Yup.

Okokok. Its Christmas season, and all of the big hitters in the gaming department have been released. This one is definitely at the top of a LOT of wish lists. Black Ops has been released for a month or so now, and is calling in a napalm strike on most of its competitors.  You liked my reference.  I’m not going to be able to fit everything about this game in to one review without going on for hours, so I’m going to try to hit on the main points.

If you played any of the other games in the series, then you’ll be able to jump right in to this one with absolutely no problem. The controls and engine are exactly what you will remember from the past titles. As a matter of fact, with the exception of a different story line for the campaign, and the zombie mode, this is MW or MW2 all over again. While not necessarily a bad thing, its more of the same.  It was a bit of a disappointment for me. With all of the hype and excitement behind it, I expected at least a few new additions, but instead, we were given small tweaks that seemed to be more gimmicks than anything else.

Campaign seems to be the most solid part of the game. The plot and all of the dialogue is all extremely well written. At the start, i just wanted to skip all of the story and just get straight to the killing, but after fighting that urge and seeing several scenes and situations play out, I was pulled in to it. Match that together with the intensely explosive action scenes sprinkled through, like its predecessors, and you have a win.  This game also sports one of the best difficulty breakdowns I’ve toyed with. Veteran is absolutely no joke, while the lower settings will let you still have fun if you’re not in it for the pro glory, achievements, trophies, etc. It’s lack of glitches or problems was also very impressive. Not once during my campaign play thru did I experience any problems. But don’t get your hopes up. I still have to talk about zombie and multi-player modes…

Now to the part you all ACTUALLY care about…the multi-player. Just like the campaign, if you’ve become familiar with the last 3 games, then you’re instantly familiar with this one. Everything is set up almost the exact same way in terms of the “how-to’s”. I still notice the same glitches and bugs ive seen from the past games also, however I’m glad that it’s been able to go this long without seeing people crank out the glitches to exploit multi-player like before. (knock on wood…) The main change that you’ll bump in to is the XP/money system. For anything and everything that you will be able to equip to one of your custom classes, you’ll have to earn both a minimum level, AND enough $$ to spend on it. While the money and experience both flow in fairly well, I still consider it to be just a tad in to the overkill department to require both. You’re also going to find the stats breakdown the give you is WAY more than the average player needs, but personally, I LOVE being given that much access to my play record. There is too much to cover all of the items, but i will tell you that the heat-map for your bullet hits is definitely my favorite out of the bunch, and apparently my bullets like to go for your “make god cry” area 99% of the time.  Another welcomed feature, which should be on every multi-player game from here on out, is the theater system in the multi-player. Threw a tomahawk that bounced off 5 objects and went across a level to kill someone? No one believed you? Now you will be able to get proof. And you can all thank my buddy, Master Chief, for that one. While this is where most people are going to spend most of their time, its the most disappointing mode for myself due to the lack of changes.

And for my personal favorite mode. ZOMBIES!!!!! It really doesn’t need as full of a review as the other modes. Its simple and to the point. Kill zombies. Survive. Move around the level. Get new guns. Rinse. Repeat. I have noticed several bugs or glitches in my many many many times playing, but nothing that really kills the flow. If you got any edition besides the regular version, then you are also given access to the other 4 maps from World at War, in addition to the two maps they give you by default. If you haven’t heard of or seen the second level, then you haven’t unlocked it. Either beat the campaign on any difficulty, or break out of your chair in the menu screen and enter the code for it on the computer against the wall. Just youtube it… This level is played in the Pentagon, and replaces the 4 different zombie slayers you’re used to with JFK, Richard Nixon, Robert Mcnamara, and Fidel Castro, complete with a boat load of zombie killing sayings they’ll toss out at you. I’m interested to see what downloadable content they will be releasing for this mode.

Done and done. The game as a whole is put together well, but the lack of changes or additions seems to keep it from being the game that it could have been. I am content with it at the very least, and its definitely worth buying, I just wish they had taken a little more time and care with it.

Call of Duty: Black Ops – 360 – 8/10

Wanna buyz it?

Click here for the XBOX360 version

Click here for the PS3 version

Click here for the Wii version

Click here for the PC version

Now. Some people might be ecstatic over this. I am definitely not one of those people. When a game gets a sequel, you at least want it to have a few new features that makes it distinguishable against the rest of the games in its series. Crackdown 2 has none of those features. The same ability and orb xp system are in play from the first one. There are no added abilities in the mix, but the now have “renegade orbs” which will flee from you when you try to collect them. After a short chase in either a car, or on foot, you’re able to snag it and add its xp to the rest of your collection. That just about concludes the new features…

The story is barely different from the original. Its the same deal with the cops and robbers part, but now there are zombies. Zombies? Yes. Zombies. A massive infection has blah blah blah blah blah. I’m a huge fan of zombies. Putting zombies in a game usually makes me buy it, but this time it just makes me sad. They are what the bulk of the redundant story centers around. For the whole game, except a hand full of missions thrown in occasionally and at the end, its all about trying to take down the zombies. You fight your way thru regular baddies to get to the zombie weapons. Use the zombie weapons. Repeat. And that is the next 4 or 5 hours of your life. The other 2 or 3 hours of the game will be filled up with you trying to max out your abilities. Then game over.  Multiplayer is almost the exact same experience, just with a friend. Your character won’t transfer over from the single player, tho. You will have to work on a new / different one in the online mode.

As far as the technical side goes, its almost rock solid. I never had any problems with any glitches or errors. It always played smoothly. Even the multiplayer seemed to run fine with no lag or problems. The blend of normal CG mixed with cell shading is really awesome to take in when you get out to the more natural parts of the game and away from the city. The real problem i found with this game is its targeting system. If there is more than one target on the screen, then good luck picking out the one you want. The targeting reticle will lock on to everything. Bad guy. Good guy. Cop. Car. Whatever. It doesnt distinguish whatsoever between who youre supposed to be shooting and who youre not, so you wind up targeting everything and the kitchen sink before youre actually able to pick out what you need to. This was an incredible hassle for me.

This game is an ok time waster. I regret putting the time in to the story because of the lack of story, and the lack of mission variation. Its good for hopping on and having 20 minutes of fun before a movie or something, but as a game that you would actually sit down and play, its just one big ‘eh’. Shoulder shrug included. I definitely would not pay full price for this game. I would feel ok paying 20 or 30 maybe, but for a game that lacks anything that should make it be called Crackdown 2 instead of Crackdown 1.5, its not worth the full launch price.

Crackdown 2

I know…I know…this is the billionth splinter cell in the series. What could possibly make this game worth getting over other big hitters like Just Cause 2 Final Fantasy XIII? Well I hate to break it to you, kittens, but there aren’t too many new features that are going to ‘wow’ you over to this game. It just continues getting a little bit darker, and give you actual guns this time! No more taser rifle, or air foil guns. This is mainly just the next in the line of games, so if you’re looking for something new, youre probably going to want to keep this one as a renter.

The visuals are all top knotch, except for the cinematic scenes before and after the levels. The models and environments in those actually look worse than the in-game engine. Backwards? I know its supposed to be grainy to simulate the film quality, but there is still a noticeable difference  between the two, and not in the way it should be. Thats the only gripe I had on the technical side at all besides the AI, but the AI is just what youve come to expect from any other Splinter Cell title. I didnt find any problematic glitches at all. The controls are a little different since there was the introduction of the ‘mark and execute’ system, but absolutely nothing off the wall that is going to make you completely fudge up your game, like jumping up and yelling instead of sliding in to cover.

The story is the selling point, and its pretty killer. Pun intended. It finally winds down the saga and Fischer’s story, and reveals some info that kind of throws you for a loop at a few points. Just like Assassin’s Creed II, it was really the story of the game that kept me playing. The game, as a whole, has kind of fallen in to just a “go here, kill them quitely’ style of play, which has its pros and its cons. Its almost just a straight line from point A to point B.

The motion and movement on this game was pretty disappointing. In the previously released versions, you were able to hop on, over, behind, etc. etc. almost everything in the game. In Conviction, however, you are extremely limited to what you can do with the environment. Its almost a skeleton of what it used to be in that regard. You are still able to venture off the beaten path and find the super sneaky ways of getting to where you need to go, but you just dont have the options that you used to when it comes down to escaping or getting wily in both the single and multiplayer modes.

The last thing I’ll hit on is the multiplayer modes and unlockables. They have cut out the spy vs mercenary side to it. Everything except for one mode revolves around co-op, which again, has its pros and its cons. The story mode for co-op is a decent length. Its not just a filler like it is on some games. The unlocks are decent. You unlock different weapons after so much game play, and are able to upgrade both them and your uniforms to give you more access to gadgets, ammo, armor. you know how it goes.

This game is a must play, but not so much a must buy at the launch price. Give it a bit and find a used copy after it drops down one or two times.

Splinter Cell: Conviction – 6/10

Halo: Legends is an Animatrix style exploration of the background and origins of the Halo story itself, and a few of the characters. Its set up in multiple parts, each one, of course, having its own focus for its plot. There is, however,  one  key difference between the Animatrix and Halo: Legends. I actually liked the Animatrix.

Being a die hard fan of the series, and an actual Helljumper, I was very excited for this release. After seeing it, ive completely changed my mind. The stories in the Animatrix all  had more to do with the Matrix series. It exposed you to great info about the series that actually connected with the main plot of the trilogy. Halo: Legends seems like it was more of a money maker than a story expansion. The target demographic for this was the younger anime crowd, instead of just Halo fans in general. Each of the segments except for one were done in the tribute anime style, huge eyes, speed lines, sushi and all. One even recreates the Elite homeworld and makes it out to be just like Japan. The Elites are even in kimonos. No thank you.

The stories themselves aren’t too bad, but elements inside each segment completely ruined the plots for me. I dont want to see any Gundam style mechs, or crazy covenant heroes and whatnot that have never once been introduced in to the massive story. Ill never understand why people continue to stick in elements of their own design or creation in to stories that have entire universes already laid out for them. There are 5 or so books out, and 5 games out, none of them mentioning the various weapons, gadgets or characters that were key to these plots. The action is actually some quality killing, but the ratio of action to plot development is tipped way more to the plot side, so you have to fight thru the story to see someone get stuck.

All in all, i think a younger audience will completely enjoy this. Bigger fans of the series might want to stay away from it since it doesnt deliver anything you dont already have or know, unless youre a huge anime fan, then, again, its right up your alley. I, on the other hand, was so displeased by this that i cancelled my reservation for it at MovieStop and used that money towards a different reservation. Being outside the target demographic sucks.

Halo: Legends (BluRay) : 4/10

After giving them a once over with my super nerd eyes, I can say its looking pretty interesting. You get a couple of weapons from both the UNSC and the Covenant armories in the pics, and from what I can see, they all look really really really really cool. An older BR? Carbine? Laser? Yes, please! And in one shot it looks like there is another member of the SPARTAN program with you, but due to the blurry pics and the lack of public  info surrounding the game, we wont really know until Bungie wants us to know.

Seriously…

Ok. Long time no review from me. Ive been working my bunz off trying to get some stuff ready for Dragoncon, but I HAD to take time out to play this game after getting a little sneak peak before it was released. This review is probably going to wind up being a little scatter brained due to my, well, scattered brain (thank you dragoncon). So you’ll have to bare with me for a bit.

First, I have some questions for you. Do you like Batman? Yes, you say? Do you like video games? Yes, again? Good. Play this game. Its that simple. If you read thru my Ghostbusters: TVG review, you saw where i talked about actually getting to live a movie experience. Its the same with Batman:AA.

The plot for the game is incredible. It seems like I heard from a Batman nerd / friend that it was actually pulled from an existing comic or comic series, and if its not, it needs to be turned in to one. Long story short, you’ve caught the Joker and have brought him back to Arkham Asylum where he immediately breaks out and springs a huge elaborate trap on Batman, Commissioner Gordon and the rest of the Arkham Staff. Batman, Harley Quinn and the Joker are all voiced by the actors that did the same rolls from Batman: The Animated Series that aired on FOX. And yes, that means Mark Hamill as the Joker. I didn’t hear any other familiar voices, but they were all done very well.

The graphics and the visual style are all stunning. There aren’t any crazy neon lights or glow in the dark thugs (thank you Joel Schumacher).  All of the characters and the environments have the dirty / gritty look and feel like you would expect after seeing the two Bale Batman movies. Or like you would expect from an asylum that houses nothing but super-criminals.

The general workings of the game are also stunning. The game keeps you on a fairly linear path for maybe half an hour while they set up the story for you. Afterwards they open up all of Arkham for you and let you roam around. You cant do the missions in any order that you want since there is still a general plot to it, but they do let you chose when you want to continue with the story. Want to just go grapple and glide around for a while? You definitely can. Controls are no problem to pick up and go with, but in order for you to be the darkest knight you can be, it takes a little bit of getting used to. Combat is dangerously fun and addictive. Tons and tons of hard hits, flowing combos, changing directions to avoid a knife or a pipe swinging at you, and BEAUTIFUL counter attacks will get you pumped that there is a challenge mode that has levels of nothing but fighting. Seriously, i cant stop beating thugs. There are also a hand full of environment specific attacks you can do. Pulling someone off a ledge, stringing thugs upside down, etc.

Now for the best part of being Batman. The gadgets. I have to say they nailed the gadgets and how and when you can use them. One gadget per each of the 8 directions on the d-pad, and the two most important (batarangs and grapple gun) are able to be used quickly as well as in a time restraint free situation. Everything is unlimited, but several more powerful items require a slight recharge time before they can be used again. But unlimited batarangs?! Do you need anything else?! Most of the gadgets can be upgraded thru the simple XP system that they have, and when you get them all upgraded, its bliss. On top of that, you cant even get to certain parts of areas until you upgrade a few of them, which makes you have to go back to the starting areas if you want to collect and do everything. They even give you the zip-line device he used in the original Keaton Batman when the Joker makes the remark about the toys/ Take that nostalgia.

The only down side i found to this is that there isn’t too much to be done after beating the game. You can continue your career and run through Arkham rounding up the various hidden items, solving riddles, etc. but that’s about it. After completion, the game clears of all of the enemies except for a few weak escapees, which provide no fight. I’m assuming that’s a little bit of a push for you to start on the challenge mode, but id still like at least a few guys leftover to keep me busy while i search for all the hidden items.

So there you have it. Someone has played it and confirms that its good, so now its ok for you to go buy or rent it. Then you can freak out and get goosebumps when you’re doing all this crazy Batman stuff like I did.

Wanna buy it? Here you go!

Batman: Arkham Asylum – 360 Version

Batman: Arkham Asylum – PS3 Version

I have heard the complaint that this game “steals” from better games,

this in blatantly untrue.  as with many great games it simply borrows from great games of the past, but even then it is simply  succeeding at emulating  the elements of Batman’s cache of talents.

the first of these is the stealth aspect of the Caped Crusader’s arsenal.

whether your are hiding under the floor from air vents or from the dark shadows of the gargoyles on the walls the feeling of stalking your prey is always exhilarating.

the second are the gadgets that are the worlds greatest detectives paraphernalia.

from Batarangs, to the Bat rope, to the cryptographic sequencer all of Batman’s gear feel real and usable.

last but certainly  not least is the combat  of the Dark Knight

the combat of this game is the definition of easy to learn hard to master.

note all button configurations are set to the xbox 360 as this was the console I used

with X as attack, B as cape stun, Y as counter, and the LEFT TRIGGER as the gadget you will always have a way to destroy your enemies.  even up to twenty enemies at once is no problem for the the Bat-Man.

Though I will not be talking about the story all that much for I would rather not give away any spoilers but suffice it to say the story is the height of Batman lore.

The Joker is at the height of his game with a plan only the Clown Prince of Crime himself could come up with. even still I think that the parts of the game with the Scarecrow are better, and the boss fight against Killer Croc is the best.

and as for the voice work it is absolute perfection from Kevin Conroy’s Batman to the greatest Joker of all time himself

no not Heath Ledger wait for it

Mark Hamill

surprised you shouldn’t be even Christopher Nolen’s film The Dark Knight references Hamill’s Joker.

as if the wonderful story mode was not enough the boys at Rock-steady games gave us a challenge mode with more than ten different maps and at least two different variations.

the first type of challenge room is your standard beat-em up chamber and the second is a more difficult version where the point is to defeat your enemies as quickly as possible

note this next challenge room is available only in the game-stop version

Dem Bones

the point of this exercise is to fight as long as possible without getting hit and as an added incentive you are fighting skeletons ( it all makes sense once you have played the game)

If you only get one thing out of this review understand this

THIS IS THE BEST GAME OF THE YEAR

as always sincerely yours Jeremiah Wolfwood

P.S.    My next game review will be for ROCK BAND BEATLES which releases on September 9th so tune in next week same Bat time same Bat channel

P.P.S.  If you are not aware of or have not watched BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD please understand that the camp factor in this show is on purpose and perfect in every way I am extremely  happy about the fact that on the upcoming season NPH (AKA Neal Patrick Harris) will costar as a musical villain going toe to toe with Batman and his compatriots so tune in.

So the next game in the Tom Clancy family is a flight sim? OK … I guess. I had heard several people rave about how good this game was, so I finally broke down and checked it out. The game itself is not too bad at all. All of the visuals are pleasing, and if you are slightly afraid of heights like yours truly, then it will even give you a touch of vertigo. The controls are incredibly straight forward, no crazy combinations of buttons to swap to missiles, lock on targets, etc. etc. Everything on the technical side of this game was fairly impressive. The problems I had with it were the playability and the replay value. After half an hour of playing, I became fairly bored with the whole “shoot the planes, shoot the ground forces, repeat.” deal. I should have seen it coming since that’s pretty much all of the options you have in a flight sim, but I didn’t, so take that. I was also playing with a controller, which took some of the fun out of it. Playing with a flight stick would definitely make it a little bit more fun and tolerable, but id rather not drop 75 dollars on an accessory for a game that I’m only playing for 30 minutes at a time. It’s just not my boat. If you’re a flight sim fan, I would suggest picking this game up with the flight stick. If not, either just play the demo a few times and get your fill, or just rent it.

“…they go up.”

Earlier this week, GameTrailers.com release the opening cinematic for Ghostbusters: The Video Game on their site. While its not really anything we haven’t seen before, its still entertaining to see all of it coming together.

Go check it out!

Ghostbusters: TVG  Cinematic

Also, don’t forget that the 25th Anniversary version of the first Ghostbusters movie releases on Blu-Ray on June 16th! Go reserve it now!!!

Ghostbusters Blu-Ray

Ghostbusters: TVG on XBOX360

Ghostbusters: TVG on PS3