Thursday, 14 April 2011
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
game vault:splinter cell conviction xbox 360 review
I was never a splinter cell fan in fact I hated splinter cell for years I was never able to acknowledge it as anything more than a blatant rip off of the metal gear solid franchise there was reasons for this... Snake went in to the jungle in his third outing Sam Fisher went the jungle in HIS next game ect. So I approached the fifth console instalment which is a game play reboot fairly sceptically and with an undeniable bias.
And yet I could not hate this game in fact this is the most satisfying stealth experience I've ever had.
The basic premise of the storyline is Sam Fisher a notorious black ops trained agent working for fictional NSA sub division “third echelon” goes rogue when he hears whispers about the possibility that his daughters recent death was in fact a cover up. She is alive somewhere so Sam sets out to find her and then men who hid this from him at any cost.
This game is building on the design we've seen in arkham asylum it has that same tense then smooth cat and mouse aesthetic. That feeling of been out numbered and out gunned as you often do in a stealth based game like tenchu or thief. But with the ability to turn the tables and become a powerful predator in every room. This constant predator to prey mechanic works well as one minute your on edge struggling to not get gunned down the next your toying with them. Its even got its own detective vision worked in but I wont say any more for the sake of spoilers. Controls have been re-jigged too and are much more novice friendly responsive and less awkward then previous titles. you'll never find yourself dying halfway through the game because the game made you hug a wall whilst you were getting shot at or anything like that. However some fans may not be happy that certain trademark moves have been removed and replaced more on that later.
In terms of your arsenal you've less high end bond gadgetry this time round. Initially relying on basic firearms and make shift spy tools such as a car wing mirror for peaking under doors. However whilst some may fear lacking in accessories when going against a literal army at one stage is a little unfair rest assured Sam's got some new tricks that you'll no doubt put to good use. when enemy's spot you and you lose them you'll leave a ghost print of your last known location within eye line of the enemy which they will home in on this can very easily be capitalized on in a multitude of ways. You'll also occasionally get the opportunity to interrogate unarmed enemy's by using the interactive scenery someone wont talk you need alive? Smash there head against a mirror and soon they'll be singing.
There's also the mark and execute system the main new addition to your abilities and in my opinion the star of the show. Every time you make a sneak kill or hand to hand kill you earn a mark and execute(note that these cannot be stacked and one must be used to gain another)this will allow you to target 2-3 separate targets in separate places within your eye line at once and then kill them in 1 gloriously bad-ass click. Some may cry foul at the simplicity of this mechanic and that it robs you of game play making kills for you essentially but in practice it proves a necessary and satisfying ally with limitations particularly in later levels when then enemy's are better armed smarter and coming at a much greater rate.
The sound isn't a major player here but is has it’s charm and place. The high frequency slice you’ll hear every time your in danger of being seen is perfect. And my absolute favourite moment which I wont ruin for you incorporates the only piece of licensed music in the game. And much like the rolling stones in call of duty: black ops it helps emphasize the the epicness of the moment ten fold.
Levels aren’t quite as open ended as they could be. Although there is a certain amount of choose your route in accordance with your style your more than likely going to have to be stealthy and go one path as opposed to games like Hitman that suggest several branches.
Towards the end however when levels become even more linear this became something I enjoyed as its basically the game giving an assault course of stealth to navigate and test your skills you've honed throughout the game. Not distracted by the thought of alternatives and are you making life hard on yourself you approach each street and room thinking to yourself how can I use my skills to get by these guys? Speed and luck can be a large factor as is learning patrol routes. But at later points guards will perform sweeps making things much more unpredictable tense and exciting.
Graphics are sharp and textures are visceral with a suitable use of colour effects like everything becoming black and white to indicate your in the shadows and harder to spot. However I did notice some screen tearing on occasion but nothing that jarring or obstructing it just gives you a sense that the game engine isn’t quite as solid(snake)as it would have you believe.
Don't get me wrong with the batman comparisons earlier this game is as I said no rip off no matter much I initially wished it was. The combat stands on its own you'll approach areas with heavy firearms at times but you'll mostly be thinking how you can avoid a large fire fight. This game isn't a shooter and the engine doesn't aim for that.
The game will run you through 11 missions of increasing difficulty it’s a fairly short game although with many moments, different difficulty settings and challenges its fairly replayable. Plus there's an added 5 mission co-operative campaign(which can be played solo with a bot) utilizing a synchronised mark and execute is potentially the most satisfying mechanic of the year. which no doubt has replayabilty itself overall it’s a superb game. Every bit as good as its trailer makes it look and a great jump on point for people who weren't fans before. But given the length perhaps buy it along with another game or get it for cheap when and where you can.
End score: 9/10
game vault:alan wake xbox 360 review
If remedy have proved one thing as a developer its that they can craft a game with a solid mood and tone. If they proved a second it’s that they make games with gloriously satisfying combat.
Alan wake continues this trend.
Taking its inspiration from the likes of Stephen King and David Lynch Alan Wake is arguably an action laced thriller.
A game about a writer named no prizes for guessing Alan Wake suffering from writing fatigue and frustrated with his passion. Alan travels to the quiet mountain town of bright falls with his wife to get away from it all. But within short time his life is plunged into darkness literally when his significant other goes missing and he starts being attacked by shadowy figures in his attempts to find her.
Alan spends the majority of his time wandering through creepy forest like environments at night with the occasional industrial based set piece aside.
Combat is based round using a combination of fire power and light based equipment to weaken or kill foes. Controls are solid for the most part although I would advise changing the default controls as I could never quite adjust to pressing the left bumper to dodge both left and right as it’s simply more instinctive to use both.
Other than that controls are tight including the dodge mechanic which must be used sparingly as Alan cant simply agent smith his way round enemies attacks so spamming the bumpers will simply get you killed.
I could see how some could say the environments are repetitive as you will spend 80% of your time in a forest. But remedy do a lot with this one environment to keep things fresh and interesting braking monotony up with the likes of cabin’s to loot, enemy choke points, a lumber yard and other such points of interest.
One thing I did find redundant was the enemy variety. There are basically two types of shadow figures, on top of shadow birds and animated objects as well as the odd super shadow figure that’s usually part of the plot however each of the super shadows employs same abilities. It would have been nice to see some more suitable enemies such as wolves and even more monstrous creations thrown into the mix or even give existing enemy’s more attacks. This feels like a missed opportunity which hopefully the inevitable sequel address’s although I’ll say again that the games pacing and set pieces do stop things becoming too repetitive.
The most crucial choice in my opinion was the decision to roll the camera back to show enemies pursuing you. This in a sense gave Alan a sort of clairvoyance which in my opinion ruined a lot of the scares as you weren’t being caught off guard by enemies nearly as much. This to me is the single element that changed this game from being horror based to a slightly creepy action game. It shouldn't surprise that the games pacing is very similar to remedy's other franchise max payne levels aren't numerous however they are long.
Graphically the game is excellent with superb lighting effects as you’d expect.
Sound is also key as it can alert you to an upcoming enemy’s presence. The game’s soundtrack is also very suitable for crafting a story as licensed songs serve to break up usually tense chapters. Complimented by a fantastic original score.
The game isn’t extremely long clocking in at roughly 7-10 hours although it is satisfying enough to play through a second time on the included nightmare difficulty and gain all the collectables which give a greater insight into the game's mystery . DLC is also available extending the game by a third.
The game has some memorable moments.
One stand out moment of awesomeness which I wont ruin involves Alan and his friend Barry showing a little bit of attitude on a farm owned by a pair of ageing senile rock stars.
Overall wake is a tense atmospheric and engaging experience with a pacing similar to remedy's classic Max Payne series but with a sprinkling of creepiness. The story does feel a little unsatisfying towards the end as if it was chopped deliberately for DLC but anyone looking for something horror flavoured that doesn’t involve asinine puzzle solving and item management should give wake a try.
End score: 8.5/10
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