Let's face it the 80's SUCKED. Nu Romantic music,crap fashion, cheesy sitcom after cheesy sitcom...a few things did however stand out and have stood the test of time and that brings me onto today's review. Back in 1984 the first of 2 Ghostbusters films hit the big screen and became the most successful comedy of the decade followed by a less well received sequel 5 years later. Now 25 years after the original movie the gaming world FINALLY gets a Ghostbusters game that accurately represents one of the most iconic comedies of all time.
You take control of a 5th unnamed and unvoiced member of the team who has been recruited as more of a guinea pig for Egon's technology than a fully fledged and accepted member of the group. While this can be seen as a bit of a cop out or let down it's an idea that does work extremely well. While your actions are what drives the action forward it allows for the wisecracking and interactions you'd expect between the 4 main members to feel more natural and not draw away from what you are trying to achieve.
The story itself revolves around a psychokinetic shockwave that rips through New York from the museum's new Gozer exhibit donated by the estate of one Ivo Shandor....sound familiar Ghostbusters' fans? It should!!! As both names are an integral part of the original movie's plot. The movie references don't end there either. The whole game is a balanced blend of things that will be familiar to fans and new areas and equipment that keep the story and feel of the game fresh and not just a rehash of either of the 2 80's films. From the incredibly detailed and accurate looking firehouse HQ to levels in such places as the Sedgewick hotel which housed Slimer, to the pursuit of the grey lady ghost in the library that started the boys in the business. There is even the talking Vigo painting in the HQ which is impossible as fans of the second film will note. However rather than trying to change the movie's history it feels like more of a nod to it's roots and have enough to keep long time fans and people new to the franchise both happy. To this end having Ramis and Akroyd writing the story has helped move the game along in the
right direction by having the right feel and keeping the characters personalities absolutely spot on even 20 years later. ALL of the original members are voiced by the original cast even down to Annie Potts voicing Janine Melnitz again aiding the truly immersive experience.
Onto the gameplay.The game itself is a 3rd person shooter but rather than being constantly in your face with wave after wave of ghosts the levels are paced beautifully with action sequences broken up with investigation and exploration sections leading to each "fight". This is usually done by pulling out the instantly recognisable PKE meter in order to pinpoint exactly where the next ghost will be or to find the hidden doorways or entrances that lead you from section to section.
The fights themselves aren't just a case of proton stream throwing and then trapping of ghosts instead blending actual trappable spirits with animated objects or minions that when damaged will lose power and disintegrate. Trapping does however play a big part although it's not a simple case of firing your proton stream and throwing a trap. Proton streams or any of the other 3 pack modifications, as I will touch on shortly, weaken the ghost's energy which is represented by a circular health meter projected over each enemy. Weakening them enough turns this gauge red allowing a capture stream that holds the ghosts and sets up the trapping part. While in the capture stream ghosts then need to be "wrangled" into a position over the trap. Wrangling is much like mid-air fishing where the ghost will try to move in a direction and you counter it in order to get it into position. While doing this you build up a "slam meter" which allows you to smash the ghosts into walls or the ground temporarily dazing them and making the whole capture process easier. To this point the controls are executed perfectly from the point of firing you proton stream for the first time you feel in total control and the wrangling and trapping process actually feels like a struggle between you and the entity.
As mentioned the proton pack is not the only method of attack. As the story progresses new modifications to the pack become available. Each variation of weapon has 2 attacks. The proton pack gets a powerful single shot. A shotgun style mod comes with a stasis beam, a machine gun style upgrade and last but by no means least the slime blower. This is dual purpose weapon, rather than having 2 offensive options the first "hose" option works offensively while the secondary option is far more interesting. A single shot fires a line of slime from the pack and a second shot then anchors and contracts allowing you to move obstacles or solve puzzles...I use puzzles in the loosest sense of the word when it comes to this game. The concept of slime tethering is fantastic but sadly it's practical uses are restricted to a few set pieces and the slightly trickier and optional task of slime tethering ghosts to traps. In addition to unlocking more weapons as you play through the story each ghost you trap or destroy earns you money which in turn can be used to upgrade your existing equipment. These upgrades range from heat reduction to allow prolonged firing without the need to “vent” the packs (Ghostbusters’s version of reloading) faster reloading for your PKE meter and a faster trap. While certain ghosts have weaknesses to certain types of weapons this upgrading allows the option to basically stick to one weapon throughout the entire game should you be struggling with a certain type.
There's no question this game is beautiful to look at. From the incredibly detailed and accurate character models, through the impressive proton streams and ornate interiors of buildings like the Sedgewick Hotel and the library everything is well designed and for the more destructive gamers out there pretty much all of it can be destroyed.Cutscenes are well rendered and thankfully not overused and in every case contain at the very least a wisecrack and it's here that the game truly shines. While most of the humour is in the form of slightly rehashed lines from the films they are given a fresh twist. For example Venkman's refusal to chase through the Hotel corridors in search of Slimer because he's "seen this one already and knows how it ends" only to end up slimed by Slimer anyway.
So how's the gameplay? Well it holds up EXTREMELY well. Each level feels just about the right length and while all of them are stuffed full of spirits to destroy or trap the pacing is perfectly balanced between searching and action sequences. The controls while a little awkward initially are very easy to master and with checkpoints being pretty free flowing should you fail at any point you won't feel harshly punished by having to re-do large sections of a level. The difficultly level is fairly balanced with casual level gamers only hitting a couple of potentially troublesome spots while the more hardcore gamers out there can choose professional and then deal with one of the few issues I have with this game namely team AI. While on an easier settings reviving or being revived by other team mates while attacking ghosts is pretty straight forward when the game is pushed into higher difficulty settings the Intelligence part seems to disappear as the team will point blank refuse to heal AI team mates and seemingly just stand there toe to toe with every ghost leaving you to run around healing. While this isn't a problem facing 1 or 2 targets when facing masses of ghosts in the later stages of the game major battles become a case of you spending potentially minutes solid just reviving team mates without being able to fire a single proton stream.
Multiplayer is highly enjoyable instead of your usual multiplayer modes taking the form of death matches or capture the flag Ghostbusters offers a series of fitting modes such as seeing how many ghosts you capture in a set time limit as a team, protecting artifacts from ghosts trying to steal them, simply trying to survive as many waves of ghosts as you can. Personally I've come across a few issues with the multiplayer which are apparently being addressed at the moment and hopefully when the game is officially released here in October there will be a patch available to correct them. The issues themselves while not game breaking have stopped a large number of people from earning certain multiplayer achievements and in my own personal circumstances money earned in multiplayer matches doesn't seem to ever count on my stats or levelling screen. Even with these issues the multiplayer is enjoyable enough to keep you going back for more and as it hits European release finding exactly what match type you want will be less of an issue.
So all in all is it worth the purchase? Well with Sony pulling the not so gamer friendly move of timed exclusivity in Europe where only 360 owners in North America got the privilege of playing Ghostbusters on the date that EVERYONE should have been able to play it Worldwide I had to get mine imported and living in the UK was then subjected to import tax and handling fees pushing the value over the £60 mark and I’ve not regretted a single penny. As a fan of the Ghostbusters from childhood I was over the moon with just how immersive the experience is. The wisecracks, the obvious nods to the films the well written story all lends itself to a HIGHLY worthwhile purchase. Even for those that aren't fans of the Ghostbusters there is still enough there to warrant buying the game.
Overall score a solid 8.5 and a must buy for all Ghostbusters fans. A few issues that can be dealt with by future updates and patches. Here’s hoping for a sequel with a drivable Ecto 1 and more practical uses for the impressive slime tether system
Showing posts with label xbox 360. Show all posts
Showing posts with label xbox 360. Show all posts
Friday, 24 July 2009
Monday, 18 May 2009
oooooh almost time
The original plan is finally becoming a reality!!!
Way back when I first started these blogs and the gaming videos on youtube I'd always had in the back of my mind thoughts of doing a weekly "show." Well after months of planning on how exactly it should be done recording is due to start in just over 12 hours time.
With E3 right around the corner and gaming companies starting to kick into release mode timing couldn't be more perfect.
I'm not doing this alone either as you will see when it is done and uploaded I'll keep my co host unnamed for the moment....basically because I have no idea what he wants to be reffered to as (I had settled on Salad Dodger but he has a bizarre notion that he'll be the eye candy of the show....yea keep dreaming mate lol)
As I want to keep E3 to it's own show expect frank chat about games that have hit the shelves over the last couple of weeks,games that are due to be released over the next few weeks as well as gaming news,DLC content and general gaming goodness.
Anyway time to hit the hay and hope I don't get rudely awoken by bloody workmen for the 3rd day running.
Goodbye,God Bless and thanks for reading!
Way back when I first started these blogs and the gaming videos on youtube I'd always had in the back of my mind thoughts of doing a weekly "show." Well after months of planning on how exactly it should be done recording is due to start in just over 12 hours time.
With E3 right around the corner and gaming companies starting to kick into release mode timing couldn't be more perfect.
I'm not doing this alone either as you will see when it is done and uploaded I'll keep my co host unnamed for the moment....basically because I have no idea what he wants to be reffered to as (I had settled on Salad Dodger but he has a bizarre notion that he'll be the eye candy of the show....yea keep dreaming mate lol)
As I want to keep E3 to it's own show expect frank chat about games that have hit the shelves over the last couple of weeks,games that are due to be released over the next few weeks as well as gaming news,DLC content and general gaming goodness.
Anyway time to hit the hay and hope I don't get rudely awoken by bloody workmen for the 3rd day running.
Goodbye,God Bless and thanks for reading!
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
Fallout 3 : The Pitt
Having played Operation Anchorage to completion and being left somewhat underwhelmed by the whole combat heavy concept I was
pleased to see that The Pitt would be taking steps back into a true sense of the Fallout world.
The pitt itself is set in Post apocolyptic Pittsburgh where what is left of the City has now become a slaver run Steel works.
Upon entering the wasteland you pick up a radio distress signal from Werner asking for assistance towards the far north of the
map.When reaching him you are filled in on Werner's tale of Slavers and Slaves and talk of a "Cure" After some brief preparation
you arrive at a small slaver camp with a train tunnel leading to "The Pitt"
Taking the trip then leads you to the outskirts of The Pitt and to the true start of the DLC. One thing that is instantly recognisable
is how the backdrop has that same Wastelands feel.The draw distance is as immense as The Wastes and whilst in ruin The Pitt
has that active feel with it's flames shooting from smoke stacks and ambient noises as opposed to just the whistling nuclear winds
Getting to the Pitt proper is no simple task as the only route into the City is across a bridge covered in burned out traffic and booby
trapped with enough frag mines to send you into orbit but a slow and steady pace or of course the tread lightly perk sees you safely
into the City where the story truly starts to unfold.Having worked hard to actually make it into the Pitt you are quickly beaten down and left
with nothing but a crappy Slave outfit.As you come to you are introduced to Midea the main NPC of the extra content who explains
more of the plot and tells you that the only way to get out of the situation is to blend in.The plot itself focuses around 2 main goals most
important is the capture of the cure for the local disease from Ashur the head of the slavers.While the second involves the typical
good/evil choice of whether you free the slaves or not.
By blending in it leads to you being "nominated" to go into the Steel yard in search of Steel ingots.The area is considered a death sentence by the
slavers as the area is full of Wildmen and Trogs.The Wildmen are effectively The Pitt's version of Raiders while the trogs similar to Feral
ghouls are diseased humans hell bent on making you their next meal.Thankfully desite being stripped of all your Wasteland items you don't
tackle these threats empty handed.While not flush with technology the slaves have modified some of their tools which double up as some
pretty melee weapons.Most notably the Auto-Axe.This large cutting tool is perfect for turning the tide on the Trogs while the steelyard itself has a
number of more familiar weapons dotted around to help deal with the Wildmen more effectively.However don't expect to end up with a
mountain of ammo here as Bethesda force you to manage your weaponry by only giving you small levels of ammo throughout the early stages
of the content.
Much like Operation Anchorage's intel cases most of the ingot collecting is optional but to ignore this search and collect section of The Pitt
would be a waste of what is an interesting and EXTREMELY helpful part of the DLC.While the Steelyard can be confusing with it's maze like
qualities taking time out to hunt ingots sees you rewarded frequently.Every 10 ingots you find can be turned in to Everett the Mill's foreman in exchange
for unique Pitt items. Most of these items are armour based however it's nothing to be sniffed at when you start out wearing just a loin cloth.Collecting
enough ingots can in fact see you rewarded with Power Armour that can be worn regardless of whether you have gained to ability to from the
Brotherhood of Steel in the main F3 quest. The other rewards are weapon based from stronger versions of knuckle dusters to unique versions
of the auto-axe and a rather tasty silenced assault rifle.
Whether you choose to collect the ingots or not you soon find yourself once again being nominated by Midea this time to fight for your freedom in
the Hole. Much like the Arena from Oblivion you compete in a series of increasingly difficult fights.Victory results in you going from Slave to Slaver
and the start of your usual Fallout morality choices.It's at this point that you find out more about the cure and make your final choice of good or bad DLC
ending.
The difficulty level of the Pitt gets across that feeling of a desperate situation extremely well and having to manage everything from stimpaks to ammo in the
earlier stages makes it far more of a challenge than Anchorage.The ability to come back after completing the Pitt's quests to take advantage of the ammo
press or to trade certain items much like the sugar bomb and pre war book collecting in Fallout 3 as well as hunting down those final ingots for unique items
and an achievement make this particular DLC feel like it belongs as part of the Fallout 3 experience.While the quest itself can be blasted through in a matter of
hours it feels far more staisfying than Operation anchorage ever could.All in all now the glitches and bugs have been ironed out it's well worth the 800 Microsoft
points and should keep even the most die hard Fallout 3 fans happy as the third DLC installment Broken Steel gets ever closer.
pleased to see that The Pitt would be taking steps back into a true sense of the Fallout world.
The pitt itself is set in Post apocolyptic Pittsburgh where what is left of the City has now become a slaver run Steel works.
Upon entering the wasteland you pick up a radio distress signal from Werner asking for assistance towards the far north of the
map.When reaching him you are filled in on Werner's tale of Slavers and Slaves and talk of a "Cure" After some brief preparation
you arrive at a small slaver camp with a train tunnel leading to "The Pitt"
Taking the trip then leads you to the outskirts of The Pitt and to the true start of the DLC. One thing that is instantly recognisable
is how the backdrop has that same Wastelands feel.The draw distance is as immense as The Wastes and whilst in ruin The Pitt
has that active feel with it's flames shooting from smoke stacks and ambient noises as opposed to just the whistling nuclear winds
Getting to the Pitt proper is no simple task as the only route into the City is across a bridge covered in burned out traffic and booby
trapped with enough frag mines to send you into orbit but a slow and steady pace or of course the tread lightly perk sees you safely
into the City where the story truly starts to unfold.Having worked hard to actually make it into the Pitt you are quickly beaten down and left
with nothing but a crappy Slave outfit.As you come to you are introduced to Midea the main NPC of the extra content who explains
more of the plot and tells you that the only way to get out of the situation is to blend in.The plot itself focuses around 2 main goals most
important is the capture of the cure for the local disease from Ashur the head of the slavers.While the second involves the typical
good/evil choice of whether you free the slaves or not.
By blending in it leads to you being "nominated" to go into the Steel yard in search of Steel ingots.The area is considered a death sentence by the
slavers as the area is full of Wildmen and Trogs.The Wildmen are effectively The Pitt's version of Raiders while the trogs similar to Feral
ghouls are diseased humans hell bent on making you their next meal.Thankfully desite being stripped of all your Wasteland items you don't
tackle these threats empty handed.While not flush with technology the slaves have modified some of their tools which double up as some
pretty melee weapons.Most notably the Auto-Axe.This large cutting tool is perfect for turning the tide on the Trogs while the steelyard itself has a
number of more familiar weapons dotted around to help deal with the Wildmen more effectively.However don't expect to end up with a
mountain of ammo here as Bethesda force you to manage your weaponry by only giving you small levels of ammo throughout the early stages
of the content.
Much like Operation Anchorage's intel cases most of the ingot collecting is optional but to ignore this search and collect section of The Pitt
would be a waste of what is an interesting and EXTREMELY helpful part of the DLC.While the Steelyard can be confusing with it's maze like
qualities taking time out to hunt ingots sees you rewarded frequently.Every 10 ingots you find can be turned in to Everett the Mill's foreman in exchange
for unique Pitt items. Most of these items are armour based however it's nothing to be sniffed at when you start out wearing just a loin cloth.Collecting
enough ingots can in fact see you rewarded with Power Armour that can be worn regardless of whether you have gained to ability to from the
Brotherhood of Steel in the main F3 quest. The other rewards are weapon based from stronger versions of knuckle dusters to unique versions
of the auto-axe and a rather tasty silenced assault rifle.
Whether you choose to collect the ingots or not you soon find yourself once again being nominated by Midea this time to fight for your freedom in
the Hole. Much like the Arena from Oblivion you compete in a series of increasingly difficult fights.Victory results in you going from Slave to Slaver
and the start of your usual Fallout morality choices.It's at this point that you find out more about the cure and make your final choice of good or bad DLC
ending.
The difficulty level of the Pitt gets across that feeling of a desperate situation extremely well and having to manage everything from stimpaks to ammo in the
earlier stages makes it far more of a challenge than Anchorage.The ability to come back after completing the Pitt's quests to take advantage of the ammo
press or to trade certain items much like the sugar bomb and pre war book collecting in Fallout 3 as well as hunting down those final ingots for unique items
and an achievement make this particular DLC feel like it belongs as part of the Fallout 3 experience.While the quest itself can be blasted through in a matter of
hours it feels far more staisfying than Operation anchorage ever could.All in all now the glitches and bugs have been ironed out it's well worth the 800 Microsoft
points and should keep even the most die hard Fallout 3 fans happy as the third DLC installment Broken Steel gets ever closer.
Monday, 16 March 2009
The Lost and Damned
Considering Rockstar hadn’t exactly delved into the world of DLC prior to The Lost and Damned you’d be forgiven for thinking that Microsoft’s $50 million deal for 2 exclusives was some what of a gamble. The big question is has it paid off ?
To be quite honest it’s hard to see how anyone could class it as a failure. With the 1600 MS points needed to purchase the extra content (equivalent of £13) you’ll be hard pressed to find a full retail game that delivers what TLAD does.
The extra content focuses around Johnny Klebitz and other members of Liberty City’s biker gang The Lost. The story starts as Chapter leader Billy is being released from rehab and you as Johnny along with the rest of the gang are riding out to pick him up. In Billy’s absence Johnny has tried to run the gang sensibly striking up truces and deals to keep The Lost financially secure. However Billy’s sociopathic tendencies soon send The Lost back down a road of running battles with rival gangs and send Johnny headlong into a power struggle with Billy. Do Johnny and the Lost sound familiar? So they should. Johnny appears twice in the original GTA 4 missions. The first time alongside Niko and Playboy X in the drug deal that was a police sting and again as Niko attempted to sell Ray’s stolen diamonds to the Jewish dealers in the old museum. TLAD doesn’t forget any of these crossovers in story and in fact embraces them fully with said missions being tackled from Johnny’s perspective while references to things you did as Niko are a constant undertone while you progress through the surprisingly lengthy story.
So what has changed? Well on the plus side being content focused solely around a biker gang the bike physics have had a dramatic tweak. Bikes are now far more responsive and running over a twig no longer sends you flying over the handlebars and rolling half a mile down the street. Rockstar have also added a whole stash of new bikes both Hogs and sporty and all of this combined actively encourages you to ride instead of drive. I’ve both heard and read a number of people both “experts” and gamers mention how you will still get into the habit of hailing cabs and quick travelling while this may be true of some players it totally defeats the object of the content. With missions now seemingly marked off at each cutscene as a checkpoint there is no reason to fast travel at all other than to hit a safe house to save at short notice, also with the decreased amount of crashes sending you flying off your ride (to the point that I had played through a good 75% of the story before taking my first tumble) why waste good in game money on a cab ride when you can spend it on some of the new weaponry and reign down lead death in a whole new way.
That’s right NEW weaponry. Not only do you now have a whole host of new bikes and a small handful of new cars a couple of handy and extremely satisfying new weapons are also available. Whilst all the old items are still available in the gun stores a quick call to Terry and up rolls a van with a few new options. (Same idea as the call for guns made to Little Jacob) In addition to the regular handgun an automatic version is now available, as well as pipe bombs and my personal favourite the assault shotgun. The later is a TOTAL beast, quick fire and able to annihilate any vehicle in no time at all you’ll find yourself using it over and above most other guns in the game. The range of uses has also been tweaked. While in 4 you where restricted to handguns and smgs while driving TLAD allows the use of sawn off shotguns while riding so we can all fulfil our Arnie Terminator 2 fantasies.
On top of new physical items the ambience has also received a tweak. Most radio stations now have a handful of new songs that are slotted in randomly so after a short time they feel as if they have always been there. A number of new adverts and DJ chatter have also been effortlessly blended in to keep the comic touches that are now part and parcel of a Grand Theft Auto title. Speaking of comic touches WKTT now has a completely new segment “The Martin Serious Show” which is a not so subtle spoof of the shock jock culture…or is it more of a blatant finger point at the self proclaimed “King of all Media.” Add to that more TV content and a special Split Sides appearance of one of my personal favourite comics in Frankie Boyle and it becomes clear that despite it being merely DLC Rockstar have still given it an incredible amount of detail.
There is however one minor down point. In seemingly an attempt to give TLAD a grittier feel than GTA 4 the visuals have a grainy film effect filter placed over both cutscenes standard play. While I can understand why it was done it does the game no favours at all and makes the Liberty City that wowed us a year ago a very bland feel. This effect can easily be removed though through navigating the pause menu and removing the “noise” filter.
As a solo play title in itself TLAD certainly stands up extremely well to criticism. For a relatively small download story wise you are treated to a solid 8-10 hours of extra gameplay. The missions consisting of the regular drive, chase, shoot that you come to expect from GTA. The story itself isn’t as full of comic touches that GTA 4 was but it is however still engaging. Also the way in which certain parts of Johnny’s story tie in nicely to Niko’s give the player a whole new perspective on GTA 4 which may or may not make Niko seem less likable. Side missions take the shape of bike races done in the style of Road Rash as you ride and whack rivals with a baseball bat and gang wars which involve you riding with The Lost and trying to take down other gangs. Completing these unlocks more bike varieties that can be delivered to you with a simple phone call. “Dates” are still available but are no longer an annoying must but rather riding out with other gang members will over time boost their stats and make them far more effective in combat.
Multiplayer modes have not gone untouched either while certain modes are just revamped versions of multiplayer modes we all know from other titles each mode is done well and feels a part of the title rather than a hastily thrown in mode to appease multiplayer fans. Three modes especially stand head and shoulders above the rest ;
Gang War -
Kind of like a tug of war. The city is split into zones guarded by NPC’s Taking out said NPC’s and any enemy gang members captures the territory. When a certain percentage of territory is captured or the timer runs out the gang with the most area captured wins. Simple principal but it translates brilliantly to GTA.
Chopper vs. Chopper
Easily the most insane mode available. A straight 1 on 1 battle one player on a bike trying to hit checkpoints while the second player controls an attack chopper and tries to stop him. A great test of skill but great fun with it.
Witness Protection
Carnage by the bucket load. Two teams one controlling N.O.O.S.E the other controlling The Lost. The N.O.O.S.E team protects a prison bus that is dropping off people at Police Stations around the map while The Lost throws everything at taking out the bus and it’s witnesses. Utter mayhem but again awesome fun.
So in closing TLAD is an awesome addition to the franchise and well worth the 1600 MS points for download regardless of whether you are a solo play or multiplayer fan. It’s unlikely to convert those of you out there that don’t like GTA games but for those that do it is certainly worth the purchase and has now set a benchmark for DLC that other companies must surely be cursing. (TAKE NOTE EA)
Due to TLAD effectively being an update it would be unfair to score it on individual categories but I would HIGHLY recommend picking this up if you haven’t already
To be quite honest it’s hard to see how anyone could class it as a failure. With the 1600 MS points needed to purchase the extra content (equivalent of £13) you’ll be hard pressed to find a full retail game that delivers what TLAD does.
The extra content focuses around Johnny Klebitz and other members of Liberty City’s biker gang The Lost. The story starts as Chapter leader Billy is being released from rehab and you as Johnny along with the rest of the gang are riding out to pick him up. In Billy’s absence Johnny has tried to run the gang sensibly striking up truces and deals to keep The Lost financially secure. However Billy’s sociopathic tendencies soon send The Lost back down a road of running battles with rival gangs and send Johnny headlong into a power struggle with Billy. Do Johnny and the Lost sound familiar? So they should. Johnny appears twice in the original GTA 4 missions. The first time alongside Niko and Playboy X in the drug deal that was a police sting and again as Niko attempted to sell Ray’s stolen diamonds to the Jewish dealers in the old museum. TLAD doesn’t forget any of these crossovers in story and in fact embraces them fully with said missions being tackled from Johnny’s perspective while references to things you did as Niko are a constant undertone while you progress through the surprisingly lengthy story.
So what has changed? Well on the plus side being content focused solely around a biker gang the bike physics have had a dramatic tweak. Bikes are now far more responsive and running over a twig no longer sends you flying over the handlebars and rolling half a mile down the street. Rockstar have also added a whole stash of new bikes both Hogs and sporty and all of this combined actively encourages you to ride instead of drive. I’ve both heard and read a number of people both “experts” and gamers mention how you will still get into the habit of hailing cabs and quick travelling while this may be true of some players it totally defeats the object of the content. With missions now seemingly marked off at each cutscene as a checkpoint there is no reason to fast travel at all other than to hit a safe house to save at short notice, also with the decreased amount of crashes sending you flying off your ride (to the point that I had played through a good 75% of the story before taking my first tumble) why waste good in game money on a cab ride when you can spend it on some of the new weaponry and reign down lead death in a whole new way.
That’s right NEW weaponry. Not only do you now have a whole host of new bikes and a small handful of new cars a couple of handy and extremely satisfying new weapons are also available. Whilst all the old items are still available in the gun stores a quick call to Terry and up rolls a van with a few new options. (Same idea as the call for guns made to Little Jacob) In addition to the regular handgun an automatic version is now available, as well as pipe bombs and my personal favourite the assault shotgun. The later is a TOTAL beast, quick fire and able to annihilate any vehicle in no time at all you’ll find yourself using it over and above most other guns in the game. The range of uses has also been tweaked. While in 4 you where restricted to handguns and smgs while driving TLAD allows the use of sawn off shotguns while riding so we can all fulfil our Arnie Terminator 2 fantasies.
On top of new physical items the ambience has also received a tweak. Most radio stations now have a handful of new songs that are slotted in randomly so after a short time they feel as if they have always been there. A number of new adverts and DJ chatter have also been effortlessly blended in to keep the comic touches that are now part and parcel of a Grand Theft Auto title. Speaking of comic touches WKTT now has a completely new segment “The Martin Serious Show” which is a not so subtle spoof of the shock jock culture…or is it more of a blatant finger point at the self proclaimed “King of all Media.” Add to that more TV content and a special Split Sides appearance of one of my personal favourite comics in Frankie Boyle and it becomes clear that despite it being merely DLC Rockstar have still given it an incredible amount of detail.
There is however one minor down point. In seemingly an attempt to give TLAD a grittier feel than GTA 4 the visuals have a grainy film effect filter placed over both cutscenes standard play. While I can understand why it was done it does the game no favours at all and makes the Liberty City that wowed us a year ago a very bland feel. This effect can easily be removed though through navigating the pause menu and removing the “noise” filter.
As a solo play title in itself TLAD certainly stands up extremely well to criticism. For a relatively small download story wise you are treated to a solid 8-10 hours of extra gameplay. The missions consisting of the regular drive, chase, shoot that you come to expect from GTA. The story itself isn’t as full of comic touches that GTA 4 was but it is however still engaging. Also the way in which certain parts of Johnny’s story tie in nicely to Niko’s give the player a whole new perspective on GTA 4 which may or may not make Niko seem less likable. Side missions take the shape of bike races done in the style of Road Rash as you ride and whack rivals with a baseball bat and gang wars which involve you riding with The Lost and trying to take down other gangs. Completing these unlocks more bike varieties that can be delivered to you with a simple phone call. “Dates” are still available but are no longer an annoying must but rather riding out with other gang members will over time boost their stats and make them far more effective in combat.
Multiplayer modes have not gone untouched either while certain modes are just revamped versions of multiplayer modes we all know from other titles each mode is done well and feels a part of the title rather than a hastily thrown in mode to appease multiplayer fans. Three modes especially stand head and shoulders above the rest ;
Gang War -
Kind of like a tug of war. The city is split into zones guarded by NPC’s Taking out said NPC’s and any enemy gang members captures the territory. When a certain percentage of territory is captured or the timer runs out the gang with the most area captured wins. Simple principal but it translates brilliantly to GTA.
Chopper vs. Chopper
Easily the most insane mode available. A straight 1 on 1 battle one player on a bike trying to hit checkpoints while the second player controls an attack chopper and tries to stop him. A great test of skill but great fun with it.
Witness Protection
Carnage by the bucket load. Two teams one controlling N.O.O.S.E the other controlling The Lost. The N.O.O.S.E team protects a prison bus that is dropping off people at Police Stations around the map while The Lost throws everything at taking out the bus and it’s witnesses. Utter mayhem but again awesome fun.
So in closing TLAD is an awesome addition to the franchise and well worth the 1600 MS points for download regardless of whether you are a solo play or multiplayer fan. It’s unlikely to convert those of you out there that don’t like GTA games but for those that do it is certainly worth the purchase and has now set a benchmark for DLC that other companies must surely be cursing. (TAKE NOTE EA)
Due to TLAD effectively being an update it would be unfair to score it on individual categories but I would HIGHLY recommend picking this up if you haven’t already
Monday, 15 December 2008
Fallout 3 Review
Fallout 3 is an incredibly original title in a next gen World seemingly bursting with first person shooters. Whereas most FPS games seem content on having pure carnage and a multiplayer system to please the fans Bethesda have shunned multiplayer for an engaging story, atmosphere you can almost taste and originality by the bucket load.
Fallout 3 is the first in the series to be made by RPG powerhouses Bethesda,after buying the rights from Interplay and is the first true sequel to Interplay’s Fallout 1 & 2. While the original 2 games took the shape of isometric RPGs Bethesda have blended RPG and FPS to great effect in a similar fashion to that of Morrowind and Oblivion. However to pass this game off as simply “Oblivion with guns” doesn’t do Fallout 3 justice.
The game itself takes place in Washington DC in 2277AD some 200 years after an American war with China which resulted in a nuclear war leaving the US in radiated ruin. While most of the population was killed many survived through living in a series of underground vaults, and this is where the main character comes in. You are a resident of Vault 101 which has reportedly been sealed for 200 years. Whilst futuristic in setting the game itself is set in a surreal view of the future from a 1950’s perspective. From the music on the in game radio to billboard designs and vending machines. The unique blend of designs throughout the game works extremely well, so well in fact that switching from an old World War 2 style pistol or rifle to a laser or plasma weapon doesn’t seem out of place at all. Even the architecture is a mix of historic and distant future yet doesn’t feel in any way out of place.
As with most RPGs the first objective is to create your character’s looks, base stats as well as their speciality skills. While Fallout 3 is no different in needing to do this the manner in which it is done is extremely unique. Your character (be it male or female) starts quite literally from the beginning. Having just been born you are treated to a cut scene with your parents. From the dialogue between them you choose your sex, name and via a gene progression machine how your adult self will look. You are then eased into a blend of story, tutorial and character stat creation as your character ages from cut scene to cut scene. Starting as a one year old you learn basic movements and after interacting with a child’s book title “You’re Special” you then set your base attribute points. (Special standing for Strength , Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intellect, Agility and Luck) Flash forward to your 10th birthday and you are introduced to your PIP Boy 3000 which acts as your inventory, stat screen and map as well as being given a BB gun and learning how to attack. A further cutscene sees you reach the age of 16 where you take an aptitude test in the shape of answering a number of quirky questions that decide you characters stronger base skills such as lock picking or Speech. This test can be skipped and the the strengths decided manually to keep repetition to a minimum. A final cutscene brings you to your escape from the Vault after being told your father has left and you are being hunted by the Overseer and Vault security. It is only when the Vault door finally rolls back and you journey outside for the first time that the scale of this game first hits you.
As your eyes adjust to the sunlight you are greeted by a decimated DC. Most of which is just a pile of rubble and the buildings that are still standing are charred and dirty. Unlike most games with their pop up backgrounds Fallout 3 has incredible draw distance. In other words if you can see it…you can visit. After stepping out into the Wasteland for the first time you can just make out the ruins of downtown Washington DC in the distance, outlying towns closer by and an expanse of hilly scorched earth. All of this is your new potential playground as you step from the linear vaults to a true sandbox style game.
Your first natural stop off point is marked by a mass of metal close by that is the settlement of Megaton. A town built around an unexploded atomic bomb by remains of an airfield. Stepping into the town introduces you to Lucas Simms the town Mayor and Sheriff. Dialogue takes the form of multiple choice, some options are basic questions, some will touch of your main mission while others introduce you to karma. Reacting in certain ways to certain people or by doing certain actions your karma alignment will fluctuate. For example you can choose to be polite to Simms, say little or be aggressive all of which result in very different reactions from civility, to caution to a fight that will see the rest of the towns residents make turn on you and attack. Dependent on how far you are prepared to push karma in a certain direction can result in the game giving you a very different experience each time you play. A good idea of how much this game can differ simply by your actions is found right in Megaton. Taking a good or neutral stance which Lucas opens up the possibility to diffuse the bomb in the middle of town. Should you diffuse it you get a big boost is karma, are handed a nice amount of bottle caps (the games’ currency) and keys to an abandoned house in town that becomes your home where you can store items or weapons, change the interior design or rest and recover your health. You can leave the bomb as it is for no gain at all or when walking into the town bar you may come across Mr Burke a sinister guy in a suit and fedora giving off a 1930’s gangster vibe who gives you the option of arming the bomb and destroying the town. This results in not a home in an entirely different area a HUGE drop in karma and Megaton and it’s residents no longer existing (except for the malfunctioning head of the town’s robot deputy laying near the remains of the town). Karma gains or losses aren’t restricted to big gestures such as this however. Simply stealing items of junk, lock picking doors and hacking computer terminals in places you shouldn’t all has an impact. Terrorizing a few members of a settlement can result in other residents fleeing when you approach or attacking you on sight. All of this adds up to a potentially different experience each and every time you play the game through.
Travelling around the Wastes, much like Oblivion is a process of walking to each location to “unlock” it and then using fast travel via your map. The locations can be anything from a park to a multi-storey building, not all of them are mission related but for the budding explorer there are plenty of items to find. While most items are junk that you won’t have any use for other than selling to vendors, it is possible to find a whole host of weapons, armour, health items, stat boosters and even schematics to create weaponry from certain junk items you find. Getting to these items is no cakewalk however, the whole of the DC area is full of a variety of survivors all either enforcing their will on the ruins or simply trying to survive. Whether it be the Mad Max style raiders, the power armoured Enclave, futuristic robots or mutated creatures the area is infested with enemies all out to take you down. How you defend yourself is totally down to choice. Not only do you have a wide range of weapons ranging from baseball bats or sledgehammers through hand guns all the way up to miniguns or personal mini nuke launchers the manner in which you choose to fight is also down to personal choice. Not only have Bethesda allowed the FPS fans to play this game as a straight up shooter they also incorporated a semi turn based combat for those who aren’t into constant action using the VATS system. VATS is engaged by a single press of a button that effectively pauses the game. Your potential targets are then zoomed in on, you are given a breakdown of hit percentages for each part of the body and then use action points to stack commands. Targeting individual body parts can result in anything from instant kills to the crippling of body parts to slow your target or make them drop their weapon. The action points used to do this aren’t limitless however should the target survive it is usually enough to give you breathing space to then shoot from the hip in instant action and get the job done. The difficulty comes in when facing larger groups of enemies how to manage your action points to do the most damage to the group while minimizing potential damage to yourself. The weapons themselves aren’t without problem. Depending on how you play the game ammo for any gun can be hard to come by. Add to that the fact the each weapon or piece of armour you use degenerates with each time it is used you are actively encouraged to use everything you come across. If you find a weapon you prefer using and can find a regular stock of ammo it is possible to repair it using either certain vendors or by repairing it yourself with another version of the same weapon. The amount each item can be repaired is proportional to your ( or the vendors) repair skill, so for instance a vendor may only be able to repair an item to 50% whereas if you work on your repair skill and get it to 100% you can fully repair it and reap the benefit, whether it be increased defence on an armour piece or increased damage from a weapon.
Working on skills can be done in 2 ways. As you kill enemies, pick locks and hack computers you are given experience points. As you accumulate points and level up you are then given a pool of points to distribute into your various skills. Each of the skills also has a corresponding rare book that gives small boosts that can be found all over the Wasteland. As a result if you are prepared to search long and hard it is entirely possible to have a number of skills hitting the maximum 100 points. Each time you level not only are you treated to a pool of attribute points you are also awarded a list of perks from which to choose. Depending on how you attribute your points and whether you are playing as a good or bad character these perks can vary completely and each perk can give further skill boosts or add other possibilities as to how you play the game. For example should your sneak skill be high enough when you hit a certain level you will be allowed to choose the Mr Sandman perk. This perk turns you into somewhat of an assassin and allows you to murder humanoids in their sleep with a single click or risk of drawing attention to yourself as opposed to shooting or clubbing them and possibly not getting a one hit kill or causing enough noise to arouse attention. Other perks such as Lady Killer/Black widow allow your character attacking bonuses against members of the opposite sex as well as opening extra dialogue options in some situations. The potential perk combinations are huge and with only a single choice per level until you reach the level 20 cap it is a question of deciding which would benefit you more with each level you raise. Even having all of your perks selected the chances are you will hit certain points in the game where you wish you had chosen something else just to have a slightly easier pathway through certain situations.
So how can Fallout 3 be summed up?
Graphically the game is an absolute treat. From character modelling to game environments everything is extremely well drawn and rendered. No small detail has been overlooked at all from the designs on junk and boxes to the nuclear winds whipping the wispy clouds through the sky at breakneck speed nothing has been left to chance. Even the small details on the enemies isn’t missed. From the radiated scars to the makeshift armour on the 30ft tall Mutant Behemoths. I’ve heard many a game critic speak of next gen gaming’s various shades of brown and grey and while this game is no different in that aspect it is the colours that fit to the theme. There are splashes of colour to be found but all has been faded as you would expect after 200 years of laying derelict and uncared for. Without question the most colourful touches to this game are from explosions in particular of the nuclear variety where there sudden blinding flash and subsequent mushroom clouds are again dealt with in jaw droppingly great detail.
Soundwise Bethesda have been very subtle. Each weapon strike has it’s own sound and a sound that is totally believable. Baseball bat swings and hits sound like baseball bats sings and hits. Handguns sound like peashooters compared to shotguns or rifles. Explosions sound like they do damage. However just with the graphics it is the small audio touches that despite being easy to miss all make for that authentic experience. Brushing against a table with a bottle on it is greeted by the sound of a bottle toppling and rolling in synch to the animation and the growl or shout of an enemy will change in volume depending on how close they are. When it comes to music the game is dominated by the radio stations and while the DJ chatter between songs does become repetitive it does accurately reflect how you are progressing. In the instance of Galaxy News Radio DJ Three Dog will report on things you have done throughout the game. Should the in game radio not be your cup of tea there is also subtle ambient music that doesn’t dominate the gameplay but will adjust from gentle melody to a more up tempo tune when you are under threat. Voice acting is also extremely well done. Unlike with Oblivion where you hear the same voice spouting the same lines for a wide range of characters here each person or enemy feels individual.
Gameplay? Having the choice of playing the game as an all out FPS or as a tactical shooter is a masterstroke. While the VATS cut scenes may not always be spot on the switching between the 2 styles is pretty much faultless. Add to that the huge options in skills and perks as well as the karma alignments and then replay ability is significantly increased. For those who want to search every inch of the Wasteland there is easily a solid 80 hours of gameplay available on one play through and for the achievement lovers out there exploration and replay is an absolute must to rack up the 50 available. The learning curve is also well balanced. The further you travel from Vault 101 the more dangerous the enemies and the bigger the groups.
All this being said there ARE bugs in this game I found my game crashing on a handful of occasions but the autosave function put paid to any great loss of progress. On occasions dead bodies just go into a wild epileptic fit or decapitated heads can jig around or circle endlessly which. There are also a couple of occasions where certain enemy types will sudden skyrocket without reason. However these occasions are few and far between and do not take away from what is a truly excellent title.
Graphics 9.5
Sound 9.5
Gameplay 10
Playability 9.5
Overall 9.5
Simply put a must buy for all FPS,RPG or adventure types out there. The gameplay is solid enough to hold out on it’s own while the storyline is engaging and huge range of options allows for great replay value.There are bugs but they don’t dampen the experience. The lack of a multiplayer game will upset some however fitting that option into this title would be an incredibly difficult task.
Fallout 3 is the first in the series to be made by RPG powerhouses Bethesda,after buying the rights from Interplay and is the first true sequel to Interplay’s Fallout 1 & 2. While the original 2 games took the shape of isometric RPGs Bethesda have blended RPG and FPS to great effect in a similar fashion to that of Morrowind and Oblivion. However to pass this game off as simply “Oblivion with guns” doesn’t do Fallout 3 justice.
The game itself takes place in Washington DC in 2277AD some 200 years after an American war with China which resulted in a nuclear war leaving the US in radiated ruin. While most of the population was killed many survived through living in a series of underground vaults, and this is where the main character comes in. You are a resident of Vault 101 which has reportedly been sealed for 200 years. Whilst futuristic in setting the game itself is set in a surreal view of the future from a 1950’s perspective. From the music on the in game radio to billboard designs and vending machines. The unique blend of designs throughout the game works extremely well, so well in fact that switching from an old World War 2 style pistol or rifle to a laser or plasma weapon doesn’t seem out of place at all. Even the architecture is a mix of historic and distant future yet doesn’t feel in any way out of place.
As with most RPGs the first objective is to create your character’s looks, base stats as well as their speciality skills. While Fallout 3 is no different in needing to do this the manner in which it is done is extremely unique. Your character (be it male or female) starts quite literally from the beginning. Having just been born you are treated to a cut scene with your parents. From the dialogue between them you choose your sex, name and via a gene progression machine how your adult self will look. You are then eased into a blend of story, tutorial and character stat creation as your character ages from cut scene to cut scene. Starting as a one year old you learn basic movements and after interacting with a child’s book title “You’re Special” you then set your base attribute points. (Special standing for Strength , Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intellect, Agility and Luck) Flash forward to your 10th birthday and you are introduced to your PIP Boy 3000 which acts as your inventory, stat screen and map as well as being given a BB gun and learning how to attack. A further cutscene sees you reach the age of 16 where you take an aptitude test in the shape of answering a number of quirky questions that decide you characters stronger base skills such as lock picking or Speech. This test can be skipped and the the strengths decided manually to keep repetition to a minimum. A final cutscene brings you to your escape from the Vault after being told your father has left and you are being hunted by the Overseer and Vault security. It is only when the Vault door finally rolls back and you journey outside for the first time that the scale of this game first hits you.
As your eyes adjust to the sunlight you are greeted by a decimated DC. Most of which is just a pile of rubble and the buildings that are still standing are charred and dirty. Unlike most games with their pop up backgrounds Fallout 3 has incredible draw distance. In other words if you can see it…you can visit. After stepping out into the Wasteland for the first time you can just make out the ruins of downtown Washington DC in the distance, outlying towns closer by and an expanse of hilly scorched earth. All of this is your new potential playground as you step from the linear vaults to a true sandbox style game.
Your first natural stop off point is marked by a mass of metal close by that is the settlement of Megaton. A town built around an unexploded atomic bomb by remains of an airfield. Stepping into the town introduces you to Lucas Simms the town Mayor and Sheriff. Dialogue takes the form of multiple choice, some options are basic questions, some will touch of your main mission while others introduce you to karma. Reacting in certain ways to certain people or by doing certain actions your karma alignment will fluctuate. For example you can choose to be polite to Simms, say little or be aggressive all of which result in very different reactions from civility, to caution to a fight that will see the rest of the towns residents make turn on you and attack. Dependent on how far you are prepared to push karma in a certain direction can result in the game giving you a very different experience each time you play. A good idea of how much this game can differ simply by your actions is found right in Megaton. Taking a good or neutral stance which Lucas opens up the possibility to diffuse the bomb in the middle of town. Should you diffuse it you get a big boost is karma, are handed a nice amount of bottle caps (the games’ currency) and keys to an abandoned house in town that becomes your home where you can store items or weapons, change the interior design or rest and recover your health. You can leave the bomb as it is for no gain at all or when walking into the town bar you may come across Mr Burke a sinister guy in a suit and fedora giving off a 1930’s gangster vibe who gives you the option of arming the bomb and destroying the town. This results in not a home in an entirely different area a HUGE drop in karma and Megaton and it’s residents no longer existing (except for the malfunctioning head of the town’s robot deputy laying near the remains of the town). Karma gains or losses aren’t restricted to big gestures such as this however. Simply stealing items of junk, lock picking doors and hacking computer terminals in places you shouldn’t all has an impact. Terrorizing a few members of a settlement can result in other residents fleeing when you approach or attacking you on sight. All of this adds up to a potentially different experience each and every time you play the game through.
Travelling around the Wastes, much like Oblivion is a process of walking to each location to “unlock” it and then using fast travel via your map. The locations can be anything from a park to a multi-storey building, not all of them are mission related but for the budding explorer there are plenty of items to find. While most items are junk that you won’t have any use for other than selling to vendors, it is possible to find a whole host of weapons, armour, health items, stat boosters and even schematics to create weaponry from certain junk items you find. Getting to these items is no cakewalk however, the whole of the DC area is full of a variety of survivors all either enforcing their will on the ruins or simply trying to survive. Whether it be the Mad Max style raiders, the power armoured Enclave, futuristic robots or mutated creatures the area is infested with enemies all out to take you down. How you defend yourself is totally down to choice. Not only do you have a wide range of weapons ranging from baseball bats or sledgehammers through hand guns all the way up to miniguns or personal mini nuke launchers the manner in which you choose to fight is also down to personal choice. Not only have Bethesda allowed the FPS fans to play this game as a straight up shooter they also incorporated a semi turn based combat for those who aren’t into constant action using the VATS system. VATS is engaged by a single press of a button that effectively pauses the game. Your potential targets are then zoomed in on, you are given a breakdown of hit percentages for each part of the body and then use action points to stack commands. Targeting individual body parts can result in anything from instant kills to the crippling of body parts to slow your target or make them drop their weapon. The action points used to do this aren’t limitless however should the target survive it is usually enough to give you breathing space to then shoot from the hip in instant action and get the job done. The difficulty comes in when facing larger groups of enemies how to manage your action points to do the most damage to the group while minimizing potential damage to yourself. The weapons themselves aren’t without problem. Depending on how you play the game ammo for any gun can be hard to come by. Add to that the fact the each weapon or piece of armour you use degenerates with each time it is used you are actively encouraged to use everything you come across. If you find a weapon you prefer using and can find a regular stock of ammo it is possible to repair it using either certain vendors or by repairing it yourself with another version of the same weapon. The amount each item can be repaired is proportional to your ( or the vendors) repair skill, so for instance a vendor may only be able to repair an item to 50% whereas if you work on your repair skill and get it to 100% you can fully repair it and reap the benefit, whether it be increased defence on an armour piece or increased damage from a weapon.
Working on skills can be done in 2 ways. As you kill enemies, pick locks and hack computers you are given experience points. As you accumulate points and level up you are then given a pool of points to distribute into your various skills. Each of the skills also has a corresponding rare book that gives small boosts that can be found all over the Wasteland. As a result if you are prepared to search long and hard it is entirely possible to have a number of skills hitting the maximum 100 points. Each time you level not only are you treated to a pool of attribute points you are also awarded a list of perks from which to choose. Depending on how you attribute your points and whether you are playing as a good or bad character these perks can vary completely and each perk can give further skill boosts or add other possibilities as to how you play the game. For example should your sneak skill be high enough when you hit a certain level you will be allowed to choose the Mr Sandman perk. This perk turns you into somewhat of an assassin and allows you to murder humanoids in their sleep with a single click or risk of drawing attention to yourself as opposed to shooting or clubbing them and possibly not getting a one hit kill or causing enough noise to arouse attention. Other perks such as Lady Killer/Black widow allow your character attacking bonuses against members of the opposite sex as well as opening extra dialogue options in some situations. The potential perk combinations are huge and with only a single choice per level until you reach the level 20 cap it is a question of deciding which would benefit you more with each level you raise. Even having all of your perks selected the chances are you will hit certain points in the game where you wish you had chosen something else just to have a slightly easier pathway through certain situations.
So how can Fallout 3 be summed up?
Graphically the game is an absolute treat. From character modelling to game environments everything is extremely well drawn and rendered. No small detail has been overlooked at all from the designs on junk and boxes to the nuclear winds whipping the wispy clouds through the sky at breakneck speed nothing has been left to chance. Even the small details on the enemies isn’t missed. From the radiated scars to the makeshift armour on the 30ft tall Mutant Behemoths. I’ve heard many a game critic speak of next gen gaming’s various shades of brown and grey and while this game is no different in that aspect it is the colours that fit to the theme. There are splashes of colour to be found but all has been faded as you would expect after 200 years of laying derelict and uncared for. Without question the most colourful touches to this game are from explosions in particular of the nuclear variety where there sudden blinding flash and subsequent mushroom clouds are again dealt with in jaw droppingly great detail.
Soundwise Bethesda have been very subtle. Each weapon strike has it’s own sound and a sound that is totally believable. Baseball bat swings and hits sound like baseball bats sings and hits. Handguns sound like peashooters compared to shotguns or rifles. Explosions sound like they do damage. However just with the graphics it is the small audio touches that despite being easy to miss all make for that authentic experience. Brushing against a table with a bottle on it is greeted by the sound of a bottle toppling and rolling in synch to the animation and the growl or shout of an enemy will change in volume depending on how close they are. When it comes to music the game is dominated by the radio stations and while the DJ chatter between songs does become repetitive it does accurately reflect how you are progressing. In the instance of Galaxy News Radio DJ Three Dog will report on things you have done throughout the game. Should the in game radio not be your cup of tea there is also subtle ambient music that doesn’t dominate the gameplay but will adjust from gentle melody to a more up tempo tune when you are under threat. Voice acting is also extremely well done. Unlike with Oblivion where you hear the same voice spouting the same lines for a wide range of characters here each person or enemy feels individual.
Gameplay? Having the choice of playing the game as an all out FPS or as a tactical shooter is a masterstroke. While the VATS cut scenes may not always be spot on the switching between the 2 styles is pretty much faultless. Add to that the huge options in skills and perks as well as the karma alignments and then replay ability is significantly increased. For those who want to search every inch of the Wasteland there is easily a solid 80 hours of gameplay available on one play through and for the achievement lovers out there exploration and replay is an absolute must to rack up the 50 available. The learning curve is also well balanced. The further you travel from Vault 101 the more dangerous the enemies and the bigger the groups.
All this being said there ARE bugs in this game I found my game crashing on a handful of occasions but the autosave function put paid to any great loss of progress. On occasions dead bodies just go into a wild epileptic fit or decapitated heads can jig around or circle endlessly which. There are also a couple of occasions where certain enemy types will sudden skyrocket without reason. However these occasions are few and far between and do not take away from what is a truly excellent title.
Graphics 9.5
Sound 9.5
Gameplay 10
Playability 9.5
Overall 9.5
Simply put a must buy for all FPS,RPG or adventure types out there. The gameplay is solid enough to hold out on it’s own while the storyline is engaging and huge range of options allows for great replay value.There are bugs but they don’t dampen the experience. The lack of a multiplayer game will upset some however fitting that option into this title would be an incredibly difficult task.
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
What's in the pipeline?
Ok so after 10 years of planning things are finally starting to fall into place.For those of you that know me through Youtube you will no doubt have seen (or at least noticed) my GTA 4 guide videos.Although I made them for your benefit there was more reasoning behind it.
You see I've been gaming since the early 80's and like most gamers I've always wanted to get into the industry to some degree.After spending a crappy month pulling pints in a pub followed by 7 years of working my backside off for a company that cares more about it's public image than treating it's employees fairly I finally made the decision to take the chance and go for it.As a result I've spent the last year or so putting together business plans and going through course after course to make my dream a reality.
This blog is "phase 2" of my plan of having my review site.Before I hear the whole "You won't get success from a blogspot if you want to review professionally" Let me explain.I've sorted something that will eventually fund a professional site (i'm not going to go into details but rest assured it is totally legal) but in the meantime I want somewhere other than just youtube where I can explain what is going on,what I am working on as well as posting my reviews,opinions and updates on any guides while the rest of the business takes shape.Once the site is up and running this blog will then become my behind the scenes area.Where you will get a look into how hard it is breaking into the industry and find out a little more about what goes on from day to day....I may end up doing an mmo diary here also.Yes Yes I know big bad Bensonrecon with his hours and hours worth of GTA videos,20 a day cigarette habit, goatee, hoodies and baseball caps is a closet LOTRO fan! What the hell we all have a damn cross to bare!
I'm also looking into other ways of getting you all involved too.Which I'll get into at a later date but there's no doubt that everyone that reads/watches or comments will all have the oppurtunity to contribute in whatever way they want (or don't) as time goes on.
Anyway I'm gonna stop as I really should be doing better things with my life at gone 4:30am for those who don't like reading I'll be doing more with my youtube channel,etc alongside this so you can keep up to speed with what's going on.Thanks for taking time to read this and thanks to everyone that has shown me support over the last few years.
You see I've been gaming since the early 80's and like most gamers I've always wanted to get into the industry to some degree.After spending a crappy month pulling pints in a pub followed by 7 years of working my backside off for a company that cares more about it's public image than treating it's employees fairly I finally made the decision to take the chance and go for it.As a result I've spent the last year or so putting together business plans and going through course after course to make my dream a reality.
This blog is "phase 2" of my plan of having my review site.Before I hear the whole "You won't get success from a blogspot if you want to review professionally" Let me explain.I've sorted something that will eventually fund a professional site (i'm not going to go into details but rest assured it is totally legal) but in the meantime I want somewhere other than just youtube where I can explain what is going on,what I am working on as well as posting my reviews,opinions and updates on any guides while the rest of the business takes shape.Once the site is up and running this blog will then become my behind the scenes area.Where you will get a look into how hard it is breaking into the industry and find out a little more about what goes on from day to day....I may end up doing an mmo diary here also.Yes Yes I know big bad Bensonrecon with his hours and hours worth of GTA videos,20 a day cigarette habit, goatee, hoodies and baseball caps is a closet LOTRO fan! What the hell we all have a damn cross to bare!
I'm also looking into other ways of getting you all involved too.Which I'll get into at a later date but there's no doubt that everyone that reads/watches or comments will all have the oppurtunity to contribute in whatever way they want (or don't) as time goes on.
Anyway I'm gonna stop as I really should be doing better things with my life at gone 4:30am for those who don't like reading I'll be doing more with my youtube channel,etc alongside this so you can keep up to speed with what's going on.Thanks for taking time to read this and thanks to everyone that has shown me support over the last few years.
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