This post is about the Amazing Spider-Man 2 video game!! Now I already know pretty much everything about the game and it came out just one day before the day of this post. Literally. It's only been out for a whole day and I know everything about the game. LITERALLY everything. Plain and Simple.
Anyway, this is something That I think is really cool about the game. Physics based web swinging!!! No more of the "webs clinging to thin air" madness from the previous game!!! The webs stick to building sides, making the game's swinging mechanic even more realistic. But that also means that you cannot swing over Central Park. But who cares!?! Realistic web swinging!!!! So beats the unrealistic but slightly useful swing everywhere stuff from the first game.
Anyway, The game has all sorts of references from the Spider Man comics, particularly the alternate universe/timelines. Like One of the collectible costumes to customize Spider-Man with is the Spider-Man 2099 suit. Which a Spider-Man from the future wears. Complete with arm spikes!!! Anyway, Stan Lee is in the game. He runs a comic book store which the player can use to look at figurines, read in-game comic books (all of them are about Spider-Man or involve him in some way), and mess around with a Arcade machine.
Anyway, the video game has a rather robust collection of villains for Spider-Man to stop. SPOILER ALERT: Two of them are Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. the Kingpin) and Kraven the Hunter. Despite sharing the same name of the movie, the Video game has a almost completely separate plot/story (whatever).
I do not yet know the story of the movie (because I have not seen the whole movie but I know for a fact that Andrew Garfield is portraying Peter Parker, which is very nice), but the video game runs parallel to the movie. coinciding the events of the movie but having a few things different.
The game also has very useful upgrades. These range from make a sling-shot which Spider-Man shoots himself out of to travel New York quickly, to webbing enemies to walls with projectile webs. Kind of reminds me of the upgrades from Spider-Man Web of Shadows. Only difference is that in Web of shadows all the upgrades were for combat purposes only. This game has upgrades that improve both navigation and combat. So that is in a way better than Web of Shadows upgrades.
The only problem is that that the bosses aren't giant cool killer robots like in the previous game. all of the bosses are either normal sized people with above human abilities, or are genetically altered but still normal sized. It would be awesome if they made a Giant Killer Robot for Spider-Man to fight once or twice, but they removed them completely.
I won't give away the ENTIRE story because parts of it synchronize with the movie. But this summary will work. If you have read the official description on GameStop.com then you would know that it says that Peter Parker is desperately searching for the man that killed Ben Parker. Well that is not entirely true. The man that killed Peter's uncle actually gets killed himself. Almost as soon as you complete the very first level. Killed by another killer but I won't give away who the guy is for the sake of avoiding spoilers (I used to have a tendency for giving away spoilers at the earliest moment).
Anyway, I am pretty confident that Kraven the Hunter is not in the movie so here is another plot detail. Shortly after the man that killed Uncle Ben is destroyed, Spider-Man gets tips and advice from Kraven the Hunter for tracking criminals and stuff. That actually roles smoothly into the fact that you can enter STEALTH MODE. I mean sneaking around like a ninja warrior, spying on villains and sabotaging enemy equipment. Well the ninja sabotages, Spider-Man just traps enemies in cocoons made of webbing. But in case Kraven actually is in the movie, forget that you are reading this paragraph unless you love spoilers as much as I do. Either that or don't tell your friends anything you are reading on this post in case they want to see the movie and not know a thing about it before watching it.
Anyway, Web Rush returns in the second game, however aside from smoother and cooler animations when Stealth Take-downs are used (there is at least ten visually stunning animations that play out when Spider-Man uses a Stealth Take-down, followed by the occasional cheesy joke), is pretty much the same.
The direct combat has been improved, too. Press the "counter an attack" button twice when two enemies attack at the same time and Spider-Man will either trick those two enemies into hitting each other, or punch one and kick the other (at the exact same time).
Another thing that is cool is that the bonus missions have been improved. Spider-Man can now rescue people from burning buildings (at one point you have to save Stan Lee from a burning Comic Book Store), Ride on the roof of a stolen car (complete with hostage), infiltrate the hideouts of Russian mobsters (and steal the schematics for a new in-game costume) And fight twelve or so gangsters in a Police/Gang deadlock.
For more info and pictures please go to GameStop.com OR Wikipedia.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014
The Most Awesome Monsters in Monster Hunter
I did a walk-through (for the early stuff) and a Review, so now it's time for me to talk about the coolest monsters in Monster Hunter Tri and 3 Ultimate (they share a lot of the same monsters, but 3 Ultimate introduced Japan exclusive monsters to the United States and Europe so to those countries some of the monsters are brand new unless you played one of the Japan exclusive games).
I would put pictures of the monsters but the only good pictures are on Monster Hunter wiki. Fan art does not count. And neither does concept art. Plus I simply am too lazy to worry about precise details like image origin. So if you want pictures (or video) just copy and paste the monster's name in the Google search bar (or whatever you use) and go to images.
Now to start this list I do so believe everyone knows about Rathalos. It's big, red, and breathes fire. Classic European dragon meets big red lizard!!! Anyway, Rathalos first appeared in the original Monster Hunter and has been in literally every game since. Plus there is a reference to the original fight against him (all Rathalos are male) in Monster Hunter Tri because in his opening cut-scene the music that plays when you fight him in the first Monster Hunter also plays during the cut-scene.
I guarantee that you WILL DIE the first three times you fight him unless you fight him in previous generation games. I know because I only played the Third Generation games and guess what? He slaughtered my character. It was one-hit kill. And whatever you do, do NOT under any circumstances use a Long Sword on him. Long Swords are USELESS on him. Again I know because every time I faced him I used a Long Sword because the Long Sword is perfect for me. I am a Long Sword pro. But BOOM!!!! Rathalos tore my character apart. Basically unless you play the first two Monster Hunter games killing him in Tri or 3 Ultimate will be IMPOSSIBLE. But if you get his parts you can make really cool armor.
Spiky armor, I might add. Almost the whole set is covered in spikes. Plus it's fire resistant. Just don't get hit by lightning while wearing it.
Here is another cool monster that I actually enjoy fighting: Gigginox!!!! This monster is famous for annoying players because almost all of his moves will poison your character. I enjoy fighting him, and I K.O.'d him on my first go. Besides, he kind of represents the constant need to prepare yourself for a particular encounter with a monster. Remember when I said that Long Swords are USELESS on Rathalos? Well I strongly recommend that you DO use a Long Sword when you fight him for the first time. I really need his armor. Not only does it have decent defense (assuming you are crazy enough to not upgrade it), but wearing the whole set will negate poison attacks which I actually need because every time Rathalos kills my character it's either with a fire-ball (I'm okay with being fire-balled to death) or that annoying attack he does where he hovers in the air and swipes his toxic talons. It both poisons and stuns.
Anyway, Gigginox armor makes your character look like a vampire. Which is ironic because I consider Gigginox to be the Vampire of Monster Hunter. He reminds me of a vampire (a LOT). And vampires don't exist in real life. They only exist in the world of fiction. Anyway, my point is Gigginox is iconic. Almost as iconic as Rathalos.
Here is another really cool monster: Zinogre! This monster used to be Japan exclusive but was introduced to the American audience in 3 Ultimate. It reminds of a cross between Four Tails from Naruto and and a werewolf. The werewolf part from it's howling, the Four Tails part from the fact that is generally looks like a gorilla with a tail.
I have seen pictures of the Zinogre armor and I literally can't describe it. It's........Blue. That's the only way to describe it. It's so cool and unique I can't think of a way to describe it.
Now here are two downright adorable little fellows: Cha-Cha and his 3 Ultimate exclusive partner in crime Kayamba!!! Now they are a species of sapient monsters known as Shakalakas (I dare anyone to not think about how silly that sounds when you pronounce it). They are your character's sidekicks/apprentices/meat-shields/minions (whatever. All those titles have the same meaning). You can customize them with masks (they ARE Tiki-men after all) that both change their abilities and how they speak. Pitfall masks make these two speak like they are in the service and are in a heated gun-fight, but also transform into Pitfall Traps if you give them "the signal". The Ancient mask makes the wearer behave like a elderly man with a mild case of arthritis, but enable your character to breathe underwater indefinitely. the Grill mask makes Cha-Cha constantly talk about food, cooking, or eating (sometimes all of them at once).
Oh and you can fight Shakalakas in one of the Monster Hunter games (I forgot which one) but sadly you can't carve them because as soon as they "die" they instantly get back up and take off, but they leave a shiny drop item behind when they retreat.
This next monster is Japan exclusive: Goa Magara!!! Goa Magara is also a Fourth Generation monster, which means you can ride on his back like a rodeo. Goa Magara is basically a walking disease, as it infects EVERYTHING with the ultra contagious Feral Wyvern Virus. A Wyvern is basically another name for Dragon. Anyway Goa Magara also infects other monsters with this disease, and while it weakens Felynes and Hunters, it powers up monsters. But the real reason it infects them to begin with is because every monster has a place in the monster food chain. And Goa Magara is the vulture of the that food chain. It feeds on whatever the infected kill. Basically Goa Magara is lazy. He is too lazy to fight his own fights so he infects everything with Feral Wyvern Virus and watches the chaos ensue.
His adult form is even worse. Shagaru Magara!!!!!! This thing is shiny and gold. And it can amplify the effects of the Feral Wyvern Virus a thousand fold!!!!! Oh and Feral Wyvern Virus is a fan translation, so when Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is released in the West, Capcom will reveal the official name of the disease.
Speaking of which, do you know why the monster Nebelsnarf is called that? Because Capcom's localization team made a tiny mistake with the translation but I am not complaining. Why? Because everyone gets to make fun of how silly that name is!!! Seriously, if the name was cool (like Dire Miralis. Now that is a cool name) nobody would want to make fun of it. And the best part of a victory is mocking the monster's name. Unless, as previously stated, the name is cool (again, Dire Miralis is a cool name).
Anyway, the final monster on this list is actually my personal Third Generation monster: Dire Miralis!!! He is simply awesome. He spews lava, AND sits at the bottom of a lake!!! It's like they finally made something that can control fire and water!!!!! Alatreon has Ice and Fire (and Thunder and Dragon) but since when to fire spewing monsters like to swim?
And the ARMOR makes you practically invincible!!! The armor boosts attack power to max AND is almost everything proof. Me? I only care about Defense and Resistances but I will alter the armor to my.....specifications. Like including Speed Sharpener. I rely so much on Speed Sharpener I can't imagine doing a single slaying (or capturing) quest without it. But I also like raw damage. Love raw damage!!! Which is why I like using Long Swords and Switch Axes. I don't like using Great Swords. Way to slow. I might use it during like a "slay 20 Baggi" Quest but otherwise I rarely use it.
For pictures just Google the monster's name and click on images. I am too lazy to put up pictures of these monsters myself.
I would put pictures of the monsters but the only good pictures are on Monster Hunter wiki. Fan art does not count. And neither does concept art. Plus I simply am too lazy to worry about precise details like image origin. So if you want pictures (or video) just copy and paste the monster's name in the Google search bar (or whatever you use) and go to images.
Now to start this list I do so believe everyone knows about Rathalos. It's big, red, and breathes fire. Classic European dragon meets big red lizard!!! Anyway, Rathalos first appeared in the original Monster Hunter and has been in literally every game since. Plus there is a reference to the original fight against him (all Rathalos are male) in Monster Hunter Tri because in his opening cut-scene the music that plays when you fight him in the first Monster Hunter also plays during the cut-scene.
I guarantee that you WILL DIE the first three times you fight him unless you fight him in previous generation games. I know because I only played the Third Generation games and guess what? He slaughtered my character. It was one-hit kill. And whatever you do, do NOT under any circumstances use a Long Sword on him. Long Swords are USELESS on him. Again I know because every time I faced him I used a Long Sword because the Long Sword is perfect for me. I am a Long Sword pro. But BOOM!!!! Rathalos tore my character apart. Basically unless you play the first two Monster Hunter games killing him in Tri or 3 Ultimate will be IMPOSSIBLE. But if you get his parts you can make really cool armor.
Spiky armor, I might add. Almost the whole set is covered in spikes. Plus it's fire resistant. Just don't get hit by lightning while wearing it.
Here is another cool monster that I actually enjoy fighting: Gigginox!!!! This monster is famous for annoying players because almost all of his moves will poison your character. I enjoy fighting him, and I K.O.'d him on my first go. Besides, he kind of represents the constant need to prepare yourself for a particular encounter with a monster. Remember when I said that Long Swords are USELESS on Rathalos? Well I strongly recommend that you DO use a Long Sword when you fight him for the first time. I really need his armor. Not only does it have decent defense (assuming you are crazy enough to not upgrade it), but wearing the whole set will negate poison attacks which I actually need because every time Rathalos kills my character it's either with a fire-ball (I'm okay with being fire-balled to death) or that annoying attack he does where he hovers in the air and swipes his toxic talons. It both poisons and stuns.
Anyway, Gigginox armor makes your character look like a vampire. Which is ironic because I consider Gigginox to be the Vampire of Monster Hunter. He reminds me of a vampire (a LOT). And vampires don't exist in real life. They only exist in the world of fiction. Anyway, my point is Gigginox is iconic. Almost as iconic as Rathalos.
Here is another really cool monster: Zinogre! This monster used to be Japan exclusive but was introduced to the American audience in 3 Ultimate. It reminds of a cross between Four Tails from Naruto and and a werewolf. The werewolf part from it's howling, the Four Tails part from the fact that is generally looks like a gorilla with a tail.
I have seen pictures of the Zinogre armor and I literally can't describe it. It's........Blue. That's the only way to describe it. It's so cool and unique I can't think of a way to describe it.
Now here are two downright adorable little fellows: Cha-Cha and his 3 Ultimate exclusive partner in crime Kayamba!!! Now they are a species of sapient monsters known as Shakalakas (I dare anyone to not think about how silly that sounds when you pronounce it). They are your character's sidekicks/apprentices/meat-shields/minions (whatever. All those titles have the same meaning). You can customize them with masks (they ARE Tiki-men after all) that both change their abilities and how they speak. Pitfall masks make these two speak like they are in the service and are in a heated gun-fight, but also transform into Pitfall Traps if you give them "the signal". The Ancient mask makes the wearer behave like a elderly man with a mild case of arthritis, but enable your character to breathe underwater indefinitely. the Grill mask makes Cha-Cha constantly talk about food, cooking, or eating (sometimes all of them at once).
Oh and you can fight Shakalakas in one of the Monster Hunter games (I forgot which one) but sadly you can't carve them because as soon as they "die" they instantly get back up and take off, but they leave a shiny drop item behind when they retreat.
This next monster is Japan exclusive: Goa Magara!!! Goa Magara is also a Fourth Generation monster, which means you can ride on his back like a rodeo. Goa Magara is basically a walking disease, as it infects EVERYTHING with the ultra contagious Feral Wyvern Virus. A Wyvern is basically another name for Dragon. Anyway Goa Magara also infects other monsters with this disease, and while it weakens Felynes and Hunters, it powers up monsters. But the real reason it infects them to begin with is because every monster has a place in the monster food chain. And Goa Magara is the vulture of the that food chain. It feeds on whatever the infected kill. Basically Goa Magara is lazy. He is too lazy to fight his own fights so he infects everything with Feral Wyvern Virus and watches the chaos ensue.
His adult form is even worse. Shagaru Magara!!!!!! This thing is shiny and gold. And it can amplify the effects of the Feral Wyvern Virus a thousand fold!!!!! Oh and Feral Wyvern Virus is a fan translation, so when Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is released in the West, Capcom will reveal the official name of the disease.
Speaking of which, do you know why the monster Nebelsnarf is called that? Because Capcom's localization team made a tiny mistake with the translation but I am not complaining. Why? Because everyone gets to make fun of how silly that name is!!! Seriously, if the name was cool (like Dire Miralis. Now that is a cool name) nobody would want to make fun of it. And the best part of a victory is mocking the monster's name. Unless, as previously stated, the name is cool (again, Dire Miralis is a cool name).
Anyway, the final monster on this list is actually my personal Third Generation monster: Dire Miralis!!! He is simply awesome. He spews lava, AND sits at the bottom of a lake!!! It's like they finally made something that can control fire and water!!!!! Alatreon has Ice and Fire (and Thunder and Dragon) but since when to fire spewing monsters like to swim?
And the ARMOR makes you practically invincible!!! The armor boosts attack power to max AND is almost everything proof. Me? I only care about Defense and Resistances but I will alter the armor to my.....specifications. Like including Speed Sharpener. I rely so much on Speed Sharpener I can't imagine doing a single slaying (or capturing) quest without it. But I also like raw damage. Love raw damage!!! Which is why I like using Long Swords and Switch Axes. I don't like using Great Swords. Way to slow. I might use it during like a "slay 20 Baggi" Quest but otherwise I rarely use it.
For pictures just Google the monster's name and click on images. I am too lazy to put up pictures of these monsters myself.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Nihilumbra Time!!!!!!!
Before you ask, I am neither doing a review or a walk-through. I am doing something I have not done in a while: Write about a game that both looks cool and I currently do not have.
Also, do not bother asking why this game is called "Nihilumbra". I have no idea why they chose the name. Anyway, the sound and graphics are downright awesome. A warning; This is one of those games that make you think about stuff. The kind of stuff that makes you ponder. A LOT. For a very long time. By "very long time" I mean somewhere around ten to twenty minutes. Well that is just my opinion.
Anyway, the story is pretty simple. There is no plot twists or anything like that. You play as something called Born, who starts out life as a simple ball with a cute face on it. At one point he shape-shifts and takes on the shape as the silhouette of a human wearing a cloak (a cloak is like a hood attached to a cape. Kind of like a Trench Coat!!), but the glowing yellow eyes stay pretty much the same.
Born used to be part of something called the Void, who is basically the villain. Sort of. Anyway, Born detaches from the Void and wants to find a purpose in life.
The game-play revolves around a clever mix of puzzle solving and helping Born stay one step ahead of the Void. After all, the Void will never let him go. Well, maybe. You have to beat the game to find out!!! Anyway, Born cannot directly fight enemies, but that is where his powers come in. He can alter the behavior of whatever the player paints with the five in-game colors!!! Paint something blue to turn it into ice so you can slide a box to a out of reach switch. Paint some walls brown and Born can climb straight up the walls (via wall-jumping). Paint something red and it catches on fire (which is the only direct way to fight enemies. You can however do a clever combo where you paint the ground beneath a patrolling enemy blue and paint one wall red and the foe slides into the flames, destroying them.).
There are plenty of levels, each with a special theme.
There is only one flaw to this game that I can see. It's download only!!!! And Guinness World Records don't consider download only (a.k.a. digital) games to be video games. Speaking of which, here is a fact for the scientifically minded. The largest video game collection consists of over 11 thousand games and 110 consoles.
For more info please go check the Wii U version on Nintendo.com OR for you mobile fanatics out there check out the official website.
Also, do not bother asking why this game is called "Nihilumbra". I have no idea why they chose the name. Anyway, the sound and graphics are downright awesome. A warning; This is one of those games that make you think about stuff. The kind of stuff that makes you ponder. A LOT. For a very long time. By "very long time" I mean somewhere around ten to twenty minutes. Well that is just my opinion.
Anyway, the story is pretty simple. There is no plot twists or anything like that. You play as something called Born, who starts out life as a simple ball with a cute face on it. At one point he shape-shifts and takes on the shape as the silhouette of a human wearing a cloak (a cloak is like a hood attached to a cape. Kind of like a Trench Coat!!), but the glowing yellow eyes stay pretty much the same.
Born used to be part of something called the Void, who is basically the villain. Sort of. Anyway, Born detaches from the Void and wants to find a purpose in life.
The game-play revolves around a clever mix of puzzle solving and helping Born stay one step ahead of the Void. After all, the Void will never let him go. Well, maybe. You have to beat the game to find out!!! Anyway, Born cannot directly fight enemies, but that is where his powers come in. He can alter the behavior of whatever the player paints with the five in-game colors!!! Paint something blue to turn it into ice so you can slide a box to a out of reach switch. Paint some walls brown and Born can climb straight up the walls (via wall-jumping). Paint something red and it catches on fire (which is the only direct way to fight enemies. You can however do a clever combo where you paint the ground beneath a patrolling enemy blue and paint one wall red and the foe slides into the flames, destroying them.).
There are plenty of levels, each with a special theme.
There is only one flaw to this game that I can see. It's download only!!!! And Guinness World Records don't consider download only (a.k.a. digital) games to be video games. Speaking of which, here is a fact for the scientifically minded. The largest video game collection consists of over 11 thousand games and 110 consoles.
For more info please go check the Wii U version on Nintendo.com OR for you mobile fanatics out there check out the official website.
Monday, April 21, 2014
My tips and tricks!!! Monster Hunter Tri (part one)
I did a review on one of my favorite Wii games and now I am doing the next thing better. I guide for most of the Quests!!!!! And on how to fight some of the toughest monsters in the game (WARNING: This guide applies only to the solo campaign. Cooperative campaign has separate monsters, but because almost all the servers are currently shut down, if you want to hunt those monster you must buy Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate). I am doing these tips and tricks simply because this game can get a bit complex for those just getting into Monster Hunter. If you want to read a particular guide, please read the one with the assign chapter on it.
Okay now let's start at the beginning. BACK TO THE BEGINNING!!! Anyway, here is the lowdown. First, create a character. You can customize clothing, hair, face design (the options are not that notable), and even the voice. One of the voices makes your character sound like Link from Legend of Zelda. That is (my opinion) the only heroic sounding voice. Voice, face design, and gender (another thing you can tweak) are all permanent choices, so choose the options you like most.
Now we get to the actual game. PROLOGUE: SETTING UP A NEW CAREER. After creating your character, you are sent to Moga Village by the Hunting Guild, complete with hunting license and basic training. Now after you get settled in to Moga, your first priority is to talk to everyone with a yellow speech icon above their head. Important N.P.C.'s (Non Playable Character) include Village Chief (the guy with the thick green cape), who reveals that Moga has recently been experiencing severe earthquakes (or rather, sea-quakes, because Moga is built on a beach), The Outfitter (the girl next to the Blacksmith) who sells bare minimum weapons and armor (do NOT bother buying armor from her, unless you just started, in which case buy the strongest set she currently has), and the Chief's Son (everyone calls him Junior, even though he hates being called that), who not only can predict monster behavior patterns up to three days in the future (he spends a LOT of time in the woods), but also hosts optional bonus missions called Villager Requests.
You don't get to do a lot of actual Questing (I guess you can call it that) because another important N.P.C. is the Guild Sweet-Heart. who is basically your character's best friend for pretty much the whole game. After all, if you want to partake in a Quest, you need to talk to her first (and pay an insurance fee of $100). The reason you are not given any assignments is because the Sweet-Heart is still setting up her counter.
Now after chatting with the villagers your next objective is to go Moga Woods and use a few Herbivores and later a few raptor like monsters called Jaggi as target practice. Oh and also do your first carve. Just for future reference, you can cut off a piece of monster to get valuable loot (the process is called carving). By carving, you can make armor that gives you some of the abilities of the monster you carved to get the armor!!! Only problem is that you have no idea what you will get when you carve. You could get a claw when you wanted a scale or bone. For your first carve all you have to do is try to get a piece of Raw Meat from a Herbivorous monster. I advise you try Aptonoth for raw meat. You will almost always get Raw meat if you carve Aptonoth. Once you get Raw Meat, you have to deliver it to the Chief's Son, who is at the currently devastated Base Camp, which is where you will start every Quest at.
Junior will then cook the Raw Meat and BBQ it, turning it into Steak. Steak is very useful during lengthy hunts/Quests. You see, your character will slowly start to get hungry as time passes in any hunt. The hungrier your character gets, the less distance you cover in a sprint. Now you want to be able to run from a monster that is a bit out of your league. You can't do that if your character gets too hungry (to the point where his/her stomach is constantly growling). Junior will also give you a BBQ Spit which will enable you to make more Steak.
Okay NOW you can go Questing. CHAPTER 1: RISE TO FAME. Your first Quest is simply to go pluck a handful of special mushrooms. But the mushrooms you need are somewhat rare and every Quest has a Time Limit (normally the time limit is one hour in real life, even though sometimes you have to do it in less that 30-15 minutes in real life). There is no tips and tricks for this one, besides being so persistent that your neighbors will describe you as stubborn for the rest of your life.
After getting the mushrooms, another set of Quests is unlocked. Do them in any order you want! The one titled Farm Aid was requested by the Farmer (use his farm to make plants, mushrooms, honey, and bugs. All of which you can easily sell for a ton of money!!). In that one, you have to kill five Jaggia (they give you more rewards if you kill ten Jaggi). The difference between Jaggi and Jaggia is simple. Jaggia are slightly bigger and much fatter and have what look like long floppy ears. They shouldn't be too much trouble They might land a few lucky blows but they will rarely defeat you and even then if you are so cocky you think you can one hit kill these guys.
All the other quests are similar to the "go pluck mushrooms" quest. Now let's talk about this really annoying and slightly terrifying Quest. It's called "Guts: It's What's for Dinner". All you need to do is carve a few giant fish-like Herbivores for three pieces of Monster Guts. Doubly simple because the monster that gives up Monster Guts is so weak you can almost always one-hit-kill them with literally any weapon. But here comes the crazy terrifying part. First, when you enter the water, there is only ONE of them. You have to take the underwater passage to the next area to get to the rest. But when you do, you meet your first big league monster: THE LAGIACRUS!!!!!! You are NOT to engage Lagiacrus because ONE: Lagiacrus is just plain cool looking (it's a giant lizard covered in spikes) and TWO: You are a weakling when you do this Quest for the first time so you need to Go SMOOTH and try your best to get the Monster Guts while avoid Lagiacrus (you can out-swim easily, assuming you recently ate a Steak or two before entering the water).
If you are brave enough to get over the fact that Lagiacrus came very close to eating your character you unlock your first Urgent Quest. They actually are not that different from regular Quests, they just have special objectives that no other Quest has (protecting a potential sidekick, saving a town from a bearded whale, etc.)
Now we get to the somewhat tougher missions. CHAPTER 2: WORLD TOUR. Now the Hunting Guild is allowing you to hunt in faraway countries!!! Yeah!!!!! This one is the Sandy Plains. Now this one is a bit challenging. Go there during the day, your character might get a mild sunstroke. SO bring a Cold Drink to tolerate the heat. But at night, your character will be freezing. So bring a Warm Drink to face the cold.
These quests are pretty easy. Now let's talk boss fight. That's right, first boss. Great Jaggi. It's simply a dinosaur like monster with elephant like ears and a stripe of fur on it's back. I advise you bring a Great Sword for this one. The fight will go much more smoothly if you bring a Great Sword. Then again, that depends on which weapon you feel comfortable using. Plus, he moves around a lot, so if you do bring a Great sword, it's all about timing. When you see him howl or bark that is the PERFECT moment to hit him. Oh and also watch out. Great Jaggi will ALWAYS bring a handful of regular Jaggi to distract you with. And be sure to hit him with a Paintball as soon as you see him. He tends to run away when you start gaining the upper hand.
Once you kill Great Jaggi (destroy and carve him enough and you will have your first STRONG armor), you got to do another Quest but this time, you got to capture Great Jaggi. ALIVE. A lot harder than it sounds. First you got to hit him a couple of times, then when you see him limping and drooling, STOP HITTING HIM. Oh, and do NOT bring any kind of Great Sword. Chances are the Great Sword will kill him before he even shows any sign of weakness. This one requires a LOT of practice.
Once you catch Great Jaggi, you get more Quests. CHAPTER 3: FROM ZERO TO HERO. Most of these Quests take place in a New land, the Flooded Forest (it is actually a swamp). All of them are fairly easy, at least until NEW BOSS. Barroth!!!! Rule one about fighting this guy. NEVER attack his head. His skull is so thick that your weapon(s) will bounce right off. At least until you reach final boss. Maybe by then you SHOULD have something you chop up his head. Now once you beat this guy you get to face off against two other bosses. I will only talk about the harder boss: Royal Ludroth. This guy is your first AQUATIC target so be ready to take a dive. LITERALLY!!!! Bring plenty of Potions, Mega Potions and other essentials.
Now here comes a Story Twister. By now you should be able to do the Urgent Quest "Shakalaka Savior". This one is very easy (doubly so if you bring the strongest weapon you currently have). You meet your soon to be sidekick: Cha-Cha!!!! Love Cha-Cha!! He is so cute!!! He is a Tiki-Man. And surprisingly useful. And he speaks in the third person!!! Seriously people, what is more cute than a very helpful Tiki-Man that speaks in the third person? Almost nothing that's what. The only thing cuter than that is a penguin. Anyway, Cha-Cha is being bullied by Jaggi (and Ludroth). So what do you do? You do a FREE-FOR-ALL-BRAWL!!! Once you save Cha-Cha's life (thrice) he will serve you as your semi-humble sidekick. Or apprentice. Or protege. Whatever, he's your character's student and you are the sensei (sensei is Japanese for teacher).
Now comes the good juicy stuff. CHAPTER 4: TIME FOR PAYBACK. By now you should have met the oh-so-important Argosy Captain. The Argosy is a delivery ship and Moga Village's link to the outside world. The Captain of said ship is from a place called the Wyvernian Hub. Thus he speaks mostly by including words from most Asian languages in his sentences. Anyway, the Captain and Village Chief are childhood friends, and will give the player useful supplies (traps, bombs, materials, etc.) in exchange for something of equal value (I.E. Roughly 75 or so Curved Fangs equal a handful of Sonic Bombs and two Max Potions). A Felyne chef will also sell you exotic foods that will do major or minor tweaks on your character, such as raising/lowering Health, Boosting Attack Power, and giving you a extra set of skills.
I advise that you do a LOT of free hunting when the Argosy is out at sea (even if you tell the crew to go to one place, it is going to take a LOT of time for them to return). Also, when he first arrives, a Felyne (that is a kind of monster, which help hunters hunt other monsters by either giving tools, treating them to exotic and really expensive food, or growing plants, honey, mushrooms, and bugs, for combining into supplies).
Now here is the awesome part. You remember when Lagiacrus humiliated you and chased you out of the sea? Good. Because that same Lagiacrus was seen resting in the Deserted Island (the very first region you hunt at. Unlocked as soon as you start up the game). So go and get a taste of the Lagiacrus' power. If you just happen to be a power-hungry kind of hunter, You DEFINITELY want to fight Lagiacrus (and earn the right to destroy him) and carve him up for the toughest Low Rank armor ever. By the time you fight him, you should unlock the Switch Ax AND the Long Sword. I recommend using a Long Sword. It is somewhat easier to fight Lagiacrus with a Long Sword.
Once you repel him (and later destroy him) we get to what could be the TOUGHEST part of the game. CHAPTER 5: BECOMING A LEGEND. Now you get to fight three new bosses: Rathalos (a.k.a. the King of the Sky), a dragon like Monster that spends more than half it's time flying around, Barioth, which looks like a cross between a bat and a Saber-tooth Tiger, and I forgot who the last one is but it's another dragon that attacks from below by tunneling everywhere. The second one is probably the toughest because it is almost always moving. I have yet to beat any of these, even with my toughest armors.
But I will give one more guide. One of the TOUGHEST, MOST ANNOYING Kind of Quest you can do. Carrying heavy objects around. CHAPTER 6: DRAGGING LUGGAGE. The first one is the easiest. Go to Area 7 in the Sandy Plains (the deep dark part of it. It's got a pool of water in it and a VERY large dead tree). Try gathering at the bone pile at the base of the tree. Assuming you haven't stuff your Pouch full, you should get a Herbivore Egg. These eggs are so big that they can't fit in your pouch, so your character will hold the egg firmly with both hands. Now there are two things that you need to know about carrying heavy eggs. First, if your character's stamina is fully depleted, You will drop the egg, and it will break, so you got to make sure that you sprint only when you have to. Second. You cannot pull out your weapon when carrying eggs, nor can you take damage (not even from the environment), as both will make you drop and break the egg. Avoid confrontation, sprint sparingly. Keep those four words in your head and you can ROCK Carry Quests.
The second is a bit tougher. Instead of Herbivore Eggs, you need to deliver Wyvern Eggs. Same Shape, Same Size, Same Weight. Only difference is that instead of dozens of angry Herbivorous Monsters trying to kill you while you make the delivery, It's something much more dangerous that's trying to kill you: A Rathian. Which is simply what you call a female Rathalos (aside from being forest green in skin color instead of blood red, there is no difference between them).
By now the Felyne chef should have made level two meals. So I advise that you keep eating his food until you get the "Felyne Lander" skill. It allows you to jump off cliffs and not stumble upon landing. Very useful for this Quest because there is a short-cut to Base Camp (this applies to all Carry Quests. You must drop the target item off at the red box, which is the one that is closest to the bed). First, get the egg in Area 8 of Deserted Island (you can't miss it. I looks like a giant bird nest. Filled with the skeletons and decaying remains of the Rathian's prey!) and, assuming you got Felyne Lander, jump off the edge of the Rathian nest.
If you do it right, your character will land in Area 5 (which is RIGHT underneath Area 8 in terms of elevation). From there, go to Area 2 (which is a open meadow surrounded by a trio of mountains) and Sprint to Base Camp. I said Sprint because Rathian will routinely patrol her own nest and Areas 7 through 2. So if you see Rathian ANYWHERE, remember one thing: Run, Forest, Run!!
The last one is the toughest (assuming you don't have any armor with the Transporter Pro active skill). Now the good news is you don't need to risk your character's life for a bunch of eggs. Instead, you have to march into the very HEART of a Volcano. Once you make your way there you have to grab a Powder-Stone. Before you can ask "What is a Powder-Stone?", they are basically grayish red stones. Very Popular for forging armor and weapons. But they are really hot to the touch. So hot that they burn your characters hands simply by holding them. Chances are your character is going to have third-degree burns by the time he/she delivers the Powder-Stones!! He he. But seriously, your character will lose a sliver of Health every on third of a second you hold the Powder-Stone. Well actually every two seconds assuming you are wearing something with the Heat Cancel (High) skill. However, only the Loc Lac armor set has both Transporter Pro and Heat Cancel (High). it's literally one of the VERY first armors you can make, even though the only easy way to make it quickly is one: Slay a handful of Giggi and hope that you can carve off a few pieces of Velvety Hide. And two: Do the Bug Hunt Quest over and over until you have a handful of Altarath Stomachs. I would not recommend wearing Loc Lac armor during a Boss battle. The whole set has a ridiculously low defense, and that means most bosses will eat you alive if you make a mistake and get hit.
Okay, I will deliver more Tips and Tricks. As soon as I get revenge on Barioth. But seriously, if anyone knows how I can easily kill Barioth, please put in the weapon I should use, armor set I should wear, and items I should bring in the comments. Your advice will be taken and tested by Me!!
Okay now let's start at the beginning. BACK TO THE BEGINNING!!! Anyway, here is the lowdown. First, create a character. You can customize clothing, hair, face design (the options are not that notable), and even the voice. One of the voices makes your character sound like Link from Legend of Zelda. That is (my opinion) the only heroic sounding voice. Voice, face design, and gender (another thing you can tweak) are all permanent choices, so choose the options you like most.
Now we get to the actual game. PROLOGUE: SETTING UP A NEW CAREER. After creating your character, you are sent to Moga Village by the Hunting Guild, complete with hunting license and basic training. Now after you get settled in to Moga, your first priority is to talk to everyone with a yellow speech icon above their head. Important N.P.C.'s (Non Playable Character) include Village Chief (the guy with the thick green cape), who reveals that Moga has recently been experiencing severe earthquakes (or rather, sea-quakes, because Moga is built on a beach), The Outfitter (the girl next to the Blacksmith) who sells bare minimum weapons and armor (do NOT bother buying armor from her, unless you just started, in which case buy the strongest set she currently has), and the Chief's Son (everyone calls him Junior, even though he hates being called that), who not only can predict monster behavior patterns up to three days in the future (he spends a LOT of time in the woods), but also hosts optional bonus missions called Villager Requests.
You don't get to do a lot of actual Questing (I guess you can call it that) because another important N.P.C. is the Guild Sweet-Heart. who is basically your character's best friend for pretty much the whole game. After all, if you want to partake in a Quest, you need to talk to her first (and pay an insurance fee of $100). The reason you are not given any assignments is because the Sweet-Heart is still setting up her counter.
Now after chatting with the villagers your next objective is to go Moga Woods and use a few Herbivores and later a few raptor like monsters called Jaggi as target practice. Oh and also do your first carve. Just for future reference, you can cut off a piece of monster to get valuable loot (the process is called carving). By carving, you can make armor that gives you some of the abilities of the monster you carved to get the armor!!! Only problem is that you have no idea what you will get when you carve. You could get a claw when you wanted a scale or bone. For your first carve all you have to do is try to get a piece of Raw Meat from a Herbivorous monster. I advise you try Aptonoth for raw meat. You will almost always get Raw meat if you carve Aptonoth. Once you get Raw Meat, you have to deliver it to the Chief's Son, who is at the currently devastated Base Camp, which is where you will start every Quest at.
Junior will then cook the Raw Meat and BBQ it, turning it into Steak. Steak is very useful during lengthy hunts/Quests. You see, your character will slowly start to get hungry as time passes in any hunt. The hungrier your character gets, the less distance you cover in a sprint. Now you want to be able to run from a monster that is a bit out of your league. You can't do that if your character gets too hungry (to the point where his/her stomach is constantly growling). Junior will also give you a BBQ Spit which will enable you to make more Steak.
Okay NOW you can go Questing. CHAPTER 1: RISE TO FAME. Your first Quest is simply to go pluck a handful of special mushrooms. But the mushrooms you need are somewhat rare and every Quest has a Time Limit (normally the time limit is one hour in real life, even though sometimes you have to do it in less that 30-15 minutes in real life). There is no tips and tricks for this one, besides being so persistent that your neighbors will describe you as stubborn for the rest of your life.
After getting the mushrooms, another set of Quests is unlocked. Do them in any order you want! The one titled Farm Aid was requested by the Farmer (use his farm to make plants, mushrooms, honey, and bugs. All of which you can easily sell for a ton of money!!). In that one, you have to kill five Jaggia (they give you more rewards if you kill ten Jaggi). The difference between Jaggi and Jaggia is simple. Jaggia are slightly bigger and much fatter and have what look like long floppy ears. They shouldn't be too much trouble They might land a few lucky blows but they will rarely defeat you and even then if you are so cocky you think you can one hit kill these guys.
All the other quests are similar to the "go pluck mushrooms" quest. Now let's talk about this really annoying and slightly terrifying Quest. It's called "Guts: It's What's for Dinner". All you need to do is carve a few giant fish-like Herbivores for three pieces of Monster Guts. Doubly simple because the monster that gives up Monster Guts is so weak you can almost always one-hit-kill them with literally any weapon. But here comes the crazy terrifying part. First, when you enter the water, there is only ONE of them. You have to take the underwater passage to the next area to get to the rest. But when you do, you meet your first big league monster: THE LAGIACRUS!!!!!! You are NOT to engage Lagiacrus because ONE: Lagiacrus is just plain cool looking (it's a giant lizard covered in spikes) and TWO: You are a weakling when you do this Quest for the first time so you need to Go SMOOTH and try your best to get the Monster Guts while avoid Lagiacrus (you can out-swim easily, assuming you recently ate a Steak or two before entering the water).
If you are brave enough to get over the fact that Lagiacrus came very close to eating your character you unlock your first Urgent Quest. They actually are not that different from regular Quests, they just have special objectives that no other Quest has (protecting a potential sidekick, saving a town from a bearded whale, etc.)
Now we get to the somewhat tougher missions. CHAPTER 2: WORLD TOUR. Now the Hunting Guild is allowing you to hunt in faraway countries!!! Yeah!!!!! This one is the Sandy Plains. Now this one is a bit challenging. Go there during the day, your character might get a mild sunstroke. SO bring a Cold Drink to tolerate the heat. But at night, your character will be freezing. So bring a Warm Drink to face the cold.
These quests are pretty easy. Now let's talk boss fight. That's right, first boss. Great Jaggi. It's simply a dinosaur like monster with elephant like ears and a stripe of fur on it's back. I advise you bring a Great Sword for this one. The fight will go much more smoothly if you bring a Great Sword. Then again, that depends on which weapon you feel comfortable using. Plus, he moves around a lot, so if you do bring a Great sword, it's all about timing. When you see him howl or bark that is the PERFECT moment to hit him. Oh and also watch out. Great Jaggi will ALWAYS bring a handful of regular Jaggi to distract you with. And be sure to hit him with a Paintball as soon as you see him. He tends to run away when you start gaining the upper hand.
Once you kill Great Jaggi (destroy and carve him enough and you will have your first STRONG armor), you got to do another Quest but this time, you got to capture Great Jaggi. ALIVE. A lot harder than it sounds. First you got to hit him a couple of times, then when you see him limping and drooling, STOP HITTING HIM. Oh, and do NOT bring any kind of Great Sword. Chances are the Great Sword will kill him before he even shows any sign of weakness. This one requires a LOT of practice.
Once you catch Great Jaggi, you get more Quests. CHAPTER 3: FROM ZERO TO HERO. Most of these Quests take place in a New land, the Flooded Forest (it is actually a swamp). All of them are fairly easy, at least until NEW BOSS. Barroth!!!! Rule one about fighting this guy. NEVER attack his head. His skull is so thick that your weapon(s) will bounce right off. At least until you reach final boss. Maybe by then you SHOULD have something you chop up his head. Now once you beat this guy you get to face off against two other bosses. I will only talk about the harder boss: Royal Ludroth. This guy is your first AQUATIC target so be ready to take a dive. LITERALLY!!!! Bring plenty of Potions, Mega Potions and other essentials.
Now here comes a Story Twister. By now you should be able to do the Urgent Quest "Shakalaka Savior". This one is very easy (doubly so if you bring the strongest weapon you currently have). You meet your soon to be sidekick: Cha-Cha!!!! Love Cha-Cha!! He is so cute!!! He is a Tiki-Man. And surprisingly useful. And he speaks in the third person!!! Seriously people, what is more cute than a very helpful Tiki-Man that speaks in the third person? Almost nothing that's what. The only thing cuter than that is a penguin. Anyway, Cha-Cha is being bullied by Jaggi (and Ludroth). So what do you do? You do a FREE-FOR-ALL-BRAWL!!! Once you save Cha-Cha's life (thrice) he will serve you as your semi-humble sidekick. Or apprentice. Or protege. Whatever, he's your character's student and you are the sensei (sensei is Japanese for teacher).
Now comes the good juicy stuff. CHAPTER 4: TIME FOR PAYBACK. By now you should have met the oh-so-important Argosy Captain. The Argosy is a delivery ship and Moga Village's link to the outside world. The Captain of said ship is from a place called the Wyvernian Hub. Thus he speaks mostly by including words from most Asian languages in his sentences. Anyway, the Captain and Village Chief are childhood friends, and will give the player useful supplies (traps, bombs, materials, etc.) in exchange for something of equal value (I.E. Roughly 75 or so Curved Fangs equal a handful of Sonic Bombs and two Max Potions). A Felyne chef will also sell you exotic foods that will do major or minor tweaks on your character, such as raising/lowering Health, Boosting Attack Power, and giving you a extra set of skills.
I advise that you do a LOT of free hunting when the Argosy is out at sea (even if you tell the crew to go to one place, it is going to take a LOT of time for them to return). Also, when he first arrives, a Felyne (that is a kind of monster, which help hunters hunt other monsters by either giving tools, treating them to exotic and really expensive food, or growing plants, honey, mushrooms, and bugs, for combining into supplies).
Now here is the awesome part. You remember when Lagiacrus humiliated you and chased you out of the sea? Good. Because that same Lagiacrus was seen resting in the Deserted Island (the very first region you hunt at. Unlocked as soon as you start up the game). So go and get a taste of the Lagiacrus' power. If you just happen to be a power-hungry kind of hunter, You DEFINITELY want to fight Lagiacrus (and earn the right to destroy him) and carve him up for the toughest Low Rank armor ever. By the time you fight him, you should unlock the Switch Ax AND the Long Sword. I recommend using a Long Sword. It is somewhat easier to fight Lagiacrus with a Long Sword.
Once you repel him (and later destroy him) we get to what could be the TOUGHEST part of the game. CHAPTER 5: BECOMING A LEGEND. Now you get to fight three new bosses: Rathalos (a.k.a. the King of the Sky), a dragon like Monster that spends more than half it's time flying around, Barioth, which looks like a cross between a bat and a Saber-tooth Tiger, and I forgot who the last one is but it's another dragon that attacks from below by tunneling everywhere. The second one is probably the toughest because it is almost always moving. I have yet to beat any of these, even with my toughest armors.
But I will give one more guide. One of the TOUGHEST, MOST ANNOYING Kind of Quest you can do. Carrying heavy objects around. CHAPTER 6: DRAGGING LUGGAGE. The first one is the easiest. Go to Area 7 in the Sandy Plains (the deep dark part of it. It's got a pool of water in it and a VERY large dead tree). Try gathering at the bone pile at the base of the tree. Assuming you haven't stuff your Pouch full, you should get a Herbivore Egg. These eggs are so big that they can't fit in your pouch, so your character will hold the egg firmly with both hands. Now there are two things that you need to know about carrying heavy eggs. First, if your character's stamina is fully depleted, You will drop the egg, and it will break, so you got to make sure that you sprint only when you have to. Second. You cannot pull out your weapon when carrying eggs, nor can you take damage (not even from the environment), as both will make you drop and break the egg. Avoid confrontation, sprint sparingly. Keep those four words in your head and you can ROCK Carry Quests.
The second is a bit tougher. Instead of Herbivore Eggs, you need to deliver Wyvern Eggs. Same Shape, Same Size, Same Weight. Only difference is that instead of dozens of angry Herbivorous Monsters trying to kill you while you make the delivery, It's something much more dangerous that's trying to kill you: A Rathian. Which is simply what you call a female Rathalos (aside from being forest green in skin color instead of blood red, there is no difference between them).
By now the Felyne chef should have made level two meals. So I advise that you keep eating his food until you get the "Felyne Lander" skill. It allows you to jump off cliffs and not stumble upon landing. Very useful for this Quest because there is a short-cut to Base Camp (this applies to all Carry Quests. You must drop the target item off at the red box, which is the one that is closest to the bed). First, get the egg in Area 8 of Deserted Island (you can't miss it. I looks like a giant bird nest. Filled with the skeletons and decaying remains of the Rathian's prey!) and, assuming you got Felyne Lander, jump off the edge of the Rathian nest.
If you do it right, your character will land in Area 5 (which is RIGHT underneath Area 8 in terms of elevation). From there, go to Area 2 (which is a open meadow surrounded by a trio of mountains) and Sprint to Base Camp. I said Sprint because Rathian will routinely patrol her own nest and Areas 7 through 2. So if you see Rathian ANYWHERE, remember one thing: Run, Forest, Run!!
The last one is the toughest (assuming you don't have any armor with the Transporter Pro active skill). Now the good news is you don't need to risk your character's life for a bunch of eggs. Instead, you have to march into the very HEART of a Volcano. Once you make your way there you have to grab a Powder-Stone. Before you can ask "What is a Powder-Stone?", they are basically grayish red stones. Very Popular for forging armor and weapons. But they are really hot to the touch. So hot that they burn your characters hands simply by holding them. Chances are your character is going to have third-degree burns by the time he/she delivers the Powder-Stones!! He he. But seriously, your character will lose a sliver of Health every on third of a second you hold the Powder-Stone. Well actually every two seconds assuming you are wearing something with the Heat Cancel (High) skill. However, only the Loc Lac armor set has both Transporter Pro and Heat Cancel (High). it's literally one of the VERY first armors you can make, even though the only easy way to make it quickly is one: Slay a handful of Giggi and hope that you can carve off a few pieces of Velvety Hide. And two: Do the Bug Hunt Quest over and over until you have a handful of Altarath Stomachs. I would not recommend wearing Loc Lac armor during a Boss battle. The whole set has a ridiculously low defense, and that means most bosses will eat you alive if you make a mistake and get hit.
Okay, I will deliver more Tips and Tricks. As soon as I get revenge on Barioth. But seriously, if anyone knows how I can easily kill Barioth, please put in the weapon I should use, armor set I should wear, and items I should bring in the comments. Your advice will be taken and tested by Me!!
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Review Time!!! Part Six: Star Wars (Force Unleashed 2)
This is the sixth review I have done. You may notice that in Part Five I gave Wonderful 101 a somewhat low score. But it's just an OPINION. You may feel differently about Wonderful 101. Anyway, this time it's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II. I played both the original and this one.
Okay now this game is a spin-off. It ties in to the events of Episodes 5 and 6. Furthermore, The first thing people notice is that only the bosses are tough. Because of Starkiller's (he's the hero) absurdly large arsenal of Force powers (Lightning, Mind Trick, Force Grip, and more) he is completely overpowered compared to regular enemies. He is almost invincible!!! Plus, if Starkiller's Force Powers aren't getting the job done, there is always plan B: Dual Lightsabers!!! A major improvement over the first game is you can now use Two Lightsabers at once to pull off new combos!!! Sadly, dual Lightsabers are mandatory in this game, so none of the combos of the first game return.
Also, here is the one of the two things I don't like. It is surprisingly (and annoyingly) short. Average players can beat this in a day. Me? Not to brag, but my skills are pretty good at speed running. So I'm going to guess that I could beat it in 2-4 hours easy. Even though I already beaten the game. Twice. The second time I used alternate costumes and chose the ending that I actually wanted. I pressed the wrong button when I beaten the first time and I got the Dark Side ending, when in reality I wanted the Jedi ending. But never mind that!!!!!!
Anyway. Another thing I don't like is the lack of bosses. There is only three bosses. A giant ape thing (it's called the Gorog), A sabotage droid, and (obviously) Darth Vader. I clearly remember that the first game had more bosses than you can shake a broken laser gun at. So to speak.
There is a bit of comedy thrown into the works. Starkiller and Former Jedi Master Rham Kota have a humorous discussion on how to fight the Gorog. Plus there is a surprise appearance involving a legendary Star Wars character. Try to guess which one in the comments (Hint: He started living on Dagobah as soon as Order 66 was executed, has been alive for hundreds of years, and finished Luke Skywalker's Jedi training).
All-in-All I give this game a 8.7. It would have scored higher if 1: It had a bunch of bosses. And 2: At least TEN more levels in addition to the levels already in the game.
Okay now this game is a spin-off. It ties in to the events of Episodes 5 and 6. Furthermore, The first thing people notice is that only the bosses are tough. Because of Starkiller's (he's the hero) absurdly large arsenal of Force powers (Lightning, Mind Trick, Force Grip, and more) he is completely overpowered compared to regular enemies. He is almost invincible!!! Plus, if Starkiller's Force Powers aren't getting the job done, there is always plan B: Dual Lightsabers!!! A major improvement over the first game is you can now use Two Lightsabers at once to pull off new combos!!! Sadly, dual Lightsabers are mandatory in this game, so none of the combos of the first game return.
Also, here is the one of the two things I don't like. It is surprisingly (and annoyingly) short. Average players can beat this in a day. Me? Not to brag, but my skills are pretty good at speed running. So I'm going to guess that I could beat it in 2-4 hours easy. Even though I already beaten the game. Twice. The second time I used alternate costumes and chose the ending that I actually wanted. I pressed the wrong button when I beaten the first time and I got the Dark Side ending, when in reality I wanted the Jedi ending. But never mind that!!!!!!
Anyway. Another thing I don't like is the lack of bosses. There is only three bosses. A giant ape thing (it's called the Gorog), A sabotage droid, and (obviously) Darth Vader. I clearly remember that the first game had more bosses than you can shake a broken laser gun at. So to speak.
There is a bit of comedy thrown into the works. Starkiller and Former Jedi Master Rham Kota have a humorous discussion on how to fight the Gorog. Plus there is a surprise appearance involving a legendary Star Wars character. Try to guess which one in the comments (Hint: He started living on Dagobah as soon as Order 66 was executed, has been alive for hundreds of years, and finished Luke Skywalker's Jedi training).
All-in-All I give this game a 8.7. It would have scored higher if 1: It had a bunch of bosses. And 2: At least TEN more levels in addition to the levels already in the game.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Review Time!!! Part Five: Wonderful 101
Review number five. This time it's Wonderful 101.
This game has potential but they made a few mistakes. This is the only mistake that will really frustrate some people. At least twice per level the player has to do a Quick Time Event, and let's face facts, nobody likes Quick Time Events. Normally video game designers have to ensure that the average Joe can do the Quick Time Events but get this: Somewhere around Level Five I was doing a boss battle between Wonder-Red and Wonder-Blue. The fight ends with a QTE (short for Quick Time Event) where the two heroes punch each other in the face over and over until they can't take it anymore. I was playing the game on Easy. I have perfectly average reflexes. But the reaction time triples every time you boost the difficulty. Now on Easy mode it was IMPOSSIBLE for average reflexes (mine included) to do the Quick Time Event. So beating the game on Hard is almost impossible because you practically need to have Super-Human reflexes (Also, there is no such thing as Super-Human reflexes in real life).
There are clearly too many Quick Time Events in this game. So if you have average or below average reflexes, do NOT EVEN BOTHER PICKING UP THIS GAME. The only way an everyday person can beat this game is on the LOWEST difficulty, and even then normal reflexes barely get the job done. It's almost as if the game was designed so that only the Flash and Sonic the Hedgehog can play the game and enjoy it, let alone actually beat it.
The major thing I do like is how it challenges you to try to be creative when fighting enemies in normal combat. Dragons will use their wings as shields, and the only way to inflict further damage on them is to use Unite Claw to pry the wings open. Turtles can only be harmed by Unite Hammer's slam attack. Ninja like aliens will move too fast for most weapons so you got to slow them down with Unite Bomb.
Another thing I don't like is the lengthy dialogue. The cut-scenes are needlessly long, and more often then not they send dozens of lines your way, when only about, I dunno, three lines will do. There are only a handful of cut-scenes that are actually short. Perhaps the longest cut-scenes are in the very first level, where the narrator explains almost everything about the game. But the narrator's lines are VERY long-winded. And do not even get me started when he explains the basics of Unlimited form. Speaking of which, the Unlimited transformation cut-scene (you have to watch this cut-scene in literally every boss level) is over-dramatic. Wonder-Red doing a bunch of weird poses while yelling at the top of his lungs just to put on a goofy mask is rather pointless, doubly so because the Narrator claims that the heroes will die (death by massive explosion) if they stay in Unlimited form for too long. The cold hard truth is that Unlimited Form is Purely cosmetic. It doesn't change a thing. It's supposed to make the Wonderful 100 totally awesome butt-kicking warriors, but in reality, all it's good for is making the colorful heroes look like a bunch of idiots. Furthermore, the heroes can stay in Unlimited form pretty Much indefinitely. They will NEVER explode.
Good news is at the end of every level they judge your performance and if you get a good score you get a trophy. Higher Scores mean better trophies, tempting persistent players to beat their High Score and get a Platinum Trophy, so replay value is pretty high. Plus, Wonderful Missions mode allows you to play the game AND escape from long-winded lines and Quick Time Events. The Boss Battles are really fun, too. The Fight where you drive a robot and play a robot-themed mini-game version of Punch-Out is my favorite.
All in All, I give this game a 7.0. The long-winding dialogue, over-reliance on Quick Time Events designed to be impossible for any human, and the fact that Unlimited form is downright stupid dashed away any chance of this game getting a 10.0. Basically, Naruto, Transformers, and Monster Hunter are major league games, and Wonderful 101 tried to become a major league game but ultimately it was lacks the elements that make a great game. The best case scenario is that the creators learn from these mistakes and make a sequel that improves with short cut-scenes and no Quick Time Events whatsoever. Worst case Scenario is they make a sequel that instead of improving on the mistakes it actually worsens them.
This game has potential but they made a few mistakes. This is the only mistake that will really frustrate some people. At least twice per level the player has to do a Quick Time Event, and let's face facts, nobody likes Quick Time Events. Normally video game designers have to ensure that the average Joe can do the Quick Time Events but get this: Somewhere around Level Five I was doing a boss battle between Wonder-Red and Wonder-Blue. The fight ends with a QTE (short for Quick Time Event) where the two heroes punch each other in the face over and over until they can't take it anymore. I was playing the game on Easy. I have perfectly average reflexes. But the reaction time triples every time you boost the difficulty. Now on Easy mode it was IMPOSSIBLE for average reflexes (mine included) to do the Quick Time Event. So beating the game on Hard is almost impossible because you practically need to have Super-Human reflexes (Also, there is no such thing as Super-Human reflexes in real life).
There are clearly too many Quick Time Events in this game. So if you have average or below average reflexes, do NOT EVEN BOTHER PICKING UP THIS GAME. The only way an everyday person can beat this game is on the LOWEST difficulty, and even then normal reflexes barely get the job done. It's almost as if the game was designed so that only the Flash and Sonic the Hedgehog can play the game and enjoy it, let alone actually beat it.
The major thing I do like is how it challenges you to try to be creative when fighting enemies in normal combat. Dragons will use their wings as shields, and the only way to inflict further damage on them is to use Unite Claw to pry the wings open. Turtles can only be harmed by Unite Hammer's slam attack. Ninja like aliens will move too fast for most weapons so you got to slow them down with Unite Bomb.
Another thing I don't like is the lengthy dialogue. The cut-scenes are needlessly long, and more often then not they send dozens of lines your way, when only about, I dunno, three lines will do. There are only a handful of cut-scenes that are actually short. Perhaps the longest cut-scenes are in the very first level, where the narrator explains almost everything about the game. But the narrator's lines are VERY long-winded. And do not even get me started when he explains the basics of Unlimited form. Speaking of which, the Unlimited transformation cut-scene (you have to watch this cut-scene in literally every boss level) is over-dramatic. Wonder-Red doing a bunch of weird poses while yelling at the top of his lungs just to put on a goofy mask is rather pointless, doubly so because the Narrator claims that the heroes will die (death by massive explosion) if they stay in Unlimited form for too long. The cold hard truth is that Unlimited Form is Purely cosmetic. It doesn't change a thing. It's supposed to make the Wonderful 100 totally awesome butt-kicking warriors, but in reality, all it's good for is making the colorful heroes look like a bunch of idiots. Furthermore, the heroes can stay in Unlimited form pretty Much indefinitely. They will NEVER explode.
Good news is at the end of every level they judge your performance and if you get a good score you get a trophy. Higher Scores mean better trophies, tempting persistent players to beat their High Score and get a Platinum Trophy, so replay value is pretty high. Plus, Wonderful Missions mode allows you to play the game AND escape from long-winded lines and Quick Time Events. The Boss Battles are really fun, too. The Fight where you drive a robot and play a robot-themed mini-game version of Punch-Out is my favorite.
All in All, I give this game a 7.0. The long-winding dialogue, over-reliance on Quick Time Events designed to be impossible for any human, and the fact that Unlimited form is downright stupid dashed away any chance of this game getting a 10.0. Basically, Naruto, Transformers, and Monster Hunter are major league games, and Wonderful 101 tried to become a major league game but ultimately it was lacks the elements that make a great game. The best case scenario is that the creators learn from these mistakes and make a sequel that improves with short cut-scenes and no Quick Time Events whatsoever. Worst case Scenario is they make a sequel that instead of improving on the mistakes it actually worsens them.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Review Time!!! Part Four: Monster Hunter
This is my fourth review, and this time it's on Monster Hunter Tri (I would give a review on Monster Hunter Three Ultimate but I haven't played it yet). Just for future reference, I am not going to stop my "Review Time" series of blog posts until I have written about EVERY game in my collection. Which, admittedly is quite large. With 23 Wii games, 13 PS3 games, and 12 Wii U games, plus one PC game but computer games don't count as video games. Not to mention the dozens of demos and a digital version of the first three Spyro games. And the Ray-man Legends Challenges app (I only play the three levels that come with it). And I have "Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon because I DON'T KNOW" downloaded on my Wii U. Basically, I have a LOT of titles in my collection.
Anyway, The first thing to know about Monster Hunter is the hilarious animations (The Kick Back and Shadow Box gestures are my favorite. I also like the animation that plays when your hunter is running away from a large monster only to trip on his own feet and fall on his face) will almost always put a smile on your face. Also, some of the armors are downright goofy looking (The Rhenolpos armor makes your hunter look fat, Ludroth Armor looks like a really big rain-coat, etc.).
Second, The first couple of sets of Quests are fairly easy. The only hard parts are when you are trying to capture a monster alive (which takes a Lot of practice) And when you are trying to slay the Barroth (One of the toughest monsters. Imagine a T. Rex with the head of a hippo and you get Barroth. He killed my hunter more times then I would like to admit. Pro tip: NEVER attack his head, ALWAYS go for the ankles and tail, unless you are using a Sword'n'Shield, in which case, just ignore the tail and go for the ankles. Also, bring Mega Dash Juice if your weapon can block. Plus, be sure to have the entire Rhenolpos or however you spell the guy's name armor. It's Mud Proof!!! And finally, try to bring a weapon with Green level Sharpness or higher. Anything duller than Green will bounce right off, dealing no damage whatsoever).
Also, one of the key elements is preparing for that special encounter with your target (I never bring a map. I don't need one. Because I memorized the layout of every location in the game!!! I know pretty much everywhere like the back of my hand. Figuratively speaking of course). Lets take the Royal Ludroth as an example (Royal Ludroth is my favorite monster). When you face him, remember these simple rules. First, you need to be fast, because his moves come fairly quickly (sometimes without warning), so eat something to boost stamina and you can avoid almost every attack. Second, Royal Ludroth is aquatic, so expect him to hop in a pool of water (in which case you bring something to help stay underwater longer). And finally, Royal Ludroth will send out regular Ludroth to slow you down, so either bring a strong weapon to finish them quickly or bring a lot of Health restore items in the event that they overwhelm you (or underwhelm you, depending on how many Ludroth there are) with sheer numbers.
But Lets use a tougher monster as another example: The Barroth. The Barroth loves mud and will cover itself in mud on a regular basis. Arguably it's most annoying move is when he shakes his head, causing mud to fly everywhere. Get hit by the mud and you can't move your arms, rendering you almost defenseless. In that case you want to bring Mud-Proof armor (the one that makes you look fat is a good option). If you don't bring some cleansers. You can get them from the Supply Box at the Quest entrance (a.k.a the Base Camp). Also, the hardest part is actually staying alive in this particular hunt. You definitely want to "buff up" and the restaurant right next to the Quest Counter. I recommend something that has the "rough and wild" flavor because anything "rough and Wild" will increase the size of the Health Gauge. Also, bring Cha-Cha. Some people think he is useless but Cha-Cha is invaluable in this Quest. First he can make a pretty good distraction, giving the few seconds you need to sharpen your weapon or whatever. Also, sometimes he will buff you up with his dances.
Now in addition to the aforementioned humorous animations and goofy armor, here and some other things I like: The monsters' designs set them apart, so it is impossible to get confused over who's who (however, I can't tell the difference between a Rathian and a Rathalos because the difference is minor). Plus, the monsters look and feel properly alive. They roar, hiss, swim, flee, limp, sleep, eat, jump, fly (assuming they have wings), and in the case of the Barroth roll around in mud puddles (which is surprisingly funny to watch).
Another thing I like is how they balanced out the weapons. Great Swords are slow, but they pack so much punch that most hunts end in Thirty Minutes or less, depending out how well you use them. Sword'n'Shields are small and have limited reach, but make up for it with speedy attacks, and lengthy combos. Lances lack strong moves, but the shield makes you invincible to all but the strongest attacks. Hammers are slow (not as slow as Great Swords but still slow), but they are the only weapons that can charge up a power slam/sideswipe/uppercut (depending on how long you hold the button down) and have the power to stun. Switch Axes have long reach in Ax (A-X is actually NOT how you spell "Ax" but this stupid computer is convinced that I am spelling it wrong by including a silent "e") mode but lack meaningful power, While in Sword Mode it's hits not only pack twice the power of Ax mode, they have ELEMENTAL BONUSES!!! The only downside is that switching modes is time consuming and leaves you vulnerable to attack. Long Swords not only look cool but they are faster than Hammers and Great Swords combined. Also it is almost perfectly designed to sever tails (assuming your target has a tail). Sadly, they burn through Whetstones almost as fast as a Sword'n'Shield. Want to inflict maximum awesome on your buddies? Keep your Long Sword as sharp as possible. Bow-guns are perfect for people that like fighting from a distance. Me? I like to get in close and Combo the monster till he goes BOOM. All SMOOTH-like. You got to play it SMOOTH when playing this game (or any game, for that matter). Be as cool as ice when face something huge. This advice applies to literally EVERY monster in the game
There are only a handful of things I don't like. Because the Monsters lack Health Gauges, it can be difficult for some people to do capture Quests. But this is actually a good thing because it builds up your judgement skills. You got to trust your instincts and activate your SMOOTH-sense to truly capture a monster. Basically, if your target starts limping away, STOP HITTING IT. I got a love/hate thing for Capture Quests. It takes lots of practice to get the timing right. Another thing I don't like and this is the only thing I truly 100% don't like. Capcom could have included a Lock-On. The camera has a nasty habit of confusing and sometimes disorientating the player, depending on who's playing. And finally, they could have done a better job of designing the locations. One of the few locations that looks truly visually interesting is the Flooded Forest (don't let the name fool you. It is actually a swamp) But it's not interesting enough to be visually stunning. Sandy Plains is almost visually interesting but the mud in Area 3 is not entirely realistic because it is a silver-like color. If it was a dark brown color then it would actually look like real mud.
All in all I give Monster Hunter Tri a 8.5. It would have gotten a higher score if the locations were visually stunning and if it had a Lock-On.
Anyway, The first thing to know about Monster Hunter is the hilarious animations (The Kick Back and Shadow Box gestures are my favorite. I also like the animation that plays when your hunter is running away from a large monster only to trip on his own feet and fall on his face) will almost always put a smile on your face. Also, some of the armors are downright goofy looking (The Rhenolpos armor makes your hunter look fat, Ludroth Armor looks like a really big rain-coat, etc.).
Second, The first couple of sets of Quests are fairly easy. The only hard parts are when you are trying to capture a monster alive (which takes a Lot of practice) And when you are trying to slay the Barroth (One of the toughest monsters. Imagine a T. Rex with the head of a hippo and you get Barroth. He killed my hunter more times then I would like to admit. Pro tip: NEVER attack his head, ALWAYS go for the ankles and tail, unless you are using a Sword'n'Shield, in which case, just ignore the tail and go for the ankles. Also, bring Mega Dash Juice if your weapon can block. Plus, be sure to have the entire Rhenolpos or however you spell the guy's name armor. It's Mud Proof!!! And finally, try to bring a weapon with Green level Sharpness or higher. Anything duller than Green will bounce right off, dealing no damage whatsoever).
Also, one of the key elements is preparing for that special encounter with your target (I never bring a map. I don't need one. Because I memorized the layout of every location in the game!!! I know pretty much everywhere like the back of my hand. Figuratively speaking of course). Lets take the Royal Ludroth as an example (Royal Ludroth is my favorite monster). When you face him, remember these simple rules. First, you need to be fast, because his moves come fairly quickly (sometimes without warning), so eat something to boost stamina and you can avoid almost every attack. Second, Royal Ludroth is aquatic, so expect him to hop in a pool of water (in which case you bring something to help stay underwater longer). And finally, Royal Ludroth will send out regular Ludroth to slow you down, so either bring a strong weapon to finish them quickly or bring a lot of Health restore items in the event that they overwhelm you (or underwhelm you, depending on how many Ludroth there are) with sheer numbers.
But Lets use a tougher monster as another example: The Barroth. The Barroth loves mud and will cover itself in mud on a regular basis. Arguably it's most annoying move is when he shakes his head, causing mud to fly everywhere. Get hit by the mud and you can't move your arms, rendering you almost defenseless. In that case you want to bring Mud-Proof armor (the one that makes you look fat is a good option). If you don't bring some cleansers. You can get them from the Supply Box at the Quest entrance (a.k.a the Base Camp). Also, the hardest part is actually staying alive in this particular hunt. You definitely want to "buff up" and the restaurant right next to the Quest Counter. I recommend something that has the "rough and wild" flavor because anything "rough and Wild" will increase the size of the Health Gauge. Also, bring Cha-Cha. Some people think he is useless but Cha-Cha is invaluable in this Quest. First he can make a pretty good distraction, giving the few seconds you need to sharpen your weapon or whatever. Also, sometimes he will buff you up with his dances.
Now in addition to the aforementioned humorous animations and goofy armor, here and some other things I like: The monsters' designs set them apart, so it is impossible to get confused over who's who (however, I can't tell the difference between a Rathian and a Rathalos because the difference is minor). Plus, the monsters look and feel properly alive. They roar, hiss, swim, flee, limp, sleep, eat, jump, fly (assuming they have wings), and in the case of the Barroth roll around in mud puddles (which is surprisingly funny to watch).
Another thing I like is how they balanced out the weapons. Great Swords are slow, but they pack so much punch that most hunts end in Thirty Minutes or less, depending out how well you use them. Sword'n'Shields are small and have limited reach, but make up for it with speedy attacks, and lengthy combos. Lances lack strong moves, but the shield makes you invincible to all but the strongest attacks. Hammers are slow (not as slow as Great Swords but still slow), but they are the only weapons that can charge up a power slam/sideswipe/uppercut (depending on how long you hold the button down) and have the power to stun. Switch Axes have long reach in Ax (A-X is actually NOT how you spell "Ax" but this stupid computer is convinced that I am spelling it wrong by including a silent "e") mode but lack meaningful power, While in Sword Mode it's hits not only pack twice the power of Ax mode, they have ELEMENTAL BONUSES!!! The only downside is that switching modes is time consuming and leaves you vulnerable to attack. Long Swords not only look cool but they are faster than Hammers and Great Swords combined. Also it is almost perfectly designed to sever tails (assuming your target has a tail). Sadly, they burn through Whetstones almost as fast as a Sword'n'Shield. Want to inflict maximum awesome on your buddies? Keep your Long Sword as sharp as possible. Bow-guns are perfect for people that like fighting from a distance. Me? I like to get in close and Combo the monster till he goes BOOM. All SMOOTH-like. You got to play it SMOOTH when playing this game (or any game, for that matter). Be as cool as ice when face something huge. This advice applies to literally EVERY monster in the game
There are only a handful of things I don't like. Because the Monsters lack Health Gauges, it can be difficult for some people to do capture Quests. But this is actually a good thing because it builds up your judgement skills. You got to trust your instincts and activate your SMOOTH-sense to truly capture a monster. Basically, if your target starts limping away, STOP HITTING IT. I got a love/hate thing for Capture Quests. It takes lots of practice to get the timing right. Another thing I don't like and this is the only thing I truly 100% don't like. Capcom could have included a Lock-On. The camera has a nasty habit of confusing and sometimes disorientating the player, depending on who's playing. And finally, they could have done a better job of designing the locations. One of the few locations that looks truly visually interesting is the Flooded Forest (don't let the name fool you. It is actually a swamp) But it's not interesting enough to be visually stunning. Sandy Plains is almost visually interesting but the mud in Area 3 is not entirely realistic because it is a silver-like color. If it was a dark brown color then it would actually look like real mud.
All in all I give Monster Hunter Tri a 8.5. It would have gotten a higher score if the locations were visually stunning and if it had a Lock-On.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Review Time!!! Part Three: Transformers
This is my third review and it's for Transformers Fall of Cybertron. This is by far my favorite PlayStation 3 game. So far. And no it's not just because I really like the Robots in Disguise. Even if the game didn't have a single shape-changing robot it would still stand out.
This game has excellent storytelling skills, having a dramatic, flair filled atmosphere while at the same time telling the origin story of the Autobots and Decepticons. Sadly, they forgot to explain two things: First, what happened to the Dinobots at the end of level twelve? and Second: Is Starscream truly stranded on Cybertron when the Autobots and Decepticons evacuated Cybertron? I have a hunch that the first question will be answered when Rise of the Dark Spark is released. I just think that Starscream is simply going to inexplicably show up, probably trying to assassinate Megatron and make himself king again. However, the first time he was king he failed to destroy Megatron. He was smashed to bits by Metroplex. Even then Megatron survived. In fact, one might say he is death-less or immortal as he has been "killed" but always comes back.
Anyway, This game is a shooter, much to my joy. However, each character handles differently. Cliffjumper and Starscream sneak around like ninjas, trying their best to avoid gun-fights and devastate enemies from the shadows. At the same time, Jazz and Swindle have a little bit of platforming and a LOT of puzzle solving.
Grimlock and Bruticus probably are the easiest to use. Grimlock can grab his surroundings and throw them around, and can use his sword to pulverize anyone that gets in his way. Bruticus can punch his way to victory. Literally. Press the punch button to do a combo. Plus, he can do the Sonic Pain Wave, a super, one hit kill move where he hits the ground and sends out shock-waves.
The only problem is that there are only thirteen levels. I would be happier with the game if it had at least twenty. But one must remember that every console has limits.
The previous game had a local co-op mode, but this game doesn't. All multiplayer is strictly online only. Most people think playing with complete strangers is cool, but me? First, online cause privacy issues. Second, I do not even need to play with others to beat something. I can beat almost any game by myself, with NO BACKUP. I mean that. In fact I am trying to beat Monster Hunter Tri solo because thankfully, Capcom shut down the online, which means I am free to beat the solo story (even though there is not much story to beat. Pick a few Quests, do the Quests, get cool stuff, make armor and weapons, repeat).
All-in-All I give this game a perfect 10.0. The only thing I don't like is sneaking around as Cliffjumper. But that is because I like the "Shoot first, shoot later" strategy. Basically if it moves shoot it!!!!!
This game has excellent storytelling skills, having a dramatic, flair filled atmosphere while at the same time telling the origin story of the Autobots and Decepticons. Sadly, they forgot to explain two things: First, what happened to the Dinobots at the end of level twelve? and Second: Is Starscream truly stranded on Cybertron when the Autobots and Decepticons evacuated Cybertron? I have a hunch that the first question will be answered when Rise of the Dark Spark is released. I just think that Starscream is simply going to inexplicably show up, probably trying to assassinate Megatron and make himself king again. However, the first time he was king he failed to destroy Megatron. He was smashed to bits by Metroplex. Even then Megatron survived. In fact, one might say he is death-less or immortal as he has been "killed" but always comes back.
Anyway, This game is a shooter, much to my joy. However, each character handles differently. Cliffjumper and Starscream sneak around like ninjas, trying their best to avoid gun-fights and devastate enemies from the shadows. At the same time, Jazz and Swindle have a little bit of platforming and a LOT of puzzle solving.
Grimlock and Bruticus probably are the easiest to use. Grimlock can grab his surroundings and throw them around, and can use his sword to pulverize anyone that gets in his way. Bruticus can punch his way to victory. Literally. Press the punch button to do a combo. Plus, he can do the Sonic Pain Wave, a super, one hit kill move where he hits the ground and sends out shock-waves.
The only problem is that there are only thirteen levels. I would be happier with the game if it had at least twenty. But one must remember that every console has limits.
The previous game had a local co-op mode, but this game doesn't. All multiplayer is strictly online only. Most people think playing with complete strangers is cool, but me? First, online cause privacy issues. Second, I do not even need to play with others to beat something. I can beat almost any game by myself, with NO BACKUP. I mean that. In fact I am trying to beat Monster Hunter Tri solo because thankfully, Capcom shut down the online, which means I am free to beat the solo story (even though there is not much story to beat. Pick a few Quests, do the Quests, get cool stuff, make armor and weapons, repeat).
All-in-All I give this game a perfect 10.0. The only thing I don't like is sneaking around as Cliffjumper. But that is because I like the "Shoot first, shoot later" strategy. Basically if it moves shoot it!!!!!
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Review Time!!! Part Two: Spider Man
This is the second part of my reviews on various video games that I have played (and for most of them, beaten). This one is on The First Amazing Spider-Man.
This game is not as awesome as Spider-Man Web of Shadows but it has some stuff to back it up. Web of Shadows has upgrades that you can actually notice. This game, the upgrades are not as obvious. In fact, the only major change is how Spidey does the Stealth take-down. Before upgrading, Spider-Man pins the target to the ground and webs them to the floor. After upgrading, Spider-Man traps the victim in a cocoon and webs the cocoon to the ceiling. That is cool but it begs the question. How are cops supposed to notice the cocoon, let alone get them out without harming them? But this question is for entertainment only. There is no real answer.
Now there are two major things that I don't like about this game. Almost all the levels (except for bosses) take place indoors, taking Spidey out of his element (swinging on webs outside and delivering a LOT of cheesy jokes). And second, the Wii version of this game is a half baked game with no Free Roam and most of the time the NPC character animations look awkward. Also, Only Spider-Man's fingers move in the Wii version (which, I have. I would rather have the PS3 or Wii U version). And the optional side missions get boring really quickly (again in the Wii Version. The side missions have more variety than the Wii version).
But here are the things I do like.The Web Rush feature is nice edition (especially in the PS3 version). The Spider Sense counter has one pro and one con. On the Plus side it makes Spider Man almost untouchable in open combat. However it sometimes makes fights too easy (There is such a thing as too easy).
Finally the Boss fights are fantastic. Tricking the Rhino into smashing his head in a truck, punching robots in the eyeballs, and going toe to toe with the Lizard are some of the most enjoyable moments (even in the Wii version, which is not nearly as fun, or entertaining, as all the other versions, really.)
I would give every version except the Wii version a 8.0 and give the Wii version a 6.2. If the Wii version had Free Roam and more lifelike animations the score would have been higher, but the Wii version is nowhere near as fun as every other version. My advice; Get the PS3 version. If you think about getting the Wii version just keep on walking. The PS3 version is a whole lot better.
Now think about this. Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 (see part one for more details) scored higher than both scores combined. Spider-Man is one of my favorite superheroes. This game isn't the best Spider-Man game but is a good game (Web of Shadows is and unless they do a good job with Spider-Man 2, will probably remain the best Spider-Man game of all time).
This game is not as awesome as Spider-Man Web of Shadows but it has some stuff to back it up. Web of Shadows has upgrades that you can actually notice. This game, the upgrades are not as obvious. In fact, the only major change is how Spidey does the Stealth take-down. Before upgrading, Spider-Man pins the target to the ground and webs them to the floor. After upgrading, Spider-Man traps the victim in a cocoon and webs the cocoon to the ceiling. That is cool but it begs the question. How are cops supposed to notice the cocoon, let alone get them out without harming them? But this question is for entertainment only. There is no real answer.
Now there are two major things that I don't like about this game. Almost all the levels (except for bosses) take place indoors, taking Spidey out of his element (swinging on webs outside and delivering a LOT of cheesy jokes). And second, the Wii version of this game is a half baked game with no Free Roam and most of the time the NPC character animations look awkward. Also, Only Spider-Man's fingers move in the Wii version (which, I have. I would rather have the PS3 or Wii U version). And the optional side missions get boring really quickly (again in the Wii Version. The side missions have more variety than the Wii version).
But here are the things I do like.The Web Rush feature is nice edition (especially in the PS3 version). The Spider Sense counter has one pro and one con. On the Plus side it makes Spider Man almost untouchable in open combat. However it sometimes makes fights too easy (There is such a thing as too easy).
Finally the Boss fights are fantastic. Tricking the Rhino into smashing his head in a truck, punching robots in the eyeballs, and going toe to toe with the Lizard are some of the most enjoyable moments (even in the Wii version, which is not nearly as fun, or entertaining, as all the other versions, really.)
I would give every version except the Wii version a 8.0 and give the Wii version a 6.2. If the Wii version had Free Roam and more lifelike animations the score would have been higher, but the Wii version is nowhere near as fun as every other version. My advice; Get the PS3 version. If you think about getting the Wii version just keep on walking. The PS3 version is a whole lot better.
Now think about this. Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 (see part one for more details) scored higher than both scores combined. Spider-Man is one of my favorite superheroes. This game isn't the best Spider-Man game but is a good game (Web of Shadows is and unless they do a good job with Spider-Man 2, will probably remain the best Spider-Man game of all time).
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Review Time!!! Part One: Naruto
I realized something the other day. My favorite video game critics GameInformer and IGN write reviews (and previews) for literally every game out there. This is my 215th (or somewhere around that number) post and I almost never wrote a review based on personal experience.
So it's only fair to reveal my opinion on my blog. My first review is about a game I recently got (I bought on my birthday!!); Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 (Full burst edition!!!).
Now this game's primary focus is on story. Because they don't bother giving you a tutorial on basic combat I recommend playing with Free Battle mode before doing story mode.
The game has a LOT of cutscenes so I suggest this game for very patient gamers. For impatient speed runners there is a feature that lets you skip some cutscenes.
Also this game is not very difficult once you get the hang of basic combat (the secret optional boss is the only hard part for me. I died more times than I would like to admit on that level. But I beat the boss.). Another focus for this game is visual flair. When I first unlocked every character I tried to find the coolest looking finisher (Sasuke's Flame Control Sword wins).
Regular fights don't offer much variety sadly. The only truly unique fights are the boss battles (the fight between Naruto and Sasuke at the end of Chapter 2 was my favorite. I also like fighting the final boss).
Oddly enough they have a feature which lets you turn off blood in the game. Of course the amount of blood is very minor and can be easily ignored. Unless of course you just happen to be squeamish. In which I suggest you turn off blood in story mode but only if even the tiniest drop of the red stuff churns your stomach. Other than that, keep the blood. Also the only blood appears in cutscenes only. NOT in combat.
As far as humor goes, only a handful of characters are constantly funny. Naruto has his moments (his funniest moment was when he called Might Guy "Super Bushy Brow Sensei"). Killer Bee's rhyming is quite entertaining. Especially because everyone else thinks that his rhymes are bad.
All in all, this is a great game (I give a 9.0. If the cutscenes were shorter and you could have Naruto use Summoning Jutsu the game would be better). The cutscenes are surprisingly lengthy. The longest cutscenes are in chapter four. This game is probably not the best way to refresh Naruto knowledge. After all, the references to past events are vague. At least until you fill the Ninja World Timeline book. Then you can revisit famous events from the TV show. And no. You cannot do neither the written Chunin Exams or the survival drill in the Forest of Death. You CAN do the final exams however, but they are just normal one-on-one fights. Nothing special. Also, you can't summon a certain giant red frog with a attitude.
So it's only fair to reveal my opinion on my blog. My first review is about a game I recently got (I bought on my birthday!!); Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 (Full burst edition!!!).
Now this game's primary focus is on story. Because they don't bother giving you a tutorial on basic combat I recommend playing with Free Battle mode before doing story mode.
The game has a LOT of cutscenes so I suggest this game for very patient gamers. For impatient speed runners there is a feature that lets you skip some cutscenes.
Also this game is not very difficult once you get the hang of basic combat (the secret optional boss is the only hard part for me. I died more times than I would like to admit on that level. But I beat the boss.). Another focus for this game is visual flair. When I first unlocked every character I tried to find the coolest looking finisher (Sasuke's Flame Control Sword wins).
Regular fights don't offer much variety sadly. The only truly unique fights are the boss battles (the fight between Naruto and Sasuke at the end of Chapter 2 was my favorite. I also like fighting the final boss).
Oddly enough they have a feature which lets you turn off blood in the game. Of course the amount of blood is very minor and can be easily ignored. Unless of course you just happen to be squeamish. In which I suggest you turn off blood in story mode but only if even the tiniest drop of the red stuff churns your stomach. Other than that, keep the blood. Also the only blood appears in cutscenes only. NOT in combat.
As far as humor goes, only a handful of characters are constantly funny. Naruto has his moments (his funniest moment was when he called Might Guy "Super Bushy Brow Sensei"). Killer Bee's rhyming is quite entertaining. Especially because everyone else thinks that his rhymes are bad.
All in all, this is a great game (I give a 9.0. If the cutscenes were shorter and you could have Naruto use Summoning Jutsu the game would be better). The cutscenes are surprisingly lengthy. The longest cutscenes are in chapter four. This game is probably not the best way to refresh Naruto knowledge. After all, the references to past events are vague. At least until you fill the Ninja World Timeline book. Then you can revisit famous events from the TV show. And no. You cannot do neither the written Chunin Exams or the survival drill in the Forest of Death. You CAN do the final exams however, but they are just normal one-on-one fights. Nothing special. Also, you can't summon a certain giant red frog with a attitude.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
LEGO The Hobbit Time!!!
LEGO Lord of the Rings was a stroke of brilliance in it's own right. But what happens if you travel sixty (60) years before the first Lord of the Rings movie? You get LEGO the Hobbit!!!
This game sees the return of Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf and marks the video game debut of the Thirteen Dwarves. Unless of course you wrote a fan fiction about them in a video game, but seriously, who takes advice from fan fictions for video games? It worked for Adventure Time when someone submitted the idea for the "Jake vs Meemow" episode but with video games it's a whole other story.
Anyway, Oddly enough LEGO the Hobbit only covers the first two Hobbit movies. The third one is currently in development. So I guess that it makes sense that LEGO is not spoiling the plot of the third movie by keeping it out of the game altogether.
LEGO the Hobbit has pretty much the same story as the first two movies so I guess that there is no point in writing the story. Then again, one of the most important aspects of a video game is storytelling. Well, at least in games that actually HAVE a Story Mode (none of the Mario & Sonic games have story modes). Anyway, The Hobbit (like all LEGO games) take the best bits of previous games while improving the formula. EXAMPLE: Players can use Bombur's (he is one of the Thirteen Dwarves. He is the really fat one) stomach as a trampoline to enable other characters to reach otherwise unreachable platforms (or switches, depending on the puzzle).
Just like LEGO Lord of the Rings, this game has the Mithril crafting system that can make equipment that can enable one character to mimic the powers of another character without having to switch character. I can imagine that if this is available in the levels it ought to be available in Free Play Mode (Otherwise it would be cheating in Story Mode).
Also just like the more recent LEGO video games, LEGO the Hobbit has TALKING LEGO Minifigures. Instead of the random gibberish in LEGO Star Wars III, LEGO Indiana Jones, LEGO Harry Potter, and other past games. However, instead of original dialogue the dialogue in LEGO the Hobbit is almost identical to the dialogue in the movies.
This game will be released on April 22nd and Pre-Order for GameStop is live. If you Pre-Order they give you a GameStop exclusive Bilbo Baggins Minifigure. Even though I already have a Bilbo Baggins Minifigure. But this one has a unique design. GameStop.com nicknamed this particular Bilbo Baggins Minifigure "Good Morning" Bilbo Baggins. Which is actually a reference to the opening scene of the first Hobbit movie where Bilbo and Gandalf the Grey have a humorous conversation over the definition of the phrase "good morning" (Gandalf: "What do you mean by 'good morning'? Are you wishing me a good morning whether I want it or not, or do you feel good on this particular morning? Or are you saying this is a morning to be good on?" Bilbo: "All of them at once... I suppose.").
For video and screen shots, please go to GameStop.com. They got more videos than everyone else!! Ha ha!!!
This game sees the return of Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf and marks the video game debut of the Thirteen Dwarves. Unless of course you wrote a fan fiction about them in a video game, but seriously, who takes advice from fan fictions for video games? It worked for Adventure Time when someone submitted the idea for the "Jake vs Meemow" episode but with video games it's a whole other story.
Anyway, Oddly enough LEGO the Hobbit only covers the first two Hobbit movies. The third one is currently in development. So I guess that it makes sense that LEGO is not spoiling the plot of the third movie by keeping it out of the game altogether.
LEGO the Hobbit has pretty much the same story as the first two movies so I guess that there is no point in writing the story. Then again, one of the most important aspects of a video game is storytelling. Well, at least in games that actually HAVE a Story Mode (none of the Mario & Sonic games have story modes). Anyway, The Hobbit (like all LEGO games) take the best bits of previous games while improving the formula. EXAMPLE: Players can use Bombur's (he is one of the Thirteen Dwarves. He is the really fat one) stomach as a trampoline to enable other characters to reach otherwise unreachable platforms (or switches, depending on the puzzle).
Just like LEGO Lord of the Rings, this game has the Mithril crafting system that can make equipment that can enable one character to mimic the powers of another character without having to switch character. I can imagine that if this is available in the levels it ought to be available in Free Play Mode (Otherwise it would be cheating in Story Mode).
Also just like the more recent LEGO video games, LEGO the Hobbit has TALKING LEGO Minifigures. Instead of the random gibberish in LEGO Star Wars III, LEGO Indiana Jones, LEGO Harry Potter, and other past games. However, instead of original dialogue the dialogue in LEGO the Hobbit is almost identical to the dialogue in the movies.
This game will be released on April 22nd and Pre-Order for GameStop is live. If you Pre-Order they give you a GameStop exclusive Bilbo Baggins Minifigure. Even though I already have a Bilbo Baggins Minifigure. But this one has a unique design. GameStop.com nicknamed this particular Bilbo Baggins Minifigure "Good Morning" Bilbo Baggins. Which is actually a reference to the opening scene of the first Hobbit movie where Bilbo and Gandalf the Grey have a humorous conversation over the definition of the phrase "good morning" (Gandalf: "What do you mean by 'good morning'? Are you wishing me a good morning whether I want it or not, or do you feel good on this particular morning? Or are you saying this is a morning to be good on?" Bilbo: "All of them at once... I suppose.").
For video and screen shots, please go to GameStop.com. They got more videos than everyone else!! Ha ha!!!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark time!!
They are coming out with a NEW Transformers game!!!!! It is not OFFICIALLY released but they got trailers, videos, etc. AND the game looks mighty impressive. I just hope that there are more Dino-bot levels and less stealth levels. I hate the stealth levels. Though I guess that is because whenever I play any game that lets you use laser guns (like Transformers Fall of Cybertron) I love gunning down everything in sight (Scrap-maker's my personal favorite gun in the game. Can't Beat Scrap-Maker!!! Ha ha!).
But seriously, my least favorite moment of Fall of Cybertron was when I was playing as Cliffjumper. His humorous quotes (especially when you blow your cover) and sarcastic jokes he trades with Jazz make up for sneaking around. Honestly I prefer shooting everybody in the face with a Thermo-Rocket Cannon. But that's just me. You may like sneaking around doing one-hit stealth kills to everybody, but to me, NOTHING beats blasting everybody's face off with weapons of mass destruction. Or punching them in the jaw, in the VERY likely event that you (or me) run out of ammo.
Enough about Fall of Cybertron. In Rise of the Dark Spark, The Autobots (who are goody little two shoes!) and the Decepticons (polar opposite of the Autobots who again, are goody little two shoes!) race all over Earth AND Cybertron for the titular Dark Spark, something that possesses crazy awesome power. Like the kind of power to blow up half the universe.
A new feature is that the Insecticons (Decepticons that transform into giant bugs/insects/arthropods) are now playable. The Dino-bots also (just like everyone else) have been redesigned. Grimlock's T. Rex form is now notably spikier in this game than it is in the previous game.
That is pretty much everything I know about Rise of the Dark Spark. For videos and screen shots, please go to GameStop.com Or Wikipedia.
But seriously, my least favorite moment of Fall of Cybertron was when I was playing as Cliffjumper. His humorous quotes (especially when you blow your cover) and sarcastic jokes he trades with Jazz make up for sneaking around. Honestly I prefer shooting everybody in the face with a Thermo-Rocket Cannon. But that's just me. You may like sneaking around doing one-hit stealth kills to everybody, but to me, NOTHING beats blasting everybody's face off with weapons of mass destruction. Or punching them in the jaw, in the VERY likely event that you (or me) run out of ammo.
Enough about Fall of Cybertron. In Rise of the Dark Spark, The Autobots (who are goody little two shoes!) and the Decepticons (polar opposite of the Autobots who again, are goody little two shoes!) race all over Earth AND Cybertron for the titular Dark Spark, something that possesses crazy awesome power. Like the kind of power to blow up half the universe.
A new feature is that the Insecticons (Decepticons that transform into giant bugs/insects/arthropods) are now playable. The Dino-bots also (just like everyone else) have been redesigned. Grimlock's T. Rex form is now notably spikier in this game than it is in the previous game.
That is pretty much everything I know about Rise of the Dark Spark. For videos and screen shots, please go to GameStop.com Or Wikipedia.
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