Hyomoto

The AI is awful, and the game is full of bugs. It plays like GTA III and for the price they are asking it should be a hell of a lot better. Sniper Elite, MGS, heck even Splinter Cell have done this style of gameplay better. The customization is alright. Making your gun unique is a cool selling point but the gameplay isn't complex enough to even need it. There's no ballistics like Sniper Elite, the stealth game is 'spotted/not spotted' and enemies are either alive or dead. It's a mediocre co-op shooter with a AAA veneer.

I have never said this before, and I hope to never say it again: this game is so ugly it actually distracts me from being able to play it. I cannot even properly review it because of how awful the graphics are. It looks like an alpha build, they clearly just flipped the switch on some effects, halved the texture sizes and called it a day. No one expected it too look it's best here, but it could have at LEAST looked DA:2 in quality. There are launch titles that looked better. There are PS2 games that looked better. I'm not just being facetious; texture resolution varies wildly, things pop-in everywhere, the lighting is a combination of far too dark and way too bright (how did that manage this?), people float around and animate through things, and there are tons of visual glitches like the screen tone constantly shifting for no discernible reason. At first I thought there was a day-to-night cycle, this is just tragically bad.

Short, yes. Perhaps the most effective teaser ever released and the best demo. The question is content versus quality here and one is abundant while the other is not. I can understand why someone would be upset at purchasing this, especially if they didn't know what they were getting into. Is it worth 30$? The answer depends on whether a sneak peek at MGSV is worth 30$ to you. Taken as a game, it's a FANTASTIC mission and if this is what MGSV wants to be, then hell yes I'm on board. The side ops really show the diversity Kojima is going for here, and even the basic mission lends itself to a lot of replays through difficulty modes and unlocks, and even score if you are into it. However, that's all it is. One mission and a few variants thereof, and as robust as the interaction with it is, it simply isn't more than that. The PS version is the one to get if you decide to spend though, as it has an additional mission and in pickings this slim that really is to your benefit. Want to whet your appetite for V? This will do it. But if you wanted a game to tide you over, or to provide bang for your buck, this simply is not it. Quality here simply cannot gloss over how little of it there is.

This game is horribly underrated, even if only for being a genuinely unique and fresh experience in a highly stagnated genre where Skyrim is considered exciting. Despite some technical hiccups, all the the mechanics belie more details than you'll notice in the first twenty hours. As an example, there are a lot of clever and interesting options in quests that usually are not pointed out to you. For instance, you can make forgeries of certain items. Some are perfect duplicates but others, like magical or quests items, are imperfect. However, for many quests you can still turn them in for varying effects. This is never explained to you, you have to come up with that plan on your own. This alone should be enough to get you to try it. A few other highlights, a HUD that can be completely turned off, an interesting AI, unique character customization, superb level progression, amazing combat, unforgettable boss battles. The down points are mostly technical flaws. I didn't encounter any bugs, but essentially the engine lacks polish you might find in a AAA title. Overt LOD changes and low res textures in places will bother the more mainstream crowd. Most complaints about this game will stem directly from that. However, everything is functional, works as it should and is highly entertaining.

This is one of my favorite games. The hack and slash combat is quite good, something which seems to have disappeared in recent times. It also has another feature not seen in quite some time, unlockable characters! (though not available at the time, nowadays it would be DLC) And the ability to go through completed levels with other characters. One of the best games to bear the LotR franchise and despite some minor flaws, is a quality game through and through. They don't make them like this anymore!

War in the North is a fun title if you enjoy a good hack and slash, or Snowblind's prior works such as Champions. While nowhere as well done as Return to Arms, it certainly shows the influence. You have three character choices with actual different play styles and game opportunities, and combat is visceral and largely satisfying. The game also has a really authentic art and beautiful art style, each piece of equipment is true to the lore set by the films and varies depending on the craftsman (be it man, elf or dwarf). The things that really water down the game (and its score) are the concessions to casual players. Treasure is everywhere and multiple players (the best way to play) can all loot the same chest. There are these 'magic shops' (is it even explained?) that serve as the main way to pawn off gear (no need to even town portal Diablo style). And because of this, the teamwork of trading items and gold doesn't even exist. A few FPS style last stand sequences with ballistas feel out of place and overall it is a little easy. However, it looks nice, plays well and is one of the better games to bear the LotR franchise. I debated giving it a 6, but it received an extra point for being a fun coop game that supports system link.

One of the best features of the LoG is its respect for the player's intelligence. The game style may not be for everyone, but anyone tired of games telling them 'press LS to move' might enjoy a break with some interesting puzzles, strategic combat and old school RPG fun. The game is not overly hard, and may only lightly challenge veterans of games such as Bard's Tale or the old AD&D games, but amid the wash of glorified cut scenes that modern gaming has become, this is a rare and brilliant gem.

I gave this game a 9 because I don't believe in 10's. Any time I see a review of 10 I can't help but think it's lying, does any game deserve a perfect score? Dark Souls isn't perfect. It's just really damn good, and if you want a real, earned sense of accomplishment to go with your game time, this is where you'll find it. I find modern gaming to be mind-numbing easy. Reviewers go on and on, not about how hard it is to beat a title, but how long it will take you! Dark Souls hearkens back to a time when video games challenged you to TRY and beat them, but there was no expectation that you'd succeed. In fact, that was where the replayability was, trying to beat the damn game! In this, Dark Souls makes a concession to modern gaming in that there are no game overs, and with enough perseverance you should be able to win. Probably. You'll actually need to learn something about your character, how they move, how far they attack and how quickly they can escape to be successful. Figuring out a boss' weaknesses, blind spots and coverage gaps will be instrumental to you victories. Or in the case of the Minotaur, a bit of dumb luck might support you (it did me!). The difficulty in this game isn't just your enemies health its how they move, attack and their sheer power. Luckily the controls work and respond like you need them to, and part of your learning experience will be to know what capabilities your weapon has and how to use them effectively (I prefer the spear and shield myself, but I'm a cautious man). Like Demon's Souls, you can defeat any enemy at any level and with any weapon. Powering these things up just gives you that warm comfy that you'll die slightly less horribly at your enemies hands because everything has a price. Wear that heavy armor to take less damage and reduce staggering, but give up your movement and dodge speed. It's a game of give and take, most of the time you'll be giving your life and taking a beating. But because of this, for each victory, you'll get something that little Xbox blip just can't give you, a real sense of achievement. The feeling of overcoming your enemies with your wicked cunning, superior preparation and steadfast devotion. Beasts begin to fall to your blade the way you once fell to theirs. Each step takes you deeper and deeper into adventure and danger, the way the RPG's of old used to. If you want a game that is going to pat you on the back, tell you everything is going to be alright and spoon feed baby then skip Dark Souls. It doesn't want to be your friend and it won't do you any favors. It's the type of game some people won't play, just based on its reputation. The last frontier of gaming; a place where only the courageous and masochistic dare to tread. But then again, if you agree with this review I have to assume you've already played it, how could you not know about it?

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The first Cladun was rather imaginative by my standards. Though the story was rather basic, and the gameplay at a glance was none too terribly complex, beneath the gaze of the casual observer one would find the value of their purchase. Fans of NIS certainly found themselves immersed in the grind-fest of earning magic circles, searching for artifacts and trying to make the strongest builds. This latest entry, Cladun X2, is no different. In some ways the title was scaled back a bit; the most noticeable change right from the go is you'll be designing your entire party. You wonâ