Reviews

Although FIFA 10 World Class Soccer is no giant leap forward than its predecessor, it still manages to impress in every one of the traditional aspects of the sport. There is a Virtual Pro mode that starts off similar to the standard Be A pro modes which are also included. Players start of by creating a player, designing his attributes to fit your play style and sculpt his look to match your own. Not only that, there is also the usual Game Face feature for uploading photos of yourself into the game. In contrast to the Be A Pro mode, players can now use the created player in any mode in the game including into the new practice arena to work on drills, hopping into a Play Now match, play in Manager Mode or even hop online and play in the Pro Club Championship mode with a gallery of other Virtual Pros, all of which can be used to improve your soccer star by completing a laundry list of accomplishments that are perfectly crafted to range from the short-term to things that will take you your entire career. In addition to that, FIFA 10 World Class Soccer also allows you to play as only one player, building him while also progressing with a full soccer club. Also, FIFA 10 World Class Soccer also seemingly approves of hardcore soccer fans of the world where players can scrimmage against other squads and even create your own custom set pieces for free kicks. The custom set pieces work similarly to the create-a-play feature in the NHL series. As for Manager Mode, the usual trimmings still accompany this dynasty mode of sorts, although players can now make transfers, scout players, upgrade your team’s work with money earned from ticked sales and the expectations of your club’s controlling board in order to keep your job.

“FIFA 10 is a high-caliber football game–it plays a fantastic game, offers a wealth of modes, and addresses every major fault from FIFA 09. The new 360-degree control in particular is a revelation, and while problems currently impacting the creation of Virtual Pro players are unfortunate, there’s still a lot of fun to be had playing with them. FIFA 10 will be a tough act to follow for every football game released from this day forward, but rather than worry about that you should just be happy basking in the light of this sublime football experience.” (GameSpot, 2009)

Reviews

The first thing that is noticeable about Assassin’s Creed II is that it runs slightly more smoothly as compared to its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed, with less noticeable frames dropped and a very cool new effect where environments spring forth from a three dimensional matrix. The previous Assassin’s Creed ended with Desmond, the main character, trapped indefinitely with the ability to use “eagle vision” to read a series of codes and glyphs written on the walls of his cell, all of which will come into play throughout Assassin’s Creed II, together with their mysterious author. These glyphs lead to picture puzzles showing pivotal points in history, which in turn lead to clues revealing the motives of Abstergo and the secret behind the Pieces of Eden, called The Truth which is the threat that runs throughout the story of Assassin’s Creed II. Assassin’s Creed II is set where its predecessor left off, following the “disturbance” that distracted Desmond’s captors at the end of the game, Desmond is busted out of the lab by Lucy, the attractive Abstergo employee who was missing her finger ring, indicating that she was an Assassin and on your side all along. They both then run through the futuristic office complex passing hundreds of work stations containing the same technology that allowed Desmond to relive the adventures of the Master Assassin from Assassin’s Creed I. Once the duo make it to the parking garage, they then have to fight off a pack of guards before Lucy is able to sneak Desmond out by hiding him in the trunk of her car. They then arrive at a loft apartment where Lucy introduces Desmond to the modern day Templars at which he agrees and enters the Assassin’s version of the Animus to train for the inevitable battle.

“Much has been made about the new setting of ACII, and as anyone who played the first game would expect, the environments look stunning. More than 30,000 images were taken of the real buildings in Italy, many of which have made it as textures in the finished game. The buildings are also much bigger than before, such as the Duomo in Florence, and many of the characters actually existed in the time the game is set. No attempt has been made to hide the seedier side of 15th-century life, either. Characters swear at each other and use extremely crass terminology, and you can hire prostitutes to distract enemies if you so desire” (GameSpot, 2009)

Reviews

Brutal Legend kicks off with a hilarious introduction that pokes fun at the softer, more mainstream direction that heavy metal has taken in the past couple of decades. It is said to be a celebration of classic heavy metal while taking every cheap shot it can at hair metal, nu metal and other diluted variations on the genre. The ultimate evil and its minions are portrayed as being truly terrible monsters. In contrary, the lesser bad guys are made up to resemble glam rockers or ‘emo’ kids which makes them appeal most to those that have spent at least some of their formative years as angsty headbangers. Brutal Legend features plenty of twists and turns along the way and deals with some interesting themes of quiet heroism and personal sacrifice. The main character, Eddie Riggs, is a roadie who knows that his place is out of the spotlight. Although he has the chance to be a real hero and save the world when he is transported back in time, he maintains the same attitude. Brutal Legend is a mix of genres coming together to create a variety of gameplay opportunities, with most of the story missions consisting of real-time strategy battles that find Eddie commanding troops on a battlefield made up to look like an epic rock concert, with the exception that Eddie gets to join the fight, adding a little bit of action to the strategy. In addition to that, there are also beat’ em, shooter or racer elements outside of the story missions.

“Whether it’s excellent vocal performances from heavy hitters of metal or a strong multiplayer element, Brutal Legend is a game that continually surprises, and it does so in a genuinely fun and interesting way. And Double Fine deserves some major respect for keeping so many aspects of the game closely tied to its subject matter. Of course, Brutal Legend also has some shortcomings. The secondary missions are weak and the single-player campaign lasts about seven hours if you’re not too keen on unlocking every single last shrine or secret item. In that respect, it’s unfortunate that there’s just not more of the good stuff, such as the on-foot missions with boss battles or more fleshed-out side quests. Otherwise, Brutal Legend is just about the finest tribute to this genre of music that a fan could hope for, and its successful execution of real-time strategy elements in an action setting is something that should get everyone off their feet and clapping.” (GameSpot, 2009)

Reviews
Although Dragon Ball Raging Blast only has over 70 characters including transformations as compared to Tenkaichi 3’s 150, they also include never-before-seen additions designed by developer spike in collaboration with artists involved with the manga and anime. There was also a Super Saiyan Level 3 version of Broley who has never appeared in the animation or the movies. Not only that, players can also collect costumes for all of them during the Story mode by meeting the small QTE prompts which occasionally appear on the screen. Other new additional features include environmental damage. Dragon Ball Raging Blast has 10 stages, all of which are huge in scale, vertically as well as horizontally, with the possibility of mountains, towers, buildings and anything else toppling over when you throw your opponent into them. There is also a possibility to tear a stage up with a Super Saiyan special attack as they are big enough to support all the destruction you can throw at them. Not only that, there is also a volcano stage that is full of magma waterfalls and teetering cliffs of igneous rock to fall onto, into or through. In terms its fighting system, Dragon Ball Raging Blast still maintains the requirement to make full use of three-dimensional space and intercepting attacks, with the small addition of the Super Rising special attack system that sends characters soaring upward through the entirety of the stage, looking absolutely wonderful especially the special attack cutaways. In terms of the graphics, the game runs at a consistent 60 fps as compared to previous titles’ 30, providing very noticeable smoothness in the action and facial animations, resulting in consistent change in the characters’ faces even in the midst of battle.

“Even though we had only eight characters to play with, we enjoyed the ease with which we could pick up the game and wreak impressive-looking havoc within seconds. We also liked the small touches–such as characters visibly starting to pant and grabbing hurt appendages as battles wore on. We can only imagine the depth the full 70-character roster will bring, so stay tuned for more previews of Dragon Ball: Raging Blast soon.” (GameSpot, 2009)

Reviews
Heavy Rain is a game that insists that you live out the lives of its characters by putting you in the shoes of its cast and letting you live every moment of it. It aims to send across the message of “How far are you prepared to go to save someone you love?” as Quantic Dream works hard on trying to blur the distinction between a video game and real life by making a title that will play with your emotions, raise the level of story telling and expand gaming. David Cage tries to “create experiences that engage players emotionally, explore the potential of interactive story telling and create  new formats for adult audiences”, as seen in their previous projects like Omikron: the Nomad Soul and Indigo Prophecy. Heavy Rain is said to revolve around interactive story telling, meaning that the story will change based on the actions and choices of the player, with various consequences based on what the player happens to select, providing players with an emotional journey based on the fact that “you tell the story, not through the cut scenes, but directly through your actions” according to Cage. The game is intentionally designed to set the player on an emotional roller coaster that will have depth and meaning and will be original and innovative. In contrast to other typical games, death in Heavy Rain is aimed at giving an introspective moment to players. The game also features non-linear scripts that are spread out over ninety separate scenes, including the various actions, consequences and choices that could potentially occur within each scene. Not only that, cut scenes are also kept down to a minimum and only used when absolutely necessary.

“From what we’ve seen so far, this is shaping up to be a game that will keep gamers talking until the shipping date. Quantic Dream has been very careful about keeping the story secret, and from this latest demo, the story and experience can only get better. In our brief adventure with Madison, we already felt like we were a part of the story in the way that the action, dialogue, and sound were handled. Visually, the characters come strikingly close to looking real, not just in terms of the graphics but also in how their movements and voice acting enhance that sense of realism. Even though it is a single-player game, watching the events unfold is just as intense and exciting for an audience.” (GameSpot, 2009)

“The voice acting was really good so far, and at this point, Square Enix hasn’t confirmed that Japanese voices will be included. Producer Yoshinori Kitase explained that the files would be fairly large and that they would like to keep the game on a single blu-ray disc to minimize the number of discs they would need for the Xbox 360 version. The game also looked fantastic at this stage, running on the PlayStation 3, and it was a shame we couldn’t see more.” (GameSpot, 2009)

“From the looks of the demo, Lost Planet 2 is shaping up to be an impressive follow-up to the original. The game is going in a very different direction from its predecessor, but that doesn’t appear to be a bad thing. The game’s large sense of scale and cooperative gameplay seem to be a very good combo. We’re getting a Monster Hunter and Dreamcast-era Phantasy Star Online vibe going on, which sits very well with us. If the game’s camera and control are tightened up compared to its predecessor, and enough content is packed into the experience, this could be one addictive game when it ships next year. At the moment, the only platform that’s been officially confirmed is the Xbox 360. From the sound of it, there should be more information given out at E3 in June. Look for more on the game, including an XBL demo, then.” (GameSpot, 2009)

“Even if you’ve played a lot of Skate, there are definitely enough new features and improvements in Skate 2 to make it worth a look. The presentation is slick, the controls are great, and at times you really do feel like you’re skateboarding. It’s unfortunate that things get dragged down by the occasionally frustrating and buggy challenges; that walking on foot isn’t handled better; and that the game’s physics and artificial intelligence aren’t consistent and sometimes get in the way of the gameplay; because Skate 2 has so much to offer. Oh, and the bone-breaking bails that would kill you in real life are just another way to earn money here, so Skate 2 is not only a fun alternative to taking to the streets, it’s a safe one.” (GameSpot, 2009)

Reviews
As compared to the original BioShock single-player game, BioShock 2 will also be used as a venue for showcasing its multiplayer element, since the first game did not have any kind of multiplayer. The story of the main takes place years after the events of the prequel, with the multiplayer component taking place as more of a prequel, in which the conflict that the free-for-all and team free-for-all mode take place is set right around the time of Rapture’s fall, just as the populace of the underwater city was starting to bow down to splicing-induced psychosis. In the multiplayer suite, players take the role as a human, instead of a Big Daddy like in the single-player mode, employed by Sinclair Solutions, a company investigating the side effects of splicing. This mode contains more narrative background and requires the humans to gather information by getting the Big Daddies to engage in combat. Players will also have a nice apartment in Rapture’s underbelly which serves as a fancy multiplayer lobby in which players are free to roam around, check out the view to the water below, wander over to the bookshelves, into the bathroom, listen to changing recordings from Sinclair and browse match menus. Not only that, players will also be allowed to customize their load out which changes as the game progresses through out the multiplayer game. New plasmids, weapons and upgrades can be unlocked and loaded into custom presets for use in battle by participating in matches, getting kills and performing specific actions that will rank up your character. As the plot of the game is set before things go haywire in Rapture, the overall art style tends to reflect a world that is still good in shape, with vending machines scattered around although they cannot be used to purchase things. However, items will just be sitting in the tray at the bottom ready to be picked up.

“The action in the multiplayer mode looks pretty hectic, and when the Big Daddy shows up, it just gets crazy. But what really strikes us most about BioShock 2’s multiplayer mode, at this point, is just how much effort Digital Extremes and 2K have put into making it an interesting part of the BioShock universe, and the fact that it’s just not a multiplayer version of the single-player game. There’s an entire narrative designed around the multiplayer, explaining why all of these people are fighting and how you have access to weapons and plasmids. It makes us interested to see other facets of the multiplayer, including the other modes, Survival of the Fittest and a team-based match called Civil War. BioShock 2 is scheduled for release in November, but check back for more coverage on the game in the near future.” (GameSpot, 2009)

Reviews
The multi-player mode of Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is said to have the same gameplay as the previous Modern Warfare, making it feel like a true Modern Warfare experience, with game sizes set at nine on nine with the levels mixed between indoors, outdoors and varied heights. In contrast to the prequel, the UAV mid-battle and mid-sprint seems to be more dependant on the gun to determine speed, with the game strongly reliant on perks and create-a-class options. In addition to that, the actual weapon load outs are also a bit different with a primary and secondary gun available in every create-a-class. In addition to pistols, players can now also add a shotgun, a machine pistol or a regular pistol in its place, as well as rocket launchers. Not only that, there are also major changes in the killstreak system, allowing players to customize their kills at the 3,4,5,6,7,9 and 11 increments, with only 3 and 4 available at the beginning Private class, providing some serious incentive to keep leveling up. These include everything from supply drops to predator missiles, helicopters, UAV, AC-130, anti-UAV, and air strike. In terms of design, items are very much more varied in this game as compared to Call of Duty 4 with more height, more cover areas and elevation change from section to section that are possibly drastic. Not only that, Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 also features a lot of customization with pure depth and options, including killstreaks that include a huge amount of versatility, far more expandable guns, and even crazier perks as compared to the first game. In terms of the weapons, the huge range of weaponry includes the M4, FAMAS, SCAR-H (which is a mix of AK-47 and M4), Tar-21, the MP5K, UMP45, a submachine gun called the Vector (similar to the original MP5, but with faster firing speed), light machine guns and sidearms.

“Modern Warfare 2 is a direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and is clearly looking to step it up in terms of dramatic campaign levels. Those hungry for more Modern Warfare 2 should be sure to check out GameSpot’s stage show live from E3, where we’ll be sitting down again with Infinity Ward and delving even deeper into this exciting shooter.” (GameSpot, 2009)