» game review

So finally I got LittleBigPlanet yesterday, it was probably in the mailbox on Monday but I was too busy to check. I wanted to play a bit more before writing this review and the game was just too damn fun to let go of the controller last night. And I’m still trying to figure out how on earth to get my Nariko costume since my game didn’t come with the a card with the promotion code. I’ve sent an email to Futureshop and haven’t received a reply yet.

[update]:Turns out the promo was between Oct 3rd and Oct 9th, I pre-ordered mine on 11th, sigh. There goes my Nariko costume.

  

Story and controls
There isn’t really a solid story for LittleBigPlanet, you will be exploring and venturing out in different places and planets. The controls are straight forward and easy to get used to. Basically you can jump (hold down to jump higher and further) and pull or push objects. There are also these new and interesting actions such as smile, frown, angry and scared, each with 3 levels, so you can smile lightly, bigger smile and a crazy smile all executed using the directional buttons. You can also make your sackboy or sackgirl’s head move based on your SIXAXIS controller as well as making their hands move using L2, R2, L3 and R3. Such innovative features really help bring emotion and expression to the sack people. And one more thing, you can drag your L3 or R3 real fast from left to right or right to left to perform slaps (at people obviously!), which I haven’t got bored of doing yet. Then again, when you are actually going through a level you most likely will be too occupied to even bother playing with the expressions.

  

Gameplay, Graphics and physics
FUN, that’s the word that came to my mind when I played it for the first time. I found it particularly fun because I’ve used to play shoot’em up games for far too long, Call of Duty 4 for example, not that I’m complaining, I will never get bored of that game just that its just nice to play something that’s completely different for a change. Most of the time, this game is relaxing, but, maybe I just suck and/or impatient, I had to play some of the levels a few times before I could pass them in order to unlock the next area(s). I guess I should be glad that the game offers some level of difficulties, I mean after all, it won’t be fun if its too easy right?

  

This game is point based, meaning you get points by obtaining blue orbs. But that’s not very rewarding isn’t it? You can also obtain outfits, decorations, stickers etc. You can place stickers and decorations pretty much anywhere and sometimes they are used to solve puzzles to unlock more items. I believe one of the biggest selling feature of this game is the amount of outfits you can obtain and customize your sackboys or girls. You have the options to edit each part of your sackboys or girls such as head, face, back, neck, eyes, upper outfit, lower outfit etc. You can even choose to have the system randomly generate a look as well and you can imagine the number of combinations there can be as you obtain more outfits! You can save your look for a quick change as well as deleting them.

  

Graphics are top notch as well, I think the word I would use is, surreal. Its dreamlike and cartoonish but at the same time realistic with great lighting effects, vibrant colors and detailed textures of the surroundings. As mentioned before, the facial expression of your sackboys and girls are eye candies. Although it only supports up to 720p which most of us can probably not tell the difference between 1080p and 720p anyway so its not really an issue.

Aside from the normal beat-the-level kind of game, there are also challenges that you can unlock by obtaining keys. One example of challange will be to continuously jump up and down and get as many blue orbs (for points) as you can while avoiding the fire.

As you can see, this game packs TONS of features and I have yet to discover them all. I’ve had a chance to play a bit online last night and the online feature just makes this game easily worth 10 times more than the $59.99. You can play levels online with others (by the way some areas require others’ help to unlock) or you can play on your own. You can also pick the Quick Play option and you will be joining someone random and play whatever they are playing. The number of levels in LittleBigPlanet is pretty much infinite as long as people keep creating levels and sharing them, there will be new levels to play for as long as this game remains popular, which I am confident it will. You can also “hearted” your favorite levels and your friends on PlayStation Network can see them.

Aside from the graphics, the physics, yes this is my first time having a section, or rather one third of a section, dedicated to game physics. There are many obstacles through out the game, sometimes you will have to push or pull blocks in order to proceed to the next area. On the other hand you can, for example, be pulling a string left and right to shake the blue orbs or items down for you to obtain.

  

Sound
So far I have heard many different types of music, some are up beat, some are spooky and some are down right classical. I also like the commentary that is spoken in English with British accent, just love that accent. There aren’t any other types of sound worth mentioning. Let me know if I’ve missed anything.

Final verdict
I’m pretty sure I have not tapped into everything about LittleBigPlanet, but as you can see, the amount of contents this game has is incredible. The amount of customization of your sack characters is one of the greatest feature this game has to offer, I think personalization is what makes a good game….a good game! With personalization you can have a unique presence instead of looking the same as other people. Unlike some of the games that mainly target specific groups of gamers, LittleBigPlanet suits all types of gamers, even non gamers in my opinion. Finally, the fact that you can create your own levels and share them with everyone else online makes this game even better. This is what I would call a Web 2.0 game, correct me if I’m wrong though.

Finally after Resistance, Heavenly Sword and Metal Gear Solid 4, the PlayStation 3 has another worthy exclusive game.

9.5/10

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After playing and review the demo for Mirror’s Edge. I immediately installed Tom Clancy’s EndWar soon after. And what do you know? This game is pretty good as well! This is my first strategy game that I’ve ever played on a console. And you can’t really go wrong with any Tom Clancy’s games, this game feels like Ghost Recon + Command and Conquer.

The demo has one single player mission which takes roughly 10-15 minutes to complete. You are given a few groups of units initially, you can then call for more support using the CP (command points), the single player mission only allows you to control 3 different groups, and that’s pretty much all you need for the short mission as this is more of a training / tutorial type of mission. In this mission you can select all your forces and attack. But you really have to learn that tanks beat transport vehicles beat helicopters, and helicopters in turn beat tanks (think of them linking together in a circle).

  

The skirmish is where the demo lasts longer which uses the same map as the single player mission and you have the option to play as single player or with someone online. I chose to play by myself simply because I haven’t mastered the controls yet. The skirmish is pretty much securing buildings and that in turn will allow you to upgrade different technologies like air strikes, force recon etc as well as calling for more forces. You can choose from infantries, rocket infantries, command vehicle, artilleries, tanks, transport vehicles and helicopters. You will want to have a few groups of either infantries or rocket infantries to secure buildings faster. Unfortunately I did not play this using voice command so I had some difficulties controlling every single group of forces because you have to basically micro manage your forces but fortunately I got a hang of it after a while. And I really like the fact that after finishing each mission, you will need to press continue before leaving the stage, this is the perfect time to fly around and appreciate the beautiful graphics.

  

  

I couldn’t find any flaw while playing the demo except the fact that you can only zoom in and out so much sometimes its hard to see the surrounding, and the only way to see further is to select a different group.

The graphics are stunning as well and capable of running in full HD 1080p. The buildings, infantries and vehicles are very detailed. And the intro movies are even more impressive. The level of detail on the space station is just jaw dropping and I am not exaggerating.

  

Again if you haven’t downloaded this demo, go give it a shot and see if you like it or not. And finally I would like to apologize for the shaky screenshots.

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First I got the news from EBGames that the Mirror’s Edge demo will be available on November 6th, I guess its been pushed forward by 1 week and is released today. Its always a good thing! Unlike Little Big Planet, I am still waiting for it to be shipped from Futureshop, it said “Shipped” but I have yet to see it in my mailbox.

Anyway onto the demo.

Oh-My-God, that was literally what I said to myself when I was playing this game, I have never had so much thrill for a long time! Even though the demo lasted 20-25 minutes max (unless you keep dying). The game is similar to The Bourne Conspiracy where you have to act quickly otherwise you will be captured/killed. Compare to Bourne, I think Mirror’s Edge is the better one.

  

Faith, your character tells you the story in comic style during loading which is plus, its always better to be looking at something moving rather than the old boring “loading” text. The first part of the demo starts you off with a few tutorials of how to move around, jump, slide underneath objects, climb up. Aside from the basics, you will learn to disarm from behind or from the front, shoot or throw away the weapon. That’s not all! You will also learn to do crazy acrobatics like running horizontally on a wall then spin around and jump onto the opposite side (sorry I tried my best to describe). Its basically pressing 3 buttons but you need to really time your presses. So you can chain your moves and perform something crazy. One thing I absolutely love about the controls is that most of the actions are performed using just the L1.

  

The second part is the real deal where you have to jump/move/climb around to deliver a package to the other runner Celeste. In between you have to run away from hostiles and/or fight your way through. Let me tell you, the second part was a THRILL to play!

  

  

Graphics are AMAZING and able to run in full HD 1080p. I particularly like the way the lighting is done. The whole city looks very realistic. I couldn’t stop taking pictures while playing the game and graphics are that good. Definitely eye candy.

Can’t really comment much on the music there’s only one track and a good one of course. Kind of feel like the Metal Gear Solid opening music.

If you haven’t downloaded the demo, please do so! You don’t know what you are missing!

  

I really appreciate game companies releasing game demos because they allow us gamers to try out the games before purchasing them, instead of doing all the guessing and then taking the risk of buying something we don’t enjoy playing. Reading reviews and watching trailers from Gamespot and Gametrailers help a bit but you can never be sure until you have played the games YOURSELF.

The game will be released on November 11th.

Stay tuned for yet another hyped up game demo review – Tom Clancy’s End War.

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I know Secret of the Solstice isn’t exactly a new game, it was released January of this year. But I just found out about it, believe me, there is no way to know every single online game out there with so many Massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG in short games with a lot of them being free. And I’m don’t regret registering for my free account, downloading the 1.22gb of install file and getting hooked onto this game. Just like any other MMORPGs that I played, be it free or with monthly fee. And when there is a worthy game, I want to share it with everyone.

The game also has its own blog and stay up to date on this game as well as other games that Outspark Games offer.

 

Now onto the actuall game review. First impression, the game reminds me of Ragnarok Online or RO which is another MMORPG, this game has been out since 2002 and remains popular even after it turned from free to monthly paid subscription and now back to free. The two game are very similar with your usual anime style 2D Spirte with 3D-ish environments. And if you want to get your hands on special items, you will have to actually pay for them, with real money and not game money.

 

After a bunch of patches, I fired up the game and again similar to RO, you are to get familiar with the game and where different buildings are such as general item store, blacksmith, hotel etc. The first few levels are easily obtained by performing simple quests from the Solstice Guide NPC. One thing I like about this is the fact that all the walking is done for you for these tutorial type quests. While I am running around to different places, I notice the running animation is also better than that of RO, then again RO has been out for a lot longer. So I’m not bashing RO but just that its nice to see some improvements from another game. The clothing also looks more detailed and has more varieties which could just be because I am new to this game though.

 

In terms of game play, I haven’t found any major lag, not even noticeable ones which is always good. I remember back then RO would get so laggy and resulted in me logging out and not play the game. People are friendly in general, always willing to help out the newbies. I have decided to become an acolyte after getting up to level 16. Weapons, armors and other support items are relatively expensive in my standards. The targeting system als works like a charm, specially for magic castors, all you have to do is left click on an enemy or a player, and you can cast magics on them without retargetting them and avoid potential miss target. Enemies have colors range from white to red as white means the easiest and red means hardest (most likely impossible to kill).

 

Music is pretty pleasant most of the time, but it gets really repetitive with the techno music when you are in some of the dungeons.

As any other MMO games, its always more fun and enjoyable partying up with others, Secret of the Solstice is no exception. It can get very dull and boring hunting on your own, even though sometimes you have to.

If you want to further customize your character, you can also purchase unique clothing to personalize your character(s) but that will cost you money, and we are talking about real money.

After a few days of playing this game, I think Secret of the Solstice is definitely a good game for those who likes anime, level grinding or just casual play. I mean the game is free so there is nothing to lose but just your time. And if you hate the game you won’t waste time and keep playing it anyway.

Give it a shot and sign up!

7.5/10

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LEGO was part of my childhood, it was and still is an innovative toy. When you combine LEGO with Batman, the result is an extremely addictive game with so many features to keep you from turning off your PSP.

I have never played LEGO Star Wars but I’ve played LEGO Indiana Jones (demo). I think LEGO Indiana Jones is an average game, probably because I am not a huge fan of the series. On the other hand, I’ve always loved Batman series so its only naturally for me to love LEGO Batman as well.

 

Story and controls
The story is no brainer, all your well known villains are in this game including Penguin, Poison Ivy, Joker, Riddler, Clayface and Mr.Freeze are here terrorizing Gotham City. Your job obviously is to clean up the mess. The controls are very simple with jump, punch and switch between the two characters etc. Anyone will be able to figure out the controls almost immediately. Tips will show up when you are near key areas so most of the time you will know what to do and how to get to a particular area. Player friendly is one of the reasons why I think this game is worth the money. Auto aim also exists so that your character will punch whatever is breakable (if in range).

 

Game play and graphics
As I mentioned the controls are easy to get a hang on, this also makes the game play more enjoyable because you can actually PLAY the game instead of constantly trying to figure out what is what. I assume because the target audience is kids since its rated E for everyone. When you destroy objects, you will get LEGO pieces, those are actually your money that you can spend on upgrading your suits and other “toys”. This greatly increases the replay value of this game because of the unlockable and upgradable items. After the first chapter, you are given either to continue to next chapter or back to the Batcave. Instead of picking continue which will load the next chapter, you can save the game and enter your Batcave.

After finishing the first episode as Batman/Robin, you can then play as Riddler/Clayface by unlocking the option in the Batcave or you can choose to continue with the other two Batman episodes.

 

 

The Batcave is amazingly designed with detailed textures (when comparing to PS2 graphics) and the cave is really big separated by different areas. The main area will allow you to pick one of the 3 episodes using one of Batman’s vehicles which are made of LEGO. You can jump from episode to episode and don’t have to play them in order. You can also go back to the mansion and check your trophies from your accomplishments.

Aside from having detailed buildings, the characters all have detailed facial expressions as well which make the cut scenes so much more fun to watch (the cut scenes are hilarious by the way!).

 

Sound
The Batman themed music is pretty much from the Batman movies starred Michael Keaton (personally I think he was the best Batman) if not exactly the same. The music is so good that as I’m writing this review, its still in my head playing non stop. But I’m guessing I might get bored of it sooner or later.

 

Final verdict
LEGO Batman is a perfect casual game for those looking to kill some time. It might not have online component but the shear amount of unlockables will keep you playing for hours and hours. I also suggest you buy this game for PSP instead of for PS3 and/or XBOX360 because it doesn’t utilize the graphic capabilities of the two next-gen consoles. So there is no point getting it for them but to get it for your PSP and even the DS if you have one. I am sure I have not covered EVERYTHING this game has to offer but I hope this helps those that are planning/thinking about getting this game a bit.

I also want to apologize for the quality of the pictures as I took them using my digital camera while playing the game.

8/10

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As soon as I saw 1942: Joint Strike demo on PSN, I downloaded it immediately. 1942 was and still is one of the most addicting war plane shooter games of all time. Its simply classic. The remake is in 3D and the graphics are just so crisp and sharp. Back then when the plans blow up, it was just a simple blow up image, now the planes actually break into pieces and disappear.

In terms of game play, like I said, its just as addictive as the classic version, it also has stunning graphics. You have more ways of blowing up your enemies now. You have this new shooting mode where you hold the shoot button, it will fire a stronger shot like from the yet another classic plane shooter called R-Type in addition to the classic shooting mode but I didn’t find that new mode effective. Aside from normal shooting, you will have the bombs that will basically wipe out anything on the screen. Missiles is also another new weapon where, if I remember correctly, you get to use them by shooting down enemies. And finally, instead of getting killed in one shot, this version of 1942 features a life bar instead, life bars are nothing new to plane shooters but its a nice addition.

The demo features one quick level, as you can guess, there will be a boss at the end of the level. The memories of playing the classic version just came back to me when I had to dodge all over the place just to not get hit by the many bullets just fly towards you. It was amazingly fun!

I highly recommend this game for those that find plane shooters addictive. With better graphics and game play, 1942: Joint Strike is worth every $9.99USD/CAD that you are going to pay for! I might even get the full version later.

  
 

If you want to look for a copy of the original 1942 on NES, I’ve found some on eBay.

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