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Archive Game Reviews
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Resistance: Fall of Man
PS3; Rated M
Amazon ASIN: B000JLIXIG
✰✰✰
Playstation 3 vs. Xbox Gaming Consoles
Good/Bad of the Respective Units
Well, I didn’t go out and buy one, but I traded a buddy of mine his PS3 for my Xbox 360, so we could each play the other system for a while. So, I regret that this is such a very late review on one of the original PS3 games – Resistance: Fall of Man. Regardless, perhaps there are some of you out there that only play one system or the other, and hopefully this review will be of some interest to you or give you the impetus to give the opposing a try.
PS3 has graphics about the same as the Xbox. To be honest, I didn’t really see that much difference between the two units when playing a high-end game. Resistance was the initial FPS made for the PS3, so one would think that this is the top-tier that Sony has to offer and put the time/money into making it a showpiece. The graphics in the Rainbow Six Vegas pair (on Xbox) was at least as good or better than the Resistance rendering on the PS3. No distinct advantage to either can be really be given for graphics.
Where the difference became apparent in the first few minutes is in processing power. With X/Y sensitivity set to 4/10, the PS3 pan and turn rate was immensely faster than the Xbox. Button and trigger control also seemed to be quicker. Understand, these are not scientific benchmark testing; rather subjective assessments of objective qualities.
It also took a while to get back to the Playstation button configuration. I played nothing but PS2 for the longest time, but in switching to the Xbox, got used to the button layout, particularly for FPS games. To be honest, I now prefer the Xbox config, as in my view it is more amenable to the FPS and action gamer.
For those of you that haven’t played games for years and years, either on the PC/Mac or on the original platform units, clipping used to be a big issue where gaming was concerned. This has been eliminated for the most part as processing power, game engines, and beta testing have improved. However, I have played a couple titles in the last year or so on the Xbox that clipping still showed up, and the play character even fell into dead-space or got caught in a corner or surface seam. None of this showed on Resistance; I would think as a matter of both the quality of beta and/or processing power in the PS3 unit.
As of this writing, still a toss-up on which is the better unit. As you have found in this column, FPS comprise about 90% of the reviews. With this in mind, the Xbox has the edge, as there are far more titles available - some exclusively - for the Xbox. Conversely, the PS3 does have better processing power, and in a lot of the demos, this fact is obvious. On this note, and I can't authenticate the factualness of it or not- I was told by a game-store guy, a serious gamer, that one of the reasons that PS3 demos look so good and impressive is that they are specifically designed, pumped up, beta'd, and made to look great to get people in the door and pick the Sony unit.
A lot of people can afford both the Xbox and PS3 units, and cram them both into the wall unit or home theater console. However, that's almost $1,000 of electronic game gear. With games at $60 apiece, I think regardless which one comes out on top over the long run, I'll stick with just one unit and trade/borrow the other console to check out the games that are exclusive by platform.
Resistance: Fall of Man
The first
thing that is noticeable on Resistance is the coloration.
For this game, it was a bit annoying and detracted from the
game. The color scheme is that of an old photograph: emphasis
on grayscale, with some yellow tinting thrown in for color. One
nice color splash is all weapons-fire has good tone – red, blue,
etc. – that stands out well against the almost monochromatic
environments and overall palette.
As stated before, the graphics were not notably superior on the PS3 nor for this title. The edging is sharp and clear, with no clipping. As I have seen the effect of 'softening glow' in so many games of late, I have come to believe that games are specifically designed this way to smooth out the grittiness that is found when you play high-end games, with high-end graphics, on a large TV - usually 42"+ HD screens. It seems a way to keep the picture aesthetically and visually pleasing without pixelation or dead spots.
One of the
best aspects to Resistance is the weaponry. There are eight
weapons to c
hoose from once you obtain the entire arsenal. The
typical shotgun, rocket launcher and sniper rifle are
boilerplate, as well as the carbine. However, you are afforded
a number of enemy – the Chimera – weapons that are innovative
and fun to use. There is the enemy carbine that is an energy
weapon that shoots round like a rifle, but they can be curved
around objects and such when you ‘tag’ an enemy with the
additional marking round. There is a substitute for the rail
gun- another energy weapon that will bore through cover in a
ball of charge and power, hitting the enemy behind the
obstacle. The Sapper Mine Gun is new and fun; it’s a weapon
that disperses beach-ball-like globes that stick to anything –
including bad guys – and detonate.
The grenades are also innovative and useful – in addition to the usual high-explosive hand-grenade, in Resistance you also get the Porcupine, a ball of darts that explodes and sends the projectiles on all axes from a ball center. A new and exceptional grenade is the air-fuel bomb. Toss this one on a cluster of enemies, the grenade initially detonates and creates a small cloud of flammable gas. A few seconds later it ignites and lays flame to everything in the vapor cloud. In a very realistic fashion, you can throw the air-fuel grenade over an enemy position and rain down fire on the combatants beneath. This grenade also – again, in an unsettling bit of realism – wreaks incredible damage when used in closed spaces. Throw it in a tunnel or closed space, and it intensifies the firepower and flames everything in close quarters.
All the
standard story elements of FPS games is there- evil monsters
bent on
crushing the human race, in this case by turning them
into monsters as well via viral infection. Single hero,
standing against all odds in fighting the coming scourge.
These elements, along with the good collection of weapons and
consistent action make Resistance a fun title to play, but
without too many superlatives to bring it up to the level of
RB6V2, COD4, or even MOH Airborne and such.
And just for you, kind Alpha Dad reader, I will continue to diligently consume and review every PS3 title I can fit in before I have to send the console back home to my pal. Hopefully there will be some new stuff out for the X by then so I can get more playing/reviewing done without a stop in the action.
Reference-
Pictures and official game website:
http://www.resistancefallofman.com
Playstation 3 pictures and official website:
http://www.us.playstation.com/
Xbox pictures and official website:
Dark Sector
Rated M
Amazon ASIN: B000KLNLV4
✰✰✰
Dark Sector
Every time I play a 3rd person game, I can't help but think that it would have been better as a FPS. Dark Sector is no different, but ends up being an enjoyable title regardless. However, as with most 3rdP games, it's a little slow on the controls and difficult to maneuver the play character during the action.
With
so many games, it's hard to make for a very original plot,
weapons, or features. DS makes a good go of it, with the
overarching storyline, and a cool primary weapon. Your play
character is Hayden Tenno, a clandestine operations agent, sent
on a mission to terminate Dr. Mezner, the creator of a horrible
virus that makes monsters of people exposed to the illness.
Along the way to his target, Tenno is infected with the virus,
and although he begins to deteriorate as a human, he gains
unique powers and obtains a formidable weapon- a high-tech
glaive. The bad guys in the game are enemy soldiers
protecting Mezner, monsters created by the virus - both simple
zombies up to very powerful mutants - and high-tech armored
machinery and commandos.
The
weapons pickups during the game are entirely unremarkable.
A small set of military-style weapons is afforded, with nothing
exceptional in the lot. An additional obstacle to using
recovered weapons is that after Tenno begins to make his
transformation post-virus, any weapon he picks up self-destructs
after approximately 30 seconds. The play character carries
his own weaponry, but these must be purchased from the black
market throughout the game. Some weapons mods are
available - for a price - but still end up being dismal.
Ammunition for the personal weapons is accumulated from ammo-box
pickups throughout play.
Cool Weapon- The Glaive
The novel weapon provided in the
game is a glaive; a three-bladed throwing device. The
glaive has unique properties and makes for a great addition to
Dark Sector. The glaive can be charged with many
environmental elements- fire, freeze, electricity. As the
powers of the glaive grow in the game, you can activate a
close-quarters detonation of the current charged element of the
weapon, causing immediate area damage. The glaive can be
used to recover battlefield pickups at a distance, as well.
An exceptional property of the glaive is that when
throwing
the weapon, a simple button activation immediately changes your
perspective to that of the glaive, allowing your to steer it in
flight. This allows you to strike enemies behind cover,
and is often required to negotiate obstacles between the play
character and an activation switch, button, or console necessary
for advance in some missions. An additional power gained
by the play character is the ability to create a repulse-field
immediately to your front for a short time. This is useful
when drawing heavy fire, or facing multiple enemies.
The graphics in Dark Sector are
decent, with sharp resolution and good detailing.
Environments are well-constructed, but without much innovation
or novelty. However, the game is so dark that an
adjustment in the gamma is re
quired
to be able to make your way through the missions. Even some of
the screenshots for this review had to be boosted in gamma to
adequately make out details.
Small negatives/irritations: It is a small point I know, but why is it that when you return to a game - particularly those with an auto-save function - the default setting in the menu console is 'New Game?' As a player, I want to return to the action as quickly as possible, with the fewest number of button activations necessary. Smart games that are designed with the player in mind default to 'Continue' and get you back in the fray in as short a time possible. Furthermore, with no jump function, and limited environment maneuvers, it is a lame add-in to come to an obstacle, and have a button-activated dialogue pop up that says 'Vault Obstacle.' Dark Sector does have a sprint function for play, but it is virtually impossible to make sharp turns or cuts while running hard, due to the way that the button activations are configured. Last- the voice-over for the black market shopkeeper is given with a heinous Slavic accent; an irritating negative caricature.
With all those small irritations, and limitations of a 3rdP game, Dark Sector is still an enjoyable title to run.
Reference-
Pictures and official game website:
Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Rated M
Amazon ASIN: B000WEQL02
✰✰✰✰✰
Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Can you be disappointed with perfection? Okay- nothing’s
‘perfect,’ but Rainbow Six Vegas 2 comes pretty close in a FPS.
So what’s disappointing in near-perfection? 1- The game has to
end, and it leaves you impatient and frustrated, waiting for the
next sequel in the franchise. 2- The first one was so good, set
the bar so high, that there’s not a whole lot they could do to
make Part 2 better or innovative.
The Good Stuff
The controls are just the same. Exceptional as FPS go.
The play character responds crisply to control activation; no
lag. Interface takes some learning, but the action controls
aren’t horribly confusing and difficult (as in some games).
There are only minimal changes to the commands and usages from
RB6 Vegas 1.
Character movement is great. As in the first, the view perspective is first-person, but when taking cover, it switches to 3rd person with the play character facing you, but allowing you to look around corners and aim and shoot, or shoot blind. RB6 has a sprint function that is essential for movement under fire. The only control feature lacking is a jump function. id games and others incorporate this function in virtually all their games, and it is an aspect that would be nice to have in the RB6 franchise, but it’s just a minor deficiency in the stellar RB6 series.
Weapons available are all realistic contemporary military-style firearms. Some serious consideration is required when choosing your load-out for missions. Accuracy, range, and penetrating power of the weapons become significant as the game goes along. However, you can pretty much play the game start-to-finish using just a carbine and a light machine gun. You are also afforded one modification per weapon, typically in the form of the scope attached, recoil stock, or extended magazine.
The
graphics, using the Unreal 3 Engine, have been
improved over the original RB6 Vegas, as if this was even
necessary. The original Vegas had excellent, crisp resolution
and quality, but this was mitigated by an apparent overlay that
put a softened glow on the graphics. This artistic quality is
reduced in Vegas 2, and it makes the overall presentation that
much better. Coloring in the game is still muted overall, with
brilliant accents in the bright lights of Las Vegas.
Scenery and environments have exceptional attention to detail and realism. The mission sets in Vegas 2 range from the French Alps (prequel phase), to the expected structures in Las Vegas. There are missions in a refinery, a hacienda in Costa Rica, and of course the Vegas casinos. I’ve never been to Las Vegas, but I'm confident that after playing RB6 that I have a very good feel for what the town, casinos and overall look to it is.
An upgrade from the original RB6 Vegas is the customizable character function for the play character. Nothing too terribly special, but it is a small new feature.
Of note is that the single missions available under ‘Terrorist Hunt’ are much better than those of Vegas 1. To be honest, these missions in Vegas 1 were so difficult that I was never able to complete a single one even on the ‘Casual’ setting. In Vegas 2, the missions are varied and fun to play, and – wow! – I completed a couple of them.
There is also a ranking system for the play character used in Vegas 2. Experience points are accumulated during play, with assessment areas of marksmanship, close-quarters battle, and assault. As your points rise, so does your rank, unlocking new weapons, uniform colors, body armor, etc.
As
with the first, the team members under your control in the game
have very good AI. They move well, take cover well, and make
for great play all through the game. In a change over the
original, there is a long mission set in the game where you're
operating solo. Some of the scenes in this mission are VERY
difficult. It is a nice addition to have some play where you're
alone in the mission, but to be honest, I found myself looking
forward to when my teammates showed back up.
The negatives to Rainbow Six Vegas 2 are slim-to-none. However, I played the game through a second time, and the accompanying team players got ‘hung’ in the environment sometimes. To the extent that a checkpoint restart was required once or twice. This was an irritating small shortcoming in the nonpareil that is Vegas 2. In defense of the game, the environments are very detailed and complex, and the characters got stuck in a tight corner or small space. Other than this deficiency, the game, like the original, has been exceptionally beta-tested, and is otherwise free of clipping, errors or anomalies.
There are a number of high-end titles coming out later this year. However, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is by far the best game to date in 2008. And it will take something really good to knock it out of the top spot between here and the end of the year. If you haven’t played the first RB6 Vegas, you missed an excellent game. Get it and play it. Then continue with Vegas 2, the outstanding sequel.
Reference-
Pictures and official game website:
http://rainbowsixgame.us.ubi.com/home.php
Army of Two
Rated M
Amazon ASIN: B000RHZ9JI
✰✰✰✰
Army of Two
The Good Guys!
If
you buy
games on the basis of the box cover art, you would think that
this is another killing spree with a couple of bad guys in
charge. Two hardened operators wearing death's head
facemasks gives you the idea that you're in for a hate-game like
Kane and Lynch. This couldn't be further from the truth.
Army of Two is the story of a pair of former Rangers that are
actually good guys working for a private corporation, oddly
enough- getting paid to kill bad guys and fight terrorism.
The game is a 3rd person shooter, with a few RPG elements for play abilities, in the form of weapons purchases and upgrades.
Salem and Rios, the two characters of the title, are available for choice when beginning a game. Rios is the older, more battle-hardened of the two, always thinking conspiracy and subterfuge with regard to things happening across the story. Salem is full of complaints and in the biz for money. The two together make an entertaining pairing for play and dialogue.
The storyline follows real world events as the War on Terror began, and reaches into the future with probable courses of history. The locales are from all across the globe to the usual hotspots, culminating in a new venue for shooters- Miami. It is a refreshing change to play a story with characters that are actual good guys and the plot revolves around realistic conflicts.
High Points-
Cash earnings are posted to your
account for the completion of assigned missions or the
collection of intel and valuable items throughout the game.
Th
e money earned as pay for missions becomes important, because
you need it to purchase additional weapons or upgrades for the
ones you have. Realistic weapons choices (for a price) are
available in pre-mission phase for most missions, although the
names of many have been altered, due to copyright and usage
issues, I assume. You can carry three weapons during play-
primary, secondary, and a special weapon. A typical loadout consists of a carbine weapon, a secondary such as an
MP-5, P90 or a pistol, and your specialty weapon, typically a
sniper rifle. An interesting detail which is appreciated
is that you view all three weapons actually carried on your
character, and weapons switches show the play character actually
slinging one and changing to the other. No magic weapons
appearing and disappearing as you move through play.
You can also purchase different facemasks in the pre-mission store. There is a fun assortment of color schemes and themes, but at 10 grand apiece, you're better off buying better weapons and upgrades.
The play character modeling and equipment is excellent. As previously noted, the weapons modeling is very good, and you see the stuff you're carrying. The characters also are loaded out with body armor and face masks, and you can view this from all angles. Their combat gear consists of their weapons, but also a combat vest, with a military butt-pack, that is a noteworthy detail, as all field soldiers and operators carry extra gear, ammo, or utilities in this valuable pack.
Environment layout and design is
very, very good. In Mission 3, you are aboard the aircraft
carrier Constellation, and forced to run across the top deck,
with F-18s scattered in their ready slots. Great modeling
on the aircraft. In the holding bays below-deck on the
carrier, there are more fighter jets and heavy bombs, all
palletized and ready. Attention to detail for the layouts
is very good, and realism is as good as you can expect in a
console game. Grass, lighting, structures, all very well
thought out and designed and generated properly.
The AI is very good, with enemies
not standing around waiting to get eliminated. They all
take cover very well, and move around a lot. They shoot
blindly over boxes, around corners, all while still protected
themselves. And you cannot stand and wait for them to pop
up for you. If you expose yourself, you are likely
targeted yourself by other enemies, or your target shoots
blindly at you in a spray, and you have to duck again. A
complaint- as usual with many games
these days, one of the ways
they adjust difficulty is that enemy combatants have the most
deadly, accurate fire, from all sorts of ridiculous ranges and
with all weapons, while your fire must be precise to be
successful.
Novel Features-
Army of Two uses a feature that is unique to the title- it's called aggro. Aggro is the level of attention you draw from enemies during combat. If you carry a heavier weapon than your partner, you are automatically assigned slightly higher aggro, and the bad guys are targeting you. If you're being very successful during a shootout, your aggro grows, and you get a lot more heat from the enemy. However, if you can take the pain and keep your aggro sustained at a high level for long enough, you get bonus, and the characters move into Overkill, and you get additional damage rating on your fire for a short time.
There is a strange point of humor
injected into the game- when sta
nding next to your partner, if
you click the A button, your character high-fives the other, or
does some variation of 'giving skin.' If you do this a
couple times, the hand jive and remarks change; sometimes you
even get the two of them - ex-Ranger hard guys and all - doing
air guitar with sound effects. If you stand next to your
buddy and click 'Fire,' your character will head-butt or deliver
a slap to the back of the head of your pal. A very
strange, almost juvenile addition to the game, but entertaining
and harmless in the game, adding for a good laugh every once in
a while.
Instead of a compass with objective pointers, or even a map, you get a GPS overlay that can be called up at any time that gives you avenues for advancement to goals and requirements.
The
mitigation and management of battlefield health is a bit
different than other games. There is no health bar, as
there are no health pickups in the game. When you get shot
repeatedly, the screen will go red, until you're shot out.
You are then incapacitated, and your partner (using AI) comes to
give you aid. If you're out in the open, he drags you
behind cover and administers aid for your recovery. You
get to keep firing while he pulls you to safety. Same
thing if he gets downed; you have to give him aid, and/or drag
him to safety before you can help him out. This is a nice
addition, and avoids complete restarts when you take a lot of
heat in combat. However, if you both get shot out, you
die, and are forced to restart at the last checkpoint.
Two fun add-ins: On some
missions, you must parachut
e in, and your character and your
buddy are in tandem on a steerable parachute. One of you
drives and the other shoots at bad guys on the ground. The
other is a back-to-back feature in some scenes, where the
enemies are coming at you in force, and you get some slo-mo,
with you and your partner wheeling and shooting your way out of
a jam. Your players are back-to-back, and cleaning house
as a team.
A good comparison game for Army of Two is Gears of War. The graphics in Army of Two are crisp, and have a sharper edging on all renderings than Gears of War. Army has much better character and play movement than Gears, and was more enjoyable.
A great, fun, title that shouldn't be missed.
Reference-
Pictures and official game site:
http://www.ea.com/armyoftwo/home.jsp
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
Rated T
Amazon ASIN: B000R0RHPY
✰✰
Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
Imagine-
Winston Churchill dies early on in his life, and thus history is
changed. Without the stalwart, stoic Englishman to lead
England through dark times, the country falls to the Nazis.
Without any resistance on the Western front, Germany conquers
all of Europe, and then sets its sights on world conquest, and
moves on to invasion of America at home. The Nazi war
machine makes a full-scale assault on the US, beginning with New
York City. You're a regular joe, forced to fight as
America is in danger of falling just as the rest of the world
has. It's the early 50s, Dewey has ended up as president,
and sinister collaboration with the German regime brings us to
the point of total capitulation. You join a band of
resistance forces, led by an Army general.
With the fascinating 'what if' set with the story, and as much
as I like alternate history fiction, Turning Point doesn't do
the plot justice. Weapons are plain, execution by the AI
is awful at times, and attempts to insert hand-to-
hand into the
action only serves as a distraction.
The graphics are driven by the Unreal 3.0 engine, which is the same basis for Fuel of War (see review below); Gears of War; and Rainbow Six: Vegas . Sadly, Codemasters - the producer - doesn't use the code to bring a great story to life. Many of the environments are good, but limited in their movement and play area. Color scheme is dark throughout the game, and the only highlight to the visuals is the Nazi banner in stark red and black, which is a strange fixture for a game ostensibly about the survival of the United States. If you play this title, you will understand it when I say that graphics are 'good,' but it still seems dismal.
Figure modeling is mundane, and when going to 3rd person for ladder climbs and hand-to-hand inserts, your character seems like a blocky guy more suited to Mario than a quality FPS. Damage models are good, but don't do much to add to the gameplay.
As is the habit with many games in
recent releases, the enemy seems to be able to shoot with
pinpoint accuracy with short-range weapons, but your return fire
is sprayed loosely in response. It is apparent that the
game was poorly de-bugged, as there are a number of times in the
game when a waiting enemy stands there when you rou
nd
an obstacle, looking directly at you with the AI, but doesn't
shoot, and the engine glitch doesn't allow you to execute a
hand-to-hand maneuver. As soon as you shoot him though, if
you made the mistake of standing close to him, he
begins attacking you immediately in hand-to-hand. And the
hand-to-hand sequences don't add to the game at all. You
get the choice of knocking the enemy out immediately, or
grabbing him as a human shield. This is useful, but slow
and doesn't improve the enjoyment of play. The rather
pathetic addition are the preset points in the game where an
additional option of 'environmental kill' are available, but
what's the difference over the length of the game. The one
amusing use of this option is in finding a Nazi at leisure on
the john, and the environmental function ends with you giving
the guy a swirlie. Fun, but not a game-maker.
Save points are abysmal for the
most part. Long, long stretches of action, particularly in
extremely difficult sections, where if you're fragged, you go
back a considerable way to the beginning of a mission.
Many game makers have remedied this and retain a good flow to
the game without making it too easy, but Codemasters dropped the
ball.
The most interesting facet of the game is some of the airships used by the Nazis in their assault. It's almost cliché, but the use of modified zeppelins as air assault craft and aerial gunships are actually interesting to watch overhead, and to see commandos rappelling to the ground.
Overall, a pretty plain rendering of a great story concept. With all the great FPS titles out this spring, pass on it until it makes its way to the discount section.
Reference-
Pictures and official game page:
http://www.codemasters.com/turningpoint/#
Rated M
Amazon ASIN: B000R0RHIG
Zero Stars
The Club
I
know that the whole point of action or shooter games is...
shooting, but I just don't enjoy games in which the whole point
of the game is killing as many people as possible. A
strange distinction, I know, but it always seems that a 'good
vs. bad' ethic to a game makes it more acceptable, more fun, and
a lot more palatable. The Club exemplifies the former-
kill as many enemies as possible, with bonus points for time,
headshots, difficulty of shots, etc. This is the kind of
game that gets mentioned when parents complain about violence in
contemporary gaming.
This is the game teaser from the official homepage:
"The Club™, created by critically acclaimed developer Bizarre Creations, is a new breed of third-person shooter, combining fast-paced run and gun gameplay, destructive environments, and lethal weapons. You will fight to survive in a shadowy underground blood-sport controlled by a faceless, obscenely wealthy and influential elite who place their bets on who will survive as the blood-bath ensues before them. Take control of up to eight uniquely trained killers motivated by greed, driven by pure insane bloodlust, and hell bent on earning respect on a global level. "*
"... Bizarre Creations... blood-bath... insane bloodlust..." Need I say more?
If you're still interested from there, for whatever reason: you have a choice of eight characters, each with a different skill set and background. Sega has been careful to make the diversity requirement with characters of every possible nationality and race. Equal opportunity in the killing business, I take it.
The game is a 3rd person shooter, entirely in an arcade format. Graphics, and story are irrelevant. Modern gladiator games, with a kill-or-be-killed objective. The combat scenarios are from eight real-world locations from around the globe, including post-combat cities, dilapidated factories, steel mills, etc.
The mission segments are the same for players that enjoy arcade format: Sprint, Time Attack, Survivor, Siege, and Run the Gauntlet. Kill, kill, kill. Sorry, I digress. As mentioned above, you get additional points for chaining your executions, and the more accurate and difficult your kill - e.g. headshots - the higher your score. The segments are all score-based, with advancement and 'achievement' based on obtaining numbers as high as possible.
Whereas the now-ancient Quake III, or Unreal Tournament seemed
acceptable and fun, The Club just makes my stomach hurt.
If 3rd person shooters, with lots of killing and bloodletting is
your thing, you'll enjoy it. Note- this is
not a game that should be played by anyone under 18.
I would think that even at that age or older, if someone had a
propensity to violence, this game would only appeal to that
dysfunction. If your teen (or gad! pre-teen) wants to get
this game, tell them they can wait until they're paying their
own rent.
Reference-
Picture, *quotation, and official game page:
http://www.sega.com/games/game_temp.php?game=theclub
Frontlines: Fuel of War
Rated T
Amazon ASIN: B000OCXK6A
✰✰✰✰✰
Frontlines: Fuel of War
I
have to admit, when I first started playing Frontlines, I didn’t
think too much of it. The screen seemed ‘busy’ with reference
information, and jeez- surrounding play characters that never
shut up. But I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did. It’s a great
game, with lots of fun features, great technical details, and
really good environment construction.
As I said, this game took some warming to. You may find it the same: early on it feels like you’re playing G.I. Joe, and that you’re in a game designed by young programmers that… put together a military game having no military experience themselves. Sophomoric chatter all through the game, from the rest of your team, command on the radio, and pre-mission motivational speeches. Look past all that, and it gets really, really fun.
Storyline- It’s 2024, and the world has gone to war over
shrinking energy resources. The sides have been drawn up:
Russia and China as allies, versus the US and the rest of the
world. The mission campaigns run from the Middle East all the
way to Moscow.
Firearms and vehicles are all familiar, but updated for the
era. And there has been miniaturization for all sorts of remote
weaponry; remote mini helicopters; tracked mini-guns; a small
anti-tank bomb that you can run under tanks and vehicles and
detonate. Many of the same tech devices being worked on in our
present age to keep operators out of harm’s way. Use of the
minis are useful for tactical advantage, as approaches to ob
jectives are just too hot sometimes. The remote weaponry
makes it possible to soften targets enough to reach them on foot and capture the
objective.
This is a first-person game, but you also get to drive – and shoot from – a number of cool vehicles. Allied and enemy tanks, with machine guns, 30 mm and the main guns. Advanced helicopters, that look a lot like the Comanche prototype in development now. A future evolution of the Humvee.
The environments are top-notch, and look very realistic.
Great attention to detail was taken in building eac
h mission setting. From rocks and trees in the countryside
surroundings, to debris, very realistic-looking structures and
buildings in the urban settings. The very unique feature is that
many of the structures - and particularly cover for the enemy –
is frangible. Many of the blocking positions used by enemy
forces are made of sandbags, and there are concrete barriers in
the roadways. If you shoot these with tank rounds or
rocket-launcher missiles, you blow away the cover that the enemy
is hiding behind.
Sound effects are better in this game than any other I have
ever played. They have achieved a level of realism that no other
game has achieved. Shoot a round from the tank, and you hear
the round leave the main gun, loud and up close, as it would
sound coming out the vehicle. The rocket then travels to
target, and when it makes i
mpact, you hear it hit and explode, with the perfect amount
of reverberation. Having heard in person much of the weaponry
used in the game, the sound-effects are absolutely as real as
you could make them in a game.
Soundtrack for Frontlines is very good. Strangely, it appears that they have almost directly duplicated much of the background track from the Bourne movie series. This sounds great throughout the game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they run into copyright problems as it really does sound like Bourne. The other backtracks are that of typical military shooter games.
Enemy AI is good, and the troops you’re fighting move
around a lot
,
take cover pretty well, and keep shooting at you as you scramble
around trying to make approaches on objectives. Player modeling
is pretty precise, and the characters all look good, even up
close.
There was no clipping in the game, but a strange anomaly I noticed is that characters in the battle space sometimes get ‘hung’ above the ground. A couple times a (non-player) character floated above the ground with nothing beneath it, and there was once that a character was standing on a helicopter took off, levitated a few feet, and then slid off to the ground.
Overall, this is a very fun game, with a lot of good play
missions, great mix of running
and
shooting and driving vehicles, and exceptional realism in sound
effects and environments. Even if it starts out slow for you –
as it did for me – stick with it and you should find it great
fun. A must-play for FPS fans.
Reference-
Pictures and official game page:
Turok
Rated M
Amazon ASIN: B000O5DS32
✰✰
Turok
The dinosaur hunter returns. The latest evolution of a story that's over ten years old is a good update on a franchise.
As Turok, you are a member of a special unit, sent to a remote planet to capture the leader of a band of insurgents. In the approach to the planet, the warship you're on is shot down and crash lands on the same. As these things go in FPS games, you collect your weapons along the way, and while attempting to regroup, you are forced to survive and still stay dedicated to your mission.
The twist in Turok is that the
planet you're on is being terra-formed. All the w
ildlife
and flora are earthlike, but the evolutionary process has been
modified and turned up to an exponential degree. Bad luck
for Turok is- the project is in the dinosaur stage.
There's all sorts of enormous hungry reptiles all over the
place, from nattering irritating dog-sized lizards with sharp
teeth, to the more serious Raptors, up to the inimitable T-Rex.
Throw in assorted other man-eating fauna, and you're now in a
jackpot, fighting something all the time as you make your way
along.
There are also soldiers everywhere, searching and guarding your initial crash site, to being found around every corner in the command structures you move through in pursuit of your mission.
Nothing terribly original in this game. Weapons are typical FPS fare. Graphics are very sharp, almost to the point of pixelation on the edges and borders of objects. It might have been a good improvement to the visuals in the game if they had done a softening final process to the rendering, much as in Rainbow Six- Vegas, or in (our recently reviewed) BioShock. No major negatives to the visuals, but they could have been turned up a notch.
An irritating feature of the game
is button activation, and then switch to 3rd pers
on
perspective to activate ladder climbs. I never understand
this deficiency in FPS games. Why not just walk up to a
ladder and... go up? Go down? Simple stuff.
The character also goes to 3rd person, and requires button
activation, to accomplish finishing off dinosaurs and enemies
with the big knife. Both of these features become short
cut scenes. Not a stopper to the game, but details that
are annoying.
As a FPS, you can't go wrong with Turok. It's a straightforward run around and shoot stuff game. Don't expect too much, and you won't be disappointed. Good fun waiting on the megahit titles coming in March.
Reference-
Pictures and official game page:
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men
Rated- M
Zero Stars
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men
The whole point of this review- pass on this game.
In short, this is an extremely violent game, with a moral point and action to the story that should not be supported by sales.
The opening scenes are simple enough: Kane is a prisoner being transported and is broken out of prison by members of his former gang. I won't go into storyline, plot, or any further explanation of the game. Suffice to say, from the first shots fired, and to the (rather immediate) point that I could tolerate it, the entire objective of the game is to kill police and make your getaway. Success in the game is determined by being able to kill as many cops as possible, and move on to the next scene.
Sorry, but I don't find this the kind of game that needs to find my - or your - money building a franchise based on that kind of S. I could give an extensive commentary about games with this theme, but why bother? My moral stake: pass on it.
Picture and official game page:
BioShock
Rated- M
Amazon ASIN:B000MKA60W
✰✰✰✰✰
BioShock
BioShock
has been out for a few months now, but we thought to review it
here, to give Alpha Dad readers an opinion if they had not tried
this title.
This is an innovative game, to be sure, but a bit different than most FPS or action games. The plot - if that is important to your game interest - is set in an alternate-reality, circa 1959. You are a victim of a plane wreck, and meet with an underwater world that is the result of a warped mastermind. The intent on this microcosm is to create a utopia for unrepentant geniuses and inventors whose work has been marginalized in the outside world. True to form, their genetic creations and scientific work has transmogrified the world's inhabitants into genetic monsters and the world is crumbling and deteriorating within the fantastic underwater metropolis.
This title is driven partly by story, and also by originality. Think perhaps of the movie 'Brazil' or an 'Aeon Flux'-type of world, all contained in a city beneath the sea.
However, the time period is 1959, so all the clothing, signage, and mechanics have a classic look and feel to them. The world is separated into nodes, and you must go by bathysphere to travel to each of them.
The era is significant in the gameplay, as the weaponry is retro instead of futuristic. The primary weapon is a .38 caliber pistol. Different types of ammunition are available for all the firearms you carry, and this improves stopping power and is necessary to change out for certain enemies. The main weapon you begin with is a pipe-wrench, so expect to have to come hand-to-hand with many of the mutated inhabitants of the place.
Your play character is also afforded genetic enhancements, such as the ability to shock opponents, flame them from afar, freeze them. You are even given telekinesis, which is necessary to use for advance in some mission segments. The combination of the use of weapons and genetic abilities is necessary to succeed in defeat of virtually all opponents. This is problematic at times, as it requires hand and usage switches in the middle of combat, with utilization of the right weapon and the right skill for success in the engagement.
There are not many pickups throughout the game.
Enemies must be searched for money, supplies and ammo after
combat success. These only return minimal resources.
Most supplies - health and genetic fuel - must be purchases from
the vending machines dispersed throughout. There are two
types of currency necessary for commerce and acquisition of
supplies and abilities: monetary, and a substance called 'Adam.'
Money buys you the supplies; Adam gets you the genetic upgrades
and enhancements. A bit grotesque, Adam is derive
d
from individuals that were genetic experiments in the form of
little girls. Perhaps it is not as gruesome as it sounds,
but objectionable nonetheless. These little monsters are
protected by significantly difficult bosses- Big Daddies.
There is not much strategy to defeating these large armored
devices; they are too fast and too powerful to do much avoiding
or tactics. Even with the use of genetic abilities and
weaponry, they are extremely difficult to kill.
The positives of the game are replete-
The graphics are exceptional on the Xbox.
Color schemes are somewhat on the monochromatic side at times,
but not in the (intended) bleak fashion of the Doom or Quake
series. The graphic quality has the same soft feel to the
good texture rendering found in other games such as RB6 Vegas;
however, the sharpness is not softened to this extent.
Water - in hull leakage and deterioration of the underwater city
- abounds in the environments, and the visual effects on both
the player and surroundings
is original and interesting.
There is significant gameplay, with the necessity for a lot of exploring, finding artifacts, powers, weapons. There are entertaining interludes where hacking of devices - supply-vending machines, security devices, safes, etc. - are required. Many times in games this leads to an irritating disruption of gameplay and pace, but BioShock has found a good mix of this feature. Save points are quite good, as there are respawn points in the form of 'Vita-Chambers' which are spread at good intervals as you progress. These respawns are not restarts or save loads; just respawn. This is extremely enjoyable, as too many titles interrupt gameplay with a complete restart or slow load time after being fragged. Sometimes the pacing is slow for the action gamer, but it is balanced by the entertaining secrets, dispensers, and devices of the world.
AI is reasonable. The interior environments are not too large, so there isn't as much movement or cover as some combat games. Enemy movement is decent, and not overly predictable. Again- when fighting the Big Daddies, there aren't much strategics to it; they see you, run straight at you, and begin to stomp the life out of you. Kind of like fighting a bull.
Of note in the overall theme of the game is the
level of violence and gruesome
nature of the combat. 2K Games is also the creator of 'The
Darkness,' which also had exceptional graphics and a unique turn
on the FPS. However, the level of gore and gratuitous
grossness became a 'splatter-fest.' The originality was
ruined by the violence and butchery. BioShock does not
rise to this level of extremity, but it is unfortunate that game
producers cannot find a happy medium in story, graphics, and
gameplay with a level violence that is palatable.
Sadly, the gaming public, particularly in the FPS genre have
apparently clamored for a higher and higher level of carnal
action.
The overall quality of this game is very good, with lengthy gameplay, innovative features and setting. A little high on the gore scale, but not to the level of many games and movies of today. It warrants the M rating, for sure, but is acceptable for an adult playership.
This is an exceptional title that should be enjoyable for FPS gamers.
Reference-
Pictures and official 2K Games website:
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Rated- T
Amazon ASIN: B000PE0HBS
✰✰✰✰
Medal of Honor Airborne
There
are a slew of titles under the Medal of Honor franchise- Heroes
I & II, Frontline, European Assault, Pacific Assault, Allied
Assault, Vanguard, Rising Sun, Breakthrough, Underground, and
various expansion packs, as well as the original Medal of Honor.
This has been an incredibly successful game series for EA Games,
and they have made it even better with Airborne.
The plot is the same as the entire series- it’s World War II,
and you play a number of historically-based missions from the
major campaigns of the war. In Airborne, you are a paratrooper
in the 82nd Airborne Division. This is the simple premise that
gives incredible gameplay and an exceptionally and rarely used
way to start missions- you jump into them by parachuting to the
ground.
This beginning to each mission (and reset after dying in a
missio
n
or continuing game upon restart) is essential to gameplay, and
makes it incredible fun. You have to control a military
‘round’ parachute, and land either in the designated landing
zones (LZ) – marked by green smoke – or landing on ‘bonus’
targets like the tops of buildings, on balconies to structures,
etc. If you pick a bad spot too far from a safe LZ, you
immediately pay the price by having enemy soldiers, in this
mission set- the Nazis - all over you. You not only have to
drive the parachute where you need to land, you run the risk of
being shot at while you are descending. Upon landing, you must
de-rig your parachute before your weapon comes to the ready.
This is realistic, and problematic if you land near the enemy,
and takes a few seconds (that may end up being the end of you by
fire). The realistic feature is that from exiting the plane
until touchdown, you are looking down at the ground past your
feet. Having done numerous military static-line and HALO jumps
myself, this is notably realistic and a very engaging aspect of
the game.
Weapons are typical to the era. You can exchange weapons while
in the combat areas, and can use both Allied and German
firearms. In weapons proficiency, your skill and use of each
weapon is tracked and upon successful use of a particular weapon
a number of times, you are given increased accuracy, add-ons
(ex.- grenade launcher for the sniper rifle). Sniper fire is
also realistic, as you get a lot of waver in your site-picture
while aiming a shot.
Pickups for ammo, grenades and health are spread throughout the
play field. Good fire discipline is necessary in some scenarios,
as there is not an overly ample supply
of
ammunition or explosives. Health status must be monitored as
well; field kits are available, but it isn’t made too easy for
you.
Not too many negatives to the entire game. Graphics are good,
although I’m sure some gamers will complain that they’re not up
to the superlative level as some games are now. They’re not
perfect, but they’re pretty darn good. Enemy AI is good, and
opposing combatants don’t just stand around waiting for you to
shoot them. They take cover and move around. And you must
maintain adequate cover or you pay the price. Weapons response
and switches are quick and fairly precise. Only notable
negative, particularly in a military game, is the lack of the
prone position or low-crawl for movement. When approaching an
objective or seeking cover from fire this would be a good
feature to have.
Certainly a must-play game if you like FPS. Not a five-star, but
pretty close. Be sure to put this in your play list.
Official game homepage- EA Games
http://www.ea.com/moh/airborne/
FEAR Files: Extraction Files;
Perseus Mandate
Rated- M
Amazon ASIN: B000V1OUV8
✰✰✰✰
FEAR Files
Extraction Point
Perseus Mandate
I
dig this game. Playing the first FEAR Files was pretty
good, and they did it better this time. Two complete games
come in this package, so it makes for a good bit of gameplay.
If you never played the original FEAR, give that one a try first, but FEAR Files: EF;PM is a great stand-alone and playability is great. I have an admission to make- I really don't pay attention at all to the storyline in most games. I know millions are spent, and there are creative people that get paid big bucks, and spend long hours to come up with feasible or interesting storylines. But I play so many games, for review now, that I don't have time to pay attention to plot. What's a FPS?- Run around and explore, and shoot the S out of stuff along the way. I mention this, because there is a seriously involved plot-line in FEAR, but I can't really tell you what it is. It has a lot to do with psychic ability, some government experiment gone awry (imagine that!), and revenge.
This plot structure is important in two main aspects: Paxton Fennel, one of the secret program's engineered creations appears numerous times throughout the game, ostensibly to give the story context. This is a nuisance at time. It is also pertinent as there are a number of psychic and paranormal aspects to the overarching play of the game. Ghost-like creatures attacking you in places, environment-masking ninja-like characters. This sounds a bit corny describing it in the abstract, but it makes for very interesting play.
The psychic skill is one of the
coolest features of FEAR- the time-
warp
ability of the playing character. Yes, it's bullet-time,
but the graphics are really good, and when you're doing
close-quarters-battle it looks pretty cool. There is
bullet trace, as in the Matrix, when using the warp under fire.
Blast shockwaves also look impressive in the same.
There are new weapons in this evolution of the franchise- a
chain lightning gun (very good); grenade launcher (much like
most); and an advanced rifle (exceptionally cool- it's a medium
range laser that cuts through most things). There is still
the pulse-gun sniper weapon that completely fries enemies from
long distance. Numerous military style weapons available
as pickups throughout the game. Along with the weapons
additions, there is a new combat enemy in the Files- the
Nightcrawlers. AI is pretty good on all enemies here, and
between the ghostly characters, masking super-soldiers, powered
armor, and elite squad commandos, it makes for challenging and
great gaming.
Overall, graphics are pretty good. Nothing outstanding,
but good. The environment
is
dark, start to finish, with a lot of flickering lights and dark
hallways. This is essential, as the game has an excellent
music score, adding to the tension and stress of scenes.
The soundtrack really adds to the mood and build-up in the game,
a first for a long time in console gaming. I have a second
admission to make here: I have played scores of FPS games with a
heavy, dark and spooky theme to them - the entire Quake series,
the entire Doom series, etc. - and this is the first one that
made me jump. Once. But it got me. You see a
character pass by quickly at the bottom of a set of stairs, you
chase him down, and end up in a blind hallway. Turn around
- blam!- He's there. Got me! I know- it's just a
game, but get into it and enjoy it for what it is. That's
what we play games for, right?
This is a great game to play, with long play between the two
mission lines. It would make a five-star rating if the
graphics engine was up to the standard of Rainbow Six Vegas or
Call of Duty 4. Go get it and spend a weekend in the dark.
Reference-
Pictures and official website:
6 January
Stranglehold
Rated- M
Amazon ASIN: B000GPVUOY
✰✰
Stranglehold
A
short snap on this game- graphics about on par with PS2. Hazy,
soft feel to the resolution and graphics presentation.
Okay action, even in A 3PS. Some interesting weapons, but
nothing of note.
Good overall damage to all objects in the environments. Uses
environmental effect called Massive D driven by the Unreal 3.0
engine. The use of the Unreal engine is disappointing, as
one of the best games of 2007, Rainbow Six: Vegas, was driven by
the same graphics software, and Stranglehold is a terrible
presentation of this technology.
The game makes use of 'bullet-time,' as was first presented in
Max Payne. Here it's called Tequila Time, but isn't as fun
or impressive.
Stranglehold is a part of the John Woo franchise, based on the
continuing story of Hard Boiled, with Chow Yun-Fat as Inspector
Tequila. Woo filmography- Bulletproof Monk; Windtalkers;
Paycheck; MI 2. Despite his exceptional action
credentials, Woo put his name to a game that doesn't come close
to his cinematic features.
Low-grade graphics, poor save
points, and a lack of originality make this a pretty
uninteresting game. If you run out of other things to
play, this may be a title to try. Particularly if you're
interested in major destruction possibilities and damage during
gameplay. Overall, you'll likely find it disappointing in
comparison to many other exceptional titles available on the
shelves now. See our other reviews for much better choices
for your buying dollar.
Soldier of Fortune: Payback
Rated- M
Amazon ASIN: B000SFK0NO
✰✰✰
Soldier of Fortune: Payback
Soldier
of Fortune first made its appearance a number of years ago as a
great FPS for the PC. Sadly, the franchise has degraded in
quality and increased in corniness.
However, the game has good
graphics and environments. Weaponry is decent. Nothing overly
special to distinguish this game from other FPS. The outside
environments are large and sweeping, and the designers do a
decent job of keeping them from feeling empty.
The game has an improved modeling system, with realistic damage
according to weapon used, and body location impacted when
attacking. The enemy AI is not up to this
standard of technol