The beat ‘em up genre has been mostly lacking as of late. This is no surprise as it seems the gameplay nearly always boils down to “do tons of light attacks, toss in a few heavy attacks, you win.” Throughout the years, developers have tried to add interesting variety to the genre (combos, leveling up, open worlds, etc.) and occasionally, it all falls into place and is fairly fun. Is Splatterhouse one of those rare occurrences?
NBA Jam, in its current Xbox 360 incarnation, was never meant to see the light of day. While expected to be released as a full retail game exclusively on the Wii console, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were supposed to come in the form of downloadable “freebies” with EA’s NBA Elite 11. Turns out that when the demo of NBA Elite 11 hit PSN and XBL, it was universally panned, and left EA scrambling with what to do. EA, in a bold move, scrapped the buggy mess that was Elite and opted to release NBA Jam as a full retail game on all major consoles, instead of the stripped down “freebie” that was supposed to be included in Elite.
Assassin’s Creed is a very different game. Though for all those who managed to make it through the slightly tedious adventure with Altair, found that the game was more of a hidden gem than blade. However, the second game brought back what we loved, and then some! It was obvious that Ezio had it down before, but can he again while he’s in his 40’s? The answer is a overwhelming yes.
The story takes place right after the end of Assassin’s Creed 2. Ezio leaves the vault after listening to the hologram of Minerva, and walks out to find Borgia ran his fat Pope ass out of there in his absence. However, Mario quickly comes to help him escape. After his return to Monteriggioni he decides to not go after Borgia. However, his son, Cesare Borgia desides to go after Ezio and the other Assassin’s. He then attacks Monteriggioni and nearly destroys it. Ezio manages to get most of the people out, but fails to save Mario. To make matters worse they also manage to get away with the Apple of Eden. It is because of this that Ezio decides to finally finish the Borgia once and for all. Meanwhile in the present, Desmond, after fleeing from the Templar at the end of Assassin’s Creed, is forced into hiding with Rebecca, Lucy, and Shaun. The place they choose for their new location turns out to be a modern Monteriggioni. It is from here that they hope to find the memories they need to finally get their hands on the Apple of Eden. The story its self is about on par with the previous, but do not expect a short ride.
For more seasoned gamers out there, the title may seem very familiar. The original Need for Speed Hot Pursuit was released way back in 1998 and was fairly successful. The game spawned a sequel and then fizzled out. With a new generation comes a reimagining of theNeed for Speed franchise and that’s where the 2010 release of Hot Pursuit enters the fray. Developed by Criterion, the makers of theBurnout series, this new title offers over the top crashes, high speed, and pure adrenaline.
Sports compilations are without a doubt the most generic idea for a motion-based game. It’s been done multiple times on separate consoles. This is one of the reasons Kinect Sports has been looked down upon since its announcement. There did seem to still be some hope, Rare (the geniuses behind Kameo: Elements of Power, Banjo-Kazooie, Goldeneye, and many more) was developing the game and Kinect is something completely different than other motion controls seen before. Did the hope we have for Kinect Sports get squandered by sheer mediocre gameplay? Or is Kinect Sports really worth a purchase?
Kinect Sports is separated into 6 different sports to play, almost all of which are strong, responsive, and just plain fun to take part in. Soccer seemed to be the biggest wild card for me coming into the game. In soccer, you have a defender in front of you, and have to kick the ball by him to try and advance the ball down field, then eventually getting to the goal and making a goal kick. You also play defense which is the same thing but with slight tweaks, you’re bobbing back and forth to block oncoming passes, and then having to block goal shots.
The Saw franchise is known for inventive traps, twists and turns, and a warped sense of right and wrong. The Saw games have attempted to bring the suspense and horror to a console near you. The first Saw game was panned for terrible combat, poor graphics, and for being completely boring. The second game aims to remedy the situation by updating the cast of characters and continuing the story. Coming a year after the first game, Saw II: Flesh and Blood misses the mark by simply ignoring the problems of the first game.
Have you ever wanted to be the controller? Be able to use your body to control what is actually happening on screen? You can now finally do that with Kinect. And more than likely, the first game you play will be Kinect Adventures. Is Kinect Adventures just another lousy pack in game or is it the Kinect game to have?
First off, Kinect support in Kinect Adventures works, it really does. That is by far the biggest thing about the game that will wow you. You’re choosing menu options with your hands, holding no controller. At first, it really does blow your mind a bit.
After the betrayal, the controversy, the fighting, and the reorganizing the new Call of Duty game is out. Will it impress, or does this game deserve a good tactical strike on it?
It’s been an odd time for the Call of Duty series. With the original creators out of the picture from last years controversy the series has been in limbo. The fans were split, and even we journalists found our selves upset with the giant known as Activision. However, the game has been played, and the hour of truth is here. It’s time to put bias to the side, and talk about how this game is.
The story starts out with the main character Alex Mason tied up in a room filled with all kinds of equipment and tools. A voice begins to interrogate him on his recent military career. It is not certain what the voice wants from Mason at first, but it acts as a guide through Mason’s memories. These memories being about 90% of the game’s story. The story its self is your classic Cold War conspiracy story, topped off with a fictional WMD called Nova 6. Bes
I have no connection to the James Bond series. I’ve watched a few of the movies but never enjoyed them that much. So the thought of a James Bond game was largely something I had no interest in, granted I did enjoy Goldeneye on the N64. Bizarre Creations, the developer of 007: Blood Stone are mainly known for their racing games, namely the Project Gotham Racing series (which I’ve always adored). My main attraction to 007: Blood Stone was to see if Bizarre could make a solid shooter with a bit of driving. It seems a James Bond game was almost the perfect fit.
In 007: Blood Stone, you’re James Bond. That’s pretty much all you need to know. Of course, you’re having to take down some big boss man, but he’s mostly forgettable, similar to the rest of the story. If you came to 007: Blood Stone for a great Bond story, you’re in the wrong game. The plot is mostly nonsense stacked upon nonsense and serves mainly as a stepping stone to the many ridiculous and fun sequences you find throughout the game. The characters (except for Bond himself) are never that fleshed out or interesting in any way. You’ll find yourself counting down the seconds to the next gameplay section in almost every cutscene. All of this is topped off by one of the most random, unexplained plot twists I’ve ever seen. It literally made me burst out into laughter.
Small game developers have a hard time these days. It may be easier for smaller developers to get their name out there with download titles on XBL or PSN, but when it comes to full featured retail titles they still have a hard time breaking through. That’s why I’m sympathetic to the plight of Epicenter Studios and their most recent title Rock of the Dead. This is only the studios third title, the first two not really catching the gaming community’s attention. If there was a game that could find a niche and make a name for Epicenter Studios it would be Rock of the Dead. The game has all the makings of a cult hit; it features Rob Zombie, his music, Neil Patrick Harris, and Felicia Day. People in the know will recognize Neil and Felicia from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog; most others will at least recognize Rob Zombie from his multi-platinum solo albums and as part of the heavy metal band White Zombie. Needless to say the game has an enormous amount of potential but fails to live up to what could have been.
