Story: (10 | 10)
The story of the game takes place 6 months after the events of Back To The Future 3, in which Doctor Emmet Brown has disappeared without a trace, Marty McFly, his good friend refusing to accept the possibility of his good friends death, begins to try to search for good ol' Doc.
The story of the game starts off fairly simple but leads to a few welcomed plot twists and a handful of well done writing, the only problem being the lack of answers for a few of the plot points, but it's all acceptable.
Gameplay: (9 | 10)
The gameplay of the game is pretty much the exact game to TellTales other popular series, Sam and Max, the point-and-click controls are very precise and shouldn't bother you at all but the controls for moving are fairly irritating.
While walking around you can either hold the left mouse button to walk and hold the right mouse button to run or you can use the WASD keys in order to walk as you would in most PC games, while generally there won't be too many issues with this it does get annoying when the camera angles move, causing the controls to switch, which can be annoying after a while, but it's something you can get used to.
Graphics: (9 | 10)
The graphics of the game are amazing, featuring characters that are detailed almost perfectly to their actors, gorgeous environments and very, very well detailed iconic items, such as the Delorean.
While the graphics are amazing, a lot of the characters like in games like Assassins Creed 2 and Ghostbusters do have the issue of the characters not syncing up with audio, in other games it's generally something you don't notice but since there are a lot of times where the camera will focus in on a persons face, you really notice it.
Another problem being that while the background artwork is great, you may notice that sometimes the background art can look poorly detailed as if it was just thrown in quickly before the games release, however you won't notice this unless you really pay attention to the graphics.
Music: (10 | 10)
Jared Emerson-Johnson, the composer behind Sam and Max, returns to preform all the music for the game, also returning are some of the tracks from the movies, and all of it is just wonderful. Of course the original music fits perfectly, but Jared does a wonderful job of composing all the music you hear from the game (besides for the original music from the movies, of course) which fits with both the action scenes from the game and the basic walking around town music as well.
Another thing you'll notice in the game is Christopher Lloyd's return to preform the voice acting for Doctor Emmet Brown, sadly you won't be able to hear Micheal J Fox again, but you will notice the voice acting of AJ LoCascio, who sounds almost exactly like Micheal J. Fox, so it shouldn't be too big of an issue.
Pros:
Wonderful music.
Amazing voice actors.
Nearly perfect graphics.
Great storyline.
Good controls.
Well done puzzles.
Cons:
Controls can get get irritating.
Annoying camera angles.
Slight plot holes.
Rare graphic errors.
Fairly short.
Overall: (9 | 10)
Rank: Must own.
While there are a few issues with the graphics and a handful of annoyances in the camera angles, the game does succeed in making a very enjoyable game with some great writing, amazing voice actors and beautiful graphics and while there are some plot holes here and there and some camera and control issues, it's only the first episode and the next one comes out in a month, so they do have time to fix it.
If you're a Back to The Future fan, or like me, have been waiting for a good movie video game, pick this game up, as it's worth every penny.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Assassins Creed 2 Review
Story: (5.5 | 10)
The story of the game begins right after Assassins Creed 1 which follows the story of both Desmond and the new assassin, Ezio, the game starts with a fairly basic betrayed and revenge plot and keeps a fairly interesting story, however around the end of the game, the story does get really silly and leads to some pretty stupid moments.
A lot of the characters in the game are interesting as well, featuring a lot of really good voice actors but this does fall short since the only stories you really ever hear about are of Ezio or Desmond as almost every single other character just gets a basic background before you kill them or before you never have to talk to them again which is fairly annoying since the most you ever get is either a small 1 minute video of who you have to assassinate or a few paragraphs of text from their profile.
Gameplay: (8.5 | 10)
The gameplay of Assassins Creed 2 is where the game really shines, featuring a large amount of new abilites you can use. Like the last game you will have your basic weapons such as your assassination blade, your sword, etc. but now Ezio has a large amount of weapons with everything from two assassination blades to the devastating pistol modification. The game also features a more well-designed movement engine, Ezio can climb just as well if not better then Altair but unlike Altair, he can swim, assassinate multiple enemies at once, purchase multiple weapons, find codex pages to upgrade his weapons or health and purchase better armor.
As stated above, you now have the ability to purchase weapons or find upgrades for your weapons, which is very handy. You can also use your money to upgrade your villa in order to earn more money to purchase weapons, items and maps for the various bits of treasure laying around the towns. Another upgrade to Assassins Creed 2 is the amount of side-missions you can do. You can do anything from assassination contracts which are self-explanatory, beat-up events in which you beat up a cheating husband or races, which are again, self-explanatory.
The only problems with gameplay is the climbing, as I've had various experiences in which I would try to climb up a building and would get pelted with rocks which would be way too accurate and could either get me killed from the fall or injured enough to be beaten down by the guards which gets annoying very quickly, another problem is whenever you would be climbing, the game might force you into an awkward camera angle in which you have to move in order to fix or it could be that the game just glitches and stops Ezio from jumping to a new spot, which can get you killed a lot.
Graphics: (8.5 | 10)
The graphics in the game are beautiful, characters look well detailed and the environments look very colorful, I even stopped playing for a while just to look at the graphics of the game which was a first for me as you will easily notice the amazing graphics of this game within the first minute of starting the game. The only downside to the graphics are some of the characters can vary in detail, some characters will look just perfect while others will look like they were just quickly thrown in to finish the game in time, also sometimes you'll notice that a lot of the characters dialoge won't sync up correctly, which can be an annoyance for some players if you didn't like it in games like Ghostbusters.
Music: (10 | 10)
The music in the game is astounding, fitting perfectly with whats going on in either the action packed fight scenes or the intense chase sequences with the game it mixes up perfectly with no mistakes and no downsides, Japser Kyd did a wonderful job with soundtracking the game which even if you hate the game, you have to respect it for its spectacular soundtrack.
Pros:
Astounding soundtrack.
Wonderful voiceacting.
Beautiful graphics.
Great gameplay.
Lots of side-missions.
Tons to collect.
Cons:
Some graphics may look glitchy or out of place.
Silly (after a while) storyline.
Annoyances in gameplay.
Less focus on character stories.
Glitches.
Overall: (8 | 10)
Rank: Strong Rental/Good purchase.
Overall if you are looking for a good stealth game or atlest a good title to rent, Assassins Creed 2 does offer a wide varitey on what to do and has an above-average gameplay length, 10-12 hours, if you just want to finish the game and some beautiful graphics, but be aware that there are some issues that can get very easily irritating after a while and it isn't exactly anything special in it's story.
The story of the game begins right after Assassins Creed 1 which follows the story of both Desmond and the new assassin, Ezio, the game starts with a fairly basic betrayed and revenge plot and keeps a fairly interesting story, however around the end of the game, the story does get really silly and leads to some pretty stupid moments.
A lot of the characters in the game are interesting as well, featuring a lot of really good voice actors but this does fall short since the only stories you really ever hear about are of Ezio or Desmond as almost every single other character just gets a basic background before you kill them or before you never have to talk to them again which is fairly annoying since the most you ever get is either a small 1 minute video of who you have to assassinate or a few paragraphs of text from their profile.
Gameplay: (8.5 | 10)
The gameplay of Assassins Creed 2 is where the game really shines, featuring a large amount of new abilites you can use. Like the last game you will have your basic weapons such as your assassination blade, your sword, etc. but now Ezio has a large amount of weapons with everything from two assassination blades to the devastating pistol modification. The game also features a more well-designed movement engine, Ezio can climb just as well if not better then Altair but unlike Altair, he can swim, assassinate multiple enemies at once, purchase multiple weapons, find codex pages to upgrade his weapons or health and purchase better armor.
As stated above, you now have the ability to purchase weapons or find upgrades for your weapons, which is very handy. You can also use your money to upgrade your villa in order to earn more money to purchase weapons, items and maps for the various bits of treasure laying around the towns. Another upgrade to Assassins Creed 2 is the amount of side-missions you can do. You can do anything from assassination contracts which are self-explanatory, beat-up events in which you beat up a cheating husband or races, which are again, self-explanatory.
The only problems with gameplay is the climbing, as I've had various experiences in which I would try to climb up a building and would get pelted with rocks which would be way too accurate and could either get me killed from the fall or injured enough to be beaten down by the guards which gets annoying very quickly, another problem is whenever you would be climbing, the game might force you into an awkward camera angle in which you have to move in order to fix or it could be that the game just glitches and stops Ezio from jumping to a new spot, which can get you killed a lot.
Graphics: (8.5 | 10)
The graphics in the game are beautiful, characters look well detailed and the environments look very colorful, I even stopped playing for a while just to look at the graphics of the game which was a first for me as you will easily notice the amazing graphics of this game within the first minute of starting the game. The only downside to the graphics are some of the characters can vary in detail, some characters will look just perfect while others will look like they were just quickly thrown in to finish the game in time, also sometimes you'll notice that a lot of the characters dialoge won't sync up correctly, which can be an annoyance for some players if you didn't like it in games like Ghostbusters.
Music: (10 | 10)
The music in the game is astounding, fitting perfectly with whats going on in either the action packed fight scenes or the intense chase sequences with the game it mixes up perfectly with no mistakes and no downsides, Japser Kyd did a wonderful job with soundtracking the game which even if you hate the game, you have to respect it for its spectacular soundtrack.
Pros:
Astounding soundtrack.
Wonderful voiceacting.
Beautiful graphics.
Great gameplay.
Lots of side-missions.
Tons to collect.
Cons:
Some graphics may look glitchy or out of place.
Silly (after a while) storyline.
Annoyances in gameplay.
Less focus on character stories.
Glitches.
Overall: (8 | 10)
Rank: Strong Rental/Good purchase.
Overall if you are looking for a good stealth game or atlest a good title to rent, Assassins Creed 2 does offer a wide varitey on what to do and has an above-average gameplay length, 10-12 hours, if you just want to finish the game and some beautiful graphics, but be aware that there are some issues that can get very easily irritating after a while and it isn't exactly anything special in it's story.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Poker Night at the Inventory Review (PC)
Story: (Not Rated)
The story of Poker Night is simple. Max, from the Sam and Max series, Strong Bad, from the Strong Bad: Cool Game for Attractive People (and others) series, the Heavy from TF2 and Tycho from Penny Arcade (he's also one of the guys who owns the Child's Play charity events) all are playing poker at "The Inventory" when a new guy (your player) joins in for a bit of poker.
There really isn't a plot line except for the basic reason why your there, so if you're buying this game for a story, you'll be greatly disappointed.
Gameplay: (9 | 10)
The poker aspect of the game is very well done, but the thing that makes the game so enjoyable is the dialogue between the group, which always turns out to be hilarious, you can pick from them talking all the time, having short chit-chat or having them be completely silent, in case you just want to play some poker.
The only problem with gameplay is one thing... no multiplayer. This could be because TellTale isn't as big of a company as Valve or EA, but it still would of been nice to have a 4-5 player game of poker for something like this. It's not that bad, but after you've won all the extra items and heard all the dialogue, multiplayer just seems like it would of added a lot of playability. But it's forgivable and it could be a patch in the future like with Lara Croft and The Guardian of the Light and it's only a five dollar game.
Graphics: (10 | 10)
The graphics for the game are fairly good, with all the characters being well animated and the environment around you being filled with easter-eggs (I counted about 20 just from the intro.) So if you've played any or even just one of the games, you'll notice ALOT of easter eggs from the intro alone, and even more when you're actually playing poker if you pay attention.
Music: (8.5 | 10)
The music of the game is fairly simple, even though most of the time I noticed it just being a loop it was fairly relaxing when I had to pick what I wanted to but if you play the game for a bit, it can get kind of annoying.
Pros:
Cheap.
Lots of dialogue.
Lots of easter eggs for the fans.
Extra items for Team Fortress 2.
Lots to win (extra poker tables, new cards, the extra items for TF2)
Nicely detailed.
Cons:
No multiplayer.
Gets old fast.
Irritating music (after a while)
Overall: (9 | 10)
Rank: Must have.
Even though the game itself can get old very quickly after a while, it's still very enjoyable to play through for the extra items, it's a nice game to play when your bored and the dialogue is very funny for the cheap cost of 5 bucks, making it a must have, even if you haven't played the other characters games.
The story of Poker Night is simple. Max, from the Sam and Max series, Strong Bad, from the Strong Bad: Cool Game for Attractive People (and others) series, the Heavy from TF2 and Tycho from Penny Arcade (he's also one of the guys who owns the Child's Play charity events) all are playing poker at "The Inventory" when a new guy (your player) joins in for a bit of poker.
There really isn't a plot line except for the basic reason why your there, so if you're buying this game for a story, you'll be greatly disappointed.
Gameplay: (9 | 10)
The poker aspect of the game is very well done, but the thing that makes the game so enjoyable is the dialogue between the group, which always turns out to be hilarious, you can pick from them talking all the time, having short chit-chat or having them be completely silent, in case you just want to play some poker.
The only problem with gameplay is one thing... no multiplayer. This could be because TellTale isn't as big of a company as Valve or EA, but it still would of been nice to have a 4-5 player game of poker for something like this. It's not that bad, but after you've won all the extra items and heard all the dialogue, multiplayer just seems like it would of added a lot of playability. But it's forgivable and it could be a patch in the future like with Lara Croft and The Guardian of the Light and it's only a five dollar game.
Graphics: (10 | 10)
The graphics for the game are fairly good, with all the characters being well animated and the environment around you being filled with easter-eggs (I counted about 20 just from the intro.) So if you've played any or even just one of the games, you'll notice ALOT of easter eggs from the intro alone, and even more when you're actually playing poker if you pay attention.
Music: (8.5 | 10)
The music of the game is fairly simple, even though most of the time I noticed it just being a loop it was fairly relaxing when I had to pick what I wanted to but if you play the game for a bit, it can get kind of annoying.
Pros:
Cheap.
Lots of dialogue.
Lots of easter eggs for the fans.
Extra items for Team Fortress 2.
Lots to win (extra poker tables, new cards, the extra items for TF2)
Nicely detailed.
Cons:
No multiplayer.
Gets old fast.
Irritating music (after a while)
Overall: (9 | 10)
Rank: Must have.
Even though the game itself can get old very quickly after a while, it's still very enjoyable to play through for the extra items, it's a nice game to play when your bored and the dialogue is very funny for the cheap cost of 5 bucks, making it a must have, even if you haven't played the other characters games.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Call of Duty: Black Ops Review
Story: (9 | 10)
(Due to the game being released today, I don't have a synopsis to put here, sorry everyone!)
The story of Call of Duty: Black Ops is very well written with a nice handful of twits and turns to keep fans guessing from start to end, even with that though it does lack from a very poor ending (almost as bad as MW2) and a few parts where fans might get confused and a fairly short storyline. (5-6 hours)
Gameplay: (9 | 10)
Gameplay wise Call of Duty: Black Ops is amazing as I haven't run into any glitches yet, and there have been very few parts where I got upset or confused on what to do in the story. Multiplayer is where the game really shines and is the main reason why every single person bought the game: to have a good time with friends, which it does perfectly with every mode from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 returning and with a series of original maps and where the story-mode like in Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty 4 offers a highly intense series of event.
The zombies mode also returns with two maps to play on and four friends co-operative. The zombies mode is fairly challenging and is still like the rest of the game, a blast. However if you've played World at War's Nazi Zombies, then you've played Black Ops zombie mode as it's the same. The random gun box, the buying guns of walls and barricading the windows for as long as you can.
The new mode to Black Ops is Wager Matches, in which you can lay your money on the line in order to steal your friends or strangers money from a series of set games is also really fun, but generally involves in either a knife fest or a camping fest, which can be annoying after a while.
Graphics: (7 | 10)
The graphics in the game aren't terrible, but they aren't up to par with most games now of days (such as for games like Red Dead Redemption, Enslaved: Oddesy to the West) so some gamers might be angry that the graphics are kind of a down-grade, but they still look fairly nice in some places while in other places they look fairly un-detailed. So long as you don't pay really close attention though you should be fine.
Music: (10 | 10)
Composer Sean Murray's musical scores add onto the intense gun battles with a lot of finely crafted music which can make a lot of events that much better, and my only complaint would be that the game isn't long enough to show off more of his musical talent throughout the story mode.
Pros:
Good storyline.
Well crafted characters.
Great soundtrack.
Amazing multiplayer.
Zombies!!!
Cons:
Bad ending.
Short.
Not up-to-par graphics.
Overall: (8.5 | 10)
Rank: Strong Purchase / Great Rental
While Call of Duty: Black Ops does suffer from a series of issues from the graphics to the really short storyline, it still is an absolute blast to play from the intense shootouts in single player to the very well crafted score and storyline and if you're a fan of multiplayer shooters or are just looking to have a good time in the multiplayer, you shouldn't miss out on what Black Ops has to offer.
(Due to the game being released today, I don't have a synopsis to put here, sorry everyone!)
The story of Call of Duty: Black Ops is very well written with a nice handful of twits and turns to keep fans guessing from start to end, even with that though it does lack from a very poor ending (almost as bad as MW2) and a few parts where fans might get confused and a fairly short storyline. (5-6 hours)
Gameplay: (9 | 10)
Gameplay wise Call of Duty: Black Ops is amazing as I haven't run into any glitches yet, and there have been very few parts where I got upset or confused on what to do in the story. Multiplayer is where the game really shines and is the main reason why every single person bought the game: to have a good time with friends, which it does perfectly with every mode from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 returning and with a series of original maps and where the story-mode like in Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty 4 offers a highly intense series of event.
The zombies mode also returns with two maps to play on and four friends co-operative. The zombies mode is fairly challenging and is still like the rest of the game, a blast. However if you've played World at War's Nazi Zombies, then you've played Black Ops zombie mode as it's the same. The random gun box, the buying guns of walls and barricading the windows for as long as you can.
The new mode to Black Ops is Wager Matches, in which you can lay your money on the line in order to steal your friends or strangers money from a series of set games is also really fun, but generally involves in either a knife fest or a camping fest, which can be annoying after a while.
Graphics: (7 | 10)
The graphics in the game aren't terrible, but they aren't up to par with most games now of days (such as for games like Red Dead Redemption, Enslaved: Oddesy to the West) so some gamers might be angry that the graphics are kind of a down-grade, but they still look fairly nice in some places while in other places they look fairly un-detailed. So long as you don't pay really close attention though you should be fine.
Music: (10 | 10)
Composer Sean Murray's musical scores add onto the intense gun battles with a lot of finely crafted music which can make a lot of events that much better, and my only complaint would be that the game isn't long enough to show off more of his musical talent throughout the story mode.
Pros:
Good storyline.
Well crafted characters.
Great soundtrack.
Amazing multiplayer.
Zombies!!!
Cons:
Bad ending.
Short.
Not up-to-par graphics.
Overall: (8.5 | 10)
Rank: Strong Purchase / Great Rental
While Call of Duty: Black Ops does suffer from a series of issues from the graphics to the really short storyline, it still is an absolute blast to play from the intense shootouts in single player to the very well crafted score and storyline and if you're a fan of multiplayer shooters or are just looking to have a good time in the multiplayer, you shouldn't miss out on what Black Ops has to offer.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Dead Rising 2 Review
Story: (8 | 10)
"Dead Rising 2 is set several years after the infamous zombie invasion of Willamette. Unfortunately, the zombie virus was not contained at the conclusion of Dead Rising, spreading unchecked throughout the United States and Dead Rising 2 depicts a country where zombie outbreaks continue to strike."
The story in Dead Rising 2 starts off fairly basic but leads to some pretty good story telling as well as some nice twists and turns throughout the games story, which is a nice change from most games that typically fail to deliver a well told storyline. The story for the characters can also be good in some cases for the main cast (ex. Chuck or Stacey) but is generally poor for the supporting casts like the survivors and some of the psychopaths.
Gameplay: (9.5 | 10)
The gameplay in Dead Rising 2 has heavily improved from Dead Rising, you can now walk while using guns (some of them, weapons like the Blambow or the Spear Launcher will force you to stand in place), survivors don't get stuck onto objects nearly as much as they used to in DR1 and the best addition being the combination feature. Throughout the game you will find items with a blue wrench on them, which can be crafted to create such weapons as the Blambow, the Spear Launcher, Defiler etc. which adds onto the amount of time you will spend to find every single combo-card.
The game does also suffer from unacceptably long load times (20-35 seconds) and the problem where if your host saves during co-op, you may be kicked out but both of these features are forgivable due to how well they did with the other features of the game, plus with the addition to the multiplayer mode, Terror is Reality, it adds in a lot more to do multiplayer wise since all the money you earn in TIR can be used in your game to buy whatever you want, even if you lose!
Graphics: (7.5 | 10)
While the graphics are a huge improvement over the original title, there still are problems with small details throughout the environment which can look glitched or just plain ugly, but for the most part the graphics are generally pretty good and you shouldn't have an issue so long as you don't pay really close attention or sit really close to your TV.
Music: (10 | 10)
The music selection throughout Dead Rising 2 is pitch perfect, you'll notice music mainly from the band "Celldweller" but there are a handful of original scores crafted by the team (unsure of who the artist is who did it) that will keep you entertained from the boss fights to the minigames throughout the game, such as from Cash Me if You Can.
Pros:
Tons of combo weapons to create and find.
Co-op mayhem!
Fun multiplayer (TIR)
Lots of weapons to use.
Amazing soundtrack.
Good storyline.
Good voice acting.
Cons:
Not that well detailed graphics.
Small glitches.
Really long load-times.
Not as much story on supporting cast.
Xbox-LIVE multiplayer/PSN only (Co-op and TIR)
Overall: (9.5 | 10)
Rank: 100% Purchase
Dead Rising 2 has its issues, but it's still an absolute blast to play as long as you have a friend to play with and don't mind a lot of collectibles to get in order for you to go on a mayhem killing zombies, if you liked the absurdity of Saints Row 2 and the zombie experiences from games like Left 4 Dead, then you should already own Dead Rising 2 or you should be running out the door to buy it right now.
"Dead Rising 2 is set several years after the infamous zombie invasion of Willamette. Unfortunately, the zombie virus was not contained at the conclusion of Dead Rising, spreading unchecked throughout the United States and Dead Rising 2 depicts a country where zombie outbreaks continue to strike."
The story in Dead Rising 2 starts off fairly basic but leads to some pretty good story telling as well as some nice twists and turns throughout the games story, which is a nice change from most games that typically fail to deliver a well told storyline. The story for the characters can also be good in some cases for the main cast (ex. Chuck or Stacey) but is generally poor for the supporting casts like the survivors and some of the psychopaths.
Gameplay: (9.5 | 10)
The gameplay in Dead Rising 2 has heavily improved from Dead Rising, you can now walk while using guns (some of them, weapons like the Blambow or the Spear Launcher will force you to stand in place), survivors don't get stuck onto objects nearly as much as they used to in DR1 and the best addition being the combination feature. Throughout the game you will find items with a blue wrench on them, which can be crafted to create such weapons as the Blambow, the Spear Launcher, Defiler etc. which adds onto the amount of time you will spend to find every single combo-card.
The game does also suffer from unacceptably long load times (20-35 seconds) and the problem where if your host saves during co-op, you may be kicked out but both of these features are forgivable due to how well they did with the other features of the game, plus with the addition to the multiplayer mode, Terror is Reality, it adds in a lot more to do multiplayer wise since all the money you earn in TIR can be used in your game to buy whatever you want, even if you lose!
Graphics: (7.5 | 10)
While the graphics are a huge improvement over the original title, there still are problems with small details throughout the environment which can look glitched or just plain ugly, but for the most part the graphics are generally pretty good and you shouldn't have an issue so long as you don't pay really close attention or sit really close to your TV.
Music: (10 | 10)
The music selection throughout Dead Rising 2 is pitch perfect, you'll notice music mainly from the band "Celldweller" but there are a handful of original scores crafted by the team (unsure of who the artist is who did it) that will keep you entertained from the boss fights to the minigames throughout the game, such as from Cash Me if You Can.
Pros:
Tons of combo weapons to create and find.
Co-op mayhem!
Fun multiplayer (TIR)
Lots of weapons to use.
Amazing soundtrack.
Good storyline.
Good voice acting.
Cons:
Not that well detailed graphics.
Small glitches.
Really long load-times.
Not as much story on supporting cast.
Xbox-LIVE multiplayer/PSN only (Co-op and TIR)
Overall: (9.5 | 10)
Rank: 100% Purchase
Dead Rising 2 has its issues, but it's still an absolute blast to play as long as you have a friend to play with and don't mind a lot of collectibles to get in order for you to go on a mayhem killing zombies, if you liked the absurdity of Saints Row 2 and the zombie experiences from games like Left 4 Dead, then you should already own Dead Rising 2 or you should be running out the door to buy it right now.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Saw 2: Flesh and Blood Review
Story: (5.5 | 10)
"Step into the dark and tormented world of Saw 2 and experience the gruesome traps that Jigsaw has created to test your will to survive. With new traps, puzzles, and combat system players will need to think fast and act quick to pass the rigors of the tests Jigsaw has engineered. Set between the Saw and Saw II movies, the game follows Detective Tapp's estranged son Michael, who become Jigsaw's next subject while he is investigating father's recent death."
(Source: metacritic.com)
The story in Saw 2: Flesh and Blood is fairly poor, while I'll admit there are a few good plot-twists near the end but besides for that, most of the story will be from the collectibles making it a must to collect all the case files and audio tapes if you want the full story from this game or just the achievements.
Gameplay: (6.5 | 10)
The gameplay in Saw revolves mainly around the puzzles throughout the game, however you will have to do some combat from time to time. The puzzles in the game are okay but are used to hell, the main two puzzles being used the most are point to point and lock picking, lock picking being way too easy and point to point being way too time consuming at some points, even on insanity!
The combat is mixed up into two parts. The first part being the basic hand to hand or weaponry while the second part being puzzle based. The puzzle based combat is actually pretty fun but it isn't difficult and it won't take you too long to finish them, while the hand to hand or weaponry based combat falls flat onto its face, whenever you have to fight someone it'll show someone running at you before you have to hit the X button. You'll then either have to defend yourself once or just skip right into the combat, which is ALWAYS just a quick time event which only takes you about 15 seconds to get past, plus if you have a weapon like the axe or the spiked bat, you'll kill them in one hit every time.
Graphics: (6.5 | 10)
The graphics in the game are pretty standard, some of the time you'll run into something in the background of someone trying to pass their test or there game (whatever you prefer to call it) but besides for that there just isn't anything unique or pretty and sometimes the graphics can just be plain lazy or might just be taken from the first game. Nothing bad, but nothing new.
Music: (8.5 | 10)
The music in the game is generally just background music (for when you're being chased, attacked, cut-scene, etc.) and it's generally okay, and if you don't like the music it's never on for too long (generally just a minute or two) so you won't suffer and if it's cut-scene music, you can always skip the cut-scenes. The song 'Hello Zepp' from the first Saw movie also makes an appearance which will put a smile on any Saw fan.
Pros:
Hello Zepp theme
Fairly decent controls.
A fair sum of good puzzles.
Lots a' collectibles.
Cons:
Weak storyline.
Bad characters.
Lots of easy puzzles.
Repetitive puzzles.
Bad combat.
Mediocre graphics.
Way too short.
Overall: (6.5 | 10)
Rank: Okay rental
Even though Saw 2 has its problems it still has a fair amount of enjoyment to be taken from it and it still has a lot more to do then the first one did, so if you're really needing something to play before you pick up Fallout: New Vegas or Call of Duty: Black Ops, this is an okay game to rent for a few days before you unlock all the really easy achievements (or trophies) or you beat it.
"Step into the dark and tormented world of Saw 2 and experience the gruesome traps that Jigsaw has created to test your will to survive. With new traps, puzzles, and combat system players will need to think fast and act quick to pass the rigors of the tests Jigsaw has engineered. Set between the Saw and Saw II movies, the game follows Detective Tapp's estranged son Michael, who become Jigsaw's next subject while he is investigating father's recent death."
(Source: metacritic.com)
The story in Saw 2: Flesh and Blood is fairly poor, while I'll admit there are a few good plot-twists near the end but besides for that, most of the story will be from the collectibles making it a must to collect all the case files and audio tapes if you want the full story from this game or just the achievements.
Gameplay: (6.5 | 10)
The gameplay in Saw revolves mainly around the puzzles throughout the game, however you will have to do some combat from time to time. The puzzles in the game are okay but are used to hell, the main two puzzles being used the most are point to point and lock picking, lock picking being way too easy and point to point being way too time consuming at some points, even on insanity!
The combat is mixed up into two parts. The first part being the basic hand to hand or weaponry while the second part being puzzle based. The puzzle based combat is actually pretty fun but it isn't difficult and it won't take you too long to finish them, while the hand to hand or weaponry based combat falls flat onto its face, whenever you have to fight someone it'll show someone running at you before you have to hit the X button. You'll then either have to defend yourself once or just skip right into the combat, which is ALWAYS just a quick time event which only takes you about 15 seconds to get past, plus if you have a weapon like the axe or the spiked bat, you'll kill them in one hit every time.
Graphics: (6.5 | 10)
The graphics in the game are pretty standard, some of the time you'll run into something in the background of someone trying to pass their test or there game (whatever you prefer to call it) but besides for that there just isn't anything unique or pretty and sometimes the graphics can just be plain lazy or might just be taken from the first game. Nothing bad, but nothing new.
Music: (8.5 | 10)
The music in the game is generally just background music (for when you're being chased, attacked, cut-scene, etc.) and it's generally okay, and if you don't like the music it's never on for too long (generally just a minute or two) so you won't suffer and if it's cut-scene music, you can always skip the cut-scenes. The song 'Hello Zepp' from the first Saw movie also makes an appearance which will put a smile on any Saw fan.
Pros:
Hello Zepp theme
Fairly decent controls.
A fair sum of good puzzles.
Lots a' collectibles.
Cons:
Weak storyline.
Bad characters.
Lots of easy puzzles.
Repetitive puzzles.
Bad combat.
Mediocre graphics.
Way too short.
Overall: (6.5 | 10)
Rank: Okay rental
Even though Saw 2 has its problems it still has a fair amount of enjoyment to be taken from it and it still has a lot more to do then the first one did, so if you're really needing something to play before you pick up Fallout: New Vegas or Call of Duty: Black Ops, this is an okay game to rent for a few days before you unlock all the really easy achievements (or trophies) or you beat it.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Alpha Protocol review
Story: (9.5 | 10)
"Loyalty carries a price and no one knows this more than agent Michael Thorton. A talented young agent cast out by his government, Thorton is the only one with the information needed to stop an impending
international catastrophe. To do so means he must cut himself off from the very people he is sworn to protect."
(Source: Metacritic.com)
The story in Alpha Protocol is very, very, VERY good and carries on its story with plot-twits and the ability to have the game changed completely just from one decision, giving players the ability to play the game again to see what sort of choices affect the story as a whole which I find to be very interesting and also gives players more reason to play more then just once.
Gameplay: (4.5 | 10)
The game play in Alpha Protocol is horrendous, it's overflown with bugs, glitches, cheap combat when it involves the AI and the hacking/pick locking is terrible. If you attempt to pick the lock on a door or to hack a keypad, as long as you back out before the timer runs out, an alarm will not trigger but it's different for safes for some unknown reason.
The AI will often charge you and will attempt to melee you multiple times before backing away and unloading you with lead. If you're lucky enough to survive, you generally end with very little to no health. Also, there are bugs which will involve you having to go through a doorway before realizing that you're trapped and that you'll have to reload an older save in order to get through the part which will generally get onto your nerves if you just spent the last hour and a half trying to beat a boss or had to go through a horde of enemies.
Graphics: (5 | 10)
The graphics in Alpha Protocol vary, sometimes a character will be detailed very well while another one will look terribly detailed and will have lots of problems with his looks or will generally have animation glitches.
The backgrounds themselves tend to be bland with nothing really special about them, and after the first mission in any area, you'll probably see it all by then which is a shame since some of the graphics in the game are really good.
Music: (5 | 10)
The music in Alpha Protocol much like the graphics tend to vary, some of the music in the game I really liked while others tended to be kind of random when it came to a boss battle or for when a horde rushed me.
Wait until the last boss battle and you'll see what I mean by random, out of place music. It's nothing really irritating but it can be kind of confusing at some points.
Pros:
Really good story.
Amazing voice actors.
Well developed characters.
Good plot twists.
Lots, and lots, and lots of choices that will change the game a lot.
Cons:
Bad controls.
Rip-off level up system from Mass Effect 1.
Terrible hacking/pick locking mechanics.
Way too difficult at times.
Short.
Overall: (7.5 | 10)
Rank: Great rental or amazing purchase.
Alpha Protocol is a game that will not be enjoyable for some audiences but it is a very, very fun game with it's story and characters alone if you can get over the massive amount of bugs and glitches, if you can find this game for really cheap or if you can find a rental copy, pick it up as you might like it if you enjoyed games like Mass Effect.
"Loyalty carries a price and no one knows this more than agent Michael Thorton. A talented young agent cast out by his government, Thorton is the only one with the information needed to stop an impending
international catastrophe. To do so means he must cut himself off from the very people he is sworn to protect."
(Source: Metacritic.com)
The story in Alpha Protocol is very, very, VERY good and carries on its story with plot-twits and the ability to have the game changed completely just from one decision, giving players the ability to play the game again to see what sort of choices affect the story as a whole which I find to be very interesting and also gives players more reason to play more then just once.
Gameplay: (4.5 | 10)
The game play in Alpha Protocol is horrendous, it's overflown with bugs, glitches, cheap combat when it involves the AI and the hacking/pick locking is terrible. If you attempt to pick the lock on a door or to hack a keypad, as long as you back out before the timer runs out, an alarm will not trigger but it's different for safes for some unknown reason.
The AI will often charge you and will attempt to melee you multiple times before backing away and unloading you with lead. If you're lucky enough to survive, you generally end with very little to no health. Also, there are bugs which will involve you having to go through a doorway before realizing that you're trapped and that you'll have to reload an older save in order to get through the part which will generally get onto your nerves if you just spent the last hour and a half trying to beat a boss or had to go through a horde of enemies.
Graphics: (5 | 10)
The graphics in Alpha Protocol vary, sometimes a character will be detailed very well while another one will look terribly detailed and will have lots of problems with his looks or will generally have animation glitches.
The backgrounds themselves tend to be bland with nothing really special about them, and after the first mission in any area, you'll probably see it all by then which is a shame since some of the graphics in the game are really good.
Music: (5 | 10)
The music in Alpha Protocol much like the graphics tend to vary, some of the music in the game I really liked while others tended to be kind of random when it came to a boss battle or for when a horde rushed me.
Wait until the last boss battle and you'll see what I mean by random, out of place music. It's nothing really irritating but it can be kind of confusing at some points.
Pros:
Really good story.
Amazing voice actors.
Well developed characters.
Good plot twists.
Lots, and lots, and lots of choices that will change the game a lot.
Cons:
Bad controls.
Rip-off level up system from Mass Effect 1.
Terrible hacking/pick locking mechanics.
Way too difficult at times.
Short.
Overall: (7.5 | 10)
Rank: Great rental or amazing purchase.
Alpha Protocol is a game that will not be enjoyable for some audiences but it is a very, very fun game with it's story and characters alone if you can get over the massive amount of bugs and glitches, if you can find this game for really cheap or if you can find a rental copy, pick it up as you might like it if you enjoyed games like Mass Effect.
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