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Destiny

Matt Rodriguez — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 19:09:24 +0000

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Video Game

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Grade:

3.30

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Destiny

Bungie

ActiVision

Bungie redefined the first-person shooter genre with the release of Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001. Thirteen years later, they’re looking to do it again with the developer’s latest release, Destiny. A hybrid mix of the FPS and MMO genres, Destiny is Bungie’s most ambitious project to date and strives to create an experience that will remain prevalent for years to come.

Set in the distant future, a mysterious enemy force known as ‘The Darkness’ threatens the universe and it is up to a special group of beings called Guardians to defeat The Darkness and keep peace within the colonies. Empowered by The Traveler, a celestial orb protecting what remains of the Earth, Guardians are able to wield the light to repel The Darkness.

Destiny’s story is about as basic as it gets. It’s a typical tale of good versus evil and the game’s story missions will take you across Earth, the moon, Venus, and Mars as you fight the Darkness’ minions to protect what remains of the colonies. The majority of the story is delivered by your own personal Ghost, a floating mechanical orb that informs you where to go on missions and provides exposition. Voiced by veteran actor Peter Dinklage, your Ghost actually has quite the personality for a character that looks like one of those paper fortune tellers you would make in grade school.

Unfortunately the story itself feels more like a prologue of what’s to come. Destiny isn’t like other games as Bungie has made it clear that it intends to be around for the long run, but in it’s current form there is a lot to be desired. The earlier missions on Earth heavily mention an artificial intelligence named Rasputin, but he’s forgotten by the time you move on to other planets. Even the dialogue itself is trite. At one point someone tells you, “"I don't even have time to explain why I don't have time to explain.” It’s dialogue like that that really makes you question the game. That being said, it’s the gameplay that will have players returning in the long run.

At the start of the game, players are able to choose between three Guardian classes; Titan, Hunter, and Warlock. The Titan is a more physical character that specializes in armor, the Hunter is more agile and wields a throwing knife, and the Warlock uses magical abilities to vanquish its foes. Each class has it’s own ability trees that you can upgrade with experience as well as a separate subclass with a new set of abilities. There’s plenty of customization throughout the classes that fit every kind of playstyle.

Destiny’s strongest element is in its RPG-like experience system. As you level up your character, you’ll collect various loot from fallen enemies and as mission rewards. Better weapons and armor can also be upgraded with experience and materials gathered on each planet. It’s a constant grind to have the best equipment so you can tackle the more difficult missions.

Aside from the main story, each planet has Strikes that are longer and more difficult objective missions that typically require teamwork between you and other Guardians in order to complete. You can also patrol each planet and free roam the environments to find hidden areas with chests or complete mini-quests to further level up your character.

There’s a lot to do in Destiny, but it does become repetitive after a while. Much of the game relies on repeating the same missions over and over using different modifiers that increase the difficulty. You’ll often revisit the same environments and enemies with a different end goal. It’s currently been fine since the game’s launch a few weeks ago, but I do worry that it will soon become stale.

Destiny also features competitive multiplayer that consists of your typical gametype modes. Team modes feature 6v6 or 3v3 so they’re much smaller and more coordinated games. Players can still level their characters and earn precious loot during mutliplayer matches, too. No matter how you play Destiny you’ll always been progressing your character.

Destiny was an ambitious project from the start, and while Bungie have absolutely nailed the core concept of the FPS meets MMO genre, it can’t help but feel incomplete. As I stated before, the game feels like a prologue of better things to come. Destiny is just a small taste of this massive world Bungie has created, and things are constantly changing so there’s always something new to explore. It’s still too early to tell whether or not the game will be as Bungie envisioned, but so far they’re off to a pretty decent start.

Destiny

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

AJ Garcia — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 13:22:31 +0000

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Video Game

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Grade:

4.45

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The Bureau: Xcom Declassified

2K Games

For a guy whose owned an XBOX 360 and about a handful of games, one of which I’ve played religiously and beaten, the system has all but sat in its little spot collecting dust. I bought Mass Effect, L.A. Noir, Final Fantasy XIII, and a few other games, but none of them have really kept me coming back. All that changed (well, for the three or four days it took me to beat the game) when I was given a copy of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified to review.

The game has a similar set up to Mass Effect in which you lead conversations with several optional responses to choose from. You’re given a couple of agents to back you, you can switch out your gear, and controls are pretty similar. Meanwhile, the story is a mish mash of Mass Effect meets L.A. Noir (ironic right) in that the story takes place in the 60’s at the peak of an alien attack. You’ve got some retrofitted alien gear that you’re using to fight back with as well as traditional Earth weapons such as frag grenades and M-15 rifles. You also have upgradeable backpacks that increase your player and your players agents skills. You can shoot better or sustain less damage or even become more effective at taking out enemies that have shields. The game has a pretty grand set up when it comes to weaponry.

As the main character it is your responsibility to command your fellow agents. The agents you assign to your squad, which can be shifted after every mission, will do damage on their own, but if you want to make it through sections of the game you really have to give them commands, otherwise they just choose targets and start firing while finding cover. One of the things I both hated and loved about this feature is that when you pull up the menu for commands the game doesn’t stop. The game sets itself into a slow motion pace as you’re setting up your team to use special weapon attacks or just to move to a better coverage angle and fire upon a targeted enemy. It’s a bit frustrating trying to get control of your agents while they’re still moving around in the game, but it also adds that extra bit of tension that makes the game as fun as it is, especially when enemies are plenty on ground and air. It makes the game a real challenge.

The best parts of the game are the story and graphics (even if they were a bit clunky at times). I love that old noir stuff, which is why I bought L.A. Noir and was a bit disappointed with it, and The Bureau gives you the gruff voiced detective like Agent Carter as your main character. It’s like ID4 meets Mad Men meets Patton. I just couldn’t tear myself away from the game as the story thickened. Mind you, the end story might not be for everyone. By the time I finished the game I did scratch my head about some of the sequences in the game that didn’t quite have much meaning in the end. Still, the game really gives you no time think on it as you’re rushing through mission after mission trying to find a way to beat the alien invasion, kill as many aliens as you possibly can, level up yourself and your men, and put together the strange puzzle that starts to pop up when things get weird in the storyline. I absolutely loved it. Easy controls, fantastic story, awesome strategy combat, and great theme with cool graphics. I’m hoping to find a few more games just like it. I highly suggest.

The Bureau: Xcom Declassified

Bioshock Infinite

Cody Endres — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:31:27 +0000

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Video Game

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Secret Identity

While in development, Bioshock Infinite was known as Project Icarus.

Grade:

4.50

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Bioshock Infinite

Not too often do I find myself enjoying a game so much that I'm able to walk around and happily explore the environment for an hour and a half without progressing in the story. Welcome to Columbia. As the third installment in the successful Bioshock series, Bioshock Infinite stands out as perhaps one of the last great games on this generation of consoles and arguably one of the best first-person shooters of all-time.

Set in 1912, players step inside the shoes of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt. Deep in debt, Booker has only one chance at a clean slate: travel to the city of Columbia and rescue a girl named Elizabeth. Located off the coast of Maine, Columbia is a floating city (think Cloud City from Star Wars) which seems to be a utopian paradise at first glance. In reality, Columbia was founded by religious fanatic Father Comstock whose citizens worship the Founding Fathers of the United States. Under his leadership the city has become a haven for sexism, racism, and every other –ism one can imagine. A rebellious group called the Vox Populi is leading an uprising against Comstock and his followers – making Booker’s task that much more difficult. Will you be able to help Booker and Elizabeth make it out alive?

Gamers will be hard-pressed to find a game more visually stunning than Bioshock Infinite. At times, instead of taking care of threatening enemies, you’ll be more interested in exploring parts of the city. Early on in the game, Booker makes his way through a carnival being held in honor of the Raffle Lottery. It would not be an exaggeration to say that one could spend over an hour playing midway games, inspecting shops, and listening to conversations. Game designer Ken Levine has created a masterpiece that makes you want to explore every square inch of Columbia in hopes that you won’t miss even the smallest detail. The story is so well done that my fiancé is content to watch me play and she absolutely hates first-person shooters. As a result, I am only allowed to play when she is present.

Veterans of the Bioshock series will be pretty familiar with the gameplay. With his right hand Booker can wield typical weapons like pistols, machine guns, and sniper rifles. With his left hand Booker possesses psychokinetic powers via the use of vigors – basically plasmids in previous Bioshock games. There are a total of 8 vigors in the game including the ability to throw fireballs at enemies (Devil’s Kiss) or the power to swarm enemies with crows (Murder of Crows). Vigors can also be combined for more devastating effects. Instead of tapping the trigger button to use vigors, players can also hold the trigger to place vigor traps which adds a healthy dose of strategy to some battles. Another new feature of the gameplay is the Skyhook which Booker uses to travel on Columbia’s Skyline. While certainly useful for transportation, the Skyhook can be also be used to crack some skulls in melee combat.

While near perfect the game has a few minor shortcomings. The control scheme, like previous Bioshock games, utilizes the shoulder buttons on the PS3 controller in order to use weapons and vigors. R1 and R2 fire or switch your guns while L1 and L2 deal with casting or switching vigors. In the heat of battle, sometimes the action gets a little hairy and the control setup lends itself to mistakes. Another small negative are the respawn positions. Anytime I perished, I seemed to immediately be thrown directly into the midst of battle. The majority of my health is drained before I even realize my surroundings. Both of these nitpicks can be slightly frustrating at times, but they never spoil the fun.

In a year filled with some great games already (Tomb Raider, Luigi’s Mansion, Ni No Kuni, etc…) Bioshock Infinite stands out as the best of the bunch. Although we are near the end of the current generation lifecycle, the game feels like one of those debut titles intended to launch new consoles. Simply put, gamers get that “new console” feeling. As an added bonus, the original Bioshock is also included on the disc for players who have yet to explore the underwater city of Rapture. DLC is forthcoming which Ken Levine has described as a “love letter to the fans.” Although not yet May, I feel fairly comfortable proclaiming Bioshock Infinite as the game of 2013. Absolutely a must own for any respectable gamer.

Bioshock Infinite

Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow Mirror Of Fate

Paul Arca — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:01:25 +0000

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Video Game

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Interesting Tidbits

If you are a fan of the series, you would already know that Alucard spelled backwards is Dracula.

Grade:

1.90

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate

3DS

"Castlevania: Mirror of Fate" is the first ever game for the 3DS from the popular "Castlevania" videogame series, which first made its appearance on the NES. The game takes place 25 years after "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow," which was released on the PS3 and Xbox 360. In this game, you get to play as several of the Belmonts, such as Gabriel, Trevor, Simon, and Alucard, through each of their time periods as they discover their eventual future fates. If you are a true fan of the videogame series, this is the perfect game for you, but it may not be suitable for younger audiences or those that have not played any of the other games.

I have played most of the other "Castlevania"games and must say that "Mirror of Fate" had a very different feel on the 3DS. Maybe it is either the smaller screen or the 3-D or several other factors that may have contributed to this feeling, but it was a difficult to fully explain. The 3-D was surprisingly really good for this game and they used the depth in some interesting ways, but it seemed to be more effective at about 50-60% than having the 3-D set at full strength. Also, I loved the cell-shading cut scenes, but was disappointed with the voice acting and how the character's lips would not always move like old-school English-dubbed kung-fu movies. In addition, each scene had lots of detail, but it was difficult to see everything on such a small screen, which I assume can be remedied by buying the 3DS XL. I guess I am more used to seeing all the fine details Konami puts into all of their games on the home systems on my bigger TV screen as compared to the 3DS. Lastly, which is on par with the other "Castlevania" games, the music was awesome, but was lacking during some of the action stages.

A couple of game elements that I was not pleased about were the actual gameplay, the game's pacing, and the controls. "Castlevania: Mirror of Fate" felt more like a mash-up of "God of War," "Dante's Inferno," and "Uncharted" than an actual "Castlevania" game. It seemed to focus more on exploration, combos, and hanging from cliff to cliff than telling a good story and scaring the heck out of me with hordes of enemies as I jumped from platform to platform like the older games in the series. The puzzles and the boss patterns were fairly easy to figure out making this an unusually easy and short game to play through but with very slow pacing. Lastly, the controls were a bit frustrating because there is no way to change to your liking, I wasted lots of my secondary weapons by accident because the controls did not feel logical and using the stylus was useless. This made me want to throw my 3DS on several occasions because I would end up using the wrong weapon on an enemy or waste a secondary weapon I would need later on in the stage.

This was a decent 3DS effort by Konami, but it was in no way a game changer for the "Castlevania" series. Some of the older elements you've grown to love with the "Castlevania" series are still there, but "Castlevania: Mirror of Fate" doesn't feel like a complete full-on "Castlevania" game. If you are a fan of the series and want to find out more about the Belmont Family story, you should check this game out. However, I am still a bit torn on what to think about the actual game. For those reasons, I am giving "Castlevania: Mirror of Fate" a "C-."

Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow Mirror Of Fate

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Matt Rodriguez — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 08:00:00 +0000

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Video Game

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Grade:

3.40

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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

The Metal Gear franchise defined the stealth genre and ushered in an era of games in which rushing into a situation guns blazing typically resulted in a quick death. Staying hidden was a key element of the game, until now. Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance drops the majority of the stealth elements and infuses high-speed swordplay action with over-the-top set pieces. With Snake nowhere to be found, it’s Raiden who now carries on the fabled franchise.

Set after the events of Metal Gear Solid 4, the world has evolved to where cybernetic enhancements dominate the military and the law is enforced by independently hired PMCs. Raiden is working for the PMC Maverick Enterprises, and while on a job he encounters rival PMC Desperado and uncovers their terrorist plans to send the world into a global war.

Whether it’s Grey Fox in the original Metal Gear Solid or Raiden himself in Metal Gear Solid 4, the cyborg ninja has always been a fan favorite to watch. Metal Gear Rising finally lets us become the ninja and dismember enemies limb by limb instead of sneaking around under a cardboard box, although you can do that too if you want.

Metal Gear Rising departs from the stealth norm and instead focuses on action-oriented gameplay. Raiden is equipped with a high-frequency blade capable of slicing through nearly any object or enemy. The newly introduced Blade Mode allows players to take direct control of the sword and “free slice” in any direction they choose while time slows down around them. While in this mode, Raiden can also perform a special zan-datsu attack where he slices an enemy in half and takes their electrolytes, replenishing his health and fuel cells in the process.

The combat is fluid and Raiden seamlessly transitions from one attack to another. It’s as much of a spectacle as it is a means to an end. Enemies range from small, grunt soldiers to massive Metal Gear walking tanks, and each type has their own flashy finisher move that Raiden can perform. If you ever wished you could control that Metal Gear Solid 4 cutscene between Raiden and Vamp, this is about as close as you’re going to get.

Chaining attacks together builds fuel cells which can then be used to unleash zan-datsu. One ability that’s crucial to master is parrying. There’s no block button so parrying incoming attacks is the only way for Raiden to defend himself. Plus, it opens enemies up to a counter attack.

At the end of sections in a level Raiden is given a ranking between D and S and awarded BP which can be used to purchase enhancements for his suit and weapons. Hacking and slashing will only get you so far. Mastering attacks and parrying counter attacks is the only way to achieve an S ranking so you better learn how enemies behave and their weaknesses.

Besides the high-frequency blade and the zan-datsu attack, there are various sub-weapons that can be acquired, either by finding them on the ground (grenades, rocket launchers, etc.) or by defeating bosses to obtain their weapon. Raiden can then customize his abilities and level up his attacks in-between stages or purchase new costumes using earned BP.

I was please to find out that Blade Mode isn’t as all-powerful as it was back when I played the demo at E3 2012. Enemies have to be beaten down a bit before you can chop them into itty-bitty pieces. There’s even a handy counter that displays how many “parts” an object/enemy is cut into, and while it has no influence on the game whatsoever, it’s an entertaining little extra.

The camera angles can be troublesome at times, centering focus on Raiden rather than the enemy you’re trying to slice up. It typically happens when in corners or when you’re trying to evade an enemy.

Metal Gear Rising’s story is much more streamlined, especially when compared to its predecessors. There are no hour long cutscenes or dialogue-heavy codec conversations that bog down the gameplay. It’s all about the action this time around.

Despite its toned-down story, though, Rising still acts as a social commentary about war, technology, and human emotions. There are also plenty of references to the Sons of the Patriots and even Sunny makes an appearance so the story still follows cannon. Raiden’s past as a child soldier is briefly touched upon, too, although I would have liked to see it explored more.

The main campaign is a little on the short side, clocking in at around seven hours. There are collectables that can be found in the game such as data storage units and hidden MiB agents (Men in Boxes). Specialty marked soldiers also store valuable data chips in their left hands that must be cut off in order to cash in on.

PS3 users are also treated to exclusive VR missions that must be found in the game first before they unlock, adding another reason to replay a given stage. Add higher difficulties and a title system like previous Metal Gear Solid titles and there’s reason enough to give Rising a second or even third playthrough.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is no Metal Gear Solid, and that’s a good thing. There are just enough elements from the series to make it feel familiar yet refreshingly new as well. Its focus on action rather than stealth fits Raiden like a glove, a robotic, blade-wielding glove.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Sine Mora

Matt Rodriguez — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:00:00 +0000

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Video Game

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Sine Mora

Digital Reality

The shoot’em up genre is known for its demanding gameplay and oftentimes insane difficultly curve, making it appeal to more niche audiences in recent years.

Developers Digital Reality and Grasshopper Manufacture initially introduced Sine Mora to XBLA where it garnered much praise and critical acclaim. Seven months later the game was released on the PSN and PS Vita.

Sine Mora puts you in an airplane pilot’s seat as you fly through various industrialized worlds that culminate in massive multi-staged boss battles. You’ll control various characters and their ships throughout the game and each one has their own primary and secondary weapons. In Story mode, players can also utilize a time-freezing ability that’ll slow down the action around the plane allowing for quick movements through incoming projectiles. Honestly, you’ll need all the help you can get if you’re to survive.

Rather than a set amount of health, Sine Mora uses a set amount of time. Defeating enemies can add valuable seconds onto the clock so simply avoiding everything isn’t going to cut it. Every hit your plane takes also detracts seconds from the clock. Ultimately, winning requires a familiarity and finesse of each stage and enemy. Don’t be surprised if you see plenty of D and E ratings before you even begin to think about an A. I’m only talking about the Normal difficultly here, too. Hard and Insane difficulty settings are just that. More enemies, more bullets coming at you, and less time only means one thing; more deaths.

It’s okay, though, because it gives you more time to take in and appreciate Sine Mora’s stunning visuals. While the game plays like a 2D side-scroller, all the visuals are rendered in 3D. They look absolutely phenomenal, whether you’re playing on your home television or the PS Vita’s OLED screen. Each stage has its own unique feel to it and the enemies and bosses are varied enough so that you’ll never know what to expect.

READ THE REST OF THIS REVIEW ON PS3 ATTITUDE

Sine Mora

Skylanders Giants

AJ Garcia — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 03:01:09 +0000

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Video Game

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Did You Know?

Grade:

4.50

The new portal for the game now has a USB plug that connects to the game system for unlimited play.

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Back in my day collectable figures were little eraser pink wrestlers. Can’t quite recall what they were called. If you wanted true interactivity there was a show on Sunday mornings where, if you owned a very pricey starship gun, you could shoot at the screen when red target points popped up and on the back of your starship gun you could accumulate hit points. The points were good for nothing and the show quickly disappeared, but that was as close and exciting to actually being in a game as you could get. Then years later when the NES came out there was the more expensive model that came with a robot. I never owned it and I don’t ever recall knowing anyone else that did, but apparently if you owned it and a certain game it could interact within the game. Obviously it wasn’t that great.

Skylanders Giants is not a new innovation, in fact it’s a sequel to the original game. For me it brings the best of both worlds into play. For starters there are tons of small collectable characters that you can purchase and they all have their own in game attributes. Special powers and abilities if you will. Secondly, by placing them on the portal for the game they come to life on the screen. That’s pretty amazing. What else is pretty amazing is that when you upgrade each individual character their toy counterparts act as memory card that saves all of their in game upgrades. You can remove them form the portal and place them back on weeks later and you pick up where your character last left off experience and ability wise. That’s pretty awesome.

Apparently if you owned characters from the first Skylanders game you can still use them in this new world. There are also old characters that have returned in this sequel in new designs and with new attributes. As a parent who shells out the dough for video games, and let’s be honest, sometimes they can cost an arm and a leg, it’s nice to know the game is backwards compatible. I’d rather buy the older, less expensive figures to see if my kids take a real interest in the game. If they do, have at it, with your allowance money of course. Just kidding, I thought this game was pretty spectacular and would probably buy the characters as well.

The world of Skylanders on the inside is, well, awesome. I’m a long time RPGer so I know how difficult it can be to operate a system that requires you to have so many characters that you’re forced to rotate them in and out between battles and boss fights. With Skylanders Giants you can play one character and when you’re ready to change up it’s as easy as removing the character from the portal and putting a new one on. Some of them have a cool light feature when you place them on the portal (by the way). The game is designed so that at times you have to switch out the characters. For example, in the game there is a dead zone, one where only the undead Skylanders may enter. In the starter pack you get an undead Skylander named Cynder. Like Cynder the other two Skylanders, one a Giant named Tree Rex, also have their own respective area’s where only they, or another character of the same sub-genre, can enter. This makes the game world of Skylanders Giants an endless possibility of game play.

With each character you get different attributes, as I’ve stated. Tree Rex can pummel enemies with a huge claw hand, perform a diving elbow move, even shoot lasers. Cynder performs some of the same moves form the first Skylanders game, like shadow dash, but also comes with new attack methods that are pretty awesome. Jet-Vac, probably my favorite, can suck in treasure, blow out air like a gun, and that’s just the beginning. There really seems to be an endless amount of possibilities for this game which gives it a definite replay value depending on what new characters you bring into the game. It’s exciting stuff, plus game play was easy enough with straight up attacks and brain puzzles. Easy controls as well. This is the perfect game for kids or adults who have a love for video games. I highly suggest.

Skylanders Giants

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NBA2k13

Zione Michaels — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 18:33:08 +0000

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Video Game

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Grade:

4.35

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NBA2k13

Before I go into my review of this game, it needs to be noted that I’m not and have never been a big fan of sports. Let alone, sports video games. But I start this review off with that so you can really understand as the reader, how amazed I was to see that I actually LOVE this game.

NBA2k13, it starts off with a simulated concert by the King of New York’s own, Jay-Z, also known as Mr. Beyonce. The soundtrack of the game is amazing. All of the game audio including sounds of crowd participation and sounds of the players is excellent and crisp; you can even hear the sneakers on the court and the basketball as it hits against the floor. This game is done so well, that while playing it, you will actually feel like you are in the game. That’s because before the game begins, you can customize your player. You can customize from the largest detail to the smallest detail like the shape and size of the eyes to adding tattoos. You can decide between tall and short, white or black, young or old. If you really have the patient and the time, you can make your basketball player look exactly like you.

After you pass that portion, you go to pick your team. You are given a list of all the current NBA teams and once the game begins, it’s narrated by what appears to be real live actual sports announcers, giving you a play by play report on the game as you would see in real life. To the creators of this game, every single aspect and element of a true NBA basketball game is put inside this video game for a maximum gamer experience. I highly recommend this game for anybody that is a fan of the sport or even a non-fan of the sport. This game is for all types and ages of gamers, I feel even women would love it. If the realistic players don’t get you into loving this game, than the soundtrack and music arranged and produced by Jay-Z will. If I were to grade this game, it would get two thumbs up and a 10.

NBA2K13

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Zione Michaels — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:12:53 +0000

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Video Game

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Grade:

3.35

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Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron video game is an extension the previous video game series. The game has all your favorite Autobots and Decepticons such as Optimus Prime and Bumble Bee, Megatron and Starscream along with the other usual suspects. You can choose who you want to play with, but you have options that will allow you to customize the chosen character to some degree. This is a 3^rd person shooting game which I prefer because I like to see the entire character I’m playing with on the screen.

Now, depending on the level you are on, you will have quite a different experience playing this game. Each character has a different set of powers and abilities but only some of them can be used on specific levels/worlds. This makes the game less predictable even though we know all video games are. It still gives you a sense that you can play this game without getting bored too fast with the continued repetition. The graphics were what I expected. They are up to the level of the most popular video games out there. I’m still sour though how the graphics to all video game trailers are like movies but once you play them, you don’t see Hollywood cinematography. So, now that I’m over that, the graphics are fine.

I like that there is a multi-player mode. Matter of fact, I don’t even get why there would be single-player video games. Video games are always better when you have someone to play the game with you. Transformers: Fall of Cyberton was a good video game overall. I’d play it again. (That says something, if you didn’t know).

Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron

Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz

Seanoc — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 21:46:54 +0000

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Video Game

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Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz

Putting a monkey in a ball and rolling it across narrow, precarious platforms is a pretty cruel idea for a game, but gamers have struggled to resist Super Monkey Ball’s irresistible charms since it arrived way back in 2001.

It’s hard not to love the series’ trademark colourful cartoon style, which looks better than ever on PS Vita’s fabulous 5-inch OLED screen. The gameplay is familiar too, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Most developers are dazzled by Vita’s numerous control options, leading them to shoehorn touchscreen and gyro gestures into unsuitable games. However, SEGA has shown remarkable restraint. The touchscreen, the rear trackpad, the gyros and even the cameras are all used in the mini-games, but the trusted left analogue stick is all you need for the core game. Motion control is also available – and it’s an excellent way to play – but it’s entirely optional.

READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW ON PS3 ATTITUDE

Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz