VVVVVV - Review

VVVVVV is a 8-bit platformer which caught my eye this January. The game scored very well in other websites so today after fiddling around with some flash games, I found this gem's demo.

The demo was outstanding. The music has a unique electronic beat to it which never gets old. The 8 bit graphics are charming and animated designs moving in the background make the game feel vivid and makes the platforming more challenging.

Concerning the platforming, VVVVVV is probably the best platformer on the PC released these recent years. After downloading the full game I noticed how deep the game is. The story is about a ship crew getting lost and you, the ship captain, must search for them. The first letter of their names starts with a "V" thus making the title. Terminals allow you to read personal logs regarding to the story but this isn't the strongest point of this magnificent game.

The best part of this masterpiece is definitely the gameplay. This game allows you to reverse gravity to get to the next stage. This leads to satisfying results since controlling 2 gravities gets very confusing but is extremely unique for a platformer. When I say the game is challenging, I mean it's CHALLENGING. The game is forgiving, tossing you checkpoints after every stage but obtaining the trinkets, which are small collectibles, is by far the most frustrating part of the game. But this game is one of the few that the more you die, the more addictive it gets. The flow of the game allows you to keep playing immediately after you die making it hard for you to exit the game and try again later.

One stage with a trinket you're mere inches away from it but you have to reverse gravity in order to obtain it. There you have to avoid spikes, enemies and bounce off a crumbling platform to relive the nightmare once again while you have to go back down and obtain the fulfilling trinket.

With that said, VVVVVV is the best platformer on the PC. For 15 dollars, you can get a gem where you'd never find out about and will immerse you in its masterful gameplay. So my verdict is, buy VVVVVV if you want a challenging platformer that will captivate you and make you ignore all the monotonous shooters in your game library. Probably my biggest sleeper hit of the year.

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Game Room - Review

Game Room is Microsoft's last arcade game for the Block Party. In paper, this was an interactive arcade room for you and your avatar to travel around and play old retro games that could easily be downloaded or played with older consoles or even flash games on your PC. Microsoft wanted something to attract customers but also rip them off at the same time by presenting something like Game room. Game Room is no where near gaming.

I started up my arcade game and a welcoming retro style soundtrack started playing. It's probably the best part of the game. I am swiftly asked to download 2 game packs. Initially, I thought these were free games for me to play but had to realize it was just the content of games. So basically I download the arcade game and now I have to download games that I haven't even paid for yet. Makes sense. One more pack is also required to get downloaded and have no idea for what. I then enter the game and see my avatar on the right side of my screen dancing around joyfully. The clunky menus are simple to use but there is no tutorial to guide me where to go first and what to do. Great way to treat a newbie. I entered my arcade first where I fiddled around with themes and decorations which serve no point really, just for your friends to look at. I got easy achievements which by the way need you to spend hundreds of dollars to 1000/1000. Then I decided to go ahead and try the whole purpose of the Game Room. I took a step forward and bought an arcade game and what a mistake it was. I bought Tempest: the most notable game out of the lot I could choose. If you thought nostalgia was bad in old games recreated in arcade games you should see these games.

Tempest lasted me a good 20 minutes. I got a medal, which lead to me unlocking points and closer to another level! Hooray! But you can't level up unless you get medals. There are 3 medals for every arcade box/game in selection so you need to spend 240 points for some old, temporary games that will last you 20 minutes of enjoyment each. Unlocking levels will make you unlock decors, themes, avatar items/clothing and I think tokens. This is probably the worst reward system I've ever seen in a game. You spend 3 dollars for a retro game that can be found free on Google and get virtual items to show off to your friends. And my friends? They don't even care about this game. So Game Room here proves how it is automatically a fail.

I will now omit this game and pretend that 120 GS I gained was from another game and the 240 MS points I spent went to charity. That's how pathetic Microsoft has become after this game. Game Room is a series of menus which sometimes break up into arcade rooms which need you to pay mostly and can't even play at your friends' arcades if you don't pay a dollar! For 1 play! And the worst part? You can't control your avatar like teased in all game preview images. You can just watch his poorly rendered model standing in front of the arcade or executes an awkward dance in the menus with the crappy animations.

Here is my conclusion: Game Room must not be downloaded. Not even for free. If you're desperate for some achievements: go for it. If not, then steer clear from the latest abomination released by Microsoft.

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God of War 3 - Review

God of War 3 is now here ready to close up the fantastic trilogy. This game made me buy a PS3 a week before its release date and now after finishing it, does it live up its massive hype or is this God of War 2.5?

God of War 3 takes place exactly after the second game. Kratos is hunting down his father, Zeus for removing his powers as a God of War and our anti-hero makes his final stand climbing on Mt Olympus to fulfill his vengeance. The game has one of the most epic intros I've ever seen/ played in a game. God of Water, Poseidon assaults Gaia, the huge titan you're holding onto, and tries to throw Kratos down and protect his brother Zeus. The story drops down at pace after that but the excitement remains the same. Kratos starts once again from the Underworld and has to climb up to Zeus again. In his adventure he meets Zeus' minions and other famous Gods of Olympus. Hades, Hercules, Hermes, Helios are some. The story gets much deeper and ties in with its predecessors but saying anything else will spoil it. The second half of the game is extremely deep and some Greek mythology facts that tie in with the game astounds me. There is a huge level in the game involving the Labyrinth and the Pit of Tartarus. As a Greek person myself I may be biased towards the story but I enjoyed it tremendously and the ending perfectly finishes the amazing trilogy.

God of War 3 has always been remembered for its soundtrack. The game has superb orchestral pieces which also give the heroic feel in them. They all suit the mood and atmosphere of the game for example the Underworld has creepy music while climbing on Mt Olympus might have a heroic piece. The sound effects are all taken from previous God of War games but now refined. The chains of your blades, Kratos' boots are heard when stomped in the ground and my favorite: the brutal beatings of all boss fights. When punches are delivered on them or blades are getting stabbed in them, blood splattering sounds or rocks crushing on them is remarkably satisfying.

The voice acting is also amazing. Kratos' voice is unchanged but still rough and cruel as ever. The tone in his voice is always serious and this emphasizes his portrayal as an unforgiving Spartan warrior that cannot be killed. The gods also have good voice acting. My favorite is by far Hermes, with a British accent that would piss off any "mortal". God of War has always impressed me with its soundtrack and voice acting so once again, it surpasses greatness in this section.

The visuals in God of War 3 are honestly perfect. There are almost no flaws and all in game cutscenes are as good as the CGI cutscenes. Santa Monica Studios have made the best looking game this generation. Environments look freaky but believable. This also applies for the enemies and characters in general. They are all taken from the Greek mythology, which is outstanding source material. One character in particular is grotesque looking and will freak out most gamers. Another element improved in this game is the scale of battles. The amount of enemies on screen makes the combat much more fluid and watching Kratos spin his blades and incapacitate everyone around him is always enjoyable to watch. Another example is the two titan sequences with the Cronos boss fight being my top gaming moment in 2010 for now. It will make all Shadow of the Colossus lovers wet their pants. Finally I'd like to talk about the gore in the game. The blood is not so realistic, but the amount of blood spilled in this game is insane. Gore in action games is my weak spot and usually like all gory games. This game exceeds my expectations for brutality. Kratos finishing up all gods are the goriest sequences I've seen in a game (especially the final boss fight). I also like how blood stays on the detailed Kratos character model after a massive battle. It gives you the feeling that you accomplished something in that specific battle. There are no flaws visually since everything is so captivating and the lighting effects hide up all blandness. I just have little niggles of flaws like me wishing some graphic effects were a bit better looking like your blades in the outstanding cutscenes and Zeus' lightning is not updated visually but this is not hold back a perfect action game.

God of War 3 is successful obviously in the gameplay section. It introduced its own style of the hack and slash genre. The game is much more deep this time in combat and the amount of combos have been tripled. There is now more variety to take down enemies. The special weapons you get like the boots of Hermes has its own meter that recharges and can be used to stun enemies or slow them down, but are also used for puzzles. Magic is now attached to its own weapon which makes the gameplay much more fluid than fiddling round with a mini-menu in gameplay. There are 4 melee weapons: Claws of Hades for fast but brutal takedowns, Nemean Cestus for slow but shield breaking consequences, the Nemesis Whip for a fast weapon to take out large amounts of weak enemies and of course the standard Blade of Exile effective for every enemy but slower than the Nemesis Whip. So as you see, there is a large variety and upgrading them give you more abilities and upgrades your magic for each weapon. The mouthwatering combat is one section of the gameplay. There are also smart puzzles that are neither hard or easy. They are quite easier than previous God of War games to attract more casual gamers but there are plenty to make you think. This involves platforming, using your weapons and special items and smart moving of in game items. The boss fights in this game are also unique and simply put: epic. The Cronos boss fight and the final boss fight are my two favorites. The game has backtracking later in the second half where you can go obtain upgrades like your health, special item meter and magic meter. For example, punching ice with your Nemean Cestus and revealing secret chests and history of the story and characters with your Helios Head. The game really is deep in gameplay and story which that's why I love Greek mythology so much: for the amount of content you can enter. There are also challenge rooms after you complete the game and more coming as DLC. You can also unlock costumes, obtain all challenging trophies and beat the game on a harder difficulty which I will be doing very soon.

In conclusion, this game is perfect in every way.From story to gameplay you will never feel bored with the epic sense in the game. The soundtrack is also just the icing on the cake. It is my favorite game this year and really does justify my PS3 purchase. The ending is superb and unexpected and make sure to watch a little cutscene after the credits for a little opening for God of War 4. Kratos' vengeance is something you must experience. If you don't have a PS3 then buy one right now, since this game is really a masterpiece. A godlike game.

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Borderlands General Knoxx DLC - Review

Borderlands General Knoxx is third DLC pack for the game and Gearbox promised it to be bigger and better than the last two. Zombie Island and Underdome were both decent, but is this DLC enough to make us play Borderlands once more?

Borderlands' DLC starts off with the 4 same mercs emerging at T-Bone Junction where they find out Atlas Corporation wants payback for you closing down the Vault and will hunt you down. Athena, one of your fellow teammates you must save, knows more about the plan to take out the Atlas Corporation base and while there seek unpredictable amounts of gun chests. Nothing special here, it's the typical Borderlands plot with some more humor this time (Knoxx and Scooter made me laugh alot) and this time see more of the hot Moxxi you see in the Underdome as she provides you with quests. Not the strongest part of the DLC.

The voice acting is also good. Moxxi has a charming, naughty tone in her voice that goes with her appearance, Scooter's accent is remarkable. All others are decent and won't catch any attention. No new soundtrack is added but they do keep the Moxxi tune in Underdome which is quite catchy.

Borderlands' was always unique in graphics and designs and still doesn't disappoint. I still feel quite empty with the fact that guns still look the same and I hoped new gun designs but at least I respect the addition, but I love the new enemy designs. Devastators are mechs that will shoot 10 missiles at you at once, there are more than 5 types of midgets with one type riding a skag that breathes fire at you and the icing on the cake is Clawmerax, the secret boss which is a level 64 BADASS.

Borderlands' succeeds with gameplay like always. New guns and a new gun color (fluorescence = extremely rare) makes the game play more fresh. There is a part of the game that will make you pull out your hair but after that the reward is amazing. The game starts out really hard if you want to increase from 50 to 61, but once you level up until, hmm, 55 perhaps, the difficulty is just right. I do have flaws though, like the sub-par driving that makes your vehicles still get stuck on walls and since this DLC introduces 2 new vehicles the game heavily depends on driving. Which brings me to the other flaw. There is no fast travel system in this DLC and since there are alot of new huge areas and one aggravating highway makes it really frustrating to drive to your objective once you start up your game and find yourself at T-Bone Junction which is very distant from your main objectives. Half of the playtime I put on this DLC is driving to objectives and fighting off the same enemies in the same places and especially early in the DLC is frustrating with the high level of difficulty.

General Knoxx is the best DLC of Borderlands. Despite some silly flaws Gearbox could easily improve, it has a large amount of content and guns that will make you play this until you get to your new goal: level 61. So if you're a fan of this free-roaming FPS then General Knoxx is a DLC you must not miss.

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Battlefield: Bad Company 2 - Review

People playing Modern Warfare 2 and becoming disappointed with some its flaws would turn around to their "salvation": Bad Company 2. Being hyped from December, Bad Company 2 had to live some expectations Modern Warfare 2 didn't for these people and now that it's out, did it actually succeed?

Bad Company 2's story starts out with a bang. A World War II level with you and your squad wanting to capture this scientist for this "secret project". After the prologue, it brings us back to the present time where the same Bad Company from the first game are still here, but they aren't so same. The story takes a much more cinematic and militaristic approach rather than the humorous and comical one which made the first Bad Company's campaign so great. The modern squad's main objective is to also find this "secret project" and the plot twist can be predicted from miles away. Cutscenes are sometimes impressive, for example showcasing the outstanding explosions and destruction physics in the game, but I can't help myself to say I still prefer Bad Company 1's campaign. This game was humorous but not so much. Two Call of duty references and a one-liner from Haggard just made me giggle and any other attempts they had just failed. The story picks up pace in the last two missions but that's too late to save the 6-hour campaign DICE provided. I guess MP is "where it is".

Battlefield in the game's name really proves it justice. The game's vivid sounds in general make this section in the game superior to any other shooter. The detail in sound is everywhere. Tanks blasting you from a mile away, boots in the snow, helicopter beeping sounds when getting targeted and squad commands heard while in the brutal battlefield. If DICE did something right, is capturing the realism of a war and .... War has never been so fun. Voice acting in the game is nothing extraordinary. The Bad Company's voice acting is still top notch with Sweetwater's accent still a charm to hear. It really adds on to their different personalities since none of the squad has their own unique voice for you to distinguish. The soundtrack is also here with rarely music in the campaign but the classic Battlefield tune still exists. There really is no voice acting in the online Battlefield but some squad commands are rarely heard with the explosions and the chaos. Maybe adding some subtitles for the commands would be more effective but it's nothing big.

If you want to live a war in your TV, I'd definitely pick Battlefield for your choice but also graphic wise. The game's visuals are outstanding, simply to say. The campaign's levels always change and the locations rarely disappointed. From a jungle, to the desert. From a level of snow freezing you, to an airplane. The environments are detailed and the sound guides it to be so amazing. For example in a jungle you can hear a mosquito buzzing around you or in snow the wind is heard being strong. The game simply delivers in graphics, online and offline. Character animations in the game are great. You will sprint like a normal soldier would sprint and reloading while sprinting is one thing I loved. Character models are a mixed bag. In some cutscenes, character models are great with the shadowing effects giving faces detail but in some ingame ones, they seem to be blurry and inferior. I also don't like how some texture popping doesn't allow you to see where enemies are from far away while they can perfectly see you. It makes you rely on the heavily generous aim assist. Multiplayer is the same involving graphics. There is a variety of tanks, boats, helicopters and jeeps. Guns look great but some aren't detailed but the gadgets you unlock for some of your guns make you feel badass which gives you the satisfaction some online games rarely do: that you actually unlocked that and you feel good about yourself. The MP maps are almost flawless. All of them are unique and have their own little twist to make them so unique. One of the maps for Rush is an island surrounded by water, where attackers have to swim, fly or use a boat to go there to plant charges. Menus are also a joy to navigate with the smooth "swooshing" when changing modes making them charming and different from some other dull menus.

I covered sound, graphics and story. Battlefield's gameplay. It is inevitable that I have to choose which game is better. Call of Duty or Battlefield. I will break it down first. The gameplay in the campaign is your same type of shooter, running to your next objective with waves of enemies to be expected but these scenes are sometimes cut off by not so outstanding, brief vehicle sequences. It just seems obvious for me they tried to get Modern Warfare 2 elements for the campaign, some people would swear at me for this but its true. Not necessarily the story but some ingame cutscenes and set pieces are slightly influenced by Call of Duty's latest outing. They aren't bad, but just not amazing. There is a variety of weapons in the campaign you can pick up from enemies and later in the game use supply crates to re equip guns you previously picked up and had to replace. This is neat but sometimes you might pass by an enemy with an SMG you would find awesome for the situation and may not be able to get it for the whole campaign. The campaign is 6 hours on Normal difficulty and if I had to choose a campaign from Modern Warfare 2 and Bad Company 2, it'll probably be Modern Warfare 2. Even though it has more plotholes, it was more exciting for me to play and the characters exerted more emotionality and had a better ending. If Battlefield is an ugly duckling for its campaign wait to hear about its ultimate transformation online.

Online, Bad Company 2 is close to perfection. You have 4 classes to choose from, Engineer, Medic, Assault and Recon. Each have their own specialties. Engineer is the close range soldier that will sneak around enemies and vehicles and give them a taste of SMG or RPG. Medics I prefer using in defense with their strong but inaccurate LMGs using defibrillators and med kits to aid teammates and giving you extra points. Assault is the standard class that will go face to face with the enemy in a classic shoot out and with their extra attachment of a grenade launcher, smoke grenade launcher or shotgun packing them extra punch. They also assist the team by dropping ammo boxes. The Recon class is the supportive sniper that will do work silently and rush in only if they are willing to light up tanks or place anti tank mines. Now getting in deeper. Bad Company 2 is nothing like Call of Duty's online. The game relies heavily on teamwork. You even get awarded for teamwork. An Assault class with 20 kills and 5 deaths may be below in the leaderboard from a Medic with 5 squad Defibs and healing teammates with med kits. My favorite game modes are Rush and Conquest. Conquest is Domination in a way and enemies will respawn in their dominated flags. Rush is Demolition where there are defenders and attackers and you have to plant charges for 2 sites in 4 bases. You can approach each objective in the game in any way you want. The freedom in the game giving you a big chunk of land and providing vehicles, different classes and UAVs is superb. While you progress you will rank up and unlock a "Spec" which is like a perk but nothing that will heavily affect the gameplay. No Stopping Power here. You will also unlock gadgets if you devote your gameplay to one weapon, like scopes, smoke grenade launchers etc. The flaws online are minor and barely noticeable. Campaign heavily relies on an aim assist which disappears online making the whole "boot camp" feel of the campaign non existent. Some significant gadgets are lastly unlocked in some classes giving you some inferiority to other players with the gadgets. Shotguns also still feel overpowered. Lastly my important flaw is the hit detection. It is sometimes inconsistent and running over someone with an ATV may end up you passing through them, but these are gripes I can get over. But that's it. Those are the flaws online. Spawn camping has been improved from the first game, regenerating health has been added rather the annoying health bar and now you can spawn with specific squad mates making this game an improved sequel online and the ultimate Battlefield game.

Charging in with an ATV, piloting an Helicopter and letting teammates parachute down to site A to plant charges and defending bases with an engineer by sneaking up on your enemies and backstab them successfully are some of the epic moments Battlefield delivers. Besides the "good" story the online totally makes up for it, making Bad Company 2 an amazing game if you're looking for online to be your main purpose to play but a good game if it's just for campaign and comparing it to Modern Warfare 2, the campaign might be inferior but comparing the two different online gameplay sections is hard. But Battlefield is definitely more rewarding, satisfying and realistic than its rival and any other shooter in the market. I will now go play some Bad Company 2.

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