Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/anime/public_html/banzai/header.php:34) in /home/anime/public_html/banzai/includes/sessions.php on line 254
Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/anime/public_html/banzai/header.php:34) in /home/anime/public_html/banzai/includes/sessions.php on line 255
Anime-Source.Com: Forums
Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/anime/public_html/banzai/header.php:34) in /home/anime/public_html/banzai/includes/page_header.php on line 499
Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/anime/public_html/banzai/header.php:34) in /home/anime/public_html/banzai/includes/page_header.php on line 501
Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/anime/public_html/banzai/header.php:34) in /home/anime/public_html/banzai/includes/page_header.php on line 502 Anime-Source.com :: View topic - Quakis's Game Reviews
Joined: Apr 11, 2007 Posts: 11 Location: United Kingdom
Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2007 7:28 pm Post subject: Quakis's Game Reviews
Thought about republishing my three game reviews here from my site for anyone else to check out. Each review is found per post with original link attached.
Story
Tales speak of a distant place where creatures the size of mountains roam free. Bound to the land, those beasts hold the key to a mystical power capable of bringing the departed back from the other side. Spurred by love, yet armed only with a sword and bow, one man faces an extraordinary challenge. A solitary quest to find and slay opponents so immense they seem to posses no weakness. But in this desolate, beautiful land, very little is ever as it seems. An the journey is only just beginning.
General
After the introduction of your task it is time to set out to find and defeat the sixteen Colossi that roam the land. However there is a lot of ground to cover in the game, especially when you check the map pressing the start button. But you only need to find one at a time though. The main character’s sword has an ability to find the Colossi and direct you to them by raising the sword in the air with the circle button and holding it down, looking around until the scattered light turns into a thin beam showing you the location of your enemy. You must travel in this direction each time, travelling the long distances on large terrain with the help of your horse, Agro to get there faster. Natural bridges and gaps inbetween the mountains break up the search from time to time and sometimes you will explore some old cave or ruin to embark in battle with the beast. The long journeys however can be a bother if you get lost but a majority of the time it is immersive to travel across the detailed lands with different types of locations such as desserts or grassland. Once after you have approached your target, a great cutscene will take place introducing you to your foe that can be rather breathtaking at the sheer thought of how you’re supposed to beat such a demon.
Controls / Battle System
Controlling the main character gets quite easy quickly out of the many functions you can do, on foot, on horse or while holding onto something which all have there uses throughout each of the battles with Colossi. A majority of battles will be set on foot while travelling will be done by horse but some of the fights will require Agro to join in. The controls can be modified as desired within the options menu which is a good touch so nothing is forced upon the player if they dislike the current assignments. A lot of jumping and grabbing is involved within the game itself as you’ll be climbing on top of ruins, rocks and even the Colossi to attack their weak points with powerful strikes, some of which will disappear and you’ll have to find another weak spot. Ofcourse you’ll have to find a way to actually get on top of the thing first and eventually you are going to have to use the enviroment around you and watch the behavior of your opponent to truely defeat it. However when in doubt, you’ll recieve a sort of hint from Dormin for what you must do and a few are almost riddle like but still helpful. Other matters also come into battle as well, such as your health which is the red bar in the lower right corner, and grip meter which is the pink circle above this. These can run out quickly if your not too careful but they will regenerate once you stand still. The health can be increased by eating fruit from trees and grip can be increased by eating a lizards white tail, both of which are found in various of locations around the map. One major problem that affects the gameplay are the camera angles that can get very awkward from time to time ruining the experiences as it can affect the way your character reacts as well.
Difficulty
Once you have figured out how to get onto the Colossi, now you must stay on it without falling off. Ofcourse you can grab on for dear life as they shake around but you wont be able to grab on forever. Once the shaking about stops, you can stand in a safe area until your grip meter regenerates but possibly fall off if you’re not prepared as it moves around. Another difficulty for some of the beasts is that they move around a lot make it harder to stab their weak spot which then must be thought about a little more, nothing too tricky to figure out though. After defeating several Colossus however, they will start to attack you more than ever, usually with projectiles which can quickly kill you after several hits. Some of the battles requite Agro to gain faster speed to either run away or run towards opponents and the controls for the horse can be rather annoying. However, the overall game isn’t exactly difficult as the only thing slowing you down is the time to figure out how to get to it’s weak area which can sometimes take some time. Once used to the behavior of the Colossi and an understanding of the enviroment the battles can get pretty easy if attempted a second or third time.
Design / Music / Sound
Large, open, beautifully designed landscapes surround the map with several different types of regions and styles with old, broken down ruins in different types of locations such as inside caves, forests, underground or out in the open. Everywhere is detailed to look and feel realistic keeping the locations immersive to look at, including the forrests with some interesting lighting effects all over the land. Everywhere has its own atmosphere that fits perfectly and adds more variety in your journeys. When fighting the Colossi, debris and particles scatter about as they walk around and smash their weapons down trying to get you give it a more realistic touch. Each Colossi has a very similar style but each with their own design and size, detailed very well with the mix of stone armour, moss and fur covering their bodies which can give them a more menacing appearance. Music is one of the highlights in this game though, the soundtrack fits perfectly and has some very inspiring tunes in there. Soft melodies during some of the calmer situations but then some louder battle themes with a different playing style and excitement to them.
Replay Value
Once you have completed the game you will unlock two new modes the next time you decide to play. These being the time attack mode where you will load your saved game after the credits and pressing the action button at the idols. Beating the Colossi here can unlock special items. The second unlocked feature is Hard mode and the time attack mode here once completed is ofcourse at the same level with other unlockables to find.
Overall Conclusion
Epic battles with huge foes that can only be defeated with some though. Original and interesting throughoutm all set in a beautifully crafted land.
Developer: Sony Computer Entertainment
Console(s): PlayStation 2
Rating: 95%
Last edited by Quakis on Wed Apr 11, 2007 7:31 pm; edited 1 time in total
Story
Six years have passed since Raccoon City was destroyed and the government has dismantled the Umbrella Corporation from the inside-out. But the terror is not over. Now a U.S. Agent, former Raccoon Police Officer Leon Kennedy has been dispatched on a mission to Europe to save the President’s daughter from a “crazed organization� that bares a striking behavioral resemblance to creatures found in the Arklay Mountains. Is there a connection between these foes and the horrible nightmares from the past?
General
Resident Evil 4 is a lot different than it’s previous prequels in different aspects throughout the game. No more zombies this time around, as you’ll be fighting off villagers infected by the Las Plagas and other such mutants, some small and some large. Instead of being slow and dumb, the Ganados can also run and will attack you wherever you go as they’ll climb ladders, jump through windows and even bust open doors. They also carry weapons such as pitchforks, dynamite, knifes, even a chainsaw and a few others which get introduced much later in the game. Sometimes you can have the upperhand as they do these things by knocking the ladder back down or making them drop their explosive killing themselfs. The game is split into chapters, with smaller segments inbetween where you will travel from the villages, across a large lake, through a castle and typically like in every Resident Evil title, some high tech area. To help you progress or search areas, the action button key is displayed onscreen at the bottom to indicate if you can interact with something such as an item, switch or door, pretty useful but some exploration is lost unlike the previous titles. During a later part of the game you will have Ashley follow you throughout major parts where she can be taken away by the enemy if you dont keep an eye on her as it can result in a failed mission. This can be easily avoided by shooting the enemy down. Much later you will also take control of Ashley to do some puzzles to get to Leon. Cutscenes and the flow of the game expand and detail the story each time you progress learning more and more each time, which it should, with plenty of twists but a few typical moments.
Difficulty
I’ll start with the puzzles, these aren’t exactly hard at all as they are very obvious what you must do and the items required would be fairly close by anyway which makes this area of the gameplay far too easy unlike the previous titles, they could have added a break from the action into more thinking which was a bit of a shame. No for the fights, it can have some variety and depends on the actual enemy you’re up against. The Ganados and Monks aren’t much trouble at all and can be taken down with a few shots, however the ones with sheilds can be a problem, but getting them from behind isn’t too difficult. The only time things can get hectic is when a horde of them are crowding around either you or Ashley. Other enemies late in the game do however get more harder to fight against and some which can really give you a scare when you’re not expecting them around the corner, these ones however are much later in the game but they all have a weakness to help beat them quickly. I found the boss fights were fairly simple most of the time, since their weakness can get very obvious and all you really have to is avoid it’s attack, take some shots at it’s weak spot and follow that simple pattern. Overall, the difficult can get tough but sometimes simple at other times. Still enjoyable though.
Controls / Battle System
I’ve only played the Gamecube version, however they’re similar to the controls used in Resident Evil also for the Gamecube. Aiming again is the right shoulder button like in all the other titles. Now you don’t have to hold a button to run anymore since Leon will job at a fast enough pace to get to places quickly and avoid running into enemies. And no more camera angles this time round as it is constantly behind Leon and the improvement in the aiming system is a great plus, you can easily take headshots or shoot their leg and give them a good kick with the action button after running up to them before they get up. Another key feature how weapons are obtained, you wont be finding bigger and stronger weapons as you progress since this time you will collect money and valuable items to sell to buy your equipment. There’s a wide selection of stuff to buy from automatics and shotguns, to sniper rifles and scops. But that’s not all you can do, weapons can also be upgraded in many ways through different levels, each time getting more expensive. Reloading speed, capacity, power can all be upgraded, therefore making that starting pistol rather deadly. Not only can weapons be upgrade but by mixing yellow herbs with other ones and using it can increase your maximum health limit and the same with Ashley as well. Grenades and flashbangs are another nice touch to the gameplay and prove rather useful in tight situations as well. Another extra addition to the gameplay are the quick responses where you must press a certain button or two as it shows on the screen. If these are failed you could possible die or risk a lot of health being lost. Some even require you to rapidly press the button as well but clearly indicated onscreen. The knife in the game is a lot more useful and can help conserve your ammunition as you will need it much later in the game, however I will not spoil in this review. The best approach is to get your enemy on the ground by taking a small shot at their leg and knifing them as they lay for a few seconds, best way to save precious supplies.
Design / Music / Sound
A complete three dimensional enviroment without the use of either static backgrounds or camera angles. Everywhere is full of detail making you feel more immersed in the game, as it looks realistic looking too. The village for example have old, poor looking wooden shacks with a lonely, dead looking forest around them. The castle is also another great example, it’s interiors have fantastic and inspiring architecture throughout with a great style to it. Groans and moans from zombies are no more as the Ganados will shout several phrases, while trying to kill you, in spanish which also sets the location more, these can eventually get old though. There’s sound everywhere in the game both ambient and generic, with tension building and great music playing in the background. However, as usual in save rooms, a calm tune is played but this time with a nice, original yet unusual style to it.
Replay Value
I’m not too sure about other versions of the game, however I know after completing the game once can open a few extras for your next game. Unlocked is a new costume and some new weapons to play with and all the items you had when you saved at the end will be carried on over here too. There are also two extra modes which can be quite fun to play but I never got into them much although others may.
Overall Conclusion
Great game, lots of action in a detailed enviroment with lots of twists throughout. However, not as a Resident Evil title, since it could have been a brand new game altogether. And the fact I prefer the classic Resident Evil style, but still a fantastic game.
Developer: Capcom
Console(s): PlayStation 2 / GameCube / PC
Rating: 92%.
Story
About 2000 years ago, according to legend, while snow was falling on a clear, freezing night on Earth, a fierce devil prince was born deep in the darkest pit of the netherworld. Within a short time he gained his full powers and took over the Devil Throne. His first act as ruler of all devils was to declare himself emperor of the Devil Kingdom. His next feat was an invasion of the human world. His plan was to conquer it and rule as potentate over both the lower and upper realms. But a powerful devil-knight known as Sparda took pity on humans for their brief, transient lives. Leading a rebel force, he defeated all the Devil ruler’s armies and finally imprisoned the emperor himself in a sealed vault. Having achieved his victory, Sparda abandoned the Devil Kingdom to live in the human world. He married a human woman and soon fathered a half devil, half human son. But beware, mankind. After 200 years, the cursed evil Emperor will be released and will return to invade the human world once again. Sparda’s son must be our protector!
General
Fast and action packed during each of the twenty three missions. In each one you’ll be facing hordes of enemies and tough boss battles, each one different from the last. Ofcourse, there are quite a lot of cutscenes in the game, some of which show you what you tiggered, show you what you’ll be fighting with or ones that just develop the story further. Throughout each of the missions you will be travelling around the castle doing small, simple objectives to continue forward. Usually when getting closer or getting to your goal, you’ll be forced to fight something that is trying to stop you from accomplishing your task. Each of the missions has variety, where you do something different to achieve your goal, such as an arena, misty forest or first person swimming which won’t bore the player. Each mission is a good size, which lasts long enough to keep the player excited and have a breather afterwards. Between each mission you also have the choice to powerup before entering where you can buy upgrades to Alastor / Ifrit or buy some items to help you when you need it most, using the red orbs you collect throughout the game. There are also many secrets throughout each mission, be it hidden items or secret missions, each adding to the overall gameplay making it more interesting, sometimes you will jump somewhere and hit the ceiling to be treated to many red orbs, or other items that then drop down, these can be anywhere but most are unexpected. There are also a good selection of weaponary that you collect in a good flow which can be useful depending on the players battle style or likings. There are four different melee weapons; Force Edge, Alastor, Ifrit and Sparda. There are also firearms which can be used along side your melee weapon; Pistols, Shotgun, Needlegun (underwater only) and Grenade Launcher.
Difficulty
Being an action packed game, it can’t be complete without some difficulty which this one definitely has. Nothing is at all easy, but balanced well to make it very challenging where the player must come up with strategies and watch their enemies attack pattern. The weaker enemies are easy to handle but when serveral of them are in the area can be quite a bother but nothing too hard at all and can be taken down with ease. There are also boss battles every so often which can be really challenging. This is what I have been looking forward to in games, are some hard boss fights since many games now make them too easy. Each boss has a weakness that can take off a lot of health, however they can kill Dante in no time if the player isn’t careful. However, everything is balanced and very possible but it may take several tries to accomplish the goal.
Controls / Battle System
I found that the controls were easy to get used to, which made it better for the fights throughout. They are quite like Resident Evil’s but ofcourse more freedom. The position for each control was good enough for me, especially using Circle to use a melee weapon or Triangle to jump as I didn’t have any problems when playing through the whole game. The only thing that bothered me when fighting the enemies were the camera angles to points where you can’t see who you’re fighting. Other than that the system was really good, Dante locked onto targets but you could still easy turn around and attack one he wasn’t using either a melee or firearms. You could also force a lock on using the R1 button which was very useful at times. There are a lot moves that can be used against enemies, some of which can be bought. Some attacks were even possible in mid air such as shooting, striking the sword downwards and such moves. Devil Trigger mode is where you build up a gauge by attacking the enemy or doing a successful taunt where you can change into a Devil form for a small period of time, depending on how big your gauge is. This can be made larger by finding or buying purple orbs. In Devil Trigger mode, your attacks are a lot more powerful and faster, which even affects the firearm you are also wielding. Items can be used, such as Holy Water which damages all enemies around you, or even heal yourself using a vitality star.
Design / Music / Sound
Beautifully crafted castle enviroment with details everywhere, which looked fantastic throughout setting off the mood very well and the locations fit the theme very well. The style of the caste was great, it looked very mysterious yet magical at the same time, especially during different conditions of weather or lighting. Everywhere felt atmospheric in it’s own way, the interiors of the castle looked exquisite or the outside areas looked ancient, especially the arena area. Enemy designs were good, nothing the looked out of place and fit the enviroment well with fitting tones of colours in the overall location. Music fit where it was used, but could of stood out a bit more during the missions, I did however reconise a track which was slightly modified from Half Life. The rock tune used for the battles were very good, kept the excitement during the fight and adds some tension to them. There wasn’t a great deal amount of sounds but I quite liked how many sounds were reused during certain events in the game such as explosions, examining or picking up items. Door sounds were obviously from Resident Evil but this gave it more atmosphere and reminded the player of another great game made by the same developers.
Replay Value
There are unlockable characters and difficulty modes each time the player completes the game and also depending on the rank they get. Completing the game can unlock some things, which getting an S rank every round can unlock other things.
Overall Conclusion
Fast and action packed, balanced and challenging battles with an atmospheric and detailed enviroment and large variety in gameplay.
Developer: Capcom
Console(s): PlayStation 2
Rating: 95%.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
All images and comments are property of their respective owners, all the rest � 2002 by Anime-Source.com.
You can syndicate our news using the file backend.php.
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
