Saints Row: The Third Review (360)

Game Review: Saints Row: The Third
Release: November 15, 2011
Genre: Open World Third Person Shooter / RPG
Developer: Volition Games / THQ
Available Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Players: 1 – 2 Online Co-op
MSRP: $59.99 US
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
Website: www.SaintsRow.com

This review is for anyone who is unfamiliar with the Saints Row franchise. Myself. I have never played a Saints Row game prior to “The Third” so there will be no comparing this to previous titles. Instead, I am seeing this game with virgin eyes that will never be quite the same. If you are not old enough to play this game, then you are probably not old enough to read this review, but for the rest of you, prepare for an over the top journey to the dark side.

You are Johnny Gat, leader of The Saints, a street gang that originated on Saints Row in Stilwater. In the events of the preceding games, The Saints have “merged” with the former rulers of Stilwater, Ultor Corporation (Saints Row 2). Now called the Saints-Ultor Media Group, the gang has produced Saints-branded merchandise to cash in on their worldwide fame. The Saints have become celebrities and are expanding into the city of Steelport.

“The gang spends their days signing autographs (in the middle of bank heists) and partying at the most exclusive clubs. They are kings of the world, but everyone wants a piece of their crown. The Saints have attracted the attention of a ruthless group known only as The Syndicate.”

The main question is not what you CAN do in this game, it’s what CAN’T you do. Here’s just a taste of the activities waiting in Steelport: Sky Diving, Automobile Combat, Wave Tower Defense Combat, Car Theft and Delivery, Base Jumping, Helicopter Combat, Boat Chases, Tank Assaults, Protection Missions, Collectable Blowup Sex Dolls and Pallets of Cash; and that doesn’t really touch on the missions which start out in the vicinity of WTF and traverse a wide spectrum of “you have got to be kidding me.” Each is so over the top that it makes you wonder just how seriously twisted the folks at Volition are. I, for one, am really glad that the good folks at Volition have created a place where the criminally inclined can put their creativity to good use.

The main object of “The Third” is to rescue Steelport from The Syndicate and the various gangs under their control. The geography is spread over a set of islands that you can gradually take control of by purchasing property there and killing off rival gang members. The more property you own, the more income you make per hour. You will need this cash to buy weapons, ammo, upgrades, car mods, boat mods, clothes, etc. The RPG elements of the game are cleverly combined into the economy so that you never feel like you have to “level up” to make the game fun or playable.

What’s really great about the game is the complete lack of seriousness combined with balls-to-the-wall violence. The one liners are spread out so they don’t wear thin, and you never know exactly what might be involved in your next mission. With all of the big titles on the shelves right now, do not overlook Saints, as it delivers in excess in the fun category.

On the flip side, there are always bugs in any game on release day, and Saints Row The Third is no exception. The graphics are not world class – they are pretty average. There are the occasional clipping problems and even a lockup here and there. The integration with the Saints Row website, where in game screenshots and characters can be shared, is a bit sketchy, but Volition is on top of it and has corrected many of the problems this past weekend.  None of this is enough of a buzz-kill to avoid this game, and many of the in-game issues I had early on are already fixed.

As long as you aren’t easily offended by violence, colorful language, more violence, prostitutes, pimps, strippers, bondage, excessive violence, gang warfare or using huge purple dildos as weapons – then you will thoroughly enjoy this game. If any of this rubs you raw, then you better grow a pair, strap it on and get over it, because The Saints just simply don’t give a ****!

• Open World, Do Anything, Wanderfest
• Everything Is Over The Top
• Always Fun / Never Too Cheesy
• Unique Campaign With Lots Of Twists And Turns
• Some Bugs But No Buzz-Kill

Final Score: 8 out of 10

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Sega Bass Fishing Review (XBLA)

Game Review: SEGA Bass Fishing
Release: October 05, 2011
Genre: Fishing / Outdoor Sports
Developer: SEGA
Available Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, Wii
Players: 1
MSRP: 800 MSP or $9.99 US
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
Website: http://www.sega.com/games/sega-bass-fishing/

Bass fishing is not the first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of video game content, but I do like to see games that stray from the highly saturated genre of shooters. So I loaded up Sega Bass Fishing, packed a lunch with a fried Spam sandwich and returned to the fishing trips of my childhood from the comfort of my living room sofa. Strapped into my virtual Bass Boat, I take to the lake to see if anything is biting.

Here is what Sega has to say about the game:

“In SEGA Bass Fishing, players can cast their lines at eight different fishing holes, utilising 14 unique lures while battling realistic weather conditions that affect fish behavior. Players also have the opportunity to master their angling techniques to catch as many fish as possible in four tournaments, where the best of the best cross fishing rods! In addition, exclusive to the PlayStation 3, you’ll be able to get that realistic fishing experience right in your living room with the PlayStation Move motion controller. Cast off and reel in with a simple flick of the wrist.”

At first glance, the game’s graphics will not knock your socks off. This is not a remake, but a port of the original Dreamcast game with some tweaking for HD widescreen. Once you cast your line into the water and see first hand how the control of you poles and speed of reeling effect the lure in the water, you will be hooked. It really feels like fishing – even if the fish always tend to be hungry – which makes for the best fishing trips. Am I right?

The game breaks down to three modes: Arcade Mode, Original Mode and Practice Mode.

• Original Mode puts you through a series of tournaments where you have limited windows of time in which to fish. Score is kept by the weight of you catch and placing in the (pre-determined) top 10 earns your progression to the next series. As you progress through the tournaments, additional lures are unlocked as rewards.
• Arcade Mode is exactly that.  This operates as if you walked up to a machine in an arcade and dropped in a quarter.  You begin with two minutes and must earn additional time by catching fish and meeting weight goals.
• Practice Mode is just kickin’ back and fishin’; no competition or time limits. This is the closest thing to a relaxing day of fishing, just jump in the boat, pick a time of day, a location and the preferred weather. This is my favorite mode.

The game mechanics are the star of this game. With the left stick you control the direction of your pole. The right trigger controls the speed of reeling. Combine this with the accurate rumble feedback and it’s not to hard to imagine that you are actually fishing. Getting a fish on the line is made truly enjoyable by the lure-cam, giving you an underwater view of the action. Getting the fish in the boat is a completely different challenge – just like real fishing. A meter constantly shows the amount of tension on the line – and if it is too slack the fish will get away, too taught and the line could break. The fight to get your catch in the live box feels just right.

Even though the game mechanics feel spot on, Sega should have gone further with the graphics. Even though this is an HD version (port) of a classic game, it would have been great to see the graphics completely overhauled with more detailed models and recreated menus and pictures. Many of the menu screens are just stretched to the HD aspect ratio unless the Display Mode is set to “Wallpaper” rather than “Full screen”, then they are displayed in 4:3 with a pad around the edge.

While this new HD version of Sega Bass Fishing is not all that much of an improvement over the original, it remains a fun-to-play game that is a pleasant departure from shooting stuff.  At 800 Microsoft points ($9.99) this is not a bad deal, but there is a better deal to be had.   Sega Bass Fishing is part of the Sega Dreamcast Classics for Xbox 360 (with three other games) at a retail price of $19.99 US (Amazon has it now for about $15 US).  Sega Dreamcast Classics also includes Space Channel 5 Part 2, Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure, so if you are also interested in these Sega remakes, this may be the way to go.

• Realistic Lure Use
• Varied Locations and Time of Day
• Three Modes of Play
• Blend of Crisp HD Port with Outdated Models and Graphics

Final Score: 8 out of 10

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Space Channel 5 Part 2 Review (XBLA)

Game Review: Space Channel 5 Part 2
Release: October 05, 2011
Genre: Music / Rhythm
Developer: SEGA
Available Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3
Players: 1-2 (Off-line co-op)
MSRP: 800 MSP or $9.99
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Website: http://www.sega.com/games/space-channel-5-part-2/

Up, down, up, down, chu, chu, chu.  If this resurrects memories of infectious club music and dance combat then you are no stranger to Space Channel 5 Part 2.  Who else would you choose to save humanity from invading aliens but anime dream girl, and dance reporter, Ulala.

Here is how Sega describes the game:

In Space Channel 5 Part 2, follow Ulala, a dancer and reporter from Space Channel 5, on her quest to take down the Rhythm Rogues and their leaders, Purge and Shadow. The dancing Dreamcast diva must prevent them from creating the all-powerful dance-control weapon and ultimately end their pursuit of world domination. Along the way, enlist the help of Space Michael, based on the King of Pop himself, to prove Ulala’s prowess in rhythm and rescue Space President Peace!

The gameplay here is easy to learn but difficult to master.  Dance moves are represented by buttons on the controller.  The D-pad is used for up, down, left and right, the A button is “Chu” and the B button is “Hey”.  Battles consist of running into groups of aliens and doing battle through these dance moves.  First the aliens perform a dance routine then you need to repeat it using the correct keys at the correct time.  The difficulty ramps up quickly with longer and more complex dance sequences making the game fun and challenging.

If you can’t clap your hands or tap your feet to a beat then you should probably just move along citizen as this game will only frustrate you and make you miserable.  The sequences have some fairly complex rhythms and you are expected to not only press the correct buttons in the correct order, but you also need to get the rhythm dead on.  There isn’t much room for error.  I have been a drummer most of my life and I still found this game to challenging at times.

The great thing about this dance game is that you don’t have to stand in the middle of the living room, flailing around.  Your dancing is all done via the game pad so you never have to leave the comfort of your couch.  Having Ulala showing off her moves in HD is always a plus and is a welcome update to this classic game, even if the character models are still very noticeably blocky and angular.

Even though the game is being marketed as being in HD now, the absolute minimum has been done to get it there.  It appears all of the original character models are still being used, so don’t expect graphical miracles here.  Also, it would have been nice if Sega would have invested the time and effort to re-render the cut scenes in HD, but they are all still in fuzzy SD and have a 4:3 aspect ratio.

While this new HD version of Space Channel 5 Part 2 is not all that much of an improvement over the original, it remains a fun-to-play rhythm game that doesn’t require you to buy into the recent wave of motion controllers.  At 800 Microsoft points ($9.99) this is not a bad deal, but there is a better deal to be had.  Space Channel 5 Part 2 is part of the Sega Dreamcast Classics for Xbox 360 (with three other games) at a retail price of $19.99 US (Amazon has it now for about $15 US).  Sega Dreamcast Classics also includes Sega Bass Fishing, Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure, so if you are interested in these Sega remakes, this may be the way to go.

• Infectious soundtrack
• Easy to learn / Difficult to master
• Not for the rhythm challenged
• Recycled SD cut scenes

Final Score: 7 out of 10

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Blackwell Deception Review (PC)

Game Review: Blackwell Deception
Release: October 12, 2011
Genre: Retro Adventure
Developer: Wadjet Eye Games
Available Platforms: PC
Players: 1
MSRP: $14.99
ESRB Rating: Not Rated
Website: www.wadjeteyegames.com/blackwell-deception.html

Wadjet Eye Games brings us another retro Sierra Online styled adventure game. You might recall, I took a look at Gemini Rue some time ago, and took issue with some of the user interface choices as well as the pricing. The opportunity has come along to review another Wadjet Eye game, and am I glad I did.

In The Blackwell Deception, the fourth installment in the Blackwell series, you can play as either Rosangela Blackwell, a young, quirky psychic that can see and talk to ghosts, or you can play as Joey, her ghostly partner. Each have their own set of abilities (or lack thereof) . Rosa (or Red as Joey calls her because of her hair) has access to a smart-phone with a note pad to store all of you clues, internet access so you can use the Oogle search engine, e-mail and of course, make phone calls. Rosaalso can carry inventory items where Joey cannot. In fact, being a ghost, Joey can’t touch anything, or talk to anyone except Rosa and other ghosts. The controls have been reduced to left clicking to interact with something and right clicking to look at something which makes for a very intuitive interface to find your way through the locations looking for clues and solving puzzles.

Together, this unlikely pair help ghosts to “cross over” by aiding them in letting go of life and accepting that they have died. It’s all a bit “Nancy Drew” – in a good, whodunit kind of way. The story doesn’t get bogged down in forensic details or the like, instead, the focus is on the relationships between the characters and what the ghosts are holding on to in this world, keeping them here.

The Blackwell Deception has the retro graphics, animation, and simplified controls to put it into the commercial class of retro games. There is nothing amateur here. The jazzy noire vibe of the music is perfect for the game and complements Joey’s dated, Rat-Pack attitude nicely. With full character voicing combined with seasoned writing, the characters are lively and believable. Even though the subject matter deals with murder and drug abuse, the game is mild enough for teens without worry. The spiritual content is not preachy and the death is not gory; instead, the star of this game is the story and its characters.

All of the conversations are also point and click, making dialog nicely guided to keep you on track. Following all of the threads often pays off in either info gained or a funny remark. If you ever loose track of what you need to do next, just having Rosa talk to Joey to “plan their next move” will point you in the right direction. I found this to be rather nice in cases where I had missed a clue when examining a location.

The only issue I had with the game was getting my computer to support the antiquated 640 x 480 resolution required for the game; my video drivers just did not support it.  I did have a laptop that supported the correct resolution, so all was fine. If you are already into retro games, you are familiar with issues like this and their work-a-rounds. Just be aware that you may need to tweak your video drivers to run this. Just download the demo and try that first to be sure you are ready to run.

Overall, The Blackwell Deception makes me want to play all three of the previous Blackwell titles also. If you can get in on the pre-order that goes through October 16, 2011, you can order a DVD with all four Blackwell games on it for $24.99 – A great deal, otherwise, you can grab Blackwell Deception for $14.99 and get The Blackwell Convergence for free. If you missed the “pre-order DVD, there is a Blackwell pack with the earlier three Blackwell games for $19.99. With all of these purchasing deals and options, there’s no reason to avoid getting the free demo and checking out this game.

• Excellent Voice acting was terrible
• Characters Well Developed
• Enjoyable and Compelling Story
• Perfect User Interface
• Possible Video Driver Issues

Final Score: 9 out of 10

You can follow Wadjet Eye Games on Twitter and Facebook.

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RAGE Review (Xbox 360)

Game Review: RAGE (Xbox 360)
Release: October 4, 2011
Genre: Action FPS / RPG Hybrid
Developer: id / Bethesda
Available Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Players: 1-2 Local / 2-4 Online
MSRP: $59.99 US
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
Website: www.rage.com

RAGE is first person shooter pioneer, id software’s, latest entry into the gaming market place. This is their first game developed completely in-house since DOOM 3.  Let’s see how id did in meeting fan’s high expectations.

“After an asteroid impacts Earth, humanity attempts to rebuild. Sheltered in cryogenic lifeboats, survivors emerge years after impact to a devastated planet where some of mankind survived in struggling settlements or murderous bandit clans, while horrific mutants roam the dead cities. And a mysterious tyrannical government is on the hunt… for you.”

The game opens with a gorgeous cinematic of an asteroid approaching and striking the Earth. The next thing you know, your arc has opened, you awake from suspension, and you are the only survivor aboard your ark. You exit the arc and step into the post-apocalyptic steam-punkish Wasteland of RAGE.

The first minute playing this game left two impressions with me. The first was the amazing visuals.  RAGE is absolutely stunning visually.  The eye-candy is endless and in every polished detail.  The second was the glassy smooth movement controls. Everything is responsive and natural, the kind of integration that makes the controller vanish and puts you right in the game. Even the vehicle handling is excellent. The only drawback here, all racing in RAGE is third person with no ability to change your view.

Weapon selection is more along the lines of traditional FPS games, with just one of each type of weapon you will need.  Certain weapons can only be crafted from parts, such as sentry-bots and advanced wing-sticks (think smart boomerang made of three razor-sharp blades used to silently lop the heads off of enemies).  The inventory system is elegant and simple as it groups like items automatically and just shows you a total count or total value.

Geographically, there is one small settlement and two larger cities in RAGE. The settlement serves as a primer to introduce you to weapons, vehicles and the way missions and economics work in the game. Very soon you move on to the first real city, Wellspring, which serves as the central game hub for the first disc. Here is where most of the NPCs reside to provide missions and supplies, a vehicle garage and a race track. Subway Town provides basically the same resources for disc two.

In each city there are several gambling mini-games to be played in order to win (or lose) money:

• RAGE Frenzy - This is a Pokémon style card game.
• Five Finger Filet - This is a pattern / timing game.
• Tombstone - This is a pure game of chance using dice.
• Strum - This is a musical pattern game.

In addition to the mini games:

• Racing - Each the cities has a race track where you can compete in a variety of racing events.
• Mutant Bash TV - You are put into an arena and must survive waves of enemies.

Do not confuse the RAGE Wasteland with the Fallout Wasteland. RAGE is touted as an “open world” game, but it is not very open at all. The connections from the cities to the mission sites are called the Wasteland and it serves as roads and a small battleground for vehicular combat. Outside of the mission sites and the cities there just isn’t anything to explore. Even the mission levels are linear with no room to wander. Granted this is firstly a first person shooter, but the RPG elements of the game leave you wanting more as there are far fewer destinations and missions than in Fallout 3, New Vegas or Borderlands

The multi-player player portion of the game is a completely separate experience from the main campaign, meaning there is no multi-player campaign. Instead, there are separate stories called Wasteland Legends. These are separate storylines from the campaign and are based on some of the tall tales told in the wasteland. This is the only part of the game that supports split-screen play.  Why no split-screen racing?

Overall, there really is a ton of stuff to do in RAGE, and all of it controls as good as it looks, however, the RPG fan in me says there should have been more.  More story.  More locations.  More missions.  And this brings me back to where I started; expectations.  I expected the “open world” to be like Fallout and Borderlands, big and sprawling.  RAGE isn’t.

The story feels like a pilot episode to a much bigger story.  RAGE is clearly meant to be a franchise starter leaving a lot of places for the story go.  The multi-player part of RAGE is fun, but completely separated from the campaign portion of the game.  Even the multi-player racing feels tacked on, like an after-thought.

Taking into consideration these minor disappointments, RAGE is a fantastically made game that is a pleasure to play, nearly bug-less on consoles (there are video driver issues on PCs that AMD and Nvidia are working to resolve), and completely immersive.  My biggest problem with RAGE is wanting more.

• Visually Stunning
• Glassy Smooth Controls
• Even The Driving Is Excellent
• Detached Multi-player Experience
• Story Falls Short

Final Score: 9 out of 10

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