Andrew Passafiume

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

August 17, 2009

Reviews / Xbox 360 / by Andrew Passafiume Make a comment! / Tweet it!

It’s hard to make a video game based on Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and have it not be better than the movie, and Luxoflex has succeeded in doing so. But judging it solely as a game, it not only makes a game about giant robots boring, it actually manages to take so many different gameplay elements and make them equally as uninteresting. 

The game follows the story of the film, but there is a key difference: you can choose to play as either the Autobots or the Decepticons. If you decide to play as the Decepticons, the story changes pretty drastically, and you basically get the completely opposite of what normally happens in the film. It’s nice to see developers include two different ways to approach a generally linear storyline. But it’s a shame that the gameplay really doesn’t change at all. Whether you’re an Autobot or a Decepticon, it’ll all feel the same.

The models of all of the robots are impressive, and it’s cool seeing them transform. That was handled really well, but everything else in the game looks rather bland and uninspired. Even the waves and waves of generic enemies you face all begin to look the same after a while. The game has pretty much the same music found in the film, and it sounds good, but you rarely hear that music in-game, most of it is played in the menus. 

Each robot, whether it is an Autobot or a Decepticon, has a few small, unique things about them. They are all slightly different in terms of speed, strength, and the weapons they use, among a few other things. They also each have their own special abilities that may drastically help in battle; Bumblebee, for example, can temporarily disable the enemy, while Ratchet can heal himself and other Autobots around him. You generally never need these skills though, since the majority of the gameplay consists of destroying smaller enemy robots that really pose no threat, especially with the regenerating health your character has. 

The control scheme is actually executed rather well, with many different moves and maneuvers all learned pretty easily. A nice touch I enjoyed was when you hold the right trigger, you transform into whatever vehicle your character is, and by letting go you transform right back. You can use this to sneak attack enemies or perform higher jumps, among other things. The shooting and hand to hand combat are pretty simplistic as well, and by the end of the tutorial, you will know everything there is to know. 

Each mission consists of generally the same objectives: protect a specific target, destroy all of the enemies in the area, take a target from point A to point B, repair certain items in the area, or defeat a specific enemy (a boss). There is really no variation in any of these missions, and you tend you get a bit bored of everything going on fairly quickly. You are however given a medal at the end of each mission based on how fast you finished it, ranging from platinum to bronze. Aside from going back to get the better medals, there are really no reasons to replay any of these missions. 

The huge problem with the game is, despite the variety in the different gameplay elements, none of them are never handled that well. You can drive or fly, but it’s almost never necessary unless you are trying to finish a mission quickly to achieve a platinum medal. The shooting feels the same, since all of the enemies you face are generally the same, and the hand to hand combat rarely works because the enemies run away after you get only a few hits in. None of it is ever executed properly, and in terms of boss fights, they all follow very similar patterns and really require the same “strategies” you used to defeat the smaller enemies. 

While the single player may be fun at first, you’ll soon slowly begin to realize that the game is nothing but the same missions over and over again. And with such little variety in the environments or the enemies, it becomes a chore to actually finish the game. The Decepticon campaign is, if anything, a bit more original due to the change in the story from the film, but aside from that there really are no differences between the two main campaigns in the game. 

There is multiplayer as well, and surprisingly enough it actually is fun to play. With a good group of people, the multiplayer can be a blast, and actually feels less tacked on than it does in most games. There are your standard game types: deathmatch, team-deathmatch, capture the flag (called Battle for the Shards), and control points. There is one mode called One Shall Stand, which involves the two team leaders (Optimus Prime and Megatron), and the objective is to defeat the opposing team leader to win the match. It’s fun, and adds more variety to the game than can be found in the bland single player. 

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is your typical movie based game that fails to become anything more than a generic action title. It has a lot of great ideas, and you’d think a game with so many different gameplay elements could have some variety, but it just feels like another cheap cash-in. If you were to play this game for any reason, make it to try out the multiplayer, because it’s better than you would expect. 

ESBR: T for Teen; Just a lot of robot violence and some mild language

Pros: Cool transformations and abilities; very easy to learn and intuitive control scheme; fun multiplayer

Cons: So many different gameplay elements, but none are handled well; feels repetitive after a while; generic enemies and boring mission objectives

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

August 12, 2009

Reviews / Xbox 360 / by Andrew Passafiume Make a comment! / Tweet it!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is one of the better movie tie-in games, one that actually both stands apart from and is better than the movie itself.

The game follows the movie’s storyline, but with quite a few new flashbacks and other sequences taken from the comics instead. The first thing you’ll notice is the attention to detail when it comes to Wolverine himself. He looks a lot like Hugh Jackman, and not only that, when he becomes damaged, you’ll see his wounds all over his body. You’ll also get to see him regenerate them slowly over time. It’s a shame the rest of the game looks very bland. It’s not terrible looking, but it’s really not as good as it could have looked. Plus, there is the occasional graphical hiccup and plenty of texture pop-in here and there, and some of the effects (in particular, the blood) look a bit off as well.

This game is also different from the movie due to the extreme amounts of violence, which feels very appropriate in a Wolverine game. The combat is fluid, fast paced, incredibly deep, and very satisfying. It’s pretty quick to pick up the game and instantly begin stringing combos and other attack patterns together. Plus, you can truly feel each attack as Wolverine jumps from one enemy to another. 

Speaking of jumping, the lunge attack, which allows you to leap to and attack an enemy is a lot of fun to perform and just makes the combat move even faster. The enemies do get a bit repetitive, but it really won’t matter too much when you’re in the middle of some intense combat. This is especially true when you’re lunging from enemy to enemy, and performing special moves to quickly defeat large groups of them. Wolverine has four different special moves he can perform, one of which is a Berserk mode which makes all of your attacks stronger for a short period of time. 

A big problem with the game in general is Wolverine seems unstoppable, as most enemies will not be as much of a threat to you as they will be just an annoyance. You can easily kill off most enemies by abusing a few key moves, one being the lunge attack, another being a quick kill maneuver done by grabbing an enemy and pressing either of the attack buttons at the right time. Most enemies are susceptible to this, and the larger/more challenging enemies will only require a couple of extra quick kill moves to be defeated.

Speaking of bigger enemies, there are plenty of “mini-boss” encounters throughout the game that follow predictable patterns. This results in them being even less threatening than most of the normal enemies. They attack, you dodge, you lunge onto them and attack until they almost knock you off, rinse and repeat. And that leads into the boss fights, the majority of them being just as boring and predictable. 

However, on a more positive note, you can level up Wolverine throughout the game. You can upgrade all of your special moves, as well as general things such as your claw strength and your health. There are also plenty of mutagens to collect, which can be equipped to Wolverine for even more health/strength bonuses. All of this adds up to an even deeper experience than you’d expect from an action game such as this. And with plenty of other collectibles, like Wolverine action figures and dog tags spread throughout all of the levels, it adds a lot of replayability.

Sadly, there are sections of the game that can be considered “platforming” sections, and they just don’t work at all. Wolverine jumps higher than most game characters, but it feels off and makes timing for certain jumps incredibly frustrating at times. Not to mention the camera can get in the way not only during fights in smaller areas, but also during certain jumping sections. And one misstep means it’s back to the last checkpoint. Action games like this never need any platforming, it feels forced into the game just to have something to break up the combat. It’s nice to have that, but when it doesn’t work, I’d rather just have all combat.

Overall, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is better than your average movie licensed game. It has a very fun combat system, plenty of enemies to kill, and it is overall a very rewarding and satisfying experience. It’s a shame the game has plenty of flaws that hold it back from being one of the better superhero titles around. Still, a fun few hours, and it’s at least worth a rental for fans of the character.

ESRB: M for mature; has plenty of blood, gore, and violence that attribute to a very mature title. 

Pros: Incredibly fun and surprisingly deep combat; an intuitive control system; just a violent, satisfying experience

Cons: Generally too easy; boss fights and giant enemies are rather boring and follow the same pattern; “platforming” sections and jumping in general feel off; annoying camera; quite a few graphical hiccups and glitches

Shatter

August 7, 2009

PS3 / Reviews / by Andrew Passafiume Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Shatter is a newly released update to a classic, developed by the rather unknown Sidhe Interactive, and it may be one of the surprise downloadable titles of the year. It’s an update of the classic arcade title, Breakout. For those unaware of Breakout, it had a basic gameplay pattern: move the paddle to hit the ball towards the blocks at the top of the screen until you destroy them all. It spawned many sequels and spin-offs, but Shatter is one of the better ones.

The game’s look (as well as the music) feels like a more “futuristic” version of Breakout, which is what the game is trying to be. But aside from the act of breaking blocks and trying to continue to hit the ball, there are plenty of other things added to the game to make it a brand new experience.

As you hit the ball towards the multi-colored and multi-shaped blocks, they create blue shards, which you can absorb to add to your score and fill up a bar to unleash a special attack. You absorb the blue bits with a suck function, which is done by pressing the L1 button on the controller. This, as well as the blow function, can be used to also pull and push the ball towards or away from you, and allows you to maneuver it more outside of simply hitting it with the paddle. You can also release multiple balls onto the playfield at once, but once your lives hit zero and you lose all of the balls, it’s game over. 

With the addition of boss fights and different kinds of blocks that can almost “attack” your paddle, there is an added level of depth and challenge to the classic formula. The boss fights seem simple at first, but as you progress through the game’s ten levels, you find that some require many different strategies to defeat them. It turns Breakout into something much more; an action game that plays less like the original and more like a classic shoot ‘em up. There is even a boss rush mode that allows you to face all ten of the bosses in a row, which is a nice addition to the game.

Outside of the main game, the boss rush mode, and a very basic but addictive bonus mode, there isn’t much to the game. No options for any kind of multiplayer, and no reason to replay the game once it is finished. Trophy support adds some replayability, but it’s nothing that will have you coming back to the game as often as other downloadable titles. It’s a bit disappointing, but I guess it’s what you can expect from such a cheap title. At only $8, you don’t get a lot, but what you do get is well worth the cheap price point. 

Shatter is well worth the money, but outside of a few challenging areas and boss fights, there isn’t any reason you’ll get more than 2-3 hours out of the experience. It’s a shame the developers didn’t take it any further with any kind of multiplayer support, even for a higher price. But for the price it is offered, and for the basic, yet addictive formula that is still successful even today, Shatter is a success. 

ESRB: E for everyone; it’s just a simple, fun Breakout update, with nothing objectionable. 

Pros: Basic, yet very addictive gameplay; new mechanics that add a lot to a classic game; bosses add even more challenge to the game; cheap price point; the game’s look is fantastic, and the music adds a lot to the experience

Cons: Not much else to do once you finish the main game

Fat Princess

August 7, 2009

PS3 / Reviews / by Andrew Passafiume Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Despite the game’s name, Fat Princess is more about class-based action gameplay  than anything else.

Fat Princess has a nice cel-shaded, cartoony look to it. It definitely fits the game’s nonchalant tone. The game is full of little touches that add to the overall charm of the game, and the very “cute” presentation of the characters doesn’t hurt either. 

You have two teams of 16 players on each team, as players work together to complete different objectives based on the game mode. However, there is no local multiplayer of any kind, or any way to play with friends on the same system online, which is a bit of a disappointment. 

There are several modes of play, including Rescue the Princess (in which you have to rescue your own princess from the enemy castle), Snatch ‘N Grab (capture the flag but with a princess), a basic team-deathmatch mode, and Invasion (control the most territories on the map). All four of these main modes are incredibly fun to play, and they all require plenty of different strategies to win. 

There are five classes you can pick once you spawn, and each class can be upgraded as the match progresses. You have the mage (the magic user), the priest (the healer), the warrior (the close range attacker), the ranger (the long range attacker), and the worker (who is used to upgrade your home castle and your classes by gathering materials). Each class plays a very important role in the game, and while everyone wants to play as an attacker class, it’s good to have people play as priests or workers to help your team win. As long as you have the right team, you should stand a chance in the multiplayer. 

There is a single player mode called “The Legend of Fat Princess,” which is basically the game’s main story mode. It acts as a tutorial to get you get you ready for the game’s multiplayer. And while it seems fun at first, you’ll soon realize that it’s nothing more than a bunch of matches with bots. And near the end, it can become infuriating due to the fact that your A.I. teammates don’t do much to actually help you complete the objectives. The enemy team seems to focus solely on setting up a defense, which makes matches last way longer than they should.

When it’s not frustrating, the single player is downright boring, and it won’t show anyone just how fun the game can really be when playing multiplayer. And while the online player has been a bit spotty during the first two days of its launch, it seems to be running just fine now, leading to many hours of enjoyment. Get a group of your friends together and you can have plenty of fun wasting time in the multiplayer modes. 

Overall, your purchase of Fat Princess all depends on if you plan on playing the game online. If you plan on playing just for the single player experience, you will be sorely disappointed, as it’s a rather lackluster effort. But that is just a warm up for the multiplayer, which is addictive and definitely makes the game well worth the cash. 

ESRB: T for Teen; Has a lot of violence, blood, and gore, but it’s all presented in a childish, cartoony manner. 

Pros: A strong multiplayer component; plenty of different maps and game types to keep you busy; You can play with up to 32 people in a single match, which can lead to some fun times

Cons: A very lackluster single player experience; some hiccups in the online component; lack of split-screen or same system multiplayer is disappointing

Splosion Man

August 3, 2009

Reviews / Xbox 360 / by Andrew Passafiume Make a comment! / Tweet it!

Like Twisted Pixel’s other Xbox Live Arcade game The Maw, ‘Splosion Man is a small indie title that pretty much came out of nowhere. The Maw is a fantastic game, but clearly Twisted Pixel has stepped up its game with this release.

‘Splosion Man is a simple platformer with plenty of puzzles that require quick wits as well as quick reflexes, and despite its simplicity, you’ll find a surprising amount of depth.

The story is…nonexistent, pretty much. You’re just a man made of “splosions,” and your goal is to…well, “splode.” Once you start playing, none of that will matter to you. The controls are as basic as you can get. You use the left analog stick to move the character, and any of the face buttons (A, B, X, Y) to Splode and send the little guy flying. You can Splode up to three times in a single jump, after which you’ll need to recharge by landing on a flat surface or clinging to a wall. It seems incredibly basic at first, and maybe even repetitive, but once you make more progress you’ll learn that the game presents is more complex than most platformers.

There is a surprising amount of depth, challenge, and replayability in this title. The game presents plenty of small puzzles throughout the wonderfully designed stages, each of which may test your reflexes as well as your patience. Sure, it can be frustrating at times, but it’s also a very rewarding experience. The levels also sometimes have branching paths, some of which may just give you another way to progress, others which lead you to secrets such as the game’s collectibles: cake. There are forty-seven pieces of cake to collect throughout the game’s fifty stages, one for each main stage (excluding the boss fights). 

There is also a co-op mode that offers entirely new levels, puzzles, and rewards throughout. Just get two, three, or four of your friends together to Splode the time away. Although I suggest everyone to wants to play the multiplayer get through the single player experience first, because it’ll teach you many tricks you may need throughout the even more challenging co-op. And speaking of a greatest challenge, the game offers a hardcore difficulty once you finish on the normal setting. It removes all of the checkpoints, among other things, and gives you plenty of chances to test your own Splosion Man skills.

Sadly, there are a couple of very small problems. For one, the character can cling to walls, but sometimes it’s hard to easily let go of the wall during a tricky jump, and it may lead to some frustration. Another problem I noticed is with the camera. It tends to zoom out during certain sections, to show you the entire room, but sometimes the camera will remain that way even after you clear a certain puzzle. But these are minor complaints that most people won’t be too bothered by in the long run.

Overall, ‘Splosion Man offers an incredible amount of depth and challenge for only $10. ‘Splosion Man will rank among the best of downloadable titles such as Braid and World of Goo, and should be played for many months to come.

ESRB: E10+ for ages ten and up, mainly due to the cartoon violence

Pros: Simplistic controls make it easy to get into; fantastic level design; multiplayer, a harder difficulty, and extra collectibles make this a replayable game

Cons: Small camera issues; ‘Splosion Man clinging to walls leads to problems during tricky jumping sections

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