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PS3, X360- Dragon's Dogma
- Review
- Capcom has delivered an open-world game with tremendously fun combat, a hilariously crazy ending, and not much else.
PS3, X360, PC- Game of Thrones
- Review
- There is probably a great role-playing game to be made out of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels, but Game of Thrones isn't it.
MAC, PC- Diablo III
- Review
- The first Diablo game in over a decade is also one of the most insidiously satisfying loot treadmills in almost as long.
PS3N, PS3, X360, PC- Prototype 2
- Review
- Prototype 2 gives you some interesting abilities that can be fun to use, but it doesn't give you enough good opportunities to cut loose with all that power.
Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time News
| News | Giant Bomb's Holiday Gift Guide (2009 REMIX!!!!) | Dec. 5, 2009 |
| News | Exploring Time Anomalies With Ratchet & Clank | Oct. 8, 2009 |
| News | A Ratchet & Clank: Crack in Time Two-For From Comic-Con | July 27, 2009 |
| News | It's Time For Another Ratchet & Clank Game | June 8, 2009 |
| News | Beaucoup Updates From PlayStationLand | April 2, 2009 |
The Bad: One thing that I've always loved about the R&C franchise has been its perfect blend of platforming action and puzzle-solving; unfortunately, the first two-thirds of A Crack in Time alternates between Ratchet-only levels devoted entirely to action and Clank-only levels devoted entirely to puzzles. Whereas above-average action and above-average puzzles blended together to make earlier R&C adventures truly awesome, that same synergy is sorely missing from most of A Crack in Time.
My only other major gripe with this title was that it felt like Insomniac could've produced an amazing 5-hour game but instead padded A Crack in Time out into a merely adequate 8-hour experience. For example: there's nothing particularly enjoyable about being locked inside a room, forced to fight wave after wave of the same two enemy types as they warp into said room with no end in sight, but that tiresome scenario plays itself out on multiple occasions. Plus, one boss fight even gets re-used!
The Stand-out Moment: The long-awaited reunion of Ratchet and Clank, natch!
The Verdict: 8.0 (out of 10)
On the one hand, I feel like saying that Insomniac should've moved on from Ratchet & Clank like they did with Spyro the Dragon: creating a new franchise for a new console after producing one great trilogy for the previous generation. On the other hand, maybe I'm just a jaded old man who should be playing Resistance instead!
I don't know if this is actually going to be a return of my blog or if it's just a one-time thing. Over the last year, I've come to view my blogs as pretty pointless meanderings. At best, they're a way for me to get some creative writing done, but at worst, they are nonsense that no one and their mother could care about. It's not a self-pitying thing. It's just the slow realization that some of the things I do ultimately just don't matter and will be lost in the ethos of the Internet. That being said, I'm sure I'll continue to heap praises upon the games I enjoy, and I'm certainly not going to stop gaming. Here, then, is my massive list of games I've been playing and what I've thought about them.
RESIDENT EVIL 5
I can't play horror games. I just can't. I thought this might have changed with the more action-centric Rezzie 5, but nope, it's still the same. Let me get something clear - I'm not afraid of most anything. I write horror, I watch horror, I've faced down my own personal fear of going completely blind in a six month situation where I had to wear sleepshades every day for eight hours, and even that didn't really faze me. In any other medium, the stuff contained within Resident Evil 5 wouldn't make me bat an eye, but as a video game, it scares the everloving shit out of me. It has to do with actually controlling the character, the feeling that I am in danger and not the avatar. It's frightening fucking shit, and I know I'm gonna get razzed for it, so let the insults fly.
The state of the horror game, much like the rebounding adventure genre, always continues to astonish me in great ways. With games like RE 5 and Dead Space 2, the genre is not only alive and kicking, but it's doing pretty damn well, too. Even if I can't play the bastards, I salute the genre as a whole for sticking through some rough times.
BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY 2
The Giant Bomb staff review of BC2 stated that the campaign was kind of bland. While I see what they're saying, I disagree. I'm not saying it's the best in its class, but it's certainly entertaining, has many memorable firefights, and the squadmates' personalities are endearing. The story itself is pretty generic (gotta stop a super scientist from unleashing bad shit upon the world, and you're apparently the only military within 5,000 miles), but it's the actual gameplay and the afore-mentioned firefights themselves that left me alternately grinning like a fool and cursing like a sailor.
And the sound effects! Oh my God, the sound effects! My TV is certainly not anything to sneeze at, but my sound is somewhat limited. Even on my TV, though, the sound effects were incredible. The gunshots sounded resoundingly real, with a punch I've never really heard from games before. The dialogue is surprisingly well blended and very audible, though at times, things tend to get a little hectic and voices can sometimes be a little drowned out.
My only wish is that I could try the multiplayer. Sadly, my Internet connection still stinks to high heaven. Eh, oh well. The campaign totally made the budget price more than worth it, and I'll be revisiting the game again. Speaking of, does anyone know if weapon unlocks carry over to a new campaign? That'd be sweet!
MAFIA 2
I spouted a lot on my status about how much I liked Mafia 2, and my feelings really haven't changed. Other than some bland overworld elements, I thought this was a superbly told story with some surprisingly fun set pieces that reminded me of the best of Max Payne 2. Yes, it wears its influences on its sleeve, but those influences are of such a high quality that I really don't mind a bit.
HEAVY RAIN
My frustration with Heavy Rain's nearly unintelligble on-screen control icons are more than balanced out by the superb story, interesting characters, and novel approach to every aspect of the game. Like most games this generation, if they only added larger font sizes, this would have been near the very top of my favorite adventure game list.
RATCHET AND CLANK FUTURE: A CRACK IN TIME
I might have talked about this game in a previous blog in December or November, but I've been revisiting it a bit lately, and I still really enjoy it. It's just a solid, well-crafted action platformer with tons of extras to keep me busy. If you're turned off by this sort of game because you think it's too "kiddy," you're doing yourself and this game a disservice. Give it a go, and I promise, you'll have a blast.
MADDEN 11/TIGER WOODS 11
Solid entries in venerable sports franchises. Not much more to say about Madden - it's a fun diversion of a game. Tiger Woods has thankfully dropped the on-the-fly skill system in favor of a tried-and-true RPG-esque system. Yes, they've done variations of it before, but I still think this is the best version yet. DLC courses aren't implemented into the Tour (boo!), and the price of DLC is still way too fucking high. Other than that, from what I understand, they're going to do what we all want in TW 12 and drop the bizarre idea that experience points should purchase clothing, and instead make all clothing purchasable with in-game money. Good stuff.
It was on sale this weekend, and I've been thinking about buying one for a while now, so along with many others, I bought one from the Media Markt.
I also got Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, although I should probably look for, and play, Tools of Destruction first.
Having a Blu-ray Disc player now, I also got the Avatar Extended Blu-Ray Collector's Edition.
That response struck me as very odd. I wound up renting both games and played several hours of both. Between the two, I found that the "kiddy" game was more well-written, had more interesting characters, and a storyline that served as more than just an excuse to blow things up. Right off the bat, Cole MacGrath is unlikeable; his voice is so gravely that Solid Snake would feel embarassed, and he frequently has to decide what the best course of action is. However, if you honestly have trouble choosing between "fry a guy to death so the door will open" or "tell the guy his wife is dead so he no longer has a reason to lock you out", then something if seriously wrong with you. His best friend is an annoying idiot, and there's some kind of subplot about Cole's wife that I really couldn't care about in between missions of "go here, kill everybody". In short, the story is pathetic; fortunately the game mechanics and open world of inFamous still make it a good game; but I stopped caring simply because the story falls so ridiculously flat.
However, I felt completely the opposite of Ratchet & Clank. I'd never played an R&C game before, and the story opened up with Clank being captured, letting me know that I came late to the party. But honestly? I couldn't care. I was quickly introduced to the main cast - Ratchet, Clank, Captain Quark, and Captain Nefarious, and thanks to some great writing and characterization, I loved all of them. Despite this being the latest sequel in a long line of games, I was never confused or overwhelmed by the story; I felt like a dad sitting down with his kid to watch cartoons together on a Saturday morning. For the most part, anyway. I forgot about that time in Batman where the hero has to seek out x number of plot MacGuffins before he's allowed to advance the plot. I know you game developers are pressured to make your games as long as possible, but let us do sidequests on our own time; if we want to see what happens next, let us, dammit.
However, as far as gameplay mechanics go, I would say R&C and inFamous are actually switched around as far as which one is "kiddier". InFamous's controls are pretty easy to figure out; you have one basic attack and several variations on it. To heal, just stand next to something electric and charge up (and those things are everywhere, so health really isn't a problem in the game). It's not exactly smooth, but it's uncomplicated and easily gets the job done. R&C on the other hand, is a long-running series, and like any good series, it takes steps to evolve. There were times when I wondered if the young audiences the game was intended for would even be able to comprehend some of the game mechanics; I was already pretty confused at some of the time-based puzzles, and I'm a long-time gamer who enjoys a good puzzle; could you really imagine a young child figuring them out? As well as figuring out the various guns, constantly juggling ammo and health, and the occasional tricky platform segment? That's probably where the "family" label comes in; like I said earlier, R&C is probably the perfect game for a parent to play with their child. An adult would have an easier time grasping the game mechanics, so the two can work together to progress.
For a long, long time, I've found "Kiddy" to be a rather ignorant term; even a game like Super Smash Bros can be called kiddy just because of its all-ages cast, despite a huge amount of depth in its gameplay; ditto for Pokemon. In the past week when someone found out I liked video games, the first thing he asked was if I was looking forward to the new Halo and Call of Duty. My response? A big "no". The Halos I've played I found repetitive and dull, and I'd much rather seek out the comparatively softer Metroid: Other M (which comes out this week!). There's nothing wrong with family games, and while I've sounded pretty cynical, a more mature-rated fare can be just as entertaining (see: Persona 4, which has a big M rating on the box, but still somehow comes across as kiddy).
Best Downloadable Game
Best Story
I'm a huge BioShock fan. Loved the story, gameplay, character etc. And the sequel hits pretty much all of those notes. Oh and the story is pretty damn good. You play as the first Big Daddy who is brought back to life after being shot. But by who?? The story has some twists and turns that might not have had as big of a impact as the first game but it's pretty good.Runner up - Heavy Rain - Trust me, this has a damn good story. It came down to which one I liked the most.
Best Visuals
3D Dot Game Heroes
Who knew it didn't take super real textures or character models to make a game look good. From Software simply put fucking small blocks together and made one of the best looking games of 2010. It's a unique look and it carries the game a very long way. It never gets old and is pretty humorous in some of their character designs. More devs should realize that to make a game look good, it doesn't have to have super real visuals.Runner up - Red Dead Redemption - Read what I just wrote and think the opposite.
Most Disappointing Game
Lost Planet 2
One of the first blogs I wrote on the site was about how awesome I thought Lost Planet 2 was going to be. I had such high hopes for that game, it could have been awesome. But Capcom fucked that up pretty good. They overlooked all of their offline gamers and focused 100%on online gaming. It's pathetic. A lot of gamers out there don't have the ability to get online to game. That being said, the single player is nothing but a online mode with bots and the AI is dumber then goddamn rocks. During one level, you have to shoot a a Akrid with a giant gun. They staked up all the ammo where it's supposed to be loaded, I couldn't load it at all. That boss battle was too hard cause of that. Capcom should be ashamed with this game, it's trash.Runner up - Red Dead Redemption - As of right now this game holds the runner up spot.
Best Game I Played That Didn't Come Out This Year
Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in TimeI got a late start on this game. I played Tools of Destruction last year and loved it but didn't pick this on up till about February. It's a hell of a game. Looks great, plays great but I felt that it wasn't as good as Tools of Destruction. But I feel that game is one of the best games on the PS3 so it had big shoes to fill. It was the first game I got a platinum in, yes I played it twice. And I enjoyed every minute of it.
Runner up - BioShock - I wanted to put Batman: AA in the runner up spot but BioShock is so damn good.
Game of the Year
BioShock 2
I really feel like 2K Marin and all of the other 20 developers of this game has made the best game this year. It's a well done shooter with a fantastic story to be told. I loved it so. BUT there's a ton of new games to come out that have lots of promise. So this could change, and you know what. I hope it changes. Not that I don't like BioShock 2, I love the damn game, I say that because this game came out in what February? If no game can beat that in 10 months, that shows a lack of great games this year.Runner up - WHO FUCKING KNOWS!!
Hope you enjoyed the read. At the end of the year this will probably change and have more categories so check in then!!
Thanks for reading,
-Trevor
Ok, this list should make sense to you: I pick my favorite video games from each year, starting with 2000. Also, I'm not including any titles I haven't played before. Alright, here we go:
2000
Spyro: Year of the Dragon
A brilliant platformer that kept me entertained ALL the time back then. Probably my favorite of the three.
2001
Halo: Combat Evolved
I must admit I haven't played this game a lot, but when I do, I must say that it's a blast!
2002
Timesplitters 2/ Kingdom Hearts
Great shooter that I wish I got to play more/ Action RPG that I almost got addicted to for a while.
2003
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
A fantastic action platformer that only hits a snag in combat.
2004
Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal/ Metroid: Zero Mission
The best R&C on the PS2, maybe even the best period/ What do I have to say about this one? 2D Metroid FTW!
2005
Resident Evil 4/ Star Wars: Battlefront 2
A thrilling title that only had one flaw: Not being able to move while attacking/ The shooter that occupied me more than any other, this was a thing of beauty (Even if I'm not a big Star Wars fan!)
2006
KIngdom Hearts II
I'm one of the few people who enjoyed this game as much as the original. Also, I only picked this for 2006 because I can't find anything good for the year.
2007
God of War II/ Uncharted
A gritty, awesome button-masher that was way better than the third/ My first PS3 game! Great gunplay, platforming, and puzzle-solving, only to be marred by the survival/horror element closer to the end of the game. *Tomb Raider: Anniversary and Super Mario Galaxy are runner-ups*
2008
LittleBigPlanet/Prince of Persia
A charming little platformer that I still return to after getting it so long ago (Can't wait for 2!); Easy? Yes. Beautiful? Definitely. This game was so easy and yet so amazing IMO.
2009
Refer to this list
Also, I would have to include things I didn't get around to last year, such as Borderlands
2010
Red Dead Redemption/ Super Mario Galaxy 2
Best. Western. Ever./ Brilliant platformer; maybe even better than the original!
Video Games Played
- Heavy Rain; excellent cinematic experience with a brilliant atmosphere and tension that had me on the edge of my seat for fear of missing an on screen prompt for almost my entire time spent with the game. Definitely a fine example of how a game doesn't need to involve a tremendous amount of violence or complexity in order for it to be a deep and enjoyable experience.
- God of War 3; over the topic set pieces and visceral action makes a God of War game and this didn't disappoint one bit. From that opening cinematic to the fight against Cronos the game didn't hold back on taking my breathe away with its epic proportions. And definitely one of the most satisfying examples of how amazing a game can look visually without suffering from poor performance.
- The Saboteur; plagued with technical issues that refused to let me continue playing but a fine game none the less. Even though I didn't finish it through to the end exactly I feel I pumped in enough time literally exploring, seducing and sabotaging my way through Paris to safely say I hold a soft spot for it.
- Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing; a quirky and charming kart racer that had me sold the moment I found out I could play as Alex Kidd. However upon actually playing it I was pretty shocked to see how much depth there was to the game. Between all the unlockable music, levels and characters to the various modes in the single player. Not to mention a somewhat stellar online experience as well.
- Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time; if there is one thing I can appreciate being done well in a game then it's humour. Something this game is full of which, coupled with the entertaining adventure / puzzle / platformer it is, made the experience all the more enjoyable. And I don't think any game has hit my OCDness for collecting things quite like this did with the various bolts and collectibles dotted around levels and planets.
- Blur; the sophisticated kart racer that just so happens to be one of the most challenging and difficult games I've played in recent years. Once you break past the sweet and enjoyable outer layer the game has a bit of a sour twist too it. But with the bevy of real-world cars, enjoyable tracks and intuitive power-ups I'm willing to overlook the darn right daftness that creeps up in certain areas.
Currently Playing
Valkyria Chronicles; again I'm a little late to the party on this one but that isn't stopping me from enjoying what I've played of it so far. I've just finished up my first desert mission and come across a ragnite temple. Something tells me I've still got many, many more hours of playtime left before I'm even close to finishing it. However what I've experienced so far has been great. Gameplay is far more tactical and fun than I thought it would be after viewing the Quick Look on the site. The art style, dialogue and cutscenes in between missions have been great as well. I'm not much of a Anime / JRPG fan myself but I'm really enjoying the quirky nature the characters all have, so far the highlight of the game has been picking squad members that have good synergy with each other. An example being Jann & Largo who have become my go-to-guys when I need Lancers on the field.Like I said though, I feel I've only just breached the surface on this game and still have the juicy centre to play through and enjoy until it's finished!
Steam Sale Extravaganza
The only thing I bought was Lead & Gold: Gangs of the Wild West and that is definitely a game I am glad I paid £3.40 for. It's got issues, primarily the fact it seemed adamant on disconnecting me every time a server or game migrated to the next map. Still I won't knock it too hard, it's enjoyable when you get into a game with little lag and plenty of players. I look forward to seeing what else Fatshark produce in the future. E3 2010
So much to talk about. So little enthusiasm to do so!As each E3 comes and goes I find myself less and less enthusiastic about it. Out of all the statistical analysis, dick swinging between companies and coverage to catch up on by my favourite video game websites. I find myself exhausted and getting close to my apathetic cut-off point. So for the sake of brevity I'll bullet point what I considered to be the highlights of E3 2010...
- Portal 2 & Steamworks on PS3
- inFAMOUS 2
- Nintendo 3DS
- Kevin Butler
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- Call of Duty: Black Ops
- PlayStation Plus
- XCOM
We'll end things there I think. As per usual feel free to leave constructive criticism in the comments below!
Love Hamz, XOXO
| News | Giant Bomb's Holiday Gift Guide (2009 REMIX!!!!) | Dec. 5, 2009 |
| News | Exploring Time Anomalies With Ratchet & Clank | Oct. 8, 2009 |
| News | A Ratchet & Clank: Crack in Time Two-For From Comic-Con | July 27, 2009 |
| News | It's Time For Another Ratchet & Clank Game | June 8, 2009 |
| News | Beaucoup Updates From PlayStationLand | April 2, 2009 |
|
Report: 38 Studios Lays Off Entire Staff [UPDATED]
Both 38 Studios and Big Huge Games have been effectively dismantled. |
|
|
Diablo III Sells 3.5 Million Copies In its First Day Alone
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is now the fastest-selling PC game of all time. |
|
|
Wii U’s Controller May Have Seen Some Changes
No more Circle Pad-style analog sticks, and some swapped button placement. |
|
|
Blizzard Says Battle.Net Hasn’t Been Compromised
Reports of account "hacking" are not necessarily a sign of security issues. |
|
|
Johann Sebastian Joust Is Latest iOS Cloning Victim
Studio behind awfully similar game for iOS claims an agreement was in place. |
|
|
And Now Aliens: Colonial Marines Won't Be Coming Out This Year, Either
Gearbox's Aliens side-story slips to February. |
|
|
Activision Lawsuit Has Details on Bungie’s Next Game
First game scheduled for Xbox 360, sequels on unannounced platforms. |
|
|
Johann Sebastian Joust Clone Disappears, Developer Responds
Also, Die Gute Fabrik on prospects for a release of its popular motion game. |
|
|
Report: 38 Studios Lays Off Entire Staff [UPDATED]
Both 38 Studios and Big Huge Games have been effectively dismantled. |
|
|
Diablo III Sells 3.5 Million Copies In its First Day Alone
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is now the fastest-selling PC game of all time. |
|
|
Wii U’s Controller May Have Seen Some Changes
No more Circle Pad-style analog sticks, and some swapped button placement. |
|
|
Blizzard Says Battle.Net Hasn’t Been Compromised
Reports of account "hacking" are not necessarily a sign of security issues. |
|
|
Johann Sebastian Joust Is Latest iOS Cloning Victim
Studio behind awfully similar game for iOS claims an agreement was in place. |
|
|
And Now Aliens: Colonial Marines Won't Be Coming Out This Year, Either
Gearbox's Aliens side-story slips to February. |
|
|
Activision Lawsuit Has Details on Bungie’s Next Game
First game scheduled for Xbox 360, sequels on unannounced platforms. |
|
|
Johann Sebastian Joust Clone Disappears, Developer Responds
Also, Die Gute Fabrik on prospects for a release of its popular motion game. |
|
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