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?

Lost Planet 2 Demo Impressions

So the demo for Lost Planet 2 dropped last week, and let me tell you my co-op experience was fantastic. I never really played the first Lost Planet but I have heard lots of good things about it, so when firing up Lost Planet 2 it was all brand new to me.

Controls: At first (like many others I am sure) the controls felt sluggish I felt like I was not moving fast enough, and aiming felt down right tedious. A friend of mine offered a suggestion that made alot of sense to me, the armor you are wearing restricts your movement/aiming after hearing his theory and playing the game again it made perfect sense. I then found myself easily navigating the demo. Plainly put Lost Planet 2 is a game where you have to get use to the controls, because it is not your standard Third Person Shooter nor does it control like the standard FPS give it time and you will come to like it.

Looks like he needs a dose of Vitamin Bio

Graphics: Let me say the graphics for this game are amazing, My favorite moment was being down by the water and watching the grass sway and move as the giant Salamander emerged from it, or when he charged up his lightning attack and there was a gust of wind as he slammed into the ground. All around the graphics are awesome and make for a really visually pleasing experience.

Sound: Not really alot to go into as far as sound goes, but the effects of the weapons are awesome, listening to the whine of the mechs minigun as you unload into the enemy is amazing. I can't remember if there was music or not because we were too busy talking back and forth about how to deal with the boss to pay much attention to it.

Gameplay: The gameplay is amazing, there are so many ways to go about taking down the boss that it is just pure awesome. From hopping into a mech with a buddy, or launching your grappling hook into the Salamanders mouth... did I mention you can go inside of him? Imagine the worm from Gears 2 and then imagine instead of coming out the worms mouth being launched out his ass and you have the experience from inside the Salamander. Lost Planet 2 is a solid game and the co-op it probably the best I have seen since Left 4 Dead.


All together I would give the Lost Planet 2 demo 4.5 out of 5, while it is a killer demo the controls can put alot of people off to the experience which is the reason behind the 4.5 score. Still if you are looking for a solid demo to play get it... I mean it is free, and it gives you time to really peg the controls down. Here is looking forward to Lost Planet 2 around Easter.

Borderlands

Ok so unless you have been living under a rock you will have heard about this game called Borderlands. Let's start off by saying that Borderlands has come out of left field and from what I have read is shaping up to be GOTY potential; Why you might ask? Well lets start off with the basics shall we?

• Four player co-op online:Now this for me is a huge selling point because what is better than getting together with friends blasting away some aliens/raiders/puppies, gaining levels, and finding sweet loot? It is along the same vein as Diablo where the more friends you get online the harder the baddies get, but the more your rewards increase so it is a fair trade. Also each person can be a specfic class or if everyone wants to be the sniper class everyone can be, although with branching skill trees I am sure no character will be the same.

• FPS/RPG elements: We have seen this before with Fallout 3 however where Fallout 3 was lacking I think Borderlands will succede. Reading some of the preview articles it would appear that by using a specfic weapon with you character you will increase your overall skill with it sort of how on Oblivion or Morrowind that when you used a specfic weapon it would increase your skill with it, only I believe this will not level you up rather it would increase your accuracy etc. It is also cool to see that each class will have skill trees allowing each player to have a totally different character than their friends, if I am not mistaken this will be the first time we see something like this on a shooter.

• Tons o' Loot: The devs have been talking about this since day one; Randomly generated loot, which according to what has been said guns can have hundreds if not thousands of different variations making for a loot lovers best dream.

• Unique Art Style: Some people love or hate the art style that Borderlands has chosen; I for one absolutely love it, it is gritty yet at the same time has a comic feel that I think really sets it apart from everything else out there. In a sea of similar games Borderlands is the shining lighthouse.

Borderlands is set to hit store shelves October 20th of this year for the PC,360, and PS3 and I don't know about you but I plan on picking up my copy on day one. Till next time, later days!