Gamerz Reviewz » xBox360

Am I A.Wake?

Bobfish — Fri, 28 May 2010 08:10:55 +0000

WHEN WE FIRST started hearing about this game back in 2005 I was seriously stoked. The in game screenshots, which we were assured without any shadow of a doubt, were generated by the fully functioning, in game engine…they were breathtaking. Lush vegetation, crystal clear water, intense sunlight streaming in through the vibrant pine tree’s. And then it dropped off the face of the Earth for three years. Leaving us all gobsmacked and demanding, craving more.

Finally, an update arrived, and it was most decidedly not to our liking. The promised open world, entirely none linear aspect had been removed in favour of episodic plot progression. However, it still looked amazing, and considering that a lot of the open world games do tend to drag on a wee bit, the turn towards episodic play wasn’t really a major issue. Sure, it would have been nice to be able to just wander around the Bright Falls area at your leisure, but not so much that it really put a dent into our fervour for what was shaping up, and promised, to be possibly one of the best psychological thrillers in video gaming. Right up until the rumours were confirmed. Alan Wake was going to be X-Box only. And that’s about the point when the game died for all of us.

Suddenly the massive delay and the shift to linear gameplay made a lot more sense. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticising the X-Box for what it is. I’m not particularly a fan of the console any more than I am of the Playstation 3 (I like the Wii so ner), but I’m not about to start the whole elitist argument back up again. The X-Box simply is not as powerful as a PC. That’s not an insult, it’s as true as saying a PC is more powerful than a pocket watch. It has it’s limitations, and as PC components continue to improve, each console falls slowly behind. It’s the nature of the industry. But each console has it’s strengths and weaknesses. And whilst all of them are capable of open world environments, none of them are capable of generating one so lush and detailed as Alan Wake was promising to be. No, that wasn’t the problem.

The problem became apparent as more information was released. Even a year before the game was finished, we were already “assured” that there would be downloadable expansions…yeah. And then came the actual footage. This beautiful, lush, vibrantly alive environment we had seen in early pictures and footage was replaced with a pretty bog standard mistfest. Yes, the use of colour is still powerful, and the streaming light has been done extremely well in some places, but the draw distance is down to about six inches, and during the night time sections (the majority of the game) everything is just drab and grey. Long story short, this game sucks. The plot is contrived and about as predictable as a brick to the face. The characters are wooden and lifeless (with the exception of Barry, he’s actually fairly well developed, and Sarah, though she still suffers from being uninteresting, at least she’s believably uninteresting) and the voice acting is horrendous. Hey, and don’t even get me started on the lip syncing, or rather complete lack thereof. Alan, when speaking, spends most of his time looking like a wasp is stinging the back of his eyeball with a pogo stick.

The original premise really sucked me in when I first heard about it. A writer visiting a small town and having odd dreams that were starting to affect reality around him. I’m a writer myself, as evidenced by this review, but not just that. I’ve written newsletters, poems, short stories and even a full length novel that I completed in April of this year. Writing is something I am extremely passionate about. A large part of who I am. I see things through the perspective of what they could be, rather than what they are. And I have had dreams so vivid, so real, that I am sometimes unsure if a conversation or event took place, or whether it was just a dream. I don’t know, perhaps I’m just crazy. Am I A.Wake? And yeah, about that. What happened to the whole dream idea? They keep saying there was the is he/isn’t he thing going on…but if it was, I sure as hell didn’t see it.

Gods! They turned the game into Alone in the bloody Dark, but made it boring. Frankly, Remedy dropped the ball with this one. I can’t think of any better way of describing it than, dude, this game sucks (I feel so much like Linkara right now, lolz). The animations are fairly fluid, I’ll give them that, but the bloody camera pissed me off something chronic. With a click of the right stick you can shift it from one shoulder to the other. Apart from when I actually wanted it. It kept trying to bludgeon me into having the camera on the left, which is fine apart from when there are a hoard of taken coming round a corner to my RIGHT. Why give us an option to change, if it doesn’t work? I, seriously, had it flick back for no reason no less than fifteen times in two minutes.

You know, I’m going to stop here, otherwise I’ll be at this for hours. I don’t like the game. It’s dull, it’s overly stylised (less time making me watch the hoard of enemies descending on me, more time letting me run the f**k away) and it seriously drags. Far from having a deep, engaging, thrilling exploration of the Human psyche, we had a slew of clichéd dialogue and overly dramatic action sequences. Though, admittedly, facing down an army of Taken on a fully functioning stage with Ozzy Osbourne crooning out Children of the Elder God was pretty damned awesome. And, actually, that’s one thing the game did do well. The ONLY thing it did well. The soundtrack is outstanding. Not just the track list, but the in game music as well. It set a very good atmosphere on its own and wasn’t gratuitous like most games these days.

Graphics: 8/10
Gameplay: 5/10
Audio/Music: 9/10
Plot/Scripting: 5/10
Overall: 4/10

Closing thoughts : Just save your money.

Pretentiousness: 9.5/10
Contrivance: 10/10
Self Indulgence: 13/10
Waste of money: 100%

Tenchu Z..zzzzzz

Bobfish — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:55:44 +0000

THIS IS NOT a good game.

That’s right. No beating around the bush, no self indulgent discourse leading up to my ultimate conclusion. This one just plain clunks. However, let it also be noted that I am not saying this is a bad game either. The best description I can give, in a one word adjective, is disappointing. The Tenchu series as a whole has been a little scattershot over the years. The first was a real pain in the arse at times, but solid enough that it served as a good proof of concept. The second is still, in my opinion, the pinacle of the series. Wrath of Heaven took a few new turns with the gameplay mechanics, based on the new generation of consoles, some good, some not so good. The DS game worked far better than I’d expected. Z…not so much.

Initially I was optimistic. The fact that you create your own character rather than going back to Rikimaru and Ayame yet again was a bit of a sticking point for some people, but it does make sense within the confines of the Tenchu story. Rikimaru is a little long in the tooth these days. And whilst I’m sure he’s still just as lethal as ever, he is still well into his fourth decade, if not older, and has a lot of responsibilities as the head of the Azuma Ninja. As evidenced by the fact that you speak to him in the ninja village as a means of choosing your next mission.

The missions themselves are decent enough. A lot of regurgitated environments, and even a lot of missions that are carbon copies of each other. And, of course, yet again, Echigoya suffers the bite of your vengeful blade. That poor chap has been assassinated in every single one of the games (I think) for nothing more serious than being a greedy little bugger. Okay, he’s a self-serving little so and so, but him and a bajillion other generic merchants. What, exactly, does the Azuma ninja clan have against the poor fellow that they feel the need to continually kill him to death? Is once not enough? I mean, in Heaven, Rikimaru even comments on the fact he went back to kill Echigoya because he…already did it in the first game? WHAT THE HELL?!? But anyway. Repetitive, sort of. The fact that the environments are reused, some of them upwards of five times each, does have a positive effect in that the game is longer than previous instalments. A whopping fifty missions to work through, rather than the usual ten or twelve. Granted, there was some extra play value in previous titles by having different characters, but this is fifty missions all for one person. And you can customise your ninja with a variety of extra clothing options and skills you unlock along the way.

Overall, it’s not going down in the annals of Tenchu history any time soon. Likely to be one of those that slides into obscurity as the dirty little secret of the franchise. Which has not too surprisingly seen a steep decline in popularity since Z was released in 2007. However, the strength of the DS game and the recent Tenchu 4 on the Wii (which see’s the return of Ayame with a stealth kill animation that consists of repeatedly kicking a guy in the nuts) I can see it climbing back up over the three years to follow. For Tenchu fans, this isn’t really a must have. Though it’s interesting enough, and does begin to show signs of a compelling story developing towards the end, but it’s nothing majorly important that you will miss. And it’s unfortunate to note that the games strongest point is the ease at which the full 1000gs can be achieved. Probably not much more than three or four days if you knuckle down to it. It took me about a week to do, but I wasn’t really fixed in, and spent time doing quite a lot of other things as well.

All in all, a disappointing buy. I’m glad I waited so long and picked it up in a bargain bin. Though, calling it a bargain, even at a measly seven pounds, is something of a stretch. Though the fact you could sheath your sword at any time, grab people from behind and drag them away into a dark corner was a very nice touch for me. That is something I hope very much will carry over into future titles. But, dude, hopefully on a game that doesn’t look like it was ported from the Playstation 2 this time.

Graphics: 6/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Audio/Music: 8/10
Plot/Scripting: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

ConViction

Bobfish — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:47:05 +0000

A long time in the coming, and subject to at least two complete reinventions to my knowledge, Sam Fisher has finally returned to our home entertainment systems to continue, and add some much needed perspective, to the events of Splinter Cell Double Agent. In my previous review I touched on the closing levels of the previous instalment being somewhat confusing, with the sudden introduction of new Director Tom Reed coming, literally, completely out on nowhere. But more so than that, Sam is suddenly rogue without any obvious explanation why. Something which frustrated many people, though was explained to a certain extent within the latter version of the game that I also mentioned. And now, to my great relief if no-one else, Splinter Cell ConViction does, indeed, bring with it a great deal of exposition.

It transpires that Sam went under so deeply that only his direct team at Third Echelon, that being Lambert, Anna Grimsdottir (who does return too, but more on that later) and possibly one or two other, unnamed plebs within the organisation. Possibly his handler, Cohen, who featured in the first three games, but seems to have been completely forgotten about now. The point is, Sam’s actions, to the world at large and even the rest of the NSA, appear to be inspired by nothing more than his own selfish ends. And Tom Reed, taking over from Lambert after he is captured skulking around the JBA headquarters looking for Sam, has taken it upon himself to bring in this dangerous, loose cannon. But, of course, this is Tom Clancy, so it isn’t even that simple.

I don’t want to go too much into the plot points, because this game shows a lot of Clancy’s signature twists and turns. Where the previous titles have been fairly straight forward espionage thrillers, with nothing truely staggering in the way of big reveals. ConViction, on the other hand, has some really quite staggering turn arounds. Not least of which being that Sarah is still alive. Though, to be honest, I always suspected that from the way the death sequence was handled. Still, it’s done well, and backed up with solid reasons for why it was done both within the confines of the story, and for the sake of the story, if you understand the distinction. But there are more along the way, especially focused around Grim, who not only returns, but is, for the first time, seen face to face and not just as a voice whispering in Sam’s ear. And let me just say, she is every bit as hot as we were expecting. But that’s a side issue and has no real bearing over her as a character.

The game itself takes place in a similar fashion to the low definition version of Double Agent, with each level starting and ending with a voice over and some degree of exposition from a friend of Sam’s called Victor Coste. Though the actual levels themselves are all, barring one, from the point of view of Sam himself. And right from the very opening we are shown that, at some point, said to be seventy-two hours later (which yes, does mean that the game covers a period of only three days, another change from the usual flow) Grim will take a gun to Sam and shoot him. I’ve heard some people claim that this is poorly handled, and far from building suspense, actual spoils it. But I disagree. It left me wondering what the hell was going on, and why Grim had changed so much. The final explanation came somewhat out of left field, though admittedly in a kind of predictable way, but not in a bad sense. And I, personally, found it to be edifying because what I was hoping and expecting to see happen more or less panned out the way I wanted it to. But, again, I don’t want to give away key points so we will leave it with that.

The gameplay itself is a very large break from the style we have come to know and love. And, personally, I think the game does suffer somewhat for it. However, as far as it goes, what Ubi have done, they have done very well, and I feel that they ultimately got exactly what they were aiming for. However, what I have seen from some of their original ideas, including pre-beta gameplay footage that should still be knocking around on YouTube, I think would have been an almost perfect blend of the original stealth action aspect, and the newer, Sam as an angry killing machine. Still, within the confines of the story, and based on the general opinion of the average end user, I can appreciate exactly why they chose to emphasis the action side of things so much. The gloves really have come off, and Sam is no longer constrained by even the faintest hint of morality anymore. He is angry about the death of his daughter, and as a Father I can truely empathise. This is a much more personal story, and Sam is out for blood. The stealth aspects, thankfully, are still there, and can still be utilised almost just as much, thought the lack of a move body option can be a bit of a pain in the arse at times, particularly during the first section of your infiltration of Third Echelon itself.

The engine, I do believe, is the UT2.5, which has been rendered gloriously. The colour pallet is a little dull, yes, but not completely washed out, going for a mid-tone pastels for the most part, including a very well done grain over the top of everything. And bizarrely enough, this is one of those rare occasions where things actually look better up close. Particularly facial animations. It seems that the grain used blurs a lot of the finer detail until it’s right there in your face, at which point you can pick out the individual threads on Sam’s jumper (sweatshirt for our Stateside cousins) and even the very well rendered freckles spattered across Grim’s cheeks and the nasty little cut that Sam has over his top lip. It is still curious that Ubi did not opt for the UT3 engine, but considering the outstanding job they did with the 2.5, I am certainly not going to hold that against them.

My largest complaint is that the campaign is entirely linear. Though it does allow some degree of exploration within the individual levels, such as alternate paths and the like, the events themselves follow sequentially, one from the other, no matter how you play the game. It is also fairly short, from start to finish taking only about eight to ten hours. A bit of a sticking point for me, but it does go some way to emphasising the breakneck pace and desperate urgency of Sam’s plight. However, there is a large amount of content for the co-op side of things, which can be accessed in it’s entirety either online or split-screen, a good move by Ubi. As well as the series of Persistent Elite Creation challeneges that can be completed in an of the available modes adding some degree of continued playability. And, for once, I did spend some amount of time on the online co-op. Taking the time to play through the full co-op campaign (a gruelling process, but very rewarding) and some of the other modes. All of which are enjoyable for their own reasons.

Overall, this game was well worth the sixty pounds I invested in pre-ordering the Collectors Edition, something which I have never done before, and I am entirely satisfied with the way it ultimately turned. No, it is not my ideal game ever, and there are some things I will lament losing from both the original games, and the initial plans that were discarded in favour of what was eventually released. And the wait…a full three years late, was excrutiating. It was very, very good to know that the wait was justified. But please, for the sake of my hair and fingernails, don’t make us wait that long for the next chapter. And make damn sure you tell us who or what the hell Megido is. As always, I urge you to draw your own conclusions, but ConViction comes with a very heavy recommendation from me.

Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Audio/Music: 9/10
Plot/Scripting: 9.5/10
Overall: 9.5/10

Splinter Cell : Double Agent aka Sam is not a very nice man

Bobfish — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:38:31 +0000

“Prison. A hell of a place to save a mans life.”

Whilst on a, for Sam, simple and straightforward intelligence gathering assignment in Iceland. So simple, in fact, that Sam even has a rookie along for the ride with him. Sam Fisher, the first and undeniably best field agent for the NSAs Third Echelon, is abruptly called back. His mission aborted and as his handler, direct superior and one of his oldest friends, Irving Lambert, tells him that his little girl, Sarah, barely even twenty-three years old, is dead. A hit and run. And just like that, Sams whole world is gone.

After this fairly large introductory level we are shown a rather poignant cinematic of Sam going completely off the rails. Drinking, fighting…well, intentionally letting people beat the crap out of him actually, and tentatively pulling himself together enough to accept the toughest job of his career. Direct, deep cover infiltration of a terrorist organization calling itself the John Brown Army. Headed by one Emile Dufrainse, who has some weird amalgamation of a thick Texan and broad Brooklyn accent. He does this by being sent to Ellseworth Penitentiary as an inmate to make contact with one of Dufraisne’s leftenants. A physically unassuming, but nasty son-of-a-bitch called Jamie Washington. Stripped of all his usual accessories, the first real level of the game has Sam relying entirely on his rather formidable skills.

From here we are introduced to the rest of the JBA and spend some time performing various tasks around their main compound. An environment which you will return to for a total of four excursions. Each time, apart from the last, being given a series of tasks from both Third Echelon and the JBA. It’s a fairly small environment, and each but the final of the four times you will visit it is timed. But it’s quite an interesting little place, with a multitude of different stair ways and ladders and corridors all leading into and branching from each other. And each of the four visits will take you to a different section of the base that the previous doesn’t, which does a very good job of preventing it from becoming repeetitive. The rest of the places you will visit, Kinshasa in particular, are massive, apart from the post credits level, which is only available based on choices you make at three key points in the game.

The story is as solid as any of the Splinter Cell games, and this, more than any other, Humanises Sam. Whilst in the previous title, Chaos Theory, we were shown the best qualities of his personality. Particularly his conversation with a near homicidal Korean General (”they aren’t anybodies men, they’re just men. Husbands, Fathers, sons”) and an optional section where you can rescue two unconcious pilots against direct instruction from Lambert. Double Agent reminds us that Sam is not a nice man. And the one thing in his life that kept him grounded, his little girl, is gone. Sam is pissed. He’s angry, and it shows. His actions and his overall tone is much darker. The way he speaks to people, some of the things he does, show a much more sadistic attitude. As a parent myself (I have a five year old daughter) I found myself empathising with him. Yes, his actions are cruel, much violent than needed, but there is a certain catharsis in punishing the world. Taking back some sense of reparation, however sparing.

Initially I actually played this game on the Wii, because that was the only platform from the current generation I was interested in. My Playstation 3 and X-Box didn’t come until later. But I learned some time later that there are actually two versions of the game, so I picked up this one as well. And I can personally attest that there are some massive differences between the two. For a start, the Wii, Gamecube and Playstation 2 game, which was developed after the initial release, takes place as a series of flashbacks and telephone calls between Sam and the new head of Third Echelon, Tom Reed. Whilst the X-Box, Playstation 3 and PC version is all in real time. It’s worth picking up both, because whilst the basic plot, and even some of the dialogue, is the same, the whole feel of the game, and the specific events, are radically different. The “low definition” version of the game also makes a little more sense. The end of the “high definition” version is very mcuh a “to be continued” moment, with a lot happening quite suddenly, and with almost no explanation. However, it’s pretty obvious from having played ConViction (but more on that later) that this is the start of, at the very least, a three part story. Not just a continuation of the Splinter Cell franchise, but an actual, sequential meta-plot, so to speak. Not just references to prior games, like the return of the Masse kernals and things like that.

The game is not without its flaws however. For some bizarre reason, Ubisoft opted for the UT2 engine, meaning that the game is, well, a little lacking graphically. Textures are flakey, and lots of things shine for no apparent reason at all. Yeah, I know, it’s nitpicking, and I personally don’t care too much about graphics. But when a radically weaker console is pulling out a much smoother, visually balanced version of the same game, then you know you’ve made a bit of a boo-boo. And don’t even get me started on the water. However, animations are extremely fluid, and not as slow and cumbersome as they once were. My largest complaint, I have to say, is the readdition of the interaction menu. For things like light switches, and computers and stuff like that, it’s useful for being able to differentiate one from another, so that you don’t accidentally set off an alarm when you just want to close a door. For trying to grab people you’ve sneaked up on…yeah, bit of a failing. The number of damned times I’ve failed to grab someone because the ruddy menu flicked off, or responded just that little bit too slowly so that they moved away. Not a good call there Ubi. Why they decided to put it back in now, after it being absent since the first chapter, is beyond me. Sometimes, y’all just baffle me.

Overall, however, this is another fine addition to one of the best video game series to date. The progression of Sams character from one title to the next never ceases to surprise, and believe me when I tell you ConViction adds even more. I missed having Grim whispering in my ear at times, but that’s mostly a personal bias. I like the character, and I have a bit of a soft spot for redheads. But, as always, I recommend you judge for yourself. These are just my impressions, and I’m an unashamed Splinter Cell fanboy.

Graphics: 7/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Audio/Music: 9/10
Plot/Scripting: 9/10
Overall: 9/10

Final note : Yes, this has indeed been a long time in the coming. There have been a number of factors in my real life that have had to take priority for a while. One of them, I am almost ashamed to admit, is that I have actually been too busy playing games to write about them. But I also have a little girl (as I said above) who takes up a large chunk of my time. And three weeks ago, I finally finished writing my very first, original novel. But I’ll talk more about that another time. For now, I’m just glad to be back.

Sam is a badass: 10/10

Halo 3…uhm, 2? Second Opinion?

Bobfish — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:10:30 +0000

The third game in the Halo trilogy (main trilogy that is). Not having played the first two games I decided to see what all the fuss was about so here is my review of Halo 3.

At first glance the main menu is fairly easy to use if you haven’t played the previous games. You have the usual campaign option which is your solo play through as well as split screen on the same console. Next you have an option called Matchmaking which is your online multiplayer stuff where you can play against 16 other people online. Now most people who claim that they love Halo only play the online section of the games and sometimes the tutorial in the campaign mode.

The levels are well set out for the fast-action game play that Halo has been sold as. You play as Master chief a cyborg trying to stop aliens from getting all the Halo rings otherwise they will wipe out all the universe. The graphics in the game are ok. The colours are a bit plain but go well with the setting. The only let down on as far as graphics goes is the water (what little of it there is)

My personal opinion and overview of this game is its good if you like multiplayer first person shooters but other wise its not got a good game play. The game play is slow and repetitive where you HAVE to kill all of the opposition (namely the aliens) which I personally hate.

So all in all I think its a bad game with good graphics.

Enjoy.

Halo 3

Bobfish — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:40:24 +0000

NOW, MY DISTASTE for the Halo franchise is well known, but I think from my two previous reviews (Halo 2 being fairly positive) that I have proven my objectivity. Reviews are based on opinion however, and I feel no compunction to be diplomatic about my views on any matter. I mean, the whole purpose behind this website is to avoid the usual, finance based bias we have become so familiar with. But at the same time, I strive to balance out my personal fondness or distaste for the games I review to offer a more informed and structured dissection of whichever piece of digital goodness/foulness my brain is munching upon at the time.

And this brings us to the latest installment in the core Halo storyline. There are now, of course, at least two derivatives which have been produced to expand upon the setting (Halo ODST actually takes place between chapters 2 and 3 and, I believe covers the search for the Chief whilst he does whatever it is he did aboard that Covenant warship we see burning through the sky in Halo 3’s opening cinematic. Or was that the chief…or both of them, I think it was the ship and he came shooting off from it partway down, but I’ve been to sleep since then, and this parenthesis rant is growing stupidly large so, y’know, it takes place between them and leave it at that) with a third, Halo Reach, which we don’t know a great deal about as yet.

My initial impression of Halo 3 is that it was a highly polished, slick and extremely stylised game. A feeling that stuck with me the entire time. Unfortunately, I found almost nothing in the way of real substance to expand on this feeling as I progressed through the nine, decidedly short and, even on Legendary, primarily extremely unchallenging, levels. I know some people are pleased by a game that you can run through in only a few hours (about ten in total for the whole game on Legendary, no more than six on Normal), I, on the other hand, decidedly do not. There’s a line between a short and intense experience, and too short which Halo 3 leaped over at intense velocity.

The various cinematics and scripting events that unfolded offered little but an annoyance that they were dragging on so long. And the so-called plot twists just seemed pointless and rather daft. It seems to me that either they had a new writing department for this game considering how much they ran roughshod over the plot developments from Halo 2, or they were all on crack and thought that having a turtle eat beans for half an hour was a good idea. Either way, those things which actually made the second game work for me in a way I hadn’t anticipated, just vanished and were replaced with some random crap that left me with a serious…

..feeling.

Whilst I felt that the first game was generic and borrowed, or even out and out stole, from other games and films that had come before. And the second, whilst still pretty standard in gameplay, had some decent scripting. The third was pretty much just a bunch of fan appeasement as far as I could tell. Massive, intense battles, hoardes of enemies that you have to murder to a man to progress. I suppose I can see the appeal in some senses, driving through a cannon with a small fleet of Scorpions and Warthogs was fun, but a few well aimed shots and there was no opposition to speak of. And taking down to Scarab at a time single handed was kind of cool. But, dude, I did it single-handed. On Legendary! If the rest of the Human armed forces really is that sodding useless, and really couldn’t do anything at all without the Chief there, then they should have been wiped out in a matter of days.

But, of course, it’s not the single player that sold the game to seventeen million people. It’s the online experience which has brought people in their droves. And, for once, I actually spent some time trying this out. Mostly at the request of a very good friend of mine who spent several hours trouncing me repeatedly. Again, though, there is little for me to recommend with the online either. The ability to customise your avatar, either a Spartan or an Elite (the Arbiter) with extra items unlockable as you progress adds a little to raise it above a generic online shooter. But not by much. And certainly nothing that hasn’t been done before, and better. Rainbow Six Vegas had a great customisation to it. Halo 3 doesn’t.

Basically, Halo 3 is an enigma to me. I can’t understand how something that screwed up in so many ways can be so damned popular. I suspect it may have a great deal to do with the billion pound advertising campaign and the populace at large being so easily lead.

Graphics: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 6/10
Audio/Music: 6/10
Plot/Scripting: 5/10
Overall: 5/10

Halo 3 also earns a Special Award for being such a successful bluff.

WTF?!?ness : 9.5/10

360 degrees of Dead Space

Bobfish — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:27:30 +0000

HAVING ALREADY PLAYED through Dead Space on the PC, and thoroughly enjoyed it (see my previous review for a more in depth opinion) I was curious how well it would stand up as a console title. I won’t deny that I was extremely sceptical, which is why I wasn’t in any particular rush to pick it up. In fact, it was only because my beautiful wife (Lissa, also now writing reviews here) wanted to try it out that we bought it at all. Hence it being X-Box rather than Playstation 3, since the X-Box is hers. First impressions did little to appease my misgivings and, after only about thirty minutes I saved the game and didn’t play it again for three months.

Not exactly an inspiring start to a review.

However, a couple of days ago (well, four actually) I found myself at a bit of a loose end (I was playing Project Origin, but wasn’t in the mood for it after spending so much time on the first game for my previous reviews) and plugged it back in. The control scheme didn’t leave me with an overly positive impression once again, especially the sensitivity. After so much time on the PC, analogue sticks feel like wading through treacle toffee when you’ve gotten used to a mouse turned all the way up to ELEVEN! Seriously, it takes about three seconds just to turn one-eighty, and when a bunch of necromorphs are swarming all over you a HELL of a lot can happen in those three seconds. And don’t forget that both sticks have a bloody massive dead zone (appropriate eh?)

Still, I persevered, and made a few purchases on X-Box Live to throw a little variety into the mix. Plus, y’know, the new skins look really cool. Though I didn’t realise at first just how nails the Tank suit really is. Believe me, 60% damage resistance has a massive impact on the difficulty of the game. Especially since downloaded weapons and armour are available for free (in game) once you reach your first store at the end of Chapter 1. So, for those like myself, who have qualms about what should effectively be classed as cheating, probably better to avoid the download section all together until you’ve finished the game once. Which I did on the PC, but I still felt a little guilty after I realised how much difference it all made. Silly I know, but that’s how I am.

Anyway, enough waffling. Fourth paragraph already and I’ve said bugger all about the game apart from how dubious I was. So, well, were my misgivings well place? The question of hour. And, I’m very happy to say, they were not at all. The sensitivity of the analogue sticks still bugs me a fair bit, but not so much so that it spoiled my enjoyment of the game. Caused me several incidences of extreme frustration when I was shooting past a necromorphs waist instead of cutting him off at the thigh, but I think it actually made me better at the game. I thought more about how to approach each enemy and shifted my weapons around a lot more. Initially I only really made use of the Plasma Cutter and the Pulse Rifle, this time I gave them all a whirl and give a major, major recommendation for the Line Gun. That thing is a beast. Especially with the Scorpion pack which more than doubles it’s rate of fire. Though the yellow scorpion motif is a little silly. It would have looked much better in black or a deep red.

Long story short, the differences between the PC and console release of the game are simple cosmetics. The layout of the controls is a little odd, but works well, though it would have been nice to have a customisation option. The turning speed, whilst a point I keep coming back to, isn’t really a major concern after you’ve had a little time to adjust to it. And the downloadable weapons and armour packs add some really cool new skins to what is already an extremely solid and very atmospheric game. I still can’t over how good it actually is after the sheer amount of crap Electronic Arts have shoved down our throats in the past.

I’m eagerly looking forward to both Dead Space 2, and Extinction on the Wii. If you take the time to watch the six animated comics which cover the events of the mining operation leading up to the demise of the USG Ishimura’s crew, and the Downfall Anime which covers events aboard the Ishimura herself, you can see that there’s a lot more to the story. And they are telling it very, very well. If EA keep this up again, they could well become the respected gaming powerhouse they were back in the days of Desert Strike and Buck Rogers : Countdown to Doomsday.

Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Audio/Music: 9/10
Plot/Scripting: 9/10
Overall: 8.5/10

P.S : If my sources are correct, Isaac will return for Dead Space 2.

Altman be praised

…or have you?

Bobfish — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:56:33 +0000

SADLY, THE CONSOLE version of F.E.A.R doesn’t have quite the same panache as it’s PC counterpart. Speaking, in this case (but with external Playstation 3 input from Jedireaper) of the X-Box 360 specifically of course. All of the same elements are there. The aggressive physics system, the same sense of satisfaction when you fire a gun, and even the adaptive enemy AI. Unfortunately it just doesn’t deliver as effectively.

Yes, the enemy AI does show many of the same characteristics which made the PC game so intense, but rather than making the game more challenging and engaging, they just come across as a bit stupid. One occasion in particular I can remember, I opened a door to a courtyard in, I think, Interval 4, and fired a few shots at the first guy I saw, then closed it up again and ran back to take up a better position, waiting for the Replicant soldiers to come and find me. After a couple of minutes of waiting I was wondering what had happened and went back to investigate.

Far from trying to hunt me down and kill me, or even setting a counter trap of their own, I found no less than five of them gathered together in the middle of the yard just waiting for me. In fact, as I was watching, clearly visible through the double windows, I could see the two outer men ever so slowly walking sideways to pull in even closer to their compatriots. It was, admittedly very funny, but also disappointing after slogging through the whole game on the PC. And, sadly, this kind of behaviour is the norm. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been able to pick off the enemy one at a time because they just completely fail to notice either my gun firing, or the guy standing next to them being torn to pieces and crumpling to the ground with a half dozen bullets in his brain.

Another major concern is the checkpoints in the game. They’re horrendously far apart and, far from making the game more challenging, add exponentially to the frustration factor. Especially that section in the Armacham building when you have to fight your way through FOUR heavy armours before triggering the next one. It’s an unfortunate note to end the review on, because I’m a rather well known fan of the whole F.E.A.R series. But the console version of the game just let’s the side down. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a massive disparity between the PC and console gaming before. Thankfully, F.E.A.R 2 seems to have improved massively. But that’s a review for another time.

Graphics: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Audio/Music: 8/10
Plot/Scripting: 9/10
Overall: 7/10

Faaaaaaabulous!

Bobfish — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:42:00 +0000

Fable 2 is the sequel to the ever-popular Fable on the original X-Box. After a 3year wait and with guns as a new major feature you can either choose a male or a female character. Again with the same points as the first game you start the game as a young child doing a few quests to get you used to the control system. You grow up after certain events/quests are complete. You character will get will lines which glow a neon blue the more you use will (spells) and you can customise their appearance such as hair style, hair colour, beards, moustaches as well as make up and tattoos.

The main story plot is set a five hundred years after the original Fable and yet again Albion needs your help to set everything right. Lucien Plans to be the ruler of Albion and you have to go on quests to find three Heroes to help you stop him, The Hero of Skill, The Hero of Strength and The Hero of Will.

The achievement scheme is not very hard but at the same time not easy. And if you chose to buy both expansion packs they will not only add more quests and open up more areas but they will add 100 gamer points from the first expansion which will set you back 800 microsoft points and the second will add 150 gamer points which will set you back only 560 microsoft points which really shocked me as out of the two expansions adds more areas and more content than the first.

The first expansion is Knothole Island which you will have to help the villagers there fix the weather by digging up various keys to towers. There is also a tomb where if you sacrificed your dog then you can lead a villager in and get your dog back as you will need him to do the quests on this map.

In the second Murgo will comeback and give you cursed items which transport you to several different places to help lift the curse off the item. I like this expansion more as you can go back as many times as you like and the areas are really well thought out.

All in all I love the game and I cant wait to see if they will release any more expansions.

Alone in Central Park

Bobfish — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:19:13 +0000

UNFORTUNATELY MY DVD-encoder is completely beyond the meager electronics skills of this wayward games reviewer, but I’ve never been one to let something that simple sway me from my life’s…uhm, something other or other. Whatever, the point is, it’s been a while since I last wrote anything even remotely like a review. The itch has struck again, so I apologise for the pictures being a mixture of Google supplied and digital camera snaps of my TV screen. But at least I’m back on form with my very first X-Box 360 review.

Alas, I picked a rather…colourful game for my first choice. Regular readers will remember that I dabbled with Alone in the Dark on the Nintendo Wii some months ago. I was…unimpressed for the most part but allowed a lot of slack with the flakey gameplay given the overall quality of the story and the experience as a whole.

Sadly, the “next gen” version of the game does not hold even such a complimentary standing as that. The story is, as with the Wii, outstanding, and extremely well scripted. For the most part t’s identical to the Wii, with only some minor differences apart from the ending which is both more and less open at the same time. Mostly in so far as there are two which are dependent on whether or not you pop some lead (no that isn’t a euphamism) in Sarah’s skull or not.

Unfortunately however, even the outstanding plot and scripting, and the addition of a mostly open environment (almost the entirety of New York’s Central Park) do little to make this game anything more than a passable few days. Though it does give you an easy 1000 points for your gamerscore. Not much more than twelve hours of gameplay once you knuckle down to it. Though be warned, the Handyman Carnby achievement can be a real bugger to get.

The control scheme is the real killer for this game. Especially with the driving sections. Though they do make the game flow better, allowing you to move from one location to another much faster than on foot, and without having to worry overly much about the monsters scattered around the area. Unfortunately, the cars are so gruellingly painful to control that it almost kills the game entirely. A number of occasions I came very close to losing all patience and just packing it in. But I persevered, and all I can say is that it was an overall pretty “meh” experience.

Worth looking through for the plot, but not much else. Something to pick up cheap, or rent as I did.

Graphics: 8/10
Gameplay: 4/10
Audio/Music: 8/10
Plot/Scripting: 9/10
Overall: 5/10