MEMBER PROFILE FOR BIGHARV
Average Overall Score Given: 7.76429 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 103
Reviews
Spider-Man 3
Elsewhere, you can usefully slow down time for a brief period by holding down LB, or throw in a super-powerful enemy-clearing attack (once your meter's charged up) by pressing RB and X, Y or B. But the real fun isn't so much in how the combat feels (it's pretty basic, to be frank) but how it translates the action onto the screen. Even more so than before, Treyarch has created a seemingly unending procession of jaw-dropping comedy combos that give Spidey the ability to humiliate his foes as much as possible.
Environments also factor into the fights, as seen in a brawl with Sandman in the depths of New York's subway system. It's set in a tall chamber filled with subway tracks running across at various heights, the players must take special care as Spidey and Sandman duke it out to avoid oncoming subway cars, which can knock the hero off the platform and provide Sandman the time to escape through a nearby vent. Luckily, players can also utilize that situation to their advantage.
Continuing with what we saw in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, the boss fights are not just about mashing the buttons and surviving. Rather, the player engages in interactive cut-scenes where he has to hit the right button or direction on the d-pad at the appropriate time to execute the correct move. Failure doesn't mean the end of a mission or death, fortunately, you just have to re-start the sequence again. Some of these interactive sequences are brilliant and by Activision's own admission, at least the Sandman fight was lifted straight from the movie.
What stood out the most, however, was the immense view spectrum given to you while playing Spidey. Standing on top of a building, you could see to the edges of Manhattan and although the detail is obviously not crystal-clear, it's good enough to make it believable. The typical haze that obscures objects in the distance seems out of place in many games, but not in New York. Believability, the view is helped tremendously by the impressive lighting model. While the sun moves across the sky, not only do shadows move and the world grows brighter and dimmer, but the light changes to the appropriate color. Dusk and dawn are different from noon, with a redder tinge than the searing white of the high sun.
Another tidbit illustrating Treyarch's attention to detail involves the in-game cinematics. After the fact, that actors from the film, including star Tobey Maguire, recorded their lines for the game, the company hired additional actors to re-enact the various scenes and motion-captured them to help animators in their quest for smooth and realistic movements.
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Overall Score: 7.8 / 10
Earth Defense Force 2017
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Overall Score: 6.0 / 10
Def Jam: Icon
Suggestions: The notion of gamers fighting to their favourite music is simply brilliant, and the only thing funnier than watching your opponent get thrown across the screen by a scratch-triggered fire-hydrant is mugging for the game-camera as it happens. Def Jam: Icon is in stores right now, what are you waiting for?
Overall Score: 9.4 / 10
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2
The game also features a great mix of sound work from the whining of the mortars and rolling of the Mule to the orchestral laden score that really drive home the level of excitement available during any given moment of combat. The game has also remained a beauty with character models being modeled really well, beautiful particles of dust kicking into the sky, lovely explosions of flame and smoke, and once again, as always from Ubisoft, some of the best lighting in the business.
If you were a fan of GRAW then you'll have a lot to love for GRAW 2. If you never gave the original a shot or even did and found faults with it, GRAW 2 spiced up enough things (both new and old) to convince you to give it a first or second shot.
Overall Score: 9.4 / 10
Bullet Witch
Unlikely as it sounds, Alicia is a mystical witch that combines the power of firearms with the elegance of witchcraft to defeat her enemies in up close and personal battles. The game starts off in a city, which has been overrun by mutant zombie soldiers...something that's not going to do wonders for the property value.
Thankfully, Alicia comes packing a pretty hefty arsenal. Her staff (known as the Gun Rod) conceals nasty attacks that can be upgraded over the course of the game. You'll start off with a pretty standard machine gun, but over time you'll gain heavier arms like shotguns and grenade launchers.
But guns are only half of the fun. Magic obviously plays a big role (the game is called Bullet Witch, after all), and you'll unlock a series of magical attacks throughout your journey. One of the earliest spells you'll get is a massive lightning bolt attack. Casting spells is a little more complicated than gunplay, and you'll have to time your attacks just right to get high end damage, but if you're looking to kick ass, that's definitely the way to go.
Another important aspect is Alicia's agility, which allows her to pull of nifty leaps and dodges to avoid enemy attacks. She's able to regain health as long as she's not being attacked, so dodging bullets becomes a pretty important part of the game. As well as her melee attack which can come in handy at times.
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Overall Score: 7.0 / 10
Battlestations: Midway
All right, who is up for some good old fashion 3rd person Naval combat. Eidos is ready to unleash its tactical driven WWII combat game to the world with their latest installment; Battlestation: Midway. The game is based in the Pacific Ocean during WWII. Players are able to take control of over 60 different vehicles such as planes, ships and submarines. You'll need to do some serious training on the abilities of each unit if you want to gain an advantage over the opposition. The game presents a deep campaign with 11 missions and tones of extra challenges. There are 5 different game modes you can pick from on the main menu. The first one is called US campaign which is really the heart of Battlestation. But first Eidos states in the game manual that they recommend doing the second mode on the main menu before attempting any of the other m modes which is rightfully called Naval Academy. While attending the Naval Academy you will go through 11 comprehensive tutorials (and I must agree with Eidos, it is a very good idea to do the tutorials before jumping into battle). Now the next three modes from the main menu are simply the Ship, Plane, and Submarine challenges which add great value to the game. It might all seem complicated when written down, but in practice it does a good job of hiding the game's considerable complexities - many of which are borne of a dutiful commitment to realism. It's obvious that shortcuts have been taken to make the game more playable and to fit it onto a console, such as the decision to feature unlimited ammo (although torpedoes are limited, so you'll need to factor in the time it takes to return to base and ngly, the focus shifts slightly when it comes to multiplayer games, which Eidos did on purpose to have a larger positive response to the game's overall appeal. It's capable of supporting up to eight players across two-teams controlling over 60 units. And it's possible for individual players to take control of just air units, or just sea units, or a mix of both. It certainly works very well, with players instinctively resorting to traditional RTS tactics such as turtling or tank rushing for some entertaining effect.
In a nutshell, the graphics may not be anything extraordinary but they defiantly get the job done. From the fine details of the crew to the extremely life-like Pacific ocean. Explosions are extremely satisfying as planes dive bomb into the ocean and ships sink spectacularly; the modeling of each vehicle has also been painstakingly crafted to represent their real-life counterparts. The in-game environments are as lush and lovely as you'd expect, with all sorts of weather effects and lots of detail, and visual flourishes include a camera that follows bombs and torpedoes after you've fired them, and crew members wandering about on ship decks.
Suggestions: Battlestations : Midway is a great deal of fun and can be played exactly how you wish. If you're a strategy fan you can play the whole game using the map system, but personally we much prefer jumping in the cockpit of the versatile dive bomber or launching torpedoes and depth charges from a Destroyer ship. My hat is off to Eidos mainly for expanding the variety of games on the 360. That is always a good thing.
Overall Score: 8.2 / 10
Crackdown
Crackdown controls quite well. There's nothing particularly special about the controls, but they are very precise and easy to use; important for rooftop jumping and driving, both of which features heavily in this game. Ranged combat uses a lock-on system, but still allows for reticle-aimed fire, like Saints Row. Driving has an excellent feel to it, and there are pronounced differences between the different car models. This pleases me greatly.
Sound wise I kinda like the music featured in this game, not the greatest but it gets the job done. The effects are clear and loud, the voice-acting is adequate, and the ambient sound really brings the city to life in Dolby 5.1.
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Overall Score: 8.8 / 10
Fuzion Frenzy 2
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Overall Score: 7.8 / 10
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
The sound is also very well done. Sound effects for all of the weapons are good and pretty much what you would expect. Your VS makes a satisfying thud sound as you walk around, which is nice and lets you know this is a huge object weighing several tons and not some hot rod Lincoln you are driving around in. There is also a lot of voice acting for the single player campaign, and while it isn't all Oscar worthy, it gets the job done. The sound also connects very well with the atmosphere. It seems to me like the audio and design team worked closely together because the made up sounds of the Akrid creatures really have some validity and weight.
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Overall Score: 9.4 / 10
Bionicle Heroes
Usually most action figure, TV series or Movie adaptations of a game fail to deliver fun gameplay for the fans. The problem is that the developers do not take enough time to make the gameplay original and addictive. They make them simple because the game sells a lot of copies around the world because is based on something very popular. Then there is Lego that has made a few videogames. They have had many failures but some games ended up pretty good (Lego Star Wars). So now Lego tries their luck with these robot creations called Bionicle. First introduced in 2001, the Bionicle series of toys by Lego has captured the attention of the 7-15 year old male demographic, as well as the checking accounts of respective parents. Capitalizing on this success, Lego partnered with Disney to release an animated film based on the story behind the collectible characters a couple years back which was a great success but the game that followed was anything but entertaining. Now for the first time on the Xbox 360 hobbyists once again will be able to become their favorite characters from the Bionicle world. Does Bionicle Heroes published by Eidos, offer something original to establish a new franchise in the gaming world or does it end up in the trash like most adaptations? Read on and find out.The score is full of platform trademark tunes that alter with environment and mood of the gameplay it can change from frantic boss music to airy ballads of the forest. However, the score isn't all that remarkable in its composition and simply serves as a way to drown out the sound effects. While you will hear blasts from your guns and appropriate effects when your character gets hit by a blast, nothing really stands out. Most of the time you will hear the sound of LEGO pieces being collected; and trust me they are everywhere. Also the voice acting is very good mainly because there is none. None of the heroes say a word in this game; grunts and moans are all you are going to get out of them.
Suggestions: For all the eleven-year-olds whose lives revolve around the popular LEGO franchise, a game of good versus evil has been carefully crafted just for you. If you aren't eleven, and are daring enough to look past the clumsiness of this title, then you'll unearth a short, fast passed, relentless shooter with easy achievements. I have nothing against this game, I played threw the entire thing and I did not walk away feeling empty, probably due to the fact that my gamerscore is looking a lot better now hahaha.
Overall Score: 6.8 / 10
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball 2
Graphics wise, the game is magnificent looking. One of the games that debuted with the Xbox 360 was DOA 4, a game that was used as an example of what the console was capable of visually. The result was a lot of dropped jaws and admiration for a game that featured highly detailed graphics with the smoothest textures ever seen on a game. DOA Xtreme 2, amazingly enough, improves the visuals. The character models, for example, are so detailed that you can witness every muscle at work when a character stretches or moves. Spend too long in the sun without sunscreen and your character will visibly get a bit darker every time. The backgrounds are also amazing and practically breathe with life. Yes, this is one beautiful looking game.
Suggestions: This game is beautiful sure but is it worth your hard earned money; ummmm well lets see the volleyball part of the game is decent and racing sea-doos is fine for a whole 10 minutes but after that this game just gets repetitive. There is not enough depth to this game to actually motivate anyone to want to play threw it. Tecmo should have spent all those man hours creating this game into something a little bit more productive like a sequel to Ninja Giden. In a nutshell the gameplay is lacking, at the end I end up walking away feeling quite empty. The single player aspect of the game will dry up quite quickly and thus leaving the multiplayer game for party situations.
Overall Score: 4.6 / 10
Tony Hawk's Project 8
Suggestions: As the winter shopping season approaches and the console war is upon us, Tony Hawk is in top form in Project 8. The return of old-school goals instead of playing through a cheesy storyline was a very good decision. By far the best Tony Hawk title to date. Just keep thinking of innovative new features and concentrating on bringing the games to life.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Thrillville
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Overall Score: 7.4 / 10
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Almost every character can unlock three alternate costumes, unlocked only when you play as that character. The alternate costumes are absolutely fantastic but they aren't just for show this time around. Each has three upgradeable stats that affect how your character performs. One outfit may allow you to increase the Max Health and the rate of XP gained while another gives a bonus to a specific type of attack and increases defense. Ultimately, the type of upgrade proves far less important than dressing your hero the way you like him or her to look; old school or not old school that is the question?
Suggestions: Boasting the largest collection of Marvel heroes and villains in one title, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a terrific game for the die-hard fan of Marvel comics. Those that enjoyed X-Men: Legends will also find this game entertaining. There are some failing points, but overall, this game is a delight to have in my collection. More than 20 playable characters, 17 locations, and the ability to control the destiny of the world and Marvel Universe; this game has the elements superhero fans crave.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Splinter Cell's famous good looks have always helped the series a great deal, and sure enough, they're once again a big part of the appeal of Double Agent. The game's incredible animations, meticulously detailed environments, and gorgeous lighting effects are exactly what you expect from a next-gen title. The slew of new moves and animations help make the experience feel like more than just a rehash of the previous Splinter Cells. However, the graphical enhancements made to the campaign mode make for a starker contrast with the multiplayer mode, which doesn't look quite as sharp. In all, Double Agent holds onto the Splinter Cell mantle of being one of the best-looking games out there. The over reliance on dark, claustrophobic confines that defined Chaos Theory has been replaced by an eclectic mix of outdoor and interior locations, embellished by a variety of weather effects and rich architecture and cultural influences.
Suggestions: Splinter Cell Double Agent fulfills a lot of the previously untapped potential of its predecessors' single-player portions, while successfully extending the impressive multiplayer offerings of Chaos Theory. It's got to be the most fully featured stealth action game to date, so if you like the idea of high-tech espionage, it's certainly going to have plenty to offer you.
Overall Score: 9.4 / 10
FIFA 07
The rather excellent first-touch system returns, once again highlighting the leaps FIFA has made when compared to PES. If you're new to FIFA the right analogue stick on your controller is basically what differentiates the game from other football titles, especially this year where the basic controls and feel of the game are remarkably similar to PES. Upon receiving the ball you simply push the right analogue stick in the direction you want to take the ball - it's that simple. It works brilliantly, and allows you to move the ball with a fluidity that is lacking in other games, fooling defenders or taking the ball from the air and delivering a blistering half volley shot.
Tricks and skills are also handled with the right stick, but rather than simply being gimmicky moves, they actually add to the gameplay. At times it's hard to believe this is the same series that regularly received a good kicking from the video game press, never matching the greatness of PES. Shooting, an area which has been open to abuse in the past, has been refined too, with timing and player skill far more important than in previous games. Apart from goalies exhibiting a weakness against free-kicks (I'm not just talking about Cristiano Ronaldo's fluky blasts), it's another area where it feels just right.
Game modes certainly aren't lacking, either. You get the usual bunch, along with the FIFA Lounge, which lets you and a few mates play together; an addictive Management mode complete with a number of sim-like options, such as transfers and the ability to watch or play as your team; team creation, multiple official tournaments, such as the Premier League and FA Cup; and online play including online leagues. The online leagues are brand new to FIFA 07, and have been heavily promoted by EA, but aren't really as innovative as they seem.
Online play is by far the biggest draw for players looking to get the most out of the game, but EA has crammed in a number of tricky and not so tricky challenges, which when completed earn you points. These can be spent in the fan shop, giving you access to bonus kits, new balls and a small selection of game 'enhancements', such as an overhead camera view and a selection of silly noises.
Suggestions: So, time for the big question. Is FIFA 07 the new king of football? To put it bluntly, no - but its !&%$@#* close. It's something I've thought long and hard about, but when the question is asked, PES still reigns supreme. FIFA 07 most definitely beats PES in a few areas, most notably in presentation and the brilliant first-touch control, but it's still not PES. While PES ambles along though, FIFA is making huge strides, so while in the end this might not be "the season," Pro Evolution Soccer's fall from the top might not be too far away. Still, FIFA 07 is a great game in its own right, and the best alternative players have had to PES in years.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Just Cause
Hopefully, my introduction made it quite clear that Just Cause is an over-the-top action game favoring, well, over-the-top stuff. It has a flimsy, clichéd storyline which borders on B movie/soap opera "quality," with characters that are exaggerated and cartoon-ish in almost every way. Just Cause delivers a free-roaming, sandbox type of gameplay experience. The island nation is pretty huge and the idea is for the player to have one main story line and then a number of side missions that will allow for the unlocking of new weapons, vehicles and such. The territory of San Esperito is exceptionally large (250,000 acres of mountains, jungles, beaches, cities, and villages to explore), and the landscapes look great. With volumetric clouds and full 3D backgrounds, the landscapes are very much reminiscent of Far Cry's paradise island. Gameplay-wise Just Cause takes some cues from GTA, minus the actually engaging story and characters.
The great thing about the action itself is that you can take over all sorts of vehicles and really take Rico wherever your little heart desires. During the "liberation missions," the combat can heat up nicely with massive fire fights, and once you get the hang of the stunts, they will occasionally provide some good few minutes of fun. The bad side to the game is that the main story is really unappealing, mostly because it's so trite and clichéd. The same can be said about Rico who has the action appeal of Roberto Rodriguez' anti-hero gone terribly wrong. In other words, Rico is not as appealing as Avalanche hoped he would be.
Ideally, the game allows for such neat stuff as province control where you get to change the balance of power in the game world by building alliances with the local guerrillas and drug cartel. Generaly, this should ensure for quite a bit of replayability. Sadly, this is not the case, as once you've finished the main story and unlocked some of the most powerful choppers and weapons; there isn't really much of an incentive for the player to keep playing. Just Cause had plenty of potential, and in terms of the engine and the technology behind it, it delivers quite nicely. In addition, just looking at the crazy aerial stunts that Rico performs, the game comes off as looking rather spectacular.
Suggestions: Unfortunately, these fun elements simply don't gel well together, so the end product seems rather flat. That's the best way to describe it really. For a game that tries hard to create a flamboyant image for itself, Just Cause simply lacks the punch and the personality to truly deliver on that front. On the bright side, Avalanche does show a lot of potential. Hopefully, they will learn from their mistakes and come back with a stronger contender next time.
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10
Enchanted Arms
Suggestions: As the first Japanese role-playing game for the Xbox 360, Enchanted Arms automatically fills a BIG void. From the very first seconds of the game, you'll know you're not going to be in for anything at all like Oblivion. The apparently complex combat system and intriguing game world set up some solid groundwork for Enchanted Arms to continue to keep you entertained for a long time.
Overall Score: 8.6 / 10
Saints Row
It's easy to label something as a Grand Theft Auto clone, and there is usually only one requirement for it; the game tries to be GTA but it sucks. A fair number have come out in recent years, but none have managed to touch the success of that particular franchise. With Saint's Row, the formula is being tested again, but there is something about the game that puts it on the same level as the heralded GTA series.Saints Row starts pretty abruptly; you play as a new member of the 3rd Street Saints, one of four gangs that are fighting for territory in the fictional city of Stilwater. After a rather uneasy beginning, complete with overdone speech and character introductions that seem rather forced, things settle down into a surprisingly entertaining and well written story. The goal is to take over the city, taking control of areas that are currently run by other gangs. Each gang has its own distinct look and favored vehicles, and the main characters are pretty believable.
The world feels very alive as you watch things unfold naturally. If you aren't jacking a car, there is a good chance someone else is doing it instead. People will be buying weapons right beside you, customers will be trying to score taxis, and police will walk the beat. A lot of the realism comes from the dialogue, which is absolutely hilarious; much of it can't be said here should a younger gamer come strolling by, but rest assured if you aren't laughing out loud, then your funny bone must be broken.
Suggestions: Compared directly to the Grand Theft Auto series, and in particular to the scope of San Andreas, Saints Row comes off as second best, but it's far from a second rate product. In fact, it's one of the few next-gen games that truly warrants a next-gen price tag, with a lengthy single-player campaign and a fun online component to extend the experience. Originality is great, but with that illusive new idea becoming harder and harder to find, well made imitators (especially in a genre that rarely gets it right) can't be sniffed at. Saints Row even manages to show GTA a thing or two, and deserves a place in the collection of anyone old enough to play it.
Overall Score: 9.4 / 10
Ninety Nine Nights
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Overall Score: 6.0 / 10
Warpath
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Overall Score: 6.2 / 10
MotoGP '06
Moto GP debuted on Xbox 4 years ago with a stunning burst of speed in a successful attempt to do for simulation motorcycle racing what Gran Turismo did for car racing. A little less than a year later, THQ released Moto GP 2. Continuing their reputation for a game based off of real world racers and tracks, is it possible for Moto GP 06 to expand and improve upon the first two installmentl? Well I've got some good news for all of you gear heads, in a nutshell yes. We are talking about the Xbox 360 after all.The secret to the Moto GP franchise is that you are allowed to customize essentially every part of your racing experience to fit your desires. If you want simulation racing, play the career Grand Prix mode. Are you more comfortable with arcade action? You can compete in stunt mode where you move through the ranks by knocking other riders off their bikes, performing wheelies, burnouts, and powerslides.
For single player racing, you have the option of many different modes. The standard Quick Race (everyone knows what that is), Stunt Mode lets you rack up points through both stunts and clearing track sections under predetermined times. High scores will unlock other tracks and highlight videos. Time Trial lets you try to break your previous fastest laps without having to deal with bots. The final single player, simulation portion of Moto GP 06, is the Career Mode that is a complete simulation of a Grand Prix.
When you first start Career mode, you are responsible for creating a racer. Choose from many different bikes and different leathers (those cute one-piece jump suits), customizable color combinations, logos, and numbers to create the rider that defines the ultimate champion. Along with the physical appearance of the bike and rider, you are given attribute points to be distributed among categories.
Once your racer is created, you have the option of entering the training mode, which teaches you the basics of motorcycle racing. This is an opportunity to practice your hairpin turns, wheelies, endos, powerslides, slalom skills, cornering, and other abilities. If you feel you have a good handle on how to control your bike, or don't want to pick up extra points, you can head straight to the first circuit. At the beginning of each circuit, you will hear a brief description of the area and the history of the race course accompanied by visuals. Once you "arrive to any locations, you have the choice of fulfilling challenges (each are track specific and will give you attribute points), practicing the course, qualifying for the race (determining your starting position), or racing the circuit. Finishing a circuit in third or less gives you one attribute point, second gives you two, and first gives you three. After you finish an entire season, you have the opportunity to race a second season with the same racer, and if you've finished an entire series you can increase the difficulty level.
Since Moto GP 06 is a simulation, it is no surprise that the bikes have an ultra real physics system. There is no way to succeed by manhandling your bike around a course (unless you time your turns correctly so that you can force a racer on the outside of you to bring you through a turn). Instead, you must rely on finesse and timing to stay on the track. Aiding you in complete mastery of the bike is a control scheme (the same as in Moto GP) that gives you complete control. The left analog stick steers your bike. You can accelerate with A or use the right analog stick (up is forward, down is reverse). Braking, which is the neat part of the Moto GP series, is mapped to the two triggers. The right trigger controls the front wheel and the left trigger the back wheel. This braking scheme not only aids in performing wheelies and endos, but lets you decide if you want to skid around corners or have tighter turns. If you can't handle operating the front and rear wheel brakes individually than you can use the auto-brake system with the B button. The white and black buttons handle manual shifting, and the Y button switches between first and third person views.
But what good would a realistic physics engine be if it didn't create some spectacular crashes? If you fail to anticipate a turn, which causes you to hit a dirt patch, your front wheel will stop and send you and your bike onto the ground. Also, slamming into other racers or cutting them off can cause them to crash, occasionally taking you with them. So, unless you want to end up with severe road rash, it is best to maintain control of your bike at all times (going off road also significantly slows you down).
Bike handling is also affected by weather conditions. When the track is slick with rain, steering and cornering becomes much easier as you slide across the road surface, but this also leaves you vulnerable to spinouts and it takes a lot less force to send you onto the ground.
What good would any racing game be if you could easily smoke the AI and all your friends and neighbors? If you crave an extra outlet for competition, Moto GP 06, like the originals, is fully compatible with Xbox Live. That means you can take on the best racers (fifteen besides you at a time) in the world in any of the multiplayer modes.
Live features all the standard options such as Quick Match, Optimatch, and Create a Match. In Optimatch and Create a Match, you can choose the difficulty level you compete in to make sure you're racing in your own league.
Moto GP 06 is one of the prettiest games on Xbox 360. The motorcycles and racers are all beautifully animated and modeled, which makes the whole experience seem like a real life simulation. Your rider shifts in his seat as he takes turns and leans forward at your command. If you bump into another rider, your opponent will shake his fist at you in anger.
The most stunning visuals are the crashes. Watch in horror as your racer contorts in all sorts of ways by somersaulting, flying through the air, or rolling across the ground. It truly looks like a form of painful acrobatics. When you once again mount your bike, you'll notice parts where your paint has scratched.
Detail wasn't just given to your focal point, the racer, but also to the environments. Granted that there isn't usually much besides road, grass, and the occasional tree, backgrounds never seem flat. Everything from the clouds in the sky to the tire marks burned into the pavement creates the illusion that you're on a real course. To further the illusion, your tires will leave black streaks when you skid around a turn that will stay there throughout the race. When you head off-road, your tires will cut a line through the grass or kick up gravel or sand.
Even the rain is incredibly real. Droplets form on the screen when you follow too closely behind other racers. The wet surface causes water vapor to trail behind your bike, and the sky is reflected on the road. Overall, Moto GP 06's visuals are unbelievably stunning.
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Overall Score: 8.4 / 10
Urban Chaos: Riot Response
Moving on, the graphics are of a high standard for the Xbox 1, and have that lovely Half Life 2 chunky feel to them. Enemies bleed the red stuff, fire looks like fire and the people look relatively like people so all is well in the looks department. The game is powered by the Havok engine, which, coincidentally, was also used in Halo 2. The physics is fun and works well, as rocket blown vehicles fly up into the air with profound force and enemies recoil after getting shot in the face. There is also another fancy visual effect when you headshot or take out a head gang member, as the action goes into bullet time as his body flies backwards and crashes into a hazard or to the ground. However, the enemies all look like extras from Manhunt, which are Eminem wannabes with a bizarre mask and obsession with swarming you in obscene numbers.
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Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Jaws Unleashed
Making it worst are countless glitches and game crashing bugs. It's not that the movie gave an accurate depiction of a great white shark, but sending the players onto land to perform objectives is flat out stupid. These brief trips onto the world of humans are nearly impossible since it's so easy to get stuck on objects. During the review process, I seen Jaws get his head plunged deep inside a solid rock, have spasms when caught on the wall of a ship containing a bonus power-up, had the game freeze entirely, or end up stuck on land to suffocate.
The plot is lifted from the films in various ways. The ever tormented Brody's make an appearance, this time with Michael, the oldest of the kids. The mayor is once again dumb enough to believe the shark isn't a threat, and yet again, an attempt is made to capture it alive (because they apparently think that turned out ok in Jaws 3).
Suggestions: Even with a total lack of original story, abysmal camera, and hilariously funny (until you have to do them) missions, it is fun to be shark. There are a number of gruesome ways to dismember people, from shredding them, to chomping on them, down to tail whipping them to death. Blood is completely over-the-top, while the repetitive screams add to the drama.
That's the only highlight, and even this becomes an aggravating test of your endurance for awful games. Jaws Unleashed is on par with its classic and memorably terrible 1987 NES counterpart. The only thing going for Unleashed as opposed to the 8-bit rendition is that you finally control the shark.
Overall Score: 5.0 / 10
Hitman: Blood Money
It's achieved this via the clever use of the titular blood money and the notoriety system. While each hit grants you a fee, if you should manage to complete it without anyone noticing your presence, this cash sum will be increased. However, get your bald mug on camera, leave corpses out in the open or just leave plenty of witnesses in your wake and you'll soon find your notoriety rising. Finish a level and the next day's papers will report on the deaths (featuring such information as your favorite weapon, number of people killed, accuracy and more), and may even feature an appropriately accurate photofit of who the police are now looking for. It's a novel way to present the information and one that works extremely well, allowing you to review your mission progress by way of something that's easy to digest and fun to read. Should your notoriety level get too high, you can choose to spend some of your hard-earned cash on bribes to lower it. Don't do this and your face becomes increasingly recognisable, thus making further levels even harder to pull off without everyone running screaming from you at first sight. Money can also be spent on a series of weapons upgrades, which give yet another incentive to keep your head down. It's a streamlined system that once again places the emphasis exactly where it needs to be: on stealth.
Now that sneakiness is again a priority, Eidos has introduced 'accidental' deaths to help you fulfill your contracts without a trace. These unfailingly inventive and often hilarious ways to bump off your targets range from rigging someone's barbecue with lighter fluid, to dropping a suspended piano on their heads - but by far our favourite 'accident' is rigging a pyrotechnics display used by a dancer in a club. When the dancer comes out, the flames set her on fire and she rolls over until dropping straight into the shark tank below, where one of the oversized fishes promptly gobbles up its impromptu meal. It's completely twisted yet utterly brilliant and brings a whole new dimension to the game. Finding out just how to pull a complicated accident off effectively can take hours of observation, but once you've seen one target pop their clogs without anyone even suspecting you, it soon becomes quite addictive and you'll find yourself resorting to weapons less and less.
Hitman: Blood Money looks great on all platforms. Whether you're playing the game on Xbox or Xbox 360, you get the same supreme style and well modeled environments. The Xbox versions clearly can't quite compete with the Xbox 360 and PC versions, in terms of resolution, frame rate and subtlety of lighting, but on their respective systems they're quite an achievement. In truth, while the Xbox 360 version looks nicely polished, it's not all that much of a leap, particularly if you're not running the game on a High Definition TV. The visuals are accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack that really hits the mark, and while the voice acting sounds a tad unnatural at times, on the whole this is the sleekest Hitman title to date. Xbox 360 owners can also attempt to unlock the 24 Achievements the game has to offer, which is far from an easy task.
The save system will undoubtedly cause a little unrest amongst players, with various options available depending on the difficulty you're playing the game on. The number of mid-mission saves you can use ranges from infinite to none, but these are purely mid-mission saves and they're lost when you quit the game or restart the system. This actually sounds worse than it is, as most missions can be completed in a relatively short amount of time once you know what you're doing. Still, if you have to unexpectedly stop playing and you're doing well, you'll have to start over next time or leave the game on until you return.
Where Blood Money really shines is in the amazingly inventive level design. Gone are the drab confines of Contract's levels, to be replaced with gaudy and flamboyant levels bursting with colour and activity, from casinos through heaven and hell-themed nightclubs to Mardi Gras festivals. The latter two levels deserve a special mention as both feature literally hundreds upon hundreds of extras, giving 47 a potential wardrobe choice equal to Paris Hilton.
It may not be the most graphically intense game on the 360, but the very locations themselves still have a definite wow factor. Each level is well laid out with many different areas, checkpoints and guards that should keep your killer instinct in good shape working out how to avoid being spotted. Playing the role of hired killer is now more joy than chore thanks to the new moves that 47's picked up. He can turn weapons upon their owners, use human shields, push people over ledges and stash bodies to make them harder to find. Put together, these new features cause the game to flow more naturally than its predecessors and really make it a joy to play.
The only problem I find are that of the traditional but unwieldy inventory, and the context-based button presses which can often find you swapping outfits when you really wanted to haul the dead body away. They're minor complaints, but right in the thick of things, choosing the wrong option can mean the difference between life and death. Enemy AI has also received a boost and with guards following blood trails, talking on their radios and searching you for weapons when entering restricted areas, it's harder than ever to get away with murder.
The music is moody, dark and surreal. It's often not really a song at all, just eerie waves of sound, and electronic drums slowly pounding. Each level provides a different style or music, since each takes place at a different time or place, so don't expect to hear the standard classical orchestrated music from the previous games. This one is different. Also, oftentimes, there is simple silence, and as I play more games, I find that sometimes silence truly is golden. Another interesting note is that Agent 47 talks in this one. He doesn't talk a lot, but you hear his voice enough to get a better sense of his uh, personality. It works, too. The voice actor who plays Agent 47 is a deep-voiced man with a clear, distinct tone and he speaks the way I would have expected him to sound.
Suggestions: While the training level in an abandoned funfair is a fantastic introduction, there's still a pretty steep learning curve to be crossed when you head over to the first proper level. We reckon it's one of the most unforgiving in the game, but don't let that put you off, as you'll soon settle into your assumed assassin role. With its amazing sets, inventive ways of killing, solid storyline with a great twist at the end and more emphasis on stealth, 47's latest is not only the most accomplished Hitman title ever, but a serious contender in the world of stealth gaming.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Commandos: Strike Force
By now, everyone has played a World War II first-person shooter. Surprisingly, there are as many good games in this sub-genre as there are healthy soldiers lined up for physicals. And while it's true that their shaved heads and crew cuts may all look similar, each one still offers a little something different. Eidos's Commandos series is no longer the star soldier it once was though. Sad as it may be, Eidos has done as much to hurt its series as it has to help it. For all of you that have been following the Commandos series let me start by telling you this Commandos Strike Force doesn't quite deliver on the strategic legacy of its predecessors. If you were attracted to the series for its uniquely tactical approach to the crowded WWII genre then you are going to be sad to hear that the newest episode wildly departs from this. The games evolution, or mutation, into a first-person shooter has crippled the strategic aspects that originally attracted gamers to the series. Limiting the number of playable soldier classes down to a mere three (cut in half from the original six), Commandos: Strike Force focuses on stealth with Bill the sniper, O'Brien the green beret and Colonel Brown the spy. Each class has their own set of special abilities: the sniper can hold his breath to squeeze off flawless headshots or use knives at close range, the green beret wields dual automatic rifles and grenades; and the spy disguises himself in order to penetrate Nazi defenses without firing a shot. Unfortunately, the spy and sniper play remarkably similarly as both employ sneaking around as their primary weapon, while the green beret remains your basic shoot first and ask questions later guy.One thing I was a little bit disappointed with was the uneven graphics in Commandos. On the positive side, the levels and environments are all laid out quite nicely, the cutscenes look pretty good, and frame rates hold up well during battles. The main disappointment is with the character models, which look rather blocky and lack detail. In a nutshell the graphics still leave a little something to be desired. Very generic, cookie cutter, and impersonal. You cannot tell one soldier from another. Sure there's occasionally a captain or commander that starts off an in-game cutscene who usually looks relatively believable, but that's as far as the variety goes. There are boxy, generic tanks that lack detail and obvious rubble and broken down buildings that look like they could have come from any WWII FPS. The graphics aren't all bad, however. Guns are more detailed than most other objects and come complete with the appropriate animations, while the environments (carefully lit by spare usage of bloom lighting) look pretty good too but explosions don't rattle your cage or put the fear of God in you. Instead, your grenades offer about as much impact as a Fourth of July bottle-rocket.
The sound in Commandos is the best thing about it. There are numerous instances of genuine audio that literally digs into your consciousness with convincing realism. The delayed echo of a sniper shot in an open field; the click and clack of metal and weaponry as you run across a field; the crunch of your boots in deep snow; the whir of a tank turret's gears as it turns toward you; the hollers of angry Nazi soldiers as you encroach into their territory. The voice acting is high quality and accurate for the most part too.
Suggestions: Commandos was once a rigorously demanding strategy war title with intriguing rendered locations and a half-dozen character classes. Commandos: Strike Force for the most part is an entirely different beast, a limp first-person shooter that forgets strategy and adaptability for linear play. The voice acting may be great, but that doesn't disguise that there are half as many characters, and half as much fun.
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10
Tomb Raider: Legend
Suggestions:
Overall Score: 8.8 / 10
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The
Where the sound impresses me the most is in its coherent sense of place. Stroll into a bar in the evening, and you'll be greeted by the hustle and bustle of the townsfolk relaxing. Bottom line is that Bethesda has created just about the most engrossing video game to date. The addition of voice overs for each and every character (even if many of them are done by the same actors) is a huge step up for this genre. It literally draws you into the world of Tamriel and doesn't let go. Now for the soundtrack it's been a long time since a soundtrack has been this good. Jeremy Soule really captures the essence of fantasy in this masterpiece! The dialogue is both spoken and written out. There's no need to read the explanation unless you're deaf because the enunciation is perfect. Everything is very clear. The dialogue is sometimes corny, but reflects common human like personalities. People complain about headaches often, and they are not afraid to tell you what they think of you. The environment is alive with bird calls, chirping crickets, animal noises and footsteps. At certain times, thunder can be heard and it will start to rain. When you take into consideration all of the elements that create this game (sound fx, music, graphics, gameplay, story) it really feels as if you are staring in your own role in one of todays Hollywood top flick. Roger and Ebert would be proud of giving this game a two thumbs WAY up if they were game critics.
Suggestions:
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
