Review - Just Cause 2

Well it has been awhile since I have updated... been really busy sorting out the new house and everything, but fear true believers I am back and have a fresh review this week for Just Cause 2.


Let me start by saying I never played the first Just Cause, and in fact the Demo for Just Cause 2 was pretty meh in my book, but coming across 50 bucks from work and having many friends rave about how much fun they were having I decided to take the plunge and pick up the game; I have to say I am glad I made that decision, and came to the conclusion that the demo did absolutely no justice for the full game as it throws players in without showing them the really cool things they can do and without letting the players get a feel for the controls.

• Story

The game once again puts us in the shoes of Rico Rodriguez international man of mystery... and well chaos. You find yourself tracking down your former superior Tom Sheldon who has gone rogue on the island of Panau and it is your job to take him out. Well to prevent spoilers I won't go further than that, and to be honest I have not gotten too far into the game yet to give any spoilers, so far I have clocked 13 hrs into the game and have only completed about 13% of the game.

Did I mention how massive the game world is? No? Well here is a map of Panau and let me be honest for a Sandbox game this is huge.

• Gameplay

Here is the real strength with Just Cause 2, you are able to go anywhere right after completing the tutorial missions, and to be honest you have alot of places to choose from, the game world is massive filled with snowy mountains, all the way to sandy deserts, and dense jungles. I found myself toying around quite a bit getting familar with the different controls, trying out things and pretty much playing around. There are lots of things to do as well, from freeing towns by destroying government property and collecting upgrades, to completeing challenge races, or just screwing around exploring the island. Be careful though the more chaos you cause increases your heat level and will draw the attention of the island military, but really they are no problem for the great Rico Suave. Be forewarned however this is a sandbox game, and as many of us know with any sandbox game comes some form of repeativness and Just Cause 2 is no exception you will find yourself completeing various missions that are laid out almost identical; For instance when playing the missions where you are taking over the stronghold it is the same task everytime you do it, escort a technician to the terminal so he can hack it and take over the base. Oh yes I almost forgot their are escort missions and yes they can be frustrating as the AI tends to love being killed.

• Sound

The sound effects are pretty good, you can hear bullets whiz past your head, and I am sure on surround sound the explosions must be spectacular. The music is also pretty good, nothing really stand out but decent enough to not really get on your nerves.

• Graphics

What can I say, Just Cause 2 features some of the best graphics I have seen in awhile, the world is absolutely beautiful, and I never noticed any slowdowns due to graphics.

• Controls

Here is where I have a problem, not necessarily with the controls in general but with how stiff they feel. You will really notice how stiff it feels with driving a vehicle or flying a plane, however on foot I didn't really notice any issue with the controls other than it feeling a little slower than I like.



So there you have it my two cents on Just Cause 2. It's a really fun game with flaws that so far I have been able to overcome and have enjoyed my time in the shoes of Rico. I gave Just Cause 2 3.5 out of 5 it's a really fun game with lots of stuff to do, but stiff controls and repetitiveness might turn some people off.

REVIEW: Army of Two the 40th Day (XBOX360)

Whew haven't updated the blog in quite some time due to changing work schedule, but never fear I am back and coming back at you with a review for Army of Two the 40th Day.

Story:

For those not familiar with the first Army of Two your are put into the shoes of either Salem or Rios two badass mercs who are out to make some money but somehow always find themselves in unfortunate situations. This go around we find them in Shanghai in what should be an easy mission that quickly turns into an all out battle for survival.

Gameplay:

Gameplay has made a vast improvement from the first game, and alot of the elements I found tedious from the first have been removed from the game or have been tightened to be easier to perform. There also have been a few new tricks added to the mix such as taking an officer hostage and have your partner tie up his cronies, or performing a mock surrender while your buddy lines up his shot from his rifle. The only thing that returned that I hated in the first game is the back to back areas while it might seem epic to be fighting with your buddy watching your back spinning around killing countless enemies I just found the back to back thing very tedious and at times extremely cheap.

The game itself is a co-op blast as anyone can guess the entire experience was built from the ground up with co-op in mind and it really shows. I played the entire game co-op with my wife and we have had a blast figuring out how to take down various enemies or planning out or strategies for getting past an area and to me this is co-op at its best.

Controls:

The controls are decent however I did notice at first they seemed very clunky but after a bit of gameplay they seemed really solid and I found myself running and diving for cover quite easily.


Sound:

The sound effects are pretty good. From bullets whizzing past your head or explosions going off around you everything sounded solid, however the background music is decent but not something really remarkable.

Multiplayer:

Tried out the multiplayer a few times and it is really fun if you can find a game without lag. Bascially out of the box if you did not preorder you are given a few game modes: Co-op Deathmatch (2v2v2v2) Warzone (4v4 competing to complete objectives) and Control (4v4 taking over points on the map. I enjoyed the co-op deathmatch the best so far as it pits you and a partner vs others and the teamwork can be nothing short of amazing. If you were smart enough to preorder you get exculsive access to Extraction which is pretty much a Gears of War style horde mode.

So altogether Army of Two the 40th Day is a very solid game to play with a friend, and the multiplayer modes provide a little extra to do when the story mode gets old. With clunky controls at the start but solid gameplay throughout the game I give Army of Two the 40th Day a 4 out of 5.

Baragin Bin Bio - Dead Space

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past year or so you will have heard of Dead Space, a third person survival horror published by EA that dare I say... is good?

Now I am one of those people who did not buy this game outright for 60 bucks when it was released nor did I purchase it when it dropped to around 20 bucks. I waited until this bad boy hit 17.99 and I almost feel bad for how much of a steal it was for this game.

• STORY:Your are placed in the role of a space engineer by the name of Issac Clarke who with the other members of his crew is sent on a mission to answer the distress call from the Ishimura the largest planet cracker of its class. Upon arriving on the Ishimura it becomes painfully clear that this is no ordinary distress call and you quickly find yourself separated from your crew and fighting for dear life against a horde of monsters known as "Necromorphs". Let me start by saying the story is solid and fits perfectly with the overall mood of the game, and fans of any Sci-Fi horror movies will find themselves right at home in the creepy metallic hallways of the Ishimura.

• GRAPHICS: Wow is all I can really say. The graphics for Dead Space are some of the best I have seen on the 360 to date, and mind you at the time of reviewing this Dead Space is a little over a year old. The first time I was really blown away was being in a room when a quarantine hit and this yellow caution light flashes around the room leaving creepy shadows and for me brought memories from the Aliens movie.

• SOUND: Everything from the gun fire, to the eerie noises the Necromorphs make this game pulls it off. The music is downright creepy and always leaves you uneasy when things are quiet. Like I said before fans of Sci-Fi horror will find themselves right at home here.

• GAMEPLAY: This I have to admit playing the demo left doubt in my mind how good this game really was, and I have to say having played the full version my doubt was unfounded. The full game offers better controls and explains all the controls to the player right from the start. Combat is downright intense and you will find yourself having to quickly react to each situation, lucky for us killing the Necros is not a matter of emptying X amount of bullets into their rotten torsos but rather strategically dismembering them is the key to killing of the beasts. Also unique to any game is the HUD system, Dead Space lets go of the normal HUD and replaces it all by stuff displayed on either your character or the weapon you are carrying; The only downside to this is your inventory menu/map does not pause the game so if you are in the middle of a battle I advise against going into these menus as well as menus of the store because you can and will be attacked.

Dead Space is a solid game to add to any library and with the 17.99 price tag at Gamestop you really can't go wrong. I give 5 out of 5 for having a fantastic story, easy to use controls, and for bringing something new to the survival horror genre.

Borderlands 360 Review

So it has been awhile since I updated hasn't it? Well I have been sick, but I also wanted to complete Borderlands before giving the game a review so I could bring to the table the complete game experience, I also did not rush through the game so I could get a good feel for the world of Pandora.

• STORY: Now if you were hoping that Borderlands had a gripping story line that keeps you on the edge of your seat, you may want to start looking elsewhere. The story for Borderlands is pretty simplistic, it places you in the role of one of 4 Vault hunters Lilith(Siren), Mordecai(Hunter), Roland(Soldier), and Brick (Tank) who are start of the game are told by a mysterious Lady that the Vault is real and to begin the long journey to find it. To be honest that is the story in the nut shell, there is no real branching out but that is fine considering Borderlands is a game similar to Diablo in which it is a constant quest to find better loot. My only complaint not really with the story but with the rushed feeling later game, I would get into more detail but this review shall remain spoiler free.

• SOUND: The game features one of the best opening pieces I have heard in a game in awhile it is called "Ain't no rest for the wicked" by Cage the Elephant, and the timing in what I guess you would call the opening cinematic is down right awesome. The actual game music is pretty cool and really picks up with battle themes and over world themes.

• GRAPHICS: Gearbox took a real gamble with the art style on the game, and for some it is a real hit or miss; In my opinion though I really don't think they could have pulled off the game using any other style, it just looks amazing and gives the world character. The only real peeve I have with the graphics is that none of the play characters have facial animations which bugs me.

• GAMEPLAY: Ok so you take a FPS and mix it with some RPG elements and you pretty much get Borderlands. Other games have tried to form a marriage of these two genres only to fail miserably in execution, Borderlands however did not fail in its execution. The shooter elements are top notch and stand toe to toe with other FPS games out there such as CoD of Halo, and the RPG elements are good enough to attract both RPG fiends without pushing casual gamers away. So you like using a sniper rifle? Keep using it and the more you kill the better you get with it giving you bonuses to accuracy etc. The total execution of Borderlands is flawless.

• MULTIPLAYER: Ok so I am not grading on multiplayer but felt it needed it's own section in my review. Multiplayer can be played a number of ways 2 player splitscreen (No online or system link support for this yet) 4 Players via live, and system link. I played the entire game splitscreen with my wife and the experience was very enjoyable a rivals the times we have had with Left 4 Dead, and Resident Evil 5. It should be noted that the more people you get in the game the harder the enemies get but the loot they drop gets better as well. Finding a game is easy over live with Matchmaking, but in my opinion Borderlands is a game best played with friends.
  

Overall I give Borderlands a 4.5 out of 5. I would have said 5 out of 5 but the rushed feeling of the game later on just leaves me thinking there could have been more. If you are looking for a game to add to your collection, or a present for a loved one this Holiday season I highly recommend Borderlands.

Left 4 Dead 2 Demo early to preorders?

Well if you are one of the many people I game with online you know how much I love Left 4 Dead, and you probably know that I am super excited for Left 4 Dead 2.

So anyway the other day Valve confirmed that the Left 4 Dead DLC Crash Course will be dropping on the 29th which is very cool, also they announced the demo for Left 4 Dead 2 will be dropping October the 27th. Now here is where things get hazy; I was doing some searching and came across a tidbit that mentioned the 27th date is the day people who preordered will be able to download the demo, the rest will probably have to wait a few days before getting their rotting hands on it.

Stay tuned here for more news as I find it.

Till next time loyal readers.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 XBOX 360 Review

Well it's been awhile since I have update this blog but its a good one this time I promise you.

So earlier this week on Tuesday the 15th Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 released in the US, now I don't know about other people but this was an anticipated game for me, I loved the first one and was eager to see what improvements they would make with the second, and trust me they have made vast improvements over the first.

• Story: So our SuperHero saga begins during the events of Nick Fury's Secret War story line, and sees are heros performing a mission in Latevaria to unseat Lucia Von Bardas and leave their castle in rubble. The first mission is for all intensive purposes a training tutorial teaching you the basics such as character swapping, fusions, powers, and leveling your heros. The first act is basically the events leading up the Superhuman Registration Act which labels Heros as weapons of mass destruction, and makes all Heros reveal their secret identity to the government, which all Heros oppose at the current time, however due to actions by the New Warriors during their reality TV show the Act is passed in Congress and all heros are required to register. Here is where it gets interesting there are still heros opposed to the Act mainly Captain America who is approached by S.H.I.E.L.D to head up the act which he refuses escaping custody and becoming the leader for the Anti Registration movement, while Ironman heads up the Pro Registration forces. I won't go too much into the story but I will say it is solid and will not leave you bored.

• Gameplay: If you have played the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance then you will be right at home with the controls, however I have to say that the controls feel alot smoother then they did before but it could just be my imagination. The Hero selection this go around is less than the original however I think it was a wise decision in the first there were Heros I would never touch because either I didn't like them, or their powers were useless, the latter is no longer an issue because gone are the multiple powers that you could level up instead each button is assigned a power right out of the box, and you are free to level up whichever you choose... I know what you are thinking limited choice right? Well normally I would say yes but if you played the first you remember how many useless powers there were, this is not the case in MUA2 the powers feel natural and some are just funny to watch for example the Hulk has a dash attack where he tackles the enemy and proceeds to smash their face in. Fusions a new addition to the game are absolutely brilliant each hero can preform a fusion with another hero these range from a variety of styles some more flashy then others but equally as deadly to your opponents, my favorite so far as been Storm and Gambit, Storm will create a tornado and Gambit throws kinetically charged cards into it creating a whirlwind of destruction to sucks up anything in its path. Altogether the gameplay is a vast improvement over the first.

• Graphics: All I can say is the graphics and environments are a huge improvement over the first, the lighting, backgrounds, everything just looks ten times better than the first, the powers all look nice. Not much else to say about it other than it looks really good.

• Sound: Not sure if this was an issue to anyone else but the first MUA had the most annoying soundtrack that made going back through levels almost painful, I didn't find that here, the soundtrack was nice and really fit the mood of the game. The sound effects are also all very nice from explosions, to the maniac laugh of the Green Goblin it is all good. Also the voice acting seems to be loads better and even some lines are based on what side of the civil war you are on for example playing through on Anti Reg as the Hulk he said "Puny humans say register... Hulk say SMASH!!" what really made this line stand out to me is I was doing the tackle move on a S.H.I.E.L.D capekiller at the time and it made me lol.

"Puny humans say register... Hulk say SMASH!!"

• Multiplayer: If you liked the multiplayer on the first you will like the second, it features drop in and drop out, and if I am not mistaken you will be able to play splitscreen online. The only downfall of the multiplayer is the camera is shared by all players, which may not be a bad thing since teamwork is really necessary to pull off the fusions.

So basically I would say this is a very good game with the story lasting about 8-10 hrs with lots of replay options I would say this is a good buy for anyone looking for a good beat em up or one of the best Marvel experiences to date on the console. I give this game a 4 out of 5 because the camera angle is kind of annoying but past that this is a solid game.

Left 4 Dead 2 New Special Infected

Ok so anyone who knows me, knows I am psyched for L4D2 so any news I found out about it makes me salivate profusely.

Looking around the net I found info on the new special infected that will be revealed at PAX this year is the Jockey, in case you were wondering a Journalist wrote Valve who did in fact confirm the Jockey's existence.

The Jockey changes up the ball game big time his ability is to pounce on the back of a survivor (similar to hunter?) and start ripping them apart... but it doesn't stop there once he is on the back of a survivor he can steer them... yes you heard correctly he will be able to control their movement... I can only imagine the sweet chaos that will happen in Left 4 Dead 2 versus now.

So far Valve has really changed the entire Dynamic of Left 4 Dead 2, now gone are the days when we would huddle in a closet meleeing the hordes away the Spitter has seen to that as well as the fatigue meter from using melee attacks, the charger will see to it that groups of tight knit survivors will be split up, and the Jockey seems like a deadlier version of the hunter. I enjoy the changes that Valve has made so far as it really pushes teamwork to a whole new level as we will have to develop our strategies on the fly.

So what are your thoughts on the changes being made by Valve, or on the new Special Infected that have been added to the game?