Kinected

This week, I’m looking at Kinect.  Kinect is the new motion control device from Microsoft, and their answer to the Nintendo Wii.  The big difference is that no controllers are requires, with the device showering your living room with thousands of tiny pin prick lasers designed to measure depth, and movement. 

Technologically speaking the Kinect is miles ahead of both the Wii and Sonys Move.  As well as picking up motion, Kinect can be used with voice control as well.  Basically, Kinect remembers your face (after you assign yourself with a Kinect Id) and “listens” to the area around your mouth to hear your voice only.  This means you can actually navigate the menu using simple voice commands (unless you’re in Australia, at least for a little while), which is heaps cool.

Warning. You won't look like Tom Cruise using Kinect

So how does it play?

At the moment the selection of games types is a little limited.  Your left with the choices of either dance games, fitness games or mini game…games.  This has put a lot of gamers off the idea of Kinect, those who consider their console a halobox. Still, the potential for the system is huge.  Here are some of my ideas for hard core games that can be worked with Kinect.

1)  RPG’s.  A game such as Mass Effect, which could use a combination of controller for running around and shooting things, but using the Kinect for voice selection of conversations with NPC’s. Imagine reading out the option and having the NPC react to your voice.

2)  FPS. This would HAVE to be used in conjunction with a controller, due to pretty much every FPS fan hating the idea of a shooter on rails.  Kinect could be used for aiming your weapon at enemies, as well as actions such as tossing grenades.  Expect a gun peripheral to be released with initial titles.

      3)  RTS. These could use full Kinect integration.  Imagine standing before your battlefield, deploying troops with a wave of your hand, and sending them into battle by simply telling them to attack.  I believe this could be the first style of hardcore game to push it as something more than a party device.

So overall, Kinect has some big potential.  If you like dancing like a tool in front of your television, and jumping all around like a rabid monkey, then pick yourself up a Kinect now. If not, wait….and watch. Sooner or later someone is going to release a title that will fully realize the jaw dropping potential of the system, and change the way we game.

As a side note, one of the downsides of this system is out of shape people like me really struggle to play for extended periods.  Which is a real shame cos I want to keep playing it, but my body doesn’t have much steam left in it. Still, maybe one more crack at funky town before I keel over.

Next Week: Assassins Creed:Brotherhood

Back In Black

This week I’m talking about Call Of Duty: Black Ops, the 7^th title in the franchise.  This one has been developed by Treyarch, the team responsible for about half of the Call Of Duty titles.  It should also be noted that this is not part of the Modern War franchise, although it feels very similar. It also managed to sell a remarkable 5.6 million copies in the U.S & UK in 24 hrs. That’s a lot of happy CoD fans.

So onto the game. 

Black Ops is told through a series of flashbacks, as the main character Alex Mason (voiced by Avatar’s Sam Worthington) is interrogated by an unseen captor. From here you are flung head first into some of the most intense firefights of the cold war era.  Starting out in Cuba with an assassination attempt on Communist leader Fidel Castro, the story quickly sends you all around the world, blowing the crap out of stuff all the way.

How does it rate with Modern Warfare? 

Black ops was always going to be compared to its predecessor, so I may as well jump on this band wagon to.  Simply put, Black Ops could be the best FPS this year, and more than addresses concerns about Treyarch ability to produce a game on par with MW2. The story is compelling, dragging you along for the rollercoaster ride for thrills and kills.  The visuals are stunning….when you can pause to soak them in (some of the levels in the jungles of Vietnam look phenomenal).  There are plenty of intense shootouts, although there are some parts that are cripplingly difficult (especially on veteran).  And to top it off there are some truly inspired vehicle levels that give you a break from the running and ducking action of being on foot. For example, one level has you piloting a boat along a river shooting at Vietcong while the Rolling Stones Sympathy for the devil is blaring out of the speakers.  Awesome.

Multiplayer feels very similar to MW2, but in a good way.  The levels fell balanced and no load out seem to overpower others.  It uses a similar leveling system, but instead of complete challenges to unlock weapon addons, you earn money depending on how well you do, and can buy the addon’s you want.  The kill streaks rewards you earn are also more balanced, so gone are the match winning atomic bombs, replaced with a pack of wild dogs that roam the map looking for enemies to maul.  Also worth a try are the remote control cars with bombs attached.  Heaps of fun to use, and you can even get some pretty awesome kills with them.

You can also review the action using theater mode to watch any matches you’ve been part of. While this is cool for checking out how you played, it also adds the ability for developers to keep an eye on those who would exploit the game.  Cos everyone hates being killed by someone exploiting.

Black Ops is chock heavy with content, including some hidden stuff, and even a zombie killing mode which sees you fighting wave after wave of the risen dead, with some hilarious cameos.  

So how does it rate?

Game Play: 9/10.  Some of the levels, especially the later ones are a joy to play, even when you have just spent a good hour swearing at the TV while trying to make it to a new checkpoint.

Sound: 8/10. In general the sound is top notch; the only downside is occasionally Sam Worthington’s accent switches from American to his native Australian, which can be a bit off putting.

Graphics 9/10. Some of the set pieces are awe inspiring, but sometimes some of the character models look a little …odd.

Replay Value: 9/10. There is so much to do in this game, that you will still be playing it long after the single player campaign is completed.

Over All: 9/10. This could be a contender for game of the year.

Next Week: Kinect. Microsoft’s answer to motion control.

A Little Older, A Little Wiser

This week I’m taking a look at Splinter Cell Conviction, the sixth installment in the franchise.  For those not familiar with the series, it follows the exploits of Sam Fisher, a secret agent working for a top secret government group called Third Echelon.  The game relies on stealth tactics to neutralize your enemies, rather than the traditional run in and blow them all away game play of many action titles.  

Splinter Cell Conviction takes somewhat of a detour from the previous games, adding more action and making Sam an all round bad ass.  New mechanics include Mark and Execute, which gives you the ability to tee up multiple targets (usually while your hidden) and proceed to shoot them with one button press.  This adds an element strategy to clearing out a room full of people, giving you the opportunity to choose your targets, mark them, kill them then get the hell out.  Another mechanism is the last know position silhouette, which appears when you’ve been seen by a guard, but have managed to hide from them. Again useful for strategies, as guards will investigate your last known location, giving you the chance to sneak up on them.

The game itself has become more brutal, and rawer, than the previous titles.  Sam is no longer working for Third Echelon, instead following leads on his daughter’s killer. As part of his investigation, you’ll need to interrogate people, and by interrogate I mean beat the living snot out of by throwing them around the room as well as smashing heads into window, mirrors and walls.   

There is still plenty of sneaking around though, and more windows to jump out than you can poke a stick at.  The single player is however quite short, clocking in at about 7-8 hours of game play.  Luckily there is an entirely separate co-op campaign (which I’ve been unable to play, due to no one on my friends list having it anymore), as well as various multiplayer modes.  

So how does it rate? 

Game Play: 8/10. The game flows quite well, with all mission prompts incorporated into the environment. The gun fights are fluid, and the controls are not complicated at all

Sound: 8/10.  Michael Ironside returns to provide the voice of an aging Sam Fisher.

Graphics: 8.5/10. The graphics are lush, with a very gritty, real feel

Replay Value: 7/10.  At only 7 odd hours to finish it’s over quick, but there are a slew of challenges to go back and complete, and the multiplayer extends the shelf life somewhat too. 

Over All: 8/10. A great addition to the series, and showing that an old dog can be taught new tricks (especially tricks that involve shooting lots of bad guys)

Next week: Call Of Duty Black Ops. Can it live up to the hype?

Fableulous

This week I’ll be talking about Fable 3, but before so I should take a moment to mention the two previous Fables. Personally I’m a huge fan of the series. I love the world of Albion, and the humor that is injected (quite liberally sometimes) into it. If you love chickens or are an associate of PETA, this series may not be for you.  One thing that has plagued the Fable series comes in the form of Peter Molyneux, the oft times outspoken and, frankly, batshit crazy lead designer of the series. It seems that with every Fable release Peter has come out proclaiming some amazing, ground breaking features that usually end up getting cut from the final release (remember the acorn anyone).  

With Fable 3 however, Peter has been uncharacteristically quiet. In fact, when asked about what he was most excited about in Fable 3 he responded “the simulations”. Not his usual over the top response at all. However, there is a hell of a lot going on behind Fable that we, as players, seldom notice. Each civilian in Albion has their own set of characteristics that change depending on how the hero interacts with them.  You can take up a career as a trader, buying goods cheap, them moving to another location where one of the shops is looking for stock and make yourself some cash.  With Fable 3, like the pervious titles, you get out as much as you put in.

So, how is the game? 

If I were to sum it up in one word, I’d say ambitious.  It’s sometimes hit, sometimes miss, and depending of the mind set you’re in when you play it you’ll either love it or hate it.  You see, they’ve made some pretty interesting changes to the game dynamics from the previous games.  The menu system that plagued Fable 2 has been completely removed. Now when you hit the select button you’re whisked away to Sanctuary. From here you can wander around, select your weapons, magic, clothes and more.  You can also manage your funds; use the map to fast travel around etc.  Basically it replaces all the menu options. Many people I spoke to hate this, but I actually think it’s a great innovation.  The menu is now organic and a part of the gameplay instead of something that breaks the immersion.  

Interaction with the people of Albion has likewise been simplified; doing away with the radial menu of emotes. Not you choose a good emote or a bad emote and that’s about it.  This seems a step backwards, removing a lot of the choices present in Fable 2.  Also gone are the multiple choices for leveling your abilities. Instead of having three choices in each of Strength, Skill and Will you only have one.  This is done by opening chests in the road to rule (Basically the leveling system), and as you unlock various chests they improve the corresponding ability. For example, open a Strength chest and you do more damage in melee.  The weapons themselves are more organic, each with their own challenges you need to complete in order to upgrade them.  It’s a new take on the traditional RPG elements, and one which seems to polarize people. I, for one love that they are trying new things, even if they don’t always work out.

Now for the unpleasant stuff. Fable 3 has bugs. Lots of bugs. These range from annoying, such as the breadcrumb not loading or taking you the wrong way, to game breaking problems.  A game from a production house of this caliber has no excuse for some of these problems.  

Bugs aside, pretty much the only thing I really though needed improvement was the morality aspect of the game.  Basically your choices are virtuous or dastardly.  There is nothing in the middle, no murky water to tread. This makes it easy if you are focusing on maxing out your morality one way or another, but I think it’s too clear cut.

Overall, I loved the game. I didn’t personally encounter any of the game crippling bugs, and have had a blast running around shooting gnomes, finding plants and ruling my Kingdom. The game has some fantastic scenery, and many truly epic moments that will probably see me running through it again (This time I’m going evil all the way mwah ha ha.) If you liked the previous Fable games, and are open to some of the new ideas they’re trying here, then you should go out and grab a copy. I have spoken

Next week.  Something. I still haven’t decided yet. Must play more Fable

Memories

Ok, so I know I said I was going to talk about Splinter Cell Conviction this week, but unfortunately I made the mistake of buying too many games to devote enough time to having a good look any one of them.  So expect to see some reviews in the next few weeks for Fallout New Vegas, DJ Hero 2 and probably Fable 2 after tomorrow.

So this week instead I figured I’d talk about moments in my gaming past in particular, times that I was genuinely awestruck by the game I was playing. I should also prefix this by saying that there may be a spoiler or two in here, but I’ll make sure you know where in advance.

There have been many truly inspiring moments in gaming for me. Just recently in Enslaved during the first level as you’re whizzing above the skies of a post apocalyptic New York on the wing of a crashing plane, I was left thinking “wow. That looks really cool.” Much like when I first played Fallout 3.

You see, back before I found the love of console gaming I was a PC advocate all the way, and one of the staple games for me was the Fallout series. I lost sooo many hours of my life slugging around the wastelands dealing with super mutants, deathclaws and whatever crossed my path.  When I heard that Fallout 3 was being developed, and by the guys who made Morrowind as well, I was in heaven. When I finally got the game, I still recall the sense of awe I got when I completed my training inside the vault and stepped outside into the wasteland. It was truly impressive, and I stood on the cliff top, scanning the horizon in a desperate attempt to soak it all in. 

Another RPG that grabbed me was KOTOR, or Knights of the Old Republic. It’s a Star Wars game set thousands of years before the movies. Spoiler alert coming up. The game itself was an engaging RPG, really filling out the Star Wars universe without destroying cannon law in the process. What set this game apart was the story, with the final revelation that the character you played for the whole game was in fact the current Dark Lord of the Sith, who’s memory had been wiped, giving you a chance to convert to the side of good.  The moment I realized who you were, my jaw dropped and I got goosebumps. More games should give you goosebumps….and maybe bacon, but that’s a different issue altogeather.

Going back further still, I remember when a friend of mine got his hands on a copy of Wing Commander 3. We sat crowded around his monitor (all 16 inches of it), and watched the story unfold. This was back before the concept of interactive movies was birthed and then written off as a waste of time.  The live actors added a depth of realism to the game that I never thought was possible.  I think we watched the introduction to that game several times over, just soaking it in.

Well, tomorrow Fable 3 comes out. Despite the fact that I have a swagger of epic RPG’s to finish (Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, Dragon Age Origins, I’m looking at all three of you now) I know I’m going to grab myself a copy, and if it lives up to even ½ of its potential, I may have something new to add next time I write one of these trips down memory lane. 

So now I want to hear from you. What gaming moments have really made you say “Wow!” What ones have left a bitter taste in your mouth?  Where do you stand on the whole bacon issue? Let me know.

Next week: Fable 3. Unless its crap, then Fallout New Vegas. Unless its crap too

Tour Of Duty

Ok, so this week I was a little apprehensive about the game I was going to review. Medal of Honor holds a special place in my heart as one of the finest WWII shooters I’ve played. I still have fond memories of attempting to storm the beach at Normandy, only to be shot to pieces as soon as I’ve stepped of the boat.  Last week Medal of Honor was released, with the series set in Afghanistan and focusing on hunting Al-Qaeda.  As per usual before a big game release, I checked out IGN’s review and was astonished. They gave it a 6. That means that the game is just passable.  For a game this big, a 6 is just beyond belief.  But I was intent on at least trying is out, if nothing else to see if it was as bad as they said.

And I am glad I did.  This game is fantastic.  The visuals are spectacular, giving many moments where you want to pause to really soak it in (even though you’ll probably die doing so).  As I said this game is set in Afghanistan, so you won’t be speeding down the side of a hill on a snowmobile while shooting at bad guys like James Bond, as you did in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.  You see it’s hard to look at MoH without comparing it. For the record CoD was given a 9.4 from IGN, and sort of set the bar of military first person shooters.

One of the issues brought up regarding MoH was the lack of character development, which I will agree with. You never find out who your character is and why they joined the army. But then again, do you really need to?  The game play is great, well paced with spectacular set pieces that give you an epic cinematic feeling, without resorting to a “Do this and save America the world” mood.  It feels gritty and real. Everything from the sound of gun fire to the dust being whipped up around you adds to this, and to that extent it becomes an immersive experience.

The multiplayer was actually developed by a different studio (Dice) who were responsible for Battlefield Bad Company 2, and has a solid, polished feel to it. The ultimate test came on Thursday night when I was playing it and time came to turn it off and call it a night. My initial reaction was “aww”, and regret that I couldn’t play just one more map. There are a few different modes to help keep it interesting, including objective based death match, team death match and more. It also features a leveling system, although the number of classes is a bit lacking at only 3.

So the big question is, is this game worth getting?

My answer is yes.  The game, in my opinion, is fantastic.  Where CoD is like watching Commando, MoH is more like Saving Private Ryan. It feels real and gritty, not over the top set pieces with increasingly more outlandish stunts and action.  Of course, this all may change with CoD Black Ops comes out next month.

On a side note I learnt a lesson. Never take a review for granted.  Especially with companies like Game offering 7 day return policy. If you think you may like a game, I say grab it, try it and if its crap *cough Kane and Lynch cough*, and if so return it and get your money back.

Next week: Splinter Cell Conviction. A little older, a little wiser.

Monkey Business

Growing up as young kid I feel in love with a strange little show from Japan detailing the exploits of a magical monkey man, and his ragtag group of companions including a pig monster, some sort of water demon, a horse that’s really a dragon and a young Buddhist boy who till this day I still think was a girl.  The show was called Monkey (I knew it as Monkey Magic due to the opening credits tune), and it was based off an ancient Chinese story call Journey to the West.  As I grew up I always thought this would have been a great idea for a video game of some description.  Luckily I wasn’t the only one, and the good people at Ninja Theory decided to take this story, twist it a bit, and come out with a fantastic little game called Enslaved: Odyssey to the West.

Set 150 years in the future, you play Monkey, A loner on the run from Mechs and slavers. During your voyage you are enslaved by a young girl named Tripitaka (but everyone calls her Trip) who agrees to let you go free if you take her back to her home village. 

The game itself plays similarly to Ubisofts treatment of the Prince of Persia franchise. You’ll need to negotiate your way through a beautifully designed New York city years after a global war has ravaged the earth.  You’ll climb pipes, leap for hand holds and other such acrobatics while trying to reach your destination, all the while searching for floating orange orbs to level up your abilities.

Combat comes in the form of your magic staff.  The staff can be used to fire stun rounds, plasma rounds, or just beat the snot out of things.  It all flows quite smoothly, and although uses a fair amount of button mashing it feels instantly familiar to use.  Also worth a mention is Monkey’s cloud. In the tv series monkey whistles and a magic pink cloud comes along to take monkey where ever he needs to go. In Enslaved the cloud is represented as a flying blue hover disk that when you get enough speed on looks kind of like the aforementioned cloud. Its clever and really cool to zip about on.

The game itself isn’t particularly long, but at the end its quite satisfying.  You feel the story has been told, and the pacing of it is fantastic. 

There are some downsides though.  Sometimes the graphics get a little glitchy, and there are some moments of frantic button mashing, but these are usually forgotten when one of the many beautiful set pieces are revealed to you. 

One of the other things I noticed in this, which I usually don’t pay attention to, was the sound track.  The voice acting is superb, with monkey being voiced by Andy Serkis aka the guy behind Gollum. The music is also fantastic, matching the atmosphere of the game, without being too intrusive.

This game is defiantly worth a look, and if you’re still unsure I suggest downloading the demo and giving it a try.  It’s free and it’ll help give you a really good idea of what to suspect.

Next Week: Medal of Honor. Can EA topple Activision in the war based first person shooter market?