Game Reviews – Urgent Fury Unleashed

Medal of Honor Warfighter Review

So I know it seems I am running behind on this review, it is because I really wanted to get some good stick time before I gave my opinion on the game. Setting aside what I have seen around the net, I felt the only true justice would be to play this game in full both in Single Player and Multiplayer.

So let’s start with the single player which is based on various past and current events including sniping the pirates out of the lifeboat from an US Navy Destroyer. I was a little underwhelmed by the single player only because of the length. I miss the games that you would have to play for days on end to complete. We actually did live broadcast the single player as we played through it and manage to finish it in a few sessions, but overall I feel it was short. I know this seems like a knock against Medal of Honor, and it is, but it seems to have become the accepted practice these days.

Outside of the length, there were some minor issues with freezing during single player. As I found out the second freeze happened right before the point where the campaign completed which was quite irritating to say the least. Also, the AI is a bit on the naïve side which seems to be the case in more and more games.

On the positive side, the graphics are rich throughout the game. I really enjoyed the attention to detail throughout the game. It made for a truly immersive effect for me, which I highly enjoy. I was taken by surprise when I had to drive vehicles including a level of evading. It was a nice break from the norm. The sniper mechanics were fantastic; I appreciate the fact that you had to factor in bullet drop to hit your targets.

I will say the check point system was surprisingly well thought out. Both of the game freezes I experienced were mid to late level and had I known that I would be able to pick up at the last checkpoint I probably would not have raged as much.

Over all the Single Player is rich in graphics and true to scenario gameplay, but almost too linear and short in my opinion. But I would still recommend it to my friends with no regrets at all.

Now let’s talk multiplayer. Now don’t get me wrong I enjoyed Battlefield 3, but I am sorry, Medal of Honor blows it out of the water. I know, I know, the comms are crap and by all means you cannot function effectively without proper communications. I blame this on the lack of a beta for PlayStation. I am only speculating that had there been a beta on PlayStation, they could have identified this issue before release.

To continue on the negative side of the multiplayer, I feel that the maps can be a bit small at times. I understand that you have a two-man fire team, but your full team is large enough for a larger map size. Now don’t go overboard of course, but I would like to see some larger open maps personally. The only other issue I really see is with the wealth of weapon unlocks, a majority of them seem to be more cosmetic than function. I mean who really wants three versions of the same magazine? And who’s idea was it that secondary weapons would have unlimited ammo? I would love to smack the guy that had this idea.

Our biggest gripe is that there is a lack of means to set up a match between two clans. We have voiced this directly to the team and it really hurts the extended playability that is paramount to keeping your players coming back for more. DLC can only do so much. Now we are hearing rumors through the moderators at Battlelog that private servers are coming in a few months, but why are we not seeing this day one. We had written this game off for tournaments because we were advised this was neither an option nor a priority.

Finally the other irritation I have is with the invite system, I love the idea of being able to send a mass invite, but could you limit it to only those online in Medal of Honor. I spent ten minutes apologizing to friends that did not even have the game after I sent a mass invite out.

Moving along to the positive side, well this is a surprise that the game was quite stable on release. I was able to dive right into the servers with no issues. The party system is pretty great. You are able to lock your fire team buddy so that you can stick together and joining a server is quite easy.

Once you are in-game, having the ability to adjust your loadouts according to the situation at hand is simple and actually quick. You are able to set up each of your soldiers loadouts before you are in a match, but if needed you are able to adjust it on the fly with little issue. I have noticed that every now and then it will switch you back to what you started with, but it only takes a second to switch it back.

The gun mechanics are pretty spot on, no gun seems to overpowered beyond the rage metered though I think there could be some minor adjustments here and there. I spend a lot of time sniping since that is my thing and I like how when you activate the supported function, you are limited in your movement.

Gunfights really do come down to skill in most situations and the PDM is not overly powerful such as the PMN was in Socom. With the secondary weapons having unlimited ammo, you have to be on your toes with your primary magazine. That point where your opponent runs out of ammo and switches to their secondary can mean life or death.

The modes are quite pleasing as well, you can opt to play a single mode or a couple of mixtures, but I would love to see a matchmaking option that includes all modes. I really enjoy Hot Spot and even Team Death Match. I have never been big on respawn games, but I can live with the respawn limit in many of the modes.

Outside of TDM, the modes do require that you use teamwork to really have any chance of winning. Especially in the bomb planting modes, you will find that the locations are well balanced with multiple plant options. Many of us remember the single plant in a circle set up in Socom making it very easy for the defending team to camp on that location from a few different angles.

With the varied plant locations, you are able to get in a blind spot and plant while giving you the ability to try and setup to defend your plant.

I could go on for days, but overall I am pleasantly surprised by the Multiplayer and actually look forward to playing with friends nightly. If we really do see private servers, the game will be worthy of tournament play and we will make sure to get the word out very quickly once it happens.

Overall I would recommend everyone give this game a good try. And if you are a PlayStation Plus member, you can hit up a one hour open trial. Strap on your boots boys, there’s a military shooter that needs your attention!!

Concept
Graphics
Sound
Playability
Entertainment
Replay

With the current issues we are rating this an 8 out of 10, but had there been private servers and the comms were working out of the gate this would have easily been a 9 out of 10 hands down!

Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

PAX 2012 Medal Of Honor: Warfighter Community Event

Before I get into the “meat & potatoes” of Medal Of Honor: Warfighter, and my experience with the game during the PAX 2012 Medal Of Honor: Warfighter Community Event…I should give you a little background intel about myself.

I am not just a fan of the Medal Of Honor franchise. I am a battle hardened veteran of almost every Medal Of Honor “battle space” ever made available to me from the fine folks at Electronic Arts.

I was part of the team that destroyed “Railgun Greta” (I always thought that would be a great name for a band). I was there with the French Resistance, when they put a stop to the V-1 menace. I survived the horror of “Panzerknacker Unleashed“. I experienced the tragedy & triumph, of both D-Day & Pearl Harbor.

And of course, I was there when Mother, Preacher, Voodoo, & Dusty all said goodbye, to one of their own.

But enough about me, let’s talk about Medal Of Honor: Warfighter. I just thought that it was important for you to know as you read this, that the opinions expressed here, are not those of some casual gaming blog writer, or some detached industry media guy who could really care less about the game.

These are the opinions of a guy who knows this franchise, and has come to expect a certain something when he plays Medal Of Honor.

Flash forward to Seattle, Washington. The “Jet City“. Friday, 31 August, 2012. Westin Hotel. 1900 hours.

20 or so Medal Of Honor community members fill the lobby, and you can feel the sheer anticipation pulsing throughout the room.

After signing in, we are finally led upstairs to a huge meeting room filled with food, fun, & fireteams.

As we started the gameplay portion of the evening I was instantly caught off guard, by just how good the game looks.

I play Battlefield 3, so I know what the Frostbite 2 can do. But you could immediately tell that Danger Close has a firm grasp on the engine’s real capabilities.

The second thing that I noticed was the sound design. It was even a topic later in the night, during a Q&A session with the DEV team.

The ambient audio in general is superb. But the gunfire in particular, is simply stunning. Each weapon has it’s own distinct sonic personality. You can almost “feel” the difference between weapons, based solely on how each one sounds.

With regard to the essentials, Warfighter’s basic gunplay and control interface, remain relatively unchanged from the game’s predecessor. All in all, to this point, I’m feeling pretty optimistic about everything I’ve experienced so far.

But, keep in mind that 2010’s Medal Of Honor was a hybrid endeavor. With Danger Close developing the Singleplayer mode (on a heavily modified version of the Unreal Engine 3), and DICE (EA Digital Illusions CE) developing the Multiplayer mode on the Frostbite 1.5 engine.

In fact, that may have been the only thing wrong with the 2010 iteration. You could tell that the two modes were somehow related, but were also distant cousins at best.

So, as I blazed my way into Warfighter’s Multiplayer mode, I was a bit apprehensive about what I might find.

However, I’m happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised to find that Danger Close had re-imagined the Multiplayer mode, and has aptly transplanted it’s DNA into the mode’s fabric.

Unlike 2010’s game, you can tell that Danger Close developed this mode. It didn’t seem like I was playing someone else’s version of Medal Of Honor. The HUD, and player icons were well thought out, and unique. I didn’t notice the usual visual clutter on the screen like you see in some shooters. And thanks to the technology of the Frostbite 2, player movement was smooth, and very natural.

The Spec Ops mode was interesting, though I rarely found myself using it. It gives you a very quick “IR” peek at your environment when you need to amp up your situational awareness a bit. Some players may complain about it, but as I mentioned, it’s not something you can “lean on” during the course of the game. It really is something that you’d only use if you find yourself in a “tight spot“.

There is also a “suppression” effect that occurs when you find yourself taking enemy fire. It’s similar to the Battlefield 3 suppression mechanic, but is toned down enough to distract & disorient you, more than it disables you. I like the execution of the effect overall, and I think most players will agree.

Other elements from the 2010 game make a return to Medal Of Honor: Warfighter. Offensive & Defensive Support Actions are back, and have been tweaked a bit.

They seem more useful and balanced, but must be used strategically in order to achieve any real results. I also love the way a player must think before he deploys one of these actions. For instance, if you launch a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle). Your player actually stops, and literally “launches” the UAV by hand. If you call in an A-10 “air strike”, your player must again stop, and actually “lase” the target for tasking. It makes the player vulnerable, which means you have to use discretion when deploying any of the support actions.

I also love the revised melee mechanic. At one point, I jumped off a raised position to engage an unsuspecting foe below, dispatching him with a well placed tomahawk. If I could have, I would have “high-fived” myself.

And although we only played on two maps during the event (Somalia & Sarejevo). It seemed like we played on 3 or 4 different maps, due in large part to the unique map design Danger Close implemented. Depending on which game mode we played, we’d find ourselves fighting on a different portion of the overall map.

Sarajevo, is set at the Kosovo Olympic Stadium. What was once a proud structure that represented something glorious, is now just a shell of rubble & untamed vegetation after years of civil unrest in the region.

I can’t put into words how dense, and cluttered the terrain is on this map. Be advised, there won’t be any “Run & Gun” here kids. To properly navigate this AO, you almost have to “move & shoot” the “Tier 1” way. I think the saying goes…”slow is steady, and steady is fast“.

A “bombed out” bobsled track snakes it’s way throughout most of the map, and provides hundreds of vantage points from which to engage the enemy. In addition to the many man-made structures that litter the map, rocky perches and natural terrain also provide players with a plethora of tactical options.

The three game modes we experienced were “Sector Control“, “Hot Spot“, and an e-sport game mode called “Homerun“.

SECTOR CONTROL-
This mode is exactly what is sounds like. It’s very similar to Battlefield 3‘s “Conquest” mode.
Players must capture & defend designated “nav points” on the map, to push the enemy back and ultimately control the AO.
It should also be noted that because of the nature of the game modes we played, the infantry combat is fierce at times, and will really test a team’s ability to work together & communicate. In other words…team work is essential.

HOT SPOT-
Next up is “Hot Spot“, my personal favorite of the three game modes we saw during the event.
In this mode, players are tasked with either planting or defusing a bomb that will destroy a designated tactical target if it isn’t defused in time. The cool thing is that you don’t choose where to plant the bomb if you’re attacking, HQ does. Similarly, players on the defending team will have 2 or 3 “potential” target sites to defend, but won’t know which site is actually being attacked, until the bomb is planted. It makes for a mad scramble at times. And the fire fights that ensue are epic to say the least.

HOMERUN-
Finally, we come to the “e-sport” game mode that was named by the Medal Of Honor community at-large. Homerun is a fast paced, no respawn, “Capture The Flag” game mode, that almost always comes down to a “last man standing” scenario. The fact that you only get one life per round (10 rounds in all), cranks up the stakes considerably, and was the only game mode that evoked cheers from the community players in the room. It sucked to die, but it was actually fun to watch the match unfold from the “dead lobby“.

Overall, I’m glad that Danger Close seems to understand the importance of innovation with regard to the Multiplayer mode. The Fireteam feature alone, proves that they are at least conscious about getting players to work together to achieve the objective.

But with that being said…there is one aspect of the Multiplayer mode that I’m concerned about.

Honestly, I’m still a little skeptical about the clan support options that we’ll see with Medal Of Honor: Warfighter. When asked about it, we were told that clan management would take place via Battlelog (like Battlefield 3). I firmly believe that developers have neglected the demographic of players who prefer a “team first” gaming experience. Most Multiplayer shooter titles today, seem to have forgotten those of us who want to be part of a team. A group of like minded gamers, who share a real collective identity. We want the ability to create and manage private matches, and to manage our clan down to the last shooter. We want the ability to achieve an actual online presence. But sadly, most titles focus on the individual. A players rank or KDR seem to be more important than the greater good of the team these days, which I think promotes a selfish “me first” type of dynamic. We’ll see how Danger Close chooses to handle this, but I’m not 100% sold on the idea of using Battlelog to manage my clan.

After all, most of us already have a “friends list“.

Regardless, I’ve got my fingers crossed. All I know is that for about six and half hours in Seattle, I was Tier 1. Danger Close has clearly found it’s identity, and has put it’s stamp on the franchise. And without question, I left Seattle with an excitement I haven’t felt in a while. Medal Of Honor: Warfighter seems to have everything a grizzled Medal Of Honor veteran like me would expect, or want.

We’ll find out soon enough if that’s enough to compete in a somewhat crowded genre/market. Medal Of Honor: Warfighter from Electronic Arts & Danger Close (PC, PS3, & Xbox) goes loud, on October 23rd.

Until then shooters. Watch those corners….and Stay frosty.

Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

The Walking Dead Episode 1 Review

The first episode of TellTale’s five episode The Walking Dead series has been released. Want to know if it’s worth the brains it’ll take to play? Read on to find out!

When TellTale announced it was working on a five episode The Walking Dead game I was very skeptical. Me being a die hard fan of anything The Walking Walking Dead, I was excited but wanted a Left 4 Dead or Dead Island style game. I’ve been a fan of their previous titles such as Sam and Max and the Back to the Future games but I didn’t really want “point and click” for this game. The more I thought about it though, I remembered The Walking Dead isn’t about just killing zombies it’s a great story and character driven drama with zombies showing up every once in awhile. So I decided to give it a try and with Playstation Plus subscribers getting the first two episodes for free there was no reason not to! Needless to say, TellTale more than delivered with great characters, gameplay, and a story that will have anyone, Walking Dead fan or not, craving more.

If you’ve played a TellTale title before you’ll be familiar with the gameplay. It’s the standard point and click system. You control a prompt with your right stick that lets you talk to people, interact with objects, or give people certain items, while controlling your character with the left stick. Occasionally, there will be quick-time events where you have to kick a zombie in the face, bust open a door, or whatever the certain situation requires. You’d have to be unconscious not to make it though.

Along with the familiar but fun gameplay you’re introduced to some very interesting characters. You start off in a cop car as a man named Lee, who has been convicted of murder. It’s not flat out said that he did it but enough hints are dropped for you to make your own conclusion. You’ll be introduced to a lot of new characters but there’s something really cool; the game is concurrent with the comic books. During episode one Rick is still in his coma and you see a few familiar faces. To find out whom you’ll have to play it yourself. You’ll have sort of expected characters introduced, like a journalist, a farmer, a go-to nerdy guy, but they all become very interesting and important to the story. I talked to everyone and chose new dialogue options whenever possible to find out more about them and their back story.

For a game that’s only a couple hours long, you’ll soon establish clear close relationships with people, whether if they’d shoot you with the chance or die for you. Personally, my favorite character is your surprising father/daughter relationship with Clementine. You save her (and she saves you) toward the beginning of the game. Her family is gone, and you’re left to take care of her, but for an eight year old, she’s managed to survive for days on her own. There’s an immediate sense of companionship you’ll have with her throughout the game, making decisions you’d think twice about with any other character. The way you act around people and some decisions you make will affect the way she sees you.

The icing on the cake of this game is the decisions you make. Taking sides on an argument, trusting someone, telling the truth, even saving one person over the other are decisions you’ll have to make throughout the game that will mold the outcome and make your playthrough something unique. There will be a little marker at the top left of the screen after you make a decision that’ll let you know whether someone will remember what you said or not. It doesn’t have much payoff in the first episode but I can see them becoming important in the later episodes when characters are dead/alive and how others act towards you. Hopefully, even the things you said in the first episode will stay with you through all five episodes.

It only being the first episode it obviously wasn’t very long. Took my barely over two hours, but for only $5 an episode ($20 for a season pass) it’s definitely worth it. TellTale definitely stayed true to the franchise and left me craving more. If you’re playing on the Playstation 3 you can still grab the first two episodes for free and see what the hype is about. If not I strongly recommend you atleast try the first episode out. You won’t be disappointed.

Final Score 9.0/10

Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Starhawk Review – Reaching into a Whole New Shooter Frontier

Starhawk is by far one of the most anticipated new exclusives for PlayStation that I have waited for all year. I briefly saw it at E3 last year and then went full force into the Private Beta last November. I have eagerly awaited to get my hands on this gem produced by the masterminds at Lightbox Interactive in Austin, TX. I will say that I am not one bit disappointed.

So let’s start with Single Player, probably the most criticized part by many of the reviews I have read over the past week. Though you may look at the single player as a glorified tutorial for Multiplayer, then you really may not have let yourself get immersed into the Story.

Emmett Graves

Emmett Graves has become a hired gunslinger after being exposed to the blue gold known as Rift Energy. Sidney Cutter, Emmett’s “Gear Man” devised a way to control the Rift infection leaving Emmett as a half-breed of sorts. So they have returned to their old stomping grounds to mine the blue gold when they are thrust into battle with the Outcasts. These Outcasts are a fully mutated species of humans also known as “Scabs”. The short story is when a Rifter becomes exposed to the Rift Energy they mutated into a Scab hell-bent on protecting and worshiping the energy.

The story though a bit short, as intended according to Dylan Jobe, president of Lightbox Interactive, brings you through the past and present of Emmett and you quickly learn how he met his destiny after being exposed. He moves through several settlements working to get the Rift Rigs online so that they can meet their quotas. Along the way you are pitted in various battles with Scabs. Each chapter progresses with the introduction of various resources used via the all new Build & Battle system that is at the core of Starhawk.

Apex Outcast

This brings a new level of Strategy as you are building on the fly to react to the various Outcast attacks, everything from a simple Auto Turret to the Ox Tank. The game is very well-balanced in terms of matching your build options to the task and enemies at hand. In the early levels you are guided through the core building that you will use throughout the campaign, but as you progress it becomes an open canvas for you to decide what you think is going to work best.

I opted to take the game head on using the Mercenary difficulty setting and I will admit there were several times that I cursed the team as I would get so close to a check point to only be foiled by a scab. One thing I would have wished was present was saving and starting at a checkpoint versus a level. I found myself having to choose whether I would give up at a point to take a break or pausing and leaving my PS3 on while I stepped away from game so that I would not have to start at the beginning.

Emmett and the Sherrif Aside from this very frustrating issue, I was quite satisfied with the story and campaign levels. The challenge factor was just shy of feeling impossible and the story progression was well laid out. It even leaves you with a sense of what’s next, I will leave it at that :). I did encounter a few bugs here and there with the cut scenes skipping and even a point with a loop, but only once did I actually have to start a level over because of this.

Starhawk includes a Coop mode known as Prospector, which is similar to horde or survival mode. I actually had previewed this mode at South by Southwest a few weeks ago, but as warned, when I got into it, it was much more of a challenge than the build we played in Austin, and it was quite satisfying. Now this is no cakewalk by any means either and make sure that you check difficulty setting before you host. If you are set on Mercenary mode, you better plan on a match from hell. You will need all four players and all of you better have skill if you want to survive any level.

Even on Normal mode Prospector is a heck of a challenge. C-YA and I got through 5 rounds only to be foiled by a swarm of Grinder equipped Jet Pack Scabs, talk about a “Damn we were so close” moment. I will be looking to build a bit of an elite team to beat all of the Coop levels. Well done on the Coop mode, and you should note that it is completely randomized so you are always evolving from start to finish.

Multiplayer Hawk Combat Finally the meat and potatoes of Starhawk is of course the Multiplayer part of the game. Now as an avid Socom player, I do not have the Warhawk background to compare Starhawk too as most of the community does, so my views are from a fresh perspective. First lets talk about what put Starhawk on Urgent Fury’s radar, the Clan Management and Server set up. This is a great step back to the core of Clan Based Competitive gaming. Clans are able to create a custom server with a customized title such as “UFGL Tryouts”, this is extremely crucial when it comes to building a team in Starhawk. The key to winning is pure teamwork and communication. The server customization also garners a never-ending variety of playability. There are 10 maps, 5 large and 5 small, 4 game modes (Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Zones, and Deathmatch aka Dogfight Mode) and a selection of 10 loadouts.

As mentioned before, one of the major drawbacks in multiplayer is getting into random servers. For some unknown reason, people these days refuse to use mics which in turn leads to a lack of players working together. In Multiplayer, there is a small building limit of 32, and this can be a real challenge if everyone is playing as a lone gunman. Next thing you know it you have four hawk pads, three bunkers, fifteen walls, six razorback garages, six beam turrets and eight auto turrets. Now you can build anything out in the field like a much-needed pod beacon.

Ox Tank

I have heard many say this is falls on the developer, but I say that is bs. It is very easy to manage building counts… I mean there are only twelve building types and in any given load out the largest number of buildings available is ten. So you can build three of every building and still have two to spare. So as you have heard us say many times, “Situational Awareness” is key to being successful in Starhawk.

Now we were all involved in the beta and have seen some of the issues like Mic Fallout carry over. One other hot topic is the Homing missile. It seems that it works better in Single player thank it does in Multiplayer, or it is way to easy to dodge. Now don’t get me wrong if you going nose to nose and time it right, you will get a hit every time, but other than that, it is extremely rare. Now that we have the flak guns, this seems to be a little overpowered but not too bad, but it clearly has become the weapon of choice for A2A combat in the servers I have been in.

One of the new editions to the air game is the cluster bomb, and well that is more powerful that even the TOW. It needs to either be scaled back or at least reduce how often it respawns. I truly believe this is the most overpowered weapon in the game. Also added were the Hawk Shield and Cloak, I think these are pretty well-balanced. You do not stay invisible very long and the shield is not a super bubble.

Flack Turret On the ground we now have the Flak Cannon which is an upgrade to the Beam Turret, this has been improved greatly since I first saw it in Austin. I have not seen it over used but it can be quite effective as an air defense. And finally the Repair ARM has made its debut, this is an awesome piece of equipment when used properly.

Repair Arm It can keep your base alive (except against cluster bombs) or go to town in the enemy base destroying anything it can reach.

There is still a sense of complaints about the flight mechanics by the community but I seem to fly fine, now don’t get me wrong I am not a hard-core pilot nor the best at it, but I can hold my own if needed.

Over all I am satisfied with Starhawk on many levels and the few issues I have seen can easily be adjusted and with the kind of attention that Lightbox Interactive and Santa Monica Studios have shown, we will see it very soon.

Here is the final tally:

Concept
Graphics
Sound
Playability
Entertainment
Replay

Concept – 10

The Build & Battle is a fresh and new experience in the overly flooded market of Shooters. This gives an ever evolving style of play that makes every match unique.

Graphics – 10

The graphic design is rich with colors and the cut scene animation is well done. You will find yourself just gazing into the universe looking at all the vast landscapes and the western theme is well executed in the future setting.

Sound – 9

There are a few issues with the sound in multiplayer that will surely be fixed in a future update which is its only hamper to the perfect score, but the music behind the game was executed beautifully by Chris Lennertz. The score is rich and as a music lover, I was taken by the great range of music performances throughout the game.

Playability – 8

Though the Campaign is short than most would like, it was enjoyable and the Coop as well as the Multiplayer are what will extend the playability of this game. I found it very frustrating that I was not able to pick up at a Checkpoint instead of the start of a level. For a noob there will be some rough beginnings in multiplayer and that may turn a few off, but this is pretty much with any game these days, one can only hope that some of the long time Warhawk players give the noobs a break and help them out.

Entertainment – 10

The game is very entertaining. You find yourself wishing there was more to the campaign, and who knows maybe the reason you get a trophy that hints at this is only the beginning.

Replay – 10

The replay factor for the Campaign is not really there, but Coop and Multiplayer more than makes up for it. And as mentioned with the announcement of Free Map Packs, we will continue to see fresh new content for a while, how long we don’t know. The complete randomized Coop ensures that you just don’t know what you are getting into and with the Build & Battle, the Multiplayer is always going to be fresh and challenging.

Total – 9.5/10

Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

Ridge Racer: Unbounded Review

Ridge Racer: Unbounded, is like none of its predecessors, it has been overhauled and now has a fierce, rebellious feel to it. They have moved away from the clean-cut circuit racer that we all know Ride Racer as being and now it’s all about Rampaging through the city of Shatter Bay, this is what we have all been waiting for! In concept, this is a lot like Burnout Revenge, but it has a few more things up its sleeve than Revenge did.

The game itself is a very nice looking spectacle, the environments are well crafted, and the cars look good. There is no real storyline, you have a brief introduction at the start, explaining who “The Unbounded” are, and then you have a series of events and eventually you dominate the city and take it as your own, but who really needs a storyline on such a game?

The events consist of 5 event types; Domination Race – Destroy anything and anyone who gets in your way to win! Time Attack, Drift Attack, Frag Attack – Destroy a certain amount of cars in the allotted time, and plain old, no thrills, Racing, known as “Shindo Racing”. These are good and are very challenging, but sometimes it can be too hard and can get very annoying after a while.

The gameplay itself is okay, however, the steering is a bit crude and the drifting can be very hard to handle, but with time, you get used to it. There are some more annoying points about it though, the Power boost that you use to generally frag others (although you can also frag them without) and destroy buildings and other destructables, has a very annoying camera, when you do destroy something or frag someone, it also slows down majorly a lot of the time, this can ruin your race or time trial and make you have to restart, also sometimes, it places you in the most annoying places which make you crash, as you can imagine, this gets very agitating!

The online play is ok, but nothing special, I do like the fact that you can compete to beat other people’s times they set on their City they created. The City Creation Tool itself is a good feature, there is nothing special about it, it is basically like a scalextric track set-up, you choose the pieces you want and build it, but you do need to bear in mind such things as tunnel entries and exits and other pieces like it, also there is a build limit, and this is a bit of a bummer, as you may not be able to build the track you want!

Concept
Graphics
Sound
Playability
Entertainment
Replay

Overall the game is brilliant, both in concept and in parts of the execution of it, but it can be VERY annoying, if you are willing to look over the flaws, it is a great game and very amusing.

Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

Urgent Fury: Kinect Star Wars Review

This is not the game you are looking for.

If you’re a long time Star Wars fan this game isn’t for you. All of your dreams about wielding a lightsaber and the all powerful Force have not been met. Because of control problems and poor polish make the main story a chore to play and the other modes don’t help the games case much either. Besides one mode this game is almost unplayable and is definitely targeted at a young audience.

The main story has you jump in with everyone’s favorite robots R2-D2 and C-3PO as you go through the Jedi archives. You relive the lives of a Jedi Master and her padawans during the Clone Wars. You learn the ways of the force from a terribly voiced yoda and then it’s like your watching the greatest scenes from the original trilogy by tossing in things such as the speeder chase, the second Death Star attack, and a few lightsaber battles. It is a good enough story but it’s hard to immerse yourself in it with synching problems where voices dont match up, and occasionally broken animations.

Even worse is the control issues. Your lightsaber is mapped to your right hand and The Force to your left. The problem is that it regulary screws up inputs and your character sits there doing nothing in battle. With these problems it is very hard to feel like a Jedi. You rarely have control of the game either. Most of the time you are moving from area to area, aiming a blaster, or slightly controlling a vehicle. It does have a few set piece where you really feel like a Jedi but it doesnt make up for the rest of the game.

Even when the controls work as they should the force is no fun to use. You can sling the most basic enemies around with it but most just brush it off as if you tapped them on the shoulder. This makes the force feel all but useless. If you want to get a more force like feeling then wait for the near future Skyrim Kinect integration and get your Fus Ro Dah on.

Even if the story is pretty disappointing Podracing is a ton of fun. It does a great job at deliveing the exitement and speed of the Podracing scene from Phantom Menace. You can do singe races or a story mode called Destiny. The story gives you a sense of pregression but is also very silly. Although it’s hard to play for long with your arms stretched out, it is by fat the most fun I had with the game.

The other modes of the game are not nearly as rememberable. The Duels Of Fate lets you go through a series of one on one battles. It is very slow and sluggish and has input problems often. Then there’s Rancor’s Rampage that lets you take control of a Rancor and smash up settings from the movies. It is extremely difficult to control though and is at best fun to watch someone else play.

Then there’s Galactic Dance Off, which is the saddest thing I’ve ever seen in a videogame. It has you dancing to songs for stars that unlock you new songs which are all pop song spin offs such as instead of “I’m Ridin Solo” it’s “I’m Han Solo.” It is very alienatin to fans and I could only shake my head in shame as Han Solo danced in the very carbonite case he was trapped in and Princess Leia enthusiastically dancing in front of Jabba The Hutt. If you’re light hearted you’ll be able to laugh at how bad the songs are but if you’re a huge fan it’ll make you want to Death Star your 360.

If your a longtime fan that was hoping to live out your lightsaber dueling fantasies your wait is far from over. With all of it’s polish and control issues it has a very limited adult appeal but kids will probably enjoy it ( and no I am not one of them and I swear Shane if you make an age joke…). It is just a set of poorly executed Star Wars mini games that do not deliver on the Jedi epicness fans want. I have not lost hope for a great Star Wars game though. Maybe Microsoft will see it’s mistake with this game and make one that fans deserve (also maybe Sony with the move and PS Eye). So until then continue having your lightsaber filled dreams because hopefully this is just another drill.

Final Score: 5.0/10

Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

MLB 12: The Show – So real. It’s unreal.

I love baseball. I mean, I really, really love baseball.

As a kid growing up in Detroit, Michigan in the 70s, I remember loving the Tigers before loving just about anything else. Through the years, my passion for the game has only grown, and as a father, it’s been the source of great joy to share my love of America’s past time with my 10 year old son.

As it turns out, I had the privilege of coaching his Little League team a year or so ago. And one day before a game, he asked me, “Dad…why do you love baseball so much?”. As I struggled to give him a sufficient answer, I realized that it’s the sum of many different things that makes me love baseball so much.

The sights, the sounds, and even the smells of the game are what caused me to fall deeply in love with baseball. And to me, that’s really what baseball is. It’s more than just a game. It’s an amalgam of Geometry, Physics, history, culture, memories, or the anticipatory pause before every single pitch, that all come together to create this magical, uniquely American experience.

As a gamer, I’ve played almost every baseball game ever created. And while there have been a few franchises that have gotten close to capturing the “spirit” of the game, none have done so as aptly as Sony’s MLB: The Show franchise. Without question, MLB:The Show is the only baseball franchise to consistently hit it out of the park with each iteration.

And MLB 12: The Show is no exception.

It’s one thing to focus on the basic geometry & physics of the game. Which The Show executes masterfully. But, it’s another thing altogether to really focus on the little things that actually make baseball great.

For instance, if you play at Wrigley Field in Chicago, you’ll hear the el train going by during the game. Play an entire season as the Cubs and you’ll be able to watch Wrigley’s trademark ivy go from a dingy brown in April, to a lush green as the season winds down.

And it’s like that for each and every team & stadium.

Considered by many to be the most authentic baseball simulation available, Sony’s San Diego Studios continues to deliver an award winning take on America’s game.

In MLB 12: The Show, most of what you’ve grown to love about the franchise is back. Including a variation of the Analog Control System introduced last year in MLB 11.

This time around, they’ve combined the feel of the classic Zone Hitting interface with the Analog Hitting interface to get something called Zone Analog Batting.

You still use the Right Analog Stick for the stride & swing, but if you choose to, you can now control where you actually swing in the zone, by using the Left Analog Stick. It seems insignificant at first, but once you get the hang of it, it feels like you’re actually “steering” the ball like a real hitter.

While the Analog Pitching system remains virtually untouched, the Classic pitching interface has gotten an upgrade. MLB 12: The Show introduces a brand new pitching interface for the Classic Pitching Style, called Pulse Pitching. Players still pitch using a simple “X” button press, but now must time the press with an on-screen display, to ensure pitch accuracy.

But don’t freak out. If you prefer to just use the Classic Control System for either pitching or hitting, you can do that too.

MLB 12: The Show also introduces True Ball Physics. Again, it seems insignificant at first, but once you get into a game, you’ll notice that the baseball now acts & reacts more realistically than in previous installments. Using actual math, the ball will now behave like a real baseball, making hitting and fielding a bit more challenging.

Also making a return to The Show are Franchise Mode and the “fan favorite“, Road To The Show.

Franchise Mode is basically the same, with the exception of a few tweaks they’ve made to team logic. Teams will now make decisions including drafts and trades that make more sense for each specific team, depending largely on which market they happen to be in.

Similarly, Road To The Show has been tweaked to the point to where your progression feels more natural & balanced. Most noticeably, the reward / penalty ratio is more balanced, so you feel like you succeed almost as much as you fail. At-Bats also seem a little more forgiving than in previous versions of RTTS.

What may have been considered a Poor AB in MLB 11, may now be considered an OK AB in MLB 12: The Show.
It’s not really easier, just more balanced.

New to The Show, and maybe 2012’s biggest upgrade, is Diamond Dynasty.

Diamond Dynasty juggles aspects of team management, player progression, and online competition with more creative freedom than any other sports game to date. Gamers create a completely customizable team, with thousands of options that include, team name, team colors, custom uniforms, and customizable logos.

Once created, the team is given a handful of MLB baseball cards and Dynasty baseball cards that, when activated, add the players to your team’s roster.

The fundamentals of Diamond Dynasty revolve around the difference between MLB and Dynasty cards and the unique reward system that support each type.

A Dynasty player is a long-term investment that requires training similar to a Road To The Show player. While an MLB player is a short-term investment that is ready to slot into your roster ready to play at their current attribute levels.

Like real baseball cards, completing collections of MLB players will reward you with budget bonuses. Your budget is used to train players, purchase card packs (Dynasty or MLB), and purchase cards from other users on the marketplace.

Most of your budget is earned by playing ranked/matched head-to-head online games or vs. CPU against MLB teams. Every fifth game played, your custom team is re-evaluated for placement into one of five competitive divisions:

Spring Training, Season Series, Division Series, Championship Series, or World Series.

Clearly, Sony understands that baseball fans want an accurate simulation of baseball reality, and anything that detracts from that, can shatter the illusion of playing in, or watching, a real game.

MLB 12: The Show‘s TruBroadcast Presentation once again blurs the line between reality, and the in-game experience. If you didn’t know it was a video game, you’d swear it was an actual network broadcast, of an actual game.

In other words, “It’s so real…it’s unreal“.

Matt Vasgersian, Dave Campbell, and Eric Karros all return to the broadcast booth for MLB 12: The Show.

Which, in my opinion, may just be the one thing that needs to be revamped in the entire franchise.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Vasgersian well enough, “Soup” is a baseball encyclopedia, and Karros is a former Cub, so he gets a free pass from me.

But, the fact that I can actually recite the booth dialog word for word, or predict the dialog in almost any scenario, is just unbearable at times.
In fact, I often turn it off “in-game“, which is disappointing in and of itself. Mainly because the booth dialog does add to the overall experience. For a franchise that has went to great lengths to create such an in-depth simulation, they seem to be neglecting what I think is an important aspect of the game.

Outside of that single criticism, it would be hard to find anything wrong with this game.

Overall, much like the real game of baseball, MLB 12: The Show is an amalgam of many different things, that all come together to make a great game.

And I guess that’s as it should be.

Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

Unit 13 Review on the PS Vita

Anyone who has read my article on the PS Vita will know that I was very complimentry about the new handheld. But the hardware has to have good software to show it off and the first of these new games is the third person shooter, Unit 13.

Developed by Zipper Interactive, Unit 13 is about a group of hard military types who by the use of stealt, speed and if needed, force, complete their objectives to gather information or take out key targets. This may sound like many other military games, but there are things to be enjoyed that set it apart from the others.

One of the main things is that this is on the PS Vita so it’s portable and also has the social aspect tied in. This is also a portable game that you can really get into and enjoy, the graphics are excellent and the gameplay is smooth and crisp.

Unit 13 is not the type of game that you can simply barge in and shoot everything in sight, this game needs, no expects forward planning. There is a radar map on the left that shows the area as well as any people moving within them. The people are also colour coded depending on their alert level. This is normally white/grey but once you take one of them out with a silent shot to the head, they tend to get quite angry.

As long as you keep your head down, it doesn’t take them long to calm down, of course you are really looking to get in and out as quickly as possible without being seen. You are helped along the way by the communications officer who updates you on the situation and your next objectives. There is also the direction arrow at the top of the screen that tells you the direction you need to be going in. This is not always the direction you are currently taking as obsticles and guards may be in your way.

In terms of the gameplay, Zipper Interactive have worked hard on making Unit 13 as involved and at the same time very playable. They have involved all that the PS Vita has to offer in terms of interactivity and that makes things much more fun. The controls for the touch screen seem a little difficult at times but this doesn’t detract from the overall gameplay too much.

Concept
Graphics
Sound
Playability
Entertainment
Replay

Overall, this is a very absorbing game that tries hard to grab and keep your attention. Though this may be one of many of it’s kind out there, it’s certainly worth a look if you have a PS Vita.

Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Binary Domain, is it a Sleeping Giant in the 2012 Shooter Category?

Binary Domain

The best way to describe Binary Domain would be to say it is a third person Tactical Shooter that meets iRobot. Now keep in mind I had not really even heard about this game until I found out there was going to be a BradyGames strategy e-guide for this title.

I had the pleasure to play through Binary Domain start to finish and was pleasantly impressed by the game mechanics. The story line sends the main characters Dan Marshall and Roy Boateng on a mission for the IRTA to investigate the Amada corporation on breaking international laws by developing human-like robots.

Your first mission is to meet up with your international counter parts while trying to keep a low profile, but nothing is that simple. Right away you are recognized as a threat by the enemy robot force as you have been dropped in Japan which is already in conflict between humans and robot forces.

Throughout the campaign you pitted against varying opponents from basic assault shooters, Grand Lancers, Jarheads and more. There are over 30 different types of enemies to put our skills against.

With over 25 weapons in the game, your standard issue SOWSAR-17 ASSAULT RIFLE SBMOD Assault Rifle is more than adequate against most of the enemies in the game you can pick up enemy weapons and even visit shop terminals to purchase weapons, ammo, health, upgrades and skill upgrades. These ATM like devices are scattered throughout the and actually stop all gameplay while you are accessing the terminals.

Along the way you will find intel items called SECUR-COMs which are glowing data tablets that when obtained unlock one or more IRTA Reports. If you head over to the BradyGames YouTube channel we have teamed up with them to create a five part series walking you through picking up all 40 SECUR-COMs. Check out the first video in the series:

For all of you trophy hunters out there, Binary Domain rewards you with 50 different achievements scattered among the campaign and multiplayer.

The game graphics and sound are amazing as I played on my Samsung LED television with surround sound. There are plenty of cinematic cut scenes throughout the campaign, but is well balanced with the amount of game play. The campaign is well laid out and keeps you on the edge of your seat as you race to find Yoji Amada, the founder of the mada Corporation.

Concept
Graphics
Sound
Playability
Entertainment
Replay

Overall I give this game a 8.83 out of 10 and we are going to label Binary Domain as a sleeping giant in the shooter category for 2012.

Rating: +3 (from 3 votes)

Battlefield: 3 Now ‘Banned’ in Iran…

Story by: CritiKiL

First the Lawsuit, and now This? ~ Iran has banned this video game in all of Iran, which is very popular here in the USA. In the picture above, it shows the US invading Iran. With the latest incident leading to the killings via Drone-airstrike by NATO, this video game is the first of expressions showing the countries unrest with what happened. Battlefield: 3 has been banned in that country because of it’s depictions of US armour and aircraft launching assaults on and in the city of Tehran, according to an Iranian IT magazine today.

Tehran Highway: A nighttime map where players start off in the hills out side of the city and work their way in. Sounds a lot like Strike At Karkand. The map starts open, but ends “on a much more urban and tight note” with focus on infantry combat.

The game (EA’s current top-selling title), can be played as a solo campaign or as a group mission with up to 24 players online. The Iran scenario sees US forces fighting hostile militia near the Iraq-Iran border then moving on to Tehran under a looming nuclear threat. Intense gunfights are depicted in various military, industrial and urban locations in the capital, including Tehran’s historic Grand Bazaar.

According to EA, 5 million copies of Battlefield: 3 were sold within just ‘one week’ of it hitting the market on October 25, 2011. The game is available on DVD-ROM and as for download from the Internet. EA has no resellers in Iran, but pirated copies of all major videogames and computer software are widely available worldwide. This is the first time an official ban on the game was reported, but some computer store owners said they had declined to stock the game initially, anticipating a possible crackdown on it.

Iranian police overseeing public places “raided (some shops) and arrested owners for selling the game secretly” even before the ban became public, said by one anonymous store owner who did not want his name mentioned. The Fars news agency said the game had prompted an online protest by a group of Iranian youths. One group said in an online petition, with more than 5,000 signatories so far:

“We understand that the story of a videogame is hypothetical … (but) we believe the game is purposely released at a time when the US is pushing the international community into fearing Iran…”

Although Not noted in the petition as far as we know: ‘an Iranian leader in the game outright calls Americans terrorists’, in explaining the source of the struggle in the Launch trailer that I’ve attached to this story below. Whatever the outcome, it looks like this game won’t be accessible or played in that part of the world ever again, but that’s just my take on the given situation. Let us know what YOU THINK, by commenting on this story! Don’t forget to watch the video below:

Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)