Mass Effect 2 Available

0

Posted by Chris Stewart on 01-26-2010

Posted in Editorials

Today is a big day for Xbox 360 owners in North America. The second installment of the Mass Effect trilogy from BioWare is available. Admittedly, I only began playing the original a month or so ago, and haven’t gotten very far into it with all of the more recent games available. I’ve loved what I’ve seen and having played it has only made me that much more interested in Mass Effect 2.

Seeing as I don’t get review copies of games and tonight will be my first chance to play the game, it will likely be awhile before I’m able to post a full review of the game. I’ll certainly put up some thoughts as I go along. I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions in the comments.

Bayonetta Review

1

Posted by Chris Stewart on 01-22-2010

Posted in Reviews

Bayonetta has been getting some amazing reviews throughout the gaming industry. I spent some time playing the demo and really enjoyed the combat sequences. I ended up getting Bayonetta through Gamefly about a day or so after release. I was pretty excited to get started as the reviews were glowing, the combat from the demo was fun, and it was essentially one of the first big releases since Modern Warfare 2 or Assassin’s Creed 2.

The first thirty minutes of the game was complete confusion for me. You’ll sit through long and uninspiring cut-scenes only to be confused about what the purpose of your adventure is. I didn’t measure it, but I would guess that of the first hour and a half, you’re watching a cut-scene half of the time. That wouldn’t bother me if there was a purposeful story being told.

Once you get past the introduction of the game and into the combat, you’ll find a gem of a game. I really enjoyed the combat mechanics. Everything was smooth and just flowed exceptionally well. The combat felt like less of a button masher and more like a game that required strategic combinations. In combat, there’s a mode called witch time where everything around you slows down and gives you an opportunity to do some serious damage. You can active this mode by dodging incoming attacks at just the last moment. That mechanic adds a nice little extra something and can really come in handy during some of the tougher fights.

The game looks amazing graphically and runs very fluid even in intense combat sequences. I didn’t notice any screen tearing or graphical issues to note. They really got the framerate nailed down and that’s important in an action game where timing is key.

What ruins the game for me personally is the over the top presentation. Some of the sequences can be aptly referred to as soft-core pornography. It’s such an unnecessary step to take in an otherwise interesting game. For example, instead of wearing clothing, Bayonetta’s “outfit” is her hair. During finishing moves she’ll summon a demon to destroy your enemy by using her hair. During which time, she’s partially exposed. It’s unnecessary decisions like this that take the game to a mature level and out of the hands of younger gamers who may appreciate and enjoy the real meat of the game.

You’ll also find that Bayonetta is very Japanese inspired, which isn’t something I’m a fan of personally. I was never someone interested in games targeted towards the Japanese market, such as Final Fantasy. Those games just never interested me. The music, the action cut-scenes, and even the humor will remind you of a stereotypical Japanese video game. Some reviewers out there love this about the game because they either enjoy JRPGs or don’t feel like Bayonetta is taking itself too seriously. I can appreciate those points but for me it just doesn’t work.

I put in a handful of hours with Bayonetta and was enjoying it when I was destroying enemies. The rest of the experience just was not interesting to me. Once I had an issue with a save, where I lost an hour of gameplay, it was time to go back to Gamefly. I think the game is worth a rent and most likely a buy if you’re a fan of Devil May Cry. For me, I’m glad it was a rental.

This review is based on the Xbox 360 retail version of the game delivered by GameFly as a rental for Skeptical Gamer.

Borderlands Review

0

Posted by Chris Stewart on 01-19-2010

Posted in Reviews

When Borderlands came out this past fall, I was still heavily into World of Warcraft. In the various chat channels there were dozens of people talking about and singing the praises of Borderlands. They cited the RPG elements they enjoy with World of Warcraft being coupled a modern first-person shooter. My interest was peaked as I enjoy those aspects of gameplay. Later in the fall, once I had dropped World of Warcraft, I picked up Borderlands and was pretty excited to get into the game.

The first thing you’ll notice about Borderlands is the art style. It’s a very unique presentation and I appreciated it for that. It’s not a realistic looking game such as Modern Warfare 2, and for that reason, I didn’t find myself being as critical on the graphics as I would have had it looked realistic. I’m a fan of the art style for various reasons. I appreciate that the developer went away from the norm and tried something new. It felt more like a comic book than your modern RPG or shooter. I suspect some gamers did not like the art style and will criticize the game for it. I can understand that point of view but I think it worked in this case. That’s not to say I want to see every game turn into a comic book, because I certainly don’t, but seeing a developer take a chance and make it work is refreshing.

I guess what I want to really focus on are the two main genres Borderlands pulls from; role-playing games and first-person shooters.

I’m more familiar and comfortable with the FPS genre, so I feel more confident in speaking to that. As a first-person shooter, Borderlands really falls short. With the saturation of superb shooters on the market today, it’s hard to look at a game like Borderlands and applaud the work done there. It’s a mediocre shooter at best and considering how much of the game you’ll spend firing your weapon, that’s not enough. Many of the enemies you’ll face will not be armed, or human (or even analogous to humans), and so they’ll fight you in close combat. With a gun and the camera angle, I found it difficult to adjust the camera quickly to perform a melee attack or fire on the enemy. There’s a lot of this early in the game and it’s just not that entertaining. It can get frustrating and it definitely was for me.

As a alluded to above, I’m not a huge role-playing game aficionado as a few of my friends are. I don’t really look at Borderlands and think of it being an RPG. It has a few RPG elements such as leveling, weapon upgrades, and a talent tree. However, it’s missing what many feel are core aspects to an RPG title such as story progression through choices, full gear progression (armor, weapons, abilities, etc), and a crafting system among other things. To me, Borderlands is an FPS with some very minor RPG elements. If you’re looking for an RPG and thought Borderlands might be that game, it’s definitely not. I don’t necessarily think the developer wanted Borderlands thought of as an RPG but it’s gotten that notion post-release by gamers in the community.

One thing that I really have disliked about Borderlands is the pace in which you receive weapon upgrades. The game prides itself on having a bajillion, or some such figure, of weapons. I can safely say it does, but I don’t think that it’s a good thing. The game is like a loot pinata. Every time you turn around there’s a new and improved weapon sitting on the ground. It’s to the point that I felt no significance when I received a weapon. Now, lets compare that to the experience of obtaining a new weapon in World of Warcraft. You could literally spend months working on getting that 2% upgrade in World of Warcraft, and when you finally get it, it’s a great sense of accomplishment. I appreciate that experience and the extremely oppose found in Borderlands really put me off.

Borderlands has gotten most of its critical acclaim for it’s co-op experience. You can seamlessly hop into a 4 player co-op and progress through the single player experience. Granted, I haven’t done a lot of this as I’m not interested in playing co-op with people I don’t know and none of my friends were playing Borderlands when I was. I have tried it just to experience it and it’s definitely the most seamless co-op experience I’ve ever seen. The game is tougher and the loot is better as you have more people playing together to accomplish the objectives. Even with the flaws I’ve seen, if you have a group of friends who you can play Borderlands with I can definitely see a lot of fun being had with this game.

Borderlands is a title I put down after the first 15 levels or so. From a single player perspective, I found the game repetitive and lacking in the core gameplay areas it is trying to represent. As a multiplayer title, I think Borderlands has a much higher upside. I would pick it up again to play through with other people just because of the co-op experience. If you’re on the fence about this game, I would say look to those on your Xbox LIVE friends list. If you have some people who are still playing it, I would say give it a rent and see what you think. If you’re only anticipating on playing this solo, I would say there are far better titles out there that deliver a more interesting experience.

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

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

2

Posted by Chris Stewart on 01-18-2010

Posted in Reviews

Probably the most anticipated title in a long time, Modern Warfare 2 was released to much fan-fare.  The original, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, was a game very special to me.  It had a stunning single player campaign with an innovative multiplayer experience that was unmatched at the time.  Modern Warfare 2 kept the recipe the same and even added a little something with Spec Ops.

Plenty of gamers, myself included, would have bought Modern Warfare 2 even without the inclusion of a single player campaign.  The reviews of the single player campaign are all over the place.  Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will likely play through it again in the future.  I’ll sum up the gripes for you; it’s short, it’s as linear as you’ll find, it’s not the best or most innovative story ever told, and the end will leave you a little confused if not downright mad.  All of the above are true.  Regardless, it’s a 6-10 hour thrill ride in every way.  You’ll find yourself forgetting to breathe through sequences of the game.  You’ll get a little overwhelmed by the powerful message being delivered through the gameplay, and more specifically, where the gameplay takes place.  Modern Warfare 2 is an absolutely gorgeous game graphically and just the eye-candy alone is worthy of a play through.  While a lot of reviewers may not think the single player contributes very well, I highly disagree and would recommend you get it even if you play the single player.

Assuming you’re not insane, and you decide you give the multiplayer mode a go, you’ll be pleasantly greeted by the best multiplayer experience available on a console.  Yes, it’s that good.  I haven’t put in a ridiculous number of hours to this point.  You’ll find many players out there that have literally put in days.  Like the original Modern Warfare, I’m sure I will over the course of a year, but currently there’s just so many things to play.  Modern Warfare 2 doesn’t penalize you for this.  I can hop in a game with any number of high level players and still be competitive.  Modern Warfare 2 gives you capable weapons from the start and that goes a long way to providing an enjoyable experience.  The leveling progress is fun and rewarding.  You’ll fly through the ranks, completing weapon-specific challenges along the way, enjoying every second.

I haven’t spent enough time in Spec Ops yet, but I’ve done enough to see how much fun it is to play with a friend in a co-op setting.  Spec Ops lets you and a friend team up to complete objectives.  As you work together and complete these objectives, you’ll really uncover the fun of this new mode of play.  A lot of reviewers and industry gamers are predicting that 2010 is the year of co-op, where in previous years open-world games have been “it”.  I completely agree with them and think Spec Ops is an excellent way to begin that trend in the new year.  It’s a blast to get into a session of Spec Ops with a friend and knock out these objectives.

Modern Warfare 2 is an excellent game in every regard.  It wasn’t as groundbreaking and innovative as it’s predecessor but that’s not exactly a feat easily obtained.  I think a lot of people were disappointed that it wasn’t such a huge step over the original.  I don’t really understand how that’s even an expectation really.  Lets be honest though, you already own this game.  There’s no way there’s someone reading this right now debating whether to buy Modern Warfare 2.  So, I guess I’ll just say congratulations on your purchase.

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

Assassin’s Creed 2 Review

2

Posted by Chris Stewart on 01-15-2010

Posted in Reviews

Assassin’s Creed 2 was a title I was eagerly anticipating.  The original was something of a new experience for me.  I don’t believe I had the sort of free-roaming experience in a game before, especially with the climbing mechanic in an open world.  The original just felt great.  Unfortunately, the original Assassin’s Creed left a lot to be desired and really felt like a half-baked experience.  Assassin’s Creed 2 took what was innovative from the original and improved on every single aspect.

I’ll say it up front; Assassin’s Creed 2 is my game of the year for 2009.  I soaked up roughly 14 hours of fun and cannot wait for the upcoming DLC.  The story, and delivery of it, was exceptional and really captured my attention.  Like a good movie, I actually cared about Ezio and his well-being.  The story will take you from city to city, exploring what feel like perfectly reconstructed cities from the Italian Renaissance.  I tend to hit points in every game where I’m just ready for the next thing.  Whether that be the next mission, the next level, or the next city.  With Assassin’s Creed 2, I never felt that way.

You are given a lot of options for how you experience the game.  You can decide to spend your time progressing only through the core of the story, or you can find hours of entertainment doing the various side-quests available and unlocking every bit of the experience.  This was a welcome change from the style of progression from the original title.

I don’t have anything negative to say about Assassin’s Creed 2.  It was an exceptional experience and the third can’t come quickly enough for me.  If you haven’t spent some time in Ezio’s boots, roaming seamlessly in the crowd through these beautiful cities and punishing, in spectacular fashion, those who have insulted your family, you owe it to yourself to pick up Assassin’s Creed 2.

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

Skeptical Gamer

0

Posted by Chris Stewart on 01-15-2010

Posted in Editorials

Welcome to Skeptical Gamer!  My goal with Skeptical Gamer is to bring you a viewpoint of modern and popular video games from the perspective of someone who doesn’t love everything they play.  From the Atari 2600 to the modern consoles of today, I’ve been playing video games for roughly 20 years.  Over that time I’ve played classics, good titles, decent titles, and many that were absolutely awful.  I want to share my thoughts with you about the games I’m playing and see where our opinions go.

My style of discussing games with Skeptical Gamer will be different than what you may be accustomed to.  I won’t hit on every little aspect of the game in question, and would defer to more traditional review sites for that style of review.  I want to create an entry that discusses what I think about each title, and it will likely come from more of a conversational and informal tone.

Page 4 of 41234