Total Reviews: 82
Average Overall Score Given: 8.37073 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 2,535
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Reviews
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Spiderwick Chronicles, The
Once again we find ourselves in the all too familiar category of movie licensed games. On top of that the added sub category of sorts that target younger gamers. But having children of my own, I try not to take my pre-conceived ideas and notions about this particular genre too seriously. The Spiderwick Chronicles by Sierra is targeted to the younger gamer, and is based on the popular books which have recently made the jump to the silver screen, all these elements are usually a sure recipe for disaster but after playing for a bit I have to admit that The Spiderwick Chronicles (TSC) showed some unexpected promises.
The game is structured around a boy who discovers “Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You” that goes on to explain the magical fantasy filled world lurking right under your nose. Like most adventure games TSC is filled with area to explore, items to discover, puzzles to solve, and my personal favorite… goblins to fight. While overall a sound experience it does have some minor flaws.
Not to harp on the bad things, I just wanted to get them out of the way before we delve into the positive things, which, yes there are. The first unavoidable thing that you’ll undoubtedly notice is how dark the game is, you are prompted right from the beginning to adjust your screen, now on mine, it took a few tries back and forth because once in the game you realize what you thought was acceptable is still to dark to see items in corners let alone staircases and corridors in the house. Needless to say, it was a function that could be corrected. Looking at the game from the perspective of the audience it was intended for I also found the game a bit hard to navigate in terms of knowing where you are, of course you can consult your guide at any time, but more often than not, its wasn’t tremendously helpful. The game also has quite a few cut scenes that were lifted right from the movie, and while a very nice touch, it would have been nicer to be able to skip through them as an option. My one big complaint is the way the inventory system works out, you don’t really have one, and the major down side to that is as you find objects, you really can’t collect, you can investigate them, learn what they are, but until your in that mission/quest you can’t collect them, so there is a little bit of frustration in remembering where you saw certain objects earlier and now having to backtrack. Outside of a few the occasional clipping problems, and some random invisible objects you can pass through TSC was very well designed.
TSC does a great job keeping your interest by its many diverse playing schemes, the puzzle solving begins basic and grows in complexity as you progress through the game, the combat system while a button masher for the age group intended is still fun, and the collection of sprites unlocks new magical abilities such as healing, super speed and super strength, catching enough of them with your “Sprite Net” will launch you into a “Painting” mini-game, which seemed more added, than a part of the game. I thought the collecting aspect was interesting when piecing items like your initial monocle to view the mystical world around you. The aforementioned button mashing won’t go to waste either, after vanquishing a goblin you can collect its teeth which in turn unlock new moves for your characters melee attack as you collect enough of them, one attack in particular will bring a chuckle to any gamer, as goblins are launched into the “cheap seats”. While the “New” attacks are not overly complicated, more or less the addition of a new button, they are more than acceptable and challenging enough to keep to keep gamers collecting teeth. All these elements do a commendable job keeping to the adventure roots of the book, movie, and now game. In addition, gamers can also look forward to unlocking 2 player co-op modes which is sure to not only extend the life of the game, but add a new wrinkle to the adventure.
Visually TSC is above average, but lacks some of the “Flare” we as gamers are getting used to, if not starting to expect in our games. Detailed shadows, particle effects, etc…TSC offers a straight forward visual style that is adequate but not fantastic. As mentioned earlier the game does have some minor visual glitches like be able to swing through your targets, and the flow is off at times. The character models on the other hand are very nicely rendered and if you’ve seen the movie will appreciate the likeness. Even the load screen seems a bit lack luster with animated leaves blowing by that really don’t match the rest of the look of the game, so overall, TSC looks fine, but could have been “Polished” a bit more. The soundtrack in TSC does stand out quite a bit, from spooky creaking doors and other effects it does a great job of putting you in the Spiderwick world and sets the mood very well. The voice acting is above average, considering most of it is via cut scenes and your main character Jared.
Overall, The Spiderwick Chronicles accomplishes what it set out to deliver, a solid adventure game for younger gamers, and in that respect it actually delivers an above average experience that holds true to the adventure game genre, possibly getting those younger gamers to continue to enjoy the genre. While the game is very linear at times and walks you through the early levels a-la “Tutorial” it should appeal to the gamer it set out to impress. The books were great, the movie was very entertaining also, the game…well, let me put it this way, a certain eyeglass wearing wizard may have to step up his game in the video game market. The Spiderwick Chronicles was enjoyable for both children and adults, kudos.
Suggestions: Overall a great adventure game, would like to see a bit more "polish" to the game and an inventory system to work around the item backtracking.
Overall Score: 7.8 / 10
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FEAR Files
For those of you who played the original F.E.A.R, you’ll find yourself right at home with F.E.A.R Files, a nice double expansion pack in one offering. Not only do you get the original games first expansion, Extraction Point, but you also get the latest expansion in the series, Perseus Mandate. For new comers to FF (F.E.A.R Files), the expansions can be played as stand alone experiences without needing a complete knowledge of the original. The original game in the series gave us some great AI, weaponry and even more chilling moments than you can shake a stick at, but I often find myself disappointed in expansions as well as some sophomore efforts, they just seem to fall short or try and ride on the coat tails of the successful original. Extraction Point starts off exactly where F.E.A.R left off, literally. It’s a very nice segue to the first expansion and offers continuity in your continuing mission. But how does it play out as a “New” game? What does it bring to the table this time around? Well let me share my thoughts on the Expansion Double Pack F.E.A.R Files.
Both games offer unique weapons and a pretty standard HUD. You can carry no more than three weapons at a time, find a weapon you would rather have and trade it off with your least favorite. Your health is regulated by a meter and health packs are randomly scattered around maps as well as ammo and a few secret items. Your character has heightened agility, and this is carried off in the game via bullet time effects, your so fast that the world around you seems to be moving in slow motion, its all pretty much standard fare, your bullet time regenerates as you rest a bit, along with your helmet light, that will defiantly light the way at times when you feel there is no way out. The control pads layout is all too familiar and very easy to master from the get go. This caries over both expansions, so let’s get to the meat and potatoes of this double pack.
The two expansions set off trying to give us new experiences in FF, the first expansion, Extraction Point, takes you right where you left off in the original, the explosion that all but levels the Origin Facility also causes the helicopter down, now your goal is to make it to the top of a hospital for extraction. A few characters that supposedly met their maker in the original find there way back in the expansion. Extraction Point has signature AI from the original, massive fights with numerous types of horrors, great weaponry and the all familiar bullet time feature. The game is very solid, there is no doubt about that, the issues lie in “What’s New”. Extraction Point offers a lot of the same old same old, not only in play mode but locations and situations. You can only take so many sewers and abandoned warehouses, the maps just lack a little creativity. With that being said, there is something to the skirmishes you end up in, the fights are non stop action, and while bullet time effects are far from something new and exciting, there is a fair amount of adrenaline pumping as you slow down the action and pump off a few shots with your shot gun in slow motion. The game is as grizzly and graphic as always, and while I found it not as intense as the original there are still moments that will make you jump. Unfortunately as I stated earlier the lack of originality hurts the returning gamer, new gamers to the series may not find it as lack luster and more enjoyable. The storyline is a little thin, and plot lines are really kind of secondary, so Extraction Point continues to be a little flat overall.
The second expansion, Perseus Mandate, kind of blurs the line between the past and the present in that you play as a second unit that was sent in during the original storyline. Trying to give it an alternate view from the original character, or maybe a different twist, it accomplishes neither. The characters have the same abilities and weapons for the most part, a few new toys do surface, but all in all it’s still the same character. And once again you find yourself in all too familiar surroundings, same locations, same look, same game play. Now while Extraction Point may have had some ground to stand on with newcomers, that may not hold true with Mandate, the inevitable been there, done that will set in. Yes there are some new enemies sprinkled in for good measure, but that far from makes up for the lack of overall new content. So is there something that will help elevate this experience for 360 owners? Actually there is, in the form of the Instant Action mode. Now as much as I harp on the lack of improvement, I do and have given credit were credit is due, F.E.A.R overall has always had great action and battles, and returning in FF is the Instant Action Mode were you play through short scenarios and are scored on how quickly and efficiently you neutralize your enemies. Yes these are short snippets at best, but a lot of fun none the less. Rounding off the package is on line play via Xbox Live, what little new content was tossed into the game transfers to XBL, and a few new maps also make the trip, again, unfortunately these few nuggets hardly make the experience feel any more exciting or fresh compared to the original.
So while FPS’s seem to be everywhere now a days, I have to say that all in all FF is a solidly made game, keep in mind these expansions originally surfaced a few years ago for the PC, so maybe time is catching up to them a bit in these ports, but as I said, the game is solid, its still fun to play, the creepiness is still there and you’ll find yourself moving through levels a bit more cautiously than normal. The levels are a bit stale and dated and a few of them become bogged down with a few too many paranormal flash backs, slowing the action down to almost a stand still. The stand alone expansions will most likely appeal to newcomers more than returning F.E.A.R fans, although some may enjoy revisiting the frenetic action that the series has become recognized for. I guess Extraction Point offers up some continuity for those of us returning, but I have to admit that Perseus Mandate seems to be leaning on the popularity of the series a bit more than it should. I still think you can enjoy the game on its own merit or as a returning fan, but it’s just not offering up anything that makes you stand up and take notice.
Suggestions: Its time to take the F.E.A.R universe to new locations and re introduce a solid story line. Solid as always, just not shining as it should.
Overall Score: 7.0 / 10
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Rock Band
We’ve all been there, in your bedroom, in your car, in front of a mirror, even screaming into a hair brush that you hold in your hand. Yes at some time in most normal people’s lives we find ourselves living our Rock and Roll fantasies out in our minds, lip syncing to our favorite songs, emulating our favorite rock bands or singers. There is just something about the Rock and Roll lifestyle that lures us into living that guilty pleasure if not just for a few minutes in the privacy of our room. Yes Karaoke had its stint and helped bridge that gap a bit, but it didn’t really fulfill my Rock and Roll dreams very well. Some of us spent countless hours mastering the air guitar over the years, while others took to upside down buckets to live out our dreams of pounding out thundering Drum solo’s. And as fun as all that is and was, there is no better way to live your Rock and Roll dreams than the newly released Rock Band from Harmonix. But lets be honest, theoretically this isn’t a new concept, but what does Harmonix do to raise the bar in this popular growing genre? Well for starters why not get one of the biggest names in guitar history to lend its likeness in creating a controller. Then just to make sure no one is left out in the cold, let’s bring the rest of the band to your living room so you get the complete experience. So go dig out that Rolling Stones concert T-Shirt and leather pants, and make sure your audience has their lighters fired up and in hand, because as AC/DC proudly exclaims….For those about to Rock, we salute you!
I have to admit, when I first heard about the idea of Rock Band I was a bit skeptical, I mean come on, wasn’t a guitar enough? But 10 minutes into my review time with this game my volunteers and I were hooked. There is a lot to mention about Rock Band. While the idea is simple, Harmonix really put not only a fantastic game together, but a great group experience for gamers, family and friends alike. While RB (Rock Band) may make your wallet cringe a bit with its price tag, you need to really look at the contents of the package. So let’s start with that simple part, what does your hard earned cash get you? RB comes complete with a Microphone, Drums, and an amazing replica of the classic Fender Stratocaster guitar. Each item is a full blown controller except for the Microphone, the Drums come complete with sticks and a foot pedal, the Fender Strat houses the all familiar “Whammy” bar and Solo Frets that allow you to pull off notes without having to “Strum”. Along with the actual instruments, you are supplied with a mini USB hub to connect all of them to the 360, just a quick note, any USB hub will work with the system, so if you run out of ports you can expand that with a HUB. One of the nice little touches is the set of mini headset adapters that can attach your 360 headset directly to the Drums or Guitar, opening up the Chat capabilities while on line. And of course the game itself, which boasts quite an impressive list of songs right out of the box. 45 songs spanning from the 1960’s to the new millennium, with 13 additional tracks that can be unlocked as you improve your skills.
So of course this begs to ask that ever popular question…what about Downloadable Content, can I get more songs? Well just a few days ago Harmonix announced that it has a stellar line up of DLC that will be available weekly through the rest of 2007. 3- Song packs via the Xbox Live Marketplace will be available for an SRP of $5.49 per pack or $1.99 per song (440 Microsoft points per pack or 160 MP’s for individual songs). New song packs by Metallica, The Police and Queen along with individual songs by Foreigner, Wolfmother and The Runaways will be available. The press release also stated that you could expect weekly content through 2008 with an SRP varying from $.99 to $2.99 per track (80 to 240 Microsoft Points) with the majority falling in the $1.99 price range (160 MSP) So its safe to say, your not going to run out of tunes.
So with all of the dollars and cents out of the way, let’s get to the important part, the game. RB can be played solo or in a group, group play can be achieved either locally with some of your friends or via Xbox Live. The system will be familiar to those who have played the “Other” game, match the beat, strum or pitch to the song and earn points. When starting you can opt for the Training mode, there are available Tutorials for both instruments ranging from the basics to the advanced, you can also jump into Practice Mode and hone your skills without worrying about points and pressure. The guitar and drum work off the same principal, match the colors as they enter your Target to score points and favor with the audience. The guitar has color coded frets that match the Red, Yellow, Blue and Green buttons you would find on a controller, the drums pads are also color coded the same way with the addition of the Foot Pedal. Color coded notes make there way down the screen, the Foot Pedal is a solid line across the Drum path. Each note garners you points. You can build up your Energy Bar by nailing the Special Glowing notes that appear. When you build up enough energy you can whip the crowd into a real frenzy by going into Overdrive with the guitar, this is achieved by tilting the neck upwards while playing. With the Drums your energy can be unleashed with Drum Fills; this is your cue to go nuts. Once you reach the end of your Fill you will need to hit the Green ending note for your barrage to count. Singers have the same options; singing is more about keeping the right pitch than signing the right words. The singer needs to follow a Pitch Meter, keeping the Pitch meter on target is crucial, and just like the instruments you can accumulate Energy by nailing the Glowing Lyrics when they pass by. To use your Energy you need to keep an eye out for the Freestyle section, at which point you can unleash you’re pent up vocal prowess. Playing the Guitar and Drum also gives you the opportunity to nail the “Big Rock Ending” at the end of a song you can go completely unscripted, play what you want and rack up big points, but in order to get credit for the points you need to nail the last few notes that appear.
With RB that’s only half the battle, you also need to make sure you are impressing the crowd or your going to get run off the stage, the more accurate you play the higher your “Crowd Meter” reads, keep it in the green and your doing fine, each member has his or her own Icon on the meter so its going to be easy to see who your going to kick out of the band later. But, many an impressive musicians have been able to keep the crowd excited enough to bring fallen members back from the grave. As a member falters and eventually “Fails” they can be saved by their band mates’ mastery giving them another chance, but Fail 3 times and you pretty much doomed your Band. The point system in RB accumulates into Stars, with a perfect 5 star performance being the goal. Stars not only help you progress, but also gain you fans and cash in various modes of the game. So with all of this RB breaks down into a few modes, Solo Touring or Group Touring and Band World Tour. In the World Tour Mode, you can start a band or join a band. From there you can visit the Rock Shop and create your Rocker alter ego that can be used in all the modes, purchase clothing and instrument upgrades as well as give your Band a bio, where they came from and the hardships they have faced. As you gain fame and fans you can unlock various venues not only across the country but around the world. Travel to Paris or stay in the states and try and get a gig at New York’s historical CBGB’s. As a Band you’ll need to play requested songs by the game, but also be prepared to take on mystery sets to help increase your fame and fortune.
In the end I feel there are a few things that really make Rock Band appealing, anyone can play it, whether you’re just playing this type of game for the first time or you’re a seasoned vet. It’s addicting to spectators, you may have friends and family who will start off just wanting to watch, but I’ll guarantee they will eventually be jockeying for position to get in the mix. The music, the variety of genres is fantastic, not only in terms of era, but styles. From Bon Jovi to the Ramones. The Rolling Stones to Radiohead, there is something for everyone in this package, and if all the DLC’s come to fruition the game will never get stale. This game will appeal to all ages young and old, and hardcore gamers will get a charge out of battling head to head over Xbox Live in a cyber Battle of the Bands if you will. It’s one of the best party games available; you can enjoy it with friends as well as family. So for what I originally thought might be a stretch, Rock Band turned out to be a great gaming experience. So if you have to, start digging in the sofa pillows for loose change, pass on a few DVD purchases and find a way to go pick up Rock Band. And if all else fails..."Dear Santa..." Rock Band is just that much fun.
Suggestions: Kudos to everyone involved, great game, fun for all. I only have one complaint...where is the travel case for all this equipment? ;)
Overall Score: 9.8 / 10
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Timeshift
Time manipulation has been used in games before, sometimes succefully, sometimes as just a gimmick. I have to admit the concept, in either form, always seems to interest me. I’m always wondering how well it can be implemented, and when I first heard of Timeshift by Sierra, I was equally interested. The premise…you poses the Beta Suit, it can master movement through time, not just forward and back, but you can also bring time to a stand still. Dr. Aiden Krone recklessly makes a Time Jump across the space-time continuum. Now it’s up to you to hunt him down and restore order to the madness he’s unleashed… welcome to your alternate reality.
Timeshift hits the ground running with some very impressive, dramatic cut scenes. A quick, yet sketchy storyline starts to unfold, the next thing you know your hardwired into the Beta Suite and your being rushed down dark, dank corridors by Commander Mason Cooke, the leader of the anti-Krone resistance. While the quick, confusing pace seems a little, well, confusing, it does replicate the feeling of not knowing what happened or where you are quite well. There is an element of mystery within this game, because the story is pieced together more so as you play rather than it all being explained up front. The dark, gloomy Alpha District is just that, very bleak, very quiet except for the sound of gunfire or oncoming tanks, Mech’s, or helicopters. The silence is almost distracting at times, but again it does lend itself well to the overall feel of the game. Your alter-ego if you will, is the Beta Suites artificial intelligence S.S.A.M. Along with the ability to warn you about impending enemies or obstructions, S.S.A.M can also retrieve any Audio or Video transmit ions within a certain proximity, so while you will have some surprises, you can be prepared for oncoming conflicts and obstructions.
That’s about as much info as your going to get once you start playing. Timeshift at a glance plays out like many FPS, you are able to yield many various weapons, all which have an alternate fire capability, you can man turrets along your route as needed and most importantly if you can get to them in one piece. The game is very tactical…with a new twist. As much as many gamers will have the urge to run and gun this game, the true concept of the game lies in examining your surrounding and utilizing your time manipulation. New vantage points can be gained by simple things such as barrels that roll off a scaffold in a higher location. Standing on the barrel and reversing time can elevate you to a higher vantage point, helping your AI buddies through some thick fire. Its very difficult to stop and rethink how to play a game, but once you get through the first couple of missions, and a little trial and error the game takes on a new life, large enemy presence isn’t as daunting when you know how to use your powers of time bending, slowing down time as you take down enemies one by one with your shot gun, or even disarming them becomes quite interesting. Snapping back into normal time once disarmed, your enemy is pretty much at your mercy, or lack there of.
Overall Timeshift is a well made, and visually pleasing experience, its pitfalls are few, but there none the less. Enemy AI seems to be a race of thick skinned warriors, because at times it does seem an overabundance of fire power is needed to take down what would seem a normal foot soldier, head shots are 50/50 at best, and the missions seem a bit too linear. Again, the concept of the game is to utilize the time abilities, so I can kind of turn a bit of a blind eye to that problem. You can also mount vehicles in the game, more for getting across distances quicker than anything else; they do come in handy for running over groups when needed. When on a vehicle the game retains its FP aspect, the controls are a bit twitchy while driving, but manageable. There is a nice array of weaponry at your disposal, over 10 weapons and assorted grenades will aid you through your missions, and you can reload quite easily and gather ammo along the way from fallen enemies or unmanned Ammo Lockers. The HUD is pretty straight forward, a life bar, or Rapid Recovery system will protect you, the suite will absorb damage, but only do much, dodging into a safe area for a bit will recharge your shielding system and your off and running. Time powers can be activated anywhere, in certain situations the “Correct” time function will be enabled just by pushing the shoulder button, other times, you can choose which function you feel is needed. The amount of time available in each “Time” manipulation is dependant on usage, like the shielding system, it will become depleted as used but a few minutes of rest will recharge the system. That being said, you can disengage the time function at any point during use, saving energy for later.
Timeshift also offers on-line muti-player action via XBOX Live; unfortunately I was not able to find players during my review process, besides the usual game types such as capture the flag, Timeshift offers a completely new dynamic built around the Time manipulation theory. Chrono Grenades are the most fun, affecting all players and weapons within the blast radius accordingly, Slow, Back, or Stop Grenades are at your disposal.
Here is the inevitable problem, in my opinion, Time Shift is a solid game, not the end all be all, but its well designed, fun to play, and challenges players to think more than just run guns a blazing, but the inevitable comparisons to another popular FPS will plague Time Shift. Time Shift looks great, aside from a few minor things is very enjoyable, but the concept of Tome manipulation didn’t knock my socks off. At times it is used in a very gimmick like fashion, such as stopping time to walk across electrified water, or fire engulfed sewer pipes. Once you remove the Time element from the game there really isn’t anything over abundantly new here. Kudos to everyone on the game for delivering a well polished game with a shot at a new twist, it just doesn’t have enough to make it a real stand out at the moment.
Gamers may be split on Time Shift, I would recommend giving it a look if your willing to abandon your “Run and Gun” instincts for a bit and use a little grey matter, but as stated earlier there are comparisons that will be made, whether justified or not.
Suggestions: I liked the concept, but there needed to be a bit more too it in some way. Entertaining, visually clean, but not enough to set it apart.
Overall Score: 7.8 / 10
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Well here we are, it seems like just yesterday when an orphaned child set foot on the steps of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and went from a mere boy to a wizard with quite a daunting destiny. Actually it was 5 years ago to be exact (In school years that is) when we first got a chance to play EA’s video game adaptation of the Harry Potter saga.
Like most video games that come from movies, unfortunately, the Harry Potter series was a nice family oriented, E rated, button pusher, and each successive installment really did little but update character, surroundings, and maybe a spell or two, which brings us to the most current installment in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I must admit I wasn’t expecting anything more than what I have come to expect, but from the get go this game seemed a little different than its predecessors. Had EA and Warner Bros done the unthinkable? Try and make a good movie adapted video game? Alright, the end all be all its not, but HPOP (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) has become the best installment to a stale formula and quite an enjoyable little game.
OK, so what’s so great about this game? Well, for starters HPOP does a great job of immersing you in the Harry Potter universe more than ever before. There is a better connection to what it must be like to be a student at Hogwarts, let alone Harry Potter himself. The game starts with a curious cut scene, I say curious because I haven’t seen the movie yet, but in a quick little Dementor attack and some news headlines you find yourself in year 5 of Harry’s adventures at Hogwarts. Once there the game turns into a well designed, interesting combination of discovery, training, and mystery.
The first noticeable difference is the spell-casting controls. More like a real wand would function, you cast spells by moving the left stick in various directions to cast a spell, no more button pushing for a few obvious casts, you are able to train Harry to acquire 6 non-combat spells along with 6 Dueling spells. Depending on the mission or quest your on, the spells needed will be available to you. The other part of the game is discovering Hogwarts, for the first time you really get a sense of the size and confusion that Hogwarts is. From the moving staircase to the talking portraits, they have done a great job of incorporating all the things that makes Hogwarts, well, Hogwarts. As you discover different areas of the school you earn “Discover Points”, as they are accumulated, these points increase not only your proficiency in spell casting but unlocks a slew of hidden unlockables in the game. From interviews with the cast member to trophies, the list is long and elaborate. As you accept missions from fellow students and teacher you make your way through the halls of the school, a keen eye will detect secrets behind tapestries, hidden images in the mortar, and many other small mysteries. The game isn’t relegated to the school itself, it actually encompasses all of the school grounds so you do venture outside the walls to complete missions and continue discovering the mysteries of Hogwarts.
Your discovery doesn’t end there; to make your romp through the school a little easier you can discover the passwords needed to access secret passages hidden behind portraits, noting the same portrait in a different parts of the school should key you in on the shortcut. With the size of the school, and believe me you will get turned around a bit with all the winding hallways and levels, you do have access to the Marauders Map. The map has the entire school laid out for you to follow, but even with the map it can get difficult to maneuver Hogwarts so they implemented a “Follow the Footsteps” system, where all you need to do is mark the destination on the map, once done, retuning to the game you will see footprints on the ground leading you to your destination. That being said, you can still veer off the beaten path to continue discovering Hogwarts and earning those Discovery Points.
The underlying story here is Harry contacting students that have signed up to be in the “DA” Dumbledore’s Army and be trained by Harry in the Defense Against the Dark Arts, since the new teacher has a more passive approach to things. Interwoven in the missions and discovery are a few mini-games “Wizard Games” if you will. The first is “Gobstones” a Hogwarts version of marbles that can be played in a few different ways; the second is “Exploding Snap”, which is a match game, and lastly “Wizard Chess”. Wizard Chess is the best mini-game in the group, using regular chess rules, but with the addition of Hogwarts styling in which the pieces actually battle. This was one of my favorite parts of the movie and it’s nice to see it finally make it to a game.
All the main characters are represented in the game, obviously our three main characters, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Along with them are Ron’s brother, familiar ghosts, and other students I’m sure you will recognize. Visually the characters are well rendered, as well as the look and design of the rest of the school, grounds, and the many effects you unleash as you cast your spells. The game includes 22 of the original cast members doing their own voice over work, these unfortunately didn’t include Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Emma Watson.(Hermione Granger). The music is fantastic, scored form the movie and included in the game form an actual orchestra and not snippets from the soundtrack, nice touch.
The game culminates with a battle with “He who’s name shall not be spoken” and only you can save Hogwarts, the Ministry, and Harry. So brush up on your casting, learn all there is to learn and with a little help form your friends you “May” defeat the evil…well you know.
All in all I enjoyed the game more than I thought I would. It was easy to learn, easy to understand, and it did a fantastic job of brining the Harry Potter saga to life. It’s without a doubt one of the better movies adaptations to hit a video game, and it’s a great title for younger gamers that are usually relegated to chasing and dodging in a linear fashion. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a nice change of pace form the current titles out right now. Very entertaining, I recommend checking it out.
Suggestions: Kudos, a very pleasant change form earlier versions.
Overall Score: 8.4 / 10
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Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception
Project Sylpheed from Square Enix takes the tried and true space shooter and revamps it for the Xbox 360. Set in a time when humans wonder far past the reaches of its own solar system, making other planets habitable for life and colonization. As in any good story of making things better for humanity, there has to be a faction of people who see things differently than the masses, here in lies part of your story line. Earths military, the Terra Central Armed Forces (TCAF) is now in a constant struggle with rebel forces known as the ADAN Freedom Alliance, if this weren’t enough of a plot line, in true Square Enix fashion, you have a trio of close friends, with one joining the rebels in search of revenge for the destruction of his home planet. Our 3 main characters in Project Sylpheed are, Katana, the main character and your alter ego in this adventure, Ellen and Margras. Margras being the good character gone bad, has now joined forces with the ADAN and Chairman Doris Egan, who rounds off the main protagonists. Good versus evil, friends turned enemies, and humanities struggle for survival, it’s all here, the makings of a great space saga with the noticeable Square Enix look and flare, so lets see where this stellar adventure takes us.
Project Sylpheed starts, again, in true SE (Square Enix) fashion, with the anime look and drama that has made the game developer famous. Elaborate cut scenes lay out the story for you as credits are sprinkled on the screen, intense battle scenes set the visual stage in your mind as to what your going to be thrust into, and the personal struggles of one time friends turned enemies is given a face and an ultimatum. Once the stage is set you have the option of starting your missions right off the bat, or going through a 2 stage tutorial system. Even if you’re familiar with this game style, I would highly recommend going through both the basic and advanced tutorials to give yourself some familiarity with the controls and capabilities of your ship, the Delta Saber. To succeed in this battle you need to utilize all the functionality of your vessel, the Saber along with your basic maneuverability has special moves that can be executed with relative ease by using the “B” button and the Left stick. The various combinations will execute barrel rolls and 180 degree turns, which will come in handy when trying to shake off enemy missiles.
Along with the movement of the Saber is the fire power of the ship. You are able to equip a variety of weapons custom fit to various points on the ship, interchanging weapons is again a simple task via the “X” button, and switching targets is achieved via the “A” button. The control scheme is relatively simple to handle, along with the aforementioned button assignments, your ship can accelerate, decelerate, use afterburners, and with some practice use Power Cut techniques that will keep the nose of your ship pointed at your target as you glide by it scoring multiple hits and damage. The Saber is also equipped with an on board radar very similar to many you’ve seen before, enemies in red Friendly in green. It also has a side bar that indicates enemy distance, avoiding ammunition waste due to targets being out of range. The HUD (Heads Up Display) is a bit daunting at first, but once you know what everything is, you know what to zero in on at any given moment
Project Sylpheed is mission based with the usual fare, protect, destroy and accompany. There is emphases put on squadron commands and objectives, shooting enemies willy nilly will get you a scolding form your team, and a reminder of what the task at hand is, such as targeting specific crafts or objects first. Missions usually have multiple stages making the battles rage on for quite a while, with each completion you receive your Mission details, enemies destroyed, objective accomplished, etc…earning you credits for your fighting performance, along with a mission ranking.
Here is where I found the “Difference” the 2 things that really made the game a bit more than I originally thought it would be. After each mission you unlock new weapons that can be equipped in the “Hangar” giving your Saber a bit of customization to your style of fighting, keep in mind though, that just because it’s your favorite weapon it may not necessarily be the right one. The other section is the “Arsenal” you can spend credits here to develop new weapons for your ship. These may seem like small things, but it does make the game a bit more immersive than your standard space fighter and keeps you going back for more in terms of trying different weaponry to up your ranking, in tern giving the missions a bit of life. Don’t get me wrong, Project Sylpheed is a polished “Pivot Point” style aerial attack game, reminiscent of many old school games like it, but the non stop action and SE intermingled cut scenes make it shine brighter than its predecessors. Visually the in game graphics are a bit delirious, the HUD is constantly filled with information, vapor trails and numerous identification markers. Outside of the heavily “Anime” flavored cut scenes Project Sylpheed really hasn’t got a lot to offer visually, this also rolls in to the sound department, the dialogue is standard fare, typical commands and instructions are barked out during battles, and the voice acting during the more dramatic banter is again, nothing new or exciting.
Overall Project Sylpheed has quite a bit to offer to the genre, it’s amazingly detailed in its simplicity, easy to pick up and play and it will keep you plugging away for a bit. Not the longest of games and the lack of multi-player options as well as any Xbox Live support shortens its shelf life even more. In the end I enjoyed the game even though its not really my cup of tea, those who enjoy aerial combat and any of the many space combat games set in the Star Wars universe should definitely give Project Sylpheed a try, others may get bored with the repetitiveness found in games like this making it a hard sell, not to mention holding there interest long enough to get past the first few missions and getting more involved with the storyline.
Suggestions: Square Enix does a commendable job taking an “Old School” style game and giving it a current day overhaul.
Overall Score: 7.0 / 10
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Eragon
The book Eragon from author Christopher Paolini that inspired the movie, which opens in theatres today, also inspired the action adventure game now available on the Xbox 360. Take the roll of Eragon, a simple farm boy, who’s destiny as a Dragon Rider and discovery of a dragon egg begin his adventure. Once hatched, Saphira the dragon and Eragons destinies are united. Movie based games seem to be as common as breakfast cereal these days, the problem being that they sometimes leave a lot to be desired. Developers and studios alike hoping to cash in on the popularity of a franchise also sometimes leave the creative juices needed to deliver a quality game at the door.
Eragon, which I can’t wait to see, has the makings of a good game. All the ingredients are there for the taking, action, sword play, magic, adventure, and even a dragon at your fingertips. There are 3 main characters in the game, Eragon of course, Brom, and Saphira which work together in an interesting control scheme. You play as Eragon through most of the early levels with Brom as your constant sidekick, he follows and lends a hand with not only the enemies you encounter but also helps guide and train Eragon as he progresses with helpful hints and direction. Bows and swords are the standard weapons for your heroes but as Eragon “Learns” his craft as a Dragon Rider from Brom he is able to cast magical forces of energy and manipulation to aid in the quests at hand.
Our third character is Saphira the dragon, she communicates with Eragon through his thoughts. In early stages Eragon can summon her to help get through barricades or even dispose of an evil enemy. The game does offer up some dragon flight levels where you actually take control of Saphira, including breathing fire and a speed burst to evade enemies. Even though Saphira is relegated to cameo appearances in the early going the dragon flight levels are a nice touch. So there you have your band of adventurers, now lets see how the stay alive and combat the evil forces.
Eragons game play will be very familiar to many gamers, levels are designed for completion, and a point system for enemy’s vanquished, and hidden secrets to round off your “Grade” for the level. Obviously levels are replayable to obtain missed hidden objects and raising your score for the level. The path is a bit linear, and littered with obstacles forcing you to do a little searching for the pathway through, making the game a bit too scripted for my liking. Your health is maintained by “Health” orbs which can be found in crates and boxes throughout the levels and are released by fallen enemies. Magic Energy is another weapon at Eragons disposal, much like his Health, Orbs will increase his energy meter. A third attack involves both Eragon and Brom, the Fury Meter, this builds up as power orbs are absorbed and once “Connected” Eragon can use the Fury Attack.
The level design and objectives very from simple “Fight your way through” scenarios to protecting villagers as they try to extinguish the fires set to their village. As I mentioned earlier there will be times when you will need to summon Saphira to open up large blocked passages, but what good is a dragon if she can’t take care of a few minor speed bumps. The battle system itself is again very familiar, combat combos deliver everything from basic attacks, to “Special” moves, which the camera slows down and zooms in for. Visually the game is above par, not fantastic, but acceptable. The areas are very detailed and vibrant, some nice lighting effects set the mood at times, and the “look” of a vast world is pulled off quite well. The audio department is, again, above par. The soundtrack is perfectly written to match the adventure and phantasy mood this game is set in, and sound effects are well balanced and accurately matched to the action at hand. The voice acting is fine, although the cast of the movie is not reprising its roles for the video game.
As an adventure game Eragon doesn’t really break any new ground, but is an entertaining experience. It’s well balanced and offers just enough diversity to the levels to keep it interesting. The inclusion of Dragon Flight levels were a must in my opinion and are one of the best parts of the game. The addition of a co-op mode were a second player can control Brom should extend the self life of this title. The Xbox 360 version of the game also includes an exclusive Kull boss battle and two additional levels to the game. I think fans of phantasy adventure games like Lord of the Rings will enjoy Eragon, again, its nothing over the top, but a fun play. My only true problem with the game, as is with most games of this type, is the linear game play.
Suggestions: My suggestion is a bit repetitive, I seem to find myself repeating the same thing or most games based on movies. Expand the world a bit, and find a new wrinkle in the development or strength and talents of your characters.
Overall Score: 7.0 / 10
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Destroy All Humans 2
Now I know I’m dating myself a bit, but one of my all time favorite things from my youth was watching old black and white Saturday afternoon sci-fi movies that would be showing on the local super station. Yes the special effects were terrible, and yes the movies were a bit campy, but they were a lot of fun to watch and laugh at, even at a young age. Why this trip down memory lane you ask, well that was the appeal for me when Destroy all Humans was released last year. It took a slice of all of that campy humor and delivered it in a amusing and entertaining package, while poking fun at so many of the ideals of the 50 in the good old USA.
Well, the 50’s have past, but yet THQ has sent our favorite Martian back for another go around. This time Crypto will be set free in the Free Loving, Flower Power era of the swinging 60’s. So sit back and let me tell you how our buddy Crypto deals with hippies, drugs, and free love in THQ’s Destroy all Humans 2.
Destroy all Humans 2 jumps right back into the winning formula that made the first game so much fun. Lots of destruction and just as much off beat humor to keep the experience light and fun. This time around the game has a little more of an “Open” feeling to it, and the missions are more of a scavenger hunt, which isn’t bad because the entertainment value here is in the raw fun that is blowing stuff up and sending the army and all of its artillery flying down city streets. The game play and controls have remained pretty much the same this time around, with the added bonus of getting some of your powers right out of the gate rather than collecting DNA as in the first game. As in the first game, which picked at stereo types of the 50’s, we now find ourselves in the 60’s and all of its fun filled stereotypes.
Chasing down free loving hippies and the other slightly “High” freaks in the streets offers up quite a bit of humor at the expense of the hippies. But as I mentioned earlier the fun is in Psychokinesis, moving things with your mind is always cool. Among some of Crypto’s other powers and weapons, we bring back the tried and true Zap-O-Matic and the always entertaining Disclocator which launches not only tanks and cars into the streets but humans as well. Pedestrians, police officers, military, no one is exempt to the power of our man Crypto. You can also send mere humans into a “Free Love” dance to keep them occupied, or sneak up on one and perform a “Body Snatch” so you can walk among them undetected, these tasks do have a limited time set on them, but add a sense of stealth to it all.
One of the nice new wrinkles to the game is the co-op mode were you and a friend can go through the game together and cause twice the amount of destruction on the same poor planet. The soundtrack, as in the original, is true to the time period, and the dialogue is just as witty as ever. The one minor problem I had was with the drug references, not the mention of them mind you, but they beat those jokes to death in this game, it’s funny for a while then the funny wears off.
The gamplay itself is just as solid as the first, they made some nice changes as I mentioned, but probably could have gone a bit further with this sophomore effort. Playing it safe isn’t a bad thing; I just would have liked to have seen a bit more. Along with the ground attack Crypto can also take to the skies in his flying saucer, this is also available in the co-op mode which was pretty cool as one drives and one mans the turret.
At the end of a busy day of overtaking a planet Destroy all Humans 2 does a nice job of picking up where the first game left off, delivering the same type of action and entertainment we enjoyed the first time around, although I feel like they could have taken the game much farther in it’s sophomore effort, it was still entertaining. All in all, if you liked the first game you’ll most likely like Destroy all Humans 2, so fire up your jet pack, charge up the Zap-O-Matic and hit the streets of planet earth for another shot at destroying humanity.
Suggestions: I’m not really sure what would be a benefit to the game, its still fun, it just seems like maybe the “World” needs to be bigger. Maybe taking Crypto to various cities if not countries would expand the world. An on-line option with humans vs. aliens would be kind of fun too.
Overall Score: 7.6 / 10
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Import Tuner Challenge
Racing and the Xbox 360 seem to go hand in hand, with an abundance of styles to choose from. Import Tuner Challenge from UbiSoft is one of the newest racers to jump into the genre and rub elbows with some pretty impressive titles on the now 1 year old Xbox 360. In a sea of titles in this genre how does this racer compare to the rest, does it hold its own on the mean streets or is just left in the dust? Not to mention an eerie similarity to a racer from my Dreamcast days.
My first and pretty much immediate reaction was that this is actually Tokyo Extreme, no doubt about it, and the more I played the more the similarities mounted. Same vehicles, same “In/Out” track system, same, same, same. Is same bad? Well in this case it’s not the similarities that hurt, but the lack of excitement. But before we delve into the negative, there are some positive things going on in Import Tuner Challenge.
For fans of “Simulation” style racing games, you can spend hours, once you accumulate the cash, tweaking your ride. Everything from the paint, decals, ground effects and instrument panel can be changed to your liking. Not to mention the never ending mechanical upgrades and precision adjustments that can be made to your engine, exhaust, suspension and so on, it’s enough to make the most die hard car junkie go into overload. The vehicles in Import Tuner look pretty near flawless. I have to give credit where credit is due the cars are all well rendered and look great. Unfortunately that’s where the positive stuff ends.
For those of you who played any of the Tokyo Extreme racer games, you’ll be slipping on a pair of old shoes. The main part of the game is the “Quest” mode, which sounded like it would be much more than it turned out to be. Basically you’re racing for cash on the streets against “Gangs”. Each gang has drivers in various parts of the street along with the bosses to make it more interesting. Each particular driver has a certain time of day and section of town they frequent so you just need to track them down and beat them in a “Spirit Point Battle”. Pulling up behind your rival and flashing your high beams starts the challenge, once the race starts the object is simple, stay ahead of your opponent for as long as possible. Your “Spirit Points” will begin to dwindle the longer and farther away your opponent is from you, with a fast car this challenge is really over quite quickly. Your Spirit Meter is also affected by damage, rub a rail, hit a wall and you meter drops, on the subject of damage, Import Tuners really doesn’t exhibit much flair for damage, you get some sparks and barely a jolt when you hit a wall. The damage system leaves a lot to be desired. You have a few other modes to work with, Time Attacks, Free Run, Versus Mode, and Network mode (Xbox Live). You can also tool into your garage when you have some coin to upgrade your ride.
The real downside isn’t that you need to rack up wins to spend the cash needed to hang with the big dogs, that’s the game. What makes it unfulfilling is the lack of excitement when racing, in any of the modes. I’ll be honest I didn’t give the XBL mode a try due to the lack of excitement found in the other modes. Yes it’s a race, and yes its on some interesting tracks, although a tad monotonous at times, but there is no “UMPH” I sat there pedal to the medal and really felt like I was on a Sunday drive rather than a street race, there was no real sense of speed and with franchises like Need For Speed and Burnout in the locker room you can’t slide in with a game that fails to get the adrenaline going. It seems that there is a bit of an identity crisis with Import Tuner in that it’s not sure if it’s a race “Simulation” or a “Street Racer”.
I’m a big UbiSoft supporter, and back in the day I enjoyed the hell out of Tokyo Extreme racer 2 on my Dreamcast, but that was then and this is now, and the bar has been raised by the aforementioned titles to do more. As I said, the game design is pretty cool for a next-gen console, but the meat and potatoes of a real exciting street racer got checked at the door. This game slid in under the radar and I’m afraid that’s where it's going to stay, with so much to offer it really just fell flat.
Suggestions: My recommendation would be simple, call it Tokyo Extreme 3 and find a new wrinkle to the antiquated game system that might cause the “Wet Palms” that are so much a part of a good racing game when you’re flying down the streets.
Overall Score: 5.0 / 10
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Open Season
Open season is based on the movie by the same name and puts you in the staring roll as Boog the domesticated bear. Boogs life gets turned upside down when a wise cracking one horned deer named Elliot gets him into a little trouble in town. Suddenly Boog finds himself away from his comfy garage at Ranger Beth’s and in the forest during hunting season. With Elliot by his side the 2 set out to find their way back to Timberline, no easy task when you don’t really fit in with the other woodland creatures. So join Boog and Elliot as they befriend the animals and take on the hunters in Open Season by UbiSoft.
Open Season is one of the 1st true “Kids” titles on the 360, with that it is also, in my opinion of course, a step above the normal run, jump, and collect fare that usually accompanies the kids movie to video track. You start off playing the game as Boog the bear, who lives in Ranger Beth’s garage and performs in her wilderness show. Honestly Boog is just an oversized dog, living’ the good life and completely detached from his animal instincts. One night he is coaxed out of his cozy living into town by his soon to be sidekick Elliot the one horned, wise cracking, comic relief in the game. After a small incident at the neighborhood convenient store and a tranquilizer dart to the butt start Boog and friends on their adventure to find their way back home to Timberline.
Like most games Open Season has its tutorial/stage, and also gives you tips along the way. The game is a mix of collecting as well as a bit of strategy. Your 1st tasks are to befriend the creatures of the forest so they will help you rather than attack you; this is accomplished by completing mission given to you by each creature. Once befriended the game hits its normal flow. Using each creature abilities to help you outsmart the hunters led by the ruthless Shaw (Boss), and ultimately get you back home in one piece. Open Season does a great job of coming up with unique strengths for your new found allies. Need to get a hunter out of his cabin to take him out? Well grab a skunk and launch him down the chimney as a stink bomb. The control method is very simple to learn, which include picking up the small creatures as projectiles such as the skunk, for more accurate projectiles rabbits come in handy dew to the “Cross Hare” feature they have, using their ears as sights helps with those bunny head shots. Again, most of the animals process a bonus skill of some sort to help you out. Your one mane stay is Elliot who is basically an extension of Boog. You can launch Elliot to hard to reach places and call him back to you by whistling for him. When Elliot is equipped, as well as other projectiles, a trajectory arc appears with a bulls-eye at the end to aim your flying animal of choice.
To this you can add a few fun features to the game; Beth’s Scrapbook is basically the collecting part of the game. Collect Ranger Badges that are scattered around the forest and add them to Beth’s scrapbook. Then you have the Wild Challenges which are mini games that can be unlocked as you go through the main adventure, two of the five are open from the get go. And lastly the, if I dare say, the RPG part of the game…not really, but it’s the easiest way to describe the Wild Academy feature, Boog can spend the Wild Style points he earns on improving his health bar, accuracy, and distance to name a few things. The last few things about Boog and his adventure are his Roar skills, Hide and Sneak function and how does he stay full of life? Simple one first, boogs health is kept in check using his sense of smell, pulling and holding the LB helps Boog sniff out berries for himself along with hidden items. Being a bear you may as well use your fear factor when trying to get rid of hunters, you can try and sneak up close to hunter by using your Hide and Sneak cover tactics by pulling and holding the RB. Boog will then whip out a few branches with leaves and become virtually invisible to hunters, there is only so much time available to hide so time your approach wisely, once close enough you “Proximity” icon will flash and you can let out with a great big bear roar. A Roar meter appears and holding the “A” button brings the meter up, when in the red it can be released for a big roar that sends hunters running for their lives.
Let’s not get crazy, yes the game is very linear and the one real annoyance is the ungodly load time, but that being said this little adventure game will appeal to a few mature gamers as well as entertain younger gamers with slightly more involved and interesting game play. Open Season also looks real nice on the 360, yes its based on a CGI movie, but we all know that doesn’t help sometime, with Open Season the game play is smooth, the effects are nicely done and the environment give a great illusion of vastness. The voice overs are not of the original cast but do a solid job of brining the characters to life, the comic relief by 1st and foremost Elliot is a fun touch, and the other characters lend a hand in keeping the game light and entertaining for younger gamers.
Suggestions: All in all I liked Open Season for what it is, and entertaining “Everyone” title that broke away form the norm showing that movie to game titles don’t need to be cookie cutter and can be fun for not only younger gamers, but adults also. I seem to never get tired of riding an outhouse down raging rapids, call me silly.
Overall Score: 7.6 / 10
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Flatout 2
Since the beginning of video games there have always been racing games. And in the modern day they continue to be one of the most popular genres in gaming, although the genre has sprouted some sub categories. Destruction Racers have become one of the most popular sub-genres, if you will, on the gaming horizon. One such franchise is Flatout from Bugbear Entertainment, this year Bugbear has released its sophomore installment to the series, Flatout 2. Is the game bigger and better than before? Well, yes and no…
I enjoy arcade racers very much. Mindless destruction is always a great criteria for my gaming pleasure. So when faced with Flatout 2 I was more than excited to give the game a run through and see what it had to offer. The first thing I noticed was that the game was much “Bigger” than its original version, boasting 5 modes of play with a slew of options to keep you busy. The game is essentially split into 2 categories, racing and mini-games. Like many racers Flatout 2 offers plenty of tracks, vehicles and “Obstacles” for your vehicle to engage, and while the visuals are more than above par, only suffering from some clipping at times, my only problem with the racing aspect is very simple, the vehicles suffer from “Floating” controls. I understand this isn’t a SIM racer, but it’s enough to take away from this aspect of the game. The racing does an admirable job at bringing very diverse tracks, AI, and debris from the very impressive “Damage” engine, but none the less that one small blemish looms large. That being said, Flatout 2’s “Racing” is better than its predecessor, but nothing really new and exciting.
Now I know this sounds like a game that’s headed for the cellar, but here is where the fun lies in my opinion. Flatout 2 delivers the most entertaining mini-games in a good long time. To be honest the Rag-doll minis more than make up for the racing “Blemish”. Once again, there are 2 types of mini games, the Rag-doll Stunts and the Demolition Derby. The “Rag-Doll” games offer 12 stunts ranging from a High Jump to a human Stone Skipping competition over a pool. Toss in the human Dart Board and you will get a chuckle playing through these mini games. Each mini game has the same basic concept in control, speed, angle, and a human projectile. Its simple yet take s some calculations to reach lofty goals, your vehicle has a set distance to travel before launching its driver through the windshield, as you approach the end of your track you can control the angle of your driver as he explodes out of the vehicle, once in mid air you have “acrobatic” control over him, basically minor shifts in direction with the analog stick, and one small elevation bonus by tapping the “A” button. The rag-doll effects themselves aren’t bad, the humor is in how your driver lands, or slowly rolls down fencing as he snags his hand, leg, or head on the barrier of choice. Again, I know this sounds simplistic, but the rag-doll mini games are extremely entertaining. If you enjoyed them before, you’ll love them now.
The other surprise in the Flatout 2 package is the Destruction Derby mini game, some great “arenas’ and a ton of fun. 8 racers in one arena smashing each other to bits, earn boost as you cause damage and inflict even more damage as you zero in on your next target. Each rival has a specific style and you’ll find out quickly who needs a little “Extra” attention. For those of you thinking of just avoiding the carnage until the odds are in your favor, save it, you need to hit something every 50 seconds or be disqualified. It also takes a little thought when it comes to picking your vehicle of choice; weight, traction and acceleration all come into play. Heavier vehicles sustain more damage, but have a harder time out running the AI. Faster cars need to watch those dirt tracks, its hell on the handling. In other words, as much as you can just take off and enjoy, there is some thought process involved in the mini games of Flatout 2.
Multiplayer modes round off the package, with up to 8 players in the racing mode, and the inclusion of the Rag-Doll mini games and Destruction Derby Arenas to online play is a sweet treat. Flatout 2 also has a great soundtrack consisting of some great rock tunes to fit the mood.
All in all Bugbear did an admirable job making Flatout 2 a better game than its original, more verity, more tracks, more cars, and more rag-doll games. If you enjoyed the original this is a no brainer, if you liked the mini games in the first game, again a no brainer. If you like party games I highly recommend giving Flatout 2 a go just on the merit of the mini games. So while they may have set out building a Destruction Racer with mini games, I see Flatout 2 being more popular do to its mini games rather than the racer…and there is nothing at all wrong with that.
Suggestions: If Bugbear could solidify the vehicle control in the racing mode, this game would be 100% solid in every aspect. Even so, a great sophomore effort.
Overall Score: 7.6 / 10
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Final Fantasy XI Online
Coming from a fan of the Final Fantasy series, I was very interested in seeing how FFXI would play out not only online but in the Xbox 360. With the release of Final Fantasy XI from Square Enix, two new things have made there way to the Xbox 360 universe. One…the first Final Fantasy title to be found on the Xbox 360 or Xbox for that matter, and two, the first MMO on the Xbox 360. The later being a hole that gamers have been clamoring to be filled for quite some time. Final Fantasy XI was originally released over 2 years ago on the PS2 and PC and has had that time to develop communities and a following, so what effect, if any, does that have on the new crop of FFXI gamers creeping into the FFXI landscape?
Let me start by saying that FFXI delivers the usual type of game play in that you level up as you gain experience and manage your persona and items by using “GIL” the FF currency to buy better weapons, armor and such. It would be impossible to go over every little aspect of FFXI in the length of this review. That being said, the FFXI world is enormous, Xbox 360 owners are also treated to an even larger world with the 3 included expansion packs Rise of Delart, Chains of Promethia, and Treasures of Aht Urhgan in one massive online package. I mentioned the effect of the 360 community for one reason only, I found in my time playing the game it was difficult to join up with others on quests and missions. For a gaming experience built on the community and comrade aspect of an MMO I found that a bit disheartening when looking for a leg up, as it were. I’m getting a bit ahead of myself here, so let’s back track a bit and go over some of the other points of the game.
The first thing I noticed was that it wasn’t the Final Fantasy I thought it would be, gone is the turn based fighting system, gone are the over the top cut scenes, and not too many of the FF characters make the leap to the online experience. Which begs this question to be asked, is it Final Fantasy? That really depends on the player, and I’m not even going to start the debate of whether it is or isn’t. Instead what I can tell you is that FFXI has a huge learning curve to overcome. The game controls, as in most MMO/RPG, are a little complicated and takes some getting used to. I would highly recommend hooking up a USB keyboard and playing the game the way it was originally designed to be played. It’s an easier process to learn and the communication is much easier to carry on via keyboard rather than game pad. Once you actually start playing you will find an immense world to investigate and plenty of creatures to enter into combat with to increase your many traits and level up you character. Speaking of your character, the character creation portion of the game does not offer many options to customize your creation; rather you can customize your appearance and such by purchasing new apparel, weapons, and armor. The game also offers the ability to own a home and decorate it as you like, there is even an interesting FF eBay, where you can auction off items to other players. Gil (Currency) is a hard commodity to come by, but a necessity. This was one of the hindrances I found in the game, it takes too long to find your stride. You will spend endless hours attacking minor animals just to level up, but this is what you need to do to get to the more enjoyable plateau of the game. Once you have reached a reasonable level, done all the learning needed to feel more comfortable with what you are doing FFXI is an enjoyable, but typical MMO. If you’re a fan of the RPG aspect of the game you’ll find yourself having the same amount of learning to do just to get to a point where the experience starts to give something back.
FFXI is what you make it, as in most games like this, but remember this universe has been active for about 2 years, player have grown and developed over that time and 360 users are newbie’s to the world. Even though this is an Xbox 360 title you are playing on Play Online servers, not Xbox Live. There is a small silver lining to that issue, that being that you don’t need to be an Xbox Live Gold member to play FFXI, so no XBL monthly fees, but there are FFXI monthly fees to pay for your Content ID. Your monthly fee to venture into FFXI is $12.95 per month; you do receive a free 30 Day trial with your purchase. Once you pop the disc in the system is prepared for an almost never ending stream of downloading, registering and updating. Your first order of business is to install the Play Online service, after that you need to download the game, updates and register the game and all the expansion packs, this process is very time consuming, I’m talking a couple of hours, and if ever a USB keyboard was a must it would be during this initial set up. One other thing to note, the FFXI experience will also take up about 6GB of space on your Hard Drive, now on the PS2 were the Hard Drive was basically worthless outside of it’s tie in to FFXI I can find no argument, but on the 360, that’s a lot of storage space to give up for a game, if it’s worth it or not, is entirely up to you.
Which is exactly were the balance of this game lies, you. Final Fantasy XI is an impressive MMO/RPG, but really offers nothing new and exciting to the mix. FF fans may find enjoyment in it, but again, you are walking into a world that’s been around for 2 years, and while the game looks much better than its prior platforms, the developers have always stated that it wasn’t worth doing a complete overhaul to the game just for the 360. So is Final Fantasy XI worth it? I’ll tell you how I feel, no. The “bang” for not only my buck, but time and interest isn’t there. It takes too long to get to a comfortable level and without a keyboard, I would recommend you pass. There is another RPG on the 360 that offers much more than FFXI can, although not online, it still is a better experience in my opinion. With a 30 day free trial I would say if any of this peeked your interest give it a try, otherwise save you coin for a game that is built with the 360 in mind and not just using the 360 as a portal to not only another service, but a 2 year old game.
Game on!
Suggestions: I have no real suggestions because the game inits origianl offering is solid, its just not a good tie in to the 360. I'll reserve suggestions for the 1st Sqare Enix game made with the 360 in mind form the get go.
Overall Score: 7.0 / 10
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Outfit, The
Yes War is hell, and there are enough war games out there to make your head spin. I guess military games could have there own genre, but they kind of skew the lines a bit depending on the mode of play. Is it a First person shooter, 3rd person strategy, is it realistic or arcade like in its play, there are many subtleties that set war games apart form each other. Needless to say there is defiantly something out there for just about any military mind set. So were does The Outfit fall when it comes to games of war?
The Outfit offers some unique additions to games of war, while entertaining at times, it does fall prey to some redundancy as you move from mission to mission. You are offered 3 choices of character to play as, each one offering there own unique weaponry, stamina, and health. Each character also has varied bartering skills, more on why later. The basic structure of The Outfit is mission based; each mission is basically you and your troops making it from point “A” to point “B”. Many enemies abound, a lot of shooting, a lot of blowing up and so on.
Let’s focus on some of the positives of the game first, The Outfit actually has decent graphics and the landscapes, building and objects scattered about are pretty well detailed. Add to this that just about everything is destructible and you end up pleasing quite a few gamers. The biggest feature in The Outfit is the “Destruction on Demand” function. Lets back up for just one second, as you play through each mission you earn points/currency by killing the enemy and destroying enemy strongholds and buildings, what is the earned booty for you ask, well, back to the Destruction on Demand…You earn certain DOD (Destruction on Demand) functions by taking control of enemy radio towers, motor pools, etc…your DOD has 12 open slots that are automatically filled when a new function is available. It costs points/currency to use these functions, this is also were the bartering skills of your character come into play, the higher the skills the better the price. You’re most basic skill is calling in reinforcements, your troop consists of 4 soldiers and yourself, as you lose men during battle you can call in reinforcements to aid you in combat; your troops are then parachuted in to help your cause. Some of the other functions that will be available are Tanks, ground based artillery, 4x4’s, and the ability to call in air strikes. Besides the reinforcement that are just dropped into your current position, your other functions when called up appear as a transparent frames that you can place anywhere it is clear, if the area is obstructed in any way the frame will turn red indicating you can’t place it in that position. Once you have settles on an area your item is “Drop Shipped” by plane on the spot you have chosen. It is actually a sweet in game feature; your character places a red smoke flair to indicate the spot for your “Delivery”, then a huge crate hits the ground after being parachuted to you, the sides’ pop open leaving your new hardware ready for action. Let me answer a simple question right off the bat, yes, you can drop your hardware onto enemy forces. One of the other cool functions on the DOD wheel are the Air Strikes, if you have taken control of a radio tower you can call in an air strike to destroy blocked access points or demolish buildings, just like the other functions a frame appears with airplanes and a target, place the target on the spot you want to bomb and call in the strike.
Taking over enemy camps and buildings involves you taking out the enemy forces and standing near the “Objective” long enough to take over, a small meter winds down as you hold your position, when the meter fills to your side, the Nazi flags roll up and American flags take their place. Now once you have taken control it is possible if you leave enemy soldiers behind, or forget about new enemies being dropped in, to lose control of an Object, thus also losing whichever DOD function you gained when overtaking it, example, taking over the motor pool will give you access to a tank, lose control of the motor pool and no more tank. That being said if you just hang in there and wait for all the enemies for a given area you should have no problem maintaining control. Again, lots of explosions, lots of gunfire, mass destruction and cool hardware, what’s the problem you ask?
Well here are my issues with the game. First off while the maps are pretty well designed, the objectives are repetitive, it’s just a case of overtaking 3 or 4 posts and moving on. The AI must be made up of a master race because you need to shoot one with a rocket launcher 2 or 3 times before they stay down. The same can be said for our heroes, they are just as resilient, actually more so, because you really can’t lose in The Outfit. If you die you just re-spawn at your last point of control, no harm no foul. So I ask you…what is a War without the anticipation and nervousness of losing? If the only real consequence of your actions is having to start at your last check point, which is usually a few steps behind you, is there really any danger? The characters movement is very slow, throwing grenades becomes useless unless you’re right on top of your intended target, the range of our Heroes ability to throw are pretty sad making grenades more of a distraction than a weapon. The maneuvering of vehicles at times will lead to some frustrating moments. On top of that there are some mundane issues with the game, when it says to destroy “All” of the enemy barracks or camps, it means ALL. I spent a little too much time trying to figure out how to get passed an obstacle just to find that I left 1 tent standing, not an armory, not a moor pool, or even enemies…just an empty tent. I need to ask why.
The Outfit could have been much better, I’m not sure where it got derailed but it did. There is one aspect of the game that is truly fun and that the multiplayer aspect, whether split screen, system link or Xbox Live, playing against friend is a ton of fun. Is that aspect alone strong enough to carry the entire game? Not in my opinion, with so many other offerings available that supply not only a great Multiplayer experience, but also deliver a solid single player experience, it’s hard to move The Outfit into that group of games.
Suggestions: Overall I think the developers deserve kudos for the Destruction on Demand function, it’s very innovative and the way the functions play out visually in the game are very entertaining. Having the ability to cause all of this destruction is fun but not enough to keep this gamer entertained for too long. I think The Outfit was a good first effort, now all the need to do is wrap the DOD feature in some innovative solid game play and you’ll have yourselves a real winner.
Game On!
Overall Score: 7.6 / 10
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Burnout Revenge
One of video games more long-lasting and flat out fun franchises, Burnout, finds its way to the Xbox 360 with Burnout Revenge. The burnout series has done a fantastic job over the years in delivering a bigger, better, more exciting game with each new installment, not many franchise can claim that, let alone the sea of games that suffer from the sophomore jinx never to be heard from again. Burnout has always been full of excitement, and this time around two words come to mind every time I load up Burnout Revenge…Reckless Abandon. If you can’t enjoy Burnout Revenge check yourself into a hospital because you have no pulse. This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game, no comparisons will be made.
Burnout Revenge is truly a pick up and play, fun filled, gaming experience. Its not too often you can say that about a game, but this is one of those times. BR (Burnout Revenge) is divided into a few categories ranging from racing to, what made the franchise popular I the first place, mass destruction. While it is fun to try and cause as much damage as possible I found the racing to be very entertaining and adrenaline pumping. Besides the obvious objective of a race, to win, BR takes it one step further with Rivals. Not only can you turn an opponent into a rival by slamming him into the wall, you yourself can become a rival. This same dynamic is available on Xbox Live making the competition factor escalate that much more.
More on the racing aspect, the tracks are diverse and well designed, you do run some of them in both directions, but the layouts are so balanced that it does feel like a completely new track. Every track has the “Obvious” route and the not so obvious route. Short cuts are scattered allover each track and are almost a necessity in timed races, some of these shortcuts are just a means to cut corners, but some are pretty exhilarating sending you air born and leading you into a narrow corridor of buildings were now you find yourself dodging dumpsters, to underground gauntlets with pillars scattered in the wrong places, keeping you on the edge of your seat and wide eyed the whole way through. Your vehicles can accumulate “Boost” by driving recklessly, causing damage, drifting, and driving head on into traffic, the easiest and most fun of the options. Boost is another one of those “Gotta Have” things to get the most out of your run. Each event offers 3 levels of accomplishment split into 2 sections, time and damage. The faster and higher your score the higher your medal reward becomes, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each new medal unlocks not only new challenges and tracks but vehicles. There is also a Trophy system in place for achievements such as damage total to vertical takedowns. Takedowns, the most fun ever, get big points for basically leading opponents into walls or other obstacles; this will also gain you a few rivals as you progress.
So how about all that destruction, BR offers up so much destruction you won’t know what to do first. These destruction challenges are ranked in points, and as in the races divided into 3 medal versions and point totals. The intriguing part of these lay outs is that the obvious route once again may not necessarily be the best route. There are usually an assortment of vehicles in your path and on more than a few tracks you’ll find ramps or opening in overpasses that spill into the traffic below, the goal is simple, cause as much damage as you can. Each of the damage challenges has a Target vehicle that you should try and destroy; sometimes not so simple because it doesn’t seem to show up right away, but cause a big enough chain reaction of damage and you’ll be fine. There are 2 other wrinkles in the damage challenges that make it that much more fun. One is the combination of your vehicle explosion and aftershock. When cars start crashing you accumulate damage points, once the meter fills you can cause your vehicle to explode causing other vehicles near by to so the same, exploded vehicle equal big points, the aftershock is a directional tool, once you explode you can point your vehicles path in any direction, so those cars that had smart driver, you know that stopped before piling into the wreckage, well they aren’t so safe anymore, direct your car in that direction and start a whole new chain reaction of damage. The other wrinkle is that you can record your best high-speed antics as well as those highflying explosions to save for later or share on Xbox Live. Get enough attention on XBL and you could end up on the top 20 clips.
Graphically this game holds nothing back. The locations are stunning; they vary from highway to European piazzas, shadow effects, motion blurs and car shakes just add to the visual speed and intensity of the game. This is one of those games that no amount of description could do justice to. The soundtrack is a good mix of music that just adds to the mood of the race, although some of the track will be familiar to EA gamers, they have appeared in other EA titles. Burnout Revenge is a pretty sweet package, easy to pick up and play without a lot of instruction, entertaining to most everyone with a pulse and really well thought out. All of the single player and multi-player aspects are available on Xbox Live just adding to the longevity of this games life. If you’re looking for that one game that has to be in your library that you can pretty much pop in no matter what your friends like, look no further Burnout Revenge is that game.
Suggestions: I do have one minor complaint, if you will, nothing that will hinder the experience too much, but the shadows are a bit dark at times. I played on an HDTV and still had problems at times seeing what was in front of me, usually an appropriately placed pillar, causing quite a bit of trial and error racing. Not that I mind having to learn a track, but it does help seeing what is in your path. Outside of that, I offer up some big Kudos to the Burnout Revenge team, the franchise has yet to disappoint, keep up the good work.
Game On!
Overall Score: 9.6 / 10
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Sonic Riders
So our turbo charged little blue buddy is back, that’s right Sonic the Hedgehog has returned. Not in his usual surroundings in this new outing by the folks at the Sonic Team, Sonic finds himself in a more “Extreme” situation. Accompanied by the usual cast of characters and a couple of new ones, Sonic Riders takes our speedy friend on a high-speed hover board adventure across some interesting tracks and obstacles. Much like my feelings towards a certain plumber from that “Other” console, I find myself asking this burning question…Is it time to retire? Let’s find out together shall we.
The Sonic franchise has always been one of my favorites; it’s always kind of been the anti-Mario character to me. The speed, the levels, the cut-scenes, I just couldn’t get enough. Now after a few “Best Of” outings we are treated to an entirely new Sonic adventure, and I do mean new. Apparently Sonic has grown weary of running and needs to take to a hover board to relieve his boredom. The simplest way to describe Sonic Riders is Sonic meets SSX Tricky, with added Sonic wrinkles for good measure.
The storyline is a little week, Sonics arch enemy Egg Man sets up a grand competition, a series of races on these “New” hover boards. 2 New villains are added to the usual cast of characters, and your pretty much off and running. Levels are replaced by races in SR (Sonic Riders), Sonic staples, the golden rings, the speed tracks, and cut-scenes are all still here. The few wrinkles are the Tony Hawk like upgrades to your board, and rival jet streams as you race.
Each race starts out with your character on foot, as the race is started you run towards the start line and hit your board. Sounds simple enough, but you do need to time your approach just right because if you cross the start line before its time you get zapped, loosing precious time. This sounds like an interesting little addition, but it ends up being more of an annoyance as you play on. I just found myself asking, does it really need to be in the game? Once your off and hurling down the tracks your met with various twists and turns, and the usual cut scenes that are forced on you, taking control of the game for the duration. This cut scene thing worked well in the past, but now seems not only a little overdone, but I’m finding that in SR there is more “watching” and less playing. During races you can also “Jump” onto a rivals “Jet Stream”, riding his wave and conserving your board, more on this a little late, but again, more watching less playing. Your board does overheat and needs to be “Re-Charged”, there are stations along the track were you can do this, oddly enough they are never placed in easily accessible locations causing you to either continue forward to the next one or try and double back wasting time and your position.
On top of all of this, SR also has an added “Trick” system, yep Sonic can perform some “Extreme” combos while air born and get graded as he lands. At this point I have to admit, SR is a hodge-podge of ideas that don’t come together very fluidly. The speed that games of the past were made classic for seems out of control in SR. The control scheme while simple, has a very steep learning curve, making your early races seem more like a pinball game with your character basically bouncing off walls and obstacles in an uncontrolled frantic manner. Graphically the game looks as good as ever, but there is some excessive clipping and I hate to beat a dead horse, too many cut scenes within the races. The sound quality is solid, the music a little different from Sonics past, more heavy metal, less Sonic-like. The dialogue is campier and more stagnant than past games also, adding to the week story line.
Sonic Riders offers some very interesting “Tracks” as you progress, and could be better than I may think, but it will deffinatly have a problem keeping the attention of not only new gamers, but die-hard Sonic fans long enough to find out. I found myself going on and on with SR just to give it a valid chance before writing this review, but I found it a chore at best, which tells me it will be just as big a chore for others with less reason than I to continue.
If you’re a Sonic fan, a Die-Hard, give it a shot, you may find the change of pace refreshing. Which leads us back to my original burning question. Is it time to retire? Well, this may surprise some of you after this review, but I would say no, and I’ll justify it with this comment, which applies to the plumber too, by the way. Franchises we love become just that because of innovative ideas and level designs, not by throwing those franchise characters in surrounding not really suited, or familiar to the games basis.
Suggestions: So to the folks at Sonic Team I say this, give me the Sonic that I fell in love with way back in the day, hell, even the Sonic from Sonic Heroes is much closer to what I want from my blazing blue buddy, but don’t sell him short.
Game On!
Overall Score: 5.0 / 10
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Full Auto
It’s sometimes difficult to describe a game that covers more than just the usual definition of a genre; it’s even harder when the game offers up more than the usual way of winning. Full Auto falls into this cross-genre category although I’m not sure what genre the destruction part of this game would belong in. It’s safe to say that Full Auto isn’t your usual racing game. Filled with rocket launcher wielding, smoke screen spewing muscle cars, more destruction than an off the chart earthquake and more explosions than the 4th of July , Full Auto defiantly delivers the “Bang”. Now its time to see if its worht the "Buck". Hop in, fasten your seatblets and let’s find out.
Full Auto by Sega is a racing game in its simplest form, but it combines racing with a more direct impact on your competition. Your vehicles are armed with everything from machine guns to rocket launchers. Finishing a race is only part of the objective here; finishing alive is an entirely different story. As I mentioned you are given a choice of varied vehicles, 21 to be exact and 8 weapons to choose from. Muscle cars as well as SUV’s are available depending on the event type and course your racing on. Not super deep in the custom vehicle part of things, but more than ample choices to suite the task at hand. Full Auto offers 5 race types that are nicely mixed with alternate objectives ranging from “Wreck Points” to “Rival” elimination. Each objective is offered up in 3 levels of accomplishment, Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Completing objectives unlocks the next tier, as it were, of objectives.
Some of the positives first, Full Auto has ample objectives to complete and keep you busy all on your own. Unbelievable range of destruction, pretty much anything you see can be crashed into, blown up, or run through. Another nice little addition, and a more regular occurrence in games now a day, is the rewind feature, or “Unwreck” feature. If you find yourself in a mishap, rather than forgoing the race, just back it up a bit and avoid the problem the second time around. You obtain the unwreck feature by causing damage and destruction, you can also obtain “Boost” to help speed you along. Full Auto also has a nice choice of maps, if you will; I avoid “Tracks” because this is more of an urban assault race with no rules. Full Auto is definitely a game that will find a larger fan base in multi-player events, whether via split screen or Xbox Live.
Now some of the not so good parts, Full Auto doesn’t have a lot of negative things, but a few that may hamper its popularity. While offering a decent array of vehicles Full Auto suffers from the “Detached from the Ground” feeling with its cars, they kind of float rather than demonstrate weight and speed. While the damage is fantastic not only on the surroundings, but also the cars, it suffers from the over-exaggerated reaction to collisions at times. A minor bump or miss calculation will send you spinning out of control. Lastly, Full Auto does get a tad repetitive after a bit. Yes the objectives change and the scenarios along with the objectives, but once you figure out some of the “Tricks” to the game it becomes more of an exercise in execution rather than racing. Without giving too much away, in one scenario to receive a Gold ranking you need to accumulate 45K in Wreck Points, finish 1st and eliminate a Rival in under 1:50. Well the first few times through you can’t quite see how this is possible, the Trick is that the Rival alone will give you the points needed for your objective, making this more of a chase than a race.
With all of this being said, I did find Full Auto entertaining in both the single player mode as well as on-line. If you love to just blow the be-geezas out of stuff you’ll probably enjoy Full Auto. This is defiantly a more “Arcade” type racer and meant to be over the top in its presentation. Full Auto delivers that very well. My fear, again, is that most gamers will find it repetitive after a few run through, but I do feel, as I said before that Full Auto can gain a large following on Xbox Live. Competition is a big driving force in this game, no pun intended.
Suggestions: So my final thoughts are simple, Full Auto is highly entertaining and really shines in the multi-player arena, either with friends sitting next to you or via Xbox Live. I think Full Auto has its issues but nothing to overly severe; again, this is a more arcade like experience. Serious sim racers may want to rent this first, if you’re in it for the fun and excitement of total destruction, give Full Auto a shot.
Game On!
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
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Kameo: Elements of Power
Kameo Elements of Power was supposed to set the Xbox 360 community on its ear. I don’t know if it quite accomplished that task, but is the game anywhere near the hype that surrounded it. Our friends at Rare and Microsoft Studios really wanted this title to be special, after moving from one system to the next, reschedule after reschedule it finally found a home and the honor of being one of the 360’s launch titles. So its out, personally I never listen to the hype so I’m here to give you the lowdown on Kameo.
Let’s cut to the chase on one thing, I think the game was misunderstood by many. I think everyone expected a huge RPG title, when in fact the game was never really pushed as being such. Kameo is an action adventure platform game in its most basic sense, but as we all know it’s not the genre its how you deliver the goods. Kameo was one of the first Xbox 360 games I picked up, I had been looking forward to this title for quite some time, and I have to admit once I loaded the game and started playing I found it difficult to put down.
That being said, there is a lot to explain about Kameo, the first thing you will notice is the unbelievable graphics in this game; I played on an HD setup so keep that in mind. I know eye candy is just that, candy, but to ignore the fact that this game looks as incredible as it does would be an injustice to the people who worked so hard to make it look as good as it does. Starting with the basics, the environments are lush, colorful and full of life, particle effects float around open fields, and water falls and rivers ripple with a pleasant ambience. Lighting effects in the form of natural light, torches, or explosions are simply amazing. The characters while on the cartoonish side are very detailed and offer some of the most fluid movement I’ve ever seen. One of the most impressive visuals is that of the main character, Kameo, inside the chosen “Element of Power” character, I could see where this could have been just left out and none would be the wiser, but they took the time to make the idea of this character transforming and controlling these elements to an entire new level. Again all in all Kameo is simply breathtaking.
Adding to the “Experience” is a just as Impressive score. The music is a perfect fit to the game and does a great job of putting you in the mood of the world of Kameo. Light and airy at times when the game needs it also moves to a more powerful score when in the heat of battle. The ambient sounds just as the graphics are perfectly executed and suit the game perfectly. Clings and clangs of metal swords and weapons are very authentic, explosions, water effects, crackling fire, you name it, and they didn’t miss a beat on any level.
The reason I started with the look and feel of Kameo is because it is very impressive to have a game deliver this level of production and then become the background to the game as you settle into it for a bit, before you know it the “Ooh’s” and “Ahh’s” will be gone from your mind and you’ll start to see what this game is really all about. It’s an action, adventure platform game…with a slight twist. As you may have gathered by now, you are Kameo, a spry young woman out to save her family and her world. Right from the start you are thrust into battle, and you soon are forced to realize that you are not as powerful as you think, and in order to save your family you will need to obtain the ancient “Elements of Power”. Part of the game is spent acquiring the 10 elements, each of which offers a unique and diverse style of attack, not to mention unique attributes that will suite given situations better than others. I do like the diversity of the “Elements” you have Pummel Weed the boxing plant, Rubble, who is basically a pile of rocks that can disassemble in some interesting ways to cause destruction, Ash the Dragon, Deep Blue the underwater help complete with tentacles and jet stream packs, Major Ruin who reminds me of a giant pill bug that can roll around and keep Kameo safe within his armor. The second half of the group is 40 Below who is capable of dismantling large hordes of trolls, Snare who is best described as Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors, Chilla the abominable snowman like bear if you will, who is the brawler in the group but also launches the occasional Ice Spear as needed, Flex the most agile of the bunch and last but not least the diminutive Thermite, in his case, size does not matter.
Why go through the whole bunch, well because this is what makes Kameo, Kameo. The ability to not only find all of these Elements, not only to use the right element at the right time, but also how to switch between elements as you go along, basically part of the puzzle of Kameo is to figure out the best combination of elements to use at a given time. By this I mean you need to learn to switch in mid action to be effective. So that’s the gist of the game, but how does it play out? Well the nuts and bolts of it are this, you can have 3 elements loaded into the buttons at any given time, and you can replace elements whenever you want during game play using the Warrior Wheel, basically giving you the ability to change warriors on the fly into one of the 3 slots (X, Y, or B). Kameo herself has a range of attacks and is also able to hover with her wings. As you venture through the game you can collect Elemental Fruit, that can be used to upgrade your warriors as you see fit, basically changing their attacks and attributes in a sort of RPG fashion. You can also collect Runes the currency in Kameo to use later in Shops. Your warriors will use up energy as they fight, this is shown on your blue Spirit Bar, and it will drain and refill as you progress through the game as you collect Elixir. Battle Bonuses are eramed by your attacks in the form of multipliers in 3 categories; Carnage, Brutal and Frenzy, defeat a troll without him landing a hit and achieve higher bonuses. The focus meter is a cool effect and comes in handy at just the right time, Kameo EoP has no problem hurling hordes of trolls at you at one time, making the battles intense, but if you string together enough attacks you’ll hit a Focus point where everything around you slows down enabling you to increase your attacks on numerous enemies while they appear to be standing still, this only lasts so long so get in as many punishing blows as you can. Through all of this you have a guide in the form of a Wot Not book and Ortho the wizard, these work as helpers to Kameo when she may be unable to figure out what to do or how to achieve a certain objective, sort of a built in cheat system if you will, but you may choose to ignore it and go on by your own wits.
This entire adventure revolves around Thorn, King of the Trolls and Kalus who feels she should be the rightful heir to the Elements of Power. So you spend time fighting trolls, ogres, rock monsters, etc… while also trying to solve some puzzles along the way. Some of the puzzles are rather simplistic but if you don’t take the time to observe your surroundings you may miss them. The other wrinkle in Kameo is that you can move from one area of the world to another through these teleport like windows, why, because you do have quests that can’t be completed without the proper warriors so you may revisit areas to complete missions. Kameo offers side quests as well, they range from obvious to a little more obscure but there is always something else to take on if you want to. Again, while Kameo offers some very tried and true platform elements like Hearts for health and elixirs for the warriors power it also ads quite a bit more to the mix in how you obtain success. Each level is awarded a point total and you may revisit levels to increase your points if you like, The Shops offer a little side step to the game to break it up a bit. The controls are well balanced to the point they too become second nature by the time you get into the real heart of the game.
Now do I feel like Kameo was everything it promised, well no, but I do feel it delivered a great platforming experience that did put forth some challenges as well as some real strategy when taking on some of the bosses. Yes some of the elements powers become a little redundant, but what platform game doesn’t suffer from that in some way shape or form. I feel the hype behind the game may have defused some of the true entertainment value of Kameo Elements of Power, but thats more our fault than it is the games fault. So if you’re looking for a new adventure in the platform genre and enjoy a little fantasy in your gaming diet Kameo Elements of Power may be for you. I defiantly think its worth your time if your gaming pallet is diverse, and for you die hard…broaden your horizons a bit. Highly entertaining, a little short on replay value, but heavy on production value I thought Kameo Elements of Power was a keeper.
Game On.
Suggestions: Expand the "world" of Kameo.
Overall Score: 8.8 / 10
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Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Yet another long standing and successful franchise make its way over to the Xbox 360. Tony Hawk has become quite an Icon in society as well as the gaming industry with his detailed and entertaining skating games. So how does Tony Hawk American Wasteland fair in the Next-Gen? Let’s take a closer look.
THAW follows a tried and true formula with its mechanics, some of the best in the biz, not only now, but they have been the bar to which other games of this genre are measured. That being said, THAW makes some strides forward, but also leaves some of the comfortable familiarities of the past intact. Is that a good thing? I’m kind of on the fence with it. My initial reaction is, new game, must be better, but that’s not always the case. Here is how the latest Hawk game fairs in my opinion.
The game offers some great options, the 2 main ones being Story Mode and Classic Mode. Going a little deeper in the game, you find a once again awesome Create-a-Player, Create-a-Park, Create-a-Graphic, as well as Crate-a-Trick. Closing out the options is the head to head competition you can get your skater juices flowing to on Xbox Live. This is were American Wasteland will set itself apart with gamers, being able to hold 8 players at once will definitely offer up some intense competition and bragging rights. Free Skate and Co-Op modes are also available. The “Create” options are nicely balanced and varied; you can upgrade your look, and board by earning cash during the game by completing challenges. This is straight forward TH fair. What I thought was a nice touch and maybe a safety net if you will, was the inclusion of the Classic mode. The Classic mode is your basic TH list of achievements to knock out in varied tracks, the usual combos, flips, grinds, and secret tapes are all available in all too familiar game play. Hell even the sounds in the classic mode remained the same. While I have always enjoyed the TH series, the last few outings have seemed a little on the un-original side of the spectrum, yes new location, new clothes, new board’s, are all “New”, if you will to American Wasteland, but the game really remains the same. Still, let’s remember this is the “Classic” mode of American Wasteland and as for what it’s supposed to be in the scheme of the game, it delivers as promised, the tried and true Tony Hawk experience we have grown to love.
The “Story Mode” is the new option in American Wasteland. The basic premises is country boy leaves to go to the big city to become a skating legend, then, boy meets girl who ends up being basically his guide through some missions and introduces hi | |
