(Xbox, PS3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Gore/Intense Violence/Suggestive Themes; www.darksiders.com)
(four stars)
Of course one doesn't really think of love and romance when talking about the Apocalypse. Nor does an epic adventure against armies of demons and angels conjur images of rose petals and chocolate-dipped fruit.
But make no mistake about it - "Darksiders" is a love-letter.
Because it is obvious that developers, Vigil Games, love video games. Specifically, they love the "Legend of Zelda" and the "God of War" series, and have made "Darksiders" to combine the key elements from both. Some developers design a game to create brand new play mechanics, or carve out a new genre, or create something no one has ever seen before.
"Darksiders" is none of that, but it is a synthesis of the things that make "Zelda," "God of War," and another classic, "Panzer Dragoon," great. It gives players an adventuring storyline that sends them questing through far-reaching, enemy-laden lands; puts players in the shoes of an overpowered, hyper-aggressive brute - "War" (one of the horsemen of the Apocalypse); and delivers a pallet-cleanser between chapters with an on-rails shooter. All of this, "Darksiders" does with larger-than-life character design and over-the-top dialog and voice acting.
AND it has Mark Hamil in a supporting role, and that guy is one heck of a voice actor.
Is any of "Darksiders" original? Hardly a lick, but that's not a bad thing. Owners of PS3s and Xboxes will never have the opportunity to play a "Zelda" title on their home consoles without purchasing a Nintendo console. But "Darksiders" is every bit of a "Zelda" title with a darker, edgier tone - so its perfect for the gamers who want the "Zelda" experience without the kid-friendly wrapper. And never in a million years would Nintendo allow "Zelda's" protagonist, Link, to hack off enemies' limbs, or star in such a blood-soaked game; but War comes from the "God of War" school of fighting where "it's not dead unless it's insides are all over the room."
If any of this sounds good, be assured that although "Darksiders" isn't a game that you would call "romantic," it is a game made by people who love the types of games that you love- and they made this for you.
Happy Valentine's Day, from Vigil Games.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Hive Review
(Tabletop; $29.99; www.hivemania.com)
(five stars)
Since making my 2010 resolution to play more traditional tabletop games, Mrs. Game Guy and I have rekindled a hobby that has been dormant since the time I insisted the Backgammon set she inherited from her grandmother was haunted.
I mean, how is it possible for me to lose every single time? Haunted game board, that's how.
So in my desire to find other, non-cursed, two-player games, I discovered this delightful game from 2001 that carries the "Mensa Select" seal of approval.
"Hive" a simple, light-strategy game that's most akin to chess. Each player has 11 hex-based, domino-quality tiles that have one of five insects etched into it. Each player has only one Queen Bee tile and the goal of the game is to have your opponent's Queen completely surrounded with any combination of either your or your opponent's tiles.
Players take turns placing tiles on the table to create "The Hive." The Hive, for all intents and purposes, is the game board which must remain in-tact throughout the game. Players will eventually begin moving insect tiles around the Hive in an attempt to surround their opponent, but at no time can the Hive be divided; so if you happen to have a critical piece that you want to move, but is also keeping the hive together, you are out of luck.
Each insect has a specific movement associated with it: Queens can only move one space; Spiders can move three spaces around the outside of the Hive; Grasshoppers can leap across the Hive; Beetles can move on top of other pieces to block them from moving, or drop into closed-off spaces; and the all-powerful Ants can move any number of spaces around the outside of the Hive.
Because tiles are never removed from the game once in play, "Hive" becomes a game of out-thinking your opponent as to when to place tiles and when to move, in order to work your opponent into a corner. However as you jocky for position, your opponent is doing the same; and as the Hive constantly changes shape because of tile movement, what you thought was a sure-fire win can change quickly as your opponent slips out from a trap, or uses a well-placed tile to block you.
"Hive's" light gameplay means that a game is easily over within 15-20 minutes, and the rules are easy enough for kids or anyone who hasn't picked up a board game in a while. The tiles have a nice solid weight to them, and come with a nylon bag that almost says "Please take me with you to the coffee house or pub!"
In fact, I can't think of another game that would seem more at home being thrown into a bag, in order to be played over a pint. Highly recommended for you gaming couples out there.
(five stars)
Since making my 2010 resolution to play more traditional tabletop games, Mrs. Game Guy and I have rekindled a hobby that has been dormant since the time I insisted the Backgammon set she inherited from her grandmother was haunted.
I mean, how is it possible for me to lose every single time? Haunted game board, that's how.
So in my desire to find other, non-cursed, two-player games, I discovered this delightful game from 2001 that carries the "Mensa Select" seal of approval.
"Hive" a simple, light-strategy game that's most akin to chess. Each player has 11 hex-based, domino-quality tiles that have one of five insects etched into it. Each player has only one Queen Bee tile and the goal of the game is to have your opponent's Queen completely surrounded with any combination of either your or your opponent's tiles.
Players take turns placing tiles on the table to create "The Hive." The Hive, for all intents and purposes, is the game board which must remain in-tact throughout the game. Players will eventually begin moving insect tiles around the Hive in an attempt to surround their opponent, but at no time can the Hive be divided; so if you happen to have a critical piece that you want to move, but is also keeping the hive together, you are out of luck.
Each insect has a specific movement associated with it: Queens can only move one space; Spiders can move three spaces around the outside of the Hive; Grasshoppers can leap across the Hive; Beetles can move on top of other pieces to block them from moving, or drop into closed-off spaces; and the all-powerful Ants can move any number of spaces around the outside of the Hive.
Because tiles are never removed from the game once in play, "Hive" becomes a game of out-thinking your opponent as to when to place tiles and when to move, in order to work your opponent into a corner. However as you jocky for position, your opponent is doing the same; and as the Hive constantly changes shape because of tile movement, what you thought was a sure-fire win can change quickly as your opponent slips out from a trap, or uses a well-placed tile to block you.
"Hive's" light gameplay means that a game is easily over within 15-20 minutes, and the rules are easy enough for kids or anyone who hasn't picked up a board game in a while. The tiles have a nice solid weight to them, and come with a nylon bag that almost says "Please take me with you to the coffee house or pub!"
In fact, I can't think of another game that would seem more at home being thrown into a bag, in order to be played over a pint. Highly recommended for you gaming couples out there.
Army of Two: The 40th Day Review
(Xbox, PS3; $59.99; Rated M for Blood/Gore/Violence/Language; www.armyoftwo.com)
(two stars)
Why the sub-par 2008 game, featuring so much BRO-mance between its two protagonists that it makes frat-boys uncomfortable, would get a sequel subtitled "The 40th Day" is beyond me. But I suppose the financials of the first "Army of Two" were successful enough that it warranted the continuing adventures of mercenaries, Salem and Rios - now shanghaied in... of all places... Shanghai, and their struggle to get out of the city as it falls down around them by nefarious forces.
The "Army of Two" series is built around a cooperative experience. Ideally, a friend should be playing alongside of you - either online or on the couch. Otherwise, the computer will control your partner who, although relatively competent to get you out of tight jams, pales in comparison to an actual person to coordinate strategy with you.
Like its predecessor, "40th Day" is a cover-based, third-person shooter that take the core action mechanics of the much more polished and successful "Gears of War," and attempts to add to it with its "Aggro" system. The idea is that as one player attracts more attention from the enemies with an open assault, the other player becomes less noticeable, allowing them to flank the enemies and shoot them undetected. Of course once that happens, the enemies will refocus their efforts on the now "Aggro" meter will swing the other way, allowing the first player to take cover and flank enemies from the other side.
The mechanic works, but not particularly well. Often times, players are caught in a circle of enemy fire, and so the fire-and-flank maneuvers have to be thrown out and it's every merc for himself.
Worse are terrible cover controls that make it near-impossible to tell whether a player is safely behind cover, or mearly just ducking near it. In games like "Gears of War," moving in and out of cover has a weight associated with it in the animation of the characters - you can actually feel your character slam up against walls, and the controls required to take cover are intuitive and responsive. "40th Day" has none of this. I believe the tutorial told me that I needed to click the thumbstick when near cover in order to "stick" to it, but the click of the thumbstick also controls crouching. So when I'm attempting to take cover, I sometimes just end up look like I'm doing a set of deep-knee bends because my character keeps squatting up and down instead of getting behind the darn barrier to avoid gunfire.
Then there are the times when I'm positive I'm in cover, only to be shot in the head because I'm actually just hanging out near - not in - cover. A game that's not terribly interesting to begin with, shouldn't also be so frustrating to play.
Graphically the game is solid. The destruction in-game and during cutscenes is visceral, but overall, "40th Day" has a very generic feel. This is supposed to be overcome by the larger-than-life look and personalities of Salem and Rios, who, in all respects, are easily forgettable.
"Army of Two: The 40th Day" is worth a rental for those interested in a testosterone-laden shoot-em-up; but as a lasting purchase: this game has, ironically, little bang for its buck.
(two stars)
Why the sub-par 2008 game, featuring so much BRO-mance between its two protagonists that it makes frat-boys uncomfortable, would get a sequel subtitled "The 40th Day" is beyond me. But I suppose the financials of the first "Army of Two" were successful enough that it warranted the continuing adventures of mercenaries, Salem and Rios - now shanghaied in... of all places... Shanghai, and their struggle to get out of the city as it falls down around them by nefarious forces.
The "Army of Two" series is built around a cooperative experience. Ideally, a friend should be playing alongside of you - either online or on the couch. Otherwise, the computer will control your partner who, although relatively competent to get you out of tight jams, pales in comparison to an actual person to coordinate strategy with you.
Like its predecessor, "40th Day" is a cover-based, third-person shooter that take the core action mechanics of the much more polished and successful "Gears of War," and attempts to add to it with its "Aggro" system. The idea is that as one player attracts more attention from the enemies with an open assault, the other player becomes less noticeable, allowing them to flank the enemies and shoot them undetected. Of course once that happens, the enemies will refocus their efforts on the now "Aggro" meter will swing the other way, allowing the first player to take cover and flank enemies from the other side.
The mechanic works, but not particularly well. Often times, players are caught in a circle of enemy fire, and so the fire-and-flank maneuvers have to be thrown out and it's every merc for himself.
Worse are terrible cover controls that make it near-impossible to tell whether a player is safely behind cover, or mearly just ducking near it. In games like "Gears of War," moving in and out of cover has a weight associated with it in the animation of the characters - you can actually feel your character slam up against walls, and the controls required to take cover are intuitive and responsive. "40th Day" has none of this. I believe the tutorial told me that I needed to click the thumbstick when near cover in order to "stick" to it, but the click of the thumbstick also controls crouching. So when I'm attempting to take cover, I sometimes just end up look like I'm doing a set of deep-knee bends because my character keeps squatting up and down instead of getting behind the darn barrier to avoid gunfire.
Then there are the times when I'm positive I'm in cover, only to be shot in the head because I'm actually just hanging out near - not in - cover. A game that's not terribly interesting to begin with, shouldn't also be so frustrating to play.
Graphically the game is solid. The destruction in-game and during cutscenes is visceral, but overall, "40th Day" has a very generic feel. This is supposed to be overcome by the larger-than-life look and personalities of Salem and Rios, who, in all respects, are easily forgettable.
"Army of Two: The 40th Day" is worth a rental for those interested in a testosterone-laden shoot-em-up; but as a lasting purchase: this game has, ironically, little bang for its buck.
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