Maestro's Game Reviews!

[Maestro]

Well i have noticed a lot of review threads out, so hey I thought that I would start my own. Lets me first say that I will only review Xbox360 games(with some flashbacks to older gen consoles) at this time. Spydr is has a great review thread going on where, but from what I know hes only looking at PS3 games, and i did not want 360 fans to feel left out with reviews.

Also I wont review any any of the newer games (i.e. games that are being released anytime past this week) until August most likely. The main focus of my reviews will be of games that have already been released and older games that i found quite enjoyable.

Rating System:

10-The game was perfect in everyway, it delivered in every way it was supposed to, and will be played for years to come.

9.0-An almost perfect game, maybe not perfect but it is a great game and will be enjoyed by many.

8.0-Maybe its not a great game but its enjoyable and will not let you down.

7.0-Average, nothing special but it can be fun at times.

6.0-It's not a horrible game, but it surely isn't the best game.

5.0-A bad game, but hey some five year old might have a blast with it.

Note: Some games will fall in between the cracks with a 9.5, 9.7, 8.3, you get where i'm going with this. Also some could very well be lower than five. Golden games are just my favorite games.

Reviews:
NBA 2k9-8.5
Elder Scrolls Oblivion-9.7
NCAA Football 10-8.0
Halo 3-9.0
Call Of Duty 4-9.8
Mass Effect-9.0
Call of Duty World at War-8.5
Fallout 3-9.0
Modern Warfare 2-9.0


Upcoming:

Gold List Games:
Elder Scrolls Oblivion
Call Of Duty 4
Mass Effect
Fallout 3
Modern Warfare 2

[Maestro]

Game: NBA 2k9
ESRB: Rating: E
Release: Date: 2008
Developer: Visual Concepts
Genre: Basketball Sim

Intro-2ksports and Visual Concepts have ruled basketball gaming(rating wise) since the release of NBA 2k for Sega Dreamcast. They return with their 10th installment of the popular sports franchise.

The Good-Ever since the jump to next gen sports gaming has taken a toll. The only franchise to deliver year after year has been the NBA 2k series, while there hasn't been a huge difference year after year, they keep the game fresh and you never feel like you are playing the same game every year.

The biggest thing that has separated the 2k series from the NBA Live series has been 2k's superior gameplay,that trend continues here. The gamplay while not hugely revamped continues to impress me. No one player feels the same, all players have a certain feel to them and for the most part the they play just like their real life counterpart. All of the features that 2k has put into making evey player from signature shots, dunks, and now signature isomotion moves, help to really give each player their own identity on the court.

Graphically NBA live has had the upper hand for the past few years, this year not so much. I was a big critic of the dip NBA 2k8 took graphically, this year the graphics were the best you will find in a NBA game. The game runs and stays consistant at a smooth 60fps. Most player faces are dead on and the player models look just as good. From the sweat dripping from tired players to the arena's themselves, NBA 2k9 is a great looking game.

The presentation while not great is good on NBA 2K9. The newest thing that we put in to make you feel like you're watching a real NBA game was highlight reels after every quarter. While that does not seem like a "huge" step forward, its just the small things that many people look at that help improve a game.

Lastly the downloadable rosters have improved this year. As of late sports games have focused on getting you the new rosters sooner than later. 2k delivered this year with new rosters almost every week.

The Bad-This year 2k announced that they would not be releasing any more games for their popular College Hoops series. With this gone they announced that fans would be able to edit draft classes in Association mode. So you would have thought that the Create a Player feature would have been just as good, if not better, than the previous years, no. In Association mode there is no way to edit player faces, so you are stuck looking for a player that looks marginally close to Ricky Rubio, or you end up with a black Tyler Hansbrough. The Create a Player feature took a huge dip this year. All players for the most part come out looking very much alike. There is almost no way to get that sad look off of their faces no matter how good you were at creating players in the previous years, this year you wont look so good.

Also Association mode has not changed that much. Besides the inclusion of a new NBA Dashboard there is nothing new to report. While its not bad, its just nothing that players of previous games have not seen already.

Overall-As i said its not a perfect game, but it might be the best basketball game to date. Great gameplay and presentation helped 2k to retain its crown as the King of Basketball Gaming. 8.5

[Maestro]

Game: NBA 2k9
ESRB: Rating: M
Release: Date: 2006
Developer: Bethasda Game Studios
Genre: Role Playing

Intro-Bethesda Softworks return to console gaming with Elder Scrolls Oblivion, the fourth installment of the popular series.

The Good-To start it off, this game is jaw dropping beautiful. There have been times where i have just stopped so i can look at the environment. Even the little things that are in the environment(like cracks in the pavement) make this game what it is. The environment helps pull you in and gives you a feel of what time you are in. From the sun reflecting off of a mountain, to a river during a storm this is a great looking game.

Unlike most RPG's Oblivion allows you to make your own character and choose how you play the game. Whether you want to be a noble Imperial, or a theiving Khajiit you can do whatever you like. You can find work at local guilds and also from people around the world of Cyrodiil. What do you want to be, a fighter or assassin, a theif or mage, whatever tickles your fancy you can do it. The freedom to choose what you do and say helps make this game what it is.

The storyline is another bright spot in this game. The main storyline alone can take anywhere from 10-30hrs(depending on your knowledge of the game and skill level), but you dont have to stay on the main storyline. There are hundreds of other quests and story lines in this game to explore, once you put all of these things together you have a game that will run you over 200+hrs of gameplay. The game is massive and you will miss out on a lot if your don't go exploring.

Oblivion includes a great soundtrack that really works with the time frame of the game. The music will change depending on what kind of situation you're in. You may just be walking in the meadows when the music suddenly changes and you know that there is a threat around, once that threat is eliminated or is out of sight, the music will switch again. It just has a great and epic soundtrack.

The voice work is standout on some characters such as Emperor Uriel Septim voiced by Patick Stewart. The lip syncing is very well done with all characters. While not every character has an unique voice(as you will ofter hear repeats) its understandable for a game this massive.

The Bad-There are a few blotches in this game. The biggest one might be the fighting mechanics, while not horrible they are nothing to rave about. A simple tap of the trigger and you will pull off a melee attack and a push of the bumper will help you let go of a spell. While there is a little more to fighting than just that, its nothing to jump up and down about.

Also the frame rate at times can take a dip and you will notice. The happens a lot while riding a horse, while it will recover its still noticible. Long loading screens(and areas) are also a small problem in the game.

Lastly sometimes going through caves and forts can get repetitive because most of them all look the same.

Overall-A great game that i'm still playing 2 years after it found its way into my game library. It gives you a unique experience and no playthrough is really the same. Its massive and beautiful, while the frame rate and loading screens can get annoying, it will not take away from an otherwise great experience.9.7

[Bomberooski]

Good stuff so far Maestro. I agree with both ratings and I'm considering throwing Oblivion in to chip away at it a little bit more.

[Maestro]

Good stuff so far Maestro. I agree with both ratings and I'm considering throwing Oblivion in to chip away at it a little bit more.

Thanks man. Go ahead i need all the insight i can get.

[Maestro]

Great. Reviews of some old ass fucking games. Thanks.

As i said i wont be reviewing any newer games untill August.

[DSpydr84]

The more opinions we got swirling around the arcade, the better it is for the community making good decisions on games. I hope you stick with this.

[Maestro]

The more opinions we got swirling around the arcade, the better it is for the community making good decisions on games. I hope you stick with this.

Im gonna try man.

[LC AAU]

How dare you bash my association mode!! Best game feature in any game.

I was thinking of getting Oblivion, I take it it is well worth the $30 bucks it is at stores?

[Maestro]

How dare you bash my association mode!! Best game feature in any game.

I was thinking of getting Oblivion, I take it it is well worth the $30 bucks it is at stores?

Eh it was not a big change from 2k8.

Yeah, thats the Game of the Year Edition for $30, but its worth it.

[Buzzman]

I swear if you half ass the Mass Effect review you will lose street respect mofo

[Buzzman]

Eh it was not a big change from 2k8.

Yeah, thats the Game of the Year Edition for $30, but its worth it.

The Game of the year edition for the ps3 is $20 at gamestop this month

[leaffan]

You gave Oblivion a 9.7....

Your opinion on video games is no longer valid.

[Maestro]

You gave Oblivion a 9.7....

Your opinion on video games is no longer valid.

Oh no, my life is over now.

If thats what you say with Oblivion i cant wait until i do Halo.

[Maestro]

For the love of god nobody gives a fuck about a Halo review. The games been out for 2 years and the multiplayer is going as strong as ever. Don't do a fucking review about the Halo 3 campaign, it's short, and that's all you need to know about it.

JC dude you really have a mean streak don't cha. If you don't like what i'm doing don't look at the thread. There just are not any new games out that i would be interested in reviewing. Now i will have a NCAA Football 10 review out tomorrow if that intrigues you.