Reviewer: Erich Hiner
Title: The Orange Box (Xbox 360)
Platforms: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
Developer: Valve Corporation
Publisher: Valve Corporation
Age Range: 17+
Buy?: YES
Because The Orange Box is essentially five games for the price of one, the value of this product cannot be overstated. Each game stands well on its own while some suffer from a few forgivable mishaps. The Orange Box includes a great shooter, a fantastic puzzler, and an off-the-wall multiplayer game. Five great games for the price of one. Enough said.
Summary:
The Orange Box is a collection of games developed by the Valve Corporation that functions more as an anthology of the company’s greatest hits rather than a single piece of software. Click here to read descriptions of each of the five games.
Total Hours of Play:
Half Life 2, Half Life 2: Episodes 1 and 2, and Portal will clock in at roughly 20 hours. Due to its multiplayer nature, Team Fortress 2 can be played for any length of time.
Difficulty: MEDIUM to HIGH
Most of the games in the collection are appropriately difficult for their target audience. Players who have experience with first-person shooters will find most of the fighting and puzzle solving to be exciting and balanced. However, it should be said that certain segments of some of the games in The Orange Box seem almost unfairly difficult. While the opening levels of Half Life 2 are simple and fun, the final level of Half Life 2: Episode 2 is aggravating at best and poorly designed at worst. Players should also be aware that the unorthodox puzzles of Portal may prove difficult for some gamers.
Learning Curve: MEDIUM to HIGH
As The Orange Box is a collection of games, the learning curve varies based on which game is being played. Most players should find Half Life 2’s control scheme and mechanics to be simple and textbook. The only difficulty some players will find is in mastering the unique physics-based puzzles in the game. The controls for Team Fortress 2 are similarly simplistic to allow for greater ease of play. Portal, more so than any other game in the collection, will cause confusion for many players. While the game functions flawlessly, it may take some gamers a while to wrap their minds around the concept of the portal as it applies to movement and game mechanics.
Family Factor:
This collection is not for children of any age. Half Life 2 contains graphic violence and strong language. There are many points throughout the game where the player is forced to fight “zombies”, humans who have been corrupted by a parasitic animal. The firefights that ensue include glimpses of burning corpses, dismembered limbs, and horrific images of maimed human bodies. Half Life 2: Episodes 1 and 2 include a similar amount of gore and adult content. Parents should also be aware that the game’s dialogue includes some subdued sexual references. Team Fortress 2, while cartoonish in appearance, includes intense combat and scenes of animated gore. Portal is only game in The Orange Box to receive a rating of T for Teen from the ESRB. Nevertheless, parents should know that the game includes brief sequences of violence and a very dark, adult-oriented sense of humor.
Review:
Coming out years after the initial launch of Half Life 2, The Orange Box accomplishes exactly what it was designed to do. In bundling the original game with two expansion packs, a multiplayer game and an experimental project, Valve has given gamers what is perhaps the best deal of the current console generation. Each game functions well on its own. When taken as a whole, the collection truly stands out. Although some of the games suffer from some minor missteps, the transfer from PC to console has been smooth.
The original Half Life 2 has been brought to the Xbox 360 in all its glory. Players will be treated to one of the most gripping storylines in gaming as they blast and think their way through this enjoyable epic. The game’s weapons are standard fare with an arsenal of pistols, shotguns and rifles. Even when using these shooter standbys, the action is always sharp and exciting due to the excellent enemy intelligence programming. Enemy soldiers will actively flank your position and use the environment against you. Where the game takes a strangely satisfying turn for the unorthodox is in the introduction of what is perhaps the greatest use of the game’s real-time physics: the gravity gun. Using this device, players can use grab large objects and heave them at their adversaries. Sheet metal can be used as mobile cover while leaking oil barrels can serve as ad-hoc grenades. This simple weapon is what gives Half Life 2 much of its charm. Although the game’s graphics may be considered slightly outdated, the voice acting of the characters is easily some of the best in the industry. The music, which plays only rarely, is appropriate to the sci-fi setting. Where Half Life 2 falls short is in its unreliable vehicle controls that are the result of the game’s transition from the PC to the Xbox 360.The simplistic and frustrating control style will confuse and fluster many players. As well as these segments functioned on the PC, they translated very poorly to the 360 controller. That said, the game is mostly enjoyable with only a few hiccups to be found in the core gameplay.
Half Life 2: Episodes 1 and 2 function as direct extensions of the original game. As such, they share many of the successes and failures of their predecessor. The story fleshes out through well-written dialogue and the action remains fresh. Although each of these expansions flows very well from the original game and into one another, they should be considered separate games due to the fact that the player is forced to begin each with only the gravity gun at their disposal. The sound quality and music are identical to the original game. As fun as these installments can be, I found that the level design paled in comparison to that of Half Life 2. Levels were often as simple as running across open ground a number of times or avoiding a formidable enemy until a more powerful weapon became available. Both of these additions serve to continue the narrative that Half Life 2 began and both accomplish this task. As individual games, they simply lack the depth of their source material. As extensions of Half Life 2, both are solid experiences that expand an already competent game.
Every game in The Orange Box is expertly rendered and enjoyable. Only Portal, however, shines as a true gaming masterpiece. The graphics are decent and the music sets a superb mood. What Portal lacks in length (the entire game clocks in at roughly 2.5 hours) it more than makes up for in innovative gameplay. The game is based around the idea of a portal and how it would function if such a thing actually existed. Using the same physics engine as Half Life 2, the developers of Portal used this deceivingly simple device as the basis for what may be one of the greatest creative leaps in recent gaming history. The only tool at the disposal of the player is the portal gun, a device that allows the player to open the beginning and end of a portal wherever they wish. Once the players master this gadget, the appearance of the game shifts considerably. Need to climb that cliff? Shoot a portal on the wall near the top. Need to reach that platform? Shoot a portal on the ceiling above it and fall to your goal. Need to get over that wall? The solution is as simple as “falling” over it. The concept of portal is guaranteed to stretch the limits of the player’s understanding of physics and space. Not surprisingly, the learning curve for this off-beat puzzler is quite high. The game requires that the player think about their world in new ways and use the realistic physics as a tool to overcome obstacles. The game does not include any fighting in the style of Half Life. Rather, Portal asks the player to use the tools at their disposal to think their way through the puzzles that this M.C. Escher-esque game lays before them. The fun of Portal is only helped by the disturbing and hilarious remarks made by GlaDOS, the game’s antagonist. The signature sense of humor of the developers is alive and well in Portal as the most ominous situation is always made comical by the robotic drawl of this eerily emotionless machine. Many of the lines uttered during the final sequence of the game help make the confrontation with GlaDOS one of the most memorable moments of any game in recent memory. With its outstanding gameplay and delightfully dark sense of humor, Portal is easily the crown jewel of The Orange Box.
The last game in The Orange Box, Team Fortress 2, is a stark contrast to the dark, foreboding worlds of Half Life 2 and Portal. Functioning as The Orange Box’s multiplayer appeal, this cartoony game has taken a number of different approaches to the standard team-based shooting games. Unlike many of its fellow shooters, Team Fortress 2 asks that the player select a “class” at the beginning of every match. Each class fills a different role and allows the team to function as a single unit. The quick Scout is responsible for recovering enemy flags while the Demo Man is adept at placing explosive traps for his foes. The game is designed with teams in mind. Players must work together in order to achieve victory. Valve has done an excellent job of balancing the classes so that no one type can dominate the battlefield. However, I found the class system to be somewhat limiting. Players are essentially stuck with a class until they are killed. Changing classes mid-fight requires that players give up a life. Part of the fun of multiplayer shooting games is being able to adapt to changing situations. If my base is infiltrated, then my Sniper, with his low health and weak sidearm, is next to useless. Throwing down my rifle for a shotgun is out of the question. Furthermore, many of the stages lack inspiration and seem ill-designed for some of the classes. Snipers are sometimes useless due to the lack of hiding places and Medics, while essential to the team effort, are cannon fodder when caught alone. The kooky art style and humorous tone of the game help to rescue it from obscurity, but the design flaws of the levels and the limited roles of the classes drag down Team Fortress 2. Many players will also be disappointed to find that the game can only be played via Xbox LIVE or a local area network. There is no split-screen play. As a stand-alone title, Team Fortress 2 is worth a few fun hours before the novelty ultimately wears off. As a part of The Orange Box, however, it satisfies the need for a fun, albeit shallow, multiplayer experience.
As a developer, Valve has a long-standing reputation of giving gamers a solid, innovative experience. No better is this expressed than by The Orange Box. This collection of games exhibits Valve’s creative prowess and professionalism like no other product on the market. Those who have not experience the greatness of Half Life 2 should certainly make an effort to acquire this compilation. When one factors in all the other games, the value of this package is obvious. The masterpiece of Portal along with the original Half Life 2 is easily worth the price of this excellent anthology. The Orange Box is all about value. Each game in the set easily stands on its own as a sound experience. As a whole, The Orange Box is a solid edition to any gaming library.
Related Games: Half Life (PC), Team Fortress (PC), Time Splitters: Future Perfect (Xbox, PS2, Gamecube),
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
Lumines II (PSP)
Reviewer: Meghan Ventura
Title: Lumines II
Platform: Playstation Portable
Price: $19.99
ESRB Rating: T for Teen (13+)
Developer: Q Entertainment
Publisher: Q Entertainment / Buena Vista Games
Age Range: 12+
Buy?
Maybe. If you already have some version of Lumines, you probably don’t need this one unless you’re a diehard fan who wants some new tunes to play to. However, if you’re new to Lumines and looking for a solid puzzle game, $19.99 is a great value for this little package.
Summary: A puzzle game with falling blocks that requires players to make same-colored squares, rather than lines like in more traditional puzzle games. See the video below for a clearer picture of how Lumines works. (Note: Video footage is NOT from Your Family Games. The original video can be found at GameTrailers)
Learning curve: Initially, very steep. Maybe 30 mintues. Tutorials and logic puzzles really help you find your footing. My first puzzle, I hardly lasted five minutes, but now I can play for at least 40+ minutes before I meet the doom of a full screen of blocks. To a certain degree, Lumines is about practice and the more you practice the more you improve.
Family Factor: Curse words have been omitted from any songs with bad language. Some of the puzzle stages’ backgrounds have the music video of that particular song playing in the background or super-surreal backgrounds for non-lyrical tracks.
Review:
The concept of Lumines is simple: use these falling two-toned blocks to make same-colored squares. Executing this idea is at first difficult, but once you figure out the most strategic ways to fit the falling blocks together, breezing through 30 minutes worth of puzzle will be a snap and the only main challenge remaining will be improving your dexterity in being able to quickly move those blocks. Lumines is indeed strange in that it’s a little more difficult to pick up than your average puzzler, but making the jump from being a good to great player is merely a matter of adeptness with the simplistic controls.
Lumines has caught my attention since its beginnings on the Playstation 2. The first time I saw it, my now-roommate was playing it, intently moving falling blocks in an impressive and unique audio-visual atmosphere created by the game.
To keep puzzles visually interesting, puzzle games typically employ changing the backgrounds and colors or shapes of the blocks (say one level might have diamonds and the next bananas depending on what the level’s theme) as you progress through different levels. Lumines takes this common practice and multiplies it to a new level. Lumines has flashy backgrounds that can include a video or moving pictures, and an accompanying tune to play along with it. The backgrounds are intriguing, distracting and sometimes surreal, ranging from a line of 6 jumping ears to simply a montage of dogs and dog-related pictures. A majority of the accompanying music has a non-vocal, techno, synthesized flair, but there are a pleasing amount of song from pop, rock, rap and alternative genres, like Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl, Beck’s Black Tamborine, the Black-Eyed Peas’s “Pump It” and Missy Elliot’s Lose Control. Although the songs come from a wide spread of genres, the music is appealing, and even the sound effects, that go with laying down a block, making squares and clearing squares are pleasing in that they match the theme established by that particular level.
Clearing squares is one of the most rewarding things in the game. Once you assemble the falling blocks into a square, a vertical line called the timeline scans the puzzle from left-to-right and will clear the squares, making more room in your puzzle. The timeline accelerates and decelerates with the tempo of each song, giving each level it’s own rhythm. Leftover blocks that don’t make same-colored squares will get left behind. If not assimilated into a square, these blocks will be left behind by the timeline and build up if you’re not careful. If your puzzle continues to build up, blocks will eventually fill the screen resulting in the disappointing “Game Over.” But, when the timeline rolls over the squares, they disappear in a visually mesmerizing shower of sparks, cleansing your board and giving you a radiantly satisfied feeling. Couple this dynamic with the soothing audio and visual effects, and you’ve got an all-around enjoyable experience (once you learn how to play well, that is).
However, this is essentially what all Lumines games offer. If you have a Lumines game, you probably already have everything the game offers, unless you are a hardcore fan absolutely dieing for some new songs. The gameplay is the same and aside from the regular “survive as long as you can” play that is the core of Lumines, two forms of logic-based mini-puzzles are included (just like in Lumines I). Lumines II simply isn’t expansive or strong enough as a sequel to justify buying if you already own a Lumines game.
Also, the PSP will sometimes lag between the simultaneous level, song, and background change. The game will also slow down if you rack up an insanely huge combo including multiple squares. This slight hiccup in play isn’t a huge deal, but throws your rhythm a bit when full speed kicks back in.
The appeal of Lumines? It’s quirky, flashy, mesmerizing and oddly comforting once you get good at it. If you haven’t played Lumines before, Lumines II is a great place to jump in, especially because of that extremely attractive $20 price point for a very entertaining puzzle game. But if you’re a veteran Lumines player, Lumines II isn’t truly worth the upgrade.
Related games: Lumines (PS2), Tetris
Title: Lumines II
Platform: Playstation Portable
Price: $19.99
ESRB Rating: T for Teen (13+)
Developer: Q Entertainment
Publisher: Q Entertainment / Buena Vista Games
Age Range: 12+
Buy?
Maybe. If you already have some version of Lumines, you probably don’t need this one unless you’re a diehard fan who wants some new tunes to play to. However, if you’re new to Lumines and looking for a solid puzzle game, $19.99 is a great value for this little package.
Summary: A puzzle game with falling blocks that requires players to make same-colored squares, rather than lines like in more traditional puzzle games. See the video below for a clearer picture of how Lumines works. (Note: Video footage is NOT from Your Family Games. The original video can be found at GameTrailers)
Learning curve: Initially, very steep. Maybe 30 mintues. Tutorials and logic puzzles really help you find your footing. My first puzzle, I hardly lasted five minutes, but now I can play for at least 40+ minutes before I meet the doom of a full screen of blocks. To a certain degree, Lumines is about practice and the more you practice the more you improve.
Family Factor: Curse words have been omitted from any songs with bad language. Some of the puzzle stages’ backgrounds have the music video of that particular song playing in the background or super-surreal backgrounds for non-lyrical tracks.
Review:
The concept of Lumines is simple: use these falling two-toned blocks to make same-colored squares. Executing this idea is at first difficult, but once you figure out the most strategic ways to fit the falling blocks together, breezing through 30 minutes worth of puzzle will be a snap and the only main challenge remaining will be improving your dexterity in being able to quickly move those blocks. Lumines is indeed strange in that it’s a little more difficult to pick up than your average puzzler, but making the jump from being a good to great player is merely a matter of adeptness with the simplistic controls.
Lumines has caught my attention since its beginnings on the Playstation 2. The first time I saw it, my now-roommate was playing it, intently moving falling blocks in an impressive and unique audio-visual atmosphere created by the game.
To keep puzzles visually interesting, puzzle games typically employ changing the backgrounds and colors or shapes of the blocks (say one level might have diamonds and the next bananas depending on what the level’s theme) as you progress through different levels. Lumines takes this common practice and multiplies it to a new level. Lumines has flashy backgrounds that can include a video or moving pictures, and an accompanying tune to play along with it. The backgrounds are intriguing, distracting and sometimes surreal, ranging from a line of 6 jumping ears to simply a montage of dogs and dog-related pictures. A majority of the accompanying music has a non-vocal, techno, synthesized flair, but there are a pleasing amount of song from pop, rock, rap and alternative genres, like Gwen Stefani’s Hollaback Girl, Beck’s Black Tamborine, the Black-Eyed Peas’s “Pump It” and Missy Elliot’s Lose Control. Although the songs come from a wide spread of genres, the music is appealing, and even the sound effects, that go with laying down a block, making squares and clearing squares are pleasing in that they match the theme established by that particular level.
Clearing squares is one of the most rewarding things in the game. Once you assemble the falling blocks into a square, a vertical line called the timeline scans the puzzle from left-to-right and will clear the squares, making more room in your puzzle. The timeline accelerates and decelerates with the tempo of each song, giving each level it’s own rhythm. Leftover blocks that don’t make same-colored squares will get left behind. If not assimilated into a square, these blocks will be left behind by the timeline and build up if you’re not careful. If your puzzle continues to build up, blocks will eventually fill the screen resulting in the disappointing “Game Over.” But, when the timeline rolls over the squares, they disappear in a visually mesmerizing shower of sparks, cleansing your board and giving you a radiantly satisfied feeling. Couple this dynamic with the soothing audio and visual effects, and you’ve got an all-around enjoyable experience (once you learn how to play well, that is).
However, this is essentially what all Lumines games offer. If you have a Lumines game, you probably already have everything the game offers, unless you are a hardcore fan absolutely dieing for some new songs. The gameplay is the same and aside from the regular “survive as long as you can” play that is the core of Lumines, two forms of logic-based mini-puzzles are included (just like in Lumines I). Lumines II simply isn’t expansive or strong enough as a sequel to justify buying if you already own a Lumines game.
Also, the PSP will sometimes lag between the simultaneous level, song, and background change. The game will also slow down if you rack up an insanely huge combo including multiple squares. This slight hiccup in play isn’t a huge deal, but throws your rhythm a bit when full speed kicks back in.
The appeal of Lumines? It’s quirky, flashy, mesmerizing and oddly comforting once you get good at it. If you haven’t played Lumines before, Lumines II is a great place to jump in, especially because of that extremely attractive $20 price point for a very entertaining puzzle game. But if you’re a veteran Lumines player, Lumines II isn’t truly worth the upgrade.
Related games: Lumines (PS2), Tetris
Monday, March 17, 2008
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360)
Reviewer: Will Kirschner
Title: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Windows, Mac OS X
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M(17+)
Developer: Infinity Ward, Aspyr (Mac conversion)
Publisher: Activision
Age Range: 17+
Buy?
YES! This game had me from the second I turned on the console and I still can't stop thinking about it. It regarded in the same echelon as Halo 3 and rightfully so. A must buy for anyone who enjoys first-person shooters.
Summary:
The game has a dual plot storyline where you assume the roles of Sergeant “Soap” MacTavish of the 22nd SAS regiment and Sergeant Paul Jackson of the 1st USMC. The game begins with the violent overthrow and execution of President Al-Fulani by one of the, “The Horsemen of the Apocolypse,” Imran Zakehev. The horsemen are made up of Zakehev, his son Victor and the new dictator of the country Khalad Al-Asad. They pose a threat to the US and her allies with their anti-American ideals and of course nuclear weapons. Mayhem ensues.
Total Hours of Play:
5-8 hours to beat the storyline. Limitless on-line play.
Difficulty: Medium
Nothing about this game will trouble the experienced gamer with a bit of patience. However, if this is the first time you have gotten your hands on a FPS with the depth of Call of Duty 4 (COD4), this might give you some trouble. The game is the perfect amount of challenging to make fun.
Learning Curve: Medium
Not much has changed since the last installment in the Call of Duty series. Some levels have tricky bits which can tend to snag up even the most experienced player. The “iron sights” firing mode remains the same and feels almost too fluid for a video game. This has you looking down the barrel of the gun through a variety of different sites to fire.
Family Factor:
So not for kids! This game is realistically graphic when it comes to the level of violence it depicts. For example, there was a sequence where I sniped a man in the eye through my scope and he crumpled in a frighteningly human way. The game depicts a scene of what the developers think being in the blast radius of a nuke would look like. It was the most intense scene I have ever witnessed in my time as a gamer. This is definitely not a game for the younger teens in our audience.
Review:
I won't lie, this game inspired me with awe, made me laugh and I shed a few tears when it was all said and done. They finally made the decision to push the Call of Duty series out of the tired and nearly overdone WWII shooter genre and into modern war, and it could not have been a better decision.
The use of real weapons in the game and the stunning realistic graphics are absolutely breath-taking. The “iron-sight” shooting mode and the shooting mechanics in the game are down-right amazing. Iron sights differ from the conventional first person shooter, because instead of the normal aiming reticle, one pull back on the left trigger on the controller brings up a much more precise aiming mode. It is basically like if a gun was a sniper rifle at a normal range. It adds a immense level of realism to the game and is a great carry-over from the other Call of Duty games. The only drawback being that it requires you to be stationary and as we all know, a soldier only stays in one place when he is dying or killing. The gameplay feels fluid and incredibly natural. The storyline is as good as you could expect from a video game.
A minor drawback is that the storyline is too short (only 5-8 hours for a $60 game) and the characters seem a bit too type-casted. The health system, which allows you to regenerate the small amount of health you start with unlimitedly makes the game a little too easy at some points, but it helps on some of the tougher levels. The epilogue to the game is a major question mark but these are just minor issues with the game.
The online mode of the game is ridiculously amazing, challenging and fun. With everything from the classic death match to a one on classic cage match the variety in modes will keep you coming back for more. The game allows you to create customized classes, changing everything about your gun, whether it be attaching a a silencer or changing the gun's camouflage. You get Xbox achievement points for winning certain challenges which makes it all the more fun to play. The online game is a perfect ending to a perfect game.
Related Games:
The rest of the Call of Duty series, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series and the Socom series.
Title: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Windows, Mac OS X
Price: $59.99
ESRB Rating: M(17+)
Developer: Infinity Ward, Aspyr (Mac conversion)
Publisher: Activision
Age Range: 17+
Buy?
YES! This game had me from the second I turned on the console and I still can't stop thinking about it. It regarded in the same echelon as Halo 3 and rightfully so. A must buy for anyone who enjoys first-person shooters.
Summary:
The game has a dual plot storyline where you assume the roles of Sergeant “Soap” MacTavish of the 22nd SAS regiment and Sergeant Paul Jackson of the 1st USMC. The game begins with the violent overthrow and execution of President Al-Fulani by one of the, “The Horsemen of the Apocolypse,” Imran Zakehev. The horsemen are made up of Zakehev, his son Victor and the new dictator of the country Khalad Al-Asad. They pose a threat to the US and her allies with their anti-American ideals and of course nuclear weapons. Mayhem ensues.
Total Hours of Play:
5-8 hours to beat the storyline. Limitless on-line play.
Difficulty: Medium
Nothing about this game will trouble the experienced gamer with a bit of patience. However, if this is the first time you have gotten your hands on a FPS with the depth of Call of Duty 4 (COD4), this might give you some trouble. The game is the perfect amount of challenging to make fun.
Learning Curve: Medium
Not much has changed since the last installment in the Call of Duty series. Some levels have tricky bits which can tend to snag up even the most experienced player. The “iron sights” firing mode remains the same and feels almost too fluid for a video game. This has you looking down the barrel of the gun through a variety of different sites to fire.
Family Factor:
So not for kids! This game is realistically graphic when it comes to the level of violence it depicts. For example, there was a sequence where I sniped a man in the eye through my scope and he crumpled in a frighteningly human way. The game depicts a scene of what the developers think being in the blast radius of a nuke would look like. It was the most intense scene I have ever witnessed in my time as a gamer. This is definitely not a game for the younger teens in our audience.
Review:
I won't lie, this game inspired me with awe, made me laugh and I shed a few tears when it was all said and done. They finally made the decision to push the Call of Duty series out of the tired and nearly overdone WWII shooter genre and into modern war, and it could not have been a better decision.
The use of real weapons in the game and the stunning realistic graphics are absolutely breath-taking. The “iron-sight” shooting mode and the shooting mechanics in the game are down-right amazing. Iron sights differ from the conventional first person shooter, because instead of the normal aiming reticle, one pull back on the left trigger on the controller brings up a much more precise aiming mode. It is basically like if a gun was a sniper rifle at a normal range. It adds a immense level of realism to the game and is a great carry-over from the other Call of Duty games. The only drawback being that it requires you to be stationary and as we all know, a soldier only stays in one place when he is dying or killing. The gameplay feels fluid and incredibly natural. The storyline is as good as you could expect from a video game.
A minor drawback is that the storyline is too short (only 5-8 hours for a $60 game) and the characters seem a bit too type-casted. The health system, which allows you to regenerate the small amount of health you start with unlimitedly makes the game a little too easy at some points, but it helps on some of the tougher levels. The epilogue to the game is a major question mark but these are just minor issues with the game.
The online mode of the game is ridiculously amazing, challenging and fun. With everything from the classic death match to a one on classic cage match the variety in modes will keep you coming back for more. The game allows you to create customized classes, changing everything about your gun, whether it be attaching a a silencer or changing the gun's camouflage. You get Xbox achievement points for winning certain challenges which makes it all the more fun to play. The online game is a perfect ending to a perfect game.
Related Games:
The rest of the Call of Duty series, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six series and the Socom series.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
