Game Review

12/19/07

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Rated- M

☆☆☆☆☆

Amazon ASIN: B000TG530M

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Nothing is perfect.  But as a FPS, Call of Duty 4 comes pretty darn close.  As a result of this, this review will be short.  

Outstanding graphics, to an extent that I wonder what other game designers are not doing to bring them to the standard of COD4.  Sharp, crisp graphic presentation of all elements, from background, to characters, and weapons.  All the weapons are technically correct, and rendered well. 

Controls are sharp, with immediate response from button activation to character response.  There is no team ‘control;’ rather- the members of the working team in a mission knows their designated duties and move along in the mission accordingly.  During play, a feature that is a bit unrealistic, but positive for the gamer- when competing a milestone or checkpoint, the rest of the team will wait in position as you run back and do battlefield recovery or look for enemy intel (which unlocks additional content). 

Game chatter is all positive, and group characters actually give enemy locations, and specific instructions for taskings throughout the missions.  You must pay close attention to orders as directed, or you likely end up killed in the mission.   You are given a compass in the heads-up display, which marks the location of objectives and is extremely useful for finding position points in the heat of battle or when you lose track of your teammates (which you will when things get really heavy in a firefight).

Excellent mission checkpoints.  Every one was right about where it should be for proper game flow in the event you are fragged.  Mission restart from a checkpoint is virtually instantaneous, and respawn does not slow or detract from play.  Overall mission load times are excellent as well, and the mission briefings, battlefield overheads with wireframe structures and vehicles is a pleasant diversion while the mission is loading. 

Missions are varied, with character and teams either playing as SAS operatives or US Marines.  The missions themselves are varied and very enjoyable to play.  All based on real-world events and trends, although the story takes place in the near future.

Of note is the use of the city of the Chenobyl nuclear accident as one of the game’s best missions.  This section of the game is the only major sniper mission, and in ghillie suits with long range rifles you and your teammate make your way from insertion, through the deserted deteriorating town to set up for your main sniper objective.  Best mission in any game this year.

The arcade play is very fun, allowing you to replay the entire mission set, running for score and time. 

Negatives?  I can think of only one: short gameplay.  The guys at my local store gave the caveat that the play was short; about six hours in their estimation.  I didn’t time it, but that sounds about right.  The game redeems it self a bit by allowing for cheat codes and arcade play of the entire game after completion on any difficulty setting.  I can’t help but think that there is already a story and content generated for this continuation of the Call of Duty franchise, and that FPS gamers will be entreated to purchase the next installment in a few short months.

Overall- Game of the Year.  By far.  Sure- late release in 2007, but there has not been a game this good, debugged, and awesome in play (in the FPS genre; although Assassin’s Creed comes close in graphics) all year.  I tried to get this review out before Christmas, so you wouldn’t miss putting it on your list if it wasn’t already there.  Great game, max rating of five stars.  You can’t go wrong; go get it.

-AP

DEC07

Reference-

Pictures and Call of Duty official website:

www.callofduty.com

Activision official website:

www.activision.com

Game Review

12/19/07

Blacksite: Area 51

Rated- T

☆☆☆

Amazon ASIN: B000O5FUQ0

Blacksite: Area 51

Back to the desert. First in Iraq, then Area 51 in Nevada. The game is entertaining in the beginning, but loses steam close to the end, and you have to work hard to retain interest.

Positives- Very good, sharp graphics. Having spent an inordinate amount of time in the Iraq theater, I acknowledge that the game designers did a very good job of capturing the feel to that locale. Overall, the environments and structure design is good, with a good mix of open space and close objects. Both the character and weapons modeling is exceptional. The carbine is excellent in its detail and usability. There is a decent mix of running and shooting, driving vehicles, and some variety in the bad guys/monsters to combat. The controls respond pretty well in character response.

The cut scenes in Blacksite aren’t too extensive. Many games make you endure scene after scene to support the story, but this game does a pretty good job of limiting this, and making them more mission briefing-oriented. One of the most impressive scenes in the game – that you get to play through, not just watch as a cut scene – is a climactic battle with a gigantic alien monster on a span bridge.

You do have a two-man team to control most times, and this is a good feature to add, but poor in execution in the game (more on this in a moment).

Negatives- It is unfortunate that this game is getting reviewed alongside Call of Duty 4, as the negatives in comparison are quickly apparent in game play.

From the beginning of the game, slight clipping was noted in the backgrounds and boundary elements of the play field. This became problematic later in the game, when during a vehicle jump, the vehicle and characters all fell into dead space and were trapped in this glitch, with no way to recover game play. This was the only egregious clipping deficiency noted, but it puts a big ding on the game overall.

Restart points were placed too far apart for some missions, interrupting the flow of play if you are fragged. Load times were a bit slow, and again, this interrupted game play. Another demerit overall.

As has become far too common in FPS with AI teammates- too much inane chatter from the team characters. I sincerely wish game designers would either a) completely eradicate the banter between characters, or b) for military-style games, actually get some technical input on what characters would say. With this in mind, a small positive and humorous point with regard to ancillary character chatter- in one scene, the main character must endure a boring briefing by the colonel in charge of the overall mission operation. Upon departing the mission briefing, the character Grayson remarks “Did you enjoy the speech by Colonel Green? Blah-blah-blah… wah-wah-wah. Just give me a gun!”

On commanding your team: lame. No other way to put it. To compare the two deficiencies – character chatter and control of team members – Midway should have taken notes on Rainbow Six Vegas. In RB6 most of the chatter is at the right volume, and isn’t irritating and inane. RB6 also had excellent team control, where you could place team members where it was correct to have them for mission success, and they actually performed from their designated field positions. Not so with Blacksite. Team members hurried about to appointed positioning, but were ineffective too often, or were rendered unconscious, which affected team morale. The morale feature (high or low) ostensibly affects the combat effectiveness of team members when engaged, but I didn’t notice any appreciable improvement to their performance when morale was ‘high.’ The team command is only useful and necessary for opening some doors and gates.

As a first person shooter, this is a relatively engaging game to play, with good graphics and good weapons. As stated, it drags towards the completion of the game, as the boss fights become a bit monotonous and uninteresting to complete. It is suggested to give this title a try, but perhaps rent it before you buy it, or get it used on trade-in.

-AP
DEC07

Reference-
Pictures and official game site:
Midway Games- http://www.blacksitegame.com/

Note- Blacksite: Area 51 is rated T, although the box cover shown denotes Rating Pending.
 

Short Review

12/08/07

Assassin's Creed

Rated- M

☆☆☆☆

Amazon ASIN: B000P46NMK

Assassin's Creed

This will be a short review, as the positives and detractions from the game are very straightforward and clear.

The storyline – usually inconsequential to gameplay or interest of the gamer – is an innovative fictionalization of history. The plot is driven by the main character being a member of a secret guild of assassins, whose place in the created story world is to mediate the conflict during the Third Crusade. The guild is attempting to shape the overall battle of competing forces, The Crusaders and the Saracens, to stop hostilities and bring an end to the conflict.

Positives and negatives to the game are clearly apparent immediately in the game. It is a 3rd person perspective action game. As the game character is an assassin, stealth and planning are necessary to achieve objectives and advance in the story. There are times when it requires significant skill to perform a task – for example the pick-pocketing of a non-combatant – and may necessitate a subtle and quick maneuver. The pick-pocket example is a good one, as you must approach the subject without his noticing your approach, and in crowd situations, all your actions must be timed and not observed by soldiers. And there are soldiers everywhere as oppressive keepers of the peace in all towns. If you are observed committing a crime, the soldiers in the area immediately converge on you, and it is a fight to survive and escape. The enjoyable feature of play is that if you blow a required short mission or objective, the mission resets and you are able to try again in short order.

Positives- The environments are absolutely incredible. Incredible. The towns, streets, buildings, natural objects are all exceptionally rendered and bring as high a level of realism as has been possible in a game of this type thus far. There is a fantastic, sweeping feel to much of it, but that is the enjoyable part of gaming these days- a mix of realism in the environments as well as the overall feeling of surreal and fantastic look and presentation of the surroundings to allow the player to feel he is a character in a fantasy epic. Close-ups of characters and detail are again exceptional. There are streets to explore, regions to explore, and the bonus of finding battle flags from the opposing sides in the conflict (Saracen and Crusader). Grabbing a flag at times will cause the soldiers in the area to immediately attack you as you have robbed them of a status item. If you are noticed by soldiers, and you must blend or remain the ‘gray man’ most times when near military members, they will attack vigorously in force, and you must not only defend yourself, but escape, as they will pursue you in greater numbers.

Negatives- From an action-oriented perspective, gameplay is too slow. The close-quarters combat is interesting, but too slow for gamers desiring precise or realistic engagement. The combat system with weapons provided, primarily the sword, requires chaining of blows to be effective, and good timing on the controls. If you are interested in direct conflict or force-on-force, the pace of action is too dull. If you don’t enjoy the exploring aspects of a game, the necessity to be on the street, or on the rooftops, and find items or locate objectives, all this becomes time-consuming and tedious. There are numerous cut-scenes required for explanation of your objectives and development of character that you cannot bail out of and move on to begin missions.

Overall, Assassin’s Creed is an exceptional game. If you enjoy exploring fantastic, large environments, rendered in an incomparable way, the game will give you hours and hours of gameplay and enjoyable return for your purchase and gameplaying time. If you are more interested in direct action and conflict, you will quickly become bored with the overall pace, lack of action, and requirement to ‘think’ too much in the game and strategize.

Certainly a game to be suggested for all gamers. Even if you are a FPS player, this title is worth a look for the quality of the graphics and environments. 3rd person fans, and those who like to explore a world as they play, this will be a keeper for your collection.

-AP
DEC07
 

References

Pictures/screenshots- Microsoft Corporation; XBox.com; Games

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/

Pictures/screenshots- UBISOFT

www.ubisoft.com

Short Review

12/08/07

TimeShift

Rated- M

☆☆☆☆

Amazon ASIN: B000H94PVO

TimeShift

Finally- something different!
TimeShift is a new title from Sierra Games. It incorporates high-end graphics, tuned up weapons, and an exceptional new action twist – time manipulation – to create a game that is fun and interesting to play.

Many gamers will be reminded that ‘bullet-time’ has become a feature of many games, starting most notably with Max Payne. This is the latest evolution of the effect in TimeShift, but with a bit more functionality added to it, as well as a necessity to advance in the game. In TimeShift, you are a scientist/soldier, equipped with the best that technology has to offer you- a suit that provides shielding, life support, and the ability to manipulate time for short periods. Shifting time doesn’t just mean slowing things down; you can also freeze time, and even reverse time. Again, this is for short periods, and once you use the effect, you have to wait for the suit to recharge so that you can do it again. But the effect is quite astonishing – under fire, with rockets or missiles incoming?- freeze time momentarily and get out of the way, or shoot them down. Having trouble maneuvering or being over-run by a large unit?- Slow time, approach directly, shoot them at close range, or even pull their weapons off them.

As with most games these days, the storyline is almost inconsequential (particularly with FPS)- some wicked army, led either by a terrible despot, or soldiers with a taste for human flesh, or some other contrived used hackline. It’s the gameplay that counts. TimeShift has it.

Controls are good and respond well. Only minor irritation is that the AI embedded in your super, timeshifting and shielding suit, chooses the default effect (slow, stop, or reverse time), in a situation that the AI identifies. This is helpful most times, but then a nuisance (and killer) occasionally. The AI default feature can be overridden by command, but this is kind of hard to do when seriously engaged with bad guys or a rapid movement/solution situation.

Weapons in TimeShift are actually pretty good. As in all FPS, we’ve seen evolutions of the same weapons so many times, it's difficult to make anything original. It's best to expect that the weapons in any game are ‘good’ and ‘realistic’ – even the fantastic ones that are technologically beyond reality – and are good for gameplay. It is notable that the shotgun in the game is exceptional, and not since the DB shotgun in the antiquity of Doom (the original) has this weapon seemed so useful and ‘realistic.’

Graphics are quite good. Sharp, crisp clarity, and color schemes. Overall environments are large and attractive, both in the artistic content, as well as being sufficiently filled with objects and structures to not feel empty. This quality is of note to gamers, and should be for the game designers, as well. Often with monumental games – think Halo – the exteriors are beautiful, but it felt like you were playing in a huge open space with nothing in it at times. The converse is the recent title Jericho (reviewed here), as the environment is quite claustrophobic, and it leads the player to feeling ‘trenched’ throughout the game.

The close-up graphics are good. Meaning- when you are in time-shift mode (slow or stop), and you are right up on the enemy, the realism and quality of the graphics are great. Sierra has also has done a reasonable job not turning their game into what I have come to call a splatter game. Too many games today go over-the-top in their use of gore and killing aspects, which I suspect is an attempt to satisfy an audience that is increasingly entertained by this feature. It is actually a sad statement, as game designers at times appear to set the bar higher and higher in the explicit violence to appeal to gamers (think The Darkness; also reviewed here).

Positives- Good graphics, good update on common weapons, and the time-shifting feature is an exceptional new addition to gameplay.

Negatives- A bit of a lame ending; too much  sophomoric chatter from ancillary characters in the game.

Overall, a very good game with enjoyable play features. For sure, give the title a go.

-AP
DEC07
 

Pictures/screenshots- Microsoft Corporation; XBox.com; Games

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/

Pictures/screenshots- Sierra Games

www.sierra.com

Short Review

11/09/07

Jericho- Rated M

☆☆

Amazon ASIN: B000R0SR9E

Jericho

This game is promoted invoking the name of Clive Barker, famous horror-master, and creator of the story and theme for this title.  I am sorry to say, Mr. Barker has put his stamp on a product that is not much fun to play, and is a completely linear environment from start to finish. 

Imagine a trench, one long trench, and you're fighting your way from one end to the other.  The walls of the trench are the ruined buildings of an ancient temple where evil resides, which makes for some interesting scenery along the way, but it feels like you're in a trench all the same.  The game path through episodes is absolutely linear- no alternate routes, no turn-backs.  Even though twists and turns on your route are part of the advance of your party, it just feels like a road through a trench.

The environments are dark, with the temples and building structures reminiscent of Quake I or the Doom 3 series, but with a significant upgrade in graphics.   Unfortunately, again - it ends up feeling like a dark road through ancient buildings.  The graphics- pretty sharp in resolution, with a very monochromatic feel to them (black and grey are the prevalent color schemes).

Interesting twist in the game is the use of squad play, where you direct two teams of three members each.  During play, and as a necessity to advance in some missions, you must switch perspective to some of the players as you fight, using the individual talents of each member (telekinesis, astral projection, fire-walling, etc).  The lack of a health bar - or armor, for that matter - common to many contemporary FPS is the same in Jericho.  If you are shot repeatedly, your field of vision begins to go red, until you are incapacitated.  An annoying add-in to this feature is that not only does your vision go red, vein lines, much like a bloodshot eyeball from your perspective close in until you are taken out of play.  One redeeming feature is that as long as there is a team member still alive/fighting, you can immediately switch to their perspective, and you are able to heal any member that is flagging.  This is useful to game play, and prevents restarts if you pay attention and strategize properly.  

The weapons are the usual first person shooter type, and specific to each team member; nothing terribly innovative, although as in most shooting games, the chain-gun is impressive, and the sniper rifle useful.  There are no pick-ups throughout the game (even though there are numerous boxes along your way- all empty).  Ammo reloads are strangely spirited into your weapons from the support unit (somewhere overhead, communicating with you occasionally).

The enemy monsters are very disappointing- it seems that you're fighting wave after wave of the same creature. Some of the boss fights are comprised of chasing around an ethereal enemy who is hopping around during the fight.

Overall, a mildly interesting title, but for $60, you'd probably be better off picking another game.  If you want the same feel and theme, get a used copy of Doom 3, or Quake IV, and get much better game play, graphics, weapons, and story.

- TZ

NOV 07

Reference-

Picture and Xbox Homepage:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/c/clivebarkersjericho/

Short Review

11/08/07

The Orange Box- Rated M

☆☆☆

Amazon ASIN: B000R0PLK2

Half-Life 2- The Orange Box

Catchy title; pretty much the same franchise.  Not that that's a bad thing. 

If you've never played any of the Half-Life evolutions, now's your chance.  If you've played one of them, it's the same storyline, same characters, all continuations of the same theme.  The big bonus in the 'Orange Box' is that you get five games on one disk: the original Half-Life 2; Half-Life 2 Episode 1; Half-Life 2 Episode 2; Portal; and Team Fortress 2. (pic Xbox) 

In short- nothing new here for the Half-Life-named games.  Environments are okay, with the usual large outdoor spaces, filled enough with features and landmarks to keep it from feeling empty.  Graphics are the consistent Half-Life brand- a bit on the grainy side, crisp, relatively flat colors.  Weapons are essentially the same, with the gravity gun/grabber as the starting weapon, rocket-launcher as the most powerful thing you've got in your arsenal.  Some of the puzzles for movement (you have to figure out what to lift, what to push, how to place maneuverable elements in the environment) are a bit interesting, but not frustrating and overdone as in past HL iterations.  All in all- if you have played one of the HL-2 episodes, you have seen all the same stuff, it's just more of it (as far as length of storyline and playtime).

The major innovations in the Orange Box are the addition of the game Portal, and the Xbox Live online game.  Two admissions here on my part: 1) I don't play any of the Xbox Live games (I got tired of getting crushed by 12-year-olds that spent far more time, and were too much better at any game that I liked) and it costs too much (to me) for what you get out of it.  2) I don't like to spend too much time figuring stuff out in a game (I prefer the exploring and running around shooting stuff in FPS games). 

So, with that said, I tried Portal.  For me, bad idea.  For someone who likes to think a lot in a game, and is into spending time figuring out the abstract links in the environment and how to get from one point to another, it would be extremely entertaining.  The snapshot is- you have a gun that shoots portals into any wall in your environment; you have to put an entry portal and an exit portal in the right spot to get into another room, go across impassable spaces, get through the ceiling/get through the floor, etc.  Terribly frustrating for me; fascinating for the thinking type, I'm sure.  As for the Team Fortress 2 game, I wish I could say that I knew anything about it.  I don't.  My friends that work at my local game store said it is a typical online deathmatch/cooperative game, but with a more over-the-top bent to it, and a softened animated graphics feel to it.  If you dig going online to chase around and shoot your friends - or strangers - I'm sure this would be good fun.

Shortcomings- nothing much new in the three HL-2 games on the disk.  More story, more gameplay, but nothing truly innovative.  Episode 1 was about two missions long, and finished in an hour or two of gameplay. 

Positive- If you've never played HL-2, the original is included on the disk, so you have this game, plus two more episodes to provide a lot of gameplay.  The new concept and thinking aspects of Portal will be fun for some, and lead to a lot of time playing the game.

Overall, worth the money for the game(s), but don't expect too much.  But again- that's not a bad thing.  Sometimes it's just fine to know what to expect out of a game; you just get more of it.

-AP

8 NOV

Reference-

Picture and Xbox Homepage:

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/o/orangebox/

Short Review

09/29/07

Wii Game Console

 

Wii Game Console

This gaming platform and games don't appear to be directed at an adult market, particularly not the typical Alpha Dad.  However, as many of us have kids, I thought it might be good to have an Alpha Dad quick-take on the unit.

Available for about $250 at any game store, or large department store, the Wii comes with slick graphics, a novel and completely new player interface with the active-motion controllers, and a slew of games that are appropriate (and interesting enough) for the younger crowd. 

Sadly, at Dad's house we have an XBox 360, a PS2, and now a Wii (on nights that the box doesn't get carried along to Mom's house).  The boys (8 & 12) really wanted the new console, and actually made it a project- saving their money from chores, extra chores, birthday money, and getting the contents of Daddy's change cup for their fund. After more than two months of saving, and being patient, no less, they finally had enough and talked Mom into the purchase.

In short, here are the comments and feedback, with input from the two boys as junior reviewers:

H., 8-years-old- I like the action, where you get to use the controllers and move around.  You can play against somebody in the games.  I wanted the Wii to play the game that we've wanted for so long- Pokémon Battle Revolution.  In the sports games I like Baseball the best, where you can play against somebody, and you get to whack the ball out on home runs.  It's great to win the game when you're playing against someone else. I think the graphics are better on the XBox, but the colors are better on the Wii.  And there's lots of other games for Wii that I like and want to play.  H. gave the Wii five stars (out of 5).

L., age 12- the XBox graphics are better, but the colors look great on the Wii.  The Wii has lots of good games for kids, and I can't wait to play Metroid Prime Corruption.   The Wii is actually a good memory builder, because when you play Pokémon Battle Revolution, you have to remember every character's strength, weakness, its class and the power of its attacks.  I like it for the games we got with it (Battle Revolution and Wii Sports), and can't wait for the Metroid game to come out.  L. also gave the console a five-star rating.

Dad, age 42- Just as both the boys said- graphics are sharper and better on the XBox (although the XBox is not up to a par with the Playstation 3).  Colors are better on the Wii, with a more vibrant and radiant look to all the palette rendered. Don't be fooled, or let the kids sell you on the fact that they actually do 'exercise' when playing the Wii; yes, they do move around a lot to control the characters to make them do things on the screen (particularly in the Wii Sports), but this is not  a substitute for real exercise, inside or out.  But the active play is cool, and the kids enjoy it a lot.  To be honest, there is a lot of thinking required (with Pokémon Battle Revolution).  The kids pretty much have to know all the character stats, strengths/weaknesses, etc, to play effectively.  They get all this information (sigh) from the $20 Pokedex character guides.  There is actually strategy and knowledge required to be successful in the Pokémon battling. A neat feature of the Wii console is that you can play with the Nintendo DS, using the Wii as a head unit, playing the DS on the TV screen (up to four players).  Sadly, I had to eat crow with the older son, as I remarked earlier in the year that the Wii looked like a complete fad, and would not make it as a popular console format.  Boy, was Daddy wrong!- The Wii is the top-selling platform into 2007. As a Dad, I think the Wii is a worthwhile purchase, particularly if you use it as a buying/budgeting goal for the kids.  And there are a LOT of kid-appropriate titles available in this format.   

The Wii console is available everywhere, and online.  The manufacturer, Nintendo, homepage is:

www.nintendo.com

The games shown in the review are Nintendo Wii Sports, and Pokémon Battle Revolution, both rated-E, for Everyone.  The coming title that the junior reviewers are so looking forward to- Metroid Prime Corruption, is rated-T. All titles can be found locally at the game store, or online.

Reference-

Pictures and Nintendo Corporation homepage-

www.nintendo.com

-AP

Sep 07

Snapshot Review

10/12/07

Halo 3- Rated M

☆☆☆

Amazon ASIN: B000FRU0NU

Halo 3

Yes, I joined the rest of the stampeding herd, and spent my $50 that contributed to the $300 million (worldwide) Halo 3 earned in its first 24 hours of release. Halo 3 made more on opening day than any other entertainment franchise in history.  With a media frenzy - numerous product tie-ins from Burger King to Dodge - and its own slick commercials, Halo 3 was promo'ed heavily and primed for its release.  With Bungie being spun off as a separate entity from Microsoft, and the swirling rumors of a Halo movie, it doesn't appear that the Halo franchise is finished, nor its profitability expended.

If you're reading this review, you probably either have Halo 3 already, or have made up your mind on whether to get it or not.  Thus, I will keep it short, but as a reviewer, it was a necessity to at least give a short spot to the biggest game in history, much less the worldwide cash-in it achieved in a single day.

Halo 3 Positives/Negatives

Great- The outdoor environments are enormous, and the imagery created is pretty awesome.  Numerous vehicles, numerous weapons, all good.  Halo has missions in the game in which you pilot a wide variety of vehicles (3rd person, for the most part).  In this use of vehicles, both friendly and enemy, you can jump into them and take off; exit at any time.  There are scores of weapon switches available in Halo throughout the game.  You can boost a firearm from your squad-mates, or pick up any weapon left on the battlefield.  For me personally, I prefer a static weapon list, but many people enjoy the variety, so this is a definite positive for some.  The overall color, graphics, and sharpness  are fantastic in Halo 3.  An exceptional advantage in Halo over almost any platform game is the pre-load feature for the next scene (much like Half-Life revolutionized on PC years ago), without a wait time as you progress to the next set block in a mission.  There is still sufficient wait time when moving on to the next mission, but load times are eliminated within each vignette.  I honestly don't understand why Halo was assigned an M rating. With the exception of perhaps rough language, it is just like any other game of this particular type- run around and get rid of aliens.  Overall, the game has carried on the good features of the franchise- action, great graphics, multiple choices and playing options (weapons and vehicles), and the resilience of the persistent character - the hard dude - Master Chief.  As with virtually every game available these days, you can go online and smash your friends, or anybody else that's connected.

Negative- The indoor environments are pretty awful, and certainly not up to the creativity or color scheme of the outdoor scenes.  The outdoors has a soft, almost ethereal quality at times, while the indoors are gritty and a bit stark.  The cut-scenes are just bothersome, though I know these are necessary in all games to make plot explanation feasible.  Extremely irritating, however, is the interruption of action by fugues of his AI subconscious urging Master Chief along.   And the characters/enemies are a bit- cartoonish.  The chatter from the bad guys (particularly the little ones that wear what appears to be a witch's hat) is awful; but the chatter and commentary from friendly forces is virtually insufferable.  This game has its peculiarities and anomalous quirks, as any game does, but it has smoothed out over the span of the Halo series, and so isn't a major detraction.  One last beef in my short review: in case you didn't know, a Master Chief is a rank of the Navy, not the Marine Corps.

So let's wrap it up short: Halo 3 is a pretty good game.  I don't think it lives up to the hype, and the game features are not a cut above other games in this genre.  However, having sold a total of 20 million copies over the life of the franchise (Halo, Halo 2, and now Halo 3), apparently my opinion is not shared by the rest of the gaming world.  Give it a shot, as a 1st person shooter it is great fun, with a good graphic quality/color/creativity, and a variety of weapons, vehicles and features.

References

Pictures/screenshots- Microsoft Corporation; XBox.com; Games

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/

Pictures/screenshots- Bungie Games

http://www.bungie.net

- AP

Oct 07

Feature Review

09/23/07

Ghost Recon

Rated- T

☆☆☆

Amazon ASIN: B000LXIO6I

Rainbow Six Vegas

Rated- M

☆☆☆☆☆

Amazon ASIN: B000G7PMXC

Comparison and Review

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1&2 vs. Rainbow Six Vegas

Note the two game box covers above.  Same platform, same software companies, with the Tom Clancy franchise pasted on both.  Both are essentially the same genre/type of game.  They couldn’t be more different.

Ghost Recon

In short- a great concept, poor execution.  As a former Special Forces (SF) soldier, I think I have a pretty good handle on realistic mission-oriented content.  This game was obviously put together by non-military creators, or the creators had no technical advisory from a military guy, much less an SF or Special Operations guy. 

First the negatives, as they are replete throughout the game:  You can play the game as either a 1^st person shooter, or an over-the-shoulder 3^rd person.  I significantly prefer the first-person format (as you will obviously find in the titles I review), and this is an easy switch in the play settings.  I played a few missions in 3^rd person for comparison, and it is just not as visually realistic or enjoyable in this aspect as it is in 1^st person.  This creates a terribly irritating difference in gameplay.   

To adequately execute cover and shoot play, you should have the ability to hide behind cover and lean out to shoot targets. This function works sometimes in 1^st person, but never in the prone position.  This makes a big difference in responding to contact, and the ability to make it through some of the missions.  The enemy positions are pretty well laid out, and it is very difficult to advance in some missions. Without the ability to hide behind cover then lean out to shoot available, it tends to have your character get shot during heavy gunfire.  Repeatedly.  The gun camera, with which you can shoot around corners or the edge of cover is unusable in 1^st person play. 

Most of the missions are in the middle of the day, which is completely unrealistic in comparison to real-world mission execution by SF.  During the missions at night, even when the enemy is not wearing night-vision equipment, they can apparently see in the dark, as they can shoot you from far, far away, when you are even at least partially hidden.  Their gunfire is acutely accurate (which is unrealistic of most every other army in the world).  I know these are both a function of the AI in the game, but sometimes it is set too high to be realistic.  There are no pick-ups in the game; you can only heal when you find an ammo box, which are spare in the environments, or when you transition to the next mission.  This is important in the gameplay, as it is far too easy for your character to be killed by enemy gunfire.  Two accurate shots on your guy and you’re dead. 

The controls are sticky a lot of times throughout the game, and the reaction time from controller pull/buttons to action of your character is virtually too slow to respond to close-quarters combat (CQB).  For example, if you round a corner, and an unexpected enemy is in your lane, you have virtually no time to fire in time, regardless how fast you respond on the controller.

I never understand why game developers create exceptional, incredible environments, and then make them essentially static or too empty.  This is a strange dichotomy to GR- the environments are excellent, well laid out, and realistic, with good attention to detail.  They don’t feel too ‘empty’ as some games do.  However, the way the game is constructed, you can’t jump over anything, duck under anything, and the structures that you can hide behind are pre-set throughout the game, though there are lots of them.  The way the gameplay is constructed, you actually have to button-command to leave cover, which is annoying, and problematic when engaging a vigorous enemy.

Lastly, the character chatter in the game is far too corny.  Embarrassingly so. 

The good stuff:  The storyline is pretty good.  Set in 2013, the plot is that a rebellious Mexican military faction is attempting to overthrow the government.  Some of the forces you will encounter have good gear, to include night-vision.  The firing lanes when approaching enemy positions are very good for the bad guys, and bad for you and your team, which is as it should be.  A good/bad aspect of the game is that you are at times afforded additional support- additional manpower support (in addition to the three Ghost Unit team members you are given in most missions).  A few times you get armor (M1 tanks), and air support, both in the form of helicopter gunships and figher-jets.  You are also given an overhead remote unit to scan ahead in enemy territory.  All these are a great addition to the gameplay, and can be fun to coordinate.  However, in the middle of a heated battle, these disparate support units are at times extremely difficult to coordinate/control; you are attempting to control up to four distinct types of support, as well as run your character during the battle.  Perhaps I am being too critical here, because to be honest, that is actually an aspect that is hard for commanders to coordinate/control in real military combat

The weaponry is pretty good, plenty of ammo in all missions, and you can pick up enemy weapons while moving through the environments. The weapons fire is realistic to the firearm types used, and there is realistic muzzle-rise when firing.  One cool detail is the brass ejecting and falling from the helicopter mini-gun when you have the chance to use it in some missions.  Of note is that the night-vision is not very realistic, but at the same time very good.  The enemies stand out in high relief as ghost-like figures, but in sharp outline.  A realistic note is that the night-vision ‘whites out’ when used in ambient light, and does the same when pointed at a light source.

The graphics are good on the XBOX, with high resolution.  In playing on a 50-inch LCD projection HD screen, there is no graininess to the graphics.  Color is a bit bland, but this is actually common in real combat environments. The environments are very large in some missions, but they don’t feel empty as they often do in some games.  The maps in the command and control function are pretty good.  This, along with the compass provided in the HUD are a good feature.  A small detail that is a plus- at times during combatyour support teammates on the ground will often call out the number and type of enemy spotted, as well as the compass direction of their location.

This review is essentially of both Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1 and 2.  There we minimal differences between the two games, to the point of not being worth mentioning.  Overall, the games are very well-worth playing.  However, at times many of the negatives, unrealistic missions, and play glitches significantly detract from the pace and flow.   I would highly recommend the game, regardless the negatives listed above for anyone who enjoys 1^st or 3^rd person shooters.

Rainbow Six Vegas

This game is what Ghost Recon wanted to be, but didn’t turn out .I can’t help but notice that the box cover on RB6 has an ostensibly hard-core operator posed in a way that reminds me of a Playboy cover.

The negatives are few, but there are some. 

First off, I can't help but notice that the box cover for the game has an ostensibly hard-core operator posed in a way that reminds me of a Playboy cover. 

There is no prone position for your character in the game (as opposed to this function available in GR).  You can only stand up, and kneel/crouch.  I actually found myself missing this function from GR.   Just as in GR, you cannot jump over or crawl under most structures in the environments. The game environments are well-constructed, but at times the enemy can seemingly shoot through the edge of solid objects, but you cannot do the same in return fire.

The visual quality of the game is actually irritating at times. The resolution quality is specifically rendered as if through a soft filter.  This gives a soft or ethereal feel to the picture.  Nice effect in love stories, but it's bothersome in a good 1^st person shooter. 

The weapon switches are slowed by the necessity to use a button call-up, and then navigate the on-screen choices with the D-pad (same annoyance in Ghost Recon).  Grenades thrown from cover only roll a few feet, and you cannot carry as many grenades, smoke or explosive, into a mission as you can in GR.

There is a lack of creativity in the storyline, as the bad guys are led by a Mexican (again), with scores of mercenaries under their command.  A bit surprising that the script writing, by the same software company, under the very same franchise, could not come up with anything original as far as the opposition is concerned. 

Last- the heavy Southern accent of the available play character Logan is quite irritating.

The many positives: There are so many cool and realistic features that, again, it is surprising it comes from the same producer as Ghost Recon. 

The control of team members is very simple in the game, which is usually a bit difficult in some games.  When directed to a spot in the operational area, your teammates actually get behind cover, and stay behind cover to fire (not quite so in GR).  Their radio responses are hushed and realistic; no annoying sophomoric radio chatter, and the volume level is just right. You get a snake cam to run under doors to choose your method of entry before entering a room, and there are choices on entry method with your two teammates under your control -simple entry and clear; blast the door; or open and grenade.  When preparing to enter a room or building you can put your team at one door, run your character to another entry point, and enter the room simultaneously. There are rappel points to get down into a lower level in the environments, and you can order your team to the points and descend in one command.  The weapons are good, with the ability to customize a bit with different scopes and such (weapons are static in GR).  GR actually has better scopes; I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but the look and visual feel was better in Ghost, though perhaps not as realistic as RB6.

The best feature of RB6 over GR is that your character is 1^st person when moving, but in taking cover, a simple pull on the left trigger while next to a structure edge immediately turns your character around, your back against cover, and is immediately in 3^rd person aspect.  You can see around cover, make aimed fire still adequately protected, or shoot in the blind without exposing yourself.   Let go of the left trigger, and your character instantly returns to 1st person.  The mechanics of looking around cover are just a bit glitchy sometimes, but it works exceptionally well consistently. 

Except for the softening of the resolution in the graphics, giving it a consistently soft visual quality, overall RB6 is superior to GR.  By far.  The missions are difficult in both- the enemy has very good firing lanes, approaches take some thought and planning, and you really have to use your teammates in a realistic way to cover you while you move and shoot.  If you are familiar with the military tactic of bounding, this is a great plus for play in both. 

Keep in mind the high recommendation to play GR, despite its flaws, and you can guess how enjoyable and worthwhile it is to play Rainbow Six Vegas. 

* Note- Please be advised that Rainbow Six Vegas is a rated M game.  The best graphic I could find was when it was rating pending.  Sorry for the discrepancy. -Ed.

** I played these games on an XBOX 360 platform, on a Sony 50-inch HD LCD projection TV.  These titles are also available on Playstation 3, PSP, and PC.  Gameplay may vary on these different head units (obviously on the PSP).  I imagine that the graphics are superior on the PS3, but that the gameplay is comparable.

References

Pictures/screenshots- Microsoft Corporation; XBox.com; Games

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/

-AP

Sep 07

Review Key

 Our ratings are from ☆-☆☆☆☆☆

ESRB is the Entertainment Software Rating Board

E- is for Everyone / T-is for Teen / M-is for Adults Only

P = Person

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