Uncharted 2 is here, and boy does it leave quite the impression. I’ll admit, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the first game. But I did enjoy the story and loved all of the characters. Of course, the sequel was announced, and everyone was incredibly excited. And after E3, it won several best of show awards. But was I excited? Well…kind of. I guess based on my impressions of the first game, I just never expected anything to live up to that amount of hype. But guess what? It does.

If you have played the original game, you’ll feel right at home here. The controls are practically the same (minus the terrible Sixaxis grenade throwing), and the characters, both new and old, make it feel like it was just yesterday when we first adventured with Drake. Nolan North, as he did originally, delivers another fantastic performance. Hell, he is Nathan Drake. He even looks like him!

The story is nothing amazing, but it’s good enough to keep your interest. The characters feel more fleshed out this time around, and every new character introduced feels like an old friend. The set piece sequences are amazing, and they lead into another large part of the game: the beautiful environments. While the opening areas of the game will feel somewhat familiar (after the tutorial levels that is), you’ll thankfully be glad to see a few nice changes of pace. While I’m on the subject, the entire game is drop dead gorgeous, and it is easily the best looking game on the system to date.

Stealth elements are introduced here, and they are implimented rather well

I will admit, the game does start out rather slow. The first level (which has Drake trying to escape a train car hanging off the edge of a cliff) is pretty amazing, but the following level which introduces the stealth elements is poorly placed. You get the feeling that stealth will be an element that will bog the gameplay down, but in most situations when it is used (and it is usually completely optional), it fits right in. So don’t let those first levels fool you.

As I said above, the gameplay is pretty much the same, but a few specific levels will become the most memorable in any video game. I don’t think I’ve ever played a game where you were moving on top of  (and around) a moving train. You try to avoid outside obstacles while trying to hang on for dear life (and kill any baddies you encounter). It, along with a few other levels, are the pinnacles of action games today and should be experienced by ANY gamer.

I could write more details about the game, but the main point of this post is just how this game is not groundbreaking in any way, but it is the perfect video game blockbuster. Although we may not consider video games blockbusters, it definitely feels like a summer action movie that should play out on the big screen. It’s a game that should be played by everyone, and one that will clearly be looked back on as one of the best this generation had to offer.

If you own a PS3, there is no reason for you not to own this game. It is next to Metal Gear Solid 4, inFamous, and Killzone 2 as the best the system has to offer, and it shows off some of the amazing capabilities of the hardware. This game alone is a good enough reason to buy a PS3. And with more games on the horizon that have the potential to be as good as this one, I guarantee you will get your money’s worth with owning a PS3. Either way, Uncharted 2 is fantastic, and I would hope everyone gets a chance to play it eventually.

While some people may have had a chance to try the Left 4 Dead 2 demo early due to it being a pre-order bonus, today was the release of the demo to the public (well, for Xbox Live Gold subscribers anyway). Many people are still concerned it will be just “more of the same” or even that a sequel isn’t necessary. Based on the short time the demo gives with the game, I can safely say any concerns I had are gone.

There are four new characters, brand new locations, and a lot of it takes place during the daytime. Although I would love to get to focus on what is new in the entire game, I’m going to specifically spend this time talking about the demo itself. Like the demo for the first game, you get to play through two chapters in one of the campaigns. Although the basic gameplay is very familiar, the demo introduces plenty of new things that will make even veteran L4D players feel like they are playing a brand new game.

Jockeys are just some of the new special infected you find in Left 4 Dead 2

There are three new special infected: chargers, spitters, and jockeys. The chargers will, well, charge at you, grab you with their oversized arm, and repeatedly slam you on the ground until you are rescued. Jockeys are fast and will jump on top of you and try to guide you towards a large group of enemies. Spitters are going to become my new worst enemy, as they usually blend in pretty well with the regular zombies, and they spit green acid at you which can damage you quite a bit if you’re not careful.

The controls remain pretty much the same, but there are plenty of new weapons and items to use. Melee weapons are introduced, and they are a nice addition to the game. I found an electric guitar, a frying pan, and even a katana (my personal favorite). I find them to be more useful than guns when in certain situations, especially the katana, which can slice through enemies with ease. There are new handguns as well, specifically the magnum, which has limited ammo but is as powerful as you would expect a magnum to be.

To go along with pipe bombs and Molotovs, there are now vials of boomer bile you can pick up and throw at crowds of zombies, which will make them fight amongst themselves. For healing items, you now have adrenaline, which will temporarily make you move a lot faster, and then a defibrillator, will will revive teammates after they have been killed. And these are just the things I saw in the demo, with plenty of new additions I look forward to trying out in the full game.

Left 4 Dead 2 plays a lot like the first, this is true. But with a game like the first being as amazing as it is, and one of the best co-op games you could ever play, is that really such a bad thing? The new additions to this sequel make it seem like more than just another rehash, and it is clear that Valve is a developer we can trust to make worthy successors to already amazing games.

Infinity Ward, the developer behind Call of Duty 1, 2, and the original Modern Warfare is coming back with the year’s most anticipated game. And there has already been some controversy over their decision to have some (or maybe most?) of the battles taking place on American soil. They showed off a brief glimpse of the White House in ruins as a massive battle took place right on the very grounds we once thought of as safe. Of course, Fallout 3 did the whole “destroyed Washington D.C.” thing a year ago. But if it’s Call of Duty? Damn, then it’s a problem! But the real controversy seems to be stemming from the very first level in the game.

If you have not seen the leaked footage yet, then you probably won’t see the actual level until the game is released since Activision had all of the videos taken down. And yes, for those who have been avoiding any spoilers on what the level actually is, do not continue reading past this point. I warned you!

The level (which has been confirmed by Infinity Ward to be a completely skip able section of the game) takes place in an airport where you control an undercover CIA agent who has infiltrated a terrorist group. Pretty much as soon as the mission begins, the other terrorists begin to take fire on the crowds of people. You are only meant to shoot at security guards, but you can indulge in the killing as well if you so desire. And that’s pretty much how the game begins. You start with a scene of mass brutality and terrorism unlike anything seen in a game today.

And, as expected, this is beginning to garner some controversy (and will continue to, especially once the game is actually released). It’s hard to say the direction the story will go from here, but this is a bold move on Infinity Ward’s part to include a level that is bound to conjure up some bad reactions from many people. Once again, this section can be skipped entirely, but that option will be pretty much ignored by the mainstream media.

Many games, mainly shooters, involve killing. It’s just how the games work. And the Grand Theft Auto series is notorious for allowing the player to kill innocent bystanders and pedestrians whenever the player wants to. Sure, it is not taken as seriously, and sure you are given a penalty (by way of a wanted level or stars) for doing so. But how can you say there won’t be such a penalty in Modern Warfare 2? People have not seen past this level, and for all they know, there could be dire consequences for participating in this event that could impact the story significantly.

What Modern Warfare 2 does is give the player a sense of helplessness when they actually incorporate this pointless and merciless slaughter of innocent lives into the game’s narrative. Being a CIA agent and having to remain undercover, the player is left to do absolutely nothing but to join in the killing. Although you never actually have to kill anyone, it still is a way to set up the events in the story (which inevitably will lead to a war that is brought to the U.S., as discussed above).

And this is all done in a rather meaningful way. It’s meant to give the player more inspiration for joining this battle, it’s meant to inspire fear and helplessness, and eventually it is meant to lead to the events that take place later on in the story.

I have to applaud Infinity Ward for doing something so incredibly bold. They are continuing to push the boundaries of video game narrative and bring it to a level that is similar to the one seen in television shows or movies. Games are more interactive, yes, but that just means they can inspire more. And, as always, you can not take the killing of someone in a game as a realistic act of violence. It is not the same thing, and the brain does not connect the two. But that is an entirely different issue that I’ve touched upon several times now.

I hope that people understand that this is not meant to offend, but meant to bring about an emotional response that you so rarely get from a game. And although many people may not associate the Call of Duty games as having fantastic stories, Modern Warfare had a truly amazing story to tell. Modern Warfare 2, just from the looks of things, seems to be following up that tradition. Here’s hoping that Infinity Ward can continue to create their stories as best they can in order to get that emotional response from the player, because they are clearly doing it with MW2.

In an attempt to reinvigorate my interest in the blog, I’m going to briefly touch upon what games I’ve been playing most recently, and some games I finished recently as well. With a flood of new games coming in, I find it a lot more manageable this year that is has been in the past few years thanks to the game delays. That’s right, I consider the delays a good thing. Although I might not be saying the same thing in January when I’m faced with 4-5 new or upcoming games in the same month. Either way, a lot has been released, so let’s get cracking!

First up is DJ Hero, a game that I have been pretty excited about for quite some time now. It has a lot going for it, with an impressive soundtrack, plenty of new gameplay features, and an amazing controller. It is hard to say where this ranks among all of the music games I have played, but I could definitely see putting it near the top. Like like Guitar Hero before it, DJ Hero manages to give people a fresh new take on the genre and hopefully expand the audience to grab people who may not be fans of rock music. Although I still consider Rock Band 2 to be the king of music games right now, DJ Hero is an excellent example of how to make a new IP work.

Second, I picked up a copy of Borderlands last week and I’m loving it. My two favorite genres are RPGs and shooters, and a game that manages to blend them together perfectly is nice. I love Fallout 3, but this game is a bit more my style. Although I have not finished it yet (DJ Hero distracted me, among other things), I do have plans to get back to it very soon. Before playing it, I considered Batman: Arkham Asylum to be my favorite game of the year, but Borderlands has quickly taken that top spot.

WET is a fun little action title that doesn’t do many things new, but it is still fun to play. Although it’s not a long game, I’ve been taking my sweet time with it. Why? Well I thought picking hard difficulty right from the start would be a good idea, and it was for the first three levels, but now I regret it. And with no way to change the difficulty without starting a new game, I’ve been trying my best to get through it. The game is far from perfect, but it is a lot of fun if you enjoy these kinds of games.

I played Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 pretty much the entire way through with a friend and, honestly, it’s even worse than the original. Keep in mind, I was not a big fan of the original, but I appreciated what it was trying to do. MUA2 is a lot better in terms of bringing a nice co-op experience to the table, but it does everything else much worse AND it limits the RPG elements, reducing them to pointless statistics that mean nothing. It’s not a good game, it’s just barely a decent game. For those who want more of my input on it, check out my full review.

I also played a game that completely let me down, the same way Resident Evil 5 did earlier in the year. Brutal Legend has so many great things going for it. The story is excellent, the characters are fleshed out and memorable, the script is hilarious, but the gameplay…that’s where it stumbles a bit. The game is an RTS at heart, which is weird for those who only played the demo, which mainly consists of action and driving elements. Those elements work, but at the halfway point, the RTS elements take over and things become…kind of a mess. They just don’t work that well, and I cannot see myself playing the multiplayer at all. I enjoyed the game overall, but I cannot say I loved it nearly as much as I wanted to. Once again, check out my full review for more details.

Finally, I picked up a copy of Burnout Paradise for cheap and have been loving it. Sure, sure, I once called the free roaming elements boring and pointless, and considered the game a disappointment. But for $8, I could not resist getting this, and I’m so glad I did. The game is a lot of fun. And although I still am not a fan of the open city, it has quickly become my favorite racing game of this generation. I am incredibly happy I decided to give it a second chance.

Three games I would love to play but cannot right now: Demon’s Souls, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time. My PS3  decided to continue to give me problems, and without much of a solution, I decided I’m just going to get a PS3 Slim. It’ll be less stressful than trying to get my old system repaired. I own Demon’s Souls and Uncharted 2 and will play them as soon as I pick up my new system. Hopefully R&C will be a game I can pick up shortly after as well.

And that’s it! A bunch of games I’ve been playing or have played within the last month. Expect plenty of new game impressions on the horizon, including those three PS3 exclusives I talked about above, and even some PSP games like Half-Minute Hero, Dissidia, and Persona. But until then, hopefully this will tide those few readers I have over.

To those few who still read, do not fret, I will get back to more updates soon enough. And hopefully to help keep this blog alive, I am introducing admiralsandwich, aka Riss (or hoboriss from Backloggery). Although we are both lazy and do not update our separate blogs too often, we can still hope to bring more updates to this one blog. Expect plenty of great posts from her in the future!

Hopefully there are people out there who still read this, because I have a few nice plans in store for everyone, including the continuation of my “cookie crumbles” series, new game impressions and demo impressions, and other new features that will hopefully bring back some traffic to this blog. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me so far! Fun times are ahead. Until then, Riss will be re-posting her stuff from her old blog, so it will give you guys a chance to get introduced to her work and hopefully give this place a bit more activity.

You know what? I’m lazy. I’m crazy lazy. I am also convinced I have something akin to ADHD, thus my apparent inability to update. I’m not a writer, I’m really not…and I’m definitely a terrible one at that. So I am trying to find a way to write these posts in a way that is comfortable for me. I’m not a writer, I’m not a professional reviewer, or a journalist. Just someone who is wildly obsessive passionate about video games.

With that said, this basically sums up what I like about Final Fantasy III for the Nintendo DS:

Ingus as the Red Mage Job.

>> Visuals:
Cute models with unique designs. I’m a big fan of the character design in this game. Not just the heroes with their massive amount of jobs and costume designs unique to the character, but all the characters as well. The monsters? Not so much. Some of them are cool, and quite a few of the bosses are pretty cool, but on the whole…a lot of them are just bland. The graphics are great and crisp though, and for such tiny people and dungeons, the textures are pretty nice.
>>Sound:
Good sound and some pretty good music that is faithful to the original source materal. Unfortunately the music suffers from the same problem as the original FFIII on NES does – there’s just not enough of it. Almost every dungeon has the same music, events and scenes use the same or similar music…it got old fast and I was quick to turn the volume off.
>>Gameplay:
This game has good, solid turnbased battles and it’s genuinely pretty fun. The classes mix it up a lot and make you play differently based on jobs…however, I can’t help but dock a bit because the job system could be better and more in depth – FFV proved that. That and the battles seem to go on and on and on…I’m a veteran of turnbased battles, but chalk it up to not much variety in enemies early on or something, but it got boring pretty fast. Take this from the woman who plays turnbased games because she LIKES to fight excessive amounts enemies and “grindan gaems.”
>>Story:
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: four young warriors who are orphans are tasked to save crystals and the world and all that blahblahblah. It gets cred because it’s got some cute character personalities, and actually adds quite a bit to the story. In the end most of the characters are still a little flat…not Final Fantasy II flat, though.
>>Replayability:
There’s plenty else to do in the game other than the main quests. Side quests, rare weapons and armors, optional summons, and then the Mognet sidequest. I hate the Mognet sidequest – it requires sending wifi mail to lots of people, which is a pain finding people after the game has been out for some years. I had to go to gamefaqs boards just to find people. GAMEFAQS, MAN, THE HORROR! But it’s there if you want to do it.
>>Overall:
It’s fun, it’s cute, it’s got great graphics and if anything – it’s MUCH better than Final Fantasy II. It was a sigh of relief getting to play this game after that.

On October 15th, 2008 I created this blog and my first blog post. It was mainly out of boredom, but I created it with a goal in mind: make one new post every day. For the most part, I was able to keep up with this goal, although some days I just completely forgot to update, and others I ended up updating incredibly late. Luckily no one really seemed to mind, and from what I can tell, people have enjoyed reading the various posts from myself and my friends, namely Grey Fox and Miami Man.

Writing for this blog not only re-sparked my interest in writing, it also made me realize that I absolutely love writing and talking about games. Maybe I knew it already, but it was from there that I realized I wanted to be a video game journalist. And so continued my several posts for the blog, either talking about specific games, game demos, or other little original features I created specifically for this blog. And although not all of my posts are exactly…good, I’ve gotten a generally positive response from people about them.

In January of this year, I joined up with several other Backloggery users in an attempt to create another group blog known as Press X to Win. Of course all but one of the original members of the blog have moved on, including myself, the blog has been revived and is now an all girls gaming blog. And already it has shown to be a bit more successful than our previous attempt. But it was a good run, and it gave me more opportunities to communicate with fellow gamers and slightly expand and improve my own writing. Writing with a group of gamers for a single blog can be both satisfying and frustrating, but in the end, I enjoyed my short time with the site (and I even made a little blog post hoping to grab more readers).

After that, I continued to just focus solely on this blog, tried a few experiments (included my failed podcast), and even changed the design of the blog around a little. But then in July, I began writing for a new site, Snackbar Games. And that is pretty much where this blog kind of died. Although I tried to update it on occasion, it definitely was no longer my main focus.

So, where do I go from here? I started this blog as my way of sharing my own thoughts of games and the industry, and as a way to hopefully improve my writing and get some kind of audience from it all. It did work, for the most part, and I’m getting grabbing some attention from it all. But it’s not the same as it used to be. Everything I would normally write for this blog, and there has been a lot, now goes to Snackbar. I’ve messed around with a few experiments here and there just for this site, but none were as enjoyable as I would have hoped.

I’m not going to say the blog is dead now, I’m still going to keep it alive for an eventual post or two in the future, and perhaps other things that may not be fit for Snackbar. But, as you may have come to expect by now, I probably won’t be posting here that much anymore.I have a few ideas of how to continue the quick game reviews, or even some other older series I had going on, but I’m just not enjoying it as much as I used to. This is definitely a place for experiments though, so who knows what other crazy ideas I will come up with.

Now is my opportunity to once again plug Snackbar Games, as pretty much all of my new reviews and game features will go directly there. Not only that, we’ve got many talented writers working hard on some excellent stuff, so I urge everyone to check out the site.

Anyway, if you read through all of that, I appreciate it! Thanks to everyone who gave this blog a chance, and who continued to check back every so often for updates. Don’t give up on it completely though, as I may have a few more surprises in store.

I asked a lot of people, most of them being from Backloggery, to name me some of their favorite games of all time. And taking those lists, I randomly selected one game from each person, and will review them. But not an extensive review, but a mini-review in twenty words or less! Of course, if I’ve never played the game before, or never played much of it, I’ll do my best to “review” it based on what I have seen or played. Let us get started!

Note: If you participated and I somehow skipped over you, please let me know, I’ll gladly update the blog post.

Spicebean:

Star Fox 64 – An instant classic, and easily the best game in the series. I CAN’T LET YOU DO THAT, STAR FOX!

Inkontrol:

Katamari Damacy – Innovative and addictive gameplay plus an incredible soundtrack make this one of the best on the PS2.

UmarifficCKzzle:

Mass Effect – Has a fantastic story and amazing interactivity within the world, but the actual combat is pretty poor.

Ayaikun:

Tales of Vesperia – Excellent cast of characters and a story that is not as cliché as most Tales games makes this stand out.

Hoboriss:

Half-Life 2 – Brings gamers into a game world unlike any other shooter, and is damn fun to play. One of my favorites!

ElTipejoLoco:

Chrono Trigger – Despite the amazing soundtrack, I find this game incredibly overrated. It can be fun, but it’s but nothing special.

e_goldfish:

Rival Schools – It’s a…fighting game I’ve never played! It looks pretty cool, I guess? Uhh…yay!

Johnct311:

Gunstar Heroes – Treasure has made plenty of excellent games, including this one. One of the best co-op games ever made.

Polymetrica:

Castle Shikigami 2 – Pretty fun Shmup, but the awful translation and voice acting makes it even better!

Mokujinjitsu:

REZ – The trippiest of all time, an acid trip for your game console! Also, incredible music brings you into the experience.

WanderingMind:

Streets of Rage 2 –Incredible 16-bit music, fun (although cheap) gameplay, and it will never get old due to nostalgia.

Orpheon:

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES – Adds 30 more hours to an already lengthy adventure. A shining example of how great the SMT series is.

Arcadios:

Kingdom Hearts – Brings Final Fantasy and Disney together perfectly. Fun gameplay, but MY GOD THE CAMERA IS TERRIBLE

Seijika:

Mega Man Legends – Probably my favorite Mega Man game of all time. Why? Because it’s just so much fun to play.

kariohki:

Earthbound – The funniest game of all time. No, really, it’s hilarious. It’s pretty fun to play too.

TanukiMaki:

Super Mario Bros. 3 – The best platformer on the NES and the reason most people fell in love with Super Mario Bros. Amazing game!

Colorninja (aka Graham Russell of www.snackbar-games.com):

NBA Jam: Tournament Edition – Still my favorite basketball game of all time. It’s over the top, but in the best possible way.

Insane21:

Portal – Hilarious game with plenty of mind bending puzzles. And yes, the cake is a lie, we all know.

Justin Last (of www.snackbar-games.com):

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour – A fun golf game, but very underwhelming compared to Mario Golf 64.

Meimi:

Skies of Arcadia – Very fun battle system, fantastic story and a great sense of adventure sorely lacking in most games these days.

—

And that’s it! I had fun doing this, and wouldn’t mind trying it again. But hey, if you think it’s stupid, let me know! Either way, I love trying new experiments with the blog.

With several delays that have impacted the game industry, my list from back in June is a bit off now (plus there are a few changes I want to make anyway). So I thought I would not only improve the list, but expand it to the ten titles that I am looking forward to most for the rest of this year. Don’t expect much details about the games themselves though, I just feel like ranting about why I’m personally excited about them.

10) Alpha Protocol

Note: Surprise surprise, this game was recently delayed until 2010. I’m way too lazy to change it now though, but I thought I would give an update.

Obsidian is a developer that, for me, is hit and miss. They seem to be the biggest BioWare fanboys in the world, since all they have ever done is work on an existing BioWare property, or make a game very similar to another BioWare series. Their most recent titles include Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2, two sequels that I’d consider to be inferior to their originals. Alpha Protocol is an RPG in the same tradition as 2007’s Mass Effect (or more similar to 2010’s sequel, Mass Effect 2). It’s the first espionage RPG adventure, and for that alone I have to admit I’m pretty excited.

9) Left 4 Dead 2

Despite the controversy surrounding this game, and the original (which many feel is still “incomplete” and more like a demo for the L4D2), I still can’t wait for this game. The original is one of the best co-op games ever created, and despite how short it was, it had more replayability than any other action game that year. Plus, it has zombies. Everybody loves zombies! Left 4 Dead 2 introduces four new characters, plenty of new enemies, weapons, and environments to explore. It’s more of the same, and better! I honestly couldn’t ask for much more.

8 ) Demon’s Souls

Here is a game I almost spent $80 to import just to experience what everybody was talking about. This game received plenty of buzz when it was released in Japan, and it seems to deserve it. Atlus then announced they were bringing it stateside, and my wallet let out a huge sigh of relief! But of course now I’m spending $70 on the special edition of the game, so it’s not that much cheaper, I suppose. Either way, it looks fun!

7) The Saboteur

This game looks really cool. Honestly, I love the style of this game, it’s very unique and very interesting, and blends in with the gameplay well. I generally love Pandemic’s games, although some of them can be pretty lame (Mercenaries 2, I’m looking at you), this is a project they’ve been working on for a while, so I have faith it will impress. It’s just another interesting and original IP that I think could do well.

6) DJ Hero

I’m not a fan of Guitar Hero anymore. Ever since Neversoft took over the series, they’ve honestly run it right into the ground. I could rant about that series more, but since Activision loves money, they will continue to whore out the Guitar Hero series as much as possible. This includes two new “Hero” games/series, one of which is Band Hero (Guitar Hero for kids, I guess), and another is DJ Hero. DJ Hero is the one I’m personally excited about. Some great songs, a more original concept, and hopefully what could be a brand new music series that can appeal to those who aren’t fans of Guitar Hero/Rock Band. It has a lot of potential, but will it live up to it? I certainly think it can.

5) Borderlands

Two years after its initial announcement, Borderlands has gone through a major overhaul, mainly in the game’s look. It takes a less serious, more cel-shaded approach to the world, and it looks all the better for it. Although Fallout 3 blended RPG and shooter elements together, it was mainly an RPG. Borderlands looks to do the same, although it seems to focus more on the shooter aspect of it. And with four player co-op making its way into the equation, I can’t help but be excited for this title.

4) Dragon Age: Origins

This one is rather simple actually: BioWare is making a spiritual successor to the Balder’s Gate games, which is the series that put the developer on the map, and how I was first introduced to them. That’s really all I need to be excited about this title.

3) Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time

I stand by the belief that the Ratchet and Clank series is the best series to come out of the last generation of consoles, and one of the best series of action/platformers ever made. The games have shown a consistent level of quality unlike any series (okay, maybe excluded the two PSP games), and it looks to continue that trend with A Crack in Time. New Clank puzzles, new weapons, plenty of new gameplay mechanics, and more Captain Qwark. That, ladies and gentlemen, is all you need.

2) Brutal Legend

This is Tim Schafer’s new game. It has a badass soundtrack and just looks truly hilarious and awesome.  I’ve ranted about this game enough, so I think that’s all I need to say right now.

1) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Instead of explaining why I am excited with words, I’ll just use this video.

This will be a pretty short post, but something I’ve been meaning to get off my chest since yesterday. First thing’s first, Muramasa is a good game, and is certainly worth playing. But at $50, the game is definitely way too shallow and short to get your money’s worth. And let me tell you why!

First, I played on the normal difficulty setting and played through Momohime’s story. Both her and Kisuke’s stories are different, but they play nearly identically and go through pretty much most of the same areas. Where the game does excel is in the look, which is fantastic, and the boss fights, which are generally very well done. It certainly is a game that, based solely on looks and initial impressions, can fool anyone into thinking this is a worthy successor to Odin Sphere.

Think what you will about Odin Sphere, at least it was a lengthy game with a pretty interesting story and plenty of characters to play as (who all played pretty differently, I might add). Muramasa is a downgraded version of that. While it improves upon many problems in Odin Sphere, it takes away a lot of what made Odin Sphere great to begin with. It is very shallow. The combat, while fun and satisfying at times, generally does not involve a terrible amount of strategy (even on the higher difficulty setting). It still can present a bit of a challenge at times, but it won’t cover up the gameplay’s faults.

Each sword you collect is pretty similar, aside from the look of it and the special move it has. You have two basic varieties, your standard sword and your long sword (which is slower, but has a stronger attack). There really is not that much of a difference in terms of using different swords, since the special attacks don’t add too much to actual gameplay. You also level up, but it does relatively nothing except letting you equip stronger swords. The enemies level up along with you, keeping the gameplay fairly balanced, but most of the time you’ll never notice.

So, once you get over the game’s amazing presentation and sometimes satisfying combat, you’ll realize it’s really that great of a game. The story probably would be interested if the game presented it so, but instead you just get some boring exposition before and after bosses and no idea really what just happened. Not to say the story really matters in a game like this, but it could have gone somewhere.

I could see this as a handheld title (perhaps with scaled back visuals) or even a downloadable game. I can’t say it’s worth to spend more than $30 on it, which is a real shame. It’s worth renting, at the very least, since overall it is a fun time. Just don’t set your expectations too high or let the brilliant art work fool you.