There really nothing I have seen or read that could have prepared me for this experience. Regardless, I don't want to spoil a single inch of this game. This may sound ridiculous, but perhaps after playing it you will understand. This game completely challenges the very concepts of what video games can be and the kinds of long inert emotions we've never known existed. Anyone with an open-mind and taste for exploration and art should be playing this game.
I bought this against my better judgment so I'm going to try my best to make a well-informed and detailed review. As you probably already know, this game is a terrible value, even with the added DLC. For $30 you get 5 cars and 3 courses. If you buy the digital version (which is $25) by April 30th, you get an extra 5 cars and 3 courses. This DLC pack on it's own is $7.50, so to get the same value you will need to wait until the physical copy is ~$17. If you have the extra memory space and must have this game, you should probably buy it now. So how is the game itself? Well if it was strong foundation it would have made this $30 investment somewhat more palatable. However, the core game is pretty weak in all respects. First off, there is no single-player campaign. You have either Spot Race (typical 8 car race) or Time Race, and that's it for single-player. This is particularly disappointing given how well done the PSP Ridge Racer was, with many tours that were well paced. Luckily the Vita features Trophies, which gives you a good incentive to keep playing single player. This doesn't replace the campaign by any means, but it's still fun to chase trophies. It's a good thing then that the online is pretty robust. You get your standard online racer, but also a mode called Ghost racing, where you try to beat a "ghost"'s fastest time on the track. This offers an online facet without the problems of lag. The cars themselves are very detailed and look great. However, the courses are a huge problem. Having play the original Ridge Racer Portable on the Vita immediately before playing this, I see very little difference in the courses' graphics. The courses simply look like anti-aliased versions of the PSP Ridge Racer courses. Moreover, many (if not all) are the same exact courses from Ridge Racer 7. This makes the game's already paltry amount of courses even more mundane. Overall, if you are a Ridge Racer fan and own a Vita, you will probably buy this and enjoy it. But ultimately that doesn't change the fact that you'll be angry about spending $30 for this. I would have been much, much happier if they had simply released a remastered, HD version of Ridge Racer Portable 2 (which sadly never came to the States). I really love Ridge Racer but purchasing this game just left a horrible aftertaste in my mouth. Here's to hoping they've learned a harsh lesson with the critical reception and build a much better successor.
For 10 bucks you definitely can't go wrong here. Hours of old-school, score-chasing fun. If you've ever felt a need for a nostalgic blast from past then this is the game for you. This has a very familiar side-scrolling shooter style gameplay modernized with dual-stick controls. And boy, it is ABSOLUTELY addicting. Some of the mini-games included might be iffy, but that doesn't change the fact that the core game is an absolute steal at $10. If you have a Vita, you need to buy this.
For $30 you get a slightly improved version of Asphalt 6 on Android/iOS. Unfortunately, not enough has been added to make this a full retail game. It would have been a better value if it was a $10-$15 digital download, considering the smartphone versions are $7.
A charming, creative, and artistic puzzle game marred only by the Vita's form factor. It's controls make fantastic, intuitive use of the front and back touch panels but by doing so it makes the Vita very difficult to hold. It doesn't help that the game also encourages you to use as little gestures as possible to finish the puzzles, penalizing you for holding the Vita while touching the back screen. There is also a question about the value of the game, as the $15 doesn't get you that many hours of content. Regardless, it's still a great gem from the Vita's launch and I greatly enjoy it.
A collection of mini-games that does little to justify the game's retail price. Not exactly sure what Sony saw in this considering how much they pushed and advertised it but it lacks the kind of charm and addictive gameplay Escape Plan, Hot Shots Golf, or Star Dust Delta. Considering how much cheaper two of those games are, I have trouble understanding why anyone would choose Little Deviants over those at all. There are some great games in the Vita launch lineup, but this isn't one of them.
I loved the games on PSP and I'm in love with this one. Once again LUMINES has managed to compose yet ANOTHER phenomenal soundtrack for their addictive tetris-styled game.
An absolutely charming and addictive game that will **** you into it despite your initial reservations. I have never played a Hot Shots game before and was surprised to discover how enjoyable this entry to the series is. The addition of the online leaderboards and tournaments gives this game enormous value, making it the perfect pick up and play type game for the Vita.
It nowhere near as good as the last two entries but then again, I wasn't expecting it to be. The fact is that Naughty Dog isn't the one who developed Golden Abyss and it clearly shows. The writing is worse, the characters uninteresting stock characters, the settings are all the same, the puzzles lack scale and wonder, and the set-piece moments are rare. But even with all these flaws, it doesn't change the fact that this is an astonishingly similar experience to Naughty Dog's works on the PS3. If this is Sony Bend's first contribution to the PS Vita, then my hopes for the future are bright indeed. This game is fantastic.
Many fans of Final Fantasy will bash this game because of its dramatically different Gambit battle system. While this is definitely unlike any Final Fantasy game you have experienced, the Gambit system really is an extremely well done battle system that even went on to inspire games like Dragon Age Origins. If you take the time to learn it you will appreciate the strategic aspects of planning your battle commands beforehand but in the event you really do not like the battle system, Gambits can be turned off for a more traditional Final Fantasy style of gameplay. Once Gamebits have been turned off, the battle system becomes Final Fantasy except with a controllable character and seamless battles, both of which are enormous improvements to the game. I fear many people have dismissed this game far too early, and if they had taken the time to appreciate the mechanics of the game they would have been able to experience one of the most intricate stories and deep characters ever created in a Final Fantasy game.
The single-player that was once innovative and memorable is now banal and repetitive. None of the moments in Modern Warfare 3 will be as eternal as when you first sneaked by enemy gaurds with Cpt. McMillan or when you first took controls of the guns behind an AC-130. While it's still fun and well-polished, it lacks the excitement "edge-of-your-seat" excitement of Black Ops. Furthermore, none of the multiplayer improvements in Black Ops like character customization or creative game modes make a return in multiplayer. However, the new Survival mode is a blast to play with a friend, as you level up and buy weapons and killstreaks as the game goes on. This instills an excellent feeling of progression that most survival modes lack. However, Survival mode is only playable with two people, which is a shame considering how much more fun the game would be with four. Overall this game is definitely not worth the $60 price tag, but if you've got a friend who you'd like to blast AI buddies with, maybe pick it up after a price drop. If you're looking for a better multiplayer mode however, you won't find much here that's better than Black Ops, likely worse.
A game that could have been one of my favorites of all time, dragged down by unforgivably awful boss battles. Those of you who plan of stealthing through this entire game will be disappointed to learn that your skills will be useless in boss fights and crippling in an event towards the end. Make no mistake, this is a game that players should not pass up, but be prepared to deal with some frustrations in this otherwise phenomenal game.
A startling amount of content in a beautiful package. The environments and the soundtrack blend beautifully to create a world you really want to get lost in. And with so many quests to do, you can easily pour over a hundred hours into this great game. Though there are bound to be glitches in a game of this magnitude as well as a lack of a fully substantial story, Skyrim still offers the most immersive and enormous world for gamers to explore.
While I loved GoldenEye on the Wii, the $60 retail price for this release does not include enough to be justified. GoldenEye Reloaded should have been at most a $40 retail game like Halo Anniversary and the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection or a $20 downloadable title like Resident Eveil 4. The paltry amount of additional content makes this late port a terrible value. For the same price you will find much more value in games like Battlefield 3 or even *cringe* Call of Duty. While the game itself is great, those who have already purchased it on the Wii will find very little reason to repurchase this in HD.
It won't blow you away as much as Uncharted 2 did, but it will still blow you away. Naughty Dog shows again how the Uncharted franchise is the jack of all trades, with phenomenal set-piece moments, gameplay, graphics, audio, characters and so much more. The writing is clever and humorous while still presenting realistic human interactions. The environments will astound you with their beauty, with the only graphical flaws being the awful shadows (relative to PC graphics). Facial animations not only look beautiful, but convince you that the characters are real human beings. The gameplay this time around has a more weighty feel to it and Drake is a bit more unwieldy to control. Whether or not you like this change is up to you, as I personally feel like Drake is more human and adds a bit of welcome challenge to the game. If you have ever played Killzone 2 and 3, imagine that in reverse as Killzone 3 removed the gravity effect but Uncharted 3 adds it. Otherwise, everything else about this game is impeccable. If you have a PS3, you owe it to yourself to purchase this game as soon as possible.
This is a very generic sci-fi FPS with a generic story and ho' hum gameplay. While it did set the standard for online FPS on consoles, the genre has expanded significantly since then and tired shooters like these are definitely not worth remembering.
Let's make this blatantly clear, Demon's Soul has the finest controls and gameplay mechanics in action RPG history. Using the should buttons for the respective arms (ex. L1 for shield, R1 for sword) is insanely intuitive and commanding your character to dodge and execute heavy attacks are brilliantly smooth. Every action has a heavy, realistic feel to it, so your sword swings and shield blocks will have lifelike responses. These ground breaking controls are complemented with beautiful visuals, stunning level design and extremely creative boss battles. For instance, one of the early levels will have you running through a castle timing your runs with the intervals of a dragon swooping down and breathing fire over your path. Scenes like this are so grandiose and epic in scale and really immerse you in this fantasy genre. The most crippling flaw of Demon's Soul is a lack of a compelling story. This game is truly gameplay oriented, meaning you will be going from level to level without really feeling like you've accomplished much for any characters or made a significant progression throughout a long winding engaging story, unlike games like Dragon Age or Elder Scrolls. But Demon's Soul is a game you definitely need to experience to fall in love with. It is a game of absolutely monumental scale and you really deserve to see it for yourself.
Phenomenal. This game is the perfect blend of puzzle solving, mystery, and creative gameplay. The characters are charming, the story is captivating, and the puzzles are generally well done, with only a few strange ones here and there. If you love a good mystery game this is something you must play!
Guardian Forces are easy to exploit but other than that, this game is the closest thing to perfection unleashed on mankind. Gameplay is fun, graphics are playable (even today), story is great and the game has the deepest, most beautiful cast of characters ever created in the world of video games. If you like RPGs, you will fall in love with FFVIII.
I didn't know there were games that could be this bad. Awful graphics are fine, as long as gameplay and story hold up. Both gameplay and story are even worse than the graphics. The gameplay is like any other shooter, however the bosses and level design are atrocious. None of the guns are any fun to shoot and the levels are so bland, so generic you will literally feel like vomiting in the toilet because of the mixture of ugly levels and horrible graphics. The story is obviously nonsensical, but not in the charming or forgivable way. It's told in the most boring manner possible with no hilarious moments even though it seems like they really want to make it hilarious. There's a part in the game where you slap a wall with three boobs and it sounds funny but it's just kind of there and you slap it and duke says some one liner which isn't really funny. If you wanted Duke Nukem Forever to be like Duke Nukem 3D, prepare to be disappointed because it's nothing like it.
I didn't know there were games that could be this bad. Awful graphics are fine, as long as gameplay and story hold up. Both gameplay and story are even worse than the graphics. The gameplay is like any other shooter, however the bosses and level design are atrocious. None of the guns are any fun to shoot and the levels are so bland, so generic you will literally feel like vomiting in the toilet because of the mixture of ugly levels and horrible graphics. The story is obviously nonsensical, but not in the charming or forgivable way. It's told in the most boring manner possible with no hilarious moments even though it seems like they really want to make it hilarious. There's a part in the game where you slap a wall with three boobs and it sounds funny but it's just kind of there and you slap it and duke says some one liner which isn't really funny. If you wanted Duke Nukem Forever to be like Duke Nukem 3D, prepare to be disappointed because it's nothing like it.
I didn't know there were games that could be this bad. Awful graphics are fine, as long as gameplay and story hold up. Both gameplay and story are even worse than the graphics. The gameplay is like any other shooter, however the bosses and level design are atrocious. None of the guns are any fun to shoot and the levels are so bland, so generic you will literally feel like vomiting in the toilet because of the mixture of ugly levels and horrible graphics. The story is obviously nonsensical, but not in the charming or forgivable way. It's told in the most boring manner possible with no hilarious moments even though it seems like they really want to make it hilarious. There's a part in the game where you slap a wall with three boobs and it sounds funny but it's just kind of there and you slap it and duke says some one liner which isn't really funny. If you wanted Duke Nukem Forever to be like Duke Nukem 3D, prepare to be disappointed because it's nothing like it.
There are a lot of criticism about the lack of detective work done in what seems to be a detective game for L.A. Noire. While these are very sound and reasonable arguments, it does not detract from the fact that L.A. Noire is a solid and hugely engaging game. The reason for this is most definitely the well written narrative, life-like voice/facial acting, and strong gameplay mechanics (though scarcely used). The game is very similar to Heavy Rain and likewise is very linear. Much of the game is investigations and dialogue. The small amount of gameplay you do get to have like driving and shooting are as you would expect from GTA IV and Red Dead Redemption, which are impeccable. It feels like a shame you don't get to utilize these mechanics more often. If you want a more cinematic, movie-like game however, expect L.A. Noire to deliver, and deliver well.
While it might not be the most well written or original story, the characters are charming and the puzzles are quite fun. The problem is that the puzzles are presented with generally no context to the story, so instead of playing a game where you are solving puzzles to advance a plot you mainly feel like you are answered SAT questions every two minutes with a short tidbit of story in between. The game lasted a good ten hours but again most of that was puzzles, the story itself is incredibly short with it neat little twist towards the end. If you are a fan of puzzle games definitely check it out but Ghost Trick and 999 remain the dominant games in the genre.
If you had trouble playing Mass Effect you will probably have trouble playing Jade Empire. I'm a huge fan of KoToR, Mass Effect 2, and Dragon Age Origins but Jade Empire only resembles these games in it's technical aspects. The narrative is bland and the setting/characters are an alarmingly stereotypical depicting of Asian culture. The PC version also has many technical problems with the nearly impossible to navigate menu. Personally I think the graphics were pretty good for it's time but that's coming from a KoToR background. Basically, if you are KoToR fan like me who was expecting a similar game in Jade Empire, you may be disappointed.
If you are reading this you are no doubt aware that this is one of the finest games created in this generation. Regardless of what platform you have, this game is a must play. That being said I'm going to describe the pros and cons of playing the PC version. First off the PC version has some bugs and as of this writing they have no been patched. In the Normandy you will occasionally fall through the ship into a pitch black chasm. This is not often, but it happens and it's actually pretty hilarious. When it does happen you can just reload the checkpoint (which is updated often) and go on your merry way. The other problem with the PC version is the Liara mission which was pretty bad. If you don't do Liara's mission immediately after she asks you to do it and you run off to do something else then when you come back there will be a bug where you hack all the terminals but can't proceed in her mission. This ruined one playthrough for me so as long you know to do Liara's mission right away you should be fine. If you can deal with this bugs and you have a good system prepare to be rewarded with the benefits of the PC version. The graphics are far superior to the console versions, with beautiful, high resolution textures and anti-aliasing. Playing it on my 23" 1080p monitor and 5.1 speaker system was a blast. Surprisingly the cutscenes were not rendered in 1080p but in 720p, so the in-game cutscenes looks far better than the pre-rendered cutscenes, ironically. Playing with a mouse and keyboard are also fantastic, but beware that the default keyboard configuration is strange, to say the least. You can quickly customize this to your liking and it will feel much better than playing with a controller, especially since you can now quicksave. Bioware did not map the interactive dialogue to the number keys though, so you're stuck using a mouse to awkwardly choose your dialogue option in a wheel. Overall the problems with the PC version are minimal but if you have the rig to run it, it is definitely worth it.
Stunning graphics and vibrant colors does not make up for shallow gameplay. Too much of flower is just comprised of guiding a flower pedal in the air and gathering more flower pedals. It was definitely stunning to see all of them rendered so lifelike but it's something I would be amazed to see as an E3 tech demo, not as a video game.
I originally had the Gamecube version but really disliked playing a shooter with a controller (main reason I haven't finished Metroid Prime). I didn't get too far so when the the Wii version came out I exchanged it at my local GameStop. For me it was a HUGE difference, the controls were much more intuitive and I was completely addicted to the game! The graphics were great, the controls were awesome, the story is intriguing and the bosses are intense. If you end up liking RE4 I suggest you checkout RE5 on PC/PS3/Xbox 360 also and definitely play it with a friend!
FEAR is one of my personal favorites because it gets a lot of things right for me. The atmosphere, scares, and intriguing story really sets FEAR out to be a creative title. The variety of weapons are fantastic and fun though the environments may become repetitive. Slowly discovering the truth behind Alma and Fettel's past is extremely interesting and the end will leave you very satisfied. Overall a great shooter that every PC gamer should try out!
Crysis is a great game overall, but stops at that. The graphics are, needless to say, the best in the industry and the suit abilities are very unique. The main problem I have with the game is the lack of characters and story, but this is generally the case in the shooter genre. If you own a powerful PC you should definitely get this and show it off to your friends, as the visuals are definitely reason enough to own this game.
My first Final Fantasy was Final Fantasy XII so I'm quite a newcomer to the series. Since then I've played VII, VIII, XIII, III, and IV. Now before venturing into this game I was well aware that many thought this game only appealed to fans from long ago. In my experience however I've gotten quite addicted to it. I'm not really sure what it is about this game but other than the art much of this game is far too old. First off, the gameplay is not only extremely simple, but extremely easy. Much of your commands will involve holding down circle until one of your team mates are low on health, which will take a while. There are also quite a lot of random encounters, which really bugged me at first but I got used to them fairly quickly. You should also understand that there is no story in this game, you will relate with none of the characters and most of your quests are about killing someone to save someone or fetching something to do something. Probably my biggest criticism about this game is that is does nothing to help guide you to your objectives. The game's simplicity is perfect for playing on a bus or in a line but because of the extremely ambiguous goals, you'll often find yourself looking up what to do on a strategy guide. That being said I really do like the retro and simple feel of the game as well as the amazing art but it could have been much more fun with an objective marker.
You need to be aware of the following things before you buy this game. First, this is not like any other RPG you've played. That's not a good thing. It's extremely linear and you only get to wander around during one of the thirteen chapters. Second, the story and characters are extremely disappointing compared to well known Final Fantasy titles. The story is boggled and all over the place and the characters act is alarmingly predictable and stereotypical ways. This is a first for a Final Fantasy chronicle title, as normally the characters are either extremely life-like as in Final Fantasy IV, VIII, and XII or they are simply silent and shallow like FFI, II, and III. They have rarely been blatantly annoying and forced into your face with cut-scene after cutscene. Third, the graphics and soundtrack and phenomenal. No video game has ever come close to creating as beautiful a setting as in FFXIII, and the soundtrack will keep you in euphoria, that is until Hope starts screaming about his mother or until Snow starts rambling about destiny and heroes or until Vanille and Fang share a lesbian moment. Play this game knowing that this is not going to be a Final Fantasy we will remember like IV, VI, VIII but as a FF you will forget but play because at the moment, there's really nothing else to play.
What I loved about the original FEAR was the atmosphere, scares, and elusive story. Much of that returns in FEAR 2, but not quite as well as you would like it to. While the graphics and gameplay are superb, the enemies are annoying and the story is very disappointing compared to the original. If you liked the first game though you'll definitely want to play this is for the scares alone, as they are definitely just as frightening as ever, if not more so.
Grand Theft Auto IV is a game I can respect but not appreciate. The enormous sandbox city and lifelike interaction are definitely impressive, but much of what I loved about GTA San Andreas was lost to me here. The game shifts very far from cars now as you no longer have a garage and customization is limited if not completely removed. Fortunately the graphics are fantastic, especially with a good PC, and the story is pretty good. I hope to see more of an automobile focus in GTA V, because c'mon, the game is named Grand Theft Auto!
This game is unlike anything you have ever played before in your life. If you hate reading then this largely text based adventure may bother you, but they aren't very long and very engaging so it shouldn't be a problem. The puzzles are extremely clever and the game properly gives you hints if you have difficulty solving them; I never had to resort to a walkthrough. The characters grow on you at an amazing rate and by the time you are done with the game you will love them. The repetition was annoying at first but each playthrough offers different puzzles and there is a convenient fast forward feature. Overall, this game has largely been ignore but it is without a doubt a hidden jewel of the year. Absolutely amazing.
Not sure where all the hate is coming from. I have a sneaking suspicion that some people are making up reasons to hate it just because it's new and has good graphics. Make no mistake, this game has unbelievable graphics AND gameplay. The cars feel great and react smoothly, that is in the hands of the right player of course. The police chases are incredibly intense as are the races. The stunning environments and scenery coupled with the near perfect soundtrack makes races and test drives euphoric. The little things you get to sabotage other racers or your pursuer are sinisterly fun. And boy are the police cars beautiful. All in all, it's a honest step forward in the series and NFS fans should love it just as much as I do.
It's such a shame that the majority of the today's gamers would draw comparisons between this game and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 instead of Battlefield 2. As far as the public is aware, Bad Company 2 is a copy of Modern Warfare 2 and Battlefield 2 does not exist. As a fan of the Battlefield series since Battlefield 1942, I am extremely pleased with Bad Company 2. While many features in BF2 are not present in BC2, BC2 also brings new and amazing ideas to the Battlefield franchise. First, the good. Class system has been redone for so that there are fewer classes but more things to do with each class. I always felt BF2 had an unnecessarily large amount of classes that are too restricted to a single function. In BC2, each class has a perfect balance of skills and you'll find yourself learning to love each of them and utilizing them to their full potential. Another pro would be the command button instead of the command rose. The command rose was very full featured but it took too much time to select a command. The new command button allows you to point your crosshairs at something and issue a single order depending what you are pointing at. This works very well because you can quickly spot enemies and ask for assistance much faster than with the command rose. The destructible environments is a powerful and realistic factor. A sniper in the window can quickly be killed by a grenade launcher. Mortar strikes can completely bring down buildings. In BC2, camping is significantly more difficult because of the frailty of your cover. The final and most important positive change in BC2 for me is the new game mode, Rush. Rush is am amazing mode in wish you play as attacker or defender and try to make your way through a map destroying MCOM stations or defending them until the attackers reinforcement ticket is down. In this game mode, you will always know where your enemy is coming from and you will be planting bombs instead of capturing flags for no apparent reason, just like in real life war. This objective-based game mode really makes the game feel more cinematic and even though I get tired or multiplayer games easily, I can still play Rush on BC2 again and again and again. Now for the cons. First of all, most of these cons are mostly Battlefield 2 related. Bad Company 2 was not intended to replace Battlefield 2, that's what Battlefield 3 is for. Bad Company was supposed to be a single player driven game with a fun little multipler on the side. Since that didn't work so well in the first game, they made it more Battlefield-like in the second. Anywho: No bots. Not really surprised but it's an important feature to me. I'm really hoping they make an appearance in Battlefield 3. No jets. I'm quite positive this will also show up in Battlefield 3. Only 32 player maps. Not really surprised again but would like to see 64 or maybe even 100 player maps. Hell, put in as many players as our modern day machines can handle, like MAG. On that note, no Commander Mode. With BC2's 32 player maps, this isn't as big of a problem, but I would like to see this in BF3. Large amount of players need direction, just like in real combat. I'm really hoping they don't scrap the command mode just because BF3 is going on consoles. Last but most importantly of all, no privately hosted servers and LAN. This is my biggest complaint and the one that I fear will most likely seep into Battlefield 3. With MW2, Infinity Ward killed dedicated servers. Now every developer thinks they can be the knight in shining armor by offering dedicated servers, but only when rented through official partners. Why shouldn't I be allowed to LAN with my buddy and kill bots like in BF2. I really hope DICE will bring back LAN in BF3, but unfortunately it doesn't look like they really will. Bad Company 2 and Mass Effect 2 are definitely the best releases so far this year. Those faint of heart and impatient are better of playing Modern Warfare 2 where the learning curve is nonexistent, but those striving for a more immersive battlefield experience definitely need to play Bad Company 2. PS: There are some complaint going on about the amount of horsepower needed to run this game well on PC. I have an AMD x4 955, 4gb RAM, and 5850 and I run this game full on 1920x1080. While I would normally agree with users and say this game should be more lenient on the technical side, this really is a fantastic looking game, almost (not quite) on the level of Crysis. That I can experience playing a Battlefield game on this level of beauty is something I really just cannot call a con.
Did you like Bad Company 2? Expect Vietnam to BLOW YOU AWAY! The maps are unlike anything you have ever seen in your life, the weapons are powerful and beautiful, and the new up-close-and-personal gamestyle works so amazingly well you'd think that was how it was meant to be played. When you compare this diamond of a DLC's $15 price tag to that of other competing games with a $15 DLC, there is no room for argument. Bad Company 2 Vietnam belongs in every shooter's collection.
Let's get this right out of the way: I don't care about the multiplayer, and I've never cared about any CoD multiplayer. It's just another run and gun game, I resort to Battlefield for multiplayer goodness. That being said, the Call of Duty franchise has always been about intense, cinematic singleplayer games ever since Infinity Ward debuted with the first Call of Duty. When Treyarch took up CoD 3, it wasn't that great or bad, it was just meh. With World at War, they started to experiment more and I felt it was an honest improvement over the past CoD WW2 games. With Black Ops, a lot hype from Modern Warfare 2 bled over and people were already ready to either love it or hate it regardless of it's content. I am neither a Call of Duty fanboy, nor a hater, and I will say this. Modern Warfare 2 should have never came out. This is the true CoD 4 predecessor. In Black Ops, everything you know about Call of Duty is flipped over. You mainly assume the role of one character and the campaign is in the form of a frame story, where you are being held captive and every mission is a memory in the past. At first you very confused, but as you go on the pieces start to fall into place. You start to suspect something is terribly wrong and the game violently hurls you into the center of the conspiracy. In form, the campaign is actually a typical action movie conspiracy plot. However, this plot works beautiful in the game to help you experience a wide variety of levels and action. You will be in a group trying to assassinate Castro, having a talk with President Kennedy, mowing down the Viet Cong, flying in a SR-71 Blackbird marking objectives for the team below, playing as the team below, making your way through a pitch black rat tunnel with a flashlight and a revolver, and piloting (YES, PILOTING, NOT JUST GUNNING) a Hind through the jungles of Vietnam. Every mission is exciting and keeps your heart pacing and sometimes you can just look at the scenery completely dumbfounded, knowing that these are all within the realm of realism and yet the developer chose not the bash the fact down our throats. In the end, if someone were to ask me if I liked CoD 4 versus Black Ops, I would have a hard time answering. Yes, CoD 4 was revolutionary at the time, but Black Ops has definitely renovated it and is overall a much more enjoyable campaign. If this game were released last year when all the hype was built up for the pathetic failure that was Modern Warfare 2, the reviews would be far better and people wouldn't be so skeptical. But release yourself from the cynicism that plagues the population and you will be treated the one of the best single player campaigns you have played in your life.
I never got into Mario Kart so I'm not exactly the right person to review this but there's not much else to see here. It's basically Mario Kart with futuristic cars. Very beautiful game with an awesome soundtrack but overall, not much different from similar games.
Not sure what all the hate is about. Yes this is similar to Tetris but it's still beautiful, fun and addicting. If you want a fun puzzle game then definitely check this game out.
I am a huge, HUGE fan of the Parasite Eve series. That being said, this game is nothing like it, and it does quite a lot to blemish the series. Let's start off with the problem that pains me the most, Aya Brea. She's not the same Aya Brea you know from Parasite Eve, at all. She's weak and looks like a slut. The strong-willed, badass Aya Brea you know from Parasite Eve is dead, and in her place is a skimpy, frail, teenage-like girl with a gun. It really, REALLY hurts me to see one of the most amazing female characters in gaming become this, and it definitely killed much of the game. To make matters worse, Aya now loses her clothes when she gets hurt. Square said this was a matter of realism, although I have a pretty hard time imagining they would treat a male protagonists the same way. They aren't being subtle here: Aya Bra is a sexual item in this game. Most of the satisfaction you will get from this game is watching her clothes fall off. The next problem would be the story, which makes little sense. If you watched the trailer and wondered why everything was happening the way it was, don't expect this game to explain it to you, because it won't. You are a tiny girl possessing soldiers from the past shooting monsters. That's all you will get from this game's story. Don't expect memorable characters either. They are all shallow and you will forget all their names a week after playing the game. The last parts to address in this game are the graphics and gameplay, which luckily are fantastic. The graphics are probably the best I've seen on a PSP, very similar to that of Crisis Core and Birth by Sleep. Absolutely stunning for this fiveish year old handheld. Gameplay is creative and addicting. You play by taking control of different soldiers and unleashing special attacks when gauges fill up. It's very difficult to describe properly so you'll need to look it up in the videos. You get to lock on to targets which may seem too easy at first but the game itself is not easy at all, as the enemies will be ruthless and have interesting weaknesses you need to discover. Overall while the game suffers from brutally murdering the Parasite Eve image and has a horrible story, the graphics and gameplay make it worth trying on the PSP. If you have never played Parasite Eve, you will want to pick it up. If you are a fan of Parasite Eve pretend The 3rd Birthday has nothing to do with it, because for the most part, it doesn't.
While the single-player isn't very good, the multiplayer is competitive and fast paced. Overall however, I have trouble recommending this game when the Call of Duty series has much better single player campaigns and Battlefield has a far superior multiplayer. Medal of Honor is just a compromise in both respects, with a largely uninteresting single-player campaign and a repetitive multiplayer. Hopefully the second game will improve upon the single-player, because it definitely has potential.
The first Valkyria Chronicles game is one of my favorite games of all time. It pains me to say that the sequel does not do the series justice. This is not only because the graphics and art style have taken a dramatic turn for the worse, but also because the story and characters are really bland and uninteresting. Most of them are typical anime stereotypes and lack the refined traits and depth of the characters in the first game. When you take out the beautiful characters, story and graphics from Valkyria Chronicles, what you are left with is the innovative gameplay, which has had some great changes. In Valkyria Chronicles 2 the class system has been reworked a bit and you now have a shied units and you now have multiple small maps in a battle that you travel to by getting to capturing smaller bases, as opposed to a single large map. I don't mind the class restructure however I do have a bit of a problem with the separate maps, as it doesn't make sense to me that you can teleport to a location by capturing a base and having a huge map makes you feel like you are playing a game of chess. It doesn't help that you need to play this strategic game on a portable either. When playing a big screen it was very nice to be able to have a nice large look at the battlefield and plan out your attack. Valkyria Chronicle's gameplay simply isn't something fit for a portable gaming system, it should definitely be on a large screen with a proper controller. Overall as much I loved Valkyria Chronicles, it didn't need a sequel. The ending was one of the most beautiful video game endings I have ever seen in my life and I felt very complete and satisfied afterwards. I do plan on purchasing VC3 if it ever gets localized and hopefully the more serious story there will impress me much more than this title did.
This is exactly what the adventure genre needs, an absolutely amazing investigation game with fun characters and hilarious dialogue. If you have a DS you owe it to yourself to try this game. The creative cases will get your brain juices flowing and drawing you back for much much more.
Not my favorite from the series but the mere fact that you need to play the cases to understand Trials and Tribulations (one of my favorite games of all time) makes this easily worth the playthrough. If you're having a hard time getting through this one then take comfort in the fact that Trials and Tribulations will be amazing.
Best of the trilogy. It's got fun, awesome cases and the end is a seriously intense rollercoaster. If you liked the first games be prepared to be blown away by this one!
I didn't play the original but this was a very enjoyable game on its own. Particularly good was the stealth based missions. The game overall plays like Call of Duty, except that you are alone for pretty much the entire game and you need to sneak around a lot, which is definitely a huge plus for me. I just wish the campaign was longer (overall about the same length as a typical CoD game). I'm not big on the multiplayer and I'm generally not big on any FPS multiplayer other than the Battlefield. As a PC gamer I'm not impressed by the generic cut & paste deathmatch type game but the controls and gameplay are smooth if you are into that kind of thing. Overall the singleplayer was hugely enjoyable for me, so definitely worth a playthrough in my opinion.
I loved playing this back with my little brother. Can't see the single-player being very fun but the multiplayer was awesome, just like Zelda Four Swords.
If you loved the original Starcraft, I have no reason to believe you won't be amazed by Starcraft II unless you're really nitpicky. Starcraft II's new multiplayer is absolutely addicting and the new **** makes it fun to gather all kinds of achievements. The campaign might Terran only but it has enough content to justify a $50 price tag. That's where the problem comes in. The retail price is $60 (I believe is $50 now on Amazon as of this writing) and the online authentication is absolutely annoying. There is also no LAN, which isn't a problem for me because unfortunately my friends don't play anymore but I can see how it would be an enormous problem. I'm hoping these are just changes wrought by the Activision side of things (seeing as how they **** Infinity Ward). Nonetheless, this is an absolutely fun and addicting game which belongs in any Starcraft lover's hands.
