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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Gran Turismo 5 [2010]




When I heard this game was coming out, getting a PS3 became a no-brainer for me. If you played all the previous version, then you know how much detail and depth this racing simulator has. I'm talking about Sony's Gran Turismo 5. This game has so much content and depth to it that giving it a full in depth review is almost impossible, so instead see this review as coming from someone who has put in some hours.

When you first play this game you immediately notice the amazing HD graphics. I mean the quality is photo realistic. It's easy to forget what is real and what is not. The amount of detail in the cars and the tracks alike are phenomenal. The game sounds are also done very well. The sound of the car's engine and tires really make you feel as you are there. But what really make this game shine is the physics, amount of content, and replay value. The GT team does a great job at simulating the handling of all the cars. The tracks characteristics are also done insanely well. With over 900+ cars and 50+ tracks (mostly variations of already existing ones) to race, it seems almost endless. There is a lot of diversity in races, tracks, and cars, including Le Mans style races, Drifting, and Rally races. They even threw in some NASCAR! It is indeed the most extensive racing game out there.

That being said, I do think the game does have its flaws. The game seems almost no different from the previous, but the improvements make it feel different. At times I felt disappointed because I had really high expectations. With games like NFS Shift and GRID out there, this game almost felt dated. The lack of realistic car crashes and damage just seemed lazy. Other racing games have shown that it is possible to do, but I guess the GT team felt it wasn't important enough to implement. There are also discrepancies in graphics. Cars are divided into two categories, premium and standard. The premium cars have very high detailed graphics, the standard look like they were directly ported from GT4. This makes the graphics in the game seem disjointed and disappoints me. What makes some car worthy of getting a facelift and not the other? From an efficiency stand point I understand that it may have been necessary, but from an average gamer standpoint I don't. The game also tends to have massive mandatory updates, which can also ruin the experience when wanting to just get racing already.

In all, if you can see pass these flaws the game is quite remarkable. You can tell the creators love cars plain and simple. They might not care for realistic crashes and fancy car motion effects, but they do care about the cars and the racing experience. And at the end of the day that's what racing fans really care about. The amazing amount of detail to the simulation of cars in different tracks and track conditions, and the massive array of cars make this game a must have for racing fans out there.

 
coming soon


Graphics 9/10
Sound 8/10
Gameplay 9.5/10

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

New Super Mario Bros. Wii [2009]

Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii is a 2D/3D side scroller action game. Very much more related to the original franchise than the other deviation, such as Super Mario Sunshine, and embodies the spirit of the original. It's fast pace and fun colorful stages, combined with heavy references to the previous titles, makes this a guaranteed hit among fans. I being a long time fan, surprisingly find myself not entirely pleased.

The graphics are very much like all the last 3D Mario games. What make this one stand out is the 2D orientation, taking it back to it's roots. This is a proven formula for Mario games, and where I believe it really shines. The character graphics and animations are superb. The levels are very much like the classic Mario games, but with a modern twist. This game really give long time fans plenty of references to the originals, which we gladly embrace. It also introduces new comers to what makes this franchise so successful.

The new co-op play makes this game even more enjoyable; allowing up-to 4 players simultaneously. This really gives this game a very nice element. I in particular like bouncing of my teammates head to get to hard-to-reach areas (throwing them of cliffs is pretty fun too). Sound effects and soundtrack are as good as Mario games can get, with plenty of remixes of familiar tunes. The classic layout of the controls is also great, making it really easy to pick up and play.

Overall I really enjoyed this game. I don't know if I'm being overly critical or not, but I wasn't completely happy with the game. One thing that I found disappointing was the lineup of selectable characters. It's very limited and I believe negatively affected the game. Yoshi, also, is only playable in a couple of levels. I felt like the game was a little too short, kind of gave me the feeling like it was rushed out for sales (also, where was the Mega Mushroom from the DS version?). I really hope Nintendo decides to make a sequel, and hopefully include more characters and most importantly the Mega Mushroom (hey what can I say, I got to have it).

New Super Mario Bros. Wii has a lot of highlights. However, the limited line-up, missing Mega Mushroom, and short worlds gave me the feeling of somethings missing. This ultimately prevented this title from possibly becoming the best Mario of all time! In any case, this game is filled with plenty of hours of fun, and for the long time fans, a nice walk through memory lane. This is a must have for all Wii owners, so... go get it!



Graphics 10/10
Sound 10/10
Gameplay 9/10

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Infamous [2009]




Infamous from Suckerpunch was one of those games I had to do research before buying. After all, it was a new franchise from a production company I've never heard of before. The reviews that I read were relatively positive; however, I remained skeptical. The fact that the main character can roam freely throughout this neo-city with electro power while listening to the ambient sounds of Amon Tobin is what sold me. I had to get this game, and so I did.

I have to say the graphics are awesome. For the amount of detail that the city has the graphics are great. I did experience occasional slow downs, but not by much and not in critical situations (e.g. boss fights). But what it lacked in smooth frame rate it made up in overall gameplay.

The plot is intriguing. I don't know if it's the greatest, but it definitely kept me entertained and wanting to see it through. The characters quickly grew on me; the ambient sounds and voice acting submerged me into the game, which I believe accounts for that. The fact that my actions also determined not only whether I’m a hero, anti-hero, or villain, but the city resident's reaction to me added another level of gameplay. The controls are also note worthy; allowing special moves execution to be seamless, enabling you to focus on the game.

However Infamous is not without its flaws. The side missions quickly become repetitive and somewhat annoying. They do get progressively more challenging, but the lack of variety makes you wonder if the developers ran out of ideas or if they were just plain lazy. Thankfully they are optional, but if you want to build your character it's the only way to go.

Infamous is definitely one of those games that I didn't expect much from, but ended up getting a lot more. The excellent environment and character graphics, high quality voice acting, atmospheric soundtrack, plot, and overall gameplay makes this a great game.
coming soon


Graphics 9/10
Sound 10/10
Gameplay 8.5/10

Friday, December 24, 2010

Plants vs Zombies [2009]


plants_vs_zombies_pc
ZomBies... BRaiNz... is what you hear as they are slowly approaching your lawn. Where exactly are they positioned is not initially known to you. You have a limited amount of time to think of something fast, to counter attack, before they reach your lawn. What's in your arsenal? Plants! Yes people, plants! These are no ordinary plants, some how they seem made just for the occasion. Pea-shooters, Cherry-bombs, and Kernel-pults are just a few of the crazy wacky plants that you can use to dismember the zombies before they reach your house and EAT YOUR BRAINS!


What's in the surface is an extremely fun and humorous game, but underneath lays a pretty awesome strategic game. As you get further through the game this becomes even more evident. With only a limited amount of slots to fill with your choice of weapons and defenses, and a limited amount of lawn space, your moves better count. The zombies get more inventive and consequently more harder to defeat as the game progresses. Not to mention, your plants need a certain amount of sun power in order to be put into play! Rooftops, backyards, Football zombies, Pogo zombies, and even Jack-in-the-box zombies, things quickly get really interesting. Don't be surprised if you see the familiar undead doing the thriller.

The graphics are awesome. PopCap really did a nice job in making this game fun with the 2D retro look, but able to withstand the scrutiny of the 3D gaming generation. The sounds are great as well. The music is appropriate for the gameplay, it sets the mood, and the sound effects are cool. Game mechanics is awesome. The layout is very straight forward and easy to learn. Strategically place plants throughout the lawn and watch them take on the horde of zombies. The game can get highly addictive, it has collecting and unlocking elements to it and plenty of bizarre things to do to the zombies. It isn't without flaw though. The game can get kinda repetitive at times, but PopCap manages to keep it interesting as it goes along.

With promising hours of fun and at a reasonable price this game is definitely worth buying.



Graphics 10/10
Sound 10/10
Gameplay 9/10

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Race Driver GRID [2008]



For those who don’t know already Race Driver GRID is a racing simulator developed by Codemasters. If you are familiar with Codemasters, then you have a pretty good idea of the amount of detail that this game already comes with, awesome graphics, excellent physics engine, and realistic car crashes and simulated damage.

But GRID takes it up another notch. The game adds excellent visual effects that intensify the feel of high speed racing and super realistic sounds that make you feel as if you are really there. The A.I. is pretty good too, it's behavior can vary from aggressive to technical. This adds a great element of challenge, since the computer will no longer just take your abuse; it will retaliate! If this proves to be frustrating, then you can simply changed the level of difficulty to best fit your skill level at the beginning of any race. However, keep in mind that the more difficult the settings the greater the rewards.

If you ever played Gran Turismo then you are already familiar with GRID's career mode. You race to win extra money and get better cars, unlock/qualify events, etc; however, GRID takes it even further. They attempt to simulate a real race car driver climbing up the latter in the field. So essentially you are a "real" race car driver trying to get sponsor for your races. The more races you win the more lucrative the sponsors get. This means lot’s of cash (and decals) for meeting the sponsors requirements (e.g. Castrol requirement; finish in top 3 position and you get $10,000). Selecting sponsors for certain kinds of races add strategic elements to this game. If you are pretty sure that you will not be able meet the requirement, then go for a sponsor whose requirement you are more likely to meet.

GRID is awesome, but it has its negatives. There are nowhere nearly as many cars or tracks as you would like (Gran Turismo really spoiled me with that one). And… that’s about it. Excellent graphics, reasonable A.I., high quality sounds, and superior game engine it’s really hard to say anything bad about this game. GRID is a must have for any racing game fanatic.

If you haven’t played it, then do yourself a favor and play it.



Graphics 10/10
Sound 10/10
Gameplay 9.5/10