Tag Archives: combat

PSN Review: Trine 2

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Posted by Rob on January 11, 2012 – 2:20 pm
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Better than the original

I enjoyed playing Trine, but with it’s lack of online co-op I was forced to play it single player. When Trine 2 came out, I was hesitant to make the purchase even though I liked the first game and the sequel sporting a shiny coat on online co-op. However, when two buddies of mine from Co-Optimus purchased it and told me they needed a third, I gave in to the peer pressure and made the purchase. I’m glad I did, because Trine 2 is definitely one of the best downloadable titles of 2011.

Let’s get a few things straight. Firstly, it is a sequel to the original game, so the knight, thief and wizard return to once again save the kingdom. As I already mentioned, Trine 2 supports online co-op, so up to three players can meet up online to take on the puzzles that the game throws at you. In case you’re not familiar with the Trine series, let me give you a brief rundown: there are three characters who each have several distinct skills that are needed to get through the puzzles littered about each level. Along the way you are on the hunt for XP potions which will enable your characters to level up and unlock addition skills that are needed to get through levels. The knight has a sword, hammer and shield and is good for blocking projectiles, breaking down walls and beating down the baddies. The thief has a bow which can be used to take on enemies safely from a distance and she also has a grappling hook which can be used to access areas that other characters cannot. The wizard is not what you would expect, as his spells are limited to creating wooden objects (boxes and planks) and levitating objects, including obstructions, other players, and enemies. The three characters have to work together to make it to the end of a given level, and often times a single puzzle may require several different abilities from each character. A great example I encountered when playing is that the thief (me) had to grapple onto a platform of water to make it spill to one side. Then the wizard player had to levitate a box he created to angle the water flow off to one side. Finally the knight had to use his shield to further direct the water onto a tiny little plant that then grew, allowing us to climb it to the next section.

The game is much prettier but this is the best image I could find with three players

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First Impressions of TRINITY: Souls of Zill O’ll

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Posted by Rob on May 23, 2011 – 6:24 pm
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I was in the mood for a nice in-depth RPG, and remembered checking out a demo for TRINITY: Souls of Zill O’ll (possibly one of the worst named games on the PS3.) Not only is it a fast-paced action RPG, but it was developed by the fine folks over at KOEI. That being said, the general feel of combat is very reminiscent of Dynasty Warriors. It’s just like playing Dynasty Warriors but with a lot of RPG goodness like magic, goblins, quests, and other features. The game may be a tad obscure, but so far it appears to be a decent RPG.

You start the game playing as Areus, a half-elf who is all about exacting revenge on an evil emperor who killed his father years ago. When the game start Areus is training as a gladiator, but soon sets off on his own to make a name for himself as an adventurer and to gain enough experience (real-world experience in terms of the story, not XP necessarily) so that he is ready to challenge the emperor. As a half-elf, Areus has  minor proficiencies in both melee combat (with a sword) and magic, but as you make your way through the campaign you will come across other characters that can be recruited to your party. Some are heavy melee fighters, some are true mages, while others may have a mixture of both just like Areus does. Your party can consist of up to three characters at a time, and they all share XP as it is gained in the game.

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360 Review: Fable II

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Posted by Rob on October 5, 2010 – 4:43 pm
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I finally got the chance to rent Fable II from Gamefly, and the past two days have been a pleasant experience in the game. Fable II is a pretty in-depth and customizable RPG, and it’s environment and amount of control given to the player reminds me of the Elder Scroll series in many respects, but taking it a bit further as far as relationships and interactions with others go, while having less control concerning the over-all build of the main character. I have been tossed up on the thought of writing up a full review of the game, and I don’t really see a point in it: the game is two years old now, and most everyone who has a 360 has played it (or they should if they haven’t yet.) So instead of prattling on in one of my normal reviews, I’m just gonna mention a few aspects of the game that I liked and didn’t like about the game.

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PS3 First Impressions: Prince of Persia

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Posted by Rob on March 29, 2010 – 11:59 pm
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I got Prince of Persia in from Gamefly today, and decided to leave God of War III alone tonight so that I could check it out. I had tried the game about a year ago (had actually earned 6% of the trophies playing for about an hour when Steve brought it over), and I remember liking it, so it’s been on my queue waiting for a shot. While the game looks and feels good, I still have some early complaints.

One of the first things I noticed is the awesome look of the game. The characters are done in cell shading (a la Borderlands) and are very crisp, clean, and look like they came out of an awesome comic book. So the game is all about navigating the world, obtaining energy orbs. To do so requires the Prince to be extremely acrobatic as he leaps between ledges, up walls, and across roofs. There is little combat, but that’s not my biggest complaint. The story is good, and the gameplay further develops the story as you go (by talking to your partner Elika), so the basics of the game I like.

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PS3 First Impression: Darksiders

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Posted by Rob on January 7, 2010 – 12:37 am
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I started looking forward to the game once I found out it was actually about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Ive been anxiously awaiting its arrival from Gamefly, and it came in today. I was able to get in a little over an hour, but it was enough to get me hooked.

The basic story of the game is that you play as War, one of the Four Horsemen. There are three kingdoms: Heaven, Hell, and Earth. There is a special council that ensures there is a balance between them, and they use the Horsemen to keep that balance. One seven special seals are broken, it is the Apocalypse, and the Four Horsemen will be summoned to punish enemies. The game starts out as the Apocalypse begins on Earth, so you run around battling demons and angels as you progress through a devastated city (it appears to be NYC, but it could be any generic city.) However, War is suddenly stripped of his powers as he was tricked into being summoned. The council sees him as a traitor, yet they allow him to investigate how the demons orchestrated this trick. And thus the game begins.

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The gameplay is very similar to that of God of War. You have your light and heavy attacks, and you can grapple enemies and items from the environment, such as cars and furniture. As you defeat enemies, you earn experience points (in the form of souls) which can be traded in to upgrade your character. War can learn a variety of special attacks and upgrade his weapons and armor. Visually the game is stunning, and there is a heck of a lot of blood and guts flying around as you dismember demons.

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Aside from combat, you will find yourself navigating large maps with the aide of a useful and clear mini-map displayed in the corner. You will also be required to perform many jumps to get to locations, and I will admit that I am still getting used to it. For some reason I find myself walking off platforms instead of jumping, so I have to get used to the timing. Gameplay wise there is nothing all that new thrown into the game, but it doesnt mess with a time-tested great combat system, so Im not complaining. Add in a killer storyline about the ultimate battle of good vs evil, trophies, great graphics, and superb voice-overs and you got yourself one heck of a great game. There is no multiplayer or DLC for the game, so it does have a low replay value. However, its definitely worth the rent. I know I wont be putting it down until I play through it.

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PS3 Review: Rise of the Argonauts

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Posted by Rob on December 29, 2009 – 6:35 pm
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I enjoy Greek mythology, so Rise of the Argonauts was a must-rent. I held off for awhile based on the bad reviews the game received, but in the end my curiosity got the best of me, and it was on my way. However, even though I love Greek mythology, the story was just too much, and it ruined the game.

Rise of the Argonauts is a adventure game with some hack-and-slash combat thrown in occasionally. You play as Jason, the fabled Greek hero, and along with Hercules and others you start on an adventure to bring your murdered wife back from the dead. The game starts out in your palace, as your wife is murdered. You then run about the castle defeating the enemies and being introduced to the combat controls of the game. Soon after, the real game begins. It is here that you will see that the game focuses very strongly on the story, and offers little else.

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PS3 Demo Review: Bayonetta

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Posted by Rob on December 16, 2009 – 8:12 am
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When I first saw and heard about Bayonetta, I wasnt interested. It looked like an unappealing God of War clone to me, and reminded me too much of Heavenly Sword, which was a game that looked cool but sucked when I played it. So I had no intentions of checking out Bayonetta. That is, until I played the demo. Then I changed my tune.

Without knowing too much about the game (from not reading up on it due to lack of interest), from the demo I can derive that you play as some hot chick who lives amongst a secret society. The game has her going off to fight a bunch of demons (some of which are HUGE). The main character is very interesting. As you control her, you fight with hand to hand combat and guns. As you defeat enemies, you can pick up their weapons…some of which are ridiculously huge. There is also some magic thrown in there to spicen things up.

One of the craziest things about the demo that snagged my attention was the combat itself. Aside from what I just mentioned, there were a few large enemies where, at the end, you had to finish the enemy off with some on-screen button prompts. By successfully doing this, her clothing comes off to reveal the fact that it is her hair. Then her hair turns into a monster’s mouth, and proceeds to bite the giant enemy in half. It was so unexpected, yet so cool to see a hair monster bite a huge chunk out of some other large monster.

In the end, the demo succeeded in blowing me away. I wish it was a little longer, but it was still enough to grab my interest and leave me wanting more. I will definitely be renting this game at some point when it comes out in January.

PS3 Quick Review: Dragon Age: Origins

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Posted by Rob on November 8, 2009 – 10:20 am
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I was waiting and waiting to get Fairytale Fights in from Gamefly, but they kept pushing the release date further and further back. Eventually it was pushed back so much that Dragon Age was now releasing before it, so I went for it. The PS3, in my opinion, is lacking in the RPG library, so I wanted to see how Dragon Age was. I had heard lots of good things, but for some reason I wasnt following the game closely, so I had no idea what to expect. I didnt know what kind of RPG it was, how leveling and combat was worked, etc. So when I popped the game in last night, I wasnt sure what to expect.

What from the about two hours I have played so far, I am very impressed and pleased with the game. There are six different stories to choose from, and which story quest you will follow for the game is based on the kind of character you create. There are three races (human, elf, dwarf), three classes (warrior, mage, rogue), and each race can be either male or female, so that makes a total of 18 different character combinations. Depending on which of the three you choose, there are either one or two stories to choose from. The stories are actually more like background information for your character, and give a general sense of where your character will go in the game.

For example, last night I made my first character. I didnt know how the game play or combat was, so I wanted to play it safe. Thus, I created a boring male human warrior. This choice unlocked one story for me, in which I was the son of some Lord. That was all well and good. I played for a bit, and got to see how the game play was, and enjoyed it. I saw that I would definitely be able to play as any character I wanted. So this morning I pop it in, and start up a whole new character. This one is a male elf rogue. Upon choosing him, two of the stories were unlocked…I  could either be a tribal forest elf, or a slave elf that eventually revolts because some king tries to rape my newfound wife. I decided to go with being a slave elf, since the background reminded me of Braveheart.

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