Hi all!
I know that I haven’t updated this thing in Month, but it’s actually been a long while since I’ve had anything to really talk about here.
But with the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2 last week, I’ve finally managed to get a review out for you all to enjoy.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
After Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64, and Super Mario Sunshine on the Gamecube, tradition seemed to be continuing itself with Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii. Just one Mario game per console. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, Nintendo go and announce Super Mario Galaxy 2, taking most of the Nintendo fanbase completely by surprise. So, the question then remained as to whether the sequel could upstage the original...
Swinging On A Star
So, I’ve played the game for a short while and have acquired my first Power Star. Having played the first game, I was able to get through it with very little problem, all of the controls being the same, offering a good sense of familiarity to the proceedings. The intro section actually plays on a 2D field in the style of the original Mario game, with ? blocks and such, and it's also framed with a book-like top/bottom to give it a proper story feel. And it slowly opens up as you move forward, going to flat 2D, to having a little bit of room to move back and forth, to going fully 3D and allowing you to run around the area. The dive into the first level progressed well too. There’s actually very little explanation. No having to cater to some mysterious woman or whatnot. Peach is kidnapped and you just race off after her. It has a much better feel and flow to it, and somehow feels grander compared to the first game. This is partly because there are next to no tutorials. You can stop and talk to signs and Luma’s if you wish, but if you’re familiar with Galaxy’s way of doing things, then you can dive right into the game and get to it. One boss defeated and one Power Star collected later, and you’re given control of your ship and allowed to start exploring the world map, where in the next level, you meet an old friend.
Setting A Pace
Right from the beginning of the game you’re given this almost relentless feeling of speed, of everything flowing much quicker than it did in the first game. Gone is the central world hub, with its constant back-and-forth gameplay. Now, all you do it stand on a button and you zoom out to the overhead map that you can easily zip around and choose your level. In many ways, it has a very old-school feel to it, and that doesn’t just count for the map screen. Many parts of the game are played on a 2D plane, and it really feels as though Nintendo have reached back to their glory days and stuck it back up in front of you for you to enjoy again. And despite the fact it’s a sequel, everything actually ends up feeling fresher than it did the first time. Looking back on the first game after playing this, you can’t help but feel that the original games was just going through the motions, whereas this game is actually doing something of it’s own.
One Small Nag
A lot of this feeling comes from the Power-Ups and other things you find in the game. While ones such as Boo Mario and Spring Mario do make a return, they’re actually played down quite a bit, as are some of the new ones, such as Cloud Mario and Roller Mario. And also, the level design is a lot better than it was in the first game, and so moving through the world feel more fun and less arduous. As I’ve already said, many of the games sections are played on a 2D plane, and this is really where my only really gripe with this game comes from. While it’s very fun to play the game in an old-school fashion, I did occasionally find the controls in this section rather irksome. As you’d expect, left/right is still in place when you’re standing on the bottom floor, but when you circle around something to the side, you have to press up/down to move Mario. While this does make sense, and doesn’t really impact the gameplay too much, I did cause a few deaths as I got used to it. Of course, that’s really the only gripe I had with the game, and considering how much is in the game, that’s pretty good going.
There And Back Again
All in all, this game just feels like it’s doing everything right, even more so than the first one did. Of course, even with all the newness that the game brings up, there’s a lot that remains the same. The basic controls as the same, with Mario’s triple jump, back-flip, long jump, all in place, and the pointer collecting up the Star Bits. The graphics are the same, bright and colourful, and the music is just as nice to listen to, with a few classic Mario pieces having been given a nice remix. And, as you’d expect with a Mario game, there’s a whole set of secrets and minigames, but I won’t go into that too much, as it’s more fun to experience them firsthand. Just trust me when I say that this game’ll have you back on a near constant basis.
Summary
Gameplay: 10/10 – The familiar gameplay of the original is brought back with a few small tweaks and a big overhaul in the level design department, making every level brim with creativity and fun.
Sound: 10/10 – Beautiful classical scores and remixes of old classic tunes makes for some great piece of music that compliment the levels well.
Graphics: 10/10 – Just as colourful and vibrant as the last game, nothing else needs to be said.
Lifespan 10/10 – While you can see the ending fairly quickly, trust me when I say that this game’s gonna take you hell of a long time to finish 100%.
Final Score: 10/10
And so, there you have it. The unexpected sequel has completely trumped its predecessor, and showed us that Nintendo can be original even when sticking to the tried and tested formula set down in Super Mario 64. If you liked the original then this is a must buy, and if you didn’t like the original then you should pick this up anyway. This is definitely the kind of game that everyone should own.
Friday 18 June 2010
Friday 12 March 2010
This is not the Silent Hill you may remember...
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
After the success of the Resident Evil series, Silent Hill quickly followed suit in the Survival Horror genre, but quickly separated itself from the main pack by adding in far more psychological elements to the game. While the series itself has always gone on something of a rollercoaster in terms of how well it was received, it never stopped the madness running, and now we’re returning to where it all began, going back to the beginning to re-examine the roots of the series.
So, how does it compare to the rest of the franchise? Well, let’s find out...
Crashing Start
After seemingly watching a home movie, and then witnessing a car crash, the first real piece of gameplay comes in the form of a Psychiatrist’s meeting. Fans of the first game will recognise Dr. Kaufman, although his role is certainly a lot different this time around. One quick form and some head shaking later, and we’re whisked back to Silent Hill, where Harry awakes from his car crash to find his daughter, Cheryl, missing. Then you’re finally in control of Harry himself, and are quickly introduced to the rather simple control system. All you can do is walk, run, point your flashlight about, and zoom in on things to maybe get a reaction. You quickly realise that there’s no inventory screen, no health bar, and most notably, no weapons. A few simple puzzles and some phone jiggery-pokery later, you find that the world is changing before your very eyes, twisting and freezing over. And it’s heading your way...
Over Simplified
Ok, maybe less of the cliffhangers and more of the description, right?
Well, it can certainly be said of the transition from the normal world into the frozen hell of the nightmare world are certainly something to see. Done completely in real-time, you can move your character and look are as the area changes around you. As unsettling as it is however, you’ll quickly come to dread these transitions for another reason, but more on that later. As already stated, you’ll quickly come to realise that this game is very different from most survival horrors. With no weapons and inventory screens, it can feel rather bizarre, and a little worrying as you wander through the snowbound streets of Silent Hill, waiting for the first enemies to show up. However, this feeling really doesn’t last long, as you’ll quickly realise that the monsters only show up in the nightmare world, and that as long as things aren’t frozen over you’re free to explore as you wish. To a point anyway. By and large, you’re led down a fairly linear path, following the only route that’s available to you. You’ll occasionally come across the odd puzzle, but most are very easy, some really only need you to cross a room to find a key. While long-time Survival Horror fans might cringe at the almost laughably easy puzzles, it does give a certain reality to the areas you explore, and the puzzles don’t feel like they’re just shoehorned in to add minutes to the gameplay.
Below Zero
Of course, that’s how gameplay works in the normal world. Once things switch over to the nightmare world, the gameplay changes. Rather than allowing you to proceed at your own pace down a linear path, you’re now confronted by the game enemies, and are forced to run through an area to find the exit, so that the nightmare will end. While I think that the idea for this section was for it be a tense run through the dark, while creatures nibble at your heels, it really just becomes an effort in patience, as you try to work your way through the maze-like halls and corridors of the frozen nightmare world while occasionally being stopped when a monster grabs you. This can quickly become annoying as the monsters can ran just slightly faster than you can, and so they’ll always catch up with you in the end. While doors and ledges are given a bright blue glow to aid you in pelting through the area, you’re only ever given a vague direction in which to go, and as your map can only ever be accessed in real-time, when you’ve got monsters right behind you, stopping to check your map is not a good idea. Of course, there are also time when you can hide, but these are never useful either, as the monsters can find you far to quickly, so just continuing to run is often more productive. On the brighter side though, quite literally, you can sometimes find flares on the floor that will give you a temporary reprieve from their attacks. These are few and far between though. As always said, I think the idea was for it to be tense and nerve-racking, but it really ends just as just being annoying.
All In The Mind
The other side of the game though, is the mental aspect. Throughout your adventure in Silent Hill, you’ll find yourself whisked away to Dr. Kaufman’s office, where you’ll be given a series of mini-games of a sort, where your actions and answers will affect the game. Some are blatantly obvious, and some are subtler. In fact, some are so subtle, that I didn’t even realise it until I looked back on what I’d just done. By and large though you’ll probably not notice the changes that these test bring on the game, although they do have a secondary purpose that I can’t go into due to major spoilers.
Missing, Presumed Lost
One of the biggest surprises was the relatively short length of the game. While this stopped the simplistic gameplay getting old, and the nightmare world section from getting too annoying, it still game as quite a surprise when the games ending seemed to leap up at you. Especially when comparing it’s locations to the original game. While there is certainly incentive to replay the game, including collectables and multiple endings, you can’t help but feel that it ended far too soon.
Summary
Gameplay: 7/10 – While the controls work very well, there isn’t really a whole lot to the gameplay in terms of depth. Simple puzzles, and rather annoying nightmare world section, but still reasonably enjoyable.
Sound: 7/10 – By and large, the background music is mostly forgettable, and is also unnecessary for the most part.
Graphics: 8/10 – Pretty good, although probably not the best you’ll get on the Wii. Still, by and large it looks quite good.
Lifespan 7/10 – The game was a lot shorter than I was expecting, and while there’s certainly incentive to go back for multiple runs, you can’t help but feel it ends all too soon.
Final Score: 7/10
While it’s enjoyable while it lasts, there are a lot of annoyances in the game that would throw traditional Survival Horror fans off. While fans of the series would be able to point out the differences between this game and the original’s storylines, of which there are many, this alone might not make up for the annoyances of the nightmare world. But all in all, if you like horror games, you should consider giving it a look, as there’s a lot of fun to be had if you can look past the bad.
After the success of the Resident Evil series, Silent Hill quickly followed suit in the Survival Horror genre, but quickly separated itself from the main pack by adding in far more psychological elements to the game. While the series itself has always gone on something of a rollercoaster in terms of how well it was received, it never stopped the madness running, and now we’re returning to where it all began, going back to the beginning to re-examine the roots of the series.
So, how does it compare to the rest of the franchise? Well, let’s find out...
Crashing Start
After seemingly watching a home movie, and then witnessing a car crash, the first real piece of gameplay comes in the form of a Psychiatrist’s meeting. Fans of the first game will recognise Dr. Kaufman, although his role is certainly a lot different this time around. One quick form and some head shaking later, and we’re whisked back to Silent Hill, where Harry awakes from his car crash to find his daughter, Cheryl, missing. Then you’re finally in control of Harry himself, and are quickly introduced to the rather simple control system. All you can do is walk, run, point your flashlight about, and zoom in on things to maybe get a reaction. You quickly realise that there’s no inventory screen, no health bar, and most notably, no weapons. A few simple puzzles and some phone jiggery-pokery later, you find that the world is changing before your very eyes, twisting and freezing over. And it’s heading your way...
Over Simplified
Ok, maybe less of the cliffhangers and more of the description, right?
Well, it can certainly be said of the transition from the normal world into the frozen hell of the nightmare world are certainly something to see. Done completely in real-time, you can move your character and look are as the area changes around you. As unsettling as it is however, you’ll quickly come to dread these transitions for another reason, but more on that later. As already stated, you’ll quickly come to realise that this game is very different from most survival horrors. With no weapons and inventory screens, it can feel rather bizarre, and a little worrying as you wander through the snowbound streets of Silent Hill, waiting for the first enemies to show up. However, this feeling really doesn’t last long, as you’ll quickly realise that the monsters only show up in the nightmare world, and that as long as things aren’t frozen over you’re free to explore as you wish. To a point anyway. By and large, you’re led down a fairly linear path, following the only route that’s available to you. You’ll occasionally come across the odd puzzle, but most are very easy, some really only need you to cross a room to find a key. While long-time Survival Horror fans might cringe at the almost laughably easy puzzles, it does give a certain reality to the areas you explore, and the puzzles don’t feel like they’re just shoehorned in to add minutes to the gameplay.
Below Zero
Of course, that’s how gameplay works in the normal world. Once things switch over to the nightmare world, the gameplay changes. Rather than allowing you to proceed at your own pace down a linear path, you’re now confronted by the game enemies, and are forced to run through an area to find the exit, so that the nightmare will end. While I think that the idea for this section was for it be a tense run through the dark, while creatures nibble at your heels, it really just becomes an effort in patience, as you try to work your way through the maze-like halls and corridors of the frozen nightmare world while occasionally being stopped when a monster grabs you. This can quickly become annoying as the monsters can ran just slightly faster than you can, and so they’ll always catch up with you in the end. While doors and ledges are given a bright blue glow to aid you in pelting through the area, you’re only ever given a vague direction in which to go, and as your map can only ever be accessed in real-time, when you’ve got monsters right behind you, stopping to check your map is not a good idea. Of course, there are also time when you can hide, but these are never useful either, as the monsters can find you far to quickly, so just continuing to run is often more productive. On the brighter side though, quite literally, you can sometimes find flares on the floor that will give you a temporary reprieve from their attacks. These are few and far between though. As always said, I think the idea was for it to be tense and nerve-racking, but it really ends just as just being annoying.
All In The Mind
The other side of the game though, is the mental aspect. Throughout your adventure in Silent Hill, you’ll find yourself whisked away to Dr. Kaufman’s office, where you’ll be given a series of mini-games of a sort, where your actions and answers will affect the game. Some are blatantly obvious, and some are subtler. In fact, some are so subtle, that I didn’t even realise it until I looked back on what I’d just done. By and large though you’ll probably not notice the changes that these test bring on the game, although they do have a secondary purpose that I can’t go into due to major spoilers.
Missing, Presumed Lost
One of the biggest surprises was the relatively short length of the game. While this stopped the simplistic gameplay getting old, and the nightmare world section from getting too annoying, it still game as quite a surprise when the games ending seemed to leap up at you. Especially when comparing it’s locations to the original game. While there is certainly incentive to replay the game, including collectables and multiple endings, you can’t help but feel that it ended far too soon.
Summary
Gameplay: 7/10 – While the controls work very well, there isn’t really a whole lot to the gameplay in terms of depth. Simple puzzles, and rather annoying nightmare world section, but still reasonably enjoyable.
Sound: 7/10 – By and large, the background music is mostly forgettable, and is also unnecessary for the most part.
Graphics: 8/10 – Pretty good, although probably not the best you’ll get on the Wii. Still, by and large it looks quite good.
Lifespan 7/10 – The game was a lot shorter than I was expecting, and while there’s certainly incentive to go back for multiple runs, you can’t help but feel it ends all too soon.
Final Score: 7/10
While it’s enjoyable while it lasts, there are a lot of annoyances in the game that would throw traditional Survival Horror fans off. While fans of the series would be able to point out the differences between this game and the original’s storylines, of which there are many, this alone might not make up for the annoyances of the nightmare world. But all in all, if you like horror games, you should consider giving it a look, as there’s a lot of fun to be had if you can look past the bad.
Monday 15 February 2010
Moving On...
So, yeah, I know it's been a loooooong while (Longer than I thought) since I last posted here.
I haven't abandoned it, just been busy...
...No, really...
Oy
I haven't abandoned it, just been busy...
...No, really...
Oy
Go Team Sea Slug!
Bioshock 2 Review
Bioshock was one of the most entertaining and enjoyable FPSs to come out in recent years, and so a sequel was never really much of a surprise. And so, this hotly anticipated sequel has finally been released. There was much talk and debate as to whether it could better its predecessor, and if playing as a Big Daddy was a good idea or little more than a gimmick...
So, does life still linger in this city, or has the party come to an end?
Diving Right In
As with the previous game, you’re treated to a pre-rendered scene that serves as your introduction. While longer than the first, it serves its purpose well, sticking you in the lumbering diving suit of Subject Delta. From there, you’re thrown into the game right off, deep in the bowels of Rapture. Unlike that first game, which threw a mysterious lighthouse and a beautiful cityscape at you in the first few minutes before throwing enemies your way, Bioshock 2 jump almost right into the action, with you meeting your first Splicer only two rooms away. This helps to differentiate from the first game where, instead of introducing you to a mysterious city, it lets you get to grips with fighting, using your new Drill and duel-wielding Plasmids. A smart move, as most people already know what Rapture is about. After bashing a few Spicers, and running after a Big Sister, you get swept into the water that entraps the city, showing off one of the advantages you have as Delta, and only then do you see a cityscape of Rapture in all it’s destroyed glory...
Welcome Return
For anyone who’s played the first Bioshock, you’ll find that not a great deal has changed in terms of gameplay, and those things that have changed, have been tweaked for the better. The most obvious and biggest change is the ability to duel-wield both your Weapon and Plasmids, and mechanic that allows fights to go smoother, without the constant switching between them. Also including is that you have a standard Melee button that works with all weapons, meaning that you don’t have to switch to your Drill every time you want to whack someone’s face off. The weapons themselves, while being different in look and name, pretty much serve the same purposes as they did in the original game, the only real new addition to your selection being the Remote Hacking Tool. And, of course, there are other returnees in the form of Audio Diaries, Sentry Bots, Turrets and Vending Machines. Although there is a noticeable lack of the U-Invent machine, meaning there’s no random objects either.
For Better Or Worse
While a lot of things remain the same, giving the game quite a comfortable feel when you first dive in, there are some things that have changed. As previously mentioned, you have a Remote Hacking Tool that allows you to hack machines at a distance, which allows for more strategy during fights. Hacking itself is much improved upon, now taking place in real-time with a far simpler mini-game replacing the slow pipe-switching game for before. Another change is the way you equip Gene Tonics. Gone are the three sections for Combat, Engineering and Physical, instead replaced by one large section where you can equip whatever you want. Assuming you’ve got enough slots, of course. Which brings us to the Little Sisters. A lot of people worried that the game was going to turn into the final area from the original Bioshock, with you having to constantly safeguard your Sister, but keeping her safe only really comes into it when you set them down to harvest Adam, and even then they can’t die all that happens is that they get slowed down, the Splicers constantly coming at you until she’s done. While it’s an interesting mechanic, it does get a little laborious at time, but thankfully there aren’t as many sisters in this game as in the previous one, so by the time you’re starting to get fed up with it, you’re pretty much done with them.
Let’s Get Together
One of the major downsides to the single player is that its length is quite shorter than the original game, and while it’s good fun while it lasts, you can’t help but feel that they were likely running low on ideas to stretch out the story. Of course, your ‘Goals’ such as they are, are fairly standard lengthening tactics. Such as needing to find a key on someone who doesn’t want you to have it and so on. And also, it’s likely that it was trimmed down to make room for the Multiplayer. While I would likely use this space to tell you all about it, I’m not a Multiplayer person, so you’ll have to go elsewhere for a Multiplayer review.
Sounding Off
Of course, rapture still gives off a creepy vibe due to the music, or lack there of. While you’ll more often than not be listening to people or the returning Audio Diaries blabbing in your ears, when they’re not, you’ll be able to drink in the atmosphere of a city still destroying itself.
Not All There
For those who’ve kept up with information on Bioshock 2, there is likely to be a few surprises with regards to content. The Big Sister was supposed to have appeared randomly, but her appearances are easy to predict as it’s always once you’ve dealt with all the level’s Little Sisters. Also, the Ghost Sequences were supposed to have returned (they were even in the trailer) and were supposed to have shown the fall of rapture, however they don’t even make a single appearance. While this does raise some questions about what may have been cut out of the game, on the whole what was said to be in the game compared to what is missing isn’t that much of a big deal, and the game itself is still enjoyable, if a little less unpredictable for it.
Summary
Gameplay: 9/10 – The gameplay from the first Bioshock is tweaked for the better. Although there’s not a lot that’s directly new, the changes help it to flow better, and while some things feel a little tacked on, it’s still a lot of fun.
Sound: 9/10 – Classical scores combined with 50s music and decent voice acting.
Graphics: 8/10 – If you liked the look of Bioshock then you’ll like this, as there isn’t a whole lot of difference.
Lifespan 7/10 – Unfortunately the Single Player campaign is shorter than the first game, and it feel shorter too. Of course, this also means that it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.
Final Score: 8/10
While the return to Rapture is a whole lot of fun, you can’t help but feel that you’ve seen it all before, and even the few tweaks and changes can’t help to disguise this fact. But in the end, Bioshock 2 is well worth picking up if you’re a fan of the first game, or a fan of FPSs in general, as we may have seen it before, but that doesn’t make it any less fun.
Bioshock was one of the most entertaining and enjoyable FPSs to come out in recent years, and so a sequel was never really much of a surprise. And so, this hotly anticipated sequel has finally been released. There was much talk and debate as to whether it could better its predecessor, and if playing as a Big Daddy was a good idea or little more than a gimmick...
So, does life still linger in this city, or has the party come to an end?
Diving Right In
As with the previous game, you’re treated to a pre-rendered scene that serves as your introduction. While longer than the first, it serves its purpose well, sticking you in the lumbering diving suit of Subject Delta. From there, you’re thrown into the game right off, deep in the bowels of Rapture. Unlike that first game, which threw a mysterious lighthouse and a beautiful cityscape at you in the first few minutes before throwing enemies your way, Bioshock 2 jump almost right into the action, with you meeting your first Splicer only two rooms away. This helps to differentiate from the first game where, instead of introducing you to a mysterious city, it lets you get to grips with fighting, using your new Drill and duel-wielding Plasmids. A smart move, as most people already know what Rapture is about. After bashing a few Spicers, and running after a Big Sister, you get swept into the water that entraps the city, showing off one of the advantages you have as Delta, and only then do you see a cityscape of Rapture in all it’s destroyed glory...
Welcome Return
For anyone who’s played the first Bioshock, you’ll find that not a great deal has changed in terms of gameplay, and those things that have changed, have been tweaked for the better. The most obvious and biggest change is the ability to duel-wield both your Weapon and Plasmids, and mechanic that allows fights to go smoother, without the constant switching between them. Also including is that you have a standard Melee button that works with all weapons, meaning that you don’t have to switch to your Drill every time you want to whack someone’s face off. The weapons themselves, while being different in look and name, pretty much serve the same purposes as they did in the original game, the only real new addition to your selection being the Remote Hacking Tool. And, of course, there are other returnees in the form of Audio Diaries, Sentry Bots, Turrets and Vending Machines. Although there is a noticeable lack of the U-Invent machine, meaning there’s no random objects either.
For Better Or Worse
While a lot of things remain the same, giving the game quite a comfortable feel when you first dive in, there are some things that have changed. As previously mentioned, you have a Remote Hacking Tool that allows you to hack machines at a distance, which allows for more strategy during fights. Hacking itself is much improved upon, now taking place in real-time with a far simpler mini-game replacing the slow pipe-switching game for before. Another change is the way you equip Gene Tonics. Gone are the three sections for Combat, Engineering and Physical, instead replaced by one large section where you can equip whatever you want. Assuming you’ve got enough slots, of course. Which brings us to the Little Sisters. A lot of people worried that the game was going to turn into the final area from the original Bioshock, with you having to constantly safeguard your Sister, but keeping her safe only really comes into it when you set them down to harvest Adam, and even then they can’t die all that happens is that they get slowed down, the Splicers constantly coming at you until she’s done. While it’s an interesting mechanic, it does get a little laborious at time, but thankfully there aren’t as many sisters in this game as in the previous one, so by the time you’re starting to get fed up with it, you’re pretty much done with them.
Let’s Get Together
One of the major downsides to the single player is that its length is quite shorter than the original game, and while it’s good fun while it lasts, you can’t help but feel that they were likely running low on ideas to stretch out the story. Of course, your ‘Goals’ such as they are, are fairly standard lengthening tactics. Such as needing to find a key on someone who doesn’t want you to have it and so on. And also, it’s likely that it was trimmed down to make room for the Multiplayer. While I would likely use this space to tell you all about it, I’m not a Multiplayer person, so you’ll have to go elsewhere for a Multiplayer review.
Sounding Off
Of course, rapture still gives off a creepy vibe due to the music, or lack there of. While you’ll more often than not be listening to people or the returning Audio Diaries blabbing in your ears, when they’re not, you’ll be able to drink in the atmosphere of a city still destroying itself.
Not All There
For those who’ve kept up with information on Bioshock 2, there is likely to be a few surprises with regards to content. The Big Sister was supposed to have appeared randomly, but her appearances are easy to predict as it’s always once you’ve dealt with all the level’s Little Sisters. Also, the Ghost Sequences were supposed to have returned (they were even in the trailer) and were supposed to have shown the fall of rapture, however they don’t even make a single appearance. While this does raise some questions about what may have been cut out of the game, on the whole what was said to be in the game compared to what is missing isn’t that much of a big deal, and the game itself is still enjoyable, if a little less unpredictable for it.
Summary
Gameplay: 9/10 – The gameplay from the first Bioshock is tweaked for the better. Although there’s not a lot that’s directly new, the changes help it to flow better, and while some things feel a little tacked on, it’s still a lot of fun.
Sound: 9/10 – Classical scores combined with 50s music and decent voice acting.
Graphics: 8/10 – If you liked the look of Bioshock then you’ll like this, as there isn’t a whole lot of difference.
Lifespan 7/10 – Unfortunately the Single Player campaign is shorter than the first game, and it feel shorter too. Of course, this also means that it doesn’t outstay it’s welcome.
Final Score: 8/10
While the return to Rapture is a whole lot of fun, you can’t help but feel that you’ve seen it all before, and even the few tweaks and changes can’t help to disguise this fact. But in the end, Bioshock 2 is well worth picking up if you’re a fan of the first game, or a fan of FPSs in general, as we may have seen it before, but that doesn’t make it any less fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
