Archive for December, 2007
I have been playing games on video game consoles for quite some time. My favorites are the shooter games. However, I have not fared very well with online multiplayer games – among the ones I have tried – Resistance, Battlefield series and some others.
Even after playing these games for weeks, I find that I am not doing very well at multiplayers. It gets boring. After buying the WarHawk Bundle with Bluetooth Headset last week, I think I have finally entered the hallways of multiplayer enjoyment.
I liked the graphics pretty much. I did not like stats and online leaderboards so much though. They are just plain annoying.
The best part of this game was the gameplay. I enjoyed learning the game, which I have never done in the past. Even though I was a novice in the beginning, it was still fun. If you want to truly enjoy this game, download and read the manual and online guides.
I am a complete fan of this game now. The gameplay is rocking and the learning in the beginning is fun as well. It will set you back by $ 59.99 but if you like shooter games and online multiplay, this could be what you are looking for.
December 8th, 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
It’s been three years since we’ve seen an All-Pro Football release and all of the great features of that game are incorporated in All Pro Football 2K8.
What makes this a bit more fun is the nostalgia aspect of having so many now-retired players in all of their idiosyncratic glory here. Jerry Rice’s upright running style is immediately recognizable as is Mike Ditka’s bulldozer-like moves after a reception. Each player has been set with his own unique moves so we can identify the player without even seeing his number.
Other than a few other improvements such as gang-tackling that seems scarily brutal, they really haven’t done that much to this version. Choosing and customizing your teams is intriguing because of the older players but the choice of logos is a bit limited.
The running attack is done realistically although some player movement is too mechanical while the defense is set at such a tough level that you will consistently play close games. One glitch is the disconcerting time lapse between your command to pass and the actual pass, but this is not a major drawback. All-Pro Football 2K8 lends itself very well to a multi-player situation rather than a single player.
The audio broadcast is well done but seems lifted almost straight from the last version. Stat compilation is effective and immediate and the broadcasters themselves are entertaining if a bit stilted. The soundtrack is repeated a few times but the sound quality is quite good. All in all, All Pro Football 2K8 is a good buy but not at the top of the heap.
December 5th, 2007
When you take a classic story that was itself adapted into a Hollywood action epic with A-List stars as prototypes, you run the risk of being unable to fulfill expectations. Beowulf is no exception here as the story line gets short shrift with an overemphasis on gore and unending battle sequences that borders on the ridiculous. Of course, this is just what sells this type of game so we shouldn’t be surprised.
This ages-old story does not get any kind of coherent treatment here so if you want disjointed action with no rationale for various developments, this is your milieu. Beowulf’s minions (Thanes—up to twelve of them), can be summoned in quantity as you progress through the battles with random enemies.
Beowulf can move into Carnal Mode which increases the available power exponentially with more aggressive moves accruing to the hero as he gains experience. The ultimate monster, Grendel, has mother issues that never manifest themselves nor undergo any explanation. For those who have actually read the poem, this narrative has all the coherence of the battles on Jerry Springer. The main thrust of both is to titillate and shock. Gratuitous violence and some skin seem to be the thread that is common to both spectacles.
With a lack of complex commands for the actors in this failed venture, Beowulf disappoints with a vengeance; we see battle after battle with only an increase in the power exerted by the “hero” who turns out to be a manipulative grasping power seeker. This is unfortunate as Beowulf has the existing story line that could have made this game an involving adventure but doesn’t get the royal treatment it deserves.
December 5th, 2007
The Bigs is a welcome addition to the arcade games we have seen in the past like Street and Blitz. Not a sim game, The Bigs features a Rookie Challenge where you can create a player who learns skills and increases his ability to compete with the best.
With a turbo boost that increases power by up to five times normal, home runs show a trail of light or fire as they exit the park, making them an exciting part of this game. You can go through training mini-games and learn new controller moves. The Bigs lends itself pretty well to multi-player games but the controls are complicated enough that it can be frustrating if the other players are not up-to-speed.
Player replication is very convincing (if you put credence in the steroid controversy) and player movement is realistic enough that the slow motion feature is fascinating. Pitching is nearly as difficult as the real thing but can be mastered with a little time spent in the bushes (practice mini-games).
There are alternatives to every pitch in that your pitcher will throw differently depending on the batter’s skill level. This great attribute makes The Bigs an endlessly enjoyable game. Stadiums are faithfully represented down to minute details (hot dog stands) and the most well known are here (Comerica Park, for example).
Although the soundtrack is strictly from the 90′s, the sound quality is superior while the broadcasters seem to repeat a limited numbers of phrases. It really isn’t that difficult to script a greater variety of lines for them to use. The Bigs can be played in a few modes such as career, home run derby and just try the come-from-behind mode; you will be pleasantly surprised at the excitement generated in beating your buddy when you seemed hopelessly behind.
Overall, The Bigs is an intriguing game for both baseball fans and neophytes.
December 5th, 2007
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is one of the best to hit the PS3 ever. Correction, it is one of the best to hit any video game console. I think this will be a landmark historic game to change the whole standard of what is considered to be an excellent game. You can’t get closer to playing a Pixar movie as a game.
Lets start with the graphics. “Amazing” was definitely coined for graphics such as these. I never new my PS3 was this cool! It looks great on an HDTV that is capable of 720p or higher as well. Colorful.
The gameplay is lovely. I enjoyed smashing enemies and blowing up things in this game more than I have enjoyed it in any other. Fast paced action keeps you hooked. There is good comic humor that will make you LOL!
Another amazing thing about Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is the sound. It sounds blow out on a 7.1 system. I won’t give out too much of the storyline coz this is one game you must experience first person.
I will end by saying this is a game you must have. If you had to buy two games for this holiday season, this should be one of them. If you had to buy just one, then this is a good game to consider as well. This is going to be a benchmark for excellence in future gaming. Well worth the $59.99 it costs.
December 2nd, 2007
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