Thursday, January 31, 2008
Quick Thoughts on Tomb Raider Anniversary (Wii)
I rented Tomb Raider Anniversary for the Wii from Gamefly, and I have to say that I was extremely disappointed. I had never played any of the original Tomb Raider games on the old PS1, but I had enjoyed Tomb Raider: Legend on the 360. As a result, I had high hopes for this remake of the original Tomb Raider. I elected to rent the Wii version after the wonderful experience I had with the control system for Resident Evil 4. This proved to be a big mistake. The shooting mechanics in this version are inaccurate and floaty. I struggled to hit anything with the guns - for example, the wolves in the first level kept circling around me, and I could not manipulate the controls to get them in my sights. The motion controls for the grappling hook were also unresponsive - I kept thinking, "come on, swing, damn you!" I gave up before the end of the first level in frustration, and shipped the game back to Gamefly. I may rent the 360 version eventually, but I will not touch the Wii version again with a 10 foot pole.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Completion Report: The Darkness (XBox 360)
The Darkness was one of the most pleasant surprises I have ever encountered in my gaming career. Being that it was a licensed title, and a C-list comic book license at that, my expectations were tempered for this game. Nonetheless, I heard some positive buzz from video game websites about this game, and being a comic book nut I decided to give this one a shot. I am very glad that I did.
The story is the best part of the game, which is a rarity for a first-person shooter. No prior experience with the comic book is required to understand it, as the game starts from the very beginning of the saga. The main character, Jackie, is a mob hitman who acquires the power of a demonic force called “The Darkness.” While Jackie is no saint (he kills people for a living, after all), he does have certain core values that make him appealing nonetheless. He is an anti-hero whose story is completely engrossing. The main villains in the game, Jackie’s “Uncle” Paulie (his mob boss) and a corrupt police officer, are definitely folks you will love to hate. During the game, they do something so evil to Jackie that you completely understand his rage and his desire to get the most complete kind of revenge imaginable. The scene in which this takes place is one of the most emotionally frought scenes I have ever encountered in a video game, made all the more compelling by your inability to stop what is going to happen.
The story is enhanced by stellar dialogue and voice acting. The writing is truly outstanding, from the fantastic plot to the spot-on dialogue. The voice actors make the characters seem like real people, especially the actor who voices Jackie. Pathos, anger, tenderness, and humor are all there, and they are all well done.
Of course, the story would be wasted if it was attached to terrible gameplay. Fortunately, that is not the case here. This is an excellent first-person shooter, with a variety of guns to shoot and superpowers to use. The gun controls are tight and responsive. You can dual wield smaller guns, or choose a single larger gun. “Reloading” is a little odd, though. You collect guns discarded by enemies, and when you “reload,” you actually toss the gun away to be replaced by another of the same type you have collected. Strange, but actually not a big deal gameplay-wise.
The gimmick to the game, of course, is the collection of superpowers you get from The Darkness. When you activate The Darkness, four snake-like tentacles appear protruding from the edge of the screen. Passively, The Darkness will give you more health, allowing you to take more damage before dying. You can also use The Darkness for offense. You eventually gain four powers, including the ability to create a black hole to suck in enemies. These powers are great fun to use. To power-up The Darkness, though, you actually have to be in darkness. Standing in light will quickly sap The Darkness’s strength, leaving you exposed and powerless. Fortunately, you can create darkness by shooting out lights. This can be a little annoying to do sometimes, but overall I enjoyed the mechanic. You will still be able to see in darkness as you have a type of night vision while powered up.
The final gimmick to the game is the set the darklings you can summon, which are little goblins that help attack enemies. There are four varieties, each with a special talent. To be honest, I didn’t use them much (only to the extent required to get the Achievement associated with them), as I found it simpler to deal with enemies on my own. The darklings have a mind of their own, which can sometimes be frustrating. Still, they spout some very funny one-liners.
Level design is pretty well done, and the enemy A.I. is also pretty good (i.e., they never do anything obviously stupid). The game is not overly difficult outside of a couple of sections, and it took me about 12 hours or so to finish it. I did all of the small side missions and other odds and ends for the Achievements, so I presume one could plow through it in a much shorter time frame if that person was so inclined.
Enhancing the game are its stellar graphics. The lighting system is simply stunning, not surprising I guess given the importance light and dark have on the game. The characters are detailed and well-animated. The real standout, though, are the background environments. The contribute a huge amount to the mood of the game. You at one point travel to “hell”, conceived here as a never-ending World War I. The sense of hopeless and desperation in this place is palpable. A section of open field here where you encounter ghosts with every flash of lightning is one of the most genuinely frightening video game scenes I’ve ever played. These environments serve to completely sell what is already an outstanding story.
I’ve already discussed the voice acting. The remainder of the game’s audio is serviceable. The music fits the mood, but no tunes are particularly memorable.
I should also mention that I loved the game’s attention to detail. The loading screens are actually scenes of Jackie talking to an off-screen interviewer. These are quite entertaining – some relate to the main story, others are simply observations by Jackie about life in the mob. They tend to repeat, but I still got a kick out of them. You can also collect phone numbers to use in the game’s working pay phones. These numbers lead to answering machines with humorous messages. There is a huge amount of concept artwork, full comic books and other bonus material to unlock.
There is also a multiplayer mode in the game. I never touched it, and I’ve heard it’s not very good.
Overall, this was one of the best games I played in 2007, and I give it a strong recommendation to FPS and comic book fans.
Graphics: 9/10. Outstanding lighting effects and environments.
Sound: 8/10. Top-notch voice acting and sound effects, although the music is forgettable.
Story: 10/10. One of the best ever in a video game.
Difficulty: 6/10. An experienced FPS player should not have any problem completing this game.
Gameplay: 9/10. Great controls, with a variety of gameplay mechanics to keep you entertained.
Overall: 9/10.
The story is the best part of the game, which is a rarity for a first-person shooter. No prior experience with the comic book is required to understand it, as the game starts from the very beginning of the saga. The main character, Jackie, is a mob hitman who acquires the power of a demonic force called “The Darkness.” While Jackie is no saint (he kills people for a living, after all), he does have certain core values that make him appealing nonetheless. He is an anti-hero whose story is completely engrossing. The main villains in the game, Jackie’s “Uncle” Paulie (his mob boss) and a corrupt police officer, are definitely folks you will love to hate. During the game, they do something so evil to Jackie that you completely understand his rage and his desire to get the most complete kind of revenge imaginable. The scene in which this takes place is one of the most emotionally frought scenes I have ever encountered in a video game, made all the more compelling by your inability to stop what is going to happen.
The story is enhanced by stellar dialogue and voice acting. The writing is truly outstanding, from the fantastic plot to the spot-on dialogue. The voice actors make the characters seem like real people, especially the actor who voices Jackie. Pathos, anger, tenderness, and humor are all there, and they are all well done.
Of course, the story would be wasted if it was attached to terrible gameplay. Fortunately, that is not the case here. This is an excellent first-person shooter, with a variety of guns to shoot and superpowers to use. The gun controls are tight and responsive. You can dual wield smaller guns, or choose a single larger gun. “Reloading” is a little odd, though. You collect guns discarded by enemies, and when you “reload,” you actually toss the gun away to be replaced by another of the same type you have collected. Strange, but actually not a big deal gameplay-wise.The gimmick to the game, of course, is the collection of superpowers you get from The Darkness. When you activate The Darkness, four snake-like tentacles appear protruding from the edge of the screen. Passively, The Darkness will give you more health, allowing you to take more damage before dying. You can also use The Darkness for offense. You eventually gain four powers, including the ability to create a black hole to suck in enemies. These powers are great fun to use. To power-up The Darkness, though, you actually have to be in darkness. Standing in light will quickly sap The Darkness’s strength, leaving you exposed and powerless. Fortunately, you can create darkness by shooting out lights. This can be a little annoying to do sometimes, but overall I enjoyed the mechanic. You will still be able to see in darkness as you have a type of night vision while powered up.
The final gimmick to the game is the set the darklings you can summon, which are little goblins that help attack enemies. There are four varieties, each with a special talent. To be honest, I didn’t use them much (only to the extent required to get the Achievement associated with them), as I found it simpler to deal with enemies on my own. The darklings have a mind of their own, which can sometimes be frustrating. Still, they spout some very funny one-liners.
Level design is pretty well done, and the enemy A.I. is also pretty good (i.e., they never do anything obviously stupid). The game is not overly difficult outside of a couple of sections, and it took me about 12 hours or so to finish it. I did all of the small side missions and other odds and ends for the Achievements, so I presume one could plow through it in a much shorter time frame if that person was so inclined.
Enhancing the game are its stellar graphics. The lighting system is simply stunning, not surprising I guess given the importance light and dark have on the game. The characters are detailed and well-animated. The real standout, though, are the background environments. The contribute a huge amount to the mood of the game. You at one point travel to “hell”, conceived here as a never-ending World War I. The sense of hopeless and desperation in this place is palpable. A section of open field here where you encounter ghosts with every flash of lightning is one of the most genuinely frightening video game scenes I’ve ever played. These environments serve to completely sell what is already an outstanding story.
I’ve already discussed the voice acting. The remainder of the game’s audio is serviceable. The music fits the mood, but no tunes are particularly memorable.
I should also mention that I loved the game’s attention to detail. The loading screens are actually scenes of Jackie talking to an off-screen interviewer. These are quite entertaining – some relate to the main story, others are simply observations by Jackie about life in the mob. They tend to repeat, but I still got a kick out of them. You can also collect phone numbers to use in the game’s working pay phones. These numbers lead to answering machines with humorous messages. There is a huge amount of concept artwork, full comic books and other bonus material to unlock.
There is also a multiplayer mode in the game. I never touched it, and I’ve heard it’s not very good.
Overall, this was one of the best games I played in 2007, and I give it a strong recommendation to FPS and comic book fans.
Graphics: 9/10. Outstanding lighting effects and environments.
Sound: 8/10. Top-notch voice acting and sound effects, although the music is forgettable.
Story: 10/10. One of the best ever in a video game.
Difficulty: 6/10. An experienced FPS player should not have any problem completing this game.
Gameplay: 9/10. Great controls, with a variety of gameplay mechanics to keep you entertained.
Overall: 9/10.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Completion Report: Shining Force (Genesis)
I’ve been on a retrogaming kick the past couple of weeks, fueled by a friend’s gift of his old Genesis and a large number of games to go with it. He was moving and wanted to clear out some things he never used, and he knew that I was a big game fan. While I already had a Genesis, I didn’t have many of the games he had, and I was impressed with the pristine condition he kept them in.
One genre that was especially well-stocked was RPGs. Included in his collection were Shining Force I and II, which I have been wanting to play for a long time. I knew that they were a couple of the earliest games in the strategy RPG niche. One of my all-time favorite games is Final Fantasy Tactics, and over the years I’ve also played through Vandal Hearts, Saiyuki, the Arc the Lad games, and several others within this niche. Needless the say, the opportunity to finally play Shining Force was exciting.
For the most part, I was satisfied with the experience. My expectations were not too high, and I knew this game would not be nearly as advanced or deep as Final Fantasy Tactics. Nonetheless, I felt the same compulsion to keep playing, to fight one more battle, to gain one more level.
One of the reasons I love strategy RPGs is that the combat is actually fun, compared with many standard RPGs in which the combat is not very interactive or engaging. Planning out battle strategies, picking the right mix of characters, and responding to enemy tactics provides hours of entertainment for me. Fortunately, these elements are definitely present in Shining Force. As is common for the genre, combat is played out on a checkerboard-like grid, with each character and enemy occupying one square space on the grid. Each character can move a certain number of spaces and take one action (e.g., attack, cast a spell, use an item, etc.) per turn. Unlike later games like Final Fantasy Tactics, combat is strictly 2D - there is no real concept of height in the game. The only battlefield consideration is the various obstacles that can obstruct movement, such as walls, rivers and mountains. During some battles, you will encounter bottlenecks that restrict your movement, like a bridge across a river. Planning the order of character movement is critical here. A weaker character may be able to get across the bottleneck in fewer turns, but that may leave him exposed to enemy attacks without the stronger characters to hide behind. Shining Force really stands out in requiring this kind of strategic thinking.
As you progress through the game, more and more characters will join the “Shining Force.” About midway through the game, you will have more characters on your team than you can carry into battle (the limit is twelve, and the main character must be one of the twelve), so picking a good mix becomes essential. Some characters can move more spaces on the map per turn, others can fly (rendering obstacles irrelevant), attack from long range or use magic, and still others are physical powerhouses that can take lot and inflict of damage. Assembling a mix of front-line characters, long-range fighters and healers is key to the later battles.
Unfortunately, the game’s flaws are readily apparent. Most glaringly, the game is pretty short and not very challenging, except for a couple of the battles. The game often feels more like a proof of concept than a full-fledged game. The story is quite weak, with no character development and an extremely generic “villain wants to revive an ancient evil for no good reason” plot. The amount of character customization is paltry. You can equip a weapon and possibly a magic ring, although there are only a handful of these in the game so only a few characters will be able to equip them. You can’t choose which new abilities to learn, and indeed rarely have any idea what a character can or will learn as he or she levels up. Leveling up itself can be a pain for the weaker characters. Casting spells or healing other characters does not give nearly as much experience as does melee attacks, so your powerful characters become ever stronger while your support characters struggle to learn any new abilities, gain hit points or add to their defense rating. Later in the game, you will become frustrated trying to keep your support characters alive long enough for them to be useful during a battle.
Nonetheless, Shining Force was a lot of fun, and an important early step towards more complex strategy RPG experiences.
Graphics – 7. Pretty good for a Genesis title, the game has a nice art style that is easy on the eyes.
Audio – 6. There are a couple of nice tunes included, but you hear the same three or four pieces throughout the game. You will become sick of them toward the end.
Controls – N/A. This is a turn-based, command prompt game, and the controls are functional for what they are.
Difficulty – 5. Only a handful of the game’s 30 battles will truly challenge you, especially if you have played games in this genre before.
Gameplay – 8. While the gameplay is flawed in a few important respects, the combat is fun enough to keep you coming back for more.
Overall – 7/10.
One genre that was especially well-stocked was RPGs. Included in his collection were Shining Force I and II, which I have been wanting to play for a long time. I knew that they were a couple of the earliest games in the strategy RPG niche. One of my all-time favorite games is Final Fantasy Tactics, and over the years I’ve also played through Vandal Hearts, Saiyuki, the Arc the Lad games, and several others within this niche. Needless the say, the opportunity to finally play Shining Force was exciting.
For the most part, I was satisfied with the experience. My expectations were not too high, and I knew this game would not be nearly as advanced or deep as Final Fantasy Tactics. Nonetheless, I felt the same compulsion to keep playing, to fight one more battle, to gain one more level.
One of the reasons I love strategy RPGs is that the combat is actually fun, compared with many standard RPGs in which the combat is not very interactive or engaging. Planning out battle strategies, picking the right mix of characters, and responding to enemy tactics provides hours of entertainment for me. Fortunately, these elements are definitely present in Shining Force. As is common for the genre, combat is played out on a checkerboard-like grid, with each character and enemy occupying one square space on the grid. Each character can move a certain number of spaces and take one action (e.g., attack, cast a spell, use an item, etc.) per turn. Unlike later games like Final Fantasy Tactics, combat is strictly 2D - there is no real concept of height in the game. The only battlefield consideration is the various obstacles that can obstruct movement, such as walls, rivers and mountains. During some battles, you will encounter bottlenecks that restrict your movement, like a bridge across a river. Planning the order of character movement is critical here. A weaker character may be able to get across the bottleneck in fewer turns, but that may leave him exposed to enemy attacks without the stronger characters to hide behind. Shining Force really stands out in requiring this kind of strategic thinking.
As you progress through the game, more and more characters will join the “Shining Force.” About midway through the game, you will have more characters on your team than you can carry into battle (the limit is twelve, and the main character must be one of the twelve), so picking a good mix becomes essential. Some characters can move more spaces on the map per turn, others can fly (rendering obstacles irrelevant), attack from long range or use magic, and still others are physical powerhouses that can take lot and inflict of damage. Assembling a mix of front-line characters, long-range fighters and healers is key to the later battles.
Unfortunately, the game’s flaws are readily apparent. Most glaringly, the game is pretty short and not very challenging, except for a couple of the battles. The game often feels more like a proof of concept than a full-fledged game. The story is quite weak, with no character development and an extremely generic “villain wants to revive an ancient evil for no good reason” plot. The amount of character customization is paltry. You can equip a weapon and possibly a magic ring, although there are only a handful of these in the game so only a few characters will be able to equip them. You can’t choose which new abilities to learn, and indeed rarely have any idea what a character can or will learn as he or she levels up. Leveling up itself can be a pain for the weaker characters. Casting spells or healing other characters does not give nearly as much experience as does melee attacks, so your powerful characters become ever stronger while your support characters struggle to learn any new abilities, gain hit points or add to their defense rating. Later in the game, you will become frustrated trying to keep your support characters alive long enough for them to be useful during a battle.
Nonetheless, Shining Force was a lot of fun, and an important early step towards more complex strategy RPG experiences.
Graphics – 7. Pretty good for a Genesis title, the game has a nice art style that is easy on the eyes.
Audio – 6. There are a couple of nice tunes included, but you hear the same three or four pieces throughout the game. You will become sick of them toward the end.
Controls – N/A. This is a turn-based, command prompt game, and the controls are functional for what they are.
Difficulty – 5. Only a handful of the game’s 30 battles will truly challenge you, especially if you have played games in this genre before.
Gameplay – 8. While the gameplay is flawed in a few important respects, the combat is fun enough to keep you coming back for more.
Overall – 7/10.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Gaming Journal: January 3, 2008
Played a little bit more of Call of Duty 4 (360) last night. I'm now going through the single player on Veteran. Holy God, is it getting hard! I got through a few checkpoints on the "Charlie Don't Surf" mission in about 45 minutes of play.
I also played Guitar Hero III (360). Got through a couple of songs on Tier 7, 5-starring one and 3-starring the other (the Slipknot song, I believe).
I also played Guitar Hero III (360). Got through a couple of songs on Tier 7, 5-starring one and 3-starring the other (the Slipknot song, I believe).
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Gaming Journal: January 1, 2008
Well, it's been a busy holiday season for me, gaming-wise. I've gotten many new games, both from friends (my girlfriend got me Guitar Hero III) and through taking advantage of holiday sales. I've accordingly spent a lot of time on my 360 the past week. Never touched my PS3, and only played my Wii with friends on New Year's Eve. I should be spending more time on the Wii this weekend, as I ordered Super Mario Galaxy from Amazon for $37 (as well as SSX Blur for $30). Without further ado, here is what I've played and accomplished since my last post:
The Darkness (360): Finished the game on Normal. I'll have a completion report and review hopefully soon. I then sent the game back to Gamefly, as I hear multiplayer is poor and I have so many other games to play.
Call of Duty 4 (360): One of my new games. I've completed the single-player campaign on Regular, and the "Crew Expendable" and "Blackout" missions on Veteran. I've also tried the great multiplayer: I'm up to Private First Class II.
Guitar Hero III (360): Another new game. I'm working my way through the medium difficulty tour, and I'm up to the Tier 7 songs. I went ahead and bought Slash as a playable character, and I alternate between playing with him and Judy Nails.
The Orange Box (360): I got this on sale for $40. I'm on level 18 of Portal, which has been a lot of fun. I also started Half-Life 2, although I'm not very far along.
All-Pro Football 2K8 (360): Played a little more of this. Still fun.
Wii Sports (Wii): Played with friends on New Year's Eve. This is always fun with other people, especially non-gamers.
The Darkness (360): Finished the game on Normal. I'll have a completion report and review hopefully soon. I then sent the game back to Gamefly, as I hear multiplayer is poor and I have so many other games to play.
Call of Duty 4 (360): One of my new games. I've completed the single-player campaign on Regular, and the "Crew Expendable" and "Blackout" missions on Veteran. I've also tried the great multiplayer: I'm up to Private First Class II.
Guitar Hero III (360): Another new game. I'm working my way through the medium difficulty tour, and I'm up to the Tier 7 songs. I went ahead and bought Slash as a playable character, and I alternate between playing with him and Judy Nails.
The Orange Box (360): I got this on sale for $40. I'm on level 18 of Portal, which has been a lot of fun. I also started Half-Life 2, although I'm not very far along.
All-Pro Football 2K8 (360): Played a little more of this. Still fun.
Wii Sports (Wii): Played with friends on New Year's Eve. This is always fun with other people, especially non-gamers.
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