Monday, February 2, 2009
the irony of tyranny
Hello. I just wrote this. Enjoy...whoever you are.
The irony of tyranny
Is crushing me
With its ill humor
Like a tumor
Feeding off the people
While being advocated from the steeple
Thousands gather in the street
To proclaim their disgust
Live free or bust!
Fear mingled with excitement
The enticement of a better life
One without strife.
Jack knife in the back!
Bullets whizzing
Chiseling into their bodies
Casings sizzling!
Blood and mud
Together in one morbid Vichyssoise
They pause
In agonizing realization
What they’re hesitation
Failed to prevent,
Circumvent.
But it was already too late
Fate has dealt a most cruel hand
There will be no farewell band
The deed is done
Just in time for the setting of the sun.
The irony of tyranny
Is crushing me
With its ill humor
Like a tumor
Feeding off the people
While being advocated from the steeple
Thousands gather in the street
To proclaim their disgust
Live free or bust!
Fear mingled with excitement
The enticement of a better life
One without strife.
Jack knife in the back!
Bullets whizzing
Chiseling into their bodies
Casings sizzling!
Blood and mud
Together in one morbid Vichyssoise
They pause
In agonizing realization
What they’re hesitation
Failed to prevent,
Circumvent.
But it was already too late
Fate has dealt a most cruel hand
There will be no farewell band
The deed is done
Just in time for the setting of the sun.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Stuntman Ignition
Info:
Developer: Paradigm
Puplisher: THQ
2007
Genre: Action/Racing
Story:
A stuntman (you) is hired to perform automotive stunts for various (fake) films. You must prove your worth by training for certain stunts and then following through with near flawless scripted performances of flaming automotive ballet. Sounds fun right?
Gameplay:
Essentially it is a linear racing game in which you must perform the right stunts on target or be punished with a poor score (or a complete failure and re-shoot). While that may sound a tad boring, it is actually quite fun. Shit blows up around you. The clock is ticking. You need to hit your marks. The director is instructing you the next move like a robot. It is all fun and games until you hit a stunt sequence that is really hard. Then you try again, again, and again until you complete it with a satisfactory score to please the director. It can be wicked tedious, but rewarding when accomplished.
Graphics:
Ok, this is where the game totally faceplants and loses all its teeth. The graphics are absolutely horrible. The car tires are not completely round, the shading is spotty, the textures look like they were created in MS Paint (ok, maybe I am being a little harsh there) The lighting reflection effects are laughable. It baffles me to no end that a game publisher would make a sequel for a system that looks worse than the original game that was created nearly 6 years prior. Perhaps this is one of those occassions where the game was coded originally for a different system (i.e. xbox 360) and then ported over to the PS2. At any rate, the graphics are terrible and really ruin how good the game could have been with a tad more programing and polish. I should note that this game is one of the last "New" games to be released for the PS2 before the throne was slowly passed onto the PS3. Conventional thought leads us to believe that most game developers get more capable with the consoles hardware after they spend years discovering the limitations of the system. Nope... not these guys... They left conventional logic at the doorstep, next to the flea-bitten, skanky, stray cat with no ears. That's ok, the stray cat is using the DVD case for Stuntman 2 as a litterbox.
Sound:
Forgettable and annoying.
Verdict:
I'll just start by saying that I absolutely loved the original "Stuntman" game for Playstation 2 when it came out way back when. The graphics were decent, the concept was new, the overall feel for the game was a tad rough, but addictive in its own right.
That being said, Stuntman Ignition does the franchise no justice as a sequel. Hell, I probably can't call it a franchise now because the sequel does not leave you starving for more like the first game did. The only redeeming points to the sequel are:
-It still feels addictive (not as much as the first one)
-The (fictional) car variety is fun and enjoyable to unlock for the "Stunt Constructor Mode"
-Random Stuff blows up... and it can be pretty funny. lol
On the opposite end of the spectrum... The not-so-spiffy stuff with the game includes:
-The graphics are bottom-rate (and that's being nice)
-The cut scenes, that are supposed to show YOUR completed stunts, are pre-rendered and actually not your stunts at all. Yeah, you heard that right... they show you what you accomplished with a premade clip of what should have been accomplished. It's low and unrewarding. Evidence that they cut corners to make a quick sequel.
-Everything about the game is inferior to the original, except the tutorial and explanation cut-scenes.
So, in conclusion. Stuntman Ignition for PS2 is moderately fun, but graphically ugly. If you see this in the budget bin at Gamestop you have two choices. "Should I blow 10 bucks on this game and be slightly entertained for a few days or should I turn it into $10 worth of quarters and buy a ton of those superballs from the Grocery Store gumball/toy vending machines?" In comparison... when it comes down to pure entertainment, the superballs have a slight edge.
Developer: Paradigm
Puplisher: THQ
2007
Genre: Action/Racing
Story:
A stuntman (you) is hired to perform automotive stunts for various (fake) films. You must prove your worth by training for certain stunts and then following through with near flawless scripted performances of flaming automotive ballet. Sounds fun right?
Gameplay:
Essentially it is a linear racing game in which you must perform the right stunts on target or be punished with a poor score (or a complete failure and re-shoot). While that may sound a tad boring, it is actually quite fun. Shit blows up around you. The clock is ticking. You need to hit your marks. The director is instructing you the next move like a robot. It is all fun and games until you hit a stunt sequence that is really hard. Then you try again, again, and again until you complete it with a satisfactory score to please the director. It can be wicked tedious, but rewarding when accomplished.
Graphics:
Ok, this is where the game totally faceplants and loses all its teeth. The graphics are absolutely horrible. The car tires are not completely round, the shading is spotty, the textures look like they were created in MS Paint (ok, maybe I am being a little harsh there) The lighting reflection effects are laughable. It baffles me to no end that a game publisher would make a sequel for a system that looks worse than the original game that was created nearly 6 years prior. Perhaps this is one of those occassions where the game was coded originally for a different system (i.e. xbox 360) and then ported over to the PS2. At any rate, the graphics are terrible and really ruin how good the game could have been with a tad more programing and polish. I should note that this game is one of the last "New" games to be released for the PS2 before the throne was slowly passed onto the PS3. Conventional thought leads us to believe that most game developers get more capable with the consoles hardware after they spend years discovering the limitations of the system. Nope... not these guys... They left conventional logic at the doorstep, next to the flea-bitten, skanky, stray cat with no ears. That's ok, the stray cat is using the DVD case for Stuntman 2 as a litterbox.
Sound:
Forgettable and annoying.
Verdict:
I'll just start by saying that I absolutely loved the original "Stuntman" game for Playstation 2 when it came out way back when. The graphics were decent, the concept was new, the overall feel for the game was a tad rough, but addictive in its own right.
That being said, Stuntman Ignition does the franchise no justice as a sequel. Hell, I probably can't call it a franchise now because the sequel does not leave you starving for more like the first game did. The only redeeming points to the sequel are:
-It still feels addictive (not as much as the first one)
-The (fictional) car variety is fun and enjoyable to unlock for the "Stunt Constructor Mode"
-Random Stuff blows up... and it can be pretty funny. lol
On the opposite end of the spectrum... The not-so-spiffy stuff with the game includes:
-The graphics are bottom-rate (and that's being nice)
-The cut scenes, that are supposed to show YOUR completed stunts, are pre-rendered and actually not your stunts at all. Yeah, you heard that right... they show you what you accomplished with a premade clip of what should have been accomplished. It's low and unrewarding. Evidence that they cut corners to make a quick sequel.
-Everything about the game is inferior to the original, except the tutorial and explanation cut-scenes.
So, in conclusion. Stuntman Ignition for PS2 is moderately fun, but graphically ugly. If you see this in the budget bin at Gamestop you have two choices. "Should I blow 10 bucks on this game and be slightly entertained for a few days or should I turn it into $10 worth of quarters and buy a ton of those superballs from the Grocery Store gumball/toy vending machines?" In comparison... when it comes down to pure entertainment, the superballs have a slight edge.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
APOLOGIES + Review :D
First of all, SORRY for neglecting the blog, it's been qute hectic going back to school and getting into a routine after going away for a while, hope the review makes up for it.
--==Info==---
Developer - Capcom
Publisher - Capcom
Release Dates
- 20th October 2006 (EU)
- 31st October 2006 (NA)
Genre - Beat 'Em Up
Power Stone Collection is a port of both Power Stone 1 and Power Stone 2 from the SEGA Dreamcast to the PSP, with some extra added features, but the gameplay mechanics and concept of the 2 original games remain the same. As this game has split into both seperate games, it kinda falls under the "2 for 1" principle, as you get both the games for the price of an average PSP game, and we all love a bargain don't we?
---==Story==---
For the first game, it's pretty simple. Arcade mode consists of you fighting your way across the world as one of 14 different characters (6 of which are unlockable), eventually reaching the final boss battle. Once completed, your chosen fighter will have their own unique ending sequence, and you'll have the chance to try it with the plethora of other characters. In Power Stone 2, however, all characters from the Power Stone universe have been drawn to an evil castle by some crazy Doctor who wishes to harness the magic of all the Power Stones. Your chosen fighter will have to battle it out with the other characters and bosses to make it to said crazy Doctor, giving you the chance to kill him and escape your hellhole of captivity.
As with many games of the Beat 'Em Up genre, the story isn't really the main pulling point. In the Power Stone series and many other fighters, a loose, and pretty non-believeable storyline is thrown in just to give the people an excuse to deck 9 colours of shit out of each other, all for our entertainment.
Fraggle Rock reminders, anyone?
---==Gameplay==---
Now for the big one, (if you laugh it says more about you than it does about me.) Power Stone is quite unique as it allows you to move around a highly destructible, climbable and spin-aroundable environment. Battles in Power Stone 1 are strictly 1v1, but in Power Stone 2, 4 people can play at once, in any combination of teams. Controls between the 2 games are very similar, with only 1 or 2 differences between the 2 games, but do follow the general rule of:
Square -> Punch/Use Weapon or Item
Triangle -> Kick/Drop Weapon or Item
Circle -> Strong Attack/Throw/Pick up Weapon or Item
X -> Jump
Combos can be linked together using the Square and Triangle buttons, and pressing them in a different order will do different combos, some more powerful than others. Aerial attacks can also be performed with Square and Triangle, and Aerial throws can be executed with Circle. You can pick up many of the objects lying around and throw them, or simply push them in a given direction. Chests appear randomly throughout stages in both games, and can either contain one of many useable weapons and items, or can reveal a Power Stone. Players move around and collect Power Stones, and after acquiring 3, will be transformed into a much more powerful version of themselves. It is a very common battle tactic, and a pretty lame excuse to post a picture of my fav character.
Ayame, one of the characters, before picking up 3 power stones.
and Ayame, after picking up 3 power stones
The transformations of every character will usually represent their personality or interests in at least one way or form, for example, Ayame is a young, energetic Ninja, and so her transformation takes these into account and incorporates them in several ways...
Weapon - She uses a (pretty damn big) Shuriken, a common stereotype of Ninjas.
Colour - Being a young female, a bright, vibrant pink is probably one of the best fitting colours for her costume.
Costume - Maybe it's me, but it slightly resembles a bunny, something that also interests young girls.
While in transformation mode, controls are changed, and each action will take off some of your Tranformed Power Meter. Once this is depleted, you return to normal form, and expel 2 of your power stones in random directions. While transformed, you can also unleash "Power Fusion" attacks. In Power Stone 1, these will completely drain your power meter, and in Power Stone 2 will take off roughly 80-85%, meaning you can unleash a second if you feel like being cheap. these are done by simply pressing the right and left trigger buttons, and depending on what button you press, and if you are airborne or not, the attack will change.
As mentioned before, you can use items and weapons to aid you in your fight. a plethora of weapons can be used in Power Stone 1 and in Power Stone 2 at least 10X as many are available, as the new addition of the Item Shop allows you to combine the spoils of your victories into crazy and devastating new inventions. Skateboards, Footballs, Totem Hammers, Miniguns, Rocket Launchers, Tridents and Umbrellas can't even begin to cover the amount of things available for you to use, and chests can also drop healing items if your character is a tad down on their luck.
Characters aren't all just the same either, they all have their unique fighting style and traits available to them. Ayame has the ability to double jump, is one of the fastest, but isn't as strong or sturdy as some of the others characters. Some of the bigger characters, like Gunrock (He's the giant, "Fuck You!" Rock Golem in the 2nd picture, that's his transformation, but I'm sure you can figure out his normal form.) will move slower, but attack much harder and can pick up a lot of the heavier items with ease. These different traits mean some of the characters are better suited to some levels, meaning you should take a minute or two to think about what character is better suited for the stage your about to pretty much wreck.
BANZAI !!!!
As stated before, environments can be interacted with. For example, the stage shown just above, has gun turrets which you can occupy and use to deal quite a bit of damage to your enemies, however you will be stationary and susceptible (?) to enemy attacks. You can jump on to Lamp-posts or Poles and launch yourself off them, damaging your enemy and knocking them across the battlefield, or you can simply swing around them and launch a similar attack, both will auto aim onto enemies for you. Being able to interact with the environment is one of Power Stone's strong points and utilizing it at the right time/situation can be very helpful to winning a battle.
Both games make use of the AD-HOC mode in the PSP and allow you to battle it out with your friends on any of the stages, which is a great addition, and a new oppurtunity for braging rights. However, both games do lack Infrastructure mode, or my eyesight needs checked again. Although fighting your friends is a welcome bonus, I (personally) don't think you have to, as playing on your own is definitely a lot more fun than single player is in many other Fighting games.
One of the Boss Battles in Power Stone 2. Is it Just me or is that face incredibly "suggestive"??
---==Graphics==---
seeing as this is pretty much a port of the 2 dreamcast games, the graphics aren't the best seen on the PSP. However, this shouldn't in any way deter you. the game is supposed to look crazy, the game is supposed to look different. It adds to the games unique charm and gives it that wacky, anime sort of feel. (There is actually an anime of this btw, not sure which came out first though, the anime or the dreamcast games) The character designs influence their fighting styles, and the frantic, crazy feeling this game has is largely because of the way the game looks.
The stages are incredibly varied, from Desert Temples to Feudal Chinese Castles, to Pirate Ships and even Factories, this game is certainly one of the most varied you'll find. The characters have wacky designs and their attack animations resemble them in overly flamboyant ways. The weapons all have extravagant attack sequences and there's very little in this game that hasn't been in done in bright neon colours.
Saying that the game jumps out at you is putting it lightly, saying that it lunges at you, stomps all over you and slaps you silly would be more accurate, but still not quite there.
---==Sound==---
Like the graphics, the music and sound effects are unique and very well used. For many of the stages, the background music will often represent something quite commonly heard from that country or Region, such as in Oedo (If you deduced that this stage's name was based on the Japanese province of Edo, then your smarter than the average bear......you wish) Ayame's stage, which has a fast paced tune (to represent the character) but is made up primarily of flutes, drums and guitars, to give that eastern sort of feel to the stage. Below is a much better way of explaining it.
In a nutshell, the music is as varied and crazy as the characters and stages, but always fits, and can change the feel of a battle no matter who you're playing as. Sounds made by attacks can also (surprisingly) affect the feel of a battle. A sharp, resonating slice made from a sword is obviously going to rivet you more than a thud made from a punch or kick isn't it? For me, the enjoyment came mainly from executing a long combo, as hearing your enemy get hit 20 times is strangely rewarding.
---==Verdict==---
If you're looking to expand your collection of PSP games, this should be high on the list and would make a fine addition. You should also pick this up if you liked the dreamcast versions, as it gives you that nice feeling of nostalgia. What it may lack in realism and depth such as games like Tekken, it makes up for by being simple, entertaining and most of all, Fun, and that's what gamings all about isn't it?
Developer - Capcom
Publisher - Capcom
Release Dates
- 20th October 2006 (EU)
- 31st October 2006 (NA)
Genre - Beat 'Em Up
Power Stone Collection is a port of both Power Stone 1 and Power Stone 2 from the SEGA Dreamcast to the PSP, with some extra added features, but the gameplay mechanics and concept of the 2 original games remain the same. As this game has split into both seperate games, it kinda falls under the "2 for 1" principle, as you get both the games for the price of an average PSP game, and we all love a bargain don't we?
---==Story==---
For the first game, it's pretty simple. Arcade mode consists of you fighting your way across the world as one of 14 different characters (6 of which are unlockable), eventually reaching the final boss battle. Once completed, your chosen fighter will have their own unique ending sequence, and you'll have the chance to try it with the plethora of other characters. In Power Stone 2, however, all characters from the Power Stone universe have been drawn to an evil castle by some crazy Doctor who wishes to harness the magic of all the Power Stones. Your chosen fighter will have to battle it out with the other characters and bosses to make it to said crazy Doctor, giving you the chance to kill him and escape your hellhole of captivity.
As with many games of the Beat 'Em Up genre, the story isn't really the main pulling point. In the Power Stone series and many other fighters, a loose, and pretty non-believeable storyline is thrown in just to give the people an excuse to deck 9 colours of shit out of each other, all for our entertainment.
Fraggle Rock reminders, anyone?
---==Gameplay==---
Now for the big one, (if you laugh it says more about you than it does about me.) Power Stone is quite unique as it allows you to move around a highly destructible, climbable and spin-aroundable environment. Battles in Power Stone 1 are strictly 1v1, but in Power Stone 2, 4 people can play at once, in any combination of teams. Controls between the 2 games are very similar, with only 1 or 2 differences between the 2 games, but do follow the general rule of:
Square -> Punch/Use Weapon or Item
Triangle -> Kick/Drop Weapon or Item
Circle -> Strong Attack/Throw/Pick up Weapon or Item
X -> Jump
Combos can be linked together using the Square and Triangle buttons, and pressing them in a different order will do different combos, some more powerful than others. Aerial attacks can also be performed with Square and Triangle, and Aerial throws can be executed with Circle. You can pick up many of the objects lying around and throw them, or simply push them in a given direction. Chests appear randomly throughout stages in both games, and can either contain one of many useable weapons and items, or can reveal a Power Stone. Players move around and collect Power Stones, and after acquiring 3, will be transformed into a much more powerful version of themselves. It is a very common battle tactic, and a pretty lame excuse to post a picture of my fav character.
Ayame, one of the characters, before picking up 3 power stones.
and Ayame, after picking up 3 power stones
The transformations of every character will usually represent their personality or interests in at least one way or form, for example, Ayame is a young, energetic Ninja, and so her transformation takes these into account and incorporates them in several ways...
Weapon - She uses a (pretty damn big) Shuriken, a common stereotype of Ninjas.
Colour - Being a young female, a bright, vibrant pink is probably one of the best fitting colours for her costume.
Costume - Maybe it's me, but it slightly resembles a bunny, something that also interests young girls.
While in transformation mode, controls are changed, and each action will take off some of your Tranformed Power Meter. Once this is depleted, you return to normal form, and expel 2 of your power stones in random directions. While transformed, you can also unleash "Power Fusion" attacks. In Power Stone 1, these will completely drain your power meter, and in Power Stone 2 will take off roughly 80-85%, meaning you can unleash a second if you feel like being cheap. these are done by simply pressing the right and left trigger buttons, and depending on what button you press, and if you are airborne or not, the attack will change.
As mentioned before, you can use items and weapons to aid you in your fight. a plethora of weapons can be used in Power Stone 1 and in Power Stone 2 at least 10X as many are available, as the new addition of the Item Shop allows you to combine the spoils of your victories into crazy and devastating new inventions. Skateboards, Footballs, Totem Hammers, Miniguns, Rocket Launchers, Tridents and Umbrellas can't even begin to cover the amount of things available for you to use, and chests can also drop healing items if your character is a tad down on their luck.
Characters aren't all just the same either, they all have their unique fighting style and traits available to them. Ayame has the ability to double jump, is one of the fastest, but isn't as strong or sturdy as some of the others characters. Some of the bigger characters, like Gunrock (He's the giant, "Fuck You!" Rock Golem in the 2nd picture, that's his transformation, but I'm sure you can figure out his normal form.) will move slower, but attack much harder and can pick up a lot of the heavier items with ease. These different traits mean some of the characters are better suited to some levels, meaning you should take a minute or two to think about what character is better suited for the stage your about to pretty much wreck.
BANZAI !!!!
As stated before, environments can be interacted with. For example, the stage shown just above, has gun turrets which you can occupy and use to deal quite a bit of damage to your enemies, however you will be stationary and susceptible (?) to enemy attacks. You can jump on to Lamp-posts or Poles and launch yourself off them, damaging your enemy and knocking them across the battlefield, or you can simply swing around them and launch a similar attack, both will auto aim onto enemies for you. Being able to interact with the environment is one of Power Stone's strong points and utilizing it at the right time/situation can be very helpful to winning a battle.
Both games make use of the AD-HOC mode in the PSP and allow you to battle it out with your friends on any of the stages, which is a great addition, and a new oppurtunity for braging rights. However, both games do lack Infrastructure mode, or my eyesight needs checked again. Although fighting your friends is a welcome bonus, I (personally) don't think you have to, as playing on your own is definitely a lot more fun than single player is in many other Fighting games.
One of the Boss Battles in Power Stone 2. Is it Just me or is that face incredibly "suggestive"??
---==Graphics==---
seeing as this is pretty much a port of the 2 dreamcast games, the graphics aren't the best seen on the PSP. However, this shouldn't in any way deter you. the game is supposed to look crazy, the game is supposed to look different. It adds to the games unique charm and gives it that wacky, anime sort of feel. (There is actually an anime of this btw, not sure which came out first though, the anime or the dreamcast games) The character designs influence their fighting styles, and the frantic, crazy feeling this game has is largely because of the way the game looks.
The stages are incredibly varied, from Desert Temples to Feudal Chinese Castles, to Pirate Ships and even Factories, this game is certainly one of the most varied you'll find. The characters have wacky designs and their attack animations resemble them in overly flamboyant ways. The weapons all have extravagant attack sequences and there's very little in this game that hasn't been in done in bright neon colours.
Saying that the game jumps out at you is putting it lightly, saying that it lunges at you, stomps all over you and slaps you silly would be more accurate, but still not quite there.
---==Sound==---
Like the graphics, the music and sound effects are unique and very well used. For many of the stages, the background music will often represent something quite commonly heard from that country or Region, such as in Oedo (If you deduced that this stage's name was based on the Japanese province of Edo, then your smarter than the average bear......you wish) Ayame's stage, which has a fast paced tune (to represent the character) but is made up primarily of flutes, drums and guitars, to give that eastern sort of feel to the stage. Below is a much better way of explaining it.
Spoiler: |
In a nutshell, the music is as varied and crazy as the characters and stages, but always fits, and can change the feel of a battle no matter who you're playing as. Sounds made by attacks can also (surprisingly) affect the feel of a battle. A sharp, resonating slice made from a sword is obviously going to rivet you more than a thud made from a punch or kick isn't it? For me, the enjoyment came mainly from executing a long combo, as hearing your enemy get hit 20 times is strangely rewarding.
---==Verdict==---
If you're looking to expand your collection of PSP games, this should be high on the list and would make a fine addition. You should also pick this up if you liked the dreamcast versions, as it gives you that nice feeling of nostalgia. What it may lack in realism and depth such as games like Tekken, it makes up for by being simple, entertaining and most of all, Fun, and that's what gamings all about isn't it?
[Done by me & my brother]
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
A Clockwork Orange
I watched A Clockwork Orange tonight. Its quite good, but its disturbing as hell. This movie brings up a very good point though. What is the difference between right and wrong? That, i find, is a very big topic in the film. The main character is Alex, who is pretty much everything evil. He is all about rape and murder, with seemingly no conscience or thought to the effects of his actions. He is eventually caught after murdering a woman and being betrayed by his gang of thugs/friends. Alex is sent to prison but decides to take a experimental and dangerous treatment that will "cure" him and get him out of prison. The result is a clockwork orange, an expression used in East London. It is something or in this case someone who appears normal on the outside but is strange or different on the inside. I dont want to give away too much but the result is that Alex is utterly incapable of harming anyone or committing any acts of violence as well as having a terrible reaction to Beetoven's 9th symphony fourth movement. Alex is promtly let out of prison to start a new life. Unfortunately Alex's previous victims, fanily and "friends" catch up with him and exact their cruel vengance upon him for all the suffering that he had inflicted upon them. Alex is utterly helpless and unable to fight back. He is tortured, beat up, made fun of and eventually driven to attempt suicide. Reforms are once again attempted and Alex is returned to his previous state of maniacal readiness to hurt. Was this right or wrong? Did he deserve it? Were Alex's rights to choose and defend himself violated? A viewer can clearly see both sides of the situation. Although the narrorator is Alex himself, the film allows you to choose either side. This is what makes a film good.
Anything goes.
Anything goes.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
what the fuck?
okay i lied. Things are not picking up, in fact nothing is happening at all.
PLEASE FUCKING WRITE.
thanks.
PLEASE FUCKING WRITE.
thanks.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Hey hey so i think things are finally starting to pick up! Were getting more authors so we will have a variety of subjects and video games covered, as well as different inputs. I was just over at max's house, we had a damn good time playing COD5 and just chillin Weve got a lot of ideas floating for this website around let me know if you have any ideas. Once we figure out exactly what we want to write about, we will be able to organize the site better.
check out this song btw its great.
Anything goes.
check out this song btw its great.
Anything goes.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Gears of War Review
--Info--
Published by: Microsoft
Developed by: Epic Games
Platform: Xbox 360 exclusive
Release dates:
-US: November 7, 2006
-Japan: January 18, 2007
-Europe: November 17, 2006
-Australia: November 23, 2006
--Story--
Gears of War focuses heavily on the storyline and it is one of its highlighting factors. The events that take place in the game are all on the planet world of Sera, which is pretty much Earth under a different name. The humans of Sera have united under the C.O.G. (Coalition of Ordered Governments) to combat an invasion of humanoid aliens called the Locust and batlike monsters called Kryll. These Locust and Kryll have all but taken over Sera, save for a couple major cities, the most prominent of which is Jacinto. You are Marcus Fenix a badass veteran who feels the need to accentuate his manliness by always yelling and using a voice like hes got something stuck in his throat. Marcus has been put into jail for abandoning his position to try and save his father from an unknown demise. At the start of the game Dom, you're faithful friend and companion busts you out of prison under orders from General Hoffman. It seems the war is not leaning in the human's favour. You land in Delta Squad, and you're objective is to destroy the Locust once and for all and end the 15-year war. The game takes you through a variety of different environments, at all times of the day. All of it leading to a final showdown with the presumed leader of the locust and Kryll horde: General RAAM. You learn that the humans have essentially been divided into two classes, the Gears, soldiers of the C.O.G., and the Stranded, regular joe humans who have had no formal military training and who live in makeshift shanty towns. Stranded aren't too friendly towards Gears and blame them for everything that has happened to them. The Stranded have no intention of helping to C.O.G. in it's fight against the Locust, they are content in just defending their position, never making any offensive maneuvers.
--Gameplay--
Gears is a third person shooter, and the controls are easy to learn and the cover system is revolutionary. The developers have devoted one button entirely to the cover system. 'A' allows you to roll, slide into cover, clib over blockades, roadie run, swat turn and more. This combined with the blind-fire ability really brings the game to life. As well as the introduction of the "active reload" which allows you, with good timing, to reload faster in addition to a damage boost. If you miss, it takes far longer to reload than if you hadn't tried. Later on in the game you are able to give commands to your squad such as "Open fire!" "Cease fire!""Regroup!" although it is not neccesary to complete the game. Marcus encounters a variety of enemies throughout his missions. There is the regular "grub" which is the regular infantryman of the Locust military, essentially just a locust with a Hammerburst rifle (the standard Locust weapon.) Eventually you meet the grenadier, the grenadier is not much different from the regular grub except that it carries a shotgun and two frag grenades. As well as a sniper, a regular grub as well who is equipped with a sniper and has very low health. You meet seeders as well, massive creatures that jam radio's and spew Nemacyst which are pretty much anti-air suicide bombers. Seeders are only vulnerable to the Hammer of Dawn, which is a laser guided particle beam from a satellite. The Hammer of Dawn takes a while to charge up and is only available outdoors and when the satellite is overhead. You will also encounter Theron Guards which are pretty much elite grubs. They are faster, stronger, smarter and better equipped than the regular gurb. They carry either a Torque bow, which is extremely deadly (it's a bow and arrow, but the arrow has an explosive on the tip) or a Lancer, which is the standard gun for C.O.G. soldiers. The Lancer has a chainsaw bayonet on the tip allowing for a gruesome death if they get too close, but hey, same goes for them. You will meet Beserkers who, like Seeders are only vulnerable to the Hammer of Dawn. Beserkers are blind and so hunt by sound and smell (don't try and stand still, they still know where you are.) They are extremely fast and one hit from them kills you so you will have to time you're Hammer of Dawn shots. You will also encounter wretches which are simply an annoyance, they are small creatures that run up to you and try and claw you to death. They are easily taken care of, but beware of their cousins the lambent wretches who explode upon dying. There is also the Boomer which carries a rocket launcher of sorts, they are tough to take down, but it is very possible. Last but not least, you will fight Reavers, large, flying creatures which are ridden by Locust. There is no worry of ever being bored of the same enemy, because as you can see there is a large variety of enemies to fight. Enemies come from emergence holes in the ground that can pop up at any time. I won't go into detail, but there are many types of weapons that you can pick up along the way as well, i have only mentioned a few, but there are more exciting weapons to add to the list. I won't spoil it for you.
--Difficulty--
The game took a large jump between difficulty levels Hardcore and Insane. Personally though, i find that insane was still slightly too easy, it is still possible to beat the whole thing without dying. The game is made easier by the excessive power of the Shotgun and the Torque bow and the ability to blind-fire. But don't be decieved, follow the first rule of the C.O.G. "Take cover or die." This is not a game where you can just run in guns blazing and expect to kill everything. More often than not the enemies are stronger than you and will kill you if you are in the open.
--Multiplayer--
The multiplayer is quite good, once again i can't say too much due to the fact that i still do not have Xbox live. However, i have played against some friends using the system link. There are a variety of maps to play on and the game is, once again, made much more intense through the use of the cover system. There are also a bunch of different types of games you can play including capture the flag, death match etc. i won't go into detail since i'm kind of hazy on the specifics.
--Graphics--
All of the cutscenes as well as the actual gameplay have amazing graphics, real eye candy. It really immerses you into the game and paints a portrait of Sera no words could describe. The experience is even better (obviously) using the H.D. cables, but you're not missing anything major without them. You get stunning visuals of city's and landscape, not one detail is spared.
--Sound/dialogue/voice acting/music--
The sound effects are extremely well done, there is a unique sound for every gun, for every different enemy etc. Dialogue is great, informative and funny. The voice acting is well done as well, except that i find that Marcus' voice was really overdone. That takes away from the game i find, anything kind or positive he has to say is totally lost in the gruffness of his voice. You'd think he's expression and attitude would change from time to time. That as well as Cole being extremely stereotypical.
--Verdict--
All in all, this game is Beyond exceptional. There is not much wrong with it. It introduced a revolutionary cover system, amazing storyline good graphics and good gameplay. What more could you ask for? It is a must have for the Xbox 360.
Anything goes.
Published by: Microsoft
Developed by: Epic Games
Platform: Xbox 360 exclusive
Release dates:
-US: November 7, 2006
-Japan: January 18, 2007
-Europe: November 17, 2006
-Australia: November 23, 2006
--Story--
Gears of War focuses heavily on the storyline and it is one of its highlighting factors. The events that take place in the game are all on the planet world of Sera, which is pretty much Earth under a different name. The humans of Sera have united under the C.O.G. (Coalition of Ordered Governments) to combat an invasion of humanoid aliens called the Locust and batlike monsters called Kryll. These Locust and Kryll have all but taken over Sera, save for a couple major cities, the most prominent of which is Jacinto. You are Marcus Fenix a badass veteran who feels the need to accentuate his manliness by always yelling and using a voice like hes got something stuck in his throat. Marcus has been put into jail for abandoning his position to try and save his father from an unknown demise. At the start of the game Dom, you're faithful friend and companion busts you out of prison under orders from General Hoffman. It seems the war is not leaning in the human's favour. You land in Delta Squad, and you're objective is to destroy the Locust once and for all and end the 15-year war. The game takes you through a variety of different environments, at all times of the day. All of it leading to a final showdown with the presumed leader of the locust and Kryll horde: General RAAM. You learn that the humans have essentially been divided into two classes, the Gears, soldiers of the C.O.G., and the Stranded, regular joe humans who have had no formal military training and who live in makeshift shanty towns. Stranded aren't too friendly towards Gears and blame them for everything that has happened to them. The Stranded have no intention of helping to C.O.G. in it's fight against the Locust, they are content in just defending their position, never making any offensive maneuvers.
--Gameplay--
Gears is a third person shooter, and the controls are easy to learn and the cover system is revolutionary. The developers have devoted one button entirely to the cover system. 'A' allows you to roll, slide into cover, clib over blockades, roadie run, swat turn and more. This combined with the blind-fire ability really brings the game to life. As well as the introduction of the "active reload" which allows you, with good timing, to reload faster in addition to a damage boost. If you miss, it takes far longer to reload than if you hadn't tried. Later on in the game you are able to give commands to your squad such as "Open fire!" "Cease fire!""Regroup!" although it is not neccesary to complete the game. Marcus encounters a variety of enemies throughout his missions. There is the regular "grub" which is the regular infantryman of the Locust military, essentially just a locust with a Hammerburst rifle (the standard Locust weapon.) Eventually you meet the grenadier, the grenadier is not much different from the regular grub except that it carries a shotgun and two frag grenades. As well as a sniper, a regular grub as well who is equipped with a sniper and has very low health. You meet seeders as well, massive creatures that jam radio's and spew Nemacyst which are pretty much anti-air suicide bombers. Seeders are only vulnerable to the Hammer of Dawn, which is a laser guided particle beam from a satellite. The Hammer of Dawn takes a while to charge up and is only available outdoors and when the satellite is overhead. You will also encounter Theron Guards which are pretty much elite grubs. They are faster, stronger, smarter and better equipped than the regular gurb. They carry either a Torque bow, which is extremely deadly (it's a bow and arrow, but the arrow has an explosive on the tip) or a Lancer, which is the standard gun for C.O.G. soldiers. The Lancer has a chainsaw bayonet on the tip allowing for a gruesome death if they get too close, but hey, same goes for them. You will meet Beserkers who, like Seeders are only vulnerable to the Hammer of Dawn. Beserkers are blind and so hunt by sound and smell (don't try and stand still, they still know where you are.) They are extremely fast and one hit from them kills you so you will have to time you're Hammer of Dawn shots. You will also encounter wretches which are simply an annoyance, they are small creatures that run up to you and try and claw you to death. They are easily taken care of, but beware of their cousins the lambent wretches who explode upon dying. There is also the Boomer which carries a rocket launcher of sorts, they are tough to take down, but it is very possible. Last but not least, you will fight Reavers, large, flying creatures which are ridden by Locust. There is no worry of ever being bored of the same enemy, because as you can see there is a large variety of enemies to fight. Enemies come from emergence holes in the ground that can pop up at any time. I won't go into detail, but there are many types of weapons that you can pick up along the way as well, i have only mentioned a few, but there are more exciting weapons to add to the list. I won't spoil it for you.
--Difficulty--
The game took a large jump between difficulty levels Hardcore and Insane. Personally though, i find that insane was still slightly too easy, it is still possible to beat the whole thing without dying. The game is made easier by the excessive power of the Shotgun and the Torque bow and the ability to blind-fire. But don't be decieved, follow the first rule of the C.O.G. "Take cover or die." This is not a game where you can just run in guns blazing and expect to kill everything. More often than not the enemies are stronger than you and will kill you if you are in the open.
--Multiplayer--
The multiplayer is quite good, once again i can't say too much due to the fact that i still do not have Xbox live. However, i have played against some friends using the system link. There are a variety of maps to play on and the game is, once again, made much more intense through the use of the cover system. There are also a bunch of different types of games you can play including capture the flag, death match etc. i won't go into detail since i'm kind of hazy on the specifics.
--Graphics--
All of the cutscenes as well as the actual gameplay have amazing graphics, real eye candy. It really immerses you into the game and paints a portrait of Sera no words could describe. The experience is even better (obviously) using the H.D. cables, but you're not missing anything major without them. You get stunning visuals of city's and landscape, not one detail is spared.
--Sound/dialogue/voice acting/music--
The sound effects are extremely well done, there is a unique sound for every gun, for every different enemy etc. Dialogue is great, informative and funny. The voice acting is well done as well, except that i find that Marcus' voice was really overdone. That takes away from the game i find, anything kind or positive he has to say is totally lost in the gruffness of his voice. You'd think he's expression and attitude would change from time to time. That as well as Cole being extremely stereotypical.
--Verdict--
All in all, this game is Beyond exceptional. There is not much wrong with it. It introduced a revolutionary cover system, amazing storyline good graphics and good gameplay. What more could you ask for? It is a must have for the Xbox 360.
Anything goes.
insomnia..?
Well im sleepless again so ive decided to take Marco's advice and come up with a format for game reviews (with some help from Katy's review):
Info
Story
Gameplay
Difficulty
Multiplayer/Online
Sounds/dialogue/voice acting/music
Graphics
Verdict
It's pretty much Katy's format just with a few things added. Let me know if anything else should be added.
Anything goes.
Info
Story
Gameplay
Difficulty
Multiplayer/Online
Sounds/dialogue/voice acting/music
Graphics
Verdict
It's pretty much Katy's format just with a few things added. Let me know if anything else should be added.
Anything goes.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
something to think about
I've been surfing blogs and game review sites and i've come to the realization that we would have to play a ridiculous amount of video games to even be able to create a site dedicated to the sole purpose of their review. We will continue to review games that deserve it, but we should probably expand to other topics as well. Perhaps discussions on games or more subjective things. Maybe a top 10 list. Im really just brainstorming here and thought i might write it down. Maybe we could talk about politics, whats going on in the world. Thoughts on global warming: overrated? Barrack Obama: Good president? Do governments have too much power? What should be done about the current economic crisis? etc. Interesting stories perhaps, recent movies, tv series, sports. Maybe more philosophical things too: Have we lost sight of whats important? What is true success?
Anyways, just thoughts...let me know what you think, readers and authors. Help to build this blog/eventual site.
We can either stay focused around video games, or expand to a broader line of topics.
Anything goes.
Anyways, just thoughts...let me know what you think, readers and authors. Help to build this blog/eventual site.
We can either stay focused around video games, or expand to a broader line of topics.
Anything goes.
Final Fantasy XII Review
Info
Developer - SquareEnix
Producer - SquareEnix
Platform(s) - PS2 exclusive
Release Dates - 16th March 2006 Japan
- 31st October 2006 North America
- 23rd February 2007 Europe (PAL)
- 9th August 2007 International
Final Fantasy XII is one of the many installments in the incredibly succesful Final Fantasy series and has made some very noticeable changes compared to earlier installments.
---==Story==---
Final Fantasy XII takes place in the land of Ivalice, which is split into several areas, the 2 most noteable and important ones being: Ordalia - A vast land filled with plains and deserts (mainly Jagd). The Rozarrian Empire rules this area. Valendia - A land dominated by the Imperial Archadia and House Solidor, where some of the most prosperous and vast fields dot the land. Emperor Gramis oversees the entire Country. When we first start the game, we are playing as a young cadet by the name of Reks, in a group of Dalmascan Knights. These Knights have little time to get to the King of Dalmasca before he signs a treaty of surrender, as he is to be assassinated soon after. This is the tutorial level and explains well how all the controls outside, and inside the battlefield work.
Our real adventure starts in the capital of Dalmasca, Rabanastre, in the Galtean Peninsula, directly between the nations of Rozarria and Archadia, who currently harbour ill-will towards one another and are in the middle of a war. We pick up 2 years after Reks was killed, in a time where Dalmasca and other places such as Nabradia are under Archadian control. We begin playing as Vaan, Reks' little brother, killing some rats in a sewer. As any Final Fantasy player can tell you, as you progress through the story, you'll be killing things a hell of a lot scarier/tougher/uglier/stupider/meaner. One of the prevalent main themes of this Final Fantasy is War. It takes a very grown-up approach as to how War can affect Countries and the people within them. It shows the difficulties people face in dire times and what people will do to stay alive, i.e Vaan and his childhood friend, Penelo, will have to run odd-jobs day to day for people so they can get money to pay for food, but Vaan occasionly falls into the bad habit of stealing things, usually from Archadian soldiers.
The story is definitely one of the main pulling points of this game, as although things such as magic and Airships are common sights, the feel and look of the game gives it a very big sense of realism, as it easily establishes a bond with what real life can be like for some of the less fortunate individuals in this world.
---==Gameplay==---
Gameplay in Final Fantasy XII varies somewhat from traditional turn-based fighting in other FF games. Random battles have been eliminated, battles take place in real time and the death of your 3 in-battle characters is much more easily avoidable. Below are a brief summary of all the types of actions in the game. Any action will fall under one of these categories.
Attack - does exactly what it says on the tin
Items - covers anything that is used from the in-game inventory
Black Magic - covers all classic offensive spells such as "fire" and "thundara"
White Magic - covers several spells which heal or protect.
Green Magic - used mostly to cast beneficial or detrimental status effects i.e " protect" and "oil"
Time Magic - spells like "haste" and "stop" can be found here and also new spells such as "float"
Arcane Magic - you can find your scary magic here, such as "dark", "gravity" and the terrifying "bubble"
Technicks - yes, I have spelt that right. These are abilities which cost no mana and have a very large variety of effects, ranging from "steal" to "1000 needles" to "telekenisis"
Mist - Contains the option to either summon an Esper to fight alongside you or to use character specific limit attacks.
The classic limit attacks come in the form of "Quickenings", of which each character can acquire 3. the first quickening requires 1 mist charge, the 2nd 2 and the 3rd, 3. Mist charges are essentially a section of your mana. After acquiring 2 quickenings, your max mana doubles, and after 3, your original mana value is tripled. For example, if one of my Character's mana was 48, after getting 2 quickenings it would be 96 and after 3 it would be 144. Espers are only similar to Aeons in the fact that you summon them. Unlike other final fantasies, they join you on the battlefield, but have pre-determined actions so you can't directly control them, and they can only stay on the battlefield for a certain amount of time. Having said that, their actions do have independant variables, so you can sometimes help them on their way i.e. some espers will only unleash their ultimate attack if their health is below a certain value, such as 30%, so if time's running out, you can choose to attack your esper and lower it's health, effectively forcing them to use their ultimate attack.
The final major addition is the Gambit System. This is, essentially, a way to easily program your characters to perform actions based on certain situations. A common gambit screen looks like this. As long as you don't put in variables that would cancel each other out or put in something pointless like "HP=100% use Phoenix Down" this system should keep you pretty safe, but does give that "the game is playing its-self" kind of feel. The major help it provides is making sure you don't get arthritis from manually selecting every action.
---==Graphics==---
For a PS2 game, this does kind of stretch the boundaries. Some of the cutscenes look almost next-gen and the normal gameplay is no sloucher either (feel free to disagree, we all have our views). Admittedly sometimes the characters don't look that impressive, but they aren't really the main point of view when you're exploring Ivalice. The game takes you through Cities, Caves, Forests, Plains, Deserts, Towers, Airships, Villages and more, all of which look fantastic for a PS2 game. Some of the attack animations are quite noticeable aswell, especially the Quickenings and Esper attacks. Time and effort has clearly went into designing this game's unique look, and there are very few instances in the game that don't give off the "OI! look at me!" feeling.
---==Sound==---
The game's soundtrack focuses quite heavily on Orchestra type music and gives that bold, epic feeling to the battles. However, when necessary, they can have cute little numbers to lift the mood or convey a sense of innocence, most often with scenes revolving around the younger characters, such as Penelo or Vaan. The music always fits the mood, with dark, sombre tones played in the background as you witness scenes from places such as the Archadian Empire, or light, breezey notes played as you leap about on a Chocobo.
---==Verdict==---
Basically, I see this as an all-rounder. If you like FF games, you should pick this up (but I'd be surprised if you haven't already) if you like RPG's, you should pick this up. If you want to start playing RPG's, then this is definitely a good place to start. It has a good gameplay system, an interesting storyline, a nice soundtrack and great graphics, and has certainly done a good job in maintaining the standard players expect from a final fantasy game.
Developer - SquareEnix
Producer - SquareEnix
Platform(s) - PS2 exclusive
Release Dates - 16th March 2006 Japan
- 31st October 2006 North America
- 23rd February 2007 Europe (PAL)
- 9th August 2007 International
Final Fantasy XII is one of the many installments in the incredibly succesful Final Fantasy series and has made some very noticeable changes compared to earlier installments.
---==Story==---
Final Fantasy XII takes place in the land of Ivalice, which is split into several areas, the 2 most noteable and important ones being: Ordalia - A vast land filled with plains and deserts (mainly Jagd). The Rozarrian Empire rules this area. Valendia - A land dominated by the Imperial Archadia and House Solidor, where some of the most prosperous and vast fields dot the land. Emperor Gramis oversees the entire Country. When we first start the game, we are playing as a young cadet by the name of Reks, in a group of Dalmascan Knights. These Knights have little time to get to the King of Dalmasca before he signs a treaty of surrender, as he is to be assassinated soon after. This is the tutorial level and explains well how all the controls outside, and inside the battlefield work.
Our real adventure starts in the capital of Dalmasca, Rabanastre, in the Galtean Peninsula, directly between the nations of Rozarria and Archadia, who currently harbour ill-will towards one another and are in the middle of a war. We pick up 2 years after Reks was killed, in a time where Dalmasca and other places such as Nabradia are under Archadian control. We begin playing as Vaan, Reks' little brother, killing some rats in a sewer. As any Final Fantasy player can tell you, as you progress through the story, you'll be killing things a hell of a lot scarier/tougher/uglier/stupider/meaner. One of the prevalent main themes of this Final Fantasy is War. It takes a very grown-up approach as to how War can affect Countries and the people within them. It shows the difficulties people face in dire times and what people will do to stay alive, i.e Vaan and his childhood friend, Penelo, will have to run odd-jobs day to day for people so they can get money to pay for food, but Vaan occasionly falls into the bad habit of stealing things, usually from Archadian soldiers.
The story is definitely one of the main pulling points of this game, as although things such as magic and Airships are common sights, the feel and look of the game gives it a very big sense of realism, as it easily establishes a bond with what real life can be like for some of the less fortunate individuals in this world.
---==Gameplay==---
Gameplay in Final Fantasy XII varies somewhat from traditional turn-based fighting in other FF games. Random battles have been eliminated, battles take place in real time and the death of your 3 in-battle characters is much more easily avoidable. Below are a brief summary of all the types of actions in the game. Any action will fall under one of these categories.
Attack - does exactly what it says on the tin
Items - covers anything that is used from the in-game inventory
Black Magic - covers all classic offensive spells such as "fire" and "thundara"
White Magic - covers several spells which heal or protect.
Green Magic - used mostly to cast beneficial or detrimental status effects i.e " protect" and "oil"
Time Magic - spells like "haste" and "stop" can be found here and also new spells such as "float"
Arcane Magic - you can find your scary magic here, such as "dark", "gravity" and the terrifying "bubble"
Technicks - yes, I have spelt that right. These are abilities which cost no mana and have a very large variety of effects, ranging from "steal" to "1000 needles" to "telekenisis"
Mist - Contains the option to either summon an Esper to fight alongside you or to use character specific limit attacks.
The classic limit attacks come in the form of "Quickenings", of which each character can acquire 3. the first quickening requires 1 mist charge, the 2nd 2 and the 3rd, 3. Mist charges are essentially a section of your mana. After acquiring 2 quickenings, your max mana doubles, and after 3, your original mana value is tripled. For example, if one of my Character's mana was 48, after getting 2 quickenings it would be 96 and after 3 it would be 144. Espers are only similar to Aeons in the fact that you summon them. Unlike other final fantasies, they join you on the battlefield, but have pre-determined actions so you can't directly control them, and they can only stay on the battlefield for a certain amount of time. Having said that, their actions do have independant variables, so you can sometimes help them on their way i.e. some espers will only unleash their ultimate attack if their health is below a certain value, such as 30%, so if time's running out, you can choose to attack your esper and lower it's health, effectively forcing them to use their ultimate attack.
The final major addition is the Gambit System. This is, essentially, a way to easily program your characters to perform actions based on certain situations. A common gambit screen looks like this. As long as you don't put in variables that would cancel each other out or put in something pointless like "HP=100% use Phoenix Down" this system should keep you pretty safe, but does give that "the game is playing its-self" kind of feel. The major help it provides is making sure you don't get arthritis from manually selecting every action.
---==Graphics==---
For a PS2 game, this does kind of stretch the boundaries. Some of the cutscenes look almost next-gen and the normal gameplay is no sloucher either (feel free to disagree, we all have our views). Admittedly sometimes the characters don't look that impressive, but they aren't really the main point of view when you're exploring Ivalice. The game takes you through Cities, Caves, Forests, Plains, Deserts, Towers, Airships, Villages and more, all of which look fantastic for a PS2 game. Some of the attack animations are quite noticeable aswell, especially the Quickenings and Esper attacks. Time and effort has clearly went into designing this game's unique look, and there are very few instances in the game that don't give off the "OI! look at me!" feeling.
---==Sound==---
The game's soundtrack focuses quite heavily on Orchestra type music and gives that bold, epic feeling to the battles. However, when necessary, they can have cute little numbers to lift the mood or convey a sense of innocence, most often with scenes revolving around the younger characters, such as Penelo or Vaan. The music always fits the mood, with dark, sombre tones played in the background as you witness scenes from places such as the Archadian Empire, or light, breezey notes played as you leap about on a Chocobo.
---==Verdict==---
Basically, I see this as an all-rounder. If you like FF games, you should pick this up (but I'd be surprised if you haven't already) if you like RPG's, you should pick this up. If you want to start playing RPG's, then this is definitely a good place to start. It has a good gameplay system, an interesting storyline, a nice soundtrack and great graphics, and has certainly done a good job in maintaining the standard players expect from a final fantasy game.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Left 4 Dead review
I barely managed to buy Left 4 Dead for the 360 a couple days ago, it was sold out everywhere i went! It's a crazy game, 8.5 at least. This game has easy controls so you can get right into the action, the gore is fantastic, and the zombies are just perfect, i like how they spiced it up with those special zombies makes the game way more interesting and it keeps you on your toes.
In the campaign you have a choice between four likable characters: Bill, Louis, Francis and Zoey. Although there is no difference between the characters besides looks, it gives the game a more personal touch. These four survivors must face mad hordes of zombies in order to reach their evac point. Most zombies will just try and mob you using the "strength in numbers" kind of tactic. Occasionaly, though, you will get the special zombie, of wich there are four: Smokers, Boomers, Hunters and the notorious tank. Five if you count the witch. These zombies are smarter, stronger and harder to take down, each with their own unique ability, and they're all coming after you! The game does a good job immersing you into the game. The only problem i find is that it gets kind of repetitive, no matter which campaign you take: kill zombies, get to the safe house, kill more zombies then get to the evac point. Which is always great fun but if you're looking for any form of storyline then you will be dissappointed.
I noticed that the game takes a crazy jump in difficulty from advanced to expert. In advanced you can take a decent amount of hits and survive wheareas in expert, being constricted by a smoker will pretty much bring you to half health or lower. So far i have only managed to kill the Tank once on expert. The tank is called the tank for a reason, he can take and dish out massive damage. The only effective way to take him out is through tactics, using the environment and various items that you find along the way. This is where having humans playing along with you instead of coms is much more helpful. Coms tend to throw themselves right into the middle of the battle instead of taking them out from a safe distance. This can be extremely costly seeing as you only get a certain amount of health packs during the campaign and they are few and far between. Another thing you should watch out for is the witch, she doesn't have too much health, but she can put you on the floor in one hit, and unless your friends help you out, she can kill you a couple seconds after that.
This is a game that should have definately been made 4 player instead of co-op, it's really great playing with a group of friends, but it's a drag waiting for your turn. Unfortunately i don't have Xbox live, so i haven't experienced the online section of the game, which is supposedly the best part of it.
All in all, this game is very good. Although repetitive at times and has no storyline, it is simple and fun with friends. If you like getting right in the action and killing hordes of zombies, this game is for you.
Anything goes.
In the campaign you have a choice between four likable characters: Bill, Louis, Francis and Zoey. Although there is no difference between the characters besides looks, it gives the game a more personal touch. These four survivors must face mad hordes of zombies in order to reach their evac point. Most zombies will just try and mob you using the "strength in numbers" kind of tactic. Occasionaly, though, you will get the special zombie, of wich there are four: Smokers, Boomers, Hunters and the notorious tank. Five if you count the witch. These zombies are smarter, stronger and harder to take down, each with their own unique ability, and they're all coming after you! The game does a good job immersing you into the game. The only problem i find is that it gets kind of repetitive, no matter which campaign you take: kill zombies, get to the safe house, kill more zombies then get to the evac point. Which is always great fun but if you're looking for any form of storyline then you will be dissappointed.
I noticed that the game takes a crazy jump in difficulty from advanced to expert. In advanced you can take a decent amount of hits and survive wheareas in expert, being constricted by a smoker will pretty much bring you to half health or lower. So far i have only managed to kill the Tank once on expert. The tank is called the tank for a reason, he can take and dish out massive damage. The only effective way to take him out is through tactics, using the environment and various items that you find along the way. This is where having humans playing along with you instead of coms is much more helpful. Coms tend to throw themselves right into the middle of the battle instead of taking them out from a safe distance. This can be extremely costly seeing as you only get a certain amount of health packs during the campaign and they are few and far between. Another thing you should watch out for is the witch, she doesn't have too much health, but she can put you on the floor in one hit, and unless your friends help you out, she can kill you a couple seconds after that.
This is a game that should have definately been made 4 player instead of co-op, it's really great playing with a group of friends, but it's a drag waiting for your turn. Unfortunately i don't have Xbox live, so i haven't experienced the online section of the game, which is supposedly the best part of it.
All in all, this game is very good. Although repetitive at times and has no storyline, it is simple and fun with friends. If you like getting right in the action and killing hordes of zombies, this game is for you.
Anything goes.
Happy New Year!
Since it's the new year I've made it my resolution to start a blog. Hopefully here my friends and I shall be posting some skits, game reviews, and anything else that comes to mind. Happy New Year!
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