Mecandes' Humble Abode » Xbox 360

Dragon Age: Origins

Mecandes — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 01:50:46 +0000

A friend recently asked me, “Will Dragon Age blow me away?” Well, my review of Dragon Age has to start with this caveat: There is very little competition in the serious RPG genre these days.

I mean, on Xbox 360 there is Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion as the forerunner. What else has there been? Two Worlds, which I haven’t really tried because it was pretty poorly rated. Fable II, which was not very “hardcore”… Fallout, which was a gun-oriented but way smaller version of Oblivion (by same studio)… and Mass Effect and some others which are essentially Japanese console RPGs (very linear, short, character driven, with turn-based combat).

So when you hold Dragon Age up against those, it can’t help but compare favourably for old-time D&D players. Like a D&D module, it is more story-oriented than Oblivion; you have choices of where to go next, but within those areas the game is pretty linear and story-driven. It’s not as open-world as Oblivion, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing: the story is quite interesting and strong in comparison, with interesting character dynamics (do you remember how your party members used to talk to each other in Baldur’s Gate? They do that in Dragon’s Age, too, and it’s pretty amusing.) The more I played Dragon Age, the more I was sucked into it, and I think comparing it to Baldur’s Gate is pretty accurate: small zones to explore (like the screen-sized zones in BG), and lots of thought put into the characters and plot.

But if you buy it, your very first impression may not be amazing, because the graphics in Dragon Age are kind of surprisingly behind the times (it is hard to imagine these people made Mass Effect, which was so gorgeous…!) I think they were also inspired to use the muted colour palette of the Lord of the Rings films. Now, it’s not that the graphics are “bad,” but they are almost Xbox 1 quality. My guess is that the game has just been in development too long. (For what it’s worth, though, the character animations are very good, especially compared to Oblivion, and I’m not just saying that because the brother of a friend of mine works in animation at Bioware!) Also, the game interface is not as well planned for the console as Oblivion’s – though you do get used to it in time, as with all games.

Another major difference is that this is a party-oriented game: it’s your main character, plus three others, at all times (after the initial starting adventure). That’s a big difference from Oblivion: I find the combat more strategic and challenging, and more D&D like as it goes… for simple encounters, you just plow through them without much strategy or pausing… but for difficult encounters, you need to pause and plan and strategize (ala Mass Effect, I guess). I am playing at “normal” difficulty and still frequently lose battles and have to try again, being more strategic about how I use my party and skills, etc.

But really, if you are interested in RPGs, you will dig Dragon’s Age if you give enough time to get into it. Each character class has a different origin story in the game and a different little starting adventure, and for me, the game started to pick up after that initial starter-adventure was over and I finally became a Grey Warden… but I better not say more lest I spoil anything…

Worms 2: Armageddon

Mecandes — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:47:24 +0000

The lastest Worms game was released this week on Xbox Live; I’m still a sucker for this game, even though I’ve been playing it since the first release on Amiga way back in 1994… it never really seems to get old to me. Although they’ve called it Worms 2: Armageddon, it shouldn’t be confused with either Worms 2 nor Worms: Armageddon, which were released a decade ago.

Really, this is the game that should have been released on Xbox Live in the first place — the first Xbox 360 Worms game was just too stripped down and simplified; I don’t think I had ever played a Worms game with less weaponry, backgrounds, and soundbanks. Worms 2: Armageddon adds back some of the classics, such as the Holy Hand Grenade and Super Sheep, while keeping the options simplified to ensure more fair on-line competition. If you want to relive the glory days of 90s gaming, or are looking for a fun game for the whole family that isn’t about twitchy reflexes, this game is easy to recommend at just 800 Microsoft points.

Back in the day, Team 17 was exciting and innovative, but how long can they go on just remaking and releasing Worms 2? Hopefully the rumours about an upcoming Xbox 360 version of Alien Breed are true…

Ghostbusters: The Video Game

Mecandes — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:54:11 +0000

Ghostbusters hit the screens when I was a pre-teen, and instantly became one of my all-time favourite films. Now, when I first heard about Ghostbusters: The Video Game, I wasn’t sure what to think — movie-related games are rarely very good. But when it was said that Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis would be penning the script to the game, and that the original actors would be reprising their roles in voiceover, I allowed myself to become cautiously optimistic…

I’m pleased to tell you that the game was not a disappointment! It’s been getting consistently good reviews, averaging around 80% scores, and I would definitely agree. It’s a solid Triple-A title, good both as a game, and as a sequel to the Ghostbusters franchise.

This isn’t your typical FPS run-and-gun style game… rather, the most unique thing about the Ghostbusters has to be their ghostbusting equipment and tactics, and that’s what I find the most fun about this game: you bust ghosts just like they do on-screen in the films. Your proton pack fires an eratic beam which is used to wear down and eventually capture the ghost. You then toss out a trap, and work to wrangle the ghost over top of it, and hold him there while he is sucked in. This all works wonderfully in 3D, and adds an almost sport-fishing adrenaline rush to most encounters.

The script is not quite “Ghostbusters 3″ as some had been billing it — Aykroyd and Ramis didn’t really write it, they just tweaked the script written by the game company. It’s a sequel, but tied very heavily to the events of the films; there is a lot of “fan service” here. The plot revolves around re-busting a lot of the ghosts from the films, and learning more about some, like the librarian. The ultimate villain is Ivo Shandor — the architect of the building in the first film (who, incidentally, was originally planned to be the final form of Gozer in that film… but now I’m getting too geeky for ya probably…) In the end, the script is amusing and interesting, and there’s nothing quite so cool as hearing the original actors play these roles again after all these years.

Games like these usually have multi-player modes that are just “tacked on” and unsatisfying, but not so with Ghostbusters… they have well thought-out modes and activities — you’re not shooting at each other of course, but working cooperatively (and sometimes competitively) to trap ghosts and accomplish goals. The only downside — and I would say this is the biggest strike against the game as a whole — is that it doesn’t feature split-screen play — neither in the main campaign, nor in multi-player mode.

I highly recommend this for any gamer that likes the Ghostbusters franchise; you won’t be disappointed! And even if you’re not willing to pay top dollar for a new game, keep it in mind when they reduce the price later on! It’s definitely a unique gaming experience.

Prince of Persia (2008)

Mecandes — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 22:20:05 +0000

As a big fan of the newer Prince of Persia: Sands of Time games, this game is a huge disappointment. It feels like a “kiddie” version in every way: the cartoony art, the corny accent-free dialog, the simplified battles, not to mention the fact that you can never die. It doesn’t feel anywhere near as rich or detailed as the earlier games, and so I’m very surprised by the high review scores. All this is not to say that it’s a bad game; it just doesn’t meet expectations and is a step backwards for the franchise. A renter.