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Mar 4th, 2008 at 23:50:12 - Resident Evil 4 (GC) |
GAMEPLAY
As much as I loved the first few hours of RE4, I have to admit that the more I played it, the more disappointing it got. The game starts out so strong and intense that it loses its impact after a few hours. In most games, the intensity slowly builds up to a final climax but in RE4, the most shocking and exciting moments are experienced within the first 5 hours of the game.
Once the ridiculous plot started unraveling, the game started to lose a lot of its charm. The locations got more and more over the top (creepy castles, laboratories, etc.) and the terrible voice acting just pulled me out of the game. Also, the more I played, the more I felt like I was playing an action game rather than a survivor horror game. Sure it was still a lot of fun but for a game that takes itself so seriously and has so much potential, it’s a shame to see issues like this.
DESIGN
Technically RE4 is a stunning game. It has some of the most amazing graphics seen on the GameCube and really pushes the system to its limits. The textures, environments, and animations all look amazing. When it comes to the audio however, it fails to impress. The music is done well but it’s nothing special. The voice acting, just like every other RE game, is so bad that it hurts the overall game experience. From the fake Spanish accents to phrases that are repeated over and over again, the voice acting doesn’t even come close to some of the other titles out there on the market.
While the voice acting quality hasn’t improved much since the first RE game, the camera and controls certainly have. Gone are the old fixed camera angles and wonky controls. RE4 now puts the players in the center of the action. The game is viewed from an over the shoulder camera angle that works very well with the intense edge-of-your-seat action of the game. The controls are completely overhauled too. Instead of the slow and wonky controls of the past RE titles, RE4 has a very responsive control scheme that makes getting out of tight situation a lot easier.
As for the plot…well…it starts out pretty interesting but as I mentioned earlier it gets more and more absurd and unfortunately for someone like me who really enjoys good storylines, this game is a letdown. Some people may not be bothered much by it but for me, the plot is very important and RE4 completely fails in that department.
Overall Resident Evil 4 is a game that must be experienced. Sure some of the design elements like the storyline, the pacing, and voice acting threw me off a bit but I still enjoyed it.
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Mar 4th, 2008 at 23:49:45 - Resident Evil 4 (GC) |
SUMMARY
Resident Evil 4 is a third person Survival Horror game that puts players in the shoes of Leon S. Kennedy, a “U.S. Agent” who has been sent to an undisclosed location in Europe in search of the President’s kidnapped daughter. The game mostly consists of frantic third- person shooting (and some stabbing and kicking) with some light puzzles thrown in for variety.
GAMEPLAY
To say that Resident Evil 4 is action-packed and faced paced is an understatement. Ten minutes into the game and I was already faced with hordes after hordes of “zombies” chasing after me with axes, chainsaws, and other deadly tools. It was clear to me that the forth entry in the series was completely different from the past titles. While the previous three Resident Evil games relied on cheap scare tactics (zombies popping out of nowhere, etc.), RE4 is definitely a lot more frantic and the action is unrelenting. The enemies don’t simply shamble around. They mercilessly chase after the player, break windows, tear down doors, throw deadly objects, and in general are a lot more agile and hostile.
For example, there is an area very early on in the game where a large group of “zombies” are gathered around a burning corpse. I had no choice but to go through them and what ensued was one of the most exciting moments in videogame history. I made my way to the fire and started shooting at the enemies with my handgun but there seemed to be no end to them. They were getting closer and closer and I had no choice but to retreat to a nearby house. I pushed a cupboard in front of the door to block off the enemies from coming in and for a minute I thought I was safe. I didn’t think the enemies were smart enough to break windows and use ladders to climb inside the building. In less than a minute, I was surrounded by dozens of zombies. As I was blasting them away one by one, one of the enemies started running towards me with a chainsaw screaming and before I could do anything he chopped “my” head right off. That had to be one of the most graphic “HOLY S***” moments I had ever played through. To describe Resident Evil 4, intense would be an understatement.
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Feb 20th, 2008 at 22:54:44 - Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) |
GAMEPLAY
After playing the game for about 8 hours, it is safe to say that there is no variety in terms of what the player can do in the game. You travel the game world, find one of the colossi, take him down, and repeat. Of course each boss is considerably harder than the last and each one has its own unique weak point that the players must discover. Some bosses walk on two legs, some on four, some fly and one even swims. Climbing each boss is also different from the rest. For example, some are as simple as grabbing on to the fur on the beast’s body and climbing up while some require the player to sprint full speed with the horse right alongside the beast and jumping over to latch on. Sure each boss has its own strategy but the mechanics of the game remain the same.
While the game may get a bit repetitive, it never becomes dull. Beating each boss motivates the player even more to find out how big the next one is and how it is supposed to be taken down. This game is the perfect example of how just how much a simple game design can do.
DESIGN
The graphics in this game are by no means the best on the Playstation2 but it makes up for its technical shortcomings (most notably framerate issues) with its style and artistic look. From the breathtaking landscape and imaginative creature design, to the incredibly smooth animations, this game simply looks stunning. As for the audio, the game’s music kicks in only when fighting the colossi but that’s perfectly fine since it fits the mood and atmosphere of the game so well. The gameworld itself is pretty massive but it still doesn’t compare to some other games like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. As I mentioned before, the gameworld is almost devoid of any life but again it only adds to the mood and sense of isolation of the game. The only complaint worth mentioning about the game is the controls. Getting the main character to do what you want can be a bit of a hassle thanks to the somewhat wonky controls. For example climbing the horse isn’t as simple as walking up to it and pressing a button. You have to be facing the right angle and position to climb properly and sometimes when you are in a desperate situation (running away from a boss to avoid being hit) it can become a bit frustrating. But overall Shadow of the Colossus is an experience unlike any other and should definitely belong to any PS2 owner’s game collection. It is a testament to how much a game can do with the most basic of game mechanics.
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Feb 20th, 2008 at 22:54:07 - Shadow of the Colossus (PS2) |
SUMMARY
Shadow of the colossus is an action/adventure game unlike any other. It is one of the most simple, yet engaging videogames I’ve played to date. The entire game essentially boils down to traveling the game world in search of 16 colossi and slaying them. The concept may seem a bit dull but it is amazing how much satisfaction can be achieved with such simple, yet well implemented game design.
GAMEPLAY
The game begins with a cut-scene showing a young man traveling across a desolate world on horseback with a deceased girl on his lap. He arrives at a shrine of some sorts and places the girl on a pedestal. Then a voice tells him that in order to revive the girl he must track down and slay sixteen monstrous colossi scattered around the land. Armed with a sword and a bow, he climbs on top of his horse and embarks on his seemingly impossible journey. That’s it. That is the entire storyline and the only thing the player has to do in the game. The game world is almost devoid of any life and gives the player a sense of solitude and tranquility. As I started exploring the game world in search of the colossi, it became apparent that I was essentially in a wasteland with my horse being my only companion. Traveling alone, with no civilization in sight, I couldn’t help but to feel a sense of despair. The only things I could hear were the sounds of my horse’s pounding hooves and the howling wind which only added to my feeling of isolation.
After a bit of traveling, I finally came across the first colossus in the game. My first reaction can be quite adequately summarized as “HOLY S***!”
To say that the monsters in this game are huge is an understatement. They are without a doubt the biggest and coolest bosses in any game. Having read about this game in reviews, previews, etc I already knew what I had to do. Climb the beast, find its weak spot and take him down with my sword. And this is where the game truly shines. Finding out how to climb these walking skyscrapers without falling off or being squashed like a bug is the most fun I’ve had in a videogame in quite a while. After a few tries I finally found the giant’s weak point, thrust my sword in it and watched him collapse. The sense of accomplishment that the players feel for bringing down a massive beast with only a sword is something that is seldom seen in other videogames. And with that, I was off to slay the remaining beasts.
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altfire has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 10 days |
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