REVIEW: Way Of The Samurai 3

Hello again guys, girls and ghouls! Time for a new review, I think I don’t have to explain my love for this franchise. I loved the first game and its original gameplay design with story pacing with multiple endings. Im happy the second game was picked up because the first game was not a huge success. So how does the third game pan out on a newer console?

POSITIVES

Big sprawling areas with lots of color and design

New and old jobs from 3 different employer’s

Combat is much tighter and technical

Fatigue gauge has been removed

Large amount of customizable items.

Japanese Language w/ english subtitles

NEGATIVES

Earning money is such a grind

Easy to break your favorite weapon

Dying unexpectedly leading to loss of data

NIT-PICKING

Story and characters seem bland.

No cut limbs or severed heads.

Graphics are not next-gen quality.

CONCLUSION

It’s interesting that even after three games there is still room for much more to do with the franchise. I’m happy that all the problems of the second title was addressed. This is the best in the franchise however like the games before it Samurai 3 is by no means a blockbuster. Way of the Samurai 3 is only for gamers that are into samurai action/adventure titles period.

Game Trends That Piss Me Off!

The more I read about the game industry the more I see some pretty asinine things going on just for the sake of money. So I made a new column to address these issues that piss me off as a fellow gamer. First up is downloadable content or DLC. I love DLC but the industry has found a way to screw gamers out of their money. How you ask?

OK, lets take a recent case game. Resident Evil 5 was announced to have an online multiplayer mode on release. The developers talk about it and seemed to be excited to implement this feature to the title. Then Capcom had the idea to take it out of the original games features and offer it as DLC for 15 bucks. That’s what I call greedy corporate bullshit! They took out a feature for a game that was originally planned to be in the game just to make more money.

Capcom isn’t the only company to do this. Activision also did this for the Transformers:Revenge game last summer. Releasing a pack of multiplayer maps and characters that is suppose to be in the game and was left out so gamers had to shell out more cash. So now your not paying 64 dollars for a complete game anymore. Now gamers could pay after DLC over a hundred dollars for one title. Some companies even go so far to charge gamers for something so small like alternate outfits at a ubsured price! When does this bullshit become enough? It’s like buying a chess set only to have a couple pieces missing and having to buy them separate. Or buying a DVD and charging extra for bonus features that the studio already made.

However, not all DLC is wrong. Take Little Big Planet….Extra content is always being uploaded that was originally not planned during it’s release. Also some companies will cut gamers a break by giving them extra content for free like Batman Arkham Asylam. I have no problem with that and Im happy to get things for free because I bought the game to support the title. As for this leave content out so gamers can pay more later? I spit on the companies that do it just for more money.

Thoughts on Prince Film Trailer

Well, well, well. Here we go again talking about the next video game movie to hit the silver screen. Already I hear negative comments so stupid and pointless I just will not repeat them. It’s true that video game movies have not captured the same attraction or income as their game counter parts did. But, less we forget how long it took hollywood to make good comic book films like Iron Man?

In any case I reserved any deserved positive or negative thoughts about this film until I saw a trailer. Today I have and I can say I’m interested. The films got story, action and characters with personality that reminded me of the games. Now this was only 3 minutes of a 2 hour movie but it’s enough to carry my interest to see it. I like this film to be a big hit and it could be even bigger of a block buster then Tomb Raider. Sources say the film will have first crack at summer on May 10th 2010. Let’s hope we not need the dagger of time if the film ends up being a mess.

God of War 3 Demo Thoughts

Happy Halloween! Lets talk game demos! God of War is a franchise that many developers dreams of. However, to me I dont understand why it gets as much praise as it does. The games are good no question. I thought the story was OK but, the sequel was far superior. Truthfully I’m not all that excited about the third installment. I guess I just want my next-gen games to be alot more next-gen. Regardless if it didn’t meet my expectations here is what I love and hate from the demo…..

Right away the visual are nice. I only could hope the collection set has the same treatment. I love how there was alot of stuff going on with people running away and undead killed them one by one. It makes the game much more alive. The brutality is also turned up a notch. It’s great to see the guts of a Centare sprawled on the floor as I finished him off. The gameplay has been tweaked a bit but it’s all the same as the last game so players should feel very comfortable. I also like where the button icons have been placed on-screen.

So as I said before I wanted so much more from this game. I love to have some real weapon physics. I also like to see enemies react if different ways with limbs flying all over. Speaking of which, why do I keep seeing the same enemies from the first and second game. I really like to see some new enemies to fight from beginning to end.

It was a fun yet short demo. Im sure it will sell lots but is it worth 60$ or 200$ for the ultimate edition? Time will tell.

Top 5 Scariest Video Games

Hello all you guys, girls and ghouls. Halloween is close and I thought it be great to mention a few of the games I thought to be the scariest. Most people have a top 10 list but let’s be honest there are just not enough scary games on the market that can really scare you. Also I like to mention these are the games I have played and were genially scared while playing them so Im sure there are other scary games but I might have missed them. So here we go……

NUMBER 5: Castlevaina Symphony of the Night

I have to admit I love this game alot. It’s one of the best in the series and is still after a decade. But what makes this game scary was not the visuals, characters or gore. It was the sound! The music and sound effects were so well done that I couldn’t help but feel creeped out during certain areas. Not to forget the Game Over scene is by far more frightening then Resident Evils “You are Dead”, screen.

NUMBER 4: Resident Evil

This game really broke out the genre of survival horror. It had all the elements for a good horror game. Music, monsters, atmosphere, sound effects etc. However, the game suffered from bad acting and stiff controls. What was even better was the GameCube remake. It turned up the chills even more with new areas and the chair jumping crimson zombies.

NUMBER 3: Clock Tower

Remember the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street games? No, well if you want check the Angry Video Game Nerd’s Review on them. Anyway, what those games lacked Clock Tower brought by great design of the idea that the main object of the game was to survive the serial killer in a creepy house. Sure it seems basic but if you played this you know that you have no health, weapons or anything to protect you when Scissors man jumped out on-screen unexpectedly.

NUMBER 2: Resident Evil 4

I’m sure alot of you are asking why does this game rank higher than the original? Or it is not fair to have two games on the list from one franchise. Well …. RE4 is not the same game as the ones before it for one thing. Secondly It was way scarier then the original. Like Castlevania SotN this RE game was the best in the series. You didn’t know what to expect. The enemies were smarter, the atmosphere was creepier the characters and story were better. The only trouble with the game was the horror aspect was shared with loads of action. But, it was a good balanced till the last 30 minutes of the game.

NUMBER 1: Silent Hill 2

This was the game that scared the hell out of me! It was so scary I couldn’t even sleep at night without the lights. Like the games before it on this list it had all the elements. The difference is that SH2 did it to perfection. Nothing about this game was lacking. Right away when James is told to go to the town because his dead wife sent a letter. Then your forced to walk to the town in a thick blinding fog only to hear strange noises sends shivers down any gamers spine. Anytime I see this game I am instantly reminded of my experiences with the game and the joy of being scared by it.

Wasted Franchises: Tekken

Remember long ago when 3-D fighting games were in its infancy? First was Virtual Fighter, then Battle Arena Toshinden and Tekken.  I have to say Tekken was the perfect balance between VF and Toshinden. It had simulated martial arts attacks like VF but also had the character style like Toshinden. So what happened to this great balanced fighting game?

The first game was not at all a huge hit in the states. The game was shadowed thanks to Virtual Fighter 2, Killer Instinct and Street Fighter Alpha. However, It came back with the better sequel and made a big K.O. years later with Tekken 3.  I loved Tekken 3 and hated players of Eddie Gordo. The game was great to play and loved those entertaining endings.

When the PS2 came out players couldn’t wait for what Namco would make of Tekken 4.  Little did we know that the wait would be much longer then expected. Thankfully to fill the gap Tekken Tag came to arcades and soon after PS2. Finally when Namco announced Tekken 4 fans were promised a new designed gameplay, surreal graphics and new modes that would add replay value for hardcore fans.

What fans got was Tekken Tag minus the tag part. New modes that were nothing but yawn with frustration. So noted as a dud fans still bought it and Namco was quick to come out with Tekken 5 adding a few new characters and a slight tweek in the gameplay.  It was a breath of fresh air for fans but it was too little too late. Namco wasn’t hurting though since Soul Calibur was the top cash cow for the company. By then fighting games were all but dead and Tekken was in hibernation slumber.

So now Namco has released its sixth installment and it seems the Tekken gameplay, style, characters remain alive and unchanged. At least Street Fighter 2 Alpha (Street Fighter4) changed something in its franchise. While Tekken keeps its old and true formula like some kinda flavored water thats been around way too long. Basking in the hot sun and freezing  cold for years. Their comes a time to drain the water out and get some fresh water in the bottle.

That’s what Namco needs to do. I say its time to kill all the characters and gameplay. Re-invent the franchise making old fans addicted to a new fight engine and new fans coming for story and characters. I remember when Namco claimed Tekken used real martial arts in the game. I say its time to make a fighting engine that is simple to play, hard to master and entertaining to watch.  Now a days its same Tekken with the same characters and just another wasted franchise.

REVIEW: Smackdown Vs Raw ‘2010′

 What has been keeping me busy? Well work for one, and for two playing video games DUH! One genre of games I dont play at all is sports games. Sure a few sports games I did enjoy and play like NBA Jam and Mutant Leage Football. However, I’m not gonna review a sports game today. Today’s review is a sports entertainment videogame. So how does this stack up?

 

 

 

POSITIVES

• Authentic WWE stages, wrestlers, music, matches etc. 
• Create `modes are fun and adds much replay
• Uploading custom music for CAW enterances is a great addition.

NEGATIVES

• Collision decection has still yet to be perfected.
• Animation for cloths and coats are way last gen-console
• Online modes are not as polished or as user-friendly as they could be.

NIT-PICKING

• Roster now a days have more rejects instead of interesting characters
• CAWs take a long time to make.
• Unlocking extra content in “Road to Wrestlemania” is annoying
• Can’t take fights backstage like pervious installments 

CONCLUSION

OK, so I have to admit I liked this years game. The franchise isn’t exactly fresh and neither has the gameplay and its modes. With that said I feel this version is the best in the last 3 to 4 years.  If you’re an old school wrestling fan or one from the days of WCW vs WWF I say wait till the game get to 35 dollars and buy it.

Thoughts on Final Fantasy Online

So here are my thoughts on the current FF11 and soon to be released FF14 MMORPG games…

First off to compare FF11 to other MMORPGs like oh I dont know. Say…. World of Warcraft. Is not difficult! Now, I heard some fans of FF11 dont like their game to be compared to WoW but, I can understand why. Final Fantasy 11 is a poor MMORPG. SquareEnix really had no clue on how to construct a MMORPG. It seems the took some basic elements from console RPGs and mixed it with some elements from a low grade MMO. What’s worse is that the company has never updated or overhauled the game. Everything from signing up on Playonline to how the game is played is the same as the day it first came out.

Of course it’s not all bad. I like the character designs and its fun to ride a chocobo across distant lands.  I like the armor sets and weapons which makes a player keep playing. There are tons of monsters from common bats to fan favorites like Cactus’. I just feel the day is long past dated. So my hopes are high for the next online Final Fantasy.Little is know about the game but seeing how its only on PS3 is a good thing. This time around I feel the developers are really watching other MMO’s to find out what works and doesn’t.

At this time I like to make some comments of my own in regards to the developers of Final Fantasy 14. First off, keep it on PS3, dont try to make the PC and 360 version using the same servers. Make pointers, or guides for objectives to get missions and quests. Make leveling up much quicker and less of a chore. Can we have a 32 player battle happen? I love to see that! Make more customization features, I like to make tall, fat, ugly characters sometimes you know. Dump the Playonline, it’s a pain and not needed. Konami didn’t figure that one out yet either. Last but not least, NO PAY TO PLAY! If NCsoft can do it as well as others then I would think others can too. If you have to put in micro-transactions thats fine.  I just dont wanna pay 60 bucks for the game and another 144 dollars a year to pay a game.

Thoughts on Tatsunoko Vs Capcom

So this year the best fighting game I have played had to be Street Fighter 2 Alpha (SF4). The other fighting games I played were Soul Calibur 4, Blaz Blue and KOF12. Each of these games really missed the mark in one way or another. However, a new challenger steps up called Tatsunoko VS Capcom and while this is an old game franchise. Its characters are listed as  legendary to odd ball…. 

Right away this game takes the same premise as SF4 mixed with Marvel vs Capcom 2 gameplay. Its 3-D graphics with 2-D gameplay. It looks bloody brilliant! From far away it looks like a 2-D fighter. The animation is fluent and fast I really cant see clunky animation at any point. It looks like there is no frame rate issues either so unless this has wi-fi and craps its online mode like KOF12, all looks and sounds good for this title.

The characters are a mixed bunch with Ryu on one hand and Gatchaman on the other. It’s nice also that Capcom brings some new franchise characters to its VS series like Soki from Onimusha 4 and Batsu from Rival Schools. On the other hand why are we still getting old tired characters like Morgan and Chun-Li? 

So the game looks great and plays similar to Marvel vs Capcom 2. Alas I can’t shake this feeling that it’s a waste of the company’s time and money. Only die hard anime fans will know most of these Tatsunoko characters. I would have liked this game to have been SNK vs Capcom 3 more. Ohh sure, I will play this game but I dont think it will have the appeal to make Capcom any real money. Time will tell and I could always be wrong.

Re-Review: Way of the Samurai 2

It’s always nice to one day be bored of playing new games a lot. You know those days where there is nothing to do and you look at all your  games, seeing nothing particular. Then out of habit you find something you haven’t played in such a long time. Well, this is what the re-reviews are about. Old forgotten games that are being played again and looking at them years later to make a new review with different impression on a certain title.

Here we have Way of the Samurai 2 for the PS2. Developed by acquire and published in the west by Capcom. Ohh and did I forget the 3rd installment is coming out this month on 360 and PS3? But I’m gonna focus on this one for now.

POSITIVES

• Samurai Action – This game is technical sword combat at its finest. No  bashing buttons it’s about reading your enemies movements.
• Multiple Stories – The game has like 14 endings and the story is not to shabby good for reply value.
• Create-A-Warrior – while not as big as a WWE game or RPGs like Elder’s Scrolls, you can choose the samurai’s head, cloths and accessories. Thats more than other Samurai games have.

NEGATIVES

• Mission Lacking – There are not that many missions in the game and how you complete them is the same.
• Travel Arrangements – The city the story takes place in is broken up to several areas. Overtime you leave an area you go back to the map. Its slows the game’s flow.
• Gearing Up – Changing you gear and items can only be done on the map menu. It’s bad enough you have to travel through the map but when you also have to go to the map for stuff slows the game’s flow even more.

NIT-PICKING

• Violence is minimum. I want heads, arms and legs to be cut off.
• No Japanese Voices?
• Enough with all the swords! I just want moves.
• More customization Please! 

CONCLUSION

This game is a great sequel. Everything was bigger and better than the last game. However, developers seem to keep the same issues from the last game to.  If you love Samurai games then you owe it to yourself to give this game a look. I say its worth 15-35$ if you can find it.