tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40326230403822635902024-03-19T05:50:11.226-04:00Confessions of [+_ _ A B]utton MasherMarcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-36884901117705766942021-02-06T19:38:00.006-05:002022-01-12T16:20:41.234-05:00Review: Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm & Exercise (Nintendo Switch) (Updated)<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QH5GloicHm0/YB80tfBR4jI/AAAAAAAAB4M/VFS2Z5kWmFY75xkeD2ovT6Ga9eL3uiRxgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/fitness-boxing-2-rae.original.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QH5GloicHm0/YB80tfBR4jI/AAAAAAAAB4M/VFS2Z5kWmFY75xkeD2ovT6Ga9eL3uiRxgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/fitness-boxing-2-rae.original.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">By it's own merits <i>Fitness Boxing 2</i> can't hold out against the fitness giant that is <i>Ring Fit Adventures</i>,
but it doesn't have to. It's not out there to be a major weight loss
tool and the overall game doesn't present itself as a tryhard. What it
does is in the very title: it's a score-based game that grades on how
accurate each punch and motion is performed to the beat of music. It's
simplistic in it's nature but can be a beast that will bite if pushed
too hard. Out of curiosity, I played the easiest exercise on No Mercy
difficulty with the song in fast mode. Needless to say it kicked me as I
went down. Each jab, straight, uppercut, hook, and every other motion
is scored on how accurately timed each punch is thrown, it all comes
together in a fun way that will leave you wanting to play more to get a
better score.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PduvhC1tHBY/YB808wZep6I/AAAAAAAAB4Y/N3ifbfJzQQcAb_kmjuEmIS-KdsMS5s5TwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/2021020616485400-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PduvhC1tHBY/YB808wZep6I/AAAAAAAAB4Y/N3ifbfJzQQcAb_kmjuEmIS-KdsMS5s5TwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/2021020616485400-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Before and after each daily exercise, the game has the player warm up by
doing various stretches. Halfway through each exercise the game
switches from Orthodox footing (left foot forward) to Southpaw (right
foot forward) and repeats the punches and motions, so rather than just
working one side of the body the game evens out the actions on both and
pushes the player to stay on guard with how certain punches are thrown.
There is an option for free exercising which lets the player pick which
routines they want to perform, several can be added to a list for a
complete workout, this doesn't include the stretching which is an
integral part of a workout. Instrumental versions of songs such as <i>It's My Life</i> by Bon Jovi, <i>Hot N Cold</i> by Katy Perry, and <i>Venus</i> by Bananarama are played during exercises and can be sped up to twice the speed for an added challenge. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In-game achievements are awarded for various things such as working out
10 times with a certain instructor, unlocking all the music tracks,
throwing 5,000 perfect punches, and even stretching a certain number of
times. These achievements grant you tickets that are used to unlock new
clothes for the instructors, adding a bit more depth of customization.
From a small, thin-framed girl to a hulking weightlifter, there's a
choice of nine instructors to serve as a guide and can be switched from
the main menu. The instructors themselves are nicely modeled in variety
and aren't overbearing, they never get caustic over a missed punch and
offer encouragement at all times. With the customization options of
clothes, skin tones, hair, and even eye colors, they can be personalized
to suit anyone's tastes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gUZNcoZJLU/YB81LEJtGsI/AAAAAAAAB4k/WwIQV1bdMq0cRDyNNPT6rpcCz5UEcwi2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/2021012909592200-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gUZNcoZJLU/YB81LEJtGsI/AAAAAAAAB4k/WwIQV1bdMq0cRDyNNPT6rpcCz5UEcwi2QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/2021012909592200-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The game uses a <i>Fitness Age</i> calculator which tallies up the
perfect and OK hits, and takes into account the misses to determine just
how well you moved during the workout session. It mentions a few times
that it's not a way to gauge how fit you are in real life. The fitness
age also doesn't determine which exercises you do and the game will have
you on a steady course to unlock the harder routines. The biggest sin
that the game performs is that it doesn't take your height and weight
into account when doing certain exercises. If you're overweight and
can't move well, it will have you doing ducks and dodges on day 6 of the
dailies, leaving it feeling a bit impersonal with how it handles each
player.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTmyfOKSwr8/YB81Vt2AEyI/AAAAAAAAB4s/5HJA7bqBBk4SMcYPF5QEYkcZCFwluA7kwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/2021020520124000-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KTmyfOKSwr8/YB81Vt2AEyI/AAAAAAAAB4s/5HJA7bqBBk4SMcYPF5QEYkcZCFwluA7kwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/2021020520124000-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;">As with <i>every</i> game, there are downsides and they are scattered
throughout, not just in the gameplay itself. For starters, there will be
a lot of times when punches don't connect with the timing. This is due
in part to the Switch controller itself: it has trouble recognizing
motions coming so soon one after another, it's most noticeable on the
harder difficulties where the action can be almost nonstop. The game
doesn't berate you for missing these but it does affect the overall
score and Fitness Age.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">There is a certain lag in performance when the game starts issuing
combos to be thrown at the halfway and end points of each exercise.
Originally the game lagged overall and timing was slowed down but after
the last patch the timing was increased, so now punches need to be
thrown faster. As of writing this review, a perfect balance will have to
come at a later date. Another problem comes with just how repetitive it
can get after just one month. There are only 20 licensed instrumental
songs, 3 originals, and 5 backgrounds to choose from This can easily be
fixed by adding DLC but that possibility remains to be seen.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J36qGOCDXGc/YB81o7p8zCI/AAAAAAAAB44/g3QBEmAxemM1pFYDYaErBIXMKFo85q66wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/2021020111523000-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J36qGOCDXGc/YB81o7p8zCI/AAAAAAAAB44/g3QBEmAxemM1pFYDYaErBIXMKFo85q66wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/2021020111523000-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Another problem with the Switch controllers and recognizing motions is
that it doesn't understand full body movements, so things such as
ducking, dodging, and foot movements aren't translated unless you move
the controllers to match these motions. In an effort to counter this,
Imagineer added in the options a selection screen where automatic
scoring can be turned on for these full body movements and even for the
punches if those are too hard for some players. It feels like a cheap
way to get past but at the same time it's almost necessary after you
realize that, like I said, the Switch controllers don't recognize full
body movements.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-frSPZDv1dkg/YB82LtGJtoI/AAAAAAAAB5M/mJjxI_FZzX89fByvK-oMGCSragFZMSKygCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/2021020111522200-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-frSPZDv1dkg/YB82LtGJtoI/AAAAAAAAB5M/mJjxI_FZzX89fByvK-oMGCSragFZMSKygCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/2021020111522200-50311348FAD42346F7EA7100A31B9680.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The biggest overall problem is "the entire game" itself. From many other
reviews you'll find that this is almost the exact same game as the
first with a few added bits. What could have been DLC to make the first
game a richer experience is instead packaged as a new $50 (USD) entry to
the series (something I've spoken about my disdain for <a href="https://bigmercenary.blogspot.com/2014/01/reviewcontrol-freak-armored-core.html">in the past</a>). It's a steep asking price but if you want to wait for it to
go on sale, then don't bother. If you're not serious enough about
exercising that you want to wait just to save a few dollars then that
money would be better spent on a gym membership. It's not so much a game
as it is a tool that can be used if you're looking to get more movement
in your daily life or to finally start a fitness routine. It's not a
bad game, but looking at the overall package it becomes apparent that
it's not really needed when there are other tools out there that do
things better. Ambition alone is not enough.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Keep Playing.</span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">UPDATE (v1.1.0):<br />Imagineer has addressed some of the previously
mention concerns and have two graphical options: light stage animations
which means no visual overload from the background, as well as simpl,
which uses the background from the main menu. Bigger icon sizes as well
as the combo lane are now a pinkish color instead of yellow (which
blended in with several stages). "Punches Thrown" has been changed to
"Number of Actions." These are welcome changes and improve the
accessibility even further for those who struggled before. A new
trainer, Guy, has been added for free as well as the original Japanese
VOs for each trainer. The paid DLC music pack 1 sounds akin to music
heard in a DDR game while the second music pack features themes based on
the trainers and is a welcome variety. <br />While the game could still
use a few more personalization aspects, these updates prove that the
devs have listened to feedback. It can only get better from here.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></div>Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-80304764623039580632019-10-24T02:26:00.002-04:002019-10-24T02:43:59.977-04:00V-Rally 4 Review<div style="text-align: justify;">
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It's unfortunate that I should have to tell people to people to avoid this game even though it can be enjoyed somehow. What's presented is a very fun and challenging rally racing game with changing physics for separate event types that keeps the players on their toes, but it's severely ham-stringed by a difficulty setting that is almost impossible to win against when set to the default. It's great for anyone who's a fan of rally racing games but not so much for anyone else. </div>
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To those of us who do enjoy the off-road sport, <i>V-Rally 4</i> is a decent game with solid racing but not much else to speak of. The metagame of managing a team and budget adds a realistic but somewhat unwelcome touch by charging thousands of dollars to maintain operations. It feels very hands off but is unavoidably necessary to upgrade vehicles in order to even stand a chance at a podium finish. Higher level mechanics, researchers, and a PR agents must be added to get better parts and access to higher paying events. Car upgrades come sparsely and are unlocked per days raced as opposed to an XP system, it also forces the player to manage the budget: will a car upgrade help now or would it be better save up for a new car for higher level races? It hardly matters because the AI is constantly overwhelming if not adjusted and even at the default difficulty setting it seems to be hard to keep up even when pushing the cars to their limits. Lowering the difficulty feels no better when things seem to be going well in a race only to somehow find yourself in 9th place at the very end. Lowering the difficulty lowers your overall prize money so the unhealthy balance of risk vs reward has no appeal.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The changing physics happen with each and every race and event type. The rally racing is the most diverse between dry asphalt, snowy roads, sand, and more. Buggy racing hardly feels any different when powering through water or sand but recovering from a large jump can be unpredictable. Gymkhana is on dry asphalt but you're expected to drift through hairpin turns, often times with a FWD car. Hill climb is the fastest on dry asphalt and can be tricky with unexpected turns and no pace notes to guide the player.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wlK6O6CWuQo/XbErPNzdGYI/AAAAAAAABTw/yPLi84mNOBUl8kDYghrT2wvJ5kyjblhbgCEwYBhgL/s1600/20190522011717_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wlK6O6CWuQo/XbErPNzdGYI/AAAAAAAABTw/yPLi84mNOBUl8kDYghrT2wvJ5kyjblhbgCEwYBhgL/s640/20190522011717_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The game has a distinct lack of personality and design-wise is very boring. The in-game UI is dull and there is no flare or excitement when pulling off a perfectly executed handbrake turn around a hairpin or landing on all four tires from a jump is met with no excitement or reaction. It features a very basic photo mode that only angles and zooms the camera, nothing more. (The screenshots in this review were taken by me.)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The locales are gorgeous and light rays, grass, water reflections, and dirt clouds make everything look amazing and is the best part of the game. However there's a big lack of variety in regards to the amount of cars and
tracks available and racing the same places over
and over will become tiresome after just a few
hours. </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sound design has taken a hit with each engine sounding different from one another but not very powerful. There is no bass to the backfires, no <i>feeling</i> from the tires squealing, and no reaction from the crowds. Pace notes are accurate but not very detailed for the rapidly-changing rally events, even the co-driver sounds bored and not concerned with the racing. The only music is in the menus is same song repeated each time a race is finished.</div>
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If you've beaten the <i>WRC</i> games as well as the <i>DiRT</i> series then you'll find plenty of faults with <i>V-Rally 4</i> but you may also find enjoyment in the challenge. When compared to the other series it feels like a budget title which is a shame since the <i>V-Rally</i> series, which started as an offshoot from the <i>NFS</i> franchise, has a pedigree as far back as the first <i>Colin McRae Rally</i> on the PS1. It has changed developers and some ideas were gleaned from the others but nothing about this title pushes the limits of rally racing games or makes the player want to play more.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If an XP system that rewarded the player for drifts, speeds, jumps, etc had been added in exchange of team management, it would have given the game it's own personality. It would have added an arcade flair to a sim racing game. Instead it's hindered by copied ideas and a difficulty system that doesn't actually adjust. <i>V-Rally</i> could be better in the future but only time will tell.</div>
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Keep Playing</div>
Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-73247688100544506352019-10-02T22:12:00.003-04:002019-10-24T02:50:12.790-04:00Anthem Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<section class="userReview-body typography-format" itemprop="articleBody"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Anthem
</i>started out as a great game with plenty of things to do, places to
explore, enemies to take down, weapons to discover, a story of decent
length, and an endless possibility for the future. A brand new IP that could rival <i>Destiny</i> or <i>The Division</i> that immediately
fell apart after the first patch wherein weapon and loot levels were adjusted.
Suddenly it was difficult to find new weapons, and the ones in a player's possession were no longer as powerful as they once were.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then another patch, and low-level weapons were too powerful, and the better loot moved to the after-campaign missions.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then another patch and the weapons evened out and the loot was given freely to everyone.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then another patch and suddenly part of the loot disappeared.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then another and <i>another</i> and <i>another</i> and now no one has any idea just how powerful their weapons <i>actually </i>are.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3dkCl1wPl0/XZOlFyS77II/AAAAAAAABQ0/zzZkEX09W1Mq1kBmj4QAQCIpM283q4h6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_c06118a3-71a2-416a-b2d0-088054d37166.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s3dkCl1wPl0/XZOlFyS77II/AAAAAAAABQ0/zzZkEX09W1Mq1kBmj4QAQCIpM283q4h6wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_c06118a3-71a2-416a-b2d0-088054d37166.png" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite the overwhelming near-constant release of patches, <i>Anthem</i> is a good game. Plain and simple.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The currently unnamed planet that the game takes place on features amazing scenery divided into locales that unfortunately get tiresome after
the 10th hour or so when every nook and cranny has been explored. Caves that lead to dungeons which house hidden missions are sparse and are merely tantamount to hidden side quests. An invisible roof barrier and walls that time the player out keep anyone from truly exploring what at first looks like an open jungle. Fort Tarsis is vibrant and feels alive but barren with a lack of NPCs that were abundant in the first trailer shown at E3 2017. It may be improved upon if there are future expansions but only time will tell. Each dungeon and Cataclysm are unique and never copy-paste jobs of pre-made layouts.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Strongholds, Cataclysm events, agent
quests and contracts, and legendary contracts at first seem like they
would offer a wide variety of mission types but most are
seek-and-destroy, item collection, or task the player with fending off an attacking group of enemies.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It's not all hindered by BioWare's indecision
though. The main saving grace is the action itself: there are plenty of
fights to get into in the overworld during Freeplay and each one can last several
minutes, some may lead into a side quest wherein enemies must be defeated or an object must be located. Freeplay offers up the entire map for the player to explore with four others. You can group with random people and head out to cause trouble or simply hunt things down on your own. There are hundreds of lore items to find throughout the game that
build on the depth of the world that detail the various factions, creatures, and history. These appear in random places but are so rare and insignificant to the overall game that only someone looking to complete things 100% might care to find. </span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KMZw7c192V8/XZVT9yjP5aI/AAAAAAAABSI/8bew1N10KL8VDCpHUQoguY2webhjB0thwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_90433df5-7949-482e-bc6d-bdb121cc3913.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KMZw7c192V8/XZVT9yjP5aI/AAAAAAAABSI/8bew1N10KL8VDCpHUQoguY2webhjB0thwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_90433df5-7949-482e-bc6d-bdb121cc3913.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are six(!) different currencies within the game (unless you count two of them separately). Gold, weapon/javelin parts, compounds/alloys, embers, crystals, and shards that must be bought with real money. Gold and shards are used to buy emotes, armor packs, textures, and decals but gold must be grinded for which can potentially take hours and sometimes days to attain. Weapon and Javelin parts are used for crafting blueprints which are obtained by finding new weapons. Compounds and alloys are used with shards to craft mods for weapons and Javelin parts. Crystals were introduced in the cataclysm update and may disappear, much like another past currency did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are four Javelin types to choose from: Ranger offers the most balance, Colossus brings heavy armor and shields, Storm can attack enemies with elemental powers, and Interceptor being the fastest but most frail. Each part of these can be visually customized to the players choosing, from armor sets to paint and decals. One of the main attractions to <i>Anthem</i> is the ability to fly; each Javelin can go a considerable distance on it's own and when cooled by flying through a waterfall, making an immediate descent, or flying low to a water source can prolong the overheating.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Customization options for the Javelins are lackluster and, as I said, gold must be
grinded for <i>days</i> to have enough for a decal, a pack of armor, or even an
emote. Weapons must also be grinded for in all areas with the best
appearing at complete random (I received a Legendary pistol from Free Play) and are not guaranteed after completing a high-level mission.
After the main campaign, the contracts become repetitive and, aside from
strongholds and Cataclysm, are one of the few things to do to keep players interested for just a little bit longer.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-meFKnDBuZd0/XZOtTF-jvYI/AAAAAAAABRo/P0cirp-DIJc9VgV7jlyMwPuL3rA9EwVugCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_77a00aff-0f85-46a0-81e9-88045a9a0929.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-meFKnDBuZd0/XZOtTF-jvYI/AAAAAAAABRo/P0cirp-DIJc9VgV7jlyMwPuL3rA9EwVugCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_77a00aff-0f85-46a0-81e9-88045a9a0929.png" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Audio quality is top notch with the main star being the guns and explosions. From the lowly pistols to the heavy machine guns, each one packs a punch and feels powerful. The sounds of the Javelin are clear as day when running through the jungle or flying. The jungle creatures, waterfalls, the ambience of Anthem tech, and even the enemies have all been given special attention. NPC interactions in Fort Tarsis sound like natural conversations and the voice actors perform excellently (Sentinel Bren is
adorable, fight me). There are many characters to meet and all of them offer different context choices when speaking with them, there is no right or wrong way and they all lead to a mission.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iMV4lrEpHwU/XZOlRtfDEcI/AAAAAAAABQ4/eVnSOV--TOo4VRPj0cBHZYeEMt_MBHQHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/xtxdf%2Bczsdsf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iMV4lrEpHwU/XZOlRtfDEcI/AAAAAAAABQ4/eVnSOV--TOo4VRPj0cBHZYeEMt_MBHQHQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/xtxdf%2Bczsdsf.png" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was an Anthem apologist for a long time, I only looked
at the good parts of this game and tried to tell people to only focus
on those, but those good parts only go so far and after each patch has
further twisted the overall gameplay, I can no longer tell people to
focus on just that. It clocks in around 50 hours of play time and easily recommendable to anyone who loves the the shoot-and-loot trend.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anthem isn't a bad game by any stretch, it's just hindered by some initial poor design choices that have since been repaired while others have been made more complicated. Until BioWare releases an expansion the audience for this title shrinks
daily and that is unfortunate since there is a massive amount of
potential that would keep people coming back for years.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep Playing </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--zHdCL0vqC4/XZOmwIZ6yAI/AAAAAAAABRU/lEoXwsFUWBgCI6mcVU3GE4qDFBwkiEavwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ezgif-4-07f9e414c71f.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--zHdCL0vqC4/XZOmwIZ6yAI/AAAAAAAABRU/lEoXwsFUWBgCI6mcVU3GE4qDFBwkiEavwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ezgif-4-07f9e414c71f.gif" /></a></div>
</div>
</section>Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-32296230048577129562019-10-01T15:08:00.001-04:002019-10-24T02:52:00.209-04:00Sebastien Loeb Rally EVO Review<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lcq4gO7heOo/XbFIWkMu2TI/AAAAAAAABUQ/hxcfVXzkBNQxfmpvom-DA8bIBc_6xOIaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/387680-sebastien-loeb-rally-evo-xbox-one-front-cover.png.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lcq4gO7heOo/XbFIWkMu2TI/AAAAAAAABUQ/hxcfVXzkBNQxfmpvom-DA8bIBc_6xOIaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/387680-sebastien-loeb-rally-evo-xbox-one-front-cover.png.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If the WRC and DiRT series could be compared to Gran Turismo and Forza, then Sebastien Loeb Rally EVO could be compared to <a data-ref-id="5000-2429" href="https://www.gamespot.com/driving-emotion-type-s/"><i>Driving Emotion Type-S</i></a>:
a one-off game from SquareEnix (back then just SquareSoft) that may
have looked decent given the initial reviews, but once played the
disaster that it truly is becomes apparent. It can't hold it's own
against the bigger titles and is left on the shelves or in the cloud as a forgotten
regrettable purchase. Developer Milestone has been around since the 90s
and have worked on the WRC series in the past and is currently the developer of the MotoGP series which proves they have some knowledge
when it comes to sim racing, it's just surprising to see how mediocre
<i>Rally EVO</i> truly is. It seems to have hit a bump and crashed headfirst into some trees.</div>
<br />
<section class="userReview-body typography-format" itemprop="articleBody">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3hOhZRAtk_w/XZOdzFnFymI/AAAAAAAABQY/hKij9rf131ctGTCFfuH8GtpKBrMmwlMtACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/S%25C3%25A9bastien%2BLoeb%2BRally%2BEVO.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3hOhZRAtk_w/XZOdzFnFymI/AAAAAAAABQY/hKij9rf131ctGTCFfuH8GtpKBrMmwlMtACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/S%25C3%25A9bastien%2BLoeb%2BRally%2BEVO.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The
first and immediate problem are the physics that seem to toe the line
between reality and arcade: it's hard to understand just how they work
and even when you think you understand them, the game seems to change with each and
every car and surface. RWD cars slide violently from the back when braking while 4WD cars seem to
lose the ability to steer altogether when the brakes are pressed. Thankfully options such as traction and stability controls can be adjusted from the menus even during a race. Wonky physics aside, the game has a rewind function that allows to undo some mistakes. These are limited in the number of uses for each race and have a time limit before being able to be used again so crashing so soon after using one can be frustrating.<br />
The
variety of race types is commendable but some of them are absolutely
useless in the overall package of this being a rally game. Modes such as Sector racing, which has you racing to be the fastest driver in a sector on a single race track, can last less than three minutes. Elimination races are something you'd expect to find in an arcade racing game. The rally stages are the best and there's a huge variety to the courses, with changing surface types. Speaking of, the career mode feels
more like an arcade mode by jumping from event to event being broken up by classes for each car type. The
Loeb Experience portion of the game does the same thing but is unlocked by climbing higher on the reputation ladder. All
the while there are no end-race consequences for damage so you don't have to
worry about paying for repairs, you can use those credits to buy new cars and
keep going. It all adds up to a game with $30 worth of quality and
content that retailed for $60 at launch.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is nothing steady about the overall game when you have to remember how to drive a RWD car on the snow in one race to a 4WD car on dry pavement in another. </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uqwVOCPQlXY/XZOd8IgggRI/AAAAAAAABQc/nwhdcmD5CPwiwRX5axyOKYbOf5o_jnUGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uqwVOCPQlXY/XZOd8IgggRI/AAAAAAAABQc/nwhdcmD5CPwiwRX5axyOKYbOf5o_jnUGwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Each stage and locale are
detailed to be as realistic as possible and feature some of the courses from the official WRC calendar, but there's no pizzazz behind
it, all the colors feel muted and the scenery feels lifeless. In spite of that, the light rays,
reflections, and shadows are excellently placed and reflect nicely off of the car and bodies of water or ice. I use the first screenshot as a Facebook banner and one of my relatives thought it was a real
picture.<br />
Each car sounds unique and the backfire from the more powerful vehicles have a nice bass to them. Pacenotes seem to go an extra mile in the wrong direction
compared to other games and the co-driver sounds like a robot. Even counting down at the start of a race you can hear him say "Go?"
There are audio hiccups and more than once while playing, the co-driver switched to a completely different language. Several times there are audio clips of Sebastien Loeb speaking to the player in the career mode only it's not
really him. Loeb is French and has an accent, the man in the recording
is purely American </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H7wqaUefc3M/XZOeEeavMGI/AAAAAAAABQk/E-YzaRxw5gwjICBvWSFvMskwMfu-W6sdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/S%25C3%25A9bastien%2BLoeb%2BRally%2BEVO%2B%25284%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H7wqaUefc3M/XZOeEeavMGI/AAAAAAAABQk/E-YzaRxw5gwjICBvWSFvMskwMfu-W6sdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/S%25C3%25A9bastien%2BLoeb%2BRally%2BEVO%2B%25284%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Every once in a while a game comes along that
has some competence: it "works well" but for some unexplained reason all
of it comes together in a big mess of slush that gets pushed to the
side in favor of a more well-established series of games. For those who
don't know, Sebastien Loeb currently has the most victories in the WRC:
77 wins according to the <a data-target="true" href="https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/drivers/legends/legend/s%C3%A9bastien-loeb/page/894-94-894--.html?h=legends/2" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">website</a> (for comparison, <a data-target="true" href="https://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/drivers/legends/legend/colin-mcrae/page/894-94-894--.html?h=legends/3508" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">McRae</a>
only has 25), so a man of such importance should have had a better game
than this. I didn't expect Colin Mcrae Rally series level of quality but if I'm being honest I'd like to see another developer
take over this title and try something new.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Keep Playing</div>
</section>Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-61681446333090047242016-01-26T18:34:00.002-05:002016-01-27T22:28:03.141-05:00Unpublished blog: Collect or Evolve: A Gamer's Dilemma<div align="JUSTIFY">
This is an unpublished blog from 20XX. To be honest I forget when exactly I had started writing it but figured I would finish it eventually and, occasionally touching it up, wanted it to be my debut blog on TheBGB.com. Unfortunately I never did get around to finishing it but continued to try. I have resisted the urge to touch things up so this is the unedited and very unpolished version of something that might have been. And for the record: my current collection sits at over 600 games right now.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Displayed
in my room on three bookshelves is the bulk of my gaming collection.
Over 300 games ranging from PC to Neo Geo Pocket Color, from Xbox One
to Sega Saturn. PS1, 3DS, and even N-Gage. Due to a lack of space my
Genesis, N64, and Atari games are boxed away along with their
consoles. Every so often I drag them out when I get a new game and
play them for a little while, only to stick them with the rest and
probably never played again.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'm a
collector.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I wouldn't
consider myself a rare type of gamer since the popularity of
collecting has increased in the last few years. I can't begin to
think of how much money I've spent or the exact number of games
present as I always seem to miss a few when attempting to catalog
them, but I do know the number is over <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">5</span></span>00 according to some websites
I use, which also includes digital titles. I have all these games,
genres, and consoles to choose from but I never know what to play.
The depth of my backlog is truly in the hundreds. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've been
collecting for at least 9 years but the fascination with it grew when
Retro Hunters premiered. It was a YouTube show about two guys going
to flea markets looking for old games and good deals. It seemed like
a fun hobby to be a part of and I was fortunate enough to have a few
friends who liked the idea of "the hunt" as well. We've
never found anything truly rare aside from the occasional JRPG or
uncommon NES game. The only problem we've come across is that most
sellers just don't understand the value of some games. More than half
the prices are so outrageous that it may not be worth it to have the
game immediately. Old does not mean rare. Rare does not mean
expensive. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These
friends have also been ahead of me in terms of consoles. I was always
one of the last to have something new until recently when I took the
plunge and bought an Xbox One. I'm glad to see that the general
length of games has increased and most of them allow for weeks if not
months of interesting play. The constant online connection now allows
for true MMO-style games and better background downloads. The depth
and ability of things to do has greatly increased since the last
generation and the possibilities to create and publish your own games
are easier than ever before. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But for a
while I've felt that I've been at a crossroads as a gamer which I
could best simplify into one question: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Do
I continue to buy old games, building up a collection with stuff most
others have ignored, or do I evolve and focus more on the now?</b></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many
people I know would say I could do both but I would prefer to think
of the situation from a financial standpoint. I could spend $60 on
one new title or I could spend that on several classics. In my mind
there is no <i>need</i> <span style="font-style: normal;">for me to
have more games. Its not a collector's addiction. </span>Most of my
games, both old and new, are gathering dust, going untouched for
months. Even now there are several on these shelves that I could do
without. Games I don't think I'm going to play years down the road.
Some I've bought on a whim, thinking they'd be great, only to turn
out to be major letdowns. Others I've collected just to have, never
really bothering to play them or try them out. My top favorites
reside among the rest of them, alphabetically and separated by
console but not in any order. My DVDs and CDs are also on these
bookshelves and deep down it irritates me that they're taking up
space that could be used for the ones boxed away.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The last
time I purged my collection was <i>years </i><span style="font-style: normal;">ago
</span>when it reached 200 games total. I sold to EB Games what I
didn't want, didn't like, or never played anymore. I then used that
money to buy (then) newer games on Xbox and Gamecube. I regret
getting rid of a lot of them but now with access to Amazon and eBay,
the memories can be simply bought and sold. Which brings up another
question: <b>if I so readily sold those games long ago, why would I
want to own them again?</b></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are
several I'll never get rid of and a few that I've kept for the
longest time. Metroid II, for example, being one of them. The
internal battery still works and I have one save file on the
cartridge just before facing the Queen Metroid. The affection I have
for this game isn't just for nostalgic reasons; Metroid II helped
shape me as a gamer and I feel like I owe it to keep it around, even
though I have it on my 3DS as well. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Its the
few classic games that I still own that keep me coming back to them
years later that I feel like I could never get rid of. Those that I
did sell I still have fond memories of, but I've already experienced
what they've had to offer. Others, like Jersey Devil, I remember for
its difficult camera, awkward platforming, good animations, and
spooky soundtrack, but it was one of the first that I traded in. I
beat it after a couple weeks of play and just didn't find it
compelling enough to keep around, but at the same time I wish I had
it now so I could play it one more time.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile
the current console generation is having its gaps filled in by HD
remasters and Definitive Editions. Platinum-selling games that were
released near the opening of the new console cycle are up for
upscaling. Developers seem to be repeating games rather than putting
more effort towards new series entries or new IPs. It makes me wonder
how this generation will affect us as gamers. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Will
we look on the memories and experiences with fondness like we do our
old treasures or will it be seen as just another obstacle towards
more realistic graphics and new ways to </b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><b>not</b></i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>
press a button?</b></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Its hard
to get excited for new games when repackaging old product seems to be
acceptable to some publishers. Don't get me wrong: I think the
current selection and variety of original games is going strong but
its hard to ignore when walking into a game store yields more used
games of those who received the “HD Remastering” treatment.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I expect
it will be a "throw away" generation: one that we play and
get rid of, moving on to the next first person shooter or recycled
sports title. It will take the minds of a few new companies to push
the limits of capabilities. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>No
Man's </i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Sky
is one that will prove the technology is at height of expansiveness
for this generation. It'll be up to another company to come up with
something that can top it as we move forward. Mind</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
you I'm not saying the Big Three companies aren't trying but there
are suddenly a lot of upstarts with Android-powered systems,
pre-built PC gaming machines, and even the impending threat of Steam
becoming the fourth superpower in the industry. </span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rarest
and most valuable game in my collection is Einhander for the PS1. It
goes for about $70 on eBay and over $400 if still in shrinkwrap.
Meanwhile I have Vectorman for the Genesis, which I've had since its
release in 1995. It was one of the best games for the system and is
fondly remembered by all who played it, but averages an asking price
of $10 (unboxed) on eBay. So a <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">fourth</span> question: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>just
how valuable are all of my games? </b></span>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I suppose
it depends on how the word "value" is seen: it could be
defined as rarity due to a limited release or a wide publishing range
but still in high demand years later. Value has little to do with a
player's memories and more to do with a number on a website. I would
take Vectorman over Einhander any day. I can still lose myself
among the variety of levels but I know how to beat every boss because
I've learned their patterns. I thought playing through Einhander
would be awesome but its plagued by design issues like a small moving
area, major screen clutter, and more attention to atmosphere than to
gameplay. Remind me again why this goes for $400?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My
all-time favorite games aren't rare but I would rather keep them
around and keep enjoying them than spend $70 on a game that I'm not
going to bother trying to complete.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'll just
have to pick and choose my games more carefully in the future. I
don't expect to ever beat Shadowgate on the NES, or the recent PC
remastering anytime soon. Maybe I'm just hoping to collect a lot of
them then one day sell them all for some big bucks. Maybe one day
after I've retired and I've made some money after selling them I may
have time to sit and play. In the distant future I can retire from
working, sit at home, and finally try to beat the original
Shadowgate. Maybe I <i>can</i> evolve while being a retro collector.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Keep Playing.</span> </span>
</div>
</div>
Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-13460497373755383872015-08-03T23:31:00.004-04:002015-08-05T04:24:37.658-04:00SGC 2015But here's one more thing.<br />
<br />
Here's a video from SGC 2015. In all honesty I was hoping to end the blog <i>after</i> SGC but the Picasa error forced my hand.<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gp5Bhd8nILs" width="560"></iframe>Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-88978065701170335962015-07-12T03:05:00.000-04:002017-03-12T03:12:13.428-04:00Game Over. Thank You For Playing.As you may or may not have noticed that I haven't written anything within the past couple of months. Its with a heavy heart and clear mind that I write this, a final entry, into my much-ignored blog. After 5 long years, countless missed release dates, over 60 unpublished blogs, almost 10,000 views, and only 4 comments, I've decided to end things. I started writing in hopes to increase my proficiency, hoping one day to
get on with a major gaming site to write reviews for them. Now that
dream is non-existent. The word "journalist" has been tarnished.<br />
<br />
Gaming is no longer fun in many areas. The communities that sprung up in the early 00's are now defunct and
have been shut down for several years. People have moved towards
streaming and YouTubers only seem to be in it to get picked up by larger
companies. The deep-rooted movement of gaming culture going into streaming has left people a bit wary of buying games. Now instead of seeing gameplay videos they wait for their favorite streamer to play the game to see if its any good. Reviews and scores can no longer be trusted, and with the recent debacle of #Gamergate a lot of people have turned to hating reviewers because its the "in" thing to do. Journalists and reviewers who had nothing to do with the underlying problem of #Gamergate are being hated for their review scores of popular games, many games are released outright broken and deserving of low scores. But let's face it: unless you have a journalism degree, you can't get your foot in with major review sites, and unless you have thousands of dedicated readers, no independent site will proudly display your writing. No one has time to read detailed reviews, they'd rather watch them.<br />
<br />
Hype trains have derailed as $60 games only have $30 worth of on-disc content while DLC that costs $40 or more completes the experience. I'm not sorry to say: Destiny is only half of a game. Day one patches are commonplace and special editions charge more for season passes. Others have packed in much more content and didn't promise to "finish the fight" with 10 years worth of DLC on dying last gen systems. Size doesn't matter when more than half of the map area is unpopulated or has nothing to offer in terms of loot, things to see, or enemies to fight. Speaking with our wallets doesn't matter when there are 10 million other gamers who dive blindly into recycled IPs. <br />
<br />
There is no need for written reviews anymore. No one reads. No one shares. That's the sad truth. Feedback as to how to improve my writing style would have been greatly appreciated, but almost everything I wrote went unnoticed.<br />
<br />
People want to see and hear about a game.<br />
"Well why don't you buy the video capture equipment and quit complaining?"<br />
If it were that easy I would have done so long ago. There's this little thing called "LIFE" that gets in the way of that plan. Gaming is such a deep-rooted part of who I am that its become mostly what I know. I realized something a while back and to put it simply: I'm not interesting. I can't talk about politics, world news, or recent discoveries but I can talk about my opinions on games. I find that unacceptable in the grand scheme of things.<br />
<br />
After 15 years of calling myself a gamer, what do I have to show for it?<br />
<br />
I'm not going to stop playing games, but I have greatly slowed on my collecting. I've already sold off a small chunk of my collection, bringing it back below 600. I've wasted a ton of money on games that I don't even play. Games that I bought just to have, ones that would look good in a collection. Some I have no idea why the hell I spent so much money on.<br />
<br />
I have no plans for other projects or to keep writing reviews when they go unread. So with that, this blog has come to an end.<br />
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Keep Playing.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
- Garrett </div>
Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-78298319719230399372015-01-09T23:18:00.001-05:002015-08-03T16:25:48.940-04:00Preview: Hover: Revolt of Gamers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j8_liM2xjwM/VLCbTOGsbtI/AAAAAAAAA9I/S9fdIPO4dPU/s1600/f48c2f95944a11f1dd710530316172de_large.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j8_liM2xjwM/VLCbTOGsbtI/AAAAAAAAA9I/S9fdIPO4dPU/s1600/f48c2f95944a11f1dd710530316172de_large.png" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While running and jumping around the vast city of Hover, you come across a locked box. After a few seconds of hacking it opens to reveal a gameball. Video games are highly illegal on this world thanks to the imposing security force. You are part of a resistance movement to bring games back to the masses and with your parkour skills the multiple levels of the city are simply your playground. You grab it and run, leaping over walls, bewildered citizens jumping out of your way, through tunnels, across rooftops, through a crowded plaza. Suddenly a security camera spots you and from seemingly nowhere a hovering SecuBox is right on top of you, threatening to take away the console or imprison you. You run and the adrenaline starts pumping. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Hover: Revolt of Gamers</i> is developed by three French amateur game designers with the studio name <a href="http://www.fustygame.fr/" target="_blank">Fusty Game</a>. This is the second game they've developed, with the first having unfortunately been canceled on Kickstarter. The style is similar to the ones found in the movies <i>The Fifth Element</i> and <i>Star Wars</i>: a variety of alien species living together in a multi-tiered society with the threat of a police force controlling everything. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Alien languages on billboards, anti-video game propaganda, and the jumbled crowd of alien species walking about lend greatly to the atmosphere. </span>The gameplay is a mix between <i>Jet Grind Radio</i> and <i>Mirror's Edge</i>: a fast-paced first- and third-person camera view allows you to feel in control as the action takes place. Delivering gameballs and completing missions will help you raise your stats to better your speed, jumping, and grinding, just to name a few. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is a parkour game; it unleashes the fast-paced art of free running into
an open neon-colored metropolis that's rife with sharp angles, large
drops, bright lights, and a security force that wants you out of the
equation. The futuristic world is a maze of pathways and, barring the obvious invisible walls, if you can see it then you can get there.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Following a MASSIVELY successful Kickstarter that ended with over triple the amount of the original goal, they were able to not only double the initial size of the city but they brought on board Jet Grind Radio/Jet Set Radio Future composer <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/midgarstudio/hover-revolt-of-gamers/posts/826530" target="_blank">Hideki Nakamura</a>. If you were a fan of his work for those games then you'll feel right at home here. Also for those of you lucky enough to have an Oculus Rift handy, the game is compatible with the headset but may give you motion sickness if you're unprepared for the insane movement. Biggest of all is a planned Wii U release, however no information on this has been posted. Those who were lucky (and rich enough) to contribute majorly to the Kickstarter will get rewards along the lines of a special DJ pet, an exclusive character skin, a physical copy, and, to someone who contributed $1,500 to the campaign, will have their likeness turned into a giant statue somewhere in the game.</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eBI3D713Y1U/VLdW_C6IcXI/AAAAAAAAA9I/2ehr275PoEA/s1600/Hover8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eBI3D713Y1U/VLdW_C6IcXI/AAAAAAAAA9I/2ehr275PoEA/s400/Hover8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In your free time between missions, you can explore the city to look for the best lines to get the best speed and ways to get around. It will most certainly put your pathfinding skills to the test. Currently the alpha version only allows players to traverse a small section of the city, both online and off. You can gather gameballs, GameGirls, avoid police, and take part in a few races against NPCs, or race other plays online if you prefer. The full version will have missions that include police evasion, stealth infiltration, and a few more variations that the creators have yet to reveal. A deeper character customization will be available in the full version as well as spraypaint tagging, more playable character skins, a deeper history of the world, and an expanded soundtrack.</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O9gJe2BJ-nQ/VLCk4BXRM6I/AAAAAAAAA9I/6ADEHZB71pg/s1600/Hover6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O9gJe2BJ-nQ/VLCk4BXRM6I/AAAAAAAAA9I/6ADEHZB71pg/s640/Hover6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A modern mid-level system will have no problem playing Hover on medium graphical settings. It will take a lot of horsepower to make it run at max with 60 fps. Fusty Game took no prisoners with the depth of the game's graphics. Even my laptop that's only a few years old manages to crank out a meager 15 fps on the lowest settings. There's a lot going on that's not on-screen that the game is having to keep track of: mindless NPC pedestrians, traffic, and the security system are all present and don't fade at a distance. Expect the fps results to pan out better as they make the game more compatible with different setups.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The game is compatible with an Xbox 360 control pad and is easy to use with it's minimal button usage. While it feels more organic than the keyboard and mouse layout it loses the ability to make sharp turns and that is something that's required for traversing this city cleanly. A rewind feature is extremely useful and helps you correct mistakes if you miss a jump or find yourself stuck in some way. Currently in the alpha there is no limit to how far back you can go. The ability to scan things can bring up a text menu with some interesting tidbits on the city and its inhabitants. This can also show you the locations of important NPCs, gameballs, race starting points, holographic signs, security cameras and E-cops. It can leave the screen cluttered and is disorienting at first. Time will tell if this is corrected.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">The Fusty Game team: Charles Vesic, Marine Baron, and Pierre Raffali</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you missed out on the Kickstarter, <i>Hover</i> will be coming to Steam via Greenlight and will be available on PC, Mac, and Linux OS's in a multitude of languages. No pricing or release date has been posted yet but its not too late to get in on the hype. If the alpha proves anything, its that even dedicated fans can make the game of their dreams. </span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is something awesome about just hanging out in another world, running and exploring. <i>Hover</i> has something that a lot of the AAA titles these days are lacking: <i>fun</i>. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keep Playing.</span></b><br />
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-9288287466560214722014-09-20T02:09:00.002-04:002015-08-03T15:20:14.663-04:00Review: Colin McRae Rally (Steam/Mobile, 2014)<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/Ig5qQR6_9cw/0.jpg" height="400" width="600"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/Ig5qQR6_9cw&source=uds"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed width="600" height="400" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/Ig5qQR6_9cw&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></object></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You know your favorite band's <i>greatest hits</i> album? Sure, you've heard all the songs before and are probably tired of them but you know they needed to make a little more money before the next full release so a greatest hits collection is their next step, and maybe you still buy it anyway. <i>Colin McRae Rally</i> is that in a nutshell. I understand that its actually a port of the iOS game which is a remake of <i>Colin McRae Rally 2.0</i>, but you would think Codemasters would add a little extra to sweeten the deal for both new and returning fans of the original franchise. Instead it feels like less-than-half of what the latter games in the series became and a barbones recreation of the PS1 classic. Last year Codemasters teased that the next CMR game will be focused on rally racing, rather than hopping from one sport to the next as done in the <i>DiRT Series</i>. There's been no word on whether it will be the next <i>DiRT</i> entry or a return to the classic CMR staging but us fans can only hope that this isn't what they were talking about.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are only 4 cars and 30 stages. The stages feel planned out rather than organic. The physics dulled down. The power sucked out. The driving stiff. The awesome feeling of awesomeness as you drift through a hairpin is completely absent. A lot of the magic has been lost in its conversion to mobile, and even more so with its port over to Steam. I'm sure the original was never this dull and there was more than likely an exciting feeling of powering through turns and speeding through forests but this time it suffers by removing a lot of the technical aspects that introduced a lot of people to not only sim racing games but the sport of rally racing as well. Players can no longer tune their cars before each race (which is fine because all four cars play exactly the same) and for that it grudgingly inserts itself into the casual racing category, but even then it fails because the driving is simply boring.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The physics problems are just the beginning. In one of the first races in Australia, a large jump is the main event that completely breaks the game (see below). As your car almost does a barrel roll in mid-air it immediately proves the point that the game engine itself is broken. Speaking of breaking, the cars <i>actually break down</i> as they drive through the stages, and not just falling apart from hitting things; by the end of the second stage there is a clanking sound that wasn't there before that lets you know something is seriously wrong. Repairs are still allowed after every other stage but players may find the 30 minute time limit a bit too short for all the damage that was mysteriously caused while driving.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Australia, Greece, and Corsica are the only three locales to drive through and there just isn't anything within them to make things interesting. There are no sights to see, no majestic backgrounds, nothing within the roads to make it fun and yet it stretches out to 10 stages a piece. Ford Focus, Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer, and Lancia Stratos are the four cars but, like I said, since they all play the same it only comes down to which one you prefer. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On mobile devices you can choose between tilt controls with auto-acceleration or full on-screen controls. On the PC/Mac version, you can choose to use either the keyboard, a gamepad, or wheel support. Mapping the controls are difficult as it seems to fight against what the player has chosen as presets. There is no pressure sensitivity for accelerating and braking so even the keyboard feels fine when being played with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(via Steam community member CueZero)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The graphical update is just about the only thing done well enough. The graphics engine gets the job done until you notice the faults such as front-facing sprites for the trees, flat crowds, and the plastic-like textures on the cars. The stages fair no better with a static image for the background and distance pop-in. Understandably this is all limited due to being built for mobile but nothing was changed for the Steam release. If you own a computer from 2006 then you should still be able to play on lowest settings with few hiccups. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The co-driver directions by Nicky Grist are just pre-recorded and chopped together but are accurate enough to not leave you heading toward a tree at high speeds. One of the biggest concerns that you'll face immediately in the area of sound is the airhorn which blares <b>EVERY TIME</b> you pass a crowd and is so distracting that you may want to consider turning the SFX down, which in turn reduces the engine and gravel sounds so its a lose/lose situation unless you can do without either. Sliding on gravel or the pavement produces an accurate enough sound and crowds cheer as you pass but your attention should be focused mainly on the directions rather than immersion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Engines don't sound powerful at all and gradually decline in strength the more you drive. At least they put in enough thought to make the engines separate from one another.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is no in-game music, only the menu, which is a simple tune that is easily forgotten. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It will take you about 5 hours to complete and there is very little after-game. Playing a few stages here and there is all it will amount to but there are other racing games on the app stores and Steam that are worthy of attention. This game should have stayed on the mobile platforms and even then the small amount of content should be asking for no more than $5. To even call itself a remake is a disappointment since </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">it doesn't really feel like a <i>Colin McRae Rally</i> game, more like a fan project. </span>The original <i>CMR</i> games were about the driver's skill and knowledge of the car and physics, that's all been thrown away in favor of tilt controls and making it more mobile friendly. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The thrills of driving and overcoming opponents have been cut out in favor of ease-of-access just to make a quick buck. </span></span>Its an insult to the series and the fans, and that's what hurts the most.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Keep Playing</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VCvvAjyxajw/VB0UGchxO0I/AAAAAAAAA9I/dYVmDlGWvKE/s1600/CMR7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VCvvAjyxajw/VB0UGchxO0I/AAAAAAAAA9I/dYVmDlGWvKE/s320/CMR7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-79165169788901691682014-09-09T20:51:00.001-04:002015-08-03T15:26:09.084-04:00DC15<div dir="ltr">
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Remember remember the 9th of September<br />
Dreamcast release and next-gen splendor<br />
1999 and a new year comes soon<br />
The PS2 means for Sega's doom<br />
Awkward controller and internet activity<br />
Fell short into the massive tragedy<br />
But with homebrews still made<br />
And games still played<br />
The last great console is still not downtrodden<br />
I can think of no reason the Dreamcast should ever be forgotten<br />
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I've unfortunately almost missed this year's DC anniversary but its been on m mind today more than the release of Destiny. I wasn't able to come up with something big, just this that I wrote while on break. If you've fallen into the hype of the year's biggest release (like I have), at least take a minute to hook up your DC and play one of your favorite titles.</div>
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Keep Playing.</div>
Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-77633384440157555302014-08-21T01:04:00.000-04:002015-08-05T04:28:15.346-04:00Review: Shadowgate (2014, PC/Mac)<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As
I said before in my preview of <i>Shadowgate</i>: point-and-click games,
more commonly known as the Adventure genre, are becoming few and far
between these days. Some of the more recent notable games of the last few years would be The Walking Dead series or The Raven, but if you want
to travel back in time you may recognize the Monkey Island series
or Maniac Mansion, which was also ported over to the NES during its
lifetime. Given that every title in the genre does something different, measuring</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> this adventure
to the old school <i>Shadowgate</i> r</span>ather than comparing it to other adventure titles </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">only seems fair since even the devs call it a re-imagining. </span>The changes, similarities, what it
does well now and what it lacks are up for inspection. Its mostly the same <i>Shadowgate</i>, but this time you get a lot more reasoning behind the journey.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As Jair Cathegar, you are instructed by the wizard Lakmir to take on a perilous task by traveling far and finding your way to the living castle of Shadowgate, then navigating its many perilous halls to stop the evil Warlock Lord, Talimar the Black, from unleashing the Behemoth to destroy the world. A little ways in to the game the bulk of the plot is explained to you through a couple of cutscenes. Lakmir, who is a surviving member of the Circle of Twelve, the only other being Talimar, has grown too weak to fight him face-to-face. Which is where Jair Cathegar comes in. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">He's descended from a long line of kings and prophecy states that he will be the one to defeat Talimar, but standing in his way is the castle and it's many, many, MANY traps and treasures. Almost everything you pick up can be used for something down the line but there is also a hefty amount of trash. Discerning which is which is up to the player. On the hard difficulty, you're limited to how much you can carry and since the puzzles adjust with each level something that can be used at one point may instead work somewhere else on another difficulty. Its these three levels that give the game am immense replayability factor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Fools Rush In</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The first thing you should know about playing <i>Shadowgate</i> is that its not for those who lack patience: you will die <i>a lot</i> and i</span>f
you're not adept at using your noggin to solve some complex puzzles
then I'm afraid <i>Shadowgate</i> isn't for you. Additionally an attention to detail and a keen eye for things that stand out is also definitely required. If you enjoy games with a steep level of challenge then you'll love it. If you're
looking for a nostalgic trip you may or may not be disappointed: while a lot has changed, conjuring up memories of past solutions might help you in
some ways but not in every case. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In the first screen you find a talking skull named Yorick that offers vague hints and the occasional commentary, he's a decent traveling partner and provides a few passing chuckles, you're notfied by what he says when you hear bones clatter ominously. If you don't like his chatter you can simply choose to hit him to make him speak less. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">There is no direct combat, just a command that will let you HIT something, including yourself. </span>You will encounter a few beasts that will attack and sometimes finding a way to avoid combat is your best bet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">From the dragon immolating you with
fire breath to falling down a pit, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">almost
everything can kill you</span>, the game is still fraught with the
familiar death traps that made the original so tricky to navigate.
Shadowgate can be smooth as silk when you remember all of the
possible combinations of things and think cleverly on when and how to
use items. Sometimes being stuck in an area will require backtracking by several rooms. Keeping your torches lit is also a priority. Yorick will notify you when the light is getting too low, and letting it burn out is a bad idea. Once the fire is gone, you can't start another one, and it'll be awfully hard navigating the darkness by feeling your way around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Shadowgate
now has a spacious interface with the inventory and other options no
longer taking up most of the screen. Part of the action unfolds through a
text box at the bottom while an animation shows. Yes, a basic reading
skill is required to play. The most dialogue you'll come across will be written on notes, the voiceovers are sparsely placed throughout the game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The way of playing takes some getting used as it seems you need to be sure which command you're clicking at the top of the screen or which item you're selecting. Sometimes trying to click on an action requires a second click (or my 2-month old mouse is already breaking). The menus and inventory seem to get in the way of the game itself so if you prefer keyboard bindings over mouse movement you can set those up in the options, or in case you want the <i>very</i> old-school MacVenture feeling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Painting Life</b> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The land of Tyragon</span> is a dark and dreary one where
magic is abundant and there remain spells crafted from people whose
names have been long-forgotten, and Castle Shadowgate is almost the epicenter of it. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The room and inventory art was done by <a href="http://chriscold.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">Chris Cold</a>, who has been able to create not only a variety of dungeons but ones that flow well together from one room to the next, they're greatly designed and all fit within the theme of what you would find given the atmosphere of the world. The cutscenes were animated by <a href="http://wlop.deviantart.com/" target="_blank">Wang Ling</a>, also a digital painter, and are somewhat reminiscent of what you would see during the cutscenes of <i>Guild Wars 2</i>. You won't have to worry about too much brown or gray with splashes of colors in certain areas (as seen above) that almost command attention, each space is different and the map in the bottom left of the screen is a handy tool to help you remember where things are.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
voice acting, though few, is top notch with voices neatly matching the
characters but t</span>he
main thing you'll hear will be the soundtrack which is impeccably
orchestrated: immersive, haunting, mysterious, calm at times and adrenalized at others, fitting the moods of the rooms perfectly. But don't you wish there was a bit more nostalgia to be had? Have no fear. In the options menu you'll find an NES music mode that inserts the original tunes from the 1989 NES release as well as the transitions and text-scrolling animation. Basically you can turn it into a big nostalgia trip with updated visuals. Its a nice addition that has no bearing on the gameplay itself but is a very welcome one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Invokan, Agaap, Entraiz...</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As of writing this I haven't been able to complete the game. I had a lot of trouble with it until Dave Marsh, one of the creators, helped me out. That being said I can't tell you how long it will take to complete but with the puzzles and items changing with each difficulty level you'll sink in at least a dozen hours. While
Shadowgate holds itself together like a AAA game you can't help but
feel overwhelmed as your torch light slowly dies and you've exhausted
all options to figure out what to do next, you will feel stupid that the
answer may be something you simply overlooked. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>A
lot</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
of thought and effort have gone into remaking everything and
making it all work together and it shows... almost a little too well. W</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">hen you hit a stride it feels good but w</span>hen the game comes to a halt then you need to think your way through. You might find yourself trying items and actions repeatedly on random objects in the hopes that something will happen, but it never does.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Upon entering the pitch black dungeon, a shaft of light pierces the darkness, illuminating a book upon a pedestal. Opening the pages you find only two words written in the entire book: "<b>PRICE DROP!</b>" Then a trap door opens below your feet and you plummet to your death.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you've been curious about it, its best to wait for a Steam Sale. Nostalgia or not, Shadowgate is a pure challenge to play and many people will be turned
off by that, which is a shame since this time around it has a lot more to work with. Amazing visuals, captivating music, and a bit more depth to the story give a more complete sense of the world than what we had on the NES. Games are meant to be fun but <i>Shadowgate</i> proves to be a lesson in patience and observation. The immersion in the world matters little if you're not allowed to guess. I'm <u><i>not</i></u> saying "don't buy this game," I'm saying you should wait for some brave adventurers to go first. But if you're craving a challenge, you may have found one worthy to test your mettle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Keep Playing </span></div>
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-77662423020516108202014-08-03T15:35:00.004-04:002014-08-03T15:35:44.395-04:00Preview: Shadowgate (2014, PC)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='400' height='300' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/G18wBMlbfEg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shadowgate, originally made by ICOM Simulations, started life in 1987 on
the Apple Macintosh and found its way to the NES in 1989 where it
gained a cult following. It was innovative for the time with its
first-person view point-and-click gameplay on a home console but never
garnered a widely celebrated status, though it did have sequels on the
TurboGrafx 16 and N64 as well as a newer port to the Game Boy/Game Boy
Color. The story was you against the Warlock Lord as you sought to
disrupt his plan to summon a demon that will destroy the world. As you
made your way through Castle Shadowgate, filled with dungeons, traps, an
occasional dragon, puzzles, and hidden areas, you wouldn’t find much of
a sense of lore within the dark walls. The backstory was a generic
medieval tale of ancient magic versus evil, but at the time that’s all
you needed as a reason to make a game and go on an adventure. Jump to
2012 where original game creators Dave Marsh and Karl Roelofs have made
their own studio, Zojoi, LLC, and have “re-imagined” Shadowgate for a
new generation. Following a successful Kickstarter of over $137,000,
they were able to reach at least one of their stretch goals which will
let players adventure through a re-made Castle Shadowgate as well as a
third tower that builds on the world’s previously barren lore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://thebgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ss12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thebgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ss12.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While it didn’t create much lore in itself it still held a very
mysterious atmosphere that was compelling and the new game will follow
along the same lines with both old and new pathways; the same formula of
puzzle-solving and dungeon-traversing as the original will remain with a
few puzzles remade and many new ones added as well as some content that
was cut from the original game. It will have 24 in-game achievements
that also tie in to your Steam achievements, an original NES music mode,
voice acting (so its not just music and sound effects all the time),
three difficulty levels that change the game’s puzzles, and will most
prominently feature amazing moving artwork by Chris Cold and Damian
Audino.<br />
If you’re a fan of old-school point-and-click games then this new
Shadowgate is definitely something you’ll want to pay attention to;
games of the point-and-click variety have been fading in the last few
decades and most of them have moved to mobile devices at the cost of
graphics and length. But even if you’re not a fan, you may enjoy the
challenge that this game will offer and you might find it will be a nice
change of pace from the repetitive titles of the current generations.
Immersing yourself in the world of Tyragon, a place of magic and danger;
conquering the puzzles of Castle Shadowgate and discovering the truth
behind the Warlock Lord; and becoming the hero of a time-forgotten
prophecy. That sounds a lot better than another military shooter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://thebgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ss4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thebgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/ss4.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can pre-order Shadowgate from <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.zojoi.com/shadowgate/" target="_blank" title="Zojoi">Zojoi’s website</a></span>
and there are three different tiers that offer an abundance of extras
(and right now, each pre-order has a 25% discount, prices described are <em>without</em>
the discount). The Wayfarer Tier, priced at a simple $19.99, gives you
just a Steam key for either a Windows or Mac digital download. The
Adventurer Tier, which is $24.99 includes the game and over two dozen
wallpapers based on concept art, the Grim Reaper, and a collection of
desktop wallpaper calendars. At $29.99, the Hero Tier includes the
former as well as a 25-song orchestral soundtrack based on the NES
score, a 60-page digital art book, digital map of the land of Kal
Zathynn, a beta test release with an in-game tester credit, and a
one-week early release of the full game.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Shadowgate will launch in late August.
I have pre-ordered the Hero Tier and have already downloaded the
wallpapers and soundtrack, the beta or full game isn’t available just
yet but when I get my hands on it, expect a review.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://thebgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/GrimReaper.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thebgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/GrimReaper.gif" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> If you remember this screen, congratulations: you’re old. :-P</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://thebgb.com/previews/preview-shadowgate-2014-pc-2" target="_blank">This article was originally posted at TheBGB.com</a></span></span></div>
Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-54701496997857666292014-07-05T15:59:00.000-04:002015-08-05T04:31:53.921-04:00Screen Masher: Dots<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="color: #990000;"><i><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A New Blog Type Has Arrived!</span></b></i></span></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In <i>Screen Masher</i>, I'm going to do quick reviews of mobile games that you can get either for free or for pay, most of the time from whichever app store you choose. These will be short reads with some details in certain areas. I'll try to crank these out faster than I do my normal reviews. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A lot can be said for simplicity in gaming, especially for mobile devices. Make things too simple and people may reject it. Add a lot of details and nuances and it becomes a hit. If Tetris is the latter and Flappy Bird is the former then <i>Dots</i> sits somewhere comfortably in the middle. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Dots</i> is a minimalistic game where you connect dots of the same color. Simple. Easy. Tricky. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Timed, Moves, Endless, and
Challenges are the four game modes you can spend your time in. Timed
gives you one minute to gather as many dots as you can. Moves gives you a
small amount of moves to gather as many. Endless, which costs
$1.99, is exactly that: an infinite amount of time and power-ups to play
with. This mode doesn't bank you any dots. Challenges sends a challenge
request to one of your friends on either Facebook or Twitter. A
friendly competition mode to see who can bank the most dots.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You can't connect diagonally and if you react too quickly you may miss your chance at a better move and there is no undo function. Connecting dots to make a square will cause all the dots of the same color to disappear. Your final score results in how many dots you bank. By banking and using those dots, you can purchase power-ups such as Time Stops, which stops the clock five seconds; Shrinkers, double-tapping a single dot will make it disappear; and Expanders, double tapping a single dot will make all dots of the same color disappear. Time Stops and Expanders can only be used once per game, so you'll have to consider whether or not its worth using one to get a few extra dots.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The game has 35 trophies and these can be shared on the two previously mentioned social networks. These can be earned by playing 40 rounds, scoring a certain amount, or using so many power-ups. Most of them are easy to earn so there's no pressure when you set your sights on unlocking one. It will take some practice to reach a score of just 300 but once you do then you pretty much have the game fully understood.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If the bright white of the game is too much to handle, included are three other themes. A dark theme reverses colors, and Winter Day and Winter Night (leftovers from their last holiday update) feature snow falling on all screens as well a winter scene during play. Its peaceful and almost relaxing. You can also change the dot's color intensities, this is for people who may have a hard time telling them apart. These colors also change based on theme.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>I've had <i>Dots</i> on my last three Android phones. Its perfect for killing a minute or two when I have some free time or when I want to bank more dots. At some times its my go-to game when I don't want to wait for something to load. Playdots, Inc. has a follow-up game simply called <i>Two Dots,</i> it follows the same basic gameplay but with a few twists. But that's for another time.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Keep Playing </b></span></div>
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-12855620962203377692014-06-23T16:59:00.002-04:002019-12-04T16:30:56.451-05:00A Second Look @ Halo: Reach<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some
people were skeptical of Halo: Reach even before its release but with
good reason: it was Bungie’s last time working on the franchise and many
fans thought their hearts wouldn’t be in it, causing it to fall short
of living up to its fullest potential under the Halo name. The ending to
Halo 3 left us all wanting more from the Master Chief and, with Reach
being the third spin-off/side story game in a row, it didn’t get a lot
of love due to many fans stepping away from the series after finding too
many faults in ODST. In that case, they missed out on a piece of
history in the Halo universe. Their fears would have been quickly
brought to an end as the game proved it was more than capable of
balancing the campaign story with multiplayer action all with great
graphical fidelity, majestic music, and the best gameplay the series had ever seen.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gone
is the blandness of Master Chief and in his place are five Spartans,
each with differing personalities and varying sets of skills, and
yourself as the newly transferred Noble Six whose face is never seen (Its like being Master Chief but with the rank of Lieutenant). Before the first mission begins, you're informed by team
leader Carter, callsign Noble One, that your days of acting as the lone
wolf are at an end; you are part of a team now and must follow orders.
You can once again rely on teammates with competent AI to have your back
as you must also watch theirs. Starting the campaign, you are airlifted
in to a farmstead near a satellite installation where communications
have strangely gone dark. Thinking its insurrectionists, your team is
prepared for a small arms firefight only to discover that the Covenant
have reached planetside. And so begins the lengthy campaign with a compelling story, long areas to traverse and, in a later level, one very chaotic run through a long field of Covenant.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The campaign never feels tacked-on like in other FPS games, it's a whole and complete story which <span class="Apple-style-span">is as pulse-pounding, frustrating, rewarding, and unique as the other Halo titles, if not more. You feel the weight of an entire planet that's at risk of falling and you feel the hopelessness as the population is evacuated or slaughtered. </span>Can
you recall your first time taking control of the Falcon helicopter as
you flew around the skies over New Alexandria? What went through your mind as
you saw the E3 video of the space flight and you were finally able to
take control of the Sabre to take the fight to Reach's atmosphere? If you read the Halo novels, how did you feel knowing that in the end Reach would be glassed by Covenant plasma? While the story isn't a ground-breaking work of fiction, what you play through is an integral part of the history of the Halo universe and serves as a good prequel to the first game. </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You are no longer the bullet sponge as your teammates can take hit
after hit without dying and are also as effective in firefights as much as you are. They can kill and react to situations
and occasionally have banter, much like in ODST. <span class="Apple-style-span">Unfortunately
relying on them matters little in the campaign as the most they do are follow you or ta</span><span class="Apple-style-span">ke
control of vehicle turrets and sometimes the
vehicles themselves. Level exploration isn't really encouraged as only thirteen skulls are pre-unlocked with fan favorites such as Mythic, Grunt Birthday Party, and Catch
making their return. Since there were no hidden items to collect this time
around, it lends more thought on the focus of the game rather than hunting down
Easter Eggs. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Making their first appearance in the series, Armor Abilities give you temporary enhancements such as a projected hologram, jet pack, armor lock, and even the ability to sprint a short distance. These simple tactical advantages can sometimes mean the difference between life or death on Hardcore and Legendary difficulties. At the same time, these can also play a big part in the multiplayer and can earn you some kills if used properly or cheap deaths if you find yourself on the receiving end.</span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Multiplayer
consists of the usual Halo games and brings back ODST's Firefight
mode, which is similar to Gears of War 2's Horde Mode wherein you fight
wave after wave of oncoming enemies with increasing difficulty. Even today, if you can find several friends to play with, it can easily give you a dozen hours of entertainment with many adjustable rules that can make it a tough challenge from the start, and even the opportunity to play on the opposing team as a Covenant Elite. If Firefight doesn't sound appealing, playlists made of different maps and rules can be found as well the ability to section players off by how well they play or how much they talk. If all else fails, there's always the unique mode of Grifball.</span> </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Spartan customization makes a return and offers more options this time around to make your character unique, allowing you to use the same design in both the campaign and multiplayer. These are only cosmetic and don't have any effect in the actual game; armor upgrades don't provide any more <span class="Apple-style-span">protection and ammo belts don't improve magazine capacities. With the Command Points credits system along with leveled ranks, dozens of hours will have to be spent in order to get </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">the more unique and costly items such as a Mjolnir Mark IV helmet, Kat's robotic arm, or armor effects. A player with a high rank and unique armor parts is to be commended for having the patience and skill to obtain them, also avoided if you're anything below the rank of Major.</span></span> </span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reach
went beyond the usual themes of cramped human and alien space stations
and underground caverns made of metal. While you do fight in a Covenant ship at one point, most of the game takes place outside along canyons with vast draw distances that lend to a grand sense of scale. Mountainous levels have blind corners and cliffs that can lead to an instant death if taken too hastily in a Warthog. New Alexandria, though wartorn, has a sense of a clean and futuristic city. Character designs, as well as their armors, are a welcome change from the Chief's standard Mjolnir equipment and the thought of using the same armor in campaign and multiplayer is one of the best ideas that Bungie has ever had. The vehicle designs are familiar and are just as easy to operate. Light blooms, fog, weather, and fantastic draw distances coupled with amazing environmental art give Reach a feeling of being alive and organic. Before Halo 4, it was the best looking game in the franchise.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As the </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">game's story unfolds in small victories and
huge defeats, t</span></span>he
soundtrack collides sorrow with hope, action
with solemnity, and mystery with the knowledge of how it will all end. The drums give a tribal feel while the orchestra and singers add to the ambitious overtone of the game. Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori both show their talent by making the Reach soundtrack unique in many ways while still holding on to the essence of the past games. In one level, you'll hear a song that borrows notes from the original Halo theme. This should incite in you a feeling that you don't need to be Master Chief to be a Spartan. If you're one who enjoys collecting game memorabilia, the Halo: Reach soundtrack comes on two CDs, has bonus tracks, and is definitely one you will listen to several times. </span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The voiceacting is superb but the lines of dialogue might wear a bit thin if you die and have to restart from a checkpoint. Each voice actor has brought their A-game and gives life to each character. From Carter's tone of leadership to Jorge's sympathy, each Spartan is given a personality behind the helmet; even your own Spartan sounds like an every day man/woman, making them feel more relatable.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Explosions and gunshots during firefights coupled with friendly and enemy banter make up the bulk of the game's sounds and with a wide variety of them they never seem to get old, but</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> it seems the sound was given the backseat treatment in favor of the soundtrack as there's really not a lot of new things in comparison to the previous series entries.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Halo: Reach is the last great "Hurrah!" from Bungie and it shows that they put more effort into making a complete game than they have before. Each of the numbered Halo games seems to follow a central theme of discovery, not just along the lines of gameplay environments but more so in the Halo universe:</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> *Halo CE is about the mystery of
the first ring-world.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> *Halo 2 dealt with humanity's part in
the grand scheme of things.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> *Halo 3 is about the deception of the Covenant.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> *Even<span class="Apple-style-span"> Halo 4 is about uncovering more of the history of the Forerunners.</span></span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Reach takes a different path and chronicles the fall of the UNSC homeworld of Reach; the first and last bastion of military security for the human race falls in a very short amount of time. </span><span class="Apple-style-span">It doesn't need additional campaigns or massive amounts of DLC to complete the story. It gives a feeling of defeat at the end but a reassurance of hope. </span>Its not the story of how Noble Team dies, but of your Spartan's heroic effort to ensure the safety of the most important person and AI in the Halo lore.
As your teammates fall one-by-one, and as you fall in the end, Cortana
reassures you that your sacrifice is not in vain. If not for your
efforts, the AI never would have made it back* to Master Chief.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's a thrill ride that leaves you wanting to see more of the vast landscapes and cities. You'll want to do more to help the population and fight the covenant. You'll want to battle online more to reach new ranks and prove you're damn good at it. You'll want more Spartans with personality. You'll want to hear more of the epic soundtrack. And in the end, you will be satisfied. If you missed Halo: Reach, you missed out on one of the best games in FPS history, and I stand by that wholeheartedly.<span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">(*In the Halo novel, <i>Fall of Reach,</i>
Chief and Cortana ran a test exercise before being evacuated from the
planet. Cortana was returned to Dr. Halsey while Master Chief was
prepped for evac. Noble Team's mission was to get Cortana aboard the
Pillar of Autumn in time.)</span></span></span></b></div>
Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-63732382882930348152014-04-26T14:01:00.003-04:002015-07-31T00:24:37.239-04:00A Second Look @ F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(The things I do for a review. I knew about this game long ago because I bought it from Play N Trade. I owned it for a total of one week before taking it back. I played it for a total of 10 minutes before I was completely disappointed. I spent a total of zero hours thinking about this game from that point on. I knew I had to get this game again to review for Ferrari Month so I got it from eBay. I was willing to give it a second chance for the sake of the review but even after setting the game up through the menus I was disappointed even before I started racing. As I literally hit the first turn of Monza I knew that there was no hope for me ever liking this game.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Screen shots taken from Gamespot, and are the only "quality" pics that I could find)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Personally, I've always
felt that if a game makes you work too hard without any reward it
quickly becomes a chore. For example, MMOs gradually increase in
difficulty the further along you are. Boss battles become more
difficult as knowledge of the game world and skill utilization
increases. It becomes fun through the adventure of gaining things, whether it be loot or levels, that adheres you to want to play more. With <i>F355 Challenge</i> the opposite occurs as the driving feels like the player's understanding of physics is
put to the test with the only reward awaiting you at the end of
each race is another race. No unlocks, no special modes, no
surprises. In this sense <i>F355 Challenge</i> is completely a chore
to play: you play it only if you want to, not because you feel
compelled to. There is nothing to draw you in and nothing to hold your attention unless you're either intent on beating it or are a huge Ferrari fan.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arcade and Single Play modes are the exact same, each has three
different sub-levels of Training, Driving, and Racing. Training adds
a recommended line and vocal assists. Driving takes you out on the
field in a Time Trial where it records your best lap and ghost. and Racing (where the screen to choose this says you can "Praticipate" in a real race...) pits you against a full field of
cars when you're ready for it. In Arcade mode, you can choose any of
the immediately available 6 tracks out a total of 11 tracks, the
remaining five are unlocked by advancing in the Championship mode, or
by going ahead and unlocking them through the password codes. Championship mode is a straightforward race to cross the finish lines first. Versus play pits you against another player. Network Race makes use of the Dreamcast's dial-up modem for you to take to the track against players from around the world, but since its now defunct there isn't an option to choose this.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The game is more geared to be used with a steering wheel for maximum effect but doesn't hinder the playing when using the Dreamcast controller. The controller's analog pad is very accurate and better to use than the d-pad. Since there isn't an option to just look back behind your car, the game uses two of the face buttons for selecting driving assists and turning them on or off. Spin Control, Traction Control, and ABS are the usual assists you'll find along with auto-braking, using this feels like the game is holding your hand but is very necessary for those who aren't used to sim racing games. The selection for the assists could have been mapped to the d-pad while a look behind and hand brake button could have been used instead, but it seems that design flaws are abundant.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Design flaws come in all shapes and sizes and are never glitches. These are ideas that are implemented into a game during its creation that the developers put in place thinking they will be good to play with. The single in-car narrow first-person camera view that can't be changed is the biggest design flaw this game is guilty of. The length the game goes to uphold the title of racing simulator is dumbfounding. Its an idea that's good in theory, but mediocre in practice. It works, but not well. The only way you'll know when a car is behind you is either the rear-view mirror or the small radar at the top of the screen.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Graphics aren't
breathtaking and it looks like the typical Dreamcast style, but its not pushing the limits of the system. It goes for a realistic graphical design and its pulled off well but it seems dark, blurred, and just visually unappealing. There is no damage and bumping into a wall will immediately turn your car into the direction you have your steering wheel. Its almost as if its saying "Oh, I'm sure you didn't mean that. Here you go, mate. Be on your way." Additionally bumping into another car on the track will result in a loss of speed for you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The only time you get to see the car model is just before the race and the opponents on the track. Regardless of that drawback, the F355 looks accurately detailed, down to the air scoops on the side. As for the tracks themselves, a few turns missing turns here and there means that whatever you may be familiar with will have to be relearned. They don't feel like accurate representations of the real courses since they seem to go faster than what you may be used to. I may be judging too harshly as a lot of racetracks are known to reinvent themselves for the sake of keeping things new. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The music goes for an 80's hair metal theme throughout and aside from the opening video only comes off as ANNOYING. In-race is an auditory
assault where the main sounds you'll hear are the whine of the engine, the squeal of the tires, and the terrible unlicensed hair metal that the game tries to pass off as music. Its cheesy to the fullest effect
and is actually distracting while driving. A radio DJ speaks at the beginning of each race to talk about the song and most of is inaudible as it quickly goes into the song. Oddly enough it goes well together, as well as a peanut butter and melted plastic sandwich.</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">While it tries to pass as a
true-to-life racing simulator, it ends up not being a very fun <i>game</i> at all. There's little or no sense of progression and as far as racing
simulators go it would have definitely pushed the boundaries had it
been more accessible and had a willingness to not be so stuck up. Better simulation of speed rather than just handling. </span><span style="font-size: small;">More options for the player and less restrictions. So what do you do when a
game throws out fun for the sake of always trying to be right? Throw it out. You
don't need to play <i>F355 Challenge</i>. What you'll find is a game
that played by its own rules and ends up constantly smacking you on the back of the head to insist that you're
driving wrong. Its not a terrible simulator since its adhesion
to reality is commendable and it offers realistic physics on a console meant for arcade ports, but that does not excuse it for being annoying. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Ferrari license is wasted here and how the game was popular enough to attain an arcade-exclusive sequel is mind boggling. I always do try to find the good in each game, a fair chance has to be given, but in the case of <i>F355 Challenge </i>I won't. With terrible physics, annoying sound, bland graphics, and bad presentation there is no hope for <i>F355 Challenge</i> to even be considered playable in my book. I can't think of a niche of sim racing or Ferrari enthusiasts that would find this game appealing.</span></span><br />
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-47357467842740481792014-04-19T12:43:00.000-04:002015-07-31T00:08:39.163-04:00A Second Look @ OutRun 2<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Images used from MobyGames, Gamespot, and IGN)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(It does say OutRun 2006, but the same songs are in both games)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The only experience I ever had with the original <i>OutRun</i> game was on my copy of <i>OutRun 2</i>. I shouldn't have to say that the great arcade classic had gone unnoticed by me for years. But my first experience with <i>OutRun 2</i> was in a bowling alley arcade years ago and after just one minute in the driver's seat I surprisingly found myself loving the force feedback of the steering wheel, the bright colors that blurred by, and the freedom of the old arcade racing days. When I found out that <i>OutRun 2</i> was also released on consoles I knew I had to track down my own copy of the game. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the gaming industry "porting a game over to consoles" is a dangerous thing to do. Its either a carbon copy or a rough approximation of the previous version. <i>OutRun 2</i> fits into the former and was perfectly ported over to the Xbox with added extras. It has the same feel of the arcade game and has lost none of its luster or speed. This is an arcade port done right. Perfectly, I dare say.<i> </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>OutRun 2</i> features three different game modes: OutRun Arcade, which is the original no-frills Arcade game; OutRun Challenge, which gives you several specific goals to achieve along each route; and OutRun Xbox Live which is currently unavailable due to the original XBL being offline. Arcade mode features the classic point-to-point race as well as the new Heart Attack mode, where you earn hearts and points for completing requests from your female passenger such as drifting through an entire zone, passing cars, or staying within a certain lane. It offers quite a challenge for both beginner and experienced players. The final mode is Time Attack, which is self-explanatory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">OutRun Challenge Mode is for those who want a little more out of their time with the game. There are 101 different missions to complete with several objectives that you take on one-by-one along each route, be it knocking over cones, staying in a lane, or racing against a single rival. Challenge Mode justifies why the arcade game was ported over and you'll find the bulk of the enjoyment here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There is a party mode for couch co-op where you and three friends can race to outperform one another through the same series of trials found in Challenge Mode. If you have a steering wheel controller for either your original Xbox or Xbox 360 (it is backwards compatible), then that may be the best way to play it if you want that true arcade feeling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The usual host of Ferrari pedigrees are present including the 360 Spyder, Enzo, Testarossa and 250 GTO. The best and most famous machines are here each with different stats that don't really seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. Although the cars are classified by Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert level, they're all accessible and are easy to drive. The faster cars are reserved for the more advanced players but they're also more unruly in their drift traction and handling. Regardless of that, the slower cars and easier routes may still provide a little bit of a challenge for those who are new to the concept. Traffic changes each time you play and where other cars may be present on a tight turn, they might not be there the next playthrough, giving the replayability factor a little bump. While drifting may be the big show in this game, it feels as though its pretty much the only way to get around any turn regardless of the degree of difficulty. The original OutRun was simply about avoiding traffic and not crashing into objects on the side of the road while here it could be argued for the sake of evolving the franchise that the drifting was added in and given so much attention.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There's a ton of content to unlock and play so if you're not feeling like waiting to beat each of the Challenge Mode missions there are cheats that can unlock the original unaltered <i>Out Run</i> arcade game and music set as well as Eurodance remixes. You pretty much have three entire games in one if you count the Xbox exclusives apart from the OutRun Arcade mode.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Graphics are crisp, clean, and bright with no frames dropped and a steady 30 fps. Even though the Xbox version is currently 10 years old, it has shown little signs of age and looks good even today. The animated menus are never bothersome to navigate and gives the entire game its own personality. Its not trying to be just another racing game, and as creator Yu Suzuki has said "it's a <i>driving</i> game." Understanding that brings a whole new perspective to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each route you take has a different theme and you can feel immersed in this world of speed as the advertisement billboards fly by and traffic is left in your review mirror; of course you don't have enough time to stop and gaze at how each route looks but you do get the feeling that a lot of work went into the details to get them just right with no glitches and no level breaks to distract you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each Ferrari looks amazing with clear defining lines, shadows over the models, and an accuracy that not even <a href="http://bigmercenary.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-second-look-ferrari-challenge-trofeo.html"><i>Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli</i></a> could achieve. However it does come across as a little lacking in the car options department: more cars could have been added to give a wider variety. The options of paint jobs on each car is a nice thought, but it doesn't give a lot to the players.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Music is plentiful and each track is worth listening to, suiting the game perfectly and giving it more of a light-hearted feeling. There might not seem like a lot of variety at first with only 9 songs to choose from but after the Eurodance remixes and original soundtracks are unlocked you have plenty of options to cruise to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The sounds you'll hear the most are your engine's rev limits and your tires screeching along the pavement. Its never bothersome and when combined with the music it completes the game's personality. As your passenger compliments you for driving well or berates you for crashing, as you see a cityscape form over the horizon, as your engine roars at the starting line, you get the sensation that the game is alive each time you play it. Most games are weak in the sound area whereas <i>OutRun 2</i> has put as much effort into sound quality as it did the graphics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unfortunately for me, while the arcade racing experience is thrilling, it wears on my attention span quickly. Traveling down the same road(s) in a few different cars is okay for at least 30 minutes at a time but I can't see myself putting dozens of hours into this game. You may feel the same if you're stuck playing alone, it may be better with friends though. But you can't hate this game for doing what it does. Its not a racing game, its a driving game. It set out to be its own thing and accomplished that with flying colors and most importantly <i>it is fun</i> even if you just want to play through Arcade Mode once<i>.</i> The ease of accessibility and the amount of content make this a must-own for any Xbox/360 owner. It does the <i>OutRun</i> name proud.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is the definitive Ferrari racing game and is meant to be enjoyed in the same way driving a Ferrari is meant to be (minus the insane drifting, of course). Sega has done the Ferrari license justice and has re-invented a classic game, it has a lasting power for years to come and has not lost its shine throughout the years. If you don't own OutRun 2 on Xbox its never too late to find a copy since they're definitely not rare. If you prefer just a little extra than the already large amount of content here, there's always <i>OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast</i> on Xbox, PC, PS2, and PSP. These have more tracks, tuned graphics, and more music. If you're wondering how to improve a game that was already great to begin with, it would be with <i>Coast 2 Coast. </i>As the days of arcades and arcade games are slowing down, <i>OutRun 2</i> is a treasure, it proves that games can still be fun.</span></div>
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-7655280518659102462014-04-14T09:17:00.001-04:002015-07-30T23:56:25.570-04:00A Second Look @ Ferrari GT Evolution (DSiWare)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hRh3rqH3bw4/U0DO4gb32vI/AAAAAAAAA9I/Nw28YXB5-tQ/s1600/FerrariEvoGT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hRh3rqH3bw4/U0DO4gb32vI/AAAAAAAAA9I/Nw28YXB5-tQ/s1600/FerrariEvoGT.jpg" /> </a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite what a hardcore gamer may tell you, handheld games are not the bane of gaming's existence. Gameloft, who are best known for making mobile phone games such as the Asphalt series, Marvel movie tie-ins, and the mobile versions of <i>many</i> Ubisoft games, have made several for Sony's consoles, the Wii, Xbox 360, iOS, and even browser-based games. Its safe to say that they are veterans of the industry but they're not huge; and while the Asphalt series may have gained a lot of ground in the last few years it's still not a game you'll find on consoles. The <i>Ferrari GT</i> series is on its third installment on mobile devices while <i>Ferrari GT Evolution</i> for DSiWare is an upscaled port of the mobile phone game from 2008. The years haven't been kind to it so it's important to remember that </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">it's not meant to be a 20-hour life-changing epic adventure. If you have kids then it's perfect for them to play around with. If you're one of the few that miss the days of playing games on your flip phone then the nostalgic factor should make you remember the simpler days of mobile gaming, when games had a purpose and weren't as simple as just tapping your screen repeatedly.</span></span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The overall feel of the game is like a throwback to the arcade racers of the past, or more like the Need For Speed games on the Gameboy Advance where there's a strong challenge in just crossing the finish line first. Quick Race, Career Mode, and Multiplayer are the three modes to choose from. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In Quick Race, you can choose from Normal Race, Elimination, Point Race, and Time Attack. Elimination should sound familiar while Point Race has you attempting to score the most points through drifting or passing other cars while still attempting to place first. M</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">ultiplayer is simple with the host choosing between the game modes present in Quick Race. You can host up to 8 people as long as they have the game installed on their DSi/3DS, but good luck finding anyone else who has this title.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Career Mode uses an in-game
email system with invitations to races. You'll start by competing in amateur events until you reach the right level but it does throw in a lot of one-on-one challenges from rivals or lap time challenges
presented with short reasona as to why you're racing the clock. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The top screen displays the racing action while the bottom shows the track map, car positions, and your points total. In Career Mode, </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">points accumulate into credits which are earned by
passing cars, drifting, and reaching the car's top speed. Credits
accumulate to levels which earn you entries into competition races. Credits are also banked to unlock cars later. There are 32
cars including the F430, Testarossa, Enzo, and 250 GTO. 8 fictional tracks
from different locales around the world such as New York, Berlin, and Tuscany all suit their real world counterparts nicely.</span> </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There's an insane amount of drifting that's easy to control but pushing it too far will result in a spin out and possibly a loss. It feels like a nod to the OutRun series and is really quite welcome here, adding to the feel of an arcade racing game. There is a suggested driving line but the only time it changes colors is when you veer too far away from it, its ignorable since it doesn't help you by notifying when a hard corner is coming. Adjustable car options include a Steering assist to make hard corners easier, Stability Control, ABS, Road Controls, and Ceramic Brakes for better stopping power. Rain is present as a weather effect but doesn't seem to affect car performance at all. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Trophies can be earned for various and simple things like drifting 200 meters, completing a Tuscany lap in under 2 minutes, etc. These don't count towards points or levels and are really there just for those who want to fully complete the game. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Opponent AI is dull and never offers a real challenge. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They're more like moving obstacles that need to be overtaken</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">. The only challenge that is here can be filtered down to how well you can navigate the corners and shortcuts. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The DSi wasn't the best at handling graphics since it was just a DS in a new shell. In regards to DSiWare games, its not bad for a digital title and a huge improvement over its mobile phone relative. There are no frame rate issues and the racing happens pretty fast. However the lack of flash and flare</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> is a shame because it
gives a sense that a little more effort should have been put in before giving it the go-ahead. Maybe pre-made vinyls for the cars, custom rims, colored drift smoke, something to make it stand out among the DSiWare games and to give it a more fun arcade feeling.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cars are nicely modeled but aside from your own selected car you wouldn't be able to tell since the AI only ever seems to choose the Testarossa. Flat, rotating trees, columns, and statues are present but not noticeable unless you stop to look at them. Tracks are nicely detailed in textures but the turns are cornered off and, again, more effort should have been put into that area. Regardless of the bland textures of a bygone era, there's something pleasing about driving around the New York track with the city in the background and the lights passing by. Its all solid with no glitches and graphical hiccups.</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sounds such as the tires making noise on brick pathways, tires screeching while drifting, and car engines are just midi-files but there is no delay in their execution. Little touches such as the muffler of your chosen car thrumming a little when decelerating are there, but not necessary since you'll never drive that slow. Cars lack the ferocity of real Ferraris and have no bass to them. There's little thrill in driving something that whines as it goes down the road.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Various techno songs loop while playing but they don't have a lasting effect, aren't catchy, and make little difference if the volume is maxed or off. If just the music is turned all the way up, the music can get very repetitive quickly and soon becomes annoying. In all honesty, the sound is the weakest part of this game.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Overall <i>Ferrari GT Evolution</i> is a game that you can do without if you're not big on racing games since it doesn't do anything exceptional or anything new to stand out or above others on the DSi/3DS. Its simple racing and rushed game modes won't leave you with any feelings of accomplishment. Gameloft handled the Ferrari license with kiddie gloves by porting it over to DSiWare and that's a shame since having the opportunity to completely remake a game for a new platform is instead toned down with no new ideas and a big lack of imagination. The upscaling in graphics means little if you're not interested in the overall racing.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> But if you're one of the few
that likes the old mobile racing games you used to have on your flip
phone then its perfect for you with its quick career structure, open
playability, and short races meant for being time-killers. These days its a small niche of people that like that sort of thing, for the rest of us, you should spend the $8 this game costs on a Virtual Console title instead.</span></b></div>
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-10607093655207529872014-04-08T03:17:00.002-04:002015-07-30T23:54:07.988-04:00A Second Look @ Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli (Wii)<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Images taken from IGN/GameSpy, because I couldn't find any good pics anywhere else.)</span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Years from now, when the Nintendo Wii is looked back upon, it may be remembered for at least one thing: the insane amount of shovelware that was forced upon it during its life cycle. Carnival games, mini-games, cart racers, horse simulators, fashion design games... baby simulators... (shivers). It should, for those of us who have seen it, call to mind the scene in <i>Back To The Future Part II</i> where Marty uses an arcade game's light gun expertly only to have one of the kids exclaim that its a baby's toy. The Wii was not treated very kindly due to some companies developing games for quick cash as though it <i>was</i> just a toy. So once in a blue moon a game came along that should have caused people to take notice of the system. Its also known that the Wii isn't a hardcore gamer's console, that much is obvious, so to find a sim racer that's both competent <i>and </i>has depth is something very rare and unexpected. Something that <i>Ferrari Challenge</i> <i>Trofeo Pirelli </i>has and does well. It may not be the same high quality title that was released for the PS3 at the same time, but what it does given the system's limitations goes above and beyond being labeled as a toy.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.system3.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/30375_Wii_30090_Wii_Ferrari_002_TB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.system3.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/30375_Wii_30090_Wii_Ferrari_002_TB.jpg" height="410" width="550" /></a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Featuring the six game modes of Quick Race, Arcade, Challenge, Trophy, Time Trial, and a Tutorial, which takes you around Ferrari's personal test track of Fiorano Circuit, there is more than 60 hours of gameplay for a sim racing enthusiast to take on. Quick Race allows you to jump in and test your mettle against AI opponents on a track and a car of your choice. Arcade is a long bout through four tracks with four different levels of difficulty; quitting out of this mode will restart you from the very beginning. Challenge takes you on a world tour through three international championships using the F430 for the entire duration. Trophy is the same as Challenge but you can select your own car instead. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Credits are earned at the end of each race, regardless of mode while the c</span>ars are unlocked by completing events in the Challenge and Trophy Modes. There are a multitude of cars through Ferrari's 60+ year history so any enthusiast will appreciate the wide variety of Italian Stallions to choose from.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Instead of laps, each race is timed. This time can be adjusted in the options but after a 15-minute race, plus qualifying lap times, that can feel like enough for one sitting. There are only 14 tracks to choose from and the locales are from all over the world with recognizable names such as Silverstone, Paul Ricard, and Mugello. Sim racing fans will have no problems navigating the familiar turns on most of these. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Control is important when it comes to racing games and you would think that the Wiimote alone isn't very accommodating. With just the Wiimote, you can use either the tilt gestures or the d-pad to steer. This doesn't handicap the game at all and at first may be frustrating to control but after a few laps you'll find yourself getting used to the tilt method. Using the nunchuk may be the better option as it can feel more familiar to another console's controller. Weather has a great effect on gameplay as it can reduce your speed and make you lose up to an entire lap's worth of time; where normally you could push your car's limits of braking and steering, you have to remember that slick roads do play a part.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Wii is also known for catering to arcade racing games, or those that don't use real world physics. The game can be adjusted to suit an arcade gamer's first time with a sim game up to a professional level of aptitude with adjustable levels of the Anti-lock Brakes System, Traction Control, Stability Control, and even a suggested racing line. When lowered, the first three can add bonuses to the credits payout at the end of a race. There are no upgrades to worry about, each car is a stock model to ensure each racer has a fair chance. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Opponent AI seems to drive on rails and they rarely make a mistake, it may seem to add a sense of professionalism but only if seen that way. When they do make a mistake, such as improper braking or taking a corner too wide, they're programmed to just get back on track and keep driving. Some moments opponents will actually get out of your way to let you pass rather than trying to block you, and on some rare occasions they aren't afraid to try and push you out of their way. Aside from these moments they can come off as lifeless. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Challenge cards, which are akin in-game achievements,
are awarded for completing specific goals within the game such as getting a record lap, driving a certain number of miles, etc. These cards can be used in an in-game card game simply
called "Challenge Cards." In this mode, you're given a random card of a Ferrari with several stats displayed underneath. These stats are compared against your opponent's card and whichever card has the better stat wins their opponent's card. Its not fun or interesting at all since the computer seems to know what you're selecting and will take several of your cards before you even have the chance to select again. Quite honestly, its a useless thing to play because you <i>will</i> lose every time.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sadly Ferrari Challenge on the Wii is a single-player only game with couch co-op nowhere in sight. It probably could have benefited from having some special modes with multiple players and something else to do besides Challenge Cards because racing alone isn't very fun after a while.
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The overall feel of the game has an air of professionalism with a sense that if you want to push the track's limits you will get bit. If you want to push your car's limit just to knock off a few milliseconds from your total track time then you will find a way to do it. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Graphics are a weak point and could have used a lot of sprucing up. There are reflection problems on the car surface when near the corner markers, such as track borders reflecting <i>on top</i> of the car, and the full extent of the damage is limited to the bumpers and hood falling off. The cars, both in the menu and during play, look plastic with dull surfaces and inaccurate light reflections. Any vinyls added in the custom vinyl editor are badly muddled during racing, but the fact that the game <i>has</i> a vinyl editor should make that forgivable. Regardless of these faults there is a great sense of speed with track recreation being very accurate. No breaks, glitches, invisible walls, or disappearing walls shows that care was put into some parts of the game's graphics more than others, its not hard to notice these errors but it shouldn't detract from the racing. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A licensed soundtrack featuring 20 songs from <a href="http://www.esposthumus.com/%E2%80%8E">E.S. Posthumus</a>, <a href="http://4ad.com/artists/deerhunter">Deerhunter</a>, <a href="http://www.blackrebelmotorcycleclub.com/%E2%80%8E">Black Rebel Motorcycle Club</a>, and more span several genres so you won't have to worry about listening to an orchestral score the whole time. If the music does get irritating, you can always turn the volume down and enjoy the roar/buzz of the engines. Each engine sound was replicated directly from the real world counter-part and each car produces their own distinct tone of power. Gear heads and Ferrari fans should appreciate the extent of the effort that went into making each individual car sound as it should. Crowd announcers on each track speak the native language of the location; crowds cheer as you pass by and there's always some moron blaring an air horn whenever you approach. It gives you a feeling of "It's race day!"</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://assets2.ignimgs.com/2008/06/10/ferrari-challenge-trofeo-pirelli--20080610013232449-2428526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://assets2.ignimgs.com/2008/06/10/ferrari-challenge-trofeo-pirelli--20080610013232449-2428526.jpg" height="410" width="550" /></a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Regardless of its shortcomings, <i>Ferrari Challenge</i> remains a double-edged sword. On one side you have a great sim racing game with depth, a sense of speed, and great attention to Ferrari details. Real effort was put into this title to make it stand out on a console that's not familiar with sim racing games. On the other there's not much <i>challenge</i> to it with no permanent and performance-altering damage, no heavy penalty system, and a brainless AI that leaves a hollow feeling of accomplishment that's only quelled by the fact that System-3 knew what console this was going to be on, so they held back on putting any interesting game mechanics into the mix. Its hard to compare <i>Ferrari Challenge</i> against the other sim racing games on the Wii when there are only two or three others out there. Its not the best racing game ever made, but it is one of the better ones on the Wii. It is steady, honest racing between cars of a world-class level. It doesn't need gimmicks to stand out and the Ferrari name is handled with care. So if you've been looking for a reason to play your Wii again, <i>Ferrari Challenge</i> <i>Trofeo Pirelli </i>is worth your time even if you're not a die-hard sim racing fan. </span></b><br />
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-87335275828190231322014-04-03T13:57:00.001-04:002015-07-30T23:42:51.094-04:00A Second Look @ Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge (NES)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Feel free to listen to this while reading this review:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Old school racing games were about as simple as you could get: select your car, select your track, mash the gas button, and don't crash while passing the field of mindless drones ahead of you. A few signs and fast-approaching corners were the only hints that you were going fast against a static background image. <i>Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge</i> didn't deviate from this formula (why fix what isn't broken?) and that unfortunately cements itself into the annals of racing game history as "just another old racing game." System-3 was only able to put a couple of stand-out ideas into the mix but that just wasn't enough to keep it afloat in people's memories.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Welcome to beautiful Monac-oh wait what?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pressing select on the start screen will let you choose between either practice or will take you into a qualifying lap. If you choose to practice, you can select from any of the game's SIXTEEN(!) tracks. That amount was practically unheard of back then for an NES game. Monaco GP, Silverstone, Spa, Circuit de Catalunya, and Suzuka Circuit are among the real-world locations that have been pixelated; but while the elevation changes from each track are omitted they remain challenging if you're unprepared. At the same time the removal of elevations means that unless you know these tracks by heart, you won't recognize any of their 8-bit counterparts. There are no car variations to choose from and zero colors to customize with, the only options of automatic or manual gearbox can't be adjusted for some odd reason. You're stuck with a 3-speed automatic that isn't really automatic. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>FGPC</i>'s password system is a jumbled mess of 21 characters and letters that allowed you continue the main game from a
previously won race. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It holds about two hours worth of playtime if followed through long enough but little to no reason to play it again. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The classic tragedy: crashing in old games</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge could go down in history for one thing it would be for the soundtrack that is <i>chiptunes gold</i> (I hope you pressed play on the video above). Before going into a qualifying lap, you can choose to turn the music off but that would mean listening to the constant hum of an engine while playing. <a href="http://dutycyclegenerator.com/">Neil Baldwin</a> was the composer for this game and has done the score for several other NES games like Magician, James Bond Jr, Jungle Book, and Lethal Weapon.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the end <i>Ferrari Grand Prix Challenge</i> on the NES did nothing new or exciting for the old racing genre. The Ferrari license is wasted here and without it, its just another GP racing game. Even with the Ferrari name attached to it it doesn't make the boring tracks or lifeless opponents any better. While it should be remembered for having an awesome soundtrack that alone doesn't make it worth seeking out unless you want it in your collection, enjoy old racing games, or are an absolute fan of Ferrari's. </span></b><br />
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-65704275349677428392014-01-29T18:14:00.003-05:002015-08-05T04:38:35.962-04:00Review: Real Racing 3 (Update 1.5)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Uniquity is a hard thing to pin on a game such as... wait I've <a href="http://bigmercenary.blogspot.com/2013/05/a-second-look-apex.html">said that before</a>...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">But for the sake of arguing, that holds true for <i>Real Racing 3</i>. Most hardcore gamers have shunned mobile gaming as being just casual distractions for the day-to-day commuter, but there are still plenty of gamers (myself included) who don't mind having something to play when a console is either out of reach or is just becoming a tired media device.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">It was Christmas of last year that I received a Kindle Fire HD and the first thing I did was connect it to the Amazon Appstore to get games, among them was <i>Real Racing 3</i> since it was free (I also <i>paid for</i> the <i>Minecraft</i> beta, which was a mistake). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">So what's better than "free?" While <i>Real Racing 3</i> has microtransactions they're not needed to progress in the game all the way through. I myself have only spent roughly $7 to get more R$ ("Real Dollars," <i>RR3</i>'s form of currency) and gold coins but that's because <i>I wanted to</i>. I wanted to get a newer car and have enough coins for upgrades later on. Its possible to play through the entire game without paying anything by winning races for cash and leveling up or completing quarter-percentages of a racing series for more gold. In that sense, the term "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freemium">freemium</a>" isn't even an issue here. You can't pay to win since its all about the driver's skill level that matters once the racing starts. Here the microtransactions are only meant to get things done quicker and there's never an importance placed on either R$ or gold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">After the mention of free pricing you probably think <i>RR3</i> to be light on content if you expect only fools to pay for microtransactions, and you'd be dead wrong. Featuring 77 cars from 18 different manufacturers, 23 different courses from real world locations, and 10 different event types, the game's file size of ~1.2Gs is filled to the brim with things to do. New cars are unlocked for purchase after a certain amount of trophies are won and are first offered at a discount price. (I highly recommend having enough for the initial purchase price so the discount will leave you with enough for upgrades.) You have the options to hire an agent to increase R$, a PR manager to increase fame (which increases levels), and an engineer to maintain your cars condition, all depending on whether or not you win the race. The game also features achievements for a variety of things such as number of cars owned, winning so many races in a row, leveling up, even buying a certain amount of upgrades. However these can't be shared, aren't attached to any game service, and are generally useless in the grand scheme of things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>RR3</i> features several different ways to customize your play style with </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">the default being the tilt controls with auto-acceleration. There's also the options of on-screen buttons and auto-braking for the players who want to take it less seriously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">As far as physics go, the dedication to reality can be unforgiving. Grass or dirt slows you down heavily, walls can cause an undesired stopping effect if hit at a certain angle and while other cars can <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PIT_maneuver">PIT</a> you, they remain untouchable. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">After each race your car will require maintenance and, depending on how <strike>badly</strike>
roughly you were driving it, the condition will deteriorate over time. A
hired mechanic will fix things for a price and, on some cars, a very
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">It seems that "HD" graphics on a mobile device are akin to late-PS2 era graphics... OR other racing games such as <i>Asphalt 8 Airborne</i> are doing something right while <i>Real Racing 3</i> is left in the dust. Textures are lacking in definition and upon closer inspection seem to resemble a game that's either still in beta or needs an HD texture pack as DLC. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">If all you care is the quality of graphics, then the first screenshot above has already caused you to lose all interest. While the graphics are hindered, its the gameplay that's meant to be the star. This trade-off is completely acceptable since the cars and tracks have been recreated with enough care that seeing a bland road surface should be the least of your worries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">There is a nice sense of scale upon seeing a far away wall materialize into being. Its not as bad as, let's say the original <i>Driver</i> on Playstation 1, but its noticeable if you look for it. Car's lights can be knocked out with ease, bumpers can be wrecked, and doors can be dented but paint remains clean regardless of how bad you wreck. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Most racing games seem to recycle or pitch-alter engine sounds to save on space. <i>RR3</i> has gone the opposite (and more respectable) route by featuring a wide variety of engine sounds that match the cars being driven. The whine of the turbo, the backfire of the exhaust, the tires screeching, the tires thumping on the corner markers, and even the crashes all draw you in nicely... half a second after these things happen. There is some noticeable audio lag and while its not serious enough to break the game, it is distracting enough to break your concentration.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The music is good for the most part, until a dubstep track comes on. When will developers learn that dubstep is not good music and does not fit well within a video game? I've turned the music off and I don't mind hearing just the engines. <i>Anything</i> is better than dubstep.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Time-Shifted Multiplayer uses the times of other players from around the world for you to compete against in every race. Rather than directly battling other players, you're up against their total time. Instead of another racer's ghost or recorded driving habits, you're up against AI that is set to a speed that will complete a lap at a certain time. This leaves the AI completely dull and often not a threat or challenge since they brake and accelerate as though driving on wires. You can either outrun, outclass, or try and crash them to break their monotony but its pointless to try and do so when speeding past them is just fine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Local multiplayer is present and is probably a better time when friends are near. Unfortunately I can't comment on this since I haven't played it before, but my best guess is that you can only race through the event types on a track that the host player chooses. That might be appealing to those who are serious about racing games, but let's face it: this is mobile gaming and that won't be fun for most.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">As far as free games go, <i>Real Racing 3</i> for your iOS, Android, and other devices is something that's definitely worth having if you're a fan of sim racing or enjoy mobile games that can hold your attention for longer than 5 minutes. All others need not apply since its not the sharpest-looking or most casual-friendly game out there with its need for dedication to long racing series and its unforgiving physics. The biggest problem that <i>Real Racing 3</i> faces is its lack of ingenuity: it doesn't do anything that stands out from a big console racer when it has the opportunity to do so. It could become the definitive sim racing game for mobile platforms but instead feels content as being just another racing game based around social connectivity. Despite all of the negative, what you'll find here is a solid racing game with careful attention to physics, car data, and the players.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">If you do find yourself enjoying <i>RR3</i>, then why not support the devs just a little and buy a $1.99 pack worth R$50,000? They've been supporting the game since launch and can easily increase the amount of content with just an update. And with thousands of other players out there constantly updating the leaderboard times, it never hurts to try and better your driving skills.</span></div>
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-20367084700970816042014-01-12T18:09:00.001-05:002015-08-05T04:44:34.083-04:00Review/Control Freak: Armored Core Verdict Day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I couldn't keep the review going for long. I'm done with this game. Welcome to a new entry into my Most-Hated Games List.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Armored Core</i> premiered in 1997 on the original Playstation and with its combination of mech action, customization, and RPG-based credits reward system, it quickly became one of the best examples of mech simulation games to have ever been produced. The follow-up games being expansions took the game on a single-player quest and subsequently into the arenas. Fast forward 16 years later to 2013 where FROM SOFTWARE is still creating new Armored Core games and expansions. <i>Verdict Day</i> is not the initial release as it follows <i>Armored Core V </i>and even continues the story past the single-player campaign. But in these days of DLC add-ons and microtransactions, is it really worth it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Earth is now a barren wasteland as three major corporations vie for control over territories that hold the remaining resources. The big three have worked out an uneasy truce among them but are still prepared for war with hired mechs and teams able to be dispatched at a moment's notice. The single player campaign puts you as a mech pilot working for a mercenary company when you're given the order to attack certain patrols in order to incite another war among the big three, just so they'll have reason to hire mercenaries again to do their dirty work, putting you back in a better paying job. Along the way you'll encounter other mercenary mech pilots who want to end you and the collect the bounty on your head, as you must do them also. You can form teams with AI-controlled mechs to help with completing the more difficult objectives, but it never really beefs up the difficulty enough until after about a dozen levels are completed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you find the single-player campaign to be too dull (and you probably will), you can open your game to the multiplayer section where you can hire other players to help you with your single player campaign missions, hire yourself out as a mercenary to help others, or have big team corporation battles (this all pending on whether the servers are up, of course, which is only half the time). And even then in the big team battles you'll come across a group of Koreans with the Windows logo who will completely obliterate whatever team is pieced together. Its this cross-cultural imbalance that makes this part of the multiplayer not even worth considering playing. They control most of the game and why servers aren't region separated is a painful reminder that FROM SOFTWARE only cares about its Far Eastern audience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inside the cockpit, you'll find that the action is just as chaotic and fast-paced as its ever been. </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Kinetic, Chemical, and Thermal Energy weapon types once again play a role in the game. Mech
customization can prepare you for certain weapon types but leave you
vulnerable to others. This same rule also applies for the one-on-one missions. </span>After a short while they'll require careful planning and the right parts equipped to take down enemy mechs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In order to
advance in the story you need to defeat these other mercenaries, but when it
becomes impossible to do so, it gives you no alternative to continue
forward and brings the game to a grinding halt. Seasoned vets will find no fault in this and will find a way to work around it. All others will be turned off and will find no reason to continue playing. Its this exclusivity that the series has always had that prevents it from becoming something enjoyable by everyone.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The game engine is the same as 4 and 5, so you won't find much spectacle
in the graphics. The whole thing is just as gritty as it was before and even
though its a separate release, its already a tired view
of things. With the exception of the new mech parts and the new maps,
you'll find everything is the same.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The sounds of battle provide a very stark contrast to the calming nature of the menus, which features an operatic score backed by guitars. Guns in every form have different sounds and could shake the windows if turned up. The chaos of so many sounds happening on the battlefield is short-lived since some fights can take as little as two minutes. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">CONTROL FREAK</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Where the previous entries before <i>Armored Core 4</i> were balanced
between single and multiplayer, here most of the attention is on just
the latter. It wants you to join a team, play through seasons, and play
with others all online in order to get the better part of the experience. But what it
boils down to is the same formula as the games before it: build a mech,
defeat other mechs to unlock new parts, win until you have enough money
to buy those new parts. It goes to show that FROM SOFTWARE has put
the Armored Core series into a niche corner and shows no signs of
advancing it with new ideas.</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Where creating teams and selling yourself as a mercenary are good ones, it seems they didn't bother to plan what to do for the rest of the game. If this is how the next few titles in the series go, with an ignorable story and a lot of repeated mech parts, then you should just ignore it. <i>Armored Core Verdict Day</i> is not a bad game, its a bad game to <i>keep</i> <i>playing</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I looked up synonyms for the word "okay" because "okay" just sounded too dull. What I found was "acceptable," "permissible," "competent," and "satisfactory." I guess I could say that it is a competent game in that it knows what its doing but I just can't in good conscience use the others words to describe how much of a letdown <i>Armored Core Verdict Day</i> really is. There are other mech games that are taking the same ideas but in different and exciting directions; <i>Hawken </i>coming to mind first. But if this is what an old veteran of the genre has to offer then it should be put to rest for a few years. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you have <i>Armored Core V</i> then you don't need <i>Verdict Day.</i> I understand that releasing expansions as separate games is what the series has always done but in the year of 2013 this is a tired practice. This idea of nickel-and-diming the players has already outlived its welcome. What could have been just a $20 DLC add-on was instead released as a
$50 entry into the franchise. For that price the amount of content offered is simply not worth
it. Companies need to understand that this will not get us to buy new games. You do not need Verdict Day. If the series continues along this path it will eventually do itself in. And maybe, just maybe, we'll get a mech game worthy of all of us playing.</span></div>
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-50709404501740139522013-12-28T21:16:00.000-05:002015-08-05T05:05:32.015-04:00A Second Look @ Unreal Championship 2: The Liandri Conflict<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I'm admittedly cheating a bit by reviewing UC2, since it features a third-person camera, but since it is part of the Unreal franchise and its billed as an FPS, it counts. Deal with it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Arriving a mere months before the release of the Xbox 360 and launching exclusively for the original Xbox, <i>Unreal
Championship 2</i> was once cited by one of the creators as "pushing
polygons like crazy." That statement is held true as UC2 is probably one
of the best-looking original Xbox games you could ever find. Epic Games made the most of it and created one of the franchise' best by taking things in a different direction with the addition of a third-person
camera and melee weapons. If it doesn't sound like an <i>Unreal Tournament</i> game that's because its not; this offering is more balanced between the single player story and the multiplayer action by using all the content within for both sides. So much has been put into <i>Unreal Championship 2</i> that its a wonder why Epic Games didn't just make it an Xbox 360 launch title. Understandably it would have been a gamble going against <i>Call of Duty 2</i> in the FPS category, and by then the original Xbox was already in enough homes, so possibly sticking to the first console was a wise business decision. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This time around the single player campaign features a new tournament known as Ascension Rites. Liandri Corporation has gotten it's greedy paws into a Nakhti ritual that determines who the next king or queen will be. Enter Anubis, a warrior who gave up the princely lifestyle to fight in a far-off war which earned him the disdain of his people. He returns with the belief that the Liandri Corp has tainted the Ascension Rites through televising, marketing, and adding their own combatants into the fray. As Anubis you face your ex-betrothed Selket, her minions, and others vying for the crown through thirteen battles with various modes of play. There are four training sessions at the beginning to make sure you've got the game well understood and its easy to pick up and play by the end of them. While there are only five levels of difficulty it becomes a challenge to better yourself in the harder ones. Ascension Rites is played with Anubis only and by the end of it you feel most comfortable playing as him or someone of equal strength. Throughtout the Ascension Rites, Liandri is interfering by adding their own competitors and tipping the scales against you, including bot combatants and attacks outside of the arena, although the Ascension Rites do say that anyone can enter and win.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">During the Ascension Rites ladder, Tournament legend Malcolm offers you to join the famous Thunder Crash team, and once its completed the <i>real</i> Tournament begins. While there are only 10 tiers with varying rules to play through, each of the fourteen characters has a tournament ladder for themselves. There's a special appearance by Raiden from the <i>Mortal Kombat</i> series as a tie-in with being published by Midway as well as the option to use the MK announcer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In addition to the Ascension and Tournament modes, Challenges mode makes an appearance by offering trials wherein the player goes against several opponents on a team alone or must face off against new opponents, such as Raiden who is unlocked upon completion of all the challenges. Mods, known as mutators this time, make a comeback and take part in each of the game's modes with the series staples of Instagib, LowGrav, Speed Match, and others returning. Some new and exclusive mutators like Looting, Melee Only, and Camp Fire can make things a bit more interesting. Mutators add a level of fun and challenge that, even after many hours of normal play, can change the game in new and better ways. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">DeathMatch, Team DeathMatch, and Capture the Flag being the usual <i>Unreal </i>game modes are present, while new modes Nali Slaughter, Overdose, and Survival make an appearance. Nali Slaughter has several competitors racing to kill as many Nali as they can while also killing or avoiding each other; its mindless fun at first but does feel like a real challenge. Overdose has players attempting to take control of an energy ball and hold it as long as they can without dying while attempting to reach a goal. More points are scored the longer the player holds onto the ball by the time they reach the goal. At the maximum dosage, the player reaches a godlike status with invulnerability, speed, and other temporary boosts. Survival pits the player or players in a one-on-one deathmatch against bots or a human opponent with the winner advancing to the next round.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each character has their own strengths and weaknesses in regards to health and agility with four points split among the two. Those who are more agile have less health and vice-versa. Some characters, such as Anubis, are balanced. Aside from character traits, unique adrenaline power-ups can turn the tide of a fight with things like Repluse, which can shrug off some damage; Heal, which will refill a portion of the player's life bar; and Nimble, which allows the player to make several mid-air jumps in a row. Everyone has a set of temporary boosts that come at the cost of
adrenaline, which is refilled slowly either automatically or via level
pick-ups. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A big change for the franchise comes just before going into battle, this time the player is given a choice of only two weapons to choose from. One weapon that uses explosive ammo and the other that uses energy ammo. This forces the player to think ahead in terms of play style since the maps are too small to fit so many weapons, instead they're littered with ammo pickups of each type. The usual amount of <i>Unreal</i> weapons has been reduced down to eight, with series staples of Flak Cannon, Ripjack, Shock Rifle, BioRifle, and Stinger making a return. Each weapon also has they're famous alt-fire attacks to make combat more interesting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The addition of a third-person camera adds a new depth to the playing
field and allows you to see more of the action as well as a better view of the melee combat. "Bringing a knife to a gunfight" adds a whole new side to the <i>Unreal</i> franchise but don't think that the melee is a last resort when out of ammo. It can give you a definite upperhand in battle with the ability to charge weapons, dash through the air, shield your character, and reflect projectiles, which can add insult to injury. Along with each character having a melee weapon they also have two pistols in their arsenal with recharging ammo. When charged and released they can freeze a target in place for a short period of time, giving the player (or a bot) a few precious seconds to execute a Coup de Grace attack. These are stlyish one-hit kills with the melee weapon that are activated by pressing a button combination that's displayed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">According to Wikipedia: "A specialized version of Unreal Engine 2.5 called UE2X was used for UC2 on the original Xbox platform. It featured optimizations specific to that console." While it does feel like a true <i>Unreal</i> game, it seems to have lost the brooding of past titles and replaced it with a more technological look with glowing surfaces, water distortion, distance fog, and lights creating shadows and colors on the characters like crazy. It must have pushed the original Xbox to its graphical limits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The level design is varied throughout the 40+ maps with none of the old Unreal maps making a return. This is all new stuff for a new game and the hard work shows throughout each design with amazing detail in each expertly crafted map. Distant mountains and structures look pixelated due to the technical limitations but the feeling of size and scale that's presented is mind-blowing for the console time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The cutscenes in the Ascension Rites mode leave something to be desired in that the faces don't appear to be animated right while some textures seem to have lost a little shine that's present during play. Lighting looks good for the most part but the old FMV pixelation curse is still there. The videos do a good job of unfolding the story by introducing characters and driving the plot forward, but for those who are only caring about the action the story can be ignored.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While character diversity is a bit bland, the characters and armor designs are what you'd expect in the <i>Unreal</i> universe with the beefiness of the armor now becoming a mainstay in whatever Epic Games makes. Armors on Anubis, Selket, and the other Nakhti are heavily influenced by ancient Egyptian culture and look the best. All others, not so much. Besides the robots that are more appealing than previous franchise entries, the rest leave little to talk about. Regardless of that, each character design is considerably better than what was used in prior games, which they used to be recycled bodies with differing heads and colors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The music is as dark and adrenaline-filled as you would expect from an <i>Unreal </i>game with techno beats, rock guitars, and orchestral instruments giving off vibes of urgency with a touch of old-school Egyptian mummy movies mixed in. While it is in tone with the <i>Unreal</i> universe, it feels somewhat lacking in edge and excitement as though the music is afraid to be anything less than empirical. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Voice-acting is superb with each character having several taunts, cheers, or orders when called for during gameplay while the Ascension Rites cutscenes are never too dry or phoned in. They inject a little bit of humor to keep things light-hearted and thankfully it never feels forced. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sound effects are plentiful with grunts from the characters, distance explosions, pick-ups, gunfire everywhere, and sound distortion during a few of the adrenaline power-ups. Often times you can hunt down an elusive bot or player by following their grunts. The levels themselves never feel lifeless because there's always an environment sound happening nearby: birds chirping in open areas, the wind blowing by, footsteps through water, flames crackling, machinery motors whirring, water moving, and many other sounds give life to even the most mechanical-themed maps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If there is a downside to <i>Unreal Championship 2</i> its that it feels like just a one-trick pony. The possibility of a franchise here has flexed all its muscles with the ideas presented and for a sequel to be bigger would have to include some new and outrageous things. It would be hard to follow up and doing the next game in the same style would cause Epic Games to cement its feet and prepare to throw it in shark-infested waters. Its a conundrum: if they change it completely for a sequel then they'll be expected to keep changing with new ideas. If they keep it the same, they risk making the <i>Championship</i> name into a repeat offender.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I will freely admit that I have been biased in this review since <i>UC2 </i>is my second favorite game of all-time. Every time I put it in, even just to jump around the levels, I notice a new detail I hadn't seen before. Its easy to see why its my favorite with the amount of things to do and ways to play that make me want to play it more. The replay value is practically immeasurable if you have three friends willing to make a party of it. While the original Xbox Live may be dead, the <i>Unreal</i> franchise has always had bots and adjusting the difficulty feels like you'll want to better yourself.<i> </i><i>Unreal Championship 2</i> is only available for the original Xbox but is backwards compatible with the 360 and looks and plays best on it. You can find it incredibly cheap these days and its so very worth it to play it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">You <i>need Unreal Championship 2</i> on your shelf and you <i>need </i>to
experience this game. The ideas feel refreshing to a genre that was
soon to be saturated with copy paste clones and even now it has aged well with the melee combat and
character traits keeping things in a good balance with an ease of access that any FPS fan can comes to grips with.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We <i>need</i> to see an <i>Unreal Championship 3</i> only to see more of the fresh ideas that 2 breathed into the franchise and the FPS genre in general. For it to be a follow-up to just a port of <i>Unreal Tournament 2004</i> is a big deal since <i>UC2</i> showed that the genre doesn't have to be stale if the developers are willing to push the limits and add new ways to play instead of <i>how</i> to play.</span></div>
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-5940624269908819552013-12-22T11:03:00.000-05:002018-07-24T11:24:30.561-04:00A Second Look @ TimeShift<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Images taken from Gamespot)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TimeShift started life on the original Xbox and PC
featuring the rugged, average, white male hero Michael Swift. After
Sierra Interactive got the rights from Atari they gave the game a
complete overhaul and created the Time Suit, making the player
character anonymous in the process. Its a better a idea mostly
because it feels like you are in control. You hold time in the palms
of your... well, in your suit. From the sound of things, you almost
expect the story to go from one time period to another, chasing down
people or one man or even anomalies, setting things right in the past to make a better future, but unfortunately it never gets that
imaginative.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The story puts you in the place of a highly respected scientist
with a “mysterious past” who has been employed to work on a new
ground-breaking technology. I'm sure we've heard the story before but
I digress. It starts with the aptly named Dr. Krone (I can't think of that
name without rolling my eyes) destroying the lab and using the Alpha
Time Suit to make an escape. Acting quickly, your character takes the
in-development Beta Suit and, as the lab explodes, uses it to time
jump to a dystopian future where Dr. Krone has distorted history to
make himself the ruler. What proceeds is a war between the governing
army and the resistance. I know this story has happened somewhere but
I can't imagine where. After waking up from the time jump, you are given a waypoint and told to just go there. It never reveals the reason <i>why</i> Krone altered the timeline and you're left to believe its just because he's evil. You just accept it and start shooting enemies. It becomes quickly apparent that your time suit is malfunctioning and will make random jumps to save you from detected danger. Its nothing more than just a lazy plot idea to move you from one point of the game to another without explaining where in time you are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The main star of <i>TimeShift</i> is the time control, which is
not given freely as the suit needs a certain amount of time to recharge
the energy after each use. You can start and stop using one of the
time controls whenever you want but when there are moments of heavy
action you might tend to forget. Pausing time will drain the most amount of
energy but during its use you can traverse certain obstacles, avoid
gunfire, or even take an enemy's weapon from his hands. Slow Motion
gives you the ability to move faster than everyone and doesn't take
as much energy as pausing, but enemies can still fire on you. Rewind is rarely used and it only takes the game back by a couple
of seconds but will never save you from dying. Later in the game you will encounter enemies with crude
time suits of their own that can ignore your time controls. The best
option to take care of these guys is to just shoot.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It seems the usual suspects in regards of guns are present: the KM2103 Karbine being your first gun is an assault rifle that can shoot
grenades as an alt-fire. Each gun has a main fire and alt-fire: the shotgun can single- or double-fire, the pistol can semi-auto fire
up to four bullets, the flamethrower (aka Hellfire) can shoot bursts of fire, the Thunderbolt is a crossbow with a zoom, the EMF Cannon, which is just an electric gun, shoots disabling electricity with shots that can be charged. There's also a sniper rifle and rocket launcher that deal the most damage. <i>TimeShift</i> never flexes its creative muscles enough to think of interesting gun mechanics that relate to time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Guns aim steady but are never fun to fire and on the harder
difficulties it feels like a chore to take down an enemy. They take their sweet time to die and will sometimes take a
whole clip or more while a headshot may only knock off their
helmet. The chaos of being shot at means you won't have
much time to focus on who's actually hitting you. Enemy gunfire is also accurate and
it seems that very few bullets actually manage to <i>miss</i> you.
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Time Suit recovers your health automatically and using the
fast forward time control quickens the recovery pace. </span>When dangerously close to dying, the edges of the screen turn red and the only thing to do is take cover. The AI is too dumb to come out of hiding and attempt to flank you, which provides a whole new problem that <i>TimeShift</i> suffers from: lifelessness. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Allies, who are all male and have the same body type, are capable of
taking out enemies but, again, you are the bullet sponge. While allies know how to fire they're also as dumb as the enemies. It screams of last-gen tech. You have little to no reprieve when being caught in the open and
a firefight ensues. Its this idea in game design that makes it feel lazy, not because you have something to shoot, but because the game only does firefights and time "puzzles" instead of providing interesting things to do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unlockables include videos, concept art, and level music which are unlocked upon the completion of levels. There are no
hidden collectibles or interesting easter eggs at all. It would have
done the game good to have some newspapers or videos to give even a hint of a backstory as to how Krone came to
power but its never that fulfilling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The graphical effects are one of the few good things to mention in terms of looks. While surfaces are awfully bland, the water effects and depth of field are well done. Glass
shatters nicely, lighting effects are competent, and the effects when controlling time are nicely crafted. As everything
blurs, events rewind in real time, or everything slows down
as you speed past and it all holds up well. But take away this and it only goes to show that the amount of time taken to develop a game doesn't always mean its going to be the most spectacular looking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Level design leaves a lot to be desired as narrow spaces and cover objects abundantly scattered about are what you'll find here. Its the same old "pathway-into-arena" gameplay that is present in most FPS games and the linearity is broken up with a sky level wherein you shoot a turret at enemy mines and jets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some explosions can shake the screen and are actually satisfying to see, but it doesn't happen very often. Enemies can get ripped apart and there may be some body parts lying around, you can also leave bloody boot tracks, making it definitely not one for the kids in this case.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You do get to drive an ATV on some occasions, which gets caught on nearly everything due to twitchy steering and has a needless turbo boost. The ATV sounds overpowered while the mounted machine guns and turrets sound weak. Its a bad case of audio mixup.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The constant sound of rain on the main menu and through several levels can get tiresome but its ignorable with distant gunfire and explosions echoing throughout the city, these give
a nice depth to the action of an otherwise lifeless setting. The downside of the audio being that the guns you shoot never seem powerful
in sound or effect. In fact, the suit is more noticeable by always making some sort of sound, whether beeping when low on health, the S.S.A.M. system telling you that danger is close, or the way it distorts sounds when using the time control.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's very little music present, in fact there's almost none at all besides the moments of "epic" encounters. You hardly notice it and, sadly, I didn't notice it all even after turning all other sounds off just to try and hear it. I know its there because the soundtrack can be unlocked and played in the main menu. What we do get in the ways of musical offerings is an electronica-drenched, moody, eerie-sounding mix of songs that fit well with the mood of the game. Its actually <i>good</i>. Possibly the best part of the game overall. The shame of it is that you hardly hear it when playing </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The usual Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and One-on-One battles make up the multiplayer aspect. <i>TimeShift</i> gives us two unique modes called Meltdown Madness and King of Time. From the in-game description, Meltdown Madness is: "Throw Chrono Grenades at the opposing team's machine to prevent it from functioning. Your team wins when you machine completes its countdown." And King of Time has the players vying for control of a Time Sphere, which gives immunity to all time effects.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is DLC available in the form of maps for multiplayer. One of them
has 5 new maps and is free, the other is $10 and uses 5 maps from the
single player campaign as battlegrounds.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What gives the multiplayer a unique spin is that the time suits don't come in to play. Instead, the energy meter is present and a small area is time-altered through player-thrown grenades. These grenades can slow or stop a player in their tracks. In defense, you can select a temporary burst of "time resistance." There are also several power-ups spread throughout that include time resistance, energy refill, armor power-ups, and heavy damage. Its unfortunate that most players will seem to rely on the random throwing of grenades to get kills so instead of the hectic mayhem that can determine which player is better its reduced down to who can manage their energy the best.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No one is playing <i>TimeShift</i> multiplayer these days, so the only thing to do is check out what it could have been like.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>TimeShift</i> is a lesson in <i>de ja vu</i> and contradiction: you get the sense that you've done this all before with some other game but here it wants to make you think its original. It can't stick out on its own because other games have used the time control aspects and used them well. Its not<i> bad</i>. In fact it fails at failing. <i>TimeShift</i> is a solid effort at a game mechanic that we don't see very often and for that it sets itself apart from other FPS games. But its this reliance on the time control aspect to carry the bulk of the game that only makes it come across as unimaginative and just plain boring in every other area. A dull story, dated graphics, pathetic AI, and scripted action means you should never start playing <i>TimeShift</i>, that way you'll never have the disappointment of having to stop. Those of you who think you've missed out on it can find the physical 360, PS3, and PC versions dirt cheap on a used game rack or in the bargain bin, $30 on XBL, and $15 on Steam. Maybe it should have stayed on the original Xbox with Michael Swift. It may have improved it as, at that time, the FPS craze was just starting and the time control mechanics would have made it stand out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Keep Playing</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>If I may speak candidly, and this includes spoilers:</b> The comparison to Half-Life 2 is something that needs to be
addressed. You are given a suit with certain powers, sent to an
unknown time and city. You
fight your way out to the countryside only to fight your way back
into the city against a single regime. The dictator is speaking to the
citizens through various displays placed all around the city. The suit
recovering health automatically. The player character having an
unknown past. There's a bridge level....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I found it hard to review TimeShift because I had to play it
again. I've already done so twice before, on
normal and hard difficulties only for the achievements, and that felt like enough. Plus the
comparisons to Half-Life 2 makes it feel like I've played it a dozen
times already. It's just not very fun to play. It can get intense and
the game is solidly built, but it never gets fun. The ending to the game gives a finality to this story, only to undo what was done at the lab explosion, leaving it open for a sequel. The longer I took to write this review, the more I began to think of this as one of my all-time hated games, but I can't hate it because it did what it set out to do: make an FPS game based around time mechanics. For that, it begrudgingly gets my respect, but I'll never enjoy playing it.</span></div>
Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-33340342784185171192013-12-15T15:27:00.000-05:002018-07-24T11:29:28.622-04:00A Second Look @ Star Wars: Republic Commando<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kN8htzS1N14/UqrVSKwU2kI/AAAAAAAAA9I/oX8fXbZaxiggUrjSRGAb-9vbg4NsTR7PwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/RCcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kN8htzS1N14/UqrVSKwU2kI/AAAAAAAAA9I/oX8fXbZaxiggUrjSRGAb-9vbg4NsTR7PwCPcBGAYYCw/s640/RCcover.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Made and published entirely by LucasArts, <i>Republic Commando</i> was launched just before the release of the Xbox 360 and received mainly 8/10 ratings. To be one of the better-praised FPS games of the time, it wasn't very widely spoken of among the people I knew.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Republic Commando</i> puts you in the role of Delta RC-1138, call sign Boss, as he leads an elite group of Clone Troopers, each with their own personalities and specializations, through missions on Geonosis, a destroyed spacecraft, and the wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk. You play through the tutorial in the first level and its incredibly simple, showing you all you need to know to use your armor's capabilities and to use your squad effectively. The rest is shown as you travel through the game and its very easy to pick up and play. One major drawback is the length: there are only three levels, each with several chapters, and once they're done, there's the multiplayer that feels like just an add on. <i>Republic Commando</i> feels like a build up to something greater, but I don't think we'll see it anytime soon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One major feature of <i>Republic Commando</i> is the use of squad tactics. Tactics is a word used loosely in the sense that all you have to do is aim at a designated point and press the USE button, giving a command to one of your three squad mates to complete the task at hand. By holding down the same button you can bring up a command menu to order your squad to secure an area, fire on one target, form up, or cancel whichever maneuver you had previously chosen. Its a little bit of <i>Rainbow Six</i> but doesn't really hold any significance here as these commands don't really feel necessary when playing the game.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Republic Commando</i> definitely isn't big on downtime unless you want to be the one planting explosives or slicing (hacking) a computer, which there is a lot of both. Possibly 20% of the game time is used for this. You can give these commands to your team but they will take the same amount of time performing the task despite the backstory claiming they're best suited for these certain operations. All this happens while you're being shot at and listening to their banter during combat; they love to talk and are present for most of the
game with the exception of the tutorial and parts of two levels. There is
no lone-wolf gunning and your squad <i>will</i> take the initiative to take out enemies and are not satisfied to let anything slip past. They're not just random cannon fodder either:
They take a lot of damage and you'll find yourself often reviving them
mid-firefight during the latter chapters. Its a nice change of pace from other FPS game's
bullet-sponge action but it does get bothersome when you're the only one left standing due to the AI being spread too thin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shields and health both deplete quickly if you're not careful but you're never too far away from a bacta tank, which in basic terms is a health refill station, or an ammo drop. Don't worry if you do get taken down: just as you have time to save your squad, they have time to save you. You can order them to carry out their current orders to take out enemies, finish an objective, or to come and rescue you. The latter puts them in danger as it takes a few seconds to revive someone, leaving the healer an easy target and only puts the downed member back at half health.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You're not stuck with the assault rifle for the total length of the game. At one point you can find sniper and grenade launcher attachments, you're also never left without your trusty sidearm which recharges ammo automatically. Alongside those you'll find an old-fashioned physical shotgun, a wookie bowcaster, a rocket launcher, and a mini-gun each dealing out better amounts of damage than your rifle. Thermal detonators (physical), Electro-static Charge detonators, Sonic detonators (mines), and flashbug detonators (flashbangs) are the grenade types and you'll use a lot of them to take out clustered enemies. One drawback is that the grenade selector display is cryptic and you'll find yourself throwing a flash instead of a thermal unless you memorize the icon for each.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Melee is satisfying as you
put your gauntlet knife into an enemy and your helmet is splattered with fluids. Meanwhile gunplay feels weak as
lasers constantly miss their targets due to the bad sensitivity for the
Xbox version (setting at 1 feels sluggish while 2 feels twitchy, this is improved greatly when playing on the 360). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your HUD is constantly working by displaying your health, identifying where your squadmates are as well as their health levels, objectives, detonator counts, and can be switched between normal, tactical, and low light modes. The melee splatters and low-light modes feel like ideas taken from <i>Metroid Prime</i> and they work well here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Friendly fire is present, and while your squad does its best to avoid harming you they may get in your line of fire which can drain their shields or health. Your squad will do their best to revive each other but this will cause them to be in the open and take damage themselves. Luckily enemies aren't exactly the smartest and will charge at you instead of sticking behind cover. It feels like a let down and the difficulty is never too rough if you're paying attention to the surroundings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's not a lot of enemy variety and you'll face mostly Geonosians, Trandoshans and their scavenger droids, battle droids and the occasional elite guard droid throughout the game's three chapters. Hilariously enough, the game features ragdoll physics on dead enemies but its only good for a chuckle as you push them around. There are also Clone Trooper and Wookie allies throughout but most are immediately killed off within the first few seconds of appearing onscreen. While the levels feel like they belong in the <i>Star Wars</i> universe, level design is lacking in
originality. It can be commended for not following the
now-traditional "narrow-way-into-arena" gameplay but it maybe could have
used a few of those to keep things interesting. Perhaps a test of the player's
skill to use the team effectively is what's missing. You can choose to run ahead and take on enemies yourself, or you can actually stand aside and let your team do all the shooting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Graphics hold up well for a late console life release, looking crisp and without cracks, but it feels like the Unreal Engine 2.0 isn't being used to its full extent. Take <i>Unreal Championship 2</i> for example, which was released a few months later and looked like an early 360 release. There are light reflections, lens flares, light blooms, and the HUD shows holographic standing positions for maneuvers. Several graphical effects occur throughout the game that affect the
player's display including static from electric-based enemies, waving
heat lines that distort the view, flashbangs filling the screen with
white, and blood, oil, or rain that are wiped off by an electric wiper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sound you'll hear the most is from laser fire, which is familiar among the <i>Star Wars</i> universe, and oddly enough doesn't wear out its welcome. Even the chatter among your squad is somewhat comforting as they often talk to each other. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVLclRhTCec">Scorch</a> being the sarcastic one, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4BAR8jMfJg">Sev</a> being the sluggish brute, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWD1LQ4WgbU">Fixer</a> being average. (To show that there's a lot of voicework done, a YouTuber has compiled all of their voiceclips into 15+ minute videos.) Explosions have no real impact in sight or sound and it feels very tame because of this. Even wookiee yells and "screams" from the battle droids sound like clips taken from the movies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The orchestral soundtrack in the background is constantly giving off a powerful tone and it feels in-place with the Star Wars universe but somewhat cliche here. A different approach in the music would have given the game its own identity and its almost a shame that that idea wasn't implemented. To be the die-hard tactical FPS that it was billed to be, it doesn't really have any edge soundwise. While the music video from Ash (featured above) is a nice touch its merely an addition and is unlocked right from the start, seems more like a promotion from someone among the development team who heard the band and thought they were good.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Despite all of this, the sound is not the weakest selling point for <i>Republic Commando.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Multiplayer on original Xbox Live may be dead but couch multiplayer is still present with splitscreen. It includes the usual offerings of Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Assault modes; the last being similar to <i>Battlefield</i>'s Conquest mode.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, you only have 5 maps total to play throughout each mode. It feels more like an add-on than something worth playing. Regardless, if you can gather three friends to battle with you'll find that the multiplayer is hectic, fast-paced fun along the lines of the original Unreal Tournament. As your disembodied hands pick up weapons and throw grenades, you'll find that you can't aim down the sights of some guns, the bowcaster and the sniper rifle being the only ones that can. The same weapons from the single player campaign can also be found here. Aiming is very accurate and the multi-tiered maps offer plenty of corners to run away from a firefight. Running is the best option as it only takes a few shots to take someone out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The multiplayer aspect is weak in the overall package, like a lot more could have been done since, being built off the Unreal Engine, it should have a lot more going for it. The map Arena G9 features two low-gravity sections on each side that is a great idea, but isn't implemented anywhere else. Its the small ideas that could have made this part of <i>Republic Commando</i> something worth experiencing more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's never any big "wow" moments and the story taking place during the Clone Wars, one of the biggest battles of the <i>Star Wars</i> universe, is awfully bland. The only unlockables are concept art, featurettes, and an interview with the game's director. If, at the time, you were in to Star Wars then the game really held nothing new for you except for a few new vehicles that were to be seen in Episode III. It didn't try to outdo the current reigning FPS champion of <i>Halo</i> and is almost content to do what it was planned to do. It succeeds in that respect but fails to try and tread new ground. It seems very comfortable confined into its own universe.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Personally, I feel like a lot could be done with Delta Squad through their differing personalities and ability to think for themselves unlike the majority of Clone Troopers. its a section of the large Star Wars universe that would be awesome to explore. More unlocks like skins, HUD customization, cheats for the Xbox version, and maybe a few others would have been nice touches to finish things out. If one thing is wrong with it, it never feels too difficult. You'll get taken down by an enemy's melee attack, and it feels more like a pause in the action rather an urgency.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Republic Commando</i> is backwards compatible with the Xbox 360 and not only looks better in terms of graphics and video playback, it controls better as well. You can find it cheap these days and its available on Steam for $10, PC having the best graphical fidelity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a total package, <i>Republic Commando</i> packs in a lot and I'm sure the dev team could have made it an early Xbox 360 release had they waited. It would have improved the graphics, the controls and physics, the game length, and the AI. But for what it's worth, <i>Republic Commando</i> is an excellent and solid game.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wait a minute.... What's going on here? I call shenanigans!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4032623040382263590.post-89028034598206911992013-12-13T04:25:00.001-05:002018-07-24T11:37:27.999-04:00A Second Look @ Homefront<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(NOTE: Unfortunately, I can't comment on the multiplayer aspect of Homefront. With THQ's closure came the shutting down of the servers for all three available platforms. I can't even glance over how it was because I never had the opportunity to play it. In that regard the multiplayer aspect has been omitted and it does no good to read up on how it was.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(ALSO: I'm sorry if you've read this review after the original post date of December 8. While trying to edit a few misspellings using the Blogger phone app, it instead reverted the review back to the draft and I unknowingly posted that in its place. So here's the real review...) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> (Images taken from multiple sources)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why <i>Homefront</i> was ignored is beyond me. It came out at a time where everyone was looking for the <i>Call of Duty</i> killer (which will eventually kill itself) and people only wanted big multiplayer action. Homefront definitely had that with large-number MP battles and an engaging single player story. Kaos Studios used a template that everyone was familiar with but apparently nobody wanted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where <i>Homefront</i> succeeded was in its
delivery: big action for both the single and multiplayer modes, an
intense story and relentless enemies. Sound design of the highest caliber and an attention to detail of how the story came to fruition that most other FPS's don't bother with.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where it failed is in its overall game design: an all-out para-military shooter with little regards to the cast of characters and a miniscule story length. The multiplayer was the usual mess of XP levels and being outclassed by higher ranks. It was the same thing we had seen in other FPS games before. It could have been done better, but only by very little.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If the plot sounds like a rip-off of a certain movie or book, its more of an homage. According to Wikipedia, while John Millius, the original writer of <i>Red Dawn</i>, is credited as a writer, he had nothing to do with the game's script. Regardless of who did the writing, it and the direction are very well done, elevating current global news stories to an exciting and terrifying degree for a story set in the future of a little town in Montrose, Colorado. Unlike <i>Red Dawn</i>, the Korean army is less political and quick to shoot at any resistance, bringing in helicopters and moving whole platoons against a small guerrilla army. The opening of the game is more focused on the horrors of what's happening: a child watching his parents get executed, bodies lining the sidewalks, people being forced from their homes and into labor camps. Its so surreal that it had to be edited in order to be sold in the Asian markets for fear of backlash from North Korea.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The game puts you in control of Robert Jacobs, a former Marine helicopter pilot. Disregard that information because none of it comes into play. You never get to pilot a helicopter and that's a shame. While being taken from your home by the occupying Korean military, you are rescued by a couple of resistance fighters. Without much argument you pick up a gun and proceed to shoot your way through the town to safety. The game doesn't deal with the emotions of the characters at all and is instead more concentrated on the horrors of war. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There's a lot of focus on the here-and-now and very little on the past. </span>It could be said that it would not do well to dwell in that area but instead the game feels as though it could have used a little of it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The game also goes through
intense hand-holding as you're very rarely left alone. You are not the
one-man army like in FPS games of the same era and does everything it can to remind you of this. You will quickly
learn to rely on cover and your allies to overcome a firefight. They never get in the way but the repetitive dialogue out of combat breaks the immersion. </span>The guns handle very accurately and a few well-placed shots can take someone down even if they're wearing riot gear. The same goes for you as there will be <i>a lot</i> of cheap bullet-sponge deaths with the enemies seeing you as their <i>only</i> primary target. You will take the bulk of the damage but health recovers quickly by taking cover and staying out of a firefight for a few seconds. Even then enemies may flank you, forcing you to stay on your toes. In this aspect it knows how to keep the game exciting but the automatic health recovery takes away from believability. There's little time or space to run from an enemy grenade and your partners will take hit after hit without loss of life or even flinching. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are no cars to drive in the single player campaign but you can use targeting binoculars to command a Goliath, a remote-controlled and converted Korean mobile missile launcher, to take out enemy vehicles. This only happens a few times but its just enough to be awesome. Besides that you're put in the gunner seat of a Hummvee for a minute while playing part in escaping the town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Very linear but excellently detailed levels usher you through the main campaign all while being led around by a man with obvious PTSD. While you may want to go exploring the interesting little nooks you might see, the game is littered with invisible walls that hinder any curiosity. Scattered throughout are newspapers that offer stories of events leading up to the current time and gives depth to the backstory. They're not all hard to find but some are easy to miss, but in the end finding them all is just for an achievement on the 360. Its a shame that so much more could have been done in terms of level size and variety. T</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">he campaign is short but a lot takes place within the small levels that include neighborhood houses, </span>stores, and the cliched bridge level (</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">if you remember, </span>I mentioned that in my Black review). </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While the individual level details are acceptable, the design is lacking in originality with narrow ways giving way to arenas as seen in most modern FPS games.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The game comes to a head during the assault on a TigerDirect store
(there are several product placements throughout) where the
resistance army uses white phosphorous against the Koreans. Its a brutal
scene that grabs the player's attention but not one of the only big
action moments. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(The infamous willy pete scene. It shocked me when I first saw it and heard Connor say "Let'em burn.")</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While each voice lends itself well to the character, they lack any sort of personality besides "soldier" and you'll hear Connor the most during playtime. The other voice you hear a lot is during the level loads where the DJ for the Voice of Freedom radio network gives news to what you and your team have been doing. The game could have used more depth by exploring the short list of characters but its main focus is on the war. Understandable but a connection with them would have been a welcomed thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The main star of the game is the explosions, which some could rock a home theater system given the chance. Grenades and rockets give off nice booms and you feel a sense of urgency when you hear a helicopter off in the distance, knowing that you can't take it on by yourself. Each gun has its own unique sound and while they are fun to shoot, they go through so many bullets that you may not have time to pick a favorite. You'll be grabbing guns off the ground so often that the game gives off an air of "fire and forget."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The soundtrack ranges from a pure orchestral score that gives a sense of forlorn and can quickly change direction to a mix of rock- or techno-infused orchestra. Most of the time its background noise but given the chance its really very moving. The soundtrack is available to buy both physically and digitally for those who are into collecting game memorabilia. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since THQ is dead (R.I.P.) and the servers are gone, the game's single player campaign is now the only attraction left, but even without multiplayer its still worth picking up a copy for cheap just to experience the short but awesome campaign a couple of times. It will frustrate you a lot with the cheap deaths but changing tactics is a smart idea to follow and will save you from having to constantly restart checkpoints. You cannot take on the brunt of the enemies yourself and while this may lead to a new way of thinking, here its just to show you that you can only take about seven bullets before biting the dust.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Personally I want to keep playing it and I keep wishing that it had been longer with more situations to deal with. Throw in a decision-making moment that turns the tide of the game. Give us a chance to command others. A few vehicles to drive. Something!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We'll just have to wait and see what Crytek brings us with Homefront 2.</span><br />
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Marcone Anteliushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04171409457301689012noreply@blogger.com0