MMGN.COM takes a look at the Wii 2 from Nintendo which has been given the codename Project Cafe, and also the PSN outage that is plaguing gamers worldwide.
Tag Archive: Gaming
Bizarre Creations have made a name for themselves behind the excellent Project Gotham Series that blended realistic racing with a touch of arcade fun and did it well. Their follow up title is the action packed Blur, an arcade racer that will have players racing realistic cars while using power-ups to dominate their opposition. Fun, frantic and badass; but is Blur worth the price of admission?
The single-player Career is no easy feat, featuring some truly brutal A.I which can be a little off putting when you are trying to learn the basic mechanics of the game. Learning how the power-ups function and perfecting your drifting skills are a hard task to accomplish as Blur just throws your in the deep end of the action, providing you with small tutorial videos along the way as you begin new events.
If you are after a simulated racing experience you need not look here. More often than not you will find yourself fighting to survive as your opponent will launch a multitude of attacks and defenses against you. While it is easy enough to evade your attackers on the smaller races, when you have a full grid of 20 things turn into utter chaos. It’s fast, it’s furious, and it’s unrelenting. Power-ups are varied and a lot of fun, you’ll have the option of using missile attacks to phasers, shields, mines, boost and more. The great feature is each weapon has an alternate use for example; find yourself coming into a corner too hot and you have a boost power-up? Simply use the alternate fire mode and rather than boost it slows you down mega quick. It’s these little quirks that will eventually mean the difference between surviving and dominating.
The single-player career will have you racing in a number of events from standard racing with power-ups, to checkpoint racing, to destruction events all in order to unlock new cars and progress to the higher classes. You win “lights” by placing in events, and by hitting certain fan targets. The more impressive you are, the more fans you win. Simple enough premise and one that works to the titles advantage.
While racing around pulling off sweet moves, blasting your opponents with a multitude of weaponry and seeing that fan counter ticking over is satisfying at first, after extended playtime with Blur it begins to grow tired and weak. The game does well to throw you in the deep end and just leave you there, but sooner than later you learn how to traverse the waters and you will find yourself wishing there was more to discover.
Blur is a decent looking game. While it may lack a little in the details when compared to other racers out there, it’s easy on the eye and more importantly runs at a consistent frame-rate even when faced with some truly chaotic scenes. Matched up with a great sound from each and every car, Blur hits the right notes when it comes to audio and visual presentation.
Multiplayer is a blast with a small group of friends; nothing can quite beat that feeling you get when you smash your best friend with a perfectly placed flurry of bolt attacks, yet much like the single player the experience becomes messy and chaotic with a full grid of 20. Thankfully this can be evened out with a series of fun team based races and battle modes, which is by far the most rewarding and exciting way to play Blur online. Along with the online components the developers have thrown in a 4 player split screen option which is handy for those with friends around who want to get in on the action.
The Final Verdict
Blur had all the right ingredients to be a great game; frantic pacing, chaotic battle, wide and varied suite of multiplayer options, smooth frame rate backed up by great audio. The fact of the matter is there is nothing wrong with Blur, it just fails to give the gamer a reason to keep coming back for more. Fun with friends, fun for an hour or so every now and then, but it won’t keep you playing for much longer than that.
7/10
Since its first release on PC’s in 2002, the Battlefield brand has be the epitome of engaging multipalyer combat in the eyes of gamers across the globe. Since then the game has also branched off into console territory, 2008 seeing the release of Battlefield: Bad Company; the first Battlefield game not to see a PC release, and to include a single player, story driven campaign. Two years later Swedish developer DICE are at it again, this time dropping Battlefield: Bad Company 2 on all major platforms, bringing the ever popular series back to its rightful home on the PC. Featuring some of the best multiplayer combat going around right now, and a solid yet slightly lacking single-player experience to boot, is BC2 worth strapping on those combat boots and going to war?
The single player campaign follows B-Company as they travel across the globe in desperate search of a mythical weapon that is capable of devastating destruction which cannot fall into the hands of the Russians. While the story is not exactly a strong point of the campaign, you will get the chance to travel through a series of gorgeous environments, ranging from frozen mountains tops to a jungle paradise. It’s the amazing amount of details of these locations that will immediately stand to attention as you begin fighting your way through the campaign. The developers have really pushed the graphics this time round, offering photorealistic vistas that seem to have a sense of depth that simply needs to be seen to be believed.
It’s not just the amazing views or the luscious environments that make BC2 a great looking game. The Frostbite Engine certainly has come a long way since the first Bad Company, improving almost every facet of the games look and physics. Fully destructible environments return, send enough rockets at any structure and simply watch it crumble as a result. Destroying a building with a group of enemy soldiers never gets tiring, and other than looking bad ass, knowing you can destroy everything and anything will change how you play the game.
The last Bad Company game was the first to have a story driven single player campaign, and as a result it had a little trouble finding its feet in the process. The experience is much better this time round, now featuring a more cinematic experience. The dialogue is less over the top while retaining a healthy amount of humour, the level design is smarter and as a whole the experience is far more compelling than the last title. Having said that though, there are some problems with the presentation and pacing of the campaign that makes it fall short. Your supporting cast of soldiers in B-Company are one dimensional, bulletproof machines who are only good for their cheesy one-liners. It’s hard to make an emotional connection with them, especially when they receive a ‘nade to the face only to get back up with no trouble and all and keep fighting. The constant action; while being extremely fun, also breaks immersion in the story. You tend to feel like you are a one man army, going from a stealthy insertion into a full on fire fight, riding a turrent on a helicopter and calling in an airstrike all in a matter of minutes. It’s fun and exciting, but ultimately takes you away from the story.
As expected the mechanics in BC 2 are nothing shy of perfect. All the guns feel correctly weighted and sound just as they should, the vehicles handle smoothly and make traversing the battlefield both a thrill and a pleasure. Instead of the instant respawns and health injections from the last outing, BC 2 implements standard checkpoints and regenerating health mechanic that makes the game flow much better and feel more realisitc. While you supporting cast are hard to connect to, they certainly do a great job helping you out in the many fire fights you will encounter. They act like real soldiers in a battle, holding down an attack allowing you to flank your enemies or take some cover and get your heath back. Other games will simply drop you into a squad of ineffective knuckleheads, but BC 2 stands up with it’s fantastic AI.
All said and done the campaign is a fun, albeit short lived experience clocking in at the 5-6 hour mark. There is a collectible weapon system that may entice some of you to go back for multiple play throughs, but by and large this isn’t the sort of campaign that will keep calling you back time and time again.
While the single-player experience falls a little short, to most of you it simply won’t matter at all. Gamers buy a Battlefield game for an amazing multiplayer experience, and BC 2 is no exception. Offering one of the best online experience out there, BC 2 if full of large-scale battles, large and varied maps, diverse squad management and team based game play that simply cannot be matched. There is simply nothing more satisfying than working with your squad mates to take down an enemy position and rush a base.
BC 2 employs a terrific squad management system that really ups the ante. When on the spawn screen simply clicking the squad management button brings up a tab that will let you join an existing squad or create a new one. Four members in each squad may not seem like enough, but when you are running a combination of medic, some assault and a recon covering your rear you will find that it can be a deadly tool. Added advantage to being in a squad is if you are waiting to respawn and one of your squad members is still alive, simply click on their name and you will respawn right there next to them. This is a vital strategy that can change the outcome of a fire fight literally in seconds. The layout of the maps demand a focus on team based strategies, and the squad mechanic is a perfect way to enforce that idea.
The destructible environments are a whole different kind of monster when jumping online, adding a whole new layer of strategy and depth to the multiplayer experience. You will need to learn to adapt and work through the environments to survive. You enemies are holding up on a tower sniping out a whole division? A few strategically placed C4 charges and some explosions later on will soon bring an end to your enemies and their vantage point. Not only does it look cool, but it certainly brings a whole new strategic spin to things.
BC 2 offers a series of game-modes and maps will have something to offer everyone, no matter what type of gamer you are. Rush is an attack and defend mode that is played across expansive maps, features a entourage of vehicles and will ensure an edge of your seat experience as you edge through a base onto the next, or hold off your enemies for just a bit longer for the big win. Squad Deathmatch games is your average frantic team deathmatch mode which is much more close quarter combat. If you want to kick it old school the classic Battlefield Conquest mode has been included, which has teams fighting to control specific control points by raising and lowering flags. There truly is something for everyone in BC 2.
For those who are worried about making the switch from Modern Warfare 2 don’t fret, BC 2 features an impressive reward scheme that will feel right at home to those who have been playing the other modern warfare games out there. BC 2 will allow you to level up each class individually along with your overall rank, unlocking new weapons and gadgets along the way to flesh out your arsenal. You will also get even more rewards to completing small challenges, winning battles or simply pwning your opposition. The levelling system is rewarding and will leave you with a sense of accomplishment after all your hard work.
Finally which version should you go with? If you have a good enough rig you’ll want to get the PC version. Those with high-end graphics cards will enjoy better visuals and smoother frame rates than those with the PS3 or Xbox 360 version. Possibly the most important feature though is the ability to browse servers to discover the exact game you want. The last reason why the PC version is better, you’ll enjoy 32 players in game, as opposed to the 24 offered on both consoles.
The Final Verdict
While the single-player campaign certainly is an explosive no holds barred adventure, it almost feels like a bonus game mode to the expansive and impressive multiplayer component of the game. Bad Company 2 does a great job of engaging the player with it’s rewarding online experience, continually getting you back to rank up just one more time. Varied game play along with excellent squad management is the key to epic team based battles. Back this up with realistic weaponry, great sounds and gorgeous visuals, and you have one hell of a ride.
8.5/10
I stumbled across this article on news.com.au and I just had to share it with you all!
A UK woman claims falling from a Wii Fit board turned her instantly into a nymphomaniac. Amanda Flowers told the Daily Star she now needs up to 10 sex sessions a day after damaging a nerve in the fall. She has been diagnosed with persistent genital arousal disorder, a condition which gained global attention when it featured in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy in 2008. Ms Flowers, who lives in Manchester, said the urge to have sex was irresistable. She said small vibrations from her mobile phone or food processor were enough to turn her on. “It began as a twinge down below, before surging through my body,” Ms Flowers told the Daily Star.“Sometimes it built up into a trembling orgasm.” The single Ms Flowers said all she could do was try to control it with deep breathing, or “find a superstud who can satisfy me”.
Really? A superstud? Only in the U.K I guess! This revelation may cause an instant increase of Wii Fit sales as hardcore gamers across the world all rush out to purchase the device for their partners. There is always hope my friends 😛
Read the full in-depth review HERE
Developed By: 2K Games
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
Players:1-2 (split-screen)
Online: 4 Player Co-Op
What It’s All About:
Welcome to Pandora, a bandit-ridden wasteland that draws the attention of off-world scavengers for one reason: The Vault. The Vault is a mysterious structure that is believed to hold the most powerful and wealthiest treasures in the universe, and everyone from scavengers to fortune seeking global corporations wants to get their hands inside. This is the setting you will find yourself wading through with Gearbox’s latest title Borderlands, a FPS meets RPG.
What It Did Right:
- Great character development
- Unique art design
- Reward system
- Fantastic Gunplay
What Brings It Down:
- Vehicle Control
- Lonely, anti-social single player experience
- Cock slap of an ending
The Final Verdict:
Borderlands succeeds as a perfectly balanced combination of the RPG and FPS genres. Along with it’s unique gameplay style, it boasts an art design that makes Pandora come alive and will keep calling you back to the bandit ridden wastelands. With satisfying character development and an impressive arsenal of weapons, this game will keep you busy for a long time. There are a few places that the game could be improved, especially when it comes to the anti-social and lonely nature of it’s single player experience. All in all, Borderlands is a great title that is well worth checking out.
8/10
Read the full in-depth review HERE
Developed By: WayForward Technologies
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Players: 1
Online: N/A
What It’s All About:
A Boy and His Blob is a 2D Platforming re-incarnation of the classic NES game featuring hand drawn graphics and all new motion controls.
What it did right:
- Hand drawn graphics and smooth animations
- 40+ levels plus challenge stages
- Great puzzles
What brings it down?:
- Bloated control scheme
- Lacking any replay value
- Frequent loading screens break immersion
The Final Verdict:
A Boy and His Blob is a fantastic homage to the titles roots on the NES, featuring 2D platforming at it’s best. A gorgeous game to look at, the only downfalls are in the bloated control system and staggering load times that really break immersion. If you want a platformer that has more than just running and jumping, A Boy and His Blob will keep you entertained for hours.
7.5/10
With the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4 on our doorsteps the reviews are starting to trickle in one by one. In a surprising move Konami have enforced restrictions about exactly what publications can, and can’t talk about
IGN UK confirmed this in the opening paragraph of their review “”In return for letting us play Metal Gear Solid 4 before its release, Konami issued us with a list of things that we’re not allowed to discuss. This list of prohibited topics is pretty long, and even extends as far as several facts that the company itself has already made public.”
While IGN were happy to publish a review despite the restrictions on their freedom of speech, it seems that gaming publication EGM are not so happy with Konami’s imposition, stating that the will not publish a review “Due to the limitations that Konami wanted to place on our comments”
It seems that Konami want o let loose a little information to satisfy the hunger of those eagerly awaiting one of the biggest titles of the year, but don’t want to let all the cats out of the bag just yet.
Metal Gear Solid is set to hit store shelves in just a few more weeks
This week I got my hands on a copy of the newest title in the Burnout franchise, Burnout Paradise for both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. Built from the ground up, not only is this one of the best looking games I’ve seen in the driving genre, but it is certainly one of the most enjoyable
You are given free roam in a huge city that features a large range of driving conditions, hundreds of hidden areas, jumps, ramps, carparks and so much more, but we’ll discuss that in a minute.
So basically you come into Paradise City with nothing but a wrecked stunt car, a learner permit and your away. The city features a number of stations with drive throughs, those being repair shops that fix up your car’s damage, gas stations which fill your boost bar to maximum, and if you are feeling like a change of colour there is also paintshops scattered all across the city. These do come in handy when entering events, and can often be the upper hand needed to beat your opponents
There are a number of events throughout the game, going from Races which have you racing from one point to another main point on the map (there are six in total, and all races will end at one of these), but it’s up to you to find the quickest way to your destination from the starting line. This leaves it open to find alleyways to shave off precious seconds ot beat your opponents. Other race modes include Marked Man which is the same principal except your opponents are trying to take you down, if you survive to the destination you win, and Stunt Run which involves reaching a target score before the time limit runs out by stringing together combos of stunts. Road Rage involves meeting a certain takedown quota before the time limit runs out.
Entering an event is easy! Pull up to a set of traffic lights and above the mini-map the event will come up letting you know what type of event it is, and just hold accelerator and brake to start the event. Each win adds to your licence and you slowly move up the ranks.
As you move along the game, certain cars will start cruising the street, and if you take them down while roaming freely around Paradise City, it will be added to the junkyard for you to repair and drive at your leasure.
While the game modes are often very similar, the game vary rarely gets boring. I often found myself just cruising the streets checking out the city, which has a lot to discover and see. There are 400 Smashes to complete, which are indicated by yellow gates that often lead to shortcuts, a bunch of Burnout billboards to break, and 50 Super Jumps to find and land
The graphics are fantastic, and paired with a silky smooth 60fps framerate and the best crash phsyics I have ever seen, this game is extremely easy on the eyes, not to mention a killer soundtrack and fantastic sound effects, this game is a visual and aural delight
But online is where the game truly shines. With a quick press to the right of the D-Pad and you have entered the Easy Drive menu, which lets you send invites to your online friends to join your city, or enter a ranked or unranked Freeburn session. Once you enter a freeburn session you are all of a sudden cruising around the city with your friends (or enemies) and can complete challenges together, enter stunt competitions and so forth. Every so often someone will start up a race and you have an option to jump in on the action. Choose you car and it takes you to the starting grid where the game camera focuses on key players in the race with vital information, like Hellerphant has 57 rivals online, Wtenosdy has 427 wins and this is Budsy’s first game. It’s fun little facts like this that shows which opponents to stay away from and which to try and take down for the thrill. It’s the simplicity, and ease of use that makes Burnout Paradise stand out as an online gamers title of choice
But while I have been singing the praises of Burnout Paradise, I did encounter some issues on the PS3 version, that are not apparent in the 360 version of this beast. First of all I found that sometimes the car will seem to sink into the road in single player, but the majority of my issues came from online play. More often then not traffic will dissappear before my eyes as I am driving along and then reappear at a point that it’s too late to do anything about it and I’ve wrecked my ride. I did not encounter this on the 360 version, and at first I thought it could have been due to lag, but after further testing I realised that it wasn’t my internet connection. Also at times the position I held in the race would not update until I had lost the race which was quite annoying and once again I did not encounter this on the Xbox version.
All in all Burnout Paradise is plain fun, great looking, addictive and one of the best driving, and online games I have played in a while
8.5/10
When the first Manhunt was released in 2003 it was received well by the critics, yet the media had a field day with the main focus of the game being murder in the most brutal way possible. Four years later the sequel almost never saw the light of day due to the extreme adult content, and while Rockstar fought for an Adults Only rating, they didn’t get it. So after a few months of censoring the game, finally I’ve gotten my hands on a copy for the Nintendo Wii. So let’s see if this is more than just a gore fest, and if there is any substance to the violence
Meet Daniel Lamb, the main character you will be playing as in Manhunt 2. The game starts off with a riot at a Mental Institution and you are escaping with a fellow inmate, while slowly uncovering the reason that you were in the institue and everything that has happened in the past. Ultimately the story is quite an interesting one, and definately has some twists and turns along the way, but unfortunately for Manhunt 2 it’s just not good enough. The characters aren’t believable, and I feel after playing this game through many players will be saying “Daniel who?”
The graphics are average to say the least. I wasn’t expecting something amazing being on the Wii, but I certainly did expect more. The graphics engine doesn’t look too much better than the first Manhunt. Environments, while fitting to the setting of the game, could have been a bit more varied and detailed.
The gameplay is largely the same the as the first game, although there are some new features that are a welcome addition, one being execution moves being able to be completed with firearms. The Wii controls are quite decent, although I found it didn’t always register my swinging motions and that often ended up with me being dead on the ground. AI is questionable a lot of the time, and is nothing short of below average, in face I’d almost say that the first game had better AI than this game. Also after the first few levels you will find yourself just running the mill and it really lacks any real excitement. The executions are also censored, which is quite annoying as the screen goes red and blurred and you really can’t see the damange that you’ve inflicted.
The one thing that does stand out with Manhunt 2 is the sound. It sounds brutal, and is almost good enough to make you feel sick. Hearing the pound of a sledgehammer against someones face is still making my stomach turn.
I’m sorry this review isn’t longer, but I stand by that Manhunt 2 has been overshadowed by the controversy. The story is something less than memorable, characters a lame as are the environments. Add this to an average control scheme and outdated graphics, and Manhunt 2 is potential missed to be the first real serious game on the Nintendo Wii
4/10
Reborn Online 