Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy new year! (Oh, and a quick game snippet: AC2...)

We're starting to be done with all the crap that comes after moving; painting, putting stuff in their places, buying new (expensive!) household appliances, etc and I finally had time to do some gaming (the Xbox 360 was of course the first living room item I put in place after the TV, amp and speakers :D - even though I had the PS3 and OpFlash 2 to keep me company while we were living at our temporary housing before the move).

I took Assassin's Creed II for a little spin; All I can say is "wow". Just what I wanted. It's basically the first game with improvements all around. The awesome climbing / parkour is still there, so are the stealthy elements.

The fighting is much improved; the wrist blade is actually usable in combat (and quite effective), there's an inventory system (other than "you have X knives"), etc. Although, at points, it feels like the combat might be a tad too easy; you have little problem taking on half a dozen guards, something that you'd be running from, screaming like a little girl, in such early parts of the original game.

Maybe I'll just write that down as Ezio being a bigger badass than Altair... ;)

All in all, it seems like a very nice game. Though if you felt the first one was too repetititititive, this might not change your mind - even though there are improvements in that category.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Mini-review: Wolfenstein RPG (iPhone)

The Black Friday sales got me; I bought the Wolfenstein RPG for 1.59€.

Not disappointed, not one bit, though. Game is very tongue-in-cheeck with it's chicken kicking minigame, poking fun at ol' Adolf, etc.

You'll get to shoot "axis" soldiers, female spies, different colored zombies (you think red is bad, try a *golden* zombie, LOL!), skeleton in fire or not, etc.

For weapons you have fists/brass knuckles, akimbo pistols, Thompson machine gun, sniper rifle, dynamite, and so forth.

For health and other boosts, you can mix and use syringes that range from heal over time and max health boosts to 25-100% damage boosts.

All in all, a fun game. And very, *very* easy to pickup and play because of the turn based gameplay and easy controls. To move you have a virtual D-pad, and to interact with or to shoot, you just tap on the screen. Menu offers you the map / save / inventory options and clicking on the weapon, health, etc icons brings up a shortcut to inventory or the weapon choice list.

Graphics are full 3D landscape, mixed with 2D sprites. Sprites could have more animation cells, but they do the job. The enviroment seamlessly scrolls when you move or a cut-scene cuts in.

I heartily recommend this one, especially at the reduced price.


Score 9/10

Review: Modern Warfare 2

This is a mixed bag: it's a PC game that is made with the console version's limitations in view.

There are no dedicated servers for multiplayer, the gameplay has been dumbed down somewhat.

But still - the game runs smoothly on even older hardware (no FPS complains with a AMD X2 4500+ and GeForce 8800GTS, only *heavy* smoke causes FPS to drop). It's easy to play and the combat has a realistic "WTF!? Duck! Shoot! Did I just kill someone" -feeling to it at best. It gives you the feeling of being a bona-fide US soldier in a warzone.

Even voice acting is top notch, with easily recognizable big-screen stars like Keith David (The Thing and the Riddick movies) and Bill Murray, among others, doing a great job...


Missions have an urgent feel - it feels like you're *there* and fighting for your *life*. Bullets whizz past, and through walls, satisfyingly. Enemies fall down, sometimes only wounded and shooting back at you after the initial shock. If I had to find a pet-peeve, I'd probably say that riot shields are too powerful (nothing short of a grenade can't affect then, unless you can flank the guy holding it - which can be a pain in the ass in tight corridors). Oh, and grenades are a little too whimpy (except flash-bangs, which work wonderfully).

Graphics range from top notch (90% of the time) to "so-so" (10% of the time), with night vision and lighting being very good, but infra scopes on some rifles being a little... well, "icky". ;)

Cheesy, but still epic, movie score accompanies everything and you truly feel like you're playing a movie, instead of a game.

Heck, even the ending is like it's ripped off straight from a Bruckenheimer movie.

I'll leave the multiplayer to younger people - I got my ticket's worth with the, admittedly short-ish, single player campaign and the special ops missions.

More like this, please.

Score 9/10

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Dragon Age: Origins First Impressions

After I've played through two origins (city elf mage and dwarf noble warrior to level 8) on the PC and Xbox 360 I can say:

  • The PC version looks and plays a lot better - there is just no replacement for free camera, mouse controls and action bar with 10+ buttons.
  • The game starts off slowly, so slow that you actually think it's pretty crappy. Persevere! ;)
  • Combat is hard - random encounters will wipe your party out for no apparent reason. Save and save OFTEN!
  • Console versions don't have party damage on at the normal level of difficulty, this leads to lack of positional combat. But then again, it makes the game playable on the consoles. The interface is "nit-picky" enough without friendly fire.
All in all, after a couple of nights' play, I'd have to say it's an OK game. Not an Oblivion killer, and definitely not anything as good as Bioware's older classics like Baldur's Gate 2 or KOTOR.

8 /10...

Monday, November 2, 2009

Dragon Age: Origins

Checklist:

  • Played through the Journeys -flash game - CHECK (just once, mind you)
  • Made a character with the Character Creator - CHECK
  • Preordered the game for the 5.11. euro release - CHECK
  • Madly waiting the game / took time off to play it - UNCHECKED

Ok, it's coming. It's on pre-order. But I can't get exited yet (and it's not even because of the crappy IGN review of 8.4 - it's not the score, the review itself made little sense in it's nit-picking...).

Bah.

Maybe I'll get more exited when it's spinning in my Xbox 360's drive... ;)

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

On the Cheap: Resistance 2 (PS3)

I think it's time for some co-op multiplayer, Resistance 2 for £14.73 (17.80 eur) at The Hut.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

QnD Review: Bionic Commando (Xbox 360)


Where: Zavvi.co.uk
Price: £12.95 (+1£ postage outside UK)
(Edit: now on sale at The Hut for £9.73.)

I've never been a big fan of Bionic Commando and I don't think I ever played past the first stage (even though the whole game takes 9 minutes to complete! ;) ).

This version, the first true sequel you could say, plays like your average "average shooter game with a gimmick"; you have a hero with a bionic arm, grudgingly fighting against enemies of the state who destroyed and took over a major metropolis.

What is refreshing though, is that that the jumping and swinging with the bionic arm from sign to sign, house to house is not automatic or a complete walkthrough, even on the normal difficulty. You actually have to time, target and think about where you jump and how you swing.

Shooting on the other hand is pretty easy - you just make sure the reticle (a BIIG round thing in the middle of the screen) is on an enemy and pull the trigger. Whether you hit is pretty much only governed by your distance to the target.

Why an elite soldier would be able to carry only 50 ammunition for his pistol is beyond me - maybe his next bionic upgrade should be "Bionic Pockets"?

The graphics are "OK" and on par compared to other current titles - even though the city graphics could be lifted straight from inFAMOUS or Prototype. Though don't expect anything really jaw-dropping.

Level design is pretty linear...

*PLEASE WAIT, LOADING*

... though sometimes you can decide between the "low route" or "high route".

The levels aren't very big, even though...

*PLEASE WAIT, LOADING*

... there's constant loading between them. (Geddit? ;P )


The game could use a few more checkpoints, as dying can set you back a bit (so going after those bonus hidden markers can make you fight the armored robots you just destroyed or the group of soldiers you killed, again).

All in all, not a great or memorable game - but definitely worth the 13 quids.

Score: 7/10

Monday, September 28, 2009

Friday, September 25, 2009

On the Cheap: Viking - Battle for Asgard (XBOX 360)


One of my favourite hack'n'slash games of 2008 is on sale at PA for $14,90.

I actually returned to it yesterday, and all I've got left is to spice up my weapons in the Giants' Forge and kick Hel's ass from Midgard to the Underworld.

The game is pretty lengthy, has great atmospheric graphics and has enough blood and guts to satisfy a ravenous werewolf. I sincerely hope Sega makes a sequel.

Monday, September 21, 2009

On the Cheap: King of Fighters XII (Xbox 360)


"Limited time offer" at Play-Asia, King of Fighters XII (region free Korean version) $34.90.

Are 2D beat-em-ups a thing of the past? Is nostalgia in? ;)

Monday, September 14, 2009

Free gaming: Dungeons & Dragons Online goes "Free"


Or should I say "Dungeons & Dragons Online Online", as most people use "DDO Online"? :P

Anyways, if you're seeking for a MMORPG hit and you're low on money or like me, you're a avid pen & paper DnD player, check DDO out.

I tried the beta in 2006, but it didn't grab me. But as it's free now, I thought "what the heck". I wasn't disappointed.

Though leveling is a bit slow (probably because of level 20 being the max, like in your average DnD campaign without Epic Levels), the game seems pretty fun - and most important to me, soloing seems OK.

Now what the "free" means; no customer support and people who pay (monthly, or at least for the one-time license like buying the Stormreach DVD version) get to cut you in log-in lines.

Fine by me, as far as they don't skimp on the content or make the paying customers "Über" (well, selling +50% experience gain potions for real money in the Turbine shop might be considered twinking someone to become über faster, but who cares).


You can create an account and download the game, here.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

X-Men Origins: Wolverine


Finally had the chance to watch Wolverine, and desipite most reviewers whining about Hugh Jackman being tired of acting Wolverine, the movie being really bad, etc I kind of liked it.

Not a *great* movie, but a "good" or an "OK" movie. Definitely something you can watch after a few beers (and a scotch or two). ;)


I'd rate it 7.5 / 10

On the Cheap:Midnight Club LA (Xbox 360 PAL & NTSC-J)


Rockstar's excellent tuner racer is on sale until next tuesday for $18.90 at Play-Asia.

Note: this is the NTSC-J version that only works on NTSC-J and PAL, *not* with NTSC-U/C 360s.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

I <3 Apple?

My boss just gave me a green light to buy a iPhone 3G S as a work phone - I guess I'll be doing some iPeni... iPhone game / app reviews in the future.

$0,99 games here I come! :P

First impressions: Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice

Honest first impression: "WTF!?!?"

The game looks like it could've been a PS2 title; low res, zoomed in sprite graphics and low frame animations.

Well, at least the isometric graphics can be "freely" turned around, in 90 degree increments.

And the music, it's a whole subject in itself. Cheery J-pop blares from your speakers (or headphones, in my case, as the kids are asleep) making you wonder at the Japanese mindset while melting your brain.

The gameplay delivers what it promises, though - of that there can be no question. It's an isometric, turn-based strategy game. True to the JRPG tradition there are a million variations of different weapons and armor that vary from each other by a small (random) fraction and price.

More later, if I don't trade or sell it off first (still tons of prettier "eye-candy" games to finish off).

Where from: Zavvi.co.uk, ~£18.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum


I'm not a fan of the man in the cape. Sure, I've seen (all) the movies and even watched the 60's series (go Burt Ward! Funniest wall climbing ever ;) ) - I've even read a few comic books. But I'm not a Batman fan.

That might change, though - just because of this game.

The basic plot is, thankfully, simple: Joker takes control of Arkham Asylum after letting Batman take himself in. All the prisoners, big and small, easy and tough, poisonous and crazy, are let loose in the progress.

Batman is brutal in his takedowns of the criminals - but as a dark *knight*, nobody is ever killed (well, at least intentionally and directly).

Joker is another matter altogether - insane and with no regard to human life (more than a few that our friend the Batman could've saved if he'd had the guts to kill the clown).

Fights are satisfyingly full of heavy thumps and smashes, as the suitably heavy feeling criminals fly every which way. The basic idea behind the combat is simple; you have one button to hit, one button to counter-attack and one to "blind" the harder, knife wielding enemies.

Sure, you get a few combos like the throw and instant take-down along the way, but they are easy to use and a visual cue comes up when they are ready (to get them ready you need to chain your attacks and gather either 8x or 5x combos).

Graphics and sound effects range between "good" and "awesome!", while music is just "OK".

Voice acting is another thing altogether, though; it's insanely good, with Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hammil doing an incredible job as the Joker.

The game is short-ish at around 8-10 hours of main plot, but the different challenge modes ("beat down waves of thugs" or "silent takedowns") keep the playtime above "too short".

Best third person adventure / fighting game of this year thus far. Maybe contending for the best game of the year - at least in the "production values" -category.



Score: 9/10

Buy the region free versions from P-A:

Thursday, August 27, 2009

DLC review: Prince of Persia - Epilogue

So I finally got down to playing the Epilogue I bought on release day, ages ago.

First things first; I liked Prince of Persia - a lot.
Even though the prince himself got a little tiresome at points, the game was mostly light, fun exploration with a few easy to hard-ish fights dropped here and there.

When I bought the epilogue I thought "if it's more of the same, why not".


Boy, was I wrong...

What they actually did, was to take all the UN-fun parts from the original game and put them into two-three hours of painful experience that threatens to ruin my memory of the fun original game.

Instead of fun jumping and wall climbing, you're left with runs that...
  • Have too long between checkpoints

  • Are 99% of the time timed because of the wall-clinging black ooze or general all around coffuption

  • Can't sometimes be solved before dropping to your death and trying again, because there are either blind spots or "surprise" move like Elika dropping you in mid-flight without any warning

  • You'll have to fight long, BORING, IDENTICAL fights against the warrior/hunter no less than three times!
So lets add up what we got: a DLC that ruins your memory of the original game and that you'd rather have a root canal than play.


Score: 4/10.

Monday, August 17, 2009

A threesome

Technically, not in the bargain bins - I got Killzone 2, inFAMOUS and Valkyria Chronicles on a loan from my friend and after a quick couple of nights I can say Valkyria Chronicles has had the most playtime.

Killzone, while technically superior, loses in the "cute" and "story" department.

As for inFAMOUS, it's essentially identical to Prototype - which I hated with passion. OK, maybe it's a fraction of an inch better than Prototype, but still most definitely a "Blah!".

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Review: Red Faction - Guerilla



I'll make this fast so I can get back to playing:

Open world, check.

Destructible enviroments (structures), check.

Lots of nifty weapons, check.

Lots of main and side missions, check.

All this shit in multiplayer too, check.


Go get this, it's fun.


9/10


Where:
Xbox 360:
Play-Asia $49,90


PS3:
Play-Asia $49,90

On the Cheap: Race Pro


NTSC US version of Race Pro on sale at P-A for $19.90.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Cheap Gaming: Chronicles of Riddick - Assault on Dark Athena (PS3)


First impressions:

Since it hit the bargain bins (under 25 euros at Play.com) I decided to get this since I missed the first Riddick game, Escape from Butcher Bay, on the Xbox.

The most delightful thing is the fact that the first game is included in the Dark Athena game as a remake.

The game looks OK on the PS3, aside from the horrible dithering you can clearly see in the beginning of Escape - the dust clouds surrounding the prison look like something from a Voodoo Graphics era PC gaming. I still can't understand how so many developers can plain screw up the PS3 versions of current gen console games (just look at Ghost Busters for example).

But what matters in *any* Riddick game (or movie for that matter) is the lighting - and that works. The world is shadowy and hiding places are aplenty.

So are the options for killing your foes; aside from the standard weaponry, you can sneak from behind and snap their necks, drop from above, etc. All very "Riddicky".


I'll update later, when I have the chance to check out the actual Dark Athena game.
(Whenever that is, since it's summer and playtime is scarce for this family man... ;) )

Thursday, July 2, 2009

First impressions: Call of Juarez - Bound in Blood

The PC version is beautiful, plays well, runs well (on a 8800GTS/X2 4400+) and has great voice acting.

The plot is akin to the first one, which wasn't anything super-hyper-special, but it's like playing a Eastwood western - all down to the north vs south riverbank battle with trenches, cannons and a bridge to blow up. ;)

One new addition are the secondary missions you can do between the main missions (three so far).

Seems to be a great game.

Monday, June 29, 2009

It's alive

From what little testing I got done, the Xbox I received (it wasn't the same I sent) works just fine.

It's actually a littel quieter, fan and DVD drive wise, than my old one.

Nice... ;)

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

That was fast. (Or: The Day My Xbox Stopped Standing Still)

My Xbox 360 shows as being shipped back on the 23rd of June.

Pretty fast, considering it's around 10 days from when I sent it to Germany for repairs.


It if works (and keeps on working) then: Good Job MS!

First Impressions: ARMA 2

Ok, lets get the negative ones out first:
- Worst Voice Acting, EVAR
- iffy mouse controls (almost feels like mouse lag)

Now, there. I said it.

The good:
- Realistic
- Looks damn good
- Very "OpFlash"/"ARMA"


I'll dive deeper tonight, now that I've installed the oh-so-tiny 120MB patch that was waiting just after the game was released (in English).

Cheapest at the moment:
- Amazon £22.62
- The Hut £23.73

Monday, June 15, 2009

First impressions: Prototype

Aptly named; the game feels like a prototype of a game.

Not involving, camera problems, control issues, uninteresting gameplay, bland graphics.


First impressions for the PC version: 6.5 / 10

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Free gaming: America's Army 3

The latest installment of the multiplayer first person shooter is coming on the 17th of June and you can preload (Steam link) it from Steam now.

It's been *years* since I played AA and I'm kind of anxious to try this one out.


Edit 24.6.2009:
Finally had time to try it out. Looks fine - multiplayer can be a "bit" laggy. Feels like good ol' AA.

The Day My Xbox Stood Still

Ie. the Red Ring of Death.

Finally, after 2 years and 1 month the "old gal" showed me her true colors; three lights on the RoL ("Ring of Light" as Microsoft calls it).

I hear there's an extended 3-year warranty for the problem (which is a good thing, considering the 2-year normal warranty), so I guess I'll be playing on the PS3 a bit more while the cursed thing is taking it's repair trip...

Down: Xbox 360

Up: PS3 and PC gaming

:D

Monday, June 1, 2009

Movies: The Day My Brain Stood Still

Or: The Day The World Stood Still

This is one of the few movies that made Jennifer Connely look... well... "average". I guess that's the word I'm looking for. Usually she's hotter than a black leather seat in summer heat - now she just looked OK. I guess she's getting older too (which I don't mind, being an old fart myself now.)

Come to think of it: this movie's only reason for being seemed to be that it made both it's stars look old. Keanu Reeves looked like Matti Nykänen - someone who's passed his best days and had quite a few drinks while taking the ride.


As for the movie, I tried to like it but just felt that it was mediocre. Illogical at points and depressing in the end. And it even had the token minority representative who was actually cast in the "annoying kid that causes several thousand people to die because he delays the hero / heroine". Mostly I just felt that someone should shoot the kid in the head and let us out of our misery...

I guess I'd rate it 6/10.

God Father 2

First impressions: It's like jumping into a time machine and going back to the year 2005 and playing GTA.

It's "godfather-ish", I have to admit - but it's also butt ugly, has iffy controls and a fraction of the activity GTA IV, or even Saint's Row 2 have.

Not a bad game - just a bit bland.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Sims 3

Sims 3 = more crack for the masses.

One of those games where you glance at the watch and go "ok, a little more", then notice two hours later that you should already be asleep in your (real life) bed...

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Horse warfare: Mount & Blade


Finally release last autumn, after a years long beta period, Horse & Blade is good game by itself in the area that it tries to cover: realistic medieval combat.

But with mods like Graphic Enchantment; which will bring you clearer, high-res textures and HDR graphics, Hundred Years War; which covers the english vs french war on continental Europe and Lords and Realms; that brings you more realistic damage, faster combat, etc improvements - the game and it's replay value reaches incredible heights.

Especialy if you consider that the game costs a whopping £7.5 pounds now (at thehut.com, for example) or is available for around ten USD as digital download.

I can also recommend the Panoramic Sky mod that allows for a much nicer looking sky (textures and a new "skybox").

Monday, May 4, 2009

MTW2: Third Age - first impressions


I never knew The Witch King had it so hard, budget wise! I'm churning out orcs and trying to build improvements so I can churn out more orcs, and I'll tell you it is hard work. I'm constantly out of money and the armies running amok around Gondor do not help. ;)

All in all, the mod looks extremely good. Aside from a few spelling mistake niggles, it's top notch quality.

Recommended.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

QnD Review: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts



Platform:
  • Xbox 360
What price and where:
In short:
  • Return of Rare's old Nintendo 64 videogame heroes from 1998.




QnD Review:
They're cute. They're old and overweight. And they're back.

Personally, back in late 90's, I wasn't a great platformer or Super Mario clone fan. But these days, with work, kids, dogs and all that silly stuff taking all my time I can appericiate easygoing games that I can just pick, play for a while and then drop when the need arises. Banjo-Kazooie: N&B is a game just like that.

Sure, if you want to delve into the game by building your own vehicles to the last detail, you can spend a considerable amount of time just there. But if you want to jump in and do some puzzle solving, jumping or driving around in a silly vehicle that handles like dough on wheels - that's here too.

Don't get me wrong; this isn't going to be a classic by a mile, but it's still entertainment - and if the price is right, that's good...

The good:
  • easy gameplay
  • Rare's take on old characters is sarcastically funny
  • graphically "nice" - not full of eye-candy, but colorful and has a fitting theme
  • cheap for such a new game

The bad:
  • the vehicle designing could be better - a lot better, and more fun
  • sometimes it's not really clear what you're supposed to do, or more likely what you can do in a given gameworld.

Score:
  • price: 8
  • graphics: 7.5
  • sound: 7.5
  • gameplay: 8.5
  • story: 8.5
TOTAL: 8

MTW2: Third Age mod



Wow.

That's all I can say. Some people have too much time on their hands - which is good. This makes me think about ordering MTW2 Gold (the mod requires the Kingdoms -expansion).

Just, wow...

Link to the mod release thread.
(Pictured above: dwarven units going after orcs. Below: Mûmak charge against Rhun infantry. Images borrowed from the screenshot thread.)


Edit:
So I took a ride to the local game store after lunch. You know, one of those small dungeon-like places where the sales clerk looks like a goblin and smells funny. I found a copy of MTW2 Gold for 18 euros.

Installing it reminded me why I hate original, bought, PC games so much; first thing the game did after I inserted the first DVD was to inform me that I'm a bad person because I have Daemon Tools installed and that I wouldn't work.

Thankfully the "workaround" (as suggested by the SecuROM website for Fallout 3) was to open the DVD and run the setup.exe manually.

Oh, joy. I can't wait to run the game for the first time (it probably won't work) and then apply the no-cd patch from GameCopyWorld (thankfully, they're still around...).

Monday, April 27, 2009

Resident Evil 5 demo

Let's get this off the plate first: I hate Resident Evil games. There I said it. I've hated them since I first played them on the PSX or Game Cube (can't remember which).

So RE5?

Basically you have a guy that can't walk and shoot at the same time, who's aiming speed is comparable to the movement speed of molasses in the dead of winter. Then you have his partner; a woman that is dumber than a rock and who'd you like to kill more than the bio-zombies after your sweet brains.

Oh, and my pet peeve - ammo. I mean, you have obvious gun toting lunatics who go into Africa carrying less ammo than Olympic ski shooters in a competition. What's with that? In all RE games!?

Come to think of it; maybe you have so little ammo because the inventory system is a goddamn nightmare! Not only is it unwieldy, slow and unintuitive - it's realtime. So good luck on mucking about with the controller while a zombie is chewing your damn leg off!

Verdict: BLAH!

QnD Review: Drakensang: The Dark Eye

Platform:
  • PC
    Tested on: WinXP SP3, 4GB, AMD X2 4200+@2450MHz, GeForce 8800GTS, SB Audigy
What and where?

In Short:
  • German developer dabbles at classic high fantasy with good to average results.

QnD Review:
Hey! Stop the press!! This clearly isn't a "bargain" game! In fact this game has just been released (03/2009)! Well, for my defense I'll tell you that this game costs less than most full priced PC releases and it's worth a look for anyone into the high fantasy RPG genre.

Drakensang introduces nothing new. What it does, on the other hand, is that it takes all the classical elements of the "RPGs of yore", throws them into one melting pot, stirs a bit and then serves you a very enjoyable RPG experience.

You have your usual elves, dwarves, fighters and mages with the murder mystery, bad guys and gods thrown in the mix.

Based on a true pen & paper RPG ruleset, the game tends to be a bit challenging at times, but it offers you a free ranging character development system where you can take most classes (and I use that term loosely) where you want to. So a spellcaster can wield a sword or an axe and even use armor (though metal armor prevents spellcasting) and a fighter can learn spells or alchemy with it's companion plant-gathering skills.

Visually the game ranges from "Ooh-aah" (mostly nature scenery) to "ho-hum" (mostly dungeons, sewers, etc). It runs reasonably well on an older maching and is less buggier than most PC games on release.

While no The Witcher, Drakensang: The Dark Eye is still a recommended RPG snack to tide you over while waiting for the next big classic RPG.

The Good:
  • Old School RPG feel
  • Character skill development variety
  • NWN style "pause combat" - you can pause at any time and issue commands to your fellows
  • graphics and sound, when they feel like it
  • map / quest pointer system is one of the best thus far

The Bad:
  • challenging; sometimes the opposition is just too damn hard, forcing you to abandon something until you get some more levels below your belt (but that's "Old School" for you)
  • graphics can also be dull at times
  • gaining levels and skills is slow work

Score:
  • price: 6
  • graphics: 8
  • sound: 8.5
  • gameplay: 9
  • story: 8.5
TOTAL:
8.5
(Not an average)

QnD Review: Too Human

Platform:
  • Xbox 360
What price and where:
In short:
  • A cybernetic Diablo clone set in futuristic bastardization Norse mythology
QnD Review:
Too Human pits the player against hordes of nigh-endless robotic monsters aptly named "goblins" and having bosses called "Grendel" (GRNDL-1 or whatever), and so forth. The player is the Norse god Baldur who seeks revenge for his dead wife, getting his ass kicked and probably for prematurely losing his hair.

So on we go to defy Heimdall, deafeat Loki and generally kick ass with a bunch of "space marine" helpers that are about as useful as paper tissues in a hailstorm.

The Good:
  • it's cheap
  • even bastardized, the Norse mythology is an interesting topic
  • you can make your own weapons and armor (well, buy them really) and use runes to make them more powerful
  • it's long, so there's plenty to play...

The Bad:
  • ... it's long, so there's plenty of time to be bored.
  • the plot is average and the voice acting is forced
  • level design is uninspired
  • monsters are uninspired
  • weapons and armor, aside a few exceptions, are your basic "random bonuses slapped to random weapons" -variety
Score:
  • price: 9
  • graphics: 7.5
  • sound: 7
  • gameplay: 7
  • story: 7
TOTAL: 7.5