Curmudgeon Gamer
15 May 2008
Review: Defender of the Crown (GBA)
For $3, I couldn't pass up a used copy of Defender of the Crown for the GBA. The classic game I'd loved as a youngster, now in handheld form? Brilliant.
I'm happy to say that the nostalgia comes through nearly unspoiled. The graphics remind me of the Amiga version whose screenshots I'd envied back when I played the Commodore 64 version until the disk drive wore slam out. The music is more modern, and I think I actually prefer the SID version.
As for gameplay, it's exactly the same. You play a little RISK-like strategery, claiming land and building an army. Occasionally you raid castles, try to rescue a damsel, or joust at a tournament. (Ok, there is something new in the tournament. I don't recall ever bashing my opponent in a one-on-one mace battle.) Ultimately, you want to take over the entire country and claim the crown.
The random setbacks (losing a territory, money, or sabotaged catapults) feel a little too frequent for my tastes. And the swordfighting I found to be frustratingly hard. In the original there were only two opponents, now there are ... four? Forget it, I'll stay a bachelor until I'm king. Also, how the heck does jousting work? It seems completely random to me.
I've seen some reviews complain that this game could have used some extras. Ok, sure, paying full price I can understand the disappointment. On the other hand, it makes a perfect cheap game that is way easier to pull out and play than my Commodore 128 system.
(Or, you could just play the official versions online. For essentially free.)
I'm happy to say that the nostalgia comes through nearly unspoiled. The graphics remind me of the Amiga version whose screenshots I'd envied back when I played the Commodore 64 version until the disk drive wore slam out. The music is more modern, and I think I actually prefer the SID version.
As for gameplay, it's exactly the same. You play a little RISK-like strategery, claiming land and building an army. Occasionally you raid castles, try to rescue a damsel, or joust at a tournament. (Ok, there is something new in the tournament. I don't recall ever bashing my opponent in a one-on-one mace battle.) Ultimately, you want to take over the entire country and claim the crown.
The random setbacks (losing a territory, money, or sabotaged catapults) feel a little too frequent for my tastes. And the swordfighting I found to be frustratingly hard. In the original there were only two opponents, now there are ... four? Forget it, I'll stay a bachelor until I'm king. Also, how the heck does jousting work? It seems completely random to me.
I've seen some reviews complain that this game could have used some extras. Ok, sure, paying full price I can understand the disappointment. On the other hand, it makes a perfect cheap game that is way easier to pull out and play than my Commodore 128 system.
(Or, you could just play the official versions online. For essentially free.)
--jvm at 11:27
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[ 0 ]
25 April 2008
Review: Impossible Mission (NDS)
I just finished a game I never finished almost a quarter century ago: Impossible Mission. My original experience was with a pirated copy (yes, pirated) on the Commodore 64. I just finished it on the Nintendo DS. Frankly, it's a little depressing.
Here's the gist of the game: collect pieces of punchcard keys from rooms guarded by lethal robots and then make it to a special room to stop a nuclear weapon launch. You can run, jump, search for keys, and use the computer terminals to reset lifts and disable the robots temporarily.
First, the very fact that this game is still being sold -- practically unchanged -- is alarming. I understand nostalgia, it's my personal excuse for playing this game, but how can this game be on store shelves in this day and age? My guess is that it's just simple enough to appeal to the casual Nintendo DS player. After all, the game involves only a few platform-mechanics in several barely-randomized rooms and some 30-odd puzzle pieces to find.
Second, the game is easier for everyone now because you can save at practically any moment and then reload later. Messed up a jump and lost 10 minutes off the countdown? No problem. Reload that save and it's like it never happened. You can (and I did) save-crawl the game to completion.
Additionally, the only novelty aside from the save game option, is a set of improved graphics. Purely cosmetic. The game even offers the option of playing with the original 8-bit graphics, which are strikingly neon-looking. I guess I've become accustomed to "realistic" graphics after all this time.
Finally, after all these years, I'm disappointed in the end-sequence. I thought there might be something significant to facing the madman, but here it's just a cut scene. SPOILER: He presses the button to launch the missile and you press another one to stop it. What drama! END SPOILER.
For $10, Impossible Mission for the Nintendo DS isn't bad. I'll settle for the comfort of striking this title off my list of uncompleted games.
Here's the gist of the game: collect pieces of punchcard keys from rooms guarded by lethal robots and then make it to a special room to stop a nuclear weapon launch. You can run, jump, search for keys, and use the computer terminals to reset lifts and disable the robots temporarily.
First, the very fact that this game is still being sold -- practically unchanged -- is alarming. I understand nostalgia, it's my personal excuse for playing this game, but how can this game be on store shelves in this day and age? My guess is that it's just simple enough to appeal to the casual Nintendo DS player. After all, the game involves only a few platform-mechanics in several barely-randomized rooms and some 30-odd puzzle pieces to find.
Second, the game is easier for everyone now because you can save at practically any moment and then reload later. Messed up a jump and lost 10 minutes off the countdown? No problem. Reload that save and it's like it never happened. You can (and I did) save-crawl the game to completion.
Additionally, the only novelty aside from the save game option, is a set of improved graphics. Purely cosmetic. The game even offers the option of playing with the original 8-bit graphics, which are strikingly neon-looking. I guess I've become accustomed to "realistic" graphics after all this time.
Finally, after all these years, I'm disappointed in the end-sequence. I thought there might be something significant to facing the madman, but here it's just a cut scene. SPOILER: He presses the button to launch the missile and you press another one to stop it. What drama! END SPOILER.
For $10, Impossible Mission for the Nintendo DS isn't bad. I'll settle for the comfort of striking this title off my list of uncompleted games.
--jvm at 13:18
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[ 1 ]
11 March 2008
Review: God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
In about the last year I've played God of War and its sequel God of War 2 to completion. The former is better with plot and the latter with combat, but both are well above average in both departments. With blood and nudity and a mythological soap opera, the God of War series strikes me as the modern male escapist fantasy equivalent of Burroughs's A Princess of Mars.
Last week the PSP received its own God of War game and I'm pleased to say that it recreates everything I loved about the PS2 games, including a decent story. Frankly, with external developer Ready at Dawn creating this prequel, I was concerned the plot would be second-rate. However, its proficiency at storytelling lags the original slightly while outdoing the sequel. This time we follow the adventures of Kratos, the superhuman servant of Ares, just prior to the events in the first God of War.
While Chains of Olympus succeeds at many things, I was most impressed by the pacing:
Interestingly, my favorite moment in the game didn't involve combat or a puzzle. As you may know, heavy doors and objects are lifted in God of War by pounding the circle button repeatedly. Near the end of Chains of Olympus, Kratos has to commit a difficult act of personal sacrifice which is acted out through circle-button mashing. It's a simple variation on a common mechanic, yet I thought it was effective in conveying the emotional weight of the moment.
All around, I enjoyed God of War: Chains of Olympus a great deal -- both for its gameplay and its furthering the story of Kratos -- and I recommend it.
Last week the PSP received its own God of War game and I'm pleased to say that it recreates everything I loved about the PS2 games, including a decent story. Frankly, with external developer Ready at Dawn creating this prequel, I was concerned the plot would be second-rate. However, its proficiency at storytelling lags the original slightly while outdoing the sequel. This time we follow the adventures of Kratos, the superhuman servant of Ares, just prior to the events in the first God of War.
While Chains of Olympus succeeds at many things, I was most impressed by the pacing:
- The opening level presents the game's biggest boss (but not the toughest one).
- The third is full of puzzles.
- The fourth provides you with the truly enjoyable hit-reflection ability.
- The sixth takes you to a whole new setting, with several new enemies.
- The seventh introduces a new and immensely rewarding weapon.
- The eighth is a series of strenuous battles, a plot twist, a final battle, and a clever little conclusion that leads directly into the story of the original God of War.
Interestingly, my favorite moment in the game didn't involve combat or a puzzle. As you may know, heavy doors and objects are lifted in God of War by pounding the circle button repeatedly. Near the end of Chains of Olympus, Kratos has to commit a difficult act of personal sacrifice which is acted out through circle-button mashing. It's a simple variation on a common mechanic, yet I thought it was effective in conveying the emotional weight of the moment.
All around, I enjoyed God of War: Chains of Olympus a great deal -- both for its gameplay and its furthering the story of Kratos -- and I recommend it.
--jvm at 20:41
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[ 2 ]
03 December 2007
Review: Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune tells the story of Nathan Drake as he seeks the treasure his ancestor, Sir Francis Drake, left hidden on a remote tropical island. A reporter, Elena, and his best friend, Sully, tag along for the ride. Vicious competitors arrive simultaneously and the two groups race to unlock the island's secrets and locate Drake's treasure.
All of the gameplay falls into two categories: movement puzzles and combat. Most of the former is unoriginal, but the lush scenery almost makes up for it. Combat takes over as the game reaches its climax, which helps the pacing but also reveals the game's design limitation. Fortunately, the brutal pack intelligence of the enemies makes every encounter a challenge, even when replaying the same scene. While you can effectively use cover to maximize your firepower, you can also be overwhelmed from the flank if you don't subdue the enemy quickly enough.
Able-bodied and lithe, Nate parkours through the island's jungle and hidden ruins with visible effort. And while he is armed, he lacks the action game genre's armor and health packs. Except for his amazingly steady aim, he is a very human actor. Recent Tomb Raider games have humanized Lara and smoothed her movement, but future entries in that series will rate poorly if they don't match Uncharted's standards for characterization and action.
The game's biggest weakness comes at the end when the near-realism is nearly jettisoned for a fantastical action game (and movie) cliche. Fortunately, the twist doesn't play out as ham-handedly as it first appears, nearly saving itself by the end. Redemption comes in a pivotal scene which feels ripped directly from a classic action movie I'll decline to name, but then plays out satisfyingly differently.
Uncharted isn't quite the personal revelation that Tomb Raider was in 1997 or that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was in 2005, but it's still an awesome experience.
Technical note: While playing I experienced one hard lock that required me to reboot my PS3.
All of the gameplay falls into two categories: movement puzzles and combat. Most of the former is unoriginal, but the lush scenery almost makes up for it. Combat takes over as the game reaches its climax, which helps the pacing but also reveals the game's design limitation. Fortunately, the brutal pack intelligence of the enemies makes every encounter a challenge, even when replaying the same scene. While you can effectively use cover to maximize your firepower, you can also be overwhelmed from the flank if you don't subdue the enemy quickly enough.
Able-bodied and lithe, Nate parkours through the island's jungle and hidden ruins with visible effort. And while he is armed, he lacks the action game genre's armor and health packs. Except for his amazingly steady aim, he is a very human actor. Recent Tomb Raider games have humanized Lara and smoothed her movement, but future entries in that series will rate poorly if they don't match Uncharted's standards for characterization and action.
The game's biggest weakness comes at the end when the near-realism is nearly jettisoned for a fantastical action game (and movie) cliche. Fortunately, the twist doesn't play out as ham-handedly as it first appears, nearly saving itself by the end. Redemption comes in a pivotal scene which feels ripped directly from a classic action movie I'll decline to name, but then plays out satisfyingly differently.
Uncharted isn't quite the personal revelation that Tomb Raider was in 1997 or that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was in 2005, but it's still an awesome experience.
Technical note: While playing I experienced one hard lock that required me to reboot my PS3.
--jvm at 19:38
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[ 0 ]
21 August 2007
Review: Tomb Raider: Anniversary (PS2)
Crystal Dynamics stuck close to the source material for this remake of the original Tomb Raider. As she did over 10 years ago, Lara Croft ventures through tombs and learns the dark secrets of the Scion of Atlantis. Along the way she runs, jumps, and climbs past devilish traps and hungry wild animals.
The original levels have almost all been reimagined in Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and they often look quite good. Regrettably, some vistas lack the grandeur that this dedicated fan would have liked. Lara herself is generally responsive, but the precise controls of the original have been replaced with the less predictable control system from Tomb Raider: Legend. In brief, the game doesn't allow you to do whatever you want whenever you want. (See the bit about magic at the end of this journal entry.) And while the manual grab is an option, some difficult movement puzzles betray a developer's bias for automatic grab. The Quick-Timer Events are almost uniformly poor, as they were in Legend.
While the remade levels are fitting updates to the originals, I think that Crystal Dynamics should have taken more liberties with their material. What was brilliant 10 years ago simply isn't strong enough by today's standards and some completely new ideas would have served the game well. (If a Tomb Raider II remake is considered, Crystal Dynamics will have to indulge itself in rethinking huge sections of it, in particular the Venice levels. Too bad it wasn't done here.)
The outline of the plot is essentially unchanged, but the changes within that framework are welcome. Specifically, how Lara kills is treated with care, an issue I've raised many times before and which I'll tackle once more in a future post. What struck me, however, is that this is merely an improved story told in precisely the same manner used 10 years ago. It is revealing that the cutscene-action-cutscene loop is practically unchanged after a decade of new products from an industry that likes to tout its innovation.
The original levels have almost all been reimagined in Tomb Raider: Anniversary, and they often look quite good. Regrettably, some vistas lack the grandeur that this dedicated fan would have liked. Lara herself is generally responsive, but the precise controls of the original have been replaced with the less predictable control system from Tomb Raider: Legend. In brief, the game doesn't allow you to do whatever you want whenever you want. (See the bit about magic at the end of this journal entry.) And while the manual grab is an option, some difficult movement puzzles betray a developer's bias for automatic grab. The Quick-Timer Events are almost uniformly poor, as they were in Legend.
While the remade levels are fitting updates to the originals, I think that Crystal Dynamics should have taken more liberties with their material. What was brilliant 10 years ago simply isn't strong enough by today's standards and some completely new ideas would have served the game well. (If a Tomb Raider II remake is considered, Crystal Dynamics will have to indulge itself in rethinking huge sections of it, in particular the Venice levels. Too bad it wasn't done here.)
The outline of the plot is essentially unchanged, but the changes within that framework are welcome. Specifically, how Lara kills is treated with care, an issue I've raised many times before and which I'll tackle once more in a future post. What struck me, however, is that this is merely an improved story told in precisely the same manner used 10 years ago. It is revealing that the cutscene-action-cutscene loop is practically unchanged after a decade of new products from an industry that likes to tout its innovation.
Labels: ps2, reviews, tomb raider
--jvm at 20:36
Comment
[ 1 ]
12 August 2007
Review: God of War 2 (PS2)
I savored God of War over the course of several weeks. I ripped into God of War 2 and finished in less than seven days. I recommend them both, provided you at least tolerate glorified brutality and some female partial nudity.
All you'll ever need to know about the plot: Kratos is killed by a fearful Zeus, but the Titans save him and send him to find The Fates and change the past. Along the way he kills lots of things (mostly using a fun almost-button-mashing combat system) and earns new powers.
God of War 2 has a more refined control system, which means you'll want to play God of War first. The wider array of weapons in God of War 2 also permits more customization to suit your style and cover your weaknesses.
Regrettably the story in God of War 2 falls somewhat flat. In the original, Kratos played a classic underdog, a mortal taking on a God. While he's ostensibly mortal again, his plight seems far less compelling. His personal need for revenge grounds the character far less than his need to avenge his wife and child.
My biggest complaint with God of War 2 is, I regret to say, a purely technical one. I am distracted by the extent of image tearing, at least in progressive scan mode. I appreciate that Sony's team in Santa Monica pushed the PlayStation 2 further than anyone else has, but I wonder if they could have backed off just a hair and reduced the tearing almost entirely.
All you'll ever need to know about the plot: Kratos is killed by a fearful Zeus, but the Titans save him and send him to find The Fates and change the past. Along the way he kills lots of things (mostly using a fun almost-button-mashing combat system) and earns new powers.
God of War 2 has a more refined control system, which means you'll want to play God of War first. The wider array of weapons in God of War 2 also permits more customization to suit your style and cover your weaknesses.
Regrettably the story in God of War 2 falls somewhat flat. In the original, Kratos played a classic underdog, a mortal taking on a God. While he's ostensibly mortal again, his plight seems far less compelling. His personal need for revenge grounds the character far less than his need to avenge his wife and child.
My biggest complaint with God of War 2 is, I regret to say, a purely technical one. I am distracted by the extent of image tearing, at least in progressive scan mode. I appreciate that Sony's team in Santa Monica pushed the PlayStation 2 further than anyone else has, but I wonder if they could have backed off just a hair and reduced the tearing almost entirely.
--jvm at 22:09
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[ 0 ]
03 July 2007
Not Ready for Prime Time
GameSpot recently changed how their site handles reviews. Among other things, the 0.1 granularity in scores is gone. Tonight they reviewed the PS3 game Super Stardust HD and the page I got came up with a score of 0.0. Here's the screenshot:
Looks like the system needs a little work guys. Although, if the score stays at 0.0, I'll at least give them credit for sticking it to (what appears to be) a copy-cat game with a thick layer of eye candy. (Of course, by the time you read this, they will probably have updated the page to show the correct score...)
Looks like the system needs a little work guys. Although, if the score stays at 0.0, I'll at least give them credit for sticking it to (what appears to be) a copy-cat game with a thick layer of eye candy. (Of course, by the time you read this, they will probably have updated the page to show the correct score...)
--jvm at 21:07
Comment
[ 5 ]
19 June 2007
Ah, EB Games and the reader "reviews"
What the heck is it about EB Games that has "readers" writing "reviews" like they've the IQ of kittens?
First, the obvious question. Why was I looking at this Sims expansion? I get the EB Games' email, pretending some day I'll find a deal, and had no idea what "H&M Fashion Stuff" was. They got me; I had to give it a quick look. H&M is apparently some "European fashion retailer that is taking the US by storm with its trendsetting contemporary fashions". Go figure. Now H&M is a game, of sorts. That's right, there are people willing to purchase advertising for $20. No wonder everyone wants to copy the "success" of The Sims. I just don't get it. (Caveat: I did, at one time, wear a Coca-Cola collared shirt in junior high, and occasionally wear highly commercialized t-shirts to this day. Idiots abound.)
The problem is that, regardless of how inane the expansion being "reviewed" sounds, it doesn't explain the comments above, which I find are pretty representative on ebgames.com as a whole. I particularly like the reviews for games that haven't even been released. "***** This R0x0rz!!! I'm gunna git it fur shur!"
Now here's my only semi-serious point that could possibly take this painful post away from being nothing more than another ill-begotten rant: Could the gaming rag culture of providing overly-positive previews and advocacy-disguised-as-journalism be contributing to the production of this sort of mindless drivel by consumers?
Like cows to the slaughter, I wonder.
***** want it soo badly
Reviewed By: simcrazy Date: Monday, June 18, 2007
i really dont care if people say this game is bad because the guys actually have a better bathing suit! i think this is a must have expansion pack.
*** Really not worth it!!!!!
Reviewed By: Susame Date: Thursday, June 07, 2007
I bought this game yesterday and it has about ten new outfits for the girls the men don't really have as many. The game is not bad but it wasn't what I expected I thought you will be able to create your own outfits, but that's not the case. So it's not a must have, but if you jus ... [More]
***** Tested... liked it
Reviewed By: Evelin Date: Wednesday, June 06, 2007
I tested this game for maxis & it rocks!!I love the sims & never get tired of it like some people. This game is new & fun...Like they said this is a must-have for your sims!!I know youll enjoy this
Happy Simming
E.M
First, the obvious question. Why was I looking at this Sims expansion? I get the EB Games' email, pretending some day I'll find a deal, and had no idea what "H&M Fashion Stuff" was. They got me; I had to give it a quick look. H&M is apparently some "European fashion retailer that is taking the US by storm with its trendsetting contemporary fashions". Go figure. Now H&M is a game, of sorts. That's right, there are people willing to purchase advertising for $20. No wonder everyone wants to copy the "success" of The Sims. I just don't get it. (Caveat: I did, at one time, wear a Coca-Cola collared shirt in junior high, and occasionally wear highly commercialized t-shirts to this day. Idiots abound.)
The problem is that, regardless of how inane the expansion being "reviewed" sounds, it doesn't explain the comments above, which I find are pretty representative on ebgames.com as a whole. I particularly like the reviews for games that haven't even been released. "***** This R0x0rz!!! I'm gunna git it fur shur!"
Now here's my only semi-serious point that could possibly take this painful post away from being nothing more than another ill-begotten rant: Could the gaming rag culture of providing overly-positive previews and advocacy-disguised-as-journalism be contributing to the production of this sort of mindless drivel by consumers?
Like cows to the slaughter, I wonder.
Labels: culture, journaltisement, reviews, useless
--ruffin at 09:41
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[ 0 ]
29 May 2007
Review: Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (PS2)
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is equal parts romance, time travel, and glassy smooth action sequences: a traceur prince seeks redemption, falls in love, and earns the power to bend time. Prince of Persia: Revelations, also known as The Warrior Within, was an ugly scar of a sequel, unplayable and buggy. The third game, The Two Thrones, was hailed by Ubisoft and reviewers as a return to the romance and action of the first game, with the improved combat of the second.They were wrong. It's just another soulless sequel whose misunderstanding of Sands of Time beggars the imagination.
It has but a mere glimmer of romance. Its plot hinges on timelines that are neither novel nor compelling. And the action -- while certainly an extension of the previous games -- frustrates almost as often as it entertains. Whoever designed that ridiculously cheap puzzle-to-chariot-race-to-boss-battle sequence in the middle of the game should be unceremoniously sacked. Nothing in this game justifies the time you'll spend fighting against its flaws, certainly not its perfunctory final sequences. Heck, the best line in the entire game isn't even original: it's borrowed from the very first game!
I should have taken heed when I saw that Jordan Mechner -- writer and designer of The Sands of Time and the creator of Prince of Persia and Karateka -- had no part in the latter two modern Prince of Persia games. Clearly he knew that the conceits of the first game would work once, but no more. Now I know better and so should you.
--jvm at 16:02
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[ 3 ]
03 March 2007
Notes: Payback (GBA), Gradius Collection (PSP)
While I'm working on Beyond Good & Evil (i.e. winner of this comments thread), I've picked up two new handheld games to pass the time.
- Payback (GBA) - I am a sucker for oddball games, it's true. So when I saw Payback, a nearly-full-3D Grand Theft Auto clone for the Game Boy Advance, I was instantly intrigued. Regrettably, it was never released in North America, and Nintendo's rules prevent the publisher from shipping the international version to me directly.
My first attempt to get it from someone who listed himself as being in Australia, where the game was published, netted me a package shipped directly from Hong Kong with -- you guessed it -- a cheap rip-off. That copy has been donated to academia for further study.
A European friend arranged to purchase from the publisher on my behalf and forward the game to me here in the States, so now I have the real thing.
I spent about an hour with it this afternoon, and it is really a fascinating clone of GTA. The pay phone missions start you off in Liberty City ... ahem ... I mean Freedom City. Running down a pedestrian leaves bloody tire tracks on the pavement. Missions involve the usual Point A to Point B to Point C mechanics. Practically the only familiar GTA hallmark I haven't seen is the line of Hare Krishnas in the park.
The controls are a bit wonky. Be prepared to struggle with them a bit, but they'll grow on you. If there is a lot of gunplay later on, I suspect it will mean frustration. I should also mention that Liber--Freedom City is located on an island nation, so you'll be driving on the wrong side of the road.
I enjoyed the time I dropped into the game and I suspect I'll pick it up again from time to time. However, it won't be an obsession. - Gradius Collection (PSP) - The recent Best Buy clearance netted me my first $5 PSP game, Gradius Collection. While I've played side-scrolling shmups before (like R-Type), I have never seen a Gradius game, either in an arcade or on a home system.
The short of it is that I like what I've seen so far. Granted, I hated my first three games, because I had no idea what was going on, but now that I understand a bit more about what's going on I really enjoy it. Gradius and Gradius II are the games I've played the most and they're similar enough that the skills carry over, but the levels are different enough that I'm enjoying them independently.
The options allow you to tune the difficulty, which is helpful for newbies like me. There are also options to view the game at the resolution offered in the arcade and in a stretched mode to use all the PSP screen.
For $5, I'd buy just about any game. However, Gradius Collection is one that I'd've picked up at $15 had I known how much fun it could be.
--jvm at 21:58
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[ 4 ]
25 February 2007
Review: God of War (PS2)
God of War for the PlayStation 2 does almost everything right. It tells the epic and memorable tale of Kratos, a Spartan, and his quest to kill Ares, the Greek god of war. The entertaining combat system is receptive to frantic button-mashing but rewards skilled, rhythmic tapping. It's about as graphically seamless as any game I've seen anywhere.
I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it for those who are willing to endure the unblinkingly violent images and occasional partial nudity.
That said, I still have some complaints. There is a section late in the game which overwhelmed me with a bunch of cheap tricks: conveyor belts, flame jets, archers, and harpies by the dozen. Even after I figured out the best way to optimize my limited resources in that battle, I had to endure several attempts before I got lucky and survived to the end. Even the last three battles, the climax of the game, were easy by comparison.
For a man broken up missing his wife and child, Kratos sure didn't mind hopping in the sack with a couple of pneumatic floozies at the beginning of the game. That bit strikes me as an exploitative stunt which mars an otherwise well-written story. It's particularly noticeable because of the two teenage fantasies the game glorifies, violence and sex, only the bloodshed persists beyond the first third of the game.
I enjoyed it immensely and recommend it for those who are willing to endure the unblinkingly violent images and occasional partial nudity.
That said, I still have some complaints. There is a section late in the game which overwhelmed me with a bunch of cheap tricks: conveyor belts, flame jets, archers, and harpies by the dozen. Even after I figured out the best way to optimize my limited resources in that battle, I had to endure several attempts before I got lucky and survived to the end. Even the last three battles, the climax of the game, were easy by comparison.
For a man broken up missing his wife and child, Kratos sure didn't mind hopping in the sack with a couple of pneumatic floozies at the beginning of the game. That bit strikes me as an exploitative stunt which mars an otherwise well-written story. It's particularly noticeable because of the two teenage fantasies the game glorifies, violence and sex, only the bloodshed persists beyond the first third of the game.
--jvm at 20:44
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[ 2 ]
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