Review: Batman: Arkham City

Developer(s)                 Rocksteady Studios

Publisher(s)                 Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Platform(s)                   PlayStation 3,Microsoft Windows, Wii U,Xbox 360

Release date                 PS3 & Xbox 360 (Oct. 2011) PC (Nov. 2011) & Wii U (2012)

Genre(s)                       Action-adventure, beat 'em up, stealth

Mode(s)                        Single-player

Rating(s)                      ESRB: T PEGI: 16

It took me a couple of weeks and experinces just to produce the thought of reviewing this game and get it posted. In all honesty I’m actually terrified to post this review but WTH I’ll just get over it & be done.

A year has passed since the incident in Arkham Asylum and now the prison has been moved within the city of Gotham. Gathring the criminals and put them all in a huge prison called Arkham City controlled by Hugo Strange and his troops of mercinaries. Before the game was released, I have thought and speculated many times & yet I never guessed the exact plot. When I thought that things got complicated from the looks of the trailers well it gets worse once I started it even at few minutes in. And yet the dark knight’s adventrue begins as he unfolds and show you the darkness of that world.

                                                                 When i first saw this i felt i was lost because it's huge!

Presentation:

My appreciation kicked in at the game menu, the music in the background & its visuals were impressive enough to get me in the mood to start it. In game, there are tons to appreciate about the dark corners. When I first checked the map I was left with astonishment and asked myself on how will I proceed and what should I do first (actually it was like “WTH is this!? Now I feel so small” but in a good way.). There were like 400 Riddler trophies scattered in the area and that alone left me scratch headed.

                                             Yeah sure, just glide your way though, it feels better 

Graphics:

Just like the previous title, it’s well appreciated from little things like ripped off bat suit after taking amount of damage from enemies all the way to wall marks when deactivating the Detective Mode (I usually put on detective vision but without it showed me wonders of my surroundings). Each territory and area handled by certain villain and at some area will also give trivia from a certain character from the series. Fans of the Batman world will stop in a corner for a moment and figure out the surroundings for clues and what references that may might find in every corner & that alone wows me.

                                            Detective mode, that's always on when i play at most

Gameplay:

I will have to describe the game in three things. First Action Adventure: where you’re given several missions to explore and discover the main plot of the game by using your starting gadgets and unlocking more to get better grip and effects plus getting more gadgets too. Second is Beat’em up, when engaging a fight, the mode will automatically shifts itself with commands to take down certain enemies, this time there are more combos to execute and most of them are pretty cool in which defines Batman a master in close counter combats. And third is Stealth, whereas you as the hunter and they’re the hunted. A feel of Tenchu and Metal Gear style though with his own awesome tool that helps him to perform awesome stealth takedowns at your disposal and given areas that will help you improvise based on your creativity. Aside from playing as the Detective, you will also play as Catwoman, Robin & Nightwing (as DLCs) with their own cool perspectives. Overall the gameplay is fairly as solid as from Arkham Asylum but with additional gadgets & characters to control.

                                                One of Catwoman's naughty take downs 

Audio:

Props to all who voice acted but I personally give a bit more to Mark Hamill who is back as Joker and to me he alone stole the show in terms of voice acting & to me, that alone is epic. I’m actually an OST junky so like when engaging enemies, the background music can transcend when action intensifies itself and they sounded awesome.

                                                I so want the animated costume so baaaaad 

Overall:

Batman Arkham City is bigger in terms of exploration, customization and discoveries; a lot more to the gadgets and things to do. So far, it’s been nothing short but epic journey in the world of Arkham City and with so many surprises. Some friends asks me how good is the game and I usually reply them that there’s too many good things in the game to mention but giving them away means a spoiler by itself; it has surpassed my expectations so I’ll leave it to that. I would say that it’s for those who are interested to find out so that I would not spoil anything especially my co fans of the hero. However, for new comers, if you have some extra cash I suggest to play the previous one if you want to get more juice from the storyline.

Score             10

Pro(s)

Bigger world

More gadgets

So many surprises along the way

Great plot

Creative stealth kills at its best

Con(s)

So many Riddler trophies to look for

Minor camera angle issues

Article: MW3 vs. BF3 in comparison

Before I’d say anything, I would mind the readers that I have played both games & reviewed them and this is my personal views so a little respect if you will.

Fellow gamers asked me about the two games for comparison. Hearing heated arguments all over the net regarding both titles in which has created a subject of both battling out on who’s owning who.

Usual fanboys & trolls emerge from both ends and firing one another.

This has draw to my attention and to give my two cents to clarify things from my end before I pull most of my hairs from my head.

“MW3 vs. BF3?”

First thing came in my mind was “really?”

On the outside it’s pretty much looked the same yes but I don’t think both games are up to call it “vs.” in general.

For those who asks which one to pick, well its pretty much depends on what do you want to get out of single player, co-op and multiplayer.

Single player:

I would have to give it MW3. I’ve been following the series since the first one and they have compelled me to follow the back story. On the BF however, it wasn’t interesting and the voice acting were obviously too scripted than believable, visually pretty but got me deprived a lot faster from having glitches, restrictive paths, pointless missions and uninteresting “linear” storyline believing it to be the next MW.

Co-op:

I would say that they are both fun but different whereas in MW3 you pretty much do the same thing, short ones but intense & fast modes. In BF3 however, has a plain & direct approach in addition that you can blast buildings & some missions include riding vehicles.

Multiplayer:

In BF3 it’s also straight forward with few game modes but comes in different maps and sizes & that's where the game shines. Massive maps which gives vehicles space to roam, squad based gameplay which encourages you to do your part in a team in order to gain points & high number of players that can join in a single map. On MW3, it has plenty of modes (where is “Kill confirmed” mode is now my most favorite of them all), perks to assign; fast phased gameplay and you can almost play solo to gain points.

Which one I pick?

I personally go for BF3 even though I gave it a lower score from MW3. Why you say? Well the obvious battlelog interface was a total joke, I mean opening a browser just to get in a game was one big F*****g hassle. I have to reconnect many times just to get in a game. However once I get in, it all pays off by being productive to teammates and have fun and maybe make new friends along the way depending on how well i work with a war buddy.

MW3 however is so MW to me, not that there’s anything wrong with it but my hype wears off just a little too quick. It has awesome co-op & single player but when it goes down to multiplayer it just feels old like another SSDD (Same S**t Different Day) for me like having too much sugar. Innovation is essential but I didn’t see many changes in hoping that it will greatly encourage team play.

So yeah, I’d rather go out there and help somebody and have a good time with my squadmates/teammates rather than going solo and do a couple of no scope head shot with a sniper rifle, been there, done that.

Conclusion:

There’s no need to fight between the two when it’s clearly obvious (especially on multiplayer mode) that they’re different. It all depends on how you want to play a game out of your personal satisfaction. At the end of the day we all go home happily that we played our selected games.

But I wonder what it would be like to see a game called MW vs. BF… I’d say MWs foot soldiers will dominate from their perk drugs (damn them high!)…go figure

So game on and I’ll see you in the battlefield (MW3 & BF3 alike).

Review: Battlefield 3

Developer(s)                 EA Digital Illusions CE

Publisher(s)                 EA & SEGA (Japan)

Platform(s)                   PC, PS3, XBOX 360 & iOS

Release date                 October 2011

Genre(s)                       First-person Shooter

Mode(s)                        Single Player & Multiplayer

Rating(s)                      ESRB: M, PEGI: 16

                                                                                  So this is the battlelog

When I played Bad Company 2 on multiplayer I was stoked to see how different and fun it was compared to my COD gaming experiences. It was all about teamwork, huge maps, vehicles & blowing up buildings. I was also having fun being the medic by reviving teammates to fight forward. After sometime EA announced BF3 and made so many promises to the fan and beyond. However, did they kept their promises intact or not here’s my say in this review.

Presentation:

After EA left from Steams’ service they have formed a similar program called Origin where it gathers mostly EA games at the moment. As soon as you click on the game it will divert you to open an internet browser in order to open the games’ menu called “Battlelog”. It was something new but a lot of people I know disapproved the system & that includes me. It was more of a senseless hassle since the Alpha trial. Loading takes so long and sometimes a multiplayer won’t even start no matter how much I tried to connect. It is actually broken. The interface is truly ambitious however identifying so many unpleasant encounters before starting a game isn’t a nice presentation. On the Campaign mode, my first impression was it felt like that game called Heavy Rain which has so many quick time events (QTE) whereas you need to press certain buttons to react. I never expected to describe the dullness I had, restrictive to the point that you can’t move ahead of the NPC to go to the next step and also the game prevents you for being creative on how you approach your targets which led me to encounter a few game breaking bug such as where I can’t advance because there’s an invisible wall on the door. I did not expect a game breaking bug from a game that comes from one of the top gaming companies in the world. However, despite of all of my frustrations on the game, I had a blast playing on multiplayer as soon I got in the game.

Graphics:

It’s one of the best looking out there. The frostbite engine did so well that I can see objects from afar and knowing me that I don’t do sniping that much since HALO REACH but this really encouraged me to do so which is great. Some little touches like the bullet holes on the wall after shooting a couple of bullets on the wall including bloodstains after popping fleshes against the wall. Lighting & water effects are amazing smokes and dusts are believable & physics engine is excellent. So props to that.

Gameplay:

It felt much like its predecessor but with bigger maps, planes & bigger player capacity on multiplayer. One of the new controls is that you can now prone, this is best way to prevent enemy detections especially from snipers; also you can jump though obstacles without worrying to move around it. The single player mode is basically crappy just like how I describe it. However, the multiplayer is where it shines best. There are four classes and they are the Assault, Support, Engineer & Sniper. Squad based at its best and now the assault class has supported healing tools. The one who’s now carrying ammos is the Support and the sniper & engineers are pretty much the same. With huge maps, variety of vehicles there’s so much possibilities that can happen and knowing that I personally prefer team/squad based where I can enjoy the game with other people and make friends.

Audio:

I personally liked the OST of this one compared to MW3s, gunfire from a distance also gave me the feel that I’m somehow in a battlefield just don’t mind the voice acting, they sound pretty much stiff.

Overall:

This used to be one of my most anticipated games of this year. I had high hopes for it to the point that it can par up the hype against MW3. But in the end I felt that it was rushed but none the less, despite its uninteresting and boring single player, buggy game and frustrating Battlelog interface, the multiplayer makes it up fairly well. This game is for the fans of the franchise, for the ones who like to play with other people as a team and make friends; a game for pilots, troopers and drivers all in a huge battlefield. But if you prefer to be a lone soldier or expecting an epic Single player experience, I don’t think the game can promise you much. I personally think that it’s not a good pre-ordered game but you can wait for a couple of months for a price drop then I can say it’s a good buy.

Score             8

Pro(s)

Cooperative multiplayer experience

Massive maps

Graphically amazing

Con(s)

Battlelog is a joke

Glitchy Single player mode

Frustrating single player experience

Take so long to load any game modes

Plenty of bugs it felt like a rushed product

Review: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Developer(s)                 Infinity Ward & Sledgehammer Games

Publisher(s)                 Activision & Square Enix (Japan)

Platform(s)                   PC, XBOX 360, PS3 & Wii (in retail & steam)

Release date                 November 8, 2011

Genre(s)                       First-person Shooter

Mode(s)                         Single Player & Multiplayer

Rating(s)                      ESRB: M, PEGI: 18

                                          Oh yes indeed, lets! 

Since the first modern warfare, i’ve been into the story. Price & Soap from Task Force 141 has become one of the key characters in the game for me. At first MW I was so curious on how Soap would look like and wonder if there’s any sequel to it. After a few years MW2 came out gave me another rollercoaster ride and left me with another clifhanger. For me it was all about the campaign, its modern FPS setting & how it leaves me with a lot of WTF moments. However, the other half of what MW is all about is the addicting Multiplayer. Here we are at the third installment & finally got to see the sequel. But before i start, I need to make it clear that this review is based on my personal views and at least should keep it that way.

Presentation:

When someone ask me about my opinion on the game I quickly answer that “it’s so MW”, not that there’s wrong with it or broken. It’s the hype and feel of the game that keeps me going till I finish it in almost one sitting (but this time I actually finished the campaign in one sitting). It’s like watching a hit action movie and I can’t leave it for a minute. This is what I feel when it comes to COD, but among all the COD series, MW storyline is my pick & I’m glad to see the third installment at its best. It’s clearly a short one but personally a well done. On the multiplayer side, Spec Ops mode is back with all the fun you can get with a friend & it’s always fun. The addicting mass multiplayer delight is also back and with it is my new favorite mode called “Kill Confirmed” whereas you collect enemy dogtags to gain points for your team and also collect your fallen team members’ dogtags to prevent the opposing team from gaining points. It’s actually a great team based mode that encourages players to work together at some point.

                                          one of the cool things in the game is that you can have two scopes in one weapon

Graphics:

I’m actually playing it on PC at the moment and all I can say is set the image to “native” and you’ll graphically appreciate the view. There are so many options to set it and if you don’t know what you’re doing, the game will automatically set itself based on the specs of your PC (rig).

Gameplay:

Remember when I said “it’s so MW”? Well the gameplay also applies with few treats. It’s still fast phased with the usual guns you’ve seen in previous titles plus some arsenals and technologies that I’ve never seen before. Group multiplayer is also back with class editing and some new perks and kill streaks managements. When it used to be kill streak based gameplay is now turned into point streak mode which is now a bit easy for new comers to come at the top and a bit tougher for veterans to keep their status on top. However, with the new point system around, it felt just a bit different but not all game changing. It’s not actually a broken formula in the game, but like they always say about not fixing anything when it’s not broken. However, on the multiplayer side, I wish that you can rank yourself up on a dedicated server since you may suffer some constant lagging issues by implementing the old MWs’ matchmaking system which is usually frustrating. A bit improved? Yes, addicting? Yes indeed & overall gameplay? Freakin’ A.

                                          there are some places worth looking at for a few seconds such as this one

Audio:

I just want to mention what I don’t like much in the game and it’s OST; they don’t feel that epic from the previous one done by the most respected composer Hans Zimmer. Fun fact, the gunfire was so loud but wasn’t loud enough for me to get annoyed by it.

Overall:

MW is back with the 3^rd installment & it’s coming in hard in Campaign & Multiplayer. For those who are a fan of the story I can only say that they’re in for a treat; it is short but well done. As soon as you’re done with that (or skipped the single player) you’re going to spend so much time at the multiplayer modes with tons of fun and players to compete with. Innovation is essential and I don’t see much in this game but if it’s not broken, what’s the point of fixing it? Is it good for the money? Well unless if you play it on multiplayer then it’ll keep you busy for at least a month or so.

Score             8.5

Pro(s)

So MW whereas:

Shooting engine

Weapon customizations

Presentations

Addicting multiplayer

And to add that:

Addicting Kill Confirmed multiplayer mode

Perks and variety of kill streaks & death streaks

It’s now a point system than kill system.

Con(s)

So MW whereas:

Very short campaign

Matchmaking is back

And to add that:

Multiplayer matches still has less teamwork feel to it than they’ve promised

You can’t rank up your on dedicated servers