March 23, 2012

Preview: Confrontation

Posted by: Cybermario @ 9:15 pm Share in Facebook

We’ve had the chance to play a preview build Confrontation Developed by Cyanide Studio. This is a a new tactical strategy RPG title set in a fantasy world known as Aarklash, in which four factions are trying to gain control. The story develops around this rivalry and how new and abominable beings created by the combination of magic and science.
You start as a Griffin squad and your mission is to discover and infiltrate one of the Scorpion Biolabs, not an easy feat as the gloomy and dismal laboratory is full of dangerous bioenginered monsters.


Confrontation



The preview build consists of two missions, the first to assemble your squad, that is scatered in this inhospitable and dangerous land.
The second mission inside one of the laboratories, to find more about the new threat in the war. I can’t say this preview was short at all, after a couple of hours i finished both missions so the full game ensures a good time of enjoyment and gameplay.
As usual in this kind of game you have the classic tank, healer, dps, etc. At first it’s easy to decide the roles as you can play with only 4 members (your first squad from the very first mission) but according to the codex and the classes available it seems we will be able to add more soldiers to our merry squad.


Confrontation



Weaponry, seems to be default and i’m not much a fan of that, although you can select the way your character evolves with different branches that will accomodate your style of play, now that’s something i like!
Confrontation doesn’t seem to offer anything new to the genre but by no means looks like a bad title, classes look pretty balanced to me, then again this is a preview build and until i try the full game I can’t say the rest of the classes are or not balanced, we will see.
Something i liked is a character editor in which you can customize the colors of the members in your squad, although it may not seem significant i love games that let us do customizations to our characters. That is a plus for me and this editor it’s a toy with which will amuse me a lot in this game.
This seems to be a title to keep in mind if you love the RTS genre, specially in the spirit of Diablo or fantasy games of the sort.


Confrontation



Excellent cutscenes narrate the storyline, art and sound in these are very good, if you know me you know i love good stories and narrative, definitely can’t wait to see more of the game and you can be sure we will have a follow up review pretty soon!




~Mario




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March 22, 2012

Review: Yesterday (PC)

Posted by: Cybermario @ 2:15 am Share in Facebook

Recently we had the pleasure to try a YESTERDAY preview build, now having played a full release, we are completely delighted and no need to say that we enjoyed it from start to finish.
As we previously mentioned in our previous article it’s good to see a classic genre that refuses to die in a market flooded with (sometimes) mediocre and monotone FPS’s. What does Pendulo and Focus Home Interactive have in store for you? Let’s find out!

YESTERDAY



Story
Mysterious deaths have been occuring in New York, homeless people have been found burned alive and with a strange mark in their hands. Henry White and his best friend Copper wander into an abandoned metro line to investigate, leading to truly shocking events. As time goes on a new character appears, the amnesic John Yesterday.
After a very suspicious suicide attempt in the middle of his investigation John lost his memory, in such condition John is determined to find his past, the mystery of a satanic cult and the link to the murders in Ney York.


YESTERDAY



Gameplay
Yesterday is a Point and Click Adventure game, an old and much loved genre that is a pleasure to play, specially with a good storyline like in Yesterday.
Controls are quite simple, all you need is your mouse, after all it’s a point and click game. You have a bar in the bottom displaying what’s in your inventory.


You obtain clues and new items as you interact with the enviroment. Many times you will see animated cutscenes enriching the gaming experience a lot.
Some puzzles are quite simple and others are hard to keep you busy for a time. The usual tip button is there, so if you are losing neurones by the minute this will help you to move on. Although if you ask me, it’s much more rewarding to solve a puzzle without cheating isn’t?
The story takes place in 3 different scenarios. You will find yourself venturing in an abandoned New York metro system, visiting antique shops in paris and in a place i suspect is the tibet, mostly appearing as flashbacks in John’s mind. The diversity of scenery in these 3 places is good. Giving the player the feeling of a horror thriller and a sort of indiana jones movie all in one game (Raiders of the Lost Ark anyone?), of course romance and good humor are present and will lighten the dark and bold thematic of Yesterday.


YESTERDAY



Without giving you much details and hoping i am not spoiling anything, get ready to see some dramatic and shocking twists in the characters as you progress and unlock some of the mysteries of the story, the cult and John’s memories.
The experience is quite unique and believe me, like me you may not want to get up from your seat until you finish the adventure due to the intricate and really interesting story of the game. This include 3 different endings, which endings you ask? sorry guys but no spoilers!


YESTERDAY



Graphics 8.5/10
Very colorful and detailed backgrounds. Animations are both a mix of GC and comic panels giving the game a unique and pleasant style to the eye. Character design is quite good, prety similar as in their previous title “The Next Big Thing”, if you played that game you know what to expect. The animated intro is shocking and intriguing, sucking the player into the experience right from the begining.


Sound 8/10
Sure, the game does not have a lot of music, and really doesn’t need it. Background sounds and effects complement the game to perfection, from gun shots to ambient effects, giving unease feeling and more. Although there is voice acting here and there


Downside
If any, you will finish the game yelling, no please… I want more! I know i do.


YESTERDAY



Overall
What can we say of a game like this? if you enjoy the Adventure game be sure you are in for a great ride with Yesterday! Catching graphics, a dark storyline with the right dose of humor and good gameplay, this game is one to remember.
Adventure games may not have a high replay value but this is one to keep in your collection and revisitng once in a while, you will not regret it. We can only hope to see more titles like this from the guys at Pendulo and Focus Home Interactive, kudos for an amazing game, Yesterday!


We give the game an 8.5 out of 10




~Mario




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December 10, 2011

Review – Jurassic Park: The Game (PS3)

Posted by: Cybermario @ 6:19 am Share in Facebook

Jurassic Park is no stranger to the world of video games, we have seen games of this franchise, spawn since the golden 16-bit era. From Carts to disc based media, some with fairly good gameplay and others that are best left forgotten.
Now Telltale Games brings a new Jurassic Park videogame to the current generation of consoles, and just as they did with Back to the Future, thumbs up as we affirm they did a fantastic job!

Jurassic Park: The Game

Story
The game is not a sequel of the movies, just like they did with Back to the Future, Telltale was able to give us an alternate story, with new characters and stories taking place at the same time and parallel to the events on the first movie. Specially we will learn the final destination of the shaving cream canister and it’s contents. The developers were able to capture the thrills of the movie, they make you feel the suspense and action of Jurassic park right from the start.


Jurassic Park: The Game



Gameplay
The game is played in a similar way to other Telltale games but as they stated before the game was out, it’s different from games they have developed before. This game shows more human like characters and has a more darker tone, that you can feel right form the beginning.
You will be playing an interactive movie and a point and click game. Moving all over the island as only Telltale can do it, with a classic point and click to search clues, triggering events and quick time sequences. The quick time sequences by timing and mashing buttons and the analog sticks to advance throughout the story.
Controls feel nice and responsive, if you played other games of this genre, you already know how to play.
This may not sounds like much, but believe me, if you played and enjoyed previous titles from the company and like point and click games, you are in for a surprise with this interactive game. Some sequences can be pretty intense and will have you glued to your chair, while you try to survive attacks from the dinosaurs.
It’s a point and click title, so it’s easy? No; unlike previous titles with a trial, error and a never ending character, this time you will die, be guaranteed you will. Going from bronze to gold depending on your performance is how the game will progress leading to the next chapter or certain death.


Jurassic Park: The Game



Graphics 8.5/10
They are pretty good and detailed, giving us a very dark and uneasy feeling as you search for clues, and by escaping voracious dinosaurs in the darkness and right in the middle of an hurricane that is about to hit the island. The quick time sequenses are thrilling, exciting and some can be pretty intense, T-Rex anyone?


Sound 8/10
Composed by John Williams, with lots of sounds and music that reminiscent the movie, they fit like a glove with the rest of the game, and specially the T-Rex scream right in the selection screen is pure fan service.


Downside
If anything, Jurassic Park episodes feel extremely short, and you really dont want it to end after a few hours playing each episode (roughly 8 hours?), letting you want more.


Loading times are not the best, at least on the PS3 version which i tried.


Jurassic Park: The Game



Overall
Jurassic Park: The Game is a real blast, if you loved the movie and want to have a fantastic time revisiting Isla Nublar and his prehistoric habitants, Telltale give us a really good story that will not dissapoint fans of the franchise. With some framerate problems and minor details that dont overshadow the greatness of the experience.
By far the best looking game from Telltale and one that’s a real thrilling adventure to play from start to end.


Jurassic Park: The Game (Full 4 Episode Season) is now available on on the PlayStation Network for $29.99. Jurassic Park: The Game is also now available for the Xbox 360 (in North America) and the PC, Mac, and iPad 2 worldwide. No Vectrex? I feel offended, really.


Giving the game an 8 out of 10


**A review code was provided by the publisher for this review




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November 17, 2011

Review: Worms Crazy Golf

Posted by: Cybermario @ 12:00 pm Share in Facebook

One more time Team17 delights us with another fun and addicting title, it’s Worms Crazy Golf for the Playstation Network! This time the worms put their weapons aside and take a rest from the fights, grabing an iron and bringing addictive madness to the golf course.


Gameplay
The game features 2 game modes, Single Player and Hot Seat Multiplayer, (offline) they have different choices and customizations as previous Worms games have us used to.
Although there are no weapons, the game is not a simple golf game, you can change the trajectory of the ball midair and if the ball, hits some bystander worms, sheeps and other creatures around the golf course, you can get bonus points. When a worm dies you can listen to the classic sounds and watch the classic tombstones, this gives Worms Crazy Golf that fun touch we all love in a Worms game. The courses are good and with a good amount of variety.


Single Player: Career is basically the campaign, with 3 different golf courses to play (now 4 with the DLC), challenges and Trophy Room. Career is, five different challenge modes with 4 maps to unlock each one. Trophy Room is basically a gallery where trophies awarded by beating the different courses are kept (these are not the PSN Trophies).
Hot Seat Multiplayer: options include Set Golfers and Set Game Type. The first choice is basically the classics Worms editor, letting us create new worms, name them, dress them and of course the speech, and as this is a gold game we can also pick our iron, wedges, etc.
The second choice lets us pick one of the golf courses from the campaign and DLC, a quick game option will pick one at random if we decide to go with that. Multiplayer lets you play with up to 4 different worms locally. There is no online multiplayer as far i can tell.





Challenges are just like the bonus rounds you encounter in each golf course in the campaign, as i commented before there are five different challenges and i will explain them here with more detail, each had 4 maps and you have to unlock them all by beating the respective challenge.
Skill Shot: You have to destroy targets in sequence against the clock, don’t be fooled as this can be tricky and challenging (thereof being a challenge right… right?)
Time Attack: This one is a blast (literally!) as you have to destroy the targets before time runs out, just as i love to kick keflings, blowing up sheep gained a special place on my heart. The faster you eliminate the target the highest score you get.
Chip-In: You have to chip in (oh wow is how the challenge is called) on to the green zone around the hole to get more time, the more you get the better the score will be, you also get a bonus for hitting the sheep. It can be tricky specially for some shots, nonetheless fun!
Target:You have to land the ball inside the target around the hole, you have a limited amount of shots, if you are good aiming and using the right trajectory this one is cake, otherwise it may be a real pain.
Keeps Up: This one is very fun (not that others arent, just one of my favorites hehe) once you hit the ball you have to keep it moving, this is achieved by bouncing on land mines, sheep, rocks, using teleporters and by using the control pad to change the direction of the ball midair.





Graphics 8/10
Classy! The loved 2D look from some of the older games is here, giving the game that cool retro feeling from previous Worms titles. The graphics are colorful and detailed, the animations are cute. Using 2D instead of 3D unlike Ulimate Mayhem was a good move.


Music 8/10
Tunes in this game are not bad at all, giving Worms Crazy Golf a very relaxing pace that fits so well with the addictive gameplay. Killer combo.





Downsides
Ok the first complaint i have is.. Why not local plus online multiplayer? I love it when we can grab a second controller and play with a friend coming to play or when we have a party, it’s fun and makes it truly enjoyable.
But not always a friend can make it, or in my case my best friend lives in Indiana. (I’m in Mexico.) So it’s a real shame we can’t enjoy a good golf game, honestly i love the game but we need online multiplayer.
It’s a bit odd to have my worm speak Spanish from Spain, sure it is the same language, but i think it’s time for Team 17 to give us Latin or Mexican spanish, that sounds very different from the spanish they use in Spain. Specially, would be fun to listen to my worm using mexican slang.





Extras
A free DLC is available on the PSN Store, The Carnival Course. For some reason, i believe people stoped reading at “free” and ran over to PSN Store to download the DLC… I know i would.


Overall
Worms Crazy Golf retains the fun and addictive gameplay from other Worms titles, still addictive but this time with a relaxing gameplay. Certainly it’s a bit different from what fans of the Worms are used too, but believe me, with all the different courses, the challenges and all the collectibles to find, this one will not disapoint.
Available for the IPad, Iphone, PC and of course the Playstation Network.


We give the game a 8.5 out of 10




~Mario




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October 31, 2011

Review – PAYDAY: The Heist

Posted by: Cybermario @ 3:20 pm Share in Facebook

PAYDAY:The Heist developed by Overkill Software, comes to our consoles (or PC, whatever is your cup of tea) with an original concept that is certainly entertaining, this time we get to play as the bad guys, and oh boy… It is fun!
With a unique style that reminds us of a lot movies like Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs or Point Break. PAYDAY: The Heist offers very dynamic gameplay and action that is clearly influenced by Left 4 Dead (by no means this is bad at all), i like it.

payday: the heist

Gameplay
This is a cooperative FPS featuring 6 different heists with a good variety of objectives, from robbing a bank, hunt down a traitor in the streets while you face the cops or even taking money from a meth lab and more. As stated before the L4D influence is undeniable, but instead of brainless zombies you have to deal with waves of cops and swat teams.
This is more evident if you decide to play offline teaming with the AI to complete a heist, just like in L4D the AI can heal you if you are injured. This option is not bad although an AI cannot beat playing online with other players. Co-op is the strong point in a game like this and you should aim to play online. Advice to grab a mic as communication is important to assign tasks and complete a heist smoothly, specially in harder difficulty.


Four difficulty levels ranging from Easy to Overkill, here comes something interesting, some of the latter heists dont let you pick easy or normal, you have to choose hard or Overkill. This sure gives you a nice challenge and believe me… hard will give you a run for your money, and good luck picking overkill!
There are four characters to choose: Dallas, Wolf, Hoxton and Chains. As far i can tell there are no differences between the characters stats wise, except of course the masks they are wearing. Dallas mask being my favorite.


payday: the heist



With that said from the main menu you can check both, active and completed challenges and the upgrades you obtained throughout the game as your reputation level up.
As you obtain upgrades your choices before a heist increase considerably, so you can either pick to carry more cables to tie hostages, bags with extra ammo or meds, or obtaining boosts such as “thicker skin” to increase your health, accuracy and armor bonuses, etc.
There are three different categories of upgrades: Assault, Sharpshooting and Support. So you can build a character based in your very own game style, in the end the choice is yours.
The music score fits like a glove, with intense rhythm that keeps an atmosphere of tension in each heist.


payday: the heist



Downsides
The lobby not always has a good amount of games to join, around 5pm i tried for a bit and gave up.. ending playing offline with the AI, this changed the next morning and was able to select from a fair amount of games. So give or take seems you can’t always find a game to join.
Are there plans for cross platform in the future? Having this on both Playstation 3 and Steam, this is an option that should be included, it would benefit the community increasing your chances to find games to join.


payday: the heist



Overall
PAYDAY: The Heist offers tons of replayability and multiplayer feels just great, kudos and praises to Overkill Software, they did a game that really is a blast!
So really if you are a passionate gamer into FPS’s and like games in the style of Left 4 Dead or Team Fortresss you must give PAYDAY: The Heist a chance, im sure you will not regret it. Available for the Playstation Network and Steam for $19.99.


We give the game an 8.5 out of 10




~Mario




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