Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Boondog
Boondog
(Puzzle game)
  Boondog screenshots   | In this exceptionally neat platformer, you play a slow and cautious fellow whose goal it is to escape from some sort of factory setting laden with traps. With the aid only of dexterity and the ability to really regroup yourself after death, you must work though the dozen provided levels. The game's most obvious feature / selling point is the similarities in style that it has with the PS1 game Boondog requirements: |
Absolute Mastermind (Puzzle game) Absolute Mastermind screenshots (Click to see bigger image) Look at the screen shot for this game, come on
Absolute Mastermind
(Puzzle game)
 Absolute Mastermind screenshots   | Look at the screen shot for this game, come on look at it... The graphics in this game are great and it is this feature that sells it. It has three difficulty levels, multiplayer option and a number of skins. Absolute Mastermind requirements: |
Pipe Dream
Pipe Dream
(Puzzle game)
 Pipe Dream screenshots   | Another in a recent string of Pipe Dream clones, this version is open source and recreates the feel of the original while updating the graphics to a more modern setting. Connect the pipes from the mans house to his water tank before it spills underground. Fortunately there are some things included in the randomly generated levels to help – or hinder – you. You are given the standard pipes with which to snake together a long one, these are the corner pieces, straight pieces and cross pieces. Also thrown throughout the level are various checkpoints (which you must go through) or “holes in the ground” which temporarily slow the flow of the water. Apart from reiterating the rules to you, there really isn’t much to say about… any “Pipe Dream” variation. It’s pipes – you connect them. You get 20 points for using a piece, 30 for a slow piece and 60 for a cross piece. But what you also get with this version is a nice playing area, really, it looks good, authentic game play and most importantly, its open source – which means whatever operating system you’ve got, you can always enjoy linking pipes together. Who doesn’t enjoy that? Pipe Dream requirements: |
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Tomb Raider Underworld -360
Tomb Raider Underworld (Release Date - 2008)
I enjoyed this game from start to finish. Playing it for the first time gave me the same chills, spills & thrills feeling I got from playing the original Tomb Raider back in 96'. I honestly thought I'd never see such debt in a TR game again, but this game proves that TR still has a lot of life in it yet.
The Story
I don't want to give too much away on the story. Tomb Raider Underworld is a direct sequel to Tomb Raider Legend. Lara is on the hunt for Thor's Hammer, Mjölnir, which can open the gate to Helheim so she may get revenge for a friends murder, this friend is murdered during the game itself so I'd rather not spoil. There is a returning character as Lara unravels the truth about her parents, and Amanda's goals ....
Gameplay
I found the gameplay to be rather fun. The control system works fantastically and co-ordinates well with your commands. Along with the usual trigger happy pistol whipping, Lara has a few new tricks up her hot pants, and some returning abilities.
She now has the ability to wall jump, much like Samus Aran did in the Metroid series. This is fun, but limited in some way, because some of the alcoves aren't that high enough. Wall Jump is a key of getting out of certain situations aswell, which I like, because it makes it a part of the puzzles.
Lara can also hit her enemies with melee attacks, this can be better than shooting and causes more damage up close. It also helps build up the adreneline meter a lot faster. The adreneline attack is somewhat similiar to the adreneline attack in Legend rather than the Adreneline Dodge that was in Anniversary. Takes a while to get the hang of it, but once you do, you rarely ever miss and it kills any enemy, no matter how big, instantly. The grapple hook returns, and this time it comes in more useful ways than swinging and climbing.
You get to select a power gun at the start of each mission along with your pistols, but you can select another weapon if you want during gameplay by opening the inventory menu in your PDA.The motorbike again returns this time, and for a few stages. Only now you have the freedom to hop off the bike anytime you like, mostly to solve puzzles that open a path for you and your bike, or to collect treasures.
Like in Tomb Raider Anniversary you can jump poles, climb them and swing. Some poles are switches and require a timed run. You can also balance walk on poles and ruined ledges. There's also some fancy footwork added with flipping and kart-wheeling to dodge enemy attacks. I never bothered with this, and feel it's just for showing off.
It's mediocre in difficulty in normal mode, it's, most of the time, smoothly paste, you can take your time with most of it, and give yourself time to think, while puzzle solving.
The Environments
The environments work well with gameplay like a fusion, you look at something in the distance and it turns out to be a part of your adventure. The atmosphere can get clostrophobic in some areas, especially when enemies attack, which can get annoying sometimes as they can knock you off ledges when you time the jumps wrong.
As you progress through this amazing game the environments just become even more incredible. Some places are exotic, while others are ruined, then there's the deep sea stages, which I'm glad to say, have a snorkle, so Lara won't drown this time. There's a lot of beautiful scenery. I'd rather not mention the locations you visit, takes the fun out've it.
The puzzles are a part of the environments, and the game seems to be revolved around them mostly, rather than the action, they're not really that difficult to figure out though, which lets it down slightly.
Graphics
The graphics can be slightly blocky sometimes, while in other parts they take your breath away. The camera angle can get twitchy and Lara does fall behind, what's supposed to be, solid rock. It rarely happens though, unlike Anniversary, which had glitches all over it. As for Lara herself, they polished her off nicely, she gets dirty, you can also hear her breathing as she moves. The enemies look so realistic in movement. They've added a motion blur effect when they attack, which is a nice touch.
Body Movement and Voice Acting
Body movement and Voice Acting are absolutely superb, I honestly don't see any flaw with the animations in cutscenes what so ever. The character movement in the cutscnes are slightly similiar to that of the Devil May Cry series. They're enjoyable to watch.
Overall
This game has been a delight to play and I really hope that Crystal Dynamics keep taking it in this direction. It feels like a breakthrough. Tomb Raider Underworld was designed specifically for next-gen consoles and I believe this is probably where they went wrong by focusing the series too much on last gen gameplay.
It has a lot of dept , exploration, adventuring along with a couple of puzzles to solve. There's action, but little which is where Tomb Raider belongs in my opinion. Tomb Raider games often get frustrating eventually and I find myself yelling at the screen, but I'm surprised this time it didn't happen, because they finally did it right.
If you're not a TR fan, and like adventure games with some puzzle solving, then why not make this your next purchase.
Tomb Raider fans who've enjoyed Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider IV and Legend will possibly love it!
A well deserved ...
GamerScore - 9/10
Written by - Neptune's Bounty
I enjoyed this game from start to finish. Playing it for the first time gave me the same chills, spills & thrills feeling I got from playing the original Tomb Raider back in 96'. I honestly thought I'd never see such debt in a TR game again, but this game proves that TR still has a lot of life in it yet.
The Story
I don't want to give too much away on the story. Tomb Raider Underworld is a direct sequel to Tomb Raider Legend. Lara is on the hunt for Thor's Hammer, Mjölnir, which can open the gate to Helheim so she may get revenge for a friends murder, this friend is murdered during the game itself so I'd rather not spoil. There is a returning character as Lara unravels the truth about her parents, and Amanda's goals ....
Gameplay
I found the gameplay to be rather fun. The control system works fantastically and co-ordinates well with your commands. Along with the usual trigger happy pistol whipping, Lara has a few new tricks up her hot pants, and some returning abilities.
She now has the ability to wall jump, much like Samus Aran did in the Metroid series. This is fun, but limited in some way, because some of the alcoves aren't that high enough. Wall Jump is a key of getting out of certain situations aswell, which I like, because it makes it a part of the puzzles.
Lara can also hit her enemies with melee attacks, this can be better than shooting and causes more damage up close. It also helps build up the adreneline meter a lot faster. The adreneline attack is somewhat similiar to the adreneline attack in Legend rather than the Adreneline Dodge that was in Anniversary. Takes a while to get the hang of it, but once you do, you rarely ever miss and it kills any enemy, no matter how big, instantly. The grapple hook returns, and this time it comes in more useful ways than swinging and climbing.
You get to select a power gun at the start of each mission along with your pistols, but you can select another weapon if you want during gameplay by opening the inventory menu in your PDA.The motorbike again returns this time, and for a few stages. Only now you have the freedom to hop off the bike anytime you like, mostly to solve puzzles that open a path for you and your bike, or to collect treasures.
Like in Tomb Raider Anniversary you can jump poles, climb them and swing. Some poles are switches and require a timed run. You can also balance walk on poles and ruined ledges. There's also some fancy footwork added with flipping and kart-wheeling to dodge enemy attacks. I never bothered with this, and feel it's just for showing off.
It's mediocre in difficulty in normal mode, it's, most of the time, smoothly paste, you can take your time with most of it, and give yourself time to think, while puzzle solving.
The Environments
The environments work well with gameplay like a fusion, you look at something in the distance and it turns out to be a part of your adventure. The atmosphere can get clostrophobic in some areas, especially when enemies attack, which can get annoying sometimes as they can knock you off ledges when you time the jumps wrong.
As you progress through this amazing game the environments just become even more incredible. Some places are exotic, while others are ruined, then there's the deep sea stages, which I'm glad to say, have a snorkle, so Lara won't drown this time. There's a lot of beautiful scenery. I'd rather not mention the locations you visit, takes the fun out've it.
The puzzles are a part of the environments, and the game seems to be revolved around them mostly, rather than the action, they're not really that difficult to figure out though, which lets it down slightly.
Graphics
The graphics can be slightly blocky sometimes, while in other parts they take your breath away. The camera angle can get twitchy and Lara does fall behind, what's supposed to be, solid rock. It rarely happens though, unlike Anniversary, which had glitches all over it. As for Lara herself, they polished her off nicely, she gets dirty, you can also hear her breathing as she moves. The enemies look so realistic in movement. They've added a motion blur effect when they attack, which is a nice touch.
Body Movement and Voice Acting
Body movement and Voice Acting are absolutely superb, I honestly don't see any flaw with the animations in cutscenes what so ever. The character movement in the cutscnes are slightly similiar to that of the Devil May Cry series. They're enjoyable to watch.
Overall
This game has been a delight to play and I really hope that Crystal Dynamics keep taking it in this direction. It feels like a breakthrough. Tomb Raider Underworld was designed specifically for next-gen consoles and I believe this is probably where they went wrong by focusing the series too much on last gen gameplay.
It has a lot of dept , exploration, adventuring along with a couple of puzzles to solve. There's action, but little which is where Tomb Raider belongs in my opinion. Tomb Raider games often get frustrating eventually and I find myself yelling at the screen, but I'm surprised this time it didn't happen, because they finally did it right.
If you're not a TR fan, and like adventure games with some puzzle solving, then why not make this your next purchase.
Tomb Raider fans who've enjoyed Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider IV and Legend will possibly love it!
A well deserved ...
GamerScore - 9/10
Written by - Neptune's Bounty
FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 - Xbox 360
FIGHT NIGHT ROUND 4 - Xbox 360
Intro
The world of gaming isn’t known for its physical attributes, most gamers are stereotyped as fat and lazy or slim and weak. For most, this is the case, but maybe with the release of Fight Night they can feel powered, especially when they beat their muscled neighbour who hasn’t got a clue what a console is. You might have thought that fight night wouldn’t go down well with gamers, but with the fourth instalment of the series it’s true to say that Fight Night is a knockout with gamers.
Gameplay
Countering is more important then ever in Fight Night Round 4, and is mandatory if you want to win titles. The game play mechanic is still the same (beat the life out of the other guy and make sure he doesn’t do the same). There are few new features like the corner game; if you do well in the ring your trainer collects points to use between rounds to regain health, damage and stamina. You can do this manually or auto which is probably the best one. It’s still very repetative which is the biggest problem with this game, and to be honest, that probably won’t change over time.
Graphics/Sound
As you start up the game you instantly see how brilliant the graphics are in Fight Night. The detail of the fighters is very superior, and you can really see the blood and sweat. The lighting is probably the best visually wise, because you get a good feeling of being in an actual ring, and this helps with the other visual aspects. The crowd are still poor and look very basic, when you do get a knock out the replay has the same impact sound wherever you hit them, whether it is the body or head. Talking of replays, the feature is probably the best you can get in a sports game most notable the option to free roam around the ring.
Controls
The controls are one of the main things that have changed and it has split people’s opinions. The main punch control is the right stick which is fittingly named “Total Punch Control”. In my opinion it feels realistic seeing in real life, you won’t land the actual punch you intended. You have the dodge and block with the triggers and the face buttons for other moves. New free DLC will include different control options that use the face buttons. It does feel good the controls, and you will probably not change them when you begin to play.
Legacy Mode
Legacy mode is the equivalent to a career mode and actually is a let down. You see there are two major problems. Number one is the training, for a start it’s unbelievably boring and sometimes you’ll just have to skip it. Number two it’s just boring in general, there hasn’t been a time when I actually felt excited about something new happening and there isn’t much diversity. It’s just training then fight training then fight training then fight and after a short amount of time it gets boring. The legacy rating is alright but isn’t very original.
Online
In Fight Night you have online capability which like the legacy mode is a bit boring. You have quick match and the world championship. The quick match is pretty much what it says on the tin and is very boring, it can either be a fight were both of you just keep hitting each other or it can be a match where no one hits because the other one will eventually counter. The world championship is where you use a created boxer (usually from legacy mode) and pit them against other people's created boxers). There are 3 weight classes (lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight) and everyone’s stats are the same. Its pretty much quick match but with a league table. There is one good thing about online and that is the boxer share. Boxer share is were people put up their own boxers and setting files. There are some pretty good ones from Borat to Barack Obama and from Ghandi to Gollum.
Conclusion
With brilliant visuals and with not so brilliant game play, it’s kind of a mixed bag. Fight now is probably the best game mode and is great to have fights with modern and classic fighters. The main problem with the game is the repetativeness which will never go away. With some new DLC coming I think many people will be playing it for a long time. Fight Night maybe wasn’t the best game in the series, but it got people there boxing fix for another year.
I give it a - Gamerscore - 7/10
Written by - PieInTheSky
Intro
The world of gaming isn’t known for its physical attributes, most gamers are stereotyped as fat and lazy or slim and weak. For most, this is the case, but maybe with the release of Fight Night they can feel powered, especially when they beat their muscled neighbour who hasn’t got a clue what a console is. You might have thought that fight night wouldn’t go down well with gamers, but with the fourth instalment of the series it’s true to say that Fight Night is a knockout with gamers.
Gameplay
Countering is more important then ever in Fight Night Round 4, and is mandatory if you want to win titles. The game play mechanic is still the same (beat the life out of the other guy and make sure he doesn’t do the same). There are few new features like the corner game; if you do well in the ring your trainer collects points to use between rounds to regain health, damage and stamina. You can do this manually or auto which is probably the best one. It’s still very repetative which is the biggest problem with this game, and to be honest, that probably won’t change over time.
Graphics/Sound
As you start up the game you instantly see how brilliant the graphics are in Fight Night. The detail of the fighters is very superior, and you can really see the blood and sweat. The lighting is probably the best visually wise, because you get a good feeling of being in an actual ring, and this helps with the other visual aspects. The crowd are still poor and look very basic, when you do get a knock out the replay has the same impact sound wherever you hit them, whether it is the body or head. Talking of replays, the feature is probably the best you can get in a sports game most notable the option to free roam around the ring.
Controls
The controls are one of the main things that have changed and it has split people’s opinions. The main punch control is the right stick which is fittingly named “Total Punch Control”. In my opinion it feels realistic seeing in real life, you won’t land the actual punch you intended. You have the dodge and block with the triggers and the face buttons for other moves. New free DLC will include different control options that use the face buttons. It does feel good the controls, and you will probably not change them when you begin to play.
Legacy Mode
Legacy mode is the equivalent to a career mode and actually is a let down. You see there are two major problems. Number one is the training, for a start it’s unbelievably boring and sometimes you’ll just have to skip it. Number two it’s just boring in general, there hasn’t been a time when I actually felt excited about something new happening and there isn’t much diversity. It’s just training then fight training then fight training then fight and after a short amount of time it gets boring. The legacy rating is alright but isn’t very original.
Online
In Fight Night you have online capability which like the legacy mode is a bit boring. You have quick match and the world championship. The quick match is pretty much what it says on the tin and is very boring, it can either be a fight were both of you just keep hitting each other or it can be a match where no one hits because the other one will eventually counter. The world championship is where you use a created boxer (usually from legacy mode) and pit them against other people's created boxers). There are 3 weight classes (lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight) and everyone’s stats are the same. Its pretty much quick match but with a league table. There is one good thing about online and that is the boxer share. Boxer share is were people put up their own boxers and setting files. There are some pretty good ones from Borat to Barack Obama and from Ghandi to Gollum.
Conclusion
With brilliant visuals and with not so brilliant game play, it’s kind of a mixed bag. Fight now is probably the best game mode and is great to have fights with modern and classic fighters. The main problem with the game is the repetativeness which will never go away. With some new DLC coming I think many people will be playing it for a long time. Fight Night maybe wasn’t the best game in the series, but it got people there boxing fix for another year.
I give it a - Gamerscore - 7/10
Written by - PieInTheSky
__________________
“Showing off is the fool's idea of glory” - Bruce Lee
“Showing off is the fool's idea of glory” - Bruce Lee
Prototype - Xbox 360, PS3 and PC
Prototype - Xbox 360, PS3 and PC
Prototype, the new game from Radical Entertainment set its sights high and well delivered on most of them.
Story-Prototype follows the character of Alex Mercer. He has been infected with a virus and the virus has also been released into Manhattan. Alex is attempting to find out why this has happened to him. While the story is no Mass Effect it is acceptable and is never noticeably bad. However an interesting feature is having Alex’s back-story told through “consume events.” The consume events are people who you can hunt down in the city and absorb their body mass. This then triggers a short event which shows the persons memories. So gradually you begin to understand what happened to Alex.
Graphics- The black sheep of the features. While Alex is running on the streets and among close quarters the graphics are acceptable, however when gliding or at high heights the graphics are lost a bit. While gliding, texture loss can sometimes be seen and the orbs (explained later) pop in and out of view.
Gameplay- Prototype is based around Alex Mercer and how he has been infected with a virus. This virus grants him the ability to, in a word, shapeshift. So over the course of the game you will utilise your ability to run straight up walls and glide. When combat is called for Alex can utilise many offensive powers such as claws, whips and blades, all of which are moulded from his arms. To complement his offensive powers come some defensive powers (shields) and sensory powers (thermal vision, etc).While some of these upgrades are automatically awarded to you for completing story missions there is also a massive upgrades menu. More and more upgrades are added to this menu over time as you progress in the story. The menu is separated into “tabs” which relate to a specific type of upgrade (powers, movement, combat, vehicle etc). So as well as upgrading Alex’s powers you can also buy upgrades like huge elbow slams, bulletdive drops and cannonballs. To contemplate all of Alex’s potential powers, by consuming certain military commanders you gain the ability to use vehicles like helicopters and tanks. While the vehicles are nothing special they are tremendous fun and provide something else to do. All these upgrades are bought through Evolution Point. EP is awarded for everything you do whether its completing a mission or just killing people in the streets.
Extras
While there is a complete lake of online play there is plenty to do the story is finished. The freeroaming city of Manhattan is still there to explore and search for 200 landmark orbs and 50 hint orbs. And if collecting orbs doesn’t sound too interesting then there are heaps of side quests scattered around the city which range from rooftop races, to killing as many characters as possible in a time limit and much more. You can infiltrate military bases and destroy infected hives. Also when you have completed the game, there is an option to start a new game+ which allows you to start again with all the upgrades you have bought. However, Prototype does fall into the trap of repetition. Most of the story missions aren’t overly different and the mindless civilian killing can become repetitive.
While there is a complete lake of online play there is plenty to do the story is finished. The freeroaming city of Manhattan is still there to explore and search for 200 landmark orbs and 50 hint orbs. And if collecting orbs doesn’t sound too interesting then there are heaps of side quests scattered around the city which range from rooftop races, to killing as many characters as possible in a time limit and much more. You can infiltrate military bases and destroy infected hives. Also when you have completed the game, there is an option to start a new game+ which allows you to start again with all the upgrades you have bought. However, Prototype does fall into the trap of repetition. Most of the story missions aren’t overly different and the mindless civilian killing can become repetitive.
Summary
In conclusion I found Prototype amazing. There is a huge open world and a huge range of powers to choose from as well as an average length story and plenty of side quests to keep you occupied. However the repetition and lacklustre graphics hold it back from getting a perfect score. However Prototype offers such as enjoyable sandbox that you should at least give it a try. I give it a well deserved
In conclusion I found Prototype amazing. There is a huge open world and a huge range of powers to choose from as well as an average length story and plenty of side quests to keep you occupied. However the repetition and lacklustre graphics hold it back from getting a perfect score. However Prototype offers such as enjoyable sandbox that you should at least give it a try. I give it a well deserved
Score - 9/10
Written by Urban Darkfire
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - 360
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
I know I'm uber-cool. Heck, everyone knows I'm uber-cool, but when a game acknowledges how uber-cool I am, it instantly wins my love from that alone. Luckily, Bethesda know the way to my heart, and have assured my love through the ego-inflating yet undeniably annoying adoring fan. He just follows you around until he gets mauled by a passing daedra, but the fact that he refers to you as "Oh great and mighty Grand Champion" means he's worth sticking in the game, and worth speaking to once. And never again.
It's also worth noting that Bethesda put an awful lot of other cool stuff into Oblivion. Such as flower picking. However, they even went to the trouble of putting basic, mundane, everyday tasks in, such as sneaking aboard pirate ships and assassinating the captain, entering yourself for fierce gladitorial fights to the death, or simply saving the world. The work that they've put into the little details is astounding. Oblivion is, in case you've been living in one of the many fusty caves littering Cyrodiil, an open world game. After exiting the sewers near the start of the game, you can either proceed with the whole apocalypse prevention procedure or completely disregard all that you have witnessed in the first half hour of the game. If you choose the former, you'll spend the next hour of your new life chatting up a priest who actually happens to be heir to the throne, only to find that he'll only follow you home if you slap about a couple of scabby-faced ruffians who set fire to half of his neighbourhood. The latter choice will take you anywhere you happen to end up. It's all a bit hit and miss there, although eventually you'll probably end up finding your way into one of the guilds. Or you'll spend the rest of your life sucking the moisture from rocks, whiling away the hours talking to mud crab.
Called Ted.
Whichever path you choose, you'll always be in Cyrodiil, which has more places to go than you're likely to have time for. Luckily, there are also more things to do than you're likely to have time for, such as the above mentioned world-saving, or foiling a shopkeeper's evil plan to... sell cheap goods. The concept of all of these one off quests are great, and happily, they're all played out in equally great greatness. Huzzah! There as many different quests as quests you might want to do, and most people seem to have something troubling them. Oh, my flagon of ale has been stolen. Oh, my cat jumped off of a bridge. Oh, my sword has grown toenails, etc etc etc. As is so often the case in video gaming, most of the quests involve killing whoever the villain may be, rather than say, having a chat over a mug of ale. Ah well. I suppose omitting peaceful solutions is an accurate simulation of life.
When opening up a huge game world to explore, it's easy to just hope that the player may become so immersed that they won't notice that you've skimped on the graphics. Graphics skimping, however, has been skimped on in Oblivion. Your weapon shimmers in the light, orcs look as pig ugly and John Prescott-like as they should, and you can get some truly brilliant views. The only problem is with these views, in fact: the game only loads your immediate area. This leaves anything beyond that looking like a pre-schooler's snotted up papier mache replica of Old Trafford. On the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions you're stuck with this, but the PC version has a fascicle of mods available to make the game more pleasing on the eye. That said, even without the mods, Oblivion is still a beautiful game.
On the subject of mods, there are an awful lot that the community has now churned out. Any problems, no matter how obscure, that vanilla Oblivion had, have been ironed out by modders. One such gripe that angered many a fan was the lack of snail racing. That has since been corrected though, and you are now free to bet on and spectate this sport of kings (Once you've installed the mod, of course).
And now we arrive at the obligatory "things which this game fluffed up" part of the review. The most major problem is the combat system, which features a "block" button and a "swipe wildly in the enemy's general direction" button. You're not going to pull off Devil May Cry style combos however hard you may try, and the system's incredible lack of depth is what puts me off the warrior classes. Instead, I opt to sneak around in the shadows, picking off my targets with a well-placed arrow (and a 3x sneak damage bonus). Ranged attacks are much more interesting, the projectiles staying lodged in your target's throat until you pluck them back out. Or, if you're like me, leave them in and screenshot it, you sadistic *******.
The game is also (On 360 at least) a little sluggish at some points when you're skipping through the countryside. On all platforms, there is occasional slowdown as the game loads the next area, yet the Xbox 360 version's frame rate seems to be a little more erratic than it would be on a decent computer. Saying that, the frame rate problem is slight, and you'll barely notice it thanks to all the fun you'll have killing goblins. Oh joy.
All in all, Oblivion is an open world RPG which stands head and shoulders above its peers. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, and the combat is far from the best you'll find, but Cyrodiil has been wonderfully crafted. Much like the under-garments of an inebriated Keira Knightly, it's a place you can't afford not to explore.
9/10
Written by Dante
I know I'm uber-cool. Heck, everyone knows I'm uber-cool, but when a game acknowledges how uber-cool I am, it instantly wins my love from that alone. Luckily, Bethesda know the way to my heart, and have assured my love through the ego-inflating yet undeniably annoying adoring fan. He just follows you around until he gets mauled by a passing daedra, but the fact that he refers to you as "Oh great and mighty Grand Champion" means he's worth sticking in the game, and worth speaking to once. And never again.
It's also worth noting that Bethesda put an awful lot of other cool stuff into Oblivion. Such as flower picking. However, they even went to the trouble of putting basic, mundane, everyday tasks in, such as sneaking aboard pirate ships and assassinating the captain, entering yourself for fierce gladitorial fights to the death, or simply saving the world. The work that they've put into the little details is astounding. Oblivion is, in case you've been living in one of the many fusty caves littering Cyrodiil, an open world game. After exiting the sewers near the start of the game, you can either proceed with the whole apocalypse prevention procedure or completely disregard all that you have witnessed in the first half hour of the game. If you choose the former, you'll spend the next hour of your new life chatting up a priest who actually happens to be heir to the throne, only to find that he'll only follow you home if you slap about a couple of scabby-faced ruffians who set fire to half of his neighbourhood. The latter choice will take you anywhere you happen to end up. It's all a bit hit and miss there, although eventually you'll probably end up finding your way into one of the guilds. Or you'll spend the rest of your life sucking the moisture from rocks, whiling away the hours talking to mud crab.
Called Ted.
Whichever path you choose, you'll always be in Cyrodiil, which has more places to go than you're likely to have time for. Luckily, there are also more things to do than you're likely to have time for, such as the above mentioned world-saving, or foiling a shopkeeper's evil plan to... sell cheap goods. The concept of all of these one off quests are great, and happily, they're all played out in equally great greatness. Huzzah! There as many different quests as quests you might want to do, and most people seem to have something troubling them. Oh, my flagon of ale has been stolen. Oh, my cat jumped off of a bridge. Oh, my sword has grown toenails, etc etc etc. As is so often the case in video gaming, most of the quests involve killing whoever the villain may be, rather than say, having a chat over a mug of ale. Ah well. I suppose omitting peaceful solutions is an accurate simulation of life.
When opening up a huge game world to explore, it's easy to just hope that the player may become so immersed that they won't notice that you've skimped on the graphics. Graphics skimping, however, has been skimped on in Oblivion. Your weapon shimmers in the light, orcs look as pig ugly and John Prescott-like as they should, and you can get some truly brilliant views. The only problem is with these views, in fact: the game only loads your immediate area. This leaves anything beyond that looking like a pre-schooler's snotted up papier mache replica of Old Trafford. On the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions you're stuck with this, but the PC version has a fascicle of mods available to make the game more pleasing on the eye. That said, even without the mods, Oblivion is still a beautiful game.
On the subject of mods, there are an awful lot that the community has now churned out. Any problems, no matter how obscure, that vanilla Oblivion had, have been ironed out by modders. One such gripe that angered many a fan was the lack of snail racing. That has since been corrected though, and you are now free to bet on and spectate this sport of kings (Once you've installed the mod, of course).
And now we arrive at the obligatory "things which this game fluffed up" part of the review. The most major problem is the combat system, which features a "block" button and a "swipe wildly in the enemy's general direction" button. You're not going to pull off Devil May Cry style combos however hard you may try, and the system's incredible lack of depth is what puts me off the warrior classes. Instead, I opt to sneak around in the shadows, picking off my targets with a well-placed arrow (and a 3x sneak damage bonus). Ranged attacks are much more interesting, the projectiles staying lodged in your target's throat until you pluck them back out. Or, if you're like me, leave them in and screenshot it, you sadistic *******.
The game is also (On 360 at least) a little sluggish at some points when you're skipping through the countryside. On all platforms, there is occasional slowdown as the game loads the next area, yet the Xbox 360 version's frame rate seems to be a little more erratic than it would be on a decent computer. Saying that, the frame rate problem is slight, and you'll barely notice it thanks to all the fun you'll have killing goblins. Oh joy.
All in all, Oblivion is an open world RPG which stands head and shoulders above its peers. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, and the combat is far from the best you'll find, but Cyrodiil has been wonderfully crafted. Much like the under-garments of an inebriated Keira Knightly, it's a place you can't afford not to explore.
9/10
Written by Dante
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi - PS2
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi - Playstation 2 (Released October 6th 2005)
This is the first of the Tenkaichi series to come from the Dragon Ball Z games and contains enough gameplay to keep a gamer occupied for around 2 weeks or so, maybe more. With 56 fully playable characters and 16 stages of battle, each of these battle grounds are all made up of elements relevant to the animated series of Dragon Ball Z. Right from the beginning to the end of the show, with tutorials and practice matches it doesnt matter if you have seen or played previous Dragon Ball/ Dragon Ball Z games, controllers are very easy and adept to use.
Some battles seem impossible, some matches end in under a minute, whether your fighting in the sky, under water, ground or in a different dimension it always remains action packed. It doesnt get harder as you fight your way through the game, its a good "beat or be beat game" either way, watching your favourite characters coming through victorious is always a good thing.
You can replay each and every single battle which occurs in the show, which is a great feature for any Dragon Ball Z fan, as well as being able to collect the Dragon Balls to unlock hints, tips, cheats and a selection of others, this all adds on to the fairness adventure of the game.
I personally really enjoy this game's features such as the 3D destructable surroundings and the gradual "Look how you feel" as you're health decreases the appearance of the character becomes more rugged. Could be referred to as a "Faster Tekken". It's a real controller buster, before starting a game be sure to have an array of controllers and nerves of steel!
Negatives are as follows:- An extortionate amount of loading screens, frequent pauses and jams whilst selecting character, very annoying music! no auto saves, but the most unappealing about this is the lack of valuable cut scenes that are very important to non watchers of the series!
I strongly recommend that any Dragon Ball Z fan should try this game out.
Score : 9.5/10
Start Screen
Actual Footage
Opening Scene Shot
About to break the remote
Written by TeddyNamek
This is the first of the Tenkaichi series to come from the Dragon Ball Z games and contains enough gameplay to keep a gamer occupied for around 2 weeks or so, maybe more. With 56 fully playable characters and 16 stages of battle, each of these battle grounds are all made up of elements relevant to the animated series of Dragon Ball Z. Right from the beginning to the end of the show, with tutorials and practice matches it doesnt matter if you have seen or played previous Dragon Ball/ Dragon Ball Z games, controllers are very easy and adept to use.
Some battles seem impossible, some matches end in under a minute, whether your fighting in the sky, under water, ground or in a different dimension it always remains action packed. It doesnt get harder as you fight your way through the game, its a good "beat or be beat game" either way, watching your favourite characters coming through victorious is always a good thing.
You can replay each and every single battle which occurs in the show, which is a great feature for any Dragon Ball Z fan, as well as being able to collect the Dragon Balls to unlock hints, tips, cheats and a selection of others, this all adds on to the fairness adventure of the game.
I personally really enjoy this game's features such as the 3D destructable surroundings and the gradual "Look how you feel" as you're health decreases the appearance of the character becomes more rugged. Could be referred to as a "Faster Tekken". It's a real controller buster, before starting a game be sure to have an array of controllers and nerves of steel!
Negatives are as follows:- An extortionate amount of loading screens, frequent pauses and jams whilst selecting character, very annoying music! no auto saves, but the most unappealing about this is the lack of valuable cut scenes that are very important to non watchers of the series!
I strongly recommend that any Dragon Ball Z fan should try this game out.
Score : 9.5/10
Start Screen
Actual Footage
Opening Scene Shot
About to break the remote
Written by TeddyNamek
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