SHARC GAMING

Metroid: Aliens Beware

2010-06-04T12:59:00.001-04:00

Here's to anticipating another Metroid release this year. Since Super Mario Galaxy 2 was so amazing, I'm sure that Metroid: Other M will not be a let down! This will be the last microtheme... I promise!

Lets looks beyond Tomb Raider and Lara Croft for a moment, and acknowledge the Metroid series as the trendsetter in the realm of lead female characters in video games. Metroid was lauded by critics for being one of the first games to introduce a female heroine as the lead protagonist (Buffa 1). It specifically presents an alternative to the central white, heterosexual masculinity which surrounds video game culture (Kennedy). Metroid was released in 1986, alongside Super Mario Bros. (1985) and the Legend of Zelda (1986), and straight from the onset it has opposed the illusion of video gaming being a masculine preserve (Kennedy). Metroid holds its own when compared to these games and has had an equally long life-span accumulating just as much wealth and success (Wikipedia). Metroid is once again being released this year alongside Super Mario Galaxies 2 on May 23^rdt and potentially Zelda, with Metroid: Other M on June 27^th, simply proving that women hold an equal position in the gaming world.

(Image 2, Power Suit)

(Image 1, Gender Revealed)

(Image 3, Nude Samus)

The female protagonist, Samus Aran (a bounty hunter), was originally thought to be a male character in Metroid, but after completing the game, it is revealed that Samus is a female (as seen in Image 1). The developers of Metroid alluded to the fact that Samus was a male all along, depicting her in a very bulky and androgynous power suit who faces off against the Mother Brain (Grimes 8). Even in the instruction manual, it never gave any hints to Samus’ gender whatsoever, leaving the final reveal to be so shocking (Buffa 2).

I could not help but notice that Metroid was released during the same year as the film Aliens (1986), which was the second instalment in the Alien franchise. The movie and the video game are very similar in setting and plot; both are set in outer space with a female protagonist fighting aliens (Cameron). There was a shift in movies during the 1980’s from the hard-bodied males to female leads enduring and delivering just as much damage as their male counterparts (e.g. Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone to women like Sigourney Weaver or Linda Hamilton). The reason I bring this up is to discuss Samus’ Power Suit (Image 2). The Power Suit is biologically entwined with Samus’ mind and body, and without it would not be able to defeat the aliens, Metroids, Space Pirates, or the Mother Brain. If Samus was left to fight without her powered exoskeleton, then the fate of the universe would appear to be doomed.

This is very similar to the case in Aliens where Ripley fights the Queen Alien. Ripley is only able to defeat the Queen by using an exoskeleton powerloader, allowing her to become a humanoid mechanised warrior. Ripley draws on this protective motherhood nature, but can only face the alien with a robotic body, which is ultimately just an extension of her own being (Clover 6, 7). This essentially critiques the female body, implying that the female human form is not superior enough to fight and reign victorious in battle, but needs some sort of extension to do so.

Samus’ Power Suit also includes many upgrades throughout the games to suit the situation for success, proving that multiple improvements to the female form are needed. Also, her arm cannon, with multiple functions, is very phallic in nature and continues to exemplify this extension of the female in a male way in order to succeed.

This supposed critique on the lacking female form is eventually defeated though when Samus appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as Zero Suit Samus. She can either fight as a regular female with a pistol or with the power suit (and has superior fighting skills in both outfits). This is where the somewhat gendered neutral character becomes highly sexualized. Samus’ femininity was expressed previously without appearing as a sex object, but now Zero Suit Samus showcases her flowing blonde hair, piercing eyes, and attractive curves (Buffa 6). As seen in Image 3, the sexualized nature has overcome the strong female character through revealing Samus nearly naked (the original picture was of Zero Suit Samus in her blue outfit, but has been edited to appear nude). Samus Aran is still a character with extraordinary skill and could easily stand toe to toe with the likes of Halo’s Master Chief or Gears of War’s Marcus Fenix, proving that there is a successful alternative out there to white, heterosexual masculinity in video games.

Works Cited

Aliens. Dir. James Cameron. Perf. Sigourney Weaver. Twentieth Century-Fox: 1986. Film.

Buffa, Chris. “Babe of the Week: Samus Aran.” Game Daily. 04 Apr 2008: 1-11. Web. 7 Mar 2010. < http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/galleries/babe-of-the-week-samus-aran>.

Clover, J. "Dream Machines (James Cameron, 'Aliens')." Film Quarterly. Vol. 6, No. 2: (2007).

Grimes, Sara. “’You Shoot Like A Girl!’: The Female Protagonist in Action-Adventure Video Games.” Level Up: Digital Games Research Conference, (2003).

Kennedy, Helen W. “Lara Croft: Feminist Icon or Cyberbimbo? On the Limits of Textual Analysis.” Game Studies 2.2, (December 2002).

Metroid, Nintendo. August 6, 1986.

Wikipedia, Metroid, Wikimedia Foundation Inc. 2010. Web. Mar 2010.

Race In Space: Mass Effect

2010-05-25T21:49:00.001-04:00

This will be the second last microtheme in which I post! Since a review on Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 will be coming soon, I'll post this microtheme on Mass Effect and race.

When examining Mass Effect in terms of Alexander Galloway’s idea of “unplayable” race, it seems to go beyond the typical racial and stereotypical notions found on Earth and tends to venture out into multiple Galaxies where “Humans” are considered their own race on a whole. The entire human race is subjected as one, where colour, gender or even class, do not have an impact on the opinions about humans. Instead, all of the preconceived notions about humans fall directly under one category. This being that the humans are not worthy and have not proven themselves to hold a seat in the Citadel Council.

The game attempts to allow total control with the creation of your character (a human named Shepard). You can decide the gender, race/colour, and appearance. It does not however, allow you to control the size or height of your avatar, but this is not truly important. Next, there is a choice of abilities/talents, which range from Soldier to Vanguard (Engineer, Adept, Infiltrator, and Sentinel being the other four). These classes either allow you to specialize in weaponry (skill in all four weapon types), tech-ability (able to hack and open all interfaces), biotic powers (similar to Force Powers), or it allows for half specialization in two fields. After choosing your class there is no changing; you can upgrade your character traits or weapons in the squad menu (where the entire squad is fully customizable). This simply adds another level of control within the game.

The one region which is completely left out of your control is which alien race you will be. There is a combination of both real races and imaginary races (human versus alien). There are many races in this game including Asari, Turian, Krogan, and Quarian, with each possessing their own special abilities and excelling with different talents. These other alien races are merely part of your squad and are essentially static and unchanging. You can continue to modify and choose who will join you in your adventure and even have the chance to start a relationship with the female or male human (Ashley Williams for male Shepard or Kaidan Alenko for female Shepard), or the single gendered Asari (Liara T’Soni for both male and female Shepard). Each relationship impacts how the story turns out in the sequel, showing that no matter what you do in the game there will always be consequences. In a way it takes the freedom out of video gaming, adding in turn a new and some ways a more welcomed element.

I think that with this human alignment and unplayable (alien) race factor greatly intensifies the ideological world of the game. When making decisions throughout the game, earning “paragon” and “renegade” heavily weighs on your psyche whether or not you are going to prove that the human race deserves to be on the council, or if you want to ruin the entire human reputation. This fear of alien race invasion and apocalypse can also be seen in relation to Shiu’s article when discussing Duke Nukem 3D (Sze-Fai Shiu 111). I feel that this cause and effect interface/control of the game influences how the player ultimately decides what to do. In certain ways there is an “unplayable” nature to the game, but I believe that this game fully attempts to integrate total control as seen with character responses, character creation, good versus evil decisions, and even alien/racial determination and hierarchy. Race does matter though, and the significance of this game would be lost if these newly constructed racial images, identities and ideologies were not present (Leonard 1). Without these racial overtones in the game, Mass Effect may have turned out to be a failure and the second instalment may have not seen release.

It appears as though when the future is being discussed in video games, that race among humans is no longer a problem. Colour and gender do not matter anymore, so in a sense the future allows for race to become more “playable”. What become the new limiting factors are the alien races which exist in the universe (even though you can have the similar talents as the other races, the traits and appearances are always a discrepancy). This could potentially be related to the variety of races which live on Earth and could be seen as a critique of racial differences, but I do not believe that this is the overall message that the game is attempting to promote. It looks more on the human race as a whole and how racial differences can be put aside, or at least this is what Shepard is attempting to accomplish in the Mass Effect universe.

Works Cited

Leonard, David. “‘Live in Your World, Play in Ours’: Race, Video Games, and Consuming the Other.” SIMILE: Studies In Media & Information Literacy Education 3.4 (2003): 1-9.  

Mass Effect, BioWare, November 20, 2007.

Mass Effect 2, BioWare, January 26, 2010.

Sze-Fai Shiu, Anthony. “What Yellowface Hides: Video Games, Whiteness, and the American Racial Order.” The Journal of Popular Culture 39.1 (2006): 109-25.

BioShock: Enhanced Through Art

2010-05-19T10:22:00.001-04:00

This was also another microtheme I did which pertained to art and gaming. I decided to write on the extraordinary game BioShock, and since BioShock 2 is already out and deals with the same environment, I felt this would be a nice article to describe the world of Rapture! Also, since this game was so impressive, it deserves to be the first to fall under the category of Hall Of Fame!

“I’m Andrew Ryan and I’m here to ask you a question:

Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his own brow?

No, says the man in Washington. It belongs to the poor.

No, says the man in the Vatican. It belongs to God.

No, says the man in Moscow. It belongs to everyone.

I rejected those answers. Instead, I chose something different.

I chose the impossible. I chose...

RAPTURE.

A city where the artist would not fear the censor.
Where the scientist would not be bound by petty morality.

Where the great would not be constrained by the small.

And with the sweat of your brow,

Rapture can become your city as well” (BioShock).

BioShock’s creative storyline would simply not have thrived if it lacked the aesthetic and artistic endeavours it so thoroughly followed through on. The game creates a fusion between the past and future. With this fusion of a reminiscent Art Deco style upon an entire underwater city, the result is an awe inspired atmosphere. The use of this combination is becoming more heavily predominant in games; where the storyline cannot simply stand alone.

It is inherently known that homage is being paid to the past (what is known and renowned, rather than attempting to create a new future setting with potential failure). In the case of BioShock, a nod is being directed towards the Art Deco movement. The Art Deco style was based on mathematical and geometric shapes and is known for being an electric form of elegance, efficiency, modernism and lavishness. It was also well known for using multiple styles, motifs (such as repeated images, symbols or themes), and having a very ornate approach.

The Art Deco Style in BioShock crafts such an immersive environment, which is easily overwhelming at first sight. The artistic realm of the game nearly supersedes that of the gameplay. Some players (non-gamers in essence) may truly attempt to just walk through this game to experience the magnificent feats that have been accomplished with game-world environment and atmosphere created, but this tour will soon be impeded by the survival-horror element of the game (which truly requires skill and combination to survive). Such is seen with the introductions of the Big Daddy (essentially the protectors of the Little Sisters), as well as the limited weaponry available (Tavinor 97). Figure 1 truly shows a great comparison between the Art Deco style and the survival-horror genre. The ornate and impressive architecture truly emerges throughout the entirety of the game, as seen with the archways and flying buttresses, the themed and notable lights, and the constant representation of neon lights and fonts, mixing all styles into one (B. Jenkins 26). Then with the overt use of light and dark combined with shadows, its eerie nature, and the fear of the unknown all lead to horror and gothic elements which contribute greatly to the atmosphere and creates a new mood to this once utopian society (causing the game to truly become a survival-horror).

(Figure 1, BioShock)

This is where the interaction between the high or fine art represents that of the utopian ideals, where as the “playing God” scenario and disrupting morality turns this once potential society, into a dystopian mayhem. These questions of morality are then passed onto the character Jack (and essentially you, the one controlling Jack), and the decision of harvesting the Little Sisters, will affect the entire outcome of all of humanity, and not just Rapture. Also, a pertinent character to the story is Dr. Steinman. He is essentially the Art Deco movement brought to reality in Rapture, mainly due to ADAM. Dr. Steinman is driven insane by the pursuit of aesthetic perfection: he views his plastic surgeries as art, and since Rapture is "perfect," he must also strive for perfection. Quotes like, "ADAM denies us any excuse for not being beautiful," shows the importance placed on aesthetic perfection, and interconnecting interpretations of art and science (BioShock). This can also be linked back to the opening quote from Ryan saying Rapture is, “A city where the artist would not fear the censor” (BioShock). Dr. Steinman is the twisted artist that helps assemble the dystopia that Rapture becomes.

Lastly, with comparing figure 2 and figure 3, it is just merely a similarity that the entire game is based around and relies on the portrayal of art and the potentiality that there is a new world out there for discovery. Simply bringing art and video games together, places the notion of what is considered to be a “good” game at a new and higher level.

(Figure 2, BioShock)

(Figure 3, Art Deco Cityscape)

Works Cited

BioShock, 2K Games. August 21, 2007.

Jenkins, Barbara. This is Not an Art Book. (2009): 1-180.

Jenkins, Henry, and Kurt Squire. “The Art of Contested Spaces.”

Schmeink, Lars. "Dystopia, Alternate History and the Posthuman in BioShock." COPAS: Current Objectives of Postgraduate American Studies 10 (2009): (no pagination). Web.

Tavinor, Grant. "BioShock and the Art of Rapture." Philosophy and Literature 33.1 (2009): 91-106. Web.

League of Legends Review

2010-05-18T17:44:00.005-04:00

Overall:8.5/10
Purchase Value:10/10
Replay Value:9/10
Presentation:8/10
Gameplay:8/10
Graphics:6.5/10
Audio: 6/10

In the world of big companies with big profit margins, few things in life are free or at least free and worth doing.

In this world comes the game League of Legends created by Riot Games. League of Legends is the birth child of the hugely popular WC3 user created game D.O.T.A and just like D.O.T.A this game is 100% FREE. That's right no monthly fees, no jacked up store prices, just the time it takes to create an account and download the game.

With so many crappy free games online, why should you take the time to download this one? Well League of Legends is not just some free game someone took a day to make and threw it on a website. This game is a FULL game, with stats, friends lists, patches and new/updated maps and characters to play.

Riot Games did one of the smartest things they could do when creating League of Legends they didn't just try to recreate D.O.T.A they got the creators of D.O.T.A to help them make the game have everything thing that was great about D.O.T.A but improve on it and they did it League of Legends is amazing. Even though the game is free Riot Games did not go halfway on this game it is rich in gameplay and the characters are well thought out and are all different in their own way.

In League of Legends you play as "The Summoner". You pick a "Champion" and you play through the game as this champion, of course you level up buying killing minions or NPC creators and by killing other Champions. You upgrade your champion by buying weapons and armor from the shop with gold you collect by killing things and you get a slow streaming supply during the course of the game. The level cap is 18 so the game starts to get very competitive very fast. If you keep dying or "Feeding" one player and he hits level 10 while everyone else is level 5 then that 1 player can ultimately go on huge killing sprees gaining more and more gold and becoming more and more powerful. Eventually becoming so strong that them alone could determine the outcome of the whole game. This makes League of Legends very team based a good team can beat a great player every time so the game gives you the option of playing alone and getting a random team or playing as an arranged team against other arranged teams. Other then the level aspect of your champion, you gain levels as a "Summoner" every game you complete you gain experience which will level you and give you "ability points" (think World of Warcraft talent points) making your champion unique. After every game you also get "Battle Points" which you can use in the shop to buy new champions, skins and upgrades. Riot Games does give you the option to use real money and buy "Riot Points" which you can use in the shop but it takes about 1/3 of riot points to buy something then it does if your using battle points.

League of Legends is one or maybe even is the best free game I have ever played, it is fun, exciting and competitive, everything you want in an multiplayer only game. If you enjoyed D.O.T.A your going to love League of Legends and if you didn't I still recommend trying this game, what do you have to lose?? 15minutes of your life, alot better then losing 60$ on a game a realizing it was worth 5$.

For everyone who wants to try it heres the website: http://www.leagueoflegends.com/

Trust me it's way worth your time and money oh wait IT'S FREE

Roses are Red, Turians are Blue...

2010-05-17T09:43:00.009-04:00

Well, it’s getting to be that time of year again: Valentine’s Day. The flowers… the chocolates… the undeniable feeling that you’re being robbed… it all comes together to create a truly unique holiday that really should not exist. Now a full decade into the 21st century, some are worried that their precious day of romance is becoming too commercialized. It’s not about the gifts, the spending, or the delicious February 13th break-up tears – it’s about the love.

And thanks to Bioware’s latest and greatest masterpiece, Mass Effect 2, you don’t even need a boyfriend or girlfriend in order to get your romance on. Sure, the critically acclaimed sequel doesn’t have the steamy, raunchy, “look at that side-boob!” sex scenes like it’s predecessor had, but it’s still got lots of lovin’ for all the romantic gamers out there. Here’s a list of potential partners that Commander Shepard could be doing the horizontal mambo with, if, you know, you want a break from saving the galaxy, or something.

Miranda Lawson:

Let’s start off with Miranda, the genetically enhanced Cerberus officer with a heart of gold, and a trunk full of junk. I’m sure 90% of the guys playing the game will attempt to get it on with Miranda, and with good reason. She’s voiced and modeled after the gorgeous Yvonne Strahovski, and has an air of confidence about her that is just out of this world (get it!?). When chatting it up with Miranda, make sure to continuously mention that she is more than just a genetically modified sex soldier. Don’t worry, she can’t tell that you’re lying – Project Natal isn’t out yet.

Fun Fact: She’s got a twin sister, ahhhhh yeahhhhhh! Wait… she’s younger than Miranda? … she’s 19 though?… AHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHH!!

Tali’Zorah nar Rayya:

The delightful germaphobe Tali returns in Mass Effect 2, and is in the mood for some loving. Lucky for you, it seems our robo-ho has had a little crush on Shepard for quite some time, and won’t take too much persuading in order to shed the biosuit. Remind her that you’re on a dangerous suicide mission and could perish at any moment, and she’ll be lubing up in antibiotics faster than you can say “Migrant Fleet”.

Fun Fact: Tali has an exotic Russian/Ukranian accent. HOT!

Jack:

Power is sexy…right? I mean, just because she has a guy’s name, is bald, escaped from prison, and has more tattoos than a member of the Hell’s Angels, it doesn’t mean Jack isn’t the romantic type. Besides, she’s one of the most powerful human biotics in the entire galaxy. Just think of all the possibilities! Help her nuke the Cerberus facility she was raised in and remind her that she’s not alone in the universe, and you’ll be feeling her head stubble in no time.

Fun Fact: It is possible to have sex with Jack and not earn the Paramour achievement. How rude!

Jacob Taylor:

Jacob is the human romance option for female Shepard’s this time around. Eat your heart out, Kaiden Alenko! Jacob joins up with Shepard right at the beginning of the game, and although he may not be as interesting as some of the alien party members, he is of the same race. Hey, to some people, that’s important. To each their own. Just be warned: if you do sleep with Jacob, there could be repercussions in Mass Effect 3 in regards to Kaiden… that is, if you didn’t kill him off in the first game.

Fun Fact: Jacob claims to be an expert in both biotics AND heavy weaponry. Sounds like someone is overcompensating…

Garrus Vakarian:

The badass, scouter-wearing turian Garrus returns from the first Mass Effect as well, and is a romance option for female Shepard’s. Sure, the dialogue can get a little stale when flirting with Garrus. Hell, he looks like Freddy Krueger with dreadlocks… how do you even go about making that seem sexy? But if you stick with it, maybe by the time Mass Effect 3 rolls around, Shepard will have given birth to your little human-turian freak babies.

Fun Fact: I wouldn’t recommend mouth-to-mouth kissing with Garrus. Turian mouth flaps are just weird. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Thane Krios:

The Drell assassin marks an interesting choice for a love interest for female Shepard’s out there – he’s stealthy, cold, and quick. Great attributes for a hit man, no doubt, but in the sack…not so much. Nevertheless, if you help the troubled Thane reunite with his son, and show off some of that classic Commander charm, he’ll be chomping at the bit to break his human cherry.

Fun Fact: Drell’s have perfect memory recall. No pressure or anything… but he’ll remember your first time…FOREVER.

Reception and Operation: Super Mario Galaxy

2010-05-16T22:52:00.001-04:00

In the event of Super Mario Galaxy 2 coming so close to it's release date (May 23rd 2010), I thought I would post one of my microthemes for a Communications Studies course I did, pertaining to video games (greatest course I've taken at University). Now it's slightly more academic, and in fact may be too academic, but that's not necessarily bad. Maybe the way video gaming needs to be analyzed is on a new level; a critical analysis of video games, including the nature and practice of play, hardware and other externalities, formal qualities, narrative structure and genre, simulation and realism, spatiality and property, gender and identity, authority and authorship, war and violence. Move the analysis of video games beyond deterministic arguments and incitements to moral panic towards an analysis of video games as part of a cultural field of discourses, forces, relations, processes, objects and fields.

When examining the top level of reception and operation for Super Mario Galaxy, in terms of the video game model by Nick Montfort (the other four categories being: Platform, Game Code, Game Form, and Interface) it can be seen as a complete success on both fronts. When a player attempts to draw meaning from Super Mario Galaxy, it is fairly easy, since the narrative or storyline falls basically under the same elements as all of the previous Super Mario titles. Initially, players often have an appeal to the video game because they are able to identify as heroes on a fantasy quest (Sherman 244). With Super Mario Galaxy in particular, you get to travel away from Earth and into new galaxies. This is how Super Mario Galaxy sets itself apart from the rest of the Super Mario titles; Mario has to travel to outer space, exploring new worlds and being outfitted with new power-ups (such as the Fire/Ice Mario, Rainbow Mario, Boo Mario, Spring Mario and Bee Mario) to save Princess Peach once again from Bowser, who has taken her and the entire Mushroom Kingdom.

This is where one of the only problems I found occurs with the reception of the game. The problem is that there is constantly this narrative of a journey to save the princess (Sherman 246). This journey to save the damsel in distress causes the protagonist to always be male, which equals gender inequality (Ray 21). The female is deemed helpless and unable to help herself, leaving it up to, an everyday man (a plumber in the case) to save the day. This is initially seen with the release of Donkey Kong in 1984. The main moustached character, named Jumpman (who later becomes Mario), is trying to save his girlfriend, Pauline, from a massive gorilla (Ray 19). This then is the storyline from here on in; the antagonist becomes Bowser, and the damsel in distress becomes Princess Peach.

I believe these unequal gender overtones were present in most games and still are present in Super Mario Galaxy, but it has come to be accepted in a more easygoing and interactive style. I believe one reason for this acceptance is because of the emergence of the Super Smash Bros. series. Specifically Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which included plenty of female characters, including Princess Peach. She could entirely handle her own on the battlefield, and in most cases, be the last one standing when fighting Mario or even Bowser. A second reason is because Super Mario Galaxy relies upon the superstar nature that revolves around the game (Stremerch 89). Each gaming system (platform), be it Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or Nintendo Wii has their all-star line ups which continues to carry on across platform upgrades. Microsoft has their titles like Halo, Sony has their titles like Resistance, and Nintendo has their titles like Mario and Zelda (just to name a few).

This is one of the major reasons why the reception of Super Mario Galaxy went over so well globally, and caused sales to soar. It already has its roots firmly in the gaming market and essentially everyone previously had prior knowledge and or game play experience of the title. Super Mario Galaxy on a social and cultural level also maintains it’s nostalgic and fun to play nature that is so well known throughout the series. It also pays homage to the classical Mushroom Kingdom faces and places that had only previously been seen in Super Mario 64, as well as take an old, yet loved, gaming style and make it new again on the Nintendo Wii (Nintendo Power). One of the ways this old style is made new is by adding co-operative play (“Co-Star Mode”) to the operation of the game. A second player can play alongside Mario (or Luigi, after completing the game with Mario), through collecting Star Bits, making Mario jump, and shooting enemies to assist. This allows for the attempt to make use of the Motion Sensory on the Wii.

Also another way to judge the successfulness of a games reception and operation would be to see how well it had done award wise, as well as looking at its overall ranking. In 2007 Super Mario Galaxy won many “Game of the Year” awards, and also ranks as the number one Wii platform game as seen on IGN, Gamespot, TopTenReviews, and Nintendo Power (Nintendo Power). Overall, Super Mario Galaxy is just an excellent game that can be played and enjoyed by any gender or any age and will always have a lasting impact in the gaming world.

Works Cited

“Best of 2007.” Nintendo Power. (2007).

Ray, Sheri G. “Evolution of Female Characters in Computer Games.” Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market. (2004): 18-35.

Sherman, Sharon R. "Perils of the Princess: Gender and Genre in Video Games." Western Folklore. 56, no. 3-4 (1997): 243-58.

Stremersch, Stefan. "The Effect of Superstar Software on Hardware Sales in System Markets." Journal of Marketing. 73.2 (2009): 88-104.

Super Mario Galaxy, Nintendo Wii. November 14, 2007.

Just Cause 2 Review

2010-05-08T18:54:00.004-04:00

Overall:7.8/10
Purchase Value:2.5/10
Replay Value:1/10
Presentation:9/10
Gameplay:6.5/10
Graphics:7.5/10
Audio:7.5/10

Let's put it this way: for a game where I never even heard about the original (Just Cause 1), it scares me slightly, since I am a gaming sharc and know practically every game there is. But after doing a little research, and recognizing the original cover, I remember the first game... and why I didn't play it... But this is the review for Just Cause 2, so let's get to it.

I gave it a poor rating, even though it was a pretty decent game. At first I hated the game, basically due to the awkwardness of the controls, but it eventually grew on me. The game had an intriguing storyline, but was very repetitive, especially in regards to the faction missions. All of these mission are practically the same, and there are three factions, so the monotonous CHAOS building acts become a waste of life. Building chaos (i.e., being very destructive) to unlock missions in the game was a neat feature... but grew old quick. I just wished that the agency missions would appear faster without having to do so much leg work (or grappling work, depending on how you decided to travel) with each faction... but I guess the point of the game was to gain each factions trust on the island of Panau.

The Goods:

At first the grappling hook was very strange, and the controls to use it was even worse, but once the learning curve was mastered, the grappling hook became my favourite weapon. It also became the fastest way of travelling the island when you have no gunship or jet. Grappling on to trees and then deploying your (endless amount) parachute, would speed up your travels drastically. Then continue by aiming down, shooting your hook again, and then pulling up. It helped out when trying to conquer the MASSIVE island of Panau. When I say massive, I mean it. This had to have been the largest map for a sand-box game, because I felt I spent more time travelling then actually doing the missions and progressing the game! Make sure you discover a city, just so you have an extraction point for later... it's the only way to speed up the game! Also, when using the extraction points, it's called Air Sheldon; that's my name... no big deal or anything; so it made the game that much better.

Back to the grappling hook though; it was slightly unrealistic, since it was a small arm mechanism and could shoot incredible distances. All of the other weapons, whether it be one handed or two (having the ability to use while parachuting or not), were very realistic (clip size, etc.), and for the most part, shown on the body. The grappling hook reminded me of The Legend Of Zelda, but it took it to the next level. The greatest feature of the grappling hook was the double tagging. I would purposely get the army to chase me, just so I could tag their vehicle, and then shoot the second shot into the ground, causing their vehicle to stop instantly and go flying! Very impressive!

Additionally, hijacking vehicles (i.e., stunt jumping) was very fun, and the damage all vehicles took showed the impressive qualities of the graphics! Surfing on planes was equally interesting. It reminded me of Saints Row 2, when Alex and I would coop together. Either of us would try to do handstands atop the plane while the other one flew; in other words, INSANITY!). Of course, in Just Cause 2, you have magnet boots apparently and cannot move, but still quite intense. Speaking of being in the air, base jumping from anywhere was the sweetest feature of the game, and was what initially sold me on the game (the commercial). Well done with the selling factor and overall presentation of the game.

Last, when dealing with the goods, there were some features of the storyline, which were off the wall, and by that, I mean INCREDIBLE! For example, when flying to the remote island in the Northwest corner of the map, there were Tesla Coils (very Red Alert-esque); 3 smaller ones which fed the largest of them all, shooting down everything in the sky, on the ground, or in the water. It was built back in WWII by the Japanese, and the Japanese who built the weapon are still on the island (at least 100 years old now), thinking that WWII is still raging on. Then blowing the towers up and having a slow-motion escape like many other explosion in the game, set the entire premise over the top!

The Lacks:
When writing this review, I realized that the pros heavily out way the cons for this game, and have increased my original grading of this game slightly higher... unusual of me...

The game had decent graphics, but in some cases had glitchy video clips. The voice was completely off from the subtitles and so forth. That can completely take you out of the immersive atmosphere of Panau. The faction missions were then repetitive, and in most cases random, but it was manageable. They were there just so all areas of Panau would be discovered and traversed, which is a feature I never truly enjoyed, but when the locale is as large as Panau, there has to be some forced exploration!

Furthermore, the controls are poor for the part, especially when it comes to climbing a completely flat, vertical building. For example, the casino that is first encountered! Having to use only your grappling hook to scale the building will become a chore, and become very annoying. A trick to this is aiming left or right when clinging to the wall. It will allows you to scale higher and faster.

Last, the checkpoints were weakly situated, causing one to always start from the beginning, which is a great method to improve your skills, but on absurd missions... you don't want to repeat them again for a silly mistake.

In conclusion, even though I rate the purchase value low, I would say that there is enough content to last you 20 hours, so it is worth it. And if you are a completionist, then buy this game just to cause chaos in every single little town spread across the map, you'll have plenty of fun (sarcastically written). Personally, I bought the game, but traded it in after completing the agency missions (storyline), because it was simply a waste of time to try and do everything else. I would have been happier just renting it... but now you know better than me! It was a fun game, but almost too long, due to the repetitive faction missions.

Splinter Cell Conviction Review

2010-05-08T14:51:00.004-04:00

Overall:6.8/10
Purchase Value:3/10
Replay Value:4/10
Presentation:9/10
Gameplay:8/10
Graphics:8.5/10
Audio:8/10

Let's start this review out by coining a few terms, which I will describe later on within the review: porcelain punches; fragile interrogations; and in-game flashback integration.

An avid Splinter Cell fan may want to purchase this game, and may as well since the collector's edition is the same price as the original edition (which was the case when I purchased the game), due to a problem with the extra material (the usb content stick). But in all actuality, the game does not have the longest storyline, approximately 6 hours, and the coop feature lacks heavily. I dislike when developers place coop in games and make it have no relevance to the storyline. Games should follow the coop (and even the lengthy storyline) format of Borderlands; that's how all games should be done... it's basically perfection! Although I purchased this game (I traded it in instantly), I would personally recommend renting the game and just pumping through it as fast as possible; that's only if you are skilled and proficient enough at gaming and consider yourself a gaming sharc!

Some positive remarks about this game would be that it has a straight forward narrative for the most part; trying to find your 'told to be' dead daughter who isn't actually dead, which all eventually conspires into a masterful plan to kill the president, all dragging you back into special ops as an agent. The game then uses in-game playable flashback mission in order to advance the narrative, such as seen with the mission in Iraq and so forth. The rest of the game is told through 'in-game flashback integration,' which first of all allows you to have never played any other Splinter Cell game and still know what's going on, and second progresses the narrative in a interestingly aesthetic and visual way. It was really neat to display the flashback on the walls and such, instead of jumping to a cut scene. It was slightly weird though when words would display on the walls which were currently on the mind of Sam (the main character in the game). We already know that Sam wants to save his daughter... it doesn't have to display what's on his mind in a relentless way... we all got those facts clear straight from the beginning. What was very interesting though was the use of location markers. When Sam would visit a new area in the world, it would project the location such as The White House in big writing on the ground or a wall. Now I found this same feature used in the recent movie The Losers (White 2010), and loved how it was done! It was simple, and not overly used, which allowed for it to produce a perfect scene establishment thoughout the movie. Now in Conviction, it did this as well, but when most of the flashback were projected onto the walls, alongside Sam's thoughts, and location markers... it became overwhelming and simply confusing. Not to mention the fact that the wall video flashbacks were hard to make out in the first place.

In addition, the interrogation methods had there ups and downs. It was neat that everything in the confines of your interrogation room, no matter where it be, was usable. Very similar to any new Wrestling game; the entire environment has a certain interaction available. In each interrogation though, there seemed to be a some sort of porcelain in the midst, and sam would always place the victims face against the porcelain and punch their face directly through it. These are what I call the 'Porcelain Punches.' In the beginning they were fun, but then lost their value, once used so many times. Now with the hand to hand combat, Sam would be too nice at times. It was as though he never actually wanted to hurt the victim; "I don't want to hurt you, so I'll push you ever so gently with my gun butt." I want to see the person being interrogated or attacked, be pistol whipped if there is a gun in Sam's hand, none of this skirting around the situation; it's your newly discovered daughter's life at risk here... get with it Sam!

Some other nice features in the game, were the "Mark and Execute," allowing a room to be cleared quickly, as well as the "Last Known Position." With this feature, a white outline of where you last were would appear when no longer visible, but sometimes it would throw off my game plan more than anything. The figure would appear around where I still was at the moment and then I could barely see the enemies which I was trying to attack; really aggravating. This feature did work very nicely when manoeuvring around window sills. I would purposely be seen to draw an enemy to a window, move aside, then crawl back when he arrived, and then pull him out; it worked perfectly.

Now there were some problems with the game itself, where video's wouldn't load and would instantly reset my system, making me fearful of the three rings of death. I eventually got around it by mashing buttons, eventually skipping the video all together. That's okay though because the narrative was simple and easily understood. Also when it got to the part where you had to protect the computer (the massive touch screen panel) from being touched by enemies, the entire game slowed right down, making it hard to actually fight the enemies. I had to redo it a couple times, and each time it had the same problem; that was probably the most challenging part of the game (it was no purposely placed Matrix slow-motion ability... it was just a glitch in the game which I didn't appreciate at all!)

In summation, the game was too short, the narrative jumped randomly to the presidents assassination, the coop lacked, it used similar black and white to colour aesthetics of The Saboteur (but for this it was seen and not being seen in stead of Nazi occupation), and it didn't require that you had any previous knowledge of the Splinter Cell series. So all in all, buy if you have the flow, but it's a recommended rent! I know that the commercial for this game does an incredible job selling it, similar to Gears of War, but just be careful, you may get disappointed.

The Saboteur Review

2010-05-04T19:19:00.006-04:00

Overall:7.5/10
Purchase Value:6.5/10
Replay Value:3.5/10
Presentation:8.2/10
Gameplay:7/10
Graphics:9/10
Audio:6/10

Let's get down to it! Another World War II game, but this time you play as Devlin, an Irish bystander, who becomes involved in helping to free Paris from Nazi occupation after his good friend is brutally murdered. Everything after the murder is just a vicious onslaught of Nazi forces.

Although this game is constructed as an open sand-box game like the Grand Theft Auto series, I didn't really want to explore Paris. I wanted to get the game over and done with as fast as possible. And if you are like me, then one method you may want to also use is this: storing 5 vehicles as soon as possible in the garage, unlocking the Altair sports car; it gets you from point A to point B much faster. Be careful when driving though, I would recommend following the roads, because if you attempt to venture off road and begin to slow down when encountering a hill... YOU WILL NEVER MAKE IT UP THAT HILL... it's an impossible feat! Also if you drive near water and it happens to have a slight elevation increase (a hill basically), no matter how hard you try to drive up that hill near the water, your car will continue to slide down into the water! I've lost too many cars to the likes of small Paris rivers.

Furthermore, when discussing driving, the controls are quite poor (especially when applying the handbrake), similar to Mercenaries or Just Cause 2 gameplay, but at least I can witness Devlin shift from drive to reverse, which I though was decently impressive. The vehicle detail when being shot or having blood splatter on it is quite impressive though (meaning where you shoot the car, a bullet hole will appear... something that I shouldn't have to strive to look for in games anymore, it should be commonality... Goldeneye even had that mastered). But, something which I enjoyed was the fact that where ever I left my car when exiting the game, it would still be in that exact location when starting the game again. GTA never even had that; always had to make sure to park my vehicle in a garage or on the street in a designated zone!

The fact that I wanted to get the game over and done with as fast as possible is not due to the fact that the game lacked by any means; it actually had superior graphics, amazing aesthetics (black and white imagery for Nazi occupied France, and once freed it would appear in extraordinary colour), and a new take on World War II. But, other than that, running around and constantly killing Nazis can become slightly mundane... who am I kidding... it becomes a job rather than being there for pure enjoyment. The only way to keep it interesting would be if the game incorporate methods of killing Nazis similar to that of the Bear Jew in Inglorious Bastards (Tarantino 2009). The only thing that I actually wanted to do was climb the Eiffel Tower and base jump from the top and survive (probably the most memorable part of the game); also you obtain an achievement for it, so there's nothing better than that.

A few things you may notice while playing might be the 'effortless' grenade throw, nearly embarrassing, the mashing of buttons to climb/scale building with ease, or the fact that you will raise an alarm where ever you travel (it seems), even when you are disguised. But the alarms features was quite intense (very similar to GTA), where alarm level 1 and 2 are quite pathetic, but when reaching the higher level, it would become nearly impossible to escape the Nazis. Level 3 the SS Gestapo vehicles chase you down with Batmobile (original Batman with Jack Nicholson) like machine guns on the hoods of their cars. With Level 4, airplanes and Warships (similar to Kirov airships in the Red Alert series) begin to show up, which brought me the greatest enjoyment blowing it up, because the explosion was so detailed. Then last, level 5 had tanks roll in, which posed the greatest barrier. All of the alarms provided a new level of entertainment.

I cannot finish this review though without mentioning Devlin's famous Celtic charm and Irish accent. This man can get any woman in the world it seems and does so by speaking in a completely ludicrous way. I was laughing practically every time he spoke. He would pull out the craziest lines that I've never even heard of before and they would be riddled with profanities. Such as "Piece of Piss" or Holy Shite" would be some trademark phrases.

Overall the game is worth purchasing (I did for the midnight show code of course... nudity in a video is obviously the best). It can easily provide up to 15 to 20 hours of gameplay giving you around 700 achievements with ease. If anything else, at least rent it or watch a video on it to hear Devlin or to slaughter a few Nazis, that is if anyone still has a personal vendetta against them (a great means of escape/release then).

James Cameron's Avatar The Game Review

2010-05-04T00:56:00.007-04:00

Overall:3.4/10
Purchase Value:1.2/10
Replay Value:1.1/10
Presentation:4.5/10
Gameplay:2.4/10
Graphics:7.2/10
Audio:5/10

When you have a movie that was so well created... it is pointless to make a game that can not match any realm of greatness that the movie obtained. It would be much more worth while watching Avatar 3D in theatres or simply purchasing it (since it is now released). The two hours of enjoyment from the movie would be far superior than trying to gain any type of enjoyment from merely attempting to conquer/save (the somewhat poor representation of) Pandora!

Now let's explore some pros and cons of the game in specific. The game is very poor, since it restricts you to step by step play (very linear). You can venture anywhere you want, but later in the game you will have to re-venture to the same location to actually complete the assigned mission. It's a horrible limitation. There is a variety of weapons (which is nice so that the Na'vi race is not just limited to bows and arrows) but there is persistence with the crosshairs, and having this combined with horrible camera work... it simply ruins the gaming experience (the controls themselves are also horrible so this doesn't help the gameplay either) and becomes fairly annoying. Driving the vehicles or flying around Pandora have to be the worst aspects about his game; it's as though the game was never tested but just released so it would precede the release date of the movie. Also, one might want to watch out for the Left Trigger near high cliffs, because it may make you randomly attack and base jump from the side of a mountain... not very ideal.

As for a few (and when I say few, I mean it) positive aspects, there was a a great view graphically of Pandora after flying high up in the sky... love those sky-walls though... stop you every time. To fly up and just look at Pandora and neighbouring planets is a spectacle; obviously it can't match the movie, but it still does a fairly decent job. Now when you are on the ground of Pandora, there are some slight image shading and rendering issues, which kind of take you out of the immersive atmosphere. Furthermore, there are some movie/game discrepancies, such as Banshee's trying to save you rather than kill you, but it is understandable since the game was released before the movie and gives you the option of being Na'vi or human and decide the fate of your race (quite interesting). Lastly, the world conquest feature is particularly neat, since it reminded me a lot like Risk. Everything is calculated out though; there is no chance involved in the domination. Fifty percent of your Na'vi ground troops will be lost when facing Human ground troops (so if they have 100, then you will at least need 200 to conquer that territory).

Overall, the game tries to force you to play through twice to discover both endings... but I don't even think that it is worth it. I would say just purchase the movie rather than purchasing or even renting the game... it will provide a more immersive and impressive experience and leave you with a very good feeling about Avatar.

Can Halo Stay #1 Without Chief?

2010-04-09T23:09:00.008-04:00

Since the release of the original Halo in 2001, Halo has dominated the world of gaming in sales and in online play. But since the original Halo there has been one hero, one spartan who has dominated the Halo universe itself and this hero is of course Master Chief. Master Chief has driven the story-line of Halo since Halo all the way up to Halo 3 and has kept fans coming back spending their hard earned 69$ every time.

The difference between Halo and other successful video game series is that Halo seems to get better and more popular with every game that gets released. That's until Bungie decided to take their prized possession and take away the thing that made it such a prize. Bungie announced that after Halo 3 they would be going in another direction in the Halo universe and this direction did not involve Master Chief. A huge shock since Halo 3 sold an amazing 3.5 MILLION copies in the FIRST DAY.

Even with the success of Halo 3 Bungie still decided to stick with their path and make a game without their Chief and still without Chief many people thought Halo would still remain as the King of First-Person shooters and of all console video games. With the release of Halo 3: ODST expectations were high and ODST did sell well selling 2.5 million copies in the first day which is respectable for any game release but not for a Halo release. Bungie went from selling 3.5 million copies in one day to 2 million. What was different? The game-play was basically the same, the online play was still there (ofcourse half-assed) and it was still a very entertaining game so why did it sell 1 million less copies then Halo 3? Three words No Master Chief.

Now only selling 1 million less isn't that big of a deal is it? Well if you do the math if each Halo game costs 69.99$ (Canadian) then ODST made 70 million dollars less then Halo 3 that's of course in the first day and since most sales of video games happen in the first day we have to assume ODST never caught up to Halo 3.

With the smash hit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 destroying all of Halo's previous first day sales records (selling 4.7 Million on the first day) and with Bungie planning another Halo game without Master Chief is it even possible Halo will take its title back? Bungie has promised a brand-new multiplayer system, improved game-play mechanics and the return of Spartans (Master Chief type soldiers) so the game is getting a lot of hype but the biggest hype it's getting is if Master Chief is going to make an appearance. So I have to ask the question is a Halo game really a Halo game without Master Chief? And can Halo get it's #1 title back without its prized fighter in the ring? Or did Halo already hit it's peak with Halo3 and now we're only seeing it's slow fall from amazing to mediocre?

M.A.G. Review

2010-02-24T16:31:00.112-05:00

Overall: 6.5/10
Purchase Value: 6/10
Replay Value: 6/10
Presentation: 8/10
Gameplay: 6/10
Graphics: 8.5/10
Audio: 6/10

M.AG. (Massive Action Game) was released January 26, 2010 and it's gaming interface is strictly online. Straight out of the gates you can see the potential problems with this. This is basically Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but without the intense storyline. So without a single player campaign, this game initially drops in quality and prestige! The game has an online community feeling, where everyone is progressing through a very make-shift (all out war) storyline all at the same time... so in that way it is partially decent.

As for it being solely online there were obviously internet connection problems. There were constant updates (meaning that the servers were never really up to date), and with the only way to play being online, this really halts anyone from progressing and improving their ranks. Their update times should be set when gameplay is at it's lowest so it doesn't stop players mid-game.

The wait time was horrible, but after I changed all of my settings in my network panel on the PS3, the connection improved slightly and so it didn't kick me out mid-match anymore. I felt as if I never knew when I would be able to truly join a match and fully complete it. I call this the "Pray-to-Play" feeling, where you pray that you won't get stuck on the loading screen, or connection problems mid-action.

Now after all my complaining about the online nature of this game (which in itself is pretty cool since it is the first of its kind), I will talk about some decent aspects which will keep you coming back.

There is a nice realistic nature with the health meter. I know that having numbers represent your health is falsity in itself, but with knowing that you are hurt, and that you are getting closer towards death, it makes you value your virtual life more (almost like real life), and causes the way you play to change, such as taking more cover and becoming more stealthy. This is heavily opposed to Gears of War, Halo, or Modern Warfare 2, where if you take cover after being shot, your health or shield regenerates. That's not how battle operates. When you get hurt in M.A.G. I would insist that you, heal yourself (acquire that skill), or once downed, call for a medic to heal/revive you instead of just letting yourself bleed out. It will improve your rankings faster and decrease your overall death toll. Also, the longer respond times make you value your life more, and makes you decide against acting as a krazy kamikazi fighter.

Another plus, was the incentive given to gain experience for upgrade rewards (like new weapons, armour, attachments. etc.). Again I was initially frustrated by gathering many kills and then losing connection because it heavily weighed upon the upgrade process... and so my progress was stalemated... I felt like I was "not so smart kid" being punished and held back in grade school when I should have easily been in University by now... it just ruined the challenges!

An aspect which I found annoying was that I could never tell who was on my team and who wasn't. I thought that I was killing my team members more often than the enemy... and that's never a good thing per se, unless there is some sort of motivation behind it...

Then, once you acquire a higher ranking, there are no more new levels or zones to play in, so the game essentially becomes pointless. Once you have a high enough rank to attempt to be a platoon leader, it doesn't matter becomes everyone just votes to kick you out. So there is no fun nor progress. Also, ever since IGN released a video on killing your own teammates and the healing them, the game has lost all integrity!

Overall, it is not a worthwhile game to purchase, and since it is all online, it also isn't worthwhile to rent (not enough rental time, especially with no campaign). This game does have a decent premise and is innovative with it massive online play (128 gamers facing off against each other), but the massive action eventually diminishes... which is kind of sad, since that is suppose to be the game's focus.

Nintendo’s Big Hitters Arriving Soon

2010-02-24T15:53:00.007-05:00

February 24, 2010 – 2010 is looking to be a decisive year for Nintendo. Both Microsoft and Sony are planning to release their own motion-controller technology this year, and with the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 both having received numerous price cuts, the Wii is looking less appealing everyday. In response, it seems like Nintendo is looking to bolster their software offerings, namely with new entries into their most successful franchises. Today, Nintendo held their first quarter Media Summit in San Francisco, and gave surprisingly early release dates for some of the biggest Nintendo titles of the year.

One of the first big Wii games to look out for this year is Monster Hunter Tri. Since being released in Japan last August, the game has sold over 1 million copies, and has been critically lauded. The action-RPG title will allow gamers to take on the role of a hunter in their attempts to gain fame and fortune by capturing and killing monsters. The game will be free to play online, unlike in Japan where it is subscription based. It also supports Wii Speak, allowing players to talk to each other when playing online. Monster Hunter Tri’s release is less than two months away, set for April 20^th.

Hot on the heels of Monster Hunter Tri is one of the most anticipated titles of the year in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Being the sequel to the game that won multiple game-of-the-year awards in 2007, Super Mario Galaxy 2 doesn’t drastically change the formula found in the original. The core gameplay remains the same, with the Italian plumber platforming across a variety of 3D planets and landscapes (we’re guessing in order to save Princess Peach). Certain power-ups from the first game, such as the Bee Suit, will be returning, in addition to some brand new abilities. Mario will also be able to ride his beloved dinosaur Yoshi this time around, which will add some variety as well. Mario’s latest adventure will begin on May 23^rd.

In addition to Super Mario Galaxy 2, the other big Nintendo title that was revealed at last year’s E3 was Metroid: Other M, which is being developed by both Nintendo and Team Ninja. Other M looks to take Samus out of the world created by the Prime series, and mark a return to a more classic Metroid experience. The game will feature both 2D and 3D gameplay, as well as both first and third person perspectives. There is some concern that the game might be too similar to Team Ninja’s Ninja Gaiden series, however they claim that Other M will maintain the exploration sequences found in every other Metroid game, and will feel distinctly different. Metroid: Other M is set for release on June 27^th.

With big titles like Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Metroid: Other M set for release in the coming months, some are wondering what Nintendo is keeping up their sleeve for this year’s Holiday release window. Could the next Zelda game that Nintendo alluded to at last year’s E3 be coming out this winter? Having Mario, Samus, and Link appear in the same year usually only happens when a Super Smash Bros. game is released. Nevertheless, even if we don’t see a new Zelda game this year, Mario and Samus should at least help stave off the summer gaming drought.

Heavy Rain Preview

2010-02-17T10:40:00.013-05:00

February 17, 2010 - The PS3 exclusive Heavy Rain is nearly ready to hit store shelves. Here's our first impression of the ambitious title.

One of the most highly anticipated PS3 titles of the year is quickly approaching in Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain. The game has been in development for roughly four years, and promises to deliver a level of interactivity never before seen in a video game. With the demo hitting the Playstation Network two weeks before launch, gamers have gotten their first taste of the unorthodox style of Heavy Rain.

The demo is split into two parts, both focusing on one of the four protagonists of the game. The first is Scott Shelby, a private detective who is investigating the latest murder by the serial killer known as “The Origami Killer.” Shelby travels to a seedy motel to interrogate the mother of the killer’s latest victim. The second playable character is Norman Jayden, an FBI agent who you’ll explore the murder scene with. Jayden has access to the Added Reality Interface, or ARI, to help him investigate, which involves using a special pair of glasses and a pulse-emitting glove to search the crime scene for clues and evidence.

The first thing you’ll notice about Heavy Rain is the presentation. The game plays out just like a cutscene, making it truly feel like you’re watching a movie the entire time. Controlling your character is done in a rather strange fashion, as you walk by holding R2, and change your direction with the left thumbstick. Along with the fact that the camera is fixed (though you can change the angle with R1), movement can be cumbersome and awkward at first, and until you get the hang of it, make your character look disjointed in the otherwise cinematic presentation.

Actions are completed through the use of the right thumbstick, which can range from knocking on doors, to grabbing your wallet from your pocket. There are also quick time events in the game, such as when you’re drawn into a fight. Using a combination of face buttons, the right thumbstick, and motion controls with sixaxis, combat is fun to watch and perform. Quick time events grew in popularity thanks to games like God of War and Resident Evil 4, and worked well to break up the action and immerse the player. However, whether it will work for the entire length of a game remains to be seen.

Conversing with other characters is a major aspect of the game. The dialogue is branching, and you control what your character says via words that float around the screen, each with a corresponding button. What you choose to say can alter the course of the game. For example, as Shelby, if you try and buy the victim’s mother into talking, she will kick you out of her motel room. If you trick her, however, she’ll tell you everything you want to know. This places a lot emphasis on choice throughout Heavy Rain, which will help keep gamers involved throughout the story.

Once you start playing Heavy Rain, it’ll be hard not to notice how gorgeous the visuals are. Characters look lively and realistic, and animate beautifully. And the environments are extremely rich and detailed. The sleazy hotel especially helped set the somber tone of the game, looking as if it jumped right out of a dark film noir movie. Without jaw-dropping graphics, the game would have a hard time convincing gamers that they were taking part in an interactive movie. Luckily, that isn’t a problem.

The audio of Heavy Rain is equally as impressive as the graphics. The soundtrack is fittingly dark and gloomy, but quickly changes intensity when the action picks up onscreen to be appropriately suspenseful. It certainly plays like the soundtrack of a big budget Hollywood film. The voice acting is, disappointingly, rather hit or miss. Shelby’s character is voiced well, but Jayden’s voice acting is rather weak. Considering he is one of the protagonists, and the game is all about the characters and their story, I’m hoping his voice will grow on me as the game progresses.

The demo of Heavy Rain is engaging and fun, there’s no doubt about that. However, it only lasts for about 20 minutes or so. The real question is whether or not Heavy Rain will be able to maintain its tone and immersiveness for 10 to 20 hours. Certainly, if you thought games like Metal Gear Solid 4 had far too many cutscenes and not enough game, you won’t find much to like in Heavy Rain. However, if you’re willing to expand your gaming horizon and try something different, you might be in for a one-of-a-kind experience that’s never been seen before. Heavy Rain is set for release on February 23^rd, exclusively on the Playstation 3.

Left 4 Dead 2 Review

2009-11-18T12:21:00.000-05:00

Overall:7.7/10
Purchase Value:3/10
Replay Value:6/10
Presentation:8/10
Gameplay:8.5/10
Graphics:7/10
Audio:9/10

Alex and I beat Left 4 Dead 2 the other night. It was a fairly short game, including a less than 6 hour storyline, but nothing is more exhilarating than brutalizing zombies with a skillet... or blasting them away with the Spas-12 Combat Shotgun (fastest way, next to the pipe bomb, to clear a cluttered area of zombies)

This game has essentially the same structure of the first game in the series, Left 4 Dead, and focuses on 5 different campaigns, each including 4 to 5 missions. Every campaign is set up as though it is a movie with a poster, and it has the 4 characters (or yourself) starring in the film. It is a very cool structure, but it causes the storyline to lack fluency and makes it disjointed. When playing it through again, and actually listening to the characters speak, they tell you what truly happened in between each campaign, not ultimately making the storyline fluent. So keep an ear out for that.

The graphics of the game have slightly improved from the last one, but overall, still aren't the greatest. All that matters is that the excessive gore and violence still comes across in creative manner, and the developers have managed to do that. With the killing of creepy clown zombies, or having Tanks chase you across the Bridge, there is always a constant surprise for you and your friends. Although the graphics aren't the greatest, it is still an amazing game to play co-op with your friends (even though they may leave you behind on the last mission for zombies to feast on your body as they escape on the boat... resulting in you not receiving the achievements...).
After you beat the surprisingly short campaign (even shorter when just running through it), the online multiplayer features can hold your interest for a couple days or so. The best part about going online is that you are allowed to play as the Special Infected. You finally get to kill the survivors in your own special ways with plenty of sneaky attacks.

One specific feature to mention would be the sound. It is very impressive and seemingly realistic. The sounds of the weapons especially, excel above many other games.

Arc and I actually had the pleasure of playing online with the main developers from Valve on the release date. It was INTENSE. They shared awesome stories about creating the game, as well as, sharing little hints, secrets and tips for beating the game in a more efficient manner.

Overall, the game is interesting, and fun, but way too short. It is definitely a game that I would rent to beat with my friends over the Christmas break coming up, but is not a long enough game to spend 70-80 dollars on.