MAG is an online only FPS game for the PS3 that can support up to 256 players depending on the game type you choose. Upon starting the game, the player will be asked to align themselves with a single faction, but will be given the option to change that at a later date (hopefully). The three factions will not only vary in name, but also in user interface, home base, and the weapons you use. For instance, the RAVEN use high-tech futuristic weapons, wear black, and will appeal to fans of sci-fi shooters. If you’re a fan of the Resistance games then you might want to pick this faction. The VALOR troops are similar to the US Delta Forces, utilizing more traditional military equipment and camo outfits. Fans of SOCOM will most likely feel more at home picking VALOR. The SVER have a less sophisticated arsenal, wear brown and gray, but the soldiers themselves are battle-hardened and adaptable – they are more like the roughneck crew of the game. (more…)
Many games in today’s market seem remarkably similar and rely heavily on proven gameplay concepts. Thus, when a developer takes a novel approach with a new property in hopes of pushing a genre in an exciting and unique direction, it invariably turns a few heads.
As such, Airtight Games’ Dark Void captured the attention of many after being revealed thanks to its combination of third person combat, a “vertical” cover mechanic and the ability to use a rocket pack. It sounds promising on paper… but at the same time, such elements could be a recipe for disaster when interwoven – it all depends on execution. So, is this game a worthwhile endeavor, or a mess? (more…)
Rebellion’s latest offering, Rogue Warrior, features Navy SEAL Richard “Demo Dick” Marcinko as he singlehandedly attempts to prevent the USSR from gaining the upper hand over the United States in the Cold War. While this tactical FPS doesn’t bring anything new to the table and could have used a bit more polish, it still offers some tense, engrossing scenarios.
Things kick off in North Korea, where Marcinko (marvelously brought to life by the voice talents of actor Mickey Rourke) and his team have been deployed to do some digging on ballistic missile launchers. This simple “snoop and poop,” as Marcinko describes it, quickly goes south when his comrades are killed in action immediately after landing. He’s ordered to abort, but his anger fuels him to continue the mission alone. It is discovered that the Russians are in fact behind this program and Marcinko treks to the USSR to destroy the missiles at all costs.
The story is inelegantly told via voiceovers and text that accompany the loading screens before each of the game’s eight levels. Players who have little interest in elaborate narratives shouldn’t have any issues with this; however those who were hoping for involved storytelling won’t find any here.
As Rogue Warrior centers on a Cold War theme, you’ll frequent many areas that you’d expect to see in a James Bond movie or videogame, including bunkers, dams, hedge mazes, launch facilities and the like. While the locales are interesting, originality is lacking and the game falters slightly in level construction. Each linear mission presents the same core objectives of finding something, blowing it up, and “getting the hell outta dodge.” Luckily, the combat is satisfying enough to keep your interest; though don’t expect to experience massive firefights and adrenaline pumping set-pieces. Rogue Warrior is about using a calculated, methodical, and often stealthy approach. Health is limited, though the well-integrated third person sticky cover system and useful blind firing tactic assist in this regard. (more…)
So it looks like the Wii wanted to get in on the Modern Warfare action and here we have a port of CoD4 in Reflex Edition. The Call of Duty series has been very popular on other platforms so it makes sense to bring Modern Warfare to the Wii. For the most part, this is just a replica of the Xbox 360 and PS3 edition, except for a few twists.
There is multiplayer in this version, and it plays the same as the other editions. If you’ve played MP on the 360 or PS3 then you’ll know the layouts of the maps from the beginning.
I played Modern Warfare on the 360 and enjoyed the MP. The only problem I have with the Wii MP is the fact that you can’t talk to your teammates. So as I stated before, if you’ve played MP on one of the other systems then there’s not much to report for the Wii.
Moving on to the controls, you use the Nunchuk for basic movements (forward, back, left, and right) and the Wii Remote to look in various directions. I did not like this aspect of the game. In the heat of battle this could be somewhat crippling. If you tilt the Wii remote in the wrong direction, even in the slightest motion, you could be staring at the sky or ground while someone pumps you full of bullets. I tried using the Perfect Shot because I heard it was easier, but it’s not. The main reason it’s more difficult to use a gun accessory is because when you want to knife someone, you have to push the gun forward. Doing so may cause your aim to be off and make you miss your target. (more…)
Left 4 Dead 2 was released last Tuesday (11/17), a mere one year after the first one, and the level of improvement that Valve has added is pretty impressive. Everything that has been added to the game has been done so to increase the mayhem that your team has to go through. I’ve always been of the opinion that the best times in L4D1 were, ironically, when you were getting beaten to a pulp. You needed to REALLY work together as a team when your team was getting pounced by a hunter, pulled by a smoker, fighting a horde off while trying to stay away from a tank… ALL AT THE SAME TIME!
The feeling of never being completely safe made each experience a nail biter, a feat few games can match. However, the more you would play L4D1, the more you would get its tricks. When a horde came, everyone ran to a corner and spammed the melee trigger, a tank brought out the molotov cocktails everyone had, followed by a mad dash backwards to get out of his monkey arm-range. Boomers? Please, throw a pipe-bomb. It grew into a game that you almost HAD to play on Expert difficulty or Versus to get the charm out of it. L4D2 has fixed this and then some. Simply put, there are no tricks. This game is hard, and it constantly puts your teamwork skills to a test, and we’re not talking 1st grade spelling test here, this is more like senior year of college, theoretical physics final exam. Even if you’ve been through each campaign the amount each single one deserves, the next time you play you’ll have to adapt to the changing environments, the different weapon choices you’ll have, and, most importantly, the very versatile special infected. (more…)
It is finally here. Infinity Ward’s follow up to one of the most highly regarded shooters of the current gaming generation, Modern Warfare 2, is now loaded cozily in millions of consoles around the world. As of this writing many news sources are reporting that this title has broken release day sales records, selling an estimated 4.7 million copies. With all of the hype and controversy one question remains: Is MW2 worthy of the attention it has received? As a courtesy to others, this review is spoiler free. (more…)
Borderlands is the recently released “Role Playing Shooter” from Gearbox Studios, creators of the Brothers in Arms series. They’ve set out to produce a game similar to the PC classic Diablo II, but with guns, guns, and more guns. The result, however, is a game that does not live up to its much touted genre as Gearbox would like you to believe. This game is largely just your basic RPG that happens to be in the first person perspective and puts an emphasis on the guns. Unfortunately, even with the guns in the equation, the most novice player of first person shooters will be able to shoot the brain-dead AI present in the enemies, which makes it feel more like a point-and-click mechanic than even a tactical-lite shooter. Combine that with the fact that not even the most devoted first person shooter junkie will have much luck against an enemy just a couple levels higher than he and it becomes clear that this game is MUCH more RPG than Shooter. (more…)
Rubi Malone is a complete and utter badass. She drinks, swears, has tattoos, a foul temper, and possesses a set of lethal skills that serve her well as a “professional problem fixer” in the seedy underbelly of society. You’ll have a riot playing as her in Artificial Mind & Movement’s WET, a third person action shooter that’s meshed Matrix-style acrobatics with gun slinging and swordplay. In many ways, it’s like Stranglehold with a sword and more platforming. But to peg WET as a knockoff of Stranglehold with a few new tricks won’t do it justice, as it’s far more endearing and fun.
As Rubi, you’ll make use of a variety of impressive maneuvers in bullet time to annihilate waves of enemies throughout the campaign that has her caught in the middle of a war between two drug syndicates. The foes that you’ll encounter aren’t overly cunning or difficult and you’ll be able to take them out with relative ease. But the goal is to do so with style. The game will reward you with Style Points as you rack up kills, and these can be used to purchase upgrades and new skills. The key to increasing your score is to drop enemies with as much flair as possible, and this is achieved by making good use of Rubi’s acrobatic abilities.
Firing your gun while Rubi is in mid air or performing various stunts such as sliding will trigger slow-mo and split targeting. One weapon automatically locks on to a nearby enemy, while you’ll have to manually aim the other, and this allows you to take out multiple hostiles at a time. This trick has been implemented extremely well and it’s one of the key ingredients that makes WET so satisfying. Sliding on the ground in slow motion while firing at two grunts at the same time and finishing another off with a violent slash of your sword is beyond entertaining. It’s moments like these that make WET such a treat to play. Just wait until you shoot at enemies upside-down as Rubi makes her way down a ladder – it’s insanely fun. (more…)
Section 8 is a recently released team-based FPS on the Xbox 360 and PC. There are few games on the Xbox 360 that are more unapologetic when it comes to team-based strategies, as even using the creme de la creme of long range weapons – the sniper rifle – is best used when you have 2 or 3 teammates with you concentrating on one enemy. That being said, some of the design choices that TimeGate Studios went with in regards to actually getting into a game are very disappointing. Thankfully, that is the only thing that really keeps this game from being great, and it’s one that may be addressed in a future patch.
The first topic that should be covered in any review of Section 8 is the spawning method. To spawn into the game, you’re given an overhead view of the entire map. You can move a crosshair anywhere on the map to, what it is called in the game, “burn-in” to that location. It then switches to a first person view of your character from 3000 meters in the air, rocketing towards the ground. At around 1500 meters, you can choose to hit your air brakes to change your position (though not hitting them won’t hurt your player at all – it will just give you a short recovery period once you land). You can literally spawn anywhere on the map, though it would be unwise to spawn into AA fire. Yes, the enemy bases have AA guns that will tear apart your shields and armor if you try to burn right on to one. This is an amazingly awesome-looking effect, and having the ability to drop on someone is one of the more satisfying ways to score a kill in any recent game. (more…)
F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn brings players back to Alma’s playground, but this time you follow the story of Replica Soldier Foxtrot 813. Once a regular soldier, Foxtrot 813 starts hearing voices which lead him to go against Replica Command’s orders. The voice is coming from a familiar character that we all know well: Paxton Fattell. (more…)
