Click Here for God of War III trailer

Objective:  10  The objective of these games has always been simple enough:  kill everything that moves, and if it fights back all bets are off.   The God of War series takes the term “hack and slash” to a different level as Kratos can “finish” some of his opponents off with a series of  button and thumbstick combinations.  The best part of this game is the cast of characters Kratos walks through to get to his goal.  With everyone from Poseidon, Mercury, Helios (yes, he even kicks the sun’s ass), to his half brother Hercules, you never run out of someone famous to beat to a pulp.  The fight with Hercules is particularly brutal as there seems to be no love lost between these two boys (each seems to think the other was Zeus’s favorite).

Theme:  10  How can I not love the theme of this game?  The writers took the best parts of written mythology, threw in some Clash of the Titans (the original, the new one just seemed to be a ripoff of this game….which ironically seemed to be based heavily on the original Clash of the Titans), a little bit the anachronistic humor of Sam Raimi’s Hercules, the bloody violence and against-all-odds battles from 300, and a few Mortal Komat style finishers for good measure.  There’s nothing like beating down a centaur who’s been kicking you in the head for the last 5 minutes, then gutting him from nut to nipple while he’s still kicking. 

 Gameplay:  10  The gameplay aspect really hasn’t changed since the original, albiet with a few improvements here or there to keep things interesting.  The creators have added or changed weapons to better fit with the style and flow of the game, or added skills that Kratos could earn to mix things up a bit (like using Helios’s head to blind your opponent).  I did like the fact that they added more puzzles to this installment and kept the fighting of endless hordes to a minimum.  In my opinion it improved the gameplay drastically.  As simple as the controls and gameplay is, it is well constructed and keeps things from getting too stale as the game progresses. 

Sound:  10  The sound effects in this game are sold in the details.  There are quite a few scenes where you’re looking down on a battlefield and the distant sounds of swords clashing, people screaming, etc… really sells the effect.   The voice acting was well cast and included the return of Terrence Carson as Kratos.  The cast also featured surprise turns from Adrienne Barbeau as a bitter alcoholic Hera, Malcolm McDowell as the tragic Daedalus (Kratos had killed his son Icarus in the first game, and Dad finds that out as soon as he sees the wings on Kratos’s back), Clancy Brown as a particularly menacing Hades (but Mr. Brown goes all out on just about every voice over he does.  Gotta love the guy), Rip Torn as Hephaestus the one I felt the worst about cutting down, and Kevin Sorbo as Hercules (which I didn’t know until just now, well after I referenced the Sam Raimi Hercules as an influence).

Replay Value:  8 I do have to finish Resistance:  Fall of Man, and Assassin’s Creed II, both of which I’m currently playing, but I do plan on playing this game at least one more time.  Replay unlocks further items, however the usefulness of said items remains to be seen (hence the comment about “at least one more time” for replay).

Total Score:   9.6

I really enjoyed this game, I think moreso than its predecessors.  I attribute that to the addition of all the puzzles and the extent of scale used in this game.  The battle with the Titan Chronos exemplifies everything this series of games has been all about.  There’s something to be said for scaling your opponent to get a few shots in… and when you do take down the boss that stands hundreds of feet tall.

Thanks for tuning in.  I guess the next time you hear from the DerosbyBrothers review desk, it will be to report on either Transformers:  War for Cybertron or Assassin’s Creed II. 

 -CWD

Objective:  8  This game takes over where Tools of Destruction left off.  Clank has been spirited away and Ratchet is left on his own to search for him.  Accompanying him on select missions as stand-in sidekick is Captain Copernicus Leslie Quark (former adversary and current foil to the best laid plans).  The villain from the last game was just a screen for the true mastermind behind the entire scheme, the robot super criminal and old foe of Ratchet, Clank, and Quark, Doctor Nefarious.  He has kidnapped Clank and brought him to the Great Clock, a device located at the center of the universe (give or take a 50 feet) and wants to use him to unlock the time-controlling power of the clock.  The doctor hates all life forms (calls them “squishies”) and wants to use the Great Clock to wipe out all life in the universe, clearing the path for robots to rule.

Theme:  7  Typical of Ratchet and Clank games, it’s a platformer with plenty of hidden (or just not quite so obvious) paths, rooms, and items to find.  A signature of this series of games, the upgradable weapons, are brought to a new level in this game, allowing the player to further upgrade 3 of them, customizing them with different options for range, added effects, types of ammo, and even paint colors.   Another trademark of this series is the offbeat humor, which is at its best in this game.  It’s at its best in the cinematic sequences, but also there during gameplay.  Background conversations between non-player characters are a riot, but the best comments come from Mr. Zurkon, one of the weapons you can purcahse in the game.  Mr. Zurkon is a sentry robot that follows you around, shooting anyone who gets close to you.  The one-liners he throws out are a riot, and even change to suit the level you’re on or the enemies you’re facing.

Gameplay:  8  It’s a platformer, but as with all of the games in this series, one at its best.  The only problems I’ve had with the game are the camera when trying to target enemies and some inconsistency with depth perception when jumping, grinding, or racing with the jet boots.  Not a huge problem, but caused enough problems to detract from the game.

Sound:  9  The music was great, if a little repetetive.  The addition of the radio in your spaceship made things interesting.  You could switch between one of 4 radio stations, each playing different background music.  One of the stations even had fake commercials and talk-radio sequences.  The voice acting was also great, bringing back all of the talent from the previous games. 

Replay Value:  10 All of thes Ratchet & Clank games are designed for replay, allowing you to keep all of the weapons and armor you’ve found to that point and carry them over into the new game.  I’ve just finished my first round and would like to play again for the full upgrades on all my weapons.  Nothing is quite as satisfying in the game as hearing the voice-over from the Grelnet sales clerk telling you that “you’ve just fully upgraded your weapon of choice, which now also …..” (fill in the blank with some sick added bonus to further decimate your enemies).

Total Score:   8.4

I’m a huge fan of the Ratchet and Clank games.  It’s one of the few that I love to play and don’t mind the kids playing either.  No harsh language, no adult themes that aren’t relegated to innuendo the kids won’t really pick up on, and no excessive bloody violence (you’re blowing up evil robots, slugs, and flying insects).  All in all, a great game for the whole family (one person at a time, of course).

Plus, you’ve got to love a game that pays attention to the small details.  I found all the plans for the R.Y.N.O V, (stands for Rip Ya’ a New One, version 5) one of the hidden weapons in the game and by far the most powerful.  It’s a 20 some odd barrel handgun that sprays bullets and rockets like the finale at the Fourth of July fireworks show and plays its own background music, the 1812 Overture.  If you use the weapon in the final battle vs. Dr. Nefarious, he actually comments on it, asking where you found a R.Y.N.O., and if the authorities know you have it.  Just adds to the level perfection you’ve come to expect from Insomniac games.

 -CWD

I’m not finished playing this game yet, but Alan’s Top 5′s post inspired me.  My guess is I’m only about 30% of the way through, but I’ve seen enough where I think I can offer a decent review.  

Objective:  10  (come on, you’re friggin’ Batman)  You’re the one and only caped crusader, trapped on the Arkham Asylum island complex as the Joker has staged a complete take-over of the facility.  I agree with almost all reviews I’ve read on this game, that it’s the best Batman game ever, but more so, it is the best superhero game ever, quite possibly the best game on the PS3.  If not, at least a strong contender for game of the year.

Theme:  10  The mood of the game is very unsettling.  The lighting effects, the gorgeously rendered facilities that make up the asylum, the colorful rogues gallery you’ve come to know and love over the years, and the creeping, stalking, hiding style of gameplay that keeps you on the edge of your seat all come together seamlessly to make a truly engaging and entertaining experience.  When I do play, it’s extremely hard to pull myself away.  The most incredible thing about this game is the landscape of Arkham itself.  The buildings feel real, yet look like they jumped right out of the movies, cartoons, and comics all at the same time.  You’ve got the more modern medical facility, the gothic architecture of the Arkham mansion that is now the main offices and hall of records, the decades older maximum security building complete with the steel tank-like single occupancy cells, cages, and less PC methods of dealing with the insane, and even a building or two that has fallen completely into disrepair.  And the tunnels under the island, well the Ghostbusters Game could have taken a few points from this one.  Simply amazing.

Gameplay:  9  The gameplay is your more increasingly typical 1st person (over the shoulder actually, it’s like you’re following Bats the whole time) platformer, but with a mix of combat, problem solving, navigation, and a huge scavenger hunt courtesty of Mr. Edward Nigma keeps the game fresh.  Just when you start to get tired of doing one thing, the game switches up.  The only complaint I have is that the targeting system is fairly limited (or seems to be, could be I just haven’t figured it out yet), where you can’t just toggle from target to target to find the person you want to beam in the forhead with a batarang.  Oh yeah, did I mention….You’re the Friggin’ BATMAN.  The combat system seems to be fairly simplistic at first, but gets to be quite challenging when you’ve got groups of 10 thugs all coming at you at once.  Some are swinging bare fists, some are swinging lead pipes at your cowl, some are trying to shank you, and quite a few are packing heat, and all of them require you to react slightly differently to take them down while avoiding taking too much damage yourself.  What at first appeared simplistic gets to be more and more fun and challenging as the game goes on.  The most nerve wracking part of the challenge, for me anyway, is the skulking (hunting, hiding, etc…) portion, where you have to get Batman from point A to point B without getting killed (and in some areas without being seen), all the while taking out the Joker’s henchmen one by one (sleeper holds all around).  The best move so far is where you can hang upside down from various fixtures on the walls.  When one of the thugs walks underneath, you drop down on the zipline (still upside down mind you), grab him, and shoot back up to your perch where you tie them by the legs and let them hang to wait for the cavalry to arrive. 

Sound:  10  By far one of the best aspects of the game is the sound, from the music to the voice track.  The music is phenomenal, a great mix of Danny Elfman’s march that was the title track of Tim Burton’s 1989 movie interspersed with the dramatic, atmospheric background music used throughout Christopher Nolan’s movies.  It’s the music that really helps to bring all the elements of this game together and makes you feel like you’re a part of a movie.  The voice-over talent is second to none, providing the perfect voices for almost all of the characters in the game with very few exceptions.  Heading the cast are Kevin Conroy, the voice of the Animated Dark Knight for almost 20 years now, and in my opinion has one of the best Batman voices on TV or in movies today.  He nails it and when you hear it, there’s no mistaking the Batman just showed up to the dance.  Mark Hamill (yes, Luke Skywalker folks) plays the Joker, and has since the Animated Series debuted in 1991, and is hands-down the best Joker voice actor.  Period.  Heath Ledger may have been the best one on screen, but nobody beats Mark’s signature laugh, and the way he can flip back and forth from the light-hearted (you know what I mean) clown prince of crime and the badass Joker.  Perfection.  Arleen Sorkin reprises the role she helped to create, the Joker’s GF Harley Quinn.  The character made such an impact in the Animated series, she’s been introduced into the comics, in every cartoon series since, and there’s rumbling that she’ll show up in Nolan’s third (and rumored to be final) movie.  The three of them just make the game that much more enjoyable, adding the element of nostalgia to those of us who’ve watched the tv series’ since ’91, as well as just being the perfect voices for those three pivotal characters in this game.  Added in throughought the game are other fan favorites from Batman’s Rogues Gallery like Killer Croc, Poison Ivy, and the Riddler, with some lesser known but up-and-coming characters like Bane and Zsasz .  Plus, you’ve got nods to other greats strewn throughout the game in the form of costumes, posters, and paraphenalia left behind or confiscated and put on display by the prison:  The Penguin, Two-Face, Catwoman, The Mad Hatter, The Ventriloquist, and Firefly to name a few.  By the way, scream queen Adrienne Barbeau, who voiced Catwoman in the Animated Series, shows up in this game also as random female voices (random pages, tv, and radio feeds played throughout the facility’s intercom system).  All in all, the music and voice actors are what puts this game over the top for me. 

Replay Value:  7  I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but don’t really have the patience to master all of the Challenge mode tasks.  I got through all of Batman’s.  Joker’s are more fun, but so much more difficult without all of the gadgets (the grappling hook and infra-red night vision in particular) I lost interest through pure frustration.  I will definitely play this again, but not now, not for awhile anyway.

Total Score:   9.2

I guess you can tell I’m kind of partial to this game.  I’d strongly recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of great video games, comics, the horror genre, or the Batman himself.  I’d give it two enthusiastic thumbs up if they weren’t completely sore from playing all hours of the night yesterday (and this morning….).   All in all, a fantastic game all around.  You won’t be disappointed.  Just put the kids to bed before you fire this one up, the game is really not appropriate for young children.

-CWD

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/48038.html

Watch and enjoy my friends.  The Nolan Batman is ready for his first video game (a darker Batman- and Keith, LEGO Batman doesn’t count).

And Craig, we will all go back to Europe one day to roam our old haunts…this time don’t embarrass us by ordering a American junk beer and pay export beer prices.

1,  Resident Evil 5

2.  Batman: Arkham Asylum

3. God of War 3

4.  Ghostbusters

5.  Wolfenstein

6.  MLB 09

7. Assassin’s Creed 2

There are actually quite a few really good looking games, however with a family, budgetting also means not buying every new game that comes out.  So when new games do come out, we must be picky.  However, for the Craig’s out there that don’t have a PS3, fear not.  Playstation has announced a drop in price so the $399 machine will now be going for $299.  Even though that is still a lot of money, if Craig asks for gift certificates for his birthday and fathers day, he will find that the PS3 is within his gentle loving reach.