Zombie apocalypse. Sounds ridiculous....ly amazing. Play as one of the four immune survivors in Valve's new cooperative survival horror game: Left 4 Dead. There is only one objective in this game. Survive. Whether or not your fellow friends survive is up to you. I say that on so many levels. Grab a gun, some ammo, and a first aid kit. Because it's go time.
The Good:
- 4 Player Cooperative. Be it with AI or with friends, Left 4 Dead offers a 4 player cooperative experience unlike any other game out on the market right now. You MUST work together with your fellow mates to make it from safehouse to safehouse, and ultimately to extraction, should you wish to survive. There are a few reasons as to why.
- Special infected. Much of the time, you will have to work together with your mates to figure out how to best deal with special infected, or react to save each other from them. For example, Hunters can and will jump out of nowhere and pin you to the ground. You cannot get it off you. You cannot fire your weapon. You cannot try to run away once its on you (obviously). You can only scream for help, and your teammates have to help you, or you die. There isn't any other choice. Or, a smoker will grab you and drag you far away with it's tongue, and after the few two seconds you can't do shit. A teammate has to save you, or you are fucked. Again, your only option is to scream for help. Other special infected have other tactics that do not necessarily render you unable to do anything but scream- but they might instagib you. Boomers will vomit all over you, which will draw other infected to you. Tanks will smash your face, kill you and your friends relatively quickly, and take fierce quantities of bullets to down (as in, all 4 of you better be shooting).
- Special Infected: Witches. What can I say about witches. They're the kind of infected that will give you an early warning when they're around, and even though you like the early warning.. you really wish the witch was never there to begin with? Because when you hear the ominous music, and the sound of a girl crying, all that really comes audible is a quiet, solemn, "fuck." And when you say it, you will have spoken for everyone. You see, the great thing about L4D, is that when you lose your 100 health, and you go down- you get a temporary 300 health counter (which counts down at a fixed rate, expedited by additional damage) before you die. But let's say you're playing this game on expert. Well, once you startle a witch, it will jump you and kill you instantly. Health and temp health included. Playing on any other mode, such as advanced, just leads to you going down if you startle her. Don't get me wrong, if your teammates don't start firing immediately, you'll be dead within seconds. Remember, if you hear the crying: lights off, move slow, try not to shoot anything random, and if you spot her- do not look at her for more than just a glance.
- Zombies. These are not your Resident Evil 2 zombies that sit there and go "uhhhhh...." These are your 28 Days Later zombies that will rush you like women at Macy's on Black Friday. Do not underestimate them. Do not underestimate women either. Especially on Black Friday.
- Downs. As I said earlier, when you go down, you get a temporary health counter as you wait for your friends to revive you- provided they can kill the zombies surrounding you (or can cover someone long enough to pick you up). You can help them help you too, since you can fire your handgun while you're down.
- Med-kits. Each of you can only hold one med-kit. You can heal yourself or you can heal someone else in your group. You'll find other med-kits (sometimes) in the stage, but they are few and far between (and moreover should not be counted on to be available). Many of you at this point will say "fuck that, I'm using it on myself," which is fine. But when a hunter is on you and your friends are all already dead because you wouldn't use your healthpack on them, it doesn't matter how much health you have- because you are fucked. Also, one important caveat, med-kits give more hp to those who are dying than those who are in relatively good condition; so think twice before you stop and patch yourself up.
- Pain pills. These work similarly to med-kits, except they don't take as long to use, and can be given to others to use at their discretion. These pain pills only provide a temporary boost to your health though, and are overridden when a med-kit is used afterwards, so beware.
- Thought out weapons. There are 10 weapons in the game; each are well thought out and serve different tactical agendas. For example, shotguns and autoshotties are great for clearing hallways of hordes and even fighting some special infected. The uzi and assault rifle, while weaker at close quarters are great for longer distances and still not bad at clearing rooms with (also good for spray and pray players). Each have their advantages and disadvantages. Choose accordingly, and to your own playstyle.
- Melee. The ability to melee and knock zombies back (domino effects apply) is an important strategic maneuver, and is not to be underestimated. You can also reload some guns while meleeing, so keep this in mind.
- the Director. The AI controller known as the Director will dynamically control the flow of zombies and special infected based on your performance in game. So if it thinks you're doing too well, it'll add infected to bog you down. If you're getting wrecked, it might make the next area easier (maybe, probably not). The Director is great in the way that it makes sure your gameplay experience is different each time. Let's say for example in the parking lot one game, you are swamped with zombies and a tank. Next time, maybe it will be quiet and have no movement whatsoever. You generally won't know what to expect, unless you are playing the Finale of a campaign.
- Music. There probably is some. But honestly I am too busy dealing with other shit when playing this game to notice.
- Friendly fire is on. Always. This can be good or bad for you. I like it because it adds complexity to the game, and you can potentially get a lot of "WHAT WAS THAT" kind of moments with friends.
- Fun with friends. Expect a lot of those hilarious coop moments when playing this game with others, especially with friends. You're all on the same team here, so you know they all mean well.. or do they?
- Ally AI. In a game like L4D, where you need the computer to fill AI spots at times, it's important for your bots to be some what intelligent. Luckily, in L4D, they're not bad. They get smokers and hunters off you relatively quickly, try to avoid witches, and do their part on tanks and boomers. They'll heal you if you get low, give you pain pills from time to time, and generally look out for you. They'll stick together for the most part as a team too. Bonus points here.
The Bad:
- Sometimes allied AI is stupid. One main specific scenario of the allied AI annoys me. They don't like to crouch. Generally speaking, if I am trying to save your ass and you are crowding the doorway with zombies outside, get the fuck down.
- Griefers in pub games. Sometimes there are people out there who enjoy making everyone else's life miserable. Team killers, carshooters, leavers (in versus- you know the ones who only want to play infected), whatever you want to call them. Griefing in general. I'm not talking about accidental downs or hitting a car. These guys just really have nothing better to do but to piss you off. This cannot be attributed to Valve, but perhaps a better penalty system should be in place. On XBL gamers can at least report players for poor conduct.
- Lack of story. I wasn't expecting one with this game, but for some people this may be an issue. For what story you can find, check the walls.
Overall:
Left 4 Dead provides an experience a great deal of gamers have been yearing for for a long time. Cooperative gaming? Check. Lots of shooting? Check. Zombies? Check. Strategy? On a finale, sure. Check. Difficulty? Check. Producing a game of this replayability is very difficult, but it appears Valve is very good at doing just that as can be seen from their other offerings (notably counterstrike). A word on difficulty though- if you are having a tough time on a difficulty, there is no shame in stepping down after a great deal of hours go into attempts and wipes. For those familiar, it might even feel like raiding and the World of Warcraft at times. Progression, anyone? Beyond that, Left 4 Dead steps up to the challenge presented by a game that fully encourages cooperative play (many times forcibly)- and does so with grace with the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse. Fans of coop (and those who fantasize about their neighbors and city become infected by zombie rage), do not hesitate to buy. Even if you are not a fan of the horror genre or survival horror gaming, give it a look if you have friends playing. From what I've read, a lot of people who aren't fans of the genre are having fun with the game with their friends, so you never know.
- Jack
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
007: Quantum of Solace Game Review
The name is Bond, James Bond. 007: Quantum of Solace follows the story of James Bond through both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace movies. The player assumes the current Bond, Daniel Craig- so grab your Walther PPK (in this game P99) and go save the world.
The Good:
- Built on the Call of Duty 4 engine. With a very similar control scheme and playability, Quantum of Solace draws on the potential of the CoD4 engine and puts it to fairly good use.
- Cover system. Great liberties were taken with the cover system implemented, which allow for the player to use to blind or target fire from. What's very enjoyable about it was the ability to point-and-go, which allowed you to run from cover to cover with ease. In some cases this cover system actually allowed an even more fluid movement from spot to spot while pushing forward than Gears of War's cover system- which says a lot.
- Close quarter combat. QoS allows players, instead of the Call of Duty 4 stick your knife in the guy's chest and move on tactic, to take them down. Which was, in my opinion, much more enjoyable (although much more time consuming in comparison) to do. These takedowns are accomplished on demand, and players usually have to press a corresponding button presented onscreen to succeed. Upon success, players will be able to see 007 perform one of a few CQC moves and take down the enemy for good. Not gory or anything, just a takedown. Granted, this is not particularly glamorous gameplay wise, but following Gears 2, having the option to perform something similar to an execution is welcome. Personally, I think more games would be more enjoyable if they had similar offerings, and to a certain extent, I expect I will see more of it (at least I hope so). Just be careful as you are doing this, because if there are other enemies shooting at you, you will still take damage. If you're like me and like to play games on hard or very difficult modes (Agent, or 007 respectively in QoS), you will die relatively quickly if exposed. While these CQC takedowns are more or less glorified quicktime events, there are some longer quicktime events where Bond must fight other enemies and press corresponding buttons during the fight much like a very simplified version of Indigo Prophecy.
- Enemy AI is somewhat decent. More scripted than AI, I suspect, but enemies in QoS attempt to flank you and flush you out as much as possible. They also take advantage of the cover fire system.
- Music. An engaging score by Christopher Lennertz, who draws heavily from the James Bond universe including the 007 theme which was remixed in new ways (along with other original music) to allow players to enjoy the "Bond" experience.
The Bad:
- Short single player gameplay. Even with the combined sequences from Casino Royale and Quantum of solace, including added gunfight sequences not included in the movies, the game is comparably shorter than most shooters out there.
- Cover system woes. Sometimes you just get "stuck." The game has a sticky cover system, which is good and bad. You can move around corners on demand while remaining in cover, but getting out when you really need to can take more time than you anticipated. Beyond that, when vaulting over objects, if not done at a right time to trigger the event, leads to you just jumping up and down. That's mostly a nuisance, because when you're doing your Bond thing and chasing some bitch down, you don't really want to feel like a retard and jump up and down in front of low barrier.
- Gadgets, what gadgets? The James Bond we know gets a lot of fun tools from MI-6, including the Aston Martin DBS V12, but we in no way get to interact with most of them. We actually don't get to see most of them for the most part. The extent of it is we get to push a button to hack surveillance terminals or using the directional pad to push corresponding arrows opening doors.
Overall:
Treyarch, among other companies were responsible for Quantum of Solace. And speaking as only someone who played it on the 360 through the single player campaign, I have to say I'm fairly satisfied with the result. There are no major faux pas committed throughout the game, I found no complaints on the voice acting, and the gameplay itself was fairly enjoyable. Overall, this is the first Bond game I've had myself having fun playing since Goldeneye. While this is not really a buy type of game for me, those who enjoy the multiplayer may want to consider it.
- Jack
The Good:
- Built on the Call of Duty 4 engine. With a very similar control scheme and playability, Quantum of Solace draws on the potential of the CoD4 engine and puts it to fairly good use.
- Cover system. Great liberties were taken with the cover system implemented, which allow for the player to use to blind or target fire from. What's very enjoyable about it was the ability to point-and-go, which allowed you to run from cover to cover with ease. In some cases this cover system actually allowed an even more fluid movement from spot to spot while pushing forward than Gears of War's cover system- which says a lot.
- Close quarter combat. QoS allows players, instead of the Call of Duty 4 stick your knife in the guy's chest and move on tactic, to take them down. Which was, in my opinion, much more enjoyable (although much more time consuming in comparison) to do. These takedowns are accomplished on demand, and players usually have to press a corresponding button presented onscreen to succeed. Upon success, players will be able to see 007 perform one of a few CQC moves and take down the enemy for good. Not gory or anything, just a takedown. Granted, this is not particularly glamorous gameplay wise, but following Gears 2, having the option to perform something similar to an execution is welcome. Personally, I think more games would be more enjoyable if they had similar offerings, and to a certain extent, I expect I will see more of it (at least I hope so). Just be careful as you are doing this, because if there are other enemies shooting at you, you will still take damage. If you're like me and like to play games on hard or very difficult modes (Agent, or 007 respectively in QoS), you will die relatively quickly if exposed. While these CQC takedowns are more or less glorified quicktime events, there are some longer quicktime events where Bond must fight other enemies and press corresponding buttons during the fight much like a very simplified version of Indigo Prophecy.
- Enemy AI is somewhat decent. More scripted than AI, I suspect, but enemies in QoS attempt to flank you and flush you out as much as possible. They also take advantage of the cover fire system.
- Music. An engaging score by Christopher Lennertz, who draws heavily from the James Bond universe including the 007 theme which was remixed in new ways (along with other original music) to allow players to enjoy the "Bond" experience.
The Bad:
- Short single player gameplay. Even with the combined sequences from Casino Royale and Quantum of solace, including added gunfight sequences not included in the movies, the game is comparably shorter than most shooters out there.
- Cover system woes. Sometimes you just get "stuck." The game has a sticky cover system, which is good and bad. You can move around corners on demand while remaining in cover, but getting out when you really need to can take more time than you anticipated. Beyond that, when vaulting over objects, if not done at a right time to trigger the event, leads to you just jumping up and down. That's mostly a nuisance, because when you're doing your Bond thing and chasing some bitch down, you don't really want to feel like a retard and jump up and down in front of low barrier.
- Gadgets, what gadgets? The James Bond we know gets a lot of fun tools from MI-6, including the Aston Martin DBS V12, but we in no way get to interact with most of them. We actually don't get to see most of them for the most part. The extent of it is we get to push a button to hack surveillance terminals or using the directional pad to push corresponding arrows opening doors.
Overall:
Treyarch, among other companies were responsible for Quantum of Solace. And speaking as only someone who played it on the 360 through the single player campaign, I have to say I'm fairly satisfied with the result. There are no major faux pas committed throughout the game, I found no complaints on the voice acting, and the gameplay itself was fairly enjoyable. Overall, this is the first Bond game I've had myself having fun playing since Goldeneye. While this is not really a buy type of game for me, those who enjoy the multiplayer may want to consider it.
- Jack
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Left 4 Dead.. really.
In light of today's release of Valve's new 4 player cooperative apocalyptic-zombie experience Left 4 Dead, and in light of all things co-op:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrn4JMxsN_o
Enjoy!
- Jack
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrn4JMxsN_o
Enjoy!
- Jack
Call of Duty: World at War Review
Treyarch brings us their newest rendition of World War II, following the exploits of the Marines and the Red Army from the European front all the way to the far east. The world is in shambles, and someone has got to save it- again. Pick up that Thompson, son. We're going to war in Call of Duty: World at War.
The Good:
- Storytelling. Following the example set by Infinity Ward, Treyarch catalogues the stories of two soldiers: Private Miller, of the Marines; and Dimitri Petrenko of the Red Army. Miller is led by Corporal Roebuck (Kiefer Sutherland) through islands under Japanese control while Dimitri joins Sergeant Reznov (Gary Oldman) on the road to Berlin.
- Photo-realistic gaming. Again, with the creation of Call of Duty 4, the CoD franchise has stepped up to a new standard of visuals, and World at War does not disappoint. Some gamers and spectators may find the graphic renditions of death to be a little too much and possibly even disturbing; but for those of us who appreciate no-bullshit war, this is very enjoyable and goes down as a plus. There is even a warning to alert players with a weak stomach.
- Cooperative play. Since Call of Duty 4, those who desired a co-op experience finally get it. Unfortunately, from what I have seen in competitive co-op, movies between levels are skipped as well as two of the levels. When you play those two levels, you will understand why that is the case- but never-the-less, we were still a bit disappointed at not having a full campaign. But at least they came close.
- Competitive co-op. It's fun to see who can get the most kills, most headshots, most revives (and most deaths), among other things with your friends. The only other shooter of recent to offer this ability is HALO 3 with it's own campaign scoring method. World at War also offers death cards, much like HALO's skulls to add difficulty and complexity to gameplay.
- Competitive Multiplayer. Many people will still enjoy the online competitive multiplayer of the traditional nature, as well as the new Zombie Nazi mode. Sounds ridiculous, but can definitely be enjoyable, or at least a time killer if you can get a few friends to cut down Nazi zombies. However, World at War will be competing with the new Gears of War 2 Horde Mode, as well as Valve's highly anticipated Left 4 Dead (at least for zombies. Locust are kinda like zombies. Except they have guns).
- Difficulty. For players who enjoy a challenge (and are generally masochists), Call of Duty on veteran, in my opinion, offers a significantly greater challenge than its predecessor. The challenge part is good, the reasoning however- not so much. More to follow in the Bad section.
The Bad:
- Infinite Spawns. There are many situations in World at War where enemies will continuously spawn, which is ridiculous for a few reasons. One could say that when you've killed X number of enemies in an area, in theory sooner or later there will be no more enemies. For example, if you go to the supermarket (this is a bad example, I'm aware; just bear with) and shoot everyone, the same people aren't going to reappear (yes, I'm aware more people are going to walk into the supermarket, but I'm talking about the same people you've already downed). On the other hand, we could easily say, in the context of World at War, it's understandable if it feels like there's no end to the Nazis, thus infinite spawn is acceptable. Either way, that's minor and was just worth a mention. What I'm truly upset about, however, is the fact that on Veteran, you die in 2-3 hits, maybe less. This is fine on any other difficulty, since you can tank some hits. But some parts of the game generate anywhere from 5-20 enemies infinitely, and it is damn near impossible to push your way past some areas due to the fact that enemies keep coming back at a rapid pace. So how do you get past them? You pray according to your religious affiliation, and you run like a motherfucker. Sure, you can throw a grenade or pop a few as you're making a break for it to up your odds a bit- but chances are extremely high that you're still getting shot at. So you're really hoping they're all firing blind so you can get to the next cover point, or better yet, checkpoint. Yes, I like a challenge and yes, this makes the game more difficult. But god fucking damnit, guys- this makes the game much more heavily based on luck than on skill; and that is something I'm not okay with. I've been gaming for a long damn time, and an elitist to boot- so I'm by no means a novice to shooters or most any other game. So when a gamer like me tells you that you fucked up Treyarch, you fucked up. In case you didn't get that subtle message, Treyarch: YOU FUCKED UP. I don't care if it's ridiculously difficult, just make it interesting and unique. Being lazy and programming infinite spawns that come out of dead-end hallways, closets, and alleyways just doesn't cut it. Now, I still beat your god damn game on Veteran, I just nearly broke my TV with my XBox controller in the process.
- Lack of a full campaign coop experience. Granted, I enjoy the fact that we now have a cooperative experience, but the missing levels makes all cooperative gamers sad. Fortunately, there is still a competitive multiplayer as well as a zombie Nazi mode available.
Overall:
Call of Duty: World at War is in itself a good game overall, and offers an enjoyable experience. But it is overshadowed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in many ways. Players of Modern Warfare who have invested countless hours killing their friends and earning perks from those hours may very well stay with Modern Warfare, or players may simply stay with Modern Warfare because that scenario is what they prefer over the World War II atmosphere. Treyarch has a lot to prove here, especially after the bomb that was Call of Duty 3. Do I think they dug themselves out of that hole? Sortof. It is fairly obvious they've taken a lot of notes from Infinity Ward and have crafted a gameplay experience and interface very similar (and in some places the same) as Modern Warfare; so I will not say it's so much as a unique experience, but rather a similar one with different skins and environments. I will say, however, that World at War does bring a fresh experience and perspective into the World War II gaming environment, and that is very difficult to do. For that, I applaud you Treyarch. But you still have much to learn, and when I get over the anger of infinite spawns, I will definitely be waiting for your next FPS title to see how you do next time.
- Jack
The Good:
- Storytelling. Following the example set by Infinity Ward, Treyarch catalogues the stories of two soldiers: Private Miller, of the Marines; and Dimitri Petrenko of the Red Army. Miller is led by Corporal Roebuck (Kiefer Sutherland) through islands under Japanese control while Dimitri joins Sergeant Reznov (Gary Oldman) on the road to Berlin.
- Photo-realistic gaming. Again, with the creation of Call of Duty 4, the CoD franchise has stepped up to a new standard of visuals, and World at War does not disappoint. Some gamers and spectators may find the graphic renditions of death to be a little too much and possibly even disturbing; but for those of us who appreciate no-bullshit war, this is very enjoyable and goes down as a plus. There is even a warning to alert players with a weak stomach.
- Cooperative play. Since Call of Duty 4, those who desired a co-op experience finally get it. Unfortunately, from what I have seen in competitive co-op, movies between levels are skipped as well as two of the levels. When you play those two levels, you will understand why that is the case- but never-the-less, we were still a bit disappointed at not having a full campaign. But at least they came close.
- Competitive co-op. It's fun to see who can get the most kills, most headshots, most revives (and most deaths), among other things with your friends. The only other shooter of recent to offer this ability is HALO 3 with it's own campaign scoring method. World at War also offers death cards, much like HALO's skulls to add difficulty and complexity to gameplay.
- Competitive Multiplayer. Many people will still enjoy the online competitive multiplayer of the traditional nature, as well as the new Zombie Nazi mode. Sounds ridiculous, but can definitely be enjoyable, or at least a time killer if you can get a few friends to cut down Nazi zombies. However, World at War will be competing with the new Gears of War 2 Horde Mode, as well as Valve's highly anticipated Left 4 Dead (at least for zombies. Locust are kinda like zombies. Except they have guns).
- Difficulty. For players who enjoy a challenge (and are generally masochists), Call of Duty on veteran, in my opinion, offers a significantly greater challenge than its predecessor. The challenge part is good, the reasoning however- not so much. More to follow in the Bad section.
The Bad:
- Infinite Spawns. There are many situations in World at War where enemies will continuously spawn, which is ridiculous for a few reasons. One could say that when you've killed X number of enemies in an area, in theory sooner or later there will be no more enemies. For example, if you go to the supermarket (this is a bad example, I'm aware; just bear with) and shoot everyone, the same people aren't going to reappear (yes, I'm aware more people are going to walk into the supermarket, but I'm talking about the same people you've already downed). On the other hand, we could easily say, in the context of World at War, it's understandable if it feels like there's no end to the Nazis, thus infinite spawn is acceptable. Either way, that's minor and was just worth a mention. What I'm truly upset about, however, is the fact that on Veteran, you die in 2-3 hits, maybe less. This is fine on any other difficulty, since you can tank some hits. But some parts of the game generate anywhere from 5-20 enemies infinitely, and it is damn near impossible to push your way past some areas due to the fact that enemies keep coming back at a rapid pace. So how do you get past them? You pray according to your religious affiliation, and you run like a motherfucker. Sure, you can throw a grenade or pop a few as you're making a break for it to up your odds a bit- but chances are extremely high that you're still getting shot at. So you're really hoping they're all firing blind so you can get to the next cover point, or better yet, checkpoint. Yes, I like a challenge and yes, this makes the game more difficult. But god fucking damnit, guys- this makes the game much more heavily based on luck than on skill; and that is something I'm not okay with. I've been gaming for a long damn time, and an elitist to boot- so I'm by no means a novice to shooters or most any other game. So when a gamer like me tells you that you fucked up Treyarch, you fucked up. In case you didn't get that subtle message, Treyarch: YOU FUCKED UP. I don't care if it's ridiculously difficult, just make it interesting and unique. Being lazy and programming infinite spawns that come out of dead-end hallways, closets, and alleyways just doesn't cut it. Now, I still beat your god damn game on Veteran, I just nearly broke my TV with my XBox controller in the process.
- Lack of a full campaign coop experience. Granted, I enjoy the fact that we now have a cooperative experience, but the missing levels makes all cooperative gamers sad. Fortunately, there is still a competitive multiplayer as well as a zombie Nazi mode available.
Overall:
Call of Duty: World at War is in itself a good game overall, and offers an enjoyable experience. But it is overshadowed by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare in many ways. Players of Modern Warfare who have invested countless hours killing their friends and earning perks from those hours may very well stay with Modern Warfare, or players may simply stay with Modern Warfare because that scenario is what they prefer over the World War II atmosphere. Treyarch has a lot to prove here, especially after the bomb that was Call of Duty 3. Do I think they dug themselves out of that hole? Sortof. It is fairly obvious they've taken a lot of notes from Infinity Ward and have crafted a gameplay experience and interface very similar (and in some places the same) as Modern Warfare; so I will not say it's so much as a unique experience, but rather a similar one with different skins and environments. I will say, however, that World at War does bring a fresh experience and perspective into the World War II gaming environment, and that is very difficult to do. For that, I applaud you Treyarch. But you still have much to learn, and when I get over the anger of infinite spawns, I will definitely be waiting for your next FPS title to see how you do next time.
- Jack
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Fable 2 Review
Who will you be? You choose to be the savior or the scourge of mankind in Fable 2. You begin your adventure as a young street urchin, dreaming of one day living in Fairfax Castle; then one day, a traveling merchant offers to sell a magical music box that grants one wish for five gold. This is where your story begins. Five gold coins to grant one wish. In a life where food, shelter, and safety are unreliable- can five gold coins really change your life?
The Good:
- Dog. A loyal, faithful companion that will follow you wherever you go. It will fight alongside you, it will guard your house, it will be your best friend. Where nobody else dare go, he will go. Care for him, teach him tricks, console him when he's scared. If you love dogs, this guy will wreck any neo-pet you've ever overfed.
- Real estate. You can buy just about every building in the game with enough money, including shops and stalls. You can live in these houses, or rent them out for income, as will you gain income from the stores you own (as well as a discount when purchasing). You generate income even when the game isn't on, and automatically updates your gold when you log back in the next time around.
- Polygamy. Definitely new in gaming. You can have multiple husbands and wives. You can have multiple husbands and wives of different sexual orientation. You can even have orgies with them. Condoms are for sale at most general store vendors. You can also dabble in necrophilia. Sortof. I must say Fable 2 definitely pushes the envelope when it comes to adult considerations, more-so than any other mainstream game out there, at least.
- Earning money is easy. There's a lot of sales and shortages going on in Albion, and an entrepreneurial player such as yourself can purchase in time of large sales to resell during times of major shortages for huge sums of profit. That's always good. You can also pick up jobs like blacksmithing, bartending, or woodcutting to make money. Obviously the more you do it, the more money you make. Plus it doesn't really require any thought, except for the whole timing thing.
- Experience potions. For hefty sums, you can actually buy potions that will grant you experience points. Neat for those skills that you never use and never plan on but think are fun to have simply because you have nothing else to get.
The Bad:
- Main storyline. Short and terrible. If you are looking for a story with depth, go play something else. If you are looking for a story that will last you a while, go play something else. If you are looking for a story, you really might as well go play something else. With a main questline that will last you less than full day of play, and even less fulfillment, I have no choice but to lay the storyline of Fable 2 in the section of the Bad.
- Action RPG. While the genre of "action RPG" has definitely been expanded thanks to Lionhead Studios, there is still a major lack of variety here in terms of "action." In a game where a player repeats the same action repeatedly (such as attacking), Fable 2 does not deliver an enjoyable experience for the amount of fighting expected in an action RPG. In terms of equipment, theres a variety of 5 melee and 5 ranged weapons to choose from, with even fewer classes of weapon rankings. In terms of skills, "new" skills you gain through leveling for melee are... blocking, stronger swings, and finally- counterattack. Ranged weapons, also known as "dexterous styles," have even less to offer. The first rank allows you to roll (dodge), second rank allows you to aim generically at a target rather than just firing from the hip, third rank gets you zoom, and finally at the fourth rank you finally can sub target a body part or weapon you want to hit. All these things you can do from the get-go in MOST games, or in cases where you don't, do not require ridiculous quantities of levelling to be done to be able to do. Magic gives you a little bit more variety, but you soon find yourself using the same 2 or 3 skills at most over and over. That's a great RPG.
- Saving sucks. You get an individual save slot for each character you make, but everytime you progress with that character you must override your old save- and autosave is automatically on. So you can't go back and retry different choices, generally. Which really blows.
- Co-op, and lack thereof. You can join a friend or vice versa in Fable 2, as a henchman. You get equivalent skill points and gear as the Hero, but really- you're still just a henchman. I think everyone was expecting to you know, have two heroes join forces. But no, you're really just a henchman. You still keep all the experience and loot you pick up (assuming your friend will share), but still, you are a henchman. I'm sure some people would pay to be the sidekick, but for the rest of us, we'll stick to our heroes.
- Customization. A limited number of ways to customize the way your character looks, as well as their build. Since there is no armor available in the game, and clothes do nothing mechanically speaking, the only saving grace here is that there are a fair amount of clothes to go around (and you can dye them a variety of colors).
- A lacking soundtrack. Roleplaying games usually having a good variety of music, but surprisingly Danny Elfman and Russell Shaw did not deliver here. Not their best work, and not the most fitting for the game. Others may think otherwise, but this is my review, and that is my assessment.
Overall:
Peter Molyneux has tried to push the boundaries of the RPG genre, and indeed in some places he has done so with Fable 2. Fans of the first may very well enjoy the sequel simply because the offerings are very similar, but for the rest of us, the finished product simply failed to impress. For those interested, keep in mind that Fable 2 is an action RPG, not a traditional one. If you haven't played the first Fable or are simply not familiar, I suggest renting before buying here just so you know what you're getting into.
- Jack
The Good:
- Dog. A loyal, faithful companion that will follow you wherever you go. It will fight alongside you, it will guard your house, it will be your best friend. Where nobody else dare go, he will go. Care for him, teach him tricks, console him when he's scared. If you love dogs, this guy will wreck any neo-pet you've ever overfed.
- Real estate. You can buy just about every building in the game with enough money, including shops and stalls. You can live in these houses, or rent them out for income, as will you gain income from the stores you own (as well as a discount when purchasing). You generate income even when the game isn't on, and automatically updates your gold when you log back in the next time around.
- Polygamy. Definitely new in gaming. You can have multiple husbands and wives. You can have multiple husbands and wives of different sexual orientation. You can even have orgies with them. Condoms are for sale at most general store vendors. You can also dabble in necrophilia. Sortof. I must say Fable 2 definitely pushes the envelope when it comes to adult considerations, more-so than any other mainstream game out there, at least.
- Earning money is easy. There's a lot of sales and shortages going on in Albion, and an entrepreneurial player such as yourself can purchase in time of large sales to resell during times of major shortages for huge sums of profit. That's always good. You can also pick up jobs like blacksmithing, bartending, or woodcutting to make money. Obviously the more you do it, the more money you make. Plus it doesn't really require any thought, except for the whole timing thing.
- Experience potions. For hefty sums, you can actually buy potions that will grant you experience points. Neat for those skills that you never use and never plan on but think are fun to have simply because you have nothing else to get.
The Bad:
- Main storyline. Short and terrible. If you are looking for a story with depth, go play something else. If you are looking for a story that will last you a while, go play something else. If you are looking for a story, you really might as well go play something else. With a main questline that will last you less than full day of play, and even less fulfillment, I have no choice but to lay the storyline of Fable 2 in the section of the Bad.
- Action RPG. While the genre of "action RPG" has definitely been expanded thanks to Lionhead Studios, there is still a major lack of variety here in terms of "action." In a game where a player repeats the same action repeatedly (such as attacking), Fable 2 does not deliver an enjoyable experience for the amount of fighting expected in an action RPG. In terms of equipment, theres a variety of 5 melee and 5 ranged weapons to choose from, with even fewer classes of weapon rankings. In terms of skills, "new" skills you gain through leveling for melee are... blocking, stronger swings, and finally- counterattack. Ranged weapons, also known as "dexterous styles," have even less to offer. The first rank allows you to roll (dodge), second rank allows you to aim generically at a target rather than just firing from the hip, third rank gets you zoom, and finally at the fourth rank you finally can sub target a body part or weapon you want to hit. All these things you can do from the get-go in MOST games, or in cases where you don't, do not require ridiculous quantities of levelling to be done to be able to do. Magic gives you a little bit more variety, but you soon find yourself using the same 2 or 3 skills at most over and over. That's a great RPG.
- Saving sucks. You get an individual save slot for each character you make, but everytime you progress with that character you must override your old save- and autosave is automatically on. So you can't go back and retry different choices, generally. Which really blows.
- Co-op, and lack thereof. You can join a friend or vice versa in Fable 2, as a henchman. You get equivalent skill points and gear as the Hero, but really- you're still just a henchman. I think everyone was expecting to you know, have two heroes join forces. But no, you're really just a henchman. You still keep all the experience and loot you pick up (assuming your friend will share), but still, you are a henchman. I'm sure some people would pay to be the sidekick, but for the rest of us, we'll stick to our heroes.
- Customization. A limited number of ways to customize the way your character looks, as well as their build. Since there is no armor available in the game, and clothes do nothing mechanically speaking, the only saving grace here is that there are a fair amount of clothes to go around (and you can dye them a variety of colors).
- A lacking soundtrack. Roleplaying games usually having a good variety of music, but surprisingly Danny Elfman and Russell Shaw did not deliver here. Not their best work, and not the most fitting for the game. Others may think otherwise, but this is my review, and that is my assessment.
Overall:
Peter Molyneux has tried to push the boundaries of the RPG genre, and indeed in some places he has done so with Fable 2. Fans of the first may very well enjoy the sequel simply because the offerings are very similar, but for the rest of us, the finished product simply failed to impress. For those interested, keep in mind that Fable 2 is an action RPG, not a traditional one. If you haven't played the first Fable or are simply not familiar, I suggest renting before buying here just so you know what you're getting into.
- Jack
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Gears of War 2 Review
Jacinto. The last bastion of hope for humanity. The locust have rebounded from the lightmass bomb, and continue to engage the COG army. This time, they have a force to sink entire cities, and what was once safe is now at peril. We join Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago, and the rest of Delta squad in their fight. This time the stakes are higher, and the only way to protect what's left is to take the fight to the Locust. Victory or annihilation. The fate of Sera rests in your hands in Gears of War 2.
The Good:
- An epic storyline. Well orchestrated from start to finish. The story was definitely well thought out, well written and well executed. Fans of the first will not be disappointed with the finished product.
- Improved Unreal engine. Tweaks to the Unreal engine have made it possible to render large scale battles never felt before in the Gears of War universe, and is rivalled by few franchises. You no longer feel like the only squad on the surface of Sera or deep in the Hollows. This time, you witness the might of the COG army- as well as the Locust Horde. Believe me when I put down the words "large scale" and "army." You will not have enough bullets, and you will be glad you aren't the only one fighting for your life.
- Improved ally and enemy AI. Enemies will use real time tactics to kill you. They will flank you. They will flush you out with grenades. They will send in tickers to blow you up, or at least out of cover. When you think you are safe, mortar rounds will rain from the sky. If you go down? Random COG soldiers or Delta Squad members will try to rush and pick you up, but be warned- the Locust Horde will do the same for their fallen. You can also call for help when you're down, and try to crawl back to safety to help your teammates help you.
- New enemies. New varieties of boomers, guards, tickers, and mounts stand in your way. Its you or them. Bring guns. Lots of them, and big ones.
- New weapons. Gears 2 introduces a new set of heavy weapons, such as the Mulcher and the Mortar. A completely revamped Locust issue Hammerburst assault rifle that is more powerful and more accurate than the COG Lancer, a Gorgon pistol with a burst shot that might as well be an assault rifle in its own right, ink grenades that allow you to enjoy a painful, poisonous death, as well as a shield you can use to defend yourself with and deploy anywhere, anytime for portable cover. Old favorites such as the lancer, gnasher shotgun, boomshot, torque bow and others are back with new tricks as well. There are also new red ammunition crates that provide the standard ammunition that the COG ammunition crates provide, but the red ones (found mostly in Locust territory) offer ammunition for your boomshot and torque bow as well. With the enemies you'll be facing, you'll need those bullets.
- New Executions. You can still kill everyone from a distance if you'd like. But if you're like me and enjoy getting up close and personal, then these new executions are for you. Use your fists to pound enemies to death, snap their necks, curbstomp, or take your weapon in hand and go shotgun golfing, among many others.
- More cooperative choices. Run in head first, or strategize with a friend (or AI) to complete objectives. In Gears 2 you'll find that in many places (many more than Gears 1), there are multiple points of entry with different tactical advantages- so whether you like to rush in head first or provide cover from above while your buddy charges to his imminent doom, there are plenty of available scenarios for that. There are also more choices where your team must split up. Sometimes you will run completely different paths, sometimes you will provide cover for each other, sometimes you can hear the chainsaw going and not know what's going on- but rest assured you will both have a good run for your money (there will probably be more running than money).
- Multiplayer. Beyond a full co-op campaign story mode, players can go head to head with others with a variety of modes such as warzone, guardian, wingman, submission, execution, king of the hill, and annex. Maps vary with unique tactical advantages and disadvantages, as well as hazards such as razorhail. Should you feel brave, you and up to four buddies can take on 50 waves of increasingly difficult batches of locust known as Horde mode.
- Music. Expect a much more epic score for your larger scale battles done by Steve Jablonsky (Transformers, Command and Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars/Kanes Wrath).
- Superb voice acting. By all participants in the war on Sera. Especially by Dominic Santiago (Carlos Ferro).
The Bad:
- Host advantage up to this point has not been entirely obvious, but there have been complaints about a little lag right when you start from checkpoints in the campaign and one battle where the second player just cannot seem to win chainsaw battles (possibly because of the response from the host to the player spamming B).
- There have also been complaints by many players on how the final battle played out, but I saw it as one of the only feasible ways for it to end (and still enjoyed it). But it is up to you to decide.
Overall:
Cliff Bleszinski promised a Gears that would be bigger, better, and more badass- and that is what Epic Games delivered. But what is more impressive is that Epic Games has managed to do something many studios have not been able to: and that is to create a sequel that is better than the first. They have taken the experience that Gears of War provided, and stepped it up in a scale very few expected but will truly enjoy. Fans of the first, do not hesitate to buy here- you will be playing for a long time.
Especially if you are looking to get Seriously 2.0.
- Jack
The Good:
- An epic storyline. Well orchestrated from start to finish. The story was definitely well thought out, well written and well executed. Fans of the first will not be disappointed with the finished product.
- Improved Unreal engine. Tweaks to the Unreal engine have made it possible to render large scale battles never felt before in the Gears of War universe, and is rivalled by few franchises. You no longer feel like the only squad on the surface of Sera or deep in the Hollows. This time, you witness the might of the COG army- as well as the Locust Horde. Believe me when I put down the words "large scale" and "army." You will not have enough bullets, and you will be glad you aren't the only one fighting for your life.
- Improved ally and enemy AI. Enemies will use real time tactics to kill you. They will flank you. They will flush you out with grenades. They will send in tickers to blow you up, or at least out of cover. When you think you are safe, mortar rounds will rain from the sky. If you go down? Random COG soldiers or Delta Squad members will try to rush and pick you up, but be warned- the Locust Horde will do the same for their fallen. You can also call for help when you're down, and try to crawl back to safety to help your teammates help you.
- New enemies. New varieties of boomers, guards, tickers, and mounts stand in your way. Its you or them. Bring guns. Lots of them, and big ones.
- New weapons. Gears 2 introduces a new set of heavy weapons, such as the Mulcher and the Mortar. A completely revamped Locust issue Hammerburst assault rifle that is more powerful and more accurate than the COG Lancer, a Gorgon pistol with a burst shot that might as well be an assault rifle in its own right, ink grenades that allow you to enjoy a painful, poisonous death, as well as a shield you can use to defend yourself with and deploy anywhere, anytime for portable cover. Old favorites such as the lancer, gnasher shotgun, boomshot, torque bow and others are back with new tricks as well. There are also new red ammunition crates that provide the standard ammunition that the COG ammunition crates provide, but the red ones (found mostly in Locust territory) offer ammunition for your boomshot and torque bow as well. With the enemies you'll be facing, you'll need those bullets.
- New Executions. You can still kill everyone from a distance if you'd like. But if you're like me and enjoy getting up close and personal, then these new executions are for you. Use your fists to pound enemies to death, snap their necks, curbstomp, or take your weapon in hand and go shotgun golfing, among many others.
- More cooperative choices. Run in head first, or strategize with a friend (or AI) to complete objectives. In Gears 2 you'll find that in many places (many more than Gears 1), there are multiple points of entry with different tactical advantages- so whether you like to rush in head first or provide cover from above while your buddy charges to his imminent doom, there are plenty of available scenarios for that. There are also more choices where your team must split up. Sometimes you will run completely different paths, sometimes you will provide cover for each other, sometimes you can hear the chainsaw going and not know what's going on- but rest assured you will both have a good run for your money (there will probably be more running than money).
- Multiplayer. Beyond a full co-op campaign story mode, players can go head to head with others with a variety of modes such as warzone, guardian, wingman, submission, execution, king of the hill, and annex. Maps vary with unique tactical advantages and disadvantages, as well as hazards such as razorhail. Should you feel brave, you and up to four buddies can take on 50 waves of increasingly difficult batches of locust known as Horde mode.
- Music. Expect a much more epic score for your larger scale battles done by Steve Jablonsky (Transformers, Command and Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars/Kanes Wrath).
- Superb voice acting. By all participants in the war on Sera. Especially by Dominic Santiago (Carlos Ferro).
The Bad:
- Host advantage up to this point has not been entirely obvious, but there have been complaints about a little lag right when you start from checkpoints in the campaign and one battle where the second player just cannot seem to win chainsaw battles (possibly because of the response from the host to the player spamming B).
- There have also been complaints by many players on how the final battle played out, but I saw it as one of the only feasible ways for it to end (and still enjoyed it). But it is up to you to decide.
Overall:
Cliff Bleszinski promised a Gears that would be bigger, better, and more badass- and that is what Epic Games delivered. But what is more impressive is that Epic Games has managed to do something many studios have not been able to: and that is to create a sequel that is better than the first. They have taken the experience that Gears of War provided, and stepped it up in a scale very few expected but will truly enjoy. Fans of the first, do not hesitate to buy here- you will be playing for a long time.
Especially if you are looking to get Seriously 2.0.
- Jack
Monday, November 3, 2008
Fallout 3 Review
Ah, Bethesda. We meet again- this time with Fallout 3. Following the hugely successful Oblivion, I am not surprised that most games did not release in the same week, or even in the week after yours. I am also not surprised that I need to go to Costco for more batteries soon.
For those unfamiliar, Fallout 3 chronicles the story of a boy (or girl) who leaves the safe confines of an underground facility called "Vault 101" in search of their father. The year is 2277, the location is a wasteland marred by nuclear warfare: Washington D.C. Fallout 3, much like Oblivion, allows the user to more or less guide their own destiny in this alternate reality. Obviously, there are rewards and consequences to both playing the good Samaritan and the evil bastard- and there are choices (as well as fitting rewards and consequences) for everything and everyone in between.
The good:
- In game choices. Lots of choices. One of the most difficult things about a game is creating the persona of main character. Whether people know it or not, players project themselves unto the hero, and Bethesda has provided a suitable arsenal of dialogue, violence, and everything in between to allow a player to "create their own story." And in this market where players desire more, Fallout 3 brings far more to the table than most other games (console or otherwise) do.
- A shooter for newbs and pros alike. Mobs (monsters) in this game are scaled to player level (at least along the main storyline), and provide a decent challenge even to veterans of the FPS/3PS community. You'll find that the mobs in this game vary with individual weapons, all the way from pipes to missile launchers; and you'll find that dealing with a group wielding all sorts of weapons requires some thought in the approach (unless you enjoy using a large number of stimpacks or getting a ton of rad damage from irradiated food). The good news for people new to the whole FPS/3PS scene though is the Vault-Tec Assisted Targetting System (VATS), which is also good news for veterans too. What VATS does is it pauses the game in or out of combat and brings up the calculated probability of success for attacking each body part of a monster (generally head, torso, arms, legs, wielded weapon). The amount of attacks you can assign to VATS is determined by your agility, and probability of success is determined by range, weapon, weapon skill, obstructions, etc. This is good for obviously a couple of reasons: 1) if you're terrible at shooters. 2) it makes targetting enemy weapons easier, thereby easier to knock them out of their hands, making them less dangerous-ish. 3) you can easily queue attacks on the legs of enemies that are running away, to prevent them from doing so. 4) saves a lot of ammo. 5) it lets you see the projected amount of health your enemy will have left AFTER each attack.
- Character customization is done fairly well. You can be the asian kid with chubby cheeks, blue eyes, a homeless man's beard and an afro if you wanted to. Aesthetically speaking, I was satisfied with the extent of customization allowed. I'm sure some would prefer an even larger selection of hairstyles, or beards, but I liked what was offered and went with it. The real meat of the customization came from the stats, skills, and perks that you could put points into to help you play your character the way YOU wanted to play him/her. Like to talk and shop? More points in charisma, speech, and barter. Perhaps you want to be the Grinch, and take peoples' shit? More points in agility, sneak, lockpicking, and maybe even science for hacking. Or maybe you're worse than the Grinch? Reverse pickpocket a mine into a person's inventory, and set it off to watch them blow up into a bloody mess.
- Exploration. I have clocked 50 hours in Fallout, and I haven't visited 80% of the available locations yet. This world is huge, and if you allow it- this world will consume the one you're living in. Theres a lot to see, and a lot to do. Quests can be found at most places, as far as I can tell- or serve as bridges to the next place.
- Voice acting in the Fall-Out universe is fairly well done, and for me not to have any complaints (thus far) about the voice acting means it's definitely pretty good. And the fact that your dad is voiced by Liam Neeson? That's just all sorts of badass.
- The Pip Boy 3000 comes fully armed with a radio that you can listen to anywhere you want, provided you have the wavelengths to turn to for content. There really isn't anything like walking around the wasteland listening to Galaxy News Radio while shooting super mutants. For those who haven't given it a try, try it. You'll see why this is under "Good" section. For those who have done some quests, Galaxy News Radio host Three Dog will also talk about you and your deeds in the wasteland if he hears of them (it might be a little narcissistic, but I like hearing about the things I do).
- Music: Expect a solid OST from Inon Zur. You can preview some of the tracks at the official site here. But should you need a change, the radio is always available.
The Bad:
- Exploration. Unlike Oblivion, where it was truly an "open" world, Fallout requires you (at times) to navigate through tunnels and subways to reach your destination. Some areas are only accessible in this fashion, and while sometimes you might explore and say "hey, that's cool," there are those times it's easy to get lost and wonder "where the hell am i going?"
Overall Impression:
Bethesda Softworks is one of the few studios to step up to a challenge that is presented by a game like Fallout 3. Personally, I feel this is a very well blended mix of RPG and FPS/3PS, and the execution of which is also worthy of praise. However, the challenge here is how to best please players of different perspectives. I'm not just talking about what the game can provide for the player, but rather how to approach gamers with different mindsets. This is somewhat unique to Fallout 3 because most games can be classified as a Shooter, RPG, fighting, or what not. This is a game that has elements of both, and can truly be played as either or if the player chooses. But, in my opinion, those who play this game in the mindset of "this is just a shooter" will not enjoy the game as much as the person who plays this game in the mindset of "this is a RPG." It most definitely feels and plays more like an RPG than it does a shooter, as it should with the game built as it is. Having said that, I very much enjoyed the game looking at it from both a RPG player's perspective as well as a shooter's, simply because it provides a breath of fresh air in both formats. Either way, you can choose to run-and-gun your way through the game and the main storyline if it pleases you; or you can take your time and enjoy everything the Fallout 3 universe has to offer you. After all, the choice is up to you.
- Jack
For those unfamiliar, Fallout 3 chronicles the story of a boy (or girl) who leaves the safe confines of an underground facility called "Vault 101" in search of their father. The year is 2277, the location is a wasteland marred by nuclear warfare: Washington D.C. Fallout 3, much like Oblivion, allows the user to more or less guide their own destiny in this alternate reality. Obviously, there are rewards and consequences to both playing the good Samaritan and the evil bastard- and there are choices (as well as fitting rewards and consequences) for everything and everyone in between.
The good:
- In game choices. Lots of choices. One of the most difficult things about a game is creating the persona of main character. Whether people know it or not, players project themselves unto the hero, and Bethesda has provided a suitable arsenal of dialogue, violence, and everything in between to allow a player to "create their own story." And in this market where players desire more, Fallout 3 brings far more to the table than most other games (console or otherwise) do.
- A shooter for newbs and pros alike. Mobs (monsters) in this game are scaled to player level (at least along the main storyline), and provide a decent challenge even to veterans of the FPS/3PS community. You'll find that the mobs in this game vary with individual weapons, all the way from pipes to missile launchers; and you'll find that dealing with a group wielding all sorts of weapons requires some thought in the approach (unless you enjoy using a large number of stimpacks or getting a ton of rad damage from irradiated food). The good news for people new to the whole FPS/3PS scene though is the Vault-Tec Assisted Targetting System (VATS), which is also good news for veterans too. What VATS does is it pauses the game in or out of combat and brings up the calculated probability of success for attacking each body part of a monster (generally head, torso, arms, legs, wielded weapon). The amount of attacks you can assign to VATS is determined by your agility, and probability of success is determined by range, weapon, weapon skill, obstructions, etc. This is good for obviously a couple of reasons: 1) if you're terrible at shooters. 2) it makes targetting enemy weapons easier, thereby easier to knock them out of their hands, making them less dangerous-ish. 3) you can easily queue attacks on the legs of enemies that are running away, to prevent them from doing so. 4) saves a lot of ammo. 5) it lets you see the projected amount of health your enemy will have left AFTER each attack.
- Character customization is done fairly well. You can be the asian kid with chubby cheeks, blue eyes, a homeless man's beard and an afro if you wanted to. Aesthetically speaking, I was satisfied with the extent of customization allowed. I'm sure some would prefer an even larger selection of hairstyles, or beards, but I liked what was offered and went with it. The real meat of the customization came from the stats, skills, and perks that you could put points into to help you play your character the way YOU wanted to play him/her. Like to talk and shop? More points in charisma, speech, and barter. Perhaps you want to be the Grinch, and take peoples' shit? More points in agility, sneak, lockpicking, and maybe even science for hacking. Or maybe you're worse than the Grinch? Reverse pickpocket a mine into a person's inventory, and set it off to watch them blow up into a bloody mess.
- Exploration. I have clocked 50 hours in Fallout, and I haven't visited 80% of the available locations yet. This world is huge, and if you allow it- this world will consume the one you're living in. Theres a lot to see, and a lot to do. Quests can be found at most places, as far as I can tell- or serve as bridges to the next place.
- Voice acting in the Fall-Out universe is fairly well done, and for me not to have any complaints (thus far) about the voice acting means it's definitely pretty good. And the fact that your dad is voiced by Liam Neeson? That's just all sorts of badass.
- The Pip Boy 3000 comes fully armed with a radio that you can listen to anywhere you want, provided you have the wavelengths to turn to for content. There really isn't anything like walking around the wasteland listening to Galaxy News Radio while shooting super mutants. For those who haven't given it a try, try it. You'll see why this is under "Good" section. For those who have done some quests, Galaxy News Radio host Three Dog will also talk about you and your deeds in the wasteland if he hears of them (it might be a little narcissistic, but I like hearing about the things I do).
- Music: Expect a solid OST from Inon Zur. You can preview some of the tracks at the official site here. But should you need a change, the radio is always available.
The Bad:
- Exploration. Unlike Oblivion, where it was truly an "open" world, Fallout requires you (at times) to navigate through tunnels and subways to reach your destination. Some areas are only accessible in this fashion, and while sometimes you might explore and say "hey, that's cool," there are those times it's easy to get lost and wonder "where the hell am i going?"
Overall Impression:
Bethesda Softworks is one of the few studios to step up to a challenge that is presented by a game like Fallout 3. Personally, I feel this is a very well blended mix of RPG and FPS/3PS, and the execution of which is also worthy of praise. However, the challenge here is how to best please players of different perspectives. I'm not just talking about what the game can provide for the player, but rather how to approach gamers with different mindsets. This is somewhat unique to Fallout 3 because most games can be classified as a Shooter, RPG, fighting, or what not. This is a game that has elements of both, and can truly be played as either or if the player chooses. But, in my opinion, those who play this game in the mindset of "this is just a shooter" will not enjoy the game as much as the person who plays this game in the mindset of "this is a RPG." It most definitely feels and plays more like an RPG than it does a shooter, as it should with the game built as it is. Having said that, I very much enjoyed the game looking at it from both a RPG player's perspective as well as a shooter's, simply because it provides a breath of fresh air in both formats. Either way, you can choose to run-and-gun your way through the game and the main storyline if it pleases you; or you can take your time and enjoy everything the Fallout 3 universe has to offer you. After all, the choice is up to you.
- Jack
stupid daylights savings
I recognize that most people enjoy the idea of an extra hour of sleep that is brought forth by daylight savings, but god damn it, man. Because we gain an extra hour, the day gains an extra hour, which means the week gains an extra hour. Which means Gears of War 2 is now an hour further away than originally perceived (only because I forgot about daylight savings in the first place). But god damn it.
At any rate, congratulations to Epic Games and their marketing department for another ridiculously well done trailer, dubbed the Last Day, set to DeVotchka - How It Ends. See it here, and join me in the wait for November 7th (more specifically, lining up on the 6th with a sweater and jacket for a November 7th midnight release).
Also, keep in mind that starting November 7th is the Gears of War 2 Assault LIVE Weekend. The odds of winning prizes are pretty slim, but you can play against devs and pros alike. Plus, registration is free. So what's there to lose? Check it out here, and remember to download the gamerpicture on XBL qualify.
Now, all we have to do is hurry up and wait.
- Jack
At any rate, congratulations to Epic Games and their marketing department for another ridiculously well done trailer, dubbed the Last Day, set to DeVotchka - How It Ends. See it here, and join me in the wait for November 7th (more specifically, lining up on the 6th with a sweater and jacket for a November 7th midnight release).
Also, keep in mind that starting November 7th is the Gears of War 2 Assault LIVE Weekend. The odds of winning prizes are pretty slim, but you can play against devs and pros alike. Plus, registration is free. So what's there to lose? Check it out here, and remember to download the gamerpicture on XBL qualify.
Now, all we have to do is hurry up and wait.
- Jack
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