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Star Trek: The Game [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 04/30/2013 - 11:15
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Overall Feeling: 

Dull, repetitive, and lifeless. These are words I would’ve never associated with the Star Trek franchise but they perfectly encapsulate the experience that’s to be had in Star Trek: The Game.  As a companion piece to the movies there may be an ounce of enjoyment to be had since the film cast actually reprises their roles, with some actual luster and energy to boot, yet that isn’t enough to save a game that feels dated and like it missed every ounce of potential it held. 

The Pros: 

+ The film cast does a good job retaining the vibe found in their theatrical performances, especially that of Chris Pine.
+ Some of the locales do provide a nice visual style worthy of the Trek franchise.
+ Music is absolutely stunning.
+ If you ever wanted a co-op Star Trek game then now you have it.

The Cons: 

- Levels drag on endlessly and it doesn’t help that the actual variety is low.
- Visuals are below average and fail to convey the style found in the movies.
- Gameplay is dull and overly repetitive.
- A.I., both that of the companion character and enemies, is shoddy and often glitch prone.
- Story is passable, but has some major weak points and an enemy that’s nothing more than a tool rather than an integral narrative component.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
4

For the last sixty years we’ve had the Star Trek franchise as a key part of our culture, or at least our pop/geek culture.  Starting off small in a TV series that was in some cases ahead of its time, which is partly why it got the boot, Star Trek has gone on to become a major element of both the sci-fi world and genre TV in general.  Now rebooted under the direction of J.J.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 04/12/2013 - 04:58
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Overall Feeling: 

Developed with the best of intentions, it’s clear that Terminal Reality wanted to do something special in The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct but couldn’t under the guise of the powers that be.  Such a scenario has ultimately resulted in a game that has interesting elements such as survival gameplay which includes survivors who can be left to die or thrive, but such a thing is coupled with dull level design and combat that is clunky and poorly designed.  Fans of The Walking Dead will likely be disappointed with what Survival Instinct does, but those wanting to experience a different type of zombie FPS should at least rent the game or pick it up once it’s in the $5 bargain bin.

The Pros: 

+ Norman Reedus delivers a solid voice performance as Daryl Dixon.
+ Some of the survival gameplay/survivor elements are interesting.
+ The game is short.

The Cons: 

- Combat is painfully dull and doesn’t feel that good.
- Level design is built around fetch quests that have contradictory design logic.
- Graphics are way below average.
- This isn’t the game fans of the series deserve.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
4

When a video game is bad word quickly spreads about just how terrible it truly is. In this social media powered era it’s somewhat shocking that in a span of a day or two the reputation of a game, or developer in the case of Sweet Billy, can be tarnished since gamers are indeed an ever chatty and analytical bunch.

The Art of Bioshock Infinite [Product Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 03/27/2013 - 08:11
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

Fans of BioShock Infinite won’t want to miss this chance to take an inside look at what Irrational Games sought to achieve with their latest project and what sadly made the cutting room floor. Featuring images that are truly beautiful, The Art of BioShock Infinite features an amazing glimpse at the creative process of video game design leading up to when everything is in a playable form.  With a hearty amount of pages and a manageable price tag, gamers and lovers of video game art owe it to themselves to pick up The Art of BioShock Infinite.

The Pros: 

+ Layout is perfect since it features plenty of full-page art highlights.
+ Nice amount of focus on concepts that aren’t in the final game.
+ Brilliant art from beginning to end.
+ Price is very reasonable for the content that’s provided.

The Cons: 

- A bit light on the full creative process and development stories.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
10

Going through the creative process of a video game is always fun since so much stuff occurs during the three or sometimes five year cycle a game may be in active development.  If we can notice key differences when a game appears at an event like E3 and then finally hits retail then what could’ve gone on during a more extended time period?

StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm [Review]

Submitted by Casey White on Mon, 03/18/2013 - 19:43
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

Heart of the Swarm does what every good expansion/sequel to a Blizzard title (or game in general) should. It expands on the original concepts, without killing the reason we fell in love with it in the first place, and brings something new to the table. At first glance, the changes to the competitive gaming (easily the biggest part of the game for most gamers) seem subtle, but after playing with the new units for a bit, it’s easy to see just how drastically the game has been changed for all levels of gamers.

The Pros: 

+Improvements to the play and feel of the campaign mode.

+New units drastically reshape the gameplay in competitive, with subtle tweaks to the play-style.

+Top-tier production value that we’ve come to expect from Blizzard.

+Some of the most visually impressive gameplay and cinematics in the RTS genre. 

The Cons: 

-F*ck the Zerg.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Does anyone else feel the connection between Blizzard Entertainment and Wolverine? Seriously, it’s been bothering me all week… Every time Blizzard comes out with a new trailer, a new game, an expansion, or whatever I hear, in my head, “We are Blizzard, and we’re the best at what we do and what we do is…” roll the title and display whatever it is they are showing off that particular day of the week.

Tomb Raider [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 09:14
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

The direction may be new and somewhat unexpected, but the experience delivered in Tomb Raider is one that is thoroughly enjoyable and doesn’t stray away from the essence of the franchise so much that it’s only a Tomb Raider game in name only.  Filled with unexpected moments that are exciting to experience, Tomb Raider is a well-crafted game that goes in some interesting directions all while maintaining and evolving the core elements of the Tomb Raider franchise.

The Pros: 

+ Atmosphere on the island is superb thanks to some stunning visuals and art direction.
+ Lara controls wonderfully as she doesn’t feel too automated whilst platforming.
+ Combat sections feel cohesive and feature different ways to tackle things.
+ Narrative is good in providing believable characters and building the mythos of the universe.

The Cons: 

- Certain parts of Lara’s character could’ve been built up better.
- QTE scenarios are hit and miss.
- Multiplayer mode is rather terrible and seems tacked on.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

When something becomes legendary it’s often for good reason. Whether it’s in the mediums of literature, film/TV, or in this case video games, the connection made within an experience and the immediate appeal of it is often what helps propel something to a level that people often dream of. 

Aliens: Colonial Marines [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 02/19/2013 - 09:13
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

The bad far outweighs the infinitesimal amounts of good within Aliens: Colonial Marines since the game is riddled with poor design choices, bad A.I., and action scenarios which become old hat.  Feeling rather archaic right from the get-go, Aliens: Colonial Marines doesn’t have enough of a personality to get by on fan-service alone since the story and writing is simply abysmal and feels like it was shoe-horned in with what remnants of the game which remained that were deemed passable enough to ship by the development team.  With a multiplayer mode that’s as equally forgettable as the single-player campaign, Gearbox Software has delivered one of the most disappointing FPS games this generation since it entirely missed the opportunities the Aliens franchise provides.

The Pros: 

+ Trophies/Achievements are easy.
+ It gave actors Michael Biehn (Corporal Hicks) and Lance Henriksen (Bishop) an easy paycheck for their voice acting contributions.
+ The single-player campaign is short so the horror thankfully doesn’t last long.

The Cons: 

- Story is complete non-sense that is filled with dialog that strives to be funny and dramatic yet isn’t.
- Gameplay is boring, lacks tension, and feels ancient in what it attempts to do.
- Graphics and tone are flat and lacks any kind of detail to really make the world feel fleshed out.
- A.I. is horrendous. Seriously, enough with the door humping from my comrades and Xenomorphs doing floor shuffles in corners.
- Multiplayer mode is simply there and isn’t addicting enough to warrant a long-term commitment.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
3

As someone who is a video game journalist/blogger along with being a lifelong gamer, I think I’m a good judge of character when it comes to an actual video game.  Like everyone else, I may have my personal preferences along with a few games that are guilty pleasures of mine, but all together I like to think I have an astute understanding of how to judge a game – even if it’s in the form of a preview/early showing.

Memory Express Velocity MicroATX [Hardware Review]

Submitted by Casey White on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 13:04
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

Memory Express has out-done themselves. Each and every criticism previous offered (on our original gaming PC reviews) has been addressed, and removed. It is sleek, it is sexy, it is small, easy to carry from home to LAN Party, and is a stone-cold software KILLER.

The Pros: 

+Smaller case, perfect for portability.

+Light-weight (less than 28lbs).

+Dual GTX670s in SLI will CRUSH any game out there (go nuts with your Skyrim mods people!).

+Silent. As. The. GRAVE. The new liquid-cooled approach means I sometimes forget it’s still on.

The Cons: 

-No real room for improvement. What are you going to do next ME!?

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
10

Memory Express, it would seem, have been paying attention to the reviews that we’ve been providing on their gear. This is a positive and a negative. How so? Well, for the consumers, it’s good news. Memory Express has proven they can not only take criticisms when supplied them, but show dedication to improving. The bad news is for the writer that has to try and pull apart their third-generation build. Criticisms are harder and harder to come by…

DmC: Devil May Cry [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 01/26/2013 - 11:29
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

It may have seemed unlikely at first, but Ninja Theory’s take on the Devil May Cry franchise has yielded good results since DmC is flat out entertaining to play.  Filled with the same combat depth that the DMC franchise is synonymous with, DmC offers a new take on the tale of Dante and in the process delivers a game with a unique identity that actually expands the core lore instead of dishonoring it.  Some of the changes may be tough to swallow for fans who have been with Dante since the beginning, but don’t let your fandom cloud your thoughts too much since DmC takes the series in some interesting directions that immediately had me wanting more.

The Pros: 

+ Combat feels just right. Moves are spot on and it’s still possible to do insane combo strings.
+ Additional depth given to the characters and story is nice.
+ Dante is still a badass and actor Tim Phillipps delivers a new version of the character that feels perfect.
+ Art Direction is amazing as is the depiction of Limbo.

The Cons: 

- Seeing color-coded enemies was disappointing.
- The story could’ve benefited from a bit of additional substance and old-school DMC action (motorcycle kung-fu)
- Boss battles are underwhelming, both in execution and the total number provided in the game.
- Production value discrepancies (enemy A.I. issues, graphical inconsistencies) are odd to see compared to the rest of the game.
- Certain levels run out of steam fast.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

When considering the possible outcomes, the prospect of change can be truly frightening.  Seeing things evolve is good and all, but sometimes the end result can stray too far from the origin, almost amounting to a leap that does more harm than good.  We as gamers are occasionally put in a tough spot of sorts as we want the games we play to evolve but at the same time we want them to have the familiar element that made them so appealing to us in the first place.

Roxio Game Capture HD PRO [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 11/20/2012 - 13:32
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

For doing the basics the Roxio Game Capture HD PRO is certainly a device worth scoping out if you wish to capture all your gameplay sessions.  Thanks to a simple to use interface capturing content on the HD PRO is simple as is editing content as well via the accompanying editing program.  While not catered directly as a high-end professional device, the HD PRO nonetheless manages to provide performance that is consistently good.

The Pros: 

+ Set-up is easy.
+ Interface is brilliant thanks to a simple layout and key feature being accessible.
+ Small size of the device makes it easy to find desk space for.
+ Streaming works fine despite not being perfect HD.

The Cons: 

- Not including component cables is a bit disappointing.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

As video games have evolved so have the ways that people interact and ultimately share our experiences with each another.  The desires of gamers have grown to become more social with one another, not just in a little bit of trash talking while playing online, but in how they share their actual gameplay footage with one another. 

Mass Effect 3: Leviathan DLC [Review]

Submitted by Isaac Calon on Tue, 09/11/2012 - 10:03
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

Leviathan provides an interesting new chapter to the ME3 story, and it's clear that a good deal of thought and care went into both the narrative and encounter design, but it doesn't match ME2's best efforts, most notably Overlord or Lair of the Shadow Broker. The DLC provides some beautiful new areas to explore, answers questions and fills in some of the rich lore of the ME universe, and challenges the player with slight innovations during some stand-out action scenes. Still, with a misstep in revealing information too early and no truly difficult decisions to make, it's a little short and a little plodding for the price tag.

The Pros: 

+ Strong writing and voice acting, and some interesting, challenging twists on combat scenarios

+ Suitably creepy and mysterious, and well-paced overall with several ups and downs

+ New weapons, a new power, and decent payoff towards the main plot

The Cons: 

- Coming this late after ME3's release considerably lessens the impact of the events in Leviathan—I wish I could have played it on release

- Slower-paced "detective" work is fine at first, but once the player has exhausted the eye-candy and grown used to the mystery, sections can drag on

- Probably a little pricey for the value, especially when compared to past DLC

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

Commander Shepard's exploits, male or female, have sold millions of copies of their games in our universe, safe-guarded billions of aliens in theirs, and have made headlines in both by including the ability to punch out reporters mid-sentence and explore cross-species, same-sex, and even old-fashioned hetero loving with accompanying make-out scenes. The intellectual property has been much-loved and simultaneously reviled, most recently by the outcry over ME3's original endings.

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