Tag Archives: PS2

XIII (PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Mac & PC)

XIII

Developer(s) – Ubisoft Paris, Southend Interactive (Xbox) & Feral Interactive (Mac)

Publisher(s) – Ubisoft, Marvelous Entertainment & Feral Interactive

Director – Elisabeth Pellen

Producer – Julien Barés

PEGI – 16

XIII was a game based on the comic book of the same name written by Belgian novelist Jean Van Hamme. According to Ubisoft president Laurent Detoc, the game would create “a world so unique and enthralling those gamers will become instantly engaged”. Even with a very new form of visual presentation in video games, I wouldn’t entirely agree with this.

Graphics – 7/10

The graphics were fairly well done for the time. This was, after all, the first-ever comic book-style first-person shooter. Its visual style is indeed the best thing about the game not only that, but it is also very well polished. I couldn’t see any glitches or anything like that while I was playing through it. I think the weak point about the game’s style is that the settings are extremely similar to that of games like Perfect Dark and Goldeneye 007, which would suggest that influences were somewhat too obvious. For example, the level whereby rooftops have to be traversed in order to elude police recapture was very similar to the opening level of Perfect Dark in conceptual design.

Gameplay – 5/10

Although this game was revolutionary for its time in terms of visuals, it wasn’t in terms of gameplay. Even for the time, this is a first-person shooter, which plays out pretty typically for most games in the genre. Any element of challenge in the game is presented through the stealth mechanics. Which again, are not as elaborated on as those found in games like Metal Gear Solid, or the first Sly Cooper. The game also has a small amount of incentive and variety. The more the player progresses, the more the main character’s memory is regained. Thus yielding more skills as the game progresses. But even so, this game can become very boring very quickly, in my opinion.

Controls – 7/10

The movement in this game is also particularly stiff. It can become an unnecessary chore to aim at times, and the auto-aim system can be particularly confusing. As the crosshair doesn’t fix itself onto targets properly. Also, the grapple hook used to traverse buildings or mountains can be difficult to get to grips with at first. But other than that, the game plays out fine in terms of controls.

Lifespan – 5.5/10

Typical of any standard first-person shooter, XIII can be finished within 6 hours. Visuals alone are never enough to keep people playing a video game. At the end of the day, it’s all about the gameplay. And there wasn’t enough of it in XIII to make it last as long as it may have been able to. The problem with developing linear first-person shooters. Or even linear games in general, is that very few of them have side quests and therefore contain next to no replay value apart from playing through it on a harder difficulty.

Storyline – 7/10

The game’s story is about a man named XIII. He wakes up on a beach with amnesia to find out he is the prime suspect in the president’s recent assassination, he must fight his way through the FBI, the CIA, and the criminal underworld. In order to uncover his identity and clear his name in the process. The game’s story is actually not bad, to be fair. There are a few decent twists and turns to it but the voice acting is a bit off. The standout performances, in my opinion, are that of both David Duchovny and Adam West, who play XIII and General Carrington respectively. This was based on a fairly popular comic book series. So it was always bound to have some depth in the story, at least. But overall, I think the developers chose to concentrate more on that and visual style than on gameplay.

Originality – 7/10

Obviously, the most significant features of this game are the stylized visuals, which would become a stable part of game franchises in the future. And the pretty compelling story. But as I keep pointing out, it’s all about gameplay ultimately, and there wasn’t enough innovation in that department to keep it enthralling in my opinion.

Niiutral

Overall, I think first-person shooting fans should play through this game at least once, but I think it should probably be left at that. It’s terrible by any stretch of the imagination, but I think the novelty wears off after a while, as there doesn’t seem to be enough substance in gameplay to keep it entertaining throughout.

Score

38.5/60

6/10 (Average)

Warriors Orochi (PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PC & PlayStation Portable)

Warriors Orochi

Developer(s) – Koei & Omega Force

Publisher(s) – Koei

Designer – Atsushi Ichiynangi

PEGI – 12

An early seventh-generation title, as well as an extremely late sixth-generation title released on PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, Warriors Orochi was yet another hack-and-slash tactical action game released by Koei Tecmo following their success with both the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series. It introduced a level of variety that I’ve personally rarely seen in a video game of its kind and whilst I did find a handful of issues, I ended up having a lot of fun with it at the same time.

Graphics – 6/10

Conceptually, I found the visuals to be quite impressive. Unlike many other games of its kind, enemies seem to have a fair bit of uniqueness about them. As opposed to simply being recycled throughout the course of the game. The variety in the main character design is also unprecedented, with each one flawlessly standing out from the other. A lot of what I found wrong with the graphics, however, is in the fact that some enemies can actually glitch out from time to time; especially in the first level. Whenever they flee in terror, some actually end up disappearing into thin air. Which I found to be quite a big design flaw.

Gameplay – 7/10

Although at its core, it’s easy to look upon this game as simply being a button masher, the number of characters and mission also affords players a massive amount of variety. Each character also has its own style of combat and range of weapons. With many more to unlock as the game progresses. On top of that, there are also learnable abilities to unlock. Giving the game an almost RPG feel to it.

Which I was even more pleasantly surprised to find. I couldn’t help but draw comparisons between this game and Hyrule Warriors, and whilst I find Hyrule Warriors to be the better game. Largely by default since I am a huge fan of the Legend of Zelda series. And that it contained about as much variety, but in a much more creative way, Warriors Orochi still turned out to be a much more entertaining game than I initially anticipated.

Controls – 8/10

The worst thing I found with the controls was that they could be a little bit unresponsive at times. Especially when playing with characters that use heavier weapons. It can sometimes be quite easy to come across some awkward camera angles when playing through levels that are set in buildings. Such as the first level. But otherwise, I found no other issues with the controls. Apart from these few issues, it plays out as fluently as any other game that Koei Tecmo has developed employing the same style of play.

Lifespan – 8/10

As well as there is a great abundance of gameplay variety, there is also a great abundance of lifespan. With the game being able to last at least 30 hours. Replay value can be had in leveling up each individual character to the max. As well as playing through it with several different factions, in turn offering different perspectives on the plot of the game. Similar to Sonic Adventure. But on an even bigger scale. It’s impressive to me how Koei Tecmo has been able to attach such longevity to a type of game that can be largely seen as repetitive. I’ve seen it in Hyrule Warriors. And I saw it again in Warriors Orochi.

Storyline – 6/10

The story of the game follows several different warring states of both China and Japan as the serpent king Orochi creates a rift in time and space. This brings warriors from both sides together. Orochi wishes to simply test their might, as characters from each faction eventually band together to finally confront the serpent king. The concept of the story is very exciting.

It is also different from many other games like it that Koei Tecmo has released. But a big problem, at least to me, was how terrible the voice acting was. Some would argue that this adds to the game’s charm. But I’ve always found that bad voice acting in video games, in general, does nothing more than mar down the entire experience. Given the choice, I would much prefer to read the dialogue, similar to classic Final Fantasy games, than to have to listen to sup-bar voiceover work.

Originality – 6/10

This type of game had been replicated many times beforehand by Koei Tecmo and has been replicated many times again ever since, with Warriors Orochi alone spawning two sequels, but the increased variety in gameplay, as well as the story concept, served to at least keep it fresh in comparison with every other game of its own kind. Although in Japan, this style of play has seemed to become as popular in the same sense that Call of Duty is popular, how the developers can simply release more of the same without much innovation, it’s easy to see how the idea has caught on, and why Nintendo would want to have implemented it for themselves with Hyrule Warriors; it’s addictive and can make for something special when its put into the right hands.

Happii

In summation, Warriors Orochi, while having its fair share of flaws, is a particularly enjoyable game. Although the voice acting is by no means up to scratch, I need to commend Koei Tecmo for focusing on the aspect that truly matters; the gameplay.

Score

42/60

7/10 (Fair)

Vexx (GameCube, PlayStation 2 & Xbox)

Vexx

Developer(s) – Acclaim Studios Austin

Publisher(s) – Acclaim Entertainment

ELSPA – 11+

Being the last original IP published by Acclaim Studios before filing for bankruptcy in late 2004, Vexx was a 3D platformer released to mixed critical success, and low sales figures leading to the cancellation of a planned port to the Game Boy Advance. Personally, I did find that the game had more than its fair of issues. But It’s certainly not the worst 3D platformer I’ve played. And not one of the worst 3D platformers released throughout the sixth generation. The game also has it’s finer points that are certainly worth highlighting.

Graphics – 6.5/10

One of these finer points is that the game’s visuals are about as wonderfully varied as many other more successful 3D platformers featuring a wide variety of different locations ranging from forests to volcanoes to dream worlds. The boss and enemy designs were also fairly well-executed, for the most part. Suiting the tableau of each of their respective levels. My biggest concerns about the graphics were focused on the technical side of things.

The game looks somewhat outdated for the time compared to a lot of games released prior, such as Luigi’s Mansion and Metroid Prime. And the lighting is also pretty inconsistent which will leave players struggling to navigate through levels when the night comes. It can be an especially annoying problem when players need to climb certain wall surfaces to reach higher ground. The poor lighting can make it difficult for players to differentiate between walls that are traversable and walls that are not.

Gameplay – 7/10

The object of the game is largely reminiscent of that of some of the best 3D platformers ever developed, such as Super Mario 64 and the original Jak & Daxter. Completing specific objectives to collect items needed to advance. In this case, it’s the hearts of dead wraiths. This gives Vexx a much darker undertone than either one of the aforementioned games. There is also an emphasis on combat and stringing combos together, which for the most part keeps things interesting.

I did enjoy how tasks to complete in order to collect the hearts were surprisingly varied, and how there are a fair few hearts to collect in each level. Giving players plenty to do. Interestingly, some of the hidden locations in the game that can be found relatively early on involve warping into and traversing through wall paintings. These are mechanics extremely reminiscent of the game Contrast Which involves players having to traverse shadows in order to get around. I can’t help but wonder if this game influenced Contrast.

Controls – 8/10

For the most part, the controls are fairly simple to cope with, like most other 3D platformers that require the use of an analog stick for movement. But I did find a couple of flaws. For example, the swimming mechanics weren’t handled particularly well. Handled in a manner reminiscent of the swimming mechanics in Majora’s Mask. I also wished that combat could have been handled a little bit better. I think that having a targeting system reminiscent of Ocarina of Time or Dark Cloud would have helped to significantly improve the experience and add a lot more fluency to it.

Lifespan – 6.5/10

Vexx can be made to last around 7 to 8 hours. This, whilst may be much lower than the average lifespan of a 3D platformer, is still a length of time in which gamers will be kept busy by a lack of cutscenes and a fair abundance of gameplay. There are around ten wraith hearts to collect at each level. And a lot of the objectives required to get some of them are fairly demanding. In terms of both time investment and challenge. Making it longer than many other games released on the system. Although Luigi’s Mansion is ultimately the superior of the two games, Vexx can be made to seem much longer in comparison.

Storyline – 7.5/10

The story of the game follows a young villager named Vexx. After being forced into slavery along with his grandfather Vargas by the evil wraith lord Yabu, he escapes captivity. And vows revenge against him and his army after Yabu kills Vargas following an attempt by the latter to save Vexx from being killed by Yabu himself. I was surprised by everything about the game’s story. From how the tone is set to how the lot unfolds, and then right up to how it ends. Compared to many of the other games that this game was undoubtedly influenced by, there is a surprisingly dark and gritty aspect to it.

Originality – 7/10

Undoubtedly, the most unique aspect of the game is how mature and sinister the story is compared to many other games in the genre. And how the supposed hero isn’t always triumphant. Of how innocent the game looks on the surface, players will inevitably be very surprised when and if they come to pick it up and play it. Better and more unique gameplay mechanics were pioneered in the sixth generation than what was seen within this title. And there are mistakes present that make it stand out for the wrong reasons. But for the most part, I found that it did the things it needed to do fairly well. Making it worthy of at least one playthrough.

Happii

In summation, Vexx is a pretty enjoyable and wonderfully dark gaming experience. The gameplay is pretty well executed, and the story is shockingly well told. Albeit with a few examples of bad voice acting. And even though the visuals were somewhat outdated for the time, the world of Astara is immersing. And varied enough to be enjoyable for the most part.

Score

42.5/60

7/10 (Fair)

The Hobbit (Xbox, PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube & Game Boy Advance)

The Hobbit

Developer(s) – Inevitable Entertainment, The Fizz Factor & Saffire

Publisher(s) – Sierra Entertainment

Designer – Chuck Lupher

Producer(s) – Jaime Grieves

PEGI – 7

Amidst the newfound popularity of the Tolkien mythos surrounding the Lord of the Rings film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, and amidst an ongoing dispute regarding the rights to the Tolkien license, with multiple games based on the books and films being developed at the time, The Hobbit was released to mixed reviews from critics. Who cited the gameplay as being uninspiring, and its failure to appeal to younger gamers.

In the industry, licensed games have for the most part been generally frowned upon. And seen as simply being a modern form of shovelware. With the owners of their respective licenses simply releasing games to coincide with films for the most part. However, there are a select few licensed games, which go above and beyond what is expected of them. And end up offering some legitimately enjoyable gaming experiences. In my opinion, whilst The Hobbit may not be among the best, it’s certainly not among the worst, I find.

Graphics – 6.5/10

One aspect that the game falls short on somewhat, is the visuals. Whilst they may have looked fairly impressive at the time, they don’t hold up nearly as well on a technical level as many other games of their kind do. Such as Final Fantasy X and Metal Gear Solid 2 to name but a few. Like the game based on the first volume of The Lord of the Rings trilogy developed by WPX Games & Surreal Software, it largely conforms to the same conceptual design as in the films. But there are a couple of standout elements that did fairly well to separate it from both the initial Peter Jackson film trilogy. And the aforementioned game at the time of its release at least (before the Hobbit film trilogy came out years later as well as Lego The Hobbit). Such as locations like Lake Town, Mirkwood, and Erebor.

Gameplay – 7/10

For the most playing out like a traditional 3D platformer, the game also has a few little side quests thrown in for good measure during the first half of it. Like the previously mentioned Lord of the Rings game. Most notably involving completing the tasks for the dwarves before the party departs for The Lonely Mountain. There is also a small stealth aspect. This fits in fairly well with the tableau of the story of Bilbo Baggins being hired as a thief. And which I moderately enjoyed. Stealth can be quite a tricky aspect to pull off in games. As it can eliminate fluency if it requires players to play through the same area a certain amount of times. But for the most part, it’s done fairly well in this title in my opinion.

Controls – 10/10

As far as 3D platforming in this game goes, I had no gripes with it whatsoever. Which in all fairness was to be expected I think. As the genre had well and truly taken prominence at this time. Following the release of games such as Super Mario 64 and Jak & Daxter. Combat and stealth are also both handled adequately well. And there are no unnecessary complications with the game’s control scheme present to add any kind of unwarranted level of frustration.

Lifespan – 6/10

The game can be made to last an average of 8 hours even taking in the completion of side quests throughout the course of the game, which whilst isn’t great by any means, is still fractionally longer than the game based on The Lord of the Rings license, which can be made to last around 6 to 7 hours. As the game conforms to a very linear progression, it wasn’t expected to have a great lifespan in any case, but I can’t help but think that with a little bit more imagination on the developer’s part, it could have been made to last at least a little while longer; certainly the first part of the game set in the Shire.

Storyline – 8/10

Depicting the events of the classic children’s novel written by JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit follows the exploits of Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. He is persuaded by the wizard Gandalf and his band of 13 dwarves to accompany them on an adventure to retake the dwarven city of Erebor from the dragon Smaug. The story itself isn’t an issue at all since It’s enjoyable in any form that it’s told. Be that through a game, a film, or most notably, of course, a classic book. The biggest problem I had with it, however, is the voice acting is quite lackluster. Even by video game standards at that time. And thus, it’s much more difficult to take seriously than in other forms of media the story or would be told in.

Originality – 6/10

The game does retain a slight element of uniqueness. As it incorporates the aforementioned stealth element. Which at this point was only really seen in the Sly Cooper games. However, for the most part, it plays out like most other 3D platformers that were released before its time, and consequentially, I don’t think it can be considered either evolutionary or revolutionary. The stealth mechanics in the Sly Cooper games were much more sophisticated than in this title. And in terms of normal 3D platforming mechanics, it fails to stand out amidst many of the classics in the genre that had been released prior.

Happii

In summation, despite its lack of originality and less-than-satisfactory voice acting, The Hobbit is nevertheless a fairly enjoyable gaming experience. And shouldn’t be entirely overlooked. Whilst the visuals may not hold up to this day on a technical level, and whilst more could have been added to increase the game’s longevity, the developers did a good job for the most part, and it’s certainly worth at least one playthrough; for both fans of the Tolkien mythos and the 3D platforming genre.

Score

43.5/60

7/10 (Fair)

Tekken 3 (Arcade, PlayStation & PlayStation 2)

Tekken 3

Developer(s) – Namco

Publisher(s) – Namco

Director – Katsuhiro Harada

PEGI – 12

Tekken 3 is not only considered to be one of the greatest fighting games of all time. But many regard it as one of the greatest games of all time. It received almost perfect scores from most publications at the time, citing its inclusion of a more diverse character roster, and its improved soundtrack and graphics over its predecessors. Overall, I think Tekken 2 is the better installment out of the original trilogy. But this is a more than worthy sequel in my opinion.

Graphics – 8/10

The most noteworthy aspect of Tekken 3 is the dramatic change in artistic direction. Some classic characters are swapped out for new ones. And the appearances of many classic characters left were also re-imagined. Especially Yoshimitsu. It reminds me very much of how Midway tried to drastically branch out in terms of visuals whilst developing Mortal Kombat 3 when most of the palette-swapped ninja characters were either re-tooled or swapped out for more original-looking characters. The arena designs in the third game are also massively improved. The FMV cutscenes featured in each character’s arcade mode ending are also very well done. Tekken 3’s graphics were among some of the best that the PlayStation had to offer. Comparable to the likes of Final Fantasies VII, VIII, and IX. And it is made very apparent.

Gameplay – 7.5/10

What I like about Tekken 3 is that it is extremely accessible in the sense that it is patently open to both amateurs and professional fighting game players. And both sets of players can enjoy it regardless of experience. Tekken 3 has a good few game modes, including the Tekken Force mode. This presents a 2.5D side-scrolling form of gameplay very similar to Streets of Rage.

But what I like most about paying through Tekken 3 is the plethora of unlockable characters available to obtain. It’s extremely satisfying to play through the arcade mode with each of these characters and see how their stories end. But I think that if the Tekken Force mode was built on much more than it was, then Tekken 3 could have potentially been a lot more addictive than it is. It was actually one of the first examples of 2.5D side-scrolling gameplay. And it could have done with having some more emphasis being put on it to make the game much more interesting.

Controls – 10/10

My opinion of this game’s control scheme is identical to that of the original game, or most other fighting games; there are no problems. And it’s all down to either how fast players can mash buttons. Or how effectively they can execute combos.

Lifespan – 10/10

I would estimate that it would take even inexperienced payers a maximum of 3 hours to unlock every character and complete the arcade mode with every character. But after that, it simply becomes a game that can be picked up and played at the player’s leisure. Without the worry of making conformist progress.

Storyline – 5/10

The story of Tekken 3 revolves around a young fighter called Jin. He enters the third King of Iron Fist Tournament announced by his mentor Heihachi, in order to take revenge on the creature Ogre, who had presumably killed his mother. Although the basic premise is easy enough to understand. And each character has their own unique ending, apart from this, the game’s story is not elaborated on any further than that. People don’t generally play fighting games for their story, but the fact of the matter is that the story is present, but there isn’t very much depth to it. But still, it makes a lot more sense than the story of Injustice: Gods Among Us, and it’s much easier to follow.

Originality – 7.5/10

Of course, with the inclusion of the Tekken Force mode, Tekken 3 stands out among more or less every other fighting game of its time, and the developer’s expression of a desire to branch out from an artistic point of view is more than apparent, as when I first played this game back in the day, whilst I knew I was playing an installment of Tekken, I was quick to notice the amount of change that was implemented.

Happii

To sum up, Tekken 3 is indeed one of the greatest fighting games I have ever played, and I would recommend it to not only hardcore fighting game fans who may not have played it, but I would especially recommend it as a starting point to people who haven’t tried playing fighting games yet, as they will be able to make progress without throwing their controllers across their living rooms.

Score

48/60

8/10 (Very Good)

Street Fighter III (Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Arcade & Dreamcast)

Street Fighter 3

Developer(s) – Capcom

Publisher(s) – Capcom

Designer(s) – Yasuhiro Seto, Tomonori Ohmura & Obata Shinichiro

Producer – Tomoshi Sadamoto

PEGI – 12

First released for Japanese arcades in 1997, and brought overseas in 1999 on the Dreamcast, Street Fighter III received critical acclaim upon release; albeit to a much lesser extent of a commercial success than the universally influential Street Fighter II, but enough of an effort for many long-time fans of the series to go so far as to hail it as the perfect fighting game, due to the fluidity of its controls compared to every other fighting game around at that time, as well as previous entries in the series. Curious, I approached it with fairly high expectations, and whilst I didn’t find it to be my favorite fighting game of all time, by far that honor would go to SoulCalibur IV, I wasn’t disappointed for the most part, and had a lot of fun playing it.

Graphics – 7.5/10

Instead of incorporating 3D graphics into the franchise, like most other gaming franchises were doing at this time, Street Fighter stuck with the more traditional 2D visuals, as well as the more traditional 2D style of play, and even against many fighting games released at the time, it still looks particularly impressive. What I was most enticed by personally was how detailed, varied, and visually striking the backdrops of each stage were.

And the amount of effort that went into the conceptual design in general. Although I found the character roster to not be the strongest of the series (my personal favorite being Ultra Street Fighter IV), Capcom tried to branch out in different directions in terms of character design, and some, unfortunately, work better than others. I personally would have liked to see one or two more classic characters than what was present in III, but overall, the roster is fairly solid, and the visuals did well to make the game stand out.

Gameplay – 8/10

The third game is essentially a carbon copy of the second but with added features thrown in for good measure, as well as of course new characters and move sets. The main addition to the series that came with Street Fighter III was the ability to parry opponent’s attacks, and to string together more elaborate and powerful combos; the bars for which are charged up every time the player lands a hit on their opponents. They made for robust and welcoming new features to the series that built upon that which made Street Fighter II undisputedly the most influential fighting game of all time, which is in turn part of the reason why many fans consider it to even be superior to the second game. Whilst fighting isn’t my favorite genre of video game, I’ve had fun with a fair few of them, and Street Fighter III is no exception.

Controls – 10/10

As I alluded to earlier, despite the fact that there were many fighting game series that we were able to implement 3D movement relatively well, including my favorite fighting game of all time, I’ve always favored 2D movement for its simplicity and lack of additional complication. It’s because of this that Street Fighter III, like almost every other entry in the series bar the original game, poses no problems in terms of controls. It’s certainly very satisfying to witness how far Capcom has come from creating one of the worst fighting games of all time to some of the greatest.

Originality – 6/10

Both the game’s visuals and the general style of traditional fighting gameplay are the key elements that make the third installment stand out among others. Though I may not have liked every new character implemented, Capcom did reasonably well to keep things fresh in this respect. However, I was surprised at the lack of game modes in Street Fighter III, since by this time every other major fighting game franchise had implemented new game modes, such as survival, time trial, etc. The only thing closest to an additional game mode in Street Fighter III is the return of the Crush the Car mini-game from Street Fighter II. Otherwise, there’s nothing beyond either arcade mode or multiplayer (online or offline) that makes it stand out from the point of view of variety in gameplay.

However, despite the qualms I have about the lack of gameplay modes in comparison with most other fighting games released at the time, Street Fighter III still remains an extremely enjoyable fighting game, and one coming highly recommended from me. It has excellent and fluent controls, as well as challenge and a great feeling of intensity in its gameplay, and the hand-drawn visuals make for a 2D feast for the eyes that whilst may have been more or less fazed out during the sixth generation, have since inspired many current developers, both indie and mainstream, to create more games throughout the seventh and eighth generations using the same rendering methods; and the industry is all the better for it in my opinion.

Score

31.5/40

7.5/10 (Good)

Sly 3: Honour Among Thieves (PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 & PlayStation Vita)

Sly 3

Developer(s) – Sucker Punch Productions

Publisher(s) – Sony Computer Entertainment

PEGI – 7

Taking place sometime after the events of Sly 2: Band of Thieves, the third Sly game kept to the core mechanics of the previous installment. But also presented a few changes to it as well. In my opinion, those changes were made for the worse. Since it took away much of what made the second game as exceptional as it was. And I was left pretty disappointed by it.

Graphics – 8.5/10

The one thing the developers didn’t take away at least was the exceptionally great cel-shaded style of the visuals. And outlandish conceptual take on the modern world filled with plenty of anthropomorphic animals. The settings are also as wonderfully diverse as they were in the previous game. Taking place in various different parts of the world ranging from Venice to Yuendumu to Kinderdijk. It also features an interesting blend of old and new supporting characters. From both the first and the second game to add more to the story element.

Gameplay – 4/10

As I mentioned, Sly 3 sticks to the same core concept as Sly 2. The player must travel from city to city advancing the plot and using stealth mechanics. And a range of different abilities to overcome a multitude of different perilous situations the characters find themselves in everywhere they go. With the added feature of some new characters to control.

The problem being is that many of the side quests that made the second game as immersing as it was were substituted for side quests. These have the player redoing certain challenges found throughout the story but having to fulfill additional criteria. Such as doing them in a certain amount of time, etc. To me, whilst many there consider it to be better than the second game, it was a massive step down in my opinion. It demonstrated a lack of imagination on the developer’s part. Especially when I think of all the imagination that went into Sly 2. And how much it was a genuine improvement in the first game.

Controls – 10/10

Since the game runs on the same core principles as both the first and the second, the control scheme hasn’t changed. And thus the developers didn’t take it upon themselves to try and fix something that wasn’t broken. The controls are as wonderfully fluent as many of the greatest 3D platformers to have ever been developed over the years. And regardless of what installment may be coming under review, the stealth mechanics make them stand out greatly.

Lifespan – 3/10

Clocking in at a mere 9 hours on average, this is yet another reason why I view this game as being a drastic step down from its predecessor. The second game could easily be made to last around 20 to 25 hours. With everything that there was to do outside the main story quests. But since the side quests are different, I think many gamers will inevitably be disinclined to undertake the side quests. Upon discovery of what they are. As indeed I was.

Storyline – 8/10

Set one year after Sly 2, Sly Cooper, along with his colleagues Bentley and Murray, as well as a plethora of new allies, venture out to seek the fabled Cooper Vault reputed to hold a vast amount of heirlooms. Collected by Sly’s descendants over the years. Personally, the ending of Sly 2 blew me away. But Sly 3 continued that level of character development and built upon it even further. For a game series that started by relying on a strong element of comedy, I never thought I would be able to take it as seriously as I ended up being able to.

Originality – 4/10

To me, because the developers took away a lot of the elements that helped to take the Sly series to the next level, there is considerably less originality about the third game. They did try something new with the inclusion of more than three playable characters, a concept that would carry on into the fourth game. But to me, it meant considerably less than what it could have potentially meant if the developers had chosen to handle the side quests in a fashion more reminiscent of Sly 2. I think Sanzaru took this onboard whilst developing Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. And I’m glad they changed as much from this game as they did.

Niiutral

In summation, Sly 3, in my opinion, is so much less than what it could have been had the developers not decided to make as many negative changes as they did following Sly 2. Even though the original game had less substance, I think the developers misused what substance they added to the third, making it worse. A classic case of quantity over quality.

Score

37.5/60

6/10 (Average)

Sly Cooper & the Thievius Raccoonus (PlayStation 2 & PlayStation 3)

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

Developer – Sucker Punch Productions

Publisher – Sony Computer Entertainment

PEGI – 7

The Sly Cooper series first appeared in 2002 on the PlayStation 2. Around the time Sony started to find much greater success with developing 3D platforming games than they had done previously with the original PlayStation. Having released games such as Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank. Whilst sales of the game were pretty poor during the time of its release, the game has become a cult classic among gamers. And has warranted the development of three sequels. Though I don’t believe the first to be the best (Indeed, I believe that honor goes to Sly 2: Band of Thieves), I don’t think it’s a terrible game. It just needed an extra push, and I think the developers saved that for the sequel.

Graphics – 8/10

Relating to Week 4’s unique article, Sly Cooper was released at a time when cel-shading was first established as a popular form of visual representation in video games. Consequently, this game was always going to stand out. At the time, it was an extremely significant change from the norm. And it also made for a number of compelling level designs as well as character designs. Although some of the bosses look a little bit bland, the last boss, in particular, was very well designed. And the main character is cast equally so. Looking at some of the levels, which are set on rooftops, it’s also plain to see where the developers took inspiration from when they were creating InFamous. Though this would become even more evident in the sequel and onwards, the opening level of the first game alone is enough for players to make this assumption.

Gameplay – 5.5/10

Sly Cooper & the Thievius Raccoonus is a 3D platforming game with stealth elements reminiscent of games like Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell. But even with this somewhat unique aspect of gameplay, I still felt playing it left a lot to be desired. There are so few side quests that completing the game to 100% can simply be done as the player goes along as normal. And there’s not much call for re-visiting levels, save for completing the time trial challenges. In this respect, it reminds me of the third Crash Bandicoot game, Warped; only with less content and fewer side quests. There is a bit of incentive to playing the game to 100%, however, in the form of additional abilities. Such as running faster or invisibility. The game also has a bit of variety in that respect too.

Controls – 10/10

At least in terms of controls, there are no problems. Sucker Punch had found critical success before Sly Cooper with their first game. Another debatably unfairly obscure game for the Nintendo 64 called Rocket: Robot on Wheels. So that there’d be no problems with the controls would have been expected. Especially taking into account the elaborately challenging nature of Sucker Punch’s first game, released back in 1999.

Lifespan – 4/10

Unfortunately, even completing the game to 100% can take players less than 10 hours. Which compared with other platformers, especially at the time, is nothing. With games like Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank came more content and substance in gameplay, and I found that the original Sly Cooper game severely lacked that. And by that token, it would seem to be no wonder why the first game couldn’t compete with games. Such as the two aforementioned examples.

Storyline – 7.5/10

The game’s story is just about as simple in general concept, and as crazy in design as many other video gaming franchises before it. But I found that it wouldn’t really be greatly expanded on or elaborated on until the next game. The plot follows an anthropomorphic raccoon thief called Sly Cooper. He, along with his two closest friends, a turtle called Bentley and a hippo called Murray, set out to recover missing pages from the book passed down from generation to generation of Sly’s family.

The Thievius Raccoonus. Overall, the game’s story is okay. But it only starts to get most interesting towards the end, and I don’t think there was enough added to keep it overly compelling. At least the story is simple enough to not create any confusion, I guess. I believe it to be the worst-case scenario when games or films become so convoluted that they become nigh-on impossible to follow.

Originality – 5/10

Although the game would inevitably be considered unique in terms of visuals, it’s by little means unique in terms of gameplay. The only unique gameplay mechanics was the stealth element, which would again, be more elaborated on with future installments.

Niiutral

Overall, the original Sly Cooper game isn’t an overly terrible game. It was a simple case of trial and error. Only compared to future games in the series, as well as other games around at the time, it seems to me that it was extremely obvious that it was a case of trial and error.

Score

40/60

6.5/10 (Above Average)  

Silent Hill 2 (PlayStation 2, Xbox, Windows, PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360)

Silent Hill 2

Developer(s) – Konami Computer & Entertainment Tokyo

Publisher(s) – Konami

Director – Masashi Tsuboyama

Producer – Akahiro Imamura

PEGI – 16

After the success of the first Silent Hill game, the sequel did not disappoint overall. It was met with positive reviews and huge sales figures, selling over one million copies worldwide in its first month. I, however, wasn’t overly impressed after playing through it. Although I think it is better than a lot of other survival horrors to have come out before it. What I like about it is that it’s a psychological horror game. Which differentiates it from most other games in the genre in an extremely positive way.

Graphics – 9/10

Although there is a protagonist, an established antagonist for the franchise, and several supporting characters in this game, there’s no doubt in my mind that the town of Silent Hill itself is, in many ways, the star of the show. The atmosphere of the place is absolutely horrific, with most scares in the games coming not from a massive amount of jump scares, bloodstains throughout, or a staggeringly high body count. But from its constant build-up of tension the sense of gritty realism in the settings and lack of light throughout the game. The thought that anything could jump out of either the darkness in the numerous buildings the player has to traverse or from out of the outdoor fog is enough to keep players constantly on edge.

Gameplay – 4.5/10

I find that the gameplay is only fractionally more enjoyable than that of Outlast for example since there are means of self-defense in addition to a few alternative endings to unlock. Ultimately, it again felt more like I was watching a film than playing a game, as the only objective seemed to simply uncover the story. The alternative endings and a few unlockable weapons are the only two forms of incentive that come with playing through the game multiple times. Reviewers have commented on how they think that the second game is the highest point in the franchise, and that doesn’t really make me want to try any of the other entries.

Controls – 10/10

Although reviewers have criticized this game for its controls, I didn’t really find any problems with it. The best thing about this game’s control scheme is the excellent use of camera angles. This in a way, adds more to the atmosphere and overall feel of the game. They were very well done.

Lifespan – 6/10

Depending on how much exploration is done throughout a single playthrough, the game can last up to about twelve hours. Which is about the average lifespan of a typical survival horror. This and the scarcely satisfying gameplay just give testament that there is a massive imbalance of focus on both horror and gameplay. It makes me wonder why there are so many developers who can’t seem to get the balance right. Even if this game lasted longer, the gameplay would be drawn out. And repetition would definitely be over-emphasized. So there wouldn’t be much point in making it last any longer than it does anyway without further substance in gameplay.

Storyline – 8/10

For what this game lacks in more important aspects, whilst not making up for what it lacks, it certainly delivers in terms of story. A psychological thriller with elements of the supernatural will leave players feeling enthralled. And emotionally drained throughout. With its coverage of taboo subjects, such as incest and domestic violence. And with the mystery of what is true and not true or what is real and not real. The protagonist, James Sunderland, is drawn to the town of Silent Hill by a message that he recently received from his wife, Maria, saying she was there waiting for him. Despite the fact that she’d been dead for three years prior to the start of the game.

As James explores further into the town, he enters a battle with his own personal demons. And subconscious desires in order to realize a horrifying truth and understand the errors of his ways. So as you may imagine, there are a few twists and turns before the end. It all makes for an extremely compelling plot. The voice acting can seem a bit laughable at times. But ultimately, the characters in Silent Hill 2 are very well-conceived and how they develop throughout the course of the game makes for an excellent tale. Another interesting thing is that whilst the character Pyramid Head steals the show as the game’s primary antagonist, he’s not even the scariest character the way I see it. By far, that honor would go to Eddie, and I will go further into why I think that later on.

Originality – 7/10

With Silent Hill 2 relying on tension as the source of its horror, and with a story and concepts that defy convention, the Silent Hill genre is particularly unique in its own right; not just the second game. But where it lacks originality is in gameplay. It ultimately plays out like most games in its genre, and it seems as if the developers didn’t even try to defy convention in that respect.

Happii

In summary, Silent Hill 2, whilst it severely lacks in gameplay, has a lot to experience in terms of story, and I suppose it is worth playing through once because stories that are compelling don’t come around often. But the way I see it, whilst certain elements do save it from being a terrible game, even saving it from being an average one, I don’t think it’s one that should be considered a classic.

Score

44.5/60

7/10 (Fair)

Second Sight (PlayStation 2, Xbox & GameCube)

Second Sight

Developer(s) – Free Radical Design

Publisher(s) – Codemasters

Lead Designer – Mike Armstrong

PEGI – 16

Back in the sixth generation of gaming, 3D third-person shooting was more or less in its infancy; long before games such as Gears of War and Mess Effect would go on to populate and revolutionize the genre. And deliver some of the greatest gaming experiences to date. As a genre in its early stages, I had trouble enjoying many third-person shooters on the PlayStation 2, including Max Payne, Operation Winback, and Headhunter. And Second Sight. Though I think it stands out better than most others of that time, not many of the fundamentals were done quite right. And the game suffered because of it in my opinion.

Graphics – 5/10

From what had been seen already on the PlayStation 2. Such as Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Final Fantasy X. The game’s visuals are not only substandard from a technical point of view. But also from a conceptual one. The settings are extremely bland. Made up of what players would find in most typical Medal of Honour or Call of Duty games. And nothing about them makes it stand out from most other games. Even for the time. The most positive thing I can say in terms of visuals is that it’s a very polished game with minimal glitches insight.

Gameplay – 5.5/10

I have played much worse games than this and much less variable ones too. Indeed having psychic powers at your disposal certainly offers some diversity in gameplay. But as far as the run-and-cover-based shooting is concerned, I found it pretty frustrating; especially since some sequences can simply be bypassed by players with a sacrifice to some health. And where’s the fun to be had in that? I can appreciate that many of the game mechanics in Second Sight could be seen as precursors to some of the ideas seen in later classic games. Such as the Mass Effect trilogy. But with this title, it was very much a question of trial and error. But with a lot more errors than I would have personally liked.

Controls – 6/10

As I mentioned before, third-person shooting games have a long way to go at this point to be perfect. Many developers at the time focused on genres such as first-person shooters, 3D platformers, and especially RPGs. Control schemes for those kinds of games had long since been developed almost to the point of perfection. But with third-person shooting, it was a very different story in my opinion. Specifically, in Second Sight, I found the controls for using psychic powers in Second Sight to be quite a chore. And at times, incredibly difficult to get to grips with. At the time, it wasn’t often that games in the genre have even as much variety as there is in this title. And so it was always going to be a question of trial and error in this respect too.

Lifespan – 2.5/10

Even if it isn’t rushed, this game can only take about three and a half hours to finish. There are minimal side quests. The main objective of the game seems to be only to find out what happens next in the story. I despair whenever I find a game that has little to no side quests when there was quite clearly room for at least one since it would suggest laziness on the part of the developers to me.

Storyline – 7/10

By far, the best thing I can attribute to this game is its story. It follows a parapsychology researcher and former soldier named John Vattic. He is on an expedition to recover his memory and discover the reasons and machinations behind his newly found range of psychic abilities. There are quite a few twists and turns throughout to keep things interesting. And whilst the voice acting may be a little bit off at times (as was somewhat of a stable thing back then), the dialogue is pretty well written, and the story has a lot of suspense attached to it.

Originality- 5/10

The most unique things about this game are its added variety in gameplay compared with most other games in the genre, and of course, it’s a pretty well-conceived plot. But where it loses marks is through its bland conceptual design, which hampers the game quite a bit. At times, it reminded me very much of Hitman: Contracts, which is one of my least favorite video games of all time. I can appreciate that there were signs of the developers wanting to deliver something very unique for the time, and it worked well for quite a lot of people; but not for me.

Angrii

In summation, Second Sight could have been seen as a great game in scope, if the developers had gotten the basics right, but sadly, that wasn’t the case. Though it has become a cult classic for many other gamers since its release, I had too hard a time trying to see its full appeal, and am unable to completely appreciate it.

Score

26/60

4/10 (Poor)