OK, I'm fairly new to these forums, but I wanted to give my shot at a review. I'm not overly critical to games, and most likely I'll review games I like, while still explaining both pros and cons. Also, my taste in games is very, very broad. My favorites? Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Half Life 2. Basically polar opposites. So if I end up doing well, expect a wide range of different reviews. Also, as a side note, I will review games on the lower difficulties (medium, usually) and also usually just the single player aspect. I've never been to good at multiplayer.
So, without further ado, my first review! Yes, it's an older game, but I figured it would be a good start.
ZeroMachine reviews:
Prey
Release Date: July 11th, 2006
Systems: PC and Xbox 360 (my review is of the PC version)
Rated: M for Mature (For graphic violence, more F-Bombs than your average South Park episode, and boobs... yes, boobs.)
Opening Statement: The last game I would have ever expected to have my first review about would be a cliched action shooter using the Doom 3 engine (id Tech 4), but you know what? I made an exception. I was introduced to this game months ago, but never got my chance to play it. I finally did, and I enjoyed it far more than I would have expected.
Story: Story has always been a huge thing for me. Being a writer myself that loves to put turns and twists into his stories, I'm usually drawn to complex stories that have potential for hidden secrets and hints to other, larger things happening. This game is NOT that story. But oddly enough, it's still very entertaining. If you ever enjoyed your classic one-man-against-an-alien-invasion movies or games, you'll enjoy this story quite a bit. But, it also adds an interesting new thing to that formula... You aren't some genetically enhanced super-soldier with an A.I. You're Domasi Tawodi, also known as Tommy. You're a former U.S. Army soldier now making his living as a mechanic in a Native American reservation. You have a girlfriend, Jen, who owns a bar, and you spend your life with her and your Grandfather Enisi, all the while trying to convince Jen to leave the reservation with you because you hate it there. But, one night, you're abducted by aliens. *gasp* Who didn't see that coming? So, although the story isn't very original, it gets some points for the main character, as well as the fact that he also uses the spirit abilities of his tribe in order to combat the invading aliens, who his grandfather refer to as "The Dark Ones". I won't go further, but what I will say is that the ending gave me such a feeling of accomplishment that I haven't felt since my days playing the older Zelda games. Also, keep your ears open for what'll sound like a radio show- Art Bell makes some auditory-cameos as himself on his radio show, getting calls from people witnessing the invasion.
Gameplay: The gameplay of Prey is your classic FPS game with a few odd touches, and cool features. The core is simple. There are bad guys, shoot them until they're no longer there. But unlike most shooters, you NEVER reload your guns. EVER. Instead, you simply collect ammo that is automatically fed into your weapons. This may seem odd, and may even turn some people off, but it makes for very smooth firefights and gets rid of pauses in battle. It can be annoying, as ammo can sometimes be scarce and some of your weapons run dry fairly quickly in an intense fight, but that just adds to the challenge. Another interesting feature is your "Spirit". Early on in the game, you gain the ability to separate from your body and walk around as your spirit, who can use a fairly powerful bow and arrow that uses up Spirit Energy. I didn't use it that much in combat, but it comes in handy. While in your spirit form, you can also walk through energy shields and sometimes there are secret pathways that reveal themselves to you only when in spirit form. Not exactly innovative, but add it with the fast pace of combat and the interesting level design and puzzles this game throws at you, and it's quite fun. But, even with all these features, the game suffers from one fatal flaw... the challenge. While playing through certain fights, you may think to yourself "Oh SHIT this is tough!" And then you'll die. Kind of. You see, in this game, you don't actually die, per se. When your health bar reaches your toes, you leave your body and are sent to a small platform in a spirit world type thing. You then pull out your spirit bow and arrow, and have to shoot at red spirits (that give you more health when you respawn) and blue spirits (that give you more Spirit Energy when you respawn). Then, you get sucked into the middle of the platform and come out back in the real world either where you pop back out either where you died or very nearby, even if you were in the middle of a fight. This takes away any worries of dying. Although the shooting mini-game of death does get slightly harder as the game progresses, as long as you have good aim, you'll come back to life with near full health, ready to kill any enemies you have left. So, the game gives off a false image of challenge, while in fact it's just really, really easy. But still fun. (NOTE: I haven't yet played it in "Cherokee" mode, which you unlock after beating it on normal. It says it's harder, but I don't know if the death mechanism is any different. When I give it a try, I'll update this.) One last thing to mention on this is the bosses. Many bosses show up later as regularly seen enemies, which makes for some fun "Aw, crap" moments. They're all a lot of fun, and are actually not just always "SHOOT IT DEAD" scenarios.
Graphics: The fact that the game ran on my shit-tastic laptop shocked me beyond belief, especially when it ran more smoothly than Doom 3 in some areas. And yet it still looked great. The character models for the humans were a bit... lacking... and their animations aren't the best in the world (Half Life 2 this ain't), but they fit with the art style. As for the environments, many are just hallways made out of your generic "you?re on a spaceship" metal. Nothing special. But then you get to the more open areas, and it brings forth some great visuals, such as riding an elevator upwards only to see a commercial airplane fly right past you and crash, or flying a small mini-ship up and out of a passageway to clearly see planet Earth. The weapons are a bit bland and all look very similar, but are still fun to work with. Some enemies are fairly cool looking, while the ones you come across the most look like rip-offs of Predators. Overall, though, I'd say this game is pretty good looking, but comes nowhere near using the 360's full potential (yes, I played it on PC, but it was out for 360 and looked no different).
Sound: Unlike a lot of gamers I know, I'm a firm believer that music can either make or break a game. Although this game's music doesn't make it, it certainly doesn't break it. Most of the tracks are orchestrated, and are either atmospheric or action-based, but towards the climax of the game it takes a sudden turn for the epic. The final battles have some excellent tracks that really get your blood flowing. Also, very excellent here, when you're first brought up into the ship, the radio in your girlfriend's bar plays "Don't Fear the Reaper." As for sound effects, they reused some stuff from Doom 3, but they all fit. The guns, creatures, and environment sound great. The voice acting isn't the best in the world. In fact, some times its downright bad... But oddly enough, it fits perfectly. Although I did think to myself many times "Really? People really talk like that?" it never gets in the way of enjoyment, and can actually add a sort of funny bad alien movie feeling to it.
Warnings to the Queasy: In many, many ways, this game is F**KED (as a friend of mine delicately put to me once). I won't go into detail, but there are many points in the game where you need to do things that would conflict with human morality to the point where, even though it's a game, you question whether you should do it or not. I'm sure many of you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, though, just keep that in mind if you give the game a try.
Scores:
Story- Though somewhat cliched, it often brings some new things to the cliched table- 84%
Gameplay- The odd features this game has, coupled with great level design and intriguing, though somewhat simple, puzzles, the game is a LOT of fun. But a bit too easy because of the death mechanism- 91%
Graphics- This is the only part where the game is lacking enough for a mention, but it still looks great in many areas, and is no reason not to give the game a try- 78%
Sound- Great music, good sound effects, and corny voice acting add a lot to the game, and never get in the way of a good gaming experience- 93%
Overall: As I said in my opening statement, I would have never expected to enjoy this game as much as I did. But, it ended up being one of my favorites. The game brings some hours a wholesome shoot-they-ass entertainment that are good to pass the time when you just want a fun singleplayer experience. The game falls short in many ways, but the experience is still a great one- 86.5%
So guys... how did I do for my first?
So, without further ado, my first review! Yes, it's an older game, but I figured it would be a good start.
ZeroMachine reviews:
Prey
Release Date: July 11th, 2006
Systems: PC and Xbox 360 (my review is of the PC version)
Rated: M for Mature (For graphic violence, more F-Bombs than your average South Park episode, and boobs... yes, boobs.)
Opening Statement: The last game I would have ever expected to have my first review about would be a cliched action shooter using the Doom 3 engine (id Tech 4), but you know what? I made an exception. I was introduced to this game months ago, but never got my chance to play it. I finally did, and I enjoyed it far more than I would have expected.
Story: Story has always been a huge thing for me. Being a writer myself that loves to put turns and twists into his stories, I'm usually drawn to complex stories that have potential for hidden secrets and hints to other, larger things happening. This game is NOT that story. But oddly enough, it's still very entertaining. If you ever enjoyed your classic one-man-against-an-alien-invasion movies or games, you'll enjoy this story quite a bit. But, it also adds an interesting new thing to that formula... You aren't some genetically enhanced super-soldier with an A.I. You're Domasi Tawodi, also known as Tommy. You're a former U.S. Army soldier now making his living as a mechanic in a Native American reservation. You have a girlfriend, Jen, who owns a bar, and you spend your life with her and your Grandfather Enisi, all the while trying to convince Jen to leave the reservation with you because you hate it there. But, one night, you're abducted by aliens. *gasp* Who didn't see that coming? So, although the story isn't very original, it gets some points for the main character, as well as the fact that he also uses the spirit abilities of his tribe in order to combat the invading aliens, who his grandfather refer to as "The Dark Ones". I won't go further, but what I will say is that the ending gave me such a feeling of accomplishment that I haven't felt since my days playing the older Zelda games. Also, keep your ears open for what'll sound like a radio show- Art Bell makes some auditory-cameos as himself on his radio show, getting calls from people witnessing the invasion.
Gameplay: The gameplay of Prey is your classic FPS game with a few odd touches, and cool features. The core is simple. There are bad guys, shoot them until they're no longer there. But unlike most shooters, you NEVER reload your guns. EVER. Instead, you simply collect ammo that is automatically fed into your weapons. This may seem odd, and may even turn some people off, but it makes for very smooth firefights and gets rid of pauses in battle. It can be annoying, as ammo can sometimes be scarce and some of your weapons run dry fairly quickly in an intense fight, but that just adds to the challenge. Another interesting feature is your "Spirit". Early on in the game, you gain the ability to separate from your body and walk around as your spirit, who can use a fairly powerful bow and arrow that uses up Spirit Energy. I didn't use it that much in combat, but it comes in handy. While in your spirit form, you can also walk through energy shields and sometimes there are secret pathways that reveal themselves to you only when in spirit form. Not exactly innovative, but add it with the fast pace of combat and the interesting level design and puzzles this game throws at you, and it's quite fun. But, even with all these features, the game suffers from one fatal flaw... the challenge. While playing through certain fights, you may think to yourself "Oh SHIT this is tough!" And then you'll die. Kind of. You see, in this game, you don't actually die, per se. When your health bar reaches your toes, you leave your body and are sent to a small platform in a spirit world type thing. You then pull out your spirit bow and arrow, and have to shoot at red spirits (that give you more health when you respawn) and blue spirits (that give you more Spirit Energy when you respawn). Then, you get sucked into the middle of the platform and come out back in the real world either where you pop back out either where you died or very nearby, even if you were in the middle of a fight. This takes away any worries of dying. Although the shooting mini-game of death does get slightly harder as the game progresses, as long as you have good aim, you'll come back to life with near full health, ready to kill any enemies you have left. So, the game gives off a false image of challenge, while in fact it's just really, really easy. But still fun. (NOTE: I haven't yet played it in "Cherokee" mode, which you unlock after beating it on normal. It says it's harder, but I don't know if the death mechanism is any different. When I give it a try, I'll update this.) One last thing to mention on this is the bosses. Many bosses show up later as regularly seen enemies, which makes for some fun "Aw, crap" moments. They're all a lot of fun, and are actually not just always "SHOOT IT DEAD" scenarios.
Graphics: The fact that the game ran on my shit-tastic laptop shocked me beyond belief, especially when it ran more smoothly than Doom 3 in some areas. And yet it still looked great. The character models for the humans were a bit... lacking... and their animations aren't the best in the world (Half Life 2 this ain't), but they fit with the art style. As for the environments, many are just hallways made out of your generic "you?re on a spaceship" metal. Nothing special. But then you get to the more open areas, and it brings forth some great visuals, such as riding an elevator upwards only to see a commercial airplane fly right past you and crash, or flying a small mini-ship up and out of a passageway to clearly see planet Earth. The weapons are a bit bland and all look very similar, but are still fun to work with. Some enemies are fairly cool looking, while the ones you come across the most look like rip-offs of Predators. Overall, though, I'd say this game is pretty good looking, but comes nowhere near using the 360's full potential (yes, I played it on PC, but it was out for 360 and looked no different).
Sound: Unlike a lot of gamers I know, I'm a firm believer that music can either make or break a game. Although this game's music doesn't make it, it certainly doesn't break it. Most of the tracks are orchestrated, and are either atmospheric or action-based, but towards the climax of the game it takes a sudden turn for the epic. The final battles have some excellent tracks that really get your blood flowing. Also, very excellent here, when you're first brought up into the ship, the radio in your girlfriend's bar plays "Don't Fear the Reaper." As for sound effects, they reused some stuff from Doom 3, but they all fit. The guns, creatures, and environment sound great. The voice acting isn't the best in the world. In fact, some times its downright bad... But oddly enough, it fits perfectly. Although I did think to myself many times "Really? People really talk like that?" it never gets in the way of enjoyment, and can actually add a sort of funny bad alien movie feeling to it.
Warnings to the Queasy: In many, many ways, this game is F**KED (as a friend of mine delicately put to me once). I won't go into detail, but there are many points in the game where you need to do things that would conflict with human morality to the point where, even though it's a game, you question whether you should do it or not. I'm sure many of you know what I'm talking about. If you don't, though, just keep that in mind if you give the game a try.
Scores:
Story- Though somewhat cliched, it often brings some new things to the cliched table- 84%
Gameplay- The odd features this game has, coupled with great level design and intriguing, though somewhat simple, puzzles, the game is a LOT of fun. But a bit too easy because of the death mechanism- 91%
Graphics- This is the only part where the game is lacking enough for a mention, but it still looks great in many areas, and is no reason not to give the game a try- 78%
Sound- Great music, good sound effects, and corny voice acting add a lot to the game, and never get in the way of a good gaming experience- 93%
Overall: As I said in my opening statement, I would have never expected to enjoy this game as much as I did. But, it ended up being one of my favorites. The game brings some hours a wholesome shoot-they-ass entertainment that are good to pass the time when you just want a fun singleplayer experience. The game falls short in many ways, but the experience is still a great one- 86.5%
So guys... how did I do for my first?
