First off, yes, I know the above image is for the 360. Oddly enough, it was the best picture I could find for the game’s cover art, so I had to make due. But enough of that…onto the review!

When I first heard about the game, I was nervous. There had been a few Transformers games previously, and they all sucked. I assumed that this one would also. Then I heard that it was an original story, independent of the films, and set before the Transformers ever set foot on Earth. That was interesting, and got my attention. Then I heard that there was going to be co-op and other multiplayer modes, and I made sure that my Gamefly queue was totally empty so that I could have it shipped out release date. In the end, Transformers: War for Cybertron totally lives up as a great, engaging game and also removes the stain left by previous movie-based games. I can only hope this is the start of a whole new series of games!

War for Cybertron is a third-person shooter which takes place exclusively on Cybertron, thus there are no humans to be seen…only awesome robots. The game’s campaign mode is short but very, very sweet. There are ten chapters, and each chapter has a several sub-chapters, and each chapter ends with a boss battle. The first five levels are Decepticon levels, where you control Megatron and his minions as they strive to develop the ultimate weapon, kicking Autobot butt along the way. The fifth chapter ends with Megatron acquiring his weapon, and it appearing that all is lost…until a new hero emerges. Chapters six through ten of the game are played from the Autobot point of view, as Optimus Prime and his allies fight to stop Megatron’s plans by staging a series of counter-attacks. It is done very well, in that there are two totally different campaigns (not just different versions of the same stage for each side.)

Each chapter has a choice of three characters to play as. If you are playing solo, the AI will take command of the other two, or you could get some online buddies to join in the fight with you and they will take command of the other characters. Each character is different also. There are four classes of character: soldier, leader, scout, and scientist. Each class has different skills and transform modes, so that you will pick your character based on your play style. You can have a fast-flying medic (the scientist) who can rush in and heal your friends, or you can go with the tank (soldier) who’s special melee move is one of the most devastating in the game. Each character also has their own start-out weapons, though new ones can be picked up as the game goes on. You can also pick up grenades, and if you get close enough to your opponent, you can use R3 to give them a melee attack, which is generally a one-hit kill (aside from the later level, advanced enemies.)

The controls for the game are solid for the most part. War for Cybertron uses the Unreal system, so it should feel familiar to many gamers. One of the key things of a Transformers game is the ability to, well, transform, and the game does it well. A simple press of the L3 button will allow you to quickly transform from vehicle to robot form and vice versa, and this enables you to fly into an area, take out enemies, and then leave before it gets too hot for you. Also, each vehicle has its own weapons, so if you’re robot’s guns run out of ammo, don’t forget that your tank or car have rockets or machine guns (something that I always tend to forget.)

Each character also has two different kinds of abilities. One ability recharges automatically after use, and range from force fields to dashes to “hover” mode, where the character floats in the air and gains stronger weapons for a short period of time. The second kind of abilities are a bit more powerful, and as such they are recharged by gaining energy from fallen enemies. The “drain” ability was my favorite, as it takes health from enemies to replenish yours, but there is also a turret you can summon to attack foes and a whirlwind attack, where you spin in a circle and damage nearby enemies with melee attacks. There are also pickups scattered throughout the game which allow you to receive ammo, health, or even new weapons and grenades.

I did have a few complaints about the campaign. First and foremost is the odd difficulty settings. I started the game on medium difficulty, and was breezing through. Then all of a sudden I would come across a part of the game where you will need to defend a point against waves of enemies, and it will be extremely difficult and I died a heck of a lot. Boss battles were the same, where some were ridiculously easy and some annoyingly difficult. I guess my complaint was that the difficulty did not really feel the same throughout the entire game, so I was either annoyed at how fast I progressed or how much I kept getting stuck at the same point. Another complaint is that I felt that the transform button was a little too easy to execute. When I was in a stressful tight spot and jammed on the left analog to move somewhere, I would constantly activate L3 and transform by mistake, meaning that I could not do what I intended to do. This happened often when trying to run up to an enemy and melee attack them, since I would suddenly turn into my vehicle and not be able to melee. Finally, the campaign was awesome and fun, but it just wasn’t long enough. I would have loved for it to have been longer than a few hours. It was the best part of the game, but it was over so fast.

However, one complaint I did not have was about the darkness of the game. I read several reviews and forum posts where people complained that the game and the characters were too dark and colorless, making it difficult to see who and where the enemy was.  I had no such problems, and was able to find my prey easily. Also, the game will “light up” enemies with a red triangle on the screen, so you will know where they are even in the distance.

They must have realized how short the campaign mode was, because the came has a variety of other online multiplayer modes to keep you entertained. My favorite by far was Escalation, where you and up to three online buddies team up in a “horde mode”, in which you must survive wave after wave of enemies. As you kill enemies you get points, which can then be used at machines to purchase health, ammo, or new weapons. Thus, there are no power-ups just sitting around like in the campaign mode, so you have to keep getting kills if you want to survive. After wave seven it gets insane, and I have never even made it to wave fifteen, the final wave. However, it is a heck of a lot of fun!

The other multiplayer modes are your traditional deathmatches/ team deathmatches, etc. What’s cool is that you are able to technically create your own custom transformer, in that each class of character can be customized with the weapons and abilities you want, and you can also alter their coloring to make them different. I played through a few team deathmatches, and enjoyed it enough, but I’m not really much a fan of competitive multiplayer to begin with. Also, I got frustrated as I found myself getting kicked out half way through games as the host’s connection would be interrupted and what not.

War for Cybertron is a very solid game. While short, the campaign was a lot of fun, and the fact that it offered up online co-op only made it better. The escalation and competitive modes also help to breath some replay value into the game. In the end, I was not willing to pay $40 for the game (the keep it now price through Gamefly.) I’m not a big fan of competitive shooters, and I did not see myself playing it a lot. The game is a must-play for fans and non-fans alike, because even if you had never watched the Transformers cartoons growing up (like me), who can’t learn to love a bunch of giant robots who can transform into vehicles beating the crud out of each other?

Yes, the long wait is over as Bioshock 2 was released upon the world today. I was really looking forward to it, as the first game really blew me away like no other game had done in such a long time. Also, because I was so interested in the game, I refused to watch trailers and read in-depth reviews since I wanted to wait and experience everything as fresh as possible. Im a little under two hours into it, and thus far I am pleased, and I can honestly say that Bioshock continues the trends started by the first game.

The game takes place ten years after the first, and you play as a Big Daddy. Thats all I will say about the story. Right off the bat, the controls and the look of Rapture itself take you back to the first game. If you played the first, you will feel right at home, as the game looks and plays just like its predecesor. If you never played the first one, then why the hell are you reading this? Go out, play the first one, then get back to me.

So what exactly is the same? Quite a bit, except that some aspects have been tweaked. There are weapons and plasmids that can be used to take down splicers and other freaks. However, what is different is that you can literally “dual wield” a weapon in one hand and a plasmid in the other. This makes doing the one-two combo (electrobolt plasmid followed by a melee attack) all the easier and smoother to perform. Only this time around, since you are a Big Daddy, the wrench has been replaced by a drill (which is pretty sweet.)

Hacking machines still plays a big part in the game, but it has gotten a little easier (and less stressful.) The frantic pipe hacking mini game of the first Bioshock has been replaced by a whole new system. Now when you hack, you get a gauge with a needle that fluctuates back and forth. You simply have to stop the needle on a green or blue section of the gauge to succeed (landing on blue will net you a bonus). Most machines require you to do it in two steps (hence stop the needle on two different gauges), but Ive encountered at least one so far that needed you to do it three times. Oh, and you have to watch out for red and white sections of the gauge. While white will just give you a nasty shock, the red section will sound the alarm and send the security bots after you. Another thing that changed with the hacking system is that you can now do it from a distance. Early on you acquire a gun that fires hacking darts, so that you can hack a machine that is out of reach. I liked the change they made in this, particularly with the long-distance hacking.

The environment itself is very much the same. As you wander around the dark halls of Rapture, you will come across crazy splicers who are talking to themselves or arguing together. You will constantly see their crazy rants written on the walls. As you explore, you will pick through corpses and trash cans for money, ammo, and edible items. The cassette tapes also make a comeback, and as in the first game, they are essential to filling in the gaps in Rapture’s lore. As I began exploring Rapture at the start of the game, I felt like I never left.

I took a quick peak at the trophies, and I was disappointed to see that quite a few of them are reserved for online play, which is sad. I dont see myself playing the online death matches too much, so there will be quite a few trophies I dont snag along the way. I really dislike trophies that are only accessible in online multiplayer, simply because those modes do not interest me as much, and I will not play too often. I didnt check it out yet, but I will at some point tomorrow, just to see how it is.

Overall, my initial reaction to Bioshock 2 is one of supreme pleasure. Very little about the first game was changed, and things that were changed were, for the most part, good changes. Of course, I am only about two hours into the game, but I am confident that the game will continue to deliver. If you liked Bioshock, you will love Bioshock 2. If you didnt check out Bioshock yet, do yourself a favor and give it a rent. You wont regret it.

As I mentioned earlier, I had a bit of a hard time getting a match going in the AvP demo that launched on Thursday. I tried throughout the weekend at random times, and was unable to get another match going. Today I tried again, and I finally got into a match. I basically set it up and while it searched for a match, I walked into the other room and played around on the computer. After about six minutes, I began to hear other people on their head sets, which meant that I had finally gotten into a game.

First off, I must correct a previous statement. In my other post, I complained that you were unable to choose your character in the demo, and that both times I was assigned to be a Marine. That is only half true. You are able to choose your own character, but you have to be quick. For some reason, the developers didnt want an 8-Alien or Predator battle royale going down, so once the first few Aliens or Predators are selected (I do not know the exact number), the remaining players are automatically assigned to be Marines.

So upon getting into the demo, I quickly realized that I was able to choose an Alien, and did so. The Alien’s controls are off the hook. The Alien is very quick, and not only that, but you are able to jump onto walls and ceilings. As it was my first time playing as an Alien, I quickly feeling disoriented by running all over the place. Eventually I got the hang of it and realized what was going on. The Aliens two main attacks are melee, either with its tail or claws. There is also an option to grapple other players, but I was unable to figure out how. While there is a control scheme displayed while the match loads, it was impossible to read on my standard def. TV (yet another reason for me to get my hands on an HDTV.) The Alien could also “hiss”, but I couldnt figure out what its purpose was. I thought that maybe it was how the Alien regained health, but that was not the case. The other neat feature of the Alien is that it has some kind of heat-vision, where it can see other players through walls. Seeing how the Aliens have this and the Marines have the motion sensing equipment, I can only assume that the Predator has something similar.

Overall, I had fun playing around with the Alien, but I will admit I am no expert. There are a lot of unique controls which must be mastered in order to be successful as the xenomorph, and I am far from grasping it all. Still, it was fun, and definitely offers a unique twist and play style/strategy for a FPS competitive death match. I’ll feel better about it once I get some more hands-on time, which will be next week when I get the game in from Gamefly. Hopefully the final game will be more smooth and have less hassle than the demo had…

So I just completed the single player campaign today. The story follows BJ Blazokwicz as he attempts to take out the Nazi’s plan to build a super weapon from another dimension. The game takes place in basically two areas; Midtown and Downtown. From those two areas, you interact with resistance fighters to accept missions, and then travel to a marker on the map to begin the mission. Along with interacting with them, you will also find black market dealers, who can sell you upgrades and ammunition for your weapons. Weapons range from tradition guns and grenades to advanced Nazi weapons like a proton gun (reminds me of Ghostbusters) and a large gun that disintegrates enemies.

As you travel through the city, you will run into Nazi squads which you will have to engage and take out. Also, you will be on the lookout for intellegince documents, gold, and hidden tomes. Both sections of the city have a set amount hidden throughout, as well as each mission. Finding these items not only will eventually land you a trophy, but you also collect money, which is used to purchase upgrades from the black market.

What makes Wolfenstein unique from other FPS is the introduction of the Veil. The Veil is basically an energy source from the Black Sun dimension, which is where the Nazi’s are trying to get. The Veil is the energy which powers the Thule Medallion, an artifact you pick up early in the game. The Medallion gives you the ability to use a variety of powers throughout the rest of the game. The basic one is just the Veil, and it turns the screen into a somewhat nightvisiony look. This allows you to easily spot enemies, their weak points, and other hidden locations and points of interest. The Veil can also be used to walk through certain walls. The next power you learn is Mire, which is the ability to slow time. The slowdown of time allows you to quickly pick off a pack of enemies without taking too much damage, can be used to avoid bullets and rockets, and also to navigate through certain traps. The next power is Shield, which, as its name suggests, puts a protective shield around you that bullets cannot penetrate. Finally, there is the Enrage ability, which allows you to fire your bullets through enemy shields and does additional damage on impact.

The Medallion has an energy reserve, and once it is depleted, you will have to find a source of Veil energy to replenish it. Using the abilities will use up the energy, and using more than one at a time will deplete it faster. Upgrades for Veil powers can also be purchased at the black markets. For example, you can make the energy reserve larger, enable the shield to bounce bullets back at attackers, and gain the ability to fire bullets through walls.

The story for the game was great, and many cinematics inbetween helped flow the story along, and the voice acting was top notch. The use of Veil powers breaks the game from the drudgery of other FPS, by giving you something else to do other than shoot everything. Some of the enemies are tough, as they are Nazi solders that have been “mutated” by the occult powers of the Black Sun dimension. The boss battles in the game (something that many FPS leave out) are ridiculous and challenging, even on Easy difficulty, which is great.

There is a multiplayer online mode, but I wasnt impressed by it. Its basically team deathmatches, where you run around and shoot up the other team. It was a shame that half the trophies in the game involve the multiplayer, because I had no desire to play more than the few minutes I checked it out this morning. However, Im just saying this because Im not as big a fan of online competitive matches. If you like those kinds of games, thats a plus for you to check the game out.

So yeah, the single player mode was a lot of fun, but short (I completed the story missions and side missions in about ten hours). I did not go run around and find all the collectables, so that is something that can make the game last a bit longer. I was not impressed with the online multiplayer mode. In the end, rent it. Its a great story and a lot of fun to kill Nazis, but a ten hour campaign just doesnt warrant a purchase. If you like competitve multiplayer, than check it out.