Left 4 Dead

Game: Left 4 Dead

System: Xbox 360 & PC

Release: November 2008


Anyone who is a fan of the First Person Shooter should know Valve. They are the geniuses responsible for such dynasties as Half-Life, Counter Strike, Portal, Team Fortress, and most recently Left 4 Dead. All of these games have remarkable gameplay and addictive multiplayer. Valve has an unbeaten record of success in the FPS market similar to Blizzards thriving supremacy in online RPGs.

Left 4 Dead feels remarkably similar to other Valve games with the same great gameplay that is expected from the Source engine. Combat is smooth and intense. For the single player and coop game modes users take control of four survivors. These lucky fellows get to fight there way out of a zombie infection that has apparently taken over most of the country. Now these aren’t your typical zombies. They are fast and numerous jumping over obstacles to kill anyone who is not infected. If you are familiar with 28 Days Later, then you have a good idea of what you will be up against. The “Horde” is supported by five boss zombies—tank, smoker, boomer, hunter, and witch. The tank is a hulk like zombie that deals out a ton of damage. Smokers can snatch survivors with their long tongues paralyzing them until the tongue or Smoker are destroyed. Hunters pounce on their victims pinning them to the ground. Boomers are zombie Fat Bastards who puke on survivors to attract a Horde and explode when killed. Finally there are witches. These crying bitches will destroy all survivors if they are not careful. She is more powerful then a tank, and is best left alone.


The survivors consist of four well done stereotypes. First there is Bill. He is a Vietnam vet who misses the good ole days of killing Charlie. Second is Francis, who apparently loves chaos. This makes the zombie infection a welcomed change of pace to his boring biker days. Then there is Zoey. She just so happens to be the sexy college brunette who loves watching zombie movies. Finally there is Louis. He fills the role of the minority/office worker. He sees the infection has a way out of his dead end job. The survivors handle identically. They can wield the same limited armaments—pistols, smg, assault rifle, hunting rifle, shotguns, pipe bombs, and molotov cocktails. All of these characters are done well, but it would have been nice to have more. With so many stereotypes in the world there could have been additional characters to choose from.

Left 4 Dead is purely a multiplayer game. There is a single player campaign, but it provides little entertainment beyond an initial play through. The two multiplayer game types are Versus and Coop. The later allows four players to venture through a campaign against purely AI enemies. The former provides users the opportunity to play as the Boss Infected. Coop games take advantage of all four campaign stories, but Versus utilizes only two. The limited number of maps is a disappointment, but Valve mixes up each game by randomizing enemy/item spawn points. This means that
each game produces a unique experience—this is especially true in Versus when humans are controlling the boss zombies. At the end of each campaign the stats are displayed like the credits to a movie complementing the horror movie atmosphere this game produces.

Valve has done it again with another successful FPS multiplayer game. There ability to produce addictive entertaining experiences is truly fantastic. The smooth gameplay, random spawn points, and amazing AI produce an intense experience any FPS veteran can appreciate. If Valve continues to support this game with new maps—and maybe characters—then it could possibly become as big as Counter Strike. Rubber’s Review grants Left 4 Dead a 4.5 out of 5.

LOTR: Conquest IGN Preview

UPDATE: Here is some more marketing videos for LOTR: Conquest http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/14226954/the-lord-of-the-rings-conquest/videos/lotr_multiplayer_010709.html
All moves done by Snerts001 is yours truly--despite what my bosses say. I really had a blast helping out the marketing guys capture some awesome moves.

Working in the video game industry has it's perks. Check out this IGN Preview of Lord of the Rings Conquest (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/937/937710p1.html). The videos show games that I got a chance to participate in alongside Pandemic coworkers and IGN staff. Snerts001 is the profile name I was using, and anyone other then Natedog was a Pandemic employee. Follow the link to see the action, and my awesome skills.

Mirror's Edge

Game: Mirror’s Edge

System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Release: November 2008


Throughout the history of videogames jumping has been a key feature--just ask Mario. Some games like, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, will focus on acrobatics first and combat second. Mirror's Edge takes this to heart from the first-person perspective. The result is a truly unique experience that defies the basic FPS tactics challenging users in new exciting ways.

Players take control of the parkour Faith. Parkour? Ya I've never heard of it either. Apparently it is the act of getting from one place to the other as quickly as possible. This requires participants to use their own body in very acrobatic intense scenarios to get over the various obstacles from Point A to B. This all started in France, and apparently can be traced all the way back to WWI (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour). Now why would I go into such details about parkour? Sadly it is more interesting then the plot of Mirror's Edge.

As stated above, the protagonist is Faith a parkour in an unnamed totalitarian metropolis. The organization that she belongs to consist of a handful of "runners" that deliver vital information between parties that obviously can't use their local post office. What's in the package? Can't tell ya cause it's a mystery. In fact throughout the game player's will be doing more detective work than deliveries. This isn't necessarily bad, and on the surface makes for an interesting plot. Unfortunately the story is simplistic at best. Faith stumbles upon a murder, and the suspect just so happens to be her sister. Of course her sibling is being set up by the evil powers at be, and it is up to Faith to unravel the conspiracy. By the end her parkour organization has been double crossed from within. Anyone she worked with is either a traitor or a corpse--with the exception of her sister. The siblings get to reunite for the not so emotional ending.

Thankfully this game doesn't need a plot. The gameplay is truly unique, and creates tons of potential for similar games in the future. There is a bit of a learning curve, especially with combat, but once users get a feel for Faith it's on like Donkey Kong. Throughout the game players will wall run, climb pipes, hop over or slide under obstacles. All of the moves can be pulled of in real time which requires pin point accuracy and timing. The level design takes full advantage of what Faith can do. Each acrobatic technique is utilized frequently throughout the game, and many of the levels have segments with multiple paths. Everything is also done in first-person which may lead to the occasional nauseated player.

For combat, Faith works most efficiently when getting the drop on enemies. With the press of a button the unsuspecting opponent will be disarmed and knocked out. When the element of surprise is not on her side Faith must punch, grapple, and shoot her way to freedom. She has a basic three hit melee combo, jump and slide kicks, and the ability to steal an enemies' weapon. With some experimentation players will quickly realize what combos work best. To aide in the execution of these moves the game includes a bullet time. This helps limit the frustration for the disarm ability, and other moves, that take precise timing to pull off. Shooting in this game is limited and basic—as it should be for a title focused on movement. There is the standard collection of guns from pistols to rifles. Each handles fairly well, and come with sparse ammo to encourage more running. Once again all of the action is presented from the first person creating a unique gaming experience.

Each chapter throws in just enough combat to add some variety but clearly the focus is on acrobatics. Faith's adventure will take you from rooftops to subways all bursting with eloquence. The anime like graphical style creates a vibrant and engaging environment. Even the cut scenes have flair taking a cell shaded approach to major story beats. The electronica audio track and sound effects seal the deal on a brilliantly fresh presentation. The artistic choices may not please everyone, but any open-minded gamer can see the blatant individuality this game delivers. Individuality, however, is far from perfection.

Critics of Mirror’s Edge are quick to denote a handful of faults with the game. I personally don’t agree with all of them, but that doesn’t mean they are invalid. Mirror’s Edge is a trial and error videogame. Players will die quite frequently throughout the adventure usually by falling. Combat will also be a consistent source of death due to the games learning curve. The pain of this fact is lessened by fast loading times and well placed checkpoints, but still generates frustration. The annoyance of death, however, is often based on the player’s skill and knowledge. Once someone learns the ropes the game becomes fast paced entertainment. Another critique of Mirror’s Edge is its length. The story can easily be completed in six hours. Fortunately there is a Time Trial mode where users can attempt to complete segments of the game as quickly as possible. A red ghost racer can be brought up to illustrate members of the leader boards or the player’s best time. There also will be DLC in the near future with new levels. The final complaint warranted against Mirror’s Edge is the story. As stated earlier it is simple, short, and unmemorable.

Despite these few faults, Dice does a great job in creating an original take on the first person shooter. With a few adjustments and subtle additions Mirror’s Edge could be a brilliant new franchise. More stealth abilities, a knife, better writing, and an even sharper execution of the basics may boost this game from innovative to blockbuster. Rubber’s Review gives the game 4 out of 5.

Here is a preview of the upcoming DLC.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

Game: Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, PS2

Release: August 2008


Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is an action packed third person sandbox shooter made by Electronic Arts and Pandemic Studios. Taking on the same characters as the first game players choose between Jen Mui, Mattias Nilsson, and Chris Jacobs. Once again each character has a unique ability. Mui runs fast. Nilsson heals more rapidly, and Jacobs can carry additional ammo. This time the mercenaries find themselves in Venezuela. The game begins with the chosen hero taking on a contract from the billionaire Ramon Salono. After completing the job he attempts to double cross you. This is a bad idea. Mercenaries apparently hate dead beats that don’t pay up, and really dislike getting shot in the ass. The basic revenge plot guides you on a path of obliteration that ultimately leads to big bucks and a disappointing ending.

Destruction is a major influence for the overall gameplay. Every building, vehicle, bush, and tree can be decimated. Don’t like that sky scrapper? Blow it up! Forest in the way? Burn it down! The only objects that cannot be destroyed are rocks and already destroyed objects. You can’t turn rubble into dust.

So everything can be smashed, cracked, and ruined. How then does one bring about this destruction? Like the first Mercenaries tons of tanks, cars, helicopters, and air strikes are at your disposal. Unfortunately the Russian Black Market is no longer available. Players must either find items out in the field, or purchase them from faction outposts. Throughout Venezuela there are plenty of vehicles to hijack that usually entail a short yet sweet God of War like mini game. Resources can also be extracted from various locations once the helicopter pilot Ewan is unlocked. If players don’t feel like scavenging, then they can check out the shops of five different factions—Pirates, Guerillas, Chinese, Allied Nations, and Universal Petroleum. Each offers various unique items and also provides contracts. The faction items cost money to buy, and everything requires fuel to deliver. Supplies that are in your “Stockpile” are distributed right into the heat of combat by your recruited helicopter and jet pilot.

I can’t stress enough, the vehicles and air strikes are what make this game fun. GTA4 dose not have this many tanks and helicopters. No game has this variety of support items. This adds to the replay value. Beat the mission using a tank? Try it again in a helicopter, or completely devastate the area with a Carpet Bomb. The unique feel that each item has is truly impressive.

So the game is a blast, but it is no where close to perfect. The visuals are impressive at first, but those with an eye for detail will notice issues. Floating objects abound once base structures are destroyed, and two-dimensional trees are the standard animation at high elevations. Also the character models and cut scenes are not up to next-gen standards. Finally, the mission structure is rather limited for the next- gen versions. The PS2, oddly, has deeper more diverse contracts that actually take advantage of the entire map. For the other consoles and PC, outpost and delivery missions are the norm. Only about 40% of the contracts take advantage of the games strong points. The remaining filler will only be completed by diehard fans and perfectionist. These issues, and more, are not huge but take away from the overall experience. It would have been great to see that extra level of polish, and more contracts that do not involve capturing outposts or delivering supplies in pick-up trucks.

The other major short coming for Mercenaries 2 is the co-op limitations. Players can pair up to take on the various armed forces throughout Venezuela. This looks great on paper, but once the client joins a host the annoyance will begin. There is a tether system that limits the distance allowed between players. This means that you cannot be on one end of Maracaibo while your buddy is on the other. The limit is set to five hundred yards, but could have used a boost up to a thousand. Players are also not allowed to take there weapons or stockpiles into another persons game. The only thing a client gains from joining a friend is money. All of the cool toys are dependent on the progression of the host’s game. Finally, resolution and rendering issues that occur in co-op are yet another ding to the already sublime graphics.

Mercenaries 2 is a fun game. Being able to destroy just about everything in Venezuela in numerous ways is entertaining. There are, however, many issues that hinder the replay value of this title. Co-op is limited at best, and only provides a way for players to make more digital dollars. The lack of polish deters from the otherwise awesome visuals, and repetitive missions combined with an uninspiring plot fail to deliver. Despite these issues many people will enjoy this game, and find it a nice change of pace from GTA4. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames receives a 3.8 out of 5. Hopefully future down-loadable contact will help flush out some of this games potential. More conceivably the game will make enough money for another attempt at perfection with Mercenaries 3.

The Overly Biased Top Five Favorite Multiplayer Old School Brawlers

I love old school brawlers. The simple side scrolling concept of kicking ass and smashing buttons just works for me. Often these games are multiplayer allowing many hours of social bonding as you pummel or be pummeled by various bad guys. The plots are sometimes cool, but often it’s all about the game play. The controls need to feel simple yet deep, and the levels must offer something engaging.

5. Altered Beast:

This title was one of the first games available for the Sega Genesis. The concept was simple. You are a centurion raised from the dead by Zeus to save his daughter. Athena is being held captive by the Demon God Neff. To conquer this foe you turn into various beasts like wolves, tigers, dragons, and bears. By the end of the game you’ve rescued the girl and made Zeus happy.

The game itself is nothing too special. The combat is very simplistic, and the level design is repetitive. Changing in to different creatures, however, was always a blast. It provided a unique experience that was rarely duplicated in this genre.

4. Golden Axe:

Similar to Altered Beast, Golden Axe takes place in a mythical land where bad guys want to do horrible things. Death Adder plays the villain in this Sega hit, and used the Golden Axe to capture the King and his daughter. You play as a male dwarf, or a male and female human warrior, bent on revenge against Death Adder. The game has numerous features that include magic and mounts. Each character has a unique supernatural ability, and the mounts increase in strength as the game progresses. This game is truly a classic, and it is no surprise that it is picking up in popularity today. The upcoming Next Gen sequel, Golden Axe: Beast Rider, and the recent release of the original title on Xbox Live Arcade will allow this title to reach a whole new generation of gamers.

3. Double Dragon:

This game is one of the most recognized classic brawler games around. It’s like the Karate Kid finished puberty, got cool, and found a kick ass buddy to kick it with. Chilling in there garage these bodacious bros notice a hot chick being kidnapped by some gun wielding maniac. Naturally these dudes hit the streets hard. Kicking ass and taking names against numerous foes, these guys kick and punch there way to that sweet ass.

The game features basic level design, but an amazingly deep combat system. Kicks and punches can be combined together, back-attacks exist, and of course there are awesome karate jump kicks. The game provided me with hours of entertainment, and paved the way for numerous future titles.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was one of my favorite childhood shows. I have seen countless television series, movies, and played many video games staring Leo, Michael, Don, and Ralph. In this epic saga, the Turtles discover that Shredder has shrunk and stolen New York City. Of course the fighting foursome must save the day.

There are five levels consisting of the city streets, secret hideouts, caves, ghost ships, and of course the Technodrome. Jammed pack with classic villains the levels consist of wave after wave of Shredder’s foot clan and a boss at the end of each level. Not all of the television stars make the cut in this game, and it is a little short. The replay value, however, is high thanks to an intense combat system. The three buttons are Run, Jump, and Attack. The combination and timing of the three buttons produce dozens of moves. Jumping, for example, has four different attacks with the same two buttons. Add a smooth frame rate, awesome graphical presentation, and decent sound, and you have the number two in this top five.

1. Streets of Rage 2:

The sequel to one of the best original brawlers, Streets of Rage 2 adds to its predecessors strong points with style. Taking the role of a karate expert, female judo master, skating kid, or oversize wrestler you fight through numerous bad guys to save a character from the previous game from Mr. X. The levels are fairly generic, but the combat is fantastic. The three basic attacks remain—punch, jump, and special—but are a little different then the last game. There are several more moves for each attack, and the characters abilities have an abundant variety. Each special attack takes a small amount of health, but there is a secondary special move that doesn’t affect hit points. The enemies are also diverse with there own special attacks. Many of the mini-bosses and bosses are difficult, and even some of the basic villains are a challenge. All these features improve the replay value significantly, and more then make up for the somewhat bland levels.

Well that is my overly biased top five multiplayer old school brawlers countdown. If anyone is reading this, then feel free to comment on your favorite old school brawlers.

Splinter Cell Series:

Games: Splinter Cell, Pandora Tomorrow, Chaos Theory, Double Agent

Systems: Xbox and Xbox 360

Releases: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

When ever someone asks me, “Why did you buy an Xbox?” I give them three answers. Halo, Ninja Gaiden, and Splinter Cell. Thus it is only fitting that I dedicated some time to the third member of my holy Xbox trinity. Splinter Cell is a stealth action game developed by Tom Clancy and Ubisoft. This series revolutionized the much neglected stealth genre, and produced some of the best looking games on the Xbox.

The plots for this series always take place in the near future, and typically revolve around a catastrophic event that could trigger World War III or worse. The main character, Sam Fisher, is the best of the best in modern day spies. He is selected by Irving Lambert, an old friend, to be apart of the black ops team for the NSA called Third Echelon. The character development is remarkable in each of the tittles. The actors give top notch performances, and the events portrayed are realistic and exciting.

The first three games stuck to the generic prevention of world wide threats, but the fourth title, Double Agent, took a different approach. Fisher and Lambert get wind of a plot to set of numerous WMDs throughout the United States. Without the approval of Washington, they decide to infiltrate the terrorist organization. Fisher goes along with the dangerous idea presumably because his daughter died leaving him alone in the world. Throughout the game there are tough choices that have to be made. Fisher can’t appear to be a spy, but at the same time he’s suppose appease the US government. By the end of the game Lambert is dead, Third Echelon is dissolved, and Fisher is on the run from the CIA. Double Agent presumably sets up the next Splinter Cell game entitled Conviction.

The gameplay for the Splinter Cell series consistently improves from title to title. The first game is arguably the hardest to complete. There are numerous missions where no alarms can be triggered; no guards can be killed, etc. You have to be the perfect spy. No one can know that you were there. The second game, Pandora Tomorrow, is more forgiving then the first, but still requires a greater degree of stealth then Chaos Theory or Double Agent.

Pandora Tomorrow introduced the first multiplayer aspect to the series. Players pair up into teams of spies and mercenaries. The spies are given a set amount of time to complete various objectives, and the mercenaries attempt to prevent the spies from succeeding. When playing as a mercenary there is no third person perspective, and the gameplay is very similar to a FPS Tom Clancy game. Spies are the equivalent of a non-lethal Fisher. The action is intense, and the tension of some matches is incredible. Unfortunately, this revolutionary multiplayer has a high learning curve that often shuns away new players. The community never really hit record numbers, and many games suffered from connection issues.

Chaos Theory and Double Agent improved some of the faults of the first attempt at Spies vs. Mercenaries, and also introduced co-op. Players take on the role of two new recruits to the Third Echelon. My personal nick names for them is Blue and Red—based on the color of thier goggles. There are about a half dozen awesome missions that you can accomplish with a friend. Each require team work unique to the co-op mode, but ultimately the gameplay is very similar to the single player campaign.

To accomplish your missions the NSA provides you with some really cool toys. There is the infamous sticky camera that can be shot from an attachment on your gun. This device will scout out numerous areas, and can also be used to distract and/or neutralize guards. My other favorite spy tool is the sticky shocker. This weapon can take out numerous guards who always seem to stand in large puddles of water. In addition to these devices, there are not so standard military weapons. The third game upgraded Fishers arsenal to include a knife (the best item in the game), an electronic jammer connected to his pistol, and a shotgun and sniper attachment to his rifle.

Of course all of these tools are useless in the wrong hands. Luckily Fisher, and the other spies, has amazing acrobatic agility and strength. The player can take full advantage of the levels environments. The famous split kick will allow the spy to hide in narrow hallways. Climbing across rooms on pipes, and crawling in air vents, is vital to moving across heavily guarded areas unnoticed. There is nothing like snapping the neck of an unsuspecting enemy has you hang upside down from a pipe. The game does an excellent job of providing multiple paths and numerous ways to complete each level. This is especially true in Double Agent and Chaos theory where more aggressive gameplay is allowed aka the stupid but ballsy style.

The Splinter Cell series has provided me with countless hours of entertainment. The games are solid from top to bottom. Gorgeous graphical presentation, top notch sound, and smart and adaptive gameplay create a unique experience every gamer should try at least once. The overall series gets 5 out of 5 with a special recognition to Chaos Theory. This game introduced the preeminent upgrades to the series, and propelled its popularity to new heights. If you have to pick only one Splinter Cell game to play, then make it Chaos Theory.

Ninja Gaiden II

Game: Ninja Gaiden II

System: Xbox 360

Release: June 2008

Ninja Gaiden II is reported as one of my top five most anticipated games of 2008. This game delivers an action packed adventure drenched in blood, body parts, and death. The story is simplistic, vague, and not the most impressive part of the game. Basically there are these monsters called Fiends that are somehow related to the notorious Black Spider Ninja Clan—sworn enemy of the Dragon Linage. A CIA agent, the well endowed blond, comes to Tokyo to warn Ryu of an attack on his village. The Black Spider Clan steals the Demon Statue which is obviously bad juju. Ordered by his father to follow the thieves, Ryu sets off on his journey that ends with the death of the Archfiend—king of bad juju. Of course there are more characters, but the story doesn’t matter, and is merely a raison d'être for Ryu Hayabusa to mutilate the masses.

Mutilation is fun! Really fun! Pick from eight different weapons and go nuts. Each weapon has a unique handling system that seems to suite a variety of play styles. Do you want to pull of the ridiculous 89 hit combo with the Vigoorian Flails on a few unsuspecting ninjas? Would you like to decapitate an enemy, plunge a Scythe into the neck stump, and throw it into the next victim? Or maybe the old fashion Dragon Sword tickles your fancy?

If any of these questions produces a YES, then please read on. In the previous Ninja Gaiden many enemies found their head rolling on the floor. In the second rendition, the head will be joined by the legs, arms, and torsos. Maimed victims will be open to OBLITERATION techniques that kill enemies instantly. Ryu is also temporary invincible during this time because the camera usually pans out and the animation is scripted. This sounds sort of weak on paper, but in practice it is simply beautiful. OBLITERATION—caped for sheer awesomeness—techniques can also be performed on numerous bosses. Each weapon has a different animation. In addition the angle of the strike, appendage lost, and enemy will effect the stylistic death.

The other two significant changes involve magic and the ultimate technique. The ultimate techniques have seen one major change. Projectile weapons are now chargeable. This means there is another source of destruction, and the projectile weapons like the bow will be used in key boss fights. The traditional ultimate technique remains in tact from Ninja Gaiden: Black. The time of the charge is dependent on the weapon, and each phase produces a different animation. Mastering the ultimate technique, along with the OBLITERATION moves, are vital to beating this game.

Two fire Nimpo spells return from the older game. The fire ball is back, and is still arguably the best spell in the game. The other Nimpo original, however, could have stayed in the past. The spell spawns small phoenixes that circle Ryu, and supposedly absorbs damage. They fail at life. The spell does not give the extra seconds of immunity which is the primary reason for having Nimpo in the game, and they disappear rather quickly. The two new spells add something new to the mix. The wind spell acts like a tornado of blades and is similar to the ice spell from the previous game. It is very effective at close range. The shadow spell is a giant ball of death that can be aimed by the player from an over the shoulder perspective, and grants the most control out of all the spells. Casting Nimpo, in general, is given greater control. Players can direct Ryu in a general direction and the HUD highlights the target that you want destroyed. With elements of the previous game, and some new functionality and destructibility the Nimpo system is a critical and enjoyable part of Ninja Gaiden II.

Veterans of the series will find many new additions to the simplistically deep combat system of Ninja Gaiden: Black. Weapons, magic, and consumables are all accessible with the D-pad. Pressing Up or Down will pause the game, and allow the user to switch weapons or heal. This is extremely convenient in comparison to the previous Pause dependent system, and allows for smoother game play. Players are also given improved camera controls. During boss fights the Right Bumper will toggle the camera from you to the boss, and the Left Bumper allows the user to look around in a first person POV. Unfortunately, all of these improvements still fail to prevent frustrating moments throughout the game.

Ninja Gaiden II has a few moments that are extremely annoying. The camera panning into a wall and obstructing the players view is never enjoyable. Boss fights can be either extremely difficult or simplistic because of certain moves and camera angles. Save points restores the health bar, which is great, but the player cannot save without healing or save the heal for later. There are also very simplistic level designs that could have used some basic interaction. Maybe some destructible environments, or more acrobatic set ups like the fight in the clock tower would have added that extra something that wasn’t in the original.

Still, despite these issues, the combat system is one of the best around. There is improved functionality, new magic, weapons, and you can even record the carnage with Ninja Cinema. Games like Ninja Gaiden do not come around often. The entertainment lies in the 30 seconds of fun that you have killing thousands of enemies. The AI is smart and responsive. The moves look fantastic. The replay value is relatively high for a game with no multiplayer. The game offers a challenge that is reminiscent of the old arcade games and unique to next gen gaming. The few faults that I can find with the game knock down the score by a whole .2---4.8 out of 5.

Now go buy this game and kick some ass!

Ninja Gaiden

Game: Ninja Gaiden Black

System: Xbox

Release: September 2005

Ninja Gaiden II is due out exclusively for the Xbox 360 in less then three days. This will soon provide me a new opportunity to pick up the various blades of Ryu Hyabusa and kick some major ass. Of course before there was a “II” there was a “I,” and this review will cover Ninja Gaiden: Black.

Ninja Gaiden is one of the premier Xbox original titles. The free downloadable content, gameplay, graphics, and sound created one of the most enthralling experiences in the action/adventure genre.

The vague and basic story revolves around Ryu Hyabusa. His clan is responsible for guarding the legendary Black Dragon Sword. Naturally this leads to someone stealing this plot device. The Great Fiend Doku raids Hyabusa’s village, and kills just about everyone in the process. Fortunately Ryu has an eagle companion that brings him back to life for a quest of revenge. Along the way he will run into well endowed females, monsters called fiends, and rival ninjas. Eventually he kills everyone in his path, says goodbye to the ladies, and goes off into the sunset.

Don’t let the story discourage you. The cut scenes are merely breaks to allow the application of ointments to soar joints. Players around the globe often complain about the difficulty of Ninja Gaiden. It is tough, hard, harsh, devastating, etc. Enemies swarm, attack, dodge, and counterattack your every move. Luckily the combat system is simplistic and deep. With the aide of nimpo magic, projectiles, and a handful of primary weapons players will kill there way through wave after wave of good times. Of course if you are unable to hang there is the Ninja Dog difficulty in Ninja Gaiden: Black.

NG:B has more features then the original NG. The game combines the original game, with the downloadable content released over the first two years of its release. There are also new villains, weapons, and missions. The missions are unlocked after defeating the game on Normal, and involve various challenges the range from reworked boss fights to vast swarms of particular enemies. These missions are also extremely difficult. Although I can beat the story mode on Hard, I have yet to unlock all of the missions after four years of owning the game.

Ninja Gaiden has only one major issue that is often vocalized immensely throughout the gaming community. This is the camera. The issue has been addressed, but I have to admit that at certain segments you will die because of the camera. Part of the game is learning how to anticipate attacks from off camera, and that doesn’t please the vast majority of critics. Despite this minor flaw, and a lack luster plot, NG:B gets a 5 out of 5.

Here is a video of someone who can actually beat those dam missions.

I'm Not Dead...Yet!

Rubber’s Review consistency has been spotty at best. This is the result of numerous events that have recently occurred in my life. Some are more personal then others, but mostly it has been work. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is looking strong. Here is the recently released video preview.

Look forward to posts about the Ninja Gaiden and Splinter Cell series in the next few weeks.

Halo

Games: The Halo Trilogy

Systems: Xbox and Xbox 360

Release: 2001, 2004, 2007

Halo. Few words can produce such chills and thrills in the gaming community. For anyone who ever owned an Xbox or Xbox 360 this series was probably the deciding factor for your console purchase. Out selling pretty much every console game ever made Halo 3 is the latest and greatest from the folks at Bungie. The following article will attempt to lightly cover all three of these excellent games.

Halo: Combat Evolved was one of the first games I ever purchased for the Xbox. Unsure of what was in store, I popped in the disk hoping for the best. I was blown away! This game became the new Goldeneye, and spent hundreds of hours inside my Xbox. The graphics for the time were great, and there were so many new features. Vehicles, co-op campaign, and melee added a new twist to the FPS genre. Few games, if any, featured these ridiculously fun game mechanics, and Halo provided them in a fantastically set universe. The story was not the most original, but it was put together well. Add five excellent novels to flush out some of the nerdy details, and TADA you have created another brilliant universe for the world to enjoy—and manipulate *cough* RED vs. BLUE *cough*. The sound was equally excellent, and the multiplayer is one of the most additive experiences the FPS genre has to offer.

Ok. Enough of the praising, lets get down to some of the nerdy goodness. Be warned some of the information provided is taken from my overall knowledge of this sci-fi universe and not the games themselves.

Halo puts players in the seat of the last remaining cybernetic super soldier aka Spartan. 117 is the main characters service number and his name is John. He is, however, first and foremost known as the Master Chief.

For the first game, the MC is on board an UNSC ship, Pillar of Autumn, under the command of Captain Keyes. Forced to make a blind space jump they arrive at an unknown “Halo” like object.

The human race, at this time, is fighting a losing war from a very hostile alien collective known as the Covenant. Fighting the Covenant, Captain Keyes is forced to make a crash landing on the remote construct called Halo. On the ring, with the help of the AI Cortana, the MC kicks some major alien ass and unravels some mysterious along the way.

The Flood would be the most relevant discovery. This is a parasitic species with a collective mind that uses sentient hosts to reproduce and thrive. They can also survive without a host for centuries, and are lead by the Gravemind—a giant thing that looks like the Venus fly trap.

By the end of the game, the MC has fought off thousands of Flood and Covenant baddies, ultimately decimated the Halo ring, and was floating in a loan fighter out in space. Only a few humans survived the Halo experience. Most importantly was the old time sob Cap. Johnson. This character provides much of the comic relief throughout the series, and is one of the most developed personalities. Captain Keyes passed away, but by the second game the player is introduced to his daughter.

Halo: Combat Evolved was so close to perfection that only one thing could halt a perfect score. Back in the day, Xbox Live was the “new” thing, and Halo did not support on-line multiplayer. This resulted in painstaking efforts to create LAN parties, and a missed opportunity at big bucks for Microsoft. Fortunately for everyone Halo 2 came out a few years later.

Halo 2 was the final confirmation that this franchise was a hug success. Millions of copies and dollars resulted from its release. The second chapter offered new features like duel wielding, and removed the health bars. Now players were only worried about their shields dropping before death. Vehicles became destructible, and more were added to mix. Most importantly, the multiplayer supported on-line play, and the exciting story was going to be continued.

The campaign, unfortunately, could not be experience on-line in a co-op mode. This lead to a slow steady process of not caring about the single player portion of the game. Multiplayer is where it was at. Sure the campaign introduced a new character called the Arbiter. He’s this really nifty Covenant Elite who eventually joins forces with the humans and the MC. (By the way, the Elite are just one of many alien species that make up the Covenant.) Together they stop the ape like Brutes and the Prophet of Regret from activating the Halo rings—which would result in a galaxy wide genocide of all life capable of Flood infection. But really, this was a minor thrill compared to the awesome times on Xbox Live. Multiplayer is so well developed in this series that it often takes priority to mastering the campaign mode. Hours were spent killing random players and massive amounts of shit talking took place. To top it all off all the on-line carnage is reported for all to see at www.bungie.net.

By the end of Halo 2, the MC was a stowaway on board the Prophet of Truth’s ship heading towards the invasion of Earth. Halo 3 picks up from there, as the MC crash lands from space somewhere in Africa. Unlike Halo 2, the only playable character in the story is the MC, but the Arbiter and other Elites fill the role of any friends that wish to play co-op. That’s right, “and others.” Halo 3 features four player co-op for the entire campaign, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Bungie went all out for this next generation game. The story is completed. Gameplay improved with the introduction of new and renewed weapons, equipment, and vehicles. On-line multiplayer is again present, in addition to level editors and recorded game sessions. As with the first two games Halo 3 set the bar astronomically high for console shooters.

At the end of the trilogy, the MC is floating in unknown space with Cortana. The Arbiter and the Elites take off into the sunset to settle their own affairs. Earth remembers the great loss from this horrendous war and begins to rebuild. Meanwhile, you can go on-line, kick some major ass, customize your armor, and create your own multiplayer maps. The few faults this series has—the over powered Battle Rifle and repetitive level design—are barely noticeable when looking at the overall package. Halo 3, and the series as a whole, gets nothing less then a perfect score: 5 out of 5.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Game: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

System: Just about everything!

Release: November 2007

Recently Activision and Infinity Ward released downloadable content for the hit game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The map pack introduced four new arenas for players to experience, and grossed an estimated $10 million during the first ten days. This is followed by over three months of toping the Xbox Live most played charts. Needless to say this game kicks some major ass, and will now get some attention on the somewhat neglected Rubber’s Review. Be warned for the three or four people who have never played this game—there are some spoilers.

COD4 offers tons of action to anyone brave enough to pick up the sticks. Taking a duel role in the single player game, you will experience the adventures of a soldier for the British S.A.S. and U.S. Marines. Each add compelling points of view to the overall story, and play slightly different roles. The S.A.S. missions offer a relatively stealthier approach to combat. A smaller number of comrades are present in these missions, and snipping is a brutally effective tactic used to the fullest potential. The infamous gunny suit mission has a player sneaking around an enemy battalion to take out the main objective. The final shot is taken miles away with the coriolis effect and wind being major factors in the mission’s success. Of course after you hit your target an entire army is out to ensure you never make another badass assassination attempt.

The U.S. Marine missions are equally intense but in a different way. The U.S. typically employee’s brute force in their tactics and COD4 illustrates this vividly. Marines will be dieing left and right, but don’t worry there are plenty of soldiers to back you up. The majority of missions have the player charge, search, and clear various buildings. Wielding the helicopter guns as you punch through the urban jungle searching for key targets, the Marines are often met with wave after wave of enemies touting sniper rifles, AK-47’s, and RPGs. These bad boys are also smarter then your average terrorist. They will take cover, flank, and communicate with each other to ensure you die—frequently.

One of the features that make this single player experience outstanding is the use of non-traditional FPS moments throughout the game. Players will take on the P.O.V. of the recently overthrown president as he is delivered to his executioner. Looking side to side you see murders, tanks, and battalions throughout the streets in some “Iraq like” nation. There is also the sniper mission already mentioned, and the entertaining “Death from Above” level that places the player high up in an air support gunship. Think big explosions and lots of death—from above. Finally there are more cinematic moments where players get to make epic shots in slow motion, or witness their own demise as a nuclear devise is detonated a few miles from your position. These moments add something different to the campaign that is rarely seen in most games in this genre.

Sadly this great single player experience is just that—single player. There is no co-op of any kind, and this is defiantly a let down. With so many games, even the crappy ones, employing cooperative story modes there is no excuse for this horrendous situation. The other issue is the overall length of the single player. Six hours does not cut it when the genres average is eight to ten hours. Sure the Arcade Mode will add some replay value, but even going through each mission twice comes to a pitiful twelve hours. Fortunately the multiplayer is arguably the best FPS experience around.

The standard games-types await the contenders of Xbox Live. There is no CTF, however, everything else seems to be available—Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Sabotage, Domination, etc. To ensure players continue to play until COD5, there is semi-brilliant leveling system. Players start off with the bare essentials in terms of weapons, perks, and explosives. Upon reaching level four these three categories become customizable, and as the player levels more tools of destruction become available.

Weapons should be fairly self explanatory. Rest assured this game takes full advantage of every single piece of currently used weaponry. My personal favorites include the G36C, M16, and P90. These weapons, however, are available based on your level. Don’t expect to be wielding the deadly .50 cal sniper rifle in your first fight. Perks are a variety of “power ups” that gives your character a personalized play style. Players can customize a snipping character with Iron Lungs for a longer lasting steady shot, and Deep Impact for increased damage. Conversely, a stealthily fast soldier can be created with the UV (radar) Jammer and Extreme Conditioning for a longer sprint. These various perks provide a unique edge for players, and are remarkably balanced. Explosives come in a variety of styles. RPGs, claymores, C4, and of course a plethora of grenades will ensure plenty of big bada-booms! Like weapons the full arsenal of perks and explosives is not available until the player reaches the level cap at 55.

The leveling system is often a complaint that is easily found throughout the gaming community. This is a minor issue in my opinion, and adds much more then it takes away. Players have the ability to pick up fallen weapons, and anyone with any decent amount of skill can unlock the various perks quickly. The leveling system is cumulative, and the various challenges reward large amount of experience for rapid leveling. “But that evil man snipes me all the time with his .50 cal, and he always calls in support strikes!!!” Ok, yes, this happens. Players can score killing streak support items like Air Strikes and Helicopters with greater ease utilizing the higher level features. The beauty of this game is lower level players can call in support too. The same Air Strike is called in with a M16 kill streak as with a G36C. For those who enjoy the leveling up process there is a Prestige system to further the life of this wonderful game. Players can restart from level 1, and begin to re-earn everything over again. The reward is bragging rights with a shiny medal to indicate your rank.

So, incase you haven’t figured it out yet, this game is a must own. Superior graphics depict everything from the bullet shell to the butterfly near the creek. The gameplay is solid, and adds numerous needed features to the FPS genre. Sprinting will be seen in many a game to come, throwing grenades back is awesome, and the overall feel of the controls will make you wish all games played this smooth. The sound is so close to perfect that your neighbors may call the cops out of the fear that a revolution as just begun. Add to this a solid yet short single player, and a fantastic multiplayer, and you have an outstanding score of 4.9 out of 5. The only thing holding this game short of perfection is its lack of co-op, and limiting special features that are available in games like Halo 3—namely recording games and level editors. Despite these minor flaws this game remains #1 in the charts and the numbers do not lie.

Top 5 Most Wanted 2008

Last year produced some major hits in video game industry. Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Guitar Hero, Bioshock, Mass Effect and other extraordinary games filled up countless hours with some great times. They also happened to make a pretty penny. Number 1 in the last category being Activision who’s COD4 and Guitar Hero raked in record sales. Halo 3 also sold a shit-ton of copies—shit-ton is a legit measurement on this site. I shouldn’t, however, leave out hardware sales. Nintendo’s Wii and DS units were the top seller this past year. With recently released games like Super Smash Brothers Brawl and Super Mario Galaxy, Nintendo fans will have plenty of fun in 2008. PS3 owners will someday have a reason to play games, but for now they have a kick ass Blue-Ray DVD player.

Personally I could care less about Nintendo and Sony due to my lack of funding. If I had some sort of support system—people giving me money for free—then I would be able to experience many of the games released for these systems. But seeing how I don’t have any lucrative supporters I’ll just give my Top 5 most anticipated games.

1. Ninja Gaiden II: What can I say? The original was probably the best action/adventure slasher game ever created. The sequel promises more weapons, everlasting blood stains, and improved gameplay. The difficulty will still ensue with numerous foes attempting to murder Ryu as he travels through some new awesome adventure. I can’t wait to take this game on.


Grand Theft Auto IV: Lets see. GTA IV…yeah enough said.


3. Fable 2: Fable was one of the best RPG’s for the Xbox. Morals, chicken kicking, and sex were just some of the interesting features this game offered. It was no where close to the excellent plot quality that is experienced with Bioware games, but Peter Molyneux provided a compelling experience that had surprisingly long replay value. The combat system had some issues, but was overall fun. The game could be exploited, but there were numerous moments that made you laugh, and the world was captivating. Fable 2 promises improvements on the faults and new options. Co-op, guns, and a unique interface system dependent on a pet dog. I personally have doubts on the effectiveness on some of these issues, but the game will draw me away from reality for at least a few weeks this year.

4. Ghostbusters: On the Commodor 64 there was a Ghostbusters game that made little sense to my eight year-old self. Still it was one of my favorite games. Capturing ghosts and driving around in the Ghostbuster car was always fun. The upcoming version seems to have impressive graphics and casting from the original motion pictures. Players take on the role of a new recruit, and I’m sure some interesting plot twists occurs that dictates a heroic act or two. This game may end up being a renter, but hopefully it will become a keeper.

5. Mercenaries 2: World in Flames: Sorry to my avid readers. This game is probably not worthy of a Top 5 anything, but I’m currently working on it as a QA. This means shameless promotion for the company that employs me. Merc’s 2 should be a fun game. There is mass destruction, forest fires, weapons, vehicles, and more. All the features of the previous game are present, and there are plenty of new twists. Even gamers who own a PS2 will be honored with a not so advanced version of the game. The action is solid and this game is worthy of a rental, or maybe pick it up after you are sick of GTA IV.One more Ninja Gaiden Shot:

World of Warcraft: PvP

Welcome to the final segment of my three part series on the epic hit World of Warcraft. Player versus player combat, aka PvP, is the topic of this post, and it is also the reason I continue to play WoW. I simply find the encounters with the opposing faction incessantly changing and challenging.

PvP lives and breathes in Battlegrounds, Arena Matches, and World PvP. Each offer a unique experience, but only Battlegrounds and Arena Matches produce epic gear. Players can play in four different Battlegrounds to earn Honor Points and Battleground Tokens. These are “cashed in” with various vendors that sell a variety of items like potions, mounts, and weapons. The four Battlegrounds offer a host of objective games that reward team work and coordination. Also, each weekend offers the opportunity to earn double honor points for a particular Battleground. In lieu of a more detailed explanation I put together this sexy little video to highlight the four different Battlegrounds.

Looks fun doesn’t it? Out of all the Battlegrounds Alterac Valley (AV) yields the greatest amount of Honor Points. There is simply more objectives to complete, and people to kill in this game type. Players from across the world would tend to agree. There is never a shortage of AV games, and during AV weekends I’ve seen up to thirty games going at once. That’s pretty impressive when you consider that AV games consist of eighty human players each. Unfortunately there is a downside to the Battleground system. There are only four maps to play, and after three years they tend to get old. There have been many posts on this subject on the World of Warcraft official website, and it is unfortunate that Blizzard hasn’t produced new maps.

The other route for epic PvP gear is the Arena. Here players compete in a 2v2, 3v3, or 5v5 death match. In the Arena factions do not matter—Horde can fight Horde and Alliance will fight Alliance. Goblins run this brutal sport, and they never miss an opportunity to earn a profit. Players will have to fork up some gold to form an Arena team before stepping into the ring. Teams are ranked based on there win/loss ratio, and must play a minimum of ten games a week to get points. The more wins a team gets the more points they will earn every Tuesday. Also the bigger teams yield more points so finding a good 5v5 is the fastest way to epics. The gear and weapons that the Arena points can buy is simply phenomenal. Players in Arena gear are something to be feared. The Goblins give you all the tools you need to kick ass. Tons of stamina and resilience keeps you alive, and the damage kills whatever crosses your path. There is also healing gear for those who enjoy that important aspect of the game. This weapon http://www.wowhead.com/?item=34540 is a great example of the power of the Arena rewards.

The final place to get your PvP fix is…well…anywhere. On any server players can gear up in Battlground and Arena games, and then show off their epic gear by raiding towns, cities, or outposts. Players don’t necessarily have to have good gear to participate in World PvP, but it defiantly helps. One of the more famous places for World PvP is Southshore and Tarren Mill. I’ve seen dozens and dozens of players near these towns continue to slaughter each other for no particular reason. It’s awesome! Some zones encourage PvP with objective games. In Nagrand, for example, factions can control the center island Halaa. To gain control of Halaa, players take off from four different flight points to throw bombs onto the opposing factions elite guards. After all the guards die the attackers must remain near the center of Halaa for a brief time before their own elite guards spawn. During all of this the opposing faction will attempt to kill you and destroy the various flight points. Players who participate in this World PvP action are rewarded with gear, bags, and a unique mount called the Talbuk. Finally, if this whole objective PvP bores the average player, there is the option to invade a capital city. Rumors float around that if a raid successfully kills the leader of a city, they are able to rename the capital as they see fit. The name change supposedly lasts twenty-four hours.

With so much variety WoW’s PvP content could of easily earned a 5 out of 5. This, however, would ignore the lack of new maps for the various Battlegrounds. The resulting repetition from the same old maps warrants a lower score: 4.9 out of 5. Hopefully a patch in the near future will rectify this situation. Until then I’ll just have to settle with killing the Alliance in the same old places.

PvE in the World of Warcraft!

Hello to all my dedicated readers out there. I know the two of you are probably curious as to why I haven’t been posting lately, and if you haven’t, just shut up and let me have my fantasy. Recently I was hired by EA games as a Quality Assurance Tester. That’s just a fancy way to say that I test video games for a living. This means I might actually have a shot at making a career in the video game industry, or at the very least get some insider info on upcoming titles. Don’t expect anything top secret, but you can bet that I will have a few posts about the games I’m working on. Another ramification of my new job is less free time. This is not a bad thing for my personal life, but it does mean that this blog will not be updated as frequently as before. Worry not avid readers. Today, I will continue my series on the epic MMORPG: World of Warcraft.

Many WoW veterans would attest that the game changes once a player reaches the level cap at seventy. In the beginning players are focused on leveling up to receive new spells, abilities, and to explore new lands. With all the spells and abilities unlocked, the only thing left to do is to improve the effectiveness of a hero’s role in the Holy Trinity (see previous post for description), and to continue to investigate the vast lands of Outland and Azeroth.

For players who are serious about end game content it is vital to understand the various mechanics that create successful encounters. Players need gear, coordinated team work, and detailed knowledge of the dangers throughout the World of Warcraft. It isn’t necessary to be all knowing, especially if a guild has good raid leaders, but it is vital for players to know there role. The ultimate goal for PvE content is centered on a guild’s progression through the various high level dungeons or instances. There are dozens and dozens of dungeons. This website http://www.wowwiki.com/Instance will provide you with a nice chart of all the possible instances available at this time. Note that new content is continually added to this game, and this list will get bigger in the near future.

Dungeons progression is based on how powerful the rewards are, and the difficulty of the encounters. Upon reaching seventy players will have to access there own gear, and determine which dungeons will provide challenging yet not impossible experience. If a player has uncommon (green font) and rare (blue font) items, than they are probably not ready to attempt a twenty-five man raid. Do not worry. There are dozens of instances to experience and all dungeons in Outlands, and a few in Azeroth, can be experienced on a Heroic difficulty. This increases the difficulty and improves the rewards of the dungeon. Players can collect Heroic tokens that drop off bosses to exchange for epic (purple font) gear, and the bosses themselves can drop better than average loot. Even epic gear has its own progression system. Players can achieve various Tier sets to denote there current participation in high end dungeons. Do not get confused about the numbering system. Before the expansion was released, Tiers 1-3 were sets that players achieved when the level cap was sixty. These epic sets are now obsolete, and many players will not experience the dungeons they drop in.

Players at seventy often begin raiding with the ten-man dungeon Karazhan. This place is chalk full of unique encounters, and its completion is considered the first major milestone for guild progression. The first few pieces of the Tier 4 set are collected here along with other powerful rewards. I can remember the early days of the expansion when this place was THE challenge for my server. Now a days it is just a small stepping stone that shouldn’t be a problem for any decent guild. There are tons of unique encounters, and many of the bosses provide great experience for higher end content. Some of my personal favorites are the Opera Event, the Chess Event, and the fight against Shade of Aran. Like most end game content there is also a rich and detailed history that unlocks some interesting lore about the various inhabitants of Karazhan. Unfortunately, for me, Karazhan is the only high end dungeon that I have successfully completed. There are many reasons for this, but I will not bore you with my tale. Just know that the information to follow is simply observed and not played personally by me.

A good friend of mine plays a Warlock named Roors, and he got into the only competent raiding guild on the Drak’thul server: Eternal. I had the pleasure of watching him for four hours—yes raids take anywhere from two to six hours—as Eternal cleared the twenty-five man raid Hyjal Summit. This encounter rewards players with their Tier 6 set pieces along with other very powerful equipment.

Hyjal Summit is divided into three parts: the Alliance Camp, the Horde Camp, and the Tree of Life. Each camp faces wave and wave of invading enemies and two bosses. The last place is where players find the final boss Archimonde. There is a ton of lore that ties into this encounter that relates to events in both the World of Warcraft and the RTS Warcraft III. Also the amount of coordination necessary to succeed is simply amazing. Every player must know there role, and perform it flawlessly or else everyone dies. At any given time there where over fifty characters on the screen—both enemies and allies. The battle felt as huge as the any epic battle seen in movies like Lord of the Rings. Eternal was able to clear the entire instance with only two wipes. Impressive!

Many players will never see Hyjal Summit. This will either be a personal choice, or they will simply never find the other twenty-four competent players to be successful. This doesn’t mean that players can’t enjoy end game content. There are numerous dungeons with unique encounters that will often keep raiders busy seven days a week. Blizzard as done an excellent job of providing fun and challenging dungeons that provide months of entertainment. Finally new instances are consistently released providing the next challenge for the top guilds. With so much variety, potential, and fun the PvE content of World of Warcraft scores 5 out of 5.