occidentalover Reviews

Transformers: War for Cybertron (2010 Video Game)

Best Transformers Game

[10/10 · 8 June 2023]

To date Transformers: War for Cybertron is the best Transformers game. Followed closely by its sequel, Fall of Cybertron.

The gameplay feels flawless and frenetic. Every time I died I thought, "yeah, I deserved that." Perfectly-paced, refusing to slow down at all the right moments, the level design is varied and engaging. Transforming is quick and flows perfectly during combat. There are enough power-ups scattered throughout to complete the game on Easy and Normal difficulties without too much frustration. I almost felt like I was playing a movie at times, like when playing as Megatron and fighting Omega Supreme, transforming into tank form, firing off a couple rounds and viewing that from an exciting angle... it's visually cinematic greatness. What an EPIC boss fight!

Getting to play as both Autobots AND Decepticons is so satisfying. Not enough games allow us to play as the antagonists /villains during the main story, as that option is mostly reserved for multiplayer jiggama-jag. The single-player campaign is so damn solid in War for Cybertron, so playing as the baddies is icing on this tasty cake. I absolutely loved playing as Megatron, tearing through unworthy foes and traitors.

The cinematics' visuals are fine and are the only thing that inevitably date this game's graphics in a less-than-great way. (The voice-acting, however, is SUPERB.) The graphics during gameplay are very good, and I was never too confused by a lack of visual clarity.

Perhaps the only thing I wanted more from War for Cybertron was just... MORE OF IT! I wanted to play as more characters and when the game ended, I wanted the story to continue to keep playing. Thankfully there's an excellent sequel!

I'll add this: I like Transformers. Love some of it... the Bumblebee movie, the 1984 movie, these Cybertron games. But I don't blindly like all Transformers projects. I'm not a 'biased' Transformers fanboy. In fact, I sometimes prefer Macross ; ) Most of the Transformers television projects and movies are crap. Many of the games don't deliver. Transformers: War for Cybertron, however, is perfection. I say this as a 30+ year gamer and NOT the biggest Transformers fan. The devs knocked this game out of the park. They nailed it. One of the handful of games I've rated a '10'. And well-deserved.

Well done High Moon Studios! I hope every one of you who worked on this game are proud of this accomplishment. You made one of the best video games of all time.

Prince of Persia (2008 Video Game)

Great Game With Huge Mistakes

[6/10 · 23 April 2023]

Quicktime events ruin the combat.

The sword combat could feel brilliant and flow with beauty. However, Prince of Persia never lets this happen, as it's interrupted with quicktime events. This was that era. The absolute worst thing of the Seventh Generation: QTE. Quite disappointing. Seriously some of the best swordplay I've experienced in a video game, but the QTE ruins it. Just awful. Sad.

The last level isn't fun.

The variation of perspective and lack of colour for the parkour-ing makes it difficult in an un-fun and un-challenging way. Just annoying. I feel personally insulted when game devs don't respect my time, and don't play-test games enough. Yes, it looks beautiful. Initially. But any game can look dull and uninspiring when you've seen the same stage for the tenth time in the same fifteen minutes.

The levels are too linear.

You can choose where to go, but you really can't take alternate routes to get there. Makes traveling the same areas feel pointless after you collect the spirit things that unlock powers, so it's essential you can teleport to fast-travel. As the paths are so linear the parkour would have benefited from more parts where the route is better defined, which allows for efficient sleekness of uninterrupted gameplay.

...That's really the heart of PoP's problem: in an effort to tell its story, Prince of Persia constantly interrupts itself needlessly. Makes me appreciate something revolutionary that much more, like when The Last of Us showed gamers that story could be told during travel, during breaks in action, without stopping the natural flow of the game. I understand needing to tell the story, but we now know better ways to do this without stopping the player's meaningful interaction completely dead.

Games like Prince of Persia make me angry. It's not just some average game. It's not some forgettable experience. Prince of Persia is a beautiful game with timeless (gameplay) animation and some genuinely enjoyable parkour-style platforming. It's a memorable game. I wouldn't be angered by something notoriously awful like Superman 64. Universally hated, I can watch 10 seconds of gameplay and know that game was a steaming turd. But PoP had so much potential to be a great game. All that held it back were poor decisions. Technological limitations and know-how do not limit Prince of Persia at all. It was simply bad choices. It's incredibly disappointing. I would LOVE a remake that dispenses with the QTE and constant breaks in parkour travel. Fix those things, and you have a great game. Allow the combat to feel continuous. The story should be told in dialogue like it is, but allow it to unfold naturally without interrupting travel.

That's it. Fix these things and you instead have a game that is perfectly-paced and flows with the player, not against her.

I really wanted to love this game. I damn-near did. But I will not be replaying PoP, sadly.

Prince of Persia is remarkable in its animation and some of its gameplay mechanics, but the constant interruption of potential flow ultimately sours the experience.

Crackdown 2 (2010 Video Game)

Nahhhhh More Like 1.2

[2/10 · 6 September 2022]

This isn't a sequel. It's just more of the same, but not as interesting because there's barely a story. Thought the story of the first game was thin? Crackdown 2 is even thinner.

I was at least looking forward to some improvements, but it seems like none of the things that annoyed me in the first game have been improved. Like being a super-powered being who gets blocked climbing up buildings by gutters and simple architecture? Yeah me neither. Climbing still sucks. Everything feels more like a chore than fun now. As one reviewer called it: "Busywork: The Game." Sounds fun huh.

If you must play a Crackdown game, just stick with the first one. It's a better game. It appear the devs didn't want to make a sequel. They just wanted to expand the multiplayer, change the mission objectives sorta, and call it an entirely new game. Same city tho. So the maps aren't new.

Crackdown 2 was a huge letdown. I was expecting to find a game that was like the first, but extended and better. Instead we got this crud. Nerf'd. Without any improvements. Even more annoying than the first with all the zombie freaks.

Just not any fun anymore. Boooooo!

Blade Runner: Black Lotus (2021–2022)

Missed Opportunity

[5/10 · 16 April 2022]

Instead of getting to see something NEW in the Blade Runner universe we get more of the same. Same spinners. Same neon umbrellers. Same Mikado ad babe. They loaded up the CS-80 soft synth, the hi-res digital photo sleuthing, and took us to our favorite noodle shop.

Ho snap! She just did the Roy Batty eye-gouge. CLASSIC.

Okay. Fine. Don't expand the universe. Just feed us what we all know and you know we love. Pull a Disney. That's the safe and sensible thing to do. After all, it's not like we're trying to make art, right? Just get the product out.

The real crime here isn't even the awful, lifeless animation. ( My biggest complaint with the new GITS 2020 series. ) Which is really REALLY bad. Shockingly bad contrasted with the beauty of the backgrounds. The cityscapes. The future noir acid rain. They are GORGEOUS.

While the character animation is stale, that's not the worst thing about all this.

Nah.

The worst thing is that I don't care. I don't care about these characters. They are FLAT and uninteresting. The writing is boring. And boring is worse than bad. Boring is always worse than bad. That's Black Lotus' worst sin. And this static, lifeless animation ain't helping things. And showing me all the same stuff ain't helping things.

I don't see the point of this series.

Which is sad. Because people WORSHIP Blade Runner and there was obviously a budget here that could have developed a project worth developing. This AIN'T it. Ya done EF'd it up. And I don't understand. A lot of super talented people obviously worked on this project. There are genuine moments of beauty in display. Why did they take this route? Is Blade Runner always doomed to be boring unless some genius auteur directs the damn thing?

Make the next Blade Runner series 2D animation to bring life to it. Hire Richard K. Morgan to write it.

Is this seriously HBO I'm watching? TRON: Uprising ( a Disney series!!! ) is somehow edgier than this show. How is this possible!?!

I keep waiting for Black Lotus to find its rhythm, draw me into its world. But it's just not happening.

The story is too generic. This could have taken place in a multitude of fictional universes. It's only the setting that places this in Blade Runner world.

Far from the worst thing I've seen lately. ( Book of Boba Tea I'm looking at you. ) But I'm rating it a tad lower cuz this needed to be better. The legacy of Blade Runner DESERVES BETTER.

Ball ... .

. ... dropped

3/10.

Wait is that Brian Cox? One extra star.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014 Video Game)

Gamestop rejected my review on their site so here you go...

[6/10 · 9 September 2021]

I was only able to get maybe halfway through the game before disc wear prevented further play. (Thanks to Gamestop's complete lack of caring about games' conditions.)

However, as the gameplay barely varied, I felt like I'd seen all there is to see. And that's what is holding this game back. Most video games are incredibly repetitive, as that's the nature of the medium, but there is no imagination or innovation to push this game above average. For example, while the combat animations are nice to look at, the fighting /moveset itself offers no substantial variation. The upgrade system doesn't change the combat in any meaningful way like it does in Web of Spider-Man. The costumes don't change the combat like playing as different characters does in Shattered Dimensions. What is here in ASM 2 isn't awful. But nothing here is great. And adding to the blandness are some annoyances, the worst of which is having to constantly interrupt the main story to fight 'street' crimes. Spider-Man is quickly vilified and even violently engaged if these these crimes are ignored. And by the way, it is impossible to fight all the street crimes and help everyone in danger of burning alive in an apartment fire. So its automatically Spider-Man's fault when these things happen. Spider-Man is blamed. You're the bad guy. Just like that. So you can pursue the game's main storyline to finish this grind or pull your webs out by the roots combating thugs and fires in overwhelming plethora. Yes there is a balance to achieve here, but it's skewed far too much to ignoring the main storyline to pursue these activities that ultimately feel like busywork, rather than enjoyable distractions.

Everything in ASM 2 is done better in other Spider-Man games, leaving this game solidly behind those better titles. If you can grab this game for like $10 or less, go for it. But personally I didn't--and wouldn't--pay more than that. If I had paid full price for this on release, I'd have felt pretty ripped off. The lukewarm-to-negative reception this game received is understandable.

I had to return my copy to Gamestop since the copy they sent me was badly scratched and stopped working after just a few hours. (I kept only 2 out of 10 games from my order. Not good, Gamestop.) But I'm in no hurry to replace the copy I had. A PS3 /PS4 blu-ray copy would be nice since those disc surfaces are scratch-resistant, unlike Xbox 360's dumb proprietary DVDs. However, I wouldn't be able to transfer my save file from my Xbox 360 to those versions, obviously, and I really don't want to have to replay the first 1/2(?) of this game. A just-okay-not-great game. A game that's worth a single playthrough if you can find it for cheap. A game that's playable if you're a fan of Spider-Man. If you're not a fan, I'd definitely skip this one.

Pros: Web-slinging feels pretty good. Combat is pretty to look at.

Cons: Everything else.

Armored Core 3 (2002 Video Game)

For Armored Core Fans Only

[4/10 · 31 August 2021]

If you enjoy how the mechanized war machines aka 'cores' control in these early AC games, by all means, play this game. Me, I got bored after the first couple levels. Very boring. And the controls are awful. You cannot customize the setup to use the right stick to aim, so good luck with that. Maybe you can upgrade some gun to make lock on easier, but I wouldn't know.

If you're a fan of how the mecha control in Zone of The Enders, Mech Assault, Lost Planet, and basically every other mech game then skip this. It's sad. People fondly talk about these AC games, yet the devs failed to nail the most important thing: basic movement. It's really really bad in AC 3 and pretty much all AC games until the PS3 era.

I know this upsets AC fans to read this, but it's true. Take 100 random gamers, have them play AC 3 and any of the other non-AC games I mentioned, and most gamers will absolutely prefer the non-AC mech games.

Very unfortunate. I was looking forward to enjoying this series. So far AC is 0 for 6. That's right I've tried to play 6 AC games and do not like any of them. Not for me. For you? Eh. Maybe you'll love 'em. Plenty of people do, otherwise they wouldn't have kept making them. I'm still waiting for an AC game I can get into. Honestly I think it will happen eventually, if they keep making them. The ingredients are mostly there. The ACs control right in the latest games. There's hope...

Painkiller: Hell & Damnation (2012 Video Game)

Old School Style Shooter Fun

[6/10 · 2 November 2020]

Painkiller: Hell & Damnation re-releases and combines two older titles for clippy old school FPS fun. The most enjoyable part of this game for me was the weapon variety, which is very good.

The levels can be completed rather quickly, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the gameplay isn't rewarding or engaging enough to encourage me to play beyond a single playthrough. Unfortunately, most of the tarot cards (temporary powerups) are difficult to unlock on the first playthrough, so I didn't really get to enjoy those, save for the few I was able to obtain.

Also, it can be unclear how to progress in a couple spots without a walkthrough, but it doesn't hinder enjoying the game. Just a bit annoying for a game that that should have a clear path of progression.

There's barely a story, but it doesn't matter. I wasn't playing this for the story. And it's always fun to hear the vocal talents of Jon St. John (Duke Nukem).

Solid FPS if you're into older shooters.

Evil Dead: Regeneration (2005 Video Game)

Good, Not Great

[7/10 · 20 October 2020]

Decent game, but there's way too many things keeping this game from greatness:

• The combat is clunky. No flow. Combos don't really matter as the best strategy is to constantly strafe and shoot if you want to avoid being hit.
• Also the balance is off. For example, I didn't find the Evil Ash mode especially useful until the final boss. Fun mode, but an inessential mechanic unfortunately.
• And blocking doesn't work well. The response is slow and blocking doesn't block most enemy attacks later in the game.
• Overall combat is repetitive and not satisfying.

• 3D platforming was still lousy in this 6th generation of gaming, and Regeneration is no exception.

• The little helper dude Sam was annoying. I understand that was the point, but intent does not wash a negative experience. And when in possessed mode, his music is very grating.

• The cutscenes and story are whatever, as they don't add anything of great interest to the Evil Dead lore. Even Ash's attitude and one-liners seem tame here, compared to the source material, the films.

I'll take a Suda51 game in this department any day. In fact Suda51 should make an Evil Dead game. THAT would be great. Similar games like DMC or Bayonetta... those are also better experiences than what Regenerations offers. I would recommend many other 3D shoot-melee-combo-y games over this title.

• The game is on the short side, can easily be beaten in under 10 hours. I didn't mind however; I was glad when the game ended. Getting through it ultimately felt like a chore, rather than a fun experience.

• - - The graphics are fine. The sound is fine. I appreciate that this game was made and the devs obviously cared. But Regneration lacks the fine-tuning of a great game. Evil Dead: Regeneration is a product of its time. Kinda cool but lacks depth, and the combat isn't satisfying and varied enough to invite replays.

One playthrough was enough. I'm sure there's gamers replaying this now with their nostalgia goggles on. That's fine. I'm playing this for the first (and only) time in 2020. My only nostalgia is for the Evil Dead films, so I was very unbiased--but hopeful--going into this game.

Glad I played it. Kinda neat. Nothing great or particularly memorable however. After two 3D Evil Dead games, I expected more. But the devs didn't seem to learn enough from those previous attempts. What's sadder is that this is apparently the best game of the three. YIKES.

Underwhelming. And yet, the Evil-Deadness of it all and Bruce Campbell's V.O. elevate Regeneration to slightly better than average. Far from being a bad game, I'm still left with the feeling that this was another missed opportunity to honor the Evil Dead property. Those films deserve a great game, and I'm worried we'll never get one.

Bayonetta (2009 Video Game)

Very Close to Great

[7/10 · 19 October 2020]

Platinum Games' DMC clone is a solid game. I'm not at all bothered by the 'dated' graphics. It's a beautiful game. Controls well. Nice flashy animations. Super eye-candy. However. Most of the game is spent watching cut-scenes, not in combat. And the worst QTE I've experienced in any game really brings down the experience. Bayonetta would be a solid '8' if it weren't for the awful quick time events. I will not be replaying this one. Nor will I be buying the re-release, as the QTE have not been removed. FAIL : (

Gekioh: Shooting King (1999 Video Game)

Meh

[4/10 · 29 September 2020]

While far from the worst SHMUP I've played, this offers nothing new in terms of gameplay mechanics or, anything really. The best thing I can say is that the boss designs are just fine.

Also the final boss is not easy, even on 'Easy' mode. So I spent maybe 45mins going through most of the game then spent 2+ hours on the final stage, which is very short but I died a whole lot. Not necessarily a bad thing, but poor pacing, and would have liked an easy mode that's actually close to a 'light' challenge.

D-pad controls feel stiff, expect delay, and not ideal for the fast-twitch gameplay required. You will experience cheap deaths.

I'd rate this a '6' if it were still a budget title, something I picked up used for just a few bucks, but at current prices this game is painfully mediocre. I'd rather play any other SHMUP I own than play through Gekioh again.

Pariah (2005 Video Game)

Doesn't hold weight, skip it.

[2/10 · 29 September 2020]

If you're looking for a solid FPS for o.g. xbox it's easy to do much better. Pick up Black instead. Far more satisfying gun physics than this waste of time.

Pariah is boring gunplay with a flimsy story. Nothing holds this together.

Project Sylpheed (2006 Video Game)

Almost Great

[7/10 · 15 August 2020]

Project Sylpheed is an enjoyable game overall, for sure. The typical apex-baddass-pilot story is not as involved and gripping as I'd prefer for a game that is clearly shooting ; ) for a cinematic grand scope. But what is here is solid. The aerial space combat--tho not as flashy and exciting as I would prefer--is fun, and even sometimes addictive, as I finished the majority of this game in one ~8 hour session. Did I want the game to be longer? Not necessarily. The characters are cliche and boring. The story doesn't develop the characters much or go into any real depth. Every idea is a recycled from something we've seen before. Nothing new here.

Outfitting my fighter with upgraded /new weapons is cool, but the new weapons don't seem to vastly improve my odds of completing a mission, for the most part. However, I do appreciate the attempt at variety and plenty of armament choices. Overall Sylpheed suffers from the same problem that a lot of space /flight sim shooters suffer from, and that is a lack intimacy with the combat. Consider this: when you play a first person shooter, that action can get very personal. Very close. Very intimate. But the nature of combat at great distances in these space combat games makes intimacy very difficult. I prefer the Macross approach of bringing fighters closer to each other, especially for key moments. If the devs are trying to make something grand and cinematic, they should have used Macross Plus ( OVA ) as a template. That anime is intimate as all hell. Like why not have close up portrait shots show up in a transparent overlay /HUD so I can see my enemies yell at me, or I can see them burn up in a blaze of glory when I obliterate their asses with my superior firepower and unstoppable fighting technique. Ya know... Macross anime style. Gundam does the same thing. In Project Sylpheed they show small heads of my team in the upper left corner, but it's not all that interesting or informative. I'd rather see my enemies groan in pain and frustration and then die at my hands. All SO dramatic. Just like Macross Plus.

While I don't think I'll be giving Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception another playthrough, I did enjoy my single romp. It wasn't too time-consuming. The length was just right. Unless they could have added more variety to the gameplay, there was really no point in extending this game any longer. And the end? Meh. It felt pretty anticlimactic, unfortunately. All the big 'scenes' in this game feel underwhelming. Which is too bad, cuz I wanna feel inspired to go out and blow them enemy ships to smithereens.

Overall I enjoyed my time with Sylpheed. Everything was good. But nothing was quite great. I had originally rated it a '6', but what is in the game is very competent, at least. If only they'd gone the extra mile to make this game go beyond the norm, per my suggestions, I would be rating it higher and probably playing through a second time. But at $10 this was definitely worth the single play.

Not bad Square Enix. Not bad. But I KNOW you guys can do better. We all know you can do better.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan (2016 Video Game)

Better Than Expected

[7/10 · 9 August 2020]

I thought I'd quickly get bored of TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan, given that so many reviewers panned this game upon release. However, I loved Platinum Games' Transformers: Devastation and figured this game was worth checking out, especially since my used copy was only $15.

The combat--while offering nothing new--is solid. It's a fun 3D beat 'em up that captures the spirit of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I'd rather play this game again than replay the vintage side-scrollers or Playstation 2 games that tackled the Turtles license. I know this is heresy for those who nostalgically adore the SNES and Genesis titles, but modern games are more fun for me. I'm not into enemy pattern memorization and throwing away hundreds of hours into a game that isn't a life-changing masterpiece (ie: Mass Effect 2).

The combat uses standard light and heavy attack combos. The fun really comes into play when you engage special attacks, that ninjutsu magic, Man! Some strategy is required when timing special attacks to beat the bosses. Speaking of...The boss fights are fantastic, and probably my favorite part of the game. It's essential that the Turtles work together as a team in order to prevail, something Mutants in Manhattan definitely gets right. I've never felt more like I was playing as TMNT. Go teamwork.

The voice acting is excellent, and the writing nails the turtles' personalities.

Not so great... There's way too many items, and most are not worth choosing to carry over pizza /health refills.

The game lacks variety with only 4 playable characters that all play relatively the same. Devs shoulda allowed us to play as Splinter, Casey Jones, or even baddies. Would love to play as Shredder or that shark dude!

The RPG elements were not implemented well. By the time I got some of the cooler special attacks, the game was almost over, and it's not great enough to warrant a second play-through right away.

Story is pretty whatever. Wanted to see more Splinter and April.

--- Overall I certainly enjoyed my time with Mutants in Manhattan and I will play the PS4 version as well. That would be wonderful if I could import my PS3 save file but I doubt that'll be possible. Oh well.

If you're considering buying TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan, do not wait much longer as prices for physical copies have gone up considerably in just the last year, as the option to grab the digital dowload was revoked. Negotiating licensing for popular IPs must be a b*tch. Remember those awesome Marvel Ultimate Alliance games? Yeah good luck seeing remasters on the PS5 now that Disney owns everything I once loved. And now you can't download Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan. Buy it now!

Aliens: Colonial Marines (2013 Video Game)

Terribly Underwhelming

[4/10 · 24 July 2020]

What can I say that hasn't already been said?

At first the game was slightly better than I expected. I was enjoying myself. Then I got to the part where I had to defeat an alien with a loader. I died. And died again. I spent more than an hour trying to get past this part that should have taken me just a couple minutes. I failed and gave up. I even googled how to get past this and the best answer was telling me to glitch the fight. Wow really thanks so helpful. Glitch to proceed. I would have if these aliens didn't keep killing me while I'm trying to pound on the big one. Where did they come from? I'm playing on the easiest setting and yet the the gameplay footage I saw had no extra aliens to kill you in this segment. Just the biggie. So they released all those updates and made this part harder!?! My god you devs who made this game are so so dumb. This game was a disaster and you know it. May Jah have no mercy on your horrid souls for ruining an IP with great potential. Beloved IP for undeserving, selfish developers. That's you. Bad bad bad. Shame on you Gearbox. Shame on Sega for releasing this unfinished, broken trash.

Fudge this game. If the devs cannot be bothered to thoroughly play-test their AAA game before release, then why must we suffer? I hate your team. I want my time back. And I didn't even pay for the game; got it with an Xbox 360 I got from craigslist. I didn't pay anything for this, yet I want my money back. My time is money. Gearbox you owe me $360.

And I was one unforgivable segment from thinking this game was okay. Like a '5' maybe even a six. NOPE. Such a sad disappointment.

I'm not a bad gamer. I've beaten Ninja Gaiden games. But this loader part? Yeah no. Big mistake. Maybe other versions /updates are better, apparently as I've seen online. But mine? Unforgiveable.

Batman Begins (2005 Video Game)

Still Worth Playing In 2020

[7/10 · 15 July 2020]

Overall Batman Begins is a good movie tie-in game. Not great. But close, and definitely worth a playthrough, especially with current used prices below $10 across all platforms. (It looks great on my Xbox 360, as it's on the list of backwards-compatible games, and I have the original Xbox release.)

I was relieved the devs got all the original actors for the game's dialogue. Definitely a plus.

The Batmobile controls great in the two driving levels that thankfully add some much-needed variety to Batman Begins. Yes, this game lacks variety. It's very linear, and the entire game plays like this: You get to an area, see some thugs, figure out how to frighten them, then attack when they are scared. If you rush into a fight, you'll quickly die in a hail of bullets in most cases. Problem is, there's mostly only one exact approach to each encounter, which is the greatest weakness of the game and limits the replayability. I do like that rushing into a fight will get you killed. It reinforces the fact that Batman is only a man after all, lacking the super powers of his peers.

Batman has gadgets to help him fight crime, but they aren't as developed as I'd like, often requiring case-specific use. For example, the batarang is only used to clear debris or break some support structure or whatnot to open up your path. Kinda lame since I wanted to hit some baddies with my bat-shuriken. And that super sick high frequency emitter that Batman uses to summon bats in the film? Super lame in this game.

Combat is okay. The controls feel delayed but once you get the timing down, there's enjoyment to be found within the rhythm of this dance. It was like playing Ninja Gaiden 3 instead of Ninja Gaiden Sigma or Black, the latter having very responsive controls and requiring precise timing. That's not what you do here. There's no combo system. The fighting looks cool tho and feels satisfying when you clear a room of enemies without taking any damage.

I played the game on the easiest difficulty, not wanting to spend too much time with this slightly outdated game. But nothing kept me from ultimately enjoying my time with Batman Begins. I just wish I could have played the game with the alternative costumes, as they appeared to only be unlocked after beating it.

Honestly surprised the rating is so high (currently an 8.2), as this is higher than some of the more recent Batman games. My guess is that most ratings were given before the next gen games were released. If I had played this back in 2005 I would have been more impressed. Nevertheless, it's still a solid experience playing Batman Begins in 2020, and I definitely recommend it to every gamer who is a fan of Batman.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood (2009 Video Game)

Solid FPS Western for PS3

[6/10 · 26 April 2020]

Good game. However, its flaws keep this game from greatness.

Let's start with some positives :

The gunplay is outstanding, which is essential for an FPS. The dev team really nail it with responsive firing, control-wise, and it feels very western. This ain't no fancy-shmancy sci-fi tesla guns or heavy auto WWII gear. Nah this is pure revolver and rifle greatness and you feel that while playing Bound In Blood.

Even better, getting to choose to play as either Thomas or Ray is a brilliant addition, as each character has his strengths. For example, Thomas can't duel-wield pistols but he's the better marksman. Not breaking any new ground here, but it's a nice touch, and it's enough for me to give Bound In Blood a better than average rating.

There's a lot of not-so-great things :

The countdown timer on concentration mode does not encourage exploration to find collectibles, called 'secrets'. But whatever, the secrets are pretty dumb. Mostly hindered with bad writing, they really don't add much to the story or develop the characters in an interesting way.

It's too easy to throw away a good weapon for an inferior weapon. It's hard to explain in words, but you'll understand this shortly after playing. This is made worse by the difficulty to obtain money for better firearms. Especially when looting dead bodies, you have to be exactly where the money was dropped to pick it up. I hate this. HATE. Why do so many games make the collection radius so damn small? I never understand this decision in games. I'm never not going to want to pick up that money bag. Just lemme have it. Gimme money magnet hands. And those bags and such aren't highlighted in any way so it's too easy to miss money bags lying out on tables in plain sight. Everything is the same drab brown /dirty /off-white color so it's hard to see the things you want to see. I understand the development team was aiming ( ha ; ) for visual realism, but sometimes it's better to forego realism in favor of a more streamlined gameplay.

Unngghhh why can't I sell back weapons!?! Bound In Blood does not encourage weapon exploration, which is nearly a fatal flaw for any FPS. After you spend a grand+ on that scoped rifle, you're not going to be quick to drop it--for nothing--to spend another G on a top shelf shotgun. I'm not replaying this just to try some other guns.

Oddly the concentration mode mechanics differ from Thomas to Ray. It's confusing and unnecessary, and makes switching between them a little awkward when it doesn't have to be.

When playing as Thomas there's a couple parts where I got stuck because I didn't find the *exact* spot where I needed to throw his lasso. Lame.

Dueling... probably the most universally disliked part of Bound In Blood. Needlessly frustrating. I got lucky with two duels I won with the first shot. Others I had to repeat 5 to 15 times before advancing. These duels are not optional like they are in Red Dead Redemption (a superior game in most aspects).

Blood In Blood's story is awful. The plot is fine, whatever, but the stereotypical voice-acting is atrocious. If I were Mexican or Native American or a grizzled Civil War vet I'd be angry. As it is, I'm sad that modest-to-big budget entertainment media still can't be bothered to represent all people with respect, let alone strive for authenticity. Instead the voice acting, overall, is a gross jumble of horrible accents, written with lousy 1950s dialogue. All black and white with no grey areas, no truly interesting plot twists. So so dumb. Why is it always so hard to hire actual Mexicans and Apache for those roles? Is it because they don't want to read your stupid script? This is pure garbage.

--- Overall Bound In Blood is at least worth a single playthrough, especially now that you can get a used copy for just a few bucks. I recommend it to fans of westerns, moreso if you're good at overlooking dumb writing and a disposable, generic story in your games. If you love FPSs you could do much better, but also far far worse. If you're looking to play all the solid FPS games you can find, definitely pick up Bound In Blood. There is certainly fun to be had here, and I enjoyed this more than The Cartel. Bound In Blood's gunplay is fantastic, and that's enough to carry the game past its flaws. I will definitely play its sequel Gunslinger when I get a PS4.

Afro Samurai (2009 Video Game)

Disappointing

[4/10 · 26 April 2020]

The game is beautiful but plays like mud. The sword action has no weight to it. The hits you land don't have any impact until there's limb loss, and even then it's just not as satisfying as something like Ninja Gaiden.

The story is flimsy and slow.

The soundtrack is repetitive in a bad way and gets boring very quickly. It's only good when the hip hop tracks are played, which isn't often enough.

It's unclear where to go, even with a guide.

You can't change the options when paused. What!?! I know; it's unbelievable. Am I playing PS1? Sad.

I thought I could power through Afro Samurai but no. It's just... lame. Boring. Repetitive in the worst ways. Not engaging. Sad disappointment for such a gorgeous looking game.

Samuel L Jackson isn't enough to save this sludgefest.

Altered Carbon: Resleeved (2020)

Feels Closer to the Source Material Than the TV Series

[8/10 · 22 April 2020]

I loved this film. The pacing was excellent. The story never got in the way of itself. The dialogue and Kovacs emotional distance in this animated feature are far closer in tone to Richard K. Morgan's text than the television series has ever managed to be. Speaking of faithfulness to the source material, I always felt the show lacked the sleaze, and grit, and brutality that is in the novel, and all attempts at such felt underwhelming and tacked-on. The television show strives for an intellectualism without ever really achieving one that could fully engage me. However Resleeved had my attention completely. It explores 'permadeath' in a far more interesting way than the show ever had to date. I can understand why some might be ciritical of this film's "anime clihes". Okay sure, whatever. Personally I enjoy that stuff when it's so well done, like it is here. But I don't understand why anyone would criticize the story. It's like those critics weren't actually paying attention, or perhaps they were thrown off by watching this dubbed instead of subtitled.

The action in Resleeved is so much better than anything the TV series offers. It is absolutely beautiful; the animators convey the brutality and raw energy that is ever-present in the novel, but sadly missing in the TV series. Also those assassins wearing the old samurai gear look so siiiiiiiiick. They look like an actual threat, unlike these grunts wearing pansy armor in the second season of the TV series.

I wish the TV series didn't exist. I wish Resleeved, was part of a series of films that explored the world of Altered Carbon beyond the novel. The TV series was an inferior interpretation of the novel. If you aren't going to do it 'right' or do it better, then don't do it at all.

Basically, if you read the novel before you watched the TV series (and if you did then you probably dig anime too), you'll most likely prefer this animated film. If you're more into hyperintellectualism and soap opera-izations of violent, fast-paced novels, then stick to the show. That's more your speed.

For my time /attention Altered Carbon: Resleeved ticks all the right boxes. I only have two minor complaints: Yes, the story could have been fleshed out a bit more, as Resleeved introduces too many key plot points later in the film, but doing so would have added 30 to 40 minutes to its run time. Which I would have preferred, but a lot people aren't down with animated films that run close to or over 2 hours. My other complaint is just with 3D animation in general, as Resleeved animates 3D models to look more 2D. It looks pretty good, but I would love to see traditional 2D animation instead. But that's becoming almost non-existent now, especially with all Netflix produced animation ( ie: Godzilla, Knights of Sidonia). Go back and watch Japanese animation from the 80s and 90s. The traditional 2D /hand-drawn animation has a life and energy that is lacking in contemporary 3D animation.

Cyber Sled (1993 Video Game)

POOR CONTROLS KILL THE EXPERIENCE ALMOST ENTIRELY

[2/10 · 17 April 2020]

Terrible controls mar what could have been at least a serviceable port of a great arcade game. Cyber Sled (arcade) uses dual sticks to maneuver your vehicle like a tank. It plays incredibly well--so responsive--and is one of my all-time favorite arcade games, perhaps my favorite. The experience cannot be matched at home. It could, however, have been faithfully ported with dual analog sticks. Since this game does not use dual analog controls, it plays horribly. Even after getting somewhat accustomed to the PS1's ridiculous control scheme, it never feels natural. Avoid Cyber Sled for the PS1.

I would LOVE to see a contemporary remake using dual analog controls. PS3 /PS4 please !?! That would be so amazing. In fact, I'm surprised arena tank fighting never caught on as a (sub?) genre, given how well the mechanics would work with dual analog sticks. It's too impractical to get an actual Cyber Sled arcade cabinet, so I'll never be able to enjoy this game again : ( Oh well. Life is full of disappointment.

Singularity (I) (2017)

NEEDS MORE MECHS AND GORE

[3/10 · 13 April 2020]

When making a direct-to-vdeo/streaming B movie with a tired premise, there are decisions a director can make to elevate a bad film.

Here some suggestions :

* MECHS! Mecha are instantly attractive to audiences. Play that up. Exploit the mechs. It's a great angle. Singularity doesn't have enough mechs.

* GORE! Gore in a bad film automatically makes it more enjoyable. Heck, even memorable. Singularity doesn't have any gore : (

* SCORE! The featured score is boring and serviceable. Why not make your low budget film stand out with a more avant-garde score? IE: Decoder (1984)

With its lousy script that didn't give the actors much to do, this film was doomed, and nothing was done to 'punch it up'. I never thought I'd see John Cusack in a worse film after 2012. I was wrong. Singularity is that film. At least 2012 was unintentionally hilarious.

Some of the locations and shots are genuinely beautiful. Some of the special effects shots even look great. This could have made a very good video game. A good film? Definitely not.