Mass Effect

Mass Effect

Publisher: EA Games
Developer: BioWare Corporation
Category: Role-Playing
Release Dates
N Amer - 05/28/2008

OUTSTANDING AWARD

Overall: 9.5

In a year with tons of excellent games, BioWare’s Mass Effect was one of the standout titles of 2007. Offering deep gameplay, a robust universe and a compelling storyline, Mass Effect is one of the best RPG experiences to come out of BioWare’s coveted halls and one of the best you can pick up for the Xbox 360. Unfortunately, the title was a 360 exclusive, leaving PC owners in the dust.

Until now. Courtesy of Demiurge Studios, Mass Effect is now available for PC gamers, offering the same great gameplay that 360 owners have been experiencing for half a year now. Whereas the developers could have rested on their laurels, put out a shoddy straight port and called it good, Demiurge went one step further and geared the gameplay experience for the PC, with an intuitive new interface that feels natural, unlike any number of console-to-PC ports over the years. If you’re a PC gamer looking to play one of the finest RPGs of last (or any) year, now is your chance.

Mass Effect’s layered story allows you to play the game in myriad ways, but at least in the beginning, it plays out with you creating your personal avatar (with the fixed surname “Shepard”) and tweaking their appearance, gender, and nuances as you see fit. You become enveloped in a plot of treason within a universe that looks down upon humanity as a whole, and the decisions you make in battle as well as through conversations will impact the course of the game.

As an action-RPG, combat factors in heavily to Mass Effect. Fortunately, the PC version sports some great changes to make it more intuitive. Using the WASD keys to move your character, you can also aim your attacks with the mouse, like in an FPS. The interface has been changed to fit the weapons and biotic effects on one screen that is easily accessible by pausing the action, and then selecting your weapons and abilities, as well as doling out special orders to your teammates.

However, aside from the interface changes, you can also select hotkeys and assign special abilities and weapons to different keys on the keyboard. This allows you to change weapons on the fly, without relying on the pause screen. As a result, the action feels a lot more fluid than it did in the Xbox 360 version, and mapping special abilities feels natural on the keyboard and lets the battles move along a lot faster.

One downside to the new control scheme is that you cannot use a gamepad at all, relying solely on the keyboard-mouse configuration. Still, this is a minor gripe, as the new scheme feels quite comfortable and easy to get the hang of.

Another nice element in the PC version is that owners will be able to download the “Bring Down the Sky” content for free. While Xbox 360 owners have to pay for the added content, it will be complimentary to PC gamers once it releases. Unfortunately, it is not available yet as of this review, and therefore could not be factored into the rating.

Graphically, the game is not far removed from the Xbox 360 version, which is a good thing, since that version looked great. The characters have excellent facial animations and do a fine job of exhibiting emotion without appearing robotic. Additionally, the environments look lush and varied, adding a great sense of scope to the action. While there are a few issues here that were also somewhat problematic in the Xbox 360 version (like framerate stutters and pop-up), the game is still fantastic looking overall.

The sound department is also superb. The soundtrack is fantastic, with a subtle electronic score setting the mood nicely for the game, and the voice work is excellent (a good thing, since there is so much of it).

Even if the game were a straight port of the Xbox 360 game with no added extras or tweaks, it would still be easy to recommend. Luckily, Mass Effect adds enough changes and improvements to give it a whole-hearted thumbs up for any PC gamer who is a fan of RPGs and has yet to check this gem out.

Review Scoring Details for Mass Effect

Gameplay: 9.5
All of the excellent elements from the 360 version are present, with enough tweaks and interface improvements to make the experience unique and compelling for PC gamers.

Graphics: 9.0
Mass Effect makes great use of Epic’s Unreal Engine 3, with detailed facial expressions and gorgeous environments.

Sound: 9.5
The score is fantastic and sets the mood for the game nicely, and the voice acting is top-notch.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.5
A deep and engaging storyline filled with details and plot twists, Mass Effect would be a joy to play through even if the gameplay wasn’t up to snuff.

Overall: 9.5
If you’ve held out until now, this is your chance to play one of the best RPGs to hit in the past several years.

Devil May Cry 4 review and rating

It’s hard to believe that we’re already up to the fourth installment of the Devil May Cry series. What almost started off as a revised Resident Evil game has blossomed into its own series with its own rabid fans

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Devil May Cry 4

Devil May Cry 4

Publisher: Capcom Entertainment
Developer: Capcom Entertainment
Category: Action
Release Dates
N Amer - 07/08/2008

It’s hard to believe that we’re already up to the fourth installment of the Devil May Cry series. What almost started off as a revised Resident Evil game has blossomed into its own series with its own rabid fans. In the fourth installment the game no longer focuses on longtime hero Dante, instead we get a new antagonist called Nero. Nero is a wise-cracking angst-filled youngster who has amazing abilities thanks to one of his arms being demonic. Even though the characters may have changed the Devil May Cry experience is still the same action-packed, over-the-top gaming experience we’ve come to expect.

What I should mention right away is this isn’t a rushed port of the console game. Devil May Cry 4 is a beast of a game that was designed for some hardcore specs, usually the kind reserved for the latest first-person shooter extravaganza. The manual includes a comment that the game was developed and tested using nVidia GeForce 7, 8 and 9 series graphic cards. Further comments suggest that running the game using a GeForce 8800 card will let you run the game with all of the special effect settings turned. Additional comments state using a GeForce 9 series card will let you really experience the game. If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your graphics card now could be the time since Devil May Cry 4 is a powerful game that can use some intense hardware for all of the eye candy.

If you want a game to show off just how good a PC game can look Devil May Cry 4 is the game. This is a game full of amazing visuals from mission to mission. Huge backdrops full of rich, incredible details are everywhere in the game. Breathtaking lighting effects show up not only in dark mysterious areas but also in the stages set outside in bright sunlight. The boss battles fill the screen with encounters that will have your PC screaming for mercy due to the limitless action. Once again this game will push the limits when it comes to system requirements so be prepared.

As far as the game itself, well what we get is a game that still plays like a Devil May Cry game in my opinion. If you’ve never played Devil May Cry then the game can best be described as a third-person action game with enormous amounts of hack 'n slash elements. Throw in some 'lite' adventure elements such as finding items in the game and upgrading your moves lists. Then add some spooky, creepy and gruesome visuals similar to a Resident Evil game. Finally make sure you have a cocky, conceeded hero who can perform some of the most over-the-top moves. Mix all of these ingredients together and you get the Devil May Cry experience.

The same over-the-top action found in previous Devil May Cry (DMC) games return in DMC4. While some of the controls may have changed from previous DMC games, for many PC gamers DMC4 will probably be their first experience with series. Make sure you have the Xbox 360 Controller for Windows since the game was designed to be played with the 360 controller in mind. The game is immediately playable with the 360 controller with no remapping of buttons to worry about. All of my playing time with DMC4 was with the 360 controller. There is a keyboard layout option you can use but honestly I couldn’t imagine playing the game using the keyboard. Now that might be my console side of me coming out but the game feels just like a natural fit using the 360 controller. Now, that isn’t to say that the controls are worry free because there are some small issues.

While the overall experience is smooth with the controller the game still plays more like a button-mashing fest instead of a fine-tuned experience. Close range attacks with your sword are performed with the Y button. Long Range attacks are performed with the X button. The B button performs Devil Bringer moves, which reach out to grab nearby opponents. The Devil Bringer moves are the new moves in DMC4 since they are exclusive to Nero. For me the game loses focus when you start trying to pull off the combo moves you purchase during the game.

The combos felt very hit or miss to me, sometimes they worked but most of the times they didn’t. Even when they did work the game never seemed to change depending on the combos. Sure, you might have saved a few seconds in completion time but the enemies could still be defeated just bashing away on the controller. Performing special moves in the game were even more of a challenge since you have to hold down the right or left shoulder button. As you hold down one of the shoulder buttons you then need to press a certain direction and then hit a specific button to pull off special move. Once again these felt very imprecise with no sense of accuracy or precision. In the heat of battle it felt easier to forget about the combos and just bash away since they both did the same job.

Yet even with the off-balance controls I still had a blast playing the game. The action was still intense enough to make me want to keep playing. The almost-limitless enemies in certain areas never got old since I found that even just bashing away I was still pulling off some amazing moves. The Devil Bringer controls were especially fun to use during the game. Pulling in demons with the Devil Bringer and then smashing them to the ground never got old. Or jumping up in the air to pull a demon out from the sky or blasting away with your gun and then pummeling them with your sword were always satisfying.

One issue with the game is more of a Capcom issue in my opinion: the camera angle. The game does let you change the camera angle with the right analog stick but for some areas the camera angle is locked. This usually happens when you move from screen to screen because the game is still presented with the almost static/rendered backgrounds. This has been an issue with Capcom games since the original Resident Evil and it’s still an issue today. For example, you’re pressing down on your controller to move down towards the bottom of the screen. The screen then changes but your camera angle is now reversed and you’re now walking up instead of down. This causes you to go back to the previous screen you were just at. This happens far too often in the game so just be prepared. Thankfully most of the action in the game happens far away from these sore spots.

Story wise you do get a fairly forgettable plot with some interesting moments at time. Dante plays an important role in the game so be prepared for his appearance. If you’ve played any of the Resident Evil games or other DMC games you should probably know what to expect. Hero takes out scores of demons, which leads to boss battles, which leads to next plot development. Someone is trying to bring about a master demon to take over the world or some other similar nonsense. Nothing too exciting but not griping science fiction like you can find in movies or books.

DMC4 is definitely a game that looks like a modern game with plenty of visual effects to make your jaw drop. While the gameplay doesn’t quite give you the same head rush it still gives you plenty of entertaining moments that will keep you glued to your PC. If you missed DMC4 on the Xbox 360 or PS3 then you should definitely check it out on the PC. Just make sure you have plenty of horsepower to throw at the game since this is one heck of a graphical powerhouse. Even with my Core 2 Duo processor and GeForce 7900GS my system was still having issues with the game. Some occasional slowdown and tearing would occur when I had everything turned on in the game. Manage your PC settings properly and you should be in for an amazing experience. Oh, one last item is the load times to start the game. It took at least five minutes to load the game each time I started it or even changed the graphic settings so be prepared.

Review Scoring Details for Devil May Cry 4

Gameplay: 8.4
While I felt the game is more of a mindless hack-and-slash fest I still had a good time chopping down as many demons as I could.

Graphics: 9.0
Just be prepared to be blown away with the visuals in the game. As I mentioned earlier DMC4 is an excuse to get a new graphics card just to turn on all of the visual goodies in the game.

Sound: 8.3
The voice acting in the game was done very well with some great work by most of the actors. No real moments of cringe during the majority of the game. While the background music and sounds effects fit the game well, the battle music is the standard industrial metal we’ve heard in countless other games and movies. Oh, and you’ll hear it over and over again.

Difficulty: Medium
The game includes two difficulty levels so you can either take your bumpy stroll through the park or jump out into the shark-infested waters.

Concept: 8.0
Sure, there are some new modes in the PC version but even these additions can’t really change the overall experience of the game. Legendary Dark Knight Mode fills the screen with an insane number of enemies for you to take out. Turbo mode gives you an all new level of speed to play the game at.

Overall: 8.4
Devil May Cry 4 may not be the complete overall title of the DMC franchise but for many PC owners this will be their introduction to the series. What you get is a great title with plenty of action to keep you busy and enough eye candy to melt your corneas for a while. You get to play as both Nero and Dante so you get the best of both worlds, the old and new DMC experience. There may only be a few slight differences but the overall experience is still a blast to play.

DRACULA:ORIGIN

DRACULA ORIGIN

Publisher: The Adventure Company
Publisher 2: Focus Home Interactive
Developer: Frogwares
Category: Adventure
Release Dates
N Amer - 05/23/2008
Intl - 06/06/2008

Dracula: Origin Review
Frogwares is reaching out to develop more adventure-themed games, and this is one of the lead titles for that direction. Dracula: Origins comes along more than a century after Bram Stoker first created the character of Dracula, and the game tries to stay in that outline — versus other forays into blood-feeding such as Anne Rice’s popular “Lestat” take on such entities. Both were portrayed as sexy and impelling creatures, but as different as night and day (poor choice of words, I know). The other cast of (Stoker’s) characters are present as well. The gallery includes the missing Jonathan Harker, Van Helsing, Mina Harker and a collection of interactive characters that exist only to be food — or help.

Your journey begins as Van Helsing, the good-guy nemesis of the glamorous vampire. You are looking for Jonathan and keeping Mina from becoming part of Dracula’s stable of sirens. So far, following the book pretty well. That’s about it on the similarities. This is a point-and-click adventure, like many that have come before it over the years. Though not first-person like a Myst, it basically puts you in the same puzzling situations, with the addition of colorful characters to move you along. You know the drill: go into a vague room, poke around at objects, and try to uncover/collect goodies to help you on your mission. Save everything you can, because you know you’ll need it sooner or later. Some items may not make any sense, but later on, the oddest items become golden grails. If poking around is not your thing, then hit the Space bar — and everything “hidden” in the room is highlighted for your convenience. That’s good … as I’d hate to be challenged by having to work for my rewards. That can speed things up, considerably.

You will experience the obligatory spooky rooms and situations to get you in the mood, but the scenery changes drastically as you travel to Cairo and Vienna. Such excursions make things refreshing, and with good timing. To get there from here, you will have to solve puzzles or otherwise take not-so-subtle hints from characters you encounter. The puzzles are the most … well, puzzling. Some work well in the situation, while others seem randomly dropped in from another game. You will need collected items from inventory, or just your brain a la Professor Layton, in some cases. By design, things are made easier at times by the shear quality of the environment. There’s nothing worse than trying to solve a puzzle — when you can’t even find a door. Aside from the hints offered up by the characters, some of these will really test you, which can be a blessing or annoyance, depending upon your ability (and patience). If the puzzles were more consistent and predictable like in other games, you could get a feeling of comfort and know what to expect. However, if you have a weakness in the brain-buster type of quandaries, you may be in for a rough time. It was a constant feeling of euphoria and frustration. The complex, use-your-logic type encounters seemed to come at the times when I was least in the mood for them. Hence, it is not predictable. For the sake of it shaking things up in the game, I’ll remark that as a positive factor, but it didn’t always feel that way!

The audio in the game offers a lot of pleasant seasoning. The music fits the situation you’re in, and the background noises will keep you in the mood for mystery. The whole game is designed to be an experience, so such factors have to work for that to be pulled off, and it does work. Only the sleepy or stiff voice acting stands out as a negative distraction.
The visuals are very rich and detailed. Though not too graphical in the gore-factor, there is enough blood and dust to feed your eyes. Rooms have good light and shadow, and the outsides feel right — though not as open as you might wish. It’s not a wide-open world like Assassin’s Creed, after all. You may be on a designed path of structure, but it’s lavish enough to not bore you, or take away from the situation with pixel oddities or lazy shading.
The quirkiness of the puzzle challenges increases as the game closes. You’re going to have to use your wits and common sense, so gathering goodies can only get you so far. You need the inventory, but not everything in your bag of tricks is going to get you through. There’s tension and frustration, but a good balance of each. Brain busting obstacles are easier to handle — when the journey is laid out in a good format. That objective is mostly achieved.
Review Scoring Details for Dracula: Origin
Gameplay: 7.0
The game starts with a gentle, brooding introduction and offers hints right away. It’s very intuitive, and the ability to reveal objects by merely pressing a key is almost too easy. You can try to play it without that “cheat,” but it’s too much of a temptation if speed is your motivation. That’s a shame, as it takes away from the pace and interest in exploring an area that you might not appreciate unless you have to be more methodical.
Graphics: 8.0

It’s a lush, detailed game to play. As a hint for what you’re in for: it comes on three disks. That’s a lot of data. Some of the scenes are underappreciated, due to not being “forced” to poke and hunt around a room due to the short-cut to highlight objects. Dracula is not as I imagined him to be, but I am glad they did not stick to any one vision of him (Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Oldman, etc.) in an attempt to make him match what other media has portrayed. So, I appreciate that his appearance was almost a let-down. He’s not winning any beauty contests, which deflates the whole romance, seduction angle of the book. Detailed blood stained rooms and lavish costumes make up for individual (visual) character flaws.
Sound: 7.5

The music is subtle and tailored for every situation. In Egypt, you will hear Middle Eastern-themed music, as defined by the stereotype that we all believe represents that locale. The mood sounds and environmental audio further enhances things in a positive manner, while the voice acting can be too rigid and scripted. The reality factor is very hit and miss with the character interaction.
Difficulty:
MediumIf not for the random riddle-esque puzzles tossed in, the game would almost be easy. That space-bar reveal is an Achilles heel that takes a lot of wind out of the sails. That simplicity is made up for by puzzles that test more of your problem solving skill, and not so much what you have in your bag of goodies.
Concept: 6.0

Frogware’s recent “Sherlock Holmes” releases foreshadow any mystery about their direction with old-world visuals and concepts. Dracula’s been around for more than a century, so the source material is not new. Other games have come and gone with various vampire themes, but this still has a place of its own due to the visuals and not stooping to be a slasher game or otherwise something it is not.
Overall: 7.5
Dracula lives on and on. He is retooled for new generations and tastes, but the core material is strictly within Bram Stoker’s novel. Dracula: Origins by the title, leads one to think that they are going to do the game using the book as a compass. However, there are a lot of alterations that allow it to stand apart, yet it remains confusing since the title and main characters are aligned with the novel. It’s a fun and engaging plot that only gets stale when you stare at a puzzle too long. If you don’t let the “too easy” inventory search option take away from the experience, you can get a lot out of the game. However, it is not one that you will feel like revisiting unless you want to do it for the sole purpose of speed … or taking the time to absorb the detailed visuals that took a lot of effort. I imagine Dracula will rise from the digital dead again, and maybe provide some more challenge in the future.