When Final Fantasy XIII released a year ago, Square Enix had plenty of media criticism to deal with and just about every harsh comment that fans could dig up were thrown at them, citing atrocious linearity in the storyline and boring character development.

They’ve taken a step back and approached Final Fantasy XIII-2 with the intention of addressing all these problems, making the weak aspects of the previous game better and making the highest points even higher.

In the most basic explanation possible, the story takes place three years after Final Fantasy XIII. Lightning, the main heroine from the previous game, has supposedly been missing, trapped inside a place known as Valhalla and profusely in a battle with the main antagonist, Caius.

Lightning sends out a mysterious boy named Noel to find her younger sister, Serah, who eventually believes Noel’s story of Lightning being alive and sets out on a journey to find her. All along the way, the two travel in and out of different gates that lead to different parts of the world during different time eras.

The character development still suffers and it seems that some of their actions throughout the game are without real cause.

The story, however, isn’t very long. So unless players plan on completing all of the side quests, they are likely to get through the game in about a week.

The game does a splendid job in its overall visual and musical presentation.

The graphics have been noticeably improved with a greater use of brighter colors and landscape throughout various time levels in the game.

The audio is a brilliantly executed aspect of the presentation with the experimentation of different styles of music, such as jazz, rock and dance playing during the right moments at the right time.

The musical soundtrack is satisfying and could possibly be one of the most interesting Final Fantasy soundtracks to date.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 also excels in tying its time travel theme into the game play.

The choices you make in the game can greatly effect what you’ll encounter in the future. However, players will find themselves going back and forth between various levels of the game to play through a level again using “close gate” – essentially a redo button.

It allows for better choices in the dialogue options or a chance to trigger an event that unlocks something else in another level.

Once you learn the ability to throw Mog, Serah’s trusty moogle sidekick, you’ll find it rewarding to go back to areas that have treasures and items you couldn’t reach before and get them.

The linearity of XIII is finally absent, so players will be free to wander off and choose where they go and how they play towards the end of the storyline.

The battle and level up system is one of the greatest points of the game. The Paradigm shifts and Crystarium system returns with a few minor tweaks and an added bonus as well.

In addition to switching a party member’s job class on the fly, players will also be able to capture different types of monsters in the game and add them to their party – yes, even a Chocobo can be added to your party if you can find one.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to take direct control of these monsters as you would with Noel and Serah, but you will have the option to trigger their special attack known as “Feral Link.”

What’s really neat and new about battles is that the game automatically switches to another character when the one that you’re controlling dies.

Instead of engaging with monsters that run amok on the field to start a battle, enemies will randomly pop up out of nowhere to start a fight with you, but you have the option to try and run away from them if you can. It’s a notorious trait of the Final Fantasy series.

Most of the battles feel very watered down in terms of difficulty. The battle, as well as the entire game itself, seems very easy to get through if you know what you’re doing. Gamers seeking an even tougher challenge this time around might be slightly disappointed.

Despite the off-putting 25 hours of storyline and poor character utilization, Final Fantasy XIII-2 has definitely tackled the mishaps of its predecessor and was able to sharply improve on them.

Final Fantasy XII-2 is a step in the right direction and should be able to satisfy both the fans of Final Fantasy games and gamers who are just looking for something new to enjoy.

arts@thedailycougar.com

There’s also a new Survival mode, which seems to be a cross between the popular Nazi Zombies mode first introduced in “World at War” and “Black Ops” as well as Horde mode from the “Gears of War” series.

In Survival mode, gamers start off with basic weapons and equipment, which become progressively deadlier. Players have the option of upgrading their arsenal in order to be better prepared for the next round. Of course, this mode shines when playing with a friend.

In terms of the game’s competitive online multiplayer, nearly all the problems that were prevalent in “Black Ops” and “Modern Warfare 2” are gone in “Modern Warfare 3”.

The currency system is the most notable change — players no longer have to save money in order to purchase weapon upgrades or buy contract missions.

Everything is entirely level based — from ranking to specific weapons, equipment and perks.

The killstreaks formerly used to gain advantages over opponents have been revamped into Strike Packages and can be earned in three different ways.

You can earn Assault rewards by racking up kills in a single spawn, while Support rewards are gained by getting kills even after you’ve been taken out and respawned.

Specialist rewards are similar to Assault rewards, only this time players are rewarded with special perks that help your performance in the heat of battle.

Strike Packages offer a great way to rack up points for newer gamers and gives them a fighting chance to take on even the most experienced “Call of Duty” players.

Regarding specific weapon upgrades, repetitive use of the same weapon will earn the player improved gun parts and attachments that can be used to further enhance gameplay.

The more you use and upgrade a certain pistol or favorite assault and sniper rifles, the more gamers will be able to customize them.

But that’s not all — in addition to the usual modes that you would come to expect out of the multiplayer experience, two new modes join the fray: Kill Confirmed and Team Defender.

Team Defender plays like an innovative version of hot potato combined with capture the flag.

One player must hold onto a flag for as long as they can in order to score points for his or her entire team.

Your teammates are able to collect the dog tags of defeated opponents, which opens the door for more cohesive gameplay.

Another upside of the online aspect is that the annoying glitches and unscrupulous hackings are also absent.

In “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3”, everyone seems to play with the same server latency (or lack thereof), and the matchmaking does a splendid job of finding players within a similar ranking range.

There is an Internet-based stat-tracking “Call of Duty: Elite” system that offers a play-by-play look at your online performance.

This social networking attachment does a decent job of keeping in-depth records of past plays, while offering a higher level of convenience for drawing out some strategy.

Server capacity and speed may bring about second thoughts as to whether or not using this feature is worth it.

Hate it or love it, players have to respect the fact that “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” is impressive in terms of how well it plays.

Gamers will be addicted to the online mode’s leveling system and may find that Survival and Spec-Ops missions can keep you incredibly busy.

Believe the hype.

arts@thedailycougar.com

It’s clear that Electronic Arts is sticking its neck out and showing its spirit of competition against Acitivision’s juggernaut title “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3”, but with the lackluster single-player campaign mode and a seemingly fun but short lived online multiplayer mode, “Battlefield 3” falls short of the competition.

Indeed, the story and gameplay in the single player campaign mode is disturbingly boring and nonsensical. Players take on the role of Sergeant Blackburn, a Marine who is being interrogated by the CIA after being accused of being a traitor.

Throughout the single-player mode, you’ll be able to play through all of Blackburn’s flashbacks as he tries to clear his name. Despite having a somewhat interesting plot, players will find a disconnection with all of the characters in the story — and confusion as to what’s supposed to be going on in the story itself.

While the sound effects are an exquisite touch in terms of how the Dolby Sound system in the game compliments gunfire and explosions, the entire single player campaign is neither engaging nor thrilling because it follows a common formula for the first-person shooter.

The tanks and jet plane missions are refreshing, but the control mechanics hold it back from being phenomenal — players might find that maneuvering takes some getting used to. It’ll be hard to enjoy blowing up enemy buildings and tanks when you’re trying to figure out which way to aim or trying to back out of a stuck area.

The single-player campaign mode is more likely to be ignored by most “Battlefield” fans because the game really shines in multiplayer and co-op experiences.

Like the single-player mode, the co-op mode is introduced for the first time in this game, which allows you to play several levels with a friend and unlock weapons and perks for the multiplayer online mode. These levels are no easy feat and require a lot of teamwork, which in the end offers some value of accomplishment in unveiling new features for online matches.

Multiplayer mode offers a variety of ways to play. Conquest, Rush, Squad Deathmatch, Squad Rush, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag are all there. In addition to combat on foot, players will be able to take control of tanks, fighter jets and Jeeps. There are a total of 12 open-ended maps for multiplayer mode, but you have the option to play in one map for various modes.

The biggest downside of the whole scenario is that “Battlefield 3” is competing against the recently-released “Modern Warfare 3” — something that EA might not have thought all the way through. Had they released “Battlefield 3” at another time, it probably would have received better reception from gamers across the nation, but that isn’t the case.

“Battlefield 3” is a good first-person shooter game in its own right by offering a full-fledged online multiplayer mode in a way that has never been done before. However, it falls short in the quality of the campaign mode, which inevitably makes the game feel incomplete.

With “Modern Warfare 3” already in the hands of gamers everywhere, it looks like the 15 minutes of fame for “Battlefield 3” have run out.

arts@thedailycougar.com

The game, which is a sequel to “Batman: Arkham Asylum,” was developed by Rocksteady Studios and delivers one of the best DC Comics games ever made, bar none.

From the moment the disk loads, players are immediately immersed in a world where chaos is an understatement. After protesting against the idea of Mayor Sharp allowing Arkham City to be turned into an enormous prison for criminals and political leaders who opposed the agenda, Bruce Wayne finds himself captured and thrown into the city, as ordered by Hugo Strange who oversees the operation of the entire city.

After finding out that Strange is in the know about the Dark Knight’s dirty little secret, Wayne has a pretty simple plan to carry out: Find Strange, defeat Strange, and save Gotham.

He’ll have to find his way through the mean streets filled with foes on every corner and go through handful of his archenemies, new and old.

Visually, “Arkham City” is a strikingly beautiful game from top to bottom. The gothic and dark visuals compliment the closed off, criminal infested wasteland that players will be thrown into.

The buildings, alleyways, subway stations, underground sewers and dozens of other locations in the city are all brilliantly constructed and mesh well with the entire theme of the game’s setting.

Rocksteady nails the added details when it comes to the wear-and-tear of the Dark Knights suit when he has to get rough with the bad guys. Several villains take a giant overhaul in terms of the way they are designed, but they are still recognizable and don’t stray far away from what Batman fans are used to seeing.

“Arkham City” is an open-world game in comparison to its predecessor, “Arkham Asylum”, so players will be able to reach and glide through all aspects of the entire city rather than being stuck in one place throughout the whole game.

With the exception of Lucious Fox and Scarecrow, every character that has ever been in the Batman comics or movies is in Arkham City’s Campaign mode.

From the allies to the antagonists, hard-core Batman fans and casual players alike will rejoice when many of the main characters, such as The Joker, Penguin, Alfred, Robin, and Harley Quinn, take center stage and make appearances in the game. There are also characters taken from Arkham Asylum and smaller characters from the comics that make their way into this dazzling masterpiece, a decision on Rocksteady’s part that’s sure to make everyone happy.

The voice acting is spot on. Actors such as Mark Hamil (Joker), Kevin Conroy (Batman) and others have all played a part in adding that extra flair — a sharp voicing performance that connects with the design and animation of their characters in the game.

Even the voice acting of the street thugs is interesting; therefore none of the characters in the game come off as a nuisance or flat out boring.

Many of the characters in the game don’t get much attention in terms of how often you’re able to interact with them. While the main antagonists and allies are recurring throughout, some players might find other characters that they like, and wish they’d be given a little more spotlight.

The game offers a “new game plus” feature, which gives you a second go around in the game and a chance to go back and see what you missed. Batman can even track certain parts of the game by marking them so they appear on the map, which makes landmarks easier to find.

This is a concept seen in most role-playing and action games, but the replay value here is always rewarding, especially for a game that offers so much that it will literally take weeks, even months, of play time to see everything. Other than that, most of side quests don’t stray too far from the main story.

Players will find themselves killing two birds with one stone as they complete certain side quests and the main parts of the story at the same time.

Once the game starts, players will be thrown into this world of chaos and you, being Batman, are forced to adjust to the environment and find out what’s going on with little to no help.

Players will be able to level up Batman’s suit armor, upgrade his move-set used in combat and enhance his gadgets, all of which can make the Dark Knight much more powerful.

Throughout the entire game, playing as the masked vigilante feels authentic and true to form.

Who else but the Dark Knight could glide through an entire city latching and pulling up onto skyscraper buildings, hack-locked doors, scan crime scenes using infrared detective vision and beat thugs, villains and psychopaths to within an inch of their lives? In addition to all the abilities that have been tweaked or carried over from “Arkham Asylum”, there are also an assortment of gadgets that makes a triumphant return to Batman’s arsenal, ranging from the bat claw to an explosive gel which can be used to spray on breakable walls and objects in order to blow them up.

Batman’s library of tools grows larger as you collect them through various tasks along the way. Each time you engage in hand-to-hand combat with several street thugs at one time, the shakedown will always feel like a different fight scene. There is one button to attack and one to dodge and counter, plus the ability to use your grapple claw to disarm and trip enemies is a nice touch. This was present in “Arkham Asylum”, but the feel of it seems more fluid and less frustrating this time around. As players utilize these buttons correctly and keep a smooth pace, Batman can deliver three blows to one thug, jump over to kick the next, snatch away the weapon from another and pull him over for a powerful, finishing lariat blow to the neck.

Boss battles are very entertaining, but some feel short and not so sweet. Most of them are long and fun enough to savor the action, as Batman is forced to use several tactics as well as utilize his gadgets to take down archenemies, big and small. For other boss battles, they just feel too easy and dull.

Running around in circles, dodging projectiles from the enemy and striking when the time is right is a template we see too often in other games, and in those battles, it really does disconnect from the atmospheric grace that Rocksteady has already put it’s players in.

Overall, “Arkham City” comes through with flying colors, and with a bunch of other highly anticipated games set to release in time for the holidays, it’s safe to say that this game will be very hard to top.

There are no perfect games and there probably never will be, however, be assured that “Batman: Arkham City” comes dangerously close.

arts@thedailycougar.com

The story progresses in the narrative style reminiscent to that of the film “The Princess Bride.”

One of Hawke’s former companions, the dwarven rogue Varric, is forced to tell the story of the Champion of Kirkwall to the Seeker of the Chantry, Cassandra. The story and gameplay will occasionally be interrupted by the Seeker when Varric’s tale becomes a little too fantastical for her liking and the scene changes.

How the story progresses depends on the decisions made by the player.

The gameplay is similar to most RPGs as players take on quests and run a number of errands. The quests are varied and enjoyable. The game is put into three different acts that are spread out through several years, with the main plot staying hidden until the last act.

It can be a little disheartening to realize that the majority of the quests that Hawke and his/her companions are completing are only side quests, but that feeling is easily overshadowed by how fun most of the quests actually are. There is a short quest back into the Fade, as well as a battle with a High Dragon that brings the player back to fighting Flemeth from Origins.

The companion quests are especially fun. One particular standout from the game is when Hawke has to help Aveline, the captain of the guard, to overcome her anxiety and a bad date in order to win the heart of her fellow guardsman.

Gamers who completed Origins and its expansion, Awakening, will be pleased to know that their save can be imported. There are a few character cameos and NPCs that will make reference to the Hero of Ferelden and its monarch.

The battle system favors an action based style with fast paced, real-time fighting and less emphasis on the tactical decisions.

Origins had a bit of wait time for spells and the combat system gave players the feeling that the damage was put to chance with dice rolls. But with Dragon Age 2, Hawke can become a powerful mage, rogue or warrior that fights with immediacy.

Combat begins slowly with only a few spells or abilities, which leaves the player hitting the attack button repeatedly until their abilities and talents recharge. But after leveling a bit, Hawke can decimate the battlefield with his/her powers.

However, when the difficulty is cranked up to Nightmare, there is still plenty of room for a tactical experience. The player will have to customize Hawke’s and his/her companion’s abilities, talents and item usage to ensure survival.

The areas in the game are gorgeously rendered, but are limited in number — they tally into a little over 10.

The mountains of Sundermount are beautiful, with images that are reminiscent of the forests of Ferelden from Origins. The more dreary places of Kirkwall, such as the impoverished Darktown, can be tolerated, thanks to the interesting quests and character interactions.

On a side note, I found myself navigating using the mini-map in the corner of the screen rather than watching my character traverse the actual city streets of Kirkwall.

The character models are more polished and look even better than they did in Origins. The voice acting is top notch and the soundtrack is both stirring and epic. The companions are just as compelling if not more so than the companions from Origins, and character development throughout the plot is deeper in this sequel than in the previous game.

As mentioned before, the actual main plot seems to take a backseat until the last act. In fact, without giving away any spoilers, it can be said that there are two plots being told in the game.

There are several moments in the game that foreshadow something even more sinister than the forces fought in climatic ending of Varric’s story. Hopefully, these hints will be the focus of another game in the future.

All in all, Dragon Age 2 is a great Bioware game and one that any RPG fans should add to their collection.

The first and most easily notable feature is just how gorgeous the game looks. The way the characters move and the environment was all carefully crafted to mimic the feel of the animated series. The animation is very smooth, and there is no lagging despite several characters on the screen fighting at the same time.

The game offers two different modes from the start, versus and adventure mode. Versus is just like it sounds, allowing players to battle, whether they’re in the same room or across the Internet. Only a small number of fighters are available upon starting but more will unlock through fighting matches and/or playing through adventure mode.

Adventure mode is the game’s single-player version of the animated series’ story. The player can explore the environment for items and do side quests as they continue the story. It is clear that the narrative was created for fans of the show, as the game takes place in the middle of the story with little explanation of what happened in the past and thus losing the significance of some of the scenes taking place. The large cast, each with their own story and powers, can be hard to keep up with. The game also shifts into the points of view of different characters as the story continues in an attempt to better explain the story.

Fighting is the meat of the game and although the controls are easy to learn, mastering them can be quite difficult. The shoulder buttons handle blocking and the joystick is used for movement. The four face buttons make up the jumping, short-range, long-range, and charge chakra commands. Chakra is small bar underneath the life bar, and is used in special techniques. Charging it enables the character to power up the commands mapped on the other face buttons or to execute a powerful technique that is unique to each character. Each character also has a variety of items to use via the direction pad and support characters to call out, giving the player additional options.

Boss characters, spread throughout adventure mode, add much variety than just simply fighting through each match. Players are challenged to input button sequences as the fight boils to the climax and they are rewarded with scenes of intense action.

Overall, this is a game that was made for the fans of “Naruto” and it may be the best one released so far. It has a fair chance to attract the attention of those that like fighting games and it certainly doesn’t lack in terms of graphics.

After a few minutes of awkward searching, I found the Airstream — which is covered in Mario, Yoshi and other characters — and made my way inside. Nintendo isn’t known for their lackluster press meets, and they carried on the tradition quite well; the trailer was stuffed with Wiis and three new Midnight Blue DSi XLs, all running different games. After calmly explaining that yes, I did know how to use a Wii, the press agent and I fired up the new Wii Party game.

If you’ve ever played “Mario Party” (and let’s face it, if you’re reading this, you have) then you know exactly what to expect from “Wii Party.” Instead of Nintendo characters you use a Mii, and there are a few slight differences — when you win a mini-game, you get to roll bonus dice — but overall, it’s exactly what you’d expect. It’s a good time, especially because some of the games use the Wiimote in new ways; one has you hiding the remote somewhere, while another plays a new version of hot potato. You can pick up Wii Party now — it was released Oct. 3.

Kirby fans, rejoice, as your fluffy pink god is coming back for another game. “Kirby’s Epic Yarn” dropped on the Wii Oct. 17, and it’s just as weird as it looks. Don’t worry, though; the game is great. Although the whole yarn thing looks like a gimmick at first, the developers did a great job fully fleshing the mechanics out, and it shows.

Kirby can pull zippers down to open up new parts of the level, swing on buttons to reach high platforms and transform into almost anything — including a fire truck, a tank and a spaceship. There’s also a two-player mode, where the second player takes the place of Kirby’s new teammate Prince Fluff. It’s a solid game, and anyone who is a Kirby fan should take note.

Anybody who follows Disney at all should know that the company is hard at work on “Epic Mickey.” The game is coming along nicely — in fact, it’s shaping up to be one of the best games to come from Disney Interactive in quite some time.

You take the shoes of Mickey Mouse in an entirely new narrative that deals with a lot of skeletons from Disney’s animated closet. The game will be available Nov. 30.

Keep your eyes peeled for more gaming news and reviews coming up soon. If you have any suggestions on upcoming games to review, let me know in the comments.

Staying true to the first “Dead Rising” game released in August 2006, “Dead Rising 2” is all about coming up with creative ways to kill crowds of the living dead. Blue Castle Games and Capcom once again combines the sandbox style of gaming with the zombie apocalypse once more for a much-improved sequel.

Taking place in Fortune City, Nev., likeable protagonist Chuck Greene has entered a twisted game show where the contestants compete to kill zombies for prize money. His only purpose was to win money to purchase an expensive drug to keep his daughter from turning into a zombie after being bitten by one. But the zombies that were caged for the show are suddenly set free to wreck havoc upon the city and only a few scarce survivors are able to make it to the safe house. And to make things worst, Chuck is framed for the outbreak. Now he must prove his innocence before the military arrives in three days, while also making sure to find enough drugs to prevent his daughter from turning.

Whether time is of the essence is purely up to the player. Important story missions and side quests will appear conveniently on Chuck’s watch, but it is the player’s option to follow them or not. Most side quests include rescuing survivors, which will net a lot of valuable experience for leveling up. The option to restart from the beginning but to keep stats and money is included from the start.

The game’s major strength is the ability to use almost anything you find as a weapon against the undead. The baseball bat, box of nails or even the park bench can be used to fight zombies. Furthermore, items can be combined in one of the many maintenance rooms. Nails can be stuck bats, knives can be taped to boxing gloves, and a lawn mower can be attached to a hat. Just finding the right items to combine and experimenting with them might make the game worth it all by itself.

It is the frustrating boss battles where the responsive controls suddenly seem very clumsy. The bosses are usually people that have gone disturbingly insane due to the zombie outbreak. Unlike the slow and clumsy zombies, bosses run as fast as Chuck drives, and their dangerous attacks are difficult to avoid. They also seem to take very little damage even when blasted with a shotgun. And speaking of driving, the controls for that may need a lot of refining as well.

Multiplayer is available through the Internet. Co-op allows for another player to join with the host. A series of bizarre mini-games is also available, in which money can be earned for players to spend in single player.

Despite the few problems, “Dead Rising 2” is a good game for those who enjoy the freedom of doing whatever you want and killing zombies by the dozens. Now excuse me while I attach this lawn mower motor to a wheel chair.

From there it is, as they say, history.

Don’t let the fact that you’re not playing as Master Chief derail your desire to play the new Halo game.

Microsoft

Whenever a new title in the Halo series is released, expect ridiculously massive sales rivaling that of any summer blockbuster. (First day sales figures for Halo 2? $125 million. Halo 3? $170 million.) The newest title in the Halo universe, “Halo: Reach,” was released Sept. 14. With a pedigree like this, the pressure certainly is palpable.

The campaign is set a few years before the first Halo game takes place. “Halo: Reach” details the endeavors of a group of spartans codenamed Noble Team and their mission to protect the planet Reach from the Covenant, the alien races that are bent on destroying all of humanity. The player is placed in the metallic boots of Noble Six, the newest recruit to the team. The whole experience is more “Saving Private Ryan” than any of the previous Halo games. Reach utilizes a lot of war documentary-style cinematic techniques that really drive the point home. As a prequel, “Halo: Reach” is a nice starting point for those wanting to get into the lore of the Halo universe.

Gameplay-wise much of the action is in the form of a first-person shooter (or FPS), aside from a few vehicle sections. With a decade of practice, Bungie has distilled every element of what’s good in an FPS game and injected it into “Halo: Reach.” Which is excellent, because, barring the aforementioned brief vehicle jaunts, there isn’t much variation in the mission structure: Go from point A to point B and kill every enemy you meet. This isn’t really that big of a deal when in the middle of an intense firefight, mainly because they’re so fun.

The aesthetics are simply breathtaking. In this day and age of high definition, simply saying something is beautiful sounds more like captain obvious than anything else. So spoiled is this current generation of gamers that when it comes to graphics nothing but the most amazing is expected. Prepare to be coddled, because “Halo: Reach” is a fine-looking game. It’s quite something to stop in the middle of the firefight just to ogle the snowy mountainsides.

Reach’s prettiness doesn’t just extend to the visuals, however. Michael O’Donnell, longtime Halo series cohort, returns as Reach’s main music man, and — as always — turns the game into an auditory wonder to behold. It is epic at times, melancholy at others. The piece “The Pillar of Autumn” is especially moving.

Nowadays most people would buy a game for one thing and one thing only — multiplayer. For those in the audience that belong to this group of people, “Halo: Reach” is pretty much all about multiplayer. The campaign mentioned earlier? There’s cooperative play for that, either over Xbox Live or with a friend. Of course, there’s the straight online component, and it doesn’t disappoint. Halo games are known for their excellent multiplayer, and “Halo: Reach” is, if nothing, a Halo game.

The addition of Armor Abilities, powers that the players could activate and give them special bonuses, adds an RPG-like element to the game. While it may not be as extensive as, say, Modern Warfare’s perk system, it is enough to make matches fun and interesting. Players are also able to fully customize their online avatar, although the whole customization is entirely cosmetic.

One major theme of the game is that of legacy. “Halo: Reach” continues the Halo series’ legacy of excellent storytelling and excellent multiplayer, while also leaving its own imprint. Ironically, by revisiting what made the first Halo so great.

You play Clint Eastwood- er, John Marston, a former outlaw who is forced to hunt down his former outlaw posse and bring them to justice. Along the way you make new friends and re-encounter old enemies, save the occasional whore, rescue horses from and thwart cattle rustlers.

The story is nothing short of great, with plenty of interesting characters and depth — but what else can be expected from a Rockstar game?  There are plenty of times when characters start waxing poetic about how the Old West is changing and how much they all hate the government — and then you start blasting away outlaws together, all the while continuing to rant and rave. The voice acting is excellent, aside from a few southern accents that are straight out of the cliché handbook. John Marston’s voice is particularly good, whether it’s his dry wit or his angry yells — he’s always believable, and in the end it’s John who keeps your attention through this long and bloody western.

Unfortunately, Marston doesn’t control as well as he speaks.  I almost gave up on the game numerous times because of shoddy controls and glitches.  Multiple times after killing a bounty the body would slide off of a cliff or into a lake, failing the mission when it was perfectly completed. What little platforming the game makes you perform is even more difficult; getting Marston on top of a building is like trying to make a drunken hobo perform acrobatics.  It’s not pretty and there’s a lot of falling and cursing. It’s hard to forgive a game that has control issues, because it’s the direct link between the player and their character, but every other aspect of Red Dead Redemption is nearly perfect everywhere else so I can let it slide.  However, if Rockstar recycles this control scheme yet again (there is very little difference between how GTA IV controls and Redemption) it will be unforgivable.

Oh, but how Redemption redeems itself.  The graphics, and the art of the Old West itself, are very nearly picture-perfect.  The cutscenes aren’t really where the game shines — in fact, they’re the weakest part of the visuals overall — but the world itself looks epic. Every time the sun rises and sets it actually looks almost as beautiful as it does in real life, and the trails are complete with wild animals and blowing tumbleweeds.  Heat shimmers over towns and valleys as you pass by, and every animation, whether it’s mounting a horse or sliding into cover, is completely fluid and lifelike.  There is really no other sandbox game that comes close to Redemption’s level of graphical expertise.

Overall, Red Dead Redemption is definitely worth the purchase.  I didn’t even go into the multiplayer, but it’s a blast as well, complete with a leveling system á la Modern Warfare.  Pick up your boots and grab your gun, because this Old West is brutal.

Rockstar Games
Red Dead Redemption
Rated M for Mature
Verdict: A– because of shoddy controls.  Otherwise excellent.

On the surface, it seemed nothing more that an uber-violent, offensive hack-and-slasher, but beyond that it was one of the most original, creative and downright bizarre titles of not only the year, but possibly the decade.

The game featured anti-hero Travis Touchdown, a psychopathic otaku (anime nerd) with a beam katana who kills assassins in a bizarre tournament to the death. It also featured enemies that blew up in piles of blood and money, phone calls through the wiimote, frequent moments of fourth wall breaking and game play that actively taunted the gamer. It’s almost impossible to articulate how weird, post-modern and unexpected the game really was.

After something like that, what could you possibly do with a sequel? The only real option was more of the same. With this year’s release of No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle, we got to see just that. Travis Touchdown returns to the city of Santa Destroy after becoming No. 1 in the assassin ranks and walking away, only to find his best friend, Bishop, murdered by the evil corporation Pizza Bat.

Now Travis has no choice but to climb the ranks again in order to get revenge. What follows is a series of breezy hack-and-slash levels leading up to challenging and often invigorating boss battles with bizarre characters.

Fans of the original game will notice lots of changes in the second. It seems as though Suda 51 went through all the reviews of the first No More Heroes, isolated all of the complaints and went about fixing them in the sequel. There is no more laborious traveling between destinations, you don’t have to gain money to find the location of the next boss fight, all of the bizarre wiimote mini-games have been replaced with eight-bit classic video game homages, and you no longer rely on chance to get overdrive modes.

But while these changes make the game run smoother, they lose a lot of the sarcastic edge that came with the original flaws. For example, the original game forced you to play mini-games in which Travis had to do inane everyday community service in order to gain money to actually fight and kill people, an absurd attempt to turn the usual open world video game formula on its head. But this touch of the original is now lost.

The game even goes as far as to include quite a few extras for fans of the first game. It brings in cameos from characters in the original, even allowing you to play as two of the returning characters in specific levels and fights. It allows you to get the double beam katanas (Rose Nasty) much sooner as well. Your cat from the first game, Jean, gets fat, and you have to carefully feed and exercise it to get it down to an appropriate weight. But even with all of this, it still seems like something is missing.

The game suffers similar problems throughout its entire course. It follows in the footsteps of its predecessor very closely, delivering all of the absurd violence and mayhem, but without the sarcastic edge and playful tone of the original. Travis seems harsher and more sadistic while simultaneously whining about the lack of morality in the tournaments.

The overdone accents of the side characters that seemed charmingly absurd in the first game now just feel grating. Many of the enemies are so crazy that it seems forced. Many of the clever gags from the first game are retread and loose their steam the second time around.

I don’t know. Maybe it’s just that I am getting older and I no longer am amused by the ultra violence of a psychotic anime nerd with a light saber. Maybe it’s that the true charm of the first game was its originality and that is inherently lost in making a sequel. Or maybe, just maybe, this isn’t as good of a game, even with all the improvements and extras.

The writing just doesn’t seem as sharp and witty. The whole game seems to take itself far too seriously this time around. It actually builds a real romance between Travis and Sylvia, which is truly the most absurd part of the whole game.

I personally would recommend first trying Suda’s other games, such as Killer 7 and the original No More Heroes, before you take the return trip to Santa Destroy.

All that being said, the game does get lots of extra special points for including cult Japanese film director Takashi Miike as an actual character.

arts@thedailycougar.com

With the creation of the next gen systems a lot of emphasis has been put into online play. Microsoft and Sony are relentlessly promoting their online networks with add on’s, perks and extra features that are all only accessible online. New games are being developed that push the boundaries of online gaming, such as the massive multiplayer style of M.A.G. or the immensely popular trend of MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games) such as World of Warcraft and the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI. And games such as Modern Warfare 2 have made more of a name for themselves as online multiplayer gaming arenas than as a single player game.

But what about the face-to-face multiplayer we all grew up with? I can’t battle legions of undead with three of my friends in Left 4 Dead (one or two) without all of us getting online at the same time or getting together two TVs, systems, and copies of the game for a system link. I tried playing the shooter/role playing hybrid Borderlands with friends, but you can only play two characters on a system, and when you do important text like your name and stats get cut out of the menus. I can’t even play two player cooperative on Dynasty Warriors: Gundam even though the other Dynasty Warriors games have it. It just seems like developers don’t care to make games that four people can play in one room anymore. Sure, you can buy four wireless controllers for your 360 or PS3, but all you could use them for is playing triple-A first person shooters such as Halo and Modern Warfare; everything else is just pushed aside. The recently released Bioshock 2 had a multiplayer mode added to its content, but you can’t play it without an online connection.

I realize this may seem like a small complaint. Everyone should have an online connection these days and getting a membership to Xbox Live costs about $50 a year, so what’s the problem? The problem is that I want to play with my friends. Not all my friends have the same system. Most people don’t, because gamers are constantly segmented between their system of choice or even computer play.  Even when someone has multiple systems would they have a copy of the game you want to play on the same system as you? More than that, it’s just more fun to play when your friends are actually in the room. Why do you think people have LAN parties and LAN centers are built all over? Because even games that are designed to only be played on multiplayer are more fun when you can turn to the person you just shot and see their frustration manifest in real life in the face of a friend. Then there are the various problems with online gaming itself. The complaints constantly resurface again and again. Hackers, rage quitters, people that don’t understand your language, bigoted jerks that won’t keep their mouths shut, the list goes on and on.

There is one major company and system of gaming that I have yet to mention. That is of course the Nintendo Wii. For many gamers the Wii has been shrugged off as a niche system made to make gaming more accessible to a mainstream audience, but multiplayer is one of the areas in which the Wii shines. The system is practically designed for parties and groups of friends wanting to play together. With continuations of popular multiplayer franchises such as Mario Party, Raving Rabbids and Super Smash Brothers, as well as new party creations like New Super Mario Brothers, Nintendo still provides a party in a platform.

Don’t get me wrong, online gaming is great and it is still revolutionizing the industry. But let’s not forget the fun that can be had with actual human interaction playing a part in our virtual interactions. It’s great when game time can also be hang out time, and you can’t really do that very well through an Ethernet chord.

arts@thedailycougar.com

In the world of Japanese role-playing games, one name stays on the lips and minds of everyone, Final Fantasy. And with the new Final Fantasy XIII now available and players already clamoring over the beta versions of Final Fantasy XIV, I think we are all missing a few unsung gems of the JRPG franchise.

One such gem is the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. Some may know SMT as the small subtitle to the recently popular Persona games that came late in the life of the PlayStation 2 to revitalize Persona for a few hardcore JRPG fans.

Persona 3 was a PS2-exclusive Japanese game that combined social simulation storytelling with dungeon crawling RPG grinding and a mature, dark overtone. It received great critical acclaim and was moderately popular among fans of Japanese anime and RPGs. It was followed up quickly with a similar sequel, Persona 4, which garnered a similar reaction.

But these titles are just a small part of the Persona series, which has been around since the original PlayStation and is just a part of the SMT franchise, which has existed for even longer. SMT is a series of RPG video games placed in a loosely defined universe, each with different characters, stories, locations and game play styles, similar to the Final Fantasy franchise. The difference is that most SMT games are rated Mature and feature dark storylines about humans crossing over to the world of spirits and demons. It is targeted at an older audience, something players can generally tell.

Most SMT games have stories with varying degrees of moral ambiguity, violence and occult references that constantly separate them from the sparkly anime sensibilities of most other JRPG series.

One of the mainstays of the series is its slew of demons and spirits that prevail through each game. These are all based on the spirits, demons, ghosts and gods of mythologies from around the world. Simply scrolling through all of these imaginative and creative looking creatures and reading their backstories is a fascinating and long-lasting amusement in each game. In most games, players find themselves fighting against these creatures. In some, the players become the creatures they fight, and in others, the fighter must persuade the creatures to join and fight along side the gamer.

SMT has had some success in the U.S., mostly with its recent Persona games, but in Japan it is consistently held as the third-biggest RPG series, just behind Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. The franchise has spawned nearly 40 different games, many of which are not available in the U.S., over countless consoles and platforms as well as multiple manga and anime adaptations. It’s a massive series, and one with a distinct flair and copious amount of originality.

If you are interested in seeing what SMT is all about, there are countless U.S. releases of SMT games for the PS2. Persona 3, Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga are all standouts of the SMT franchise’s stint on the PS2. Also, those with a Nintendo DS can check out Devil Survivor and the recently released Strange Journey, both critically acclaimed strategy and RPG games for the Nintendo DS. There is also a free-to-play online SMT game, known as Imagine, which, although flawed, is quite a fun alternative for MMORPG gameplay.

If you consider yourself a serious fan of JRPGs, than you owe it to yourself to play some Shin Megami Tensei. And if you are new to JRPGs, give it a try; you just might become a fan.

arts@thedailycougar.com

Xbox 360 is merging the world of online gaming with the feel of a 1980s arcade with its arcade games.

CouXbox 360 is merging the world of online gaming to create the feel of a 1980's arcade with its arcade games.

Courtesy of Microsoftrtesy of Microsoft

Nostalgia is something gamers are quite familiar with.

Even in an industry so obsessed with technological innovation, we often find ourselves playing the same things we did when we first started playing. We all have a few games that we look back on with fond memories and wish to play again and again.

The gaming industry has picked up on this lately, repackaging old games into downloadable versions for consoles, such as with Nintendo’s Wii Virtual Console and Xbox360’s arcade games. There have also been new games released to look and play more like their original versions in large franchises such as Mega Man, Mario and Sonic. But recently Microsoft has taken this trend to the next level with Game Room.

Game Room is a free service released for Xbox360 and Microsoft Windows that allows players to take their avatars into a virtual arcade room filled with old school arcade games to play. On paper the idea sounds great. The players are provided with a showcase arcade where all of the games can be played, and they can even create their own personal arcade of games.

Arcades are made of four floors with four rooms on each that you can customize with arcade machines and 1980s inspired backgrounds and decorations. Players can compete with friends, visit each other’s arcades and create challenges for each other to beat in games. They also get to see their avatar, that has mostly remained useless up till this point, interact in a full arcade room while playing games and doing 80s dances. It looks and sounds exciting.

The issue is twofold. One, you have to pay to really enjoy the service in its entirety. Two, the games are really old. And when I say old, I mean old. Or at least, everything feels old.

When we all think about good 80s arcade games we think of Galaga and Pacman, but not everything was that good. Sifting around the arcades in Game Room reveals that most games created in the early 1980’s were pretty bad quality. Most are barely recognizable from random lines and shapes and fail to have much more challenge than a game of tic tac toe. Some are barely recognizable as actual games. Sure there are a few standouts; Centipede and Asteroids present some pretty good 80s fun.

This would all be acceptable if it didn’t all cost money. For each game in the arcade you get a 10-minute demo, but after that you have to pay (with real money) to play. There are some options. If people visit your personal arcade and play your games you receive coins that give you further game plays, but in order to do that, you actually have to buy arcade games for your personal arcade. Ultimately, to get something significant out of Game Room, you have to throw down some cash.

If you do have some money to burn, here’s how the prices run down. Single plays of games cost 40 Microsoft points (50 cents). To buy a game to play on one platform, it costs 240 points ($3). Buying a game that can be played on multiple platforms costs 400 points ($5). Overall, the arcade games cost less than half of most games on Xbox Live, but then again, the game play worth is significantly less. As a virtual arcade, it costs twice as much as a traditional arcade, with games that are far more than twice as old.

So, the value of Game Room really depends on how much money you have to waste and how much nostalgia you have for old 80s arcade games. This is an odd decision, considering most modern Internet savvy gamers aren’t old enough to really have nostalgia for games made in 1980, and the Internet is already full of free games that play better than the originals half the time. There are so many other outlets for gamers seeking a nostalgia kick that are much less costly and contain much better old school games. But, ultimately, Game Room proves the true limits of old school gaming nostalgia.

arts@thedailycougar.com

Only a few months into the year, one of the video game industry’s big contenders has shown itself.

Mass Effect 2, the sequel to the award-winning space epic from 2007, has started this year in gaming with a bang — a phrase that becomes all too literal as you watch the credits fade after its explosion filled ending. Although slightly flawed, it appears to be a strong candidate for game of the year.

The plot of Mass Effect 2 ties directly into the first installment, taking place just after those events and involving the same enemy and political environment. Mass Effect 2 relies the assumptions that gamers have experienced the Mass Effect universe. The sequel is enjoyable without playing the first one, but much of the experience is lost.

One of the big features of Mass Effect 2 is the ability to import your character from the first game so that the new story responds to your previous decisions. Most of the time, this feature can be a little ham-fisted and feels a little tacked on.

A great deal of the signs of this come from random interactions and short messages from characters in the first game reminding you of what you did for them. But it’s still a rewarding feature for fans of the first game.

One of the best elements to Mass Effect has always been its storytelling. In Mass Effect 2, however, the main plot and world have already been established, so the game focuses on character development. This is where the game shines brightest.

Some of the characters from Mass Effect make a return, but most are fresh faces. They are varied, interesting and pretty cool for the most part.

The game also has some great voice acting, even going so far as to bring in high-profile actors such as Seth Green, Carie-Ann Moss and Martin Sheen. On top of that, all of the character interactions are quite detailed, realistic, and sometimes even cinematic.

Mass Effect 2 is the second installment in a trilogy and it’s not hard for gamers to catch on to this while playing. The game’s creators appear to be experimenting with innovative elements, as they forgo old ones in an attempt to find the right balance for Mass Effect 3.

Mass Effect 2’s game play isn’t drastically different from the original. The firefights are somewhat smoother; mainly a side effect of Mass Effect’s massive overhaul of its inventory system.

But as always, the game’s action pieces are invigorating, as they combine easy-to-use sci-fi powers with gunfights and strategic cover (courtesy of the all too familiar video game chest high wall).

The RPG elements of this game have been massively toned down, though. While leveling up characters and choosing their abilities wasn’t a huge element of Mass Effect, it’s now nearly non-existent in the sequel. There are only a few abilities for your character to choose from and level up, and gamers eventually max all of them out. But even with this drastically bare bones leveling system, Mass Effect 2 feels great to play.

One of Mass Effect’s most brutally boring aspects — the vehicle-exploring missions — was completely remove and replaced by a lackluster mine scanning mini-game that is just as annoying, if easier and shorter. Passing these missions isn’t essential to beating the game, but it is required if you want to do everything. In the end, it just becomes a painfully boring speed bump in an otherwise highway of awesome.

With such a massive game comes a few glaringly bad glitches and technical issues. The biggest one, of course, is the infamously small text. The game is designed for large HDTVs so students who play on a small, standard-definition TV in a dorm should prepare themselves for sitting right in front of the screen trying to differentiate between “Palladium” and “Iridium.”

The graphics are amazing, but there are a lot of texture-popping moments. Plus, Mass Effect 2′s epic ending can run kind of catywompus during some of its faster moments.

The most glaring problem I experienced was that one of my characters didn’t gain his loyalty ability after I completed his loyalty mission. That didn’t stop me from beating the game, but it’s kind of a big glitch.

With a few flaws and a few experiments with the formula that have fallen flat, Mass Effect 2 still exceeds with its wonderfully detailed storytelling and immersive action. It’s a worthy sequel and fills me with excitement to see what Mass Effect 3 has in store for gamers.

arts@thedailycougar.com