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Mar 3rd, 2008 at 04:01:03 - Halo 2 (XBX) |
GAMEPLAY
I finally get to play the co-op with my friends and I must say, the experience was way better than I thought! We can choose the level difficultly and different locations as we wish. Another element that I noticed and was not in the single player mode is the ability to save the other teammate. This is extremely helpful in times when a high number of enemies are fighting against you. As we play together, we eventually came up with a strategy to save each other and fight through the waves of enemies.
What I liked about the levels is the way how everything is so realistic. Even though players are situated in a science-fiction world, we can still feel and see many real-life elements. The weapons choices definitely brought the game to life. The ability to switch between different weapons and incorporate each special’s move is breath-taking. For example, if you are on top of a tower, it is reasonable to swap to the sniper and secretly take out the enemies on the bottom. There are many ways to approach the enemies, and especially since playing with a friend, we can collaborate and come up with a best approach.
The most interesting aspect of the fighting techniques is also hijacking vehicles and duel wielding. Holding two weapons together can greatly enhance your survival time since killing the enemies is much easier and takes less time. Plus, experimenting with different weapons to determine which works best for different enemies is also quite entertaining. However, once the weapon on your left hand runs out of ammo, you are stuck with it unless you throw it away. This can get troublesome at times when you are in the middle of combat and there is simply no time for you to find a new weapon to replace the old one. Despite that, tanks are definitely a plus to the game as well. When battling with a friend, one player can jump into the drive seat while the other shoots the gun from the back. Teamwork and communication is a key at that point, since each player is relying on each other. Overall, the gameplay experience of Halo 2 was fun and challenging and kept me entertained the entire time. Love this game!
DESIGN
The design of Halo 2 is one of the best I’ve ever seen. The levels are very detailed and precise. For example, when players are situated in alien worlds, they actually feel like they are in this futuristic foreign world. Furthermore, because of this element, the level worlds are so complex and different in each of their ways. There is always something new to do and left unexplored. Even for new players like me, walking around the world is not so much difficult. In addition, the replay value is also quite high. Nothing seems to be too repetitive and enemies always appear from new directions. Players are constantly moving forward and rarely retracing their steps; thus, they are always making progress which in return, is another motivation to keep them playing. Moreover, the team battle is another element that makes the game so popular. This is one of the games where two players are actively engaged in the game and constantly motivating each other.
The artificial intelligence of the game is executed perfectly with no flaws. For instance, the human fighters are constantly engaged in dialogues that enable the players to be in the gameplay zone. It pulls the players into the game; thus, creating a magic circle for them to relate to. Furthermore, the weapons design is very accurate and you can tell the designers of the game spent a lot of time trying to make each of the weapon’s detail greater and more realistic. Last but not least, the sound of the music increases the players’ attention to the game and compels them to fight on. No matter what the situation is, the music and sound effects are playing in the background in order to push the player forward in the game. Finally, the weapons sound great as well, especially the plasma weapons in my opinion. Although at times it is difficult to hear the music in the background, props to the designers for making it so realistic.
Overall, the design of Halo 2 is outstanding and this is definitely one of the best games ever released on the Xbox console.
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Mar 3rd, 2008 at 01:15:41 - Halo 2 (XBX) |
SUMMARY
Halo 2 is a sequel to the popular Xbox console game Halo. Just like the first, Halo 2 is a first person shooter game. Depending on the levels, players get to play as human fighters or aliens. Not to mention, human and aliens both vary in their weapon collections too. Players fight through the levels by shooting and eliminating different forms of enemies. Furthermore, players can team up with friends to challenge the co-op part of Halo 2, or simply head on to single player mode, the campaign.
GAMEPLAY
This was my first time playing Halo 2, and honestly, this is definitely one of the greatest shooting games I’ve ever encountered. However, it is hard to say for first time players like me due to its complex controls. The controls are not that difficult actually, but players just need practice to get used to the analog sticks. Perhaps this is one of the first xbox games I’ve played for longer than a few hours, or else I would’ve pick up on the controls much faster. But other than that, for the first hour or so, I kept crashing into walls and aiming my gun to the sky and ground. It was extremely difficult to use two analog sticks for directions simultaneously and aim your weapon at the enemies at the same time. I found this nearly impossible and thus, I would almost always die and return to my previous checkpoints (since I’m playing on single campaign mode).
I must mention, though, the numbers of weapons that are available to choose from. Starting but not ending with the sniper, shotgun, and sword. One of my favorite fighting techniques is the powerful knock to finish off the enemy when the player is up close to them. There are just so many different varieties that players can use. Moreover, as I’m playing, I realize the goal of getting more and better weapons actually motivated me in continuing on with the game.
As for the background of the game, I still remain quite clueless on that. I guess the story will develop a bit more as I play. But so far, there are two sides: the human race and the alien race known as the Covenant. Players have to defend the human race from these aliens to prevent them from discovering the Earth’s location. Anyhow, I can’t wait to play with my friends next to see what’s new.
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Feb 15th, 2008 at 22:53:25 - Soul Calibur III (PS2) |
GAMEPLAY
I finally played the arcade mode and I must say, it was a roller coaster of emotions. It can make you cry in happiness or in frustration in a matter of seconds. Because I’m a new player, I wasn’t too familiar with many of the special moves. I tried my best to pull of with some attacks that managed to decrease almost half of the opponent’s health bar. However, I find myself having a hard time battling the AI. The only possible way was to knock them off the stage, thus, winning the battle. This, however, doesn’t seem like the “real” way of fighting.
The first two or three battles were not challenging and allowed me to get used to my character, Nightmare. Overall, I pretty much used the same movements and still managed to win the battles. But once I got beyond the third level, things weren’t as easy as I thought it would be. Once the opponent hits you, it is impossible to get up and do a counter-attack. They run to where you are lying down on the floor and hits you move after move. You get up, you fall down again and so on. I was lucky to move on to the final battle stage and immediately the opponent uses a special move on me. Half of my health bar disappeared and I gave up soon after trying for another 30 minutes or so. Therefore, I come to a conclusion that when you are playing against the computer, cheap tactics and kicking them off the ring are still far easier than strategic fighting and skills.
It is better to play with your friend rather than the computer. But you might decide to head on to the one player mode if you want to unlock some new characters. Otherwise, it is best to play with your friends and just have fun with it. Or else, you will be filled with anger and irritation after playing the game.
DESIGN
The most compelling designs of Soul Calibur III, hands down, are its numbers of characters and battle arenas to choose from. Not to mention, the ability to create your own character. The characters’ weapons and appearance look extremely realistic, and when you examine the characters, their weapons and clothing actually match each other. Furthermore, the environment designs are breath-taking. There are many details in the background and for example, the water actually sparkles as the players move around in any directions. In addition, the ground actually also cracks when you take a hit on the floor. Last but not least, the music goes in sync with the gameplay itself. When your character or the opponent is near the end of their health, the music tenses and speeds up. As a result, players feel the excitement as they play the game.
The only negative aspects of the game that I have to mention is that no one really needs to master the game in order to be good at it. New players can win players who’ve been playing for a long time with no trouble. However, this aspect of the game can be eliminated if players are to play with other new players or friends.
Finally, because of the different characters and modes, there are many possible outcomes to the game. Players are greeted with different opponents every time they play in single-modes and can try to learn more special moves as a result. The replay value of the game is extremely high and one shouldn’t be bored of this game easily.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Feb 16th, 2008 at 02:56:15.
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Feb 15th, 2008 at 22:26:50 - Soul Calibur III (PS2) |
SUMMARY
Soul Calibur III is a fighting game that is in the series of Soul released by Namco. Players are to kill or beat the opponent using their chosen characters’ unique fighting skills and styles. With your chosen character, you are to battle the evil sword called Soul Edge; which is the main component of the storyline.
GAMEPLAY
This was my first time playing the Soul Calibur series. I heard about the second one, but still never got my hands on it. Finally though, I decided to see what the hype was all about and now I understand why many believe this is one of the greatest fighting games. To start off, I decided to play against my friends who are experts on the game. There are many characters to choose from and thus, various fighting styles. I went with the character Nightmare due to his enormous sword, thinking that the opponent could not possibly get close to me. Anyways, surprisingly, in less than a minute, I managed to beat my friends by repeatedly pressing the same button. Therefore, it is pretty easy for new players to get used to this game and not to mention, be good at it. The controls are extremely easy to learn; however, the special moves might need some more practice in order to achieve.
First time players, like me, shouldn’t have too much trouble with the game at first. By pressing the triangle, circle, and square, players are pretty much set to go. I pulled off with some “crazy” moves that almost seemed like special moves due to its complexity and design. Furthermore, there are many characters to experiment with to ensure what characters suits you the best. There are weird monsters, typical girl fighters, and of course the topless men; each with their special fighting styles and weapons. Moreover, what attracted me to the game the most is the sense of unlimited endings and options. There are many fighting movements to master and experiment, thus, players always have something to look forward to.
I might try to play the arcade version later instead of versus mode to see what it is like to battle the computer.
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