Just Cause 2 is too little!

After playing Just Cause 2 i learned soooo much that i wanted to unlearn it! The main thing about this game is its giant sandbox map, which is superb in detail and types of environments. But now that the good stuffs out of the way, time to rip a new one on this game! not that this game was all bad, it lacked a strong, attention keeping campaign. Sure the explosions are pretty, and most of the map is blank, but it will keep you playing because of all the oil refineries i exploded. so the main story wasn't too long, but then bad voice acting wants to make you pick up your system and toss it onto the nearest railroad tracks and watch a train pulverize that stupid Spanish/Jamaican/????? accent out of the stupid chick in the game. The side missions are fun, but a follow a line of rescue, destroy, and retrieve missions. The most fun i had in this game was when i took the biggest cannon, multi-missile jet and blew up the main refinery. oh those pretty yellows and reds.... but still some play value is in this game, but its not in its story. Some improvements that they could have done is add multiplayer, or at least co-op.Yes the game has good graphics, like the water, and explosions, but when is the story sacrificed for look? sadly enough the game only gets 4 happy Dan stars out of 10. -Melonman

Lost Planet 2 Trailer impressions:

Lost Planet 2 New Trailer:
Lost planet was a awesome game featuring many intense boss fights and encounters, along with massive battles and fun multiplayer, Lost planet 2 intends to do all of this and more. Now with a four-player co-op campaign, you and your friends can battle the terrifying akrid and enemy forces in orde to ensure the safety of home. The games graphics look breathtaking and the very first boss puts the last Lost Planet to shame. The bosses are massive allowing you to fight them your way, wether taking the fight inside or fighting on thier backs. The fact of Lost Planet that makes it so much fun is that you can do everything your way and not have to worry about annoying AI getting in your way. I doubt that the game will be as fun single player as it is in co-op and im not sure if im a fan of the new game layout, which is supposed to be more like "Left 4 Dead". Each of the campaign missions are cut into chapters and each chapter consist of multiple levels, which include a mini boss (much like the first hold out points in l4d) and conclude with a enormous boss battle. I do think that the idea of multiple campaign and characters will be much more entertaining than the last ones, but I am worried about the voice acting and how all of these characters will intertwine. The game looks promising, and even with all of the issues I have so far, May 11 cannot come soon enough.

MW2 PC RANT!!!

Like many of my friends, I bought Modern Warfare 2 on the day it come out. I had just lost my Xbox 360 to the plague, and was ready for a fresh start. Aside from the fact that the game did not work for the first 3 months, I have some MAJOR issues with the online multiplayer.

HAAAX! was the phrase that I continued to scream at my computer screen, as every 1 out of 3 games was hacked at the end, and immediately shut down! ONE OUT OF THREE! The worst part was, for the first 50 seconds of the hack, your character is controlled by a hacker, which often causes you to loose a perfect streak, or, in most cases, toss your keyboard across the room.

But that!? That was just the beginning. What followed, is simply known as, the Level 70, 10th prestige NOOB HACK ERA!!! Though the title is pretty self explanatory, what had happened was, a new piece of software, known as "EAM", allowed players to become any level, any prestige, and any completion that they could ever want. This, along with hacks for almost anything your heart could desire, has killed Modern Warfare 2 for the PC.

So with that I say, welcome back home, Battlefield series, don't you dare screw thing up.

The wonderful world of Steam.

Steam, if you don't have it or haven't heard of it it is a very simple application. Steam has been the center of controversy, mainly due to some of its earlier activities of opening up your computers to hackers, but as of late, Steam has opened up a whole new market. Companies such as GameStop/Eb games have been selling less and less PC games, and giving no headway to the independent game makers. Such games as the Maw or even the remake of Aliens vs Predator:2000 were never released on the shelves. These latest things have actually opened the PC market up, showing that the PC is not as dead a console as some would believe. Now Steam in itself is a wonderful concept. Being able to buy from an online store and have the item downloaded almost instantly shows the ability that Steam has been working on for the past few years. A few competitors have attempted to rise against this company, but in all truth they have failed in the end. Steam as of this week has actually been doing quite a few deals, if you own a decent PC and have access to some form of buying online, I'd say check Steam out. You could find something very interesting in the digital shelves.

Community Event:

Kickass is being released this week and all of here at "Tzu" just wanna say, GO SEE THIS MOVIE OR ELSE. If you wish to attend hit me up at Pheonixdbf@aim.com.

WHOOOAAAA THERE, a push back on games?

As many people know, pushbacks on great games can cause chaos and confusion among the gaming centers of the world. Such instances include Left 4 Dead, Command & Conquer 3, and most recently, Red Dead. But you might be thinking "Why push back a game when it already looks sooooo good?". After taking the Game Design class at my home school, i learned that even perfect looking games (Call of Duty MW2) can be broken in ways we never would think of, and neither the programmers or developers could either! One reason is that the game testers, which we all want to secretly be, try every possible way to break the game so it can be fixed, like the arrow dupicator in Oblivion or the way Call of Duty released its multiplayer with so many gliches. But over the years, updates and fixes can come in a hour after release or never to be fixed at all, like EA with its server problems in Battlefield Bad Company 2, that was fixed in a matter of days. Yes another reason is that the date of release is coming on a day that is mixed with bigger titles, like recently Splintercell was thought of threatining the idea of Red Dead, so RD pushed itself back so when people were geting tired of that game, they could just move to the new. There are other reasons for all of this but if games dont end up like Spore (if i have to explain that to you you are not a true lifeless gamer) and like Call of Duty, the game is just being Perfected in both Gameplay and Price!- Melonman

Halo Reach Beta Trailer Impressions:

Halo Reach Multiplayer Footage:
Halo has been known for giving solid multiplayer and a good story, but Bungie claims that thier latest installment "Halo Reach" will completly redefine the genre and online muliplayer as we know it. A few weeks back we were treated to a look at the upcoming beta that will be coming to us in May. The multiplayer looks like loads of fun and with the addition of new modes such as invasion and headhunter, this could be the halo game that we've been waiting for. The action looks face paced, and the weapons look better than ever, along with noteable additions such as new armor, weapons, and even jetpacks. If this is what the mulitplayer is going to be like than maybe some players will stray away from Battlefield to give this beta a shot. Halo Reach looks impressive and I hope that Bungie can hold up on the campaign and not have a epic fail like Halo 3's story arc. Four player co-op should also be a nice addition and the armor upgrades and new ranking system are a welcome treat to halo and shooter fans alike.

Gears of War 3 Lambent

The Lambent. Our new friends in Gears of War 3. These creatures were actually introduced in the books from what I've seen and are essentially regular Locust on steroids. They are bigger, stronger and have actually been fighting the Locust before the storyline of the first game started. The Lambent are apparently the mutated Locust that spend to long in immulsion. Their armor and weapons are similar to the Locust and for the most part they carry the same tactics when fighting enemies. Really the only example of a Lambent creature is from Gears 2 towards the end with the Lambent Brumak. As seen in the game, the Brumak mutates and becomes extremely powerful, being able to literally take several hits from the Hammer of Dawn. These super powerful enemies will most likely be the main enemy for the rest of the series. As for the Locust and what remains of the humans it may come down to an uneasy alliance to fight back the Lambent hordes. Who knows, but Gears of War 3, is gonna be good... if they fix the damn multiplayer.

Next Big Event! or NBE

http://www.toomanygames.com/ for the funnest time of gaming on the eastcoast! this sunday. 8$ to get in, and all the fun of video, board and other gaming. be there, or be a guy who would rather be uncool!

Change is good. Right?

Anyone who likes any type of rock and roll has probably come across the Red Hot Chili Peppers every now and again. They have had a quite successful career in the industry since their conception in 1983. There have been many changes in the band's members throughout the years, for instance; the original guitarist, Hillel Slovak died in 1988 due to a drug overdose. The original drummer, Jack Irons, soon dropped out because of Slovak's death. Anthony Keidis and Michael 'Flea' Balzary kept with the band and tried to replace the lost talent. Chad Smith became the official drummer in 1989. For years band guitarists kept changing until, finnaly in 1998 John Frusciante had become official member of the band. They made three albums "Californication","By the Way", and "Stadium Arcadium". Frusciante soon left the band after completeing the "Stadium Arcadium" tour. The new guitarist for this legendary band is named Josh Klinghoffer. He was the backup guitarist for Frusciante during 'Stadium Arcadium'. Klinghoffer played with the band on January 29, 2010 their
MusiCares performance in their tribute to Neil Young.

Battlewho?

Yes the battlefield franchise has been out longer than some know about, starting with Battlefield 1942! Yes this Historic game was the prime start of what all FPS games wanted to grow up to be! with the feature of vehicular combat, including boats, tanks, and planes, and large over the top maps that can support 62 people! and this was in 2002. During the great reign of this game 2 expantion packs came out and added jets, and other new defining fetures. After a while Battlefield Vietnam came out in 2004 and added chopper combat and new Squad respawn. This game is not widely recognised as the best in the series but can be put up with call of duty. Not untill 2005 when Battlefield 2 came out would the franchise enter the heavyweight ring of gaming, with new graphics, physics, and everything online players loved.BF2 adds up to 30 vehicals now and weapons with its 3 expantion packs. one drawback from all of the BF's was a lack of a campagn or single player. whaen EA joined in this new idea of large scale gaming, they made Battlefield 2:vModern Combat, which added the series to consoles and added singleplayer. one problem was, the singleplayer sucked, and did not give players to open world feel of the online. As the times changed, games about future conflicts were popular, so Battlefield 2142 was made to compete, and proved its honor in the future of games, adding flying battleships and new ways to use mines, and equipment into shooting games. 1 expantion pack was made for 2142. Not untill Battlefield Bad Company did people really notice the open online gaming of battlefield games and with new phisics to boot, boosted battlefield to be one of the newest anticipated games of all time.Then as a quick look into the future, EA Remade Battlefield 1942 into 1943! today, we get a glimpses of Battlefield 3, and get to play Bad Company 2, and if you played the games, you will know Bad Company 3 is going to be announced in the future!

Why Battlefield is better than Call of Duty:

Battlefield Bad Company 2 Gameplay

Millions of people went to the store in order to buy the latest installment in the Call of duty franchise, but who woulda known that mere months later the multiplayer would be filled with hackers and glitchers ruining the experience. At that same time a much more improved and refined multiplayer game was just around the corner. Battlefield Bad Company 2 was the answer to our prayers, and these five reasons are why Battlefield is the only choice for online shooters.

You actually work with people: In more ways than one, in order to rack up kills and kick some ass, you have to work together with fellow gamers in order to kill dem Russians (or Americans if you're playing a communist). Unlike Call of Duty where it's more "do it on your own", Battlefield is structured in such a way that the only way to conquer objectives and push the frontline forward is by using the various classes at your disposal. Whether your squad is a bunch of engineers or snipers, teamwork is key and in order to complete your task you're going to need someone to watch your rear, or spawn as a medic in order to revive fallen comrades. Which leads to another key point: you can revive people in Battlefield!!

You get points for everything: In Battlefield, you get points for just about everything and ultimately leveling has a giant effect on how many kills you'll get. Now I know that sounds just like Call of Duty, but Battlefield makes you work to become better at the game, having you start off with nothing until you finally gain your tools of destruction. There is nothing better than spending hours playing and feeling the amount of accomplishment when you max out a class. You will rarely ever say bul#$3% when you get sniped because there is always a chance of a revive, along with the chance of finding the assailants position in the death cam. The weapons are well balanced and you'll hardly ever curse at your screen unlike with Call of Duty..................Yeah, I mean you, Dual Akimbos.

The Campaign is longer than 6 hours: Call of Duty's Campaign is one for the books: it had fantastic set pieces and solid story and gameplay, along with twist that you won't see coming. Yet 6 hours later and you have a game that only leaves you with a even shorter co-op campaign and multiplayer destined to fail. Battlefield's campaign offered a solid story and breathtaking set pieces. It was literally none stop action and truly improved from the original, but what makes this campaign better is the amount of work put into the characters and how they interact with each other. Battlefield is hilarious and has both intriguing characters and story- the only thing missing is four player co-op.
These are the reasons why I think Battlefield is much better than Call of Duty and hopefully knocked it off its throne.

Alice In Wonderland

Alice is back, out of the looking glass, and into a land of creepy looking British men. With amazing visuals, a promise of mid blowing 3-D, an A-List cast, and a timeless story, this movie promised a lot, but delivered little. The new story involves the 18 year old Alice being proposed to by your standard snobby, ugly, rich British character. The then runs away and falls down into a rabbit hole, entering wonderland. This change in story is, unfortunately, not a good one, the entire plot is very predictable, seeing as Alice’s goal is set for her within the first 15 minutes of the movie. The red queen has taken over, and it’s Alice’s job to stop her in a way that is so clichéd, you’d think it was a joke. With actors like Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, and Alan Rickman, the movie has some major talent to work off of, but the shoddy script left the majority of characters feeling very one-dimensional. Luckily, what saves this movie is the visuals, Tim Burton is the perfect director. The art stunning and creative and it is definitely one of Burtons best design. Overall, this movies hits and misses. The acting is phenomenal, the art direction is brilliant, but the writing and story, which should be the strongest points in an Alice movie, unfortunately fall short.

A disappointing

2.5 out of 5

Why May is Going to Rock: Part 2

In addition to Lost Planet 2 and Red Dead Redemption, several other big titles are coming out in May.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
For those not in the know, the Prince of Persia series is split into three different series. The second is the "Sands of Time" series, and the one that most people are familiar with. This game, meant to be released around the same time as the upcoming Prince of Persia movie, will take place between the first two games in the series. It'll be out on the 18th for the DS, Wii, PSP, PS3, and 360, though I expect the PS3 and 360 versions will be the ones you'll want to look into.


Skate 3
Now, I'm not a big fan of skating games, so I have to admit I don't know too much about this. It comes out on the 11th for both PS3 and 360, and I'm guessing that if you enjoyed the first two games, you'll enjoy this one as well.


3D Dot Game Heroes
This is one game that I'm really looking forward to. It's a homage to old pixelated games with some new tricks, such as incredibly large weapons and character customization. It's a steal at $40, though it is PS3 exclusive. It will also come out on the 11th.



Super Mario Galaxy 2
I think, as this is a Mario game, I shouldn't have to speak at length about this one. It will improve on Galaxy with the addition of Yoshi and new power-ups, though it will apparently ditch the first game's hub world for a more traditional map-based level selection. It is, of course, Wii exclusive, and comes out on the 23rd.


Alan Wake
Telling the story of an author (named Alan Wake, of course) whose stories start writing themselves, this game features the rather interesting story decision of having episodic content without actually selling the game as seperate episodes. This horror game is 360 exclusive, and will arrive on the 18th.

Also coming out in May: ModNation Racers, a Mario Kart-like racer for the PSP and PS3 that arrives on the 25th; Trauma Team, the follow up to the Trauma Center series, will be out on the 18th- although Wii exclusive, it will only be $40; finally, the Game of The Year edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum will be out on the 11th- it will come with 3D glasses of dubious quality.

Farewell to the old Xbox live:

I have to admit that i will miss the logging onto my old xbox and loading up some classics. I will miss playing games such as Pariah, Kingdom Under Fire, and Crimson Skies with friends. Although it still makes little to no sense why microsoft Is shutting down such a memorable experience the one game that I will miss most is Halo 2. The groundbreaking multiplayer, long campaign and beautiful graphic will always be remembered even when bigger sequels are on the horizon (Halo Reach). Halo 2 had it all memorable characters, solid campaign, and amazing multiplayer, sure Halo 3 refined it, but the amount of fun that my friends and me shared can't be forgotten. I will miss those days of Halo 2, but am looking forward for what Bungie has in store.

Why May is gonna to Rock

                Lost Planet 2
Lost Planet 2 is shaping up to be better than the original, with the additon of four player co-op and a more refined multiplayer this sequel may be one of the best games this year. The thing that really stuck out to me about Lost Planet is the intense boss battles and how enormous they are, fortunetly that doesnt seem to of been forgotten in Lost Planet 2, due to the mroe enormous bosses. The graphics look breathtaking and the gameplay feels less awkward as the first one. Lost Planet 2 is gonna rock.
                            Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption..............................Enough said.

Gears of War Follow up!

Well as Trailers become more complicated, and deeper meanings are put into them. About what you see is Dom, unshaven and looks more depressed than ever, about to die, and seems to give up. But as this short trailer comes to a close you see something new, a new more intimidating enemy pops out of the ground. Simple Faction add-on, or a new type of storyline? we'll just have to find out till 2011!

Gears of War 3 Trailer Impressions:

Gears of War 3 trailer:

Overall the trailer was a nice surprise, now that we can see that Epic is taking the series in a much darker direction. From some speculation I think the guy we first see is Dom, he was depressed after Maria and most likely let himself go. Its possible that Epic is trying to go for a new look with the characters and these are what thier gonna look like now and the two gears seen later are baird and cole. This cant be a flashback cause they all didnt met till gears of war 1 before the whole first conflict. Looks nice and dark, i doubt the single player will be bad, but i hope they add more to the multiplayer. I am very happy that four player co-op will be in this one, but also i hope that someone in delta squad dies, mostly because of the big impact that that would have on players. Overall im very excited for this game, and it may even get me to stop looking at Red Dead Redemption gameplay just to see what Epic has in store for us next.

R.U.S.E Beta Overview

A few weeks ago, the RUSE multiplayer beta took the PC by storm, with thousands of download, obviously marketing towards the PC crowed, but seeing as any beta has yet to be announced for consoles, I've decided to give a brief rundown on what we can expect when it comes down to gameplay and design for RUSE multi-payer.

Design:

The design of ruse is very unique. When you zoom out, you are given a view of a war room, with a 3D map, scattered with icons of units and buildings. This is a good way to see all of your units, and makes it seem more like a board game. RUSE really shines when you zoom in, and can see all of the details of your units. This makes the gameplay far more interesting. RUSE has normal controls for an RTS, but introduces a very simple menu, making it easy to select and build units.

Gameplay:

There are some very clear issues with multiplayer, where it is nearly impossible to find a game that doesn't lag, or simply freeze every minute or so. But seeing as it's a huge beta, it's understandable. Overall, when you find a good game, the action is non stop, and very addicting.

Consensus:

Overall, when RUSE works, it works very well. And if every match works well when it's released, It will be a must-have for any RTS fan.

Hello Tzu! (yeah, I know, another introduction

Yeah, it's me, the noob. (Actually, I'm used to being one, seeing as I recently switched from Console to PC).

Anyways, about me,

I'm a gamer at heart,

I love just about every kind of game,

And I love movies even more.

I can't wait to post my movie review for Alice In Wonderland, and will be reviewing a game soon.

I might review a classic movie or two, seeing as the number of people who haven't heard of Humphrey Bogart or Hitchcock never ceases to amaze me.

Feel free to contact me through my email or facebook,

Don't forget to be awesome.

Hey gamers! im testing the texting communication for this thing! this will be 100% more convieniant!

Well, hello everyone.

Hey fellow blog-reader...people? I guess thats how it goes, anyway like the fellow authors on this blog, I'm a gamer. I'm gonna be writing helpful reviews towards games and pointers on what to do in those games to make them, playable. Other than review games, I'll also be putting the spotlight on the latest of machinima and really what ever I think of at the time. Yeah so, ask me random questions at cheatcommandosos@gmail.com or hit me up on Xbox, my gamertag is ghostsniperzw.

New Badass on the Block!

Hello GAMERS!!!!! I am Melonman56, or formally known as Kiel. I am here to give you the most recent news on the gaming network. I belong to a group known as Tzu, we play for Fun, and try not to ruin a game. I have the most current news from the near and far, even from programmers themselves! Yes i am here for you! any Questions send me a whisp! Kielsouders@gmail.com

Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans

    Remakes are hit or miss, but for the most part they are miss. Their are a few occasion where the directer actually nails what made the original so memorable, yet "Clash of the Titans" does the exact opposite. Rather than keeping the story from the first clash, this sequel adds more characters and subplots that not only add numerous plot holes, but also stray away from the original too much. Clash focus's more on the poorly executed 3-d sequences and visual special effects than remaining to the lore and story.
   The acting is hardly passable due to a wooden performance from Sam Worthington, which is disappointing  because of his entertaining performance in "Avatar". Sam can hardly led the movie due to the flawed script and the overwhelming C-G effects, in all honesty sams performance is almost as bad as Hayden Christensen's in "Jumper"(maybe not that bad).
   The film missed its mark, by a long shot and could of succeeded if the movie kept the plot from the original rather than leaving it for a more action oriented script. Liam Nessen can't even save this film. The acting is horrible, but with a few exceptions such as Ralph Fieenes who plays Hades. Ralph' brings a surprising amount of sadness to the film and actually makes you feel sorry for the lord of the underworld, but even a solid performance like his cant save the film.
   In conclusion the Acting is terrible, the plot is overflowed with subplots and the ending is as unsatisfying as the last "Transformers". The only thing keeping clash from no stars is that it was still entertaining at some points, Medusa's lair was by far the most well executed scene in the film, but the special effects were really the selling point for the film and it shows due to the underdeveloped plot. My advice would be to watch the original rather than wasting your money on a mediocre film, especially with so many good films just around the corner,such as Kickass and Iron Man 2. Clash of the Titans will only be remembered for being one of the worst remakes thus far.
1 1/2 stars out of 4

Are you the Hunter, Survivor, or Prey?

Alien vs Predator Review:

The premise of Alien vs Predator is that you play as either a alien, predator, or marine in this all out war between the species. In the Marine campaign its your duty to fight to survive. As a Alien its your mission to escape captivity and reek havoc on your captives. You are a predator that's objective is to bring a end to the madness that has been unleashed. In Alien vs predator you play as either a alien, predator, or marine in this all out war between the species. In the Marine campaign its your duty to fight to survive. The marine campaign plays out like a typical survival horror game, offering plenty of scares and action to quench your thirst. As a Alien its your mission to escape captivity and reek havoc on your captives. These missions move away form the survival horror aspect and more into a strategy game where you mus pick off the marines one by one. In the Predator campaign, you are a predator that's objective is to bring a end to the madness that has been unleashed. Each campaign has their own unique feel and story behind it making the characters and environments more engaging as you play through them. I found the Marine campaign to be the most fun out of the three thanks to the added polish, since this is the campaign that most people would play first. The Alien campaign is a mixed bag, I found it fun to kill and harvest soldiers, but a bit repetitive after the first hour or two. The Predator campaign was fun and action packed and I would recommend playing this one first if you wanted to jump into the action right away. Overall the was well tuned and interesting, and seeing of how it unravels in the three campaigns is a lot of fun, but the conclusion is a unsatisfactory cliff hanger that will hopefully be answered in DLC or a new title.The game really wasn't that challenging thats to some of the weapons that you acquire and the dumb AI. I was a bit dissapointed in how the AI played out at many points in my playtime I saw enemies get stuck in walls or stand completly still even though I was right  in front of them. The predator and Alien campaign are a joke as far as challenge thanks to the predators weapons and the Aliens stealth. The predator campaign was simple, but was unique in some ways I had alot of fun using the voice of a fallen marine and luring his friend into my trap, yet that fun didnt last too long after the third hour. The Alien campaign was the same old "Go to this area, kill these guys, Go to the next one." type ordeal making it hard to play and really engage the player. Both the Alien and Preadtor campaign could have done more unique things, such as with the Alien one it would have been nice to play as a face hugger or a different class, rather than the old black serpent. Dont buy Alien vs Predator for the story or else you will be dissapointed, but the multiplayer is alot of fun and is worth the money on its own. All in all Alien vs Preadator was a mixed bag. but was alot of fun and a enjoyable experience, I would recommend renting the game, but a purchase is only if you are a big fan.

FINAL SCORE:

7 out of 10

Pros:

• Fun campaign
• Great multiplayer

Cons:

• Alien and Preadator Campaign are repetitive
• No real challenge
• Gets repetitive after a couple of hours.

Are game reviewers corrupt?

 Is Call of Duty the new standard?

I am now apart of the group of gamers that are sick of COD, and get annoyed that newer games are being held to its standards. Although Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was undoubtably one of the best games of 2009, the fact that games that are coming out now are being critized for not having the amount of depth that COD.  Last Tuesday, I went to the store in order to get a copy of Alien vs Predator. After playing the game for a few hours, I saw just how well made it was and of how much replay value it had, unfortunately that isn't enough for the gaming community today, seeing of how it was criticized for its visuals (which are fantastic and look just like the movie) and the fact that when you rank up in its muliplayer, you only get skins. Does multiplayer have to have perks, persistent stats and customizations in order to get good reviews? The only issues that I found with the game was the Alien controls are extremely hard to get used to and the fact that the campaigns were a bit repetitive, mostly the alien. Its unfortunate that such a well made and extremely fun game is being criticized for not being up to Call of Duty's standards. To be honest you can't help but wonder if every under the radar game will get the same treatment.With big games like Bad Company just around the corner do you think it will recieve the same treatment, or be praised for giving the same experience that Call of Duty offered. With AVP I myself love the game and found it quite enjoyable, yet because of the supposedly sub par graphics and controls the game has received mixed reviews.  Sure graphics are being hammered more by reviewers, but it doesnt mean that your experience would suffer because of them. Many of the reviews have given it a poor score make little to no sense, but rather make the game seem much better, a example would be the Game Informer review. I would highly recommend AVP due to its decent campaigns and excellent muliplayer, but if you have fallen victim to the corrupt review system that we have now, than your missing something truly excellent.

Avatar Review:

AVATAR

     After a decade of anticipation, Avatar has hit theaters both living up to its hype and being a box office smash. Avatar tells the tale of a paraplegic veteran named Jack Sully, who ventures to the planet of Pandora in 2154, but is soon torn between siding with his people or the natives of the planet. As the movie continues, you find out the reason for the human occupation, but you are given an even more insightful look at the native people and why they fight for their homeland. The film does a superb job of establishing its narrative and conflict, but at points felt like a revamped “Dancing with the Wolves.” The films narrative features a typical romance, but also an endearing back-story that helps make the conclusion all the more intense. Avatar has also received high praise for its technical aspects, mostly due to the photorealistic characters interacting with the live action characters. The visuals are breathtaking due to the terrific 3-D technology, which literally makes you feel like you have entered the world of Pandora. James Cameron puts a lot of detail and back story surrounding each character which makes them all engaging, and the world all the more stunning, but toward the end many of the plot twists are predictable and make the film feel cliché. All in all, Avatar is a war movie chronicling a final battle between humans and the natives, but without falling into the category of “Pocahontas-In-Space.” The action is intense, but never feels out of place like most films of the genre. Avatar is a perfect film for friends and family, but is the one movie that you have to see in order to get the full 3-D experience.  Avatar is a cinematic landmark and is truly deserving of all the praise that it has received.

3 ½ out of 4

Running From A Naked Woman in Fear 2

Title: Fear 2

Designer: Monolith Productions

Company: Microsoft                                       

Number of players: 1 (1-16 online)

Platform: Xbox 360

ERSB Rating: M+17

Genre: Horror
Fear 2 Review

You are apart of a elite team of soldiers that are given the task of fighting the paranormal and enduring the supernatural. Alma is free and has released her rage upon the earth, so its up to you to uncover the conspiracy, and bring a end to the horror. You play as Micheal Becket who is apart of a elite team of soldiers that are tasked with fighting the supernatural. The opening mission picks up at the same time the ending of the first game is occurring. Your first mission is to apprehend Genevieve Aristide who is the head of the organization, that imprisoned Alma. Alma was a young eight year old girl that had psychic ability's that made her a outcast. When her abilities were discovered she was put through numerous test ending in her death. The events surrounding her death made it so that even though her physical form was gone, her psychic abilities allowed her to seek revenge. In Fear you constantly see hallucinations of her in the shadows, along with interactions as she sets revenge on her enemies.  Thier will be moments where you will see alma killing enemy troops or stalking them. Their are numerous audio logs and text, that help give you a little back story to what happened. These audio logs are well implemented into the games and help make each level worth exploring. As you unravel what happened to Alma, the game becomes more and more engaging, but at the same time horrific. Many characters die to her hand, and these moments were truly emotional and horrific. While in Fear one Alma was a little girl, in this sequel she is a woman, which make your interactions with her are more personal and mature. Fear one followed a similar storyline, but the events and clues that were found throughout are constantly brought up in the sequel, so if you haven't played it the story is hard to follow. The games pacing and layout was well made and some of the more frightning experiences were memorable. Fear has been known for having some of the best AI in the business and that assumption holds firm in this sequel. The game is simplistic as far as gameplay, but has alot to master when fighitng alot of enemies. When you shoot at enemies they'll hide behind cover, or try to flank you, these reactions make the games characters more endearing. Each level i harder than the last and gives you a larger amount of enemies or harder ones that require most skill. Your character is given the ability to slowdown time which may sound like it makes things easy, but instead adds even mroe depth to the combat and is highly satisfying. You could lose hours with Fear, just with its single player campaign, but its multuplayer will keep you playing for months. The amount of work put into the atmosphere and characters help bring you into the world of Fear and actually make you care about each one of them. Thier are plenty of audio logs that add to the atmosphere, along with plenty different pathways and objectives that will leave Fear in your console for months.Your goals are well implemented into the game and help make it so that you dont have to go from menu to menu, in order to find out what you have to do. When you complete a objective your given another one or rewarded with a new weapon and awards. Thier are instances where you will not understand what is occuring, but these instances are few and dont effect the experience. Fear was a solid game as far as combat, but really the story didnt become as engaging as the first, until the end. The ending was annoying and the campaign felt short. The multiplayer was fun, but unbalanced compared to other games. I would still recommend Fear if you want a fresh take on the genre and solid gameplay.
Final Score
8 out of 10
Pros:

• Solid Combat
• Great characters
• Good scares
• Fun multiplayer

Cons: 

• Ending isn't satisfactory
• Lacks the amount of Story in the Original.

Dark Void: Demo Impressions

Dark Void was created by the award winning team of Crimson Skies. The game mixes aerial and ground combat throughout, it also implements a cover system much like "Gears of Wars". The aerial combat looks and feels like Crimson Skies along with adding in other elements that help change up the pace. The demo is short, but does offer up a taste of both gameplays, weather your shooting down alien vessels or mowing down infantry. From what i could tell from the demo, you will be given a wide variety of objectives and will be awarded with points in order to upgrade your suit and weapons. Dark Void tells the story of William Augustus Grey who is sent to a parallel, after crashing in the Burmuda Triangle. Augustus is now given the task of helping humanity fight a alien menace called the Watchers along with trying to get home. Dark Void seems to even have a variety of bossfights which could be seen at the end of the demo, which appeared to be a giant lizard. Now for the verdict, From what i could tell from the demo Dark Void is organized well and the transition between flight and ground combat feels in place, but the controls are sometimes to diffentuate. Although the voice work is well done, the main character seemed too cliche and less than engaging. The camera was a huge frustration for me, and way to complicated to target a enemy. Although a demo, the fact that the game is a few weeks away means that what we see is what were getting, and with that Dark Voids visuals look like they could be on the original Xbox. The controls were confusing and hard to get used to because of the mixture of ground and aerial combat, such as you could be in a intense firefight and all of the sudden your character will fly, hit a wall and die. The games AI is as dumb as they get and with my time with the demo they would usually stay in one place and not even fire at you until you shoot a round. Once again these are the isues that I found in the demo. Hopefully these issues are only for the demo, but once again the fact that the game is only a week away means that these issues could be seen in the final product. I would like to see how the story develops and also understand more about the main protagonist, yet the annoying camera could interfere. I had high hopes for Dark Void and I hope that the issues that I found in the demo stay there and it turns out for the better.

2009’s Biggest Gaming Disappointments

2009 was a good year for gaming, but it still had its share of disappointments that can’t be excused. Mostly this year we saw our share of multiplayer and single player games that were over hyped and didn’t live up to their potential. Other disappointments would include the increase in hardware failure with the Xbox 360. Game or Console, 2009 should have been a groundbreaking year, but instead was just a decent one. These are 2009’s top disappointments.
5) Halo ODST

Now I am a huge Halo and have followed the series from day one, but Halo ODST was one of the biggest wastes of money this year. The single player campaign was by far one of the shortest that I have encountered, even on the hardest of difficulties. Bungie promised a brand new experience and a long campaign, yet ODST never feels like a new Halo, but rather just a revamped Halo 3. I was hoping that ODST would live up to the hype, which it did as far as delivering new characters and environments, but the whole open world gameplay became rather annoying. Hopefully Reach will deliver a longer campaign, unlike ODST’s four hour run-time. The new mode firefight is fun, but could hardly justify the full price of the game. ODST did have one good aspect and that’s the Beta that came with it, but who knows when Bungie will finally release it.

4) Delays


2009 is a year for the books, as far as the numerous delays that occurred. Many games were pushed back weather do to Modern Warfare 2 or issues with the company. Games such as Splinter Cell and Bioshock 2 were set to release late 2009, but were soon pushed into early 2010. 2009 did still give us a decent amount of games, but the inconsistency in reviews and releases, such as the summer drought is still a big disappointment. Although 2009 was a fairly good year, as far as the releases that made it, it still would have been nice to of seen more variety than FPS after FPS.
3) Movie Tie-Ins Still Suck


Movie tie-ins have grown a reputation for being mediocre and rather awful experiences. This year we received some of the worse including Terminator Salvation and most recent Avatar tie-in. Movie Tie-ins would be bearable if only more effort was put into them and given new gameplay rather than borrowing from other games. GI Joe proved that developers could care less about what their putting out there, but rather the money that they make from it. The fact that their have been promises for much improved movie games, and very little results is a disappointment on its own.
2) Lack of hardcore games for the Wii

2009 should have been a great year for the Wii, but instead it showed that Nintendo’s best games are in the past. With few exceptions such as Dead Space: Extraction, the Wii has a lot to live up to which should hopefully change next year. The wii has lately only had mini party games, that don’t cater to the hardcore market. Their have been exceptions such as “The Conduit” and “Dead Space: Extraction”, but the fact that this year alone has offered very few of these games, is a disappointment.

1)System Failures still over 50%

The Xbox 360 May offer one of the most entertaining and most addicting experiences out there, but it all comes at a price mostly due to the increase in Xbox failures. The Red-Ring plagues the 360 even after nearly five years of being released. I myself am on my third Xbox and know many that have had to send theirs back more than once this year alone. Who knows, maybe next year will hold the solution to this rather annoying epidemic.

Unraveling the Truth in Dead Space

Title: Dead  Space

Designer: Electronic Games

Company: Microsoft

Number of players: 1

Platform: Xbox 360

ERSB Rating: M+17

Genre: Action/Adventure

Premise: You are a engineer sent aboard the mining ship Ishimura after hearing a distress call. You soon find that the ship is overrun with a alien infection and you are soon separated from your squad. You alone must complete numerous objectives in order to uncover the horrifying truth beneath the outbreak.  

Story: You play as a engineer named Issac who is a mining engineer sent aboard the ishimura in order to investigate a distress call. In the beginning of the game you are introduced to Isaccs motives, which include a quest to uncover the fate of his girlfriend. That aspect of the story becomes more fascinating as Issac's perception of what is real of hallucination becomes more changed. By that i mean that throughout the game you see things that may not be there and those moments have a overall effect on the games conclusion. In the beginning the game starts out as a tutorial giving you various weapons and enemies to dispose of. The story is handled through your HUD and by various audio logs that give clues to what happened to the people of the Ishimura. The story pacing is flawless as you make lonesome tracks from each corridor of the ship, fighting bosses, unraveling the truth, and fighting the necromorths. The necromorths are the enemies that you encounter in the majority of the game. The enemies are the crew of the mining ship and can come from any direction. That is what makes Dead Space so memorable where at every corner you could be attacked or dragged by the alien menace. Each chapter has a dead conflict and meaning, but also helps to move the story along, without having it drag on. The characters are well design and acted out and even though Issac doesn't talk, you still grow a deep bond and actually care about what happens to him in the conclusion. Each part of Dead Space is fantastic, but the most engaging character is the Ishimura itself. Throughout the entire game its the Ishimura that helps set the mood and the atmosphere which help make the campaign more engaging and more likely to venture through again, long after the main game is finished. 

Challenge: Dead Space is a hard game, that barely lets up on the intensity nor action. Around each  corner is a potential enemy and in every vent is danger. You never feel safe in dead space, thanks to the well throughout and original combat. Rather than shooting your enemies in the head your objective is to strategically dismember them, by cutting off their arms legs and making them immobile. The Necromorths are living tissues that has been reanimated which makes it harder the cut them down and kill them, making each encounter with one of them a interesting and intense fight. The game only gets harder as the game progresses, giving you new enemies and objectives that require different skills and weapons. The game also includes a detailed progression system that allows you to upgrade Isacc giving him new armor and weaponry in order to take down the harder foes. From start to finish Dead Space is a hard and atmospheric shooter that never lets up until the last credit rolls. 

The Transformation of Time/Engagement:: You could easily lose twelve hours along on the single player campaign, but when the game is done you are given the opportunity to do another run through with a pimped out Isacc. The game is a bit on the short side, but with the in depth back story ranging from hundreds of different viewpoints and characters you could lose even more time exploring the various rooms of the Ishimura. The game has depth and well worth playing thorough multiple times in order to get every part of the story and characters out of it.  The games characters are engaging and the the levels are well thought out and well made, but more of how the story unravels is what really makes Dead Space one of the most memorable experiences to date. The fantastic voice acting and engaging story help aid Dead Space differentiate itself from the other horror games out there. I found the back story of the various character the most engaging part about Dead Space. Dead Spaces story is cut into three parts the colony where the Artifact was uncovered, next the Ishimura where the artifact was brought to, than the story of Issac and his crew. (The artifact is a huge piece of the story thats value is uncovered as the game goes on). Dead Space gives you a engaging main story along with a fantastic side stories that make you wish that you could have seen the full set of events that led up to the present endeavor.

Information Structure/Clear Goals and Feedback: The game implements very little HUD and most of the information that is given to you will show up on the start screen. The game shows you how to get to your objectives by the player clicking the left thumbstick. Doing so puts out a blue light that sends you to your next objective, this helps keep you inside of the world, rather than have you going between title screen and the in game screens. Whenever you complete an objective you are rewarded new gear and weapons along with more objectives that must be completed in order to advance to the end of the game. 
Authors Note: Dead space was one of the most memorable and scariest games that i have ever encountered. It is definetly going to be remembered for its well thoughout plot and characters along with the breathtaking atmoshphere. Dead Space is a amazing game, and i would recommended it and the movie and comics that are out now. Dead Space 2 cant come soon enough.

Killing Skags in Pandora

Game: Borderlands
Company: 2K Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Number of Players:1-4(co-op)
Developer: Scaleform
Genre: RPG,Shooter
Platform: Xbox 360, playstation 3, PC
ESRB Rating: Mature+17
Borderlands Review
Premise: You play as one of four mercenaries that explore an alien planet for a treasure.
Story: In the beginning you arrive on the planet of Pandora and are greeted by a very mysterious girl that wishes to help you on your journey. Throughout the game you have to do many MMO style quest in order to gain EXP and level up your character. Each character has their own personalities and attributes that help make them all feel unique, such as Brick whose special ability is to go on a rampage while another character such as the soldier can deploy a sentry turret. The game goes up to four players allowing the players work as a team as you deal with the large numbers of enemies and harder bosses. Pandora is a wide open world encouraging sidequest and exploration while encouraging you to search for the unknown treasure. Each part of world feels more complex and different than the last making each region feels its place. As the story progresses you are given little pockets of clues from the mysterious girl. Overall Borderlands isn’t story driven and the last level isn’t something to push for, but rather how you get there is what makes borderlands all the more engaging.
Challenge: The games challenge is handled through your level, as you level up the enemies get harder and larger in numbers. Each boss fight will be more complex and challenging because of the increase of the boss's level and the henchmen. As the game progresses you will level up your character giving you a wider variety in gameplay and make your experience different than someone else’s.
The Transformation of Time/Engagement: The game is engaging thanks to the open world and unique characters. The game also has a unique art design that helps it stand out from other titles. Every time you level you feel as if it means something as you see your character become more and more powerful. Thanks to the variety in weapons and quest you are sure to spend hundreds of hours on your first playthrough alone, but thanks to the much harder second playthrough the world of Pandora will become your home away from home.
Resources: Borderlands offers the play literally billions of guns. Throughout the game you will uncover an unprecedented variety in weapons from a lightning shooting shotgun to an alien sniper. Whenever you kill an enemy you get loot that includes ammunition and money which allows you to purchase more weapons and shields. Shields give you extra health and protection from the other enemies.
Information Structure/Clear Goals and Feedback: The games information structure is handled through menus and quest. In your HUD it will highlight where your quest is and how to get there. In you menus it will layout how many quest you have and where to go on the world map. As you complete quest your character levels up and a new quest is available to play. The game had a simple information structure and a even more rewarding feedback which helped make each quest more engaging.

Killing Locust

Title:Gears of War 2
Designer: Epic Games
Company: Microsoft
Number of players: 1-2 (co op) 1-10(multiplayer)
Platform: Xbox 360
ERSB Rating: M+17
Genre: Action/Adventure
Gears of War 2 Review
Premise: You play as Marcus Fenix the leader of a rag tag group of soldiers, whose sole purpose is to save humanity from the locust horde.
Story: The games story takes place a year after the first game giving players new incite into the war, along with new characters that help to make the overall conflict seem more emotional. Throughout the game you play as Marcus Fenix with the option to play as Dom if you play in (co op). Each mission has meaning as it gives you objectives ranging from saving a tortured soldier or riding a Brumak into the Locust hive. Throughout the game you are mostly pushing the assault on the Locust as you and an army of COGS move underground in order to stop the Locust assault. As the campaign unravels you see the real loses of the war, such as the scenes where the main characters have to pay the ultimate price in order to push the fight forward. In each level of the campaign your given little back story of what happened in the year in-between the first and second game. The game even gives you a side story for Dom which implies that his wife is captured by the Locust, which begins to unravel more and more as the game goes on.
Challenge: The games challenge is handled through the pacing, which has you holding off an impending army or killing a Locust general. Each level is harder than the last mostly due to the increase in enemies and of how each level gives you a new creature to fight. Throughout the campaign the difficulty is also increased by set pieces and environments because of the games cover system which allows the player and AI hide behind cover in order to avoid fire from their enemies. Each map gives you different options of where to hold off and how to get to each objective which range from destroying an enemy camp or even saving a captured comrade.
The Transformation of Time: The games campaign is engaging giving you different stories to each characters back, along with giving you a better over view of the overall conflict found in the game. The inclusion of (co op) makes each level feel like a completely different experience which makes the campaign much longer and easy to spend hours on. The new multiplayer mode called horde is highly addictive, as it puts five players up against wave upon wave of enemies. The competitive multiplayer is even more addictive as each mode goes up to ten players allowing them to duke it out, while using many of the elements found in the games campaign which allows for different strategies and makes time fly by.
Engagement: The games story and characters are more engaging than the last game mostly due to a better back stories for each character along with different incites to each of motives for fighting. Each level has a sense of lose as you fight through ruined cities and abandoned warehouses making each part of the campaign feel emotional and more fascinating as you see how the world ended.
Characters/Player: Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago return from the first game, including their fellow Delta Squad COG soldiers, Augustus Cole and Damon Baird. These four characters are the characters that you will see throughotu the game, but for the most part you are accompinied by Dom. Each character has their own unique story and motives for fighting in the war. The game also gives a wide variety of Locust enemies which gives the game another side of the war making the enemy encounters feel more meaningful and unique.
Information Structure/Clear Goals and Feedback: The information structure is handled through the HUD as it gives you different objectives and weapon ammunition. The game gives you clear goals as it marks on the screen where you have to go making each objective seem easy and clear to get to.
Authors Note: I found the game to be a lot of fun when playing with a lot of friends. I found the campaign to be a lot of fun and really satisfying compared to the predecessor. Each character have their own unique personality and look which helped make each encounter meaningful and help make you care more about what happens to them as the story unravels. I would give the game a 9/10 mostly due the engaging campaign, but the games multiplayer was unbalanced compared to the last game.

Cleaning up the City In Crackdown!!!

Game: Crackdown
Company: Microsoft
Developer: Realtime Worlds
Number of players: 1-2(co-op)
Platform: Xbox 360
ERSB Rating: M+17
Crackdown Review
 
Premise: You are a super powered agent that was designed to destroy the gangs that terrorize the cities district.
Player: As the player you choose from a large variety in avatar's as to whom you play as in the game. Throughout the game you will conquer different objectives and task throughout which effect your characters skill development which alters your characters appearance much like Fable 2's leveling system.
Challenge: The games challenge is handled by your level. Throughout the game you are tasked with different bosses and supply points that you has to conquer. In the game your given a wide openworld which you must explore in order to find the different bosses and supply points. The main boss that leads each clan is always in a heavily guarded fortress which can be taken in many different ways. Each clan is difficult because you must reach a certain level in your strength, agility, driving, and explosive skills. In each district a different clan owns it which gives you a wide variety in enemies, and vehicles. I found that each district was really hard because my skill level was so low. Every boss has their own officers that have to be taken down in order to increase the percentage of success that you have at taking down a clan’s main base. Each base is different ranging from towering fortresses to everyday malls and gyms.
The Transformation of Time/Engagement: You could easily loose hours in crackdown due to the addicting and clever leveling system along with a large variety in enemies and environments. Every level and district is well made in crackdown making everything have a different feel, especially with the citizens as the react to the environment along with cheer for you as you run by. When your character is maxed out the game opens up to you even more allowing you to jump from rooftop to rooftop and hit cars and citizens hundreds of miles into the air. The game ultimately has no story until the very end which is a satisfying twist, but even in the beginning you feel attached to your character as you see him go from a wimp to a one man army. The different classes and customization were even more engaging as they encourage another playthrough. The games large variety in weapons, characters, and vehicles in the world could give the player an endless amount of replay value along with possibilities as to what can be accomplished.
Characters/information Structure: Beyond your agent the game offers many characters ranging from the main peace keepers (police men), to the more elaborate bosses that inhabit the city districts. The game also features an announcer that gives you Intel on bosses and enemies, but will also send backup when you’re in over your head. The games information structure is handled through the announcer who gives you different information such as how many enemies that is ahead or if Thiers agents nearby that need help. The information is also handled through pressing the (Back Button) which gives you an overview of the map, but also boss location and supply points that are in gang control.
Resources: Your main weapons range from the standard pistol, shotgun, grenades and even more elaborate guns like your harpoon gun. Yet the best weapon by far is your hands.
Authors Note: The game was a lot of fun and the sequel couldn’t come soon enough, but the games lack of narrative was really disappointing and the game wears thin after as day of playing. Overall I would highly recommend it due the the solid character development, and gameplay, but also with the fact that it’s only $12.

Ranking Up in Call of Duty

Title: Modern Warfare 2

Designer: Infinity Ward

Company: Microsoft

Number of players: 1-2(co-op), 1-18 multiplayer

Platform: Xbox 360

ERSB Rating: M+17
Premise: You are apart of an elite team that’s main objective is to bring down a terrorist group that has caused a World War.
Story/Engagement: In Modern Warfare 2 you play as different soldiers that each has their own distinct personalities and viewpoints of the conflict. The games story for the most part picks up right where the last one left off, letting you see different sides of the conflict such as how in one mission your play as a terrorist mowing down civilians in a airport, while in another your player as a soldier pushing the Russians out of America. Overall the campaign takes you through different scenarios and battles that are much more complex than the first Modern Warfare. Each scenario from the campaign is different from the last, due to the increased action and well crafted level design. Other parts of the story can be found in the multiplayer mode called spec-op which allows up to two friends to play through a large variety of levels that tie into the story. The game is engaging thanks to the large variety in missions and characters along with the fantastic scenarios, especially the scenario where you’re fighting through American suburbs. Throughout the course of the game each character gives you different weapons and tactics allowing you to grow attached to each viewpoint. Many of the scenes throughout the game show you realistic combat and situations that the world is stuck in today, this is engaging because if gives the game a more realistic tone along with giving the main story a different feel.
Characters/Transformation of Time: The games story lets you see different sides of the conflict, such as how in one mission your play as a terrorist mowing down civilians in a airport, while in another you’re a special-ops agent who’s hunting down a terrorist leader. Each character has a different viewpoint along with back stories that grow more fascinating as the game goes on. Thanks to the improvements to the single player and the multiplayer the game is much improved and will be in your console for months. Due to the fantastic story and excellent multiplayer you could easily spend weeks if not months ranking up in the multiplayer, killing terrorist in the campaign, or surviving a onslaught in special-ops.
Challenge/Resources: The games challenge is handled through the difficulty bar and pacing. Throughout the campaign the game will progressively get better due to the increased amount of enemies and more sophisticated guns. Guns include the Assault rifles, sub machine guns, light machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols, and shotguns. All of these weapons are fully upgradeable and can be used in both the single-player and multiplayer modes.
Authors Note: The game is excellent and was well worth the long wait. The single player was breathtaking and multiplayer will keep me playing for months on end. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of the series or shooters. The games pacing is excellent and the improvements are much appreciated. If I could give out a score it would be a perfect 10/10.

Fighting off Splicers in Rapture!!!!!

Title: Bioshock

Designer: 2K Games

Company: Microsoft

Number of players: 1

Platform: Xbox 360

ERSB Rating: M+17

Genre: First Person Shooter

Bioshock Video Review

Premise: You have been in a plane crash and you are the only survivor. You find a underwater city called "Rapture" which is full of lunatics and mutants. Soon you are befriended by a fellow survivor and forced to unfold the horrors of the once utopia, along with make your way out of the city.
Player:
Challenge: The game gets more challenging based on how strong your character is. If your character is weak then you are in for a much harder and more frustrating experience. If you characters is maxed out and has all the weapons than you are in for a evened out experience. Each part of the campaign can get harder based on where you encounter your Big Daddy's or how many splicers are in the area. "Rapture" is a living breathing city where the inhabitants will wonder about searching for you even after you wiped out their comrades.
The Transformation of Time: In Bioshock you are immersed into a world like no other, due to the breathtaking visual and art design, along with the decisions that you must make in order to make your way thought the game. The main campaign could range from ten to twenty hours based on the skill of the player. Each part of the game can be explored and revisited giving the player a new layout of the levels and enemies rather than just repopulating them with the same ones. The game could also be classified as open world as each space of "Rapture" is open to go to and explore based on the part that you are at in the main mission. With a engaging story, upgradable characters and weapons, Bioshock could easily take hours to get to through, along with the curiosity to do it all again.
Engagement: In the game you are immersed in a world where things are completely different and unique, where anything is possible and is ruled by a mad man. Throughout the game you are given little details to your origins along with the overall plot that circles what made rapture such a utopia. The plot unfolds at a excellent pace and brings the players into a world of power and question. The games themes are clear and really touch on the issues in the world today, such as anorexia, and the stereotypes that we have in our culture.
Characters/Player: : In the game you play as a unnamed character who survives a terrible plane crash resulting in him being the only survivor. Throughout the game you are given different upgrades such as plasmids which help your character become more powerful and make the game much more enjoyable. In the game you face enemies called "Splicers" (these are basically the inhabitants of rapture that have gone mad) who are led by a man named "Andrew Ryan". In the game you are given a large amount of choice as far as how the ending will result and how each encounter will vary. At certain points in the game you face boss like characters called "Big Daddys" that protect another character called "Little Sisters". Both of these characters are a big part of the story because in order to upgrade your powers you need "Adam" which can only be found within a little sister. After a Big Daddy fight you are given a choice of either saving the little sister and getting little Adam or harvesting the little sister and getting tons of Adam. This part in the game is the most fascinating because you really feel like the character as you save a little girl or devour her soul. The games battles from the usual splicers to the more tough and more intense battles with the big daddy. Each character in the game has their own unique story which is told through many audio logs that can be found throughout. Each encounter feels meaning full and each objective is made clear by your friend guiding you the whole way.
Information Structure/Clear Goals and Feedback:  The information structure is given through a microphone which allows you to get information and objectives from different characters in the game. In each part of the game you meet new characters who give you new ideas, tips, and objectives that must be done in order to advance throughout the whole game. With this system you are never far from where your objective is along with a arrow key that shows up when you are near your objectivel. When you finish a mission you gain money or Adam which can lead to you upgrading your weapon, buying new powers, or even some vodka to ease the pain.