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Total Reviews: 43
Average Overall Score Given: 8.24419 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 1,649
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Reviews
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Soulcalibur V
The fates and destinies of every soul are interwoven into the threads of time. Always starting and ending but constantly evolving and moving, the only control we have is how our destiny will impact those around us. We all have a choice in our involvement: whether to wield our influence for destructive purposes in order to obtain our goals at any cost, or we chose to be a beacon of light; helping those and using our powers to better the lives of all around us by eliminating the shadows of evil. While our souls each have a choice, the one undeniable truth is that each choice presents a challenge which is why we must fight and fight to win. The task at hand of choosing your destiny is always a daunting one, however, there are tools that you can wield to help you achieve victory and those are the Soul Edge and Soul Calibur. These swords are locked in a constant battle for eternal supremacy and rely on the will of its owner to tip the scales of balance in its favor. Come with us as we walk the ribbons of time and space and uncover the destiny of the latest chapter in this holy war and find out the fate of Soul Calibur V.
Before we begin our quest let us take notice that Soul Calibur V boasts a hefty fighter roster with a wealth of brand new weapons, fighters and fighting styles. Some of the older characters' descendants apparently make their first appearance such as: Natsu who is a student of Taki and must learn to confront and control her inner demons to harness her power, Xiba who resembles the infamous fighter Kilik, and Patroklos and Pyrrah who are the children of Sophitia. There is one new addition to the fighter roster that fits the feel of Soul Calibur V and that warrior is the Assassin himself, Ezio Auditore. This Assassin's close and ranged combat combined with fluid striking movements make Ezio born for a game such as this.
Different fighting stances and styles blend perfectly with the weapon combat and deliver the smooth and fluid combat that has been the backbone of the Soul Calibur series. Button mashers will have an ease about picking up the game and going toe to toe utilizing the revamped Critical Edge attack, but for those who have the determination to reach into Soul Calibur V's core, they will find a complex and brutal fighting system where mercy is but a theory and total domination is guaranteed. Soul Calibur V takes what has been great about the series and improves every aspect of it while introducing some new innovations that rekindle the fire that burns within each of our souls.
When talking about unraveling the story and history of each character the bread and butter behind the single player experience is the story mode. This mode is one of the game's biggest thorns in its side as you are stuck using one fighter named Patroklos who could be considered an arrogant spoiled brat and without any warning, guidance, or instruction you are thrown into battle after battle and forced to pray for salvation as you fight through 20 stages of opponents in a quest to reunite your family and end the Malfestation. While the story had a good foundation the execution of this makes you pray for an Astaroth axe to the face. To complement the single player experience, Soul Calibur V brings to the table various modes such as Quick Battle where you can earn new titles and other character customizable items, Arcade mode which is essentially a six round time trial, and the seemingly impossible Legendary Souls mode where the warriors do everything possible to prove you worthless in the ring.
Facing this adversity head on, Soul Calibur V delivers some major improvements and innovations that really add to the overall quality of the game. For starters, the character creation makes its return but now in enhanced to deliver a truly customizable warrior. If you wanted a fighter who was tiny like Yoda but had tons of muscle mass while wearing a chain mail shirt, a head of a horse, and the loin cloth of Conan, then by all means seek immediate professional help, but you could easily do this. New titles and customizable equipment can be won either online, or via single player modes. Almost everything can be changed, altered, or um... enhanced which allows you to truly create a unique fighter. Some of the other new innovations include improvements to the multiplayer aspects by introducing a lobby where you can view ongoing battles, register for a match, and more. Given that the core of Soul Calibur games is the multiplayer experience, the new streamlined interface and new innovations breathe new life and power into this stunning fighting game.
While we know Soul Calibur games to deliver a smooth and fluid fighting system, we have also come to expect amazing things in realm of graphics, and without question Soul Calibur delivers a knockout. While there are some very tiny flaws with some of the clothing, every visual aspect of this fighting game is breathtaking. The character models, cinematic sequences, the fighting arenas and even the combat itself look as though a piece of art has come to life. Even though the graphics are beyond beautiful, the sound however is something that doesn't bear much contribution to the game. The ring announcer becomes very tiresome as you progress through multiple matches and rounds and the stage music itself does very little to make a big impact on the combat itself.
If you want a fighting game to be a success, then nothing can be held back and all punches must be thrown. Soul Calibur V does take a couple shots that would normally stagger and cripple other fighting games, but the spirit will always live on as it brings gamers smooth, beautiful combat combined with a strengthened multiplayer system to provide hours upon hours of enjoyment. What destiny will you choose? What will history say about you? Time to draw swords and step into the ring of Soul Calibur V.
Suggestions: Please work on developing multiple quality storylines for the characters and quality sound. Make the next entry in the series feel like an epic impact on the fabric of time.
Overall Score: 8.3 / 10
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All Zombies Must Die!
In today's gaming world, blowing away zombies has quickly become a popular choice of developers and gamers around the world. There are games like Left 4 Dead, Dead Island, and there are even zombies making appearances in the Call of Duty and Halo game types. Then we have this title, All Zombies Must Die for 800 MS points on the Xbox Live Arcade. The tale of this game is nothing we haven't experienced before; a group of individuals must survive a zombie outbreak and live to talk about it. While this seems to be the basic premise of almost all zombie games, lets dive into All Zombies Must Die a little bit more and see just what lurks deep within the shadows.
From the beginning, one thing is made very clear, and that is this game is going to be filled with numerous grinding gameplay. The controls are fairly straight forward with the left stick assigned to movement and the right stick used to aim your firepower towards the nearest zombie's head. There is an upgrade system in this game that allows limited customization of your weapons so that you can apply fire, sonic, or even mutative properties to your weapon of choice. The top down view allows you to survey the area, plan your pathway through the mobs of zombies, and search for collectibles that will help you eliminate more undead zombies than you can fire your shotgun at. Throughout the game you will find yourself going through the same areas multiple times, and each time you seem to be looking for something new and it's this grinding, fetch style gameplay that will become very old very fast.
If you're looking for stellar graphics then this isn't going to be the game for you, as they are somewhat cartoonish and outdated. It almost looks as though you are playing a bunch of cartoon characters in their young teens battling a massive amount of cartoonish zombies. The same can also be said for the sound of the game which leaves a lot to be desired and leaves you thinking "why did they even bother" with such a mediocre approach to the graphics and sound. While that is a major disappointment, the biggest kick in the pants has to rest with the fact that there is no online co-op so if you want to game with friends you better make room on the couch. This is a massive disappointment because even though the game is not one that will be a benchmark for other titles, the fun factor really goes out the window when you can only play local co-op.
For 800 MS points All Zombies Must Die does provide some entertainment, however with the absence of online co-op play, lackluster graphics and sound, this is a game that will become very boring very quickly. With other great titles on the Xbox Live Arcade for 800 MS points that offer a lot more enjoyment and online play with others, All Zombies Must Die is a perfect example of how something that could have been very good gets turned into something very generic and boring. Should you spend your 800 MS points on this game? If you like wasting your points then by all means download away.
Suggestions: Seriously no online co-op when you release a game that is on a console with a heavey online multiplayer feature? Whoever thought that was a good idea needs to go.
Overall Score: 6.2 / 10
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Choplifter HD
In the 1980's there was a wealth of outlets that allowed young gamers a chance to play, what could be categorized by today's standards, classic games. These games were very simplistic to operate and provided hundreds of thousands of hours of enjoyment to the masses, and one of those titles to do this is the classic game, Choplifter. With a growing trend of gaming companies releasing classic games with updated facelifts but maintaining the same generic gameplay, one must ask themselves if there is any reason why someone would pay 1200 MS points for something that used to be on the Commodore 64. To put things into perspective, you could spend 1200 MS points to purchase Choplifter, or you could spend 1200 MS points to purchase games like Trials HD, Battlefield 1943, Shadow Complex, and Portal: Still Alive, and more. Let’s take off on a mission to see if Choplifter is worth 1200 MS points because ultimately in the end, that is the question that needs to be answered.
For those who haven't played the original Choplifter back when it came out in 1982 on the Commodore 64 or Apple II, the game involved you flying back and forth while dodging and eliminating enemies with your helicopter, and in the process rescuing helpless civilians from certain doom. When Choplifter HD released it tried to be as innovative as its predecessor, however, this is where the issues begin with this game. When the game released it was heralded as a masterpiece of the time and while that may be the same cannot be said for this latest version release. The controls of the game are fairly straight forward and while that is a plus, you will find yourself trying to find the optimum route through the side scrolling missions while confronting increasing amounts of enemies in your search for survivors. The main problems though with the gameplay controls are the sluggish and unbalanced feel. While your enemies seem to be able to instantly pinpoint your helicopter and let loose tons of rounds of ammo your way, your chopper doesn't have the ability to do the same. Targeting and lock on features are very slow and when you combine the innovation of trying to hit enemies in the foreground while flying to rescue civilians, then there are going to be some major issues.
While the major control issues of the game would be enough to warrant a pass of this title, even the "HD" upgraded graphics are not all that good. We have seen previous titles release for a cheaper price with a better "HD" facelift. Most of the time the graphics are average, however, when the camera zooms in you get to see a great example of a factor of a game that was on a great path but got sidetracked or shot down and was just left alone. The same can also be said for the audio of the title which provides little enjoyment or contributions to the overall feel of the game. Instead of the audio helping bring this game to life, the wise cracking jokes from the pilot are all you will get to try to bring a smile to your face. When you take into consideration that both the graphics and sound do little to enhance or even improve the quality of Choplifter HD, things start to go from bad to worse.
While the game in its essence is a side scrolling adventure, the frustrations of combining poor gaming controls with a lackluster HD graphic remake and next to nothing audio work make the 1200 MS point price tag an undisputed rip off of the gaming community. If the game was priced at 400 MS points or below it would be something that I would recommend caution in purchasing, however when you have a game that is done so poorly and at a price of 1200 MS points, this is a game that should be avoided at all costs or until the greed has subsided and a more reasonable price point has been established.
Suggestions: If you want to keep the challenge high then do so, but don't lose the fluid nature of the title by shotty game controls and poor music. Oh and make sure you don't charge 1200 MS points for a title that is barely worth 400 MS points. It will damage the rep you're trying to build and you will witness a decline of gamers purchasing your titles.
Overall Score: 5.8 / 10
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NCIS Game
In the videogame world there are some detective games that provide amazing amounts of enjoyment and fun, and then there's everything else. What I mean by everything else is "something that should be avoided unless you are completely bored and with nothing else to do in your life". I love a good detective game, which is why I love L.A. Noire, so when NCIS arrived I thought that the people of Ubisoft would have taken their cue from the previously mentioned blockbuster, and apply it with the NCIS writing staff to create a celebratory smash hit. Then I started playing and that is when this whole thing went down in a fiery crash.
As we decipher why this game is so bad, I'll just give you one quick sentence to save you the time of reading this, then you can go and do something more entertaining, like watching paint dry; or you can read on. This game is mini game madness. A very few different mini games and massive amounts of repetition. That’s it folks, review is done, enjoy the rest of your day. But for those who wish to read on (what a brave soul you are), get ready because this is going to be like a crime scene, not very pretty.
For starters let me just clear something up, and that is I have never watched one episode of NCIS, I'm more of a 24 fan. For some reason it never struck me as a must watch show. None of the cases looked interesting and I’m not a big fan at the entire cast, so naturally I passed on it. I don't know if that makes this review a tad biased, but right now I don't care because this game is bad on a good day. NCIS delivers four independently written episodes to play through. All the cast is in the game and you go from crime to crime investigating murder scenes and gathering evidence for examination latter. After all the hard work of almost doing nothing is completed, you get to close the case and move on to the next one. While this description already sounds boring to me as I'm typing this, it's the truth, that’s all you do.
NCIS delivers a show like performance, but unfortunately falls short in doing this well. The cutscenes feel like you are watching more of a storyboard with different images in semi animation and do very little to make you feel like you are watching a television show. Now I'm no technology expert here, but isn't the technology out there to do something like this? Why would Ubisoft cut corners and deliberately deliver a game that is supposed to be like an interactive television show? Now we turn to the game itself and find that things haven't taken a turn for the better. Maneuvering you character around the crime scene is not only boring but extremely cumbersome at best. You do not get any camera controls, instead it is a "point and click" system of movement which is absolute rubbish when you think of all the faults of the gameplay could easily be helped if you got to actually control the camera movement.
Now that the fact that the gameplay is only slightly more fun than getting kicked in gentleman area has been confirmed, let’s move on to the mini games that you will be playing over and over, and over again. All the mini games are mindlessly easy and unless you have the mental capacity of a tree, then everything should be very simplistic and straight forward. There will be games where you match fingerprints and ballistics; as well there will be games that require you to trace cell phones via taking a circle and making sure that you stay on the red dot. Let me explain that a bit more. When you have to trace a cell phone, you see a red dot on your computer screen. Then using the control stick, you maneuver your intercept circle to be in contact with the red dot, then follow it while the progress meter fills up and after a few rounds of that, you're done. Sounds simple right? You wish.
When you have to control your circle, you will find that following the red dot becomes more of a frustration than anything. Upon completion, the only satisfaction you will receive is the fact that you won't have to do that for a few more minutes, when you'll have to repeat that same action again. To say getting through this game is a struggle is a fair representation. While this is only a 5 hour story, that doesn't mean that any of it is good. But we've talked long enough about the undeniable train wreck of gameplay, let's move on and see how this game is graphically.
The character models are made to look like the characters in NCIS, and thankfully they come close. I'm not saying they're stupendous, but they do at least look like the people from the show. And yep, that about does it for what is good about the graphics. Honestly, there isn't much innovation, enjoyment, or quality when it comes to the graphics. The crime scenes differ sure, but when you actually are in the crime scenes, none of them stand out and make you think oh wow, something big happened here. Instead you get to deal with mediocrity when it comes to every other aspect of the graphics, outside the character models. You get the feeling that the majority of the budget was used on getting the NCIS characters to look and sound like they should in the show and everything else was just thrown in there to make a game. The same can be said for the sounds of NCIS. There isn't some dramatic musical score that echoes in our minds and takes hold of our souls. Instead there’s the intro tune for the episodes, but other than that there's absolutely nothing of interest musically in this game. While the characters sound the way they should, that’s about the only audio accomplishment that can give some credit to this game.
So let’s see shall we, the plus sides of the game are that the NCIS TV characters look right, sound right, and act right. The bad..... Well everything else actually. I actually feel sorry for taking your time to read this; it's minutes of your life that you can't get back. The control scheme needs a complete overhaul, and the non-existent camera controls make playing the game about as enjoyable as getting in a high speed car accident. This is unfortunately not a good detective game, nor is it a good game period. But there is a good side to this; hopefully studios will pay attention and learn a lot from this game by learning what not to do.
Suggestions: In the name of everything that is holy and sacred, please give us at least some camera control and a different character movment system. If that small thing can't be agreed upon, then please don't make another NCIS game.
Overall Score: 3.4 / 10
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Worms™: Ultimate Mayhem
If there is one arcade series that has combined over the top style destruction with cartoonish style humor and characters, it is Worms. The once 2D side scrolling turn based combat arcade series is back in Worms Ultimate Mayhem, and this time it packs a serious wallop, but it has a lot to live up to in the series history. Let's march onward and see both the good and bad that Worms Ultimate Mayhem has to offer.
If you are new to the Worms’ series of games let us give you a very brief overview, you command and control a group of worms and armed with a bounty of weapons and destructive toys your goal is to blow up, shoot, or otherwise destroy your opponents before your team is eliminated. This is done by managing your over the top arsenal which include weapons such as concrete donkeys that you drop on your opposition, sniper rifles, bazookas, and more. To do this you must maneuver your worm during its timed turn to get into position to deal out the death and destruction, and this is where the first fault of the game comes into play.
The camera system of Worms Ultimate Mayhem is beyond horrible. In an environment where you may have to jump or even walk around, the camera system feels not only clunky but sometimes unresponsive and when you have a short amount of time until your turn ends you'll find yourself spending a great majority of it just trying to maneuver the camera so you can see what you're doing. Now granted when you move from 2D to 3D environment, you will undoubtedly have some camera issues to contend with, however, when it bleeds into the control scheme of the game, that is when it becomes a serious issue.
That’s not to say however, that all of Worms Ultimate Mayhem is a total write off. The game itself does deliver a ton of content in the form of a lengthy single player story, multiplayer battles, challenge mode and more. Worms Ultimate Mayhem also brings a ton of customization options for your violent worms such as changing out sunglasses, hands (yes in this game worms have hands), hats, and more. While all these features are interesting and slightly entertaining, there is one fact that can't be denied and that is that Worms Ultimate Mayhem is almost a direct combination of Worms 3D and Worms 4.
There are other issues as well in terms of the AI of the game. To call the AI intelligent is laughable; however, to call them a poor shot is insulting. It's amazing how this dumbed down AI manages to maneuver throughout the level and then hit these impossible shots on you. While we are on the topic of impossible shots we have to touch base on another annoying aspect of the AI. Wind and terrain affect your weapons and their ability to hit their target, however, for the AI it seems like it has no effect at all. You could have a 20mph wind blowing left to right and the AI will be launching weapons your way and almost always manage a direct hit. You unfortunately don't have that luxury, you don't even have a reticle that will show you where your weapon will hit, and it’s just hope for the best and pull the trigger.
While Worms Ultimate Mayhem tries to deliver a fun and entertaining way of destroying invertebrates, there is just too much going against this title that could justify a purchase of any amount other than free. There is a bunch of content, however the camera system is just too broken to allow you to enjoy the game, and when combined with the AI and other aspects, Worms Ultimate Mayhem should be one that gets passed over.
Overall Score: 5.3 / 10
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Orcs Must Die
The ancient home of the orc mob, Dead World has been closed off to the other realms for their protection, but the fears of many have now become true as the orc mob is determined and hell bent on destroying the protective rifts and entering these other realms in hope of glory and plunder. Our only hope rests in the hands of the Order, a strong cadre of War Mages and their apprentices whose sole objective is to maintain the security of the rifts and to fend off any and all advancing orc forces. This task sounds immense and to add to the challenge all but one War Mage, myself, and apprentice has survived. Now the bad news, I was badly wounded in a battle defending a Rift, and I fear that my time is not long for this world. Now the really, really bad news, the apprentice of mine is way too impulsive, unintelligent, bold, and did I mention impulsive? Upon my demise this will be your guardian for any hope of opposing an onslaught of orc warriors set on one thing, destroy the Rifts. I fear for your safety because unless my apprentice can prove his worth and ability as a War Mage, you're all screwed.
The Rifts themselves are setup as strategic levels of tower defense where you will be armed with various traps, aids, and abilities to ensure the destruction of the rampaging orc mobs. Items such as spiked walls, burning hot coal pits, elven archers, paladin knights and more will help you overcome the challenges ahead and spells such as the wind belt and flaming gauntlets will easily disperse an angry charging mob of demented orcs. Each of your traps and aids can be upgraded to enhance their potential and even your War Mage himself can speak to the two weavers of steel and magic and upgrade the characteristics of either his traps or his elemental damage. Proper placement of your traps is critical and be wary War Mage, for once you lose a trap like an archer, they will be gone until the first break in the orc horde.
Every Rift is different so every strategy you use must adapt to the way the Rift castle is laid out. Since you will be slaughtering your way in a 3rd person perspective you must be mindful of your surroundings for falling to your death only increases your chance of failure and the doom of millions. There is some light though amongst the ravaging stream of orcs and that is the sound of the light hearted humor you will hear as you go through your bloodshed. Comments like "Don't crossbow me bro", "can I be the good guy now", and "can I get my parking validated" will echo through the halls of the Rift as your sword, arrow, and traps pierce through orcs one after another.
Orcs Must Die will let your inner devious side come out and play as you utilize various traps in combination with your own abilities to decimate every orc mob you can find. As far as tower defense style games go, Orcs Must Die is one of the best available and will find you literally glued to your seat trying to overcome the challenging story mode for hours upon end. The time has come, spend 1200 MS points and prove once and for all that the faith of millions rests in the capable hands of the last standing War Mage. I feel that Aragorn said it best when he said, "Let's hunt some orc", too bad he isn't here, I'd prefer him to this clumsy wanna-be War Mage and his dances of victory.
Overall Score: 8.1 / 10
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Bejeweled 3
Over the years Pop Cap games have been focused on bringing gamers a peaceful yet frantic experience throughout its Bejeweled games. Think of it like an interactive Yin and Yang experience where the cycle between relaxation and intensification are in a harmonious balance that are constantly in motion and all the time highly addictive. Bejeweled 3 offers gamers a wealth of content that will constantly satisfy your craving for destroying shiny gems over, and over, and over again. The ultimate goal of any videogame (arcade or retail) is to provide gamers with an experience that they will enjoy and that will keep them playing for years to come. While some companies have tried and failed at this philosophy, Pop Cap understands this all too well.
Providing multiple gametypes adds a lot to the replay value of any game and in Bejeweled 3 you get a total of eight gametypes:
1) Classic - This is the original untimed version of Bejeweled that we all know and love. Just keep smashing gems until you run out of possible moves!
2) Lightning - Think of this like a version of Bejeweled Blitz where you can smash time gems to increase the duration of the game. While it's not Blitz mode, it does offer some of the similar enjoyment.
3) Zen - An endless game without any time or move limitations. Just sit back, relax and watch the hours just melt away.
4) Ice Storm - A frantic race against time as you watch multiple pillars of ice race to the top of your columns in an attempt to freeze your progress. Your only hope, smash the pillars before you're frozen.
5) Diamond Mine - A twist where you use your gem matching ability to dissolve the ground underneath your gems and uncover gold and treasure below. Combined with a timer that replenishes somewhat after each round and you have a very frantic yet explosive gametype.
6) Butterflies - A thinking twist to the Bejeweled games. Different colored butterflies will work their way to the spider at the top, so you must set them free by combining the right colored gems.
7) Poker - Keep making same colored matches and build a hand ranging from one pair to flush. This is one of the weaker points of Bejeweled 3, but we'll get to that here in a moment.
8) Quest - 40 unique and challenging puzzles from all different gametypes and all containing some form of goal that must be achieved to progress onward.
While Bejeweled 3 does offer a lot in the form of types of games, a couple of them stand out to me in a detached way because they don't feel like a Bejeweled game. Poker and Butterflies both require a more tactful approach where you must start to think moves ahead in order to plan your way to victory. That seems a bit out of the ordinary for a Bejeweled game since most of the time you are frantically flying around the screen destroying everything in your path. While some of the other modes are more addicting, Poker and Butterflies games don't seem to fit and in the end seem more like they were put in there just to give more value to the game.
One component that I thought would have made this game go from good to great would be the inclusion of multiplayer. Unfortunately for some reason unknown to us, Pop Cap has decided not to include any multiplayer at all in Bejeweled 3. This sort of takes away a core that was widely used in other previous Bejeweled games and makes the game feel like it's missing it's other half. Another exclusion is the Blitz and Twist modes. I would have been happy had Poker and Butterflies been replaced with these two modes, but then again I didn't make the game.
Is Bejeweled 3 worth the MS points? Well if you enjoy a great puzzle game by yourself then yes, but if you would rather play with others online then no. Even though there is a ton of content in this game, it's all singleplayer. It almost seems like Pop Cap could have done more with this title and maybe they will, but with the exclusion of multiplayer and some of the more popular modes of Bejeweled, Pop Cap's Bejeweled 3 is something to pick up, but wait till it's on sale.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
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Goldeneye 007: Reloaded
There are characters in literature that become so iconic that they provide amazing stories and adventures for decades and James Bond is one of those characters. An international super spy with A License to Kill, James Bond delivers one spectacular mission after another and now his mission will take him deep into Russia as he tries to uncover the secrets of GoldenEye.
When GoldenEye first came out it was on the Nintendo 64 and it immediately solidified itself as a standard setter for future games to be, unfortunately for us that the following re-releases of GoldenEye were more like BlackEye. It almost felt like developers were trying too hard and in the process taking something that once was great and making it mediocre. Gamers for years have been demanding a GoldenEye game for the current generation consoles that delivers the same quality enjoyment that everyone remembers finding back in the Nintendo 64 era. Now with GoldenEye 007: Reloaded, Activision sets its target on re-kindling the spark that has been lost; but with GoldenEye Reloaded being a beefed up re-release of the version on Nintendo Wii, does it hit or miss on the Xbox 360?
For starters there is something that doesn't make sense to me. Maybe it's become I still have the image of the GoldenEye movie and the N64 version, but if I'm not mistaken didn't both the movie and the game showcase Pierce Brosnan as 007, but in GoldenEye 007: Reloaded, Daniel Craig is James Bond. On top of that Alec himself is now a different character than who we remember. There are some other familiars in the voice acting however there seems to be a tremendous deviation from the original source material. While there are some events that pay homage to the original, it just doesn't seem to feel like GoldenEye.
GoldenEye 007: Reloaded dishes up three gameplay modes which are:
1) Campaign mode - A relatively short campaign that alters from the original source material, but does provide an entertaining experience but unfortunately is not something that would keep someone coming back. Even though there are some changes to the campaign there is the inclusion of a new 007 Classic mode that gives you the original heads up display and read-outs that we all remember from the original.
2) Mi6 mode - A series of arcade missions that are separate from the campaign and all allow you and your teammate to tackle multiple objectives in one of four different gametypes:
* Elimination (take out so many enemies as quickly as possible)
* Stealth (avoid detection at all costs as you make your way through the level)
* Defense (protect and defend an objective against waves of assailants)
* Assault (lock and load and go in guns blazing against an enemy base)
The Mi6 missions are new to Goldeneye Reloaded and do offer a challenge as you progress trying to get certain rankings off of each mission type. The easiest way to explain this mode is Spec-Ops in CoD. It's almost an exact copy but with a James Bond feel to it.
3) Multiplayer - This is where the main crux of the game can be found. How many of us who remember the original GoldenEye, remember staying up for hours with tons of people waiting for their turn in multiplayer? Well with Goldeneye 007: Reloaded, the multiplayer surprisingly packs more content than other big title releases by sporting 14 new multiplayer maps (4 of them are brand new maps) and 13 different multiplayer game modes such as Bomb Defuse, Escalation, Data Miner, and more. With a wide variety of multiplayer game types and levels that range from the wide and expansive, to the close quarters, the multiplayer aspect of GoldenEye Reloaded will be where the majority of the players spend most of their time.
While GoldenEye Reloaded tries to inject more content than the Wii version, the one thing that does stand out is the graphics. Now on the Xbox 360 we get to see some major improvements in the graphics as the action seems to flow uninhibited, but to say that GoldenEye Reloaded pushes the Xbox 360's graphics isn't necessarily accurate. You can definitely notice a difference between the Wii and Xbox 360 versions in the terms of graphics, but if you're expecting some mammoth graphical powerhouse of a game, then I'm sorry to say that you're going to be disappointed. While a 60fps rate at 1080p resolution is a great improvement, you will progress through the game thinking that they could have done more and that’s a shame when it comes to the fact that all GoldenEye fans have been anxiously awaiting a great successor to the original GoldenEye.
Even through there are some tremendous deviations from the original source material some of the more familiar aspects reside in the sound category. The voice acting is done surprisingly well and GoldenEye Reloaded does do a good job trying to blend both the original material with today's twist on the new James Bond. M still sounds frosty as ever and while the opening sequence is different than the movie, the opening score is still the same. In the James Bond movies/games there have always been an action packed score and thankfully this fact applies to GoldenEye Reloaded as well. This is the best quality of GoldenEye Reloaded and could quite possibly be one of the few saving graces of this title.
Ultimately while GoldenEye 007: Reloaded is loosely based off of the original source material, the big question is, should you part with $60 to pick up this game? If you are looking for a beefed up version of the Wii title, then without question as you will find a lot to enjoy with GoldenEye 007: Reloaded. However, if you are a purist then unfortunately you will not find this game filling that void. While this game is enjoyable, there just seems to be too much holding it back that could make this the true GoldenEye sequel that we all have been demanding for years.
Overall Score: 7.7 / 10
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Assassins Creed Revelations
Benvenuto il mio compagno Assassino fratelli e sorelle del nostro capitolo finale. Siamo stati insieme per molti anni, ma ora è giunto il momento di scrivere l'ultimo capitolo della vita di Altaïr ibn La-Ahad e Ezio Auditore da Firenze e la testimonianza delle meraviglie della conoscenza e del potere che diventa svelato attraverso la verità. Come si opera attraverso le ombre per servire la luce, cerchiamo di scoprire l'assassino del Credo splender rivelazioni così che le nostre azioni per servire l'umanità migliore. Il nostro cammino sarà lungo, irto di pericoli e di sorprese ma, se è vero che i tre principi e mai perdere la fede nel Credo, poi ci sono gli assassini hanno la sapienza abbiamo bisogno che ci guida verso la meta. E' tempo, preparare voi assassini!
Welcome my fellow assassin brothers and sisters to our final chapter. We have been together for many years but now the time has come to write our last chapter in the lives of Altaïr ibn La-Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze and witness the marvels of knowledge and power that becomes unveiled through the truth. As we work in the dark to serve the light, let us uncover the splendor of Assassin's Creed Revelations so that our actions serve mankind for the better. Sharpen your blades assassins for our lifelong journey has finally arrived at its conclusion and it is up to us to uncover the truth of life. Our journey will be long, fraught with dangers and surprises but if we hold true to the three tenets and never lose faith in the Creed, then we assassins shall have the wisdom we need to guide us to our goal. It is time, prepare yourselves assassins!
Throughout mankind there have been a few constants, but none more highly contested as the acquiring of power. Wars have been fought, alliances have been deceptively destroyed, and countless lives lost all in the name of obtaining power. Our Assassino ancestors have pledged their lives to maintaining a balance and order to the struggle for power and to see that the exploitation of mankind does not occur. In Assassin's Creed Revelations we find ourselves on a quest in a race against time to uncover and decipher the secrets our ancient Assassino ancestors and protect them against those who would wield destructive power to control mankind.
In Assassin's Creed Revelations Ubisoft has taken the already amazingly innovative control scheme core of previous Assassin's Creed titles and added some slight new innovations and polish to create one of the most addicting and enjoyable gameplay experiences in the Assassin's Creed lineage. One of the major innovative changes to the gameplay is the introduction of the Hookblade. This multi-tool of death offers some upgraded changes to enhance the control mechanics on multiple levels. Now if you are leaping from beam to beam and you come across a hanging grapple point, instead of leaping to it and going around the corner, by holding the B button you can use the Hookblade to propel yourself forward in a longer leap which will enable you to reach other areas and provide other tactical options when confrontation is necessary. Not only will the Hookblade assist you in your ariel movement, but it will also assist you greatly when it comes to scaling obstacles and monuments. When you are climbing a monument it used to be a long process where you had to find the correct route to reach the top. This is where the Hookblade shines because now with the push of the A button you can jump up, grab a hold of a ledge above and slingshot your way up, thus dramatically shortening the time it takes to scale buildings and monuments to the top.
While this one innovation affects gameplay on numerous levels, one of the main issues we have found involves the new Eagle Vision. In the previous Assassin Creed games you could use your Eagle Vision to scout targets, find hidden secrets, and more, but now Eagle Vision has become somewhat of a hindrance. The main issue behind Eagle Vision is that it takes away from the flow of the game by requiring you to remain absolutely still to access it. After that you are free to move about as normal, but in a game that prides itself on the free flowing movement of the character, forcing them to come to a complete halt just to start to use it takes away from the fluidity of the game's natural mechanics and therefor doesn't seem to fit the feel of Assassin's Creed.
Assassin's Creed Revelations also brings in some other innovations in the form of den defense mini games that also seem to take away from the feel of the game. The way the den defense game works is if you draw too much attention of the Templars, then one of your assassin's dens may come under attack and until you complete the defense game and the nearby shops will close down to you. When you go through the defense game you will have the ability to place assassins and defenses that will hinder the oncoming waves of enemies as they set out to destroy and reclaim your den. While this is a new innovation for Assassin's Creed Revelations, it doesn't mean that it's a good one. The feel is very simplistic and in the end does very little to increase the enjoyment we all find in the Assassin's Creed games by taking you once again out of the free flow gameplay.
One constant of all Assassin's Creed games have been breathtaking viewpoints showcasing a vast beautiful city beneath your boots, and in Assassin's Creed Revelations we find all of that and more. Hidden crypts and ancient tombs are more menacing than ever, and even the guards themselves look and feel more realistic in their looks and interactions. While there is nothing really new and innovative about the graphics compared to Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, that doesn't mean that it's a bad thing. With a powerful history of delivering amazing graphics, Assassin's Creed Revelations keeps to the bloodlines of the Assassino and delivers one stunning moment after another.
When you hear the call of the Assassino it sounds like an eagle's cry from the heavens signaling a rebirth of order and justice. Assassin's Creed games have always penetrated our souls with their music by delivering that compels our spirits and guides our blades as we move in for the kill. Assassin's Creed Revelations provides wonderful music combined perfectly with various high quality sound effects and very good voice acting to deliver an audio experience that will make your ears rejoice.
When Assassin's Creed Brotherhood was released, we were finally treated to some of the most innovative multiplayer experiences ever. Normally a great single player focused game does not have the ability to pull off a balanced and enjoyable multiplayer, but Assassin's Creed does. With multiplayer challenges to complete, EXP to earn and level up our multiplayer characters, along with new weapons, items, and characters to unlock, one thing was for sure, the gamble paid off and all of us bear witness to how innovation and quality can revitalize a, once before, non-existent element in your game, and in doing so take the next step in the evolution of the Assassin's Creed games.
This belief holds true now more than ever before in Assassin's Creed Revelations. Now there are not only new modes, but more characters and a big new innovation in the formations of user created guilds. Now not only can you customize your characters appearance and weapons, but now you can create your own assassin's coat of arms for your guild. Now the higher you go up the multiplayer ladder, the more information and knowledge you gain about our good friends at Abstergo Industries. Knowledge is power my fellow Assassino and we must never tire of our vigil to obtain more of it. A new twist to the multiplayer is that there no longer is a compass pointing in the direction of your target, instead a picture of your target is in the upper right hand corner and it will glow blue when you are in the line of sight for your target. While this takes some getting used to, it ultimately creates more of a balance throughout the entire multiplayer experience and that is what the Assassino are about right? Creating some form of balance?
While it's true that there are a lot of similarities to be seen between Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Revelations, that doesn't necessarily make it a bad thing. Assassin's Creed Revelations delivers on a lot of great qualities that has made the series a success and innovates and evolves what was good into great. As we mentioned earlier Assassino, this is our final chapter of our story and while others may take our place in time, we assassin will never be forgotten for it is our ancestors that help us write our futures. Always be learning and evolving Assassino and never forget the Assassin's Creed: We work in the dark to serve the light. We are Assassins. Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
Overall Score: 8.8 / 10
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Battlefield 3
Oh well look who we have here. We have a worldwide threat pertaining to weapons of mass destruction and instead of sending me another battalion like I asked for, they send me you. When we get back I’m going to give the boys in Washington holy hell but for now soldier keep your eyes open and your mouth shut because what I'm about to debrief you on is recently declassified intel from XboxAddict and what you learn could just save your life out there. We have been fighting this war for a long time but now things have become more dangerous than ever before, assemble your team soldier, and prep for the fight of your lives. You may have fought in other wars, but nothing will prepare you for this solider. Welcome to Battlefield 3.
[...Transmission Broadcasting...]
What we've learned over the years is that DICE and EA go through painstaking efforts to deliver the most realistic military FPS experience. They strive to achieve this goal by delivering some of the best graphical representations we have ever seen, combined with amazing physics, sound, and innovation. Creating a military FPS that not only guarantees a high replay value in the multiplayer, but also offers a suspenseful campaign, co-op missions, and a wealth of upgrades to almost every aspect of your soldier is no easy feat but DICE has a radar lock on bringing all of this to you in Battlefield 3. The world's stage is set in chaos as the threat of Nuclear War becomes more and more of a viable threat and your team have assembled to be the guardian angels of mankind by gathering any and all intel on possible weapons of mass destruction, and to confront and expunge the enemy on every level. Now that we have unveiled the overall assignment soldier let's discuss how you will maneuver your way through the warzone and achieve your success.
As you will be deep behind enemy lines and in constant engagement with hostile forces you will have to use everything at your disposal to obtain victory and come back home alive. There will be a lot of times where you will need to vault your way over obstacles then shift almost immediately to a prone position so play it smart, keep your head down, and then flank your opposition and use your abilities to drive the forces back and eliminate them.
As you become more familiar with the war soldier, you will gain perks that can not only affect you, but your entire squad as well. This is the start of a very in-depth customization that will give you every opportunity to play this war just how you want to. Your team will have many weapons at their disposal and each weapon will have three customization points that range from updated optics, bipods, laser sights, flashlights and more.
Not only can your weapons be customized, but your soldier themselves are granted multiple customization options as well. At your command you can customize your soldier to employ a wide range of accessories such as mortar launchers, remote control robots, spawn deployment points, c4 and more. While the ability to harness these customizations is important, victory can only be obtained if you successfully utilize the heavy armaments that will be provided for you. The controls may seem a bit touchy at first but once you learn the mechanics of the jets, helicopters, tanks and more, your squad will become an unstoppable force.
In terms of what you will expect to see when you hit the ground running, prepare yourself to see war like you have never seen it before. DICE brings war to life in iconic settings with the new Frostbite 2 engine. Every map of every mission is done with such meticulous detail that for the first time in a long time we get to experience the true physics of war. Buildings will collapse, explosions will erupt, and all of this will leave your eyes one amazing optical experience after another. Physical details such as the debris pattern after a breech or the small cloud of dust that comes off of a wall that gets hit with rounds of gunfire all help add that last push that sends the graphics of this game from great to flat out stunning.
While there is nothing like seeing a war unfold in front of your eyes, hearing the sounds of war itself is haunting in its own right. With multiple settings for the sound output, Battlefield 3 is an auditory gem in the world of military FPS games. The music score alone does not do this experience justice as you will note when you combine it with the sounds of incoming tanks, sniper fire, frag grenades exploding and more. There isn't really a greater sensation than lying prone undetected behind cover while you hear and feel an enemy tank moving right beside you and hearing the enemy chatter as everyone is on high alert and hunting you down.
While the singleplayer storyline is highly engaging, the true backbone of Battlefield 3 is the multiplayer experience. Acclaimed for providing gamers with a phenomenal multiplayer experience in the past, Battlefield 3 sets a new standard for military FPS. Be ready to encounter 24 player battles that range over the land, sea, and air while encompassing all the new technology and vehicle combat. Enjoy multiple gametypes such as what has been called the true Battlefield experience, Conquest, and a returning staple from Battlefield 1942, Team Deathmatch. Vehicles play a large role in the Battlefield games and that is truer now in Battlefield 3's multiplayer. Using customizable aircraft, helicopters, and other heavy armaments, teams will constantly wage war to see what side will triumph. There is more though behind the scenes of Battlefield 3's multiplayer though with the ability to search and select individual dedicated servers and filter your results based off of a wide variety of criteria such as lobby size, map, gametype, region, connectivity, and more. What this means to gamers is now they have a guaranteed way of locating the best possible Battlefield 3 experience for them. Another massive innovation to Battlefield 3 is the Battlelog. Think of this as an online record of all your Battlefield 3 actions from across the entire game. Here you will be able to do a variety of actions such as check on your unlock progression, form a platoon with your friends, and more.
While all this innovation and amazing gameplay are breathtaking, Battlefield 3 does suffer some shortcomings that would have made this title stand out as the premier military FPS game. For starters, since launch, Battlefield 3's multiplayer has been pegged with server issues. While other random glitches and bugs such as squad management, player loadouts and more can create some annoyance, having your entire multiplayer server connection interrupted frequently is like ripping out someone's backbone and seeing if they can stand upright. The core of the replay factor for Battlefield 3 lies in the connections gamers make to the multiplayer servers. If they can't connect and enjoy the game, then out it goes from the console.
The main story is surprisingly short and the online co-op consists of only six missions, and when you combine that they offer very little replay value, your multiplayer aspect becomes even more vital. Thankfully, the servers have become somewhat more stable and it goes without saying that DICE, EA, and Microsoft are working hard at correcting the issues. This year has some amazing releases and the ability to deliver a product that, will not only standout amongst the top during this year, but for years to come, is of the upmost importance with Battlefield 3. While this game does deliver some amazing gameplay experiences, there are multiple times when you sit there thinking that this game could have been better. That doesn't mean however that Battlefield 3 doesn't deliver at all; it means that gamers will just have to be patient as DICE and everyone work out all the details to deliver the Battlefield 3 experience we all know is out there.
Overall Score: 8.5 / 10
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Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Good day young adventurer, I don't mean to be a bother but if you have a few moments to spare with an old man such as myself, there is a tale I would like to tell you that may help you find what you seek. There is something inside me that tells me you play a vital role in the coming days ahead, I don't know quite what it is, but I have no doubt that there is something special about you. So please sit with me a while and let me tell you about the land, legends, and lore of the realm of Skyrim.
The Elder Scrolls have foretold of events in Skyrim and I pray you heed this information as it may shape all of Tamriel itself. The High-King of Skyrim lay dead at the hand of an assassination and a struggle for power has ensued between the Stormcloaks and the Empire which threatens the stability and prosperity of Skyrim, but that is not the worst part of this, by heavens no. With Skyrim on the brink of a civil war, it has been foretold that this will bring about the return of the dragons themselves, lead by Alduin, the Nordic God of Destruction. If these actions transpire and everything foretold in The Elder Scrolls become real, then Skyrim is in need of a hero, and for some reason, I believe that hero to be you.
Not all of the fabled prophecy of The Elder Scrolls is bad though, mind you there are some rays of light in these dark times and it is through the legend of the Dragonborn that we must place our hope of survival. The tales go back for ages, back to the time of Akatosh and the blood of the dragons, and even Emperor Tiber Septim himself, for it is said that those who possess the blood of dragons have the ability to commune with the dragons themselves and even wield the power of the beasts as well through the use of multiple shouts. It is said that the Dragonborn will help mankind by vanquishing the dragon threat should it ever arise. This leads us to Skyrim for it is rumored that Alduin is back and that the dragons have returned and all of mankind is now in danger.
The hope of salvation is high for it is said that the Dragonborn has a new innovative menu and control layout that allows more focus on the environment around you and provides quick and simplistic access to everything you will need when fighting dragons, exploring dungeons, and confronting the Daedric Gods themselves. With the push of one button you have access to everything and the ability to select almost anything to a favorites menu for quick selection.
Managing Dragonborn's character has also improved and offers a very deep character development system. When you level up your character, you have the option to increase your magic, your health, or your stamina (which effects how much you can carry) and you gain access to the constellations in the heavens above that allow you to customize, improve, and develop your skills with bonuses.
Another innovation that Skyrim brings to light is the ability to actively dual-wield multiple options at the same time, all the while improving your character's skills. For instance you could have a lightning spell in your left hand, and a sword in your right and you will be getting experience in both your destructive spells and one handed categories. Getting to know the land of Skyrim is critical and thankfully the map system allows Dragonborn to easily find the destination of his quests and discover majestic new areas. With both a world overview and close up map choice you will always find your way as you traverse the mountains and lakes of Skyrim.
The province of Skyrim allows for many adventures, quests, and tasks that can range from the mundane, to the vital, but all are important and all offer insight into not only the lands of Skyrim, but its people as well. You may hear of a blacksmith that may have to shut their doors because they can't fill orders fast enough, so that gives you the ability to step in and use the weapon forge to create or improve weapons and armor. Forging however means you must have the right materials to create your item, and in order to do that you may have to mine ore for it.
There are other tasks such as cooking where you create your own food through learned recipes which can restore health and offer bonuses when consumed. Alchemy and Enchantments play a big role as well since almost everything in Skyrim can be infused to either create different types of potions or magical items that offer character bonuses as well. While performing tasks such as forging, sharpening, cooking, mining and more seem rather tame when compared to fighting dragons and exploring dark dungeons, however, it is through these actions that we can often obtain the items we need to be successful in our quests.
Innovation of your character development is one thing, but when you talk innovation of Skyrim's quest structure, that is when the heart of Skyrim opens up and reveals the dynamic structure that will leave you playing this game for years to come. Utilizing a technology in the new Creation Engine called Radiant Storytelling; Skyrim records your actions and deeds and will alter and change things in the world accordingly. Not only will it alter things in Skyrim but it will also adjust characteristics of Skyrim, such as the game difficulty depending on your skills and will even change up points in quests such as different outcomes that are determined by your actions in Skyrim.
Along with the innovative Radiant Storytelling, there is more innovation in the way of the new Radiant AI. This gives NPC a real sense of purpose as they perform a wide variety of tasks throughout Skyrim, but the beauty is not how they interact with the land, but with you. Now characters will develop feelings for you based off of your actions and words and your relationship to them. An example of the dynamics of this would be if you save someone's daughter from bandits, it goes without saying that the daughter's family will find great favor with you. Not only are your interactions with the citizens of Skyrim important, but also your interactions and choices with the various factions such as the Thieves, the Dark Brotherhood, Stormcloaks, and more. This is the core of Skyrim itself and it's through this new innovation that delivers one of the best single player games ever conceived.
You have heard me talk of the land of Skyrim, but until your eyes first behold the snow covered mountain ranges, the vibrant lakes, or the dense foliage of the mighty woods, words will never do them justice. By incorporating a new innovated technology called the Creation Engine, every characteristic of the lands of Skyrim are constantly shifting and altering, whether it be through the changing of the seasons, to the precipitation, or even the changing of flora. This means that every moment your eyes will understand the legends of the beauty of Skyrim. Not only are the lands of Skyrim beautiful but the creature and character models are looking more stunning than ever. Your eyes will be in amazement when you observe a mammoth dragon, hovering and circling around you in the sky as you try to scale a snow covered mountain while in the middle of a blizzard.
New creatures will present themselves as challenges for you and while some are more your size, dragons are not the only massive dangerous creatures in these lands. While a giant for instance may be slow moving, they are quick to anger and strike without mercy and in one blow can knock you halfway across Skyrim itself. While the lands, temples, and caves may be beautiful in their own right, you must always be cautious of the creatures of that environment.
From the very moment you start your quests through Skyrim, your ears will be treated to a symphonic masterpiece from start to finish. Melodic and tranquil songs will eerily pacify your soul as you navigate through the different towns and explore the vast wilderness that Skyrim has to offer. When danger is around that is when your ears will hear the drums of war start to beat and that is your cue to prepare for a fight. The voice acting in Skyrim is done very, very well as the character voices seem to fit the legends and lore that we all know and love. There is never a moment of auditory boredom or disappointment in Skyrim, in fact it has taken all the high expectations, that I have personally placed on the sound, and surpassed them all. The sounds of this game will haunt your spirit as Skyrim delivers what could arguably be called one of the greatest works of audio in the video game world.
So there you have it my brave adventurer, I have told you all I know about the legends and lore of Skyrim and what to expect. I hope you have listened and learned from my tale and that you find your path to your destiny. Every aspect of Skyrim is done to pinpoint perfection and has the makings of a game that will be played and enjoyed by millions for years to come.
Before you set out on this grand adventure, please remember to never lose faith and hope in the Dragonborn for it is the sole hope of salvation and peace for the troubled land of Skyrim. Like I said before, I'm sorry to be a bother, but this old man sees something in your eyes that burns bright with the hope of the Dragonborn. Could you be the one that the Elder Scrolls prophesied about, are you him, are you the hope and salvation of Skyrim, are you Dovahkiin, are you the Dragonborn?
Suggestions: Thank you.
Overall Score: 9.7 / 10
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Lord of the Rings: War In The North
Chapter I
War in the North.........pg. 1
Legends have told the tale of Middle Earth and the quest to destroy Sauron and The One Ring. Where a fellowship banded together under a banner of brotherhood to undertake a quest that held the fate of every living thing in Middle Earth. While these tales are popular and widely known, there is a part of the story that has almost slipped away from the legends of lore. This is a tale of a new trio of comrades who join together to prevent Sauron and his forces from commanding the realms to the North under the leadership from Sauron's Chief Lieutenant Agandaur. While Frodo, the fellowship, and The Ring venture southward on their quest towards Mount Doom, the trio of Eradan the Dunedain Ranger, Andriel the Elven Loremaster, and Farin the Dwarven Champion must assemble what forces they can and fight back against the shadow that grows in the North. It is time for us now to play our part in these events and not to forsaken the fate of Middle Earth.
Fellowship is the core of Lord of the Rings: War in the North (WitN) and it is through this understanding that your success or failure will be determined. Each member brings with them unique skills and abilities which must be harnessed properly if any hope is to remain for Middle Earth. Eradan brings archery and swordplay into the fray, Andriel uses her magic for both offensive and defensive actions that can be applied to just one individual or the entire party, and Farin brings an onslaught of melee skills designed to destroy any and all oncoming foes. While the fellowship of these three is strong, they will need the assistance of others to ensure their victory over the darkness that grows in the North. One of their greatest supporters throughout the game is Beleram one of the Great Eagles. After Beleram agrees to support your fellowship he becomes an invaluable ally as he has the ability to destroy heavy mounted crossbows, multiple enemies, and even take on a massive troll. How you use his abilities is up to you, but use them wisely or you may lose him forever!
War in the North..........pg. 2
One of the most in-depth characteristics of WitN has to fall on the shoulders of the character customization. There are thousands of pieces of armor and weaponry for all three characters that can be utilized to not only alter your players' appearance, but provide bonuses to various skill sets allowing for more character enhancements. Some of these weapons, pieces of armor, and items can be found in various places from hidden treasure chests, looted from fallen enemies, traded with other players online, or bought from shops and vendors. Not only do the weapons, armor, and items seem to be without end, but the skill trees of each member of the fellowship offers up new abilities and skills to learn which can be proven to be invaluable during the heat of battle. For instance Eradan can use one branch of his skill tree to focus on evading detection from enemies, one branch to focus on combat with dual wielding weapons, and the last branch to focus on abilities and attacks with the bow. To upgrade your character's skill tree and stats you must gain XP by either completing side quests, killing enemies in battle, or progressing on with your main story. There are ways as well for each character to earn XP bonuses by performing well in battle by executing kill moves, saving your other teammates, and going into hero mode where your character deals more damage and increases their XP multiplier with each successful hit. With each branch of the skill tree offering multiple options for character customization and development, and the combination of the vast array of weapons, armor, and items; WitN boasts a very large and comprehensive character development system that makes this action RPG shine.
Enjoying Lord of the Rings: War in the North by yourself is a very rewarding experience, especially if you are a fan of the lore that Tolkien created. However, the real enjoyment comes when you have two friends connected either via Xbox Live, split screen, or system link and the three of you decide to fight for Middle Earth and confront Sauron's Chief Lieutenant Agandaur. Along your multiplayer quest all characters will be able to partake in loot drops which mean that you don't have to abandon your friends just to be the first one to reach the treasure chest. Included as well, players will also be able to trade weapons, armor, and more with each other online and any/all weapons you accumulate throughout the multiplayer adventure will carry over to your single player campaign.
War in the North..........pg. 3
The sounds of Lord of the Rings: War in the North has been put in the capable hands of Inon Zur. While the name may be one you're not familiar with, some of the games he's credited for are: Baldur’s Gate II, Fallout 3, Prince of Persia, Crysis, EverQuest, and a slew of other AAA titles. Bringing Inon onboard to do the soundtrack for WitN was a brilliant move as every moment of the game sounds and feels as Lord of the Rings should. When the action tenses up during a massive battle, the symphonic score picks up the tempo beautifully and adds the right amount of dramatic flair to help accent every swing of your blade, every bolt from your staff, and every thump of your hammer. While the score itself is fantastic, unfortunately the same cannot be said for the voice acting. Some of the voices don't seem to fit the main characters and while that in itself is bad, some of the dialogue seems rushed and overacted when it was recorded. It's a shame too because of the fact that you are with these characters the entire game, you get to listen to this overacted dialogue constantly.
Lord of the Rings is noted for some of the most identifiable scenery in literature. The Black Gates of Mordor, the White City, Moria, and more are all areas we all have envisioned and in WitN we are treated to a massive map of travel locations scattered all throughout Middle Earth. Not only do these areas offer places of exploration, treasure hunting, and more but they also offer challenge missions that you can chose to participate in. Throughout your adventure you can unlock certain epic battles that you can lead your character into such as Osgiliath and more. Each area is unique and done with fine detail so that you really get a feel for what it would be like in Middle Earth. The detail of the character modeling is done very well and is even customizable to a degree. Every weapon and piece of armor is made to look like it came from Tolkien’s world and even the shields themselves have a very finite detailing to them. Not only are the main characters and items detailed, but the same can be said for the enemies you encounter in battle and even the Black Riders themselves look as fearsome as ever.
War in the North..........pg. 4
The lore of the Lord of the Rings is without question a font of characters, quests, adventures, battles, and most importantly, imagination. Venturing into new lands, engaging new enemies, making new friends while staying true to the canon and intertwining with events of Lord of the Rings, WitN sets out on a quest to deliver us one of the best action RPG Lord of the Rings experiences we have ever had. While a few things could use some revision work, overall this game is a masterpiece for Tolkien fans and shouldn't be missed. There's nothing like fighting through a massive battle in an iconic location to finish part of a quest and in the process find some amazing weapon or piece of armor that makes your character an even bigger threat against Sauron's forces. Prepare yourself to play a part in actions that will shape the history of all Middle Earth and all its inhabitants, prepare yourself for Lord of the Rings: War in the North.
Overall Score: 8.6 / 10
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Batman: Arkham City
Why hello there kiddies, it's your ol' pal Uncle J here! I hope you've missed me as much as I've missed you! Yes, yes, I know it may be a bit surprising hearing from me, given that our pointy eared friend left me for dead after our last battle, but I'm back to show bats that even though what he did to me was wrong, I'm still going to kill him with kindness. I've always pegged batsy for a real loaner, but what do I know right? Guess now Batman went to some super freak social network site because now I'm hearing rumors that he's got a girlfriend who also dresses up like a cat, hahahaha can you believe it?!?!? And they call me psychotic. So I don't have a cape, or a tight leather body suit, what I do have though is a better taste in fashion because I dress to kill. But enough about me, let's get to the punch line and talk about Batman Arkham City shall we? Between you and me, that flying rat won't know what hit him this time! Hehehehe, we're coming to the end batsy ol' boy and when you see what I've been planning all along hahahahahahaha you'll just die; so welcome Batman to Arkham City!
Now for those who haven't heard, and shame on you for not paying attention, Arkham Asylum has expanded! Thanks to the actions of Dr. Hugo Strange all of your much loved sociopaths, psychopaths, and downright crazy inmates have decided that we were in need of a change of scenery. So we thought, since we loved the citizens of Gotham so much, we'd move right in! Just like the in-laws from hell hahahhahaha! Now unlike the bat, we villains know how to play nice with each other, Freeze has frozen over Gotham PD, the Penguin has the museum locked down, and I've managed to open up my new fun house! However, I've heard rumors that our good Doctor Strange has something in store called Protocol 10 that will change this city forever. What is it you ask? Well to me it sounds like a new hemorrhoid cream, but I could be wrong, but if it is, I could really use it because Batman has really become a pain in my ass. hahahhahaha!
Now I ask you, how fair is it for batsy to fly around without touching the ground, confusing my own men, and then dive attack them while freezing them with his new freeze blast weapon? Why it's not fair at all! I've always played fair, I may not have played nicely hahahahaha, but at least I played fair! All these new upgrades for different combat combinations, gadgets, and even his suit make me think that it's time I do the same with my guards! So I've outfitted these bozos with state of the art weaponry, laser sights, and even new detection modes to keep our winged friend from cheating! Sure, sure, Batman has his improved free flow combat system, but I've got something better, lots and lots of guns; hahahahahaha. What other tricks does bat brain have in store for little ol' me I wonder? He may like to have an ace up his sleeve, but I always love that Jokers are wild. hahahahahaha
I hate to admit it but in Arkham City I'm not the only one looking fabulous. These new graphics have really made Two Face's new suits look very sharp and Freeze's spaceman type outfit thing sends a chill up my spine hahahaha but what about our old friend Batman? Someone's got to tell him that this cape and cowl thing is sooooooo last generation, but I got to admit you age really, really well, what’s your secret? Age defying bat spray? Some special Lazarus Pit Oil? A sample of Dick Clark's blood? hahahahahahaha. If you think I look good, you should check out Arkham City! You should see how the streets and buildings are decorated by your favorite psychopaths and delusional misfits! Poison Ivy definitely has that whole "home and garden" look going for her and I've FINALLY managed to reopen my new fun house, wait did I say that already? I wanted to celebrate the occasion so I went all out ya know? Guns, guards, I even hung streamers and balloons so to make it a real festive occasion! hahahahahaha!
How could we make this experience in Arkham City any better I wonder... hmmmmm... wait I know, let's throw together a very dramatic and ominous musical score to go along with the pitch perfect voice acting! Kevin Conroy is back doing the voice for Bats himself, and yours truly is voiced by Mark Hamill in what could possibly be his last and final Joker performance, oh how sad if that is true! Oh well, at least they can say I had the last laugh after all! Hahahahahaha Arkham City does provide a phenominal dramatic soundtrack, but there's nothing like hearing it blend with a mix of psychotic tortured screams echoing through the alleyways. Really, it's quite relaxing, you should try sleeping to it sometimes, and it always brings a smile to my face. Hahahahahahaha
So now the stage has been set, the characters are all in place, the battle lines drawn, and Batman is up against his greatest challenge yet. With all these new side missions, challenges, and riddles to solve, I hope you don't keep me waiting long batsy hahahahaha. Do you have what it takes to take on Gotham's greatest villains? I know we don't have a lot of time together batsy but I got a joke for you, and this one is a real killer! hahahahahaha! Batman visits his doctor. The doctor says "I have good news and bad news. The bat says "what’s the good news?" The doctor says "you have 30 hours to live". The Batman says what could possibly be worse. The doctor says "I got the blood tests in yesterday and I forgot to call you." HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Suggestions: Twinkle, twinkle, little bat... watch me kill your favorite cat! Hahahahahahahahaha! XD
Overall Score: 9.5 / 10
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Crimson Alliance
Welcome adventurer to the world of Byzan! We are a mighty empire on the edge of the Dead Sea, but we were not always this way. Please come and sit down and I will tell you a tale of seduction, betrayal, honor, friendship, love, and loss. Maybe hearing the old tales will help guide you on your way to fame and fortune in search for our land's treasures? A long time ago there was a young corrupted princess named Asturi who used her beauty to seduce the powerful wizard Magus. Through this deception this dark princess gained unimaginable power and ended up seizing the throne and out casted Magus and left him for dead. During this reign of demonic evil horrible things happened, there was experimentation on sacrifices, dark magic, and even raising the dead. Times were bleak as the empire that once flourished was torn to pieces and teetered on the brink of extinction. This is when out of chance our greatest heroes emerged to bring this empire back to greatness.
Magus, the once powerful wizard that was cast out to die, survived and while his memory may have been temporarily blocked his passion for this empire has never expired. Upon his journey he gains the support of two unlikely allies, Gnox, who is a mighty warrior and one of the deadliest mercenaries alive, and Moonshade, who has the reputation of being the most elusive assassin and one not to be taken lightly. These warriors all bring their own specialties as the wizard Magus focuses on ranged magic attacks, Gnox is a master of close quarter combat, and Moonshade offers a little of both. Together these three adventurers set out on a quest to banish the evil from the land and restore the great empire of Byzan.
During their quest, our three heroes came across sacred treasures from across the great land and they even came into artifacts that assisted them in their journey. Tales of blades that were made of fire, shields which were born of lightning itself, and magic so powerful that no enemy could resist it's force, reached the ears of the surviving humans and stoked the fires of hope and encouraged the desire to overcome this demonic evil. Legend tells that they came across items such as remote turrets, monster bait, throwing axes and healing totems that when used properly greatly assisted our warriors as they tackled the evils of the land. Using tactics in battle such as normal and strong attacks combined with stun attacks and dashing abilities this group of three had all the skills necessary to overcome any obstacle that stood in their way.
I'm sure now you are wondering what ever happened to our three brave adventurers and what happened that made the kingdom of Byzan the way it is today. That my friend will have to come at a price. Journeys start with a single step and if you wish to know more and how the story ends, then it is up to you. Is it worth 1200 MS Points? When you and your friends join up to discover the treasure and mystery that abounds in these lands, then it is a steal. So what do you say adventurer? Care to make a deal?
Overall Score: 8.3 / 10
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Crysis
Listen up soldier, we got 30 seconds before your insertion into the warzone and once you're there we can't guarantee successful radio contact so pay attention! All information is on a need to know basis son and all we know right now is that the CIA has sent in a scientific research team to the Lingshan Island, and after their arrival the Koreans have sent in a large militarized force and have taken the research team captive and are apparently very interested in their work and findings. We don't know why they would need to dispatch such manpower to this remote island, or what their interest is in our scientists, but we do know whatever it is, they want it bad. We are flying blind up here son, but what we can tell you is that our scientists have uncovered something groundbreaking that could be one of the biggest discoveries in human history. We have declassified XboxAddict's records in an attempt to help you so brief your squad on the intelligence and prep for war! Be forewarned that this aggressive action could be considered grounds for the next world war soldier. We need you to rendezvous with the research team and extract them to the LZ and retrieve any and all data possible. Your team is needed now more than ever to prevent this worldwide Crysis. Godspeed.
Before we drop your squad into the warzone we need to bring your team up to speed on the Crysis that we find ourselves in. Developed by Crytek and released four years ago, Crysis was acclaimed for its graphical prowess and the physics engine that brought the island of Lingshan to life and we'll discuss that here shortly. Originally nicknamed the PC benchmark, Crysis set the bar for graphics and physics in a video game that to this day leave even the top companies scratching their heads wondering how this marvel was accomplished. Unless you were sporting some serious graphic hardware in your PC, the full potential of Crysis remained a dream, until now. Crytek has given the gaming community a gift, for now that they have released the original PC benchmark game Crysis on the Xbox Live Games on Demand section. Now gamers on the console have the chance to finally enjoy one of the most influential games that has ever been released. You know that your game sets a bar when graphic card companies continuously run the catchphrase "Yeah, but can it run Crysis".
Now listen up soldier because now that we are in a serious Crysis, it's time to learn your surroundings as survival is critical to you completing your assignment and making it out alive. Originally Crysis was made using the CryEngine 2, but now things have become more spectacular as Crytek decided to use the infamous CryEngine 3 and oh how blessed we are. The island of Lingshan has come to life like nothing we have ever witnessed before and every aspect of Crysis from the water and sandy beaches, to the underground caves are done with pinpoint precision that every moment will take your breath away and give your eyes one stunning scene after another all the while incorporating the shifts in the time of day ranging from midnight to noon and back again. Watching the rays of sunlight peek their way through the upper foliage of the trees through your sniper scope while maintaining cover upon a high rocky ridge is just one example where you will find yourself taking a moment just to examine the beauty that this game brings.
With your squad up to speed on the island and all its beauty it's time to become acquainted with your gear and know how to handle it before you go rushing off to death's doorstep. You and your squad have all been provided with experimental nano suits and learning how to manage it properly will mean the difference between coming back alive, and coming back with a toe tag. Your suit has many abilities and the two main functions for it are an armor mode which will make you almost completely bulletproof, however that doesn't mean you can stand still and take a direct shot from a rocket launcher. Think of the armor mode as a last ditch effort to ensure your survival. You won't be very mobile, but in a gunfight it will allow you to take more damage than your aggressors. The second primary focus of your nano suit is a built in cloaking device which will allow you to elude oncoming forces from a distance, however, if you get too close then you will be in trouble as your enemies will be able to detect you, so be wise soldier when you decide to use these features. It should be noted as well that if you are cloaked soldier and you decide to get into a gun battle, you will instantly de-cloak and your suit power will drain to empty even if you had a full power level before you started shooting.
Your nano suit while providing these abilities cannot maintain the necessary power levels for long, so while these features may be a gift, they are only temporary so plan to budget your power supply accordingly and make sure that it has time to properly recharge before advancing on your enemies. The last thing you want to do is engage in a firefight only to find out that your suit has no power to protect you and save your life. Besides granting you and your squad these new enhancements, you will also notice that your nano suit will give you the ability to run at very high speeds, jump to new heights, and give you strength that most men dream of having. All of these enhancements use power as well soldier so be prepared and use your suit wisely.
While you and your team use your eyes to visually take in everything around you and your squad manages their resources with their new suits, one thing that they will need to really pay attention to soldier is the sounds of war itself. The island while beautiful by all accounts are filled with ambient sounds that can not only help you detect any oncoming threat, but also alert your enemies to your location. Through your adventure on the island you may come across various security patrols which you can hear them communicating with each other so that will help you pinpoint their location so you can determine the best course of action. However, the ambient sounds can also be your demise. If you decide to sneak in to your objective be wary of startling the wildlife as a spooked chicken could be all that is needed to draw your enemies focus and their gun barrels in your direction.
Now that you have all the information we can give to you son we hope that it will be enough to help you and your team succeed. Arm yourself and load up on munitions because there's one thing we can guarantee and that is you are about to face a fierce and mammoth military force and you must overcome this if you want to come back alive. You have all the help we can provide at this time soldier, now lock and load because your deployment begins now. Godspeed to you and your team for you are the only hope that mankind has in this time of Crysis.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
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Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
Attention all pilots, attention all pilots! Scramble all aircraft immediately! Bogeys have been spotted on an attack course to the city! All pilots to their planes! Your mission is to intercept and engage the enemy outside of the city and provide protection to the citizens. Ground forces are starting to advance on the city's perimeter and it looks like a major attack is just moments away! We have radioed in our situation; however any further air support will not be ready for at least 30 minutes. You will be briefed in the air by our records at XboxAddict on what to expect out there. Failure is not an option here people, this time we fight back. Protect the people of this city and eliminate the enemy threat at all costs! Pilots to the skies!
As we scramble to takeoff let’s start with your intel so you will be familiar with what you will see when you take flight. Ace Combat has consistently held its crown as arguably the premier flight game and in the next installment from Project Aces, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon (AH) sets a target lock on eliminating the competition and proving once and for all that they have earned their wings. In the past Ace Combat games have taken place in fictional settings, but now in AH, the areas are real life places such as the city of Miami and more. You will be in command of U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel William Bishop as you co-lead your 108th Task Force with your wingman Captain Jose "Guts" Gutierrez. Your squadron designation is Warwolf and after a NATO witnesses the deployment of a new weapon of mass destruction, the orders come down from above to protect life by destroying the evil that takes it.
This new Ace Combat game offers a wealth of options and innovations that will make even the most experienced Ace feel like a rookie. For starters there is a heavy emphasis on the new innovations in air to air combat. In the past pilots would hear a lock on tone, see their screen go red and then bank and twist their way free, but what would be difficult was the ability to reacquire your target or even to pursue your attacker. These frustrations however, are now removed as you gain the ability to loop backward and position yourself behind your target. Now when your enemy is in pursuit you will have to triangles that signify your enemy's position to yours. By breaking or accelerating your job is to get the triangles to match, by doing this you lock your plane into a position to perform an aerial loop that will end with your plane now behind your enemy with your sights locked in on him instead. Remember though, that these new aerial control maneuvers can also be done by the enemy so now, more than ever you must be aware of every aspect of your combat.
Not only is your defensive capabilities improved upon, but your offensive capabilities have also been enhanced. In this latest installment of Ace Combat, when you have a target locked on and you are in close range you will have a circle appear over your locked target, this is your sign to go in for the kill. With the push of two buttons (LB+RB) you will engage your opponent in a new Dog Fight Mode where the name of the game is to keep your target locked to the best of your ability; and in doing so, ensure that not only your missiles lock onto the target, but your gun barrels as well. While the innovation in the gameplay takes center stage, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon delivers a wealth of new aircraft to dominate the skies. Now we get to experience the amazing quality of Ace Combat in other vehicles such as AC-130 gunships, Apache Longbow helicopters, and more! Each vehicle has tailored controls and equally matching firepower which means that Ace Combat: Assault Horizon delivers one amazing mission after another.
While you hone your flight skills in your singleplayer campaign we can't forget the multiplayer side of Ace Combat. Ace Combat: AH goes full throttle and brings a megaton bomb of multiplayer ranging from Co-Op mode where up to three players can tackle a total of eight Co-Op missions that range from dogfighting, bombing runs and more. Another multiplayer innovation is the inclusion of Domination mode where two teams fight over capturing objective points to secure what is being called Occupation Points, first team to reach the point limit wins. Finally there is Capital Conquest where two teams have to go in and destroy the opponents’ bases in cities such as Washington D.C., Paris, Dubai, and more. There are some tough choices you will have to make when considering your multiplayer plane of choice.
Choppers can literally fly under the radar and have full 360 degree movement; the downside to this is that they have literally next to nothing when it comes to any type of armor. Fighters are great against other aircraft and they can enter Dog Fight Mode, but are weak against ground targets. Attack aircraft will allow you to find a balance of strength on both ground and air attacks and can enter Air Strike Mode where your plane will travel along a projected path while you lay waste with your air to ground weaponry, the bad side to this is if you're up against fighters be ready to fly for your life because while you may be good at air targets in an Attack Aircraft, Fighters are better. What would multiplayer in Ace Combat be without bombers? These massive sky fortresses are incredibly slow and not that agile, they can take some damage but need to be protected otherwise they are just big sitting targets. The plus side of a bomber however, is the ability to wipe out an enemy's base in a blink of an eye. So while we may want to be our own rogue pilot out there, working as a team will def. have its advantages.
Ace Combat has always been known for the wonderful graphics that we get to see as we look out of our visor, however when it comes to beauty Ace Combat: AH steals the show. As you scream through the skies in an attempt to knock out the opposition, get ready to hold your breath as now some of the terrain is destructible. Cities such as Paris, Miami, Dubai and more are beautifully laid out in full detail and when in dog fight mode you can be led through chases that will require you to think fast as you dodge between buildings and under bridges as you watch the beauty unfold around you at 800mph and your radar lock going crazy.
All of this intense beauty and combat would be for naught if the music didn't back up every moment of your aerial combat. Moments of the classic Ace Combat theme comes blasting into your ears as you're fighting hard to keep your enemy check in your sights and your radar locked onto target, however, throughout the various missions we get treated to new symphonic sounds that range from the heart pumping intense, to the brief moments of melodic relaxation, to the climatic fanfare of triumph.
As we approach the engagement zone, we are treated to one undeniable truth and that is Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is the premier flight game for the Xbox 360. There are a ton of new innovations packed in every area and aspect of this game and with the included support of the Ace Edge flight stick, Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is the king of the skies. Now marshal your talent and focus pilots for it's time to fly.
Overall Score: 9.2 / 10
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Dead Island
Have you ever had a bad vacation? Ever take a trip that you wish you hadn't in the first place? If a little garden gnome ever wishes to offer you a trip to the Island of Banoi, you tell him where he can stick that pointy red hat of his. Banoi is the setting for the action game Dead Island and offers you some of the most beautiful scenery you will ever see. Sure it's beyond gorgeous that is until you wake up after a wild night out and discover that you are smack in the middle of a mysterious virus outbreak that has turned most of the civilians into body devouring zombies. Get your bags packed as XboxAddict leads you through the lush, blood stained environment, and trust us, we don't bite.
Dead Island is an action based story with RPG qualities taken from some of the most popular games that we have seen today. In the beginning you assume the role of one of the four main characters who are apparently immune to this viral infection:
1) Xian Mei - who is an employee of the Royal Palms Resort who dreamed of seeing the world outside her homeland, but without zombies of course.
2) Sam B - A one hit rap artist trying to recover the stardom of his lost career, but something tells us he's never come across zombies at his after parties.
3) Logan - a former NFL star player who had his career cut short due to tragic choices he made, but redemption is something he's looking for, even if it's among the undead.
Or
4) Purna - an ex-cop turned bodyguard for hire after leaving the police force. Do you suppose she's used to dealing with a hoard of the undead? Not likely.
As we stated earlier, when you start out on your journey, you awaken from a hard night of partying, only to find out that all hell has broken loose and it's up to you to progress through the story in order to discover the secret behind the mystery of this virus and see if it is possible to save these people, however, like the classic literature line goes, sometimes the best laid plans...
As we pick up our bags and head into this amazing island resort we must get accustomed to the gameplay involved with Dead Island. As we will be up against an island full of ravaging zombies we need one thing to guarantee our survival, weapons, weapons, and more weapons. Throughout the game you will obtain a variety of death dealing items that range from melee weapons to firearms and more. There are varying classes of weapons that range from the generic to rare and all can be used at your disposal to destroy any and all undead that impede your progress, but where the twist lies with this, is that your weapons will need to be repaired over time.
This is where Dead Island offers up a taste of its RPG offerings. If you use your weapon of choice a lot it can become damaged, and then broken which significantly reduces the pain you can dish out. Trust us, there is nothing like having a knife break in the middle of fighting multiple zombies at once and forcing the decision of "fight or flight" right into your face. Dead Island doesn't stop with weapon repairs though, each character has a multi skill tree that can be upgraded to not only enhance your own character, but provide key upgrades in various fields that can unlock new abilities. The way you unlock these new abilities is by earning EXP by doing side quest missions, but more importantly, killing everything that isn't human. The side missions are optional, however, they will allow you to explore more of the island and provide you rewards such as items, cash, and weapons.
When we say that the Island of Banoi is beautiful, what we mean is that this game is graphically amazing in every way. The water effects are done beautifully and the weather system brings the island alive and makes every moment a sight to behold, but where this game really shines is in the lighting department, not only with the rays of sunshine, but with the depths of darkness itself. Armed with a trusty flashlight when the light goes out, it's up to you to make the best use of any and all light that might shine through such as moonlight, the flickering light of a distressed work lamp, and more. Just remember, as breathtaking as the island is in the daylight, when the light goes out the island's beauty can be very deadly. Who knows what lurks in the dark corners, but it's up to you to find out.
Exploring the island can be a very peaceful experience that is until you hear the screams and cries of multiple zombies starting to charge you from all different directions hell bent on having you as a meal, or the pounding on a door of a zombie ready to burst out and separate your head from your body. The ambient sound is where a lot of Dead Island draws its potential from as you will hear waves crashing, birds chirping, and even wind blowing through the trees. All of this adds up to certify your horrifying zombie experience like never before as you will only sometimes hear suspenseful music and the vast majority you will have to keep an ear out for any outlying danger that may be right behind you and charging fast.
To be fair, when Dead Island shipped, it did have a fair share of issues, and to be honest some of them were game breaking, however most, if not all of the issues, have been resolved and Dead Island is shaping up to be a sleeper hit of 2011. From the incredible story, to the addition of the RPG elements such as individual character skill trees, weapon combining, and more, Dead Island proves that not only is the Island of Banoi a really poor choice for a summer vacation, but that Techland can deliver one of the best zombie experiences you will ever enjoy. Grab your boarding pass, your wits, and whatever weapon that’s within arm’s reach because my friend, the island is calling..
Overall Score: 8.8 / 10
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Gears of War 3: Brothers to the End
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO yeah motherf***ers, the train is back and it's on like Donkey Kong! Grab your pair and hold on tight 'cuz baby this train is bringin the official review of Gears of War 3 straight from XboxAddict to your front door! You think that those pieces of $hit Locust were done, well so did we until these ugly @$$ Lambent creatures decided they wanted a piece of the train! You know what I think? F**k that $hit! It's time that we put the final nail in this b!tch and send her @$$ packing! You got a pair? Then grab your gun b!tches and let’s go hunting!
Gears of War 3 from Epic games is the final story of Marcus Fenix and his fellow COG team. The humans have been decimated and mankind is now riding a knife's edge, teetering between victory and extinction, and it's up to you to ensure that humanity sees the light of day and prevent the total annihilation of every last man, woman and child on Sera. Gears of War 3 will start you off like a rocket, launching you right into the action, and it never lets off the gas. Your only hope for survival is to shoot everything until it dies then hang on for dear life as the story screams you through it in one amazing moment after another. A journey that started years ago is finally coming to an end and what a ride you're about to have.
The Gears of War series has set benchmarks for its gameplay and thankfully Epic games has decided to take everything that it's community has been asking for and inject it with tons of steroids, smack it in the face, stomp on its toes, and then unleashed it to the world. A new innovation that will change the way battles and wars are won is found in the new cover system for Gears of War 3. Before in Gears of War we were limited to just blind firing or peeking around corners or over obstacles to hit enemies, but not anymore though. Now when you are in a standoff with an opponent on the other side of cover, you now can leap over the obstacle which causes your character to do a sliding melee move which knocks your opponent back, stuns them, and opens them up for a close range lobotomy. No longer are you safe under cover for now your cover can gain you a tremendous advantage in combat. The same active reload system that we all know and love remains and now every weapon gains additional bonuses by executing a perfect active reload which range from faster fire, more powerful rounds, increased range, and more.
To say Gears of War 3 is beautiful is a gross understatement and one that should immediately get you sent to the eye doctor for an exam. Epic really took their time and used it wisely in this field as every aspect of this game is done to perfection. The level layout, attention to the smallest detail, and even the total environment completely immerses you in the world of Sera and does a wonderful job portraying the last dying prayers of mankind. Pausing for a few moments to take in your surroundings can be some of the most satisfying moments you have in the game and your eyes won't believe the quality that this latest and greatest Unreal Engine 3 provides. Every turn brings your eyes another visual orgasm and every moment shows why Gears of War 3 is one of the best looking games we have ever played.
While the visuals are breathtaking and every moment is optically stunning, they would be for nothing if it wasn't for the sounds of Gears of War 3. Deep ominous cellos make for surreal and uncertain moments while fast paced drums, trumpets and more help raise your heart level while facing the Lambent in epic storyline instances. In the opening level you find yourself on a ship that is being overrun by the Lambent, and while that is going on the music is pumping fast and furiously and you have the sounds of the commander shouting over the intercom trying to direct you to where you need to go to provide assistance and to eliminate the Lambent threat. All of this drives and pushes you farther and faster as you scour every inch trying to save everyone on board, and just when you think everything is finally under control, then the music bursts through, something big happens and all hell breaks loose, get ready to hear what is coming next.
While the single player story delivers one of the best experiences we have ever played on the 360 console, the core of Gears of War 3 is its multiplayer. The multiplayer of Gears of War 3 is everything we have come to love from the series and it adds a wealth of improvements and innovations that exemplify the high quality of gameplay that will leave you playing for days, weeks and months at a time. For starters your loadouts now are what you want them to be. Instead of locking into a loadout and being forced to switch out weapons from dead enemies, now you can switch after each death to ensure that you have the weapon you want, when you want it. The levels that you get to enjoy in multiplayer vary from the beautiful, to the industrial, to the downright nasty and offer a variety of avenues to explore, fight, and gut the opponents that stand in your way of victory. One of the greatest innovations in Gears of War 3's multiplayer is the introduction of credits and new game types named Beast and Horde 2.0.
In the multiplayer gametype Beast you take on the role of the Locust as you try to eliminate as many human opponents as possible and in doing so earning medals, ranking up your character and even earning credits. What do we mean by ranking up your Locust character? Well the short and sweet of it is that the Locust is divided up into tiers of characters and all range in various malicious forms. First tier starts you off as a wild ticker, but if you do well as a wild ticker you can become upgrade to a regular ticker, then wretch, savage drone, then finally for tier one, a massive butcher. Don’t fret though because there are more tiers that offer more destruction and more gut ripping power to tear into the humans. Second tier consists of enemies such as a Kantus, Bloodmount, and Mauler. Third tier is comprised of a Giant Serapede, Savage Corpser, Savage Grenadier, and the infamous Boomer. Fourth and final tier of Locust include such enemies as a Berserker, Armored Kantus, and the mighty Savage Boomer. Get ready to tear limb from limb in an effort to put an end to the human resistance once and for all and in the process earn tokens, medals, and even credits.
One of the other iconic multiplayer modes makes a triumphant return in Gears of War 3 and that is Horde 2.0. To say you're getting paid while knee deep in the sh!thole would be a really accurate description as now fortifications become your best friends (aside from your teammates of course). Throughout Horde 2.0 you will get options to upgrade various defenses such as decoy dummies, laser grid tripwires, turrets, and more. How do you upgrade these defensive saviors you ask? Why kill everything you see and earn credits of course. As you progress you will earn credits which will enhance various fortifications that will allow you a brief glimmer of hope before the all-important "Boss round" where death is an almost certainty. Credits though can be used for more than just upgrading and fortifying your position, they can also be used to buy your way back into the game if you should happen to meet your maker at the underside of your opponents boot. Should you feel generous, you also have the ability to give your teammates credits as well thus helping the team as a whole and showing everyone that you're not a stingy motherf***er.
Weapons are essential to determine whether or not your @$$ meets angels in the clouds or victory amongst the dead in Gears of War 3's multiplayer, and this time we come loaded to the teeth with classic weapons and some new ones as well. For starters our classic lancer returns along with our favorite gnasher and pistol, however, now we have new weapon choices such as a retro lancer where instead of a chainsaw, you sport a dirty and vicious bayonette blade that is perfect for taking the heads off and impaling your nearest foe. Also included in these new weapons is a lovely and deadly sawed off shotgun which should really be called the paste maker because any opponent you hit with it will become just that, a bloody smear and a memory. One of our new favorite map based weapons has to be the "Oneshot". Its name says it all, just line up your cross hairs on your opponent, pull the trigger, and watch as you vaporize them in a violent and explosive death. Oneshot, one kill, no exceptions.
Hands down Gears of War 3 is going to bring you not only one of the best stories you ever went through, but one of the best and most addictive multiplayer experiences ever to hit consoles. If you haven't played Gears of War 1 or 2, then do yourself a favor and play through them first because to jump right into Gears of War 3 first is robbing you of one of the greatest gaming journeys you will ever have. From the amazing story, beautiful graphics and sound, to the innovative new multiplayer, Gears of War 3 has not only set the bar, but turned it sideways and shoved it right up the competition's @$$.
Overall Score: 9.4 / 10
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El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
Welcome heavenly spirits to God's holy light. We have been truly blessed here at XboxAddict to experience the wonders of God's actions in El Shaddai. The conventional translation of El Shaddai is "God Almighty" and in this game we see the full range of God's will. Take a moment and walk with us on the path of the righteous as we attempt to guide you through the trials and tribulations that plague mankind and attempt to lead you to the salvation of God's eternal love. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.
In El Shaddai you take command of Enoch who is believed to be a descendant of Adam and the only descendant of Adam who God loved so dearly that instead of facing a mortal death, God took Enoch into the heavens where he is appointed to become the guardian of all the celestial treasures, chief over all the archangels, and the immediate attendant on God's throne. Enoch, armed with the support of all the angels, fulfills whatever God commands by executing his decrees. Not only is Enoch noted for all of this but his is also believed to be the inventor of writing, and the teacher of astronomy and arithmetic thus identifying him as the Metatron, or the angel which communicates God's word. This theological interpretation can be seen from the very beginning as we are introduced to Enoch who in the heavens is surrounded by endless mountains of books, and is busy writing away into another book. Ancient scripture describes Enoch after returning to heaven to serve God: "This Enoch, whose flesh was turned to flame, his veins to fire, his eye-lashes to flashes of lightning, his eye-balls to flaming torches, and whom God placed on a throne next to the throne of glory, received after this heavenly transformation the name Metatron".
Theology is the soul of El Shaddai and through the game we bear witness to the beauty of God. Your eyes will be amazed at the beautiful graphics that depict stunning backgrounds that resemble heavenly paintings in motion. Such paintings as the Creation of Adam and the Altarpiece of St. Michael showcase the same heavenly glory that you will see in every aspect of El Shaddai's graphics. Not only are the levels beautiful but every aspect including the character modeling of the archangels, the demons you will fight along your way, and even the fallen angels themselves present to you such an epic piece of beauty that every moment of El Shaddai is a heavenly celestial experience that should not be missed. Some people have said that nature is the painting of God, well in El Shaddai you will be truly blessed by all the heavenly wonders you will see.
The premise of El Shaddai is based with heavy roots in various interpretations of Enoch and theology. When angels go against God's wishes by either disobeying or rebelling against God, they are henceforth banished from the kingdom of heaven. In the religion of Judaism there is an account from the book of Enoch of 200 rebellious angels or "Watchers" that left heaven to come down to earth to marry human women and have children with them. All of what I just said can be experienced throughout the entire game as your quest as Enoch is to purify 7 fallen angels and bring them to God so they may be judged. While on your quest to fulfill God's decree you will have the support of the archangels which will help grant you new abilities to aid you on your holy quest. Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to Light. Not only will you contend with the fallen angels, the children of them, but you will also go face to face many times with a being that some have once called God's favorite angel, Lucifer. This is a truly spiritual quest that is presented to Enoch and one that must be fulfilled for it is the word of God. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
As you traverse throughout the various beautiful levels you will be treated to various music that will range from adrenaline pumping chants and beats, to heavenly chords that will sooth and relax your very soul. Harps, choirs of angels, and more will sing their holy praise to the heavens while cellos, baritones, and more will signify that you have indeed entered the realm of a fallen angel from heaven. The music itself is a beautiful accompaniment to the graphics and the storyline, and sounds as though came from the heavens above.
Since your journey will not be an easy one, the gameplay of El Shaddai will attempt to assist you in every way possible. As we have already learned through theology interpretations, Enoch does not die, but rather is brought to heaven by God, and in El Shaddai, we see examples of how this theology will take shape. When confronted in battle Enoch's heavenly armor can be destroyed and Enoch himself afterwards can be taken down, however, with rapid pushes of any button you will see the white eyelid that once was closing on your screen reopen to show Enoch in essence reborn in spiritual light and love. As God loves all his children, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever and so must Enoch if he is to complete God's will. A great new twist to the game as well is how the game varies from 2D side scrolling, to 3D adventures make even transitioning between levels not only enjoyable, but very in depth with knowledge that you may learn throughout the timeline of the game. The demons and enemies you face along your path grant Enoch the chance to "purify" their weapons and use them as a tool to do God's commands.
As we kneel before the throne of thrones we realize that we are truly blessed to be able to enjoy such an amazing and beautiful game as El Shaddai. We may not know what path in life our souls will take, but we do know that God himself will never deny us his love and compassion so long as our souls repent our evil in hopes of granting salvation from God. This game is a game of beauty, of love, of loss, but most importantly this is a game that showcases every aspect of El Shaddai, or God Almighty.
Suggestions: Not really suggestions but more like words of praise that this game has seen the light of day and has been released so that all may enjoy and revel in the beauty of this game.
Overall Score: 8.9 / 10
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Moon Diver
It's 2081 and the day has come. Humanity is faced with its own annihilation. However, while the death and destruction reign over all of mankind, our salvation may rest on the shoulders of brave ninjas called Moon Divers. Allies Seyfert, Hitori, Tolby, Ourion are summoned by their Shogun to embark on a quest to save humanity from a demonic devil named Faust whose sole purpose is to ensure the death and destruction of planet Earth and everything and everyone on it. It is time to sharpen your swords, hone your magic abilities, trust in your brethren, and complete the mission from your Shogun for the hope of mankind rests but on the edge of your blade. From the creator of the iconic video games of the Strider series, follow us now as we lead you through Square Enix's latest Xbox Live Arcade hit Moon Diver.
Saving humanity will not be easy, or quick, but it is a task for which you will not fail. Moon Diver offers us a wealth of content and focuses on the strength of your brothers instead of rewarding lone wolves. To start our journey we focus on the story mode which could be best described as very long and involved. The story mode however is unfolded through cryptic messages in between stages which does very little to help educate gamers as to what exactly is going on. This proves to be a major setback as you spend most of your time trying to figure out "who is that person?", "why is this going on?", "what am I doing here?” The story mode however isn't lost completely as you traverse over 10 levels of intense, action packed stages. Each stage however is broken up into multiple stages and some with more than one exit which provides gamers different paths to choose. Another great feature of Moon Diver is that you have the ability to upgrade your character and in such, upgrade three different stats for your player (HP, MP, and Power). This adds a complete customization element that allows gamers to develop a character their way, instead of being locked into company decided presets. Throughout the story mode you will also come across various spells which all have multiple levels as well to progress through. With over 40 different spells that range from invisibility, healing, shooting fireballs, and more, each player can chose their own 4 spells to bring into battle with them, and having the right magic can mean the difference between saving the human race and game over. There are other modes as well such as keeping your kill chain high, survival modes, and even four player multiplayer both online and off. Remember that you are stronger together than apart.
Throughout the years we have all seen Xbox Live Arcade titles that offer some impressive graphics. Granted they are few and far between but Moon Diver is the next entry on that prestigious list. The 2D side scrolling levels seem to fly by in such a fluid pace as you are dodging enemy fire, jumping crevices, hanging and climbing up walls and ceilings. The enemies are well detailed however leave little inspiration. You will witness the basic progression as you have a regular grey enemy, a more powerful yellow enemy, and an even more powerful red version of the same enemy. In essence, the color of your enemy determines their strengths, abilities, and xp. The main graphical focus of Moon Diver rests solely on its fluid combat, multiplayer, and magic. The fluid combat acts as a way to deliver tons of beautiful explosions and flying enemies all over your screen like a violent play. The multiplayer and magic tie in hand in hand but one of the innovations that are spectacular to witness is the new multiplayer MoonSault combos. These special attacks take two to four players to execute, are easy to pull off by pushing the B button, and fill the screen with graphical combat beauty.
In the realm of music, Moon Diver is surprisingly bland and annoying. The menu music is your basic mix of electronic rock/techno tunes that are blended together to try to create an exciting and adrenaline filled 5.1 surround sound experience. The saving grace to the music is that it ties in beautifully when you are neck deep in hundreds of enemies, fighting your way to salvation; or when you are going toe to toe with a boss that towers over you. While there are moments where the music fits, most of the time the music becomes repetitive and unfortunately does very little to support the game itself.
Ultimately you have to ask yourself if this is worth your 1200 MS Points. If you are looking for a great 4 player side scrolling adventure then look no further. Sure it may not be as iconic as a Castlevania game, but Moon Diver delivers a lot for only 1200 MS points, and once purchased they even offer some free DLC and more DLC for only 80 MS points each! Great character structure, classic upgrade scheme mixed with a wide variety of spells and all blended in a fluid combat system make Moon Diver a must have in any Xbox Live Arcade library.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
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Red Faction: Battlegrounds
EYES FORWARD GRUNT! I'm going to level with you, we need the best soldiers around, and your name crossed our desks. So you think you're the next great soldier to join up with Red Faction? Before you start to get that ego inflated, XboxAddict.com is going to put you through the tests of Red Faction Battlegrounds to see if you are even worthy of our vehicles. If you really are as good as you boast, then not only will you join the elite ranks, but you will also be treated with some goodies, but that's if you make it out alive. Your objective today is to download the intelligence of THQ's Red Faction Battlegrounds, and report back on what you find. Now is the time to show us what you're worth, good luck!
Now that we are en route to your target, it's time to get you familiar with THQ's Red Faction Battlegrounds. We are not going to throw you blindly into war, but pay attention because this Intel could mean the difference between victory and defeat! This arcade title is much more than just a simple stand-alone game. Red Faction Battlegrounds provides intense vehicular explosive action in various arenas, and this is how we separate the men from the boys. You will take control of multiple vehicles, and each of them varies in terms of armor, speed, and firepower. This is where the balance will be critical and your victory will be gained. Throughout these trials we will be subjecting you to various situations and all of them will be timed. You will face challenges such as survival, speed, and destruction, and all of them determine whether or not you make the cut. Included in all this explosive goodness is a highly volatile multiplayer gametype that allows you and your friends to throw caution to the wind and commence raining shells down in a fast paced explosive demolition derby from hell. It's time to ride.
The gameplay controls of Red Faction Battlegrounds are pretty straight forward and easy to learn, which is good when you are trying to race through an obstacle filled arena, dodging enemy fire and explosions going on all around you. There are multiple fire control schemes such as using the RT or the RS which allow you to control the style of your play. Another great treat that THQ throws your way is that they have included the amazing physics of THQ's previous title Red Faction Guerilla. This means that every exploding tank, every falling building comes to life like nothing we have seen before in an arcade title. There are even power ups that you can obtain and actually reconstruct the entire level for even more destructive enjoyment. Pay attention grunt, because if you get lost in the beauty of that, it's game over.
Not only is there beauty in the gameplay, but there is beauty in the graphics as well. This is a double edge sword because if you spend your time fixated on the beauty around you, you won't notice that tank barrel pointed right at you. The real stars of the graphics are the arenas and the explosions. Each level is done in high detail and offers a wide array of explosive materials scattered around, so watch where you go power sliding or you may be sliding your way through the pearly white gates. Focus on your objective soldier and trust in your skills, the real beauty is in the victory.
We hope you have been paying attention because now we are going to debrief you on something that does tend to hinder Red Faction Battlegrounds and that is the sound. The sounds that you hear during your individual missions are not bad, but they aren't exceptional either. Outside of the explosions, there really isn't anything that stands out as amazing, and that is somewhat disappointing because it had potential to be great. As you traverse the various arenas, the overall music does little to get you into the game itself, and instead becomes more of a repetitive loop that changes with the levels.
Now listen here grunt, we have told you all that we know, and if you were paying attention you would remember that we said something about you being rewarded for making it out alive? Well a nice bonus of Red Faction Battlegrounds is that you can unlock material to use in the upcoming game Red Faction Armageddon.
When you weigh out everything that this game offers for the single player, and then add on a great multiplayer experience, the one question you have to ask yourself is: "Is this worth 800 MS Points"? The answer is maybe. The reason it's not a resounding yes is because it is a bonus you get from pre-ordering Red Faction Armageddon from GameStop! Red Faction Battlegrounds offers something for everyone, but if you wish to cash in the best way possible, then pre-order Red Faction Armageddon and pick up your free copy of this intense and amazing vehicular combat game. Trust in THQ to deliver a great quality complimentary game to their blockbuster hit, Red Faction Armageddon. Now it's time to see what you're worth grunt, victory is yours!
Suggestions: Keep going with the arcade tie-in titles and make sure you keep them free for pre-order bonuses. If possible, please allow for different camera views, but that could tie into a new standalone Red Faction retail title? Great multiplayer, keep up the great work!
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
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Mortal Kombat
Welcome elite warriors of the world to your ultimate test of Kourage, strength, and wisdom. You are about to embark on a perilous quest from which none have returned, yet where they have failed you must find a way to win. You have been selected to save mankind from obliteration by Kompeting in Warner Bros. Interactive latest resurrection of the deadliest tournament ever conceived, Mortal Kombat. Prepare yourself warrior for the challenges that lie ahead of you with this review from XboxAddict, for this information could hold the key to your very salvation.
As we spearhead our way into this latest installment of Mortal Kombat, NetheRealms Studios has heard the prayers, wishes, and dreams of their public who have been screaming for the Mortal Kombat series to get back to what it has always been known for, an intense and gory side scrolling fighting game. Thankfully NetheRealms Studios has granted every wish we could have ever hoped to ask for. Gone are the days of shallow fighting games as Mortal Kombat is packed with more innovation than any of us could have ever hoped for. This is a Komplete overhaul of everything that made Mortal Kombat great in the past Kombined with amazing new innovations that guarantee this Mortal Kombat a shot at the title as one of the best fighting games ever made.
The key to making a great fighting game is to ensure that your gamers get some amazing gameplay control, and in Mortal Kombat that is exactly what you will get. No longer will you have complex days of pressing 20 different buttons to perform a flashy combo or fatality, instead a more streamlined approach has been taken to appeal to a broader audience. This makes it very easy to pick up and play; however, there is more than what we see on the surface. There are basic three button Kombos that you can execute, however, the Mortal Kombat fans will rejoice at how Komplex and deep the fighting system really is. One of the most notable innovations is the inclusion of the character's special meter. Taking damage, executing special moves, and more all will fill parts of your special meter, however as you use these abilities your meter will drain. This is nothing really new; however this is one area where you will see the depth of innovation come to life.
Freezing for a moment we have to explain that your character's special meter acts in three different parts. The first part will add enhancements to your special attacks, so if normally you would shoot one fireball you now will shoot two. The second and third parts however can be Komplete game changers. The second tier of your special meter allows you to perform a Kombo breaker which is easily executed by pressing forward and RT after the first hit of a Kombo. This can quickly shift the momentum as now the roles are immediately reversed and your opponent will now be wide open for an attack. This makes every round feel like a game of both physical and mental chess as you try to outwit, focus, and find out when is the Korrect time to use your meter. The third and final tier of your special meter unlocks the infamous X-Ray mode. Konsider this to be the perfect example of the ultimate risk vs. ultimate reward. When you use your X-Ray mode you will launch an attack aimed to deal as much damage as humanly possible, however you will also be completely exposed should you miss. If you manage to Konnect with your X-Ray move, then you will be treated to a very brief and very brutal cut scene where you will see everything from your actual eyes being stabbed out, to your internal organs being ripped out, to even blades being slammed into your skull. Make your choices carefully, for they may be your last.
The graphics of Mortal Kombat is a mix of the good, and the great. Since Mortal Kombat is all about the actual Kombatants, then it is imperative to have a tremendous attention to detail of the character models. Mortal Kombat fans around the world will rejoice that NetheRealm Studios did a tremendous job at bringing your favorite characters to life like never before. One notable graphic innovation is how your characters will actually maintain the damage they receive throughout the duration of the fight. This is a nice touch because it lends itself to a more realistic approach to a fighting game. Not only will you see your own character's damage, but you will also see the blood of your opponents splatter upon you as you fracture jaw bones, explode stomachs, and rip limbs apart and more. The graphics of Mortal Kombat offers us such much more than amazing character models. The stages of Mortal Kombat have always been in iconic settings and in this latest rendition we are treated to not only new stages, but our favorite classics as well. Levels such as the Pit, The Living Forest, Goro's Lair and more have all been redone with such high caliber that when you are fighting on these stages, you will feel the spark of enjoyment reignite as you realize that this is the way Mortal Kombat should be.
Mortal Kombat has given us many great lines that all of us know by standard today. Phrases such as "Finish Him" and "Get over here" have become such an iconic tag of Mortal Kombat that you would expect the same attention to detail in the sound, unfortunately though you would be wrong. To start things off the voice overs go from tolerable to absolutely horrible at a very early stage. This could be somewhat forgiven however if the audio recordings of the voices were produced better, but they're not. In one scene you will be in the iconic monk stage of Shang Tsung's island and you will hear people talking just fine, however, when Shang Tsung speaks it sounds like he is literally thousands of miles away. I found myself having to turn up my surround sound just to hear what he has to say in the story, only to hear muffled horrible voice over. This was easily fixed however by lowering the volume to a normal level and just turning on subtitles. To be honest if it wasn't for subtitles you would have a next to impossible time trying to hear every line of dialogue. The sound effects are good, but nothing that can save the audio of the game entirely. This is one area that needs to be addressed if there is going to be a sequel.
A cornerstone factor of every great fighting game has always been a balanced and enjoyable multiplayer aspect, and NetheRealm Studios has gone to great lengths to deliver just that. Now instead of one generic lobby you have the option to create your own individual fighting lobby which you can make into a multitude of various multiplayer types from 1v1, King of the Hill, Tag Team, and more. The user interface is very simplistic and konnecting to matches could never be easier.
Some of the statistics you will find are your win/loss record, the number of times you have disconnected from a fight, konnection strength and more. This is a great filter because now if you get a challenge from an opponent who has a lot of disconnects, then you know ahead of time that this may not be the opponent for you. Having the ability to see the type of opponent you are going up against makes the multiplayer system of Mortal Kombat very stable.
Everything that has been talked about means nothing without innovation, and NetheRealm Studios has packed a tremendous amount of innovation into Mortal Kombat. Instead of just having a very long and deep single player campaign and a rock solid multiplayer system, NetheRealm Studios has graciously listened and brought back Test Your Might to Mortal Kombat. While this alone would be enough to make any Mortal Kombat fan smile, the innovations don't stop there. Now you will get to experience the thrills of Test Your Sight, Test Your Luck, and more. All of these mini games give you Koins that you can use to unlock the secrets of the crypt which will grant you things like new fatalities, costumes and more for your characters. Another innovation is the new Challenge Tower where you will have to face off in specific situations and succeed to progress onward. By Kompleting these challenges you will unlock more levels in the various mini games as well as earn Koins to spend unlocking more wonders of Mortal Kombat.
As your moment in the tournament draws closer, your fate becomes clearer with each passing moment. Mortal Kombat boasts an impressive depth fueled by massive innovations and is poised to take the crown of the undisputed champion of fighting games. Now is the time to bear witness to the resurrection of an iconic gaming series. Now is the time, to prepare yourself for Mortal Kombat!
Suggestions: Please work on the character voice overs and the overall sound of future releases.
Overall Score: 8.8 / 10
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Battle: Los Angeles
Normally I would try to tie this review in some way to drive excitement, however with Battle: Los Angeles all I can do is question the sanity of those who purchase this. With Microsoft recently releasing quality Xbox 360 Arcade titles for their "House Party," Konami has thrown their hat into the ring with their latest first person shooter Battle: Los Angeles.
Ok first things first, there are a lot of first person shooters on the XBLA and so right off the bat Battle: LA has its work cut out for it. Also with the release of some major retail titles, it's easy to see that this could be passed over. Does Battle: Los Angeles deliver an experience that makes you think to yourself thank God I bought that game? Sadly no. We here at XboxAddict take pride in making sure you don't waste your valuable Microsoft Points, and sadly Battle: Los Angeles should only be picked up if it's on sale for 400 MS Points or lower, and you are really looking for an easy 200 gamerscore.
That all being said you're probably wondering why would Konami bring out such a cheap knock off of a mix of CoD and War of the Worlds? We wonder the same thing. To start things off the story is done in cell shaded comic cut scenes, which aren't so bad, but the voiceovers are so bad that you could possibly make a claim for torture.
The story itself is laughable as you fight these onion headed lumbering aliens who are apparently attacking Los Angeles. On top of all this goodness the story itself is ridiculously short. It is quite possible to complete the game from beginning to end in less than 30 mins. The only benefit of this is that it makes multiple run throughs very quick considering you will need to since the difficulty achievements do not stack. Right now I'm just hanging my head b/c Konami forces you to play through the same horrible nightmare multiple times. Now that we have established that the story is not only short, but limp and weak as well, let's turn our attention to this gameplay.
For those who have kept reading this review, I applaud your diligence and I do hope you are learning why this game needs to be avoided like the plague. In first person shooter games you would naturally think that hit detection would be something that should be focused on, maybe though the person at Konami in charge of that was sick or something. In Battle: LA the only weapon you really need is the sniper rifle. With this overpowered cannon you are able to take out enemies with one shot to the head... sometimes.
Let me give you a couple of scenarios: 1) You are a few feet away and right in front of your enemy, you take aim with the sniper rifle and you send a round through the eye and the enemy lives. 2) Same situation but you hit next to the eye and the enemy dies. To compound this frustration it becomes next to impossible to kill the enemies while they are moving. You can unload multiple rounds from the sniper into a moving enemy and accomplish nothing. Oh I almost forgot, have you ever heard people who exercise say "I've hit a wall" when they feel that they can't continue? Well in Battle: LA, you almost literally do. Your character can sprint however, as soon as his sprint is over you almost stop dead in your tracks. This is very disorienting as it literally makes you feel like you've hit a wall every time you end your sprint.
We here at XboxAddict want to take a moment to say something nice about this horrendous failure. The graphics are decent. There's probably the one nice thing you can say about this game, because you can't say it has multiplayer because it doesn't. Yep that makes sense to deliver a first person shooter without multiplayer and instead just give you a pathetic first person campaign right? Why Konami ever did that is a question we would like to have answered. The sound of Battle: LA does have moments, but they are few and far between and unfortunately the negatives far outweigh the few moments that your ears don't bleed.
We here at XboxAddict want to apologize for literally taking minutes away from your life by reading this. This is a game that Konami should never have released and if you are like us and have a positive opinion of that company, and then don't download this because it will taint your impressions of the company. The gameplay is horrendous, and the whole lack of multiplayer makes Battle: LA absolutely worthless. I can't stress enough how the only redeeming quality of this title is that there are achievements (that don't stack). Remember what we said earlier about buying this when it was on sale for 400 MS Points? Forget that, wait till it's free.
Suggestions: Konami, this is something that should have been developed more before being released as it is. Even though this is a triumphant example of garbage, we still have faith in you.
Overall Score: 4.1 / 10
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Swarm
On a far off savage planet filled with dangers and traps that would drive fear into the hearts of the bravest men, we find one of the dumbest creatures in the video game world, the Swarmite. Ok now we don't claim to be the smartest group alive, but why would you trust the future survival of your race with a group of the most incompetent and worthless members of your species?
When you think of advanced alien races, maybe you think of things like Predator, Alien, or Yoda. When Hothead Games thinks of alien races, they think of incompetent creatures the size and color of Smurf poo. We understand it's for humor, but honestly you will feel your I.Q. drop 10 points just by buying this game. Originally Swarm was a contest winning idea from the Great Canadian Video Game Competition, hereby Hothead Games received a nice check for $300k to further develop this sadistic failure.
The basic story behind Swarm is that an alien race needs to survive so this mammoth glob of jelly lands on a planet and drives a tentacle deep into the planet's many layers. No we are not talking about a hentai game here, but it is through this tentacle that your Swarmites are... well... ejected. These Swarmites must venture through death dealing obstacles in a quest to collect various DNA strands that it must feed back into "Momma". By rinse and repeating this method you will successfully save your alien species.
Ok now to keep the story somewhat entertaining, Hothead Games decided to try their luck by adding humor to the game, but unfortunately that didn't go over so well. While the humor of the story is initially funny, it wears off very fast and quickly becomes more annoying as you progress. The same can also be said for the Swarmite interactions with the traps as they quickly become very repetitive. So this is what wins $300k in Canada, eh? Right, moving right along...
The gameplay of Swarm is pretty innovative and quite possibly one of its strong points. By utilizing various button combinations, you will be able to direct your Swarmites to do your bidding. Multiple actions such as: creating a tall thin tower of Swarmites, a spread out a field of Swarmites, forming a tight cluster of Swarmites, and more are all available to help you solve the forthcoming puzzles. Your Swarmites though are not without the ability to attack, when pushed, a group of Swarmites can become like a violent "Who" mob and dash forward at the target, taking it out. While the gameplay is innovative and fresh, it is outweighed by the other sub-par or below qualities of this game.
When it comes to sound, you have to make sure you deliver a pleasurable experience to compliment the graphics and gameplay, and does Swarm do this? We're sorry to say, but no. The sounds you hear from the Swarmites become so vastly annoying that you find yourself pleading with the game to end the level so you don't have to hear any more. You would hope though that things ended there and that all is well with the rest, well you would be wrong.
The main soundtrack that fills each level is so annoying that it will begin to drive you absolutely up the wall, but we here at XboxAddict.com are problem solvers so what we recommend is playing the game with your sound on mute. You quite honestly don't need to hear anything anyways so why deliberately subject yourself to unnecessary pain?
Swarm does produce some decent graphics, but nothing I would put in the plus category. There are some times when the action does get hectic and your screen fills with colorful explosions complimented with blue paste from your exploding Swarmites, but even these moments can become very annoying by almost blanketing the screen to prevent you from seeing anything. The really only significant plus in the graphics would be how the Swarmites interact with each other. With each Swarmite having its own intelligence it's just a recipe for disaster.
Hothead Games has really gone out on a limb here by creating a more sadistic twist to what is essentially a psychotic lemming game on steroids right before a week long bender. Now we do understand that $300k is not a lot to develop a quality title, however the last blow hits us below the belt and I’m talking about where you put your wallet. You see if you want to lose weight, don't go to the gym, but buy Swarm instead because your wallet will be lighter by $15. Yes, that’s right we saved the best for last. All this wonderful goodness can be yours for the low price of $15! How do you say ****ing rip-off in Swarmite?
Overall Score: 6.6 / 10
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Crysis 2
So you're the new big gun everyone on the field is talking about. Walking in with your shiny new nanosuit thinking you're going to just waltz in and save the day right? Well Alcatraz, before you go off laying waste to The Big Apple with your new found toy, take a minute and get debriefed about XboxAddict's review of what we got right here, Crysis 2 because those who do not learn from the past, are doomed to repeat it.
Originally Crysis took place on the Lingshan Islands away from the US, but now the danger has stepped over our welcome mat and kicked down our front door. You're an elite soldier of war Alcatraz. You're a Force Recon Marine, and mankind's only hope for survival. Welcome to New York, hope you brought a miracle.
In the original Crysis, we brought the fight to the aliens. We sent in an elite squad called Raptor Team (Nomad, "Psycho", Aztec, Jester and Prophet) and they were comprised of the best we had to offer. I believe you met one of them already. It took an entire team effort just too barely make it out, now though, the whole thing rests on your shoulders. Armed with your new nanosuit and a bunch of other toys, you'll need a prayer as you take on The City that Never Sleeps, the apparent "Manhattan" virus, oh and this little alien invasion we have by the Cephaloids. Be careful who you put your faith into Alcatraz, for it may doom all of mankind if you fail. Now pay attention for some details before the war on Crysis 2. I pray you succeed Alcatraz because we have no one left.
Make sure you got that nanosuit worked out because when it comes to gameplay, Crysis 2 delivers such a wealth of innovation that it not only raises the bar, but throws it through the ceiling and smashes it to pieces. To start off the innovation eruption we have to shed some light on the nanosuit. This super hero style combat suit is not only your biggest weapon, but also your biggest supporter throughout the entire game. By utilizing either the RB or LB buttons you can make your suit hard like tank armor, or go Predator style and cloak your way through danger. The suit though does more than just give you options as to how you would like to play, but it also offers a wide range of visual aids as well.
For starters with the push of a button you can call upon your suit's visor to help you locate and mark key locations, enemies, weapons and more, and it can do all of this through walls, floors, and ceilings making your visor absolutely critical if you wish to survive New York. The visor however, isn't finished yet because it offers you a tremendous bonus by allowing you to switch to thermal view as well so you can track fast moving aliens with ease.
Another great innovation of the suit is the ability to customize it. Throughout the game when you kill the alien enemies you will obtain material needed to upgrade a lot of the suit's many functions, as well open more of the suit up for you. You can gain such improvements as an armor upgrade to ensure you make it through the gunfights, tracking incoming fire to help you designate where the threat is, stealth upgrade so you can stay cloaked longer and allow you the time to gain that critical flanking position, and more. This alone would make any title an instant classic, but the innovations of the gameplay continue.
One of the most major innovation changes in Crysis 2 is the control scheme. As Crysis was only available on PC format, the controls this time seem more streamlined and simplified so that the game could run on consoles. This not only makes the game feel more streamlined, but easier to pick up and play for those who haven't played the original.
Crysis 2's innovation however also spills out into New York itself by allowing you to choose how you want to play. You can opt for the more straight forward "spray and pray" or "run and gun", but instead of just throwing you into such a linear level bottle neck, Crysis 2 offers gamers multiple ways to handle any situation. Most of the time the decisions will be simple, however, there are times when the right choice may not be running straight in blasting away.
You can customize how you play, you can customize your own nanosuit, and to wrap up the customization Crysis 2 allows you to customize your weapons. By upgrading to items such as extra-long magazines, under barrel shotguns, silencers, sights and more, Crysis 2's gameplay truly lets you customize and play how you want. To say that the gameplay of Crysis 2 is perfect wouldn't be true, to say that the gameplay of Crysis 2 is one of the best we will ever see is dead on accurate.
When Crysis originally launched it was inundated with acclimations of fame for their graphics and their physics. With Crysis 2, it's safe to say that the mantle better be ready because more awards are coming. With consoles being very limited compared to a PC, Crysis 2 delivers a phenomenal graphical performance on the Xbox 360. Without question this is one of the most beautiful games you will ever see on the 360. The lighting coming in between the buildings, the smoke coming up from the fire, water running down your visor, and a lot more of these amazing little touches have all been combined to deliver one of, if not the best graphical experience you have ever had on the Xbox 360.
One of the key staples to Crysis's fame is the physics. With the original being herald as some of the best physics ever produced in a video game, Crytek had more than its work cut out for it when it came to Crysis 2. With the setting being the major metropolitan city New York, Crysis 2's physics set an industry standard as you witness buildings collapsing around you, windows shattering from gunfire, cars exploding into the sky, and more. Get ready to experience one of the best looking games we will ever see on the Xbox 360.
The sound of Crysis 2 is quite honestly one of the game's weakest points. While the soundtrack does little to bring New York to life, one of the bigger issues is the sound effects and voice overs. The soundtrack is relatively flat and offers a marginal success, but the sound effects and voice overs just drag this game's audio experience straight down. They seem laughable at best, and that is seen esp. at the end of the levels as you hear nothing but annoying voice overs trying to guide you to your next objective. Granted it's a fault, but if as much attention to the visuals was put into the sound, then this game would be an unquestioned icon.
When it comes to first person shooters, a lot of the game's credit resides in its multiplayer. Thankfully Crysis 2 has taken some of the best aspects from other successful multiplayer gameplay and incorporated those winning features into their own multiplayer. Crysis 2 offers a bounty of player upgrades through its player progression system which if we're honest does feel a lot similar to CoD. In Crysis 2 however, you cannot change how your player looks; however, you can upgrade things like weapon loadouts and suit modules which bring you new weapons, attachments, and more.
Crysis 2 offers up six multiplayer options which are variants of classic multiplayer gametypes such as team deathmatch, CTF, and more. Each round your character will earn xp which can be used to upgrade your suit and weapons, so it will seem that every round brings you one game closer to that new weapon upgrade, or that new suit ability. With a solid multiplayer foundation and a more than ample player upgrade system, Crysis 2 is poised to become the king of FPS on consoles.
As we reload and prep for re-deployment, we have to easily classify this as a game of the year contender. Crysis 2 offers quite possibly the best graphical experience you will ever find on the Xbox 360. On top of that, Crysis 2 delivers unparalleled physics and a very solid and deep multiplayer experience. Great new gameplay innovations and a redesigned control scheme, mean that it's easier to pick up and play. Crysis 2 is a phenom of a game and many factors have already become an instant industry standard. Now Alcatraz, go bring humanity another fighting chance!
Overall Score: 8.9 / 10
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Torchlight
Welcome young adventurer, you are chosen to be the salvation of a town and its people. You are chosen to be the vanquisher of evil throughout the depths below. You are chosen to aid those throughout your quest. You are the chosen savior of the town of Torchlight. Here in Torchlight you will find many things to aid your quest from different swords, staffs, bows, to magical items such as different embers and rings. Take heed though young adventurer, the depths of Torchlight are not to be taken lightly. Grab your weapon of choice, stock up on your potions, and say a prayer as we delve head first into the XboxAddict review of Torchlight.
Torchlight is made by the team at Runic Games and brings a very deep and advanced dungeon crawling experience to the Xbox Live Arcade. Originally released back in October 2009, Torchlight has put Runic Games on the map due to the high quality title developed seemingly out of nowhere from a company no one really heard of. Now almost a year and a half later, Microsoft decided to grant the wishes of many gamers and release as part of their house party promotion this fantastic arcade title. The big question when it comes to arcade games is: "Is this worth my money/Microsoft points?" Throughout your reading you will see why not only is the answer yes, but you will also see why this could easily be the best arcade title we see this year.
You will start Torchlight by selecting your character from one of the three available and each specializing in either melee attacks, ranged attacks, or magic attacks. All the characters have their own special abilities that they can learn and develop which gives Torchlight amazing character depth. After your character is created you are ready to start your quests from the villagers of Torchlight. There is a main quest you can follow which will lead you throughout the depths of the dungeons ahead, however, there are other villagers who require your assistance in completing missions of their own and in doing so will reward you with fame, gold, items, and xp. There are shops that are scattered around the town that offer various services and goods, but one that stands out is the Transmuter. The service that the Transmuter offers is the ability to combine items and embers to create new magical objects which can drastically change the tides of war in your favor. Now that you have your character all prepared it's time we venture down into the depths and explore some more of the crypts of Torchlight!
Torchlight offers a very simplistic, yet complex gameplay experience. Sure you can just walk around and press one button to attack, but Torchlight offers so much more in the range of magic and abilities. You can have multiple ability menus that you can cycle between with the push of a button which means that your gameplay experience will be incredibly unique to how you want to play.
A nice innovative touch is the addition of a pet that offers gamers a wealth of new options. For starters your pet can learn spells such as fire, ice, and more, and all of which will aid in your battles. Another role your pet can be used for is storage. This will prove invaluable throughout your quests as you can send your pet back to town to sell the goods it carries and bring back the value in gold. Another one of Torchlight's great gameplay additions is retirement. Once your character has leveled up sufficiently, you can choose to retire your character and in doing so grant specific perks and benefits to a newly created character. What this essentially means is that you can play through this game for many months and still be working towards perfection.
The graphics in Torchlight are a multi-colored treat to behold. Each level offers an environment that is simplistic, beautiful, and deadly. You will traverse environments such as rocky dark crypts, fiery lava pits, murky deep swamps, and more as you push through the 30+ levels of Torchlight. The combat sequences are beautiful and when the action gets frantic and epic you will see some vibrant colored explosions engulfing your screen. The overall graphics are smooth and the character models are very detailed for an arcade game, however with almost two years since its original launch, you get the feeling that they could have done more with the graphics.
The sound of Torchlight is truly a diamond in the rough. Runic did a brilliant move in gaining the assistance of Matt Uelmen who is the composer and sound designer for iconic game Diablo. The score of Torchlight itself is a masterpiece and it is complimented beautifully by amazing sound effects. Everything from spells being casted and swords clashing, to guns shooting wildly and bombs exploding combine with the music to produce one amazing auditory experi you have to ask yourself: "Is this game worth my money/Microsoft points?" The answer is undoubtedly yes. Rarely will we see an arcade game that can keep you playing for well over double the amount of hours as some retail titles. Rarer still to see an arcade game that can do all of this with such amazing quality and innovation. By offering up one of the best dungeon crawlers since Diablo, you already know that Torchlight is a must have for your arcade library.
Suggestions: 1. Bring Torchlight 2 to the Xbox 360 platform with multiplayer.
2. Update the graphics
Overall Score: 8.2 / 10
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Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds
TA-DA! Who dares summon the master of glib, the deliverer of one-liners and the shogun of sarcasm? Oh wait, it's just the loyal followers of XboxAddict probably looking for their stolen review of Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. Well let me tell you something, Deadpool lives by the phrase "finders keepers", and since my plans got foiled in an earlier review of a spidey game, so I took my revenge and now the review is mine! hahahahaha... wait, the cameras weren't rolling? Ugh...
Ok kiddies gather around and uncle Deadpool will tell you a story of combat, of overcoming obstacles, of triumph, of failure, of ME! Now earlier when I said stole this review, what I meant to say was that XboxAddict let me ummmm.. borrow.. yeah that's it.. borrow this review so that I may educate you on why I'm the greatest, or at least what the good and bad points are in this game. MvC3 is the third installment into the MvC series and this highly anticipated title has many reasons to rejoice, and sadly has areas that need some improvement on.
However, one problem uncle Deadpool has that I have to mention straight away is that I was promised a character in the game 40 feet high with lasers coming out of his hands that could take out anyone and anything and did Deadpool get it? Noooooooooooo, in fact Deadpool isn't 40 feet tall and have laser beams shooting everywhere, in the game Deadpool is made out to be a short guy with a small bulge. Is that fair? I say no! Instead they give it to this guy who apparently eats planets and has a tuning fork for a helmet. How is that any better? (Deep breaths....) Ok now back to the game.
Our story begins as Doctor Doom and his team of evil baddies attempt to join forces with Albert Wesker to unite the worlds and conquer both. As usual, nothing goes according to plan and during this great debacle some great big purple planet people eater comes out of nowhere and tries to eat the planet. Well yours truly isn't going to let some big guy with munchies take over and win so that's when we all team up... to fight each other so... we can fight him. Simple, yes?
One of the staples of the MvC series has always been the graphics and how MvC games have always been incredibly fast and over the top with their quality. MvC3 sets a new bar in this series just in graphics alone. The new character modeling is amazing and provides some of the best graphics we have seen in a fighting game. Most of your favorites return and everyone has a new and improved look, including uncle Deadpool! Seriously though, you have any idea how hard it is to find a joint that'll serve a guy in a mask and bandolier? They won't even let me into Taco Bell! Fluid graphics is what would make or break this game in the graphics category and in MvC3 your eyes will be amazed as you witness the many graphically impressive special moves fly all over the screen in the blink of an eye.
Something though didn't sit right with uncle Deadpool and that was you could only play a few stages and that there was hardly any stage interaction at all. The stages that they do have are done beautifully, however, with all the different characters you would think that one thing that they had a lot of were stages right? I did. Also with all these new improvements to the graphics, why couldn't we have any multi stages or stage interaction. I can tell you now that I'd get a kick throwin that grumpy maple leaf wolf through that big spidey balloon hahahaha. One of the things that make the MvC games a classic success is the music.
The MvC series has always prided itself on producing music that delivers the final shot of adrenaline to your heart as your slam down the buttons to attack and I'm happy to say that the tradition continues. During the matches you will hear individual character audio themes that will help bring your blood pressure up as you prepare for a wuppin. This is perfect as MvC3 gives you some remixes of the classic tracks throughout the series with a sprinkle of new audio gems. Something that surprised uncle Deadpool was how they have the characters give some audio voice overs that are varied between taunts and generalized statements of superiority. They even stole some of my best one liners! The voice acting along with the sound effects are done very well and adds a little cherry to the top of this audio cake.
The gameplay in the MvC series has always been easy to just pick up and play, but incredibly difficult to master. In MvC3 they have added a new twist to the control scheme by completely remapping the buttons to a light, medium, heavy, special attack scheme instead of sticking with the famous two punch and two kick style. What this means is that Capcom has decided to try to tone down the learning curve by completely changing the controls around. Is that fair?? Oh and if you are still having trouble mastering the controls the people at Capcom have installed a new control style called "simple". So now not only can you execute moves and special attacks easier, but you feel like you have to wear a dunce cap while you play.
The gameplay though is incredibly smooth and has included new additions to enhance the experience such as air juggles where now you can switch to your other team members by pressing any direction on the pad and your special attack button. There's more to it though as your opponent can counter that if they push the same direction on the pad as you do, so be smart or it could turn out badly for you at the end. Oh and did I mention how all this wonderful gameplay blazes through your screen at lightspeed? Yeah this game is amazingly quick. While some of the new players to the MvC series may see this game's gameplay as a good thing, hardcore fans of the series may feel that Capcom dumbed down the controls.
There are some issues that did get uncle Deadpool hot under the collar. For starters the roster has almost been cut in half from 56 playable characters down to 36 and four of them are locked. I think for a game that is trying to stand out and excel, dropping the roster by 20 and cutting some of the iconic figures like mega man, venom and more was a mistake. Who's going to argue against Deadpool right? There are some new characters and some of your favorites do make a return, however despite the slash of the roster the game still feels balanced.
Another issue that hurt this game was the feeling that they could have done more, but for some reason hadn't. Over the years the Capcom Vs series have implemented some amazing innovations, yet for MvC3 they seem to have come up short. MvC3 could have easily brought us a survival mode, a spectator mode where we can view the matches ongoing online, alternate endings, extra stages, more characters, but for some reason none of these things are included.
Ultimately MvC3 offers an amazing experience for your eyes and ears, however, with the new mapped control style and absence of many possible features and additions, this game is an example of something that could have been great, but now is just ok. For a fighting game to stand out it has to capture the wow factor and has to find a way to maintain it, however while MvC3 delivers the wow with the audio and graphics, the vast majority of hardcore fans will see this as half the game it should have been.
There are some aspects that make Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds great, however, with some of the other choices out there in the fighting game genre, one would be hard pressed to say that this one is the best. It's quite a disappointment though, because when we all got to see this game from its beginning stages we thought that we were witnessing the birth of what could have been one of the greatest fighting games of all time, instead we are left with a shell and something that will probably be milked for its DLC add-on's. Is this a resurrection in the Marvel Vs Capcom series? Unfortunately no.
Suggestions: More characters (that are not paid for by DLC), more stages (that are not paid for by DLC), more features such as survival mode, spectator mode and more. A 40' high Deadpool with laser beams coming out of his hands and a blonde supermodel at his side.
Overall Score: 8.5 / 10
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Bulletstorm
Well, well, well... What do we have here? You must be our new recruit that signed up to join our $^@#ing crew. Do you have what it takes @$$clown to make it in our group? Quit f$%@ing talking because we will see if you can dish out as much $hit as your mom can talk. Plug your gun into any enemy hole you can find and let loose all that steamy hot lead and get ready to unload a title wave of ammo and unleash your... well leash as you get your skull thumped in this latest game from People Can Fly and Epic called Bulletstorm.
Earlier, Xbox Live gamers got a treat as a demo of Bulletstorm went live and gave us a taste of what it's like to shoot someone in the balls, then kick their f$%^ing head right off. The full retail game delivers much more than the demo and the crew at People Can Fly have a truly Epic hit on their hands. Now we here at XboxAddict are going to show your ignorant @$$ what the f#$k is really up as we take you by the hand and lead your baby nuts through all the aspects of this gory, and hilarious shooter. F$%k a helmet, here's a cup, get ready.
To start things off one of the great aspects of a game is the story. The demo thankfully didn't do anything f#$%ing stupid by leaking critical points, and that is one of Bulletstorm's biggest surprises. You take control of the main bad@$$ named Grayson Hunt and follow his adventures on a crazy alien planet with one of his crew named Ishi, not sushi @$$hole. You are a leader of a group of elite Confederate soldiers, or assassins if you want to be technical, and right from the beginning you are thrust into a world of $hit as everything gets turned upside down and craps on your head. The story goes on and the adventure you partake in delivers an amazing and hilarious experience that should only be experienced by those who have gone through puberty. Bottom line, if your nuts have dropped and you feel like you can handle a stiff challenge for yourself, then unzip because in Bulletstorm, weak @$$ b!tches need not apply.
Graphically the game is one of the most beautiful games you'll ever see on the Xbox 360. The geniuses at People Can Fly and Epic have stuffed this game's glory hole with so much f$@#ing beauty that your eyes will be climaxing with every f$@#ing turn. The background and settings are better than we could ever expect and the detail work on the textures are done so masterfully that Bulletstorm does a wonderful job immersing yourself into this strange and f$#@ed up alien planet. The character modeling is another great surprise as you can see every little detail in the faces and bodies that you shove your boot up into. Watch as you literally kick the f#@$ing teeth right out of your opponent as your boot crushes it's jaw and sends him flying right off the cliff, screaming all the way down like a little b!tch. The environment is not only beautiful but it's one deadly son of a b!tch, and if you're not careful, you won't be the only thing being called a prick.
The sound of Bulletstorm relies heavily on its dialogue. The music alone is average and I think one of the weakest points of the game. That's a big f$#@ing disappointment coming from an audiophile @$$hole like myself. The music you hear throughout the game varies between generic melodic music that you have come to expect, to a more intense action sequence that is sampled over and over and over again (until you defeat all the enemies, then it's back to square one again). The main enjoyment throughout the audio of Bulletstorm like we said, is the conversations you have throughout the game. The humor is something that will either make you feel disgusted, or if you're not namby-pamby, make you laugh and enjoy hearing everything. I do wish that Bulletstorm incorporated a voice over for the different types of kills. I'd rather hear a deep sadistic voice boom over the speakers and yell "GANG BANG", other than just reading the pop up that comes up on the screen. I didn't make the game so oh f$#@ing well.
Play control innovation in a first person shooter is something that is critical to set you apart from the other games in the genre. Bulletstorm; I'm proud to say does come from the "Duty free" store and offers some Epic innovations that solve the not so fresh feeling that we get from generic copies of sequels. For starters, yes you have the generic aim and shoot buttons, you can switch weapons, so you may be asking yourself now "what the f$#k is so innovative about Bulletstorm?" Well for starters @$$munch, to help keep things fluid you are given a sliding boot kick which will help keep your @$$ out of the line of fire as you zip your way to your enemy and ultimately knocking the ever loving $hit out of them. This is a very useful tool as you can slide between cover and shove your boot up an enemies' @$$hole. The targeting is generic and does offer a snap feature which will allow you to quickly lock onto a target and have your way with them, which in a heated gunfight can be the difference between living and becoming compost. Another great innovation is the energy leash. Just like the nightmares you may have of getting your hands rapped by a nun's yardstick for mouthing off, the leash constantly grades your performance and will reward you if you do something right, but punish you if your showboating falls short of success. You can use your leash, not only on enemies, but on the environment as well which makes this multi-tool one of your most dangerous weapons in the game. Not only can you just whip it out on some enemies, but you can also upgrade your leash to deliver a womping thump to the ground which will send all enemies and explosive elements in the area flying into the air where you have multiple options to deal out death. One drawback of Bulletstorm is that the levels are very linear, so exploration of this beautiful planet is highly limited; however, this allows you to focus more on making another hole in your enemy than searching for something completely pointless. In the end though, it's not so bad of a trade off, if you're looking to explore a vast planet, then go buy yourself some diapers, a bottle, and a different game, if you're looking to prove to everyone that you are a lead slinging, ball grabbing, mother f#$%er, then this is for you.
Another great aspect of Bulletstorm is the multiplayer. If you're lucky enough to have friends (besides your mom), then Bulletstorm offers some entertaining and amazing co-op action. Finding its way into is a pseudo horde mode called Anarchy which will allow you and 3 other friends to form a 4 person group of sheer annihilation. Wave after wave of different enemies and even mini bosses will appear to make sure that you have a really $hity day. Leveling up is the name of the game and there are achievements to unlock for you gamerscore whores out there so make sure you work together as a team, otherwise you'll be punching your pud solo and that will only lead you to a quick trip to the clouds. Echo mode is basically a watered down version of the campaign so if you wish to be a dumb f$%#ing piece of monkey spunk, then by all means play Echo mode first. Throughout Echo mode you are graded not just on how big your balls are with your killing skills, but how fast and efficient you can traverse the levels. Take your time and you'll be completely worthless, speed through it and you'll become a bad@$$, it's a simple concept to understand, even if you ride the short bus. If you're done with pre-school, you'll be able to rack up thousands of points and bathe the screen red with your target's blood.
This game has a lot of good things going for it but one jewel that has to be mentioned are the skill shots themselves. Throughout the game you'll experience tag lines such as "Gang Bang", "Topless", "Pricked", "Shocker", and one of my personal favorites "Ejaculation" (this happens when you send an enemy out an airlock). You do have your basic headshot skills but let's face it, headshots are something that everyone has experienced before in a first person shooter, so the real fun comes from you trying your hardest to think of creative ways to send your enemies to their maker. If you want to see who is the biggest d!ck out there, the scores from the kills in your game will dispel any fantasy thoughts. Your score from the various skill shots will add up and just like life, size does matter.
Bulletstorm offers a great innovative fresh perspective on how to deliver a fantastic first person shooter title. While sticking to the foundations that we all grew up on, Bulletstorm drags us from the breast kicking and screaming only to find out that we get a bottle of Jack to suckle from now on. Bulletstorm caters to our darker sadistic side which we all have wanted to let out. You won't find any bull$h!t tangos and by the end of Bulletstorm you'll be saying "Chief this." Bulletstorm is a must have for anyone who has ever wanted to shove a gun up an enemies' @$$hole, whisper in their ear "Go F$@k yourself", then shoot their load deep inside till they are pasted all over the ground. Now the only question is, why the f$#ck are you reading this and not playing Bulletstorm?
Overall Score: 8.8 / 10
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Dead Space 2
(Church of Unitology announcement coming through your earpiece)
"Welcome brothers and sisters of Xbox Addict to the Chapel of Unitology here on The Sprawl.... While you stay here please take a moment to".... (heavy static)... (Voice override) "Are you there??.... ARE YOU THERE??"... (heavy static)... "and under no circumstances should you ever"... (heavy static)... (Voice override) "Damit, increase signal
NOW!! Listen, you are in grave danger! Look here! In EA's latest installment into the survival horror genre, Dead Space 2, you will see that Isaac Clarke returns to this very location, not only to survive and stop the outbreak, but to seek the truth to a lot of questions...
Quickly, you must hurry, read the truth for yourself!!!... Seek out the... yourself... and always remember... (signal lost)...
Visceral games and EA have once again sent out minds into the depths of madness in Dead Space 2. Our famous engineer, Isaac Clarke returns after a horrific experience aboard the Ishimura, only to find that his troubles are far from over, and this time, he not only confronts necromorphs bent on killing him, but Isaac Clark must confront his own mind and try to decipher what really is the truth before his own mind plays a trick that even Isaac won't survive.
To make a triumphant return, Visceral made sure that Isaac had a massive lethal arsenal of weapons at his disposal. The infamous Plasma Cutter returns as well as the Ripper and more, but in Dead Space 2, Isaac gets some new toys to play with such as a Javelin Gun where one shot will literally send a necromorph off its feet, and impale them into the surface behind them. This is especially handy as it ties into a great new innovation from Visceral and EA, windows that can be blown out. The reason this is so innovative is because now you actually get to feel like you are in space. Now when you destroy a window to the outside, you will find yourself being sucked out just like all the enemies, and here is where your nerves will have to be like ice as you must shoot the controls above the security door to close it, or it's bye bye Isaac. Sounds simple, but when you have multiple necromorphs and flying debris to help push you out the window, you only have a few seconds before it's game over.
Not only does Isaac return with a vengeance, but the horror does as well. Dead Space 2 delivers a soul chilling horror story that will keep you gripped from beginning to end, and they do this by manipulating your greatest weapon, your mind. One of the biggest shoes that Dead Space 2 has to fill is the story. The story of Dead Space was very original, innovative, and produced brilliantly, and in Dead Space 2 Visceral and EA spared no expense to bring you a story that will make your heart explode, every nerve stand on end, and your mind blown away.
Visceral brings the iconic horror game to life by giving us some of the darkest, twisted, and dementedly beautiful graphics that we have ever seen. Your eyes will praise this game as you take in all the detail of The Sprawl and notice how every inch of this game is blanketed with such a feeling of pure terror. Some areas will seem familiar and even similar in some aspects to the original, however, these areas are few and far between and when compared to the overall detail and beauty of The Sprawl, they become a fleeting memory. The character modeling in Dead Space 2 is some of the best you will find in any survival horror game. Visceral has done an amazing job bringing terror to life and it's shows in every necromorph you encounter, as you see every little vein, tooth, and drop of bile ooze from your unfortunate victims.
A key component in any survival horror game is the lighting. In Dead Space 2, your eyes will behold some incredible lighting effects that accent the game's beauty and will drive every nerve ending in your body to stand straight up. Get ready for one of the most beautifully detailed and demented survival horror games of all time.
An aspect that will either make or break a survival horror game is the music. Dead Space brought us an acoustic gem that drove our ears and minds wild as we hear various noises echo throughout the halls of the Ishimura. Dead Space 2 delivers improvement in all the sounds and music that made the original such an iconic hit. We are treated to a little more orchestral soundtrack, however, when the ambient sounds get combined this time, Dead Space 2 unleashes a sonic marvel that will drive your heart rate up, make your hands sweat, and torment the very inner workings of your mind. Every aspect of Dead Space 2's audio has been taken into account and improved upon and your ears will hear every moment of it as you progress through your nightmare. You will hear crackling announcements warning of danger, panic stricken survivors running for their lives, security agents screaming as they are torn apart, even the inner thoughts of Isaac's own mind. Hearing a baby cry while witnessing
violent hallucinations screaming through your ears are just a sample of some of the psychotic sound combinations that permeate every facet of The Sprawl. All of these audio factors and more play a very intricate role in creating one of the best survival horror games you will ever play.
The gameplay of Dead Space 2 is simplistic in theory: Take what was good from the original game and improve it, take what was bad and innovate it into something good. You still get the same third person point of view, and you still get the same movement and gun control feelings but in Dead Space 2 everything seems more polished and natural which only adds to the realistic nature of the game and increases the horror immensely.
Some of the great new innovations that you have in Dead Space 2 would be the inclusion of a more Advanced Navigation system. Now when you use the navigation system by pressing in the RS, you can push up or down on the direction pad and generate different colored lines which signify store locations, save points, and work benches. This is an innovation which I found very useful as I spent time wandering around looking for work benches and stores in the original game. Now, within seconds, you can instantly search for nearby point of interest other than your checkpoint.
Another massive improvement is the zero g controls. The original game's zero g felt clunky at times, and this has all been improved upon by the addition of flight control thrusters built into the suit along the shoulders and feet. Controlling Isaac in space now is much more fluid and simplistic as you can steer in multiple directions by using the LS as a guide. Another improvement in the zero g gameplay is the ability to re-center your view to the ground with the push of one button. This helps should you try to navigate vertical twisted areas (there's a hint).
There is a new innovation in Dead Space 2, and that is the innovation of multiplayer. Normally games that are terrific single player games do not do well when it comes to multiplayer because you are trying to make a single player game into something that it originally is not. Dead Space 2's multiplayer takes similar cues from a game called Left 4 Dead. There are two teams, one of them humans and the other are the necromorphs. The humans will play Isaac like characters and try to work together to accomplish and achieve goals, the necromorphs are there to make sure that does not happen. Dead Space 2's multiplayer works hard to deliver a new experience, but some could argue that this should have been a feature that wasn't included until it was fully developed.
As we end our journey through The Sprawl, we wanted to deliberately leave out any information on the story because that is the heart and core of Dead Space 2. The story is one of the best you will ever experience, and every moment of it makes you feel like your heart will explode out of your chest.
To follow an iconic game like Dead Space, Visceral and EA had a monumental challenge ahead of them with Dead Space 2, and they set the bar for the competition at almost unattainable levels. When you have the combination of innovative and improved gameplay mixed with sounds and screams of unholy terror and a story that will haunt your mind and ultimately destroy it in the end, then you have one of, if not the best survival horror game ever, you have Dead Space 2.
Suggestions: Improve the multiplayer and then this will be flawless.
Overall Score: 9.5 / 10
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Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Benvenuto ai miei fratelli all'assassino ufficiale Xbox Drogato riesame dell'assassino del Credo: Fraternità. Welcome my Assassin brothers to the official Xbox Addict review of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Roma is calling us back to continue the adventure that started many years ago. Many new innovazioni have been included in this latest titolo from Ubisoft which rekindles the fire that burns deep within our souls. Grab your blade assassino and join us as we answer the call of Roma, the call of the Assassins.
One of the many highlights of the Assassin's Creed games, has always been a very well developed story, and in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (ACB), Ubisoft brings us back to the Animus to hopefully answer some very important questions. If you haven't had the chance to enjoy the previous Assassin's Creed games you will not feel lost, because the very opening of the game includes a brief synopsis of AC I and AC II, so when you start out you will be up to speed. Ubisoft has done a very good job in answering a difficult question, and that is "how do you start a story for someone when they are coming in towards the end of the story?". Even though you will get a synopsis in the beginning, I would only recommend playing this if you have played through the previous Assassin's Creed titles so that you can enjoy the entire story. With such a strong focus on ensuring a very deep, well developed story, ACB leaps ahead with mammoth new innovations, all the while delivering both an epic single player campaign, and now a very innovative multiplayer game mode. One of the core qualities of the AC games has been amazing gameplay control, and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood delivers another dagger as we get some new controls with the carismatico assassino, Ezio.
In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ubisoft has taken the already amazing gameplay and injected some amazing new innovations that take your experience to a whole new level. One of the first new innovations you will come to enjoy is the inclusion of horse combat. Now Ezio can draw his weapon, lock onto targets, and even run enemies down on the fly. The innovations continue with horse combat as Ezio has the ability to not just attack someone from a horse, but now you can assassinate your target from a horse. When you assassinate an enemy on another horse, Ezio leaps from his horse and in one swift move, mounts, assassinates, and steals the horse. A great time to use this technique, for example, is when there are multiple armored foes on horses, and if you time it right, you can make Ezio jump between multiple enemies and drop the entire squad without raising any alarms. One thing that you must remember though is horses do not blend in. A good assassin blends into their environment, and riding on top of a horse while in town puts a bigger target on your back. Another amazing innovation brought to life in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is the ability to train your own brotherhood of assassins.
By rescuing villagers that need your aid, you can recruit them to your fratellanza. Once recruited you can send them off to perform various jobs all throughout Europe and more. Once the mission is complete you are rewarded with gold, and your assassin is awarded EXP and can level themselves up by increasing armor and weapons as they work their way through their way up to the top and become an assassino. This new innovation offers you a whole new level of gameplay as now you can create your own army of assassins which if they are not on a mission can assist you in times of need. If you have a small army in front of you, call upon your fratelli to unleash a storm of arrows that clears the way. On top of all the wonderful new innovations, the core gameplay returns with a polish that makes Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood a free running, rooftop jumping, eagle diving epic experience from beginning to end.
Europe comes to life in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and with the new landscape you are treated to wondrous new landmarks, detailed new cities, and new tombs and treasure to discover. There are moments that will leave you dazed in delight, such as climbing the Colosseo and overlooking the city at sunset, to exploring an ancient tomb to discover its treasure. Every facet of the graphics has been touched upon and all of this added effort shows off as you traverse through the various levels and cities. While the graphics do look very similar to AC II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood improved the best, dropped the rest, and developed a breathtaking setting that your eyes will enjoy from sunrise to sunset. Not only has the environment received a beautiful polished touch, but the character modeling has also been given this gift. All the characters are shown with a very high attention to detail and when you see the characters interact with you and with one another, it's amazing how the citizens literally seem to come to life. Just like the paintings you can buy in the game, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a fast and fluid, beautiful piece of art.
In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood your ears will have a feast of beautiful sounds as you traverse the city and progress through the story. Different environments will produce different music that can leave you speechless, such as hearing a haunting melody of strings as you climb a viewpoint to open up more of your map; or drive your heart beat as you get ready to unleash death from above on an unsuspecting guard as you infiltrate a castello.
The voice acting in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a showcase of quality from the very beginning moments. The voices combine with the character animation to make every encounter more believable than the one before it. Ubisoft also brings the cities to life by bringing your ears the sounds of the cities to add a layer of realism and allow your ears to enjoy every aspect of your avventura. Another audio treat that you will receive are great detailed combat sounds. All the sound effects from arrows bouncing off heavy armor, to swords clashing in the heat of battle have been painstakingly produced to help immerse you deeper into the world of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and from start to finish your ears will be thanking you.
One of the biggest worries for great single player games is always the inclusion of multiplayer. Since the beginning, Assassin's Creed games have always focused on giving you one of the best single player experiences you will ever find in gaming, however Ubisoft brings a highly innovative multiplayer experience in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Multiple game modes are available, however the innovation comes in the form of how to play. You have a target locater in the bottom middle which will fill up the closer you get to your target, but here is the key, make sure you find the right target. When you're the hunter, you're stalking, observing, and waiting for that right moment to strike. When you're the hunted however, the game becomes one of survival. Finding places to blend in can be the difference between living to fight another day or finding a knife pierced through your back. Finding your prey also involves a lot of observation as you can unlock perks such as disguise and morph to help you slip amongst the crowds. If you were wondering if Ubisoft could develop an innovative and amazing multiplayer mode for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, then wonder no more.
Lets sheathe our blade for a moment and regroup and decide if Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood hits the mark, or misses it completely. One question that needs to be answered is, "is this game AC II.5, or would this be better as DLC for AC II, or is this game so developed that it could be considered a standalone title?". Ubisoft has taken the time to develop a massive amount of innovations which help bring the already epic story to life like never before; and while ensuring an epic single player experience, Ubisoft put one right between the eyes with their multiplayer gametype. With all of these new innovations, a very in-depth story, and a great multiplayer gametype, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is one that you must have in the collection. Listen to your calling assassino for Roma is waiting for you to answer. Your brothers are here with you, we will not fail.
Overall Score: 9.1 / 10
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Vanquish
....Incoming communiqe from the General, please stand by....
Welcome back soldier, we could really use your help. We have intercepted data from XboxAddict on the Sega title Vanquish. We want you to decipher the details regarding Vanquish and decode any intel you may find in regards to it's strengths and weaknesses. Time is critical soldier and this is a mission where failure is not an option. America is with you, make us proud....
....End communique....
Suit up and get ready to boost your way into Sega's latest third person shooter, Vanquish. From Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, Vanquish brings speed and power with deadly accuracy. XboxAddict has declassified all available intel on Vanquish to give you a complete picture of the game. Toss that smoke, grab your weapon and get ready to run soldier because in Vanquish, if you blink you may miss your only opportunity for victory.
To start things off with a bang, we have to address the fact that in the world of 3rd person shooters, the competition is fierce. When you have mammoth AAA titles like Gears and more, Vanquish is coming out of the gate with something to prove. Platinum Games brings a story that takes place on an United States massive orbital space station titled, Providence, and as you will find out early, has been taken over by a Russian extremist group called the Order of the Russian Star. In an effort to save country, the United States launches their entire fleet which includes the main character Sam Gideon.
In Vanquish you play the role of Sam Gideon who is a chain smoking, adrenaline junkie, one man wrecking machine. Sam is a member of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) and he brings with him some mammoth firepower in the form of assault and sniper rifles, rocket launchers, a lock on laser rifle and more. All of the weapons from your basic assault rifle to your heavy hitting rocket launcher can be upgraded multiple times and each time increasing stats such as accuracy, range, and power. This adds a great innovation to work on as you truly begin to unlock all the potential firepower. All this arsenal though would be relatively less effective without the best weapon Sam has to offer, the ARS (Augmented Reaction Suit). The ARS is a great innovation in Vanquish as it allows Sam to boost at high speeds via jets on the arms and legs, perform lightning fast hand to hand attacks, and even slow down time itself.
The fast paced gameplay of Vanquish is this game's standout triumph. In Vanquish you will experience time control like never before as you control your boost at lightning fast speeds to flank your opponent, then when you are in position, instantly make time stand still as you pinpoint your shots on various targets. Make no mistake, when we say that Vanquish is very, very fast, so having total control over time at both ends allows for some insanely fun combat. Another innovation that your ARS brings to the gameplay is that when Sam takes too much of a beating the ARS will slow time to a crawl and allow Sam some very valuable time he needs to boost to safety. The rest of Vanquish's gameplay is very solid, but the innovations other than the ARS suit are few and far between. Vanquish itself is divided into 5 various chapters, and each chapter contains between three to eight sub chapters to complete. The levels you will go through are all fairly linear, but when you are trying to take out a small army, the action never stops and is constantly adapting, which forces you to adapt on the fly. In Vanquish you will have a lot of cover that you may use, but beware for the enemies will use your hesitation against you.
The graphics of Vanquish are a sight to behold. Providence comes to life and brings with it beautiful settings and a phenomenal attention to detail. Each chapter your eyes will see levels unfold at blinding speed, and witness some incredibly polished character modeling that combine to make one epic ride from start to finish. Vanquish showcases an uncanny attention to detail which is amazing when you take into consideration just how fast this game is. From the lighting effects, the environment, all the way up to the intricate detail of your ARS, Platinum Games has done a great job in bringing gamers a visually striking game in Vanquish. The most impressive quality of the graphics, hands down, is the frame rate that Vanquish brings. With so much going on during the battles, the amazing graphics and the sheer speed of the game, Vanquish's biggest accomplishment is that it brings all of this to you without missing a beat.
While you are waging war at break neck speed, Vanquish pumps in some high energy techno music combined with some heavy metal inspiration. This is a great touch as it adds to the sense that the world is flying by you at blinding speed, and when in combat, brings the feeling of a truly fast paced war to your ears. During iconic moments of the game, the tempo will change and you realize that this is the calm before the storm. Once the action picks up though, hang on because the soundtrack will push you faster than you thought possible.
As we pause to let our jets cool down, there is a major point of this game that should be noted. Vanquish is not easy. While normal difficulty will pose a challenge, Vanquish's hard mode should only be attempted by those who want the smallest margin of victory. Another aspect that makes Vanquish a tough fight is the fact that boss characters do have an instant kill attack. This can become very frustrating, and on hard difficulty becomes insane if you do not use time to your advantage. When you combine the difficulty with the blinding speed of Vanquish, you have a true challenge to overcome.
Vanquish though does have its share of drawbacks that really hold this title back. For starters the game is very fast, but also very short. Vanquish can be completed in about six or so hours and offers no multiplayer and very limited replay ability. On top of that Vanquish's plot is very under developed which is a shame when you take into account its only a single player game. The character interaction is amusing, however, their development throughout the game is little to non-existent.
Vanquish was on target to make its mark in the third person shooter world and came very close by bringing very fluid, beautiful graphics, a gameplay style that was fast paced and innovations that set the bar for future titles to follow. Unfortunately, Vanquish's under developed story, limited character development, lack of multiplayer and a very short story with little to no replay ability, all add up to a game that should have been better. If Vanquish can return with more of a focus on the story and development, then it will have its sights set firmly on being one of the best third person shooters to date.
Overall Score: 8.5 / 10
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NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2
When it comes to anime, very few can last the ages, however Naruto is one of those that stands above the rest. In Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, Namco Bandai set their sights to deliver not only a beautiful game, but one that is true to the essence of Naruto and gives gamers a chance to play out some of the most pivotal fights from the show. Has Namco Bandai got a hit with this latest Naruto title, or does this need to get a little more training before it can master the ninja arts? Get ready to charge your Chakra my fellow ninjitsu students because XboxAddict is taking you deep into the world of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2.
In this latest installment of Naruto, you have multiple choices such as online fighting and the crux of the game, the Ultimate Adventure mode. The online fighting is something that Namco Bandai have worked hard to polish, but after attempting a few battles you can see that they have made a fighting system that is very simplistic and easy to pick up and play, yet hard to master. The reason this is so intriguing is that for the fighting sequences you have 4 basic buttons: melee attack, ranged attack, jump, block. Also you can use different items while in battle as long as they are mapped to the directional pad as a hot key. Now here is where it gets interesting, you can use your Chakra to create new moves and ultimately turn the tide in battle. Given the fact that you press one button (B) to do melee attacks, you will end up mashing that button a lot, and when I say a lot, I mean a LOT. How this all ties together is the fact that with different directional pushes on the left stick and combined with both Chakra and melee, you can make Naruto perform some pretty flashy and effective moves. Also in the fighting you now have a partner that can be used in multiple ways to either help you by saving your life, or by adding his/her own power into your own attacks to increase damage and length of your combo.
The gameplay, while innovative, does have its faults. One of the biggest gripes I could find was the constant walking through a very limited version of the Hidden Leaf Village. Pre-set camera angles mean that your Ultimate Adventure is nothing more than running through an already defined layout of mini map area, after mini map area. This can, without question, become very, very boring very, very quickly indeed. Throughout your adventure you will come across different shops which can not only sell you various items, but will allow you to in essence, make items by ordering them. This however requires you to gather material, and how do you gather material you ask? In order for Naruto to gather material he has to constantly travel areas and stop to examine certain items or flowers that stand out in the map. This takes away from a lot of the fluidity of the game, and this leads us into the next drawback, the text reading.
In Naruto you will have to read a LOT of voice communications as you talk to different people throughout your journey. This is extremely time consuming and really makes the gameplay slow down till it almost becomes dull. When combined with the constant travel to the same areas over and over again, all the while trying to scavenge for some material, and the preset camera positions, would normally make this game one to pass on, except for believe it or not, QuickTime events.
One of Naruto's biggest strong points are the graphics. The background images are done in beautiful detail in an almost watercolor style artwork. The characters all come to life in very fluid animation and detail, and Namco Bandai is making sure that the fans of Naruto enjoy every visual moment of the game. What really sets off the graphics in Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 are the over the top crazy anime graphics of the boss battles. It really is the diamond in the rough because you trek your way through countless linear maps, spend almost half the time reading text from other characters, and put in all this boring effort to get to the boss battles, which I have to say are epic. These battles are what make this game enjoyable and each of them happen during a quick time event. To say more about them would to give away the best part of the game, however, when your strongest factor going for you are quick time events, then something is amiss.
In Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 the music offers us a beautiful piece to bring us to the main menu, and from there it all goes downhill and fast. During your adventure your ears are treated to a generic loop of music that plays over and over again. Granted there are times where you hear different music, such as boss battles and different levels, but most of the time you will be listening to a loop of music playing again and again. Now with that said, the music does offer various instruments within these loops such a flute and piano to help bring certain emotions through. This entry into the world of Naruto does not offer a wide, diverse soundtrack. Instead it offers up a limited amount of music (which is good) with a bunch of loops added in.
Now that we have covered the good and the bad, does this Naruto title do the anime justice? The answer unfortunately is no. With previous titles offering a better quality Naruto experience, this is not an Ultimate Ninja but more like a ninja-in-training. When you boil it down to the bottom line, the hours you will spend not only hearing repetitive music loops, but also trudging through repetitive linear maps with a fixed camera, far outweighs the beauty of the brief quick time moments. We're sorry Naruto, but the master is not pleased.
Overall Score: 7.6 / 10
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DJ Hero 2
Welcome back ladies and gentleman to one of the greatest shows on earth. The DJ is in the house and is on track to crossfade some information regarding the blockbuster hit DJ Hero 2. We are going to take you on a literary journey through the melodies, bass drops, and more to show how DJ Hero 2 scratches its way to being a top contender in the world of music games. Put your hands up and get ready to drop the beat because your party just started, and your fans are all waiting for one thing, you.
First and foremost we need to touch on the equipment of DJ Hero 2. With other music games producing more equipment for us to purchase, DJ Hero 2 already takes a step forward by allowing you to utilize the original turntable equipment from DJ Hero. This goes a long way to saving you money and for those who are new to DJ Hero, there are multiple equipment options which range from one turntable, all the way to two turntables and a microphone to help create an amazing party and one unforgettable experience from the first beat, to the last.
Graphically speaking, DJ Hero 2 aims to put you right in the middle of some beautifully created clubs and venues placed in iconic locations such as London, Ibiza and more. Get ready for an over-the-top experience like you have never had before as you travel to different venues all the while subjecting your thousands of screaming dancing fans to some of the best music found in music games today. One cool innovative feature is that in DJ Hero 2, unlike other music games, you can actually use your avatar as an in game DJ character. This is a great innovative touch as it makes the experience feel more personal, instead of just a pre-made characters to perform with. Throughout your performances your eyes will be treated to some mammoth eye candy as you see massive animated visuals on big screens, strobe lights flashing throughout the club, and even bright colored lasers beaming overhead that pierce the dark venues and give your screaming crowd something to reach for besides your autograph.
In DJ Hero 2 you are given multiple gameplay types that allow you to take control of the music like never before. To start things off there is a quick play mode which is what the name suggests. It's a mode where you can instantly pick your mixes and instantly start the party off right. Not only can you just pick up and play in this mode, but you can also create, edit, and save multiple playlists so depending on the type of party you're throwing, you will never be short of music to perform with. Next on our tour we are going to be jetting over to the Empire mode. This is where the bulk of your fame and fortune will come as you travel through the story mode performing at different locations and clubs where everyone is waiting to hear what type of music you will play. Included in Empire mode you will have the opportunity as well to battle against some of the top DJ's in the world to prove you are a top talent DJ and a not just a flash in the pan imposter. Get ready to bring your "A" game to the tables as these battles will test everything you have learned and developed throughout your Empire career.
Another great mode that is offered in DJ Hero 2 is the party mode. This will allow you have the game itself play through its mixes and get the beats flowing until you or your friends decide that you want to jump in and take the party by storm. Xbox Live multiplayer makes its return in DJ Hero 2 and allows you to strut your stuff as you showcase your DJ talent and prove to others why they are opening for you and you are the real headlining act.
Also available is the DJ Hero 2 battle mode which enables you to tackle some of the best DJ talent in the world in an effort to prove once and for all, who is the best DJ around. Unlike other music games, DJ Hero's battle system is done in various ways. There are battles that judge how accurate you are in between checkpoints in the mix, battles that judge how many stars you can get, battles that will test how much you can make your streak grow and more. There is also the introduction of friends' challenges which throws down a challenge to see if anyone can step up to the tables and compete on your level.
Also included is the megamix mode where you can take on multiple mixes, perfect your skills, and get your groove on like never before. It goes without question, DJ Hero 2 allows an epic selection of different game types which means that there is literally something for everybody.
Included in all these modes are some brilliant new innovations that DJ Hero 2 provides that help solidify this game as one of the best music games available. First off, one of the new innovations is the addition of a freestyle scratch section where DJ Hero 2 gives you total and complete control to scratch the way you want to, how you want to. Before you were limited to pre defined scratches that were laid out in the arrangement, however, now the control becomes yours.
In DJ Hero 2, you not only get control over scratching, but you also gain control over your crossfading. In certain areas of the mix you will have the ability to crossfade in between two different tracks allowing you to now mix how you want and truly develop the track as you want to. This is a great new innovation because before you had to go by a pre determined crossfading path, well now the control comes back to you, the DJ. There is no way to be punished by losing your multiplier in this new freestyle crossfading section so feel free to go wild with your music and crossfade however you wish. Another great new innovation comes in the form of something that DJ Hero originally lacked, but now is back and better than ever, true audio sampling.
In the original title you were limited to various sound samples that you could trigger. While this was innovative, the sound sampling was limited to just five presets and in most cases did not fit the music playing. This has all been given a mammoth overhaul by now making the sound samples that you trigger actual pieces of music from the two tracks being mixed. Now when you hit the sample sections you are free to tap out a sample of the track playing which adds to the realistic feel and makes every mix sound better than before.
In DJ Hero 2 you now have ability to add a new layer to the mix in the form of a vocal track. Included in the party pack is a microphone which gives you the ability to put your musical prowess to the test by testing just how well you know your music. You may know how the lyrics go to the songs, however, the DJ is in control here and you will have to think on your feet, especially with features that the DJ can use such as crossfading and the infamous rewind feature. One of the great new developments with this new feature is that if you DJ'ing and someone is having trouble with the vocal track, you can still save the show.
With the focus of DJ Hero 2 being music, a lot of effort and attention has been put into the music score. The last DJ Hero game won numerous awards for its music which adds to the pressure of producing a sequel that not only lives up to the previous standards, but sets the bar higher than ever before.
In DJ Hero 2 some of the top talent in the world comes to life at your control. Iconic DJ's such as: Tiesto, Deadmau5, David Guetta, The Prodigy, stack the deck, and with such talent as Lady GaGa, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Janet Jackson and more, DJ Hero 2 brings every aspect of different music genres right to your fingertips for your ears to enjoy. Your ears will be treated to classic hits such as "groove is the heart" and more modern iconic tracks such as "Just Dance" by Lady GaGa, which all when compiled together gives your ears a beautiful eclectic mix that spans not only different genres but different decades and makes DJ Hero 2 a musical powerhouse, and with more music to be available via DLC the musical strength of this game is truly limitless.
As our record winds down let's review what makes DJ Hero 2 such an iconic staple in the world of music games. Massive new innovations to the mixes by allowing you to control both the crossfading and scratching as you wish make DJ Hero 2 the closest thing most of us will come to being a real DJ. Also when you combine the immense amount of game types with an updated epic tracklist, you now have tons of ways you can enjoy your favorite mixes the way you want to, after all, you are the DJ. With all these improvements and more, over the award winning original, DJ Hero 2 and Activision have set the bar for the competition and claimed itself to be the undisputed king of the wheels of steel.
Suggestions: For the future release of DJ Hero 3 Activision should include a DJ Hero mixer which includes all the crossfading and sampling functions while allowing a new way to control the individual levels of each track and allow two turntables to completely crossfade and mix just like a real DJ would. Activision could sell the mixer seperately for those who already have two turntables and for those wishing the complete package, they could package the mixer with the two turntables and microphone for a complete DJ experience.
Overall Score: 9.1 / 10
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
Welcome back my apprentice. It has been some time, but I knew that you would return for the truth. The Force is strong with Xboxaddict, and it's time that the review for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (TFU2) is finally revealed. This game reminds me of what a gold protocol droid once said: "How did we get into this mess..... I really don't know how". Kneel my apprentice and see both the light and the dark side of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II.
If ever there was a game where it had a great showing of light and dark, good and bad, its Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. This game has been greatly anticipated and focuses to be a staple in the Star Wars Universe. Does this fulfill it's destiny and bring to life a legendary Star Wars experience? As the Emperor would say: "It is you who are mistaken, about a great many things". The Force Unleashed II does deliver in some aspects which we will cover, but ultimately in the end, this doesn't feel like a quality Star Wars video game, much less story. In Force Unleashed II, Starkiller is back, or is he? This is one of the ongoing questions that lingers throughout the entire game, and it's conclusion is up to you to decide.
Graphically speaking Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II at times is as Darth Vader would say "Impressive... Most impressive". Some of the levels such as Kamino and Dagobah are done in such beauty and detail that it helps bring you deeper into the Star Wars Universe unlike almost any other title. Not only are the environments a beauty to behold, but the character modeling is far more improved and with the introduction of some new Sith enemies to fight, it really provides an eye pleasing time. Also in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, LucasArts brings some new tech toys in a new digital molecular matter, which brings more realistic physics and physical reactions unlike anything we have seen before. Another great graphic innovation for The Force Unleashed II is the inclusion of Euphoria which is a bio-feedback artificial intelligence system, which brings gamers one amazing experience after another throughout the entire game.
This however, is not to say that The Force Unleashed II does this a lot. In total there are four original levels (Kamino, Cato Neimoidia, Dagobah, and Salvation), and each of them are broken down into different parts or sub-levels. This means that Kamino, for example, is a beautiful level, however, out of the game's nine levels, three of them (1/3) are staged in Kamino. Looking forward to enjoying a stroll through Dagobah? In all fairness so were we, however Dagobah is a beautiful 15 second walk down a path where Yoda greets Starkiller in front of the cave that Luke entered in Empire Strikes Back. Starkiller has no idea who he has just encountered and there is a dialogue about five lines long between the two, Starkiller enters the cave, cut scene, Starkiller exits the cave, says his goodbyes and leaves. That's it, in the time it just took for you to read that description you could have run through the one... yes one.. level of Dagobah. Another one of the game's many disappointments was that our jet packing bounty hunter Mr. Boba Fett himself was teased as being in this game, well he is, for a 20 second cut scene, and that's it. Search your feelings and you will see that a lot of the graphic potential has been slashed in this game.
The gameplay of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II has been improved upon from the original. Your favorite Force powers are back with a vengeance and they bring with them a new Force power, the Jedi Mind Trick. When combined with Euphoria, the Jedi Mind Trick brings a unique experience as you will see your enemies attack one another, and sometimes even throw themselves out a window or off a ledge. While this is limited to only effecting some enemies, the bulk of your enemies can be under your control, and if you upgrade the Jedi Mind Trick, you will be able to manipulate more than one enemy.
Be careful though, the effects of the Jedi Mind Trick, are short lived. Another nice innovation of the gameplay is the introduction of a target lock feature, which was missing out of the original. This greatly helps in your camera position and camera control when you are in battle against multiple enemies and you are on a small platform. Your Force powers aren't done yet though, in The Force Unleashed II you can combine your powers on either enemy or object. For example, you can grip a stormtrooper, throw your saber at him and impale him, then shock him with lightning, and to finish it off, toss him into another enemy or object. Doing that will actually net you an achievement, but it's a great example of what you can do when you combine your powers. One of my personal favorites would be to grab an object, charge it with lightning, then toss it and it becomes a Force Lightning grenade.
Who can talk about Star Wars without mentioning the music. Throughout the game you will hear some music influence taken from the prequel movies, some original work, but most importantly, John Williams' famous score rings throughout the game bringing classic moments back to life and makes us all remember the great quality that used to be. All the music has been remastered however one great feature is when the game calls upon you for certain fights, you will hear certain iconic music that helps immerse you deeper into the Star Wars Universe. A great attention to detail has been put into every aspect of the sound of The Force Unleashed II. When you are blocking stormtrooper blasts or dodging lightsabers, every sound has been carefully constructed to bring audio bliss to our ears.
Star Wars: Force Unleashed II does however have its drawbacks, and unfortunately they are huge. We have already mentioned the levels in Force Unleashed II, however, we have to point out that this game is one that can be beaten in about four or 5 hours. To put things into perspective, it takes you longer to watch 2 of the original trilogy movies than to complete one play through The Force Unleashed II. This is a major disappointment because fans of the games and movies were hoping for an epic Star Wars adventure, but I'm sorry to say, this is not it.
This game had huge potential to develop the story of this more with the additions of classic iconic characters such as Yoda and Boba Fett, but after watching the scenes that they are in, you wonder to yourself, why did they even put this in the game? You can find my lack of faith disturbing, but in the end Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II has a lot of failed potential.
When you are a game that has to only focus on a single player story, then you have to make sure that your story is not only epic, but developed properly and without major holes. Unfortunately the story of The Force Unleashed II is far from epic, and even contains massive plot holes even in one of the endings. There are a lot of faults with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, but the short, badly written storyline has to be the number one factor that prevents this from being a great title.
As we wrap up our adventure through the Star Wars Universe, it's important to note that this game has some amazing aspects to it, but in the end, it's the core story that disappoints most. A wise Jedi master once said: "That is why you fail", and unfortunately because the story does, the overall score fails as well. Clear your mind and search your feelings and decide for yourself if Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is worth a purchase. May the Schwartz... I mean Force Be With You.
Suggestions: A more in depth, epic Star Wars story with proper character development, and a well written plot.
Overall Score: 7.5 / 10
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Fallout: New Vegas
Dean Martin said it perfectly: "I go to sleep and keep, grinning. If this, is just the beginning. My life is going to be, beautiful.." Welcome my friends to a place where your wildest dreams can come true, where you can amass such fortune and wealth you become your own legend, welcome to America's Playground, welcome to the Entertainment Capital of the World, welcome to New Vegas. Bethesda and Obsidian have teamed up to give you a wild ride through the wastelands and desert city in Fallout: New Vegas, and we here at XboxAddict take aim in bringing you details surrounding one of the most anticipated games of the year, and remember, the house always wins.
Now to kick things off with a bang, we have to note that this is not Fallout 4. Fallout: New Vegas is a totally new storyline based in the wastelands of New Vegas. The game is constructed using the Fallout 3 engine which goes to show proof in the old' phrase, "if it's not broken, don't fix it". With that in mind, Fallout: New Vegas sees your interest and raises you a full house worth of important innovations and adjustments to bring you a truly epic story where you get to shape every aspect of it.
Graphically speaking, Fallout: New Vegas brings Sin City to a light that we have never seen before. Famous iconic landmarks such as the Hoover Dam, the New Vegas strip, and more have all been brought into such detail, that you feel totally immersed into a whole new world of lies and sin. A lot of the objects that you will find in New Vegas you will remember from Fallout 3 (desks, file cabinets, etc..), however, the detail of your entire environment has been orchestrated masterfully in an effort to give gamers a very unique, deep, and amazing journey. Obsidian and Bethesda have worked hard and bring to the table an amazing version of The City of Lights.
One of the main aspects that make the Fallout games so great is the user defined, in-depth storyline. Fallout: New Vegas offers gamers not only new factions, but sub factions as well that will definitely tilt the scales of control, and these faction's opinions of you. This is where your decisions make a great difference as you try to figure out who is bluffing you, and who has the nuts. With these different factions, and different power grabs, you may think to yourself that New Vegas should be yours instead, well in Fallout: New Vegas it can be. Now not only do you have option A and option B, but you can also opt for option C - total chaos and anarchy. How you play is up to you, but just remember that everyone wants that top spot.
The play control is something that a lot of gamers hoped that Obsidian and Bethesda could improve upon, and they have listened by giving us not only an updated control scheme, but they have made their infamous perks system a major success. One of the many new introductions in Fallout: New Vegas is the Hardcore Mode. When you are in Hardcore Mode, the game will monitor how much you drink, how much you sleep, and how much you eat. All of these aspects and more you will have to pay attention to if you wish to survive the desert city, and cash out in top form. Don't expect to go days without sleep and expect to hit that target in the distance. This is a wonderful new innovation as it introduces a more realistic survival aspect to an already amazing adventure game.
In Fallout: New Vegas you still have the V.A.T.S. targeting system, however, this time the percentage numbers fluctuate greatly depending on the combat situation. What this means is that the V.A.T.S. system takes into consideration, not only the damage your body has sustained, but in hardcore mode, it also takes into consideration how hydrated you are, and even goes further by taking into account the amount of sleep you get. Obsidian and Bethesda have hit the jackpot in creating such an amazing gameplay experience, they could just break the bank. Earlier we mentioned that New Vegas' perks system has become an amazing hit, this is because now when you wish to master both the pistol and the assault rifle, you can now select just 1 perk called guns and that increases your stats with every weapon that uses conventional ammo. This brilliant scheme is set up perfectly to allow every gamer now, a much more focused and user developed character like we have never had before.
Not to cash in too early, Obsidian and Bethesda bring another major improvement to the gameplay of Fallout: New Vegas. Now you can not only use the V.A.T.S. targeting system, but you can truly gain control by aiming down the sights of your gun. This helps immensely as you strive for that all important head shot, not to mention conserves valuable AP points to use when V.A.T.S. is needed. Fallout: New Vegas brings another new aspect into the mix, by introducing the ability pick plants and in essence make food and aid items from them. Another great new feature of New Vegas is the addition to more items and aid you can create. Now you can build your own ammo, make your own weapon modifications, even follow a recipe for food and aid. All of this is done by giving the gamer more areas to make and construct these items. In Fallout: New Vegas you will not only have your new advanced workbench, but you can also come across campfires and more that will help aid you in your efforts. Fallout: New Vegas was betting all in on these innovations and thanks to the effort of Obsidian and Bethesda, they took home the title.
New Vegas is a true ace up the sleeve. Now when you turn on the radio of your trusty pip-boy, you can hear Mr. Vegas himself, Wayne Newton over the airwaves as he fills you in on the latest and greatest in New Vegas. As you take your adventure through the wasteland of New Vegas you will hear sounds and music redone from Fallout 3 which helps put this game in perspective, and also brings a familiar aspect to ensure that we enjoy every moment we can in New Vegas. Obsidian and Bethesda have outdone themselves as they bring a star studded voice cast. A lot of polish has also been applied to the voice over's.
Now as we tally up our winnings, we see all this innovation and all of this amazing detail and the total figure is that Fallout: New Vegas is one amazing game. Now even though it is not truly Fallout 4, so much effort has been put into making New Vegas an amazing experience all in its own. With a major improved control scheme, the introduction of Hardcore Mode, beautifully detailed environments and national landmarks, Fallout: New Vegas is the real Entertainment Capital of the World.
Overall Score: 8.9 / 10
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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Welcome my brothers and sisters to the eternal and epic struggle between good and evil. Have a seat and let your eyes read my tales of love, of loss, of deception, of honor, of light, and of darkness. Light your candles, grab your cross, and say a prayer for your soul as we enter the world of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.
We begin our journey through the undead and the wicked with our hero, Gabriel Belmont. Our hero has already suffered greatly at the hands of evil by witnessing his beloved wife Marie murdered by the dark spirits that thrive on death. Twisted and torn between revenge of his murdered wife, and becoming God's savior to the people of the lands, Gabriel must struggle with more than just vampires, ogres, and ghouls, he must battle his very soul and choose his path that will grant him not only salvation, but peace as well.
My dear holy warriors, now you will find that controlling Gabriel through his adventures into darkness and death is relatively easy. Armed with your combat cross, Gabriel has a wealth of different combos and attacks at his disposal. You will have to master your wits and abilities if you wish to survive the darkness ahead, and dethrone the Lords of Darkness. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow also provides you with a multiple selection of various secondary weapons such as dark crystals, daggers, and even holy water to help you dispel the darkness and bring light and hope to a land that has been devoid of both. In this latest installment in the Castlevania series, Gabriel will not only obtain various artifacts to help and aid him through is adventure, but now we are given something very special, light and dark magic. Each offers Gabriel different options and aids from allowing him to heal his wounds while striking in combat, to turning his daggers into explosive weapons of death. This also does a great job showcasing the inner turmoil that, throughout the story, Gabriel must contend with.
Throughout the game you will notice that the camera is in multiple fixed positions depending on where you are in the land. A user controlled camera is not available in this game, and in most cases that would be a complaint, however, in this title, it is a blessing. By locking the camera depending upon where Gabriel is allows gamers the ability to worry less about what they are looking at, and more on surviving the night. This helps the game by focusing more on the interactions with various puzzles, as well it helps by allowing you to focus on the enemies you are fighting. Jumping, climbing, running, and more have been simplified to ensure that not only are the basic controls easy to master, but using Gabriel's more advanced combos become a breeze and add a more fluid aspect to your combat.
Now we turn, my dear brothers and sisters, to the wonderful graphics of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Graphically speaking your eyes will be treated to a wide, beautifully depicted, landscape throughout the game. Every land from the Dark Lord's castle, to the underground sewers, to the forests that you must travel, are all blanketed with incredible detail and beauty. Every level becomes a feast for the eyes as you traverse the wild on your quest to extinguish the darkness from the land. Even the cutscenes provide an amazing visual experience all on their own by showcasing key moments and events with incredible detail and beauty. Not only has the landscape received such beautiful work, but the new character models for your enemies bring new life back into the darkness and add a more realistic touch in combat. A wonderful example would be the new vampire models which most resemble deformed winged demons of hell, armed with incredible speed, powerful fangs, and now dual wielding knives that they use to go for the throat.
Not only will you deal with the undead, but now you must face one of your biggest oppositions in Caslevania: Lords of Shadow by confronting the various titans. In regards to graphics and the character models, you will notice a great attention to the sheer size scale of these massive titans. Standing right next to a titan, while being a first class ticket to the afterlife, will help you understand the sheer size of it as you barely come up to the top of its fingertip. The one downfall of this game graphically only comes when you attack and destroy multiple creatures of the night. The game screen will freeze for a tenth of a second, and while at first this is not something big as you see yourself frozen in mid attack in all this beauty, but it does tend to take you away from the fluidity of combat. This thankfully though does not happen often, and through my experience with this 2 disc game, it has only happened twice.
It is time my fellow vanquishers of the night, to talk about another of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow's great accomplishments; the music. As a personal Castlevania fan, prayers were said that this game not only lives up to the extremely high quality of its history, but surpasses and evolves the series by providing the iconic scores and sounds we have all come to expect from such a quality series. Having listened to the soundtrack and how it ties in with the sounds and the action, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow boasts one of the best orchestral game soundtracks my ears have ever heard. There is nothing more satisfying than hearing a church choir singing a hymn of salvation as you drive your cross through the heart of a demon, or hearing the deep tones of a cello signifying the inner struggle and turmoil that Gabriel must go through.
There are moments as well when you will hear the soundtrack pay its homage to the long line of quality Castlevania titles of the past by incorporating various remixed parts that not only help show off the lineage, but give fans of the series a true taste of what Castlevania should be. The voice acting as well receives high marks as the story is narrated by Patrick Stewart. Not only will you be given an amazing soundtrack, but every voice fits every character perfectly, just like you expect from a Castlevania game. Demons, devils, villagers, and more all shine through in the attention to the voice acting. Even the ambient sounds such as waterfalls, or even a haunting whispering hymn in the background not only add a more realistic feel for the game, but they enhance the already amazing quality overall.
For now unfortunately our tale must come to an end in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. We have refrained from discussing anything in regards to its epic story as this is an experience that every gamer should enjoy and discover on their own. With amazing graphics, an iconic musical score, a fluid movement and combat system, and more means that this title is one that every gamer must have in their library. Always remember holy warrior, that the greatest weapon against the darkness, is the light of God. Ready your cross and say a prayer for your salvation because the darkness of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has arrived, and you are our savior.
Overall Score: 9.1 / 10
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Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions
*Hmmmm.. let's see the headline on today's front page of the Daily Bugle...*
[notices the big front page banner]
Wait... What??!?!?
!!Attention Daily Bugle Readers!!
!!Attention Daily Bugle Readers!!
The Daily Bugle has announced that
Spiderman Shattered Dimensions is
UNDER REVIEW by XboxAddict!!
XboxAddict is bringing an in-depth look at the latest installment featuring Spiderman! You will get a detailed review of all the gameplay mechanics, visual eye candy, and all the bad pun jokes you can thwip your web at. As all of you know our editor-in-chief Mr. J. Jonah Jameson is adamant that you readers understand everything there is to know about Spiderman Shattered Dimensions, so that way you have the full truth behind the man... err...mask.
(More on page A4)
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(Continued from A1)
We all have looked up from time to time to try to catch a glimpse of our city's favorite spider. We have all wondered, at one point or another, what it would be like if we could have the same abilities as he does. In Activision's new release of Spiderman Shattered Dimensions we finally get our wish granted. For the first time we get to experience Spiderman across multiple dimensions; four to be exact. Each of which give a unique perspective and play style that all combine into one story which has Marvel's stamp of approval. Ever wonder, if he has so much power, then why doesn't he perform such amazing moves that clear groups of enemies in an instant? In Spiderman Shattered Dimensions you get to fully unlock all of Spidey's true potential and turn him into the web-slinger we have always wanted to be.
Spiderman's main focus of his combat is fluidity. Every move seems seamless when deep in a 100 or even 200 hit combo, but the real beauty rests in something that has always seemed to be Spidey's downfall... the dreaded camera. Granted Peter Parker does take good photographs of our web-head, but in some previous Spiderman games, we have not enjoyed a good camera system.... until now. Thankfully in Shattered Dimensions we get a new and improved camera system that will allow you to easily track and follow Spidey almost better than Parker himself.... how does he get those great pictures?? Through the new camera system, gamers can enjoy the new lock on feature that makes combat much more easy and allows a greater sense of control by allowing you to auto focus lock and auto center the camera onto enemies, and that is something that is important when you are zipping around tall buildings, or falling 50 stories from one.
There is however a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to managing your camera while you are crawling from walls to ceilings, or vice versa. When you climb to different surfaces it helps to auto center the camera to ensure that you get your right bearings, however, after a little practice and getting the feel of the camera, you'll be moving like true Spidey in no time.
The sound for this game is eerily good. Every single little detail has been taken into account in regards to making this the most authentic Spiderman game...ever. (I know a bit dramatic but it sells right?.. right???) Throughout the different dimensions you will be treated to some classic Spidey voices which personally helps the game a lot. A lot of attention was given to the voice of the spider and that shows by having Neil Patrick Harris (Spidey's voice from the MTV cartoon) play the voice of Amazing Spiderman, Christopher Barnes ('90s cartoon series) voices up the infamous Noir Spiderman, Josh Keaton (Spectacular Spiderman cartoon) brings to life the voice of Ultimate Spiderman, and wrapping up the amazing voice cast is Dan Gilvezan ('80s cartoon Spiderman and his amazing friends) who shines in the role of Spiderman 2099.
The attention to the detail of the music shows in every aspect of the game and is a big reason why this could possibly be the best Spidey game we have ever had.
Visually speaking, Spiderman Shattered Dimensions showcases our hero in various dynamic fashions. Such examples would be: In the Noir dimension you play a more stealth focused role by stalking and taking your enemies out from the shadows, and of course avoiding bullets (seriously I'm allergic to bullets, it says so on my medical bracelet). In the Amazing dimension you are treated to bright vibrant colors and amazing crisp detail. Every boss battle brings (try saying that 5 times fast) forth a true sense of evil as they are brought to life in amazing detail. You'll laugh with Deadpool, cry with... well.. Deadpool, and cheer with... well... never mind you get the idea.
Other bosses thankfully bring forth their own twist on evil. Electro has ditched the green and yellow and now has gone for the no pants pure energy look like he's competing head to head with Dr. Manhattan of The Watchmen, for the best build of pure energy (Even that didn't sound quite right). Spiderman Shattered Dimensions offers a more linear level style of play, but that's not to say it's a bad thing as you'll soon read about.
Most of the level design is brilliantly laid out and innovative. For instance when you go up against the Sandman your level consists mostly of him as a massive tornado that is just destroying the level in front of you and forces our favorite spider to whip from one flying debris object to another (Yes his sand does get everywhere). The Deadpool level brings Spiderman to an oil rig to compete on his own show... yes that's right, I can't believe it either but Deadpool has his own show called Pain Factor. Imagine what a real game of Survivor would be if you were the only one stranded on a metal island with not just Deadpool's mocking, but an army of his heavily armed unpaid interns, by unpaid interns... I mean his fans, and by fans I mean a bunch of crazy thugs with big guns. Some of the new innovative levels also include your favorite web-slinger performing some amazing halo... wait.. can't say that.. umm.. High Altitude Low Opening scenes in which not only do you have to dodge explosions, trains, and cars, but you also get to engage in combat while doing so. So while the levels may be more linear than past Spiderman games, this saves us the hassle of expansive tiresome fetching in a city with a bad camera (yes there are a few fetching parts in this game, but because it's levels are more linear, it makes it a far less annoying feature).
Each level also brings with it a section of Spiderman's web-of-destiny, which are 15 individual mini challenges that Spidey can try to achieve throughout the course of the level. This was a great idea in that it helped add a lot more focus on variety than just swing and punch (I'm a good dancer too). Through your completion of your web-o-destiny thing, Spidey will earn bonuses that will help unlock more abilities in combat upgrades, individual character stat increases, as well as other suits in his multi-dimensional closet (It's got to be that big for all his boots).
(Concluded on page A8)
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As we swing our way home, we must ask ourselves if this game is truly a great Spiderman game, or if this is just another time our favorite spider gets lost in translation? (I really liked that movie) Thankfully XboxAddict can say that this is very close to the Arkham Asylum of the Spiderman world. The level innovations, Deadpool.. I mean boss scenes (he always tries to work himself in somehow), the ease of movement and combat, the wonderful attention to the sounds of Spiderman, and more make Spiderman Shattered Dimensions hands down one of the best, if not the best, Spiderman game we have had the pleasure of playing. If you are a fan of Deadpool... I mean Spiderman, then this game is a must have. We'll see you on the thwip side.
By: Brent Roberts...err...Eddie Brock
Overall Score: 8.9 / 10
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Blacklight: Tango Down
[incoming transmission... XboxAddict review of Blacklight Tango Down... Transmission begins in 3..2..1..]
With the summer time upon us, the need for good games rises with the temperature. Thankfully the people at Ignition Entertainment bring Blacklight Tango Down to the Xbox Live Arcade. We are going to go through the good and bad and see if this title sets a new standard for XBLA titles, or if it falls by the wayside of games that just fell short.
Ok to start things off; Blacklight Tango Down delivers next to nothing as far as story goes. There is a small story about some form of battle or conflict between the Blacklight U.S. forces and a group who call themselves The Order (who also are a group of ex-U.S. special forces). Sounds interesting, however, none of this is even explained unless you decided to hunt through the how to play menu and read it for yourself. This is kind of a drag, but at least the good thing is that we don't have to sit through a horrible story right?
There are multiple modes in Blacklight Tango Down, such as various multiplayer maps and the Black Ops section. The multiplayer modes are what we have come to expect such as variants of Team Death match, plant the bomb, capture the flag, and more. One of the things that make the multiplayer so interesting is the fact that the game comes with 12 maps! For FPS fans, getting 12 initial maps at release is huge, and this is not a retail release, but an XBLA title.
A wide variety of maps, plus with a total of 8 vs. 8 support means that Blacklight Tango Down will provide hours upon hours of fun. The Black Ops mode can be played via single player, or you can do online co-op with up to 3 other players. Black Ops a more story driven mode, but since the story is next to non-existent, it's just another way to earn XP and shoot a lot of people. You will gain less XP per kill in Black Ops, however, you will earn a XP bonus for completing a Black Ops level. One great feature is that you will be able to level up your character across the different modes.
Visually speaking, this game is amazing. For an XBLA title, gamers will be amazed at the quality and detail that they see put into not only the characters and enemies, but in the environment as well. The levels are big and expansive and gamers will love the fact that attention to detail plays an important role in every aspect of the visuals in this game.
Some of the unique new features are the introduction of the Hyper Reality Visor(HRV) and items such as the Digi-grenade. The HRV plays the role of a gamers' map and provides locations on health and ammo stations, to hack points and incoming enemies. This option though doesn't last forever and needs time to recharge, so use it wisely. The Digi-grenade is a fun twist to a standard frag grenade, instead of exploding it creates a bubble of pixilated interference, blinding your enemy for a short amount of time. One thing though with these new grenades is that if you throw one on yourself, you can be affected by your own grenade so be careful you don't blind yourself right before a firefight.
The sound of Blacklight is done well, but is very repetitive. Blacklight's menu music to me became annoying after listening to it loop over and over again as I browsed the different menus. The music though in the game was good. It's not going to stand out as some amazing piece of video game greatness, and it's not going to be so horrible you play this game on mute. It provides a very dark electro style soundtrack, which accompanies the various intermittent vocals very well.
The gameplay is your standard FPS style controls so you can expect to be very familiar with them from the very beginning. Blacklight Tango Down also delivers a reward system in the gameplay called Weapon Tags. What these Weapon Tags(WT) do is alter the aspects of not only your weapon that you use in the game, but your own character as well. WT's can be used for things like increasing gun damage, to shorten the time it takes to re-heal your character. There are tons of these Weapon Tags and it's a complete random drop chance for you to obtain one.
Along with the Weapon Tags are the weapons themselves. Each one of them customizable with various scopes, clips, barrels, and more, which means that Blacklight brings gamers hundreds and hundreds of ways to fully customize your character.
I guess the big question for gamers is: "Is this worth 1200 MS points?" The answer to that question is yes. Blacklight Tango Down delivers stunning graphics, hundreds of ways to customize your character, 12 multiplayer maps with more mulitplayer modes, plus innovative ranking and upgrading systems. This could easily be a $49.99 retail title, so 1200 MS points to play one of the best FPS on XBLA is a deal.
Suggestions: One thing that I would like to see in a future sequel is the addition of a well written story. Something that makes people want to play a dedicated campaign on top of multiplayer.
Overall Score: 8.5 / 10
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Castlevania: Harmony of Despair
*CUE OMINOUS CATHEDRAL MUSIC*
The Summer of Arcade is in full swing, and this week we are treated to an innovative marvel of a title in Castlevania: Harmony of Despair. Konami has been putting forth a lot of effort in this latest installment of Castlevania for the Xbox Live Arcade which will hit the marketplace like a shattered cross. Come follow me into the depths as we explore the 2D world resurrected to perfection in Castlevania: Harmony of Despair.
From the very opening screen you can see that one innovation of many that stands out in front is the addition of multiple characters. Each one brings to the table their own benefits and has their own individual skills that they can learn which when combined w/ other players enhances the gameplay to a whole new level. The innovation of Castlevania Co-Op Multiplayer makes its first introduction in this Xbox Live Arcade title. With different multiplayer modes, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair ignites a flame in the series that rekindles the desire even more for Castlevania.
You want to take Alucard into battle w/ five other players? Go for it. With a total of six player Co-Op gamers will have to work together more than ever if they wish to scale through the castle and defeat the Dark Lord himself. I know some purists out there will say that "Konami has hurt the franchise with the addition of multiplayer" or they may say "Castlevania is supposed to be a single player game". Well rest easy your worries because there is a dedicated single player mode which takes you through all the adventure you can swing a whip at. Take heed though bold adventurer, for the challenge of Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is not to be taken lightly. After going through this on single player, I cannot stress enough how difficult the challenge is. We won't go into the story so you can experience it for yourself, but be ready for one challenging adventure.
Graphically Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is pure to its 2D roots. As you wander and venture through the different floors of the castle, and experience different rooms, your eyes will gaze upon amazing and colorful detail. Enemies are brought to life with exceptional detail and quality and the surrounding backgrounds are a sight in themselves to see. This however doesn't do the game justice, for as you start your quest and zoom the map all the way out, you will see how every level overflows with beauty and how every inch looks and feels just like Castlevania should. The boss characters have all been designed with amazing detail, and provide gamers with a definite feel of joy when you bring one of these demons down. Everything from the characters, levels, enemies, and even the individual weapons have all been done with precision attention to detail and quality. Welcome back to the world we all love, Castlevania.
How can you do a review of Castlevania and NOT talk about the music of it!? From the opening menu selection screen your ears hear a choir chanting which immediately makes you feel at home in Castlevania. The previous game Symphony of the Night opened with a choir, and this takes it to a whole new level. When you are in the game each level has not only its own dedicated soundtrack, but its own dedicated boss music as well. One cool little innovation that I love was the fact that you can now change up the music by individual level, and you can also change up the boss music accordingly. The soundtrack can be summed up as "CC" or Classic Castlevania. High energy synths erupt out of the songs all the while injecting tons of excitement with each passing moment. Grab your whip and say a prayer because we're not done with Castlevania yet.
The gameplay of Castlevania has always been known for providing hours and hours of enjoyment and Castlevania: Harmony of Despair delivers us one amazing experience that should not be missed. As it was mentioned earlier, this game is a serious challenge. The basic jumping, hacking, and dashing are the core foundations for Castlevania, and you will need to utilize all of these and more in order to breech through the castle and defeat evil. Gamers will be excited when they see that the standard controls are all there, but this time they are enhanced. By simple adjustments to enhance an already proven control scheme, Konami ensures gamers that the core controls remain unchanged, and that gamers are given the option to change up the control style as they see fit. Time to play Castlevania, the way YOU want to. Thank you Konami!
As we put the final nail in this coffin, we look back at the experience and feel a sense of uneasy peace. From the enhanced 2D glory that we have grown up with, the amazing customizable enhanced classic soundtrack, six player Co-Op, to the time tested proven gameplay, Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is an amazing addition into a series already known for quality titles. This is one of the best arcade titles released, and for 1200 points you and your friends can finally track Dracula, and put an end to his evil..... for now...
Overall Score: 9.5 / 10
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Final Fight: Double Impact
Side scrolling greatness returns with a bang in Final Fight: Double Impact. Capcom has done it again and this time they have given gamers a wonderful surprise. The title says it all however; gamers will love the fact that they are getting 2 games, yes two games for the price of one! I'm going to break this review up into two parts to cover both games (Final Fight and Magic Sword).
For those new to Final Fight the story is very straight forward. Mike Haggar was a professional wrestler who was elected Mayor of Metro City. During his campaign he promised to handle the crime in the city, much to the dismay of the Mad Gear Gang. Enraged by this action the Mad Gear Gang kidnaps Haggar's daughter Jessica to ensure that crime continues. Haggar decides then to take on the gang, however, he makes sure to bring along some help, by enlisting the aid of Cody (Jessica's boyfriend), and Cody's sparring partner and ninjutsu master Guy. Together the three of them are determined to take back Metro City and rescue Jessica before its too late.
Gamers will battle their way through 6 stages of Metro City in their attempts to rescue Haggar's daughter. You'll fight your way through areas such as a subway, uptown, and more. The enemies you will encounter will take the gamer back to a time where the names changed, but only the colors differed between the enemies. This is your basic side scrolling button mashing game that is a perfect port of the 80's arcade title and is a perfect showcase as to why Final Fight was one of the best arcade brawler/button masher games ever made.
Some of the new updates for Final Fight allow gamers to choose graphic modes of "smooth" and "crisp" which will give gamers a more HD look to their title. As well, gamers will have the option to adjust their video display. One of the "classic feel" options given to gamers is that they can play their game in an actual arcade cabinet. This is nostalgia at its best because not only is the monitor set inside the cabinet, but the original artwork is also displayed on the sides to provide gamers the feel like they have stepped back in time.
One feature that takes me back in time is the soundtrack. All the music has been remixed in Final Fight, however, you can still hear the traditional music. This means that the great 80's arcade music still rings loud and clear and is always a sign that Capcom has made sure to not only bring the classics back to life, but improve on them as only Capcom can.
Final Fight: Double Impact also introduces a new feature to gamers which is called the vault. By completing certain challenges which will appear at the bottom of the screen, the gamer will unlock different items in the vault. One thing to note is that there is a heavy amount as well of Street Fighter images and references in the vault. This is due partially because Final Fight was originally supposed to be a Street Fighter sequel, however, this was changed when the game ended up becoming nothing like Street Fighter.
The second game of Final Fight: Double Impact is called Magic Sword. This game takes place on an unnamed planet and is laid out like a traditional platformer. Gamers will side scroll their way through jumps, traps, and tons of enemies that will constantly keep you on your toes. In Magic Sword a "Black Orb" is the source of the evil in the game and is the main quest to either destroy or obtain it.
The graphics again on Magic Sword have the same HD touches that gamers will get in Final Fight, including the same video modes as well. The soundtrack however, has been remixed just like Final Fight to provide gamers a more modern feel to an arcade classic such as this. Your sword swings, magic attacks and more are even enhanced to give gamers an "updated" feel on such a classic arcade title.
Throughout your adventures gamers will play as the barbarian who wields a sword and shield. If a second player joins in on the fun, then they will become a character that wields a heavy axe. One of the many features that make this game great are the additions of allies. These range from a ninja to a knight and more and their sole purpose is to assist the gamer by various powers and abilities, attacks and the levels gamers will gain improved weapons such as samurai swords, broadswords, flame swords and more. Also, Magic Sword will entice you with various magic spells that the gamer will have at their fingertips. From lightning, to fire, to screen clearing glory and more, Magic Sword gives gamers an amazing amount of firepower at their disposal.
Magic Sword takes place over 51 levels of platform enjoyment, enemy slashing goodness. Gamers will start in the bottom of the overworld map which is laid out like a giant tower, and just like you imagine it would, you will have to work your way through the tower to the top. Through these levels gamers will battle their way through fire, ice, and more as they strive to reach the top of the tower and confront the "Dark Lord". Once there the gamer will battle it out for either good or evil and decide the fate of the world.
Final Fight: Double Impact is going for 800 MS points and is worth every penny of it. Updated graphics, sound, and the ability to transform the game into the actual arcade makes this game a must have in any game library. In today's gaming world its rare to see a title that not only has stood the test of time, but has become a benchmark for many of the games we play now. This title will give you hours upon hours of enjoyment as you try to unlock everything in the vault and go for the achievements as well. Strap on your gloves, get your sword and shield ready to go because Final Fight: Double Impact really does make a mammoth impact!
Suggestions: Bring out more of your classics in the Capcom library.
Overall Score: 8.8 / 10
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Dragon Age: Origins
Bioware. A company known for making solid gaming titles such as: Mass Effect, Star Wars: The Knights of the Old Republic, and Baulder's Gate have done it once again. Dragon Age Origins is Bioware's latest attempt at bringing a solid Action/RPG game to the masses; to which we all bow in thanks. Dragon Age Origins immerses gamers into a world where your decisions, actions and even interactions will truly make a difference in your world and your character's lives. This game is filled with moments that make the gamer "feel" connected in multiple ways.
From the incredible storyline, amazing character development, beautiful soundtrack, and very deep game play; gamers will rejoice to know that Bioware brings the gamers all of these and more in Dragon Age Origins. This is something that I will explain in greater detail later, but for now follow me through the wonderful qualities of Bioware's "bar setting" Action/RPG game, Dragon Age Origins.
Bioware's classic system of "target and fire" is combined with a traditional party system to lay a solid foundation for a wonderful title. In Dragon Age Origins however, gamers will experience one of the most "in depth" and detailed game play experiences ever. Gamers will have more "choices" or options in each and every battle than your traditional RPG. Multiple battle tactics to learn per character plus the options to fully customize your character so that you can set up your own "pre-determined" actions and bring the gamer to a new level of involvement and control in a RPG. Gamers now have a control system where they are able to designate the type of action that a "non-user" controlled character can perform in the middle of combat.
You can customize almost every single aspect of combat for your entire party in your "tactics" making the gamer feel for the first time like they are in total control over every aspect of every character in their party. A good example would be if you have mages in your party, you can map out your tactics so that while your user controlled character is in battle, you can have your mage not only attack the same enemy as you however, but you can also have your mage automatically heal your entire party when the character's health reaches a user defined mark (i.e.: 50%).
Another amazing feature is that you can also pause the action during the middle of combat which allows the user to automatically redefine what tactics they wish to use which means that gamers will always have the ability to control every single battle throughout the game and designate talents and skills in all aspects of every character in your party. Bioware also implemented brilliant ideas by allowing your parties health to auto regenerate once a battle is over, and if one of your party members has fallen in battle they will come back to life (however, they will receive a stat penalty which can be removed with an injury kit).
Auto saving as well whenever you enter another room or building also ensures that the gamer has the most recent spot to resume their game. Speaking of saves, I have to touch on this one part: SAVE OFTEN. You may have a very powerful party, however, one slip in your tactics or you try to be too brave and bold from the beginning and Dragon Age Origins will have you restarting from your auto save point. I personally save after each battle inside a building to ensure that I do not have to go through that battle again just to get to where I am now.
One flaw of the game play system is not the camera, which normally is a cause for concern with most games (the camera is actually good though not great) but a fundamental "bottleneck" problem. What this means is that if you try to draw your enemy to an enclosed narrow area such as stairs or a narrow hallway you will find your character will still attack your targeted enemy, however, only one of your party, or two if you are lucky, will be able to fit on the stairs which means that if you try to be tactful and utilize a "bottleneck" tactic by funneling your enemies toward a narrow area, the gamer will only be able to use part of their party to attack. Bioware however, has worked around this issue somewhat by allowing each party member 2 sets of weapons which means that using your custom made tactics you can have members who can not reach the battle with a normal melee weapon can switch automatically to a ranged weapon and fire away.
This seems sort of like a partial fix, but doesn't seem to fully address the issue as most of your battles will require you to use some form of tactic decision making and with gamers not always being able to fully utilize a true tactic system due to the fact that your options are far more limited in narrow areas. A minor setback in an overall amazing game play system.
To me this is a major factor in my determination for game of the year. Most games have a generic soundtrack that usually gets blended into the background and becomes unnoticeable. However, it is the music that sets the stage for the game and provides gamers with the emotion and passion that they feel at various points throughout the game. Dragon Age Origins has hands down one of, if not the best game soundtrack that has ever been compiled. From the opening menu music, gamers are blessed with a hauntingly epic theme which spills over into every area of the game. In the beginning for example of the noble hero quest you will be subject to a royal and noble soundtrack that will make the gamers feel like they themselves are of true nobility and an heir to the throne itself.
Gamers will hear the drums of war crying out for a charge on the battlefield, they will hear the soft whispers of a maiden's plea for peace and tranquility, they will also hear the thundering of trumpets as you emerge triumphant in your quests and battles. The voice acting is good at times, however, gamers will still hear the occasional stereotype of a character through their voice. The reason I say occasional is due to the fact that most of the time you are treated to voices that fit the mood and scene perfectly.
You will hear a king's command to attack as the Darkspawn army approaches, you will hear demons whispering promises to you in deserted castles, and more. The soundtrack is only half of the beauty when it comes to sound, as the sound effects as well are wonderfully tailored to match every aspect of every situation.
Case in point if you listen closely you can even hear the "twang" of the bow string as the character launches an arrow towards the opponent. Every aspect of the sound has been painstakingly done to perfection and with the orchestral music to back up the wonderful sound effects. Dragon Age Origins has set the bar for music and sound effects in gaming. If you have the chance to pick up the collectors edition, you are in for a treat as the entire soundtrack for Dragon Age Origins is on there.
The graphics in this game are very good. The general scenery is good, however, it feels a bit empty in places and I believe that was intended to keep the frame rate high. If you are in a field you can see some wonderful backdrop scenery, however also on the horizon you will not see trees or rock formations until your character gets close to them and uncovers the area on the map. The building models look very detailed and when you enter them, the attention to detail is very well done. In castles you will find various touches that show a lot of work went into the graphics such as illuminated torches and lanterns, fireplaces, bookshelves, and more. The character detailing is also very good, however, most of the armor types do look very similar in between sets.
What this means is that a basic chainmail chest piece made of iron looks very similar, if not identical, to one made of steel. While true that individual piece development is very tedious and takes up memory, it also allows a greater sense of individuality for each and every gamer.
The enemy modeling is highly detailed on some enemies, however, not all of them really feel or look that detailed. An example of this would be a wolf, just a basic generic enemy, however when you are in battle, the wolf's attack and animation look just average and the detail itself of the enemy looks ok at best. This however, can not be said for some of the other demons and Darkspawn that you will encounter. Some of the demons summoned by mages look absolutely stunning and hideous at the same time. Gamers will be able to see much more detail out of some of the more advanced enemies than the general ones.
For example, lets say you manage to run into some bandits. All of them will appear to be very similarly dressed even if they are wearing different armor, so don't expect much as far as a variation there, however, get your party near a spirit door and battle some mages and you will see that attention to detail stand out almost everywhere you look.
In summary; Bioware has delivered a title that will delight gamers for years and set the standard for other companies to follow. Bioware never disappoints in delivering a story that is unparalleled in its quality, a soundtrack that will stand the test of time, and an overall brilliant game play experience that will always excite and never disappoint.
Every aspect of Dragon Age Origins from start to finish combines high attention to detail and an unending love for providing some of the best gaming experiences. I would say that this is an essential part of any Xbox 360 collection.
If you are looking for a game that will keep your attention for days and months at a time, envelop you in a story that is all based around you, provide you with an amazing soundtrack and sound effects, and ultimately give you a gaming experience you will never forget.... pick up Dragon Age Origins.
Suggestions: Maybe figure out how to make the frame rate high while upgrading the graphics a bit. I wouldn't touch the sound quality, gameplay quality, or anything else except a tweak or two of the graphics.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
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Dead Space
Overall: Overall this game surp@!%#*!es my expectations on many levels. I can not rank it a 10 due to the fact that in my opinion there is no "perfect" game. This does not mean however, that it is a bad game by any means. Dead Space not only meets and exceeds expectations in multiple fields of gameplay, audio, and visual joy, but it also delivers something that I haven't seen in a long time in a video game.... an amazing story.
There is also a treat for gamers of this game in the fact that there is an animated movie (which gamers can download from the marketplace) that provides an AMAZING prequel story to the game itself. Gamers who decide to view the movie (which is broken up into multiple parts on the marketplace) will be treated even more to a very rich and involving story line that leads up to the events of the game itself. Gamers who decide not to watch the movie will not experience any loss or diluted storyline; so think of the movie as an "extra bonus feature" that is not essential, but it does add to a deeper story.
From its innovative gameplay, to the eye popping visuals, and a soundtrack and effects that will curdle your spine, Dead Space offers a truly unique experience in that it will set gamers on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. There is also a high replay value with this game for those who wish to get achievements so if you manage to miss and achievement or two on your first play through, then not to worry because once the game is over, you WILL want to experience the story again.
Like I have said I can not rate this game a 10 because I do not feel that there will ever be a "perfect" game, however, Dead Space takes the bar that I personally feel was set by Bioshock and not only goes over it, it takes the bar and smashes it to pieces. I know that it's a big comparison given that Bioshock won game of the year from a lot of different reviewers, however, if Gears of War 2, Fable 2, and Fallout 3 were not being released this year, this game would be a CLEAR WINNER for game of the year. My recommendation is to stop reading this review and head to the nearest place that sells video games and buy this game. In today's gaming world, very few games offer such a deep and involving storyline, and we must take note of when a gem like this arrives. Dead Space so far to date however, EASILY has my vote for GAME OF THE YEAR! Take a bow EA, this game was flat out AMAZING! Thank you for giving gamers what we have been craving for, for a long, long time!
Gameplay: Dead Space provides gamers with a gameplay experience that will set a new standard for up and coming games to live by. From combat to exploration and even puzzle solving the tools that Dead Space provides gamers brings forth a gameplay that is hard to p@!%#*! up.
First off is the view of the game, it is over the shoulder and not first person which is absolutely perfect considering the extra amount of environment it allows you to see. Movement with the character is relatively slow and with the addition of a run button allows the game to keep moving along at whatever pace the gamer decides to go. This game also does not have a "quick turn" feature (which can be resolved by spinning the camera to the location you want and hit LT) so gamers who wish to have a feature like this are not left out. This makes the characters movement very realistic and when you are facing yourself with very narrow hallways it helps to add a heightened sense of horror and suspense since you can not just turn immediately around to see the monsters charging you. This may sound as an inconvenience to some gamers, however like I said before will provide a much more horrific experience.
Dead Space also provides gamers with a "stasis" power that will allow them to, in essence, freeze anyone or anything temporarily. This is very useful if you find yourself in a situation that is incredibly intense and you want to "slow" the experience down for your salvation. This also has another added bonus in that it allows gamers to finish off their opponents in the way they want to. Stasis is a power that we have seen on many other games which is true, however, the stasis power in this game is activated by the gamer only while your weapon of choice is drawn and ready to fire. This makes for a seamless flow from "freeze to fire" and is a M@!%#*!IVE improvement from other games where you have to first use the power, then arm your weapon. In Dead Space its press one button then unleash hell.
Another great innovative idea is the kinetic powers that you obtain. True other games have kinetic energy powers that the gamer can use, but thankfully the same attention to gameplay detail with the stasis power can be found in this as well. Gamers can have their weapon drawn and ready to shoot, and then use kinetic energy to grab an explosive canister and then unleash the canister and fire almost simultaneously. The flow of the gameplay for these two features was very risky, however the developers have put a lot of time and effort into making sure the transitions were smooth and almost instant.
One of the great features of this game is the Zero-G mode, where just like astronauts you get to jump and fly around and latch onto ledges and platforms that would normally be out of your reach. Zero-G is not everywhere in the game, and will take the gamer a bit of time to get used to. One of the reasons is that in Zero-G if you jump onto a wall, then that wall is your new floor, the ceiling from before is now behind you. It takes a bit of time to get used to the fact that your bearings go all to hell when in Zero-G if you're not careful; however once you get used to Zero-G movement it’s incredibly simple and innovative.
The puzzle solving of this game is also done in a way where gamers will not break their controller in frustration. By providing gamers with a "sense of direction" (Press in RS), you are able to see where you are "supposed" to go next. This is a great innovative idea that will allow gamers the protection of not getting lost inside such a mammoth ship. When activated a blue line will light up from your character's feet and shine for a few seconds showing you the "path" that you can take. The reason I say "can" is because this is a m@!%#*!ive ship and there are other areas to explore so you may not want to always "follow the path", but that is for the gamers to decide. There is one gripe that I do have with this "guide" system, and that is if you're not facing the direction you need to go, the camera and your character itself will turn automatically, so I do recommend that you only use this IF you are not in a fight for it will in essence turn your back to your enemy and allow them to attack you over and over again.
A lot of detail has been taken into account in providing a very fluid, smooth moving game that will delight not only hardcore gamers, but relative newcomers as well. This game has a lot to offer in the terms of gameplay but one thing is for sure the developers got it right and thank you for that
Graphics: The visual eye candy of Dead Space can be found at every turn. From the opening scene you can tell that a lot of time was put into making every single detail of this game absolutely authentic and amazingly real. Not a lot of games recently have put such attention to detail into the gamer's environment, thankfully though, Dead Space provides.
The character models to start out with are AMAZINGLY life like and the interactions are mind blowingly real. This helps bring to life the whole story of Dead Space b/c it will bring gamers a deeper appreciation for all the characters, both living and dead... and we'll get to the dead ones here soon. Not only is the human interaction between player and other humans amazing, but the interaction between the gamer and the environment. From picking up a cell phone in a tram station, to reading a magazine left on a desk of a fallen solider, this game does a great job in its attention to detail. One of my favorite moments was when I was reading the writing in blood on a bathroom wall asking their god to save them from the horrors and monsters, then right underneath it only 2 words "We're ******" where you can tell the last letter is smeared in a bloody streak downwards to a hand, not a body, but just a hand. That is just a small taste of how twisted the visuals can be.
The enemy models are something that not only provided me with an amazing horror experience, but the variety and detailing of each makes this game one of my personal favs. It’s not just like there are different colored enemies or the same enemies, just with more health and armor, but there are subtle differences that make this game go from good to great. For example one of the creatures is a baby that has been genetically mutated for "the cause". It sprouts 3 tentacles which not only sway life like, however, it also has an "Alien face hugging" characteristic which makes every enemy in this game a force to be reckoned with. There are many graphic and gory details about every single enemy in the game that, thanks to the developers taking their time to do, make every single encounter something to be not only feared but appreciated. From pregnant exploding demons, to m@!%#*!ive armored brutes, and incredibly fast moving stalkers, this game is a visual eye candy from start to finish.
The gamers also have the ability to dismember their fallen either by gunfire or by a curb stomp that would shatter every bone in your body. The limbs and dismemberments throughout the game provide such a realistic feel due to the simple fact that everything was painstakingly thought through w/ a high attention to detail. If you see a dead body in the chair and you shoot the head from behind, the whole body reacts to the sheer force of the shot, not just the head. Bodies breakdown and flop around differently depending on what limbs you decide to remove. If you have an enemy that is running at you and you shoot its legs out, the legs will stay and twitch and pulse their remaining blood supply amongst the ground while the demon will just use whatever limbs it has left to crawl after you and end your life.
Dead Space's environments are absolutely amazing. You are placed into a m@!%#*!ive "planet-cracker" (reminds me kind of like a "star destroyer" from star wars) and this ship is M@!%#*!IVE. From the very beginning gamers are dealt a m@!%#*!ive amount of eye candy when it comes to the detailing of the enviornment. From areas of a green house that provide highly detailed plantlife and overgrowth going up and down the walls, M@!%#*!IVE storage facilities w/ multiple levels, to the simple comm. panels that you interact with throughout the game, no detail was missed. You will come to areas that have shattered gl@!%#*! and bodies everywhere w/ an emphasis on HEAVY blood loss, and you can see almost every single individual tendon that makes up not only the human corpses, but EVERY single enemy you face.
Last but not least is the communications that you receive via a "pop up" video screen. These encodings are done absolutely perfectly from the static to the real life images you see and will provide you a little taste of what you can expect to experience. The quality makes the gamer feel that they are actually communicating with the other person on the other side of the screen and it helps to add a tremendous amount of realism to the game. These "pop-up" videos are thankfully stored in your database so that you may (like I did) view them again and again and again. In summary from start to finish, EVERY visual aspect of this game is absolutely amazing and it hopefully will become a mark for other games in development to achieve and surp@!%#*!.
Audio: The audio in Dead Space is second to none. From the very moment you insert the game into your console the audio begins to take you on a horrific ride that will constantly beat your ear drums into submission. This game was MADE for a 5.1 system, by providing gamers an audio experience that does not happen very often. From Dead Space's "Twinkle Twinkle little star...” in the very opening, to the very last scene of the game, the soundtrack is something that I hope future games take into consideration. It has its moments that will raise your blood pressure, and tense your body as you get a "feeling" that will sweep over you without letting up. It also has its moments of accomplishment which when experienced in the context of the game itself lends gamers a greater sense of accomplishment. Many of times after a conclusive victory I found my heart pounding and adrenaline rushing through my veins which only elevated the sense that I just slaughtered something BIG.
The soundtrack does something else that I rarely see in most survival horror games, it goes completely silent. Just ominous sounds of the environment with no musical score to back it up provides an unbelievable amount of heightened tension, that not only will lead gamers into a false sense of security, but allow a much more dramatic climax when BANG everything goes crazy. This soundtrack also is a key for providing many "JUMPING" moments, where you may think after you've gone through a battle that you've won, but you're dead wrong. I've had experiences where after a battle I have thought to myself "I’m so glad that’s over with" and the music will go silent again, then BANG with out warning the game takes an immediate turn for the INTENSE and I barely have a chance to catch my breath.
The sound FX as well are worth mentioning all in themselves due to the simple fact that it is VERY rare to play a game where depending where your character faces will determine where you hear your enemies come from. I know that there are many other games where (in a surround sound system) you hear different effects from different speakers, however, what sets this game apart is the CONSTANT variety of sound effects. You will hear everything from static coming from a comm. link, a baby's cries, laughter, screams, chains and pipes dragging and being dropped, panels breaking, gl@!%#*! shattering, and many, many more.
Now to another fun part, for all gamers, the weapons. Dead Space provides you with an arsenal that is not only fun to use, but sounds every bit as good as every other element in the game. From a scorching searing flamethrower, to a head ripping buzz saw weapon, every single weapon provides gamers with audio heaven with every single shot. Once upgraded your weapons as well develop a different sound. You can start out with a simple amazing sounding projectile sound from your basic plasma cutter, but when fully upgraded sounds like you are unleashing a hand held a-bomb explosion with every shot. The sound for the weapons is absolutely amazing and the fact that the gamer can customize and develop their weapons just as they would themselves makes upgrading every weapon worth it just to hear it go boom.... and boom it does go.
The voice acting in Dead Space is VERY well done. Different tones of voices indicate different emotions that the gamer will feel. It's and experience that will allow the gamers to actually feel what the other person is going through on the other side of the screen. There will be times when you will hear frustration, anger, rejoice, laughter, praise, and more. Thankfully the dialog as well is not done in a way that makes you regret playing this game and is very well written and provides some amazing insight as to the history of the ship and its crew. What is amazingly done is the way the audio from other actors interacts with the audio from other people and creatures alike. You will hear the horrific screams of an attack; you will hear the sobbing stories of a man who just wanted to get home to his family but in the end, takes his own life. You hear it all in the voices of your team as well as in the silenced voices of the now dead crew.
This when combined with the soundtrack bring to the gamer an audio experience that hasn't been seen for a very, very long time. If you do not own a surround sound system, do not worry as this game will easily provide your ears with such a harmony of sound and effects that all that is needed by the gamer is to turn up the volume. This game has it all and the soundtrack and effects are by far some of the best I have heard in a long... long time....
"Twinkle Twinkle little star.... How I wonder how dead you are” Enjoy.
Suggestions: Its hard to imagine what to ask the developers, its like trying to improve a ferrari. The visual and audio qualities of this game are top notch, however if there is one thing that I could say to them, it would be one word: SEQUEL... actually it would be multiple words: MAKE THIS GAME A SERIES
Overall Score: 9.9 / 10
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Ninja Gaiden 2
Overall: Ninja Gaiden 2 is a beautifull follow up to the original xbox title Ninja Gaiden. The game pits users against a seemingly m@!%#*!ive demon army that is determined that we mere humans suffer and perish at the hand of the archfiend. If you're looking for a deeper plot than what I just wrote, then sadly you would be at a loss, for the story is very very loose and there are a few moments that the gamer will say to him/herself "how did we go from there to here?" The plot of Ninja Gaiden 2 is loose at best.
From the beginning, the story has a chance to make some sense and possibly dive deeper into the intricate emotions of the characters, sadly though it does not. From the beginning Ryu must "babysit" a character that serves literally almost no purpose in the game except to provide some "shirt busting" eye candy. The plot development though is what they should have focused on more @ Tecmo, instead of a character that is just there to take up space. This game had so much potential but alas, it falls short in the plot development, very very short.
This normally would be a sign of bad things to come when a game's storyline isn't well developed, but alas this game def. has some qualities that pull its ninja hind parts out of the fire, but not all the way. The old Ninja Gaiden has provided many xbox users and "old-school" NES players the chance to dust off the sword and gear up for one m@!%#*!ive battle after the next. The original games provided users the ability to "trigger" enemies based upon new areas that they enter or explore, and Ninja Gaiden 2 is no different. I'll dive into this in more detail in the gameplay description, and try not to get off topic of this summary.
This title does provide users with a multitude of levels and areas to explore. Ninja Gaiden 2 takes gamers on a journey between distant realms of demonic nature, to the Statue of Liberty, to an old japanese village, and more. Gamers will also appreciate the attention to detail of the accuracy of information of the ninja that was taken into account for this game. Details such as weapon names, the use of the weapon by the ninja, ninja magic or "ninpo" in the game and more will provide hours upon hours of enjoyment for gamers. This isn't a game where the ninja weild lazer swords and shoot particle cannons, this is a game where ninjas use authentic ninja weapons as well as ninja magic "ninpo" to obliterate your existence from the game. This is a wonderfull feel in that it provides a more modern twist while still showcasing a part of Japanese culture and history that has long been over exploited and done with "over-the-top" effects, but deserves every bit of recognition and praise. An example would be in Ninja Gaiden 2 you come to face what are called "gun" ninjas that wield automatic guns and are very acrobatic and hard to hit. This is a good example of how the game puts a modern twist on such a anceint way of life.
Ninja were traditionally very, very intelligent. It is easier to consider them the "special ops" of feudal japan. They utilized deception, intelligence, strength, inginuity and more to complete their missions. Granted some missions did involve @!%#*!@!%#*!inations, however, they were also deployed to gain valuable information and report back. The ninja, if caught, had to outsmart its adversary every chance they got so they maintained the upper hand in the fight. Ninjas as well utilized gunpowder in various ways from traps for enemies, to "ninja magic", and more. This is one of many wonderfull details that Ninja Gaiden 2 takes into account and then provides a modern twist for gamers of today. This game is a great example of how a proud culture from hundreds of years ago has thrived in all of our minds and hearts due to the mystery that is the Ninja.
Gameplay: For those thinking that this game is going to be a fun and enjoyable romp through feudal japan that pits your ninja skills against an army of foes waiting to end your journey, you will be partially satisfied. Instead of having images of a multitude of enemies laying at your feet in pieces as you celebrate your much deserved victory, you will find yourself instead shouting and smashing things from your controller to tv due to the difficulty of this game.
First off is the camera that is provided for the gamer. This is huge considering that the camera will be the only thing you can control to actually see the enemies on the screen that are attacking you. The camera moves around by user control and has the ability to center its focus with the push of a button, however, users will have to literally start thinking in a 360 degree field of view in order to fully grasp the concept of this camera. Many of times users will curse the camera, and feel that death is coming for them in the forms of enemies that are off the screen that the gamer can not see. There are two ways to combat this sensation, one way is to turn the camera sensitivity all the way up.
Even when this is done, the camera can still hinder the gamer in a multiple of areas, esp. when critical jumping and timing is needed and you have a barrage of flaming arrows and throwing stars winging their way towards the back of your head. The second option involves the gamers to start thinking in a 360 field of view. If your character is in a big open training area, then thanks to the amazing new A.I. that I will be going into detail more, understand that enemies, like yourself, do not want to die so they will flank and attack from behind if possible. This means that the gamer must always keep his/her head on a swivel if they want to avoid death from off the screen. A good example would be if you were faced with 3 enemies in front of you all standing in a row. You then focus your attacks on the one in the middle and ignore the other two for now. The other ninja that you did not attack will pivot around behind you and try to flank you and surprise you with attacks that will be next to impossible to block or avoid.
This is all thanks to the new A.I. that Ninja Gaiden 2 provides gamers. The enemies in the game are a lot more bent on survival for themselves and will do anything from ranged attacks to sneak attacks in order to try to gain the upper hand against you in a fight. This will also come into play when you go after the boss battles for now their A.I. has also been improved upon to provide gamers a true challange which some will find at times to be next to impossible. With all the improvements that have taken place in Ninja Gaiden 2 in regards to enemy A.I. this is a great example of how you can take something amazing and make it even better.
Ninja Gaiden 2 also provides users with some of the most fluid and intense combat fighting situations that are to be found on a video game. Combos and obliterations are the main focus of this and provide multiple ways of dispaching your foes to another world. Every weapon in the game has multiple obliteration techniques that the user can do in a fight that will end it shortly, very very shortly. This works out beautifully considering that most of the time you are faced with more than 3-5 enemies at a time. By using the ability to end one enemies life in a few strokes, the user can then turn his/her attention to the other enemies that have now by most part either taken up flanking positions or have worked their way directly behind you. Using the obliteration techniques as well provides a colorfull zoomed in mini cut scene where the enemy finally falls at the hand of your blade which will seem interesting at first, but then you will find it to become very repetitive, however, since there are multiple weapons at Ryu's disposal and every one of them have multiple obliteration sequences, the user will not be at a loss for limb removal enjoyment.
Combos also are a main focus of Ninja Gaiden 2. True its one thing to end the fight quickly and enjoy the pleasure of converting your enemies into piles of limbs, but Ninja Gaiden 2 also allows the gamer to smash, over and over and over and over and over..... and over again every single opponent that stands in your way, and this is one of the ways that Ninja Gaiden 2 shines above all. When you are faced with multiple demons and you are thrashing out a 60 hit combo or up the fluid gameplay of the battle allows Ryu to literally bash the ever loving crap out of anyone and will leave gamers shouting at times "ooooooooooooohhhhhhhh snap!!! DID YOU JUST SEE THAT!?!?!?!" This is because the fluid action sequences of Ninja Gaiden 2 are injected with some serious "roids" that take the gameplay from enjoyable to extremely enjoyable.
Just as every weapon has multiple obliteration techniques, Ninja Gaiden 2 provides multiple "Ultimate Techniques" that can be unleashed at the mere press of a button, but don't start to think that this is a "golden ticket" to get through the game. In order to do Ultimate techniques you will need to "charge" your character up. This is done by holding the attack button for a few seconds, however, once charged you are totally defenseless. This is where the stratagey comes into play for the gamer. Stratagy is key for the timing of this move, and I can not stress enough the word KEY. This is not a move that is to be pulled off when its 20 on 1, however, this is more suited to 3 on 1 or so. When the gamer charges this ultimate technique they are rewarded with a mini cut scene of Ryu using his tools of his trade to rain hit after hit after brutal and bloody hit into his opponents. Multiple weapons mean that the gamer is treated to m@!%#*!ive, and I repeat, M@!%#*!IVE ultimate bashings. Imagine slicing through an opponent in a 30 hit ultimate technique, switching then to your staff (or whatever weapon suits your fancy), and raining down another 35 hit combo for a glorious total of 65 ninja bashing hits!
I mentioned earlier that parts of this game is controller smashing hard, and I still mean every word of it. Ninja Gaiden 2 commands every bit of respect and focus that you can provide, for if you give anything less, then kiss your lil ninja tail goodbye. This is a game that will test gamers focus with every turn. The original Ninja Gaiden for the 360 had its moments of frustration and this sequel is no different. A major improvement for the gamer is the ability to regain lost health after a fight. Instead of going through a battle now, taking damage, and then hopefully making it to another save point before you have to use your health items, the gamer's health will refill to a point. Ninja Gaiden 2 offers now a "red bar" that will steadily grow as you take damage in a fight. This is health that will not be restored at the end of the fight. Right now fans are breathing a sigh of relief, however, that is soon counteracted by what the enemies bring to the table.
This game will pit you in situations that are phenominally hard. When you start out there are 2 forms of difficulty. Acolyte and Warrior provide the "easy" and "medium" difficulties and for the common gammer not accustomed to Ninja Gaiden, they will seem like "hard" and "yeah right impossible." For instance there is a boss battle, that after you make it through that you have to immediately fight 8-12 more hard enemies, and THEN the level is over. If you should happen to expire while you are fighting these extra death dealers, then you will have to start all over at the main boss battle again, and then move on to the 8-12 enemies that already stopped you in your path. This will provide hours upon hours of challenge for the gamer, but will also allow a great feeling of accomplishment upon p@!%#*!ing levels and areas. I've mentioned the difficulties of Acolyte and Warrior, however, I have not begun to stress the challenge of the next 2 levels of difficulty, mentor and master ninja.
With the mentor difficulty you face an even greater challange that is not for the faint of heart. An increase in in the A.I. means that this difficulty will be a source for many sleepless nights and replaced controllers. This however, pails in comparison to the other difficulty setting, Master Ninja. For the common gamer Master Ninja difficulty will seem to them like the developers were sitting around and thought to themselves "what would a gamer never be able to beat?" I say this because Master Ninja is a difficulty that is beyond anything we interpret to be hard. Your ninja skills will have to be honed to a razor's edge in order to even stand a chance against your opponents in this difficulty. Enemies will attack, and attack, and attack again without hesitation. They will use every single move and method they can comprehend to end your journey right then and there. Upon completion of the Master Ninja difficutly gamers are awarded 100 gamerscore points, however, in my eyes they should receive a medal. If completion of mentor is an impossible challange, then completion of Master ninja will test gamer's devotion when faced with an impossible scenario. I can not stress enough the difficulty and frustration that awaits you in master ninja.
As I mentioned gamerscore earlier, this game provides users w/ creative achievements that force the gamer to explore and search the levels instead of just blasting through enemies and levels with a bloody sword (granted you can just do that as well if you so desire). Some of the achievements range from: completing certain levels, using only 1 weapon throughout the game, beating it on a certain difficulty, etc... This provides a great replay value for the game in that users will have to run through Ninja Gaiden 2 multiple times in order to gain a full 1000 gamerscore points. There are some secret achievements, however, with a little exploration most can be obtained fairly easily.
Graphics: The graphics on Ninja Gaiden 2 are absolutly stunning. Ryu comes to life like we have never seen him before and the battles are stunningly beautifull esp. when you have the oppertunity to view him in HD. The backgrounds, even for being rendered landscapes, provide a beautifull backdrop in every single level and help to institue a feeling of belonging to the gamer. This beauty starts from the very first min. the gamer puts the disc in the 360 and does not end till its all said and done. Gamers will see beautifull graphics on every level, from very well done water effects as well as some goregous fire detailing, and more.
This also means that every single battle that the gamer goes into will be done with absolute beauty. From your encounters with common enemies and foes to major boss battles and epic fights, everything is laid out for the gamer in one beautifull package. Seeing limbs and heads removed in such fluid HD beauty is something that you will be hard pressed to find in any other game. The graphics are truly top notch and its all thanks to the wonderfull developers at Team Ninja, who is also responsible for other graphically stunning games such as Dead or Alive. Team Ninja leaves no attention to detail out in the construction of Ninja Gaiden 2. The detail doesn't just stop at the landscapes in the background, but continues on to fill every single aspect of the game, from trees, to bulidings, everything is shone in a goregous p@!%#*!ion that will impress even the most critical of gamers. From old japanese villages, to modern day cities, to the depths of hell, every moment shines with stunning graphics.
The detail involved in the enemies are also very impressive. Every imperfection, every eye, every single small little detail is displayed for the gamers enjoyment. The detailing in Ryu's adversaries truly make for a graphically staisfying time. Gamers will see things from the flames coming from the eyes, or the bolts of lightning rain down from above, to the pavement of a street, to the subtle leaves of a tree. This game holds nothing back when it comes to graphics and is one of the most visually stunning games you can find on the xbox 360.
Audio: This is where I have to find a little fault with the game. Being an audio producer/dj I tend to focus on the music to help create the environment and emotion that will help define a gamer's enjoyment. I have recently purchased a copy of the soundtrack for the original Ninja Gaiden on the xbox b/c I wanted to do a direct comparison and see what improvements, if any are apparent. Sadly though I was disappointed.
The music soundtrack to Ninja Gaiden 2 does little to help the gamer immerse themselves into the level and the boss music sounds pretty much the same from level to level so there is little variation there as well. Also, there are no tracks that provide the same type of feeling that we once got when playing the original Ninja Gaiden, and for a game that took many years to develop I felt that this was a big disappointment. I was expecting a japanese influenced soundtrack that branched into intense dark electronic beats to signify intense situations that you will find yourself in, to the lull of softer music for when you are venturing around the levels. Unfortunetly I was fairly disappointed in the soundtrack, however, thats not to say that this game does offer some redeeming audio qualities.
The sound FX that the gamer will hear with every single swing of a weapon is done brilliantly. The clash of swords, the impact of projectiles, the boom of explosions, all of it and more sound crisp and clear and will leave the gamer wanting more. The voices of the bosses also bring out a sense of amazement. From the misleading softness, to the booming b@!%#*!, every boss has their own individual charcater and because of this and it brings the gamers of Ninja Gaiden 2 a treat when the times comes for the final confrontation. Ninja Gaiden 2 does have its faults in the audio department, however, when compiled against the big picture of the game experience, will leave gamers with a very enjoyable experience
Overall Score: 9.2 / 10
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