gisean Blog

Vault Spelunking: Winter 2010/2011

Sean Lowery — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:57:00 GMT

Back once again for my amusement.

DELVE V

Xbox 360:
Mass Effect 8/10
Don't let the 8 fool you, this is an amazing game. However, early on pacing is a problem and it makes getting to the core of the story kind of tedious. Throw in constant framerate and pop-in issues, and even a game of such high graphic fidelity loses its luster (and you're pulled right out of the fiction). This is a must play, though, if you're going to take part in this series, because I recently started the sequel, and seeing my characters carry over was not only impressive - but awesome.

Kinect (hardware) 8/10
The idea behind it and the technology running the Kinect is darn impressive. But there is still a problem of you dog or cat or children running in front of you, and the fact you need so much room for it to work well. I think for a first iteration of something of this magnitude it was handled very well, but you can still tell it is early on in its life. Sony's Move does a better job than the original Wii did, in fact Nintendo themselves have changed the Wii's remotes several times since launch, so I wouldn't be surprised if the same is true for Kinect going forward. Best thing is, though, I doubt you'd have to buy any hardware to see the improvements. Recommended Games: Dance Central, Kinect Sports, Kinectimals Avoid: Fighters Uncaged, Joy Ride

PlayStation 3:
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II 6/10
I literally found an invisible "kill line" that if I backed up into a previous room and was chased, even by the AT-STs, they would die instantly when they crossed that line. Lacking polish, fun, and a cohesive or meaningful story. The state of Star Wars is a sad one indeed.

Dead Space 2 9/10
I'm hard pressed to find any real gripes about the game other than some of the later chapters were kind of stale, and they went the same route as the first game by just making the enemies stronger and more plentiful to ramp up the difficulty, instead of finding a more creative and engaging solution. But this whole series, although I have a hard time keeping up with the lore, is quickly becoming one of my favorites. About Extraction: To be honest, this is the reason I got it on PS3 instead of 360, and it is reason alone to get Move.

Little Big Planet 2 9/10
Some online lag (and some levels take a really long time to load) and some frustrating levels (especially when playing with a 5-year-old) are the only things keeping this from a perfect score. Don't mind that this game doesn't look like it is for adults - it is absolutely for everyone. Highly recommended.

Gran Turismo 5 8/10
I admit, I haven't beaten this one yet, but like other sports titles, it isn't one that can truly be "beaten" so to speak. I guess I could technically buy all the cars, win all the races, get all the licenses, etc. - but I think that takes away from what they're really going for - experiencing the joy of driving the world's best cars. I can't stand the interface, and some of the difficulty spikes (and licensing in general) are a pain, but for driving enthusiasts you know there is none better.

PSP:
God of War: Ghost of Sparta 10/10
Keep in mind, I'm comparing this to other PSP games. That said, this is just as much fun as its big console counterparts, and that is saying a lot. In fact, I will say it here and now: I enjoyed this more than God of War III.

Pixeljunk Monsters Deluxe 8/10
I am a sucker for tower defense games, good portable strategy games, and Pixeljunk. Enter the ultimate solution! Like its PSN daddy, it looks and plays great. Just can be a little repetitive and a lot annoying on the more difficult levels. I still play it often, though.

Nintendo DS:
Ace Attorney: Apollo Justice 8/10
I didn't play this one originally because I thought it didn't involve Phoenix Wright for some silly reason, and I was wrong. The game is just as good as the Phoenix ones, in some cases better, but some new minigames didn't help this game mechanic from feeling a little archaic. There are a lot of ways to make this game go faster.

Ghost Trick 9/10
Like the Phoenix Wright games mentioned above, I love this developers sense of puzzles and story - and this game was even more fun to explore and puzzles more gratifying to solve than even the Ace Attorney games. I really hope this one does well, because I'd like this to be a series as well (but in this case, I would want a new cast of characters every time, including the protagonist).

Super Scribblenauts 7/10
If I was just going to score the concept and attempt at huge innovation, I would give this game an 11. However, many of the puzzles become monotonous and even something as awesome as causing the dinosaurs to become extinct with a tornado full of lava can't keep the energy up. Play it for sure if you haven't even tried a Scribblenauts game, but expect to enjoy it more if you play it in morsels instead of trying to consume the whole thing.

Dishonoring the Victims: An Expert Study on How Video Games Aren't Evil

Sean Lowery — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:25:00 GMT

This is going to be a very personal and very likely long blog for me, so please be aware of that. Also, I'm sorry, but it will also be full of unedited, pure rants from the back of my brain. I apologize in advance for loving my soap box so much.

I wanted to picture one of the victims mentioned in the title, instead of someone who is trying to become famous through sensationalistic media. Her name was Denise Amber Lee, the wife of my best friend, who honored me by allowing me to be the best man at their wedding and godfather to one of their sons. She was my wife's best friend, and that bond was just starting to grow as our children did. The future was bright for all of us, just starting to make headway at life.

When her youngest son was only six months old, she was kidnapped, raped, and murdered in a random, senseless act of violence by a very disturbed man. There is a lot more to the story, but suffice it to say that learning of this changed our lives forever. It is something that haunts me every day, and I've probably ended up mentioning it to the guys in the office here a few times, because it is always on my mind (despite my efforts to keep it to myself and deal with it on my own).

I hadn't written about her, this story, or even updated her foundation's web site in months. The Foundation is doing fine, steadily growing and working hard to change the world, so that's not why. It is just we are all steadily getting stronger, as it has been a full three years since the crime was committed. We were moving on, so the writing would come once more legislation was passed or some other victory happened. I wasn't going to mention her in a blog here ever again. And then this. I was brought back to it all and frustrated more than I could stand and keep silent.

"Why Mray901 Is So Awesome" or "My Love Letter to GIO" w/ Stats!

Sean Lowery — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:34:00 GMT

There may or may not be others mentioned here. I only mention Mray901 in the title, because, to be honest, he kind of is awesome. He is one of the reasons I've enjoyed my job so much, especially after the relaunch Oct/Nov of 2009 when we opened up the community to everyone.

I heart you guys.

My expectations ranged from rude and/or crickets chirping to exaltation. I was clueless. In the time since then, we've seen the Old Timers come back (I let them have their own group, I was so happy to see them), we've had probably three significant spam attacks, three different video players, a slew of bug fixes (and some inadvertently created), near-million stories, added threaded comments (twice), had cover reveals that crashed the site (probably more than once), I can't tell you how many changes/updates to how the stuff behind the scenes is working, and the list continues to grow. And all through this - what have you guys shown me? That with very few exceptions (and only a few regrets), you've been a rock solid community that I am very thankful to be a part of.

So. There you go. I tweeted (and removed seconds later, but Mray901 is too fast) about what my next blog should be about, and he said I should do it on why he is so awesome. So I kind of just did. Now here's 10 more reasons why the entire community is awesome. In some kind of order! In statistical form!

1500 comments. Yes. That is awesome.
Over 500,000 users. Hello.
Over 700,000 posts. That's some reading you have to do.
Over 10,000 errors thrown. 50,000 forum threads! That's not bad.
Over 140,000 contest entries (ya'll tryin' to win ***)
2,000 Guides pages (you know we have those, right?)
3 users over 20,000 points: colton2658, eyros2k, and Meta77
Top 3 editors (points-wise, at the time I looked it up just now): Meagan (12,955), Tim (12,892), and Phil (12,715)
3,270,749 total points have been rewarded (as of this second, 6:06 PM CST 2/1/2011)
Editor with fewest points: Ben Hanson (1,340). Runner-up (since Ben doesn't count, he's still new): Bryan (3,415) [Note: I also didn't include now-defunct Nick Ahrens or our EIC because I like my job.]

OK, so some of these may seem big, or some of them small - but we're growing. We're building this from scratch. While we've been around for a while - we've never tried to compete. And we're a VERY small operation. Our full-time GameInformer.com-only IT staff equals 3. We're a company of fewer than 50 employees (what you see in the back of the magazine is it). We wouldn't even be where we are now if we didn't have awesome members who create their own cults - so while Mray901 is a part - you are ALL awesome.

Now back to work, slaves!

What the Duke Reveal Would've Looked Like in 1997

Sean Lowery — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:28:00 GMT

Well, today we had a reveal I was waiting a long time for, so long the bygone era of background MIDIs and animated GIFs has passed us by.

So, here's a MIDI: Click here

Here's what the announcement would have looked like circa 1997 (when the sequel was announced, also credit for the idea goes to Jeff Cork):

MAY 3

View Video
Format: mid
Duration: --:--

Vault Spelunking: Fall 2010 Edition

Sean Lowery — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:43:00 GMT

Ah, Vault Spelunking, how I've missed you. Let's get right into this thing.

DELVE IV:

Xbox 360
Alan Wake 8/10
I very much loved this game for the first half, in fact I even went so far as to say this had potential to be my game of the year. Alas, all of that energy and potential was soon wasted by a lack of innovation and variety by game's end. I have played every Remedy game, and loved them all, so I'm hoping they get a chance to either revisit this character or the ideas they had here, and bring them to life later on.

Dead Rising 2 9/10
OK, this is the first game I've put up here that I have not beaten. I will update this blog if my opinion changes. This rating is not based on the story, so I'm fairly certain it will not change. This is based on just how fun the world and the mechanics are. I still dislike the feeling that this whole thing is timed, I don't like being on the clock. If they just made this a persistent open world, it would probably be the only game I play for the rest of the year.

Darksiders 9/10
This game is great and deserves to be played by anyone who has ever liked a Metroid, Zelda, or God of War game. It doesn't do anything new or different from those games, but it does have Mark Hamill in it.

PlayStation 3
The Move (peripherals) 8/10
If I could rate Move as a concept, it gets an 8. Works great, but needs an updated camera. I also fit into the exact market this thing is for: no Wii, have kids, have PS3, impulsive.

Sports Champions 7/10
Considering what this is, a 7 is pretty high. Some of the concepts work really well (I play disc golf and was very impressed at the realism), some don't (never waggled in volleyball before... why can't I hit the *** ping pong ball onto the *** table?!). But at its heart, it has me playing with my kids and my wife, and that is where the Wii was its most successful. It is a sign of good things to come - and also some shovelware.

Eye Pet 7/10
Again, with a 5-year-old and a 2-year-old, we are the exact demographic intended for this game. I rate it only at a 7 not because it doesn't work, but because it lacks polish in a lot of its minigames - and that stupid camera never can read a simple drawing.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions 8/10
This game really surprised me. I went in with very low expectations, but like last year's Arkham Asylum, this one is very fun and very faithful to the character. I just think they could have done something more innovative than repeating level formulas over and over, and some of the boss fights were repetitive. Still, another one I recommend.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West 6/10
I did not have fun with this game. It is a case of great art direction, great storytelling, all mired by terrible game-play decisions. Ninja Theory, next time you make a game, please don't assume I'm an idiot with only one thumb.

Mafia II 6/10
This game is pretty polarizing among the interwebz, but for me - there was too much missing under the pretty coat of paint they put on the game to make it feel like a genuinely fun game. It gets stale, loses its edge, and there are no amount of pin-ups that will make up for that.

PC
StarCraft II 10/10
Amazing. Still playing it. Love it. Go now and get it if you haven't already or we're not friends any more.

Civilization V 10/10
See 'StarCraft II'.

PSP
Valkyria Chronicles II 7/10
I'm fortunate that most of the games I played during this spelunk were relatively enjoyable. This one, however, broke my heart. I loved the first one on consoles, and while the game translated well (you can see me playing it at E3 in the title image), the spirit did not. Storytelling is direly boring, the battles quickly get repetitive and never recover, and the only reason I kept going was because it is Valkyria Chronicles and the customization options for your troops are excellent. The best I have seen since Final Fantasy: Tactics as far as classes and roles are concerned. There are few better options on the PSP, unfortunately, so I still recommend it, but I don' think they've managed to translate the sheer fun factor onto the handheld.

Don't worry, I've bathed, got contacts, was bitten by a radioactive spider, and cut my hair since this.

What to Expect From Grand Theft Auto V

Sean Lowery — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 00:48:00 GMT

Gamers have been wondering for a long time now what is in store with the next installment into Rockstar's incredibly successful series. Where should it take place? What should the new features be? Well, fine reader, here are my answers (that will probably in no way come true).

1. Where should it take place?

I think Rockstar needs to break away from previous installments as much as possible in 5. There have been a lot of innovations in video games that made a lot of the attention to detail in GTA4 a little less spectacular than they should have been (seriously, these guys think of everything). I think to truly blow people away, you can't have just one city. San Andreas did this well, so should GTA5. Just learn from Red Dead Redemption that just having an extra place to roam (Mexico), doesn't make it great and can actually harm the whole experience. I would even say, give players the entire United States.

ANSWER: The whole U.S. condensed to landmarks and tourist traps. Bring back Americana using the trademark GTA humor and satire. What do I think will actually happen? I think we'll see California and maybe some Nevada again, like in San Andreas.

2. Who is the protagonist?

I think we need to get away from some norms in the series once again and allow the user to create their character. Take new Move and Kinect cameras and allow users to even be him or herself. The narrative of the story should be wary of this and we could take a Layer Cake approach and never even name the protagonist.

Since we're traversing the entire country (with DLC for the entire globe.... hey, one can dream), the role should match that as well. Instead of being scum working your way up - why not be an already well established rogue - an international arms dealer, the clean-up man for the mob, or even stick with the RDR approach and have you work as an above-the-law undercover back-to-the-wall former criminal? Heck, do all of the above and change up the narrative as the story progresses. Regardless, finally give us a reason for doing our missions other than being an errand boy.

ANSWER: You are! No need for a deep role-playing system, but at least allow you to pick the character, even be the first female protagonist in the series. Use the latest technology to put yourself into the game. Honestly, though - I'd be surprised if they strayed too far with this one. I would at least like it if we went back to the silent protagonist, though.

Next up: What new features should be included? What will the story be?

UPDATE: An Unofficial OnLive Review

Sean Lowery — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:54:00 GMT

6/21/2010 ORIGINAL:

I recently had the unique opportunity to try out the newly-launched cloud gaming service called OnLive. For those of you unfamiliar with the service, think if it as playing a game that is running on another computer over the internet. So it is kind of like playing a game through a glass window, except what happens in that window is recorded and anyone online at the time can watch you play (and give you a thumbs up or a thumbs down). You also can take that session and resume it from any PC or Mac that you use.

The theory and the features behind OnLive make it very appealing, especially if you don't own a gaming PC or a console. It is also a refreshing way of thinking about bringing games into the home. But is it just words on paper, or is the practice and the function as good as it sounds?

The first thing I wanted to try was a true "gaming-on-the-go" feel, so I fired up a laptop, sat down on the couch, and was immediately greeted by an error message.

You cannot play OnLive using wireless.

This was immediately disheartening, both because I was really comfortable, and because this kind of throws a wrench into their plans of allowing users to truly play anywhere. No more Borderlands at Starbucks. Still, my curiosity was peaked, so I rewired my setup and tried again. One of the very first things I noticed is how this whole system just looks like an interactive movie, both in the detail of what is on screen, and the fact that it never feels like this menu is running on your PC (but is pre-recorded). There is a lot going on at all times in its menus, and it is actually quite fascinating.

The OnLive main menu. All of the videos are apparently recordings of real games being played on OnLive.

I of course immediately went to "Marketplace" to try a game. At launch, there are not many games available for OnLive, and nearly all of them have been out for a while (the only exception to that is the new Prince of Persia, a full list of games will be provided at the end of the blog). I decided to delve back into Assassin's Creed II to see how OnLive would truly work. By default, the system uses the mouse and keyboard combination to control its games, but I have to recommend at least using some kind of game peripheral instead (in this case, I plugged in my 360 controller). The game looked decent, but not as crisp as if I was playing on my own monitor or TV - it was more like a hi-res YouTube video of the game, which is in essence what this is (a high quality video stream).

The most important question to answer about this service is not the video quality so much as the responsiveness of the controls. I did experience occasional lag, and in some situations (like fights) it became a little frustrating. It wasn't often (in fact, I was impressed for the most part), but the fact that it happens at all may be a deterrent for some from using the system. In trying a few other games, I can say that the platform does allow you to do what it says it does, but it would be better served if it avoided games like Prince of Persia, where timing is everything. It is still possible to play all the way through the game, though, as I saw some people fighting bosses towards the end of the game in the "Arena".

The "Arena" - where you can instantly watch players playing OnLive games and give cheers (or jeers).

The thing that I think sets OnLive apart from regular console play is the Arena. You can instantly jump into watching other people playing and give them a thumbs up or thumbs down as they play. It doesn't matter if you own the game or not, and it feels very much like voyeuristic video gaming. I saw some people struggle with both Assassin's Creed II and Prince of Persia jumps, and some dude taking out thugs in Batman: Arkham Asylum. Similar to this, is the ability to take and post up "Brag Clips" of your gameplay, which is a simplified way to share video of your exploits. I saw some pretty cool Just Cause 2 things happening here, but most of the ones there were clearly just people trying the option out, since there wasn't a whole lot going on.

The "Brag Clips" menu.

My final verdict on OnLive is that it is not a failure, and that it is not all hype. However, I can only recommend it to people with high speed wired internet and that do not already own a gaming alternative. Playing live on your own machine will always be a better experience, simply because you do not have to rely on so many outside vairables (like their service being up, internet being available, etc.). Also, since the games cost $50 and the service also has a monthly fee, it may end up being an unnecessary expense to gamers who have a platform that does not. Being able to make and share videos may be cool to some, but is not very appealing to me, since that is not why I am playing my games. The ability for other users to spy on me while playing is also not amusing (unless I'm about to do something awesome). OnLive is definitely ambitious, and I hope it survives long enough for there to be better ways to play it than being tethered to a modem.

In the "coming soon" section, there are games like Homefront and the new Deus Ex, along with Alpha Protocol, Metro 2033, Fear 3, Driver: San Francisco, and even Shaun White Skateboarding. Publisher support seems to be there, lets hope it also does not wane if OnLive starts slower than their investors expect it to.

Here are all the games available now:

AaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! from Dejobaan
Assassin's Creed II from Ubisoft
Batman: Arkham Asylum from Square Enix/Eidos
Borderlands from 2K Games
Brain Challenge from Gameloft
DiRT 2 from Codemasters
FEAR 2 from Warner Bros. Interactive
Just Cause 2 from Square Enix/Eidos
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 from Warner Bros. Interactive
Madballs in Babo:Invasion from Playbrains
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands from Ubisoft
Puzzle Chronicles from Konami
Red Faction: Guerrilla from THQ
Shatter from Sidhe
Splinter Cell: Conviction from Ubisoft
Trine from Frozenbyte
Unreal Tournament III: Titan Pack from Epic
World of Goo from 2D Boy

6/30/2010 UPDATE:

After spending more time with the platform, there are a few other things I noticed that I feel like I should at the very least mention.

First, I really like and really hate their demo system. The love comes from the fact that I get to sample the real game, not a pre-manufactured demo that may or may not represent the entire product. I am playing the real deal for 30 minutes. That is awesome, and I feel that is how demos should be on other platforms (but understand the concerns about download sizes, regulation, etc.).

The dislike comes from the fact that I cannot replay a demo at any point. I get 30 minutes period, whether or not that was enough for me to determine if I want to pay for a game. Another point of contention is that my progress is not saved. If I put 30 minutes in to a game in the demo, I still have to start from scratch if I purchase the game.

Another thing I noticed is that the graphics quality of some of the games may not be as high as if I were to play them on my own PC at the highest settings (which is what this was supposed to bring for me). This could explain both why they didn't ship with games like Crysis playable and why the service has been able to launch without more lag.

Another quirk I've found is that when you view the service in full screen, your mouse and/or joystick input does not adjust. So what should actually take a larger move of the mouse as far as perception is concerned, actually requires a much smaller one. This is to be expected since you are viewing a real-time video of your game, and not the game itself. It is a small nitpick, sure, but it is still a drawback to this type of service.

The most recent benefit of the service was its launch of LEGO Harry Potter, where it was available at midnight (PST, so 3 AM EST). That meant no waiting at all to be able to play a new game, which could be exciting to a number of users. The OnLive staff also demonstrated how they could run a contest on OnLive (first to beat Harry Potter wins, in this case), which could also lead to some interesting promotions in the future.

The very last thing I've noticed that I think OnLive needs to consider going forward if it is going to succeed, is achievements. Other than what you can unlock in-game, there is no system-wide way of bragging other than through your video clips - which if the comments here are any indication, is not going to be popular.

I think overall, OnLive is still growing, and has just recently launched, so it still has yet to find its stride. With the difficult time it is going to have finding an audience, let's hope they find it quickly.

Vault Spelunking: The Revival

Sean Lowery — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 23:05:00 GMT

Delve III

This didn't become the regular posts I was kind of hoping it would be, but really, when you don't have any time to game, what choice do you have?

A lot has happened since the last Spelunk (*cough*E3*cough*), and that means this one could also be the biggest one. Prepare yourself for mini-review awesomeness...

Also, I did manage to snag an Xbox 360, so my posts should be a little less Sony-centric now.

Let's get right to it:

PSP
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories 8/10
Controls and looks good, but takes a little while to really get into it. Some psychological aspects of the game are very interesting, and the story was not a bore. Compared to other recent PSP releases, I can safely recommend this one.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords 8/10
Let's just say this was an obsession for a little while. Very addictive and definitely perfect for an on-the-go title, but unfortunately runs out of steam pretty quickly and may have needed an overall better UI when navigating.

LocoRoco 6/10
This game just didn't sit well with me. It is definitely artistic, and takes a new approach to platforming games, but something about it literally gave me a headache. The controls became a little frustrating, and I found myself not having any fun in some of the mid-to-late levels.

Xbox 360
Fable II 8/10
I remember being vastly disappointed when I finished the first Fable, what Molyneaux had promised from his Project Ego just didn't deliver. This game, to me, is no different (guess I'm learning the hard way about Molyneaux's promises). A vast world of possibility that is missing an overall feeling of immersion and a truly compelling narrative. Quite a lot of fun, and a good step forward for the franchise, but not enough actual engagement to make me truly love the title.

Gears of War 2 8/10
Gears of War was the first game I ever bought for a 360, back when I was in line to get an Elite when they launched (still miss that beast). I did not realize this game was just more of the same. No innovation here, that I could tell, and in fact some of the controls became more frustrating. This game felt more shooting gallery than the first, too - which I was not a fan of. The story is getting better, and I have very high hopes for Gears 3, because it looks to have fixed everything I didn't like about the first two, and then added a whole layer of polish and frantic epicness to it.

LEGO Batman 6/10
I'm not saying this is a bad game, just that I'm getting really sick of the same exact mechanic over and over and over in the LEGO games. This one is just not as much fun as it should have been, and add on top of that some frustratingly difficult level designs for this to be a family game, and there is really no purpose. For older children, maybe (my son is almost 5), but for us - this one was a bust. Not a disaster, just not a whole lot of fun after the first few levels and the "new" wears off.

Bully: Scholarship Edition 7/10
Bully was one of my favorite PS2 titles. I loved how Rockstar took the established GTA formula and kind of turned it on its ear and made a really fun game out of it. This version doesn't have the polish I was hoping for, and isn't an upgrade enough to make it worth the time or money investment, having played Bully already. If you're new to the franchise (I'm assuming it will be a franchise), go ahead and play this one - you won't be as disappointed as I was.

Bayonetta 7/10
I'll probably catch some flack for this one, but I'm just not a fan of the over-the-top-I-don't-know-what's-happening kind of story. The action was pretty cool, animations and graphics amazing. Just not my kind of game.

Green Day: Rock Band 7/10
Played through the campaign in this one with Bryan Vore, Ben Reeves, Brian's fiance and friend in a crazy four-player all-nighter. It is a fun game, but Green Day's not the best band to play through all of their songs in one sitting. Also, I felt the Beatles deserved a better follow-up. If you're a big GD fan, this is a MUST, but I'm not. The songs I know, I had fun with, the others didn't excite. Just one of those hit-or-miss bands that you either love or hate, which makes this decision perplexing (other than their record sales numbers, of course).

PlayStation 3
Just Cause 2 9/10
I don't think I've purposely put so much time and effort into completing a game as I have this one. Endless fun (great new add-on items in cheap DLC, too), or at least close to endless until you start to realize how much of the areas/events are recycled. Still, I had a blast, and that's really all you can ask for in such a big, beautiful, burly game.

Red Dead Redemption 10/10
This game is unparalleled for me. With the exception of some Mexico-based missions, the narrative is flawless. I haven't felt this immersed into a game world since BioShock. First Rock Star protagonist I like to play as, too. You can't go wrong with this game. Stellar multiplayer and stat-tracking just ices the cake.

Final Fantasy XIII 7/10
I like the changes to the formula, and I have yet to see a more beautiful game (typical of Final Fantasy releases). I must just be out of touch with Eastern narratives, though, because I had a hard time getting into the story, invested into the characters, and that makes this game kind of a burden when you think of how long you have to spend with them. Any time a game becomes a grind, I lose focus, and I lose interest. When that happens, I'm not having fun and that means the game is a failure. I mean, a game is a game, right? Shouldn't I enjoy it from start to finish?

God of War III 9/10
A rousing conclusion to one of the best trilogies in gaming. Epic battles in this one didn't seem to end quite as well as they began, I was especially disappointed in the Mars Hermes, Hercules, and Hades battles. I question some gameplay and story choices (especially towards the end), but ultimately, if you own a PS3, at some point you should play this game.

BioShock 2 7/10
I discussed already why I feel that this game's story should have been completely different. That artistic choice aside, if you stay for the whole game and don't get mired in the fact that the first two acts are basically nothing new, you will find a lot of pleasant surprises. Plus, dual-wielding plasmids and weapons is just a lot of fun.

Things That Should Not Have Sequels 3: Jaws

Sean Lowery — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:04:00 GMT

It goes without saying that in the late 70's, early 80's horror flicks in general suffered from too many sequels. Once terrifying nightmare creatures are turned into mere jokes of themselves, and burgeoning franchises are turned to ridicule. No matter how much you loved Freddy, Michael, or Jason, none of their many sequels would have had the daunting task of following up a true cinematic classic.

PLOT REVIEW:
This film has the correct build-up of suspense and terror that few films before or after have matched. A lot of that was by accident, since the mechanical shark kept breaking (which lead to John Williams' iconic theme for the terrifying beast), which makes its replication even more difficult. The cast of characters is also still unique 35 years later. You have the seasoned and crass shark hunter, the arrogant educated marine biologist, and the town sheriff all stuck on a far-too-small vessel. They make a great team, but with the exception of one key scene, hardly ever get along (which adds to the suspense, as the audience feels their stress).

The build-up is fantastic, with us seeing bits of what this underwater menace is capable of, and why it must be stopped. We feel for the town, as Amity thrives only on its tourism, making it a prime (and deadly) target for a maneater. The sheriff is out of his league against such a foe, but gets no help from the local government, who refuses to close the beach. In their hunt they face all kinds of obstacles that show more and more how inept against the ocean man truly is. The Orca, the boat they travel out on, is no match for the 2-ton shark, and neither are the "experts" on board.

It is well thought out, well paced, and shows the artistry that Steven Spielberg once had that made him a household name. It was movies like this, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, that proved to the world that monster movies and sci-fi movies could also be smart.

A sequel to this masterpiece had more to overcome than the simple fact that the Great White from the first film exploded. The first hurdle was the fact they took Steven Spielberg off of the helm, and put TV director (who still directs shows like Smallville and Heroes) Jeannot Szwarc in the big chair. Next, and probably the biggest hurdle of them all, is surprising the audience again. You are never, ever going to have an audience as frightened of a shark like you did in the first movie. Even if you did, what is the point in making the same movie over again? Never mind the fact that future sequels would make the monster, as I mentioned, sillier. Having it attack underwater theme parks, having it be the "mother" shark, etc. (Keep in mind, I do know why studios make sequels, but this is purely coming from an artistic perspective, not a financial one.)

It's All About You

Sean Lowery — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:30:00 GMT

I know you're probably sick of hearing us beg for your votes for our nomination on the 14th Annual Webby Awards, but I want to mention it one last time before the winners are announced. I'm not asking for anything this time, I just want to say how thankful I am for this amazing (and growing) web community. In just a short 6 months since I was introduced to most of you during our site's relaunch, I think this has grown into something to truly be proud of - and it has absolutely nothing to do with me or the site itself.

I think the most exciting thing about all of this, is we are still just beginning. There are a lot of things planned for this site that I can't wait to give to you guys. Plus, we're just beginning as a group, too. We're all learning how this site will grow and take on a life of its own, and I think good things are in store for the future of Game Informer Online. You guys give it that life and keep it alive, and I can't tell you how awesome that is.

So please allow me one more moment of your time to again express my gratitude. You guys really showed up, and even if we don't win any awards (heck, even if we weren't nominated), I'm proud to be a part of this. Thank you.

Things That Should Not Have Sequels 2: Bioshock

Sean Lowery — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:15:00 GMT

The very first thing I think I should do is preface with this: I enjoyed BioShock 2. In fact, I will likely play any game in this universe. Rapture is one of the few truly unique, captivating locations in all of gaming. It is not another post-apocalyptic wasteland, it is not Green Hill Zone or the Mushroom Kingdom - in fact, it is hard for me to find anything to compare it to. The setting alone can be revisited many times, that is fine, but let's let this complete story stay that way, and move on to something new.

All I am saying is that BioShock 2 could have used some work, and maybe benefitted from being a spin-off. Something like BioShock: Big Daddy's Revenge, or Return to Rapture. Because, let's all be honest here, Bioshock told a complete story. It had a beginning, middle, and two (depending on your path) definitive endings. The main story has been told, and really there is no reason to revisit Andrew Ryan's tale, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

PLOT REVIEW:
To me, the first Bioshock is comparable to any of the classics (even some films) in it the fact that its story is profound, and the twist at the end was hard to predict but really solidified itself as good, solid storytelling. While the ending was a little too subtle for some, it still told the story of the fall of Rapture. The end of this game should have been the definitive end to the city beneath the sea, because I was not left wondering what happened next - I know that the only thing that could have happened was the city slowly died out and we were left with a few wandering splicers with no Adam. Rapture was left to rot in its own corruption with no head left on the snake.

Bioshock 2 did not have a broken or terrible plot, but for the first 67% of the game, it was the same plot we had already seen, with just a few minor tweaks. There was nothing unfamiliar or new. We learn nothing more than we already knew about Rapture. It is not until towards the end that we see anything different - and that new perspective is the only thing we did not have in the first Bioshock. I did not need a whole new trip to Rapture with a similar cast of characters to see that, though. I heavily believe Bioshock is over and sequels are detrimental to the fiction. I think this should have been a prequel, or like I said before, complete spin-off. The best parts of Bioshock 2 were when it went against the established formula (dual-wielding, that scene towards the end, alternative glimpses at what is going on within Rapture), and I think a game that focused solely on those traits would have told a better story. Imagine if you were a Big Daddy on Rapture the same time as the protagonist from the first game, or even before he arrives?

My biggest complaint against Bioshock 2 is the fact that the entire story relies on rehashing the first story. Somebody just went to the surface and stole new little girls to start over. Really? That's the best you can come up with? Completely invalidating what I did in the first game and having me do the exact same things in this game? What if, instead, we were tasked with gathering the little girls for the first game ourselves? That's a better approach than doing the same things all over again.

The new cast of characters and environments are far from boring, but again as I said in the plot review - doesn't really push the overall Bioshock story forward at all. Just kind of adds fat to it, and something that you'll learn about me - I like my stories smart and lean. Just adding new characters to a fiction doesn't really validate a sequel. Want a good example of a sequel or franchises that do sequels well? Mass Effect 2 is a great sequel, because it expands the universe and carries on the story from the first game. It builds dynamically onto your choices and validates all your work in the first game. Blizzard's Warcraft is also a good example - you have a very simple universe (which Bioshock did not) of good vs. evil in an ongoing struggle that can be told over the course of many games since the threat is never fully extinguished. Kind of like in James Bond, there will always be a terrorist, he can never completely end threats to the world. But at the end of Bioshock, Rapture was done, the threat completely gone, the tension eliminated. Why go back to it after that?

Things That Should Not Have Sequels 1: Phantom of the Opera

Sean Lowery — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:55:00 GMT

It has been almost a month (March 9th) since the show debuted on London's West End, and about three or four months since I first found out this thing existed. First, let me just say that I first heard and saw Phantom of the Opera 15 years ago, and have since seen the show a few times with a few different groups of people, and it is truly great entertainment (I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, because it is far from perfect, but you can't argue with what it does well). Phantom of the Opera got me into theater in general and some of its music still resonates. It was something my family and I shared, talked about, etc.

Let me also say that I did not like the Schumacher film, but it at least was a good attempt at putting this story on film (my main reasons for disliking that film was the casting). I would have loved to see Baz Luhrmann's take on it, but that didn't happen.

Let's just say my interest and my intrigue were high when I heard about this project, its synopsis (10 years later, the story moves to Coney Island, which I think is a great move, if you're going to continue this story), and its cast.

Let's break this thing down into pieces:

PLOT REVIEW:
Let me sum up the plot for you: it is 10 years after Phantom of the Opera, the Phantom (now called Mr. Y - which makes no sense and is not explained) lures Christine, Raoul, and their son Gustave to Coney Island where he is now in hiding thanks to help from the Girys (Christine's friend and her mom from the first show). Turns out the kid is the Phantom's, the Girys are trying to seduce the Phantom, and drama ensues.

The core of any show, no matter the medium (movie, live theater, musicals), is its story. This is a sequel to a show that was nothing more than a basic tragic love story that kept things to a minimum - we knew the emotions and the roles the chatacters played (handsome suitor, grotesque genius, etc.). You really shouldn't have to expand on this tale - you get it, it works. Love Never Dies does one of the things I absolutely cannot stand in any sequel - the random lovechild. There are characters that should not have bastards. Superman and the Phantom of the Opera chief among them. Yet...

So, needless to say, said *** child is a big reason I cannot enjoy Love Never Dies as much as I want to. Remove the child, the pedophile anthem "Beauty Underneath," and make some adjustments to "Beneath A Moonless Sky," and "Once Upon Another Time" to make these suggestive and not so blatant. The Christine I remember was not the type of woman who would run off just before she was to be married and have sex with the man who kidnapped her and attempted to murder her fiance, not to mention the murder of those around her. Much less let that man watch her only child - even if that child is his. That whole plot point is ridiculous, and to make it worse, it is the core of the show.

To make matters worse, the "noble gentleman" character from the first show, Raoul, is now a sad cliche of the bad husband (gambling away fortune, alcoholic, neglectful, and manipulative). None of those characteristics make any sense given what we have seen and know of this character. Also, the way he just fades off and doesn't matter is atrocious. He needs to be a better father, so that the big revelation hurts more, he needs to seem to care more about Christine, too. And he certainly doesn't need to have two vices, the gambling is quite enough. Make him care, and you'll make us care, and the dramatic moments of this show will matter.

Now we have dramatic moments we don't believe and we don't care about. Not good for a show trying to follow the most successful single piece of entertainment EVER.

I won't spoil the end, but if you want to know, it is definitely spoiled on Wikipedia. Let's just say that the final confrontation is interesting, is built to fairly well (at least it makes sense), but it is not anywhere near the impact of the original's. I guess the problem here is this show is missing the good source material (a classic novel), the raw emotion put into it (the original was very personal to Andrew Lloyd Webber), and the fact that it wasn't trying to be anything it wasn't. This show is trying to fit too many square pegs into too many round holes.

The ApocalPS3 = Impatient Gamers

Sean Lowery — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:21:00 GMT

It is because of the CPU internal clock thinking today is 2/29/2010, which of course it isn't. In a little over 2 hours, when it will be a new day at GMT, your PS3 should work again, thinking it is 3/1/2010 which works - just a day or few hours behind.

If you're really impatient, you can reset the internal CPU clock by removing your CMOS battery from the motherboard for a few moments (if you don't like warranties and like risking your PS3), and play right now.

DISCLAIMER: This is just an educated guess based off of the facts that have been presented and my prior knowledge of how these things tend to work. Nothing official from Sony.

EDIT: Screw you, disclaimer - for once, I was right.

Windows 7 "GodMode"

Sean Lowery — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:58:00 GMT

There is a new trick that is making waves that is extraordinarily useful and begs the question: Why wasn't this available normally?

Still, this is Microsoft we're talking about, and they've made some pretty peculiar decisions (not overhauling Windows Mobile 6, Bob, ME). If you're not currently using Windows 7, Vista, or you don't consider yourself a geek/dweeb/dork/nerd, you can go ahead and leave. Thanks for coming, hope you enjoyed my Doom reference.

Anyway, if you have the new Win 7 or Vista 32-bit (if you don't know, you are also dismissed), simply create a new folder called:

GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}

In Windows 7, you should now see this logo appear next to it:

If you see that, you should have a whole wealth of options now available to you (283 in 7). From adding a clock widget to the desktop to changing your AutoPlay options, even change the must hated User Account Controls (that pop-up that makes sure you're not an idiot). It is a great centralized location to make a lot of common changes (like changing screen resolution, color scheme, even fonts, to name some UI stuff), and one that I recommend.

For further reading, you can start here:
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-378247.html?tag=nl.e539
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=1615&tag=nl.e539

The Secrets of the New Batman Trailer

Sean Lowery — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:33:00 GMT

As I have proclaimed in the past, I am a geek. Part of that comes with knowing my comics enough not to make an idiot of myself should I wake up stranded at a convention. I was very excited by the hidden little details in the new trailer from Rocksteady. So I dug in and would like to share them with you...

First, the obvious one: the Joker is back and his goons are still at large. Very cool, and not unexpected.

The Iceberg Lounge.... This is a joint run by the modern day Penguin character (who has become more of a mafia banker vs. super villain).

A better look at the word "Lounge" as well as a poster of Two Face untorn.

In this same scene, you'll notice a black cat on the stairs (highlighted above). Catwoman reference?

A lesser-known villain in the Batman rogue gallery is Black Mask. His real last name is Sionis, shown here.

So, as far as villains in the Batman universe go, not many where were not directly in Arkham Asylum as characters are as big as Two-Face, the Penguin, and Catwoman. These could just be references to the characters, like there were so many of in AA, or it could be hints at who exactly we'll be up against in the sequel.

Exciting stuff, either way. I like that Rocksteady continues to show their love for Batman and that they don't appear to just be cashing in on their success with a rushed product. The trailer and teaser site both show good polish, so I'm hoping their game will, too.

Let me know if you guys spot anything else!

Edit: OK, so I found an article that did it much better than me out there on the webs.