Sunday, 20 of May of 2012
Interests and thoughts from three brothers
How amazing does this look? Click on the image below to see the full trailer from E3 earlier this year. I’ve got to get my hands on the original before this one comes out.
-CWD
This one plays like a feature film, but this one’s a game trailer too. This is hands-down one of the best trailers (movie or game) I’ve seen this year.
http://g4tv.com/videos/47678/dc-universe-online-cinematic-trailer/
Okay, so maybe this doesn’t one-up Alan’s post, but it at least evens us out, right? Looks like it may actually be better than the original, which is a pretty tall order.
I think I just poo’d myself. Check out this trailer. I am so excited that they have changed Bioshock for the better.
I have to start out by saying I absolutely loved this game. I am not one for games that resemble Grand Theft Auto but this is one of the most engaging games I have played for the PS3. Unlike games like GOW3, the old west is yours to roam. I actually received this game from my wife for Father’s Day, actually getting it a week early, and I have been playing it ever since. When I first mentioned I wanted this game, it was due to all the hype surrounding it. To be honest, the first few missions, I found myself a bit bored and confused as to what my objective was. But once I did figure it all out, the world was my oyster. There is so much to do here, I could spend the next month or so just finishing side missions.
I will use Craig’s grading system so we can be uniform on it.
Objective: 10 This game takes place in the late 1800′s and brings you right into the old west, as the US is expanding into unchartered and untamed areas of this country. You are John Marston, an outlaw left for dead by your old cowboy gang (now cowboys were actually the bad guys, so lets not confuse it with the cowboys and indians of the 1950s). The government kidnaps your lovely wife and child, making you work for them. Your goal? Why hunting down your old gang. The great thing about this game is you have the opportunity to choose the path you want. Let’s say you go into a saloon and you feel someone disrespected you by bumping your shoulder. You have two choices, move on or make him pay for his behavior. You are judged on your actions. If you become a killer you are treated as such, where bounties will be put on your head. You can pay those off but the people will still treat you differently. Become a hero to people and they will love you. It has taken me a few weeks to help John Marston finish his quest, I would say about 18 or so hours, but I did quite a few side missions. And if you do choose to take the righteous path, this does not mean you do not shed blood, so no worries. If a prostitute is being slapped around by a disrepectful drunk, you just set your sights and take him down. I can say there were times I wanted to change my direction as many people in the game play you for a fool and hold your family over your head. Sometimes it comes down to dueling, where you stand man-to-man, and stare down the barrel of a gun. There are so many side missions that you could be playing for months. You can collect new outfits, save people who are in need of some justice, and collect both animal skins and specific plants.
Theme: 10 This was an amazing game, and what made it amazing, was the theme of the game itself. The story was excellent but the research and development of the Old West made it so. All the weapons you used were around at that specific time. The missions you performed were creating using historical research into the quests itself, including hunting down animals and skinning them. The background and animation were just beautiful. There were times, as I rode my horse in the early morning hours, that I could pull up besides a raging river and watch the sun rise. And it legitimately feels as though it is all so real. Again, what really appealed to me was the attention to detail, not only of the visuals but also of the dedication to really making it feel like you were roaming the west, and Mexico, during that specific time period.
Gameplay: 9 For me, as one who had a hard time getting into Grand Theft Auto, I thought I would hate the gameplay since it so closely resembled GTA. However, I actually thought it was fairly easy to use. As you fought, you could change your weapons, even chosing between the types of revolvers, shotguns, etc… This, to me was not always easy, as it could sometimes change back. Also I thought some of the things you bought, like the maps and medicine, took too long to get to, as you had to pause it, then find them. In the middle of a shoot-out, it seems out of place to pause it just to take medicine. There must be an easier way.
Soundtrack: 8 The music was great. My only issue would be that the voice and the volume level would stay the same. There were times I had to turn it up to hear them speak and then turn it down a bit because the shooting was too loud (for my wife sitting next to me. She just doesn’t understand vigilante justice).
Replay value: 10 This is one of the few games where I might go back and play through the whole thing. It is not only fun to play the side missions, but you can also choose to take a different path. I was not one to waste my bullets on civilians but the next time around, those sons of bitches might not be so lucky.
Total Score: 10 I dont’ generally tell people to spend $60.00 unless it is imperative, and it is necessary my friends. This is one of the best games I have ever played as you are not put in a set form and walked through, like God of War. You pick your path and it follows you throughout. There are games such as Star Wars Unleashed, where you decide whether you wish to be good or evil, but it leads you directly where they want you to go. There is no individualism. The only thing I would tell parents is that there is a lot of language in this game that could be considered “less-than-savory” for younger ears. There is no real sex like in GTA or GOW, and you cannot pay a prostitute for a little love. You are a devoted husband and father.
So pick up this game, roam the wild west, and enjoy yourself. Make sure you always carry your gun close to your side, because my gunslinging friend, you are going to need it.
I’ll be writing a review of this game shortly. Our fans (all 3 of you) need to pick this one up (buy it, borrow it from a friend, whatever you need to do to get your hands on it) and give it a try.
-CWD
"Classic" Spidey"
From what little I’ve read about this game, you can play as 4 different renditions of our favorite wall crawler. Three of these have been revealed and are pictured in this article, with the fourth to come soon.
http://spidermandimensions.marvel.com/#/home
"Film Noir" 30's / 40's Spidey
The game looks like it’s got real potential. I certainly hope it’s better than it’s website, which is poor at best. Navigation is a pain, the content is limited and glitchy, and if you’re watching the videos, don’t try to pause them. You’ll have to start over. Your best bet is to travel to Superhero Hype and watch the video there.
"2099" Spidey
-CWD
Happy belated VD day (that’s Valentine’s Day for everyone else). To express her undying love for me, my wife bought me Bioshock 2, a game filled with mutated, morlock-looking inhabitants of the near-deserted and decaying underwater city of Rapture. More specifically you as the main character blasting, drilling, and stomping your way through the underwater city of Rapture as one of the previous game’s most popular antagonists, the Big Daddy. You’re actually Big Daddy Delta, the prototype created 10 years before and recently “awakened” after being killed by the main villian in this game, Dr. Lamb. She has returned to Rapture to reboot the Little Sister program, kidnapping little girls from all over the world and spiriting them to Rapture to convert them into the creepy little Adam-collecting angels we all know and love. It’s your job as Delta to rescue them and your original Little Sister, the prototype and also the daughter of the good Doctor.
Objective: 7 This game takes place about 10 years after the original and utilizes many of the same ideas and gameplay. You have to fight your way through various areas of Rapture (none are repeats of the original game, keeping things kind of fresh). I’ve read plenty of posts boasting a 6 hour play time. I think that’s a total waste of $50 plus dollars (and suspect that it’s a steaming load in some cases). I’m a player who likes to explore every nook and cranny and the game map has plenty of rooms and areas to keep you busy for hours. I had a play time of about 20 hours or so and had a total blast playing. I give the Objective a 7 only because it’s a fairly linear game. You can go just about anywhere in the level you’re in, but once you advance to the next one, there’s no going back. I’d have really liked to see a more open environment like the first game, giving the player the ability to go to just about any level at almost any time (as long as you’re at a train station or bathysphere of course).
Theme: 9 I love the theme of this game and it’s predecessor. Everything from the gorgeous scenery, both indoors and out, to the weapons and clothing, the items (specifically the technology) and even the background music just enhances the gameplay to the maximum. Unlike the previous game, being a Big Daddy allows you to walk around on the ocean floor for a different view of the city of Rapture. The weapons, the items you utilize in-game, and the “everyday” items that are part of the backdrop utilize a wonderfully designed retro-technology. The artists took the design of things that were around in the 40′s and 50′s (radios, guns, automatic doors, etc…) kept the general design and aesthetic but added touches to show modern functionality. It fits so well in game that they are details that are sometimes overlooked, but it really enhances the experience to just take a few seconds to take this all in. The music will be covered below.
Gameplay: 8 It’s one of only a few first-person shooters I’ve played, but I got used to the controls fairly quickly, and the developers worked out some of the kinks from the previous game. Health items, ammunition, and vending machines are scattered around and are readily available unless you don’t know what you’re doing. Which is the situation I was in for the first level or so of this game. Once I got the hang of it, I was always full up on everything I needed.
Sound: 9 The soundtrack was by far the best of any game I’ve played this year. I love the 40′s tunes, some I remember from old Black and White movies I saw when I was a kid. They don’t play constantly in every area like they seemed to in the original, but I think that kept things from getting annoying or stale. The voice-over talent was very well done as well, with the accents, inflections, and phrases used invoking a real early 20th century feel. It’s like watching old Three Stooges shorts or a Crosby and Hope flick, or listening to the old radio serials. One standout is Armin Shimmerman (Quark from DS9, the principal from Buffy) playing the enigmatic Andrew Ryan to perfection. I didn’t even realize it was him through 2 games. I looked up the cast on IMDB.com thinking I recognized Dr. Lamb’s voice. I was wrong about her, and blown away that he played Ryan. He plays the character as a Howard Hughes/Walt Disney/Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) personality with the booming voice to match. I have to put this game up at the top of my list with Arkham Asylum for sound, music, and voice quality.
Replay Value: 7 I really want to play this game again, but I need some serious decompression time before I attempt it again. Plus I’ve got other games to play (Assassin’s Creed II, God of War III, Final Fantasy XIII). With the infrequency that I play lately, I won’t get a second shot at it for about 8 months.
Total Score: 8
I really enjoyed this game and as I’ve said in the past, you’ve got to love a game that pays attention to the small details. The background mattes are gorgeous and if you look, there’s plenty of stuff hidden in plain site. One thing to look for is one of the many posters hung all over rapture. Many are advertisements for products that were sold around rapture (or are still available in the vending machines or in the Gatherer’s Gardens machines in the form of Plasmids). One in particular is a propaganda poster about the movement to reclaim Rapture, showing a fist raised in defiance. Around the wrist is a tattoo of chain links, the same tattoo worn by your character in the first game. Look for it if you play.
I’m about 80% through God of War III so that will be my next Game Review post. Thanks for tuning in.
-CWD
I can kick it up to “moderate” if I want to. I just really don’t want to right now.
I am dangerously close to finishing God of War III. I think it’s time I contributed to this site again with a review of the game, followed up by more frequent posting in the near future. I apologize to Alan and our fans (all 3 of you).
I think I also owe DB.COM a review of Bioshock II, which I have not yet posted. I’ll get to it.
-CDerosby
I just received the sequel as a VD day gift but just recently re-started the original to play through (I was about 1/3 the way through when my PS3 went “analog sticks up” last summer).
I’ll be writing up a review for the original in as soon as I’m finished, followed up by a review on the new one. I know Alan’s playing it now, so maybe he’d be the better Derosby Brother to pen that one.
Big Daddy & Little Sister
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