Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows

The game is fun. Nothing amazing, or even spectacular (puns fully intended) but its fun.

If you've played anyone of the other previous Spider-Man games in recent years, then the games set up will be very familure. WOS plays just like Spider-Man 2/Ultimate Spider-Man but with some Marvel ultimate alliance elements included.

This is the same sandbox New York city we've seen befoe with a few minor changes. Lots of detail and destructable structures.

Combat is pretty cool. There is almost an arcade like feeling to it. There are lots of combos and upgradable moves to buy with experiance points. One of the newer combat elements is the "wall fighting" as I'm calling it (where you fight enemies with sticking to the side of a building ect.)

Web slinging is decent, but not a sophistocated as previous games. Wal crawling is actuall somewhat annoying at first, but gets better as you play more.

I appreciated being able to switch between regular costume and black suit spidy at any time I wanted.

Missions can be pretty repetative. Again, if you've played any other Spider-man game in the last few years, you know the drill. Between main story missions there are gang fights and various other crimes that are to be stoped. Aswell as chasing Black Cat and other characters. This is what annoyed me the most. The games layout is exactly like the other Spidy games. So if you didnt like Spider-Man 2/3 or Ultimate Spidy then this game will not change your mind.

The graphics are solid, but not the best.

THE VOICE ACTING IS HORRIBLE. WHO EVER THE CASTING DIRECTOR WAS NEEDS TO CHANGE CARRERS. PETER PARKER IS SOOOOO ANOYING IN THIS GAME.

But again, the game is still fun (mainly because it uses the same formula that worked before). With the exeption of a new take on combat and the new story and some slight RPG elements, not much has changed. Harcore spidy fans will enjoy it the most, the rest of you should wait for a price cut or just rent it.

Don't worry, Fallout 3 is just fine. I got it early and I like it. If you are looking for something with constant action, you wont like it. Its an Oblivion style post nuclear shooter/RPG. Tons of potential but I am waiting to play it when its turn comes up on my busy gaming schedule ...... luckily I am past the 1/2 way point on Rock Band 2. I think I will actually save the endless set list till I have played another game.

FABLE 2:

After only 5 hours of gameplay, Im liking this, it is however different to how I imagined it.

Review to come later.

Quick review bytes for some games I've acquired over the months. Check back for a written review in this space.



Lost Odyssey : 8.75 / 10

Tales of Vesperia : 8.25 / 10

Fable 2 : 9 / 10

Dead Space : 8.75 / 10


and for the LIVE arcade lovers out there...


Braid 10 / 10

Tales of Vesperia: 8.25 / 10

A casual review of Tales of Vesperia. I have not finished this game, but have every intention of doing so in spite of the pull list of games that have engrossed me (see post upstairs).

The Tales series is a throwback to mid-level JRPGs; building upon a strong dynasty with previous editions and a membership that has lasted for years. The Tales series has pushed the RPG genre in different directions, and has contributed towards other reputable houses of worship (i.e. an eclectic catalog of game-series members that include Balder's Gate, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil and Elder Scrolls to name a few). Kosuke Fujishima, the chief designer also known for the anime Ah! My Goddess, has carved a niche for himself and the Tales line of entertainment, of which Vesperia marks the 10th edition.

Vesperia plays a little naive, which explains a similar attraction to Tales of Symphonia (which immediately precedes Vesperia) which came out over four years ago. That's a long time for video game development, so the worst that can be said about Vesperia is that it doesn't break any new ground. RPGs have also matured and indeed, there a lot of great titles are on the shelf. However, Tales has taken the time and experience to craft a nearly flawless vision for how JRPGs should be presented.

If you possess any hardness or cynical mannerisms you will have to check these sensibilities at the door. It is a NICE game, and a visceral treat. A good addition to a gamers catalog, and a bonus if you play with younger family members, since the storytelling caters to a younger readership (although there is a lot of Disney style fighting.)

A common comparison has been made toward Eternal Sonata, but I have to question the wisdom of this as the differences between these two games are stark. Admittedly, the characters I find from Eternal Sonata are simply enchanting (some of the same voice cast is used in Vesperia), and you grow to actually care about their fate... but like any new family member, familiarity can only prosper with time. Other differences between the two could be argued as part of Vesperia's appeal: lack of a turn-based combat system for instance.

I will update this post as a "living document"; as gameplay is furthered, there will be additional information in this review for consideration.

Guitar Hero World Tour 7.5/10


Ok, I have played through the whole game in a solo career, and this one has a lot of ups and downs. First off I have been seeing a lot of people complaining about the guitars and drums coming defective out of the box. I don't know about this myself, I just got the game itself and used my trusty GH2 Explorer that works on EVERY rock guitar game on the 360. The song list is WAAYY too similar to Rock Band 2, but there are some GH4 exclusive gems in here that I like. BUT, for the most part, the set list just plain SUCKS, so I will just give the highlights of the game.

First, the new gems are a LITTLE smaller to make room for three tracks on the screen at one time. The slide gems designed for the new guitar can also be activated just as easily on any guitar, (and yes ALL of your Rock Band stuff will work with it). The first really cool moment is when you get to a triple Tool song setlist. Anyone who has ever been to a Tool concert will know what to expect here. There is no stage, no musicians, just a really freaky kaleidoscope display with a giant eyeball in the middle. If you get a chance, let a friend play the Tool songs and just watch the screen, it was really cool. The guitar battles are early in the game and there are only 2, Zakk Wylde and Ted Nugent. The battles are a LOT easier (I played the whole game on Hard) in fact the WHOLE game is easier than any Guitar Hero I have ever played. I almost failed out on Trapped Under Ice and Hot For Teacher at the end, but other than that, I was fine.

At the end of certain setlists some celebrities will come out for a two song set, the Drummer from Blink 182, (I can't remember his name), Sting, ............ and then Jimi Hendrix!!!! .......... and later on Ozzy comes out for Mr Crowley and Crazy Train. Really cool stuff.

I COULD give away what happens during the final set list, but it is too awesome a surprise for me to do that, so if you REALLY wanna know, read someone else's review, or play the game to the end.

Overall there are some areas where you will get bored with some of the crappy songs, many of which it seems were picked to show off the new slide feature. But the rest of the game makes up for it. The custom guitars are really cool to make, but the custom character thing is lacking big time compared to Rock Band 1 or 2.

Here's hoping for some good download content over the next year.

Stunning review, Oriasten. lol.

So I bought MK vs DC today and all my fears were put to rest as the game is fun!!

The fighting is pretty fluent once you get the timing down, but new comer's to MK's fighting style wont be disapointed.

Lots of combos and specials and veriaty of Fatalaties and Brutalities

The Free Fall Kombat is really cool and the Test Your Might mini games are awsome.

The story, so far, is nothing special. It sets up fights really well and is pretty much just what you could expect from such a game. The voice acting, however, is not so great, but hell, thats not what I bought the game for, so I'm ok with that.

The story allows you to choose wether you wan to play from the MK or DC side of things, so the replay ability is there.

Graphics arnt bad.

Load times and transitions are goods.

Each character has a different fighting style so it never feels like your just playing as the same character wich is very good.

There could have been more game modes, though. You get story and arcade and thats pretty much it so far.

Hopefully we'll see some downloadable characters or content in the future.

MK vs DC gets a 4 out of 5 IMO.

I agree, MK vs DC was well done, not great, but it did NOT suck.

Infinite Undiscovery

You're better off reading it there than me copy/pasting the whole thing over here.

The short of it is:
It's enjoyable, but it doesn't quite reach magnificence. It needs more polish. It could be really great, but it doesn't quite make it. Has some great elements, some so-so elements, but nothing out right horrible or broken. Lots of elements that aren't implemented as well as they could be, or aren't used as they should be. But overall, it's a decent RPG.

would you say its better than lost odyssey

No. I think Lost Odyssey was better. There's just too many characters in Infinite Undiscovery for you to really form any solid attachments. The Lost Odyssey characters have a lot more depth to them, plus there's the dreams that add so much to the story. And some gorgeous cinematics, which are sadly lacking from IU. Lost Odyssey is a really beautiful and moving game, and IU just sort of picks at your emotions. Things just aren't developed enough, and major events have less impact (for various reasons - implementation, voice acting, mediocre graphics where there should be fabulous cut scenes).

Neither is a 10-star game. Both ride somewhere between a 6 and an 8 with LO on the higher end. But IU IS a good game.

Just landed on disc 3 of 4 for Lost Odyssey. Pretty intense ending for disc 2.

Again, I'm not sure why more people (here and elsewhere) aren't lauding LO as a **** (4-star) game. What are they looking for? I never feel like anything is lacking when I play this game, and in some cases gameplay exceeds my expectations.

I've always felt this was like Final Fantasy 0 or somesuch... the art direction is second to none. My wife thinks it is the best looking game on the XBox; she may be right.

Again, no one has criticized LO either, but when Gamespot gives it a 7.5 there is something untaut with the fabric of the universe.

Critics are getting tired of the game play formula you and I have grown to love Dem5. The whole turn based battle system that has been around since Final Fantasy for NES is boring game critics. WE love it, WE can't get enough of it, which is why they still make those games for us. Sure I like a change up, if its done right. Infinite Undiscovery is done more FFXII like with real time fighting, Eternal Sonata does it a bit different. But to me there is nothing like going through a game like FF VII FF VIII FF X or Lost Odyssey, leveling up, and watching gorgeous cut scenes. That's what playing an RPG is all about to me.

STREET FIGHTER IV

8/10 purely because I love Street Fighter, and the game play didn't let me down.

Man what a trip to the past playing this game. As promised by Capcom, it is almost exactly like playing the old SF II games. A very well done remake with decently cool new characters.

The standard arcade run, where you get all of your character endings is a bit short. 4 or 5 fights, then the boss, who by the way is HARD AS HELL. He is a little bit of a MK rip off cuz he uses special moves from other characters. (Shang Tsung anyone?) In the first match when you meet him he uses Dhalsim's long arm punch a lot. I have also seen him do Guile's Sonic Boom, Ken and Ryu's Hadoken as well as Shoryuken, and Zangief's big spinning pile driver move. He's FAST and doesn't let up, not sure how I'm gonna take him on in the harder difficulty settings.

There's also a pretty cool challenge mode, pick from time trial, survival, or executing a preset of various moves. As you move through the rankings in these you unlock dress colors and new taunts for the characters. Unlocking hidden characters is done by finishing the arcade mode with various fighters.

There seems to be a large emphasis on online play, there are a bunch of medals for doing certain things online, I don't have Xbox Live so I haven't tried any of them.

Just because I"m bored and in a sling with a bad shoulder & leg (recovering from surgery) I'm going to review all my PS3 Games.

Burnout Paradise 10/10...best racer of this generation. Bar none. DLC almost every month it seems. New party pack, new cars, new island. Its kickass.

GTAIV 10/10 Its GTA ON PS3, nuff said.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 10/10 Best shooter ever IMO.

Call of Duty: World at War 8/10 solid game, but not COD4.

Street Fighter IV 9/10 awesome game, great engine as always, memorable characters. HADOKEN!

Fallout 3 9/10...its Oblivion with guns. Should be a 10/10..but for a reason I can't quite put my finger on, it falls short.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 10/10 One of the best games ever IMO, easily in my top 10, maybe top 5.

Next game, Resident Evil 5.

Shen if you like Burnout so much, I highly suggest trying GRID. It pretty much got racer of the year unofficially last year. Burnout is a close #2 though. I actually have recently started playing the Burnout Ultimate Box. The motorcycle racing is done really well. I saw that the next new DLC is going to be a new island or something, sounds cool eh?

Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Sqaud

8 out of 10


Katana's, zombies, and bikini clad women. Is this the next Rob Zombie movie? Nope, it seems that it is a re-release of a 2 year old Japanese hack and slash title for Xbox 360. I had not heard of this game until I saw it in the upcoming games section of EBGames.com. I decided to try it and man it is fun.

You run around, and kill legions of zombies with swords, what more could you ask for? The story seems to be, that the 2 lead characters, who you can switch back and forth during gameplay with the press of a button, have a rare blood in their system that makes them strong. I haven't really figured out why there are zombies though. It seems that their rare blood can have its power magnified by their skin getting covered in the blood of the zombies, hence a perfectly good explanation for them wearing bikinis. All of the dialogue is in Japanese so be prepared to read subtitles. Another rather cool addition to the gameplay, there is a sword in your status area, that slowly turns red from the hilt to the point as you slay zombies, and if the sword icon turns completely red, your swords are useless and will get stuck in zombies. You then have to hit a button and watch as she swings the blades downward to shake off all the blood from the blades! Interesting little twist to the gameplay there. There is a third playable character that uses guns, but I haven't unlocked her yet.

The reason I gave the game an 8, the game is pretty basic and straight forward. It DOES have 20 levels, and they get bigger as you go, with more and more hordes of zombies. So there is plenty of play time, but its not like its an RPG or a GTA game that lasts 100 hrs. The game also isn't for everyone. In case you haven't guess it does indeed have an M rating, and unless you are just in LOVE with the idea of killing hordes of zombies with a hot bikini clad girl carrying katana blades, it will only hold your interest long enough to beat the game.

RACE PRO

7 out of 10


Burnout and GRID fans be ware. Race Pro is a basic, bare bones sim racer. It isn't nearly as flashy as the likes of Gran Turismo and Forza.

It is however, what it promises to be. An accurate racer, with a good challenge. I have only played it for a few races with the first car (a Mini Cooper) but there are much faster cars pictured on the review sites. The gameplay itself reminds me of Forza, but it is a little harder to keep the car on track, much like Project Gotham racing games are.

This game is worth playing if you REALLY like racing games like I do. With a game like this, I can zone out, race my car and listen to MP3s all day. I don't need crash physics and jumps over buildings to keep my attention in a racing game. All I ask is that the car is reasonably controllable, the AI gives me some form of challenge for the finish line, and the difficulty curve isn't ridiculous.

Need for Speed Undercover

8.5 out of 10


Many people have given up on Need for Speed. Pro Street was a JOKE. I hated it. Someday I would like to give it another try and get the really fast cars, but it mostly sucked and the tracks were terrible.

So lets talk about Undercover. Again, they try to have a storyline. I actually kind of enjoyed the story line that flowed through the 2 Undergrounds, Carbon, and Most Wanted. This time you are going undercover to catch car thieves, very XXX like. But the important part, its a racer, how does it play?

At first, I was moderately pleased with the gameplay. Cops are back, you have a whole big city to drive through. There are hazards you can trigger to take out cops chasing you etc. I basically went through the semi annual motions of playing what has been my favorite racing franchise since 1998. Then I got near the end.

The races got hard, but not too hard. The cops became a serious problem and escaping them meant actually paying attention and driving for my life. I still didn't really care about the story, it was the beefed up challenge that the 2nd half of the game was giving me. Driving nearly 250 mph in souped up Porche down long stretches of interstate with 20 cops on me. I was loving it. My only complaint was ........ the cop SUVs could catch me. Show me an SUV that can do 250? Still I had a lot of fun finishing this game. The first half was easy and a little repetitive, but the 2nd half made up for it.

I also walked away with 810 achievement points for my Gamerscore, not too shabby.