Blazkowicz is at it again! This time around he finds himself in a small town in who-knows-where. As a different approach, you’re actually able to freely roam around the town, finding treasures, side missions, and plenty of Nazis in the various streets, alleys, and buildings around this town. You are also able to search out and find two different player groups: a rogue bunch of crazy Russian scientists and the town’s underground, rebel movement. This trend of moving an “on-rails” shooter to a free-roaming shooter isn’t anything new; despite the pretenses of being more open and giving you more “choices”, in the end your actual choices are very limited, there is very little to explore, and missions are still very much on-rails.
That being said, Raven has done a remarkable job making the single-player campaign fun and polished. Battles are quick, frenzied, and loaded with explosions, magical Veil creatures, and plenty of ammunition flying around. Oh, have I mentioned the Veil? You are especially able to freely access another dimension (the Veil) using a medallion you happen to stumble on, giving you the power to slow down time, do extra damage, or protect yourself using a shield. While in the Veil, you can also find weak points on your enemies, as well as look for secrets.
In the end, this is all very well and good. I had a blast blowing through the missions and finally beating the game in roughly 8 hours. But was it a good 8 hours? Hell, yes. Sadly, replay value is minimal. I had huge hopes for the multiplayer, which is vastly under-delivered on. As both a Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars fanatic, I was looking forward to really digging my teeth into the multiplayer. Unfortunately, it’s simply not any good. And by now, the community is dead. Though, it never really started, anyway. Despite the disappointment of multiplayer, the single-player campaign was your typical action-packed adventure, even if a bit short.
I love wide open environments. I love sandbox games. I love copious amounts of destruction. I love a game with a strong physics engine. I love a game that focuses on said physics for maximum mayhem and destruction. According to all indicators, I should love Red Faction: Guerilla (PC). And in many ways, I do.
I mean, what’s not to love? You ship out to Mars in hoping of making your way as a demolitions expert. When shit goes wrong, you turn your talents from creating salvage to creating mayhem. And you sure can create some mayhem. From a surprisingly powerful sledgehammer to explosive charges to rocket launchers, you know how to blow shit up (and have a good time while you’re at it). And really, that’s what this game is about: blowing shit up.
There are some truly epic moments: running through a building in a vehicle, only to spin around and slowly watch as the building crumbles after the damage you’ve dealt it. Or strategically placing 15 or more explosive charges around a building and detonating them all at once as you watch it crumble in a pile of smoke. Epic.
In the end, though, the game falls victim of trying to do too much. I love open-ended games, but this game is perhaps a bit to “cookie cutter”. It gets repetitive, the landscape gets bland, and the roaming and exploration just doesn’t feel rewarding. Also, I really don’t feel like they captured the atmosphere of Mars very well. It’s mainly just earth with shoddy red textures, red dirt roads, and a very GTA-feel to it. Despite a few complaints, though, the satisfaction and entertainment of simply blowing shit up is hard to resist, and fans of sandbox environments will find plenty to enjoy.
This charming physics-based puzzle game is, well, charming. It mixes platformer gameplay, a unique three-person switching system, a plethora of puzzle, physics-based challenges, adventure components, item collection, and experience gathering into one, tightly compacted and rounded experience. The real unique element this game does bring, though, is the three-person switching system. Honestly, that was the best way I could think of describing it. Essentially, at any moment in time you can choose between a thief with a grapple hook and bows’n’arrows, a knight with a strong shield and deadly sword, or the wizard who can move objects, or even create his own objects if you draw them out in an empty space.
Throughout your entire adventure, an old storyteller narrates as the plot unfolds. The occasional comment from a character is generally sarcastic or witty, and sets it light tone to the game. The game does feature some good graphics and really clever sound effects, but certainly isn’t anything to write home above (even though I just do happen to be writing about it).
It’s really hard to explain the appeal of Trine in a nutshell. It’s a casual puzzle game that offers better gameplay and a deeper experience than your typical Popcap game. It’s like a casual puzzle game for legitimate gamers, as it includes better visuals, more complex gameplay, the draw of physics-based problem solving, and they know the appeal of creating satisfying gameplay moments (such as drawing a box and watching it fall onto an enemies head).
So even if a casual, puzzle-based platformer / adventure game doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, give it a try. This game lightly touches the realms of the “legit” hardcore gamers—while not ignoring it’s casual, “just for fun” roots.
As an unofficial continuation of both where Fate and Mythos left off, Fate brings in some really key talent into their small development team (think some of the forces behind Fate, Mythos, and Diablo II). It’s hash-n-slash goodness broken down to its simplest form, and then polished until perfection. Though there is definitely an appeal to casual gamers, Torchlight gives plenty for more seasoned vets to dig into.
From casting dazzling spells to crunchy and delicious melee combat to ranged combat (which, let’s be honest, is never the most fun), Torchlight does a great job of allowing you to forge your own path. Don’t let the cartoonish graphics give you the wrong impression, the combat is still fully satisfying. Looting dungeons and pillages the corpses of your slain enemies is still as fun as ever. You slowly stockpile to riches over the course of the game, gradually transforming your humble character into a full-fledged warrior. It’s what you’ve come to expect from your run-of-the-mill RPG.
Though it’s a bit too basic at times, Torchlight offers unique visuals, randomized dungeons and encounters, and plenty of replay value for the RPG hardcore. This certainly won’t have the same meat on its bones as Diablo 3 will or Dragon Age has, it’s not trying to. Torchlight offers a lighter and just-as-satisfying RPG experience that’s much easier to get in, play a few minutes, then get out—a pinnacle of all “casual” games. And Torchlight is a rather charming game, at that.
I like the Warhammer 40k games because they provide something different in the strategy genre. Dawn of War II continues along the line, focusing on control points, squad-based combat, and a hero leveling system. Furthermore, the game offers a great campaign mode, fun co-op options, and a balanced (but perhaps too hardcore) multiplayer mode.
What made this such a solid game for me was its brilliant implementation of co-op. Not only did I have a blast playing through its unique campaign mode. The campaign involves turn-based selection of where to move next, including choosing specific missions for certain items or power-ups—with the turns counting up the days until it’s, essentially, “too late.” As your racing against the clock and against your foes, you’re able to team up with a buddy in this team-based campaign mode. Combine this with multiple, different heroes with unique abilities and uses on the battlefield, it all blends together amazing while. I was able to enjoy a solid 20 hours of gameplay in the single-player and co-op, without ever even touching the somewhat daunting multiplayer, whose community is rather hardcore, to say the least.
My only complaint is the Games for Windows, which seems to be a system that’s quickly going out of style. I would have much preferred Stream integration, or preferably, not integrated into any “community” portals that seem to slow down the process of getting into a game more than anything.
You’ve heard me mention it a lot already: this game is charming. Smaller development studios are more fixated in trying to develop unique and charming worlds to set their games in, instead of trying to be the next AAA title on a B budget. I highly approve of this, and we’ve seen a huge rise of simply charming games. And King’s Bounty: Armored Princess is a perfect example of said “charm.” To be charming, I find a game has light doses of humor, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, it has cute (even anime-like) qualities, and is content with simply being itself.
King’s Bounty: Armored Princess is a Heroes of Might and Magic clone, down to its core. It’s able to add a few of its own spices, while also making it feel a lot more streamlined and straightforward. Don’t let the cutesy feel and look of the game give you the wrong impression—this game can prove incredibly difficult. There was a lot of very close calls in battles, quite a lot of reloads, and a few sad moments as I watched my rare, expensive units fall in the line of battle.
The game mixes a very colorful, busy world map with the battle map, which is for the turn-based battles as your army faces off against an opposing army. The world map is especially lovely, giving you that sense of wonder as you explore the map. It never feels dull, and it doesn’t fall victim of trying to do too much or be too big. It keeps it a bit more refined, adding tons of details and making the areas you do explore truly interesting. Quality over quantity in open-ended environments is a huge plus in my book.
Armored Princess was a huge surprise for me, and came into it without reading any reviews or even knowing what the game was about. I did not regret it one moment, as it delved me into a deep and interesting strategy game with a genuinely interesting world it was set in. Despite its charming appeal, there is some deep strategy that you are required to employ in order to beat this game. This was not only a pleasant surprise, but a truly great game; and one of my favorites of 2009 which I’ll be playing well into 2010.
As Resident Evil continues to grow and evolve, its begun shedding its survival/horror gameplay pillars in terms of a more shooter-esque approach. Which isn’t a problem for me, since I’ll freely admit I’m a sissy about “scary” games. At least with Resident Evil 5, I get lots of big and badass weaponry. And you can always play with a buddy. And the lights on. You NEVER play with the lights off.
Kicking up the action a notch I feel has done wonders for the series. In almost a move-like approach to storytelling, the camera does a wonderful job at creating suspense, tense, and action-filled moments as you dodge around, avoid zombie hordes, and headshot excessive amounts of zombie-like enemies with your trusty firearms.
The beautiful graphic and sound design do wonders to the game, really putting you into the moment with a superb sense of atmosphere no matter where you visit. From dark caverns to wet swamplands to vast outdoor encampments, you truly feel as if you were there. And surrounded by zombies. Always with the zombies. Or at least zombie-like impersonators, as I think they made a distinction at some point that these aren’t “fully zombie” or something. Because they run around and communicate with each other. Or something.
There’s something to be said about playing this game on co-op, though. It’s fun to play through with a buddy, and nothing brings friends together like some good, old fashioned zombie-killin’.
Guess what? Modern Warfare 2 is an still action-packed, on-rails, and technically advanced game. It has been since it first came out since 2003, and sadly very little has changed. But do we, as gamers, want change? Hell no! You can’t change its fast-paced gameplay, its intricate perk system, its rapid and massive online community, the famous “no health bar,” the screen-shaking explosions, the eerily realistic gunfire, the chaos and mayhem of battle found both online and off… you can’t change any of that. It’s Call of Duty, man. The biggest change in the past 7 years has been moving from World War II to modern day. And that was hailed as being revolutionary. Really? Come on, now.
But why would they want to change it? It works. It’s polished. Infinity Ward know how to make a shooter that appeals to hardcore and more mainstream FPS fans. Online gameplay is addicting as hell. The single-player story is full of great moments, though as a whole it often leaves you scratching your head. The gunplay is awesome to witness.
This is the game that takes the great parts of awesome action movies and brings it to you in interactive, video game form. It’s pure, explosive bliss. And as much as I feel that it’s getting incredibly rehashed, overdone, and driven into the ground... I just can’t help myself. I love Call of Duty.
So, when’s Modern Warfare 3 coming out? Anyone?
This isn"t your regular hack-n-slash dungeon crawling RPG. In fact, every part but the "RPG" would fail to appropriately categorize Borderlands. However, all that excitement you get from collecting new gear, leveling up your character, accepting and completing a vast array of quests, and exploring new areas is there.
If Borderlands is a cell-shaded, action-centric shooter—why does it feel so much hack-n-slash dungeon crawler? Hell if I know, but I firmly approve of any genre hybrids. Mixing in level systems, complex and randomized looting, and various other pillars of the roleplaying genre into a solid shooter gameplay? I call that a good decision. And Borderlands is that good decision.
Just what makes Borderlands such a good game? Sure, ibut it"s a genre hybrid, but it"s also well executed one. It combines a unique visual style, beautiful and expansive outdoor environments, a well-designed world, age-old RPG mechanics that simply work, and top it all off with polished shooter gameplay. I call that a winner.
It’s the hardcore RPG that everyone has been waiting for. And by everyone I mean hardcore RPG fans. It’s a hail back to Baldur’s Gate, yet done in a more realistic, dark fantasy tone. It’s the RPG tale for grownups, that isn’t a buggy mess like Witcher. There’s excessive blood. There’s (a little) sex. There’s excessive violence. There’s (a little) character development. There’s excessive storytelling. Does this just not sound like the perfect RPG?
Well, it’s not perfect. But that’s a-okay, because if you’re looking for a expansive fantasy universe to engross yourself in, a collection of unique characters, challenging and thrilling combat, a comprehensive leveling and equipment system, amazing visuals complete with excessive gore, and all those pillars of RPG goodness you (hopefully) remember from Baldur’s Gate to Diablo, then you’re in for a treat. The world of Dragon Age is dark and twisted as it is interesting and fully realized. From the taverns in the cities to the smaller villages to various forests, mountains, and monasteries scattered around—there’s plenty to explore and experience.
Though I found the characters to be a little generic and under-developed at times, I felt this worked well in the end. Though there is backstory and some emotional attachment to the characters, often you just pick the best characters that suit your playing style—your choices more game-driven than character-driven. Furthermore, this epic tale is far grander than your party of characters. You and your fellow compatriots are more along for the ride, witnessing grand events and battles around the land. And don’t get me wrong, the story is nothing short of epic.
The world is massive. There’s a huge storyline to complete. There’s tons of missions. The combat is fast, bloody, strategic, AND action-packed. How is that possible? Hell if I know. It’s a perfect blend of RPG elements, done with just enough polish and a large enough budget to be truly satisfying. I didn’t even know how much I had been yearning for a good RPG until I finished Dragon Age. Dragon Age proved to me the importance of having important player decisions, an open-ended world, challenging gameplay, and a massive and epic storyline are to a game, all of these things which Dragon Age pulls off with style.
My Game of the Year picks are selected from the PC and Xbox 360. I'm slightly PC-biased.
- Honorable Mentions
Assassin's Creed 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Plants vs Zombies, Battlefield Heroes , - Unplayed games (may have been contenders)
Batman: Arkham Asylum, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Killzone 2, Infamous, Braid