Fallout 3 Review

Fallout 3 Review

"War never Changes"

Game: Fallout 3
Developer: Bethesda Works
Rating: Mature
Platforms: Xbox 360 / Ps3 / PC
MSRP: 9.99

I do realize I am a bit late to the party on this one. Fallout was a game I was told about so much and I never cared to try it until recently. When "Skyrim" came out (a game by the same developer but set in a mystical dragon fantasy setting) I was told that If I liked "Skyrim" I would love "Fallout". Well I hated "Skyrim", but I found myself really digging "Fallout". Is this game worth your time? We'll find out right now.

Story:

Fallout's charm lies in its aethestics and story telling. The game itself is retro armagedon, in the sense that the style of the game is what the 50's thought the end of the world would be like. In this world, the cold war ended up with nukes hitting all the countries, ushering us into what humanity calls the wasteland. Nothing grows really, and survivors have to scavenge and fight each other to survive. Before the war began however the U.S government built safehouses or Vaults to keep a select few groups of society intact for when they would be needed to repopulate the planet. You play as an inhabitant of one of these vaults, the war has been over for at least 100 years but no one you know how dared to go outside. You, of course have to.

The character you control is speechless and of your own design. When talking to people the game gives you a wide list of things to say as a response to most things, meaning that you control the character's destiny, actions and story. In turn this engages the player to the story more because the game is trying to make you one with the character your controlling. The main quest of the game is to find your dad who escaped the vault and that simple task will take you on some wacky adventures until you find him. Fallout is the kind of game in which you reap what you sow, the more time you spend playing it, the more rewarded you will feel afterwards with the stories and events it throws at you.

Grade: B+

Gameplay:

This is by far one of the most violent games I've ever played, way past "Grand Theft Auto". As an inhabitant of this world you can explore the wasteland ruins of what was once Washington D.C and its surrounding towns and countryside. There are about 3-4 places that act as towns where you are safe and can get rest, and buy weapons. The rest of this world wants you dead, enslaved or to eat you. Everything in this game is your enemy, from radioactive flys, to overgrown crabs and even other canibalistic humans want your blood. And the game gives you an arsenal of weapons to fight back with, like Ak-47's, machine guns, grenades and bats. As the game goes on you can level up your character and make them stronger with certain weapons giving you a customizeable edge, but in the beginning most things can kill you easily.

Running with the plot the game implements a karma system. Depending on your actions in the world you can either by loved by the world, or feared by it. Most significant actions fall under the frames of good or evil and when you fall into the extreme of either category, perks happen. For example if your really good, people will bring you food and give you free items. Or even simply give quest objectives to you instead of having to run around for them. When your evil some of the bad characters instead of attacking you will revere you and people become easier to rob. Either way you choose to play the game is up to you, it is fun however to see that every action has a consequence in ways that arent clear at first.

Grade: B+

Graphics and Sound:

This is an incredibly gorgeous game to look at, even now. Released in 2008 all the detail in the game still shines as if it were made this year. There is some oddities with how humans are made however, when people talk to you they stay perfectly still and only their lips move, but aside from that most of the game seems very lifelike.

The music of the game is provided by a little handheld computer the character carries. Being that the bombs dropped in the 50's all thats left of the worlds music are hits from the 50's. The soundtrack has songs from "Billie Holliday" and the "Inkspots" to name a few. Dont know who they are? Play this game for a few hours and you will and you will love them.

Grade: B

Verdict:

This isnt a shock to those who already own this game, but Fallout is amazing. I'm late to the party I realize but it really is something that you don't quite get too often these days. While it may not be as expansive as "Skyrim" I found myself caring about this world and the setting alot more than I did about the former. This game is grand and if you haven't played it yet, go to gamestop right now and buy it.

Final Grade: B+

Is this game worth your money?: For 10 bucks its a steal right now.

I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!! F.T.W

I don't usually like to do console games for my F.T.W's but this game is so quick, short and awesome I had to put it up. This is a game from the Xbox live arcade entitled , "I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!" by "Independent Ska Studios" and it is awesome.

Xbox live arcade
1.00
No age rating

This is a simple shooter that gets needlessly complex over time. You begin the game by shooting zombies in a grass field, the zombies change into weird symbolic snakes, then into zombies then into weird seizure inducing diamonds. The background of the game itself becomes all techno like and it becomes incredibly hard to see while you are playing, in the sense that you cant tell what an enemy is from the background.

The game is simple but really fun. The highlight of the game, and the reason why I gave it a chance has to do with the song that plays in the first round. Rather than leave you with a two images, I'm leaving you all with a music video of the song that plays. It is awesome, and yes it was written by the games creator.




Did I also mention this game is just one man's project? Pretty sick.

Axon F.T.W

This game I came across while being bored and unemployed. Don't worry Im job hunting :D. This game has to have been made by science nerds, and yet it is so addicting and simple.  This F.T.W is called "Axon" brought to us by "WellcomeCollection"

Online Game
Free to Play
No rating

Axon is simply the tale of a neuron trying to get bigger. You control the neuron as it eats protein cells and fights against the other neurons to consume the most before it dies out. Yep.

The game is actually a really simple point and click game. When you devour a protien a circle appears, you need to click on another protein within that circle before the circle shrivels up and dies. So it becomes a fast reaction clicking game. There are protein "powerups" that will enable you to collect a massive amount of proteins in a short amount of time AND there are proteins that increase the size of your ring.

Its a cool game albeit dorky concept , and if you have a moment you should check it out!

ENJOY!!!

You can play "Axon" here:
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/592325

Draw Something F.T.W

I found out about this on my last day at my job. And no I wasn't fired for gaming, I quit because I was starting to do shitty in all of my classes. Anyway my boss introduces this game to me and I may very well be the last person to jump on the bandwagon but I decided to put it up anyway. This game is called "Draw Something" brought to us by "OMGPOP"

Iphone App
Free
No age rating

This game is essentially pictionary. The game pairs you with another person playing the game (you can choose a friend with the app or a stranger) and then gives you prompts of what to draw. You choose one and draw it out.  That drawing is then sent to the other player and if they guess what you're drawing right, then you both win points. This goes back and forth and after a while you realize theres more fun in simply drawing than the points.

This game is simple and addictive. You use your fingers on your touch screen to draw, and the game gives you options on how you want the lines you draw to come out. (I.e; Thickness and what color) By getting more points you can unlock more colors, but I never cared to.

It's free to play so get to it.

Arkedo Pixel Review

Pixel Review

"Meow"

Game: Arkedo Series 003 Pixel
Developer: Arkedo
Rating: Unrated
Platforms: Xbox 360
M.S.R.P: 200 live points (5.00)

This time I decided to do something different and review some of the games from the Xbox live arcade. On a whim I chose the game "Pixel" because it looked funky. Now this isnt a standard game so the review is going to be shorter than usual but it should still be a fun little romp. Lets take a look.

Story:

In "Pixel" you are a cat going on an adventure. That is essentially it. I suppose in a sense it accomplishes what it needs to. Giving you an excuse to be cute running around a world.

Grade: C

Gameplay:

"Pixel" is essentially "Super Mario" through and through. You jump on top of enemies to kill them and try to make it to the goal at the end of the stage. There are no power-ups in "Pixel", however for killing 5 enemies in a row, the player gets a MEOWWW attack that kills enemies for you with the cats voice.

In the course of the game you travel through 6 levels, from a house to a garden, to a cave and etc etc. Now despite being a platformer there is a puzzle element to it. To get past certain areas you have to enter a kind of mini game, the mini game usually requires you to run through a maze and reach the goal before time runs out. They are quirky and cute, but can be unnecessarily hard from time to time.

Grade: B

Graphics and Sound:

This game looks like something out of an oldschool gameboy with a newschool feel. The environment and the characters are all made of white pixels against blue backgrounds and it looks cool. Simplistic but beautiful. Definetely a purposeful retro vibe.

The music is catchy in the first level, but thats about it. In terms of being something in  the background, the songs afterwards arent annoying, just not really memorable.

Grade: B-

Verdict:

This game is pretty cool as a fun minigame to have around on your Xbox, and believe me you can do alot worse than this game. If you have live points to spare, I say get it.

Final Grade: C+

Is it worth your money: For that price, yes Id say so.

Heavy Rain Review

Heavy Rain Review

"How far would you go to save your son?"

Game: Heavy Rain
Developer: Quantic Dream
Rating: Mature
Platforms: Ps3
M.S.R.P: 29.99

Never in the entirety of my life had I played a game that had got me so emotionally invested in the characters in a way that "Heavy Rain" does. This is not your typical game, if anything it is an interactive movie that blows you away. I'm going to review this all for you, but let me say now, this game is art. Like drama movie that you dont expect to make you cry, but it does, art.

Story:

The story of "Heavy Rain" falls on deeply mature themes, ones not touched upon in video games before. "Heavy Rain" is the story of four people whose lives become entangled with a tragedy going on in their community. There is a man kidnapping children, drowning the bodies and leaving an origami on their corpse. No one has been able to catch him before he has killed a child, and the game has you unravel the mystery to find out who the culprit is.

As aforementioned you play as four different characters. (You take control of one every chapter.) They are: A father whose son gets kidnapped, a journalist writing about the case, a FBI Agent sent to investigate, and a private investigator who is paid by the families to find the killer. Each story and driving force behind the characters are rich and compelling and you will want to see their stories till the end.

Grade: B+

Gameplay:

The gameplay of Heavy Rain is different, in the sense that the game is essentially quick time events. If you are unfamiliar, QTE's are essentially button prompts, so when a game tells you to hit the A button before the timer runs out...thats a QTE. Heavy Rain is nothing but those, but in a way that is engaging. After a while it becomes really fun and intuitive to do the actions the game wants you to do. That is not to say that it isn't always perfect. There were times where I would mess up scenes because the actions the controls wanted you to take were a bit too complicated...even for me. But I will say this, there is a scene where a finger gets hand sawn off, and you have to do the motions...I have never been so squeamish or engaged in anything so much my whole life.

Another interesting addition to the game is that the characters do come across situations that can kill them. Now of course you as the player are trying your best to not have them die, but you can choose to have certain characters be killed off. There is no game over screen the narrative just keeps going. So once one has beaten the game, they can go back and see what happens if certain characters weren't alive at certain parts in the game and see how it all pans out. It makes the game very engaging and worth multiple play throughs.

Grade: B+

Graphics and Sound:

If your familiar with "L.A Noire", then you must know about motion scan. Motion scan is a new tool used by developers to capture real actors faces and translate them into 3D environments with astounding accuracy. Like "L.A Noire", "Heavy Rain" uses that same technology in its gameplay and it looks amazing. The game has trillions of little details that look gorgeous when playing through. Sure there are some oddities (I.e; when someone isnt a central character they clearly look fake/ made up) but the environment, the tiny objects and even the rain look life like.

The soundtrack is alright. There is nothing that I would rush to download, but it does its job as being an atmospheric addition to the game.

Grade: B-

Verdict:

This game is an art project, and while I have been tooting its horn the game is like a movie. Once you find out who's behind the crimes, the plot actually doesnt change. There isnt anything you can do to make it a different person, as a result the replay value, while fun at first dies out quickly. Sure there are different scenes but once you know who it is, the suspense kinda dies. A great game however, and it should be experienced at least once.

Final Grade: B

Is it worth your money: I would rent it to be honest, it can be beaten in two days sitting. If you like it enough, buy it of course. But if you find its not for you, I wouldn't blame you.

GTA IV Complete Edition Review

Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition

"I'm looking for that special someone."

Game: Grand Theft Auto IV& Episodes from Liberty City
Developer: Rockstar North
Rating: Mature
Platforms: Xbox 360 & PS3
M.S.R.P: 39.99

Ever since Rockstar announced "GTA V" people have been eagerly awaiting more details about the upcoming entry. Besides a trailer being released, the most info we have to go on are rumors and lies spread by fans. I for one am excited to see the next chapter in the GTA universe and I am celebrating with GTA IV the complete edition. Originally released in 2008, this edition carries both the original story of IV and the add ons, "The Ballad of Gay Tony" and "The Lost and The Damned". Is this a joy ride you should pay for? We'll find out.

Story:

There are three stories to GTA IV told by different protagonists which intertwine at different points. The original story of GTA IV revolves around a serbian immigrant named Niko Bellic. He arrives at Liberty City (a city fashioned after New York) to start life anew away from the debt he owed mobsters in Europe. Living with his cousin he hopes to have an honest job, however his cousins gambling addiction and debts lure Niko back into a life of crime, to which he and his cousin must do their best to survive in a city where money is everything.

The writing is spectacular and the game is the most mature entry in the series to date. While there is still alot of the GTA society satire to be found, in terms of how Niko interacts with the world is more realistic than cartoony. The game is essentially a commentary on the American way of life, its capitalistic greed, its unrealistic oppourtunities. While all GTA games require one to suspend their disbelief,  GTA IV unlike the last games doesn't feel like too far of a stretch. You sympathize with this character and in the end, you want him to win, which is a rarity for the jerks the series usually has you control.

Grade: A

Gameplay:

The gameplay has remained, in principal relatively the same since GTA III. In an open world map you control the character and the game allows you to go anywhere you please. You steal cars to get to locations faster, or take cabs or trains. And yet there are tiny details the game goes for, that make it a memorable experience. The streets are populated with pedestrains who will do everything from, carrying a bag of groceries, talking on celphones, having conversations or even being bums sleeping under some shade. One can walk down the street and get hot dogs, pay a subway musician some change or even simply take a train ride. This game has a massive potential of violence to be sure, but the creators went up and beyond to make this feel like a real breathing world, and it shows.

In terms of combat, the series has finally been upgraded. In this entry you can autolock onto enemies easier and a dynamic cover system has been put in place. Litterally anything you see in the city you can use as cover in a gun fight. (From a nearby dumpster to the car your driving). Driving itself has also changed as the shoulder buttons now accelarte and decelerate the car to create a more realistic feel. ( As opposed to the usual buttons) There are also tons of mini games to play, like bowling, darts and pool and each have so much detail they can be games on their own. If you played GTA before you know what to expect and you will have a blast.

Grade: A

Graphics and sound:

Unfortunately the graphics in GTA IV are starting to look a little dated. While this version of GTA IV actually upscales the details to a degree (yes there is a noticeable difference in this version compared to a regular version of gta) when compared to more recent games like Red Dead Redemption or even Mass Effect 3, the game does not look as spectacular as it did when it first game out. That is not to say that it isn't still stunning, it merely got old.

The music however is why I run to buy GTA games when they first come out. The games radio stations have the greatest songs ever made and fit the atmosphere the game is trying to make. It plays everything from cool jazz to indie rock, to kanye west hip hop and even bob marley. The music and sounds will blow you away and that is something that has to be considered.

Grade: B

Verdict:

Buy this game. If you already have GTA IV and the dlc episodes, then I suppose it is a waste of money to buy it again. However if you havent, sell your GTA IV copy and pick up this one. (Especially f you havent even played GTA IV yet) get this and you wont regret it.

Final Grade: A-

Is it worth your money: If you're new to the series yes! If you already own all the episodes and an original disc, save your money.