Mass Effect 2

Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360)
Platform PC and Xbox 360
Created by Bioware
Published by EA

Overview

This is the highly anticipated sequel to the hit video game Mass Effect. In Mass Effect 2 you once again assume the role of Commander John Shepard in his fight to stop the Reapers from eliminating all organic life in the galaxy.

Gameplay

The gameplay is similar to that of the first game control wise though Shepard doesn’t move as sluggishly as he did in the first game. Again you can have up to two squad mates like the previous game. Some major changes to the game over the previous include Shepard and squad members now have a finite amount of ammo though ammo is pretty easy to come by in the game so if you run out just switch to a different weapon until you can pick up more ammo from fallen enemies. Also the upgrade system has been changed around rather than finding upgrades like in the first game and attaching them to as modules in your weapon and armor you now upgrade them from the ship. This might sound like a hassle but it’s actually very well implemented. Also the leveling up experience is changed too you no longer get XP from enemies but rather get it from completing missions and side quests. Finally the “Powers system” is also change you are presented with 4 initial skills with four slots in each for example since Shepard is a solider he gets that as a skill set with four spots to upgrade, the first costing one skill point, second tier costs two skill points and so on. Once you fill up the fourth tier you are presented with two upgrade options in the case of ammo type you can get improved damage or your whole squad can use that type of ammo. Also another change in the game is the annoying elevator rides no longer do you have to sit in an elevator while you get from one destination to another instead your treated to a loading screen with tips. Overall gameplay has vastly improved over the first game though I will admit after coming off a fresh play through of Mass Effect I was very apprehensive about Mass Effect 2 but once I got used to the new changes they were very welcomed changes.

8.5 out of 10.

Graphics

Just when you though the game couldn’t improve any more it does, the graphics get a huge upgrade over Mass Effect 1. Textures are greatly improved and so are facial animations. There are still a few dull textures here and there but nothing to complain about.

9.5 out of 10

Sound

Another high point of the game is the sound design. The OST is simply amazing; it complements the Mass Effect Universe fairly well. The sound effects are great as well one nice touch is now when you’re running its like time slows down so if your squad mate says something while running it’s all distorted and such. A really cool touch if you ask me. Surround sound effects are really great too, excellent channel placement.

9.5 out of 10.

Content

Another shining example of the game is content. The game is simply massive not just spanning over a few galaxy clusters like in Mass Effect. There is so much to do in the game from completing side quests or gathering minerals for upgrades which you do by scanning planet’s surfaces. Like the previous title and all Bioware RPGs you can play as either a good guy called Paragon in the Mass Effect Universe or a Renegade if you choose the evil route these two add even more replayability to the game. On a final note the game supports DLC to add to the replayability. The first few packs where free assuming you have your Cerberus account which is included for people who bought the game new.

9.5 out of 10.

Overall 9.25 out of 10

Pros

-Amazing follow up to Mass Effect

-Improved vastly over the first

-DLC some of which is free

Cons

-Non really that I can think of.

Mass Effect

Mass Effect (Xbox 360 Version)

Platforms: Xbox 360 and PC
Created by Bioware
Published by Microsoft Game Studios

Overview

In the game Mass Effect you assume the role of Commander John Shepard or you can create your own character. Your mission is to try and track down a rogue Spectre by the name of Saren before he tries to destroy the galaxy. Over the course of the game you recruit seven different allies to help you fight against Saren.

Gameplay

The game play is similar to early Bioware RPGs like Star Wars Knight of the Old Republic and Jade Empire. This game is more focused on Action more so than RPG elements if you didn't gain XP and go up levels you'd swear you'd be playing an action game. The game is pretty decent for controls sometimes though they can be clunky and your character will "take cover" when you don't want them to. You can have up to two squad members ranging from a human Biotic, the "magic" class named Kaiden, a human Soldier named Ashley, an Asari scientist named Liara (good for hacking) a Krogan named Wrex who's basically a tank warrior class, a Quarian named Tahli (good for hacking and biotics) and Garrus a Turian who's a combo of tank and electronics and magic. The team AI is really good on most occasions and you barely have to tell them what to do unless you want them to use their special abilities. One gameplay element I hate is sometimes when you go to a new area you and your squad will be equipped with a different weapon. Other than that the gameplay is fine. Oh and I can't forget the annoying elevator rides that you can't skip.

7.5 out of 10

Graphics

Despite being three years old the game does feature some very impressive graphics. This was and is one of the best looking 360 games to date. The only drawback is the textures sometimes look bad for clothing but other than that the game is beautiful.

8.5 out of 10

Sound

Another highlight of the game if you have a nice sound system or a nice set of gaming headphones sounds really come through on this. Gun shots and explosions have echoing bass. When you’re in a hall you'll get an echoing like you’re in tight corridors. The game features an amazing score too which is simply amazing one of the best video game scores to date.

9 out of 10

Content

Since this is an RPG there's plenty to do in the game. If you do the main quest only you’re looking at about 15 hours of gameplay. Plus there are two extra DLC missions that are a lot of fun. Overall if you do all the side quests and by both DLC packages (priced at 400 MS Points or $5) then you're looking at over 30 hours of gameplay. This was my second play through of the game because I lost my original save file so I wanted to import my character data into ME2 well any way I put in about 28 hours or so and I didn't do all the side quests.

9.5 out of 10

Overall 8.6 out of 10

Pros
-Very excellent story
-Great score
-Tons of content
-Low price now

Cons
-Clunky controls sometimes
-Weird bugs
-Annoying Elevator rides

So if you have a 360 or a PC capable of gaming and don't have this game yet do yourself a favor and pick it up it's only $20 now.

Bioshock 2 Single Player Review

Bioshock 2 (Xbox 360 Version) *Single Player*
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Created and Published by 2KGames

Overview

Bioshock 2 takes place ten years after the events of the first Bioshock. Rapture is now ran by Sophia Lamb. It tells the story of the first Big Daddy Delta and his quest to find his Little Sister he bounded with Eleanor.

Gameplay

If you've played the first Bioshock then the game plays exactly like it only this time you take control of Delta; the first Big Daddy. Play as Delta you move kind of slow but that improves over the game. The only real new addition as opposed to the other game is that you get a Drill as a weapon. It's the most powerful melee weapon in the game but you'll find yourself relying on other guns in the game. The research feature of the first game has been reworked by giving the camera sort of a video camera feature and the more creatively you dispose of your research subjects the more points you get. Each research has four tiers called tracks in the game and each one grants you a bonus; the final bonus being a tonic. The controls are pretty much the same from the first game so again if you played it you should be able to jump right into it.

Gameplay gets an 8.5 out 10

Graphics

The Bioshock series has always been a great looking one and Bioshock 2 is no acceptation to the rule. The underwater city of rapture is beautifully rendered and looks spectacular. Even better than the first game. The only issue I have is some of the character models near the end of the game are severely bland. Also since this game uses the Unreal Engine (version 3) then it suffers from textures taking awhile to load. Not that big of a deal but still rather annoying.

Graphics get a 9.5 out 10

Sound

Recently I picked up a set of Turtle Beach X41 7.1 Surround Sound headphones and playing my games has never been better. It's simple amazing in Surround Sound. From water dripping on your helmet, to it splashing in the background as you walk away. The boom of guns going off all over the place and of course Splicers running away from you, all excellent sounding.

9 out of 10

Content

All other game developers should take note of 2K because not only did they deliver an amazing well crafted story but they also throw in Multiplayer which sadly I haven't gotten to try yet. I will after a while but yeah the game gives you plenty of content to choose from.

Content gets an 8.5 out of 10

Overall 8.9 out of 10

Pros
-Excellent Story
-Tons of Content
-Amazing Graphics and Sound
-Multiplayer

Cons
-Texture popping
-Depending on how you play your games no Replay for Single Player unless you want to 100% it

Aliens vs Predator *Note Review was written before patches where applied*

Aliens vs. Predator (Xbox 360)
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developed by Rebellion
Published by Sega

Gameplay

Since AvP you play as one of three species I'll do things a little different in the gameplay section and break it down into each species how they play, then I'll do the Single Player aspect of the game followed by the Multiplayer.

Alien
As an Alien or Xenomorph you are able to scale any surface and you only have melee attacks. Your attacks include your claws and your tail. Your greatest ally in this game as a Xeno is your ability to see in the dark so you need to lure your prey into the darkness or sneak up behind them in the light. Playing as a Xeno can be rather odd at first since it can be a little disorienting with the wall climbing ability the Aliens have. Once you get the hang of that you should have no problem at all controller the critter. Xenos are the weakest species but they are the fastest of them so you need to be stealthy when playing as one. If you go in head first you’re going to die. What I like to do is try to use the walls and sneak up behind either a marine or predator and get a stealth kill or if you can't do that when you seen them block then use your heavy attack which will break there block and then press X (square on PS3 I assume) and you can grab them and do a trophy kill. That's pretty much the basics of the Alien, use stealth and darkness to your advantage.

Marine
This is pretty fun to play as if you do it properly. You need to rely on your motion tracker and your ranged weapons. The marine plays like your standard first person shooter character a good tactic for them is to keep your distance. Or if something comes at you with a light attack then press block by holding RB and LB (L1 and R1 on PS3 I assume) followed by a LB light attack which will knock them back on the ground the let them have it with gun fire. Sadly marines have the weakest vision of all the races and this game is dark. In single player though you’re given a flare along with a flashlight, which is also available in multiplayer.

Predator
The predator has the advantage of three different vision modes one of which is normal. then they have infrared for use on humans and then they have a Xeno mode which will highlight the Aliens in a greenish color sort of like in the AvP films. The predators also best played as stealthy character as well, against marines you have your camouflage so you can practically walk by them undetected. Predators also have some decent medium ranged weapons like the Plasma Caster aka Shoulder Cannon and the disc. The best weapon IMO for the Predator is the Combo Spear (the weapon from Predator 2) which can be thrown and you have unlimited of. You also have your wrist blades which like the alien you have a light and heavy attack. It's best to play the predator at a distance and try to use your camouflage to sneak up behind Marines and do a stealth kill. For aliens just try and take them out using trophy kills by blocking their attacks, if one comes at you with heavy attack then you can break it by doing a light attack which should also stun them giving you an opportunity to do a trophy kill.

Single Player
The single player is a mixed bag for me. The Alien and Predator campaigns where incredibly short I think I played through both in three hours or so. The Predator being the most lackluster of the single player campaigns. The marine on the other hand is very intense and atmospheric. You are pretty much left in the dark with only flares and a flashlight to give you light. There are some pretty intense spots in the marine campaign for example in the second level I was in this generator room and I knew there where xenos in there so i go to toss a flare and as I did so an Alien was literally right in my face. While the marine campaign is easily the best it's also on the short side too clocking in at about 6 hours combined you have about 12 hours for all three stories give or take depending on your difficulty level for me I played on Normal for all three.

Multiplayer
This is the real strong point of the game. It's divided into Ranked where you get XP which in turn earns you ranks and unlocks skins and Player where you just play without gaining XP or skins. Tonight I managed to play through pretty much all of the different game types with my good friend Brian who some of you may know as Brianzilla2004 and it was a blast. The game types are as follows:

Deathmatch Pretty self explanatory it's you vs. everyone. This is the game type of that the demo offered a few weeks ago. It’s pretty fun to play but not my favorite game type. This can be played in Ranked (if you’re not in a group) or Player match.

Species Deathmatch In this type you are grouped with other players of the same species and you have to kill as many opposing team-mates as possible. This is by far one of my favorites to play and will primarily be my main gameplay type. *Playable in both Ranked and Player*

Mixed Species Team Death Match Pretty self explanatory it's the same rules as SDM but your teams can be compiled of all three species. It's pretty fun though I only played on time and it was me, Brian and one other due against a team of five others now you think we would have lost that match but we actually won it. Brian and I where both Aliens and our Team Mate played as a pred. *Playable in both Ranked and Player*

Domination This is pretty much like any other domination type on FPSs you have three points on the map that you have to capture each point gives you points and the first team to 100 points wins. In this match I think only Marines and Aliens can play but I'm not 100% sure. *Playable in Player Match only

Infestation In this match there's eight marines and shortly after the match one random person is chosen as the Alien as he/she kills a Marine they become an Alien. You and your fellow marines have try and stay alive as long as possible until the timer runs out. *Playable in Player Match Only

Predator Hunt This is sort of like Infestation only one person is chose to be the Predator, as he or she gains kills they gain point however if they don't kill anyone in a minute then a new person is chosen as the Predator. If the Predator kills someone then you get a point and time added to your counter if someone kills you they become the Predator and the cycle begins. You have to either get 20 points as the Predator or the timer has to run out.

Survival Mode In this mode you and up to three other marines fight wave after wave of Aliens on two different map choices (four if you bought the Hunter Edition or for UKers the Survival Edition). This is pretty fun and is very reminiscent of Horde mode for Gears 2.

Overall I'd give the gameplay 8.5 out of 10

Graphics

This is one of the games strong points. In the single player the Alien levels look good but some of the textures are really bad especially on the queen alien. The marine levels are by far the best looking with the Predator levels being somewhere in between.

9 out of 10.

Sound

Another strong point of the game all the trademark sounds from the various franchises are here including the Alien screeches, the plus rifle distinguished blast as well as the Predators clicks and growls. The original score is pretty top notch too.

9.5 out of 10

Content

Between three distinct yet interwoven stories to a plethora of multiplayer options there is enough to keep you busy for a long, long time.

9 out of 10

Overall 9 out of 10

Pros
-Three different single player games
-A multitude of multiplayer options
-Beautiful Graphics and amazing sound

Cons
-Short Single Player
-Some multiplayer issues including no host migration i.e. if the host quits the game ends and in Survivor mode if you die your dead for good no respawning after your team defeats the wave

God of War III

God of War III
Platform PS3
Created by SCE Studio Santa Monica
Published by Sony

Overview

The third and final game of the God of War trilogy picks up where GoWII left off. Kratos is seeking vengeance against the gods for betraying him. Will he succeed? Find out in the epic conclusion to the God of War Trilogy.

Gameplay

The game play is pretty much the same as the other two God of War games so see my reviews of those for more in depth analysis of it. The only major difference is that the joy stick spinning quick time events are mapped to the left thumb stick now instead of the right. Also they added a new Medusa type enemy that once you do the quick time event and pull her head off she'll turn all surrounding enemies into stone. Finally they added a new element ot harpies you can now grapple on to them to travel across areas.

8.5 out of 10

Graphics

This is one of the best looking PS3 games ever the developers really pushed the PS3 to it's limits with GoWIII. Some of the textures look kind of crappy in cut scenes but the rest of the game is stunning and beautiful.

9.5 out of 10

Sound

Again another high point of the series. The sound effects are pretty much the same as the other two titles in the series and the score is still brilliant.

9 out of 10

Content

This is where the game takes a downfall. The game is incredibly short I think I beat it in about 6 hours or less. It's a lot shorter than the last two games and is on par with the PSP title. However the game does offer a challenge mode after you beat it and it does support DLC (Downloadable Content) so maybe it'll add single player expansions. The only reason to do multiple play throughs would be to unlock new skins and get trophies.

7.5 Out of 10

Overall 8.6 out of 10

Pros
-Incredible graphics
-Nice conclusion to the series
-Incredible score

Cons
-Short game
-Still some glitches in the game
-A few puzzles are annoying