Mercenaries 2 World in Flames - Review

I must admint, I was excited about the hype for the second installment of the game. Having played Merc's on the orginal Xbox to the end, I was looking forward to re-living my life as a merc on the XBOX 360 console.

Story: -- Pretty simple story, you are 1 of 3 merc's, who will work for anyone with money in Venezuela. You are then double crossed, and now you seek vengence, see simple

Visuals: -- These aren't the best that they can be, but they are still pretty decent. The landscape is impressive.

Sound: -- Here is where I have a problem, usually the voice doesn't relfect the action. Here is an example, I fell down a hill, took damage, and my merc said "I hate getting shot". I know this may be simple and petty, but hearing this over and over again, coupled with the standard voice re-runs, it gets pretty old, quickly.

Gameplay: -- I am not sure where to begin, the game is just to easy, your health regenerate's. The current game design dictates the reason why your health has to regenerate, because when you die, you will have to start the contract again from the start, there are some checkpoints between missions, but they only go so far.

My biggest disappointment was the capturing of targets, in the first Merc, you had to clear the area, knock out the target, call the chopper for extraction and then finally load the target in the chopper. This was refreshing and difficult. In Merc's 2, here is all you have to do, capture a car, drive all the way to the target, get out and "subdue" your target with a button press. Then your target disappears, no need for a chopper extraction.

Good points on the game, the world is large, all building can be blown up, C4 becomes your friend very quickly, bikes and boats are now in play. There is more options for Air Strikes and Drops.
The driving engine, is great and is very responsive.

Overall, If you are coming from Merc's 1, you will notice these changes, if not these changes can be ignored, and the game can still be enjoyed. It looks good and fun to play.

Gameplay = 6
Visuals = 8
Sound = 6
Game Now Score = 6.6/10

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - Review

Star Wars fans around the world rejoice.

From the get go you can tell that this is going to be a fun game, using "the force" to pick enemy's up and send them flying to their demise is, well FUN.

The story of the Force Unleashed is defiantly its strongest point, a story which in many regards is better than some of the star wars films of late.

Visually the game is also impressive, with fantastic lighting effects and character models, true eye candy for all action game fans.

The sound in Force Unleashed is good, along with great performances from the majority of the voice actors. This is a big budget game and it shows.

The gameplay in Force Unleashed is fun, however over time it does tend to feel repetitive. My biggest issue with the game is its pretty ordinary boss fights, they are not very interesting. At a little over 6 hours of gameplay this game is short, even by today's standards.

Its great fun, while it lasts.

Gameplay = 8
Visuals = 8.5
Sound = 7.5
Game Now Score = 8/10

Battlefield Bad Company - Review

Bad Company is a first person shooter that is trying to be the leader of the pack but fails pretty badly.

Yes the visuals are good and the cinematic's (mostly) look great and one could argue the story is funny, not that I found it funny at all.

There are too many problems here for me to recommend. Firstly the actual gameplay is pretty bad. The AI even on the lowest difficulty are ruthless, so bad that you could be 1 mile from an enemy and just see him on the screen and he will spot you and still be getting you for damage from that far, I mean really, what a joke.

The actual movement is also sloppy and you will often find yourself stuck for a split second before sorting out the ordinary controls.

The graphics in Bad Company are good but not great. What this game has got going for it is that you can blow stuff up. Can't find a way into this building? Just blow the side of the building up, presto, instant access.

Overall this game is a bit of a drag. I have no idea why this game is popular online. My experience with the multiplayer action was shocking. If you want to play some FPS multiplayer stick with Call Of Duty 4.

Gameplay = 7
Visuals = 7.5
Sound = 7
Game Now Score = 7.1/10

Braid - Review

You could be easily fooled into thinking that Braid was simply another platforming game.

Braid is first and foremost a puzzle game which uses platforming to assist in solving the always fun and sometimes very challenging puzzle’s spread across 6 worlds.

The first thing you will notice when you begin to play Braid is that the game is highly stylized in its presentation. Braid has simple, yet very appealing graphics and the soundtrack is so beautiful that you will often find yourself listening to the music while you pause for a short break.

Braid tells the story of a man named Tim who is searching for his “princess”, a long lost love. The story is complicated and is presented in a great way that leaves the story to be interpreted by the person playing the game.

Braid’s core gameplay involves Tim rewinding time in order get to puzzle pieces scattered throughout the world. You could easily just go from point A to point B without picking up the puzzle pieces along the way. Doing so, you will miss everything that braid has to offer. This game is all about getting the puzzle pieces and uncovering the real essence of braid.

Braid is a celebration of everything xbox live arcade is trying to be and is the first game in its class that bridges the gap between retro gimmick and pure brilliance.

I can easily recommend Braid to everyone that is serious about their gaming. What I got back from Braid over the 5 hours of gameplay will not be forgotten anytime soon. P.S: This game has a very clever ending, just brilliant.

Gameplay = 9
Visuals = 8.5
Sound = 9
Game Now Score = 8.8/10

My Top 5 Xbox Live Arcade Games

Here is a list of the best games (in my opinion) available on Xbox Live Arcade.

1. Braid (1200 points or $19.20 AUS)
2. Prince Of Persia (800 points or $12.50 AUS)
3. Bionic Commando: Rearmed (800 points)
4. Pac Man Championship Edition (800 points)
5. Geometry Wars Evolved 2 (800 points)

I will be back a little later on in the week with a full review of Braid and Bionic Commando.

E3 2008 - Microsoft Press Conference Recap

The big 3 press conferences have come and gone and there has been some very interesting announcements especially from the Microsoft team who have easily stole the show with some great all round announcements.

Highlights from the Microsoft Press Conference:

- Fallout 3. Coming this Summer (Australia) looking ok but not as good as I expected.

- Resident Evil 5. Release date announced - March 13th 2009. This game was scheduled for this year but has obviously been pushed back. Playable footage, including co-operative gameplay was shown. Plus, chainsaw wielding zombies. Looks fantastic.

- Fable 2. This October. In-game footage was shown. When someone on your friends list is playing the game, you'll see them as a floating orb as they move through the game world, and you'll be able to join together for co-op play at any time.

- Gears of War 2. Release date announced - November 7th, 2008. Campaign has 2 player co-op, but there will be a 5 player mode called "Horde" in multiplayer, where you and 4 other friends will have to fight off multiple waves of locust, sounds like fun to me. - P.S: The footage shown on stage was nothing short of amazing.

- Completely revamped dashboard, complete with Mii-like Avatars and party rooms with chat that span multiple games. Xbox Live Primetime will feature gameshows like 1 vs. 100, which will allow you to play for prizes.

- New XBLA Games. Geometry Wars 2, Uno Rush, Galaga Colonies, the original Banjo-Kazooie and a new South Park game. Great titles coming to xbox live arcade this yeah, all looked fantastic.

- Portal: Still Alive. A version of Portal for XBLA. A crowd favourite heading to the 360 this year!

- Netflix integrated into Xbox Live. Netflix customers will be able to stream movies to their Xbox for no additional fee. You'll also be able to view movies with people on your friends list like you're all sitting on a virtual couch. (US Region only at luanch)

- Scene-It: Box Office Smash. A new version of Scene-It will be the first game to integrate the Avatars into the gameplay.

- You're In the Movies. A new title that uses the Xbox Vision Camera to integrate you into b-grade movies at home.

- Guitar Hero: World Tour. They announced exclusives with Metallica, Van Halen and the Eagles. 85 songs, all master tracks, on the disc at launch.

- Lips. Microsoft's karaoke game, ships this holiday season. Ships with two wireless mics, allowing for duets. Comes with music on the disc, but will also let you use your own tracks from a Zune or an iPod.

- Rock Band 2. Will release first for the 360 in September. Comes with 84 tracks on the disc, but you'll be able to DL 20 more when it's released for the other systems in November for free. You'll also be able to transfer "most' of the on-disc songs from RB1 into RB2, as well as using all of the DLC in the new game. Bob Dylan and AC/DC will be in the game, as will a new song off of the new Guns n' Roses album, Chinese Democracy. They also announced the full setlist.

- Square Enix. Infinite Undiscovery September 2nd. Last Remnant November 20th. Star Ocean 4 Spring 2009.

- Final Fantasy 13 on 360. The big announcement from the show. No word on when, but it is coming to the 360!

- The ability to copy an entire game off the dvd to your hard disk will also be launced with the revamped dashboard a little ater on this year - great news!

As you can see Microsoft had plenty to announce and had the strongest showing at this years E3.

My Top 10 Games on the Xbox 360!

1. Bioshock - Perfection 10/10
   
2. Grand Theft Auto 4 - new benchmark for all sandbox games 9.5/10
   
3. Gears of War - brilliant game mechanics and gameplay 9.5/10
   
4. Call of Duty 4 - Stunning Visuals and great story 9/10
   
5. Burnout Paradise - The ultimate driving experience 9/10
   
6. Halo 3 - Master chief is back and better than ever 9/10
   
7. The Darkness - Highly stylised horror, and that 'voice' - 8.5/10
   
8. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter - captivating 8.5/10
   
9. Skate. - Breakthrough - 8.5/10
   
10. Tomb Raider Legend - Lara is back big time, great game - 8/10

So there you have it, my favorite 360 titles so far.

I look forward to hearing from Microsoft tomorrow morning when they present their E3 press conference from sunny California.

Unreal Tournament 3 - Review

I would like to start off by saying that I really respect Epic Games when it comes to producing value for money games for all of us. They are amongst a small group of developers that really put their heart and soul into everything they release and it shows with Unreal Tournament 3.

UT3 is all about action packed, fast combat with jaw dropping visuals and killer sound to boot. The visuals in UT3 are fantastic and the game runs at a blistering framerate with no slowdown to be found even in the heaviest of battles.

From the character models to the stunning battle grounds, UT3 looks the part from all angles. The weapons although not realistic feel great and are so accurate that every other developer (besides Activision) should study this game and take notes on how to make a first person shooter.

Unreal Tournament has never been known for its story and UT3 is no exception. The story is shocking, you will find yourself skipping the majority of this as I did, it just does not have any weight at all, pity.

Where UT3 shines is in its gameplay and more specifically in Multiplayer! Multiplayer action is fantastic. Once you find yourself a good ping and a good group of people online, you will have a blast. There are a heap of multiplayer modes to choose from but from what I have played it looks like team deathmatch is the most popular.

The sound in UT3 is very good although the comments made by other players like “yeah, take that!” do get a little annoying after a while.

If you’re after a shooter that is hardcore in nature but easy to pick up and play, this is the game for you.

Gameplay = 8.5
Visuals = 8.5
Sound = 7.5
Game Now Score = 8.3/10

A Gamers History

Hey Ya

Before I begin giving my views on Games, I would like to give a brief history of my gaming life.

I started my gaming life on Atari 2600, with games like River Raid and Pitfall. Moved to the Amiga 500, with Games like Gods, Nitro, and Defender of the Crown. Many nights during my school life constantly playing.

Then with great delight I upgrade to a PC. The list is huge here, and this is where I took my roleplaying games to another level, with game like;
Eye of the Beholder Series
Lands of Lore Series
Crusaders of the Dark Savant
Baulders Gate Series
Neverwinter Nights Series
and many more.

While gaming on a PC, I gamed on a Sony Playstation 1, all major titles. Then moved the Xbox, again all major titles, and yes I got very frustrated if Ninja Gaiden.

I have spent a good part of a year levelling 2 chars to 70 on World of Warcraft, Horde Rogue and an Alliance Warlock. I have since moved onto greener pastures, Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online. I am currently playing both at the moment. I enjoy DDO the most of all, as it is the only MMO, which has true variety.

I am a newbee to the Xbox 360 only started about 4 months ago, so I am on major catchup on all the major titles. Here is a list of all titles currently playing or completed.
Halo 3 - Completed
Condemned -- Playing
Mass Effect -- Playing
Bioshock -- Completed
Burnout Paradise -- Completed
Call of Duty 4 -- Completed
Skate -- Playing
Simpsons -- Completed
Kameo -- Completed
Crash of the Titans -- Completed
Half Life 2 -- Playing (Already completed years ago on PC)
GTA4 -- Playing
Crackdown -- Completed
Many More

So that's it, these are my credentials, for giving my perspective on games.

I hope you enjoy my contribution to the Blog, if you have any questions about games or you want my take on a game, just ask.

Don't sleep, GAME

"A pessimist to an optimist is a realist." (Mass Effect)

Unreal Tournament 3 - Initial Impressions

I have been really looking forward to UT3 on the 360 ever since I heard it was going to get ported over from the PC version.

It has taken almost 1 year for this to actually happen, is it worth the wait?

Initial impressions suggest "oh yes"

The game looks great and the speed!!! (framerate) is super fast, no slowdown at all. Sure it doesn’t look like a super high end PC graphically however it looks great and plays even better.

I have played through the first 6 levels of the single player campaign so far and although the actual story (if you can call it that) is shallow, the gameplay is fantastic. Weapons feel great and the maps seem varied enough to keep players entertained for hours.

I also got a chance to play some multiplayer, however I could not find a decent connection. I am looking forward to playing some multiplayer with Aussie gamers in a few days when it gets its local release. Stay tuned to Game Now for a full review soon.