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Starhawk [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 05/21/2012 - 10:37
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Overall Feeling: 

In a rare occurrence these days Starhawk manages to do something truly creative in the multiplayer genre which results in a fun and captivating experience.  A few of the finer points of Starhawk may be riddled with some balancing issues or players that are inept as to battlefield tactics, but the build and battle mechanics results in constantly evolving matches that are unlike anything I’ve played before.  The deep multiplayer mode combined with a well thought out single-player campaign and fun laden co-op missions results in a game that is basically the epitome of what games should be: pure fun.

The Pros: 

+ Build and battle works tremendously well and creates a unique vibe in the game and every battle.

+ The art design may not be totally pleasing to the eyes but visually Starhawk gets the job done through crisp visuals and nice effects work.

+ Single-player campaign thankfully bucks the trend of being on training wheels as it provides unique scenarios and an enjoyable experience.

+ Sound design and music is superb as its Warhawk but taken to the next level i.e. film level goodness but in a video game.

The Cons: 

- There aren’t game ruining balancing issues, but certain elements such as the tanks need to be tweaked ASAP.

- Ground battle doesn’t feel floaty or pointless, but it does lack a distinct impact and feeling.

- Art design has a few sore spots as it’s beautiful in some areas and not so great in others.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

Back in the day as I like to call, roughly twenty years ago, multiplayer games used to be unique in a sense.  The whole concept of doing some single-player action and then all of a sudden partaking in a CTF or Team Deathmatch mode with a buddy or a bunch of strangers was something that almost was as powerful and groundbreaking as playing a game rendered in full 3D for the first time – it was so damn unbelievable that our minds really couldn’t process it at first.  

Prototype 2 [Review]

Submitted by Casey White on Sat, 05/19/2012 - 16:45
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Overall Feeling: 

I know I’ll catch flack for the amount of times I make this reference, if not from the publisher directly than from the readership, but this is Hulk Ultimate Destruction all over again and I’m pretty okay with it. The game is all about massive, senseless destruction, and it’s done well. The ability to tear a helicopter in two never gets old, and there’s plenty of ways to mix-and-match the violence through concepts like tearing weapons off tanks and attack choppers to keep things fluid, and cause ridiculous amounts of explosions and death.

The Pros: 

+The scope of the destruction is nearly unparalleled, and something I’ve been sorely missing in gaming for a while now.

+The amount of options presented for messing things up, and making it look cool are absolutely stunning.

+The revenge story of the game is a classic one, and the concept of making the original game’s protagonist the villain in part 2 excites me on many nerd-levels. 

The Cons: 

-The story gets a little convoluted by the time the ‘villain’ of the story is recast for the third time.

-There are two moves in the game that over-power all others, rendering anything else you might conceive of using useless.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

Remember back in 2005 when Radical created the single best Hulk game of all time? Ultimate Destruction was a fantastic game because it allowed you to wreak ungodly amounts of destruction upon a city swarming with innocent civilians and a never-ending tidal wave of US army troops that would never, ever give up on their futile attempts to stop you. It was one of the best examples of a game just being pure, mindless fun, and time and time again I’ve had discussions with my friends regarding a potential sequel to that game.

The Walking Dead [Review]

Submitted by Casey White on Sat, 05/19/2012 - 15:40
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Overall Feeling: 

AMC’s adaptation of The Walking Dead is a hard sell because it turned the genre of zombie films over on its head. In the same way that the concept of a human drama back-lit by the zombie apocalypse might confuse/bore people jumping into a series (who were likely expecting more action/slaughter) it’s hard to describe what exactly makes Telltale’s video game adaptation magical to nerds like myself who get off on player interaction and debate. 

The Pros: 

+The twist Telltale put on the zombie survival game genre is nothing short of magic.

+The world is filled with characters who truly come alive through your interaction with them (minus the zombies of course).

+Telltale has provided a companion piece to a TV series that, for once, manages to capture the tone and concept of the original source material.

The Cons: 

-Chapter 1 is far, far too short for my liking. It can be wrapped inside of two hours. 

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

I think that we can all agree that zombies, as a whole, have kind of reached their critical mass in terms of being ‘a thing.’ They’ve always been around, but in the last couple of years their popularity has surged to a point where a game without zombies in it seems almost as obscene as a game without multiplayer. It’s a fiercely competitive genre right now, with no shortage of options for how it can be represented… and honestly, I thought we’d seen it all, but Telltale’s take, based on the world of the Walking Dead, has brought something entirely new to the table: the human angle.

Ridge Racer Unbounded [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 05/15/2012 - 12:32
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Overall Feeling: 

Stuck in the middle between being a full-on arcade game and a stylized sim, Ridge Racer Unbounded plods along in an experience that’s passable in a few areas but is far from wowing us as some arcade racing games tend to do.  There are some unique elements in Ridge Racer Unbounded like the track editor, but other than that the game feels like it’s an amalgamation of hot trends and different racing games as opposed to being a unique entity. It may have been fine to alter the Ridge Racer formula a bit, but in the end what’s offered in Ridge Racer Unbounded lacks any substance and simply isn’t that much fun to play.

The Pros: 

+ Track Editor is easy to use and is robust in what can be done.

+ In-game presentation is rather slick in how it presents key info to the player.

+ Main campaign is rather lengthy in a good way if you like that sort of thing.

The Cons: 

- Difficulty level is insanely high from the get go.

- The cars don’t feel like they’re driving on ice, but the car handling doesn’t feel fluid and there’s no physicality to the cars.

- Environmental destruction is slightly impressive but feels flat and ultimately pointless in the later stages of the game.

- Visually the game fails to stick out much due to drab industrial and urban locales we’ve seen dozens of times already.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
5

As gamers we want developers and publisher to take risks with the experiences they offer us.  One major grip of gamers this generation is that games have fallen into a familiar pattern in which half a dozen games all try to copy one particular thing that’s popular – thus turning things into a “me too!” contest instead of pushing innovation and originality to the forefront.  There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a developer wanting to push something new to gamers as I implore more studios to do such a thing. 

Top Gun: Hard Lock [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 05/08/2012 - 13:45
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Overall Feeling: 

Top Gun: Hard Lock sadly is yet another licensed game that misses the mark on what made its source material so much fun and that of course results in a game that’s simply mediocre if not below average for the aerial combat genre.  For flight genre enthusiasts Top Gun really doesn’t present an exciting experience thanks in part to combat that lacks an immediate punch and visuals that are serviceable but don’t necessarily measure up to what has been previously released.  Top Gun: Hard Lock could’ve been a fun if not slightly goofy flight action game, but in the end it’s simply a game that lacks any true character and could’ve been quickly forgotten about if not for having the Top Gun moniker slapped on.

The Pros: 

+ The jokes are so bad that they’re funny for the wrong reasons.

+ You can create your own meta story based on how bad the dialog is.

+ Trophies/Achievements are easy to acquire.

The Cons: 

- Visuals are really bland and lack any unique and defining characteristics.

- Not having the same spirit as the Top Gun film makes the story completely unnecessary.

- Action is limited in its set pieces and fails to present an edge of your seat experience.

- No Iceman makes Ian a sad gamer.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
3

As a gamer and a video game journalist I like to play as many games as I can get my hands on. Doing such a thing often leads me to stumble across a few hidden gems while in other cases I simply subject myself to a terrible game merely to see how bad it truly is and maybe get one or two easy Trophies or Achievements in the process. 

SSX - Mount Eddie DLC [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 05/04/2012 - 13:14
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Overall Feeling: 

As a somewhat minimal add-on to the core SSX experience the Mount Eddie DLC succeeds in giving some exciting content to gamers as well as providing a much desired return to the classic SSX formula.  Mount Eddie may not be bursting at the seams with content as it only has a couple of events, but at the end of the day it’s still an amazing addition to SSX since it captures the same fun energy that the series had back in the PS2 era.

The Pros: 

+ The price point is perfect for what’s offered.

+ Combining the tone of the new SSX with the classic era doesn’t feel too odd as both are evenly represented.

+ Mount Eddie itself has a balanced design which results in some amazing trick opportunities.

The Cons: 

- Not having a Deadly Descent does feel a bit odd and like a missed opportunity.

- Half pipes are slightly under-utilized which is a shame.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Taking an already fun game and making it more fun is sometimes a tough thing to do, especially when it comes in the form of DLC.  We’ve seen dozens of games go the DLC route this generation with add-on content that in some cases has been terrible in what it provided to the player. There’s honestly nothing worse than paying an additional $5 or $10 for some add-on content after you spend $60 on a game only to think about how you would’ve been better off buying a sub from Subway with that money.

Skullgirls [Review]

Submitted by Michael R. Rousseau on Wed, 04/25/2012 - 10:58
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Overall Feeling: 

Skullgirls is a quirky, fun, and deep 2D fighter with a particularly distinct aesthetic style. With its roots in respected fighters, like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and BlazBlue, Skullgirls offers a deliberately paced fighting that rewards high-level combo execution and adaptability. The content offered is a little sparse, and the game is a bit unfriendly to new players, but as far as sprite-based 2D fighters go, Skullgirls is a knockout.

The Pros: 

+ All-female cast may seem scarce, but each fighter is unique and fully realized

+ Visual style is daring and evocative

+ Combat system developed and refined by tournament player Mike Z, resulting in some great balance

The Cons: 

- Lacking in content. Most notable omission is a move list for each fighter, a genre standard

- AI is brutal, even on lower settings

- Steep learning curve for new players, even compared to other modern fighters

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

Creating a fighting game isn’t easy. All it takes is one balance issue or design flaw to turn an entire community against your best efforts. This goes double for indie fighters, which generally lack the tuning and quality control necessary to be accepted by one of the most rabid and hard-to-please fan bases in the industry.

Ninja Gaiden 3 [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 04/09/2012 - 09:51
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Overall Feeling: 

Ninja Gaiden 3 can be used as an example of what happens when an established developer tries something different with a franchise and in part attempts to open it to a wider audience: it becomes terrible.  While most of the elements in Ninja Gaiden 3 aren’t broken or filled with game breaking issues, the experience is far from perfect thanks to combat that lacks the skill the series is known for and visuals that are as dearie and bland as a ninja game can be.  There are glimmers of hope in the multiplayer mode of the game, but the core Ninja Gaiden 3 experience simply fails to live up to its predecessors and instead will simply make people appreciate how good the first two Ninja Gaiden games were.

The Pros: 

+ It’s a video game starring a ninja.

+ Trophies/Achievements are handed out like candy on Halloween.

+ The combat controls moderately well.

+ Multiplayer modes are a nice touch as mass ninja battles are occasionally fun.

The Cons: 

- Story is a mess and tries too hard to be serious.

- Combat feels weak and lacks depth.

- Levels are boring, both in part to the art direction and lackluster graphics.

- Tonally the game is all over the place which makes for a difficult and uneven experience.

- QTES during combat and boss encounters are annoying.

- Voice acting is flat and Ryu (voiced by Troy Baker) sounds bored.

- PlayStation Move integration is terrible and shouldn’t even be bothered with.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
4

There’s something extremely interesting about seeing a video game series evolve over time.  To a lot of gamers seeing a particular game evolve is something that should be expected and is ultimately anticipated since it guarantees new elements and hopefully loads of new fun.  But sometimes the evolution of a video game doesn’t go according to planned since no one can really mold the perfect specimen, or in this case the perfect form of digital entertainment.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City [Review]

Submitted by Michael R. Rousseau on Wed, 04/04/2012 - 10:25
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Overall Feeling: 

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City offers a really interesting concept by casting aside traditional survival horror elements for a squad-based 3rd person shooter. Playing as the bad guys during the events of Resident Evil 2 and 3 could have made for a memorable title, but the poor gunplay, control issues, and overall lack of excitement make for a rather dull single player campaign. The multiplayer fares slightly better, but it’s not enough to bring Operation Raccoon City up to an acceptable level.

The Pros: 

+ Great premise and setting

+ Provides an interesting side story to Resident Evil 2 and 3’s events

+ Heroes mode is an interesting take on classic team deathmatch gameplay

The Cons: 

- Too focused on co-op, which hurts the single player campaign

- Guns feel underpowered, which makes the shooting pretty stale

- Melee combat system lets opponents juggle you endlessly or kill you instantly

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
5

For a venerable Japanese company like Capcom, it’s a risky proposition to hand off one of your franchises to a Western developer. You could get lucky and end up with another Dead Rising 2, but pick the wrong studio, and something more like the 2009 version of Bionic Commando may be in store.

MLB 12: The Show [PS3 Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 04/02/2012 - 07:48
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Overall Feeling: 

The Show is one of those rare sports games in which every aspect is conveyed perfectly and isn’t saddled with an element that’s less than pleasing.  Featuring minor yet impactful enhancements in how the game controls, The Show is one of the best baseball games ever created in addition to being a sim game that’s approachable and never once intimidating.  

The Pros: 

+ Controls feel perfect and aren’t difficult to handle.

+ The detail in the players and stadiums is astounding and the game as a whole is a beauty.

+ New Pulse Pitching mechanic is a terrific addition to the game.

+ Diamond Dynasty Mode may require a lot of time, but it’s an awesome mode for those wanting to create an original team and put together a dream team.

The Cons: 

- Presentation is flat in a few areas as it doesn’t have a ton of pop or character to it.

- Having licensed songs during menu navigation needs to go away forever.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Sometimes doing something that’s simple in its nature is an incredibly difficult task to pull off in a video game.  Most of the time we’re graced with games that are overly complex or have many layers to them, but doing a simple 3rd person action game that feels right or even a racing game is something that isn’t as easy as one would think.  What’s even more difficult is developing a sports game for a simple sport such as that of baseball.

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