Cheap Deaths are not the same as Challenging Combat.

So lately I've started playing Doom 3. Because it was one of those games that came out when my parents didn't like gore and I was still young, and once I was "old enough" I just never got around to it. You'd think I would have been all over it being such a horror fanboy but eh, it looked like 10 hours of jump scares to me. Which in a way it is, but it's actually atmospheric enough to be creepy, and keep you jumping. But that isn't what this post is about, I'll prolly post a flash-back review in a few days or so when I beat it. This post is about the combat. I've got it on the easy setting because I've been playing very casually and have been playing for the creepy factor, not because I want a challenge, and for the most part that's what I'm getting. Combat isn't a cakewalk but it's hardly difficult. Then you happen to be standing next to an explosive barrel, a demon throws a fireball at you, and you die, instantly. It's so god damned frustrating I can't even explain it. Especially when the auto-save system only saves at the beginning of each stage, which can be fairly long. Or another example. I'm waiting for a lift to come down from above, a tiny enemy, like the size of a crab, comes up behind me and hits me, knocks me under the lift, and it crushes me. Fun right? Or how about when you get cornered by 2 of the charging enemies. Every time they hit you the camera flies around uncontrollably, it distorts, and you lose control of your character. 1 on 1 this isn't a big deal. When there are 2 of them, if one of them hits you, it's over. You won't be able to recover in time, the next one will hit you, then the first one comes in again, repeat until dead and screaming at computer. This can happen with large enough swarms of small enemies too. Where you don't get killed for lack of skill or effort, you get killed because the game is kind of broken in these encounters. It's frustrating and I wanted to rant about it. But, it's worth saying that this isn't enough to ruin the game for me. I just have to be as anal as they are backstage at The Birdcage about saving my game.

Bioware and Dragon Age 3 Updates.

So. No secret I've got my own personal beef with choices being made by Bioware as of late. But this isn't actually another rant. First off. And this is something I won't spend too much time talking about, they did announce an "Extended Cut" of ME3 coming as a free add-on this summer. So that's reassuring and may prompt me to pick up the game, we'll see. But as I grew up with games like Baldurs Gate, the Dragon Age series is more important to me, I feel like it's a more mature series, and I feel that, while DA2 had severe limitations (see my review here http://level2reviews.blogspot.com/2011/04/dragon-age-ii.html ) I still really loved it. And I think I'm one of the few that kind of enjoyed the ambiguity of and smaller scope of, the story. But things like the removal of party customization, the recycled levels, spawning waves of enemies really drug it down. And after the whole debacle of ME3, I've been pretty nervous about a potential DA 3, which has been all but announced at this point, only an idiot, or a COD player would think it wasn't gonna happen.

Anyways, today I was looking around the internet and I came across this Bioware-Dragon-Age-PAX which had some incredibly reassuring information. First off they are increasing the scope of the game since DA2, honestly I liked the core story of both games, but I really like that they are probably taking a less linear approach for 3. 2nd, they are going to let you give your party equipment. And potentially even have separate equipment slots. Meaning that you won't just find "Silver Plate Armor" on the ground. You might find boots, gloves, shoulder pads, a breastplate, (yes I know they did this previously but it looks more in depth now), and this equipment will have a visible effect on the equipped characters appearance without sacrificing their pre-set unique appearance and that in all honestly is awesome. I loved that you could equip characters in DA:O but I do have to admit, I didn't like how they lost their identity when you did so.

There was also a good deal of talk about not only decisions that matter in the long run, (which is always great) but also about unique character experiences. While they are still sticking with a voiced character (which is ok with me, both approaches for that have their merits) they are going to be working to make that character feel more like your own. Your class will change your experience with the world, your specialization will have an impact as well. Honestly almost all that was said was really reassuring to me. I certainly hope it all pans out as well as it seems. I still have a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, but if Bioware knocks DA3 out of the park, like it sounds like they might, I think I could give them a second chance.

Alex Jenkins 2012

Saints Row: The Third

So, I recently got, beat, and then started playing to death, Saints Row: The Third. Now typically this is the kind of game I would overlook. Then almost every single guy over at Giantbomb.com named it as their number 1 game of 2011. Then my brother got it, who also isn't the type to go for these kinds of games, and he absolutely loved it. So there I was, playing Saints Row: The Third. And before I get into it I just want to point out, all the critics who gave it a hard time for its graphics, are either drunk, or honestly being bribed by other companies to dis it. It's probably the best looking open world game of this type that I've ever seen. It puts GTA IV to shame and leaves it crying to itself in the corner. And really it keeps up just fine with most recent titles, including linear games that can afford to pile on the graphics.

You can fully customize your character, including face, tattoos, build, hair, voice, and clothing.

So for those of you who don't know already, the premise of SR3 is this. You are the leader of the Third Street Saints, you're moving into a city called Steelport to spread your gang having recently achieved a level of celebrity (The Saints have a movie deal in the works, their own clothing shops, and a licensed energy drink called "Saints Flow"). But things quickly go south for the saints as they realize they aren't the only gang in town and after losing all of their funding they are forced to build up from scratch and force the other gang(s) out. It's a fairly simple premise, and it doesn't need to be anything else to be perfectly honest. The back story really just exists to provide a vehicle for the most over the top violence and general insanity I've ever seen in any video game. This makes Just Cause 2 look like Mario people.

Yep, that's a toilet with a megaman cannon. in cyberspace.

The opening level for example, (well the opening 2 anyways) features you first robbing a bank by literally pulling the vault out of the building with a helicopter and fighting off S.W.A.T. while standing on top of the vault dangling below the chopper, all while another helicopter tries to shoot you off. The mission immediately following this has you escaping from a helicopter. You free fall out the back, dodging debris and falling cars to catch a gang mate, then another helicopter tries to ram you, you kick through the windshield, dropping your gang mate, kill everyone in the helicopter while still falling, then come out the back and catch her again. (Oh and the whole time you're falling you're having a firefight with the enemy gang who dove out after you).

Guardian Angel missions are a lot of fun. Especially when you have a coop partner.

Admittedly the pace slows up quite a bit after these opening segments, but with a campaign as lengthy and varied as SR3 you won't be bothered by it. There's plenty more good stuff to come, like a luchador wrestling match with chainsaws, an insane Japanese man dressed as a cat who runs a gladiatorial arena called Professor Genki's Super Ethical Reality Climax, and open combat with a massive anti gang military operation featuring tanks and fighter jets. What I'm getting at is this. SR3 IS NOTHING LIKE GTA. The only similarity is that they both take place in cities, are open world, and have cars. That is where it ends. SR3 has no pretense of a mature emotional storyline, it isn't trying to say anything about poverty or immigration. It just wants you to blow shit up and look good doing it. That said however, the story is actually fairly good, a bit predictable at times sure, but it's pretty well developed and has enough turns to keep you invested.

Well acted and animated cutscenes punctuate most major missions.

Important missions are often accompanied by music outside of your car radio (which has several great stations, including one based on Adult Swim, and one which allows you to compile your favorites from each station). This makes things a lot of fun and the music always fits almost a little too well. Early on when you're barreling into an enemy gang's "crib" Power, by Kanye West starts playing. I hate Kanye as I'm sure most of you do, but it fits so damn well here, and it makes you feel that much more involved in the game.

As far as combat goes, it's fairly rare that you're going to feel particularly challenged, because that isn't really the point of SR3, it just wants you to feel like a badass, and it succeeds, it really does. There will be moments, especially towards the end of the regular campaign where you might get killed a few times, but typically it's because you got surrounded by over 20 soldiers or gangsters and got shot to shit, if you keep moving and shooting you really won't die often. And that's not to mention the high level upgrades which make you IMMUNE TO BULLETS AND EXPLOSIONS. Once you get those you can hold out all day against endless hordes of quite literally anything the game throws at you.

I mentioned Luchadores right?

I also want to mention the extent that these guys went to with voice work. There are 7 voices total for the main character, 3 male, 3 female, and... 1 zombie... They recorded all the dialogue with each and every voice (just don't tell bioware, they'd be awful upset if they found out someone called them out on their fucking laziness) and as far as I've heard, all the voice acting is great. The characters you meet in the game all sound believable, and the citizens screams of terror as they flee from the man with infinite rocket launcher ammo sound suitably convincing.

You can even kill furries. That was probably my favorite part.

All in all if you rip straight through the main campaign without much fussing around with activities and side missions, you'll probably clock in at somewhere around 13-15 hours. Which on its own is a lengthy campaign. But after you beat it you're free to roam around the city as you please completing any side missions you may not have done. Unfortunately there is no New Game+ feature, and no replayable missions (with the exception of the final mission so you can experience both endings) but I wasn't too bothered by it, there are so many activities and side missions scattered around the map that you won't really notice. But anyways it would take anyone probably close to 30 hours to complete everything this game has to offer. And even after that it's still just as fun to run around and cause general mayhem, did you know you can use explosive pistol rounds to keep a body suspended in the air and even land him on top of a building?

10/10 from me, this is a hell of a game.
Saints Row: The Third is property of THQ
All else is ©Alex Jenkins 2012