A Study conducted by the Southern Methodist University (SMU) and Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDR) has recently attempted to isolate the effects of review scores on a person’s opinion about a video game experience. This test’s intention is to show the effect (if any) that “low” and “high” scores have on a person’s opinion of a game.

In Group A participants were shown high review scores of a game they had never played and then played the title for 20 minutes. In Group B low scores were shown before the game-play commenced. Group C was the control group of this experiment which was not shown any review scores or review information about the game before playing.

The game in question was Plants vs. Zombies. After 188 people participated in this experiment (165 of which qualified for the study by not already playing the game) each person completed a review of the game including giving it a score from 0 to 100. Read on for the results breakdown to that study and what EEDAR has concluded from it.

The result of this test was that Group A, who was shown high review scores before playing, had a distinct tendency to score the game higher than Groups B and C. While the opposite appeared to be true for Group B who scored the game lower after seeing low review scores prior to playing.

The average score from Group A was around 85 while Group B came in at 71 and the control Group C had an average review score of 79. The participants were then asked if they would recommend the game to a friend and/or relative. Willingness for each group to recommend the game varied in a seemingly correlating fashion. Again, exposure to review scores before playing seemed to effect the scores given from Groups A and B compared to the control. 91% of survey participants said they would recommend Plants vs. Zombies to a friend from Group A, who had seen high scores, whereas only 65% of Group B would. In Group C 79% said they would recommend it.

EEDAR has come to some rather informative conclusions from this study. Even though Group B had been consistently scoring the game lower, and less willing to recommend it, 65% of them would still recommend it. Beyond this, the survey participants were offered $10 cash or a copy of Plants vs. Zombies after playing the game. In Group A only 38% of the participants took a copy of the game over the cash yet 91% of Group A would positively recommend the game to a friend.

The main conclusion of EEDAR is that free demos and instant purchase ability may lead to a greater word of mouth, even if a game has somewhat negative reviews. They compare recommendations between gamers to recommendations between friends and co-workers about a good dentist or real estate agent.

With all of the findings in mind EEDAR also mentions the limitations of this study and reminds us that Plants vs. Zombies is a game with a news aggregate score considered high, and that these results may be extrapolated for a low quality game as well, but that more accurate results would come from an all-new study done with a universally accepted “low quality” game. This study also used qualitative remarks such as “Game of the Year” in replacement of numbers in some instances and EEDAR states that it is “unclear” which of these were more important in influencing the data.

Some of my best memories of gaming with my friends revolved around a certain kart racing game that didn’t have the word “Mario” in the title. My friends and I would sit around for hours playing a little kart racer called Crash Team Racing for the original PlayStation. For some reason this game held a lot of appeal simply because it wasn’t Mario Kart and was available on a system that rivaled Nintendo at the time. Regardless of the reason we latched on to it so well, we loved that game back then. This is why it was a lot of fun being able to review Crash Bandicoot Nitro Cart 2 for the iPhone.

The question at this point should be – did this iPhone iteration of the franchise bring back the feeling of playing with my friends all those years ago? Unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit the mark in that regard, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun and isn’t a great title. Let’s talk about it for a bit.

From the beginning, the visuals do conform to that same aesthetic that I remember. The bright colors and animations. The tracks are varied and rather diverse, definitely not lacking in any appeal. There is some visible screen tearing in places, but it generally isn’t too bad. I’m not sure if this is just the “speed” at which your kart is usually moving or a limitation of the iPhone’s graphical capabilities, but certain things were rather hard to see in advance, such as signs and item boxes. Typically this isn’t a problem if you’re paying close enough attention to what is happening, which you are almost required to be, since this is a high-energy racing game.

The audio is great, from the sound effects to the music throughout the various tracks. One small issue that came up for me was that, even if the iPhone is on silent, the audio plays until you turn it off in the game’s settings. This is the only game I’ve come across to have that inconvenience. I play a lot of my iPhone games at work during lunch and breaks, and having the audio suddenly be there when I was expecting it not to be was a bit annoying. At least once you turn it off in the game’s settings it stays off until you want it back on.

I’ve always been leery of touch-screen controls, especially for games that require quick reflexes and precise adjustments. I once tried out an FPS-like title for the iPhone and it just didn’t work with the touch-screen controls. For a racing game like this I’m not quite sure it works, either. Acceleration is handled by the game, but you need to focus on steering, jumping and boosting. Steering is handled by a left or right swipe of the on-screen directional nob in the lower left. This works pretty well. But, when you’re required to jump or drift and boost around a corner, you have to tap or double tab, not just on the screen, but on your kart in particular. This gets a bit touch-and-go in the heat of the action. I almost would have preferred extra on-screen “buttons” on the right side to perform those actions instead.

The plus side is that jumping and drifting aren’t necessarily required, and I enjoyed much of the campaign mode without using them much. The AI seems to be fairly forgiving and the learning curve is pretty well designed. Just like any other game of its kind, there is always that element of luck involved that supersedes skill at many points. You’re left in the hands of fate as to which power-up you receive from any given item cube, what you get hit by from the AI drivers and all sorts of stuff. There is also some pretty significant rubber-banding going on. This, I suppose, isn’t a surprise, as every kart racer I’ve ever played has a problem with this – where you can be in first place one minute, get hit by a nasty bomb or something, and find yourself in last place in the blink of an eye. Typically, though, it isn’t too difficult to get yourself back into first place, assuming this isn’t the last part of the last lap.

I wasn’t sure to mention it here or in the graphical discussion above, but I think it is a big enough issue to deserve its own paragraph. There are parts of the game where there appear to be graphical issues that completely disrupt the race for you alone. On one track in particular, called Anarchy in Antarctica, there is a segment where you’re driving over ice and there are cracks in the ice. You see other racers jump over the cracks, but when I go to do it in certain spots, it is like I just hit a wall. My kart comes to a halt and I don’t have enough acceleration from that point to jump over the crack, but only to waste the time to go around. This is not the only place something like this happened, but it is one of the more prominent locations. I got so frustrated at one point on that track that I just stopped playing the game for a week.

In addition to that, there’s another issue I ran into on a couple different occasions that completely got rid of all the visible textures and obstacles on the track. They were still there, I just couldn’t see them, so there was no way for me to continue because I’d run into invisible walls and the entire course (sans the sky) was green.

However, what this game lacks in precision and polish, it makes up for in spades with content. There are many different modes, all with just the right bit of difference from each other to make things interesting. As usual, you have your “campaign” or cup mode, where you plow through various sets of tracks, and completing each set opens up a new one. You also have Mission, Eliminator, Time Attack, Collector, Arcade, Skill and Multiplayer modes to take advantage of. Some don’t unlock until you’ve completed certain tasks in others. I’m not a fan of this – I would just rather everything be available from the start. But, the content is there, and it doesn’t take too long to open up the whole game for the taking.

Overall this is a solid title, and definitely something for kart racing fans to pick up. There is definitely enough content to make the $4.99 price point palpable, although there are some concerns about the overall quality of the game, from my perspective, anyway. But, no game is perfect, and this one is a lot of fun once you get past all the quirks. The nostalgia factor doesn’t hurt, either.

• Game: Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 2
• Release Date: Available Now
• MSRP: $4.99 (iTunes Store)
• Developer: Polarbit
• Publisher: Activision
• Platform Reviewed: iOS
• Review Copy Info: A code for this title was provided to DualShockers Inc. by the publisher for purposes of this review.

When you hear the word “delay” what do you immediately think of? As a gamer, the word is just as bad as any other four-letter word out there. Whenever it’s said in conjunction with a particular title you’re looking forward to it’s enough to make anyone cringe. After Alpha Protocol’s second delay I still held out hope, and now I’m left wondering why I even bothered.

Of course there’s always to exceptions to the rule.

One exception that immediately comes to mind can be with pretty much anything released by Blizzard. Their titles experience delay after delay, yet as much as they don’t want to, the fans just take it because they know that when that game eventually does ship it comes topped off with sprinkles of quality all over it.

Then there’s the other side of delays, you know, the kind that no developer or publisher wants to be a part of. Does the game Haze ring a bell? After suffering delay after delay and even being dubbed the “Halo-Killer” by Ubisoft, well… you know how that went. It’s been a few years and we’ve crossed that bridge. Well, I know that was a huge build up, but I needed to use Haze as an example because that’s what immediately came to mind after getting through the Obsidian-developed and Sega-published, 3^rd person-Action RPG Alpha Protocol.

The first time I had eyes on with AP was earlier this year during a Media Event that was hosted in New York City showcasing many titles in Sega’s spring and summer line-up. That’s also when I had the chance to learn a bit about the story and how it plays. For those of you unfamiliar with AP, here’s a quick breakdown.

In AP, you play as agent Michael Thorton. You work for an agency known as… you guessed it, Alpha Protocol. As a member of AP you’re part of an organization that doesn’t have to be bothered with silly laws. This allows you to run covert operations undercover, do what you have to do, and the US government isn’t held accountable. The game opens up with a bang, when a commercial airliner is shot down with the use of a hand held surface to air missile. This leads to the usual find the guy who did it and save the day, in other words, a very original idea we have never seen before (end sarcasm).

Thorton is an action movie, do-it-all, kind of guy. As a matter of fact, when talking to the game’s producer back in March, we were told that the best way to describe him would be by using the three B’s; Baur, Bond, and Bourne. Right there you know you’re dealing with one bad ass mother-effer. However, he’s the only reason I got through the game and even his own banter can wear out its welcome.

I wonder what it was like to be a fly on the wall in the conference room where this title came about, and I say this because it suffers from a serious identity crisis and it seems as though the game’s creators never really knew in which direction they would take it.

Although it considers itself an RPG, it has more traits of a sloppy stealth action shooter. I say this because usually RPG’s reward you for having accomplished something. I’ve yet to play a game where I level up because of an indirect conversation, or even opening doors, until this game came along. It seems like the game is one giant XP giveaway where just walking in the right direction will grant you experience points.

At certain points, even where it was requested that I used stealth, I could go in guns blazing and just run in random directions until the XP indicator popped up and I knew I did something right.

There were two key elements that did help AP show some signs of life, I just find it funny that they both weren’t original ideas to AP, however they were enhancements to what was already out there. The first is the character customization screen. If you’re a fan of the Mass Effect series you will see some rather interesting similarities. Ah, screw it; the truth is that it’s pretty much identical to what you’ll find in ME; which is something that fans of that series will definitely enjoy. Another similarity you will find in AP, just like ME, is the branching conversations.

The key with the branching conversations found in AP however, is that they can determine how your story plays out. You can use your choice of words (and actions) to dictate the way the other characters in the world treat you.

Here are two quick (spoiler-less) scenarios, as a better example of how these decisions work.

Scenario A:

Let’s say you confront an arms dealer who is holding out in a secret location. You can approach him with diplomatic intent, where you’re ready to talk things out in hopes that he or she will cooperate and maybe even turn in some valuable Intel on who their suppliers are, or maybe even supply you.

Scenario B:

You go in there like Rambo, but really violent, like Rambo from Rambo 3. You kick in the door where the arms dealer is and you decide to play a game of William Tell, except there’s no apple. Boom! You shoot the dealer. So now, not only do you not have the intel or the ally, the next person in line knows that you shoot first and ask questions later, and because of that there will be no welcoming party and probably little to no chance of diplomacy when you show up.

It was because of the inclusion of this incredibly deep and dynamic dialogue-based story that I was so pumped for this title but it simply wasn’t enough to save it.

The first initial upset came within minutes of turning the game on. There’s one scene at the very beginning where you enter a control room filled with giant monitors. One of the characters comes on to the screens and it looks so bad visually that it’s almost laughable. Thorton’s character model looks great but everything else from textures to lighting is very underwhelming and uninspired to say the least. The visuals in AP look like something that belongs in the beginning of the current generation of consoles. Then again, with so many delays, maybe it was supposed to be out much earlier. I’m really not a graphics snob, but visuals this bad, this late into the generation are unacceptable.

All in all, AP did show small signs of life and plenty of good intention and ideas. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any follow through to go with any of the positive things that are in there. In closing, if you’re a fan of the WRPG genre and are tired of fighting with swords and shields, you may want to give this game a (really) quick look; a rent at the absolute most. If you’re an action or stealth fan, stay far away from this one. I find it pretty ironic that as this review is published, yesterday on July 6^th 2010 Sega announced that there would not be an Alpha Protocol 2. However, if you read this review I guess you already knew that.

• Game: Alpha Protocol
• Release Date: Available Now
• MSRP: $59.99
• Developer: Obsidian
• Publisher: Sega
• Available on: PS3, Xbox 360
• Review copy info: A copy of this title was provided to DualShockers Inc. by the publisher for purposes of this review.

It seems like there is no stop to the inertia that Rock Band has created and they are not afraid to go in different and very specific directions to push units. The most recent entry into the franchise is Green Day: Rock Band, which is exactly what it advertises to be, a Rock Band game with a Green Day skin and feel. Does it deliver hard punk rock action or fizzle out? Well, this really depends on how much you like Green Day. Seriously.

This version of Rock Band will quickly be compared to Beatles Rock Band and really that will be its downfall. What I mean by that is that Beatles Rock Band served as a more iconic view into a generational, influential band, while I don’t think the same can be said for the Green Day version. The simplest way to sum up Green Day: Rock Band is to take Rock Band 2, remove the ability to create your own avatar, insert Green Day characters and songs, and viola.

Expect to play in three arenas with Billy and company, and nothing else. Also, there are no dreamscapes like in the Beatles version just straight performances and also do not expect any special instruments either. You will enjoy playing some of your favorite songs but then after a while you want to change the station and can’t, you’re stuck listening to more Green Day. This version lacks the nostalgic value of a Beatles version and as a result comes up as an okay version of Rock Band that feels a bit slapped together.

You will get some unlockables chronicling the band’s life as well as some live videos and never before seen footage of the guts backstage. But, this is not enough, unless you really care about Green day. There is nothing wrong with the game, you can play online and offline career and even do some harmonies on vocals but then again we have seen this already.

Green Day Rock Band lacks innovation but does all the basics of Rock Band very well. It is not flashy or psychedelic but instead gives you a look and punk rock sound of Green Day, if that is what you are looking for then grab this now.

Bottom line is, Green Day: Rock Band is a home run for any hardcore fan of the band but for those of you that are only casual fans or not even remotely a fan this would be a disc you get, rip the songs and then take back to trade toward something else. Green Day Rock Band is a great game for a fan or a new comer to Rock Band, but not much else here to speak of.

Grab it and enjoy some American Idiot, then rip the song and wait for Rock Band 3.

• Game: Green Day: Rock Band
  
• Release Date: 6/8/2010
• MSRP: $59.99 ($49.99 for Wii)
• Developer: Harmonix, Demiurge Studios
• Publisher: MTV Games
• Also Available on: Xbox 360, Wii
• Review copy info: A copy of this title was provided to DualShockers Inc. by the publisher for purposes of this review.

We’ve all received a game for review before that comes with an embargo. For those who don’t know what this means, it is actually quite simple. The publisher/developer dictate a specific date which you, the reviewer, is not allowed to publish your review before. In other words, it is a restriction upon when you can share your review with the world. Typically this date will be some time close to the release date of a game, say a week before release.

Review embargo dates can be explained by a number of reasons, sometimes the publisher wants to make sure their game is played to the fullest. However, most of the time there are bigger websites which shall remain nameless who are given a special pass beyond this embargo date and it simply does not apply to them. This is not a good thing for the end-user who is usually going to end up being lied to due to the vast restriction other websites have on expressing their feelings on a game until this seemingly random date comes up.

In the case of ambitious online shooter All Points Bulletin (which is loosely classified as an MMO) there has been an embargo set for 10 days after the release of the title. According to the publisher this is to ensure that the game is reviewed properly, which they are estimating would take around 50 hours. Coincidentally, or not so coincidentally, this is the amount of hours you would be able to play before having to put more money into the game using the Real-Time Worlds points that the game runs on after the initial 50 hours.

While I would like to hope that the purpose of this embargo date is truly to provide enough time for high quality reviews to be written and the game to be evaluated properly, I can’t help but feel this could have been accomplished by simply sending the review copies out 10 days early rather than releasing the game with no reviews written. Now this news seems to beg the question, will this embargo date apply to every reviewer, or only some? Only time will tell if this is truly for the better of the gamer or will just end up providing an unfair advantage meant to hype and advertise the game a certain way.

[RockPaperShotgun]

Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the sequel to one of the best Wii titles and arguably the greatest platformers of all time. Before its release, it was hard to see the sequel push the bar that was set by the original any further. Well, Super Mario Galaxy 2 has arrived and it has managed to do the unthinkable: Go bigger, better and more fun than Super Mario Galaxy in almost every aspect. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a reminder of why Mario is the king of video games.

First off, Mario games don’t need a story, but there is one anyway. So, what’s the story this time? Peach has been captured and Mario has to rescue her. No surprise there, and I’m glad that’s out of the way. The only complaint I have here is that the game looks incredibly cinematic, but the characters still talk in bubbled text. It breaks up the experience for me. I would rather hear the characters talk, but I’m sure even more complaints would be heard on the other side of the scope if the classic characters were given less than perfect voices.

The overworld is much simpler than the previous 3D Mario titles. In the past, different worlds and stages could be long distances apart, but Super Mario Galaxy 2 has a basic world map for all the stages. It is more like the 2D style where you have all your available stages selectable by moving up, down, left and right. I prefer this over the original’s, because the confusion of “is this really where I need to go?” is not punished by the wasting of your precious time.

As far as controls go, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is as smooth as silk. Mario is responsive and the controls are super accurate when moving in both 3D and 2D stages. The game does a good job in allowing those who have never played Galaxy before to learn the controls, and in allowing those who have played the option to skip all the tutorials. You can jump, triple jump, wall jump, and even some waggle is implemented with Mario’s spin attack. This has all been seen before, but the inclusion Yoshi is certainly a refreshing addition to Galaxy 2. Yoshi flutters, swallows up enemies, brings some tongue swinging action, and also has his own set of power-ups. These power-ups include the ability to fly, dashing incredibly quick and shining light to reveal paths that are normally unable to be walked upon. Each power-up only lasts for a short period of time, so you’re going to have to continue grabbing more of these power-ups which are contained in fruit form.

There are also, of course, the power-ups available for the man himself, Mario. Power-ups from the original return and new ones are thrown on top of that. Each power-up is available to complete stages that are specially catered to them. For example: You pick up the cloud suit to create your own platforms on the galaxy that has big gaps in between platforms that are usually too much for Mario’s normal jumping. It is because of cases like the one I just mentioned that I don’t really consider the power-ups in Super Mario Galaxy 2 to be what power-ups are in the traditional sense. Personally, I believe that the power-ups in Galaxy 2 should be called “stage clearing assistants,” because power-ups usually give you an edge on clearing the stage. The power-ups in Super Mario Galaxy 2 are mandatory if you want to clear the stage, and they are also unavailable on stages that do not require them. You want to knock this wall over to move on to the next part of the stage? Well, you better find a rolling rock suit power-up, because you’re not going to be able to do it otherwise. It just bothers me that the power-ups feel more like they’re forced on you rather than feeling like a privilege. I’m not going to list the rest of the power-ups, because most of the fun is discovering what you can do with the power-ups you are given.

The thing I find most enjoyable about this game is the challenge to manage all that is happening on the screen at once. You have to worry about Mario, worry about the jumps ahead, worry about the star bits you can collect with the pointer, and worry about whatever the galaxy throws at you. It is incredibly hectic, but when you pull it all off, it is a feeling of satisfaction that is unmatched by any game I’ve played. For the most part, the game does a good job of letting you know that you screwed up, and that it is absolutely your fault. However, there are occurrences of rare cheap moments or camera difficulties that happen 1 out of the 100 times you fail where you can pin the blame on game rather than yourself. Aside from those, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is virtually bug-free.

Throughout your quest to get through the stages and face the final boss, there are so many opportunities for extra lives and extra coins, the game practically holds your hand as it walks you through. The experience is pretty easy, but still very fun. Bosses can be a bit challenging, but manageable. I never found any of the bosses overly frustrating, and some have very clever ways to defeat them. You can also add a second player into the mix to help you along your journey. Player 2 can use the Wii pointer to gather star bits and coins, and fend off enemies. This brings the difficulty down even further. The beauty of most great games is the ease to learn how to play, but having the depth and difficulty to learn how to master it. Super Mario Galaxy 2 can be beaten by almost anyone, but the challenge comes to those who want to finish it 100%. Collecting every single star is as challenging as it ever was. Good luck to all those who wish to accomplish such a feat.

Being a person who has been playing Mario games for almost my whole life, I have to say that Super Mario Galaxy 2 certainly gives something to the fans. This something comes in the form of the fantastically nostalgic music. Hearing some of the music that I haven’t heard in over a decade is such a great feeling as you progress in an already amazing package of a game. There is also new music and unfortunately, some recycled music from the original Galaxy, as well. But that was to be expected.

However, what made the experience feel a bit lackluster was when I ran into some stages that felt recycled. Some stages felt as though they were taken directly from the first Galaxy, with only minor changes. An example of this was with the stage that introduces the Bee suit in Super Mario Galaxy 2. I remembered the original’s Bee stage clearly, and this new version was almost identical. Those who have played both will know what I mean. I know that sequels are going to inevitably have similar content in its games, but I unfairly put Mario games unto a higher standard. And just because so many sequels do it, it doesn’t mean that it is right. Mario games are supposed to lead the way!

Super Mario Galaxy 2 looks beautiful, plays great, and the ambition is all there. It is a true joy to play as Mario once again in what could be the finest adventure for the plumber to date. There are a few hiccups and some personal problems I have with the game. But that will not change the fact that I think everyone should go and play this game as soon as possible. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is the epitome of what games should be, fun. Mario does it again.

• Game: Super Mario Galaxy 2
  
• Release Date: 5/23/2010
• MSRP: $49.99
• Developer: Nintendo EAD Tokyo
• Publisher: Nintendo
• Available on: Wii
• Review copy info: A copy of this title was provided to DualShockers Inc. by the publisher for purposes of this review.

Views: 78578]]> http://dualshockers.com/2010/06/21/super-mario-galaxy-2-review/feed/ 1 http://dualshockers.com/2010/05/26/trauma-team-review/ http://dualshockers.com/2010/05/26/trauma-team-review/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 01:46:39 +0000 François Chang http://dualshockers.com/?p=26864

The series that is leading the way in bringing video games into the hospital is back with its latest installment, Trauma Team. The game features a team of six different medical professionals who each have their own style of gameplay. It is broken down with experts in surgery, first response, orthopedics, endoscopy, diagnosis, and forensics. You can play as each of them one by one in whichever order you would like. Trauma Team has its recognizable gameplay intact, but with the game’s focus on a team of six, it also experiments with some new mechanics. Some hit, and some miss.

The main attraction of Trauma Team is the story. Each character has their own story and each story is pretty engaging to follow. It is told through the use of comic-book style panels, along with pretty decent voice actors. You can tell a lot was put into this portion of the game, because it looks and sounds great. With no need to really be reading, except for gameplay instructions, it is almost like watching a show. The game even pats itself on the back with this one as it starts off by offering ‘Intern’ difficulty for those who are more interested in hearing the story (yes, the game itself suggests this), and ‘Resident’ difficulty for those looking for more of a challenge in gameplay. The only thing that was a little awkward was looking at some of the motionless comic panels during certain dialogue segments. I don’t think you should be smiling when you are talking about a death in your family.

Surgery is the mode fans of the series will recognize instantly. Minor tweaks have been made since the previous games, but the gameplay remains hugely similar. You operate, cut, repair, and heal injuries with about 8 different tools. All your actions will be measured by precision, timing, and accuracy to get a good ranking. The gameplay is bit more forgiving this time around with no limit on how swiftly you should perform what is necessary.

First response, orthopedics and endoscopy don’t stray too far from the gameplay featured in surgery. They all relatively play the same, but with a different scenery. First response deals with less tools, but as we all know, sometimes more is less. It is much less cumbersome than dealing with a handful of different tools, and in turn, offers quicker gratification.

Orthopedics takes the action away from the flesh and focuses on the bones of a patient. You don’t deal with much tool management, and it is all about accuracy and care. You don’t want to be shattering any bones with the misuse screws and hammers (ouch!).

Lastly, endoscopy adds its own twist to the game with some first-person elements. You have a radar that points out the problems as you move into a patient deeper and deeper in 3D space. This game type offered the most freedom in my opinion, with minor complaints, one being thrusting your Wiimote to move forward being a little tiresome.

Both diagnosis and forensics walk away from the operating table and move the gameplay to other areas of the Trauma Team world. Unfortunately, both feel more of a chore than actual gameplay. They are more of a point-and-click adventure than modes based on skill and accuracy. Guessing and checking to piece together information is all you will pretty much see here. It can also get pretty mundane and repetitious.

There is a multiplayer option to have some coop action going before you begin an operation. You and a partner can split the job of the profession you are playing in. For example, in surgery you would handle the scalpel while your partner would handle the syringe. I suppose this coop feature is as good as the communication you have with your partner. It’s a nice bonus to be able to have a friend join in, instead of having them sit around watching you play.

Overall, Trauma Team is an ambitious game that has slight issues of not being as fun as it should be. With six different modes, it was almost as if you had six different games for the price of one. However, you get this feeling that some more time could have been put into some of the lackluster modes and you will enjoy some parts more than others. Trauma Team has taken a great step in the right direction with the series, but now it has to take its new ambitious choices and making it as fun as the surgery portions.

Game: Trauma Team

Developer: Atlus

Publisher: Atlus

Release Date: 5/18/2010

MSRP: $39.99

Review Copy Info: A copy of this title was provided to DualShockers Inc. by the publisher for purposes of this review.

Lost Planet 2 is Capcom’s latest entry in its young and successful third-person shooter series. It sports single-player and multiplayer campaign, online competitive multiplayer, and so much going for it. And considering that the original Lost Planet may not have been the most technically sound game of this generation, one would think surely its sequel will make all of its past wrongs right.  Unfortunately, Lost Planet 2 falls short of what could of been and ultimately disappoints in more than one way.

Lost Planet 2 takes place 10 years after the first game, and the snowy environments of E.D.N.III are no more. Instead, E.D.N. III has now become a world of jungle green and arid deserts. It’s nice to see a change in environment. I bet it would have been pretty dull to see the icy terrain return for this second go-around. You can play through the campaign with up to 4-players cooperatively, or run through by yourself with 3 computer controlled partners. I suggest playing with human controlled partners for reasons I’ll explain later on in this review.

Lost Planet 2 is playable, but at times unbearable. Some of the boss battles are epic and the game can be fun at certain points. But after running into issue after issue, eventually you just don’t want to play it anymore. The first and most noticeable issue you will face in the world of E.D.N. III is the awful camera. When you’re in an environment covered in jungle grass and trees, it is understandable that some of this may get in the way of view. However, when playing a third-person game, it is very irritating when things are not in the way of your character’s view but actually in front of the fixed camera angle. This occurs often when looking upwards. I hope I can explain this correctly so that it makes sense. When you look up, naturally the camera goes below your character who is looking upwards. But what else is on the floor? Grass. Grass becomes your worst enemy when looking upwards. The camera issues are an especially sad case, considering Lost Planet 2 is a really beautiful looking game.

Lost Planet 2 plays like most third-person shooters. You have your life gauge, radar, and weapon indicators on screen. There are also plenty of robotic contraptions that can be mounted, which are clunky, but powerful. A dual analog set up controls your view and you have your buttons to carry out various actions. However, there are some control design choices that really have you wondering why the developers decided to do what they did. One of the issues is when you press the B button (or circle button for the PS3 players) rapidly to activate data posts. That same button is also used as the melee button. So, I found myself melee the post after each activation of a data post without fail, and would sometimes lose crucial time because there is so much unnecessary delay after each melee. Another gripe I have with the controls is with the dash button. Usually, games like these have you click the left thumbstick to dash, but in Lost Planet 2 you have to hold down one of the face buttons. You can imagine for yourself how awkward your fingers have to be positioned when you want to run and move your camera around at the same time.

The game is broken down into six episodes. Each episode has several chapters, and each chapter has several missions. The missions are not very difficult to clear, but usually take way longer than they should because half the time you have no idea what to do. I found myself wandering around on more than one occasion for what should be the most simple, and easiest parts. Kill a monster? Not a problem. How do I move on to the next mission? I have to find the arbitrary position to stand at in order to trigger the next cutscene? Not cool. Another factor that will keep you from moving along in the game smoothly are your AI campaign partners. They are unreliable at best, and you should really consider finding four friends to play with online rather than playing the campaign solo.

Multiplayer is where the game somewhat shines. Up to 16 players can go head to head in 5 different modes on 9 different maps. The modes are all the standard multiplayer modes you see in every game today. Although, this sounds like a pretty good aspect of the game, again Lost Planet 2 falls short. The control issues are all here, as well as evident balancing issues. Stun grenades should simply be called paralyze grenades, because there is nothing you can do after being nailed with one of those. Lost Planet 2’s multiplayer is good fun, don’t get me wrong, but the thought of how much potential this game had bothers me to no end.

What should have been an amazing sequel, simply could not deliver. Lost Planet 2 is a textbook case of disappointment. This game would have probably been decent on or near the launch of the Xbox 360 or PS3. But to have something like this when so many games are pushing the limits of today’s consoles is unacceptable. There is nothing to blame here but laziness. I do not see it any other way. Multiplayer is the only way to go with Lost Planet 2, if at all. Don’t even bother if you’re looking for a good single-player experience.

Game: Lost Planet 2

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Release Date: 5/11/2010

MSRP: $59.99

Review Copy Info: A copy of this title was provided to DualShockers Inc. by the publisher for purposes of this review.

In our latest entry of video reviews from DualShockers TV we take a look at EA Sports’ and EA Canada’s, Fifa 2010 World Cup South Africa. Al and myself actually had the chance to play this game a few months back during an EA media day in New York City and we were impressed then, so you can only imagine how well the final product turned out. Check out our  complete video review below and let  us know what you think in the comments section. In the mean time I’ll go back to listening to Saamba music and taking my team (Brazil) to the promise land of World Cup glory (Again)!

This is the version of Street Fighter IV the original should have been. With Super Street Fighter IV, Capcom has listened to their fans and has delivered on a game that is worth the $40 price tag. If you never owned the original, then this is worth the $40 price tag, even more so. I consider Super Street Fighter IV more of a sequel than an expansion, because it can run on its own. With that said, it is very very very difficult to find a game sequel that makes it worthwhile to sell its predecessor in every aspect.

Usually when a sequel or updated version of a game releases, there is always something lost in between the games. It’s usually something along the lines of “now we have voice over and online, but now we also have less multiplayer options.” An example of this is with fellow fighting games, Mortal Kombat: Deception to Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Armageddon had many more characters, new modes and new mini-games. What did it lose from Deception? Individual fatalities, and two-fighting styles for each character instead of three. Adding more, but also losing some along the way.

Thankfully, Super Street Fighter IV doesn’t fall victim to this sequel trend. Instead, it takes everything and throws all it can on top. It makes the original Street Fighter IV unplayable. Five new stages are added to this upgraded version, and all the characters return with 10 more added on top. Each character has two ultra combos instead of the previous title’s one. There are also more costumes this time around, and the costume DLC from the original is transferable to SSFIV. There is also a new set of costume DLC releasing for SSFIV one pack at a time, but if you plan on buying them, I suggest waiting. The costume packs for the original title eventually came together as one big packaged deal at a cheaper price. Just looking out for all of you.

Bonus stages that the Street Fighter series is known for have returned this time around after going noticeably missing in the original. Breaking a car and smashing barrels have never looked more gorgeous. Another upgrade that catered to the fans were the return of character specific music. Now, as you fight in versus matches, the music of your opponent’s character plays during the match. It’s great to hear Balrog’s theme play in all of its new techno glory.

The biggest upgrade for SSFIV are the online features. You have so many more options. The original only had 1 vs. 1 matches, that’s it. In SSFIV, there are 1 vs. 1 ranked matches, and lobbies for up to eight people in both endless and team battles. The lobbies with more than two people have the winner continue playing, and if you’re waiting for your turn, you can watch the match and chat with all those in the lobby. This makes the online aspect of the game a lot more social.

Super Street Fighter IV has everything else from the original intact. You have your training mode, your options to change the character’s voices from English to Japanese, and several unlockable taunts. The boss battle is still cheesy, maybe even a bit more difficult. Lastly, challenges for each character are back to unlock emblems and titles.

At the end of the day SSFIV merely points out what was wrong with Street Fighter IV. New characters are great, but everything else that came new with this version should have and could have already been in the original, maybe even as a downloadable upgrade (not DLC). The inclusion of character specific music should have been a no-brainer. Bonus stages again, should have been a no-brainer. And the new online modes in SSFIV are already a fighting game standard that should have been in the original. Great game? Absolutely. Is it anything to go crazy about? No.

Game: Super Street Fighter IV

Developer: Dimps/Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Release Date: 4/27/2010

MSRP: $39.99

Review Copy Info: A copy of this title was purchased by DualShockers Inc. for purposes of this review.

While I’m not a self-proclaimed real-time strategy nut, I do love to break the monotony of knifing my friends in the cerebral cortex and settle down for some good ol’ resource gathering, army buildin’ fun. RTS’ appeal to the little kid in me that loved to build replica castles and make green and tan plastic army soldiers fight to take it over. But now, instead of playing with plastic soldiers, I’m playing with virtual soldiers against an enemy that can think for itself. Also, sending in vast numbers of robots and watching pretty explosions is also a lot better than making machine gun sounds with your mouth and knocking over figures. But is Supreme Commander 2 more than virtual plastic soldiers in a digital castle?

While the original Supreme Commander took a bold new direction with various changes to the RTS rulebook. Supreme Commander 2 takes a more standard approach, with less micromanaging than most other RTS’. A typical thing to do is select a large section of mixed units from your forces, and move them elsewhere and not worry about it, in other RTS games that’s the equivalent of donating all your units to their respective Gods. But it works in Supreme Commander 2, so you can worry about setting up an excellent flanking attack on the enemy’s base instead of working on your uber micro.

The story takes place 25 years after the end of the Infinite War, with the galaxy reeling from the recent assassination of the newly elected president of the Colonial Defense Coalition. The three forces of the Coalition; The United Earth Federation, the Illuminate, and the Cybran Nation, all blame each other and prepare for war.  Regardless, the plot takes a backseat to the strategy that is employed throughout the campaign. You’ll know who you’re fighting, but for what reasons are usually left out, or so confusing it doesn’t even make sense. From that brief back story, it’s easy to tell how many campaigns there are. But for those who are still stumped, here’s a hint: It rhymes with key.

The three factions are pretty well balanced, with UEF being a little more armored, the Cybran being less armored but more powerful, and the Illuminate right in the middle. Though, these advantages can be negated relatively quickly against the normal AI as you can outtech them easily, and throw down some of the games experimentals and crush your opposition like a tomato can. If that seems too easy to you, you can just max out the 250 unit limit with basic units and send the swarm into the enemy’s base and laugh as your army of ants topples a kingdom.

Yes, I honestly used those 2 very unimaginative (and slightly pathetic) strategies throughout the 18 mission campaign mode. It worked wondrously in all but 2, both the  last mission and the one before that I focused on my defense while I built my army, until my base was overrun, so in a desperate attempt I swarmed the opposing base with everything I had, found the commander and destroyed them before mine bit the proverbial dust. So, while I am not the most avid RTS player, the campaign should be pretty easy for an average gamer. If you’re an rabid fan of the RTS genre, you probably already own this game and have beat it on the hardest level and won over 200 online battles against people like me. So congrats and thanks for crushing my commanding dreams.

But anyways, for the longest time I thought the units in this game moved at an enormously slow rate. Then, I realized that the units moved at a pretty good clip, as the maps themselves are freaking huge. Most of the battles occur fully zoomed out and all you see are icons of your units wreaking havoc on your opponents, though you have the option to zoom in and see all the pretty explosions that happen when you pillage a base. However, the graphics aren’t going to set the world on fire, they do good enough for this type of game, with the exception of the cutscenes. The cutscenes look like they were from the early PS2 era, and the voice acting needs improvement. But who really plays an RTS for the plot and graphics? Also, I’d like to briefly touch on the control scheme, while it works, it’s obvious to note that it would work better on a PC. Many commands and abilities are used through the d-pad or buttons while holding one of the triggers down. They work well, but it feels a bit bulky. If you have a PC that can run this game, I recommend to go for the PC version.

Playing different genres of games really forces changes to the way you approach a certain problem in a game, which can make for a fun problem solving experience unless you’re frustrated easily. Luckily, many of the problems you will face in this game can be conquered with a few experimental units or with a force large enough that Patton would be envious of it. This game is an RTS that does many things right, but many of them have already been done before, unlike its predecessor. If you’re crazy about RTS’ go pick up this game right now. If you enjoy them, wait until the price drops a bit and get it, or rent it. But whatever you do, make sure you build a sizable army and send them into the other base for a guaranteed laugh.

Title: Supreme Commander 2
Developer: Gas Powered Games
Publisher: Square Enix
Available For: Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: Available Now
Review Copy Info: A copy of this title was provided by the publisher to DualShockers Inc. for reviewing purposes

Normally, I’m not a fan of action role-playing games, because they frustrate me. There is always heavy reading of text, backtracking portions, and getting stuck in areas until you do a certain cryptic something. Talk about not fun. Although, Monster Hunter Tri does have all the things I mentioned, thankfully it pulls it all off in a way that kept me from storming out of the room in frustration and I’ll explain how.

Being that this was my first time playing a game in the Monster Hunter series, I had a lot of learning to do. Monster Hunter Tri does have a large amount of reading, but most of it was worth reading. I’m not a fan of heavy reading in the game for the sake of a story. I dislike games that have so much reading that it makes it hard to discern what’s important and what’s not. That’s just me. Luckily, the story in Monster Hunter Tri is that you are a new hunter in a town that is being attacked by a really dangerous monster. It’s as simple as that.  That’s why I did not mind the reading in Monster Hunter Tri. Most of the reading done was to learn how to play the game and understand what to do. I’m okay with that. It was straight-forward and to the point. And being new to the series, Monster Hunter Tri was very welcoming in getting me to understand how to play.

The game takes place in one village where you do everything. You obtain quests, manage your weapons, manage your items, buy stuff, sell stuff and upgrade stuff all in one location. Monster Hunter Tri has backtracking where you return to the same place more than once. However, the quests keep it fresh, and the variety of monsters definitely do as well. All the areas to kill monsters are relatively quick to get to and returning back to your village is literally a button press away. This saves time from traveling and gives more time  for playing the game. I detest games that force you to walk the same grueling long distances. Especially games that have walking long distances as a form of punishment for failing. There is a lot of loading screens when moving to different areas, but they last no longer than 2 secs.

I’ll fill you all in on a little secret about me. I suck at role-playing games. I get stuck in all of them. I like a challenge, but not challenges that force me to look at a walkthrough. For example, in The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GCN), how was I supposed to know to I had to walk north five times in a row on a repeating map to move on to the next area. That is why I like puzzle and fighting games. I know exactly what has to be done, but the challenge is if I am able to do it. That is how I feel about Monster Hunter Tri. You obtain quests that tell you exactly what to do, the challenge is if you can do it.

In Monster Hunter Tri, you go to obtain a quest from the village and then you prepare yourself to embark on said quest. You can purchase/upgrade/equip your armor and weapon, and gather the items you will use. When the quest begins you usually have 50 minutes to finish the quest, and some have 1 or 2 optional side quests that can be completed. Quests range from hunting down a certain monster to simply gathering mushrooms. The challenge comes into play when you are required to take down some of the tougher monsters. Learning the buttons and learning about the monsters is what will lead to success in Monster Hunter Tri. It’s also about timing your attacks. There are a variety of weapons for players to choose from. Some are slower/faster, shorter/longer range, weaker/stronger, and you have bowguns as well, which use pellets or you can stick with the weak unlimited ammo. All the weapons go much deeper than just those basic differences I listed, but figuring out how to use a certain weapon and what works better with which monster is what makes it fun.

Item management is also key in Monster Hunter Tri. There are the standard items that regain your health and keep up your stamina. But there is also an overwhelming amount of other items that do all sorts of things that assist you on your quest. When you set out for a quest, there is no turning back. So, prepare yourself with all that you can. And you have to consider everything. It’s about survival when you’re out in the wild world of Monster Hunter Tri, e.g. carry plenty of whetstones to sharpen your weapons, because they will get dull from excessive monster killing. As you defeat monsters and complete quests you are rewarded with items, unlocking of armors and money. The items can be used for your next quest or to upgrade weapons and armors. Completing side quests also get you more of the stuff I listed.

Along the way in your Monster Hunter Tri career you get a little friend named Cha-Cha. This partner helps you with all sorts of abilities and strategies as you face monsters. It’s like having a CPU-controlled partner. He comes in very handy for the uber tough portions of the game. It is nice to feel like you have a friend helping you without being online, but… you should go online. If you don’t have access, find a way!

The controls in Monster Hunter Tri works really well with a Classic Controller or the new Classic Controller Pro. I never played a game like it before, so it took some time to get used to the controls without struggling before everything action. It was a slight learning curve, but I soon got accustomed to it. The left thumbstick moved my character whilst the right thumbstick controlled the camera. I found the camera awkward at first, but I changed the camera type to ‘Type 2′ and it has been nearly perfect from there. The only complaint I have for the controls was while using a bowgun. You can tap the ‘R’ button to go into a first person mode to shoot, but you’re not able to walk. That’s fine, but you can also hold ‘R’ to have the cross-hairs out in 3rd person while strafing with the left thumbstick. You can aim around while strafing, but only with the D-pad. Can you all picture how that would not work very well? Aiming should have been with the right thumbstick instead of the D-pad. Other than that, the controls are fine.

Monster Hunter Tri supports Wii Speak, a USB keyboard, and for the first time I have seen the use of the Classic controller and pointer at the same time. Chatting online is super simple with the use of the Wii Speak and/or USB keyboard. Most Wii online games feel like a totally awkward and disconnected experience, but Monster Hunter Tri has great online support. You can quest with up to four different people, and conquer quests and obtain items that are only available online. My experience has been with nice and helpful people, but that’s just my stroke of luck. I am sure there is an unfortunate amount of knuckleheads as well. The pointer is used to point at a monster to record its data for future reference.

Monster Hunter Tri is a game that has truly made me dust off my Wii for a future with months of play time. There is a constant amount of quests to complete and items to obtain. I can say that the game can go on for hours that go into the triple digits. The game is challenging, but never unfairly. Completing tough quests is absolutely satisfying and you will feel good with the sense of accomplishment Monster Hunter Tri offers. The game is also quite beautiful. I don’t like mentioning graphics very much, because I feel they really do not matter unless they hinder gameplay, but it looks great. Definitely a game to buy, because renting would be a waste of money. Renting the game would just make you buy the game, so cut out the middleman! Capcom, you have succeeded in opening up my mind to other role-playing games. Congratulations.

Title: Monster Hunter Tri
Developer: Capcom Production Studio 1
Publisher: Capcom
Available For: Wii
Release Date: Available Now
Review Copy Info: A copy of this title was provided by the publisher to DualShockers Inc. for reviewing purposes

I had never played the original Just Cause until a few weeks before the sequel came out, and that was because I had played through the demo so many times that I wanted to try something new. In the original, the graphics weren’t the best, the vehicle handling was atrocious, and the cops would chase you longer than they spent time with chasing OJ Simpson. While it was a fun game, it was nothing to write home about.

That completely changes with Just Cause 2. While you’re still running around a tropical island attempting to overthrow a dictator, Avalanche Studios has fixed many of the flaws from the original to create one of the best sandbox games since Grand Theft Auto. Basically everything is better, the visuals are much more impressive, the vehicle handling is much improved, and the missions have much more variety. The biggest flaw that Just Cause 2 shows is the story.

Serious Rico is serious.

Once again, Rico Rodriguez comes to an tropical island retreat to get a tan and help quick start a coup d’état. He can accomplish this task by causing chaos and through destroying anything related to the government, Rico can unlock story missions.  There are only 7 story missions, and most players can breeze through them relatively quickly, even if you die in a mission, there are plenty of checkpoints to help players not become frustrated with the mission. Luckily, with Just Cause 2 covering over 400 square miles it’s easy enough to occupy yourself with other activities than just the story missions. You can work for 3 different groups of rebels, do driving challenges, skydive off of buildings, or just explore for resource items. Or if you don’t feel like doing any of that, you can just experiment and goof off in the game. Dying outside of missions has no penalties so players feel free to do crazy stunts and hope for the best.

The grappling gun-infinite parachute combo is the best gadget combo in a video game since the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device (aka the Portal gun.) Nothing beats climbing to the top of a mountain, BASE jumping off, then pulling the chute meters before the player makes Rico do his best Wily E. Coyote impression. But that’s not all it can do, folks. By utilizing the parachute and grappling hook at the same time, the player can move around the island at a pretty good clip, thus making most terrestrial transport useless, except for the higher end sports cars. As an added bonus, if you need to get somewhere that you’ve already been to, you can call in the black market dealer and he can transport you there for free, which is an amazingly nice feature when you’re 30 kilometers from where you want to be. Furthermore, you can buy weapons and agency vehicles from the black market dealer as well, also through collecting resource items you can upgrade the vehicles and weapons you can purchase. The only bad thing is that you can only buy one thing at a time, so if you want a sub-machine gun and grenades, you have to call in the black market dealer twice. Which, admittedly isn’t a big deal but is more of a minor annoyance.

"Say HOLA to my little amigo!"

There are a few other minor annoyances that I have to talk about as well, the larger of the two being the lack of ammunition for guns on the island. While it is easy to find ammo for the submachine gun, assault rifle, and pistol by randomly killing soldiers. But for the higher level weapons, like the rocket and grenade launcher, it’s almost easier to find a unicorn over a rainbow than find ammo for those. It’s almost a nescesity to call in the black market dealer to get more ammo, which is expensive as all hell. Fortunately, the submachine gun and assault rifle can help you accomplish many missions without having to resort to rocket launchers. The only other annoyances have to deal with the sound of the game. The first is that before you can get transported to a location by the black market dealer, you must discover it for yourself, which makes total sense. But none of the vehicles have a radio, so you have to listen to the monotonous tone of an engine at redline until you reach your destination, which in a world this large, can be quite some time. The other sound complaint has to do with the voice acting.  The voice acting of Just Cause 2 is some of the worst that I’ve heard since Two Worlds. Some of the lines actually made me laugh out loud due to their atrocity, and one line even caused me to keep repeating it to my friends on account of it’s horribleness.

Other than those few complaints, this game is a total gem and worthy of anyone giving it a try. The good parts of this game far outweigh the negatives in a completely overwhelming matter. What other game can you attach an airplane to a freight helicopter, fly straight up for 2 kilometers, parachute out, catch your plane, and fly it away to safety? That’s right, no other game has done this. For this hefty sandbox game, even with it’s few flaws, I give it a 9 out of 10.

Title: Just Cause 2
Developer: Avalanche Studios
Publisher: Square Enix
Available For: 360, PS3, and PC
Release Date: Available Now
Review Copy Info: A copy of this title was provided by the publisher to DualShockers Inc. for reviewing purposes

Konichiwa! A few months ago Al and myself had the opportunity to attend a media event in New York City that showcased upcoming titles from SEGA. And although the room was packed with some serious quality titles, there was one in particular that had us shaking in anticipation of its release. That game was Yakuza 3. Not only has it been worth the wait but also, in what seems like an ocean of endless amounts of first-person shooters hitting store shelves every week, Yakuza 3 is a breath of fresh air.

When reviewing games, one has to try their best to remain as objective as possible. The hardest thing to do is to not draw comparisons to other titles. However, this proved simply impossible with Yakuza 3, as it reminded me mostly of one of my favorite titles of all time.

Now, normally I wouldn’t want to mention another title during a review, however the comparisons between Yakuza 3 and the other title in question are indistinguishable. The other title is Shenmue, which to this day is probably one of the most memorable titles of the last decade. And while its fans and cult-like following are constantly on the look out for a third installment to that series, they could be missing out in its first true spiritual successor in Yakuza 3.

There’s something that needs to be mentioned right off the bat, especially when reviewing Yakuza 3. I know that after reading the title it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that it’s a title with a heavy Japanese influence. But just how much of an influence do you ask? Well, lets just say that you probably won’t hear a single word of English during your play through. Maybe one, but a very generic word like “no” or something.

Aaron Webber, Community Manager for SEGA, told us (during the NYC event) that the use of the original audio was done to preserve the original AAA Japanese voice cast. At first I was skeptical, as I normally wouldn’t consider myself as hardcore as those gamers who play JRPG’s with the original voices. However, after playing through Yakuza 3, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much if it were done any other way. The voices in the game were badass to say the least.

Unfortunately, as good as the voices were,  they were only used primarily during the game’s cut scenes. In other words, if there were a scene of importance, you would be treated to a pre-rendered (almost in-game engine) cut scene, full of that same awesome voice over, mentioned earlier, and then the game would transition into a text based (in engine) dialogue between characters. It was kind of cool to go back to this old-school style of game dialogue, however, games did this back in the day because of capacity issues. These issues, especially with the capacity that the PS3 offers thanks to Blu-Ray, should be a non-factor. If anything, this comes off as being more lazy than nostalgic on the developer’s part.

If you’re looking for a game that you can get lost in, then Yakuza 3 is definitely the way to go as it has enough story to quench any gamers’ thirst. Now, even if you’re unfamiliar with the previous two titles in the series, that shouldn’t be a reason to not pick up this title. The beginning of the game actually opens up in a cemetery where you can walk around and read the headstones of those that have perished in the previous titles. During this time is when you’re given the opportunity to watch clips from the first two titles and get yourself completely caught up into exactly what’s going on.

I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone, as even in the very beginning of this crime saga, the story has a rather explosive prologue. Following the powerful and mysterious opening sequences, we are introduced to our main protagonist, who also played the lead in the previous titles as well. His name is Kazuma Kiryu, and he is a bad man, with a heart of gold. Cliché? Very. Is it done better than most? No doubt about it.

Kiryu is the 4^th chairman of the Tojo Clan from Kamurocho, (a fictional red light district) in Tokyo. What that means is that he was one time the boss of the Yakuza, which is now up to it’s 6^th chairman. I know that this may sound confusing, but trust me when I say that the dragnet chart you would need to map out who’s who in the hierarchy would make FBI agent Donnie Brasco jealous, just take my word for it. So while you may be thrown off at first, once you figure out what’s going on, the story makes perfect sense along with the motivations of all of the characters involved.

Kazuma Kiryu, although he is the 4^th chairman, has managed to get himself in enough trouble that when the game officially opens up he is no longer in Kamurocho where he is known (and feared) as the “Dragon of Dojima”. Instead, he has sought asylum in a resort town in Okinawa (a Japanese coastal city), where with the aid of his adopted daughter has decided to run his very own orphanage (The Sunshine Orphanage) to give back to a group of less fortunate children from the area. Kiryu does this because he too was the product of foster parents (who just also happened to be Yakuza, go figure).

The story in Yakuza 3 is so well planned out that it has you at the edge of your seat, as you can’t wait to unravel more of it. Another major factor is the sense of importance certain missions have, because unlike most crime saga’s like the GTA series for example, there are always larger implications in Yakuza 3. It isn’t about who’s selling drugs to who or who’s taking over another family’s territory. One of the main conflicts actually involves stopping an American military base from being built in Okinawa with the aid of a corrupt Japanese politician looking for public approval and votes. It just so happens that the land where the proposed Military base is supposed to be built is where Kiryu’s Sunshine Orphange is currently located. And nobody messes with Kiryu Kazuma.

Anyone who remembers Samurai Shodown for the SNK Neo Geo platform will remember a fun, addicting, classic 2D fighter filled with unforgettable weapon-wielding characters with bad haircuts. It still, till this day, can be considered one of the most played arcade games of the early 90s, considering the competition – like Street Fighter, for example – it was up against. What began as an enjoyable, nurturing 2D franchise has turned into the sad, mutilated concoction that is Samurai Shodown Sen – an ugly 3D fighter that completely fails to capture the charisma and fascination of the original titles of the series. It isn’t the first time that the series takes on the look of 3D, however. But it sure does feel like this 3D project was put together by a group of trained monkeys rather than skilled developers. Samurai Shodown Sen is everything you’d expect from a horrible fighting game – ungraceful controls, inconvenient and visuals that can easily be compared to an early PlayStation 2 game.

As a fan of the franchise, I was heart-broken to see where the series had turned into. A series once prized for dominating weapon-based combat in the 2D fighting arena, which fully depended on careful, planned attacks as opposed to just continuous button-mashing, was taken and torn apart from the ground up leaving a façade of disgust to fans of the original titles. But I’ll stop bad mouthing the game for now and move on as to why Samurai Shodown Sen fails as a “fresh” transition to the Xbox 360.

Like any other fighter out there, Samurai Shodown Sen faces players off in a flat arena with any playable warrior out of the 24 combatant roster. The battle system might seem somewhat new to players of the series as it entirely revolves around combos constructed on either vertical or horizontal attacks. Other than slashing their way through their foes, characters also have throws and kicks at their disposal in order to add some form of variety to combat, along with a special Rage Explosion stat which powers up their attacks and allows opportune access to Rage Explosion Moves.

It might sound like something that’s been done before, and that’s because nothing in Samurai Shodown Sen is new. Just about everything you are able to do in this game has been done in other 3D fighters. You can block, and you can deflect incoming strikes to stagger your opponent somewhat; you’re now able to sidestep incoming attacks as well. Samurai Shodown Sen does indeed have strategic capabilities to be found in this game, but the stiff, bland fighting mechanics completely throws you off. The game just doesn’t feel as natural or responsive as its forbearers, respectively. Executing attacks on the clunky, non-fighter-friendly 360 controller didn’t make things easier as performing moves seemed more like a chore. While you’re in the midst of trying to perform a certain combination, your opponent is slashing away at you without any sense of hesitation. Ideally, patience is a virtue in this area.

But while the controls are stiff and almost impossible to perform fluidly, your opponents don’t make things any easier by continuously cheesing the crap out of you. While you’re trying to figure out or execute traditional moves like Haohmaru’s Crescent Moon Slash (forward+down+forward+slash – which isn’t how you perform it now), you’re getting shot in the face consecutively by Draco (dude with a big ass gun) who kills you with a couple (4 or 5) shots. At this point, the game becomes more of an annoyance when dealing with the cheesy AI that go through you like a hot katana through butter. It’s sad, really, because whatever chance at enjoying the game you had gets thrown out the window when having to deal with opponents who can merely shoot you from a distance. This is exactly why you never bring a knife/sword to a gun fight. This has confirmed every single reason why doing so is moronic, if you need the proof.

Now, in terms of visuals, Samurai Shodown Sen is an ugly game. In fact, it’s hideous and should be tossed into the pits of hell if you’re into comparing it to other 3D fighters like Street Fighter IV and Tekken. Whether or not the folks as Xseed – and I do love them – were intoxicated the majority of the time while putting this together is questionable. But, as a gamer, I can look past this if the gameplay and/or story offers something gratifying enough to keep me bewitched. That isn’t the case here, though. As stated above, the gameplay mechanics are just blasphemous for a fighting game, and the story context is extremely aphoristic, if you even consider it to have one. Whatever chances the game had for getting any love from me became nonexistent when the entire substance of the game had nothing to offer across the board.

Samurai Shodown Sen also suffers from some really bad load times – a con which I would have thought to be absent at this juncture in the 360’s development cycle, and considering how the game itself doesn’t seem complex with regards to high-res textures, filtering and mobility. At times, you’ll come across some slowdowns in certain stages, which can be disappointing considering how valuable accuracy is to the overall experience of the game.

I tried to be somewhat optimistic with the game and decided to hop onto Xbox Live in order to immerse my genius in some one-on-one actions against other players in the multiplayer section. Surprisingly, after constant searching, I got matched up a handful of times with the same players which pretty much indicated that not many folks were playing the game. My training against the AI (in which they sabotaged my patience and literally beat me to a pulp) proved to be successful as I obliterated my first opponent, whom began to yell the same exact words I yelled at my TV whilst playing the computer AI: Cheese! And he wasn’t smiling for a picture – he was cursing me out as I continuously attacked him without pause. After his defeat, and after calling my mother all sorts of whores and such, the player left the room. I began to search for more games but, at this point, I was the only person lingering in the digital multiplayer space. Everything seemed abandoned, and I disappointingly signed off with hopes that someone on my friends list would send me a game invite for some butt kicking. Although the multiplayer aspect was good – as it ran smooth – the same issues that plagued the single player accompanied the multiplayer mode. With so few people playing, however, it was kind of difficult to try and fully grasp and study just how well the overall experience was and could have been.

If you’re a fan of the series, I would probably tell you to skip this one as it isn’t a game I would consider a traditional part of the series. Not to say that Sen does everything wrong because it does do certain things well that is derived from the previous games in the series. For one, you’ll definitely find that calculating your strikes and a keen defensive game is necessary, like the previous Samurai Shodown games, and welcoming. But all that is cut short when the clunky and stiff control elements come into play and basically hinder any entertaining experiences you could have had. Not to mention that the god-forsaken visuals will probably sway you away somewhat, as it is, again, very PlayStation 2 looking – something that you wouldn’t expect from a “next-gen” game. Although the online system works fairly well, the fact that I only saw a handful of players after the game’s retail release says a lot about the game’s online community, if you can even call it that.

If you were looking for some exceptional Samurai Shodown back-in-the-day good nostalgia, you’re better off getting your hands on the anthology and going at it on that. As a fan of the series, I’d prohibit anyone from purchasing this game – especially when there are so many other current-gen fighters out there that will probably satisfy your ass-kicking appetite far better than this atrocious abortion called Samurai Shodown Sen. Sorry, folks, but if you were expecting this game to glorious, you’re going to be let down.

• Title: Samurai Shodown Sen
• Developer: K2 LLC
• Publishers: SNK Playmore / Xseed Games
• Available For: Xbox 360
• MSRP: $59.99
• Release Date: Available Now
• Review Copy Info: A copy of this game was provided by the publisher to DualShockers, Inc. for reviewing purposes.

You remember those sliding puzzles back in elementary school that you would get in a goodie bag of candy and toys? It would be a picture of a snowman or something, and you would have to push the pieces to unscramble it. Well, those things were the sole inspiration for this game. Rooms: The Main Building takes this concept and expands on it. Sounds like a good idea, but unfortunately this game falls short in more than one way. I am reviewing the DS version, but I hear the Wii version is not too different.

Essentially, the game is just a glorified sliding puzzle. The difference is you can only move the piece your character is standing on, and that you’re trying to fix the puzzle in a way where the character can pass through a door. The game also adds a fair share of twists to the experience along the way to make it not feel like the same thing over and over. There is the telephone that teleports you to the other room, dynamite to blow walls down, and mirrors that move the other mirrored room in the opposite direction, just to name a few. The game brags about a 100 different puzzles, and they’re all different enough to not feel repetitive. That’s the good thing about the game.

Eventually, the more difficult puzzles are completed by pulling off good timing as well. For example, you need to light the dynamite and run to the other room before you get blown up. The pinnacle of fun begins when they throw everything at you and you really get a sense of accomplishment when you pull it off. However, this challenge arrives way too late in the game, where I’m way too tired from the mindlessly easy puzzles.

The sound in this game consists of some groans and grunts, along with the same looped track over and over. I do not care how good any piece of music can be (not saying that the music is good), hearing anything looped leaves a bad taste in your ears.

Rooms really suffers from bad controls and graphics. The whole game is stylus driven, so there is absolutely nothing done with the buttons. That said, I found myself tapping the wrong place on numerous occasions. The rooms are so tiny, it is very easy to accidentally tap the wrong object or direction. I have even made the mistake of restarting a puzzle, because the options are very close to the edge of the rooms. This happens so easily, because when you tap restart there isn’t even an ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ that pops up, it instantly restarts. It’s frustrating, because this is constant. I figured I would eventually get better at the controls, but it’s just a classic case of poor design.

The graphics and presentation are horrendous. Brown ladders blend in with the brown doors. The brown closets blend in with the brown crates. The whole game looks like an ugly brown mess. For the first few puzzles I was stumped, because I couldn’t spot the objects that blend in with the background. My eyes eventually adjusted to the game’s lack of clearly visible objects, but why did it have to? I’m not a graphics junkie, but I say ‘if I can see what I am doing, the graphics are fine.’ That wasn’t the case with Rooms.

Oh and the story? It seems as though they threw in a random story just to tie all the puzzles together. It’s a waste of time. I suggest going to the options and selecting the fastest text speed to skip all the talking parts as quickly as possible.

The main game finished in about 5 hours. I didn’t complete every puzzle, I did what had to be done to complete the game, and depending on how dumb you are (sorry, it’s the truth though) it may take a bit longer. I say it is entertaining for those who like good thinking challenges (I’m talking to all you Sudoku puzzlers), but for its price and length, this game is very passable. I enjoyed it, but it may not be for everyone. Could I have lived without it? Definitely.

Title: Rooms: The Main Building
Developer: Hudson Soft
Publisher: Hudson Soft
Available For: Nintendo DS and Wii
Release Date: Available Now
Review Copy Info: A copy of this title was provided by the publisher to DualShockers Inc. for reviewing purposes

By now you’ve all had plenty of time to read our own written review for God of War III by editor-in-chief Yaris. Now, Michael Hurdle and Corey Ashley with a special guest bring to you a full 10 minute video review.

SPOILER ALERT: A majority of the footage is from the first 20 minutes of the game, a.k.a. the poseidon fight sequence that has all the reviewers raving and makes 360 fanboys punch mirrors and listen to EMO music. There are also snippets from the first 4 hours scattered throughout the video as well. If there’s stuff you don’t want spoiled then DO NOT PROCEED. You have been warned, enjoy the clip below.

I’m a Final Fantasy fan and yes, I freely admit that  regardless of what everyone else thinks of the franchise or even individual games specifically, I’ve always been a fan. Sure, it has had its ups and downs, and I by no means think every game is perfect, but I try to see things on an individual basis and go in not without preconceived notions.  Thus, my experience with the franchise has always been positive. Like so many other fans, I have been waiting around five years for FFXIII to be released, and to finally get my hands on it and embrace it, regardless of what it brings. However, I don’t blindly ignore all the potential faults that a game may have, as that would be unfair, especially now. That being said, was FFXIII worth the wait? What did I think of it, and how do my reactions to various development decisions compare to that of yours or just the fanbase in general? Read on to find out!

The story of FFXIII is based around the familiar concept of an omnipotent or god-like being controlling the lives of every-day citizens. That is the overreaching theme of the entire game, but there are so many more intricacies and nuances to the plot, characters, and story that I can hardly begin to describe them here. While convoluted in many ways, if you actually make an attempt, the concept of the story is not that difficult to discern, given enough time. These god-like beings, the fal’Cie, use humans to carry out their will. These humans become what are termed l’Cie. The fal’Cie and l’Cie can be either of Cocoon or Pulse origin. Cocoon is a world built and maintained inside a hollowed-out moon by the fal’Cie. This moon floats rather closely above the surface of a wild and wonderful world known as Gran Pulse. In the past, these two worlds fought each other and, to the citizens of Cocoon, Pulse is a “hell”, or so the government and, ultimately, the Cocoon fal’Cie want you to believe. The whole story revolves around breaking apart a belief system, defying assumptions, breaking away from those who wish to control the destiny of millions, regardless the cost. Yes, all of our heroes are Pulse l’Cie, which means they are enemies of Cocoon. Since the majority of the story takes place on Cocoon, they are on the run much of the time.

At the beginning, the story feels incomplete and you have to work to understand what is going on.  Most of the time  you fail.  But, as you progress through the game, all the pieces slowly come together through the use of nicely-done dialog and flash-back cut scenes. The characters – while not always developed completely – do work hard to give you an emotional attachment to them and their relationships, especially in certain cases. There are also some rather un-Final Fantasy-like story moments that are rather dark, which is actually a nice touch. Although, I can’t really say the same about the story in general. A large part of it revolves around saving Cocoon – a highly diverse “planet” which you really learn little about. How can you join these characters in their plight if you don’t really care about what they’re fighting for? The closest the game comes to this is when it brings the family of a few characters into play.  However,  this ultimately can just be used to explain how well the character relationships are fleshed out throughout the game and does not do a lot to make you care about the big picture. While I believe this is a fault, it does not make the entire story experience horrible by any means. The relationships you, as the player, build with the characters really hit you hard at various points, especially toward the end, and showcases just how strongly this game works to establish that connection.

Final Fantasy XIII has been dumped on by many because of its extreme linearity, even before the game was released. I’m not denying that the game is linear, by any means, but what I want to challenge is how well it worked for the story. Think about it for a minute – the major complaints are that the game is very linear, there are no towns (in the traditional sense), no “slow” periods where you can feel safe and explore, no backtracking during the course of the story, no freedom. Why? Because that IS the story. A group of people branded “enemies of the state” and being hunted by the military will have no time to rest, no freedom to travel around and through towns talking to everyday citizens, and looting their homes. Even when there is the semblance of anonymity at a certain point in the story, it lasts for a scant few moments. The entire mood, energy and, for lack of a better term, linearity, of the first half of the game is supposed to be that way, it is supposed to make you feel confined, like you can’t do anything but move forward, like you’re being chased and on the run. That is what the developers intended, and I challenge that, instead of working against making this a great game, the game is actually a better game for it, because it makes that part of the story more potent, makes the player feel, at least a little, what the characters in the game are feeling – confined, nowhere to run, nowhere being safe. I praise the developers for taking that risk – going against the grain to tell a great story instead of assuming everything has to be as it was before.

While I’m not in the camp that hates the game because it has very little semblance of freedom, even when it “opens up” about half way through, I can’t help but still think that opportunities were missed to give a greater sense of freedom at that point. This may be a slight spoiler for some, but most of us know it is going to happen at some point – we eventually arrive on Gran Pulse, after spending the entire front half of the game running for our lives on Cocoon. You have freedom at this point – you can either start doing some of the side quests or head straight to the next story waypoint. As much as I try to justify the linearity of the front half of the game, I seem to think something is lacking here. Gran Pulse is the perfect spot to put a town or settlement of some sort, and provide a more open atmosphere for completing side-quests and these monster hunting missions. It just felt like things were lacking a bit at that point.

Along with the way the story is told, the visuals help draw you into this world, as well. Everything is vibrant and teeming with life, especially once you get to Gran Pulse. It feels like your characters are so insignificant against the vast landscapes; it is worlds apart from the confinement you feel while running for your life on Cocoon. I think this is also intentional, to show that, at least in a way, your characters are more free on Gran Pulse: they no longer really have to run, but they are still searching for answers. The very sleek, modern visuals of Cocoon give way to more aggressive, rustic technology and wide-open, natural areas, making the change in atmosphere much like a brick wall that they slam your head into to make you notice. I also enjoyed the detail of the character models. Just the way the clothes and hair flows, the way the characters move and interact – everything seems fluid with absolutely none of the graphical issues you usually see where weapons intersect the character model. The lips are also synced with the English voices, which actually works to make you feel more at home and more immersed in the dialog sequences.

The audio fits many of the locations to a tee, from intense techno-pop beats in Cocoon’s technology-driven world, to serene instrumentation and tribal drums on Gran Pulse. There are a few lyrical tracks, as well, including the new chocobo theme, which is familiar yet vastly different from what we’ve come to know. The voice work is, for the vast majority of the time, very well done. There are a few awkward moments, but the emotion and character is there, moreso than with any other JRPG I’ve played in recent memory.

One big draw of any RPG is the battle mechanics, and FFXIII doesn’t disappoint. But, like any battle system, it isn’t perfect. In a staunch change in the series, you only control a single individual in battles. Later in the game this can be any person you want out of your six available party members, but for the first half of the game you’re locked in to using certain party members and certain leaders. There is a class system – called “roles” here – but instead of switching each individual’s class, you swap them all at once on the battlefield, to get the results you want for any given situation. These are called paradigms: there are many of them and they vary greatly. There’s a paradigm for just about every situation you can find yourself in, although in typical battles you will likely end up finding the rotation that works best for you. Attacks or other actions are carried out in a similar manner to previous games, with the exception that you have an “Auto” command for whatever role you’re currently fulfilling in the active paradigm. If you’re attacking, it’s “Auto-Attack”, if you’re debuffing it’s “Auto-Hinder” and so on and so forth. While to some this may be a cop-out, an “easy mode” to get around manually selecting commands (which you can also do at will), it is almost certainly needed later in the game when the pace of battle moves so fast that you just aren’t given the time you need to activate commands manually. The AI does an excellent job of selecting the right commands automatically that fit the situation and the targeted enemy’s weaknesses so you can concentrate on the battle overall instead of what each individual is doing.

Like I mentioned, while you can certainly change to another paradigm that only changes the role of one character, they all “switch” together at the same time. For an all-out-attack formation, you could have Lightning and Vanille be a ravager (black mage) and Fang be a commando (melee damage) – this paradigm is called Relentless Assault. This provides solid damage to quickly dispatch foes, but lacks a healer. If the fight goes south and you need a healer, you would hit L1 and swap to the Diversity paradigm, for example, which retains Lightning as a ravager and Fang as a commando, but swaps Vanille to a medic. When you’re all healed up, swap back to Relentless Assault to finish things off. If it is a tougher fight and you need someone to soak up the damage, perhaps Delta Attack – which includes a commando, a ravager and a sentinel – would be right for you, that way the sentinel can focus all the damage on them and take less of it overall. There are also roles for buffing and debuffing enemies, however I found these used far less often, mostly for special circumstance fights like bosses or eidolons.

Enemies themselves have various strengths and weaknesses, as always, which the party AI reacts to as you fight them (or after you use the Libra technique on them). This comes into play so that you can perform what is called a stagger on the enemy as quickly as possible. In many fights, this is what will make or break the fight. Quite often, staggering an enemy or group of enemies is what leads to the fight being 30 seconds instead of five minutes, or, in extreme cases, it means the difference between life and death. Each enemy has a meter under its name which goes up the more it is attacked. Once it reaches its max, the enemy is staggered and receives many times the amount of damage it usually does.   Plus it is susceptible to being launched into the air and, if you time your attacks right, kept there the rest of the fight. After a fight, you are “rated” on your performance, and that rating is based on the amount of time you took to defeat your foes. The “target time” the game generates is based on your party’s overall skill level, equipment level and general effectiveness at the time the fight is initiated. Higher ratings lead to better rewards from the fight.

Another aspect to battle is gaining a preemptive strike. If you sneak up on them without them noticing and initiate combat, all of their combo meters are nearly full, so one hit from any of your party members will send the enemy into stagger mode. By initiating preemptive attacks, your lower-leveled group could take out enemies far out of their level range. The only issue here is that I have the feeling the “target time” for each fight seems to be based more and more on you gaining a preemptive strike as you progress through the game, because I swear no matter how hard I try without it, it is nearly impossible to get a five star rating unless you do so.

Overall, I found the battle system rather overwhelming at first, but the game does a good job of easing you into the craziness that battles become as you progress farther through the story. I still miss being able to control all the characters, and I do think it is not right that you get a “Game Over” screen when only your party leader – the character you are directly controlling – gets knocked out. However, because you can retry fights and, for standard enemies, it starts you back on the field screen instead of the battle screen, this isn’t as big a deal as it sounds. Many times if you simply cannot defeat a group, you can manage to avoid them (and this happens often at about the game’s mid-point onward).

Another thing I enjoyed about the battle system which has connections to the story is the eidolons. There are only six of them, and they are obtained – one per character – throughout the story. These fights are generally very hectic and difficult, because you’re on a timer, but once you obtain them, they can be a serious life-saver in battle. This isn’t because they dish out some serious damage or because they have some fancy limit-break-like visuals to go along with their summoning. No, it is because of the rewards they provide your party when they leave. While they do provide benefits to enemies as well – such as reducing their chain gauge to zero – the benefits they give you far outweigh the drawbacks. If any of your party members are incapacitated, suffering from negative status effects or missing any health whatsoever, they are brought back up to 100% tip-top condition, whether that means they are resuscitated, have status effects removed or healed up fully. Summoning your eidolon is a nice way to rejuvenate the entire party in a rather intense and difficult boss fight. In the most dire situations, they can also be used to avoid the “Game Over” screen when your party leader gets knocked out, as they will sacrifice the rest of their time on-screen to resurrect the leader and heal up the party.

Speaking of difficulty now – while not on the level of Demon’s Souls – this game is still probably the most difficult entry in the Final Fantasy franchise in the last three generations of gaming. It is horribly unforgiving in parts, and not just on boss fights, but on regular enemy groups in general. It does not forgive lack of knowledge about your paradigms and how to use them, although there is no specific set of “must use” paradigms in any given fight. If you don’t have a deep knowledge of them and decent timing to know when to swap them and how to set them up, you will know it when you get completely plowed by a group of enemies time and time again. I find this rather refreshing, for the most part. Fights and knowing the intricacies of the battle system actually matter. When all is said and done, you’re rewarded very well for knowing how to play this game and take advantage of various paradigms. You eventually learn how far you can push yourself, when to hold back and everything in between, and it is a very rewarding way of doing things. While this may come with the territory, I’m not a huge fan of the “trial and error” type game play, but it does work well here because of the available “Retry” option and the fact that a “Game Over” doesn’t necessarily mean what it does in other genre titles.

However, I have an issue here, as well. The difficulty seems uneven throughout the whole game. The entire first half of the game, besides a boss fight or two, is pretty easy. It lulls you into a false sense of security to some degree. Then, when you arrive on Gran Pulse, it hits you like a 10 ton hammer in the face: you struggle to fend off even the smallest group of enemies until you start improving your characters. In the following chapter, the enemy groups are pretty easy (or easily avoidable). It would have been nice if there was a more gradual difficulty curve that started way before that magical half way point in the game. Instead of making the front half of the game all a cake walk, start kicking the difficulty up earlier, but smooth the ride a bit, so that it is more of a gradual change instead of an “in your face” reality check. In addition to the uneven difficulty, they couple this with these weird impromptu “boss fights”, which really aren’t bosses, but may as well be. They tend to do this after long periods between save points, and, just when I think I can finally save after that boss fight, I get thrown into a fight with a mob that might as well be a boss, sometimes completely unprepared. For example, after having free control of my group for about two chapters, I’m pretty set in my ways as to the characters I like. The rest have just been collecting CP and I haven’t touched them. Then, suddenly, they once again decide to determine my own groups for me and throw me into one of these pseudo-boss fights with one or two of my under-developed characters and I end up getting ripped a new butt hole.

Outside of the main story which, as I mentioned, is pretty linear, things open up about half way through the game, but only for a short time. Once they do, as I alluded to a bit earlier, you are introduced to the main side quests in the game, which come in the form of monster hunts, similar to the previous entry in the franchise. The difference here is that you can save your game after you complete the story and come back to them. In fact, some you will probably find too difficult to handle before the story ends and you open up the final tier of the characters’ development levels – called the Chrystarium. The Chrystarium is most similar to FFX’s sphere grid in many ways, and is the convention used here to level up your characters instead of experience. For the most part the Chrystarium is a linear, capped progression for each character. And, by “capped” I mean that you can’t really power-level yourself in the strictest sense of the phrase, because at a certain point, you can’t go farther in the Chrystarium until you progress the story.

Each character’s Chrystarium for the same role may be different, as well. For example, Hope gets Protect and Shell earlier in his synergist Chrystarium than Sazh does, making him better for some things at various points in the game. It all adds to the strategy involved – chosing the right characters for the job at the right times and for the right battles. But, for the most part, a player can pick his favorite party, learn how to use their available roles and paradigms well, and survive in most cases. There are choices to be made within each role’s Chrystarium, as well, even though the progression is mostly linear. There are branches that lead to stat bonuses and abilities that you may not want or need at a certain time in the game, which you can skip if you’re trying to get to the character’s next role level, which increases their effectiveness at that particular job. All in all, while it isn’t the most open-ended advancement system seen in recent Final Fantasy titles, it does provide a unique way of going about character progression.

Another means of buffing up your characters is through upgrading equipment, which can be done using the many extraneous items you get to drop off enemies at the end of battles. Weapon upgrading doesn’t seem very important during the story part of the game, but in post-game it can really come in handy to get five-star ratings on many of the tougher side-quest marks. My only issue here is that the weapon upgrade system is, for the most part, very confusing. It isn’t explained enough in-game to really be useful, so I guess it is a good thing it doesn’t seem to be required for story progression. I dabbled in it quite a lot, though, even during the story, so that the characters I enjoyed using had fairly decent weapon levels, which may have made certain encounters a hair easier.

Many of the Final Fantasy staples are here, as well – chocobos, cactuars, Cid, references to earlier games in the franchise as well as some other Square-Enix titles of the past. Moogles are, unfortunately, not present but their essence is there in the form of various shop and item names. The Final Fantasy fan will not be disappointed in this regard. Now, if only they kept the battle win fanfare…

Much of the unwanted aggression toward this title stems from people having unrealistic expectations and completely misunderstanding the purpose of the story and not even thinking beyond, “ZOMG ITZ A STRAT LINEEE!!!111!” If people would stop for a moment and think about what the linearity does for the story and understand what the developers were trying to do, that they were taking a risk and that the story couldn’t be anywhere near the same or have the same impact on the player without the linearity, perhaps things may come across differently. Too many people are stuck on what has been used in the past and are comparing this game to that, when it really should be considered on its own merits alone. The game industry as a whole would not be where it is today without developers breaking the mold, going against the grain and really trying to do something special. Final Fantasy XIII is nothing more than an extension of that.

Ultimately whether you enjoy this game or not is personal opinion, but I hope I’ve given everyone at least something to think about, regardless if you agree with me or not. This is an outstanding entry in the franchise, but falls just short of being ranked among the best. Ultimately, my biggest issue with the game was the story itself working against the player the majority of the time. I really couldn’t figure out how to actually care about the characters’ ultimate goal, but I did find myself drawn to the character relationships and development, which was the heart of the story, if not the entire focus. That was the highlight of the narrative for me. This game is touching at the same time that it is frustrating, both mechanically and in being able to understand what is going on at times. Do I think it is as horrible as many people are making it out to be? Not in the least, although certain things could have been better, and I’m obviously not talking about the linearity.

It is going to take a special type of person to latch on to this title – one who is both open minded and a fan of the franchise. Perhaps it is too “interactive movie” for some, perhaps the battle system is too different than what has come before for others. To me, it is an engrossing tale with likable characters and a vibrant world, that met my expectations and then some, however it falls short of being one of the premiere titles in the franchise as a whole. Take it for what it is – a visually stunning romp with a typically complex story. I feel you may just enjoy it to some degree by keeping an open mind.

Game: Final Fantasy XIII [PS3 version reviewed]

Developer: Square-Enix

Publisher: Square-Enix

Release Date: 3/9/2010

MSRP: $59.99

Review Copy Info: A copy of this game was provided to DualShockers Inc. by the publisher for purposes of this review.

I know it’s a couple of weeks late to the party but fear not as our review of one of the biggest FPS titles of 2010 has finally arrived. Michael Hurdle and Corey Ashley of RawGamePlay fame (and now DualShockers TV), have played the living crap out of this title to deliver this in depth review for you all. Enjoy the clip below.

Very few games this generation have awed me to the degree where they deserved a standing ovation. Games that have left particles of eminence stamped in our very own psyche; significant moments that are imprinted in our brains which from time to time come to life in the form of the most memorable moments we have experienced in our history of gaming; Moments that leave us in pure bliss as we savor the bewitching amazement that happened on our televisions. This is how I felt throughout my entire playthrough of God of War III – a game that has, indeed, thrashed all barriers of next generation gaming with the brute force that accompanies its protagonist, Kratos.

When you first insert a game of this magnitude that you’ve been itching to play since Santa Monica Studio cursed you with the cliffhanger ending of God of War II, a couple of things happen. First, you smile with childish glee as you finally validate to yourself that you finally have your copy of one of the most anticipated titles of the year. You then pursue to find the most comfortable seat in your living space which won’t flat-iron your ass as you play countless hours. Then, you look up at the screen, and waiting there is the enraged face of Kratos – who shares the same impatience as you to start the pilgrimage of molestation upon the gods of Mount Olympus with his good old friends the Blades of Chaos.

God of War III picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending of God of War II with Kratos riding atop the titan Gaia as she climbs Mount Olympus with her siblings to wreak all sorts of havoc upon the Greek gods.

As you stare at your television and laugh at the utter amazement in technological absolution that the folks over at Sony Santa Monica Studio have accomplished, you will find yourself involuntarily a) drooling or b) picking your jaw up from the floor. What happens on screen – from the scale, camera movements that well-known directors might envy, and the intoxicating visuals – will leave you, without a doubt, breathless as your marvel at wonders that the developers have conceived. What you experience in the first few minutes of God of War III will clearly justify the very reason why you purchased a PlayStation 3 – it trumps just about anything and everything you’ve ever witnessed in gaming on all plateaus.

Occasionally, you will begin to wonder whether or not you’re actually playing through CG. Yes, the graphics are that great. From the detailed textures, characters (Kratos looks realistic in every sense of the word throughout the entire game), and environments, God of War III has set a new definition for best graphics on a console. But what brings the game to life with regards to realism isn’t only the detailed textures; Dynamic lighting, as you begin to dissect the game’s visuals, provides the substantial effect of realistic representation. It is what makes this visually living and breathing game a behemoth in every sense of the word.

Once you’ve experienced the opening of God of War III, you’re probably hooked to the point where food, liquids and the social world are no longer relevant. At this point, the game is no longer entrenching you as it was, as the game mildly turns it down a notch from the culmination of entertainment you were exposed to in the beginning. It’s not a bad thing, but seldom will you experience that form of excitement again throughout the game.

Through your continuous climb up Mount Olympus, and your excessive battles with whatever stands in your way, you will find that getting to the gods isn’t as easy as you’d hoped. I mean, it wouldn’t be God of War if something or someone didn’t make the task far more challenging. We’re all aware that Kratos’s main task is to shove his barbaric blades into the hearts of all the gods. To do this, however, he will require a power that can only be acquired through the well-known challenges and encounters in ancient mythological Greece. You’ll travel through new and old places in order to satisfy your bewildering appetite that was once shrouded in mystery, as well as encounter characters from the previous games.

One thing that comes to mind when you think of Kratos is an egocentric sociopath with an addicting taste for the blood of deities; and this he has in abundance in this final chapter of the series. As with all entries in the God of War series, this is where his lust for massacre begins. For those familiar with the series, the button inputs and combos remain virtually unchanged from God of War II, but how Quick Time Events are governed is something totally different. One of the most appealing perks of God of War III has to be the silky smooth animations that introduce pandemonium of graceful fidelity; fusing combos seems much easier to a degree of speed, and the total sense of brutality that no game out there can compare to. In addition, because of the PlayStation 3’s technological prosperity, the number and variation of enemies you encounter (depending on the difficulty and situation) commands a much more versatile and appreciative sense of combat, which challenges your overall range of tactics against a much more sophisticated enemy A.I. – who’s attacks and blocking make entering more complex movesets a needy facet of overall battle.

In order to immerse yourself in an expansive aurora of combat against these intelligent enemies, however, you need an arsenal of weaponry which provides the aforementioned repertoire of diversity. The first weapon upgrade you’ll get is the Blades of Exile, which will replace the Blades of Chaos. Accompanying them are three weapons which you control with familiarity (all of which are somewhat mimicked off of the Blades of Exile, with the exception of the Cestus gauntlets), which allows you the opportunistic abilities of long and close-ranged attacks. Although the weapons seem familiar in the sense of overall “feel,” each weapon is extremely unique in the sense that they each work well against a particular group of enemies. In mid-battle, I found myself constantly alternating between each in order to accommodate to the specific styles of each enemy. The best part of this, though, has to be switching between weapons in real-time (through directional buttons or the combination of L1+X), which wasn’t a commodity in the previous games in which you had to back out to the pause screen to select your weapon of choice.

A new move that was introduced is the ability for Kratos to grab onto an enemy from a distance (L1+O) and viciously tackle his way onto them, which stuns the enemy for a moment. Playing the game on Titan mode (hard) rendered this move extremely important in many cases, as it helps Kratos close the gap between himself and the enemy in order for him to unleash a profusion of combos, and to make some separation against mobs (which can be quite annoying on this difficulty).

Those of you accustomed to the Rage of the Gods and Rage of the Titans will no longer be able to use magic in the sense that was once used. Calling for magic abilities like area-of-effect lightning, or scorching your enemies with flamed boulders are no longer available. Instead, Kratos has Rage of Sparta which calls in an army that encloses Kratos in shields from the enemies and, at the same time, thrusting their spears in every direction as seen in the movie 300. Each weapon offers a unique “magic” ability, all which are area-of-effect like, and can be used strategically in specific encounters to maximize its overall efficacy.

Out of the box, God of War III supports 7.1 surround sound – a blessing for those of us audiophiles who have such a set up. The ambient sounds that saturates the room introduces a much more realistic sensation when traveling through certain areas. There were times where I honestly thought things were going on outside, or someone was talking in the next room – that’s how rich the sound comes off.

As extensive as the ambient sounds were, the one thing that I really enjoyed was the musical score – which isn’t at all a letdown.  This goes for the voice acting as well, although you will encounter some real cheesy dialogue occasionally that seems like something ripped out of a porno.

Playing the game on Titan mode changed the pacing of the game for me. I’m a firm believer that difficulty does, in my personal opinion, change the overall experience of a game. Although it took me roughly eleven hours, 82 deaths, and tons of aggravation to complete, and it does seem short, I had to take into account that I played the game vigorously for hours on end, skipping meals, and avoiding anything that interfered with me and Kratos kicking the crap out of things (i.e. human contact). This only proves that the pacing in God of War III is just damn great. Pacing is one of the most challenging aspects of creating a game. For the most part, and this was seen a lot back in the day, most developers thought that adding tons of gameplay would increase the overall experience and value of a title.  This is where God of War III stands out. Although you’re not immersed in 20 hours of gameplay, you’re exposed to a much shorter but brisker and satisfying game which keeps your attention set throughout the entire expedition to slay the gods. Every inch of the game, although not as insanely felt as the opening scene, keeps you wanting more, which in turn provides the end result of a much leaner and enjoyable game – something that is far more important than length.

The sense of predictability has been eliminated in this final chapter of the series. In the previous games it was kind of easy to actually figure out what was waiting for you around the corner, which takes away that element of surprise. This is another area where God of War III stands out; every bit of the game is just amazingly unpredictable. You’ll run into boss battles which you weren’t expecting, things occur whether or not you’re ready for them, and so forth. As much as you try to be on your guard, something will always happen that will just bewilder you, and this happens often throughout the game. This constant element of surprise is what will keep you hooked for hours on end. That sense of mystery and exploration through those dimly lit corners, or wondering what’s in that next room waiting for you, will no doubt create an obsessive mindset that will perpetuate curiosity and extend playtime.

If you’re wondering where the cons are for God of War III, I have none. The explosive conclusion to the trilogy satisfied the three year hunger I’ve had in abundance. While it seems that elements of the game were nitpicked for their individual wonders, its how these different instruments came together in this beautifully composed game that merits the symphonic masterpiece that is God of War III. While reviews do provide some insight on games, this is one that you will need to experience for yourself in order to embrace everything that this next generation title has achieved. Words can’t describe everything that you will experience – but just know that God of War III will indeed be one of those games that will thrive in your memory for years to come. An epic conclusion to one of the most epic trilogies to grace the gaming industry, God of War III is a definite must buy for any PlayStation 3 owner and fan of the series.

• Title: God of War III
• Developer: Sony Santa Monica Studio
• Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
• Release Date: March 16, 2010
• MSRP: $59.99
• Review Copy Info: A copy of the title was provided to DualShockers Inc by the publisher for review purposes