Review: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

                                                               

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The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is undoubtedly one of the greatest games i have ever played. This game is the reason why I love my Xbox 360. It has everything that i could possibly imagine, and then some! Bethesda did a great job, and worked 4 years straight to get this game out to us.

 

When i first picked this game up, i was more excited than Michael Jackson at a day-care. I sat down for about 8 hours straight playing Oblivion, until my thumbs actually started to hurt. That is not a joke.

So, lets begin with graphics. Oh boy, the graphics in this game are just stunning. Everything in it is just so well lit and beautiful. I actually stopped and looked around for a good 10 minutes just to take in the graphics. Now remember, im playing on a standard TV that is using an S-Video cable for more crisper gaming. No fancy, LCD or Plasma and the game is graphically great!

 

  

 

Now moving onto the game engine. Oblivion uses the Havoc Engine which is widely known for being used in Halo 2. Everything you touch basically moves one way or another, which makes the game so more realistic. If you bump into a table that has plates and stuff on it, those plates will move. The character movement is a lot more smoother than Morrowind, which makes for some good battles and cool looking fights.

 

Fightin in Oblivion has taken a major upgrade. Back when Morrowind was so popular, one of the main complaints was two or three basic moves that you could do and that was about it. The fighting now is very responsive and it makes you feel like your in a real battle. If you hit someone in the leg with a sword or a bow, it will show blood coming from that exact spot, which i think is just awesome.

 

 

 

 

One major thing that makes Oblivion such a great game is that it is nearly endless. The world around you is constantly changing, there are probably well over two-thousand things for you to do while your playing. The replay value on this game is so high, that in my opinion, i dont think any other game can match it. In three to four years when we start rolling out the entrance mat to the next "next gen" gaming console, i will still be playing this game.

 

Though there are some minor errors here and there in the game, they will most likely go unnoticed. Load times, are a killer and the frequent loading while your running in the woods can bug you at times. The frame rate will drop from time to time, which can cause for some major lag in the game for a good solid 30 seconds.

 

Pros

+ The best game for the Xbox 360 graphic wise

+ Never ending gameplay

+ Story line, main quest, side quests, NPCS

+ Cities and towns are just great looking.

 

Cons

– Loading Times

– Frame Rate drops

– Minor glitches

– Frequent "loading.." while running in the woods

 

The pros heavily outweigh the cons by a large margin, but i thought it would be best just to name a few pros and a few cons. I’m going to go ahead and say that this game could possibly be Game of the Year of 2006. Yes i know, we still have the next Splinter Cell coming up, along with Gears of War, but Oblivion is just so fascinating and amazing. It’s going to be a tough competition. Now, for the final overall rating….

 

Rating

9.7/10

 

 

–backdraft123

Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter *review*

                                                            

 

Let me start off by saying that I only rented this game for 1 week. I do not own the game currently, but my review is still an educated one….for the most part. Moving on!

 

One of the most anticipated games for the Xbox 360 was Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. The 5th game in the Ghost Recon series, was by far the best i’ve played. Ubisoft did a great job at the overall gameplay of the game with accomadating us with tons of weapons. Variety is definately good when it comes to artillary.

 

The storyline, in my opinion had some holes here and there. I thought it could be a bit more intense but it still had it’s shining moments. No, im not going to say the ending, but i thought it was a bit lacking. So dont be surprised if your dissapointed in it.

 

When it comes to these squad based games, controller scheme is huge. If you cant command your crew better than a blind man, then these games are worthless. Luckily, GRAW is not like that. The controls are pretty basic and easy to learn. Right from the start you are playing in basic training so its not like your going in there blind. I suggest playing training twice to get a good feel for the game. But if your a veteran of the GR series, then no worries.

 

       

 

The cross-com display is especially cool. I like how you have a sort of mini-screen (see picture above. Top left hand corner) and you can see what your teammates are looking at. You can control your team by using a 3D map by simply pressing the back button. You can also control the drone with the map. It comes in very handy in some of the tougher missions.

 

Pros 

+ Good Overall Gameplay

+Looks great graphically

+Online Play is a blast

 

Cons

-Characters some time glitch.

-Screen issues

-Dodgy online play

 

The cons can easily be fixed easily by a patch. The characters will sometime shoot at enemies while behind a wall but not really look at them. During one of my sessions, my screen went really dark. I thought someone set off a black smoke grenade or something like that. All i could see was the outline of a tank in front of me and a car along side the road. It eventually went away when i wasn’t being attacked. The online gameplay can be great at times, but horrible at other times. I’ve noticed trouble with hosting a room of more than 8 players during a campaign mode. It seems that someone will always get dropped from the game either from the start or within 5 minutes of the game.

 

Also, finding matches that are not already in play is a pain. The matches that you do find that are not started yet only consist of 3 players and they are waiting for more players. I would like to instantly hop in on the action without waiting 10-15 minutes. For now, i would stick to playing with your buddies in a private room

 

The campaign on hard is really not that hard at all. Some might point out that i dont have all the missions completed, so it must be sorta difficult. If i had more time i would’ve had them all done. I will admit i got stuck a few times but within an hour i was moving on. It is nowhere near as difficult as Call of Duty 2 on veteran.

 

Finally, the overall score. This game is a keeper if your a hardcore shooter fan. If your like me and  fly through the campaign i woud rent this game every other week or so, just to hook up with your friends online. To me it was not that convincing to keep it, but it is still a very solid game.

 

Overall Score

9.1/10

 

My Review: Marble Blast Ultra

               

 

Marble Blast Ultra

This is an amazingly addicting game. You can battle your way through 60 levels. Difficulty levels ranging in Beginner, Intermmediate, and Advanced. Each level gets tougher as you go along and a little bit more addicting. You will quickly find a level that you really enjoy and have trouble leaving that level.

 

The pros and cons for this game are very well balanced. The game itself is probably more addicting than Geometry Wars, which in my opinion, is saying a lot.

 

Pros

• Fun, addictive gameplay.
• 60 levels of marble fun!
• Battle it out with friends online.

Cons

• 10 multiplayer levels. Needs maybe 5-8 more.
• No co-op play. Would be a great use for people struggling on tougher levels.
• Camera is a bit sketchy.

For the pros, i could probably list four to five mroe good things about the game. You can select 35 different marble variations! The easter eggs are really fun to try for. I recently just got my last one, and it was quite a challenge. The achievements are fair and anyone can get them. They dont require a ton of time to complete, just some patience and overall knowledge of the game.

           

 

There are not really that many complaints for the game. The 10 multi-player levels are kind of picky. Most of the maps, i dont really like for the most part. I’d like to see them add in some more maybe with content download via Xbox Live Marketplace.

Me and a friend discussed the Co-Op play, and we both agreed that it would definately be worth it. If your struggling at a level, a friend could possibly help you. Maybe even add in some extra levels that require team work.

The camera can be very frustrating when your trying to collect eggs that are in hard to reach places. Even though you can move the camera yourself, i would like to be able to adjust the height of it at any given time.

 

Overall Score

8.3/10

My Review: Dead or Alive 4

                                                           

 

If your a rookie to the series like myself you better have some form of mental help to guide you through the game. I had no idea what to expect out of a Dead or Alive game so i was going in, pretty much blind. What a wake up call i got when i first started playing.

 

I got my butt kicked around a ton. You can read my rant from a couple of days ago here. At the time i posted that i was clearly upset and just frustrated. Nothing seemed to work for me and i thought it was only going to get worse.

 

So, after a couple of day of complete playing ( i played all day Sunday the 12th) i was finally starting to get the hang of it. Be prepared to get your butt beat a good 100 times before you actually start to block and counter because thats just how it is. Now for the review.

 

Single Player modes

I was pretty impressed with the overall single player of the game. If your a newb head straight to sparring mode where you can learn the basics of the game. You can set your opponents difficult level according to stage (1-8) and even do an exercise drill where you perform the moves it shows on the screen. When your done with that, give the story mode a try.

 

There are 16 (excluding the bonus character) characters you can play as in story mode. The stories overall, are not that great. It’s good enough to keep you playing but not very deep in plot. Afterall, it is a fighting game. There 8 stages that you must complete to finish each story line and after each character’s story is done it goes to a little mini film.

 

There is also Time Attack mode where you play as a character of your choosing and complete 8 stages in the fastest time possible. Its pretty difficult unless your a vet of the game, i seem to die at least once when i get to the 5th and 6th stages.

 

If your not digging that, there is also Survival mode. The rules are simple, dont get beat. Versus mode is basically 1v1 and then Team Battle is 2v2. Those are pretty fun if your just looking for ways to improve your game.

 

     

 

Online Play

I haven’t really ventured out into the online play too much. Just met up with some friends to get a lesson in butt kicking 101 (A.K.A Cru kicks my face in 101) For the most part though, it does look very solid. There is some lag here in there but you will always find that in any game. The online game lobby is very neat. It works great if your trying to talk to friends but hate switching chat rooms to talk to each one individually.

 

So overall, this game is not for newbs. The learning curve is very difficult and if your looking to buy this game, GIVE IT TIME. I know from experience how frustrating those first couple hours are of play. Heck, i still have urges to start pounding my controller on the ground.

 

Pros

+ Tons of stuff to unlock

+ Visually it looks stunning

+ Lots of game modes to choose from

 

Cons

– Lacking in story line

– Very difficult on normal setting

– Controller Scheme

 

Overall Score

9.0/10

 

 

–backdraft123

Geometry Wars & Zuma–My Reviews Pt. 4

When you think of arcade games, you usually think of games like Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pong, Street Fighter, Mortal Combat, and games like that. But does it ever cross your mind that there are actual games like Geometry Wars and Zuma that are now possibly the most addicting games ever to be given to mankind? Ya, i didnt think it did. ONTO THE REVIEWS!

 

   

 

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

 The above photo doesn’t even justify the craziness of Geometry Wars. Somewhere hidden in that photo, is a little white ship. That ship is your life and you must protect it. It’s possibly the most addictingly frustrating game ever created. I sometimes get so frustrated with the game, that i actually want to break something, such as my Xbox 360……but, i take a deep breath, calm myself, and start playing again. Then I pretty much repeat those steps.

 

Pros

• Everlasting fun
• Nice techno beat
• Anyone can play it, but it takes skill to master it.

Cons

• Frustrating beyond belief
• No Co-Op mode
• Techno beat gets annoying after awhile

Final Score

8.1/10

 

    

Zuma Deluxe

Do you enjoy watching frogs spit multi-colored balls out their mouths? Well if you do, Zuma is the game for you. This challenging puzzle game is just as equally frustrating as Geometry Wars, but it has a more relaxed feel to it. It doesn’t come with non-stop action, but it can be fun once when you get in the higher levels. I, of course, would not know, because i suck at it. Still a great game either way.

Pros

• Simple…kinda
• Leaderboards
• 2 modes of gameplay

Cons

• No difficulty settings
• Gets extremely challenging quick
• Kinda boring when you get really good at it.

Final Score

7.8/10

 

Look for more reviews as soon as i get some more games. If anyone would like to send me $62 so i can buy DOA4 please post a comment saying so and i’ll give you my mailing address.

 

 

–backdraft123

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06–My Review Pt. 3

         

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Visuals

I was a little optimistic about this game when i received it for Christmas. I put it in, played for 10 minutes and turned it off. At first, i didnt like it, I could tell that since i was not playing on an HDTV that it was not going to look that great. Which i did end up being wrong. It still looks good on a regular tube t.v. BUT, its not like this game would not run like that on the original Xbox.

 

Sounds
The sounds are still great and it makes you feel like your right there in the game. The club striking the ball, is as crisp and clear as ever, and even the 3 wood sounds different from your driver, unlike in previous TW games. Outdoor noises such as birds and even a crowd that you can actually see is still great. I like the guy that screams "IN THE HOLE!!" after I attempt a putt.

 

Customization

Customization is now a huge factor in this series, and i must say it is not AS good as the 2005 editiion of Tiger Woods. Maybe its because im not that far along to unlock all the goodies but i have a good portion of them unlocked. The player skins and facial features kind of all look the same no matter how hard you try to customize them.

 

Online Play

I ventured into the online play only once, only to find myself lagging a lot. If your like me, and the online play has to be smooth like the single player, in order to do good, you will not like this. Like many sports games i play, i get so use to the smoothness of offline play, that when i take it online and i even sense some lag, it throws off my timing and everything. But i promised myself as soon as my character is good enough to play with online, im going to give it a whirl. Wish me luck!

 

                                                    

 

Single Player

It features a ton of mini side games for every golf course that is available for play. Then when you are ready to take it up with the pros, head to Q-School and qualify for "THE TOUR". Once when your immersed in the PGA Tour Season there is no turning back. The pros actually put up more of a challenge this time around. Bring your "A" game if you want to sweep every tournament. Im still looking for my first major win.

 

 

 

 

Overall, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 is still a must buy for any hardcore golfer. If you cant go outside and enjoy the wonderfull game of golf, due to a rainy day, then TW is for you. But for the casual golfer, you might want to give this one a rent when your in the mood to blast the crap out of an innocent little white ball.

 

Final Score 

8.4/10

 

 

 

 

–backdraft123

Perfect Dark Zero & Kameo Elements of Power–Reviews Pt. 2

           

 

Pefect Dark Zero

   PDZ was certainly my most played game before Christmas, but it has recently started collecting dust after i got my haul of games. It started off as a hit, and quickly became not so fun.

 

Pros

• Lots of weapons, all of them have a secondary fire
• Online Co-Op and Bots
• Joanna Dark in a leather outfit…need i say more?

Cons

• Lacking in Storyline
• Lacking in maps for online play
• Got old quick

To be completely honest, the Pros do outweigh the cons for this game. I loved the Co-Op mode and the bots where always fun to play with. The storyline was just lame and didnt have that much to it. Only 2 driveable vehicles was kind of dissapointing but i guess the massive amount of weapons makes up for it.

 

Final Rating

8.3/10

 

               

Kameo: Elements of Power

To me, this game looks like it should go straight to the KiddyCube (GameCube) but i took a risk and actually used my Christmas money to buy it. I was surprised by how much fun this game was and how much i liked it. The lighting, characters, sound affects, graphics, storyline, and just about everything was great. All the characters had their own unique ability and you actually had to use them as a team to complete the game.

 

Pros

• Great Storyline
• Pretty massive levels
• All the unique characters

Cons

• Not a real long RPG, story wise.
• No co-op online play (yet)
• Can get confusing at times

I still have not beaten the game yet, but i am close. Everything else was simply brilliant and i think this game could be enjoyed by all gamers.

 

Final Rating

8.9/10

 

 

I still have 1 more game and 2 more arcade games left to review. Be checking in frequently and PLEASE leave comments if you see something wrong. Thanks!

 

–backdraft123

 

COD2 & PGR3—My Reviews

                 

 

Project Gotham Racing 3

 

This game is extremely enjoyable. If your more of a "realistic" racer and love fast cars, PGR3 is for you. The online play is pretty solid and even the Solo Career is very challenging and fun also.

 

Pros

• HDTV + PGR3=beautiful (great graphics)
• Car details
• Online Play

Cons

• Cant tune your cars
• Kind of weird orchestra music
• No customization

The cons for this game, are very low. I can pretty much deal with all of them and they dont really have an impact on the game at all. One of the greatest racing games i’ve ever played.

Final Rating

9.6/10

 

       

 

 

Call of Duty 2

 

 

If your like me, then you are probably very tired of seeing all of these WWIIFPS’s. For you non-1337 gamers like me, that means World War 2–First Person Shooter. Call of Duty 2 has now taken this genre to its potentially maximum height. Instead of online play being the key feature in this game, its the single player campaign that is possibly the best I have ever played.

 

With more intense action than Rambo (all 3 parts put together), Call of Duty 2 is the pinnacle of WWII FPS’s. Every aspect of this game is brilliant. The AI is probably the toughest I have ever faced, the buildings, the noises, the people, everything is just so realistic and will have you immersed in no time.

 

Pros

• brilliant single player
• great attention to detail
• very difficult on Veteran

Cons

• multiplayer needs some work
• Your squad is not the brightest of them all
• No multi-player achievements

Final Rating

9.3/10

 

 

 

–backdraft123