‘Metro: Last Light’ is brooding, enjoyable, but glitchy
“Metro: Last Light” is an exciting and dark adventure into the living underworld of a post-nuclear Moscow, where train stations have become community centers and old world foes rear their ugly heads.
The action and story picks up after the player, Artyom, calls down a massive missile strike on an alien race known as Dark Ones as seen in the previous title, “Metro 2033.” Artyom is a member of the Rangers, and tasked with finding and killing the last remaining alien.
People only survive in the tunnels of the Metro system because the outside world has become poisonous and irradiated from an atomic blast 20 years ago. Mutated creatures dwell inside and outside the confines of the rail system, and pockets of humanity also live in different parts of the Metro.
These survivors have grouped themselves into like-minded ideals. Nazis occupy one area, Communists in another and gangsters in a third. Artyom starts out in the D6 military complex, one of the most well-supplied and safest areas in Moscow. Obviously, this “wealth” is something sought after by the others and Artyom comes in conflict with the Nazis and Reds on his mission to track down the last Dark One.
The game plays out as a first-person shooter in a linear, survival environment. There are also elements of the supernatural at play when Artyom meets up with the Dark Ones.
Obviously since most of the game happens in a tunnel, there is only one way to progress forward in the game. However even during the outside missions, you do not want to wander away from the next target (more on that in a moment) and often times, the landscape will funnel you to the area you need to go.
Supplies are very limited and the coin of the realm is military grade ammunition. That makes for an interesting choice at times because you can use the better ammo for greater damage, but you are literally shooting away your money.
Artyom can carry up to three weapons and four secondary weapons. You will also need a gas mask and filters to be able to survive the areas outside of the Metro. The filters only last a specific amount of time so management and discovery of that resource is extremely important to your success.
This is why wandering around outside is not a good idea because you will run out of breathable air if you decide to go scouting. A compass Artyom carries helps keep you pointed in the right direction.
Gunplay was tactile with each type of gun doing specific damage and reacting in different ways. Some enemies have specific weak points that must be dealt with first before administering the killing blow.
There are also explosives (two types) and throwing knives if bullets aren’t the best way of dispatching your enemies.
Because ammo is a scarcity (yes, I ran out a few times even trying to be careful), stealth then become the preferred method of getting through as much of the levels as possible. Sneaking up and dispatching enemies doesn’t waste valuable ammunition nor does it alert the numerous guards to your location.
You cannot drag a body into the shadows after stealth killing, so where you slay someone becomes just as important as the actual death dealing. The enemy AI isn’t likely to overlook a body in the middle of a room or hallway.
That said, the AI is not particularly good at spotting you in the shadows no matter how close they get to you. In one scene, I slid along a darkened wall to near a workbench where I thought I could pause for a moment while the guards chatted amongst themselves.
Their conversation broke up and one guard started walking directly toward the workbench. Raising my rifle, I was waiting until he cried the alarm before firing. Yet, he just started sharpening his knife at the bench – not noticing me less than a foot away.
I was able to creep back along the wall and get behind him for a stealth kill while remaining within arm’s reach from him at all times. The very limited AI vision into their darkened surroundings made some missions easier than I would have expected.
The second half of the game involves Artyom and the Dark One, who is just a child. Telepathically, you understand the meaning and connection between your character and the Dark Ones. The game starts to get a little mind trippy at this point, but the Dark One’s ability does come in handy later in the game
The child accompanies you and provides help in combat by spotting enemies and offering supplies he finds on the battlefield. As far as I could tell, he never took any kind of damage so it isn’t a protect/escort series of missions.
He also taps into other people’s thoughts and creates some ethical moments that will impact the ending of the game. He is mainly there for support and to help you uncover some very dangerous truths about your enemy’s plans.
There were some technical glitches along the way. Some opponents would freeze in place and couldn’t be hit or damaged. At first, I just ignored them, but then they would unfreeze as I got close to them and attack.
In a few missions in the game, Artyom travels with a companion. More than once, the companion would get stuck in a doorway or passage and not let Artyom get by. This was only fixed by reloading from the previous checkpoint.
This game is rated M for Mature and earns it. Besides the obvious blood and intense violence, there are instances of nudity and sexual content. In a brothel house scene, you can repeatedly pay (with your hard earned ammunition) for a nude dancing girl to perform for you. There is a touching sequence involving Artyom and a different woman who is partially nude.
There is also a side mission where you can rescue a refugee woman who is about to be sexually assaulted. No nudity here, but the dialog is disturbing.
“Metro: Last Light” kept me hooked with the twists and turns of the story, solid combat mechanics and a step into the supernatural. The technical glitches were distracting, but did not diminish my overall enjoyment for the title too much.
**POTENTIAL SPOILER AHEAD**
If I can give you one tip, there is a mission involving a tank. Do not listen to the dialog. It is misleading and will cause you great anguish if you try to do what is being said.
** end tip **
“Metro: Last Light” is available now in North America and the rest of the world on May 17. It can be played on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. It is rated M for Mature due to blood, intense violence, nudity, sexual content, strong language, and use of drugs and alcohol. This review was done using a provided copy for the Xbox 360.
‘The Bureau: XCOM Declassified’ is looking for heroes
With a dash of “X-Files” mixed in with a helping of “Men in Black,” “The Bureau: XCOM Declassified” was finally revealed as a squad-based-tactical shooter.
2K Marin is going back to the past, specifically 1962, to weave a tale of the first alien invasion in the United States. The world is already tense from US/USSR nuclear relations and the Cold War, and a secret special agency, The Bureau, is formed to keep American interests safe from the Red Menace and retain U.S. power globally.
The player takes on the role of William Carver, an agent with The Bureau known for getting the job done no matter what it takes. With the discovery of aliens and the potential of an alien invasion, Carver and his fellow agents are challenged to adapt.
“The organization that nobody knows about to combat the Russians are now having to switch gears and combat the aliens,” producer Andrew Dutro explained. “The Bureau now turns into an XCOM organization.”
At its core, “The Bureau” is a third-person, squad-based tactical combat game. It is a real-time strategy battle as opposed to a turn-based game, putting the pressure of the clock on all your decisions and moves.
Similar to “XCOM: Enemy Unknown,” it is not a “one man does everything” operation. You go on missions with your 4-person team, work with others in the agency to research alien technology, develop new weapons and combat the alien incursion.
“You’re going to need coordinated tactics, squad-based tactics for any chance of success or you’re going to die,” creative director Morgan Gray said. “We have an interface called Battle Focus, which will give you real-time control of your squad mates.”
Expect to see familiar alien faces if you’ve played “Enemy Unknown,” but in a different context than before. There are also new additions to the enemy ranks in order to mix things up for the player.
Agents in The Bureau rank up and abilities increase the more you use them successfully. However, fail to use them properly and there are lasting consequences. Permanent death awaits those who fall in battle with no chance to revive them.
Developers are definitely targeting the more skilled, hard-core player. “This isn’t about babysitting the player,” Gray said. “It demands heroes to win.”
If battling aliens wasn’t enough, you also have to take on history itself. The U.S. population and the world cannot know about the aliens or how The Bureau battled the alien menace.
“(Players) are also going to be part of the greatest conspiracy known throughout the U.S. government, which will be the covering up of this organization,” Gray said. “The world in 1962 cannot know how close we came to defeat at the hands of the aliens.”
Gray said getting the tone of the early 1960s and including the dark humor known in the “XCOM” franchise was tough.
“The juxtaposition of the 60s world in which we start in which is real, not fake, true history and then effectively creating a new alternate history both as we know it for our own planet and America, and XCOM’s history,” Gray said. “Straddling that line – it’s a lot of mouths to feed creatively.”
The game will be available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC in North America on August 20. It will be released internationally on August 23.
Also, there is no multi-player option. Gray said they really wanted to concentrate on the story and the action, and didn’t want to tack on something they didn’t feel was good enough for “The Bureau.”
‘Defiance’ is online shooter fun, still a work in progress
“Defiance” has become a game that even though I’ve done all I want to do in the open world, I keep coming back to do it again because it is so enjoyable. That said, there are times when the online shooter is afflicted with some of the problems that plague online games.
You are an ark hunter on Earth in the year 2046. Think scoundrel, fixer-upper, gopher and general guy-who-gets-everything-done and you are on the right track. You start out as part of a mission to basically save the world when the aircraft you’re on crashes in the San Francisco bay area.
The region has become a twisted environment of old buildings, new flora and creatures and pockets of human and alien settlements. Because this is a shooter, you are expected to and will gun your way through a variety of missions.
Besides the main story mission that has plenty of twists, turns and challenges, there are also episode missions and side missions to give your character additional opportunities to grow. Because the game is tied into the SyFy weekly series of the same name, you get to interact with the show’s two main characters in your episode mission and get more background on the show itself.
Much of the mission work is typical questing type adventuring. Defeat this bad guy, collect this relic, defend this area. But because this is an online game, there are plenty of opportunities to work with other players to make the jobs easier and more tactical.
It is more incidental co-op play than anything organized unless players join up together to form clans. But there is nothing that prevents a player from clan hopping and no player-vs-player action outside of specifically designed areas.
If you want more than missions, there are also time trial challenges and areas called hotshots and rampage. Those areas are all about killing as much as you can within time or ammunition restrictions to gain the highest score.
And if that isn’t enough, there are random scenarios scattered throughout the area – rescuing farmers, fighting off hellbugs, defeating mutant soldiers. There is quite a lot to do in the game, and that doesn’t even include the four-player co-op maps, the competitive maps and Shadow Wars.
Shadow Wars maps are massive team against team battles where each side tries to take over and control different points on the map. It is total mayhem at its best because the battle takes place on the main map and non-combatants can and do wander into the field of play.
Arkfall instances are similar but cooperative in nature against a series of massive foes. Anyone can participate and some of the best battles occur with dozens of players trying to take down a hellbug matron. The rewards are also pretty awesome as well as loot is scattered across the battlefield for anyone to gather.
There is a bit of RPG leveling in “Defiance” as your character gains points towards Ego powers. Ego is a sentient AI bound to your character that can bestow different basic powers like Blur, Cloak, Overcharge and Decoy. You can earn additional powers that branch off from those four that increase your combat abilities or personal statistics.
You can also level your weapons the more you use them. Quite a bit of variety available, but you can only use two at a time. You can carry more in your inventory, but switching from those two to something else in the middle of a battle could be dicey. Modding is also available for most weapons and let you add barrel, stock, or targeting mods to improve your guns even more.
All of this is why I love “Defiance.” So much to do, so much variety and the promise of additional content make this online shooter quite a lot of fun to play.
Except.
While Trion has been doing their best to plug the holes with patches, problems still exist in the world. Four-player co-op maps that are completely empty of friends or foe, and missing event triggers that leave players standing around wondering what to do next still happen far too often.
Server disconnects in the middle of instances aren’t as frequent as they were when the game launched, but can and do occur. But I will say many of the graphical glitches from the launch have been cleaned up and the environments behave better.
Is it frustrating? You bet. Normally, I would have popped this from the console (oh, yes. This is a console online shooter.) and moved on without a backward glance.
But the content and the action continually pull me back in. I’ve already finished the main story mission and am now doing it again just because it was fun. The co-op missions are a blast and the Shadow Wars are insane.
I’m hoping the new content comes sooner rather than later. For their part, Trion has said they will continue to work out the bugs, provide new storylines and improve the missions.
It is a living, breathing world and every glitch will probably not get fixed. But there is plenty of enjoyment to be had with “Defiance” and I, for one, am going back in.
“Defiance” is available now for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. It is rated M for Mature due to blood, drug references, sexual themes, strong language, and violence. This review was done with a provide retail copy for the Xbox 360.
Living tracks ready to surprise drivers in ‘Grid 2′
What a view! Now go win the race!
Most racing games are all about timing. Study the course and you’ll find the best spots to turn, brake, and accelerate. It’s almost like clockwork – barring a bump from a competitor.
In “Grid 2,” you can’t memorize the racecourse because it changes while the event is still going on. It is alive.
During a hands-on multi-player demonstration, developers from Codemaster showed off the sequel to their 2008 title, “Race Driver: GRID.” Eight competitors jammed in a room to take a turn at the wheel, but the final version allows up to 12 racers to connect online.
There are three different races to experience: checkpoint, endurance, and circuit. Each has its own quirks and strategies so being successful at them all will definitely test your skills.
Checkpoint racing is all about surviving as long as you can and go farther than your opponents. While the competition is head-to-head, it is all about hitting the next checkpoint to add more time. The more time you have, the farther you go.
Seems easy enough until you get tangled up with someone in a corner and are scrambling to hit the next mark. Staying out in front seems to be the best strategy, but everyone is vying for that position. Or do you run a slower, but smarter race just to stay alive longer?
Circuit racing is three laps around real world courses and different settings. This is what racing typically is about and selection of cars’ specifications is important. Choose a car that’s right for your style and you’ll have success.
Endurance is a five-minute race to see who can travel the farthest. It is different from checkpoint racing in a couple of aspects.
It is a staggered, rolling start and cars are strung out at the beginning. No bumping or blocking at the start line.
More importantly, the track changes as the race goes on. In a feature developers called “live routes,” parts of the race course will change with new turns and straightaways cropping up in new places.
Lead level designer Graham Bromley said the course would organically move around the barrier structures in the race to keep drivers on their toes.
“Previously, drivers were conditioned about what was on the course,” he said. “This will make them more reactive to the changes and really open up the races in new and exciting ways.”
Connecting with drivers online not only offers head-to-head racing, but also senior game designer Lee Roberts said rivalries and global challenges will be a part of “Grid 2.”
“We’ll have nine events weekly that reset every week so there is always something fresh for the player,” Roberts said. “Rivals will be matched up to your play style and region. You won’t get someone who is half way around the world. It will be someone who you can race against regularly.”
Bromley said they’ve added features to cut out griefing and cheating in the game. He said they really want players to enjoy coming to the global games and know they are going to have fun.
If multi-player isn’t your bag, there is a single player campaign putting you in the fire suit of Patrick Callahan, an up and coming racer who is ready to put his name at the top of the leader boards.
“You live his life, but you’ll be writing your own story as you go along,” Roberts said. Fourteen locations, 93 routes and four different tiers challenge the player as you progress.
Both Roberts and Bromley spoke about changes in the appearance and gameplay for the new title. There are also plans to let players take the game with them as they go.
“We didn’t want to lose the feel of the original GRID,” Roberts said. “But we didn’t want to bring out something that wasn’t a step forward.”
“It is also about extending the game experience and staying connected,” Bromley said. He said players could stay in touch through YouTube, Facebook and Twitter with a mobile app in the near future.
“It all about the synergy of track and car,” he said. “That’s where we’ve put out efforts with this talented studio. An emphasis on skill.”
Roberts also said players who can work the courses well would get visual treats. He specifically mentioned the race in Paris.
“If you master the draft just right around this one corner, you get a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower out your windshield,” Roberts said. “That’s my ‘wow’ moment in the game. It is so beautiful.”
“Grid 2” is set for release worldwide on May 28 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Revel in dying in ‘Dark Souls II’
James Bond: “Do you expect me to talk?”
Auric Goldfinger: “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.” (from Goldfinger)
It seems the creators of “Dark Souls II” may have been watching a little too much Bond movies when working on their latest title. At an event revealing new gameplay, co-director Yui Tanimura really wants players to enjoy death, because they are going to get a lot of it from the new title.
Tanimura emphasized two major concepts they wanted to incorporate with “Dark Souls II,” a loose connection of sharing with players around the world and the sense of achievement by overcoming difficulties. It is that second part that will likely drive players insane with frustration or joy, depending on how you want to play the game.
The original title created much discussion about the considerable difficulty players had during the game. Even today, there is very little ground – gamers love it or hate it.
Tanimura said all the improvements and enhancements to the battle system and the visuals were to drive the player deeper into the game. He said players will have different types of deaths they can experience and suggested games should enjoy the deaths.
“I don’t want it to be unfair,” he said through a translator, “but I want to give a solid sense of satisfaction when you advance. We want you to kill with substance.”
A new graphics engine and motion capture of player movements make “Dark Souls II” visually appealing in the short video trailer. The battle system has gone for simple controls and emphasizes strategy. You’ll also need trial and error to find enemy weaknesses, which accounts for the multiple deaths along the way.
Enemies have been improved with unique situational reactions and strategies of their own. There has also been a change in how the difficulty level will ramp up for a stage.
“We wanted to get rid of the start to finish template,” Tanimura said. “Bosses can now appear in the middle of the state and can actually be defeated early although it is much tougher.”
While he did say they do want to take care of newcomers to the franchise, he said they did listen extensively to what previous players told them about the original title. With that in mind, they made improvements geared toward giving gamers more freedom during the story.
“We don’t want to force actions for players, but make it more free roaming,” Tanimura said. “The choice for players will be risk versus reward.”
Tanimura is proud of how flexible the game is going to be so players can enjoy it the way they want. He said he’s looking forward to seeing gamers figure out how to conquer the game.
“Dark Souls II” will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. They were not prepared to talk about next-gen console releases or provide a release date at this time.
‘Dead Space 3′ full of action, story, missing scares
Issac! Look behind you! On second thought, don’t.
“Dead Space 3” introduces new monsters, a crafting system for weapons and supplies and a co-op feature, but loses some of what made the franchise great – intense horror.
Isaac Clarke returns as the reluctant hero in a quest that starts out personal but quickly falls into chasing the Markers, those alien monoliths that are able to turn humans into necromorphs. Isaac is still tortured by the memories from the first two installments of the franchise and is called upon to use his knowledge to prevent the destruction of humanity.
If you never played the first two, never fear. A movie at the beginning helps tells the backstory and bring players up to speed. However, it would be better if you take the time to grab the others and give them a shot before diving into this one.
It is the year 2314. Earth is in turmoil and an alien presence is making its mark on the people. A religion worshiping the Markers as key to the next evolutionary step of humans takes over and tries to set the planet on a path of rebirth.
Issac is called in to find his ex-girlfriend and ends up dealing with the movement in brand new environments. Beginning missions happen in space and involve moving from ship to ship during the story. Having Issac move through space gives players the feeling of openness, choice and lonliness. When the action moves planetside, that feeling is intensified by the backwater ice planet where most of the action occurs.
Tau Volantis is literally a frozen wasteland trapped in time. Blowing snowdrifts, rocky cliffs and twisty paths hide enemies well and do give a sense of tension when you can’t see what’s coming. The locator, a piece of tech that keeps you on the story path, was helpful when branching caverns had me going in circles.
New enemies lurk on and in the ice ball. Some of the familiar necromorphs return, but new hideous creations are ready to pounce and rip Isaac apart. Much like their previous incarnations, you are never really quite sure if they’re dead until you stomp them into goo.
Do stomp them like you are dancing. While many aliens will drop loot after being shot, some are still hiding ammo or components within their shells and you can only find it by beating a dead corpse. Yes, there is a lot of loot to be found, but you’ll use it along the way to stay alive and also craft new weapons and supplies.
The crafting element is new, but doesn’t really feel enjoyable. The idea is to collect components as you go, build weapons from the ground up, then augment them with new, deadly components. Don’t want to design your own? Blueprints will help you get basic and advanced weaponry without mixing and matching components.
Once I obtained a gun I was happy with, crafting really became an afterthought. Although I did upgrade damage, rate of fire, clip size and reload ability, I never did any more tweaking to them. Components were used to max out my armor’s capabilities, and create health and ammo packs. For most of the game, I only visited the workbench to dump off items I didn’t want to carry anymore. Just didn’t feel the need or desire to build a weapon for building’s sake.
The action is intense and satisfying. Waves of enemies try to overrun your position and it always seems like there was one or two monsters lurking behind you. Dead necromorphs explode into a shower of limbs and ichor. Like the previous games, shooting off the limbs works much faster than blasting away at their bodies.
Big boss monsters are also on tap and one particular battle was gross and funny. I don’t know if it was meant to be that way, but I was laughing through parts of that mission.
Optional missions offer new challenges and new loot packs. They are nice diversions to the main story, yet feel like they are a part of the overall success. Text and audio logs found along the way also do a nice job of filling in the blanks in the story and help players understand what is happens and why.
Isaac gets some help this time in the form of a co-op player, John Carver. Carver is a drop-in/drop-out character that a second player can control, but is also around during the solo adventure. He has his own story, background and motivations, but those can only be truly explored by playing as Carver.
There are also co-op only areas that are locked off if you are doing the solo mission. These areas offer specific missions that must be done by two and get a little into the minds of each character. Players can support and revive each other without making it seem like everyone is only out for himself or herself.
One important thought – play with someone who plays like you. The experience will be much better if you find a second player has a similar style to your own. Otherwise, one player will be creeping along, examining everything while the other charges into another room. It isn’t as much fun, so pick your co-op buddy carefully.
“Dead Space 3” was selected on many lists as a “most anticipated horror game for 2013.” And while the franchise has been considered one of the finest horror games, this title doesn’t quite reach that pinnacle.
There are a couple of factors to consider. Players may be used to seeing necromorphs, so those horrific visions that filled our nightmares after a gaming session may actually be what we expect to see now. Our minds have been conditioned to twisted bodies and unearthly sounds so we don’t get the fright factor we used to.
Also, the franchise story is wrapping up, and I appreciated the development team doing a great job of tying up all the loose ends, the quest for those answers got in the way of just having horror for horror sake. Sure, there are some “jump out of the dark” moments that startle, but nothing scary like what I experienced in “Dead Space” and “Dead Space 2.”
Overall, “Dead Space 3” was a very good finale for the story of Isaac and the alien Markers. There are excellent moments that hook you emotionally and the combat is fun. While the horror factor is unintentionally dialed down due to familiarity, there is still a lot to love about this final (?) chapter.
“Dead Space 3” is available now in North America, February 7 in Australia and February 8 in Europe. It can be played on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. It is rated M for Mature due to blood and gore, intense violence, strong language. This review was done with a provided PS3 version of the Limited Edition “Dead Space 3.”
Revel in dying in ‘Dark Souls II’
James Bond: “Do you expect me to talk?”
Auric Goldfinger: “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.” (from Goldfinger)
It seems the creators of “Dark Souls II” may have been watching a little too much Bond movies when working on their latest title. At an event revealing new gameplay, co-director Yui Tanimura really wants players to enjoy death, because they are going to get a lot of it from the new title.
Tanimura emphasized two major concepts they wanted to incorporate with “Dark Souls II,” a loose connection of sharing with players around the world and the sense of achievement by overcoming difficulties. It is that second part that will likely drive players insane with frustration or joy, depending on how you want to play the game.
The original title created much discussion about the considerable difficulty players had during the game. Even today, there is very little ground – gamers love it or hate it.
Tanimura said all the improvements and enhancements to the battle system and the visuals were to drive the player deeper into the game. He said players will have different types of deaths they can experience and suggested games should enjoy the deaths.
“I don’t want it to be unfair,” he said through a translator, “but I want to give a solid sense of satisfaction when you advance. We want you to kill with substance.”
A new graphics engine and motion capture of player movements make “Dark Souls II” visually appealing in the short video trailer. The battle system has gone for simple controls and emphasizes strategy. You’ll also need trial and error to find enemy weaknesses, which accounts for the multiple deaths along the way.
Enemies have been improved with unique situational reactions and strategies of their own. There has also been a change in how the difficulty level will ramp up for a stage.
“We wanted to get rid of the start to finish template,” Tanimura said. “Bosses can now appear in the middle of the state and can actually be defeated early although it is much tougher.”
While he did say they do want to take care of newcomers to the franchise, he said they did listen extensively to what previous players told them about the original title. With that in mind, they made improvements geared toward giving gamers more freedom during the story.
“We don’t want to force actions for players, but make it more free roaming,” Tanimura said. “The choice for players will be risk versus reward.”
Tanimura is proud of how flexible the game is going to be so players can enjoy it the way they want. He said he’s looking forward to seeing gamers figure out how to conquer the game.
“Dark Souls II” will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. They were not prepared to talk about next-gen console releases or provide a release date at this time.
‘Dishonored’ wants gamers to play it their way
These Tallboys can rain death from on high, plus see you in the rooftops. Be wary.
“Dishonored” blends a unique gameplay system with expansive environments to provide the right experiences for gamers to play their own way.
The game from Arkane Studios and Bethesda Softworks puts players in the role of Corvo, a bodyguard to an Empress who is wrong accused of her murder. You are tasked with clearing your name, ousting those who currently hold power and putting the Empress’s daughter back on the throne.
CNN Tech - ’Dishonored’ creators buck sequel trend, give players freedom
Apparently, Corvo’s skills at stealth and assassination are what got him his bodyguard position and what he’ll need to use to accomplish his goals. A sword in one hand and a projectile weapon (pistol or crossbow) in the other, he has the option of confronting enemies directly or finding ways to sneak around them.
Here lies the heart of the game – there are two distinct ways to play and succeed, through combat or stealth. Both can be utilized throughout and interchanged as needed, but there are consequences to taking the bloody route.
Combat, if you choose it, is fast paced and frenetic at times. All the action is from the first-person perspective, so bad guys get up in your face with swords flashing. Blocking and counterattacking with your own sword is often the best way to defeat them because they will do the same to you.
Players can also drop down on unsuspecting victims and dispatch them with ease.
Using a pistol or crossbow loaded with a variety of bolts will do the job from a distance if you want. The loud crack of the gun will attract attention, but also has the most devastating effect on enemies.
Crossbow bolts come in different flavors for different effects. Standard bolts should be aimed at the opponent’s head for maximum effect. Sleep darts do a great job if you don’t want to kill someone or attract too much attention. Incendiary bolts will set people (and things) on fire.
Stealth, on the other hand, will take patience and a keen eye and ear. Developers filled the environments with many different passages to the mission goal. Look high across the rooftops or low through alleyways and corridors to bypass many guards. Listen often for the sounds of conversation or footsteps so you don’t blindly stumble into someone’s path.
There is an additional element to completing your missions: magic. Early on, Corvo meets up with a mystical figure that bestows magical abilities on the assassin. Your first power, Blink, allows you to teleport a short distance, which comes in handy when trying to sneak up on guards or for quick escapes.
More abilities get unlocked as runes are discovered. These runes grant players access to offensive and defensive abilities for combat and stealth. What powers you select will likely be based on how you want to play the game.
Tip: it doesn’t matter if you want to go the combat route or the stealth route, take the Dark Vision power. It allows you to see through walls and spot enemies before they can see you. Level two of Dark Vision highlights their field of vision so you can determine when they are facing you and when they are looking elsewhere.
In addition to runes, there are also bone charms which convey small bonuses to different abilities. While there are many scattered around, only three can be active at a time. Upgrades can raise that number to five.
The world of “Dishonored” is a mix of steampunk and science fiction. Many of the surroundings have a retro, Victorian era look and feel to them. The clothing and buildings are stylized to resemble the 1800s, but there are some very distinct futuristic elements in place as well.
Electricity has been turned into a weapon as scientists have created defensive structures that have devastating effects. Wall of Light is a field of electricity that will disintegrate trespassers and Arc Pylons shoot out bolts of electricity to fry enemies. However, these can be used against Corvo’s foes by simply rewiring them so they recognize him as a friendly and the guards as targets.
The world itself is a new, and apparently, dangerous place. Events occur on one of a series of islands where civilization apparently resides. There are mentions of a vast continent, filled with savages and wild beasts, but Corvo never ventures there. All of the action transpires in the city of Dunwall, the capital of the Empire of Isles.
The city is dark and foreboding, even in daylight. It is an industrial whaling town that once was prosperous, but has fallen on dark times due to a crushing plague transmitted by rats. Indeed, the rats are everywhere, including some of the posh parties in the cities, and larger swarms of them will attack people immediately. Oh, and they particularly like unconscious or dead bodies.
Trinkets found along the way are automatically converted into coins, so no selling of items or overloaded inventory screens to deal with. Coins and potions (both health and mana) can also be discovered. There are some vendors who will accept your money in exchange for ammo, upgrades and potions.
The story plays out as a series of mission taking Corvo to various parts of Dunwall. These areas are open and offer many side missions along the way. While there is an ultimate goal and end to each segment, how you get there and what you see can and will vary from player to player.
Streaking to the goal is not advisable. While it can be done, you’ll miss out on a lot and, my big complaint, you can’t go back after you’ve completed the mission to see what you’ve missed. There are conversations to be heard, people to rescue, items to find and new ways to explore that will likely get passed over by players if you don’t take the time to wander.
In a conversation with co-creator Harvey Smith, he said the average player will only get to see about 30% of the narrative because there is so much to see/read/do on each mission. He and co-creator Raphael Colantonio truly wanted to give players the options to play the game their own way, which is to their credit.
“Dishonored” is about choice – stealth or combat, high road or low road, magic or no magic. The list of options goes on and on. Letting players choose their own adventure allows enjoyment of the game by a wide variety of gamers.
The new, highly detailed environments add to a gripping story that evolves and changes as the player progresses through the game. While the missions themselves are linear, the areas are expansive enough to give players freedom without letting them run wild in a sandbox.
Bloody or not bloody? Which path do you choose? And how will you get there? It is all in your hands.
“Dishonored” will be released Tuesday, October 9, in North America, October 11 in Australia and Japan, and October 12 in Europe. It is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Death makes ‘Darksiders II’ worth playing
Button-mashing fighting style with fantastical weapons, a lead character born from legend and an engaging story involving redemption over mythological pantheons – it must be the new “God of..”
No, wait. It isn’t. However, it is just as exciting due to a strong lead character.
“Darksiders II” is a wonderful (but a bit buggy) action-adventure, role-playing game putting you in the starring role of Death, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Death is upset with how his brother, War, is being treated at the hands of the Creators for War’s role in the demise of humanity (as seen in “Darksiders”). So Death comes up with a plan to resurrect humans on Earth and prove his brother was tricked.
To do this, Death must travel to various realms, engage in quests for creatures that should be able to do these things for themselves, and struggle against physical and psychological attacks by those who want revenge.
Death looks like a mix between a heavy metal guitarist and a modernized version of Skeletor from the Masters of the Universe cartoon, but Michael Wincott is superb as his voice. He gives the Grim Reaper the right amount of attitude and gravitas while still portraying humor when needed. This blend gives Death a splendid personality that players should be able to identify with easily and enjoy throughout the game.
Combat is straightforward hack and slash with twin scythes acting as his main weapons. A single button activates the scythes while secondary weapons (axes, maces, specialty weapons) use to a second button. Fighting is a button mashing frenzy of combos and whirling weapons.
Non-player characters will offer training in the form of special attacks. Some of the attacks are simple enough to use with repeated button pushing. Others are more complicated, requiring a shoulder button push while moving the directional joystick in a certain direction and pressing another button. The effects in combat can be devastating and visceral.
Death can also unleash different types of damage depending on his weapon choices. Different damage (cold, for example) can have a greater impact on particular types of enemies (fire enemies). There are also possessed weapons that grow stronger when other gear is “sacrificed” to increase its power.
He also gains Reaper energy during combat, allowing him to transform into true form of the Grim Reaper, complete with hooded cape and huge scythe. During this mode, his damage is increased, but the transformation only lasts a few moments before he reverts to his normal self.
Because it is also a role-playing game, Death can level up by earning experience points for completing quests and slaying foes. Spending skill points for leveling up in one of two talent trees offers protection from harm or the ability to call forth allies to harm your opponents. Summoning ghouls and sending them at my foes turned out to be a very nice buy with my skill points, especially when I added fire damage, which caused them to explode when killed.
Wrath energy fuels those talents, much like mana in other RPGs for magic. This resource can be gathered from fallen foes or discovered inside bottles stored in chests. Some weapon abilities can also increase the rate of Wrath gathered from dead enemies, so pay particular attention to those bonuses if you plan to utilize your skills during combat.
Death also has two companions available during his travels, a death horse and a crow. Despair, his horse, allows him to truly become one of the Four Horsemen and cover vast distances with ease. Despair does have a “charge” ability, dealing damage to anyone in his path. Dust, his crow, helps players stay on their quest paths. By showing Death the way, Dust flies to the quest points, perches on nearby areas of interest or leads the Grim Reaper to easier ways around obstacles. The bird has no combat abilities and stays high above any fighting.
To prove his brother’s innocence, Death must traverse through different realms between heaven and hell. The different worlds offer many quests and opportunities to increase levels and loot. Despair will help you get around the landscape, but Fast Travel allows you to leave a marker in a dungeon so you can easily return when you want. Be warned: only one Fast Travel marker can be used at a time, which means traveling from dungeon to dungeon and back again is not easy.
Each realm is beautifully rendered and unique to a specific theme for that world. Character movements are fluid and natural while some facial animations can be a bit jumpy at times. The personalities of the inhabitants come through on occasion, but it is hard to empathize with them as you jump from quest to quest. Although, one character in particular earned my distain very nicely and I was glad to see Death vocalize that emotion as well.
The dungeons are concentrated battles broken up by puzzle scenarios to progress to the end boss fight. There is a lot of wall walking, rail shimmying and growth climbing to get over obstacles. Some areas require some back tracking to accomplish your mission, so find a dungeon map in one of the many chests to help you out.
However, while there are no loading screens per se, the scene will freeze while the next scene loads, causing a weird pause in the normally flowing action. This doesn’t happen for long, but it does happen more often than I’d like in an RPG game.
There is also an arena called The Crucible, which offers wave after wave of enemies. It plays out like a game show. Beat levels of foes and win a prize. You can keep it or risk it to battle more foes for potentially a bigger prize. Risk versus reward. How confident are you in your fighting skills?
For all its button-mashy fun, the game was surprisingly buggy during play. Boss battles with enemies as large as mountains would sometimes result in Death being inside the enemy before “teleporting” out, leaving me confused about which direction I was facing and what I needed to hit. Audio glitches would wipe out entire scenes of dialog. There was more than one instance when my controls ceased working and access to my skills went away. The game also completely seized up three different times on the Xbox 360 version.
“Darksiders II” tells a great story with a strong lead character and visually appealing combat. The game is expansive with some side missions and collectables to drive you beyond the main story. Puzzles will challenge your brain as much as the plethora of foes will task your button dexterity.
While your thoughts may wander to that other character with the chained swords at times, Death plays a strong role in driving the action and engaging the player to find new ways to slaughter enemies. He never tries to be a sympathetic anti-hero, but he is worth diving into – despite his resemblance to that other guy.
“Darksiders II” is available now in North America and on August 21 in Europe. It is rated M for mature due to blood and gore, suggestive themes, and violence. It is available for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC. This review was done using a provided final copy for the Xbox 360.
‘Spec Ops: The Line’ shows darkness, mental futility of combat
“Spec Ops: The Line” reveals the horrors and ambiguity of war in a riveting story, but also makes players feel a little out of control of their own destiny.
The action begins after a devastating sandstorm nearly wipes Dubai, United Arab Emirates, off the map. A U.S. military battalion, the “Dammed” 33rd, is sent in to help evacuate the city and lead survivors away from the windswept city.
The storm cuts off communications, and you, as Captain Martin Walker, now lead a small Delta Force into the remnants of the city, find anyone you can, and ultimately discover the fate of the 33rd‘s leader, Colonel John Konrad.
The game plays as a third-person shooter, with a wide variety of weapons and tactics typical to this genre. There is some squad-based action allowing the player to direct the other two members of Delta Force into position, fire on enemies, or heal an injured squadmate. Some weapons do have secondary modes, which come in handy for silent action (silencer) or taking out groups of enemies (grenade launcher).
But it is the story that drives this title. Walker (you) is presented with a series of choices throughout the game, some more obvious than others. The action twists and turns as your choices reveal new paths.
What makes this choice system unique is there is not necessarily a paragon/renegade decision to be made. Lead writer Walt Williams told CNN.com, “Sometimes there isn’t a right choice to be made, but you have to make one.”
Indeed, the options are less clear cut than in other games. Williams wanted players to experience the true feelings of helplessness that war presents soldiers in the field. Do you save the civilians from the firing squad or do you save the CIA agent who can possibly lead you to safety?
The tale is dark, foreboding and full of internal conflict. There were situations where I made a choice, saved the game, then reloaded before the choice to make a different selection because I didn’t know which one was “the right one.” But that’s what this is all about – it is the choice between lesser evils.
However, it was a situation where I wasn’t given a choice that affected me the most. While that speaks to the deep immersion of the game, it also flies in the face of what the game designers hoped players would feel by being in control.
Trying not to give away spoilers here, the ending left me frustrated and betrayed at the climax of the game. Many of the choices I made seemed to be irrelevant and the entire premise lead me to the story’s pinnacle whether I wanted to go there or not.
Also, the story also seemed to “rub my nose” in the choices I made, outright mocking them or showing me what could have been. I get this was done in an effort to break Walker’s will for story purposes, but as a player, this could have been handled differently without making me (the player) feel like an idiot.
The only choice that made any difference to me as a player was the last one – even though it was a very big one.
“Spec Ops: The Line” is a Hitchcock-like story, with twist, turns and double takes leaving your head spinning and questioning your own value system. Williams and his team should rightfully be praised for putting together a tale that does show the horrors and futility of war.
“Some people might not get it,” he said. “Even we might not get it right, but at least people will be thinking about making games this way. Someone might even do it better than we do in the future.”
The bar is high. While the action is solid, if unspectacular, the storyline will drive the player forward and keep them engaged throughout. How the game ultimately feels at the end will certainly vary from player to player.
It does succeed in showing the futility and helplessness soldiers are forced to deal with in combat situations. For that, it deserves high marks.
“Spec Ops: The Line” is available now in North America and Europe for Windows PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It is rated M for Mature due to blood and gore, intense violence, and strong language. This review was done with a provided copy for the Xbox 360. No multiplayer action was available at the time of writing.