Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Review- 360 Edition

There once beckoned a time where games required the player to utilize strategy, preparation, and resourcefulness over the quick thinking, instant reflexes, and mindless action of today's shooters. Ghost Recon was once the poster child of that style of gameplay and it excelled in providing that incredibly tactical gameplay that so many gamers begged for instead of the casual shooters that overrun the industry of today. The latest entry into Ghost Recon has unfortunately strayed off the beaten path in regards to those tactical options that the player is provided with, but it doesn't take away that it's still a fair dedication to what once was and that gamers have to eventually accept the regretful truth. The industry is changing, evolving as it's always been and we have just have to go along for the ride.

Future Soldier takes place in a not-so distant future and follows a highly trained squad of soldiers know as the "Ghosts". These aren't your average soldiers as it will quickly become apparent. Sent in only for the most dangerous of missions and those requiring of the upmost confidentiality. The Ghosts complete missions with an unearthly reserve, leaving them well deserved of their name. The game starts off with what seems to be a standard mission for the Ghosts but everything quickly goes to hell as the team seems to have been compromised as the high value target or "HVT", is no where to be seen. The team fails to escape an explosion and a new team of Ghosts is left wanting revenge.

At it's core, the story brings nothing exceptionally interesting to the table. It's more or less a cut and dry revenge story with the newer team of Ghosts tracking down leads across the world. The Ghost's themselves seem to be a well-knit team but with the little characterization that they're given, you aren't really inspired to care for them all that much. The campaign missions provided are all equally lengthy with a healthy variety between stealth interceptions and all out fire-fights. Pre-mission load-outs are given prior to each advancement out into the field and you're allowed free choice of which weapons, and for the most part, gear you want to bring along with you. Further weapons and attachments are unlocked through in-game challenges which range from gathering a certain of kills with a set of weapons or sneaking through a portion of the mission untouched by enemy fire. It's an incredibly rewarding feeling as you successfully manage to utilize stealth throughout a mission that can be completed otherwise and as such, you can be rewarded with certain unlocks that, while aren't entirely beneficial, provide a decent incentive to give it a second go.

The squad-mates themselves are probably the smartest ever introduced in games. You'll find yourself commanding them to kill the majority of enemies via a UAV Drone capable of targeting up to four enemies at any given time for a synchronized kill shot. They can all brilliantly maneuver themselves in position around the map and take heap loads of damage more than you can. It's at this point where you'll be stuck deciding whether it's a wiser decision to stick with the A.I. companions or friends of your own.

The graphics are attractive enough and shine best through the game's varied environments. It isn't exceptionally eye-catching and it seems to take the biggest hit during cutscenes, but retains top-form during gameplay at almost all times. It is a slight disappoint when considering how much time the game was given for overall polish due to the extended delay's that the game had over the years, but failed to produce. Nonetheless, it's still relatively up to par with what is consistently dished out.

In regards to gameplay, Future Soldier sacrifices a more tactile approach for the more modern and aggressive play-style that's so present in such a wide array of shooters. While this will mainly displease the hardcore fans of the series, it doesn't necessarily detract from the experience itself. The weapon handling and overall feel to the weapons has a fantastic feel, as each firearm has it's own "kick" to it and they can all be differentiated via the luscious weapon customization. The fast paced and fluidity of character movement is a dream as you find yourself seamlessly moving from cover to cover without a single hitch. It's a system that was clearly brilliantly implemented and highly touched upon as it rivals and even potentially surpasses that of Gears of War's critically acclaimed cover system. It's a substantial departure from the shooters of old, but it's a grand leap into the future. The biggest focus in gameplay this time around is the camouflage that the Ghost utilize. Only operable when crouched or prone, you are nigh-invisible to enemies at a certain distance and at times, it feels far too overpowered as you'll find yourself sneaking around enemies with relative ease but it can also be your saving grace in the thickest of situations.

Alongside the meaty campaign, a survival mode called "Guerilla" is offered. With the ability to play with up to three other friends, it's your standard 50-wave, king of the hill horde mode that's become ever so present in games today. At the start of each mission, you're given the choice to either coordinate tactics and stealthily kill all the enemies on the map, or simply approach the situation guns blazing and without a care in the world. Sadly, this is the only chance you'll be able to implement stealth as the rest of the 50 waves has you situated in a single portion of the map that you are designated to defend. When enemies enter the surrounding area, a timer ticks down indicating an imminent mission compromise. It's a fun entry to enjoy with friends but remains stale and lacking of any exploration or variety.

Now to the cream of the crop: multiplayer. Ghost Recon has always heavily dedicated itself to team centralized gameplay and a general avoidance of the common team-deathmatch modes. Future Soldier retains that privilege as every game-mode in it's possession is objective based with a massive focus on team-orientation to succeed. It's a absolving breath of fresh air due to an overabundance of competitive shooters taking pride in simplistic game modes. Oddly enough, it's here where the tactical approach to combat is most apparent. Leave cover for mere moments and you'll be picked off in seconds. Proper preparation and team communication is key to capturing objectives and fending off advancing opponents. On top of that, you're given the choice of three playable classes to choose from: Rifleman, Engineer, and Recon. Rifleman is your standard solider, carrying assault rifle and LMG's alongside explosive grenades. Engineers are more close quarters as they're best with SMG's and utilizing recon grenades which temporarily reveal the location of enemies of the map, not only through the radar but visually through a red outline. Finally, the recon class. The only class to utilize the adaptive camo in the online portion of the game. It's only accessible when centralized in a crouched or prone position but unlike the campaign, you are unable to retain the camo while moving.

The weapon customization carries over into multiplayer but it's restrictive. Level progression is needed to upgrade further weapons and attachments but each little bit is extremely rewarding and viable to the gameplay. Using a superior stock to balance out control and maneuverability severely increases weapon kickback, improving your chances for pulling off more accurate shots. Character customization is included but it's lacking in comparison to relative Tom Clancy games such as Rainbow Six Vegas which boasts what might be the greatest customization kit for physical appearance ever introduced to a shooter.

While leaving behind the incredibly adored tactical aspect of the previous entries in the series, Future Soldier re-invigorates the series with fantastic competitive multiplayer and weapon customization that is a proper enough reason to solidify a purchase. You'll spend roughly 10-12 hours in the campaign and while it's nothing that will leave you discussing days after completion, it still is a thrill ride to experience.

Final Score: 8.25

Crackdown 2 Review

Back in early 2007, the original Crackdown was a game that would've quietly slipped under the radar if it were not for the fact that it was the carrier for the much anticipated Halo 3 Beta. Little attention was focused towards Crackdown as most people were simply anxious to get their hands on the Halo 3 beta, but as it turns out, Crackdown turned out to be superbly proficient in providing one of the best open-world experiences to have ever graced console gaming. It was an open-world adventure with a super-powered twist, as you upgraded your characters physical stats to become a virtually unstoppable one man army.

Crackdown 2 returns hoping to replicate that excitement and while it provides the same basic experience, but little is down in attempts to re-invent the formula or even add to it.

Taking place roughly ten years after the events of the first game, Crackdown 2 decides to ditch the gang-war aspect of the original game in favour of a viral mutant outbreak that has taken over the entire city. As with the first game, there is little-to-no narrative to be told here. You get a brief outlook on how events became to be and that's the extent of any true story-telling you'll get throughout the experience. In Crackdown's favour, story was never it's strong suit nor was it ever the focus. It was always about giving the player unrestricted freedom in a explosive sandbox and the adrenaline rush that the gameplay provided. Regardless, Crackdown 2 does get credit for attempting to switch up the atmosphere in the game with a new directive and showcasing the impact that the mutant outbreak has left on Pacific City.

A new day/night cycle takes precedence as you'll be forced to engage different foes depending on the time of day. When the sun is shining, your average mercenary groups will be your foes, protecting their territory but doing little other to be seen as a credible threat. At night, endless hords of mutants roam the streets and you'll be forced to switch up your strategy to face them. Charge right in and you'll be mauled to death, attempt to flee and you will be pursued. It's here that Crackdown 2's story focuses on the elimination of these abominations as you're forced to locate their hideouts and plant UV Light bombs to rid Pacific city of the mutant plight. Yes, the creativity ends there.

In regards to Pacific City itself, it's simply the same recycled map from the original game with a slightly more apocalyptic vibe added to give the player a feeling of desperation that is oozing from the cities residents that are left to fend for themselves. It's nothing particularly creative nor will it catch your eye. At first glance, it simply screams "been there, done that", and fans expecting more will be left disappointed. There's a slight improvement in graphical quality but it's rather depressing when considering the three year difference between the games.

The invigorating gameplay has thankfully remained the same for the most part with a slight overhaul to a few aspects of the Agent progression. The changes implemented bode well for the game as it makes for more enjoyable combat and travel options but the developers make a wise decision in refusing to alter the formula in a drastic matter. New vehicles are added while the interesting physical upgrades shown as your driving skill rose in the original have become abandoned. Also making a triumphant return in the sequel are the famed agility orbs. As with it's predecessor, Crackdown 2's agility orbs help progress your agility attributes and the harder they are to achieve, the better the results are. Little deviations are made as new versions of the orbs are introduced which you are forced to chase after as they traverse around a set path in the city, but they become pesky annoyances and might prove to belittle the experience.

As with many fans of the original, co-op was one of the most addictive features that the game offered. What was more fun that wreaking havoc by yourself? Experiencing it with a friend. In Crackdown 2, co-op makes a dynamic comeback, allowing not only 2-player co-op, but 4-player as well. Quadruple the action and quadruple the insanity. Co-op has never been more addicting.

One of the odd, and possibly most unnecessary additions, has to be the tacked on multiplayer. You're expected to care about the 16-player multiplayer mode, but are given very little reason to. It implements the unbearably common team-deathmatch modes and is only made worse by the game's highly dependant targeting system. An interesting addition is the rocket-tag mode in which the players are tasked in "tagging" each other with heat seeking rockets while the others attempt to avoid the one who is designated as "it". The simple, chaotic nature might attract and interest players for several hours but after mucking through the shallow campaign, there's not much left you'd want to do with Crackdown 2.

Instead of taking the opportunity to build upon an already brilliant formula, Ruffian Games takes a step-backwards by recycling a map already accustomed to and failing to add a narrative of any kind. It's an enjoyable experience but don't expect to find yourself burning hours into this lifeless re-run of an experience.

Final Score: 6.5

Uros' Thoughts- Zombies Games: Action vs Interaction

What's the most commonly represented feature in zombie games? The actual killing of the zombies themselves. Be it a third-person shooter, RPG, FPS, or any genre for that matter, the actual action of killing the zombies is the premier focus of the games which showcase the Undead rather than what should be the presiding factor taking place. 

Take example two of the most popular zombie games of the past generation: Dead Rising and Dead Island. The main attraction force of both games, when stripping away the promises of a deep engaging story, is the Zombies, infected, etc who have garnered such popularity over the past decade. The majority of gamers tend to ignore the promises of developers who boast about featuring an expansive world with complex characters and a focus on the act of survival itself. The result is a disappointing one, not only when failing to deliver on said promises, but also when the core experience of what the game revolves around, isn't all that enjoyable nor well constructed.

In another case, take Left 4 Dead. A game, that instead of pretending to be something it's not, bluntly states that it's mere existence is to provide an experience solely based around the murdering of the flesh eating corpses it casts but with a twist. 

It's here that the basics of the zombie genre are best represented. It's a game well aware that while it ignores the basics of story-telling, chooses to display one of the most fundamental attributes required in a Zombie Apocalypse: Survival. In the first-person shooter genre, it is extremely common to have that one person who "Rambo's" through the entire experience, mowing down enemies left and right, and running off on their own, only to boast about their superiority after it's all finished. With Left 4 Dead, that player is the stand-out weak link of the group. They could either be the one that is left behind or the one that breaks apart the group dynamic and causes utter failure. Is it such a successful feature due to the more challenging experience or because human nature is so freakishly predictable?

Then we have the most controversial zombie game of the bunch: The Walking Dead. Based loosely off a mixture of both the critically acclaimed comic series and the television show that followed, The Walking Dead was chosen to be an adventure horror rather than the typical shooter revolving around a combat-focused experience.

At first, considering Telltales previous track-record, I was extremely skeptical. How could a game revolving around the sole purpose of zombie slaughter choose to become a point and click adventure? It's here that readers should note that the entire appeal and purpose behind both the graphic novel and television series that rose the two media giants to popularity was not the zombies, but the interaction and realistic, life-threatening situations that the survivors encountered on a daily basis.

That's where Telltale truly succeeded and caught the undivided attention of countless gamers as well as my own.  Yes, zombie killing and action is a part of the games and while it's not as supremely significant, that's not where the appeal exudes from. The sheer relevance of human interaction and the indication that the undead aren't the only threat in a post-apocalyptic world nor are they the most dangerous is a highly engrossing thought. It would be a massive disservice believing that the abandonment of an action oriented environment leaves it undeserving of a play-through. 

When brought down to nit-picking of it all, it truly becomes just a matter of preference and the type of adventure that the gamer would choose to undertake. Be it a mindless action-based romp through a life-less world or a massively engaging setting focused on a extreme sense of narrative and life or death situations, there is no shortage of titles to choose from but there should be an informative gesture informing people what they'll be getting into and if they're receiving their money's worth.

Should there be such a wide variety of styles within the zombie genre itself or should all aspects mentioned above be thrown into a single pot and created into the single most ambitious undertaking that it could possibly ever be? Time will tell.

Red Dead Redemption Review- Xbox 360 Edition

It's painfully evident that throughout the past decade, the Western setting has never had a chance to prosper nor successfully break out into video games. There were various attempts, be it open world adventures or first-person shooters, but none truly garnered the success to become a fully fledged franchise. Not until Rockstar took to the genre and completely revolutionized to a level never before seen.

Acquiring the rights to the Red Dead IP, Rockstar began working on the next installation. They set out to create another open-world epic and replicate the success they've had on the massively popular Grand Theft Auto franchise. Red Dead Redemption is the unofficial sequel to Red Dead Revolver and is only relatable through the name alone. Redemption is a stand-alone title with it's own set of characters, brand new setting and revamped control scheme.

Taking precedence in a fictional Old West that borders itself with Mexico in the year 1911, Red Dead Redemption follows the story of the retired outlaw John Marston as he's blackmailed by Government agents interested in hunting down the remaining members of Marston's old posse. Forced to obey their demands due to the Government holding his family against their will, he sets out to find and stop his ex-gang members while enlisting the help of various unstable and terribly misguided characters that are akin to Rockstar's other open-world outings.

If you're familiar at all with any of the GTA titles, then you'll feel right at home with Redemption. The mission structure and distribution is done by the interaction of the world's key NPC's as you complete a series of tasks to progress through the story. There is no specific order in which you have to complete these missions nor is there any "right" way in finishing the tasks. The only limitation being that certain areas of the map are connected to the completion of the missions themselves but soon becomes completely accessible. The missions themselves are extreme joy rides ranging from hijacking a train, storming a fort, or sneaking through settlements disguised as common-folk. It's a incredibly deep experience and you'll find yourself quickly immersed in the vast world and it's ridiculous characters. It's not without it's faults though. There are a few irritating missions at hand, those specifically which are escort missions where you have to keep a VIP safe from harm while fighting off hordes of enemies. These don't occur that often but they are a nuisance and an undesirable addition to the game.

You'll have no shortage of side missions either as you're given absolute freedom in whether to complete them or not. They range from gold seeking travels to hunting down certain animals, playing card games, rounding up farm animals and even finding specific plant ingredients to create vile potions. They all take a massive advantage of the incredibly vast map that you'll take pleasure exploring and is all incredibly detailed and modelled. In comparison to Rockstar's GTAgames, RDR is a lot larger while containing far emptier space in between the smaller towns you'll come across. The game counters this with it's multiple environments which are all beautifully designed, ranging from sprawling Western deserts, snowy mountain tops and lively grasslands. You'll even find yourself stopping every now and then to merely take in the view.

As with GTA, Redemption re-introduces a "Wanted" system in order to keep peace to the world. If you start disobeying the law and shooting up a settlement, you'll receive stars which dictates how serious you're actions are and the repercussions that must be met. A bounty will appear in your name and the local law enforcement and bandits alike will come gunning for you.

Rockstar introduces a new mechanic known as "Dead Eye". Each kill you rack up will fill your meter and once it's high enough, it can be activated at your command to slow down time and target your enemies for some quick kills. It's a fantastic addition to the gameplay and while it might make combat a little easier, it's a mechanic that never get's old and helps significantly when hunting animals. The gameplay itself is well in-line with Rockstar's previous open world installations. You control the character with a third-person perspective and the shooting can be controlled via free-aim or the game's recommended lock-on system that was built up through previous GTA titles. Thankfully, the movement has taken a turn for the better as it's far more free-flowing and lacks the clunky feel that it's predecessors possessed which will allow for an overall more enjoyable experience. Yet still, the movement remains to be the game's weakest point. It isn't as free flowing as you'd hope for it be especially when compared to other open world games such as Saints Row 3, Just Cause 2, InFamous or Crackdown.

Then we have the multiplayer. Surprisingly, when pitted up against a game so focused on it's lengthy campaign, the online component is one of the most addictive experiences you can ever hope to encounter. As opposed to the common matchmaking system that the common game might contain, Red Dead Redemption's multiplayer lobby is the worlditself. That's right, Rockstar has thrown out your traditional match-making system in favour of the world that they built being the system itself. You're able to run around the entire map with up to 15 other players to your hearts content. This doesn't eliminate the basic game-modes though. Whenever you want to engage in Redemptions versions of team-deathmatch, capture the flag, territory wars, etc, all you have to do is locate a point on the map that becomes the playing ground for your mode of choice. An in-depth rewards system records your progression throughout multiplayer, unlocking weapon skins, character skins and even the steed you choose to ride in the online world you'll soon begin to call home.

Being that the game was released over two years ago, it's fair share of downloadable content has been released since then. Three of the the four packs are multiplayer additions such as the various card games available in campaign, characters skins and weapons. The final pack that was released is the critically acclaimed "Undead Nightmare" pack targeted towards the campaign. It's a stand-alone experience which requires not the completion of the main story and is separately selected from the title screen. At this point, you can purchase all four DLC's in a single package at an affordable price and they are highly recommended for those who'll be spending dozens of hours with Red Dead Redemption.

Rockstar has once again managed to knock it out of the park, making what was once undesirable, now the most enriched and discussed setting off the past generation. The story will keep you engrossed for over 20 hours at least and if that doesn't satisfy you, the near limitless options and freedom that the multiplayer offers will. This is one of the most complete packages of this current generation and the best rendition of the genre yet.

Final Score: 9.75

Uros' Quick Thoughts- Is there a proper purpose to Video-Game System Wars?

What's the most common topic that's brought up when someone questions the purchase of a certain gaming system? It's almost always the superiority of one platform over another, better known as "System Wars" or "Console Wars". Obviously, a little healthy competition never hurt anyone and it's in human nature to compete against one another, but is the constant comparison and pitting of each console against the other really necessary? 

It was a lot more simple back in the 16 and 32 Bit days. There was never any real intimidation amongst one another, just the sheer enjoyment of controlling such an interactive device. At the earliest point in the console lifespan, PC gaming was yet to breakout. But once it had, it soon became the prominent system to own. 

To this day, PC Gamers tend to frown upon those who chose the Console route. They attempt to establish themselves as the "superior race" due to graphical advancements, power and overall freedom. Is this really necessary though? Why must someone be criticized over the fact that they prefer one system over another? Yes, a PC can be built to handle the best looking games available and it might lack the restrictions that a Console might carry, but in the end, it's simply preference that separates that decision. 

While one person might choose graphical and technical superiority, another might favour the simplicity and relaxed nature of a Console. Maybe that person doesn't want to spend a hefty amount of cash building a powerful rig. Perhaps they enjoy the comfortability and accessibility that a Console such as the Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii offer. Little effort is required in maintaining the quality of the machine, and games are simply inserted and set to go. I myself have no quarrel with anyone who chooses one choice over the other, but I dread the thought of constantly updating my PC on a regular basis just to keep with the trend. 

A suitable counter-argument can be made that it actually costs less to maintain a PC than it does to purchase a Console in general due to the PC being the "entire package". So while you do spend upwards of around $1000 dollars, how does that fair for console gaming? Most people seem to ignore that besides the $300 dollar console you're purchasing, there's also the matter of a suitable television. All in all, the price point would roughly add up to be the same, if not more.

The competition will always exist amongst the masses whether it be regarding the superior graphics, the best interface, or even the most comfortable fashion in enjoying our favourite shared hobby but honestly, we're all gamers and the sheer fact that we live in an age with such technology and innovation is a blessing in itself. It's fine to compare the statistics of one gaming rig to another but the demoralizing of someone due to their personal preference of a certain system is unacceptable.

Max Payne 3 Review!

There is always unease and a certain amount of skepticism when a beloved franchise that has long since closed it's doors is uprooted for one last ride. Perhaps that unease comes from the reasoning that a sequel can't possibly hope to do the series justice or in this specific case, a brand new developer takes the reins from the original creators of the franchise. Here we have Rockstar Games, best known for their work on the Grand Theft Auto franchise and most recently Red Dead Redemption,taking over for Remedy. Remedy, best known for the Max Payne games and the critically acclaimed Alan Wake, have passed on the torch to Rockstar for this overdue and possibly unneeded sequel.

Now comes the skepticism. As already evident, Rockstar is best known for their open world, crime based thrillers that allow the player almost absolute freedom to act whichever way they want in the sprawling sandbox that they're given. Long-time fans of the Max Payne series curiously questioned how such a developer would make the transition from a massive world to a more linear adventure with a more restricted sense of freedom. As time went on, Remedy revealed their blessings to the sequel and that they were fully confident in Rockstar's capabilities. Were they correct in trusting them? Keep reading to find out.

Max Payne 3 doesn't exactly pick up right where the second game left off. Nine years have passed since the passing of Max's wife and he has since then retired from the NYPD. As the game starts, we're shown that Max has spent those years wallowing away, drowning his life in alcohol and painkillers in hope of ridding himself of the past in his little apartment in Hoboken, New Jersey. The game jumps between two settings during the course of the game.; a present setting following the current events of Max's life and the second being a series of flashbacks following his adventures leading up to current events and how he got himself stuck in his current predicament and job employment.

In current events, Max and Pasos, a friend who he was once attended Police Academy with, both are in the employ for a powerful family in Brazil named the Bronco's. They work as "high level" personal security guards and usually accompany the youngest brother, Marcelo, and his friends to the most prestigious of parties and clubs in Sao Paulo. The eldest brother owns the entirety of the family heritage and the middle child is a politician in Brazil which puts the family usually on a high target list for the criminal underworld of Brazil. Certain circumstances go awry and Rodrigo's(eldest brother) wife, her sister and Marcelo get kidnapped and Max and Pasos are forced to track down the gangs through the dangerous, unfriendly streets of Brazil and rescue them.

The flashback sequences play homage to the previous Max Payne game in that it takes place almost entirely in New Jersey and on the streets and rooftops that fans of the series are familiar of and have grown to love. It's here where we're introduced to Pasos and the main reason Max has found himself stuck in Brazil working for the corrupt Bronco's as a mere body-guard. There's even a few tributes paid to the past few games that will leave fans shedding a tear for Max and his past life. Without revealing too much, Max sparks an all-out war with the local mob boss and he and Pasos are forced to flee for their life amongst the dirty and snow covered rooftops of New Jersey.

Rockstar tells Max's story brilliantly through beautifully rendered cinematics that have a sort of a multi-framed, jumpy feel to them. Even specific moments of dialogue pop up on screen that pertain to the story and add for effect. Max still retains his monologue speeches in between intense action scenes and every one of his actions is spoken in a discrete and sometimes regretful narrative. The language and tone of the game leaves no room for the weak and easily disturbed. There are dark, twisted scenes that depict real life situations that have occurred in under-developed countries such as Brazil and Rockstar doesn't pull their punches when displaying the brutality of the Brazilian slums. Graphically, Max Payne 3 is a jewel to look at. Character models are brilliantly modelled and the environments and colours simply vibrate off the screen. Simply put, the game is gorgeous but not without it's share of problems. There's the rare dip in frame-rate and occasional screen tear but thankfully, this is all forgettable and most definitely not a game-breaker.

The famed "bullet time" mechanic makes an explosive comeback in Max Payne 3 and even with several games attempting to replicate the system, it still feels fresh and a joy to slowly pull off head-shots as it once was in the original games. Due to the recent over-exposure in recent third person shooters, a new cover mechanic has been introduced to the Max Payne series for the first time, allowing for a slower and easier pace for gamers unfamiliar with a time without cover mechanics. The shooting and movement are in line with Rockstar's previous games but you still get that Max Payne vibe from duel-wielding pistols and only being able to carry a single heavy weapon when coinciding with a smaller firearm. The shooting feels tight and controlled, even though most people will still decide to stick with an assisted lock-on system over the free-aim system. Besides an outline of Max's body indicating your health which is replenished by painkillers, there is no visible HUD in the game. A problem that some gamers might experience is the occasional spike's in difficulty. Painkillers are spread out thin even in the easier game modes and one good shot could drop if not careful. The game doesn't bother to hold your hand and this might be a turn-off for casual gamers.

Alongside the main campaign, Max Payne 3 offers two additional modes to choose from to give a second play-through a little more flair. The first is merelyScore Attack. You are matched up to fellow friends on Xbox Live and various leader boards to see who can attain the highest score possible throughout the story. Each kill grants you points and you'll receive even more for stylish and creative kills. The other mode that will familiar to long time fans of the series isNew York Minute. A clock is constantly ticking down as you make your way through each chapter and each kill will garner you extra time on the clock. The fastest time's get clocked into leader boards to compete against your friends. In addition, Max Payne offers an intriguing selection of collectibles to find. One set being important clues that pertain to the story and the other being scattered pieces of Golden guns that when collected, are allowed to be selected.

The biggest addition that Rockstar has introduced into the Max Payne franchise is multiplayer. It's garnered it's fair share of criticism with the most common belief being that multiplayer will retain irrelevance among a story centric game such as Max Payne. Thankfully, Rockstar's previous success with GTA 4 and Red Dead Redemption carries over into Max Payne 3 and the result is different yet a joy to experience. There are your typical team death-match and objective-based game modes to choose from but those aren't even the most interesting additions to the game. A new system called Social Clubs Crews, allows you to create a persistant team and compete against rival gangs online. There's a standard levelling system that is commonly seen in most shooters and basic load-out options that are fleshed out even further with the game's generous rewards system.

Rockstar Games managed to riskfully revive Max Payne in the modern age while both paying respects to the world and character that Remedy created and creatively adding some of their own trademark flair to the series. With a gratifying and lengthy story coupled with a frantic and chaotic online multiplayer, Max Payne 3 earns it's place amongst the it's prequels and even the top shooters of it's genre.

Final Score: 9.25

My long overdue Amazing Spider-Man video-game reivew!

When referring to the massive list of constant comic book tie-in films, the results are less than satisfying. These games usually suffer from following the script of the film too much and lacking the ability to deviate from the source material. Although, once in a blue moon, you do get the odd addition of an enjoyable, if sometimes good title. The Amazing Spider-Man attempts to be one of the recent inclusions into the tie-in genre and truly tries to break away from the dreaded curse. Does it succeed? Let's find out.

Warning: FIlm spoilers ahead.

Taking place after the events of the recent film, the game displays Manhattan after the Lizard's attack on the city and his unsuccessful coup into turning everyone into mutated Lizards similar to himself. The game opens up with Peter and Gwen sneaking in a tour into Restricted areas of Oscorp which unsurprisingly, follows up with unfortunate results.After the people begin to shows signs of infection similar to that of Lizard's attempts, Spider-Man decides to pay Doctor Connors and breaks him out of a mental institution in hopes of developing a cure. From there on, Peter and Connors take refuge in Peter's rented out apartment in Manhattan. It's here that you have the ability to replay missions, talk to Connors, change your costume and jump into the free roam aspect of the game.

The Amazing Spider-Man breaks up the game into two sections: Linear indoor based story quests and Free Roam City side missions. The former is subjected primarily to the campaign with the exception of a few side missions that garner a little more import than your average quest. Each story mission plays a lot like Beenox's previous Spider-Man games in which you are in confined spaces and where stealth takes precedence over the open spaced combat of previous open world Spider-Man games. On the other hand, the Free Roam sections allow you to traverse Manhattan to your heart's delight, engaging in several different activities but we'll refer to this later.

The story missions play similarly to Shattered Dimensions "Noir" universe. You'll be sneaking through tight corridors trying to avoid enemies with fully automatic weapons that have the ability to take you down in but a few hits. The Stealth take downs aren't a new addition to the series but the animations are nice and it provides a change of pace from the combat. These indoor sections can become frustrating at times due to their recurring repetition, but the environments vary nicely and the urge to find collectibles keeps you attentive . You'll be spending the majority of your time swinging around the vast map of Manhattan, occasionally taking a break from swinging to encounter one of the various amounts of side missions offered. Oddly enough, these events aren't random and only refresh once a new chapter of the story is activated. While this is odd for an open world game, it keeps the side missions from becoming extremely dull, which sadly, they become by the end of the game. They lack variety and play out exactly the same whether it's a car chase, stopping a mugging, or delivering a sick patient to the hospital.

Now the cream of the crop in Spider-Man games has always been the free-roam. Nothing captures the essence of being Spider-Man better than swinging freely through the city and observing the massive landscape before you. In this outing, Beenox had decided to pull the camera closer and a lot tighter to Spider-Man's body while swinging to give the player the sense of speed and vertigo while flying through the air and incredible speeds. It looks and feels fantastic and remains to be the game's best feature above all us. What might discern certain gamers of the highly acclaimed Spider-Man 2 tie in is the lack of attachment from the webs to objects in the world. Here, they just seem to stick anywhere within reasonable range of a building or tree's. It might be hard to ignore at first but the freedom and fluidity of the new swing system makes it easily forgettable.

Easily one of the most addictive additions into the Amazing Spider-Man this time around is the collectibles. Instead of just providing concept art and potential achievements, each collectible represents a page of a comic book. Collecting them unlocks a classic comic book issue which showcases many first appearances of characters including The Lizard, Gwen Stacy, and Spider-Man himself. It's a fantastic incentive to collect all 500 pages pertaining to the comic books while an additional 200 will grant you an achievement.

Web Rush. The newest foray into Spider-Man's arsenal takes inspiration from Web of Shadows' "web zip" mechanic that allowed you to instantly target an enemy and web towards them for a powerful attack. Web Rush integrates a system that when activated, time comes briefly to a stop and allows you to target almost anywhere to quickly web zip to with proficient accuracy and acrobatics. It can be used both in combat and in free roam or for traversal purposes and is a fantastic looking feature that shows Spider-Man bouncing off buildings and objects fluidly to reach his destination

Combat has never really been in issue in previous installations of Spider-Man games. It's always been a relatively simple formula involving a dodge mechanic in relation to Spider-Sense, a mechanic for webs and your classic punch and kicks. Here, the game takes massive inspiration from both Web of Shadows and the highly successful Batman: Arkham games. An indicator over Spidey's head will flash when he's in danger of being hit and a counter can be issued although this breaks your combo which builds up to critical attacks capable of taking out enemies in a single hit. The combat plays to Spider-Man's strengths pertaining to his agility, speed and acrobatics. He leaps and vaults all over his enemies in spectacular fashion utilizing wrestling take downs coupled with a very specific web mechanic:

Sadly, none of the original cast from the film reprise their roles in the video game tie-in but this doesn't exactly hinder the game either. With a believable voice cast taking the reins, the dialogue flows without hindrance and even the cheesiest of lines are pulled off convincingly. Each emotion that a character is feeling is produced realistically and nothing felt forced.

Being an open world game, the graphics usually tend to take a hit in favour for size over quality. In this case it remains, for the most part, true with a few exceptions. Manhattan as a whole, is gigantic. Whether you're at the top of Oscorp or the Empire State Building, the draw distance remains visually striking and the city glows at night with beautiful lighting effects during the day. It becomes a little dull when you begin to notice the recycled NPC models and everything has a glossy sort of look to it, but the varied environments keep it from becoming too noticeable. Obviously, Spider-Man's character model stands out the most. His suit screams detail with the colour being the most striking and little touches such as physical suit damage are a welcomed treat.

While adding nothing particularly new nor does it revamp the combat system, The Amazing Spider-Man delivers more quality Spider-Man action in a visually striking Manhattan playground. You'll spend hours simply swinging around the city, collecting all the glowing comic books at an addictive rate and admiring the city. The story fleshes out quite nicely and despite an arguably anti-climatic ending, it's a satisfying romp through the world of the cinematic universe that's it based on.

EDIT:

I'm not great with review scores but the request of a persuasive user has made me choose otherwise to please those who can't stand my writing :P

Final Score: 7.75