E3 2011: Sony Press Conference
With all of the controversy towards Sony over the past month, there is no doubt everyone was looking at Jack Tretton for some sort of apology over the PSN outage nightmare. It’s no surprise that this is where the show would begin. I felt that Tretton seemed very apologetic and understands what he has put, not only the consumers through, but game publishers and developers as well. It’s an unfortunate event, but guess what people, it’s over with and all we can do from here is move on, and hope that we have an amazing finish to the 2011 year from Sony.
After the PSN talk things got right down to business. Showing off one of the most amazing franchises of this generation, Uncharted 3. I have been a huge Uncharted fan ever since the first game, and the series just keeps getting better and better. The demo that was shown by Naughty Dog looked absolutely gorgeous. The water effects and cinematic gameplay was like no other. I don’t know about you, but I honestly can’t wait for this title, and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t take Game of the Year for 2011, just like Uncharted 2 did back in 2009 when it won a handful of awards.
Then things moved quickly to Sony’s next big exclusive title, Resistance 3. I’ve never been a big fan of the Resistance series. Their not terrible games, I feel like their just missing something. Whether or not the 3rd installment will bring that “something” I’m looking for remains to be seen. But after the demo that was shown I wasn’t impressed at all. Hopefully the full game will be much better. Time will tell.
What I also thought was interesting was the 24 inch 3D monitor that was packaged with Resistance 3 and the 3D glasses all for 499.99$, Not bad. I’ll skip though, I’m still not completely sold on the whole 3D thing yet. I don’t want to have a seizure while I’m playing a game.
One thing that I was very satisfied with about Sony’s presser was the fact that we didn’t really get a lot of Move talk. Sure they did some, but not nearly to the extent of Microsoft did with Kinect in my opinion. They showed off NBA 2k11 with Move support, along with a few other titles I quickly forgot the names of. What I didn’t forget was Dust 514, a Sony exclusive First-Person Shooter which seems to be set in the future. We didn’t get a whole lot to look at it, but from what I saw I was pretty excited.
The end of the show is the thing we’ve all been waiting for. We finally know the new name of the NGP, the PSVita. Stupid name, but who cares, I thought the games on it looked very impressive for a handheld. Also, with the $250 price tag on it, it will give some competition with the 3DS. I really don’t think anyone saw that coming from Sony. What a great move on their part. I thought Uncharted: Golden Abyss was definitely some eye candy,although I could do without the gimmicky touch screen functionality on the front of the screen. But to each their own, they don’t force you to play the game that way if you don’t want too. Ruin also caught my eye. I like the fact that you can start a game on the go with your PSVita, and continue right where you left off, at home on your Playstation 3. I can see a lot of games taking advantage of that, and it’s a great idea.
Overall, I really was pleased with the Sony Press Conference. Not much Move talk, and the fact that you can get the PSVita for $249.99 stole the show for me. Uncharted 3 is going to be huge for them this year, and I think that game is finally a system seller. Everyone knows Sony has had a rough first half of 2011, and it remains to be seen how the second half of the year is for them. But I think they are definitely heading in the right direction.
E3 2011: Microsoft Press Conference
Well folks, yesterday kicked off another year of E3 and things have been really heating up so far. First up, was Microsoft who started the show off with Modern Warfare 3. Is anyone really surprised? I have to admit, what I saw I thought was impressive. But honestly it really just looks more like Call of Duty. Where is the innovation? Where is the change? year after year we keep getting an almost identical game from the year before. In all honesty, I can’t really talk because I’ve bought every Call of Duty game from Modern Warfare 1 and up. There’s no doubt that it’s a great franchise and a stellar title. But having a new one every year is just getting old too me at this point. I need something new, I want something different. Maybe Battlefield 3 can fill that void. We will see.
After the Modern Warfare 3 showing, we got to see the new Tomb Raider title that’s coming out in 2012. I have to say It looked very interesting. I was never a huge Tomb Raider fan, but it seems like this game is going in the right direction. It definitely gave me an Uncharted kind of feel, although the QTE’s could kill it for some people if there is a lot of them. Only time will tell, but so far the game looks promising.
Following the showing of those two titles, it quickly turned into a Kinect press event! I have to admit, I’ am not a fan of motion gaming. Playstation Move, Kinect, Wii, never has done it for me. I would rather play my games and not talk to them. Besides, what If I have guests over at the house and I’m downstairs and they hear me talking to my T.V.? it would be pretty uncomfortable. Anyway, while the Kinect may not be for me, I see why so many people enjoy it. The technology behind it is really quite impressive, and we haven’t really seen anything yet. It is nice to see some of the “core” titles like Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Mass Effect 3 and Ryse offering Kinect support. Even if players don’t want to play that way, they can always pick up a controller.
Another game that we all know would make a big splash was Gears of War 3. I mean, lets face it, this is Microsoft’s bread and butter for 2011. It looked like Gears of War. nothing too fancy, just Epic playing things safe and giving fans what they want. Let’s hope they have that Multiplayer down to a science this time around. I have faith that the game will most definitely deliver come this September.
We also got to see what new touches they are adding to the dashboard. The Kinect capabilities were very sweet. Sadly, telling my 360 too put a movie on for me doesn’t justify the $200 price tag. I could really take it or leave it when it comes to adding YouTube and Bing, but the Live TV has me pretty interested. Being able to watch live television on my 360 is something I’ve wanted and hoped it would happen sooner rather than later. Grant it, it’s not going to force me to cancel my cable just yet, but it’s definitely heading towards that direction.
One of the last big surprises we got to see was the announcement of Halo 4, coming Holiday 2012. I can’t say I was totally shocked, but at the same time I didn’t see it coming until all the news before the presser started breaking out with “rumors” of a Halo 4 announcement. Is it really a rumor at that point? Anyway, I’m sure just like the rest of Halo franchise, they will sell ridiculous amount of copies and it will be the game that everyone wants that Holiday.
Overall, because Kinect doesn’t really do it for me, I came away unimpressed with the Microsoft Press Conference. If you are a fan of the Kinect, then you probably enjoyed it more than I did. Besides, Microsoft is doing a great job at trying to accommodate to every kind of gamer, and why wouldn’t they? that’s where the real money lies.
Check back tomorrow when I give my thoughts on the Sony Press Conference.
L.A. Noire
Rockstar Games and Team Bondi have teamed up to bring us a game like no other. The game is unlike your typical Rockstar titles. Instead of playing as a crazed lunatic, you play as WWII Vet, Cole Phelps. A man who does things by the book. The game takes place in Los Angeles during the 1940′s. A time where greed, love, and crime plagued the noisy streets of LA. But have no fear, because Cole Phelps is on the scene, and he will find you!
L.A. Noire is a game that is very much based on gut instincts. You start off as a beat cop just learning the ropes of how things are done on the streets, as you improve on your detective skills, you take on a different set of cases. For example, making it as a traffic cop followed by really taking on the gritty crimes as a Homicide detective. When you arrive to the scene of the crime, you will have to usually talk to the cop who was first at arriving to that location. After discussing some details, you will then have to search for clues in the surrounding area, which usually lead up to unlocking multiple locations in the city and/or a P.O.I (person of interest) to question. Upon that, you will meet these P.O.I’s, and this is where the game gets interesting. Things usually revert to chasing down a suspect on foot or in your vehicle. These quick little segments are a lot of fun but do not last very long. There’s something about chasing a suspect and throwing him down to the ground that had me smiling from ear to ear.
One of the most amazing things that Rockstar and Team Bondi did with L.A. Noire is introducing full facial motion capture. This allows the player to be able to decipher if a certain suspect is telling the truth, or maybe telling part of the truth but not everything, or just a straight up bold lie. Which Cole Phelps does not very much appreciate. For me this was the most fun the game had to offer, and maybe the most frustrating as well. Let me break it down. If you believe a suspect is telling the truth, you hit the button that corresponds with that. If you have some doubt into what he is saying, then you can play that card too. But the only time you want to commit to a suspect lying, is if you can completely back it up with previous clues that you have gathered, whether it’s something you found at the scene of the crime, or if a certain Person of Interest gave you the clue. You can then go back into your notebook and click on the clue that proves the little dirt bag is lying. Your notebook is an important tool in L.A. Noire, so make sure you review all of your evidence before an interrogation. It will help you out in the long run. Each clue, P.O.I, and location is automatically added to your notebook, so you never have to worry about that. Just make sure to constantly check up on it, to see where your at on the case.
Every now and then you will get dispatch calls over your police radio. You can respond to these little short side missions right away, or you can do what I did and just focus on the case you are on, and at the end of completing that set of cases, you can go back and play them in the Streets of LA free roam play. This mode plays as your open-world option. No cases, nothing serious going on, except for short little side missions, collecting the 50 film reels that are hiding throughout the city, or just discovering different locations.
L.A. Noire isn’t a true open world experience like Grand Theft Auto, or even Red Dead Redemption. Think Mafia 2, but having a little more freedom than that. Other than completing the 21 main missions, and the 40 side missions (which literally range from 2-4 minutes each) there really isn’t an overwhelming amount of stuff to do in L.A. But I believe that is what Rockstar and Team Bondi wanted to achieve. A more focus on story and interesting character development. You can still easily spend a good 20 hours on the game despite the lack of open world activity. Like most Rockstar games, driving is usually a pretty big part of getting yourself around town. While Rockstar is known for it’s sometimes inaccurate driving controls, I didn’t have much of a problem with them in L.A. Noire, but if you disagree with me then you can simply just hold down the button used to enter the vehicle and it will prompt your partner to do the driving while you look over your case notes. It will automatically teleport you to your next location, after a few words from your partner, that may help out with your investigation.
I really respect Rockstar for taking a chance and going in a different direction with this game. But unfortunately, that doesn’t mean L.A. Noire is a perfect game. At times controlling Phelps felt like a real pain in the rear. When trying to climb up a ladder or having him interact with different clues in the environment, it sometimes felt a little wonky. Like I mentioned earlier about the game being a little repetitious, it did seem that way too me. Even though most of the cases were very well done, it seemed like every case started off and almost ended the same. Show up to crime scene, find clues, question suspects, chase the suspect, interrogate them, send them off to jail. While it was a fun ride, I wish things could of opened up for a little more change. Their is one section in the game that it does offer a different spin on things, but I’ll avoid case spoilers and let you experience that for yourself.
Overall, L.A. Noire is a deep breath of fresh air this late in the consoles generation. It’s a mix between using your instincts, and being a thorough crime investigator. Even though a few things hindered my experience, L.A. Noire still will be in mention for Game of the Year talk. Just the facial animation technology alone is something to write home about, and I really hope we see this kind of tech being used by developers in other games.
This review was based on the Playstation 3 version.
Motorstorm: Apocalypse
Motorstorm: Apocalypse is Evolution Studios third entry in the franchise. This time around the game takes place in a urban apocalyptic setting in a broken down environment called The City. Apocalypse has a more story driven feel to it then the other two Motorstorm titles, no matter how ridiculous it tends to feel. The single player is broken down into three players, Mash “The Rookie”, Tyler “The Pro”, and Big Dog “The Veteran”. With each also playing as the game’s level of difficulty.
Gameplay
The visuals in Motorstorm: Apocalypse are definitely above average, but it’s not what I was expecting, especially coming off some of the great racers we had last year, like Split/Second and Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. The game definitely does a good job at making you feel like your racing through an apocalyptic “end of the world, no hold-barred” environment. Though, sadly at times you will be frustrated by the tracks that your racing on. While the destruction in Motorstorm: Apocalypse is a welcomed change of pace, the layout can be quite a confusing ride. One of the most irritating things in the game is navigating your way to the finish line. I never had a sense of where I should be going next because the tracks I thought were very confusing. Even though at times, it made for some pretty eye candy, watching the building debris fall from above, or the ocean water slam onto the shores, it didn’t make the ride that enjoyable due to a lack of consistency on the race track.
The controls on the other hand seemed very responsive and I never had much of a problem with them. You can nudge and wreck your opponent by hitting the circle or square button depending on which way you want to attack. You can also pick from five new vehicle classes; muscle cars, chopper, hot hatch, superbike, and the supercar. Each class is good for the variety of different tracks you come across.
Multiplayer
In most racing titles, the multiplayer is what keeps the racing genre going. Motorstorm: Apocalypse has a similar ranking experience to that of Blur. Basically it’s a level progression system in where your performance on the track dictates how quickly you level up to start unlocking more cars, perks, and other items like stickers to decorate your ride. Multiplayer supports up to 16 players across two different modes; Race and Elimination. Race is pretty self explanatory and the Elimination mode eliminates each driver that happens to be in last place when the timer reaches zero. Unfortunately, don’t expect a whole lot of people playing that mode, it was very tough for me to get into a game of Elimination with more than five people at a time.
I was pretty underwhelmed with the Multiplayer in Apocalypse. It’s a very bare boned experience given only the two modes you can play, while one of them almost being non existent. At times I just felt like I was playing a game of “who can crash first”. While my frustration with the tracks is well known, it adds even a more unpleasant feeling when your playing against human opponents. Aside from that, the leveling up works pretty well. You can also bet on certain players in the lobby before each race to earn chips towards your ranking up progression. The idea is too only bet on the players you think you can beat during the race. So look for the noobs!
Verdict
Motorstorm: Apocalypse is a title that I have been waiting on for quite some time now. While it’s not a bad game, I think I was expecting just a bit more from Evolution Studios. Instead of feeling like a constant crash test dummy, I wish they could of made the tracks just a bit more direct for fans who just like arcade racing, and not have to be plagued by trial and error. If you were a fan of the previous Motorstorm titles, then by all means give Apocalypse a chance. Just don’t expect to be blown away.
MLB 11: The Show
Sony Computer Entertainment and developer Sony San Diego are back again to give us our yearly dose of MLB: The Show. While taking a quick glimpse at the cover athlete of MLB 11: The Show, things may not look so different considering Joe Mauer was on the cover in last years game. But do not let that fool you. Sony San Diego has made quite a big change in this years iteration. With one of the biggest changes being the all new Pure Analog Controls for hitting, pitching, and fielding. In the past, The Show used the face buttons to control every aspect of the game. While you still can switch the controls back to it’s original settings as the previous years, it is something fans should experience first, before hitting the pause button and going to the gameplay options.
The Show series has always had the reputation of being the most realistic baseball game on the market today, and with MLB 11: The Show it is no different. It’s been the type of game that if you are knowledgeable about baseball, it can be quite an amazing experience. But if your the type of person who just wants to swing the bat and hit everything out of the park, well your going to have a frustrating time. MLB 11: The Show is in no doubt a true baseball fans dream come true.
As I mentioned before, the biggest change Sony San Diego has made this year is with the new control scheme. With the right timing and precision, you will feel rewarded for just hitting a single right up the middle, or pitching a one, two, three inning. Hitting with the analog stick can be a frustrating experience at first for someone who is a novice to The Show series. I had some of my experience with this kind of control during my days playing the 2K series, who has had the analog hitting for quite some time now. It is something you have to practice at to master, but once you do it becomes a very fun way to play the game. By using the left stick you pull back to take your step towards the mound, then by pushing up to take your swing. It really is all about getting the pitchers timing down and how long it takes him to come to the plate. I really enjoy the new hitting mechanics. It adds more realism to the sim experience, and all in all Sony San Diego has done a pretty good job with it. I have noticed times where it wouldn’t seem like it was registering when I pulled back on the left stick. Which is extra frustrating when by simply pushing up on the left analog stick your player bunts the ball. But with some tweaks It is a welcomed change to the series.
Pitching is also completely revamped. In past games, you used the four faced buttons to select your pitch, while you hit the X button for your power and accuracy via meter bar. MLB 11: The Show uses the same back and up motion on the left analog stick, but focuses more on accuracy rather than timing. By pulling the stick back this will set your pitcher in motion. This is where your power comes from. As you come to the plate, you move the analog stick up towards the location of your pitch. It is very important to be accurate with your pitch, because if you leave one hanging across the plate a good hitter will knock it out of the park. If you happen to make a good pitch with perfect location the top of the bar will become yellow. It may sound easy but it really does take some practice to get your pitches close to perfect every time. The new pitching controls is actually my favorite part of the game. Yes it may need a bit of tweaking, but overall I think they did a great job with it. It really makes you focus on the hitter your facing and his tendencies.
Fielding and throwing the ball is also completely taken over with the left analog stick. This is probably the one area Sony San Diego could of spent maybe just a little more time with to get the throwing aspect done just right. When your throwing the ball, your player will have a meter to tell you how accurate your throws will be. If the circle lights up green, then your throw should be perfect. If it flashes red, then you could be in for some disaster. The only problem I have with this is that the throwing sensitivity is way too high. It is sometimes very tough to judge how perfect your throw will be. You basically just want to flick the analog stick instead of holding it down. I like the new concept, I just hope they spend some more time on getting it perfect for next years game. It’s quite obvious that the hitting and pitching were at the top of the to-do list more so than the fielding.
For people who’ve played last year’s game already know how beautiful the game truly looks. Everything from the lighting during day games, to the almost creepy realistic look of the players. The Show always shines in the graphics department. I can’t tell a huge difference in visuals from this year’s game to last, other than maybe the players facial animations or maybe how they stand in the batters box. But by no means is it a downgrade from the previous year. Even the stadiums look slightly more detailed, and crowd animations are a step up. It still remains the best looking baseball game that is out for this console generation.
The most popular aspect of The Show has always been it’s Road To The Show mode. This is basically your RPG for core baseball fans. You can either pick your favorite team to play for, or you can enter the draft and have it determine what team your going to start at AA with. Throughout the games you play you will earn XP that you can spend to improve your player any way you want. Do you want to be more of a contact Ichiro type player? Or do you want to have power and knock the cover off the ball like Ryan Howard? Whatever you decide, it sure is a time killer and a fun way to play the game. Their are a million ways to shape the player that you want to be. Throwing, fielding, and speed are also important if you want a shot at the Major Leagues. You will be rewarded on anything positive that you do during a game, not just hitting homeruns. Hit a sacrifice fly or have a long pitch at-bat are some the other things you will be rewarded for. Doing some of the little things will earn you big XP.
Additional added features to this years MLB 11: The Show are quite scarce. They added a co op mode that you can play with a friend against the A.I. and the online play isn’t much different as last year. It still works when it wants too but at times can still have lag. They’ve also made a little bit of changes to the online leagues to make things easier and more accessible. For the most fun that the game has to offer, stick offline with a Road To The Show character or start up a 162 game season with your favorite team.
Even though the game doesn’t offer much more than last year, MLB 11: The Show still remains the most surreal experience you are going to have on the baseball field without actually being on it yourself. With the additions of the Pure Analog Control, beautiful looking visuals, and slight upgrades to the RTTS mode it is in no doubt worth your time and money. Sure, you may put some wear and tear on the analog sticks by the end of the season, but the feeling of hitting a walk-off homerun in the 9th with the new controls. Priceless.
Homefront: Single Player
Homefront is Kaos Studios next installment in the popular FPS genre. Unless it has completely slipped your memory, they were also responsible for Frontlines: Fuel of War. It received a somewhat positive response when it was released back in 2008, and to say that Homefront needed to be a top of the line shooter for THQ and Kaos studios would be an understatement. Their was a lot of marketing put into Homefront last year at E3 and other gaming events, but did the marketing dollars exceed the amount spent on developing a quality shooter? In my opinion I think it’s fair to say, yes.
Story
The story in Homefront poses the question as to what if Korea took over most of the United States. You play as former Marine helicopter pilot, Robert Jacobs, and in the beginning of the game you are sent off to a reeducation camp because you refuse to cooperate with the occupation forces. However, things go sideways on your trip and you become rescued from a group known as The Resistance. They believe you can be a great help to them acquiring fuel in San Francisco for the U.S. Military, given your background as a pilot. I thought the opening sequence of you being transported on the bus was very well done. Without giving anything away, some of the things being seen were pretty shocking compared to some of the other shooters out these days, and gave it quite the wow factor. Sadly enough, the game doesn’t continue to wow you with great cut-scenes but the Homefront story is something the game does nicely, considering most of the other shooters in comparison put a well told story at the bottom of the list. I’ve always loved it when games can emerge me into a really good atmosphere and Homefront has a couple of nice set piece moments and even gives you that feeling of fighting a warzone in your own “backyard”, which I believe was Kaos Studios exact intentions. Some of my favorites were battling it out on a baseball field, that looked like something you would have played on as a kid. Also the mission at the Golden Gate Bridge I thought was done well. Personal places like these is something that was quite different than some of the other shooters, but unfortunately were shot down way too fast. The Homefront campaign is a very short one. I finished the game in about 4 hours on the normal difficulty and was shocked that some of the best missions were 15-20 minutes long. It seemed at times I was playing a demo to get a taste of whats to come, but that isn’t the case at all. While I did enjoy the story and atmospheric locations of Homefront, it came to an abrupt end way too early.
Gameplay
No matter how well a story is told in a game, the controls and actual gameplay is obviously the most important part. This is where Homefront separates it self from the big boys, and not in a good way. First thing you will notice is how the game looks, at times the environments and the character models look flat out awful and outdated. In my opinion the other most important part when developing a shooter is making sure the guns sound like they should. Other games like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty did an amazing job making the guns sound real. This is something I usually pay very much attention too because I really am picky when it comes to audio in video games. The weapons in Homefront sound very depressing, and at times made me feel like I was the kid from A Christmas Story firing a BB rifle. Even the knife and reload animations were laughable. Framerate issues at times also hindered my experience with the game. It wasn’t a continuing problem but an annoying one at that. Especially nowadays, its inexcusable.
I don’t want it to sound like I’m totally hating on the game, because it’s not the worst I’ve played. The game’s A.I. felt right, even on the normal difficulty I found it being quite a challenge. Even if some of the deaths were cheap ones. It’s not a surprise, nor do I blame developers trying to copy other games that have been a huge success. But Homefront just falls flat in comparison, and with the amount of competition, you have to beat the best, to be the best. Homefront is the perfect example of a game that needed more development time.
Closing
After reading everything I’ve said, you may be wondering why you should even play this game. I still believe it’s a game you should experience so you can see how the story unfolds. I’ve also been told the game’s Multiplayer is enjoyable, when you can actually connect and get into a game. But as the campaign clocks in around the 4 hour mark, I really cannot recommend it as a purchase. It is perfect if your looking for something to play on a rainy afternoon, but above that I say wait for the bargain bin. I really think Homefront could of been an amazing game if just given a little extra time. Kaos Studios will no doubt have their work cut out for them next time around.
This review was based on the Xbox 360 version of Homefront.
Bulletstorm
People Can Fly and Epic Games has brought us one of the most over the top, foul mouthed shooters to come out this gaming generation. I realize the game will not be for everyone, due to the fact that it will give some the urge to kill and rape people in real life according to Fox News. O k maybe not, but regardless it is still a extremely violent game with a dialogue that would make a sailor blush. But with all that said, I still had a blast playing it.
You play as space pirate Grayson Hunt who is followed by his best bud Ishi Sato. After finding out they were tricked into killing innocent civilians by their commanding officer General Sarrano, in which Hunt and his crew believed they were killing murderers and other scum of the world. So it is no surprise that Hunt and Sato want their commanding officer dead. Years later Hunt and Sato’s plane crashes on a planet called Stygia. Which is run by ruthless disgusting mutants that look like something out of the Hills Have Eyes movies. After the crash, Sato is injured pretty bad and Hunt must track down a energy cell from an escape pod to put into Sato’s brain to save his life. I’ll let you experience the rest to find out what happens, but the story is not whats going to make you keep coming back to Bulletstorm. It’s the ridiculous extreme gameplay that awaits you after you arrive on Stygia.
One of the first things you’ll notice right away is how beautiful the game looks. The environments and lighting truly looks stunning, and I was quite surprised. Bulletstorm also does a good job of changing up each section of the game, so that you never get tired of seeing the same scenery over and over. Aside from the eye candy, Bulletstorm is a very fast paced game. You will constantly be blowing stuff up and kicking your way to the next area of mutants. The variety of blood thirsty enemies you face will also change up quite a bit as you make your way through Stygia. Some guys you can take down with a couple blows, while others will make you think in more creative ways to take down. But the combat in Bulletstorm is the games bread and butter. The game feeds on collecting Skillshots. Skillshots are points that you collect by killing enemies in gruesome and unthinkable ways. For example using your surrounding environments is a good way to collect points. Some areas of the game will have things like cactus’s or flesh eating plants that you can kick those ugly buzzards into to gain some serious skillshot points, and not too mention saving some ammo. Fairly early on in the game you come across a device that slips on your hand called a Leash. Its basically just like it sounds, if you point that at a enemy it will shoot them towards you in slow motion and will allow you to do whatever you want with them. You can simply shoot them and move on, but it is much more fun and recommended to think of creative ways to take them out. This is some of the most fun the game has to offer.
In a game where brutal gun firing combat is what you’ll be spending much of your time on, the weapons would be a pretty important part in a game like Bulletstorm. You will be allowed to carry up to 3 weapons at a time. Your always equipped with your basic assault rifle that really resembles a Lancer from Gears of War minus the chainsaw. One of my favorite weapons in the game was the Flail gun. It’s a chain that shoots out thats equipped with two bombs at each end that wraps around your enemy then with a single press of the RT, it rips most bodies in half. I found this to be extremely useful during some of the tougher enemies in the game like some of the bigger bosses. The drill bit weapon was also a blast to use, that will instantly implode your enemy into the nearest wall, killing them with one hit. But the shotgun is the weapon I had in my arsenal throughout the entire game. It was great for close quarter shootouts and it was equipped with 4 barrels instead of 2 and as you would imagine it literally tore people in half and made for a nice rack up in Skillshot points. There are a total of around 8 different weapons you can use in the game, and you upgrade each weapon with the points you collect with Skillshots. Each time you come up on Dropkits, you can buy ammo for your guns, add a secondary fire onto them or swap out one of your guns for something new. But whatever your weapon of choice may be, Bulletstorm is sure to have everything your sick little mind desires.
But Bulletstorm has more than just a campaign mode. If you played the demo, then you got a little taste of the Echoes mode. These are levels pulled from the single player that last anywhere from 4-6 minutes, and basically all your trying to do is get through each section not so much quickly, but how many Skillpoints you can accumulate. At the end of each level you are graded on how well you performed. It also has a leaderboard attached so you can see how well your friends did during their run. Echoes mode isn’t the highlight to Bulletstorm, but it does make for some fun if you just want to hop on for 20 minutes or so, and anytime you can compete against your friends, it always adds for some replayability. Anarchy is the cooperative multiplayer mode in Bulletstorm. It pits you and three of your buddies against 20 waves of enemies, and as you would guess each wave increases in difficulty. To complete each wave you have to rack up enough skillpoints to advance. Anarchy will have the most lasting appeal because it’s the mode that you can play with your friends. If you can get 3 of your buddies together, you will no doubt have an absolute blast.
By no means is Bulletstorm a “perfect” game. One example is the games controls. I am not saying they are bad, in fact after a little while you will pick up on them fairly quickly because of how much they resemble Gears of War. But if your like me who’s brain is wired to the Call of Duty controls, it will take some time before you are running, sliding, and pulverizing your enemies in a smooth manner. I also had instances of getting stuck onto objects which is very annoying when your under heavy gunfire. At one point it happened during a pretty intense boss battle and I nearly almost died because of this. I would say it only happened maybe two or three times but it always seemed like it came at the worst of times. The game’s story and characters is also not much to write home about. You will really care less about both as you make your way through the 6-8 hour campaign, depending on what difficulty you play on and how many times you die.
At the end of the campaign I was satisfied with my time with Bulletstorm. The single player is a decent length and with the Echoes and Anarchy mode on top of that I would justify this game being a 60$ purchase, not too mention having a chance to jump in the Gears of War 3 Beta early. But if the single player is the only thing that interests you, I would say give it a weekend rental. But definitely give it the time of day, Bulletstorm puts some of the fun back into the FPS genre.
This review was based on the Xbox 360 version.
LittleBigPlanet 2
2011 is finally here and I can’t think of a better way to start it off. One of the first big games to come out this year is Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet 2. People were absolutely in love with the first game when it debuted in 2008, and rightfully so. Now you may be asking yourself, Why do I need a sequel to a game that is almost 100% user created? Well that’s a fair question, and by the end of my review I hope I’ve answered it for you.
LittleBigPlanet 2 in every way is a step above the first one. One of the biggest and most welcoming surprises is the quality of the story missions. I thought Media Molecule concentrated so much in getting the user created stuff right in the first title, that it was lacking in the single player levels. In the sequel, this is not the case at all. I found the story levels in LittleBigPlanet 2 to be very creative and much more enjoyable. Each world has it’s own theme so it never gets stale. Things can also get a little tricky for Sackboy as he makes his way through each section of the game. In addition to that, all of your Downloadable Content and user created levels from the first game will port over to the new one. I was glad to see the return of my Jack Sparrow Sackboy. The core gameplay of LittleBigPlanet still remains the same. But Media Molecule did add a few new things to the mix. You will often find grappling hooks to use to grab on to certain things in the level, that are just too far to reach. I thought this a cool new way to get around. Also, a lot of people complained about the jumping in the first game. I never really agreed with that, but it’s worth mentioning that there are a fair amount of jump pads in most of the levels. These make getting around quicker and easier.
Let’s be honest, what makes people come back for more LittleBigPlanet goodness is the user created levels. I personally have never had a creative bone in my body when it comes to creating original content levels, so I unfortunately will not be taking part in making my own. But for those who are, there are tons of things you can make and do. I’ve seen people making shooters, racing levels, and pretty much anything else that springs to your mind. It’s amazing how much is packed in for all the people who want to take advantage of building something great. There are hours upon hours of content that will easily make this game go on for a few years, or until we see LittleBigPlanet 3.
One minor complaint I have is with how the co-op works. Before you enter every level it will ask you if you want to join up with others that are playing this level. It does in fact do so, but problem is, it will send out an invite to one person and if they decline your invite, the game will just automatically put you into the game solo. It does not continue to look for other players. You have to keep returning to your pod and reloading the level you want to play. It’s not a huge deal but hopefully this is something that can be fixed in a future patch. Regardless, if you wanted to play with 3 of your buddies then this is probably your best bet with co-op, as I did not experience any problems playing that way.
Overall, LittleBigPlanet 2 is an amazing game, and a great way to start off 2011. If you liked anything about the first game, there is no doubt in my mind that you will love what Media Molecule has done with the sequel . It is in every way a more fleshed out and enjoyable experience. No matter what your age is, there’s enough “kid” in all of us to still enjoy the little things.
Call of Duty: Black Ops “First Strike” Map Pack Coming February 1
In the latest episode of Major Nelsons Podcast, news came out regarding the first map pack for Call of Duty: Black Ops. The “First Strike” Map Pack will be a timed exclusive for the Xbox 360 and it will arrive on February 1st for 1200 Microsoft Points. The DLC includes four brand new competitive maps: Kowloon, Discovery, Stadium, and Berlin Wall, and also includes a brand new co op zombie map, Ascention.
Keep your eye out for more news and screenshots over the next couple of days.
VGA 2010: Mass Effect 3 Coming Holiday 2011
One of the more interesting things to come out of the VGA’s was the announcement of Mass Effect 3. I don’t think fans of the title were surprised that we were going to get a sequel at some point, but the fact that it’s coming in holiday of 2011 has a lot of people very excited. You can watch the World Premiere trailer below.