Sunday, October 4, 2009

God of War Review

Since God of War was first demoed back in early 2004, it's been on the wish list of many action/adventure fans. God of War begins with a suicide, that of the main character. While this may sound like an exceedingly short game, it becomes clearer over time. Kratos, a tough Spartan warrior, throws himself from the highest cliff in Greece. As he plummets, you see the events leading up to the suicide. Essentially, Kratos was transformed into a killing machine by Ares, the God of War, who then tricked him into committing a sin. Kratos seeks vengeance on the Ares. This begins the combat, and the emotional tale that surrounds the action.

The setting in itself is powerful, with vast open environments that can be quite beautiful. The detail in some of the locales is quite spectacular, and the same applies to the creatures that you will encounter. Each have a number of variants.

The camera is fixed. A term which may (and probably will) put some gamers off, due to the unspectacular fixed camera in other games. However, Sony have evaded all the problems that arose from previous games, and it works tremendously well. It zooms in and out at certain times, making platforming objectives so much easier. Sony have made it seem almost beneficial to the standard manipulative camera view.

Kratos comes armed with chains that are attached to his wrists. At the end of these chains are sharp blades, for swinging and building up fierce force and power. The viciousness of the weapon fits Kranos's character neatly. Not only visually satisfying, but the sound of the swinging and clanging together of these vast blades is quite terrifying. Athena also loans her giant blade to the warrior, but most of the time it seems so much easier to just use the chained blades.

As mentioned in the Rawpulse Preview, Kratos can sweep enemies into the air, and follow with a series of juggling attacks, for an effective combination. Once enemies have been eliminated, they break up into glowing red orbs, which can be traded for upgrades. One slight problem with the AI, is that it seems to be more aggressive that smart, but you don't really notice, as you'll be battling your way through.

Button sequence attacks make a truly exciting element of the game. When an enemy is worn down from the basic attacks, Kratos can move in and perform a finishing move, or instigate a mini game fatality, which involves a series of buttons to be pressed when prompted. The tougher opponents will require a more complex series of buttons, but the reward is great. Kratos will perform some spectacular moves, complete with flips, stabbing, and a finishing move that is disturbingly violent.

Not only do creatures leave the red orbs for trading, but also some drop orbs to increase your health. Some creatures deliver magical energy, or a combination of several orbs. If you press the wrong button during a sequence attack, you will leave Kratos open for a violent counter attack. While it may be simple to just avoid this kind of attack and kill the opponent with a traditional attack, it's so tempting to unleash a damaging series of splendid attacks.

As you progress through the game, other powers are given to you by the Gods. Ripping the head from Medusa delivers her evil gaze; Poseidon donates an electrical attack, Zeus his thunderbolt, and Hades, with an Army of Hades power. These powers can be upgraded, similarly to weapons, with advantages to higher power levels. Additionally, Kratos can release the rage of the Gods, which offers invulnerability, and enhanced attack power. Combined with some of the previously stated powers, Kratos is deadly.

For an action game, God of War contains some of the best puzzles. They make sense in terms of the story and settings, and they seem to fit in with the current level position. The puzzles may not be complex, but the main theme is action, so it makes the game seem more whole and complete.

God of War provides an unprecedented thrill, and is a real pleasure to play.

http://www.articlecore.com was created to provide articles on a number of different subjects ranging from PSP game reviews to Science.

The site is owned and run by Carl S. Richardson and Joe Denison, who are also known for a number of other websites including http://www.rawpulse.com a Playstation gaming website.

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Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Review

Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories was hailed as the "killer PSP game". The popular GTA series had to make its way onto the PSP sooner or later, and it's PSP debut is great.

The game takes place, as the title suggests, in Liberty City, which is the city that Grand Theft Auto III (the series' first 3D game) is also situated in. Rockstar Leeds simply converted the city onto the UMD, and changed a few things to make it look more modern, as LCS is set after III. Having said that, the only real changes are shops, which have different names and styles, which is quite disappointing. A new city to explore would have been much better.

You play as Toni Cipriani, a no nonsense guy who's willing to do anything and remove anybody in his way. Unlike GTA III, he can talk, which makes the cutscenes better. The basic story mode consists of missions that do tend to get repetitive. You'll go to a guy on your map, he'll give you a mission that usually involves killing someone, and you get paid once you're done. Once you've completed enough missions, you'll move on to the second island of Liberty City. There are three islands in total, and you unlock them over time. It's a good incentive to complete the missions, but for people who have played GTA III, there's nothing really new.

Though the game focuses on missions, the free roam ability is truly magnificent. You may find yourself playing it over and over again, and rarely getting tired of it. There is no free roam mode, in fact there are no modes, the game simply loads when you turn it on. Whether or not you choose to engage in a mission is up to you. If you choose not to, you can roam freely around the city, causing havoc, or just exploring. You can also collect a number of weapons, ranging from pistols and UZI's to rocket launchers, flamethrowers and sniper rifles. You'll also have melee weapons such as knives and baseball bats. Or, if you want to do some damage from a distance, use a grenade or Molotov cocktail.The amount of weapons in the game is similar to the PS2 versions, which means there's loads.

The cops are still present, so if you blow off too many heads, you'll get some heat on you. The cops are divided into levels with the usual system. You have 1 star at the beginning, and if you keep blowing things up, eventually it will increase to 6 stars, and you'll have the army after you.

The vehicles in the game are again similar to previous versions. Veterans will remember the Patriot, Cheetah, Infernus, Banshee and so on, although some have redesigns which look more modern. You can also have motorbikes, which have never been seen around Liberty City before Motorbikes are generally faster and have better handling than the cars, and make it easier to perform unique jumps, and such. There are no bicycles in the game, which was a nice addition to San Andreas. As you progress through the game you will also have the chance to ride boats. It's not as fun as it sounds, and it never really has been in any of the GTA games. Boat handling is sluggish and it's not fun to drive them. You can no longer fly. Anything. Not a thing. The Dodo was a plane on GTA III that was located in the airport, which you could fly, or at least try to. This time there is no Dodo, no helicopters, no planes whatsoever. It really feels like a missing factor, although in one of the missions it is possible to steal a helicopter, so the physics and controls are still technically in the game. Why there are no planes to fly is confusing. The police still have choppers following you, so watch out.

A new mode of transportation is the ferry. It's basically a slow boat ride and you don't get to drive the boat. You even have to pay for the service. It is a quick way of getting from island to island though, and you do get to keep your car.

The general controls of vehicles is good. Sports cars have great speeds and handling, and slow cars have reduced turning capacity. The controls on foot have been changed dramatically. You use the small analog style stick to control Toni, and vehicles. The directional buttons are used for changing weapons and starting various side missions. Of course the PSP has less buttons than the PS2 controller, so condensing everything was not an easy task. Sometimes the controls do feel very fiddly and it can be frustrating when you need to target things quickly.

Adding on to the "Toni Can't" list, is the ability to swim. Implemented in San Andreas, this feature is absent. It's only really missed when you fall off a cliff into the water, as you could swim to the side and get out. Instead, Toni simply drowns. All of the abilities to increase stats are no longer present, but it's not particularly missed.

Toni can change clothes, and there are some nice options. He is unable to change specific body parts, instead you choose from full suits. Though changing clothes is a small part of the game, you probably would never notice this option if it wasn't required for some missions.

If you don't want to do any main missions, you can engage in some of the side missions. Famous in all PS2 GTA games, these usually involve Taxi missions, in which you act as a taxi driver and deliver passengers before time elapses. Ambulance missions, where you take sick people to hospital. Firetruck missions, which involves putting out fires like burning cars. A new side mission is the dump truck mission. You simply need to collect all the green trash cans within the time limit. All these missions are basically the same repetitive actions. The rewards are worth the effort though.

There are also hidden packages throughout the game in various locations. Nothing new to the series, but collecting all 100 adds weapons to your hide out. Unique jumps are large jumps where the camera changes and it goes in slow motion. When you successfully complete a unique jump, you'll get money for your effort. While these things are by no means new additions, they are nice to have, and it expands the game.

We all know that the PSP has wireless capabilities, and Liberty City Stories takes advantage of that. The wireless multiplayer action is staggeringly good. You must have friends with PSP's and copies of the game, but if you do, you're in luck. The game allows for total free play with your friends. There are many different game modes which adhere to the capture the flag premise. Most of the games work in this way. Liberty City Survivor allows players to play against each other. This is the mode you'll be playing none stop. Even after you have finished the game, it is unlikely that you will get bored of the multiplayer action.

Liberty City Stories has the same radio themed soundtrack. When you enter a vehicle you can choose from a number of radio stations, all of which have different styles of music. The soundtrack has some known tracks from the era, but nothing too impressive. In comparison with the Vice City and San Andreas soundtracks, this is sub-standard.

The graphics throughout the game are fairly cartoony. The series was never meant to be a simulator, but some smoother graphics would have been nice. Sometimes it can seem that Toni has several legs when you are running. Also, at times the frame rate has trouble keeping up, but only when there is lots on the screen at once. For the most part, the frame rate holds up well. The loading times are acceptable. There is a loading period at the start and then as you cross between islands, a loading screen will appear, but only for a few seconds.

Overall, it's a great addition to the Grand Theft Auto series, and the PSP line up. You can't help but feel it's just a watered down version of a PS2 GTA, or simply an expansion pack, that doesn't expand on much. Nevertheless, the action in single player, and in particular, multiplayer, is well worth the purchase.

http://www.articlecore.com was created to provide articles on a number of different subjects ranging from PSP game reviews to Science.

The site is owned and run by Carl S. Richardson and Joe Denison, who are also known for a number of other websites including http://www.rawpulse.com a Playstation gaming website.

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World of Warcraft Review

World of Warcraft is by far the best and largest MMORPG out yet. World of Warcraft follows a long history of the original strategy game warcraft. There were 3 popular titles that were released previously that were also an extremely big hit. Warcraft, Warcraft II, Warcraft III and the 2 expansions "The Frozen Throne" and "Reign of Chaos". The release date of the game was on Nov 23, 2004. A year after its release and there are about 4.5 million subscribers and still growing stronger each day world wide.

World of Warcraft takes you to a 3D environment in the World of Azeroth. The World is the largest virtual environment ever created. You can explore through deserts, forests, mountains and more. It may take months before you can finish traveling through all of Azeroth. There are of course mounts such as horses, gryphons and other animals that can help you travel through Azeroth.

Along with the great 3D environment you are able to customize your characters looks in the highest of detail ever possibly invented. There are next to an infinite combination of faces, eyes, texture, size, weight, coloring to choose from. Unlike many other MMORPGs, you're bound to find a twin here and there but the possibilities have gone unlimited with Blizzards character creation.

World of Warcraft consists of 2 feuding realms, the Alliance and the Horde. Each realm may choose from 4 different races. Alliance members may choose Human, Dwarf, Night Elf, and Gnomes while Horde members may choose Orc, Tauren, Troll and Undead. Along with the 8 races there are also 9 classes that you may choose from which are the Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock and Warrior. Each player also has the ability to choose a profession for their character. A profession is very helpful to the players as it may help them create great armors, weapons, items and other equipments. A player may choose 2 primary professions and as many secondary professions as they like.

Blizzard has been updating World of Warcraft much more than their previous games that required connection to Battle.net. Quests, items, fixes and other great enhances are being added or changed to improve gameplay. Unlike other MMORPGs, the quests of WoW are made to help leveling and is much pleasurable. It is not as repetitive as you are required to kill the same monsters and the constant travelling back and forth to speak to a dozen NPCs.

Like most and all MMORPGs, WoW has their own game economy and ingame shop/auction house. Their currency is based on copper, silver and gold. World of Warcraft gold is most commonly used to purchase weapons, armors, items, skills, spells and travelling. While selling back items to a NPC shop is easy, the returns are unfavorable. Majority of the players would sell off their unwanted items to other players at a highest rate than what the NPCs will offer.

PvP has been by far the most thrilling theme of most MMORPGs. World of Warcraft includes PvP servers and non PvP servers. As Blizzard continues to update the game, their most recent patch included the battle grounds. A zone where the Horde and Alliance comes together and competes. The winner will receive special rewards and methods of increasing their overall character status.

Blizzard has taken ideas from many different games and combined them all into 1. It has yet been by far the most successful MMORPG to this day and still growing rapidly. With a subscriber base of 4.5 million players world wide, I'm sure the game will continue to be popular for over a decade. If you are interested in playing World of Warcraft or already a player and would like more information on the game play visit http://wow.tumeroks.com.

Ruibo is an avid game player and wants to help other gamers out there play the best they can. He created a website which provides many guides, news, databases and many useful information for World of Warcraft players.

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N - Classic Gaming with a New Twist (A Review)

If you've ever wasted hours or even days on playing a video game on your old Commodore 64, then chances are it was a game called Load Runner. Well, it's amazing how this genre has come back full circle. "N" is such a game. Developed in Flash by Raigan Burns and Mare Sheppard, of Metanet Software Inc.

My first sight of this game was from watching my son play it on his computer. I instantly became mesmerized by it's smoothness and the intricate details in the movement of the main character as it moves, flys, jumps, and falls thoughout maze after maze of enemies and bonuses. I especially took note of the simplicity of the game. Finally, someone has released a game that one can sit down to and play without having to crack open a 20 page instruction guide. But don't be fooled! There are over 200 levels to get through! And what amazes me, is that after watching my three sons play this during the past few weeks, they've yet to finish the game! They're totally hooked. The family PS2, with its adrenalin pumping shooters, 3-d ray traced, real-time graphics, and total game play immersion - sits cold and alone. Only to be touched if one of the boys is waiting for their time on the PC with N.

The ART of Software Development in N, is not just in the finished product and its ability to capture the gamer. Its also in the fact that Raigan and Mare have published source and tutorials on their web site, which explains the technique and process of developing this wonderful game. And we not just talking a few rapid paragraphs here! This is a full blown tutorial on Collision Detection, Physics, Movement, Geometry, and Mathmatics. With pictures and diagrams too! For anyone who wants a full blown education on the science of game design and development, this is the place to go!

I can't say enough about this amazing game, the Metanet website, and the kindness of the developers. There is heart in the offices of Metanet Software Inc.! I have no doubt that we'll be hearing more about Raigan, Mare, and Metanet! You'll find this quote on their web site: "We're not professional -- that's our strength." That pretty much sums it up.

You can check out N at: http://www.harveycartel.org/metanet

Timothy Trimble, The ART of Software Development

Timothy Trimble is a award winning, freelance writer, and software developer. He has written a book for Microsoft Press, articles for significant computer industry trade magazines, and is currently working on his second computer technology book to be published in early 2006. He is the Blog publisher of The ART of Software Development which can be found via his web site at http://www.timothytrimble.info

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