What happens when you mix Valkyria Chronicles and Syndicate? This little gem of a launch title.
By Mike Nelson, 03/27/2011 at 00:00
After I complete the first batch of levels in Ghost Recon Shadow Wars, it starts to remind me of a mix between Valkyria Chronicles and the classic Syndicate. In each of these games you control a small squad of soldiers who each have a specialty that lends to the overall mission completion. Overall, the general feel of Shadow Wars is a solid turn-based strategy game -- even if its story backdrop, limited multiplayer, and character archetypes are short on originality.
You control the entire game from an isometric perspective -- the Circle-pad rotates your camera and the D-pad selects units and tiles. As the game's campaign eases you into controlling the various members of a particular Ghost squad, you have a chance to start customizing each of the members, and in some cases selecting the specific squad member that best suits the mission objectives. For example, if you have to defend an oil refinery, it might be best to select an engineer to hang back and deploy a turret while having your heavy weapons expert patrol the perimeter. Or you could select your stealth and sniper units to hang back and pick off enemies from a distance.
A tiny adventure that holds your hand nearly every step of the way.
By Mike Nelson, 03/26/2011 at 23:00
In contrast to some of the challenge that can be found in the console version of Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars, its 3DS cousin is anything but. Collectibles are easy to find, the level designs (while different from the console version) borrow a lot from the early Lego games in their simplicity, and the puzzles are not challenging. Of course you're never really given a chance to actually figure out how to solve some of the very rudimentary puzzles, because the game literally tells you which character you need to switch to (flashing character icons upon the lower screen) -- leaving the rest up to you to simply go through the motions of building the appropriate Lego pieces to complete the levels throughout the game.
Comparatively, it does look much better than the last time Lego Star Wars appeared on a Nintendo handheld, but it also isn't much of a graphical powerhouse to showcase what the 3DS is capable of. The 3D effects work well enough because there isn't a lot of fast movement occurring on the screen, although when I was picking up a lot of Lego Studs it made my eyes tickle a little bit. In other cases, items were appropriately placed to take advantage of the 3D, like walking into a room and having a collectible Minikit floating in front of me. It's clear that some care was put into the level design and item placement is not just tacked on. Although I did find that in some levels the framerate did drop a little bit when I turned on the 3D effect; nothing drastic enough to make the game unplayable, only slightly annoying.
Namco's racer is hardly fresh, but still a fantastic showcase for your new 3D handheld.
By Sam Kennedy, 03/26/2011 at 17:31 You know, Namco is really smart for releasing these Ridge Racer games alongside system launches -- because as much as I love each one of them, it's easy to realize how much of a free pass they get. Let's face it: A shiny new racing game goes well with your new game platform, and it's easy to overlook that you're basically buying the same thing over and over -- just with a new coat of new paint each time. Or, in this case, just the additional illusion of 3D. Because really, you've played this game plenty of times before. But not that you'll necessarily mind; I sure didn't. I was still hooked all the same.
Ridge Racer 3D is exactly as you'd expect: a handful of tracks that have appeared since the Ridge Racers of the '90s and a bunch of new ones layered on top. And you've still got your standard allotment of non-licensed cars to choose from. Really, it's the tried-and-true Ridge Racer formula. But with that you've also got the great arcadey racing the series is known for, with plenty of drifting and a forgiving, rubber-banding A.I. that keeps each race intense (but never frustrating). In fact, Ridge Racer 3D brings things a little bit back to its core with tighter handling and toned down presentation compared to the design-heavy menus of 6 and 7.
The same Monkey Ball fun as always, but this is no day-one purchase.
By Jobert Atienza, 03/25/2011 at 19:27
Early adopters of the Nintendo 3DS will no doubt be looking for software to show off their new system. Super Monkey Ball 3D is one of those games that straddles the line between a "game to own" and a "game to show off." In 3D, it looks good, and with the proper control scheme, it plays great. However, it's lacking in the actual "game" department; instead, you'll find a short and repetitive single-player mode and decent, but uninteresting multiplayer.
Borrowing from the franchise's iOS version, Super Monkey Ball 3D features motion sensing as a way to control your monkey in a ball. The motion-sensing works, but sometimes it either feels too accurate or not accurate enough. Levels with too many tight 90-degree turns are frustrating due to having to move the screen around so much. It makes it hard to sense exactly how fast you're going when the screen's viewing angle is shifting around. And with the 3D effect turned on, even to the most minimal degree, you can forget about playing this game with motion controls. As you may have already heard, if you're not looking at the 3DS's top screen directly, you get blurred visuals and flickering. Multiply that several times and that's what it's like to play Super Monkey Ball 3D in 3D.
Aya Brea returns at last, but Parasite Eve fans may wish she hadn't.
By Jeremy Parish, 03/25/2011 at 15:55 The 3rd Birthday is a conflicted, confused game that can't seem to decide what, in fact, it actually is. Granted, it plays well; it looks gorgeous; and the soundtrack is exceptional. Look deeper, though, and you'll be hard-pressed to figure out exactly what 3rd Birthday is trying to accomplish.
Is it a sequel or a new work entirely? Square Enix is downplaying its connections to the Parasite Eve games, and even the title gives no clue to The 3rd Birthday's lineage. Yet for all intents and purposes, it actually is a sequel, not a game that happens to star a familiar character. Maybe the lack of "Parasite Eve" in the title is a licensing issue (the original Parasite Eve was a Japanese novel), or maybe Square feared that prospective newcomers would be frightened away by the idea of a sequel to a series that hasn't been touched in a decade. Whatever the case, "The 3rd Birthday" as a name does a terrible job of communicating both the game's heritage and its content. It's better suited for a birthday cake-baking simulator for little girls, not an action-horror game that begins with a bunch of concertgoers being violently pulped like balloons filled with blood.
Rough around the edges, SSFIV is still one of the 3DS's must-have launch titles.
By Jose Otero, 03/24/2011 at 15:25
Judging the portable version of any arcade fighting game is difficult for a couple of reasons. While it's possible to translate the visuals (see Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max, Tekken Dark Resurrection, and SoulCalibur Broken Destiny -- all on PSP), the portable hardware they're played on can feel confining, like it's missing something. And Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, the first 3DS entry in the venerable fighting franchise, still suffers from this problem. The game captures the essence of its console siblings remarkably well (even in 3D), and it's packed with a feature set that's impressive for a portable game. However, minor flaws still make it feel like the game's been shoe-horned onto the platform.
Visually, SSFIV: 3D Edition does an admirable job of condensing the HD look of the console games onto the 3DS's lower resolution screen. The framerate is smooth and all of the signature inky flourishes and effects made it into the portable game. Unfortunately, there are small limitations as well. The backgrounds are all completely static; none of the background characters or animals move, and it feels awkward and lifeless if you're used to the console versions. The game still looks impressive in 3D, but the lack of life is disappointing.
Nintendo's take on 3D submarine warfare feels less like a game and more like a tech demo collection.
By Thierry Nguyen, 03/24/2011 at 02:51 Steel Diver's origins as a DS technology demo that's grown to become a wholly new game provides the simplest explanation for the resulting final product: a handful of different minigames that feel underdeveloped. While most people have focused on its "look through a periscope, spin yourself around, and find enemies to fire torpedoes at" mode, there's also a more-than-an-action-game-but-not-quite-a-simulation sidescroller, and a turn-based board game mode.
Steel Diver does actually contain a campaign, and the premise behind said campaign features the typical hallmarks of a vehicular side-scrolling action title: it takes place in the year "19XX" and after a "power-hungry rogue nation" has done some dastardly deeds, you assume control of a "secret submarine fleet, chosen from the best and brightest of the world's navies," known as the Steel Divers. During the seven mission campaign (of which only five are initially available to play; more on that in a bit), the Steel Divers undertake missions such as securing an important port, finding a secret route, or taking on an enemy battleship. While it sounds like serious submarine warfare, occasional lighthearted and fantastical moments pop-up -- you'll take on a giant nautilus, or shoot a column to cause a giant statue to roll down and smash an enemy submarine.
Another classic offering from the ever-improving Lego genre.
By Mike Nelson, 03/23/2011 at 18:55 Between the shooters, role-playing games, and action-adventure titles were inundated with throughout the year, I always look forward to a Lego game to break up the wealth of playing the latest big budget video game. It's almost a genre unto itself: Lego. Not quite adventure, action, or any other singular category, the games are like Lego bricks: useless until they're combined with another piece, and then another, and then another...When I start playing a Lego game, I already have a good idea of what to expect, so I can examine the tiny refinements that have been made to the gameplay, level design, and character animations. But above all else, I just enjoy the hell out of them.
Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars is in some ways the best Lego game I've ever played, but it's also one of the most difficult. That's something I never thought I'd say about a game in which you can't die, but it's true. The difficulty mainly stems from limited information from the game itself on how to access Space and Ground battles from the main menu -- a simple pop-up dialog box could have remedied this. For a game that works so hard to appeal to the largest audience possible, Clone Wars takes a very old-school, "figure it out yourself" approach; it's probably a tough sell for the younger audience and one hell of a challenge for the not-quite-so-young audience. This in turn makes it hard to determine who the game is specifically designed for.
Possibly the most visually impressive game you'll play this year.
By Jose Otero, 03/22/2011 at 09:48 Originally a PC-only game, Crysis set high expectations for future games in the series by providing a flexible empowering experience. Though it seemed unlikely an equally impressive follow-up could be created on console, developer Crytek has delivered a sequel that captures many ideas of the original game, and implements a few new ones as well. But most importantly, Crysis 2 is just as visually impressive as its predecessor, even on PS3 and 360.
As hyped as the original game was, playing it is not a prerequisite for enjoying Crysis 2. Most of the controls have been changed completely, and this new chapter in the Crysis trilogy introduces a new protagonist (while short recaps fill in any story gaps you might've missed). None of those revisions, however, disrupt the creative gameplay moments or lush environment design that made so many people fall in love with Crysis.
Total War developer Creative Assembly honors Japan, strategy gaming, and their own reputation.
By Tom Chick, 03/21/2011 at 16:12
There must be some mistake. Whatever game I've been playing lately -- the splash screen says it's called Shogun 2 and was created by Creative Assembly -- can't be from the same folks who made a spectacular mess of Empire: Total War. It's certainly not from the folks who flirted briefly with a God of War clone called Total Warrior (get it?). And it can't be the same people who callously orphaned that poor Stormrise sci-fi RTS. Because Shogun 2 is polished, smart, generous, elegant, and bold. It is utterly sublime.
Imagine you woke up one morning and the village idiot had built a cathedral. At which point someone vaguely recalls the village idiot was once a famous architect and it all kind of makes sense.
Pilotwings' return on 3DS is bland and innocuous, but fun.
By Jeremy Parish, 03/18/2011 at 17:59
Reviewers have a tendency, I think, to conflate reviews of a new system's launch titles with their critiques of the hardware itself. It's not a good habit, but it's an understandable one: Everything that seems good or bad about a platform is often distilled into those early releases. Plus, a high-profile game review makes for a convenient soapbox. In the case of Pilotwings: Resort, however, the strengths and failings on display have less to do with the 3DS platform and more to do with Nintendo's current creative direction.
The Pilotwings series has been around since the Super NES launched, 20 years ago, but Resort hardly resembles the previous games -- at least not on a superficial level. Where the older installments were essentially hardware tech demos dressed up with classic Nintendo charm and personality, Resort doesn't really do anything particularly dazzling, and its aesthetics are drawn directly from the company's modern Wii-brand games. In fact, the game's subtitle ties it directly to Wii Sports Resort, as the two games are set on the same island. Whatever personality Pilotwings as a series might once have possessed has been whitewashed by a deliberate sense of genericness, with familiar characters completely replaced by Miis. It's a somewhat strange decision, since the 3DS's early adopters are most likely to be dedicated Nintendo fans who would prefer the familiar to the faceless, but I suppose Resort is meant to be the 3DS's equivalent of Wii Sports...minus the "free with purchase" part, of course.
Capcom seeks to outdo Nintendo's Zelda franchise with their latest portable adventure.
By Justin Haywald, 03/17/2011 at 18:30 The greatest praise and the greatest condemnation you can heap on Okamiden is that it's the best non-Nintendo Zelda game on DS. In its strongest moments, the story is engrossing, the art style painterly, and boss fights diabolical. At the same time, it's hard to create an opinion of it that doesn't compare it to Nintendo's own adventure franchise. Still, in the broad strokes, Okamiden is almost masterfully done, but the little details still need some work.
Set nine months after the sun god Amaterasu returns to the heavens following the events of Okami, the world is once again falling into darkness. The titular wolf's powers are transferred to a white puppy named Chibiterasu, and the child of the last game's human hero comes along to aid you in cleansing the land. The last game's hero didn't actually have a son nine months ago, but that's just one of the many small mysteries you solve along the way.
It may be open-world, but Yakuza 4 isn't your garden-variety Grand Theft Auto-style crime story.
By Dave Rudden, 03/16/2011 at 20:32 For the last half-decade, Sega's Yakuza series has defied the odds. It's a critically-acclaimed franchise amongst the publisher's half-dead and completely-flogged properties. It's one of the few open-world sandbox action games to carve out a section of the marketplace without being an outright Grand Theft Auto clone. Most notably, in an industry that doesn't take risks, Sega has consistently published a franchise steeped in Japanese tradition for a U.S. marketplace inundated with samey shooters week after week. Sure, there have been missteps, like the English dub of the original game and the removal of key minigames in Yakuza 3, but the fact that Yakuza 4 can (and should) be purchased at your local video game store is a marvelous feat.
One sign that Sega is not Rockstar Games -- Yakuza 4's bustling metropolis filled with crime, punishment, and parlor games is largely the same tract of land that housed most of Yakuza 3. To the franchise's benefit, Sega has spruced up the land by adding new stores, minigames, as well as sections of the city's rooftops and underground areas to visit for the first time. The most drastic new addition, though, are three new playable characters who consume the first three quarters of the game.
New characters and a new campaign make this the definitive edition of Final Fantasy's fighting mash-up.
By Kat Bailey, 03/15/2011 at 09:49 If Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy had been developed by Capcom, it might have been called "Super Dissidia Final Fantasy Turbo." It is the heir to the tradition started by Street Fighter II: Champion Edition -- less a sequel than an expansion pack. That said, the game certainly can't be faulted for a lack of content.
Dissidia 012's main selling points come from its new characters, including Final Fantasy XIII's Lightning. As any fan of the genre will tell you, new characters can completely change the dynamics of a fighting game, and Dissidia 012's additions are, for the most part, well-designed and interesting. True to form, Lightning is strong at both long- and short-range thanks to her ability to "shift" between Warrior and Mage while fellow newcomer Kain, from Final Fantasy IV, is extremely solid in the air. Final Fantasy VIII's Laguna is my personal favorite; apart from bringing some genuine levity to the often dour cast, he's the only one with enough sense to bring a submachine gun to a sword fight.
An engrossing story and impressive multiplayer make up for the been-there-done-that solo campaign.
By Jobert Atienza, 03/15/2011 at 07:14 Kaos Studios' Homefront is a game that has the unfortunate luck of being a first-person shooter in a post-Modern Warfare 2 world. It will inevitably draw comparisons to the Call of Duty franchise, and in many ways, Homefront won't live up to that standard. However, there is one area in which the game succeeds, and it's a category that most games treat as an afterthought: story.
In Homfront's near-future world, economic turmoil runs rampant, and a war between two oil-producing Middle Eastern nations has driven the cost of gas to exorbitant prices. Demand for goods made in China has dropped considerably, and the United States is forced to draw down its military might to help combat rising costs. With the U.S. and China in the middle of a terrible recession, North Korea, led by Kim Jong-Il's son, Kim Jong-Un, steps in to lay claim to the world superpower throne. He forms the Greater Korean Republic (GKR) by uniting North and South Korea, annexes territory all over Asia (including Japan), and invades and occupies much of the western United States.
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