Mini Review - Dead Space 3: Awakened (DLC) - The Cherry on Top
Not long ago I reviewed the Dead Space 2 DLC, "Severed". I complained about the short length, and the backtracking/copy-and-paste job on the level design. Oddly enough, Visceral didn't learn the first time because, Awakened does the same thing. Except this time it's much better.
By "copy-and-paste job" I mean they use some of the exact same levels as in the main game, but you run through them backwards. While we could be exploring some new area in the Dead Space Universe, we're instead treated to the same locations we just ran through. As with Severed, it comes off as very lazy on the development teams part.
Thankfully though, this time they redecorated the levels enough to actually give off their appearance that it's somewhere new. Because of the redesign, I wasn't so distraught about going through the same area again, though it was itching in the back of my head. It also makes sense in the story to actually back track like this, which Severed had no reason to be doing so within it's story.
The story told in Awakened picks up right after the end of the main game. Isaac and Carver are now sharing hallucinations and are both quite confused. It's odd that they see the exact same hallucinations, but the hallucinations were one of my favorite things about DS2, so I'm glad they've made a return. In fact, these hallucination moments are the best parts of possibly Dead Space 3 as a whole. It's a shame they missed out in the main game (at least from the perspective of Isaac.)
Awakened definitely has a creepier, more morbid feel to it, and jump scares are way more present here. The atmosphere in this DLC is amazing, which ultimately left me thinking "where was all this during the main game?"
A big downfall is the length. Like with Severed, I was able to beat Awakened in a single sitting of about an hour and fifteen minutes. Also you're left with unanswered questions, particularly regarding the main games ending and how it transferred to the DLC, and Isaac and Carver seem to have no clue, as I do. It does end with an even bigger cliffhanger than before, and I'm hoping it will come to be Dead Space 4.
Ultimately, I'd recommend this for serious Dead Space fans. It picks up on the games initial cliffhanger, and leaves you with a bigger one that those of you interested in the Dead Space story will want to see. Not to mention the DLC has some of the better moments in Dead Space 3. However, it's price of $10 is a bit steep for an hour's worth of play that offers little new. If you're not a big fan, I'd just wait until it drops in price. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to play it before Dead Space 4 comes out.
Inspired by Anita Sarkeesian’s Video Game Tropes vs Women, I wanted to pitch a Zelda game where Zelda herself was the hero, rescuing a Prince Link.
Clockwork Empire is set 2,000 years after Twilight Princess, and is not a reboot, but simply another iteration in the Zelda franchise. It just so happens that in this case, Zelda is the protagonist. I’m a very big Zelda fan, and worked hard to draw from key elements in the continuity and mythos.
This concept work is meant to show that Zelda as a game protagonist can be both compelling and true to the franchise, while bringing new and dynamic game elements that go farther than being a simple gender swap.
We can all agree that both Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite are great games. But who has the better protagonist? I don't mean which one you favor, but which one can say "Hey, it was nice having 'coffee' with your mom last night" and get away with it?!? That's right, we're going to put both Jack and Booker into the ring and measure their strengths and weaknesses in one of the ultimate protagonist duels!
Let's start with some bios!
In the right corner stands Jack! We don't know a whole lot about this fella, and quite frankly, I'm not sure he knows a lot about himself either! Throughout his life he's been tasked with making the right or wrong decision! So Jack, was all the adam worth it?! Let's find out! Would you kindly get ready to fight!
Entering on the left, representing the flying city of Columbia: Booker Dewitt! Troubled with gambling issues, Booker hopes to win this fight in order to "wipe away the debt"! But in a match that can be as easily decided as heads or tails, will Booker fly free like a bird, or become trapped in a cage! Let's hope he fights with Comstock's favor!
Round 1 - Melee
DING! Round 1 begins and our contestants pull out their first weapon; Jack stands proudly with his trusty wrench, and what's this? Booker has a Sky Hook? That will definitely prove useful with the sky lines we have randomly suspended everywhere there's going to be a fight!
The contestants continue to wail at each other menacingly, but they appear to be doing the same amount of physical damage to each other. However, Booker's multiple use Sky Hook gives him an advantage. He escapes right when Jack has the upper hand, swings around and plummets like a comet right into Jack.
DING DING! Round 1 has come to an end. Jack's looking pretty beat right now. Both contestants have retreated to their side of the ring and have begun eating various foods. Shockingly, this consumption of apples and chips has seemed to make them right as rain!
Round 2 - Plasmids/Vigors
For this round our contestants are only allowed to use their collection of hyped abilities (that were seemingly only created for violent acts) and a pistol! Dewitt stands ready, and Jack - Jack! Would you kindly pay attention?! Ok, let's begin!
DING! Jack starts with the Electro Bolt plasmid, his mentor's words running through his head: "Give 'em the good ol' one-two!". Booker is instantly stunned by the electricity running through his veins. After Jack gets in a couple shots, Booker attempts to use the Shock Jockey vigor. It's effect isn't as great, and Booker is only able to get in one shot! He switches over to Devils Kiss and begins hurling fire balls! Jack also attempts the switch to his plasmid Incinerate!, but the length isn't enough to reach across the ring!
Still dodging fire balls, he switches to Telekinesis and begins to catch the fire balls and return fire! Booker changes to his Return to Sender vigor and does practically the same thing! They remain throwing the fire ball back and forth but wait! Jack suddenly stops in order to inject himself! IS THAT LEGAL?!? I'll have to get someone to check our official rule book!
Jack's distraction cause him to get hit by the fireball, but they're still fighting! Jack sends a swarm of bees after Booker with Insect Swarm, but the bees don't stop the Murder of Crows released from Booker! In a crazy twist, Jack uses Enrage and sends some crows back in Booker's direction! Booker attempts to use Possession but it's high cost rate only permits him to possess 1 bee!
Frustrated, Booker uses Bucking Bronco to suspend Jack in midair, but a second before the wave running across the floor hits Jack he counter acts with Winter Blast, freezing Booker in place! Silence falls across the stadium as both contestants remain frozen; Jack suspended in the air, and Booker literally! Once both effects wear off, Booker uses Charge in an attempt to make a final bash on Jack, but Jack uses Cyclone Trap and sends Booker flying sky high!
DING DING! That marks the end of Round 2! Both contestants are pretty beat, but Jack stands proud! Someone will have to help get Booker out of the rafters!
Round 3 - Assistance
In round 3 we're allowing both contestants to put a special ability to use! Jack has chosen to have his side of the field littered with neutral security bots, vending machines, and turrets. What could he do with those? Booker has requested bringing in his trusty companion Elizabeth into the ring! Let's hope this girl can fend for herself!
DING! The fights back on! Jack runs over to a turret and hacks it in seconds! the turret begins to home in on Booker, shooting away. Booker points and yells something to the girl and - Whoa! where did that wall come from? Regardless, Booker now has some protection.
While Booker hides, Jack hacks a security bot! The bot flies around the cover and begins it's attack. Booker yells another order and the wall disappears but in another corner of the ring, a motorized patriot blinks into existence! Using it's powerful chain gun, it takes out the security bot, but exposed its back gears to the turret which quickly disabled it. Booker took a few hits and orders Elizabeth to summon up some health packs while he personally fires on the turret, putting it up in smoke. Elizabeth summons a Mosquito turret which begins firing on Jack. Jack reacts quickly, eliminating the turret, but not before taking some shots from Booker. Looking awfully fatigued, Jack runs over to hack the vending machine.
In a swift series of moves Booker has Elizabeth pop in a sniper rifle, and then a freight hook above the ring! Using his sky hook he launches himself up above, and with a deep breath fires a well aimed shot.
DING DING! Jack is down for the count!
Conclusion: Booker Dewitt!
Booker might have taken a beating from Jacks many plasmids, but in the end, Jacks hacking wasn't fast enough to escape Elizabeth's tears! Well, let's just hope Dewitt doesn't gamble away his winnings! Congratulations, and goodnight!
[I hope you all enjoyed this quirky mash up I invented! I was quite bored and let my imagination fly. Who do you think would win in your mind? Or should I say...a different reality?]
The third time is a charm. Well, at least that's what they say, but truth be told, by the third time around a series is at risk of growing stale. There's a chance that fans will be satisfied with the same style game for a third time, but there's as equal a chance they will want something more. The question the developers must ask is: "What changes can be made that will keep the series fresh, while still accommodating to our fans desires?". So Visceral games made changes as you'd expect, but do these changes ultimately bring Dead Space to a new level, or do they bring about it's downfall?
PRESENTATION
Dead Space 3 looks pretty great. There has been a new attention to detail and it really shows. For example, I love that in dark lit areas the light from beyond Isaac's visor will shine onto wall. It's a small detail, but it looks really awesome. In addition Dead Space 3 has the most open and large areas of the series yet. The path forward is still quite linear and obvious, but areas like space for example really don't feel like they have boundaries at all (they do; I tried).
the Necromorphs look more alien and less human this time. Maybe it's because I've gotten used to fighting them that they don't look nearly as intimidating. I also don't think they look nearly as gruesome either, even though a lot of old enemy variations return.
The game in general isn't really scary anymore. It seems like Visceral abandoned the horror scene for full action, which turns out to not be such a bad thing. Unless you're a big horror junkie.
As impressive as the visuals are, I have a couple complaints. For one, I encountered several visual glitches, one of which I had to restart my system because Isaac somehow super glued himself to a locker door. I mean it's hard to ignore when one of the NPC's vanishes in plain sight, but the levers he was working with are still moving. I encountered small glitches like these throughout my playthrough. All except for one were visual and didn't have an effect on gameplay, and the two I shared were as bad as it got. Even though they didn't really effect my progression in the game, it certainly momentarily ripped me from the experience. I didn't experience any glitches in Dead Space 1 or 2, so I was fairly shocked I saw as many as I did here.
My other complaint is that the side quest use the same map, except for the layout gets re-arranged. By this I mean the rooms you go through are the same, but the the order in which you go through them is jumbled. But it's still the same room. This leads to the feeling that Visceral cut the corners to throw in extra content. Much like the copy and paste job I discussed in my review of the Dead Space 2: Severed DLC.
I have to comment on the voice acting as it's exceedingly good. Especially for Isaac. He has really come to life since we first met him as the grunting, stomping engineer.
All together, Dead Space 3's presentational aspects are great, but glitches are a plague. The glitches may be small, but they add up quickly to really hurt the experience.
STORY
Let's get caught up to speed. Isaac has now destroyed 2 markers, defeated hordes of Necromorphs, defied Earth Gov, and pissed off the entire Unitologist religion. It's safe to say Isaac's got himself into a pretty bad situation. Even in his attempts to retire from his expeditions against the Markers, the trouble follows him.
When a man by the name of Captain Norton shows up at his door (or more likely bust it in) and tells Isaac that they've lost contact with his ex-girlfriend (and still current love interest) on a special mission, Isaac's all but forced to join in on the search party. The trip takes them in orbit of Tau Volantis, where the SCAF forces of 200 years earlier came in seach of a means to solving the same Marker crisis.
The story is definitely more developed then before; it's not just about Isaac's fight for survival, but a means to an end for the Markers and the deadly alien race it spawns. Isaac's story is riddled with his love life. He finds himself stuck on the bad end of a typical love triangle. It's not that the story of the love triangle is bad, but the characters become quite over dramatized. I feel like the characters are far too up front about their emotions, and mood swings surface far too often.
Even still, Isaac's come more to life then ever before. But his story isn't the only story being told this time. Enter John Carver. Carver is the co-op player, and he brings along his own story. It's of course tiny in comparison with Isaac's, but I still found interest in him. Sadly, the only way to really get his story is to play through the co-op exclusive missions (preferably being the player playing as Carver).
The other big story going on is that of the SCAF forces I mentioned earlier. Their story is told solely through audio recordings and text logs, but it is definitely the most mysterious. I kept wondering what happened during their time that went wrong. It unravels as you progress in the game, and even ties in with Isaac's story. I'd highly recommend taking the time to read and listen to all the logs, the story has a good effect with their inclusion.
I'd even say that from a story perspective, Dead Space 3 is the most powerful of the Dead Space games.
GAMEPLAY
We all remember the gameplay that laid the foundation of the past 2 games: You kill Necromorphs by shooting off their limbs, stomp anything and everything on the floor, and the series seems to become more action packed as it progresses. Much of the old gameplay has returned but now it's mostly action, with hardly any jump scares or creepy moments at all. This isn't entirely a bad thing, as the action is exciting and fun. It's only a problem because of what fans have come to expect from the series.
Sadly a large number of changes have been made. None of them make the game drastically different on their on their own, but the combined force of all these smaller changes leads for a quite different feel.
The biggest and most noticeable change is the weapon crafting system. In previous Dead Space games, all your weapons have pre-determined primary and secondary fire. Now the choice is yours. It's open to seemingly endless possibilities. For example, my favorite personally made weapon is a sniper rifle with a submachine gun for secondary fire. Plus you can throw on special perks like a scope for increased zoom, or even fire coating on your shots.
However, it does come at a cost. For one, you can now only carry 2 weapons where as before you were allowed 4. Also the guns are no longer solely focused on aiming at limbs. It seems some weapons don't even require the technique to be used.Crafting itself isn't instantly gripping either. I was well into the game before I became remotely interested. However once you get the concept of collecting parts and materials, and how to use the crafting system effectively, it becomes quite addictive to see what different ways you can slaughter your enemies.
I was kind of shocked at the "disappearance" of inventory management. All the weapons now run off the same universal ammo, so worrying about what kind of ammo you are carrying is no longer an issue. In my opinion, this "issue" of inventory management was always a part of Dead Space that I even enjoyed. The universal ammo was obviously made to accommodate for the co-op mode.
Another new inclusion is the side missions. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not a fan of the design of these missions, but they also seem to drag on. The excitement from the main game seem to have abandoned me during the side quest. At least for me, I felt like I was just doing them in hopes of avoiding missing something awesome, but the reward was hardly worth it. Visceral also takes advantage of these missions to throw several hordes of enemies that don't seem to stop coming. This would be fun if not for the sometimes flawed enemy AI that will rush you into a corner and remain so close to you that Isaac can't aim at them properly, leaving you to rely on your incredibly weak melee attack. (I already did a post on the AI not long ago, feel free to check that out to see what I mean). The only good thing about side missions is it adds more backstory and you can unlock an extra suit for completing them all.
I admit that at first I was very negative about all the changes, and even now writing this review, I've sure had a good number of complaints, but realistically, I cant deny that the gameplay is still a ton of fun. It's still Dead Space, and the new stuff works quite well once you adjust.
CO-OP
The new hook for Dead Space 3 is it's co-op multiplayer. Though surely it's an optional feature, the game does seemed designed with co-op in mind. Even when playing alone. As far as co-op goes, it's works fairly well.
Having a partner alongside you makes the game a lot more fun. As with all online play, the experience you have is influenced by the kind of person you're playing with. Most of the time, I found the game to be more enjoyable with a buddy.
There are some limitations of course. You can't go more than one room ahead of your partner (which is actually pretty generous compared to some other co-op games), and some things can only be started or activated when both players are present, but they will only produce a problem if your partner isn't being cooperative.
There are some minor bothers that can be caused. If someone is to join a game they have you wait until the host player reaches a checkpoint. Depending on when the joining player get's connected, the wait time to actually join could be a while. Additionally, should the co-op player leave the game, you're forced to reset at the previous checkpoint, which will erase the progress of any crafting or upgrading you've done since then. It makes sense with the story for Carver to not disappear in thin air, but a better drop in/drop out feature would have fared better.
Usually when it comes to online co-op, I like to play on my own the first time through. I'd actually recommend against this for Dead Space 3. Not only does playing with a friend increase the fun in the game, but you get a slightly lager serving of the story and there is little risk for your partner ruining the experience for you. But where's the split screen co-op?
RECAP
Dead Space 3 has a handful of flaws and numerous changes that fans wont immediately welcome with open arms. However, by the end of the game all my previous complaints (with the exception of the glitches) had gone away. Dead Space 3 may not be a whole lot like the previous games, but it's still a damn fun game. With a large number of collectibles, different modes to play through after the first completion, and the fun co-op, I'm still playing this game just for kicks.
Mini Review - Dead Space 2: Severed (DLC) - Copy and Paste Away!
Dead Space 2 released with a good amount of hype, and the game satisfied many gamer's desires, mine included. So what do you do when fans are begging for more? You give it to them, and that's what Visceral did some 2 weeks after the games release.
Severed puts you in the shoes of a new character: Gabe Weller, just before the events that start Dead Space 2. The Necromorph outbreak has just begun, and Weller is desperate to get back to is wife. Instantly, Weller seems to have more fueling him than Isaac does.His choices are self induced, where as Isaac seems to just do what he's told (fix this Isaac, go here Isaac). The Downside is that Weller's story is abruptly brought to an end, but even in the short Time I spent with Gabe, I was already found myself more interested in him than Isaac.
Good so far right? Well here's where the disappointment kicks in. Not only is the DLC incredibly short (I was able to complete it in a single siting), but it recycles levels from the core game. It literally does. You start in the mine level, and you go through it backwards. The same exact level as with Isaac, just backwards this time. You also do this in the hospital level from the beginning of the core game. Given the size of the Sprawl (The giant space station city the game takes place on), I was expecting (and hoping) to see a new part of the city, but I guess that wasn't the plan. The re-use of levels makes this feel more than ever like a money grab rather than an attempt to please fans.
I still enjoyed playing it; it's still Dead Space, Weller's story is short but sweet, not to mention his RIG looks awesome, but my disappointment surpasses all of that. Luckily, it's relatively cheap, but still, I wouldn't recommend this DLC to anyone that isn't a serious Dead Space fan.
Quite the eventful month. With Bioshock Infinite entering towards the end, I was already expecting to throw down my wallet for that one. You can also expect quite a lot of Dead Space stuff. So here's another look at what a fellow gamer added to his collection:
Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag was announced, and so did the preorder bonus get announced for the poster. Not wanting to miss out, I went down to pick it up. Put down only $5 for now, and the poster was mine. Here's the front and back of the poster.
Nearly halfway through the month, and I hadn't technically purchased a game yet. I've been paying off Bioshock Infinite as I go, and I've been keeping myself busy with Dead Space, which has been sitting on my shelf for a long time, and I finally played it. But, I found some extra cash, so I decided to pick up a couple cheap games online. The first to arrive at my door was Patapon for the PSP. I've always had my eye on Patapon, but I never picked it up until now.
I was at work when I came across this Minecraft poster. It was only about $5, and I liked how much stuff was going on in the picture. You actually have to look at it for a few minutes in order to take it all in. It's already drawn quite a lot of attention from those who come into the room.
After beating Dead Space I had to pick up the second game. So I did, simple as that.
A couple days later, the next game I ordered online came in: Fable II. I had played the first fable, but abandoned it after a time. I found the second cheap and ended up picking it up.
I purchased and downloaded Dead Space: Ignition, which was originally a preorder bonus from Dead Space 2, unlocking the Hacker Suit, for use in the main game. Yes, I bought this just for the suit, but hey, it's only $5, and I figured maybe I'd enjoy the small game. Eh, so far, not really. but the suit is cool!
After beating Dead Space 2, I immediately wanted more, so I went to the online store to get Dead Space 2: Severed. It so happens that they had a DLC Bundle for $20, so I went with that. The bundle includes: Severed, 2 multiplayer maps, and 3 separate armor/weapon sets.
The armor/weapon packs are really just the old suits and weapons given knew paint jobs, and different (but not amazing) stats. Severed was pretty awesome, but short enough that I beat it in one sitting. I think I've become a Dead Space addict...
Now I wasn't going to get this next one until after I finished up with Bioshock: Infinite, but it went on sale for $45 at Kmart, and there were only 2 left, and it was the Limited Edition. Given my new found addiction, the game was none other than Dead Space 3.
Next up came the long awaited Bioshock Infinite. I ended up getting the Premium Edition. I knew I wanted a bit extra for this game, but the Ultimate Song Bird edition was a bit steep for me. Now after seeing the size of the thing, I wish I would've gotten it, but I don't really have the money for it.
The Premium edition does include everything the Ultimate Song Bird edition comes with, minus the Song Bird Statue. Thats the art book, mini Handyman figure (for use with the Infinite board game), a Devil's Kiss lithograph, Murder of Crows keychain, and some DLC content including the digital sound track, an upgrade pack, and a home theme (PS3). Also for pre-ordering at GameStop, an exclusive in game shotgun.
Unfortunately, I've made the decision to finish my playthrough of Dead Space 3 before moving onto Bioshock Infinite. It was a hard decision to make, but I'd rather have my full attention on each game, and seeing as I had already put in 2 hours in Dead Space 3...
Last thing I picked up was the Marauder Pack DLC for Dead Space 3. It just add an extra suit and gun, but I thought they looked pretty sweet. I unfortunately regretted this purchase not 15 minutes later as I unlocked the same suit (but with a different color scheme) in the story's progression. Ah well, there goes $5. At least the weapons cool, and this color scheme is a bit cooler.
So this month I spend just about $196 on gaming. Which isn't that bad considering I got 2 newer games. Dead Space 3 and Infinite was about $120 not including the $5 I paid for the pre-order months ago. Funny how money adds up. Well, until next month! I've got some gaming to do!
Dead Space set a high bar for itself. Though it could have easily ended with a single game, the demand for a sequel became immediately apparent. Sequels aren't always guaranteed success though. Some sequels feel exactly the same, and some drift off in search for greatness, and end up leaving that very greatness they had behind. Dead Space 2 is not one of those games.
PRESENTATION
The original Dead Space took place on the Ishimura, a massive mining ship. Dead Space 2, on the other hand, takes place on the Sprawl, a massive space station-city, so if you thought the Ishimura had a lot of ground to cover, the Sprawl has even more. The variety of environments is much larger here, along with the color pallet in general. One paticular area will surely please those who have already played the first game.
The graphical makeover does decrease the creepy feel you got when exploring the Ishimura however. There won't be too much to make you hesitant going along your way. That's not to say the scare factor isn't there though. If anything, the less-creepy atmosphere set's you up for such moments as you let your guard down. Enemies will pop out of vents and the ceiling when you least expect it, and Visceral has worked the environments into scaring you as well (such as pipes popping open loudly, ect.).
The controls have been remapped, and though they are not as original as in the first game, they are definitely an improvement. They feel comfortable, and actions such as reloading are more accessible.
Sound on par with the previous game, as the haunting screeches of the Necromorphs return. This time with a much larger cast of killing, morphing alien beast! The number of Necromorph variations has nearly doubled since Dead Space 1, enticing new strategies to take them down. The most efficient being cutting off the limbs.
The weapons again work together with this strategy. This time around Isaac's arsenal is much more capable; not only is he fighting with just mining equipment, but now he has access to more able, military grade weaponry. All the old weapons return, and a good number of new ones have been added in.
Dead Space 2 is dressed to impress, and well, it certainly does.
STORY
After Isaac's escape from the Ishimura, he's later found by Earth Gov drifting amid space in a crazed state. Next thing Isaac knows, he's waking up in a mental hospital during the middle of yet another Necromorph outbreak. But that's not all; Earth Gov has issued an order for his death, and the Unitologist (religious group that worships the Markers) are attempting to capture him. As if that wasn't enough, Isaac's now seeing things, and he has to find a way to face these delusions.
What? Did I insinuate Isaac having emotions? That's right, Isaac has personality this time around. I can't say it's the character that I would've imagined from the first game, but he fits the role well, and he's grown on me. Cast improvements are found everywhere, not just with Isaac. The characters Isaac interacts with are all more developed, and the story flourishes because of it.
The story is still propelled forward with one problem being presented after another, but now having more motives behind doing them makes it feel less like a chore as it did in Dead Space 1.
Some of the story pieces, particularly involving Isaac's halucinations, do feel a bit generic for a horror story, but it's still a very enticing story that is way more on a personal level than the story that came before it.
GAMEPLAY
For the most part, Dead Space 2 plays a lot like the original. The pace has quickened, and the action has been heightened, but everything you loved from the first Dead Space has been brought over. This generally means the methodical means of killing the Necromophs. As before, this keeps the combat interesting and prevents the game from becoming stale in a matter of hours.
The old weapons return along with a number of new ones, including a new favorite of mine: The Seeker Rifle; a semi automatic rifle that packs quite a punch. All of the weapons work well, and each has it's own strategy to it's effective use in combat.
The kinesis module used in the first game for moving objects, and throwing them at enemies, has now been fully integrated as a weapon. You can even rip the spiky limbs off dead Necromorphs and shoot them, impaling attacking foes. It definitely adds in some variety and more reason to make use of Kinesis for other than solving puzzles. This also provides a way to fight when low on ammo, which is increasingly handy on the harder difficulties.
The zero-G portions are much better this time around. Isaac can now hover around, making space entirely accessible Before, Isaac relied heavily on an open flat platform to jump to and fro, which really limited his abilities outside in space. Now that he can hover, zero-G areas are much easier to navigate, and the plane he can now move on in space has increased significantly.
You can still upgrade your weapons with collectible nodes, but with more options. Some guns even have a special ability at the end of the upgrade tree, which is pretty sweet.
Boss fights are still fairly easy, but the action that usually occurs is really exciting. Dead Space 2 has quite a lot of good action scenes as well. Not too much to where it's overdone, but a decent amount that will keep you interested, and they play as good as they look.
MULTIPLAYER
There is a multiplayer this time around, though I didn't spend a whole lot of time on it. It's humans versus Necromorphs. The humans are tasked with a series of objectives, while the Necromorphs have to do all in their power to prevent the humans from completing them.
Playing as the humans is a lot of fun, but playing as the Necromorphs wasn't. I felt highly disadvantaged. Though the Necromorph team has the humans out numbered, thanks to the additions of some AI allies, the fire power from the human team still seems to outweigh it. I died a whole lot more as a Necromorph, and the humans seemed to win almost every time.
Each match consist of 2 rounds, the second of which both teams switch factions, and tackle the map and challenges again, but on the other team. The multiplayer has a good idea behind it, but it's not a huge hit. Perhaps with a bit more polish, it could have been better, but the single player is where it's at anyhow.
RECAP
Dead Space 2 is an amazing sequel. Everything I loved about Dead Space is back, and several new additions to the series make this game a ton of fun to play. I was grasped by the story and addictive gameplay mechanics. Not to mention a number of different difficulties and the new game plus mode (which let's you start the game from the beginning with all you're unlocked gear), will definitely have most coming back for round 2.
The multiplayer isn't amazing, but it's there if you wish to play it. However, I wouldn't say it's worth buying an online pass for if you bought the game used.
yes, yes, I know what you're thinking: "Another Dead Space post", but something has been bugging me about Dead Space 3 that hit a nerve today. I already posted my first thoughts on the game, and I did already mention that the AI is a lot more aggressive, and that I found myself pinned into corners a couple of times. I viewed it as neutral, but now my perspective has been changed, and I seriously feel the AI is flawed.
Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying my time playing Dead Space 3, and I actually think it's a really fun game. However, time and time again I've had to battle a relentless foe. The days when the Necromorphs would slowly drag their feet in your direction until you shot them and they came running is over. Now they just charge. They don't attack then retreat a step either.They are right in your face all the time.
This is really only a problem when indoors, but seeing as your in doors for maybe 60% percent of the game it becomes an issue. Now I'm playing on normal difficulty, it's not that the enemies pose a huge threat at this level, but they're a constant thorn in my side rather than a challenge.
Take this guy pictured above. I hate these guys. They somehow have the knowledge to carry axes to to make up for the fact that there weren't born with razor sharp limbs like some of their other brethren. These guys run up to you, attack you and then they don't move at all, and proceed to attack.
Ok, so it's requires a certain method. But that's not even the case, when I aim down my sights, the default zoom of the weapon makes it very challenging to aim when the camera is pitted in a corner, and the enemy is practically humping my leg. Seeing as the only means to attack when not aiming down the sights is your very weak melee, you're best shot is to use stasis on them, then hopefully while they're frozen in time, there's enough room for you to get out of the corner and get a good distance for a shot.
It's even worse when they're crawling because you have to shoot off their arms, but of course they run right up to you, and since Isaac can't aim lower than 60 degrees form aiming straight, you are forced to run away. Even that is obstructed by the fact that you can't simply step over them.
And what of Isaac's mascot move, the death stomp? Nope, because enemies attacks interrupt Isaac's stomp, it'll be a good 2 or 3 attempts before the stomp connects, and later in the game, it could take more than 1 stomp to kill them,
Perhaps I'm the only one who has a problem with this, but I find myself becoming frustrated (I hardly ever rage while gaming, I take a break once I become bothered) rather then enjoying the challenge. It's not impossible, but later in the game when they send horde after horde of these guys...well, you better have a lot of stasis packs in your inventory.
If you haven't been following along with my post, I've been literally Dead Space crazed for the past month. I beat the first game in a week, and shortly after made the purchase for the second, which I beat in another week. I followed up with the Severed DLC, which only took one sitting, and shortly after found myself at a cash register with Dead Space 3 in hand.
I've had the game for a couple days now and I've put in just under 4 hours of time into. So, as for most games I start up anew, it's time to share some first impressions.
Relating back to my "First Thoughts - Dead Space 2" post, I remember commenting on my shock on the number of small changes. All of which turned out to be for the better. It would seem Dead Space 3 made even more changes in hopes of improving the gameplay. However some of these just don't make sense, and I have stuff to say.
Universal Ammo? - Why this choice was made? No clue. Ok, I have an idea: it helps with co-op play because you don't have to worry about who needs what. But in single player this steals a big piece of what was a serious Dead Space foundation: Inventory management. I hardly have to worry about what's in my inventory. Maybe not a big deal to others, but I feel it removes challenge from the game in that maner.
Custom Weapons? - Customization has become a trend for current gaming. I get why they'd go in this direction, but in reality, I just want to use the traditional weapons, and some new ones, and hunt for nodes to select my upgrades for them. It's kind of cool I guess, but the concept is a bit complicated with little instruction, that I didn't fully understand it until 3 hours in.
No Currency? - Stores are strangely gone, and so are all the credits. Instead you have to craft the items you want. So ammo, health, ect, you have to gather the scrap metal for in order to make them. This almost makes scrap metal a currency in this game, but because you also need it in order to build weapons and attachments, it doesn't really feel that way.
Now it's not to say it's all bad. The action is exciting enough to where I don't mind the game being way less scary, and the visuals are awesome. I love how the light coming through Isaac's visor can now be seen across the walls. I just don't know why these changes were made, when Dead Space 2 was so perfect.
It's still early in the game, and I'm not excluding these features as bad yet. Initially I'm not impressed, but it could turn out later down the road I enjoy them.
Some other notable changes are the Necromorphs. They feel less "human" this time around, and they're quite aggressive! I've been cornerd and wailed on by three of them a number of times already.
Despite my initial complaints, I'm still enjoying Dead Space 3, and I'm actually quite eager to get back to playing it. Perhaps these changes work after all. I'll let you know when my review comes up in the future. I still haven't even touched co-op yet!
It's fairly obvious how late I'm touching on this game. With Dead Space 3 releasing just over a month ago, I've finally found myself putting Dead Space into my PS3. I admit my first two experiences with Dead Space weren't in my favor, which in turn, lead to the game sitting on my shelf collecting dust for over a year. However, after clearing my mind and playing the game through a new lens, I've come to have a deep appreciation and respect for it.
PRESENTATION
When I first attempted to play Dead Space, the visuals appeared quite dull to me. Talking place on the Ishimura, a space ship that has been overrun by an alien-zombie-like life form, there are a lot of dark areas. This presents a lot of similar looking environments, but the lighting itself is remarkable. From flickering lights, or flashing orange sirens from the ships automatic quarantine the lighting is quite extraordinary once you pay attention to it. It helps put things into scale, such as larger objects like a ship of the Ishimura's massive engines.
As amazing as the lighting effects are, the darkness plays an essential piece in the design. You open a door that reveals a long, dark hallway, and the first thought that comes to mind is: "Is it really worth the risk to find out what is at the end of the hall?", and "What exactly could be waiting in this hall to ambush me?"
Sound is on par as well, Random noises such as a pipe dropping will set you on edge, and the screeches of the Necromorphs, the games alien race, will have your neck hairs on end before you even see them. Particularly one enemy that has an absolutely guttural scream, who charges at you and then explodes kamikaze style.
The enemies themselves look gruesome. The Necromorphs aren't just an alien race, but an organism that kills and then claims control of the body, making horrid "alterations". They're not pretty, making them even more creepy.
The Lighting, ambient noises, and disgusting enemies, combined with the rarity of interaction with "living" people, produces a feeling of isolation that rivals with the likes of Metroid. In fact, I kept thinking that Dead Space is the outcome of a fusion between the movie Alien and Metroid, which results in a dangerously beautiful sci-fi horror adventure.
STORY
You play as Isaac Clarke, a space engineer among a small repair team. You and your team have been sent out to repair the USG Ishimura, which went dark and fell off the radar. But there's a bit more in it for Isaac; his girlfriend, Nicole, is working on the Ishimura.
When the team arrives, no one is there to great them, and it's not long before they encounter the Necromorphs, dropping their team of 5 down to 3. It's now up to Isaac to find out what happened to the Ishimura, and furthermore: find a way off the ship.
The story for the most part is told through audio recordings, video logs, and text entries that you find throughout the ship that further illustrate the events of what went wrong on the Ishimura. As for Isaac's story, there's not much to it other than what's been said in the intro. And even then, there never really seems to be a big emphasis on finding Nicole. Which makes her role a small one. One thing leads to the next, and that's how the game is pushed forward up until the last portion of the game where a few twist can be found. Let me provide you with an example of what I mean: You finally activate a distress call, but the satellite is off angle. When you get there and fix the satellite, it then becomes apparent that something else is additionally preventing you from moving on, and you have to attend to that.
Most unfortunate is the lack of emotion portrayed through Isaac. This is mainly due to the fact that Isaac doesn't talk, and he wears a full body suit at all times that prevents and physical display of emotion. You're bound to forget about Nicole, which could have been stronger motive for the plot. Instead, Isaac comes off as a stone heartened alien killer. (Samus and him should meet for a cup of coffee sometime!)
The game does stay true to whatever character Isaac does have though. He's no military soldier, so he doesn't go around toting machine guns and such. Isaac's weapons mostly consist of mining equipment from the ship, with the exception of one gun, which does feel quite military. The lack of proper fire power increases the feeling that no one was prepared to face this kind of threat.
The story is very intriguing with some good twist towards the end, however Isaac's inability to display emotion is a heavy weight. To get the most out of the story, I recommend watching Dead Space: Downfall, an hour-or-so long anime that shows the events and some back story of what went down with the Ishimura.
GAMEPLAY
At it's core, Dead Space is a survival horror. You can expect a scarce amount of supplies and unexpected ambushes. The low amount of supplies becomes even more rare of harder difficulties, forcing you to really use your ammo conservatively.
Speaking of conserving ammo, the way in which you fight off the Necromorphs is quite unique. Due to their alien traits, they can absorb a lot of damage to their torso area. Nor do they require a head to continue pursuing an attack. Though you can eventually kill these guys with blast to the torso (takes a lot more ammo, of which can be hard to come by), the best way to take them down is to dismember the limbs, which the game will constantly remind you of during the first couple hours. This puts some serious innovation on an otherwise generic third person shooter. The weapons are even oriented in this manor as well. For example, the first weapon you acquire, the Plasma Cutter, shoots an energy blast about a foot in length, however you can alternate whether the beam shoots vertically, or horizontally. This allows you to target enemies in a way that will guarantee a good shot at dismembering a limb. They generally fall after loosing two to three limbs.
The atmosphere has a bigger affect on gameplay than in most games. It's really not that scary of a game (I guess that depends on your preference), but you spend a lot of the time in suspense of what's going to happen before, and if something actually does happens. As a result, I was almost always on edge, despite not being particularly scared of the Necromorphs themselves. Eventually you'll catch onto cues such as a long dark hallway, or an abundance on ammo on the floor before entering a large room. These will tip you off that something, whatever it may be, is coming, but the action remains exciting.
You'll always know where to go, but exploring is usually available, but as I said earlier, you'll be weighing the risk and rewards before wandering off. And the rewards can be pretty good. There could be credits for use in the store, or power nodes which are used to upgrade the stats of your gear. So you're risky trips down that dark hall pay off. Or maybe they won't, only one way to find out.
Zero-G areas feel a bit disorienting, but they do add in some variety. In addition, areas void of oxygen add a bit of stress as you race against a clock on your back counting down your remaining oxygen supply. This small inclusion makes these moments highly exciting and fast paced.
Dead Space's gameplay is fun. Simple as that. Just when things are about to become boring it throws something new at you, whether that be a new enemy, or something you weren't expecting at all.
RECAP
I regret neglecting Dead Space for so long, as I seem to have completely fallen for the game. Great visuals even in such dark environments exciting gameplay, and a haunting enemy. The only downside is that even though Dead Space has a good story beyond just Isaac's struggles, you have to put in more effort to get it all (searching for and reading text entries, and even watching the anime). If you're a fan of Bioshock or even Metroid, I'd highly recommend this one.
If someone were to approach me 3 years ago when I graduated High School and told me I would be actively involved in writing, I would have had a good laugh. English was my least favorite subject, I didn't care for reading or essays, and my attention span for literature was minimal.
My one connection to writing back then was a need to silently express myself. Which I did through writing poem like structured pieces. But the only purpose was to release inner tension. My writing was often unreadable and made little since to anyone but my self. Hardly the poet.
Today, I blog casually and as often as able, I makes plan's to follow writing in college, and I've acquired a new view of writing as a conversation. Looking back I've nearly forgotten how I've come to this point. This blog isn't entirely related to gaming, but everything and everyone has a story. Here's mine.
Writing first approached me through music. My biggest passion while listening to music is the lyrics. Finding a song that portrayed exactly how I felt was incredible to me. I came to me that if these people could portray emotion in such a way that almost makes people "understand" was something I should try with my own emotions. And I did. Every so often I'd make a good one. Ones I felt proud of, but it never went anywhere. Without any musical talent other than a good ear and appreciation, I filled a notebook with words that never had the chance to be heard.
At some point after graduating I decided I wanted to do video game reviews. I didn't have the proper equipment to make a successful youtube review, so the only other option that revealed itself to me was blogging. Tumblr had been introduced to me previously that year, but I blew it off. It seemed like all everyone did was post and reblog pictures. Eventually I decided I would break the mold and write reviews on Tumblr. After 2 reviews I abandoned the idea. For one, reviews took more work than I thought, and I had no clue how to structure them. Needless to say they were sloppy. Secondly, I was right, people only seemed interested in memes and funny pictures. No one apparently wanted to stop and take the time to read an essay length review.
Discouraged, I abandoned writing for nearly a year. But then I decided to go back. The urge to share and express my opinions was still there. So I went back, but with a new focus: All things video game. It eventually became an opinionated video game news and reviews blog. I found myself becoming deeply involved with my blog, updating it daily. I did this for a years time.
In college I was working on my GED. I had to take 2 more semesters of English which I was very reluctant on going. My professor Micah Jendian actually had me thinking about my essays. "What was the purpose? Who was my audience?" and very slowly I was no longer viewing my essays as something I had to do, but a challenge I wanted to accomplish.
Needless to say, I took him again the following semester for the next level of English. He introduced to me English anew, but this time through a physiological perspective. I had to anticipate arguments a reader might bring up, work my writing to suit an appropriate audience.
It was then that it clicked. Tumblr was the wrong audience. People still operated on a "reblog" mind set, and it hardly ever went beyond that. There was never the feed back I realized I desired, and though I've acquired 85+ followers, I never know if my work is ever being read concisely.
I began searching for a new blogging site. I opened up my browser and the home page loaded: GameInformer. Immediately the blog section highlighted in my view and after reading some blogs, it was abundantly apparent that this is where I should be. I got started quickly. The feedback I was hoping for took some time to show up but when it did, it only fueled my drive for writing. Constructive criticism was hard to take at first, because I never experienced it before except for my professor, but I've come to look at it as a need for improvement.
I've kept my old blog (tumblr.com/theweepingjester) active. Everything I post to GameInformer also gets posted over to Tumblr, but my focus is more towards GameInformer. I love the responsive community, and I enjoy reading others work as well, which is a rare find on Tumblr.
I still enjoy writing, and I guess I owe it all to music, Prof. Micah, the GameInformer Community, and of course video games. So that's my story of how I came to writing. I'm quite interested in how other people came to GameInformer or how they found a passion for blogging. Feel free to share!
If you can recall a post I did a couple weeks back, I discussed how I was giving Dead Space another shot, and how my opinions of the game greatly changed. So after beating the game (review in progress!), I'm now onto Dead Space 2. Being highly impressed with the first game after years of neglecting it, I'm eager to see how Dead Space 2 will stack up.
I usually tend to post these first thoughts within the first 3 hours of gameplay, but with Dead Space 2, I've gone a bit beyond that. I've noticed that lately, I can play a game for about an hour, maybe 2 before taking a break or switching games, but with Dead Space 2 I actually feel like I have to tell myself to stop. Perhaps it's how smoothly the chapters flow into another, unlike in DS1 where each tram ride signaled the end and begging of a chapter. Or maybe it's just that much better.
The first thing I notice when playing a sequel is "what has changed?" and in this case, quite a lot actually. Immediately noticed, mainly do to me having just completed the first game and moving on instantly, is the control change. I actually like the old controls better. Yes, the controls now are better, but they're more generic while DS1's controls felt a bit more unique. But not a big deal seeing as I've already adjusted.
Isaac talks now! This is good because he can now express some emotion finally. In fact, I feel like I'm meeting him for the first time since we never really got to know who he is in DS1, only about him really.
The fear factor in DS2 is also a bit different. The atmosphere isn't the same as in DS1. I don't feel as in danger walking down a hall as I did before. That's not to say the game isn't scary though! The lack of the creepy atmosphere of the Ishimura actually had me let my guard down, only to be ambushed, out of no where. It actually works out very well because in the first game, looking down a dark hallway you'd know "ok, something is going to happen", but now it's a bit less predictable. Also, Isaac's now seeing things, adding in a bit more creepiness here and there.
The action has been severely boosted, and it keeps the game going. It makes DS1's gameplay feel slow and dull in comparison. Add in new weapons, armor, enemies, and I'm hooked.
From what I've played so far, I'm loving every minute of DS2. The differences are plenty, and makes the 2 games feel very separate, but I'm viewing that as a good thing. It beats games giving you the same feeling every additional game. A tragedy currently being experienced by games like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed. Fingers crossed for Black Flag!
Where has Sly and the gang been these past years? Their previous developer Sucker Punch has moved on with the Infamous series, and Sly seemed to be trapped on the previous generation of consoles. After years of absence, the gang made it's way onto current gen consoles via an HD Trilogy. Exciting enough, but this wasn't anything new. So when the announcement came that Sanzaru Games was taking the series and bringing it back, I was immediately intrigued. But there were a couple questions that plagued my mind until the disc was humming in my PS3: Has the Sly series aged well over the years? Can Sanzaru keep what Sucker Punch had going?
PRESENTATION
Thieves in Time will be immediately recognizable as a Sly game from the start. The crisp, but not overdone cartoon graphics, the highly animated characters, and most impressive of all, is the same sounds remain. The clink of the coins, the randomized grunts of the guards, ect.
Visually the graphics are impressive. It's a lightly done cell shading art style that brings about a very strong cartoon effect. Detail in the characters movements are always taking place: Sly's tail waves back and forth, Lanterns wobble when hit, and guards will occasionally stop to scratch their hind side.
Each of the different "worlds" or in this case, time periods you explore look drastically different. You'll travel between the ice age, a castle, feudal Japan, the wild west, and more. Each looks great and has their own artistic feel to it. One thing I must comment on is the sun light. The rays of the sun sometimes catch the camera in such a way that looks spectacular. You have to see it for yourself.
The sound is probably the most reminiscent of the presentational aspects. As I said, old sounds return, and the new sounds fit in well with what you'd expect from the Sly series. The characters are back in full, blurting out quirky lines, and sliding in sneaky puns every so often.
During my playthrough, I didn't encounter any glitches or bugs, which is exceedingly good. Thieves in Time has made the transfer to the PS3 seamlessly. Well done Sanzaru.
STORY
So where did we leave off? Oh that's right, at the end of Sly 3 the gang went into thieving retirement, going their separate ways. I won't go into details, as Thieves in Time does a good job of keeping you up to pace. Bentley has been doing extensive research on the Thievious Racoonus, Sly's family book of thieving secrets, and he began to notice the words were literally disappearing on the pages. It's not long before Bentley concludes that someone must be tampering with time, changing the history of Sly's ancestors. After hurriedly getting the gang back together, they set out on an adventure through time to set things right!
It's a small story, but suitable for the Sly series. It does lack an intriguing plot, and twist are all but absent except for one, which will only shock fans of the older games. I don't see it being a big deal for any new comers. It's a pretty straightforward plot, and the motivations of the gang don't change throughout the story.
The use of Sly's ancestors are interesting, but oddly enough, it feels like they're more there to help the gang than vice versa which is what's actually going on. By this I mean that the troubles of the ancestors seem to be more trouble for the gang than any one else. Nor do the ancestors bring any of their own story to the game.
This isn't to say the story is bad, just very simplified. So new comers should be able to keep up perfectly fine without prior knowledge other than what's presented in the games introduction. But personally, I wish there was a bit more to it.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay is probably the most preserved from Sly's absence. You'll still be tightly engaged with light stealth, pick-pocketing, and running along blue lit ropes. Further more, Murry's fighting returns, as does Bentley's bombing and hacking.
What's really impressed is that even after years time, and a developer switch, Thieves in Time automatically feel familiar. It's as if nothing has changed, and this is a good thing. It's nothing new, but I've missed the days of running along wires, and tip-toeing my way up to a guard to see what's in his back pocket, and it's all here.
Many of the gangs old abilities are back as well, such as Sly's para-glider, and Murry's thunder flop. You can also collect the 30 bottles on each level to unlock a secret ability, along with treasure you have to return to the safe house in a limited amount of time, both of which have become tradition for Sly.
There's so much "old Sly" about this game, it becomes easy to overlook what's actually new. The biggest addition is the cast of new playable characters: Sly's ancestors. While in their respective time, you can eventually take control of them. They each have a unique ability, and style of play, some of which work better than others. Also, Carmellita Fox, the detective usually on Sly's case, play's a much bigger part in this game.
Along with more playable characters, Sly now gets a costume he can switch into for each era he visits that will grant him an additional ability that will usually be critical for completing that area in time, and will be used to get secrets in others.
Other additions are a bit smaller inclusions, but they're good none the less. The safe house now has a couple mini games for you to play, and there's a new collectible "mask", which you can collect that unlock cheats such as new costumes for the characters. Bentley's hacking returns with the old shoot em' up style, but now there are two other forms of hacking. One involves moving a ball to a destination using the six axis, and the other is a different type of side scrolling shoot em' up. The variety is nice, as there is a good number of hacking Bentley must do. Luckily, if you don't care for these hacking portions, they're all relatively easy.
Running around in Thieves in time is a ton of fun, but the combat is either hit or miss. Literally. You swing around and you either hit or miss the enemy. Essentially hammering the attack button and steering into your enemy is the best way to do it, but even then enemies will nail you with an unavoidable attack, since there really isn't a block feature. It becomes best to simply avoid combat as much as possible and facilitate the incredibly easy stealth mechanics.
But apart from combat, Thieves in Time is everything I expected from a Sly game, even if it does seem to play it safe.
RECAP
If you're picking up Thieves in Time, you're most likely either 1. A fan of the series, or 2. Completely new to it. For those of you returning, chances are you'll enjoy spending more time with Sly. Everything you remember is back, just don't expect anything groundbreaking for the gang.
If you are new to the Sly games, you can still jump right into this one instantly. Expect a fun time. However, as friendly as the game is to new comers, you're not as likely to enjoy it as much as a series veteran, because it's not anything incredibly phenomenal in modern gaming. So I highly recommend getting the HD trilogy first if you can. Sly 2 is where the series becomes really fun, so you can start there as the 1st is the most unique of the series.
Personally, I had hoped this game would do more for Sly, but at the same time I'm highly impressed with how well Sanzaru has transferred the title across a generation and developer switch. I enjoyed playing Thieves in Time very much, but it falls just short of a full blown series revival.
Review - Atari Plug N' Play TV Games by JakksPacific
I remember as a kid that one of the gifts that always gave the impression of "Sorry, I didn't really know what to get you" was none other than the Plug N' Play TV Games. I think the reason for this is that as a kid who didn't grow up during the Golden Age of gaming, you don't really have much appreciation for the older titles these plug n' play games usually emulated. Needless to say, I've now acquired a certain respect for the old titles that started it all. I've gone out and purchased the Atari Plug N' Play TV Games by Jakk's Pacific, and I'm here to review it in full.
Let's get a brief overview. The "system" is built to represent the classic Atari controller. Which, visually it does very well. It's obviously a bit larger and heavier (due to the 4 AA batteries you'll need to power this bad boy), and nor did the controller have the buttons on the base, but you get the picture. It's easily identified, and looks pretty good sitting on the shelf, table, or where ever you plan to leave it when you're done.
In the package you get 10 games, some very popular, others, not as much. The games include: Pong, Breakout, Centipede, Adventure, Gravitar, Realsports Volleyball, Circus Atari, Missile Command, Asteroids, and Yar's Revenge. These are obviously the Atari console versions of the games, so for Centipede for example, you'll be getting the square mushroom graphics rather than the more detailed arcade graphics. It's not too big a deal, but I don't see why they couldn't give you the superior graphics. For the most part, the games play very close to the originals, with probably the biggest difference lying in sound quality. Most games have a few different game modes to choose from as well.
My biggest problem with this system is the joystick is probably the most stiff joystick I've ever used. Like you can hardly move the thing. It almost feels like it's stuck, and I nearly broke the thing trying to get it to move more. What's even more surprising is that despite the incredibly tight joystick, the games are ridiculously sensitive! Especially in the case of Pong, Breakout and Circus Atari, it becomes quite difficult just to line up.
Once you get used to contradicting tightness and looseness of the controller, there's still fun to be had. I've enjoyed playing all the games. Ok, most of the games: I've accepted the fact that I suck at Gravitar and Breakout. Centipede is probably the best game on here in my opinion, and thankfully, the controls feel responsive in that one. And perhaps I'm mistaken, but did the original Asteroids have so much color?
Overall, it's a pretty cool system for just $20. If you're a gaming veteran and would like some good ol' nostalgia, this is a great buy. If you're new to some of the older titles, and want to get into them, I'd suggest looking for emulators online, or buying the Atari Flashback, a much more expensive model, but more functional with several more games. If you do get this one, just expect to spend some time adjusting to the awkward joy stick.
One of the more tragic habits of gaming is getting a new game, putting in a few hours, abandoning it, then coming back after so long you may as well start over. I've come to call this "The Shelf Syndrome" (if there's an actual name for this, let me know!). While your game collects dust on the shelf, you memory of the game fades away. It's usually the loss of memory involving story, controls, or even objective that makes me feel like I'd be better off restarting. Sure it's possible to continue, but not without some challenge at first, and possibly the risk of missing some important event or story piece that has been lost in the data banks of your memory. This tragedy has happened to me on numerous occasions, and it's happened again. So here I go, from the top, with EA's Dead Space
First, a little story on how I got myself into this predicament. Back in 2008 when Dead Space was still a bit unheard of, I was introduced to the game via the anime styled movie Dead Space: Downfall. Released only weeks after the game, Downfall is the prequel to Dead Space. It was recommended to me by a friend who had played the game, and saw the movie and said it was a great story enhancer (which I would agree). However, after the very gore filled movie, I wasn't sure what to think.
I ended up renting the game (back when Hollywood Video and Blockbuster were still around), and played it. I got fairly far within the time I had the game, but never got around to making the purchase. It just didn't catch my interest too much. Eventually my PS3 broke down, and my memory became irretrievable, besides removing the hard drive, which isn't compatible with the second model PS3 (I tried it, switching out the hard drive cases and everything). Eventually I bought the game after it released in Greatest Hits, and picked it up at Gamestop for $20. I played, starting from scratch, but not nearly as long. I would play and then find myself wanting to stop between saves. I was beginning to think the game wasn't for me, and dropped it on the shelf.
It's now been nearly 3 years since I've played it, and with the release of Dead Space 3, I've decided to give the game another shot, and I can't put the controller down. Perhaps it's a new found appreciation for game design, since I started blogging and following game news since late 2011. I'm unsure why this game didn't strike me as appealing before as it does now with it's excellent lighting and sound design. Some areas make me wish there was an attraction at some theme park to replicate the haunting yet gorgeous atmosphere.
I've noticed things in this game that are reminiscent of a couple of my other favorite series. The isolation I've felt in the shoes of another suited hero: Samus. The sci-fi atmosphere that speaks on its own accord like that of Rapture. I used to hate the "limited" camera position because I felt my "virtual peripheral vision" was being obstructed by Isaac's position and corners, but now I think it fits so well.
I'm quite shocked with such a drastic change of opinion, but I'm happy to have a new game to play, despite it having sat on my shelf all these years. I've already caught up to my past experience in just a couple days time. I have plans to see this game through, and likely continue with the series.
Well looks like this month has come to a close.A couple of exciting games came out, but other than that, this month is quite small in comparison with others. I didn't make any trips to the swap meet, and money has been tight. However, I'm fairly satisfied with what I have picked up this month.
To start things off, this month released 3 games that all got very good reviews. Dead Space 3, Fire Emblem Awakening, and Sly Cooper Thieves in Time. I wanted the last 2 (nothing against Dead Space, but I have yet to beat the first game!), but due to a low budget, I had to only settle for one. Through much speculation I finally decided on Fire Emblem.
It wasn't without trouble as I had to go on a "false-hope" hunt for it, and I'm still surprised I found it due to the "shipping errors" and circulation of false information from GameStop and Best Buy. Thankfully, Target was there to serve, and I was able to pick one up just a day late of the original release date.
Valentines came around, and my lovely (and beautiful) girlfriend bought my a game I was waiting to get: Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. I'm a big Sly fan, and choosing Fire Emblem over it was a tough decision to make. Thankfully I was able to get both, and both are great games.
Next up is not physically a game, but definitely related to games:
Going alongside the book, I later picked up the Atari Plug n' Play system by Jackks Pacific. 7 of the 10 included games are from the earlier portion of the book. So, I picked it up for $20. It includes Pong, Breakout, Adventure, Real Sports Volleyball, Circus Atari, Yar's Revenge, Asteroids, Gravitar, and Missile Command. It's a good set of classic Atari games, but the controller isn't the most satisfactory. I may write up a brief review on it later.
I ended up ordering Super Paper Mario for the Wii on a whim. I've always wanted to check out the Paper Mario series, and I found this online for $10. I wanted the original Paper Mario, but it was just beyond my limited budget this month.
So a small list this month, but as I said, I'm happy. I can't say how next month will turn out, but I know of one thing you can expect on that list: BIOSHOCK INFINITE! It's actually quite sad because due to all the delays, my excitement and anticipation has become slightly sedated. I'm sure it'll spark up as we move closer. Until next month!
