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Forza Horizon [Review]

Submitted by Casey White on Tue, 11/27/2012 - 22:20
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Overall Feeling: 

A brilliant blend between high-stakes, full-throttle racing and meditative country drive in your dream car, Forza Horizon takes a well-loved, established franchise and dares to do something a little different. Fans of the franchise may miss the game’s simulation edge, but for a game that offers so much variety strung together, quite nicely, with a core concept that holds throughout, it’s hard to stay angry at the decision to change for more than a couple minutes into the game.

The Pros: 

+Intelligent use of the world, environment, menus and audio to create a unified theme throughout.

+Combines the best of both worlds: full-throttle super-speed racing, and a relaxing Sunday drive through the country.

+Slightly more relaxed atmosphere/controls than the previous games, lowering the barrier of entry for new/casual players.

The Cons: 

-Some of the “challenges” push the boundaries of casual into straightforward boredom, i.e. the photo challenges (where you just need to get your car to a visually stimulating point without wrecking the car, without any form of time challenge).

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Forza has spent the last seven years working its way into my heart. Originally a franchise I passed off as Microsoft’s attempt to be Gran Turismo. It’s grown over the years in leaps and bounds, the most recent iteration, Forza 4, becoming one of my favorite racing games of all time. When Horizon was announced, so shortly after the launch of four, I found myself wondering if it was a bit too soon for a sequel.

Alien Breed [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 11/27/2012 - 08:53
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Overall Feeling: 

As a reminder of the more simpler days of the shooting genre, Alien Breed holds up well today as it’s neither a dull shooter nor is it an arcade one that can be easily completed in twenty minutes. Combining the best of both worlds, Alien Breed has gameplay that’s accessible yet has a rather enjoyable grinding nature that encourages exploration.  With a nice collection of content thanks to two existing releases and the addition of eight new levels, Alien Breed is a welcomed addition to the PlayStation Mobile software library.

The Pros: 

+ Both the classic and enhanced visuals are nice to look at.
+ Gotta love the creepy OST and shriek of the aliens.
+ Controls are simple and totally responsive.
+New levels offer some nice variety alongside the more natural stage design.

The Cons: 

-  Not being able to switch between classic and enhanced visuals in between levels.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

There are some video games out there that are so good that they simply become timeless.  No matter how far certain graphical or gameplay leaps may be made, there are a select few games out there that simply remain good no matter how old they are.  Titles like Pac-Man and Doom can stand the test of time even if they don’t have HD visuals since at the end of the day what makes a good game is how good the actual gameplay is.  Now the classic shoot-em-up action of Alien Breed has been re-released for a younger generation and yes - the game is still that damn good.

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 11/26/2012 - 10:17
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Overall Feeling: 

PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale may fall short from being a complete celebration of the PlayStation brand due to some ho-hum design and presentation choices, but as a brawler the game excels at being fun.  Thanks to a nice amount of depth in how moves can be pulled off, PS All-Stars goes beyond being a button smasher as some thought needs to be put into battles, especially those that take place online or in a local competitive romp. If you’ve been a longtime fan of the PlayStation brand then PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale will likely put a huge smile on your face once you pick the controller up and suddenly see Sackboy deliver a suplex to Nathan Drake.

The Pros: 

+ The characters feel good to control and it’s amazing to see how they’ve been transformed for a fighting game.
+ Graphics stay consistent and feature some impressive effects and scale.
+ Controls are easy to get a grip of.
+ Online action is mostly free of annoyances such as lag or slow matchmaking.

The Cons: 

- Lack of a more cohesive or well-rounded story in the Arcade mode is disappointing.
- Certain characters don’t feel broken but could do with some more tuning.
- Presentation lacks a PlayStation personality to it as its plain in some areas.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

To a lot of people out there playing video games is nothing more than an occasional hobby, something that’s done to pass the time while on the bus or serving as the only outlet they have to be an all-star quarterback or take the Chicago Cubs to World Series and actually win.  Like anything, there are different levels of fandom since some people look at gaming as an intense passion and something they hold close to their heart.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star [Review]

Submitted by Jen Alaggia on Tue, 11/20/2012 - 16:07
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Overall Feeling: 

The sticker gimmick seems to run dry pretty quickly in this not-RPG follow up in the Paper Mario universe; however, it does have its good points, and would be a worthwhile purchase if not for its full-release $44.99 price tag.

The Pros: 

+Sticker gimmick is cool when using it to solve puzzles

+Graphically very nice-looking

The Cons: 

-Touch screen is very under-used

-3D gets boring for the style

-Sticker gimmick gets very old quickly for everything except puzzles

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
6

Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the 3DS is, in two words, vastly underwhelming. The core concept, which might have been very cool, was jumbled and confused in spite of its simplicity: it's not an RPG, but it retains a turn-based battle system; it's a platformer with a turn-based battle system, but it's also a puzzle-solving adventure game at its core; you paste stickers on everything but you don't even use the touch screen to do so, instead relying on the analog stick or D-pad.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 11/20/2012 - 13:22
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Overall Feeling: 

As a game Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified is kind of okay. Seriously, it isn’t that bad since the controls feel good and are responsive and the graphics border on being just okay.  The problem is that the game doesn’t feel like a true CoD experience due to the lack of a traditional story mode and lackluster multiplayer components that feel like a few features were thrown in and it was called a day.  That along with some rather poor A.I. design which has enemies who are all too willing to die makes for a game that definitely isn’t worth $50.

The Pros: 

+ Controls are good, even if they take some getting used to.
+ Graphics still aren’t great but they seem to be slightly improved compared to Resistance: Burning Skies.
+ Online performance was shockingly smooth and hitch free.

The Cons: 

- Single-player content is severely lacking in appeal and replay options.
- Enemy A.I. is laughable in how eager they are to die.
- Multiplayer modes feel weak due to the limited options.
- Where are the now expected CoD features like CoD: Elite or the Zombies mode?
- Price is simply way too high as this isn’t a traditional or console level CoD game that can be taken on the go.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
4

At long last I found myself with the potential savior of the PlayStation Vita. So far Sony’s handheld has had some decent titles, but none of the have really had the massive worldwide appeal found in the Call of Duty series. So the arrival of Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified, which in my case was procured through Gamefly since Activision wouldn’t send us a review code, was kind of a big deal for me. 

Dance Central 3 [Review]

Submitted by Casey White on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 18:42
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Overall Feeling: 

Dance Central, with two previous titles, is a well-established series. It’s not something that needs any further explanation at this point beyond “That Harmonix game where you dance like a lunatic in front of your TV for the bemusement of your drunken friends.” If you’ve picked up Dance Central 3, or are considering it, you likely know exactly what you’re getting into.

The Pros: 

+Far more diverse set-list then the previous games.

+Funny, if not slightly cheesy, ‘story mode’ in the vein of Elite Beat Agents.

+Gangnam Style DLC announced.

The Cons: 

-Shorter set-list than other games in the genre.

-Dance party mode only offers the set-list via SmartGlass.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

When the Kinect originally launched, two years ago now, there was only one thing that had me excited for the hardware (I mean, aside from the potential and the games we were all dreaming up; I mean real, announced titles). That game was Dance Central. “Harmonix is allowing gamers an excuse to dance like fools in the safety of their own living rooms?” I thought.

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 09:20
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Overall Feeling: 

Addressing problems found in the first game, Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two still suffers from issues that make what amounts to being a dull and slightly uninspired experience.  The addition of co-op play into the mix creates a state of constant annoyance while playing solo and feels pointless due to the lack of unique co-op scenarios.  Platforming still feels off within the game and actually plays less of a greater role; a thing that may be cause for celebration but it only creates a feeling within the game of constant boredom due to the simplistic quests that are issued.  Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two feels like it’s all over the place as it’s trying to do various things yet never excels at a single one; in particular be an entertaining game.

The Pros: 

+ The HD versions feature a nice graphical fidelity that makes for a solid looking game.
+ Characters are still fun to watch and interact with.
+ There are some nice TRON easter eggs in the game.
+ Voice acting from the cast, including actor Cary Elwes as Gus the Gremlin, is perfect.

The Cons: 

- Co-op feels like a pointless addition as it doesn’t present anything new within the game.
- A.I. of Oswald is terrible. Seriously, he’s the worst rabbit ever to be friends with.
- Levels feel too small and like they’re merely transition rooms to certain areas.
- Platforming still feels off.
- Paint & Thinner mechanic is under-utilized and feels way more restricted compared to the first game.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
5

Sequels are often meant to provide a substantial increase in quality over its predecessor while still providing the things that made the original so good.  At least that’s what the expectations are when it comes to sequels to video games.  Over the years the meaning of sequels has somewhat become fuzzy amongst publishers as to them it simply consists of slapping on a number or a catchy subtitle in addition to a so-so secondary feature.

Assassins Creed 3 [Review] - Loading Woes and Small Issues Steal the Show.

Submitted by Corey Rollins on Mon, 11/19/2012 - 02:35
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

Assassins Creed 3 ends up feeling rushed and forced in a lot of areas. While the naval combat system is by far the shining star of this title, it feels like a lackluster ending to what I’ve felt is one of the most promising and interesting franchises in gaming.

The Pros: 

+Naval combat is so good it could be a stand alone game.

+Impressive graphics and cinematics make for solid presentation.

+A concise (theoretical) ending to the franchise.

+Beautiful and fun hand to hand combat.

The Cons: 

-Story is not friendly to casual franchise fans.

-Terrible loading design.

-Lackluster and shallow missions.

-User interface is needlessly cumbersome.

-New features meant to expand on past games are just tedious and meaningless.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
6

I’ve had a rather love/hate relationship with the Assassins Creed franchise. For me, it seems to be a never-ending cycle where Ubisoft announces a game that sounds amazing on paper (and looks incredible in trailers!), but when I sit down to play it, a huge amount of small-issues add up to ruin the experience of what should have been an incredible game. Assassins Creed 3 (AC3) managed to once again follow this trend. I guess they get points for consistency.

Panic! [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 11/14/2012 - 10:29
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Overall Feeling: 

The concept and easy layout of Panic! isn’t enough to save the game from scenarios that quickly become repetitive and at times simply feel unfair.  Gameplay wise the action is certainly perfect for bite-sized gaming that lives up to the mobile mantra, but actually trying to find pleasing elements is hard to come by as Panic! comes across as something that doesn’t feature enough of that arcade/strategy feel to actually warrant it being a mobile title as opposed to a one and done browser game.

The Pros: 

+ Art looks nice in some areas.
+ Touch controls are easy to get a grip of.
+ Price of the game is affordable.

The Cons: 

- Gameplay feels unbalanced when it comes to difficulty.
- There isn’t enough variety or freedom within missions to keep things entertaining.
- Different elements make sense within the context of the game yet simply aren’t fun to do.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
5

So far Sony’s PlayStation Mobile initiative has provided a nice array of indie titles that have all had one thing in common: they’ve been fun to play. Ok, there have been a few exceptions here and there and as a whole the debate is still being stirred concerning the price of PS Mobile titles, at least compared to the range of $1 titles found on Apple’s store, despite the wavering quality amongst those titles. 

LittleBigPlanet Karting [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 11/12/2012 - 09:40
Posted in
Overall Feeling: 

As the first spin-off of the series, LittleBigPlanet Karting does an excellent job of maintaining the look and feel the franchise is known for while presenting that in an entirely new experience.  The actual kart racing action provided in the game is surprisingly good despite some of the tracks being a bit too straightforward and having to contend with A.I. that may not throw banana peels on the track but are still nonetheless annoying at times.  With the powerful addition of full 3D in the Create Mode, LittleBigPlanet Karting is an enjoyable game that certainly doesn’t dishonor the franchise as it instead expands it in a rather terrific way.

The Pros: 

+ Controls and feel of the kart is perfect.
+ The style of the game falls perfectly in line with past LBP games and still looks good in the process.
+ Create Mode may take some time getting used to thanks to the additional tools, but once again it’s executed perfectly.
+ A nice amount of variety is presented in the Story Mode.

The Cons: 

- Enemy A.I. can be a bit too brutal at times.
- Single-player campaign is a tad on the short side, at least for a LBP experience.
- A consistent level of driving skill is missing from some of the tracks.
- Some of the visuals look a bit soft compared to the immediate crispness found in other LBP titles.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

Sometimes a particular video game may become so popular that a spin-off is called for.  A rarity to occur these days given how full-on numbered sequels are usually considered the way to go, a spin-off may present some uniqueness amidst a product gamers are otherwise familiar with.  When, or if, a game does go the spin-off route it can usually go one of two ways: it becomes a welcomed addition as it captures the essence of the property, such as Halo: ODST, or it serves as a cruel reminder that despite how great something may be doing a side project won’t necessarily capture the sam

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