2007 was an excellent year for gaming. But one of the more different masterpieces that 2007 presented to us was Bioshock. Underwater utopia Rapture was a bliss to explore, because of the mystery it hid so well and the eerie atmosphere it gave out. Playing as Jack in the first game gave you a sense of vulnerability and by the end of the game, I felt satisfied with it in total. 2 years and 6 months later Bioshock 2 hits the stores with a much more intriguing concept which I always wondered about after it was announced: Playing as a Big Daddy.
Bioshock 2 starts off with your Big Daddy player protecting his little sister: Eleanor. We can immediately tell the game will approach emotions rather than mystery in this game, since the opening scene in the sequel might not as be as abrupt and exciting as the first game, but it still is quite shocking of what happens. 10 years later after the original Bioshock your Big Daddy reactivates with little to remember and guided by Tenenbaum, one of the guides in the first game, you find out how you were separated by your Little Sister and your only objective is to rejoin with her. She was kidnapped by Sophia Lamb, who wants to bring the communist vibe in Rapture by persuading everyone to work together for freedom. I will admit Andrew Ryan was a much more interesting character than Lamb, since all she does in the entire game is intimidate you with radio messages and we learn about her character quite early in the game and never really develops deeper. Progressing through the story I must say it really slows down in pace. You do the banal fetch that type of missions like in the first one, which really is common in sandbox type of games these days. It's not until the last half of the game where the game's story increased my interest drastically. Sinclair, an altruistic businessman guides you to your goal throughout the game. He won't be your favorite character but yet again, an innocent person should be included in a game with such devilish looking enemies. Despite not learning much about your Big Daddy since he doesn't really talk, we do find about the relationship between your Little Sister later in the game. Audio diaries digs through the game's plotline even deeper making it as interesting as the first game. And for a little taste about the ending, it is much better than the first one. 6 different endings and the one that developed for me almost brought a tear in my eye.
The game's 60s soundtrack suits the atmosphere very much. It matches the time period and whenever a tune is played during load times just cuts the tension in the game and some of the lyrics just perfectly match Rapture. My favorite piece is probably "Hush hush hush here comes the boogyman." The voice acting in the game is great. I like how Andrew Ryan's original voice appears in the audio diaries; the sequel connects to the first one a lot more with the familiar voices and locations in whole. Sound does make the atmosphere creepier. Splicers talking from afar, water dripping from ravaged pipes and Big Sisters' warning screech that they are hunting in for you make the game alot like Bioshock 1's whole survivor concept even when you are playing as a Big Daddy. I do wish though they included the "Welcome to the circles of values" when you approach vending machines. It really did make me want to spend money on the items it had on stock.
Bioshock 2 really does improve in the gameplay even though it keeps the same recipe as the first one. Some little tweaks like better aiming (aiming down sights with every gun finally) and a better variety of research upgrades and tonics make the game feel much more massive (alot like an RPG). Your typical guns are in it like machine guns, grenade launchers and shotguns but also the Rivet Gun is added: a standard bolt action rifle type gun used by Big Daddies only which is my favorite gun by far. I also love the new addition of using both your plasmid and weapon at the same time for some outstanding combos. The game never feels easy though since there is no health regeneration and the limited first aid kits really accumulates the survival genre still.There are more enemies types added as well. Brute Splicers are big splicers that remind me of Left 4 Dead's tank and my favorite addition: The Big Sisters. Ninja type enemies that are much tougher than the typical big daddy. They usually appear after dealing with every Little Sister in a map. Freedom might feel more linear than the first one but there are more items to loot and every corner is filled with a surprise. It was annoying always opening file cabinets in Bioshock 1 and finding nothing even with the double search tonic. Little Sisters appear in the game for ADAM again but 2K also improved it. When defeating a Big Daddy you can now adopt or harvest a Little Sister on the spot. It obviously affects the ending, but adopting can let you gather ADAM from fallen splicers which activates a 5 minute protecting sequence until your Little Sister from waves of splicers until she also drinks the ADAM (by the far the slowest gulping I've ever seen; when you're low on health and getting killed and just see your Little Sister slowly gulping ADAM down, really does get annoying). The game difficulty increases as you progress obviously but so does your abilities and upgrades. Weapon upgrade stations reappear in the game and after 2 upgrades on a specific weapon you get a 3rd special upgrade for it if you wish to pick it. For the Rivet Gun I got setting enemies on fire on some of my shots.
Another part of the gameplay is the relieving enjoyable multiplayer. With a similar ranking system to Call of Duty (Call of Duty's challenges are known as trials in this game) that allows you to level up and gain new abilities/ upgrades/weapons and appearance upgrades for the character you select. It's obvious 2K tried to make the game feel fresh at all times thus trying to make people play the multiplayer as much as possible. They even announced their first DLC a few days ago increasing the level cap.
The visuals of Bioshock 2 are as good as the first one. Not much improvements, but that's because Bioshock 1's graphics were ahead of its time. The water effects still are the best effects I've seen in a game. The design of the game is still top notch. The grotesque designs of splicers and the spooky atmosphere of Rapture still exist in the sequel and with the Big Daddy/Sister design being still one of the most unique designs in a game, makes me feel this franchise should really turn into a movie because of all the interesting concepts it contains. Plasmids look awesome on a Big Daddy's hands and while you upgrade one really does show. For example Incinerate starts from a small fire, to a huge flame if you fully upgrade it. Guns look extremely appealing with its uniqueness and the drill really does blow the inferior wrench ,from the first game, out of the water.
The engrossing story, upgraded gameplay and fascinating visuals still impress in 2K's amazing sequel. Bioshock 1 might seem one of a kind for a few, and some parts I might agree but the sequel improves in a lot of sections where the first game lacked on and even though it may feel like a clone at times, it's a clone you shouldn't pass on. Rapture is still one of a kind.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] 10
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Mass Effect 2 - Review
Mass Effect 2 is the sequel to the 2007 sci-fi RPG epic Mass Effect 1. Early 2008, Bioware officially announced the sequel to the outstanding game. I bought Mass Effect 1 , so Mass Effect 2 was an inevitable buy for me. But I never knew how much I'd like the sequel.
What really intrigued about its predecessor, is its story and choices that can affect the whole game. The story in this game is much deeper and straight forward. The game starts off with a bang; it is the exact opposite of how the first one started. The Normandy faces an attack, with cutscene visuals that would make any jaw drop. Shepard as a rightful captain, goes out with the ship. This gives the game an excuse a la Saints Row to customize your character's appearance. From hairstyle to the 6 unique classes featured in the game. Despite all this, the game includes something that would make any RPG fan weep with joy: your decisions in the original game affect the sequel drastically. First I thought this would be a cool addition. I assumed major decisions in the first game would affect your playthrough, but as I progressed through the game, I found out characters in the first game who I spared their lives, talking to me and recognizing me. Bioware really dug deep in the whole story and this surprised me. As you progress through the game you recruit new characters, so as to help you for the suicide mission against the mysterious race known as Collectors. Bioware has really outdone themselves in this game, and each character has such emotion and background, towards the end of the game I felt attached to them. I can't pick who is my favorite character in the game, since everyone had so much detail and unique personalities, that I'd never be able to pick.
The story accelerates in fast pace as you progress through the main storyline branch. Even though just finishing the game with no side quests, drastically affects your ending, since each character you recruit has their own loyalty mission, which when completed gains their loyalty. Each confrontation in the game is vital. You have usually three decisions to pick from in your speech branch, even though I wish there was more variety, it still plays a major role in your playthrough. Every decision will add on to your Paragon or Renegade points and immediately affect your Shepard's personality( and awesome scars on his face) and perhaps the final mission, which I must add is one of the best moment in gaming of all time. The final mission made me tremble in anxiety because of the suspense. The whole game builds up on the whole suicide mission. Every decision and mission you do revolves around the final confrontation, which is just the final touch on this masterpiece.
The soundtrack of the game is epic in every sense. The old galaxy map tune from the first game returns but the final piece played on the last part of the game is simply outstanding. Forget the heroic music playing during the first Mass Effect's credits: this one just tops it off. The whole soundtrack suits every situation in the game and without it I'm positive I'd never feel as consumed as I felt that night when I concluded my first playthrough. The voice acting in the game is also great. Each race has their own tone and accent. The quarians have the foreign european accent. Krogans have the rough tone in their voice so as to emphasize their intimidation. Shepard's default male voice is also standard, but the fact the voice actor(s) of Shepard spent double the time voice acting for the sequel than the original game. That shows how much dedication Bioware has put into every little detail in the game. Seth Green as Joker is once again satisfying since I guarantee you, he will make you chuckle more than once in this game since he also plays a major part of the game.
Mass Effect 1 played like a RPG with shooter on the side dish. This slightly changes in the sequel. Bioware strips down some RPG elements in the game they thought was unnecessary and made the game into a much straightforward, but less detailed RPG. Some hardcore RPG fans might have gotten disappointed with this since Bioware's previous game was Dragon Age, a hardcore RPG game but what Bioware takes out of Mass Effect 2 is totally worth it. They dispose of the inventory where you had to fiddle for a couple of minutes and sometimes I would want an item I found but could not obtain because my inventory was full and would was mandatory for me to deplete to omni-gel. No more micro-managing in this game. They get rid of the different armor types, and instead they added upgrades to the stand N7 armor. It isn't as deep and customizable as the first game since all it states is the percent bonuses each upgrade gives you, but since they added more detail in this specific armor e.g. changing its style and color makes me think that the disposals weren't such of a big loss.
The game plays like a shooter mostly in the sequel but RPG elements are still quite heavy. You can still customize your skills but not as much; also this time around you gain XP from quests and not enemies. Prevents XP farming I assume. The shooting in the game is great and has some nice additions that separate it from other shooters that play similar to it. The ammo types, biotic powers, tech powers and special skills in whole just make the game more fun to play. You take cover by tapping A like in Gears of War but unlike the mentioned, the cover system never gets annoying and always works. Enemy types in the game vary in every quest thus forcing you to use different ammo types. When you fully upgrade a skill you can choose from 2 "ultra forms" of the skill as I like to call them and make it your superior choice most of the times. Commanding squadmates isn't as deep like in the first game but this time combining powers at the same and a better AI in whole makes the game never feel nerve wracking. Although on harder difficulties, being punctilious is a necessity since enemies can punish you harshly. Just adds to the challenge and always trying different tactics to the main core gameplay is what makes Mass Effect so unique. As me being a Soldier I acquired all ammo types, armor upgrades and all guns. I do have a lack of biotic and tech powers though. And that's what makes Mass Effect so amazing: how Bioware motivates you to play with different classes and even in some games the classes may seem dull, in this game it's never the case.
The side quests in this game are improved MASSIVELY. The side quests are all in different locations, and are not as dull like in other RPGs. They all have their own breathtaking moments except maybe one or two. The loyalty missions are one of the many highlights of the game. No loyalty mission made me feel bored and they all drained me into this sci-fi world presented to me and the fact the story of each character just kept getting better increased my enjoyment. Although I wish more side quests were included, but that's just me being spoiled and since I already know there will be more than a few packs of DLC getting released.
The visuals in this game are simply remarkable. Citadel feels so lively and the fact there are no bland vehicle sections, make you enjoy and explore the excellent designed environment so much more. One example is the Crashed Ship site side quest where we have to explore. The scenery is breathtaking and whenever Shepard moved to an edge and debris tumbled from one side to the other made me feel extremely satisfied like the other 999 reasons why this game is just the perfect 360 game. Character models look amazing and facial animations do show emotions. Getting attached to an imaginary species crying for his son doesn't happen often in games. But yet again:
Mass Effect 2 isn't just a game. Mass Effect 2 is a piece of art. If videogames had to present themselves in an exhibition, they should pick Mass Effect 2 for the presentation. Some people call it the Avatar of videogames. Some compare it to Kotor. I call it game of the year. No: game of the new decade.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [10]
What really intrigued about its predecessor, is its story and choices that can affect the whole game. The story in this game is much deeper and straight forward. The game starts off with a bang; it is the exact opposite of how the first one started. The Normandy faces an attack, with cutscene visuals that would make any jaw drop. Shepard as a rightful captain, goes out with the ship. This gives the game an excuse a la Saints Row to customize your character's appearance. From hairstyle to the 6 unique classes featured in the game. Despite all this, the game includes something that would make any RPG fan weep with joy: your decisions in the original game affect the sequel drastically. First I thought this would be a cool addition. I assumed major decisions in the first game would affect your playthrough, but as I progressed through the game, I found out characters in the first game who I spared their lives, talking to me and recognizing me. Bioware really dug deep in the whole story and this surprised me. As you progress through the game you recruit new characters, so as to help you for the suicide mission against the mysterious race known as Collectors. Bioware has really outdone themselves in this game, and each character has such emotion and background, towards the end of the game I felt attached to them. I can't pick who is my favorite character in the game, since everyone had so much detail and unique personalities, that I'd never be able to pick.
The story accelerates in fast pace as you progress through the main storyline branch. Even though just finishing the game with no side quests, drastically affects your ending, since each character you recruit has their own loyalty mission, which when completed gains their loyalty. Each confrontation in the game is vital. You have usually three decisions to pick from in your speech branch, even though I wish there was more variety, it still plays a major role in your playthrough. Every decision will add on to your Paragon or Renegade points and immediately affect your Shepard's personality( and awesome scars on his face) and perhaps the final mission, which I must add is one of the best moment in gaming of all time. The final mission made me tremble in anxiety because of the suspense. The whole game builds up on the whole suicide mission. Every decision and mission you do revolves around the final confrontation, which is just the final touch on this masterpiece.
The soundtrack of the game is epic in every sense. The old galaxy map tune from the first game returns but the final piece played on the last part of the game is simply outstanding. Forget the heroic music playing during the first Mass Effect's credits: this one just tops it off. The whole soundtrack suits every situation in the game and without it I'm positive I'd never feel as consumed as I felt that night when I concluded my first playthrough. The voice acting in the game is also great. Each race has their own tone and accent. The quarians have the foreign european accent. Krogans have the rough tone in their voice so as to emphasize their intimidation. Shepard's default male voice is also standard, but the fact the voice actor(s) of Shepard spent double the time voice acting for the sequel than the original game. That shows how much dedication Bioware has put into every little detail in the game. Seth Green as Joker is once again satisfying since I guarantee you, he will make you chuckle more than once in this game since he also plays a major part of the game.
Mass Effect 1 played like a RPG with shooter on the side dish. This slightly changes in the sequel. Bioware strips down some RPG elements in the game they thought was unnecessary and made the game into a much straightforward, but less detailed RPG. Some hardcore RPG fans might have gotten disappointed with this since Bioware's previous game was Dragon Age, a hardcore RPG game but what Bioware takes out of Mass Effect 2 is totally worth it. They dispose of the inventory where you had to fiddle for a couple of minutes and sometimes I would want an item I found but could not obtain because my inventory was full and would was mandatory for me to deplete to omni-gel. No more micro-managing in this game. They get rid of the different armor types, and instead they added upgrades to the stand N7 armor. It isn't as deep and customizable as the first game since all it states is the percent bonuses each upgrade gives you, but since they added more detail in this specific armor e.g. changing its style and color makes me think that the disposals weren't such of a big loss.
The game plays like a shooter mostly in the sequel but RPG elements are still quite heavy. You can still customize your skills but not as much; also this time around you gain XP from quests and not enemies. Prevents XP farming I assume. The shooting in the game is great and has some nice additions that separate it from other shooters that play similar to it. The ammo types, biotic powers, tech powers and special skills in whole just make the game more fun to play. You take cover by tapping A like in Gears of War but unlike the mentioned, the cover system never gets annoying and always works. Enemy types in the game vary in every quest thus forcing you to use different ammo types. When you fully upgrade a skill you can choose from 2 "ultra forms" of the skill as I like to call them and make it your superior choice most of the times. Commanding squadmates isn't as deep like in the first game but this time combining powers at the same and a better AI in whole makes the game never feel nerve wracking. Although on harder difficulties, being punctilious is a necessity since enemies can punish you harshly. Just adds to the challenge and always trying different tactics to the main core gameplay is what makes Mass Effect so unique. As me being a Soldier I acquired all ammo types, armor upgrades and all guns. I do have a lack of biotic and tech powers though. And that's what makes Mass Effect so amazing: how Bioware motivates you to play with different classes and even in some games the classes may seem dull, in this game it's never the case.
The side quests in this game are improved MASSIVELY. The side quests are all in different locations, and are not as dull like in other RPGs. They all have their own breathtaking moments except maybe one or two. The loyalty missions are one of the many highlights of the game. No loyalty mission made me feel bored and they all drained me into this sci-fi world presented to me and the fact the story of each character just kept getting better increased my enjoyment. Although I wish more side quests were included, but that's just me being spoiled and since I already know there will be more than a few packs of DLC getting released.
The visuals in this game are simply remarkable. Citadel feels so lively and the fact there are no bland vehicle sections, make you enjoy and explore the excellent designed environment so much more. One example is the Crashed Ship site side quest where we have to explore. The scenery is breathtaking and whenever Shepard moved to an edge and debris tumbled from one side to the other made me feel extremely satisfied like the other 999 reasons why this game is just the perfect 360 game. Character models look amazing and facial animations do show emotions. Getting attached to an imaginary species crying for his son doesn't happen often in games. But yet again:
Mass Effect 2 isn't just a game. Mass Effect 2 is a piece of art. If videogames had to present themselves in an exhibition, they should pick Mass Effect 2 for the presentation. Some people call it the Avatar of videogames. Some compare it to Kotor. I call it game of the year. No: game of the new decade.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 [10]
Alien vs Predator - Review
This is my first videogame review. Please go easy on me.
Being a fan of the movies, I had expectations for this game. The previous game in the series, AvP 2, was actually great and seeing Alien Colonial Marines got delayed, I wanted nothing else but "amazing" on this game. Rebellion has a weird history with their games starting with the original AvP which was good, and their latest project Rogue Warrior which I believe was the worse game in the series. So is AvP a killer entry in the FPS/survivor genre or a helpless marine prone to die.
What intrigued me most about the game is the three 4-5 hour campaigns, for each species. I started with the Marine campaign which I found to be surprisingly great. I've had some issues with it though. The story was weak, despite some intense moments like getting thrown down a hill by a Predator after he sneaks up on you, or even seeing a facehugger for the first time in a dark hallway. It really reminds you Rebellion tried to focus more on a survivor style for this specific campaign. The story basically starts with your spacecraft crashing and having to regroup with your team. There are no big twists or surprises; it certainly gets the job done but the predictability of it just makes it quite dull. The design of the game is decent. The indoor sections are very well done, with a good amount of polish and immerses you enough for you to think that you truly are a lonely marine with no help. On the other hand, there are the outdoor sections, which look half finished most of the time and recalling my back to my playthrough, the jungle is the only outdoor section that slightly impressed me. The character models are impressive and so are the animations and no major glitches except that sometimesAliens get stuck on walls and fly all over the place making it impossible to shoot at. I had to ignore them and just move on with the mission.
Marines have the same gameplay like every other shooter and you gather stims to heal yourself when damaged. 6 weapons really aren't enough but because it's just 1/3 of the whole campaign, it doesn't bother me much. The guns sound very similar to the ones in the movies, but not all of the are as effective as their sound. The flamethrower is by far the most incompetent weapon in the game. It barely does any damage to the enemies and wastes one spot of your inventory where you can use the superior shotgun. The voice acting is nothing to write home about, but I like how Weyland is voiced by the same person like in the movies.
I then chose to play through the Predator Campaign and is by far the best campaign in the game. The variety of gameplay elements in this campaign really never made the campaign dull, even though it has a pretty dull story. You start out as a Youngblood and infiltrate the Marines' base after a short tutorial. From there you quest to search for legendary artifacts. That's all I got from the story since the lack of dialogue (which I know couldn't be added) limit my comprehension of what's going on. But for a 4 hour campaign all I cared about is the Predator stealth killing and combi sticking. As a Predator you can cloak yourself and jump yourself on abnormal heights so as to reach your objective. This also includes ranged weapons, and two different visions; you also heal yourself like the Marine by gathering life shards. Objectives might consist of slaughtering a scientist and gathering his head to unlock doors with a retinal lock or objectives might be the usual open 4-5 switches.Aliens are a cakewalk to kill after finding out an unbeatable combo. The melee combat is decent to good, but what really saves it, are the execution/stealth kills which are by far the goriest I've seen on the console. Only Wolverine gave me this bloody satisfaction and that game was also quite great. At the end of the campaign you fight a disappointing final boss fight, but I can't blame it, since the other 2 campaigns also have disappointing boss encounters. The visuals in the Predator campaign are similar to the Marines, since all 3 campaigns take place in the same environment, which is really another gripe about the game. If you're going to make short campaigns, maybe some environmental creativity wouldn't be bad. It really does add on the predictability.
The Alien campaign is the most disappointing of all 3. The intro in this campaign is probably my favorite moment in the whole 5 mere missions. You start out as a test subject in a lab which morphs into an Alien. Subject 6 to be exact. Scientists in the lab then get excited about the prospect of using you as a weapon and command you in a unique tutorial. After a futile attempt to escape, they capture you once again. But too dogged to give up the Alien manages to escape the lab and free its Queen. The visuals in the eyes of an Alien are quite different. The outlines of your enemies can be seen and has a much more darker sense in the game since its main focus is on stealth. It really did remind me of an inferior version of Riddick since the controls as an Alien are horrible until you get ued to them. With auto transition off, you still get stuck on walls and the camera might fiddle around sometimes making it impossible alot of the times to see where you are hiding and when where the enemies are coming from.Aliens are in a way forced to use stealth since they have less health than the other 2 species, and they only focus on melee combat if you decide to ignore the stealth mechanics. You can complete this campaign in 3 hours and you'll probably not want to come back since the story and boss fights are, like the other campaigns, mediocre.
After analyzing each campaign, I will now enter the multiplayer section of the game. There are 6 modes, with my favorite one being Predator Hunt. It reminds me of the Pitch Black mode in Riddick. Your Predator cloaks and executes Marines silently until he gets killed. The time limit of being a Predator extends after your every assassination. The maps in the game are pretty decent. There's only one map I dislike, which is the maze-like one. Waiting for a wall to come up or down for you to pass (especially as a slow Marine) gets annoying after a few matches. My biggest flaw about the multiplayer is probably the rank system. Ranks usually show the skill and reward you after a specific amount of ranks and time you invested in the game. This game only rewards you with skins- skins that you barely pay attention in the game, and you can't even see so you can feel good about yourself. I'd like a more diverse combo system or maybe even different weapons or perks you can pick from? I guess I got too used to the varietyCall of Duty includes. Therefore, I can see multiplayer living on for a few months as a casual player but probably hardcore AvP fans will keep playing it until AvP 4 or Alien Colonial Marines comes out.
One more thing I should add, is the Survivor mode. Most of you might think Rebellion just added this for a cheap attempt to extend replayability, but 4 player co-op and even though just 2 maps can provide alot of fun if played in short bursts. I really enjoyed it for the few rounds I played.
Conclusion: AvP is a mustbuy for the hardcore fans. I rented it, and I'm glad I rented it. The three campaigns provided me 15 hours of fun and even though the multiplayer is barely memorable, I can see myself not getting bored of it until a few more weeks.
So if you want a survivor/stealth/gory action game, AvP will not disappoint. Just make sure you go easy on its minor flaws.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10
Being a fan of the movies, I had expectations for this game. The previous game in the series, AvP 2, was actually great and seeing Alien Colonial Marines got delayed, I wanted nothing else but "amazing" on this game. Rebellion has a weird history with their games starting with the original AvP which was good, and their latest project Rogue Warrior which I believe was the worse game in the series. So is AvP a killer entry in the FPS/survivor genre or a helpless marine prone to die.
What intrigued me most about the game is the three 4-5 hour campaigns, for each species. I started with the Marine campaign which I found to be surprisingly great. I've had some issues with it though. The story was weak, despite some intense moments like getting thrown down a hill by a Predator after he sneaks up on you, or even seeing a facehugger for the first time in a dark hallway. It really reminds you Rebellion tried to focus more on a survivor style for this specific campaign. The story basically starts with your spacecraft crashing and having to regroup with your team. There are no big twists or surprises; it certainly gets the job done but the predictability of it just makes it quite dull. The design of the game is decent. The indoor sections are very well done, with a good amount of polish and immerses you enough for you to think that you truly are a lonely marine with no help. On the other hand, there are the outdoor sections, which look half finished most of the time and recalling my back to my playthrough, the jungle is the only outdoor section that slightly impressed me. The character models are impressive and so are the animations and no major glitches except that sometimes
Marines have the same gameplay like every other shooter and you gather stims to heal yourself when damaged. 6 weapons really aren't enough but because it's just 1/3 of the whole campaign, it doesn't bother me much. The guns sound very similar to the ones in the movies, but not all of the are as effective as their sound. The flamethrower is by far the most incompetent weapon in the game. It barely does any damage to the enemies and wastes one spot of your inventory where you can use the superior shotgun. The voice acting is nothing to write home about, but I like how Weyland is voiced by the same person like in the movies.
I then chose to play through the Predator Campaign and is by far the best campaign in the game. The variety of gameplay elements in this campaign really never made the campaign dull, even though it has a pretty dull story. You start out as a Youngblood and infiltrate the Marines' base after a short tutorial. From there you quest to search for legendary artifacts. That's all I got from the story since the lack of dialogue (which I know couldn't be added) limit my comprehension of what's going on. But for a 4 hour campaign all I cared about is the Predator stealth killing and combi sticking. As a Predator you can cloak yourself and jump yourself on abnormal heights so as to reach your objective. This also includes ranged weapons, and two different visions; you also heal yourself like the Marine by gathering life shards. Objectives might consist of slaughtering a scientist and gathering his head to unlock doors with a retinal lock or objectives might be the usual open 4-5 switches.
The Alien campaign is the most disappointing of all 3. The intro in this campaign is probably my favorite moment in the whole 5 mere missions. You start out as a test subject in a lab which morphs into an Alien. Subject 6 to be exact. Scientists in the lab then get excited about the prospect of using you as a weapon and command you in a unique tutorial. After a futile attempt to escape, they capture you once again. But too dogged to give up the Alien manages to escape the lab and free its Queen. The visuals in the eyes of an Alien are quite different. The outlines of your enemies can be seen and has a much more darker sense in the game since its main focus is on stealth. It really did remind me of an inferior version of Riddick since the controls as an Alien are horrible until you get ued to them. With auto transition off, you still get stuck on walls and the camera might fiddle around sometimes making it impossible alot of the times to see where you are hiding and when where the enemies are coming from.
After analyzing each campaign, I will now enter the multiplayer section of the game. There are 6 modes, with my favorite one being Predator Hunt. It reminds me of the Pitch Black mode in Riddick. Your Predator cloaks and executes Marines silently until he gets killed. The time limit of being a Predator extends after your every assassination. The maps in the game are pretty decent. There's only one map I dislike, which is the maze-like one. Waiting for a wall to come up or down for you to pass (especially as a slow Marine) gets annoying after a few matches. My biggest flaw about the multiplayer is probably the rank system. Ranks usually show the skill and reward you after a specific amount of ranks and time you invested in the game. This game only rewards you with skins- skins that you barely pay attention in the game, and you can't even see so you can feel good about yourself. I'd like a more diverse combo system or maybe even different weapons or perks you can pick from? I guess I got too used to the variety
One more thing I should add, is the Survivor mode. Most of you might think Rebellion just added this for a cheap attempt to extend replayability, but 4 player co-op and even though just 2 maps can provide alot of fun if played in short bursts. I really enjoyed it for the few rounds I played.
Conclusion: AvP is a mustbuy for the hardcore fans. I rented it, and I'm glad I rented it. The three campaigns provided me 15 hours of fun and even though the multiplayer is barely memorable, I can see myself not getting bored of it until a few more weeks.
So if you want a survivor/stealth/gory action game, AvP will not disappoint. Just make sure you go easy on its minor flaws.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10
Sunday, February 21, 2010
My new site for reviewing
After some thought I decided to make a site for reviewing games I play. Sooner or later I will make video reviews after getting a job and a capture card. It'll soon come (that's what she said).
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