Seraphina
04-02-2013, 03:14 AM
I have realised recently that I am something of an impulsive buyer...I tend to buy games the second they're out, whether I even particularly want the game or not, and only discover after sinking £50 that I've just bought a turd on a disk. This can be frustrating....but, on the other hand, it also means I tend to be quite quick off the mark with games, and I play so much of them that I tend to think of myself as being in a decent position to critique them.
So, with that in mind, I thought I'd start this thread. Rather than in-depth discussion on a particular game, I thought it might be useful just to have a spot to put up a straight, one-shot review of new (and newish) games. Perhaps, like me, you've just gotten your hands on a new release and want to share your thoughts (or warnings)? Or perhaps you've simply had time to get to grips with a new game and feel its time to render judgement.
This thread is designed for users to share their thoughts on current games, so I ask that anyone who wishes to post a review of their own try and do so for games that are no more than one month old. Before I begin, I will give a brief run down of the rating system I intend to use.
Scores from 1-10
1 - Turd on a disk. Not only should this game be avoided, it should be buried in the same landfill (e.g. E.T. on the Atari)
2 - Avoidable (e.g. Battle Arena Toshinden)
3 - The game is not enjoyable, is buggy, or has some other glaring flaws that make it unappealing (e.g. Duke Nukem Forever)
4 - Limited appeal. The game may appeal to select players, or fans of the franchise it belongs to. Best bet would be to try before buying (Lollypop Chainsaw)
5 - Average game. Nothing to write home about. Worth buying only if you want it (e.g. Heavenly Sword)
6 - Decent effort. The game has some interesting features and/or story that makes it worth a look (e.g. Space Marine)
7 - Good game. Definitely worth a purchase and likely to appeal to most gamers (Dead Space)
8 - Excellent game. With a great deal of entertainment value that make it a must have title (Batman: Arkham Asylum)
9 - Fantastic game. You wasted your time reading my review when you should have been out buying it. Generally speaking, this is as good a result as a game can get; such games will have good pacing, good visuals, and excellent game play, but fail to bring anything truly unparalleled to that would give them a 10 (Uncharted 2: Honour Among Thieves)
10 - Genre defining. Games of this sort are 'must own', providing not only excellent entertaining value, but succeeding in providing that certain 'it'; either in being totally innovative and unique, having near limitless replay value, or simply being well crafted masterpieces. I would only consider two games worthy of a 10 (i.e. Skyrim, Valkyria Chronicles)
So, with that said, let's get the ball rolling with my first review....
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa435/Seraphina_Aizen/pit_zps2a2ac25f.jpg
Tomb Raider (2013)
Having been out for a little under a month now, I think most people who were interested in playing the game have probably done so by now. I thought it best to start with a game that I would have a lot to say about, even if a lot of what I say probably will be old hat by now. However, there seem to be a surprising number of people who have not yet taken the plunge; this review is for you. Have you been pondering whether or not to spend your hard earned money on Lara's reboot? Do you think the puzzle platform genre is dead? Are you reluctant to embark on another Tomb Raider game with a plot thrown together at the last minute so the makers would have an excuse to throw boobs at us?
Well, allow me to offer my (hardly) humble guidance on Crystal Dynamics': Tomb Raider!
I must admit...I never really cared for the Tomb Raider franchise. I can't deny that, as one of the first play station games I ever played, Tomb Raider has always given me something of a nostalgic twinge, but I've never really rated them too highly as games. While I can't deny there was something incredibly satisfying about Lara's acrobatic skill, and seeing her climb and leap her way through an obstacle course of conveniently placed ledges and handholds could certainly be entertaining in itself. But I never really found myself too taken in by the character or the stories she was involved in. I never got the sense that I was a character on some grand an epic adventure, and felt more like I was playing a supermodel hurled into a series of nonsensical puzzles, driving forward by a plot that was so poorly scraped together that even Stephanie Mayer would shake her head in disapproval.
The Action-Adventure genre has moved on, helmed by Uncharted which has taken the gaming world by storm with its complex characters, high quality voice acting, exciting story and perfect blend of action and puzzle. Up against the gripping adventures of Nathan Drake, Lara is looking very much like a relic of a bygone era when it was enough for a came to show some fan service to be considered market leading. I did not expect to ever see another Tomb Raider title.
I was therefore surprised - extremely so - when this is exactly what I found myself hearing about. I was even more surprised that, upon viewing the trailers, it looked good!
I was pleased to discover that what I had initially mistaken for an origin story for the existing series of games was, in fact, a total reboot. Starting from scratch, it appeared that Lara's story was going to be told from the beginning and a new saga was going to unfold. The trailers gave the impression of an old world type game, with Lara scavenging for food and weaponry to survive, forced to develop the skills that would eventually transform her into her more recognisable self, or die in the attempt. All accompanied by the prophetic tagline: "A survivor is born".
I can't deny I was intrigued...it certainly looked like a very different game from the Tomb Raider I remembered. But the question was always going to be: Is it any good?
So, what's it like?
Almost from the offset, the far more adult and gritty themes of the new Tomb Raider universe is made blatantly clear. Within minutes of the game starting, this young Lara Croft finds herself in far more grizzly predicaments than her ridiculously proportions predecessor. Unarmed and alone, the game moves at a gentle pace as it introduces the first few puzzles, and allows players to get to grips with the first (and at the time, only) tool in Lara's possession. The game wastes no time in getting started, and immediately lets players know: This is a very different adventure from before.
As the game progresses, there is a gentle learning curve as Lara macgyvers new tools along her way. These tools are introduced gradually, allowing players to become used to each one as it comes rather than immediately being overwhelmed by a wealth of commands and items. This serves to allow players to become proficient with Lara's abilities as they go along. Learning, in effect, as Lara does. There are a great many puzzles along the way, though I can't recall coming across any that I had to spend much time thinking about. Rather than slow down the gameplay, the puzzled are integrated well with the general pacing. Generally speaking, the puzzles are easy....perhaps a little too easy.
The game has a much greater focus on combat than previous Tomb Raider titles. Lara, rather than using her signature handguns, does most of her fighting with a bow. Although other weapons do become available throughout the game, the bow is still her primary weapon and the one you will probably use the most often; it is also indispensable for solving many of the puzzles throughout the game (it is, incidentally, nice to see a game in which Lara actually knows how to holds a gun the correct way).
Rather than her usual acrobatics, where Lara is somehow able to evade bullet fire through a series of extravagant backflips (that, for some reason, do not throw off her own perfect aim), the new Tomb Raider takes a more realistic approach with cover playing an important part in fire fights. Lara, despite quickly turning into an absolute killing machine, is relatively frail in the open and can be cut down by arrows, gunfire and grenades. Combat, in fact, borrows a great deal from Uncharted in terms of how it handles gun battles.
The entire game, in fact, borrows from Uncharted. Outside of combat, Lara will often find herself in desperate dashes to escape collapsing or burning buildings, or to outrun falling debris, or any number of other nail biting rushes that are reminiscent of Nathan Drake's own brushes with architecture orientated death. These fast paced sections of the game are a definite adrenaline rush...and the game stays to form with its grittiness by treating players to some truly gruesome death scenes if Lara fails.
Ever see a young, attractive girl impale herself through the stomach on a tree branch? Well I have! Thanks, Crystal Dynamics, for all the sleep I lost!
Having said that, the violence on the game is never too disturbing. It does get somewhat graphic at times, but never to the extent of a horror game. Despite some hype to the contrary, the game also contains no sexual violence whatsoever. While the game can be frightening at some points, and Lara does stumble across some rather grizzly scenes, it isn't Hostel.
How does it look?
The game is visually stunning. I purchased both the PS3 version and the PC version for the purposes of this review, and I found that the PC version was slightly superior, but there wasn't a great deal in it. In both versions (and one would assume the 360 version also), Lara's world is beautifully detailed, with lavish attention to detail in every leg of her adventure. The environments have been lovingly crafted, and it is obvious that a great deal of effort has been made to make Lara's world as real and as detailed as possible.
Lara herself is gorgeous. Departing from the ridiculous proportions and fat lips of her previous incarnation, the new Lara is beautiful, but somewhat more down to earth. One particular feature I liked was that her appearance changes over the course of the game; she picks up wounds, her clothes get muddy and ripped, she will occasionally add dressing to some of her injuries, and she will end her adventure looking like someone who actually did just spend the last couple of days in a desperately trying to survive in a deadly island (and geez does this girl get beaten up a lot...).
The level and character designers put a great deal of work into this game, and it shows with every step Lara takes. I absolutely can't fault the graphics in this game at all.
How does it sound?
The music in the game is, for the most part, rather subtle. Setting the atmosphere in quiet scenes and building to a dramatic crescendo during the action (never is this more obvious than during the game's dramatic climax). The voice acting is similarly high quality for most of the characters. Lara herself, as the most important character, also bears the biggest burden if her voice actress couldn't rise to the standard expected of a modern game. Thankfully, she does; Lara's voice acting is excellent, and it really helps bring the character to life and helps make her, in my opinion, the most sympathetic video game protagonist to come along in years.
Complaints?
The game is too easy.
I completed my first play-through in a single sitting, on the day I purchased it. I didn't get anything like a 100% completion rate, but I did complete the game's storyline. At no point did Lara die during combat; she came close, but she never died. Most of Lara's deaths came from environmental dangers (such as the aforementioned branches) or some of the (for lack of a better term) rhythm games that occur during some cut-scenes where a particular button must be pushed to get Lara out of harm's way. The game really needs to be in hard-mode for Lara to be presented with much of a challenge from the legions of goons she will encounter.
The multiplayer in the game also seems like a bit of an afterthought to me. I would have liked to see some kind of co-op mode where players could work together to solve puzzles, or something similar. Instead, we get the same generic player-vs-player modes we get in every game's multiplayer mode. I honestly feel like the multiplayer is a bit of a wasted effort; the game is, for all intents and purposes, a single player title.
I would also like to see more DLC for the main game itself to give players a bit of variety in their play-throughs. Unlike some other female reviewers, I have no objection whatsoever to Lara's classic outfit being downloadable, for example. There are currently three DLC outfits available, and they work seamlessly with cut-scenes, so that's a promising start, but they're all more than a little sameish.
Final verdict?
Aside from the above complaints - which are admittedly rather minor - there isn't really much I can say about the game that's actually bad. I would actually be perfectly willing to describe the Tomb Raider reboot as a masterpiece. It has successfully breathed new life into a franchise that I thought was dead, and has reinvented itself as a leaner, grittier, heavyweight contender for the modern action-adventure era. It has seen what other titles like Uncharted have done, and it has emulated and - at least in some areas - surpassed them.
It introduces a protagonist who is infinitely more relatable and likeable than a blow-up doll that was the original Lara Croft, and introduces new game-play that is slick, easy to pick up, visually satisfying, and just plain enjoyable. While I say above that I completed the game in one sitting as a testament to how easy the game was, it is also worth noting that I completed it one sitting because I wanted to keep playing. I can't remember the last time I bought a game there I wanted to stick with it to the end and see how it all turned out.
Tomb Raider is a polished and lovingly crafted adventure and I look forward to seeing the franchise continue on to further and greater heights.
Final Score:
9/10
Yup. Tomb Raider is an absolutely fantastic game, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Whether you were a fan of the original series of games, or whether this will be your first brush with Tomb Raider, feel free to dive in without preconceptions. It truly is an awesome game.
Tomb Raider (2013) has earned Seraphina's:
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa435/Seraphina_Aizen/AWESOMENESS_zps76bfdac8.jpg
Next review: Defiance (Trion)
Welcome to the second of my reviews. Having had an entire week to get to grips with the game in question, I feel I am in a decent position to offer up my thoughts. What follows will be an honest and unrelenting opinion on....
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa435/Seraphina_Aizen/pit_zps2a2ac25f.jpg
Defiance (Trion)
Defiance is the first game that I bought for the sole purpose of reviewing it. Going in, I knew absolutely nothing about the game whatsoever, save that it was a multiplayer shooter. I had no expectations of it whatsoever and that, sometimes, can lead to good experienced. Valkyria Chronicles, for example, I bought on a whim because I liked the name. I knew nothing whatsoever about the game beyond what I read on the back of the box, and I suddenly found myself unexpectedly playing the best RPG in the last fifteen years.
My brother bought me Mass Effect one Christmas and, while he had read up on it and knew it had stonking reviews, I knew nothing of the game. What was initially bought as little more than a stocking filler would end up putting all of my other presents to shame (including the games I had actually asked for that year), and lead me on an epic, action packed trilogy that would captivate me right up until EA went and fucked up the ending of the final instalment.
Seriously, fuck EA.
So the fact I knew nothing about Defiance did not concern me. I have actually had more positive experienced buying games I know nothing about than negative ones. Accustomed to buying games on whims, I knew that many such games can provide unexpected delights and entertainment.
Defiance....is not such a game.
So, what's it like?
Defiance is a third person shooter with RPG elements, where your character finds his or herself crash landing on an alien world full of hostile flora, fauna and various mutated humanoids. Your character, called an 'Ark Hunter', is guided along their adventure by way of a female artificial intelligence built unto an implant inside your head called an Ego.
Cortana...uh...I mean...your Ego offers advise and a basic tutorial through your first few missions, will keep you up to data on com-chatter and important and information, and generally do everything that the I.A. it's ripping off would be expected to do. She will also teach you how to manage inventories, equip weapons, and upgrade skills through your first few combats.
Combat in the game is, as one would expect of a third person shooter, focused on ranged combat. Your character can equip two weapons that s/he may freely switch between in order to better adjust for long, medium or short range combat, and to use the best tool for the job using the game's inspired cover system.
By 'inspired' and 'cover', I of course mean that all of the protagonists stand rigidly in the open, shooting at each other until one of them falls over dead. For a third person shooter in the year 2013, this is actually quite unforgivable, with positioning and cover playing no role whatsoever in the majority of combat. The only possible exception comes in the form of your many, many, many upgradeable powers; some of which allow your character to temporarily cloak themselves in order get out of an enemy's line of sight (most enemies do not react until they see you, which does at least introduce some tactical element to the game - thought it amounts to little more than getting to 'shoot first') or to generate stronger shields that let you weather the storm.
Others allow you to move faster and quickly close with enemies to punch them to death. In this way the game does add some variety to how the combat system works and allows for some variation in play style....Although I still think I'd like to be able to crouch down behind a rock every once and a while.
The game world is, at least, very large. Mission objectives are well highlighted and it is never difficult to find out where you're supposed to be going or what you're meant to be doing at any given time. With the help of Cor...that is...your Ego...you are guided through the narrative reasonable well, and there is usually sufficient exposition that you can follow the story and what's going on with the various characters.
Usually.
How does it look?
Like a Jackson Pollock painting.
The somewhat rigid animation and frozen facial expressions of the characters in the opening sequence (I guess botox is really popular in the future) did not really bother me. Graphics of that sort are more flair than anything else in a shooter, and you don't need to have details and exact facial twitches for every emotion the cast is experiencing. What did bother me was when I discovered that, despite the existence of a character customisation system, the choices available were "face melted ugliness" or "face melted uglier". Your main protagonist looks decidedly hideous - at least if you decide you're going to play a female character.
As is often the case, female characters get shafted with horrible presets that were no doubt added as an afterthought....
Anyway, aside from my face melted girl, the games graphics are....mediocre. The alien world in which I found myself was awash with colour from grass, vegetation and other terrain...but it was also more than a little hazy. With contrast that was less than stellar, one piece of terrain almost seemed like it was blurring into the next. I could tell what I was looking at, but there was simply nothing that was crisp and clear. The graphics in the game simply lack polish, and it does not look like a game coming out in 2013. Games that came out 3-4 years ago outstrip it in this respect.
The graphics aren't terrible...they're just thoroughly uninspiring.
How does it sound?
The voice acting is, for the most part, decent. The main cast members do what they're supposed to do - albeit sometimes with somewhat cheesy delivery - and the music does the same. When exploring the game world you get the expected, subtle music to build either suspense or mystery, while the game heightens to more dramatic music when sighted by an enemy.
I actually quite like the music; all of it is composed by a full orchestra, and it is by far the most elegant component of the piece. Although it isn't enough to rescue the game, it does properly convey the the sensations and atmosphere that is intended of it. It....works. It doesn't spellbind or captivate, but it works.
Complaints?
Incase you hadn't worked out by now, this is not a very good game. Indeed, the negative things I have to say about it vastly outweigh the positive. The graphics are substandard for a next generation game, the combat system is clumsy, the character creation options are a joke, and there simply isn't anything about it that is enthralling or fresh. The Ego system is transparently stolen from Halo's Cortana, and while I don't generally mind seeing 'more of the same' so long as the idea is good, there just aren't enough good ideas in this game to allow it to wash.
Final verdict?
Defiance is not a lazy game. There is a lot of content and I can tell that a lot of work has gone into it....but it is, in my opinion, a clumsy game. The combat system is inept, although I do praise the attempt at introducing skill trees and enormous variety in how your character's abilities can be upgraded, it all still comes down to awkwardly standing on the spot shooting at each other in the open.
The graphics are mediocre and are insufficient to portray the vision of the epic world you're meant to be exploring. The fact that your character is hideously ugly doesn't help matters either as, despite your character playing a central role in cutscenes (and never saying a friggin' word...which I HATE...Everyone else is fully voiced, why can't my character speak?), I am constantly forced to look at her horrible melted face and be reminded of how little the game producers cared about people who wanted to play a female character.
Is it wrong that I want the tough as nails female lead in my science fiction adventure to be physically attractive?
*Sighs*
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa435/Seraphina_Aizen/lightning-returns-ff-XIII-1_zps4fadb93b.jpg
I can wait a little longer, I guess....
Anyway, the fact is that Defiance just doesn't have anything to sell itself. There is nothing it's going that other games haven't done better. It isn't a particularly good shooter, it isn't a particularly good RPG, and it isn't a particularly good MMO. While there's nothing about the game that is out-and-out horrible...there's also nothing about it that makes it worth buying.
I would chalk it up as a solid 'miss'.
Final Score
3/10
A game with this many glaring problems simply isn't worth the £42.99 asking price.
So, with that in mind, I thought I'd start this thread. Rather than in-depth discussion on a particular game, I thought it might be useful just to have a spot to put up a straight, one-shot review of new (and newish) games. Perhaps, like me, you've just gotten your hands on a new release and want to share your thoughts (or warnings)? Or perhaps you've simply had time to get to grips with a new game and feel its time to render judgement.
This thread is designed for users to share their thoughts on current games, so I ask that anyone who wishes to post a review of their own try and do so for games that are no more than one month old. Before I begin, I will give a brief run down of the rating system I intend to use.
Scores from 1-10
1 - Turd on a disk. Not only should this game be avoided, it should be buried in the same landfill (e.g. E.T. on the Atari)
2 - Avoidable (e.g. Battle Arena Toshinden)
3 - The game is not enjoyable, is buggy, or has some other glaring flaws that make it unappealing (e.g. Duke Nukem Forever)
4 - Limited appeal. The game may appeal to select players, or fans of the franchise it belongs to. Best bet would be to try before buying (Lollypop Chainsaw)
5 - Average game. Nothing to write home about. Worth buying only if you want it (e.g. Heavenly Sword)
6 - Decent effort. The game has some interesting features and/or story that makes it worth a look (e.g. Space Marine)
7 - Good game. Definitely worth a purchase and likely to appeal to most gamers (Dead Space)
8 - Excellent game. With a great deal of entertainment value that make it a must have title (Batman: Arkham Asylum)
9 - Fantastic game. You wasted your time reading my review when you should have been out buying it. Generally speaking, this is as good a result as a game can get; such games will have good pacing, good visuals, and excellent game play, but fail to bring anything truly unparalleled to that would give them a 10 (Uncharted 2: Honour Among Thieves)
10 - Genre defining. Games of this sort are 'must own', providing not only excellent entertaining value, but succeeding in providing that certain 'it'; either in being totally innovative and unique, having near limitless replay value, or simply being well crafted masterpieces. I would only consider two games worthy of a 10 (i.e. Skyrim, Valkyria Chronicles)
So, with that said, let's get the ball rolling with my first review....
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa435/Seraphina_Aizen/pit_zps2a2ac25f.jpg
Tomb Raider (2013)
Having been out for a little under a month now, I think most people who were interested in playing the game have probably done so by now. I thought it best to start with a game that I would have a lot to say about, even if a lot of what I say probably will be old hat by now. However, there seem to be a surprising number of people who have not yet taken the plunge; this review is for you. Have you been pondering whether or not to spend your hard earned money on Lara's reboot? Do you think the puzzle platform genre is dead? Are you reluctant to embark on another Tomb Raider game with a plot thrown together at the last minute so the makers would have an excuse to throw boobs at us?
Well, allow me to offer my (hardly) humble guidance on Crystal Dynamics': Tomb Raider!
I must admit...I never really cared for the Tomb Raider franchise. I can't deny that, as one of the first play station games I ever played, Tomb Raider has always given me something of a nostalgic twinge, but I've never really rated them too highly as games. While I can't deny there was something incredibly satisfying about Lara's acrobatic skill, and seeing her climb and leap her way through an obstacle course of conveniently placed ledges and handholds could certainly be entertaining in itself. But I never really found myself too taken in by the character or the stories she was involved in. I never got the sense that I was a character on some grand an epic adventure, and felt more like I was playing a supermodel hurled into a series of nonsensical puzzles, driving forward by a plot that was so poorly scraped together that even Stephanie Mayer would shake her head in disapproval.
The Action-Adventure genre has moved on, helmed by Uncharted which has taken the gaming world by storm with its complex characters, high quality voice acting, exciting story and perfect blend of action and puzzle. Up against the gripping adventures of Nathan Drake, Lara is looking very much like a relic of a bygone era when it was enough for a came to show some fan service to be considered market leading. I did not expect to ever see another Tomb Raider title.
I was therefore surprised - extremely so - when this is exactly what I found myself hearing about. I was even more surprised that, upon viewing the trailers, it looked good!
I was pleased to discover that what I had initially mistaken for an origin story for the existing series of games was, in fact, a total reboot. Starting from scratch, it appeared that Lara's story was going to be told from the beginning and a new saga was going to unfold. The trailers gave the impression of an old world type game, with Lara scavenging for food and weaponry to survive, forced to develop the skills that would eventually transform her into her more recognisable self, or die in the attempt. All accompanied by the prophetic tagline: "A survivor is born".
I can't deny I was intrigued...it certainly looked like a very different game from the Tomb Raider I remembered. But the question was always going to be: Is it any good?
So, what's it like?
Almost from the offset, the far more adult and gritty themes of the new Tomb Raider universe is made blatantly clear. Within minutes of the game starting, this young Lara Croft finds herself in far more grizzly predicaments than her ridiculously proportions predecessor. Unarmed and alone, the game moves at a gentle pace as it introduces the first few puzzles, and allows players to get to grips with the first (and at the time, only) tool in Lara's possession. The game wastes no time in getting started, and immediately lets players know: This is a very different adventure from before.
As the game progresses, there is a gentle learning curve as Lara macgyvers new tools along her way. These tools are introduced gradually, allowing players to become used to each one as it comes rather than immediately being overwhelmed by a wealth of commands and items. This serves to allow players to become proficient with Lara's abilities as they go along. Learning, in effect, as Lara does. There are a great many puzzles along the way, though I can't recall coming across any that I had to spend much time thinking about. Rather than slow down the gameplay, the puzzled are integrated well with the general pacing. Generally speaking, the puzzles are easy....perhaps a little too easy.
The game has a much greater focus on combat than previous Tomb Raider titles. Lara, rather than using her signature handguns, does most of her fighting with a bow. Although other weapons do become available throughout the game, the bow is still her primary weapon and the one you will probably use the most often; it is also indispensable for solving many of the puzzles throughout the game (it is, incidentally, nice to see a game in which Lara actually knows how to holds a gun the correct way).
Rather than her usual acrobatics, where Lara is somehow able to evade bullet fire through a series of extravagant backflips (that, for some reason, do not throw off her own perfect aim), the new Tomb Raider takes a more realistic approach with cover playing an important part in fire fights. Lara, despite quickly turning into an absolute killing machine, is relatively frail in the open and can be cut down by arrows, gunfire and grenades. Combat, in fact, borrows a great deal from Uncharted in terms of how it handles gun battles.
The entire game, in fact, borrows from Uncharted. Outside of combat, Lara will often find herself in desperate dashes to escape collapsing or burning buildings, or to outrun falling debris, or any number of other nail biting rushes that are reminiscent of Nathan Drake's own brushes with architecture orientated death. These fast paced sections of the game are a definite adrenaline rush...and the game stays to form with its grittiness by treating players to some truly gruesome death scenes if Lara fails.
Ever see a young, attractive girl impale herself through the stomach on a tree branch? Well I have! Thanks, Crystal Dynamics, for all the sleep I lost!
Having said that, the violence on the game is never too disturbing. It does get somewhat graphic at times, but never to the extent of a horror game. Despite some hype to the contrary, the game also contains no sexual violence whatsoever. While the game can be frightening at some points, and Lara does stumble across some rather grizzly scenes, it isn't Hostel.
How does it look?
The game is visually stunning. I purchased both the PS3 version and the PC version for the purposes of this review, and I found that the PC version was slightly superior, but there wasn't a great deal in it. In both versions (and one would assume the 360 version also), Lara's world is beautifully detailed, with lavish attention to detail in every leg of her adventure. The environments have been lovingly crafted, and it is obvious that a great deal of effort has been made to make Lara's world as real and as detailed as possible.
Lara herself is gorgeous. Departing from the ridiculous proportions and fat lips of her previous incarnation, the new Lara is beautiful, but somewhat more down to earth. One particular feature I liked was that her appearance changes over the course of the game; she picks up wounds, her clothes get muddy and ripped, she will occasionally add dressing to some of her injuries, and she will end her adventure looking like someone who actually did just spend the last couple of days in a desperately trying to survive in a deadly island (and geez does this girl get beaten up a lot...).
The level and character designers put a great deal of work into this game, and it shows with every step Lara takes. I absolutely can't fault the graphics in this game at all.
How does it sound?
The music in the game is, for the most part, rather subtle. Setting the atmosphere in quiet scenes and building to a dramatic crescendo during the action (never is this more obvious than during the game's dramatic climax). The voice acting is similarly high quality for most of the characters. Lara herself, as the most important character, also bears the biggest burden if her voice actress couldn't rise to the standard expected of a modern game. Thankfully, she does; Lara's voice acting is excellent, and it really helps bring the character to life and helps make her, in my opinion, the most sympathetic video game protagonist to come along in years.
Complaints?
The game is too easy.
I completed my first play-through in a single sitting, on the day I purchased it. I didn't get anything like a 100% completion rate, but I did complete the game's storyline. At no point did Lara die during combat; she came close, but she never died. Most of Lara's deaths came from environmental dangers (such as the aforementioned branches) or some of the (for lack of a better term) rhythm games that occur during some cut-scenes where a particular button must be pushed to get Lara out of harm's way. The game really needs to be in hard-mode for Lara to be presented with much of a challenge from the legions of goons she will encounter.
The multiplayer in the game also seems like a bit of an afterthought to me. I would have liked to see some kind of co-op mode where players could work together to solve puzzles, or something similar. Instead, we get the same generic player-vs-player modes we get in every game's multiplayer mode. I honestly feel like the multiplayer is a bit of a wasted effort; the game is, for all intents and purposes, a single player title.
I would also like to see more DLC for the main game itself to give players a bit of variety in their play-throughs. Unlike some other female reviewers, I have no objection whatsoever to Lara's classic outfit being downloadable, for example. There are currently three DLC outfits available, and they work seamlessly with cut-scenes, so that's a promising start, but they're all more than a little sameish.
Final verdict?
Aside from the above complaints - which are admittedly rather minor - there isn't really much I can say about the game that's actually bad. I would actually be perfectly willing to describe the Tomb Raider reboot as a masterpiece. It has successfully breathed new life into a franchise that I thought was dead, and has reinvented itself as a leaner, grittier, heavyweight contender for the modern action-adventure era. It has seen what other titles like Uncharted have done, and it has emulated and - at least in some areas - surpassed them.
It introduces a protagonist who is infinitely more relatable and likeable than a blow-up doll that was the original Lara Croft, and introduces new game-play that is slick, easy to pick up, visually satisfying, and just plain enjoyable. While I say above that I completed the game in one sitting as a testament to how easy the game was, it is also worth noting that I completed it one sitting because I wanted to keep playing. I can't remember the last time I bought a game there I wanted to stick with it to the end and see how it all turned out.
Tomb Raider is a polished and lovingly crafted adventure and I look forward to seeing the franchise continue on to further and greater heights.
Final Score:
9/10
Yup. Tomb Raider is an absolutely fantastic game, and I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. Whether you were a fan of the original series of games, or whether this will be your first brush with Tomb Raider, feel free to dive in without preconceptions. It truly is an awesome game.
Tomb Raider (2013) has earned Seraphina's:
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa435/Seraphina_Aizen/AWESOMENESS_zps76bfdac8.jpg
Next review: Defiance (Trion)
Welcome to the second of my reviews. Having had an entire week to get to grips with the game in question, I feel I am in a decent position to offer up my thoughts. What follows will be an honest and unrelenting opinion on....
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa435/Seraphina_Aizen/pit_zps2a2ac25f.jpg
Defiance (Trion)
Defiance is the first game that I bought for the sole purpose of reviewing it. Going in, I knew absolutely nothing about the game whatsoever, save that it was a multiplayer shooter. I had no expectations of it whatsoever and that, sometimes, can lead to good experienced. Valkyria Chronicles, for example, I bought on a whim because I liked the name. I knew nothing whatsoever about the game beyond what I read on the back of the box, and I suddenly found myself unexpectedly playing the best RPG in the last fifteen years.
My brother bought me Mass Effect one Christmas and, while he had read up on it and knew it had stonking reviews, I knew nothing of the game. What was initially bought as little more than a stocking filler would end up putting all of my other presents to shame (including the games I had actually asked for that year), and lead me on an epic, action packed trilogy that would captivate me right up until EA went and fucked up the ending of the final instalment.
Seriously, fuck EA.
So the fact I knew nothing about Defiance did not concern me. I have actually had more positive experienced buying games I know nothing about than negative ones. Accustomed to buying games on whims, I knew that many such games can provide unexpected delights and entertainment.
Defiance....is not such a game.
So, what's it like?
Defiance is a third person shooter with RPG elements, where your character finds his or herself crash landing on an alien world full of hostile flora, fauna and various mutated humanoids. Your character, called an 'Ark Hunter', is guided along their adventure by way of a female artificial intelligence built unto an implant inside your head called an Ego.
Cortana...uh...I mean...your Ego offers advise and a basic tutorial through your first few missions, will keep you up to data on com-chatter and important and information, and generally do everything that the I.A. it's ripping off would be expected to do. She will also teach you how to manage inventories, equip weapons, and upgrade skills through your first few combats.
Combat in the game is, as one would expect of a third person shooter, focused on ranged combat. Your character can equip two weapons that s/he may freely switch between in order to better adjust for long, medium or short range combat, and to use the best tool for the job using the game's inspired cover system.
By 'inspired' and 'cover', I of course mean that all of the protagonists stand rigidly in the open, shooting at each other until one of them falls over dead. For a third person shooter in the year 2013, this is actually quite unforgivable, with positioning and cover playing no role whatsoever in the majority of combat. The only possible exception comes in the form of your many, many, many upgradeable powers; some of which allow your character to temporarily cloak themselves in order get out of an enemy's line of sight (most enemies do not react until they see you, which does at least introduce some tactical element to the game - thought it amounts to little more than getting to 'shoot first') or to generate stronger shields that let you weather the storm.
Others allow you to move faster and quickly close with enemies to punch them to death. In this way the game does add some variety to how the combat system works and allows for some variation in play style....Although I still think I'd like to be able to crouch down behind a rock every once and a while.
The game world is, at least, very large. Mission objectives are well highlighted and it is never difficult to find out where you're supposed to be going or what you're meant to be doing at any given time. With the help of Cor...that is...your Ego...you are guided through the narrative reasonable well, and there is usually sufficient exposition that you can follow the story and what's going on with the various characters.
Usually.
How does it look?
Like a Jackson Pollock painting.
The somewhat rigid animation and frozen facial expressions of the characters in the opening sequence (I guess botox is really popular in the future) did not really bother me. Graphics of that sort are more flair than anything else in a shooter, and you don't need to have details and exact facial twitches for every emotion the cast is experiencing. What did bother me was when I discovered that, despite the existence of a character customisation system, the choices available were "face melted ugliness" or "face melted uglier". Your main protagonist looks decidedly hideous - at least if you decide you're going to play a female character.
As is often the case, female characters get shafted with horrible presets that were no doubt added as an afterthought....
Anyway, aside from my face melted girl, the games graphics are....mediocre. The alien world in which I found myself was awash with colour from grass, vegetation and other terrain...but it was also more than a little hazy. With contrast that was less than stellar, one piece of terrain almost seemed like it was blurring into the next. I could tell what I was looking at, but there was simply nothing that was crisp and clear. The graphics in the game simply lack polish, and it does not look like a game coming out in 2013. Games that came out 3-4 years ago outstrip it in this respect.
The graphics aren't terrible...they're just thoroughly uninspiring.
How does it sound?
The voice acting is, for the most part, decent. The main cast members do what they're supposed to do - albeit sometimes with somewhat cheesy delivery - and the music does the same. When exploring the game world you get the expected, subtle music to build either suspense or mystery, while the game heightens to more dramatic music when sighted by an enemy.
I actually quite like the music; all of it is composed by a full orchestra, and it is by far the most elegant component of the piece. Although it isn't enough to rescue the game, it does properly convey the the sensations and atmosphere that is intended of it. It....works. It doesn't spellbind or captivate, but it works.
Complaints?
Incase you hadn't worked out by now, this is not a very good game. Indeed, the negative things I have to say about it vastly outweigh the positive. The graphics are substandard for a next generation game, the combat system is clumsy, the character creation options are a joke, and there simply isn't anything about it that is enthralling or fresh. The Ego system is transparently stolen from Halo's Cortana, and while I don't generally mind seeing 'more of the same' so long as the idea is good, there just aren't enough good ideas in this game to allow it to wash.
Final verdict?
Defiance is not a lazy game. There is a lot of content and I can tell that a lot of work has gone into it....but it is, in my opinion, a clumsy game. The combat system is inept, although I do praise the attempt at introducing skill trees and enormous variety in how your character's abilities can be upgraded, it all still comes down to awkwardly standing on the spot shooting at each other in the open.
The graphics are mediocre and are insufficient to portray the vision of the epic world you're meant to be exploring. The fact that your character is hideously ugly doesn't help matters either as, despite your character playing a central role in cutscenes (and never saying a friggin' word...which I HATE...Everyone else is fully voiced, why can't my character speak?), I am constantly forced to look at her horrible melted face and be reminded of how little the game producers cared about people who wanted to play a female character.
Is it wrong that I want the tough as nails female lead in my science fiction adventure to be physically attractive?
*Sighs*
http://i1197.photobucket.com/albums/aa435/Seraphina_Aizen/lightning-returns-ff-XIII-1_zps4fadb93b.jpg
I can wait a little longer, I guess....
Anyway, the fact is that Defiance just doesn't have anything to sell itself. There is nothing it's going that other games haven't done better. It isn't a particularly good shooter, it isn't a particularly good RPG, and it isn't a particularly good MMO. While there's nothing about the game that is out-and-out horrible...there's also nothing about it that makes it worth buying.
I would chalk it up as a solid 'miss'.
Final Score
3/10
A game with this many glaring problems simply isn't worth the £42.99 asking price.