Infamous Review
Fame is the ultimate vanity. But chasing it in Infamous is bloody fun.
Infamous is a sand box style super hero game, where moral choices take centre stage. Through you actions as protagonist Cole, you may play through the story as a benevolent protector of the people or a cold blooded, super charged killer.
Initially, I was frustrated and disappointed. Underpowered and uninspired, I moved from one mission to next, quickly tiring of the gangs who constantly take pot shots at you from virtually every alley, street and rooftop. Gang members, who often cant be located particularly easily.
Things don’t really kick in until you start to accumulate a wealth of super powers, making the city a little dull and limited at first. Once you start to earn your powers, especially the ability to ride electrical wires and glide through the air, the city really starts to open up and rewards your initial patience. So be sure to persevere.
The story is interesting, though it’s nothing particularly new. Every day guy gets super powers and struggles to come to terms with them. But the real interest lies in how exactly you embrace them. Will you put your new found powers to good use, protecting the inhabitants, or will you terrorize them with lightning from above? There are a number of instances throughout the game where you are presented with a moral conundrum, and your decision will affect your powers, appearance and how people will react to you. These choices do not feel forced and aren’t always black and white.
That the thousands of people wandering the streets of Empire City react differently to you, dependant on your levels of good or evil is a testament to the details within the game. Pedestrians will ask you for help, cheer you on, take pictures of you, comment on how handsome you are or even aid you in battle if you are playing the game as a hero. Conversely, you make the evil choices and people will flee from the very sight of you.
The city itself is very impressive, though it doesn’t come close to GTAIV’s Liberty City. You can scale great heights, and best of all, jump right off them. The city is huge and brimming with life and there is always something happening around each corner. Most importantly, it’s easy to traverse thanks to well balanced controls and Cole’s smooth movements. On the down side, the city does look repetitive in places, as do the sewer systems which you are periodically forced to visit during missions. The main story missions are very entertaining and provide a range of different tasks, but the side missions, which are important if you want to get the most out of the game, are extremely repetitive, revolving around only a handful of premises.
As nimble as he his powerful, Cole is a joy to control and is very well animated. He also remains an interesting and sympathetic character throughout. The combat system works well and presents a balanced challenge. As you progress through the game, you will become adept at stringing together deadly combos and its really satisfying doing so.
The more you play Infamous the more you are likely to enjoy it. I have just finished the game as a Hero, and have already begun an evil play through. This is probably the most enjoyable and rewarding way to approach the game, playing to extremes of good or evil, rather than doing a bit of both. Once you get through the first few hours of frustration, there is a great deal of fun to be had. Infamous is an impressive and well executed game.
Review - Sonic’s Ultimate Mega Drive Collection
Yet another collection of old games lazily thrown together, or a fresh take on a group of classic titles? A bit of both really, but thoroughly enjoyable none the less.
Featuring 40 Sega Mega Drive games and a further 9 unlockable arcade and Master System titles, it’s definitely a bargain. While some of the games haven’t aged that well (Gain Ground, Bonanza Bros) others are as instantly playable as they were back in the day (Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine).
Aside from the convenience of having all these titles on one disc there are a few other added incentives to line Sega’s pockets yet again. There are developer interviews and the aforementioned unlockable games. The controls have been well translated to the PS3 pad, and you can save your game at any point no matter the title.
Playing the PS3 version, I was pleasantly surprised by how much the trophy system added to the experience. Of all the benefits of buying this collection, the trophies were the biggest incentive, and for me the most enjoyable aspect of the game. I approached the trophies as a game within itself, a set of achievements that led me through the vast majority of the featured titles. I went through a challenge at a time, which encouraged me to play games which otherwise I may not have touched, and gave me a new way to enjoy classic titles that I had already played to death, breathing new life into them. By the way, I got the platinum :) .
On the downside there is no online multiplayer, and there are some questionable inclusions to the game roster. Other titles that should have featured, such as Earthworm Jim, are nowhere to be found. Also, the appeal of the unlockable extras are somewhat limited.
However, this is a great collection of games that remain playable, challenging and a great deal of fun, and the addition of trophies puts a whole new spin on things. Highly recommended.
Killzone 2 & Resistance 2 - A Comparison
Of late, I have been playing through Sony’s well-hyped first person shooter, Killzone 2. I picked it up on release, but I wanted to finish up Valkyria Chronicles and also Biohazard 5 had first priority, so this review is a little late.
So instead of giving a straight forward review, I want to compare it with Resitance 2, its well received PS3 exclusive, FPS bretheren. Both games have been touted as Sony’s answer to the Halo franchise and have been both a commercial and critical successful.
The first thing that grabs you when playing Killzone 2 is that it is very easy on the eye. The level of visual presentation is astounding, and although the game utilizes a relatively dull and sombre pallete, it still sticks out. Resistance 2 is no slouch either. Unlike Killzone, many of Resitance’s levels are set in broad daylight, leading to a completely different experience. It is a very pretty game, but in an altogther different way to Killzone. The level of presentation is extremely high in both cases. Both games are suitably scored, and the voice acting is capable, and at times rather good. Brian Cox as Killzone 2’s head villian Scolar Visari particularly stands out.
I found Killzone 2 to be much more challenging than Resistance 2, though im not sure if that is a sentiment shared by other gamers. However, with the exception of the final boss, it was never frustrating. Speaking of bosses, one thing you will notice when playing through is that there arent many traditional end of level bosses that you would expect to see in such a game. This contributes to a fresher, more realistic and fluid gaming experience. There doesn’t need to be a frighteningly powerful boss waiting around every umpteenth corner. However, it does contribute to the feeling of an ongoing slog through similar levels, with nothing notable to break it up. In comparison, this is one area in which Resitance excels. The bosses are one of the finest aspects of the game, with one of the bosses literally towering over Chicago’s ruined skyline.
As for controls, in Resistance 2 the main character has a certain feeling of weight to his movements, whereas in Killzone, I felt that the movements were far too sensitive. Any sudden movement will make your crosshairs go flying across the screen. It’s difficult to find the words to fully describe it, but it just didn’t feel quite right.
There are a wide range of weapons at your disposal in both games, and for the most part, they are very well balanced. Each firearm will suit one situation better than the next and there is never a shortage of ammo. Set pieces also feature quite heavily in both games, but I think I will give Killzone the nod in this regard. One of the final stages stands out, requiring you to storm up the steps of the Helghast government building. Both games are also very well paced. There are segments where you literally wade through hoardes of enemies, claiming a few metres each push. There are others that encourage you to move at break neck speed, hurtling towards a goal and taking out whatever steps in your path.
One key area where both titles fall short is the story. Firstly, Killzone 2. The story was good enough to keep me interseted, but with the exception of the likeable yet entirely underdeveloped protagonist, Sev, the characters are uninteresting at best, and in some cases outright annoying. Also, the story never really touches upon the fact that you are part of an invading force. You play the role of aggressor. With no pre knowledge of the series backstory, it isnt clear what makes you the good guy. This in itself should have provided an interesting narrative drive, but its never explored. A missed opportunity. In its defense, the game does pull out a pretty decent ending.
Resistance 2 also suffers from a rather forgettable story. However, Nathan Hale does make for a pretty interesting lead and the unravelling story of the Chimeran enemy and their origins is quite interesting, especially if you have played the original. With that said, there are a few lazy and headscratching additions to the narrative, most notably the Daedalus character who seems to come out of nowhere, with a glaring lack of backstory. If you have played the second installment but not the first, you would be forgiven for thinking that he was a character from R1, as the game seems to expect you to know who he is. Overall, I think Resistance has a stronger plot than Killzone 2, though its nothing to write home about. The end sequence is very disapointing, and like most things in the game, comes with virtually no explanation.
Despite the narrative problems, both games boast great settings. Resistance 2 offers a unique mix of 1950s culture and futuristic technologies employed by the Chimera. It’s a brilliant meeting of two worlds. Killzone 2 conjours up a smoky, overcast alien planet inhabitted by human descedants. Its set in the future, but the vast majority of the characters and weaponary seem firmly rooted in the here and now. It provides a very engaging setting.
When it comes to multiplayer, I’m perhaps a little biased. I have spent a fair bit of time playing online on Resistance 2, especially on the co-op campaigns. It offers an all-encompassing and varied multiplayer experience, one that I am still drawn back to almost five months later. On the other hand, I have only played a couple hours of multiplayer on Killzone 2, and it didn’t do it for me. My issues with the controls were magnified ten fold when playing against other gamers and I found myself sitting through loading screens and mid game set-up menus far too often. On the plus side, the levels are impressively varied and expansive. I do intend to put a bit more time into the multiplayer, but it didn’t grab me initially the way that Resitance 2 did.
If pushed to pick a favourite, I would choose Resistance 2 for the above reasons. But,
I think Killzone 2 and Resistance 2 complement each other quite well, and any PS3 owning FPS fan would do well to pick up both. While I’m not convinced that either title warrants picking up a PS3 on its own merit, they do both cement an increasingly impressive catalogue of platform exclusive games for Sony’s machine.
So instead of giving a straight forward review, I want to compare it with Resitance 2, its well received PS3 exclusive, FPS bretheren. Both games have been touted as Sony’s answer to the Halo franchise and have been both a commercial and critical successful.
The first thing that grabs you when playing Killzone 2 is that it is very easy on the eye. The level of visual presentation is astounding, and although the game utilizes a relatively dull and sombre pallete, it still sticks out. Resistance 2 is no slouch either. Unlike Killzone, many of Resitance’s levels are set in broad daylight, leading to a completely different experience. It is a very pretty game, but in an altogther different way to Killzone. The level of presentation is extremely high in both cases. Both games are suitably scored, and the voice acting is capable, and at times rather good. Brian Cox as Killzone 2’s head villian Scolar Visari particularly stands out.
I found Killzone 2 to be much more challenging than Resistance 2, though im not sure if that is a sentiment shared by other gamers. However, with the exception of the final boss, it was never frustrating. Speaking of bosses, one thing you will notice when playing through is that there arent many traditional end of level bosses that you would expect to see in such a game. This contributes to a fresher, more realistic and fluid gaming experience. There doesn’t need to be a frighteningly powerful boss waiting around every umpteenth corner. However, it does contribute to the feeling of an ongoing slog through similar levels, with nothing notable to break it up. In comparison, this is one area in which Resitance excels. The bosses are one of the finest aspects of the game, with one of the bosses literally towering over Chicago’s ruined skyline.
As for controls, in Resistance 2 the main character has a certain feeling of weight to his movements, whereas in Killzone, I felt that the movements were far too sensitive. Any sudden movement will make your crosshairs go flying across the screen. It’s difficult to find the words to fully describe it, but it just didn’t feel quite right.
There are a wide range of weapons at your disposal in both games, and for the most part, they are very well balanced. Each firearm will suit one situation better than the next and there is never a shortage of ammo. Set pieces also feature quite heavily in both games, but I think I will give Killzone the nod in this regard. One of the final stages stands out, requiring you to storm up the steps of the Helghast government building. Both games are also very well paced. There are segments where you literally wade through hoardes of enemies, claiming a few metres each push. There are others that encourage you to move at break neck speed, hurtling towards a goal and taking out whatever steps in your path.
One key area where both titles fall short is the story. Firstly, Killzone 2. The story was good enough to keep me interseted, but with the exception of the likeable yet entirely underdeveloped protagonist, Sev, the characters are uninteresting at best, and in some cases outright annoying. Also, the story never really touches upon the fact that you are part of an invading force. You play the role of aggressor. With no pre knowledge of the series backstory, it isnt clear what makes you the good guy. This in itself should have provided an interesting narrative drive, but its never explored. A missed opportunity. In its defense, the game does pull out a pretty decent ending.
Resistance 2 also suffers from a rather forgettable story. However, Nathan Hale does make for a pretty interesting lead and the unravelling story of the Chimeran enemy and their origins is quite interesting, especially if you have played the original. With that said, there are a few lazy and headscratching additions to the narrative, most notably the Daedalus character who seems to come out of nowhere, with a glaring lack of backstory. If you have played the second installment but not the first, you would be forgiven for thinking that he was a character from R1, as the game seems to expect you to know who he is. Overall, I think Resistance has a stronger plot than Killzone 2, though its nothing to write home about. The end sequence is very disapointing, and like most things in the game, comes with virtually no explanation.
Despite the narrative problems, both games boast great settings. Resistance 2 offers a unique mix of 1950s culture and futuristic technologies employed by the Chimera. It’s a brilliant meeting of two worlds. Killzone 2 conjours up a smoky, overcast alien planet inhabitted by human descedants. Its set in the future, but the vast majority of the characters and weaponary seem firmly rooted in the here and now. It provides a very engaging setting.
When it comes to multiplayer, I’m perhaps a little biased. I have spent a fair bit of time playing online on Resistance 2, especially on the co-op campaigns. It offers an all-encompassing and varied multiplayer experience, one that I am still drawn back to almost five months later. On the other hand, I have only played a couple hours of multiplayer on Killzone 2, and it didn’t do it for me. My issues with the controls were magnified ten fold when playing against other gamers and I found myself sitting through loading screens and mid game set-up menus far too often. On the plus side, the levels are impressively varied and expansive. I do intend to put a bit more time into the multiplayer, but it didn’t grab me initially the way that Resitance 2 did.
If pushed to pick a favourite, I would choose Resistance 2 for the above reasons. But,
I think Killzone 2 and Resistance 2 complement each other quite well, and any PS3 owning FPS fan would do well to pick up both. While I’m not convinced that either title warrants picking up a PS3 on its own merit, they do both cement an increasingly impressive catalogue of platform exclusive games for Sony’s machine.
Resident Evil/Biohazard 5 Review
Resident Evil 5 has finally arrived on the PS3 and Xbox 360. It’s somewhat different to its lauded predecessors, but it’s still unmistakably a Resident Evil game.
Anyone who has played Resident Evil 4 will feel instantly at home here. From the controls to the enemies, there are many similarities, and that’s no bad thing. The Majini are the African equivalent of the Spanish Ganados from RE4, there are treasures strewn across the levels and you will of course spend plenty of time looking for keys and medals.
The characters are suitably over the top. Irving was an interesting sub-villain, and Wesker is still my favourite character of the series. A super powered ultra villain, who is completely incompetent when it comes to finishing anything he starts. And his accent is amazing! Excella, Wesker’s female side-kick, feels very much tacked on and a bit of a waste.
Like RE4 before it, there is a continued move toward action heavy gameplay. However, whereas RE4 still contained some of the puzzle elements from the previous games, RE5 has all but abandoned them in favour of non-stop, edge of your seat action. And it does it exceedingly well. For the most part, the enemies provide a real challenge and you feel like you are wading through endless and unforgiving hordes of the damned. But, as you progress through the game, I found myself craving balance, a break from the non stop carnage. Where is a statue puzzle when you need one?!
The slow movement and gunplay is of course still present. I’m not entirely against this, as it preserves the sense of helplessness and fear and lets you know that you are still playing a RE game. However, if the series continues its progression into the Gears of War mould, there will come a point when a rethink of the controls will be necessary. Not being able to run and gun will no longer be a realistic option and the slow, slow aiming is already beyond frustrating, especially when fighting nimble enemies like infected dogs.
One of the main selling points of the latest instalment is the introduction of a partner, Sheva, who remains by your side throughout. Sheva is an interesting character, and a welcome addition to the chronicles of RE. She is also very useful as an inventory dump, a marked improvement over previous instalments. However, I’m far from sold on the teamwork aspect of the game. None of the sequences that required two characters working in tandem really stuck out. I think the game would have been just as enjoyable with Sheva as merely a supporting character, part of the narrative, but removed from the actual gameplay. At times, I found myself shouting aloud at Sheva, as she used one of my precious first aid sprays at an inopportune time, stood between me and an enemy when I was trying to aim, or walked at ridiculous right angles as I waited for her to help out with a switch. I understand her inclusion from a multiplayer standpoint, as it adds a great deal of replay value. But in the single player campaign, I would have been just as happy without Sheva. She can hold her own in a fight, but I’m not sure of what exactly she brings to the single player experience.
In terms of longevity, RE5 excels. Aside from the obligatory varying levels of difficulty and trophies, RE4’s Mercenaries game mode makes a welcome return and there is a great deal of fun to had playing co-op. And of course, there are the new game modes to be offered, at a price, in the upcoming downloadable content. I won’t dwell on this too much, as I am reviewing the game as I own it, and it will detract from the review. However, I will say that it’s shocking that Capcom would charge for a game mode that is standard on most other games, so soon after the initial release of the game. It would appear that they intentionally held it back from the get go, simply so they could have an opportunity to charge their customers further. I digress.
RE5 is an interesting game, one that will both excite and frustrate. It looks gorgeous and the gun heavy gameplay is a blast. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and is incredibly fun to play, though after the first third of the game, it does go slightly downhill.
RE5 is a fine addition to a well loved series. A series that is changing, for better or for worse. Just don’t expect another RE4, or even a game to rival it, as you will be setting yourself up for a huge disappointment. Take it for what it is; a flawed, yet exciting, rollercoaster of a game.
Ride The Breeze - Flower
As a break from the stress induced beatings I have been taking on Street Fighter IV, I decided to download Flower from the PSN store. For those not in the know, Flower basically entails you controlling a collection of petals, riding the breeze and causing other flowers to bloom.
It's hard to do this game justice through words. It's a game you have to play to get a real feel for what it is.
Its simplistic gameplay, colourful visuals and dreamlike backdrops have provided a welcome break from the kind of games I usually play. Although the penultimate level is a bit of a let down, Flower is a game that I think pretty much anyone can enjoy. I got it on the PS3 store for 800 yen, so it's light on the wallet too.
Highly recommended.
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