SAW

In cinema today it seems you can make just as much money by shocking your audience rather than just entertaining them, the Saw series being one of the more successful. It was only a matter of time before a game came out to follow the series. I am going to talk about plots of the films in this review so if you don’t want to know Jigsaws journey, I suggest you read on carefully.
You play Detective Tapp (the guy who got his throat sliced open in the first film) trying to oust Jigsaw with his partner who unfortunately had his head blown off a row of shotguns. However, your in game character looks nothing like Danny Glover (the actor who plays Tapp) but I suppose it would have been a tall ask to expect the expensive license to be acquired for one character. The plot of the game is not based directly off of a film, though it does reference them – the first one rather heavily – but considering the plot is the best thing about this game I would expect most players to know what’s going on. I would not recommend this game to anyone that isn’t a fan of the films because if you don’t like them or know about them, then you’re going to think this game is terrible. The game plays like a survival horror, go to door X and pick up the key Z completing a puzzle on the way, which to be honest is pretty tedious even for the seasoned Saw fan. There are only a handful of variants which are soon repeated and none of these are very hard. The actual fighting is pathetic; the two button combat system is unresponsive and tired. If you get the first punch in then you can just spam uppercuts regardless of what weapon is being used against you. There are a variety of weapons including bats, mop handles, syringes and bricks but you never need panic – just rely on the uppercut of death!
Still, the game is not all bad, the story is the most important thing and most will want to play through to the end just to delve deeper into understanding Jigsaw. However, there are very confusing messages about the traps and the plot. Any one who knows about the films will know that Jigsaw is an anti-hero, trying to achieve respectable things but with insane methods. Most of his ‘victims’ are people that ‘do not appreciate the life they are gifted with’ or simply are not fulfilling their potential. In Tapps case it is fine as he is being tested because of his obsessive desire to capture Jigsaw. The 40 or so people you end up fighting (and killing – there is no choice) are meant to kill you to find a key in your gut and therefore escape. Jigsaw doesn’t really aim to slaughter a person, that’s his get out of jail card. The victims have the option to free themselves but they fail. In this game though it seems that people cannot help themselves and rely on someone or something else – it is not in the spirit of Saw at all. The traps are also unoriginal, many are recycled from the films or very slightly modified and given that many people watch the films in a sycophantic pleasure, seeing something you have seen viscerally clearer before is a disappointment.
This game could have been given so much more importance and so much more originality. The game fails on several key aspects. There is no fear and disgust from traps, the gore is minimal compared to the films and you never feel the panic beyond the first minute of the game. The fighting and tension in between puzzles is not dramatic, it does not cause your heart to race you just think ‘I’d better not wonder into a shotgun trap or I’m gonna’ have to do those bloody puzzles again’. I would say that any Saw and gaming fan should check it out; worst case scenario is that you spend 4 hours getting an easy 1000G. A disappointment but worth the journey, worth a rental – it’ll only take you a day or two.

5.4/10

Achievements:
This is one of those games where you actually question what the hell is going on as strange things happen like you kill someone and up pops ‘3 for 45G’. Nice for gamerscore but curious as to achievement design. An easy 1000G, complete the game on normal and then kill at least one person with each weapon – done.

Modern Warfare 2

The most highly anticipated game ever? Maybe. Though if records are anything to go buy Modern Warfare 2 is already one of the most successful games in the entire history of pixelated entertainment. Modern Warfare 2 follows on directly from the events of its predecessor and pursues the paths of Ramirez; a US Ranger, and ‘Roach’ of Special Task Force 141 (much akin the previous Call of Duty games with two stories occuring simultaneously).

The single player campaign is EPIC. There are many moments in the game which I will not spoil where you cannot help but smile and enjoy – so much so when you die, you can only celebrate because you get to do it again. The plot itself is quite mad but it can be accepted in the realm it is presented – it’s just brilliant. Seasoned players will want to know that Veteran has had a real overhaul, it’s much easier. Gone are the infinitely spawning enemies and horrifically random checkpoints replaced with a limited number of enemies and more structure – it’s more realistic in ‘some’ senses as people to not keep coming, you can kill them all just by camping. The campaign is still rewarding but you do not feel you deserve a medal for completing it this time round (it’s probably best for your controller that the game has calmed down, and your rage!). The game isn’t easy, but if you completed CoD 4 and WaW, you will have no trouble at all.

Call of Duty 4 had nothing wrong with the multiplayer apart from host connections and host end games. Both have been fixed and perks a plenty have been added. New additions such as kill and death streak choices. You also have a customisable insignia which can be unlocked from killing certain enemies to getting kill streaks and triple kills. There is always something else to unlock. Prestige still exists and you do not lose your call signs and symbols though your guns and perks are reset as usual. MW2 plays much like previous CoD multiplayers and it is still just as good.

New this time around is the Special Ops mode which contains specific missions with objectives such as, don’t be seen or kill 100 enemies. The requirements raise with difficulty and you will need a partner to help you complete the later missions if you want to get all the games achievements. Every mission in Special Ops is has co-op potential and some require two players, local and online. Infinity Ward have stated there is room for downloadable missions in Special Ops which means guaranteed DLC in the future.

I don’t feel there is a great deal I can say in this review that isn’t already know. This game should be owned by every 360 owner whether they play online or not, it just means you get way more for you money if you get involved with the multiplayer. There will always be issues with lag and some guns/perks will make your blood boil but when it is all said and done you will still be playing this game in two years time because it is just so damn good. The campaign is solid, special ops is a great addition and the multiplayer is one of the most extensive modes seen in online gaming. The only let down of this game is its hype, which is a bizarre thing to say but I hope some people understand me. Because you expected it to be so good, it’s less shocking when it turns out to be amazing. Modern Warfare 2 is good – but you didn’t need this review to find that out.

9.2/10

Achievements:

Infinity Ward keep to their ‘offline achievement list’ – just! You can get the majority of achievements from playing the campaign with veteran specific achievements. There are a few that come from doing things like ‘kill two enemies with one bullet’ and alike. The other half comes from getting at 69 stars on Special Ops, which is no mean feat. Get a partner who can play on veteran and commit to each other because you are going to get sick trying some of these alone. This doesn’t need to be done online, you have split-screen as an option which gets around the offline list point. Anyone who is used to getting all achievements on CoD games should expect to pick them all up here too.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

First of all I must start by saying that I am not a Batman fanatic, my knowledge is made up of the films and nothing more. I could list a few villains but would be more successful naming the actors that have played the Dark Knight.

Arkham Asylum is the darkest Batman game I have ever played and it is not too early in a review to say it is the best - by far! You start the game walking into the Asylum with Joker tied up and mocking the guards escorting him in. This part of the game acts a teaser of what is to come, inmates of the Blackgate prison being ushered around and Killer Croc appearing from the depths of the building promising to kill Batman. Of course Joker escapes two inept guards with Harley Quinns help and the chaos ensues.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is a third person action game based on combat and stealth, the ultimate aim of the game to restore order and lock up Joker 'once and for all'. The controls are solid and simple, essentially a one button combat system is easy to pick up but tricky to master. As the game progresses you unlock more moves but even with 100% you only have a handful of buttons to press, still based on the one impact button. This is one of the most satisfying fighting games I have ever played, your score is calculated via a combo and variation meter which can unlock achievements, upgrades and points (which are very important in the later challenges). Weapons are lethal on this game, if you come across an armed enemy you would be a fool to take them head on; you must work from the shadows and silently take the goons out. This is again very satisfying as you swing at the top of the room on stone gargoyles and listen as the enemies are picked off one by one and the prisoners get more and more edgy. This is made a great deal easier by Batmans detective vision which is somewhat like an X-ray visor. When enemies in a game appear in this game you never get bored because it is just so much fun to take them out!

The graphics in Arkham are top notch high grade material. Every environment is unique and you can really see the effort the team have put in. There is only the occasional clipping of Batman's cape and some more effort could have been put in with lip syncing on periphery characters but these really are minor issues which are easy to ignore.

The story and detail in this game is great, there is so much information to take in. There are 42 character profiles which are discovered by finding one of the 240 challenges set by 'The Riddler' (much akin to GTA's hidden packages - they are the collectible item in this game). Though all 42 are not in this game it does give show the material they have to work with, a sequel would be no problem at all. The enemies you do come across in the game are fantastic, there is enough to satisfy a hardened fan and a casual movie goer alike. The infamous Joker is joined by the likes of Victor Zsaz, Scarecrow, Bane and Commissioner Gordon. Personally my favourite is Scarecrow purely because when you fight him it is genuinely scary, a very clever touch to the game which I won't ruin for anyone reading. You develop a real care for the story and are disappointed when it ends, my only quarrel with the game is that it does not last long enough (oh, and the Batcave under the island lol).

There is enough to keep you occupied though, if you're going for the full 1000G you will spend a good few hours swearing at the combat challenges and finding all 240 of E.Nigma's challenges is actually quite fun (and made easier by the in game maps you can find!).

Batman: Arkham Asylum is one of the best games I have ever played, if you an XBox you should have this game - it's as simple as that

Final Score - 98%

Achievements:
As mentioned above this is a do-able 1000G if you are willing to put the time in, the difficulty achievements are stackable though going trough this game more than once is no chore. The only annoying ones are combat challenge medals which are well earned but will have you screaming at times - I'm looking at you 'Shock & Awe (Extreme)!' A good list of points mixed around by story and individual effort, good job Eidos.

Game Review - Skate 2

Skate 2 isn't much of a move forward from the original but that also isn't a bad thing. Who can truly say that the Tony Hawks series moved forward in the first few games? Who can say it progressed up to 'Proving Ground'? Like its rival, Skate 2 has added a few new moves including hand plants, foot plants, copious modifiers and additions as such. If you have played the original you will be able to pick up and bust out the same tricks you are used to.

The most drastic change is the 'magical' ability to get off of your board, something that was expected of the series. This is a great concept meaning no more frustrating situations getting stuck at the bottom of a stairwell having forgotten to put a marker down. However, this is also the games biggest flaw as when on two feet the game becomes very heavy and sluggish. It feels like your character has the inability to turn in a fluid motion and rather takes steps, it really is quite poor for a game that is so fast-paced otherwise. What seems to have a major change in game play has slowed the game down considerably, it doesn't feel natural. If you can get your head round this (which you will have to at certain points in the game) then you can set up some very impressive lines and having skate myself, the satisfaction of nailing your own set up is excellent.

Another let down of the new game is the new ability to transport to a goal or task. Part of the original skate was to get from A to B by skating, it's in the name of the game! Now you can just do a task, then appear at the next, and the next etc. I really don't like this because it was such an integral part of the game and now you can just teleport. You don't have to do this but the temptation is too big, casual gamers will use it and even hardcore ones will be unable to resist at times.

Still, if you liked the original skate then you will loved the new one (even if it's just the same amount of love!). I expect most fans on the original to pick up the sequel especially as there is no competition from a certain Mr. Hawk this season. The game has added extras including a hilarious hall of meat mode - where you must induce the biggest crash possible. This could be a game in itself! Also the addition of an online free skate is very well done, any person in the session can propose mini goals for everyone to co-operatively work towards including a very difficult 'trick at the same moment'.

Skate 2 is great even if it is not that much of a move forward in the series, but like Tony Hawks there isn't a great deal more a skateboarding game can do. Personally I love it, it's a nice chilled out game when compared to the intensity of playing Gears of CoD. If you liked the first one, this is definitely worth a look.

Skate 2
released 23rd January 2009


8.2/10

Achievements:

Fairly similar to the first game, complete X amount of goals, reach legend in online points etc. New additions like complete activities and break X amount of bones follow in the same suit. There are no ratings achievements like on the original so no frustrating last one to obtain. If you love the game, ultimately you should reach your 1000G, you just have to put the hours in.

Skate 2 - Review to Follow...

Just picked up Skate 2 today.

I'll be writing a review any day now, just need to play it properly, the demo was great - I'm hoping for good things!

Game Review - Braid

Braid is special, Braid is a true gem.

Braid is one of those games that comes out with no hype or no expectation and blows everyone away. Released on Xbox Live Arcade and Windows, Braid is a platform come puzzle game which follows the story of Tim, a young man who is searching for his princess. I do not want to reveal anymore of the story because for one, it is very philosophical and complex (or vague) and also I do not want want to ruin anything for someone who has not played the game. The game is split into 6 main levels and a final level after the game has been fully completed. You must collect puzzle pieces and construct images that tell parts of the story. It is fantastically simple and works perfectly.

The game play of Braid is a side scrolling platformer where it is impossible to die due to the ability to rewind time (much like 'The Sands of Time'). The difficulty comes from trying to capture all of the pieces and some of them are very hard to work out. The game has a charming soundtrack which fits the story perfectly, told via short passages read before each different level.

My only criticism of Braid is that for some people it will be too philosophical, trying to be too serious for how it is presented. I believe this should be welcomed and applauded as an independent developer (Johnathon Blow) has created a masterpiece.

I think the pricing of Live Arcade games is way too high and Braid falls under the 1,200 point mark (about £9-10) but I believe it is the only game which justifies the high price.

Braid
released 6th August 2008

9.0/10

Achievements:
Braid has simple achievements that make up 185/200 points, basically just 100% the game. The final 15G achievements requires a 45 minute speed run, which is rather difficult - good luck!

Game Review - Mirrors Edge

Mirrors Edge is a free running game in a first person viewpoint developed by 'Dice' (an in house studio of EA) and published by EA themselves. You play as Faith, a 'runner' in a city governed by absolute surveillance in an effort to reduce crime and violence. Faith and other revolutionary groups use the rooftops to transport messages to each other and of course, all are well trained in parkour. Faith soon comes across her twin sister (a binary opposite - she is a police officer) who has been wrongly framed for murder.

Mirrors edge is very simplistic, LB is for up actions and LT is for down actions. That is the crux of the game, you jump over things, run along things, balance across poles and slide through vents. There is an element of combat but this isn't great and seems to be there purely for the sake of reality, the police are going to try and apprehend you but you are ill advised to fight - always run.

The story of Mirrors edge is short, you can complete the main quest line in about 6 hours. The story is predictable but also very satisfying and you will unlock hard mode which will take you the same time again. One of the main game play mechanics is the runner vision which turns certain object red and will guide you in a world that you will inevitably get lost in. Speaking of this world, it is stunning. Powered by the Unreal 3 engine the game encompasses a rare sight in video games. The game is bright and hyper-real, it looks believable but does not quite look 'real' per se. Either way, the developers have done a great job in constructing the city and though you will do repetitive actions over and over, the visual pleasure will force these actions to be nothing short of astounding.

That's not it for Mirrors edge though, there is what should be described as a 'pull your hair out' time trial mode and a set of speed runs for each of the games chapters. These speed runs are hard, they take commitment and hours of game play but if you love the game (and i mean LOVE the game) then you will get many hours worth of play out of it.

Mirrors Edge is a great game but its a new property and so there are bound to be some hiccups with the system. It's not a glitchy game but sometimes Faith has a way of doing what she wants and you will get very annoyed with the games lack of awareness. The game is also very simple and if played on the easy setting is more like an interactive film. The time trials require extensive skill and this is where hardcore gamers will get their satisfaction. Mirrors Edge feels like a good beginning to the franchise but it always feels like it the game should be doing more, doesn't quite hit its true potential. I would recommend this as a rental and then see how much fun you have with the time trials before buying it!

Mirrors Edge
released 14th November 2008


7.3/10


Achievements:
This game is a pretty harsh one, if you want 1000 points your going to have to put the hours in - many, many hours. That's 10 speed runs and about 15 time trials, each one needing at least an hours work. All are offline achievements so there's nothing to be concerned with there, its just a matter of how committed you are. Casual gamers are looking at about 450+.

Game Review - Gears of War 2

Lets get things straight; the first Gears was a great game and more importantly is was popular, a commercial success. Epic had a lot to live up to with part two of their proposed trilogy but fortunately the game lives up to the standard set by the first game and maybe just nudges past it.

Gears 2 continues where the first game left off, the locust are still a threat and the COGS must struggle on with the fight for victory. The story isn't revolutionary but has more twists and turns than the first and Dom's search for Maria is a welcome emotional sub-plot for the overarching story. That said, GoW2 doesn't really take advantage of its narrative potential. Yes, Cole Train is still undeniably funny, Baird's cynicism is still annoying and Fenix still thinks he can take on the horde single handedly, it's a fantastic team. I do think that Epic could've made more of new characters like Dizzy and Tai but that's their decision, I can only assume that want to keep delta squad a constant.

With that in mind I don't suppose your average Gears player will be that involved with the story and more interested the sound of popping heads in horde. The game play mechanics are exactly the same, which is fine, there's no need to fix what isn't broken. The introduction on new weapons works well, nothing new is overpowered as such, it is a good split between power and speed. The mortar is devastating but you walk slower than anything seen in Gears to date, each style of play is catered for.

Of course the majority of any gamers time on Gears will be dedicated to online play and this is where Gears is a let down, a very frustrating let down. I am not a hardcore Gears player, I'm the kind of guy that will run headlong into a match of execution and either pull of 3 or 4 class kills or just walk into a line of fire to be obliterated by the enemy. Luckily I play with some good guys who are without doubt much better than I am, who often save me the embarrassment of losing every game. However there are several factors that stop the Gears multi player becoming legendary. Matchmaking takes forever and often puts teams at unfair advantages, also if your team mates leave you can be left in a 1 vs 5 situation and the software will do nothing to help you. This is not a rare occurrence. There are many times when you seem to die from nothing and though I agree that sometimes you just get outsmarted and beaten, it is very annoying when you die from game glitches like torque bows pinging into your shins with no charge. The shotgun battles seem endless at times often resulting in a 'first punch gets the kill scenario'. Gears has tactics that work and if you do not follow them, you are destined to lose unless you are incredible. For someone of my skill this makes me not want to play the game, I find myself just dieing repeatedly - this is not a forgiving game. You must know where weapons spawn and how long it takes you to get to them, ie, is it worth rushing the boomshot or will I be sniped by the time I get there? These mathematical tools must be utilised, otherwise you will be running into battles severely underpowered. I do not expect this to be fixed, this is Gears, it is how it has always been and as long as they get rid of glitches (weapon slides, invisible shields, guns that cannot fire etc) then the game will be played and the frustration - of myself - will continue to rise!

There is no doubt that you should definietly team up with your mates for a good session at killing the horde. This game mode is so much fun with a good team and watching the bigger locusts come to get you is frightening and laughable at the same time. Having four of your friends crawl to you to be revived or piling clip after clip into an oncoming bloodmount will have you screaming down your mic for help, it's awesome. There are 50 waves to complete and if your playing on insane I wouldn't expect to do this anytime soon!

That is my opinion though and I know I am not great. I also keep coming back to play the game which just reinforces how good the game is, so good that I keep returning to have my ass handed to me! Gears 2 isn't bad at all, it will just make you want to scream sometimes. The story is great in single player and co-op and if you're going for things like seriously 2.0 then you will certainly be playing for a long time. The online play is annoying as hell but you will return again and again, I promise you. Any self respecting shooter fan will pick this up and I urge anyone who likes any of the things mentioned to give it a go, the visuals alone will have you playing till the very end. If the multi player was not so buggy and did not give such a blatant host advantage then this game would get a much higher score.

Gears of War 2
released 7th November 2008


8.1/10


Achievements:
GoW2 is a safe 1000 points for a hardcore gamer, the only two that are sticking points are Seriously 2.0 (100,00 kills - in any mode) and Party Like It's 1999 (play 1999 rounds). The rest can be picked up relatively easily and are a combination of story, multi player wins and weapon specific kills. A casual gamer will still be able to get a good 600+ points without a great deal of trouble.

Here We Go...

I have set up this blog to review and talk about, movies, games, television shows, music, anything that takes my fancy really. I am doing this just before an exam is about to take place which probably isn't the best plan of attack but I think I'll be OK. I have set this up for two reasons: 1 - that I am constantly told by my tutors that my writing style is quite colloquial and would suit a journalistic approach rather than an academic one and 2 - because I just like telling people what I think. (and 3 - i suppose, I'm hoping somone see's this and gives me a job lol)

Anyway, you can expect some writing soon, I just better get this exam out of the way. My first line of order is to review some of my old games and get into the swing of things!

Bradley McManus