Bioshock= This was the game I bought the 360 for in the first place, and I was not disappointed. Outstanding visuals, immersive gameplay, and a mind-bending story with actual deep themes. The story is actually trying to say something, though I'm not sure I 100% agree with everything it says. Still, to play a game with a story that actually makes you consider some of your own philosophical beliefs is a complete mind-fuck. I hope to see a sequel or something better from this team in the near future.
Naruto: Rise of Ninja= Consider this, this game actually got me to watch the show. Yeah, all the other games based on the show that I played with my cousins sort of bored me to an extent. The fighting engine would often utilize a Super Smash Brothers layout for the contrl scheme, and all the characters played the same. Yet, a western team went and created a game based off of a Japanese product and improved upon it, immensly. The actual fighting game only sports 11 characters initially: Naruto: Sasuke: Sakura (only girl): Rock Lee: Neji: Kiba: Kakashi: Gaara: Haku: Zabuza: and for the first time ever, Orochimaru (the main villain, and this is the first time he's a playable character). Now, this isn't many, but each of these characters actually features a little variety in their play style. Naruto and Rock are close quarters fighters who fly in and unleash constant combos at break-neck speed, while Neji, Kiba, Zabuza and Kakashi are hard hitters who make a few strikes, knock the characters back, and perform a special attack to make quick work of them. Then you have Haku, Sakura, and Sasuke who are more fit for jumping in, delivering a few quick hits, and jumping back out of harm's way, which can prove to be a death wish for characters like Gaara, who likes to keep the enemy beyond arms length, or Orochimaru, who is all about zapping behind an unsuspecting target and beating them senseless. To add to this, Ubisoft is offering extra content through Xbox live, such as new characters (Shikamaru is the only one I know of right now) and the Japanese language track. I'm not even going to talk about the story mode, because enough has already been said in other reviews. It's certainly not a perfect game, but it's a lot of fun, and it stands far above the mountain of Japanese made cash-ins that have plagued the world since the show first came out.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
Sorry that I havn't gotten the second part up yet...
It's finals week and I've been so damn busy. The thing just takes so long to write and I've just not been willing to take care of it.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
More tommorrow...
coming tommorrow: Top Game Moments 5-1
A long time ago, a game rocked,
rivals battle in an awesome montage,
The Great war is fought again,
an old mascot at his prime,
and an elf dude takes us on the greatest adventure of all time!
Plus, some honorable mentions. Games that came really close to receiving a cigar, but only picked up some chewing tobacco.
A long time ago, a game rocked,
rivals battle in an awesome montage,
The Great war is fought again,
an old mascot at his prime,
and an elf dude takes us on the greatest adventure of all time!
Plus, some honorable mentions. Games that came really close to receiving a cigar, but only picked up some chewing tobacco.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
The Best Game Moments of all time (in my oppinion)!
You know that you have your own list stashed away somewhere within that grey matter. Since I love lists so much, I'm going to lay this one out. Know that this was actually a very hard list to make, because there were many moments that I just had to leave out. It was tough, but I think I have the best list I could conceive...
10) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Opening Stage (Xbox, PS2, Gamecube, PC) / I figured I'd start out light. The Return of the King is, hands down, the best movie-game of all time. No other game was able to capture the feel of the films they were based upon the way that this game did. From the opening stage where Gandalf rides onto the fields before Helm's Deep, littered with the bodies of fallen Uruk and Rohirrim. The air is filled with the dust of the earth and the battlefield is illuminated by the haunting, orange glow of the dawn. Gandalf is immediately surrounded by the hulking, ape-like figures of the Uruks. He is forced to parry their blows continuously while he searches for an opening in their offense. After dispatching several of the fiends, he is beckoned to the top wall by Legolas who, along with a handful of Rohirrim archers, is busy trying to hold off a swarm of Uruk who are speeding his way with their weapons drawn. The White Wizard hastily climbs the siege ladder, narrowly avoiding a flaming projectile that completely destroys it. He makes quick work of the ensuing horde with his staff. Without giving Gandalf the chance to breathe, Legolas hurries down to the lower level upon a grappling hook that was launched the previous night. Gandalf follows Legolas after felling another group of enemies. On the ground, Gandalf joins up with Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn to fight through the mass of foes that still continue to fight on. After spotting a wagon full of explosives being dragged into their stronghold, Aragorn and Gandalf rush to the Uruks' still-functioning siege equipment. Firing a balista into the wagon, the explosives ignite and take out a good many Uruks in one final blow. So, that's how your first mission ends.
9) Silent Hill; Other-world Midwich Elementary Transformation (Playstation) / After gathering the two medals that fit into the sockets at the side of the Midwich Elementary School Clock Tower, Harry proceeds through the now open door. From outside, Harry could hear an eerie grinding noise that sounded less mechanical and more biological. Fear nearly overwhelmed Harry, causing him to hesitate. However, his resolve to find his daughter quickly brought him back to his senses. Harry knows that he must find Cheryl and bring her home, for he is her father and that's what he's there for. Inside the tower is a ladder, but it does not go up as one would logically assume. No, it goes down, into a deep, black hole. Harry knows that he has no choice in the matter, for his intuition is screaming out to him that this is the way to go to find Cheryl. He climbs the ladder, into the dark abyss below. At the bottom is a long, graffiti covered hall. The path ahead, lit only by his flash light, gives way to nothing but a litter strewn path into more dark enigma. Puzzlingly, an air raid siren can be heard from deep within the depths of this concrete warren, blasting away at the silence of the shade therein. Harry proceeds down the hall, only his footsteps and the maddening sound of the siren could be heard during this ordeal. After a minute of walking, Harry comes to the end of the tunnel, which gives way to a ladder that is nearly identical to the one he has just come from. Confused, he cautiously proceeds up the ladder, winding up on an identical platform, connected to an identical door. As Harry opens this door, he enters the mirror world of our own. A world that reflects the twisted nature of the evil in this world.
8)Mario 64; First experience with fully 3D control (Nintendo 64) / Up until Mario 64 introduced the control stick, 3D games were controlled by simple directional pads. This was an example of an old technology being used in tandem with new ones. I really don't have an actual narrative to go along with the entry the way I did with the previous two, and that is because this entry does not deal with a moment within the gameplay, but a moment in gaming history. It just fit to me.
7)Resident Evil 4; Salazar vs. Leon (Gamecube, PS2, PC) / Leon rushes through the door, barely concerned for his own safety anymore. He has his mission, and he intends to carry out no matter what the cost is. After all, if he is not willing to throw away his life to protect this girl, then what the hell is he there for? He stumbles out upon the walk-way, as that wormy Spaniard, who has been trying with all his power to put an end to Leon in the most horrible ways, sneers at him. He mockingly shrieks to Leon that Ashley has already been taken away to his master's island, a wicked smirk appears upon his face. The little tyrant knows something that Leon doesn't, and he is aware of it. Leon puts one foot forward and his hand on his gun; he is ready for anything. Previously the monster has thrown carnivorous insect men, vicious dogs, blinded beserkers, living suits of armor, his monstrous reptilian guard, hordes of zealots, and countless traps in his way. Yet despite this, Leon had survived. He understood that his foe was desperate and might reveal his trump card. Leon's intuition told him that Salazar was still hiding it, just beneath the surface. The tiny castellan spread out his arms and was absorbed into s massive plant that became animated, seemingly, at his command. A great, flesh-eating vine surfaced from the base as Salazar bloomed from a pod on top of the wall-encompassing being. Somehow, betraying the fact that Leon had seen far too much during his life, he was not surprised. Leon withdrew his magnum and fired into the flesh of the vine, causing no damage. Salazar openly mocked his competitor as he swung another, slightly smaller vine at Leon. The agent was struck and dropped to the floor. He got up and quickly focused his barrel upon the pod that housed Salazar, but this proved to be fruitless. Salazar commented on the futility of his opponent's situation, as the largest vine began to pull back and open its mouth, revealing row upon row of twisted teeth. The agent swiftly dove to the ground below, narrowly avoiding a gruesome death. The floor was populated by countless plaga, scuttling about like children awaiting their feeding time. They all begin to lunge for Leon, who quickly unloads a round of his 9mm into the ensuing swarm. Leon dashes for the ladder. He pulls himself up, nearly forgetting about the demon that inhabits the top floor of this hell-house. Another tentacle is thrown Leon's way. He ducks under it this time, and instinctively fires a magnum round into the eye of the feeding tentacle. It goes limp, and Salazar blooms again, revealing himself in order to see for himself what had just happened. Leon doesn't hesitate; he fires his last magnum round into the chest of the corrupted castellan. Salazar lets out one final wail of pain as he and his plant wilt into the stone floor below. All in a day's work.
Silent Hill 2; Eddy vs. James (PS2, Xbox, PC) / James runs down the foggy, red hall. His heart is pounding with anticipation. It's not everyday that your only hope out of a dark labyrinth is a path located under your own grave. There is no sound, save for that of James's own footsteps on the concrete floor. A door at the end of the hall stands out as the only blue object around. However, this isn't the warm, soothing blue one usually comes across. This is a pale, deathly blue more familiar to a morgue, or meat locker. James's heart tells him that this is the only way out, so he grabs onto the freezing latch, and opens the door. Inside is a massacre, bodies are strewn all over the freezer, and in the middle stands Eddie. He's holding his gun, limply at the side. James is in complete shock at the the whole scene, and even more so at the perpetrator. Eddie looks up and begins to speak to James; from his speech it is clear that he has lost his mind. He keeps rambling on about how everyone was always mocking him, how they all laughed at him. He justifies his murders by saying that these people got what was coming to them. As he watches Eddie, James can clearly see that the color of the killer's face is changing. It is taking on a bizarre green pigment, almost like Eddie is already dead. James tries to tell Eddie that what he did was wrong, but Eddie quickly turns on him and tries to put his new found killer instinct to good use. He tries to aim his revolver at James, but his manic state of mind prevents him from getting a clear shot at him. James instinctively aims back at Eddie and puts a round in his shoulder. Eddie quickly flees to the safety of the next room, while James is left wondering what to do. I would write more, but I really don't want to spoil this one.
That's all I can write for now. I'll put the top 5 up tomorrow or the next day. Later...
10) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King; Opening Stage (Xbox, PS2, Gamecube, PC) / I figured I'd start out light. The Return of the King is, hands down, the best movie-game of all time. No other game was able to capture the feel of the films they were based upon the way that this game did. From the opening stage where Gandalf rides onto the fields before Helm's Deep, littered with the bodies of fallen Uruk and Rohirrim. The air is filled with the dust of the earth and the battlefield is illuminated by the haunting, orange glow of the dawn. Gandalf is immediately surrounded by the hulking, ape-like figures of the Uruks. He is forced to parry their blows continuously while he searches for an opening in their offense. After dispatching several of the fiends, he is beckoned to the top wall by Legolas who, along with a handful of Rohirrim archers, is busy trying to hold off a swarm of Uruk who are speeding his way with their weapons drawn. The White Wizard hastily climbs the siege ladder, narrowly avoiding a flaming projectile that completely destroys it. He makes quick work of the ensuing horde with his staff. Without giving Gandalf the chance to breathe, Legolas hurries down to the lower level upon a grappling hook that was launched the previous night. Gandalf follows Legolas after felling another group of enemies. On the ground, Gandalf joins up with Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn to fight through the mass of foes that still continue to fight on. After spotting a wagon full of explosives being dragged into their stronghold, Aragorn and Gandalf rush to the Uruks' still-functioning siege equipment. Firing a balista into the wagon, the explosives ignite and take out a good many Uruks in one final blow. So, that's how your first mission ends.
9) Silent Hill; Other-world Midwich Elementary Transformation (Playstation) / After gathering the two medals that fit into the sockets at the side of the Midwich Elementary School Clock Tower, Harry proceeds through the now open door. From outside, Harry could hear an eerie grinding noise that sounded less mechanical and more biological. Fear nearly overwhelmed Harry, causing him to hesitate. However, his resolve to find his daughter quickly brought him back to his senses. Harry knows that he must find Cheryl and bring her home, for he is her father and that's what he's there for. Inside the tower is a ladder, but it does not go up as one would logically assume. No, it goes down, into a deep, black hole. Harry knows that he has no choice in the matter, for his intuition is screaming out to him that this is the way to go to find Cheryl. He climbs the ladder, into the dark abyss below. At the bottom is a long, graffiti covered hall. The path ahead, lit only by his flash light, gives way to nothing but a litter strewn path into more dark enigma. Puzzlingly, an air raid siren can be heard from deep within the depths of this concrete warren, blasting away at the silence of the shade therein. Harry proceeds down the hall, only his footsteps and the maddening sound of the siren could be heard during this ordeal. After a minute of walking, Harry comes to the end of the tunnel, which gives way to a ladder that is nearly identical to the one he has just come from. Confused, he cautiously proceeds up the ladder, winding up on an identical platform, connected to an identical door. As Harry opens this door, he enters the mirror world of our own. A world that reflects the twisted nature of the evil in this world.
8)Mario 64; First experience with fully 3D control (Nintendo 64) / Up until Mario 64 introduced the control stick, 3D games were controlled by simple directional pads. This was an example of an old technology being used in tandem with new ones. I really don't have an actual narrative to go along with the entry the way I did with the previous two, and that is because this entry does not deal with a moment within the gameplay, but a moment in gaming history. It just fit to me.
7)Resident Evil 4; Salazar vs. Leon (Gamecube, PS2, PC) / Leon rushes through the door, barely concerned for his own safety anymore. He has his mission, and he intends to carry out no matter what the cost is. After all, if he is not willing to throw away his life to protect this girl, then what the hell is he there for? He stumbles out upon the walk-way, as that wormy Spaniard, who has been trying with all his power to put an end to Leon in the most horrible ways, sneers at him. He mockingly shrieks to Leon that Ashley has already been taken away to his master's island, a wicked smirk appears upon his face. The little tyrant knows something that Leon doesn't, and he is aware of it. Leon puts one foot forward and his hand on his gun; he is ready for anything. Previously the monster has thrown carnivorous insect men, vicious dogs, blinded beserkers, living suits of armor, his monstrous reptilian guard, hordes of zealots, and countless traps in his way. Yet despite this, Leon had survived. He understood that his foe was desperate and might reveal his trump card. Leon's intuition told him that Salazar was still hiding it, just beneath the surface. The tiny castellan spread out his arms and was absorbed into s massive plant that became animated, seemingly, at his command. A great, flesh-eating vine surfaced from the base as Salazar bloomed from a pod on top of the wall-encompassing being. Somehow, betraying the fact that Leon had seen far too much during his life, he was not surprised. Leon withdrew his magnum and fired into the flesh of the vine, causing no damage. Salazar openly mocked his competitor as he swung another, slightly smaller vine at Leon. The agent was struck and dropped to the floor. He got up and quickly focused his barrel upon the pod that housed Salazar, but this proved to be fruitless. Salazar commented on the futility of his opponent's situation, as the largest vine began to pull back and open its mouth, revealing row upon row of twisted teeth. The agent swiftly dove to the ground below, narrowly avoiding a gruesome death. The floor was populated by countless plaga, scuttling about like children awaiting their feeding time. They all begin to lunge for Leon, who quickly unloads a round of his 9mm into the ensuing swarm. Leon dashes for the ladder. He pulls himself up, nearly forgetting about the demon that inhabits the top floor of this hell-house. Another tentacle is thrown Leon's way. He ducks under it this time, and instinctively fires a magnum round into the eye of the feeding tentacle. It goes limp, and Salazar blooms again, revealing himself in order to see for himself what had just happened. Leon doesn't hesitate; he fires his last magnum round into the chest of the corrupted castellan. Salazar lets out one final wail of pain as he and his plant wilt into the stone floor below. All in a day's work.
Silent Hill 2; Eddy vs. James (PS2, Xbox, PC) / James runs down the foggy, red hall. His heart is pounding with anticipation. It's not everyday that your only hope out of a dark labyrinth is a path located under your own grave. There is no sound, save for that of James's own footsteps on the concrete floor. A door at the end of the hall stands out as the only blue object around. However, this isn't the warm, soothing blue one usually comes across. This is a pale, deathly blue more familiar to a morgue, or meat locker. James's heart tells him that this is the only way out, so he grabs onto the freezing latch, and opens the door. Inside is a massacre, bodies are strewn all over the freezer, and in the middle stands Eddie. He's holding his gun, limply at the side. James is in complete shock at the the whole scene, and even more so at the perpetrator. Eddie looks up and begins to speak to James; from his speech it is clear that he has lost his mind. He keeps rambling on about how everyone was always mocking him, how they all laughed at him. He justifies his murders by saying that these people got what was coming to them. As he watches Eddie, James can clearly see that the color of the killer's face is changing. It is taking on a bizarre green pigment, almost like Eddie is already dead. James tries to tell Eddie that what he did was wrong, but Eddie quickly turns on him and tries to put his new found killer instinct to good use. He tries to aim his revolver at James, but his manic state of mind prevents him from getting a clear shot at him. James instinctively aims back at Eddie and puts a round in his shoulder. Eddie quickly flees to the safety of the next room, while James is left wondering what to do. I would write more, but I really don't want to spoil this one.
That's all I can write for now. I'll put the top 5 up tomorrow or the next day. Later...
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