Mass Effect 2 Review (By Carter)

Developer- Bioware
Publisher- EA

Bioware has been known for creating epic role playing experiences like Mass Effect, Dragon Age Origins, and Jade Empire. However, none of them even compare to Mass Effect 2.

Mass Effect 2 has a great story, in typical Bioware fashion. Every plot point is well developed, and the story overall makes sense. The writing is fantastic, and that shows in the characters. All characters are well developed, but not all characters are good. Some characters, Like Jack, were hard to connect with. She was so different that it was hard to connect with some of the problems that she was facing. However, for every one bad character, there are three spectacular characters. Some that come to mind include Thane, Mordin, and Garrius. All three characters are very well developed, and are easily connected with. Overall the story is very excellent. Mass Effect 2 looks incredible. All the faces show real emotions, thought the lip syncing is still average. The planet design is pretty incredible and they all are very unique. The music is pretty epic, as most music in Bioware games are. Especially towards the end, the music ramps up with the feeling of heroism. You are the hero and you are here to save the day, and the music really represents that well.

Mass Effect 2 fixes all of the problems with Mass Effect's gameplay. The cover system is more polished, the annoying driving sequences are gone, and the messy inventory system has been fixed. The gun play has also been fixed. Mass Effect 2 feels like a real 3rd person shooter, which no RPG has ever accomplished. The controls are tight and responsive.

Mass Effect 2 has tremendous replay value. The game can be experienced multiple times with a different result each time. The Renegade/Paragon system creates many different dialogue options. Mass Effect 2 has a large replay value.

Story- 10 story is fantastic
Presentation- 10 graphics and sound are awesome
Gameplay- 9.5 gun play enhanced to 3rd person shooter level, inventory and driving fixed
Replay Value- 10 play through it multiple times and have a different experience each time

Overall-10/10

Game of the Year 2010 Contenders (By Nico)

So, 2010 is ending fast and, in about one month, companies will release their hard hitters for the year. Q4 is coming, so let's discuss them, shall we?

*NOTE: In order for a game to appear on this list, we must have played the game beforehand. If a game has not appeared on this list then we either have not played it or don't feel the need to be nominated for GOTY.

Releases during the Year:

We know that some really good games were released this year and prove that, it's not because you are going to release a game at Christmas, that it's obviously going to sell better then one that was released in the beginning of the year.

- Mass Effect 2 (360, PC): BioWare is pretty epic. We all know that. That's what they do, and that's what delivered with their heavy hitting sequel to their heavy hitting science-fiction RPG. With a more in depth story and an improved gameplay, this is truly considered better than the original.

- Red Dead Redemption (PS3, 360): " Wild West based games are more common then a rock on a desk, but Rockstar just proved that that everything they touch is awesome. Red Dead Redemption is immersive in a way where you feel like you are John Marston and you feel like you're a part of something, plus the gameplay is awesome. "

- Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (PC, MAC): " This long anticipated sequel surely doesn't dissapoint with it's addicting multiplayer and campaign. This goes to show that Blizzard has a way of pleasing fans, and even steal their hard earned money. "

- Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii): " Mario is lovable. Period. Even though he is literally in everything, Nintendo still manages to take care of their mascot by putting him in another 3D acid trip adventure. More creative, and unlockables, as well as beautiful presentation, Nintendo shows that they have what it takes to take on the end of the year. "

- God of War III (PS3): " God of War III has been in developpement for a very long time, and it had to be good. After two very succesful PS2 games and a Portable one, God of War III just had to be good...and it succeeded. With a better gameplay and gorgeous graphics, God of War III succeeds in many ways and concludes the trilogy very masterfully. "

Mass Effect 2 Review (By Carter)

Bioware is known for creating epic RPG experiences. With games like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic under their belt, its hard to doubt that Bioware is the best at making western RPG's. This legacy continues with Mass Effect.

Story

Like all Bioware games, Mass Effect has a gripping, intense story. The story is very creative with a lot of elements never seen before. However some of it has been seen before, so it kind of wears thin at those points.

Sound

The sound design of Mass Effect is incredible. The score is epic, reminding me of Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. I think that is going to be a common theme.

Graphics

The graphics of this game are good, but not spectacular. However, it is one of the best looking RPG's out there. The faces look pretty life like, but the lip syncing is very average.

Gameplay

The gameplay is a giant leap up for RPG's, but the leap is from mediocre to average. The 3rd person shooter style works and the cover system is fine,but its all just average.

Bottom line
8.5/10

Bioshock Review (By Carter)

Irrational games are known for making story based first person shooters like system shock 2. However, all of there games have been on the PC. Irrational's transition to the consoles has been magnificent with the game Bioshock.

Story

The story pulls you in from the moment you step into Rapture. Characters like Andrew Ryan and Atlas make this game a worthwhile experience, even if the gameplay was horrible. With a plot twist that will make you question all of your past actions, Bioshock's story is one for the ages.

Sound

The sound design of this game is near perfect. All the gunshots are on key, and the voice acting is superb. The comments the splicers make as you watch them walk around add to the feel of the game, and the music fits in with the theme.

Graphics

The graphic of Bioshock are amazing. Even though it was made 3 years ago, it is on par withsome of the graphics in games today. The graphics make the game even more immersive.

Gameplay

Bioshock is fun. The controls are tight and responsive, and the guns are well balanced. However the gameplay really shines with the plasmids. Plasmids are powers, like incinerate and telekinesis. They create a variety in gameplay and give the players the ability to be creative.

Bottom Line
9.75/10

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty Review (By Nico)

Platform(s): PC, MAC

Genre: R.T.S

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment

You know, i'm not a huge fan of strategy games. However, that was before I picked this bad boy. Listen, there are a couple of genres I like that I didn't before till I picked up that one game (like Red Dead Redemption for Sandbox games). Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty is one of those games.
The story follows up the events of the first one. Wait! I haven't played the first one! I'll be confused! Well, no need to worry, my dear friend, since during the installation of the game, it recaps the story so that you can keep up with all the conflict and relationships with characters. However, this doesn't make the story less confusing. Pretty much, you're Jim Raynor and you are trying to overthrow a dude named Mengsk who made your girlfriend turn into a sexy alien chick. You meet up new characters. as well as old, and have some choices to make that effect your actions. In short, the story is epic and leaves open to the next entries of this hard-hitting franchise.
The game has a colorful presentation that is good to see. In games these days where everything is dark, Starcraft II is colorful and good looking, if you have a good PC. The voice acting is top notch and you really want to hear what these characters have to say. The soundtrack is interesting, providing country music when in the bar and nice ambiance music while in battle. In short, Starcraft II's presentation, is pretty good.
Gameplay is addicting and fun. The game gives you a lot of units to use and master and, after discussing strategies with other players, I can clearly say that each person has their own playing strategies. It's interesting and really makes you feel original, in some ways. Also, the multiplayer is awesome! Even if you lose, you still want to keep on playing because you feel like you can always do better. You can play as the Terran (the typical space marines), the Zerg (slimy killing Aliens based off of...well, Aliens) and the Protoss (imagine Yoda mixed with Avatar times a civilsation). They are all different and all have strengths and weakness'. However, the biggest complaint is you can't play with other people from different continents. It's a shame because otherwise, this game would have been near perfect.
In the end, you will become addicted to Starcraft II. It's fun campaign, good presentation and awesome multiplayer, you will definitely get your money's worth.


Presentation - 8.5: Colorful graphics and cool music make it pretty awesome.
Story - 9.0: Epic and fulfilling, it's a very enjoyable story that makes you want to pursue this trilogy further.
Gameplay - 9.5: The gameplay is amazing: definitely a great balance between simplicity for newcomers and complexity for hardcore strategists.
Enjoyability - 9.0: Beside the fact you can't play against neighboring continents, you will very enjoy this game.




Verdict: 9.0/10.0 - (9's are really good and deserved to be played but are maybe not going to be enjoyed by every gamer out there)

Castlevania Lords of Shadow First Impressions (By Nico)

So last week, I was hesitating between this game and Enslaved. However, reviews led me to this choice, and I don't regret it. Now, if you follow the Castlevania series like me, then you know

that Castlevania and 3D aren't exactly on friendly terms. However, thanks to modern day gaming and Hideo Kojima, Konami has finally published a Castlevania game worthy to be called good.

So, in a nutshell, you are Gabriel, a member of the Brotherhood of Light, who is trying to save the world and ressurect his dead wife. This plot is already done before, but Gabriel is a very complex character who you kinda want to know more about. You meet interesting characters, like Zobek or Pan, but one character in particular really annoyed me. Let's just say that a character that is mute, shouldn't talk this much, especially to remind you something that you already know. But, the voice acting is good, which is a plus.

The presentation is bieutiful. Rarely have I seen a multiplatform game be as good looking as this. The environments are detailed and effects (such as rain) leave you with a "wow" moment on your face. Sound is soft when so and epic when to be. In all, Castlevania owns in the presentation department.

One thing that is noticeable is the gameplay, not to go in detail, is God of War style action, but you have access to combos you can unlock and try to use. I personally use these when I can, which is nice. However, one thing you must know is the game is HARD! I felt bad when I died a lot, feeling that I sucked but, I felt glad when everyone else said the same thing. All i'm trying to say is, if you are a fan of the difficulty of old Castlevania games, then you are going to get served here.

I'm trying to beat the game as fast as I can, but it is possibly, the longest action game out there at the time. So far, i'm having fun, and that's the most important feeling to have at the time.

Fallout New Vegas Review (By Carter)

Fallout 3, Bethesda's take on the Fallout universe and the only good Fallout game since Fallout 2, came to receive critical acclaim and multiple game of the year awards. We are two years in the future, and Obsidian has created the next game in the series, Fallout New Vegas. There is something glaring when you first boot up the next game in the stellar franchise: Fallout New Vegas is broken. This game is one of the buggiest games that I have ever played. However, that should not stop you from enjoying this masterpiece of writing and characters.
Fallout New Vegas feels a lot more like a very large expansion then a new game. However, Fallout New Vegas has some new features. With one of the complaints of Fallout 3 being that its hard to play without using VATS every ten seconds, Fallout New Vegas has iron sights, which does not help at all. VATS almost makes iron sights unnecessary, as you will once again be using VATS every ten seconds. Fallout New Vegas also has mods, where you can add variables to guns, like a scope, or a higher ammo capacity. However, these were hard to find and most of the time were useless. Where Fallout New Vegas shines the most is in it's incredible cast of characters and its superb writing. Fallout New Vegas has writing on par with games like Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. You emphasize with the characters more easily and it creates a more of an immersible experience. The voice acting, like as in Fallout 3, is amazing. Stars like Matthew Perry and Danny Trejo really make the characters shine. The only problem with having such a star-studded cast is that all the characters who are not voiced well stick out. Fallout New Vegas is an experience similar to Fallout 3. If you loved that, then you will love Fallout New Vegas. If you didn't then Fallout New Vegas will not change your mind.

Bottom line
9/10

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Beta Impressions(By Nico)

Assassin's Creed is one of Ubisoft's most recent and it's best selling franchises to date. The first game was pwned by critics, until the sequel came along almost two years later. Now, Ubisoft is milking this cow dry because now they have a sequel to their successful franchise. Instead of making an original third entry in the series, we are left with a sequel to the sequel titled, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. What's new to this installment? Well, not much other than an online multiplayer mode. Now, some would roll their eyes and facepalm (in which, some still do), but Assassin's Creed's multiplayer is so original that it might be able to overthrow the king of shooters, Call of Duty.

The gameplay is Assassins Creed at its core. You get to play as one of many different charcters like the doctor, the barber or the prowler. However, it doesn't matter which character you pick, since they all have the same skills. Your goal is to assassinate your target while watching for your life. It's simple, and requires you skill and stealth to try and win the session. What's good about this is the rush you get for assassinating someone as well as being killed for the first time. It's weird, and in a world where FPS's are the only form of online multiplayer, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood sticks out in a truly great way.
However some problems I found during the Beta really affected the gameplay. Mostly, it would take sometimes ten minutes or more to find a session. This happened quite frequently and I truly hope that they fix this when the actual game comes out. Another problem would be that the game would freeze my console and I'd have to restart the console, and wait ten minutes.

These are just some complaints but the online multiplayer experience compensates for that, but they should correct it when the final form is on shelves. In the end, Assassins Creed: Brotherhood could be successful if Ubisoft keeps up it's effort into this multiplayer. It's addicting and fun and is a blast for who enjoy a good stab in the back.