G'day guys and gals!
*Mild spoilers for The Gunslinger ahead! Read cautiously!*
While the first game in the series set the game in the history books, the second truly remade the Old
West genre entirely into the today and now. Cartel was a modern set and was a true backfire and failure to Ubisoft, leaving Old West and Ubi Fans alike jumping ship from the series. Call of Juarez finally made a return back to its roots with The Gunslinger, a completely stand alone storyline that follows Silas Greaves, a man with only a single goal left in his life and to do so, he reflects on his past and what he's done to reach this goal.
Gunslinger sends the CoJ series to the Arcade but in no way lessons the experience.
Gameplay is much of the same with the old classic weaponry returning, such as Revolvers, Six Barrels and so forth. Fighting, climbing, melee also makes a grand return to the series as well but what makes the gameplay even more so is the unique style of storytelling and graphics. While CoJ has always praised itself with realism, the modern telling of Silas' stories (in his old age at the bar) are still portraits, his listeners gathering around him to hear his tales. This theme also stays in the stories; the look of enemies and killing them stays in a comic book style theme, much like The Darkness. Killing enemies will suspend them in time for approximately three seconds then fall dead, whereas the scenery is still the classic style. Storyline is just great writing, sober, drunk, cheeky, insane - only a few words that can describe the game from start to finish. Silas (John Cygan) brings a gruff feel to the character and easily creates a bond with the player.
Sound effects are much of the same from the original game but the musical score really ties in that section. Each new town and mission brings a different tone - being surrounded, all alone, in a ghost town, having a spiritual journey and even down to the trailers, the musical score is truly something to enjoy. On a side note, collectables return in the form of Nuggets, featuring info about the old west and even some of your targets, while the McCall brothers from the main series gets a small mention through this process.
While this game doesn't feature a multiplayer option, it does feature an Arcade and Duels feature. Arcade is simply a Star system, fighting against multiple enemies as quickly and as efficiently as possible while reaching your goal within a time limit. While the Arcade can be fun, playing it in so many other games has sort of made it generic. Don't get me wrong, it's a fun feature but a little difference or change would have been welcome. For me, the Duels is most appealing; throughout the main storyline you will duel against your enemies. In Duels, you get the chance to do that again and also against other classic outlaws such as Jesse James, Billy The Kid and other massive names from the West.
Gunslinger brings the Juarez series much justice by returning to its roots and to give the fans what they've been craving for. While the online debate still continues if Red Dead Redemption still holds the #1 spot for best Wild West game, I'm casting my vote for Gunslinger. With a warm or dark ending that leaves you satisfied with how everything ends, Arcade and Duels to keep you still entertained afterwards and plenty of collectables to keep you busy, Gunslinger is definitely a game that you won't turn a nose up to.
I give Call of Juarez Gunslinger a 9/10
Gunslinger is the next game in the list of Fatman's Choice!
My thumbs up of approval!
+Excellent Storyline
+Gameplay is great
+Artwork and storytelling is well done
+Addictive musical score
+Duels and Arcade is great fun
-Opening credits issues
-Seems to be missing that special something
Gunslinger is out now for 1200 MSP
G'day folks!
*WARNING! During this review there are possible spoilers for both Metro 2033 and Last Light. Please read at your own caution!*
To the readers who don't know, I am a massive fan of the Metro series. I've read the original novel
and played the first title, Metro 2033, many times. When THQ first announced the game's development, I was instantly enthralled with the thought of returning to the shoes of Artyom and back into the world of the survivors in the Metro. But here, on this blog, I am a reviewer and no matter how much I love a series or a particular game, I must look at the newer titles fresh and with a neutral mind. And even so, I must admit that THQ, 4A and Koch have taken what made the original great and made something even greater.
Here's a quick summary for those unfamiliar with the series; Metro Last Light follows Artyom, a young man from the station Exhibition with one goal - save his station. After bombing the home of the Dark Ones, homo-sapiens who feed off radiation and can control humans with a wave of their hand, Artyom returns to the Metro as a hero but full of doubt and guilt for killing so many creatures. He becomes a Ranger, a neutral protector of the citizens of the Metro, and begins his life anew.
Metro 2033 and Last Light are based on the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky and to which THQ originally began creation until Koch Media took over after the company's collapse.
Back to the game!The original Metro was well known for its alone/horror factor along with being one of the only games to feature little to no HUD. Metro Last Light builds on that and makes its better. Gameplay is the same yet much different. The HUD has even less features for players and yet so much more. Navigation through this is much easier this time around, more options for changing filters and charging your lights is changed but still very simple. One of the little features is mask wiping; while wearing your gas mask, with a simple swipe, you can interact to clean any blood splatter, muck, grime and water. Never before have I played a game that allows that much HUD interaction and while it's still such a small detail, it's one that I oddly find enjoyable. With new weaponry, to which all are customisable, more responsive grenades and throwing knives and newer enemies, gameplay has definitely become more addictive. Watchmen, Nosalis, Lurkers, Rhino, Spiders, Prawns and a whole lot more, many enemies live in the newer areas that you can now explore.
Speaking of exploring, the graphics and area is just perfect - the ruins of Moscow are now captured within the swell of black clouds, rain, massive gales and the sense that you're constantly being watched while underground in the Metro you feel safe in the cities, like life is being brought into the dark grey walls and murky green water from the melting snow. Sound effects and musical score is something that I just cannot describe in a single paragraph; a single step of a foot can set off a chain reaction of both people and echo becomes a huge counterpart of this - one misstep can send enemies searching off in your area. This along with the mood of each city within the Metro is set perfectly from the bustle of the people and the soft guitar or piano playing in the background whereas battling Nosalises on the surface can have booming instrumental score blaring as you fight to survive.
All this aside, when you come down to the core of what makes this game great, it's the vocal acting and storyline. Artyom is searching for the secret that holds the key to survival to the people of the Metro and while he still does not speak, the vocal acting truly improves this time around. While there is no confirmed voice cast (Other than the one on IMDB), the acting is quite improved from the same voices station to station in the original. Pleading prisoners, begging for release, the roar of a Bear as it charges at you with a group of Watchmen attacking you and her, Last Light takes you by the collar and drags you down into a story of redemption, regret, love and loss, where any small decision from listening to a conversation to sparing a mutant creature can mean the difference between life and death from beginning and end.
While some are complaining that the game isn't as dark as before, there is a gamma option to darken your experience. Most are complaining about the Ranger mode but that is only a choice, the game works perfectly well without it, while Achievement hunters will just have to suffer the 400 MSP to download it, while we wait for the upcoming DLC to be released. I went into this game with a level head and finished it out of breath, jaw-dropped and damn near crying. THQ may be gone but Last Light definitely deserves a place on your shelf and a place in your heart.
Out of ten, I give Metro Last Light a 10/10
PERFECT SCORE!
Last Light is also the newest edition of Fatman's Choice! I highly recommend anyone to give this game a go.
-Stunning graphics
-Fleshed out storyline
-Gameplay is extremely well done
-New areas to explore
-Fun and addictive gameplay
-Easy to play and challenging too
-Teeny bit buggy during ending mission
Metro Last Light is out now for the standard price of $78
G'day folks.
Take a look back twenty years ago, just after I was born; video games and gamers themselves were seen as nothing more than kids in an arcade, trying to beat the highscore master, usually with the initials "A.S.S.", or simply kids gathering there after school to waste away their pocket money in the course of a day playing on all the new games that had just been released. Back to reality here in 2013 and not much has changed; Arcades are near, if not already, dead and can only be found in theatres, children themed fast food places or an expensive plaza in some godforsaken area in the city. Video games evolved from the Arcade, to the living room and even now to the bedroom, where gamers will spend hours if not days mastering moves, conquering the first-time players (quickly adapted from newbies to noobs) and as Online came into play, beating the other teams with a bunch of friends screaming in joy in your ear. But that's not the point of this rant. Simply put, gamers or simply "nerds", have become so popular in the mainstream that simply just to act like one can be considered cool, especially with girls. Women online are "foretold" to be a rarity online, while the truth is much more understandable. In Australia alone, 47% of registered online users are women, the average age for a female gamer being the ages of 22 - 24. What you're seeing to the right is something I came across a few weeks ago; unfortunately I'm unsure who the original artist is but they do have a valid point. "Gamer Gurl" is the slogan to a young woman who claims to be a gamer but in truth, only does
so for attention. Claiming to be one is simply the buzzword of the year as being a nerd or dork becomes the norm and standard of society; if you will, take The Big Bang Theory as the example. While I do know a few women who exceedingly play on a console or PC, it seems that as the term of "Gamer Gurl" becomes more well know, the sexism and stereotypes become more insulting. Women have been labeling this term and women who abuse it as "hurtful, offensive and misleading" and to this I agree, however some young men online do take it too far. The stereotypes of women tend to lead to the dismantle of many online gamers while the men winge about their bachelorhood.
Men, on the other hand, haven't changed much in the last twenty or so years. Many male gamers still disband as the Console wars rage ever onward (but I'll get to that in another rant), and the youth that are joining the gaming world online is becoming younger and younger each year. While the standard overall is at the age of 32, young lads will be heard (Quite clearly in fact) online, generally in first person shooters, gun games or anything adhering to violence. In this gamer's view, the youngest person I had confirmed to be online was six years old. At that age myself, I was only just starting to get into gaming with the Nintendo 64, but with kids games such as Diddy Kong Racing or Super Smash Bros. Young men are exposed to things they shouldn't know for years and years into the future
and because of the Live online community, children learn words they don't even generally understand. While young lads or teens control most of the online scenarios, the older generations are either sticking together to avoid the squeaks of puberty, the unintelligible insults such as "You're a queef!" (To which I was called several times last week; when I questioned the young man if he knew what that meant, he tried to claim that it was the sound of male urination) or simply unable to stand the idiocy of the online community (Such as Trolls, AFC players, the annoying ect).
What is my point to all this?
Gamers over the years has made a lot of process both in the community and in the media but because of this, the true gamers are left in the shadows while the stereotypes are becoming the norm. Women gamers are becoming a sexist symbol to reject and become disgusted with, leading to the eventuality of women gamers being looked down upon from enjoying a game now and then to spending hours trying to unlock Achievements for hours. It's sad how men's situation in this genre of entertainment hasn't changed much at all; whether you play them, develop them or like me and review them, nothing much has changed in our time. Eventually, and hopefully, things will change for the both of us and soon enough, gamers and nerds alike will be looked down for being themselves once the buzz goes down. And hopefully I'll still be doing what I love.
G'day guys and gals!
Addictive, fun and free; only a few words that can describe the previous title in the series. Doritos Crash Course was simple and extremely fun game that could give hours of fun with friends in trials
together or online. The sequel not only improves on the original and where it failed but also improves on many other areas.
Gameplay has been changed to accommodate the updated style of layout; while the sliding and relative jumping has returned, other actions have been added such as wall climbing, different routes, movable obstacles and more.
Each map is much larger and more challenging this time around, especially since rewinds are now extremely limited and there is no restart button. One of the more noticeable changes is the Coin and Star system; simply put, players must gather enough stars from each level they unlock in order to progress to the next stage whereas coins can be used to purchase more rewinds, customise your characters outfit and more. While some reviewers are criticising the game for offering players to buy stars and coins with Microsoft Points, this is only an option, the game has plenty ways to unlock more stars or coins if you so choose and the option is there for those who wish not to take this route.
One of the only major issues was starting the game itself. Only international players have had this issue so far but when booting up the game, it will deny you access. There are a few ways around this; repeatedly tap A to reconnect, try again in an hour or exit out and then start again. But any of these options will set you back greatly and at first was extremely annoying.
Audio sound effects haven't changed much since the original but the musical score has definitely been upgraded from the four original tunes regurgitated over and over. Three songs for each different area (Antarctica, Egypt, Pirate Island ect) and feature length-ier introductions (however, you can quickly skip them if you wish) and animations with characters and players. While all of this has been changed, the graphics are more or less the same; while it's understandable not much can be done to a game involving Avatars, a bit of a spit-shine would've been nice. While the game does feature Multiplayer, I highly suggest international players that unless you choose to play with friends directly, do not expect much out of that option for now. Being immediately disconnected from the match was one thing, but having the same opening game issues with the multiplayer was another. It took me nearly an hour just to connect to other players and even then, as the game started I was dropped from the game. I've been hearing many issues from other gamers as well, each with similar or worse situations. For now, tread with caution until an update (unless by the time you read this, these issues are fixed.) is announced or is released.
Overall, my enjoyment of the game was not overthrown by the small faults in the game or my own failings, especially when the NPCs are overly celebrating. Nevertheless, for a free title, this game is definitely a look-at for any fans of the previous title or people looking for a way to challenge their friends at some good competition.
Out of 10, I give Doritos Crash Course 2 an 7/10
-Free, again?! SWEET
-Updated maps and gameplay keeps it fresh
-NPCs challenge you to do better
-Customisation? Love the options
-New gameplay style brings out the best in the game
-Forced console restart just to play the game?
-Even with the Multiplayer? Oh man...
-Rewinds should be a bit more...frequent
-Strip it down and there isn't much else changed
Crash Course 2 is out now for no charge.
G'day folks.
For over ten years, the Australian government has argued over the possibility for a new rating system
for movie and video game titles. Gamers, families, retailers and more had longed for an updated movie and gaming rating system due to the severity of the amount of kids being able to download, pirate or even order in banned or unedited games and movies into the country.
The main focus from the Attorney-Generals was the instatement of the R18+ rating system, what content should be allowed and monitored and if Australia was ready for this rating. For those who don't know, as of January 1st 2013, Australia finally achieved this victory - with many companies now reapplying their games for sale here - all to which fans are delighted for.
Now as a warning, I have written about this on two occasions in the past, so please bare with me.
Since the surge of Australian gamers in the early 00's, video games have been diluted of content and some even banned completely. In the court of the Attorney-Generals, for any laws to pass they must have a unanimous vote of approval and for many years during his occupation of Attorney-General of South Australia, the only man to hold back this new rating was Michael Atkinson or as some gamers referred to him as: "The Cerberus of R18". While all the other A-G members agreed from early 2004 that a R18+ Rating would be suiting for the public, Michael Atkinson completely rejected this idea, claiming in many interviews that "...allowing this bill would open the floodgates of slanderous and horrific content I truly believe the Australian public should not have."
And to this, I - and many Australian gamers would agree with me - would tell him to shove his beliefs up his nether region.
While Mr Atkinson truly believed in this thought, the signs of him being utterly wrong was all around us. I wrote about this subject previously: "Studies have shown that the average age of Australian Gamers are 32 and that women take 47% of the total percent of playing a console. It's also shown that 9/10 homes have at least one console device, whether it's Xbox, Playstation, Wii, ect.
Since February this year (2012), over 47'000 letters, e-mails and such have flooded the offices of the Attorney-General and 98% completely supporting the use of the R18+ rating."
And even before this, children were still buying the banned and uncensored titles, even as Mr Atkinson still kept this bill away from reaching publication.
But came 2011 and the man retired and as his replacement finally came into his office, it was announced that the R18+ Rating would be placed into the rating system. The response from the public was massive; letters, e-mail, videos and even work such as mine, was used in order for protest. Even now, gamers are now playing games they could have never played before and games are now being released without the need for censorship or editing. There are still some who aren't happy that these types of games are flooding the stores but isn't it better that we, as a community, can keep in check what our young kids are playing rather than them using your credit card and breaking the law? Just the other day, I had a fourteen year old boy ask me if the latest R18+ released game, Metro Last Light, was worth buying. I said yes, but only if his mother allowed him to play it. I'm not a parent, I can't tell another person's child what they can or cannot do but I do suggest children to ask their parents before trying anything silly. If they think you can handle the game, then good for you. But as a man who grew up fearing blood and being freaked out by the death scenes in Goldeneye 64 and believing it was real, with the graphics of today that chance is all the more likely and if or when I have a child, I will bring them up to obey the rating system.
There is still talks of an X18+ rating coming into the country (For such more lewd games) but for now, the Attorney-Generals are focused on computer and mobile game ratings for now but rest assured that the R18+ rating is here to stay. Finally we can be treated as adults.
Now if you excuse me, I'm going to the play Metro Last Light and head to a specific place in Venice. You know what I'm talking about.
Howdy folks!
Literally only finished 10 minutes ago, here's my summary of the main parts of the Reveal. My notes are short and I couldn't get all the specifics down but here's a quick way to breeze through it all.
Introducing the Xbox One!
-Sleeker and more interactive controller: can interact with games
-Faster and better console, 8 GB RAM, 500GB Hard drive, also the added feature of Blu-Ray
-Kinect is 10X better, extremely fast. Voice and face recognition improved greatly.
-The ability to interact with all your electronics. Can turn on your TV and Xbox by simply saying "Xbox On". Using the Kinect is much more promoted, it's quicker than using a remote control and simpler. Windows within windows can be used - You are able to play a game within another game, or play a game while watching a movie while looking up things using Internet Explorer.
Sports are heavily promoted as well as Fantasy Leagues. By morning, one attempt to be funny will be the latest buzz word - "DOMINATE!"
-300'000 Serves for the Xbox One, this might be near-lagless gameplay
-EA Ignite - New Engine, amazing graphics for a beta form.
"More new inovative games than ever before"
-Forza 5 Available on Launch.
-Quantum Break - TV Like Game with stunning visuals
15 Exclusives to Xbox in the next year, 8 brand new titles
Side note: Bonnie Ross - WOW.
-343 Industries has announced The Halo Television Series directed by Steven Spielberg
-NFL is now exclusively on Xbox.
-Xbox One Worldwide Launch "Later This Year" - more news at E3.
-All of future COD DLC will exclusively come out first on Xbox One
-COD Ghosts plotline Summary - America's military is destroyed, GHOSTS are the last of the military, fighting for "what can't die"
-Dogs become squad members; can smell enemies and sense landmines
-Graphics look great but I'm still skeptical - It's like Black Ops and Battlefield had a baby. Mantle over objects, peek around corners and cover ect.
-MP has Environmental issues (Earthquakes are the only one confirmed) and character involved traps (Shows large metal pipes falling)
-Character customisation - Head to foot, colours, facial features.
-Updated graphics are far superior to MW3, but look too simular too. Game Devs promised to have a classic feel to the game.
-Trailer was amazing and much more compelling, definitely worth a look at.
*UPDATE: This part will be updated as more news comes in for the rest of the week*
-Xbox Live accounts can have up to 1000 Friends
-Xbox One will enable customers to trade in and resell games at retail, no specifics as of yet
-New Crackdown game is making its way to Xbox One
-Xbox One will not work unless Kinect is plugged in.
-The "Back" button on the controller is replaced with "View", while there are now more vibration motors installed, including inside the triggers. Easier to use buttons and triggers (push sensitive)
-Many of the announced Apps, such as TV snapping, won't be available to players outside the US on launch day.
That pretty much sums it up! It's 4:30am, I'm going to bed.
Much love to you all!
G'day there folks!
***WARNING: This review features spoilers for both the original title and the plot of the new installment. Read at your own caution!***
Every now and then, the standard gamer will get the itch to bash in a Zombie's head or simply rip him
limb from limb and despite having many options in the series, many gamers turned their attention to Dead Island, purely due to its revolutionary and appealing trailer. And while the game sold well, it was heavily criticized for its repetitive gameplay, options and overall dull performance. Sadly the quote unquote "Add On", Dead Island Riptide, is no exception to this generalisation.
While it's common knowledge that Riptide was meant as an add on and simply got too large, to the eventuation of this game, that doesn't mean that Riptide itself wouldn't be counted as such, much like Brotherhood and Revelation in the Assassin's Creed series. However I can say with a clear conscious that Riptide almost spits on the predecessor. Gameplay, while updated to feature the new side missions, is still relatively as slow with the added annoyance that developers have made every action to push down stamina, right down to kicking. While this does make the gameplay more realistic, finding yourself surrounded with enemies is definitely a sure way to die, especially with the new enemy types.
They add much needed spice to the fighting but quickly become frustrating and repetitive in a fight. Even with the new weapons and enemies, the most efficient way to kill a zombie is with a vehicle: with the slightest tap from a car or a revved up boat equals splats-ville. What is truly frustrating is enemies' respawn places and timing. Despite after death or leaving areas or even after saving, enemies will respawn in the same place and as the same type (Spitter, Brute, Drowner ect), even if you clear the area completely or only slightly beforehand. This makes the game challenging but going from one area to the next and back again only to repeat (Which happens more than you think in the first few chapters of the game) can tend to lead to some raging.
Side missions are also quite annoying and useless, especially with the less than stellar acting. Civilians screaming for help is an annoyance to the point of helping the zombies get their meal or just leaving them be, especially when it comes to stranded people in the middle of water.
As I barely touched on it, the acting abilities are just as dull as ever. While I was excited to return to the shoes of Sam B and even more so that other immune characters can be heard outside cutscenes this time around, the stereotypical voice of Purna (Peta Johnson) is not only slightly racist but extremely dull. Sam B (Phil LaMarr) and Xian Mei (Kim Mai Guest) are the only two who actually sound like genuine people amongst the "Aw struth!" and other unnecessary banter from NPCs throughout the game. The three main points that I truly enjoyed was the musical score, sound effects and updated graphics - a bittersweet music with the roars of charging zombies truly amplifies the beautiful scenery of the beach to the dark horrors of the jungle. The storyline this time around was much more believable but yet still seemed to fall within the limits of the original; betrayal, mistrust and escape for the sake of escaping only to have the ending shaded in mystery.
But even so, both the previous title and Riptide have always promoted co-op heavily and yet in my first experience of Riptide's co-op, my entire console froze completely not once, but twice upon the attempt with thirty seconds of joining a game. Even despite trying to play with other people on multiple occasions - some being within a five minute drive to people overseas - I still experienced this issue from the gameplay stopping and starting to a complete console freeze.
Despite all its faults, I was a big supporter of the original game and very much enjoyed not only the gameplay but a good look back at the classic modes of Zombie games brought back into the modern era. But Riptide has utterly destroyed my enjoyment of the series in a whole. With the buggish co-op, stale gameplay and overpowered enemies straight from the get-go, I highly suggest beginners and veterans to play the original before hopping back into the boat. Even before that, I'd wait for this game to be put in the bargain bin, for even the game's successes don't overpower the failures.
Out of 10, I give Dead Island Riptide a 3 out of 10
+ Improved storyline
+ Graphics can be jaw-dropping
+ Sound effects/musical score are tasteful
+ New enemies make the "Survival" mode fun
- Broken/unattractive co-op
- Voice acting, in a whole, is a disgrace
- Side Missions are pointless and dull
- Overpowered enemies, even when starting a fresh character
- Navigation is utterly useless
- Weapons useless compared to a slight tap of a car/boat
- Even if too big, better off as a DLC than its own game
Dead Island Riptide is out now for $60
G'day folks!
***WARNING: Slight spoilers ahead for the main storyline. Read at your own caution!***
After re-reading my review for the original game, I was definitely sure that I had to check out the
sequel to what most reviewers called "The Challenger to the Sniping series." And so begins the review of Sniper Ghost Warrior 2.
What originally brought me into the game back in 2011 was the thought of a game entirely of sniping due to a close personal friend of mine being in the military at the time with the exact same job, I wished to see what it was like though his eyes and while the original delivered, if only slightly, GW2 definitely delivers more...yet leaving an unsatisfying taste in your mouth afterwards.
Gameplay was definitely improved this time around, from weapon use to stealth, the game has furthered their usefulness in a pinch. AIs are as idiotic as ever but with the add of a constantly changing patrol and a better stealth system, the game definitely does seem to lead you by the nose in the fog this time around while helpfully pointing out the enemies around you. While gameplay (of course) favours stealth over the now stereotypical "Run And Gun" gameplay of most shooters, AIs still give you a small chance of hiding from the storm or fighting directly - however I wouldn't advice that - but with the realism of the game, two or three shots and it's game over. A warning; if you choose offense against keeping a distance, death scenes or being stuck in one area may cause some rage quitting due to the lacking checkpoint system. Once more the checkpoints are quite limited during missions and a death can set you back 15 minutes of gameplay or even more and with the bare essential lead on of storyline from the original, you won't be glued to your seat for more; the game does attempt to drag you into a teacher-student-breaking-bonds moment about halfway through the game, it seems forced and dry. While I will admit that the ending boss battle is challenging, it ends abruptly - killing one man stops the entire onslaught of henchmen around you, including those taking off in a plane with a bomb inside, they all suddenly disappear and kindly leave you said bomb and even disarm it for you? Really!?
The 1980's called, they want their storyline back.
Voice acting was definitely improved but still lacked...vigour. While I still have yet to find the voice actors for the game, I'm more than certain the voice of Captain Cole Anderson is none other than Troy Baker, well known for his work in Bioshock Infinite, the Naruto Shippuden series and many more games/anime. Since the voice cast is yet to be announced (or even appear in the credits) the only thing I can say is that even here, Baker seems to be lacking much "oomph" that he usually portrays and the other characters, dare I say, drag the performance rate down, tying much of their speech and chatter to gender stereotypes.
Graphics are very much improved this time around and the sound effects and musical score truly tie it in together, they can tend to glitch out terribly. Voice won't synch up with mouth movements, music will replay like a needle skipping on a record and even using slow motion while trying to kill an enemy had me fall through the world not once or twice in the exact same spot, but at least once in nearly every mission. Lastly, Multiplayer is a decent addition but playing with people barely out of the state can see a game drop or freeze completely.
Truly I did enjoy the odd moments here and there during the game, even some of the witty banter but there wasn't enough to keep me going. The storyline was okay, but flawed. The gameplay was great, but flawed, the multiplayer was adequate but flawed. While the game was delayed twice during development, it seems still that City Interactive has released a half-baked game, to which fans may have forced their hand. This game was released on my 21st birthday and to me, this wasn't much of a present.
Out of 10, I give Ghost Warrior 2 a 3.5/10
+ Upgraded gameplay
+ AIs are slightly smarter
+ Musical score and sound effects add much needed atmosphere
- Cut scene/gameplay glitches...often
- Unattractive storyline
- Multiplayer is generic and buggy
- Voice actors are dull and boring
- Very few checkpoints/ammo/health pack
- Delayed twice for horrible result
Sniper Ghost Warrior 2 is out now for the standard price of $80
Well, time for another announcement!
So while last month I mentioned Fatman's Choice, recent events have now sparked a new segment which I'll be starting soon and as always, it's blogger first. What is it you ask?
Gamer Rants!
Thaaaat's right, good ol' Fatman may be one of the most mellowed gamers ever, but even he can rant! But what will I be ranting about? Everything and anything!
I'll be listing a few upcoming topics underneath my review page in it's own separate listings. I'll be discussing old topics, new topics, things that make me happy and sad and all things gaming.
And if you folks like it, I'll keep it up.
While I know I still have a ton of reviews to go and a lot of Five Easy Achievements to write (Which is exceedingly hard since I'm not much of a Achievement junkie), all of this and more is on it's way.
I may only have a laptop at the moment but at least things are moving forward.
Take care and as always, have fun and game on!
FM
G'day folks!
As a big fan of the first title and being rather bored one day, I decided to check out the sequel and was pleasantly surprised.
As an arcade title, there wasn't much to deal with but I'll do my best.
What's the most noticeable is the fresh revamped gameplay; With six game types, five of them are brand new to the series.
-Deadline has players fight off as many enemies as possible but with infinite lives. However, each death sets you back greatly.
-King is slightly like King Of The Hill but with a twist: one life and no bombs. Circles appear and disappear with use as they are the only places to fight from
-Evolved is the same from the previous title but with one extra life and all the new styles of enemies to fight. BUT we'll get to that later.
-Pacifism has you with one life but being unable to fire at all. The only way to survive is to kill the enemies lays right in front of you.
-Waves has Rockets fly from multiple areas. Survive the waves of rockets by shooting through them all.
-Sequence has you fight multiple enemies in short chapters of 30 seconds. Defeat all the enemies in the time limit to move on to the next round.
With the new title sees new enemies and while they have no official names, they're simply shapes. There's a return to the Blue Diamond, Pink and Green Square and so on but the new enemies add in a lot more chances to die. Reflection is like a giant mirror where you can shoot in different directions as your bullets bounce off its surface. The only way to kill it is to steer directly into the center. Rockets are orange that quickly fly across the screen in multiple direction and the list goes on.
Overall, the game is quick paced and extremely fun. The second game focuses on the issues the first game had and truly develops from there.
Out of 10, I give Geometry Wars 2 an 9/10
Good Points
+ New enemies
+ More gameplay options
+ Scoring system updated
Bad Points
- Doesn't offer anything extremely new and fresh
Geometry Wars 2 is out now for 800 MSP
Howdy folks!
*WARNING: To those who have yet to play this game, possible spoilers ahead! Read with caution*
Now some people don't know this fact about me but I've never been a huge Fallout fan. I've never been interested nor care about the series. However after much nagging, persuasion and actually sitting down and reading the plot, I decided to sit down and in the Australian spirit, "have a go".
And boy was I a fool.
Despite this game being nearly five/six years old, I shall explain. You are a young man/woman from Vault 101, one of the last active Vaults in the vicinity of a nuclear wasteland of D.C. After living to your adulthood happily away from the destruction, your father suddenly goes missing and the Vault is in chaos. Quickly following in his footsteps, you follow your father into the destruction of the outside world and the real adventure begins.
While the graphics in current time are sub-par, they are quite good for their time, the facial expressions are quite well done, especially with your father. It's odd to say, but it seems developers focused a lot of their time on his movements. Sound effects are extremely well done, giving a real sense of the world around you. From the mutated wildlife around you even down to footsteps which really livens up gameplay and adds realism into the world.
What truly stands out is the musical score, gameplay and vocal acting. While roaming through the world, there is nothing more satisfying then listening and to some degree, singing along with the classics of a time long gone. The vocal cast is nothing short of terrific - the cherry on top being Liam Neeson as the voice of your father, simply known as James. Neeson adds a terrific sort of class into the early part of the game, adding in a warmth that is quite alien in a video game but a welcome surprise. With other big names such as Malcolm McDowell, Ron Pearlman, Odette Annable and many others who add in simply a large amount of character and depth into the world. What truly ties the game all together is the gameplay; with the many weaponry, near endless customisation and random spawn enemies, playing through the main storyline never gets dull. Even playing side missions doesn't feel like such; Fallout 3 truly captures the essence of a terrific gameplay by making this game one of the rare titles you can revisit over and over. While the main storyline is quite brilliant and gripping, the last few ending missions seemed a little...lacking. When meeting President Eden, the game takes a small left turn, leaving you with an awesome (yet slightly overpowered) ally (In the game's defense, you may depose Fawkes whenever you please) and another ally by the name of Liberty Prime who leaves you near to nothing to fight by the end of the game. The ending boss fight against Colonel Autumn is extremely lacking. "I'll just have to end you here!", with three quick shots, he falls dead before he can pull out a weapon while Fawkes finishes off the few soldiers left with him. Granted, the ending leaves a bitter, but welcome, taste in your mouth as the game comes to a close. The ending clips almost seem a little stereotypical by the end and without the option to replay as the same character or continue before setting off on the last mission seems like a bit of a hiccup.
Regardless, Fallout 3 adds in a lot of jaw dropping, heart warming, melancholy moments throughout the entire gameplay. As a gamer who had barely touched the series before this title, I cannot deny that over the years, Fallout 3 has been deeply exaggerated; while the game is truly addictive and never ceases in entertainment, lore or good old fashioned fun, overall it has been overhyped, even if only slightly.
Out of 10, I give Fallout 3 an 8.5/10
Good Points
+ Addictive and fun gameplay
+ Sound effect and musical score is utterly brilliant
+ Voice cast is quite unique
+ Main/Side missions never lack in depth
Bad Points
- Ending is a little lacking
- Occasional game freezes near new areas
- Needed more Liam Neeson
Fallout 3 is available for Game On Demand at the standard price of $30
Howdy folks!
It hasn't been too long since I last wrote on here but I'm finally back! Life without the internet is...exceedingly dull. XD
But what does that mean to you?
Reviews and Five Easy Achievements will now commence restart! I'll be bringing you all the reviews I can in the next week. However, videos are still on hold since I still have yet to install all my recording/editing software.
I'll be starting on the Fallout 3 review and working my way from there to Riptide. Hopefully by then Metro Last Light will be out and I'll be able to buy all the goodies that are coming out as I type.
It feels odd to be back, but it's good to have some of my day filled in again!
Thanks for all the support while I was gone.
As always, have fun and game on!
