Thursday 4 December 2008

Game Reviews - December 2008

Sacret 2 - Fallen Angel



By clicking on the play button, you acknowledge that you are over the age of 16

For those that are not familiar with this game, it is similar to Diablo, Neverwinter Nights and Dungeon Siege.
There are six characters to choose from. When selecting one, the background story of that character is being told by the character itself. Depending on your choice, you get between 3 to 5 different gods that you can choose from. Each god grants you different powers and abilities.

If you are looking for options, setting up your sound and graphics card, in a game; Sacret 2 has got loads!
Included features I like under the options menu: You can set your sound to intesify when you zoom in, customize your camera angle the way you want it and set which items you would like to automatically pick up. You can even have the sound account for obstacles. There are much more, but I thought these were quite cool and practical.

The Look

You are presented with a top down view of the world, but obviously you can zoom in to an angle behind the character, seeing less of the world but so much more detail and action. I find the graphics to be very good with some interressting animation when the npc's die. The overall feel is one of anime. The fauna and flaura is diverse with a huge world, diverse cultures and beautiful scenery.

Sound

I will describe the sound as being fun. For each type of npc you interact with, your character has something witty to say. The environmental - and the combat sounds were better than I have expected. Overall, I think it is very good.

Gameplay

I did find it a bit difficult spotting the avatar when in combat, but then again, I am a bit colour blind! You have to click on the enemy each time you want to administer a hit. The game was a bit buggy and games should not be, since they do cost a pretty penny these days. Even so, this game proved to be very addictive and fun. That is what it is all about. There are plenty of skills and arts to be learned and you can customize your combo moves as you learn them. Another feature I love is the fact that the game incorporates ridable creatures. Sacret 2 supports online multi play and LAN play. Overall, I think, the gameplay is kickass!

Interface


The interface is easy to learn and quick to master. It is a simple task to reach the shortcut keys on your computer keyboard. You can either use WASD to move around the map or use the mouse for point and click movement. For a change, your character actually moves where you click without having to do plenty of micro management.

I recommend you try this one. It is a definite thumbs up for me. I'll score it at 84%

Need for Speed Undercover

With the bad performance of NFS Pro Street, EA decided to take the game off the tracks and put it back on the streets. From my point of view, I quite liked Pro Street for the easy online play and the damage model. I am a big fan of drag racing, since it was first introduced in NFS Underground and Pro Street did not just have that, but also wheelie races. I like a bit of realism, with hopes of the NFS titles becoming more than just a glorified arcade game and therefore the things I look at is: Realism, fun, keep you on the edge of your seat and real damage to your car.
Carbon was a very good title for me. It had exciting races, great cars and the environment did it for me. The storyline pulled me into the game and kept me captivated. Still, I missed the drag racing and the damage model.
Need For Speed Undercover incorporates the damage model from Pro Street, but it is only visible damage. So your car won't blow up or get totalled, but it will look "brilliantly" messed up. You are a cop that needs to infiltrate the street racing gangs.This won't score you points with the cop on the streets and they will hunt you down. Drag racing and drifting is left out of the game, but a new race is born - Highway racing. This proves quite exiting, having to build up a lead through the heavy traffic to enable you to win. Undercover introduces a few new cars, including the Nissan 370Z. If anything, the car models and environment looks as real as anything. There is no unlocking of sections of the world, so you are free to roam where ever. You are awarded cars from your employees rather than going to a car lot and buy one. They have included a 'time slowing system' much like Most Wanted and to be honest, it pretty much gave me a Most Wanted feel.
All in all, EA is making the right decision to bring their title back on the streets, when looking from the fans perspectives, and it might be promising; although this title does not bring anything new to the table for me. We are all different, but I would like to see real damage and what about a dashboard view for a change? Keep the customization, the drag races and the street theme. Personally, that will rock my world!

I will rate this game at 70%

Here is a few movies you might enjoy:




Dead Space Trailer

Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Kombat


Need For Speed Undercover

Quantum Of Solace

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