tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25239345714367525652024-03-21T23:04:01.864-04:00John Daniel's Video Game ReviewsThe place to go for accurate video game reviews without any unnecessary drama.
Updates when I play through a game, and decide to review it, and upload the review.John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-48835289733029489672017-04-04T19:14:00.003-04:002017-04-04T19:14:28.162-04:00Review: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Legend of Zelda:
Breath of the Wild</i> is an action-adventure game for the Wii U and Switch. It
was developed by Nintendo.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go everywhere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In <i>Breath of the Wild</i>
you once again play as Link, who wakes up in a tomb with no memories. Wandering
outside he meets a man who tells him that a hundred years ago Princess Zelda
sealed the monster known as Calamity Ganon inside Hyrule Castle after a battle
that left Link critically injured and placed in stasis, and has been trying to
keep him there ever since. The man begs Link to rescue Zelda by travelling
across Hyrule and repairing the four Divine Beasts, humongous machines that
could harm Ganon if Ganon had not taken them over first and used them to wreck
Hyrule.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As Link, you travel all around Hyrule, fighting monsters and
solving puzzles as you eventually get to the Divine Beasts. Link does not start
out with any weapons and has to get them off of dead monsters and in the field,
both melee weapons, bows and arrows, and shields. Weapons degrade quickly when
you use them but can be easily replaced. Link also has access to a Sheikah
Stone, a magical device that allows Link to move metal objects with magnetism,
create unlimited bombs, and stop time for objects. These abilities help him
solve the puzzles he will run into when fixing the Divine Beasts. Link recovers
health by finding cooking materials and making them into food.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTO-wkYsrKQriqzChyphenhyphenYq79fsWePFTyTYh5_zqK8J_yI37TUHMHoQpGVOlMK2GbaKtSz7NMKQJsojTmYZVjPWnDWe8JF3qHLU1fgcTTrBsdaamQpDfl8zudqIzbNTj43huNmAbjYPLGJKT/s1600/3081224-1732681983-modal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTO-wkYsrKQriqzChyphenhyphenYq79fsWePFTyTYh5_zqK8J_yI37TUHMHoQpGVOlMK2GbaKtSz7NMKQJsojTmYZVjPWnDWe8JF3qHLU1fgcTTrBsdaamQpDfl8zudqIzbNTj43huNmAbjYPLGJKT/s320/3081224-1732681983-modal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The biggest draw is <i>Breath
of the Wild</i> is the exploration. Hyrule is absolutely massive and filled
with everything, all of it unique and detailed. Hyrule is divided up into
twelve sections and it can take days to explore just one section, trying to
find all the secrets and quests and shrines, and it almost never gets boring.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up these towers unlock parts of the map.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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What the game also does well is properly reward the player
for exploration. Scattered around Hyrule are shrines that house a puzzle for
Link to complete using the Sheikah Stone. Completing the puzzle always reward
Link with spirit orbs that increase his life and stamina, and you always need
more hearts and stamina. There are also magic seeds you find wandering around
Hyrule increase your carrying space, and you always need more carrying space. And
there is always money to find, which you need since arrows and armor are so
expensive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Further props to Nintendo for making the game non-linear,
which also adds to the joys of exploring. You can fix the four Divine Beasts in
any order, and there is no time limit on fixing them. You can even skip fixing
the Divine Beats and confront Ganon immediately, though you will almost
certainly die in the attempt.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Combat is tough, mainly because enemy attacks take off
massive amounts of health. Monsters, which there are not that many varieties
of, have several different kinds of attacks that can all be dodged by Link’s
side jump or backflip, and dodging attacks is easy to learn but to master.
Despite this and the limited types of enemies, their attack methods vary enough
that fights do not feel repetitive for a good portion of the game, and by the
time they do feel repetitive you will be finding strong enough weapons that
they can end quickly. Attacking is mostly button mashing though, and shields
are useless since most of the weapons you will pick up are two-handed weapons.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The story is a letdown. The backstory of the ancient robots
that sealed Ganon 10,000 years ago and were dug up a century ago to do the same
thing only for Ganon to take control of them is potentially interesting, but
Link’s story is nothing. It’s just go the Divine Beast, solve the problem in
the area, fix the Divine Beat, repeat three more times, and kill Ganon. The
lack of a strong story is to allow more freedom and flexibility for the player
to enjoy the game as they see fit, but the player should get a narrative reward
for going out and fixing all the Divine Beats and tracking down Link’s lost
memories.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyzIMPSppgaeUwzxZFwHdZ7gz6fo7oWg2cikdA0FwhXWRr3btSIFGvTIn1QthGCvo-63WkxZMw7IzM7H6bdEJU922Fpb2tIaBtPJmOikD-QuoZMzbQaVir-TEWXi01ZKl-A9dyLjpr1mh/s1600/Inn-Hateno-Village.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxyzIMPSppgaeUwzxZFwHdZ7gz6fo7oWg2cikdA0FwhXWRr3btSIFGvTIn1QthGCvo-63WkxZMw7IzM7H6bdEJU922Fpb2tIaBtPJmOikD-QuoZMzbQaVir-TEWXi01ZKl-A9dyLjpr1mh/s320/Inn-Hateno-Village.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Towns and NPCs are fun though.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The end is abrupt and disappointing too, and the main cast,
except for maybe the Zora Prince Sidon, are two dimensional clichés whose entire
stories and character could fit on a notecard. Ganon got the worst of it, he
has merely become an obstacle to overcome, a living bomb to defuse, the cunning
and ruthless character from games past is nowhere in sight.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvn3cX_YOofqywC2P3MK3aW2lx9su4Inez_00TCq_PtiGqzG6EKpCA_AVQ7I7Y8zb2Trkox8yTwmNBOoSO8qWZQgwtEAJG80t-xNVJyJeAavMd8A4RC9ecDieMDCx10jfsLd4RfGSEL_V/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvn3cX_YOofqywC2P3MK3aW2lx9su4Inez_00TCq_PtiGqzG6EKpCA_AVQ7I7Y8zb2Trkox8yTwmNBOoSO8qWZQgwtEAJG80t-xNVJyJeAavMd8A4RC9ecDieMDCx10jfsLd4RfGSEL_V/s320/maxresdefault.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, this guy is the best.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />While I found exploring to be well and above the best part
of the game and the reason I played it for so long, I worry that the game lacks
replayability. I am a big fan of <i>The
Legend of Zelda</i> series and I got a kick out of seeing what Nintendo did
with this incredibly detailed rendition of Hyrule. But I worry if I played it
again I would get bored. The world is massive, and several areas do not add a
lot to the game. Plus the area design is basic and fuzzy, and the color scheme
is simple, it is made up of standard video game areas, your plains area,
desert, snow, jungle, water, forest. It might have been better if Nintendo
refined the map, cut out some of the excess areas and put the important bits in
other areas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Weapon degradation was not well thought out. While there are
plenty of weapons to find eventually, at the start it can be a pain when there
are only a few tree branches to use that break easily, leaving you helpless.
More importantly several puzzles require repeated use of a weapon, and it is
annoying to have to leave a puzzle until you find a weapon and bring it back.
There should have been an unlimited emergency weapon, even if it was weak, like
a punch.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The Legend of Zelda:
Breath of the Wild</i> is an amazing time waster. Despite a few hiccups the
level of detail and huge world to explore can keep everyone entertained, from
fans of the series to newcomers, for days if not weeks.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-69246386022167431312016-10-05T18:56:00.000-04:002016-10-05T18:56:49.430-04:00Review: Axiom Verge<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Axiom Verge</i> is a
Metroidvania for the PlayStation 4, Windows, Mac, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, and
Xbox One.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF61RGrPan1svaELqR6iDlDdXKrFpdRsm1knfVCFwlKFUu4ocUwf6xMjLfrBeH6OAxOZH9tmkJ1ybe56TMSgUmP6b86QKEUVK8qNl7bhsYn2HF9EwvqxBZZ2N5Fa5rlusrfL-zHlBQ9PuS/s1600/large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF61RGrPan1svaELqR6iDlDdXKrFpdRsm1knfVCFwlKFUu4ocUwf6xMjLfrBeH6OAxOZH9tmkJ1ybe56TMSgUmP6b86QKEUVK8qNl7bhsYn2HF9EwvqxBZZ2N5Fa5rlusrfL-zHlBQ9PuS/s320/large.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trace talking with the machine Elsanova.</td></tr>
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Trace, some type of scientist, is buried under equipment
after an explosive accident in his lab. When he wakes up Trace finds himself in
a strange alien world filled with monsters and what appears to be broken down
technology, and the only ones he can talk to are these giant computers with
lady faces. They ask him to fix up their computers bodies, and eventually
repair their broken world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The gameplay is standard for a Metroidvania. Trace runs
around the world of Sudra, collecting weapons and tools that help him get
deeper into Sudra and fight off all the monsters. Trace regularly runs into
bosses which usually guard a piece of equipment, usually something that helps
Trace destroy walls.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Axiom Verge</i> is big
on exploration. Sudra is divided up into many areas, which, while somewhat
linear, feel big and complicated, full of up and downs, climbing, and going off
into side areas to find more upgrades for your health and weapons.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Combat is simple run-and-gun with lots of enemies that
follow limited strategies. The variety of enemies and their attacks and how
hard they hit make up for their stupidity. Some enemies are a little too fast,
but it is easy enough to power through them if they are too much to handle and
come back later with stronger weapons. Bosses are more complicated and provide
a more varied challenge, usually there is a trick to beat them or a weak point
to exploit. There was only one boss that was a slog to chip away the health of.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi3qgeTdSoG575rnzLJiRRLZW0trGaDx1EPCiq01ckjpwC394priW-YMfIHm3wUS_QNK8YbiaD5LksRBsrX1YF3h1Je2zSUsz66PFVDD4gNexWKxTp2hf_a1pWwURPHw2LxAaIsifACPW/s1600/Axiom-Verge_20150329232103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi3qgeTdSoG575rnzLJiRRLZW0trGaDx1EPCiq01ckjpwC394priW-YMfIHm3wUS_QNK8YbiaD5LksRBsrX1YF3h1Je2zSUsz66PFVDD4gNexWKxTp2hf_a1pWwURPHw2LxAaIsifACPW/s320/Axiom-Verge_20150329232103.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bosses are the most exciting parts of the game.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Shame almost all the weapons are worthless. You find
different guns throughout the game that shoot different kinds of bullets, like
a bullet that crawls along the ground, or a giant yoyo. I found over ten guns
over the course of the game and most of them were not as helpful as the basic
gun you start with, they were either weaker, or slower, or their range was
terrible. One could argue that they allow for a variety of ways to play the
game, but I do not see that advantage of a slower gun that shoots a bullet
horizontally and vertically, or an extremely short range shotgun. I only used
three of the gun overall.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Axiom Verge</i> does
not do anything special as a Metroidvania, not really. The only unique new
gameplay element is a gun that causes enemy to glitch and act differently if
shot and gets rid of some type of barriers. Sometimes it was useful to make a
few later enemies slower or get rid of their shielding, but most of the time it
took too long to work and I ignored it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aesthetically <i>Axiom
Verge</i> is not that original either. There’s a difference between being a
Metroidvania and ripping off <i>Metroid</i>.
Sudra is a mishmash of caves and vaguely-identifiable machinery that gels into
a bunch of generic level designs. The only thing visually that is striking in
this game are the giant machines with beautiful lady faces, which is probably
why they are all the promotional material.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkx5p7EDJHYyDA-nDEfr47W0US2Tse7AoxrODLRb_YseBO2E5fooPM1jrm01CSdx0taGbw3DGdGElLDAQNgCP7K47B9vlI7AlnxbM4u6UmXG20P5H3aqf9BDvf9PZEUv659skpLcxhIGo/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEkx5p7EDJHYyDA-nDEfr47W0US2Tse7AoxrODLRb_YseBO2E5fooPM1jrm01CSdx0taGbw3DGdGElLDAQNgCP7K47B9vlI7AlnxbM4u6UmXG20P5H3aqf9BDvf9PZEUv659skpLcxhIGo/s320/1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, these things are really cool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The story is nothing to write home about. It is a story
about alternate universes with complicated sounding science-fiction technology
and the horrors of war that is gradually revealed by vague notes Trace finds
and obtuse conversations Trace has with the machines. It is possible to make a
story too piecemeal, and this story is too piecemeal. It is unsatisfying to
never get the backstory adequately explained, I was interested in parts but was
not happy to receive only parts of an answer for no reason except to create a
fake air of mystery.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But that does not mean the game is not fun. Like any good
Metroidvania <i>Axiom Verge</i> offers a
nice balance of combination of combat and exploration. The levels are big
enough without being a chore to walk around, combat is challenging enough, and
collecting health upgrades and weapons is addictive that they provide a balance
that draws you in and wants to see what comes next.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I played the Wii U version of <i>Axiom Verge</i>, and I do not know if this happens in all versions, but
I experienced massive slow down when several enemies were on screen at the same
time, and lots of sprite flickering.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Axiom Verge</i> is
average. There are better Metroidvanias you could play, but there are worse
ones too. Play it if you need your Metroidvania itch scratched, but do not
expect to be wowed.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-28353160159525326442016-09-29T16:25:00.001-04:002016-09-29T16:25:39.026-04:00Review: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Phoenix Wright: Ace
Attorney – Spirit of Justice</i> is a puzzle game/visual novel for the Nintendo
3DS. It is the sixth main game in the <i>Ace
Attorney</i> series. It was developed and published by Capcom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phoenix Wright acting as defense in another country.</td></tr>
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Phoenix Wright has traveled to the country of Khura’in to
visit his old friend Maya Fey. While there he gets roped into acting as the
defense on a couple of court cases. But Khura’in’s legal system is different
from ours, it is tied heavily into the country’s official religion, which
believes that lawyers are demons and guilty verdicts are divine. Worst of all
is the Defense Culpability Act, a law that states anyone who helps criminals
will be considered just as guilty as the criminal, including their lawyer. Phoenix
has to deal with all this, while in background a group of underground
revolutionaries seek to overthrow the corrupt Khura’in government.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apollo Justice and Athena Cykes get to play too, a couple of times.</td></tr>
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As with previous <i>Ace
Attorney</i> games, <i>Spirit of Justice</i>
can be divided into two sections with tons of dialogue. In the first section,
the attorney walks around, talks to people and collects evidence to help prove
their client’s innocence. In the second, more entertaining section, the player
listens to testimony provided by witnesses, and either “presses” a part of the
testimony to provide clarification or even new testimony, or “present” a piece
of evidence that contradicts a part of the testimony, leading to new testimony.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are six plus games in the <i>Ace Attorney</i> series, and they have always the same problems. The
main problem has always been trying to figure out the developer’s internal
logic for solving puzzles. You may have a piece of evidence that from your
standpoint contradicts a section of the testimony, but only the one piece of
evidence that the developers want you to use will work, even if the reason
makes less sense, leading to going through every piece of evidence to see what
obtuse logic fits. Even worse is when you figure out a bigger, more important
part of the villain’s plot and have evidence that would expose it, but you
cannot use it until you reach that part of the case.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That has always been a problem with the gameplay, but this
problem is supplanted by a much bigger problem with the story. The story, or at
least every case except the first one, is bloated. I would not be surprised if
the part of the game where you actually do something instead of click through text
amounted to less than ten percent of the game overall. The pure storytelling parts
that cause the bloating do not make up for it, since the story relies on cheap
courtroom drama gimmicks like everyone wasting time until the real decisive
evidence magically falls into the defense’s lap.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The reason all this story padding is bad from a gameplay
perspective is that it makes the cross-examinations too easy. The
cross-examination sections are spread so far apart you can tell which piece of
evidence to present because everything else you have collected is not related to
the current conversation. Several times I did not know why the piece of
evidence was the right one, but I knew it was because everything else was
completely irrelevant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is a shame that the gameplay is so messed up, because the
basic concept is still really fun. Finding a contradiction on your own, without
any hand holding, in a tiny but perceptible piece of evidence is thrilling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The plot itself is in okay, though does not fully explores
its own concepts. Khura’in is interesting in the way its culture and religion
impede and frustrate all of Phoenix’s attempt to prove his client’s innocence.
But the consequences of Phoenix single-handedly dismantling an entire country’s
belief system are barely touched upon. In the first case the head priest, the
judge, and the extremely pious prosecutor say their court system has never been
wrong and go on at length about how lawyers are evil demons. Phoenix promptly
proves them wrong about everything. Somehow he never gets bothered by anyone in
the crowd chanting for his death afterward. Later on Phoenix and his friends commit what
could be considered international incidents without any problems. The
revolutionaries that are trying to overthrow the corrupt government are a joke
without a morally grey streak among them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULZEz9SKVCjKpGYnJw5Kj25BiUDWPNR6fFbnp8w2p2R0CVbiwRTsQoXs13urcYhbrnS9kshcln6tcGPnJIxv0qRjbnJdgRdTobV6ZlCaowGBOFo5s6zNQXFqOQQ8DQcXPC-32WJzqmISF/s1600/ace-attorney-spirit-justice-nayuta-sadmadhi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULZEz9SKVCjKpGYnJw5Kj25BiUDWPNR6fFbnp8w2p2R0CVbiwRTsQoXs13urcYhbrnS9kshcln6tcGPnJIxv0qRjbnJdgRdTobV6ZlCaowGBOFo5s6zNQXFqOQQ8DQcXPC-32WJzqmISF/s320/ace-attorney-spirit-justice-nayuta-sadmadhi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet the new prosecutor Nahyuta Sahmadhi. He's a self-righteous prick.</td></tr>
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</div>
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The cast save the story. They are all likable, funny, fully
fleshed out characters with their own unique personalities and interests,
though they had several games to build up those personalities. They interact
well with each other too, and seem like a real family and close knit groups of
friends. Honestly I could watch them go shopping and it would be entertaining,
at this point. This only applies to old recurring characters though, all the
new important characters are obnoxious and I hope I never see any of them
again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zHEIX2jyfsMrQ7bEyybAAHcGxWDpKDi1LP3nb9kNQ4b57JzHh0YIP5KFV3VPnD1YYEgZp-1IU5MWngSzBxN7VEhmpUj6shOocmFnLqiZ4eAyYXfodKtMUln8eFs_fC0ZU-_uRrI8llXz/s1600/aceattorney6_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zHEIX2jyfsMrQ7bEyybAAHcGxWDpKDi1LP3nb9kNQ4b57JzHh0YIP5KFV3VPnD1YYEgZp-1IU5MWngSzBxN7VEhmpUj6shOocmFnLqiZ4eAyYXfodKtMUln8eFs_fC0ZU-_uRrI8llXz/s320/aceattorney6_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least Phoenix and Maya get to hang out for a little while.</td></tr>
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<i>Phoenix Wright: Ace
Attorney – Spirit of Justice</i> is not a good entry in the <i>Ace Attorney</i> series. The fun gameplay is
underutilized, the story is long and meandering, and the new additions are
forgettable. Its only saving grace is that Capcom has not performed character
assassination on the main cast, yet, so it is only good for diehard fans of the
series; it is not a good jumping on point.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-27576465479117078662015-11-15T22:11:00.000-05:002015-11-15T22:11:56.253-05:00Review: SOMA<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>SOMA</i> is a survival
horror game for the PC, Mac, and PlayStation 4. It was developed by Frictional
Games.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOWGKiHWNTkXkL7e2Tt1S1_-KpqWC4hBgrQyx35StTyEng2gKU4qRynvFrFQWiQy88Rv_W6XRCUDupuTJX9CCMYWx_iW7am4GBXSvSEN0uIcdDJGy9WXhuzEWUyuyw8ghwe5WcJqmnWJT/s1600/soma_034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOWGKiHWNTkXkL7e2Tt1S1_-KpqWC4hBgrQyx35StTyEng2gKU4qRynvFrFQWiQy88Rv_W6XRCUDupuTJX9CCMYWx_iW7am4GBXSvSEN0uIcdDJGy9WXhuzEWUyuyw8ghwe5WcJqmnWJT/s320/soma_034.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A room on the PATHOS-II. Note the black goo in the back.</td></tr>
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Canadian Simon Jarrett wakes up from what he thinks is a
brain scan in Toronto to find himself onboard an abandoned underwater
laboratory, crawling with horrible machine/human monsters and covered in
tentacles and black goo. Stumbling around Simon finds a digital copy of Catherine
Chu, one of the laboratory’s scientists, who asks him to help her launch a copy
of the crew’s minds into space so that something survived. With little else to
do, Simon agrees.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In <i>SOMA</i> you as
Simon explore the lab, named PATHOS-II, going from room to room while avoiding
the machine/human monsters. Exploring involves finding a switch or a button or
an object that will get Simon into the next section of the lab, and rarely a
simple puzzle to complete to get to the next lab. Along the way Simon finds
logs that explain how everything fall apart.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Frictional put a lot of effort into making every part of
PATHOS-II interesting to explore. Every section of the lab is distinct, nothing
looks copy and pasted. Little details are nice too, the way you have to pull levers
and flip switches to activate things instead of pushing buttons that all look
the same make the lab feel more real and believable. Even the outdoor sections
are impressive and make you feel oppressed by the vastness of the ocean.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ciPUiALBnq8hy8QKWN9Ca8Icyc4xoo9603P5scqUkJnAtdvHG4T014nDH3m6C-oHZVpvZL1U7vHCp6wMFyMQi9tF9NyaR93KpMLCgx1lgbKW5fGjnXhrklC4o-ZIWgrrTbtSGJHsJEyS/s1600/Screen_Screenshot_016.0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ciPUiALBnq8hy8QKWN9Ca8Icyc4xoo9603P5scqUkJnAtdvHG4T014nDH3m6C-oHZVpvZL1U7vHCp6wMFyMQi9tF9NyaR93KpMLCgx1lgbKW5fGjnXhrklC4o-ZIWgrrTbtSGJHsJEyS/s320/Screen_Screenshot_016.0.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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This level of detail extends to the monsters. <i>SOMA</i> does not rely on a lot of jump
scares, but that does not make it any less frightening when you enter a room
and see one of the monsters on the other side, walking around, oblivious to
your presence for now. Simon has no way to defend himself, making the situation
scarier.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Getting past the monsters, which is the only thing in the
game that could count as a challenge, is rather simplistic compared to all the
work put into the design. The monsters, which have very narrow fields of
vision, are always in a large room with at least one obstruction, and all you
have to do is sneak around the obstruction one way while the monster goes the
other way, or hide in a corner and wait for the monster to walk by. It is very
simple, and the only real difference is how fast the monsters move and the
layout of the rooms.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The few puzzles you run into can be solved in a few minutes
at best. Nothing more difficult than line up proper signals or get the electrical
current from point A to point B.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2gXln7d-gKzxDMSsAAtP-J7BmUmxG9fD6Q97xFUic4S8ORFTAbW0AHPhSJSHyntXMp0Qj5U30TkW-8WyEima_Asc9FhtY5afIuVRjgcBQsvFMcPLN7xooQZtHWHfxagpplIM_LeG1qC2/s1600/20824612014_08764e270d_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2gXln7d-gKzxDMSsAAtP-J7BmUmxG9fD6Q97xFUic4S8ORFTAbW0AHPhSJSHyntXMp0Qj5U30TkW-8WyEima_Asc9FhtY5afIuVRjgcBQsvFMcPLN7xooQZtHWHfxagpplIM_LeG1qC2/s320/20824612014_08764e270d_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several areas are very relaxed and have and have no sense of danger.</td></tr>
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What <i>SOMA</i> does
well story wise is discuss at length the definition of an individual and what
counts as a person. Simon and the Catherine copy go back and forth about
whether AI programs are people, and they find several instances where the
sentience of robots is tested.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When previews for this game started showing up I assumed
there was going to be a plot twist, like a lot of story driven games have
nowadays. I was able to guess what it was, but I appreciate that Frictional
gets it out of the way and does not dance around the twist until the third act mark.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The rest of the story though leaves something to be desired.
Once all the immediately important questions are answered early on the plot
moves with little deviation towards Simon and Catherine’s goal. The robots who are
not aware they are robots disappear early from the game leaving nothing but
robot zombies and an overpowered all-consuming AI control program.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And the whole situation is so incredibly bleak, while I
found <i>SOMA</i> exciting to play it was
difficult to start again if I stopped playing because I did not care about
Simon and Catherine’s goal, which felt pointless. I kept waiting for a second
plot twist that would make me care, and it never happened.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPwBfPnm6GqzHZMn_r0LkTrqxInUvPiBJSnDhN_7ZuFr4nVPq_q0Twprwzf09b6fq8zcmKwsrpuJiveokSRVNVxlAwmp5TteaN_TgpB3H9QC34clvYmRLa23UrmGTlta-lX_mhJS10fVS/s1600/LfF09SBycJkL.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPwBfPnm6GqzHZMn_r0LkTrqxInUvPiBJSnDhN_7ZuFr4nVPq_q0Twprwzf09b6fq8zcmKwsrpuJiveokSRVNVxlAwmp5TteaN_TgpB3H9QC34clvYmRLa23UrmGTlta-lX_mhJS10fVS/s320/LfF09SBycJkL.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Listening to the logs of the crew are weird too. You would
think a malevolent AI taking over their lab and lead to a greater sense of
urgency. Instead everyone treats it like a nuisance, including Simon and
Catherine, even though it is creating the monsters. Actually, Simon does not
take a lot seriously, and is frustrating with the lack of questions he asks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>SOMA</i> is an
exciting, scary atmospheric game that is nonetheless somewhat depressing to get
through. Everyone should play it for the experience and the story, not for any
sort of challenge or detailed game play.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-30421704692352478632014-09-21T13:22:00.001-04:002014-09-21T13:22:29.068-04:00Review: Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Professor Layton vs.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney</i> is an adventure and puzzle game for the 3DS.
It is a crossover between the <i>Professor
Layton</i> and <i>Ace Attorney</i> series.
It was co-developed by Level-5 and Capcom.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Professor Layton and his apprentice Luke are approached one
night by a girl named Espella, who claims to be from a town called Labyrinthia,
but escaped with the help of a friend of Layton’s, and is being hunted by
witches. Espella is recaptured by a witch, and in trying to help her Layton and
Luke get sucked into a book that takes them to Labyrinthia. The next day
Phoenix Wright and his assistant Maya Fey are also sucked into Labyrinthia too
after defending Espella in court.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once in Labyrinthia, a medieval town in the throes of
perpetual witch hunt, where everyone’s fate is decided by the mysterious
Storyteller, Espella is accused of being the Great Witch Bezella. Layton,
Phoenix, and their assistants decide to team up and prove Espella’s innocence
and figure out the secret behind Labyrinthia and the supposed witches.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This game is a combination of its two parent series’
gameplay. In Layton sections, you walk around Labyrinthia talking to people and
gathering information. When you talk to someone or when you need to progress
you have to solve a logic puzzle. Doing so advances the plot.</div>
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In the Phoenix sections, which take place in court, you
listen to witness testimony and try to find contradictions in what they say
compared to what evidence Phoenix and the gang have collected. If there is no
contradiction Phoenix can press the witness on parts of their statements which
might reveal new testimony. This game also has an additional feature not found
in other <i>Ace Attorney</i> games, where
multiple witnesses give testimony at once, and pressing one person’s testimony
might make someone else reveal something new or give up a piece of evidence. Or
you might press one person, which will make someone speak up, and then you
press the first person again or a completely new person to reveal the contradiction.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhg56kyrViWBEIarcVhT7UdAihv-vDAz1beVmFi19XEUu-WS08eZdP6E6OjJQJKa3jDPn94G-FYlej2obbyq6FHDI2EcQWkDLfyXyTTuomZyGCjF43Zg00yFL8unXSsgg8lQnKzdngTJd/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhg56kyrViWBEIarcVhT7UdAihv-vDAz1beVmFi19XEUu-WS08eZdP6E6OjJQJKa3jDPn94G-FYlej2obbyq6FHDI2EcQWkDLfyXyTTuomZyGCjF43Zg00yFL8unXSsgg8lQnKzdngTJd/s1600/34.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meet Inquisitor Barnham. The game tries to paint him as a noble figure, even though it sounds like up until Phoenix's arrival he had sentenced several women to their deaths on unbelievably flimsy evidence and testimony. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Layton sections are the better of the two. The puzzles
are far more rewarding to complete than the trials, and the investigation moves
along at a much faster pace. And given the story, anything that moves it along
faster is a good thing. The one problem is, I do not know if I got smarter or
lucky, but these puzzles felt very easy for a <i>Professor Layton</i> game. I only had trouble with a handful, which is
unusual for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWCMfSgPE4YmXpaptkRIVDacD73wKI7VhXVap6Ih27v7IQnYsbc0jiHGggw-RkrlvbwoSDEtrls2YcKFFVxpzbUNhQUggBekrZWAS6p7CYn04KTsx-Xf3ZdhbYJ5Eb1-IvjzQHb9lYfuz/s1600/163492_screenshot_03_l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWCMfSgPE4YmXpaptkRIVDacD73wKI7VhXVap6Ih27v7IQnYsbc0jiHGggw-RkrlvbwoSDEtrls2YcKFFVxpzbUNhQUggBekrZWAS6p7CYn04KTsx-Xf3ZdhbYJ5Eb1-IvjzQHb9lYfuz/s1600/163492_screenshot_03_l.jpg" height="320" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of the puzzles make really good use of the 3DS technology.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Phoenix sections are a huge drag. In theory finding
contradictions in testimonies should be fun. I know from past games that it can
be fun. But the game ruins it by frequently pointing out which parts of the
testimony you should contradict with evidence, taking all the challenge out. It
might be better if there were a lot of “contradict with evidence” sections, but
the trials have so much padding that they go on forever and the contradictions
pars get drowned out. The multiple witness testimonies and the way they slowly
reveal more testimony only exacerbate this issue, as does the general
unpleasantness and stupidity of the witnesses. I just want to solve the mystery,
but Phoenix keeps getting sidetracked by defending women in court from accusations
of witchcraft. Winning the trials does help solve the mystery, but they take too
long.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuORI1QxRrF-gvp50NyfxPvMq3bnJ0hwcumIammtPVXIsAgr4OruNL6kkK_ncc5fVGvqBgjqcmpWL1VWYbaUQDjIR20_E7QLs3o_JPQ9zPvhc9d4iidAJLQVqgd8nVskKJaAQ7m-kV6_hu/s1600/PLAA02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuORI1QxRrF-gvp50NyfxPvMq3bnJ0hwcumIammtPVXIsAgr4OruNL6kkK_ncc5fVGvqBgjqcmpWL1VWYbaUQDjIR20_E7QLs3o_JPQ9zPvhc9d4iidAJLQVqgd8nVskKJaAQ7m-kV6_hu/s1600/PLAA02.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You won't believe how annoying the citizens of Labyrinthia are.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The mystery could have been handled better too. The story
does not get interesting until near the end when the group has their first big
revelation; it is easy to guess that the witch magic in Labyrinthia is not all
that it appears, but “killing” an important character is pretty much admitting
it; and the final revelation of Labyrinthia is such an unbelievable and
convoluted mess, with parts that are not properly foreshadowed and just seem made
up at the last second, that “medieval town with witch problems” comes off as
only slightly less plausible.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The biggest issue with the story though, is how little Phoenix’s
gang interacts with Layton’s gang. They are aware of each other, but mostly the
two group do their own things. Phoenix and Layton only work together in one
part of two trials, and walk around together for two parts of two chapters. Layton
and Phoenix spend more time with each other’s assistants than they with each
other.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2Se5XWLxH9O6jqXnTT1Rs9qV3bponDHgt66sR1yU1WLOlLl-tnZiX3W8KdIId0AjeHLcrh03miK96iKu579doMMNL6wwRR1e400EzxyeSXKJEBqPQ9g-r4FS3MR9ldLQqKO1030z24ZU/s1600/gaming-professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2Se5XWLxH9O6jqXnTT1Rs9qV3bponDHgt66sR1yU1WLOlLl-tnZiX3W8KdIId0AjeHLcrh03miK96iKu579doMMNL6wwRR1e400EzxyeSXKJEBqPQ9g-r4FS3MR9ldLQqKO1030z24ZU/s1600/gaming-professor-layton-vs-phoenix-wright-03.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can tell who is important because they are drawn in the Ace Attorney style, which is rather insulting to Layton.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I should mention Espella, the fifth main character. She is
central to the plot which means she has to be important in the eyes of the cast
to some degree, but it is aggravating how much the cast talks about her, always
sticking up for her at a moment’s notice, going on and on about how much they
want to protect her. She is too perfect a character, nice and everyone, and unbelievably
selfless and humble.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In combining the two series, <i>Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney</i> creates a weaker to
entry both series. It is a letdown to fans who wanted to see the two main
characters interact, and boring overall.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-23961863933055376172014-08-27T00:08:00.000-04:002014-08-27T00:51:57.492-04:00Review: The Walking Dead: Season 2<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Walking Dead:
Season 2</i> is a game that is more like a choose-your-own-adventure book than
a game, with some aspects of an adventure game, for the PC, Mac, PS3, PS4, 360,
Vita, Android, and Xbox One. It was developed by Telltale Games. The games was released
in five episodes, from December 2013, to August 2014.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxq3otlr3fNTi8qMQbjliWe0z6PDPGTD8EGLbNuSj3p1lp4aNzZHCJj7iy_D8zgRg3HQ3uvsXf1l1IWiyAmpX38TD2C-bOFlms2Sr1waFAvO4dUbg9pVgLwBhKzFsnL_5zaC_fXtyz144O/s1600/ClementineShed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxq3otlr3fNTi8qMQbjliWe0z6PDPGTD8EGLbNuSj3p1lp4aNzZHCJj7iy_D8zgRg3HQ3uvsXf1l1IWiyAmpX38TD2C-bOFlms2Sr1waFAvO4dUbg9pVgLwBhKzFsnL_5zaC_fXtyz144O/s1600/ClementineShed.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clementine, in her naturally state of almost getting killed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I feel somewhat odd reviewing this, since I played it spread
out over half a year, while most people now will play it all at once, though it
is interesting to think about what in the game stuck in my mind for over half a
year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Walking Dead:
Season 2</i> takes place in Georgia after a zombie apocalypse, and follows
Clementine, one of the main characters of the first season. A year after the
conclusion of the first season, Clementine falls in with another group of
survivors, who have their own set of problems which Clementine will have to
deal with in order to survive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Season 2</i> is not a
very hands-on game. You control Clementine as she goes from one conversation to
the next, with the occasional break where you get to move Clementine around,
pick up a few things, and go back to talking to people. The conversations Clementine
has, which take up most of the game, are a series of timed multiple choice
responses to whatever someone is talking to Clem about, and if you do not pick
one of the two to four choices available Clem will remain silent, which is also
a viable option. Like in real life giving different answers will lead to
different responses, and sometimes your answers will affect how people act
towards Clementine later in the game. On rare occasions you also have to deal
with quick time events, or moments where you have to make a quick decision that
might affect the story.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am pretty sure the only reason there are parts where you
can control Clementine is so you have a chance to quit the game if you need to.
It is not like you do anything challenging in those parts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmjX8LGBJViyT_6xmbIR3vSHcLHgvHX9mh2hs-lD2ARPqJuf9uC-FEmQ71dHQ6MFi-MCN9OYgDTRMMvrWZoCckTkTIXcKQDE9TzqdXwGLD_acQz_bg3EJ72Zmy5sSibU4vlCTmttdKUe4/s1600/the-walking-dead-a-house-divided-3-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmjX8LGBJViyT_6xmbIR3vSHcLHgvHX9mh2hs-lD2ARPqJuf9uC-FEmQ71dHQ6MFi-MCN9OYgDTRMMvrWZoCckTkTIXcKQDE9TzqdXwGLD_acQz_bg3EJ72Zmy5sSibU4vlCTmttdKUe4/s1600/the-walking-dead-a-house-divided-3-1024x576.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare instance of doing something besides talking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given how <i>The Walking
Dead</i> eschews gameplay for storytelling, the lack of story is disappointing.
There is no overarching goal, Clementine and the supporting cast stumble out of
one bad situation and into another with the vague plan of surviving. There is
only one repeating story arc: the group finds what looks like a respite, and it
all goes to shit. All that does is lead to cynicism, and disinterest in
accomplishing anything, and all that really keeps you going is the desperate
hope to see Clementine safe.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The game tries to make it look like every choice you make
and every response you say are important and affect the game, and that is a big
lie. At most you will get people acting nicer or meaner to Clem after saying
something, and they might stay nice later down the road, but for big important
moments the game takes control away from you. And the no matter what you do the
cast always gets stupid and antagonistic at the worst time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oVxml2BkEDIxLrzTUFf6EZXsxvUbs_yNk81C-E0fYU5vIXseeCKfkgubMy8_ipgZ9BGPNAnhyEpWvosA7-qqX_VFJi1Y6IkDAJSLCpC_VVQ2uy_Q8cTb_e80EXY7DIDVQDXsopfM1x9j/s1600/the-walking-dead-game-season-2-episode-3-captured-group-screenshot-646x363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oVxml2BkEDIxLrzTUFf6EZXsxvUbs_yNk81C-E0fYU5vIXseeCKfkgubMy8_ipgZ9BGPNAnhyEpWvosA7-qqX_VFJi1Y6IkDAJSLCpC_VVQ2uy_Q8cTb_e80EXY7DIDVQDXsopfM1x9j/s1600/the-walking-dead-game-season-2-episode-3-captured-group-screenshot-646x363.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh look, they're in trouble again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I did like the cast, from Angry Pregnant Lady, to Idiot, to
Generic Leader Guy, to Wimpy Husband, to Other Guy, but I did not love them.
They were the main reason I cared about my choices, no matter how two
dimensional the cast was, it was still upsetting to seem them hurt Clem. Clem
herself was enjoyable, which is helped by you deciding how she should act.
Eventually though it was difficult to care about any of the cast, because most of
the time they only served to get killed at some point for drama. Clem herself
is the only guaranteed safe one, but the story was not about her, it was more
about the guy you pick up the second part, he actually has a story arc.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is a feature that records some of your decisions and
compares them to other players. A neat concept, but for some reason it makes
the game unable to start unless you are connected to the internet. That is not
fair, especially for something that could be removed without affecting the game
at all.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The novelty of <i>The
Walking Dead</i> series has worn off. It is fun to see the cast Clementine
interacts with change somewhat depending on what you do, and the characters,
walking cannon fodder that they are, do grow on you. But the lack of meaningful
decisions, the directionless story, the disposable cast, and little real
gameplay, has finally grown too unpleasant. Tragedy and drama are not decent
substitutes for good gameplay. I would recommend playing <i>Season 2</i> once for the story, but I would not bother replaying it.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-18459440054249331882014-07-10T17:32:00.000-04:002014-07-10T17:32:23.955-04:00Review: The Wolf Among Us<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Wolf Among Us</i>
is a series of interactive cutscenes with some sparse adventure game elements.
It was developed by Telltale Games. It is based on the <i>Fables</i> comic book by Bill Willingham, and acts as a prequel to that
series. The game was released episodically in five parts, from October 2013 to
June 2014.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdmt8AWlZTgiRd_4HR3nhk7U1s_sUTquryZTEHiUlb_PXFw7eN2SXVCFmG4mpgwdqXuc4NqSEpCdx4Aookt5v2kYKnGxC7MEsht04yskqpOWcSPrSDZDFvJRAa45H4f-kvDNmNptLR4eN/s1600/wolfreview610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdmt8AWlZTgiRd_4HR3nhk7U1s_sUTquryZTEHiUlb_PXFw7eN2SXVCFmG4mpgwdqXuc4NqSEpCdx4Aookt5v2kYKnGxC7MEsht04yskqpOWcSPrSDZDFvJRAa45H4f-kvDNmNptLR4eN/s1600/wolfreview610.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheriff Bigby Wolf, having a quiet moment with a soon to be murder victim.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In New York City there is a neighborhood called Fabletown
where characters from old stories live in secret. One night the sheriff of Fabletown,
Bigby Wolf, formerly the infamous Big Bad Wolf, breaks up a domestic
disturbance between a prostitute and her client. The next day Bigby finds the
prostitute’s head on the steps of Fabltetown’s main building, and is tasked
with tracking down her murderer. But trying to uphold the law is difficult in a
town going through a recession, and where the disparity between the wealthy
human Fables and the poorer, less normal Fables is reaching a boiling point.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Wolf Among Us</i>
is mostly cutscenes of people talking for several minutes. You decide what
Bigby will say in a conversation, usually choosing from four different options,
and almost always under a time limit, until the scene ends and you move to the
next scene.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6Z7xzkka26SsMRdauGUcV2zMRBRr1IUZF_bouWaG1-Luj7Xn0blvFZ8V88Ccu8xdWsNFGg8D0fiNUo_7gMNKaLBISaK6gb5alOj4xPwO8uic0LMOoIXSG4TMX5U5w9F0IHtC6LKPjIbn/s1600/the-wolf-among-us-episode-1-pic-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp6Z7xzkka26SsMRdauGUcV2zMRBRr1IUZF_bouWaG1-Luj7Xn0blvFZ8V88Ccu8xdWsNFGg8D0fiNUo_7gMNKaLBISaK6gb5alOj4xPwO8uic0LMOoIXSG4TMX5U5w9F0IHtC6LKPjIbn/s1600/the-wolf-among-us-episode-1-pic-2.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shrinking bar along the bottom represents how much time you have left to pick an option.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes, in between the talking scenes, are areas when you
can control Bigby, and walk around, and comment on things in the room.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The point of the game being mostly cutscenes is that it is
supposed to create the feeling that you have some effect on the world.
Characters act differently depending on what dialogue option you choose, and sometimes
what you say or do causes Bigby some trouble later. Each episode has one area
where you can only go in one direction, and which direction you go effects the
second destination when you finally get there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkME1Ky2xeVs_BBF_VVsjrdBPrmtOQBOL38RnxZv98QyVFEXIGuslaAU035DKNCWogMZQWiGN7uYwvrbGrPbRo7fKP-GDMEqJpefU9EyfQcU3X81OAzsI4kFd8rsZ3e8J2o7rdEe9rZgV/s1600/514625349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkME1Ky2xeVs_BBF_VVsjrdBPrmtOQBOL38RnxZv98QyVFEXIGuslaAU035DKNCWogMZQWiGN7uYwvrbGrPbRo7fKP-GDMEqJpefU9EyfQcU3X81OAzsI4kFd8rsZ3e8J2o7rdEe9rZgV/s1600/514625349.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow White is Bigby's boss and sometimes sidekick.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But it is all an illusion. There is no real choice in the
game, and most of the choices you make do not cause serious unavoidable
problems. All the important plot points happen no matters what you do,
characters always die when they need to die, and Bigby always goes to the same
places. The game often likes to tell you that a character will remember
something Bigby said or did, but most of the time that never comes up. It’s almost
a trick, what really matters is how much empathy you feel for these fictional characters
and your own moral compass, and that makes you choose the dialogue options you
choose, not a desire to beat the game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though you do not do much during the cutscenes, they
are far more entertaining than the parts where you walk around. I do not
understand why Telltale thought I would enjoy moving Bigby around, making
unimportant comments about things for a couple of minutes. In a normal
adventure game you normally walk around and comment on things because you are
looking for a way to overcome an obstacle. But here it is busywork, the game
could just as easily have Bigby move around on his own.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story which the game focuses so much is good, but
flawed. The initial mystery is full of more red herrings than clues, and I am
not sure it would be possible to solve the mystery. The game drops the mystery in
the third episode anyway, at which points it turns into a regular crime drama
story. The ending also tosses off a twist at the very last second for the sake
of having a twist, though it is easy enough to ignore. But the rest of the story
it is well written and the characters and setting are likable and interesting.
The subplot of how some Fables are treated like crap or ignored because they do
not look like pretty normal humans, or simply cannot afford to live in the nice
part of town is a compelling piece and leads to a lot of the best parts of the
game. Of course, I may just like the story because I am a fan of the comic and
enjoy seeing characters I liked already. For fans of the comic, you will be
pleased to know that none of the cast are written out-of-character and the
setting is recognizable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3M7yoHnEaZqi6xyKqJHValgu6-MHTKvzVmzJ9hFppR2uNHNW2RTBU6CHDem_kshNHfAwiyT35lMEH0fN8O0p0r9GHcmKXXnZ_J3j2zLnk0eTWQiqI63n5s_ClVbazCZBPKTl-p2xUbACf/s1600/2430572-wolfamongus_jack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3M7yoHnEaZqi6xyKqJHValgu6-MHTKvzVmzJ9hFppR2uNHNW2RTBU6CHDem_kshNHfAwiyT35lMEH0fN8O0p0r9GHcmKXXnZ_J3j2zLnk0eTWQiqI63n5s_ClVbazCZBPKTl-p2xUbACf/s1600/2430572-wolfamongus_jack.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was nice getting to see characters like Jack and Snow White voiced.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The game itself runs decently, no bugs or anything. But to
play the game you always have to be able to get online. The game records the choices
you make and compares them to other players, but that is not a vital part of
the game, and you should not have to log onto their servers every time you want
to play it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The Wolf Among Us</i>
is a good story, with a fun setting and a fun cast. But it is a shit game, and
it is not a fantastic story, which given that it’s focal point of the game is
unfortunate. I guess what I’m saying is, unless you are a fan of the comic, do
not go out of your way to play it.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-40207376923930187042014-01-03T12:46:00.000-05:002014-01-03T12:46:10.001-05:00Review: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Phoenix Wright: Ace
Attorney – Dual Destinies</i> is a sort of-adventure, sort of-puzzle game for
the 3DS. It was developed by Capcom.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNR6h2DbGWhWU14WqTrS1CgNArUn6Op6XX6A8aYoWI_QhEWaVI-HVxB8To6vIw8XkM0eAb9MjrIkQOJxqFq-H8MCX9cCBfU43JnV0FAoPHD32xMrd713z9fV-_yVuW3XiACVCMZTHZ5zuK/s1600/ace_attorney_dd_08_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNR6h2DbGWhWU14WqTrS1CgNArUn6Op6XX6A8aYoWI_QhEWaVI-HVxB8To6vIw8XkM0eAb9MjrIkQOJxqFq-H8MCX9cCBfU43JnV0FAoPHD32xMrd713z9fV-_yVuW3XiACVCMZTHZ5zuK/s320/ace_attorney_dd_08_thumb.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going over a witnesses' testimony, looking for contradictions. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Wright Anything Agency is up and ready to take on new
wrongfully accused clients, with senior member Phoenix Wright reclaiming his attorney
badge, Apollo Justice being second banana, and newcomer Athena Cykes and her
ability to read people’s secret emotions. They will have to defend their
clients from Simon Blackquill, a convicted murderer who is still working as a
prosecutor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Dual Destinies</i> is
made up of five cases, which are made up of two recurring segments. The first
segment is the investigation part of the case. Whichever lawyer is defending
the client goes to the crime scene and collects evidence by talking to people
and looking around the crime scene.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJyy121xBbJdKwlK6u378OEwKC83SlfwTtOIU77nHs75oozbaJJiy4sFJAIc1gDexR41LYeRi-TYUfNDCDUgNEyPEQ2euIVOvB7RQNUT32gxnc9chI6Q97He8-ZmrNCHld7Arpg7ZWvRf/s1600/2291589-939946_20130717_screen012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJyy121xBbJdKwlK6u378OEwKC83SlfwTtOIU77nHs75oozbaJJiy4sFJAIc1gDexR41LYeRi-TYUfNDCDUgNEyPEQ2euIVOvB7RQNUT32gxnc9chI6Q97He8-ZmrNCHld7Arpg7ZWvRf/s320/2291589-939946_20130717_screen012.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The second segment is at the trial, where the lawyer uses
the evidence they found to spot contradictions in a witnesses’ testimony. If
there is nothing in the testimony that the evidence contradicts, the player is
supposed to “press” the witness on parts of their testimony, which will get
them to say contradicting statements. Something like the witness says that were
somewhere at a certain time, but you have a piece of evidence that clearly puts
them somewhere else at the time. There are also parts during the trial when
Athena uses her emotion reading abilities to find parts of the testimony where
what the witness is saying does not line up with what they should be feeling,
and this is treated as the same as having evidence.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The contradiction finding, and to a lesser extent the
emotion finding, is the best part of the game and one of the few times when the
player needs to be there. It is nice to feel clever while shooting down some
smug lying jerk on the witness stand with your keen detective skills. But it is
so easy, I think I only had trouble with one, maybe two testimonies in the
entire game. And the game gives you so many clues about which part of the testimony
to focus on and what evidence to use.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPUoWhGc1rgSS9v4AXhuGKabVkd_fog0QuFgVtEGWvbXwBM0ABVrzW0OHmuNv8G3Pewx7M2Ae2MiJuC0GrfkxCKfYki50QSlsuK6jPxpK-aJGwP22rKWDZJCNbIo4GJfBmvzegvzROZRN/s1600/Phoenix+Wright;+Ace+Attorney+-+Dual+Destinies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPUoWhGc1rgSS9v4AXhuGKabVkd_fog0QuFgVtEGWvbXwBM0ABVrzW0OHmuNv8G3Pewx7M2Ae2MiJuC0GrfkxCKfYki50QSlsuK6jPxpK-aJGwP22rKWDZJCNbIo4GJfBmvzegvzROZRN/s320/Phoenix+Wright;+Ace+Attorney+-+Dual+Destinies.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the emotion finding part looks like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A bigger problem with contradiction finding is how little of
it there is in the overall game compared to parts where you are just reading. <i>Ace Attorney</i> games have always been text
heavy, but before they were usually balanced out with a reasonable amount of
interaction. Here though Capcom went overboard, and mostly regulated the player
to watching the game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is little interaction in the investigation part of the
cases too. Except for those few times when you can look around the crime scene
the game just leads you from one witness to the next.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg425vWQoFwec7f0tYkwMr4PfzL7iYL-g1-1iPEJ6HtivGr_0nPZBJzo0rtgHiziNUp9xyesMc7cCP1ksGgVxFVaunO0cq1ufAr-EdSZOm-J_NFOd7tMfV1llpvvXfUVCTAsQpifOql6H0I/s1600/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-dual-destinies-3ds-announcement-screenshot-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg425vWQoFwec7f0tYkwMr4PfzL7iYL-g1-1iPEJ6HtivGr_0nPZBJzo0rtgHiziNUp9xyesMc7cCP1ksGgVxFVaunO0cq1ufAr-EdSZOm-J_NFOd7tMfV1llpvvXfUVCTAsQpifOql6H0I/s320/phoenix-wright-ace-attorney-dual-destinies-3ds-announcement-screenshot-5.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am of two minds about the main story which Capcom put so
much time into at the expense of actual gameplay; I cannot decide what is
better, the filler cases or the “important” cases. On the one hand the filler
ones are not really interesting. They are like the regular episodes of a crime
drama show, you will be entertained for the time you are watching, but you will
not remember what they were about by next week. The “important” cases meanwhile
are more interesting, but that is because they involve the main character’s
personal lives and rely a lot more on drama clichés, so I feel embarrassed that
I remember those more.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like I said, the story relies on a lot of clichés, trauma or
drug-induced amnesia, cases being saved by evidence arriving at the last
second, etc. There are two storytelling elements though that are particularly
bothersome. One is the number of times when the crime scene is a very obvious
frame up, and the lawyer works hard to point out that it is a frame up, and in
the process uncovers more much damning evidence against their client that was
planted by the real criminal, who was apparently counting on that happening,
and the prosecutor is never surprised. The second is in the last case, the
final important person reveal pulls the bad trick of making the murderer the
very last person you would expect by offering absolutely no foreshadowing to
maximize the surprise, which is unfair to do in a mystery.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of the plot revolves around Athena in some way, with
the final case and overarching story focusing on her, and two of the five cases
involving her friends. Athena is not a terrible character, she’s peppy but not
extremely so, optimistic and friendly in a safe and unobtrusive way. But she is
not interesting or remarkable, even with her eventually revealed backstory, and
I would have preferred her screen time given to someone else in the already
bloated cast. I was not that impressed with Blackquill either.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Phoenix Wright: Ace
Attorney – Dual Destinies</i> is not that fun of a game. It was nice to see
some of the old cast, but the story was boring except for the parts that were
dumb, and gameplay was sacrificed to make room for more of that dumb, boring
story.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-53819531697416401252013-12-15T14:20:00.000-05:002013-12-15T19:08:09.702-05:00Review: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Assassin’s Creed IV:
Black Flag</i> is an action-adventure sandbox game for the Xbox 360,
PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Wii U. It was developed by
Ubisoft Montreal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDk3mEU4_gH4zGnvBQUv4d1v45HHMfOYvq4xCUq114ME04x-6Yu5S_tOu8oz9aoTaeBfvWNOPcWQCyZmzpZ2XhQUADcLmrNY7kOJPGnntcHh3MQTqeJmprJPI1Of8rEjiT7KHLzqoDVHVa/s1600/Assassin's+Creed+IV;+Black+Flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDk3mEU4_gH4zGnvBQUv4d1v45HHMfOYvq4xCUq114ME04x-6Yu5S_tOu8oz9aoTaeBfvWNOPcWQCyZmzpZ2XhQUADcLmrNY7kOJPGnntcHh3MQTqeJmprJPI1Of8rEjiT7KHLzqoDVHVa/s320/Assassin's+Creed+IV;+Black+Flag.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward Kenway and his quartermaster on his ship the Jackdaw.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As usual with an <i>Assassin’s
Creed</i> game there are two stories going on. You are an employee at Abstergo
Entertainment, using a device called the Animus to relieve the life of pirate
Edward Kenway. Edward Kenway is a 18<sup>th</sup> century newlywed lout, who
travels to the West Indies to start a new life as a pirate in an ill-conceived
attempt to prove to his wife’s family and himself that he’s worth something. In
the West Indies Kenway accidentally gets involved in the millennia long war
between the Assassins and the Templars, who are searching for the Observatory,
some place that will do something that will help whoever finds it in some way.
Meanwhile in the present, you get dragged into the modern day Assassin/Templar
fight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is always a lot of content to cover in an <i>Assassin’s Creed</i> game, so I want to
start with the sword fighting, sneaking around and assassinating, and naval
combat, all of which takes place in a large open world centered around Cuba.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpe9OssKjGN_v5yAIWDnvQV3hzZxLvLJzusWZ4pVVRia9u9Zz-fITdYFXy2ZK1Z__MA-TndalmrmQkcPwQ6Sg75s0h2tKfPArGCuPaTmm-BW_3bisN31PFJWBCOn4WbyITdLTygncjpAf/s1600/Assassins_Creed_IV_Black_Flag2013-11-17-23-21-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpe9OssKjGN_v5yAIWDnvQV3hzZxLvLJzusWZ4pVVRia9u9Zz-fITdYFXy2ZK1Z__MA-TndalmrmQkcPwQ6Sg75s0h2tKfPArGCuPaTmm-BW_3bisN31PFJWBCOn4WbyITdLTygncjpAf/s320/Assassins_Creed_IV_Black_Flag2013-11-17-23-21-20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sword fighting is a simple button press and control stick
aim towards your opponent, followed by mashing. You counter attacks by pressing
the counter button when an icon appears of an enemy’s head for a second. I like
the quick-thinking the attacking and countering requires, but sometimes I think
the game has a hard time figuring out that I had countered in time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sneaking around and assassinating people has always been the
core concept of <i>Assassin’s Creed</i>, and
its basic concepts are still in this game, even if most of them are not used.
The basic idea in past games is that you climb over buildings and hide in
places, avoiding people’s line of sight until you can get close to your target
and stab them. While hiding somewhere you can stealthily kill someone and hide
their body without alerting other guards, and you have a handy whistle to lure
guards to your hiding spot. It all works like it is supposed to, though the
game clearly does not care about using much of its original ideas. The only problem is that sometimes Kenway
will grab onto the wrong ledge or run up the wrong building, and sometimes a
guard will spot you in the bushes when they should not.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidroJg8bxmik033UfmjiwfJxlKf4B0rS-UtFUolKm6NTIirSHWa_ExvSWfvmpUFT7t459FsL4R7KN28wAXnJTOnpt_s-jicZEkemsQOgctbJ5QBoer4jzOD0yaQt6KBlIMqAIqgu5_iCtW/s1600/Cape_Bonavista_shanties_ac4_131026_1403_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidroJg8bxmik033UfmjiwfJxlKf4B0rS-UtFUolKm6NTIirSHWa_ExvSWfvmpUFT7t459FsL4R7KN28wAXnJTOnpt_s-jicZEkemsQOgctbJ5QBoer4jzOD0yaQt6KBlIMqAIqgu5_iCtW/s320/Cape_Bonavista_shanties_ac4_131026_1403_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The West Indies are surprisingly climbable.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The naval combat, while originating from <i>Assassin’s Creed III</i>, is expanded on in
this game. You sail around until you find a ship you want to attack. You pull
up near the ship, orient your camera towards it, aim the cannons, and fire.
When you wear down the ships health bar, you can either sink it for some loot,
or board the ship and kill a certain number of people so you can take the ship
and get more loot and other bonuses. Your only defense from the other ships
cannon’s is telling everyone to duck when cannons are firing, which was never
that effective to me. Your ship starts off with basic cannons, but it can be
upgraded with newer and stronger weapons built from the materials you steal from
other ships, and you change the look of some parts of your ship with materials
too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeQfoGU8E89Nk0E6kn_likOVfW5ODTinB5LrCZf_oErRbjJ_6S6D0SKwaJaIBHtWovLlI9hzXzk6YOhaDZD2DlkROZidfK5s9IJY8Zupc3-HyhBuR5iHGaBmhyC4rXN6apgm25FgIUNe5/s1600/440520443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJeQfoGU8E89Nk0E6kn_likOVfW5ODTinB5LrCZf_oErRbjJ_6S6D0SKwaJaIBHtWovLlI9hzXzk6YOhaDZD2DlkROZidfK5s9IJY8Zupc3-HyhBuR5iHGaBmhyC4rXN6apgm25FgIUNe5/s320/440520443.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ship combat is the best part of the game. It is easy to
pick up, the map and variety of ships keeps it fresh, fights do not drag on,
and it is fun and rewarding attack and loot ships. The only problem with the
ship combat is that it is really easy; keep up with the story-required upgrades
and do not venture into new waters before the story gets you there, and you can
literally run rings around fleets of ships, which are all slow and stupid.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3caqy9MG_43RRDXgYR2Y82nRLli0hUTLoJ-17KbGq-yOytnb9uDWqwuF4AwvZBp4Fq0e6OB2vtbyqZE97Q-7yrOuH23LbJIGUS8L6LXoIz_zBVh5u3_FD1P4u4OLoxQymFOHF5ijGn7_/s1600/image_37355_620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3caqy9MG_43RRDXgYR2Y82nRLli0hUTLoJ-17KbGq-yOytnb9uDWqwuF4AwvZBp4Fq0e6OB2vtbyqZE97Q-7yrOuH23LbJIGUS8L6LXoIz_zBVh5u3_FD1P4u4OLoxQymFOHF5ijGn7_/s320/image_37355_620.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Occasionally you will run into bad weather, but nothing too difficult to deal with.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Black Flag </i>progresses
through story missions, usually three to five per chapter. Unfortunately these
are the worst parts of <i>Assassin’s Creed
IV</i>. I do not know if it was a lazy way to shoehorn exposition into each mission,
or a desperate attempt to find a way to keep the old gameplay elements of <i>Assassin’s Creed</i> relevant, but a
disproportionate number of missions involve tailing someone by walking above or
behind them and hiding in the regular spots the series is known for, like piles
of hay or in crowds. It is a very tedious part of the game, and so many
missions have these segments. Not that following someone is the only type of
story mission, there are also times where you have to sneak by guards and kill
someone or sneak to a goal. And there are even a few sailing missions, though
not enough, and almost none at the end. It is just that the tailing sections
are the most common.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also, while not required to complete the game, there are
100% synchronization requirements for each mission, where you have to do extra
objectives or play the level in a certain way to really complete it. These just
limit how you get to play the level, and really frustrating since a lot them
can only be done once, and if you mess up you have to restart the checkpoint.
Again, they are not required, but if you are playing an <i>Assassin’s Creed</i> game there is a good chance you enjoy collecting
and completing every last thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story that accompanies the missions is not any better.
Kenway goes to the Caribbean to make something of himself, but spends most of
his time dicking around. He becomes a wealthy pirate almost overnight, but
never brings his wife over. He spends some time trying to help the struggling
pirate town Nassau, but never puts his heart in it. Then he spends the rest of
the game trying to find the Observatory before the Assassins and the Templars,
but he does not make any progress until the end. Most of the pirates Kenway
hangs out with are forgettable, as are most of the Templars he fights. The
modern day story is more interesting, but only if you had played all the other
games so you know what is going on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thankfully, as long as you do not stick to just the main
story, there is plenty to do in <i>Black
Flag</i> that is fun. Most of what you can do is rewarding too, as in you get
money but not so much that you can buy everything immediately and make the
rewarding pointless. It would take too long to cover everything, but a lot of
the side activities are about going to new places on the map, or places you
have already been before, and collecting all the treasure chests, pieces of
art, animus fragments, and sea shanties. This gets you to use Kenway’s parkour
abilities and lot more than the main game, and gives you a reason to sail your
ship everywhere. While collecting stuff can be boring, the game keeps it fresh
by having the locations you visit just different enough, and not having too
many things to collect in one place, plus the fast travel helps.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_hzrbsA3EZUpj-pNGTNx_buQEoCdkdPOFxn1CGY5h9xFLezx2PvSdPnFDJZlmCLVlsdSQr6e-f_VdJyGi5Tv_UnIgd1NhU1wIe9tdzNnGZ_UeAYbgcP7JDAijs0uQShpS7fS8dT-Z2Ph/s1600/AF_SKB3B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR_hzrbsA3EZUpj-pNGTNx_buQEoCdkdPOFxn1CGY5h9xFLezx2PvSdPnFDJZlmCLVlsdSQr6e-f_VdJyGi5Tv_UnIgd1NhU1wIe9tdzNnGZ_UeAYbgcP7JDAijs0uQShpS7fS8dT-Z2Ph/s320/AF_SKB3B.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of things to collect.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can also carry out assassination and naval assassination
contracts, break into plantations and steal their stuff, hunt animals for
upgrades, sack forts with your ship, and find buried treasure with discovered
maps. All of it is pretty fun, not repetitive, does not take too long and uses
the game mechanics well. You can also spend a lot of time hunting down ships
for upgrade supplies, though that is not considered a mission.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If there is one downside to the all the side activities, it
is that the things you can buy are not that rewarding. You only need to upgrade
your weapons halfway to make it through the game, and the customization options
for Kenway and his ship are limited.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Black Flag</i> has a
multiplayer mode, which does not use ship combat at all. Instead it plays out
like a game of cat-and-mouse. You hunt down and assassinate another player
assigned to you on a map filled with identical NPCs while trying to avoid other
players assigned to assassinate you. It is in your best interest to walk around
casually and not attract attention to yourself, because not only does that make
you stick out to your pursuers, but you get more points if you kill someone
while blending into a crowd. Whoever has the most points by the end of the
round wins, and the better you do the more points you get to buy equipment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bc4lcvVtIs-pLsvmbx-W9eq5gtVDMxrgncKTB9zDvPesktXeDyfhyphenhypheng6Wkxnqr1PEVV3bYv4Rxxsi6QT6UBflDYGm2p8oI2u7jGoDU7-u5A2B9Q-zdVPI-wlLrZe8RBfDNBNJz-YEESOM/s1600/669177-Assassin-Creed-Black-Flag-Multiplayer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bc4lcvVtIs-pLsvmbx-W9eq5gtVDMxrgncKTB9zDvPesktXeDyfhyphenhypheng6Wkxnqr1PEVV3bYv4Rxxsi6QT6UBflDYGm2p8oI2u7jGoDU7-u5A2B9Q-zdVPI-wlLrZe8RBfDNBNJz-YEESOM/s320/669177-Assassin-Creed-Black-Flag-Multiplayer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are several problems with the multiplayer that keep it
from being enjoyable. When you are hunting someone there is almost no reason to
try in blend in because you still act too human, and anything you do to get
close to your target looks suspicious. You might as well run straight at your
target and hope they do not turn the camera your way. You can defend yourself
from assassins by pressing the right button at the right time, but there is no
good reason why sometimes you can stun someone and other times they can still
stab you but they get a point reduction, even when it is painfully obvious they
are the one hunting you and you press the button before them. And God help you
if you are against opponents who have unlocked all their weapons, because they
will destroy you. I would say that the multiplayer aspect of <i>Black Flag</i> should be ignored.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite the problems with the main part of the game and the
forgettable multiplayer, <i>Assassin’s Creed
IV: Black Flag</i> is enjoyable, addictive experience, especially the sailing.
It is a real turnaround from its predecessor.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-35095297396093846532013-12-09T22:07:00.000-05:002013-12-09T22:08:51.072-05:00Why there isn't going to be a review todayI don't know if anybody actually reads this blog and knows that it normally updates every other Monday, but there isn't going to be a review today, and there's probable never going to be one on a regular schedule ever again.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
I don't remember how I initially did it, but when I started this blog I must have had a bunch of games ready to play, because I always had a backlog of reviews of games that were several weeks or months old, because for some reason I was for a long time behind everyone else. But I caught up this year and my backlog started disappearing faster than I could play new games, and now I've run out. I'm currently playing <i>Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies</i> and <i>Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, </i>and I thought I could finish one in time, but they're too long. So I have nothing to post.<br />
<br />
I'm kind of disappointed that I wasn't able to update. I had hoped that when I finally ran out of reviews it would be when I had no games to play, that my backlog would end during a lull and I would be all caught up. I was so close. I was just three games from being lined up. If only I had gone straight to these games instead of playing <i>The Saboteur</i> and RE6 first.<br />
<br />
And now that I've missed my deadline I feel like there's no point to continue keeping up with it. I guess that means the deadline lost its point a long time ago. I remember doing that because I thought it would make the blog look more professional, back when I thought I should have it on my resume, back when I thought people were just handing out review jobs. It's pretty obvious that was pointless.<br />
<br />
It's not like I wouldn't have to deal with this problem sooner or later. When I hate that lull I hoped for, it's not like I was going to be able to fin a new game to play every two weeks and review it. I think what I will do is just review a game when I finish it and upload it immediately. I just worry that without the deadline I won't have the discipline to write the reviews and I'll stop working on the blog. But I don't want to give up on it, this is one of the few things I've put consistent work in for years, even if it's a tiny blog lost in the itnernet.John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-86454631517510763182013-11-25T16:49:00.000-05:002013-11-25T16:49:37.656-05:00Review: rain<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>rain</i> is a somewhat
stealthy, somewhat platform-y, somewhat puzzle-y, video game for the
PlayStation 3. It was developed by SCE Japan Studio, Acquire, and PlayStation
C.A.M.P, a studio that develops user submitted game ideas.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvX88QKws_-qE_CVw8JbW1evvY-YcoiF3_7NGmkx8wdtuyd2g0wITX2jGv5PUnAMdvIa9Re9j1NMLs95ACT6Fvg0nUiUotksx44BkFlCrFhFaJt11KsGlG9J-gRkaUDZJGdI3ruHF5F1u/s1600/Rain-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixvX88QKws_-qE_CVw8JbW1evvY-YcoiF3_7NGmkx8wdtuyd2g0wITX2jGv5PUnAMdvIa9Re9j1NMLs95ACT6Fvg0nUiUotksx44BkFlCrFhFaJt11KsGlG9J-gRkaUDZJGdI3ruHF5F1u/s320/Rain-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The little boy outrunning some Unknowns in the mysterious town.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
One day a boy sees a girl being chased by a monster and
follows them through a giant door. On the other side of the door the boy finds
himself in a version of his town that is dark, gloomy, filled with nonstop
rain, and crawling with more semi-visible monsters. The boy finds that he
himself is also invisible, as long as he stays out of the rain. With his new
invisibility powers the boy decides to track down the girl while avoiding the
monsters, called Unknowns, especially the giant club-wielding one pursuing the
girl.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>rain</i> mostly
revolves around the boy’s invisibility and his use of that to avoid the
Unknowns since he cannot defend himself. The town has a large number of
overhangs and other covers that you have to move under, which serve as the boy’s
main protection. There are also puddles of rain you have to step quietly
through lest you alert the Unknowns, and puddles of mud that make the boy show
even under canvases hat can be cleaned off by stepping the deep water puddles.
The boy can do nothing more than run, jump, and push and pull things.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The stealth mechanic is never used well and the game is
really easy. Stealth puzzles are simple things like wait for the Unknown to
turn around to run to the next canvas, or wait until the Unknown is turned
around to move a box out of the way, or make a noise to lure the Unknown to one
side of the screen so you can sneak by the other side. Simple puzzles, puzzles
seen in every other game with a stealth mechanic ever, but instead of hiding
behind rocks or in boxes you are hiding under canvases. The Unknown are not
that intelligent, they will stop chasing the boy as soon as they cannot see
him, and only react to loud noises. The deep puddles and mud puddles might as
well not be there, given how often they are used. The puzzles get a little better
when the boy finds the girl and they have to push blocks out of the way to
create paths for each other and other teamwork exercises. Overall though I
never had a problem with any of the puzzles and found the whole thing to be
terribly linear.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCJqzfEW_Lga88DR0raCzTy-pOXLmCuUEhV1dYo2l_mIP6cCRhxABeQE42PGrTKc-Gwv5BEz9d661704r6u7IzUDxQlPULwY2PfvlquAVoMH08yHOvZCDfTJoUq4z1eRHIpNulBXPjnGH/s1600/PS3_LostintherainPreorder_screenshot1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCJqzfEW_Lga88DR0raCzTy-pOXLmCuUEhV1dYo2l_mIP6cCRhxABeQE42PGrTKc-Gwv5BEz9d661704r6u7IzUDxQlPULwY2PfvlquAVoMH08yHOvZCDfTJoUq4z1eRHIpNulBXPjnGH/s320/PS3_LostintherainPreorder_screenshot1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think the idea is that the rain is giving the boy shape, but he looks like a film projection standing in the rain, not a boy covered in water.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If <i>rain</i> is not
about challenging the player, then it should be about marveling at the game
itself. Unfortunately the aesthetic qualities of the game are plain and repetitive.
At first the rain-soaked town is kind of pretty in a haunted kind of way,
though I am not a fan of that giant white European building look the town is
made out of. But the rain-soaked buildings and garbage everywhere loses its
novelty by the second level and goes on for another three levels.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story is forgettable too. The boy chases after the girl,
both of whom are pursued by the club-wielding Unknown. For the first five
levels the most story you get is when the boy and the girl meet up. The only interesting
character is the club-wielding Unknown, who never changes but gets under your
skin by its sheer persistence. I found the ending to be predictable, I was
expecting one of two clichéd plot twists at the end, but I am glad that in the
end <i>rain</i> went with the less melodramatic
reveal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is a shame that most of <i>rain</i> is boring, because it really picks up in the last three
levels. The game abandons its stealth mechanics for more platforming action leading
to a lot of instances of the boy and girl running and jumping over everything to
escape the club wielding Unknown. The town gives away to a more surreal
setting, and the several plot points happen, more than the rest of the game
combined.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR132UyEk9i6DjnDAQTdGsz-wlwX_z8mWBbdzVz3YiddtBEv8c4rg4LC1-hw_3uF3n8_fxqY7qAe9dxqmojyTT9C1J421YYD5HASa3akf0cZ_ILOAensGNTYKvp7q5xoUUWX4YqPvffC2/s1600/11-noscale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR132UyEk9i6DjnDAQTdGsz-wlwX_z8mWBbdzVz3YiddtBEv8c4rg4LC1-hw_3uF3n8_fxqY7qAe9dxqmojyTT9C1J421YYD5HASa3akf0cZ_ILOAensGNTYKvp7q5xoUUWX4YqPvffC2/s320/11-noscale.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The interesting part starts at this circus, which also has the best puzzle in the game.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>rain </i>is just dull.
It is not very nice to look at, the stealth mechanic is not used well, there is
no story, and it is definitely not worth fifteen dollars. If the first half of
the game taken out and the price reduced to five dollars that would be a more
appropriate price, even if it would make the game even shorter. Instead I would
recommend waiting until it is on sale, or maybe watch the whole game online
instead. It would not take you long.<u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-71917317234207893872013-11-11T17:14:00.000-05:002013-11-11T17:14:24.561-05:00Review: Outlast<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Outlast</i> is a
first-person survival horror game for the PC. It was developed by Red Barrels
Games.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPFqHF-j4166muTL_gL0D2xgFBQuqVlXv2Q2V1qKkGBxFiAlp-Bb-PFB3ief_CA3jGU7UnPHNCOXtWUEzz_jTKIYtivdCO4aw7F737upVlLvqtP6xZ_ae8RhL3QaW43Hg3YyGF5u6XiWT/s1600/2013-08-30_00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPFqHF-j4166muTL_gL0D2xgFBQuqVlXv2Q2V1qKkGBxFiAlp-Bb-PFB3ief_CA3jGU7UnPHNCOXtWUEzz_jTKIYtivdCO4aw7F737upVlLvqtP6xZ_ae8RhL3QaW43Hg3YyGF5u6XiWT/s320/2013-08-30_00001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An escaped patient looking for Miles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Miles Upshur gets a tip that something is going on at the
Mount Massive Asylum. Suspecting a more mundane story, Miles breaks in to find
dead military, blood and guts everywhere, a horde of disfigured mental
patients, and a psychotic priest who wants him to witness the whole thing.
Armed with only a camcorder, Miles has to find a new exit and maybe discover
out what messed up the asylum.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your time in <i>Outlast</i>
is spent wandering around the asylum, opening doors and hiding from the
patients. Miles has no way to defend himself while the patients could beat him
to death in a couple of seconds. What Miles does have is the night vision of
his camcorder, which lets him see in the pitch black asylum. While the inmates have
to hunt based on sound and limited sight, Miles can see people coming from a
distance and can run and hide under beds and in lockers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The camcorder runs on limited battery power though. You have
to find batteries and regularly replace the ones in the camcorder so you are
not stumbling around in the dark.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q-6Uqoo_6o7xZ0Gwjb5q-aBsMBqHaQNnOm_e_ZzIn-fi95EDAvN1SXOGKp4hLvkyJD-3ZnPzJKMRSL_zMxUcl1Itgt6K1KLMhzU3YuWPFGIqo_5NTutK5ovSSC0a6zODLeZdVd7_j3NW/s1600/Outlast01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8q-6Uqoo_6o7xZ0Gwjb5q-aBsMBqHaQNnOm_e_ZzIn-fi95EDAvN1SXOGKp4hLvkyJD-3ZnPzJKMRSL_zMxUcl1Itgt6K1KLMhzU3YuWPFGIqo_5NTutK5ovSSC0a6zODLeZdVd7_j3NW/s320/Outlast01.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can use the camcorder without night vision, but its pointless to do so.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The game is really linear. There are a lot of long narrow (but
not boring or copy and pasted) corridors you walk down with regular breaks to
peer into rooms to look for exits, keys, or papers that detail the backstory.
Most of the time you do nothing besides walk and wait for the next horror to
jump out and chase you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlz1vlmsqUJJjW9auLWWgoEsFmzyPsgLDJoOqpqp8BEzNWWQSTTXWIIuLPuzfTYRk6_HLFeHThViPhf_s6ri1cHA5V1i84KQT9vxGQPskcyJj00J93mFW7JRDQbdhEjX7xuez_6G4zl-P/s1600/outlast-pc-survival-horror-gameplay-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlz1vlmsqUJJjW9auLWWgoEsFmzyPsgLDJoOqpqp8BEzNWWQSTTXWIIuLPuzfTYRk6_HLFeHThViPhf_s6ri1cHA5V1i84KQT9vxGQPskcyJj00J93mFW7JRDQbdhEjX7xuez_6G4zl-P/s320/outlast-pc-survival-horror-gameplay-screenshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles puts his hands on the wall when you are next to one; a small detail but impressive.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When some crazy psycho does appear, they either immediately
see you or not. With the former you have to run away, jumping over obstacles
and closing doors behind you until you find a bed to hide under or a locker to
hide in, at which point they guy will follow you into the room, look everywhere
except where you are, and leave, or you have to run until something plot
related happens. If they do not see you, you can normally move back and out of
the way until they turn around <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Controls while running are responsive and easy to use.
Hiding is a simple button press which is easy to activate while you are running.
The only difficulty is closing doors in a hurry, the game is finicky about
whether you have clicked on a door, and double doors take too long to close.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdalyD7tDXUelPf0fNp57O6YRAGsIs4NJM4Q88nEcd3B6zy3_E003z23rTsdar56D4G7mBacfPW8oqDVXPG-9m8gncBeG_x_Id7QG_rk-NJ1Ty8Pq5WEzWk5WQeUN4vY4Q6EQuhg2PuvBW/s1600/2b30186e536a7eade8c24fe9a1a6ecb0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdalyD7tDXUelPf0fNp57O6YRAGsIs4NJM4Q88nEcd3B6zy3_E003z23rTsdar56D4G7mBacfPW8oqDVXPG-9m8gncBeG_x_Id7QG_rk-NJ1Ty8Pq5WEzWk5WQeUN4vY4Q6EQuhg2PuvBW/s320/2b30186e536a7eade8c24fe9a1a6ecb0.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The inmates are easy to get by. All you do is run and hide
and as long as they are not in the room with you they never look at where you
are. They are not that coordinated either, a few times I was just able to
squeeze by them when I did not feel like running back and hiding.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that is all okay, because <i>Outlast</i> is, for the most part, terrifying, for several reasons. The
great lighting effects makes most of the asylum look dark and foreboding, so
every step feels like walking into danger. Miles helplessness creates a sense
of tension and caution on the player’s part. The inmates are just disgusting to
look at, with missing limbs and large patches of their skin mutilated, so when
they pop out of nowhere and chase you, screaming, it’s more than simply
outrunning a normal person. The asylum itself is vile, with blood and lovingly
detailed organs everywhere, and more inmates walking around acting crazy, even
if they are harmless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1ZdXIuOTAnrgApssJSJbKDgwRbXS8xB5nLoIo08sRBU9RCLESDAnGc3WZdhYW6TaHo9fVd16Wso-2iSXjIS7y8Ii5qBKFQmb5c8cnk4WYf5yXJTkC4hCyF-lbhNi3H8lV8C6lyNilEuY/s1600/2013-08-27_00035-100055877-orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP1ZdXIuOTAnrgApssJSJbKDgwRbXS8xB5nLoIo08sRBU9RCLESDAnGc3WZdhYW6TaHo9fVd16Wso-2iSXjIS7y8Ii5qBKFQmb5c8cnk4WYf5yXJTkC4hCyF-lbhNi3H8lV8C6lyNilEuY/s320/2013-08-27_00035-100055877-orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You will often find inmates doing nothing besides freaking out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Special mention has to be given to the camcorder night
vision effect. It does not just paint the screen green, it recreates that look
night vision has, where only the area immediately in front of you is
illuminated in a somewhat fuzzy effect. It gives you just enough light to see
in front of you, but keeps you from seeing the guy silently walk into your field
of vision until he is right in your face with the little eye lights that happen
when you look at eyes in night vision.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If there is one thing that can make the game less scary are
the musical cues. They are useful when I need to know that someone has seen me
and I need to run, but it kills the surprise sometimes. Especially with this
one guy who chases you everywhere, eventually when I heard his music I was like
“Oh, it’s that guy again.” But those minor problems do not take away from the
scariness of the game.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only serious problem with <i>Outlast</i> is the ending. For most of the game you are running around,
collecting papers that hint at some sort of supernatural being causing
everything and something to do with Nazis. But at the end, I think Red Barrels
felt like they had to give an explanation for everything, which they did not,
and their explanation brings in a lot of plot points that were not set up
beforehand, and just makes the story more confusing and the ending
unsatisfying.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even with its few flaws, <i>Outlast</i>
is worth the time of anyone who is looking for a good, thorough scare, which is
the most important thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-28529313804232126892013-10-28T16:44:00.000-04:002013-10-28T16:50:23.494-04:00Review: Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is a
first-person horror stroll for the PC, Mac, and Linux. It was developed by The
Chinese Room and published by Frictional Games, who developed the first <i>Amnesia</i> game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_lXmM8iF2qoQAXuw6yrZDo3UNlLEQaDEBfZUJMVqhhXJ6sFgOIaLhhbJ2eX7Ds5ZGFEus80ZVUYw0N1zMqCMkGvl3cV5kIhUw5Rtfd4wC7A5R0whtQYC00mwHVqvlMfFmG-uwdwP5mVz/s1600/amnesia2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm_lXmM8iF2qoQAXuw6yrZDo3UNlLEQaDEBfZUJMVqhhXJ6sFgOIaLhhbJ2eX7Ds5ZGFEus80ZVUYw0N1zMqCMkGvl3cV5kIhUw5Rtfd4wC7A5R0whtQYC00mwHVqvlMfFmG-uwdwP5mVz/s320/amnesia2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mandus exploring the machine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
business tycoon named Oswald Mandus wakes up in his empty house and starts
looking for his twin sons, who he keeps hearing off in the distance. Someone
calls Mandus on his phone and tells him that his kids are trapped in the giant labyrinthine
machine under his house and factory, and that Mandus has to descend into the
machine and repair it. Mandus does so, learning about the inhuman monsters
running around it, his part in the whole thing, and where his children are in
the process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There
is not much going on in <i>A Machine for
Pigs</i>. You as Mandus travel through the machine, and solve a few puzzles,
and avoid a couple of monster guards. You do no explore that much as your path
is very clear and has few deviations, enforced with many locked doors and
narrow pathways. There are a few puzzles, but they amount to little more than
bringing an object from point A to point B. There are a couple of instances
when you have to avoid a monster guard, but for those you either have to outrun
them until you reach a door, or hide in a corner with your light off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What
is most damning though about AMfP is that it is not scary. The setting is not
scary, the monsters that attack you are not scary, the ambient sounds are
creepy at first but you get used to them rather quickly when you realize they
do not signal the approach of anything, especially if you are playing while do
something like watching TV or talking to other people or anything besides
completely isolating yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Most
of the game takes place in and around the titular building sized machine, and
for the most part it is nothing but a maze of tunnels and catwalks and other 19<sup>th</sup>
century factory parts. It’s sort of gloomy, and the cages and all the blood splatter
are a bit unsettling, but for the most part it is just grates and pipes and
tubes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
monster patrolling the machine are not scary either. They are basically
hunchback men. Whether you find them scary is entirely dependent on how scary you
find pig faces and pig screeches, I do not think either of those are scary, so
I was mostly indifferent those rare times when Mandus encountered one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
only genuinely frightening part is at the very beginning, when you wake up in
Mandus’ mansion, with its unsettling paintings and secret passages and children’s
toys everywhere, when you still do not know what is going on. If only the
entire game took place there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MkGXdZD20uRyOfUeqgPqkHQySvCozxT-RrvWNsLJYPlMkufgSjSPoJB3yfd2ULsCG4DjKm8kys-4k4701zyFu4rFuQk_-ZZzOOj9INJn_r2tvyeFvBBOSDWvAG2jlJA6sTuFLXC6cKGK/s1600/Amnesia-A-Machine-for-Pigs-screenshots-issued-release-date-confirmed-5-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MkGXdZD20uRyOfUeqgPqkHQySvCozxT-RrvWNsLJYPlMkufgSjSPoJB3yfd2ULsCG4DjKm8kys-4k4701zyFu4rFuQk_-ZZzOOj9INJn_r2tvyeFvBBOSDWvAG2jlJA6sTuFLXC6cKGK/s320/Amnesia-A-Machine-for-Pigs-screenshots-issued-release-date-confirmed-5-1024x576.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or at least on the surface.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Maybe
it would be scary if I psyched myself up and played totally alone in pitch
black darkness, but I should not have to work that hard to be scared by
something.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Most
of the story is nothing beyond delving into the bowels of the machine to find
Mandus’ kids and fix the machine. You find journal pages lying around that
explain the backstory some more, but a lot of them are ramblings and do nothing
more than beat you over the head with how evil the builder of the machine is.
Mandus also experiences flashbacks which do the same. While I can appreciate
not wanting to explain everything to the player, eventually there should have been
some reason for why Mandus and the guy on the phone did what they did or a
better explanation of the machine. Instead they come off as two dimensional,
and the machine is nothing more than a needlessly complicated setting. More
explanation might have helped the ending too, which is confusing and a wee bit pretentious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
will say that the game looks great, and very detailed. Even if most of it takes
place in what is basically a giant not scary factory, The Chinese Room put
effort into making each part of the factory look different. I would bet (though
not much) that I could identify any part of the game from screenshots.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMA92N4oKqaOoJXrFf_JeilRVm1fpLFBLnaB-OxhhvYBAeTqGZWqKuQc1RjtLhttwQAaY4K9UaWUw0mvlp_ElCLyxW44qmzXSxau-cdjTMuv_WJBlkQlBQKJOVYa0C95vo_zZ2bwtKRbFc/s1600/2013-09-08_00001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMA92N4oKqaOoJXrFf_JeilRVm1fpLFBLnaB-OxhhvYBAeTqGZWqKuQc1RjtLhttwQAaY4K9UaWUw0mvlp_ElCLyxW44qmzXSxau-cdjTMuv_WJBlkQlBQKJOVYa0C95vo_zZ2bwtKRbFc/s320/2013-09-08_00001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least the non-hallway parts.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> is not scary,
painfully linear, barely interactive, and if none of that bothers you, really
short. It does not have a reason to exist as a video game, and after playing it
once and knowing what is going on there is little reason to go back a second
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-23060030243649058892013-10-14T17:35:00.000-04:002013-10-14T17:35:52.506-04:00Review: Saints Row IV<div class="NormalWriting">
<i>Saints Row IV</i>
is a sandbox shooter for the Mac, PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. It was developed by
Volition and published by Deep Silver, following their acquisition of the <i>Saints Row</i> franchise after Volition’s
bankruptcy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOI3Q_PCaomGjLBok05-NE82U2bKSCfC7_2VmcCMwmlIF_zd-sA-RSZUe-AYSaVzvaBxgXJCPrPvEn2OUkXZ7Ef4-tIdy9qKjOqsLGhSk9w328zqohm9CKcbT4s2TAH-VZ0MZ5rZ16oJuo/s1600/sr4pc_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOI3Q_PCaomGjLBok05-NE82U2bKSCfC7_2VmcCMwmlIF_zd-sA-RSZUe-AYSaVzvaBxgXJCPrPvEn2OUkXZ7Ef4-tIdy9qKjOqsLGhSk9w328zqohm9CKcbT4s2TAH-VZ0MZ5rZ16oJuo/s320/sr4pc_06.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A normal story mission for Saints Row IV.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="NormalWriting">
President of the United States and leader of the Third
Street Saints “The Boss” is abducted by the alien Zinyak, leader of the Zin
empire, and tossed into a virtual simulation of his/her old stomping grounds of
Steelport. The Boss breaks out with help from Kinzie,
the brains of the Saints’ operation, and they escape from Zinyak’s mothership
in a ship of their own. With Kinzie figuring out how the entire Zin’s computer
operations work, the Boss goes back into the simulation to rescue the rest of
the Saints who are trapped there, and figure out a way to get revenge on
Zinyak.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<br /></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
In <i>Saints Row IV</i>,
you are dumped into Steelport again, where you can do three things: the story
missions, and side missions, which are red and blue. Red missions are mostly
“go to this place and kill these people” and can only be done once. Blue
missions are more creative diversions like “create this much damage with a tank
in the time allotted” and “fling these things through hoops with your psychic
powers” and can be done repeatedly. Completing a side missions makes a portion
of the city yours, and more city you have the bigger your income is, and you
use your income to upgrade the Boss’ weapons and the Boss him/herself. Story
missions are about going into special simulations for the Saints, which are
interesting because they are all unique, but are not challenging.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPT80ihKZUUUT9jpBqWumGdALMu7m-qmpPqRgKY7U95278VVfgDAM8KYuk1FRteD-dZsuSe32dTlwMJfO0JFOjwSZvVV0mX697AYcxTzWq4uFemX1uROIYxloE1kRHYaq5aBYwKpgdwuc/s1600/649269_20130813_screen008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPT80ihKZUUUT9jpBqWumGdALMu7m-qmpPqRgKY7U95278VVfgDAM8KYuk1FRteD-dZsuSe32dTlwMJfO0JFOjwSZvVV0mX697AYcxTzWq4uFemX1uROIYxloE1kRHYaq5aBYwKpgdwuc/s320/649269_20130813_screen008.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of your enemies are really easy to kill aliens.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="NormalWriting">
The Boss can carry many weapons, from the simple pistol to
a gun that sends people flying up into the air. The Boss also has superpowers,
such as telekinesis and ice bombs. Everything can be upgraded, and if you
regularly complete the side mission, it becomes pretty to become unstoppable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<br /></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
What <i>Saints Row IV</i>
does best is take advantage of the fact that the Boss is in a simulation to let
you act as silly and destructive as possible. The side missions can get boring
if you do them too often or when you try to get the gold medal, but overall
they creative and exciting. There is no deep reason that they are fun, they
just tap into that sort of basic joy that comes with blowing stuff up as much
as possible, which the game does very well, like blowing up things in a tank,
or a spaceship, or with a black hole gun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAePk-_biEdFg6vLDM6uXJN4zarTiKS_sYAl1kMvwWvkigONBDiLe6m_LUP2_NBzA8sSMqYMrRYnw4aPyXU_xJldqpVnl3mvJlV-R4CTMLm3fFxfd2W_z4OpWxbcJtnkHdURhasRoI1T4F/s1600/tumblr_ms253szkYO1svygu9o1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAePk-_biEdFg6vLDM6uXJN4zarTiKS_sYAl1kMvwWvkigONBDiLe6m_LUP2_NBzA8sSMqYMrRYnw4aPyXU_xJldqpVnl3mvJlV-R4CTMLm3fFxfd2W_z4OpWxbcJtnkHdURhasRoI1T4F/s320/tumblr_ms253szkYO1svygu9o1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You end up fighting some weird stuff because you are in a computer simulation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<br /></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
Superpowers are enjoyable to mess around with too. Like
the destruction side missions, there is no great reason for their entertainment
value, it is just exhilarating to run through Steelport at super speed before
jumping and gliding over the rest of the city. There is a reason vehicles are
practically obsolete in this game. The side missions you use your superpowers
in are not as fun as the blowing up stuff ones, but they are okay.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<br /></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
I also enjoy the level of customization. I wasted so
much time coming up with new outfits for the Boss, and I like that there are
several different version of each type of weapon, for example the three
different kind of pistols, and the how the feel different, and that they have
multiple skins, like turning SMGs into tommy guns.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<br /></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
While I do like all the new toys and activities <i>IV</i> gives you to play around with, I wish
the core gameplay had been refined to distance itself from <i>Saints Row the Third</i> and just play better. The game feels so
rushed, Steelport looks exactly the same except for random alien buildings, the
Boss reuses a lot of old voice clips from <i>the
Third</i> while running around, most of the clothing options are from <i>Third</i> (but the game still cannot get all
of them in if there were some clothes you liked), the music selection is
terrible, and a lot of the subtitles do not match what is being said. And it is
so buggy, the game crashed on me several times, and I could not finish it
because of an infinite loading screen until I read online making explosions
glitched the game. There is no excuse for releasing a game than buggy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<br /></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
Most of the story is about rescuing the Saints from
their own virtual dungeons based on their deepest fears. This just serves as a
way to revisit old characters and moments in the <i>Saints Row</i> series, which is great for nostalgic fans, but makes for
a formulaic story that does not progress, since most of the Saints are useless.
It cribs a lot from <i>Mass Effect 2</i> as
well, and not in a parody way. And it is never explained why the Boss’ personal virtual prison is connected to so many integral parts of Zinyak’s operation, or why he does not shut the prison down when the Boss starts messing up his stuff. As far as characters go, besides the Boss,
Kinzie gets way more lines than everybody else, even though she is the second
to last funny person in the crew.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix35JCGRP8GPQtw_qmnrd5vTKGeUsXoLEYOepZluEGcZRvyLrQAgaWw-QMZDOYZadevNb9jiplzbewrweZPNTkt3w0plSBN9TvLUeE515WAS3OPCAA1zUP6kEuWtNVumU5QyrrzvUox-7S/s1600/saintsrowiv4-640x360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix35JCGRP8GPQtw_qmnrd5vTKGeUsXoLEYOepZluEGcZRvyLrQAgaWw-QMZDOYZadevNb9jiplzbewrweZPNTkt3w0plSBN9TvLUeE515WAS3OPCAA1zUP6kEuWtNVumU5QyrrzvUox-7S/s320/saintsrowiv4-640x360.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because that's who I want to spend most of my time with in a cast of characters that dates back to the first game and includes Keith David as Keith David: Miss Whiny No-Fun.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="NormalWriting">
<i>Saints Row IV</i>
has a lot of fun diversions, but that does not make up for its many basic
flaws. I will admit I enjoyed the superpowers and the missions, they were very
addictive, but selling a game this buggy and half done is a bit of a rip off.<o:p></o:p></div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-40552015727907658712013-10-13T20:06:00.001-04:002013-10-13T20:06:41.339-04:00Grand Theft Auto Online Diary - Day 6I keep saying I'm going to quit playing this game, that I should stop because I find it more mediocre and frustrating than fun, but it never manages to be so frustrating that I want to be done with the whole thing. It probably helped that I played <i>rain</i> today and I was desperate for a game with actual gameplay.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
Some highlights of today:<br />
<br />
II realized I was wrong when I said Rockstar shot itself in the foot when they let you call your phone and join any type of mission r job or whatever, because when I tried to join a deathmatch I was thrown into a match on a map that I'm pretty sure I played before with three guys who were several levels above me all on a team against me. When I drive around I can at least see which maps I have played before.<br />
<br />
I played a couple more deathmatches. There was almost always one guy who outclassed everybody else, who knew where everything was, everyone was, and always got headshots.<br />
<br />
I didn't even bother with the races.<br />
<br />
I did try parachuting. That was kinda fun.<br />
<br />
Missions are still the most interesting idea, but in one missions one guy kept running in and getting killed and we had to quit, another one started us on the other side of the map where I was instead of moving us near the mission, and in another my partner shooting at me so I had to ditch him. There were retrieve the car missions and retrieve the drug missions; if I keep playing maybe more will unlock.<br />
<br />
I finally put two decent cars in my garage after repainting them. Later, when I as on the other side of the map I called my mechanic to bring me one of my cars and eh said he couldn't. So fucking useless feature.John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-78349546404376146752013-10-11T19:59:00.000-04:002013-10-11T19:59:43.962-04:00Grand Theft Auto Online Diary - Day 5I was thinking of letting this be the last day I played it, but I didn't get enough time in, so I'll give it one more day.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
I said in my review of the single-player that I thought that the sandbox was superfluous, and I feel the same way about the online multiplayer. Rockstar made a mistake by letting you call your phone and automatically find a type of game you want to join and take you there. I am not going to drive across San Andreas if I do not have to, it's a slow and uneventful process. It's not like you can drive around and pass by a match in process, those go to their own little place, which I think emphasizes my old point that this could game could be level based.<br />
<br />
I still had to drive to stores though, so I guess that's something.<br />
<br />
When I started up I took the first job that was sent to me. It was the "Steal the RV" job I did before. My mistake for not memorizing job descriptions so I wouldn't do the same job twice. I did like the way the game dropped off near the RV this time, and let me get into the RV with two other people.<br />
<br />
I also participated in a race and deathmatch, the latter of which I enjoyed. I think I'll stick with non-team deathmatches form now on, makes me feel less bad when I do poorly, though I actually won this one.<br />
<br />
I bought a garage last time I played, I didn't need one, but it was something to do. I decided to steal a fancy car fill the garage. I wanted it to be nice and customized though, but when I took it to a garage first they said the car was too nice and I could only customize nice vehicles I bought, so I abandoned the whole thing and did another mission. I should have probably seen if I could keep it in my garage first.<br />
<br />
If that mission finder on your phone didn't exist I could see why you would want to own a car too.John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-65978030961011128072013-10-06T20:40:00.001-04:002013-10-06T20:40:40.946-04:00Grand Theft Auto Online Diary - Day 4I'm not sure how much more I can do this. I finally spent the whole afternoon playing GTA Online and I found it more frustrating than fun.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
I won't blame the game for all the times I lost in the deathmatches or the races, though I will say that the rewards for completing those are not enjoyable enough to warrant going back to them repeatedly.<br />
<br />
I do have a problem with how the missions are set up though. It always took the game forever to find enough people who also wanted to participate in the missions, and several times I had to quit because it was stuck in an infinite finding people screen.<br />
<br />
One time I quit out of the mission loading screen, and when I got back to the city I had a two star wanted level and a bunch of cops were shooting at me. I do not know why.<br />
<br />
Every mission I was in was the same "Go to point A, retrieve the vehicle, go to point B". We would all start as far away from the target as possible, and spend most of our time driving all the way across the map. It is really bad when the vehicle is moving, one mission we chased the car in a giant circle around San Andreas and all we got was a thousand dollars for twenty minutes wasted.<br />
<br />
When we did collect the vehicle one person would drive off and leave the rest of us behind. It does seem kind of dickish, but it is not like there is a reason to stick with the vehicle anyway. The game tells you to protect the vehicle, but the shooting-while-driving controls are so bad its almost impossible to kill anyone while following after the vehicle. And then there are the times when the police come in; how are you supposed to protect the vehicle when shooting police just increases the wanted level and alert the cops?<br />
<br />
I'll try this for one, maybe two more days.John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-21438929176929831092013-10-06T00:04:00.000-04:002013-10-06T00:04:32.765-04:00Grand Theft Auto Online Diary - Day 3I did it, I finally got through all the stupid collection side missions in single-player mode. I knew I would obsess over those, but I finished them. Except for that stunt jump one, and the other trick ones, those are just ridiculous.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
I redid my character. I made a lady character this time, thinking it would she would be less awful to look at than a guy character. I had to work hard to make her not look hideous, especially with John Marston as her father.<br />
<br />
There was an update, and it must have done something, because I was able to get in. I finally participated in the race with Lamar, which I won. I think people were supposed to participate in it though. After I finished the game freaked out, moved the camera to a bunch of partially loaded areas around Los Santos, and dropped me back at the winning cutscene but other people were there this time.<br />
<br />
I got to finally drive around. I drove the three other people who appeared around me to the next mission which immediately appeared on my map after the race. I just assumed they were on the same mission, but I had no way of knowing.<br />
<br />
The mission was to steal a bag of drugs from these NPCs and deliver to somewhere. When we got there the NPCs started shooting at us. Me and some other guy ducked behind cover and started shooting the NPCs. Another guy ran in, grabbed the drugs, ran out, and drove off with the car, leaving us stuck fighting off the NPCs. He got to the drop off point and was the one shown in the cutscene. I don't know if he got anything more for delivering it.<br />
<br />
If this is what the entire game is like I would enjoy it immensely. I liked the idea of getting a group of people together and working as a team to complete a mission using gameplay that can only be found in a game like this. But that one guy running off was bullshit, they need to make sure that people have to work together as a team and not screw each other over.<br />
<br />
Next I was told on my own to get a new outfit and steal a car, which got fitted with a some sort of device that made i mine. I noticed while I was driving around that there were far less cars driving around than in single-player. Along the minimap border there were white dots representing other players, they never seemed to get near me. Periodically the screen would say someone killed someone else while I drove around a ghost town. Meanwhile the game kept flashing notes about menus and options, I didn't catch most of them.<br />
<br />
I did one more mission before I stopped. Another character called me up and told me to go to a place. Another one of those circles was at my destination. When I stepped in the circle the game told me it was a type of match, I can't remember what it was called, where we broke up into teams and tried to kill each other and we each had only one life. I did not know if everybody who stepped into that circle got that type of match the first time.<br />
<br />
My team consisted of me and one other guy versus five people. I made it a couple of steps before getting run over. I did not want to quit so I had to spend five minutes watching my teammate climb to a roof and pick off our opponents with a pistol, a pretty amazing thing to watch. iInce he won I still got experience points and leveled up.<br />
<br />
This match seemed like a pretty decent idea in theory, but it brought to mind a problem I have with online multiplayer: people who play too much and know everything that get matched up with newbs. I was lucky to have one on my side, but it is discouraging to think that I could enter a match with people who could I could not stand a chance in Hell against.<br />
<br />
I'll try more tomorrow.John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-20115217442078576712013-10-03T00:27:00.001-04:002013-10-03T00:27:42.260-04:00Grand Theft Auto Online Diary - Day 2I only played a little bit today, where I did not make any progress from yesterday. I started off in the parking lot Lamar dropped me off in yesterday, but this time there was no glowing blue circle, which I think starts the race and gathers everyone together, to step into. I tried to open a few of the cars in the parking lot to see if that would start the race, but none of them would open. I tried to leave but Lamar would yell at me to get in the car whenever I started heading towards the parking lot, and I was afraid to defy him because I didn't want this to get any more screwed up, so I just quit.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I tried to get in two more times but the game kept telling me it couldn't access Rockstar's Cloud files.<br />
<br />
I would have tried more times but I was too busy trying to get the 100% Completion and finish the Epsilon Program missions. My brain has gone into full obsessive completionist mode, like I feared it would. I'm worried I will go after the Achievements next. If only Rockstar had not released this online mode, I might have been able to walk away after the final story mission and a few epilogue emails. I really want to play something else too, like Ninja Gaiden Sigma, or The Witcher 2.<br />
<br />
If I felt like putting more thought into this post, I would try to find some synonyms for "try" and "tried".John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-60144581799044358012013-10-02T00:48:00.002-04:002013-10-02T00:49:22.837-04:00Grand Theft Auto Online Diary - Day 1Instead of adding an addendum to my review of <i>Grand Theft Auto V</i> going over <i>Grand Theft Auto Online</i>, I thought I would write diary entries for my experience with the online game. I had a good reason for doing this, but I do not remember what it was.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
I did not get very far on my first day. I tried playing it twice, the first time I got signed off of Xbox Live in the intro movie and the second time I got stuck waiting in an infinite loop for other players.<br />
<br />
The only thing I got to experience at length is the character creation. Normally I do not like messing with the facial features in a character creation, I'm too lazy, so I usually stick to hair style and color and eye color. If I am feeling really lazy I give my character brown eyes like mine and messy black hair like mine.<br />
<br />
For this character creation I did not get that much control. I was supposed to to pick my characters grandparents which would influence how my character's parents and eventually how I would look, and I could influence how much my character looked like my ancestors with a vaguely defined resemblance bar. I did not feel like cycling through the grandparents and fiddling with the bars. I tried it a couple of times but the lack of control frustrated me, as did the graphics. Any character I sort of made looked like an ugly bastard from an original Xbox game.<br />
<br />
I quickly gave up and moved to the second part where you could change the hair, facial hair, hat, and glasses. To my annoyance the glasses were only sunglasses, so my character had no glasses, and no hat or facial hair because I did not like any of the options. I went with the messiest hair model I could find, and ended up looking like an emo douche.<br />
<br />
The last part had me assigning how many hours my characters spends doing normal stuff like sleeping and hanging out with friends. I tried to put in something close to what I do in real life and ended up in really baggy looking clothes like a white guy who thought he could wrap. I wish I was allowed to at least dress myself. I hope Rockstar has a problem with everyone looking the same, though I bet a lot of people will assign hours at random, or make their character look as badass as possible.<br />
<br />
From what the introductory movie said, it looks like the idea is that I am put in Los Santos and I can do the things I could in single-player mode that were not missions but had goals, like the races, the rampages, and the golf and tennis which I did not mention in my review. But you do them with other people and the more you do them the more stuff you unlock. A common problem with video game developers is the idea that if you add an online multiplayer feature it automatically makes the game better and Rockstar looks like they have fallen into that same mindset. I did not like most of those features in single-player and the idea of playing them with other people makes the prospect of playing them again only mildly more exciting, and only for dealing with other people, not the minigames themselves.<br />
<br />
I will have to try again at some alter date when hopefully their servers have calmed down, and see fi there is anything more to the game.John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-90697081589661186462013-09-30T17:41:00.000-04:002013-09-30T17:41:10.042-04:00Review: Grand Theft Auto V<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Grand Theft Auto V</i>
is a sandbox shooter for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It was primarily
developed by Rockstar North.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpSkwjBtfSQexk07_LjuhQSPWWbkK3JRu5QQ5-FkITnD9uS3dim9aKGIGANTuNj6TOaMQYfz01IPYS6hELSzotoLuH5FUDg4b4P5upkF_9smejDJ9yRTZeBYhxJ8IO9IHqq5dS-2i1tsz/s1600/Grand_Theft_Auto_V.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpSkwjBtfSQexk07_LjuhQSPWWbkK3JRu5QQ5-FkITnD9uS3dim9aKGIGANTuNj6TOaMQYfz01IPYS6hELSzotoLuH5FUDg4b4P5upkF_9smejDJ9yRTZeBYhxJ8IO9IHqq5dS-2i1tsz/s320/Grand_Theft_Auto_V.png" width="260" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story starts in Los Santos County with Michael Townley,
a former bank robber who cut a lucrative deal with the Feds and is living in a depressing
retirement with his spoiled family. He befriends Franklin Clinton, a kid from
the hood who wants more in his life than petty criminal acts. They pull a
heist, which brings them to the attention of Trevor Phillips, Michael’s
unstable old partner who thought he was dead and was living in the neighboring
Blain County.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrCnHLqxBCgCd8RKhsIRf1giR56lcPRhbEDq_jNhWdqo2F0-kRTDtGfOq_eoE47r1yv1mSwUvgog4zpbe2ZBEtmaETIW5ecw6XBGA3w9ybzMTi93Ah8hqbTUKqw6ZhAIlJ719c9u0iK7l/s1600/GTA5_08-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrCnHLqxBCgCd8RKhsIRf1giR56lcPRhbEDq_jNhWdqo2F0-kRTDtGfOq_eoE47r1yv1mSwUvgog4zpbe2ZBEtmaETIW5ecw6XBGA3w9ybzMTi93Ah8hqbTUKqw6ZhAIlJ719c9u0iK7l/s320/GTA5_08-23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael and Trevor, with Franklin stuck in the middle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that is pretty much it for the plot, which is really
frustrating. Most of the story is Michael and Franklin getting pushed around by
their friends or family or other people, or Trevor getting into trouble and
having to be bailed out. There’s no progression, it is just Michael and
Franklin being everyone’s errand boys, and not in a “Climbing the criminal social
ladder” or “Heading towards some goal” kind of way, but in a “Getting dicked
around for no reward” kind of way. The story picks up at the end when the trio
decide to pull one final heist and Trevor and Michael’s history comes to a
head, but so much of the middle could have been cut without any loss.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On their own, Michael and Franklin are kind of boring,
though pleasant, and Trevor is an asshole who is funny until he does something
really unlikable and goes back to being an asshole. Michael and Trevor have
this constant back-and-forth over how Trevor thought he was dead, which is
exciting to watch both when it is funny and dramatic. Franklin though, while
the surrogate father-son thing he has with Michael is kind of interesting,
especially when Trevor teases them about it, after the catalyst that brings in
Trevor, Franklin becomes rather unimportant to the plot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rest of the cast is interesting, even if there are no standout
characters and a lot of them are just plain annoying. I do not think any of
them could carry a story on their own, but they are all memorable.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As for the actual gameplay, <i>GTA V</i> takes place in the huge counties of Los Santos and Blaine. You
control Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, and go to icons around San Andreas.
These icons activate missions, which for the most part involve cover-based
shooting and driving. There are the story missions which advance the game, and
the Strangers and Freaks missions, which are optional.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Michael, Trevor, and Franklin each have a special ability
that can be activated for a limited time: Michael has bullet time, Franklin has
driving bullet time, and Trevor has invincibility. Otherwise they play exactly
the same. They start off with different stats, for example Franklin has a
higher driving stat and Trevor has a higher flying stat, but you would not
notice a difference ingame, and those stats can be increased with activities
like driving and flying anyway making the distinction even less important. You
can switch between the three at any time, for when you need to get multiple
angles on a group of people you are shooting at, or just for plot purposes when
they are completing different multiple objectives.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most of the serious challenging gameplay comes from fighting
off swarms of guys while hiding behind cover with, the main differences between
missions being where you are and sometimes what gun you are using. Enemies are
a little smart, they know to hide behind cover as well and not run around
firing at nothing, but also move slowly from cover to cover even when it is not
in their best interests. The threat is more in making sure you do not get
swarmed or someone sneaks by you while you are not looking, and how everyone is
so weak that one ignored guy can kill you in a second. I turned off the
auto-aim, even though characters turn real slowly and awkwardly, and even
though the game has the gall to grade how you do on each mission on things like
time and accuracy, because it was making shootouts too easy; all you had to do
was hit the aim button and your character would point at the nearest person
precisely, I felt like I did not even need to be there.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhf4KF5UWVQ_PeMZhq9y63C3FZT2v3hStKDPV8ri0RbLXkFDgoymcDZi-jo5fShaeTv4XRZCxxnYh4VgqD22R_FRjIAfuWTU_tre-KR011eSMgjSQdM7jcYyDjh9B6jAsSQBWhe849o5JQ/s1600/Grand_Theft_Auto_V_combat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhf4KF5UWVQ_PeMZhq9y63C3FZT2v3hStKDPV8ri0RbLXkFDgoymcDZi-jo5fShaeTv4XRZCxxnYh4VgqD22R_FRjIAfuWTU_tre-KR011eSMgjSQdM7jcYyDjh9B6jAsSQBWhe849o5JQ/s320/Grand_Theft_Auto_V_combat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running for cover is achieved with a single button press and works on most places that can be used for cover.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other big thing is driving, whether it is driving to
somewhere, or chasing after someone, or losing the cops. Chases can be pretty
exciting when the person you are chasing is not simply leading you to another
place, AI knows how to duck in and out of traffic and avoid running into
things. Most of the cars you are driving though handle like they have a ton of
rocks in the trunk and are driving on ice, you will have more trouble not slamming
into every guard rail and flipping out than keeping up with someone. You are
also supposed to drive and shoot at other people, and it is impossible to drive
and aim your gun at the same time without crashing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2WFZ5KRDsNSRUZUF1BR8pyvzxC9i6M0Nf4qlsDdEG9ruVNjjjiKYKFg2jm_uVn_6uT64qXTi1pVy-yPjPueCHesuRPJdfGjluVaAzp6epa1lqRBTq9lIOvBSUAg37hyphenhyphenc6udLbELj-NOL/s1600/558925-GTA-Gameplay-Driving-Across-Los-Santos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2WFZ5KRDsNSRUZUF1BR8pyvzxC9i6M0Nf4qlsDdEG9ruVNjjjiKYKFg2jm_uVn_6uT64qXTi1pVy-yPjPueCHesuRPJdfGjluVaAzp6epa1lqRBTq9lIOvBSUAg37hyphenhyphenc6udLbELj-NOL/s320/558925-GTA-Gameplay-Driving-Across-Los-Santos.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Story missions are the most exciting part of the game,
because they usually have something you can only do in mission that you cannot
do just running around San Andreas on your own. But the special thing you can
only do in each mission is a mixed bag, for every mission where you hijack a
moving train or break into a chemical factory there is a mission where you have
to practice yoga, or move shipping containers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are five missions where you plan a heist, though only
three of them give you real control. In these missions you choose one of two
ways to go about it, and pick from a couple of NPCs to fill in roles like
hacker or additional driver. These are the most exciting parts of the game and
should have been what the most of the gameplay centered around.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Strangers and Freaks missions are less complicated than
the story missions and have less unique objectives. You get to meet more characters
that are kind of funny, but for the most part I would not have minded if most
of the Strangers and Freaks missions were not in the game. I played through
most of them, but that is because I am an obsessive nut who wanted things, not
because they were really fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r8ukkAQ7TKGTCFV-CikIuAFBmcDLPp7vybN5QkFfeecoFfNzAeuNP4Nm0AbLcJwkk1Hdamx-Icv8u9A20ylGp0x2H4GQLmg8eWewfRi8x1KI8xagbG-pi-u57QM1OWp1wnyjM262Xqv2/s1600/ea95f092fe0bf47569136440b41ee7253164ab96.jpg__620x350_q85_crop_upscale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4r8ukkAQ7TKGTCFV-CikIuAFBmcDLPp7vybN5QkFfeecoFfNzAeuNP4Nm0AbLcJwkk1Hdamx-Icv8u9A20ylGp0x2H4GQLmg8eWewfRi8x1KI8xagbG-pi-u57QM1OWp1wnyjM262Xqv2/s320/ea95f092fe0bf47569136440b41ee7253164ab96.jpg__620x350_q85_crop_upscale.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You do a lot of flying in the game as well, with planes and helicopters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All the missions have so much time spent driving to
somewhere in them. The game tries to make it less tedious by having the
characters converse during those drives, but that is only interesting the first
time you hear the conversation. That does not make me want to go back and play
the missions over, which I know the game wants me to do since it grades your
performance. <i>GTA V</i> would have been so
much shorter if they cut out the driving and just started you at your
destination at the beginning of the missions.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both kinds of missions need rewards for finishing them, especially
the Strangers and Freaks missions. I wanted guns or health or cars or anything
for completing them. At most you get a little bit of cash, just enough to buy
new clothes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Speaking of clothes, you can buy a lot of outfits for
Michael, Trevor, and Franklin, but if you go to another character and come back
the first one later he will be wearing a random outfit in a pointless attempt
to make the characters look like they have lives. Also, when you are buying
certain clothes the game will switch your character back to a default outfit,
because <i>Grand Theft Auto</i> thinks it
knows better than you.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I have complained a lot I do think the missions are,
if not fantastic, then at least serviceable way to pass the time. What is
really an issue is that outside of the mission there is not a lot to do in this
great big sandbox. There are races you can participate in for a little cash,
and Trevor can hunt down these four guys and kill people in five Rampages, and
there a few abominable “Find 50 things without a guide” time wasters. But that
is it, there is little that really takes advantage of the fact that is a sandbox
game. The two Trevor activities I mentioned are what I am looking for, but
there should have been way more of them, and for every character, and you
should get stuff for doing them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32YB90T3utHXlMwRHAXXS8lkAwcD842QBqpunsoe48uH2soZI8FpgaKXKavWNK9V67ef1CfThO4s4lg_2z8AaKXpXqMeJhYuTqpDtnNzwAIJ21AmaLMXyO9D4wM1q1-VKshlOE7pLMR11/s1600/s4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi32YB90T3utHXlMwRHAXXS8lkAwcD842QBqpunsoe48uH2soZI8FpgaKXKavWNK9V67ef1CfThO4s4lg_2z8AaKXpXqMeJhYuTqpDtnNzwAIJ21AmaLMXyO9D4wM1q1-VKshlOE7pLMR11/s320/s4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can also parachute and hunt animals to pass the time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It makes me wonder why this is a sandbox game at all. Both the
story missions and the Strangers and Freaks missions are pretty linear, you
drive to place and shoot some people, often in a place you will never go back
to afterward. The chases never gp too far either. The only part that really
takes advantage of the sandbox is escaping the police, where you are allowed to
drive wherever you want to get rid of them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what is the point, the joy of driving to the next mission
or the clothing store? I got bored of that quickly and used the taxi function to
skip to everything.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I should point out that there are a bunch of miscellaneous activities
you can do that have no goal, but those are really stupid. If I wanted to smoke,
watch TV, go to a bar, go to a strip club, go to a movie, or go to therapy, I would
do that in real life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And it such a waste because Los Santos and Blaine County are
absolutely gorgeous. Every neighborhood, every building looks like it was exquisitely
crafted to look real and unique. Nothing looks out of place, or just put in to have
more buildings. There are signs and posters everywhere with their own little
stories and details. Los Santos looks like a real city with real communities. This
sandbox is a bonafide work of art, Rockstar should get awards for this world
with all the effort they put into it. I wanted to go to every town and area and
interact with some weird local there and run around and do things for them. If
only Rockstar had put as much effort into the rest of the game it would have
been perfect.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMJUmX_t4WDuxiaVjAUsG80G3nOkXb5yw8E7lXuW5j4tU2Q0ZUm-m6En13tuxnV85uPkJNKwZ8FADP7-b5WcYrqOWIsiwv-ADxM3l3fHSPS_5Hwu4BqJzCoKpBAO7cBMFR3ID9ryIk6UZ/s1600/Grand-Theft-Auto-V-Environments-and-Pedestrians-Are-Quite-Varied-375427-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMJUmX_t4WDuxiaVjAUsG80G3nOkXb5yw8E7lXuW5j4tU2Q0ZUm-m6En13tuxnV85uPkJNKwZ8FADP7-b5WcYrqOWIsiwv-ADxM3l3fHSPS_5Hwu4BqJzCoKpBAO7cBMFR3ID9ryIk6UZ/s320/Grand-Theft-Auto-V-Environments-and-Pedestrians-Are-Quite-Varied-375427-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even if it based on Los Angeles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Grand Theft Auto V</i>
is an okay third-person shooter with serviceable mechanics and not much of a
plot but good characters. But as a sandbox game it is underwhelming, and a
waste. As one of the games in the series that defined the genre, it should have
been so much more than its contemporaries, not a sign that it’s time might be
over.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
PS: Grand Theft Auto Online is coming out soon. I think what I will do is add update as I play through that here, instead of writing another whole review for it, because I do not know if as an online game it can be completed.</div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-60703752145715294082013-09-16T16:59:00.000-04:002013-09-16T16:59:24.366-04:00Review: BioShock Infinite<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>BioShock Infinite</i>
a first-person game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, and Mac. I am
reluctant to call it a first-person shooter because there is also a lot of exploring
and use of magic powers in addition to shooting people. First-person
action-adventure game is more appropriate. It was developed by Irrational
Games, 2K Marin, Human Head Studios, and Darkside Game Studios.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B8xfL1jNbOBGQ7FcRcv9tqFZiij1g4z3deaQvQbPTg-PMrDxHe5dGaVT1rh-7m44EKbsy4M_C2_N0ETCQ6_PSz0RzAh-j76bvZfm9qlYUqESI3BXexqWMvlmgHueGvFfHT7saAfx67_F/s1600/bioshock-hall-heroes-640_r640x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0B8xfL1jNbOBGQ7FcRcv9tqFZiij1g4z3deaQvQbPTg-PMrDxHe5dGaVT1rh-7m44EKbsy4M_C2_N0ETCQ6_PSz0RzAh-j76bvZfm9qlYUqESI3BXexqWMvlmgHueGvFfHT7saAfx67_F/s400/bioshock-hall-heroes-640_r640x400.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth, standing in a desecrated museum dedicated to deifying America.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
You are Booker Dewitt, a private investigator in 1912 who is
coerced by parties unknown to travel to the floating city of Columbia and
rescue a girl named Elizabeth. Columbia succeeded from the United States
several years ago and has built its own society that combines Christianity, the
Founding Fathers, and a great deal of xenophobia, and is led by Zachary
Comstock, who runs the thing like a cult of personality. Booker busts Elizabeth
out of her prison, but not before discovering she has the ability to tear open
rifts into other dimensions and pull things back into their own dimension. With
this and various other powers and weapons, Booker and Elizabeth have to find a
way off Columbia while fighting Comstock’s forces and dealing with the Vox
Populi, the underground movement that wants to overthrow Comstock, and learning
more Elizabeth’s powers and how Booker is connected to everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The game is divided between fighting Comstock’s men and
exploring the city, going from one to the other in a linear fashion. Booker can
carry two weapons, and picks up replacements and ammo off enemies and just laying
around. Booker also has magic powers, called Vigors, which help him in fights too.
Booker’s health is replenished by eating food, and his Vigors are replenished
by some substance called Salt, both of which are found in Columbia.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivtzNktCASUb3JmfFXA_0hE86v2pCtzQnljwKcTOkuq0ibKs5-T0VrXo5Fz0MvWE2h8paH-U4dsVYXs6N2MJJDn3VMcLKouL_y1Dl5PjJVcywFdsBv7p6BiUPQVvqpfe9KrBI9fv8aQ5-/s1600/861696654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhivtzNktCASUb3JmfFXA_0hE86v2pCtzQnljwKcTOkuq0ibKs5-T0VrXo5Fz0MvWE2h8paH-U4dsVYXs6N2MJJDn3VMcLKouL_y1Dl5PjJVcywFdsBv7p6BiUPQVvqpfe9KrBI9fv8aQ5-/s400/861696654.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can buy upgrades for weapons and Vigors at vending machines.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elizabeth spends her time following Booker around,
commenting on things, and staying out of fights. All she does is throw Booker
health and ammo when he needs it, and is thankfully invulnerable, so you do not
have to worry about her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr1nZMEVaD62ua7Bzh7rys3oHhoDrjuBY8KbqPJFT0-gUKy-el_sPchlSqwcEaGzQCoUzrt7-qmyijUIG1Z-_nMNm2WBF-RHPqUJ2pOp1bQfOnfQbxBFxE0p9Gr1vEeUZA0-Bk1uyPxkQ/s1600/2013-03-26_00076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr1nZMEVaD62ua7Bzh7rys3oHhoDrjuBY8KbqPJFT0-gUKy-el_sPchlSqwcEaGzQCoUzrt7-qmyijUIG1Z-_nMNm2WBF-RHPqUJ2pOp1bQfOnfQbxBFxE0p9Gr1vEeUZA0-Bk1uyPxkQ/s400/2013-03-26_00076.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columbia's sky-line system gets around the city, and gives you a way to insta-kill some enemies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The combat is okay. The dozen guns Booker can use do feel
different and have their own advantages and disadvantages, so different players
can play how they want to. Ammo is not plentiful, but guns are, so you have to
switch up your weapons a lot, which makes fights more varied.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Vigors Booker finds are a lot less fun to use though.
About half of them are useful in a fight in terms of how fast they are to use
and how effective they are. They also consume so much Salt that you will only
be able to use them a couple of times in a fight. It is easier to just use a
gun and one Vigor to stun large groups of enemies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ULs-MyS0MU0Wb2ZMrlhNkgi6BUd5LG09OQvDcRuRBrRSusJzLQbsDwa_huC_vjKyecyHcZySggm82mt1q5RRzdnhQl-DziHexuiAjx4I7wIVXtdIQF4ECVYkrARt8_fyTsWfJr-KPIc_/s1600/Bioshock-Infinite-review-8jpg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ULs-MyS0MU0Wb2ZMrlhNkgi6BUd5LG09OQvDcRuRBrRSusJzLQbsDwa_huC_vjKyecyHcZySggm82mt1q5RRzdnhQl-DziHexuiAjx4I7wIVXtdIQF4ECVYkrARt8_fyTsWfJr-KPIc_/s400/Bioshock-Infinite-review-8jpg1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Combining weapons and Vigors can be really destructive, but not often.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The enemy AI is not great either. Enemies do not know how to
hide or dodge attacks, and do not recognize sounds you make. They will often
stand out in the open or wander around aimlessly, and they will not follow you
if you run away, so you have to hunt down everyone. Their only strength is in
numbers, and you will probably only die when you get overwhelmed. You occasionally
fight special enemies who, unlike regular enemies, can kill you on their own,
though like regular enemies it is not because they are smart, they just hit
really hard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TsQcywHTBr1R1PrFRANImlhd-HyQu8tVajDERVBLmYYRRrFetosDu4V_I62CglkUbz90P_793zqU55MFtVgxRKIHkTpogkNN-4KwsF95RLezYNC2dFFiVUL9apl39CunfWyQBPDbdxKz/s1600/BioShock-Infinite_Motorized-Patriot_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7TsQcywHTBr1R1PrFRANImlhd-HyQu8tVajDERVBLmYYRRrFetosDu4V_I62CglkUbz90P_793zqU55MFtVgxRKIHkTpogkNN-4KwsF95RLezYNC2dFFiVUL9apl39CunfWyQBPDbdxKz/s400/BioShock-Infinite_Motorized-Patriot_001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columbia's worship of Americana is downright insane.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Once you get over the novelty of a floating city Columbia,
is not that exciting of a place to explore, even when it starts to turn into a
warzone. The whole place looks like Small Town America spread over an entire
city. There is no style in that aesthetic, just street after street of quaint,
harmless houses and shops. Some parts of the game take place in large buildings
like a factory or a nightclub, those are somewhat more interesting to run
around in, but not much.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At first the story is about Booker and Elizabeth trying to
get out of Columbia and getting sidetracked. There is not much story to that,
and is pretty boring. All the while you are beaten over the head with the message that everyone in Columbia is a racist bastard.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mzUVhzmxQ45NBidV6ImGUfStTG7zIx63LHPNqvMygKDO8YKzHqi1xjKUlV13ZFa66KyCIsNBwBE3ImsksG-y2qZio25A7RmegTCcb9wB0e1M7PGn0sln_lo0dLRo2XgZ9iyNfFODOJn5/s1600/356953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mzUVhzmxQ45NBidV6ImGUfStTG7zIx63LHPNqvMygKDO8YKzHqi1xjKUlV13ZFa66KyCIsNBwBE3ImsksG-y2qZio25A7RmegTCcb9wB0e1M7PGn0sln_lo0dLRo2XgZ9iyNfFODOJn5/s400/356953.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columbia's rampant xenophobia could have been handled with a bit more subtlety, so when the rebels start tearing up the city it does not seem stupid that it is portrayed as a bad thing. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then Elizabeth start using her powers to travel to parallel
dimensions, and that is when the story really falls apart. Booker and Elizabeth
start going into other dimensions to get past certain obstacles, and while the
other dimensions are not different enough that Irrational had to come up with
new looking areas (unfortunately) they do have one or two key differences that
make it clear they are different places. But Booker and Elizabeth act like they
are in the same place and the characters they were dealing with in a previous
dimension are the same as in the current dimension. Even worse, they act like
they act like their actions in one dimension carry over to another dimension,
and blame themselves for what happens in one dimension when they had nothing to
do with it. They never care about staying in their original universe, and it
never crosses their minds to go to a safer universe, either by finding a new
one or going back to a safer one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It all culminates in an ending that is confusing, poorly
explained, poorly foreshadowed, and trying too hard to be clever and shocking,
that creates more questions than answers, trivializes a lot of what you did,
and is unsatisfying overall.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think the saddest part of all this is that, even though
Elizabeth’s powers end up overtaking the entire plot, they still come off as
lame plot device. It feels like Irrational early on did not know what do with a
19<sup>th</sup>-century American steampunk city in the sky going through class
warfare, and gave Elizabeth dimension hopping powers to provide a convenient
way to move the characters along and bring in additional conflicts whenever
they wanted, and it ended up taking over the narrative like some sort of
malignant growth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>BioShock Infinite</i>
is not that great, it’s average. The combat is okay and the setting is unique,
but the story is awful and the characters are dull. It is a real shame, given how
much time was spent developing it.</div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-76098858403471290782013-09-02T17:10:00.000-04:002013-09-02T17:11:00.789-04:00Review: Guacamelee!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Guacamelee!</i> is a downloadable
Metroidvania game, though the fighting is more beat-‘em-up, for the PC, PlayStation
3 and PlayStation Vita. It was developed by Drinkbox Studios. The game has both
a single-player and a two-player mode; this review is based on the
single-player mode for the PS3.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPU3RP35wycLlvmLY7vzCF50qBs64-DVbLLrgNfpWF_8RVlYw7FpufUIxzpG1XygSNxD-X8s6t02H2MCIDVwa4r_MfAvL9Ku5taooxPAWQRUo-8iG72oBkEMXmOXmwh-ED4hClQ2HbpepN/s1600/guacamelee-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPU3RP35wycLlvmLY7vzCF50qBs64-DVbLLrgNfpWF_8RVlYw7FpufUIxzpG1XygSNxD-X8s6t02H2MCIDVwa4r_MfAvL9Ku5taooxPAWQRUo-8iG72oBkEMXmOXmwh-ED4hClQ2HbpepN/s320/guacamelee-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juan and La Tostada fighting Calaca's army.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
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Juan, an agave farmer, is killed while trying to rescue his
childhood friend, El Presidente’s Daughter from Calaca, who has come back from
the dead with an army of skeletons to try and take over the world, and needs El
Presidente’s Daughter to complete his plan. Juan finds a luchador mask in the
underworld and is reborn as a masked luchador hero. With his second chance at
life and new luchador powers Juan must rescue El Presidente’s Daughter from
Calaca.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In<i> Guacamelee!</i> Juan
travels around an unspecified area of Mexico, jumping around minor platforming
obstacle courses and beating up skeletons. Juan has a basic three-hit combo and
a grab, which you can only use on a bad guy after you have beaten them up a
bit, as well as a dodge that also acts as a shield. Those are his only attacks, so fighting can feel repetitive, especially
with the limited number of enemy types you fight. I did not mind because the battles
were fast and I was able to pick up how to fight quickly, but those looking for
a deeper combat system might be disappointed.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Juan learns several special moves in addition to his regular
attacks that when used consume a stamina bar that refills on its own over time.
These special moves are stronger, but more importantly, they allow Juan to
reach new areas that he could not access before, like an uppercut that destroys
special blocks, or a wall jump. Enemies sometimes have shields that can only be
destroyed by a special attack, which adds a little more challenge.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Juan’s main ability travelling between the land of the living
and the land of the dead, first through stationary portals, then anywhere at
will. Both lands have the same layout, but walls and platforms that are not in
one world might not appear in the other. Most of the platform segments involve Juan
jumping between platforms and past walls by abusing his dimension hopping
power. None of these areas are that difficult to get through, some jumps are challenging
but you will never get stuck in area for more than a couple of minutes. These
parts are not so simple that they are boring though.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPr1mT_L2cih5F5OHXBoKu6ZWDZPCUOjf85O0uDXOcAR9XSYSAkmZfFSvmFjhd7zlRt6MCv9_26iMi2w8CoGA13v9-HnVUc0BQTN9yJD3CkQ-zXNk6lbawYkP4j-Cs8jGgFNqnWpesRH_/s1600/guac1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPr1mT_L2cih5F5OHXBoKu6ZWDZPCUOjf85O0uDXOcAR9XSYSAkmZfFSvmFjhd7zlRt6MCv9_26iMi2w8CoGA13v9-HnVUc0BQTN9yJD3CkQ-zXNk6lbawYkP4j-Cs8jGgFNqnWpesRH_/s320/guac1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The land of the dead looks very similar to the land of the living, but weirder.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Enemies can appear in one land but still hurt Juan with
their attacks if he is in the other land, and you have to go back and forth
between the two lands to fight enemies that are in both. It is another little
addition that makes the game a bit more challenging, but not by much.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYpJMoxs0r2cnTiQmBlEZrDJ6wRM61Se5jCXwzJX3c_hS39_F9r2AwmaECK9BhtJ-_Ouohrrb4fjmqsPbOfTg79TVZMfxnaRmsjk0otxHaMShX9uDuqKUF91Sf0nIbOmiU9h8TH1tWZQm/s1600/gaming-guacamelee-screenshot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYpJMoxs0r2cnTiQmBlEZrDJ6wRM61Se5jCXwzJX3c_hS39_F9r2AwmaECK9BhtJ-_Ouohrrb4fjmqsPbOfTg79TVZMfxnaRmsjk0otxHaMShX9uDuqKUF91Sf0nIbOmiU9h8TH1tWZQm/s320/gaming-guacamelee-screenshot-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A silhouetted enemy means it is in the other world, but can still hurt Juan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A few levels have multiple paths that you cannot access
until you have a new power, but most just have an entrance and an exit. They also
have lots of hidden areas, the idea is that you go through them initially to
advance the plot then go back later to find hidden chests with health and
stamina upgrades, or money that you can buy other power-ups with.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There is very little story. All Juan does is run around,
fight Calaca’s subordinates, and fail to stop Calaca from enacting the next
part of his evil plan. The one cutscene detailing Calaca’s backstory is more interesting
than the entire main story. The thinness of the story is made easier to deal
with by the cast, who are all likable and quirky, if not terribly memorable. The
story is not serious, but it is not really funny either, lighthearted would be
best way to describe it. The only jokes I really found funny were all the
shout-outs to other games and internet memes that are found on posters.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDbWQCwLwcsd3V-ElbiGjfioxra9TAN90_SVI4IZxfU8PWf813AvnCfbRXJlkiqghC9BjAWeQADSXkqFuuRC2SjuROO_aeK83Yzn91J4oUffA7ek110fbFDVYIufWbjnpB1P7I_xODemf/s1600/forest_07_thumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDbWQCwLwcsd3V-ElbiGjfioxra9TAN90_SVI4IZxfU8PWf813AvnCfbRXJlkiqghC9BjAWeQADSXkqFuuRC2SjuROO_aeK83Yzn91J4oUffA7ek110fbFDVYIufWbjnpB1P7I_xODemf/s320/forest_07_thumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many shout-outs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While I was playing I wondered if the game was racist
towards Mexicans. I know masked wrestling is big in Mexico, and I do not think
the game is mocking that. But there are times, like the sidequest where you
build the world’s largest enchilada, or running into characters that end their
sentences with “man”, that seemed a little crass. Maybe I am just being
overly-sensitive.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Guacamelee!</i> is
short, and nothing about it is strenuous, but all of its parts are well made.
The length is the only real issue, but that is forgivable given the game’s
nature as a downloadable title, and if it was any longer the games mild flaws
would start to stand out more.</div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-83208179346973422672013-08-19T16:49:00.000-04:002013-08-19T16:49:22.231-04:00Review: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance<br />
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<i>Metal Gear Rising:
Revengeance</i> is an action game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was
developed by Platinum Games.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHM6TTjVH9hp4MFCBAiZ5lkZo01KqD77wPad3PbC4fA1uDHMPHnqS6UV6MMU13_pvEzQMZ0rlwX61si2y_tbicVwI-a7gmpVS7_UY66GFWxOjtjWnbS8UH0euGEEAUXBWlbTYGJtGhHB4/s1600/metal-gear-rising-revengeance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlHM6TTjVH9hp4MFCBAiZ5lkZo01KqD77wPad3PbC4fA1uDHMPHnqS6UV6MMU13_pvEzQMZ0rlwX61si2y_tbicVwI-a7gmpVS7_UY66GFWxOjtjWnbS8UH0euGEEAUXBWlbTYGJtGhHB4/s320/metal-gear-rising-revengeance.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raiden slicing up some dude while some other dudes look on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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Raiden, the sometimes-protagonist of past <i>Metal Gear</i> games, is now working for a
private military contractor called Maverick, which brings him into conflict
with another PMC, Desperado, who are engaging in terrorist actions in an effort
to plunge the world into endless warfare. Raiden and the rest of Maverick have
to stop Desperado’s individual terrorist activities (blowing up an oil
refinery, harvesting children’s brains and putting them in cyborg soldier
bodies, etc.), and find out what their ultimate goal is, and who is backing
them, and why.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Revengeance</i> is a seven
hour long game where Raiden runs through linear levels, cutting up bad guys and
robots, and fighting a boss at the end of each level.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Raiden has a weak attack and a strong attack which you
button mash to string together combos. Raiden can also parry attacks, but the
parry system is flawed. To parry you push the analog stick in the direction the
attack is coming from and hit the light attack button. This tends to stun
Raiden for a second too long and often pushes the enemy out of range. It also
does not block all attacks, and is useless if Raiden is surrounded.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Raiden might also have a counterattack, but I am not sure.
Sometimes when I blocked an attack it would stun an opponent and I could hit
them, but I could never tell what was causing the stun. It could have been
something else for all I know. The tutorial was no help in figuring this out,
it mentions something that might have been a counterattack once and keeps going
if you messed it up.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What Raiden does not have is a good dodge mechanic, which is
really needed for when you are surrounded and dealing with attacks that cannot
be blocked.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Raiden has a second bar besides his health bar that
represents his fuel cells, which are replenished with items or by hitting
enemies. When his cells are full the player can enter Blade Mode, where
everything slows down and you can control the direction of Raiden’s sword
strikes with the analog stick. The point of Blade Mode, partially, when you hit
tough enemies and bosses enough parts of them start to glow blue, at which
point you can cut those parts off with Blade Mode, weakening them.</div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQdbbODjc5dIX0XU3ImBh76iOUtv2X7-u_JoO1PepP_cWrae1gMo3skrv4n_eE3NXKixfrGLX4mmKTOU7Xgnx_IzjR3l-tT7BFjdxC4kKCf9x3H7kzTQdYLoLvovj4rlPdQV1UHdbCZxT/s1600/Metal-Gear-Rising-Revengeance-White-Armor-Trailer_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQdbbODjc5dIX0XU3ImBh76iOUtv2X7-u_JoO1PepP_cWrae1gMo3skrv4n_eE3NXKixfrGLX4mmKTOU7Xgnx_IzjR3l-tT7BFjdxC4kKCf9x3H7kzTQdYLoLvovj4rlPdQV1UHdbCZxT/s320/Metal-Gear-Rising-Revengeance-White-Armor-Trailer_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
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The cool thing to do with Blade Mode though, is performing a
Zandatsu. To perform a Zandatsu, go into Blade Mode near a weak enemy, and a
little square appears somewhere over them. If you cut them there, Raiden will
pull out their fuel cells and completely recharge his fuel and health. If you
are fighting multiple weak opponents you can perform a Zandatsu on one guy,
charge up, and perform another Zandatsu, stringing the one-hit-kills together.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghF7HPcubSdbfEB1xwIot5Nc47ptxOsz5zW_vRwm4Ag7WAQQIvV_AR-H-78_qM2Ljs5zT5ruKxTRVP9HnRHjkPpihCQd_QVeSru71pC6p8BX8Xfxr93L-QdBJPQsMM5jk-51kho1ndbbGx/s1600/29428-vr-1jpg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghF7HPcubSdbfEB1xwIot5Nc47ptxOsz5zW_vRwm4Ag7WAQQIvV_AR-H-78_qM2Ljs5zT5ruKxTRVP9HnRHjkPpihCQd_QVeSru71pC6p8BX8Xfxr93L-QdBJPQsMM5jk-51kho1ndbbGx/s320/29428-vr-1jpg.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you line it up correctly you can Zandatsu several guys at once.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Performing a Zandatsu is difficult at first as you learn to
line up your attacks with the square, but when you do learn it you feel so
satisfied effortlessly cutting down enemies, especially when you perform
several Zandatsus in a row.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best part of the game is when you fight human opponents.
Their attacks can be blocked, they react to getting attacked, and with a full fuel
cell bar you can cut them up instantly. Even human opponents with armor are fun
to fight, because they still react and be blocked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fighting large robots, or Unmanned Gears as they are called
here, are much less fun. UGs do not twitch when you hit them and they have a
lot more health than human enemies, so destroying them is a repetitive task of whittling
down their health. UGs cannot be killed instantly, and a lot of their attacks
cannot be parried, which would not be a problem if Raiden had a dodge move. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story, which is told with these really long cutscenes,
swings between entertaining action movie and long, preachy dialogue about
humanity’s warmongering tendencies and whether war is good or evil, with occasional
moments of levity at some of the more absurd parts of the game. Thank goodness
for the action sequences, because the rest of the game is so long and drawn out
and no one’s opinions are interesting. Raiden seems like he is trying to be
cool but is just trying too hard, which is sometimes funny and other times embarrassing.
The story is not that complicated, it is just buried under a ton of talking.</div>
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<br /></div>
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You can have these conversations with the Maverick staff any
time you want. The conversations are pointless and can run on a long time, but
they do flesh out Maverick a lot, and were probably why I grew to like the cast
more than the story itself.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqYcfy1qz46F7b3ehYm8kTxKev_lXbVR-HIhjY_lDNYAmV6NTOCWsvKvifr1dP9raPsoV0qi6wBB0kHK8cddLNTrU-U7b2F2UmZUsWM6GLXIVxt3NhFoQgYFhZWOgKeFhTgaJA6J16R7U/s1600/Codec-Calls.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqYcfy1qz46F7b3ehYm8kTxKev_lXbVR-HIhjY_lDNYAmV6NTOCWsvKvifr1dP9raPsoV0qi6wBB0kHK8cddLNTrU-U7b2F2UmZUsWM6GLXIVxt3NhFoQgYFhZWOgKeFhTgaJA6J16R7U/s320/Codec-Calls.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Metal Gear Rising:
Revengeance</i> has a lot of basic problems, like no dodge or good
counterattack, but the cutting up people mechanic is fun and original and keeps
the game from being awful.</div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2523934571436752565.post-22774388474179862842013-08-05T17:02:00.000-04:002013-08-05T17:02:33.091-04:00Review: Dead Space 3<br />
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<i>Dead Space 3</i> is a third-person
shooter for the Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3. It was developed by Visceral
Games.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYcNlTDnZaLaLpqybUJxd9rL7PhsPP48pWlXrqXGT6HSYJoosSPa6Y4QA59m7aID0_0lHKcaGeFqRZ1dy2E_8owOrv8zpD_jPSJbB47CzviHm80Jzjr2e32nLDi5yQw9m0WeD38OOm9Cm/s1600/Dead-Space-3-Gets-New-Details-Fresh-Screenshots-2013-Release-Date-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYcNlTDnZaLaLpqybUJxd9rL7PhsPP48pWlXrqXGT6HSYJoosSPa6Y4QA59m7aID0_0lHKcaGeFqRZ1dy2E_8owOrv8zpD_jPSJbB47CzviHm80Jzjr2e32nLDi5yQw9m0WeD38OOm9Cm/s320/Dead-Space-3-Gets-New-Details-Fresh-Screenshots-2013-Release-Date-7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaac Clarke facing a Necromorph</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Isaac Clarke, the hero of the last two <i>Dead Space</i> games, is convinced by EarthGov to travel to the frozen
wasteland planet of Tau Volantis to find his ex-girlfriend Ellie. Ellie had
discovered something on the planet that might get rid of the Necromorphs, the
horrible monsters created from the dead that had been plaguing Isaac. However,
the Unitologists, the cult that worship the Necromorphs and the mysterious
Markers that create them, have gone from “weird secretive cult” to militant
religious fanatics that are hunting Isaac down. Isaac has to go to Tau Valantis,
find Ellie and her crew, and find a way to deal with the Necromorphs while
dodging the Unitologists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You control Isaac as he travels through nineteen levels,
though thanks to cutscenes it plays like one long level. Isaac mainly has to
kill Necromorphs, who like to burst out of the walls and slash Isaac’s face off,
and sometimes solve puzzles. Necromorphs can only be killed by having their
limbs cut off. Isaac can also slow down Necromorphs by putting them in temporary
stasis and levitate objects which is used for puzzle solving.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Combat manages to stay mostly fresh thanks to there being
just enough enemies as you go through new areas and have to deal with new types
of limbs to cut off. Later on enemies appear in greater numbers and eventually
start to get more resilient against attacks, both of which keep the game just
fun enough.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Almost all the places he visits are derelict remains, but
they are really well done remains. They all got the dark and shadowy theme
going on, but every place Isaac explores looks new and different. He does not
go through a bunch of similar looking hallways, he goes through living quarters
and labs and weird sci-fi ship areas that do not make a lot of sense but are
still cool. There is a lot of detail of the people who used to live on Tau
Volantis, which really makes it look like people lived there. Except in the
optional mission areas, those reuse old rooms, which is why they suck.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPO_DUqM6Y037NIISlUYwf_5kjYAmwQlyb5gljQytBa8wqZThXCJIfUBC4uWCvnKKUlpS8BjupmSozBOFJ5CzkFr9-8a3Q3JUK_vJwARRzzmNf1ZRDS5HuDuR82lhDR03YXxeK4gLnbX7v/s1600/dead-space-3-achievements-guide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPO_DUqM6Y037NIISlUYwf_5kjYAmwQlyb5gljQytBa8wqZThXCJIfUBC4uWCvnKKUlpS8BjupmSozBOFJ5CzkFr9-8a3Q3JUK_vJwARRzzmNf1ZRDS5HuDuR82lhDR03YXxeK4gLnbX7v/s320/dead-space-3-achievements-guide.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Isaac has to build his own weapons from parts. Isaac picks
up weapon parts, or more commonly ingredients to build weapon parts, and puts
them together at benches. First you choose whether you want a big gun handle which
can do more things or a small gun handle which reloads faster. You attach one
or two weapons to the handle, and tips that can modify weapons, like a tip that
makes a carbine into a shotgun, or a tip that turns a grenade launcher into a
rocket launcher. You can attach two accessories that modify the gun further,
like a scope or an accessory that makes all bullets coated in acid, and circuits which improve damage and speed.</div>
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I wish the system had been simpler. I wish they had made it
so you can use all weapon types on all guns, or a simpler way to find parts, or
there was only one type of handle, or if I could have bought weapons instead of
having to scrounge around for the ingredients. More importantly, I wish a lot
of the weapons were not useless, especially compared to Isaac’s default cutter.
That would have made up for all the time I spent figuring out such a needlessly
complicated system.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPA_kXPyEKLibCahTMPanOa_IjLPKD0hhmjEEbI-u46GxV9uc2vQfcN-M4MCe_AyOD-JrjRGyoHKoMSLrTJFZkWe1G8Z3UNKJpi7JWZR5R6wMEhQg8dbQUUiPbCPsphZU1ADxZ5a-fe8dD/s1600/Dead-Space-3-bench-pics1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPA_kXPyEKLibCahTMPanOa_IjLPKD0hhmjEEbI-u46GxV9uc2vQfcN-M4MCe_AyOD-JrjRGyoHKoMSLrTJFZkWe1G8Z3UNKJpi7JWZR5R6wMEhQg8dbQUUiPbCPsphZU1ADxZ5a-fe8dD/s320/Dead-Space-3-bench-pics1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This could have been handled better.</td></tr>
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There is a co-op mode, where you can set your game so one
other person can join in as John Carver, the least interesting person in the
cast, or you can join someone else’s game. I guess that has the fun that doing
anything with another person brings, but it does not enhance the game itself.
It just makes them game easier, so it is good if you just want to mow down tons
of Necromorphs with someone else.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-ZtcYGVzkw-bb58oUbaPQsVGqmGFI8nDwUwgaNsIpkgiXuS1TvUX156EiBoE61hrVG5WMIgl0y8xv3b6JexCNbz6vJIs4Tfv3YZBFJRKMahA0hOJ7Rh58gdchz1DQtbgV2R3eeqVhB3s/s1600/isaac-and-carver1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-ZtcYGVzkw-bb58oUbaPQsVGqmGFI8nDwUwgaNsIpkgiXuS1TvUX156EiBoE61hrVG5WMIgl0y8xv3b6JexCNbz6vJIs4Tfv3YZBFJRKMahA0hOJ7Rh58gdchz1DQtbgV2R3eeqVhB3s/s320/isaac-and-carver1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaac's on the left, Carver's on the right.</td></tr>
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I liked discovering the history of Tau Volantis, the origin
of the Markers, and the humans who used live on the planet. Isaac’s story though,
is predictable. You can guess who the traitor is and who is going to die, and
the ending wraps up things a little too perfectly. The cast are shallow, and
their personalities do not shift from the moment you meet them, though they are
at least mostly likable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPiyr6y3Qo0T4jLo43t2To-FsxBbGV2NyvSdDHhHCy-JqNFFXbO1Olq09AODdfisKs_kKeGpgQ3_XFAf0HaffwY-BuHDHMawtfTsDf6R4oe7YDjIRpmoVVNkTdEr7XbR7K6HJtlYm3VgR/s1600/e_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLPiyr6y3Qo0T4jLo43t2To-FsxBbGV2NyvSdDHhHCy-JqNFFXbO1Olq09AODdfisKs_kKeGpgQ3_XFAf0HaffwY-BuHDHMawtfTsDf6R4oe7YDjIRpmoVVNkTdEr7XbR7K6HJtlYm3VgR/s320/e_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The game is grotesque, and can get exciting at times, but I
never was actually scared. The frequency of the Necromorph attacks and how easy
it is to kill them helped. I was never surprised either because the Necromorphs
come through these really obvious ventilation ducts, so every time I walked
into a room with one I was like: “Here we go again.”</div>
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<i>Dead Space 3</i> is
okay, it is not exceptional in any regard, and it has some faults, but the good
parts outweigh the bad. It looks like the end to <i>Dead Space</i> though, so it might not be worth it for those who have
not played the previous games.</div>
John Daniel Groveshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13049914512772165511noreply@blogger.com0