Thursday, 27 August 2009
Review - Pokemon Platinum (DS)
The game itself is still just the basic Pokemon formula and is roughly the same game as Diamond and Pearl, but is still worth playing through again. The new Pokemon are still not as good as the classic ones we all know and love, but they're not as useless as R/S/E additions such as Luvdisc.
I can't really review this game in depth because it is almost exactly the same as the two previous games, with only a 3D puzzle near the end and some Pokemon locations as difference.
Pros
Long, but not difficult.
The Pokemon formula is still one of the best base games ever made.
Cons
A rehash of Diamond and Pearl
Overall
If you don't have any of the previous two, pick this up. It's an RPG that gets the point between fun grinding and boring grinding nicely and is plenty long for your money. One of the best on the DS.
Monday, 10 August 2009
InFamous Review
Anyway, you play Cole, a messenger who happens to deliver a bomb. He wakes up to discover the explosion has given him superpowers, specifically, the ability to use electricity as a weapon and such. He's Electro from Spiderman.
He gets forced into using his powers to help the FBI figure out what happened, but the interesting stuff is the choices you can make. That's right, another game with Karma built in, but this is kinda interesting because it changes some of the powers you get.
For example, if you choose to be Evil, your powers become more deadly and more likely to kill passers as well as the enemies, and the Good powers are mostly used to subdue the enemies, rather than kill everyone.
The missions are interesting and never seem repetitive, the play area is pretty big and the game has the all important "feel", so you actually feel like a superhero, or villain as you play the game. The reminiscence of Spiderman 2: The Movie on PS2 is not a bad thing in this scenario.
The characters are at the least non-annoying and the voice acting is generally good, the graphics look nice and it has decent level of re-playability.
Good:
The two morality choices are different enough to warrant playing through twice.
Its fun playing through on both difficulties.
Bad
Very little reason to play through more than twice
Overall
Its a really good game if you can get a bargain or a long term rental/borrow. It is a very fun game, but not really as unique as it would like to think it is, with both Spiderman 2 and Prototype being very similar games.
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Review: Wii Sports Resort
The game is essentially a rehash of Wii Sports, with less to do with the actual sports presented in that game.
New stuff includes the interesting but underdeveloped Swordplay, the could have been great-but-is-far-too-fiddly Archery, and the utterly pathetic Cycling.
Cycling is poor because the motion involved have NOTHING to do with actual cycling, its just pumping the Wiimote and Nunchuk up and down and tilting for turns.
Most of the games could have been easily done without the Motion Plus, and three of them, Golf, Bowling, and Table Tennis are just extensions on games you all ready got out of the box with the Wii.
Positives
Swordplay and Table Tennis could become addictive
Golf and Bowling are the best two games on Wii Sports, so expansions are welcome
Negatives
No Online pay at all, seriously, nothing.
None of the games really show off what the Motion Plus can supposedly do.
Overall
If you liked Wii Sports a lot, then get it, it very similar with some nice expansions.
If you didn't like Wii Sports, then don't bother, its the same game with more crap in it.
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Halo ODST Preview
By Matt Binns
Halo ODST is prequel to the most hyped game ever, and a game that quite a lot of 360 owners such as myself are looking forward.
At first, I like many, thought “it's just another nail in the Halo coffin” but after seeing footage from E3 and Comic-Con (why is there so much video game coverage at a comic convention?) I've being pulled into looking at and researching this game and boy does it look fantastic.
The new HUD screen looks brilliant and points the way forward, much like a HUD should.
The way Bungie has re-invented the starting-to-die Halo franchise is smart and innovative and because you are a member of the ODST, you can longer duel wield, but you do get things Master Chief never got to try like the Silenced SMG and a brand new Pistol.
A brand new feature is the Firefight mode, which I for one am looking forward to playing over Xbox Live. In Firefight, you face never ending hordes of Covenant, much like the Horde mode of Gears Of War 2, but better probably.
The second disc is essentially a reissue of the Halo 3 multiplayer, so its a decent buy on its own.
Last but not least, ODST owners will get access to the online Beta for the all new Halo Reach, a prequel to the entire saga.
Probably Positives
It looks like Halo Classic, not New Halo (3)
New modes are always welcome, as are improvements on a working mode.
Could Be Negatives
No classic dual wielding
It doesn't feel like it should be a full priced game.
Overall
This game is re-invention of the stagnating Halo universe, and it cannot be faulted for that, but just how similar to Halo 1 & 2 will it be?
Score Prediction: 8/10
Friday, 24 July 2009
Summer Time FTW
Either way, I hope everyone has a great summer, and is looking forward to the legendary "Septober" time period, where every major game comes out. Modern Warfare 2 and Uncharted 2 will be reviewed as soon as possible.
Have a great holiday all, and to those who don't have a holiday, enjoy the sun (and rain!!).
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Review: Call Of Juarez - Bound In Blood
Either way, this game is relatively poor, measured as a cowboy game or as an FPS. The game is really slow, and the gimmicks are pathetic. Enemies either fall over like cardboard, or take way to many shots to kill.
I haven't tried the multiplayer, because the single player is god-awful.
Seriously, there's a bit with a cannon, and it took me three tries to figure out what I was supposed to be doing, and another 5 tries to do that. It gives game overs like Pac-Man eats pills.
Positives
Its a freaking cowboy game!!
The box looks cool.
Negatives
Poorly paced.
Badly designed.
Overall
I think that the sense of impending doom is what drives developers away from making games that aren't about grizzled veterans or space marines, and unfortunately, this game just proves them right. An overwhelmingly poor game, Juarez will have you calling out for the good old guys from CoD4 and Killzone 2.
Welcome, one and all.
We promise that we will only play and review games we have actually bought, and have actually played.
I have an Xbox fanboy friend who will write the 360 reviews, and I will write the PS3 and Wii reviews.
Once in a while a DS or PSP review might pop up, but not likely.
PC gaming is daft, so that's not happening either.
Either way, we hope to give you the most interesting and accurate reviews ever, as well as some healthy news and random crap.