This is a review in bullet form for you lazy ass people. My thoughts are expanded after the bullets for the curious.
Positives
Negatives
I know I had more negative than positive points, but overall the fun factor and replay value heavily outweighs the negative aspects for me. Just want to let everyone know before judging solely on the bullet points.
I admit I had trouble getting used to the controls at first because I wasn't used to them. What about RE4 you ask? I played about five minutes of and shut it off and never gave it another chance. After playing RE5 I really regret not giving RE4 another chance. I played RE5 on east at first and was able to get used to the controls. Eventually I went to normal once I felt comfortable. The online co-op helped out with me trying to adjust as well because I had noather live person shooting down zombies when I was messing up!
I really don't recommend playing the story by yourself. The partner AI was absolutely terrible. I can't imagine playing this on hard with the AI. Two things I could not stand about the AI was that it would not run away from enemies that would insta-kill and sometimes the AI would give me back ammo I just gave her. Only thing you could count on the AI not screwing up are the context sensitive parts from the scenes.
When I hear Resident Evil, I think of puzzles and the tension you feel during certain parts of the game. The puzzles in this didn't really feel like puzzles. They felt more like tasks. Usually they were consisted of you and your partner pulling ropes, moving objects, or hitting a switch. That's it... lame!
I would have like to have seen you and your partner get forced to split. Then one person has to protect the other from afar. Another scenario could be that person A gets separated and person B has to disable traps or solve a puzzle otherwise person A will perish! I think this would have enhanced the co-op experience with a resident evil touch. Because of the lack some real co-op mechanic, this game really felt like it wouldn't have been any different if it didn't have co-op.
Environmentally wise, I have always know resident evil fpr it's puzzles and tension it builds. The series never really had scares that jumped out at me, but it always developed the feeling of scarcity. Meaning I always had to use my supplies with caution because of the limited supply. Playing through RE5, I never had the problem of running out of bullets or health.
There are some things I felt that was annoying, but I'm being picky at that point. I think they're small negatives so take it with a grain of salt. For example, you can give weapons to the AI partner, but you can't give it to your partner online. I'm pretty sure this was done so you couldn't deck out a newb. No big deal. I didn't really care for the context sensitive parts from the cutscenes either. Leave that stuff for the God of War games.
If you try the offline co-op it felt very strange. It was split screen, but it was like they got two really small screens and staggered them in there. You couldn't really see the game play too well unless you had a really big TV.
Despite the many negatives, I've had so much fun playing with another person. The replay value is very high because of the upgrades to weapons, unlockables, and collectibles you can acquire. There is also a mercenary mode once you beat the game. This allows you to gain mission points quicker so you can buy more bonuses.
I recommend buying this unless you really don't like the replay value it offers.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Fat Bastard Review: Resident Evil 5
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sony's Global Announcement - Ideas?
Sony has something up their sleeves and will be revealing what that is on Tuesday of this week. The buzz has been going around and people have been coming up with their own conclusions of what Sony will be announcing.
Some believe that its the famous PS3 price drop that EVERYONE (even developers) have been asking/waiting for. Or it could be the recently announced-ish price drop of the PS2. Heck, folks have been saying that they might drop the price of the PSP, with the PSP2 in mind. Others believe that it could be the details of firmware update 2.70. As you can see, everything is up in the air.
I told Smoof my prediction via Twitter...
@Smoof Exclusive preview of Parappa the Rappa 3: Revenge of Chop Chop Master Onion. Yeah, that sounds about right.
What are your ideas? Let us know in the comments!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Future of Gaming
Love it or hate it this is probably going to be the future of gaming. If you haven't heard of it yet there is a good reason why. After years of "stealth" development OnLive was announced at this years GDC. Ten heavy hitting developers are on board with OnLive. Basically what you have here is a mobile, anytime, anywhere, any-device gaming platform. Have an old Dell you want to play games on? Go ahead. Intel Mac? You're good to go. Really. Don't have a computer? With OnLive's small micro-console you can play on any tv. All you need is a broadband connection.
Sounds pretty fantastic. Will it work as advertised? Public Beta testing starts this summer, with a release date of a final product before Christmas. With a goal of prices below what next gen systems are priced now, consoles could conceivably be extinct by the end of this decade. Maybe the Wii can survive until they find out how to do motion control with their micro-console.
I for one am intrigued. This either will be a pivotal moment in gaming or the biggest blunder of all time. Sound off in the comments section with your opinions.
OnLive Website
Monday, March 16, 2009
One Word Reviews
Here are a list of games that I have beaten over time (in no specific order), that I have decided they need one word reviews...
1. Mirror's Edge - Meh
2. Battlefield: Bad Company - Witty
3. Gears of War 2 - Again?
4. Metal Gear Solid 4 - Popcorn
5. Halo 3 - Stop.
6. Fallout 3 - More!
7. Left 4 Dead - Brains
8. Grand Theft Auto 4 - Thousandnaire
After the Fact DLC Movement
Seems like a lot of people have been putting down Capcom for releasing DLC that should have been on the disc before launch. Street Fighter IV with costumes and the soon to be released Resident Evil 5 Versus online mode.
What are my thoughts about this sudden impact on DLC madness? I'm on the fence.
As far as Street Fighter goes, yes I can see the argument where the specific types of costumes could already be on the disc, and really your just paying to unlock them. But, on the other hand haven't you purchased Soul Calibur costumes packs without saying anything? I know I have. At the time, I just thought that it was a cool way to add more design to my custom character.
Same thing goes with the Online Mode for Resident Evil 5. People may think that Capcom believed that this "new" mode can be left out of the final version on purpose to make profit. Valid. But, Capcom has a good point. A quote from Christian Svensson on Destructoid said "Prior to the announcement of the Versus mode, no one complained they weren't getting their money's worth with the initial release because it packs TONS of value because it is an amazing game. So if people were already satisfied with what the package had, when we offer MORE, why is it people feel they've been somehow cheated? If you don't find value in our secondary offerings, the choice is simple, don't purchase it. If you do find it valueable (and we hope you do) please do buy it and enjoy it."
It makes sense. I didn't see one comment discussing the lack of content that was going to be in the game. Maybe more towards racism and a non-expansive control scheme. If we didn't know about it, why complain now? No one is forcing a gun to your head saying "Buy this DLC or else we'll shoot..."
Or maybe this is the problem. Capcom may be starting a revolution here. Not like a North defeating the South revolution, more like Nazis starting WWIII, revolution. If Capcom keeps up with this sudden trend, who's to say other developers won't follow? Maybe when you buy the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, you'll only be able to use 2 guns with only 30 bullets and in order for you to acquire more ammo, you'll have to purchase the DLC for them. What if it got so crazy that the next time you want to play a demo, you'll have to pay for it! (Wait, we already do that)
As far as these issues go, you always have a choice. Buy it or don't but it. For Street Fighter on the PS3, Smoof and I trade packs with each other. One week I buy one, let him download it from me, the next week he buys one and lets me download it from him. No harm no foul. We get the DLC but for a reasonable trade. But it was something that we wanted. Sure we could have waited for a bundle, or even not buy them at all and continue unlocking new colors. But again, it was our choice.
All I'm saying is just be smart about it people. If you think that what Capcom is doing is wrong, don't buy the DLC. But, if you think that it was a legitimate move, give it a try.
What are your thoughts on this?
Street Fighter 4 Voice Overs
Why haven't I seen this yet?! I had to try hard to control myself at work, because this was just too f'in funny. Good work IGN!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
6Cents Video Game Podcast - Episode 9 - The Reunion
Click Here for RSS Feed or to add to iTunes!!!
Our first episode of 2009, We have been gone for quite some time, but we are finally back!
In this episode, we talk about PSP2, Killzone 2, and Video Game Scores.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Mach Fun
The latest edition of the Tom Clancy gaming dynasty has arrived. Again Ubisoft is at the helm and produced another solid game. H.A.W.X takes you to the air and puts you in the pilot seat of more than 20 different aircraft ranging from the durable A-10 to the non-production YF-12 (SR-71 Blackbird with guns and missles). Amazing attention to detail and well scripted story make this game incredibly fun to play. I am a big fan of Clancy games that take place on the ground so I was interested in checking this one out. I didn't realize how much fun I would have with this.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Brawlers Please Don't Die!
Bad Dudes vs Dragon Ninja and Double Dragon are the first brawlers I can remember playing in the arcades. I am gonna go ahead and say this and don’t care if it’s wrong, but they were probably the ones that started the whole side scrolling, beat’em up, bs story, quarter eating games.
Take Bad Dudes for example. Two bro like guys save the president from an army of ninjas and eat a cheeseburger with him after you save him in the end. The story was absolutely atrocious, but the game play was ridiculously fun for it’s time.
Double Dragon is probably one of the most famous brawlers out there. It has spawned sequels, a cartoon series, and a horrible movie. When people hear Double Dragon, I’m sure everyone thinks of the two brothers Billy and Jimmy, and let’s not forget about Abobo. Just got to love how it starts with a gang taking your girl and you fight your way to the end to get her back. The only funny thing is that if you beat it with 2 players, then you and your partner will duel it out for the girl!
Well hopefully someone attempts to make a new brawler or make a sequel to an old one. It only seems fitting as a downloadable game now a days. I don’t know if anyone is willing to spend the time and money to make a crazy co op brawler on the current gen systems. Hell I don’t know if anyone has the attention span to play them anymore. At least try to keep this genre alive in some form.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Smoof's Douchebag Award **UPDATE**
Yeah I'm giving it to Capcom.
Details about the DLC for RE5 are provided by gamertag radio. Basically in a nut shell you have to pay for vs mode and it seems it will be a $1 cheaper on the PS3. Multiple blog sites have been quoting the same thing, but I have not seemed to find a source on this. If this is true... yeah here's my first douchebag award. Great dick move crapcom. This is only enforcing abusment of dlc .
***update*** PR screwed up on the pricing for PS3. So it's actually $4.99 instead of $3.99!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Fat Bastard Review: Turtle Beach X1 *update
This is basically a quick review in bullet form and then some additional comments at the end if any.
Positive:
• Usable with Xbox 360 and PC
• Separate volume controls for in game audio and voice chat. (360 only)
• Very long cable
• Great for late night gaming.
• Mic mute button
• Adjustable and comfortable headset… at least to me.
• Great bass boost from amplifier
• Reasonable price ($60)
• Mic and audio quality is excellent
Negative:
• Too many cables
• Not usable with PS3
• Does not have 5.1 surround sound
• I get a weird feedback noise whenever the 360 controller vibrates
For the most part, I am happy with my purchase. I just wished I waited a little longer because Turtle beach just came out with the PX1. It’s compatible with the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. My only real complaint is that I wish everything worked through the USB plug. I just thought I should throw out there that it does not have 5.1 surround sound. It’s not really a negative. It’s just to let you know it doesn’t have it.
If you have an Xbox 360 I recommend this. If you have a PS3 and/or Xbox360, get the PX1 model. I know I haven’t tried the PX1 model, but after using the X1 I’m pretty sure the quality will be just as good.
http://www.turtlebeach.com/
***Update*** Looks like all I need is an adapter and I can use this with the PS3!
-Smoof
Friday, March 6, 2009
Butt out?
So unless you can do this ---> with your money, you probably try to find the best deal you can on your games. So it disturbs me to hear the creator of God of War David Jaffe tell you the consumer to mind your own business. WTF!
In a recent conversation on YouTube Davey voiced his opinion about the sale of used games. Being a developer he apparently feels that he deserves a piece of the used game profit. He also feels moving towards totally digital distribution is the way to go so that they can completely control the gaming market. To top it all off he believes all of this is none of the consumers business.
I buy all my games at Gamestop. Used and new. I will pre-order the stuff I know that I will play for a long time. I buy used games that I really enjoyed renting from Gamefly. So if it were up to the developers and distributors of these games Gamestop and Gamefly would go completely out of business and I wouldn't have a place to get good deals on games. What they don't realize is that for me and many other gamers our ability to play the plethera of games that we do each year would be greatly diminished. I wouldn't be able to afford to try every game they put out each month. So actually they would be hurting their own business. I might buy the most hyped and best review game of the year, but other than that...meh.
I don't have the solution for these guys. I understand it takes a shit-ton of money to make these games and we always demand lower prices for higher quality. That's life though man. It just pisses me off that we should have no input in this. If we don't buy these games then where is Dave then? Flippin burgers, thats where. Don't bite the hand that feeds you Dave.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Maverick's Douchebag Award
The Douchebag Award goes to PSN: Sopi
Congratulations Sopi, because of your dumbass disconnecting before the match is over on Street Fighter 4, you have been honored as the first Douchebag of this on going series.
Let me explain...
Online match begins, good 1st round. Goes to me. 2nd round, I was about to win, and as soon as I try to go for my Ultra, this fucktard disconnects. Now, this hasn't been the first time this had happened to me, so that's why I let it go. I mean, I did call him a asshat for it, but I let it go. Searching for a new game, I get him again. Time for payback. 1st round goes to me. 2nd round I poke, ball, and super my way to victory. With a smidgit of health left on Sopi, I go for the Ultra... AND HE DISCONNECTS AGAIN! So, I said enough is enough. Here is our PSN conversation...
Maverick: Stop being a douchebag and play the game, you fuckhead.
Sopi: Fuck you and shut the fuck up little boy, stop crying
Maverick: Stop crying? Your the one who keeps d/c when you know your getting your ass beat, you stupid bitch. Keep playing scrub, maybe one day you'll take that cock out of your mouth, and finally play a full round.
Sopi, hold your head up high... so your father can cum in your mouth again, you DOUCHEBAG!
-Maverick
XBOX Live Conspiracy
If you’re a cheap ass gamer, you probably get your membership through amazon or ebay. They usually run for about $45. Hey times are harsh in today’s economy. Every dollar counts! Lately for the past couple of months, several major retailers have been selling the yearly membership for $30. That’s $20 less than the msrp. It’s really heard to pass up if you do subscribe to gold and your membership is about to run out. In the past, amazon has sold those cards for $30, but there has never been major retailers selling those cards cheap back to back for this long.
Joystiq has recently written an article about the XBOX Live Marketplace running a promo offering gold memberships for $40. I have not noticed the ads myself on the marketplace because I usually do not pay attention to the ads. The article also states that there has not been a time limit on the promo.
I personally think it would be a smart idea for them to lower it. Everybody wins if they do. Consumers get to subscribe cheaper and Microsoft will probably win more customers. I am an XBOX 360 owner for a little over a year now, but did not ever buy the gold membership until last month. I have always been under the old school pc mentality of you shouldn’t have to pay to play online, except of course MMOs. With the deals that have been going on… I simply could not pass it up.
Also, there might be a slight chance that Microsoft is getting scared of Sony. Sure Sony still has not got a hold of this generation of gaming like they did with the PS2 and the Playstation Network infrastructure might not be the greatest. Well… you know what? It’s FREE and it works. Microsoft doesn’t seem to have much to offer this year compared to the PS3, but they still haven’t announced much of anything. I think I’ll save that topic for another time…
-Smoof
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Trophies Viewable on PlayStation.com
You can now display how 1337 you are to your Xbox 360 friends, by showing them all the Trophies you collected.
Street Fighter Fever!
Have you been bitten by the Street Fighter bug yet? I know it has for me, and I'm glad that it did. Street Fighter IV (released on February 9th) has been a smash hit, selling over 2 Million copies worldwide. With good reason, this is the first Street Fighter in 10 years.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
In the zone
Killzone 2 is here! The much anticipated PS3 exclusive is amazing. Graphics, story, gameplay and online structure really satisfy the need for a top notch FPS exclusive on Playstation.
Revamp
Missing us? Don't cry! We were taking some time off and we are restructuring the way we do our podcasts. We are going to be shorter and more relevant to what is happening right now. Look for podcast cast number 9 coming soon!
Thanks for the Concern!
