Some mini reviews of 2011 releases so far
Dead Space 2
Dead Space pretty much took the survival horror crown away from Resident Evil. While Resi has moved more towards Action, Dead Space remembered that Survival Horror should be tense, nervy, and challenge your survival skills. It was a welcome addition to anyone’s collection.
Dead Space 2 should be more of the same but it’s not. The very linear path removes any element of exploration in favour of constant progression. This may lead to a better flowing story, which works well for showing how Isaac is constantly battling with his growing Insanity, but it kills any feeling of being trapped in a twisted place. You should be able to freely explore areas but instead you feel stuck to a rail.
Another thing I didn’t like was the end. After Chapter 10 (which was pretty cool by the way, those that played both games should know what I’m on about) the game floods you with enemies, it just never stops to build up tension. So instead of wondering what’s around the next corner you know it’s going to be more Necromorphs. This drops the scare factor and ultimately leads to a frustrating rather than fun game.
Still worth playing, I just hope Visceral take a good hard look at the game and the genre, realise their strengths, and produce something more on par with the first game for Dead Space 3.
7/10
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of two Worlds
If Street Fighter is the Parent, with many years experience and an aspiring role model to the rest of the genre, and Blazblue is the rebellious teenager, learned a lot from its parents but ultimately wants to do it’s own thing; Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the hyperactive child, who is fun to be around but still has a lot to learn.
There’s no denying that the pace of MvC3 is so fast and frantic that that alone leads to a fun game, it just don’t feel as balanced as it needs to be. Bigger characters like Hulk and Sentinel win as they are still quite fast, do a lot of damage and fill the screen with pretty much every attack.
With so many tactics that just feel cheap and a fairly pathetic online multiplayer (no spectator mode in endless lobbies, no replay function, what the fuck?) this game manages to be more fun in single player than in multiplayer. That is not a good thing when you are a 2D arcade fighter.
Don’t bother with Vanilla MvC3, go for Ultimate. If it’s anything like Super Street Fighter 4 was for Street Fighter 4, Ultimate MvC3 should fix many of the game’s problems. Maybe for the next 2D fighter series Capcom release I’ll just wait for the superior second version.
6/10
Ms Splosion Man
Twisted Pixel are fast becoming one of my favourite smaller game developers. Splosion Man and The Maw were fantastic little games brimming with originality. Splosion Man in particular adopted a very simple philosophy that’s reminiscent of what Naka had in mind with Sonic. That is a game entirely played using a single button. It worked really well.
The sequel Ms Splosion Man is more of the same only with a better framerate and even more devious traps. You better get used to dying because you’re going to, a lot. It’s a decent length though instead of having 3 worlds of 16, they should have 6 worlds of 8.
It’s hard to fault the game. It doesn’t do anything wrong but not all that much brilliantly. It’s more Splosion man, weird, wacky, challenging and fun, which is all it needs to be really.
8/10
Shadows of the Damned
When one of the craziest twisted motherfuckers on the planet SUDA 51 teams up with one of the biggest names in games development, Shinji Mikami you know you’re in for something special. Except in this case you aren’t.
SotD is a fine game nothing more. Stripped to its bare bones it’s nothing more than a generic third person shooter. You are a demon hunter, shoot demons. Really do you need anything more than that?
Well tighter controls would’ve been nice. Not having quick turn and Dodge being on the same button and not losing your aim when you get hit (despite still holding onto the Aim button), for example. Also unskippable cut scenes in this day and age is unforgivable.
Still it’s impossible to play SotD without a great big smile on your face. The Humour throughout hits all the right immature notes and it mostly flows nicely without feeling too easy.
Worth it at a budget price.
7/10
Child of Eden
I’ve already reviewed CoE this year. It’s fantastic and a definite nominee for Game of the Year.
9/10
Ocarina of Time 3D
I’ve also reviewed this too. The greatest game ever is remade in glorious 3D and on a handheld. Would be game of the year if it wasn’t already game of all existence (and originally released in 1998)
10/10
Portal 2
What makes a brilliant game? Solid Gameplay? Check! Unique style? Check (Well besides the first Portal) Brilliant Setting? Check! Awesome visuals and sound? Check! Fantastic humour, storytelling and voice acting? Check, Check and Check!
Well you see where I’m going with this. Portal 2 hits all the right buttons. Absolutely Flawless from start to finish and an absolute joy to play. Best of all it has a co-op mode that is as equally awesome and well made. Unlike other Co-op games Portal 2 hasn’t been centred around Co-op, so it has no effect on the sublime Single Player Campaign. It’s pretty much two very good games for the price of one.
Strong contender for Game of the Year 2011. Seriously get this game if you haven’t already.
10/10
Beyond Good and Evil HD
I had forgotten about this gem. One of the more unique titles of last generation and criminally overlooked. Brilliantly blending the best of Zelda style dungeon crawling with Metal Gear Solid style stealth it really did deserve more attention that it got.
This remake has made me glad to relive it again but angry that it still hasn’t got a sequel after so many years. The characters are likable, the story is nicely paced and the Gameplay is pretty well polished.
Definitely worth playing through again and essential if you haven’t played it already.
8/10
Dead Space pretty much took the survival horror crown away from Resident Evil. While Resi has moved more towards Action, Dead Space remembered that Survival Horror should be tense, nervy, and challenge your survival skills. It was a welcome addition to anyone’s collection.
Dead Space 2 should be more of the same but it’s not. The very linear path removes any element of exploration in favour of constant progression. This may lead to a better flowing story, which works well for showing how Isaac is constantly battling with his growing Insanity, but it kills any feeling of being trapped in a twisted place. You should be able to freely explore areas but instead you feel stuck to a rail.
Another thing I didn’t like was the end. After Chapter 10 (which was pretty cool by the way, those that played both games should know what I’m on about) the game floods you with enemies, it just never stops to build up tension. So instead of wondering what’s around the next corner you know it’s going to be more Necromorphs. This drops the scare factor and ultimately leads to a frustrating rather than fun game.
Still worth playing, I just hope Visceral take a good hard look at the game and the genre, realise their strengths, and produce something more on par with the first game for Dead Space 3.
7/10
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of two Worlds
If Street Fighter is the Parent, with many years experience and an aspiring role model to the rest of the genre, and Blazblue is the rebellious teenager, learned a lot from its parents but ultimately wants to do it’s own thing; Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the hyperactive child, who is fun to be around but still has a lot to learn.
There’s no denying that the pace of MvC3 is so fast and frantic that that alone leads to a fun game, it just don’t feel as balanced as it needs to be. Bigger characters like Hulk and Sentinel win as they are still quite fast, do a lot of damage and fill the screen with pretty much every attack.
With so many tactics that just feel cheap and a fairly pathetic online multiplayer (no spectator mode in endless lobbies, no replay function, what the fuck?) this game manages to be more fun in single player than in multiplayer. That is not a good thing when you are a 2D arcade fighter.
Don’t bother with Vanilla MvC3, go for Ultimate. If it’s anything like Super Street Fighter 4 was for Street Fighter 4, Ultimate MvC3 should fix many of the game’s problems. Maybe for the next 2D fighter series Capcom release I’ll just wait for the superior second version.
6/10
Ms Splosion Man
Twisted Pixel are fast becoming one of my favourite smaller game developers. Splosion Man and The Maw were fantastic little games brimming with originality. Splosion Man in particular adopted a very simple philosophy that’s reminiscent of what Naka had in mind with Sonic. That is a game entirely played using a single button. It worked really well.
The sequel Ms Splosion Man is more of the same only with a better framerate and even more devious traps. You better get used to dying because you’re going to, a lot. It’s a decent length though instead of having 3 worlds of 16, they should have 6 worlds of 8.
It’s hard to fault the game. It doesn’t do anything wrong but not all that much brilliantly. It’s more Splosion man, weird, wacky, challenging and fun, which is all it needs to be really.
8/10
Shadows of the Damned
When one of the craziest twisted motherfuckers on the planet SUDA 51 teams up with one of the biggest names in games development, Shinji Mikami you know you’re in for something special. Except in this case you aren’t.
SotD is a fine game nothing more. Stripped to its bare bones it’s nothing more than a generic third person shooter. You are a demon hunter, shoot demons. Really do you need anything more than that?
Well tighter controls would’ve been nice. Not having quick turn and Dodge being on the same button and not losing your aim when you get hit (despite still holding onto the Aim button), for example. Also unskippable cut scenes in this day and age is unforgivable.
Still it’s impossible to play SotD without a great big smile on your face. The Humour throughout hits all the right immature notes and it mostly flows nicely without feeling too easy.
Worth it at a budget price.
7/10
Child of Eden
I’ve already reviewed CoE this year. It’s fantastic and a definite nominee for Game of the Year.
9/10
Ocarina of Time 3D
I’ve also reviewed this too. The greatest game ever is remade in glorious 3D and on a handheld. Would be game of the year if it wasn’t already game of all existence (and originally released in 1998)
10/10
Portal 2
What makes a brilliant game? Solid Gameplay? Check! Unique style? Check (Well besides the first Portal) Brilliant Setting? Check! Awesome visuals and sound? Check! Fantastic humour, storytelling and voice acting? Check, Check and Check!
Well you see where I’m going with this. Portal 2 hits all the right buttons. Absolutely Flawless from start to finish and an absolute joy to play. Best of all it has a co-op mode that is as equally awesome and well made. Unlike other Co-op games Portal 2 hasn’t been centred around Co-op, so it has no effect on the sublime Single Player Campaign. It’s pretty much two very good games for the price of one.
Strong contender for Game of the Year 2011. Seriously get this game if you haven’t already.
10/10
Beyond Good and Evil HD
I had forgotten about this gem. One of the more unique titles of last generation and criminally overlooked. Brilliantly blending the best of Zelda style dungeon crawling with Metal Gear Solid style stealth it really did deserve more attention that it got.
This remake has made me glad to relive it again but angry that it still hasn’t got a sequel after so many years. The characters are likable, the story is nicely paced and the Gameplay is pretty well polished.
Definitely worth playing through again and essential if you haven’t played it already.
8/10
posted by Master hunter at 1:32 pm
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