29 hours 30 minutes. Just Cause 2 is no doubt the biggest sandbox game this generation and probably the biggest sandbox game of all time. But bigger doesn't always mean better. Does this sandbox game flop for all 30 hours, or is it the sleeper hit of 2010 so far "just cause" it's so fun?
I really tried to like the "story" of Just Cause 2, but I just never liked it. Its attempts to be funny fails and it's as boring as any other war game. Rico an agent from America is called upon to take out some greedy pigs that want to get all the oil for themselves. He slowly but surely gains trusts from factions and causes chaos in Panau until people revolt against its greedy government. The story is barely there unless you're playing agency missions and even then it just never captivates you. It's probably because of the way Rico is presented. A badass with just no personality. You really can't feel any emotion and especially towards the end where story tries to be intense but a stupid cutscene just deprives any sympathy I had developing towards the end. So, so stupid.
The game surely has some crazy side missions but none of them actually have a story. Just Cause 2 likes to show off its impressive visuals, which I'll go in detail later, and the amount of content it has in its huge sandbox. The story is just there to emphasize how badass Rico is during cutscenes, which is undeniably true, and perhaps a small opening for a Just Cause 3 in the ending. Besides that, very very very uninteresting stuff.
The game is not very good with its whole audio either. The soundtrack is mediocre, even when it rarely plays. It might randomly pop up while you're in a parachute or when you're fighting groups of enemies. The sound effects are good. Explosions sound great to be honest and cars crashing and enemies moaning while they are flying from a propane tank are charms to hear. The game is terrible with its voice acting though. The accents are extremely aggravating and alot of times during the game I wanted to shoot myself. The leader of the faction Reapers is by far the worst voice I've heard this generation.
The audio also cuts during cutscenes. It might stutter unintentionally or the cutscene might abruptly end while someone's in the middle of saying something. Yes I did watch the repetitive 30 second cutscenes at the beginning of every faction mission.
But like I mentioned before, Just Cause 2 is all about chaos and explosions. Sound effects and cutscenes are great with the chaos and action in each and if you don't take the game seriously, you might even like it. The story might be mediocre and the voice acting might be bad but the unique action offered in the game is there.
The visuals in the game are great. During gameplay, they are outstanding. Freefalling down at an icy mountain and gaping at the unlimited forests below it leave you breathless. The game is extremely polished compared to its huge size. Rico looks great during gameplay as well. Notice I say gameplay. During cutscenes, the graphics look inferior though which surprised me. Rico's model looks plain and looks botched up. There are also stiff animations and the lack of polygons used is apparent. Explosions look and sound fantastic and the airplanes and vehicles are all detailed. I dislike that there are not alot of gun names and models since all guns are named by their type. Like the "Assault Rifle" or the "Sniper Rifle". The water effects look great and the whole setting of the game is overall great. The devs also putted in dozens of easter eggs to motivate players to explore.
Rico's animations are fluid and smooth and probably the most innovative thing about this game which I will go into detail later is the hook and parachute. After getting used to the unnecessarily complex controls, you can explore the island just by hovering around with your parachute. Enemies' animations are predictable and won't challenge you. Other than that the game is presented in a good way and taking into consideration the outstanding world you have infront of you, you will overlook most of the flaws in graphics section.
The gameplay in Just Cause 2 is mostly good but has its flaws as well. It's a shame since if this was great I'd score this game higher. The game was very interesting in the beginning. I was eager to explore (since the map is all unlocked) and the amount of faction missions gave me a variety of things to do. Overwhelming but nonetheless exciting. The game gives you endless freedom. When you're not doing faction missions you can cause chaos in strongholds and race challenges. I also found myself just roaming around with boats and airplanes. Very fun in the beginning. Sure it grows stale after some time but the game never got too boring outside faction missions. Problems I have are: the map being too big sometimes and the black market. The map is sometimes too big and sure you have extractions to take you to places but in order for that to happen you must unlock bases by going there and making them appear in your map, a la Saints Row 2. You unlock these easily if you're going to explore with planes but not everyone is going to like the world as much as I did.
The black market if flawed. The lack of ammo in this game generally needs you to buy alot of ammo. Makes sense right? No ammo. You must buy the weapon again and get ammo from the newly bought weapon. You can also upgrade weapons by finding weapon parts. A simple upgrade system that shows little development to guns. Each gun has 6 levels and there is every type of gun but only one model for each type. No 2 assault rifles or different types of rocket launchers. It would expand the chaos caused but oh well. Another annoying part of the black market is the vehicles. You can upgrade them and buy different vehicles but will only use them once. So if you buy a plane and you crash it immediately your money is all wasted. No saving vehicles option or anything. Might as well just hijack vehicles but that's not always the option. When you're in deserted areas where people are lacking, the black market is a necessity. Sure you gain money fast in this game but never have enough to try out other guns in the market. I also advise just upgrading your SMG or Assault Rifle to full because they are the most helpful firearms.
Missions in this game are a mixed bag. You get faction missions and agency missions and 9 stronghold takeovers. To unlock the seven agency missions in the game you must cause enough chaos by completing faction missions or just generally making shit blow up. To unlock faction missions you must complete strongholds. I don't know there the 9th stronghold is but anyway. Strongholds are the same thing EVERY FREAKIN TIME. Take your crew to a door. Hack it ( a simple quick time event which is unecessary), open the door and take your engineer to make him hack the place or whatever. You must protect him while this happens with a mini-gun usually which has unlimited ammo. Probably the most fun part of the whole mission since a helicopter also spawns and you take it out in a matter of seconds. The missions are fun the first two times but 9 times in a row? Too much.
Faction missions give a bit more a variety. Like picking up samples, sniping witnesses and even gunning down smugglers on a boat. But they are too short usually and just not enough to make them too memorable especially with the lack of oomph they should have. There are 49 of these and towards the end they get stale despite their different objectives. The coolest one I've played and sadly never recorded since it was before I purchased my card, was one where you take down 3 signal posts and take out a huge ass generator in a deserted island where it always rains. Intense mission that took me 30 minutes.
Agency missions are longer than strongholds and faction missions and towards the end the amount of ridiculousness and over the top humor it presents is laughable, in a good way I suppose. Just Cause 2 is a very unique sandbox games. Good and bad at the same time.
The gunplay in Just Cause 2 is good but the auto-aim gets frustrating. You might want to headshot someone but kill someone else and gets too easy when you get used to it. There are more ways to take down enemies though like suspending them on walls with your hook and meleeing them with your whip than appeared from Rico's ass. The parachute and hook are a great way to move around the island but the place is still too big . Land vehicles handle like crap and are very slippery. Aircrafts are the only way to get to places fast besides extraction. One huge gripe I have for airplanes is how you can't REVERSE when you crash somewhere. The game tried to make it realistic? Oh like the unlimited parachutes diverging out of Rico's back right? The enemy AI is generally dumb and bosses are easy to fight against when you learn a tactic. Predictable. It's the lack of cover and the awkward crouch button that makes the game hard. Crouching is only there when Rico is standing still and the game has no cover system so you can rarely avoid fire unless you roll all over the place. Health regenerates slightly and you can find health packs frequently which never make it TOO frustrating. You also have enough explosives to make those foreigners pay. Blowing up stuff is always fun. Always.
Overall, Just Cause 2 is better than its predecessor. It's a good game but when things grow bigger they usually have more flaws. This game is worth a buy for the person that only cares about content and overlooks some serious flaws. For me I found it to be an enjoyable long rent. Nothing special to return to in terms of story but a worthy challenge to 100% maybe in the future.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Splinter Cell: Conviction - Review
I always loved the Splinter Cell series. I played all games and despite the most recent one, Double Agent, being a major disappointment for me, I still decided to give Conviction a chance and came up with my final verdict.
Splinter Cell Conviction probably contains the most emotional plot in the series. Sam presuming his daughter his dead, he goes to find her killer and get his final vengeance now broken free from Third Echelon's leash. Things get uglier when he meets some notable characters from the past in the way and give him a proposal he can't refuse. Without spoiling anything else, I can safely say that Conviction's story is full or surprises. Sam isn't an undercover agent anymore but a scarred man thirsty for vengeance.
The plot line is consistent in action and each level in the game has its own moments to impress you. The game is polished in terms of cinematics and how it is presented, but I'll get to that later. The most exciting moment in the game is where things are revealed to Sam and he goes on a raging killing frenzy. I must also mention that the ending is satisfying and there is an epic setpiece in the end that concludes the story in a positive note.
The soundtrack of the game is standard quality. Nothing extraordinary to mention but it will frequently play when you get detected and sets the tense atmosphere. Other then for gameplay techniques the soundtrack is rarely noticed and if it's there, nothing to write home about.
The voice acting is mediocre. I despise the accents of some characters and Sam Fisher's husky voice is the only one that steals the show. You can tell the man's been through alot and the tone in his voice emphasizes it. Enemies voices are also a highlight. Sneaking and eavesdropping on their conversations and abruptly interrupting it by taking out a light then suddenly their voice alters to a more terrified tone makes Sam feel powerful towards his enemies something that Batman Arkham Asylum did.
The visuals in Splinter Cell are decent. Sam and other primary characters in the story look great with detail shown on them, but for a game that got delayed for years I expected something more. I also dislike how some environments are bland and enemies also look.. mediocre. The Unreal Engine shows that its losing its spark and was disappointed in general since the Splinter Cell series always took a leap forward in terms of visuals. There are some pros for the visuals section despite it being outdated. I adore how slick the movement and pace is in the game. Objectives shown in huge letters constantly reminding you what to do, Sam's animations are polished and smooth and enemies. I even like the new lighting effects with the screen unfolding in black and white when Fisher is undetected and highlighting key points that you can interact to get rid of enemies. Unfortunately that's not enough to make the game look great by any means.
Whoever you are, you must agree that Splinter Cell was always about the gameplay. That's where the game always shined and made it into my favorite Tom Clancy's franchise. Conviction adds some new elements into the gameplay pot and mix pretty well. Shooting in the game is now solid enough to make you not die and the lack of some gadgets in previous games make the game feel like a survival game sometimes. My favorite addition is by far the Sonar goggles and the Mark and Execute feature. Sonar goggles are basically night vision goggles but detects enemies behind walls in a pretty big meter radius. The downside is that when you move you can barely see through them since the signal breaks off. Mark and Execute is the feature of taking out an enemy physically and giving you the ability to take out enemies simultaneously in a slick slow-mo setpiece. It encourages you to play stealthily and the 2+ enemy takedown is alot of help in later levels.
Sam can of course take cover behind everything and the goal of the game is to get to the next objective as silent as possible. You can melee, stun, throw off ledges and even perform a satisfying headshot to all of your enemies and for some special occasions you get to interrogate people which makes you deliver some brutal takedowns. There is a variety of guns and gadgets to use and can be upgraded. The upgrade system is very simple and nowadays all shooting games must have one. I've seen better. Sam can get shot down very easily. Even when you acquire the vest towards the end, Sam will die on you alot if you do something stupid. The shooting is improved but the enemy AI always seems to be stronger than you, even on Normal, and that's ridiculous since you are Sam Fisher after all. At the end of the day you can't get passed through the level without a silenced gun with you and using your assault rifle/SMG as an afterthought which eliminates the necessity for other guns. Pretty sad since this game offers you alot of options in terms of combat like all Tom Clancy games. Since I mentioned the enemy AI I'd like to add also, how inconsistent they are. They might be looking on your last known position, a white outline of your body showing where enemies are concentrating at, or sometimes might be sneaking behind you like ninjas even when hidden in the dark.
The single player campaign will take you about 7-8 hours to complete on Normal and after that you can always complete all the challenges, which motivates you to try everything gameplay wise. There is also the co-op campaign which is amazing. I had alot of fun with it and the ending is superb. There are some moments that Ubisoft was unforgiving with the stealth but once get passed them using a number of different gadgets and stealth combat, it leaves you satisfied. There are also more modes to play with achievements motivating you to play them. Hunter is a campaign level with a number of enemies in each wave and there are 4-5 waves per level. Last Stand is a Horde mode for Splinter Cell but easier and can be completed cooperatively. Face-Off is a similar mode like Mercenaries in Resident Evil, you versus someone else online taking out as many enemies as possible.
Finishing Splinter Cell Conviction entirely after a week or so, I feel satisfied with my purchase. This game isn't Chaos Theory and doesn't revolutionize the stealth-action genre of gaming but is a solid game all Splinter Cell fans must play. If you aren't so big with the series in the past, a rent is recommended at least since this game is much more action orientated but is a pain in some later levels. Sam Fisher never ceases to amaze us.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10
Splinter Cell Conviction probably contains the most emotional plot in the series. Sam presuming his daughter his dead, he goes to find her killer and get his final vengeance now broken free from Third Echelon's leash. Things get uglier when he meets some notable characters from the past in the way and give him a proposal he can't refuse. Without spoiling anything else, I can safely say that Conviction's story is full or surprises. Sam isn't an undercover agent anymore but a scarred man thirsty for vengeance.
The plot line is consistent in action and each level in the game has its own moments to impress you. The game is polished in terms of cinematics and how it is presented, but I'll get to that later. The most exciting moment in the game is where things are revealed to Sam and he goes on a raging killing frenzy. I must also mention that the ending is satisfying and there is an epic setpiece in the end that concludes the story in a positive note.
The soundtrack of the game is standard quality. Nothing extraordinary to mention but it will frequently play when you get detected and sets the tense atmosphere. Other then for gameplay techniques the soundtrack is rarely noticed and if it's there, nothing to write home about.
The voice acting is mediocre. I despise the accents of some characters and Sam Fisher's husky voice is the only one that steals the show. You can tell the man's been through alot and the tone in his voice emphasizes it. Enemies voices are also a highlight. Sneaking and eavesdropping on their conversations and abruptly interrupting it by taking out a light then suddenly their voice alters to a more terrified tone makes Sam feel powerful towards his enemies something that Batman Arkham Asylum did.
The visuals in Splinter Cell are decent. Sam and other primary characters in the story look great with detail shown on them, but for a game that got delayed for years I expected something more. I also dislike how some environments are bland and enemies also look.. mediocre. The Unreal Engine shows that its losing its spark and was disappointed in general since the Splinter Cell series always took a leap forward in terms of visuals. There are some pros for the visuals section despite it being outdated. I adore how slick the movement and pace is in the game. Objectives shown in huge letters constantly reminding you what to do, Sam's animations are polished and smooth and enemies. I even like the new lighting effects with the screen unfolding in black and white when Fisher is undetected and highlighting key points that you can interact to get rid of enemies. Unfortunately that's not enough to make the game look great by any means.
Whoever you are, you must agree that Splinter Cell was always about the gameplay. That's where the game always shined and made it into my favorite Tom Clancy's franchise. Conviction adds some new elements into the gameplay pot and mix pretty well. Shooting in the game is now solid enough to make you not die and the lack of some gadgets in previous games make the game feel like a survival game sometimes. My favorite addition is by far the Sonar goggles and the Mark and Execute feature. Sonar goggles are basically night vision goggles but detects enemies behind walls in a pretty big meter radius. The downside is that when you move you can barely see through them since the signal breaks off. Mark and Execute is the feature of taking out an enemy physically and giving you the ability to take out enemies simultaneously in a slick slow-mo setpiece. It encourages you to play stealthily and the 2+ enemy takedown is alot of help in later levels.
Sam can of course take cover behind everything and the goal of the game is to get to the next objective as silent as possible. You can melee, stun, throw off ledges and even perform a satisfying headshot to all of your enemies and for some special occasions you get to interrogate people which makes you deliver some brutal takedowns. There is a variety of guns and gadgets to use and can be upgraded. The upgrade system is very simple and nowadays all shooting games must have one. I've seen better. Sam can get shot down very easily. Even when you acquire the vest towards the end, Sam will die on you alot if you do something stupid. The shooting is improved but the enemy AI always seems to be stronger than you, even on Normal, and that's ridiculous since you are Sam Fisher after all. At the end of the day you can't get passed through the level without a silenced gun with you and using your assault rifle/SMG as an afterthought which eliminates the necessity for other guns. Pretty sad since this game offers you alot of options in terms of combat like all Tom Clancy games. Since I mentioned the enemy AI I'd like to add also, how inconsistent they are. They might be looking on your last known position, a white outline of your body showing where enemies are concentrating at, or sometimes might be sneaking behind you like ninjas even when hidden in the dark.
The single player campaign will take you about 7-8 hours to complete on Normal and after that you can always complete all the challenges, which motivates you to try everything gameplay wise. There is also the co-op campaign which is amazing. I had alot of fun with it and the ending is superb. There are some moments that Ubisoft was unforgiving with the stealth but once get passed them using a number of different gadgets and stealth combat, it leaves you satisfied. There are also more modes to play with achievements motivating you to play them. Hunter is a campaign level with a number of enemies in each wave and there are 4-5 waves per level. Last Stand is a Horde mode for Splinter Cell but easier and can be completed cooperatively. Face-Off is a similar mode like Mercenaries in Resident Evil, you versus someone else online taking out as many enemies as possible.
Finishing Splinter Cell Conviction entirely after a week or so, I feel satisfied with my purchase. This game isn't Chaos Theory and doesn't revolutionize the stealth-action genre of gaming but is a solid game all Splinter Cell fans must play. If you aren't so big with the series in the past, a rent is recommended at least since this game is much more action orientated but is a pain in some later levels. Sam Fisher never ceases to amaze us.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 10
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Stimulus Package - Review
After contemplating, I finally found myself buying the Stimulus Package for 15 dollars. 5 maps: 3 new ones and 2 COD 4 ones were being played for 2 days and concluded that this map pack is....
Bailout is the first map I'll be talking about. It is the best map in the entire map pack. An industrial complex with a parking lot, a building and a bridge connecting the two. This map is decent for deathmatch. There is camping in the building but nothing you can't tackle. Where the map really shines is in Demolition/Search and Destroy. I find it to be very fair for both teams and the crates are smartly placed and reminded me of the good old Counterstrike days. Alot of fun.
Another acceptable map is Salvage. It's pretty decent but still has its mistakes. The map has only one interior area where people can hide in, at airstrike chaos but the map is so small it is impossible to not get hit at least once in an airstrike or chopper gunner call. Other than that it's decent at all modes. Sabotage is the only mode it's actually good but other than that all corners are perfect for campers and Capture the Flag is a mess in this map.
The third map is Storm. A mediocre map. Storm is a gloomy, rainy map which I just can't see myself enjoying. I did pretty well whenever I played in it but there is nothing special and Infinity Ward just added this with no imagination and it's obvious they were going for the cash and then the player's enjoyment. The big interior areas have elevations where campers will be camping and there is no mode which I really enjoyed this map. Just too average for my taste.
Going back to the old days, two years ago, I disliked Overgrown and loved Crash. But you will now be surprised:
Overgrown is a good map now. I can easily tackle the snipers with the new attachments Call of Duty MW2 offers and I find myself less frustrated when playing Team Deathmatch in this map. But in terms of design, Infinity Ward fails. It's a simple copy paste with more lighting. Terrible.
Crash. Ohhh Crash. I can simply say Crash, with its high buildings and variety of areas are good. But the community devours my experience on this brilliant map. The high buildings are camper's paradise. The snipers with thermal scopes might stay there and when they get their fulfilling airstrike hell breaks loose. Three harrier airstrikes appeared in my worst game in that map and DESTROYED my team. Skill? Maybe. Camping? For sure. Sure this is not included in the map pack but I had to put in something bad. The map isn't sugar and rainbows and the MW2 mentality makes it, to put it out raw, blow. Oh did I mention it's a simple copy paste? Yeah it is. Just replaced the broken cars with new ones. THANK YOU INFINITY WARD FOR CARING.
As you can see, I am disappointed with the map pack. For 15 bucks you get something to play and enjoy for a short time. I planned playing it all night yesterday, but it was just too boring. Nothing special added and just Activision being greedy. If you want more Modern Warfare 2 and you are a huge fan of the multiplayer go for it. But it's not enough to make you keep playing until the next map pack, which I expect improvements. Shame on you IW, shame on you..
1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 9 10
Bailout is the first map I'll be talking about. It is the best map in the entire map pack. An industrial complex with a parking lot, a building and a bridge connecting the two. This map is decent for deathmatch. There is camping in the building but nothing you can't tackle. Where the map really shines is in Demolition/Search and Destroy. I find it to be very fair for both teams and the crates are smartly placed and reminded me of the good old Counterstrike days. Alot of fun.
Another acceptable map is Salvage. It's pretty decent but still has its mistakes. The map has only one interior area where people can hide in, at airstrike chaos but the map is so small it is impossible to not get hit at least once in an airstrike or chopper gunner call. Other than that it's decent at all modes. Sabotage is the only mode it's actually good but other than that all corners are perfect for campers and Capture the Flag is a mess in this map.
The third map is Storm. A mediocre map. Storm is a gloomy, rainy map which I just can't see myself enjoying. I did pretty well whenever I played in it but there is nothing special and Infinity Ward just added this with no imagination and it's obvious they were going for the cash and then the player's enjoyment. The big interior areas have elevations where campers will be camping and there is no mode which I really enjoyed this map. Just too average for my taste.
Going back to the old days, two years ago, I disliked Overgrown and loved Crash. But you will now be surprised:
Overgrown is a good map now. I can easily tackle the snipers with the new attachments Call of Duty MW2 offers and I find myself less frustrated when playing Team Deathmatch in this map. But in terms of design, Infinity Ward fails. It's a simple copy paste with more lighting. Terrible.
Crash. Ohhh Crash. I can simply say Crash, with its high buildings and variety of areas are good. But the community devours my experience on this brilliant map. The high buildings are camper's paradise. The snipers with thermal scopes might stay there and when they get their fulfilling airstrike hell breaks loose. Three harrier airstrikes appeared in my worst game in that map and DESTROYED my team. Skill? Maybe. Camping? For sure. Sure this is not included in the map pack but I had to put in something bad. The map isn't sugar and rainbows and the MW2 mentality makes it, to put it out raw, blow. Oh did I mention it's a simple copy paste? Yeah it is. Just replaced the broken cars with new ones. THANK YOU INFINITY WARD FOR CARING.
As you can see, I am disappointed with the map pack. For 15 bucks you get something to play and enjoy for a short time. I planned playing it all night yesterday, but it was just too boring. Nothing special added and just Activision being greedy. If you want more Modern Warfare 2 and you are a huge fan of the multiplayer go for it. But it's not enough to make you keep playing until the next map pack, which I expect improvements. Shame on you IW, shame on you..
1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 9 10
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