Archive for December 6th, 2007
Ripping graphic action, compelling story lines, diverting game modes, all the while supporting multi-player involvement. Umm, let me see. Would anyone go for this?
A resounding Yes is my answer and so should any gamer’s response who sees the value in a game designed for long-term replays. Call of Duty 4 is a candidate for Game of the Year in my humble opinion.
First, the armament is varied and many. With over 70 weapons in addition to laser sights, claymore mines, night goggles, and ghillie suits, Call of Duty 4 has no peer in this assault game mode. As your skills and kills increase, you gain more strength as well as more choices to customize your firepower and campaigns. There is no cheating in Call of Duty 4; you must earn all of your perks, which are supplements to each class as you advance.
For graphics, Call of Duty 4 shows us realistic shadowing, disconcerting perspective, and striking three-dimensional action. You may never have experienced such rendering of voluminous battlegrounds and claustrophobic shelter spaces. Both are done with incredible attention to detail where your reactions betray your involvement. Pull back in shock at grenade explosions while your heart pounds during chopper landings under fire.
Prepare your ears to hear bombs bursting in air as garbled radio transmissions create confusion. The sound of Call of Duty 4 is as real as you can get without being there.
You will want to visit this game again and again. The only flaw might be the brevity of the single player campaign but this is more than made up for in the intensity and realism of the action. You won’t regret this purchase for one second.
December 6th, 2007
If you liked the battle scenes in Braveheart, you will absolutely love Bladestorm, the newest release from KOEI, maker of the Dynasty Warrior series.
You get to take on the role of a mercenary who can choose whichever side will pay you the most. Set in the Hundred Years War, you can opt for the English or the French, depending on your particular allegiance in any given skirmish. The soldiers are numerous and convincingly depicted. Hordes of armor-coated minions come at you and your chosen cohorts in waves and you use various strategies to fight them. Without the busy button pushing of the Dynasty series, Bladestorm possesses tremendous sound effects of swords clashing and clanging, trumpeters rallying the troops, and soldiers expiring.
The vast battlegrounds allow for the presence of amazing numbers of soldiers so that the screen looks so busy at times that you find yourself looking away from the fight at hand to the background movements.
The power up function can be replenished after a short wait that only seems interminable. Bladestorm has the lasting advantage of changing strategies or changing sides as well as an independent status. Skill levels for individual weapon classes are earned by successful battles and this permits nearly unlimited customizations. Any group of soldiers chancing by can be conscripted for your side by taking hold of them to join you.
You set up missions in a contract with the English or the French where you can set the duration and use the entire map if you want. Graphics could be better but the sheer number of soldiers more than makes up for this deficiency. Bladestorm is a mixed improvement over Dynasty Warrior and worth the money because of the long-term appeal.
December 6th, 2007
Take a trip to inner space. Blast Factor puts you into a Petri dish of organisms that might well be in your bloodstream, dangerous enough that you wouldn’t want to know about them. Your vessel is a microscopic ship injected into different media rife with bacteria and viruses attacking as you try to cure the “organism” of its maladies. A series of seven cells present themselves and you must clean up each of the several screens in each cell. Blast Factor’s difficulty increases with each successful cleaning but when you suffer significant losses, you are directed to an easier cell where you can be a winner.
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Mastering the fundamentals of this game is easy but the atmosphere in the cells is fluid and detailed, making an interesting environment for your little ship to travel in. As viruses and bacteria stream at you, you employ the controller much like the old Asteroids game where you squeeze off a multitude of projectiles at the swarming enemy. A reasonable variety of bad guys keeps you occupied for the most part but their moves become predictable after a few encounters. Colors are a bit dull and the sound is practically nonexistent.
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The most interesting device in Blast Factor is the SIXAXIS controller’s ability to tilt sideways, issuing a wavelike effect through the liquid environment. You will need this maneuverability to flip one of the rotund enemies over into a vulnerable position. One drawback is that you may inadvertently flush enemies directly right into your path with an imperceptible accidental wrist flip.
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Blast Factor is a welcome addition to the gaming world but only because of the SIXAXIS function.
December 6th, 2007
I bought Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune after hearing a friend who had just bought it raving about it. Now I am raving about it myself. Let me tell you why.
The graphics in this game are fantastic. The PS3 shines in all it’s splendour with the graphics of this game. The way the shadows are exact and the way the characters mouth the dialogues so that you can almost lip read, is fantastic. I love the way the graphics have been done with so much attention to detail.
The storyline is fantastic as well. It begins much like a movie. You are on a quest to find El Dorado the city of Gold. The journey is unforgettable. The movie aspect of this story is so fused with the game aspect of it that it is hard to separate the gameplay from the movie.
I like the uniqueness of the story. The character of Nathan Drake who you get to play is atypical. He is not movie star like but more like the guy next door. The other twist in the movie where it becomes apparent that El Dorado is a man of gold and not a city is amazing as well.
All in all Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is one of the best games I have played and it is highly recommended. It is worth every cent of the $59.99 it costs.
December 6th, 2007