E-MAIL THE AUTHOR
GAME ON!
By Ian Bonds
January 6th, 2005
Better Late Than Never – The Xbox 360 Edition
Well folks, I finally managed to get a hold of one. My pre-order finally came in, and I was able to get my hands on a system and review the Xbox 360 games that have been sitting here waiting to be played. By now, you’ve probably read all about many of these, but I present my take on them, as always. I actually got the system 2 weeks before the Christmas holiday, but I wasn’t able to get the reviews done due to being overworked at my day job (as well as picking up some extra cash at a second job for the holidays). In addition to the few 360 launch titles reviewed here, there are also a few other titles I just flat didn’t get to review before the holidays hit and my year-end column was due. So, presented here for those who wished it, are a few capsule reviews of a few games from last year…that I didn’t get to until now.
CONDEMNED: CRIMINAL ORIGINS – Xbox 360
From the hyper-realistic film style hi-def opening featuring FBI agents, forensics and foul play, to the first time you swat a crackhead over the noggin with a lead pipe, you know you’re in for some seriously fucked up times ahead. While investigating a murder scene from an apparent serial killer, you get jumped then blamed for the killing of two officers. You now run the streets armed with any pipe or wrench you can get your hands on (not to mention a few firearms) to find the clues to clear your name, and take down the homicidal maniac responsible.
The graphics are stark and spooky, and despite the option to sprint, most of the time you’ll want to carefully slink around the shadows, searching for hidden items and stronger melee weapons. Along the while, you have access to some CSI style forensic equipment to solve the case and find the true killer. It’s not your typical FPS, and while it may be on the short side, it’s a fine example of next gen audio and video presentation.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
PETER JACKSON’S KING KONG – Xbox, PS2, Gamecube, Xbox 360
Now this is how a game based on a film should be done. Start with the involvement of the film maker from day one, incorporate development from a top game maker (here, Peter Ansel of RAYMAN and BEYOND GOOD & EVIL fame), and start when the production of the film starts, so by the title the feature is released, the game is already done, and doesn’t seem like a rushed, cash-in.
In the case of KING KONG, all the elements fall into place to create a spectacular title. The involvement of the filmmakers (not just Peter Jackson, but much of the cast of the feature as well) edges this into epic status as the high production levels are indicated from just the first few minutes of the opening level. Lush environments, top voice talent, tight, responsive controls, and supreme audio highlight the game’s huge world, wherein you play as writer Jack Driscoll, out to save Ann Darrow from the clutches of a giant Ape in a lost prehistoric island. For most of the game, the game plays from Jack’s POV, but the elements of the title where you monkey around as Kong are certainly the bigger highlight. Serving as a companion piece to the movie makes this one of the best film-to-game translations of all time.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
CALL OF DUTY 2 – Xbox 360
This port of the PC hit should be the one game you use to show off the power of your new 360. Stunning graphics, realistic and powerful sound, and amazing control in a war-torn environment make this one eye-bleedingly gorgeous game. Movie like visuals and special effects make one feel as though they really are in the heat of battle, taking apart the Germans with precision as your fellow soldiers are taken down just feet away from you in a hail of gunfire.
As WWII shooters go, this one is the standard by which all others will be measured. Engaging, fantastic…there just aren’t enough adjectives in the English language to show how much I love this game.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE TWO THRONES – Xbox, Gamecube, PS2
Picking up where last year’s game left off, we see the Prince returning to Babylon, only to find it over run with war and destruction. The Vizier whom the Prince slew in the first game is back, now that the Sands of Time have reversed the effects of what had passed before, and is wreaking havoc once again in the Prince’s homeland. Unleashing the Sands once more, the Vizier attempts to kill the Prince, but only succeeds in unleashing a hidden personality within him, the Dark Prince, fueled by the Sands of Time.
Everything great about the first game is back, and everything bad about the second is gone, as the spectacular level design continues, and the fighting is once again honed to perfection. While the battles are not the focus of the game as in WARRIOR WITHIN, they do serve to take up a good deal of the gameplay, but now with the addition of the Quick Kill feature, they can take up much shorter amounts of time. This is especially useful when playing as the Dark Prince, as your health continually depletes as you travel through the cavernous levels or fling yourself through fights with acrobatics and the new Dragontail whip weapon. This by far is my favorite in the series, and is just a spectacular game. With enough challenge and depth to keep even the heaviest diehards involved, this was one game that was worth the year-long wait.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG – Xbox, Gamecube, PS2
After all those good games, it’s almost refreshing to see a game without as much polish. Almost. Sadly, While Shadow is an interesting character in so much as he’s just a dark version of Sonic, his game is about as interesting. Here, you take the same basic gameplay of the other 3D SONIC games (Adventure, and Heroes) and you add guns. Yes, guns. The silliest idea ever is to break up a game based on speed by having you slow down to shoot shit.
This game is marred by twitchy controls, a lackluster story, and a positively molasses feel in gameplay. I mean, seriously…guns? Sure, you can just about run by everything that’s not a boss, and you can choose different paths for Shadow to take, good, evil, or indifferent…but all in all, the game is pretty lame.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
TRUE CRIME: NEW YORK CITY – Xbox, Gamecube, PS2
When I reviewed the first of this series, TRUE CRIME: STREETS OF LA, I must admit I wasn’t very honest. I received the game the day I was to write my review, and sort of rushed through a play-through, then wrote a “first impression” review. After posting the review, a few days later, I was able to spend more time with the game, and found out that all was not as it seemed from that first impression. The game was full of bugs and glitches, and truly wasn’t the game I thought it to be. Alas, I was never able to post a retraction or correction of my favorable review.
So, when the sequel came around, imagine my chagrin when I was able to spend a good amount of time playing it, only to find it to be just as clunky, glitchy and troublesome as its predecessor. In fact, at times, it may be more so. The graphics, while accurately recreating New York, are muddled and jaggy. The control is sloppy and loose, and the camera…well, you spend more time fighting it than the perps. While the story is certainly remarkable and well written, and there is a wide variety of things to do, it’s annoying to have to cross the ENTIRE CITY just to get from the last Story Mission to the next. You’d think they could place them closer together. Then, of course, along the way you have to contend with the miscellaneous crimes that run rampant across the city, further detaining you from your ultimate goal.
Then there’s the Police AI. While they’re there to help you in certain situations, cross over to “Bad Cop” and they’re on you quicker than Tom’s engagement to Katie. The problem is, it’s far too easy to delve into “Bad Cop” territory. Due to the crummy targeting, you can often blast a cop in the face when you intend to shoot your suspect, let alone just trying to handcuff one. As you drive, your siren makes other cars get out of your way…unless you happen down the wrong way of a one way street. Then, cars head TOWARDS you, due to the switched facing on the street. Cop cars especially careen towards your speeding vehicle, and as you collide, the officer flies out his windshield…and directly under your car’s wheels. Chalk up another 20 Bad Cop points for offing a fellow boy in blue. Sometimes, just flashing your badge to stop the cops from wailing on you rather than helping you just doesn’t help, as the controls are so bad, you’re not even sure what you’ve done to incur their wrath.
What’s most annoying however, is just the simple execution of arresting a perpetrator. While chasing a suspect down the street, I dove at him in an attempt to tackle him to the ground. Unfortunately, he turned the corner into a small alcove by a building, and I wound up diving THROUGH the building itself. As I fought with the camera and stared through the top of my own head, I wondered why the developers didn’t fix these glitches, as they seemed similar, yet worse, than the ones from the last game. As I finally caught the perp (yet still wrestled for control of seeing what was happening) I stopped caring, and shut the game off, only to be repeatedly disappointed every subsequent time I turned it back on. Sadly, the story seemed good, but the gameplay mechanics and glitches galore stopped me from ever even remotely enjoying this title.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
MATRIX: PATH OF NEO – PS2, Xbox
While I enjoyed ENTER THE MARTIX, I will admit that the game seemed rushed in a desperate order to cash in on the supposed success of the film’s sequel. However, most were disappointed by the simple act that you didn’t play as the movie’s hero. Now, you can live all your Keanu dreams here as you play through every glorious action scene (and a few new ones) from the trilogy of films.
Sure, it may not be the prettiest game out there, and some of the filler missions are really rather lame, but something has to be said about kicking butt in bullet time and truly experiencing what’s it’s like to be “The One”…in gameplay terms, anyway. It’s fun and frivolous, just don’t expect a whole lot of depth. And sure, the new ending written especially for the game is kinda cool too.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
AEON FLUX – Xbox, PS2
As movie tie-ins go, however, this one suffers from the same fate that ENTER THE MATRIX does…rushed-cheap-cash-in-itis. While the heroine is certainly nice to look at, the moves don’t really flow as well as you’d expect them, and the action just seems sort of…muddled. Not much makes sense (although, what does in the universe presented by the cartoon and film?) and everything happens for what seems like no reason at all other than to have something to do in the game.
Brought to us by the same developers that did BLOODRAYNE, you’d think Aeon would be more lithe and ass-kicking…as it stands, she is just sort of passable. It actually took me a long time to decide if I was even enjoying the game or not. I would play it, and wound up feeling rather indifferent about the whole affair. Sure, there was action…but it was all sort of …blah. Kind of like the film, I hear.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
MIDWAY ARCADE TREASURES: EXTENDED PLAY – PSP
Now this is just what the PSP needed, a collection of great arcade games. Well…it needed it, if you’re one of those folks who don’t like using hacked emulators for your expensive handheld. Culling together the best titles from MIDWAY ARCADE 1 & 2, this collection garners some near arcade perfection in it’s emulations (MK3 is missing some fighters, but remains otherwise untouched) and even includes some wireless multiplayer just where you need it most…GAUNTLET and RAMPAGE. With plenty of games to choose from and nostalgia out the window, this is a must own for the portable gamer who remembers the good old days of when games were about the points, not the story.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
GAUNTLET: SEVEN SORROWS – PS2, Xbox
Well, in this day and age, even the remakes old those old games now get story. You’ll never notice it here, though, as the same great hack-and-slash action returns to form for GAUNTLET. The graphics are the best yet for the series, and the different characters (Wizard, Warrior, Elf and Valkyrie) are even playable online as well as off. The original four player co-op hackfest is back, but fans of the new school may not find it as fun as those who have a fond remembrance of the former titles. Again, a title that is a lot of fun (combos are great to unlock) but just don’t expect too much depth.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
LEGEND OF HEROES: TEARS OF VERMILLION – PSP
For the RPG fan on the go, there really isn’t much in the way of titles for the PSP…well, that is until now. LEGEND OF HEROES is a title that pure RPG fans will enjoy, but it comes with a warning. This is OLD SCHOOL RPG action here. That means turn-based attacks, slightly fractured translations, and super deformed character sprites. While it may seem strange to port such older looking graphics to a new handheld, there’s some polish afforded by the new hardware that makes the combination work. However, control with the analog stick has some serious headaches, as you run into various things along the landscape. Ported from a PSOne series in Japan, this is actually the second part of a trilogy, but you’d never know from the story. It’s a simple one at heart, but one that will keep the RPG fans happy, especially one raised on these types of games from Genesis and SNES. Plus, the save anywhere feature is really handy for gaming on the go.
One Gamer’s Opinion:
Whew, that’s the lot of them. There may be a few more waiting in the wings that I’ll sneak into later columns (or when the weeks are slow on new releases) so if there’s something that I’ve missed that you want to know about, just ask and I’ll try to get to it. In the meantime, it’s full speed ahead into the New Year with New Releases and New Consoles…well, eventually anyway. Also, my CASTLEVANIA column will FINALLY be up, just in time for the release of a CASTLEVANIA 2 PAK for GBA…and this time, I mean it. Stupid computer. Until then, dear friends…Game On!
E-MAIL THE AUTHOR |
ARCHIVES
|
