January 23rd, 2009 Tengaport
That’s it, I’ve had enough…
I had planned to stick with Far Cry 2 (Xbox 360) until Skate 2 arrived from Amazon but it has gotten to the point that I’d rather play nothing than play Far Cry 2 anymore. It’s not that the game is particularly bad or anything I just have absolutely no desire to play it anymore. I picked up Far Cry 2 after coming off a Dead Space high, so that may be clouding my opinion on the game – but I was looking forward to a capable and compelling shooter, and I ended up with neither.
The game is slow to start with your in-game nemesis kicking off the story line. After a brief tutorial, the story vanishes into the vegetation and I was standing there wondering “what the hell am I supposed to be doing?” I don’t need hand-holding when it comes to video games, but if you’re going to just drop me in the middle of Africa with nothing but a set of car keys at least tell me why the hell I’m there in the first place. Oh wait, the guy in the beginning told me why I am there, but he is gone, everyone wants to kill me, and it all seems to be a mute point at the moment.
Hour after hour I found myself driving all over Africa-town picking up random yet extremely repetitive missions for reasons I honestly could not tell you. All the while EVERYONE I encountered in the game would instantly try to kill me. Once I caught on to the friendly disposition of the game’s locals I ditched my nice-guy instincts and just made sure to shoot first whenever I crossed path’s with anyone in the game.
After nearly 20 hours of this same lather, rinse, repeat formula I finally dropped my controller and said out loud, “I’ve had enough”. While there may be plenty to do in Far Cry 2 (ala Assassins Creed) I just had no desire to tackle any of it. The game got boring for me real quick and while I tried to stick with it for the achievements it got to the point where even the points couldn’t keep me interested. I think a good rule of thumb is when you find yourself aimlessly surfing the net WHILE playing a video game it is time to call it quits. And by that rule, I am done with Far Cry 2.
Far Cry 2 did have a few things going for it. For one, I thought the ‘buddy rescues’ were great as a sort of a ’second chance’ when you were gunned down in a firefight. Your buddy comes in, picks your sorry ass up and then helps you get back on your feet. Once you’re ok to handle a gun again he’ll stick around and help you mop up the mess. This came in handy the few times when the moronic enemies actually got the drop on me. For the most part, enemies will just stand in place (many times spin in place) while shooting at you which makes taking them down easier that shooting ducks in a barrel. The only time I had problems with enemies was when they were firing at me while completely obscured by the tall grass or vegetation.
Another thing I liked about Far Cry 2 was the unreliability of weapons you pick up off of dead enemies. You get a visual clue to the condition of a weapon by the amount of rust & cunk (that is a made up word) on it, and having some POS gun jam on you in the middle of a firefight creates some great ‘OH SHAQ-FU!’ moments. While the weapons you buy from the gun shop are much more dependable, they are prone to incidents as well until you upgrade them. I nearly crapped myself as I fired a RPG at an oncoming vehicle only to have the rocket dribble out of the gun and spin at my feet. As soon as I noticed I sprinted away only to have the rocket explode a split second behind me.
Weather and time of day effects were a nice touch to the environments, and the environments & settings themselves were done well even to convey the feeling that you were actually in Africa. There were lush, tropical jungles, barren sand dunes and plenty of changes in elevation to give the settings credibility.
I didn’t step into the multi-player for too long, but perhaps that’s where Far Cry 2 shines. I was only along for the single player ride, and it is now time for me to get off the Far Cry 2 bus.
If anyone is interested in taking this game off my hands shoot me a PM. $25 shipped is all I’m looking for so if you’ve missed out on the $30 deals this might just be worthwhile for you. Maybe you’ll get more out of the single player campaign, but if you don’t – don’t say I didn’t warn you.
I wouldn’t count this post as an official review since I didn’t play the game to completion (nor spend quality time with the multi-player) but still, if I had to put it on the money scale I’d say:
Far Cry 2 (Xbox 360)
$60 – $30 STOP (Do not buy!)
$30 – $20 CAUTION(May be worthwhile)
$20 – $0 GO(Hell, what do you have to lose?)
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December 23rd, 2008 Tengaport
Dead Space is another one of those ‘perfect’ games for me. I’m such a sucker for space-thrillers when it comes to movies, and survival horrors when it comes to games and Dead Space appears to be a great combination of the two.
Maybe it was because I was playing the game alone & with the lights out, but Dead Space creeped me the hell out. I was honestly scared as I walked around the dark and foreboding spaceship. The game immediately jumped into a very Alien-esque vibe, as I felt completely unarmed and unmatched for the monsters that lurked about. The sci-fi design and the sounds made the environments absolutely terrifying. As I walked down vacant corridors my heart raced in anticipation of what may come. I was no super-space marine here. The developers did a great job of making me feel I was literally fighting for my life.
I can’t recall the last time I actually ran from enemies in a game, let alone ran from them praying that the door was going to shut behind me. That is exactly what I found myself doing in Dead Space. My ammo was depleted, and my odds of survival were slim so I made several mad dashes to try and save my skin. Speaking of skin, the game does an stupendous job with it’s menus and HUD to keep you immersed. Kudos and hats off on an excellent job. Your suit displays your vital stats, your weapon displays your ammo count – my only complaint is not knowing immediately how much ammo I have left in reserves (aside from what’s already in the chamber). Perhaps there is a visual clue there that I haven’t picked up upon yet though.
I loved every minute I’ve spent with Dead Space so far, only stopping last night because I couldn’t take the stress anymore. The game reminded me of what first drew me into Resident Evil way back when. I’ve got high hopes for the remainder of this game, can’t wait to play some more.
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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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