Game Review: Rocket Riot

August 12th, 2009, 20:04 Posted By: fg-54


Developed By: Codeglue
Published By: THQ
Genre: Action
Players: 1-8
Console: Xbox 360
Price: 800
ERSB:
Cartoon Violence.
________________________

Overview: Rocket Riot is one of those titles that seemed to have pooped out of nowhere, Until the review code came up, I hadn't heard about this game at all. After playing this game, I realize that I am not the only one who is unaware of its existence.

Gameplay: Rocket Riot controls much like Geometry Wars. You move your player around with the left thumb stick, and shoot by aiming with the right one, except the longer you hold the stick in any direction, the more momentum the rocket will have. There are many different enemies to fight against such as zombies, robots, monsters, aliens, ect, but they all die in one hit so you are pretty much fighting the same enemy with a different skin, "Hey look! I am in a room full of zombies! OH LOOK! NOW I am in a room full or robots!....and they are behaving exactly like the zombies did on the last level...".
You can "Customize" your own character which is nice, but this only goes as far as choosing a character, its primary color, and its "Detail" color. Every enemy you kill is unlocked as a playable character aside from bosses, and there are PLENTY of these, you can really get picky with what character you end up with because the guys who made the characters really made a wide range of them.

Even tho there are 80 "different" levels in this game, most of the stuff is incredibly repetitive. Level one, defeat ten guys, level two, defeat fifteen guys, level three, defeat twenty guys, ect. Then there are also the levels where you have to search and destroy a character. Level four, find him, level five? find him again...... Twice. There are a couple of other game variations that you will have to do throughout the main single player story mode over and over and over again with a slight change to "justify" that it is a new level *sigh* and those tedious football mini games, why don't YOU take a guess before reading huh? Level one, score one goal....Level two, score TWO goals! WHOA! This is a brand new experience! NOT! After level thirty five I had to force myself to come back and play the game so I could review it.

Lets not forget tho, this game supports online multi player! well...no, not really, even tho the mode is available, there is absolutely NO ONE playing the game, and if I didn't have to review this game, I would have stopped long ago myself. I tried going into quick player and rank matches, custom matches, ect. But every time I searched I would, to my surprise find that there is no one else interested in having a go at it online. It is a shame too, I would have loved to complain about this game with other people who bought it and ask "So why did YOU buy the game?".
To be fair tho, I can see how the online mode would be fun, but as of now, since I haven't been able to find anyone else to play against, my guess is just as good as yours.
Everything you see can be destroyed because it is made with "Pixels" that act as individuals, this is probably one of the funnest things to do because it just feels great to destroy, they made it work and they made it fun.

This image only shows a fraction of the characters you can choose from.

There are a couple of power ups in this game that you will find by destroying the environment. These are split up into four sections: Green power ups improve your fire power by adding faster fire rate, or increasing the size of your rockets etc. Blue power ups increase your defense by giving you upgrades such as health recovery. Yellow power ups are useless but "fun"; They turn your rockets into game balls or increase the size of the explosion that your rockets create when they collide. And lastly there are red power ups, or rather, power downs; These are harmful to you and should be avoided at all costs unless you wanna be a rocket magnet or you want the ability to shoot rockets to be taken from you.
Aside from the main single player campaign and the multi player mode, there is the "Endurance Mode" where you fight wave after wave of enemies (Much like in the single player campaign); And the "Play Ground mode" where you will be able to use any power ups you want and will be presented with only one enemy at a time.

Graphics: Rocket Riot has a very unique visual style. From far away, you may think that the environment in Rocket Riot was made with sprite sheets pixel by pixel, But it is actually a 3-D game that succeeds at having a rather "old school" feel and look to it. The characters are built the same way but they look much sharper then the environment, sometimes it is even hard to tell where the pixels are at when you look at the them.
Sometimes as you are rocketing across the level, you may be confused by what is a wall and what is not, I found this to be a problem every now and then; The only way to really be sure is to ether throw a rocket at it or try to look at it from a slight angle so you can see if it has depth or not. This got me killed a couple of times as I hindered myself from throwing a rocket at an enemy while low in health, to throw a rocket at what seemed to be a solid object blocking my way for my desperate escape. The objects that confuse me the most are the ones that have some depth, but not enough to block your path.

Sound: Throughout the game I only heard a couple of songs, luckily this isn't a music game or else it would be awful....well...It would be worse. The few songs that I listened to seemed ok, there is one specific one that caught me ear because of its quirky lyrics and high pitched robotic like voice that sings in it; It reminded me a lot of the "Ben Ten" theme song for those of you who watch Cartoon Network (Don't ask me how I know this).

Replay Value: The game play is simple so I found it easy to multi-task while playing this game. And just why would you want to multi-task as you play this game? Because you are really gonna wish you were doing something else; There are 80 levels total in the game and once you go through them (even tho I don't understand why you would want to) you are gonna wish you could forget it all. After playing this game the only contemplation I have is that I did it so I could write a review on it, I did it so that I could warn you readers about this game and hope that you don't have to go through what I went through.

Hmmm... His are bigger then mine...

Conclusion: The first few levels may have been fun, but the last ones are nothing more then a frustration machine. Do you know how fun it is to kill 75 enemies without dying? my greatest moments are when I had only a couple left and some good for nothing son of a rocket would take me out! Then what you ask? the level re-starts and the count goes up to 75 again, try doing THAT 5 times in a row so you can get to the next level; Oh hey! Guess what I need to do on the next level? kill 80 enemies! Doesn't THAT sound fun?
Boss battles are too few in between and even when you DO have them, they are not fun at all; It feels like I am fighting any other enemy except it took steroids so now it has a bigger body, and it takes more then one rocket to kill.
If you are looking for a fast paced shooter then save yourself from this awful experience and please allow me to re-direct your attention to Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 and Galaga Legions. That is about twenty times the fun for the same price.

Overall Score:
.:Skip It!:.

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Game Review: Puzzle Quest Galactrix (PSN / DS / XBLA / PC)

August 5th, 2009, 18:11 Posted By: westy118

Review: Puzzle Quest Galactrix
Playstation Network
Developer: Infinite Interactive
Price:£15.99
Platform: PC, NDS, XBLA and PSN (reviewed version)


First off let me say that this is the first time I’ve played any PSN game, I’ve seen PAIN! being played, but for me I’ve never really been bothered for shelling out for games(however little they cost) that I’m not going to play that much. Having said that never turn a free game down and so onto Puzzle Quest Galactrix.

I picked the story mode to begin with getting straight into it. It starts with a bit too over the top voice over explaining the story. It’s then into a bit of text dialogue and then onto the game. Basically you ‘fly’ around a solar system and to planets/places to need to go are marked. Usually you fly to one place, get a bit of a story, and get your mission then head to another place to play the mission.

I’ve played three types of missions so far, fighting pirates, mining, and hacking. They’re all just variations of the same game - match 3 or more of the same colour in the circular playing grid. Now the first version I played was the fighting challenge. Connecting different colours will give you different things - red boosts your shield, green gives you energy(I think!). There are also mines on the grid, get three in a row to attack your opponent. Each mine has a number on it, and the three add up to give the damage inflicted on your opponent. Getting four in a row or multiple connection combos give you bonuses You can also attack your opponent with the weapons on your ship. This is turned based.

For the most part this is enjoyable but there are one or two problems for me. And it’s a big one, sometimes you can’t tell which way the blocks are gonna fall after you make a connection. Several times I chose to make a connection thinking blocks would come down setting up a combo, only to fall from the left or up from the right. Now it might just be me not being used to the game yet, but it’s frustrating as hell when you think you’re about to get a big combo and all you’re doing is setting up your opponent. Also there’s no time limit during this game, minor issue since the computer moves immediately, but I think it would be better if you had to think quickly about what to do.

In between mission you get experience points to upgrade yourself and can also upgrade your ship.

Now the next mission I played was gathering supplies or something of an asteroid. It was a side mission involving one of the crew members you pick up along the way, Lydia(who is very annoying as she calls you kid in every sentence). I’m not gonna go into this one much because it’s an absolute cop out. Again collect three in a row of the supplies to get them on the ship, without a time limit. Fairly standard and would be fine except for one big thing - as I was playing I was taking my time trying to see three I could connect, and then all of a sudden one of the grids flashed, just for a second, it was telling me what block to move! What’s the point in that, it takes all the challenge out of the game.

To move through the different systems(and further the story line) you have to hack through warps. This was my favourite of the game types. To hack to have to follow a code which appears in the top right hand corner of the screen, e.g. if it’s green at the top you have to clear a connection of three etc, all within a time limit. This is more like it for a challenge, a lot of fun, and you do get quite nervous when you have a colour you need to get and there’s no three blocks near each other. There are many warps in this game, so there’s plenty of chances to play this, and there are varying difficulty levels, but basically means less time to complete the code.

I haven’t been playing this game for very long, a couple of days or so, the storyline’s ok, it’s nice to have a point to playing all the different games and a goal to complete instead of just level after level. The dialogue is cheap but it doesn’t matter and the levelling up and updating of the ship etc. adds a nice touch to what otherwise would be a pretty standard puzzler. I can’t really judge it on other PSN games because, well, I’ve not played any but compared to my favourite puzzle game of all time, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine it’s lacking. I always took great joy in getting the combos in Mean Bean Machine, but in this it just seems like a fluke if I get one, therefore it’s not as satisfying when you get a nova or supernova combo or even win the fight.

Am I gonna play this again, probably not, though I really enjoyed the hacking, the storyline isn’t enough for me to want to continue playing to see where it goes. I might play the quick game now and again, or two player, but apart from that it’s just too average for me to want to turn on the PS3 and play it. It does however, set the benchmark for all future reviews of PSN games from me, and as such this game gets a


2.5 out of 5

Not good, not terrible, just..meh.

**It’s been two weeks since I’ve written this review and I’ve not played the game since, so I can conclude there really is nothing to drag me back to playing this game, and I wouldn't be happy paying £15.99 for it**

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Droplitz Review

August 4th, 2009, 22:07 Posted By: McGarnackle

Developer: Blitz Arcade
Publisher: Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Genre: Puzzle and Word
Release Date: 6/24/2009
Console: Xbox 360
Price: 800MS points


For anyone obsessed with the hacking mini-game in Bioshock, Atlus have released Droplitz, a game with a remarkably similar concept, onto XBLA which may be right up your street. The object of the game is simple: guide precious Droplitz of an unknown substance through a maze of piping, rotating each piece to funnel towards collection points at the bottom of the screen. If your pipe leads to a dead end you will lose your droplets. The more channels and branches you create, the more droplets you gain back.

At least the theory is simple. In practice the fantastically speedy depletion of droplets leads to one of the most frustrating game experiences of your life. Most aspects of this game are designed to cause annoyance or stress related injuries. For example, simply creating one section of pipe will not do, the high scores are achieved through linking pipes and connecting multiple collection points, which sounds like a great idea until you realise that most of the time this occurs by accident while looking for other possibilities. Meanwhile crafting a length of pipe from top to bottom will more often than not result in a dead end, leaving you staring at the Television in murderous disbelief, the pixellated equivalent of a kick in the balls. The end result is a game that feels as though you have no control over the action.

Classic mode consists of this style of play as you move through different themed backgrounds. The gameplay does not threaten to change at any point, just the colours and themed catchphrases which gawp over the amazing things you’ve accidentally achieved. Changing the difficulty simply makes the board bigger, giving a faster depletion time and adding no change of technique to the gameplay. However, despite the apparent complexity of the channel creation, the game is genuinely fast-paced and challenging offering a seemingly impossible puzzle that for a short time is rewarding. In the long term the game suffers from its endless repetition and lack of variety leaving very little replay value.
The addition of new game modes does not help matters either (especially given the lack of a multiplayer mode). Zendurance, if you haven’t already guessed, plays exactly the same as Classic mode but without the thrill of changing backgrounds. The idea is to survive as long as possible, which is galling in itself, particularly when you view the in-game acheivment ‘Survive for 5 Minutes’. I tip my hat to anyone who can complete ‘Survive for 20 Minutes’, let alone surviving the aneurysm inducing 2 hour achievement.
Power Up Mode allows the use of bombs to blow up parts of the board and replace sections of pipe. Admittedly this is exactly the same as both Classic and Zendurance mode in that the gameplay does not change. Power-Up mode, like Zendurance needs to be unlocked through high score achievements which is one of the games redeeming features. All difficulties, boards and modes are unlockable, giving a sense of achievement but relying on a ridiculously high scoring threshold at the same time. As a result this review does not contain the Infection mode which unfortunately is proving impossible to unlock.


Perhaps I am being too harsh on Droplitz. After all the game can be addictive and enjoyable if the technique is mastered but by making the simplest idea so complex this learning curve will take many frustrating hours that seem somewhat longer thanks to a shocking lack of variety in the gameplay. Droplitz is more fast-paced and deceptively challenging than most in the genre but its lack of variety, repetition and limited replayability, combined with gameplay that requires the reflexes of a cheetah on speed, leave you with a game that is more annoying than fun, failing to deliver what most other puzzlers (including its obvious predecessor, Pipe Dream) can.


Score: 2 out of 5

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Game Review: Battlefield 1943 (XBLA / PSN)

August 4th, 2009, 13:53 Posted By: Bratman Du



Developer: DICE
Publisher: EA
Release Date: Jul 8th 2009
Genre: 1st Person Shooter


I decided to sit on the review for a while, because, as many of you will be aware, there have been a few teething problems with Battlefield 1943.

Dice, EA or both were a little shy in their estimate of just how popular a new Battlefield game would be on release. From the Wednesday it was released, right through until Saturday, XBox360 owners were met with some difficulty in both getting into a game, getting into a game without massive lag, or partying up with friends.

It was a busy time for their official forums, and Dice even kept regular, often hourly updates on their twitter page, to keep customers who were hungry for some WW2 action up to speed on when they could expect more servers to go live.

By Saturday, I found most problems were fixed, and I was able to properly sample the game. By Tuesday, despite all the problems, XBox360 users found that the much awaited 4th map, unlocked after 43 million community kills, had already been unlocked, over a week less than was expected (done within a week on XBox Live, and within two weeks on PSN!).

Little does he know that I've lined the only ladder to this guard tower with TNT and am waiting in the bushes with the detonator!

So what is it all about? Well, I never got into the other Battlefield games, as I had somewhat gone off trying to keep up with PC gaming in the early 00s. I did pick up Bad Company, released last year, and found it not without it's share of errors, but also there was a lot of fun to be had with it's funky terrain/building destruction/class based multiplayer.

So the developers Dice wondered what it would be like to remake some maps from the original Battlefield game, 1942, using the new Bad Company Frostbite engine. The game and three maps would be released as downloadable only, XBox Live and Playstation Network content, with the fouth map/mode being unlocked with the 43 million community kills.

DAKKA DAKKA DAKKA DAKKKA!

The game is a sort of slimmed down Battlefield, with only 3 classes to choose from, and with no character / weapon customization that previous games have featured. The infantryman is your standard machine gun, close range guy, with a tank busting rocket, and handy grenades for backup. He also whip out a wrench for bludgeoning enemy soldiers or healing friendly tanks. I suppose that makes the infantryman a cross between the infantry / engineer classes.

The rifleman has a semi automatic M1 Garand, with some sweet reloading sounds! He get's a slightly-weaker-than-rocket-launcher grenade launcher, but it'll take a few of those to take a tank down. Again, he get's grenades, and his melee weapon is simply the bayonet on his rifle. The semi auto fire gives the rifle good medium range accuracy.

Lastly we have the scout, or sniper. There's the obvious long range advantage, but for closer foes, he gets a pistol, and his melee weapon is a big knife, or if you're playing as the Japanese, a badass katana. For explosives, he gets thrown sticky dynamite, which can be detonated remotely with a plunger.

Mayhem is frequent in this game.

There's a nice assortment of vehicles on offer, cars, jeeps, tanks, boats and fighter planes help mix up the combat a good deal, and there are various gun emplacements scattered about each level. These are, in typical Battlefield fashion, not all that easy to control, and you'll want to get a good setup for each vehicle type, which can be done in the options. There's also a tutorial mode, which lets you mess about in an empty map to get used to the vehicles. This is no Halo, so to get good with the likes of planes and tanks, you'll need a good bit of practice.

Tanks have a capcom-boss style weakspot on the rear!

Speaking of controls, there are a good few instances where I found them a little fiddly, perhaps because I'm too used to Halo/Call of Duty style configurations. But having become accustomed to Battlefield 1943, I can tell you that you do get used to them.

Landing a killer plane bomb takes a lot of practice to get the timing right, better to just Kamikaze someone!

The initial 3 maps are played in the typical Battlefield flag style. 5 bases are located about the map and if you stand near an uncontested flag, you capture that base, and your team may then spawn from it. If an enemy has a base, you must wait and deplete their 'control' before taking back the flag. Each team has a limited number of respawns (or 'tickets'), and when they run out it's all over. Therefore, the more bases you own, the more chance you have of pinning down the enemy and depleting their tickets.

So it's a fairly simple setup, there really isn't much more to the game than that. The beauty of it comes from a number of things. Firstly, the size of each level is important. You'll find, sea, mountains, hills, valleys, bases, bunkers, plains and beaches. I'd say there's a good few square miles of play area, even without the sea, but then, there needs to be a good bit of height and space for plane-on-plane dogfights. One minute you'll be holed up in a bunker with some team mates, trying to stop a tank advancing up the hill to your flag, and the next you could be riding shotgun in a jeep flying over a ramp into a building. The situations that occur due to the variety of terrain and vehicles can be crazy sometimes. For example, I decided to load up the front of a jeep with 3 dynamite packs, and drive it towards an enemy tank that was giving us bother, I jumped out, and watched as the momentum carried it right up to the tank, whereupon I hit the plunger and blew it into next week. Also, after nailing another plane in the air with my plane's machine guns, I realized I was under fire and bailed out, then hit the parachute. As I floated down to earth I seen a sniper trying the capture a flag. He didn't see my aerial descent, so I maneuvered the fall towards him and drew my Katana (I was Japanese sniper class), and sliced him up as I landed. I have a ton more of these moments that reek of awesome, and you'll find this yourself when you get used to the game.

Nyeeeeeeeeaaaaoooowwww!

I say 'when you get used to the game' because that is something you need to do. This isn't Halo or Call of Duty. Yes, it's a first person shooter, but auto aim is gone, so initially you'll feel robbed of kills by what appears to be a somewhat clunky control system. But when you get accustomed to leading your shots over distance, and having the right tool out for the job, you'll find this much better. It's not going to be for everyone, the large maps can leave you running about with no one in sight for ages sometimes, and no kill cam means snipers can be hard to locate and dislodge. However, as someone who snipes a lot, it's a bonus that there's no kill cam to give away your sweet hiding spot!

Calling in a wing of three bombers can devastate a large-ish area with carpet bombs - when you hear the 'wheeee' noise you better run!

Newer players are easily identified by their 0 score in a match, and their waiting around the plane spawns, and their suicide dive bombs, which can get annoying. I mean, you'll be trying to kill bad guys and capture flags, and you see three or four guys just hanging around the plane spawn area, and the rushing the one plane that spawns. But I suppose as time goes on this will be less prevalent, as the noobs become experienced, and the people who don't get this game move back to Halo and Cod.

Parking a boat in the middle of the sea can be a sneaky sniping spot, if a little exposed.

The graphics and atmosphere work well here too. The big levels are well populated with sea, mountains, vegetation, etc. and the water looks lovely. The sound too is impressive, with satisfying gun noises, and when you're hotfooting it up a hill and hear the roar of a low flying plane overhead, you can't help but look up when that shadow is cast overhead. Textures are pretty good, especially on vehicles.

When the big guns come out, buildings go down.

There are of course still some kinks here, I've noticed one or two graphical errors, and instances of false radar images. It's still possible to join a game seconds from the end, although if you stick around you are taken to the start of the next game which is good. Some of the scenery, especially around hills and mountains, is able to be climbed, and some isn't so you may find the rock climbing a bit frustrating sometimes. The destructible scenery is more subtle than the likes of Red Faction Guerilla, but it does the job, although you wonder why you can blast through some walls but not others.

Yup, this kind of scene happens every game!

All in all, if you liked Battlefield: Bad Company, I'd say you'd definitely like this as it improves on gameplay in all the areas you'd hope it would.

If you like first person multiplayer shooters, then you need to forget your expectations, and shake off the desire for auto aim, this feels different from a lot of other shooters out there. I was going to say it's slower paced than the others, given the size of the play area, but that's not strictly true. It switches pace a lot, depending on your class and style of play. If you pick rifleman or infantry class, you'll want to spawn on your squad, or on a flag that the enemy is trying to take, and you'll be in the thick of the action. Or you may like to snipe a bit, and find a nice hilltop bush to hide in, carefully taking your time picking off targets at range. Or you might prefer to do some aerial combat and divebombing in the fighter planes, which can be quite exciting. Some people even take themselves very far from the action, camping out near the radar towers, waiting for the next bomber wing call-in, or manning the anit air guns. No matter what way you choose to play, I think even the most devout Halo or Cod (how many times I mentioned these now?!) fan could appreciate all that this game is, especially given that it's a downloadable only, XBox Live arcade game.

Verdict:


appendix:

List of 10 cool things I've done/witnessed in the couple of weeks since this has been out:

1. After sniping from the top of the lighthouse, I see oncoming attackers coming up the ramp, so I base jump off and parachute behind them to slice em up with a katana!

2. Flying straight at another plane and bailing out just in time for my plane to take him out.

3. Getting a snipe headshot on a ground target whilst parachuting.

4. Sneaking into enemy base and covering their planes in TNT, waiting till they take off and are in the air, and detonating the TNT.

5. Loading up the front of a jeep with TNT, driving it at a tank/group of enemies, jumping out and detonating when it hits 'em.

6. Flying into an enemy who had bailed out of his plane and was parachuting down to earth, mangling him with my propeller.

7. Getting our team to form a convoy of 3 Sherman Tanks - and sweep across the map in an unstoppable wave of death.

8. Carpet bombing about 5 guys, two tanks and a jeep in one bombing run.

9. Causing another plane to crash by getting above him and nudging his wing.

10. Fail - sneaking up on a tank to try and plant TNT on it - tank reverses and kills me.

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Game Review: Moon (DS)

July 29th, 2009, 00:56 Posted By: bandit

Moon
Official Homepage
Release Date: 7/3/2009
Platform: DS
Number of Players: 1
Genre: FPS
Publisher: Gamebridge/Mastiff
Developer: Renegade Kid
Region: Europe / US

Overview: 2058, Lunar Outpost Alpha. Major Edward Kane, Chief of Military Operations for the Extra-Terrestrial Encounter Organisation, has been called in to investigate reports of strange energy readings and missing personnel.

Aid Major Kane and his men as you head out to uncover the mysteries surrounding the outpost and face off against and unseen enemy.

Welcome to the Moon

Features

• Renegade Kid’s patented formula of a sick and twisted FPS adventure features a cinematic storyline and white knuckle shooting action.
• Built on the Renegade Engine 2.0, Moon delivers rich environments and robust FPS gameplay which screams at a blistering 60 frames a second.
• Collect alien artefacts and challenge insane difficulty levels to unlock premium hidden content – only the hardcore need apply.
• Annihilate alien hostiles as you rip up the lunar landscape in your turret-equipped buggy or pilot the Remote Search Droid to delve into the Moon’s darkest corners.
• Deliver Major Kane’s style of intergalactic diplomacy as you wield powerful alien technology like the LeptonSpread – a particle shotgun that can tear your enemies a new black hole.

Developed by Renegade Kid, creators of the award-winning Dementium: The Ward, Moon uses the Renegade 2.0 engine to push the Nintendo DS to its limits with an epic story, atmospheric environments and white-knuckle sci-fi FPS action.

Gameplay: Moon isn't the first game for Renegade Kid. They also created Dementium: The Ward. Dementium features slick and smooth animation dishing out 60fps with elegant precise controls. Renegade has used Dementium's game engine and incorporated it into Moon with a little overhaul.

Like other Nintendo DS first person shooters, you use the stylus for aiming, the D-pad for moving around and the L trigger for shooting. To switch between weapons, there is a large button on the bottom of the touch screen. When you press this button with your stylus, the game pauses and brings up a menu of your arsenal. Majority if not all of your interactions is with the touch screen and stylus.

When enemies pop up, your reflex are put to the test. When you die, you are taken back to the last save point. As the more you advance deep into the game, the enemies become harder and more of them appear. While you're blasting your way through hoards of enemies, be sure to pick up bonuses, weapon upgrades, artifacts because this will help make you more powerful and unlock extra training missions.

In some areas of the game, Renegade Kid threw in some puzzles to get your thinking juices flowing.

Controls: The controls are fluid. All your aiming is done with the stylus with the L trigger being your shooting button. To move you character around, you use your D-pad. As you advance further, Major Kane gets to drive a 4x4, which has a top mounted laser turret. Controlling the 4x4 feels a bit lose and your vehicle would be going all over the place. In addition to the 4x4, you also get control of a little remote controlled droid. This allows you to get into small spaces such as tunnels to get to other areas or bypass security cameras and trigger buttons and collect bonuses. However, you wont be able to take down any enemies. You can neutralize them though temporarily.

Graphics: The graphics are crisp and are stunning. Each level has a good amount of detail and Renegade Kid did not skimp on the details for Moon. In each of those levels, there are other animations running in the background.

Sound: The music in the game is not annoying and fits the environment that you are in. Thankfully, there is no repetitive annoying tone or music.

Replay Value: It can take about 5-6 hours to finish the game. In terms or replay value, there isnt much of it. You'll probably go back to playing Moon again to see if there is any bonuses that you might have missed that you never saw the first time. The enemies and bosses however tend to be a little repetitive. Sometimes to defeat a boss, its always the same technique.

Conclusion: Overall, Moon is a well polished and great looking game. First thing that popped into my head when I played this was that it looked and kind of played and style was similar that of Metroid Prime. The repetitious enemies and same strategy to defeat a bosses was a downer but still fun. The controls were smooth and precise. The 4x4 could have handled better since the back of it tends to fishtail. Renegade Kid is definitely on the right track.

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Review: Shinobii Blue Sphere Charging Dock

July 24th, 2009, 16:48 Posted By: bandit

Shinobii Blue Sphere Charging Dock
Manufacturer: Shinobii
Site: Buy from Shinobii / Buy from Amazon
Price: €39.99 / $39.99

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Game Review: Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits (XBLA)

July 18th, 2009, 15:24 Posted By: Bratman Du



Developer: Beenox Studios
Publisher: Activision
Release Date:
US: June 16, 2009
Europe: June 26, 2009
Australia: June 24, 2009
Genre: Rhythm Action
Age: Teen


Ok I'm the first to admit that I didn't get into the whole rhythm action thing until the release of Guitar Hero 2, back in the crazy days of 2007.

Back then, it was something new and cool - it was a different way of interacting with my Xbox 360, and banging out those tracks felt kinda cool - we had some good post-pub Guitar Hero parties back in the day.

I snagged a couple of the DLC tracks that piqued my interest and when the third game Guitar Hero 3 came out - I just didn't see the point. Yea, it came with a new type of guitar, and different songs, and different multiplayer modes - but I tried it at a friend's house and just didn't see why they couldn't release the extra features as DLC for Guitar Hero 2.



I had kinda gotten bored with plastic Guitars anyway by that stage. But then Rock Band comes along - and, for a while my interest in the genre is renewed with it's all singing, all drumming fun.

But by the time Rock Band was released here in the UK, Rock Band 2 was almost on the horizon, and when it was announced, with it's better drums, and whatever else have you, I felt a bit shortchanged. Then Guitar Hero World Tour was mentioned and that was me done with plastic instruments.



I just wanted one set of instruments, that wouldn't be obsolete within a year, and one game disc, with all the DLC I could eat. Now I realise that these companies that make these games like their money. But as consumers in an age where DLC let's developers drip feed us goodness and filth in equal measure, I have to ask, why would I ever pay full price for Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits, when there's nothing on this disc that couldn't have been released as DLC?



It's in that spirit that I'll try to continue this review - why would you buy this? I dusted off the old Rockband instruments (although it's recommended by the game that you use the official Guitar Hero items) and began to play a bit of co-op quick play.



It's nice that in quick play all tracks come unlocked - so there's no slogging through the main game if you just want a quick party with friends. The control seems fine, I mean, these games are all essentially the same, with minor differences like the addition of an 'open' guitar strum, and optional double drum kick pedals, but really, you are hitting a plastic instrument in time with the notes coming down on the screen.

What I found first of all was that none of my Rockband tracks or Guitar Hero 2 or 3 tracks that I had downloaded worked with this, I expected as much I suppose, but it would be nice if somehow I didn't have to use 3 or 4 different discs to play all my rhythm action game songs.



The song list is fairly good, with master recordings used for a lot of tracks, and it has a good deal of classics from all the previous games, which all sond great. But not all the tracks are great - or at least, not what I would have chosen, and indeed, everyone's varying musical tastes will mean that although there is something for everyone on here, there's also tracks you won't want, and you'll simply wonder as I do, why didn't they just make these tracks as DLC for World Tour?

My affair with rhythm action ended the moment Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour were announced as standalone games with new peripherals. I just couldn't deal with paying through the nose for the new instruments, so soon after splashing out on the previous ones.



What I want is a standard set of instruments that won't undergo any hardware changes for at least 3 or 4 years, and ONE game disc, with any addon packs released as DLC.

You should buy this game if and only if you've never bought a previous Guitar Hero/Rock Band game, and if and only if you own or can get cheaply the newest instruments.

Otherwise, you are just going to feel shortchanged by what is essentially DLC on a disc - with a lot of tracks that you may not even have wanted to download.

Verdict:

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Game Review: Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits

July 8th, 2009, 12:12 Posted By: Bratman Du



Developer: Beenox Studios
Publisher: Activision
Release Date:
US: June 16, 2009
Europe: June 26, 2009
Australia: June 24, 2009
Genre: Rhythm Action
Age: Teen


Ok I'm the first to admit that I didn't get into the whole rhythm action thing until the release of Guitar Hero 2, back in the crazy days of 2007.

Back then, it was something new and cool - it was a different way of interacting with my Xbox 360, and banging out those tracks felt kinda cool - we had some good post-pub Guitar Hero parties back in the day.

I snagged a couple of the DLC tracks that piqued my interest and when the third game Guitar Hero 3 came out - I just didn't see the point. Yea, it came with a new type of guitar, and different songs, and different multiplayer modes - but I tried it at a friend's house and just didn't see why they couldn't release the extra features as DLC for Guitar Hero 2.



I had kinda gotten bored with plastic Guitars anyway by that stage. But then Rock Band comes along - and, for a while my interest in the genre is renewed with it's all singing, all drumming fun.

But by the time Rock Band was released here in the UK, Rock Band 2 was almost on the horizon, and when it was announced, with it's better drums, and whatever else have you, I felt a bit shortchanged. Then Guitar Hero World Tour was mentioned and that was me done with plastic instruments.



I just wanted one set of instruments, that wouldn't be obsolete within a year, and one game disc, with all the DLC I could eat. Now I realise that these companies that make these games like their money. But as consumers in an age where DLC let's developers drip feed us goodness and filth in equal measure, I have to ask, why would I ever pay full price for Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits, when there's nothing on this disc that couldn't have been released as DLC?



It's in that spirit that I'll try to continue this review - why would you buy this? I dusted off the old Rockband instruments (although it's recommended by the game that you use the official Guitar Hero items) and began to play a bit of co-op quick play.



It's nice that in quick play all tracks come unlocked - so there's no slogging through the main game if you just want a quick party with friends. The control seems fine, I mean, these games are all essentially the same, with minor differences like the addition of an 'open' guitar strum, and optional double drum kick pedals, but really, you are hitting a plastic instrument in time with the notes coming down on the screen.

What I found first of all was that none of my Rockband tracks or Guitar Hero 2 or 3 tracks that I had downloaded worked with this, I expected as much I suppose, but it would be nice if somehow I didn't have to use 3 or 4 different discs to play all my rhythm action game songs.



The song list is fairly good, with master recordings used for a lot of tracks, and it has a good deal of classics from all the previous games, which all sond great. But not all the tracks are great - or at least, not what I would have chosen, and indeed, everyone's varying musical tastes will mean that although there is something for everyone on here, there's also tracks you won't want, and you'll simply wonder as I do, why didn't they just make these tracks as DLC for World Tour?

My affair with rhythm action ended the moment Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero World Tour were announced as standalone games with new peripherals. I just couldn't deal with paying through the nose for the new instruments, so soon after splashing out on the previous ones.



What I want is a standard set of instruments that won't undergo any hardware changes for at least 3 or 4 years, and ONE game disc, with any addon packs released as DLC.

You should buy this game if and only if you've never bought a previous Guitar Hero/Rock Band game, and if and only if you own or can get cheaply the newest instruments.

Otherwise, you are just going to feel shortchanged by what is essentially DLC on a disc - with a lot of tracks that you may not even have wanted to download.

Verdict:

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Review: Rock Thunder Guitar for Guitar Hero and Rock Band

June 20th, 2009, 17:53 Posted By: bandit

Rock Thunder Guitar for Guitar Hero and Rock Band
Manufacturer: Talismoon
Site: Buy from Divineo US / Buy from Divineo China
Price: $64.99

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Game Review: Ghostbusters (360/PS3)

June 20th, 2009, 17:50 Posted By: Shadowblind

Ghostbusters
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Terminal Reality
Genre: Action
ESRB: T

I'll be frank here--I've never cared much for the Ghostbuster's movies. Part of that fact is due primarily to how I've only seen one of the movies. So suffice to say I wasn't expecting a whole lot from the game, after being less then thrilled after watching trailers, videos, and generally learning about the game. Terminal Reality's Ghostbusters felt somehow even more authentic as Ghostbusters material then even the movies did. The game revolves around fast paced action and witty comments from Bill Murray(just like the movie) but this time around, your in the action. Pitty you can't talk back though during the game. Read on, pray you.

Getting back in the swing of things after my ahem, "extended" time off duty from reviewing, I'll start off with the section dedicated to the story and presentation of the game. As far as a Ghostbusters story goes, its pretty traditional fare. Hauntings are had, portals to the underworld, ghosts are loose, but unfortunately for them, so are you. The story feels so much like a new Ghostbuster's movie, I've often wondered if they decided, instead of a movie simply to make a game about it, like John Woo did with "Stranglehold". The point is that if your a Ghostbusters fan waiting for the next big story from them, you can't go without playing this game. If your not a Ghostbusters fan, you'll still find a charming, sometimes disturbing story that'll always keep you entertained.

Though the story is very serious in its nature, the characters offset the serious feel of the story with their constant jokes and wit. Its always funny to hear Bill Murray go on a random rant about picking up girls while fighting the Giant Stay Puft man, but it doesn't exactly mix well with the atmosphere of the game. Some parts of the game made me wonder if the ESRB missed that part while rating the game "Teen". Still, the characters are what always steal the show(steal the game?), and without them the game would simply lose all its charm. So while the characters and the story don't exactly go together then peanut butter and jelly, the whole presentation still works, and your treated to a good cinematic Ghostbusters experience along the way. Pity though, that the actual story is rather shallow. If your trying to find some depth in its meaning or execution, there really isn't any to be found.

Gameplay

Any of you ever want to use a Proton pack in real life? Of course you did. Don't even try to deny it. Blasting ghosts to kingdom come for 20 continuous minutes like in the movies probably would get boring after the first five. Terminal Reality knew that. The Proton pack does far more in the game then in the movies. there are four unique tools that it provides you, each with multiple ways to take out the ghost that ails ya.

The first and foremost weapon is the Proton stream.The most useful and well rounded of the weapons in the game, the proton stream is your standard issue Ghostbusters weaponry, keep a constant blast on the Ghost and then press the capture stream button to start trying to wrangle the weakened ghost into a trap. The Proton pack also features a sort of bombshell attack called the Boton dart. Without spoiling too much more, I'll say that the game features a diverse amount of Ghost hunting equipment for utilization against the nasty apparitions.

However, the problem with all these weapons is that when it all boils down, there really is only a single weapon you need to use, and that is the Proton pack. The other guns you gain throughout the certainly do look cool(which is of course the most important feature of the game. Looking cool. Your hanging with BILL MURRAY. C'MON...ah who am I kidding.) but they often do less damage then the proton stream and often only have their uses set in some rather easy platforming stages, many of which have questionable physics utilization as the answer to how to move forward in the game. So, while the other weapons look the part of ghostbusters peripherals, they really don't serve much of a purpose.

Now using the proton stream is just like using a gun with a constant ammo stream. You gradually keep the beam focused on the ghost as it dodges or tries to attack you, and when its hurt enough you can wrangle it into a ghost trap. The wrangling mechanics often feel strange and unwieldy, as controlling the ghost isn't too well mapped to the analog stick. That is to say, the controlling could be more tight. Also, when blasting a ghost at the same time as your teamates you risk "crossing the streams" of your guns, and blowing off half your health. It doesn't happen often, but its almost impossible to predict sometimes, as your streams often cross when fighting a ghost.
The game is light on puzzles, although there is a good bit of collectibles and goodies to be found throughout the game. It adds a bit of longevity, but for most gamers, they would probably just skip the collecting altogether, since it doesn't really change the gameplay in any significant manner.

Graphics:
Props to Terminal Reality for getting all the characters faces near photorealistically. The ghost character models, on the other hand, lack the detail that obviously went into the player characters, however. TR tried to remedy this situation by making the less detailed ghosts give off brighter glows or move quicker, so it wouldn't be as noticeable. Still, some of the runner ghosts could have used a bit more polygons, but the effects of the glowing ghosts themselves is pretty.

The best graphical aspect of the game is the effects from the photon stream from your weapon. Even better looking them in the show itself, the photon stream glows and looks like the stream from the show, albeit with more detail, and the twitchy animation of the stream feels more realistic to an experimental stream to catch plasma.

The level detail is less impressive. At no point in the game did I notice anything special of stunning about the look of the environments, and at some points thought they seemed rather bland and even pixelated. The environments are by no means bad or terrible, but compared to the other graphical aspects of Ghostbusters, they are simply underwhelming.

Final Comments:

Ghostbusters is a bit of a riot to play, especially with friends. It has issues, and is a little too easy for its own good, but the game is cohesive and a good use of licensing, which seems to be an extremely rare thing among licensed games these days. Still, the entire game consists of blast ghosts, capture ghosts, rinse, wash, repeat for a good 12 hours. The variations of the ghosts keep it interesting, as do the characters themselves, so it certainly isn't a chore to finish the game. If your on the edge about this game, ask yourself this; do I like Ghostbusters or Bill Murray, do I have friends who like co-op, and do I like blasting ghosts to kingdom come with fictional beams of plasma and energy? If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you may want to look this game up. Its not a deep game, more like an arcade style, but hey, its still fun. So who ya gonna call?



Ah crud gotta cut this of for a few.

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