October 2008

Perhaps in the spirit of election time, Harmonix and MTV Games have announced a three-track-pack from the Presidents of the United States of America (POTUS).  The line-up includes the tracks “Dune Buggy,” “Feather Pluckin”, and “Ladybug” which will join POTUS’s “Lump” already on the Rock Band 2 soundtrack.  In addition, Hinder’s “Use Me” and Fallout Boy’s “I Don’t Care” will also be available for download the week of November 4, 2008.

The new tracks will be available on November 4, 2008 on the Xbox LIVE marketplace and on November 6, 2008 for the PlayStation Network.  The POTUS track-pack will be priced at $5.49 (440 Microsoft Points) or $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points) each.  The Hinder and Fallout Boy tracks will be available for $0.99 (80 Microsoft Points) each.  Continuing their anti-cover methodology, all tracks are once again master recordings.

I know that World War II FPS’s are a dime a dozen, but there are a few series that manage to make a mark on this genre and Brothers in Arms is up there at the top. Hell’s Highway, the third in the series, continues the exploits of Sergeant Matt Baker and his men as they pick up the pieces from the previous installments and attempt to create a highway into Germany to end the war. 

Based upon the real-life Operation Market Garden, the story relies a little too much on past Brothers in Arms to land the emotional weight it goes for. Baker is troubled by the memories of lost comrades and his task in leading both old timers and new faces. While it is adept in its depiction of Baker’s mental state over the course of the game, many newcomers to the series won’t quite grasp why we should care without playing the previous titles. The story and characters are solid enough to almost mirror an episode “Band of Brothers”, but even the blanket “previously on Brothers in Arms” and flashbacks don’t help it achieve its goal.

Combat-wise the game takes the best aspects of FPS genre and successfully integrates squad tactics into a meaningful strategy experience. This is not a run and gun title, even on the lowest difficulty setting you must effectively use your squad or you will die. Horribly. The majority of the game gives Baker at least one squad to command. The action mostly revolves around finding the enemy, suppressing the enemy, flanking the enemy and finally destroying them. I wanted to think of this as a rinse-repeat game, and while it could be categorized as that, the different battlefields and layouts prevented it from really going there. Every map needed to be analyzed to figure out where to place men, where to suppress, where to flank and attack, and even if you think you have it right, the difficulty is high enough the best laid plans could fail.

The AI successfully represents soldiers’ fear of death. If enemy soldiers see you flanking they will go to better positions. Your own squadmates mostly take the cover path to objectives and will actively engage the enemy if threatened; they also make sure to let you know if the cover they are in isn’t sufficient. Not to say there aren’t some head-scratching moments when these soldiers jump over walls when they can easily could have walked around, but fortunately these moments are few and far between.

Controlling the squad is as easy as holding the left trigger, selecting a unit, steering to a position and letting go. Attacking was equally simple by holding the left trigger and steering to the enemies you want to focus on and letting the trigger go. The earlier you master these minor controls, the easier time you will have progressing through the game. In addition to your standard suppressing and attacking units, you will occasionally be given bazooka or heavy machine gun units that serve slightly different tasks such as taking out sandbag entrenchments or tower emplacements.

The graphics strive for a gritty, realistic feel. Lighting effects are great, and the environments are varied and detailed for the small area you actually cover, but occasionally you will see something that completely throws you out of the moment. During cutscenes when someone is trying emote, the facial details will fill in late, leaving a temporary blobbed-faced person; if you run forward too fast you can watch the draw distance catch up, which is a little disconcerting. Amid all of this visual inconsistency is one awesome experience that you must see for yourself; while pulling off a particular attack such as a grenade or head shot, the camera will switch to a slow motion blood-splattering movie-like explosion that can show enemies being ripped limb from limb. This small detail was such a pleasure to pull off, as I constantly tried to get the head shots in. The sound on the other hand is consistently flawless.

Multiplayer  eems like an after-thought. Twenty-player battles are waged between two teams vying for the other teams’ territory, with the twist being squad dynamics. The different squads mirror the game units with one group leader who is ideally leading everyone, although I don’t know if there are any gamers outside of the military who will actually take orders to achieve the goal. But it has potential. Graphics seem to take a knock here, probably attempting to allow so many players on each map, but it is forgivable.

Hell’s Highway is the best World War II strategy FPS out there, and while it definitely has its quirks, solid squad tactics and a mostly engaging story make this a title that people should consider. 

ESRB: M for Mature, plenty of visually stunning slow-motion explosions that literally rip enemy’s limb from limb

Plays Like: Strategy First Person Shooter, set in World War II

PROS: Realistic feel, mostly effective enemy and friendly AI for challenging squad tactics

CONS: Nits abound, graphically, AI, and challenge level

In 2006, Nintendo released the Chunsoft-developed Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team games. These two versions were only marginally different. The game combined the Pokemon characters with Chunsoft’s traditional Mystery Dungeon gameplay, to moderate success but without the addictive nature of either.

It’s all just a little bit of history repeating. 2008 sees the release of yet another Pokemon Mystery Dungeon installment, Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, and there’s really nothing new here. The new creatures from Diamond and Pearl have been added in, including the new starters. Upon playing, though, you come to realize that, except for type differences, the creatures all play the same. As long as your creature’s type isn’t weak to your opponent’s, battling is simply reusing your best move until one of you loses.

The controls are also the same as in Rescue Team. Moving in cardinal directions is easy enough, but the game expects the player to move diagonally, and doing so requires holding down the L button and pressing a diagonal. This is an understandable attempt at making it easier to not accidentally move left when you want to move up-left, but the implementation is weak, and accidental moves still happen. Unfortunately, this comes up in battle, and a wasted move leaves you open to an extra attack. Many times, the battles are even, so victory is then a result of lucky breaks rather than skill and tactical prowess.

One thing that the game (and every Mystery Dungeon game) has going for it is the use of randomized dungeons. Human-designed dungeons are typically more challenging and enjoyable; random dungeons sometimes spawn exits in the same room as entrances. However, this random nature does allow for infinite replayability. If someone truly wants to complete this game, it takes getting hundreds of characters to level 100. While this is highly unlikely, some prefer games that offer a lot of bang for the buck, and it’s hard to argue against PMD in that regard.

The difference in Time and Darkness essentially boils down to the top prize Pokemon: Darkness features Mewtwo and Time stars Celebi. There are also a few other exclusives, but those are not very powerful and are simply a ploy to promote trade between versions. 

To justify these two versions, an addition in the latest Mystery Dungeon games is the ability to “call for help” and have another player rescue you from a dungeon, allowing you to keep your items and experience instead of losing most of it. Explorers allows this to be done through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or local wireless. While this is an intriguing feature, most players can get themselves back to that area in the time it takes to find a friend to rescue them.

Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness aren’t bad. For people who really enjoy Chunsoft games, it continues the line, and for those who haven’t ever played one, this isn’t a bad way to get a taste of the genre. For those, however, that dabbled in the genre with the first PMD game, there isn’t much here to warrant a second purchase.

In 2006, Nintendo released the Chunsoft-developed Pokemon Mystery Dungeon:Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team games. These two versions were only marginally different. The game combined the Pokemon characters with Chunsoft’s traditional Mystery Dungeon gameplay, to moderate success but without the addictive nature of either.

It’s all just a little bit of history repeating. 2008 sees the release of yet another Pokemon Mystery Dungeon installment, Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness, and there’s really nothing new here. The new creatures from Diamond and Pearl have been added in, including the new starters. Upon playing, though, you come to realize that, except for type differences, the creatures all play the same. As long as your creature’s type isn’t weak to your opponent’s, battling is simply reusing your best move until one of you loses.

The controls are also the same as in Rescue Team. Moving in cardinal directions is easy enough, but the game expects the player to move diagonally, and doing so requires holding down the L button and pressing a diagonal. This is an understandable attempt at making it easier to not accidentally move left when you want to move up-left, but the implementation is weak, and accidental moves still happen. Unfortunately, this comes up in battle, and a wasted move leaves you open to an extra attack. Many times, the battles are even, so victory is then a result of lucky breaks rather
than skill and tactical prowess.

One thing that the game (and every Mystery Dungeon game) has going for it is the use of randomized dungeons. Human-designed dungeons are typically more challenging and enjoyable; random dungeons sometimes spawn exits in the same room as entrances. However, this random nature does allow for infinite replayability. If someone truly wants to complete this game, it takes getting hundreds of characters to level 100. While this is highly unlikely, some prefer games that offer a lot of bang for the buck, and it’s hard to argue against PMD in that regard.

The difference in Time and Darkness essentially boils down to the top prize Pokemon: Darkness features Mewtwo and Time stars Celebi. There are also a few other exclusives, but those are not very powerful and are simply a ploy to promote trade between versions. 

To justify these two versions, an addition in the latest Mystery Dungeon games is the ability to “call for help” and have another player rescue you from a dungeon, allowing you to keep your items and experience instead of losing most of it. Explorers allows this to be done through the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection or local wireless. While this is an intriguing feature, most players can get themselves back to that area in the time it takes to find a friend to rescue them.

Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness aren’t bad. For people who really enjoy Chunsoft games, it continues the line, and for those who haven’t ever played one, this isn’t a bad way to get a taste of the genre. For those, however, that dabbled in the genre with the first PMD game, there isn’t much here to warrant a second purchase.

Silent Hill Homecoming

October 30, 2008

For the sixth installment of the Silent Hill franchise, new mechanics on new platforms help reinvigorate the series while maintaining a solid feel of the previous games. Everything you have come to love about Silent Hill is still here, so for those who adore the series, they will be pleased with the updates, but for those who don’t, there may not be enough of a difference to warrant giving it a spin.

Alex Shepherd is a recently discharged army veteran who is suffering from nightmares about his younger brother. When he returns to Shepherd’s Glen he discovers a town in a perpetual fog and nasties lurking around each corner, and upon returning home his Mother tells him of the disappearance of his Father and Brother. Determined to find them, he must unravel the mystery that links his family to the horror that is Silent Hill.

The single biggest difference in this title is the combat. Long gone are the weak protagonists that don’t know the working end of a gun, in Alex you have a capable fighter who effectively takes the worry out of combat. This will work for or against certain gamers as some will say it takes an edge off of dealing with the enemies, but for me I welcome the increased accent on fighting as the game seemed to balance this with an increased amount of baddies. Fighting now has the option of light and heavy attacks that can be strung together for combos, or dodging and rolling out of harm’s way to avoid the previously unavoidable enemy attacks. And with a simple flick of the analog stick, you can quickly switch targets ensuring multiple enemies are not a problem to deal with. Firearms are similarly in capable hands with Alex, as aiming is more precise and deadly, although the game once again balances this with scarce ammunition through the early stages.

The camera has been revamped as well, giving control to the player in a manner similar to the PSP release Silent Hills Origins. Here it is worlds better than previous Silent Hill entries with their fixed camera angles, but it still could have used some tweaking to get it closer to perfection. Instead, you end up fighting with the camera a little as it invariably zooms too close to you as you fight, neglecting to show that faceless enemy about to bite you from behind. The menu system was updated to allow for easier access to guns, ammunition, puzzle pieces and health items, by holding the L1 or R1 you can quickly swap out items in the heat of battle with little to no worries. And finally, the addition of a health bar on the left side of the screen is heaven sent. Why did it take them so long to add that?

For those familiar with the series, the rest of the gameplay follows the standard formula: walk around, get scared, find a puzzle, find solution to puzzle, continue. This wash and repeat formula may get old for some, but it is the atmosphere and ambiance that make it all worthwhile. Sound is just plain excellent in setting the tone, leaving you on the edge of your seat as you are constantly anticipating the next shock which may or may not happen around the corner.

Graphically the game does okay. I was a little disappointed in the overall quality, as secondary characters and environments seemed washed out in the constant darkness, fog and otherworld scratchy film effects. Alex himself and the enemies are particularly well done, giving good emotional responses in the form of Alex, and surprisingly disturbing images in the form of skinless dogs, faceless nurses and other amalgamations I can’t even begin to describe. 

Fans of the Silent Hill series will generally agree that Homecoming is a move in the right direction. Double Helix solved my biggest complaints about the series with the better camera and especially the improved combat, but if you already found the rinse repeat gameplay formula annoying, there isn’t much here that will convince you to come back to it.

ESRB: M for Mature, dead bodies, gross bad guys, seriously disgusting fights

Plays Like: Updated Silent Hill with more robust combat

PROS: Everything Silent Hill is famous for plus improved combat, loading and camera

CONS: Everything Silent Hill is famous for, if you don’t like SH, you won’t like this