Rainbow Six: Vegas 2

I guess I was one of the few who wasn't all that impressed with the original Vegas title. I'm actually not too fond of the Rainbow Six series in general. It all falls back on the piss poor Dreamcast version which haunts me to this day.

I rented Vegas 2 because it was the "IN" thing to do. Yeah, I'm all about playing the popular stuff even if it isn't my cup of tea. Let me say though that I had some highs and lows with this game and I'm going to bring them all to light.

If you've played any game that deals with you being a government operative and needing to take down some terrorists then you know the plot of this game. It's finale is almost worth while though but don't expect a refreshing take on a tired genre like Call of Duty 4 gave us last fall.

The game runs on the Unreal Engine which is rather pretty. The levels themselves feel a bit fake early on but once you hit Old Casino and on the textures and everything spice up. I love how so many things are destructible and how certain items can be shot through.

Character models are less than exciting and I do wish you had more facial and body type options for your character but I was able to create a half way decent character. The game also supports the Vision Camera but I don't have it so I can't tell you how well it works.

I'm normally not impressed with the music in a shooting title and this one did nothing for me. There was an instance or two that I enjoyed the music but most of the time it was just background noise. Voice work is the same ole fair. I wonder if they have a team of guys who do the voice work for these games as it's so run the mill.

My first problem with the game was that as I neared the end of the first mission my 360 gave me a disc read error and stopped working. It's done it before but whatever. Then for the next 10 tries when i tried to load the game up my 360 was telling me I needed to insert a 360 disc... A quick internet search lead me to a number of topics and complaints about the same thing. Thanks Ubisoft!

Now that that's out of my system lets tackle the game play shall we. We have three types of modes of play. Single player, Terrorist Hunter and Live matches. Single player can be done solo or in co-op. I found single player to be a total bore while co-op was a lot more fun. Here's problem number 2. The host would often quit as the level was finishing up which caused me to lose my Knight hit and the fact that I had finished a level. Thanks guys!

Yes I am bitter but whatever. The locations are fairly tame and not all that interesting. We get parking garages, casinos and penthouses. What I did like is that the game gives you some actual choices with doors and pathways for going through a number of different situations. One is in the penthouse level. You can rappel down the side of the building, jump through the window and pray you don't die. Or you can go down the broke elevator shaft and snipe them... Ah choices.

The enemy A.I. ran the fine line of brain dead and overly aggressive. it was always one or the other. Your team AI is mentally challenged and they tend to stand and cover even when no enemies are around and this is after I have told them to move on.

So to sum up this section I'll just say that single player is boring when done alone as it's too stale. On the other hand it's rather entertaining in co-op but here's a wish I had. If the host quits you should be able to finish the level.

There was also a few times where the levels in co-op play stuttered into life, enemies magically appeared and once I was re-spawned in the floor and ended up falling to my death finally only for the game to say I had created a crater in the Earth... Did we forget to beta test this game?

The next mode is Terrorist Mode. You have access to all of the Live multi-player maps (about 14 I believe).. Each stage has a set number of terrorists for you to take out. it's actually pretty fun and a good time waster. I actually had more fun with this than I did doing the single player by myself. It's also playable on-line.

The on-line play is rather annoying. If you play a ranked match it will boot you out after each match because it's ranked but this requires a few loading screens that are just too long and just shouldn't be that long to load a menu.

I did like the game play options, which are your typical fair and the menus and everything were nicely done. Just not a fan of all of the loading just so you can hunt for a new match.

The game also features a level up system. You gain experience for doing all kinds of different things. Not sure what really does it but I got a lot of points when I leveled up certain skills like close range kills. These level ups net you new equipment that let you take more damage or move faster or whatever. It's a nice system but the game never takes the time to explain it to you. I'm not sure if it's in the solo single player mode but it was in everything else, including co-op so I'm guessing it's there as well.

I part of me wants to recommend Vegas 2. Another part of me is pissed about the lack of quality testing that went into the products final stages. The on-line community isn't overly friendly either as in the matches I played, no one ever talked and if this is a team based system then people should chat... So I'll say it's worth a rental, maybe a purchase when it's cheaper and for those who have Xbox Live. Otherwise it really isn't worth it if you can't do co-op or the on-line stuff.

Story - 6/10
Graphics - 9/10
Sound - 7/10
Control - 9/10
Game Play - 8/10
Replay Value - 7/10

Final Score - 7/10

NFL Tour Review

I'm not a sports fan. The few sports I do like I don't really play because the idea of sitting in front of my tv and pretty much doing the same thing over and over forever with no real goal just doesn't excite me.

NFL Tour is yet another football title from EA Sports and let's be honest this is a tongue and cheek approach at their own Madden title but it fails in that entire approach.

We get one of the worst commentaries ever created in a sports game. it makes jokes about every commentary repeating itself and then this guy repeats himself immediately afterwards and you'll hear this three or four times in the whole 5 minutes a match takes. It's just annoying beyond belief.

Visually this game is one of the blandest efforts to hit the 360 in a long while. Character models feel dead and the arenas look like complete crap. Even the menus feels dated and bland.

The game play itself should be familiar to anyone who has played the NFL Street titles. I haven't played them so this was a new experience for me. You only have Tour mode and quick play as your main endeavors. Outside of that we get 2 mini games that I didn't mess around with because my 360 crashed on me which annoyed me.

Quick play as you picking your favorite real lfie sports team and playing a quick match. Achievement hunters should be warned that they only unlock on Veteran difficulty which kind of sucks but whatever.

The games AI is rather brain dead on almost any difficulty which is a shame because I think the over the top moves would be a lot more fun with the other team actually seemed to try.

What I did like is that you can break out of holds and other things doing random quick time events. It adds a sudden rush to the game play that makes it more fun than the Madden titles but remember, nothing is realistic in this game.

The NFL Tour mode is rather boring to be honest. You create a very limited character and have him join a team and then play through a season. It works just like quick play except you have a preset schedule.

The game also features on-line play but I didn't bother with it because again my game had crashed and I'm not big into sports games anyway and I have no clue why I even picked this one up.

At the end of the day I must admit that this was a fun waste of time but that's also what it was. A waste of time. The plays aren't overly original or interesting. The commentary is a major annoyance and the abundance of horrible rap music will haunt me for a while.

If you're looking for the next NFL Street then you may want to give this game disc a spin but I think you should try the demo out because it won't be for everyone and EA really fails when they try and make fun of themselves because it's more annoying than funny.

Story - N/A
Graphics - 6/10
Sound - 4/10
Control - 8/10
Game Play - 7/10
Replay Value - 5/10

Final Score - 6/10

Bully: Scholarship Edition

I really didn't care for Bully when it hit the Playstation 2 way back when. It felt limited and the game play wasn't too exciting. Plus the load times were terrible and too frequent.

I can't say much has changed here in this enhanced version of the title. It's pretty much the same game with better graphics and a few added classes to it plus achievements. So while it does add a little more to the game it's nothing that really extends it for a longer period of for those who actually go for 100% anyway as none of the achievements add much replay and the new content will add under an hour of new game play.

The new features are rather stark and don't add up too a whole lot. We get two new classes. Their rewards allow you to see locations of the hidden items. It's actually a rather helpful skill for those who want 100%. Besides that there really isn't much in the way of new features.

The graphics haven gotten an overhaul and they look much sharper. A few problems come with it though as my game had horrendously long load times and they are just too frequent. Not only that but the game chugged along at a mind numbing pace and I had trouble focusing on the actual game play.

Sure, game play isn't everything but the not even the story is worthwhile.You're a young lad who is sent to a boarding school because he's a big ole bully. Well when a bully enters a new school he has to work his way back up the food chain of the bully world or something. Sadly the role of a bully in this game means you protect nerds and make out with ugly girls. Wow, makes me wish I was a bully in school...

It doesn't seem like Rock Star has put much effort into the audio for the game either as the voice work seems to be exactly the same which ranges from good to horrid, depending on which character is talking. The music is rather forgettable and did nothing for me unless it was that annoyingly catchy song during music class.

Let's cover the game play though shall we. The game is a sand box title with a bit of structure to it. You have routine that should be followed but you don't have to. There is a clock and you have classes twice a day. You also have a curfew and if you're up past 2 AM then you pass out from being tired. This causes an unneeded bit of strain on you trying to finish goals.

What makes it more annoying is that if you're caught outside class or out past curfew you can be sent to class or to bed. This is annoying when you've almost finished off a tough mission only to get caught at the last second.

The combat system in the game is fairly simple at fist but you can trade some hidden items for new moves and going to gym class will also net you some moves. I found the fighting to be a bit more enjoyable after the first chapter. Not only that but you can also use different tricks like marbles and a powder to slow your enemy up and if a bat is near by just hit him with it.

Classes also play an important part in the game though. You can get better skills like talking your way out of a beat down or having better girl (or boy) skills.

Each class is a mini game of sorts. One is a rhythm game along the lines of Parappa the Rapper, one is a wrestling match where you just need to pull off the combos. My favorite is the lab mini game where you dissect animals. It's kind of gross to look at but it's rather fun.

The game is split up into chapters and each has about 10 or so missions for about 50 missions total. The game is actually kind of long for a sand box title and with all of the hidden rubberbands and stuff you can easily spend a few good days going for it all.

A part of me wonders why I found this adventure a bit more charming than the PS2 entry but I really can't tell you why. There are some problems though that really hold the game back. As I said before the load times are terrible and frequent and the lag in the actual game is unacceptable.

As far as the genre though you could do a lot worse but you could also do better I guess. It's a fun little game but it's world fills a bit shallow and the entire plot is kind of annoying rather than amusing. I like the more structured nature of the title though than say the completely open world of the Grand Theft Auto series but the time pressure is a bit too annoying.

Story - 6/10
Graphics - 8/10
Sound - 8/10
Control - 8/10
Game Play - 7/10
Replay Value - 7/10

Final Score - 7/10

Lost: Via Domus Review

I've been watching the T.V. show "Lost" since it started. Well, I watched a friends tapes and then I would watch half a season and then wait for dvds. I'm actually watching this season from the start. When I heard a game was coming I was very excited but thee was some conflicting repots as to if the story was cannon or not.

Well, I resisted the urge to run out and buy the game and thankfully my rental service shipped it to me on release day. I did look up some minor information before playing and I had prepared myself for what was to come.

Good or bad I must say this game is only for fans of the show and I would recommend that you are caught up to the Desmond episode in season 4 before playing this so it won't ruin too much for you. Not a fan of the show? Then this will most likely not be for you.

The game plays like a mix of Myst and some of the more recent adventure titles. The action is very limited and it's pretty much some minor auto aimed gunning action ear the end of the game.

There are six or so chapters that the game is split up into. They all have a basic structure to them. Talk to people, find a flashback, interact in the flash back, go somewhere and the chapter will end.

I know that sounds simple and it really is just that simple. The entire game can be completed in under 5 hours and that is with all 1000 achievement points but you may need a guide to pick up one of those achievements as it's rather random.

The game does do a few interesting things. We get to visit familiar Lost locations like the boat which plays a part in the current season of the show and we have most of the cast here as well which is voiced by the real actors for the most part (a few aren't).

The games problem though besides the length is the puzzles. We have engine puzzles that have you putting in little paths for an electrical charge and we have... Well that's about it. We also have the caves which are the biggest pain in the ass in a game in a long time. The caves are dark and if you stay in the dark too long the mist kills you. So, you need to keep a torch or lighter lit. Fine except there is water and bats which blow your fire out.

The island is also hard to navigate at times as it feels like a maze and you end up having to follow mysterious signs to another sign until you reach a new area. Thankfully the game does allow you to skip to locations once you have found them.

You can also find items on the island like coconuts, bottles of water and other stuff. These things are used to buy other items like torches and a gun and to be honest I can imagine you getting screwed over if you never buy the gun but I guess the game forces you to at one point or another.

There are a few little odd jobs to do here and there in the game but otherwise it might as well be a paint by the numbers. I did like the bomb shelter bit and having to input the numbers. I think that was the only chapter I enjoyed.

My most hated chapter had to be the poorly done stealth chapter which has you hiding in trees avoiding the mist. It became tedious and having to backtrack through it with an explosive was even worse.

The entire game feels this way though. A little good with a little bad. The puzzles feel too watered down and there isn't enough substance to the title to warrant a play through for anyone but a Lost fanatic.

Visually the game is nice though but we don't have a lot of locations and a few of the character models seem to be a bit off. The cut scenes share the same graphics as the in game visuals and frankly it wasn't all that grand to look at but it does recreate a few key scenes from the show.

The plot is fairly simple for those who haven't seen the show. A plane crashes on a mysterious island and the survivors are trying to live and find a way off the island. So we get to see the crash, the first time with The others but it's all told through a new character created just for the game. His back story isn't all that interesting but I did like that we could slightly interact with his past to put the pieces together quicker.

For what it's worth the game isn't horrible and it's one of the better T.V. based games to be released but that really isn't saying a whole lot. Fans should give it a rent but anyone else should just pass this one by unless they want a quick 1000 achievement points.

Story - 7/10
Graphics - 8/10
Sound - 7/10
Control - 8/10
Game Play - 6/10
Replay Value - 2/10

Final Score - 6/10

Naruto: Rise of a Ninja

I'm a fairly big fan of anime but I have limitations to what I like. I don't really care for Dragon Ball Z and the few minutes I've caught of Naruto I wasn't overly impressed but it could have been the horrid dub voice of Naruto and this is coming from a fan of dubs.

So I rented Naruto despite my uninterested in it all together. As soon as I popped it in I was surprised by a number of things. Visually this game is a stunner. The cut scenes look fantastic with very sharp cell shading, some of the best this generation of gaming. The in game graphics are just a mild step down but the town, forest and even characters look good.

A few problems arise from there though as the game reuses a lot of models so you rarely run into enemies who look different and the town folk even look a lot alike.

I guess it wouldn't matter but the game also plays like a sand box title as you have many side quests and only 25 plot quests. The also also plays like a platformer, a fighter and it has little bits of a role playing game thrown in for good measures.

It can be a bit overwhelming at first but after a few minutes it becomes natural. A typical mission has you heading to a scroll marker on your map. From there a new marker appears and you head there. once outside the city you'll encounter not so random enemies and at this point the game turns into a fighting game.

If you've played any of the recent Dragon ball Z titles then you can imagine how this plays out but it isn't as over the top. You have two attack buttons, a weapon button, a jump button and a block button. The ideal way to play is to just do a reversal by blocking right before the attack hits and doing a nice combo.

There is more though as you have special moves, which are used outside of combat as well. These moves require you to hold the L trigger and push both stick in a specific pattern and then in another and then release the L trigger as the wave enters its zone. This is simple enough outside combat but it becomes near impossible unless you have dazed an enemy. So it kind of becomes useless except on rare occasions and when you do use it, it does some great damage if the enemy doesn't dodge.

As you play the enemy starts to use these moves as well which can be deadly for you. Not only that but you both get something called rage around the same time. The more damage you do and receive makes you angrier and once your meter is filed you go and do double damage and can't be hurt for x amount of time. Same for the enemy when he kicks it into over drive.

The fighting system is fun at first but because it's moves are a bit hard to pull off it becomes annoying. Some enemies are so fast you can easily be slaughtered and some just block everything and require so very fast thinking to hurt them and then suddenly they drop like flies.

Thankfully the game has a lives system which are called memos. You have four at a time and you can have them refilled or if you die three times on a boss it refills for you if you select it to. I found them to be very handy for almost all boss battles. You can also buy ramon which heals you but I don't know if you can use it during a fight as I never bought any...

The games world is fairly large but it becomes annoying quickly. The town is fun to explore and it feels much like Crackdown did with the extreme jumping and stuff. Once you leave though the game goes into a linear path with jumping over water, dodging swinging logs and jumping over bomb strings. It's rather simple but it also becomes boring.

Sadly things go a little more down hill when you open areas outside of the woods as you need to sprint up trees and you enter a lame mini game where you hop from one limb to another. It gets old quickly and you have to do it every time you need to go to that area and thankfully the game unlocks nothing but missions in that area but you need to accept them in town and travel all the way through the same mundane mini game again and again.

Within the game there are hidden coins and gold coins which are all sued to upgrade Naruto with new moves, stronger attack or defends or even new weapons. You may also need money to buy these things as well. Money is had from finishing missions or from battles.

The game has a lot of sub missions as well. You have hide and seek missions, delivery missions and race missions. None of which I found to be very interesting. You can also use your skill to turn into a woman to please some random men.

The games controls really hinder it at times though. In the open world Naruto runs at an insane speed that borderlines too fast to really control and this causes the jumping segments to be a bit harder than they should be. I also found that while the fighting controls were fairly tight they also felt limited in comparison to many other games.

The game follows the first 80 episodes of the anime. So I figured it would be a meaty game but in honesty it can be finished in 5 hours. The plot is shrunken down and basically you're a boy who everyone hates, you steal something and learn to become a ninja. The game ends on a cliff hanger but fans of the manga/anime should know what's to come.

The game does have some decent achievements and it felt like forever before I got one. The game will take a lot longer to get all of the achievements though. There is also on-line play which i didn't access because I really didn't want to but I haven't heard anything about it either. There are also downloadable characters to use but they cost money. You can also get a free download that gives you the original Japanese dialog which is nice because the dub voices are still terrible.

Fans of the anime will most likely love the game and for anyone who enjoys the Dragon ball Z games then they may enjoy this as well. if you're looking for a role playing title or even a platformer I'd recommend looking elsewhere. If the game focused on fewer genre types it may have been a little more fun and wouldn't have grown so boring after just a few hours.

Story - 7/10
Graphics - 9/10
Sound - 7/10
Control - 7/10
Game Play - 6/10
Replay value - 5/10

Final Score - 6/10