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2010-01-31 23:01:22
VCA finals:
Taking a quick glance at which videos made it to the finals, I’m glad to see that Bauzi’s “Being a Superstar” video is a finalist for best horror. Admittedly though, I’m a little disappointed that Infinity Squared’s “Only Bob”, prYzm’s “Pants are Overrated”, as well as oro$shi’s “Hello World” did not get past the semi-final round. As for my Kawaii Girls video: big thanks to everybody who voted for it, and helped it get to the finals for best comedy and best trailer or commercial. However, I’m quite sure this is as far as my video goes, considering the great AMVs I’m up against.
Bayonetta (Xbox 360 game review):
As with pretty much everyone out there, I’m the kind of person who prefers substance over style. However, I am always willing to make exceptions. Bayonetta has become one of those exceptions. From the first videos and previews I’ve seen of this game, I could tell that it wasn’t going to revolutionize beat-em-up action games like God of War did, but it still looked like an incredibly fun game. After, playing (and enjoying) the demo of Bayonetta, I decided to take the plunge and get this game. After completing it, I honestly believe that it will stand as one of the most fun action games to come out in 2010.
Playing as Bayonetta, you journey to a fictional city in Europe called Vigrid in search of the “right eye” of an artifact called the “Eyes of the World”. During this quest, you will learn more about Bayonetta’s long forgotten past, while battling against the angelic forces of Paradiso (i.e. heaven). Speaking of your angelic enemies, it’s been a while since I’ve seen enemies as weird as the ones in this game. Who would have thought that angels could be designed in such freakishly awesome ways? From lowly warriors such as the Affinity (humanoid bird creatures) to the massive baby-faced Beloved, these are some of the coolest looking enemies I’ve encountered in any game.
Now, since we’re on the subject of character design, we should probably talk about Bayonetta herself. I’ve read that the game’s director, Hideki Kamiya, really wanted to emphasize her sexiness. This is shown pretty much throughout the entire game, from the way the character is “introduced” near the beginning of the game, and the fact that she gets more naked the more powerful her attacks are. As ludicrous as this all sounds, in the context of this game and the personality of the character, it actually fits just fine. Oh, and this may sound strange, but the sexy librarian look of Bayonetta actually matches really well with the mood and design of the game’s environments and architecture.
The gameplay of Bayonetta is similar to another game Hideki Kamiya worked on, which is Devil May Cry. Like DMC, Bayonetta is a beat-em-up action game that has you clearing out area after area of enemies. But the pace of the combat is much faster, with proper timing and dodging of enemy attacks a necessity. If you dodge an enemy attack at the right time you’ll enter “witch time” (i.e. bullet time), which slows down enemy movement, allowing you to unleash a flurry of attacks on them for a few seconds. Bayonetta also has access to a number of “torture attacks” (e.g. placing enemies on guillotines, or stuffing them into iron maidens) which can drain a large amount of enemy health, if not outright kill them.
When you kill an enemy, they’ll often drop rings. These rings are currency that you can use to buy new moves, items, and other power-ups at the game’s store called the Gates of Hell. Lastly, scattered throughout the game are LP albums (or pieces of albums), and if you have a whole album, you can trade it in at the Gates of Hell for a new weapon. Currently my favourite weapon is a giant katana called Shuraba, and it’s quite good at slicing up enemies. Also, before I forget: Bayonetta has some of the most epic boss battles of any game this generation. These bosses are huge, and fighting them is truly a sight to behold. It’s also nice that the designers of the game decided to add “checkpoints” throughout a boss battle, so you don’t have to start at the beginning of a boss fight if you die.
Of course, Bayonetta is not a perfect game, and unfortunately suffers from a few drawbacks that hold it back from true awesomeness. First off, the game is pretty short, and a good player can probably beat in just a few hours of gaming. Also, it is a very linear game, and there is only one real path to go when travelling from beginning to end, although this is not uncommon with these types of games. Bayonetta also has a huge list of combo attacks she can perform, but frankly most of them were not terribly useful to me. Lastly, about half the cutscenes in the game consist of these still image “filmstrip” pictures, which are not as interesting as the normal cutscenes with moving people.
Overall, Bayonetta is a great action game. It’s cheesy, and ridiculously over-the-top, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. If Sega decides to push ahead with a spin-off or full blown sequel to this game, I will definitely play it!
I give Bayonetta 4/5 stars. -
2010-01-28 22:51:04
Another AMV to highlight for the VCAs:
Unfortunately, I didn’t get through nearly as many semi-finalist videos that I wanted to (I blame Mass Effect 2 for this). However, there is one video that I wish to highlight for your consideration:
“Being a Superstar” by Bauzi:
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_videoinfo.php?v=171269
Category to be nominated for: Best dramatic video, best horror video
I don’t know how I could have possibly missed downloading this video from last year. It's a truly disturbing AMV, but in a good way. Definitely a video you should check out if you haven’t already.
Dragon Age: Origins (PC game review):
Way back in 1998, a little game called Baldur’s Gate was released for the PC. It was said to have single-handedly revitalize interest in role-playing games for computers. It was also my first real experience with PC and “western” style RPGs (prior to that, I mainly played JRPGs). Fast forward to 2009, and the release of Dragon Age: Origins, a game that has been touted as the spiritual successor to the Baldur’s Gate series. Dragon Age is a combination of traditional RPG gameplay, mixed in with the modern graphics technology of today`s gaming hardware. All of this combines to make Dragon Age: Origins one of the best games to have come out in 2009.
The most interesting feature of Dragon Age is something you’ll encounter at the beginning of this game. Depending on the race and class you’ve chosen for your character, you’ll gain access to one of several, unique introductory stories which can range from seeing life as a dwarf commoner, or a mage in training. These stories do a great job of fleshing out your character’s personality (of which you’ll help to build based on the choices you make). After you have completed your origin story, you’ll get into the main plot of the game, which deals with a Blight (an invasion of demonic entities called the Darkspawn) occurring in the nation of Ferelden.
I should note that, on the surface, the setting appears like your standard Lord of the Rings or Dungeons and Dragons type fantasy game. But as you continue playing this game, you’ll realize the world of Dragon Age is truly its own. One of the things that really help to set it apart from other similar games is how really violent it is. You’re character will often be covered the blood of those you slay, and the “kill animations” that occur when a character defeats an enemy in close combat are both gruesome and awesome at the same time. Dragon Age also often deals with the racial tensions that occur with the human, elves, and dwarves in the world, which is something I have rarely encountered in most of the RPGs I’ve played.
If you’ve played other Bioware RPGs (most notably Neverwinter Nights), then you’ll have a pretty good idea what to expect. Aside from the character you create, you’ll encounter other people with their own unique abilities and personalities who will join your party. Also, the PC version of Dragon Age gives you the opportunity to play from either a third person perspective, or from a traditional top down view (which is a great view for issuing commands). Attacks, magic, and other commands are executed fairly easily thanks to an interface that is tailor made for keyboard and mouse controls (i.e. no radial menu like the console versions). You can also pause a battle to give you time to assess a situation, and issue orders as needed. As with other Bioware games, when you interact with other people you’ll be given multiple dialogue options to respond with. These responses generally range from the “good guy” and “bad guy” responses, as well as some really humorous options.
With Dragon Age: Origins, Bioware really made a huge effort to make it one of its best looking games. The environments look really good, and the textures on the character models are really detailed. That being said, although the character models look good, the animation of these characters (e.g. when moving or talking) feel a bit stiff, and this is especially noticeable during the *ahem* sex scenes in the game. The voice acting is a real high point in Dragon Age. This game must have had a ton of script pages, and all the voice actors in the game were superb. Claudia Black in particular was fantastic. Honestly, between this game and her role in Uncharted 2, she can have a great career as a voice actress.
Dragon Age: Origins took me over 40 hours to beat (and that includes doing most of the side quests), so you can be sure you’re getting your money’s worth. I’ve been waiting for this game to come out since it was announced back in 2004, and after many years in development, I definitely feel it was worth the wait. Fans of RPGs should not miss out on this game!
I give Dragon Age: Origins 5/5 stars. -
VCAs and gaming
2010-01-24 22:40:26
VCA semi-finals
First off, thanks to everyone who voted for my Kawaii Girls video, and helping to bring it to the semi-final stage in several categories. I really appreciate every vote that this video gets. Also, I’m hoping to get a chance to watch many of semi-finalist videos that I have not downloaded yet, hopefully over the next few days. I know there are some great videos from 2009 that I missed, and I would like to get another short “highlight” list up prior to the semi-final voting ending.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360 game review)
The term massive does not even begin to describe the amount of buzz that surrounded Modern Warfare 2 prior to its release. If you’re a gamer (and not even a hardcore gamer), then unless you’ve cut yourself off from the internet for the past year, you’ve probably heard of this game. I’ve recently finished playing through the single player campaign, as well getting in some good multiplayer time, and I have to say: Modern Warfare 2 is one of the best shooters I’ve played this generation.
The story of the single player campaign takes place several years after the first Modern Warfare. Without spoiling too much of the story for those who haven’t played the game, you’ll be playing the story through the eyes of several characters as they fight in locations such as Afghanistan, Rio de Janeiro, and a Russian Gulag. Admittedly, some of the plot twists in the story had me scratching my head a bit, but otherwise the story maintains a brisk pace that keeps you coming back for more.
The firefights in Modern Warfare 2 are incredibly intense, and are handled fairly well control wise. Thanks to the “lock-on” control scheme (whereby you will immediately target an enemy within your field of vision when looking down your gun sights), taking on multiple enemies is made much easier. Often you’ll be facing scenarios where you have to fight against dozens of enemies who are showering you with bullets, so using cover appropriately is key to surviving. The only real gripe I have with the single player campaign is that it’s very short. You can probably finish the game on regular difficulty in six hours (it took me a little longer than that, since I played on the hardest difficulty setting), but hey, it will still be an awesome six hours.
Now, when many gamers buy this game, the main reason they bought it is because of the absolutely fantastic multiplayer. I have to say that I too have become addicted to it. At a glance, it looks just like any shooter you can play online, but that is far from accurate. The main feature that I love about the multiplayer is the fact that you can level up, just like an RPG. As you level up, you will also begin to increase in rank (e.g. from private to corporal, sergeant, lieutenant, etc.), as well as unlock new weapons, weapon attachments, perks (e.g. abilities that can make your bullets deal more damage, or reloading your gun faster), and kill/death streak abilities (e.g. launching a UAV when you kill three people in a row without dying). All these things allow you to create a soldier that is tailored to how you like to play. For example, if you prefer to play more stealthy, then you may want to choose a rifle, attach a silencer to it, and choose a perk making you invisible to UAVs. It’s this ability to customize your solider, and unlocking new stuff that keeps me (and others) hooked on this multiplayer experience.
Aside from the main single player and multiplayer game, Modern Warfare 2 has a Spec Ops mode, which is essentially a series of challenges that can be done by yourself, or with a friend. It should be noted that a few missions require you to play it with a friend. These challenges can range from surviving an attack from several waves of enemies, trying to fight your way to an extraction point, and even having one friend on the ground being supported by another friend who’s piloting an AC-130 gunship. Spec Ops is a lot of fun, and a great addition to the game.
Presentation wise, Modern Warfare 2 uses a similar but updated engine from the first game, and it looks absolutely gorgeous. The textures and environments are nicely detailed, and the game still runs at a decent clip even when there are massive firefights. The voice acting is top notch, and includes several notable voice actors such Keith David. Also, the musical score is appropriately epic, and I should point out that the main theme was provided by Academy Award winning composer Hans Zimmer.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is one of the best shooters of this generation. It’s not going to revolutionize the genre, but it is an amazing experience nonetheless. If you are any kind of shooter fan, you owe it to yourself to give this game a try.
I give Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 5/5 stars. -
AMV highlights for the VCAs
2010-01-21 22:27:32
Considering how close it is until the nominations close, I really should have put this up earlier. After going through my collection of videos I’ve downloaded during 2009, there are a few videos I really want to highlight for your voting consideration (and there may be more videos I’ll highlight in the future):
“Only Bob” by Infinity Squared
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_videoinfo.php?v=170400
Category to be nominated for: Best use of special effects, best character profile
It’s not just the fact that this video uses self-made CG footage, but that it’s so well integrated with the concept and theme of the video, which contemplates what it means to be human.
“Rush Core” by Flame-X
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_videoinfo.php?v=169495
Category to be nominated for: Best action video, best no effects video
Fast paced, awesome syncing with great scene selection. It’s one of the best action videos to come out in 2009!
“Pants are Overrated” by prYzm
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/members/members_videoinfo.php?v=171332
Category to be nominated for: Best comedy
Not much to say here other than it’s freaking hilarious!
I encourage you to give these videos a look when you decide who to vote for in the VCAs. -
2010-01-19 21:47:10
Fable 2 (Xbox 360 game review):
Having never played through the first game, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this game. But the critical praise that Fable 2 has garnered made me very interested in picking it up. Quite simply, Fable 2 is a truly engrossing experience, and one of the best action RPG’s that I’ve played in some time.
The story of Fable 2 takes place 500 years after the first game (however, you don’t need to know the plot of the first game to understand the story of this game). The story starts off with you as a young street kid in the city of Bowerstone, before the game switches to you as an adult who’s trying to stop a madman from utilizing the world altering powers of an ancient structure called the Spire. Admittedly, the plot is not going to break any new ground in the fantasy genre, but it remains enjoyable due to a solid script, as well as the excellent voice acting of the game’s characters.
In Fable 2, how your character progress is dependent on how much focus you put into three areas: Strength (which handles melee attacks, and how much life you have), Skill (which handles ranged attacks, and how powerful and fast they are), and Will (i.e. magic abilities). For example, the more you use your guns to attack your enemies, the more Skill experience you’ll receive, and the stronger your ranged attacks can become. You’ll also get “general” experience from enemies, which can be applied to any of the three areas.
The game also contains many non-player characters that will react differently based on several factors: First, the game incorporates a morality system based around concepts of Good vs. Evil (e.g. performing heroic deeds will increase your “level” of good), and Purity vs. Corruption (e.g. being lazy can make your more corrupt, while eating healthy foods will make you more pure). You can also affect how people react to you based on the clothes you where, and how you do your hair. In addition to this, Fable 2 has a “Renown” system, where the more quests you complete, the more renown you’ll receive. A player who is “good”, and wearing spiffy clothing can get citizens to give them gifts. Also, those with high renown can gain access to new quests given by non-player characters.
The combat system in Fable 2 is simple, but effective. I found myself doing a lot of button mashing when fighting enemies, but switching between melee, ranged, and magical attacks on the fly is very easy to do. I’m also happy that Fable 2 has incorporated a “fast travel” system which can, at a push of a button, allow me to quickly go to an area I’ve explored. However, despite the fact that Fable 2’s world is a pretty decent size (the back of the box says Fable 2’s world is 10 times the size of the original Fable, although I’ve never played Fable 1 so I can’t confirm this), I still find it smaller than other RPG world’s that I’ve played such as, for example, Fallout 3.
Now, even though the world is not as big as I’d like, it still looks really good. The lighting effects in the game are absolutely spectacular, particularly the lighting that occurs during sunrise in the game. The design of the buildings and structures in the game look a bit cartoony, but it fits with the quirky atmosphere of the game. Actually, speaking of the game’s quirky atmosphere, if you’re a fan of British humour, then you’re going to love this game. The dialogue in the game, and the random jokes you’ll hear from the citizenry just ooze that cheeky British charm and wit.
Aside from killing enemies and completing quests, you can take on various jobs such as being a bartender or blacksmith which will earn you gold to buy weapons and other items. You can also buy various stores and buildings in the world, which will give you additional income. And if you really wanted to, you can even get married and have a kid, which is something that I admittedly never did, since I wanted to focus on questing and not dealing with domestic issues.
Overall, Fable 2 is a great RPG experience. Even though I thought the game could have used a larger world, there is still plenty to do in this one. A sequel to the game was just recently announced, and I can’t wait to continue the Fable saga.
I give Fable 2 4.5/5 stars.
Halo Wars (Xbox 360 game review):
Real-time strategy games have generally been the domain of the PC. The mouse and keyboard controls of a PC lend themselves really well to playing an RTS game. Using a gamepad to play a RTS game seemed like a very foreign concept to me. However, after hearing some decent reviews and finding it on sale used for a good price, I decided to take Halo Wars for a spin, and in general, it was much better than I thought it would be.
Taking place 20 years prior to the events in the first Halo game, Halo Wars follows the exploits of the crew of the UNSC warship, Spirit of Fire, as they battle the alien Covenant forces. The gameplay of Halo Wars is similar to many RTS games. In most of the single player missions, you have a base from which you can build structures such as barracks (used to train infantry), vehicle depots, and supply pads (which are used to collect resources to build units). From these structures, you’ll raise an army to help you complete the game’s missions. Also, each of these missions have nicely varied objectives, with goals ranging from rescuing trapped soldiers, to protecting civilians escaping a warzone.
Aside from the single player campaign missions, you also have the option of challenging AI opponents in skirmish mode, or other players over multiplayer. In either case, you can go one on one with an opponent, or play with two teams of up to three players per team, with the goal of building an army strong enough to annihilate your opponent. In both skirmish and multiplayer, you have the option of playing as either the UNSC forces, or the Covenant factions. Each faction also has different “leaders” you can play as, providing you with different powers and units only available to a different leader.
Now, I should mention that one of the things that surprised me while playing Halo Wars was how playable it actually was. I never thought that a gamepad would be a viable option for playing an RTS game, but the guys at Ensemble Studios did a good job developing the game around the Xbox 360 controller. There is no mouse like “cursor” you move around to select your units. Instead, there is a single crosshair fixed to the centre of the screen. You use the left stick to pan the camera, the right stick to adjust the camera angle, and the D-Pad to quickly go to different bases, access special powers, and place the camera on top of any battles currently happening. It’s a fairly simple, but intuitive design.
Graphically, the game looks pretty good, with nicely detailed maps, environments, and unit designs. Also, the story of Halo Wars is told through some really well animated cutscenes, and the voice acting that go along with these cutscenes (and the in game action) are fairly well done. All in all, the presentation of Halo Wars is top notch.
But, despite the generally positive reaction I have to this game, there are a few things about the game that prevent me from giving it a really high score. For example, despite the fact that the gamepad controls worked out well for the most part, they are still not as quick and intuitive to me as using a mouse and keyboard. Also, the gameplay of Halo Wars, while fun, feels a little simplistic to me compared to games like Dawn of War II (which has a larger variety of units, and a stronger focus on using the environment/terrain to your advantage).
Despite some of my less positive comments, Halo Wars is still a good game, and I think it should be used as a blueprint for how RTS games should be done for a console. It may not be as deep as RTS games on the PC, but fans of strategy games in general should still give it a try.
I give Halo Wars 3.5/5 stars.
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