Constants and Variables

Game--Bioshock: Infinite

System--PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Release--March, 2013


When I first heard of Bioshock: Infinite my expectations were low. The prequel to the ever popular Bioshock couldn't possibly be better. How could it top the under the sea dystopian antics of Ryan and Fontaine? Especially after the sequel panned out to be a pale imitation of it's predecessor.

The answer lies in time manipulation and companionship. Similar to Half-Life 2, Infinite tells a tale through the interactions of the main playable character, Booker, and the non-playable character, Elizabeth. The relationship between the two characters is one of the driving forces pushing the plot, and it is well executed.

Many touching moments are shared between Elizabeth and Booker that are seldom seen in games today. There are also strong themes throughout the story that range from religion and industrialization; to temporal distortions and paternal problems. Not surprising, the city in the clouds has much in common with its sister in the sea.

Booker is sent to the city of Columbia with a simple task. Find Elizabeth to wipe away his debt. Taking place during the early 1900's the American city is a utopia for the privileged white elite. You know. Those kind folks who didn't appreciate Lincolns little war. They just wanted a safe haven to practice their faith, and protect their white babies. Turns out it's a heck of a lot easier to secede from the Union when you are a floating city in the sky. Of course Columbia doesn't reject their darker skinned brothers and sisters. Someone has to work in the industrial sector, and keep the place spic and span.

Naturally the town goes to hell in a hand basket shortly after Booker arrives. He has to fight his way through waves of armed forces using any gun he can find and Plasmids--I mean Vigors. That's the bottled goodness granting you magic from your finger tips.

There's decent variation between enemies, but the guns could have been better. Luckily the Vigors nicely supplement the lackluster arsenal. If you've played any of the Bioshocks, then you'll be familiar with the gameplay. The powers are different, but not to the point of confusion. Fire is fire. Lightening is Lightening. Bees are now Crows. etc. The new twists lie with your partner and the Skyline.


Elizabeth is your best buddy in a firefight. She will throw ammo, salts (used to refill your Vigors), and health packs when you need it most. She can also make all sorts of items appear with her temporal powers.

Not to be outdone. Booker can leap on to the overhead railing and zip around the area in style. The swashbuckling feel is enjoyable, and landing on unsuspecting enemies is rewarding. The rail device attaches to the left hand, which also doubles as a viscous melee weapon. Players can access melee, guns, or powers at any time without having to switch between the three. As a result the whole combat system feels more streamlined, and the action wasn't interrupted as frequently as past titles.

Infinite does a great job implementing new tactics into a familiar setting, while simultaneously redefining the Bioshock universe. The developers brilliantly found a way to explain why the formula would be copied from the previous titles. Elizabeth is gifted with some serious temporal powers that allow her to tear open time itself. This provides all sorts of interesting twists and turns throughout the story. By the end players will have a completely new perspective of this fictional playground.

If you are like me, then you'll immediate start up a new game to catch all the foreshadowing and innuendo. Bioshock: Infinite is easily my favorite game of the year, and I'm looking forward to the upcoming downloadable content Burial at Sea.

Fallout Lite

Game: Rage

System: PS3, Xbox 360, PC

Release: October 2011

Rage was one of those games I really wanted to love. The classic post apocalypse setting. Vehicle races and combat. Open world environment. Gorgeous graphics and smooth gameplay. All are ingredients for a great game, but something was missing. That something was variety.

If you've played the first half of Rage, then stop. The second half is exactly the same. Find the main town. Get some guns and vehicles. Upgrade equipment by earning money from completing missions and races. Watch towns get taken over by the "Authority" as secrets from your past are revealed. End with some sort of climax. Rinse, wash, repeat. It's like having sex twice in a row. Everything is still fun, but you've seen it all before and it takes longer to finish.

The plot is almost a blatant rip off of Fallout 3. Instead of Vaults there are Arks. Instead of The Enclave there is The Authority. Instead of ghouls there are mutants. The main character wakes up/escapes/leaves the Vault/Ark to change the chaotic world that has risen from the ashes. Outside they encounter multiple factions that range from wild mutants to small settlements to large cities. Rage is like Fallout stripped of the compelling plot, interesting setting, and RPG elements. It's Fallout Lite with vehicles.

Gameplay is what you would expect from a title developed by Id. In this regard, the creators of Doom and Quake have not lost their FPS touch. The controls are smooth and responsive. Driving is fun, and reminds me of my days working on Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. Weapons are your standard FPS arsenal with the exception of the crossbow and wingsticks. The latter is basically the boomerang the kid used in the movie Mad Max, and both are a vain attempt to provide a stealth option.

Enemies could be smarter, and most encounters follow the standard FPS rhythm. Melee characters will charge blindly into your cross-hair. Gunslingers will attempt to hide behind cover yet always seem to poke their head out just long enough for you to get a shot off. If you stay in one spot for too long, then a grenade will be tossed to force you from cover. None of this is bad, but it hardly provides anything unique to a saturated genre.

The standard gameplay formula is enhanced by the top notch graphics and sound. I found myself staring at the vast landscape and beautiful clouds for minutes at a time. Character models are nicely detailed. The voice acting is a mix of no names and celebrities like John Goodman, but all deliver their lines well. The music fits the environment, but doesn't particularly stand out. All in all the presentation is the strongest selling point for Rage.

Presentation alone, however, doesn't make for a great game. The unoriginal plot was poorly executed. The repetition is terrible, and affects everything from pacing to gameplay. If this game was released when the PS3 and Xbox 360 launched, then it could have been a hit. Yet after so many years of shooters Rage fails to stand out from the crowd.

One Box to Rule Them All

Today Microsoft revealed the new Xbox console to be released later this year. Called Xbox One, the system is striving for dominance in the living room of tomorrow.

Reminiscent of an old VHS player, the physical look of the new machine is unimpressive. That said, the first Xbox was also a giant box, and that didn't stop me from enjoying some excellent games. What's under the hood is more important.

Xbox One is definitely an upgrade from the Xbox 360. The RAM goes from 512 MB to 8 GB. Standard hard disk drive goes from 20 to 500 GB. Cloud software is no longer just for saving. With the new system cloud computing can take over some of the processing power. This will allow developers to create larger multiplayer matches thanks to the dedicated servers. Currently the average game allows 16 to 32 players, but with the upgrade, games will be able to reach up to 128 players. Cloud computing will also allow players to access their achievements and installed games from whatever console they sign in on. No more memory cards, or person-to-person MP, thanks to this new tech.

Xbox One features a built in wi-fi adapter and a blu-ray player. This doesn't seem like much for PS3 owners, but for Xbox fans it's a welcomed addition. There is no backwards compatibility, and for the most part the controller is the same. The system is also extremely quite compared to previous consoles.

The Kinect is now a standard feature, and has received a significant update to its capabilities. The new camera is 1080p, and captures video at 60 frames per second. The motion based system can now detect your entire body with greater ease, measure your heart rate, and voice commands run everything and anything the console has to offer. Interestingly the controller wasn't even apart of the main demonstration today. The speakers utilized Kinect and smartphones to navigate through the presentation.

Overall the hardware upgrades seem decent enough. I would have liked more RAM, and an HDD seems out of date compared to the SSD tech seen in today's PCs. The lack of backwards compatibility is a shame. The Kinect seems to have improved, but without personally testing the device I can't say for sure. (Past experience with the 360 version has left me unimpressed.) Cloud computing is a welcomed addition, yet I wonder how long the dedicated servers will remain open. The beauty of peer-to-peer system is the game lives on as long as there is another person to play with or against. Will Microsoft go the EA route, and shutdown servers a few years after a game is released?

Microsoft is definitely taking a page from EA in regards to used, and rented, games. All Xbox One games will have to be installed onto the hard drive. Once installed the game links to your Xbox Live account. If you want to play the game on another Xbox One, then you will have to pay a fee for the second install. No more going to a friends house with your game to play on their console. Hell, you can't even play the same game, in the same house, on two separate systems. This seems terrible to a person who grew up sharing games with friends and siblings.

GameFly and GameStop are in for some changes as this "feature" will directly effect their businesses. Are you willing to pay an extra fee, on top of the costs of the used game, to play? How will game rental business continue to operate? These are questions that will have to be answered as more information is revealed about Xbox One.

Besides the hardware, the main focus of today's unveiling was to showcase Microsoft's ambitions to dominate your living room. Need to make a phone call? Use Skype on Xbox One. Want to watch TV? Give a verbal command, and Kinect will switch to your cable box. Need to check out your fantasy team stats? Don't bother with the tablet. Use the "Snap In" feature to simultaneously surf the web while watching ESPN.

The "Snap In" idea is really neat, but anyone used to a PC will probably produce a patronizing sigh. The Xbox One basically allows you to have two working windows at once. Taking a phone call on your TV may also take some getting used to, and I wonder how clear the communication is when the Kinect is across the living room. Finally switching between cable television, and your game console, can be done today with the TV remote. It's called the "input" button.

Not many games were showcased today, but this is no surprise with E3 right around the corner. Of course EA came on stage to hype up the same sports titles gamers have seen since the Sega/SNES days. Also, Call of Duty: Ghost was featured. None of the videos showed significant gameplay, and mostly touted the tech behind the game. Am I suppose to be excited for fish with AI and a dog, or that new physics engine for sports titles? Cause I'm not.


Microsoft has a long ways to go before I start pinching pennies for an Xbox One. The new features showcased today didn't produce any "wow" factor, and I'm concerned with some of the upcoming changes. Perhaps my opinion will change once more games are hyped at E3, or maybe it's time for me to start looking at the PS4. 

Zombie Action-Galaxy 3

Game: Dead Space 3

Systems: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Release: January 2013

Issac Clark and company are back for another space zombie adventure. Unfortunately fans of the first two games may be disappointed with the latest installment. The franchise has shifted heavily towards the action genre. Gone are the horror soaked atmospheres and schizophrenic hallucinations of old. Instead players are given shootouts, explosions, and the worst story of the series.

Dead Space 3 is not a bad game. The mechanics are solid. The new weapon building system is intriguing, and co-op is always fun in my book. Sound and graphics are top notch. Yet looking past all the polish fans will notice something is missing. The core that defined this franchise has been replaced with something foreign.

Starting with the story. The Dead Space universe consists of two major organizations Earth Gov and the crazed religious cult Unitologists. In the latest game the Unitologists have taken over releasing Markers (the items that creates the Necromorphs aka space zombies) all across the galaxy. Earth Gov is pretty much non-existent, and Markers are now more common then 7-Eleven's.

Unlike the last few games there is no mystery. No back and forth between government officials and cult members. The story moves from one explosion to the next while pushing a terrible love triangle peppered with a dash of bromance.

Ellie makes a return, and Issac's dead wife seems to be finally gone. Ellie and Issac have a romantic past, but she is currently seeing a solider named Norton. Of course Norton and Issac are butt hurt that Ellie has slept with more then one dude. The whole situation is like a bad soap opera.

The other characters are only around to spit out tech jargon, and provide Issac with additional tasks. Laughter spewed forth whenever one of them inevitably died because Issac acted like he cared so deeply for each of them. With the exception of Ellie, Issac just meet the entire cast. Hard to believe he'd be all choked up after all the shit he's been through. The bad acting doesn't help either. I felt like I was watching the South Park episode "Lice Capades".

Carver (another solider who is the second playable character in co-op) is probably my favorite , but even he has the most random lines. Towards the end of the game he asks Issac, "Does this make up for all the bad that I've done?" Uh, I guess? Who cares. There's more space zombies to shoot.

The co-op is actually really fun, but again it doesn't feel like Dead Space. Going around with your buddy makes you feel less vulnerable. You go from Ripley to a pair of Rambo's. Your inventory is saved/used for all modes i.e. it's the same no matter who's game your in. This makes it easy to collect a lot of supplies, which also hinders the whole survival horror aspect.

Additionally, the third game lacks any real mental struggles. The random schizophrenic hallucinations seen in the other tittles helped with the pacing and kept things interesting. Issac was going bat shit crazy in the past, but this time around he seems like a depressed loser. A glorified Mr. Fix-it who's out to save the universe because his ex-girlfriend asked him to.

If you can get past the terrible story, and don't care for the franchises survival horror aspect, then Dead Space 3 maybe right for you. Crafting weapons is pretty rad. One of my favorites is the rivet sub-machine gun connected to a device that hovers spinning buzz saws in front of you. The action segments are not as memorable as the other games, but they are fun. Co-op is also a neat addition to the franchise. All in all Dead Space 3 has a lot to offer despite its short comings, and continues to be one of my favorite series from Electronic Arts.

Halo Confessional a'la Snerts

Fans, friends, and foes alike know how much I love the Halo franchise. The first game blew my mind, and gave me a new perspective on the first person shooter. Halo 2 and 3 were fantastic upgrades that, particularly for the multiplayer segment, raised the bar significantly for all contenders in the genre.

Not many titles provides a map maker; campaign mode with four player co-op options; amazing multiplayer; and a recording system that captures the fun in every match played. They also provided numerous DLC packages, for a cost of course, and unprecedented website support that tracked an insane amount of stats--something previously excluded from console players. The folks at Bungie could do no wrong!

Then, years later the contenders challenged that notion. Today Call of Duty and Battlefield reign supreme for action packed shooters. The latest Call of Duty's also provide a theater mode, but still lack any map builder options. Other games like Left 4 Dead and Mass Effect 3 provide alternatives to the more traditional route that provide unique on-line co-operative experiences.

The Halo franchise responded to these changes with ODST, Reach, and now Halo 4. The first introduced a non-spartan perspective, and a new mode called Firefight. This co-operative game pitted players against unending waves of enemies. ODST was overall a neat game, but couldn't compare to the previous tittles.

The second response was Reach, a prequel to the events in the first game, which really tried hard to deliver a compelling story. I think to a certain extent Bungie succeeded. Unfortunately, by this time, the changes to the gameplay felt like a vain attempt to catch up to the top contenders.

Reach introduced armor abilities, which is arguably the most significant upgrade to the franchise. Players can now activate a variety of power ups like invisibility, or equip a jet pack. Oddly enough sprint was also an armor ability; a standard for most shooters on the current console generation. Another important feature was the pregame load outs that became available for multiplayer games.

Just like Call of Duty, Spartans can now sprint and pick which guns they start with. Just like Tribes there are now jet packs. The Halo franchise has an odd habit of just borrowing ideas from other games. Hoping the extra topping on that old pizza makes it more appetizing.

Now there is Halo 4. The culmination of years of catch up. A new studio gave me the naive impression that something new, bold, and exciting would be produced. Especially with the big bucks from Microsoft funding this project for years. Yet after three levels of the campaign, an hour of multiplayer, and thirty minutes of the new mode Spartan Ops; I was already sick of the game.

Mind you I played many more hours since that moment and writing this post. Trying desperately to find something that I found fun and addictive. I couldn't. After playing other modern FPS games I just couldn't find the fun in Halo anymore.

Halo 4 was advertised, like all the big blockbuster games, as a the next new adventure for the Master Chief. What's so new about this game? 343 Industries took away multiple enemies, weapons, and multiplayer game modes. Guess they thought removing some of those old toppings would make that decade old pizza look tasty again.

Players face off against a Covenant force that excludes Brutes and Drones. The Flood is also absent from the campaign. To make up for their absences the developer added Promethean's (cough Mass Effect cough), which includes three new enemies. There is the flying unit that buffs allies, the fast enemy who runs in packs, and your standard strong solider. Sorry to say these additions aren't enough to make up for the subtractions, and the encounters get boring quickly.

Changes to weapons in Halo 4 echoes the issues with the enemies. The new weapons from the "new enemies" amount to nothing but clones of what was already available. A sniper rifle is a sniper rifle no matter what reload animation the game displays. I cannot think of one new weapon that was significantly different then any of the previous titles. Additionally some really awesome guns were excluded from Halo 4 like the Needler Rifle or the sticky grenade launcher.

Then there is multiplayer. Gone are such MP modes as Free for All, Firefight, and Invasion. The only significant changes to gameplay are the mech vehicle, a sprint button (finally), and strike packages that are awarded for kill streaks in certain game modes. Spartan Ops, the new co-op experience, is like CoD's Spec Ops with more cut scenes. Overall the MP was the most fun, but also reaffirmed my disappointment with Halo 4.

Finally there is the story. The plot to Halo 4 makes Halo 2's annoying cliff hanger look awesome. Why do I have to watch hours of video, outside of the game, to understand the convoluted plot presented to me? Where's my action packed experience? There was nothing gripping, or exciting, about the campaign in Halo 4, and that's with one of the major character being killed (or at least she's dead for now).

All in all, if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm over the Halo franchise. Short of an epic movie, I do not feel compelled to buy anything Halo for a very long time. I love the universe, but I'm sick of being disappointed. Which oddly enough reminds me a lot of the Matrix.

Snerts recommends a rental for Halo fans and avoid at all costs for FPS pros.

DLC Hodge-Podge

Greetings true believers! This post will cover some of the DLC that I've experienced since the beginning of this year for Batman: Arkham City and Deadspace 2.

Arkham City:

Unlike the previous tittle Arkham City has seen a ton of post launch support. Some of the content was available since day one in the guise of pre-order bonuses, but eventually everything went up for sale on Xbox Live or the PSN. The slew of content contains different costumes for Batman as well as new maps and characters for the Riddler Challenge Mode.

The most boring pack only gives you costumes for Batman to wear in the campaign or challenge mode. The kicker is you have to complete the game before changing tights. If you are not planning multiple playthroughs, then you may want to avoid this purchase. Luckily the other content packs are a bit more robust.

The Robin pack features the character by the same name and two maps. Robin feels like a weaker version of Batman with a few unique gadgets and a staff. In particular, I enjoyed the remote detonating shock-wave mines. Like all non-Batman characters, Robin is lacking some key moves which really hinder his combat strength. Fans will automatically be frustrated when they can't destroy enemy weapons, or discovers the lack of gadgets in stealth situations. Regardless having different playable characters extends the replay value of the challenge mode.

Nightwing is also featured in his own DLC pack with a couple of new maps. As I mentioned with Robin, Dick is lacking some moves and gadgets compared to the Dark Knight. Unlike Robin I believe Nightwing holds his own in combat, and feels like an upgraded Catwoman. Most of his area of effect abilities are fantastic, and make up for the lack of take-down moves. For stealth sections NW can be a bit frustrating. He lacks the ability to glide, and many of his gadgets are glorified batarangs.

Both the Nightwing and Robin packs features awesome maps. Each comes with a stealth, and my personal favorite, brawler game modes. The train level found in the Robin pack gives a left to right string of events versus the more traditional open room design. The level ends with a boss fight against the Black Mask. The Nightwing pack has you exploring Wayne Manor, and the brawler features a good mixture of enemies.

Finally there is the map pack featuring two brawler levels and one stealth segment. I didn't care much for the Batcave sneaky stuff, but the other maps had unique twists to the typical combat scenario. The Iceberg Lounge is the cliche unending bad guy design. Villains will move faster, and weapons become more prevalent, as time goes on. Joker's Carnival is similar, but features a cash in system. Build up the meter by kicking ass and not getting hit. Any damage taken resets the meter. The higher the meter the more difficult the enemies. If you get up to a one-hundred hit combo Joker himself comes to crash the party. Fun stuff.

Obviously if you don't like the challenge mode in Arkham City the DLC content is not for you. There is no effect on the main story. The costumes are superficial. The new characters are a nice touch, but they are also not game changing. I only recommend this purchase for the die hard fans, or for people who seriously enjoy the challenge modes.

Deadspace 2: Severed


Severed is a short but sweet return to the world of Deadspace 2. Players take on the roll of a soldier named Gabe Weller. His story takes place during the events of the main game. Gabe is constantly coming across areas that Issac has plowed through, and is desperately trying to find his girlfriend Lexine Murdoch. She is the target of some government agents because of a big secret that is revealed towards the end of the two chapters.

The plot follows the general survival horror and conspiracy beats that Issac Clark experiences. The gameplay is unchanged, and because the main character is different all stats are reset. This is actually a good thing because it keeps the DLC challenging. There is one boss fight against a gunship, and the ending is cliche but well done.

Overall Servered is fun trip back to the world of Deadspace. A little short, but what's there is solid. I wouldn't recommend this content for fair weather fans. If, however, you can't wait for the next Deadspace, then Severed will help you scratch that itch.