Few games have had the anticipation since debuting its teaser trailer like Fallout 3. Fallout 3 is a continuation of the Fallout series (obviously) and is done by Bethesda, the kings of sandbox survivals. The question is, can Bethesda give the great gameplay of the Elder Scrolls series with mixing in guns, a unique story and a devastated Washington D.C.wasteland. Will Bethesda hit the nail on the head or will they trip and fall into a puddle of radiation?Let us find out, here is the review of Fallout3.
Story:
Fallout 3 takes place in the year 2277 in post-nuclear fallout Washington D.C.which is 30 years after Fallout 2 and is 200 years after the nuclear destruction that has destroyed the Capitol Wasteland. You are an inhabitant of Vault 101. You start out as a child and then a teen where you take your S.P.E.C.I.A.L. (Strength, Perception,Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck) and G.O.A.T. (Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test) tests to choose your abilities and strengths. You then get your Pip Boy at the age of 10 which will be your lifeline through the rest of the game. Your father gives you a BB gun and teaches you how to shoot and use VATS (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System).You wake up, age 19, to the alarm and your friend Amata who happens to be the overseer’s daughter. You find out that your father has fled Vault 101 and the Overseer goes ballistic,sending the vault police after you. You then must fight your way out of Vault101 in order to find your father. After you finally escape Vault 101, the door is shut behind you. You venture out into the open wasteland, sun blaring and all. You are to head for the city of Megaton which is just north-east of where you are at. This is where your story begins as you enter the Capitol Wasteland.
Story: A+
Gameplay:
Here is where you make a game worthwhile! Bethesda made a great engine for Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and it gets even better with Fallout 3. The main attractions to Fallout 3 are the guns and the VATS system. The VATS system allows you to choose a body part to target such as legs, arms, chest, head, and weapon. If they are holding a grenade you sure can destroy it along with them. The area is vast and has lots for you to explore. From the outskirts of the D.C. area to the downtown area that has such well known places like the Jefferson Memorial and the Pentagon. There are many things for you to kill or be killed by. There are the large super-mutants,giant ants and mole-rats, flame spewing bugs, raiders, machines and radioactive stuff everywhere. It has the same feel as the Elder Scrolls series but with revamped and new things like the guns and creatures. Leveling up is very very important due to increasing your perks and abilities. Science is very important throughout the game as well.
Gameplay: A+
Graphics:
This is where Bethesda brings the big guns. The graphics in this game are phenomenal and heavily realistic. They have a perk upgrade dedicated to making your enemies explode like crash dummy dolls. They built the world into a believable post-apocalypse Washington D.C.and a decimated world with the inhabitants just looking to live day to day.There are many small towns of people just trying to live and then there are the two major cities, Rivit City and Megaton. All places have a realism that is kind of haunting especially when you live in America and have been to the D.C. (which yours truly has). The engine is haunting and lively at the same time.
Graphics: A
Sound:
The sound is wonderful. It is kind of nice to walk the wasteland listening to three-dog at Galaxy New Radio or the Enclave radio. When using VATS you get a bullet time sound which is a cool muffled effect. The wilderness throughout the game is creepy yet fun at the same time along with the wind sounds and enemies too. The voice acting is great with the narrator Ron Pearlman (Hellboy) and the voice of your father, which is Liam Neeson. My personal favorite voice in the game is still Malcolm McDowell who has been in such greats as Caligula and A Clockwork Orange and Adult Swim shows Robot Chicken and Metalocalypse. You might also remember Craig Sechler who voiced all of the Dark Elves from the Oblivion game.
Sound: A+
Replay:
The replay value is as high as Oblivion’s. You have to do a minimum of 3 play throughs in order to get all the games achievements due to getting an evil, good and neutral ending.The game does warrant several gameplays as it is just addictive and fun. There play is worthwhile as long as you’re a Bethesda fan.
Replay: A+
Overall:
The game itself is amazing. This is a game that can get you into the Bethesda genre and play Oblivion as well. Fallout 3 gives you the reins to fix or further destroy the Capitol Wasteland. You can be a good guy, bad guy or just neutral. You can create your own weapons like the roadway rail gun which uses rail spikes as ammo, and which has large amounts of ammo throughout the map.The guns range from a .38 special to a combat shotty to the Fat Man (A mini-nuke launcher). You have full freedom and lots of missions to complete. Great game and my personal Game Of The Year.
Overall: A+
Notes: You can find your dog companion Dogmeat, at the city Junkyard which is just south of Minefield.
Notes: Find underworld ASAP! It is a ghoul city which has a girl in it that will pay you to find places on the map. Easy caps.
Achievements:
Vault 101Citizenship Award
Points: 10
Details: Got the Pip-Boy 3000
The G.O.A.T.Whisperer
Points: 10
Details: Took the G.O.A.T.
Escape!
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Escape!"
Followingin His Footsteps
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Following in His Footsteps"
Galaxy News Radio
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Galaxy News Radio"
ScientificPursuits
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Scientific Pursuits"
Tranquility Lane
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Tranquility Lane"
The Waters of Life
Points: 20
Details: Completed "The Waters of Life"
Picking up theTrail
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Picking up the Trail"
Rescue from Paradise
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Rescue from Paradise"
Findingthe Garden of Eden
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Finding the Garden of Eden"
The American Dream
Points: 20
Details: Completed "The American Dream"
Take it Back!
Points: 40
Details: Completed "Take it Back!"
Big Troublein Big Town
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Big Trouble in Big Town"
The SuperhumanGambit
Points: 20
Details: Completed "The Superhuman Gambit"
TheWasteland Survival Guide
Points: 20
Details: Completed "The Wasteland Survival Guide"
Those!
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Those!"
The Nuka-ColaChallenge
Points: 20
Details: Completed "The Nuka-Cola Challenge"
Head of State
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Head of State"
The Replicated Man
Points: 20
Details: Completed "The Replicated Man"
Blood Ties
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Blood Ties"
Oasis
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Oasis"
The Power ofthe Atom
Points: 20
Details: Completed "The Power of the Atom"
Tenpenny Tower
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Tenpenny Tower"
Strictly Business
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Strictly Business"
YouGotta Shoot 'Em in the Head
Points: 20
Details: Completed "You Gotta Shoot 'Em in the Head"
Stealing Independence
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Stealing Independence"
Trouble onthe Homefront
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Trouble on the Homefront"
Agatha's Song
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Agatha's Song"
Reilly's Rangers
Points: 20
Details: Completed "Reilly's Rangers"
Reaver
Points: 10
Details: Reached Level 8 with Bad Karma
Mercenary
Points: 10
Details: Reached Level 8 with Neutral Karma
Protector
Points: 10
Details: Reached Level 8 with Good Karma
Harbinger of War
Points: 20
Details: Reached Level 14 with Bad Karma
Pinnacle ofSurvival
Points: 20
Details: Reached Level 14 with Neutral Karma
Ambassador ofPeace
Points: 20
Details:Reached Level 14 with Good Karma
Scourge ofHumanity
Points: 30
Details: Reached Level 20 with Bad Karma
Paradigm ofHumanity
Points: 30
Details: Reached Level 20 with Neutral Karma
Last,Best Hope of Humanity
Points: 30
Details: Reached Level 20 with Good Karma
Weaponsmith
Points: 30
Details: Made one of every custom weapon
Doesn'tPlay Well with Others
Points: 20
Details: Killed 300 people
Slayer of Beasts
Points: 20
Details: Killed 300 creatures
Silver-TonguedDevil
Points: 20
Details: Won 50 Speech Challenges
Data Miner
Points: 20
Details: Hacked 50 terminals
Keys are forCowards
Points: 20
Details: Picked 50 locks
One-ManScouting Party
Points: 20
Details: Discovered 100 locations
Psychotic Prankster
Points: 10
Details: Placed a grenade or mine while pickpocketing
Back in the day Madden wasn’t the only football gaming franchise known to the world. Other than ESPN and 2K there hasn’t been much to fight against Madden’s domination except in the early 90s and early 2000s when Blitz came out. Blitz, a well known arcade game got its shot on the N64 and Playstation and grew a large fan base by allowing late hits and fast paced gameplay. Now, with 2009 approaching Blitz:The League 2 has come out and the question arises, can it even shake the podium Madden stands on?
Well the answer is an earth shattering hell no. Here is the review for Blitz: The League 2.
Story:
Well the story itself is one that is basic and simple.You’re a character who is dubbed the name "Franchise" and apparently this guy is so damn good that he could have played any pro sport in the land. So not the NFL, NHL, NBA, LAX, MLS, UEFA, NRA, NAMBLA…ok those last 2 are jokes but you get my point. Anyway, you decide to play in Blitz (not by choice!) The owner/commish guy wants you to play for the best team in his league, but you refuse and say you will only play in your home city which then prompts you to create a team. I decided to use Compton because they are way overdue for a team and I named my team the Compton Crackakillas. Kind of hateful but hey I don’t care, live with it. You then do some questions from some reporters and form what your players’ position on offense and defense are.Basically stupid questions with worse answers.
Overall: D+
Gameplay:
The gameplay feels like original Blitz but not as polished or finished. The after hits are very limited and it takes out some of the fun that Blitz gave you. The late hits are essential to the game but you barely get to use them. Passing is simple just like Madden and running is just as normal. The biggest thing that Blitz has is the super hit it has. You can pinpoint which part of the player you want to hit weather it is his spine,neck, left thigh, right thigh, or both shoulders. Other than that it is basically the same game as Blitz: The League was and your normal fan will enjoy it.
Overall: B
Graphics:
The graphics are definitely the best thing about the game.There is heavy detail since the first League game and it is noticeable in the endzone and in the stadiums. The graphics are actually better in game than the cinematics which is somewhat awkward to me. You customization of basically anything is non-existent in this game though which hurts it to a certain degree. You can’t create a custom player, instead you get a pre-created character just like the first one and that hurts it as well with graphics. Not bad in game but not impressive in cine’s.
Overall: C
Sound:
The sound does its thing and is helped by Frank Caliendo’s impression of John Madden throughout game commentary. Honestly hearing him in the game was the only thing I really liked sound wise about this game. You agent and woman all were annoying and forgettable while Caliendo was on par and did a great job. The players in the game aren’t bad but it is a football game and so of coarse it was fine.
Overall: B-
Replay:
If you’re a die hard fan of the series you will love it and play it over and over. If your not a fan of the series stay away from it this won’t be worth your hard earned cash. The online is very bland at best and the career mode…thing…is totally boring and slow. Honestly stick with original Blitz or Blitz 2000 for your over the top ass whoppin’ football needs.
Overall: D if your not a fan B+ if you’re a fan
Overall:
In general, this game is what Blitz and Midway have been for years. Unfortunately it won’t cut it for gamers new to the franchise. This won’t create new fans of get people to buy this over Madden like really anything would. Just hear me out, it is fun and to an extent I liked it but it is a shelf sitter to any person who isn’t head over heels for the series itself.This won’t make you put down Madden or set down anything else you paid good money for. It has good things but is too thin and to stale for the price. To sum it all up im just saying if you love the series get it if you don’t play Blitz or am a Madden fanatic this is not something you will like. Trust me.
Overall: C
Achievements:
Franchise Player25 Win the Division 1 Championship and the League MVP with Franchise.
Campaign mode consists of three divisions with your team starting in the weakest, Division 3. I'd suggest using a QB/Corner hybrid. The running game in Blitz is fairly useless and almost all the big plays will come off passes. On the defensive side, a corner is great for moving in and blitzing for sacks, as well as staying back in coverage for interceptions/causing injuries. If you get the most passing yards in your division during each of the sections of the game, you shouldn't have any trouble getting MVP in all of them. This will also net you League MVP and winning the Division 1 Championship is required to beat the game, so all of these achievements will come along the way.
During the campaign, you will need to lose no more than two games to still make the title game. Obviously your goal is always to win, but taking up to two is acceptable and won't hurt anything. Just make sure you're still putting up big numbers in your losses or you'll slip down in the MVP race. If you're playing poorly, don't feel bad to quit and retry.
Note: You can put the difficulty down to easy to help with all achievements.
Face of the League130 Finish Campaign Mode. See "Franchise Player" for more info.Hall of Fame40 Franchise declared the MVP in all three division seasons. See "Franchise Player" for more info.Legendary Sophomore80 Beat Division 2 in Campaign Mode. See"Franchise Player" for more info.Legendary Rookie40 Beat Division 3 in Campaign Mode. See"Franchise Player" for more info.MVP20 Franchise declared the MVP in anydivision season. See "Franchise Player" for more info.Alpha Dog25 Train Franchise up to an A+ rating during Campaign Mode.
During the campaign, select the "Trainer" tab and then assign training to both your offensive and defensive attributes. If you used the QB/Corner hybrid I suggested, enhance your passing/strength first,then move to agility and speed/tackling and hands. This will give you the best attributes in the beginning. Inside the upgrades option, spend your money again on the things that will upgrade the previously mentioned sections first. You should have this by the end of D2.
Main Man35 Get Franchise's Reputation to 25 level or higher in Campaign Mode.
Your reputation level increases fairly regularly based on your play. Things like big plays, big yardage overall, sacks, interceptions,injuries caused, etc. will all increase your rep bar. It will update insideeach game as you hit one of these milestones. Again, if you're having a poorgame don't feel bad about quitting and retrying. It would be much worse to take what you're given and then end up not getting this and having to do the entire campaign over. Injuring and knocking out an opposing team captain is by far the best way to increase your bar so always aim for that, especially when they are an offensive player which are easier to injure.
Ironman10 Score 5 TD's and get 5 sacks with Franchise in a single Campaign Mode game.
See "Bulldozer" for more info on sacks. Getting touchdowns should be second nature if you've played much of the campaign.
Bulldozer10 Get 10 sacks with Franchise in one Campaign Mode game.
As originally described inthis thread, your best bet for this is in D3, the first game vs. the Hounds. He described it very well so read that and you shouldn't have much trouble. Again, setting the game to easy is key for these two achievements.
Showoff10 Perform 10 different TD celebrations with Franchise in Campaign Mode.
Touchdown celebrations can only be performed if you score a touchdown and get in the endzone without being knocked off your feet. You will then need to input a four button code to perform the celebration. This is tracked in the "Awards" tab if you're not sure how many you've done.Ten different ones much be done in the same campaign mode using Franchise. Youwill probably need to start a new campaign with him as a wide receiver toensure you can score without being knocked over. Use this listfor all the codes.
Hollywood25 Perform 5 different touchdown celebrations in a single Quick Play, Online or Campaign game.
These do not have to be performed as Franchise, so using him as a QB, be sure to score five touchdowns and use five different ones from this list in a single game.
Man Blanket10 Force 3 turnovers with Franchise during a Division Season in Campaign Mode.
Allow your opponent to pass the ball, then either try to intercept it (clash mode will help) or just line him up with Franchise and usea dirty/clash hit on the ball carrier (LT+A) and hope that you hit them hard enough that they will lose the ball. From there, you'll need to recover the fumble as well.
House Rules40 Win a game against the computer in every Bonus Mode.
I don't know exactly when the last two bonus games unlock,but I believe one unlocks after D3 and one after D2 in the campaign mode. Once you've unlocked all of them, just win inside all six: Butterfingaz, Make it Take it, Lucky 7's, Pain, Bone Crushers, Prison Ball. Select "Bonus Modes"from the main menu to play these.
Big Spender25 Spend over a million dollars in Campaignmode.
You earn money depending on how well you play in games aswell as the bets you place on the game. You should be getting 200k+ even in D3so this should be done after no later than your sixth game. Buy the up grades for your team or spend the money juicing, doesn't matter which.
Welcome Rookie15 Win first game of Campaign Mode See"Franchise Player" for more info.Return to Sender10 Return two kickoff or punt returns for TD's in any game.
The best way to get these is to make sure you have some clash meter filled, then start up the left or right sideline and hope those two defenders knock the other team's attackers over, this will give you plenty of room to work with. From there, hit your turbo and go as far as possible though you'll most likely get tracked down eventually. At this point, activate your clash and stiff-arm the attackers.
This can not be done in Bonus Modes games, only quickplay, campaign and online.Go Long!10 Gain 450 passing yards in any Campaign Mode game.
Using your Franchise QB this shouldn't be too tough. Every time you get the ball on a kickoff or punt, head backward and run out of bounds at your 10 or so to give you more yards to gain.
Rushing Attack15 Score 5 rushing TD's in any Campaign Mode game.
These do not have to be done with Franchise, so pass it in and run out of bounds at the 2 yard line (not the 1 as you may accidentallystep in the endzone) and then call a run play. A basic sweep or pitch shouldwork from that distance. Make use of your clash bar if you keep getting tackledearly.
Magic Hands10 Catch every pass thrown by your QB in any Campaign Mode game.
I can confirm that this does not count 2-point conversions for some reason as I botched one and still got this achievement. To be safe,throw the ball once and catch it, then choose run plays from then on. You don't have to win this game either.
Safety Dance10 Force a safety in a single Campaign Mode,Quick Play or Bonus Mode game.
This will most likely be easiest in a game of Prison Ball.The field is very short and they start right near their own endzone. To get a safety you must tackle whoever on their team has the ball inside their own endzone (the one behind them).
Lucky 7's10 Throw at least 7 TD passes in a single game in Campaign Mode.
Again, using your Franchise QB this should be easy. Instead of running backward like you would for the 450 yard achievement, take your kickoffs and punts as far as you can to get within one or two plays of a touchdown. On defense, let your opponent score if you need to so your offense can have more shots at this.
Power Surge10 Score three TD's in a single quarter in Campaign Mode.
Using the strategy for "Lucky 7's" this should come at the same time.
Jackpot10 Earn $400,000 in one campaign mode game.
Money earned is as follows: Clash Moves (2k), Unleash Moves(5k), Dirty Hits (3k), Injuries Caused (7k), Turnovers Caused (5k), Touchdowns(12k) and you will get a nice chunk if you've bet on the game, as well as a bonus if the game you win as in a divisional championship game.
So be sure to win your division championship game, win the bet during that game and also score a healthy amount of touchdowns and you should have it. Plya dirty defense and get some injurie/turnovers as this will both get you more cash immediately and give you more chances for touchdowns.
Group Hug10 Land 3 three man tackles in any Campaign Mode, Quick Play or Bonus Mode game.
A 3-man tackle is performed by using a clash tackle (hold LT and dive at someone) while your teammates are also near the ball-carrier. Youa nd your mate will both jump at the ball-carrier and toss him around. The third man in the equation is actually the ball-carrier and not someone on your side so if you've only hit the ball-carrier with two people, that counts.
Anger Management15 Accumulate 5 late hit icons in a single Campaign Mode game.
After most dirty/clash hits, the words "Late Hit"may pop up. When you see them, run up to anyone on the opposing team and hit A to beat on them. Repeat four more times in the same campaign game.
A-Train10 Manually break 3 tackles in any Campaign Mode or Quick Play game.
If an opponent dives at you and only gets your feet, a pulsing A-button may appear on screen. When you see it, pound on that sucker and you should high-step out of the tackle. Repeat two more times.
Early Release25 Beat Prison Ball in Campaign Mode.
Prison Ball takes place after you win D3. There are no kickoffs, punts or field goals and the field is extremely short. This is an extremely annoying game because with no pads, you can get injured very, very easily and this will automatically end the game and force you to restart. I can't even remember how many tries this took but it was ridiculous. You'll needto survive the game and win to move on.
Try to injure their QB during this game for one of the secret achievements.
King of the Yard10 Shut out the computer in a Bonus Mode game of Prison Ball.
Change the quarter length to one minute and difficulty to easy to make this easier. Anytime you have the ball, rush and run down as much clock as possible before running the next play, but always get a touchdown to fill your clash. When they get the ball, use a big clash hit and try to get a turnover. You'll have the hang of defense if you've played thecampaign at all.
He's Ready20 Complete Training Mode
From the main menu, select "Training Camp" and complete each of the tutorials in Rushing, Passing, Receiving, Defense and Triage.
Skidmark10 Cause 3 weather slips to your opponent ina Campaign Mode game.
If you use a juke move (flick the right thumb stick when you have the ball) and your opponent is on a weather hazard (mud, etc.) they will slip and fall down. Check your progress in the pause menu under theAchievements tab if you think you've made them slip.
loater10 Intercept 3 passes (Campaign Mode, QuickPlay or Online).
Not much of a science to this one and it will most likely come without trying too hard. When your opponent passes, take control of the defender near the receiver he is throwing to, then attempt to step in front and hit Y to manually catch it. You'll also probably get lucky and have one or two bounce of their receiver and land in one of your other safety's hands. This can be boosted online if you're having trouble.
Hot Streak20 Win 5 games in a row online with anyteams. (Ranked Match)
After getting "Real Deal" you'll need two morewins, but now I'd suggest switching to new teams to work on "Ful lDeck" at the same time. You can have a friend quit out of your games four times, then play and win the 5th for the achievement.
Full Deck30 Win an Online game with every team.(Ranked Match)
I would keep a pen and paper handy as you work on this and write down what teams you've won with. Every time you go to a new game, make sure you're using a new team. Obviously best to boost for this by quitting out of matches as that counts as a win for that team. You can only check progression this while inside an online match (pause and choose"achievements"), but once that hits 100% you will need to play out a full match (win or lose) for it to unlock.
The Clap10 Play someone with the Clap in online play and you get the Clap.
This is a viral online achievement so your best bet will be to play a normal ranked match (as these people play the game often and should have it) or look for a friend in the Achievement Trading Thread. You need to play out a full game.
Lockdown10 Shut out an opponent in an online game.
Self-explanatory. If you're boosting for the win streaks this will come along the way. If you're going for it legit, good luck. Most people online are very good.
Contender10 Win a game online. Again,self-explanatory and will come if boosting but can obviously be done legit aswell.Real Deal15 Win three games in a row online with a Campaign Mode custom team. (Ranked Match)
You will first have to have a campaign started up to the point where you sign with your Hometown team, then find matches where custom teams are enabled. Select your custom team and win three in a row. Much easier if boosted by having a friend quit out twice, then play and win the 3rd for the achievement.
Stiffarmed10 Injure 2 defenders in a single game in Campaign Mode.
First thing you want to do is get some icons to fill all your slots and get your Unleash bar. The quickest way to do this is just punt the ball away and use dirty hits and beat downs while on defense. Now when you're on offense, take Franchise and enter Unleash mode, then hit up on the right stick when you get close to a defender. He should leap over them, knock them over, or something to that effect. It doesn't always injure them, but there's a good chance for them to get a concussion or injure their foot,sometimes even some worse injuries. You'll get this when going for the secret achievements.
Dr. Feelgood15 Successfully perform 10 Great Triages(over 90%) in Campaign Mode.
Triages only appear if your players are injured with"minor" things like stingers, concussions, bruises, small bone breaks and dislocations. You will either have to do the injection mini-game or a bonesetting mini-game. In the injection one, your hand and the player will both be shaking, making it difficult to get a bead on the target. You must be quick and use the left stick to move the needle into place and hit A to stab it in. Don't second guess yourself or the target will move and you'll miss badly, just move and stick. In the bone setting one, first use the left and right sticks tomatch with the outer edge of the ring, then two arrows will appear, one for each thumbstick. Try to match the direction of the arrow perfectly with the movements of your sticks. I found this one much easier than the injection one.
If you have to, start a new campaign and use run plays, but just stand in the backfield and let them crush you to take injuries. Once you get one or two over 90% in a game, play for real and try to win so you can continue the campaign. You could get it before D3 is over if you really try for it.
Sandman15 Complete 3+ sacks with Quentin Sands in a single Campaign Mode game.
See "Bulldozer" for tips on sacks, but instead of moving Sands to the line and using Franchise, move Franchise to the line and use Sands.
Parole Violation15 Injure an opponent with Karl Tirpitz in Campaign Mode.
Tirpitz will be available once you make it to D1. He is a lineman (DE) so you can either try to blitz and take out their QB or take control of him and move him back then use the method of allowing them to pass and making a big hit on the receiver. By the time you get to D1 you'll have a good feel of how to hurt someone.
Playah15 Hook up with 3 different girls in Campaign Mode.
To hook up with a girl, you will need to complete a certain challenge during a game to impress them. They will call or meet with you and let you know what they want before you start the game. Once you meet that goal you will hook up with them. If you're going to fail the challenge, quit the game and start over.
Faithful15 Be faithful to 1 girl throughout Campaign Mode.
See "Playah" for tips on getting a girl. Now,instead of meeting the goals after your first girl, purposely fail them so you don't hook up with anyone new. These two achievements will require different campaigns.
SecretAchievements
Secret Achievement20 Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement.
This achievement is for inflicting all 31 injuries present in the game. See this threadfor the list. When the hittargeting system comes up, you will have 2-4 targets to choose from. The hardest ones to get seem to be the hands and feet as you need to be doing a diving tackle from a little further away than normal for them to activate.Games of Bone Crushers in the Bonus Modes section have by far the most injuries. Increase the quarter length to five minutes as this will leave more time to destroy the other team's stamina, leaving them more susceptible to injury. I don't think you can get the broken neck without a 3-man tackle usinga full Unleash meter.
Many injuries also show up much more often when using an offensive Unleash move (some of the foot/ankle injuries for instance), so try causing injuries from both sides of the ball.
Also, Prison Ball is a good mode for injuries too, but since there are no medical teams, you won't see the name of the injury. If you see anew animation you might not know what it was to mark off on your list.
Bestikill20 Ruptured 10 scrotums in any mode of play.
To get this injury you will need to get a very strong hit from directly in front of the ball-carrier (where you and he are running directly at each other), then aim low when the targeting system comes up.
Pitbull Payback 10 Knocked Mike Mexico out of the game during Prison Ball (Campaign Mode or Bonus Mode).
Mexico is the QB for the Supermax Prison team that you face in Prison Ball after D3 in campaign mode. Use the same strategies you've learned for sacks/injuries to put a big hit on him and knock him out of the game. This can be done in a Bonus Mode game of Prison Ball as well, and upping the quarter length for that will help run down his stamina.
Battagliation15 Knocked Bruno Battaglia out of the game during the League Championship.
Check the achievement "Stiffarm" for tips if you want to hurt him while you're on offense. You need to knock him out permanently so you may need to get him twice as the first one will probably only get him out a few plays.
Proposition 10 Proposed to a cheerleader in any mode of play
First you will need to unlock the Proposal touchdown celebration. To do this, make sure you do not get sacked by Carson on the New York Nightmare when you play his team in D1. Then in any of your following games, press BXBA after a touchdown to unlock this. The celebration must be done using Franchise.
Make it Rain10 Knocked New England Captain Packrat James out of the game in any mode.
Check the achievement "Stiff arm" for tips if you want to hurt him while you're on offense. You need to knock him out permanently so you may need to get him twice as the first one will probably only get him out a few plays.
Kung fu rabbits? The devil, you say! And made by Wolfire, too!
Killer bunnies aren't exactly a common plot device, outside of Monty Python and Night of the Lepus. Anthropomorphic killer bunnies are even more of a rarity. (Except when wandering through Second Life.) Thus, Lugaru has one major attraction right off the bat: it is very unique.
There are countless kung fu action games out there, and just as many humanoid animal games. If these subgenres are chocolate and peanut butter, then Lugaru is a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Inexplicably addicting... in small amounts.
Lugaru is the brainchild of David Rosen, founder of Wolfire Games.Wolfire is an independent developer that specializes in highly original game concepts. Lugaru is their first "full" game, preceded by equally addictive freeware titles like Lightning's Shadow and Black Shades.
Now, I know what you're thinking. Lugaru is some furry-based Raving Rabbids type affair, right? Wrong. Very, very wrong. Blood spatters the walls and ground with almost every fight. Knives, swords, and sticks can slice, slash, impale, and shatter the bones of anybody that crosses their wielder's path. The actual gore is in very small amounts, but the sheer force of the average fight more than makes up for the tiny puddles it leaves.
I must stress that Lugaru is an independent title. I repeat this because the first thing you'll notice about it is the very amateur graphic design. This game can be described in many ways, but "pretty"is not one of them. The character models are decently detailed and varied, so they do stand out in a drab, pointy world. Most of the structures are little more than giant blocks, and terrain is incredibly simple in texture. Grass, snow, sand, trees, bushes, a hill or three.That's the whole of it. On the positive side, the lack of detail makes for a huge arena to fight in.
Thankfully, this game doesn't need interesting environments, as you won't be doing any traveling. Instead, Lugaru is split into what can best be described as vignettes. You complete a section's objective(usually "kill everything that moves"),then you are brought back to the map to click on, and instantly appear in, the next segment. This is for the best, since each level is very open on all sides, with little to mark your path. This gives an illusion of open-endedness, as there are a few ways one can tackle each battle.
On the subject of battles, Lugaru is nothing without its brilliant, if admittedly slightly flawed, fighting system. Most games of this sort have simple "A to punch, B to kick" style controls. Lugaru, on the other hand, assigns 99% of attacks to the left mouse button. What move you pull off appears to be mostly context based, though I may be wrong.The default attack is a roundhouse kick that sends your opponent flying as a ragdoll through the air, looking far more damaging than it actually is. Crouch, and your attack will be a sweep kick, again temporarily making your opponent go ragdoll. A running start on four legs will give you a tackle move that can kill weaker enemies right off the bat. The rest of your extensive fighting repertoire is reliant on split-second timing and the occasional counterattack. The most difficult to pull off are the finishers, which can put even the hardiest of prey down in an instant. Pick up a weapon, and you have a whole new set of moves. There is also a scoring system that depends on what moves you use.
There's only one problem: Your enemies have a very similar moveset, and it can be extremely difficult to get the best of faster assailants.Wolves are especially formidable, as they are lightning quick,ridiculously strong, and almost unfairly able to shrug off normally devastating moves.
This can lead to major frustration, and is my only major beef with Lugaru. Difficulty is fine, but it should always be a gradual thing.Going from very easy to "throw the monitor out of the window"frustrating in the blink of an eye may turn off the less dedicated players.
You may have noticed that I haven't written a single word about the plot. That would be because the plot in this game is merely an excuse for rabbit fighting action. The in-game conversations are entirely text-based, and entirely forgettable. Replace every line of dialog with the sentences "Kill rabbits before rabbits kill you, Protagonist Rabbit!", and "I am going to kill you, Antagonist Rabbits!", and you won't be missing out on anything. But honestly, who plays games about rabbits for the storyline?
Sound is similarly sparse, with little but footsteps and general thwacking noises to treat your ears with. Alerting a patrolling enemy will start a repetitive (yet surprisingly not annoying) "badum badum badum" type noise that lasts until said enemy, or you, dies. There is music, but it's nothing extraordinary. It's well made, just a bit generic.
On the technical side of things, Lugaru is as efficient as one can reasonably ask it to be. Any halfway modern computer can run it flawlessly, even with all of the eye candy (like motion blur) cranked to maximum. Ragdoll effects are a bit glitchy, but they serve their purpose well. Indie games are notorious for being unpolished, but Wolfire has created a very professional, if aesthetically outdated,engine.
Lugaru may be a short and slightly repetitive game, but to call it anything less than a bargain for its quite reasonable price tag would be a boldfaced lie. A solid campaign, a wide variety of "challenge"levels, user-made content, and an extremely moddable engine all work towards giving you your money's worth, and then some. It's not a masterpiece, but it is an extremely promising genesis for a very talented developer. I can easily see Wolfire becoming a big name in the indie scene, as long as they keep up the level of quality they have shown so far.
There is also a sequel on it's way, called Overgrowth, which looks like it may hopefully fix the negative aspects of the original. If it doesn't, well, it'll still likely be a well-made game worth playing.
The gents over at 2DBoy’s huge office complex were kind enough to give me a few goo balls to sample, and they taste delectable! I love you, 2D Boy!
AUDIO
The audio is simply superb. In all the action, it’s easy to not notice the squeals of delight, or the screams of terror that the blobs of goo spew forth from their mouths. I’m beginning to suspect that all this time, 2Dboy has held an orchestra hostage and only lets them eat if they get good reviews. I’m straying off course--the point is, the audio is amazing! Each stage sets exactly the right mood, and has exactly the right effect for getting you into the structural engineer's zone. A slew of amazing instruments playing at once will, I guarantee you, make your blobs build faster AND your foot tap faster, or your copy is freeee! Ahem, er, right. One level you are listening to soothing American-Army style trumpets reminiscing in the olden days of the bridge builder, the next level is a frantic cacophony of strings, beats, and noises urging you to accomplish the impossible task of building your way out of a creature with balloons for eyes! It's clear that the music that goes along with World of Goo is every bit as twisted as the levels it goes with. It’s so amazing that you’ll want to play a level just ONE more time, JUST to hear “that one song”! These amazing sound effects and music give it a nice 10 out of 10.
VISUAL
Words cannot express the amount of “OMG“ you will face when first launching up World of Goo. The first thing you notice when you fire up the game is the "Blob" cursor replacing your standard mouse. More excellent effects greet you as the startup screen progresses. Soon an entire animated world pops up showing distinctly the different sections of "GooLand" with characteristic and satisfying animations for each one. Click into a section and Dynamic, fluid animations and nice scrolling parallax backgrounds await at the level select menu. And we haven't even gotten into the game yet! When you enter a level, you are first greeted with a scrolling view, maybe a cutscene. You can then click on the bouncing sign, which gives you information on the level. Soon, you’re clicking around and dragging the cute, animated little blobs that are your heroes. They look as good as they taste, too! After playing for a while, one might begin to feel a little attached to the little guys--which is a first in gaming history for me!
Surreal landscapes, warped creatures, and squishy globules mesh together into a very pleasing dynamic work of imagination. I can truly say that World of Goo has innovative graphics and unique and beautiful art style all its own, surpassing every game I have ever played. This gives it a 9 out of ten for the visual.
GAMEPLAY
World of Goo Is surprisingly lukewarm, if you can say that. It’s just right--not too hard, not too easy. That’s not to say that it won’t get hard--because believe me, there will be some “So THAT’S what the answer is! DUH!” moments. It’s just that the insanely hard and incredibly easy levels all balance out, so as not to ever make you want to quit (until your legs are as weak as goo from sitting down so long). And there’s another thing--if you really, really, really hate a level you can just skip it--at the cost of one skip. But you won’t want to skip it, merely because of the ingeniousness of the levels! In one level, you’re actually climbing out of a frog’s belly, carefully rearranging your vines so as not to fall, but so that you can climb up the creature’s neck! The variety of goo balls is astounding--there’s your standard goo balls, then you have your vine balls which can be rearranged to fit your needs, and they also seem to have extra stickyness. Of course, then you got your water goo balls--only one link to any other goo ball, and they just fall down. If you have water gooballs, then you absolutely have to have balloon gooballs, right?! Of course! Float away all majestically, then suddenly drop to fall into a certain hole. I could go on and on about the types of goo balls, but I will not. For any good structure building system, you need physics, right? Of course you do, and 2DBoy certainly put a lot of work into his goo physics system! Towers crumple onto themselves and fall, just like in real life. It also adds a lot of challenge to the game--if a tower is tipping, what do you do? Build supports? Lose weight? All these options are available, but you have to find them. Unfortunately, there is one bad aspect in World of Goo--though the levels are balanced out, some can be insanely hard. One can spend hours trying to figure out a solution to a level that seems to be just impossible! This drawback scores it a nine out of ten--not bad, for two men in a basement.
STORY
This is where World of Goo starts to tip on its tower of delectable snacks. The story in World of Goo is really…non-existent. It’s easy to understand that the goo balls are on an adventure, but you don’t really know what’s going on in the story! It’s just a bunch of levels with a few cut scenes. So while a story may be partially there, it’s really not noticeable. This, unfortunately, tips the tower and gives World of Goo a four out of ten.
REPLAY
But wait! The tower is righting itself! The goo balls rejoice! Huzzah, there are more good parts to be mentioned! Long live the tower of goo! Ahem--sorry, I digress. World of Goo has replay ability, oh yes indeedy! Players have to rescue goo balls by touching a tower to a pipe, whilst the goo balls travel towards the pipe. Every goo ball collected over the minimum goes towards the “World of Goo Factory”, which is an open field when you first discover it. Players have to build towers with these extra balls, with each cloud in the background representing another player’s height. One can go back into levels and try to rescue more goo balls, and then add to their towers. And considering the amount of levels, players will reach the 300 cap pretty quickly if they really try. You are basically trying to build the most structurally sound tower, whilst making it a tall tower. This is probably the place that you will spend the most time in, since there is no official level editor. But take heart! Fans have already made a level editor! Just check on 2dboy’s forums, and you will find a level editor. Now you can finally make that level with a pipe directly above a tower, and easily reach 300 goo balls. I look forward to the future of World of Goo corp., and give the replay score a nice 7 out of 10.
OVERALL
World of Goo is one of the most fun games you will ever play. There’s a free demo available on Steam, and it’s worth the minute or so it takes to download. 2D Boy has been generous, and included the full first chapter in the demo! Players should immediately buy the game if they have money on hand. That is, unless they don’t like the taste of goo in the morning. But honestly, who doesn’t? The goo balls taste amazing, and if I were a food reviewer, I’d give the goo balls a nine out of ten.
With Resident Evil straying away from the confines of the survival horror genre that it helped to create; there are still some that decide to embrace and then strangle these confines. This is the best way to describe Silent Hill: Homecoming.
Story:
Alex Shepard a recently discharged soldier comes home only to find his hometown in a shattered state. Pretty much every inhabitant has either disappeared or went psychotic and in the middle of all of this he has to track down his little brother. As we tag along with Alex you meet the people he used to know, a woman he has some kind of feelings for, and get to know his family. To be honest if I had a mother that switches erratically between despondent and Nurse Ratched, and a brother so irritating that he makes Arnie from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape seem cool I would only have two options. I’d leave on the first semi truck, Volkswagen Bus filled with homicidal lunatics, or pick up truck being driven by the Ku Klux Klan I see or murder them. But of course Alex being the good man that he is helps out.
The main concern with the story is that it takes forever to unfold. You seem to spend the first half of the game looking for your little brother. The moments where you actually interact with people and try to figure out what in the name of God happened to the town are nice. And it’s also nice to know more about Alex’s past when he was growing up. But moments such as these are too far and few between and you spend most of your time walking around darkly lit environments. So the story of Homecoming takes a lot of patience to get into. Rating: 7.5
Gameplay:
Pretty much every staple in the Silent Hill franchise makes a return. Everything from the occasional mind numbing puzzles to being freaked out by the creatures exists in Homecoming. The most notable change is the revamped combat system and camera angle. Homecoming uses the now standard over the shoulder perspective, which gives you a front row seat to your descent into the macabre. Since Alex Shepard used to be in the military he knows how to handle himself. In fact this makes him the most formidable of the Silent Hill protagonists. You’re no longer confined to pipe swings that look like they couldn’t kill a cockroach and blind shots with your pistol.
The melee system is leaps and bounds better than what it used to be. You’re able to combo using heavy and fast attacks, plus you can dodge. When you time a dodge properly and avoid an attack you can perform a counterattack. This does more damage to the enemy, but you can’t combo again until after a brief pause. While this is nice because there is a huge emphasis on melee combat it all doesn’t work well. The part with the most problems seems to be the dodging. There were many times when I tried to dodge either left or right and I just stood there. Fighting really doesn’t work well in narrow corridors. This is because you will just get caught up on a wall and get diced to pieces. Another key problem is how ineffective the light is. It’s like the flashlight is running on batteries that Alex found in a sock draw with the expiration date of 1985.
Another problem seems to be with weapon balancing. For the most part I can accept fighting something fast with my weaker, but faster knife, but the axe really feels underpowered. With an axe you shouldn’t be wailing on something for almost a minute while dodging and attacking. The axe should kill something with 2-3 combos max. While discussing the weapons it seems like Homecoming took a page out of Condemned: Criminal Origins book. Weapons also have a purpose in exploration. You won’t be able to open certain doors or pry something open unless you have a pipe or an axe. This really just gets irritating when you actually try to apply some kind of logic to the situation.
Just like with every survival horror game ammo is kept to a minimum, so if you use it you better not miss because you don’t know when you’ll find it again. The same also goes for health items. You’ll have to unearth the whole game to find stuff (especially in the middle) because there aren’t many. It seems like you can find 3 health drinks per stage and if you have to fight a lot of things you just might use all of them if you’re not careful.
While this adds to the suspense and punishes mistakes it also becomes a headache. One thing I noticed is that some enemies (for the most part Smog’s) are dangerous at close range and need to be shot. And if you try to melee them you’re going to go through a potion or two. A lot of the conflicts you can’t avoid because you will get chased. It’s amazing the amount of persistence these creatures have. They will follow you to different rooms, hop over obstacles and really just force you to kill them. It actually feels like they did this to make up for the lack of puzzles in the game. I played a good portion of the original Silent Hill and I think there’s more combat in the first quarter of Homecoming than 50% of the original.
While the combat just gets tiresome you can at least get sucked into the atmosphere. Homecoming does it’s best to be scary and in some points it is. When you begin in the hospital and make your way through it you realize that the environment is cold and sterile and it just makes your stay there eerily creepy. Other environments such as the abandoned hotel and Alex’s hometown look desolate and depraved. This facet of the game is the only thing that makes it feel like a Silent Hill game.
I would actually have enjoyed Silent Hill: Homecoming a lot more if save points weren’t so sparse, but it really turns Homecoming into a chore. This is because there tend to be a lot of fetch quests and if you die you might have to recollect all of those items and do all of those conversation scenes again. What could’ve been “I’ll play for five more minutes” and then after that another 45 minutes elapse. Turns into “After I hit that save point I’ll finish” and then save and quit. There’s still the monotony of jiggling anonymous doorknobs and nothing seems to have eclipsed what was mastered in Silent Hill 2. So while it does make an enjoyable game for a person that is a die-hard fan of Silent Hill it just doesn’t make an enjoyable experience for other players. It doesn’t even do much to make strides in the genre; it just does what the franchise pretty much did when it first started. The only thing different is the amount of graphical sheen that Homecoming contains. Rating: 7.5
Graphics: Homecoming isn’t much to write home about. The textures on a lot of objects are bland, the character models aren’t mind blowing and anything human oriented isn’t remotely appealing. For some odd reason Homecoming comes to life in regards to creature design. Everything you fight looks like it crawled out of Satan’s bunghole and looks like it can easily kill you. Since American developers Double Helix made Homecoming they decided to use the visual style of the Silent Hill movie. When you seem to get transported to the demon portion of an environment you would see the scenery turning gray and the environment starts to peel away. Also on top of this the environment is more sepia toned and has the scratchy appearance of a bad 8mm home movie. While you won’t be impressed by the humans or even the human environments; everything with it’s toes dipped in evil is pretty interesting looking. Rating: 7.5
Sound:
The voice work is pretty good, but the only thing that really sticks out is the musical score from Composer Akira Yamaoka. It strikes the right blend of ethereal melody and haunting. It really just lets you relax, yet keeps you on edge at the same time. Rating: 8.0
Replay:
There are multiple endings that you can unlock and there are hidden weapons to unlock as well so it warrants a play through or two. But this all depends on how much you liked the game in the first place. Rating: 6.0
Overall:
What starts off as something that you slowly get engrossed into quickly becomes infuriating. With it’s sloppy and forced combat, minimal health items and ammunition. While this used to be the crux of the survival horror genre they now become detrimental factors. Instead of finding new ways to innovate within the genre Double Helix just stays within the confines of it. While there is some enjoyment to be had, but in order to find it you have to be a die-hard of the clichés of the genre. Rating: 7.5
In the world of RPG gaming there are many games that are great as well as many games that are just good. From the Elder Scrolls series to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic there are many greats but, there is one that stands out among games as mature, violent, sex-addicted, and…flatulent. This is the review of Fable 2.
Story:
The storyline itself is a story within a story within a story, so forth and so on. You are (insert name here),a soon to be renown hero of Albion. You and your sister Rose are poor paupers in old town Bowerstone just looking for some gold for a few days of food, when you come across a magical music box that you are enticed to buy because of what an old blind gypsy told you about it (that it was truly magical). You set off to do some simple tasks for some gold pieces. You need a total of 5 to obtain the box and some of the decisions you make as a child are crucial to your future in the game weather you want to be good or evil. The game takes a twist when you get the music box, open it and it disappears…you then are asked to the castle where Lord Licien Fairfax lives and he proceeds to find out that they are eventual Heroes that could get into his way and he kills your sister Rose and shoots you out of a window. You are saved by that blind gypsy who is Theresa, from the first Fable.
From here you go on your quest of revenge on Lucien with Theresa’s help. Theresa has you seek out 3 other Heros that will aid you in Lucien’s destruction. The first is Hannah (Hammer) from Oakfield who is the Hero of Strength, you then find Garth, the Hero of Will in Brightwood but must fallow Lucien’s men who have captured him to the Spire in order to rescue him, and finally you have Reaver from Bloodstone who is the Hero of Skill. Throughout this story you will make decisions that impact you and those around you which will determine your side of good or evil, pure or corrupt.
Overall: A
Gameplay:
The gameplay is wonderful and just as addictive as the first Fable. They give you a new and fun interactive addition to this game in the form of a companion, your new dog. You can choose to rename him, I named mine Murphy after my first dog, and he can do tricks along with your different expressions. You can still fart, belch, flip off, dance, growl, seduce and slap your way all through Albion just like in the first game. My favorite edition to the game is your secondary weapon which can be crossbows or firearms. I love my repeating rifle; you can also get pistols, and blunderbusses, which are like old school shotguns. The aiming system is still on par, your blocking, and combos are strong as well just like before. Your Will powers are exceptional and entertaining. I wonder if Lucas Arts might pursue a lawsuit regarding Fable 2 having a Will move called “Force Push”. Just something to keep your eye on. Anyway, the gameplay is as solid as the original and you can buy damn near everything in the game, houses and stuff alike. It takes an estimated 100 million gold to buy everything in the world says lead designer Peter Molyneux. There are loads of clothes and weapons to buy. Solid gameplay here.
Overall: A
Graphics:
The graphics are solid and keep that same graphical style from the original game. A somewhat dark kiddie graphics style that is different from all other games. The details are good, not great but keep itself respectable. Your facial features such as eyes, facial hair, hair and so on are again on par but not something that will catch your eye like Elder Scrolls: Oblivion or the newly released Fallout 3 that just came out. The graphics will not wow you but are in great condition for the X360 and for what the game brings. The graphics stay true to Fable and to its heritage that Molyneux proposed during the original Fable creation. Why add more to something that needs no fixing?
Overall: A
Sound:
The sound is great and is helpful in certain situations. When your looking for the gargoyle heads the sound helps you by selectively giving you sound bites from only the are they are in. To help you from the confusion of my previous sentence, if he is behind you, you will only hear his voice from behind you. It helps a lot when looking for someone or something. The weapon fire is nice to hear too, good crackshot sounds.
Overall: A
Replay:
The replay is very good actually. There are 3 endings you can get and all three are worth their point totals. The online play is interesting and fun although it doesn’t chalk up the same fun as Saints Row 2 in any way; it is still respectable on its own rights. Taking a different tour of Albion from the good side and evil side is always worth another few hours of gameplay. It is also a great looking game and has some fun achievements to pick up along the way some of which can only be achieved while being online. Good replay value here.
Overall: B+
Overall:
This is a great addition to the Fable franchise for Lionhead Studios. Play through this game and you will get a glimpse at a possible 4th installation of the series here with an interesting twist to the plot here. As long as people enjoy making their own characters, facial features, and careers via games these types will live on until the day will die and Fable will be there at the brunt with the other powerhouse games out there to choose from. Just remember, this is the only game you can be gay and get married in. It’s funny that Albion has a tyrannical ruler yet is liberal. That is funny in this day in age of Repubs and Dems. Albion is a heavy conservative seeming place but hookers and gay marriage are a norm. Some life lessons here maybe? You decide!
Overall: A
Achievements
Sort:
The Pooch Pamperer
5
Play fetch with your dog, or see another Hero's dog play.
The Archaeologist
5
Dig up something the dog has discovered, or see another Hero do so.
The Dog Trainer
5
Teach your dog a trick, or see another Hero's dog learn one.
The Persuader
5
Convince a villager to give you a present, or see another Hero do so.
The Show-off
5
Impress a villager with a perfect expression, or see another Hero do so.
The Romantic
10
Take a villager on a perfect date, or tag along to one. Location and expressions are all-important.
The Spouse
10
Marry a villager, or attend the wedding of another Hero.
The Parent
10
Have a child, or be there for the birth of another Hero's child.
The Hunter
5
Kill a sweet, innocent, fluffy bunny rabbit (remember, safety's off!)
The Gargoyle
25
Find the gargoyles' legendary treasure.
The Chicken Kicker
5
Kick a chicken a good distance, or see one getting kicked.
The Cliff Diver
5
Cliff dive 500 feet, or see another Hero do so.
The Workhorse
10
A Hero must achieve a high-enough chain while performing a job.
The Hero of Many Names
5
Change your Hero's title, or see another Hero change theirs.
The Teaser
5
Make bandits respond to expressions with fear, anger, mirth, and confusion... during combat!
The Property Magnate
10
A property must be sold for twice the price it was bought for.
The Rogue
5
Steal something undetected from a building while there are people nearby, or see another Hero do so.
The Illustrated Hero
5
Tattoo every part of your Hero's body, or see another Hero do so.
The Executioner
10
Sacrifice ten people in the Temple of Shadows, or see another Hero do so.
The Gambler
10
A Hero must win 500 gold at a pub game in one sitting, having tried each game type at least once.
The Bigamist
10
Get married a second time, whilst already married, or attend the second wedding of another Hero.
The Swinger
5
Take part in a debauched bedroom party with several participants.
The Pied Piper
10
Start a party where at least five villagers are dancing, or see another Hero do so.
The Party Animal
10
Get five villagers drunk in under three minutes, or see another Hero do so.
The Menace To Society
5
Commit an act of public indecency, or see another Hero commit one.
The Black Knight
10
Shoot the weapons from a hollow man's hands, blow off his head and then kill him for good!
The Duellist
10
String together a full-speed chain attack, or see another Hero do so.
The Sharpshooter
10
Hit three enemies with one shot, or see another Hero do so.
The Archmage
10
A Hero must kill five human enemies with one spell.
The Ruler of Albion
100
Amass a 2.5 million gold real estate empire, or be there when another Hero does.
The Hoarder
25
Collect every silver key, or see another Hero do so.
The Goth
5
A Hero must dye their hair black, and wear a black outfit and black makeup.
The Completionist
50
Get all expressions, pet tricks and abilities, or see another Hero do so.
The Paragon
15
Reach 100% good or evil, or see another Hero do so.
The Extremist
15
Reach 100% purity or corruption, or see another Hero do so.
The Celebrity
50
Reach 50,000 renown, or see another Hero do so.
The Artisan
10
Succeed at one job to Level 5, or see another Hero do so.
The Dollcatcher
10
Collect all the Hero dolls, or see another Hero collect them.
The Muse
5
Inspire the Bard to compose songs celebrating your great deeds.
The Companions
10
Perform a perfect co-op expression.
The Double Threat
10
Get a co-op combat bonus.
The Philanthropist
10
Send a gift to an Xbox LIVE friend, or watch another Hero send one.
Audiosurf was a triumph. I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS! It's hard to overstate my satisfaction. Pun aside, Audiosurf is a technical achievement. Using something as simple as a music synth in something as complex as a game is a triumph indeed. Not to mention the fact that its highly addictive gameplay is just one of the uses for Audiosurf! It includes a ton of variety in the gameplay, plus it's graphically astounding!
AUDIO
Audiosurf is like an mp3 player on crack. Load up your favorite song, and listen to it while playing an awesome game. It's somewhat hard to rate Audiosurf on its audio, because the audio is endless! The only way to rate it is to rate The Orange Box Soundtrack that came with it, and that is some awesome music. My favorite song has to be "4000 Degrees Kelvin", which was a song I spent HALF AN HOUR looking for! Why didn't they just name it "The Do Do Do Do Do Do Song"? It would have saved me a lot of time! Since the game comes with TOB Soundtrack, you have all of your favorite songs, ready to synth and ride along at any time. It features an in-game file browser, so you can easily look for your songs without any annoying pop-up. Plus, it has a link to TOB soundtrack right on the first page of the file browser, so you don't have to go through anything to find your music! Also included is a link to your iTunes music, right under the link to TOB Soundtrack, so you don't have to go through anything difficult to find THOSE songs, either!
VISUAL
Trying to rate the graphics in Audiosurf is like trying to rate Seth MacFarlane's hilarity: brilliant. This, coming from someone who has an integrated chipset, and had to run on lowest settings. Even on low, the graphics are astounding. Trippy effects play out in the background, while the road frantically dips up and down rhythmically. I just love going slowly up a hill then rushing down into a party of notes. The "cars" (or blocks) are quite beautiful. It's obvious that Dylan Fitterer put a lot of time and effort into making his dream a reality. Not to mention, the game is mod-able, so the graphics can change as well! AudioSurf boasts shader 3.0 support, though it can be easily tuned down, as mentioned before. So basically, the graphics are astounding. The game is moddable, so you can change any graphics you like, and you will be blown away by the polish put into the effects.
GAMEPLAY
"Holy crap! MOVE! Left! Left! Right! Jump! NOOO!"
Ah yes, the frantic bashing of the keyboard keys as you deftly maneuver past blocks to get to the colorful ones. It gets rather frantic, having to dodge every single block you do not want, and then trying to move past some bad blocks whilst trying to get to some good blocks! It's amazing how quickly the game processes the song, transforms it into playable blocks, and then loads the level! Audiosurf is indeed quite addicting, though it could feature some more elements—such as invisible blocks. In addition, there are a variety of racers(if that's what you should call them), making for a lot of different gameplay options. For example, there's the "mono" type, which turns every block into one of two colors: Grey (the bad), and hippy (the good). The "dual" type of racer adds TWO racers onto the field, for multi-player or ambidextrous surfing.Yet another example is the, ahem, Eraser Racer(Awful pun intended), which lets you choose a block color and eliminate it! Dylan also had the foresight to allow for three different difficulties. When playing on the casual difficulty, the background is white and calm. On pro and expert, however, the background is as black as night, with a black street and bright lights. It really gets you excited to be playing. As you can see, AudioSurf offers a LOT of variety, which is not missed.
STORY
Unfortunately, Dylan did not feel the need to implement a story. I think it may have been a nice addition--maybe racing against people to get more points or something. Though I do see why Dylan didn't add in a story--it's an MP3 player game, so why do you need a story? Though a story would have been...interesting, it would just feel out of place and wouldn't fit with the game.
REPLAYABILITY
Hold on, let me play just one more game before I write this. Elevator music cue!
Thanks for holding. The replayability is amazing. It's like an entirely new game every time, as new songs are being put onto the "AudioSurf Radio", a neat little utility that hosts music for you to play. Thankfully, this music is free, and is, most of the time, good-sounding (I'm not a music reviewer so don't ask me to review music!). Also included is the ability to install mods, though an in-game mod browser would be highly appreciated! In addition, there's online leaderboards, which motivates you to play again and again in order to "just beat that one guy"! It lets you add friends directly within the game to compete with, and when you start the game it automatically finds your friends on steam that have Audiosurf as well, and adds them. It's completely seamless, so you don't even know it's doing it! Plus, I absolutely love how Audiosurf lets you play most any music file. Unfortunately, it does not have support for .midi's, which is rather disappointing, as I would love to play .midi's. In conclusion, Audiosurf features almost unlimited replayability--though some contests would not be missed.
OVERALL
The game is brilliant. The graphics are astounding, with trippy hippy-blocks trying to lead you down the path of awesome sounds. If you have not purchased this game, buy it NOW. There is no excuse for any music lover to not buy this game. It's a mere ten dollars, and Dylan deserves all of it. I'm surprised it's not a top-seller, because it's so original! Now, it may not be game of the year quality, but it's still pretty fun.
Have you ever watched the movie Aliens and ask yourself; “How would I handle this situation?” Would I be like Hicks and stay cool and calm under pressure, like Ripley and take command or like Hudson and panic. I’m pretty sure that I would be like Hudson. At the first instance of some real jacked up predicament I’ll be the first one to scream, “That's it man, game over man, game over! What the f**k are we gonna do now? What are we gonna do?” In some ways this is how EA’s Dead Space makes you feel. You’re thrown into some hellish situation and you have to survive it.
Story:
Dead space is set in the distant future. The planet Earth has used up all of its natural resources and now entire planets have to be mined for those resources, then those resources have to be shipped backed to Earth. They use ships called “Planet Crackers” to get the job done and their most important one the famed USG Ishimura (might as well be called LV 426) has gone silent. A repair crew is sent to find out what happened to cause the communication breakdown. One of the crewmembers is engineer Isaac Clarke; unlike most of the crew he has another reason to go on the mission. This reason is Clarke’s girlfriend Nicole, whom sends him a rather cryptic message before the game begins.
After Clarke and his crew (involuntarily) enter the Ishimura the situation goes from bad to worse then to tits up. Clarke and his colleagues are attacked by strange creatures called Necromorphs. The Necromorphs are the reanimated dead bodies of the Ishimura‘s crew and come in some of the ghastliest shapes ever, but more on those later. Eventually the crew decides to go back to their shuttle and in Aliens fashion your only means of escape explodes and along with it every sense of security that you have. You only get about a second to shed a tear for your only means of escape. Then you grab your balls and throw yourself into the most nightmarish undead infested hellhole since Raccoon City. By the end of the game I’m surprised Isaac doesn’t unzip his suit and hose out the feces that must have been collecting in his suit. Rating: 9.0
Gameplay:
Dead Space falls into the category of survival horror and plays a lot like Resident Evil 4. The only difference is that the Necromorphs seem to be deadlier and a lot more blood thirsty than the Ganados. For starters you quickly learn that a headshot really doesn’t mean anything in the world of Dead Space. You’ll shoot a Necromorph in the head and it will fall off, but they don’t die. Every time I did this to one they would swing their arms wildly and stumble into your general direction. The key thing that you have to learn is how to take out the wide variety of Necromorphs thrown at you. In order to do this you have to utilize strategic dismemberment. While at first I thought this was some meaningless PR buzzword, but you actually do need to learn this. For the most part you have to go for the tentacles on them or some other sort of appendage, but the question you have to answer is which appendage and the answer is different for each Necromorph. This leads to several chaotic situations especially when they throw new ones at you and several different types in one confrontation. These situations send your mind into a panic. You wonder which do I kill first? Do I kill the one that’s easier or do I do my best to kill the most powerful first? Granted you can try to make a beeline to a door, but they can always just follow you. One time I ran to another room and about four of these things came crashing through the ceiling to get me.
The weapons you use to combat these monstrosities aren’t exactly weapons. They’re just tools used to mine minerals. But to be honest if it’s capable of breaking rocks then flesh doesn’t stand a chance. The three guns that prove this the most are the Plasma Cutter, Line Gun and the appropriately named The Ripper. The Plasma Cutter is the only one that you actually find. It has the ability to blast off chunks of flesh in either a vertical or horizontal path. Knowing which one to use and when, is key to survival and ammo consumption. The Line Gun is almost the same, but it’s limited to horizontal. Its secondary setting is a mine launcher. The Ripper launches saw blades…need I say more. There are more in Dead Space, but these are the ones that stuck with me. In addition to these weapons you have the Stasis and Kinesis modules. Stasis acts like its own self-contained bullet time mechanic making that object move slower. It works best on the fast vicious Necromorphs, and it also plays a part in puzzle solving. The Kinesis module is pretty much just the Half-Life 2 gravity gun.
Each weapon and your armor can be upgraded using power nodes. It’s very reminiscent of Resident Evil 4, but it was a lot more strategic. Since your weapon upgrades will carry over to another play through; it makes the most sense to upgrade one weapon at a time. The same goes for other equipment as well you’re your armor and the Stasis and Kinesis modules.
Another thing to take note of is; despite them essentially being zombies they’re a lot smarter than the shambling Resident Evil corpses. They seem to realize that you have weapons that can hurt them and they do their best to not attack you head on. A lot of the time they will come bursting out of air vents. There have actually been numerous occasions where you actually hear them in the vents or even see them jumping into the vents. This all ties into the sense of atmosphere that’s provided. While skulking through the blood smeared corridors of the Ishimura your skin will crawl, the hairs on the back of your neck with stand up and you will become the most paranoid person in your house.
You walk through rooms with corpses strewn about. Every room looks like a warzone where the crew held their ground to the last man and inevitably lost. You’ll look at a wall and read words smeared in blood. It’s like they wanted to leave a last hint in an attempt to make their death mean something. You’ll occasionally read, “cut off their limbs” or “don’t go near the vents.” And the dead seem to be the lucky ones. Anybody left alive (except one person) wishes they were dead, and they have no qualms hastening their departure to the afterlife while they’re right in front of you.
There have been many occasions where I cleared Necromorph filled rooms, which lulled me into a false sense of security. Soon afterwards some monstrous contorted freak of an ex-human being crashes out of an air vent and gnaws off my head. One would think that Isaac would just fortify himself in some kind of room and let somebody fix the ship and establish communication with the outside world but he can’t. This is because he is the one that has to do those things. There are a lot of times when you will get missions asking for stuff to either be repaired or just plain turned on. While this makes Dead Space feel a tad on the repetitive side you really don’t mind. For starters it’s because you’re a maintenance engineer, so it would be like a plumber complaining about fixing toilets all day. It’s also cool because there are a lot of different ways for you to fix or turn on said crucial apparatus.
One of the big hooks attached to Dead Space is the use of Zero G environments. These allow you use multiple angles to traverse the environment. This also plays a part in puzzle solving. There are numerous times when you’re ordered to clear a room full of hazardous materials. In order to do this you have to use your telekinesis gun to grab things and shoot the materials out of air locks or gravitation beams. While this is great for puzzles it does have an affect on combat. There are times that the camera will shift so you will have to take a second to get a grasp on what the new up is. Also the Necromorphs can and will use the Zero G environment to their advantage, making combat slightly confusing. While you get used to it, you might not like having some ugly thing launching at you from some unseen angle. The puzzles can also have a hurried and tense pace to them when you’re in the vacuum of space. This is when your oxygen becomes limited and you have to complete your objective within a certain timeframe.
Most of the innovation in Dead Space lies in the HUD, or the lack of one. Your vital stats and other forms of useful information or found on the character itself. For starters your health can be seen as a segmented bar on Isaac’s back. The ammo for your weaponry can be found on the gun. When you ready the gun a holographic readout will be displayed presenting the information. You will receive mission updates in real-time from holographic and audio transmissions. Your inventory layout is also in real-time. This is where you will find your health packs and ammo amongst other stuff. At first you rely on this to access health packs, but eventually you realize that they hot keyed it to the square button. At first you think that this takes away from the pressure of curing yourself, but it really doesn’t because you tend to just get attacked when you least expect it. Besides when you hear something wailing or groaning in the background while your counting health packs it puts you on edge.
Other than the small nitpicks Dead Space borders on perfection. It does an exceptional job of making its foray into the survival horror genre and should do a good job of holding people over until Resident Evil 5 is released. Rating: 9.0
Graphics:
The graphics in Dead Space are a sight to behold. From the interviews I’ve watched the development team said that the lighting is based on dentist chair lights. And if this is the case I’ll let my teeth rot out of my skull before I ever set foot in a dentist’s chair. The lights cast everything in some sort of ominous glow. The lighting casts some of the most freakish shadows as well. You’ll look at one and just wonder if it’s something that is capable of killing you. It gets to the point that you’ll ready your gun with every new room you enter.
The creature design is just plain nasty. You can tell where a person is still a human, but then you notice the protrusions and fangs and claws and parts of the anatomy bent in ways that just don’t seem possible. Then it just gets worse. You look at the monsters known as Brutes and say to yourself, “There’s no way in hell this thing was a person.” Even babies lost their innocence in Dead Space. There’s this one room on the Ishimura where babies are born and left floating in some goop. When you see them you don’t say “Oh, how cute.” You say, “What the f**k?” And when you see what they become under the influence of the Necromorphs you shudder.
The architecture in Dead Space has a nice attention to detail. The Ishimura seems to be meticulously detailed echoing numerous ships from other horrific sci-fi movies. Every room looks like it has a purpose and some of the rooms try to showcase it. There are numerous recreation rooms and you can even see posters to movies that one would watch on the Ishimura. It just goes a long way in showcasing that actual people used to inhabit this ship.
The use of gore is just insane. Not only does it play to the strategic dismemberment, but it teaches you a lesson. That lesson is, “if you don’t want your head ripped off, or get chopped into sections then learn how to shoot.” I have died in so many horrific ways that I lost count. And after seeing what happens to Isaac when he doesn’t use something for shelter, while running across some open area in space, you’ll see why the game was banned in several countries.
There are a couple of times that the shadows look horribly pixilated, but that’s it. Visually Dead Space does an epic job in showcasing one of the most nightmarish locations in the survival horror genre. Rating: 9.5
Sound:
After about ten hours of hearing Dead Space I’m shocked that my hair isn’t gray yet. Part of the reason is that you hear things, but you don’t know what’s coming. For the most part the ambient noises are haunting. You can hear the creaking and the groaning of the Ishimura as it floats through the vast darkness of space. And that only gets interrupted when some thing waiting to pry the flesh from your body appears. The music will pick up and go into typical horror movie fare. The only other thing you hear is Isaac’s breathing. While Isaac Clarke joins Gordon Freeman in the mute protagonist club, he at least breathes…and screams. His breathing seems to echo underneath that tin can that he calls a helmet. It sounds like his lungs are working over time trying to force each gasp of air out. When he screams it’s just blood curdling and makes me wonder what they did to the voice actor to get him to scream like that. The voice work for regular dialogue is well done with actors that convey the right sense of panic and urgency. The same goes for the audio logs. Just like in Bioshock you’ll find a lot of audio logs that help fill the story in. These things are so chilling and disturbing. The highlight of one for me was when you found one with a guy worrying about turning into a Necromorph. So to do people a favor he hacked off his legs. Dead Space is just chilling and haunting in it’s vocal delivery. Rating: 9.5
Replay:
Very much like Resident Evil 4 there is no multiplayer and it doesn’t need it. Just mastering the game and upgrading weapons is enough to come back to it. Figuring out different strategies with different weapons for different scenarios is rather entertaining. The story is good and the atmosphere is nightmare inducing. Pretty much for anybody that has ran through Resident Evil 4 at least nine times and still continues to play it Dead Space is right up your alley. Rating: 9.0
Overall:
I’ve never played a game that made me wish I had toilet built into my bed, but Dead Space is that game. It’s creepy, it’s paced nicely and it’s influenced by the right sci-fi horror movies. Dead Space handles beautifully and doesn’t make the player feel like playing it is some kind of chore. Dead Space is a passion project from the developers at the EA Redwood Shores studio. And I have one more thing to say. If EA Redwood has anymore passion projects then give them the money to make them. Rating: 9.3
It takes a special kind of man with big hairy brass balls to lead a bunch of men to their possible deaths. That special man is Staff Sergeant Matt Baker, and he and his men from the 101st Airborne Division charge head long into the gaping maw of death in Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway.
This series especially now seems to receive a lot of flack because of its World War II setting. Granted I’m sick of the time frame too, but if the game it’s based around is good then I don’t mind. The last good WWII shooter (In my opinion) was Call of Duty 2, which was released in November 2005. Ever since then there hasn’t been a good one. I remember splurging a couple of weeks ago on Medal of Honor: Airborne expecting something decent. What I was met with was a game that got worse and worse as the stages advanced, several days later it was banished to the bowels of hell (got traded in). Luckily BIA:HH won’t be meeting the same fate because it’s actually pretty good.
Story:
BIA:HH takes place during Operation Market Garden. This was the disastrous brain child of Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery. This “plan” called for the airdropping of three divisions (82nd, 101st and 1st airborne divisions) to secure multiple bridges. While troops were able to capture 2/3 bridges they got holed up in Arnhem. Troops were spread thin and supply drop zones ended up getting captured, which caused the German forces to receive the supplies. Due to serious German counter attacks the 101st Airborne had to take position on a narrow stretch of Dutch land leading to Eindhoven. This stretch of land was known as “Hell’s Highway.”
While BIA:HH doesn’t serve as a History Channel documentary it does a more than serviceable job of showing you how soldiers used to interact. Almost everybody has some sort of nick-name and the sense of camaraderie is palpable. You can tell just by looking at them that they are more than willing to sacrifice their lives to protect each other. There are numerous scenes where the depiction of war is just brutal. There’s this one scene where Baker and his men have to charge across an open river with little to no cover available. There are men dying around Baker with mortar fire sending bodies upward with bullets knocking off helmets, the scene is intense and riveting. Unlike most WWII games it doesn’t ooze patriotism or try to get random gamers to sign up for the armed service, it just depicts war as something brutal with men and even teenage boys stuck in the middle of it.
The overall storyline between Baker and his men just isn’t that memorable and ties into the previous games. You can see that watching numerous men (especially Leggett) die is something that haunts him. On a side note there are numerous times where you’ll either see something that references Leggett or hear his last words being screamed out, so it’s something that is interesting to look for. Rating: 8.5
Gameplay:
Unlike a good chunk of console FPS fare BIA:HH requires you to utilize tactics, such as cover and flanking maneuvers to get the job done. This is not a run and gun game like Halo and Baker is not a one-man army. If you run out in the open expecting to charge an MG42 nest you’re screwed. You’re urged to take cover, pull out your map and search the surroundings to look for a flanking position. Luckily you’re not alone and are able to utilize your men for help. Their job is to provide suppressing fire to pin down the enemy while you and another group of men (if you have some) sneak around and shoot them while they’re caught off guard.
This is just a blast once you get the right rhythm of it. Going from taking out three teams of entrenched men, and then silencing a machine gun nest is great. It’s even better when they give you access to a man with a bazooka. Once you have an enemy pinned with machine gun fire you can use the bazooka to easily wipe them out. It also becomes equally satisfying when the camera does a slow motion zoom in on the bazooka blast. You see the occasional arm or leg go flying and watch the rest of the body go flying in the opposite direction. Along with the Bazooka squad you have access to a heavy machine gun squad. These guys can also pin an enemy, but they can also destroy soft cover (fences, crates, anything wooden). This can also be done to you and your men, so it pays to watch what you put your men behind. There were a couple of sequences where all of the breaking cover and flanking tactics really shined and came together to be really exhilarating. In one of them my mission was to silence a bunch of German 88 artillery cannons. One of them was right down the road taking aim at my men and I so I had to find a safe route to it. For starters I had to use my firing squad to pin down enemy soldiers while I made a route somewhere for my bazooka squad to travel through. When the coasts were clear I brought in my assault squad to assist with back up while also using the bazookas to wipe out machine gun nests. Eventually we made it through and took out the 88’s. While the flanking maneuvers are a blast they tend to take you away from them.
There are numerous situations when they take you away from the team and you’re forced to go solo. When this happens you’re forced to rely on the unintuitive cover system. Unlike Gears of War or Uncharted you don’t hit the aim button to pop out of cover you use the sticks. While this is something you get used to it doesn’t work as well. To be honest if they used Rainbow 6: Vegas’ cover system I would not have a problem with it. That’s because you hold the trigger to get into cover and depress it to get out. But the cover system in BIA:HH is just too sticky and there are times when you just don’t out of the cover or get into it fast enough. Granted the cover is a pain but you grow rather used to it. The main problem at times is your ally A.I.
When you order them to take cover there are times when two of them will take cover properly. Then one of them will take cover on the opposite side (the one that won’t protect them from the bullets) and get Swiss cheesed, luckily anybody dead gets revived at checkpoints. Granted there pathfinding does seem to have gotten better. Instead of taking the long way to where I would point them they do hop over obstacles a lot more. Yet on the flipside of that their aiming isn’t so sharp. You’ll definitely notice this with the bazooka squad. There are a lot of times where you’ll tell them to shoot something, they’ll shoot and they’ll hit 20ft to the left or right of the target. Eventually you’ll reposition them and they will hit the intended target. The oddest thing I’ve seen involves your allies running; it’s honestly something straight out of a Hanna-Barbera cartoon. When you order them to go somewhere they’ll run for it, and every now and then you will see them running in place for a couple of seconds, only for them to literally zoom off to that destination at twice the pace.
While not perfect BIA:HH can be likened to an interactive version of HBO’s acclaimed Band of Brothers series. As long as you don’t let the fact that it’s a WWII shooter dissuade you from a purchase you will enjoy it. Rating: 8.5
Graphics:
BIA:HH is full of rich detailed graphics and actually offers a color palette outside of grey and brown. Skies are blue and grass is actually green. There’s a lot of detail on the character models. Baker’s face is scarred from his constant battles. It’s nice picking out the little details on uniforms like what some people have written on them. Your weapons aren’t shown to be in pristine condition like in most shooters. Your weapons in BIA:HH actually look like they’ve been used with nicks and scratches on them (sometimes covered in blood). There is the occasional time where there is texture pop in and this even occurs during some of the games cinematics. It’s not going to give you an eye orgasm, but the visuals are pretty good. Rating: 8.5
Sound:
The voice work for the most part is good. In one scene you have Hollywood’s military consultant, actor and retired Marine Captain Dale Dye barking orders at people. This just helps to make the game more authentic. Matt Baker screams orders at his crew shouting over machine gun and mortar fire. When the battle situation goes into dire straights your teammates will scream at you to do something. All of the weapons sound different and they do a good bit of service to the MG42. The MG42 was known to be a rather intimidating sounding weapon and in Hell’s Highway, when I hear it I don’t want to stick my head up. During some of the spoken dialogue between the crew every now and then there really just seems to be a lack of emotion between them. Rating: 8.5
Replay:
Well there’s the prerequisite multiplayer which I’m not touching…ever. Brothers in Arms isn’t known for outstanding multiplayer and I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t fixed for this version. The single player is a blast though and if you’re looking for shooter action where using your head is emphasized then it can be found here. Rating: 7.0
Overall:
Gearbox Software has slowly been able to polish the gameplay mechanics that the Brothers in Arms franchise is known for. Anybody looking for a good bit of strategy in their first person shooters knows where to look for. While it’s not as groundbreaking as Road to Hill 30 when it was first released it still provides players with an engaging experience. As long as they can iron out their little A.I problems I can’t wait to play Aliens: Colonial Marines, which is currently being developed by Gearbox Software. Rating: 8.5
As Guitar Hero and Rock Band duke it out for supremacy in the music gaming world, Rock Band 2 is released before Guitar Hero: World Tour(GHWT) and how will it measure up? Will Rock Band 2 blow GHWT out of the water and allow no trace of its existence? Or, will Rock Band 2 fall on its face and allow GHWT to deliver its World Tour all over Harmonix candy ass? Let’s find out…here’s your review of Rock Band 2.
Story:
Well there is technically a story but you know the gist of it. You are in a band which you create (My band name is the White Swallow. Haha…yeah…)and you start in your hometown (Dublin, Boston, etc.) and work small gigs for fans and cash. The best thing about this I believe is the track lists you play weather it’s 2, 3 or 5 tracks back to back. You still can play single songs and must get stars to open new venues and tracks to play. You do get stuck playing the same songs over and over which does suck but in the end you bought this game to play music so why complain? There will always be about 10 or so songs you will never like to play but you get over it and play them to get through it. Fun story with a lot of buyable clothes for your created character as well as tats and instruments.
Overall: B
Gameplay:
The guitar works just the same and just as well as the first Rock Band and the mic isn’t as pitchy as the original was. The real thing that people were looking at is the drum set. New and improved it feels more like a drum set should and is much more fluid compared to the original for Rock Band. The other thing is always the song list and Rock Band 2 provides an exceptional amount of music as well as free downloadables. Also you can move your original Rock Band tracks to Rock Band 2 for just a small nominal fee of $5 for licensing issues. Rock Band 2 provides 84 tracks with 9 being unlockable. The unlockable tracks are not bad but there are much better tracks such as my personal favorites;
These are my favorite tracks off of here. The gameplay is solid overall and is more fluid than Rock Band which is a great asset for the 2nd round of Rock Band. They also added in a no fail ability which can help you train for harder difficulties as well as the training sessions for all interments. The gameplay is solid and will be hard to beat when Guitar Hero: World Tour is released.
Overall: A
Graphics:
The graphics work well for its system but, are not in anyway what the game is built upon. The graphics are beautiful and flowing when playing tracks and your wacky looking characters and attire you can choose from. Everything hits on all cylinders and works well and is amazing in HD.
Overall: A
Sound:
The real important part of the game here! The sound quality is amazing and exceeds all expectations. Still being able to switch your guitar or bass around to say the wowowowow thingy your guitar can do as well as the drum set is amazing and has a lot to offer for the people who get to play the drums. I loved the drums and the sound that they offered. The drums are not as loud when you band on them which I found to annoy the hell out of me with the previous drum set. The sound is great and works beautifully with the game. Wonderful sounds and great for the music you offer.
Overall: A+
Replay:
The replay value is of course outstanding. The online is great and band battles are a huge plus. Playing tracks you know and love are a huge addition especially when you consider than AC/DC live is coming exclusively to Rock Band 2 which leaves you to wonder who else might go exclusive between Guitar Hero or Rock Band.This leaves a lot to be seen in the musical warfare that counsel systems will face and the downloadable content wars that still continue on.
Overall: A+
Overall:
Overall I loved the co-op band and online play. The game lacks some true hardcore tracks to finish the job but that will be taken care of with downloads. The graphics are strong and the sound is booming and orgasmic for your ears. The instruments are worth the price tag if you want the new drum set or need some new polished instruments. Time will tell on who will win this war of attrition via downloadable content. In these wars downloads matter more than the tracks you give them to start out with. Rock Band 2 has put their foot into the door and is fighting their way to try to tackle the #1 spot in the music gaming world. In the end it will be Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band and whoever has the better music and better instruments will win. The simpler the gameplay and the better the music will determine the overall victor of this cult hit. But until then let us bask in the glory of this musical warfare as only us the consumer will will truly win. But still seriously Rock Band and Guitar Hero where the hell is "The Final Countdown" by Europe? That track could determine the winner...for me at least. haha.
Overall: A
Achievements:
Solid Gold, Baby! (25 points): Gold Star a song.
The Bachman-Turner Award (25 points): Maintain deployed Overdrive for 90 seconds.
Flawless Fretwork (25 points): Score 100% notes hit as a guitarist on Expert.
Flawless Guitar Solo (20 points): 100% a guitar solo on Expert, using only the solo buttons.
Flawless Drumming (25 points): Score 100% notes hit as a drummer on Expert.
Flawless Singing (25 points): Score a 100% rating as a vocalist on Expert.
Flawless Groove (25 points): Score 100% notes hit as bassist, up-strums only, on Expert.
Comeback Kid (25 points): Defeat the last player that defeated you over Xbox LIVE in either Score Duel or Tug of War.
Victory! (15 points): Defeat a player in either Score Duel or Tug of War.
Band Savior (20 points): Be a savior three times during a single song.
Overdrive Overdose (25 points): Achieve an 8x Band Multiplier.
Hello Cleveland! (20 points): Deploy Vocal Overdrive 4 times in a single song.
Million Point Club (25 points): Earn more than 1,000,000 points in a single song.
You're Hired! (10 points): Hire a staff member.
Needs more Umlauts! (10 points): Make a band logo.
The San Dimas 4th Annual Award (15 points): Compete in a Battle of the Bands event.
You Killed the Radio Star (15 points): Make a music video in World Tour.
Clothes to the Edge (20 points): Buy over $100,000 worth of items from the Rock Shop.
Along for the Ride (10 points): Beat an instrument-specific challenge while playing another instrument.
Challenge Novice (10 points): Complete either 25 challenges on Medium, 10 challenges on Hard, or 5 challenges on Expert.
Challenge Master (15 points): Complete 25 Challenges on Hard Difficulty or 10 Challenges on Expert Difficulty.
Challenge Savant (25 points): Complete 25 Challenges on Expert Difficulty.
The Final Countdown (15 points): Unlock an Impossible Challenge.
Groove Assassin (20 points): Beat the Impossible Bass Challenge.
Lord of the Strings (25 points): Beat the Impossible Guitar Challenge.
Stage Igniters (25 points): Beat the Impossible Band Challenge.
AN-I-MAL!!! (25 points): Beat the Impossible Drum Challenge.
Virtuoso (25 points): Beat the Impossible Vocal Challenge.
West Coast Performer (10 points): Play a set on the West Coast of North America.
Heartland Performer (10 points): Play a set in Middle America.
East Coast Performer (10 points): Play a set on the East Coast of North America.
God Save the Band (10 points): Play a set in the United Kingdom.
Western Europe Performer (10 points): Play a set in Western Europe.
Eastern European Performer (10 points): Play a set in Eastern Europe.
Worldwide Sensation (25 points): Gain access to every venue in the world.
Road Dog (30 points): Play in every venue in the world.
One Million Fans (30 points): Reach 1 million fans in World Tour.
Open Road (20 points): Win a Bus in World Tour.
Got Wheels (20 points): Win a Van in World Tour.
Jet Setter (20 points): Win a Jet in World Tour.
Beat It! (10 points): Complete all beats at 60 BPM or higher or half of the beats at 140 BPM or higher.
The Beat Goes On (20 points): Complete all beats at 100 BPM or higher or half of the beats at 180 BPM or higher.
Fill Me In (10 points): Complete all fills at 60 BPM or higher or half of the fills at 140 BPM or higher.
Fill Legend (20 points): Complete all fills at 100 BPM or higher or half of the fills at 180 BPM or higher.
Secret Achievements:
Buy a Real Instrument Already! (35 points): Beat an "Impossible" Challenge with all players on Expert Difficulty.
Rock Immortal Inductee (20 points): Joined the Rolling Stone Rock Immortals list.
Vinyl Artist (20 points): Finished the Endless Setlist 2 in World Tour on Medium.
Gold Artist (30 points): Finished the Endless Setlist 2 in World Tour on Hard.
Platinum Artist (50 points): Finished the Endless Setlist 2 in World Tour on Expert.
(25 points): Completed the Endless Setlist 2 without pausing or failing.
Win the Division 1 Championship and the League MVP with Franchise.
Solid Gold, Baby! (25 points): Gold Star a song.
The Bachman-Turner Award (25 points): Maintain deployed Overdrive for 90 seconds.
Flawless Fretwork (25 points): Score 100% notes hit as a guitarist on Expert.
Flawless Guitar Solo (20 points): 100% a guitar solo on Expert, using only the solo buttons.
Flawless Drumming (25 points): Score 100% notes hit as a drummer on Expert.
Flawless Singing (25 points): Score a 100% rating as a vocalist on Expert.
Flawless Groove (25 points): Score 100% notes hit as bassist, up-strums only, on Expert.
Comeback Kid (25 points): Defeat the last player that defeated you over Xbox LIVE in either Score Duel or Tug of War.
Victory! (15 points): Defeat a player in either Score Duel or Tug of War.
Band Savior (20 points): Be a savior three times during a single song.
Overdrive Overdose (25 points): Achieve an 8x Band Multiplier.
Hello Cleveland! (20 points): Deploy Vocal Overdrive 4 times in a single song.
Million Point Club (25 points): Earn more than 1,000,000 points in a single song.
You're Hired! (10 points): Hire a staff member.
Needs more Umlauts! (10 points): Make a band logo.
The San Dimas 4th Annual Award (15 points): Compete in a Battle of the Bands event.
You Killed the Radio Star (15 points): Make a music video in World Tour.
Clothes to the Edge (20 points): Buy over $100,000 worth of items from the Rock Shop.
Along for the Ride (10 points): Beat an instrument-specific challenge while playing another instrument.
Challenge Novice (10 points): Complete either 25 challenges on Medium, 10 challenges on Hard, or 5 challenges on Expert.
Challenge Master (15 points): Complete 25 Challenges on Hard Difficulty or 10 Challenges on Expert Difficulty.
Challenge Savant (25 points): Complete 25 Challenges on Expert Difficulty.
The Final Countdown (15 points): Unlock an Impossible Challenge.
Groove Assassin (20 points): Beat the Impossible Bass Challenge.
Lord of the Strings (25 points): Beat the Impossible Guitar Challenge.
Stage Igniters (25 points): Beat the Impossible Band Challenge.
AN-I-MAL!!! (25 points): Beat the Impossible Drum Challenge.
Virtuoso (25 points): Beat the Impossible Vocal Challenge.
West Coast Performer (10 points): Play a set on the West Coast of North America.
Heartland Performer (10 points): Play a set in Middle America.
East Coast Performer (10 points): Play a set on the East Coast of North America.
God Save the Band (10 points): Play a set in the United Kingdom.
Western Europe Performer (10 points): Play a set in Western Europe.
Eastern European Performer (10 points): Play a set in Eastern Europe.
Worldwide Sensation (25 points): Gain access to every venue in the world.
Road Dog (30 points): Play in every venue in the world.
One Million Fans (30 points): Reach 1 million fans in World Tour.
Open Road (20 points): Win a Bus in World Tour.
Got Wheels (20 points): Win a Van in World Tour.
Jet Setter (20 points): Win a Jet in World Tour.
Beat It! (10 points): Complete all beats at 60 BPM or higher or half of the beats at 140 BPM or higher.
The Beat Goes On (20 points): Complete all beats at 100 BPM or higher or half of the beats at 180 BPM or higher.
Fill Me In (10 points): Complete all fills at 60 BPM or higher or half of the fills at 140 BPM or higher.
Fill Legend (20 points): Complete all fills at 100 BPM or higher or half of the fills at 180 BPM or higher.
Buy a Real Instrument Already! (35 points): Beat an "Impossible" Challenge with all players on Expert Difficulty.
Rock Immortal Inductee (20 points): Joined the Rolling Stone Rock Immortals list.
Vinyl Artist (20 points): Finished the Endless Setlist 2 in World Tour on Medium.
Gold Artist (30 points): Finished the Endless Setlist 2 in World Tour on Hard.
Platinum Artist (50 points): Finished the Endless Setlist 2 in World Tour on Expert.
(25 points): Completed the Endless Setlist 2 without pausing or failing.
