Killzone 2 Review
Can a single title save Sony's plight and ignite flagging PS3 sales? It's unlikely. Is Guerrilla Games' effort a defining PS3 exclusive blockbuster, which will at least assure long-suffering PS3 owners? Definitely. Is it worth forking out for a PS3? ... Possibly.
Ever since Sony's infamous use of CG sequences to demonstrate the "possibilities" offered by the PS3 back in 2005, Guerrilla Games' flagship title has found itself under a tremendous degree of scrutiny. Could the PS3 actually manage to pull off the visual quality hinted towards, or was it all just smoke and mirrors? Let's admit it; it wouldn't be the first time Sony has resorted to such trickery.
If rumours are led to be believed then a considerable budget and access to Sony's finest tools, technology, and talent have certainly helped to ensure KillZone 2 is worthy of that footage. Purists could argue that such fidelity is restricted to a handful of sections within KillZone 2 and they're largely cut-scenes. But there's little denying that Guerrilla Games' first PS3 title is a visual masterpiece, eclipsing everything we've seen so far on the format and putting the likes of Gears of War into its place.
Picking up the events two years after the original KillZone, Guerrilla Games has deliberately ensured knowledge of the 2004 PS2 title is not a pre-requisite to enjoy the action. An entirely new cast of characters face this struggle between the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance (ISA) and the Helghan, with the return of Col. Jan Templar providing the only real link to the first game. The ISA's attack on the Helghast planet of Helghan also brings us up to date with the continuing battle between both factions and explores the deeper reasons of why.
So begins eight chapters of pretty intense shooter action. Let's get this out of the way immediately, KillZone 2 isn't the greatest first-person shooter ever created, but then again neither was Halo. Half Life 2 and Modern Warfare still manage to share that honour. But KillZone 2 doesn't need to be. Beyond ensuring a solid shooter experience, the key requisite for KillZone 2 is (rightfully or wrongfully) whether Guerrilla could actually pull it off. And in answer to this, PS3 fans will be happy to know it's a most certain yes. "Hollywood Realism" is the wonderfully opaque term Guerrilla Games has used to describe KillZone 2, something that actually isn't merely the hyperbole that it suggests. There's a constant sense of dynamism to KillZone 2 and the world of Helghan. Wind gushes across the Helghan terrain to create a convincing sense of atmosphere that you can almost feel, while the forceful physics engine creates a gameworld that's utterly believable. Objects fly across the sky when the action heats up, yet there's a sense of solidity to everything unlike the many flimsy, plastic examples we've seen in other shooters.
Unfortunately, although the game captures the visual flair of those trailers, it rarely manages to capture the diversity and concept in terms of the mission challenges and gameplay. All too often the game falls down into familiar territory, with only the occasional section straying beyond the genre's conventions of shooting increasingly tougher opponents. Although KillZone 2 ticks many of the boxes for a solid fps experience, throwing ambushes, squad, and solitary sections into the mix, the game's pacing and occasional bland level designs prevent it from reaching the echelons of the genre's finest. Guerrilla hasn't attempted to throw anything new into the mix, and who can blame them when the pressure was on to deliver the PS3's visual magnum opus? The strict reliance on the check boxes however is a little too stringent for our liking, and whilst sections such as the assault on a speeding train are solid enough, the overwhelming sensation is one of 'seen it all before'!
The assortment of arms is what you'd expect from a shooter with even the more creative Helghast weaponry failing to offer anything that feels particularly new. Equally the handful of sections that require you to jump aboard a tank feel as though they're included just because other shooters have vehicular sections. There are exceptions: jumping onboard the AA guns onboard the ISA Cruiser New Sun feels closer to Star Wars than most other attempts ("great kid, don't get cocky"), while the mech section later in the game is pretty remarkable - all the more surprising considering we're not traditionally fond of mechs in shooters (Quake IV anyone?).
The covering system is the exception. Its implementation can be compared to that of the Rainbow Six Vegas series, just without the gimmicky need to switch the view to a third-person. Tapping a shoulder button attaches you to the nearest wall or object, with the ability to move around it and lean and peek out of cover to shoot. It's not without its problems, but it does provide a more tangible blend of old-school PC style and newer examples without degenerating into the virtual equivalent of whack-a-mole.
Guerrilla certainly deserves credit for its implementation of motion-sensitive controls as well. Wisely opting to restrict its usage to the gimmicky nature that it deserves instead of trying to develop control setups inextricably based around it, KillZone 2 uses the SixAxis/DualShock 3 motion controls for subtle commands such as turning gauges, steadying your aim when sniping, or planting mines - brilliant. Thankfully it's also largely a solid game without the glitches or bugs that thwarted the original. AI is generally very impressive and puts up a good challenge, although the kamikaze technique of certain Helghan troops does provide a weakness that can easily be exploited. As did the availability of the Electricity Gun during a later stage, its imbalance completely removing the sense of challenge from a game that generally steps up in challenge suitably as it progresses.
Of course no shooter is worth its RRP on a single-player campaign alone. It's the online multiplayer that really makes KillZone 2 an essential purchase, and surprisingly where Guerrilla Games has been at their most inventive. Despite the clamour for online play, we've got to applaud Guerrilla Games for including the relatively rare addition of bot support.
With the inclusion of persistent careers linked with the XP system, KillZone 2 may not radically push the boundaries, but the 'Warzone' mode does at least provide something that feels fresh in a fiercely competitive genre. Essentially it's a compendium of tried-and-tested game types into one cohesive game. Such an example begins with the two teams attempting to gain control of command points, the victor winning the round, before the next objective is something like defending or attempting to assassinate a VIP. There's nothing particularly new but the idea to combine each type into one mode is genius, and you're left asking why nobody's really tried this before. The only potential pitfall for KillZone 2 to overcome is whether or not the PlayStation Network can sustain the huge number of hours we expect KillZone 2 to quickly notch up.
Final Rating: 9/10
Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew
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Street Fighter 4 Review
The weight of a new Street Fighter game is not to be taken lightly. After about 10 years of ridiculous turbo hyper super extreme installments which added a new character or a new combo meter in piecemeal, we’ve finally gotten a full-on, true sequel in Street Fighter 4. And as someone who’s not even that big of a Street Fighter fan, it’s easy to see just how good it is. It’s the best 2D fighting game I’ve ever played, the best looking fighting game I’ve ever played and is definitely going to be a standard for a long time to come.
The basics: 25 characters, six of which are brand new playable characters in a Street Fighter game. There’s an arcade mode (a series of AI battles, book ended by story-driven animated sequences), a challenge mode (basically AI Time Trial and Survival challenges for leaderboards and unlockables), a training mode to walk you through each of the characters moves and online play. From a feature-list perspective, it’s pretty basic stuff. There’s no Virtua Fighter-esque quest mode to earn in-game cash or conquer virtual game arcades. There aren’t even minigames to beat up cars! But in place of all that, you have near flawless gameplay.
It’s hard to summarize the depth of Street Fighter, but the comparisons to chess in high speed seem pretty accurate. Everything has a counter, every character can beaten by someone of a higher skill level, and, unlike Soul Calibur, button mashers will be annihilated within seconds of stepping up against another opponent. To a certain extent, this makes it hard for newcomers, as you’re better off playing people around your skill level, but the whopping number of characters means you can always handicap yourself by picking someone you’re not really familiar with.
The biggest new additions to the fighting mechanics are focus attacks. Activated by holding down the Medium Punch and Medium Kick buttons, a focus attack is basically a charged attack that can absorb a single attack from your enemy, allowing you to unleash fury back at them. It’s easy to pull off, requires no complicated button combos, and adds another layer to the combat.
Ultra combos are also new. After taking a certain amount of damage, you’ll be able to unleash an extremely devastating attack back at your enemy. Usually this requires some complex button presses, but if the attack lands you’ll be taking about 1/3rd of your opponents life. It’s hugely telegraphed, but if you’re in mid air or getting up from the ground you may not be able to block it. The idea is to keep everyone in the game. Even if you’re getting crushed, you can still hope to land an Ultra and make a comeback. They also come with super flashy animations and are unique to each character, which makes pulling one off even more satisfying.
The visuals, though, may be the start of the show in Street Fighter 4. The level of detail poured into each and every character and fighting arena borders on OCD. Eyes bulge when hit, barrels knock over when you land an attack near them, monkeys do backflips in the background. Street Fighter 4 is full of life, and looks crisp and bright, a nice change of pace from the browns and dark greens of this generation of games.
There are qualms to note, though. In testing the online play alongside the public, we had major issues when trying to play ranked matches or quick join games. Either it wouldn’t let us connect or we’d be left playing in extreme lag, with a slideshow level of frame rate. Playing against friends in player matches seemed to cure this problem, but the lack of a party lobby system (as seen in Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix) means that you can’t have all-night round robin sessions.
The other big issue to consider is that the standard PS3 and 360 controllers are pretty inadequate for playing Street Fighter (or pretty much any other 2D fighting game). You can get by, for sure, but anyone with a joystick or a special gamepad will have a definite edge on you. That’s not really a fault of the game itself, but it’s something to consider if you’re looking to pick it up.
Lastly, we were a bit bummed by the lack of character customization in SF4. The game allows you to unlock 10 alternate colors for your characters, but secondary costumes are relegated to DLC. After seeing incredible character customization in games like Soul Calibur 4 and Virtua Fighter 5, it’s a shame Capcom didn’t go all the way with this one. We would’ve loved to have seen Guile with a big kitty helmet.
With all that said, though, Street Fighter 4 is an immaculate fighting game. The depth of play matched with the incredible visual fidelity makes it a new standard for 2D fighting games and may just revive what has become a niche genre.
Final Rating:8.5/10
Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew
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Halo Wars Demo Impressions
The Halo Wars demo has hit the XBL Marketplace and we have our demo impressions for you. Halo Wars was developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game is a Xbox 360 exclusive title and releases March 3rd in North America. Hit the jump for my impressions.
The demo gives you the opportunity to play 2 missions in the human campaign, and play unlimited amounts of 1v1 skirmish matches versus the computer. I'll start off with the campaign. Your army is on the UNSC ship the Spirit of Fire orbiting the planet Harvest. Your first mission is a basic tutorial on how to move around and fight. You are then given a hero unit and you set off on the missions. The missions are nothing to scream about, the main part of this demo is the skirmish mode.
Skirmish mode allows you to play as both the covenant and the UNSC, but you must use the preselected leader. For the covenant you can be the Prophet of Regret and for the UNSC you can be the Captain of the Spirit of Fire. Each leader (Six total in retail game; 3 UNSC/ 3 Covenant) has unique units, bonuses, powers, upgrades, perks, etc. to help define their play style. The Captain can use an orbital "sniper bomb" known as the MAC Bomb. With the MAC bomb you pinpoint an area and deal major damage in that small Area of Effect. The Prophet of Regret can use his power to destroy enemies quickly. The prophet, who is a decent fighter/defender early game, can call down a "holy beam" for 10 resources a second to nearly "insta-kill" and units found under it. He also has the unique Honor Elite Guards. These are basically Elites equipped with only energy swords and can cloak to sneak around. From what I tested they are only good to make an early rush with or defend from an early rush. Once the opposing side has middle tier units they are useless, except to be canon fodder.
The demo does not include all units or all of the tech tree so it is hard to estimate how deep this game will be, but from the demo it looks deep enough to keep you interested but will look like a flat experience to hardened PC RTS fans. Another issue is the controls. Many sites have critically acclaimed the controls, but I beg to differ. Sure, the controls work for a console, but there are many useless things maped to buttons that could be used better off. For example, you can use the right trigger to jump between bases and when you pass one and want to go back, you'd click the left trigger...right? Wrong. The left trigger is used to increase scroll speed accross the map. Sure, the increased speed is nice, but could have been implemented much better. They could have just made the scoll speed gradually increase as you scroll, for larger maps.
Overall, Halo Wars looks like a step in the right direction for a console RTS, but it is not the final step. Future console RTS should use Halo Wars as a model, but expand on it. Think of Halo Wars as the skeleton, we just need to add the muscle to it now. Also, after playing EndWar, lack of voice commands seems like a step backwards for a console RTS. I would have really liked to see Ensemble add an option for voice commands for tedious controls, that would free up the controller even more for a deeper experience.
Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew
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Resident Evil 5 Demo Impressions
The first game I ever got a taste of on the PS1 was the very first Resident Evil, and it is one of my all time favorite survivor horror games. None the less RE5 is one of my highly anticipated games to come out in 09. I say this due to the lack of enjoyable survivor horror games in 08. Now don't get me wrong the new Silent Hill and EA Dead Space, where not that bad. They did not just have the kick one would look for from a RE title. Anyways, onto the demo. When the game screen initiates, you are left staring at the lava carved Resident Evil 5 logo. After it takes a blink, you can Start the game, with the traditional "Resident Evil!" title calling or view the Options. Only two options available to you for the demo. You're brought to a page with 3 options of gameplay, with Single Play being the highlight.
Once the game selection is made, you're brought to a Stage Select screen. Personally, I think the Select Stage is for demo purposes, but it has potential to make it into the final release. You can choose between the Assembly Place or Shanty Town. It doesn't matter which one you choose, because the playtroughs won't be linear or straight-forth.
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Review:
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Controls- The multiple control schemes really give you an edge over how you start off into the game. While the classic RE4 controls are more easier to use, the Gears control scheme is pretty solid in itself as well. Strafing isn't as action-paced or fps-ish, it's basically fast side-steps. You can't do much while strafing. The classic control scheme seems to be the way to go for the demo or if you are familiar with the series. Not only are they easy to use, but their quite flexible too.
The basic controls with Type A are L to walk, hold L and A to run, and shoot with X+RT. RT+A reloads. Basically, they are RE classics's PS3 controls in 360's format, with minor changes.
Inventory-The 3x3 grid is rendered in real time. You can set up to 4 weapons in the Top, Right, Left and Bottom of the center grids. You can hotswap weapons using the d-pad alignment. The hotswap feature is a big plus, it adds to tension and feels very relieving at the same moment. The first few times it also feels weird not having to open inventory to equip/change weapons, etc.
Enemies- While not exactly the way shown at E307, or the way promised, the enemy AI was not poor either. It is definitely improved from E3 of this year, and was good for a demo. Last recalled, Capcom has not even touched upon the AI of the enemy yet, so don't expect too much from the AI at the moment. They are however, even in early stage, a lot better and more of a challenge than RE4's final enemy AI even. They run a lot faster, they might stop at the last moment in front of still, but some of them have some pretty swift moves. For example, any enemy holding a shovel will pose a higher threat than one with a stick. They tend to run forth and swipe the shovel upwards.
The animation has also vastly changed from last seen. When you shoot them straight in the head, they will fall down instantly on their knees. A enemy mid-air will end up being flipped in the air. There a few last animations that might seem similar to RE4's, but they're not really noticeable and will probably be changed due time.
Sheva- Quick on the feet, and quite intelligent. Her AI is delivered a lot better than Outbreaks' or Ashley's. You basically don't even have to worry about her for most of the time. She'll run around, take out enemies, find any useful items, and recover you if needed. You doesn't exactly ask for ammo, you have to hand her some, but she gives you a lot of the things she picks up. Basically, leave all the healing to her, and make sure she picks up more health items than you. But that doesn't mean you should leave no attack items for her either, because she does great on her part with the Attack feature. You can control the way Sheva interacts. You can either have her Attack, or Cover. Having her Attack will control her AI to have her go on about alone, and do what's basically needed to do, and Cover will make her stay near you and do some cover fire. This is useful for enemies you do not see but she might(off-screen).
Weapons & Ammo-There's a total of 4 weapons. The Handgun, Rifle, Shotgun and the Machine Gun. Ammo is somewhat plentiful for the demo, but it's not going to be the same for the actual game like stated in an interview. There's enough ammo to not be cheap, but not enough to go crazy shooting everything and everywhere.
There are a number of environmental hazards that you can use to your advantage. A number of gasoline barrels, several electric boxes, and more. Enough to inflict tons of damage to groups of enemies or the two sub-bosses in their respective stages.
The electric boxes tend to hurt the Executioner more than the barrels do, whereas the barrels do more damage to the Chainsaw freak. It seems they have enemy-weaknesses already pre-planned.
Extra:
A lot of people got this around as well. You can make Chris taunt by holding the left and right buttons. It doesn't do anything for in-game purposes, and since it's not a game with gages like DMC, I doubt it's there for anything other than a small Easter egg or looks. Nothing major.
Overall, the graphics are stunning, small details are great. Enemy AI has been improved since the last time I played the demo at a local gaming convention, the animations for the enemies have also been modified a lot. There is enough ammo to go around the demo without fretting, unless you waste it. It's easy to waste ammo, because the enemies usually do things when least expected. The controls are quite simple and flexible, with A being the classic control scheme. Those familiar with the series will find that Type A is the way to go. However, the Gears scheme is quite decent as well.
Real-time item management really adds to the tension and playthrough of the game. You really feel a relief once the coast is clear, because it gives you time to peacefully manage the inventory. Hot swapping weapons is simple and a very useful feature. Aside from being a huge plus, it also feels weird at first for a Resident Evil feature. It comes in quite handy, but the tension and enemies gaining on you might confuse you here and there(at least the full game will anyways).
Some things need to be touched on. For example, the cut-scene flow. When Kirk arrives to take out the door, everytime the camera is on something not Kirk or the chopper, the chopper's blades sound is muted. There is no distinct chopper sound, which heavily breaks the flow of that one cut-scene.
They also messed around with the execution cut-scene. The newer voices don't sound as good as before for the crowd, and when Chris and Sheva enter the small room, there is no distinct yelling of the crowd(like before, or recently in the Play God trailer). This, again, kills flow of the cut-scene.
Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew
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Spore Review (PC)
From the mind of Will Wright comes SPORE, a journey that takes you from the origin and evolution of life through the development of civilization and technology and eventually all the way into the deepest reaches of outer space. Begin your odyssey at the dawn of life as a simple microbe just trying to survive, then use the fun, intuitive Editors to evolve the creature from its microscopic origins into an intelligent, tool-using race. Guide your species as it builds (and the player designs) villages, buildings, cities, and vehicles. Along the way to becoming a global civilization you can choose whether to hunt or forage, attack or trade, be nice or play rough. All the action takes place in a huge, lush world populated with creatures evolved by other players and shared over SPORE's central server.When it's ready, your one-time pond scum launches into space in its UFO on a grand voyage of discovery, planet forming, or destruct-ion.
As you explore and play in this limitless universe of unique worlds, your personal Sporepedia tracks all the creatures you've met and places you've visited. Take complete control of your creature's fate as you guide it through the following six evolutionary phases: Tidepool phase: Fight with other creatures and consume them to adjust the form and abilities of your creature. It's survival of the fittest at the most microscopic level. Creature phase: Venture onto dry land and help your creature learn and evolve with forays away from your safe haven. Carnivore or Herbivore? Social or Independent? The choice is yours. Tribal phase: Instead of controlling an individual creature, you are now caring for an entire tribe of your genetic craftwork. Give them tools and guide their interactions as you slowly upgrade their state of existence. City phase: Bring your creatures' race into a new golden era by building up the technology, architecture, and infrastructure of their city. Civilization phase.
Once your city is established, your creatures begin seeking out and interacting with other cultures. You can have them do so with an olive branch or a war cry—either way, the goal for your creatures is to unify the planet. Space phase: The time has come to move on to other worlds in your solar system. Make first-contact, colonize, or terraform, then venture further to find other solar systems scattered throughout a magnificently rendered galaxy. A 'mission' structure provides new goals and paths to follow as you begin to spread through the universe.
Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew
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LOTR: conquest Demo Impressions
The Demo for LOTR: Conquest has been up on the Xbox Live Marketplace for awhile and we have a little demo impression/review in store for you. The game is designed by Pandemic, the makers of the Star Wars: Battlefront series, and published by EA. The game released January 13th 2009 in North America, and on January 19th 2009 internationally.
LOTR: Conquest, in general terms is Battlefront with LOTR skins, but much much more. The gameplay in LOTR:C goes back to the style seen in the first Battlefront game, abandoning the annoying "Must have 'x' points to get 'x' unit", excluding heroes. Heroes can be desirable in certain situations, but right now with the demo's selection of heroes the heroes can be more of a burden and arrow magnet rather than being helpful. For example, the Balrog is slower than any other unit in the game, so if your opponent is an archer and is backtracking shooting at you...you can never catch him to kill him. Plus annoying button setup on some heroes can cost you your life. For example, when using the Balrog for the first time, you might try pressing "A" to jump or move fast...instead he stops and taunts the opponent for a few good minutes.
The game has multiple modes on the retail, but on the demo you can only play capture points. In this gametype you capture flags to gain points every interval, the more captures per interval, the more points you get. These capture points also allow you to spawn on them, making wait times in between fights less prevalent. One holdup on the game is the small choice between classes and how deep each of these classes are. Sure, there are different combos and ways to play each class, but after you learn those the game gets repetitive.
My personal opinion on the demo is that the game could be a hit or miss. Due to the relatively low hype about this title in Q1, I do not see this the big sleeper hit of 2009. It is fun, but lacks the huge longevity of multiplayer giants like Call of Duty and Gears of War. Stick around for our full game review coming soon!
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Guitar Hero: World Tour Review
The game is principally the same as it has been in past iterations of the series. You have the choice to play a career mode, quickplay, or multiplayer online. Though this time you are able to create your own ‘rocker’. I’ll discuss that further down.
If you happen to be one of those people who live under rocks, you may be wondering what these games are, and how to play them. Basically games like Guitar Hero, and Rock Band are games that allow you to ‘rock out’ even when you have no true musical skills. The guitars work by pressing and holding down the colored ‘fret’ buttons, and strumming at the correct time. The drums work by pounding on the correct color coded pad at the correct time, and the mic works by screeching into it.
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This guy thinks he's cool...
*Beginner: The easiest mode ever created. All you have to do is play your instrument the same time the multicolored line passes the strike line. On the guitar and bass you strum, you don’t even have to use the fret buttons. On drum you hit any of the pads, or the foot pedal. Recommended for anyone not able to walk and chew gum at the same time.
*Easy: This mode is easy, hence the name, but still requires a basic sense of rhythm, and hand-eye coordination. When playing either of the guitars, requires you to use the first three fret buttons. On drum it uses the pads, and every so often it may have a single foot-pedal for you to press. Recommended for those who consider themselves ‘casual gamers’.
*Medium: The best stage to start on if you already have the ability to follow things on a screen, and understand how the game works. The most balanced difficulty in the game not too easy, and not to hard. Just, right. Introduces the blue button on guitars, and adds the kick petal and more notes on drums. Recommended for normal gamers.
*Hard: Hard is well…hard. It introduces the orange fret button for the guitars, and just makes the drums a lot harder. Recommended for those who are tired of Medium.
*Expert: This is the hardest difficulty, and adds in the ‘Open Note’ for the Bass. Open Notes are notes you don’t have to hold down a fret button for, you just strum. The drums are 1:1 to real drummers, and the guitar is just harder to play. Recommended for those who have gotten the hang of Hard.
* Guitar: The guitar is of a decent weight, not heavy, but weighs enough for power strumming. The fret buttons feel nice and are evenly spaced out. The slider bar is a little too close to the fret buttons, so you may find your hand slipping down sometimes and ruining a note spree. The guitar comes with a Sunburst face plate, and two AA batteries. The battery life of the guitar is superb. I’ve had the game for like 2 weeks now, and have yet to need to change them.
* Drums: They are a definite improvement over the rock band drums. It takes around 5-10 minutes to assemble them the first time, and with my set, every pad and cymbal worked like a charm. The kick Pedal doesn’t even move while playing.
* Mic: It’s a Logitech USB microphone…not much to say about it. Oh, it says Guitar Hero on it…
The game features a “Create a Rocker” feature. It goes very in-depth with being able to change everything from skin color, to eyes, to creating your own tattoos, and make your own guitar.
* Face Off: Two players compete in a guitar, bass, drum or vocal match, while alternating play on the same not chart. Each player can play on a different difficulty.
* Pro Face Off: Two players play on the same full chart, and choose their own difficulty.
* Band Quickplay: When on LIVE you connect with other players to play in a online 'band'.
* Band VS Band: You and three other people play against another band, the band with the highest score wins.
Some times it takes awhile to get matched up with people online, and that's annoying when you just want to playEnjoy!
The VGToday Crew
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Saints Row 2 Review
When people think of open-world games the first game people think of is GTA. I mean why not? It's a great game series that sells very well. And as with any media that does well, there WILL be those who copy it. And in the case of Saints Row 2, that may not be such a bad thing.
The game begins very simply. After the events of the first game, (You take over the city as a gang member of the purple clad Saints, and then you explode on a boat...yep the first game had a horrible ending) you awake after being in a 10 year coma. The catch is...you're in prison. The game says that you were horribly scarred in the explosion from the first game, and that your body was rebuilt using plastic surgery. This is where you create your own character with the best character creator seen in any game yet.
The possibilities are endless. A 6'2 man with a muscular build, the face of Michael Jackson, sounds like Britney Spears, and walks like a pimp. Seriously, it can even get that weird. I decided to recreate Pvt. Agustus Cole*Train* from the Gears Of War series.
Once you finally get control you escape from prison, and the bulk of the game begins.
Gameplay
Saints Row 2 uses a generic third-person camera, while it isn't anything new, it gets the job done, most of the time. You go through the game much the same way as you do in GTA games. Drive around the world doing missions for different people in your conquest to retake the city, and build up your gang, and protect your turf. Between missions the game forces you to do some side missions to unlock "Respect Points." This annoyed me more than anything, if you want to just do a quick play through the main missions; Too bad, you can't. The side missions go from fun to just plain stupid. One of them has you being a bodyguard to some celebrity or random guy/girl. While people run at them with weapons, and you have to defend them. While it may not be "fun" it's not long, so just do a few rounds of an activity and get some RP so you can play a few missions in a row. The main missions themselves are alot of "Go here", "Kill this guy", "Break this", "Protect this", and "Blow this up", but they're different enough to keep from getting boring.
There are tons of vehicles in the game. Cars, Trucks, Vans, Helicopters, Planes, Motorcycles, and they all are easy to drive. They aren't ultra heavy like the ones in GTA, and the damage isn't as detailed as Burnout, but it still looks and feels decent.
Story
Not much I can really say about the story. It's about the equivalent of a TV movie, not bad, and not good...just enough to keep you interested without being overly engrossed in the story. The city has changed alot since the first game, but there are still some familiar places. The voice acting is good, and the jokes will make you laugh.
Multiplayer
The game sports 2 multiplayer modes. Versus, and Co-Op. Versus is fun. Fun but I couldn't see myself playing it over all the other games I have. The Co-Op is the best part of the multiplayer. Being able to play the whole game Co-Op at any time, with two completely different character, and the game even scales the amount of enemies to keep the game from being too easy due to the added fire power. Unfortunately the Co-Op only works on Xbox Live, no splitscreen play.
Final Verdict
The game is a definite buy for those who liked GTA: San Andreas, those who bought GTA:IV who though it was too serious, people who laugh at poop jokes, and anyone who wants to take over Stillwater again. For the rest of us, it's a rent.
Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew
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Gears of War 2 Review
Gears of War 2 is one of this year's most anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive titles. Gears 2 is designed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. This is a sequel to the Xbox 360 blockbuster, Gears of War. The game was announced during the 2008 Game Developers Conference by Cliff "Cliffy B" Bleszinski to be "Bigger, Better, and more Badass".
You play as Marcus Fenix, as in the first game, with your partner Dom Santiago. The game has added an extra mode of difficultly to try and sell some of the more "casual" gamers. "Casual" mode from Gears of War is now called "Normal", and "Casual" in Gears 2 is basically the easiest mode in a shooter you will ever encounter. The game starts you out in the last human refuge, Jacinto. Jacinto is the one city that cannot be sunk by the Locust, or so we are to think. You are told the Locust are advancing on Jacinto, and are becoming more "desperate". You are then put in command of Benjamen Carmine. This Carmine is one of the brothers of Anthony Carmine, from Gears of War.
The single player experience is a great improvement over the first installment. It is longer, and generally more of an actual experience. The first game was, and still is, criticized for the sever lack of story. Gears 2 follows the fight against the Locust, along with the side story of Dom and his long-lost wife Maria. The game should take you around 8-14 hours of game time to finish, depending on the level of difficultly you are on. Also, if you wish to get the 1000/1000 gamerscore for the game, you must play through a second time to play on the "Insane" difficultly mode. The difficultly of Insane seems "pumped" up from the first game, due to the improved AI and certain weapon balancing. The Lancer now nearly stops an opponent in his tracks due to "Stopping Power", and the shot gun only gets a "1 hit kill" if you are right next to the enemy. No longer will you see shotgun battles.
The story may not be a classic, but it atleast gives players a reason to be interested in why things are happening. The ending of the game does seem to come to an end abruptly, but it worked. Do not expect a Halo 2, stopping in the middle of a cut scene ending. The story leaves the series wide open for Gears of War 3.
The multiplayer is where this game really excels. Epic has brought in a new Matchmaking System, similar to the Halo 3 matchmaking, replacing the old lobby system seen in Gears of War. The system has had it's problems, including the long waits to find matches when you are alone, or in a four person group. Epic recently released a title update to Gears 2 that seems to have fixed that issue. There is also a ranking system on this installment. It is based off of Microsoft's True Skill, and includes 5 different ranks. These ranks, since they use True Skill, are only based on Wins and Loses in public matches. So no need to cry over a kill being stolen.
Overall, Gears 2 is not a "Gears 1.5". It is it's own single player experience that expands off of the original "story", or lack of one, and makes a really great single player campaign that wants you coming back for the next installment. Also, the multiplayer is a great improvement and will hold lots of fun for a long time to come, along with Horde mode keeping you entertained for hours on end.
Gears of War 2 gets an:
A
Pass -- Rent -- Buy
Enjoy,
Max Burke
VGToday Management; Review Crew
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Your Holiday Shopping List
Still having trouble picking the right game, console, or equipment? Look no further, VGToday's Holiday Shopping Guide is here! Below we have our personal favorite titles for each console, along with what we feel the best console(s) and equipment are. Of course, these are personal opinions so you may have a different opinion than us, but we tried to make a wide variety for every kind of gamer (or non-gamer). Note, all links in the names on the game denotes there is a review or impression of the game on our site. Click on it to be directed to it. Roleplaying Fans Racing Fans Zombie Lovers (Horror Game Fans) Kid Friendly We hope this brief Holiday Shopping Guide helped you choose what game(s) are right for you, or the person you are buying for this year. If you would like to hear about a game not on the list, feel free to leave a comment and we'll get back to you!
Shooter FansGears of War 2; A great third person cover shooter brought to you by EPIC Games and Microsoft Game Studios. Gears 2 is an Xbox 360 exclusive and is one of the best, and most anticipated, games of the year for the platform. We gave this game an "A" because it's single player is great and the mutliplayer gives it great longevity. If you are a mature aged shooter fan, this is a must buy.
Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew
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Left 4 Dead Demo Impressions
Left 4 Dead is Valve's latest project which releases next Tuesday, the 18th of November. The game is a survival horror which brings the "survival" part of the genre to the fullest. You are one of four survivors of a zombie infection, which is very similar to the Resident Evil series, who must fight to stay alive in the infested city. From what I gathered from the demo you must work your way, in the campaign, to escape the city and get to a government refuge. At the intro of the game a government helicopter is shouting to the city for survivors to head to the hospital for evacuation.
So you pick one of the four survivors you want to play as, none of any has an advantage or disadvantage over any other of them. There is a table in front of where you spawn with a pump shotgun and what appears to be a MP5, or other SMG. You may pick one of them and grab the First-Aid kits on the table, which you will need. You also have a pistol that has unlimited ammo. As it stands, the pistol is way to powerful for it to have unlimited ammo. I found myself using the pistol more than my shotgun because of range. I'd only use the shotgun if the zombies got up close to be, which happens alot. Valve needs to make the pistols have an ammo cap, or lower damage. As is, it takes 2-4 hits with a pistol to kill. Also, if you find a pistol on the ground you can dual-wield.
The co-op element of this game, and it's major selling point, is great. It is probably the best co-op experience I've had it awhile, if not ever. If you are constricted by a smoker zombie, or tagged by a boomer zombie, or on the ground because of a hunter zombie you NEED the help of your allies to survive. There cannot be a lone ranger in this game because of that. Also, the AI Director keeps this game fresh. Each time I ran through it, it was different. The zombies never came the same way, nor in the same numbers or types. This will give the game untold amounts of replay value.
Since this is only a Demo Impression and not a full on game review I will stop here and give more time to reviewing this game when it releases. I highly suggest this game, and it will most likely have my vote for game of the year.
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Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Review
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is the latest Brothers in Arms by Gearbox and Ubisoft. Brothers in Arms brings the same tactical shooter as it's predecessors. If you're looking for a Call of Duty or Halo "run and gun", pass this on your to buy list.
Brothers in arms puts you in the role of Staff Sergeant Matt Baker who is part of the 101st Airborne Division. You start off the game in a fast forward where you talk to a soldier who's face is not shown. The game goes into a short tutorial to show you the basics and necessities, such as suppressing fire and flanking maneuvers.
The game controls are solid and can be changed to different layouts such as "Call of Duty 4", "Halo 3", and "Rainbow 6" for people that want to use a familiar style. This game builds off of the cover system that Ubisoft uses in most of it's FPS games. You can take cover behind nearly everything, but things like wood will not hold up as well. The cracking effects on wood cover are great, the wood does not just spontaneously combust like many other games, it chips away until the enemy, or you, have destroyed it all.
One major issue with the cover system is the lack of blind fire. You must reveal yourself to the enemy to shoot. And this will often hurt your squad more than you. They will stand straight up in the middle of a fire fight and shoot at the enemy, just to see a bullet aimed at their head.
Hell's Highway has been significantly "dulled" down from previous Brothers in Arms, in terms of the micro management of your squads. Flanking is still useful, and needed in harder difficulties and battles, but you find that you could more easily flank the enemy yourself while your squads try to figure out the cover system.
The major down point of this game is the replay factor. When you start the game you have a choice of easy or medium difficulty, you must beat the game once to get the hard difficulty. This is a turn off to me. Why can't I play the game how I want to first time around. It seems like Gearbox is trying to juice as many hours of playtime out of you before you realize that this game gets old after the first play through. Another sign of this is the achievement list. Instead of having achievements for beating the game on the highest difficultly like in the Call of Duty series. Instead they throw in the series of achievements for amount of days played. Like play the game for 7 days, the for 30 days, etc. In addition to the "Remember September '44" in which you must wait until September 17th of next year to achieve.
Along with lack of single player replayability, the multiplayer falls far short of expectations of FPS games. The multiplayer only has one mode with release, and not plans of yet for more to be added via DLC or patch. The single mode is a form of Capture the Flag. The Brothers in Arms games are good and known for their strategic shooter genre, with micro managing squads. In the multiplayer, Gearbox tries to bring that but falls short. The mutltiplayer has assigned "Team Captains", "Assualt Team", etc. The problem is that the team doesnt have to listen to the Captain, and that makes the captain useless.
Overall, a solid game with some replay problems and lack of a stable multiplayer. This game will make the fans of the series a bit disappointed in it's dulled down nature, but for the casual shooter fan it is great.
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway gets a:
B
Pass -- Rent -- Buy
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