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Delight at First Light- Dawn of Discovery Reviewed
Dawn of Discovery for the Wii. Developer: Keen Games, Publisher: Ubisoft ESRB: E10
When the original SimCity was released in 1989, thousands of gamers became obsessed with building the idyllic metropolis. The success of the title spurned a steady cascade of sequels, and imitators- we’ve built medieval kingdoms, Roman empires and moonbases in subsequent years. Although there have been a number of ports to these games to consoles, the predominant format has consistently been the computer; which has had the input method, memory and CPU power to fully recreate a burgeoning municipality.
One of the best exceptions to this rule has been found in the Anno series. Anno: 1701 Dawn of Discovery for the DS proved to a hidden gem, with an intuitive control scheme, and surprising complexity. Recent Ubisoft release Dawn of Discovery forgoes part of the series moniker, but loses none of the game’s delight or charm.
Set in 1404, the aging King George looks upon his kingdom, which is being ravished by an extended drought and famine. The monarch asks his two sons, William and Edward to explore new territories to assist with the requirements of the sovereignty. Where William employs a softer, cooperative approach to cultivating the empire, Edward favors military might. While Dawn’s tale isn’t new (and makes us wonder why a game hasn’t depicted the Athens-Sparta rivalry), it is satisfying as it’s told via picturesque cut-screens and first-rate voice-over.
Players have a choice of the game’s ten-hour Story Mode, or Continuous Play. Story Mode gradually reveals the complexities of the title, as the gamer builds farms, lumber facilities, and stone quarries, on the road to self-sufficiency. Whereas previous Anno titles have presented players with a larger game map as a base of operations, Dawn of Discovery’s land masses are small to medium sized islands. The new system works well to keep to game’s zippy framerate high, and allow the gamer to concentrate on different tasks. Continuous Mode removes the rigid linearity for a enjoyable, open-ended creation experience.
Whereas most console RTS games are burdened by their input method, Discovery’s controls are quite intuitive and well planned. Players hold down the ‘A’ button on the Wiimote (or alternatively, use the stick on the Nunchuck) to scroll across the game’s world. Player can press the ‘B’ button to bring up a Halo Wars-esque building ring. The game includes a handful of handy shortcuts- players can easily copy any preexisting or structure or road. Additionally, pressing up on the control pad gives contextualized information about any unit in the world. On occasion, this data can be a bit vague- we had no idea why a shipbuilding faculty was dormant, and how many production centers are required for a processing center. Concerning taxation, the conveyed information was too unambiguous- the player is told exactly how much they can tax each resident while maintaining contentment.
Although combat is cleverly not one of the focal points of Discovery, when skirmishes do happen they are simplistic and rather unrewarding. The title’s AI largely automates warfare, which is regulated to the later chapters of the game. Armchair strategists accustomed to an intricate tech trees will be disappointed to learn that armed conflict lacks a tactical component.
Dawn of Discovery wisely avoids the photorealistic trend of sim games, to depict its islands and village in a charming cartoonish manner. The game’s vibrant colors are intelligently arranged for effortless identification, even when the game’s adjustable camera is pulled all the way out. Character portraits, both in the game’s cinematic storytelling sequences, and as icons in the main game, are well drawn and rich in personality.
With a regretfully number of strategy games on Nintendo’s console, it would be easy to recommend even a half-hearted, full priced effort. Fortunately, Dawn of Discovery comes with an unrestrained commendation – the title is amazingly polished, and quite a value for its thirty dollar MRSP. Fans of city building simulations would be recommended to seek out this Discovery.
When the original SimCity was released in 1989, thousands of gamers became obsessed with building the idyllic metropolis. The success of the title spurned a steady cascade of sequels, and imitators- we’ve built medieval kingdoms, Roman empires and moonbases in subsequent years. Although there have been a number of ports to these games to consoles, the predominant format has consistently been the computer; which has had the input method, memory and CPU power to fully recreate a burgeoning municipality.
One of the best exceptions to this rule has been found in the Anno series. Anno: 1701 Dawn of Discovery for the DS proved to a hidden gem, with an intuitive control scheme, and surprising complexity. Recent Ubisoft release Dawn of Discovery forgoes part of the series moniker, but loses none of the game’s delight or charm.
Set in 1404, the aging King George looks upon his kingdom, which is being ravished by an extended drought and famine. The monarch asks his two sons, William and Edward to explore new territories to assist with the requirements of the sovereignty. Where William employs a softer, cooperative approach to cultivating the empire, Edward favors military might. While Dawn’s tale isn’t new (and makes us wonder why a game hasn’t depicted the Athens-Sparta rivalry), it is satisfying as it’s told via picturesque cut-screens and first-rate voice-over.
Players have a choice of the game’s ten-hour Story Mode, or Continuous Play. Story Mode gradually reveals the complexities of the title, as the gamer builds farms, lumber facilities, and stone quarries, on the road to self-sufficiency. Whereas previous Anno titles have presented players with a larger game map as a base of operations, Dawn of Discovery’s land masses are small to medium sized islands. The new system works well to keep to game’s zippy framerate high, and allow the gamer to concentrate on different tasks. Continuous Mode removes the rigid linearity for a enjoyable, open-ended creation experience.
Although combat is cleverly not one of the focal points of Discovery, when skirmishes do happen they are simplistic and rather unrewarding. The title’s AI largely automates warfare, which is regulated to the later chapters of the game. Armchair strategists accustomed to an intricate tech trees will be disappointed to learn that armed conflict lacks a tactical component.
Dawn of Discovery wisely avoids the photorealistic trend of sim games, to depict its islands and village in a charming cartoonish manner. The game’s vibrant colors are intelligently arranged for effortless identification, even when the game’s adjustable camera is pulled all the way out. Character portraits, both in the game’s cinematic storytelling sequences, and as icons in the main game, are well drawn and rich in personality.
With a regretfully number of strategy games on Nintendo’s console, it would be easy to recommend even a half-hearted, full priced effort. Fortunately, Dawn of Discovery comes with an unrestrained commendation – the title is amazingly polished, and quite a value for its thirty dollar MRSP. Fans of city building simulations would be recommended to seek out this Discovery.
Digging 'Badman' is Nearly Guaranteed
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This? for the PSP. Developer: Acquire, Publisher: NIS
I often completely skip anti-hero games. Heroes are who I respect and a hero is what I want to be, even in my imagination. To an admittedly limited extent, "You are what you eat." also applies to the mind and what thoughts we entertain. At the same time, games are art. I believe in developers' right to create the games they want to create. Whether or not what they create is moral and responsible, not to mention fun, is on them. That said, any sort of morality within a game is tied to a fictional story who's purpose is either to drive gameplay, or to tell itself. For this reason, a truly fun and innovative anti-hero game can do much more good than any harm it might possibly do. Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! is a game that flips the retro Japanese RPG on its head. Now you run the dungeon. The "impertinent" heroes are your enemy. This flip of gameplay is what appeals to me, regardless of story, and the setting is actually pretty light-hearted and fun.
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This? (Yes, that's the whole title) is a dungeon simulator for the Sony PSP. While "dungeon simulator" is not a new genre, Badman combines action RPG, strategy and puzzle gameplay elements into a unique, clever and fun experience. The main story mode places you in the role of the God of Destruction and the King of Demons (aka the Overlord) is asking you to create a dungeon for him. Heroes will occasionally barge in, often in groups, and try to kidnap the King of Demons! If they successfully drag the King of Demons back to the dungeon's entrance, you lose. You'll need a veritable menagerie of monsters to subdue them.
Badman's gameplay is surprisingly complex considering how simply the interface, adding to its retro feel. As the God of Destruction, it seems all you can do is destroy. (Makes sense, right?) You are given a pickaxe as a cursor with which you must carve narrow corridors from blocks of soil using limited "dig power". This will be your dungeon. The soil blocks contain different amounts of nutrients and mana. As you destroy blocks, depending on the nutrients and mana contents, you'll spawn monsters. This is how you begin creating your dungeons ecosystem, which is the core of Badman's gameplay. You have no direct control over the monsters. You can only create, power up and destroy them. Some roam freely, while the most simple monsters continue until they hit a block, then turn.
Using the natural intake and excretion of weak and simple "slime mosses", you must redistribute amass enough nutrients in blocks to create more powerful monsters. After you create a few types of monsters you will find they not only feed on each other, but they reproduce and even power each other up. When heroes enter (and they will enter often) you must place where the King of Demons will stand. Your monsters will automatically attack heroes in sight. The heroes differ in class, level and abilities and certain monsters are stronger or weaker compared to certain heroes. When a hero uses magic, or when you successfully kill a hero, mana will leave their body and become embedded in nearby soil blocks. Destroying these blocks releases "spirits" which are the mana equivalent to the nutrient spreading slime mosses. Monsters can be created from nutrients, mana or, in the case of demons, nutrients followed by mana. The various types of monsters can also be leveled up using remaining dig power at the end of each stage of story mode. The games ecosystem is brilliant and while its core concept is simple it quickly creates complex situations as you expand your monstrous army. There's more than what I've mentioned waiting for you, such as reanimating the skeletons of deceased heroes to fight for you.
Understanding of the monsters' ecosystem, the individual behaviors of monsters and when to level them up, and how to structure your dungeon to best utilize these factors is key to succeeding in Badman. The training mode features 8 training stages, followed by several challenge stages. I highly recommend completing the training as well as a few challenge stages before playing much story mode. I spent far too long failing on stage 5 of story mode before I realized, tight, short corridors are the best way to make a dungeon. Long corridors with spacious rooms is a terrible breeding ground, as the monsters will spend too much time apart and spread nutrients and mana too thin. I was already enjoying Badman, but once I learned this, my enjoyment was greatly amplified. Especially since when you fail story mode, you are given your score and must start over from stage one, much like an old arcade-style action game. While I am a retro game fan and can handle this, others may be less patient. Luckily, the game is deep enough to allow for many different strategies and approaches. The extra challenge stages in the training mode give you an objective to complete within a certain time period (i.e. Create this many of this type of monster in this amount of time.) and are a welcome diversion when you need a break from story mode.
Badman's retro aesthetic, and simple but cute and catchy soundtrack, harken back to the days of the NES and Super NES with Japanese RPGs like Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. The games characters, monsters and environments almost look like a pixelated pop-up story book. This makes for a charming and attractive setting that manages to not go stale despite simplicity. The localization to English is excellent with a clever sense of humor from the King of Demon's comments to the almanac's names and descriptions of monsters and characters. These traits significantly soften the villainy and makes the game suitable for children and more fun for "goody two-shoes" like me. Adding to the fresh appearance and complex gameplay is the immense number of monsters, not to mention characters and effects, that can moving and acting on-screen at once with no noticeable slowdown.
Badman features a surprisingly robust story mode, a helpful training mode with extra challenge stages, an entertaining almanac, and an edit mode where you can design a party for your friends to battle. I would have liked more depth and features in the edit mode but the fact an edit mode is even included is nice. NIS recently announced Badman would be available as a PlayStation Network downloadable release instead of a retail UMD. This means you can easily snag the game for only $19.99 USD which I feel is definitely worth the price. Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! is a must for fans of action RPGs, action/puzzle games, unconventional strategy games, and anyone looking for something innovative done right. Please support this great game to encourage NIS to localize the sequel, which is already out in Japan.
Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This? (Yes, that's the whole title) is a dungeon simulator for the Sony PSP. While "dungeon simulator" is not a new genre, Badman combines action RPG, strategy and puzzle gameplay elements into a unique, clever and fun experience. The main story mode places you in the role of the God of Destruction and the King of Demons (aka the Overlord) is asking you to create a dungeon for him. Heroes will occasionally barge in, often in groups, and try to kidnap the King of Demons! If they successfully drag the King of Demons back to the dungeon's entrance, you lose. You'll need a veritable menagerie of monsters to subdue them.
Badman's gameplay is surprisingly complex considering how simply the interface, adding to its retro feel. As the God of Destruction, it seems all you can do is destroy. (Makes sense, right?) You are given a pickaxe as a cursor with which you must carve narrow corridors from blocks of soil using limited "dig power". This will be your dungeon. The soil blocks contain different amounts of nutrients and mana. As you destroy blocks, depending on the nutrients and mana contents, you'll spawn monsters. This is how you begin creating your dungeons ecosystem, which is the core of Badman's gameplay. You have no direct control over the monsters. You can only create, power up and destroy them. Some roam freely, while the most simple monsters continue until they hit a block, then turn.
Using the natural intake and excretion of weak and simple "slime mosses", you must redistribute amass enough nutrients in blocks to create more powerful monsters. After you create a few types of monsters you will find they not only feed on each other, but they reproduce and even power each other up. When heroes enter (and they will enter often) you must place where the King of Demons will stand. Your monsters will automatically attack heroes in sight. The heroes differ in class, level and abilities and certain monsters are stronger or weaker compared to certain heroes. When a hero uses magic, or when you successfully kill a hero, mana will leave their body and become embedded in nearby soil blocks. Destroying these blocks releases "spirits" which are the mana equivalent to the nutrient spreading slime mosses. Monsters can be created from nutrients, mana or, in the case of demons, nutrients followed by mana. The various types of monsters can also be leveled up using remaining dig power at the end of each stage of story mode. The games ecosystem is brilliant and while its core concept is simple it quickly creates complex situations as you expand your monstrous army. There's more than what I've mentioned waiting for you, such as reanimating the skeletons of deceased heroes to fight for you.
Understanding of the monsters' ecosystem, the individual behaviors of monsters and when to level them up, and how to structure your dungeon to best utilize these factors is key to succeeding in Badman. The training mode features 8 training stages, followed by several challenge stages. I highly recommend completing the training as well as a few challenge stages before playing much story mode. I spent far too long failing on stage 5 of story mode before I realized, tight, short corridors are the best way to make a dungeon. Long corridors with spacious rooms is a terrible breeding ground, as the monsters will spend too much time apart and spread nutrients and mana too thin. I was already enjoying Badman, but once I learned this, my enjoyment was greatly amplified. Especially since when you fail story mode, you are given your score and must start over from stage one, much like an old arcade-style action game. While I am a retro game fan and can handle this, others may be less patient. Luckily, the game is deep enough to allow for many different strategies and approaches. The extra challenge stages in the training mode give you an objective to complete within a certain time period (i.e. Create this many of this type of monster in this amount of time.) and are a welcome diversion when you need a break from story mode.
Badman's retro aesthetic, and simple but cute and catchy soundtrack, harken back to the days of the NES and Super NES with Japanese RPGs like Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy. The games characters, monsters and environments almost look like a pixelated pop-up story book. This makes for a charming and attractive setting that manages to not go stale despite simplicity. The localization to English is excellent with a clever sense of humor from the King of Demon's comments to the almanac's names and descriptions of monsters and characters. These traits significantly soften the villainy and makes the game suitable for children and more fun for "goody two-shoes" like me. Adding to the fresh appearance and complex gameplay is the immense number of monsters, not to mention characters and effects, that can moving and acting on-screen at once with no noticeable slowdown.
Badman features a surprisingly robust story mode, a helpful training mode with extra challenge stages, an entertaining almanac, and an edit mode where you can design a party for your friends to battle. I would have liked more depth and features in the edit mode but the fact an edit mode is even included is nice. NIS recently announced Badman would be available as a PlayStation Network downloadable release instead of a retail UMD. This means you can easily snag the game for only $19.99 USD which I feel is definitely worth the price. Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! is a must for fans of action RPGs, action/puzzle games, unconventional strategy games, and anyone looking for something innovative done right. Please support this great game to encourage NIS to localize the sequel, which is already out in Japan.
Counterpart Kart - MySims Racing Reviewed
MySims Racing for the Nintendo Wii. Developer: A2M, Publisher: Electronic Arts ESRB: E
With entries that feature drivers as varied as M&M’s and the impish Cocoto crew, there is no shortage of kart racers on the Wii. Unquestionably, the benchmark for the ubiquitous genre is the Mario Kart series, a seventeen-year old franchise that has received a significant amount of critical and commercial acclaim. The series isn’t known for radical innovation- each subsequent offering from Nintendo displays a gentle refinement to the model of miniaturized cars and drivers along with simplified racing mechanics.
The latest challenger for the kart-racing crown emanates from Artificial Mind and Movement, the developer behind the upcoming shooter WET. MySims Racing’s distinction is the title’s myriad of customization options; players can create their own avatar and vehicles using the game’s deep design system. Although many of these options are merely cosmetic, MySims allows players to improve their car’s performance in several ways, adding a bit of depth to the proceedings.
The title’s story mode delivers a collection of challenges via an expanding map, allowing players to befriend Sims in an effort to expand the MySim garage. The game conveniently doesn’t force racers to accept trials in any particular order, meaning players can empower a car to overcome a difficult challenge. Those anxious for a traditional race against the computer or other players, may jump directly into a contest from the main menu.
Unlike a majority of Wii games that forsake some of the Wii’s input methods, MySims Racing generously allows players to choose from a variety on control schemes. The title’s Wiimote, Gamecube, and Classic Controller option work impeccably, while the game’s Wiimote-only method inexplicably requires the device to be held on its side. The game’s driving model is splendidly complex, requiring players to master drifts, jumps, and vehicular combat for success.
Notably absent from MySims Racing is any kind of online multiplayer experience. While the game does have an admirable, split-screen, local component for up to four players, gamers accustomed to the net-play matchups found in Mario Kart Wii may be disappointed by the exclusion. The only other caveat with the title is the lack of selectable difficulty levels. While the game’s colorful and cartoonish graphics may be a beacon for younger gamers, the title’s difficulty may cause a bit of frustration with the under-eight crowd.
Graphically, MySims Racing is capable to exhibiting an impressive sense of speed when player is using the boost, or after being launched from one of the turbo pads that are scattered liberally across the game’s tracks. Although the tracks lack intricate visual sophistication, they are all vibrantly colored, and display a variety of themes, from a dusty old west track, to a shady bayou. The title’s single player framerate is habitually fluid in the single-player game, only dropping briefly when a crowd of opponents surrounds the player. Split screen multiplayer games reduce the overall refresh rate, although the game always manages a functional performance.
While Mario Kart Wii still reigns as the console’s kart racing champ, with its gratifying single and multiplayer options, MySims Racer takes a respectable second place in the genre. Players who have exhausted the energy from Nintendo’s diversion may want to consider adding MySims to their library- especially if they are looking for a racing game that can support a trio or quartet of players, simultaneously.
With entries that feature drivers as varied as M&M’s and the impish Cocoto crew, there is no shortage of kart racers on the Wii. Unquestionably, the benchmark for the ubiquitous genre is the Mario Kart series, a seventeen-year old franchise that has received a significant amount of critical and commercial acclaim. The series isn’t known for radical innovation- each subsequent offering from Nintendo displays a gentle refinement to the model of miniaturized cars and drivers along with simplified racing mechanics.
The latest challenger for the kart-racing crown emanates from Artificial Mind and Movement, the developer behind the upcoming shooter WET. MySims Racing’s distinction is the title’s myriad of customization options; players can create their own avatar and vehicles using the game’s deep design system. Although many of these options are merely cosmetic, MySims allows players to improve their car’s performance in several ways, adding a bit of depth to the proceedings.
The title’s story mode delivers a collection of challenges via an expanding map, allowing players to befriend Sims in an effort to expand the MySim garage. The game conveniently doesn’t force racers to accept trials in any particular order, meaning players can empower a car to overcome a difficult challenge. Those anxious for a traditional race against the computer or other players, may jump directly into a contest from the main menu.
Unlike a majority of Wii games that forsake some of the Wii’s input methods, MySims Racing generously allows players to choose from a variety on control schemes. The title’s Wiimote, Gamecube, and Classic Controller option work impeccably, while the game’s Wiimote-only method inexplicably requires the device to be held on its side. The game’s driving model is splendidly complex, requiring players to master drifts, jumps, and vehicular combat for success.
Notably absent from MySims Racing is any kind of online multiplayer experience. While the game does have an admirable, split-screen, local component for up to four players, gamers accustomed to the net-play matchups found in Mario Kart Wii may be disappointed by the exclusion. The only other caveat with the title is the lack of selectable difficulty levels. While the game’s colorful and cartoonish graphics may be a beacon for younger gamers, the title’s difficulty may cause a bit of frustration with the under-eight crowd.
Graphically, MySims Racing is capable to exhibiting an impressive sense of speed when player is using the boost, or after being launched from one of the turbo pads that are scattered liberally across the game’s tracks. Although the tracks lack intricate visual sophistication, they are all vibrantly colored, and display a variety of themes, from a dusty old west track, to a shady bayou. The title’s single player framerate is habitually fluid in the single-player game, only dropping briefly when a crowd of opponents surrounds the player. Split screen multiplayer games reduce the overall refresh rate, although the game always manages a functional performance.
While Mario Kart Wii still reigns as the console’s kart racing champ, with its gratifying single and multiplayer options, MySims Racer takes a respectable second place in the genre. Players who have exhausted the energy from Nintendo’s diversion may want to consider adding MySims to their library- especially if they are looking for a racing game that can support a trio or quartet of players, simultaneously.
Cavalry of Two- Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood Reviewed
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood for the 360/PS3. Developer: Techland, Publisher: Ubisoft ESRB: M
With a scant three titles over the last two console generations, the old west has been an underrepresented environment in gaming. Cinematic interpretations of the setting have focused on rapid gunplay, tense showdowns, and sweeping vistas, creating a presumably idyllic context for the pastime. Developer Techland awkwardly mined the cowboy mythos for 2007’s Call of Juarez. While many enjoyed the title’s first-person shooting elements, the game’s stealth missions and object manipulation puzzles felt woefully forced.
Fortunately, the recently released prequel Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood largely omits those superfluous elements, wisely focusing on Wild West gunplay. In this pursuit, the game often becomes steeped in linearity, feeling as antiquated as an old, dusty stagecoach. Enjoyment emanates from slaughtering an enemy posse in the streets of a sandy pueblo, but revisiting staged set-pieces and the repetition of brotherly banter detracts from these pleasures. The first respite from the game’s preset pathways doesn’t appear until the sixth chapter of the game, offering a handful of exhilarating open-world sub-missions. It’s a shame that a recurrent, screen-blanking, glitch robbed this section of its verve, forcing a retreat to an earlier save point.
The game gives players a choice between two protagonists- Ray McCall, the dual wielding heavyweight, and his agile brother Thomas, the rope wrangler. At the start of most missions, players select from one of the siblings, while the CPU controls the other, recalling the single player games of Army of Two and Resident Evil 5. Both brothers utilize a generous regenerative health system; successful players will learn to use the game’s functional cover system, and stay close to their kin. Enemy A.I. in Juarez isn’t exceptionally nimble or clever, but foes can be frustratingly accurate when throwing explosives.
Chapters are punctuated by a toughened boss character, who after dispensing a few words, engages the player in a climatic showdown. The gamer is required to keep the wandering gunslinger in their sights by adjusting the left stick, while simultaneous using the right stick to keep their virtual hand ready for a quick pull of the pistol. Once the menacing high-noon bell sounds, players must move quickly to upholster their sidearm, and pull the right trigger when a crosshair is highlighted over the foe. When executed skillfully, the showdown effectively culminates the level. However, when the event is handled incompetently, the player must retry the confrontation until success.
The first Juarez introduced concentration mode- allowing the protagonist to eliminate a screen full of opponents in a single, slow-motion burst. The ability is enabled for a short period when the player guns down a string of adversaries. However, it can be extremely frustrating to lose the advantage when the clock runs out during an unskippable cinematic. The benefit is often missed during gun battles, as Juarez's animation system doesn’t convey mortal wounds effectively. Players can enigmatically shoot a foe several times before they crumple lifelessly, or kill with a single bullet.
Juarez supports a host of multiplayer options with five main game types that cover the requisite deathmatch, and team deathmatch options, as well as objective based missions. Players may use money collected in matches to unlock additional character classes; while Juarez lacks Call of Duty 4’s elaborate development system, it’s variety of occupations transcends the conventional multiplayer variations. Before the retail release of the game, servers were as desolate as a ghost town, with only a handful of opponents online. With a minimal populace, the competitive diversions ran lag-free. Hopefully, that experience will persist past the game’s release.
The fourth iteration of Techland’s game engine renders the game’s open landscapes and interiors proficiently, only sputtering infrequently for split-second mid-level loads. Juarez’s lighting is superb, showing a large range from overexposed, desert suns, to dimly lit caves. Enemies can be realistically obscured in shadowy nooks, adding a remarkable variation to the FPS gameplay. The game’s spaghetti-western music complements the action superbly, with languid guitar strums and a signature solitary trumpet. Ray and Thomas’s dialog is spoken admirably; although there’s a slight disconnect between the actors, as if the voice-overs were recorded independently.
A player’s appreciation of Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is dependent upon their admiration for the Western genre. Fans yearning for an interactive interpretation of Sergio Leone’s work, will likely love the title. FPS aficionados indifferent to the pistolero film may still find Juarez to be an enjoyable game, thanks to the titles multiplayer diversions.
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.
With a scant three titles over the last two console generations, the old west has been an underrepresented environment in gaming. Cinematic interpretations of the setting have focused on rapid gunplay, tense showdowns, and sweeping vistas, creating a presumably idyllic context for the pastime. Developer Techland awkwardly mined the cowboy mythos for 2007’s Call of Juarez. While many enjoyed the title’s first-person shooting elements, the game’s stealth missions and object manipulation puzzles felt woefully forced.
Fortunately, the recently released prequel Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood largely omits those superfluous elements, wisely focusing on Wild West gunplay. In this pursuit, the game often becomes steeped in linearity, feeling as antiquated as an old, dusty stagecoach. Enjoyment emanates from slaughtering an enemy posse in the streets of a sandy pueblo, but revisiting staged set-pieces and the repetition of brotherly banter detracts from these pleasures. The first respite from the game’s preset pathways doesn’t appear until the sixth chapter of the game, offering a handful of exhilarating open-world sub-missions. It’s a shame that a recurrent, screen-blanking, glitch robbed this section of its verve, forcing a retreat to an earlier save point.
The game gives players a choice between two protagonists- Ray McCall, the dual wielding heavyweight, and his agile brother Thomas, the rope wrangler. At the start of most missions, players select from one of the siblings, while the CPU controls the other, recalling the single player games of Army of Two and Resident Evil 5. Both brothers utilize a generous regenerative health system; successful players will learn to use the game’s functional cover system, and stay close to their kin. Enemy A.I. in Juarez isn’t exceptionally nimble or clever, but foes can be frustratingly accurate when throwing explosives.
Chapters are punctuated by a toughened boss character, who after dispensing a few words, engages the player in a climatic showdown. The gamer is required to keep the wandering gunslinger in their sights by adjusting the left stick, while simultaneous using the right stick to keep their virtual hand ready for a quick pull of the pistol. Once the menacing high-noon bell sounds, players must move quickly to upholster their sidearm, and pull the right trigger when a crosshair is highlighted over the foe. When executed skillfully, the showdown effectively culminates the level. However, when the event is handled incompetently, the player must retry the confrontation until success.
The first Juarez introduced concentration mode- allowing the protagonist to eliminate a screen full of opponents in a single, slow-motion burst. The ability is enabled for a short period when the player guns down a string of adversaries. However, it can be extremely frustrating to lose the advantage when the clock runs out during an unskippable cinematic. The benefit is often missed during gun battles, as Juarez's animation system doesn’t convey mortal wounds effectively. Players can enigmatically shoot a foe several times before they crumple lifelessly, or kill with a single bullet.
Juarez supports a host of multiplayer options with five main game types that cover the requisite deathmatch, and team deathmatch options, as well as objective based missions. Players may use money collected in matches to unlock additional character classes; while Juarez lacks Call of Duty 4’s elaborate development system, it’s variety of occupations transcends the conventional multiplayer variations. Before the retail release of the game, servers were as desolate as a ghost town, with only a handful of opponents online. With a minimal populace, the competitive diversions ran lag-free. Hopefully, that experience will persist past the game’s release.
The fourth iteration of Techland’s game engine renders the game’s open landscapes and interiors proficiently, only sputtering infrequently for split-second mid-level loads. Juarez’s lighting is superb, showing a large range from overexposed, desert suns, to dimly lit caves. Enemies can be realistically obscured in shadowy nooks, adding a remarkable variation to the FPS gameplay. The game’s spaghetti-western music complements the action superbly, with languid guitar strums and a signature solitary trumpet. Ray and Thomas’s dialog is spoken admirably; although there’s a slight disconnect between the actors, as if the voice-overs were recorded independently.
A player’s appreciation of Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is dependent upon their admiration for the Western genre. Fans yearning for an interactive interpretation of Sergio Leone’s work, will likely love the title. FPS aficionados indifferent to the pistolero film may still find Juarez to be an enjoyable game, thanks to the titles multiplayer diversions.
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.
New Releases 6/28-7/4: Red, White, and BlazBlue Edition
Just after a week after those 'robots in disguise' began their assault on our consoles, a conspicuous teen wizard and a prolific pack of creatures from the glacial age make the transition to interactive entertainment. We're thinking that brothers Ray and Thomas McCall from Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood will cross mediums, reinvigorating both the game adaptation and the Hollywood western. That's is, unless the nefarious Uwe Boll gets his hands on the script.
360
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Infernal: Hell's Vengeance
PS3
BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Wii
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Roogoo Twisted Towers
PS2
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
DS
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Mega Man Star Force 3 Black Ace
Mega Man Star Force 3 Red Joker
Roogoo Attack!
Treasure World
PSP
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament
PC
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
FUEL
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Trine
DesertEagle's Pick: While Battle Fantasia didn't quite capture the sybaritic charms of the Guilty Gear games, BlazBlue is a purported return to form. Now that the SF IV audiences are dwindling, this title may be a summer refuge for fighting fans. Western fans may want to check out Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. Just be sure to stick it out until the game's second act- the game improves markedly.
TideGear's Pick: Though I'm a Guilty Gear fan, I'm going to wait for the inevitable upgrade version or versions that BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger is bound to receive as Guilty Gear has. Steambot Chronicles: Battle Tournament left me a bit cold at E3 but hopefully the final version will change my mind. I'm also looking forward to the new Roogoogames as well as Mega Man Star Force 3 Black Ace but my pick this week is Trine! It reminds me of LittleBigPlanet with an emphasis on gameplay over customization.
SeanNOLA's Pick: I'm a sucker for a good western, so I'm pretty psyched for Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. I let the first CoJ game pass me by, and I really regret that - I'm hoping that Bound in Blood will be a solid stand-alone title, otherwise I will have to go discount bin diving to get the whole experience.
Eagle Eye- Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Reviewed
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the 360 & PS3. Developer: Tiburon, Publisher: EA ESRB: E
Pity the lead developers working on the Tiger Woods series. Their responsibility is to improve upon an already admirable franchise that has been carefully refined for over a decade. While gamers typically have an extended laundry list of gripes for the yearly incarnations of hockey, basketball, baseball and football, the catalog of improvements for Tiger and company is amazing brief. Perhaps, that’s why beyond the alternate-universe of Hot Shots Golf, the PGA Tour series lacks serious competition.
It’s also means that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 doesn’t offer any radical changes from last year’s game. While there are a handful of small tweaks to the short game and the title’s already splendid visuals, it also seems that that the law of diminishing returns is starting to exert its decree upon the game.
In keeping with the functionality of the last few years of the PGA series, Tiger Woods contains two methods for hitting the ball. The ‘triple click’ simplifies swings by requiring players to tap a button once to initiate a swing, then again to set power, and a last press to measure accuracy. The second method uses the left analog stick to mimic a golf swing- players push down for a windup, and release by quickly pressing forward. Hook and slice are integrated by any variation from the vertical axis. Any lateral movement by the player will be included into the shots trajectory, and show via a handy graphic. Last year’s game seemed to favor the button pushers over the analog swing; the deliberate speed of the sequence allowed for inequitable proficiency. Now, the game has been tweaked to eliminate the advantage.
Tiger’s putting system has almost always had an even split between and proponents and critics. With the title’s ‘precision putting’ system, the title should win over a few more advocates. Forgoing the requirements for multiple putters, the game now gives player a handy power recommendation via a vertical meter. The new system wisely refocuses the reading the green rather than the percentages of putt distance. Within a few games we were constantly draining short-range shots on Tiger’s sixteen courses.
The series has always presented lush fairways, bushy roughs, and finely textured sand traps, but succumbed to the occasional framerate hitch. Now, hole fly-bys are buttery smooth, and border on the photorealistic. As a whole, Tiger Woods 10’s graphic engine seems to have been given a gentle renovation which has facilitated a general sense of fluidity and precision within the title. Character models skillfully display angst after a flubbed putt, or controlled exuberance after a particularly skillful shot. Our visual qualms centered on the simplistic looking divots, and a post-drive camera angle that looked skyward, giving little visual information on its exactitude. Audience members still seem to applaud in robotic unison, a quirk that isn’t unique to the Tiger Woods series.
While it’s clear that Electronic Arts has an interest in making residuals through downloadable content, a course creator would be a wonderful addition to the game. Far Cry 2’s, multiplayer map editor showed how versatile an environmental editor could be- why couldn’t something like this be implemented into Tiger Woods? Little Big Planet shows that users will still pay for professionally developed content, even when a steady supply of self-created material exists.
Short of a course editor, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is about as comprehensive and polished as a golf game can get. While owners of last year’s game may not feel the compulsion to buy this year’s entry, anyone else with the slightest interest toward golf should give the game a try. You’ll likely find that Tiger performs as well on the virtual links as he does in the real ones.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.
Pity the lead developers working on the Tiger Woods series. Their responsibility is to improve upon an already admirable franchise that has been carefully refined for over a decade. While gamers typically have an extended laundry list of gripes for the yearly incarnations of hockey, basketball, baseball and football, the catalog of improvements for Tiger and company is amazing brief. Perhaps, that’s why beyond the alternate-universe of Hot Shots Golf, the PGA Tour series lacks serious competition.
It’s also means that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 doesn’t offer any radical changes from last year’s game. While there are a handful of small tweaks to the short game and the title’s already splendid visuals, it also seems that that the law of diminishing returns is starting to exert its decree upon the game.
In keeping with the functionality of the last few years of the PGA series, Tiger Woods contains two methods for hitting the ball. The ‘triple click’ simplifies swings by requiring players to tap a button once to initiate a swing, then again to set power, and a last press to measure accuracy. The second method uses the left analog stick to mimic a golf swing- players push down for a windup, and release by quickly pressing forward. Hook and slice are integrated by any variation from the vertical axis. Any lateral movement by the player will be included into the shots trajectory, and show via a handy graphic. Last year’s game seemed to favor the button pushers over the analog swing; the deliberate speed of the sequence allowed for inequitable proficiency. Now, the game has been tweaked to eliminate the advantage.
Tiger’s putting system has almost always had an even split between and proponents and critics. With the title’s ‘precision putting’ system, the title should win over a few more advocates. Forgoing the requirements for multiple putters, the game now gives player a handy power recommendation via a vertical meter. The new system wisely refocuses the reading the green rather than the percentages of putt distance. Within a few games we were constantly draining short-range shots on Tiger’s sixteen courses.
The series has always presented lush fairways, bushy roughs, and finely textured sand traps, but succumbed to the occasional framerate hitch. Now, hole fly-bys are buttery smooth, and border on the photorealistic. As a whole, Tiger Woods 10’s graphic engine seems to have been given a gentle renovation which has facilitated a general sense of fluidity and precision within the title. Character models skillfully display angst after a flubbed putt, or controlled exuberance after a particularly skillful shot. Our visual qualms centered on the simplistic looking divots, and a post-drive camera angle that looked skyward, giving little visual information on its exactitude. Audience members still seem to applaud in robotic unison, a quirk that isn’t unique to the Tiger Woods series.
While it’s clear that Electronic Arts has an interest in making residuals through downloadable content, a course creator would be a wonderful addition to the game. Far Cry 2’s, multiplayer map editor showed how versatile an environmental editor could be- why couldn’t something like this be implemented into Tiger Woods? Little Big Planet shows that users will still pay for professionally developed content, even when a steady supply of self-created material exists.
Short of a course editor, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is about as comprehensive and polished as a golf game can get. While owners of last year’s game may not feel the compulsion to buy this year’s entry, anyone else with the slightest interest toward golf should give the game a try. You’ll likely find that Tiger performs as well on the virtual links as he does in the real ones.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.
Reign and Thunder- Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires Reviewed
Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires for the 360/PS3. Developer: Omega Force, Publisher: Koei ESRB: T
One wonders if Omega Force, the developer of the Dynasty Warriors franchise suspected that their game would live up to its moniker. With a reign spanning twelve years and nearly fifty titles in the U.S., we imagine that only Hironobu Sakaguchi has displayed less accidental foresight in the naming of his classic RPG. While critics have assailed the developer for making nominal changes throughout the series, the franchise has developed a cult-like following among a select group of gamers, who methodically purchase each new retelling of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
By having a reliable fan base accustomed to negligible variation, gamers could assume the latest entry, Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires, would offer a modest variation from the existing formula. The validity of that assumption is likely dependant on how enthusiastic the player is toward the series. DW aficionados will perceive a host of subtle changes, while outsiders will probably scratch their heads in mild bewilderment.
Players assume the role of either an influential ruler or a commanding officer. High-ranking rulers manage the weighty decisions in an effort to occupy a group of providences, under the hopes of a unified China. Officers play more of an influential role, as the player accepts assignments, or mercenary missions, that are used to increase the soldier’s abilities. The spoils of war include money and gems, which are employed to bolster the player’s weapons and abilities in a RPG-like manner.
Once the heavy strategizing is completed, gamers can immerse themselves in the familiar hack and slash gameplay that has become a trademark of the series. Typically, players will clear the initial area of enemies, before being fervently directed to an impeding skirmish via a flashing signal on the player map. Players employ the use of normal and powerful attacks, tapping out combos to annihilate throngs of foes, who all conveniently display a red heath bar above their heads. While most grunts willingly await moral castigation, lieutenants and bosses will offer the gamer an energetic challenge. While many have remarked on the repetitive nature of Dynasty Warriors combat, others find it strangely cathartic.
Likewise, players may find the menu-based tactics, and the weapon-wielding gameplay to be wholly incongruent. Although the contrast never coagulated throughout several campaigns, each element of DW6E’s gameplay offered a functional reprieve from the other. After playing this game, it would be difficult to acclimatize to the minimalism of the basic Dynasty Warrior model.
Graphically, the game presents the same eccentric universe it always has, albeit in high-definition. Carefully modeled warriors who effortlessly slice though hundreds of opponents, still cannot hurdle the occasional low fence, although they can now descend down a mountainside. While the game maintains a steady framerate which falters only when a colossal amount of fighters are on-screen, visual purists will notice the game’s abundant pop-in. The title also contains a character customization mode, although it allows for a limited amount of development. Gamers can take solace in the incorporation of attractive cards that host special abilities for the player. Overall, player and weapon models are delightfully rich, and evoke a sense of time and location far more than the generic westernized voices ever could.
Those that have been intimidated by critical condemnation of the Dynasty Warriors series should give Empires an extended trial. Although the game is not for everyone, there’s a cunning hook created by the amalgam of tactical planning and mindless crusades seeping with hypnotic ferocity. Regretfully, those who take little pleasure in Dynasty Warriors’ mechanics will likely find little gratification here.
Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.
One wonders if Omega Force, the developer of the Dynasty Warriors franchise suspected that their game would live up to its moniker. With a reign spanning twelve years and nearly fifty titles in the U.S., we imagine that only Hironobu Sakaguchi has displayed less accidental foresight in the naming of his classic RPG. While critics have assailed the developer for making nominal changes throughout the series, the franchise has developed a cult-like following among a select group of gamers, who methodically purchase each new retelling of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
By having a reliable fan base accustomed to negligible variation, gamers could assume the latest entry, Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires, would offer a modest variation from the existing formula. The validity of that assumption is likely dependant on how enthusiastic the player is toward the series. DW aficionados will perceive a host of subtle changes, while outsiders will probably scratch their heads in mild bewilderment.
Players assume the role of either an influential ruler or a commanding officer. High-ranking rulers manage the weighty decisions in an effort to occupy a group of providences, under the hopes of a unified China. Officers play more of an influential role, as the player accepts assignments, or mercenary missions, that are used to increase the soldier’s abilities. The spoils of war include money and gems, which are employed to bolster the player’s weapons and abilities in a RPG-like manner.
Once the heavy strategizing is completed, gamers can immerse themselves in the familiar hack and slash gameplay that has become a trademark of the series. Typically, players will clear the initial area of enemies, before being fervently directed to an impeding skirmish via a flashing signal on the player map. Players employ the use of normal and powerful attacks, tapping out combos to annihilate throngs of foes, who all conveniently display a red heath bar above their heads. While most grunts willingly await moral castigation, lieutenants and bosses will offer the gamer an energetic challenge. While many have remarked on the repetitive nature of Dynasty Warriors combat, others find it strangely cathartic.
Likewise, players may find the menu-based tactics, and the weapon-wielding gameplay to be wholly incongruent. Although the contrast never coagulated throughout several campaigns, each element of DW6E’s gameplay offered a functional reprieve from the other. After playing this game, it would be difficult to acclimatize to the minimalism of the basic Dynasty Warrior model.
Graphically, the game presents the same eccentric universe it always has, albeit in high-definition. Carefully modeled warriors who effortlessly slice though hundreds of opponents, still cannot hurdle the occasional low fence, although they can now descend down a mountainside. While the game maintains a steady framerate which falters only when a colossal amount of fighters are on-screen, visual purists will notice the game’s abundant pop-in. The title also contains a character customization mode, although it allows for a limited amount of development. Gamers can take solace in the incorporation of attractive cards that host special abilities for the player. Overall, player and weapon models are delightfully rich, and evoke a sense of time and location far more than the generic westernized voices ever could.
Those that have been intimidated by critical condemnation of the Dynasty Warriors series should give Empires an extended trial. Although the game is not for everyone, there’s a cunning hook created by the amalgam of tactical planning and mindless crusades seeping with hypnotic ferocity. Regretfully, those who take little pleasure in Dynasty Warriors’ mechanics will likely find little gratification here.
Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.
Convincingly Commendable-The Conduit Reviewed
The Conduit for the Nintendo Wii. Developer: High-Voltage Software, Publisher: Sega ESRB: T
Over the past two and a half years, the Wii has seen countless pet simulations, a marching band replication, and a single, capable, first-person shooter. While Red Steel, Call of Duty 3, and Far Cry: Vengeance have all attempted to capture the visceral intensity of the genre onto Nintendo’s console, only Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has been triumphant. Evidently, the primary element in determining the efficaciousness of a Wii shooter is the control method, which has continued to confound third-party developers.
Much of the success of High Voltage Software’s The Conduit emanates from the flexibility of the game’s input method. The recently released Wii title allows players to adjust an unprecedented amount of control options. Players can alter the size of the game’s ‘dead zone’- the ominously named area in the center of the screen where players aim at foes, without altering the perspective of the game. Once players move outside the region, the game will tilt or pan in the direction of the crosshairs. Sensitivity can be attuned as well, permitting the camera to move in quick snaps, or deliberate drifts. Additionally, player’s can revise the title’s HUD, creating a view that is as uncluttered or edifying as the player desires.
Regrettably, that amount of adaptability isn’t integrated into The Conduit’s execution. The title presents a scant five enemies for players to engage, each showing a modicum of intelligence. Foes will irrationally mill around open the environment, occasionally taking cover. Upping the difficulty level doesn’t improve opponents’ astuteness, but merely adds more power to their amount of ballistic power. Your surroundings shift from narrow hallways to larger airy arenas, although The Conduit pushes the player down a predetermined path. Yet, despite these misgivings, the title remains remarkably enjoyable. Firefights may lack strategic complexity, but they continue to be gratifying throughout the title’s six hour campaign, and well into the multiplayer realm.
Forgoing the requirement of exasperating friend codes, The Conduit allows player to jump right into a fracas with up to twelve other players. Players insistent on challenging acquaintances or utilizing the Wii Speak support will be the only ones burdened by Nintendo’s antiquated methods, making multiplayer matches instantly accessible and sufficiently occupied with players. Conduits supports three main multiplayer types: Free for All, Team Reaper, and Team Objective, with a handful of variations for each genre, allowing for an ample amount of online diversions. Games were relatively lag-free, even during matches with a maximum number of participants; ideally the net-code won’t falter as additional gamers purchase the title.
Visually, The Conduit is consistently impressive, and displays an array of effects uncommonly seen on Nintendo’s console. From the translucent image projected by the game's All Seeing Eye, to the colorful plasma effects displayed by some of the more exotic weapons, the title pushes the Wii hardware. The Conduit’s framerate is reliably steady, only allowing for minute hitches during moments of intense action.
For nearly two years, Wii owners have suffered the aching absence of a viable first person shooter. The Conduit delightfully fills that void with a wonderfully customizable interface that will, ideally, become an industry exemplar. While its single player campaign is both linear and regrettably fleeting, it still offers a potent experience that is nearly without rival on Nintendo’s console. The title’s online component is amply varied, allowing gamers to enjoy some of the best fragging found on the Wii.
Over the past two and a half years, the Wii has seen countless pet simulations, a marching band replication, and a single, capable, first-person shooter. While Red Steel, Call of Duty 3, and Far Cry: Vengeance have all attempted to capture the visceral intensity of the genre onto Nintendo’s console, only Metroid Prime 3: Corruption has been triumphant. Evidently, the primary element in determining the efficaciousness of a Wii shooter is the control method, which has continued to confound third-party developers.
Much of the success of High Voltage Software’s The Conduit emanates from the flexibility of the game’s input method. The recently released Wii title allows players to adjust an unprecedented amount of control options. Players can alter the size of the game’s ‘dead zone’- the ominously named area in the center of the screen where players aim at foes, without altering the perspective of the game. Once players move outside the region, the game will tilt or pan in the direction of the crosshairs. Sensitivity can be attuned as well, permitting the camera to move in quick snaps, or deliberate drifts. Additionally, player’s can revise the title’s HUD, creating a view that is as uncluttered or edifying as the player desires.
Regrettably, that amount of adaptability isn’t integrated into The Conduit’s execution. The title presents a scant five enemies for players to engage, each showing a modicum of intelligence. Foes will irrationally mill around open the environment, occasionally taking cover. Upping the difficulty level doesn’t improve opponents’ astuteness, but merely adds more power to their amount of ballistic power. Your surroundings shift from narrow hallways to larger airy arenas, although The Conduit pushes the player down a predetermined path. Yet, despite these misgivings, the title remains remarkably enjoyable. Firefights may lack strategic complexity, but they continue to be gratifying throughout the title’s six hour campaign, and well into the multiplayer realm.
Forgoing the requirement of exasperating friend codes, The Conduit allows player to jump right into a fracas with up to twelve other players. Players insistent on challenging acquaintances or utilizing the Wii Speak support will be the only ones burdened by Nintendo’s antiquated methods, making multiplayer matches instantly accessible and sufficiently occupied with players. Conduits supports three main multiplayer types: Free for All, Team Reaper, and Team Objective, with a handful of variations for each genre, allowing for an ample amount of online diversions. Games were relatively lag-free, even during matches with a maximum number of participants; ideally the net-code won’t falter as additional gamers purchase the title.
For nearly two years, Wii owners have suffered the aching absence of a viable first person shooter. The Conduit delightfully fills that void with a wonderfully customizable interface that will, ideally, become an industry exemplar. While its single player campaign is both linear and regrettably fleeting, it still offers a potent experience that is nearly without rival on Nintendo’s console. The title’s online component is amply varied, allowing gamers to enjoy some of the best fragging found on the Wii.
A State of Disequilibrium- Vertigo Reviewed
Vertigo for the Nintendo Wii. Developer: Icon Games, Publisher: Playlogic ESRB: E
Many veteran gamers acquired their initial mastery of ball rolling from a modest wooden toy. The simple diversion challenged players to roll a steel ball through a labyrinth littered with drain wells. The entire board rested on two pivots, which players carefully adjusted to influence the balls trajectory. Years later, this pastime was digitally recreated in the form of Super Monkey Ball. Whereas the analog toy presented a single maze, Sega’s videogame offered over ninety levels of increasing difficulty. The title found critical and commercial success, and quickly became ubiquitous thanks to ports to a majority of home consoles, and the more powerful cell phones.
The title has spurned a few imitators from Marble Blast Ultra on the Xbox Live Arcade, to the recently released, Vertigo. The Nintendo Wii title delineates itself from Sega’s popular diversion in two distinct ways. First, players control the title’s sphere, rather than the entire maze, which would seem to simplify the title’s control mechanic. Secondly, players may use the Wii Balance Board, the oft-forsaken peripheral included with WiiFit.
Whether the gamer chooses the Vertigo’s arcade, career, or practice mode, the goal of the game is the same- to navigate a ball through a treacherously elevated course filled with ramps, tunnels, and perilous edges. Variations incorporate time limits and collectables within the game’s 54 tracks, and two multiplayer diversions. Additionally, players can customize their spheres, which the game refers to as “Xorbs.”
Complete control over these globes can be accomplished with the balance board. However, I suspect people of average dexterity will experience difficulty navigating a level with this method. Merely completing the title’s first stage, exceeds the difficulty of the most trying WiiFit’s challenge. Instead, players will likely opt for using the balance board to control forward and back motion, as they use the directional pad on the Wiimote to spin the camera.
Gamers uninterested in using the peripheral for control, can still navigate the game using the Wiimote. With a handy ring around the orb, the player is given immediate feedback on the ball’s direction of momentum. Unfortunately, Vertigo’s camera is extraordinarily passive, requiring the gamer to use either the directional pad or nunchuck to obtain an optimal viewing perspective. While levels are composed to tubes and rails that supportively constrain player movement, there are the occasional sharp drops-offs. While level display portions of fluidity, mid-level teleporters and obscured platforms detract from the title’s sense of gracefulness.
Sadly, Vertigo is graphically inferior to the two year old Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz. Lacking the 60 frame-per-second vibrancy, and containing a decidedly medium-resolution texture work, Vertigo relies on a handful of environmental variations to remain visually stimulating. Losing an ball off the side of the track leads to a monochromatic explosion. After the detonation, the xorb’s shadow inexplicably remains as a indicator of the precision that went into the game’s graphical engine.
While Xorb Bowling should have provided an amusing reprieve from Vertigo’s maze mechanic, the mini-game is marred by uninspired coding. The diversion crashed on multiple instances, requiring an AC-adapter pulling reset. When the contest was working, it errantly referred to a second throw that missed a pin as a “gutterball”, despite the ball staying on the main surface. The remaining two multiplayer activities were a bit uninspired, but at least they proved be be stable.
While Vertigo lacks the programming polish and graphical richness of Super Money Ball: Banana Blitz, the title’s limitations are counterbalanced by a twenty dollar MSRP. Players seeking an inexpensive method to derive additional enjoyment from their WiiFit Balance Boards are the most likely to find contentment in Vertigo.
Many veteran gamers acquired their initial mastery of ball rolling from a modest wooden toy. The simple diversion challenged players to roll a steel ball through a labyrinth littered with drain wells. The entire board rested on two pivots, which players carefully adjusted to influence the balls trajectory. Years later, this pastime was digitally recreated in the form of Super Monkey Ball. Whereas the analog toy presented a single maze, Sega’s videogame offered over ninety levels of increasing difficulty. The title found critical and commercial success, and quickly became ubiquitous thanks to ports to a majority of home consoles, and the more powerful cell phones.
The title has spurned a few imitators from Marble Blast Ultra on the Xbox Live Arcade, to the recently released, Vertigo. The Nintendo Wii title delineates itself from Sega’s popular diversion in two distinct ways. First, players control the title’s sphere, rather than the entire maze, which would seem to simplify the title’s control mechanic. Secondly, players may use the Wii Balance Board, the oft-forsaken peripheral included with WiiFit.
Whether the gamer chooses the Vertigo’s arcade, career, or practice mode, the goal of the game is the same- to navigate a ball through a treacherously elevated course filled with ramps, tunnels, and perilous edges. Variations incorporate time limits and collectables within the game’s 54 tracks, and two multiplayer diversions. Additionally, players can customize their spheres, which the game refers to as “Xorbs.”
Complete control over these globes can be accomplished with the balance board. However, I suspect people of average dexterity will experience difficulty navigating a level with this method. Merely completing the title’s first stage, exceeds the difficulty of the most trying WiiFit’s challenge. Instead, players will likely opt for using the balance board to control forward and back motion, as they use the directional pad on the Wiimote to spin the camera.
Gamers uninterested in using the peripheral for control, can still navigate the game using the Wiimote. With a handy ring around the orb, the player is given immediate feedback on the ball’s direction of momentum. Unfortunately, Vertigo’s camera is extraordinarily passive, requiring the gamer to use either the directional pad or nunchuck to obtain an optimal viewing perspective. While levels are composed to tubes and rails that supportively constrain player movement, there are the occasional sharp drops-offs. While level display portions of fluidity, mid-level teleporters and obscured platforms detract from the title’s sense of gracefulness.
Sadly, Vertigo is graphically inferior to the two year old Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz. Lacking the 60 frame-per-second vibrancy, and containing a decidedly medium-resolution texture work, Vertigo relies on a handful of environmental variations to remain visually stimulating. Losing an ball off the side of the track leads to a monochromatic explosion. After the detonation, the xorb’s shadow inexplicably remains as a indicator of the precision that went into the game’s graphical engine.
While Xorb Bowling should have provided an amusing reprieve from Vertigo’s maze mechanic, the mini-game is marred by uninspired coding. The diversion crashed on multiple instances, requiring an AC-adapter pulling reset. When the contest was working, it errantly referred to a second throw that missed a pin as a “gutterball”, despite the ball staying on the main surface. The remaining two multiplayer activities were a bit uninspired, but at least they proved be be stable.
While Vertigo lacks the programming polish and graphical richness of Super Money Ball: Banana Blitz, the title’s limitations are counterbalanced by a twenty dollar MSRP. Players seeking an inexpensive method to derive additional enjoyment from their WiiFit Balance Boards are the most likely to find contentment in Vertigo.
Order on the Court- Virtua Tennis 2009 Reviewed
Virtua Tennis 2009 for the 360/PS3. Developer: Sumo Digital, Publisher: Sega. ESRB: E
If the Virtua Tennis series were a serve, it would contain a reliable windup, followed by a safe toss, culminating in a potent strike that would confidently clear the net. There would be neither an ostentatious display of skill nor any breathtaking display of speed, but rather an assured and reliable delivery. While the game showed a fantastic capacity as a sports title upon its release on the Dreamcast in 2000, the series has evolved little, comfortably growing in smaller increments with each subsequent season.
That’s not to say that Sega’s latest release of the franchise is a bad game. With its incorporation of wacky mini-games, Virtua Tennis 2009 might be the best all-around tennis game on the market. The title’s prudent trajectory has resulted in a game that is enjoyable, although not markedly different enough from its predecessor to make the game a compulsory purchase for clay-court fans.
The game’s activities, mechanics, and multiplayer options closely follow Virtua Tennis 3, Sega’s 2007 entry into the tennis sim realm. Sure, they are a handful of advantageous tweaks. Trying to hit a ball on the fringes outskirts of the player’s racquet range meant the virtual athlete was locked into a perilous dive animation. Now, your avatar merely stumbles, lessening the disadvantage. The functionality of drop shots, lobs, and slices has increased remarkably, especially when playing against human competition.
Since 2002, the series has included a slew of consummate mini-games that complements the on-court action capably. While these diversions serve to reduce the monotony of continuous matches, they also serve as a way for players to power-up their character in one of three disciplines. Favorites included Pot Shot, a game of pool on steroids, and Block-Buster, which has players eliminating giant color-coded bricks. Sadly, extended load times sap a bit of the activities whimsical charm. Since most of these endeavors feature a minimal amount of assets, the waiting time is nearly inexplicable.
Although the game’s often predictable A.I. opponents offer a modicum of challenge, VT 2009 comes alive when facing either local or online adversaries. Player can take their characters online for either a tournament or a ranked match, typical facing a swarm of bizarrely attired challengers, experiencing a match nearly liberated of lag. Since minigames are playable online or send information to online leaderboards, having a console connected to the internet is a prerequisite to fully enjoy Virtua Tennis.
Graphically, VT 2009 offers moments of high-definition sheen spoiled by occasional moments that imply the title’s Dreamcast heritage. Court venues may lack real-world licensing, but they are sufficiently detailed, realistically lit, and once the player climbs in ranking, tournaments are densely populated. While players can look peculiar in character portraits, on-court they are effectively animated. The series has always had expertly motion-captured athletes, and the dynamic movement in VT 2009 sustains this legacy. It’s a shame a few visual shortcuts undermine the game’s sharp visual richness; background trees are clearly single texture maps, while linesmen move in an unrealistic, synchronous manner.
For aficionados of the sport that don’t have a copy of VT3 in their library, Virtua Tennis 2009 is an agreeable pastime. It’s selection of mini-games offer variation from the main pursuit, while the title’s multiplayer competitions are the wholly enjoyable. Like a contestant eliminated from the final rounds at Wimbledon, we hope next year’s iteration of the game returns with a commitment to supremacy.
Virtua Tennis 2009 was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.
If the Virtua Tennis series were a serve, it would contain a reliable windup, followed by a safe toss, culminating in a potent strike that would confidently clear the net. There would be neither an ostentatious display of skill nor any breathtaking display of speed, but rather an assured and reliable delivery. While the game showed a fantastic capacity as a sports title upon its release on the Dreamcast in 2000, the series has evolved little, comfortably growing in smaller increments with each subsequent season.
That’s not to say that Sega’s latest release of the franchise is a bad game. With its incorporation of wacky mini-games, Virtua Tennis 2009 might be the best all-around tennis game on the market. The title’s prudent trajectory has resulted in a game that is enjoyable, although not markedly different enough from its predecessor to make the game a compulsory purchase for clay-court fans.
The game’s activities, mechanics, and multiplayer options closely follow Virtua Tennis 3, Sega’s 2007 entry into the tennis sim realm. Sure, they are a handful of advantageous tweaks. Trying to hit a ball on the fringes outskirts of the player’s racquet range meant the virtual athlete was locked into a perilous dive animation. Now, your avatar merely stumbles, lessening the disadvantage. The functionality of drop shots, lobs, and slices has increased remarkably, especially when playing against human competition.
Since 2002, the series has included a slew of consummate mini-games that complements the on-court action capably. While these diversions serve to reduce the monotony of continuous matches, they also serve as a way for players to power-up their character in one of three disciplines. Favorites included Pot Shot, a game of pool on steroids, and Block-Buster, which has players eliminating giant color-coded bricks. Sadly, extended load times sap a bit of the activities whimsical charm. Since most of these endeavors feature a minimal amount of assets, the waiting time is nearly inexplicable.
Although the game’s often predictable A.I. opponents offer a modicum of challenge, VT 2009 comes alive when facing either local or online adversaries. Player can take their characters online for either a tournament or a ranked match, typical facing a swarm of bizarrely attired challengers, experiencing a match nearly liberated of lag. Since minigames are playable online or send information to online leaderboards, having a console connected to the internet is a prerequisite to fully enjoy Virtua Tennis.
Graphically, VT 2009 offers moments of high-definition sheen spoiled by occasional moments that imply the title’s Dreamcast heritage. Court venues may lack real-world licensing, but they are sufficiently detailed, realistically lit, and once the player climbs in ranking, tournaments are densely populated. While players can look peculiar in character portraits, on-court they are effectively animated. The series has always had expertly motion-captured athletes, and the dynamic movement in VT 2009 sustains this legacy. It’s a shame a few visual shortcuts undermine the game’s sharp visual richness; background trees are clearly single texture maps, while linesmen move in an unrealistic, synchronous manner.
For aficionados of the sport that don’t have a copy of VT3 in their library, Virtua Tennis 2009 is an agreeable pastime. It’s selection of mini-games offer variation from the main pursuit, while the title’s multiplayer competitions are the wholly enjoyable. Like a contestant eliminated from the final rounds at Wimbledon, we hope next year’s iteration of the game returns with a commitment to supremacy.
Virtua Tennis 2009 was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.