Category: Reviews (Page 9 of 24)

GAME REVIEW: Kinect Star Wars

April 4, 2012 / Jason Zingale

When Kinect was announced for the Xbox 360 a few years ago, one of the first questions on nearly everyone’s mind was whether we might finally get a “Star Wars” game that would let fans act out their fantasies of being real-life Jedi Knights. The device’s motion sensor controls seemed tailor-made for the “Star Wars” universe, so it didn’t come as much of a shock that Microsoft already had a game in the works. Now that “Kinect Star Wars” is finally here, though, some fans might be upset to discover that it didn’t turn out the way they imagined. Although you do get to wield a lightsaber and toss enemies around like ragdolls using the Force in Jedi Destiny – a short but enjoyable story mode where players assume the role of a Padawan on a mission against the Empire – it’s only one of many different modes available.

Jedi Destiny is without a doubt the most fleshed-out of the bunch, but while it certainly delivers on the wish fulfillment aspect of the game (there’s nothing quite like taking down an entire army of droids with a swift swipe of the hand), the controls aren’t always precise, leading to a number of frustrating moments. Still, it fares a lot better than Duels of Fate, the only other lightsaber-related minigame on the disc, which is essentially a stripped-down version of the campaign-based combat that follows the same repetitive formula of blocking, battling for position, and attacking your opponent until he’s defeated. Also included is a solid Podracing game that’s only real downside is that it’ll make your arms feel like Jell-O after just a few laps, and a shallow but fun twist on the arcade classic “Rampage” where you take control of a Rancor and wreak havoc on popular locales like Mos Eisely in virtually every way possible.

The final piece in the “Kinect Star Wars” puzzle is also the strangest: a gonzo version of “Dance Central” called Galactic Dance Off that features “Star Wars” characters busting a move to spoofs of popular songs like Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” (“Hologram Girl”) and Jason Durelo’s “Ridin’ Solo” (“I’m Han Solo”). It sounds like a bad April Fool’s joke or something you might see on an episode of “Robot Chicken,” but it’s actually quite amusing in a weird sort of way. Though it’ll likely receive plenty of backlash from fans still complaining about Jar Jar Binks or who shot first, the dance mode adds to the whole party game experience; and for better or worse, that’s what “Kinect Star Wars” aims to deliver. It might not have the replay value to warrant a purchase, but there’s enough here to keep you and your friends entertained for the weekend.

Reviews, Xbox 360

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GAME REVIEW: Sine Mora

March 29, 2012 / Jason Zingale

One of the great things about Xbox Live Arcade is that it really encourages developers to create games that appeal to the nostalgic gamer in all of us, and you don’t get much more classic than the side-scrolling shoot ‘em up. What separates “Sine Mora” from genre favorites like “Gradius” and “R-Type,” however, is the importance that time plays in the game. Not only can you control time by slowing it down in order to evade fire, but time also acts as your health. You lose a few seconds with each hit you take, gain some back with every enemy you kill, and if your timer runs out, you’re dead. There are also several power-ups you can collect throughout the game that add time to your clock, upgrade your primary weapon or provide a temporary shield.

The game’s distinctive features are only upstaged by its amazing art design, although you won’t have much time to appreciate the gorgeous backdrops because you’ll be too busy trying to dodge the overwhelming amount of enemy fire that fills the screen at any given time. But while “Sine Mora” is a visually stunning twist on the popular shoot ’em up genre, the fact that Suda51’s Grasshopper Manufacture is behind the game means that it’s also a bit bizarre. Starring a cast of “Star Fox”-like anthropomorphic pilots that speak Hungarian and discuss adult topics like murder and rape, the story jumps back and forth between locations, time periods and characters so often that it’s virtually incomprehensible.

“Sine Mora” would have been better off just axing the story altogether, because although the game can be a bit frustrating at times, it’s still a lot of fun to play; the multi-tiered boss battles are a particular highlight. Sadly, it all goes by too fast, with a campaign mode that barely lasts two hours on normal difficulty. Those looking for a bigger challenge will find one in the included Arcade mode – which lets you play each mission piecemeal without the story and introduces other abilities like rewinding time and a bullet-deflecting shield – but unless you’re a hardcore shoot ‘em up fan, it’s probably not worth spending $15 on such a niche game.

Reviews, Xbox 360

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GAME REVIEW: FIFA Street

March 29, 2012 / Jason Zingale

It’s been four years since EA Sports has released a “FIFA Street” game, and with a little luck, it’ll take four more years before we see another one. That may sound a bit harsh, because “FIFA Street” is by no means a bad game, but it’s so completely lacking in depth compared to EA’s flagship FIFA title that it feels like an insult to be charged the same price. There’s just not that much to do in “FIFA Street” apart from playing individual matches or competing in World Tour, which is where most people will likely spend a majority of their time. In this mode, players build a team and compete in a series of challenges and tournaments around the world, earning points along the way that are used to upgrade attributes and learn new moves, as well as unlock venues and gear based on the difficulty level of each match.

The gameplay itself doesn’t have a very steep learning curve, making it more accessible for casual gamers, but despite the heavy emphasis on beating your opponents using trick moves, they’re not really necessary to winning matches, with the exception of one game type. In fact, “FIFA Street” would get old pretty quick if it weren’t for the variety of ways to play, including classic 5v5; Futsal (indoor soccer without walls); Panna (score by kicking the ball through your opponents legs); Freestyle (score points for performing tricks); and Last Man Standing (lose a player for each goal you score and be the first team out). Unfortunately, “FIFA Street” simply doesn’t have enough replay value to validate its $60 price tag. The game is fun to play in short bursts, but I can’t help but think that it would have worked better as DLC for the far superior “FIFA 12.”

EA, Reviews

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GAME REVIEW: Syndicate

March 2, 2012 / Jason Zingale

Over the last few years, the FPS genre has become so oversaturated that you really have to deliver something special to stand out these days. And though Starbreeze Studios’ sci-fi shooter “Syndicate” boasts some pretty great ideas on the surface, the game’s sum is never quite equal to its parts. For starters, the story is a complete mess. Set in 2069, it imagines a world run by three mega corporations that are at war with each other for market dominance. You play as Miles Kilo, a bio-engineered enforcer for leading syndicate Eurocorp, which has tasked you with uncovering a mole working within the company. There’s not much else to the story beyond that, aside from a few incredibly predictable plot twists (hint: you’re not working for the good guys and you know it) that make the single-player campaign even more laborious to slog through.

The game’s combat system offers some innovative ways to take down enemies – by hacking into the bio-chips implanted in their heads, you can persuade them to commit suicide and switch allegiances, or even cause their weapons to misfire – but it eventually grows old, especially when you’re forced to rely on the same three tricks over and over again. Although that doesn’t make for a particularly memorable single-player experience (despite the involvement of actors like Brian Cox and Rosario Dawson), the online co-op mode fares better by turning each mission into a team-based effort for up to four players. There are nine missions in all, some of which have been re-imagined from the SNES cult classic, that tell a separate story revolving around a new syndicate on the rise.

Along the way, you’ll earn chip upgrades and weapons to use in future missions, providing a level of customizability that pales in comparison to the single-player campaign. But while online co-op may be the highlight of the game, it’s still just a sideshow to the main attraction. Players will certainly appreciate the added value that co-op delivers, but if you don’t enjoy the nuts and bolts of “Syndicate,” it won’t make much difference.

Reviews

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The boredom the game industry can breed

February 20, 2012 / Jeff Morgan

I love video games in a way many people in my life have never understood. My parents never really grasped my fascination with my Nintendo 64, and I can’t remember a girlfriend who looked with more than a passing curiosity on my favorite pastime. As much as I love certain games and certainly gaming as a whole, times like the present are far too familiar.

I’m bored with gaming. Deeply bored. I still play DotA 2 on a regular basis, though mostly because it gives me a chance to connect with my gaming friends. Updates for the game are coming slowly, even on Valve time. With the wide array of heroes yet to be added, the game is a long way from complete, and further still from seeing any kind of evolution on the status quo.

Beyond that, the industry’s recent releases have been half-hearted iterations on the latest classics, and even for those the cost of entry is steep. SWTOR was my gleaming hope for a while there, but the beta was a tragic disappointment, even if it did save me $60. Kingdoms of Amalur had some promise, but my enjoyment would have been short-lived. Games as long on dialogue as Amalur have always bored me, which is why I’ll likely be passing on Mass Effect 3. I certainly will be for the initial cost of the game.

In some ways I think the recent wave of quality indie games has ruined the big publisher model for me. When I can easily get the same or more enjoyment from a $20 alpha investment, it gets difficult to justify spending three times as much for some pretty graphics and a few big names on that expensive box. Seriously, if the likes of R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane can’t pull together an original and compelling world, why pay the premium on their names?

The future doesn’t look much more promising. Diablo 3 is still on the horizon but I can’t help wondering if the grindy style will be interesting enough. Mass Effect 3 is out there, but I’m not a fan of BioWare’s over-valuation of dialogue and dialogue choices. The one bright light remains Guild Wars 2, but that game sounds so ambitious it almost seems like it has already fallen short.

What are you playing? Or is there something you can’t wait to play?