So here comes a blast from the past (hopefully also coming to a virtual console near you. Earthbound for the SNES (Super Nintendo/Super Famicom), truely no other series has reached the level of greatness this game achieved. Keep in mind I am rating this game on the specs 'at the time of publishing' along with a comparison of today's graphics.
Graphics: 8 of 10
Sound: 8 of 10
Gameplay: 10 of 10
Replayability: Depends
Graphics: Today's flashy graphics and showy movies are great but nothing beats an old classic. In it's day Earthbound had graphics to beat them all. The perspective of the game (sort of a birds eye/third person hybrid) was just as unique as the style of graphics. Although the graphics are rather kid-oriented I think they are very original and top-notch.
Sound: The soundtrack, though sometimes repetitive was very appropriate and atmospheric. The gameplay sounds were well done as well. All-in-all I think they did a very good job on the sound all around.
Gameplay: Ease-of-use and easy play are both high on the list of plusses for this game. You can immediately pick it up and start playing without much effort. The story of the game is also very unique and well-planned. All details (as far as I can tell) were thought through.
Replayability: Unknown, I am waiting for my copy to arrive and I never beat the game unfortunately for me. I got to the end but never finished it.
Overall: 9 of 10
Showing posts with label Game Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Game Review. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
A first person shooter fantasy RPG? Wow that's a tall order, but I must say Dark Messiah of Might and Magic pulls it off without a hitch. While not as Gritty and Dark-natured as Doom 3 it does come close. What hits me is how seamless things are when you move from each 'class' to another so-to-speak. I'll explain that under the Gameplay section. Another good game, there have been several hits recently. That is quite a rarity.
Graphics: 8 of 10
For a FPS game Dark Messiah does very well at portraying graphics and phsyics for that matter. The textures on medium are very impressive, if I turn them up unfortunately my computer will explode. I hate to say it but I am too poor to upgrade! lol!
Sound: 9 of 10
The sound is only repetitive when you have a mob (mobile unit for you non-MUD going types) chasing after you or looking for you when they can't find you. The sounds are very organic and fluid, down to your kick hitting an enemy in the gut.
Gameplay: 10 of 10
Here's where I am impressed. Your options for character customization are UNLIMITED, you can be one class or all classes at once because of the open skill point system they use. Right now I am leaning toward a stealth/magic hybrid. The phsyics are definitely a plus seeing as it was built on the same engine as Half-Life 2, you'll recognize the menus if you've played it. Your fighting abilities depend on what you spend your skill points on. I have made it like a Thief: The Dark Project clone gameplay-wise. But you can go direct combat, magic, or stealth if you like to specialize. The story so far is intriguing, the person whom you think is on your side may not be, but they may be, then there's the ever-present 'voice in your head' that just keeps making witty but racy commentary. It's amusing to say the least. Combat is open-ended also, you can hit people with objects, kick them or push them off of platforms, push or kick them into obstacles or spikes or even just fight them outright or backstab them. If you're really into magic you can burn or freeze someone. I like the effect fire has on the textures, when you burn someone they become singed to match your hit.
Multiplayer: Untested
Replayability: 8 of 10
Whereas the story will always be the same, I am the kind of person that likes to go back and try the game out as something else, who knows I may have had more fun going 100% stealth or combat instead of making a hybrid. Definitely a wise choice for a pick-up game if you're into FPS, Fantasy, or Just kicking someone's ass.
Graphics: 8 of 10
For a FPS game Dark Messiah does very well at portraying graphics and phsyics for that matter. The textures on medium are very impressive, if I turn them up unfortunately my computer will explode. I hate to say it but I am too poor to upgrade! lol!
Sound: 9 of 10
The sound is only repetitive when you have a mob (mobile unit for you non-MUD going types) chasing after you or looking for you when they can't find you. The sounds are very organic and fluid, down to your kick hitting an enemy in the gut.
Gameplay: 10 of 10
Here's where I am impressed. Your options for character customization are UNLIMITED, you can be one class or all classes at once because of the open skill point system they use. Right now I am leaning toward a stealth/magic hybrid. The phsyics are definitely a plus seeing as it was built on the same engine as Half-Life 2, you'll recognize the menus if you've played it. Your fighting abilities depend on what you spend your skill points on. I have made it like a Thief: The Dark Project clone gameplay-wise. But you can go direct combat, magic, or stealth if you like to specialize. The story so far is intriguing, the person whom you think is on your side may not be, but they may be, then there's the ever-present 'voice in your head' that just keeps making witty but racy commentary. It's amusing to say the least. Combat is open-ended also, you can hit people with objects, kick them or push them off of platforms, push or kick them into obstacles or spikes or even just fight them outright or backstab them. If you're really into magic you can burn or freeze someone. I like the effect fire has on the textures, when you burn someone they become singed to match your hit.
Multiplayer: Untested
Replayability: 8 of 10
Whereas the story will always be the same, I am the kind of person that likes to go back and try the game out as something else, who knows I may have had more fun going 100% stealth or combat instead of making a hybrid. Definitely a wise choice for a pick-up game if you're into FPS, Fantasy, or Just kicking someone's ass.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
What's not to like about Command and Conquer 3, it keeps you busy! Definitely a good buy if you like strategy gaming. I have played through a large part of the GDI campaign and I feel like I am ready to review the game, so here goes!
Graphics: 9 of 10
Sound: 8 of 10
Gameplay: 10 of 10
Multiplayer: Unrated, Untested
Replayability: 8 of 10
Overall 9 of 10
Graphics - The graphics for command and conquer are good of the type of genre it's in. Here's why I think that you don't need the super-hot-major graphical quality in games like this. If the game looked like oblivion, for instance, that would mean that it would have top of the line graphics, sure, but look at how much you have going on the screen at once. You have several groups of units on both or all three sides depending on what part of the campaign you're on. That would cause MAJOR lag. On that same note I am a graphics whore and you just can't get that perfect look for me unless it is oblivion.
Sound - I love the sounds in C&C, but you know as well as I do there are only so many types of sound you can throw into an explosion. This may just be me but half an hour of explosions and rifle fire can really get on your nerves. However, the sound was done very well.
Gameplay - They have really done well in the past with Command and Conquer, I never expected the gameplay to suck. For those who don't do strategy very often it will be very challenging trying to balance units and keep several squads going at once, not to mention trying to balance the damage types available. However, they do a very good job at showing you what's good for what during the course of the campaign. I would suggest running through the campaigns before you do multiplayer because of the fact that it gives you tips, hints and strategy help as you progress. The gameplay is fast-paced and keeps you thinking. I will say though that the AI isn't 100% top notch but it does challenge you by attacking from multiple sides at once, etc. Damned good job!
Multiplayer - Haven't had a chance to do multiplayer yet, I may be able to this weekend, we'll see!
Replayability - Definitely a good game to keep around, you never know when you'll want to throw up a skirmish game and kick some computer, or human ass.
Overall - A good buy, if you haven't gotten it yet, get it. The only real problem I have encountered is the movies are out of sync sometimes. I don't care about the movies though, you can listen to the basic briefs after quitting out of the movies and you won't miss much. The acting is a little overdone though.
Graphics: 9 of 10
Sound: 8 of 10
Gameplay: 10 of 10
Multiplayer: Unrated, Untested
Replayability: 8 of 10
Overall 9 of 10
Graphics - The graphics for command and conquer are good of the type of genre it's in. Here's why I think that you don't need the super-hot-major graphical quality in games like this. If the game looked like oblivion, for instance, that would mean that it would have top of the line graphics, sure, but look at how much you have going on the screen at once. You have several groups of units on both or all three sides depending on what part of the campaign you're on. That would cause MAJOR lag. On that same note I am a graphics whore and you just can't get that perfect look for me unless it is oblivion.
Sound - I love the sounds in C&C, but you know as well as I do there are only so many types of sound you can throw into an explosion. This may just be me but half an hour of explosions and rifle fire can really get on your nerves. However, the sound was done very well.
Gameplay - They have really done well in the past with Command and Conquer, I never expected the gameplay to suck. For those who don't do strategy very often it will be very challenging trying to balance units and keep several squads going at once, not to mention trying to balance the damage types available. However, they do a very good job at showing you what's good for what during the course of the campaign. I would suggest running through the campaigns before you do multiplayer because of the fact that it gives you tips, hints and strategy help as you progress. The gameplay is fast-paced and keeps you thinking. I will say though that the AI isn't 100% top notch but it does challenge you by attacking from multiple sides at once, etc. Damned good job!
Multiplayer - Haven't had a chance to do multiplayer yet, I may be able to this weekend, we'll see!
Replayability - Definitely a good game to keep around, you never know when you'll want to throw up a skirmish game and kick some computer, or human ass.
Overall - A good buy, if you haven't gotten it yet, get it. The only real problem I have encountered is the movies are out of sync sometimes. I don't care about the movies though, you can listen to the basic briefs after quitting out of the movies and you won't miss much. The acting is a little overdone though.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Command and Conquer 3
So I have Command and Conquer 3, good deal. I haven't had a chance to play much more than the tutorial so I can't really comment yet, look forward to more on this little jewel soon!
Guild Wars Review
So a friend of mine was nice enough to let me use his Guild Wars account to test the game out. My general view is that it is a very interesting game.
Graphics: 8 of 10
Sound: 6 of 10
Gameplay: 5 of 10
Lag Factor: 4 of 10
Replayability: Unrated
Graphics: The landscapes and graphics for Guild Wars are very nice, I have to say it beats World of Warcraft so far. The only reason why I didn't give it a higher score is because of the 'Toon' factor. Everything looks a bit cartoony to me and some of the movements are less-than-fluid character and spellwise.
Sound: I wasn't really impressed with the sound, the only reason it got such a low score is that it's all been done and unfortunately in the gaming world the same old same old doesn't get the high score. The sound isn't bad per se but the music is less-than-desireable compared to the full scores that are World of Warcraft tracks.
Gameplay: Okay, here's the deciding factor. The classes, whereas they are apparently well rounded are confusing. It took me a while to figure out how to reposition skills and balance my mana usage. I have yet to get used to the difference in play, when you click on something you move toward it and the same goes for using skills, when you target an enemy and use a skill you run toward the enemy. I like that. This score may change as I play along but for now it is a little difficult adjusting. That's more my fault than anything but it doesn influence my scoring. Another thing that I am still dealing with is instance-based gameplay. You are basically playing a single-player game on a massive scale with Guild Wars. This has its own ups and downs depending on the player. You won't find someone randomly out there killing mobs for loot but you also won't have anyone out there to help you ether.
Lag Factor: Well here's the thing about having huge player hubs. LAG. When in a city or non-instanced area you WILL experience Ironforge-level lag. The rest of the game is instance-based which causes NO lag at all.
Replayability: Unknown, I've only gotten to level 5, then I deleted the character and started over. The classes are the main factor in this, you can have a primary class and a secondary class. Your secondary abilities do not include the 'special ability' granted by that class. Read the website for more on that. http://www.guildwars.com
Overall: 5 of 10
I am still playing to test Guild Wars but so far it isn't bad but I don't know if I am willing to drop money into it yet.
Graphics: 8 of 10
Sound: 6 of 10
Gameplay: 5 of 10
Lag Factor: 4 of 10
Replayability: Unrated
Graphics: The landscapes and graphics for Guild Wars are very nice, I have to say it beats World of Warcraft so far. The only reason why I didn't give it a higher score is because of the 'Toon' factor. Everything looks a bit cartoony to me and some of the movements are less-than-fluid character and spellwise.
Sound: I wasn't really impressed with the sound, the only reason it got such a low score is that it's all been done and unfortunately in the gaming world the same old same old doesn't get the high score. The sound isn't bad per se but the music is less-than-desireable compared to the full scores that are World of Warcraft tracks.
Gameplay: Okay, here's the deciding factor. The classes, whereas they are apparently well rounded are confusing. It took me a while to figure out how to reposition skills and balance my mana usage. I have yet to get used to the difference in play, when you click on something you move toward it and the same goes for using skills, when you target an enemy and use a skill you run toward the enemy. I like that. This score may change as I play along but for now it is a little difficult adjusting. That's more my fault than anything but it doesn influence my scoring. Another thing that I am still dealing with is instance-based gameplay. You are basically playing a single-player game on a massive scale with Guild Wars. This has its own ups and downs depending on the player. You won't find someone randomly out there killing mobs for loot but you also won't have anyone out there to help you ether.
Lag Factor: Well here's the thing about having huge player hubs. LAG. When in a city or non-instanced area you WILL experience Ironforge-level lag. The rest of the game is instance-based which causes NO lag at all.
Replayability: Unknown, I've only gotten to level 5, then I deleted the character and started over. The classes are the main factor in this, you can have a primary class and a secondary class. Your secondary abilities do not include the 'special ability' granted by that class. Read the website for more on that. http://www.guildwars.com
Overall: 5 of 10
I am still playing to test Guild Wars but so far it isn't bad but I don't know if I am willing to drop money into it yet.
Back and still pretty.
So I took a trip to NC this weekend starting thursday so I haven't been able to drop a post but expect a few soon.
Guild Wars
Command and Conquer 3
Reverting to Starcraft
World of Warcraft: Game Over
Guild Wars
Command and Conquer 3
Reverting to Starcraft
World of Warcraft: Game Over
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
The wait is OVER! The game I have been waiting for is now out and I only await the funds to purchase said game. I can't wait to do a review, this game is way overdue. The 'tiberium' genre of Command and Conquer hasn't been visited in what? Six or Seven years? I don't remember. Look forward to a review of the game if you haven't purchased it for yourself already.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl
I am not even going to bother rating this game. It's amusing for a while but the first cutscene shows the game's age. It is several years in the making and because of that it is just piss-poor. I know that you can't always have perfect models with smooth movements and on-time voice acting but it's just blatantly obvious that they didn't even try to marry the two up. I thought we had left those days behind with the sega and the super nintendo.
Graphics: 1 Shitty
Sound: 1 Shitty
Gameplay: 4 Somewhat amusing at first but it pans out like every other FPS
Uninstall: Within 30 minutes.
I will give them a few things, the physics are good and the concept is right on but it didn't hold my interest at all.
Graphics: 1 Shitty
Sound: 1 Shitty
Gameplay: 4 Somewhat amusing at first but it pans out like every other FPS
Uninstall: Within 30 minutes.
I will give them a few things, the physics are good and the concept is right on but it didn't hold my interest at all.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Let us speak of games. (Part 2)
2.) Supreme Commander
Finally, the sequel (that isn't a sequel) finally comes to light. The original game, Total Annihilation kept myself and my friends busy for hours on end and as far as I can tell it would do the same if we didn’t all have lives now.
Story:
Humanity has broken into three factions, each wants to claim supremacy and as such the war between them has been raging almost non-stop. That may be why they call it the ‘infinite war’.
Graphics (1-10) – 10
I have to say I am impressed with the graphics of Supreme Commander, don’t be fooled by the initial view, zoom in and see what I’m talking about. The closer you get the more you can see and the better the detail.
Sound (1-10) – 6
While the sounds are sufficient and varied there are a few sounds that are repeated over and over again that get a bit annoying. However, how many sounds can you really cram into a strategy game anyway?
Gameplay (1-10) – 10
The interface is different to say the least. You don’t get a minimap as far as I have seen. You can zoom way out and see the entire map instead of having a mini-map. The AI is stellar, what the game may lack for some it definitely makes up in AI. You have to actually work to defeat them. They plan, attack, regroup and set their next plan into action without you knowing that they had a backup contingency in the mix. Before you know it you’re being bombed.
Overall: 10
Definitely a keeper, I could just be biased. One thing I am going to try soon is dual monitor support. From what I gather you can display a map and all on a secondary screen.
Multiplayer - Yes, I didn't get a chance to test it though.
Finally, the sequel (that isn't a sequel) finally comes to light. The original game, Total Annihilation kept myself and my friends busy for hours on end and as far as I can tell it would do the same if we didn’t all have lives now.
Story:
Humanity has broken into three factions, each wants to claim supremacy and as such the war between them has been raging almost non-stop. That may be why they call it the ‘infinite war’.
Graphics (1-10) – 10
I have to say I am impressed with the graphics of Supreme Commander, don’t be fooled by the initial view, zoom in and see what I’m talking about. The closer you get the more you can see and the better the detail.
Sound (1-10) – 6
While the sounds are sufficient and varied there are a few sounds that are repeated over and over again that get a bit annoying. However, how many sounds can you really cram into a strategy game anyway?
Gameplay (1-10) – 10
The interface is different to say the least. You don’t get a minimap as far as I have seen. You can zoom way out and see the entire map instead of having a mini-map. The AI is stellar, what the game may lack for some it definitely makes up in AI. You have to actually work to defeat them. They plan, attack, regroup and set their next plan into action without you knowing that they had a backup contingency in the mix. Before you know it you’re being bombed.
Overall: 10
Definitely a keeper, I could just be biased. One thing I am going to try soon is dual monitor support. From what I gather you can display a map and all on a secondary screen.
Multiplayer - Yes, I didn't get a chance to test it though.
Let us speak of games.
I've discovered two games recently that I am quite happy with. Both are blasts from my past and although I don't feel like digging through the archive I think I mentioned both of their predecessors.
1.) UFO: Afterlight
The original X-Com series was and still is one of my favorite strings of games. I will say that Terror from the Deep was a bit of a turd but it was still fun to play. The UFO series has lived up to the lofty but humble beginnings of the X-Com series. I started off playing UFO: Aftermath, then UFO: Aftershock and now UFO: Afterlight. I will say that they have all been quite inventive up to this poing and UFO: Afterlight does not disappoint.
Story:
The mars colony started by the Laputians of earth has been out of contact with earth for over fifty years. Of course some have given up hope and others have continued on. During a routine dig one of the colonists is slain by a strange ‘Mech’ of unknown origin. As the story goes on the colonists are suddenly faced with some sort of ‘gate’ that opens up and the aliens that immerge from it. The reticulans (grey aliens) that have helped you are now your allies in a battle for survival.
Graphics (1-10) – 8
The graphics are good, very smooth and detailed. When you change your gun it changes in the small model’s hands, when you change your suit your suit changes. Each person has their own skin so aside from the fact that everyone is a different color you can still tell everyone apart. Of course since this game perspective tends to prevent you from going too graphics heavy there is a lot going on all at once.
Sound (1-10) – 5
The sound effects are good but some are louder than others, a little more balance is needed when you’re trying to play early in the morning and you have someone trying to sleep through the next wall. It gets annoying trying to turn the speakers up and down to compensate for a laser blast that is a bit louder and higher pitched than the sound of a rifle going off.
Game play (1-10) - 8
I love the story line; every game further develops the lore of the alternate progression of earth. The first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with the options. You can set when the game pauses, pans the camera, or gives you alerts. Other than that the game play is great. There is a lot to manage though, so you have to be careful. Your research, production, training, resource gathering and building are done by a limited staff of people. You really have to micro-manage your people. At first the training and people management can be daunting but they provided more than enough documentation to get you started.
The only reason I gave the game play an ‘8’ is because it takes a bit of time to get yourself up and running and figure out the best way to manage your people between missions and building stations.
Overall: 9
Despite a little hurtle to get yourself over and a few problems with overly loud sounds the game is worth the purchase. Support the company, lets hope they keep producing fun games.
Multiplayer - None
1.) UFO: Afterlight
The original X-Com series was and still is one of my favorite strings of games. I will say that Terror from the Deep was a bit of a turd but it was still fun to play. The UFO series has lived up to the lofty but humble beginnings of the X-Com series. I started off playing UFO: Aftermath, then UFO: Aftershock and now UFO: Afterlight. I will say that they have all been quite inventive up to this poing and UFO: Afterlight does not disappoint.
Story:
The mars colony started by the Laputians of earth has been out of contact with earth for over fifty years. Of course some have given up hope and others have continued on. During a routine dig one of the colonists is slain by a strange ‘Mech’ of unknown origin. As the story goes on the colonists are suddenly faced with some sort of ‘gate’ that opens up and the aliens that immerge from it. The reticulans (grey aliens) that have helped you are now your allies in a battle for survival.
Graphics (1-10) – 8
The graphics are good, very smooth and detailed. When you change your gun it changes in the small model’s hands, when you change your suit your suit changes. Each person has their own skin so aside from the fact that everyone is a different color you can still tell everyone apart. Of course since this game perspective tends to prevent you from going too graphics heavy there is a lot going on all at once.
Sound (1-10) – 5
The sound effects are good but some are louder than others, a little more balance is needed when you’re trying to play early in the morning and you have someone trying to sleep through the next wall. It gets annoying trying to turn the speakers up and down to compensate for a laser blast that is a bit louder and higher pitched than the sound of a rifle going off.
Game play (1-10) - 8
I love the story line; every game further develops the lore of the alternate progression of earth. The first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with the options. You can set when the game pauses, pans the camera, or gives you alerts. Other than that the game play is great. There is a lot to manage though, so you have to be careful. Your research, production, training, resource gathering and building are done by a limited staff of people. You really have to micro-manage your people. At first the training and people management can be daunting but they provided more than enough documentation to get you started.
The only reason I gave the game play an ‘8’ is because it takes a bit of time to get yourself up and running and figure out the best way to manage your people between missions and building stations.
Overall: 9
Despite a little hurtle to get yourself over and a few problems with overly loud sounds the game is worth the purchase. Support the company, lets hope they keep producing fun games.
Multiplayer - None
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
