Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person-shooter developed by Infinity Ward studios and published by Activision. It is a sequel to its massively popular Modern Warfare, which was released in 2007.

My favourite genre would be shooter games, especially one that relates to warfare. I have played every single Call of Duty franchise (a total of 6 games if MW2 is included). Without hesitation, it is without doubt that games that focus on World War II have saturated the shooter market for the past decade. These include the COD series, Brothers in Arms series, and the Medal of Honor series, Battlefield series, etc. I am sick of always wielding Thompsons, M4A1 carbines, Springfields, Kar91, etc. There was a brief break in this when Battlefield 2142, a futuristic shooter, was released but the WWII trend continued.

As it's name suggests, Modern Warfare 2 is a game that deals specifically with middle-eastern terrorism. Players will definitely lose out if they did not play Modern Warfare first as there are references, along with a surprise twist in the middle of the game. In the first, the game ended on a cliffhanger. The extraction team was ambushed and everyone was presumed to be dead. The player was severely wounded but was thought to have survived. The sequel continues 5 years after this event took place.

Players ultimately control 5 different players at different points in the game, giving the player a different perspective of the war each time. I really like this idea as I was impressed as this was the same flow that the movie 'Vantage Point' took. It is also a smart thing to do: if the game designer feels that one character cannot fully encompass the war, then the logical thing to do is to add more. Players primarily play 2 different characters, a Sgt Gary 'Roach' Anderson, and Private James Ramirez. However, they also briefly assume the role of an astronaut during mid EVA at the ISS station.

Graphics are fantastic. However, the graphics from the first game impressed me a lot more because of how they showed it off in the gameplay. In this sequel, there is little showing off. However, everything still looks beautiful and great.

What is interesting is how the developers manage to pack so many emotions into the game. They twist the plot of this game over itself. There is always a scene of betrayal and of sacrifice. In one particular scene, the top general who is in charge of issuing commands is realised to be the ultimate betrayer and so becomes the ultimate bad guy. In one always-spoken controversial level, the player plays a secret agent who is pretending to be Russian. They commit acts of terrorism in the Russian airport by killing lots of innocent and unarmed civilians. At the end of that particular level, the player himself is killed by one of his 'friendlies', which is assumed to have found out his true identity. This level generated so much hype that the game designers put a disclaimer before the level starts, stating that the player can skip that level if he wants to. However, he will miss out on a major plot development if he does.

Players play the role of SGT Gary 'Roach' Sanderson, who is part of an elite force called Force 141. It is an infiltration team that is on the hunt for Imran Zakhaev, who is the main antagonist in the first game as well. The game alternates between him and Private James Ramirez, a soldier that defends United States of America from Russian forces in the later half of the game. What I do not like about this setup is that by focusing on these two as chief protagonists, the player will feel that that they have an equal share to play in the plot. However, about 90% of the plot revolves around the exploits of Roach. This gives an uneasy feeling of how James Ramirez is able to have so much screen time even though he plays only a minor role in the game.

Throughout the game, there are non-stop adrenaline pumping moments. The developers have done a really good job in evoking such feelings not only in fast action scenes, but also very slow, tense, confrontational moments. An example of such is when the player invades an airfield to destroy it, only to realise halfway throughout the level that they were suddenly surrounded in a bunker. A brief confrontational moment occurs and the player is quietly instructed to detonate a bomb placed elsewhere earlier on in the level. The bomb is detonated and in the distraction, the enemy soldiers are quickly despatched off. Fast action scenes include a REALLY tense snowmobile scene where the players are pursued in a snow-covered level. The sense of speed as he flies over ridges and gaps is really insane. There is also a scene where at the end of the level, the player is seen grabbing on to a grappling hook attached to a helicopter and he is pulled up at an extremely fast speed up a chimney to emerge from darkness almost 50 metres above ground level. These are truly breath-taking moments.

Another is how the developers tried to expand as much as they could on game mechanics. One scene would be how the player is required to use both mouse buttons to control his ice picks to scale a mountain. The user is required to hold on to the left button, then hold on the right while releasing the left, and then holding on to the left while releasing the right, and so on. To me, it is not entirely epic because other games have done this before, but it is truly a commendable job on the part of the developers to try out something new.

Again, the game ends on a truly epic fight scene and also a cliffhanger. It is quite obvious that the developers left it like that and we can expect Modern Warfare 3 to be in production now. Most people have complained on how the first and its sequel is so short. This game is indeed shorter than most games: I managed to complete it in two sittings. However, I am a firm believer of quality over quantity, so I am satisfied to play a game like that.

What I really like also is how the developers teased the gaming world with its teaser. It is a brilliant, brilliant, short clip on an intro scene for the controversial level. However, instead of a usual video, the only visuals are that of soundwaves. However, if one plays REALLY close attention, the soundwaves are not real: they are created visuals and at some parts of the teaser, a person can actually make out some scenes in the game which are wel hidden in the soundwaves. There was a whole bunch of findings and collection of rumours in game forums which spanned almost 30 odd pages long.

This game is really epic, and is a fitting end to this review blog as well. I recommend everyone to try it.

Rating: 9.9/10

Simpsons Game
XBOX 360

Apart from The Ghostbusters, one of my childhood favourites (and still is) are stuff from the Simpsons. So this week, I'll review this game that originally came out on the Playstation 2, but was ported over to the XBOX 360. Published by Electronic Arts in 2007.

I bought this game not because I knew it existed (I didn't), but because my 'mentor' at my place of internship recommended it to me. I hunted this game down on the local forums and bought it second hand for $20. Not bad for a game! I like buying games at $20.

Anyway, this is a 3rd person action-adventure game in which players control different characters throughout the game. There isn't a real storyline in this game: players traverse the town looking for both special tokens that unlock stuff, and special points of interest. At this point in the game, it pretty much reflects a beta version of Grand Theft Auto if it was made in the 90s.

As you enter one of these points of interest, the game will enter a short cutscene, and the game will 'formally' begin. The first mission is the one where you control Homer in his land of chocolate. Everything, from lampposts to bunnies, are covered in chocolate and naturally Homer would go all crazy and spastic. The overall mission objective would then be to follow the white chocolate rabbit, which Homer remembers as being in the storybook 'Snow White and stupid town'. After that compulsory tutorial/level, you are given free reign to explore both the town and the Simpson's place.

Art is excellent. I really really love how they managed to fit the game artwork into almost something like that in the television series. Everything is colourful and strong, and fits very well together.

Game design is great. I love how they made each level and the GTA-style mechanic they employ. Each 'formal' level is differently themed and is very varied. For instance, the player gets to control Bart in one of the level entitled 'Bartman Begins', which is a reference to Batman. In that level you have to recover an item which one of the enemies stole. Other levels have really funny references to them, like an EverQuest themed level, or one that is a gameshow that is exclusively about the different countries in the world. Each character also got has a different playing style and special attack: for Homer, his breath can kill enemies much quicker than his punches. For Bart, he can transform into Bartman and do stuff like gliding with cape.

For the most part, this game is all about references and jokes that a normal intelligent sentient being is able to understand. It is also probably one of the first game that references itself inside in the game (shown in an opening cutscene), which is really funny.

One of my pet peeves is the terrible camera control. Most games which employ a third person perspective tend to have lousier camera control than a game which doesn't employ one. In this game, perspective is almost non-existent and it is extremely difficult to gauge the distance between two platforms, and there is almost always a death involved when you try to jump the gap. Fortunately, lives are infinite and so the user can always try again. But it is really annoying to keep dying!

There is multiplayer support for this game. I bought this game because I wanted to exclusively play it with my younger brother. In co-op mode, players can still play the 'campaign' (for lack of better word) mode of the game together with their friends, so it is reaaaaaaaaaaallly great. For a game like the Simpsons, you HAVE to play it in co-op mode.

Overall I like this game a lot, if I were to compare it to the old arcade version, I would still say that the arcade version is a lot better (because of the 4 player co-op) but this one comes reallly close. It would have been higher if not for the camera control.

Rating: 8.5/10

Ghostbusters The Video Game
by Atari

I bought this game without second thought: I'm a Ghostbuster fan boy. When I was young, I used to tie a rolled up vanguard sheet to my school bag and walk around the house pretending I was carrying a proton pack.

The last time I played a ghostbuster game was when I was probably around the age of 10-12. There was a really lousy one that can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhxZdBkUid8, and another later release which was a much better game.

The latest incarnation of the Ghostbusters franchise was released on the next-gen consoles around August last year. I had high hopes for it: it was said to be the unofficial 3rd sequel to the movie. Furthermore, the voice actors comprised of the original talents from the actual movie!

I would say that the game lived up to expectation in the first few missions, but really lacked variety as the game progressed. You play the role of a rookie ghostbuster (a newcomer who joins the original 4), who doesn't really say anything throughout the game (there isn't at all one line from him). 'You' just show your emotions through facial and bodily expressions.

It uses a 3rd person view, which works well for this game. Players can choose a variety of weapons: the standard proton stream, a slime blower, meson collider (which is basically a shotgun), and each weapon has an alternate fire mode. For instance, the slime blower can also be used as a slime tether, which is basically a long line of slime that allows the player to pull objects toward each other. These weapons also work differently against the healthy variety of enemies in the game, as some enemies are more vulnerable to certain types of weapons.

As in the movie, to capture a ghost, the player has to use his capture stream to ensnare the ghost and pull it toward the stasis trap, which the player must throw out. After which the ghost will slowly get sucked into the trap, and it gives a satisfying beep like in the movie to show that the ghost has been captured. Cool!!

The missions, however, are quite a disappointment. Most of the missions involve doing the same thing: while you are walking around, ghosts will suddenly appear from nowhere and create havoc upon that place, capture those ghosts and continue mission. It is too repetitive even for me. The bosses are not at all special, they just have a health bar which decreases as long as you fire your weapon toward them. But to think of it, the ghostbusters franchise relies on a few things: humour, proton packs, and the Stay-Puft marshmallow man. You can't really stretch the ghostbusters film too far, things will just get really serious. With that in mind, its not surprising that the game got repetitive.

What is good, however, is how the whole game is lighthearted. They have managed to port the humour well, considering that Ghostbusters is a supernatural comedy. Players get to play a particular scene in the movie where Slimer slimes Peter Venkman in the hotel. The achievements also reflect humour: when the player slides down the fireman pole in their headquarters for the first time, the achievement 'You gotta try this' pops up, as an allusion to what Raymond Stantz says in the movie when he did the same thing. Others include 'I looked at the trap, Ray!' and 'But the kids love us!'.

Graphics and physics are beautiful, the proton streams look like the proton streams in the movie, maybe even better. The streams also bend when the thumbstick is moved. The colours are bright and neonish, and very immersive.

For the most part, this game is more for nostalgia than anything else. It assumes that the player has knowledge in the 2 movies. Players may potentially misinterpret parts of the game if they haven't seen the movies before. For instance, the antagonist in the 2nd movie, Vigo the Carpathian, or 'Prince Vigo von Homburg Deutschendorf', is in his original painting in the first level of the firehouse. Also, the ever present Janine Melnitz, their secretary, is always giving witty remarks to the phone calls she answers. Players may run the risk of not enjoying this game to the fullest without prior Ghostbuster knowledge, as some parts may seem ridiculous.

What interesting, however, is the game mechanics for death. There is a health bar, but he just goes paralysed if it goes to 0 and he has to wait for a fellow ghostbuster (controlled by AI) to come rescue him before he is back to full health. Similarly, he is expected to rescue his fellow ghostbusters if they go down. However, if all goes down for the count, the mission will restart at the last checkpoint. I find that a lot of games are starting to use this you-will-not-die mechanic. Some examples I can think of are Halo Co-op, Gears of War Co-op and Prince of Persia. How does implementing this feature affect the game? By adopting this practice, the player will be led to think that since the character doesn't die, he/she will/can complete the game. For me, it doesn't really matter, but it does depend on the game that employs this. Some games are better if you can die, and have to find health/medi-paks to sustain yourself. Some games are better off without it.

Rating: 8.5/10

Peggle
by PopCap games

Peggle is a multi-platform casual game that allows players to drop a ball from the top of the screen, watching it travel down the screen, hitting coloured objects. Doesn't sound like much fun, but wait till you've tried it. Peggle is done by PopCap Games, which also did Plants vs Zombies.

The objective of the game is to hit all the orange coloured balls, or in Peggle lingo, 'pegs'. In the entire screen, there are laid before your very eyes a pool of blue and orange pegs. Players control the starting shot of the ball, and after the initial shot is made, the ball will travel down the screen, its movement and direction dependent on gravity and collisions with the pegs. The pegs are not placed randomly, but is based on the background picture. The placement tends to follow how the picture looks like. At the very bottom of the screen is a little container bucket that glides to the extreme left and right edges, and if the ball drops into the bucket, the player will be rewarded a free ball. There is also one purple peg, which will increase the player's score with each consecutive green/orange peg hit.

In addition to the basic core gameplay mentioned above, there is also some variations to it. Players can choose if he wants to play in 'campaign' mode, or 'free play', or try out for the 'challenges'. In campaign mode, the players start off with level 1-11, and end with a level that approximates 10-5. There are 5 stages per level, and each level differs in difficulty. In each level, players control a 'character', which has different super powers. These superpowers are attained by hitting a green coloured peg. There are 2 green pegs in each level. In 'Free play', players are free to choose any level and any character they want. In 'Challenges', players are given the same set of levels to choose from, but this time, they are given challenges, such as starting the game with only half the allocated balls, attaining a certain score, etc.

Art is definitely good, I like how the whole game is very colourful, which helps to grab your attention. It is very bright, almost neon-ish. Everything is done up in a cartoonish manner, which is directed toward the casual gaming audience. Whenever the player completes a level, A bright orangey colourful 'EXTREME FEVER' pops up, which I like a lot. Helps to make you feel happy. What I also like is the little nuances in the game that one may miss. For instance, while the game is loading up, the text that traditionally shows what is being loaded says something to the extent of 'preparing tea', 'tucking in kids to bed', etc. Together with sound design, it has a very carnival-ish feel to it.

Sound is good, there is a neat sound feature in which enhances the gameplay. When the ball first launches off from the player, the sound with each collision increases from low pitch to a very high pitch. So the more balls you hit, the higher the pitch of the sound. This helps to enhance the gameplay because the sound foreshadows the next ball being hit, i.e. the player knows the next sound the game will play when the ball hits another peg.

I first got exposed to this game when I was interning at a games company and this level designer started playing it on the big screen. Everyone started laughing at him because it looked sissy. A week after, the whole team started playing it religiously and that level designer whined of how they made fun of him last week. One of the initial comments 'everyone' made was that the game didn't allow for much interaction. The only thing the player does in the game is to release the first shot, and watch the ball go down the screen, much like pachinko or pinball. However, I realised that this is very important because the game relied a lot on luck, which then makes the game addictive. Players won't be able to know which orange peg will ultimately get hit. The same scenario happened with my mother, who plays this game every night religiously for the past few months, especially after I got Peggle Nights, its sequel, for her. She, too, initially complained when I showed her the game that it lacked user interaction.

Rating: 9.5/10

Sushi Cat

http://www.kongregate.com/games/ArmorGames/sushi-cat

A pachinko-like game, albeit a cuter one. Players control a cat, who has to eat sushi that is placed in increasingly difficult to reach places blocked by barriers.

Gameplay is simple: players use the mouse to control where he wants to drop the fat cat. Once he drops the cat, the entire game is in total control of where the cat lands. The cat will, under gravity, fall toward 5 different openings (each having differing bonus points), and eats up sushi whenever he gets to them. The objective is not of points, rather, the player has to try to reach the target number of sushi that the cat must eat.

Art style is interesting. It employs a cutesy manga-ish style. There are intermissions in the game, playing a short animation showing the adventures of sushi cat. I'm not sure what this is for as it doesn't really affect the gameplay, and there really isn't much of a storyline to this game. I guess it just allows for the player to take a short break. What I do not like about the art style, however, is the way the cat is being depicted. He bounces around like a water balloon rather than a cat. Whenever he hits an obstacle, the entire body contracts and expands, depending on where the collision took place. To me, it looks like the cat is full of fats and water rather than sushi. What I really like about the animation is how the player gets to see a visual progress of how much more sushi he needs to eat. On the left hand side, there is a view of the inside of the stomach of the sushi cat. As you eat more sushi, you will see them dropping down his stomach. The level is completed when the sushi has filled the entire stomach. I like it because most games display a numerical value, rather than a graphical one.

Music is whacky, it employs a japanese/chinese influenced soundtrack. When the player goes into the game, the music style changes. Some stages have a flangy guitar soundtrack, others have a more upbeat hiphop type of sound. I fail to see the link between the soundtrack and the theme of the levels, so I guess the music would work interchangeably among the levels.

This game really really reminds me of Peggle or Peggle Nights by PopCap games, which I will review next week, to show the similarity and differences between these two games. But overall, I had a fun time playing this.

Rating: 7.5/10

http://www.kongregate.com/games/Rete/dont-shit-your-pants

Don't Shit Your Pants

This is a parser-based adventure game similar to that of King's Quest, or Space Quest, but it really really short. I completed the game in less than 5 minutes. But this is one of the funniest game I've played in a while.

The objective of the game is not to shit your pants. You play a bald guy who has a bladder problem, and desperately needs your help to go to the toilet. It is really simple, really easy to play. Like an old school text adventure, players have to type in simple commands for him to follow, for instance, 'sit', 'cry', 'open door', 'look up', etc. How the programmers solve the problem of unlimited probabilities and combinations of words is by a text parser, meaning they simplify inputs from the player into something the computer can understand. So 'take' and 'get' are actually the same word, 'retrieve'.

I like this game because of a few reasons. It has been a really long time since I've played a text adventure game (though I wouldn't consider this as a true blue text adventure). The absurdity of this game is something which I've never before. Really really hilarious to play a game that helps someone to get to the toilet.

The graphics are great, reminds me of old school Hugo House of Horrors, King's Quest-esque games I used to enjoy playing eons ago. It matches well with the old-school vibe they are trying to create. Sounds are VGA-ish.

Another reason why I like about this game, is that even though it is really short, replay value is high, at least 9 times. This is done through the usage of the stereotypical 'achievements' system that has manifested itself in most games. There are 9 types of awards you can get that ranges in difficult in attaining them  (I use this term here very lightly). Most games today use the achievements in the same manner: once your character have leveled up to a certain degree, or gained a new spell, or went to a secret area, you will be notified of attaining so-and-so award. The overall game, however, still continues on a linear basis. This game makes use of its different endings to dish our achievements. Even though there is technically only two ways of completing the game (you either shit in your pants, or don't), the game allows for the different modes of completion (different ways of shitting in your pants).

This game made me laugh out loud, which is a VERY rare thing for me to do while playing games. With that in mind, I recommend you all to try it. Sometimes the simplest games are the most fun.

Rating: 8.5/10

 

This is the intro screen.

This is the main UI. Nostalgic, huh?

A must-try for Diablo fanatics.

This game is an RPG game set in Greek mythology. Players control a hero, who rises up to restore peace within the chaotic sphere of co-existence between gods and men.

I bought this game a couple years ago during my army days. I was (but still am) a huge Diablo fanboy. I probably played that game for 2 years, replaying it over and over again on battlenet. So when game reviews mentioned this game was a diablo-esque RPG, I immediately bought it. I completed it, and the original box is collecting dust somewhere at home. Recently, Steam offered this game and it's expansion, titled Immortal Throne, for only 5 USD. So I bought it and replayed it again.

In short, I like this game. It plays like Diablo, it looks like Diablo, just that everything is in a different age. But how does it compare by itself?

Gameplay wise, it plays like a normal RPG game. Players control only 1 character, which will stereotypically rise up from anonymity to become to hero/heroine of the story. There are the two usual bars to watch: the health bar, and the mana bar. Players are allowed to customise the way their character look, and also as the game progresses, they can also choose to specialise in different masteries (whether you want to be a fire mage, ice sorcerer, paladin, rogue, etc). Weapons and armour are of course upgradable through monster drops or through a merchant. They also have a dual slot, where players can choose two weapon sets that the player wields, and is able to swap between these weapons by pressing (W). This functionality, if I recall correctly, first emerged in Diablo II's expansion.

I would have to say that the storyline is quite cheesy, basically a trio of super baddies called the Telkine is trying to take over the Greek world and you have to stop them. Your travels take you to a myraid of places, which include famous places like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Great Wall of China, Minotaur's Labyrinth, etc. I guess that's really neat. You get to meet famous people like General Leonidas of 300 fame as well. What I didn't really like though, was how it didn't really depict the actual myths. For instance, the character didn't carry a ball of thread into Minotaur's Labyrinth, nor did he fight Medusa through looking a shield. These bosses just appear as a super monster that has outrageous hit points. This, to me, is quite sad because I was looking forward to reliving the tales of old, becoming like one of the Greek heroes. Removing all these little tidbits just make the game a bit boring.

Art wise, it looks good, even in today's (2010) standards. It doesn't really look outdated. Monsters have their own unique art, and weapons have their own unique look. The maps are really huge, and are very nicely detailed. What I like about this game is that there are very few loading screens. Players are able to traverse the different areas freely. The only times where loading screens are shown is when he teleports to different places within the same realm, or between realms. I also like the neat touch of the weapons emanating this glow whenever the player uses an epic or legendary weapon.

What I have to mention though, is how the weapon drops are a bit IMBA (imbalanced for the game). Early on, I picked up this weapon which allowed me to 2 hit kill most monsters in that realm. I used that weapon for probably half a game, when I picked up another weapon which was not only better, but also allowed me to 2 hit the monsters. While I appreciate the usefulness of the weapon (it meant a shorter game walkthrough for me), I cannot help but think that as a game designer, I would have prevented the player from getting a hold of a weapon such as this. Very evil, I know. Also, another thing that irks me about this game is how the bosses are, as mentioned before, super baddies with outrageous hit points. Whenever I fight a boss, I would just hold down my attack button, and just spam-drink health potions. No tactic is necessary, just a good magazine. Although there were a few bosses with special attacks which could 1 hit-kill the character, most of them can be downed with relatively ease. I just made sure I have enough potions.

Sound design is good, I like how the epic soundtracks mixed in well with the gameplay. The sound changes to something dramatic whenever he enters a special area, which helps because the maps are so big, you wouldn't know where was the right place to go to. For instance, in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, players have to find the right tomb where a Telkine is hiding in. Problem was, there's probably 6 different tombs in that area. But the player can easily find his way to the right tomb when he realises that the music/sound is actually a cue to his bearings.

Level design is relatively good, however it can get boring after you enter an 'unknown tomb' with the same layout and assets for the umpteenth time, so much so that from Act 3 onwards I decided not to enter any more 'unknown tombs'. Although I know I could be losing out on a lot of experience points and potentially good item drops, I couldn't stand the fact of seeing the same thing over and over again. However, for the most part of the game, level design is good.

All in all, this is a good game that I would recommend people who likes Diablo to play. But of course, personally, it doesn't really come close to what Diablo has to offer.

Long live Blizzard Entertainment!

Rating: 8/10

ClickPLAY2
www.ninjadoodle.com

This is one of those games where you will spend at most an hour completing it. It is a visual puzzle game, where, as the captions on the splash screen aptly puts it, the objective of the game is to 'point, click & drag to find the PLAY button!', 'Once you got it, click it to move on to the next level!'. There are a couple dozen levels that
the player will encounter, and have to solve.

The game is simple. There is a 'play' button, similar to the icon in any VCR/CD/DVD players, and you have to find it. The first thing that struck me was the simple rules of the game. In every level, there is an element that can be interacted with: the sun, the clouds, buttons, even inconspicuous looking screws. Once you have found the first asset that can be clicked on, the rest of the game should be relatively simple to solve. There is no clue for each level, and so players have to guess how the level works. For instance, there is a level where 3 ropes are presented. When the player drags the rope, he will find that the rope is tied to an item. Of course, the 'play' button is tied to one of the three ropes. I like how the game designer makes use of real life knowledge to design the levels. For instance, the 4th level called 'Mikado' is basically a version of 'pick up sticks'. The clue to each level, is then the player's daily observations and experiences in real life. However, there is the drawback of the user not having been exposed to a particular set of experiences, be it cultural or economic reasons, and thus may not fully appreciate the level design, may not get the 'clue', and be stuck in a level.

Art style and presentation of the game is really really interesting. I like minimal design, and some levels rank pretty high in that aspect, as can be seen in the screenshots. The lack of other assets allow the game designer to direct the player's attention to the stuff which are most important. The entire game is in black-and-white as well, and adds to the effect. The entire game is presented in simple geometric shapes, but with a cartoony feel to it. I like it that way.

Music is interesting, has a jumpy jazzy feel to it. It is professionally done, with proper real instruments layered over each other, unlike some games which uses synthesized tracks. The music is looped over the entire game, which is a drawback, but I guess it would be too much to ask for multiple soundtracks in that game.

One of the major drawbacks of the game is that the user HAS to use a proper mouse to play the game, instead of using the trackpad. Although most levels can be solved with the trackpad, there are a couple time-based levels which are horribly difficult to pass unless a proper mouse is used. I was unable to pass those levels when I played it with my laptop and had to frustratingly find my mouse so that I could complete the game. I managed to beat those horrendous levels with my mouse on the 2nd try.

Rating: 8/10

Tim.

Warbears
www.warbears.com

This game is a 2D puzzle game where the player controls a squad of crime-fighting bears, called the Warbears. Each warbear has its own unique ability and in order to win, the player has to use them in the right order.

The story starts off with the scene of the crime. The Warbears have just arrived at a house where hostages are held captive. The Warbears have to find a way into the house without alarming the crooks, kill them, and save the day.

Controls are simple. You control one Warbear at a time. This is strictly a game controlled with just the mouse. By clicking on the Warbear, the current actions pop up and the player has to select one. The Warbear will then perform that action, triggering some other event to happen. Players have 3 Warbears to control at the start of the game, while a fourth one will appear mid-game.

Gameplay is interesting and fun; sometimes, players have to find novel ways to solve the puzzles presented, in others, the solution to the problem is a logical one. For instance, a grenade that is thrown up the roof will get sucked into an air-vent if the fan is still switched on, causing the grenade to fall to the top floor and detonate, killing the hostages and losing the game. The solution? Switch off the fan, and the grenade no longer gets sucked into the air-vent.

Art style is cute and funny, with the Warbears looking fuzzy and all deserving of a hug. The enemies (also bears) look rather dim-witted and are of the same sprite. The Warbears, however, have their own individual sprite, each looking according to his role. For instance, The Warbear which is in charge of the technology (GPS unit, mainframe hacking) has the stereotypical glasses and is quite dorky looking, the one who engages in melee combat looks like a ninja, etc. The art is simple: the sprites are clean and neat-looking, but it works very well in this game. I wouldn't want to see how the entire game would be ruined if he had used some other art style.

What I like about this game is how the game designer incorporates other genres of games into this game. For instance, to hack into the building's computer mainframe, the user has to successfully memorise colour codes played in sequence, very much like that of the colour memory game Mr Simon. Toward the end of the game, when the Warbears have saved the hostages but the crime lord escaping, the Warbears engage in a hilarious race scene. The player has to press the motorcycle throttle and when the Warbears are in position and ready to fire their rifle at the enemy, a target will appear and the player has to shoot the bullseye of the target in order for the Warbear to hit the enemy.





What is frustrating for this game, however, is the lack of a 'back one action' button. When the player has done something wrong, he has to restart the entire level, going through the entire actions again. This is really bad especially when you're almost at the end of the game. It would have been better if the game auto saves after every action and the user has the option to go back one action if he does something wrong. This saves time prevents frustrating resets. The entire game took about 30 minutes to complete, but I probably spent almost an hour on this game considering the resets I have to endure.

However, this game is overall really interesting, I love it. In fact, I went to visit his website for the other warbear series and played it immediately after I finished this one. Gameplay remains the same with the other games, except that the Warbears are in a different situation.



Rating 8/10

Street Fighter 4

Xbox 360

I didn't start out liking Street Fighter 4. In fact, I couldn't understand why the people in the game studio I was interning at last June was so high on playing it almost everyday in the games room. Most of the staff would hide in there at 6.30pm sharp (knock-off time) every evening to battle it out. Graphically, I have to say that it looks great. But what's so fun about playing a game that allows players to fight against each other over and over again? I started playing only a while later, when late nights in the studio became the norm. I picked up the controller, and before I knew it, I became like the rest.

Street Fighter IV (SF IV), developed by Capcom, is a fighter game similar to the ones you play at the arcade. It is also one of the few dominating fighter games with a huge fanbase. Most people would consider SF IV the 'proper' sequel to where Street Fighter II left off many many years ago. I remember playing Street Fighter II, I still have the yellow cartridge for my SNES.

SF IV starts off with a magnificently beautiful introduction scene. It shows off its art style, which heavily employs a calligraphic touch. Instead of the usual air rush trail thingy that happens when someone does a punch, calligraphic ink moves gracefully through the air, only to disappear after a while. I was mightily impressed. Character design is top-notch, with characters still dressed in their old uniforms: Ryu wearing a white gi, Ken Masters a red one.

Players can either choose to play in a variety of ways: there is the story mode, versus mode (for 2 players), online Xbox Live Arcade play, or go through a series of challenges and trials. This provides for a good many hours of play, as players have so many options to choose from when they do get bored of one mode.

Controls are similar to that of the arcade version, so players who played SF II will have no problem controlling their characters. On an XBOX360 controller, players can either use the D-pad or the left thumb stick for movement, while the rest of the buttons are used for the different attacks. What I find interesting are the different moves and combos: all characters have basic and advanced moves. While this is typical in every game, I only realised the reason for it when I played SFIV. Having basic moves allow people to pick up this game easily, letting them throw out moves with just a couple buttons. For the advanced players, they have the more difficult moves to master. In addition to the moves which require 3 to 5 button presses, there is the ability to link different moves together. These are called combos, and the game teaches the player how to do this in the training mode. Also new to SF IV is the Super Ultra Combo, which is a character's signature move. it is a level higher than an Super, and costs more, but does significantly more damage.

In story mode, an individual cutscene for each player will be played at the start of the game, narrating to the player the personal reasons why each character is in the game. After which, they will then fight rounds after rounds with different character, till they reach the penultimate round where they will fight against a rival character (e.g. Ryu's rival is Sagat, Sakura's rival is Ryu, etc). The final round will be against a creature called Seth, who is able to biologically change his body parts, similar to that of the T-1000 in Terminator 2. This individuality between characters allow the player to experience a sense of belonging and attachment to them, and creates a pseudo player-character relationship, instead of seeing the different characters only as pixels who can do different moves.

Online play is fun, but unless you play it with friends whom you know and are situated locally, chances are that you will be playing in tremendous lag, and that kills the game. In a fighter game, reaction and feedback time is of utmost importance. It is almost impossible to play properly with high latency, and that is what I have been experiencing in Xbox Live. A neat feature in the game is how they simulate arcade playing: during story mode (or known as arcade mode), players might get interrupted halfway into the match with the words 'A new challenger has arrived!', a prompt signaling that someone else (a real life player) has entered the match and will be challenging you. This happens in a real life arcade when someone puts in a token and sits opposite you. In the Xbox360/PS3 version however, it would mean that someone from either Xbox Live or PSN has entered an online game that you have created, and the single player match is interrupted. Fortunately, the player is able to switch this function off.

As mentioned before, art style is beautiful. It plays in 3D, and character design is impressive. You can see the detail of the character and their emotions during the different stages of fight. In fact, it was the graphics that made me first notice this game. It is done in a stylised manner, and evokes a fun and hilarious feel to it.

All in all, I really like this game and is definitely in my top ten list of games to play, sitting alongside the likes of Doom, Quake, and Commander Keen.

For the record, my favourite character is Ken Masters.

Rating: 9.5/10

 

Neon Maze

http://www.kongregate.com/games/iLegendary/neon-maze

25th January 2010

In summary, this game is a visual treat for those seeking refuge from the usual flash-based graphics that are rampant everywhere. However, a lack of interesting game design makes this game more to be desired.

The first thing that attracted me to this game (and also to load it) was its graphics. Aesthetically pleasant, this game reminded me of the XBOX Live Arcade game called 'Geometry Wars', where similar neon-coloured graphics are used. I personally love such bright colours.

The game objective is simple: navigate around the maze, to reach the coveted exit point. There is no storyline, and we are not told the reason for the objectives. This, however, doesn't really distract us from the overall feel. I treat this game like sudoku, only much prettier.

Gameplay is interesting, but limited, as will be explained later. Players control a coloured orb, and moving over other coloured orbs change the player's orb colour (running over a blue orb changes your orange orb to a blue one). Players can only pass through a wall if he is of the same colour as it. Later on in the game, things will get more complicated: locks will be introduced. To pick up a lock, you have to be of the same colour as it.

Controls are really simple: just use the mouse cursor to guide the gear-looking object around the maze. However, each level gets increasingly difficult and players find that it takes more time in order to finish each level. To increase the tension within the game, the game designer included a timer on the upper-left hand corner of the screen to challenge the player to complete it as quick as he can. The player, however, is left to wonder how the timer works. Does it decreases bonus points every second? The UI doesn't show the player anything except for the game area, and there is no points display, so we are left guessing. However, the clean, sleek UI design works well for me, as it is a refreshing change from the millions of buttons and information tabs in other games. I also like how the orbs responds very fast to your cursor movement, which is crucial for games like this where time is of the essence, especially if you are planning on beating the timer. However, the playing space is too small, and I occasionally find myself hitting the walls because my mouse cursor has gone off the game screen and my orb is no longer tracking it. Perhaps the optional control of the keyboard or a gamepad can be used.

As much as the game looks great, it doesn't go long before the player starts to feel that the whole game is draggy. The game objectives doesn't change, and he will realise that it doesn't really take a lot of brains to complete the level. He is just required to navigate through the level, pick up the very first coloured orb that he sees, go through the newly unlocked wall, pick up the next coloured orb, go through the newly unlocked wall, etc. Before long, he will realise that he has just solved the level without using much thinking. This causes the game to be a drag. It feels as though the designing of the level was actually much tougher than the actual playing of it, which is kind of odd.

Rating: 7/10

Karoshi Suicide Salaryman

http://armorgames.com/play/2407/karoshi-suicide-salaryman
by Karoshi

Wednesday, 19 January 2010




If there ever has to be a game that encapsulates the state of Japanese workers, this is it. This flash game plays over 50 levels with a weird objective: to kill yourself. You play a suicidal businessman who has to navigate through the levels by pushing boxes, activating traps, firing a pistol, which, at the end of every level, will unlock itself to allow you to run or jump into spikes or electrocute yourself.

The controls are deceptively easy: up, down, left, right, spacebar. However, puzzles do get a little bit tougher each level, with the first few teaching the player the mechanics and objectives of the game. However, as the level progresses, the game breaks even its own mechanics to bring surprises to the player. For instance, in some levels the player is supposed to use the mouse to click and build a staircase of blocks to reach up to the top, where the spikes are located.

The puzzles have a good range of difficulty. Some are simple, but the majority of them require some thinking and forward planning. However, the puzzles are not that difficult as to stall players for too long. The game designer makes good use of simple physics to improve gameplay: at some levels, you get to jump on a trampoline while firing a pistol, in others, you have to push a button to let fall a safe deposit box to crush yourself. As there are not many elements in the game (there are probably only 6-7 assets in the game), the players will not feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of assets and instead focus on the gameplay since they already have an inkling as to how each assets 'should' work.

Art style is simple: the entire game is in 2D side scrolling format. But a game like that doesn't need to have superb graphics. Instead, I reckon the game wouldn't be as fun if the graphics were actually better than what it is already. The music has a funky jazzy groove to it, which is really unexpected because you wouldn't really expect a beat to accompany such a theme.

All in all, I would say that it is a fun game, as I went to play the sequel after completing this once. However, I have to comment that the owner of this game really knows how to milk it. He has already created 4 games using the same character with the same type of game objective (kill yourself), save for a few minor additions to the game.

 
Screenshots after the break.

RATING: 8/10

Karoshi preparing to meet his maker.

"Geronimo!"

Splat!

Alternate way of dying 1: getting electrocuted.

Alternate way of dying 2: death from above by a safe deposit box.