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Mar 4th, 2008 at 07:26:23 - Resident Evil 4 (GC) |
5th GameLog: Resident Evil 4 (Game of Choice) 2nd Log
Game Play
The second time around, this game keeps getting more interesting and the story starts to unravel more. The story is the biggest reason that I keep playing this game. It's told in such a mysterious and suspenseful manner that you feel that you are watching a Hitchcock film. There are new characters being introduced and you start to get a grasp of whats actually happening. The story takes place in central Europe where the townspeople are infected with a virus called the Plaga. As you progress, you encounter different environments like towns, castles, lakes, mines , ruins, etc.
As you progress more, I have encountered more unique enemies and bosses. Enemies in this game have been placed perfectly in respect to the environments. Each environment has specific types of enemies that you encounter. If you are in the castle, you will face cult members that look and act different. These enemies are also more difficult to overcome. I also love the fact that they game the zombies weapons in this game. Some of the enemies will have dynamite in their hands and throw it at you. If you have good aim, you can shoot off the dynamite and the zombie's entire body and the people near him explode. I thought this was really cool and gave the game some really nice effects.
I also love the fact that there are a lot more weapons you can use. Most of the previous Resident Evils had a limited amount of weapons. This game has sniper rifles, rocket launchers, mine launchers, many handguns, shotguns, and other weapons that you can unlock as you progress further. There are also add-ons to weapons to make them more accurate and steady. When upgrading your weapons, you really have to make smart decisions because you want to upgrade the weapons that will give you the most advantage when facing enemies.
Game Design
One of the most intuitive elements of this game was the behind-the-shoulder action mechanic. This aspect solved all the camera angle problems that were in the previous games. Now you wont have the problem of odd camera angles getting in your way of shooting zombies. In general, it was a great idea to remove the fixed camera mechanic. Another great change was the removal of the item boxes. In previous games, you could carry only 4 or 6 items and you would have to place the other items in a box. Though these boxes were found frequently, it was tedious to keep going back and forth to exchange things. In this game, you have a suitcase where you can place all of your weapons and items.
The environments in this game are highly varied and detailed. The areas you encounter are graphically superb and express a specific tone. There won't be a moment where you will think that a specific area lacks depth. I thought the castle area was done brilliantly because the color and lighting effects were amazing. Curtains blown by the wind looked extremely realistic and there weren't any glitches in the environment.
I really thought the cut scenes were an integral part in enticing the player to play the game. The script is flawless and voice acting is on cue. There aren't any of those awkward moments in cut scenes that were present in the previous games. Another new element was the game's ability to challenge your reflexes during boss fights and cut scenes. Many times during boss fights, you would have to press buttons quickly in order to dodge their attacks. This really kept the player on guard and heightened your control pad reflexes.
I really didn't like the fact that they took out the puzzle aspect of the game. This was a key element in previous games that could of perfected this game. While playing previous Resident Evils I liked solving puzzles and finding secret doors or pathways. Since this game is more fast paced action, I can see why the developers left this element out. All in all, this was a very interesting game to play that evolves the survival/horror genre.
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Mar 3rd, 2008 at 05:10:18 - Resident Evil 4 (GC) |
5th GameLog: Resident Evil 4 (Game of Choice) Log # 1
Summary
Resident Evil 4 is a third-person horror/survival game with a strong emphasis on action. It is the sixth installment in the resident evil series that uses game mechanics totally different from the previous ones. You play as Leon S. Kennedy, a US Government Agent who has been given the task to rescue the President's daughter who has been kidnapped by a cult group known as the Los Illuminados.
Game Play
RE4 is probably the most intuitive Resident Evil game ever made. It combines elements of the previous games with totally different game mechanics. I thought it was a good move to change the game play style because the fixed camera angles mechanic was getting boring and people wanted a change. The most distinctive element of this game is the behind the shoulder action shooting. This really gives the game a fast paced gun play action. With this new mechanic, the player has the option to aim freely and get creative when shooting enemies. Another intuitive aspect is the players option to jump out of windows and interact with objects within the game. If a zombie is climbing a ladder, you have the option to knock the ladder over. Also if a zombie has grabbed onto you, you can do a kick move or a body slam to counter his attack.
Another great thing about this game is the AI. The enemies in this game are much smarter and work together. If you aim at an enemy for a little too long, they will quickly move out of the way and start running at you. The number of enemies you encounter has increased dramatically. There are several types of zombies that vary in difficulty and each is very distinguishable.
All the characters in the game are created with great detail and are voiced beautifully. The story is the probably the main aspect of the game that keeps you hooked. As you keep progressing, the story unravels little by little and entices you to keep playing. Also, most of the main characters have personal stories of their own that are told vaguely and show past connections between the characters. The story gives this game great flow and nothing in the game seems random.
One thing I liked very much is the implementation of The Merchant. The Merchant is a character that you encounter throughout the game who sells weapons and equipment. You can also sell things they you have found like golden necklaces, pearls, and other rare items. As you kill enemies, they drop money or weapon ammo for you to pick up. You can also upgrade your weapons from the merchant and as you keep upgrading your weapons, their value goes up.
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Feb 8th, 2008 at 23:18:40 - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) |
3rd GameLog: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Game of Choice)
2nd Log
Gameplay
The second time around, the game just got more interesting. It's really the story that gets you addicted. I have noticed that cut scenes have decreased in comparison to the beginning of the game. When I first started the game, the first 10-15 minutes of the game was a giant cut scene. This time around, I got to face more enemies and really explore the full potentials of the gameplay. I did notice that the camera angles can be irritating sometimes and you really can't see around the corners much. One big improvement from the other Metal Gear's in the series is the camera angles. Before MGS3, all the camera angles were fixed and that made it really difficult to see around some corners. In this game, the camera follows Snake so it makes much easier for you to navigate and see all the things.
I also got to fight the first boss and it was a really interesting fight. The Pain is an enemy who uses bees to attack you. He uses the bees as grenades to throw at you. Apparently he can control them and his whole body is covered with them. One really interesting aspect of the game is how to keep Snake alive. In the game, you are given a stamina bar that decreases constantly throughout the game. The only way to revive your stamina is to hunt for food and eat them. When your stamina gets too low, Snake's hand starts shaking whenever he shoots and runs much slower. This aspect of the game made it very realistic and brought a new awareness to the game. It requires you to explore all the environments and get all the things the game has to offer.
The AI in this game is quite good and all of the enemies don't just go down with one hit. Avoiding the enemy as much as possible has become more important than it was in the beginning. You also have to watch out for the dangers in the environment. There are poisonous snakes and other creatures that can bite Snake and kill him if he is not treated with the proper medication. Close Quarters Combat (CQC) is a great and intuitive aspect of the game. If Snake is unarmed, he has many techniques to knock the enemy unconscious or possibly kill them. It's really realistic and something that the military would use in real life.
Game Design
MGS4 was superb when it came to environment detail. As you keep playing, you can see that a lot of time went into creating the right textures, shading, and colors when designing the jungle. This was very key in giving the game a 1960s look and feel. Since there was a strong emphasis on camouflage, the jungle provided the best environment for you to take advantage of that aspect of the game. The jungle is also very varied. You don't just keep running into trees and busher. You will go through rivers, waterfalls, cliffs, dry land, etc. The environment is probably one of the biggest barriers that you have to overcome. The music also fits in perfectly with the the environment and all the sounds are on cue.
I also love the implementation of the injuries section. If Snake receives an injury, the player has to find the injury and treat it. You are given bandages, splints, medication, and other equipment necessary for you to repair your injury. If the injuries are not treated, Snakes stamina starts to decrease rapidly and when his stamina bar depletes completely, then his life bar starts to decrease. Each injury has a unique consequence and each injury is treated differently. Also you are not given an infinite amount of supplies so learning from your mistakes is very key. This was a very new intuitive idea that I have not seen in any other game. Some games earlier might have had it but it was not as detailed as in MGS4.
The main aspect of the game that keeps the player interested is again the intense storyline. The developers did a great job in giving the cut scenes as much depth as possible and accurately depicting the Cold War era. I really like when the cut scenes are action oriented because they are created beautifully and have elements of The Matrix combined with Mission Impossible. In the end, this is a beautifully created game that really resembles it's predecessors but has new intuitive elements that take it up a further notch.
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Feb 7th, 2008 at 04:29:28 - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (PS2) |
3rd GameLog: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (Game of Choice)
1st Log
Summary
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is an third person/first person action game where you play as the main character Naked Snake who is trying to save the world from a nuclear war. The primary goal of this game is to infiltrate the jungles of the Soviet Union and stop the enemy from developing and using a new nuclear-capable moving tank called the Shagohod. This game is predominantly in third person but the player has the option of seeing in first person also.
Gameplay
This game from the beginning pulls you in. One of the reasons is the deep movie like story that has a great deal of twists and turns. With the Metal Gear series, you never know whats going to happen. There is a main story to the game but there are also mini stories of all the different characters that are really creative. The entire story is pretty much told through cut scenes that are perfectly directed and entertaining. The entire game is pretty much outline like a movie. The characters in the game have great personality depth and are created with a great amount of detail. The story also does a great job in combining the Cold War Era themes to the game. I also love how there were some science-fictional elements that were incorporated in the game like jet packs and villains that could walk on water or hovering vehicles.
When it comes to gameplay, this game has a strong emphasis on stealth. You could run and gun, but it's a single man against an army of soldiers. There is also a strong emphasis on camouflage. The game requires you to use the jungle in your favor and blend in with it to overcome your enemies. Snake is given many uniform and face camouflages throughout the game so he can blend in with the environments. This was a new element to the game that really separated it from the other ones in the series. Navigation within the jungle is kind of hard because sometimes you get lost and don''t really know where to go. Withing the jungle, you also encounter many bases heavily guarded by Russian soldiers. There is also a lot of interaction between the player and the environment. You can climb trees or kill animals like snakes, rabbits, squirrels, fish, etc.
Overcoming your enemies is also very intuitive in this game because there isn't just one path or way you could kill them. You have the choice of either slowly creeping up on them from behind or you can climb trees and plan your attack without being noticed. One of my favorite things to do is hang from a tree and shoot the enemies with one hand while in the first person mode. You can also not kill any soldiers and get your way through like Jame Bond. In general , this game is very interesting to play because of it's intuitive gameplay methods and story. The story gives the game a great rhythm.
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Ankur has been with GameLog for 16 years, 10 months, and 8 days |
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