Guitar Hero III (Xbox 360)

Reviewer: Erich Hiner

Title: Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation 2, Wii, PC, Mac

Price: $89.99 (with guitar controller) or $49.99 (game alone)

ESRB Rating: T for Teen (13+)

Developer: Red Octane/ Neversoft

Publisher: Activision

Age Range: 12+

Buy?
YES. While it suffers from some minor technical problems, the game succeeds in delivering a fun and rewarding musical experience that most gamers will enjoy

Summary:

Having taken up the axe once again, it’s up to you to bring the gift of rock n’ roll to the masses. Several modes of play are present including career mode, quickplay, cooperative, battle and versus. By playing “live shows” the player earns digital cash that can be exchanged for new songs, guitars, characters and outfits. In career mode, the player is responsible for bringing his or her upstart rock band fame, fortune, and, eventually, rock n’ roll salvation.

Difficulty: HIGH

While easy mode still offers simple tunes, hard and expert modes will strain even the most dedicated rocker. It should also be said that this particular iteration of the franchise is much more difficult than its predecessors. Those familiar with Guitar Hero I and II should prepare themselves for a more challenging game.

Learning Curve: HIGH

New players normally experience a sharp learning curve with the Guitar Hero series and Guitar Hero III is no exception. The unique controller takes getting used and it will take several attempts to complete a difficult song for most starting players. Getting a grasp of the notation system is a slow process that eventually becomes second nature. While there’s a lot of fun to be had later on, the first few hours of play will likely be spent acquainting oneself with the unorthodox controller and gameplay.

Family Factor: Guitar Hero III is rated T for Teen for mild language and some suggestive themes. Some of the female characters in the game are scantily clad and hyper-sexualized. While most of the songs are tame, several of the tracks are very heavy and may be deemed inappropriate by some parents. The songs contain no explicit lyrics. Slayer’s “Raining Blood” is just as brutal on the ears as its title suggests. Other songs, such as Iron Maiden’s “Number of the Beast” and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Suck my Kiss” may also be deemed inappropriate due to their somewhat adult-oriented lyrics. Parents should also be warned that a segment of the game involves the player “guitar battling” the devil for one’s soul. The game’s ESRB rating is appropriate for its target audience. Parents are advised to listen to some of the songs in question before buying Guitar Hero III. View a complete songlist here.

Review:

Like the Rolling Stones or the Beatles, Guitar Hero is a rock legend that just refuses to die. Fortunately for the gaming public, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Building on the mistakes and successes of the series’ first two installments, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock explores some new territory while perfecting the rock experience as defined by the first two games. The result is an improved and even more addicting game that allows for greater ease of use and vastly improves replay value.

The graphics, while having been improved since Guitar Hero II, are still very poor. Characters on stage move robotically with only a handful of animations. The crowds are embarrassingly animated and are poorly rendered. In all fairness, it should be said that the graphics are not the main focus of this game. Most players will be too entranced by the constant flurry of notes to notice what their Jimi Hendrix lookalike is doing on stage.

The sound and music of Guitar Hero have both improved by leaps and bounds. With dozens of tracks to choose from, there’s at least one song that everyone will enjoy. The game includes 73 tracks including the bonus songs, up from 64 tracks in Guitar Hero II. The more musically inclined will notice that, unlike Guitar Hero II, every song in the game is actually a recording of the artist and not just a cover band. The quality of the recordings is also better and makes playing familiar songs all the more enjoyable.

Where Guitar Hero III’s main appeal lies is its rich and engrossing gameplay. After the initial learning curve, players will find that the controls are easy to pick up and equally difficult to master. Players will find that they will teach themselves new playing techniques unconsciously through trial and error. Continued play reveals new techniques and new layers of depth to this deceivingly simple game. The hammer-on/ pull-off mechanic, which allows the player to play a note simply by holding a fret button instead of pushing the button and strumming, has been has been drastically improved. This makes speedy solos and licks more accessible and enjoyable. During my time with Guitar Hero III, I found that, like an actual instrument, persistence led to better understanding and more efficient playing styles. Every time one picks up the controller, one increases their skill. Simply put, the game just gets more fun each time. The sense of accomplishment one gets after conquering a tough song is one of GH3’s greatest assets. While it can be challenging at times, Guitar Hero III is fair and outrageously fun.

In addition to satisfying single-player play, GH3 also offers some of the best multiplayer features in the industry. Every track in the game includes a separate part for the bass or rhythm guitar that can be played by another player using a second controller. The entire career mode can be played through cooperatively, making GH3 a great game to play with friends. The game also allows each player to select his or her individual difficulty level, allowing players of differing skill levels to jam in tandem or go head to head. Although few things are more fun than rocking with a friend, parents should be warned that purchasing multiple guitar controllers will be an expensive process. Thrifty gamers will be glad to know that guitar controllers used for Guitar Hero I or II can be used for Guitar Hero III provided that the older controllers are designed for the system on which the third game is being played.

As novel as GH3 can be, several issues keep it from reaching true superstar status. Most noticeably, songs that are played on the lower difficulty settings are often confusing to play. In order to make difficult solos more beginner friendly, the game requires to player to play only every other note. In songs that require one to keep rhythm, this can cause confusion. I found that some songs were actually easier to play on expert than on hard due to the fact that the higher difficulty required that every note be played. Similarly, some of the higher difficulty settings seem to butcher familiar songs just for the sake of making them harder. In the case of The Who’s The Seeker, the notes being played in the recording are in a different time signature than those being played by the player. For a game that is based entirely on music, Guitar Hero III should not have musical issues.

GH3’s career mode, while solid, also suffers from a few blunders. The guitar battle system, where players can pit their skills against computerized in-game characters or a friend, has been touted by GH3’s creators as the most innovative new mode of play. The goal of every guitar battle is to obtain battle stars that cause the other player’s display or control scheme to become somehow distorted. As well intended as the battle system is, it feels broken and tacked on. This mechanic may work well in theory but comes off as shallow and poorly executed. When I play musical game, the last thing I want to do is use powerups to magically make another guitarist’s strings break mid-concert.

Despite the poor graphics and minor technical issues, GH3 is a solid game that many gamers will enjoy. Single player shredding is fun to play and watch while GH3’s cooperative play is some of the best around. Even with some slight blemishes, few games can rival the excitement and pure fun that Guitar Hero III elicits. The track list is fantastic, the music is great and the experience is unlike anything else. Guitar Hero III is a game that everyone should play. In spite of its brief mishaps, it is a game that warrants a look from everyone in the gaming world.

Related Games:

Guitar Hero (PS2), Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s (PS2), Guitar Hero II (Xbox 360), Rock Band (Xbox 360)

Total Hours of Play: This will vary for every player. Career mode can be completed in about 3-4 hours on a low difficulty. Nailing the trickier solos on the higher difficulties can literally take days of practice depending on the talent of the player in question. The most difficult songs are so grueling that most players will never technically finish the entire game.

Mass Effect (Xbox 360)

Reviewer: Will Kirschner
Title: Mass Effect
System: Xbox360
Price: $59.99
Rating: M for Mature (17+)
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: Microsoft

Summary: You serve as Commander Shepard on the USS Normandy, a prototype space-ship, as which will serve as the central jumping-off point for your mission. The world you live in is full of aliens who look down on humans as a lesser race. Your main goal is to bring Saren, a rogue Spectre (government special from completing his plans to retrieve powerful ancient technology from an extinct race of people called Protheans. You traverse the galaxy completing side-quests and filling in the side stories.

Overall Score: 8.8
Graphics: 10
Story/Concept: 10
Music: 6
Gameplay: 10
Replay value: 8

Difficulty: A solid medium. There are some parts in the game where you will want to throw the controller in disgust, but otherwise a game that will present a medium level of difficulty.

Learning Curve: Two hours tops to master everything but the vehicle controls.

Total hours of play: 20-30 hours depending on the level of side-quest completion you strive for.

Family Factor: This game earns its mature rating with a few exceptionally graphic scenes rather than a game full of adult situations. There are three possible sex scenes in the game , however the most notable would be the lesbian woman and female looking alien sex scene. It isn't any more graphic than a scene out of a pg-13 movie,but it still isn't appropriate for the kids. The two other scenes,though more acceptable in nature, are only a bit more graphic. The scenes were graphic enough to draw the ire of Fox News but nowhere near as graphic as the average episode of Lost. As far as violence there are a few scenes that are rather intense. More than a few times your allies are impaled and turned into enemies in a rather grotesque way. Other than that the violence is minimal, only drawing a T-rating. Overall this game earns its M-rating so don't buy it for your kids.

Review:
This Sci-Fi RPG is the latest to come out of RPG giant Bioware, whose is seen as a strong developer pushing out titles like the award winning Bioshock, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
You start the game by creating your character s role, his or her past, and a highly detailed facial construction. Much like KOTR, this game s strength lies in the intense level of customization that it provides. As you level up, you gain more powers and the different classes are proficient in different things, giving the game a fair level of strategy. The classes include a standard warrior class,a biotic class and a vanguard class which is like the in-between class. The weapons include snipers, shotguns and assault rifles. There are many different types of armor which vary between class and carry the classification of light,medium and heavy.
You will learn to hate the games attempt at vehicle combat, which is a fair part of the exploration of the game. The movement is jumpy and the combat is really not satisfying. You will have the urge to jump out and fight it on foot most of the time, no matter how bad the atmosphere condition gets. While not quite shooting game, not quite RPG feel, it's innovative and interesting.
The game has a very simple shooting reticule that is quite simple but it requires a whole lot of strategy with different powers. The intense story and stunning visuals are why this game was so well received and received so many awards. The voice acting is superb and is played by a well casted group of experienced video-game voice actors plus the amazing talents of Seth Green as Commander Shepard (male). This is a game that you can play many times before seeing out all the storyline possibilities. You won't be sad if you pick this exemplary piece of work.

Related games: If you like RPGs (role-playing games) or space this is totally for you. Incredibly reminiscent of the Knights of the Old Republic series and the Final Fantasy series.

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360)

Reviewed by: Erich Hiner
Title: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Platform: Xbox 360
Price: $49.99
ESRB: M for Mature
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks and 2K Games

Summary:

One’s adventure in the land of Cyrodil begins in classic style. Your self-created avatar is inexplicably found in a cell in the Imperial Prison with little light, little hope, and little chance of escape. After a few dank moments inside your cell, the guards approach with the Emperor Uriel Septim in tow. It is soon explained that assassins have made an attempt on the emperor’s life. Seeing his fate before him, the emperor gives your character the fabled Amulet of Kings, the divine birthright of the royal bloodline. Moments later he is slain. With the line of royal blood severed and no heir in sight, it is up to you to deliver the amulet to friends of the crown, find the long-forgotten heir to the throne, unmask the identity of the assassins, and save all of Cyrodil from the onslaught of demon hoards that are pouring from the fiery realm of Oblivion.

Overall: 9.2
Graphics: 9
Story: 9
Music: 10
Gameplay: 8
Replay Value: 10

Difficulty: MEDIUM

The game manages to keep a level of difficulty that is challenging without being overwhelming. Every encounter is scaled to your character’s level, making large portions of the game accessible from the minute your character is created. Every conflict feels fair and well-balanced.

Learning Curve: HIGH

Getting one’s bearings in Cyrodil can take several hours. Players of the series’ third installment will feel right at home while new players may feel overwhelmed by the game’s depth. Nothing is difficult per se, but the sheer volume of the game may prove to be too much to absorb in one sitting.

Total Hours of Play:

For an experienced player, the main quest should take roughly 15-25 hours. Completing the entire game (finishing every quest and maximizing every skill) will take the average gamer more than 200 hours of play.

Family Factor:

With violence, blood, sexual implications, alcohol and drug references, and some language, Oblivion is not a family game. While it pales in comparison to some of its contemporaries in the gore department, the violence is brutal and feels realistic to the player. Every sword swing lands with a sickening “thud” and every spell emanates destructive power. It should also be known that some segments of the game that take place in Oblivion (a fiery demon realm) contain grotesque corpses and frightening monsters. While there is no nudity or explicit content, several situations hint at sexual encounters. In one such case, the player is required to infiltrate an all-female gang by posing as a potential “customer”. In addition, several situations hint at drug use. When a player visits a city bar, several NPC’s (non-player characters) can be seen downing beverages. The content of Oblivion is typical of any adult-oriented game. Parents who allow their children to view adult-oriented movies should have no problem with Oblivion. Those with younger children are advised to stay clear.

Review:

Reviewing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is much like one’s first few hours in the world of Cyrodil. It is difficult to know where to begin. Bethesda has gone above and beyond all expectations and has created a game that is truly a must-buy title for all fans of fantasy.

The world that is shown to the player is immense and involved. Factions vie for control in a land that lacks a leader. New cities are built and fights break out between angry townspeople. Bethesda has expertly detailed a fantasy world in which in the player is the main focus. Every character speaks out loud with a clear voice and maintains their own unique dispositions towards all of the other characters and factions in the game. Nothing is small scale. Diverse flora and fauna abound. Day and night cycle frequently and seasons pass.

Oblivion’s graphics are excellent. Shadows move fluidly over different surfaces and a palette of constantly changing colors makes up the diverse landscape life of Cyrodil. The lighting effects are outstanding. Every candle produces realistic light that bounces off every nearby object. However, Oblivion does lose an element of detail due its immense size. There are times when the landscape appears as a tapestry a blocky colors rather than the richly detailed land one might expect. Given the game’s size, such minor flaws are to be expected.

The game’s sound and score are truly something to appreciate. The orchestral score is epic, grandiose and highly emotional. The main score of the game is expertly composed as feels more characteristic of a high-budget Hollywood epic than a video game. Where Oblivion really shines is in its vast reservoir of recorded dialogue. Every phrase that is spoken by every character in the game is an actual voiceover, giving the stories a very organic, human feel.

Despite the epic nature of the world and the main quest, Oblivion is first and foremost an open world. There is little pressure to continue with the world-saving main narrative. Instead, this game’s focus lies squarely in doing whatever one desires. Want to be an assassin? Feel free. Tired of being a sorcerer? Find a trainer and build your alchemy skill. Bethesda has succeeded in granted almost unlimited freedom to Oblivion’s players and the courtesy has not gone unnoticed. Join a guild, instigate a goblin war, become a vampire, raid a tomb, or explore the extensive countryside. Nothing is out of one’s reach. Because each fight is automatically scaled to the player’s skill level, almost no quest is off limits. Players can begin building their characters immediately without the constant worry of being attacked by some unmanageable foe. Essentially, the game functions as an enormous fantasy sandbox in which anything is possible.

Unlike Oblivion’s predecessors, players will find that combat is actually fun and engaging due mostly to the game’s ingenious controls. Even a task as mundane as swinging a sword becomes a deep battle of wits and reflexes. The combat system has been entirely revamped with great positive effect. The control of each fight rests firmly in the hands of the player. Spells have been made easy to access and healing potions are just a button press away. The sneaking system has been drastically improved, enabling the player to become a sly thief with little training. If fighting isn’t a player’s strength, than the in-depth conversation system will surely make one’s day. Oblivion is a treasure trove of small games rolled into one. Each character ability unlocks new approaches to seemingly simple tasks, creating an unprecedented amount of replay value.

The only complaints that can be lodged against the gameplay are minor. I felt at times that the enemies lacked variety. Hours seemed to pass where my character encountered nothing but wolves and goblins. When I found myself underground, skeletons were the order of the day. In addition, each enemy type behaves in much the same way. There is almost no difference from one bandit encounter to the next. I was also somewhat dismayed with the lack of consequence that the game offers. Sides need not be chosen in Cyrodil. One can simultaneously be the benevolent savior of the realm and the maniacal head of the murderous Dark Brotherhood. I find it disappointing to be drawn so far into the world that Oblivion creates only to realize that yes, I am in fact playing a game. As I said, these grievances are mostly minor. The combat in Oblivion is fun, intuitive, and well-crafted. The story and its subplots are all expertly penned and well-voiced.

Overall, Oblivion is a momentous romp through a high-fantasy realm like few gamers have experienced. Whether your character happens to be a sword-wielding orc or a spell-slinging elf, Oblivion will deliver a high-caliber role-playing experience that fails to disappoint at every turn. From the overhauled combat controls to the vastly improved character-creation system, Oblivion is nothing short of a masterpiece that triumphs both aesthetically and mechanically. This game is must-buy.

Related Games:

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Xbox)
Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (Xbox)
World of Warcraft (PC)
Vampire: the Masquerade- Bloodlines (PC)