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Habast's Game Reviews at a Glance

Sometimes, an entire in-depth review can be rather time consuming both to write and to read. I decided to create a list featuring quick scored reviews for various games I've played. It is roughly in order of newer to older games.

Please keep in mind that this is completely based on my own personal opinion and experience.

It is still under construction, which I hope explains the small number of games.

List items

1. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend

Release Date: February 14th, 2012 
 
This is my first experience with the BlazBlue series, and I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed. The combat is very technical and was quite difficult for me to learn, but there is a helpful tutorial mode included to speed the process along. BlazBlue has sizable cast of very diverse and memorable characters who each add there own interesting and unique style to the game and each fit well into BlazBlue's expansive, anime-styled story mode. Which reminds me of one of the selling points, for me. Continuum Shift Extend includes the Continuum Shift storyline as well as a revamped version of Calamity Trigger's storyline (the first game). It let me experience the entire story, instead of come in half-way through, which I really appreciated. The game is also packed to the brim with offline content, for those who don't like to play online much (like myself). 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 89/100 (B+) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 88/100 (B+) 
Graphics (Artistic): 95/100 (A) 
Graphics (Technical): 90/100 (A-) 
Sound (Music): 87/100 (B+) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 91/100 (A-) 
Story (Concept): 91/100 (A-) 
Story (Presentation): 94/100 (A) 
Characters (Originality): 98/100 (A+) 
Characters (Likability): 92/100 (A-) 
Final Score: 91.5/100 (A-)
2. Soulcalibur V

Release Date: January 31st, 2012 
 
I had my share of complaints, such as the removal of individual character's story modes (and the sub-par presentation of the story mode, itself), but overall the latest SoulCalibur more than lived up to its name. Fun and fluid gameplay mixed with fantastic graphics and a charming cast of characters make SoulCalibur V a smash hit. I love implementation of the Critical Gauge, which allows for 2D-fighter-styled super attacks that I think really add to not only the flashy presentation, but also to the fun and depth of the game. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 97/100 (A+) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 94/100 (A) 
Graphics (Artistic): 96/100 (A) 
Graphics (Technical): 92/100 (A-) 
Sound (Music): 91/100 (A-) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 92/100 (A-) 
Story (Concept): 85/100 (B) 
Story (Presentation): 67/100 (D) 
Characters (Originality): 97/100 (A+) 
Characters (Likability): 93/100 (A) 
Final Score: 90.4/100 (A-) 
 
you can read my full review for this game at http://www.giantbomb.com/soulcalibur-v/61-35161/user-reviews/?review_id=22231
3. Dynasty Warriors 7

Release Date: March 29th, 2011 
 
I've recently acquired Koei's latest Dynasty Warriors title, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Dynasty Warriors 7 adds a lot of new characters, a far better told set of story modes, new mechanics that make combat much less mindless and much more fun (though still not revolutionary), and an entirely new mode: Conquest Mode. Conquest Mode is basically a far more interesting replacement for Free Mode. It lets you select your battles on a map of China, unlocking new stages, characters, weapons, and animals (horses, elephants, etc). You can also go into towns to talk to people, purchase new weapons and animals, hire officers as mercenaries to aid you in battle, and test your knowledge of Three Kingdoms lore in the trivia game (which I thought was a fun addition). DW7 is a farcry from perfect, but it is a massive improvement over DW6 and a huge step in the right direction for the series. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 93/100 (A) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 87/100 (B+) 
Graphics (Artistic): 88/100 (B+) 
Graphics (Technical): 93/100 (A) 
Sound (Music): 79/100 (C+) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 82/100 (B-) 
Story (Concept): 86/100 (B) 
Story (Presentation): 83/100 (B) 
Characters (Originality): 82/100 (B-) 
Characters (Likability): 84/100 (B) 
Final Score: 85.7/100 (B)
4. Super Street Fighter IV

Release Date: April 27th, 2010 
 
Super Street Fighter IV introduces 10 new fighters into the fray, gives each character in the game 2 Ultras, all characters have been rebalanced, and the online mode has been fleshed out. In short, if you were wondering whether or not Super Street Fighter IV was a worthy update to the original, you can rest assured that it is. As always, it presents one of the best experiences fighting games have to offer, and it does it in style. Now, though, you would probably rather just nab the Arcade Edition. I haven't played it yet, and I don't think the added content warrants another purchase, but if you haven't bought SSFIV yet, the Arcade Edition is probably your best bet at this point. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 93/100 (A) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 90/100 (A-) 
Graphics (Artistic): 94/100 (A) 
Graphics (Technical): 90/100 (A-) 
Sound (Music): 81/100 (B-) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 88/100 (B+) 
Story (Concept): 71/100 (C-) 
Story (Presentation): 79/100 (C+) 
Characters (Originality): 91/100 (A-) 
Characters (Likability): 90/100 (A-) 
Final Score: 86.7/100 (B)
5. Mass Effect 2

Release Date: January 26th, 2010 
 
I played through Mass Effect 2 before the original and loved it so much that I had to play its predecessor. Mass Effect 2 is a great RPG with an engaging story and a lovable cast of characters, but after playing the first game, I sort of miss the role-playing depth that the first game presented. Because of that, I prefer Mass Effect 1, but this is by all means a worthy sequel and a great game in its own right. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 86/100 (B) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 93/100 (A) 
Graphics (Artistic): 94/100 (A) 
Graphics (Technical): 93/100 (A-) 
Sound (Music): 93/100 (A) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 89/100 (B+) 
Story (Concept): 90/100 (A-) 
Story (Presentation): 94/100 (A) 
Characters (Originality): 91/100 (A-) 
Characters (Likability): 93/100 (A) 
Final Score: 91.6/100 (A-)
6. Tekken 6

Release Date: October 27th, 2009 
 
Tekken has always been one of my favorite franchises, and I was happy to acquire the latest addition, Tekken 6. The game adds four new characters (bringing the total roster count up to a rather impressive 40 characters). Each character has their own style and set of nuances to learn, which makes each character interesting in their own way. The story mode is presented in a sort of arcade beat-em-up fashion, which I thought was an interesting take, though I would have preferred normal fights, I think. In short, Tekken 6 is a great current gen title for the series and a must-have for fighting game fans. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 92/100 (A-) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 91/100 (A-) 
Graphics (Artistic): 86/100 (B) 
Graphics (Technical): 90/100 (A-) 
Sound (Music): 84/100 (B) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 91/100 (A-) 
Story (Concept): 84/100 (B) 
Story (Presentation): 79/100 (C+) 
Characters (Originality): 86/100 (B) 
Characters (Likability): 88/100 (B+) 
Final Score: 87.1/100 (B+)
7. Mirror's Edge

Release Date: November 11th, 2008 
 
Mirror's Edge is one of those games that you can pick up easily, have a blast playing through, but afterwards you are pretty uninspired to ever play through again. At least, that was my experience. Mirror's Edge takes place in the near-future, where a totalitarian government strictly monitors the flow of information within its borders and where many individual liberties have been stripped away to create a peaceful society, at least on the surface. The Runners, a group of people who oppose the changes in their government and yearn for their freedoms, run messages around the city parkour-styled to avoid government detection. Mirror's Edge really is a lot of fun to play and its first-person acrobatic shenanigans make for some truly awesome moments. I like the characters (especially the leading lady, Faith) and presentation of the story is interesting, and first-person combat was also fun... But for some reason, I haven't really been inspired to play it again since I beat it. It's still a highly original and fun game, though. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 87/100 (B+) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 65/100 (D) 
Graphics (Artistic): 91/100 (A-) 
Graphics (Technical): 89/100 (B+) 
Sound (Music): 72/100 (C-) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 81/100 (B-) 
Story (Concept): 81/100 (B-) 
Story (Presentation): 85/100 (B) 
Characters (Originality): 73/100 (C) 
Characters (Likability): 85/100 (B) 
Final Score: 80.9/100 (B-)
8. Dynasty Warriors 6

Release Date: February 19th, 2008 
 
Dynasty Warriors 6 adopts a few new takes on the button-mashing beat-em-up. Almost none of them are good. Let's start with the improvements: the graphics are obviously a massive upgrade over DW5, the experience meter and skill tree added a more RPG feel to it, the fog-of-war is finally gone, and you can swim and climb ladders now. Now, the bad: nearly all the characters share movesets with other characters instead of being all original, there are less characters, only a few of the characters have story modes, the renbu system takes away the ability to combo the X and Y (square and triangle for PS3 players) buttons, and there are many less stages. My conclusion is that Dynasty Warriors 6 is still a fun game, but the already not-so-deep gameplay was made much more shallow and less interesting. I would highly recommend Dynasty Warriors 7 over it now that its been released, as it is an improvement in every way. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 88/100 (B+) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 79/100 (C+) 
Graphics (Artistic): 87/100 (B+) 
Graphics (Technical): 88/100 (B+) 
Sound (Music): 73/100 (C-) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 78/100 (C+) 
Story (Concept): 78/100 (C+) 
Story (Presentation): 62/100 (D-) 
Characters (Originality): 76/100 (C) 
Characters (Likability): 80/100 (B-) 
Final Score: 78.9/100 (C+)
9. Mass Effect

Release Date: November 20th, 2007 
 
Mass Effect features a well-told story with a great cast of characters, a very enjoyable RPG character building system, and a whole lot of content to explore. In a way, it feels like a spiritual successor to Knights of the old Republic, except that with Mass Effect Bioware has created their own original universe, which makes it all the better. Overall, its my favorite RPG on a next-gen system. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 90/100 (A-) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 94/100 (A) 
Graphics (Artistic): 91/100 (A-) 
Graphics (Technical): 90/100 (A-) 
Sound (Music): 92/100 (A-) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 90/100 (A-) 
Story (Concept): 92/100 (A-) 
Story (Presentation): 94/100 (A) 
Characters (Originality): 93/100 (A) 
Characters (Likability): 92/100 (A-) 
Final Score: 91.8/100 (A-)
10. Romance of the Three Kingdoms X

Release Date: June 21st, 2005 
 
Romance of the Three Kingdoms is a turn-based strategy series based on the classic novel of the same name. It is made by Koei, the makers of the Dynasty Warriors series, and is set in the same period of ancient Chinese history. Don't let the association with Dynasty Warriors make you think that the strategy will be shallow, the RTK games are actually some of the best strategy games ever made. You are given the ability to choose one of over 600 characters in 9 different scenarios (each can last well over 24 hours of play time one game). Each character has their own set of stats, skills, skillfully drawn portrait, and a bio that tells you who that character is. If over 600 characters isn't enough for you, you can also create up to 100 custom officers (per a memory card), each with their own portrait, set of stats, skills, and the ability to choose family and marital relations. You can gain new skills and items in-game, making RTK X play like a role-playing strategy game. The new systems and in-depth scenarios in the game make it the best in the series, the only negative aspect I can think of is that it is only single player (whereas previous RTK games gave you the ability to control up to 8 characters). It is easily my favorite console strategy game, and is only rivaled by Civilization on the computer. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 95/100 (A) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 98/100 (A+) 
Graphics (Artistic): 93/100 (A) 
Graphics (Technical): 89/100 (B+) 
Sound (Music): 87/100 (B+) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 84/100 (B) 
Story (Concept): 94/100 (A) 
Story (Presentation): 97/100 (A+) 
Characters (Originality): 85/100 (B) 
Characters (Likability): 89/100 (B+) 
Final Score: 91.1/100 (A-) 
 
You can read my full review for this game at http://www.giantbomb.com/romance-of-the-three-kingdoms-x/61-26156/user-reviews/?review_id=20523
11. Romance of the Three Kingdoms VIII

Release Date: August 13th, 2003 
 
Romance of the Three Kingdoms VII was my first experience with the series. It features some of the deepest role-playing strategy to be found and can support up to 8 players. Me and my brother have spent countless hours on this fantastic game. I'll keep it short because I already explained quite a bit in the RTK X review, but the games have their differences that make them both worth playing to me, despite my overall preference for RTK X. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 93/100 (A) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 96/100 (A) 
Graphics (Artistic): 85/100 (B) 
Graphics (Technical): 81/100 (B-) 
Sound (Music): 80/100 (B-) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 78/100 (C+) 
Story (Concept): 94/100 (A) 
Story (Presentation): 91/100 (A-) 
Characters (Originality): 85/100 (B) 
Characters (Likability): 88/100 (B+) 
Final Score: 87.1/100 (B+)
12. Gauntlet: Dark Legacy

Release Date: May 1st, 2001 
 
I had so much fun with this game as a kid, pouring countless hours into it with my friends and older brother. Dark Legacy is the expansion to the classic arcade game Gauntlet: Legends. It offers new worlds and new characters and a whole lot of fun for you and a few friends. Dark Legacy pretty much defines competitive co-op and despite its shortcomings, is a blast to play with a friend or two. 
 
Gameplay (Fun Value): 95/100 (A) 
Gameplay (Replayability): 94/100 (A) 
Graphics (Artistic): 76/100 (C) 
Graphics (Technical): 72/100 (C-) 
Sound (Music): 77/100 (C+) 
Sound (Sound Effects): 82/100 (B-) 
Story (Concept): 75/100 (C) 
Story (Presentation): 82/100 (B-) 
Characters (Originality): 84/100 (B) 
Characters (Likability): 89/100 (B+) 
Final Score: 82.6/100 (B-)