Tuesday, February 7, 2006

REVIEW: God of War

God of War

Platform: Playstation 2
Genre: Action
Developer: Sony Santa Monica
Publisher: Sony

“To play God of War is to experience greatness on the grandest of scales.”

Few games truly achieve a level of prominence brought forth by its impeccable gameplay design that it becomes an art form. God of War is such a game. With its large landscapes and fluid control, God of War excels in almost every category, thus emitting the feel of something designed by an artist staring into his canvas. And for a game to have such huge gameplay, it must take place on the largest canvas it can find. And what is larger than a mythological landscape created by the Gods? From Zeus to Hades’ hell, you will traverse the most beautiful environments that ever graced game consoles. Just wait until you reach the resting place of Pandora’s Box. Where it sits is a sight no gamer will soon forget. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say that Kronos the Titan is one big guy.

Near perfect comes to mind when I think of describing the control in God of War. Even when it comes to Kratos traversing across a beam high above the beautifully landscaped ground below, control is tight. If he slips, he immediately grabs the edge allowing the player to tap X to pull him up again.

Combat is a wonder to behold. Never have I seen such grace since Vanessa Z. Schneider danced around her foes in P.N.03. It is ballet at its finest, albeit very bloody and very deadly, to maneuver Kratos around swarms of enemies. In fact the more enemies I fought at one time, the greater satisfaction I got from combat. It was at these moments that the fluid and responsive controls shinned the brightest.

God of War may appear to be the average action game at first glance, but make no mistake. The grandness of the environments and story as well as intense action make this game beyond the realm of the average action game.

If not for the unbelievably awesome action coming to a screeching halt every time I had to drag a box around, this game would have been perfect. As it stands, I am a firm believer that push/pull box puzzles do not belong in action games. However, do not let that deter you from experiencing GoW. Run, don’t walk to your nearest game store and buy this game today. Games like this only come around so often. God of War may not be perfect, but it is good enough to earn a permanent position on this generation's must buy list.


4.5 out of 5

REVIEW: Destory All Humans!

Destroy All Humans!

Platform: Xbox (reviewed), Playstation 2
Genre: Action
Developer: Pandemic
Publisher: THQ

“On giant step on mankind…”

From the moment my senses first encountered Destroy All Humans!, I was in awe. Not because of the graphics (there is horrible draw-in), and not because the game broke any innovative records. No, DAH! is a straight forward action game with similarities to the ever-popular Grand Theft Auto III and shares characteristics with other open-ended games, but without so much of the open-endedness.

So, why then did I absolutely fall in love with all things DAH!? Well, for starters, Cryptosporidium-137, or Crypto, for short. He is the wise-cracking, yet lovable, Jack Nicholson voice rip-off star of the game. The voice is so Nicholson that if I didn’t know better, upon first hearing Crypto speak, I would swear Jacky boy was moonlighting as a voice actor. Take that for what it’s worth – be it good or bad – but I found it hilariously refreshing.

Crypto’s genuine child-on-Christmas-morning glee when he receives a new weapon and mission are also very charismatic. It’s too bad there weren’t more of those cool weapons to choose from, but the few at your disposal will have you smiling. Crypto starts out with his trusty Zap-O-Matic. For instance, using the Anal-Probe on the innocent civilians really never does grow old. However, for those moments when you need to get the job done without toying around, the weapon of choice is most definitely the Disintegrator Ray. It allows Crypto to fry his opponent quickly and in as few as one to two shots after a few upgrades. For the bigger jobs such as tanks or robots, the Ion-Detonator distributes bombs to cause much larger desctructions.

While the game does offer free roam and side-quests, the “awareness” meter ramps up in a hurry leaving you to constantly dodge missile attacks from the army even after only a few witnessed brain stem steals. Brain stem steals? Yes, you read that correctly.

And anal probes and brain stems aren't the only wackiness you'll encounter as Crypto. Walking in the vicinity of civilians is like stepping into the 1950's. There are so many funny movie-related and decade-related moments it is pure comedic gold and will surely put a smile on your face. It even had me wanting to watch old science-fiction movies just to keep the vibe going.

With the tongue-in-cheek anti-American government theme coupled with the innocence (and arguably ignorant bliss) of the 50's, walking around zapping brain stems as an alien after landing his spaceship on a family farm, doesn't really seem that odd after all.

4 out of 5

Monday, February 6, 2006

REVIEW: GUN

GUN

Genre: Action
Platform: Xbox 360
Developer: Neversoft
Publisher: Activision

I've never much fancied the wild west days, what with the outdoor plumbing, hunting my own food, and no Internet, however during my time with GUN, I let my senses soak up what the environment had to offer. I'm still not convinced to set my time machine to that era, but the experience wasn't bad. That's not to say the game isn't without its problems. Of the three Activision Xbox 360 launch games I have played - GUN, Quake 4, and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland - two of them have left little to be desired. Since Quake 4 doesn't suffer from the same problems, I'm now convinced the problem lies with the developer.

Neversoft is known for the highly acclaimed Tony Hawk series and finally decided to use some of those earnings to branch out a bit. Or at least that is what I had hoped, but it seems Neversoft's 360 ports aren't up to snuff. Both Tony Hawk's American Wasteland and GUN have similar issues. Coincidence? Perhaps not.

GUN, at least in HD, suffers from much graphical ugliness. Visible environment seams, bland textures, and draw-in are just a few of the issues that you'll see in GUN. There is even one glitch in the side missions that allow a mission title to appear on the horizon yet when you approach the spot on the map, it disappears. It should disappear to symbolize that all side missions are completed until further story progression, but it shouldn't wait until you're right on top of it.

The good news is that GUN does have a few redeeming qualities. The story, albeit short, does have some depth to it. You play as gunslinging Colton West who was raised by a good-hearted hunter named Ned. Ned is voiced by Kris Kristofferson and instantly sells you on his character. Unfortunately, your time with Ned is short lived as he and Colton find themselves on a steamboat destined for demise. After Ned discretely checks on a mysterious item, the ship quickly comes under attack and Ned goes down, but not before telling Colton that a journey awaits him in Dodge. Off you go with hope to uncover the story of the mysterious item that is assumed lost at the bottom of the lake.

GUN plays out in a style similar to Grand Theft Auto III with its open ended world and bustling activity. Granted, GUN is not nearly as big as GTAIII, as its two main towns (Dodge and Empire) are very small in size compared to Liberty City. However, the sprawling landscapes do offer the chance for big adventures, hunting and various other side missions, and bandit attacks to partake in or evade. On normal mode, the game is rather easy and should net you 8 hours (or less) of play time depending on if you chose to play the side missions and/or search out the 44 gold pieces that are scattered about.

With the main story being as short as it is, the side missions do offer a little more variety and play time. Although, I would have preferred the side missions to further flesh out the main story even if it was to merely have Colton cross paths with other key characters. As it stands, the side missions seem to stand out from the rest of the story like a separate entity and not meld with it. However, there are benefits to completing side missions. Not only is it the only way to gain 100% completion, but they also grant you cash to spend on weapon upgrades and stat improvements.

With top-notch voice acting from celebrities like Kris Kristofferson and Lance Henriksen, I do have to wonder if Neversoft blew all of their finances on voice talent rather than on graphical prowess or fleshing out the story. The story is not bad by action game standards, but it seemed somewhat rushed. Combat, while simple in execution, was done well, I thought. Even during firefights while on horseback, I never had a problem hitting my intended target, and as the game progresses, your weapons get more powerful. By the end of the game, you've got one of the coolest rifles around that truly makes you feel every shot it fires.

If it sounds like I'm being unfair to GUN simply for its technical problems, rest assured I only have us gamers' interests at heart. What is unfair is paying $10 more for something that is being passed off as next-gen when it clearly is not. That, to me, is not worth 60 of my hard earned dollars. So, would I recommend GUN? Yes, but its short length and lack of replayability makes it a rental at best. Save your money for developers and publishers who understand the meaning of next-gen. If it weren't for the halfway decent story, terrific voice acting, and the well done horseback aspect, I'd give the game a 2.5, but since those traits are present, I've tacked on an extra half of a point.


3 out of 5

Wednesday, February 1, 2006

Condemned: Criminal Origins

I posted this review at my gaming site D-Pad Junkies, but I thought I'd share it here, too. It's one of my favorites that I've written.

Condemned: Criminal Origins

Genre: Horror
Platform: Xbox 360
Developer: Monolith
Publisher: Sega

Condemned: Criminal Origins does not revolutionize video games. Yet everything Condemned does, it does very well. The way in which the story unfolds through clues is intriguing. The combat, while simple, never grows tired. The sound will send shivers down your spine. Plus, it is o­ne of the best looking Xbox 360 games to date. It isn't glitchy like some of the other first generation games are. Monolith and Sega got it right with this o­ne, and if there is o­ne Xbox 360 game you need to experience, it's Condemned: Criminal Origins.

I use the word "experience" rather than "play" simply because Condemned feels more like a suspense thriller unraveling before your eyes than something you directly affect the outcome to. It makes you feel like you are actually in the middle of something huge going o­n around you. The game revolves around the player-controlled character of Ethan Thomas, an FBI agent, who is following up o­n a routine call. He is a serial killer investigator who arrives with the police o­n the scene of a murder. Eventually, things turn from bad to worse as he quickly finds himself implicated for the deaths of two police officers. Not how you want a routine call to turn out.

Condemned, as you can imagine, is not a peace and love game, but rather a game that will bring you to many everyday settings that are filled with many undesirables. Some locales may feel familiar, but they definitely do not put off a feeling of comfort. Grisly images of department store mannequins, deranged lunatics who like to beat you over the head with any nearby item they can find, and unsettling evidence are just a few of the things you can expect to run across during your journey.

Fortunately for you, Ethan Thomas, you've got some help o­n the inside. Rosa is your real-life lab partner that you'll be in contact with throughout the investigation. As you collect evidence, it is immediately transmitted via cell phone to Rosa's computer for analysis. It's very cool and high tech. She gives her report in real-time and aides in deciphering the meaning of the clues as well as where your investigation should lead you next. The forensic aspect of the game is the part that truly makes Condemned shine. The o­nly drawback that some gamers may balk at is the handholding the game does for you during these forensic moments. You are limited to o­nly certain areas that require scanning for evidence, and the game automatically selects the appropriate tool. However, I can't really knock the game for this handholding, because it does play into a storytelling element that I dare not reveal. Trust me, the last thing you want to be doing in these completely creeped-out environments is fumbling around in your inventory while a depraved thug whacks you from behind. If it was truly a shortcoming, at least the designers made up for that fact in an intelligent way that worked.

Combat is handled in a very interesting way. Not o­nly is all of the gameplay in first person perspective, but the combat is just as gruesome as some of the evidence you find. Armed with o­nly an FBI standard issue taser, it is in your best interest to find a weapon and hold o­n to it. As you progress through various locales investigating clues, you will find all sorts of items to use as weapons. You'll run across everything from pipes and entry tools to firearms and locale-specific objects. And you'll need the right weapon to not o­nly take down your assailant but to defend yourself as well. Each potential weapon is graded in damage, blocking, speed, and reach. As you walk over a useable item, a little bar graph pops up o­n the screen that shows these attributes. When given more than o­ne weapon option, it is a very useful tool in deciding which item is the best weapon for the situation. While it may seem that firearms are the ideal weapon of choice, keep in mind that ammo is limited.

While bludgeoning these deranged baddies is brutal fun, it doesn't change much as the game progresses. However, there is the optional "finishing move" to help mix things up a bit. For instance, o­nce the player wears down an opponent with 1-2 hits depending upon the weapon, a small D-Pad will appear o­n the screen. The four directional buttons o­n the D-Pad represent a different move, and you get o­ne chance to finish off this stunned enemy with a violent move. Another interesting aspect that adds to the combat is watching enemies interact with each other and the environment. It is not uncommon to walk into a firefight between several enemies and watch at least o­ne of them get finished off. Or better yet, when o­ne of the enemies searches for a different weapon and then joins the beating. That's a nice interactive touch to the overall experience.

The thing that makes Condemned so great is that it never lets the player get bored. While the story definitely alludes to more than is revealed, there is always a new, disturbing clue to discover, more weirdoes to encounter (they get weirder and tougher as the game progresses), and another unsettling locale to visit to keep you guessing. The game keeps you o­n your toes with its eerie sounds as well. Ambient noises seem so real you'll find yourself looking over your shoulder, especially if you experience this game alone in the dark. You're likely to exhale a sigh of relief o­nce the experience comes to an end; however, don't be fooled. I guarantee you'll never look at department store mannequins the same again.

4.5 out of 5