October 10th, 2008 Tengaport
I mentioned Alone in the Dark in My suggestion for a CAG Review Scale post, but I didn’t talk much about the game itself. After finishing the game I have to admit, it’s really not bad. Granted, I paid $10 for the game (courtesy of GoGamer.com) so it’s easier for me to be lenient, but honestly the game is not as terrible as reviews had led me to beleive.
I went into Alone in the Dark with extremely low expectations, and from the get-go the game proceeded in-line with those expectations. After nearly quitting on the game due to clunky controls, twitchy interactions and a frustrating camera I managed to continue on and found that the game drastically improved as it went on.
I’m not sure if the improvements were due to my coping with the game’s shortcomings, or if the initial chapter in the game was just the worst of the bunch. Whatever the case, as I found myself racing down 59th street in a fury to escape the crumbling city Alone in the Dark cetainly began to turn things around.
Despite some minor graphical glitches, Alone in the Dark looks consistently good throughout. The music is absolutely top notch and very reminiscent of Battlestar Galactica at times. Action sequences add cinematic camera angles and slowdown which doesn’t always work, but adds a neat flair when it does.
While portions are free-roaming, walking from place to place takes forever. Luckily, there are plenty of cars scattered about for you to ‘borrow’. Sometimes you’ll find keys in the ignition, othertimes you’ll have to hot-wire the vehicles in order to use them. It’s a fairly tame process, but there were a couple of occassions where I was out of ammo, and baddies were charging towards me as I franticly fumbled with the wires trying to get the car to start. It is tense moments like those that I look for in survival horror games, so job well done there.
The inventory system, though limited in space, works well enough - and the MacGuyver combinations of items kept me rummaging through trash cans and glove boxes as I explored Central Park. The lack of a pause button while using your inventory nearly proved fatal to me a few times until I started to utilize the ‘favorites’ option which made creating flaming bullets and molotov cocktails a snap. You have four ‘favorites’ spaces for pre-set combinations and the game moves along much smoother when you utilize them all.
The ‘dvd style’ chapters provide an amusing ‘previously, on Alone in the Dark’ each time you fire the game up - but also allow skipping of portions of the game if that’s your thing. While I didn’t use that aspect of the game during my initial play through, I did use it to go back for certain achievements after comlpetion.
Fire is most certainly a key element in the game, and 9 times out of 10 it’s the answer to whatever puzzle you are facing. The flame effects look great, and watching things burn and crumble is quite impressive even if you encounter it quite often. It’s not neccessarily overkill, but it also doesn’t stray too far in its applications. If its wooden, most likely you’re going to have ot burn it.
Fire is also the only way to permenantly dispatch enemies. This caused me to do some running instead of fighting on a few occasions - but for the most part the game gives you plenty of opportunities to create a baddie-killing-blaze.
Alone in the Dark has other unique ideas, such as blinking to clear your vision and closing your eyes at specific times ‘to see’. Not all of these ideas pan out though, such as the visible wounds/health system which doesn’t come across so well.
BOTTOM LINE:
If you can land this game for $20 and under you’ll most certainly be getting a great bang for your buck. I might even go as high as $25, but anything over that might leave you dissapointent. Alone in the Dark will begin by testing your gaming endurance, though not in the best way. If you can stick with it past that point, you’ll be in for one ‘helluva’ experience.
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June 26th, 2008 Tengaport
I’m having some heavy second thoughts about letting this game go. I suppose I can always pick it up again (for cheap) if I feel the urge to run through it again though. Best to just grab the 1000 points while the getting is good.
My take on Dark Sector is “An excellent ‘dark’ sci-fi action game”.
Take game play mechanics from Gears of War, throw them into Resident Evil environments and slap a little dash of Bioshock storytelling on top and you’ve got the idea of what Dark Sector is all about. The game would’ve benefited from a little polish around the ends, but as an action game it more than delivers. Dual wielding a firearm and the glaive gives Dark Sector a fresh feel as opposed to countless other action games.
Hopefully there will be an eventual sequel, as I’d love to someday step back into the role as super bad-ass secret agent type guy. For $40 and under the game is worth every penny.
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May 28th, 2008 Tengaport
1. Meh
2. Awful
3. Mediocre Weezer Tune
4. Decent, but terrible lyrics
5. Shit
6. Effortless
7. FAIL
8. Kill me
9. Not even worth a comment
10. ZZzzzzzzZZZzz….
I don’t understand how a band can release Pinkerton and then put out crap like this…
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March 24th, 2008 Tengaport
To be honest, this game was ok. I was hoping for some nostalgic Tomb Raider moments with Legend but they just weren’t there. The game isn’t bad by any stretch, it just didn’t feel or play like I would expect a current-gen Tomb Raider to handle. No biggie, I stuck with Lara until the end of this adventure but it was mostly for the easy achievement points. On the MEH scale I’d put Tomb Raider: Legend at around a 5 mehs out of 10
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February 22nd, 2008 Tengaport
In anticipation for Ready At Dawn’s God of War (PSP) game I picked up Daxter to see what their previous work was all about. It’s quite an impressive venture for the PSP, and while I enjoyed all aspects of the game I’m just not so big on platformers.
I had hoped to spend more time with the title but surprisingly I got matched up rather quickly to trade it away on Goozex. Was my own fault for listing it while I was still playing it, but I figured it was an old game and I was safe being so far down the trade list. Goozex is funny that way though, and today I said goodbye to a wise-cracking rodent that I barely even knew.
Bring on God of War already!!!
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February 18th, 2008 Tengaport
Assassin’s Creed is quite a game. It’s a rare experience when I enjoy playing a game because I enjoy ‘being’ the character that I’m manipulating. That was the case for me with Assassin’s Creed. While the environments were incredible, the story intriguing and the action top-notch the biggest thrill I got from the game was just being in Altiar’s shoes.
Silently and unassumingly walking down bustling streets as I stalked my targets, filled me with a bit of an uber ‘bad-ass’ feeling. It was so much so that I continued to walk those very streets, hiding right out in the open, long after I had dispatched my assassination target.
For the first half of the game I played as intended, remaining in a low profile as to not draw attention - but eventually, the dark side of the force took over and I fearlessly walked with my head held high and at most times my sword drawn.
Crowds would scatter at my feet, guards called in reinforcements and I smirked as I stepped over their lifeless bodies as I continued on my quest. It was quite a rush.
I wasn’t a heartless killer mind you, I assisted every citizen in distress and would’ve done more for them had only the game allowed it. The few times my blade accidentally found an innocent victim left me feeling truly sorry.
I can understand complaints that the game is too repetitive. While some tasks flow along with the storyline others are just pure filler. They were all fun to tackle, but I would’ve liked to have seen a better integration between the story and the events that you were charged with during your missions.
While I enjoyed the story at it’s most intriguing parts, there were a few too many elements that I could do without. I’ll spare mentioning those there as not to ruin the game for anyone. Lets just say when Altiar wasn’t on my screen my enjoyment of the game would take a bit of a dive.
The ending also left me a bit disappointed, but I suppose it’s somewhat IP-suicide for a game company to give a complete experience in a title these days.
Assassin’s Creed is a difficult game to rate. Assigning a number score to it feels arbitrary. The game exceeded in some areas while being only really good in others. On a personal satisfaction scale, I’d give the game a 10. I got an incredible experience from being able to step into a very unusual pair of shoes, one that I highly recommend.
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February 14th, 2008 Tengaport
Off to Goozex a second time with Rainbow Six Vegas. The first time I foolishly and hastily traded the game away (my first Goozex trade) thinking that GRAW2 was going to get all the love. I was sadly mistaken as GRAW2 hardly got any playtime in our group while RSV became king.
I just couldn’t get into the multiplayer at all and the single player felt so GRAW-like that I felt I didn’t need both games. I’m not sure why, but when the opportunity to pick up the LE edition arose for $20 from Amazon.com I ponied up to give RSV a second chance. Needless to say I am extraordinarily happy that I did. I took on the game co-op with a buddy and had quite a fantastic time. So good that I’m eagerly awaiting the release of RSV2.
I was somewhat tempted to replay the game solo, but too many other games got in the way.
Adios RSV - see you in RSV2, the search for more money!
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January 21st, 2008 Tengaport
Been spending some quality time with Silent Hill: Origins lately on the PSP. I highly advise anyone who picks up this game to do as it says, put on your headphones and turn down the lights for a fantastically frightening and eerie portable experience. As excellent as the music and ambiance is in this game and as think as the tension gets at time, the combat borders on terrible. What could have been a really great game is reduced to a good one due to some ‘interesting’ game mechanics.
Once I started playing with my in-game flashlight off, and avoiding monsters completely I began to enjoy the experience much more. No matter what type of weapon you pick up in the game, wooden plank, metal pipe, screwdriver, etc - it will break only after a few very gentle hits. It’s not really a big deal when you encounter multiple enemies because they will no doubt kill you before the steel rod you are smacking them with shatters in your hands. There is no real targeting option so it ends up being easier to just run from a gang of psychotic nurses than to try and pummel them.
Camera issues creep up at times though they are merely a minor nuisance as opposed to a full on problem. It does make some situations more frustrating than they need to be by instantly changing the direction of your character when the camera changes - often sending him right back the way he came.
There is so much done right in Origins that I’m continuing to play it and doing my best to forgive it’s shortcomings. There isn’t another portable game like it, so it’s well worth checking out. It’s just unfortunate that while it’s so good in the atmospheric areas its so poor in others. Still, its managing to creep me out pretty extensively, so that’s gotta be worth something.
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December 13th, 2007 Tengaport
I really REALLY wanted to like Monster Madness. At times, I even did manage to. But the bottom line is that Monster Madness is trashed due to sketchy gameplay, frustrating difficulty and an excruciating checkpoint system.
Lets start with the good first - Monster Madness has character. It’s good a good story with humorous dialog, good voice acting and tons of video-game and pop-culture references. On one of the levels there is a van that has an extremely similar paint job to the A-Team’s van. In fact, there are a lot of moments like that throughout the game that have me wondering if the developers had to ask permission to use such blatant references.
The characters themselves might be somewhat generic; the dude, the nerd, the princess and the misfit, but they are loaded with just enough personality to separate them from their breakfast club molds. I spent the bulk of my time with Zack, ‘the nerd’ and while his quips and comments were somewhat repetitive they were quite amusing. Since I didn’t get to try out co-op (more on that later) I’m not sure if there is any form of interaction between the characters while playing, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the developers included that as well.
The game itself is a comic-book -esque, arcade-type monster fest with everything from zombies to aliens trying to stop you in your tracks. There are plenty of baddies to shoot at and no shortage of weapons to shoot them with. Weapons can also be upgraded thanks to the numerous weapon parts scattered around the levels and an extremely helpful character by the name of Larry Tools. Bring him the weapon parts and monster tokens (earned by dispatching enemies) and he’ll be happy to upgrade your firearms along with his gruff commentary.
The levels take you from suburbia straight to hell though you do make several stops along the way. You’ll battle through the streets, a school, shopping mall, junkyard, cemetery and more in your quest to save suburbia.
While you’ll traverse most of these levels on foot there are several vehicles along the way to help you as well as mix up the gameplay. These include a buggy, hovercraft and swam boat amongst all things.
This game is truly designed to be enjoyed co-op. That doesn’t mean you can’t take it on solo (as I did), it just means it’ll be a lonely road. Unfortunately (complaint #1) co-op is limited to off-line only, which basically means ‘no co-op’ to me. I did my best to try and convince the wife to join me in the game but she wasn’t interested 
That’s ok though, because I chose to play the game in the ‘chase view’ which is more of a typical third person perspective as opposed to the default overhead mode. In co-op however only the default mode is available and it didn’t quite feel as smooth on the controls as ‘chase mode’ did. There are a few times during the game where you are forced into the default view and I ended up struggling quite a bit through those.
If this game could be judged on how it looked and sounded I would be inclined to give it very high marks. Every aspect of the design gelled perfectly into the comic book theme. Now however, its time to discuss actually playing the game. Heres where it disappointingly all falls apart.
Collision detection in the game became a irritating obstacle as I made my way through the stages. In some cases power ups or items were blocked by invisible walls, in other instances I would become lodged in place and forced to kill myself in order to respawn and continue. While this wasn’t a constant problem, when I encountered it for the 50th time I started to get a little agitated.
It might not have been a big issue perhaps if the checkpoint system was on drugs. I don’t know if they let the intern pick where the checkpoints in the game where, but heaven help you if you died between them. There were more than a few times where I shut the game off after dying because I simply didn’t have the energy to re-trace such a huge portion of my steps.
This issue might not be so prevalent while playing co-op, as you can revive characters from certain locations, but it was an abomination in solo play. Never before have I felt so punished in game when losing a life. Not really much incentive to keep playing.
Boss battles were made extremely frustrating with cheap one-hit kills. Eventually about half-way through the game I changed the difficulty to ‘Child’s Play’ because I needed to calm my stress levels down. I’m all up for a good challenge mind you, but Monster Madness is just pure evil torture at times.
Its just too bad that the negatives completely outweigh the positives as this game really had tons of potential. Creativity was through the roof with the concept, but the execution falls short of putting it all together. Perhaps with some bug fixes, extra testing and a little more TLC Monster Madness could’ve been on top, but for now it rests at the bottom of a very deep grave.
Worth fifteen bucks max, but honestly it’s only worth playing if you enjoy torturing yourself.
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October 30th, 2007 Tengaport
I’ve been playing Beautiful Katamari so much lately that last night the game infected my dreams. I was rolling up objects in my neighborhood in a surreal yet blissful sort of way. Needless to say it was one of the wackier dreams I have had in a long time.
In regards to Beautiful Katamari itself, the game is good - not great. It offers die-hard rollers nothing new in the way of innovation and is perhaps a bit too repetitive despite it’s short length for newcomers. It’s no doubt enjoyable, but I’m afraid it mimics ‘Me & My Katamari’s (the third Katamari, and low point of the series) mechanics a bit too closely.
A dedicated roller can blast through the game in one sitting, even though the difficulty feels a bit ramped at times up versus previous Katamaris. If you’re not a completionist or achievement whore there isn’t really a lot of incentive to replay the stages. There are on-line leader boards in addition to the countless cousins and gifts, but I’m not sure if that will be enticing enough for anyone but the hardcore rollers.
I don’t mean to be so harsh on Beautiful Katamari, but I am just such a huge fan of the Katamari series that I feel incredibly let down by it’s almost effortless first ‘next gen’ offering. The game’s length and lack of variety come off as disappointing side effects of a ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it’ mentality. Sure, the Katamari concept itself isn’t broken, but it is bit tired and could benefit greatly from a huge shot of espresso.
There is a first in Beautiful Katamari, and that is with the game’s on-line multiplayer. Unfortunately, this is just as limiting and uninspired as the main game. Don’t get me wrong, multiplayer Katamari is a good hoot (when the lag isn’t killing it) but it’s extraordinarily light on features.
Every match is just a race to collect as many of a single object as possible. Whomever has the most at the end of the time limit wins. It’s a simple as that, and while fun for a few fleeting moments, does very poorly to extend the game’s longevity. Why there isn’t just a ‘whomever rolls up the biggest wins’ mode is an absolute mystery to me. On-line co-op could’ve also been a big addition to multiplayer, with two or more Katamari rollers working together towards a shared goal. There is local co-op mind you, but it is the broken two players on one Katamari mode that we first saw way back in We Love Katamari.
It’s funny to say all this despite the fact that I started off writing about how much I’ve been playing Beautiful Katamari. Chalk me up to that ‘completionist/achievement whoring’ category I suppose because I will not put this game down until every cousin & present is found and ever eternal mode unlocked (achieve 100pts or higher on a stage). I am eagerly awaiting the upcoming DLC even if it only expands the game slightly.
At only $40 I can go a bit easier on Beautiful Katamari. Due to a lack of innovation and variety however and the short length of the game I would place it on the money scale at around $25 - $30 of its price tag. It’s not a bad game by any means but it might just fall short with both fans of the series and newcomers alike. Such a shame
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