Review

Okay so a lot of people look at this game as a kids game. Yeah in a lot of ways it is and there are numerous nods to old school games. But after the mention of Demon's Souls by having a girl say she had sticky white stuff in her hair (play demon's souls and you will understand) I realized that this game was going to be hilarious.

Graphically this game is very simple, a bunch of 3D blocks make up everything. But it is vibrant and so well done that you be wishing they would just remake the original Legend of Zelda like this.

The audio is very basic, but the sounds and music make me think of Zelda, and Dragon Warrior, and even Crystalis on the NES. I loved it.

The story is simple PRG fare, ancient evil was defeated and now it is coming back and you must follow in the foot steps of the ancient hero blah blah blah. But all the references to other classic and new games is simply amazing. If you don't laugh at these then you are too young or you are not a real gamer.

The gameplay is par for the course. Travel to dungeon, check; find special item, check; kill dungeon boss, check; rinse and repeat. The glory of this game comes from how well all of this is done and how fun everything is. Having a sword that shot beams out when you were full health was great in the Legend of Zelda. But having a sword that is longer that the entire screen and four times the width of your character when you have full health is genius.

The game is short, and it is very much an homage to titles like The Legend of Zelda. But with a $40 price tag it is hard to say no to something that let's you relive the good old days with out making it feel old.

Review

Alpha Protocol, first off this game is not as horrible as many of the reviews would have you believe. However do to the fact that it was delayed from October 2009 to June of 2010 this game has many unacceptable flaws.

Let's start with things I don't care too much about. The graphics are passable at best, but the lack of customization for Michael Thorton is underwhelming. The armor and weapons customization are good and actually one of the best things about this game.

The sound works though some of the shots and explosions don't hit the mark. The voice acting is hit or miss either great or completely campy.

The gameplay is hard to judge, many reviewers dislike it because they expected it to be more of a shooter than an RPG. However Obsidian is an RPG maker, I think the RPG elements work well building your character and shaping his skills is fun but playing the game is not so much. I was very dependent upon my skill set instead of the gameplay mechanics to beat the game. In fact the final boss was beat because I used a stealth ability to be invisible and hide then use a pistol skill to chain 6 shots at once and did this twice while hiding to beat him.

All in all the game is good as an RPG but not really up to the standard of a game in our current game cycle. If you want a good RPG, look to Bioware's Mass Effect series or Dragon Age. Or if you really want a shooter RPG get Bethesda's Fallout 3. However if you want a spy game that actually feels like a spy game then get Alpha Protocol because this is the only way it works.

Review

Okay Yeah too long I am aware. In fact I have this review , Alpha Protocol, and 3D Dot Heroes. But first to the matter at hand.

I love the old west. I was first in line to by GUN on the PS2 and I loved it because it was the best western game that had ever been made. And then Rockstar did what they do best and released Red Dead Redemption it has forever changed my gaming history.

Let's start with what matters least in this game, the graphics as an open world game it of course has weird random hiccups, in fact quite a few have been posted on youtube. But it does feel worn and leathery like the old west should.

The sound is impressive, the weapons all make the right snaps and bursts. The animals, people, and atmosphere all shine. The voice over work is great with Marston sounding absolutely like he should.

The gameplay is great the dead eye slowing down and picking your shots give you a satisfaction of disarming a guy shooting off his hat and then blowing his face off. There are few things as fun ans lassoing a guy of his horse or dragging someone behind you with it while you are riding your horse.

The story for this game is standard fare, outlaw who has to go back and take out his old partners in order to redeem himself. The way the story plays out is what makes it great hitting high marks on all wild west fares. Stage coach chases bounty hunting, shootouts, and high noon draws.

The multiplayer is great the coop is so much fun, and I haven't even tried the new coop story mode download that came out a couple of weeks ago. I am also looking forward too the zombie ghost town download that is coming soon.

This game is one of my top 5 of all time. I have no fears that Rockstar will make another due to the great sales figures. So if you have not tried this game go get it. And I will see you online.