Borderlands -- Final Opinion.

I'll be wrapping up Borderlands tonight. I have one more achievement to earn for the full one-thousand points. Borderlands is a fun time. But there isn't anything special about it. The graphics look great. I really liked the celshaded aesthetic. While the game actually looks great, it suffers from a case of everything looks the same. Borderlands needs some diversity in its locations. Everything is drab and dreary and brown. I'm generally not one of those people who complain about everything being brown and every game having a bald space marine. The problem comes from the celshading and the actual character design. They look great. The world itself looks great. I understand the logic of going for realism in western design. But there isn't any reason to go that route with Borderlands. Realism wasn't the objective as it's actively negated by the celshading. So why the drab and all too similar areas? This sort of issue carries over to everything about Borderlands. The story is just there. It's not that it's bad, it's just entirely irrelevant and they seemed to know it. The game is solely focused on shooting things and collecting loot. And even the much hyped millions of combinations loot system falls short. At the start of the game you're scrutinizing over every weapon and armor detail but it shortly becomes apparent that very little matters there either. When you have a game that's focused on loot and you lose interest in said loot quickly, you know that's a bad sign. The promised wild weaponry just never materialized in any significant manner. The game's humor seemed great initially but there again rapidly it becomes apparent that it's a one-trick-pony. One that they'll repeat over and over and over until I became actively annoyed by the voice work in the game. The planet of Pandora is populated by insane and rambling hillbillies and the attention whoring of the Claptrap robots quickly lost its charm. In co-op the game provides decent fun. I don't think I would have liked the game as much as I did had it merely been a solo experience. The net code and actual gameplay is great. I never noticed a single instance of lag. They did a decent job actually making the different classes play uniquely. The vehicle sections could definitely use some work. Vehicles that stick like glue to any bump in the way are not fun. And why include vehicles if you're just going to block the paths every quarter mile or so? I just don't get that design choice. I did enjoy my time with Borderlands, although it might not actually sound like it. But ultimately Borderlands is the definition a shallow game experience. It's like the old comment on Chinese food. It's good, but you never feel satisfied, and you're hungry again thirty minutes later. I'm giving Borderlands a 7. The engine and net code are great to the point where I'm actively looking forward to what they do with their Aliens game.

Borderlands -- Initial Impression.

My next game is going to be Borderlands for the Xbox 360. The game was developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games. Borderlands is a first person shooter and RPG hybrid. You have a game that plays like a traditional first person shooter with a class and skill based leveling system straight out of any western RPG. Gearbox Software isn't a stranger to the genre of first person shooters. They've had a long and somewhat storied carrier in the genre going back to the now infamous fully completed port of Half-Life for the Dreamcast that was never published. They ported Halo: Combat Evolved to the PC and also developed the Brothers in Arms series. Borderlands itself isn't without a little back story. It was delayed for roughly a year to receive a graphic overhaul going from a standard looking title to a celshaded and highly stylized title in the process. The game also reportedly received an overhaul in its newly added comic voice. From the time I've spent with the game I can say the delay was well worth it. The game looks good. The stylized visuals and humor come together well to produce an eye-pleasing and initially interesting world. There was a lot made of the game's loot system before the release. The game randomly creates its weaponry with the mathematical combinations numbering in the millions of unique weapons. In just the few hours I've spent with the game I've seen hundreds of item drops. Items come spewing out of killed creatures like candy from a pinãta. It seems the game will more than satisfy the inner loot-whore in anyone. The overall initial draw to Borderlands came from the game offering full four-player online co-op throughout the entirety of the campaign. The experience there initially seems great. No issues with lag or the like. With four players the game can get rather chaotic in the best sense of the word. We've essentially played through the tutorial up to the first boss and already the game has shown moments of chaos. It'll be interesting to see how the end game plays out when they're really throwing everything at you. I'm looking to see how the class diversity plays out. It initially seems well diversified. You do get the sense of playing tactically different from what everyone else is doing. And that's a good thing. I'm also looking to have the humor stay throughout the entire game. The controls initially come off well. They don't initially feel Halo perfect but they're definitely a step above merely workhorse. I had mentioned in a previous post that I thought maybe Borderlands might be the hidden gem this year. The real gem turned out to be Demon's Souls, but Borderlands is on track to being a great overall experience. As always, we'll have to wait for the flip side to be sure.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves -- Final Opinion.

I have completed Uncharted 2: Among Thieves with the platinum trophy to show for it. That equates to playing through the game three times. Completing the hardest difficultly level, earning enough weapon specific kills, and finding all the hidden treasures. Uncharted 2 received an amazing amount of hype. Off the charts level hype I'd say. It was obvious it wasn't going to be all that so to speak, and it wasn't. What was it you might be asking? It was the standard better sequel to a really good game. It's God of War 2 to God of War or Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to Sonic the Hedgehog. Every aspect gets improved upon. The graphics and sound, the story, and the game tends to offer up more gameplay. All of that has happened with Uncharted 2. The graphics are improved in the ways that come with it being the second iteration of a series within a generation. As I've said in my initial opinion, they've shown some restraint and it has worked wonders for the visuals. They didn't overdose on new generation shiny this time around. The story and characters are on par with the original game. Which is to say they're very impressive and they remain the heart of what Uncharted does best. The voice acting is superb all the way around. The music remains up to Hollywood level action score standards. The game is slightly larger in the campaign and of course the online versus and co-op will add in some more value, such as they are. The gameplay itself remains mostly unchanged. I still have issues with headshots just not registering. On the harder difficulty when the game's cover system freaks out it's just as likely to get you killed as it is save you because it places you where you didn't intend for it to do so. Usually where you're exposed from another side to a different enemy. And in the Crushing difficultly you'll last less than two seconds when exposed. They've really gone for the seat of your pants thrill ride vibe of the adventure serial cliffhangers of the 1930's. I'd say they've crossed the line just a bit. It's not that the game places you into one impossible situation after another. It's the rate in which they do. It's to the point where it's no longer surprising. In fact, the surprise comes when it doesn't happen as you're just so used to the constant pacing of them early on. I really enjoyed my time with Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, the offline campaign at least. I'm giving the game an 8.5.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves -- Initial Impression.

I'm a little late with this initial impression. I've been messing with the game for the past two days. I'm roughly around level ten in the campaign and I've spent a few hours each night in the online mode. It was probably best I didn't post an initial impression straight away as the game's online aspect had thoroughly pissed me off with just how shitty it was. Especially considering review after review praised the so-called addictive multiplayer. I will say that the co-op aspect offers some basic fun. And basic is the word for it. There just isn't much there. You and two other players progress through waves of enemies, and that's about it. The enemies come pouring out of nowhere half the time. It's all incredibly mindless and simplistic. The versus modes come off far worse though. Just bad design choices all around. Especially in a system that gives a true advantage to players with higher levels over those just starting out. Nothing about versus feels right. I've found it to be goddamned awful. Although in all honesty, half of that just might be how awful the online experience is on the PlayStation 3 from a system standpoint alone. Thankfully we're not buying Uncharted 2 for its multiplayer, right? The campaign of Uncharted 2 lets me know there are a few improvements over the original Uncharted. The graphics look better. Not so much in just the natural improvements that come with a sequel to a game within the same console generation. The graphics are better, but they've improved the aesthetics in subtle ways that make a major difference for me. Gone are the overly shiny wet rocks and the like that looked severely unnatural in the original. They've greatly improved the visuals for me by merely exercising some restraint. I can say from the time I've spent with the game thus far that the story and characters and voice acting are all on the same level or better than the original. And those are at the heart of what made Uncharted the good game it is. The game initially comes off as witty and charming. The character banter is smart and a pleasure to listen to. We'll have to see if they can maintain it. I get the feeling they can. We'll also have to see if the game crosses the line of going too far with the one impossible situation after another aspect. They're really laying that on thick. And we'll have to see if I can wrap this one up before Borderlands.

Halo 3: ODST -- Final Opinion.

I'm not entirely done with ODST yet, as I have to help some people earn some achievements. I have however earned the full one-thousand and pretty much have done everything there is to do with Halo 3: ODST. The offline campaign is great for the most part. The flashbacks and the current missions are great. They're classic Halo experiences all around. Each one seems to focus on a different Halo aspect which really showcases why Halo is so fun. The hub world that holds them together though left me a little flat. It's a slightly confusing mess of a city with little to do but fight random Covenant patrols and scour around for the collectable audio logs that make up the second half of the game's story. Graphically the game looks great, aging Halo 3 engine or not. The sound design lives up to Bungie's standard of excellence. The controls are Halo perfect. And the new stamina system changes up the gameplay just enough to make it its own thing while remaining Halo. The Firefight mode proved itself to be great fun and offered up its own challenges. Firefight mode is a commitment every time out though, assuming you're going for the achievement tied to the level. Each level will take you an hour and a half to two hours to complete and there are eight of them. We also went through the co-op campaign on Legendary which provided a few more hours of play. And surprisingly, we spent a lot of time playing the Halo 3 multiplayer disc trying for achievements there that were connected to ODST. As I've stated in my previous entry on ODST, there was a certain segment of gamers bitching about ODST being a mere expansion and not worth the full retail price. Those people are just as asinine as the Left 4 Dead group, as ODST provides hours and hours of entertainment. It's definitely worthy of its full price status. I more than got my money's worth and I'm giving Halo 3: ODST an 8.5.

Demon's Souls -- Initial Impression.

Next up for me is the PlayStation 3 exclusive action RPG Demon's Souls. From Software developed Demon's Souls and Atlus has published it in North America. Being a fan of From Software because of the great games Otogi and Otogi 2, I was aware of Demon's Souls before its Asian release. I came so close to pulling the trigger on importing the title more times than I can count but I held off in hopes of a western release to be able to make use of the game's online co-op. But that probably proved for naught anyway. More on that later. Demon's Souls is here, in deluxe edition form no less, and it seems to be receiving the biggest push Atlus has ever given a game they've published. Building off the near feeding frenzy that took place over the import. Demon's Souls is being described as a mean game. One that takes no prisoners and won't hold your hand and doesn't care. I'm not sure it's that at all really. I've spent nearly ten hours with the game so far and I've had a blast. For me, it comes off with a bit of a more involved Zelda shield and sword combat system with the overall oppressive feeling present in a Silent Hill title all wrapped up in a high fantasy setting. It's a game of pressing your luck. Do I go around that corner or turn back now? It's likely whatever is growling around that corner has a great chance of killing you. In fact, in Demon's Souls, you're going to spend most of your time dead. You'll lose your physical form and have to proceed in spirit form. I can say that the game is gorgeous in its art style. It's not exactly pushing the PlayStation 3 in any way but it's easy on the eyes. The control seems solid. Surprisingly, the story is interesting. I'm really enjoying the feel of this game. Demon's Souls might end up being one of those games where the sum is greater than its parts. I had stated in a previous entry that Borderlands might prove to be the hidden gem of the season. Well, now I have it say it's probably going to be Demon's Souls. We'll see if the game can maintain its potential Game of the Year trajectory. But for now, it's looking great.

Another General Update.

Updates are slow because things are moving slow. We haven't finished Halo 3: ODST. Well, we've all completed the offline campaign. Neo, Magus, and myself all have six of the eight Firefight achievements. We still need the Vidmaster achievements. And we all need to go through the co-op campaign on Legendary difficulty. We still need to go back to Halo 3 itself for two of those Vidmaster achievements. This last Tuesday saw the release of Crash Course, the download content expansion to Left 4 Dead. We've spent a few nights there chasing achievements. That has slowed us down considerably. Crash Course is decent fun in and of itself. Too bad it had to be marred by strange server issues allowing you to walk through solid objects and doorways leading to portals of oblivion. It's also a shame that the achievements are glitched out considerably. We'll have to wait on a title update to finish those off. As I'm writing this it has just crossed over to Monday. Demon's Souls arrives tomorrow with its major campaign and some level of co-op play. Demon's Souls is apparently a game where one could easily sink a hundred hours or more. The question becomes when to start it. If we're going to be polishing off Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, will there be time for Demon's Souls? Especially with Uncharted 2 arriving a week later. Neo and Magus are both raring to go with Uncharted 2 which offers multiple offline playthroughs for trophies, a couple of online co-op modes, and a couple of online versus modes. And Borderlands arrives a week after Uncharted 2. Borderlands might shape up to be the hidden gem of the season and is offering an enormous world and four-player online co-op for the entire experience. Are we going to have to delay starting games? Are we going to attempt to juggle everything? Are we going to be able to play any single player games at all? Are we going to all go insane? Has Magus already gone insane? The Magic 8-Ball says... "Count on it"

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story -- Final Opinion.

I have completed Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story for the Nintendo DS with a total time of twenty-five hours. Bowser's Inside Story is easily the best of the Mario & Luigi titles. Just about everything about it works exceedingly well. The graphics are great. Colorful and clean and classic Nintendo in style. The music is provided by returning series composer Yoko Shimomura of Legend of Mana and Kingdom Hearts fame. The music is upbeat and fits the story perfectly. The gameplay is the best of the series. The battle system remains fresh throughout the entire game. The mechanics of switching between Boswer and Mario and Luigi is great. It provides a great structure for puzzles and moving around the world. It also helps keep things fresh as the story has you switching back and forth between them so things never seem to get stale. The story is played entirely for laughs. And there are plenty of them. Beyond the pratfalls and cowardice of Luigi you'll have Bowser showing far more character than he's ever had before. When Bowser is interacting with series favorite Fawful or his minions it's just comedy gold. I found the pacing of this title far better than the previous game. This one I didn't want to end. It's the best Nintendo DS game I've played this year. It has that old Nintendo charm in spades. And these days that's a rare thing. I'm giving Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story a 9.5.