Resistance 3 Review

Verdict: Good Game

Release Date: 09/06/2011
Developer: Insomniac
Publisher: SCEA
Genre: First Person Shooter, Sci-fi
Platform: PS3
Rating: M
Players: 1-2 Offline/ 2 Online Co-op/ 2-16 Online Competitive

 

            The resistance continues in Insomniac's latest entry to their playstation exclusive franchise. With the entire world now occupied by chimera, let's see where Resistance 3 takes the series. 

Story/Atmosphere

     Nathan Hale is dead, the Chimera have won the war and ninety percent of humanity has been either killed or converted. The remaining ten percent of humanity exist as scattered groups of survivors, some of them still fighting while others simply try to get by. You play as Joseph Capelli, the last remaining sentinel and Nathan Hale's killer. Even though Hale had undeniably been consumed by the chimeran virus within him, Capelli was dishonorably discharged for his actions. In the four years following, Capelli has started a family and began to focus on surviving rather than fighting. This choice proves to be short lived however as the chimera discover and uproot Capelli's group from their hiding place. As if by fate Capelli once again finds himself back in the fight, this time escorting Dr. Malikov to New York city in a desperate final attempt to stop the chimeran plague. It's an interesting and well written story accompanied by fairly good voice acting. The story also has a steady flow to it with transitional cutscenes and gameplay between locations rather than jumping the player from one place to another. Unfortunatley the game doesn't end so smoothly. Without mentioning any specifics, the game fails to answer some key questions and, without a cliff hanger ending, I was left unsatisfied.
     Insomniac did a good job with the atmosphere of Resistance 3. The level design, details and soundtrack merge in a way that creates a very authentic feeling post war world, one in which the victor is very clear. 

Gameplay

     Resistance 3 continues much of the classic Resistance gameplay with a few elements both added and removed. In a somewhat old school style that should please many players, Resistance 3 features health pick-ups rather than health regeneration. Though health packs are fairly abundant, it does add a challenge to certain areas of the game. There is also a nice variety of weapons to be found and carried throughout the game, with a weapon wheel providing easy access. All of the weapons acquire experience as they are used gaining new features and attachments with each level.
     The overall gameplay feels very much like the previous titles except for the fact that it takes place in a post war setting rather than its predecessors' warzone dominated environments. It also lacks any drivable vehicles, such as the stalker in Resistance: Fall of Man, though you do get to ride along on some. Several new enemies are introduced as well. however some of the classics such as the Titan are not featured. While it lacks in some areas and gains in others, Resistance 3's gameplay isn't a great stride forward for the series but it will keep you entertained for the duration of the game.       

Tech

   
     Resistance 3 is powered by Insomniac's own engine. While the game is definitely an upgrade to the series in the graphics department, It isn't exactly top of the line when compared to other modern releases. Nevertheless it is still a decent looking game and the designers utilized the engine well.
     My playthrough of the game was relatively bug free. The only performance issue that I found worth mentioning was the occasional audio hiccup between the dialogue and character animations.     

Multiplayer

     The multiplayer in Resistance 3 seems to be geared towards a different direction than the previous two games. While I do think it's great that they finally added online co-op to the campaign, they have removed much from the competitive multiplayer. Gone are the days of 60 or more players in a competitive match as Resistance 3 has a maximum player limit of 16. The character customization has also been removed in favor of various unlockable player skins. The ability to browse user created servers is a thing of the past as well. Though there is still a wide selection of editing options for private matches, having to invite friends and recent players to join those matches usually takes much longer and is much less successful than having your match in a searchable list. Players must also have an online pass in order to play the Resistance 3 multiplayer. Though a pass does come with new versions of the game, buying a used copy forces the player to purchase an online pass in addition the cost of the game. I cannot express how much I dislike online passes and it saddens me to see so many games adopting them lately.
     For all its missing, the multiplayer does have its good points as well. Players can create a set of custom loadouts consisting of a primary weapon, grenade type, two abilities and two attributes. As players gain experience and level up they acquire skill points that they can use to unlock and upgrade more weapons and abilities. There is also a set of killstreak rewards called Berserks that include things such as cloaking and the auger rifle. As a whole the multiplayer for Resistance 3 is a solid and enjoyable experience but, like the campaign, it left me wanting more.    

Verdict

     While it may not be the best in the series, Resistance 3 is still a good game. Its biggest flaw is leaving the player wanting more. Let's hope Insomniac grants that wish.   

  

Duke Nukem Forever Review

Verdict: Average Game

Release Date: 6/14/2011
Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: 2K Games
Genre: First Person Shooter, Sci-fi
Rating: M
Platform: PC, PS3, 360
Players: 1 Offline/ 2-8 Online Competitive

    It took twelve years but Duke is finally back and ready for action. Let's see how Gearbox Software handled this highly anticipated sequel to the classic Duke Nukem 3D.

Story/Atmosphere

    Just as the game took twelve years to release, the story of the game also picks up twelve years after the events of Duke Nukem 3D. After fending off the alien invasion from the previous title Duke transcended to stardom and has been living a life of booze, babes and luxury. Now of course the aliens have returned and are once again trying to take over the Earth and turn our women into octobabies, the latter of which being unacceptable by Duke. Since the rest of man-kind seems to be entirely incompetent its once again up to Duke to save the day. That's really all the depth there is to this story, but then again that's all a Duke Nukem game really needs. The Duke himself is just as cocky as ever and is once again voiced by Jon St. John which is a relief because duke just wouldn't be duke without him. Duke's still got plenty on one-liners to throw at his alien foes and he even takes a few cracks at some other gaming icons.
    As far as the game environment goes, the designers could have done a little better. Some of the areas look good but others are almost as bland as Duke 3D! It might have been safer for them to stick to small spaces and corridors as they seem to do a better job with them.

Gameplay

    Though there are a couple of spots that you might get hung up on, Duke Nukem Forever is not extremely difficult once you get the hang of things. On the other hand, I'd put the learning curve at about 30 - 45 minutes, which is a little steeper than usual because the game does not play like a typical shooter. In a market dominated by military shooters, Duke Nukem Forever still plays and feels a lot like it's 90's counterpart. You'll spend a lot of time side strafing, ducking behind corners and just plain running and gunning. It did throw me off a little at first, but once I got my bearings my frustration was replaced by a welcome sense of nostalgia. However, if you've never played a 90's shooter its probably just going to feel like a step backward from modern standards. For all of its old school style though, there are still a few modern features that made their way into the game. Among these are regenerating health and being limited to carrying only two weapons at a time. Though I miss my health packs, I'm glad I don't have to cycle through a dozen weapons to find what I'm looking for. I cannot say if the PC version allows hotkeys or not because I played on the PS3.
    The game definitely earns its Mature rating. When Duke's not getting drunk in his strip club he's looking at porn, going on roid rages, and making crude jokes. Most of these actions have positive effects. Steroids and beer are power items that give you added strength and endurance while interacting with the environment, such as gambling and urinating, gives duke a permanent boost to his ego which is effectively his health. Its everything you would expect from a duke game and not something you should be buying for the kids. Of course there are plenty of illiterate parents who will.

Tech

    Duke Nukem Forever uses the Unreal Engine. For the most part, the game really doesn't look impressive graphically. For a game that has been in development for so long, there is much that seems rushed and under developed. The thing that stood out the most was the lack of consistency. Some areas were well developed and looked fine, while others didn't even seem finished. At times I felt like I was playing two different games that had been pieced together.
    Even though it didn't always look pretty, the game played smoothly. There were some choppy shadows and the water disappeared on me once, but other than that I didn't have any problems.

Multiplayer

    There isn't much good to say about the multiplayer in this game. The maps are dull and boring, the gameplay is frantic and most of the weapons just don't seem to be very useful. The ability to customize your character is always a plus and unlocking decorations for your apartment suite is a cool idea but I couldn't stomach more than a few matches. I can't recommend the multiplayer when there are so many better options available for a fraction of the price.

Verdict

    Despite the horrid multiplayer and a few technical drawbacks in the campaign, I enjoyed my time with Duke Nukem Forever. In the end it truly feels like a classic duke game on a modern engine and that's all I was really hoping for. The game won't be turning people's heads by any means, but if you're a duke fan its definitely worth a play through.

Crysis 2 Review

Verdict: Great Game

Release Date: 3/22/2011
Developer: Crytek
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: First Person Shooter, Sci-fi
Rating: M
Platform: PC, PS3, 360
Players: 1 Offline/ 2-12 Online Competitive



    Crysis 2 is Crytek's follow-up to the popular Crysis and Crysis: Warhead titles for PC. Now on consoles for the first time, let's see what this installment brings to the table.

Story/Atmosphere

    Its been roughly three years since the events of the first game and things have been going downhill quickly. Aliens called the Ceph are invading New York city, a deadly virus ravages the people and martial law has been established through CELL, the private military of Crynet. If you're unfamiliar with the first game, Crynet is the company who produced the nanosuits, advanced battle armor which enhances a soldiers abilities beyond human limits. In Crysis 2 you play as a marine named Alcatraz who, through unfortunate circumstances, becomes the wearer of Crynet's newest nanosuit model. Unfortunately the game never develops Alcatraz's character beyond that. All we're given is the fact that he is a marine who might have a bit of a drinking problem. Instead , the game focuses primarily on the nanosuit 2.0 which seems to hold some sort of secrets about defeating the Ceph. While it would be nice if Alcatraz had a little more character, the story of Crysis 2 is above average for its genre and kept me wanting to see what would happen next.
    The game environment is well designed and stunning to look at. You'll find a nice variety of urban combat that is even further complimented by the game's beautifully composed soundtrack. These elements, accompanied by quality voice acting come together to pull you right into the world of Crysis 2.

Gameplay

    Crysis 2 offers very unique gameplay thanks to the nanosuit 2.0. With the touch of a button you can activate the suit's armor mode to take your foes out head on, or stealth mode to become invisible and silently sneak past them. By default the nanosuit is in power mode which allows you to sprint more quickly, jump higher and slide to cover. If you prefer a little reconnaissance before the fight you can use the nanosuit to quickly scale ledges and activate your visor to spot and mark enemy positions. As you progress and kill Ceph forces you'll gain a type of experience called nano catalysts that you can use to unlock even more nanosuit abilities. You'll also have the option of equipping several attachments to a single weapon on the fly which allows you to quickly adapt to each combat situation. As dynamic as this all is, it's not without limitations. Using almost any of the nanosuit's abilities requires suit energy and will drain your reserve. Though this reserve does recharge fairly quickly, it keeps the player from being too much of a juggernaut.
    The game itself is not too difficult and it does a good job of easing you into using the nanosuit. Once you have access to your core abilities it should only take 10-15 minutes to get the hang of things. Learning to keep an eye on your suit energy might take some getting used to though.

Tech

    Crysis 2 runs on the CryEngine 3 and it is hands down one of the best looking games you'll find on console or PC. The textures are detailed, the lighting is realistic, even the water looks superb! Crysis 2 is truly a beautiful game.
    The console versions of the game run pretty smoothly and didn't give me any trouble with bugs. The PC version on the other hand had a severe bug that caused my nano catalyst to disappear. Beyond this, I don't really have any complaints. I have heard of people having trouble with spotty AI but I did not encounter this myself.

Multiplayer

    The multiplayer of Crysis 2 is a nice change of pace from the typical shooter. In a standard match everyone has a nanosuit and access to all three of its power, armor and stealth modes. Each of these modes level up independently of each other depending on how you use them, giving you access to various suit modules and abilities as they do. You character also gains experience and ranks, which grant you various unlocks for you to use on weapons and equipment. There isn't an incredibly large selection of weapons but you do have the ability to use several attachments at the same time which gives each weapon a wider range of uses. Like Modern Warfare, you're given a set of custom slots that you can tailor to your preferred play styles. This is where the similarities end however, as the run and gun tactic used by many Modern Warfare players is simply not a good idea here. Anyone in the game can be in cloak or armor modes at any given time, and any given place considering how vertical the map design tends to be. It's nice to be able to climb ledges and actually swim but it also means you've got more places to keep an eye on. These things, accompanied by the fact that almost everything you do is dictated by your suit energy means that your strategic skills are going to be just as vital as your observational and reflex skills. This may sound complicated but it's actually quite fun and very well balanced.
    For all the positive things the multiplayer has to offer it's not without its flaws. I tend to have more trouble with laggy matches in Crysis 2 than I do with most other games. The spawn system has its frustrating moments as well. I can't tell you how many times I've died by spawning a few feet directly in front of an enemy. These are both fixable issues that will hopefully be addressed in the future.

Verdict

    Even with a few downfalls Crysis 2 is undeniably a great game. It's interesting, beautiful and a blast to play! For anyone who's growing tired of today's standard shooters, Crysis 2 is a breath of fresh air.