What’s the status?

Crackdown 2

Here’s what I learned in today’s X10 demonstration of the game I’m surprised that some readers think will be boring.

• The game is set 10 years after the events of Crackdown. There are three factions at play: The Agency (that’s you), Cell (resistance force), and the Freaks (pretty much like zombies that come out in full force when the sun goes down). The city’s seen better days, as many areas are in a state of destruction – but others are experiencing reconstruction efforts. This is how Ruffian’s “changing” the city we’re already familiar with.

• Your ultimate goal is to see “Project Sunburst” through to completion – it’s an energy weapon program designed to eliminate the Freak threat once and for all.

• Acknowledging that many players under-developed their driving skills in the first game, Ruffian’s going to add more reasons and more opportunities to boost your vehicular abilities.

• Accordingly, supply points — established throughout the city as the reward for successful mission completion — now give you easier access to vehicles.

What did we see?

Of all the notes I’ve taken at X10 so far, writing up Crackdown 2 is the only time I’ve used exclamation points to denote my personal excitement.

BOOM! Homing rocket launcher wiping out groups of Freaks. BOOM! Shotgun blast makes a Cell car explode (as well as the unfortunate Cell members standing around it). BOOM! The Agency Helicopter, with room to seat you and 3 of your friends, launching rockets from its dual mounts down to the Freak hordes ambling below.

We also saw the new Wing Suit, which lets you glide peacefully (or violently, if you’re so inclined) to the ground. The most jealous-because-I’m-not-playing moment came when they simultaneously bailed from the helicopter mid-flight and synchronized their dives. A nice finishing touch was a rocket launcher aimed at a speeding car, which sent it spiraling a good fifty yards through the air before exploding upon landing.

I also saw a green agility orb in the distance, and was frustrated that the demo driver didn’t go after it. I need this game now, please.

Source:g4tv.com

Game Description:In this dark, atmospheric mystery game, players jump between four characters as they try to solve a case involving a serial killer known as the Origami Killer. Gameplay consists of guiding the characters through interactions and events by hitting corresponding letters that appear on screen at specific moments, making the experience more akin to an interactive movie than a traditional video game. F…eaturing stunning visuals, an engrossing story and unique gameplay, this is one storm you’ll definitely want to be caught in.

Heavy Rain weaves together an entertaining thriller, an interactive presentation, and story-altering decisions. And though it shows signs of unraveling, it comes together in the end for a gripping and unique experience.

You won’t understand Heavy Rain until the first time you do something wrong. You’ll be required to make a quick decision based on limited information or an altercation will end poorly, and instead of a “Game Over” screen and another attempt at the same challenge, the script briskly continues to the next scene as if what happened was how it was supposed to happen all along. When you wonder for the first time, “What if I did that differently?” is when Heavy Rain blooms.

THE PLAY’S THE THING

This is not David Cage and Quantic Dream’s first attempt at interactive drama. The praised-yet-flawed Indigo Prophecy laid much of the groundwork for Heavy Rain back in 2005, and it was then that Cage first attempted to rework the concepts of adventure games and interwoven fiction into something more modern. But Indigo Prophecy’s script weakened under a load of supernatural confusion and  while not entirely solved, that same mistake has not been repeated for Heavy Rain.

Like Indigo, Heavy Rain is built entirely of character interactions with the environments, with each other, and within themselves. These interactions are translated to the controller in the form of context-based motions and gestures: “half-circle up on the analog stick,” “shake controller to the right,” and “hold triangle, square and circle” are examples. The shorthand industry jargon for this type of control scheme is “QTE,” or quick-time event, and usually carries a negative connotation. The reason that Heavy Rain should avoid that negative association is that this is the basis for the entire experience — there are no jumps between different types of control schemes like those found in the finishing moves of action games like God of War or Bayonetta.

And an experience like Heavy Rain wouldn’t be possible without such a structure. There’s a very simple link between the controller motions and eliciting a similar mental feeling that corresponds with what happens on screen. Holding down three buttons at once tests your hand dexterity as one character tries to maintain his balance on a muddy hill. The translation is not even close to direct, but it’s enough to trigger the empathetic reaction that you’re somehow participating in the scene. In the beginning, the simple motions of a Saturday morning routine prepares your “gamer” side for the far more intense scenarios to come, but it also builds required emotional links that give the inevitable tragedies their punch. Playing with your kids in the yard, for example, doesn’t just teach you how to play, but  also means you’re playing with your kids in the yard. That’s an equally important bond to establish, and Heavy Rain does this well throughout.

Context-based control is equally important in redefining the idea of an action scene. Going with a a cinematic presentation requires that a certain amount of direct control must be surrendered by the player. That’s true with Heavy Rain, but the trade-off is more effective here than it would be in games with a traditional 1st- or 3rd-person perspective. A car chase or a fistfight can be exciting no matter what the vantage point is, but there’s a unique tension and excitement that can only be brought out by a director with a plan. That’s not to say there’s right or a wrong way of doing things; Heavy Rain doesn’t invalidate other methods of gameplay as much as it validates its own method as a viable alternative. It can be called a game, but it’s more of an interactive drama. And to call it that is the furthest thing from a slight.

THE GRASS IS GREENER

There’s no dominant philosophical statement in David Cage’s story apart from “it’s important to have (or be) a good father.” Much was made about who this game would appeal to, and as it turns out, it’s the same people who enjoy movies like Se7en, Silence of the Lambs, or Zodiac. Cage borrows from such influences and infuses his own experiences as a father to create a gripping crime drama, and the only requirement to relate to the story is that you either have a father, had a father, are a father, or grew up without a father — which should account for  everybody. His driving question of “How far would you go?” puts the responsibility of divining a theme on the shoulders of the player, as it’s those dynamic decisions that decide Heavy Rain’s ultimate resolution. Using the game as a mirror works, just as long as the player is interested enough in holding it up — and using a straightforward story about a serial killer more than suffices as incentive.

And it’s absolutely vital that these decisions are presented as irreversible. The absence of a fail state — the traditional “Game Over” screen — and knowing that key characters of the story can die and not return generates a genuine sense of danger when those characters find themselves in deep trouble. That trickles down into smaller decisions and conversations where you need to make a choice, and what ends up happening more often than not is going with your gut instinct and accepting the consequences. Feeling that you made a “wrong” choice shouldn’t be construed as failing at the game, nor is it reinforced by the scenes that result — you’re just seeing the story march on a different path. The flexibility of the script allows for multiple conclusions, and multiple variations on how you arrive at those conclusions. Though there are “good” and “bad” results, the endings can’t really be defined as “good” or “bad” — there’s ample resolution in both, and the dissatisfaction you might feel with what you end up with only compels you to explore the story again following a different path.

But not everything is perfect. With such an emphasis placed on the story, the plot quirks and logical inconsistencies that might be brushed aside in other games stick out here. Characters sometimes behave irrationally for the sake of plot convenience; red herrings lead too far in one direction without any explanation to justify it; important revelation scenes are skipped over depending on player decisions; the game’s shocking twist was well-hidden in retrospect, but also contradicts itself upon review due to dishonest misdirection and unconvincing voice work. Depending on your path, it’s possible the game can end in a disappointing way because of a double-whammy plot contrivance and “stubborn, stupid cop” cliche. But it’s also possible you never see that happen.

Weaving such an open story leads to such unique narrative-related problems that Cage was unable to avoid. Some of which are evident through the initial playthrough, but others that reveal themselves only after you already know what happens. To use a spoiler-free example, in one scene Character X makes Decision A. But later in the game we see Character X in a state where it assumes Decision B was made.

 Having access to the characters’ inner thoughts, for all of its benefits, also poses a problem. Heavy Rain does a great job of keeping you true to your outward decisions and performance, but frequently you’ll be able to choose from a wide range of inner thoughts, and you aren’t forced to commit to one way of thinking like you are with one course of action. That will lead to weird mood swings where characters contradict themselves internally as you explore their current state of mind. If we’re supposed to be playing the part of these characters, it would have been more effective and in line with the game’s action scenes to choose one train of thought as a gut reaction and commit to it.

ARE YOU FROM AROUND HERE?

One last quirk that you have to force yourself to accept is that Heavy Rain is a game about Americans written and cast by French developers. This wouldn’t be an issue had Quantic Dream been able to fully maintain the illusion that everything is happening in an area heavily inspired by Philadelphia, but there were too many instances of poor voice acting, particularly in the children characters, that definitely did not come across as originating from the Eastern United States. There are frequent slip-ups with pronunciation, cadence, and inflection that suggest an effort to suppress European accents. Much of the voice work is passable, but when it’s not, it eats away at the all-too-important immersion. As does the awkward, almost alien-like way the characters move around in anything that isn’t a cut-scene (which, in contrast, are executed quite convincingly).

But credit must be given to Quantic Dream for creating an environment — a proper stage — that’s soaked in the grime and depression needed to underscore what’s really a sad and terrible story. You can be walking through a crime scene at 8:14 in the morning and feel like it’s 3:00 AM and you’ve been up for 72 hours and you really don’t know what time of day it is…which doesn’t really matter because the constant rain makes the days bleed together anyway. The soundtrack, too, accentuates the mood. Whether it’s simple piano notes providing a noir tone to a lonely private eye’s investigation, or strings screeching alongside the tires of a car about to crash through a police blockade.

YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

Quantic Dream has improved and refined the template they created with Indigo Prophecy, and it’s an example that hopefully other developers will consider following, especially if they have an idea for a game that might not be suited for a genre with more established conventions. But there’s still room for improvement, and it’s going to take a skilled and attentive group of people to avoid common game mistakes, cinematic mistakes, and new hybrid mistakes that we’re just now discovering exist when the two are blended.

But in the frequent moments when it works, the unpredictable nature of the story is a special thing that’s unique to games. Instead of talking to someone else who experienced it and both of you recounting the same scene, you might end up excitedly saying, “Wait…that’s not what happened to me…”

“Should” you play Heavy Rain? If you enjoy a good story, then yes…especially because you get to take part in it.

Source:g4tv.com

Game Description:The teamwork based shooter returns, with a vengeance. Army of Two: The 40th Day drops the players into the city of Shanghai, when it is under attack by an unknown force. Luckily Rios and Salem are in the right place at the wrong time. Players work together to defeat enemies and solve puzzles as they make their way through the disaster to uncover who, or what, is behind it. Save yourselves before t…he entire city is lost. The hand-held version of the game features top-down, swivel-style gameplay, as well as a full cover system and plenty of co-op goodness.

The PSP port of EA’s Army of Two: The 40th Day is nothing like its next-gen counterpart. The gameplay is wildly different, but the basic elements of the franchise are in place. Does it make for a fun game, though?

A Port Unlike Any Other

Every once in a while, you pick up a game that just feels unfinished. There are framerate drops, game-breaking AI problems, and artwork that looks like placeholder assets. Unfortunately, the PSP version of Army of Two: The 40th Day is one of those titles.
In essence, the story from the next-gen version of the game is intact, albeit truncated. Salem and Rios are in Shanghai as the city collapses around them, but that actual plot is barely explored in the PSP version. The moral choices, which force you to choose between something wholly good or extremely evil, made the transition to the PSP, but they don’t have any real gameplay consequences. Some of the choices will give you cash, which can be used to purchase and upgrade weapons, but others just occur just to have something happen.

Like A Game From 1992, And Is About As Advanced

Instead of playing as a 3rd person shooter, which can work on the PSP (just look at Resistance: Retribution, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, or the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker), the game is an isometric arcade-style shooter. You’ll move with the analog stick and shoot using the face buttons. Triangle shoots up, Circle shoots right, and so forth. Combining them will shoot diagonally and there is a hefty amount of target lock-on. Unfortunately, it rarely functions as you would expect and prioritizing targets is never an option. You will shoot where the game decides.
Your AI-controlled partner in 40th Day is abysmal, useless and game breaking in certain areas. You are able to set your partner to passive or aggressive and have him hold position or follow you. Whether or not these commands actually work is a crapshoot at any given time during the gameplay. The AI will often get stuck on some geometry and completely stop shooting at enemies, regardless of what setting he’s on. The only way to get him unstuck is for you to die, forcing him to approach and revive you. The only use you’ll get out of your partner is as a decoy for enemy fire to fill your “aggro” meter.

The AI also seems incapable of avoiding danger and he is never aware of incoming fire. One boss battle enters a phase where a large cannon on top of a tank can kill you with one shot. Your AI partner will die because of it…every time. Incoming mortar fire? The AI will gladly stand beneath it, welcoming the shells with open arms. Set your partner to aggressive and he will open fire on enemies, but emerge from cover and quickly die. My favorite is when the AI will move of his own accord, despite being commanded to hold position.

Play Game For 15 Minutes, Multiply By 10: You’ve Played The Whole Game

If you play this game for 15 minutes, you’ve already played the entire game. At no point does the gameplay evolve in any interesting way. Army of Two staples like the aggro meter are technically missing, even though the game does “use” the aggro system by giving either character a reddish hue when enemy attention is on him, or bluish when it’s on the partner. Most of the levels reuse rooms and art. Mini-Horde mode sections artificially extend the gameplay even though every room plays like a one-wave horde mode. Bosses consist of fighting and re-fighting a helicopter, harrier, APC, or heavy weapons guy. If you’re lucky, your AI partner will get stuck somewhere where he can’t be hit by enemy fire!

Cover is nearly useless as enemies can usually hit you even when you duck behind an obstacle. Halfway through the game, enemies get upgraded and carry laser guns (yes, laser guns) and rocket launchers. It’s at this point when you realize that you’re going to take damage–a lot of it. Your only chance is to constantly roll, which makes you temporarily immune to damage, but prevents you from fighting back. Usually, while trying to dodge three sets of incoming rockets, your partner will decide he doesn’t want to live anymore. At that point, it’s time to try and kill all of the enemies so you can revive him before you die as well. If you happen to be up against a heavy weapons soldier that requires flanking to kill, be prepared to attempt the fight at least five times before succeeding. Toward the end of the game, your success relies entirely on random health drops that some enemies will graciously give you upon death.

If You Actually Find Someone Else With This Game…

The game does include a multiplayer mode via ad hoc network, but that would require tricking someone else into wasting his or her money on this game. If you actually find someone to play with, it makes the game slightly bearable because no human is as brain-dead as the AI in this game. Unfortunately, the core experience of the game is so flawed that adding more players doesn’t do anything to remedy the experience. The only improvement is, you’ll both be bored and frustrated together. To make matters worse, only the host will gain money and have access to his or her weapon unlocks. The joining player is just along for the ride.

Is It Too Late To Start The PSP Port?

The PSP version Army of Two: The 40th Day feels like a rush job. If Buzz Monkey Software actually did have the same time to work on this as the main team at Electronic Arts did for the console versions, I would be very scared. There is next to nothing redeeming about this title and it doesn’t even begin to approach a level of quality you’d expect for a game carrying a major franchise name. If you’re looking for a shooter on the PSP, I highly suggest looking elsewhere.

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]]> http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/army-of-two-the-40th-day-psp/feed/ 0 http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/dark-void-xbox-360/ http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/dark-void-xbox-360/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:22:11 +0000 admin http://www.gamepreviews247.com/?p=300 Gamers often complain that games drag on a bit too long or that some artificially lengthen the experience to such a point that the game is no longer being fun. It’s ironic, then, that while Airtight Games’s Dark Void is certainly guilty of stretching out the action, it does so via the worst possible method: [...]]]>

Gamers often complain that games drag on a bit too long or that some artificially lengthen the experience to such a point that the game is no longer being fun. It’s ironic, then, that while Airtight Games’s Dark Void is certainly guilty of stretching out the action, it does so via the worst possible method: Holding the game’s main hook–a jetpack–until a third of the way into the game. Although Airtight, a team comprised of developers from 2003’s Xbox dogfighting classic Crimson Skies, has an idea of how to soar through the clouds, Dark Void proves that the team has its work cut out when it comes to fun at lower altitudes.

Dark Void thrusts you into an alternate-reality Bermuda Triangle circa 1938 with all the genteel tact of baptizing an infant by casting it into the deep end of an Olympic diving pool. As Will, the square-jawed aviator, you’ll kick off the game mid-dogfight with a fully functioning jetpack, guns, and nary a clue how you’re supposed to take down the myriad of UFOs attempting to smite you. From there, you’ll spend a third of Dark Void wrestling with clunky cover-based shooting, misdirected melees, and bland locales before upgrading your jetpack and unleashing your main motive for playing the game.

The premise is simplistic, if not a patchwork of predictable sci-fi “hero’s journey” conventions: Will and former flame Ava are lost in the Bermuda Triangle, which has been overrun with waves of Watchers — an android race of aliens trying to enslave humanity. Will survives these encounters for a few chapters before running into Nikola Tesla, who sets him up with a neutered hoverpack around the third or fourth chapter.

When Will is grounded, the action is competent, but unexciting. The cover system pales in comparison to most contemporary action games and movement out of cover feels constricted. The mechanics of vertical cover-based shooting, where Will can hang from a cliff edge and shoot up at enemies using cover a la Gears of War, lacks pizzazz and ultimately feels like you’re just shooting further down a typical horizontal corridor. It’s nice in theory, but in execution it doesn’t work so wonderfully.

Stop Me If You’re Heard This Before

From here, you’re ready to kick ass, right? Wrong. You’ll spend some time hovering before you gain control of the full jetpack and by that time, you may already have grown quite weary of Dark Void’s shortcomings. The “You Are the Prophesized Savior” story, telegraphed with all of the subtlety of a Punch-Out!! boxer’s attacks, doesn’t help, nor does the presence of Nolan North as Will. He’s a terrific voice actor, but the familiarity of his voice hurts here — you’ll think of better games (Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia) featuring his dulcet tones.

When You’re a Jet…

In spite of the tired tropes of Dark Void’s story and the vanilla third-person shooting contained in the game, Airtight’s pedigree with aerial combat shines through, instilling an awesome sense of wonder as you loop the loop, rebound, and blast through legions of UFOs using your jetpack. It’s quite entertaining once you’re comfortable with the rhythm of aerial battles and how to perform certain maneuvers. And, in those moments, Dark Void cuts through its handicaps — bland visuals, boilerplate storytelling and clunky ground combat — to grab your attention. Add in Battlestar Galactica soundtrack composer Bear McCreary, and you’ve got a powerful score that intensifies these fights and set pieces.

Unfortunately, your flight only lasts for a few hours before you encounter a mission that takes away your pack, and you’re brought back down to Earth. Although you re-earn your jets to finish the fight quickly, the psychological damage is done, since you’ve grown accustomed to soaring dogfights. The sudden loss of the game’s best feature is a sore reminder of Dark Void’s weakest moments.

Not the Flyest

Dark Void could be more easily forgiven its trespasses if it tapped into more of its potential. Some visual flair or a more unique art style could have improved the game greatly as, at heart, it’s not very pretty. On the ground, Dark Void’s environments don’t feel so much lively as they do shooting galleries that you cruise through on your way to unlocking easy achievements and trophies. This lifelessness isn’t only relegated to its environments, but to its main villains, as well.

The Watchers are largely forgettable, especially when you think of other games like Resistance, Gears of War, or even the recent Bayonetta. All of those games have ugly, twisted enemies that motivate you to quash and destroy them. In Dark Void, you’ll certainly shoot at The Watchers, but that’s mainly because they shoot first. Their plot to subvert humanity isn’t exactly the stuff of fresh storytelling, either. You’ll likely have more emotional investment in padding your gamerscore than saving the world.

I can pinpoint the great moment where Dark Void succeeds, and honestly, had Airtight Games fleshed it out, it could have been a great experience. The aerial combat truly shows off the team’s stellar pedigree in creating tense dogfights. Unfortunately, its greatest moments are far too late in coming and are ultimately overshadowed by the lackluster shooting sections, drab art style, and boilerplate storytelling in the game. During one of Dark Void’s lengthy load screens, the onscreen text reads “if at first you don’t succeed, try a different method.” It makes me wish the team had taken its own advice. It’s sad to see such great potential buried under layers of mediocrity.\

Watch here for an extended review of Dark Void featuring Sterling McGarvey and Adam Sessler.

Game Description: Vancouver 2010 is an authentic simulation of a host of events from the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, focusing on the adrenalin rush that comes from the extreme speed of winter sports. Including the all new challenge mode, it will allow players to immerse themselves in the world’s greatest sporting event like never before.

In February, the world’s greatest Winter Olympic athletes will descend on Vancouver for 16 days of competition and with that comes the obligatory licensed game. SEGA’s Vancouver 2010 is a game that will show you just how hard some winter Olympic events can be and will give you a whole new level of respect for what these athletes go through in an effort to bring home the gold.

Unfortunately, what 2010 will not give you is an immersive Olympic experience that in any way makes you feel like you’re living the event, nor will it provide the variety of sports that makes the winter Olympics such an interesting and diverse event every four years.

Spanning The Globe

Ever since Summer Games hit the Commodore 64 in 1984, the Olympics have been a staple of the gaming world, providing a reliable entry into the market whenever there is a companion real-life event to market. These games have been of varying quality, but, for the most part, have often been disparaged as lightweight efforts.

Vancouver 2010 is an anomaly within the trend of subpar Olympic video games. The overall quality of the game is solid, with very well-done graphics and a streamlined presentation that gets you right into the action. However, it does this without any of the pomp associated with the actual Olympic Games. Because of this, 2010 feels like a collection of winter sports that comes without any of the context that makes the Olympics so much fun to watch.

To Bring You A Constant Variety of Sports?

Vancouver 2010’s biggest issue is the lack of variety provided in the 14 events that are represented in the game. Of them, fully half are of the alpine downhill variety, whether that be downhill skiing, slalom, or snowboarding. There are also three sled-based events, including bobsleigh, luge and skeleton. Add to that two speed skating events, ladies aerials and ski jumping and you have the completed list.

In the past, some of the most fun you could have playing an Olympic video game was by doing some of the more bizarre events, such as the skiing and shooting spectacular that is the biathlon and the endurance festival that is cross-country skiing. Vancouver 2010 would benefit from some of that variety, since so many of the events in the game are so close to each other thematically.

The events are also similar to each other in terms of gameplay. If you learn to ski in one event, you pretty much have the hang of the other six. It’s the same with the sledding-based games. The requisite button-mashing makes speed skating a buzzkill and the aerials and ski jumping feature tactical effort that suck the fun right out of them. Luckily, tutorials are provided at the beginning of each event–every time–so if you can’t remember how to do a certain thing, you can relearn at your leisure.

The Thrill of Victory

That’s not to say that there’s no fun to be had in playing Vancouver 2010. The alpine events show you, perhaps for the first time, how very reckless and dangerous it seems to hurtle down a mountain at 100 MPH. Sledding will give you a good sense of what it’s like to always be just one small mistake from biting it and sliding a half mile down a frozen tube either on your face or with a giant sled nearly crushing you to death. You’ll feel those speeds and a sense of thrill as you try and carve a big turn, fully exposed, without crashing disastrously into some sort of barrier.

The best part of Vancouver 2010, hands down, is the set of challenges that you are presented on the side. Whether you’re trying to maintain a constant speed of 70 MPH in a bobsleigh, or trying to avoid snowmen while finishing a slalom course, these challenges really ask you to master the gameplay and yield a fun experience that will keep those achievement grabbers happy.

The Agony of Defeat

What’s not so good is the Olympic presentation, or rather, lack thereof. The rules are simple: you (and three other people, be they on your couch or online), choose a country to represent and you’re off to the Games. One event, one very short medal ceremony, and that’s all there is to it. It would have been nice to be able to stack a series of events together to make for a more encompassing experience, and for there to be some sort of commentary or run-through voiceover. Instead, you get some very middle-of-the-road anonymous pop punk music to accompany your journey.

The end result is that the meat of the game doesn’t feel very Olympic so much as it feels like a series of slapped-together events. Also, there is very little to encourage you to continue playing. The events are, in a word, hard. So hard, in fact, that you’ll likely give up on trying to win a gold medal and just head back to the challenges, which seem to make more sense as far as a learning curve goes.

And the Bronze Medal Goes To…

In the end, the most frustrating thing about Vancouver 2010 isn’t what’s in the game, but what’s not. There’s enough good content on disc that it’s not a total debacle, but at the same time, perhaps not enough to justify the $50 price tag. It’s a shame, because a little more depth and a commitment to make the game feel more like the Winter Olympics would have resulted in a gold-medal effort. What we’re left with, instead, seems average at best.

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]]> http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/vancouver-2010-the-official-game-of-the-olympic-winter-games-xbox-360/feed/ 0 http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/sands-of-destruction-ds/ http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/sands-of-destruction-ds/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:19:19 +0000 admin http://www.gamepreviews247.com/?p=296 Game Description:In Sands of Destruction players take the role of a boy who unknowingly has the power to destroy the world. Supplement an immense story-line with classic JRPG style, and an in-depth turn based battle system for a playing experience that pulls at the heart-strings of RPG fans everywhere. Play with seven unique characters to [...]]]>

Game Description:In Sands of Destruction players take the role of a boy who unknowingly has the power to destroy the world. Supplement an immense story-line with classic JRPG style, and an in-depth turn based battle system for a playing experience that pulls at the heart-strings of RPG fans everywhere. Play with seven unique characters to make the strongest team around. Can the boy save the world, before he destro…

Sands of Destruction, a Japanese role-playing game designed by a team that includes members who worked on Squaresoft’s 1998 PlayStation classic Xenogears, has plenty of pedigree, but not necessarily polish.  Sands is reminiscent of a B-grade RPG from a bygone era, complete with iffy voice acting and budget graphics. Although hardcore JRPG enthusiasts might have hoped that Sands would be a true heir to Xenogears, it’s not.  But in the end, Sands of Destruction manages to transcend its quirky shortcomings to deliver an ultimately entertaining RPG.

A Strange Echo

If you’re a JRPG fan who has hankered for a spiritual successor to Xenogears, you’ll be disappointed by the news that, although much of the original Xenogears team helped develop Sands of Destruction, the overall tone of the game could not be more different. Xenogears was one of the most ambitious RPGs of our time featuring a fairly serious story, spanning thousands of years and revolving around God, religion and psychology. By contrast, Sands of Destruction has serious moments, but it’s a much more lighthearted romp. Sands is a strange echo–but far from a clone– of the classic Xenogears, with elements like an excellent soundtrack that occasionally inspire fond memories, but little else.

Where both games are most similar is in the battle system, but even that has been streamlined considerably, almost to the point that it can feel one-dimensional. Sands’s battle system uses an action point system similar to the one found in Xenogears, but maps three successive attacks to a ‘weak’ button and a ‘strong’ button. In the early going, these attacks are all but useless, but they come in handy when it becomes possible to chain three attacks into a single action point. At that point, offensive spells then become far less necessary.

Sands excels at tense, fast-paced boss battles. Even after leveling up quite a bit, a strong boss is more than capable of severely hurting a party with a string of super attacks. However, the fights aren’t always balanced. There are points where they are too simple or much too hard. For example, at one point it’s possible to hit the equivalent of a brick wall if you haven’t focused on leveling up cohort Morte. Unbalanced as it can be, the battle system ultimately works out though, if only because you’ll barely have time to catch your breath through most of the battles.

Annihilation is Always the Answer

The storyline in Sands of Destruction is mostly a subversion of the familiar ‘save the world’ trope, where the stereotypical magical girl is replaced by the psychopath Morte, known far and wide as the “Scarlet Plague.” As a crusader for the World Annihilation Front, she’s out to destroy the world, ostensibly because things have gone to hell with animal-like beastlords ruling over humans. The rest of the heroes follow her because pamphlets from the sky tell them to, or because they knew her back in the day.

Frankly, it’s a weird story. The main character Kyrie seems largely unfazed when he reduces his entire home village to sand and he follows Morte the Scarlet Plague around because he has a crush on her.  Meanwhile, Morte’s solution to every problem is to kill everyone and take what she wants, or at least threaten them with death. It’s funny in a black comedy sort of way, but little of it actually seems to make sense. It’s best to just jump onto the rollercoaster and hold on tight.

A Friendly Throwback

Many elements of Sands of Destruction, from its presentation to its plot, makes it feel like a budget 32-bit RPG, and that’s part of the appeal. Once upon a time, it would have sat on the bottom shelf next to Tales of Destiny and Arc the Lad. In this day and age, it’s likely to get lost under the continued tidal wave of quality RPGs on the Nintendo DS, but that’s not a fate this game necessarily deserves. The quirky battle system, wacky tone and stilted voice acting lend it a certain amount of charm that’s absent in other throwbacks like the recent Nostalgia, and the often wild battles help it to stand on its own.

Sands of Destruction isn’t the hoped-for successor to Xenogears, but JRPG lovers will still appreciate it for its old-school sensibilities, outstanding soundtrack and overall quirkiness. Put aside any expectations you might have had and just enjoy the ride with the World Annihilation Front. It might not always make a lot of sense, but you’ll be glad you did.

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]]> http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/sands-of-destruction-ds/feed/ 0 http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-wii/ http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-wii/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:17:47 +0000 admin http://www.gamepreviews247.com/?p=294 Since its Western debut in 2005, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has captured the hearts of millions of gamers worldwide with its unique blend of courtroom drama and quirky characters. The Nintendo DS release combined four cases from the 2001 Japan-only Game Boy Advance title and added a case designed from the ground up for Nintendo’s [...]]]>

Since its Western debut in 2005, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney has captured the hearts of millions of gamers worldwide with its unique blend of courtroom drama and quirky characters. The Nintendo DS release combined four cases from the 2001 Japan-only Game Boy Advance title and added a case designed from the ground up for Nintendo’s touch screen hardware. Capcom has seen fit to bring the initial four cases to WiiWare in a neat $10 package. If you’ve held off on trying out the series, or you’ve never been able to find a DS copy, this digital release is a stellar opportunity.

Check Out My Awesome Suit

In Phoenix Wright, players are cast in the role of the spiky-haired rookie barrister who is part detective-part defense attorney for four murder cases. The text-driven Ace Attorney series centers around a relatively straightforward framework: A murder occurs and it’s up to Phoenix to represent a client who’s been unjustly arrested and accused of the crime. Throughout the case, players seek out evidence that can be used to pick apart witness testimonies to reach the truth and ultimately free their client.

Shake the Wiimote for Justice

It’s a proven mechanic, and it works well here. Although the WiiWare instructions indicate that this version is a port of the European DS release, the single-framed screen approach evokes the Game Boy Advance era, which fits the series. The gameplay has always been exceptionally simple and while the DS version allowed for more intuitive gameplay with the stylus, the button taps on the Wii remote suffice. In the same vein that PW:AA DS allowed you to use the DS microphone to shout “Hold It,” and “Take That,” to stop witnesses during cross-examinations, this adaptation lets you waggle the remote, and most importantly, perform Phoenix’s iconic “Objection” gesture when pointing out a glaring contradiction in someone’s testimony.

Approach the Bench

Something to note about this WiiWare release is that it only the first four cases from the DS game. The fifth case, “Rise from the Ashes” will be a pay-to-play download (admittedly, a cheap 100 Wii Points) and releases a few months after PW:AA’s Wii launch. Also, if you’ve played through the DS game, there’s nothing new here and it’s the same experience you’ve already enjoyed. The Wii isn’t exactly a graphical powerhouse, but it’s hard to forget that you’re playing a nine year-old Game Boy Advance game (remember, the DS game is a port, too). Capcom’s adaptation for widescreen TVs is most appreciated – there’s a scrolling background with the game logo that looks much better than artificially stretching out the aspect ratio — but there’s only so much the publisher can do with the look of the core game.

No Objections Here

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney makes a fine transition from two generations of handheld hardware to WiiWare. The formula behind the series works as well on a big screen as it does on a small one, even if the visuals are a bit long in the tooth. The motion controls feel as natural and welcome as microphone-based interjections do in the DS version. It’s unfortunate that newcomers will have to wait a few months to experience the stellar fifth case, which is arguably one of the finest plots seen in the series, but at least it’s a one dollar download. If you’ve been curious about the Ace Attorney series but have never had the chance to partake, you should download this debut without objection.

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]]> http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-wii/feed/ 0 http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/final-fantasy-crystal-chronicles-the-crystal-bearers-wii/ http://www.gamepreviews247.com/game-previews/final-fantasy-crystal-chronicles-the-crystal-bearers-wii/#comments Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:58:13 +0000 admin http://www.gamepreviews247.com/?p=289 Game Description: Square Enix comes back for another Crystal Chronicles game on the Wii featuring updated visuals, new minigames, and an all-new story. Even though it has the Final Fantasy moniker, The Crystal Bearers plays more like a brawler than an RPG. There’s no leveling or magic in this iteration of the series. The most important [...]]]>

Game Description: Square Enix comes back for another Crystal Chronicles game on the Wii featuring updated visuals, new minigames, and an all-new story.

Even though it has the Final Fantasy moniker, The Crystal Bearers plays more like a brawler than an RPG. There’s no leveling or magic in this iteration of the series. The most important misconception? The Crystal Bearers is less akin to a videogame than a movie with a lot of interruptions.

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to Square Enix’s newest title, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. First off unlike the GameCube title, you do not have to carry a bucket around to attack. Crystal Bearers shares many of the same elements (different races, real-time combat, crystals), but you will not need to tote around a pail to hold back the miasma. Even though it has the Final Fantasy moniker, The Crystal Bearers plays more like a brawler than an RPG. There’s no leveling or magic in this iteration of the series. And finally and probably the most important misconception, The Crystal Bearers is less akin to a videogame than a movie with a lot of interruptions.

More Wiggle, Less Whine

Crystal Bearers takes place in a world where each of the four races that inhabit the land possesses their own crystal. During one battle many years ago between the Yuke (a race of armor inhabited by souls) and the Lilty (a military plant race), one of the crystals shatters, wiping out the Yuke population. Beyond these giant crystals, there are also the crystal bearers who wield a variety of powers. Some can control fires. Other can manipulate crystals. Our hero, Layle, can manipulate objects with his telekinetic powers. So when a Yuke appears with powers like his own, Layle takes it upon himself to investigate what caused a Yuke to reappear after so many years and why is he after the crystals.

Because of his powers and his lone wolf tendencies, Layle comes off as a refreshingly assertive character (ie: not whiny).  It’s unfortunate; however, that the voice actor sounds likes he couldn’t care less about the words dribbling out of his mouth. The rest of the cast is filled with your typical Final Fantasy fare: your foe-turned-friend, your friend-turned-foe, the dumb lug with a heart of gold, and a semi-unattainable love interest that seems to be only there for the panty shots. As cookie-cutter as it all may seem, Crystal Bearers works better than most in the series since it focuses on a single storyline. Above-average cutscene graphics as well as some interesting designs really go a long way to develop the world. A game, however, cannot rest on its cutscenes alone.

Van Halen have long been on everyone’s wishlist to play in ‘Guitar Hero,’ and, finally, they have their own game. ‘Guitar Hero: Van Halen’ is chock full of golden oldies, but also comes with some other artists of questionable taste, and is missing some key elements.

Thankfully, I lucked into a retail copy of the game late last week, allowing me to spend some more quality time with it over the weekend in an effort to judge whether my initial impressions were valid or if I was letting my fanboyism color my view. Upon further inspection I confirmed my original feelings: While I won’t say that Modern Warfare 2 is my surefire Game of the Decade, it’s definitely one of the best games of this generation, although the PC version has a few notable omissions that may or may not affect your enjoyment.

Picking up about five years after the end of the first game, Modern Warfare 2 throws the player into a world still in upheaval after the events caused by Russian ultranationalist Imran Zakhaev. Shockingly, Zakhaev’s death during the climax of Modern Warfare didn’t fix everything, so now the world’s got to deal with a more dangerous threat: Zakhaev’s former right-hand man, one Vladimir Makarov. I really don’t want to get too deep into the story, as this truly is one of those rare games that has to be experienced first-hand. If you’ve managed to avoid all of the spoiler-filled videos leaking onto the web over the last few weeks, give yourself a pat on the back. Your vigilance is about to pay off in a big way.

Whether they say it or not, most developers of top-tier games want to knock players’ socks off with a number of “wow!” moments as they progress through the story. Not only are there a few “wow!” moments in each and every one of the game’s levels, there are also a handful of jaw-dropping “Holy shit! I can’t believe they just did that!” sequences to boot. I was shocked and surprised by the level of emotional gravity during some of the more disturbing sequences, proving once again that no one’s better at first-person storytelling than Infinity Ward. I guarantee that there will be some scenes in Modern Warfare 2 that will get under your skin and stay with you for days or weeks after you finish.

One of the reasons the single-player is so enthralling comes in the incredibly high production values. Each epic set-piece feels like it would’ve been the piece de resistance in some other game, and it’s unlikely you’ve ever played a game that exhausts you quite like this one. Outside of a few overly melodramatic speeches, some cliched writing and the occasional confusing plot twist, Modern Warfare 2’s single-player campaign is excellent from start to finish. It’ll probably be knocked by some for being too short, but I was fine with the roughly eight hours I spent playing through the game on the Hardened difficulty, and I’m already looking forward to playing through again on Veteran.

source: gamespy.com