Following the success of the infamous Bioshock, which was named game of the year back in 2007, players are once again returning to the city of Rapture, and facing the horrors that face them in the blood filled halls of the underwater city. Full of stunning visual effects, graphic gameplay, and a unique story that is sure to capture the players hearts and put their minds to work, this highly anticipated sequel is a must have for the hardcore gamer in all of us.
Bioshock 2 follows the 1st ever Big Daddy, who wakes up after being in a coma like state for 10 years, to find his city torn apart from a bloody civil war, and the Little Sister he has become bonded to is no where to be found. Following the mysterious voices of the remaing inhabitants of the city, the prototype Big Daddy must journey across the enemy filled halls of the city of Rapture to unravel the mystery surrounding his separation from his Little Sister, and must stop a power mad cult leader who plans to use your Little Sister as a harbinger of death, for which this leader thinks of as a "rebirth"
The gameplay is in a word, beautiful. The ocean floor surrounding the city is breathtaking, and so realistic that one would think this city was a reality. The detail given to the enemies and surroundings is so precise and graphic, that its easy to see how players often jump when an enemy pops out of a corner or hiding spot that you would not have noticed on your 1st time around. The 1st person camera angles are consistent and keep its pace with the players actions, and the missions are challenging and lengthy, so that players will have plenty of time to enjoy the story. As if this wasn't enough, the developers added a multiplayer function to the game, and allows players to experience the famous Civil War that tore the city apart in the 1st place. Full of great maps familiar to the experience Bioshock player, and unique multiplayer missions like "Capture the Little Sister", instead of Capture the Flag, the multiplayer is fun filled and a great addition to the game.
Overall, I give this game a 10 out of 10, for the people at 2K did a wonderful job of keeping in tune with the original game, and told a fantastic story that was full of stunning visuals and edge of your seat action that allowed the player to enjoy the game all the way until the end credits.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Beatles: Rock Band
I have four words for you: The Beatles: Rock Band. That's right, the infamous music of legendary rockers The Beatles has come to the world of video games, and the journey through the world is a wild roller coaster ride through the bands famous career. Full of stunning visuals, fantastic songs, and intense challenges, this game is full of wonder and joy that only the British Rockers could bring to the Xbox 360.
The game follows the lengthy career of The Beatles, from their beginning days in Liverpool to the 1st performance on the Ed Sullivan show to the recording of Abbey Road. Full of over 100 songs, including downloadble songs from the Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club album, this game is a heartwarming journey that gives players and fans a glimpse into the bands memorable journey through stardom, and shows the pioneers of Rock n' Roll.
The gameplay is visually breathtaking, and the challenges present a great experience for the rocker in all of us. As you sing or play guitar as the members of the Beatles, players get to experience the many songs written by the rock band, including "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club", and "Come Together", which was well known to have been redone by Aerosmith. Full of great visual effects that showcase the overall feeling of the era, from the psychedelic 60's to the groovy 70's.
Overall, this game deserves no less than a 10 out of 10, for the latest installment in the Rock Band series shows why Harminox is such a powerhouse name in the gaming industry, and the music made famous by The Beatles has never before been more enjoyed.
The game follows the lengthy career of The Beatles, from their beginning days in Liverpool to the 1st performance on the Ed Sullivan show to the recording of Abbey Road. Full of over 100 songs, including downloadble songs from the Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club album, this game is a heartwarming journey that gives players and fans a glimpse into the bands memorable journey through stardom, and shows the pioneers of Rock n' Roll.
The gameplay is visually breathtaking, and the challenges present a great experience for the rocker in all of us. As you sing or play guitar as the members of the Beatles, players get to experience the many songs written by the rock band, including "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club", and "Come Together", which was well known to have been redone by Aerosmith. Full of great visual effects that showcase the overall feeling of the era, from the psychedelic 60's to the groovy 70's.
Overall, this game deserves no less than a 10 out of 10, for the latest installment in the Rock Band series shows why Harminox is such a powerhouse name in the gaming industry, and the music made famous by The Beatles has never before been more enjoyed.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
As I've stated before, games that are released in sync with their movie counterparts often find it difficult to succeed in the gaming community. While Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, did a pretty good job in making a fun, enjoyable game to accompany the movie, the gameplay and multiplayer left some room for improvement.
The story follows the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, as they battle the remaining Decepticons left on Earth after Megatron's demise. They are put into a special forces unit led by the United States government, and travel all over the world to search and destroy their foes. When a mission leads to the defeat of a massive foe, the enemy Decepticon reveals that an ancient enemy from Cybertron known as "The Fallen" is coming to Earth, leaving the Autobots to unravel the mystery and protect their human friends, including Sam, (Shia LeBeouf).
The gameplay is pretty realistic, although at times resembles the old arcade style of gaming from the 90's. The third-person camera angles stays in constant motion, and follows the player pretty well. The problem, however, laid with the level of difficulty and length of each level/mission. I was able to beat the game in a manner of four hours, not due to my skill as a gamer but to the simplicity and short length of time given to each level. This was also the case for the multiplayer of the game, which was fun to pit against other players from around the world as either an Autobot or Decepticon, but the missions were hard to discern due to difficult text reading, and it was difficult to find people to play online with at any given time, which tells me that many gamers were not impressed with the multiplayer as a whole.
All in all, I give this game a 7 out of 10, for it's story was action packed, and the cast of people lending their voices to this game was quite impressive, but the gameplay and multiplayer lacked the level of action and difficulty that one would hope for.
The story follows the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, as they battle the remaining Decepticons left on Earth after Megatron's demise. They are put into a special forces unit led by the United States government, and travel all over the world to search and destroy their foes. When a mission leads to the defeat of a massive foe, the enemy Decepticon reveals that an ancient enemy from Cybertron known as "The Fallen" is coming to Earth, leaving the Autobots to unravel the mystery and protect their human friends, including Sam, (Shia LeBeouf).
The gameplay is pretty realistic, although at times resembles the old arcade style of gaming from the 90's. The third-person camera angles stays in constant motion, and follows the player pretty well. The problem, however, laid with the level of difficulty and length of each level/mission. I was able to beat the game in a manner of four hours, not due to my skill as a gamer but to the simplicity and short length of time given to each level. This was also the case for the multiplayer of the game, which was fun to pit against other players from around the world as either an Autobot or Decepticon, but the missions were hard to discern due to difficult text reading, and it was difficult to find people to play online with at any given time, which tells me that many gamers were not impressed with the multiplayer as a whole.
All in all, I give this game a 7 out of 10, for it's story was action packed, and the cast of people lending their voices to this game was quite impressive, but the gameplay and multiplayer lacked the level of action and difficulty that one would hope for.
Red Faction: Guerrilla
Many of today's games allow players to explore new worlds, and to see what life is like outside of our own world. One of the more popular games of 2009 did just this. Red Faction: Guerrilla is the third game in the Red Faction series. The gameplay is fun, unique, and very realistic, and it is easy to see from the very beginning how this game received such amazing progress.
The game follows the actions of Alec Mason, a mining engineer in the year 2125. He goes to Mars to work and earn an honest living with his brother, Daniel. Little does he know that his brother has joined the militia group known as Red Faction, who battles the Earth Defense Force, (EDF), who suppresses the people of Mars in order to harvest the planets resources for the people of Earth, who's own natural resources have depleted. When Alec watches his own brother get murdered by the EDF, he decides to abandon his quest for the normal life and decides to get revenge on the EDF by joining the Red Faction.
The gameplay throughout the game is surreal. The visuals are stunning, and the third-person camera angles are continuously staying in step with the players movements. Players can choose from an assortment of guns and bombs, but the most impressive weapon is the sledgehammer, which when you are in a tight bind, the player can pull out and bash the enemy to the ground. The scenery seen of the Mars landscape is amazing, and so real that you would have thought you were watching the game through the Hubble telescope.
Overall, I give the game a 9 out of 10, for the story and gameplay live up to the series reputation, and shows why the game has become such a powerhouse and household name in the gaming community. The gameplay was consistent and realistic, and the story had gamers on the edge of their seats the entire time.
The game follows the actions of Alec Mason, a mining engineer in the year 2125. He goes to Mars to work and earn an honest living with his brother, Daniel. Little does he know that his brother has joined the militia group known as Red Faction, who battles the Earth Defense Force, (EDF), who suppresses the people of Mars in order to harvest the planets resources for the people of Earth, who's own natural resources have depleted. When Alec watches his own brother get murdered by the EDF, he decides to abandon his quest for the normal life and decides to get revenge on the EDF by joining the Red Faction.
The gameplay throughout the game is surreal. The visuals are stunning, and the third-person camera angles are continuously staying in step with the players movements. Players can choose from an assortment of guns and bombs, but the most impressive weapon is the sledgehammer, which when you are in a tight bind, the player can pull out and bash the enemy to the ground. The scenery seen of the Mars landscape is amazing, and so real that you would have thought you were watching the game through the Hubble telescope.
Overall, I give the game a 9 out of 10, for the story and gameplay live up to the series reputation, and shows why the game has become such a powerhouse and household name in the gaming community. The gameplay was consistent and realistic, and the story had gamers on the edge of their seats the entire time.
GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra
Games that follow their movie counterparts often find the road to success very difficult. While they may be fun, they often do not live up to the original scripts or gameplay of the standalone games. This was the case with the companion game, GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra. While the story may have been well written, the gameplay itself was not of the highest quality, and often resembled more of an Arcade game than an updated console game.
The story follows the military unit known as GI Joe, who deals with international terrorists. As a new terrorist group known as Cobra begins to use teleportation technology, as well as new biological weapons, all over the globe, GI Joe must step in and stop the group before they can launch a massive attack on the major nations of the world.
The gameplay, while fun at times, was hard to maneuver. Players were given the choice of playing as any of the GI Joe squad mates, and had the ability to switch back and fourth between two different characters per mission. The graphics were pretty cool, but the camera angles were more than just third-person, but rather reminded us of an old school Arcade game that one would find on the Xbox live marketplace. The attacks themselves performed by the player were often slow, and only when activating the special move of the GI Joes could the player move as fast as many of today's shooter games move.
Overall, the game receives a 7 out of 10, for it's story is good, and the cast of characters quite massive, but the gameplay left room for work, and could have been best suited for the Xbox arcade rather than a standalone game.
The story follows the military unit known as GI Joe, who deals with international terrorists. As a new terrorist group known as Cobra begins to use teleportation technology, as well as new biological weapons, all over the globe, GI Joe must step in and stop the group before they can launch a massive attack on the major nations of the world.
The gameplay, while fun at times, was hard to maneuver. Players were given the choice of playing as any of the GI Joe squad mates, and had the ability to switch back and fourth between two different characters per mission. The graphics were pretty cool, but the camera angles were more than just third-person, but rather reminded us of an old school Arcade game that one would find on the Xbox live marketplace. The attacks themselves performed by the player were often slow, and only when activating the special move of the GI Joes could the player move as fast as many of today's shooter games move.
Overall, the game receives a 7 out of 10, for it's story is good, and the cast of characters quite massive, but the gameplay left room for work, and could have been best suited for the Xbox arcade rather than a standalone game.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Left 4 Dead 2
Zombies have once again invaded our world. The infected have reached the south, and the heroes of Left 4 Dead 2 have only one mission: stay alive. The highly anticipated 1st person shooter hit stores on November 17th, and has already received high praise from many people within the gaming industry.
The game takes place throughout the murky south, most notably in the New Orleans area. It follows four survivors, (Ellis, Coach, Nick, and Rochelle), as they cut their way through millions of zombies. Wielding all the original weaponry, the creators also added the melee weapons feature, meaning that such weapons as the axe, machete, guitar, frying pan, and samurai sword are available to cut enemies down to size. As for the enemies, there are two distinct zombie classes: the common infected and the special infected. The common are just regular zombies, but the special infected take a great many forms, including an overweight zombie called a boomer, a steroid filled zombie known as a Tank, and a creepy teenage girl zombie who cries out to her victims known as a Witch. The gameplay hosts some of the most realistic visual effects seen on a video game, and the audio from the zombies and your surroundings is so real that you are constantly hanging on the edge of your seat as your playing. The game is run by a computer program known as Zombie A.I. 2.0, which makes every aspect of the game different every time you play through. The game hosts five campaigns, and several multiplayer functions, which allow the player to either fight alongside other players around the world or to become a special infected zombie and attack other players through any of the five campaigns.
Whether you enjoying killing zombies left and right, or dominating the human survivors as a blood-thirsty zombie, this game is a must have this holiday season. Featuring spectacular special effects, top of the line computer programming and action packed horror fun, I rate this game a 10 out of 10, for it defies the odds and has not disgraced the original, highly praised Left 4 Dead game, but has instead built upon its enormous success.
The game takes place throughout the murky south, most notably in the New Orleans area. It follows four survivors, (Ellis, Coach, Nick, and Rochelle), as they cut their way through millions of zombies. Wielding all the original weaponry, the creators also added the melee weapons feature, meaning that such weapons as the axe, machete, guitar, frying pan, and samurai sword are available to cut enemies down to size. As for the enemies, there are two distinct zombie classes: the common infected and the special infected. The common are just regular zombies, but the special infected take a great many forms, including an overweight zombie called a boomer, a steroid filled zombie known as a Tank, and a creepy teenage girl zombie who cries out to her victims known as a Witch. The gameplay hosts some of the most realistic visual effects seen on a video game, and the audio from the zombies and your surroundings is so real that you are constantly hanging on the edge of your seat as your playing. The game is run by a computer program known as Zombie A.I. 2.0, which makes every aspect of the game different every time you play through. The game hosts five campaigns, and several multiplayer functions, which allow the player to either fight alongside other players around the world or to become a special infected zombie and attack other players through any of the five campaigns.
Whether you enjoying killing zombies left and right, or dominating the human survivors as a blood-thirsty zombie, this game is a must have this holiday season. Featuring spectacular special effects, top of the line computer programming and action packed horror fun, I rate this game a 10 out of 10, for it defies the odds and has not disgraced the original, highly praised Left 4 Dead game, but has instead built upon its enormous success.
Brutal Legend
Rock and Roll just got a whole lot bloodier. The star studded, action packed rock and roll adventure, Brutal Legend, is a true masterpiece that captures the hearts of both rock and gaming fans alike. With a killer story, mind blowing attacks and bloody battles, this game is a true metal fans dream come true.
Starring Jack Black, the game follows Eddie Riggs, a rock and roll roadie who wakes up after an accident to find himself in an ancient world of heavy metal like proportions. Immediately thrown into a battle between demon armies and human resistance fighters, Eddie must lead his fellow humans against the demon hoards to end the humans suffering and to learn how he arrived there in the first place. The game takes fans down a long road full of tragedy, revelation, betrayal, love, and full on rock and roll. The game also features legendary rock artists, including Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne.
While the graphics are not the most realistic the gaming industry has seen, they are still nonetheless spectacular, and the slimmed down cartoon style gaming adds to the overall bad ass fun the game shows. Utilizing the star studded voice talent with action packed fights, the player uses two weapons: a powerful axe to cut demons to ribbons, and a electric guitar handed down from the rock gods to deal fourth powerful guitar solos, electric and fire attacks, and more. Players are able to lead massive armies into battle to destroy enemy bases, or in the game, rock stages. In multiplayer, gamers choose between three different teams, and play against other players to gain full control of an area. The entire game is just a lot of fun, and allows gamers to enjoy a frustration free, action packed rock experience.
Overall, this game is a must have this holiday season. It utilizes the best this industry has to offer, and incorporates a growing fan base of rockers into the gaming world. It is a clash of the titans, and I rate it a 9 out of 10, for it is a true masterpiece, and I cannot wait to see what more Eddie Riggs may have in store for us in the future.
Starring Jack Black, the game follows Eddie Riggs, a rock and roll roadie who wakes up after an accident to find himself in an ancient world of heavy metal like proportions. Immediately thrown into a battle between demon armies and human resistance fighters, Eddie must lead his fellow humans against the demon hoards to end the humans suffering and to learn how he arrived there in the first place. The game takes fans down a long road full of tragedy, revelation, betrayal, love, and full on rock and roll. The game also features legendary rock artists, including Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne.
While the graphics are not the most realistic the gaming industry has seen, they are still nonetheless spectacular, and the slimmed down cartoon style gaming adds to the overall bad ass fun the game shows. Utilizing the star studded voice talent with action packed fights, the player uses two weapons: a powerful axe to cut demons to ribbons, and a electric guitar handed down from the rock gods to deal fourth powerful guitar solos, electric and fire attacks, and more. Players are able to lead massive armies into battle to destroy enemy bases, or in the game, rock stages. In multiplayer, gamers choose between three different teams, and play against other players to gain full control of an area. The entire game is just a lot of fun, and allows gamers to enjoy a frustration free, action packed rock experience.
Overall, this game is a must have this holiday season. It utilizes the best this industry has to offer, and incorporates a growing fan base of rockers into the gaming world. It is a clash of the titans, and I rate it a 9 out of 10, for it is a true masterpiece, and I cannot wait to see what more Eddie Riggs may have in store for us in the future.
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