Tomb Raider Review

NOTE: I'm going back to my old way of reviews, because I just wasn't able to say everything I wanted to say with the Pro/Con system.

Gameplay (7.5/10) - The gameplay of TR is bascially a combination of Uncharted and Metroid. What TR does well, is bring gameplay elements of classic action-adventure games like Metroid and Zelda, such as gaining new items throughout the journey, back-tracking, and item stacking, into the Uncharted formula of 3rd-person shooting, platforming, and searching for treasures. The end result works very well. Crystal Dynamics managed to implement such foreign elements into the formula without any of it feeling tacked on. TR also provides some interesting gameplay scenarios that force the player into to use their wits as well as reaction time. Unfortunately, what TR does very well begins to wear thin after the game's halfway point. Unique gameplay elements such as using a rope arrow to bring a balcony down or using a shotgun to open new paths are only used around the times when they are introduced and then forgotten an hour later. It's a shame that the unique elements were forgotten so quickly; as eventually the game just gets into a groove of gameplay once all of the weapons are obtained and just sticks there for the rest of the game.  Some more layered gameplay and diversity there-of would've pushed TR further. Overall, TR starts off much stronger than it finished in the gameplay department.

Graphics (6.5/10) - TR's art direction does a lot for this score, because on a technical level, TR is not very impressive at all. The regular frame-rate of the game is pretty bad, and only seems to remain steady when Lara is still. The character models are also pretty unimpressive outside of Lara's, which even has a fair amount of jaggies itself. Lip-sync isn't very impressive either. What does impress visually in TR is the art direction and the amount of visual "stuff" Crystal Dynamics managed to get into the environments. TR lacks any open spaces and each area feels organic and rich with rubble and foilage, thus making for a very convincing setting. One complaint I have is that most of the games environments are filled with wreckage or mangled nature; so, basically, it's not very pretty. Impressively detailed, but not pretty.

Sound (6.5/10) - TR's soundtrack is intense and does a great job of creating the survival-horror vibe the game has. The voice acting ranged from good to great. Nothing really impressive here, but nothing bad either.

Story (5/10) - TR has a story and characters, but I really couldn't feel for any of them. Many fall under stereotypes or typical tropes that you see in adventure movies. There is a story though, and the game does a decent job of keeping interest, but it's just not a very interesting story. I have two main gripes with the story in TR: 1) despite the fact that there is a spiritual element to the game's plot, the developers to very little with it. Putting in some type of dragon, ghosts, or something fantastical would have helped keep the story interesting, as well as keep the ending from feeling so out of place. 2) Lara's character arc falls flat. This game was supposed to be about how Lara came to grow as a survivor and warrior, but she feels no different at the end of the game than she did at the beginning, which was a big letdown.

Replay Value (8/10) - There is a lot to explore on the island, which is really huge in size. There are treasures and documents to find, as well as some secret tombs. The length of the story mode was surprisingly long too.

Satisfaction (6/10) - Overall, I'll probably forget about my experience with TR in a few weeks. The game is fun while it lasts, and it brought some nice additions to the Uncharted formula, which had been becoming the staple in the genre. But, regardless, nothing TR does is particularly impressive. A few years ago it would've been. But with so-so graphics and a poor story backing up the decent gameplay, the end result just wasn't very satisfying.

Overall

The score I should give it - (8/10): At the end of the day, TR is better than Uncharted. It's graphics may not be as good, and it's story may pale in comparison, but TR brings some much need content to the gameplay of the Uncharted series, which had really begun to show it's age. The long campaign and great replay value in addition to a multiplayer mode also help TR as a good complete product.

The score I want to give it - (6/10): I didn't notice it until the end of the game, but it was TR's poor story that hurt it the most. There was little drive to keep playing except for seeing where the gameplay would go, and when the story wrapped up, it was very unsatisfying. Uncharted's gameplay may not be as complex as TR's, but it has a lot more heart and soul put into its story and gameplay scenarios than TR does. And, in the end, it's that heart and soul that sticks with a player after all is said and done. As a result, I'll remember my time with Uncharted 2 much longer than my time with TR.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Review

Pros
- Though they don't impress as much now that we're at the third game, the graphics are still incredible and among the best in the business.
- Revised combat mechanics work very well and add some great balance and tension to battles.
- Though not as great as Storm 2's boss battles overall, Storm 3 has some boss battles that really impress and satisfy.
- Chiyako Fukuda, once again, provides an incredible soundtrack.
- Story mode is extensive, of high quality, and covers much of the anime.
- A huge amount of voice work.
- While seldom, there are incredible moments where story and gameplay fuse and are truly satisfying.
- With 80 characters, 40 stages, a long story mode, and many side-quests to partake in after initially finishing the story mode, there is a lot of content to this game.

Meh
- some minor elements of slow-down occur; though its rare.

Cons
- while the story mode is much longer than Storm 2, the amount of boss battles is about the same (or less depending on what you count as a boss battle); as a result, about 75% of the story mode is spent watching cutscenes.
- the amount of QTEs and interactive segments within the story mode have been cut down drastically from previous games; as a result, boss battles feel much less satisfying than in Storm 2.
- No way to adjust the difficulty of the CPU opponents in Versus mode.

Overall - With a huge amount of content, Storm 3 is a great game overall; it's story mode (arguably its most important aspect) simply doesn't satisfy. What ultimately hurts Storm 3's level of satisfaction is that Storm 2 was such an incredible experience, and Storm 3 had to live up to that. If Storm 3 had taken Storm 2's foundation of incredible boss battles and interactive story elements, and improved upon it, the resulting game could have been better than Storm 2. Instead, CC2 decided to focus on the story cutscenes and roster of Storm 3, rather than the boss battles and QTE segments. The end result is a Naruto game that's more for the fans rather than those looking for a visual feast of gameplay and interactive story elements. Or, to put it more politely, Storm 3 is more about the Versus and Online modes rather than the story mode. Overall, a great game, though it may disappoint you in some ways, especially if you enjoyed Storm 2 as much as I did.

Score - 7/10 

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Review

Pros
- Satisfying combat is familiar yet different thanks to great core combos and the parry system.
- Superb graphics.
- A unique and fantastic soundtrack that is superbly executed in boss fights.
- Many VR missions to challenge.
- Great voice acting.
- Blends the styles of Platinum and Kojima Productions very well.

Meh
- Story is ridiculously enjoyable, but isn't very satisfying.
- Despite being fun, combat isn't as deep as it could have been.

Cons
- A mediocre camera system that becomes quite problematic during tough fights.
- Almost all fights, including boss fights, play out in a very similar fashion: parrying and counter-attacking.
- A short main game length.

Overall - MGR: R is a great roller coaster ride worth playing at least twice, but due to the short length and lack of a lot of gameplay diversity and depth, there isn't a ton of life in this game. It's a clean and enjoyable action experience, but Platinum has done better in the past with Bayonetta and Vanquish.

Score - 8/10

Sly Cooper: Thieves of Time Review

I'm gonna try a new, more concise method for writing reviews. I will simply separate my praises and criticisms into "Pros", "Meh", and "Cons" sections. The Pro and Con sections are obvious, but the "Meh" section is for criticisms that may not be terrible aspects of the game, but something that could still be improved. Also, the Pros and Cons section will be organized, from best/worst factor to least best/least worst factor.

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Pros
- Great gameplay diversity spread throughout a lengthy adventure.
- Well-written and well-acted script.
- A diverse musical score.
- Diverse and well-constructed stage areas made with a decent graphic engine.

Meh
- Some more ancestors to play as would have been nice.
- More missions with the ancestors would have helped the gameplay diversity even more.
- The dance mini-games go on for a bit too long.

Cons
- Playing as Murray is shallow and unsatisfying.

Overall: Sly 4 is a game that doesn't go all-out in many respects, but is a very enjoyable experience thanks to a fun story and well-written script alongside some great gameplay diversity. Sly 4 reminds me of the days of PS1 platformers when a game's fun factor was its most crucial element.

Score: 7/10

DmC: Devil May Cry Review

Gameplay (5/10) - The gameplay of DmC is nothing special nor is it terrible. There are several unique elements in DmC's game design, including a lack of a lock-on system, switching of weapons by holding the shoulder buttons, two unique grapple abilities, and a large amount of platforming in addition to the standard fighting. These game design ideas all have their flaws, as the lack of a lock-on system causes fights in small areas to be difficult as it becomes hard to see targets as well as focus on specific enemies; the platforming becomes tired very quickly as there is little to no creativity in their design; and the use of shoulder buttons to switch weapons isn't too bad, but it can become cumbersome, especially when trying to pull off more advanced combos. Also, to note, boss fights are very uncreative, repetitive, and more frustrating than fun. Overall, the gameplay is nothing impressive, but it doesn't become frustrating until the game's latter half when fights become more difficult and the lack of a lock-on system becomes a real problem.

Graphics (4/10) - The graphics of DmC were perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the game, as Ninja Theory has shown some good talent with graphics in the past, especially when it came to art direction. DmC, however, is boring when it comes art direction and very disappointing when it comes to the technical aspects of the graphics. The art direction of the game is defined by the colors: red, blue, and green. In theory, this could've worked, as red represents Dante/demons/evil, blue represents Virgil/angels/serenity, and green is when the two mix. The problem is that the stage art direction focuses on one color per stage, and the end result is a very boring presentation. Technically, everything wrong with the Unreal engine (texture pop-in, framerate issues, etc.) are here in spades, and overall the game just looks ugly. The only good thing to talk about is the motion capturing on the faces; unfortunately, good mocap is nothing special these days because everyone does it well now. The horror themes come through in the art direction, especially in the enemy design, but it gets tired very quickly (and later enemy design gets pretty bad).

Sound (4/10) - Dante's voice acting is great, Virgil, Kat, and Mundus are good; nothing else really stands out aside from that. The music is very forgetful, and at times quite unfitting.

Story (3/10) - There is nothing memorable in the story of DmC. Neither its characters nor its events are interesting or compelling. Furthermore, the tone of the story is very dark; which wouldn't be a bad thing if executed well, but here it's done quite poorly. Often, a story has a dark tone to provide a dark theme, or to allow for violence to occur more naturally in its setting, but with DmC, there is no real purpose to being dark. There is no real moral to the story, nor a building connection to the characters; everything just happens and that's it. Going off of that note, the story also has several moments that are just uncomfortable to watch. I guess Ninja Theory deserves a little credit for trying to build a character arc between Dante and Virgil, but it fails to live up to the excellent arc the two characters shared in DMC3; the same could be said for Dante's memory of his mother.

Replay Value (5/10) - If you enjoy the gameplay of DmC, you'll have a lot to play with. The stages are explorable and have secret rooms and Lost Souls to find as well. You can also go for the SSS ranks in each level; though it isn't very hard to get S ranks in DmC, especially compared to past DMC games.

Satisfaction (4/10) - DmC is not worth the time. It's weak in every aspect of its design, and it outshined by nearly all of its peers. The story is weak and sometimes disturbing, the music if forgetful, and the gameplay doesn't have any real punch to it.

Overall

The score I want to and should give it  - (4/10):  Ninja Theory really disappoints with DmC. A studio that I thought would at least provide an interesting visual experience and a good story provided a visually ugly game with a story that concerned itself more with being vulgar than telling a strong story of good vs. evil. A real shame considering the blank slate given to them with this reboot. They gave it a good shot with the gameplay, however, so I suppose they do deserve at least a little recognition. In the end, "unimpressive" is the word I'd use to describe DmC. As a stylish 3D-action game, it really doesn't live up to any of the standards set by its peers, even Ninja Theory's own Heavenly Sword.

Anarchy Reigns Review

Gameplay (6/10) - Overall, AR has some good design ideas throughout, but ultimately doesn't put enough depth into those ideas to be truly amazing. For example, the hub world stage deisgn of the story mode is a great idea, as it allows the player to explore the hub world, fight easier enemies, and interact with the environment; unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot to do in the hub world outside of searching for chests with extras in them. When looking at the multiplayer side of things, the stages have events that take place throughout the battles that effect the environment and can change the course of a battle; however, these events occur very frequently and have cutscenes that accompany them, and while the cutscenes may be short, they can really break up the flow of combat; if these events occured without any type of intro cutscene, they would be more tolerable. Speaking of flow, it is the lack of flow that my biggest gripe with the battle system. The battle system is the core of AR's gameplay, and while it isn't bad by any means, it really lacks a sense of flow; at least in most circumstances. This is mainly due to how combos are very hard to finish or follow up unless you and your opponent are alone in the battlefield. Other players, environmental hazards, and the stage events can easily break the flow of one's combo. This isn't a terrible flaw, but it definitely moves AR towards the "party brawler" side of the genre than arena fighter. Such a "flaw" won't be a problem for many though, as many will play AR just to have some crazy fun, which the game does provide as long as your not taking it too seriously. However, there is one major problem with AR, and that is the lack of split-screen multiplayer. In a game of this genre, not having such a feature is very surprising and quite a disappointment.

Graphics (8/10) - On a technical level, AR has some well detailed character models and really nice effects; there are also sections of the game that have an impressive amount of action occurring simultaneously. It is the art direction of AR that impresses the most. Most of the character designs are range from great to excellent, and the environments have some great art direction as well, especially the Hong Long stage, which is perhaps the most impressive set piece PlatinumGames has made yet. Perhaps what is most impressive are AR's cutscenes, which feature some truly amazing direction and technical detail. With all that said, Platinum has done more mind-blowing stuff in the past.

Sound (9.5/10) - Amazing stuff here all around. The music is catchy and perfectly fitting of the gameplay and graphics that AR provides. The voice acting is just as impressive with a superb cast reading an equally superb script.

Story (8/10) - AR has a surprisingly great story. The story is one of justice and corruption told from two polar points of view. The cast of characters isn't large, but the smaller cast ends up being quite effective. In fact its the characters and their views of justice that truly carry the story. The script for the game is superbly written and the voice acting is very well done.

Replay Value (8/10) - AR offers many different modes of play for online multiplayer battles, and the online community is alive and thriving. However, like any fighting game community, the online players are finding ways to win by any means necessary, so expect to see many of the better characters utilizing similar tactics in many battles.

Satisfaction (7/10) - AR provides a fun time for a while, but I find the gameplay wears thin over a short period of time. The story mode provides the most satisfaction by providing some fun missions, boss battles, and a great story.

Overall 

The score I should and want to give it - (7.5/10): Anarchy Reigns doesn't really impress as much as Vanquish or Bayonetta, but it's still a fun time in both single player and multiplayer. Like Madworld, AR's legacy will live on with its soundtrack, which is its most impressive feature; however, its impressive story is also worth noting.

Thought Venting - Vol. 3

- I'm beginning to feel that Persona 4 is replacing Final Fantasy X as the most over-rated RPG ever. Sure, P4 is a better game, but I don't think it deserves all of the perfect scores it receives (or the Persona series in general for that matter). There's a good chance that the game just has a very vocal fanbase, but I doubt that considering the game has an anime and a freakin' stage play. I don't hate P4, but I feel the game has outlived its fame and is taking the spotlight away from other notable RPGs.

- If there's one thing I don't understand the mass appeal of, it's Adventure Time.

Heh, maybe I should make a "Top 5 things I hate that people love" list.

Have I ever said that I'm a fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic on this blog? Well, I am. In fact, now that Motorcity is cancelled, its the only thing I watch on TV.