With an a new "card" for my DS, I have been inspired to go back to my forsaken DS and try out more DS games. Safe to say you can probably expect more NDS game reviews from here on out.

Dementium: The Ward
Publisher: Gamecock
Developer: Renegade Kid
Genre: Survival-Horror FPS
Players: 1
ESRP: $29.99

An ideal example for later Horror games on DS. Sort of.

Game Summary
In Dementium: The Ward, the take the role of an unnamed admitted patient to a mental hospital. After awakening in a daze, you find yourself one a blood-soaked bed in one of the rooms. Thats not the only blood-drenched feature you find in the hospital, as you soon realize that this may either be a hospital, or a butchery. Fight with up to 8 different weapons against a myriad of horrific monsters as you strive to understand the secrets of Dementium: The Ward.

You wake up in the hospital...
And thats as near close to a story as you get in this game. The storyline is one thing thats not a major seller for Dementium. As far as interaction with others in this game, you get absolutely none, which makes you depend on various notes and clipboards in the mental asylum to figure out the story. Even then, even after you pieced everything together, you'll find yourself thinking "Oh...really. Well thats a twist...I think." Suffice to say, the storyline never goes beyond a single idea to make it good, and even that idea is a bit overused. I think I should back up a bit and talk about the beginning. The Prologues in games are usually one of the single most important parts of the storyline, where it sets the setting, most characters, and the general idea and gist that the game was trying to make its players feel. Not this one. The beginning is literally just you being rolled in a wheelchair through a blood-and-guts filled hospital with demonic little girls and zombies in it. This lasts about 15 seconds. Next thing you know, you wake up on your nasty bed, and go to beat up some monsters. Now this game does have cut-scenes(surprise.), but for the most part, they are only there to introduce you to new monsters, or to fight a boss. There is almost no spoken dialogue in the game, and the written dialogue is usually just confusing. If you get horror games for the often-superb storyline, then well, this game isn't for you.

Gore - Now in 3D
And I'm not talking about the tree hugger. Dementium is one of the few games to sport a high res 3-dimensional engine on the DS. Enemies too are fully rendered in 3D, and they are probably the high point of the 3D engine in Dementium. The enemies, although they may look at sometimes more funny then scary, are very well done for a DS game, and look even better then most N64 game enemies. Sometimes the enemies can look downright stupid, though. Take for example the screaming heads, or "banshees". Scary, sure, but not because of how they look. They look more similar to a cats head with madusa snakes then a decapitated woman's head. Regardless of a few fimply dumb looking enemies, Renegade Kid showed devs that full 3D is not only possible on the DS, it can be made both good, and solid. By solid, I mean that there are little to no clipping issues, glitches, textural errors, framerate issues, or pop-in. The engine is about as hard as a rock. Anyway. Environments are mainly texture based, as just about every wall and floor in the game is the same white wall with blood on it. Courtyard levels prove a little more varying, with some walls looking decrepid and old, and others having rusted surface on it. Now about the darkness. Renegade Kid went beserk when it comes to shadowing areas. To put it simply, when you fire at most enemies, you won't know whether you hit them or not. The flashlight illuminates these areas, but to shoot your gun you have to switch back to a gun, thus making you basically blind for far enemies. It has a severe case of Doom 3-itus to it, except you can't even melee with it this time around. But to be truthful, this game really wouldn't be scary at all without every room being dark as hell. Still, it becomes very frustrating, especially when fighting zombies that spit acid further then you can see. Environments are littered with, well, litter, among other things. Blood splashed trash cans, hospital beds, medicine cabinets and many other hospital-esqe appliances pervade, and often impede, the world of Dementium.


Creek...creek...*piano solo*
Sound. The music is one of the major defining features to make this game a horror game. Creepy organ and piano music plays while grunts of zombies and screams echo the hallways. There is an option to turn off the music though, in which case the game does became a good deal less scary. Though the scariest thing here is that most of the music all sounds exactly the same. Another odd designer choice is that some certain rooms don't have music at all, and I still can't well figure out what sets these rooms apart from the others. Music is the scary to this games sound department. Occasionally the sound effects offer a little shiver, but it was too apparent that Renegade Kid was arbitrarily trying to make it scary, so most of the enemies just come off sounding funny. Can't blame them too much, creating a scary handheld game is quite possibly one of the hardest things a dev can do. To that end the sound and music does make the game a good deal scarier--but that doesn't mean that either is very good. They both work though they will get annoying.


A bit broken, but survival horror at the core
This game may very well be the first well made attempt at survival horror for the DS. Coming into a world of E and E10 rated games pervading the DS's huge library of games, Dementium sets itself apart, which can be seen even from the cover art(Which looks conspicuously like Final Doom. Anyone else catch that?). Dementium is a survival horror game to its core. It has the classic ideas at heart, such as limited ammo, few health packs, and a barrage of demonic monsters that don't seem to care how much ammo you have to waste on them to dispatch them. Ammo does become a bit more plentiful in the later levels, but you'll find yourself running past most enemies to try and conserve ammo for the most part. Beginning weapons are about as imaginative as my toenail, but later weapons are, while not exactly creative, welcome changes from the boring pistol and shotgun. now, the core shooting isn't exactly Metroid Hunters. Control works great, but some issues with the crosshair and where the bullet goes present problems. And even if the enemy is in visible sight, if your crosshair isn't red, you can't hit him. Most enemies, specifically the banshee, take an unnecessarily long time to kill with weapons, and with ammo very limited, that becomes a frustrating problem. Boss battles are rather fun, but some normal enemies are even harder then the bosses. Some intelligently designed puzzles are thrown into the game, but some become an annoyance to try and complete, such as the one to obtain the buzzsaw. You have to backtrack a good bit in that level, and every time you reenter a room, all the enemies you previously slain are respawned, to make you waste as much ammo as possible. Don't take this all the wrong way though; the shooter mechanics are a bit broken, but by no means bad. They worked well and fine, but many smaller annoyances can ruin some to most of the experience. Another thing is de ja vu. Most levels look extremely similar to one another, and may very well be, seeing as there are little to now landmarks to make me think otherwise. Core level design is done decently, but repetition may get on your nerves.


One way through, no two ways about it
Replay value isn't Dementiums strong point. No multiplayer, no branching stories, and as far as I can tell, no different difficulties. The story mode is a decent length, but after that theres very little to do. I can't see myself playing through this a second time, and I doubt you will be either.

Alright.

Major Selling Points:
-- A full survival horror adventure
-- M rated on the DS
-- Good scary game
-- Great 3D engine

Major breaking Points:
-- Small Story
-- Sub-par FPS control
-- Repitition shows itself later in the game

Story: 2/5
Even with notes and booklets and whatnot, the story behind Dementium is, at best, flat.

Graphics: 4/5
One of the best 3D engines on the DS, and some of the best enemy models. Pity most environments look exactly the same.

Sound: 3/5
Music becames repetitive, and sound effects prove to be the main scary part of the game. Music is a bit scary though.

Gameplay: 3.5/10
An addition to the needed FPS genre on the DS, though the shooter mechanics need work. The survival horror is definatly there.

Replay Value: 2.5/5
A bit of a decent sized champaign mode, but after that you are done. Totally done. honestly though, If multiplayer was in here, I wouldn't want it. The shooter mechanics would be painful.

Value: 3.5/5
It really depends on how starved for a horror game you are on the DS. If your dying for one, heres your man. if not...well that comes into personal preference.

Overall:


Dementium raises no bars on the horror genre, but for DS, it sets a standard. Still, a bit better of an FPS nature to it wouldn't have hurt any.

Audio reviews canceled.

Because Ninja Gaiden on DS = Awesomeness. At least the idea does.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword
Publisher: Tecmo
Developer: Team Ninja
Genre: Action
ESRP: $39.99

Ninja Gaiden Lite.

Once again, you must take up the role of famed ninja Ryu Hayabusa, one of the last remaining of the Dragon Lineage. The Greater fiends plot to envelope the world in darkness and chaos, and Ryu is the world's last hope.(again.) Fight through a multitude of levels from tombs to volcanos as you battle to stop the fiend's ambitions.

A Ninja's story. Rated PG.
Ninja Gaiden isn't known for its amazingly in-depth storylines, or just about anything pertaining to the story. Rather, its known by its console versions for having absurd stories, that are often so wacky that they become good. Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword isn't so easy to classify. Unlike the console versions Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is aimed at the younger age group, obviously in response to the DS main customers. This means that the story won't be bloody, or nasty, or violent, or erotic, or whatever the normal Ninja Gaidens tend to do. Bare in mind though, that this isn't necessarily bad. The story itself isn't near as random as the other NGs, and its character design shows a good bit of cartoon influence. The characters each look as though they came out of an anime rather then the normal getting-to-realism look that Team Ninja primarily does. Still, some of the story is linear and you-saw-that-coming-miles-away, often during parts that are supposed to surprise you. As far as a 6-14 year olds game goes, though, the story is perfectly fitting. Cartoony characters combines with the classic 'caring' hero(I'll be honest with you. I do NOT see Ryu Hayabusa caring about pretty much anything but his duties. This game thinks otherwise.) with, while its still a bit unique, a linear and stereotypical story makes for a very well marketed NDS game.

Again--damn, Ninjas look good
Dragon Sword did for the DS what Team Ninja does for just about every console and game--created great looking character models with very fluent animations. Ryu looks spectacular, and even in his fast flurry of attacks you can see some very nice animation if you look closely enough.(Animation in a game has always been my favorite graphical part. If animation looks crappy, then...no.) Enemies are a bit different. While still sporting some decent looking Character models, compared to Ryu, Momijii and the bosses, they don't look as good. Mainly spider-ninjas and ware-wolves, but all around they do still look nice. Just not great. Enemy animations are still in tact though, as you can relate each one to its root animations in Ninja Gaiden Xbox. Most, anyway. Backgrounds are diverse and colorful, but interaction is non-existent. Unless there is a puzzle or a door, there is zero interaction with the environment. The freestyle running of the Ninja Gaidens has been taken out. There is a reason for this though. The backgrounds look 3D, but don't be too fooled, too fast. Most backgrounds, with a few exceptions, are fully 2D textures. That doesn't stop them from LOOKING 3D though, and to this day, the look has always been what matters most, not the technical ideas in place. As for technical stuff, even in the biggest battles I have never experienced a framerate drop. Clipping is very rare, and the whole engine is rather solid. Seems most DS game engines are that I've played. Ninpo effects are actually sprites(most of them), but they all look well done, and do give you the feeling that you have a little control over nature itself.


Ninja Gaiden Black, sound off
Sound. The music mostly consists only of music from the original NG. Some lighter hearted songs were added in, probably because of the games younger audience. These are mainly in the Hayabusa village and other non-action parts of the game. But lets get something straight--it may be recycled, but that doesn't mean its all too bad. Annoying to my nerves, simply because I've played NG black before, but to most, it will seem like a decent and well placed soundtrack. Nothing amazing, but it certainly works for what it does. Sound effects also have been recycled, but there are a good bit of new ones in there. All dialogue is text; no voice acting. While it may be a shame to have no voice acting considering the job of the voice actors in the first NG it may or may not be so bad. You decide.


A furious fighting action title
To let out a summery of whats to come: This game rocks. Gameplay. The core gameplay is just like the console NGs, i.e., slashing bashing and dicing enemies, while enjoying some light platforming puzzles. One may thing at first that Ninja Gaiden, being a usual button-masher game wouldn't fit well at all on the DS. Errrrr. The touch screen was made for these kinds of games. Unlike the normal NGs, Dragon sword has you play with only one hand. You hold the DS like you would a book, and use the touch screen vertically. To attack opponents you merely need to slash them with your stylus. Though it isn't that simple. Certain stylus movements string certain combos, and this game has combos aplenty. Despite having only one melee weapon, the Dragon Sword(I know, I know. I really wanted the Vigoorian Flails in there too.) there are multitudes of combos to pull off, including fan favorites such as the Izuna drop and the Flying Swallow. Buying upgrades for the sword and some extra combo scrolls boost the amount of attacks you can do. The only real annoyance with the combat system is to block you must press a button, often the left bumper where your other hand will be. But to roll, you have to touch a part on the screen, often making Ryu roll in the wrong direction. Besides that minor problem, the melee combat is one of the best on DS, though they really missed out without multiple melee weapons. Like past NG games, you also have ranged weapons, such as the bow and shurikan. Except this time, neither is useless and neither is boring. Simply tap the part of the screen you with to throw/shoot your weapon. Yes thats right, shurikan doesn't suck this time around.(Yeah I know, right?) Ninpo magic is like Ninpo on steroids. You can (and always do) take out many enemies with each massive ninpo you use, and there is a wide variety of element based magics in this game. Not all is good though. At most you can only use Ninpo one time before you must find another dragon statue to recharge it. About the dragon statues. They save, give you full health, and recharge your ninpo. However, in this game you can do that an infinite amount of times. Enemy combat is like watered down Ninja Gaiden. Nowhere near as hard, the enemies pose little threat until about chapter 6, where it starts to build up in difficulty. Even though it gets a bit challenging later on, by comparison this game has nothing on its console brothers in the way of difficulty. Enemies still do have cheap grab attacks, as per usual. Boss battles are linear, but fun. As conclusion to this paragraph, I'd say its probably one of the best DS action title I've ever played.


2 Ninjas, 2 play-throughs. Maybe?
After you beat the game, you get hard mode, which you won't beat. You also get some art. Finding all the Purple birds may be an addicting challenge. Momijji's campaign is fun, but short. Even Ryu's campaign is rather short, take only about 5-8 hours to beat, depending on how thorough you are. This game will last you a good time, but its not exactly the kinda of the the others were, where you had a huge multitude of unlockables. Trade it in after your done, but not until you DONE done.

mmmKay.

Major Selling Points:
-- Fast and furious Ninja Action
-- Looks great, good design
-- Authentic Ninja Gaiden experience(unlike Sigma. You know why.)
-- Endearing, if wacky, story

Major breaking Points:
-- May prove not difficult enough
-- Only a single melee weapon
-- Watered down Ninja Gaiden 2


Story: 3.5/5
Really not too bad. It does have some overly linear plot developments though, and is aimed mainly on the younger crowd.

Graphics: 4.5/5
Spectacular characters and design. Backgrounds look good, which really matter. Interaction doesn't exist.

Sound: 4/5
Its recycled Ninja Gaiden, sure. So?

Gameplay: 4.5/5
A great, authentic Ninja Gaiden experience. Deep hack and slash fighting, and some light puzzles.

Replayability: 3.5/5
There really is little to do after the first play through. The second campaign some may want to do though.

Value: 4/5
$40 may be a bit steep, but this is one of the DS finest. At least deserves a rent. And yes, Blockbuster does rent out NDS games.

Overall:


It may be Ninja Gaiden Lite, but the touch screen works something great, and all the ideas of NG are in tact. A great action game on DS; easily one of the best.

This review is gonna be a bit different from usual. Although I'm reviewing an amazing piece of homebrew, to be able to fully play it you'd need two files from the actual game, which is roughly still 10 USD. Since its still technically a commercial game...

Also, seeing as this is a homebrew release of a rather old game, this review will be more reminiscient of past Miniviews. My normal reviews won't be this small.

Quake
Producer: id Software
Developer: id Software
Genre: Revolutionary FPS
Port by: Elaun
Download: http://dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=115909

Proving that one of the best shooters ever can be remade, and still be fun today.

One of the original fully rendered 3D shooters
Ok, lets get one thing straight; this game was released in 1996. Naturally then, by today's standards you can't expect much. But comparatively speaking, this game had THE best graphics for its time. Fully rendered 3D models and environments were both new and unseen by the time. Everything from weapons to monsters are fully rendered in #d with bloody haunting textures that seem to be id's passion with their FPS genre. The textures are made to be freaky and scary, and at the time, they were the freakiest thing you've ever seen. Quake looks better then most PSX games easy. Water effects are plain and simply, basically just a texture you can move through. Gun fire effects are part of the guns themselves, which are actually all 3D models themselves. Blood effects and splattering were exceptional for its time in '96, and also controversial (OHZES NOEZ! BLOOD! CALL JACK THOMPSON!) In other words, Quake looks even better then a NDS, Wiiware, or XBL game these days. Heck, it even looks better then most PSP games.



If you saw this when it first came out in '96 you woulda crapped yourself.


BLAARRRRGGGGG
Back in the days of the blood-curtling splatter of enemies that have just been turned into blood and piecemeal, Quake existed and set part of the standard. Enemies moan and grunt as they take damage, and everything from zombies to yetis splatter in a glorious SPLAT! sound. Even Mathew Kain (the player) groans and screams from time to time as you take damage. However, sound effects were the best part of sound effects. Voice acting doesn't exist, and music is only decent. When it comes down to it, while the haunted-house style music is fitting and definately works, its a far-cry from the masterpiece soundtrack that id produced with its classic Doom. Whatever works I suppose...



Zombies. The original splattering enemy.


Wiimote control? In Quake? ****ING AWESOME!
Quake has always been a great classic shooter that set a new standard with its revolutionary ideas and gameplay. But for decades the style of playing the classic FPS has held many a game down in the way of gameplay style. But no longer, and that fact has been ripped to shreds by even the gaming community itself with Elaun's amazing port of Quake to the Wii. For me especially (being a huge long time Doom and Quake fan) this port is the extra twist I've and many other FPS fans have always wanted from this golden-age classic. The Wiimote control works great; the sensativeity is well tuned and the amount of force it takes to turn the screen is almost just right. Although it could take a little more fine tuning, the implementation of motion control in Quake has been professionally done (at least in my opinion. This beats Red Steel's crappy POS control by a mile.) Beyond the great new motion control, Quake is back and just as good as its ever been. With the exception of slightly long load times, Quake has been ported almost perfectly. Minor errors such as the screen-to-HUD ratio exist, but the are easily overlooked. Quake still features its super-actiony bloody shoot-em-up adventure that fans know and love. Featuring a huge cast of weapons to combat an even bigger cast of enemies, Quake is just as good as it ever was. Gun mechanics work perfect (as usual for id. They invented it!) and the autoaim helps the wiimote control to work even better. Powerups such as Quake dmage and the enviro suit help you to blast some mayhem to the monsters. 4 episodes and tons of levels and puzzles for each, this is a game that will hold you a good long time. Not as long as Doom, mind you (start minding!) but its still a long and fun time while your at it.

Well, very small review, but lets finish it up, ay?


Major Selling Points:
◄ Great Wiimote support
◄ An amazing classic, remade for the present
◄ A trip back to the 90's best.

Major Breaking Points:
◄ Aging classic
◄ Little to no story



Story: 3/5
Quake does actually have a subtle story about a decent story of a marine fighting the early Strogg in order to collect Runes to save the earth. Sadly, you would hardly know this if yo didn't read the manual.

Graphics: 4/5
Still holding up brilliantly today, Quake shows some of the best that the 90's had to offer during its time of golden age games. Sadly, time has been a bit rough to it...

Sound: 3/5
Sound effects are amazingly done and well implemented. Music, not so much.

Gameplay: 5/5
A HUGE inhale of fresh air is breathed into Quake through the new support of Wiimote control.

Value: 5/5
Yep, value. Its a new rting in my reviews :P. As for it then, Quake is worth every penny, as long as its about 5-10 dollars. It may be homebrew, but it comes with shareware, and to play the full game on wii you need to actually buy the game. Fully worth it.

Port(not added to the final score): 5/5
Awesome. Now all we need is a Doom port with motion support.

Overall:


Quake is looking better then ever, and the new controls give it a totally new feel to it. Amazing game made even better.

NOTE: I did NOT make or help make the port. This review is a fan review of Quake and its new root on Wii homebrew, and you can give Elaun the credit for the port.

Old game(mid-2007) but many people have no clue about it.

Shadowrun
Publisher: Microsoft
Developer: FASA Studios
Genre: FPS
Players: 1-16
ESRP: $19.99 (For Value rating)

Shadowrun is a game that is like its Sega genesis brother in name only. Unlike its RPG roots, Shadowrun for Windows and Xbox 360 is a fast paced FPS that makes you rely on more then just your weapon. To defeat your opponents, you must also make use of 5,000 year old magic powers. As a member of either the RNA, a huge corporation wanting control of this newfound magic, or the Lineage, an ancient order trying to keep the magic at its natural roots.


So much story potential. None of it used.
Shadowrun does has a story. The RNA, a global organization and the Lineage, ancient tribes, are feuding over a magic that could change the course of history itself. A neat story isn't it? Well, it could have been. Thats just it, though, COULD being the key word. Shadowrun has about as much storyline as Wolfenstein 3D. That is, no story at all, but a great setting. However, setting is only a small part of a grand storyline. Shadowrun has a huge potential for a storyline; it features everything from dwarves to elves to trolls, all set in a futuristic world where culture is still a very important part of life. What potential. But this game is all about its multiplayer, and it shows. The only "storyline" it has is 6 ten minute tutorials showing you how to use all of the magic, weapons and classes as an RNA combatant. Beyond that, even characters are perfectly lifeless. Commands in multiplayer don't even have actual human voices. Its a robot for every class and every team. Honestly, this game busts here.



Guess which one will win. Go on, guess.


Amazing magic effects vs. Sub-par character models
Let the fight begin. I'll start off with the good. Effects for magic are simply amazing. The light show is great, and for the most part, magic is all about the lights and pretty colors. Teleport is a flash of orange blur that brilliantly lights up with a bit of red and blur. Summon magic creates a monster of either yellow or flourescent blue that sparks to life and beats the living crap out of the enemies. Strangle spawns shining blue or orange gems on the ground with a great shining effect. Even the absorbing power of the dwarves looks radiant when its in effect. Now magic is nice, and I've probably made that overly clear by now. Back to the other stuff. The character models are boring. Interesting at first, trolls and elves and ect. lose their interest factor after you've killed about 3 of them. They all look the same, and even when they are dead they have the exact same face expression as when they first spawned. To be fare, the Lineage do look a bit unique, with an art direction like that of Native Americans. But the RNA are just bland, basic and boring. Gun models are all uninspired; they work. But they are just average. No interesting ideas or art direction went into these weapons. Backgrounds are pretty well done, especially those of the Lineage-based levels. Which comes to make one realize that while the Lineage have a great artistic ideas about them, the RNA are boring, right down to they're RNA-themed levels.

Mars probably has more life in it then Shadowrun. Music-wise anyway.
Shadowrun doesn't have any music. If t does, I don't even remember because it must have been too boring. To its credit, music probably wouldn't have helped too much anyway. Still, some nice action themes would have added a bit more to its credit here, and the total lack of music is purely, mind-numbingly annoying. Its annoying because, without music, only sound effects are present to clear the sound of that extremely annoying AI that serves as the voice for all of players in the game. Which brings me to that point, possibly the only thing more annoying in the game then the lack of music is the robotic female voice that says all of your and your teamates commands. Blahblahblahblahblah. Other sounds. Gun sound effects, while just as inspired as the weapons, do what they are supposed to. No big awesome booms or anything of the such, but they work. Magic and Tech sound off like the 4th of July. They have varied and wide sounds to each of them(for the most part) and sound above average, though still not anything amazing. Shadowrun is rather dead when is comes to all things sound-wise.



Look at me! I look like everyone else!


Magic and machinery DO go well together
Shadowrun relies primarily on one thing to get its point across--and thats its combination of magic, tech, and weaponry. In Shadowrun, you get Tech upgrades and Magic upgrades that you buy from a menu at the start of each game like Counter Strike. From this menu you also buy weapons and ammo, from Shotguns to katanas. This is Shadowrun's best feature easy. The addition of inspiring and awesome magic and tech to the game give it its uniqueness is the face of thousands of same-faced FPS. Ranging from everything between Teleport, a magic that lets you move 3 meters in any direction, even through walls, to gliders which allow you to basically fly. You really will feel as though you are a superhero in Shadowrun. Magic and Tech are inspiring and reat fun. So what about the rest? Guns, as previously mentioned, are totally uninspired and bland. They do what they are told, and thats about it. The katana may be the only interesting weapon, and even that is only slightly above average. Weapons are boring. So how about the classes? Classes consist of 4 types; elves, trolls, dwarves, and humans. Although its kinda unnecessary, the addition of these classes and they're unique abilities adds a great deal of joy to the game, at least for a while. Its fun seeing how each class will help you in your online play against others. Combat works. By that I mean, its solid, and fun. They are many irritants however. For one, anyone who is a chronic sniper will be sorely disappointed by this game; sniping is a no-zone. The sniper rifle is just painful and frustrating to use. Grenades take too long to explode. The pistol is worthless. Rocket launcher ammo cost too much. There are a good bit of annoyances in the game that usually just get ironed out over time and experience by the devs. It being a new project and IP for them, you have to be a little impressed by they're ideas. Still, a game is a game, and new or not, it a mixed bag. Most of Shadowrun is. And C'mon, this is coming from a guy with Shadow in his name. I really wanted this game to be good.



Gust.

Multiplayer IS this game. Literally!
This game screams multiplayer. Two reasons: One, it doesn't have a story, and two, the only other game mode IS multiplayer. Granted you can play with bots that aren't too dumb, but this game was created and breed for multiplayer. So it should be noted that multiplayer is actually quite fun, mainly via XBL. Connection issues are present, but not as much as IGN and others have made me think. I honestly don't know if I've even played with Vista gamers yet, but who knows. And unlike most 360 games tat have been out this long, Shadowrun still does have a decent host of people that still play it online. 16 maps and 3 game modes will keep you for a good while, though the achievements may be a little too specific for you to try to get them all. The first six are cake.(Which may or may not be a lie. Eh? Portal reference.)

Time again then to finish up.

Major Selling Points:
-- Magic and Tech both cool and fun
-- Different classes add to the experience
-- Great Multiplayer fun


Major Breaking Points:
-- No story mode
-- Weapons are bland
-- Gets repetitive after a while
-- Sound is near painful


Story: 1.5/5
So much potential, but its not explored. At all.

Graphics: 3.5/5
Character models for RNA and they're levels are boring. Lineage, Magic and Tech FTW.

Sound: 2.5/5
Meh. Its all here(except music) but its all average. Magic stands out as good.

Gameplay: 3.5/5
Magic and Tech are great additions that ought to be in more games. Weapons are boring, classes are cool, but little annoyances pervade.

Replay & Multiplayer: 3/5
This game was made for Multiplayer, and it works well. However, with no story, it gets repetitive after a few.

Value: 4/5
At $20 for a game this quality its quite a steal. Still, its only for those who love the multiplayer.

Overall:


Shadowrun is a mix of great ideas, bad ideas, and great execution and bad execution. Its a game that is the most of a mixed bag I've ever played. some will hate it with a passion and some with love it like a drug. It really comes down to your personal preferences.

Because I'm stuck in boring WV with nothing else to do, and this game saved me from total boredom.

Prey
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Venom Studios
Genre: FPS
ESRP: $9.99

In PREY, you take the role of Cherokee-by-genetics Tommy, or Domasi, as you and the ones you love get abducted into an alien ship. There you must battle your way to your girlfriend and try and get off the ship. During this time you must learn to use your special Cherokee powers--or die trying.

A Cherokee Classic
In todays world of thousands of developers spewing out FPS like fireworks on Chinese new year, it becomes a chore to find one with a good storyline nowadays. Prey's horror-action-sci-fi-love story gives fans what they really want in a FPS story--the same thing as they want in an RPG. Great character development, an engrossing sci-fi love story, and all around high-budget production makes this FPS a story-side winner. Whats more, its based around the ideology of the Native Americans and they're stories. This game will make you think Cherokees are even cooler then you already did. The story is well done, through both its voice actors and presentation. The environment, while it tells a subtle tale about the aliens and they're culture, it really isn't a major part of the storyline. The inclusion of legendary radio host Art Bell into the telling of the story from Earth's view really helps to tell about the effects that Tommy's experience is having down on gaia as well. To be blunt, this is the kind of imaginative creative ideas that we want to see in FPS games; like Bioshock or Half-Life 2.

Quake 4 and Doom 3-esqe
PREY is a very pretty game. Think Quake 4 with slightly enhanced graphics that runs at a constant 60fps. This game has nearly no glitches whatsoever graphically(or technically, for the most part.) and no clipping issues. Enemies models and textures are a mix. While the Hunters and Elite hunters look rather boring, just about all the other enemies look awesomely Quake 4-y. That is, they look like mutant demons from the deepest spawns of hell itself. Particularly worth noting are the part human-part scythe-part elephant mutants that hop around and slash at you with huge razor-sharp claw(s). If it wasn't so dark most of the time the enemies would be even more disgustingly pretty. Which brings us to the lighting. PREY runs on the Doom 3 engine. If any of you remember, Doom 3's lighting was the worst part of the game. While the severity of the lighting problems have been taken care of, PREY still suffers from overly dark corridors and black hallway ends. Unfortunately, your little pissant lighter does little to help the darkness problem. still, its a minor problem because unlike Doom 3, its totally bearable. Theres only one part in the entire game as dark as Doom 3's issues, and its only one enemy to fight. The backgrounds pop out at you, and the messiness of each room looks of sci-fi gloriousness. Everything in PREY is alive, both metaphorically and literally. Even your living guns look great, the art direction in this game is awesomely unique. For a sci-fi FPS, this one is sure different then the rest of the crop.


THIS is a puzzle!

Splatter of alien guts. Now in 5.1.
Lets not beat around the bush here. PREY sounds awesome. Lets start with voices. The voice acting starts off a little weak. Jen and Tommy seem to be a little hesitant with they're lines while Enisi starts and stays strong through the whole thing. Withing a few minutes of the game though, the character pick up they're talent and don't lose it. Especially during the last few levels, where Tommy's rage peaks. The voice acting is almost natural with Tommy and Enisi. Jen, although becoming stronger as the story continues, never really gets to the level of realism the other characters do through the story. All of them do great voiceovers though. Sound effects. Sound effects make PREY's sickeningly twisted alien world come to life. The weapon fire is good, though a little uninventive, but the sounds the weapons MAKE are great. The aliens chatter and the sound of portals opening and closing are high-budget SFX. The music is made by the same man who made the music for Oblivion and Guild wars. So suffice to say its professionally made. Music comes in at off times but it comes in nonetheless


So this is what an alien school looks like

Inventive and new ideas come together like PB&J
PREY is a prethera of inventive ideas. Everything from Deathwalk to living guns screams LOOK! IM A NEW IDEA! AND IM WELL IMPLEMENTED! PREY's gamelay revolves primarily on the nature of all FPS, that is, with awesome weapons and action. But its neat new innovations allow for some really intelligent and mind blowing puzzles as well. Also is the inventions of portals and the ability to change gravity itself. Thats right, this game was the first game with portals in it. Portal came wayyy after. Anyway, many of the puzzles revolve around the idea of manipulating gravity. The design of these puzzles are amazing, and will melt your brain through your ears. Gravity manipulations also gives way to some interesting fights, where your enemies may be standing at any degree here. The enemies are actually rather stupid. The AI won't win any prizes for they're intelligence, but the unique level design fixes this for some difficult, even hard fights sometimes. Many enemies in the game don't need too many smarts; they're big, powerful, and aggressive. Another awesome innovation is the spiritwalk-- a Cherokee ability where you leave you body and can walk through things such as forcefields and press switches, kill enemies, or pick up items. Oh, and you can't die in Spiritwalk, making it insanely useful in scouting ahead, as you could basically sit by the enemies and stare at them as they fruitlessly try to shoot your spirit form. Its also very useful in solving the many puzzles in PREY. Also, when you die in the game, you respawn EXACTLY where you died. Its like having a Vita-Chamber from Bioshock wherever you go. This actually doesn't make the game much easier somehow; its hard to explain why. But when you die, you enter a mode called Deathwalk, where you shoot at the Spirit Wraiths to determine how much health and spirit you respawn with. Even the weapons are inspired. Every weapon is a life unto itself; they're all alive. And I mean that literally. The guns you have are and shoot organic matter, a very inspiration and logical idea for an alien ship. Prey is all about the innovative ideas, and they make the story mode one hell of a ride. Not everything is perfect though. The level design tends to get repetitive in areas, and some glitches ocur that make it an annoyance to continue sometimes. Hunters will get on your nerves within hours of the game. The story will make you keep coming back to the game for more.


Alien ship

Invisible Assassin - 25G
Multiplayer. To be fully honest with you, this game's strength isn't in in multiplayer. This is in no way writing of PREYs multiplayer as bad, just that it isn't the point of the game. Its multiplayer is rather average. Team Deathmatch and Deathmatch are fun, but do get a little boring after a while. The story mode took me a good 12-15 hours to beat and there is another difficulty mode. However, Multiplayer is by no means bad; its great fun while it lasts. Walking on walls shooting at your friends is always a nice change from the norm.

Alright then.

Major Selling Points:
-- Deathwalk and Spiritwalk- Dying is actually fun!
-- Mind blowing puzzles
-- Manipulation of Gravity
-- Unique and interesting storyline

Major Breaking Points:
-- Action is broken at odd times
-- Glitches do mess up the story sometimes
-- Story's on the short side

Story: 4.50/5
Venom Games' Native American tale of love and aliens is about as unique as it gets. A little more development could have been spent on the aliens side.

Graphics: 4.5/5
Solid framerate and technically good. Great art direction, but a little dark at times.

Sound: 4/5
Music is great but weirdly placed. Sound effects and voice acting work great.

Gameplay: 4.5/5
Great new innovations to the FPS genre give this game a great new feel, even if the main shooter mechanics are only alright.

Value: 5/5
At $10, this game is the best deal you'll find in this year or any other. PREY would still be worth $40.

Replay Value & Multiplayer: 4/5
The story is fun but short. Multiplayer will add a bit of time.

Overall:


PREY comes at you with great new ideas and pulls them off with such skill, its a new idea itself. The only iffy part is the shooting, but everything else is great.

I was hoping for something like God of War or ninja Gaiden when I rented Viking. I was hell-a-off....

Viking: Battle for Asgard
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Creative Assembly
Players: 1
Genre: Action Adventure

You are Skarin, a Viking warrior mortally wounded in battle. On the edge of death, you are visited by Freya, a Norse goddess, who summons you to become her champion. You must defeat the goddess Hel and her undead army before they take over all of the land. To do this you must recruit an army, and use it to liberate the land.

Viking mythology was never this boring
The game starts off with a cutscene where you jump straight into the plot. Thats basically it. There is no lead up whatsoever to the general plot, making for an extremely annoying beginning of the game. The story at best is rather shallow, as it never really goes beyond anything except for the classic hero vs. villain mentality that pervaded many a 1970's movie. Thats not unnecessarily a bad thing, though, and could easily be overlooked. However, when you own character is the most static in the game, it becomes amazingly irritating to see no emotion or life from your character whatsoever. At the beginning, you learn of your father's death in the battle that almost claimed yours as well. What does your character say or do to express loss for his father? Nothing. Not a single thing except that you have a new mission. Character development in this game is absolutely gone, and the characters are the most static I've seen in a long time. The game is also uber violent, which may be the single redeeming quality here. I've never really cared much for violence, but when there is so little else to hold this games story and atmosphere up, you have to aim low. Blood and guts will follow you everywhere. This goes beyond God of War and Conan, as you do finishers that could only be replicated in games like Ninja Gaiden 2. However, that barely replaces the messy story and the lost everything else about the presentation. Menus tend to be confusing, and even the achievements are weird (wanna know how I got a gamerscore ending in a 2? This game.)

Bloody mediocre
Onto graphics. To its credit, Viking does sport some nice looking character models, and the magic effects look fine and nice. Environments need lots of work though. Enemies look great, especially when your cutting them to shreds. The blood flying every which way and the entrails (starting to get a little queasy here)splat in full texture. Unfortunately, you'll be seeing the same enemies very, very often. Back to environments for a minute anyway. The main lands and grassy plains that you fight on a plain, boring, and uneventful. Castles and forts actually look interesting, though, but thats only from the distance. Up close they get bland and repetitive, showing good artistic direction, but terrible execution. The ocean water looks like waves of white lines, and caverns all look exactly the same. To clean up the point, none of this necessarily looks bad, it just doesn't look good. Mediocrity rules this games graphical direction in almost every which way you can think of.


It doesn't look bad. It just doesn't look good.

Have I gone deaf? No wait, This game is just dead.

Sound. As far as music goes, there is absolutely nothing. There is basically no music whatsoever. The only music there ever is only happens during fights, so your mind basically blocks it out. Even then there is nothing to hear. Sound effects aren't too shabby though. The fierce attacks of enemies and the slashes that your sword makes into their lower sternums are glorious. Unfortunately, these sound effects repeat themselves over and over and over constantly, and once you've heard some of the sound effects, you've hears all of the sound effects. Voice acting is terrible. Mostly the acting consists of fake British and Norse accents (whats a norse accent sound like, anyway?) spewed to a very badly written script. Some of the Viking warriors have some decent lines to say though. Don't must your TV when playing this, but to be honest there isn't much to hear.

Hack-and-slash is fun, but repetitive
For those of you willing to forgo storyline and sound, and deal with mediocre graphics, you've still got some interesting gameplay going for you. You may think differently when you first begin, though, as your best attacks include mashing the A button over and over (even more then dynasty warriors). If your patient you'll get a few more combos, and eventually some pretty sweet magic attacks. Gathering your Viking warriors is pretty fun for a good while. Getting gold and doing quests extend the fun you have a good deal. Did I mention, the Vikings you release join your army? They do. These utterly massive armies lead to some really awesome epic scale battles in the game, as you and 1000 Vikings battle thousands of Undead enemies (Really think of this--the game can take thousands of enemies and allies on screen at once. Thats one da** good engine!) The epic battles get even better when you get the ability to summon dragons, who tear the battlefield into pieces (not literally) and rip apart undead like a lawnmower in Dead Rising. Like always though, Newton's law of physics comes into play here, and for every good gameplay action theres a bad one. This time, Newton's a little off--there are bad parts to the gameplay, but the good outweighs the bad by a margin. While combat and battling is fun, after a few hours it will get extremely repetitive, and the very thin level of stealth featured in the game is just annoying. After killing the same enemy type thousands of times, it starts to decline significantly. Also, later in the game when your outnumbered 5 to 1 and your Viking teamates aren't doing too well, things start to get frustrating. Enemies block and counter all you attacks, and magic gets useless. Still, for the most part Viking has some good hack-and-slash fun to be had, if very shallow fun to be had.


Slash.

Asgard is a one-trip ticket
Once your done, your done for good. You can easily do most every task the first play through, and afterwards there is literally nothing to do. exploring the island doesn't work because everything is the same, fighting doesn't work because you've done it so much, and powering up doesn't work because most extra combos never do anything at all. Except for the main storyline which is a good 12-15 hours long, replay Value isn't there.

Lets get to it then! (Ya got blood onma knife....)

Presentation: 1.5/5
Confusing menus, bad story, and lack of character development whatsoever deserves to go to whatever the Norse inferno is.

Sound: 2/5
While it has decent sound effects, voice acting is horrific and music isn't there.

Graphics: 3/5
They aren't bad, but there aren't good. Despite decent character models, this game screams mediocrity.

Gameplay: 3/5
Fighting is great fun, but for only so long. Soon repetition sets in, and it becomes a chore to finish the game.

Replay Value: 2/5
Beyond one play through, there is no replay value.

Overall: 2.5/5

This game screams mediocrity. While gameplay and combat is interesting, everything else just either falls or isn't interesting in the least. Creative Assembly had an interesting idea, but it just didn't work out quite right.

Because we all know exactly how it is, just to reinforce your state of mind about this game, since it hasn't really been released in Europe...

This is the reason I bought a Wii

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Nintendo in correlation with Game Arts
Players: 1-4
Genre: Fighting
Wifi: Yes

Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the third entry to one of the highest rated and best selling fighting games of all time, finally makes its way to the States, and soon Europe. Featuring a list of over 35 of your favorite Nintendo IPs, Brawl's maniacal furious fighting finally hits home. We all knew it was gonna be good, but just how good is it?

A story without a word
While Brawl never really does have a official(per-say) storyline, Adventure mode is a 8-10 hour journey that, for the most part, is the storyline. The story is such a jumbled mess that you can't help but just think "wow...are you joking? This is awesome!" In this story, you go through all 37 playable characters who are all taken straight from Nintendo's famous-franchise patent corner. They all learn, through one way or another, that they must help each other to fight off the invaders, to save not only themselves but all that they know. Now getting to the header--in this story, the characters never actually speak (with the exception of Sonic) which at first seems annoying, but once yo think about it, would Mario really sound like Mario if he was going over formulated battle plans in a high-pitched Italian accent? No. Yet, many of these characters do have voices, so the argument could be turned either way. In any case, the story really makes no sense, but it has to be that way in order to incorporate 1) People who live in a Mushroom(of all things) Kingdome, 2) People who live in a war of conspiracies and stealth, and 3) to incorporate people at one time lived as an animal in Mobius who live at the speed of sound. Get the picture? (It took me a while too) Oh, and this game has Wiinternet capabilities, meaning you can slash and bash your best friends over the Wiinternet. But be warned-- don't exceed 4 different consoles, or you will get lag like you've never lagged before. However, classic one-on-ones have narry a bit of lag, so should you limit it, you have no problem on the Wiinternet. Just be careful when you choose to play random players--games don't start till theres four, and that means massive lag.


Sonic and Dedede.

The Wii's Finest
With the exception of Super Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros. is the best looking Wii game out there. Character Models are absolutely splendid, and seeing many of your favorite Ninty characters for the first time in full 3D is really something else. These are the characters at the top of their game and style right here. The effects of each characters Ultimate attacks, from Mario's fire to Sonic's insanely fast Super Sonic speed all are done without a hitch, giving this game some of the best visual effects that Ninty has ever done. Animations, while fluid and work fine, could have been a little more...expressive. Explosive? its hard to find the right word, but they just seem too...overdone, seeing as almost all of Mario's (example) repertoire is straight out of the first Smash bros. This really isn't a problem so much as a fan annoyance. So far I've been ranting on about the great foregrounds and amazing effects, but what about the backgrounds? Good. But not great. Now, before you put a bullet into my head (Put the gun down please!) the backgrounds look fantastic. They are varied, and colorful and what not. But after playing each one a few hundred times, they get a little repetitive. And Adventure mode's backgrounds ARE repetitive, I'm not even gonna try to save them. But heres the deal--when your beating the crap out of the other players, who is gonna be looking at the backgrounds anyway? Ah, you see? Not really to big a deal anyway. Now, for the FOREGROUNDS of the BACKGROUNDS. The platforms and such are basically a bunch of textures, usually repeating textures(most things are...) but as far as the arena you fight in, they often change enough to keep the arena appealing to the eye for a good while while. Theres not really too much to say here...

Snap Crackle Pop. This time NOT rice crispies.
Sounds. Sounds in each fight are limited to what the player does, not so much the environments. Meaning, there is no ambiance or atmospheric sounds in Brawl.(honestly, its practically 2D, what do you expect?) In Adventure mode, the sounds are only varied by a margin from single-player, as very few enemies actually make sounds. The only real fighting sounds you hear in this game are those of the fighters themselves, pummeling enemies into the ground. While these are the only sounds, they were recorded and placed great. After a while, they do get a bit repetitive, but this game is an odd one for sure; no matter how many times you hear the same sound, it never gets annoying. I can't tell you why, I just can't think of an instance where I've ever gotten annoyed by Ike's constant screaming. A conundrum...As for music, this title sports some of the best original soundtracks ever to be taken straight out of another game. They take the song, beef it up, and throw it in Brawl. Music really does determine the mood in this game, as the final bosses dirge-style rock makes you wanna blow 'em a new one, while Mario's light-hearted, uh, 'Mario' style music just makes you wanna sit back and enjoy the fight, for recreational purposes. To be fair, this game has one of the most basic sounds and music in the industry, and yet, it all works so well....it sure is an odd one.

The Classic 4-player brawler returns in style!
Gameplay, drives this game. It is the fuel that, if changed in any way, would be the end of the great series. So it is a great thing that while they didn't change it severely, they tweaked a already great formula to make it even better, for the most part anyway. Brawl is like the other Smash bros before it; and adrenaline fueled 4-player beat or be beaten fighter, with a huge range of Nintendo mascots by its side. Its a Ninty fanboys dream. In Brawl, you also get a range of items to help you bring down the competition, from bats to pokeballs. A new idea from ninty made its way to this game in the form of Assist trophies. Que, you ask? Assist trophies are NPCs that, well, assist you during a fight. Each Assist trophy contains a different original Nintendo character that didn't make the cut into the game as a playable character. They all have some form of temporary effects behind them, such as time slowdown, throwing bricks, or even just getting on your nerves. Unlike Melee, items don't really play too much a part in determining a battle this time around. In fact, alot has changed from Melee. I'll start with the bad. The charm is gone. While i can't fully describe this, the charm is what makes people always come back to it, and makes people feel accomplished. Unlocking characters in the variety of often wacky ways was one of Melee's best traits. This has been ripped out of Brawl. You can literally unlock practically EVERY character simply by playing through Adventure mode. You find em, you got em. You don't even have to fight em. Another thing is trophy collecting. Without the minigames that Melee had in Brawl, trophy collecting isn't near as addicting as it once was. Music collecting a great addition, but its not the same. And Target test is the same for every character. I mean the EXACT same. The characters become less personalized by these small changes. Some of the best characters were taken out, though replaced, they really oughta be in there. Besides the extreme lack of old-world charm, Brawl is the greater of the three in terms of shear furious action. Multiplayer action is still great fun, and with a level builder(even if its a pretty bad one, comparatively speaking) local multiplayer is the new black. Classic mode is the same as always, you beat the crap out of a series of people before taking out the master hand. All-Star mode makes a triumphant return as well. Home-run and Infinite mode also return, this time sporting 2 player co-op. Boss mode is great fun after you beat Adventure mode, too. RIP, adventure minigames....


Hiyah

Does it ever end?
Replay value is something every smash bros game had going for it, and this entry is no different. With 37 playable characters across over 20 battle arenas, with friends this game can last forever. Not to mention all the different modes and gameplay varieties. In a classic Brawl alone you can change so many options to keep this game going, its astounding. A huge adventure mode will keep you, maybe not interested, but PLAYING it for a while. I highly doubt you'll go back to Adventure mode when you done, though. And since the charm of unlocking and collecting is taken out of this game, fighting is really the only thing to do after getting stages and characters. Internet multiplayer really extends the fun, but you need to have a few friends who can play you to get the most out of it. Still, the insane levels of customization you can do with this game will keep you for a long, long time. Just don't expect to find as much fun as Melee gave you. But lets face it, Melee spoiled us silly.

Lets get to it then! (Standing around like a bloody idiot)

Story: 3/5
C'mon, its practically not even there. Still, tons of points to Ninty for successfully bringing all its mascots together in a storyline, even if a bit broken.

Graphics: 5/5
The best yet seen on the Wii. Backgrounds could use a little more work, but everything else is so well done it doesn't even matter.

Sound: 4/5
While music is amazing, sound effects are repetitive, but not annoying. No ambiance.

Gameplay: 4.5/5
Its back and better then ever. Brawl's fighting mechanics are the best they've ever been, but it seems they forfeited style for shear greatness.

Replay Value/Multiplayer: 5/5
After the main game, theres so much to do it'll make your head spin. And fighting friends over Wifi is only one part of it.

Overall:

Truly the Wii's finest yet. Its what we've come to expect of Nintendo over the years, not this mini-game crap. This is proof that Nintendo's still got it.