Wednesday, 2 November 2016
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin (360)
Having watched horror films through my teen years I took away a number of survival techniques – never split up, never go check out that bump in the night, any ethnic minority is done for and the sweet little girl you encounter is anything but! That last one applies greatly in F.E.A.R 2 as Alma the psychic killer is back!
F.E.A.R 2 is set pretty much straight after the first incarnation (well about 30 mins before the end of the first one), and if you haven’t played through F.E.A.R 1 I recommend you do so before you attempt its sequel to fully understand and grasp the plot lines and characters. F.E.A.R 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor in being a FPS game with very linear levels – there’s set paths to take and very little room for wandering off or finding alternate routes. For me this is a big disappointment, I was looking forward to a little more freedom and free roaming around the destroyed city but you can’t do it, it feels a little like mody codling by the developers – stick to the path there’s good little children – bah!
A nice edition to the second instalment is the battle armour, basically a big rocket firing mech suit. One of my favourite levels was in the destroyed city walking down the road blowing up anything in my path, mwwwhahahaha. However it features so briefly in the campaign if you blink you’ll miss it which I thought was a huge shame and a missed opportunity by monolith – the scope of possibilities for bringing this into the game was huge but so under developed It made me feel cheated.
Those pesky kids!!
Ok the single player campaign is pretty short 3-4 hours tops I’d say which is a little on the stingy side by anyone’s standards. The first half of the campaign is decidedly average and really gets rather dull – think the office section on F.E.A.R 1, yawn! You spend far too long in the hospital at the very begging and for me the story moves along so slowly it gets to be rather annoying. By far the best part of the campaign is the second half in the underground facility (think Black Mesa) and especially in the school.
Now I won’t ruin the game by including any spoilers but there is one or two moments that will truly make you jump out of your seat, Monolith proving again they know how to get the maximum impact of horror and suspense just right at the right times – however sometimes there feels too long between these sections. One word of advice don’t play the school levels at 4 in the morning after a night on the beer! On a side note having played the first game does dampen down the effects of these scary points in the game as it becomes too familiar to what has gone before – though they still made me jump lol.
The range of enemies is similar to the first game – drone soldiers, ninja style soldiers and Alma popping up from time to time with that wet hair covering her face! But there are also some new ones for your troubles – genetically transformed clones (look like little goblins) and my favourite the remnant, which is a puppet master that animates corpses to battle you.
As for the weapons there’s the usual suspects – assault rifle, shotgun, rocket launcher & sniper rifle. A good balance of weapons though I have to say the shotgun is rather lame and has no power or bullet spread what so ever! Madness.
my precious
Right the multiplayer, to be honest I have never played this as every time I try it freezes just before the game starts, so I’ve had to borrow a bit from IGN’s review:
The multiplayer suite sticks with the basics, which makes it hard to distinguish from other shooters. There are basic modes such as deathmatch and capture point mode, as well a 16-player Armored Front mode that features two suits of power armour. However, it feels like it's missing features and options from the first game, such as the bullet-time pick up that became the focal point of battles. The multiplayer feels well balanced and capable of providing competitive matches, but it's not as full-featured or as expansive as multiplayer found in other games, which will impact its ability to draw and sustain a community of players.
http://pc.ign.com/articles/953/953061p2.html
Dongs Final Thoughts
F.E.A.R 2 is pretty solid follow up to F.E.A.R. The story is good if not a little slow paced but you do get more questions answered this time round though the ending will leave you a little bemused. Certainly not as ground breaking as its predecessor though is true to the idea of F.E.A.R , suppose the only question is in a market saturated with FPS games can this one sustain a community after a few months, I’m personally not sure.
7 - Presentation
Plot is strong though a little slow to pick up speed and hence looses a few marks from me. Plenty of answers this time round though
6.5 - Graphics
Looks pretty damn similar to the first if you ask me, linear levels are a let down and I hate shooting windows and the glass not breaking!
9 - Sound
sound design that will have you jumping out of your seat and sending shivers down your spine, some great tense build ups.
7.5 - Gameplay
good balance of action and suspense though a plot that goes nowhere fast in the first half of the game really lets it down somewhat. We’re somewhat expecting the jumpy parts this time round which kind of dampens the effect Monolith were going for.
7 - Lasting Appeal
although the campaign is pretty short it does have a competent multiplayer element with several different modes – can it stand out in a crowded market though? I have my doubts
OVERALL - 7/10
Tuesday, 7 April 2009
Dead Space (360)
ok first review of many peeps so will be a little raw till i get the hang of it but bare with me.
Ok being a big fan of the survival horror genre i had massive hopes for this game - undead monsters in a sci fi setting = heaven for me being a massive sci-fi fan as well, though being from EA i held back from getting too excited. From the opening credits i knew this was going to be something a little special. The lighting effects were the best i've seen this generation, graphics were superb, the setting brilliant and the sound was really really fantastic. see the intro below
Intro movie - looking great
the story in a nut shell is mining ship - Ishimura ("Planet Cracker") has gone black and no one has heard from the crew for several days, you are part of a small team sent to investigate the problem and help repair the ships comms. On a side plot your fancy piece is on the ship as well adding a little extra passion for the character and helping to form a good link with him. Because of this added spice to the story when he dies your gutted and really want him to find his love and get the hell out of there. Upon boarding the ship the crew are found to be dead and the monsters then appear - you have to kill your way around the ship to get certain things done in able to make your escape. Constant back tracking can prove to be a little tedious after several trips here there and everywhere to start this and move that.
The game is a 3rd person shooter and holds a big resemblance to the resident evil games in terms of camera views - this can be a royal pain in the ass at times but you soon get to grips with the way things work. Another important feature are the weapons. Theres a great range from pistols to sub machine guns to flame throwers so something for everyone. Another massive plus is the use of stasis means you can freeze enemies to make nice easy kills or run the hell out of there, this brings a lot of joy to your work.
the beauty of the scenery is quite immense - I'm sure i left a ship here
the enemies are also a nice mix. Some big, some small, some fast and some slow and basically covers all aspect of a range of enemies any game should have. That Being easy to kill, high in number and volume enemies, a few bigger tougher enemies for more of a challenge and some epic bosses to make you stop and just gawp with amazement. the only way to kill these feckers is by de-limbing them - hours of fun to be had. Graphically this is one of the best and most polished games i've played to date, some epic back drops through out the game. The zero gravity sections are nicely done and the vacuum entering and exiting scenes are pure brilliance. Also the in game holograms are nothing short of amazing - blew my socks off the first time i had one pop up - basically you can keep moving and move the camera around the hologram to view it from every angle (small thing but makes a big difference).
The sound is also a great treat. The sounds make you jump at just the right times and create a great tense atmosphere - that coupled with the constant shadows and glimpses of enemies round every turn. the sounds in zero atmosphere sections is muffled well and helps create the feeling your in an area with no atmosphere and takes you to were the game creators want your mind set to be. So to conclude, if you like sci-fi games you have to play this, if you like survival horror games you have to play this, if you like 3rd person shooters you have to play this, in fact i'd recommend this to any gamer to see just what can be achieved on the 360 and PS3. For me it is more spectacular than playing bioshock for the first time and why it never got the praise that did is beyond me - truly one of the greats of this generation and is promising to see EA branching out onto new franchises and taking a gamble.
Ave it you slags
9.5 - Presentation
A deep story and incredible atmosphere with tons of horror influences make Dead Space one of those titles that is a great starting point for a franchise.
10 - Graphics
Visually striking, everything from the holograms to the Necromorphs is incredible. depressurization is to be seen to be believed.
9.5 - Sound
Voice acting is delivered beautifully, but it's the sound design that will have you jumping out of your seat and sending shivers down your spine.
9.5 - Gameplay
A strong mix of action and exploration is only hampered by repetitive, though appropriate, backtracking - control systems is easy to get to grips with but in game menus can be a bugger to deal with mid battle
8.5 - Lasting Appeal
You'll have to play through the game multiple times to improve your gear and understand the full story. Achievements will also mean several playthroughs if your going for the 100%
OVERALL - 9.5/10
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