barretxiii

First off I'd like to address the naysayers. A game is not all about showing off the latest graphics technology (Crysis), or pumping out yet another addition to an already successful money-making franchise (CoD). It's also about engrossing you in the story and, more importantly, the atmosphere. If you weren't pulled into the atmosphere, then I guess this isn't your kind of game or you were only playing to win (something the game actually tells you NOT to do), and I suggest you find another game you like and just stick with that.... Now onto the review....... Have you ever been scared? Had a nightmare where you are taking a test you haven't studied for, or spending the day in your underwear? Played Dead Space or Doom 3 and jumped when the scary guy hopped out of the vent screaming at you while being illuminated by your flashlight? Those are some scary scenarios aren't they? But have you ever been alone, in a series of near pitch black stone corridors, hearing voices and screams resonate faintly through the halls, with nothing but a half-empty weak oil lamp to keep you company, knowing that something is indeed "out there" ready to brutally murder you within seconds of noticing you, and realized that the only way to escape this nightmare is to continue the dark hallway that you now fear so much?... Take a minute to absorb that one... That is Amnesia: The Dark Descent for you. Very few mainstream video game titles have ever built such an engrossing atmosphere before, save for Silent Hill, Fatal Frame, and a few others. From beginning to end you are but one mortal man, in a large almost derelict castle, with no memory, an order to kill a man, a warning that a "shadow" is hunting you, and no possible means to defend yourself... Proceed down the halls and through the darkness, steel yourself, and pray that the creature you just briefly glimpsed out of the corner of your eye hasn't seen you... No game has ever been this terrifying before (at least for anyone who has engaged in the atmosphere of any other game completely). The feeling of tension, as you slowly inch around a corner that may or may not be hiding a monster, is truly palpable. Even more so is the feeling of sheer bloody terror as you find yourself fleeing as fast as your mortal legs can take you while fear and panic wash over your nerves, make you sweat, and jerk your muscles involuntarily. You find a supposedly safe spot in the darkness, but your fear of the darkness and the unknown slowly takes its toll on your sanity. The voices become more frequent, the scratching becomes louder, you can't see straight anymore, your vision is blurred, and your movements are sluggish, almost as though your body and/or mind are fighting your attempts to proceed onward. The creature is still there, but where? And when will he strike?... Presentation: As stated before in the review and in oh so many others like it, atmosphere is the focus of Amnesia. Nothing says terror like being alone, in tight, dark corridors, hearing voices, having no weapons at your disposal, and never knowing if that disfigured shape walking across the misty hallway is really there or a trick being played on your mind. Graphics: Again people, graphics don't make a game, though they do certainly help. Amnesia is nothing groundbreaking. It rehashes Frictional's HPL engine from their Penumbra series with some minor graphical improvements. But it's not about the realism of the graphics, but the supernatural darkness that it creates. Audio: The voice acting is adequate but the sounds are far better than most AAA titles. Nothing helps add to the already creepy atmosphere like hearing a flashback take place as though you, the player, are standing there yourself, listening to the articulations of footsteps on dirty stone and hollow wood with high quality sounds of papers being shuffled or doors being opened. Gameplay: The gameplay is pretty primitive. Walk, run, open/close door, take item from inventory and use on puzzle, etc. But as with the atmosphere the lack of combat and weaponry helps drive the feeling of terror that you are meant to feel. The game gives you such simple gameplay elements so that you aren't distracted with "where is the reload key?" You will be focused with staying alive above all else. Replayablity: There is apparently more than just one ending, and you can't save the same game in multiple files. Meaning you can't witness one ending and then just reload to that defining moment where your choice affects the outcome. You will have to play again to get the other endings... All in all, Amnesia is a very well made game, considering the main design team is comprised of only two people. Its atmosphere is almost unmatched. If you manage to let yourself get **** in, you will start to physically feel terror as you run, breathing heavily, from that dark monster in the hallway, and suddenly feel your whole body get tingly. That is real fear.

It's nice to see developers refine some of their titles rather than treat them like guided rockets, with a "fire-and-forget" method of development. Refinement is good. But releasing those refinements in a full priced new-release package is an almost unforgivable attempt at making more money from an already world-popular title. Long story short: Good refinements but should be a patch or DLC, not a new game.

I was skeptical about getting MAG at first (I know a lot of people have already said that). I did my research, read plenty of Critic and User reviews, watched trailers, watched gameplay videos on youtube, and waited for the price to drop. I got very interested since the gameplay videos looked rather decent and reviews stated that the games focused on operating as a TEAM. A tactic that CoD has never truly implemented. It was summer vacation in 2010 and I was getting bored playing solo games so I bought the game used for $30. A fair price at the time. I had heard of so many people joining the SVER faction and I, being a non conformist, went and joined Valor since they felt like the were the least liked of the three factions... And their theme music is like hard rock meets the Blues. When I first played a few games I felt a slight disappointment since I had been playing with people who had the game far longer than I had, had gotten well accustomed to the controls and gameplay, and who knew more about teamwork than I. Also I died repeatedly. After a few hours I got more and more into it since I had leveled up a few times giving me access to more skills and weapons. The gameplay is like CoD and also a far cry from CoD. The TEAM and OBJECTIVE focus is what makes MAG unique. By fighting with your teammates, completing objectives, and defending those objectives you get double XP. For example, an enemy kill awards 5 XP. An enemy kill in the vicinity of a prime objective awards the usual 5 XP but with a FRAGO bonus of another 5 XP. This helps encourage team based combat rather than trying to be a CoD/Halo one-man-army, charging to your death. Now it's January 2011. The game has made some incredible changes, from improving the graphical frame rates, to changing the skill and "armory" system, to adding new ways to get LOADS of bonus XP. I downloaded the massive update and Was astonished. The frame rates went from a slightly choppy and inconsistent 24-30fps to a smooth 45-60 fps. And being a later date more people had joined the game giving more people to fight and more opportunities, in general, to fight. There had also been two new games modes that had been added Interdiction and Escalation. Interdiction was like another massive Deathmatch with vehicles, while Escalation gave all three Factions a chance to fight each other at one time since all other modes only allowed two factions at a time. The skill tree and "armory" had been revamped as well so rather than having new weapons unlocked by spending skill points the skill tree has much more skills and there is another supply tab that houses all the weapons plus some new additions, as well as new gadgets and camo colors. The updates have also added new maps some of which look amazing compared to the old ones Now the game is batter than ever. Back in 2010 I would've given the game maybe a 7 because it felt like it was in its experimental stage but now I see that the developers are working to build a better FPS. Breakdown... Sound: 7, The sounds are the only things that haven't improved. Bullets still can sound rather weak. Graphics: 8, Graphics don't make a game but they help, and MAG wasn't groundbreaking, but the improved frame rates do help make the gameplay more functional. Gameplay: 10, The controls handle just like any other FPS, I don't know what the fuss is about. OK maybe a few bits are different from CoD but come on people. Open Minds please. And the fact that I have met some people that want to play as a team makes it more enjoyable with 10,000 bullets flying by my head every minute. I don't feel like some **** is going to spawn camp me every time. But you will die a lot so stop whining CoD lovers. Lasting Appeal: 9, I say 9 because while it does some things greatly it is still an FPS. You play one FPS you have pretty much played them all. But it is perpetually online gameplay with no fee. Unless you are a CoD fanatic you will come back for more.

64 negative reviews? Absurd, ridiculous, depressing, pathetic, and a bunch of other terms that describe the lazy slabs of redundant flesh bags **** to Call of Duty, Halo, Hawx, or any other modern/sci-fi military game. I've played the game Twice and I can firmly say, as someone who was very skeptical about motion-based gaming, that the controls are not at the very least an issue. It took just the first mission to become accustomed with the controls and special gesture-based techniques and after that I was hooked. The controls take time to get used to. Nobody can play a motion game for the very first time and feel like they grew up with only this kind of game. Just sit down and spend a good 20 minutes in the training level. And have patience. It's not like Call of Duty, Halo, Rainbow Six or any other generic FPS. The story is pretty simple: honor, betrayal, enemies-to-allies, that sort of thing. The use of Mo Cap for the cutscenes helps make it a little more cinematic. The graphics may not look like much now (2010) but this is a launch title, Factor 5 (makers of Rogue Squadron series) had never worked with a next gen concole, or even the PS3 no less. After looking at the Making-of Videos in the game, it showed that they still had the PS3 Development Kits. This was being worked on before launch. WIth that in mind I would say the graphics are phenomenal for something this early on for the PS3. Besides name any other game besides Heavenly sword that has literally thousands of soldiers on the battlefield. An incredible feat. The Music. My god the music. I don't think I've heard a video game soundtrack this epic since Metal Gear Solid. John Debney did an amazing job composing for this game. The game features a "jukebox" mode that lets you listen to the individual music tracks at your leisure. So Now that the game costs significantly less (can't be no more than $10 now) WHen you think about buying it and don't like the gameplay just think that you payed for a glorious soundtrack instead, since $10 is pretty standard for music albums now. On a another note, for all the thumb-control addicts who fear motion controls like a vampire at his first sunrise, There is a DLC on the Playstation Network that not only gives players the option for analog controls but also adds two new dragon models that can be used at any level. Give it a chance.

First off, let me state that unless your an ignorant fanboy of Halo or Call of Duty or any other repetitive Franchise game series then there is no possible way you could rate a game like Dead Rising 2 to such extremes like 1/10. There are many features which would appeal to just about any person who: Likes zombies, likes violent humor, clever and funny weapons, mowing down zombies on a chainsaw-equipped motocross bike, or any of the other fun concepts provided. The game follows Chuck Greene, a former motocross champion who does whatever it takes to get the ultra rare zombie anti-virus drug Zombrex that his infected daughter, Katey, needs daily to prevent turning. When another outbreak is unleashed Chuck must take his daughter to a safe house and, from this new base of operations complete various tasks such as the usual rescue survivors, fight psychopaths, find Zombrex for Katey, and whatever the main mission calls for. Rescuing survivors is relatively easy except when they get too close to your melee swings and turn on you from taking too much accidental damage, effectively failing the mission and forcing you to kill them. This can make it a little frustrating at times but the easiest way to succeed here is to just charge straight for the safe house and keep them following you. Some of the premises for rescuing some suvivors are pretty funny most of the time, like a woman who was trapped in a tanning bed or a death metal band who was so into their music that they didn't realize that their "fans" below the stage were the newly unleashed zombie hoard. Defeating the various psychopaths, or essentially the bosses, is the most difficult task next to finding Zombrex. In all these fights the odds are stacked against you all the time. They consist of a simple cutscene to introduce the nut job and a following fight. They are way faster than Chuck, way stronger, and have some crazy abilities (A guy in a bathroom can teleport around the room using the stalls). They also have an insane amount of health (It took around 10 point-blank shots from a shotgun to kill one guy on a bike). This is where the game focuses on multiple playthroughs even if you haven't finished a game. Yes, you can play halfway though and start a new game with your existing profile and keep all your stuff at the start of the new game. While most consider this stupid or broken it is necessary to beat the human bosses or even stand a chance. The game has a small feeling of Demon's Souls here, as in bosses are very difficult and require multiple replays to gain the edge in battle. The game takes place over 72 hours (3 days until the military arrives to clean up the mess), and in that time Chuck's infected daughter needs a daily dose of Zombrex to stay human. It only needs to be done every 24 hours of in-game time, which tends to fluctuate with real time. Zombrex is nearly impossible to find but can be purchased from pawnshops. The main story missions focus on the uncovering the origins of the new outbreak. Chuck has been framed for releasing the zombies and he has 3 days to get the evidence to clear his name. Like and other RPG or free roam game you have to go to various places, kill certain people, and whatever it requires to complete your mission. Combining weapons is the highlight of DR2 because not only are they awesome and wacky but effective in combat with hoards of undead and give multiplied PP (the games version of XP). These weapons ranged from F***ing awesome to F***ing hilarious, Liek the Boomstick, a shotgun taped to a pitchfork that stabs and shoots a zombie, or The Electric Chair, a car battery wired to a wheelchair that can capture one zombie, constantly electrifying him, charge through crowds of zombies and finally crash and release that sitting zombie who explodes with a chain lightning effect on other zombies. The online play is also quite fun. The mini game mode Terror Is Reality (TIR) offers close to a dozen zombie slaughtering mini games, all of which are very fun and entertaining, and give you prize money which can be transferred to your single player profile. Now onto technicals. The load times are there and they can feel like a minor bug bite on your back at times but you'll survive. Graphics aren't Final Fantasy XIII or Heavy Rain, but considering the shear amount of zombies on screen they do suffice. The facial expressions are very well done though. Not as polished as Heavenly Sword or Uncharted but good enough that their emotions feel real and believable, especially Chuck who has plenty of obvious chemistry with his daughter Katey who always has a sunny disposition despite of her infection or the state of the world. The audio is top notch though. A clever and stylish blend of sunny mall music for free roam and fast-paced metal for intense fight scenes. The voice acting is incredible for this style especially the insanity of the psychos. All in all a very fun game to play, alone or with friends.

A fun JRPG with enjoyable strategic gunplay on par with The Matrix. Regardless of overly anal critic reviews this game does deliver an excellent blend of fast paced action combat with some simple strategic elements. Gameplay: The towns and the world map take a little getting used to but after a short time, can be navigated with ease. The battle system feels like a combination of the fast action of FFXIII with some strategic elements from Valkyria Chronicles (i.e. locational damage, cover, armor...). Despite what most people say the gameplay isn't that complex once you look at the in game tutorials and experience a few battles for yourself. Over time all the little nuances of battle start to feel like second nature. Outside of battle there are plenty of things to do and you can also customize the clothes of the three main characters as well as the guns they use.( just a quick warning the customized guns don't change visually only statistically.) Graphics: While not as impressive as FFXIII it still looks quite beautiful and some of the character and environment designs are both cool and elegant. Also physics are a wonderful touch. Just take a look at one of the character's hair flowing in the wind smooth as silk. Story: The story doesn't show much in the beginning but as you progress more and more bits and pieces start to appear. And you don't have to play a linear game this time around, there's plenty of other activites to do, most notably the Arena where you can fight progressively more difficult enemies and get bronze, silver, and gold coins that can later be traded for exceptional equipment. Audio: The ability to alternate between English and Japanese voice s is a very nice thing depending on your preference. The japanese tracks sound just as good as any other japanese anime or video game. The english tracks are merely decently acted but are fun to listen to and watch (YouTube the 'raisin dance'). The sound effects are very clear and powerful and supports surround sound even on two speakers. The music is soothing and sometimes cheery in towns, somewhat majestic on the world map, tense in dungeons, and hard-boiled and dynamic in combat. Lasting Value: While the story isn't Heavy Rain or FFXIII it can still feel alright for another playthrough as well as some of the cinematic scenes. All in all this game is just underrated and a must play for any RPG lover.