Splinter Cell: Conviction Review

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 06-05-2010

Posted in Reviews

I really enjoyed the experience of Splinter Cell: Conviction. It felt like a season of the late, great TV show ’24′.

I must state that I have not played any of the previous Splinter Cell titles. This was my first experience and therefore I cannot speak to the importance of stealth in this game compared with previous titles. What I can say about stealth in Conviction is that the game does a great job of mixing in enough to make the experience unique.

Conviction was a relatively short game. I finished in less than 10 hours, easily. Probably more like 7 or 8. But every one of those hours was fun and memorable. I think that matters so much more than attempting to meet some arbitrary quota for game length. Conviction will keep you involved from the start all the way through to the end, and for that alone I think it’s a must-play.

One of the best aspects to Conviction is how the game lets you pick your own path on how you take out a group of guys. You can run in, guns blazing, and wipe everyone out. Or, you can use some serious stealth and not be detected as you go from enemy to enemy performing take downs. Or, my personal favorite, rigging up the space with an explosive, marking a few enemies, and finding a spot to sit while you wait to pull the trigger on mayhem. The variety is seemingly endless at first, but as you progress you’ll find only a few real options. I don’t think it’s a problem, however, because the items you’re equipped with are plenty to carry you through the game.

The biggest downfall of Conviction would easily be the AI in the game. The enemies you’ll encounter are downright stupid and often spew the same quips over and over. For example, if your objective involves closing in on a room inside of a building, as many do, those enemies inside the room will hear what’s going on outside and inform you, annoyingly after awhile, how they’re not stupid and they’re not coming out there. This is a pretty common occurrence but not something that detracted from my enjoyment of the game.

Splinter Cell: Conviction is a great game. Even with the few minor gripes, there’s so much here to enjoy that the experience is just a must-play.

This review is based on the Xbox 360 retail version of the game purchased by Skeptical Gamer.

Halo: Reach Beta

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 05-13-2010

Posted in Previews

The hype of the Halo: Reach beta completely blinded me. I was so excited to give it a try I quite nearly bought the disgrace that is Halo 3: ODST. Yeah, completely blinded. Instead of making that purchase, again, I received a copy from GameFly. I jumped in on the first day and played a number of rounds of the beta.

At first, I was really starstruck. I was so excited during the weeks leading up to the beta that the initial reaction was going to be positive, regardless of what the lasting impression would turn out to be. I had fun with the “class” selections and found myself picking specific classes depending on the type of game and role I was playing in that game. The different special abilities really felt unique. I found very specific benefits to each class and thought the variety they provide to be plentiful.

After I played a few matches, the hype effect really wore off and what was left was just more of the same. Sure, the graphics are slightly better, the classes offer something unique, and the added game modes are interesting, but the overall feeling I had was a moderate upgrade from Halo 3. I’m just not excited to play the next revision of the same world, the same physics, and practically the same game I played nearly 3 years ago.

If you want more of the Halo universe, Reach will likely deliver that experience. The multiplayer will, certainly. For me, I never finished Halo 3 because I simply lost interest half way through. I bought ODST hoping it would hook me into the Halo world, but it didn’t and I stopped half way through a pathetically short single-player campaign. I had the hype goggles on for the Reach beta and bought into it, in a major way, but really lost interest after the hype was gone. I’m just done with Halo, period.

Mass Effect 2 Review

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 05-04-2010

Posted in Reviews

It only took me 3 months but I’ve finally finished Mass Effect 2. I thought a lot about how to summarize how I felt about the game and how to put it into words. Put simply, Mass Effect 2 is the best game I’ve ever played. I loved every aspect of this game.

You are Commander Shepard, two years removed from the original Mass Effect, tasked with saving the galaxy from a mysterious new threat. You work with Cerberus to build a team with whom you’ll take on this threat against humans.

The story is as compelling as anything I’ve seen on a console and even rivals some of what has come out of Hollywood lately. As you venture across the galaxy to recruit your team, you’ll have various encounters that really add to the depth of the story. Opportunities arise often that give you choice on how your story progresses. During some of the more important phases of the game, I found myself truly pondering decisions, knowing that my action would seriously affect how my game played out.

Graphically, Mass Effect 2 is as stunning as they come. The character models are heavily detailed as are the environments. Cities across the galaxy have amazing detail. Some of the environments will leave you staring off into the distance for a minute to truly appreciate the level of detail put into them.

The combat sequences are a little lacking in that they don’t offer the level of detail present in other available titles. What’s important to note is that Mass Effect 2 is an RPG, not a first-person shooter. Compared to other RPGs, Mass Effect 2 is head and shoulders above the rest. You get a real first-person shooter experience here, but go into it understanding that it won’t be quite as polished as a Modern Warfare 2 or Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Those games only offer an FPS style of gameplay where Mass Effect 2 is so much more than just gun play.

What I enjoyed far more than the traditional gun play was the use of biotics, which are energy based powers you have access to. The level of which you can use them is dependent on the class you choose at the start. I played as a Vanguard and made good use of the Shockwave ability, allowing me to send biotic energy across the room throwing nearby enemies into the air.

One thing I think about often is the hype factor surrounding new releases. So many times you’ll see new titles getting great reviews, lots of coverage on the popular sites, and just a large amount of general hype. And sometimes those games don’t hold up to the test of time, even when measured in weeks. Interestingly enough, I had a direct opportunity to test this theory with Mass Effect 2.

When it came out in late January, it couldn’t have received more hype. People into following industry news were inundated with Mass Effect 2. Even if you weren’t, there were plenty of commercials on TV for it. Knowing that Mass Effect 2 was coming out in late January was hard to miss. Like everyone else, I was all sorts of excited for the release. I played for hours nearly every night and really got sucked into the epic storytelling BioWare is so famous for. With only a few hours invested I was ready to say it was the best game I had ever played.

About 20 hours into the game my WoW fix had to be addressed and I spent the next two months captivated by progression in WoW. After a two month break from console games, and with two newish releases in my hands (Splinter Cell: Conviction and Battlefield: Bad Company 2), would I even go back to finish Mass Effect 2? Well, even with two great games to play, I still went back to Mass Effect 2 and it was just as epic at hour 27 as it was at hour 5.

I spent 27 hours from start to finish and completed the loyalty missions for all but 1 of my squad. I won’t spoil how my game ended, but know that every decision you make along the way matters and will change your experience drastically. Oh, and people can die. Will you save everyone on the Suicide Mission?

If you’re reading this, you’ve likely already played Mass Effect 2. If you haven’t, stop reading this, steal $60 from the person beside you (unless it’s me), and physically run to your nearest Gamestop. You won’t find a better experience on any platform.

This review is based on the Xbox 360 retail version of the game purchased by Skeptical Gamer.

Split/Second Demo Impressions

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 04-27-2010

Posted in Previews

I’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of Split/Second from Disney Interactive. It’s a fast-paced action-racer with destructible environments. What’s not to like? Well, apparently, fast-paced action-racers with destructible environments from Disney Interactive is exactly what you shouldn’t like.

I was so excited about this game. Once I heard the demo had been released yesterday, I jumped on to xbox.com from work to queue up the download. I got home and went right into a game. The track in the demo looks great and is very fluid. The detail of the environment is very good. At some points along the way you’ll feel like you’re in a sandbox game instead of confined to a race track.

Pretty much everything else about the demo was underwhelming. I didn’t get the feeling of speed that I expected I would. I was hoping for more of a Blur or Burnout experience in that respect. I also had an odd experience of gaining abilities during my first race. When the race began the group really got spread out pretty quickly. Considering that you really gain a lot of progress towards an ability by drafting opponents, it was difficult to do so without drifting at every opportunity I could. I found myself spending more time trying to find ways to gain destruction abilities than trying to drive fast, well, and advance my position that way.

I was really disappointed by the Split/Second demo. Considering how close we are to a release date, I don’t have a lot of optimism of anything really changing. I’m really curious to hear what others think about the demo. Am I alone on this, or do you feel similarly?

Red Dead Redemption

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 04-23-2010

Posted in Editorials

Red Dead Redemption is an upcoming release I’m really looking forward to. The game is being developed by Rockstar, the makers of Grand Theft Auto, and features a Western look and feel to the sandbox experience I’ve come to love with Grand Theft Auto. There is a real need for a solid Western title and Red Dead Redemption is looking poised to fill that need.

I have general expectations on what a single-player experience will bring and that’s rather consistent across every game. What has really caught my attention are the multiplayer aspects of this title. In addition to the typical Deathmatch modes, we’ll get a mode called Free Roam which allows you to jump into the game and effectively do what you want. You can roam the area, terrorize unsuspecting people passing by, bring those terrorizing to justice, form a posse of up to 8 players, or just roam the countryside admiring the view.

This is definitely a day one purchase for me. I am an absolute Grand Theft Auto junkie, simply because I can enjoy the game for hours without progressing the story at all. And Red Dead Redemption seems to be an extension of that set in the Wild West. I can’t wait.

What I Want From Gears of War 3

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 04-23-2010

Posted in Editorials

By now I’m sure you’ve seen the announcement and trailer for Gears of War 3. It promises to be one epic conclusion to the Gears of War story. For me, Gears of War has become very much like Halo, dull and boring. I really enjoyed the first title but found the second to be little more than a few new levels with the same gameplay experience. I still enjoyed the experience of Gears of War 2, as I’ve always been a fan of their cover system, even if it’s been dated.

I’m hoping for so much more when it comes to Gears of War 3. I want a great story to complete the experience. This is quite simply the most important aspect of the title. Without that, what’s the point? We’ve had a great graphical experience in both of the previous titles. We’ve seen gameplay advances, in the first at least. What we need is a great story, something that captures you from the start and is meaningful throughout. Take a page from BioWare, please. At the end of the day, and let’s just be honest, Gears of War 3 will get great reviews simply because of it’s name. Like it or not, that’s how it works. Hype can, and often does, carry a weak game. If Gears of War 3 doesn’t provide an amazing story, it will most certainly be a flop in my eyes.

GameFly or Blockbuster?

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 04-21-2010

Posted in Editorials

GameFly or Blockbuster; who provides the best game rental service? With the growing number of passable video game titles, it’s becoming more and more expensive to stay up on our favorite pastime. Both GameFly and Blockbuster offer video game rental services that attempt to fill this need, but which is the better service?

I grew up with Blockbuster. I couldn’t begin to estimate how many times I’ve visited the store whether it be for movies or video games. Throughout that time, in the neighborhood of 15 years, I grew a real love/hate relationship with the company. I’ve always enjoyed video games and movies and really appreciated the opportunity to so easily have access to them. What always pissed me off were the late fees and the sometimes lack of selection or availability.

As you can imagine, when I discovered Netflix I was immediately hooked and to this day maintain a subscription to the service. Netflix beats the pants off of Blockbuster’s movie rental service in every way. You’d think I would have immediately fallen in love with GameFly when I first heard of it. Well, I actually did, until I subscribed to the service. At this time, over a year ago, GameFly was still somewhat in it’s infancy as a company. Netflix has spoiled me with amazing selection, availability, and wait times of a single business day. If the movie is shipped today, I will absolutely get it tomorrow. GameFly, on the other hand, had a great selection but very low availability, unless you knew how to work the queue system, and a shipping time of days. If a few release came out on a Tuesday, I’d be lucky to get it by Friday, lucky. I unsubscribed pretty quickly.

Only 2 months ago I decided to check back in on GameFly as they had opened more distribution centers and I figured had better availability by now. Knowing how to get new games, I was able to get the new releases shipped the day they came out and in some cases the Monday before. The shipping times had gotten better, but it’s still no Netflix. The average was 2 business days for me. I did have some issues, such as one release coming in the mail but missing the actual game itself. That was annoying, after having waited 4 days for it to come in the first place. As I began to pick up World of Warcraft again, I unsubscribed to GameFly.

Well, now I’m looking into the various offerings and wondering which makes the most sense. With my experiences with GameFly, I feel like I pretty much understand what I’m getting with that service. It’s $23/month for 2 titles out, decent shipping times, some potential for longer waits if it has to come from a distant distribution center, and a good selection of titles. On the other hand, you have Blockbuster. I stopped by my local Blockbuster to get information about the GamePass program, since so little is available on their website. It’s $15 for the first month, then $22/mo after that, includes 1 title out, is exclusive to the store you start it at, and it’s entirely in-person. I went through the racks in the store and their availability of new releases was actually pretty good.

So, which makes more sense? With GameFly, you’ll get 2 titles for the price of 1 at Blockbuster. But, you’ll have instant access at Blockbuster instead of waiting days, and even a week in some cases, with GameFly. With GameFly, you’ll support an up and coming business that simply focuses on gamers, and effectively help put those final nails in Blockbuster’s proverbial coffin for all of those years of late fees. I haven’t made up my mind yet and I’d really like to get some feedback. Do you use one of these services? If so, what do you think, as an active customer, about the service?

Blur Multiplayer Beta

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 04-20-2010

Posted in Previews

I spent some time with the Blur multiplayer beta last night and figured I’d share a few thoughts. Blur is a combat racing title set in an urban environment. It feels very much like a cross between Burnout Paradise and Mario Kart. The goal is simple, finish first by any means necessary.

On your way to the front of the pack you’ll need to use your power-ups to disrupt your opponents. There are a variety of power-ups, from typical offensive weapons to defensive abilities to protect your position. In my limited play time I have not discovered the ins and outs of every power-up but the diversity felt good with a nice balance of offensive and defensive abilities.

The first thing I want to understand in any racing title is how the cars feel, how they handle, and what the physics are like. The driving in Blur feels very much like Burnout Paradise to me. There is a lack of precision in Blur, compared to what you’ll find in a game like Forza 3. I think that’s very much expected and frankly it works a lot better this way. I can’t imagine trying to keep track of the simulation in Forza 3 in addition to everything else going on in Blur. Overall, I really enjoyed how the cars felt in Blur. The handling was good and didn’t require so much attention that it takes away from the rest of the gameplay experience.

When I think of the title Blur, I think of fast-paced action. A crucial aspect to achieving that goal is how the game delivers a sense of speed. It’s no Burnout Paradise in this regard, which I felt was a little too far over the top anyway, but it really fits well in the Blur universe. Blur gives a great sense of speed which only provides a heightened level of action. The cars feel and sound fast. The end result ties in perfectly to delivering fast-paced action.

After playing the multiplayer beta of Blur, I went from slightly interested to eager anticipation of this title. Expect a full review shortly after the launch on May 25th.

Splinter Cell: Conviction

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 04-17-2010

Posted in Editorials

I’ve been working my way through Splinter Cell: Conviction this week. The first few nights I would play a mission and then move over to some Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Last night, however, I couldn’t put it down. I put in a good 5 hours last night and loved every minute of it.

I had a moment of just “WOW!” during one sequence early on in my session. There’s a scene where you’re infiltrating a building. You come in through the top of the building and I found myself standing at a doorway. I peeked under the door and found a half dozen guards in a well lit environment. With stealth in mind, this is seemingly a tough instance to get through. I looked to my right and noticed a window. So I jumped out the window and strafed across the ledge to the other room. I marked two of the enemies, equipped my remote mines, opened a window towards the back of the room, and prepared to take down the house. I tossed a mine against the wall where I had opened the window and performed an execute on the two marked targets. As soon as that happened, the rest of the guards were alerted to my position. I strafed down the ledge a bit to get out of my known position. Once the guards came to the window, I detonated the mine. As the remaining guards closed in on my position, I performed hand to hand take downs on them, as they fell from the window. With the room clear, I jumped into the room from the window ledge, and moved forward.

Now that was an awesome sequence to the game and one that really got me hooked. Once you learn to think about alternative routes that aren’t glaringly obvious, the game really opens up for you. Since then, I’ve had a number of similar experiences. So many instances of just amazing fun.

Battlefield is an Experience

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Posted by Chris Stewart on 04-16-2010

Posted in Editorials

I played more of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 last night and really enjoyed myself. Let’s face it, Battlefield competes directly with Modern Warfare 2. Modern Warfare 2 is a great game and the single player was amazingly fun. But Battlefield’s multiplayer experience destroys Modern Warfare 2. I’ve always referred to the multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 as perfect for those with ADHD. It’s basically like this: spawn, shoot, die. Rinse and repeat for about 15 minutes and that’s about it. It all happens so fast it just becomes dizzying after awhile.

Battlefield feels far more realistic. Sure, you still die, and as a newbie myself, I’m dying a lot. But what happens between deaths feels so much more involved and important. I sent Kevin, co-founder of Console Racing Review, an email this morning about my experience last night:

I had a pretty awesome match in BF and literally had a “whoa” moment. I was defending a flag position, took out a few foot soldiers, had a dude on an ATV roll up on me and we had a little firefight. Neither of us died and we ended up finding cover. I was in the corner of a building and everything started to shake. I peeked out around the wall, half of which had been blown away in an earlier battle, and saw a tank rolling towards the flag. I quickly strolled backwards into the corner, kind of scared and thinking about my next move. The tank saw me and blasted the building. The building shook, dust was falling all around me, and all of a sudden the wall behind me was gone. My jaw dropped and I busted ass to the next room for cover. Before I could reach the doorway I was killed by the gunner.

That’s what makes Battlefield an experience and not just a run and gun shooter.

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