It’s rare when such a game comes along like Left 4 Dead (PC Version Reviewed). However, when it comes to Valve, we usually expect nothing less than Pure Gold. With releases such as Team Fortress 2, Half-Life 2, Portal, and even going back to the original Half-Life (which spawned mods of it’s own including Counter-Strike), Valve has shown and continues to show it knows how to make a great game. So when I was offered the demo for Left 4 Dead, I could not help but pounce. What happened next was a wallet opening and a card being charged for a copy of Left 4 Dead. Once the download was complete, I could only sit and wait for 12:00. Time to cure the infection, “One Bullet At A Time”.
At first, I looked for something to compare Left 4 Dead too. Resident Evil? Dawn of the Dead? Perhaps 28 Days Later? None of these seemed to fit. The reason is Left 4 Dead stands on its own. Ironically, the game is presented somewhat as a film. The cinematics are great though and help to further the story which is made up mostly of you and your allies trying to stay alive. The story revolves around 4 main characters, Francis, Bill, Zoey, and Louis. Francis seems to be more of a hard-nosed Mercenary type while Bill seems to be an older seasoned person, likely with experience in war. He’s also a bit of a strategist and seems to serve as a leader figure to the group. Zoey, the lone female, is more of a fearful person, but does not hesitate to help others before herself, and Louis is a more jumpy person ready to shoot anything formerly human that moves. Together, the four attempt to escape the infection and the mass hordes of zombies ready to assail them around any corner.
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Although we obtained both the Xbox 360 and PC versions of this game, we have decided to review primarily based on the PC version.
Playing Mass Effect was like nothing I have ever experienced before. I can honestly find nothing to equate it too. Mass Effect is a gem of beauty to be marveled and experienced by every gamer at least once. It’s presentation is spectacular. After playing on both the PC and the Xbox 360, I can say that Bioware truly deserves an ovation for what is truthfully one of the greatest projects ever conceived. Mass Effect leads players on one of the greatest and most in depth explorations of the galaxy ever invisioned leading one to new places where every decision made affects your character and your relations with others. The perfect Space opera.
After already playing Mas Effect on the Xbox 360, I was left with a feeling of accomplishment. The Xbox 360 version was nothing short of beautiful and deserves a merit in it’s own right. The PC version, however, solves some issues which were present in the Xbox 360 version and adds new features. The experience, however, is still, for the most part, identical. The PC version offers faster load times, higher resolutions, and of course, nothing wins in a virtual firefight (short of a light gun) like a keyboard and mouse. The Bring Down The Sky DLC add-on is free for PC users so this is a nice bonus as well.
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When God of War entered our PlayStation 2’s the first time in 2005, it was an experience unlike any other. Kratos, a fallen spartan, gave himself unto the God of war, Ares, so he may survive. From there, players were thrust into pure action and melee along with one of the most intense storylines ever created. Though the original may have been plagued by some slight issues (Freezing disc after a certain point in the game, regardless of condition or unit), it turned out to be one of the greatest games ever produced and even took Game of the Year awards among some publications.
Sony Computer Entertainment Studios in Santa Monica are back for Round 2. The last time we left off, we saw Kratos claim the throne of the God of War. His adventure, however, was far from over. He angered his fellow gods with his wanton destruction.
God of War II makes extensive usage of Greek Mythology. From the sights you will see to the characters whom you will encounter, the larger than life aspect of God of War II only adds to the awe with which you will be inspired by during game play.
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It’s that time of the year again. Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2007 is out and with it comes a plethora of new features. Online mode has been expanded passed the limited matches of 2006, graphics have once again been updated, and voice-overs have once again been redone and expanded upon.
As with prior installments in the Smackdown series, 2007 offers many of the core matches ranging from Singles Competition to the ever coveted 6 Man Hell In a Cell. Unfortunately though, once you’ve peaked, it is very difficult to top yourself, and on that note, Smackdown! Vs. RAW 2007 seems to suffer from repetitive-ness, or more bluntly stated, an extreme case of Déjà vu.
I have no intention of purporting that Smackdown may lack a fun factor. It is in fact one of the best compilations I’ve ever seen from Yuke’s. New control schemes, storylines, superstars, moves, and match types are always welcome in each new installment. The problem is that some old problems just seem too prevalent to ignore, especially after seeing them year after year.
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When Snake Eater was first released, it told us the story of Big Boss, the predecessor to Solid Snake and every other clone produced (i.e. Liquid). Of course like every story, the Metal Gear Solid series needs a beginning. Metal Gear Solid told the story of Solid Snake. We also get to meet Otacon (found crouching in a locker). Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty expanded upon this and also introduced a new character, infamous as he is, in Raiden (Jack).
But as George Lucas took the Star Wars Series and told its origins through Episodes I-III, Hideo Kojima pumped out yet another masterpiece with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
Now what you might not understand is, “Why re-release Snake Eater?”. Well, as when Kojima re-released Sons Of Liberty as Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, we gained new playability. It was purely enjoyable. It tossed in new bonuses such as a “Making Of”, and a new level where you could take Solid Snake and skateboard upon the roof of the Factory Struts. As he did with Substance, Kojima did with Subsistence.
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Since its introduction on the 8-bit and 16-bit gaming platforms, Street Fighter has been one of the most popular arcade 2D fighters. You cannot go into any decent arcade and not find a Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 or old Street Fighter arcade game. For the most part, when you go to an arcade, if there isn’t a bunch of people gathered around the DDR Machine, they are around the Street Fighter machine or something similar to it. A few years ago… A development team got toghether to bring back what is probably the greatest 2D fighter of all time and they came up with Street Fighter Online.
Unfortunately, since this game is free and non-profit… It shut down for a while… However, popularity and demand brought this game back on October 31, 2003 in which it generated over 75,000 hits and close to 1000 gigabytes of traffic in just its first 6 days of operation. To the point, this game is very fun to bring back memories of the old Sega Genesis (in my case) days of Street Fighter. It has the specials that you would see in games such as the Marvel Vs. Capcom series - my favorite being Akuma’s Raging Demons - and Capcom Vs. SNK.
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Okay, To just jump right into it, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is one of the best damn games I’ve ever played. The Gameplay has been revamped. First person mode in the sniper rifle and the Rocket Launcher has been re-coded and control has been re-written to provide you with the New L1 Button to fire weapons. This is made for those who prefer to reach for that with the left index finger rather than hunt for the O button. Car control has been re-written as well. Unlike in GTA Vice City, you can no longer just hop in the car and be one of the best drivers. You must now bring up a little meter called the Driving Skill Meter - or Bike skill, or Cycling skill, etc depending on the vehicle you are in - which basically ticks up the longer you drive. Driving school also helps out as well… ALOT.
The entire San Andreas map is huge as well. 6 times the size of Vice City. From Los Santos, to the Badlands, to the Desert, to the country side and all the towns with in, to San Fierro and Las Venturas. Hell, even to Saint Marc’s Bistro (Thats right, Liberty City!) for a brief moment during 1 mission. Several recognizeable Los Angeles landmarks can be found in this game, such as The Watt’s Towers, The Great Western Forum of Los Angeles, The Hollywood Walk of Fame, The Golden Gate Bridge, and even The Vegas Strip. Most people who live in the Los Angeles area can really appreciate this game. Unlike the game, “True Crime, Streets of L.A.”, areas are actually recognizable. For example, someone could easily recognize whether they were in Inglewood, Compton, City of Commerce, or other areas. And most of the things that go on in these areas can be found in this game as well, for example, the gunshots in the night of a drive-by taking place somewhere nearby, gang tags slapped around various places, low-riders, street racing, riots, and more. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas frankly can appeal to anyone.
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Ace Combat 4… I must admit, when I picked this game up, it was in the greatest hits bin and I was pretty skeptical about it. It turned out that I was wrong. This game is excellent. It provides a true feel for those dog fights and the missions you must undertake. And the missions are no joke or a cakewalk unlike in other Air Fighter sims.
This game requires alot of patience, skill, and wise money spending. You earn money from missions and your performance in missions. You use this money to purchase new planes. It can take about 5 times going through the story mode just to collect them all. In this game, you start off with your basic fighter, by the way, I’d like to take this time to point out the excellent detail of each and every model of planes as well as the areas you fly them in from the sea - which is greatly animated, to the land, and then of course, to the skies… I assure you that it provides you with a true sense of the speed you are going.
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