Attention: This review was made with the PS3 patch that fixes the framerate and adds HDD option to my 320 GB HDD. Release date January 28, 2010.
In 1971, scored the band Led Zeppelin a huge hit with the song "Stairway to Heaven '. It sings singer Robert Plant, the sentence:" And she's buying a Stairway to Heaven. That's all well and good, of course, but after we Bayonetta have but we think there suddenly very differently. In the game you play because of a witch, as the title suggests, is called Bayonetta and her memory is lost. Hundreds of years, she sat in a box and is now awake, but without memory. Searching for answers, she is haunted by angels, in contrast to what we are told that angels are anything but peaceful. We accompanied her on the quest for answers and now have the review for you!
Before we elaborate on issues such as: the gameplay, audio, graphics and play like we can already say this. Yes, the game has some technical problems, but if you have a PlayStation 3 game and want to buy? Do not be frightened by what critics do not all say about the PlayStation 3 version of the game, because some tiny dots after it is still a great experience. Anyway we obviously have to explain why the game is so good and that is exactly what we do. Get ready for a game like you've never seen before and show that you have in your dreams will follow! Each game starts somewhere, however, so we just go off to the story to.
Bayonetta is set in the fictional city called Vigrid, this city is not entirely fictitious. As you probably know Bayonetta has a lot to do with mythology and the name of the city is not simply chosen. Vigrid is because from the Norse mythology, it represents the battlefield where the gods fought the giant black Sartre. The fictional European town Vigrid looks like a battlefield between giants and gods. Some own more than condominiums. Although they themselves do not exactly know Bayonetta is a member of the Umbra Witches, an old women from existing clan. They have magical powers which they draw from the Mon On the other hand, the Sages Lumen clan, a group of men who draw strength from the Sun
Together they hold a treasure called "The Eyes of the World '. One clan is "The Left Eye ', the other course," The Right Eye. " Light and Darkness, Day and Night, you understand that these are in balance. Naturally things go wrong and on and treasure the days disappear and a war breaks out between two clans and kill each other. To make matters worse, Bayonetta and her partner Jane have also been attacked by so-called 'Angels' that appear to come from heaven. Fighting on a broken piece of church introduces the game with your story and your character. After a wild roller coaster ride was suddenly dark and starts the game in modern times. Bayonetta hundreds of years appears to have sat in a box and has already been twenty years among us, now it's your turn.
A fairly early so hectic and one you will not soon forget. Bayonetta is a third-person action game where the concept of 'action' more than present. The control of the game is pretty simple on the surface, but as you get more moves and weapons unlocked quite deep. The game can be played off by just button bash, but gamers looking for but the hottest and coolest moves weapons can very deeply with Bayonetta. Of course, you buy weapons and moves to something and that you are called halos. These are the large gold rings that float above the heads of angels, only here you chop their heads off and take you into the halo. Then you visit your good friend and arms dealer who Rodin at the gate of hell is waiting for your halos.
Not everyone will just visit the gates of hell, but we've already told you that Bayonetta is a devil? Lumen The Sages are namely the gate of heaven, the Umbra Witches are those of hell. Got it? Good, then we can continue our Bayonetta Devil. The witch has a good range of moves and weapons ready to help you and not even close. When it has weapons on its limbs, both her hands to her feet as she guns. There are also weapons like a sword, a spear, an ax and so on. The most dangerous weapon of hers is still the alluring black hair and that's no joke. Were you always curious why its so good care of their women? We have the answer here!
Bayonetta is because her shiny hair transform into disgusting creatures such as giant fists, boots and a number of creatures including a dragon and a giant bird. As she does we see something remarkable and that is that the black suit that also has to Bayonetta locks is made! The genitals are just mind, but she is practically nude sample of a three storey banging into each other, action was never this good. In addition to these weapons is also a very cool feature and the "Torture Attacks. If Bayonetta namely a number of enemies defeated without being touched there is a full bar, at some point, the player the triangle and circle button and may be performed Torture Attack.
These attacks are very diverse and different enemies will also appear special. Thus Bayonetta a gallows where she calls her opponent bonjourt or a box full of spikes where an angel is depressed. There are about a dozen different Torture Attacks and they are all equally fun. Of course it is even more fun when it different enemies can exert Platinum Games deserves praise for creativity and imagination! Itself at the very end of the game, the player still new enemies, they all have different names and characteristics. So you have enemies that can fly and have a spear, a large kind of lizard that fire balls shooting, flying rays with pointed tails, flying creatures as big as buildings with traditional chiefs, and so on.
Of course there are plenty of bosses back at the end or midway a chapter reports should be. It all starts with one being about as big as a house and from there it is just bigger, stronger, narrower and more difficult for the absurd to it. The best trick is the fact that first you are very impressed by the first boss, but then you just fight against three at a time in a little later in the game and then again overwhelmed by a still greater being. So you see the progress as a player that you and your character books. If a being a bit too strong, but it is slow then you also have the opportunity to "Witch Time" to use. Indeed if the player evades an attack just in time with R2, then slows down time here and you're faster.
Make no mistake in Bayonetta, because it's not like you go from one room to the other enemies to run a cup size. You will have many hurdles to overcome, and these vary from running over a waterfall to the running of a church while it falls down. This may sound crazy, but wait till you play the game and we seem suddenly not so crazy. As we previously said, Bayonetta is a spectacle from start to finish and gives you little time to rest. Because the steering is so nice smooth keep you busy and you are motivated to overcome every obstacle again. Some obstacles, like in slow motion of a falling wall to another falling wall jump, are just too much for our human Bayonetta. Therefore this kind of situation can also further transform into a panther or a crow. The panther is very fast and the crow can fly over unfathomable depths.
Bayonetta is typical of the sexual undertones that contains the game constantly. Each time you back here to laugh at a crazy move at a critical moment. So she suddenly pole dancing with a giant hatchet, or is it deliberately with legs spread right in the picture. And we have not even had the lollipop, always has a lollipop in her mouth Bayonetta her any extra energy. The way they do thing, however, to keep it clean, consuming to say the least challenging. Platinum Games in the men do like a touch of humor. The game certainly has a serious undertone, but the seductive Bayonetta makes it often very funny. The other characters sometimes take a naughty joke.
Graphic Bayonetta has a special and magical style. The game has very nice lighting effects and the characters look convincing. Although the game is something of a character like stijltje conservation. The eye care environments, and with much attention in the game process. They come at you a magnificent Colosseum, a large church, an underground maze or a paradise in cheerful colors. The game is generally well cared for, but unfortunately we can not ignore the problems around the PlayStation 3 version entails. Now and then have absolutely no frame rate drops and load times at the oddest places. This is the momentum of the game not as good and even the start menu includes a loading screen can even be frustrating.
Load times can be found everywhere in fact Bayonetta, whether you pick an item, want to load the start menu or simply anywhere wraps around the corner. Not that every corner you have a loading screen, but sometimes it just happens that a few seconds to load while being chased by a lava flow. That does not mean that the game has become a great experience. Partly due to the beautiful sound of the game. The music has a feminine elegance, but can sometimes care for a serious undertone. Platinum Games wanted a female character is also female accompaniment of music, something that they certainly succeeded. The sound of rain, falling rocks, lava, water and tunes as you pick up such a sacred object are excellent.
As a final remark can perhaps be called the camera a tad annoying to do, but fortunately you have the opportunity to R3 with the camera quickly to place the butt of Bayonetta. Overall the game is just well cared for, it looks good, sounds good and plays well. Unfortunately the present loading times so that it can be frustrating. It does not spoil the experience, but after playing the 360 version, we had to conclude that PlayStation 3 version is clearly inferior. There are also very occasionally some of the previously mentioned frame rate problems.
On whether we hit the first of 2010 I have with a resounding: yes. Bayonetta certainly has agreements with Devil May Cry, but has chosen to simultaneously complete a separate identity. With a great character, a beautiful world and large numbers of enemies present, this is a game you played as a fan of action games should be. Yes, the game has some problems, but what would it if you can fight against monsters that are greater than your own home? So you have a PlayStation 3 Bayonetta and you want to play? Do not be stopped by the equations you found on the Internet, because the Sony console Bayonetta is a game of epic proportions. Hideki Kamiya may again be proud of himself and his team!
Monday, August 28, 2000
Sunday, August 27, 2000
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
What you, as you wonder in this translation is that the game has improved technically and whether it has become not a bad game, because the unique Nintendo DS capabilities are lacking. On a logical question, but on the other hand, it is a game from Rockstar and if someone is experienced in making games than they will. Fortunately we have good news like that, because it has convenient solutions to the gameplay that make up the difference and the game is technically improved. But before we really go in depth, it is important to first have a look at the story behind this game to watch. That decision is entirely different and has no connection with other parts.
Huang Lee travels to Liberty City to a sword of great value to the family, to deliver to his uncle. But he has not landed or if he is attacked and left for dead. Not really a good start, while another is also that his father was murdered. Lee Huang is not a coward and is soon to visit his uncle who is quite as cold as a stone block at the bottom of the ocean. His uncle runs a large part of the city, then indeed the underworld, and this is a little empire to collapse. So how annoying it is to Huang, his presence is still very convenient, because soon after the conversation with his uncle, he can go to work for many dirty jobs to restore.
The story continues gradually between the missions and again by a typical GTA story. It's great, works as a good red line around the gameplay is somewhat interesting to follow. Very shocking story should not be experienced, as we have seen better stories in the franchise. Nevertheless, it is a nice trip to the Asian mafia, and this provides a different approach to the game on. Besides, Huang was quite on the dry side and can be sharp with his comments. Furthermore, the gameplay of this game is virtually identical to other parts. You get missions and characters that range from the elimination of certain figures and works against the triads steal cars, and sabotaging them.
The missions themselves are not particularly, because we've all seen before. These missions continue to somehow still fun to play in this game and they get some kind of value. A good example is that at some point racing cars to steal. This is not just your cock. Look, everyone in the car, but then it started, that's another story. This is a mini game involved and then again it varies by car. Sometimes you need at the right time on the X button if the figure passes by in a series of ten, which are indicated below. Other times you have with the analog stick encircle as screws and then the wires together, so that the engine starts.
The mini games are new to the franchise and give it an extra added value. The missions are fun and playable, because you never really too long doing. The mini games add an extra element to the existing missions, so that you, you will not easily bored. The missions themselves are also good and varied it creates another Rockstar typically part of the franchise that is especially fun to play. However, a disadvantage of the mini games after a while not really exciting anymore. In the beginning you will like them and it definitely adds to what. But if for the hundredth time to do the same if you want to steal a car, you can do some work against. But that is the price that we paid for the port to the PlayStation Portable.
The original Nintendo DS game, came on the handheld Nintendo very good to her right because of the many possibilities for a mini-game to apply. The PSP is just the trigger, the analog stick and d-pad limited. The lack of a touchpad is a pity, but if you've played Nintendo DS version is not unlike the writer of this piece, then you are probably not very long wakefulness. Because anyway, you get a nice game for the PlayStation Portable with many familiar elements, but also really great and new additions.
In terms of gameplay, the game then surely expanded compared to the "Stories" sections. We are in many cases, especially on Grand Theft Auto IV thinking and not because the city is the same, but more the way you play and that's a good evolution. The city itself is also quite large and consists of the rightmost two islands of Grand Theft Auto IV, that if you map from a viewing perspective. This gives pretty much fun and many varied locations. These are visually well mapped. Moreover, it is completely different angle than you're used to from the "Stories" and what parts of the PlayStation 2 and 3 appeared. Something that most probably will know, if not, at this explanation.
Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 had a top-down view. From the air you actually looked at on an interactive map down and this is the case with China Town Wars. But instead of you looking straight down, this game is different. A direct definition is not, because it contains a top-down view, which effectively 2D but the game itself then 3D. Let's keep it on the game between 2D and 3D. Graphically, the game than their approach differently than the full 3D games, which previously appeared on this handheld. Yet we must say that Rockstar has a very nice game graphically made of.
The game features a day-night cycle, neat-looking vehicle, which I still want to get into accidents verzeilt. In addition, people walk everywhere, which are large relative failure, but that aside. Besides this "living" things should also be noted that the city is somehow a self ambiance. It lives and all that is the game for good. It also looks all very tidy and organized. So was the game on the Nintendo DS still somewhat a bit on the blocky side. On the PlayStation Portable is a lot better, because the handheld is also stronger. The game does not turn, cut scenes, as the "Stories" sections.
The story is told through cell-shaded slides. Here you see the characters constantly engaged in dialogue, it is then displayed via text at the bottom. This is quite a considerable step back and perhaps the highest for the Nintendo DS, but the fact remains that there might be some more effort into could have been. On the other hand there are enough positive things to say about the game, so we do not have to worry about to make. One example is the audio. This is generally nice to call radio stations and especially the sound again as usual. Many choice of stations with various music styles, so nobody gets bored.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, a fun game that somewhat goes back to the roots, because the camera perspective. It offers the player plenty of variety and the minigames are a good addition to the gameplay. It's just that they are long term not really up to its promise, but that's mainly the control capabilities of the PlayStation Portable to blame. The cut scenes are really exciting and technically it is a pity that no more work has made. Nevertheless, the game is generally a sound purchase. It looks nice, has great variety and the audio is typically. The game is especially ideal for short play sessions and after completing the single player there is a lot to do. A game that you will keep being busy.
Overall 9
Graphics 10
Sound 9
Huang Lee travels to Liberty City to a sword of great value to the family, to deliver to his uncle. But he has not landed or if he is attacked and left for dead. Not really a good start, while another is also that his father was murdered. Lee Huang is not a coward and is soon to visit his uncle who is quite as cold as a stone block at the bottom of the ocean. His uncle runs a large part of the city, then indeed the underworld, and this is a little empire to collapse. So how annoying it is to Huang, his presence is still very convenient, because soon after the conversation with his uncle, he can go to work for many dirty jobs to restore.
The story continues gradually between the missions and again by a typical GTA story. It's great, works as a good red line around the gameplay is somewhat interesting to follow. Very shocking story should not be experienced, as we have seen better stories in the franchise. Nevertheless, it is a nice trip to the Asian mafia, and this provides a different approach to the game on. Besides, Huang was quite on the dry side and can be sharp with his comments. Furthermore, the gameplay of this game is virtually identical to other parts. You get missions and characters that range from the elimination of certain figures and works against the triads steal cars, and sabotaging them.
The missions themselves are not particularly, because we've all seen before. These missions continue to somehow still fun to play in this game and they get some kind of value. A good example is that at some point racing cars to steal. This is not just your cock. Look, everyone in the car, but then it started, that's another story. This is a mini game involved and then again it varies by car. Sometimes you need at the right time on the X button if the figure passes by in a series of ten, which are indicated below. Other times you have with the analog stick encircle as screws and then the wires together, so that the engine starts.
The mini games are new to the franchise and give it an extra added value. The missions are fun and playable, because you never really too long doing. The mini games add an extra element to the existing missions, so that you, you will not easily bored. The missions themselves are also good and varied it creates another Rockstar typically part of the franchise that is especially fun to play. However, a disadvantage of the mini games after a while not really exciting anymore. In the beginning you will like them and it definitely adds to what. But if for the hundredth time to do the same if you want to steal a car, you can do some work against. But that is the price that we paid for the port to the PlayStation Portable.
The original Nintendo DS game, came on the handheld Nintendo very good to her right because of the many possibilities for a mini-game to apply. The PSP is just the trigger, the analog stick and d-pad limited. The lack of a touchpad is a pity, but if you've played Nintendo DS version is not unlike the writer of this piece, then you are probably not very long wakefulness. Because anyway, you get a nice game for the PlayStation Portable with many familiar elements, but also really great and new additions.
In terms of gameplay, the game then surely expanded compared to the "Stories" sections. We are in many cases, especially on Grand Theft Auto IV thinking and not because the city is the same, but more the way you play and that's a good evolution. The city itself is also quite large and consists of the rightmost two islands of Grand Theft Auto IV, that if you map from a viewing perspective. This gives pretty much fun and many varied locations. These are visually well mapped. Moreover, it is completely different angle than you're used to from the "Stories" and what parts of the PlayStation 2 and 3 appeared. Something that most probably will know, if not, at this explanation.
Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 had a top-down view. From the air you actually looked at on an interactive map down and this is the case with China Town Wars. But instead of you looking straight down, this game is different. A direct definition is not, because it contains a top-down view, which effectively 2D but the game itself then 3D. Let's keep it on the game between 2D and 3D. Graphically, the game than their approach differently than the full 3D games, which previously appeared on this handheld. Yet we must say that Rockstar has a very nice game graphically made of.
The game features a day-night cycle, neat-looking vehicle, which I still want to get into accidents verzeilt. In addition, people walk everywhere, which are large relative failure, but that aside. Besides this "living" things should also be noted that the city is somehow a self ambiance. It lives and all that is the game for good. It also looks all very tidy and organized. So was the game on the Nintendo DS still somewhat a bit on the blocky side. On the PlayStation Portable is a lot better, because the handheld is also stronger. The game does not turn, cut scenes, as the "Stories" sections.
The story is told through cell-shaded slides. Here you see the characters constantly engaged in dialogue, it is then displayed via text at the bottom. This is quite a considerable step back and perhaps the highest for the Nintendo DS, but the fact remains that there might be some more effort into could have been. On the other hand there are enough positive things to say about the game, so we do not have to worry about to make. One example is the audio. This is generally nice to call radio stations and especially the sound again as usual. Many choice of stations with various music styles, so nobody gets bored.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, a fun game that somewhat goes back to the roots, because the camera perspective. It offers the player plenty of variety and the minigames are a good addition to the gameplay. It's just that they are long term not really up to its promise, but that's mainly the control capabilities of the PlayStation Portable to blame. The cut scenes are really exciting and technically it is a pity that no more work has made. Nevertheless, the game is generally a sound purchase. It looks nice, has great variety and the audio is typically. The game is especially ideal for short play sessions and after completing the single player there is a lot to do. A game that you will keep being busy.
Overall 9
Graphics 10
Sound 9
Saturday, August 26, 2000
Batman Arkham City (PS3) 9.5
Anybody who has played Batman: Arkham Asylum and loved it knows precisely why it was such an amazing game. Take one part Matrix: Path of Neo for epic, super-human martial arts beat-em up; ad in another part Splinter Cell style sneaking around in dark environments for tense moments that test skill and patience; throw in some cool gadgetry to help you along the way like in Ape Escape; mix it in with amazing graphics, superb voice actors, and arguably the greatest super-hero ever and you had Batman: Arkahm Asylum.
So, how much more can such an already amazing game offer us if given a sequel? Apparently, a whole lot more.
If you can believe it, the intro to Arkham City is even better and more pulse-pounding than the intro to the first. You start off, not as Batman, but as Bruce Wayne, who is lobbying against Arkham City. I won't give anything away about what soon happens to our seemingly mild-mannered aristocrat, but I will say this...laying the beat down on some thugs as the boy-billionaire is one of coolest experiences I've had in gaming.
Soon afterwards, you suit up. Now you are Batman, but this isn't a self-contained island you're dealing with anymore. This is a no man's land. Pouncing on an unsuspecting group of baddies isn't as simple as it used to be; there are always more goons lurking around the corners, ready to jump into the fray like a vicious pack of wolves. More than once you'll find yourself overwhelmed and having to flee a fight while the stinging insults of said goons follow in your wake. Take my advice and just let it go. Survival is the name of the game.
If you've been watching Youtube then you've no doubt seen Batman's new flight mechanics. These are as fun in practice as they are to watch, although there is a learning curve to gliding effectively. There's also a pesky helicopter searching for you at all times. These guys are Tyger, Hugo Strange's own henchmen. Avoiding the helicopter can be tricky, but also fun.
As you'd expect, Arkham City plays almost exactly like the first one with a few tweaks and upgrades. Batman starts off with most of the same gadgets he had at the end of the first, including the grapple gun, the cryptographic sequencer and the remote batarang. He also has several new moves for melee situations. Batman must've been taking lessons from Chuck Norris because his martial arts are better and flashier than ever. He now has the ability to perform a counter-attack against two or more assailants at a time instead of just one. He has a new punch combo attack where he repeatedly thrusts with each press of the button. As Batman lays down an 18 punch combo on a single guy, or gigantic goon, I can't help but think of Kenshiro! "The one-hundred crack fist of the North Star! You're already dead!" Oh, but...this is Batman so minus the brutal killing of your foes. Let's just say he's more like Donkey Kong when beating up some Tikis.
The new combat moves make the game as fun as ever but also makes NOT using them an exercise in restraint. As stated before, enemies can show up when you least suspect and they sometimes pack heat. This will undoubtedly force all of us to use our brains even more when devising effective plans of attack. To aid in stealthy takedowns are a new set of "predator moves" where Batman can use far more takedowns from different hiding positions than he had previously. Again, a new set of moves and abilities to augment the ones we had before in Arkham Asylum. It's almost like the first game just laid the foundation and the sequel built onto it!
In addition to the main story mission are additional side missions that will pop up along the way. These may have you saving random inmates from other, worse inmates, to working with Bane to dispose of drums of Titan chemicals (Titan once more plays into the game's story) to solving mysteries planted by the Riddler. (By now we've all heard the "Riddler is Jigsaw!" equations made by everyone so I won't bore you with that. I don't even like Saw). You may want to hold off on the missions that involve Zaasz making you run across Arkham City to answer telephones until you've unlocked some flying upgrades. Certain henchmen will be highlighted in green. These are henchmen you can interrogate to acquire more info about the various crime lords they are working under. Taking them out last to initiate interrogation is a tough and not always fun exercise that we will nevertheless do in order to gain more precious XPs.
This game has a dark look and feel that pulls you in. Jumping across rooftops as the Batman is a whole `nother experience from doing it as Spiderman. The dingy, grungy look of the city, the background music and ambience. All of these together invade your subconscious until you feel alive with primal, survival instincts. I can't even describe it, really. You feel like a predator, but also like the prey. You're always walking a narrow line between seeming invincibility, and utter helplessness. This game puts you in a place all of us have been our whole lives without always realizing. When we dreamed we were running from danger, or dreamed we were conquering obstacles to achieve glory. This is just a personal opinion, of course, but I'd swear I've seen this in my dreams. Maybe I was just dreaming of being the Batman. This is as close as any of us will likely get.
The villains look fantastic. Mr. Freeze, interestingly enough, has a huge suit that reminds me of the Mr. Freeze suit from Batman and Robin. I apologize for even bringing THAT movie up, but the suit in that movie was still cool looking. Mr. Freeze looks menacing and sounds awesome with the voice talents of Maurice LaMarche (the guy who was Brain in Pinky and the Brain and about a million different voices in Futurama!) Penguin looks viscious and cruel and is twice as ruthless, no doubt to overcome his own size. Twoface looks somewhere between The Animated Series version and the Dark Knight version. Then there's the unexpected appearance of Solomon Grundy who looks like a nightmarish Frankenstein's monster and who is even bigger than Killer Croc!
In summation, Arkahm City is anther step forward for an already revolutionary game franchise. There are the usual shortcomings, however. You may find yourself wandering around, not knowing what to do until you trigger the right event to move the game forward. Figuring out some of the new controls may be a chore even to veteran players. And the boss fights still feel like, well, boss fights. Run around, dodge attacks and wait for the inevitable weak point to expose itself. Standard video game stuff, really. Of course, that's just all part of the experience. If it was too easy we wouldn't enjoy it as much, would we?
There's no reason for anyone who liked Arkahm Asylum to not like this one. If you didn't like the first one then I don't know how I could recommend this to you. It's the same game, just much bigger. If you don't like sandbox sandbox games and prefer something linear you can still focues on just the main mission. On the whole it's the same game, just with more stuff. That may be good news to some and bad news for others. For fans of the first, it definitely delivers. We finally got the new Batman Game, now just three more weeks til Skyrim!
**Update**
Some people may compare this game's story, not unjustly, to Escape from NewYork. Maybe they're just nitpicking, though. Even if that's the case, there are still plenty of twists and turns to keep players genuinely surprised right up until they get to of the end main mission.
I'm afraid I can't comment much on DLC since they have it in such a way that different people get different things. I've heard after a certain point, though, we'll all be able to download the same content...for a price.
So, how much more can such an already amazing game offer us if given a sequel? Apparently, a whole lot more.
If you can believe it, the intro to Arkham City is even better and more pulse-pounding than the intro to the first. You start off, not as Batman, but as Bruce Wayne, who is lobbying against Arkham City. I won't give anything away about what soon happens to our seemingly mild-mannered aristocrat, but I will say this...laying the beat down on some thugs as the boy-billionaire is one of coolest experiences I've had in gaming.
Soon afterwards, you suit up. Now you are Batman, but this isn't a self-contained island you're dealing with anymore. This is a no man's land. Pouncing on an unsuspecting group of baddies isn't as simple as it used to be; there are always more goons lurking around the corners, ready to jump into the fray like a vicious pack of wolves. More than once you'll find yourself overwhelmed and having to flee a fight while the stinging insults of said goons follow in your wake. Take my advice and just let it go. Survival is the name of the game.
If you've been watching Youtube then you've no doubt seen Batman's new flight mechanics. These are as fun in practice as they are to watch, although there is a learning curve to gliding effectively. There's also a pesky helicopter searching for you at all times. These guys are Tyger, Hugo Strange's own henchmen. Avoiding the helicopter can be tricky, but also fun.
As you'd expect, Arkham City plays almost exactly like the first one with a few tweaks and upgrades. Batman starts off with most of the same gadgets he had at the end of the first, including the grapple gun, the cryptographic sequencer and the remote batarang. He also has several new moves for melee situations. Batman must've been taking lessons from Chuck Norris because his martial arts are better and flashier than ever. He now has the ability to perform a counter-attack against two or more assailants at a time instead of just one. He has a new punch combo attack where he repeatedly thrusts with each press of the button. As Batman lays down an 18 punch combo on a single guy, or gigantic goon, I can't help but think of Kenshiro! "The one-hundred crack fist of the North Star! You're already dead!" Oh, but...this is Batman so minus the brutal killing of your foes. Let's just say he's more like Donkey Kong when beating up some Tikis.
The new combat moves make the game as fun as ever but also makes NOT using them an exercise in restraint. As stated before, enemies can show up when you least suspect and they sometimes pack heat. This will undoubtedly force all of us to use our brains even more when devising effective plans of attack. To aid in stealthy takedowns are a new set of "predator moves" where Batman can use far more takedowns from different hiding positions than he had previously. Again, a new set of moves and abilities to augment the ones we had before in Arkham Asylum. It's almost like the first game just laid the foundation and the sequel built onto it!
In addition to the main story mission are additional side missions that will pop up along the way. These may have you saving random inmates from other, worse inmates, to working with Bane to dispose of drums of Titan chemicals (Titan once more plays into the game's story) to solving mysteries planted by the Riddler. (By now we've all heard the "Riddler is Jigsaw!" equations made by everyone so I won't bore you with that. I don't even like Saw). You may want to hold off on the missions that involve Zaasz making you run across Arkham City to answer telephones until you've unlocked some flying upgrades. Certain henchmen will be highlighted in green. These are henchmen you can interrogate to acquire more info about the various crime lords they are working under. Taking them out last to initiate interrogation is a tough and not always fun exercise that we will nevertheless do in order to gain more precious XPs.
This game has a dark look and feel that pulls you in. Jumping across rooftops as the Batman is a whole `nother experience from doing it as Spiderman. The dingy, grungy look of the city, the background music and ambience. All of these together invade your subconscious until you feel alive with primal, survival instincts. I can't even describe it, really. You feel like a predator, but also like the prey. You're always walking a narrow line between seeming invincibility, and utter helplessness. This game puts you in a place all of us have been our whole lives without always realizing. When we dreamed we were running from danger, or dreamed we were conquering obstacles to achieve glory. This is just a personal opinion, of course, but I'd swear I've seen this in my dreams. Maybe I was just dreaming of being the Batman. This is as close as any of us will likely get.
The villains look fantastic. Mr. Freeze, interestingly enough, has a huge suit that reminds me of the Mr. Freeze suit from Batman and Robin. I apologize for even bringing THAT movie up, but the suit in that movie was still cool looking. Mr. Freeze looks menacing and sounds awesome with the voice talents of Maurice LaMarche (the guy who was Brain in Pinky and the Brain and about a million different voices in Futurama!) Penguin looks viscious and cruel and is twice as ruthless, no doubt to overcome his own size. Twoface looks somewhere between The Animated Series version and the Dark Knight version. Then there's the unexpected appearance of Solomon Grundy who looks like a nightmarish Frankenstein's monster and who is even bigger than Killer Croc!
In summation, Arkahm City is anther step forward for an already revolutionary game franchise. There are the usual shortcomings, however. You may find yourself wandering around, not knowing what to do until you trigger the right event to move the game forward. Figuring out some of the new controls may be a chore even to veteran players. And the boss fights still feel like, well, boss fights. Run around, dodge attacks and wait for the inevitable weak point to expose itself. Standard video game stuff, really. Of course, that's just all part of the experience. If it was too easy we wouldn't enjoy it as much, would we?
There's no reason for anyone who liked Arkahm Asylum to not like this one. If you didn't like the first one then I don't know how I could recommend this to you. It's the same game, just much bigger. If you don't like sandbox sandbox games and prefer something linear you can still focues on just the main mission. On the whole it's the same game, just with more stuff. That may be good news to some and bad news for others. For fans of the first, it definitely delivers. We finally got the new Batman Game, now just three more weeks til Skyrim!
**Update**
Some people may compare this game's story, not unjustly, to Escape from NewYork. Maybe they're just nitpicking, though. Even if that's the case, there are still plenty of twists and turns to keep players genuinely surprised right up until they get to of the end main mission.
I'm afraid I can't comment much on DLC since they have it in such a way that different people get different things. I've heard after a certain point, though, we'll all be able to download the same content...for a price.
Friday, August 25, 2000
Tales of the Abyss review | 8.0
While the Tales series isn't nearly as big as other series (namely Final Fantasy), it's still a particularly fun and satisfying game to play. For one, the Tales series has always been able to bring about fantastic gameplay and expansive worlds. While the stories sometimes seem generic they're brilliantly told with fantastic characters. Tales of the Abyss is the latest in the series and needless to say, if you liked Tales of Legendia or even the far superior (and arguably best) Tales of Symphonia, you'll more than likely enjoy this game.
Tales of the Abyss follows Luke Von Fabre. A spoiled rich kid who is busy trying to regain his memories. He was kidnapped seven years ago and can't remember a thing from before then. He's cooped up in a manor, though, and is restricted from leaving. During a training session with his master Van, someone breaks into the manor and attempts to kill him. When Luke steps up to defend his master, the two are suddenly teleported to a different location. It would be pretty basic... if you didn't meet such entertaining characters along the way. Just the same, the dialog is really clever, witty and full of humor. Simply put, you'll have a ball with these characters as they go off and save the world. It overall makes what would've been a generic story very interesting. Not only that, but there are several plot twists. Many of which you won't see coming.
Needless to say it's pretty standard stuff that you'd find yourself getting into some battles. It is, after all, an RPG. Tales of the Abyss has the best battle system in the entire series. It's far more expansive and free.
Battles are pretty much free roam. It's much faster and more intense than turn based combat. At first it's pretty simple stuff. You control one character while the AI controls the other three. Usually in a game when the AI controls the characters it's not a good thing. In the Tales of the Abyss, it's not only a good thing, but easy to tweak with as well. You can change the settings if need be to the point where characters won't waste their tech points so fast, or maybe you want them to focus primarily on attacking all together. Either way, the AI works rather well for this game.
While in battle you can use artes. These are your characters special attacks and techs. You can also string them together all you want as you get further in the game. Characters have their own unique artes, and they have quite a bit of them. This makes battling rather fun. Another great aspect of Tales of the Abyss is that up to four people can play by using a multi-tap.
The game is not an easy game, however. Many boss battles are a pain and even some normal battles can throw you for a loop. Even if you feel you're not being challenged enough, you can change the difficulty level whenever you want. Upon completing the game once even more difficulty levels are unlocked.
Everything about the battle system is pretty simple stuff. There is first the field of fonons. Fonons are the elemental factors at work. When a character cast a spell of a certain fonon a field will appear where the spell struck. Characters can then use these field of fonons for certain artes to perform a much more devastating attack.
There are also Capacity Cores for your characters. You can equip them to certain artes and abilities go to work. For example, you can power up an arte, or make it cost less MP. Some will even allow you to steal or make the effects of certain status artes last longer.
Perhaps the best part about Tales of the Abyss is that it's overall a huge game. Almost everywhere you go is filled with secrets. The main quest alone will keep you busy for hours. Even when it comes to secrets, you'll have to play through the game a second time to unearth them all. This easily makes the game over 100 hours long in and of itself. Tales of the Abyss is filled with as many secrets as any Final Fantasy game.
The voice acting is fantastic. It's lively, full of heart. Even the moments where it's not to the best of it's abilities, the voice acting is good. A lot of the music in Tales of the Abyss is forgettable. Battle themes are really good and catchy, but on the field there's nothing you'll be humming any time soon.
I wish I could tell you the graphics were absolutely fantastic. They're not, unfortunately. Many of the environments are vague. When playing on an HD television the games rougher edges really come out. For a late generation PS2 RPG, Tales of the Abyss is just not pretty to look at. The load times between battles are also very annoying.
At the very least, however, Tales of the Abyss is an exciting RPG filled with secrets, side quests, and tons of likeable characters. Any RPGer would be proud to have it.
The Good
+The characters really bring the story to life. The story itself is basic, but with these characters it become interesting
+The battle system is fast and addictive with lots of interesting aspects
+Great voice acting
+Great dialog and sense of humor
The Bad
-Horrendous Load times
-Some of the graphics could use a touch up
-Battle themes are good, but the rest of the soundtrack is forgettable
Tales of the Abyss follows Luke Von Fabre. A spoiled rich kid who is busy trying to regain his memories. He was kidnapped seven years ago and can't remember a thing from before then. He's cooped up in a manor, though, and is restricted from leaving. During a training session with his master Van, someone breaks into the manor and attempts to kill him. When Luke steps up to defend his master, the two are suddenly teleported to a different location. It would be pretty basic... if you didn't meet such entertaining characters along the way. Just the same, the dialog is really clever, witty and full of humor. Simply put, you'll have a ball with these characters as they go off and save the world. It overall makes what would've been a generic story very interesting. Not only that, but there are several plot twists. Many of which you won't see coming.
Needless to say it's pretty standard stuff that you'd find yourself getting into some battles. It is, after all, an RPG. Tales of the Abyss has the best battle system in the entire series. It's far more expansive and free.
Battles are pretty much free roam. It's much faster and more intense than turn based combat. At first it's pretty simple stuff. You control one character while the AI controls the other three. Usually in a game when the AI controls the characters it's not a good thing. In the Tales of the Abyss, it's not only a good thing, but easy to tweak with as well. You can change the settings if need be to the point where characters won't waste their tech points so fast, or maybe you want them to focus primarily on attacking all together. Either way, the AI works rather well for this game.
While in battle you can use artes. These are your characters special attacks and techs. You can also string them together all you want as you get further in the game. Characters have their own unique artes, and they have quite a bit of them. This makes battling rather fun. Another great aspect of Tales of the Abyss is that up to four people can play by using a multi-tap.
The game is not an easy game, however. Many boss battles are a pain and even some normal battles can throw you for a loop. Even if you feel you're not being challenged enough, you can change the difficulty level whenever you want. Upon completing the game once even more difficulty levels are unlocked.
Everything about the battle system is pretty simple stuff. There is first the field of fonons. Fonons are the elemental factors at work. When a character cast a spell of a certain fonon a field will appear where the spell struck. Characters can then use these field of fonons for certain artes to perform a much more devastating attack.
There are also Capacity Cores for your characters. You can equip them to certain artes and abilities go to work. For example, you can power up an arte, or make it cost less MP. Some will even allow you to steal or make the effects of certain status artes last longer.
Perhaps the best part about Tales of the Abyss is that it's overall a huge game. Almost everywhere you go is filled with secrets. The main quest alone will keep you busy for hours. Even when it comes to secrets, you'll have to play through the game a second time to unearth them all. This easily makes the game over 100 hours long in and of itself. Tales of the Abyss is filled with as many secrets as any Final Fantasy game.
The voice acting is fantastic. It's lively, full of heart. Even the moments where it's not to the best of it's abilities, the voice acting is good. A lot of the music in Tales of the Abyss is forgettable. Battle themes are really good and catchy, but on the field there's nothing you'll be humming any time soon.
I wish I could tell you the graphics were absolutely fantastic. They're not, unfortunately. Many of the environments are vague. When playing on an HD television the games rougher edges really come out. For a late generation PS2 RPG, Tales of the Abyss is just not pretty to look at. The load times between battles are also very annoying.
At the very least, however, Tales of the Abyss is an exciting RPG filled with secrets, side quests, and tons of likeable characters. Any RPGer would be proud to have it.
The Good
+The characters really bring the story to life. The story itself is basic, but with these characters it become interesting
+The battle system is fast and addictive with lots of interesting aspects
+Great voice acting
+Great dialog and sense of humor
The Bad
-Horrendous Load times
-Some of the graphics could use a touch up
-Battle themes are good, but the rest of the soundtrack is forgettable
Thursday, August 24, 2000
Borderlands PS3 review | 8.0
this is my first review, hope it's helpful (feel free to leave a comment and tell me what i did wrong/right). anyway, on with the amateur ramblings!
when i first saw the trailers for Borderlands a couple of months ago, i said to myself "that looks amazing (in both the graphical and gameplay departments), but it seems to be trying way too hard". i also thought it looked like what Fallout 3 would've been if it was a FPS with RPG elements as opposed to the RPG with FPS view that it is.
as a bit of side information, i got Killzone 2 a week ago and have been playing it nonstop. i've already beaten it twice and i've spent pretty much every waking moment (to my girlfriend's annoyance) playing the campaign or the multiplayer. when i woke up today there was a delivery on my stoop. i told myself i'd open up Borderlands first (i also bought Resistance 2 and a few old school PS1 games (FFIX!)) and play it til the first save or checkpoint. this was at 11am, i'm writing this review at 11:30pm and save for going to dinner with my friends and dropping my sister off at the dorms, i've played the entire time. this game is just that engrossing and sheer fun
i don't think i can explain exactly what makes Borderlands so fantastic... there's just something about it. reviews i had seen on a few sites said that it takes a while for the game to get going and that by the 10th hour or so it really starts to be fun. well, if the game gets much more fun than this, it will be close to my game of the year. everything about Borderlands oozes style and love (meaning you can just tell how much the developers cared about this project). the pacing of the game is fantastic, the difficulty is a little up there, but it works and is never frustrating. the controls are spot on as far as responsiveness, but some of the button mapping is a bit strange (who maps fire to L2? and there doesn't seem to be a way to change it). the AI is fantastic with weapon-based enemies finding anyplace they can to duck behind and fire for cover, while the dog like creatures just get right up in your face. this can be frustrating, but it really makes you feel good when you finally blast them away.
the RPG elements are just kinda... there. while i don't think they detract from the game, i also think that they could have been implemented differently without the overall game changing on a base level. that being said, Borderlands does a great job of Diablo style leveling-up. part of the reason i couldn't stop playing is cause you're ALWAYS building up your character in some small way. it's just incredibly addictive and fulfilling. the one minor nitpick that i can throw in here is having to press square every. single. time. you wanna pick up an item. you can hold it down to pick up multiple items that are very close to each other, but you'll be pressing square A LOT. i know tehre's some things you might not want, but you spend so much time in your inventory screen anyway, they may as well have made it so you just run over something to grab it.
Borderlands sells itself on the concept of it's "87 Bazillion Guns". i've heard real estimates that say there's at least a few hundred thousand and that sure seems to be true. you'll NEVER stumble on the same gun twice. it's both a good and bad thing. obviously it's fun to try out all sorts of different combinations, but a lot more often than you'd like, you'll wind up with a weapon that, while not useless, is just pretty lame and underpowered. when you do find that perfect sniper rifle that shoots lighting, has a 500-round clip and a 120x zoom (just as one of soooo many examples), it'll all be so very worthwhile.
the rest of my nitpicks, and by the way, that's all they are, cause i don't see a single legitimate big complaint with this game, would be as follows: while the game looks cool in it's own way, it think it's almost like a cop-out art style, maybe they didn't feel like doing textures or something. there's also severe framerate issues where you're in the middle of large battles. the vehicles, which make getting around so much easier,don't handle good at all and you get less Exp when you kill an enemy with your car as opposed to being on foot. i wish there were large online multiplayer deathmatches and CoF battles and the like. i'll have to check out the online "duels" at some point, see if they almost make up for that.
when you get right down to it though, this is just an amazing game all around. the graphics have a sheen and polish that not many games have (it's fun to see little HP numbers rolling off someone as you shoot them in the face). i still think Borderlands is trying a bit too hard to be "cool" in the way a Tarentino or Guy Ritchie movie would be, but it just works anyway (much like a Guy Ritchie movie haha). in the end there's just something about Borderlands, some intangible quality, that makes it such a worthwhile experience. i haven't played the online co-op yet, so i can't speak to that, but the single player is one hell of a ride. the areas might all look a tad samey, there's only four character classes to choose from. the driving physics are pretty bad and there's not much variety in your enemies. thing is, none of that matters, Borderlands is amazing in spite of all of it's very minor flaws.
if you've ever liked an FPS, if you've ever liked level-up-fests like Diablo, etc, hell, even if you wanted more action from Fallout 3, you owe it to yourself to at least give Borderlands a chance. this, along with Killzone 2, BlazBlue, Uncharted 2, Dirt 2 (and i can only assume the new Ratchet and Clank game) is one of the top 5 best games of 2009. there's a damn good chance that this game is considerably better than any other videogame you're looking to get on Amazon... pick Borderlands immediately. you won't be let down.
when i first saw the trailers for Borderlands a couple of months ago, i said to myself "that looks amazing (in both the graphical and gameplay departments), but it seems to be trying way too hard". i also thought it looked like what Fallout 3 would've been if it was a FPS with RPG elements as opposed to the RPG with FPS view that it is.
as a bit of side information, i got Killzone 2 a week ago and have been playing it nonstop. i've already beaten it twice and i've spent pretty much every waking moment (to my girlfriend's annoyance) playing the campaign or the multiplayer. when i woke up today there was a delivery on my stoop. i told myself i'd open up Borderlands first (i also bought Resistance 2 and a few old school PS1 games (FFIX!)) and play it til the first save or checkpoint. this was at 11am, i'm writing this review at 11:30pm and save for going to dinner with my friends and dropping my sister off at the dorms, i've played the entire time. this game is just that engrossing and sheer fun
i don't think i can explain exactly what makes Borderlands so fantastic... there's just something about it. reviews i had seen on a few sites said that it takes a while for the game to get going and that by the 10th hour or so it really starts to be fun. well, if the game gets much more fun than this, it will be close to my game of the year. everything about Borderlands oozes style and love (meaning you can just tell how much the developers cared about this project). the pacing of the game is fantastic, the difficulty is a little up there, but it works and is never frustrating. the controls are spot on as far as responsiveness, but some of the button mapping is a bit strange (who maps fire to L2? and there doesn't seem to be a way to change it). the AI is fantastic with weapon-based enemies finding anyplace they can to duck behind and fire for cover, while the dog like creatures just get right up in your face. this can be frustrating, but it really makes you feel good when you finally blast them away.
the RPG elements are just kinda... there. while i don't think they detract from the game, i also think that they could have been implemented differently without the overall game changing on a base level. that being said, Borderlands does a great job of Diablo style leveling-up. part of the reason i couldn't stop playing is cause you're ALWAYS building up your character in some small way. it's just incredibly addictive and fulfilling. the one minor nitpick that i can throw in here is having to press square every. single. time. you wanna pick up an item. you can hold it down to pick up multiple items that are very close to each other, but you'll be pressing square A LOT. i know tehre's some things you might not want, but you spend so much time in your inventory screen anyway, they may as well have made it so you just run over something to grab it.
Borderlands sells itself on the concept of it's "87 Bazillion Guns". i've heard real estimates that say there's at least a few hundred thousand and that sure seems to be true. you'll NEVER stumble on the same gun twice. it's both a good and bad thing. obviously it's fun to try out all sorts of different combinations, but a lot more often than you'd like, you'll wind up with a weapon that, while not useless, is just pretty lame and underpowered. when you do find that perfect sniper rifle that shoots lighting, has a 500-round clip and a 120x zoom (just as one of soooo many examples), it'll all be so very worthwhile.
the rest of my nitpicks, and by the way, that's all they are, cause i don't see a single legitimate big complaint with this game, would be as follows: while the game looks cool in it's own way, it think it's almost like a cop-out art style, maybe they didn't feel like doing textures or something. there's also severe framerate issues where you're in the middle of large battles. the vehicles, which make getting around so much easier,don't handle good at all and you get less Exp when you kill an enemy with your car as opposed to being on foot. i wish there were large online multiplayer deathmatches and CoF battles and the like. i'll have to check out the online "duels" at some point, see if they almost make up for that.
when you get right down to it though, this is just an amazing game all around. the graphics have a sheen and polish that not many games have (it's fun to see little HP numbers rolling off someone as you shoot them in the face). i still think Borderlands is trying a bit too hard to be "cool" in the way a Tarentino or Guy Ritchie movie would be, but it just works anyway (much like a Guy Ritchie movie haha). in the end there's just something about Borderlands, some intangible quality, that makes it such a worthwhile experience. i haven't played the online co-op yet, so i can't speak to that, but the single player is one hell of a ride. the areas might all look a tad samey, there's only four character classes to choose from. the driving physics are pretty bad and there's not much variety in your enemies. thing is, none of that matters, Borderlands is amazing in spite of all of it's very minor flaws.
if you've ever liked an FPS, if you've ever liked level-up-fests like Diablo, etc, hell, even if you wanted more action from Fallout 3, you owe it to yourself to at least give Borderlands a chance. this, along with Killzone 2, BlazBlue, Uncharted 2, Dirt 2 (and i can only assume the new Ratchet and Clank game) is one of the top 5 best games of 2009. there's a damn good chance that this game is considerably better than any other videogame you're looking to get on Amazon... pick Borderlands immediately. you won't be let down.
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