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fucking shooters. they all feel like madden nowComment
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Why? 8 is a pretty solid score(on your scale), but it's not worth full retail?Final Score: 8/10
Recommended Price: $40Comment
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I factor in the fact that it feels like an online only game. Those that have been start off at $40. Then add on that the genre its in is a play for 6 months then move onto the next one type of deal, and I think 2 days after release Amaon and Walmart dropped the game down top $41.Comment
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Just an update to everybody that is addicted to my reviews (there is got to be 1 out there) I actually should be hitting a stretch of a consistent droppings of reviews. From Dec-Mid March I really didn't game a whole lot or buy any but I recently stringed together a shit ton of games and should work through them in the next coming weeks. Dead Space 2, Crysis 2, and Bulletstorm to name a few. Then a few forgotten titles I missed in 2010 like Medal of Honor and Mafia 2, plus other cheap games that go on sale.
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Bulletstorm
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Developer: People Can Fly/Epic Games
Game Type: First-Person Shooter
Price Paid: $20
Graphics: 8.5
Bulletstorm uses the same engine as Gears of War and you can tell. Some of the parts of the game look like they belong into the gears Universe and expect Marcus Fenix to come bursting through the door. The thing though is it winds up being brighter and more colorful that that game. These colors give it a far less depressing feel to it and helps keep the very non serious atmosphere moving along. I am not going to say the graphics are amazing because they are not, but they do damn look nice enough to please me. Then again I have never held graphics to a high standard. I think they are the least important aspect of a game, unless of course they look like an PS1 game, then it’s unacceptable.
One thing I really hate is a very non interactive environment. If I shoot a wall or blow up a tank next to a wall or a bench, I want there to be a cause to my effect. I can understand how hard it must be to code this into your game, but if you want your game to stand out amidst this graphical priming in gaming, that’s what needs to be done. You need to differentiate your game from the vast amount of others out there.
Also unlike Gears, I never found myself being glitched into a spot or falling off a map. It has always happened in both Gears games, but here it seemed to me that they have fixed up the unreal engine and got rid of those pesky problems. This might be the first game ever where I played through the entire campaign without a single hiccup. That’s one for my record book.
Sound: 10
I can tell you right off the bat that the dialogue to Bulletstorm will be extremely hit or miss. There will be no in-between. The characters constantly swear, even in situations that make no sense, and the swearing is not even the normal kind. Most of the time it felt like they were just thinking of ways to combine dick, shit, and bitch then they ran out and started to rehash some more. I found myself laughing my ass off at the dialogue. Whether it was actually funny or just in a random spot, I never found it to be distasteful. Other people though that do not have the same sense of humor as me might find it a little repetitive and over the top. This may be one of the rare games that the sound plays a heavy part in the game because there will be some people who won’t be able to play through the entire campaign because of the dialogue, that is unless they want to use the mature filter and hear a bleep every five seconds, which would kill the best part of the game.
As for the characters themselves, initially you won’t enjoy most if not all of them. They come off as generic choices to their generic characters, but as the game contuse you start to find out about their personalities and they grow onto you. Ishi the robotic human ends up going from absolute cliché into complete badass. He plays the part so cliché that you can tell they are mocking what he is and purposely did this. Grayson Hunt, you, is the funny one. He never stops talking and it just is balls to the wall out their sometimes. I could listen to him talk to himself all day.
This entire section may end up being the best part of an overall great game.
Gameplay: 9
The story of Bulletstorm is so bad that it happens to be awesome. If you treat it like one of those movies that you know will be shitty but want to see it anyway you should end up having a blast here. It is so cheesy and over the top that you just can’t help but fall in love. The emotional cut scenes, the insane plot twists, and the interactions between everyone are predictable but that doesn’t mean it cannot be enjoyable. It basically feels like a mockery of its genre which is low on boredom and high on awesomeness.
This in the end is just another first person shooter. If you have played a lot of them, this will be almost no different than the others. Most of the weapons handle just like a normal gun and they steal ideas from other games. One thing that seems to be catching into a fad is being able to control a bullet after you have shot it. I saw it first in Wanted, then Singularity, and now here. It’s fun to use but sometimes I just want my gun to go and that’s it. Some of the other weapons add creativity into your game. There is a grenade launcher with a chained grenade to wrap around enemies, an explosive bouncy ball, and a drill that can cut through anything. They are all fun and dandy, but you will always go back to ole reliable, the assault rifle. It is and will always be the standard.
The whip that you are given at the start of the game is the x-factor. It allows you to grab enemies and send them your way in slow motion. Here is where the game is at its best. Do you shoot him? If so how and where? If not, how about I kick him into those power lines, or those spikes, or let’s just kick him off the cliff and into oblivion. These are the choices you have to make every single time an enemy comes. You may think it gets repetitive but it really never does. I was always looking for new ways to kill some fools, and for a good portion of the game I was able to find that new way to complete the long list of skillshots that you can earn in the game. These skillshots are points you are given for doing certain types of kills and combos. You then can use those points to buy ammo or upgrades. Very basic system, but accomplishing all the skillshots on the list is a mighty challenge that won’t come easy, it will take time, work and some luck.
Lasting Appeal: 8
Hours Played: 17
Game Difficulty: 6.5
Achievement Difficulty: 8.5
The campaign on the hardest difficulty took me about 11 hours to beat. It was a very fast time too because I had so much fun playing it. I can definitely see myself going through it a second time just for the fun alone, but also to pick up the skillshots that I wasn’t able to achieve in my first run. Go into this game expecting at least two run through with the possibility of a third.
Getting all of the achievements for the game will be hard. I got a good chunk just going through one playthrough but some of the skillshots are tough to get. Whether it be the scenario you need or the reaction time, it will be a challenge. Then you throw in the online achievements in an otherwise average multiplayer you may not be able to obtain them all, but getting a good 500-600 is a respectable enough goal in a decent amount of time.
The online isn’t a standard deathmatch mode, but rather a AI vs you and friends type mode similar to Horde from Gears. It is fun but doesn’t hold its appeal as long as say Zombies from COD. It just doesn’t have enough strategy to play it consistently. The other mode I tried was basically a stripped down version of the campaign but with more enemies and a leaderboard to see how high you can rack up points compared to your friends. It is not fun AT ALL. Unless you your friends suck you will not beat their scores. They make you look a little silly.
Final Comments:
Bulletstorm was always an iffy game with me because it seemed to be too silly, but when I finally sat down and played it was overwhelming how enjoyable I found it to be. It is one the best FPS I have played this generation (easily top 5) and I feel it got labeled unfairly. It’s a mockery game that excels in bringing laughs and being a good shooter in itself.
Right to the point:
+ Dialogue
+ Characters
+ Skillshots
- Skillshot difficulty
- Multiplayer
- Absolute Ending
Final Score: 8.5/10
Recommended Price: $30Comment
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Dead Space 2
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Developer: Visceral Games
Game Type: Survival Horror
Price Paid: $60
Graphics: 9
To say that Dead Space 2 had a major graphically upgrade would be a bit of understatement. The first game had some average graphics that just so happened to fall right into the correct style that matched the game so well. Maybe that is why so many people, including myself, did not care they weren’t up to standards, if it works do not complain was the correct motto to use for it. Here though they seemed to use a completely new engine that just looks great.
The character figures are great to look at. I was always iffy on the makeover of Isaac Clarke, but they managed it well. He was just a normal guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He isn’t some one dimensional meathead stuck in space. His appearance gives him a personality that doesn’t disappoint. I might add that Ellie is one fine piece of ass as well. After seeing how she reacted to her eye, you can just tell she can get it.
The level designs are a wide range as well. That didn’t try and half ass it like some developers. Every portion of the game is new and not reused with a fresh coat of paint, from being stuck in a normal looking science lab, to going back to the Ishomora, and flying about in space, it just feels massive. It doesn’t dip in visual at its expense. They really did a wonderful job in handing you eye candy that never becomes repetitive. You’ll never see this in best graphics categories, but it’s a damn fine looking game I must say.
Sound: 8
Dead Space 2 takes a drastic turn from the first game with its lead character, Isaac Clarke. This time they actually give him a voice and have him communicate with the horrors around him rather than having him give the occasional grunt. It actually enhances the experience of the game far more better this way. Sure the silent protagonist might have been good enough, but it seems as if they wanted it to be great. Hearing Isaac scream when something is coming, hearing him panic when the situation feels like a lost battle, and having him communicate with another human being adds much more value to the game and its story. It allows us as gamers to actually connect and worry about the protagonist. It was the single most important upgrade Visceral did from the original to its sequel.
The atmosphere feels different here though. Instead of being trapped aboard a ship, you are constantly in new places, those eerie creeks and sudden music cues in small linear paths are gone. To say it’s less scary might be a little off, but it feels true. Gone are those huge jumps from the first game. It is sort of disappoint, but that may be the only downright negative thing I could say about this truly great sequel.
Last thing that needs to be said is Ellie has the voice of an angel. La La La La!
Gameplay: 10
The story here feels less scary then Dead Space, but far larger in impact, far bigger in monsters, and far bigger in storytelling. It delves more into the world of this universe they have created. You begin to understand why things happened the way they did in Dead Space 1 and realize that was just a small spectacle in what could be this terrifying world. As Isaac, you also have to come to terms with your wife and the guilt you feel from her. It seems to take the story telling of the first game and place emotion into the setting and its characters. If you’re looking for the same horror as the first, prepare for disappointment, but expect to be surprised in how much you may end up loving this new prospective they show to you.
The first Dead Space felt extremely slow, clunky, and just awkward at times. For Dead Space 2 it still may look the same to someone not playing, but everything is a whole lot smoother. One of the comparisons I can make that closely resembles this same situation I Mass Effect 2 from mass Effect. Simply walking around was easier to control, aiming down your sights felt more accurate and stable, and melee combat has a better response then the original. It feels better in every way imaginable.
The weapons have always been one of the most unique features for the game, and while they did add in some better weapons, I still found myself going with ole reliable, the plasma cutter. It is just without a doubt the best weapon you could possibly want. It’s powerful, works against all foes, and never lets you down; its man’s best friend. The sniper rifle is modified with a more accurate scope and a few new ones appear that only will be used in moments of pure desperation.
One of the mini games they added was hacking. Let me be the first to tell you this may be the most useless ploy the game has to offer. They are very easy and are more of an annoyance than a challenge. You essentially have to rotate the left analog stick and fight the sweet spot in the machine 3 times in a row in a time period that is far too long. Just a rather forgetful section of the game. One mechanic they fine-tuned was the zero gravity scenes. Now you can actually move around on a “jet-pack” like device and go wherever you want to go instead of point and click type scenarios. These sections of the game provide some dizzy but cool experiences.
One lat thing I loved in this game was its references to the first game. The lines and objects you see and hear connect back to that first playthrough. Not only have that, but you actually to get boarded the Ishomora once again. Seeing it cleaned up may have been creepier then the blood splattered walls you remember of it. Nothing truly amazing happens during this sequence but it’s just such a great throwback, you cannot help but enjoy it. The ending also happens to leave off you with a giant smirk on there face. The same damn music and scene plays out as the first, the tension builds, then bam, it actually isn’t like the first. Just brilliant.
Lasting Appeal: 8
Hours Played: 13 Hours
Game Difficulty: 9
Trophy Difficulty: 10
I can tell you right away the multiplayer is and never will be my type of thing. II have never been of a fan of special aliens vs. humans type modes because they are just so unbalanced and here it seems no different. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to throw in some horde type zombie mode, but they dropped the ball and made it below average in nearly every way. Even if you have a group of friends I do not see anybody playing it very long. This has and will always be about the single player campaign.
Clocking in at a good 15 chapters and 13 hours on regular difficulty, its got great length. It never seems to drag and keeps you on your toes for the most part. I can definitely see myself going back to play through it again, but beating it on hardcore might be a feat not worth attempting since you only get 3 saves throughout. That leads into the achievements which are going to be tough to fulfill because that difficulty is pretty damn tough and the online cheevos aren’t even worth the hassle.
Final Comments:
Dead Space 2 is what a sequel should try to do; make a better game than the original. I think they succeeded here. While I was a fan of the first game, I never truly loved it. I found myself draggin through the single player and only near the dn of it did I not want to put the controller down. For Dead Space 2 I was instantly hooked. I probably sat down and beat it in 4 sittings at about 4 hours a piece and I just simply do not do that with many games. I have no doubt Dead Space 2 will be viewed as one of the major release for 2011 by the time the year comes to an end.
Right to the point:
+ The Campaign
+ Isaac Clark and Ellie
+ More Dead Space
- Less Scary
- Hacking
- Shitty multiplayer
Final Score: 9/10
Recommended Price: $40
*I know Dead Space Extraction comes with the PS3 version, nut I will be reviewing that at a separate time and will not count it for or against this game. This is a standalone review of the game Dead Space 2*Comment
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Next up Crysis 2.
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I didn't think the Dead Space trophies were that hard, at least most of them. The ones for beating the two hardest difficulties are a different story.
So the Bulletstorm cheevos are tough too? Damn. And how did you get it for $20? If it's because you used a Kmart coupon I don't think that should count. ;)
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you really do nice game reviews buzzman. the dead space review was a great readComment
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Do you remember the $20 PSN card or 1600 XBL points card you got from buying Homefront? Well they didnt have any at my store so Josh sent me a $20 gift card instead and I bought Bulletstorm when it was $40, hence $20. Best $20 of my life. Except for the Philippine whore.Comment
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great job on this, cant wait for more reviews. Your movie reviews are great, but these are even better."It's the revenge of the dicks that's nine cocks that cock nines"Comment
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L.A. Noire
Release Date: May 17, 2011
Developer: Team Bondi (Rockstar Games)
Game Type: Third Person Adventure
Price Paid: $40
Graphics: 8
Let’s me start off with the most talked about feature of the game, its motion capturing system that is used for their unique interrogation gameplay. I want to sit here and tell you that the faces look amazing and it works perfectly, but they came off as kind of creepy and a lot of the characters you interrogate seem to have a constipated look that doesn’t come off as the breathe taking technology they said it was. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a lot better than majority of other games, but I still would rather have Red Dead Redemptions character appearances. It was a good enough feature for a first attempt that hopefully gets more polished in a sequel.
Driving around this world they created, you just know they put a ton of research and designing to perfect it, but what I can never understand with these open world games is why they do all this work and then barely try to get you to interact with this brilliant creation. Something that looks so great is practically useless. This isn’t the first game to do this either, it seems to be a trend for open world “city” games. Enough about the negativity about it though, because it looks phenomenal and that’s all that matters here.
Since it is an open world game, you can obviously expect a few minor glitches and pop ups. I bought the PS3 version and ended up having enough problems to render it a problem, so I cannot imagine what the 360 version was like. More than ten times while I was driving a car, mailboxes, vehicles, and sometimes entire buildings popped out of nowhere and caused my car to die out on me. It was ridiculous. Then while I was walking around, quite a few times I must have found a little glitch because I could walk past a broken piece of wood or bush but when I turned to go back, I couldn’t find an opening and had to restart from my last save. These problems may not have happened with others, but it ruined the game for me at times.
Sound: 10
The voice acting in LA Noire is top notch. It also helps that a great number of the cast are professional actors. Unlike other games, I cannot think of a single character whose voice didn’t match their appearance. Usually there is that ONE character, but it never happened here. I think what made it so enjoyable was the actual fact that the mouths were perfectly lined up with the dialogue. That is due to that motion capturing magic. A lot of the times the characters voiced their emotions, their face matched it as well. Just brilliant. It was here that was the best part of the game, not the facial animations.
As for the soundtrack, it was nothing short of amazing. That opening title sequence fits the Noir style o so well. Any other score right there wouldn’t have worked nearly as well as the one they used. Then the jazz club singer Elsa sung some good beats that worked best in the cutcenes but were still effective during detective mode. I don’t remember if it was used during any other section, but the score they used during the flashback scenes in the war were badass. It doesn’t surprise me that a Rockstar produced game has an outstanding soundtrack.
The one annoying thing that bugged the fuck out of me was when Jack Kelso decided he was cool enough to call every female he came in contact too princess. It came across as weird and creepy.
Gameplay: 6
First things first, the story is fucking awful. The parts of LA dealing with Phelps jumped around so much, they only revealed what they needed to move forward, and apparently you can do whatever the fuck you want if you’re a member of the LAPD. Need to steal a car, flash your badge, need to search a house, tell the owner to shut the fuck up and sit down, and need to kill a few baddies, just cover and blindfire. It just felt too messy. It started to pick up towards the end, but it predictable. Whatever you are thinking happened a few hours in is most likely right. The only time I enjoyed the story was when they flashbacked to the war and revealed a completely different character of Cole Phelps than the one you’re playing in LA.
Now the unique part about the gameplay is its interrogation scenes. You essentially question a suspect or witness and based on their reaction you decide whether they are telling the truth or lying. If they are lying you then have to decide if you have evidence that contradicts their statement. If you don’t then you simply doubt them and listen to them sing like a bird. This was a very unique method that is fun but essentially broken. Too many times you have evidence that will work but the game doesn’t recognize it as worthy enough or they are blinking at 1,000 blinks a second but are telling the truth. It needs a little more work to play out the way they intended. If you ever get stuck they use intuition points the same way as Who Wants to be a Millionaire with ask the community and remove an answer. Remove an answer is the only helpful route though. The community is wrong a lot of the time.
As far as finding clues, they can be a little hard to find, but as long as you walk around and try to feel for that vibration that a clue is near you should be fine. This part gets tedious because sometimes an area will have 10 items that cause vibration, but only one of them is relevant to the case. It gets boring and as you progress through the game it starts to become repetitive. In fact a lot about the cases feel repetitive. Finding clues, questioning suspects, and catching running suspects become a bore after the 15th damn time. Speaking of running suspects, apparently everyone runs. The slightest hint that they are in trouble, they decide to run, you chase, then tackle them. Rinse repeat on the next suspect. Then they ran up pipes and onto dead end rooftops, real smart dumbasses.
Then the side missions for the game were pointless as fuck. Only thing I will say is despite there being 40 street crimes, not a single time do you ever question anybody during them. Apparently they thought those would be how you’d get your fix on shooting criminals. It did not though. I ended up skipping past most of the ones that came up unless I accidently drove past a crime in progress and was forced into them.
Lasting Appeal: 8
Hours Played: 25
Game Difficulty: 7.5
Trophy Difficulty: 6
The first run-through with the game was a good length clocking in at 22 hours. It felt like a long 22 hours though because of the snail’s pace the game runs at. You can’t really knock the game at all for its length. If anything it should have been a little shorter. Personally I do not find myself replaying the actual campaign, but I will run back through the cases where I missed out on the 5 stars. I really just don’t see someone replaying it for the gameplay right away. Maybe a year from now when they forget about it, but not anytime in the near future after completion.
As for collectables, they have a bunch of landmarks, film reels, and vehicles to locate in the game. They will take some time to collect and should keep you occupied. It also helps complete the more time consuming trophies, so it’s a win-win situation going for them. The trophies aren’t hard to attain at all and should end up being one of the easier platinums if you end up using a guide.
Final Comments:
I popped in LA Noire thinking it would be one of the best games I would ever play, but quickly I realized I was wrong. Everything about the gameplay was a risk and I applaud them for making a drastically different game then the norm, but it just didn’t work out too well for me this time around. Maybe once they fix the repetitiveness of it all, its sequel can be dynamite. Assassins Creed did it, so why not Noire. As it stands though, it leaves a very dissatisfying taste in my mouth and is the most disappointing game I have played to date. That doesn’t mean its terrible, it just didn’t live up to those lofty expectations I set it up at.
Right to the point:
+ The Originality
+ Presentation
+ Soundtrack
- Repetitiveness
- Story
- Side Missions
Final Score: 7/10
Recommended Price: $25Comment
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