I:Gamer's Impressions & Reviews

[Chris Lionheart]

Assasin's Creed 2 - Rental - Xbox360
Interesting game/storyline - FUCKING HORRIBLE controls! Seriously... trying to race around after your brother to reach the top of the building before him. I was jumping in the wrong direction, going from a hanging-on animation and instead of climbing up onto the ledge I fucking springboard jumped 180' away from the wall down to my death. The only way I beat him is because at one piont he was slightly ahead and I somehow knocked his ass right off the building (complete with hysterical 'toppling over' animation!). I soon realised that the controls weren't for me and went about spearing the local towns people in large crowds.

[Chris Lionheart]

WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2010 - Rental - Wii
Rented the Wii version of SVR2010 to see what the ambulance match was like, in case we get it next year on 360/PS3 - simillar to how DOR2 just grabbed HCTP's new matches the year after HCTP came out etc. Turns out I was wrong and it's the DS version with the ambulance match! And this is why I hate system exclusives - what a complete waste of £7!

WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2010 -Rental - PS3
Got this to try to grab some people's CAWs PS3 counterparts over PS3's free internet access. Turns out O2 at the very last hurdle decided to finally tell me it'd take them 6-10 days to connect my internet on their end. So I have to return the game by 9pm tomorrow, I just hope I get the internet activated early in the day and can make some use of this rental.

[Chris Lionheart]

WWE Legends Of WrestleMania - Rental - PS3
Having played the demo of this several times on my Xbox360, I didn't have high hopes for the playability of this title, even if it was on PS3. I have always liked 'legends' games, owning all three Legends Of Wrestling games, and it's not like I can't get to grips with different control schemes, sometimes I even think I perfer LOW2's control scheme to SHOWDOWN's. Surpringly istead of flopping around the ring like a dead fish like I had done on the Xbox360 demo, I was able to pull off a playable match at considerable pace and even win it. It would appear that I have the button location of Triangle, Square, Circle and X imprinted on my brain more than I have the Xbox's colours and letters. As I loaded up a few matches I was dismayed at some of the entrances! I was pleasently surprised to find that the PS3 version did infact allow for custom soundtracks, since so many of the wrestlers have knockoff themes (which I really don't understand since WWE own everything with their legend contracts).

It's a travesty we didn't get more of the 'good' legends pieces in 2010, isn't it? They even took out most of the good 09 hair pieces if you ask me. Although I was significantly better at playing this version over the Xbox360 one, I couldn't get over the crushing disapointment of a few things. First was the understandable lack of former WWF/WCW stars as only a handfull like Arn Anderson, Flair, LOD, Bret Hart etc fit that bill. Most were WWF exclusive legends that I never really cared for. I know it was like this in the LOW games, but there was usually a better ratio of WCW guys, or at least a better control sheme to compensate. Secondly was the disapointment that had this game simply had the SVR or even older SD control shcme I could have gotten passed all the other problems and created whomever I needed in the CAW mode. Oh well...

[Chris Lionheart]

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light - Demo - PS3
Having tried both the original Tomb Raider on PC in like 1998, and Tomb Raider 4 on PSONE but not liking either due to controls, when I saw screenshots of this game something clicked. Though it kinda looked like a top down game simillar to old MegaDrive favs of mine Mercs and Smash TV, I was fearfull that it would play like some top-down games I find on Steam/XBLA like... Alien Breed I think it's called. I S-U-C-K at those games!

Just played this demo now and it is very easy to control (you'll notice controls are big thing in most of my impressions/reviews), the camera top down but also pulled-in quite close so it was still easy for me to see the action. With the ruins setting this game kind-of reminded me of a PSONE game I used to play called Pitfall 3D. Overall a very enjoyable demo, once money flows a bit more freely, or when the game reaches a bargain bin or sale (whichever comes first) I'll deffinatley pick it up.

[Chris Lionheart]

From Jun 24, 2010 »

Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows - Rental - PS3
Rented this one after realising it WASN'T that Spider-Man Friend Or Foe game, which played like one of those old THQ PSONE Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue games. 'Web Of Shadows' is essentially Prototype set in Spidey's universe. Thus far into the rental I'm loving it. Switching from red and blue suit to the black symbiote suite in mid-web sling is just sexy. I've promised myself I'll complete Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2: Enter Electro on PSONE, and probably pick this up on the cheap before blowing money on the new Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions game that's set to drop soon, and looks badass.

Spliter Cell: Conviction - Full Game - Xbox360
Demo was good, Rental was good, Purchase on Sale was good, DLC on sale was good.
Loving it. I can see what people meant when they said Batman:AA was like Splinter Cell, with the picking off of goons from the shadows. Even now that I am stuck in an area on the main campaign for Conviction, the deniable ops 'missions' mode and co-op missions mode are ace. This is a game I keep coming back to, a great purchase for me.

Splinter Cell; Chaos Theory - Full Game - Xbox360
I got Chaos Theory for £2, and luckily this Xbox Original game works on my 360. But the controls look fucking complicated when compared to the 'dumbed down' Conviction I've entered the series with.

[Chris Lionheart]

Sonic 4 - Full Game - Xbox360

The above video illustrates my two main problems with this game. The 'Wyle E Cyote' drop in mid air, and the strange 'rolling up hills' physics mishaps. The demo was good, but short, so I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. So I decided to take the plunge and get the full game. Another problem I have with it isn't really the over-reliance on the homing attack, but that there are large stretches of the game where you have to use the homing attack properly or suffer a drop into a huge pit of instant death. After playing it I find it tolerable, but it's a shame it has the problems it does, it's like 9 steps out of 10 towards feeling authentic and worthy of the old games, and it feels as though they fell at the last hurdle.

[sj]

I have to say on Sonic 4 I must be too much of a purist or fusspot whatever but the actual look of it just doesn't scream classic Sonic at all to me. Kind of like he has just lost the character I enjoyed about the originals when they went 3D.

[Chris Lionheart]

He looks weird because he's the 'new style' sonic with HUGE spikes, no puddgy belly, no green eyes... I much prefer classic Sonic's look. Is that what you mean?

[sj]

If they made HD 2D sprites then I'd be happy or hell use Sonic 3's lol and yeah I mean the classic look he had.

[savior]

Classic Sonic Games >>> 3D Sonic Games

Sonic 4. I was really excited to play. Then when I played it. The game turned out to be decent. But nothing like I had hoped for. After playing the demo. I realized then there will never ever be another great Sonic game. If Sega can't make a decent re-vamp of the original classic. That goes to show they will continue to fail at capturing the magic, or novelty the original Sonic games once had.

Though it will never happen. The only hope for a good Sonic game would be to put our favorite blue hedgehog in the hands of someone outside of Sega. I'd prefer Nintendo quite frankly, this is why.

Nintendo did one HELLUVA job recreating the original Mario Bros. with NEW Super Mario Bros for Nintendo DS & Wii respectively.With the right developer, and a smooth marketing campaign. Nintendo could do a good job with making a new Sonic game. I'd prefer for them to try & recreate the 16-bit style that Sega recently 'attempted' but failed for the most part.

Bottom line. Sega's has had one too many chances to repackage or rebrand the Sonic series. But with each & every game. They continue to fail. Its time to put the series in the hands of someone new.

[Chris Lionheart]

Stranglehold - Demo - PS3
Now this for me - at least in the demo so far - is WET without having to do the acrobatic swinging from poles and stuff to progress onto the next area. Which was a problem with me due to eyesight and judgeing the distance/momentum. I can't do a crazy-ass Vanquish-style slide on the knees like in WET (so far anyway), but Stranglehold just seems to have a lot of style and comedy in it. The difference between the two games is whereas I soon found WET annoying and the novelty wore away in the face of control issues, Stranglehold is fun, and I've since completed the demo 2 more times finding different ways to interact with the environment to kill off enemies.

Just Dance - Borrowed from little sister - Wii
Borrowed this from my 12 year old little sister to try to get into shape. She's busy on Just Dance 2 anyway. I... cannot dance! I find the on-screen dude is waay to fast for me, and by the time I have taken note of the move he's done and done it myself, the on-screen dude is 3 odd moves ahead of me. What is also frustrating is that if I do manage to get something going on, I mimick the guy on screen wrong. He is facing out of the TV towards me, and I am facing towards him. So his left arm movement, I do with my right, and I get No Points from the Wii. Trying to tell my brain to stop and switch sides is hard.

Splatterhouse - Rental - PS3
Niice! Right now, so far, I'm not very good at grabbing enemies that Iare glowing for a special 'splatter kill' due to timing, but that's just me all over sometimes. I'm getting more and more into the groove of it. The story also seems pretty faithful to what the SEGA MegaDrive/Genesis version of Splatterhouse 2 gave us, and looks to be tweaking/expanding on it in a good way.
I am getting MK Shoulin Monks vibes from it, personally, but I would certainly understand if someone likened the gameplay to something like Prototype - actually Darksiders is what it feels like, which I once played a demo of.

[Chris Lionheart]

Gears of War 1 & 2
After playing Vanquish (made by Platinum, many say to be a GOW clone) and BulletStorm (also made by EPIC) I decided to give GOW1 & 2 another try. When I used to try to play them I would find the controls horrible. One button for every action does not a good game make. I was pressing and holding A to run, and instead of running through a door way I'd take cover on the edge of it. Then I'd try to release cover to go through the door, and I'd end up doing some lunging rolling dive away from the door. It just wasn't fun for me. And unfortunately it wasn't fun when I tried again last week.

[Chris Lionheart]

WWE All Stars
Had this on my PS3 as a demo for an age. Did 'not' like it against the computer, it felt like a bastardization of the TNA Impact engine and it just wasn't clicking for me. Went to a circus tonight with two guys in full Rey Mysterio bodysuits doing acrobatics bouncing on a trampoline wrestling ring doing wrestling. I knew I had to come home and show AllStars to our company, which is my fiance's friend and her boyfriend.

And AllStars was a blast to play with a human opponent. I got into the springboard moves and the block-timing just like I had with TNA Impact and it produced a good number of laughs.

Shallow single player, a fun multiplayer to 'pick-up-and-play' for 10 minutes, but my issue then becomes finding people to play multiplayer with, seeing as how fiance hates games and brothers dont have xbox live, and i have no friends whom live close by to me whom could come and game in the same room. Despite the fun I had nothing stands out and says 'buy me', especially when I still have my copy of TNA Impact.

[Chris Lionheart]

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (PC)

Downloaded this for free. Ran into a bunch of issues with the PC version, such as unresponsiveness to the Xbox360 controller for PC, and the symbiote Spidey suite having a strange white glare on it, which was very off-putting. The fix to the controller issue being to set the in-game resolution to 800x600 (tiny) wasn't my idea of a real fix due to it being too small for me to properly play due to my eyesight. Instead I decided to forge on ahead with slight unresponsive controls, and hating the Symbiote Suite.

So far I am in the middle of the first non-tutorial level, which has me chasing/fighting Kraven The Hunter. And already I can see that this game has more to offer than the recent X-men Destiny which I rented (it was very generic and uninspired. Clear a room, quick cut scene, onto the next room, level up your character's combat/abilities). SM:SD here has already showcased a variety of ways to keep things fresh. Weather that's taking on jungle thugs whilst trying to avoid being shot by Kraven (from the point of view of his sniper rifle scope), or getting up close to Kraven and transitioning into some sort of boxing mode as you two trade punches and try to doge each other's attacks.

In the short time I have spent with the game I already plan to one-day purchase the game properly, for PS3, since the strange white glare is present on both console versions and PC version - in order of PS3-Xbox360-PC for least noticeable-most noticeable. I see an original Spider-Man storyline which isn't tied-into any movie, and I like the gameplay mechanics and how it tries to offer more than the uninspired X-men Destiny formula described above. In fact, I am going to stop playing this on PC now, delete it so I won't be tempted to play it again, and experience the rest of the game whenever I get the PS3 version, in the fullscreen resolution without controller input delay, and without the white glare being as noticeable.

As with Civilization V, when you have something for free, and it is so good it makes you want to pay for it so that you can experience it properly and fully rather than continue playing the free version you already have, that's when you know you have a good game on your hands.

I used cheats to get the alternate suits. Iron Spider Costume (Spider-Man 2099 Dimension), Scarlet Spider Costume (Amazing Spider-Man Dimension), Negative Zone Suit (Spider-Man Noir Dimension). The white glare even happens on the alternate Cosmic Suits, and only on the Ultimate Spider-Man universe dimension... and since it also appears on the PS3/Xbox360 versions of the games (to a lesser degree), I'm going to assume it's an art style rather than a graphical hiccup. I mean it's even shown in this person's gameplay video:



With that being 'fixed', I'll probably continue playing this and make it the first game I complete in quite a long time.

[evil]

I did something like this about a year ago. Difference being. I was going to cover rentals only. I've got back into the reviewing mood as of late. So. I'm gonna create a whole new thread that covers everything I play. Its your one-stop gaming review center from yours truly. As a bit of a 'recap', so to speak... here is two reviews from last year that I did. "Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions" & "Mafia II". Both covered on the X-Box 360 Version.

My next couple of reviews will be on "Alice Madness" & "RAGE". I'll try to have the review for Alice up in the next couple of days. I'm still currently playing through 'RAGE' as I type this out. So look for a review on that by the end of next week.

So without any further ado. Lets get started.


Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions
(Reviewed for X-Box 360. Also availiable for PS3, Wii & DS systems)

This is a game that I've gotten recently off of GameFly. Just completed it on Wednesday. And well, what can I say? For a Spider-man game. Its FUN!

Now I'll be completely honest. I'm not a comic book guy. Therefore, my knowledge of Spider-man is only limited to the live-action films, and the video games that I've played. But what I can tell you though. To date. This is by far my favorite 'Spidey' game.

- 15 Levels (including Tutorial)

- 4 Different Spider-man Characters to play as. "Amazing Spider-man", "NOIR Spider-man", "Ultimate Spider-man" & "2099 Spider-man"

- A plethora... and I mean a HUGE plethorora of moves & abilities. All of which are earned by collecting Spider-Man emblems. Collecting hidden golden spiders. Completing side challenges and killing bad guys.

- Controls are pretty good. At least for the 360 version. However, its not without its faults. For instance, Web Slinging. Fun to do. However, thanks to a combination of awkward camera angles, and hit-n-miss unresponsiveness from the R-Trigger. This can be a bit difficult at times to pull off. Not something that is a game breaker by any means. But it is a problem that holds the game back from the being "Perfect" Spider-man game.

- Graphics are gorgeous to look at. Easily the best looking Spider-man game I've ever played. My only minor (and I stress as really minor, and perhaps a bit nit picking on my part lol). I would love to have seen a more comic book feel to the game. Now I know this is funny coming from a guy who just admitted to not being a reader of comic books. Much less anything relating to Spider-man. However, that is where Spider-man got his start. So, to me. I would like to have seen that style brought into play for cut-scenes to enhance the game, and make the storyline flow better. To make this game feel like your playing a live-action comic book of Spider-man.

- Now as I mentioned earlier. You play as 4 different Spider-man's. However, here is the catch and this is something I had an issue with. Each level is designed for you to play as a certain Spider-man character. (ie: One stage, you play as Ultimate Spider-man. The next one, Amazing Spider-man. So on & so forth). Wouldn't it have been nice if you could play through all 15 levels, and be able to swap in/out between Spider-man characters? Between the 4 characters. There is a bit of a disappointing factor that comes into play. For the exception of NOIR Spider-man. I felt that each character was the same. Once you take away the different suits, and "Rage Meter" (for Ultimate Spider-man. Which gives him a boost in power for attacks) and "Vision" Meter (for 2099 Spider-man. This basically slows down everything around you). Each character was virtually the same freakin' guy lol. There was no real feeling of each character being completely different & unique as they should have been. Or at least, enough of it. NOIR Spider-man stood out the most, and was frankly. The most fun to play as at times. Lurking around in the shadows, and being covert as you take down one foe at a time with many unique & different ways was my own personal highlight of the game. I think this area is where Activision dropped the ball severely. Had all this been done the other way around. You would have a much better product in your hands, IMHO.

- As for storyline? I won't get into this. Mainly because, I don't wanna spoil it, and I want you, the reader, to experience it for yourself.

- Character wise. I was surprised to not see certain favorites not be in the game. Such as Mary-Jane, The Green Goblin, or Venom (and yes folks. I know. Venom is technically in the game as an alternate ego called "Carnage". But still... would've been nice to see Venom included as one of the bosses in the game). However, nevertheless. There is a good list of bad guys that fans will remember that are in the game. Such as Electro, Mysterio (the main villian in the game), Juggernaut, Sandman (Absoluetely HATED the stage you fight him in lol), and Vulture. Just to name a handful.

- Soundtrack is pretty good. The dialogue with Spider-man is a bit cheesy at times. But you can't help but chuckle at a few of his lines.

All in All. I enjoyed Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. When I completed the game. I clocked in at exactly 8 hrs. 30 mins. Length wise, it should keep you busy for a couple of days. On top of unlocking all the challenges, purchasing all the bonus suits & combo's. You'll be playing the game long after you have completed the main storyline arch. Like I said before. It is the best Spider-man game I've played. However, a few problems here & there do hold it back from perhaps one of the better titles released in 2010.

Final Score: 7.5/10

"Mafia II"

(Reviewed for X-Box 360. Also available for PS3 & PC)

Mafia II is the sequel to the original Mafia. Released back in 2002. Which received mostly positive reviews. Eight years later. We get the sequel. But does it play on the same level of its predecessor?

Story wise. The game picks up where the previous title had left off. However, giving you a further look into the background of the main protagonist Vito Scaletta. He, and his family were from Sicily. A family that was poor, and struggling to make ends meet. Several years later. They move to America. Where years later. Vito would get involved with Joe Barbaro. The two would become best of friends, and literately. Partners in crime. It was during this time. Vito got involved in World War II. After he, and Joe were arrested. For Vito. It was either go to jail, or go to war.

He participated in WW II until he got shot. From there, he was sent back home. Later on, he was discharged from the Army. Thanks to help from Joe's Mafia. But only to learn that his father was in debt really, really bad. From here, the adventure begins. As Vito does illegal jobs, missions, etc to raise up enough money to pay off his father's insanely huge amount of debt. But along the way. As you can imagine. There are alot of twists & turns to keep you interested in the story. As the tale of Vito Scaletta becomes more then what he bargained for.

Moving on to the heart of the game. The gameplay itself. At its very core. Mafia II could be seen as nothing more then another 'GTA' clone. Free roaming environments. Many places to go. People to engage in conversation with, or slaughter. However, the game is primarily a third person shooter. While players can hijack vehicles. Rob stores, and engage in hand-to-hand combat. The game lacks any real depth beyond that.

Sadly, as you are given a world to roam around as you please. There is no side missions for you to sink your teeth into. Making the game feel like your being forced to go from one story mission to the next. Which is a shame since you have a pretty decent sized world to go around & explore at your own leisure.

On the side. There are artwork, and Playboy magazine covers to collect. The missions themselves aren't much to brag about. As you quickly find the novelty of the game wearing off after a good couple of hours. As you find yourself going behind cover, peaking out and firing when you have an open shot against the enemy throughout a good 3/4's of this game. While the rest the missions rely on taking a person from point A to point B. Or in one mission. Breaking in, and stealing cash from a safe without alerting the security guards.

Driving on the other hand is a big plus. From my experience. The driving was superb. While each vehicle has its ups & downs. Either allowing you to drive at a high rate of speed, or handling sharp turns without any problems. The driving mechanics feel more natural. The steering isn't too loose or sensitive (ie: Saints Row 2) or too stiff (GTA IV).

However there is one issue that constantly bugged me. In most games. When you drive, and eventually slam into another vehicle or an obstacle (tree, building, etc). Games would normally let you slide by either:

A: Letting the player's health take a minimal hit.

or

B: The car would obviously sustain a good chunk of damage.

Well, in Mafia II. Its a bit far too realistic lol. Meaning if you're driving at 100+ mph. Slamming into an oncoming vehicle or anything that is solid. You die instantly. Which makes car chases a bigger challenge. Cause not only do you have to concentrate on the person your trying to run down. Or find ways to dodge the bad guys, or cops who are on your trail. You then have to do it in such a way that if you happen to find yourself driving fast. That you don't slam into anything that would kill you instantly. Causing you to restart the mission from a previous checkpoint.

In a way. You can look at this as 2K Games wanting to make this game feel as realistic as possible. Which is fine. But then again. This is a video game after all. You can bend the rules of reality whilst trying to make your game realistic. While this may seem like a minor issue to some. To me, this made high speed driving not very fun. lol

Control wise. Its decent. Nothing complicated. But at times. You will find yourself hitting the wrong button. But all in all. After about a half hour into the game. You will have quickly learned what gameplay mechanices works, and what doesn't it.

There are 15 Chapters in the game. Some of them are fairly short. But the further you get into the game. Naturally, the difficulty ramps up. Perhaps a bit too much in certain parts that should be rather easy to pass through.

Minor side stuff you can do in the game consist of taking your car(s) to the junkyard to get crushed for some quick cash. Buying leisure suits, and tweaking out your vehicle's license plate, paint job, engine, etc. Really, not a whole lot to brag about. lol.

Soundtrack wise? Well its what you'd expect from this era. Classical music by Chuck Berry, Dean Martin, Little Richard, Bing Crosby, the list goes on & on. So if that type of music is your cup of tea? Then you'll be right at home with the radio stations in Mafia II.

Nonetheless, by the time I wrapped up this game last weekend. I clocked in at a little over 12 hours. Aside from the DLC packs that are available that would give this game some extra mileage. I had very little to go back to once I had beat the game. Besides collecting the rest of the artwork, magazine covers or completing most of the achievements and/or trophies. There wasn't a whole lot to draw me back in for another spin.

Overall, I did like the game. It is good. Between playing the demo, and eventually the final product. I found myself disappointed. I was hyped to play the full game, and when I did. I became surprised at how limited and even flawed in some area's this game turned out to be.

Final Score: 7.0/10.0