Game Reviews

[Midgar Fanatic]

I simply have to play at least one of these games some day. They have always eluded me, even though I have been aware of them ever since the series' inception. I am not averse to stories with dark, depressing, and disgusting atmospheres (I believe, in many ways, these kinds of styles can be beautiful in their own way); however, I think what has kept me away from these games more than anything is how much they "look" like other games which I simply cannot stand... mostly first-person shooters like Doom and Quake (and I do apologize to any fans of these games, just my opinion). But I have come to learn that the Silent Hill games are very different and have much more to offer than these dirty shooters, and I'm sure I would very much enjoy playing one of these games on a dark and stormy night. XD

The only games of the survival horror genre that I have ever played are the Alone In The Dark games, and I am currently playing the fifth and latest installment for the X-Box 360. It has many elements which you mention here, such as monsters being able to attack you from just about any angle, and at any time... and using just about anything you can find as a potential weapon. In many ways, the environment becomes as much a character as the protagonist, and it can either be your best friend, or your spiteful enemy. They are amongst that class of games which are very enjoyable albeit riddled with flaws... A LOT of flaws; and feature a lot of elements which SH seems to have perfected.

I think the storylines usually do suffer, which can also be frustrating for those of us who predominantly play RPGs... as games like this are meant to terrify you, and complex story developments cannot survive when we are impatiently waiting for the next thrill. But they probably aren't really necessary in SH; and after all, there is nothing wrong with simple storylines, as long as they do not lead to Pyramid-Head sized plot holes. XD

Hmm.. yes, the camera angle. When are they gonna get this one right I ask ya? Whether you control it yourself, or have it move automatically to the AI's taste, I have yet to play a game that allows me to do exactly WHAT I want with the camera WHENEVER I want.

But anyways, I have not played any of the SH games... so I will shut-up. But another great review T, thank you. Although I have to admit, I am probably not likely to pick this one up as my first SH game, even though it is, as you mentioned, a prequel of sorts. If I am to play one, I would like to start where you all fans did... with SH I. But it is nice to read where the series has taken itself.

[Terminal Est]

(I believe, in many ways, these kinds of styles can be beautiful in their own way)

Everything about Silent Hill is. To me it is the most artsy game ever, and not just with looks and story, but with presentation and concept. Which is why Origins is a bit disappointing.

I think the storylines usually do suffer, which can also be frustrating for those of us who predominantly play RPGs... as games like this are meant to terrify you, and complex story developments cannot survive when we are impatiently waiting for the next thrill. But they probably aren't really necessary in SH; and after all, there is nothing wrong with simple storylines, as long as they do not lead to Pyramid-Head sized plot holes. XD

Ha ha, oh no no no no, this is probably the most complex set of stories you will EVER encounter in any game, aside from Metal Gear Solid.
The stories are not so much complex as in plot twists all over the place, but because of how they are told. A lot of symbolism is used, and when you think it makes no sense, a bit of thinking and damn, you do not wish to go to sleep anymore.

Even if what you are supposing, until you finish the game, is completely wrong.

The game gets into your mind, it completely fucks with you, and that is rare for a game to be able to do outside of playing it.

The stories are very unique, and while obviously, they do not play out like a role playing game, fans of role playing games usually commend the plots for being so deep, and detailed.

And please, do not worry. This is not at all, not one thing like a shooter. Aye aye, the whole control and gameplay mechanics are broken, always have been, but it makes sense when you know that your protagonists are you and me. They are not elite commandos or destined saviours, they do not know how to fight, which only adds realism to the game.

I so strongly urge you to play at least the first two games, they are completely fantastic.

For a horror series which does not center around gore as its highlight, this does more than a perfect job at scaring the crap out of me.

[Kaoru Hitachiin]

Okay... I'll give a crack at this 're-vyoow' concept. My game of the day is 'Assassin's Creed'.

Gameplay

Assassin's Creed is a rather unfortunately named game, as assassinations are a rather small part of the game. Rather, most of the time you're playing the game, all you're doing is moving very slowly from one objective to another, made even slower by the fact that it seems Crusade-era guards have a speedometer hidden underneath their cloaks and armor and will kill anything traveling faster than 2 miles per-hour.

This also kills the genuinely fun horse-riding mechanic, which I would actually compare to that to Shadow of the Colossus. The controls for the horse are rather good, however, this is a moot point when horses aren't allowed to travel much faster than people walking at a snail's pace. Fortunately, if there are no guards around, you can generally do whatever the f*** you want, including mow down slow pedestrians with your horse's hooves at max speed.

The game set up is a rather interesting take on an open-world game, which is likely the main reason I bought it, as many aspects of the game are very flawed.

For example... I once came upon what looked like an outdoor ceremony of some type, one guard circling around it keeping watch. I thought I'd faff about and have a bit of fun. I equipped my pressure-sensitive wristblade thing, walked onto the platform, and shanked the poor guy in the back of the neck for 'a bit of the ol' ultraviolence'. He died, and the ceremony proceeded as I walked off, nobody, including the guard, even acting like it happened. Hell, I thought I still heard the guy I killed still talking to the people in the ceremony!

Oh... and combat takes some getting used to... If you get caught, you'll have to run or fight your way out. Running is typically out of the question, as any pursuers MIRACULOUSLY can run much faster than you and take you down in seconds like ravenous dogs. So, your only REAL option is combat. Where this sucks is, you HAVE to lock onto the enemy to hit anyone, which is rather dumb in a fight against multiple foes, and there's no block button. You have to push your right analog stick in the direction of the enemy that's about to stick you in the gullet.

This blocking system only works well with lots of enemies, as they stupidly assume a Hong Kong action movie-style moshpit with you in the middle and everyone taking turns to hit you. When the numbers decrease, chances of dying increase because suddenly, the enemies become smarter and fight in a really cheap manner, rarely following any form of attack pattern, which vaguely means, 10 enemies = No problem, 1-3 = Say your prayers.

The alert system in this game is also rather retarded... You are essentially an extremist Muslim during the Crusades, and you wear a BRIGHT, BLOOMIFIED, WHITE assassin's robe with the weapons strapped onto the outside at ALL TIMES. This adds up to me thinking I'm playing some retard whose outfit SCREAMS 'I am an assassin, impale me if you dare'. But if you walk like you're praying all the time, they don't give any thought to why you have a scimitar strapped to your back.

In short, the gameplay is fun, but more illogical than the Tenchu games, where the A.I. for the enemies typically led them to eat riceballs off of the ground, no matter the potential that it could be poison.

Graphics

Okay... Onto the graphics. The graphics are actually very good, despite all of the bad things I've said about the gameplay. The graphics are pretty and shiny on both 360 and PS3 (I have played both versions). In my opinion, there is nothing to complain about here, and both versions are almost identical.

Characters

Altair is a Muslim extremist assassin in the Crusades. He's really the only character worth mentioning. Oh yeah... Then there's his modern-day descendant, too...

Story/Plot

The story is rather unique, as technically, you're not playing the main character of the game, you're playing a genetic memory of the main character of the game, locked in the genes of his Modern-day counterpart, who is ALSO an assassin. However, I won't spoil anything here. Even this was probably saying too much for people who haven't played it.

Music

I never really paid attention to the music... If I remember correctly, it is rather well-done, but very ambient, and thus doesn't stand out very well as you're playing it.

Overall Rating

Personally, this is a game I both love and hate. I love the open-world aspect being employed in such an unusual setting, and especially with a focus on stealth. I also appreciate the story and characters, though I feel if they continue the Assassin's Creed franchise, they should give the descendant of Altair his own action sequences. Also, while the concept is good on paper, I hate the idea of having to be stealthy EVERYWHERE I GO, even if I just want to casually explore. Walking at less than 2 miles an hour in a MASSIVE open-world setting is boring.

That said... I give this a 6.5/10. You may like it, you may hate it, or like me, you may feel both at the same time. Overall, it's mediocre.

Edit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20QBe43tyVM < The game is almost EXACTLY like this.

[Zotar]

Originally Posted by MidgarFanatic

@ Zotar: I have always loved playing D&D, but most of the video games that have spun-out based on the franchise have been quite the stinkers havn’t they? XD Mostly because the whole idea of the traditional pen, paper, and dice D&D allows you to do (or at least try) whatever you want, and the confines of the electronic games have felt very restricting. I bought one, well over a decade ago and it was for my PC and it was just absolutely god-aweful. I couldn’t play it for more than a few hours, my entire sense of self was insulted by it. LOL

But now that games have become somewhat more sophisticated I am not surprised that a new go at a D&D game is getting some more positive attention. This one might be worth checking out, if at the very least for a comparison to what I have personally experienced… thanks for the review Zotar.

Have you ever played Bauldar's gate? It is based off of D&D. There are two games for pc and two for PS2 in the Bualdar's gate series. See also Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale 2. They are based off of AD&D. They are all pretty fair games.

[Squishy_99]

Originally Posted by Zotar

Have you ever played Bauldar's gate? It is based off of D&D. There are two games for pc and two for PS2 in the Bualdar's gate series. See also Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale 2. They are based off of AD&D. They are all pretty fair games.

Oh.My.God.
Have you even considered playing those games, Zotar?
DON'T! Icewind Dale is the worst game I have ever played. Worse than the Sims.

Review of Europa Barbarorum.

This is a mod for Rome Total War.
EB has slightly tweaked gameplay and realistic colours for units. Thactions are as follows with RTW factions in parentheses)

Makedonia (Macedon)
Romani (Rome)
Koinos Hellenos (Greek Cities)
Epeiros (Epirus)
Casse (Britannia)
Aedui (Gaul)
Sweboz (Germania)
Arche Seleukia (The Seleucid Empire)
Pontos (Pontus)
Saka Rauka (new)
Saba (New)
Karthadastim (Carthage)
Getai (Dacia)
Hayasdan (Armenia)
Baktria (new)
Lusotannan (Spain)
Pahlava (Parthia)
Ptolemaioi (Egypt)
Eleutheroi (Rebels)
Sauromatae (new)
Arverni (new)
Each Faction has a different objective. The Romani, for example have to match the Roman Empire in AD 14. Each faction also has a difficulty rating. The Arche Seleukia have a rating of very challenging, as their lands encompass half of Asia.
The Karthadastim, though, have a rating of moderate.
The music is quite good, bu the barbarian music infuriated me after about 30 seconds. I yelled at it to 'SHUT UP!' and eventually listened to Hell March all the way through. The Roman theme is the best, as it draws up a sense of patriotism by listening to it after the intro.
The main theme is quite good as well.
Overall, then, this game gets 9/10

[Kaoru Hitachiin]

Fallout and Fallout 2 Retrospective

-War... War never changes...-

Hello, tribals, let me educate your puny little minds on a series that any self-proclaimed RPG expert should know about. Nope, not Final Fantasy. Not Dragon Quest either. Rather, the Fallout franchise. As I am reviewing this, I have two games installed on my computer. They have earned their permanent place on my harddrive. These games are Fallout and Fallout 2.

-The Tale of the Vault Dweller: FALLOUT-

Fallout introduces you to a post-apocalyptic future modeled after the whole 'world of tomorrow' art deco style of the 1950's and 1960's, placed in a state of total ruin. You, the Vault Dweller, as your name implies, were born in an underground Vault, a community built to protect the residents of California from the nuclear war that was being waged between America and China. Sometime in the future, after the war has been over for many years, the Vault's water-purifying chip kicks it, and you're charged to leave the Vault and find a permanent healthy water solution. From there, you're on a timer to complete your first quest.

I like how this is implemented because it makes the job feel necessary and urgent. However, they could have given more time, as time passes REALLY quickly on the world map, and you're given many red herrings as to where a solution might be found. Otherwise, the story of the game is handled very well, and this is basically the RPG that introduced Choice and Consequence into the genre. If you liked the way your actions effected the world and story in The Witcher, you would definitely love Fallout, so go and buy yourself a copy right now.

You're still reading...? Ah, well... You either must not have played The Witcher, must not have liked The Witcher, or just be VERY skeptical about a game from 1997 holding its own against a game released in the past year. But seriously, it does. Almost any choice you can imagine taking in each situation presented in this game, you can take, Character Permitting. Which reminds me... The way you set up your character can also alter gameplay greatly. You don't even HAVE to fight more than 2 fights in the game to beat it. All other hostile encounters, you can either run from or talk your way out, if your character is set up for it.

-The Tale of the Chosen One: FALLOUT 2-

Fallout 2 is, mostly, the same beast on the surface (at least from a graphical standpoint) but with improvements. The amount of items in the second game is GREATLY increased and there is a more balanced selection of weapons for each weapon type, no longer making melee or unarmed the odd men out. Also, when you recruit allies, in Fallout 2, you can now manage their inventory.

The story takes place some time after the ending of the previous game (one of the best RPG endings ever, in my opinion, especially if you get the 'bad' or 'evil' ending) casting you as the Chosen One, a Tribal out in the wastes that is a direct descendent of the hero of the previous game. Your Tribe, Arroyo, has suffered the worst period of famine, drought, and disease they have ever experienced, and there seems to be no end in sight. So the town Elder tests your mettle and then sends you out to find the Garden of Eden Creation Kit, a device fabled to turn the most devastated of landscapes into a fertile paradise.

The timer returns here, but it takes a longer time and is much more forgiving of you if you decide to go out and explosre freely. There are somewhat less big moral choices, but they still exist. Also, the tone of this game is noticeably much more mature, with the revelation of a Government conspiracy as well as new aesthetic additions such as hookers, slavery, and gambling. Keep in mind, though that BOTH games are mature, with the potential to be very bloody and often forcing you to make moral decisions you may be uncomfortable with. Also, in both games, is the present themes of drug dealing and alcohol/drug addictions. All of this comes across as a brutally honest commentary on the flaws of mankind, while at the same time presenting it with dark humour and a bit of hope from time to time.

-Dealing with the Hype of FALLOUT 3-

Also, those of you who have seen Fallout 3 and hold a misconception that the Fallout series are shooters, this is far from the truth. Yes, all of the games are set in the future and have guns. However, the first two classics play more like Diablo with turn-based combat and a system where skills have a very palpable effect on how you do everything. So, if you don't like turn-based combat or a Diablo-like perspective these games may not be up your alley. To be honest, I've played a bit of Fallout 3 as well, and it is by NO means a first-person shooter, just to give you that little tidbit before I review Fallout 3 myself.

-Final Thoughts/Scores-

Overall, these two games are TRULY classics and any RPG fan should at least play them, if not purchase them. After all, both games are cheap nowadays. I know at least Fallout is completely free now if you download GameTap. And free is basically a steal for all the game offers. Both games have some bugs, but most of the ones I've seen are rather minor, so I don't exactly worry too much about them.

Fallout - 4.5/5
Fallout 2 - 4.5/5

[Midgar Fanatic]

Fable II

Rating: 9/10

A rather new way of telling a rather old story. Fable II allows us, the gamers, to experience life as a mythological hero through our XBOX.

It takes place in an extremely large world during a, well, rather difficult time. Order is running a tight race with anarchy everywhere and you can choose to take whichever path you wish. Throughout the game you develop options which allow you to learn special abilities and change your appearance based on whichever path you have decided to take. A reputation system also rules everywhere which allows you to make people like you or fear you based on your actions. With enough time, the extreme results could range from a house, spouce, and kids… to the ruler of your own underground demon cult. It’s all up to you.

You get a pet dog that follows you everywhere and acts as your own personal Tamagochi; I thought it was great. Based on how you treat and train your companion he can help you find buried treasure, and protect you in battle.

If you need money than you gotta get your ass out there and get yourself a job. If you do, trust me it can be extremely lucrative. I worked mostly as a blacksmith and a bartender and was rolling in gold most of the time.

The basic story is very expanded, so it was sometimes hard to remember and follow as there will be long periods of experience building and side-quests between pieces of the game. This is not necessarily a complaint on my part, I'm just saying it's a lot like an online game which takes a lot of time to accomplish things while you build the stats of your character. Really it's a laid-back game with moments of action, but overall great for wasting away too many hours of your life. XD Luckily anyways there is a wide variety of books and documents to collect which explain everything you have done, people you have interacted with, and what you are to do next.

In a lot of ways this game did remind me of FFXI, and I absolutely hate that game. *laughs and cries* I have not tried the online options of Fable II, but they seem interesting from what I've heard. But having tried them or not I can still say that this one is much more fun that FFXI.

I only really have a few complaints about this game. One in particular… I absolutely hated the camera control. For some unexplainable reason I could never get used to the camera movement with the right analog stick. Sometimes the angle would get stuck, or I kept moving the angle in the opposite direction, or I couldn’t get camera close enough to something I wanted to see. It was particularly annoying when I could tell a battle had started with the music changing and I had no idea in which direction the target was coming from. But anyways, I have a feeling this problem may of just been me as I’m sure many of you gamers may be quicker on your thumbs than I. XD

I always love flexible battle systems in RPGs, but unfortunately Fable II is a little weak on this, but it compensates by incorporating seamless fast-paced character movements in real-time that appeared to me very bug-free. At the onset of the game battles do start out as sessions of mindlessly hacking away at mobs of undead, but it gets much more complicated as you spend your experience points on melee combos and skilled ranged attacks. Choosing particular combos of experience allows you to unlock jobs classes such as assassin, ranger, and bard. Plus you get to learn a wide variety of magics of your own particular interest. Choosing to by-pass the traditional fire/ice/thunder combo I decided to instead master the Force Push, Time Control, and Chaos spells and found them totally awesome in battle. So for this I applaud the efforts of Liohnhead Studios on a job well-done.

Microsoft seems to have always struggled with it’s hardware’s loading times. *scratches head* I thought they would of fixed this problem by now. X-Box continues to prove that Loading Times Sucks! At least in this game they supplement it with helpful and advanced tips to read as you are waiting between parts of the area map. I found one in particular very apropos when it read “Condoms are the best way to avoid STDs from sexual encounters. Available at most village markets.” Well put I’d say.

There are so many wonderful little quirks about this game, it is hard to mention them all in a single review. But I cannot forget at least one more… spread seemingly randomly throughout the world of Fable II are 50 stone gargoyles who continually bombard you with insults when you are near them while you are trying to concentrate on your tasks at hand. They reminded me of those old rich guys in the theatre balcony, you know, Waldorf and Statler who used to constantly one-up Fozzie the Bear on The Muppet Show. *laughs*

Fable II, it is all great fun. I would rate this game at least at 8.5/10. But if you flirt with all the villagers than it's gotta be a 9/10. XD

[starlightCRUSH*]

Wow, some actual decent writing in this thread. Don't know if I can add anything epic-y or anything, but I would like to make a mini review of Prince of Persia (360).

IT'S HARD TO CONTROL. THE FACT THAT YOU CAN'T DIE ISN'T HELPFUL. IT JUST WATERS DOWN THE GAME. I LITERALLY SPENT 5 MINUTES TRYING TO GET BACK TO A LEDGE ON THE VERY FIRST LEVEL. AND THE COMBAT SYSTEM SUCKS. UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH.

Ahem. Yes. Upper-case intended and everything. My final score? 6/10. GTFO Prince. Your Disney-esque charm isn't enough.