Medal of Honor: Warfighter

This is probably going to be my last review for a while, as I'll soon be going on holiday for a few weeks. Just thought I'd give you all a heads up.
Now, I'm hoping that I'll be able to post an Assassin's Creed 3 review before I get back, but if I don't, I promise I'll be making up for it when I get back.
As for right now, I'll be reviewing Medal of Honor: Warfighter. So let's get this started!

STORY
Medal of Honor: Warfighter picks up an undisclosed amount of time after 2010's reboot of the franchise, and follows the actions of Tier 1 operators as they try to foil a terrorist plot involving public bombings using high explosives. There's also a subplot involving one of the main operators, "Preacher", and his efforts to rekindle his troubled marriage. When his former professional life intersects with his family life, he must make a choice as to whether he can live without Tier 1, and the ability to protect his family.

The plot tries to differentiate from it's action movie inspired brethren (CoD), and you really get the sense that the guys at Danger Close have a deep respect for the Tier 1 operators. It's admirable, but it doesn't stop the story having problems. One thing about CoD campaigns is that you always know where you are, why you're there, and when in the timeline you're there. MoH:W doesn't achieve this, as the dates of each mission is set at various intervals in the past, and the destination of each mission is only ever mentioned once or twice. It makes the game seem like one big blur.

Adding to this is the lack of memorable or likable characters. No one has their own personality. They're all the typical sort of bro's that you might expect, and no one has any recognizable or relatable traits.

PRESENTATION
The most blatantly obvious thing about Warfighter is that the sound design is amazing. Guns sound like they pack a punch, while explosions and war-machines sound exactly as powerful as they should. Voice acting is rather bland on the other hand, but chances are you won't even hear any dialogue over the concerto of war as it is.

The graphics in engine are quite good, with lighting effects in particular something to be amazed with. Character animations are good, but the models themselves could use a bit of work. The landscapes are all fairly varied, with Flooded towns in the Phillippines contrasting with Terrorist inhabited caves in the Middle East.

Overall, the game looks pretty great, and it sounds fantastic. The cutscene graphics however are really impressive. The only problem is that certain characters fall pretty deep into the Uncanny Valley. The characters are so close to looking human, without looking perfectly human, that it looks a bit weird. Still impressive though.

GAMEPLAY
So we all know how FPS games work these days, right? You run from cover to cover, popping out to shoot enemies in some twisted version of whack-a-muslim, all the while following your invincible team-mates. MoH does little to differentiate from the formula, but when it does deviate, it really shines. For example, one mission requires you to chase down a sniper who has killed a contact that you were watching. This involves chasing him through the busy roads and back streets of Pakistan. It's a standout moment of the campaign, and to be honest, they're some of the best driving controls I've used in a First Person Game.

Other standouts include play metal gear solid in a car, as you try to avoid detection while escaping Dubai, chasing down a VIP on foot through OpFor bases as you dodge bullets and return fire, and hunting down a terrorist cell one by one like an American Military Batman.

Otherwise, the gameplay is pretty standard, and it works well enough. Guns are more modular, and the ability to switch between iron-sights and scope, full auto and semi-auto is nice. It gives a nice amount of freedom when approaching situations, but the fact that you can only approach from one direction kind of defeats the purpose.

Player characters have a nice sense of weight to them, as vaulting over cover and sprinting/sliding all feel and look natural, and adds a much needed sense of realism to it (if only to differentiate it from it's competition).

That said, MoH is very short, and most of the time, it follows the same pattern as every other modern war shooter today. When it strays from the path, it achieves moments of brilliance, but it doesn't do it often enough to make it worth playing the whole 5 hour campaign. Yeah. It's short.

REPLAYABILITY
MoH: Warfighter doesn't have a lot to keep people coming back for more. Yes, it's gameplay is solid enough to make me want to play it once or twice more, but at the end of the day, it only has multiplayer. And while it's a decent multiplayer suite (if you liked the last installment's, you'll enjoy this), it doesn't scratch the surface of what some other games are doing.

OVERVIEW
With a fairly weak and hard to follow story, unrelatable characters and a mostly by the books approach to gameplay, Medal of Honor doesn't do a lot to make me want to suggest it as a full price retail purchase. I mean, it does have its pros. The sound design is brilliant, the flexibility with most weapons is a welcome addition, and at certain points, the campaign becomes really amazing.

So if you've been waiting on the edge of your seat for Shooter Season 2012 to hit, then by all means, pick this up. It's not a bad game, but it misses some opportunities to claim the FPS throne. Mad shooter fans will get a kick out of this, but keep in mind my little niggling complaints.

Next week, HOLIDAY TIME! Hopefully, sometime over my break, I can get an AC3 review away. I hope to see you all reading again soon!

XCOM: Enemy Unknown

My busy weeks of gaming before my holiday (for my 21st birthday) continued this week with XCOM: Enemy Unknown. While it's no secret that I don't like RTS games very much, XCOM: Enemy Unknown struck me as far more personal experience. And so here we are!
Lets find out just how good XCOM EU is, shall we?

STORY
The premise of XCOM is that alien invasions have started popping up all across the world, and you are positioned as the commander of a multinational special ops force known as XCOM. The super secret Council of Nations tasks you with finding out the reason for these invasions, while also trying to keep all these involved nations calm.

As far as narratives go, XCOM: Enemy Unknown is pretty barebones. What makes it special is the emergent storytelling that comes with this kind of game. By naming and customizing your soldiers, you get a personal attachment to them, and thus their exploits and failures in combat make for great "watercooler" stories. You'll be sharing stories with mates about how your sniper held the line as your squad retreated with a VIP, or how your Heavy cleared the room before any enemies could get a shot away.

This may just be me, but I felt it difficult to just carry on when a squad member died. I'd always go to the memorial and take a moment to reflect on their exploits. Just a suggestion, you may find it more fun to name your squad after friends, family and coworkers. Alternatively, favourite musicians, authors, you get the picture.

PRESENTATION
There's no denying that XCOM isn't the most graphically amazing game. That said, the visuals do a decent enough job of establishing the mood. Tension is a constant feeling in XCOM, and the dark, rundown environments sell this really well. The remnants of vapourized civillians etched into the ground, the wrecked cars lining the streets, the fires that light the environments; they all add to the feeling of hopelessness and the tension.

The music also plays a large part in this. Generally, there are alot of high pitch string arrangements when the action is just on the horizon. When a bunch of aliens is encountered, a disjunct piano melody plays, and it amps up the creep factor. And then when the battles pick up, the music follows suit. It's all an effort in adding to the mood, and it works.

The character models are somewhat cartoonish, but visually interesting, and the voice acting is surprisingly good for the characters who have multiple lines of dialogue. The Council representative particularly speaks with an air of authority that sells him as the person you need to impress with your efforts.

Presentation-wise, there are a few things I have to complain about. The first thing is that, despite a large variation in map LAYOUT, the actual locations don't really vary. For example, I was tasked with stopping an alien abduction in Sydney, Australia. Later on, I was sent to stop an abduction in Leon France, and I could've sworn they were the exact same place.
Second, while your squad members don't talk ALOT, there's no accents that you can choose. Which is weird, because you've got a multinational team. A small gripe, but it did bug me.

GAMEPLAY
XCOM's gameplay is split into two halves. The first is the bigger draw of the two; the turn-based combat. If I was to compare it to something, I'd compare it to tabletop gaming (ala Warhammer). You take turns to move your squad and shoot with them, adhering to each class's specific rules. For example, some heavies can fire for their first move, and not have it end their turn. Snipers are unable to shoot after moving, support soldiers have smoke grenades, etc.

Making a well rounded squad full of Heavies, Assault soldiers, Support Soldiers and Snipers is truly rewarding, and having squad members survive long enough to become Colonels is awesome, because they absolutely destroy everything in their wake. It's like hitting the level cap in an RPG, with all your chosen skills.

The combat itself is surprisingly fun. It's also difficult. Lining up a shot on a flanked enemy and taking him down feels just as good as getting a headshot in an FPS. That said, care needs to be taken. Death is permanent, and one wrong move could prove disastrous. While flanking to get that killing shot, you could leave yourself open to an enemies killing shot.

The difficulty does ramp up a fair bit, as enemies become more dangerous and harder to kill as the campaign goes on. Add to that, the fact that losing an experienced veteran can be difficult to recover from, and the game can seem a little unforgiving.
If it's your first time playing, I would take the first playthrough as a learning experience, to make your second playthrough better.

The other half of XCOM revolves around building up your base, performing research and managing your resources. You're able to build labs to gain more scientists, workshops to gain engineers, satellite uplinks to be able to monitor more nations with your satellites. Your scientists allow you to research new ideas, and your engineers allow you to create and upgrade these ideas. This all flows into the combat half of the game. Then, the results of combat affect your international panic levels. This then flows into the funding available to manage your base.

The systems that make up XCOM all flow into each each other, and it really gives you a good look at the big picture. While many will probably give up once the difficulty sets in, I think the strategic, cinematic battles and base management will entertain both strategy fans and action fans alike.

Before I finish, I'd like to bring up a few small niggling complaints. Line of site is hugely important in this game, and MOST of the time, it's easy enough to figure out who you can and can't see. Occasionally, however, an overwatch shot will see you try to shoot through a wall. And that may actually work. Then sometimes you can physically draw a line of sight between two combatants, and you won't be able to shoot. It's weird, and I do hope it gets patched out.

REPLAYABILITY
XCOM: Enemy Unknown strikes me as the sort of game I could play over and over. Since the scenarios are randomly generated, it makes the game highly replayable. The option to play ironman mode (which restricts loading), the varying difficulties, and the multiplayer mode all give you value for money.
Speaking of the multiplayer, it gives you and a friend a chance to go head to head, alien vs human. It seems like more of a diversion than a fully fledged game mode, but it's fun enough.

OVERVIEW
XCOM: Enemy Unknown is a refreshing game. It's graphics aren't stellar, and it's probably not at the top of anyones wishlist, but you'll get few experiences like it. The tense atmosphere, the strategic, thinking-man's combat, the detail in the base management; it all combines to make a game that requires care and thought, while still delivering action-packed sequences to get the adrenaline pumping.

It's gameplay is solid, with a few small cracks, and the story (while barebones) is enough to frame your own stories with your own soldiers. It makes XCOM feel like YOUR organisation. You are the Commander.

So, next time, I'm thinking Pokemon Black/White 2. See you next week!

Dishonored

This week, I was flooded with new games to review, as well as finally getting my hands on all of the GBA Pokemon games (jealous?), so the fact that I have a review ready to go is amazing to myself (especially when all these new releases hit shelves on Thursday). So, let's get on with it!

STORY
Dishonored takes place in the steam-punk, alternate world Victorian-London-esque city known as Dunwall, where the population is being overrun by plague infested rats. Those who have succumb to the plague become weepers; zombie-like beings who weep blood and attack uninfected citizens.

In this world, you control Corvo Attano, former royal protector to the empress and her daughter. After an assassination attempt sees him framed for regicide, it's up to Corvo to regain the missing heir to the throne and take revenge on all those who put you in prison. Along the way, Corvo enlists the help of a band of Loyalists, and a mysterious being known only as the outsider.

It's refreshing to be presented with such a unique world that feels as though it could all be real, while still maintaining an air of fantasy and wonder. It's citizens all feel like a product of this cursed City, and there are some really memorable characters to meet, such as Slackjaw and Granny Rags.

There's really no complaints that I feel I can level against the story told here. A lot of games use stories purely as the scaffold for the gameplay, but Dishonored has a great story to tell, and it compliments the gameplay, instead of being tacked on.

PRESENTATION
Dishonored has a great visual style that fits somewhere between Fable and Bioshock, with character models being stylized, but not quite cartoony. The level design is intelligent, allowing multiple approaches to any given situation, while still making sense visually.
The stages all have a victorian-london vibe to them, while some also have a very industrial look as well. There's a distinct feeling of hopelessness and ruin in the City, and it really sells the state of Dunwall.

The voice acting is superb in Dishonored; all characters, main or supporting, sound like real people who exist in this depressing society, from the creepy Granny Rags, to the snooty aristocrat Lord Pendleton. The game also features such talent as Susan Sarandon and Chloe Grace Moretz.

The music is fittingly tense, and picks up nicely once your cover is blown. To describe it in a word, I'd call it Tension-Building (it's one word If I hyphenate, so shut up).

GAMEPLAY
Dishonored's gameplay is based around Corvo's quest for redemption, which is presented as a series of attempts in getting rid of anyone who had a hand in his framing. Each of the game's missions is set in a mini sandbox, complete with multiple approaches to the mission, side missions and collectables.

The game provides you with a vast array of weaponry with which to take on the evils of Dunwall. Mini-Crossbows, Swords, Pistols, Proximity Mines and Grenades are all provided to make mincemeat of your enemies. That said, however, you're completely able to do a non-lethal run, with the use of strangle-holds and sleeping darts.

Corvo, as a player character, feels fast and fluid, due to his own personal agility, and the special powers bestowed upon him by the Outsider. Being able to jump, mantle and sprint across the mini sandboxes is a perfectly acceptable form of traversal, whereas you could also Blink (teleport) across the rooftops in a stealthy approach.

That's the beauty of Dishonored's gameplay. While many games will attest to being all about player choice, very few deliver. Dishonored does however. Do you spend all your Runes on powerful abilities like the Wind blast or killer swarms to kill all who stand in your way? Do you upgrade your blink and dark site to disappear and reappear across the city without alerting anyone?

Now most games would give you at least that much choice, but Dishonored also gives you multiple ways of dealing with Key targets. Non-Lethal playthroughs are truly non lethal, and Dishonored rewards you for exhausting all options. Do you poison your targets drink? Wind blast him out a window? Or do you brand him a traitor and have him shunned by the community, effectively neutralizing him.

It's one of the best games I've seen, not only when it comes to player choice, but also when it comes to first person stealth. It's clear when you're being seen by enemies, and just because one guy saw you, doesn't mean all his mates will too.

In all, Dishonored's gameplay is a good mix of simple stealth, solid combat, robust upgrades that tie in with your choice of play style, and the great level of choice that's on offer. Occasionally the controls will make you accidentally expose yourself to guards, but that may have been partly due to user error. My bad.

REPLAYABILITY
Dishonored isn't the longest game, as there are really only 9 main missions. The lastability of this game comes from the sheer amount of choice available to you, as far as how you approach these missions. Multiple variations exist on each mission at different aspects. How do you infiltrate the area? How do you make the assassination? How do you escape? Plus there are side missions that offer new information relating to each mission.

For example, I went for a non lethal first playthrough. Next time, I intend on cutting a bloody swathe through Dunwall. And it'll be awesome!

OVERVIEW
I want to cut straight to the chase here. Dishonored is shaping up to be my favourite game of this year. I love a great stealth game, and Dishonored is just that. It's also a solid First Person Action game. It's also a decent RPG. Add to that, the fact that the tale of Corvo Attano is an interesting one, and the City of Dunwall is a unique, living, breathing place to play.

The depressing, run down visuals really sell the feeling of desperation that the citizens of Dunwall have to be feeling, but the visuals are stylized enough that it doesn't just become grey and boring. It truly is a great game. It's an example of the best that games can be in this day and age. The choice, the solid mechanics, the story; I found it all to be quite superb.

Next time, I'll be reviewing XCOM: Enemy Unknown. See you next week!

EB GAMES EXPO 2012

Well well, another year's EB Expo is done and dusted. This year, I thought I'd make a short list of games I truly enjoyed, or games that really surprised me, and write little bit about my experience with them. So here were my best in show, in no particular order!

ASSASSINS CREED 3
So I played two different demos of Assassin's Creed 3, one at the Ubisoft booth, and one at the Wii U area. Now, the Ubisoft Demo took place during a mission for Connor to find a map fragment, a mission that can be found via the new naval gameplay system (allegedly). During my short time with the game, I saw Connor climb a cliff face, take enemies down silently with a number of different weapons, and got a feel for him as a character (via his new animations).

If the new animations are anything to go by, Connor is far more aggressive. His free running style seems a lot more fluid and natural, and the revamped combat system tries to keep you on the offensive.
It takes a little bit to get used to, but I found the new combat system to be fun and fast, as well as a refreshing change from the previous titles.

Now, the second demo took place on the sea. When I first heard of the Naval Battles, I had mixed feelings. Fearing that it would be a repeat of the tower defense, I hoped I would be proved wrong. And this demo has sold me on it. Lining up a power barrage of cannons and sinking an enemy is immensely satisfying, as is the ability to place one great shot into their munitions stack (and causing a sweet explosion). This experience was marred slightly by a few bugs that messed up Connor's combat animations after the boarding sequence. If we attribute these issues to the early build Wii U, then the Naval demo was surprisingly satisfying.

PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS: BATTLE ROYALE
While I would have joined most gamers in calling PS All Stars a shameless Smash Bros clone, after last weekend, I don't think I can. There are enough differences to say that, while still definitely influenced by Super Smash Bros, Playstation All Stars is it's own game.

The first difference is in the scoring system. While in Nintendo's fighter you score by getting opponents off the screen, PS All Stars forces you to hit enemies with your characters various supermoves. These supermoves are built up by wailing on the other combatants as hard as you can.
Another difference is in the fighters actual moves. Instead of having plain attack moves and special moves (based on their respective series), each character has 3 attack buttons that are completely unique to them.

Overall, the game is slightly more difficult to get straight into than it's Nintendo brother, but mastering a character feels that little bit more rewarding. The characters and their animations look great, as do the mash-up levels. I'm really quite excited for this game, as I've been wishing for a Sony Character Brawler since the very first Smash Bros, and it's shaping up to be something fantastic.

Aliens: Colonial Marines
At the Expo, 2K games came to showcase Aliens: Colonial Marines in the form of a number of multiplayer face-offs between Expo-goers and pro-gamers, marines Vs. Aliens. Instantly drawing similarities between it and Left 4 Dead, theirs a distinct tension in the air.

I gotta say, despite being up against Pro-Gamers, our team went suprisingly well, only losing by 4 kills. The gameplay is smooth and easy to pick up and go (assuming you've played a shooter before) and the teams are surprisingly well balanced. The marines get a nice array of weaponry, including assault rifles and shotguns, while also having access to motion trackers to keep an eye on any unseen foes. On the other hand, however, the Aliens can leap impossible distances, stick to walls, bleed acid, and kill quickly with melee attacks. The balancing factor here is that in a frontal assault, the xenomorphs are weak as hell.

This game is so atmospheric, with the dark and eerie hallways, the scrambling noise of Xenomorphs, and the beep of your motion tracker as an unseen enemy draws every closer. It's a whole lot of fun, and perfectly captures the essence of the Alien movies.

RAYMAN: LEGENDS
If there was any Wii U title to make me believe that the new Nintendo console was worth a buy, this was it. I loved the last Rayman game, believe me. The art style, the music, it had so much pure soul. Rayman Legends appears to be no different.

The platforming is smooth and quick, with intelligent level design and near perfect controls (using a wii U pro controller), Rayman Legends is as good as, if not better than, its predecessor. The biggest addition, however, is Murphy, Rayman's new green winged friend, who is controlled by the player holding the Gamepad. Using it's touch screen, you're able to manipulate certain platforms or walls, and using it's gyroscope, you can tilt hazards any way you choose. It works great, whether you're helping your friends, or griefing them.

Also worth a mention are Rayman Legends' more rhythmic levels, which make me think of a mix between good ol' platforming fun, and guitar hero style button timing. And the soundtracks are great!

FAR CRY 3
Given multiple attempts at a 15 minute open world demo for Far Cry 3, I'm left with one clear thought on it. Far Cry 3 is beautiful. Unlike Far Cry 2 (brown and desperate Africa), FC3 looks unbelievably good. The colours are bright and powerful, with lots of bright blues and greens. The tropical setting is amazing, and the fact that the setting is also open world makes me want to explore every inch of it.

Also there are tigers. And goats. And sharks. And fucking Manta-Rays!! The world of Far Cry 3 feels alive and breathing, and the gameplay fit's it perfectly, as your character's movements feel swift and wild, as well as accurate and easy to use. First person driving returns, and it feels a lot more natural than last time around, while hang-gliding and ziplining gives you multiple ways to travel the island. The variety of weapons is also great, with bows, pistols and various arrows to shoot from your bow.

GOD OF WAR: ASCENSION
This one's going to be short for one reason. We all know that the God Of War games provide a certain level of quality gameplay. So here's my biggest praise of the GoW:A demo. IT LOOKS AMAZING! The visuals are so breathtaking and colourful. That is all.

BLACK OPS 2
Ok, so we got to try the multiplayer of Black Ops 2, and while it's mostly the same, one thing really felt amazing for me. The pick 10 class customization allows for deeper personalization of classes, and lets you ignore items you normally don't use. Only knife? Take out your two guns and explosives and spend the extra on more perks! Want a sniper rifle and a shotgun, but no equipment? Go right ahead!

So that was just a small taste of what we saw at the EB Expo. I hope when these games come out, they're just as amazing for you guys as they were for me when I got a sneak peek. See you next time!

Borderlands 2

For those of you who haven't been reading these reviews for long, let me summarise my thoughts on the original Borderlands: not enough variety, no story, not that fun single-player.
So obviously, I wasn't a fan. But let it never be said that I don't give second chances. Since then, I played another notable 2K Published game. Look how that turned out (It was Duke Nukem: Forever, by the way). So now on with the Borderlands 2 review! Will 2K redeem themselves in my eyes?

STORY
Borderlands 2 picks up 5 years after the opening of the vault in the first game. Since then, a rare alien element known as Eridium has spread across Pandora, and Hyperion's owner, Handsome Jack, has almost conquered all the land in order to mine as much of it as he can.

The game begins with a failed assassination attempt on the four main vault hunters of this game. After being dug out of their snowy grave by Claptrap, the Vault Hunters make it their mission to take revenge on Jack; meeting a familiar cast of characters along the way. Also guns. A lot of guns.

The fact that Borderlands 2 actually has a coherent story, with a clear enemy to focus your efforts on, makes it infinitely better than the previous game already. Whether you're playing by yourself or with friends, you'll always have the goal of shooting Jack in his smarmy face leading you on like the proverbial carrot on a stick.
Not only does the story exist, but it's actually pretty good, with lots of twists, interesting characters and interesting locales, as well as a plethora of side stories.

It's still not quite Mass Effect, but it's an epic improvement on Borderlands. And it's really funny. It's almost Portal level in it's humour.

PRESENTATION
Like Borderlands, Borderlands 2 stands out from the competition with a cell-shaded visual style. Unlike it's predecessor, however, Borderlands 2 features a wide array of colours and a variety of different environments, keeping the visual style of the game interesting. In the same way, it's characters are all visually distinct an interesting, from the volumptuous Moxxxi, to the short, funny looking Claptrap, and interacting with these characters is equally interesting.

The soundtrack is very dubstep/electronic/rock filled, and fits the "shoot things in the face" mentality of the game. It's not too serious, but it gets you in the right mood for the gun filled violence to come.
The voice acting is pretty good, with characters like Handsome Jack coming across as both a maniacal douchebag AND a suave leader at the same time. Overall, the major characters you interact with are endearing, in part due to the perfectly cast voice acting.

Finally, the games animations vary. In combat, enemy animations are varied and smooth, whereas in conversation, characters seem very rigid.

GAMEPLAY
It's here that I found quite a large departure from Borderlands. I mean, yes, there are some substantial improvements that I've already mentioned, but the gameplay also gained a massive overhaul.

For starters, the new classes all work really well. The turret flinging Commando, the dual wielding Gunzerker, the phaselocking Siren and the cloaking assassin all have their own roles to play, but they're all surprisingly diverse. Their individual skill trees (of which there are three each) allow for multiple different approaches, from support, to offensive play styles, and defensive tank play styles. Playing in a group or playing solo are both viable as you'll have enough skills to combat any situation.
I found that this was more intuitive than the original Borderlands, as that often got quite overwhelming when playing solo, no matter how I approached the situation.

In keeping with the boost in variety seen in other areas (the characters, colours and locations), the combat also keeps you interested by throwing a larger amount and variety of foes your way. From the standard Skags, to Badass Bullymongs, to suicide robots and robots that make other robots.

There's also a larger emphasis on the changing statuses of enemies. For example, bandit Goliaths get enraged when you shoot there helmets off, causing them to attack their allies. On top of that, with each person he kills (friend or foe) he can level up, making him more difficult to kill. At the same time, it makes the experience and loot drops better. It adds a layer of strategy to Borderlands that didn't really exist before. The way that enemies interact with each other also keeps combat varied. Do you take on the legions of EXP Loaders and GUN Loaders, or do you take on the Constructor robot to stem the tide.

With all these great changes or additions to the formula that made Borderlands a favourite for so many (other) people, the base game still remains fairly unchanged. Unchanged, but refined. The gunplay feels smoother and faster, the rpg elements allow for multiple approaches to any fight, and maybe most important of all, the inventory system is vastly improved. Being able to sort by weapon type, mark junk items or favourite items and compare weapons easily makes the loot-fest undeniably fun. This coming from someone who isn't all that into loot-fests. While these aspects are good, the RPG and shooting aspects have been done better elsewhere. But, not every game has to be CoD or Dragon Age: Origins, and Borderlands 2 reinterprets these genres in a perfectly functional way.

HOWEVER, the fun of the loot-fest is diminished somewhat, by the claim of "bajillions of guns" that Gearbox have totally made good on. The problem here is, you'll often come across a randomly generated weapon that makes everything else you have look like crap. OK, fair enough. But then you take down a particularly difficult boss, and the loot is very mediocre. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but that makes the prospect of an upcoming boss battle that much less exciting.

The driving is still kind of shitty too. Just saying.

REPLAYABILITY
As of writing, I'm on the verge of finishing the main mission. I'm level 30, which is only just over halfway to the level cap. That took at least 16 hours to get to. Now add to that the advent of new game plus, allowing you to hit that level cap. Then after all that, you can always try out a new character. Then there's the multitude of challenges and trophies/achievements to get. And side quests. There's a lot of replay value here.

OVERVIEW
So, I didn't like the first Borderlands. It was repetitive, boring by yourself, and the only up side was that the gunplay was pretty good. There was no story to keep you going and alot of the game was just boring. I must say, Borderlands 2 has improved in almost every aspect. The addition of a central villain with which to focus your efforts on, as well as an interesting story surrounding a cast of fascinating characters keeps me wanting to play Borderlands 2. The loot-fest, RPG and shooting gameplay all work well, but have been done better elsewhere. As a combination of these elements, however, it's great.

In all, Borderlands 2 is what a sequel should be. It takes what the original was lacking and added to them, while taking the parts that sort of worked and polishing them to a mirror shine.

If you enjoyed the original, I would assume that Borderlands 2 would be more of the same fun for you. If, like me, you disliked the original, then I still wouldn't write this one off. It may not be the best game out this year, but it may be the best value for money you'll get.

LittleBigPlanet Vita

Two handheld platformers in one month? What's going on?? With Nintendo's flagship character recently jumping back into the handheld scene with New Super Mario Bros. 2, it's only natural that Sony would not only want a platformer that can stand up to the moustached one, but also a game that would make gamers say "I need a Vita, NOW".
So how does Sackboy's on-the-go outing stand up to the classic might of the mushroom kingdom? Is it worth a buy? Read on and find out!

STORY
LittleBigPlanet Vita builds upon the improved story features of the 2nd console game. Sackboy is transported to the world of Carnivalia, where a mysterious and malevolent force known only as the Puppeteer is sucking all of the Happiness and Joy from the world. Using his minions, the creepy Hollows, he tears parts of the world apart as revenge for the world booing his performances.

It's actually kind of an enthralling story, with the mystery surrounding the Puppeteer being one of the driving forces for wanting to continue the story. The character's are entertaining, particularly the Wannabe action star Shawn Brawn and the redneck daredevil, The Unbelievable Otis.

PRESENTATION
Despite being on a much smaller screen than it's console counterparts, LBPV is near indistinguishable from it's older siblings (visually, at least). The same craftwork visual style applies here, and the graphics are surprisingly smooth and detailed. The worlds all have their own unique vibe and interesting visual flair; from the action-movie inspired Jackpot City, to the junkyard themepark.

Keeping with the unique visual styles, the main characters (the creator curators) are all interesting and fun to interact with. The uber macho combination of Popeye and Snake Plisken that is Shawn Brawn, the insane sentient crash test dummy known as The Unbelievable Otis, the overzealous ringmaster Colonel Flounder; these are all interesting characters that I truly enjoyed spending time with.

The music, as ever, is varied, and perfectly suits each level it's on. The action movie score of the Jackpot City levels, the generic rock guitar in the junkyard rollercoasters and the circus music style of La Marionetta; they all add to the personality of this game.
Add to that, the pitch perfect voice acting that really sell the characters and the world itself.

I have no issues with the presentation in this game. Sure, alot of people may call it childish... But I think this is a breath of fresh air, in a gaming landscape filled with greyish brown shooters and by-the-books RPGs.

GAMEPLAY
Now this is where LittleBigPlanet Vita really sets itself apart from the rest of it's franchise. It's mainly because of it's change in platform, but before I get to that, I'm going to cover the basics.

The platforming feels as good as ever. If the floaty jumping put you off previous games, then it won't change your mind here. That said, I still find it easy enough to make precision jumps. The swinging and speed attack elements do their bit to keep you on your toes, while the puzzle sections keep your mind sharp without being frustration.

Now, with the move to Vita, LBP gains some new mechanics. While features introduced in LBP2, such as the creatinator and the grabinator, are still prevalent, alot of the game's focus is on the magic of "Touch".
Using the system's front and rear touch pads, blocks can be pushed in the background and foreground, respectively. They also allow you to move certain blocks, and pull mechanisms to use them as catapults. The uses are so varied and so well implemented that it never feels like the mechanic was JUST shoehorned in there. It works well, and doesn't detract from the main experience.

Other features, such as tilt, play into manipulating certain objects (swings) or vehicles (like a rolling ball).

So the core mechanics work as well as the older brothers of the LBP family, while also introducing system specific mechanics that aren't just shoehorned in. They make sense in the context of the game, and they're actually fun to use.

But, as I said earlier, if the floaty platforming mechanics are enough to turn you off the LittleBigPlanet games, then this will be no different.

REPLAYABILITY
Much like the previous LBP titles, there is potentially unlimited replay value here. Not only are there a multitude of costumes, stickers and decorations to unlock, but there are also the huge amounts of Player Created Content that will soon flood the servers. And if that doesn't do it for you, then there's the diverse, easy to use, difficult to master, level creation kit. The world is your sandbox. It's up to you to make it fun.

OVERVIEW
LittleBigPlanet Vita may just be the DEFINITIVE version of LittleBigPlanet, if only because it has the tightest controls out of the main games. On top of that, it inventively uses the unique ways to play without detracting from the main experience. The game oozes with personality, much like it's predecessors, and this game is honestly pure fun in the palm of your hand.
While he may not have the world renown of the Mario Bros, Sackboy is carving a name for himself in the Platforming arena, and I for one welcome the innovative, creative, personality driven games that continue being made around this lovable sack person.

In short, if you love LBP, and you don't have a Vita, it's time to get one, I think. If you have a Vita, LBPV is a must have for any self respecting game catalogue.

The next review will be Borderlands 2. Will it succeed where it's first installation failed in my eyes? We'll find out. See you next time!

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron

You may remember that I reviewed War of Cybertron when it came out, and I remember it quite fondly as the only truly great transformers game. Two years have passed, and High Moon Studios are back to follow up their pre-cartoon game with a sequel. Which is also pre-cartoon. Will High Moon strike the same sweet spot? Will they surpass the previous awesomeness of War for Cybertron? Or will it disappoint on all points?

STORY
Following on for WFC, Fall of Cyberton begins at the end of the campaign, as the Autobots and Decepticons each try to flee their Dying homeworld of Cybertron. After some stunning battles, it flashes back to six days prior, where the War for Cybertron is in it's final days.
The campaign plays out the Autobot's and Decepticon's plans to escape their home, in order to find a way to save it, and dominate it, respectively.

The story is just as interesting, if not more so, than its predecessor, as it jumps between multiple characters and factions. One mission will have you playing as the Autobot Leader, Optimus Prime, as he scrambles to hold back a wave of Decepticons, or as the Decepticon "Combaticon" Vortex, as he attempts to sabotage an Autobot convoy. It adds a nice amount of variety, instead of just giving you control of only a couple of characters (or multiple characters who don't vary much at all).

I will say, however, that the game (however interesting) is quite short. A little under 8 hours. It's not quite "Homefront" bad, but it sure ain't "Darksiders 2".

PRESENTATION
Like the previous game, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron looks great. Unlike War for Cybertron, however, there's a lot more variety in the visuals. From the dark void of space, to the red, dusty visuals of the Rusted Ruined Autobot City, each level has it's very own feel, which I appreciated alot after the samey metal corridors of the last game.

The music is largely forgettable, but serves it's purpose well enough, helping the combat scenes feel suitably epic. The voice acting on the other hand is spot on. Peter Cullen reprises his role as Optimus, as Fred Tatasciore does with Ratchet and Megatron. And in a move that fanboys will love, I'm sure, Gregg Berger voices Grimlock for the first time in twenty five years. Also lending their talents are video-game mainstays Nolan North and Steven Blum.

GAMEPLAY
While much of the gameplay remains the same between the War and the Fall, there are some differences that I feel benefit the sequel. For example, each new chapter features a different Transformer. This allows for unique gameplay in each section, whether that be Optimus' ability to call down airstrikes and control Metroplex, Grimlock's Dinobot form, Starscream's sabotage abilities or Swindle's grappling hook.

Much like with the story, this keeps things varied and fresh, and it definitely made me want to keep playing to see who or what came next.
There are a couple of cool variations on the multi-character feature. Swapping between characters/chapters is almost seamless in certain chapters (like changing from Starscream to Grimlock [play it and see what I mean]) and the finale features so many different Transformers and transitions that it really stands out in my mind.

Overall, the shooting feels quite a lot smoother, but it's sad to see that no Transformers have a signature weapon. Weapons are free to switch out, but it makes me feel like the gunplay aspect of each character is NOT unique.
Vehicle sections, on the other hand, feel alot more smooth and deliberate, as certain situations just call for you to transform and get the hell out ASAP.

Minor problems still persist, there isn't a huge variety of enemies. There's a few more than in War, but still not many. And there's no boss fights! Trypticon was fantastic in War for Cybertron. The end fight is close, but still not fantastic as far as boss fights go.

REPLAYABILITY
Unlike the first game, there are no collectibles here (as far as I could tell), so unless you're replaying the campaign for the sake of it (which I will be), you'll find most of the replay value in the multiplayer. Which is OK, because the online game is some of the most fun I've had with an internet connection .
Normally, I wouldn't go on about multiplayer, but Transformers: Fall of Cybertron has some of the best I've seen in years. Tight controls, fun vehicle(ish) combat, great customisation, excellent battlefield traversal and just enough emphasis on class tactics. Each class is a viable option to compete, and they're all fun to play.
Good stuff, really.
It also has the obligatory horde mode, but if you've seen one, you've seen them all.

OVERVIEW
I enjoyed War for Cybertron two years ago. And now, with the long awaited release of it's sequel, I can honestly say Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is the superior game. The main improvements all have to do with variety, whether that be of the scenery, the characters or the actual gameplay itself. The story is interesting, the voice acting is great, and the gameplay (for the most part) is improved in subtle ways. Transformers fans should get this game, as should fans of a good shooter.

Next week, I review... I don't know. Perhaps Borderlands 2? Or LBPVita if it's out.
Anyway, see you next time!