.
Castlevania executes the combat greatly but there's more to it than just slashing up foes. Platforming takes a chunk of the gameplay department. Every level will have to make you think how to get from one ledge to another. They start out simple with just using your whip as a grappling hook but get more complex with wings and gaining momentum while running. Platforming is also accompanied with puzzles and go hand to hand. Puzzles you can compare to platforming in the sense that they start pretty stagnant and easy but end up being creative towards the end because of your expanded repertoire. There are problems with the platforming though. Sometimes it'll be unclear where you have to jump because of fixed camera angles. Also, if you descend down a ledge slightly more than required it automatically drops you and takes out a bit of your health bar. Small annoyances that shouldn't be repeated but are often noticed throughout the game. Puzzles consist of chess, music boxes and even reflecting light from mirror cliches. Excluding the mirror puzzles, I found the others to be quite competent and challenging and not too frustrating.
Lastly, I will have to mention the excellent boss fights. They borrow boss fights from Shadow of the Colossus that function perfectly and even the one on one fights with normal sized creatures have enough challenge and originality to make them memorable. Epic setpieces and finishers permeate through boss fights and make them a wonder to watch. Different approaches with different combos with different magic give you so many opportunities. There's alot on your palette in Castlevania and boss fights aren't gonna disappoint.
Graphics 9/10
Castlevania is a very beautiful game. Design-wise and visually. The diverse environments provide a very strong, fantastical world that Castlevania is trying to depict. Castles are the stereotype but Lords of Shadow expands on this with lush outside jungle areas, courtyards and even wild sandstorms towards the end. Try not to contrast previous Castlevania games because I'll repeat this is a reboot. Nothing associates or intertwines with the canon of the previous games. Character models also look great. Gabriel looks uninspired but his expressions transition greatly throughout chapters. You can tell the man has been through alot in his subjective journey. Enemy designs are also great and intentionally freakish. Boss fights all look badass might I say and will frighten you in the lengthy and intriguing cutscenes. The Butcher is my favorite enemy design despite his frustrating fight. He's a fat slob carrying just a butcher knife but goes ballistic throughout the fight and ends up going nuts and smashing a cauldron on his head, using it as a helmet. One of the last boss fights is also marvelous to just stare at and I'm sure it'll impress everyone.
Sound 10/10
I remember watching the Lord of the Rings movies. I sometimes hum the epic tunes that were in that movie. It had that tone and how it perfectly blended with the work's atmosphere it just made it a piece of art on its own. Lords of Shadow is also the Lord of the Rings in terms of soundtrack. The epic orchestra that synchronizes every epic battle, every scary encounter and every heroic finisher just accentuate the game's awesomeness. I usually breeze through the games not noticing the music but I'd gladly buy the game's soundtrack if I ever find it. The voice acting is as top notch. Robert Carlyle voicing Gabriel and Patrick Stewart voicing Zobek, the voice initiating the storybook approach of every chapter, never discourage you and detract from your immersion. I really can't find any flaws. The audio of this game is flawless.
SUMMARY:
Castlevania Lords of Shadow is one of the best of hack and slash games the 360 and PS3 have to provide. It has its flaws but you can easily overlook them with the amount of content and the extremely high production values Mercury Steam have inserted into the game. A 20 hour interactive epic. If you're not impressed with the sometimes stale story then the game redeems itself with its masterful soundtrack and impressive gameplay.
PROS:
+ Perfect audio
+ Gameplay of God of War and works just as well
+ Incredible boss fights and visuals
+ Awesome conclusion
+20 hours to complete. Get your money's worth
CONS:
- Bland character models
- Sometimes slashing is not too responsive
- Pace of story drops in the middle of the game
"A 20 hour interactive epic. Castlevania like you never knew it"
9/10
Single player 8/10
Gabriel Belmont, the popular surname every zealous Castlevania gamer should recognize is introduced to us as our protagonist. The husky hero is on a quest to find information on his deceased wife, Marie. He meets with the Guardian of the Lake, Pan, and tells him that he can communicate with the dead if he traverses to the Lake of Oblivion. Gabriel eventually reaches his destination and Marie tells him, in a hologram-esque form, that for the world's salvation Gabriel must stop the Lords of Shadow. These Lords conflict with the Guardians of Light and this is where religion comes in. It's a God vs Satan affair in the background and it'll interest even the ones that don't believe in such things. It's very well-told story. Every level of every chapter in the game (about 40-50) initiate with Patrick Stewart's voice giving us a brief introduction to the chapter. It also clarifies Gabriel's emotions and how he transforms throughout the game in ways I will not reveal. Patrick Stewart voices Zobek, a fellow warrior that follows Gabriel secretly and guides him to his goal. The story starts out slow but in the beginning I was caught surprised in a very frightening twist. Just when you think it starts to get boring it'll supplement something to make it fresh. It's a 15-20 hour campaign on Normal and there is incentive to replay it. You can complete trials when done with your initial playthrough of the chapters and the story is interesting enough to experience again. I just wish the pacing was better since during the middle of the game, the story seems to drop too much in exuberance. It makes up for those flaws though with the awesome yet appalling ending.
Gameplay 9/10
Castlevania Lords of Shadow shares the majority of its gameplay features with other popular games. God of War is the primary source. The slow yet effective gameplay that influenced God of War to be the masterpiece that it is, functions superbly in Castlevania even if it offers nothing to segregate it from any other game in the genre. But what it does, it does very well and that's what Mercury Steam wanted with the rendition of this reboot. An idiosyncrasy I noticed though that sticked out in Dante's Inferno is how during combos controls seem to be less responsive. This allows enemies to take jabs at you while performing a pretty complex combo and thus interrupting the flow. It's not as bad and conspicuous as it was in Dante's but still a small gripe. The weapons include your classic whip, gauntlets that deal immense damage but extremely uncomfortable to control while in combat and boots that aids with evading. There's also Light magic and Dark magic to enhance your abilities and you can purchase combos for the corresponding abilities at the end of every stage. Currency is not a problem but you would want to save your money on the later combos than mindlessly spending them on the early ones. Enemies are aggressive especially in harder difficulties but executing every combo you bought will get you through just fine. It's not any Ninja Gaiden but the difficulty is just right and enemy variations will keep it unpredictable and won't end up being repetitive with the combat.
Castlevania executes the combat greatly but there's more to it than just slashing up foes. Platforming takes a chunk of the gameplay department. Every level will have to make you think how to get from one ledge to another. They start out simple with just using your whip as a grappling hook but get more complex with wings and gaining momentum while running. Platforming is also accompanied with puzzles and go hand to hand. Puzzles you can compare to platforming in the sense that they start pretty stagnant and easy but end up being creative towards the end because of your expanded repertoire. There are problems with the platforming though. Sometimes it'll be unclear where you have to jump because of fixed camera angles. Also, if you descend down a ledge slightly more than required it automatically drops you and takes out a bit of your health bar. Small annoyances that shouldn't be repeated but are often noticed throughout the game. Puzzles consist of chess, music boxes and even reflecting light from mirror cliches. Excluding the mirror puzzles, I found the others to be quite competent and challenging and not too frustrating.
Lastly, I will have to mention the excellent boss fights. They borrow boss fights from Shadow of the Colossus that function perfectly and even the one on one fights with normal sized creatures have enough challenge and originality to make them memorable. Epic setpieces and finishers permeate through boss fights and make them a wonder to watch. Different approaches with different combos with different magic give you so many opportunities. There's alot on your palette in Castlevania and boss fights aren't gonna disappoint.
Graphics 9/10
Castlevania is a very beautiful game. Design-wise and visually. The diverse environments provide a very strong, fantastical world that Castlevania is trying to depict. Castles are the stereotype but Lords of Shadow expands on this with lush outside jungle areas, courtyards and even wild sandstorms towards the end. Try not to contrast previous Castlevania games because I'll repeat this is a reboot. Nothing associates or intertwines with the canon of the previous games. Character models also look great. Gabriel looks uninspired but his expressions transition greatly throughout chapters. You can tell the man has been through alot in his subjective journey. Enemy designs are also great and intentionally freakish. Boss fights all look badass might I say and will frighten you in the lengthy and intriguing cutscenes. The Butcher is my favorite enemy design despite his frustrating fight. He's a fat slob carrying just a butcher knife but goes ballistic throughout the fight and ends up going nuts and smashing a cauldron on his head, using it as a helmet. One of the last boss fights is also marvelous to just stare at and I'm sure it'll impress everyone.
Sound 10/10
I remember watching the Lord of the Rings movies. I sometimes hum the epic tunes that were in that movie. It had that tone and how it perfectly blended with the work's atmosphere it just made it a piece of art on its own. Lords of Shadow is also the Lord of the Rings in terms of soundtrack. The epic orchestra that synchronizes every epic battle, every scary encounter and every heroic finisher just accentuate the game's awesomeness. I usually breeze through the games not noticing the music but I'd gladly buy the game's soundtrack if I ever find it. The voice acting is as top notch. Robert Carlyle voicing Gabriel and Patrick Stewart voicing Zobek, the voice initiating the storybook approach of every chapter, never discourage you and detract from your immersion. I really can't find any flaws. The audio of this game is flawless.
SUMMARY:
Castlevania Lords of Shadow is one of the best of hack and slash games the 360 and PS3 have to provide. It has its flaws but you can easily overlook them with the amount of content and the extremely high production values Mercury Steam have inserted into the game. A 20 hour interactive epic. If you're not impressed with the sometimes stale story then the game redeems itself with its masterful soundtrack and impressive gameplay.
PROS:
+ Perfect audio
+ Gameplay of God of War and works just as well
+ Incredible boss fights and visuals
+ Awesome conclusion
+20 hours to complete. Get your money's worth
CONS:
- Bland character models
- Sometimes slashing is not too responsive
- Pace of story drops in the middle of the game
"A 20 hour interactive epic. Castlevania like you never knew it"
9/10
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Mafia II - Review
The highly anticipated sequel for fans of Italian mafia released the August that just passed. Acquiring this game for just a time killer until Halo Reach, I was surprised. I will fill you in from what to expect from 2K's promising mobster game. Was it worth buying or was it just another kick in the head?
Saying Mafia II has an eminent, intriguing plot would be a diaphanous statement. Vito Scaletta is one of the huge amount immigrants that splashed in America in the early 20th century. His family came in America circaWorld War I during Mussolini's reign in Italia. Vito lived a childhood we've all seen before. Sneaky critter running in the streets planning mischievous excursions. Sooner or later Vito turned into an official adult. At 18 Vito was called for the World War II where he fought alongside the Americanos. The opening sequence where he is in the battlefield for the war is a great prologue and kicks the game with a powerful start. We get used to the controls and has a nice stationary gun sequence that keeps the blood pumping. Vito returns and finds out his family, after his father's death, is in debt. Only with his sister, Francesca, attempting to support Mrs. Scaletta, Vito has to help his family like a good mama's boy he is. Despite my lame humorous attempts, I feel for the family even in the beginning of the game. His helpless, elderly mother relies on her children and Francesca's optimism amplifies the tragedy of the situation. This makes you feel that Vito has enough things on his shoulders fast in the game and immediately absorbs you in the action.
Vito initially was going to return to the war but after mundane tasks like picking up crates and placing them on trucks, he refuses to work like this for such low wage. He then sways towards Joe Barbado for a better job thus making it more risky. Joe deals with Vito's war situation (not having to return) and then immediately endows him with work. Very risky work. From there, Vito deals with the Mafia. The plot has its own typical Mafia routine like selling cigarettes and assassinating the guy that messes with the Mafia. It's the gunfights that pique the game's action. Albeit gunflights are surrounded by everyday tasks like waking up everyday and performing the uniform things Vito does everyday (answer phone, dress up, drink a beer) I don't see this as a flaw. You see, if Mafia was a non-stop action game with driving and plot-line kept building up the game would drag on too much. Not only does this break tension but it builds suspense and keeps the pace seamless. The later half of the game is when the action builds up even more where revelations come in the game and plot twists become more common. Right when Vito believes he has it all, something happens to screw his visions up. Crime doesn't pay is the main theme with an ending that totally reinforces this.
BTW, there's a scene that references Mafia I. It caught me by surprise.
The soundtrack of the game is top notch. I mean, rarely do I download songs due to games' amazing soundtracks (Rock Band and Fallout are two of the games I just had to) but Mafia II excels with its soundtrack. The 40s to 50s music constantly playing on the radio as the time period progresses always sets the mood. There's even some specific music played during specific events in the game for example: Before the cross reference of Mafia I and II would occur, the music on the radio was Mafia I's theme song. The tune gave me a smile since I was glad to see the devs didn't forget what made Mafia so popular. The reference itself is beautiful. All this also applies to the voice acting. Vito's genuine Italian accent with Joe's cocky attitude but sometimes sensitive further execute the game's plot in a prominent fashion. All major characters have that genuine Mafia feel in their voices especially when threats drop from Mafia members. You can cut the tension with a knife.
Visual-wise, Mafia II once again succeeds. The environment is a replica of New York giving its own unique vibe as time progresses. The end of the game is a rainy evening with deserted streets, to further emphasize the tragedy of the story. See, Mafia all revolves around its story. Voice actors are amazing, environment is outstanding and gameplay elements all synthesize for a better plot experience. Mafia is not the typical GTA clone. While the environment is decent in size, there's no point in exploring as much as the slick map teases you. Characters look mostly great except some face designs I didn't like and bland interior areas. Other than that, top notch here as well. Cars look like 40s-50s cars and every citizen in the street wears something or says something to convince you this is 20th century America. An example is Joe referring to his pleasure girls as broads. I also dug the suits that are provided. You get a sense of gratification when after all that killing you lay some money on the table for an expensive suit and get that achievement where you buy your first luxury suit.
Mafia II until now impressed me in all aspects. Visuals and graphic design, atmosphere, voice acting and soundtrack and of course its magnificent plot. The gameplay of Mafia doesn't let down either but this is where more flaws come in. Despite Mafia being surprisingly amazing, the gameplay itself is also great but inconsistency is an issue. Mafia's cover system mostly works but sometimes you'll get shot in the head while you're perfectly concealed and sometimes standing behind some glass can make you live for another day. I also don't like the fixed cover where you press A and sluggishly move behind a wall until told otherwise. I mean, dynamic cover that automatically locks you on should be implemented, like Saboteur for example. Since Mass Effect 2 perfected the tap to cover system I won't cut Mafia alot of points for that. Other than those flaws I can say Mafia delivers a solid shooter experience. The pacing isn't perfect, I think the gunplay always delivers some epic moments when you reach them. Fighting the Irish, dealing with meddlers of the Mafia and etc. The best gunfights come towards the end of the game where the story picks up pace and Vito's gunfights have much more meaning rather than to satisfy your itchy trigger finger. Driving feels sometimes slippery but other than that, it's good.The police are too observant and will chase you even if you go over the 40 limit while driving but are easily escapable.
People complain that Mafia doesn't have a free-roam portion in the disc of the game where you can execute side missions like in GTA. While there are few side missions in Mafia II like wrecking cars for extra cash, and some side missions in the DLC, I disagree with these people. Mafia is a story-centered game. The environment is there for show-off if you must. I'm not disappointed for not exploring since looking around the polished environment is enough. It's big enough to travel from objective to objective without getting stagnant and small enough to get to destinations without driving getting monotonous. Like I've also mentioned, breaking up the pace is an important factor since then you can fall trap to games like Kane and Lynch where you just tap A behind a wall and push RT after waves and waves of enemies. No variety whatsoever in terms of gameplay.
Vito Scaletta provided me 15 hours of fun on Hard difficulty, which should be the default difficulty by the way. Despite some frustrating moments with the cover system and aim assist not working properly, the guns felt and shot perfectly with no overpowered enemies or cheap deaths for my part. Mafia II is a game that will provide you a very solid story experience and an amazing mobster story that is probably the definitive game for mafia fans like Godfather was for movies. Excuse me now, my Mafia mood is present and I have to watch some Boardwalk Empire.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10
Saying Mafia II has an eminent, intriguing plot would be a diaphanous statement. Vito Scaletta is one of the huge amount immigrants that splashed in America in the early 20th century. His family came in America circa
Vito initially was going to return to the war but after mundane tasks like picking up crates and placing them on trucks, he refuses to work like this for such low wage. He then sways towards Joe Barbado for a better job thus making it more risky. Joe deals with Vito's war situation (not having to return) and then immediately endows him with work. Very risky work. From there, Vito deals with the Mafia. The plot has its own typical Mafia routine like selling cigarettes and assassinating the guy that messes with the Mafia. It's the gunfights that pique the game's action. Albeit gunflights are surrounded by everyday tasks like waking up everyday and performing the uniform things Vito does everyday (answer phone, dress up, drink a beer) I don't see this as a flaw. You see, if Mafia was a non-stop action game with driving and plot-line kept building up the game would drag on too much. Not only does this break tension but it builds suspense and keeps the pace seamless. The later half of the game is when the action builds up even more where revelations come in the game and plot twists become more common. Right when Vito believes he has it all, something happens to screw his visions up. Crime doesn't pay is the main theme with an ending that totally reinforces this.
BTW, there's a scene that references Mafia I. It caught me by surprise.
The soundtrack of the game is top notch. I mean, rarely do I download songs due to games' amazing soundtracks (
Visual-wise, Mafia II once again succeeds. The environment is a replica of New York giving its own unique vibe as time progresses. The end of the game is a rainy evening with deserted streets, to further emphasize the tragedy of the story. See, Mafia all revolves around its story. Voice actors are amazing, environment is outstanding and gameplay elements all synthesize for a better plot experience. Mafia is not the typical GTA clone. While the environment is decent in size, there's no point in exploring as much as the slick map teases you. Characters look mostly great except some face designs I didn't like and bland interior areas. Other than that, top notch here as well. Cars look like 40s-50s cars and every citizen in the street wears something or says something to convince you this is 20th century America. An example is Joe referring to his pleasure girls as broads. I also dug the suits that are provided. You get a sense of gratification when after all that killing you lay some money on the table for an expensive suit and get that achievement where you buy your first luxury suit.
Mafia II until now impressed me in all aspects. Visuals and graphic design, atmosphere, voice acting and soundtrack and of course its magnificent plot. The gameplay of Mafia doesn't let down either but this is where more flaws come in. Despite Mafia being surprisingly amazing, the gameplay itself is also great but inconsistency is an issue. Mafia's cover system mostly works but sometimes you'll get shot in the head while you're perfectly concealed and sometimes standing behind some glass can make you live for another day. I also don't like the fixed cover where you press A and sluggishly move behind a wall until told otherwise. I mean, dynamic cover that automatically locks you on should be implemented, like Saboteur for example. Since Mass Effect 2 perfected the tap to cover system I won't cut Mafia alot of points for that. Other than those flaws I can say Mafia delivers a solid shooter experience. The pacing isn't perfect, I think the gunplay always delivers some epic moments when you reach them. Fighting the Irish, dealing with meddlers of the Mafia and etc. The best gunfights come towards the end of the game where the story picks up pace and Vito's gunfights have much more meaning rather than to satisfy your itchy trigger finger. Driving feels sometimes slippery but other than that, it's good.
People complain that Mafia doesn't have a free-roam portion in the disc of the game where you can execute side missions like in GTA. While there are few side missions in Mafia II like wrecking cars for extra cash, and some side missions in the DLC, I disagree with these people. Mafia is a story-centered game. The environment is there for show-off if you must. I'm not disappointed for not exploring since looking around the polished environment is enough. It's big enough to travel from objective to objective without getting stagnant and small enough to get to destinations without driving getting monotonous. Like I've also mentioned, breaking up the pace is an important factor since then you can fall trap to games like Kane and Lynch where you just tap A behind a wall and push RT after waves and waves of enemies. No variety whatsoever in terms of gameplay.
Vito Scaletta provided me 15 hours of fun on Hard difficulty, which should be the default difficulty by the way. Despite some frustrating moments with the cover system and aim assist not working properly, the guns felt and shot perfectly with no overpowered enemies or cheap deaths for my part. Mafia II is a game that will provide you a very solid story experience and an amazing mobster story that is probably the definitive game for mafia fans like Godfather was for movies. Excuse me now, my Mafia mood is present and I have to watch some Boardwalk Empire.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10
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