Friday, November 23, 2007

Need for Speed: Carbon

Introduction
Need for Speed - another one. What do I think?

Graphics
The graphics is OK. In my opinion not up to Gran Turismo 4 level - but then - this is a typical arcade street racer with a story line. Some nice slow motion effects.

Sound
Not my type of music. Would like custom tracks.

Gameplay
In my house, I am the only one that enjoys racing games.
As with all the NFS games - no matter how much you tune your car, the Police always seem to have cars that can outperform yours.

What I really miss from this is the number of cars in the traffic. Heck - a busy city - with so little cars. No way! Even at two in the morning there should be more traffic. All in all - enjoyable - but not enough to keep you coming back too many times.

Cars could do with more customizations and tuning.

Story
The story line is basically about the comeback guy that has to work his way up in the street racing scene. As it progresses, some more of the story line gets revealed. But the enjoyable part is racing in a street race, dodging oncoming traffic and staying out of the way of the police.

Overall Impressions
Enjoyable for a street racer with a decent attempt at a story line. There is a new version that is just out now - so you might want to skip this one.

How much did my kids play this?
They were not interested. At all. Not with Eye of Judgment, Ratchet & Clank, Warhawk and COD4 around.

This Gen Score 4.5/10
Previous Gen Score 7/10

Sonic

Introduction
Sega releases another in the Sonic series. Will you enjoy it?

Graphics
Cartoony graphics. Really good for previous gen standards. For this gen - well - it has to compete with the likes of Ratchet & Clank. And compared to R&C - this is below average. Great set of shoes that he wears though. The Sonic character was clearly the character that had the most attention to detail. The other characters in the game are not as well done.

Sound
OK I guess. Nothing special.

Gameplay
My younger boy (7), really liked this game. Run around, jump on stuff. The character appeals to the younger ones. The older kids and myself did not really bother with this game for long. Mark this as an OK kids game.

Story
Really weird story line trying to mix a cartoon character with a sort of mythological story and modern criminal. Well - anything as long as you can get the creature with the shoes running around the screen.

Overall Impressions
Nothing special. This game has to compete with Ratchet & Clank - and that is a tough act to follow. Younger kids seems to like it.

How much did my kids play this?
Only the youngest boy liked this game. The older one pitched in for two player - but it got boring quickly.

This Gen Score 4/10
Previous Gen Score 6.5/10

Eye of Judgment

Introduction
Is this new Eye game any good? Is it just a tech demo?

Graphics
The graphics is OK. Some nice animations. But there is not much that the game depends on graphics.

Sound
OK I guess. Could really do with user defined music list.

Gameplay
My oldest boy - 9, have been asking for this game ever since he saw the video. He loves card games, and the idea of playing it with animation on screen - and having a partner to play with really rocked his little world.

For me it became a bit boring though. The area is 3x3 - which is a bit small. I guess it has to do with how much area the camera can accurately track. And this is the area where I would have liked to see more improvement. It makes for very limited gameplay area. Some of the other similar games have much larger environments. So this new tech that it uses is its selling point and its long term Achilles Heel in my opinion.

It sure is fun though to play the cards and see the action on screen.

Story
Another ancient civilization that apparently played some card game summoning monsters and spells. Seems like there was quite a few that the archaeologists missed.

Overall Impressions
This game does get your attention. People gawk at it and want to have a go. Many will get bored with it quickly - but whenever showing off the capabilities of your PS3 this game has the wow factor. Since getting R&C:FTOD, this game is the only one that gets some PS3 time at the moment.

How much did my kids play this?
The one boy loves this game above all others. He pesters everyone the whole day for someone to play with. The rest seemed only vaguely interested.

This Gen Score 6.5/10
Previous Gen Score 8.5/10

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Introduction
Is it really that good? Is it just a lame remake of an old classic?

Graphics
The graphics is very good. Very very good. It is unmistakably Ratchet & Clank, but the visuals improved a lot from the PS2 game - which btw was great looking also. Beautiful environment, animations improved a lot. Everything my kids wanted in a R&C upgrade.

Some of the monsters are so good looking it is nearly a pity you have to kill it before having time to look at it. I would not say this is Pixar quality yet. But then - Pixar movies does not involve you actually controlling the character.

Some people compare this game with COD4's graphics. Don't do this. It is two totally different aims. COD4 graphics is good - but I expect war FPS games to improve in quality. The difference is that R&C is not a FPS. You see the character from third person view, so the whole environment and camera movements is totally different from a FPS. R&C is a cartoon game. And as such - it surpasses other games that try to achieve the same.

Sound
Same Ratchet & Clank type music. Sounds similar to the other installments. If you are in a different room you would not know if it was the older game or the new one being played.

Gameplay
It plays like Ratchet & Clank. A few tweaks, motion control added in where it added without overdoing it. In general - you pick up and start enjoying immediately. Like the previous games - a lot of replay value. Just a pity that it is single player only. Some of the PS2 R&C series had two player modes. Bring it back!!!

..Update..
The gameplay have improved quite a bit from previous R&C titles. I had to impose a 30 minute rule to give everyone a fair chance to play. The visuals on the game is really beautiful to look at. The story line is quite simple, but the non stop action, the funny weapons, it all keeps one intrigued with the game.

Story
Well - another crisis, the spanner wielding lombax and the little robot is out to save the day again. Not much story needed for a game like this.

Overall Impressions
It is a great game. Gameplay is easy - you just jump in and play. And you replay some levels just to look at the environments. This game sets the standard of what we should expect from platformer games.

How much did my kids play this?
They were overjoyed to see a new Ratchet & Clank game. Since it arrived, the only other game that gets a chance is Eye of Judgment.

This Gen Score 7.5/10
Previous Gen Score 9.5/10

Sunday, November 18, 2007

The PS3

Well - I am the proud owner of a 60GB Euro PS3 with PS2 SW Backward Compatibility. How do I as a PS3 owner rate the PS3?

Aesthetically the PS3 is a sweet looking piece of equipment. It looks great just sitting there.
It is a durable robust piece of equipment. I have 2 PS2 consoles. A launch model - still working - just a bit finicky with its reading of disks. And a slimline PS2. It works very little now - since the PS3 can play all the PS2 titles that I have - with the exception of a few.

The PS3 as a DVD / Blu-Ray player makes it worth owning alone. I rent DVD's. I own quite a few. The one thing that is really frustrating of renting a DVD is that the disks are scratched many a time - and your player don't want to read it. Well - problem solved. Get a PS3. I have 4 DVD players in my house - excluding the PS3. And then 5 notebook computers and a desktop PC that are all equipped with DVD player / writers. Some disks refused to read on any of them. And then - enter the PS3. It does not scratch disks. I have seen some of my PC DVD drivers adding scratches. Dedicated DVD players adding scratches. And yeah - the PS2 tend to do that as well. And then you get the PS3. It reads the scratched disks better than any of the other players. It does not scratch disks.

I bought 3 second hand PS3 games now. Blu-Ray disks. I have around 11 titles now. And they get played around 12-16 hours a day. Yeah - with four kids - and with the PS3 as the home entertainment center - it plays the music when we have a barbecue, We watch the DVD's that the whole family watch together, and it plays games for most of the time. And does a bit of folding as well on the side. And all PS3 owners can vouch for this - the game store people confirmed it as well - the PS3 second hand disks looks like new. I bought two titles today - Sonic, and NFS:Carbon. We checked the surface - trying to find that single little scratch. It is like new.

As a music player - now with FW 2, playlists is supported as well. For me a welcome addition. Some for party - and some for getting the family asleep - you know - more soothing music. You rip the CD to hard disk, find the title online and get all the music info you need. Create a playlist for the occasion - and there you go.

Would I recommend a PS3? By all means - yes. It is build to last. I have in many years not seen such a quality build product as the PS3. The interface is slick. The system works - day and night. It is whisper quiet. The controllers work well. The bluetooth remote works well. The games are picking up speed now - with some real quality titles rolling in. The PS2 served me well for many years. I can foresee the PS3 being the centerpiece equipment of my living room for at least 6 years.

Lair

Introduction
So - there was quite a bit of commotion around this game. I have the game. What do I think?

Graphics
The graphics is very good.
..Update..
Scratch that - the graphics is at times without equal. The water is the best I have seen in any game. Period. The fight scenes are awesome at times - but at times - well a lot of times - the gameplay is marred by the desire to show of the graphics.

Sound
Some very good effects. Nice music - if you like that type of music.
..Update..
Sound is impressive.

Gameplay
I have only started playing the game.
..Update..
At times the gameplay is brilliant.. But it falls down on a very important point. When I get to read a book, what I hate most is to be interrupted for the tenth time by someone wanting something. In Lair the devs made a fatal mistake. You just get into a game scene firing away, when the cut scene interrupts you. Then it gives you instructions, points out every time something happens and gives you a mini video that you have to watch through. The gameplay is too short between cut scenes. It feels like a movie sometimes that gets interrupted with forced gameplay. It seems to not be able to make up its mind if it is a movie or a game.

The technology is there, the gameplay elements are there, the graphics and sound is there - but the gameplay is short and just as you get into it, bam - interrupted by a new something that is happening, distracting you from what you are busy with. Drop what you were doing and go after this or that. Hey!!! Who the hell is playing the game? Me or the narrator? You end up feeling like pawn in your game that you are trying to play. It is a pity - because you don't want to replay in dread of being interrupted the whole time. And as I say - it is a pity - because the gameplay is very good at times - but just too short before you get shoved around again.

And yes - the controls are sometimes awkward.

Story
Standard Dragon story. One culture likes to build machinery, the other don't. They fight. Nicely presented though. Cutscenes are well done.

Overall Impressions
Have not spend much time on this one yet. Did get COD4 in the meantime - and played and finished COD4 in the meantime. That should tell you something. The game does not have the "must play" effect that some games have.

The controls is something to get used to - but it is not bad. Different yes - bad - no. It does take some getting used to though. Some of the chapters drag on for a while and gets boring. So while the game looks great - and believe me - it does look great, and even though the controls is OK, it does not seem to keep your attention.

..Update..
It is a game that has all the elements of a great game - yet somehow gets marred by trying to be too much like movie. The interrupted gameplay and the shoving around of the player to follow the plot as the devs sees it makes it a game that promised so much, but fell down because the devs seems to think the player is a moron that needs to be directed through every element in the story. If left alone, the player would have a beautiful environment with hordes of enemies to battle with a lot of replay value. In the end it becomes a mess of the player being involved in a very linear story line and just called in to play a few minutes at a time. This game will ultimately be remembered for how the devs created a great game and did not allow the player to play it.

How much did my kids play this?
Well - this is a strange one. I thought my kids would love the idea to fly around with a dragon. Yet somehow - they played it for 20 minutes, and played COD4 multiplayer. Then Warhawk for another round. I picked up Sonic as well today - and they seem to like Sonic quite a bit. So for them it did not have the "must play" effect that I thought it would have.

I might be pleasantly surprised and find a chapter that will compel me to replay - just not at the moment.

..Update..
Well - eventually they did start playing it - guess the chance to fly a dragon was too much of a temptation.

My overall impression: (not done yet - so this will change quite a bit after as I will update next weekend - so this is a preliminary score.)
This Gen Score 4/10
Previous Gen Score 6.5/10

Resistance: Fall of Man

Introduction
Launch title for PS3. Bundled with most PS3's in recent times. Is it any good?

Graphics
Quite good graphics. I would put it a little below Call of Duty 4 graphics - but good nonetheless.
The aliens are much and varied. Some look good, some not so good.

Sound
Some good sound - nothing to complain about.

Gameplay
The game plays very well. As expected - you run around, you kill things with more eyes than you, some really weird looking hybrid monsters and zombies.

Some of the AI is not too bright. For example - the first time you meet the fast moving little buggers they are nearly unbeatable. Then you realize they just jump on a predetermined pattern. All you do is find a good point to aim at out of harms way - wait for them to repeat the pattern to land on the spot you have chosen and take them out. Bit of lazy programming there.

In my opinion, the single player is as good as COD4, just bit longer. The weapons are quite lekker... the crazy one that can go though the walls is nice. The multi player is enjoyable enough to hold its own against other FPS titles. But I expect that in this gen we should see a bit more than what is on offer here. It might have been a top of the range previous gen title - but for this generation's life cycle I expect much more.

The jeep driving thing for example. Heck - I am quite sure that by now there is a bit more realistic driving engines that can be used in a game like this. Sony - please man - lend some GT3 A-Spec code so we can have a bit of decent driving in a war game for a change.

Story
Well - quite a new plot. Rewriting history - not from the point if Axis or Allied battles went other way - but if some Alien race the Chimera - entered the fray and started taking control. Well - good excuse to get some old weapons mixed with new ones in a historic setting.

Overall Impressions
Well - it is OK. I would say - compared to previous gen this is great. For this gen I expect Warhawk with bigger environments - mixed modes of play. R:FOM takes a tried and proofed concept, good story - and executes well. There should be many of this title in second hand games stores now - so many came with PS3's, and it sold quite well. If you have a PS3 - get this one. You will not be disappointed.

How much did my kids play this?
They liked the multiplayer. Not as much as Warhawk - but they do love to play as the Chimera. But what do you expect of young boys? To role play as a mean looking alien with some really crazy weapons = dream come true. My wife hated this game. The monsters gives her nightmares. But then - other than Warhawk she hates FPS in general.

My overall impression:
This Gen Score 6/10
Previous Gen Score 8.5/10

Call of Duty 4

Introduction
Hyped a lot on all platforms - what do I think of COD4?

Graphics
Split screen - 4 player - smooth. In general the graphics is excellent. The only hiccups was with 4 player split screen when you call in air support - a couple of frame rate hiccups - and then it returns to normal...

Sound
Lots of explosions, what you would expect from a good quality title. Great sound in gene

Gameplay
Actually - the single player is very short. I don't make a point of timing ho long it took me - but this one was over way too soon. The gameplay is varied - many elements that one would think you could have in more than one chapter. Or maybe have a choice on how you would like to go for it.

The weapons are OK, the running and screaming is OK, the way it is presented is great. But - I know many of you will balk at this - but I enjoyed Killzone on PS2 more than this. I actually replayed Killzone on my PS3 not too long ago - and to be honest - I enjoyed it more than COD4. If I had to choose to replay Killzone or COD4 now, I would pick Killzone. Story is deeper, the character development is better, and in general the gameplay is longer, better etc.

From a graphics point of view, this is what the fuss about COD4 is all about. It looks great. It has great moments. The first chapter on the ship has great graphics. But in the end - the gameplay is very linear.

If you have a PS3 - get this game. It is worth it. The multiplayer saves this title. But Warhawk beats it by a mile if you want to play a multi player game.

Story
Some Cold War type nuclear threat come true. You hunt and kill until you get the bad guy in the end. In between you sit in a helicopter, but mostly you run on the ground and kill whatever is not your friend.

Overall Impressions
For a single player - I liked the old Killzone more. For multiplayer - Warhawk is so far ahead that it is embarrassing. But it is still a very good title. Bit on the short side - but it does look good and plays good enough. Rent it - you will finish it over the weekend without losing too much sleep. Expect many of this title on the second hand games stores.

How much did my kids play this?
They liked the multiplayer. But not as much as Warhawk. Very little interest in the single player side - maybe because there was no aliens involved. For single player they play R:FOM - maybe because there is aliens.
My overall impression:
This Gen Score 5.5/10
Previous Gen Score 8/10

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Motorstorm

Introduction
Motorstorm - the wild racing game.

Graphics
Graphics is good. The mud and the crashes - really looks fantastic. The vehicles - well - this is not Gran Turismo - that is clear.But the environment is great. The fly over the valley is amazing.

Sound
I keep on finding myself replaying the introduction. "In this ageless valley..."
The sound of the voice actor, just great. The cars and the trucks and bikes are what you would expect. The music was horrible. Please let us choose our own music. I turned the mus

Gameplay
So you race in this valley. When I watched an old episode of MacGyver - there was a fly over this area - and wow - they really got this area right. I could actually see where the races took place.

The gameplay is not vary varied. You race with different vehicles. Bikes, trucks, monster rigs, mud pluggers etc. You chase through huge courses. The cars handle as you would expect. They did seem to get the course just right that you could be competitive with all the vehicles. But that is it. If you like off road racing - you will love it. Otherwise - it will over a bit of fun - but not much replay value like Gran Turismo.

Story
Well - in this Valley, some people thought it good to organize a few races. If you could call them that. So you race. You wreck vehicles ten times in a race if you are lucky. You unlock the next track. Or the next vehicle. And you race again.

Overall Impressions
It is a great game. You will like it for a while. Every now and then you will pick it up again for another race. But you are not racing to an objective. You just race to get to the next race. A bit of a story could have helped. Also the fact that there is not a split screen multi player option sucked. It would have been much more fun.

How much did my kids play this?
Not much. And when they did, they tried to see who could get the most spectacular crashes. Which wears off after a while. Because crashes are spectacular - but only so much. Now and then they wanted to race with a big rig. But overall - this game did not hold their attention for more than a few days. How much did I play it? Well - a hell of a lot less than Gran Turismo 4. The game needs something. Maybe better vehicles. Or a story line. Something. The physics and the gameplay is solid. But something to make you want to come back for more is not there.

My overall impression:
This Gen Score 5/10
Previous Gen Score 8/10

Warhawk

Introduction
Warhawk - we waited for this game for quite some time. How does it play?

Graphics
Split screen - 4 player - smooth. They seemed to have gotten this one right.

Sound
Lots of explosions, what you would expect from a good quality title.

Gameplay
Well - you spawn on screen - you find weapons, you get into a tank, jeep, Warhawk, and go find someone to kill, or something to protect. You run around, fly around, figure out the controls - and yes - the motion controls works really well.

What I really loved about this game is how balanced the weaponry is. You can take down a Warhawk with a gun or a tank, you can win in a number of ways. Even my wife played this game with us until late at night.

If you have a PS3 - get this game.

Story
Well - you spawn on screen - you find weapons, you get into a tank, jeep, Warhawk, and go find someone to kill, or something to protect.

Other than that - no story

Overall Impressions
Because it has no single player, you can not play alone if you are not online. But for LAN parties, split screen multi player, online multi player - this game is what defines this genre.

I expect that we should see this type of games grow much in future. Bigger environments, bigger teams, more action. But for now - Warhawk is the one to beat.

How much did my kids play this?
This is the most enjoyable multi player game for them. I got COD4 today. Great game. We played the game for a couple of hours. And when I came back - the oldest boy had Warhawk in his hands asking when are we going to play it. This should tell you how good this game is.
My overall impression:
This Gen Score 7/10
Previous Gen Score 9.5/10

Heavenly Sword

Introduction
Heavenly Sword was a very much anticipated game for the PS3. Lovely lead female character, some great enemies, large environments... but how playable is it?

Graphics
HS treats you to some lovely cut scenes. The character models are very well done. But there is some screen tearing in the first chapter. It seems to get better later on in the following chapters. The animation during some of the special moves is great, but repetitive.

The graphics lag sometimes as well. In my opinion we are at the start of the current gen's capabilities, and I expect Ninja Theory will improve a lot in their next game.

Sound
Some beautiful music during the game. The sound is what you would expect from a great title. Lots of bashing, yelling screaming, noises of explosions all very well done - but the best is the introduction music.

Gameplay
The gameplay is quite simple. My wife liked the motion control. In fact - this is the only part of the game that she would play. The oldest daughter, loves hack 'em and slash 'em games. So she enjoyed this a lot. But for my wife - all she wanted to do is play Kai with the arrows and the motion controls.

What I did not like is the combos. The combos made the game too linear. For example - some of the scenes you just follow a number of on screen hints. No gameplay - just how fast you can respond to some on screen hints. Spiderman 3 does the same thing - and it irritates the hell out of me.

All in all the game played OK, but the replay value was limited. Some of the boss games was just stupid. You make three hits, on the fourth one you will get hit, so you leave the boss alone to hit and miss you, and you repeat the same sequence. This was for me the one part that irritated me the most of the game. The skill level seemed to come down at how well you can count how many times you hit before moving away and repeat the sequence.

Story
The story was what you expect of some mythical story about a sword that the bad guy really wanted. You play this beautiful girl, fighting thousands of baddies, whose power increases, and then the sword moves become more powerful as the game progresses.

But Kai - the little girl sidekick was just beautiful. Of the whole game she was the character that really got under your skin. Not the bad ass sex bomb heroine - the small girl who eats worms and shoot arrows. Just a cute face, clearly wacky girl, but one that you just want to see running around laughing and playing.

The story becomes weirder and weirder - the bosses become more strange as the game goes on.

Overall Impressions
I liked the game at times. But it is not a game that I will play over and over again. The end level bosses was not that good in terms of enjoying the fight. For great animation and great graphics with a great music score the effort that went into the game is obvious. The cut scenes, the atmosphere and style is evident. But the gameplay really let the game down for me in many places. Being forced to watch the cut scene before playing every time you restart was a bit annoying. But the cut scenes was great to watch.

How much did my kids play this?
This section I add in to let you know in "real life" how enjoyable this game was. My kids loved the game at the start - but guess what - after a few days with it, they went back to playing Lego Star Wars (PS2), Ratchet & Clank (PS2) and Simcity (PC). So for replay value - Lego Star Wars and R&C for PS2 beats this one out. By miles.

My overall impression:
This Gen Score 5/10
Previous Gen Score 7.5/10

Introduction

I am 39 years old. I have 4 kids - two sons, two girls.
I like Video Games. Started with a ZX Spectrum. My favorite Spectrum game was Manic Miner.

On the PC my favorite games was Tetris, Simcity, Empire Earth. On the PS2 my favorite games are The Getaway, Hitman, Killzone, Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter.

In recent times, game reviews seems to focus on FPS only for high scores. But also a strange trend seemed to creep in. Some platforms get 10/10 and some games whenever they get to the "coveted AAA" status, the game rankings seem to drop just enough by reviewers to bring it down to under 90% overall. The R&C debacle which had some game magazines publishing all kinds of excuses made me wonder if there is not something seriously wrong with the whole system. It is as of strange forces are at work to discredit some games.

With all this going on - I will post my own reviews of games. Just for fun. I am not a game reviewer. Yes I favor the PS3. Well - I own only the PS2 and PS3 - so I can't review other console games. But what I want to do is watch my children play the games, play the games myself - and let you know - honestly - what I liked and what I disliked.

I am not trying to compete with review sites. This is just a simple blog, by a simple gamer, with 4 kids, (and occasionally my wife) sharing a PS3. So if you enjoy reading my thoughts on a game, let me know.

I am not affiliated to any games company, publisher, retailer in any way. My taste in games may not be what you like.

Also - I will rank games much lower than what you are used to - because I think that the 10/10 scores we are seeing are for marketing purposes - some of them paid for - because when the flaws and weaknesses are made public afterwards, the reviewers acknowledge it - but still give it a 10/10.

I will for example never give a game a 10/10. A OK game will get a 5. Great ones will get to 8 - maybe. The really stellar ones may even reach 9. But I think only one or two will get over 9 this gen. If we set the bar low, then we may see a re-release of Pacman hit 10 by the standards of the reviewers.

So read my reviews, hate me - but this will be my personal opinions.