Shawn Vermette

MySims Agents

November 13, 2009

At first glance, MySims Agents is not a game many people would consider playing. The art style of the MySims series alienates many people because of how cutesy it is. However, they would miss out on one of the better adventure games to be released on the Wii thus far.

In MySims Agents you will first create your agent from an assortment of preset options in a number of categories such as: hair, face, clothes, and headwear. The variety is much lower than you would expect in a Sims game, but there’s still enough to satisfy most players. Once your agent is created, you’ll find yourself in Gino’s Pizzeria, where you’ll get started as a small-time detective. After solving a few cases involving missing pets and secret admirers, you’ll be deputized into the Sims Protection Agency, which is somewhat like the FBI. From that point on, you’ll go on various missions- both in the city and in exotic locales with an eye toward catching and defeating a super villain.

After you’ve been deputized, you will be able to recruit agents, place them on teams, and then send them out on dispatch missions. These missions will net you various rewards such as loot for your headquarters and more people that you can recruit as agents. Each team you have is quartered on a different floor and you can customize each floor with the loot you get for finishing dispatch missions. Every item and piece of furniture improves the rating of the team on that floor in at least one of the attributes in the game: charisma, athleticism, science, nature, or paranormal. The higher the rating of a team, the more likely the team is to succeed on the missions they are assigned.

The two defining aspects of the MySims series have always been social interaction and customization. Rather than making social interaction the primary aspect of MySims Agents, as EA had done with previous MySims games, EA took the characters of the MySims universe and placed them in an adventure/detective game. Social interaction has been reduced to a handful of conversation options that change based on your progress through the story. Customization, however, is still a big part of the game. In fact, now customization is arguably a bigger part of the game than ever before, as how you customize your agency directly impacts how well your teams operate on dispatch missions.

Throughout the game you’ll be asked to solve puzzles in order to hack computers, analyze compounds, and pick locks. These puzzles are quick and enjoyable, and provide some variety to the game. Unfortunately, almost all of them are either very easy or fairly easy. A few will take a number of tries to complete, but most are effortlessly solvable in less than five minutes. I suppose this is a concession to the age group EA expects to be most interested in this game, but it’s a shame because the charm and adventure of the game will appeal to all ages, not just younger ones.

Throughout MySims Agents the charm of the Sims franchise is present. The graphics are bright and colorful, the locales are vibrant and interesting, and the characters are, well, characters. The writing is humorous and witty. The story, while not really unique, is entertaining enough to keep you wanting to know what’s next.

The style and art of MySims Agents may turn you off at first glance, but you owe it to yourself to check it out. The charm and humor will make this game appeal to most gamers if given a chance, and the collectibles and customization will appeal to many others.

ESRB: E for Everyone- Comic Mischief.

Plays Like: A MySims style adventure game

Pros: dialog is humorous; minigames are fun; sims charm is intact; lots of collectibles; fun, lengthy story

Cons: minigames are too easy; dan’t revisit previous locales; damera angles are sometimes awkward and can block facial expressions during conversations

Rune Factory Frontier

November 13, 2009

Reviews / Wii / by Shawn Vermette /

Rune Factory Frontier is the first game Neverland Co. has made for the Wii. Despite this, it is one of the best Wii games I’ve had the pleasure of playing since I bought my Wii three years ago. It’s clear that Neverland put a lot of time and effort into Rune Factory Frontier and that we can look forward with eagerness to their next title.

Rune Factory Frontier is the third game in the Rune Factory series, and you’ll play as the same protagonist, Raguna, as in the previous two games. However, the story is completely unrelated to the previous games, so you don’t have to worry if you’ve never played them. At the beginning of the game, Raguna is wandering the countryside looking for Mist, a girl that lived in town with you but mysteriously disappeared one day. You’ll stumble on her in Trampoli Village during the opening scene of the game and, much to Raguna’s surprise and chagrin, find yourself in charge of a completely deserted and overrun farm. At this point you’ll have the choice to continue through the story or simply enjoy immersing yourself in the leisurely pace of Rune Factory Frontier.

The difference between Rune Factory and Harvest Moon is that Rune Factory games have some basic action RPG elements brought into them, and Rune Factory Frontier is no different. You’ll start out the game with some turnip seeds, a watering can, and a hoe. It is your job from then on to earn a living however you wish to. You’ll be able to purchase a basic kitchen, forge, and laboratory early in the game, and anything made in them can be sold for profit. In fact, everything in the game can be sold, even the grass you pick from your field. And did I mention action RPG elements? Rune Factory Frontier has that in spades. You will gain access eventually to a number of caves and ruins that are home to any manner of foul and loathsome beasts- all of whom want to hurt you. These monsters can range from squirrels to spiders to giant man-eating mushrooms to magic tigers. You can use your farm tools to fight or you can buy or forge swords, spears, axes, and even learn to use magic. As you fight you’ll level up, and each time you level up, your stamina and health will be restored. At the end of each cave or ruin, there’s a boss to fight which will require all of your strength to beat.

Unlike many action RPGs though, fighting isn’t all you’ll do in the ruins and caves. You can also grow crops in them, there’s even an area that will allow you to grow crops from any season, all the time. Additionally, you can tame the wild beasts, many of whom have special abilities that will make your life easier on your farm. These abilities will range from helping you harvest crops, to chopping down trees, watering crops, and even destroying the boulders that cover your field. Some will even give you products like wool or milk when you raise them. These monsters take the place of the livestock you would normally care for in a Harvest Moon game; you’ll find no cows or chickens here.

Progressing through the game, you’ll meet any number of eligible bachelorettes who would love to get to know and marry you. In fact, the farther you advance through the story and the more profitable your farm becomes, the more people will move to Trampoli. Unfortunately, the relation and conversational systems in Rune Factory Frontier are no more in-depth or realistic than they’ve ever been. Most people will say the same few things for the majority of each season, and getting them to like you is simply a matter of talking to them often and giving them the one or two gifts they like the most.

As far as the technical aspects of the game are concerned, almost everything is top-tier in terms of quality. The graphics are vibrant and look great for the Wii, though the environments are slightly less detailed than the characters themselves. The sound effects are spot on, whether you are watering crops, chopping up wood, or slaying monsters. However, the voice acting is some of the worst I’ve heard in a video game. It is grating, annoying, and conveys less emotion than the writing on the screen does. The soundtrack isn’t particularly noteworthy, but it is fitting for the game. The control scheme for the game feels smooth and responsive and is actually fairly intuitive.

Neverland also changed the inventory system for Rune Factory Frontier. No longer will you have to deal with running out of space in your backpack and need to leave a cave before you are finished because there’s not enough room for anything else. Everything will stack, up to 99 pieces, in a single slot in your backpack and you have at least 80 slots to fill. There are storage boxes and shelves in your house to use, so the only time you’ll ever run out of space is by failing to take advantage of the various inventory options.

The Wii has had few notable third-party games to call its own, and even fewer worthwhile RPGs, but Rune Factory Frontier certainly fills that void. It’s one of the best games I’ve played so far on the Wii and will have something for almost anyone to enjoy. It can be as fast or slow-paced as you make it, and you can pretty much spend as much time as desired on each of the different activities in the game.

ESRB: E10 for Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, and Use of Alcohol

Plays Like: Harvest Moon meets a dungeon crawler; previous Rune Factory games

Pros: Controls feel smooth and responsive; graphics are great for the Wii; inventory is simple, easy, and the best in the series; just as addictive as ever

Cons: Menu system is clunky, with lots of screens that you can only flip through one at a time; voice acting is atrocious

Snackbar Speculator: Net Profits

November 1, 2009

Features / Opinion / by Shawn Vermette /

Welcome to the first edition of Snackbar Speculator, where we present you with the biggest and latest rumors and tell you how likely we think they are to actually happen. We’ll summarize each rumor for you and then Snackbar’s Andrew Passafiume, Graham Russell and Shawn Vermette will weigh in on what we think of each rumor and how likely, or unlikely, we consider each rumor. We’ll also revisit rumors in later editions once they are confirmed or denied and keep track of how accurate each of us are in our predictions.

For our introductory edition, we’re covering some new rumors, some recycled rumors, and perhaps even a rumor that will anger you.

PS3 Cross-game Chat

According to a recent, and now deleted, post by a staffer at Naughty Dog, the next PS3 firmware update will finally allow for cross-game chat over PSN. This rumor has surfaced many times before, but has yet to come to fruition.

Andrew Passafiume: With this being such a popular option for Xbox 360 owners, and how frequently it is demanded, I can’t see this NOT happening. Although a lot of PS3 users who play online do not have headsets, I could see it still being a very useful and frequently used feature. 95%

Graham Russell: Internal dev teams have talked about it, and it’s certainly technically feasible with a firmware update. This isn’t a money thing, and it isn’t a PR thing, so there are no barriers to implementation when they get it working. 70%

Shawn Vermette: Hm…Sony likes to promote how the Playstation Network offers all the features of Xbox Live without the monthly fees, but that just isn’t the case. Offering cross-game chat would go a long way toward evening the online playing field. However, Sony has also had three years to get this implemented and there is no way it would have taken them this long if they truly thought it was something worth doing. 65%

PSP Digital Rental Service

Sony has added new information sections to the PSP Games on the PSN that are identical to the ones used for their video rental download service. Notably, a web survey surfaced a few months ago detailing a subscription rental plan that would allow members to download a certain number of PSP games per payment cycle.

Andrew: This seems like it would be an interesting service, especially considering the recent launch of the PSP Go. Something like this might encourage more people to check out the Go. Although I think this all depends on the success if the Go itself, since something like this might rely on a huge fan base of that system. And considering the sales of the Go are pretty much up in the air right now, it’s hard to say. 50%

Graham: While this is something they’re capable of, subscription services tend to hurt only one party: the publishers. It’s true with Netflix, and it’s true with Gamefly. It could be okay if it was really expensive, but then no one would want it. I still can’t rule out Sony being illogical, though. 20%

Shawn: Sony seems to really be trying to push this digital distribution thing with the PSPGo so why not introduce something like this? Especially after the whole fiasco over transferring UMD games over to digital copies bit Sony very hard just a week before the PSPGo was released. Considering it can do nothing but make even more money for Sony(and considering it would be accessible by the PSP Go or regular PSP), this seems like a shoo-in to happen. 100%

Xbox Live Gold Membership Price Hike

Industry analyst Michael Pachter theorized recently that Microsoft could raise the price for their Xbox Live Gold membership from $50/year to $100/year in the near future in order to reap more profit from their online subscriptions. In response, Microsoft stated that they foresaw no scenarios where they would double the price of Xbox Live in the next couple months.

Andrew: Considering how many people pay for Xbox Live a year, I can see this being a very real possibility. Although I doubt it will happen in the near future, I can see it possibly happening within the next few years. But at the same time, Microsoft could lose a lot of Xbox Live support from people who feel like a price increase might be a betrayal. 65%

Graham: This is a really bad idea for Microsoft. One of the key talking points for Sony purists is that PSN is free and full Live access costs money. Double that money at the same time the PS3 has a price drop and some high-profile titles, and this quick cash grab may make the 360 lose some ground in the console war. 5%

Shawn: To me, the fact that Microsoft actually commented on this rumor is very important to me. It means that they have seriously considering doubling the price of Xbox Live. At the same time though, I think that Microsoft has done a very good job of paying attention to consumer chatter, and I believe they realize that doing so could either increase the amount of time and games people play on their PS3, if they have both systems, or cause people to skip over the Xbox 360 for the PS3 when deciding on a console purchase. I believe it will happen eventually, I just don’t believe it will happen until the next console cycle. 15%

Microsoft to Package Natal With Xbox 360

Rumors have abounded since E3 regarding Project Natal, so of course, we had to include one of the more recent ones here.

According to Mark Rein at Epic Games, Microsoft plans to package Natal in with every Xbox 360 they sell, once it is released, and that they then hope to sell Natal to everyone who has already purchased an Xbox 360. With dozens of developers signed up to incorporate Natal into their games, surely Microsoft has told them something regarding their launch plans…wouldn’t you think?

Andrew: I can’t see this not happening, especially considering how Microsoft will be marketing the Natal. Whether or not it will be a success does not matter, with the right amount of support, Project Natal can become a huge hit for Microsoft and bring a brand new audience to the system. And I think it’s clear that Microsoft has been trying to do it for years. 100%

Graham: There’s absolutely going to be a bundle, and it’s going to be pretty common. I don’t know if it will be in every SKU like Rein thinks, but they’d be crazy not to put together a box that just directly competes with the Wii. 90%

Shawn: Considering the effort, time, and money Microsoft is putting into developing Natal, I have a hard time believing Microsoft wouldn’t also do anything they could to give it the best chance of succeeding and taking off. Additionally, considering the amount of developer support Microsoft has been attempting to secure, it also makes sense that they would promise a way to make sure there will be a reasonably large sized user base to sell their games to. 100%

Halo 3: ODST

October 18, 2009

Reviews / Xbox 360 / by Shawn Vermette /

For the last eight years, Halo has been synonymous with Microsoft consoles. Every release has been a top seller and some of the most played games for years. Can Halo 3: ODST compare with the games that have come before it in the Halo universe?

Halo 3: ODST takes place during the events of Halo 3, but from the perspective of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, or helljumpers, who drop into the city of New Mombasa on the orders of Navy Intelligence. Unfortunately, the drop goes wrong and the team gets scattered across the city. Upon waking up after the crash, you’ll be sent out to look for your missing squad mates, but not before being tasked with some minor objectives which teach the basics of your equipment. When exploring the city you’ll be faced with groups of covenant forces that will need to be dealt with while searching for your team. Flashbacks placing you in the shoes of a squad mate will be launched when searching areas teammates have previously visited. Throughout the game, you will continue to change characters and gain new perspective, but for the most part you’ll play as the newest member of the squad.

This mechanism for telling stories is fairly uncommon in games, but it works well here. You’ll eventually play as most members of the squad and it really gives you more of a connection to a fairly disparate group of soldiers. The writing and story that went into Halo 3: ODST are top-notch, as one would expect of such a big budget game. It feels as if you are acting out a story carved from a Halo novel. Unfortunately, the campaign is fairly short, even by Halo standards. While Halo 3’s campaign took anywhere from 6-10 hours your first time playing through it, Halo 3: ODST’s campaign will take you anywhere from 4-6 hours. This really is a bummer because the storyline was much more compelling to me than the storyline of the first couple Halo games.

Since you are not playing as the Master Chief you are much less damage resistant. The most important difference to note is you will not rejuvenate health anymore. If you lose health, finding a medkit is the only method of replenishment. Also, there isn’t a shield to prevent damage anymore, instead you have stamina. It will guard you from taking damage for a short time; however, it is not as powerful as a shield. Unlike previous Halo games, you will take damage when falling from heights.

You also won’t be wearing the Mjolnir armor, and as such, you will have a slightly different HUD to use in Halo 3: ODST. Radar has been removed and replaced by a new gadget called VISR. VISR, or Visual Intelligence System Reconnaissance, gives you numerous upgrades to the HUD that the Master Chief never had. First, it gives you a night vision mode that also functions as a friend-or-foe recognition system. All friendly units get outlined in green, while enemy units are outlined in red. This makes it very easy to navigate the sometimes pitch black hallways and streets of New Mombasa without feeling like you are playing Doom. VISR also provides a secondary function that allows you to quickly switch through a 3D overhead map of your location, the current objectives, and the audio logs found on your search through New Mombasa.

The new multiplayer in Halo 3: ODST is, regrettably, a mixed bag. It comes with a disc featuring the entire Halo 3 multiplayer experience, including all the map packs. This is a nice addition and provides a lot of value to Halo fans who either didn’t own all the map packs or for some reason hadn’t purchased Halo 3 yet. Unfortunately, the Halo 3: ODST exclusive multiplayer mode, Firefight, isn’t quite as robust as we’ve come to expect from the Halo franchise. It seems Microsoft took a page out of Nintendo’s online book for Firefight, as you can only play it with people in your friends list. There is no option to play with random people, which is a shame because if you don’t have any friends online to play with, you’re out of luck. However, when you are able to play Firefight, it is a worthy addition to the list of multiplayer modes in Halo. Rather than being a competitive multiplayer mode, it is a co-operative mode similar to the Horde mode in Gears of War 2. You and your friends battle successive waves of Covenant troops in an escalating fight of attrition. Each round consists of five waves that get tougher as you go. At the end of each round your base will be replenished with new medkits and more ammo; however, a new skull will be activated as well. Eventually, if you and your friends survive long enough, you’ll be fighting off wave after wave of Covenant troops reinforced by every skull except for the Iron skull (which disables respawning). This will give the Covenant numerous bonuses, some of which are: shields that don’t get drained by bullets, increased health, and more grenades.

The production values of Halo 3: ODST are top-notch, as would be expected of any game from Bungie. The sound design is one of the best I’ve heard. When you are exploring the deserted streets of New Mombasa, it is eerily silent. Conversely, when you are in the middle of an intense battle, it sounds like a full-scale firefight is going on around you. The soundtrack for Halo 3: ODST is similar to that of the other Halo soundtracks, but is different enough to warrant mention as another nicely composed set of music. The graphics are also a slight upgrade to the series, as everything is sharper than in Halo 3.

One feature I really liked was the addition of Achievement progress bars. A majority of the achievements in Halo 3: ODST require a certain number of kills in a specific manner, and when you get a kill that works toward any of the achievements a bar will pop up on the right side of your screen telling you which achievement it is good for and how close you are to getting it.

One last addition to Halo 3: ODST that merits a mention is the inclusion of access to the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta that will be launching in a few months.

If you are a Halo fan who somehow never purchased Halo 3, then Halo 3: ODST is a must-have, as it includes all of Halo 3, (minus the campaign) along with the Halo: Reach beta, and the Halo 3: ODST additions and improvements. However, if you don’t play much Halo online, or you don’t have a lot of friends that do, then you’ll probably want to wait for a price drop on Halo 3: ODST, as the campaign is too short to justify a full-priced purchase.

Plays like: Halo 3

Pros: Achievement progress bars on screen; Controls are same; Comes with Halo 3 Multiplayer and all map packs; Great sound design; Great, fitting soundtrack; Gives automatic access to Halo: Reach beta; Firefight is a ton of fun

Cons: Short campaign; Firefight can only be played with friends

ESRB: Rated Mature for blood, violence, and language. If you can play any of the Halo games, you can play ODST

DJ Hero setlist revealed

October 13, 2009

News / by Shawn Vermette /

After months of slowly revealing artists one at a time for their new rhythm game, Activision has finally revealed the entire setlist for DJ Hero. DJ Hero will have 93 songs for you to play with, running the entire gamut of the rap and dance genre. From 1970s disco and funk music, to the 1980s and 90s, all the way to more modern fare.

DJ Hero comes out on October 27th. List after the break. READ MORE

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