Archive for February, 2008

23
Feb

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune PS3 Review

By gameophiliac 0 Comments
Categories: Games, Playstation3 and Reviews
Tags: , ,

After more than a year, we are still waiting for the game that will prove that PS3 is a superior system… we are still waiting, but at the moment, we can still see that there are games that really prove that some PS3 exclusives will still outshine others. Here we now have PS3’s Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. At first glance, there doesn’t seem anything interesting to see especially if you are just looking at screenshots. And it’s not usual action games revolves around something sci-fi or anything unbelievable. After playing this game, it was so refreshing in so many ways that it was fun all over.

We start off with the graphics; it looks like any other jungle, maybe just as looking at Crysis for the PC, but that achievement alone is outstanding. Watching this game in action, looking at trees sway while shadows move all over is simply amazing to watch. The shadows also move around all the characters in the game and this makes the feeling of reality. The character models are not amazing as looking at Unreal Tournament 3, but the modern simple look is very fitting, although they may seem a bit cartoonish at times, you wouldn’t really mind because I assure you that you’ll be drawn into the story regardless of what you see. Looking at water, I have seen lots of it in FarCry, Crysis and Bioshock; nevertheless, the effect still seems jaw dropping. You can look at water at different angles, close up or far up high, it looks real to me.  Looking at old wrecked submarines under a waterfall is a wonderful refreshing sight.

The game is set in modern times, not in a future or some past. It feels like a realistic version of Tomb Raider or a modern Indiana Jones. There is nothing supernatural or out of the ordinary… with some exception. There aren’t many locations in terms of variety, but the jungle, ancient ruins and some slightly modern structures are enough for remarkable sightseeing.  This game does really show that the PS3 can push wonderful visuals.

The music is again done with great production value. The music was composed by Greg Edmonson which is also the composer for the series Firefly, which is personally one of the best Sci-fi series that I have seen but failed because of really bad timing with network channels. The music fits in a lot of ways, the action adventure feeling that sounded like a toned down version of Indiana Jones. It’s not similar, not by a long shot, but it has the same feeling to it. The music doesn’t seem to overtone the game, which is great; you can focus on the game play and enjoy the music at perfect moments.

The controls are simple but sometimes not that perfect, but good enough to keep you playing. I really didn’t have any problems with it, until I realized that I didn’t do any close range fighting which is also a nice feature of the game. The graphics does an interesting close up when you are in a fight, which I didn’t enjoy much because I like being far away from enemies. That’s what I mean, it’s not perfect because it doesn’t really encourage you to do close combat, but I also like it because it gives you a freedom to choose whatever style you want to try. The use of the Sixaxis is a requirement but only a few times. It won’t feel awkward since it will adjust depending on how you are holding it as the certain this control starts.

The game is entertaining, a lot of action and a puzzle here and there. There is more action than I wanted but none the less. Overall this is a great package. Playing this game all over again is much more entertaining than playing through Heavenly Sword, and completing the treasures and something to challenge yourself while we wait for the next big thing.

13
Feb

My Sims Wii Review

By gameophiliac 0 Comments
Categories: Games, Reviews and Wii

I was waiting for a long time to get my hands on MySims. I was excited to see how EA would approach doing a chibi version of Sims. As I played it, I was disappointed and the same entertained with new approach, but is it worth it?

I made a mistake expecting this to be a Sims game. Although it does have some characteristics that are similar to the Sims, it turns out that the game is very different than what you might expect. The game starts with character creation; there is no need to define its gender because there is no need for relationships in this game. Then you see your character moving on its own and soon you’ll be talking to the mayor of the town.

The game now starts you to build your own home, just play around with it, since you don’t need any cash while building anything. Regardless of how you design your home, the interior is all the same. Even if you have a second floor on your house externally, it won’t matter. This didn’t bother me though, I was happy with how much I could modify, even if it’s only external.

After I finished my house, I had to start my workshop. After building that, I had to follow the mayor and she wanted me to build items for her. From this point I realized this game was focused on building.

Building? Only building stuff? Yep, that’s right. There is no need for relationships or even a need to eat or sleep. Though we can have friends, sleep or play, the only thing you do that is to get essence which are used to decorate anything you build.

Essences are objects that you pick up in the world of my Sims. You start first by picking up fruits or flowers, later even emotions show up as objects or essence. There are even cakes, toys and other radical items. These items translate to a color or a type of decoration used for building. These items have a certain type of personality that identifies itself. Like picking up a crab will show an expression that loves food.

Building houses or objects is the center of the game. Using essence makes certain items fit the personality of the one you’re giving it to. In turn for making houses and items, you get more blueprints for more items, more decoration for your home, more options later on. The variety will depend on who you invite to town to stay and how you help the towns’ people making the items they need.

Are there technical problems? Nothing that I have seen, but there are a lot of loading times that seem too much. Although in-between rooms and locations are slightly forgivable, sometimes shifting from morning to night drags the frame rate to a halt. The long load times seems a bit unreasonable, although you can get through this after a while of getting used to waiting a few seconds after every location.

Other than that, the graphics look cute and adorable. I think it’s the only thing that made this game work. The chibi expressions look so nice that I’d like to have a stuff toy of each character if I can. Watching them play, sleep, eat and practically do anything makes doing senseless actions seem worthwhile.

After all the hours of playing this game, am I happy with this game? I’m happy because I like creating stuff. But if you are looking a cute version of a Sims game, Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon is still deeper and interesting than MySims. This is a game centered on creation and using your imagination. You don’t need to worry about hunger or you bladder here.

The game is not great, but I enjoyed every minute of playing the game. It does have some interesting charm that keeps me coming back even for so many hours. The only thing stopping me is my tired hands and my need to sleep.

09
Feb

Heavenly Sword PS3 review

By gameophiliac 0 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized

Heavenly Sword has been pushing and pushing, building the hype that this is the next generation of video gaming, merging cinema, and gaming all together into one format. With all it is just talk and visual eye candy but we all could not wait to see how it will come out. And now, it is here and we are happy to say that… we are happy enough.

One thing is for sure about this game is that the production values are astounding. The graphics show that this is the future of what games should look like, but the frame rate hurts this game a bit. Character details are amazing, the hair is the only thing pushing this back; the locations are even more refreshing to look at than Lair. The acting is great and we get to see a lot of interesting characters that stand out and can really get you interested in knowing them better. The music also feels grand, because of all these things coming together, the game really feels amazing. Although I do have a few issues with the graphics, it is really not too much worth to mention since so many things had been done very well.

The controls work fine; it resembles playing God of War most of the time. If you are not familiar with that concept, it is like playing most action games but with moments or events where you have to press a certain button to avoid a wrong move. The idea here is that you are given tons of action, and I mean a lot of it. You can be crammed with a lot of opponents in a certain location. I know it looks amazing and it can be an interesting challenge but it wears out once it gets too many. It should have been a great idea, but it seems that it just got a bit too much. The game gets repetitive and it can get quite a drag, but that really depends on the player. If you’re curious if you’ll be using the Sixaxis, yes, there are parts that you will have to use motion control.Surprisingly , I was satisfied with it, but I just wish I had a way to guide myself to the right direction, playing with the Sixaxis will take a lot of practice before you’ll get the hang of the controls.

The game is essentially a single player game. Once you finish the game, there is no reason to go back, although there are several unlockable items. There is not much drive for you to go on again once you have finished it, since the unlockables are mostly movies. It does not have that same effect of Ninja Gaiden where you crave to go at it again to have that extra dose of challenge.

The biggest issue with this game is that it takes forever to load. It gets a bit irritating when you have to restart a mission and you have to wait for the game to load. It’s a bit more irritating if you know that there is a cutscene that you can’t skip after loading. They really need to work on faster loading times. I thought this will be a breeze because the game had to install itself before starting in the first place. Waiting for about a minute or more is a bit too much to wait.

The entire game is an interesting experience because of its wonderful production. It is hard for me not to compare it to Lair since both games put a lot of attention to production. Here, the game did a lot of good things especially in acting, graphics, and music, but the gameplay did suffer a little just as Lair. Although at least this is one game I can enjoy for a while after it wears out very soon. Personally, I can recommend renting the game and you would not regret it. But owning one is something of a personal choice. If you are into the cinematic experience and even have the equipment to show off what the PS3 can graphically do? Why not?

01
Feb

Xbox360 Hardware Review

By gameophiliac 0 Comments
Categories: Reviews and Xbox360
Tags: , , ,

It has been a long time, the Xbox360 was released three years ago and it was only recently that I got a chance to really get my hands on the system. What was the first game I got to try? Halo 3. I was able to try the most anticipated game of the 360 since it was released. Everyone waited for Halo 3, but while people were waiting, everyone was able to try what the 360 was capable of. Now it’s my time to tell what this baby can push through.

First thing I noticed, is packaging. I was surprised that the package itself already included the optical audio output and even has connections for an HDTV out of the box. The problem though is that different versions of the pack may have different connections included in the box. I have opened several boxes while I was working on a magazine company; I was a bit confused why there were different connections available depending on the box you get. It doesn’t even indicate what connection you’ll be getting from outside the box.  In any case, the option is a good way to promote High Definition gaming, which I never saw on the PS3 package.

Another thing I liked with the package was the inclusion of the Xbox Live headphones and microphone.  Again this package promotes another 360 advantage, the online service. It’s easy to be tempted to play online at any time. With that included, if you’re a first time player, it’s going to tempting to use the 1 month free service of Live. I really recommend trying it out because it’s a real easy experience. Just don’t go buying your Live points after one month. Try it first before actually getting into the service.

The controller feels very good, if you have used the Xbox Controller S, then this one can make you feel at home.  The only difference about this controller is that there are 2 extra buttons on the top which seems like a very similar layout of the PS2/PS3 controller. The black and white buttons are gone. The start and back buttons are placed in the center, although I still liked the setup of the Controller S since it was easier to reach. The center button acts as a power switch and a Xbox dashboard main menu button. There are 4 lights at the center which also indicated which player number you are.  This controller is powered by 2 AA batteries. It’s simple and easy. Get a rechargeable battery and it will last very long before you’ll need to recharge them again.

Another interesting part of the package is the remote control. It does feel like an all in one package that proves to be a multimedia entertainment center.  Although I never actually used it when I had a chance to play around with the 360, I didn’t even try. But it was good to know that I had the option to use it when I wanted to.

The console itself is quite large, but it won’t intimidate you as much as the original Xbox.  The big circle in front is the power button, which also has 4 lights around it. The lights acts for 4 purposes, one is an error warning or a player indicator. If anyone heard about the Red Ring of Death or the 3RL, then you might have known about what the power button shows if the system won’t start properly. The console has 2 proprietary memory card ports and an infrared sensor.  After seeing the PS3 and the Wii, the Xbox360 really feels like a combination between the old and the new.

Okay, now we start with how it works out. First time powering up the system only uses the main power from the console. You can’t start using the controller since you need to sync them first. Sensing the game controller for the first time was a breeze. Press the small circle in front of the game console and press the center button of the controller and wait until they synchronize. You’ll know when they sync when the lights on the controller and console looks the same. Then you are good to go.

When the system starts, there is a usual setup of time, but other than that, you go to the dashboard. The dashboard is comprised with several sections, which I can’t describe everything. The basic thing you’ll see is the option to play the inserted game, you’ll also see your profile since all players must have their optional name before they start playing. You can access games that are loaded to your hard drive called the Live Arcade, because you can download these games from Xbox Live. Accessing Live is also a breeze because you can easily access trailers, demos, games and dashboard themes. It feels that there are so many things to do, but it’s very well organized. Just be careful with getting Live with your credit card. It’s so easy to spend stuff online than with Wii or PlayStation 3.

It’s important to remember to start a profile before starting a game, it can be a bit of a hassle when you’re in a middle of the game and someone comes in to play, then he or she has to make a new profile in a middle of some action. Why is making a profile so important? Well, it will keep track of your score, in any game you play. Offline or online there is something called Achievement points. This is something Wii and PlayStation didn’t include. You have points gained each time to do something interesting in the game, so the more you play, the more points you gain. If you are online, points will really matter because you can compare your points to other players. A friend or anyone you’ll meet online will be listed and it will show how many points they gained for each game that they have played.

The audio is astounding, but that still depends on the game. But with hardware alone, the system delivers very well. So many options will be shown to you depending on what connection you made.  The graphics is amazing, especially when you see Gears of War, I’m amazed with what the hardware can do. The graphics of that game can only be compared to Unreal Tournament 3 on the PS3.

So, what so wrong about this great console? The package is amazing, it has everything a gamer wants. Although it won’t be like Wii where you can exercise at the same time with a standard controller, it still has a lot to offer because of its community that it builds. The hardware is top of the line; it doesn’t seem that it needs a bigger capacity than a DVD unless you’re playing Blue Dragon. What’s wrong is what’s inside the console. The early versions of the Xbox360 really breaks down so easily that you might need to consider if this is a good investment in the long run. A lot of people I know have worn out their Xbox in only a few months.  It breaks down in less than a year with the general problem of 3RL. The 3RL is also known as the “Three Red Lights” or “Red Ring of Death”. The 3RL is a hardware problem but it really doesn’t show what kind of problem, but it is generally a heating problem with the system. There are so many possibilities of what may have happened, some are repairable, some are not. Remember that in our country of the Philippines, the 3 year warranty of Microsoft doesn’t really stand here. You can get a 1 year warranty at best, but some will only give a month or less, some won’t even give any because of the regular breakdowns.

All is not lost though. The new console the Microsoft is releasing is pretty cool and has a lesser chance of breaking down, but from the consumers’ point of view, it looks all the same. Just look at the manufacturing date, the Xbox360 boxes have an opening so that you can see the new ones. To be safe, look for September 2007 and beyond. But that doesn’t mean that you’re out of the loop yet.

So, the summary of my review is that the game system and package is amazing. It’s hard to compare because the online features are so complete than the PSN has to offer, and the friends you gain is sometimes enough to convince you to play the 360 over and over again.  It’s cheaper than the PlayStation 3, but not by much anymore.   The collection of games is very good and they do have interesting exclusives too. After September 2007, it’s worth to look at this console now. Just be careful with what you buy though. If you are considering getting one, get the one with the hard drive. It’s a bit pointless to get a core system without a hard drive because you will need to get one later for demos and updates.