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2010-01-17 18:57:37
Halo 3 (Xbox 360 game review):
One of the first games I got for my new 360 (and one of the main reasons I got a 360) is a little game called Halo 3. My prior experiences with the Halo franchise were primarily with the ports to the PC. This is the first Halo game I’ve played in its entirety on a console, but it was a great experience nonetheless.
In Halo 3, you again take control of the Master Chief (an enhanced SPARTAN super soldier) in his fight against the alien Covenant forces on Earth. The game is a mix of both first-person shooter, as well as sequences of vehicular battles. As in the previous games, the Master Chief has a shield which regenerates after he’s taken damage, and maintains the ability to dual-wield certain weapons. The main additions to the game are support weapons, which are powerful two handed weapons that are great for taking out a large group of enemies, as well as equipment such as deployable shields. Admittedly though, as useful as some of these additions are, the gameplay of Halo 3 has not really changed from the previous two games.
The biggest (and most obvious) improvement in Halo 3 is the graphics, which one would expect for the first game in the series to appear on the 360. The design of the characters and levels were well done, and overall it’s a good looking game. However, the graphics are not as detailed as, for example, Gears of War 2 (which is another game I’ll review later). Another aspect of the game that I enjoyed is the music. It runs the gamut from calm yet fitting piano pieces, to booming, epic orchestral music, and it really adds to the enjoyment of the game. Also, the voice acting in this game is nicely done, with (in my opinion) Keith David being the stand out actor, voicing the Arbiter (who was introduced in Halo 2).
One thing I should note is that Halo 3 is my first taste of playing a Halo game online over Xbox Live. Admittedly though, since I haven’t downloaded the DLC map packs my experience online has been primarily limited to the slayer and team slayer modes. The matches I’ve played online so far are a lot of fun, thanks to some really well designed multiplayer levels that require strong situational awareness, lest you get shot in the back or sniped from afar. After my experience with the multiplayer component, I’m seriously considering shelling out some cash for some extra modes and maps.
In the end, Halo 3 doesn’t do anything to re-invent the wheel, but it is still a very enjoyable and satisfying first person shooter. If you plan on getting an Xbox 360, then this is definitely one of the first games you should check out.
I give Halo 3 4.5/5 stars.
Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360 game review):
Along with Halo 3, Gears of War 2 is one of the main reasons that I got a 360. I enjoyed playing the first Gears of War on the PC, and after seeing all the good things said about the sequel, I knew I had to get it. After playing through the game, I can safely say that Gears of War 2 is fantastic game, and one of the best shooters I’ve played this generation.
Gears of War 2 takes place a few months after the end of the first game, with you re-taking the role of Marcus Fenix as the humans of the planet Sera continue their war against the alien Locusts. The gameplay of Gears of War 2 has remained pretty much the same from the first Gears. It’s a third-person shooter with a heavy emphasis on using cover. Proper use of cover in this game is necessary, or you’ll get ripped to shreds pretty easily by the enemies’ guns.
Most of the time, you’ll only be able to carry four weapons including a grenade, pistol, and two other weapons which could consist of shotguns, sniper rifles, and assault rifles. At various points in the game you can carry around a fifth large weapon (such as a mortar or chain gun), but you’ll be unable to switch to your other weapons while using it. Personally, my favourite weapon (and one of the first ones you’ll get) is the Lancer assault rifle, because of its secondary ability to chainsaw through enemies.
The enemies you’ll encounter in this game range from standard “grub” soldiers, to giant, hulking Brumaks. The smaller soldiers will intelligently use cover to avoid your attacks, while the bigger enemies such as Reavers will charge straight at you, and also attempt to use its tentacles to impale you or any ally hiding behind cover. Overall, the AI in this game provides a decent challenge.
The multiplayer of this game is simply awesome. This is because the cover mechanics of the game require a lot more tactical thinking than your standard shooter. Knowing the map is necessary, so you know where the weapons you want to use are, and where the enemies could potentially be lurking. Also, the use of flanking is very important for flushing enemies out of cover. The game includes several modes of play including Warzone (i.e. Team Deathmatch), and Submission (i.e. Capture the flag). However, my favourite mode currently is Horde, which consists of fight off wave after wave of increasingly stronger enemies.
The graphics of Gears of War 2 are stunning to say the least. The game uses an enhanced version of the Unreal 3 engine, and puts it to great use. The textures on the characters and structures are very detailed, and the lighting effects are superbly handled, giving the game an almost photo-realistic look at times. Also, for the most part the voice acting is well done, and helps to keep with the serious tone of the game.
Gears of War 2 isn’t a huge improvement over the first Gears of War (which was already a great game), but it is a solid shooter with great gameplay, and addictive multiplayer. Fans of shooters should not miss playing this game.
I give Gears of War 2 4.5/5 stars. -
VCAs, gaming, and Avatar
2010-01-06 22:27:06
First off, I can’t believe it’s VCA time again already. But I’m always glad when it comes around, because it gives me an opportunity to go through all the videos I’ve downloaded the past year. I’m hoping to get some of my choices posted in the forum thread in the not too distant future.
On another topic: A couple of months ago, I burned another hole into my wallet by picking up an Xbox 360. Some of the first games I bought included Halo 3, and Gears of War 2. I’ve been playing through several games on the system, and I’ll probably start posting reviews for them soon.
Lastly, I recently got the chance to see Avatar in 3D. It's honestly one of the best movies to come out in 2009. I was amazed at how well integrated the 3D effects were with the movie, and I don’t know if it would have been as enjoyable without them. I’m seriously considering going to see Avatar again, but if I do, I hope to see it in IMAX 3D.
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3 for 1 ops until Sunday, Dec 20 (2 for 1 ops after)
2009-12-19 14:21:14
Hey everyone. I'm looking to get some more opinions on my Kawaii Girls video, and so I've set up a thread offering 3 for 1 ops until Sunday, Dec 20 (2 for 1 ops after):
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=97720
So, please post away :) -
My latest video, and Spike TV VGAs
2009-12-15 18:44:40
First off...Doh! For forgetting to put this in my journal. For those who haven’t seen it yet, a few days ago I released my latest video.
http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=97622
Hope you like it!
Now, one other thing I just wanted to comment on: the Spike TV VGAs occurred over the weekend. I didn’t catch it live, but after looking through the list of winners, one thing that surprised me (not in a good or bad way, but just plain surprised me) was that Uncharted 2 won for game of the year.
If I were a betting man, I would have guessed that Modern Warfare 2 would have won. The winners of the VGAs were decided by internet voting, and considering that Modern Warfare 2 (a fantastic game by the way) was on multiple platforms, and Uncharted 2 was only on the PS3, I thought that MW2 would get more votes overall.
Personally, out of the nominees for game of the year at the VGA’s, if I had to pick a game to win...I’d take the easy route and call a three way tie between Uncharted 2, Modern Warfare 2, and Batman: Arkham Asylum. -
Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3 game review)
2009-12-08 19:27:45
(Warning: Some spoilers ahead)
Admittedly, I was a little disappointed by the first Assassin’s Creed. It had an interesting concept, but it was hampered by gameplay that was a little too repetitive for my taste. However, I liked it enough that if a sequel came out I’d still be interested in trying it out. Well, Ubisoft has now come out with a sequel, and it seems they’ve listened to the concerns that people had. Assassin’s Creed 2 is a definite improvement from the first game.
Assassin’s Creed 2 takes place a few centuries after the first game in 15th century Renaissance Italy, with game’s protagonist, Ezio Auditore, seeking revenge for the murders of his father and brothers. Assassin’s Creed 2 makes several improvements in many areas of the game. The combat system is more refined, allowing you to take down enemies by grabbing an opponent’s weapon when they attack, and using it against them. You’ll also acquire more weapons such as a poison blade and pistol, giving you new ways to assassinate your enemies. Early on in the game, you’ll gain access to Monteriggioni villa, which is a small settlement run by Ezio’s uncle, Mario (who actually introduces himself by saying “It’s a me! Mario!”). You can upgrade the buildings in this villa to give you discounts when you purchase weapons and other items there, as well as generate income for you (which is a far faster way of getting cash then stealing or looting chests). Hiding from your enemies is also made easier in this game by the fact that you can blend into a crowd using any group of people, rather than only with specific people. You can also hire non-player characters such as thieves and courtesans to distract guards, allowing you to sneak by them.
By far, the biggest improvement with the sequel is that the game is now structured in a way that makes it feel less repetitive. In the first game, how you assassinate a main target is handled fairly similarly (i.e. gather intelligence on a target, then find where they are, kill them, and run away). Assassin’s Creed 2 is a more story-driven game, and because of that each main target you have to kill is handled differently. For example, in one of the missions late in the game, to get to a target, I had to be invited to his party, and the only way I could get to that party is to win a golden mask at a festival. There are also more quests and secrets to find in the game. Scattered throughout the game are tombs that you can search to find seals that will unlock a set of armour, as well as glyphs that will provide you insight into the over-arching story of the series.
The graphical quality of Assassin’s Creed 2 is on par with the first game. However, one of the things that really stand out in the game is the design of the various Italian cities. In the game you’ll travel to areas such as Florence and Venice, and each of these cities are meticulously designed, with various landmarks closely resembling their real life counterparts. These cities are also bustling with activity including guards patrolling the streets, people gathered around town criers listening to the latest news, and annoying minstrels who will pester you until you run away or throw some money at them. The developers of the game did a lot to make these feel like living, breathing cities, and their effort paid off.
Still, despite the many improvements that were made to the game, it still has a few issues. For example, the movement controls are okay for the most part, but they become a little tricky when you want to do things like making quick and precise jumps from one ledge to another. This can be a little frustrating when trying to run away from guards, or if you’re in a tomb trying to solve a “jumping puzzle”. Also, Ezio is designed to automatically grab a ledge (or any object he can grab on to) when he run towards it. Normally this is okay, but sometimes when you are chasing someone or are being chased yourself, you may accidently grab an object, which can give your target time to escape, or allow guards to catch up with you.
Another issue with the game has to do with the economy. The addition of the Monteriggioni villa, and the ability to upgrade buildings within the villa is a cool idea. However, by the end of the game, when I have upgraded all the buildings, I had more money coming in than I knew what to do with. The developers could have remedied this by making some of the high end equipment you could buy in the game much more expensive.
Assassin’s Creed 2 is probably not going to win over anybody who hated the first game. But for those who did enjoy the first game (if only somewhat), you will not be disappointed by this sequel. It’s great that the developers listened to the fans, and made a real effort to make the sequel much better than the first game. Despite the fact that the story ends on a cliffhanger (again), I’m more excited than ever to play the third instalment to the Assassin’s Creed saga.
I give Assassin’s Creed 2 4/5 stars.
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