Andrew's Games Blog

3 Game Reviews in 20 seconds

aschweiz — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:52:46 +0000

Gears of War 2 (Microsoft, Epic)

Pros: Intense story mode that constantly ups the ante up until the end credits/Horde mode is addictive and collaborative/Strong visual design/Chainsaws are just as brutally shocking as before

Cons: Weak AI on both sides of the war/Weak script wastes the talented voice acting/Multiplayer is a useless, unrewarding wreck

Overall Score: 8 out of 10

Fable 2 (Microsoft, Lionhead Studios)

Pros: Incredible art design/Stylistic, awesome combat system/Tons of variety/Twisting story/Tough moral decisions/Well thought out universe

Cons: Character interaction may not be as deep as you’d expect

Overall: 9.5 out of 10

UFC 2009 Undisputed (THQ, Yuke’s Media Creations)

Pros: Ultra realistic fighting engine/ Over 80 fighters/ 6 distinct fighting styles/ The fight is never over until it’s over/ Deep career mode/ Intuitive controls

Cons: Steep learning curve/ Can’t take an established fighter through career mode/ George St. Pierre’s ugly mug on the Canadian cover

Overall: 8.9 out of 10

Editorial: Is DLC Necessary?

aschweiz — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:57:32 +0000

If you’re Bungie Studios, it certainly is. Halo 3 is regularly one of the most played games on Xbox Live, and with good reason. It’s one of the best multiplayer offerings on Xbox 360. Halo 3 is a community experience that thrives off of its population, creativity, and wealth of support. As for any highly populated online experience, developers create downloadable content to expand and improve the game’s shelf life. This is always something worth supporting. It’s also something worth paying for most of the time.

I’ve been praising both Halo 3 and DLC, but the main purpose of this editorial is to shine a dark light on the money consuming monsters that some developers and publishers may be. I’m not exactly pointing the finger at Microsoft and Bungie Studios with what I’m about to explain, but I figured they’d be the perfect example for what I’m trying to get across.

Halo 3 features 11 different game selections (combined) from its ranked and social lobbies. What I find to be genuinely shocking is how many of those game selections are exclusive to owners of the Legendary and Mythic map packs, both of which are not free. (Legendary goes for 600MS points, Mythic goes for 800.) Ever since Halo 3’s release in September of 2007, I’ve been a true supporter of it. I’ve recommended Halo 3 to countless people as the best multiplayer experience on Xbox 360. That remains true. It’s just extremely surprising that 7 of the 11 game modes are unavailable to gamers unwilling to spend money on extra content for games, which is entirely understandable among the gamers’ position.

Games are roughly 60 – 70 dollars give or take. For a game to have solid value, it needs to be fun, and it needs to have ways of expressing that fun. Halo 3’s campaign clocks in at 5 hours on normal difficulty, which is entirely too short for many people. It’s multiplayer is its saving grace in that area. I’ve been spending the last 3 weeks as an Xbox 360 owner in complete bliss. I’m absolutely loving the purchase, it’s a fantastic machine that I’m wholeheartedly proud to own. I’ve managed to spend some quality time on ranked Team Slayer in Halo 3. I’ve only just begun to fully get a grasp on the gameplay, and I’ve only just begun to start to realize the whole experience that Halo 3 is. Logging into Matchmaking a few days ago, I was absolutely crushed to see that ranked Team Slayer is only available to gamers with Legendary and Mythic map packs. For those of you who are unaware, Team Slayer is just a fancy name for Team Deathmatch. Yep. Team Deathmatch is unavailable to those who haven’t laid down the cash for map packs. Team Deathmatch is the most standard online game mode. It’s older than time itself. It’s simply unbelievable that Bungie Studios would essentially force people to purchase their extra content. It’s no longer “extra content”, when you’re being forced to buy it. It’s just content that you do have to pay for, and isn’t on the disc. It’s a hassle. It’s unnecesary. It’s a crime in my books.

I know that many of you wouldn’t find this a problem, because you probably already have the map packs downloaded. I’m not speaking to you. I’m speaking out for the people who haven’t really found the need to purchase DLC, and I’m speaking out for the people who never do just that.

It’s not just Bungie that is to blame. While they may be the only game developer I know that forces their loyal gamers into submission for their cash, their DLC is of quality. What about DLC that simply has terrible value? This brings me to another fantastic game and awesome developer that doesn’t have a grasp on the downloadable content thingy yet. I’m talking about Guerilla Games and their fantastic Ps3 exclusive shooter, Killzone 2.

I’m not even going to bother explaining how good Killzone 2 is. If you don’t know by now, may God have mercy on your soul for all eternity.

It’s pretty simple, Guerilla Games and Sony are charging people $5.99 for two maps. It sounds reasonable, but when you consider that it boils down to 3 dollars per map, and the quality of those two maps vary (one is great, one is lousy), it really dampens the experience. Killzone 2 only features 8 maps to begin with, whereas Halo 3 features around 11 right out of the box. The way that Killzone 2 matchmaking goes, sometimes it’s rare to even end up on different maps, sometimes you’ll end up repeating matches on the same map over and over. Don’t get me wrong, Killzone 2 is incredible, it’s just that its pricing on its DLC is a little higher than it deserves.

I suppose, what I’m trying to get at, is that DLC isn’t necessary. It can definitely expand, improve, and lengthen a gameplay experience, particularly multiplayer. However, we need to remember the good ol’ days where DLC was a thing of the future. What came on the disc was worth the money. Now, we have publishers and developers with their hands out always begging for more. I’m not saying that DLC isn’t worth paying for, but sometimes game creators get too greedy in their approaches. What’s in your wallet? In mine, it’s money that isn’t going towards Bungie or Guerilla.

4 game reviews in 20 seconds

aschweiz — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:28:49 +0000

Mirror’s Edge (Electronic Arts, Digital Illusions)

Mirror’s Edge definitely makes some great strides, and despite some uneven gameplay and a weak story, it leaves a great lasting impression. This is the start of a fantastic new franchise and it is an absolute must play. First person platforming has been done before, but this game perfects it.

Pros: clean visual style, intuitive controls, innovative first person perspective, time trials mode is addictive.

Cons: repetitive design, poor gunplay, a little too linear for its own good

8 out of 10

Saints Row 2 (THQ, Volition)

Saints Row 2 is essentially what GTA4 would be had it followed San Andreas into the next generation of consoles.

Pros: brings the gangster GTA4 is missing, great controls, lots of variety, great customization options, good soundtrack, you can throw people

Cons: rough visual design, glitches and crashes

7.5 out of 10

Shaun White Snowboarding (Ubisoft)

Don’t let the ginger charm of Mr. White fool you, Shaun White Snowboarding gets stale after half an hour

Pros: good visuals, great trick system, intense gameplay

Cons: no competitive multiplayer, cooperative is only available with those on your friends list, half-assed design, Shaun White

5.5 out of 10

Prince of Persia (Ubisoft)

Prince of Persia has an awesome visual design, a great story, an outstanding combat system, great platforming, and a fantastic orchestral score, and because of all the great things it has to offer, the end result is one of the best games of 2008.

Pros: All of the above

Cons: … except for its repetitive nature and occasional glitch

8.5 out of 10

Killzone 2 Review

aschweiz — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:10:05 +0000

Killzone 2

Platforms: Playstation 3

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Europe/ Sony Computer Entertainment America

Developer: Guerilla Games

Release Date: 2.27.09

The hype that surrounded Killzone 2 was out of the ordinary for a sequel to an underwhelming, disappointing Playstation 2 shooter. A pre rendered trailer later, and the whole world goes crazy either claiming the second coming, or calling bluff on Guerilla and Sony. “Does Killzone 2 live up to the hype?” I’m not touching that one with an answer, because that is a ridiculous question. A more reasonable question would be “Is Killzone 2 good?” And my answer to that is a resounding yes. “How good,” you ask? Killzone 2 is not only the best game on Playstation 3, but Killzone 2 is the single greatest, most viscerally enticing experience yet to be had this generation.

It feels good to get that off of my chest. Killzone 2 is a modern masterpiece. There’s a large number of things that make it so exciting. Starting with the visuals, it’s initially breathtaking to put your eyes on Killzone 2 for the first time. The battle raging through my mind while playing (and this still gets me) is if the art was better than the technology on display. That is pure preference. Killzone 2’s textures, lighting, animation, draw distance, and effects are all the best in the business. However, Killzone 2’s art might be the reason it looks so great. There’s something to be said for when you look out on the street on Salamun Market, or when you sprint through the ash in the final battles in Pyrrhus, and you see in the vista, two glowing, staring red eyes, and you realize that they’re looking at you. It’s war, and he is your enemy. The environments themselves are just breathtaking, and the urban, bleek, destructed setting is rich with atmosphere. People have been complaining at the grey color palette, but they too can rest easy. Killzone 2 utlizes colour near perfectly, and you’ll never feel overwhelmed with dark blur. Beginning with the red eyes of the Helghast, or the sandy tone of certain levels, or the tint levels have to them, Killzone 2’s colour palette is diverse and varied. When you take the most technically advanced achievement, and riddle it with one of the most distinct art directions, you get what might just be the best looking game ever made.

The sound design reaches as high a bar as the visuals. The sound effects of the weapons are perfectly recorded, and you’ll be able to decipher the sound of an SMG from an Assault Rifle in no time. The voice acting from all characters is nicely done, and even the orchestral score is so epic and so fitting, it’s one of the highpoints of the game. When you hear the cries of a fallen enemy, that’s when you’ll fully appreciate the work put into the sound design.

The suffix in Killzone 2 implies that there may have been a Killzone 1. That’s definitely true, which means that the setting and art match up pretty nicely. In the previous games, (Killzone and Killzone: Liberation), the British-Nazi-Alien-like Helghast invaded the planet of Vekta, looking for blood. This time, Vekta and its inhabitants are fed up with the constant flow of attacks, and the ISA (Interplanetary Strategic Alliance) finally takes the fight to the Helghast homeland of Helghan. You play as Sev, a sargeant with a nice hairstyle. As part of Alpha squad, your main objective is to capture the Helghast Emperor, Visari. While the setup seems rather cliche and actually quite simple, the overall quality of the narrative is exceedingly high. Whether you look at the excellent voice acting, or the greatly directed cutscenes, it’s all magnificient. The game focuses heavily on the consequence and triumph a war platoon can face. The four men in Alpha squad, Sev, Natko, Rico, and Garza are a brotherhood, and it really shows. The game gets you to truly care for the soldiers and their survival, sucking the player in from the opening cutscene to the end credits.

So it’s safe to say that the story and presentation are incredible. To be as cliche as possible, it’s the gameplay that counts. Killzone 2 doesn’t have that many new ideas to bring to the table, but what it does, it does at the top of its class.

It’s tough to pick a place to begin describing why Killzone 2 is such an incredible piece of software. The weapons themselves pack a devastating punch, and each of them feel unique. While the controls certainly take a lot of getting used to, due to the heaviness of movement, it doesn’t take too long, and in no time, you’ll learn to love the different feel Killzone 2 has. The combat is incredibly satisfying. This is mainly due to the presentation. Everything just looks and sounds so incredible, that when you mow down an enemy with a machine gun, the blood splatter followed by a non scripted animation, and a gut wrenching scream are more than enough to bring a smile to your face. Perhaps when you hit an enemy with a shotgun, and their head explodes, or when you pour 25 bullets into his torso, ripping him to shreds, that you’ll understand why the gameplay is so rewarding, addictive, and just plain fun.

The weapon design is awesome. There’s your standard set of assault rifles that are fit for just about any situation, there’s your rapid fire sub-machine guns, a sniper rifle that utlizes steady hands to aim properly, but then there are some truly magnificient guns, such as the flamethrower, bolt gun, or the lighting gun. Yes, the names of those weapons describe them perfectly. The stream of fire that comes out of the flamethrower sets enemies on fire to stunning effect, the bolt gun knocks enemies off their feet and then blows them up, and the lightning gun (which you get to use for a long time), obliterates enemies and shocks them.

While the weapons are incredible fun to use, it’d all be useless without the excellent opponent AI that sets a new benchmark for the FPS genre. For example, say you were having a firefight with a soldier 60 feet away. When he reloads, you run around the corner and get out of his sight. If you listen carefully, you can hear him mention he’s lost you. Now, he’s looking for you. The enemy AI never faulters, and always keeps a great challenge. They will call out your position to their allies, try to flank you, and they’re pretty good with a rifle themselves.

Because of the fantastic AI, Guerilla implemented a cover system in the single player campaign to give you a fighting chance. By snapping down on the L2 button, you can take cover on most of the low objects in the game, always maintaining a first person view. It seems to fit very well with the game, and is absolutely essential to survival. That’s not to say that you can’t kill enemies when not taking cover, but it’s to say that they will kill you should you avoid it.

There are some absolutely incredible set piece battles. In fact, most of the campaign will consist of one after another. The way that the campaign is designed, is that it constantly gets better and better. It stays consistent like that, always having a steady increase in quality, until the final battles at the end of the game, which are honestly the most exhilarating moments that I ever remember playing in a video game. There are a fair number of turret and vehicle moments that fit the bill as well.

While the campaign is only about 7 hours long, there are several trophies to unlock, as well as stats that it keeps on you, like how many kills you have, how long a certain section took you to complete, and there are hidden collectibles strewn throughout the levels. The menu system is also quite generous in allowing you to revisit any section of the campaign quite easily. While it’s short, the reply value is actually pretty high.

The 32 person multiplayer component in Killzone 2 is actually quite innovative. The way that matches play out is seamlessly merging game modes together into one consistently raging war. There are five game modes, Search and Retrieve (which is a variant on Capture the Flag), Body Count, Assassination (which chooses on player on one team, and is up for assassination), Capture and Hold (which is a variant on Zones), and Search and Destroy (which is similar to Sabotage in Call of Duty 4). Matches where all game modes are featured, scrambles around the game modes in random order. So matches can start out with 5 minutes of Body Count, then quickly shift to Assassination. Since it’s all randomized, it can be a real rush to try to talk things out with your team about where to go and how to carry out the situation depending on the objective. Sometimes an Assasination is called out, and your team has just 20 seconds to figure it all out before the identity of the V.I.P. is revealed to the opposing team. It’s actually quite dynamic, and it keeps every piece of action of every match fresh. Some matches, given the two teams are competitive enough, can last up to an hour long. Now that’s hardcore.

There are 12 ranks in multiplayer, that unlock rewards such as the ability to join a clan, or unlock new weapons, or even new classes. The multiplayer in Killzone 2 is fully class based, with soldier being your only choice when you start out, as you play and rank up, you unlock more classes such as Medic (whom can revive fallen teammates, Scout (whom can go invisible), and many more. It’s an incredibly balanced and rewarding system. On top of the 12 ranks, there are ribbons that reward you with specific abilities such as more grenades or a higher running speed. Ribbons are handed out for performing specific duties on field such as getting 10% of your team’s kills in a game. So with the rank system, as well as the ribbon system, Killzone 2 constantly rewards you for shining light onto its multiplayer.

If somebody asked me to tell them what Killzone 2’s issues are, I’d mention the 3 or 4 motion control sections that take 4 seconds each. That’s really all about it. Killzone 2 is the best shooter currently available. Its visuals and audio are the best in its class, its combat is viscerally exciting and satisfying, its story is top notch, its campaign is perfectly paced and full of awesome moments, and its multiplayer just keeps on giving. There is absolutely no reason not to play Killzone 2. That being said, should you play Killzone 2, play as much of it as you possibly can.

Story 9.2 out of 10 – Killzone 2′s surprisingly strong narrative heavily explores the consequences and moral effect war can have on a fleet of soldiers, with protagonists that you truly care about, and antagonists you learn to hate.

Presentation 10 out of 10 – While the tech and art clearly some of the best yet to be seen, the sound design doesn’t fall too far behind.

Gameplay 10 out of 10 – From start to finish, the campaign is consistently an intense and viscerally exciting experience, where its multiplayer’s innovative design has epic matches that can last up to an hour.

Value 9.5 out of 10 – The campaign may only be 7 hours, and it may lack cooperative play, the replay value is insanely high. The multiplayer on the other hand outdoes the depth found in Call of Duty.

Overall 9.8 out of 10

Jay Mohr’s comedic career is over. (Award winners listed)

aschweiz — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 22:36:50 +0000

The Academy of Arts & Science’s annual awards serve as the Oscars of the game industry. It’s a highly regarded time of the year within the industry, and it’s the most prestigious award ceremony for videogames. It’s the only true time where the right games win the awards that they truly deserve, unlike some of the other more televised and popular award shows out there. And the awards went as followed:

Outstanding Achievement in Animation:

	Developer	Publisher
Castle Crashers	The Behemoth	Microsoft Game Studios
Gears of War 2	Epic Games, Inc.	Microsoft Game Studios
Left 4 Dead	Valve Software	Valve Software
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	Kojima Productions	Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Prince of Persia	Ubisoft Montreal	Ubisoft

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction:

	Developer	Publisher
Dead Space	EA Redwood Shores	Electronic Arts
Fable II	Lionhead Studios	Microsoft Game Studios
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Mirror’s Edge	Digital Illusions	Electronic Arts
Prince of Persia	Ubisoft Montreal	Ubisoft

Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering:

	Developer	Publisher
Gears of War 2	Epic Games, Inc.	Microsoft Game Studios
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	Kojima Productions	Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Resistance 2	Insomniac Games	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Tomb Raider: Underworld	Crystal Dynamics	Eidos/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering:

	Developer	Publisher
Fable II	Lionhead Studios	Microsoft Game Studios
Fallout 3	Bethesda Softworks	Bethesda Softworks
Left 4 Dead	Valve Software	Valve Software
Spore	Maxis	Electronic Arts
Tom Clancy’s EndWar	Ubisoft Shanghai	Ubisoft

Outstanding Achievement in Online Play:

	Developer	Publisher
Call of Duty: World at War	Treyarch	Activision
Gears of War 2	Epic Games, Inc.	Microsoft Game Studios
Left 4 Dead	Valve Software	Valve Software
NHL 09	EA Canada	Electronic Arts
Rock Band 2	Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.	MTV Games

Outstanding Achievement in Original Story:

	Developer	Publisher
Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway	Gearbox Software	Ubisoft
Fable II	Lionhead Studios	Microsoft Game Studios
Fallout 3	Bethesda Softworks	Bethesda Softworks
Grand Theft Auto IV	Rockstar North	Rockstar Games
Professor Layton and the Curious Village	Level-5, Inc.	Nintendo

Outstanding Achievement in Adapted Story:

	Developer	Publisher
Lego Batman: The Videogame	TT Games	Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe	Midway	Midway
Naruto: The Broken Bond	Ubisoft	Ubisoft
Quantum of Solace	Treyarch	Activision
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed	LucasArts	Lucas

Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composistion:

	Developer	Publisher
de Blob	Blue Tongue	THQ
Dead Space	EA Redwood Shores	Electronic Arts
Fable II	Lionhead Studios	Microsoft Game Studios
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	Kojima Productions	Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King	Blizzard Entertainment	Blizzard Entertainment

Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack:

	Developer	Publisher
Guitar Hero World Tour	Neversoft Entertainment	Activision
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Motorstorm Pacific Rift	Evolution Studios	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Rock Band 2	Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.	MTV Games
Singstar PS3 Vol. 1	SCE London Studio	Sony Computer Entertainment America

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design:

	Developer	Publisher
Dead Space	EA Redwood Shores	Electronic Arts
Gears of War 2	Epic Games, Inc.	Microsoft Game Studios
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Prince of Persia	Ubisoft Montreal	Ubisoft
Wipeout HD	SCE Studios Liverpool	Sony Computer Entertainment America

Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance:

	Developer	Publisher
Gears of War 2	Epic Games, Inc.	Microsoft Game Studios
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	Kojima Productions	Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Tomb Raider: Underworld	Crystal Dynamics	Eidos/Warner Bros. Interactive

Outstanding Achievement in Game Design:

	Developer	Publisher
Fable II	Lionhead Studios	Microsoft Game Studios
Fallout 3	Bethesda Softworks	Bethesda Softworks
Gears of War 2	Epic Games, Inc.	Microsoft Game Studios
Left 4 Dead	Valve Software	Valve Software
World of Goo	2D Boy	Nintendo

Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction:

	Developer	Publisher
Fallout 3	Bethesda Softworks	Bethesda Softworks
Gears of War 2	Epic Games, Inc.	Microsoft Game Studios
Left 4 Dead	Valve Software	Valve Software
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	Kojima Productions	Konami Digital

Outstanding Innovation in Gaming:

	Developer	Publisher
Braid	Number None	Microsoft Game Studios
Left 4 Dead	Valve Software	Valve Software
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Spore	Maxis	Electronic Arts
Wii Fit	Nintendo	Nintendo

Family Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Boom Blox	EA Los Angeles	Electronic Arts
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party	Ubisoft Paris	Ubisoft
Rock Band 2	Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.	MTV Games
Wii Fit	Nintendo	Nintendo

Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin	Intelligent Systems	Nintendo
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3	EA Los Angeles	Electronic Arts
Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution	Firaxis	2K Games
Sins of a Solar Empire	Ironclad Games	Stardock Entertainment
Tom Clancy’s EndWar	Ubisoft Shanghai	Ubisoft

Role Playing Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Fable II	Lionhead Studios	Microsoft Game Studios
Fallout 3	Bethesda Softworks	Bethesda Softworks
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time	Chunsoft	Nintendo
Tales of Vesperia	Namco Bandai Games	Namco Bandai Games

Adventure Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia	Konami	Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
God of War: Chains of Olympus	Ready at Dawn	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Mirror’s Edge	Digital Illusions	Electronic Arts
Naruto: The Broken Bond	Ubisoft	Ubisoft
Prince of Persia	Ubisoft Montreal	Ubisoft

Action Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Call of Duty: World at War	Treyarch	Activision
Dead Space	EA Redwood Shores	Electronic Arts
Far Cry 2	Ubisoft Montreal	Ubisoft
Gears of War 2	Epic Games, Inc.	Microsoft Game Studios
Grand Theft Auto IV	Rockstar North	Rockstar Games

Massively Multiplayer Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
EVE Online: Quantum Rise	CCP hf.	CCP
Pirates of the Burning Sea	Flying Lab Software	Sony Online Entertainment
PMOG	GameLayers	GameLayers
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning	Mythic Entertainment	Electronic Arts
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King	Blizzard Entertainment	Blizzard Entertainment

Sports Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
FIFA 09	EA Canada	Electronic Arts
Madden NFL 09	EA Tiburon	Electronic Arts
MLB 08: The Show	SCE Studios San Diego	Sony Computer Entertainment America
NBA 2K9	Visual Concepts	2K Sports
NHL 09	EA Canada	Electronic Arts

Racing Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Burnout Paradise	Critereon Games	Electronic Arts
GRID	Codemasters	Codemasters
Mario Kart Wii	Nintendo	Nintendo
Motorstorm Pacific Rift	Evolution Studios	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Pure	Black Rock Studio	Disney Interactive Studios

Fighting Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe	Midway	Midway
Soul Calibur IV	Project Soul	Namco Bandai Games
Super Smash Bros. Brawl	Nintendo, HAL Laboratory, Sora Ltd.	Nintendo
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix	Backbone Entertainment	Capcom
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2009	Yuke’s Co., Ltd.	THQ

Casual Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Braid	Number None	Microsoft Game Studios
Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst	Big Fish Games	Big Fish Games
Patapon	Sony Computer Entertainment International	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Professor Layton and the Curious Village	Level-5, Inc.	Nintendo
World of Goo	2D Boy	Nintendo

Handheld Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Advance Wars: Days of Ruin	Intelligent Systems	Nintendo
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia	Konami	Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
God of War: Chains of Olympus	Ready at Dawn	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Patapon	Sony Computer Entertainment International	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Professor Layton and the Curious Village	Level-5, Inc.	Nintendo

Cellular Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Reset Generation	RedLynx	Nokia
Spore Origins	Babaroga, Tricky Software	Electronic Arts
Trism	Demiforce	Demiforce

Computer Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Fallout 3	Bethesda Softworks	Bethesda Softworks
Left 4 Dead	Valve Software	Valve Software
Mass Effect	Bioware	Electronic Arts
Spore	Maxis	Electronic Arts
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King	Blizzard Entertainment	Blizzard Entertainment

Console Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Fallout 3	Bethesda Softworks	Bethesda Softworks
Gears of War 2	Epic Games, Inc.	Microsoft Game Studios
Grand Theft Auto IV	Rockstar North	Rockstar Games
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	Kojima Productions	Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.

Overall Game of the Year:

	Developer	Publisher
Fallout 3	Bethesda Softworks	Bethesda Softworks
Grand Theft Auto IV	Rockstar North	Rockstar Games
Left 4 Dead	Valve Software	Valve Software
LittleBigPlanet	Media Molecule	Sony Computer Entertainment America
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots	Kojima Productions	Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.

A few of the winners were highly expected, such as Prince of Persia for Outstanding Achievement in Animation, and NHL 09 for Best Sports Game, but there definitely were a few surprises. Dead Space robbed GTA4 in Best Action Game, and Mirror’s Edge robbed God of War in Best Adventure Game. For certain, the 30 somewhat employees at Media Molecule are in the gaming spotlight now. They’ve really created one of the most influential games of all time, and their hardware has proved that.

“LittleBigPlanet started out as a group of maniacs swaying hands around. We really had no idea what we were doing going into it.”

-Alex Evans, Project Lead – LittleBigPlanet

January 2009 Game of the Month

aschweiz — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 22:43:56 +0000

Skate 2

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Black Box

Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360

Review Score: 8.8 out of 10

January was certainly not a hot month. Outside, streets were iced over, snow was falling, and if out for a prolonged amount of time, nads would freeze. The same could be said about the gaming industry, as only a handful of high profile titles were released, and only a few of them kept some form of quality. Skate 2 is the one that truly stood out among the pack. Sure, its competition was soft with LOTR Conquest and Moon as its only competitors, but that is selling short what Skate 2 brings to the table. It improves significant issues found in its innovative predecessor, such as its troublesome framerate issues, and its inability to get off the board. The thing that really makes Skate 2 worth playing, however, is its insanely addictive multiplayer modes. Whether it be disgusting bails, nailing tricks, or just screwing around with a few friends, Skate 2 is one hell of a reason to pay the 60 bucks for Xbox Live. Its trick system remains intact while adding new tricks that don’t feel intrusive. The fact of the matter is, Skate 2 is a must buy, and is a clear winner for Game of the Month, not because its competition was weak, but because it makes the competition weak.

Killzone 2 EU PlayStation Store Demo

aschweiz — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:48:07 +0000

Killzone 2 (PlayStation 3)

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer: Guerilla Games

Release Date: February 25th, 2009 (EU) February 27th,2009 (Worldwide)

For the privileged residents of Europe, the highly anticipated demo to the highly looked forward to shooter became available yesterday. While Ps3 owners outside of Europe and Australia felt left out, Sony might want to re look their regional policies. Within 5 minutes, I had a UK account up and running, and I had the Killzone 2 demo on the DL. If you live outside of Europe or Australia, I suggest you do the same.

Everything that’s awesome about the demo, aside from it being rather short, include just how great of a taste of the action that is in Killzone 2. Right away, your squad has you take point, as you storm a beach in the industrial Helghan city, the game lets you get a grip on the controls, which definitely take a little bit more getting used to. Leading you through the beach, and through a Helghan warehouse, the demo then treats players to an awesome trailer, before flashing its name across the screen. It’s a good representation, albeit a little short for a 1.2GB download.

It’s great. If you’ve been looking forward to seeing Killzone 2 in person, the demo is the one place to do that. It will certainly tide you over until the release. Check back March 7 for my full review.

Skate 2 Review

aschweiz — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:01:22 +0000

When Skate was released back in 2007, it revolutionized the skateboarding game genre. With unparalleled realism in its approach, controls that radically changed the way the game is played, and a really awesome intro vid, Skate was awesome, and managed to snag my personal choice for runner up Game of the year 2007. It was fantastic. For anybody who loved the first game as much as I did, or to any newcomers, I’ve got some good news for you: Skate 2 is here, and while it’s not as revolutionary as the first game, it definitely is more refined, more enjoyable, and more kickass than its predecessor.

What really sets skate apart from past skateboarding games, is its unique trick system. Implementing a Fight-Night-esque control scheme in which the right analog controls the way your board flips. There is, of course, no grind button. Using momentum and physics, just jumping on a rail will allow you to grind. It takes some getting used to, but it becomes natural in time. It still works extremely well in Skate 2, and with a few new improvements like the ability to use modifiers for footplants, the whole core is still intact. Liptricks are now possible using the R1 button, and with those previously mentioned modifiers, more extreme moves like inverts are available. The trick system still feels really innovative and fresh, especially if you’ve never played skate before. Certain tricks are hard to differentiate from each other, which can be a large issue for more trick oriented goals in the career mode, and in the competitive game of S.K.A.T.E. (which is like HORSE), but when you’re just cruising the city, looking for lines, it’s a lot of fun and feels intuitive.

There are many more places to get huge air in the New San Van. This opens up a new emphasis on vertical moves, which were in Skate, but you never really had the opportunity to fully use them. That can’t be said about Skate 2. You will get high in the sky.

In Skate 2, you can create your own skate from scratch using an impressive and deep interface, allowing you to create whoever you want. In terms of the story, you play as the same skater from the first game, and after spending 5 years in prison, you find that San Vanelona has changed. Earthquakes have shifted the land, and the evil MongoCorp has taken over rebuilding the city, making it a not so friendly place to skate. It’s up to you to reclaim the city. It’s best to call this an overall setup for the story, in which case it does a great job.

In Career mode, you skate around the city taking photo sessions to get onto covers of Thrasher and The Skateboard Magazine, which has you jumping over fountains, speeding down mountains, and the like. One issue found in the original, was that too many goals focussed on utilizing the trick system to do a certain trick, which became infuriating because of its difficulty. That’s been remedied completely here. The career mode consists of photo shoots, jumping gaps, gaining high scores, and doing races. The occasional game of SKATE pops up every now and then, but it’s still good fun nonetheless. This isn’t to say the game is completely devoid of difficulty. What Skate did greatly was it captured the essense of trail and error that comes with the real life sport, and that’s in full effect yet again. It’s still tough to nail the perfect line that you want, but when you do, it’s more satisfying than any amount of blood or headshots can bring. It’s exhilarating.

New San Vanelona has really changed and matured into a skating haven. Each locale, from the Rez, to Couger Mountain, Downtown, Old Town, and the Waterfront each have their own unique style. As you may remember, the Rez was the perfect place to hit up for some speed. Couger Mountain is the new spot for this, which then leads into the Rez for some awesome races. Old Town and Downtown resemble Vancouver very well, capturing the city’s urban feel and vibe. The Waterfront has been completely recrafted, feeling like a beautiful and bright plaza perfect for skating. The most fun you’ll have in Skate 2 is just skating around searching for the perfect place to hit up.

The ability to get off your board was oddly gone in the first game, but is now here in Skate 2. The controls suck, your skater is slow, and he turns like an old lady, but hey, it’s better than not being able to do it altogether. You can finally go up a set of stairs! Ah, the beauty of evolution. As seen in Tony Hawk’s Proving Ground, you can now move objects around to create your own perfect line, and then upload that spot online for people to try out. There are some costs to this, however, and a few flaws. So that each object could be light enough for your skater to move around, simply bumping into them will move them, throwing off your potential skate video. It’s not a big problem, but it’s very unnecessary.

Some new game modes made their way into the equation, but Hall of Meat is the true hero of the day. You garner points for bails. Painful. This can honestly become an unhealthy addiction, as it can be played offline with 4 people, or online with 6 friends. There are some undeniably satisfying cliffs and walls to hit, so be on the lookout.

Jumping online reminds me of Burnout Paradise. Hitting the select button brings up the online menu, where you can then jump quickly into a freeskate session and setup your game there. It’s a breeze. Any game modes found in Skate 2 can be done online, with full headset support. There are freeskate challenges, like Burnout, such as 6 skaters on a rail simultaneously. With modes like SKATE, Hall of Meat, the ability to upload your own replays online, full stat collection, (and did I mention Hall of Meat), Skate 2′s online mode is fully robust and will keep you occupied with limitless possibilities.

The graphics engine has been booted up to 60 frames, and the lighting has been contrasted more, giving off a sunset glare most of the time. It’s a good looking game. The physics and animations, as always, are fantastic, and while some of the texture work could be better, the anti aliasing is great, and there is little blur. The camera remains unchanged, sometime getting in the way, but it maintains the rush of adrenaline that comes with going fast and hitting rail. The soundtrack is no slouch, with some really great tunes, and the pro skaters in the game are all voiced by the skaters themselves. It’s very authentic.

I must give my regards to EA Black Box. It’s because of them that Skate and Skate 2 have had this hillarious, light hearted, laid back personality to it. It’s a game about the fun. Hanging with buds online, playing a game of Hall of Meat. The funky soundtrack. The funny situations. Skate may live on, but I fear that the personality aspect and awesome vibe may go with Black Box. A moment of silence for an awesome developer.

Skate 2 isn’t a revolution, but it is a damn fine game. It’s the first must buy of 2009, because Black Box’s swansong project is as good as they come. It didn’t fix all of the series’ issues, as the camera problems remain. However, it’s a big upgrade to an amazing gameplay experience. Skate 2 is recommendable to anybody who doesn’t have a nasty hate for skateboarding.

Gameplay 8.8

Presentation 8.6

Value 8.6

Overall 8.8/10

Game of the Year 2008/ What I did over the holidays

aschweiz — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:39:41 +0000

Over the Holidays, I spent the majority of my time just recovering from the hectic necessity that is school. The first few days just resulted in me waking up at noon, watching tv, and sleeping. I eventually ended becoming a little more festive, as I found my santa hat, which I then wore until early January. On Christmas, my mother’s side of the family visited, and we had the normal celebration we usually have. Nothing really special. Because of the harsh snow, I never got the chance to visit my cousins in Kamloops, so that was a little disappointing. On New Year’s Eve, we had a few family friends over, really nothing special. The final few days of the holiday which should’ve been short and depressing, knowing I had to go back to school, actually ended up being very long, including NFL playoff games. The holiday was a little boring, but way better than not having one.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

In my eyes, 2008 just edged out 1998 and 2007 as far as revolutionary games go. No matter which system you owned, whether you be Playstation, Xbox, Wii, PC, or iPhone gamer, there were a true handful of blatantly incredible titles to choose from. In 2005, the clear winner for this award was Resident Evil 4, 2006 was between Gears of War and Twilight Princess, and last year was between Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Super Mario Galaxy. This year was much more difficult due to the insane amount of quality and quantity that 2008 brought. Without further delay: here are the runner-ups for GOTY 2008.

5th Place:

Resistance 2

Had Resistance 2 been a 2007 release, it would’ve been a shoe in for GOTY. However, while it may have revolutionary coop, a large scaled campaign, and fantastic 60 player online frag fests, matched with its top notch visuals, great weapons, and story, Resistance 2 is outstanding. Just not Game of the Year.

—

4th Place

Fallout 3

The guys at Bethesda really put a lot of time and effort into their games. Oblivion remains one of my favorite western RPGs, and Fallout 3 introduced many gamers, to a bleek setting draped in terror (and nostalgia to others). The VATS system resulted in some damn beautiful explosions of blood and gore. Fallout 3 is a true piece of art that just needs to be played. It has a few blemishes, such as some clunky animations, but there aren’t many after that.

—

3rd Place

LittleBigPlanet

Great games make their mark in history, and as far as I’m concerned, LittleBigPlanet will change the way user created content is utilized in the future. Aside from that, it’s one of the best looking games ever made with a great art style to match.You’ve also got one of the best playing, and most charming platformers out there.

—

Runner Up

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

The decision was impossible to make. The reason that Metal Gear Solid 4 isn’t Game of the Year, despite it being the best clear game of the year, is because it’s not something that quite appeals to everyone. Only the most serious, appreciative of people will be able to fully realize the greatness of MGS4. The overall concept, characters, setting, and direction of the way the story is told is absolutely top notch and it really does a fantastic job at sucking the player in. Match that with its modern tactical gameplay, which feels a more fast paced than the other games in the series, and its really stands up to more action-oriented games like Gears of War 2 or Resistance 2. The game’s production values are some of the best seen on the Playstation 3. For anyone that really doesn’t mind playing an interactive movie, that stretches the boundaries of what storytelling in games can be, needs to play MGS4. They’ll fully appreciate how incredible it is.

—

Game of the Year 2009

Grand Theft Auto IV

Making GTA 4 game of the year was a tough choice. It eventually came down to which game I’d still be playing years from now. Grand Theft Auto IV is the one that I see myself, and millions of others looking back at 2008 and remembering the most. It brought an immense feeling of realism into the Grand Theft Auto series, taking the open world genre in incredible new directions. Nearly every aspect of gameplay has been revolutionized, such as the sheer amount of detail found in Liberty City, and the great physics that brought some pretty hilarious moments into the insane violence. The cover system, new controls, and new AI improved the gunplay so much, to the extent that it feels more of a third person shooter than ever before, and a great one at that.

It’s hard to say exactly what made Grand Theft Auto IV so amazing. Everything just came together so seamlessly, and because of the more humanistic, realistic approach at a tale, and the most dynamic characters seen in a GTA game yet, you really cared about what was happening, and really thought out decisions as you made them. While the game itself was over 20 hours of well-paced action, full of great variety in missions, from assassinations, to being a getaway driver, to being a bank robber, to being a car thief, to just trying to stay alive, when you finished the game, you really felt like you had really lived out life in Liberty City, one of the most in depth, living and breathing worlds yet made.

The characters you meet throughout GTA4 are all extremely memorable, dynamic people. From Packie’s down-to-earth approach to situations, to Phil Bell’s undying loyalty, Brucie’s over the top antics, or Little Jacob’s ridiculous jamaican accent, you really enjoyed doing missions with and for these guys, some of them giving the game that classic GTA humour, whereas others maintained a balance of seriousness.

On top of the game’s fantastic value from its story mode, the multiplayer was certainly no tack-on. Rockstar North really spent the time they were given to put everything they had into this game. The standard game modes, like Team Deathmatch and races themselves were immense fun, it was the cooperative, team based game modes that really stood out for me, and forced me to continuously play this game for months after its release. All of the great gameplay designs, such as the physics, to the open world nature of the title are just some of the highlights that made their way into multiplayer.

Game of the Year should be a representation of the year that was. Grand Theft Auto IV had more publicity than any other game of 2008, it was referenced 10000 times for better or worse, by haters and gamers, it sold millions of copies, it sparked debates on platform vs platform, it created controversy throughout the industry, it revolutionized a famous series, and it made gamers think around the box. I know that when I think of 2008, I’ll remember games like MGS4 and Fallout 3, but Grand Theft Auto IV is just so good, it’s so special, that in the end, I lied. It wasn’t THAT hard of a choice to make. Grand Theft Auto IV is game of the year because it’s a spectacular action game.

2008 Awards

aschweiz — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:22:34 +0000

Aside from the heralded title of “Game of the Year”, we need to remember that the winner is not the only game worth celebrating. 2008 was truly a landmark year, bringing us the freshest ideas, the most refined gameplay, and some of the biggest surprises in history. Here’s where I take a look at all of the smaller, more detailed achievements that games, and their creators have really reached.

Best First Person Shooter

-Resistance 2

-Far Cry 2

-Call of Duty: World at War

-Left 4 Dead

——-

Best Action Game

-Gears of War 2

-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

-Grand Theft Auto IV

-Devil May Cry 4

——-

Best Racing Game

-WipEout HD

-Burnout Paradise

-Mario Kart Wii

-Motorstorm: Pacific Rift

——-

Best Platformer

-LittleBigPlanet

-Braid

-De Blob

-Ratchet and Clank Future: Quest for Booty

——-

Best Sports Game

-Madden NFL 09

-NBA 2k9

-NHL 09

-Shaun White Snowboarding

——-

Best RPG

-Fallout 3

-World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

——-

Best PSN/XBL/WiiWare Title

-WipEout HD

-Braid

-Castle Crashers

-World of Goo

——-

Best Graphics

-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

-Call of Duty: World at War

-Gears of War 2

-LittleBigPlanet

——-

Best Story

-Devil May Cry 4

-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

-Grand Theft Auto IV

-Fallout 3

——-

Best Sound Design

-Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

-Grand Theft Auto IV

-Call of Duty: World at War

-Fallout 3

——-

Best Soundtrack

-WipEout HD

-Call of Duty: World at War

-Devil May Cry 4

——-

Best Studio

-Media Molecule

-Rockstar North

-Kojima Productions

-Bethesda Game Studios