That's What I'm Talkin' Bout

Castlevania: Lords of Shadows Review

2012-01-05T23:03:00.007-05:00

Lords of Shadows takes the Castlevania franchise in adifferent direction, mixing series staples with elements borrowed from othergames. This departure might makehardcore fans scorn in dismay, yet at the same time, attract a new following. Regardless, let’s see if it’s worth your timeand money.

Gameplay

If I could describe LOS, I would say God of War meetsAssassin’s Creed meets Zelda. This isdefinitely a hack-and-slash, with quick-time events, wall climbing, andplatforming thrown in for good measure. The game consists of gaining experience, using magic, and purchasing newmoves to add to your skillset. The combatis fluid, but is much faster than God of War. Dodging can be done instantly, even mid-combo, whereas surprisingly Ifelt blocking was a bit delayed at times. You’ll probably find yourself using the same subset of moves, but thatseems the same for most games in this genre. That being said, the acquisition of new abilities keeps things interesting, and they’ll be used prettyevenly throughout the campaign. Quick-time events mostly involve pressing ANY button at a certain time,which worked well. Wall climbing andscaling of buildings is alright, although there is a bit of hand holdinginvolved…ala Assassin’s Creed. Everyonethinks those games are the best thing since sliced bread (I, for one, do not),so I’m sure a majority of people will love it. The platforming on the other hand, is my biggest gripe with thegameplay. The jumping and maneuvering ofGabriel is too “quick” and isn’t precise enough for some of the situations youface (and you don’t get the awkward double jump until late in the game!). Granted, I managed my way through the gamejust fine, but there were plenty of times I got frustrated trying to jump fromplatform to platform. What reallybothered me is that you can grab onto some ledges while others you can’t…thiswas the difference between me living and dying many times. They can make it either one or the other, butit should be consistent throughout.

Graphics

Ok, this game is pretty. There haven’t been a ton of games that have made me say “wow,” due tothe graphics, but this is one of them. The environments here are absolutely gorgeous looking and range from lush,vivid jungles, to looming, snow-covered castles. The variety in level types really helps keepthe game fresh. You can really tell thedevelopers took their time with making sure no levels looked like graphical“filler”. The game has a unique “wet”look to the graphics, which is a little different than most games, but worksjust fine. A few of the larger enemiescould be a bit more detailed, but this is minor complaint when taking the restof the game into consideration.

Sound

There is a ton of voice acting in this game, and normallythat might make a gamer cringe. However,here it’s very well done and actually to the story. Patrick Stewart lends his voice to Zobek, anin-game character who also serves as the narrator. I listened to every level introduction on myfirst playthrough and they were all pretty good. The other sound effects sound great, from thetings of picking up daggers, to the crack of Gabriel’s whip. The enemies all make their own noises, whichare very crisp and distinguishable. Thesoundtrack however is nothing special and lacks the standard creepy-organmusic. Even though I’m not a devoted seriesfollower, that’s a staple, especially when in the castle! Someone over at Konami dropped the ball there.

Campaign

Say goodbye to a large sprawling map and trying to figureyour way around. I’ve played otherCastlevania games, including the beloved Symphony Of The Night, and while Iliked them well enough, I never was driven play them through to 100%completion. I didn’t want to scour allover the map to find objects and upgrades. The progression through LOS is much morelinear, which I’m perfectly fine with. Each level has a collectibles count; making it very easy to go back and carefullysearch to find missing items. Thecampaign spans multiple regions and environments, keeping repetition to aminimum. Bosses in almost every chapterare fun to fight, although the strategy for a few of them is prettysimilar. However, the pacing leaves muchto be desired. The first 2 (of 12!)chapters have many levels, none of which are very thrilling…they don’t pull youin. Because of this, there was once atime when I thought I may never finish the game, simply because it wasn’t muchfun. I decided to stick with it, and I’mglad I did. Halfway through the game thepace really picks up and the levels are exciting and fun. Those first two chapters can really be abarrier though, and I recommend you push past those to the real meat andpotatoes. Also, the conclusion is verysatisfying and cool, so hopefully you can get there.

Lasting Appeal

When there’s no multiplayer, I’ll always grade a game’slasting appeal. Is it worth coming backto? Does the first playthrough take adecent amount of time? The answer is yesand yes with Lords of Shadows. I almostguarantee you won’t find another game in this genre that lasts this long. The first playthrough is easily 15+ hours,and after playing each level, you unlock a trial, which is a special objectiveto achieve when playing the level again. Some of these range from stupid easy to pretty difficult, but they haveenough variety to keep you trying “just one more”. The hardest difficulty setting won’t evenopen until you’ve beaten the game, and going through again with all your movesand magic is quite a good time. Themaybe could’ve included an additional chapter or alternate ending for those whoachieve 110% in the campaign.

Summary

Castlevania: Lords of Shadows represents a vastdeparture from the standard series of Castlevania games, and in my opinion,it’s for the better. It combinesmultiple gameplay styles, including a fluid fighting engine, the progression ofabilities, magic, puzzles, and platforming. All of these work pretty well, except for the platforming, which cancause frustration. The campaign islengthy, offers a lot of replay value, and is varied enough to keep thingsinteresting. Trudge through the firsttwo chapters to really get to the best parts of the game. Although I’m not sure I would recommendedthis game at its release date price tag, picking it up for $20 or $30 is definitely worth it if the aforementioned gameplay elements are up your alley.

Gears of War 3 Review

2011-12-01T15:45:00.001-05:00

Releasing with lofty expectations, Gears of War 3 had fansclamoring for the trilogy conclusion nearly two years before its release. The first trailer featured new COG membersand enemies, plus awesome music (Check out “Gears 3 Ashes to Ashes” onYouTube). Information leaked slowly,followed by a beta, and finally the full release. Is Gears 3 worth the wait?

Gameplay

If you’ve played either of the first two games, you’llalready know the gameplay has been polished from the start. However, as the 2^nd game broughtnew additions, it also brought new headaches, mapping many actions to onebutton, causing frustration. ThankfullyEpic listened to the user community and corrected these issues this timearound. In addition, they sped upcharacter movement by roughly 15%, creating a more frantic pace in both thecampaign and online. The cover system hasbeen tweaked, and although there are inadvertent “attachments” to certainobjects in the game, it happens very little and the game does a good job ofinterpreting what you’re trying to do. Everything thing feels very solid,albeit a few hiccups here and there, and my only wish is that they would’vetried to innovate a bit more over Gears 2. Best and smoothest controls of the series.

Graphics

Epic chose to run Gears 3 on its Unreal 3 engine and thegame looks fantastic. They’ve made manyadjustments, especially with lighting and the color palette. Most of the environments in previous gameslooked “the same”, populated with washed out greys, browns, and oranges. The first level of the campaign takes placeon an aircraft carrier, and you’ll see a bright blue sky, sunshine, and lushgreen vegetation. The new lambentenemies explode in bright yellow bursts. I think one of the coolest effects for me were the lambent “trails” leftby the Lambent Berserker. Once you checkthem out I’m sure you’ll agree. Thegraphics aren’t perfect however, as I noticed quite a bit of clipping in placesand some other strange glitches. However,it doesn’t hinder the experience, and overall, the game looks great.

Sound

Everything sounds crisp and clear. Gears has always been known for theone-liners tossed around by players in-game, and they certainly don’tdisappoint here. Griffin (Ice-T) willdefinitely make you laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Explosions, guns firing, and character voicesreally jump out of your speakers and the music is dramatic and fitting for allof the set pieces throughout the game (catch Mad World playing on Gridlock!). My only gripe is minor, but can lead to confusion. Footsteps sound like they are coming fromeverywhere. They are a good indicationthat someone is nearby, but even with my surround sound, at times I can’tdistinguish from where.

Campaign

Fans of the series have been waiting a few years to see howthis story would pan out. Thankfully,Gears 3 has a satisfying conclusion and closes out the trilogy well. The campaign itself is the best since Gears 1,and Epic added 2 more players for co-op, which means you can bring 3 friendsalong for the ride. This is definitelythe best and most fun way to experience the campaign. The change in environments throughout thegame is welcomed, keeping things fresh and fun. The new enemies are well thought out andrequire strategy to take down, and large scale boss battles make their return,requiring the player to do more than lay down some mortar fire to finish thejob (ala Gears 2). Epic also addedArcade mode, a way to play through the campaign while competing for highscores. In this mode you can turn onmutators (similar to Halo’s skulls) to change your experience, all the whilebeing rewarded with multipliers for holding it together as a team. Although it seems like a small addition, it worksreally well and gives players another reason to tackle the campaign a second(or third) time. I’ll close by sayingthe final boss battle is a bit much, and is almost impossible to beat with ateam of four (humans) on higher difficulty levels. It can definitely be frustrating.

Multiplayer

This is crazy. That’swhat I thought to myself after first delving into the multiplayer modes. There are SO MANY things to do here. Versus returns, leaps and bounds better thanthe 2^nd game. Host advantageis nearly gone, with dedicated servers powering the online matches. Shots and damage are consistent and the gameemphasizes team play, much different from COD and other online shooters. Team Deathmatch debuts for Gears, and it’s agreat addition. King Of The Hill is ablast, and other modes such as Capture The Leader, Execution, and Warzone havereturned as well. The maps are all welldesigned, with only a few exceptions. Theguns are VERY well balanced, and you can play in a way that best suits you andstill compete, regardless of the weapon you choose. Horde 2.0 has been completely overhauled…wavesno longer have the same enemies every time, and fortifications make theirdebut. Building up your base is thefocus, and setting up sentries, turrets, and barricades is a fun and creativeaddition to Horde. My only complaint isthe inability to place items where you would like, as you are restricted topre-determined locations on the map. Beast Mode puts you in the role of the Locust, scrambling to take outthe COGS and other humans. Althoughthere are only 12 waves, using the abilities of each unique Locust and workingwith a team towards victory is a lot of fun. Lastly, Gears 3 adds medals and ribbons to the multiplayer and campaignuniverse. Working towards acquiringthese is challenging, yet rewarding, even though you may never achieve themall. There’s not much more you could askfor from the material Epic has crammed into this game.

Summary

Overall, Gears of War 3 is a fitting conclusionto the trilogy and improves upon its predecessors in almost every singleway. The campaign environments are freshand colorful, and Arcade mode gives you a reason to give the story anotherwhirl. Boss battles are engaging, asidefrom a rather extreme final confrontation. Multiplayer offers so much for the player to do. Versus loses the lag issues of the past,Horde is completely revamped in all the right ways, and Beast mode is a fun wayto work together towards a common goal. Medals and ribbons provide incentives to keep working at becoming abetter player, and are very rewarding to achieve. In addition, there are many unlockables youcan work towards, from additional characters, to executions and mutators. They are laid out in manner where they don’tever seem completely out of reach, providing a good goal to strive for. Last but not least, Epic is very reasonablewith their DLC, charging $30 for a season’s pass, and even giving away 5 multiplayer maps! Gears 3 might not be a perfect game, but judging based on fun factor andvalue, it’s pretty damn close.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Review

2011-11-24T12:44:00.001-05:00

The fifth Call of Duty in five years comes to us in the formof Modern Warfare 3. Continuing uponwhat seems to be a yearly record breaking release; MW3 looks to expand upon thegames that have come before it. Ipersonally have chosen to skip every other COD release. I only own the Modern Warfare games and willbe taking those games into account when reviewing this year’s title.

Gameplay

If you’ve played the Call of Duty series (I can’t imaginemany people HAVEN’T) you already know what to expect from a gameplayperspective. Not a lot has changedhere. Staring down the sights, reloading, running,and throwing grenades are all smooth and feel like they have in previousentries. There may have been someimprovements over MW2, but honestly you probably won’t notice them much. For the most part, gameplay is very solid,albeit for a few hiccups in the form of “curving bullets” (dying after you’rearound a corner), knifing sometimes not registering, excessive shots needed todown an opponent, and headshots that don’t amount to much. There are a few other small missteps, butnothing earth-shattering.

Graphics

Graphically, MW3 feels as though it’s getting a bitdated. I thought that Infinity Wardmight overhaul the graphics and step it up this time around, but there aretimes in the game where I actually feel as though MW2 looked BETTER. That’s not to say this game doesn’t look good,but I remember playing MW2 for the first time and being amazed at the level ofdetail and art style throughout the first few campaign levels. That wow factor is just not there this timeand it’s a little disappointing. Thereare still some great environments and views, but it doesn’t push the envelope.

Audio

Historically the audio within the Call of Duty series hasbeen really good and that doesn’t change here. Every explosion, bullet, grenade, and helicopter whizzing overheadsounds crisp and clear. It never managesto get lost in itself, especially with the large amount of things happening allat once. The voice acting in thecampaign is pretty well done, and the music, in both the menus and in-game isappropriate to the action on screen. Theonly small complaint is that sometimes characters will get stuck on loop andsomeone will shout “take down that chopper” ten times without taking a breath inbetween.

Campaign

As of writing this review, I’ve completed the campaign with100.3%, going through twice, once on normal and once on veteran. The story is about what you’d expect (COD4was amazing and it’s been downhill since), with a jumble of characters thrownat you, a bad guy they want you to hate, and jumping between locations andmissions on a whim. The first half ofthe game feels really disjointed and you’ll often wonder what you’redoing. It gets better in the secondhalf, but it never truly feels like a cohesive story. There are some really cool set pieces here,but many of them feel a bit empty. Youfight in NYC, but not many staple sites make you feel as though you’re reallythere…same with Paris and London (although the Eiffel Tower shows up). I found myself missing the lack of stellarsniping and specialty missions, however, the last few levels are very fun andthe conclusion is definitely satisfying. My biggest gripe is the omission of co-op. This many games into the series, you need tostart adding some notable new features. The lack of co-op is almost unforgiveable, regardless of what they maysay about working it in. Just a side note,for those of you worried about the difficulty of veteran, don’t, it’s not tootough this time around (expect endless spawning still though).

Multiplayer

In the world of online multiplayer, again, everything is prettymuch as you’d expect it to be…unlockables, a bunch of guns, and a ton of waysto customize your classes. The additionof weapon leveling is nice, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t domuch other than make you hear the “leveling up” noise more often. You’ll unlock weapon level “perks” like kick,range, and focus for the specific weapon you’re working on. The new streak system is nice, catering tothose who can or cannot string together kills without dying. Support streaks keep going even after youdie, but the rewards are more team oriented rather than offense/kill oriented. Assault is the same as previous COD games,and Specialist enables a player to turn on more and more perks until you’rerunning around as a super soldier with everything. These are cool ways to customize the game tofit your play style. Keep in mind all ofthese additions mean more menus and screens to get through, even when simplychoosing a gun, which can become cumbersome at times. As you can see, multiplayer is very feature-rich,but unfortunately it’s held back by the map designs. After putting 12+ hours into the onlinecomponent, I can’t help but feel as though the maps are pretty weak. They are filled with debris, and every roomand hallway has 3+ ways in and out of it. This translates into getting shot in the back a lot. Some say it discourages camping, which I findis both true and false. More people seemto be running around, but I find others sitting behind “that burning car overthere” quite a bit too. I’m not sayingthis because I’m bad (I’m almost always positive on my k/d every game) but themaps just aren’t that FUN. There are noareas to fight over as a team, and I often find myself running around without apurpose. The lack of standout maps makealmost all of them forgettable (with a few exceptions) and, to me, they don’tmatch the quality of MW1 and 2.

Spec Ops returns and there’s the new Survival mode, which isfighting off waves of enemies. Spec Opssaves multiplayer for me, because it’s a lot of fun working together with abuddy to figure out each scenario. Therecould be a few more missions, but the selection in the game is fun to playthrough. Survival mode is a goodaddition, and is similar to zombies in BO and Horde in Gears…except its only 2player instead of 4. Again, it probablywouldn’t have taken much additional time to add this capability.

Summary

In conclusion, MW3 is another solid effort from InfinityWard, but this time around the lack of progression in the series is prettyglaring. From a gameplay perspective, it’ssmooth and quick, it looks good graphically, and the audio is on-point. However, the campaign is short and confusing,with some good set pieces and scenes thrown in the mix. The online multiplayer is full of greatfeatures, but poor map selection (Bootleg and Downturn may be the worst maps I’veever played, in any game) holds it back from true greatness. Spec Ops and Survival are great modes and alot of fun for fans of series. On itsown, MW3 is a good game and will provide many hours of entertainment…but whentaking MW1 and 2 into account, it’s tough to recommend paying the full price ofadmission to experience something you have before.

Top 10 Things To Do On Xbox Live

2009-01-24T13:29:00.008-05:00

So after making Xbox Live one of my main hobbies a friend and myself decided to randomly make a list of the Top 10 things you can do online. Believe it or not, playing against real people over the Internet and blowing them to bits can be a blast. If you've played on Xbox Live and you don't suck, you've probably experienced the thrill of at least some of things. If you've never gotten a chance to play, but might consider it, this is what you can look forward to.

10) Toasting someone via vehicle kill.
- Although I'm not the biggest fan of vehicles in multiplayer online matches, I gotta admit that seeing someone go squishy underneath your tires is pretty sweet.

9) Multiple kills with single shot
- Even though my personal favorite is the Boomshot in Gears of War, the Rocket Laucher in Halo 3, or even a sniper in Call of Duty will get the job done. When you pull the trigger and watch two opponents fall, you know those guys are filled with shame.

8) Curb-Stomping
- Yes, I'm sure you might recognize this horrible act from American History X...but it's translation into Gears of War makes for an amazing finishing move. After downing an opponent, run over, slam your boot through their dome, and ask em "How's it taste?"

7) The Two-Piece
- Unique to Gears of War, the Two-Piece might be one of the most fun ways to destroy your opponent. Essentially, you run over to your enemy, melee them, and while they are stunned, blow them away with your shotgun. They normally explode into a bunch of pieces. Honorable mention also goes to the shotty in Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4.

6) Planted Claymores or Grenades
- First seen in Call of Duty, the planted claymore essentially is a small trap for all opponents. Normally placed around the corner or at the top of stairs, when a player enters a certain proximity, they will go boom before they knew what hit them. Recently included in Gears of War 2, the grenades does the same deed, but is slightly messier. Doesn't get much better than standing at a distance watching an enemy barrel toward you, only to explode into pieces.

5) Sniping
- Although I'm against camping, being a sniper and popping off domes is amazing fun. Numerous headshots in succession will do nothing short of bring a smile to your face. There are two great parts about sniping. One is the fact that your opponent usually has no clue it's about to happen, and two, you know it involved some skill to get the job done. Once again, Gears does it best I feel.

4) Tea Bagging / Gloating Tactics
- Yes, it may be a little childish, a little boastful, but sometimes it just needs to be done. Say, for instance, an opponents is continually running their mouth before a game. In this case, it's perfectly acceptable to give them a sound tea-bagging after you kill them in-game. In Gears of War you can go the humping route when your opponent is downed, or the wall hump when you pick them up. Just be cautious of the extended humping sessions...remember sometimes your opponent can get back up.

3) Knifing / Assassination
- Few things are more gratifying than running up to an opponent and knifing them or smacking them in the back of the head. Actually, what is better, is finding a room of campers in Call of Duty, and knifing all of them before they even know anyone entered the room. That'll teach you to camp!

2) Misery Loves Company
- Started in Call of Duty 4, Misery Loves Company is a challenge to hold a grenade until it explodes but then take an enemy down with you. Basically a suicide bomber-type tactic. Usually the other team doesn't know you are there, or are shocked to find you not attempting to kill them by traditional means, only to explode seconds later. One of the best all-time moments on Xbox Live was a triple kill Misery Loves Company done by one of my buddies. Aaaannd boom goes the dynaaamite.

1) Sticking
- First appearing in the Halo series, sticking refers to any action or weapon that can be stuck to an opponent that will explode seconds later. In Halo, you have sticky grenades. Once thrown and stuck to an oppoent, they'll hear a slight charaging noise followed by their death. In Gears, there are grenades, which after stuck will beep before explosion, as well as the torque bow, which simply makes the memorable "ffffffink!" noise before blowing it's victim to millions of pieces. I love me some sticking.

So there you have it. The Top 10 things to go on Xbox Live. You agree with the list? Disagree? Just want to comment? Let me know what you think.

Peace,
B Best

Call of Duty 4

2008-07-29T17:33:00.002-04:00

So. Call of Duty 4. Why would I write a post about a game, when I'm usually reviewing them? For the first time in my history of playing video games, I love the online aspect of this game. There, I said it. For years and years I've been saying that online is usually just an added bonus for me and the main game is where it's at. There are some online features that I love, most notably online co-op (to go through the main game with someone else), but the pure online modes have never really been my thing. Sure, they are nice, but I still enjoyed the single player aspect more. To me, completing a game is more rewarding than winning a section of the game online (bc you're always just playing a section online). For the first time though...my theory has been disproven. Let's explore.

Call of Duty 4 had been hailed as an amazing game by reviewers, but after purchasing Halo 3 I felt that my FPS fix was fulfilled. It wasn't until after doing more reading and seeing friends pick it up that I became interested. I bought it (super deal btw) and started going through the campaign. It was solid, but after playing Bioshock, was nothing special. Then, I hopped online. My friend and I were soon in battles getting absolutely pwned (owned, aka, beaten badly) since we were new at the game. My pride wasn't shattered and I continued playing. The more I played, the better I got. My statistics not only displayed my improvement, but also made me realize how incredibly terrible I had once been. I began working on getting my k/d ratio up (number of times I died compared to people I killed) and eventually my numbers were positive. I never looked back.

At this point I had soon found myself always wanting to play online. After beating single player on the hardest difficulty, I had absolutely no desire to play it again, and found that my playtime with CoD4 became exclusively online. I was shocked. I still am really. I need to mention the real reason that I became so fond of the online aspect. The people. Still, I will insist that the single player aspect of games is my favorite...but playing online with people YOU KNOW is a super close 2nd. Now for the why.

It started out with myself and one friend. Soon the number of people with the game grew from 2...to 4...to 8. To play on one team we had to enter the biggest gameplay mode available. The chatter amongst us during, before, and after games was tremendous. We'd talk about everything from work, to movies, to news....whatever really, just like friends would I suppose. If I tried to play online and none of my real life friends were on, I found my play sessions would end quickly. Just wasn't as much fun. I also need to mention I'm located far from most of my friends. This game was a way for us to connect together even though we were hundreds of miles apart. Working together online was fun and rewarding. I've had a couple people mock the amount of time I spent playing Call of Duty 4 in the last few months. To those people I say this: What have you been doing with your free time? Although I'm playing a video game, the whole time I'm talking and laughing with my real life friends, which for right now is the best way I have of doing so. I still go out, I still enjoy summer, I still talk to people in real life, but before you point fingers and question my motives around the game, maybe think twice or ask me why. I can almost guarantee I have laughed harder while playing this game than most people have EVER laughed.

So in closing, if it's tough to hang out with your friends in person, online video games are a good way to connect. Call of Duty 4 is a great one. There's my review. Playing online honestly makes you feel as though you're just hanging out. If you live far away in reality...online you don't. You're right next to the person. Pretty convenient if you ask me. So if someone ever thinks you're crazy for playing games or talk down to you about it....screw 'em.

B Best

Top 10 Xbox Live Moments (if you can think of any others leave comments)
10. Watching Kummer be the only person left in S&D and making no attempt to leave his claymore protected room.
9. "We lost Paint My Boat AGAIN!! Back out!"
8. Hearing Trevor complain, think he's not doing that bad, then seeing he went 2-18.
7. "I'll rub my poo on you."
6. The day Fat Irish Man took a verbal beating. Bonus: The day NJ Prodigy accidentally landed on our team mid-match.
5. That one guy with a vocabulary that included the word "Motherf*cker." Oh wait, that was his whole vocabulary.
4. "Hey little kid, I can see the sticker on the back of your helmet! Do you have a shirt with your age on it?"
3. Mcdade's Misery Loves Company triple kill. Ouch.
2. The unveiling of the true meaning of IMLP.
1. Smashing a team of gold crosses, blasting "Never Gonna Give You Up" and changing our clan tags to "rick rolled".

NBA Street Homecourt Review

2008-07-28T16:27:00.004-04:00

My second review of many to come.
NBA Street Homecourt Review.

Mario Kart Wii Review!

2008-05-24T22:30:00.002-04:00

It's been done a long time, but I didn't have the opportunity to put it up! Here is my first video game review of many to come! Comments appreciated!

Mario Kart Wii Reivew