God of War: Ascension Multiplayer???

 As a fan of God of War, I was surprised when I learned that Kratos’ adventures didn’t end with the third. Now I’m ecstatic to see something never done before for the series—multiplayer. What does this mean for GoW fans? It could mean that you may finally stick it to that friend who says they’re better than you. But this could also open up the series to new gamers who will play this and consider taking a step back to the previous releases just to get up to speed. However, Santa Monica Studios is going up against other multiplayers especially recent titles such as Call of Duty and the upcoming Halo 4. On the other hand, this is happening for a series that hardly anyone thought to go multiplayer. Plus, this move keeps God of War fresh and with so many games offering online play, how could Santa Monica resist?  

Even though it is still in the early stages, the proposed multiplayer scene which features four Spartan warriors taking on a giant Cyclops is impressive. I hope this number gets raised. Sony Santa Monica is really upping the gore factor for this edition (look out Mortal Kombat).  And the amount of detail in this little snipet shows that they are planning to use the full capabilities of the PS3. This just a sneak peak! Imagine what the finished product will look like.

God of War: Ascension - Teaser Trailer

First off, let me say that I’m glad that Kratos will soon be back in action. There was no way
Santa Monica Studios could let his adventure end with the cliffhanger left by God of War 3.
Seeing this reveal trailer begs the question of how are they going to top part 3? As awesome as
GoW 3 was, I can’t imagine how Santa Monica Studios can better themselves. Releasing the
two PSP games helped keep the Spartan in the lime light and a graphic novel written by a New
York Times bestselling author gave us a behind the scene look at the first game. It seems Athena
may still be present in this sequel. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is. Sony will release more
information as it becomes available and I’ll be keeping track of it.

 God of War: Ascension - Teaser Trailer

Asura’s Wrath Afterthought Review

Asura’s Wrath Afterthought Review


Platform(s): Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Developer(s): CyberConnect 2, Capcom
Publisher(s): Capcom
Genre: Action
Rating: T


Looking for a good action game? Then take a look at Asura’s Wrath. You are Asura, one of the Eight Guardian Generals, godly warriors who fight to protect Heaven and Earth from a destructive force known as the Gohma. Returning from an epic battle, Asura is summoned to the Emperor’s throne where he discovers the Emperor has been slain.  He quickly finds himself being pursued by Imperial Guards after he blamed for the crime.  Asura rushes home to protect his family only to find his wife dead and daughter, Mithra, kidnapped.  His former ally, a god named Deus, reveals himself to be the Emperor’s assassin.  Enraged, Asura attacks Deus for his betrayal, but Deus gains the upper hand and tosses the beaten Asura off the platform and falls to the Earth.

Twelve millennia pass and Asura finally escapes the underworld to discover that his former comrades have used his daughter’s power to amplify their godly abilities.  Asura swears to rescue his child and nothing will stand in his way.

Right off the bat, you are thrown into an epic battle that takes place high above the Earth.  Taking control after the opening cut-scene, you unleash Asura’s powers upon the enemy horde attacking the Imperial Armada.  The target mechanic allows you to attack several enemies at once.  Place several cursors across the screen and Asura will launch a powerful attack that will damage all his foes.  The scene is something out of Star Wars with an armada of giant spaceships locked in an orbital dog fight with lasers blazing.  Asura’s Wrath is a straight forward beat ‘em up action game that is on tier with other hack-and-slash titles like Devil May Cry and God of War.  Your weapons are your fists and a lot of pent up rage.  Combat in the game is done mostly through contact-sensitive sequences.  Press the button at the right time for the best score.  You’ll spend most of your time building up Asura’s Boost Meter that will grant him extra strength when activated.  This is mostly used as a finishing move.

PRO: The action in Asura’s Wrath goes over the top especially in the boss battles.  I was impressed with the game’s opening cinematic, wasting no time throwing me to the wolves during a climactic battle much like Bayonetta’s opener.  And the larger-than-life Dragon Ball Z inspired boss battles are truly something.  The first boss battle is against the weakest of the Seven Deities, Asura’s former comrades.  Asura fights against this mountain sized titan until the god releases the power stolen from Mithra.  The boss grows to planet-sized proportions.  My immediate reaction, after making a Transformers-The Movie reference, was ‘I gotta fight that?!’  Imagine my surprise after witnessing a man-sized god defeat his planet-sized adversary by attacking his finger that covered an entire country. This scene truly sells the size this god has achieved.  CyberConnect 2, the same company behind the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series, left no attention to detail unchecked in the design of the characters and epic battle scales.

CON: However, the game’s strength is also its weakness.  Though Asura’s Wrath is chock full of action, it wasn’t varied enough to truly satisfy.  The enemy sets were minimal, maybe six to seven at one time on-screen, when compared to the aforementioned titles.  If Asura was supposed to be in an all-out battle, it would’ve been more pleasing to see him take hordes of foes or several enemy sets.  Granted that ending the scenario by activating the Boost Meter is an option and enemies continue to spawn if you don’t, I would’ve liked it to be a part of normal gameplay instead of putting spawning enemy sets on the back burner.  Ok, we all know cut-scenes tell the story otherwise, you’ll have no idea what’s going on.  Asura’s Wrath is no different except they use too many of them.  I like how each chapter is set up as if you watching an anime but most of these chapters are told through cut-scenes.  There’s a cut-scene followed by a bunch of fighting, another cut-scene, more fighting, rise and repeat until the epic boss battle.  I can deal with the storytelling but I would’ve preferred the scenes to be a bit shorter; some run for nearly three minutes, a couple times the scene was almost four minutes, before you get back to the action.

OVERALL: Despite all that, Asura’s Wrath is still an enjoyable game with intense action, out-of-this-world battles against the gods and a raging avenger that will even make Kratos cower in his sandals.
Asura’s Wrath gets 3 out of 5.
See you on the next level,
Brian M.

The King of Fighters XIII (Console-version) Review

Platform(s): Playstation 3, X-Box 360

Developer(s): SNK Playmore

Publisher(s): Atlus

Genre(s): Fighting

Rating: T for Teen

So who remembers a little game released about 2 years ago titled The King of Fighters XII? If you do (or want to), then you can agree with me that the game was a complete disappointment to KOF fans worldwide. Why, you ask? Because, in comparison to all the previous games under that title, KOF XII was nothing more than an incomplete title that should have stayed in the development labs. But now, with the release of The King of Fighters XIII, will SNK Playmore’s legendary fighting game title get the revival that fans have been longing for or will it be the sad end of an otherwise illustrious legacy?

The Story:

The King of Fighters XIII takes place after KOF XI, and is the last game of the third story arc that started in The King of Fighters 2003. The fighter Ash Crimson has absorbed the powers from two of the descendants of the clans who sealed the Orochi away 1,800 years ago, Chizuru Kagura and Iori Yagami, while Kyo Kusanagi is to be his last victim. As his former comrade, Elisabeth Blanctorche, prepares to stop him, fighters receive an invitation to another King of Fighters tournament hosted by a person labeled as "R". The tournament is sponsored by Rose who is being controlled by "Those From The Past", the organization behind the two previous tournaments that has been trying to break Orochi's seal.

The Pros:

Okay. So the first major pro that I have to add on here is that this game is a major improvement from its previous version, KOF XII. There’s no more Critical Counter system (tapping Heavy Punch at the right time to make your own custom combo), Guard Attacks or anything of the sort. It’s all taken out, and replaced with better moves that are reminiscent of the older titles of the games.

My next pro is the roster. KOF XII had myself (and many other players) ticked when certain people weren’t included in the short roster. Once again, XIII has fixed that problem by bringing back the characters we wanted to see in the game. Yuri Sakazaki, Mai Shiranui, and K’ are just a few of the returning faces making it on the roster for the newest installment.

Next, the combat has to be a favored pro of mine. As I said earlier, they’ve taken out all the failed moves from KOF XII and added newer moves to keep the combat fresh. EX moves is one of the newer things added to the game, allowing the characters to not only perform an EX version of their special, but of their Desperation moves. Also, the Hyper Drive gauge is a new addition, where players can sacrifice half of this gauge meter to perform Drive cancels, or activate the once it’s full to have a short but unlimited use of Drive cancels.

That means that if you catch the opponent in a combo and activate the Hyper Drive gauge, you can create your own devastating combo. It’s not an easy task, seeing that combos in this game require near surgical precision to execute a lot of moves, but once you get it down, it’ll be a problem for opponents.

Finally, the extra modes that are included in this game are a personal pro. For the beginners and newcomers to the game, they have a solid tutorial mode that really teaches you the mechanics of the game. A Mission Mode is added for players to get the character-specific combos down (which goes from simple to ridiculous sometimes). However, the Time Attack and Survival modes are the two that’ll keep the fighting game fans who aren’t big on playing online busy for a while. And personally, the last 2 modes should be a staple for any fighting game.

The Cons:

What can I say that’s bad about this game? I can mention a few things, to be honest. First of all, I’ll mention the one thing that every fighting game fan knows about a SNK game. Yes, the SNK Boss Syndrome is heavy in this installment, folks. For those who don’t know what that is, the SNK Boss Syndrome is the term associated to the bosses in a SNK fighting game, who are nowhere near easy to beat due to their cheapness, sheer strength, and ridiculous difficulty. So if you thought that Seth (Street Fighter IV), v-13 (BlazBlue), and Shao Kahn (Mortal Kombat 9) was bad, fight against Saiki and Shadow Ash. It’s guaranteed that you’ll hate every moment of that fight.

My second con falls in the story mode. Now…the story mode is done well, considering that it tells the story from different teams’ perspective and everything. However, the one thing they could have added in there was some voice-overs. As much as I like the story mode for KOF XIII (which is a first for the series, I believe), they could have added that in as well.

My final con isn’t really a con at all, but I think that it should be noted. Now, I love the fact that there are new moves added to here to improve the game. But on the other hand, it seems that they are taking a few pages away from their rival’s books. What do I mean? EX moves and NEO MAX moves…you can easily see the resemblance to Capcom’s famed EX Moves and Level 3 Supers. Overall, it’s not a bad thing, considering that the NEO MAX moves look and are more devastating than the Level 3’s, however it seems a bit monotonous in a way.

Overall:

It’s safe to say that The King Of Fighters XIII is an exceptional improvement over its predecessor. However, I can say that the 13th installment of KOF is possibly one of the best fighting games this year. From the roster to the solid, technical game play and even the extra modes, this is probably the one game that most hardcore fighting game fans will keep with them for a while.

Final Score: 5 out of 5

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Review

Platform(s): Playstation 3, X-Box 360

Developer(s): Capcom

Publisher(s): Capcom

Genre: Fighting

Rating: T for Teen

Price: $39.99

9 months ago, we were gifted with the long-awaited sequel to one of the best fighting games in the past decade: Marvel vs. Capcom 3. And while we enjoyed it, we all could recognize that there were a few things missing that Capcom should have fixed. So, Capcom gave us Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as a way to improve on a good foundation. But is it a good improvement or does it need to go back to the development team?

The Story:



Capcom's Firebrand goes at it against Marvel's cocky archer,
Hawkeye.

Doctor Doom has assembled the greatest villains of the Marvel Universe and has joined forces with Albert Wesker in order to unite their respective universes in an effort to conquer both. However, this course of action awakens a great and powerful threat that could potentially destroy both worlds. It is up to the heroes of the Marvel and Capcom universes to put a stop to this evil before it is too late.

The Pros:

Okay…before I get into the good and bad parts of the game, I’d like to clarify something for people who’re probably wondering why they made a 2nd version of Marvel 3. Originally, this game was supposed to be all DLC for the original Marvel vs. Capcom 3. However, production was delayed due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Once that was cleared up, the director and producer of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 decided to release the proposed DLC for MvC3 as a game with a lower cost with new concepts and re-balanced gameplay.

Now that we know that…onto the pros of the game.

The first pro that I have for this game lies with the online mode. Players that are in a room who are not participating in the match are now allowed to watch the match as it plays out. And honestly, you don’t know how glad I am that they’ve included this in there. Because honestly, sitting in the lobby watching nothing but the character’s bars diminish and wondering what is going on wasn’t a good idea, especially when you’re allowed to watch the fights in Super Street Fighter IV.


Ghost Rider performing his Level 3: Penance Stare.



Now, my next pro has to be the new characters added. One of the things that I enjoyed about Marvel 3 was that the character list was diverse. Well…the new addition still rings true about this game. The added characters still hold their own different fighting styles from the ground/air rushdown tactics of Firebrand and the keep-away style of Hawkeye to the long-ranged fighting of Ghost Rider and the pure power of Nemesis. Add in the fact that they’ve added in fan favorites like Vergil and Strider Hiryu and you have a great addition for this game…mostly.

Finally, the re-balancing of the game is a solid plus. Everything in this game got re-balanced, from basic combat to character specific stuff. Even the X-Factor has a much needed revamping, including the ability to do it in mid-air. And I’m thankful (so thankful for this) that they limited Phoenix’s ability to release as many fireballs in the air. Because honestly, you don’t need a high-level character like Phoenix to be able to spam fireballs.

The Cons:

Okay…so now we’re at the part of the review where I talk about what’s bad about the game. And I have a feeling that I’ll probably rant about a specific con.

The first con that comes to mind has to deal with some of the character re-balancing. Or, to be more specific, a certain character re-balancing in general. That character would be Albert Wesker. Now, Wesker’s a top-tier character who was easy enough to play with but had a few complex things. So instead of toning him down a bit, Capcom decided to barely balance him out and made his Teleport a lot simpler this time around. How? Simply do his gunshot move and press a button directly after it.

Why, Capcom? Why?

Phoenix Wright doing his most famed gesture on his
opponent.

My second and final con has to be one of the biggest issues that many people voiced when they seen this character released. And I’m pretty sure that by reading that sentence above, everyone knows who I’m talking about. He’s the Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright and even I can say that he’s possibly the only character in the game that will make you want to turn the game off when you see him in action. Why, you ask? All of his attacks are more suited to prosecuting the defense (searching for and submitting evidence, walking forward and thrusting papers at you, pointing…) rather than fighting, his trademark maneuver – pointing at you and shouting OBJECTION!!! – activates a special mode that makes certain moves unstoppable, and his level three is dangerous. And that’s without being in X-Factor…

Granted he's actually a good character in the game, he has a large fan following in the Capcom universe, and they were trying to put him in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom but wow…you could have handed us Megaman X over him.

OVERALL:

Overall, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is the game that the original version should have been. With the new characters added, fighting system re-balanced, and being able to watch online matches as you fight, you’ll enjoy this game a lot more than you did the first one. However, I can guarantee that if you were a fan of the first one, you’ll find something in the game that’ll tick you off. And, most likely, it’ll be something other than Phoenix Wright.

Final Score: 4 out of 5

Super Mario 3D Land review

Super Mario 3D Land

Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS

Developer(s): Nintendo EAD Tokyo

Publisher(s): Nintendo

Genre(s): Platforming

Rating: E for Everyone

A tree that stands on Princess Peach's castle grounds is stripped of all its leaves during a storm. The leaves, which turn out to be Super Leaves, are blown across the Mushroom Kingdom, bestowing Tanooki tails on all living things they touch. When Mario and the Toads go to inspect the tree the next day, they discover a letter from Bowser, learning that he has kidnapped Princess Peach. Mario sets off in pursuit to locate and rescue the princess.

This is how I imagined a 3D Mario game to play like.

Let me start by saying when this game was announced and I saw the trailer I thought that this  would be just another Super Mario 64 remix of sorts. I am happy to say that I was wrong! It does have the visual styling of Super Mario 64, but it has the  playability of Super Mario Bros 3. This is what I imagined what Super Mario 64 was going to be like so when that game came out I wasn't the happiest Mario fan. 

Yes that's Bowser with Raccoon tail.

Now you get all the usual items like Super Mushrooms (to grow), Fire Flowers (to throw fireballs), Super Stars (becomes invincible for a short time) and Gold Coins. Oh and just like your regular SMB game after collecting 100 coins gets you a 1-Up (extra life). They did add a few new items to make your experience on Super Mario 3D Land have that WOW! When you find the propeller box, which is a "?" box that when you hit it becomes a cute little box that you wear can fly you in the air vertically so that you can reach higher platforms. Boomerang Mario is exactly that. You throw a boomerang and if you time it properly, you can jump around and have that one boomerang take out a number of baddies on the screen. The one thing that made it a Ooh or Aah moment went to the revival of the Tanooki (raccoon) suit from the SMB 3 fame. It generally still plays the same (no flight but the ability to hover), and if you are knowledgeable of SMB3 you can find the ability to turn your Tanooki Mario into a statue (for all of us fanboys).

Yes! Tanooki Mario is back!

Now that I cooed over the Super Mario 3D Land, it' time to give you sharp thoughts on the game. The 3d controls are very responsive but require some real adjusting if you're not used to Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine or Super Mario Galaxy. So mastering jumping with precision on certain platforms can be a bit tricky. The graphics are smooth, with bright colors like what you would expect from a Mario game. Now the 3D effect that comes with being on a 3DS works so well to the point where you can turn it all the way up and it won't bother your eyes likes a few of these 3DS games have in the past. I have to give props to the level designer, because he brought originality to old level concepts. The stage may seem short or constrained in a box but they are highly imaginative. Things you couldn't really do in the 2D world of Mario, and too afraid to try in other 3D Marios have been implemented here. Some stages are completely vertical shooting higher in the sky while others exist in the one area as if it's asking you to solve the puzzle that is this stage. New imaginary Ghost house stages, fantastically organized and heart-pounding Airship stages, and every stage has remixed classic themes with new tracks that carry the same vibe. I have to say this game definitely gets a 4.5 out of 5. I am love with this game. By for my new favorite Mario game. I don't know how they keep improving on these more recently SMB games but they do. I can't wait to see what new comes from Miyamoto. Rumor has that there is a 2D Super Mario Bros coming out for the 3DS someday soon. Hhmmmm......

BloodRayne: Betrayal Review

Platform(s): X-Box Live Arcade, Playstation Network

Developer(s): Wayforward Technologies
Publisher(s): Majesco Entertainment

Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Rating: T for Teen

The dhampir vixen is back! After a long hiatus, everyone favorite vamp returns in a new game Bloodrayne: Betrayal. The game continues Rayne’s quest to eliminate her father Kagen’s extended family. Things were quiet after the events of the second game until a new vampire uprising calls the Brimstone Society to action. However this new threat is proving too much for them to handle. With no other options, Brimstone contacts Rayne to deal with the new threat.

Betrayal moves Rayne from her previous 3D adventures for some old school side scrolling. Many gamers will recall the days when all combat were like this. In fact, a lot of today’s 3D action/adventure games can find their roots in 2D. Bloodrayne is no different. The new game retains the same action horror that made the two previous titles fan favorites as well as the character Rayne. Instead of humans, you fight your way through hordes of supernatural creatures as well as other vampires. There are also mechanical monsters that will bar Rayne’s path as she descends into the depths of the castle, which she enters after the game’s opening level. Rayne still has her trusty arm blades and guns to mow down her opposition.

The Pros:

Bloodrayne: Betrayal’s anime style graphics bring the characters to life, making you feel like you’re watching a series rather than playing a game. The character animation is smooth and combat flows nicely, keeping the action moving. As always, Rayne can take out her enemies in a variety of gruesome ways, whether she beheads them or stomps them into the ground. Besides her iconic arm blades, Rayne does have access to her gun but with limited use. The game’s platforming element is true throwback to earlier action platform games like Ninja Gaiden or Contra. Bloodrayne: Betrayal may not be as challenging as the series’ two previous entries, but the action is non-stop enough to keep your attention.

The Cons:

There aren’t too many flaws with the game. I did make note that I cannot block enemy attacks like before. However this is compensated with a dash maneuver. Time it right and you’ll avoid damage. This move can also be performed in the air.

Overall:

Rayne has been brought back from what, thankfully, did not end up a dead franchise and upgraded with familiar and new abilities yet giving gamers a feel for some good old fashioned action platforming. I am pleased with the sexy vamp’s rebirth and her anime makeover just makes her more appealing. Bloodrayne: Betrayal offers up good action with intriguing puzzle solving.

Final Score: Rayne’s back and ready to sink her teeth into new fans. She gets 4 out of 5.

See you on the next level,

Brian M.

Gears of War 3 Review

Platform(s): X-Box 360

Developer(s): Epic Games

Publisher(s): Microsoft Studios

Genre: 3rd Person Shooter

Rating: M for Mature

It seems that 3 is the magic number for video game series nowadays. From God of War to Resistance: Fall of Man and even Skate, 3 games seem to be the ideal life span for a series…although Halo doesn’t count if you consider ODST and Reach. This time, X-Box’s golden child Gears of War is back with its third installment, ending the saga once and for all. But does the final chapter of Gears make the epic impact that Epic Games aimed for, or fizzles out into a mass of hype?

The Story

The game takes place 2 years after the COG was forced to destroy the Jacinto plateau, the last major city on their planet, in Gears of War 2. Their world ravaged by a new enemy, the Lambent, the remaining teams of COG are left to survive, some on land and others by sea. However, after receiving a message from his father via Chairman Prescott, Marcus Fenix and Team Delta go back out to search for the missing scientist…who possibly has the answers for destroying the Lambent once and for all.

The Pros

Geez…how do I begin this? For starters, my personal pro would be the enemies in the game. There are two types of enemies: the Locust, which are/have been the staple enemies in the game (but far from common) and the Lambent, creatures in the game that have been mutated by Imulsion. The pro about this is that they are far from simple to kill, especially the Lambent. When you kill one, move away b/c they are bound to explode. That, plus some will mutate after taking a lot of damage, taking the fight to another level.



A clip of Horde mode, where you fight off
wave after wave of Locust.



Secondly, Horde mode is a second pro in my book. If you haven’t played Gears 2, Horde mode is an arcade-style mode where you fight off wave after wave of enemies until you reach Level 50. And after every 10 levels, the enemies stats increase, making them harder to defeat. This mode has undergone some massive improvements, to say the least. A money system has been added, allowing players to buy items to protect their fort from caltrop barriers to mounted turret guns and even a decoy to draw enemy fire.

But the biggest improvement in Horde mode is that they added boss battles at every 10th round. Meaning after you fight the entire wave off, you have to battle a boss. And if you played any of the Gears games, you’ll know that the boss is far from easy…or small. And with the addition of Mutations in the game – similar to the Skulls in Halo ODST/Reach – it adds a deeper challenge to the game than just shooting enemies to survive.


A new mode to the Gears series (and another pro) is Beast mode, which is the complete opposite to Horde. In Beast mode, you’re playing as the Locust whose goal is to destroy all the humans in the area. The money that you gain from this mode is used to spawn better Locust. So if you play your cards right, you could appear as a Kantus on one round…or a Beserker.


Finally, my last pro would be the weapons in the game. A lot of the weaponry has been improved since the second installment of Gears. And with the addition of newer weapons (the One-Shot, Incendiary Grenades, Cleaver and more) and more savage versions of older weapons (Retro Lancer, Sawed-Off, and Digger), combat gets a bit more nuts.

The Cons

Alright…so for my first con, I’d have to get on Story Mode. Why? It’s shorter than expected. With 5 acts and 5 chapters an act, that’s 25 stages that you have to play through. And with the promise of the “biggest-ever Gears campaign solo”, that seems like a bit of a letdown.

And yes, that was written on the back of the Gears 3 box.



Members of COG.



The second con has to be one that I always find in every FPS (or in this case, 3PS) game. There’s always that one weapon in the game that’s unreasonably unbalanced and overused by everyone online. What is it in Gears 3: the Sawed-off Shotgun. The reload time is extra slow, however if you are in point blank range of someone and shoot (or get shot), the result is simple: You Die!

My next con lies with Beast Mode. Now, that mode is great, seeing that you pretty much flip the script and play as the antagonists. However, the mode is short. You only get 12 rounds and a minute per round, which slightly increases with each kill you acquire. And compared to Horde, where you get 50 rounds and unlimited time…yeah, enough said.

The leveling up system in the game…I can’t say it’s a complete con, but I do feel that it needs to be listed. The more you level up in the game, the more characters and weapon skins you are able to unlock. It looks nice, however it’s been considered useless by a good amount of players so it’s a noteworthy con.

Overall

If you’ve been waiting for Gears of War 3 anxiously, from the moment you first heard the announcement, then you’re guaranteed to get your money’s worth in this final installment. With the new modes, the 4-player campaign co-op, and gritty, brutal gameplay that the series is known for, you won’t put it down. If you’re buying this game and haven’t played the other two, you will still enjoy this game. Even though the campaign may be a bit short, there are plenty of modes that will keep your hands on the controller for a long time!!!


FINAL SCORE: 4 out of 5

Bleach: Soul Resurrection Review

Platform(s): Playstation 3

Developer(s): SCE Japan Studio
Publisher(s): Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: Action



Captain Kyoraku getting ready for war.



Bleach: Soul Resurreccion is an action game based on the popular anime and manga. The game starts out with Ichigo and company heading to Huecho Mundo to rescue their friend Orihime who has been taken to ex-Soul Reaper Captain Soske Aizen. You fight your way through waves of Hollows of various types including the giant Menos Grande to save Orihime from Aizen. All your favorite Bleach characters are present in the game each with their own chapter in the game's story. Soul Resurreccion's graphics nearly match the anime much in the way of the Naruto games. Side mission's provide action-packed areas to build your character's stats. The missions are pretty straight forward--defeat all the Hollows to complete the mission. This is a good way to build any character who is lacking in skills and abilities especially those who are aquired late in the game. Character development is done through a Final Fantasy type grid. Each character has their own section on the grid. Abilities and attributes such as life, soul energy, etc. are upgraded by spending Soul Points gathered during gameplay. Like in recent Final Fantasy releases, characters are not limited to their section on the grid. You can guide them to other sections to gain more abilities and attributes.





PRO: Bleach: Soul Ressureccion is impressive with graphics that closely match the anime. The game keeps everyone's powers and special abilities intact from the series. The cool thing is that Ichigo as well as some of the other characters start off already in the Bankai stages so there's no need to develop from scratch. The game is fast-paced like the series with sword swinging action and powerful enemies, some of which can finish off a character in just a few hits. Navigating the stages is not too difficult. You can run through it normally or dash your way to the end in a matter of moments. Combat is simple. You can slash away at the Hollows with your character's main weapon or use their special attacks which are limited in use by the Soul Gauge. But not to worry, the Soul Gauge recovers over time and is ready for use before you even know it. Another amazing feature is the Ignitioin Gauge which, when triggered, brings out your charater's most devastating attacks taken straight from the series.

CON: Soul Resurreccion isn't that bad of a game and there are a couple of drawbacks. For starters, the Hollow enemies aren't too difficult to defeat. You'll wipe out a large number of them before they can even cause damage. Even the larger Hollows pose no real threat. Their attacks take a good chunk out of your life bar but they go down easily once you figure outr their pattern which isn't that difficult. Boss battles are usually intense in games of this type but here not so much. Sure, as the game progresses bosses do get tougher and you will die. However, the strategy is easy to figure out and you can take out your foe with minimal effort. My biggest gripe is blocking and dodging. There's too much lagtime when executing either one. Plus I really couldn't cancel an attack to perform them smoothly. I was able to once I stopped slashing my sword but not during.

OVERALL: Bleach: Soul Resurreccion is a good action game that didn't miss on adapting from the series. Fans will enjoy this game as well as those new to the series. It may not be up to par with the Naruto games but it is definately a step from the previous entry. The action goes by fast but its side missions and hidden unlockables will keep you engaged. Bleach: Soul Resurreccion is a fun game that is a worthy entry for anime adapted games.

Overall Score: Bleach: Soul Resurrection gets a 3.5 out of 5

See you on the next level,

Brian M.

Alice: Madness Returns Review

Platform(s): Playstation 3, X-Box 360, PC, Apple

Developer(s): Spicy Horse

Publisher(s): Electronic Arts

Genre: Action/Adventure, Platform

Rating: M for Mature

Ten years ago I learned about a game that fueled my love of twisted fairy tales as well as action platform games. American Mcgee released Alice in 2001 but it was only for the PC much to my dismay. Then just recently, EA games released the sequel Alice: Madness Returns. The story picks up after the end of the first game with Alice now living in an orphanage in Victorian London after being released from Rutledge Asylum. At the orphanage, she is under the care of a psychiatrist named Doctor Angus Bumby, who uses hypnotism to help his child patients to forget their harsh memories. Still haunted by her family's death in the house fire ten years ago, Alice continues to have hallucinations. Sent to the local chemist to get medicine, Alice wanders after a white cat and has more hallucinations, witnessing asylum Nurse Witless transform into the Jabberwock. And this is where the games madness begins.

The Story

Alice: Madness Returns version of Wonderland is a twisted malevolent landscape of its former self. Upon arriving, Alice encounters the Cheshire Cat who informs her of a new law ruling Wonderland, this time it’s from the outside world. Alice must stop it and restore Wonderland to normal. After learning of Wonderland’s plight, I guided Alice through the beautiful yet strange landscape. I found it pretty easily to navigate. Once I picked up my first weapon, the Vorpal Blade, found in the remains of the Jabberwock, my first enemies appeared. The game’s combat system is fairly simple. Alice targets the closest enemy when attacking; however, I am able to manually target my foes as well. The manual targeting set-up is similar to Darksiders placing a black border around the screen keeping it fixed while I moved Alice around. I can cycle through enemies with ease, keeping the action moving. Madness Returns’ offers lots of platforming which becomes a larger part of the game as you traverse through Wonderland’s areas. I found this to play out more in later stages and since there no ledge grabbing like in most current titles, I had to make my jumps count. However, this is compensated by Alice ability to triple jump and float. The game also has lots of secrets and hidden areas which can be accessed using Alice’s ability to shrink. Alice’s other ability is her Hysteria mode that she enters when her health is low. In this mode, she is invincible and her attack strength is doubled.

The Pros

The combat mechanics are simplistic enough for anyone new to the game or to the type of game play. Alice’s primary weapon, the Vorpal Blade, attacks with lightning speed which quickly finishes off weaker enemies. There are also long range weapons in the form of a gattling-gun firing Pepper Grinder and Teapot Launcher which fire boiling tea at your enemies. I like the fact that I can switch between close and long range on the fly. The platforming element is very basic, a kind of throwback to its early days where timing is everything. I was pleased with the level designs and the disturbing atmosphere of each world which truly represented the madness of Wonderland. Also, you get to access to the first game either with a redeemable code or purchasing it for $9.99.

The Cons

Before I mentioned the simplicity of the game’s combat mechanic, but it couldn’t hurt to have a little variety in Alice attacks. I found myself button mashing the whole way. True, there are moments where I had to strategize to defeat certain enemies but I would’ve liked to be able to vary my attacks rather just simply swing the weapon wildly. The game does glitch a few times. Sometimes my long range weapon remained deployed even though I had switched the Vorpal Blade. My mayor problem was the camera especially when using the long range weapons. The camera is not always fixed behind Alice and in some instances this infraction ruined my jumps during a platforming section. I found myself having to adjust the camera before and sometimes during a jump or when using my long range weapons. The umbrella Alice uses for defense is only deployable when in targeting mode. I would’ve liked more freedom with this.

OVERALL

Despite its faults, Alice: Madness Returns is a good action platform game in the tradition of Darksiders and the God of War series. Its disturbing cut scenes keep the story moving which may be confusing unless you’re familiar with the Lewis Carroll story. I like how the game’s storyline switches between Wonderland and the real world, which has an atmosphere relevant to Silent Hill. Exploration of both worlds will keep you interested as well as the secrets found using Alice’s shrink ability. Fans of the first game will have fun with the sequel. If you haven’t played the first game but are looking for an action platform to kill some time then pick up this game. Though I have not played the first game, I like Madness Returns. It is a bizarre twist on a classic tale told like never before.

Final Score

Alice: Madness Returns gets a 3 out of 5.

-Brian M.

Marvel VS Capcom 3 Achievement/Trophy Guide

Earn the Achievement/Trophies For Marvel VS Capcom 3: The Fate of Two Worlds

1. Passed the Field Test – Clear 160 missions in Mission mode.

2. A New Avenger – Clear 320 missions in Mission mode. — Each of the 36 characters in the retail game has 10 missions to complete. There are 36 characters in total, so you will need to complete almost 9 out of 10 missions for each.

3. Welcome to the Avengers Academy – Clear 80 missions in Mission mode.

4. Leading the Charge – Surpass the rank of Fighter.

5. Combat Specialist – In Ranked Match, surpass the “1st” class rank, or fight someone who has.

6. Comic Collector – Unlock all items in the Gallery.

7. Back at’Cha! – Perform 10 successful Crossover Counters. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

8. Excelsior! – Perform 10 Team Aerial Combos. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

9. Be Gone! – Perform 10 Snap Backs. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only) — A Snap Back is when you use quarter circle forward and the support/assist character button to force the opponent to tag in a different character.

10. Mega Buster – Use 1,000 Hyper Combo Gauge bars. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

11. Ultimate Nullifier – Perform 30 successful Advancing Guards. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

12. Playtime Is Over – Surpass the rank of Amateur.

13. Herculean Task – Beat Arcade mode on the hardest difficulty.

Set the game to the Very Hard difficulty, 30 second time limit, and damage on highest. Select Taskmaster with Aim Master Assist, Chris Redfield with Gunshot Assist, and Dr. Doom with Plasma Beam Assist. Keep using the projectiles from the corner to win every match. When you reach Galactus, activate X-Factor, and perform a Hyper Crossover Combo to take away a decent amount of health. He will hit you before you are done. Then, fight him as you normally would.

14. Saving My Quarters – Beat Arcade mode without using any continues.

15. Waiting For the Trade – View all endings in Arcade mode.

16. Master of Fate – Unlock all achievements.

17. I Buy the Issues – View one ending in Arcade mode.

18. World Warrior – Earn 5,000 Player Points (PP).

19. Brusin’ Bruce – Land an Incredible Combo. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

20. Charles In Charge – Land an Uncanny Combo. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

21. Average Joe - Land a Viewtiful Combo. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only) — Do a 30+ hits combo with Viewtiful Joe. Henshin A Go Go Baby!

Make a team with Iron Man, Deadpool, and M.O.D.O.K. Once you have three Hyper Combo bars,make all three characters do their Hyper Combos at once. Make sure the oppenent has almost a full bar of health so they do not die while doing it. You should get a 95-hit combo and get the "Average Joe", "Brusin' Bruce", and "Charles In Charge" achievements.

22. Champion Edition Hero – Earn 30,000 Player Points (PP).

23. Super Turbo Brawler – Earn 100,000 Player Points (PP).

24. Big Bang Theory – Perform 30 Hyper Combo Finishes. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

25. Brave New World – Participate in any mode on ONLINE only.

26. Steel Battalion – Block 100 times. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

27. Fate of the Satsui no Hadou – Decide who is the true master of the fist in an ONLINE only match. — Finish a fight between Akuma and Ryu.

28. Copy This! – Put an end to this game of spider and fly in an ONLINE match. — Finish a fight between Spider-Man and Taskmaster.

29. Raccoon City Incident – Settle things between former S.T.A.R.S. members in an ONLINE match. — Finish a fight between Chris Redfield and Wesker.

30. Passport to Beatdown Country – Fight in all of the stages.

31. Need A Healing Factor – Win a match without blocking. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

32. School for the Gifted – Get a 5 game win streak in Ranked ONLINE Match.

33. A Hero Stands Alone – Win a match without calling your partners or switching out. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

34. Full Roster – Battle against all characters in an ONLINE match.

35. Who Will Answer the Call? – Participate in an 8 player Lobby ONLINE .

36. Duty and Deus Ex Machina – Make a match ONLINE between a national hero and a killing machine a reality. — Finish a fight between Captain America and M.O.D.O.K. (Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing).

37. One Step Ahead – Land 50 First Attacks in a match. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

38. Avengers Assemble! – Make a team composed of the Big 3 and win a match. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only) — The team is Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor.

39. Turn the Tables – Land a Team Aerial Counter in a match. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

40. Galactic Smasher – Perform 30 Crossover Combination Finishes. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only)

41. Wreak “Havok” – Use X-Factor in a match. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only) — When you lose one or two of your teammates, you can press the two assist buttons to trigger this damage boost. It cancels out your opponents moves, even hypers, allowing you a one-time comeback.

42. Badds to the Bone – Make a team of three who have altered their bodies, and win a match. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only) — The team is M.O.D.O.K., Iron Man, and Spencer.

43. Whose Side Are You On? – Bring about an end to the Civil War in an ONLINE match. — Finish a fight between Captain America and Iron Man. I’m not sure, but you might also want to try including Spider-Man & Wolverine against She-Hulk & Deadpool.

44. Fate of Two Worlds – Make a match ONLINE between the marquee characters for this game a reality. — Finish a fight between a team of any 3 Marvel universe and a team of any 3 Capcom universe characters.

45. Female Flyers – Make a team composed of women who can fly, and win a match. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only) — The team is Storm, Phoenix, and Morrigan.

46. Darkstalkers – Make a team composed of those who dwell in the darkness, and win a match. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only) — The team is Morrigan, Felicia, and Hsien-Ko.

47. Weapon X – Make a team composed of Weapon-X test subjects, and win a match. (OFFLINE/ONLINE only) — The team is X-23, Wolverine, and Deadpool.

Courtesy of gamingbolt.com, videogamesblogger.com, and cheatcc.com

Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Review

Platform(s): Playstation 3, X-Box 360
Developer(s): Capcom
Publisher(s): Capcom
Genre: Fighting
Rating: T for Teen
Price: $59.99 (Standard Edition), $69.99 (Limited Edition)

If you’re a fighting game fan, then you have been waiting 10 years for this moment. Ten long years for Capcom to release a sequel to its smash title “Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes”. And now…you’ve finally gotten your wish. Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two World is finally here. The question is: does it live up to the legend that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was or does it fall short?

The Story:

Doctor Doom has assembled the greatest villains of the Marvel Universe and has joined forces with Albert Wesker in order to unite their respective universes in an effort to conquer both. However, this course of action awakens a great and powerful threat that could potentially destroy both worlds. It is up to the heroes of the Marvel and Capcom universes to put a stop to this evil before it is too late.

The Pros:

So for a game that the fighting game world has been waiting for since the last installment, which was a decade ago, you ask yourself “Where do I start with what’s good with this game?” I guess that the first pro I’ll highlight about this game is the combat. MvC3 still holds the same chaotic, frenzied and wild combat that made its predecessors famous in the fighting game circuit. This time, it’s a bit simpler for the user, thanks to the 3-button control scheme, which is more like Tatsunoko vs. Capcom’s controls. And, for the true beginners, they’ve introduced Simple mode, where the attacks and specials are all mapped to their own respective button.

The fighting in this game gets heated. Although the speed isn’t as mind-boggling fast as MvC2, it’s still to the point that you can get lost if you don’t pay attention. Combos are still a must in this game, meaning that if it ain’t over 10 hits, it ain’t doing much damage. Two new moves are introduced to this installment: team aerial combos where the player can switch out in a mid-air combo with one (or both) of their partners and X-Factor, a move that reminiscent to Tatsunoko’s Baroque system. X-Factor is a one-time only boost mode that lasts longer if you don’t have any more of your partners left. If used right, it can be the catalyst for your epic comeback in any match.

Another pro for the game is the character roster. Now, not a lot of people liked the character roster for MvC3 since a lot of the MvC2 greats or their favorite characters were in there (I even remember seeing someone ask for Sonic to be in this game on the MvC3 fan page…), but I can say that they have the most unique and diverse roster for this installment and it works for them. From fan favorites like Dante, Chris Redfield, Thor and Deadpool, to the more obscure characters like Arthur, M.O.D.O.K., and Dormammu, the 36 characters in this game - just 4 shy of MvC2’s opening roster - are nothing to sleep on.

Another pro of mine falls in a few of the things that they’ve added in the game. The Liscence Cards being my first bit on here for the online players. Liscence Cards are pretty much your stats card on how you play online, showing you and other players the general strengths and weaknesses of your playing style. It’s a good addition to the online warfare because now you have somewhat of an idea of what kind of player you’ll be fighting against before you battle. Also, the fact that they allow you to store three set teams (Reserve List) keeps things a bit personal. This way, when you go up against that friend who says they can top your best squad (or squads), it’s an easy 2 buttons just to pull them out.


The Cons:

Unfortunately, we get to the real gritty part of this review. And for a game of this magnitude, I hate to go here, but here are the cons of the game. The first one is the damage factor. The damage that most characters do on here is too high at times. What do I mean? Do a combo with certain characters (Wesker, Dormammu, Super Skrull, Sentinel to name a few), end it with a super and see how their health drops to below half quickly. And that’s just giving damage; characters like Storm/Akuma/Phoenix…well, one good combo can be the end of them.

Or in Phoenix’s case, one combo will be the end of her.

Secondly, the controls are a con that’s been talked about for a while. The controls make the game easy to pick up for the common fighting game fan, but it makes it simpler for the more advanced fighting game player. Personally, I’m impartial to it but I will say that it drops the learning curve for the game, making the more complex combos easier to figure out.

The third con falls in the online modes. Now in Super Street Fighter 4 (and there’s a reason why I’m bringing this up), if you were in a lobby and you weren’t fighting, you could watch the current match happen. In Marvel 3…you can’t do that. You can’t watch the other matches go down, you can’t save replays of online matches, you just fight and wait. I mean, really Capcom? I’m hoping for a patch that allows you to do that in the near future, but until then, that’s a major strike in my book.

Overall:

Here’s what I’ll say about this game. It’s fun! The combat is still the MvC-style playing that I’ve grown to love ever since I’ve stepped into the arcade in my city and seen how Marvel 2 is truly played. Despite the slight drop in complexity that the game has, people can’t deny that it’s still Marvel. On the flip side, some of the things that they did in this installment (damage factor, no watching matches online, Sentinel) brings the game down from greatness to great. It’s still a good game and I recommend you to get it for yourself, but compared to Marvel 2…I think that the predecessor will win that battle.

Final Score: 4.0/5