Home

3D Gaming

Datura Preview + Interview [GDC 2012]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 03/15/2012 - 12:53
Posted in

Seeing the way video games evolve always interests me as there are at least half a dozen factors developers can approach when devising a game.  Should the emotional route be taken or should a different gameplay formula be implemented that however unorthodox it may be is ultimately something that will not only service the premise of the game but provide a fresh experience to gamers?

House of the Dead: Overkill - Extended Cut [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 11:04
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

As an on-rails FPS game House of the Dead: Overkill – Extended Cut offers plenty of thrills and tons of laughs from the moment you start the game up until the cliff-hanger ending.  There’s not much in the way of genre defining elements in Overkill but the grindhouse vibe and comedic elements does help elevate the game beyond just being yet another run-of-the mill arcade title.  The only downside to the raucous romp of blood and comedy is that some of the action drags a bit and certain boss battles are only tolerable when you have a buddy helping you out.  House of the Dead: Overkill – Extended Cut may not be great, but it’s a more than passable on-rails game that in a way is a one of a kind product.

The Pros: 

+ The grindhouse presentation is handled in the perfect way without feeling too gimmicky.

+ Humor may be adults only type of fair but it’s really damn funny and never over stays it’s welcome.

+ Bonus mini-games are a nice time-waster.

+ Local co-op play is an always appreciated addition.

The Cons: 

- Boss battles tend to drag on far too long and with no major change in attack scenarios.

- Some of the levels drag on for way too long without the immediate rollercoaster ride factor that’s expected from most on-rails games.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

Video games are supposed to be fun but rarely are they completely balls to the wall whacky when the situation calls for it.  Each game is supposed to have its own identity and tone, but it’s rare that we see a video game that tries to make us laugh or opts to provide an experience that is filled with so many weird moments that it in a way eclipses the general gameplay.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 08:59
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One takes the franchise in an interesting direction that doesn’t quite pay off. Playing with some friends is nice at first but the experience quickly becomes tiresome due to repetitive gameplay that in a way is missing some of the charm the R&C franchise is known for.  Exotic weapons and humor may be abound in All 4 One though it just isn’t enough to elevate a mediocre campaign and gameplay that as a whole has been slightly toned down to accommodate a wider audience and multiplayer support. Ratchet & Clank veterans may want to give All 4 One a go merely to see what sort of adventures the game has to offer, but just be ready for a Ratchet: Deadlocked type experience - a game that’s almost forgettable after you spend four hours with it.

The Pros: 

+ Multiplayer action is relatively easy to get into and doesn’t make the game feel crowded.

+ Nothing radical may have been done, but the art design and visuals are still charming.

+ Voice acting is still terrific and adds a tremendous amount of character to the game.

+ New weapons are fun, whether using them in tandem with teammates or by your lonesome.

The Cons: 

- Missions tend to drag on way too long.

- Boss battles are simple and never break away from a standard “stand on closed platform, shoot boss 50 times” routine.

- Story really holds no weight and is disappointing all around when considered as the start of a new trilogy or merely as a spin-off.

- Levels feel too open and don’t have too many showcase puzzle or platform elements.

- Friendly A.I. is usually decent but it can glitch out at times and do simply stupid things.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
6

There are a lot of established franchises out there that for some reason or another continue to hold our interest. For nearly a decade Insomniac Games has worked hard on keeping our interest piqued by the Ratchet & Clank franchise, which is one of the few platforming games still available today. Becoming a staple on the PlayStation 2, the Ratchet & Clank series has thrived as the adventures of the Lombax Ratchet and the robot Clank have continued on the PSP and of course the PlayStation 3.

Resistance 3 [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 05:11
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

The Resistance franchise may have had some high and low points but Resistance 3 is a perfect way for the series to go out.  Featuring a robust single-player campaign that has amazing variety and a terrific weapons upgrade system, Insomniac Games has fixed all the wrongs they committed in Resistance 2 and then added a ton of Resistance 1 nostalgia in for good measure.  Resistance 3 is a simply gritty and surprisingly emotional action experience that doesn’t fall victim to being incredibly shallow like so many other games today.  Thankfully the multiplayer experience isn’t a mess and instead offers some old-school style fun that does indeed have a level of strategy and skill to it.  Gamers may have been intensely burned by Resistance 2, but Resistance 3 is honestly a step in the right direction as it matches and slightly exceeds what we received five years ago with the first Resistance.

The Pros: 

+ The mood created in the game through the visuals and scenarios is superb.
+ Upgrading specific weapons is fun and allows the game to have a tailored experience.
+ Level pacing is right on the mark since nothing ever drags.
+ Boss battles are still a bit predictable but are more intense and generally look better.
+ Graphically the game really shines when it comes to the art design.
+ Multiplayer totally rocks as of now and is filled with action while not being too chaotic.

The Cons: 

- A few action segments are too scripted.
- The multiplayer mode is balanced but there are a few kill streak bonuses that could throw things off.
- Not having some lingering plot points resolved is disappointing considering what transpires at the end.
- Graphical quality is a bit hit and miss in some areas.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

Developing and ultimately releasing a worthy sequel can often be a tough thing to do, even for the most adept developers out there such as Hideo Kojima or Peter Molyneux.  Having an established formula that works is good and all but the somewhat difficult task of deciding how much to change and what to keep the same often rears its ugly head when a studio is deciding what should be included in their next potential blockbuster video game.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Switches To A Different Perspective In This Gameplay Video

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 10:55
Posted in

As a longtime fan of the Ratchet & Clank series I had a nice amount of interest for Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One, the latest installment in the franchise which is somewhat of a spin-off from the main R&C Future series.  Over the years our favorite Lombax and robot may have made regular appearances on the PS3 and PSP, perhaps to the point of annoyance amongst some, but it was cool to see Insomniac Games and their new North Carolina studio bring some multiplayer action to the R&C franchise.

Child of Eden's PS3 Bonus Features Are Finally Revealed

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 08/12/2011 - 04:24
Posted in

All but a handful of people may care about this news, but it has been confirmed that the forthcoming PlayStation 3 version of Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s triply shooting game Child of Eden will support the PlayStation Move and Stereoscopic 3D.  Schedule to appear on the PS3 in North America and Europe in September, Child of Eden’s newfound features were long rumored but often denied by certain staff members of developer Q Entertainment which led some to wonder what the hell was actually going on.  But now we can all get our synesthesia rave action on as we shoot space whales while moving

FYI: Sony Makes A Minor Change In The PS3 3D Monitor Bundle

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 08/08/2011 - 11:42
Posted in

In case you were hoping to jump aboard the 3D bandwagon this year with Sony’s PlayStation 3 3D enabled monitor you may want to take note of one slightly significant change.  Instead of the 3D monitor bundle shipping with a copy of Resistance 3 as it was announced at E3 this year, the bundle will now ship with a copy of Motorstorm: Apocalypse, which in case you didn’t know also supports 3D gaming.

The Shmup Genre Lives On In Sine Mora [Video]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 08/03/2011 - 07:57
Posted in

Today is a very good day to be a fan of the shmup genre since gamers have a new title to play later this year which based on the talent involved could become the best shmup released in the past five years.  Announced last year, Sine Mora has resurfaced to get a little hype going for the debut the game will be making at Gamescom in two weeks.  A joint production between Grasshopper Manufacture and the Hungary based Digital Reality Games, Sine Mora appears to be a very old-fashioned shmup which by all accounts I think is what the video game industry desperately needs right now.

Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One - Hands-On [E3 2011]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 06/16/2011 - 04:21
Posted in

At this point it’s almost standard practice to see a new Ratchet & Clank game pop up, even if we may not immediately want one.  The fan reaction to the PS3 generation of R&C games has been a bit mixed with some people absolutely loving the direction the series has taken while others wished the franchise would just go to some distant planet and retire.

House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut - Hands-On [E3 2011]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 06/15/2011 - 07:36
Posted in

Zombies are a bit played out at this point since we’ve seen them be used to death in films, video games and most recently TV shows. I’m not saying that everything that features a zombie is a cheap or completely unoriginal thing, but seeing a car commercial that features a zombie in a woeful attempt to be funny or hearing about people going on zombie walks in downtown areas of cities across the U.S. is simply silly and I think it sells zombies a bit short.

Syndicate content