RED DEAD REDEMPTION REVIEW
June 7, 2010
Red Dead Redemption
The sequel to Red Dead Revolver, a story of vengeance in the Wild West, has been a long-awaited title from Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar Games, with almost five years since its announcement. It was feared to be neglected with the developer's focus on 2008's critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto 4 and its Liberty City expansions. Fear not though: This western tale (finally released in May) is a great experience that's heightened with finely tuned controls and a new innovation in multiplayer gaming.
Red Dead Redemption takes place in 1911 and tells the story of John Marston, a reformed outlaw whose family has been taken from him by the U.S. government. Reluctant to go back to his old ways, he can only see his family again if he hunts down his former brothers-in-arms and brings them to justice.
The Rockstar Games formula is in place: You've got an open-world game designed for the purpose of having fun. The game world is so large that it's easy to get distracted with all the options available, whether hunting outlaws or wild game, gambling on games of chance, or simply exploring. It's a bit slow getting into the meat of the story, but the traditional (and somewhat predictable) twists and turns help put you in the mood to act like John Wayne. It's a fine tale watching John Marston struggle with the changing times as the Old West is cast aside.
Gunplay is the main draw of this grown-up version of Cowboys & Indians, with a variety of pistols and rifles at your disposal. And what cowboy would be complete without a lasso? A snapping-aim feature similar to Call of Duty's allows players to draw their guns and instantly follow their targets for a second or two. This makes it easy to learn but still challenging, because the aim doesn't automatically go for a kill shot; you'll have to learn that one to quickly dispense enemies. The only exception to this snap-aim feature is duels; when the signal to draw is given, time slows down as you mark where you want to shoot your opponent. But don't dawdle or you'll be shot dead.
A big factor in whom you become is the appropriately named "honor" system. You earn honor by helping strangers in need or not killing your enemies, gaining you more leniency from the law as well as discounts at local shops. Dishonorable actions such as committing crimes will lower your rating, but you might become wealthier in the process. I had some difficult decisions, but the situations were usually so grotesque (choosing to hunt down a group of murders and rapists or aiding their escape) that I couldn't bring myself to do anything other than the honorable thing. For someone looking to be a dastardly villain, though, it's there for the taking.
Online multiplayer is taken to new heights with the base online mode "Free Roam." Instead of a plain screen where you wait to join in online play like other shooters, you're thrust into the same massive game world and can do as you please while encountering other players. You can run around solo or join up to seven other players in a posse to pursue bandits, take on the law, hunt wild game, or even jump straight into competitive team battles such as a death matches or variations on Capture the Flag in which you grab bags of gold. The more you do, the more points you get for new horses, weapons, challenges, and fancy cowboy titles to announce how tough you are. It brings an impressive number of options to the table for both casual and hardcore players.
The vibe of the Old West hits in full force as you ride trails on horseback, trot off into the setting sun, or watch the tumbleweeds roll by. Of course you can travel by stagecoach and skip the manual riding, but you risk missing out on strangers to help or attack, not to mention the great view. Voice work is also well done, with a strong cast of characters from snake-oil salesmen and drunks to ranchers and lawmen, all truly selling the era.
The game's physics are equally impressive. Shooting a man's leg out while he's on stairs will send him tumbling down unless he catches a railing; aiming a little too high will shoot a man's hat off; and you can actually see the muscles ripple on horses as they gallop.
The core story of Red Dead Redemption lasts almost 15 hours, while there's tons of potential for reliable fun just screwing around in both the main story and online modes. The idea of a Wild West game might not be new, but it definitely hasn't been done this well before.
Red Dead Redemption is now available for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for $59.95. For this review, the author completed the main story & reached Rank 20 out of 50 in the online play.
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Posted by: Luke Hamilton
NO MORE HEROES 2: DESPERATE STRUGGLE REVIEW
February 8, 2010
With the Wii game lineup containing so many titles geared to children and family play, 2008's exclusive No More Heroes made a statement that "mature"-rated games can succeed on the motion-based system. Its intense action combined with a crazy yet compelling story and parodies of the gaming industry convinced me the Wii wasn't just for casual players and tapped into the "mature" market, which only consisted of Resident Evil titles at the time. The new sequel, subtitled Desperate Struggle, continues the story with new methods of madness to boot.
Several years after protagonist Travis Touchdown becomes the top-ranked assassin in the fictional city of Santa Destroy and walks away from the profession, his former promoters are trying to drag him back into the fold. He has no interest in climbing the rankings again, but the murder of his best friend motivates him to enter and name his reward: his best friend's killer served to him on a platter.
After a hilarious fourth-wall-breaking segment telling players they don't need to care about events in the first game -- despite the obvious emphasis that No More Heroes puts on story -- Desperate Struggle gets erratic. There are ranked-assassin boss battles that are focused and have meaning in the story, but there are also battles that are so absurd -- one fight has 25 football cheerleaders combine into a giant robot like Voltron -- that it gets to be too much, even for a game renowned for its strangeness. When trained on Travis and his beliefs in honor and his struggle to find the value of life, the story shines.
Combat involves Travis using a weapon similar to a lightsaber, with the "A" button used to swing the saber and the "B" button used to use kick and punch; aiming high or low with the Wii remote determines where the attack is placed. It's not the most natural style, but it's easy to adapt to within five minutes. Once an enemy is weakened enough, gameplay slows down and screen indicators pop up for motion-based finishers utilizing slash attacks or pro-wrestling moves. These could've been done just as easily with a button press but are gratifying to do with the simple motions.
You'll rip through many grunts on the way to the assassins on each level, and combat is fast and fluid when fighting other melée-based enemies. Enemies with guns cause aggravation because options to avoid and block bullets are limited, and it can feel unfair when being shot from afar while close enemies stomp on you. Difficulty from tough opponents is acceptable, but here it's more a fault in the game design.
The boss battles with ranked assassins are where the big appeal lies. Most are balanced affairs with intelligent blocking and evasion being applied by the enemy, and one slip can lead to a painful combo -- a nice change from the standard attack patterns other games give their bosses.
While some boss battles are ridiculous in nature (cheerleader Voltron comes to mind), the majority are quite engaging. A couple opponents are true villains, but others are anti-heroes with their own ideals and hopes. Some are even likable, even though they're trying to kill you. The only disappointment is that there's very little background given for each fighter -- just a quick clip when the fight is initiated and another when it ends.
Given the Wii's limited processing power, the game does a decent job with its presentation. Punk rock dominates the background music, fitting well with the story and setting the mood for the intense assassin battles. Voice work is strong. During gameplay, however, you'll quickly grow tired of enemies calling you the same vulgarities over and over again. Character designs won't rock you, but they get the job done.
The No More Heroes series has been a major factor in me continuing to own a Wii. I like the console's casual games, but I get distracted by other titles so I don't play them for longer than a week or so. The action and story-building in No More Heroes kept me interested for the two-year gap between releases. I'll even pick up the high-definition remake of the original game for Xbox later this year; I think it's that good.
Anyone who owns a Wii and is craving a deeper experience than a game of golf or tennis will enjoy both these games.
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is available for Nintendo Wii for $49.95. For this review, the author completed the story on "mild" difficulty.
Posted by: Luke
GAME OF THE YEAR 2009
January 14, 2010
The best games of 2009 included revivals such as Street Fighter and Super Mario Bros., sequels such as Assassin's Creed 2 and Modern Warfare 2, and hidden gems that were lost in the shuffle of major releases. But the two best were a fresh game that became a massive hit (Batman: Arkham Asylum) and a safe but perfectly made shooter sequel (Uncharted 2).
And there were contenders in every genre.
Shooters
Long-awaited games such as the PlayStation 3 exclusive Killzone 2 and the Xbox 360 exclusive Halo 3: ODST were standout performers yet lacked new features needed to keep me playing for more than a few days. Borderlands was another noteworthy title; it got less publicity -- releasing in the middle of the holiday shopping season -- but its added role-playing-game mechanics made extended play more enjoyable than the rehashed styles of Halo and Killzone.
Modern Warfare 2 had a strong story, solid controls, and fantastic multiplayer, but it still wasn't enough to beat out the PS3's Uncharted 2. While I am still disappointed that the Uncharted sequel takes no risks in design -- with several borrowed concepts, such as Prince of Persia's platforming and Gears of War's cover system -- it's executed spectacularly well. Add in the best graphics I've ever seen in a game, and Uncharted 2 left me more impressed with a shooter than I have been in years.
Role-Playing Games
The PS3 exclusive Demon's Souls is unmercifully hard to play, with an unusual style of online play in which other players can help or hinder your progress at any time, with or without your consent. Dragon Age: Origins is enormous in size and delivers an epic medieval story, but it requires a lot of dedication micromanaging your characters.
My favorite RPG this year was Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. The third installment continues the series' easy-to-learn, action-based play style, furthers the story established in previous titles, and maintains its great humor.
Fighting Games
With online play nearly standard these days, fighting games have returned with a vengeance. It's like being in the arcade back in the early '90s, waiting in line to take on whoever wins a match. Tekken 6 and King of Fighters XII look good and play well, but poor online setups keep them from being great. Street Fighter IV was almost a shoo-in for my choice with great controls and online play, until a sleeper hit knocked my socks off in Blazblue: Calamity Trigger. With fluid controls that are easy to learn and hard to master, online play that has no noticeable flaws, and a lineup of unique characters with entirely different play styles, Blazblue is the new standard for fighting games.
Action/Adventure Games
Infamous on PS3 delivers a electrifying narrative with slick superpowers, but the pacing is erratic, and slow travel around the large city makes the game drag at times. Prototype's story didn't make much sense, but the high-octane action made it enjoyable nonetheless. Assassin's Creed 2 is a major advance from its predecessor but has limited replay value. Even New Super Mario Bros. Wii, while incredibly fun, does nothing to further the genre, with its combination of old features in a new shell.
In the end, the best of this category belongs to Batman: Arkham Asylum. Playing as Batman in the infamous mental facility against hundreds of thugs, the combination of Batman's fancy toys and bone-crushing martial arts creates an intense experience. It stands alone as its own great experience, but it also builds a strong foundation for the newly announced sequel.
Simulations
Since the Nintendo Wii was introduced, developers have redoubled efforts to make simulations for all platforms more accurately mimic real-life activities. The latest games in the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises are fun, but they merely add more songs to their respective catalogs. Wii Sports Resort's use of the new MotionPlus accessory made great strides for motion-controlled games, but it branches out into too many fields rather than creating a stand-alone detailed experience.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 for the Wii with the MotionPlus does the best job bringing a near-real-life experience into your living room, and it even goes the extra mile with the most addictive disc golf a video game can offer. Maybe next year's edition will include a mini-game in which you flee from an angry wife.
Puzzle Games
The DS exclusive Scribblenauts deserves recognition for its amazing imagination-fueled gameplay, but it doesn't earn the top honors because of its frustrating controls. Peggle was recently imported from PC to Xbox Live, and playing quickly becomes compulsive, but because the original game has been available since 2007, I won't count it among this year's best.
Professor Layton & The Diabolical Box on DS takes the cake this year. The game offers hundreds of brain-bending puzzles that all fit in the context of a murder mystery that makes it go so much deeper than your average puzzle game. You don't just play for fun; you play to solve the mystery, and it immerses you.
Games of the Year
Out of more than 50 new games I've played in the past year, I can't recommend two games enough: Uncharted 2 and Batman: Arkham Asylum. Uncharted 2 takes the safe approach in design, but it's because of that safe approach that there is so little to complain about. Batman was a wild card coming into the year, but all the concerns about its quality were knocked out with a batarang and left hanging in downtown Gotham for the police to apprehend. These were the two best games 2009 had to offer.
Posted by: Luke
NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. Wii REVIEW
January 14, 2010
Since his 1981 debut in Donkey Kong, Mario has been a staple of the platforming genre, but in recent years he's branched out, taking on go-kart racing and fighting tournaments with other Nintendo characters, for instance. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the original magic that caught our attention decades ago returns, along with the sadistic difficulty some have come to love and hate.
Princess Peach is celebrating her birthday when she's kidnapped by Bowser's eight kids. Why she doesn't have more security after being snatched up a couple dozen times is beyond me, but once again Mario jumps to the rescue on a journey that takes him across eight worlds of pure platforming madness.
Joining in with the trend of remaking classic games, New Super Mario Bros. Wii uses 2D gameplay with 3D characters and environments in a sharp package. The graphics don't look as good on a high-definition TV as in standard definition, though; there's a bit more pixelation on character models. The music hits all the right notes with the same charm and mystic vibes from the originals, with spooky tempos underground, cheery melodies running through the fields, and an epic lead-in running through a Koopa castle to do battle with the level boss. It looks good and sounds wonderful.
The game takes ideas from previous Super Mario games (not including the spin-off titles such as tennis and kart racing) and melds them with great results. Playing involves turning the Wii remote on its side and using it like an original NES controller. Worlds can be traversed and stages can be selected similar to Super Mario Bros. 3; players have techniques like the triple jump and ground pound from Super Mario 64; and secret warp pipes can take you to further worlds like in the original Super Mario Bros. It's the first time these ideas have been blended, and it's a great combination that delivers old-school fun.
Out of the gate, the levels are fairly straightforward and give players some time to ease in to the running and jumping controls while learning the finer aspects of the game. Once you get to about the third world, though, playtime's over. Some levels will blitz you with constant hazards and enemies, while some coat the ground with ice and make movement exceedingly difficult without some preparation.
It's the difficulty spike that left me excited every time I came back to play. With more games these days getting easier as you play -- with character upgrades and save points to record your progress -- Mario can only be beaten with skill and the occasional grace of luck. I enjoy a challenge, and it's a true point of pride being able to say I beat a Mario game, completing every level without using shortcuts such as warp pipes.
The game is not without mercy, though, with a new feature branded by Nintendo as the "Super Guide." If you die eight times in a row in a single course, a green block appears that allows players to access the Super Guide. When activated, Mario's brother Luigi steps in under the computer's control and goes through the level for you, showing you how it can be completed. Players can jump in anytime and take control of Luigi if desired and complete the level beyond the point they had trouble with, or just let the level complete itself and move on to the next one. It's a good tool for inexperienced players to learn the ins and outs of the Mario style.
A new feature added to the series is cooperative play with up to four players. What makes it special is that players can be added or removed without having to restart the game.
Players form a team that can include Mario, Luigi, and a pair of Toadstool people. Having four players run though a level of Mario simultaneously equals one thing: chaos, and lots of it. Players can cooperate and go through a level together, but most times it turns into a riot of attempting to off each other and steal all the power-ups for oneself.
It's actually pretty fun, and obviously expected with the optional "Free Mode" that lets players compete for higher ranks by collecting more points, coins, and enemy kills than their friends. A lack of online play is disappointing, but with all the chaos multiplayer brings, no way to communicate with other players through the Wii online, and people that just enjoy being jerks, it's to be expected. Because the game requires so much precision in the platforming, it's better to cut the feature than ruin the experience.
To be honest, I wrote New Super Mario Bros. Wii off when I first heard about it, thinking it wasn't going to be anything special, just an excuse for Nintendo to abuse the franchise. I'm eating those words now, though, as it's the first Wii game in months that makes me compulsively use the system. This is a winner worth every penny.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii is now available on Nintendo Wii for $49.95. For this review, the author played through the main game and played around with multiplayer modes.
Posted by: Luke
ASSASSIN'S CREED 2 REVIEW
January 14, 2010
Assassin's Creed got a justifiably mixed response when it was released in 2007. I loved it for its free-running style in a giant open-world setting and its perspective on religious history, but I also loathed it because of the repetitive missions and the lack of combat AI. With the newly released sequel, the developers go a long way toward fulfilling their promise to address players' complaints about the original.
Assassin's Creed II takes place in 15th Century Italy (300 years after the first game), as you experience the life and trials of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an Italian nobleman playboy -- fighting for honor during the day and romancing the ladies at night. After a conspiracy against his family takes the lives of his father and brothers, he discovers his father's double life as a member of the ancient order known as the Assassins. He begins to learn the ways of the Assassins while on the front lines of their battle against the Templars -- the group that murdered his father and wants to control the world.
The mission structure from the original Assassin's Creed required players to gather information in the same tedious ways each time -- eavesdropping, pickpocketing, or interrogating -- before finally assassinating the target. And there were only nine targets in the game.
With the sequel, the repetition is a thing of the past, with almost every mission in a different style -- such as protecting hostages, raiding the tombs of previous Assassins, and battling with hired mercenaries at your side -- and a lot more focus on actual assassinations. It does a good job keeping you on your toes without being overwhelming. The game's story reaches well over the 20-hour mark, and even though toward the end it begins to feel like a bit of a grind, the epic finale makes it worthwhile.
Ezio also has a family friend in Leonardo da Vinci, who is always willing to help with new inventions Ezio can use, such as his flying machine.
Art design sells the feel of 15th Century Italy. Landmarks such as Santa Maria del Fiore and cities such as Florence and Venice are all rendered in amazing detail, and after comparing the real ones to the game designs, the computer-generated environments are similar to what you'll find in Italy today.
The game's map system lacks information about which buildings are which -- making it a pain to navigate around the city when looking for specific areas -- but if you get lost, a real map of Venice can actually help you on your way. (It would have been nice to include a map with the game instead of making me search for it on the Internet, though.)
Notoriety is an upgraded feature in the sequel, making guards' pursuit of Ezio less ridiculous. In the first game, running and hiding from guards would dispel any notoriety you had generated. Now your crimes are being tracked. Keeping your actions low-key will make things more peaceful, while crimes such as robbery and murder will make you a wanted man. If you cross too many lines, you become a notorious criminal and have a much harder time blending in with the crowd. You can rip down wanted posters or bribe guards to reduce the heat, which is more difficult but more realistic than hiding in a haystack watching as your crimes are mysteriously pardoned.
Combat did not receive the same overhaul as the mission structure but has still been improved from the first game. Instead of being restricted to three weapons, Ezio can return to his safe house and switch between 22 different primary weapons, along with pistol and poison enhancements to the Assassins' trademark hidden weapon -- used for quick and stealthy kills. Beyond his own arsenal, Ezio can disarm his enemies and use their weapons. Taking a guard's spear and running him through with it is priceless, and often scares other guards away.
The character design unfortunately lacks the same touch as the environments. From a distance the characters look great, and with the gameplay primarily using the long-distance camera, it works for the most part. Once the view gets in close for cut scenes, though, the gameplay engine doesn't hold up as well, with a lot of rough pixels in the shadows and character's fingers becoming oddly square. It's a common problem in free-roaming games with the Grand Theft Auto style, but it's still inexcusable.
Although the first Assassin's Creed had its share of problems, I still enjoyed it and thought it would be the groundwork for an even better game. The changes and upgrades in the sequel definitely do a lot to move the series in the right direction. It still has a few issues to be addressed for the next chapter, but the improvements in Assassin's Creed II make it worth the ride.
Assassin's Creed II is now available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for $59.95. For this review, the author completed the game's story.
Posted by: Luke
