F.E.A.R. 3

The Title Screen

Introduction
F.E.A.R. 3 is a first-person shooter released in 2011, developed by Day 1 Studios. It is the third standalone instalment of the F.E.A.R franchise and was released for Xbox, PlayStation and PC. The singleplayer campaign can be played co-operatively, but it does not alter the story or levels in any way. This review is on the singleplayer, with no co-operative assistance.

Disclaimer : This is an adult rated game featuring fairly graphic violence at times and some occasional adult themes (but nothing too extreme). There is occasional use of strong language. 


The First Thing

My initial impression of the game was unfortunately marred by a few issues. The menu does have full mouse support, but does not feel particular intuitive. The options menu is fairly ok but I had to edit the FOV in the options.cfg. Including natural language explanations for each of the values was a nice touch though and is something I have not really seen before. It did not take long to tweak things, but is an annoyingly common start to console focused games on PC.

Plot & Devices

Set after the events of F.E.A.R. 2, Point Man (F.E.A.R. 1's protagonist) is being tortured for information about the location of Jin (the technical officer of the original F.E.A.R team). Point Man's deceased brother, Paxton Fettel, appears as a ghost and helps him break out of jail. Point Man and Fettel then embark on a mission to return to Fairport; although their motives are quite different. Armacham is still trying to keep the mess quiet and the brothers must fight their way through to find their mother, Alma.

Paxton Fettel  and Point Man. Alma's sons

The plot of any F.E.A.R game has always been a bit hard to follow. To give the story of F.E.A.R. 3 any sort of context the other two games will need to be played, or at the very least researched (Note: the two expansions of F.E.A.R. 1 are not considered canon by the developers). Perhaps in recognition of this, I feel the storytelling in F.E.A.R. 3 is greatly simplified in contrast to the previous games. There are no emails/voice logs to find, or NPC characters to talk to. Story progression is dealt with in between levels through cinematics and it generally feels as if the story is less emphasised than in the previous games; despite featuring some significant events. 

The Game

F.E.A.R. 3 has gone in a slightly different direction from the first two games. One major change is the move to regenerating health. The player no longer has to find health or armour packs leading to health management being removed from the gameplay. A cover system has been implemented which is interesting as cover systems are more the purview of third-person perspective games. The player can activate cover mode behind objects/walls where they will find it easier to peak around or over, but it is never felt that this is how combat is supposed to be done. It just becomes another option and avoids the problem third-person shooters have where cover provides an advantage over enemies due to increased visibility.

Atmospheric environments

The horror element of the game has definitely changed as well. Whilst it is true that emotions are largely subjective, a lot of the horror elements have been substantially toned down, or removed; the most noticeable being interaction with Alma. She certainly appears in the game but infrequently and not in the same sinister way. Aside from the last level, there are also no large hallucination sections. The torch does flicker a lot, the screen often has grainy filters and some of the environments are quite atmospheric, but it is not realistic to place F.E.A.R. 3 in the 'horror' genre.

There are two playable characters, but Point Man is clearly considered the protagonist. Much of his gameplay is the same as the previous games. The player can carry two weapons and three types of grenades. Ammo crates are found consistently, so most of the time the player has the choice of which weapons to carry. Point Man still has his ability to slow down time for short periods, providing a massive combat advantage. He can also perform a mêlée attack that has increased damage when performed from behind.

Paxton Fettel psychic gameplay

Paxton Fettel has a few different abilities, but can not slow down time. In his regular form Fettel can raise individual enemies off the ground, blast things with a low damage psychic attack and mêlée. If he has enough psychic energy he can possess enemies. From there the gameplay progresses much like Point Man without the time slowing ability. Every dead enemy allows Fettel to 'top-up' his psychic energy, and if he runs out, or 'dies' he is returned to his original form. At any time he can choose to return to his original form by exploding the body he is possessing for a small energy cost, however he can permanently die when not possessing someone and it is harder to kill someone without a gun.

In the previous titles items had to be found in order to upgrade abilities. This has been removed in favour of a new upgrade system. Enough accumulated points will "Rank Up" the players character and improve some abilities. The player obtains points by performing certain feats, or "challenges", in each level; such as getting a number of headshots, back-stabs, kills without taking damage, etc. There are also points for locating hidden items, mostly found by exploring. Although due to the extreme linearity of the game, secrets are never that extensively hidden.

Like F.E.A.R. 2, a couple of levels have Power Armour suits to use. These sections invite the player to use the suit to become quite a destructive force. Harder enemies will feature in these sections like attack helicopters, armoured assault vehicles and other enemies in Power Armour suits. The suits have two types and both have primary and secondary weapons with unlimited ammunition, but are subject to overheating if continuously used.

Fighting a helicopter in the Power Armour

Graphically the game is not as impressive as one would come to expect from a game released in 2011, but it is good enough. There are some very nice backgrounds at times and the texture quality is not bad by any means. The cinematics are a little strange and their models have a slightly unrealistic quality about them. The soundtrack is very atmospheric and the effects are solid giving the guns a weighty feel. The voice acting is a bit of a mixed bag; Paxton Fettel is good but some of the other characters are unpredictable in quality.

I did not find any problem with mouse control and only needed to adjust sensitivity down a small amount. All keys are fully rebindable, although a couple confusingly conflict (for example the 'activate cover' keybind cannot be used for any of the Power Armour abilities, even though the Power Armour cannot 'activate cover').


Wrap Up & Negatives
Many of the negatives of F.E.A.R. 3 are apparent only in comparison to its previous titles, but considering it is the third title in a franchise that is fair criticism. F.E.A.R. games were known for their horror theme and detailed story woven with gameplay. This time the horror feels tame, and the story has been completely removed from the gameplay, in favour of cinematics - that are not even that good. I realise that to tie up the story of the previous games was no easy task, but that does not account for a bland, uninspiring and frankly confusing ending.

Alma is there, but she just doesn't feel the same

The game is "overly linear". Yes, the previous games and shooters in general are linear but in F.E.A.R. 3 it becomes a problem. My biggest frustration came from doors that would mysteriously close after passing through. This was especially irritating if there had previously been two choices of direction and the chosen one had resulted in the closed door, preventing full exploration. My guess is this is some sort of loading limitation relating to console hardware. Some doors are simply non-intractable whilst others are marked "Locked" which indicates they will be opened later. The game is full of badly disguised contrivances to control events and pace and after a while you find yourself waiting for them which is a huge failure in level design.

Levels are not well connected and result in the feeling of just being passed around set pieces; coupled with a far fetched plot, it feels that F.E.A.R. 3 crosses the line into 'bad' storytelling. The levels are not bad in of themselves but for example, starting in an airport feels strange when the previous level ended by falling off a bridge in a Power Armour suit. The game is also short, taking me just over five and a half hours to complete and that included almost full exploration.


Personally
I did enjoy it, but it could definitely be a better F.E.A.R. title. The lack of horror and absence of a gripping story woven into gameplay was depressing - there are so many first person shooter games these days, I don't see why F.E.A.R. felt the need to sacrifice its uniqueness to be more like them.

Alma has one of the most interesting video game stories and I felt this title did a disservice to her and the franchise in general, and that made me sad. Still, it was a reasonable and polished shooter and I had fun with it - which at the end of the day, is all we can ask.

And it's not like it's the end of the world...

Nitronic Rush

The Title Screen

GameView : Nitronic Rush GameView

Introduction
Nitronic Rush is a PC exclusive, survival racing game developed by Team Nitronic. Created by students attending the DigiPen Institute of Technology in 2011, it is available from this from this site (for free). The game is single player only and features a variety of race modes.


The First Thing
It is hard to describe the first impressions of Nitronic Rush; it ultimately depends what you knew about the game before you started playing. If you were aware that every feature of this game was created independently by students, then the first impressions will be very favourable. There is a complete graphics engine, voice acting (sort of) and a very professional-sounding soundtrack. The gameplay is even quite innovative.

If you had just finished the latest racing game on the latest console, then understandably you may think this game feels low quality - and comparatively it is.


Plot & Devices
A technologically advanced, 'blue' city develops a computer for protection that takes over and turns everything orange.

There is essentially no plot; the car is an anti-virus trying to get the centre of Nitronic City. The computer does not approve of this and tries to you slow down your progress with obstructions. It is clearly inspired a little from the film Tron but there are no boss fights or in-game story exploration in any way.

A very basic plot setting

The Game
Nitronic Rush is a single player, platforming/stunt racing game. There are no opponents and it is just about completing a level in the fastest time, with the highest score. There are different types of modes, each with their own levels:

• Story Mode: 6 levels (+ tutorial Level). The simplest form of racing not requiring complex stunts. 
• Hardcore: 6 levels (+ tutorial Level). Complex racing where stunts/platforming must be used to finish. 
• Challenge: 12 levels. Short levels designed to complete a certain challenge such as outrunning a train, or flying without overheating.
• Stunt Mode: 5 levels. Gain as high a score as possible within the time limit in an arena.
• Old Levels: 5 levels. Race in pre-release content that was not published. Accompanied by early music and sound effects.
• Community: Play in levels designed by the Nitronic Rush community

Aside from the regular abilities one would expect from driving a car (forward, back, turning etc.), there are functions relating to the stunt driving/platforming as well. The player is able to 'boost' at will to vastly increase speed. Boosting generates heat and if used too much will cause the car to explode. Heat is removed by passing through a checkpoint, performing a successful stunt or just cooling off from lack of boosting.

In some levels the car can extend wings and fly. Flying activates a permanent boost (since there is no traction) and therefore the heat meter will slowly fill up. Passing through checkpoints becomes necessary to maintain flight and if the heat meter reaches maximum mid-air, the car will fall to the ground.

A 90 degree change

The player can also manipulate the car's orientation. A small jump can be performed to leap small obstacles or wall jump. Using mini exhaust pipes, the car can be rolled to the left/right, and down/up. These rolls are used for performing mid-air stunts to accumulate points, but also for orienting the car as required per the situation. For example if the track is about to run out but there is an available wall to the side, the player will have to jump and then roll the car so that wheels are now in position to continue driving along the wall. Some wall jumps require a roll of 90 degrees, but others require a full 180 degree change of orientation. Jumps can also be used at the end of ramps to gain additional lift.

Gravity does exist but if the car is attached to any surface speed will negate it. However, if the player is travelling too slowly when not aligned to the ground, the car will fall (the boost key is often invaluable for this situation). There are no complex wall jumps in the story mode, but they feature heavily in hardcore levels.

Visually the style is very 'Tron'. There are no complex landscapes but most levels (especially the story) provide a futuristic cityscape backdrop to race through. The car's abilities have fluid animations and generally the game feels solid.

Taking to flight

Nitronic Rush can be controlled with either the keyboard or the gamepad. Initially I tried to use the keyboard, but I found the dual analogue stick much more intuitive to use (in fact the game even recommends you do this). The left stick is used to navigate and the right stick is used for rolls. It will take some practice to master the jump/roll mechanic needed for wall jumping but the car handling is good and the controls are tight.

The soundtrack was made specifically for this game. Even though it was made by students, the quality is exceptionally high. It is also used to reflect what is happening in the game. If a tunnel is entered the soundtrack will strip layers away leaving just the bass, and the music will match the intensity of the current action, connecting the music fluidly to the gameplay. Menus, crashes and stuns are voice acted but not of particular high quality. However the voice acting does have an air of self parody about it that is quite charming - especially with its cultural references.


Wrap Up & Negatives
I would suggest that all the negatives are typical ones associated with an independent production. It is an incredibly short game. The graphics are on the low fidelity side compared to current gaming. The voice acting is a bit poor. There is no multiplayer of any description.

Are these negatives? Yes. But the sting is taken out because it is an independent project in the truest sense of the word and is free to download and play. It brings a fairly uncommon concept to the driving genre with the platforming/stunt style which may not sit well with some, but that is personal preference and not a negative of the game itself.

The challenge levels feature extra dangers

Personally
Why write this review? There are far more deserving 'games' out there...the story mode alone could be finished in under 10 minutes. The hardcore levels do take some time to get used to, but once the playstyle has been mastered they too are not challenging.

In my opinion this game represents everything that is right with the video games industry. This game was built from nothing and is not in any way piggie-backed from the success of others. There is nothing wrong with licensing the Unreal 3 engine, but to build everything and still produce a polished title is something that should be actively encouraged. In an industry of corporate publishers, individuals who get together for the expressed purpose of creating a fun game should be supported. And if they succeed (which they did) then our support should be even louder.

Independent through and through

It is free - it doesn't even have adverts! If you like driving games, you should play it. If you like it, you should recommend it to people you know. You will have lost nothing by trying this and given support to the types of people who will progress the industry forward. When Call of Duty: Black Modern Ops Warfare 7 is being released, you will thank your lucky stars that there are people like Team Nitronic out there bringing their new ideas and talent to the table.

Innovation, skill and passionate video game design is a wonderful thing. You will miss it if it goes away.

I loved this game, and what it represents

Bastion

The Title Screen

GameView : Bastion GameView

Introduction
Bastion is an isometric, action RPG by Supergiant Games. Released in 2011, this indie production is available on Xbox (XBLA) and PC (Steampowered). It features a single player campaign only.


The First Thing
Indie projects can often be expected to lack in certain areas, due to less funding and manpower than the triple-A titles. But with Bastion, my first impressions were of high standards and polish. Personal opinions aside, it is clear that the developers have spent time making sure the game has style. The music and artwork is both original and shows dedication to making a good product.

'The Kid' and Ruck

The Plot
The Kid (you) wakes up to find himself floating in the sky, on the pieces of a broken world. He heads for the Bastion, a safe place in times of emergency. There he finds an old man, Ruck, who tells him that 'The Calamity' has ruptured the planet and killed most of the people. The Kid must adventure into the world to search for survivors and retrieve sources of power. If he can return power to the Bastion, maybe the destruction can be undone but the world is a dangerous place now; everyone has their own agenda.

It seems the plot is intended to be a little vague. There is never any detailed explanation of the situation and it should be treated like a puzzle that is slowly filled in, but never completed. Eventually enough pieces are discovered to provide a good idea of the overall picture.

Bastion features a highly innovative plot device for progressing the story: constant narration. The character 'Ruck' is also the narrator for the game and he describes events as if he was telling a story. He speaks in short sentences that relate to what the player is doing, but delicately so that events do not feel rigidly determined. Any interaction between characters is summarised by the narrator, and character history is explored in specific "Who knows where" levels.

Navigating the broken world

The Game
The core of Bastion's gameplay involves travelling to different areas and retrieving an item, or person, for the Bastion. These levels are usually quite short and all have the visual style of being assembled in front of the character (once assembled, they are permanent). Platforms are often filled with many destructible objects that can be used to block line of sight and falling off will not kill the player, but will remove some health. These levels feature varied enemy types that often require different approaches. Enemies are encountered either throughout levels, or spawn in waves.

Kills reward in XP and currency. There is a 'levelling' system, but it is not extensive. Levelling up only awards slight maximum health increase and an extra tonic slot; players can choose which tonics to equip. Tonics can be found in the world, or bought from the store, and provide passive bonuses (more damage, more health, one more life, etc). However, it is up to the player to choose which structure to build, or upgrade, in the Bastion. e.g players who want to upgrade weapons will build a forge first, but players who want to buy some items will build the store first.

Weapon upgrades for the War Machete

From the armoury, the player can pick their weapons, and special attack. The weapons function in a variety of ways and have an unlimited supply of ammunition. The player can only equip two weapons (not including the shield), and new weapons are discovered throughout the campaign in the world. Special items can be found (or bought from store) that are used to upgrade weapons at the forge. Each new upgrade tier costs one weapon specific item, and currency. Each weapon has ten upgrades in five tiers; one upgrade can be active per tier. The choices are usually the standard found in RPG games.

Enemies have one, and therefore predictable, attack, but this does not automatically make encounters easy. Choosing wisely between mêlée or ranged weapons is important. Nearly every attack can be blocked by the shield, but only if directly facing the attack; it is not possible to shield and attack simultaneously. Combat in Bastion is about timely attacking and defending, as well as quick repositioning without falling off the world. There are no typical boss fights, but there are occasional unique foes that are harder. Cover can be used from ranged attacks, but most cover will eventually be destroyed.

Combat often features multiple opponents

The player has one 'retry' every time they visit an area, and the difficulty of the regular game is not particularly challenging. There are no checkpoints or saves and a death after the one 'retry' results in starting the level fresh. However, Bastion places the choice difficulty into the hands of the player. Those finding it too easy can activate idols that reward in more XP, but increased difficulty. There are ten idols in total and I found that activating two provided a good challenge, so activating all ten would be very hard. The game also has a separate achievement system that provides a few tasks that will reward in currency; some of them basic and some of them tricky. There are also optional levels where only a designated weapon can be used to complete a challenge, and how the player performs will determine the quality of the reward.

The game supports three control interfaces: Mouse and Keyboard, Heavy Mouse driven and Gamepad. I felt the gamepad was the most natural, but you definitely sacrifice some precision by not using a mouse that can be frustrating at times (the gamepad uses an 'target-lock' system to compensate that isn't particularly impressive). However for most of the game, the gamepad was excellent. The player can move and roll (no crouch, jump or sprint). Normally I would use the mouse and keyboard, but it did not feel as quite right.

Bastion features a fantasy, hand-drawn art style inspired by some of the earlier games in this genre. Great care has been taken to ensure the world is colourful and engaging; often using the style to illustrate the mood. The soundtrack is an original creation and combines fantasy themes with American Old West. The sound effects are fairly solid and the voice acting from the narrator is well done, with a consistently convincing performance.

Customising tonics is an important playstyle choice

Wrap Up & Negatives
The levels are detailed and always adhere to the art style, but occasionally it is not clear what can, or can not, be walked upon. Once or twice I walked off the edge of a platform because something in the background looked like an object. No other character moves in game; any time an NPC is met, they are standing still. It seems that it was too much to animate another character into the art style. This slightly hinders immersion and makes Bastion feel like an interesting picture, rather than an interactive game.

Gameplay can get repetitive. Each level is the same cycle: go there, get something, come back. Short levels is not negative, but more gameplay innovation towards the end would have been nice. There are a few special levels in more of an arena style, but more I think would have helped.

The game was pretty bug free, but once or twice enemies did get stuck.

Personally
I massively enjoyed this game. The Narrator is not only an amazing idea, but the attention to detail with it is staggering (he has possibly more lines of dialogue than any other game. Ever.). One point when he counted aloud how many times I nearly fell off the level was so unexpected it made me laugh.

It took me 7 and a bit hours to complete and is definitely worth the price. There is a lot for completionists to do, and some of the optional weapon levels are quite hard. It is not possible to achieve every upgrade and item in the game with one play through; you can start a new game with previous upgrades. The art and music style is extremely well implemented and suits the game perfectly. The plot is alright, but the delivery is just fantastic; and the ending was honestly quite moving.

Sonic Generations

The Title Screen

GameView : Sonic Generations GameView

Introduction
Sonic Generations is the latest platformer in the Sonic franchise (there is no continuous story). Developed by Sonic Team and released in 2011, it is available on PlayStation, Xbox and PC (Steampowered). The game features a single player campaign, and an online 'scoreboard comparison' mode.


The First Thing
I was quickly impressed by the originality and potential of the core concept. Characters in a franchise naturally change over the years, both in gameplay and visually. Drawing attention to this change provides not just an excuse nostalgic gaming, but has great potential to feature an innovative approach only possible in a long running franchise..


The Plot
At Sonic's birthday party (celebrating the 20th anniversary of Sonic games), a mysterious creature called 'The Time Eater' appears and captures all of his friends. Knocked unconscious during the attack, Sonic awakens to find himself in a world without time. He meets a past version of himself and together they must correct the damage that has been done to the timeline; rescuing friends and returning locations to their proper place.

Modern-Sonic and Past-Sonic

The story never feels like it was meant to be taken seriously and is just a shallow framework to explain why Sonic is meeting his past self and revisiting previous games. Giving meaning to the events is nice, but after the initial explanation, any further plot exploration felt unnecessary. Occasional cutscenes loosely explain plot progression, but I would say this game was never about the story.


The Game
At the core of the game is the two versions of Sonic, each with a different style. Past-Sonic has a strong focus on the 2D side-scrolling platforming of the original games and Modern-Sonic represents what the character has become and has a faster 3D and 2D style seen in the recent games.

Every reused zone has two acts; one for each version of Sonic. Effort has been put into keeping a consistent feel to each zone, whilst providing a different gameplay experience. The two characters are distinct but both still feel like 'Sonic'. There are no other playable characters, despite the 'Sonic Friends' making occasional appearances. The 2D white world functions as a level, and character, selection hub.

 Past-Sonic, and Modern-Sonic, levels for the classic Green Hill Zone

Story progression is easiest explained like this:

1. Complete the three available zones (6 levels).
2. Complete one challenge per zone to allow access to the zone's 'boss key'. 
3. Three keys opens the door to the boss. Once defeated, three new zones appear. Repeat steps 1-3 again for new area.
4. Sonic Generations has a total of 9 zones, 4 boss fights, 90 challenges and 3 Chaos Emerald challenges. All Chaos Emeralds are needed to unlock the final boss.

Challenges involve playing smaller levels under certain conditions; limited time, limited rings, race against someone, etc. With 90 challenges and multiple paths inside the regular levels, Sonic Generations is not just about getting to the end of the plot (which only took me 4 and a half hours). A scoreboard at the end of each level encourages repeat tries to unlock items, gain extra points for the upgrade system, or just be the "best you can be".

The game uses the traditional Sonic 'life' system; returning you to a checkpoint on death and restarting the level on 0 lives. The platforming can be very unforgiving at times, but new features and visual elements have been added to help less experienced players (the overly helpful fairy companion can be turned off). All levels are presented in the same high graphical quality, regardless of the original game. The older levels especially give the impression of being carefully reconstructed, rather than lazily reused. Music has also been remastered into modern renditions, but the original music can be unlocked and selected to play instead.

Classic Sonic platforming 

My preference for platforming is to use a gamepad, and the controls are mostly fine. Past-Sonic has the simple control set from his era, but Modern-Sonic can occasionally handle clumsily; particularly in high speed 3D sections that require turning. The gamepad controller can not be rebound, but the keyboard can. The graphics options are quite substantial for a Sonic game and cover the standard options PC gamers expect.


Wrap Up & Negatives
Travelling fast is iconic to the Sonic franchise but occasionally I felt visually uncomfortable due to the high quality graphics passing by so quickly. The high speed sections are generally well implemented, but can make any slower gameplay feel uninteresting. Because both playable characters are the same character, it can sometimes be disorientating switching between the gameplay styles.

I did not find the difficulty a negative, but some people might. Mistakes can be heavily punished and may become frustrating. However, the final boss fight is a prime example of an encounter that is hard due to poor design, not intentional challenge - which annoyed me, and left a bitter taste at the end of the story. The white space hub is also oddly designed. I can understand the appeal of using platforming, but it does not feel intuitive.

The character and level selection 'menu'

The upgrade system seems completely unnecessary and a waste of development time. Instead of upgrades I would rather more collectibles or other Sonic memorabilia was provided - especially as this is an anniversary game.

I experienced noticeable frame rate drops once or twice in 1680x1050 (16:10) resolution, but less noticeably in 1600x900 (16:9), so I played in that and usually got a steady 60 FPS. The PC version does not include the unlockable Sega Genesis "Sonic the Hedgehog" emulation found in Xbox and PlayStation 3 - which is disappointing.


Personally
I did mostly enjoy this game - I have not played a Sonic game since Sonic 3D (and to this day Sonic 3 & Knuckles is still one of my favourite games). The modern 3D sections were alright, but I only enjoyed them if I was required not to turn, due to the slippery controls.

This game is one step closer to something I have been waiting for: a modern release in the older style of Sonic. The new 2D levels are fun and I hope the generally positive reception Sonic Generations and Sonic Colours is receiving will encourage the release of a 2D Sonic platformer for current gaming technology. For it to be a success, they need to learn from the mistakes made in this game, and from Nintendo's recent good releases : Super Mario Bros Wii, Kirby's Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns

If you consider yourself a Sonic fan, you should play this game. But if you truly despise the direction Sonic games have taken in the last decade ... then perhaps only get it on sale. It is a good all-around platformer with an emphasis on speed not found in many games.

RAGE

The Title Screen

Introduction
RAGE is a (mostly) first person shooter, developed by id Software. Released in 2011, it is available on Xbox, PlayStation and PC (Steampowered); featuring a single player campaign and vehicle based multiplayer. This review will be on the PC single player; on Hard difficulty setting.

Disclaimer: The violence is not extreme, but may be unsuitable for some.

The First Thing
Considering the game is called RAGE, the introduction cinematic completely surprised me. Not only does it perfectly establish the framework for the story, but is also accompanied by haunting piano music that invokes an actual emotional response. Simple, sad and incredibly effective; it is one of my favourite introduction cinematics of any game.

Plot & Devices
To avoid extinction from an unavoidable asteroid impact, selected people (including you) are frozen underground until it is safe to rebuild. However, you awaken from your 'Ark' 100 years later than intended. Society has re-established itself, but the plan to rebuild has gone wrong and the land is dominated by bandits, mutants and an oppressive military regime called "The Authority". You must blend into this new world and find out what went wrong, and see if it can be saved.

A broken world

The overall story of RAGE has the potential to be interesting, but is let down by bad implementation. Obviously you have no knowledge of the events that happened whilst frozen, but you are never properly informed of them. The player must guess context from features of the world (i.e. nice people fear The Authority = "The Authority is bad") which diminishes some of their impact. The story ending is hurried to a conclusion - with no build up. I would not be surprised if it turns out that that the developers ran out of money and suddenly had to end the story. Most of the characters are quite forgettable due to being broad stereotypes and limited only to 'quest givers', and it is always hard to identify with a silent protagonist.


The Game
It is hard to pin down exactly what type of game RAGE is. It is hub based, in a large area known as the "Wasteland" that the player is free to travel around. Available quests usually involve performing a combative mission in an enclosed, linear level (First Person Shooter style). Main quests progress the story and optional side quests reward in money or items. RAGE never tries to be a sandbox game or an RPG, instead just providing more choice, whilst maintaining linearity. The world is full of items that can be picked up and either sold, or crafted into something of worth using recipes. Slain humans can be searched for money and items and the player has an unlimited inventory. There is a small upgrade system but it is not a core part of the gameplay.

Exploring the Wasteland

The player has regenerating health and can use 'bandages' as health packs in emergencies. The player also has the ability to "resurrect" upon death, but this ability must recharge after use and a death during so will result in a "game over". The game has no checkpoints, instead expecting the player use auto or hard saves.. Enemies will employ a variety of tactics that require different approaches to combat. Some enemies will use cover, some will charge fast in packs and some will move slower and be resilient to damage.

The player can carry all available weapons and most guns have a choice of ammunition. For example, the crossbow can fire either normal, exploding, electric or mind-control arrows. Ammunition can be crafted or purchased with money, and choosing which ammunition to use is part of the gameplay. Other items such as bandages, grenades, remote controlled bomb cars and Wingsticks (boomerangs with spikes) can be assigned to independent 'quick access' slots.

Weapon Menu

However, RAGE is not just a first person shooter. Vehicles are used for exploration, races and can outfitted with weapons for combat. Race victories reward tokens that buy vehicle upgrades. Mini games are provided for fun, or a source of money from gambling. The game features a 'Magic: The Gathering' style card game, a knife-fingers game, a memory dance dance revolution game and futuristic dice rolling. Although not vast, the wasteland is large enough to explore; containing secrets, enemies, and hovering items only obtainable via vehicle aerial jumps.

The art style depends on the location: the Authority is technologically advanced and military, the wasteland is like the 'Grand Canyon', and mutants/bandits live in dilapidated ruins. The aesthetic of each area has received a lot of developer attention, resulting in some unique locations. In-game objects are hardly reused, resulting in a varied visual experience. The graphic fidelity of this game is very impressive and characters and enemy combatants are exceptionally well animated.

Aesthetically pleasing

The soundtrack is suitable, but the 'battle' music starts to feel oppressive due to the frequency of combat - also often makes the mistake of starting before an engagement, inappropriately alerting the player. The sound effects are solid and give weight to the guns. Many professional voice actors are used for dialogue (including Steve Blum, yay) resulting in a nicely presented characters, but they are still forgettable due to the weak script and brief player interaction. There is no RPG-style dialogue choice system.

The player can move, sprint, crouch and jump - as well as a host of other abilities, all of them rebindable. Due to playing with keyboard and mouse, I never needed to use the quick selection menu intended for consoles - but it is a good feature for gamepad play. RAGE uses a F5/F8 quicksave/load. Despite this being aimed at consoles, I still feel the keyboard will get the most enjoyment due to simply having many binds available.


Wrap Up & Negatives
Texture quality bothers different people. Personally, I did not mind that objects had low texture quality up-close because it is an adequate trade off for the more unique textures (rather then a few at high quality). I've heard that with a cutting edge PC, the textures are supposed to be higher quality at any distance. The characters look nice but end up being broad stereotypes which will either provide amusement or hinder immersion.

Up-close textures vs. Far away

The game has limited options with regard to graphics and I had to manually tweak the configuration files. Over time graphical bugs will be patched out but forums still show some people have difficulty running RAGE. The infamous texture popping did occur but it was fast enough not to bother me; however, if it was slow it would be game breaking.

The large developer focus on visuals noticeably diminishes other game elements. The combat levels are linear and limited. Therefore some quests ask you to return to a previous level, although the game usually attempts to vary it by presenting the level in reverse (which does help). More developer focus on plot implementation would have improved the game significantly. I also did not find the game particularly challenging (on 'Hard' difficulty), most of the time - the Wingsticks are fun, but too powerful.

The PC version is a port, and a bad one in some aspects. The default FOV is 80 which is not too bad but mouse support in the menus is a disaster. There is no WSAD menu support, so use arrow keys. 'Esc' does not function as a 'leave current screen' like in most games, but always brings up the main-menu (save/load/quit etc); this resulted in me constantly opening it unintentionally when browsing the in-game menus. There is no ability to keybind specific parts of the player menu, forcing the use of the awful mouse; e.g. pushing 'i' for inventory. Mouse Smoothing can be turned off for the game, but difficult to turn off for the menu. The FPS for the game was a little unstable, but with some tinkering I got it to a steady 60.


Personally
I enjoyed most of RAGE. It is certainly one of the best looking games but the extreme linearity of the combat levels was not always worth it. I enjoyed the variety of gameplay offered. It's a decent length and took 11 hours to complete; I did all of the side missions but ignored the races. I was enjoying the game less towards the end as events starts to feel rushed and contrived.

I would recommend it, especially as it is already cheap from many outlets - but to truly enjoy it you do probably need a good system, and might have to tinker with config files. It is a linear experience that has some very innovative, and enjoyable gameplay. I feel this game missed the mark on a few areas, but sets the bar up nicely. RAGE provides a glimpse of how first person shooters 'could' be and a polished sequel would be a phenomenal game.

Don't miss...

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine

The Title Screen

GameView : Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine GameView

Introduction

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is a third person, ranged/mêlée combat game by Relic Entertainment. Released in 2011 on Xbox, PlayStation and PC (Steampowered). It features a single player campaign and online modes. This review will be on the single player only.

I know very little about the Warhammer 40k universe, so this review is on the game's own merits, rather than any relation to a larger franchise.

Disclaimer: The game contains graphic fantasy-violence and may not be suitable for some.


The First Thing
An immediate annoyance was the strange way Space Marine handles configuration. 85% of the options can not be changed from inside the campaign; like controls and video settings. So, my initial 10 minutes were spent loading and exiting the first level to customise the game to suit me. Not a big negative, just unexpected in a modern big title.

Captain Titus and the Ultramarines

The Plot
The story takes place on the planet 'Graia'; a world used for producing military hardware. Graia is under invasion by Orks, and an Ultramarine squad is sent in to combat them; Captain Titus (you) with two space marines under his command. They must battle enemy hordes and protect a military experiment which threatens to damage the fabric of reality itself and unleash Chaos.

If you have knowledge of the Warhammer 40k universe, then the occasional references may mean something and provide some framework. There is nothing convoluted to understand...it's just there is no explanation of context and you are left to piece together the basics. The events on the planet are interesting, but without any setting, the player must accept "this is how things are". There is limited character depth or exploration. Character personalties are established early and remain essentially unchanged throughout. Twists and revelations are barely disguised, if at all, and are predictable.

The Ork horde

The Game
Space Marine is a linear combat game; no puzzles, no RPG elements etc. The core gameplay is the blend of ranged and mêlée combat and how the player must utilise both. Enemy tactics will vary: some will charge in a rampaging horde, some will come in small packs and others will hide far away and attack from ranged. Titus equips 1 mêlée weapon (out of a choice of 3), 4 ranged weapons (only 2 are changeable) and has grenades. Weapons perform in different ways to serve different purposes, i.e. a gun may have a scope for 'sniping' functionality. Ammunition and weapon selection is provided fairly frequently and the focus is on combat enjoyment, rather than realism.

Titus has a rechargeable energy shield, and health is recovered by performing 'executes', however the player is vulnerable during the execute animation so it must be used wisely. Successful damage, and kills, will fill the 'Fury' meter, and when full can be unleashed for more damage and health regeneration. There is no customisable upgrade system, the player is simply handed upgrades at specific points throughout the campaign.

Weapon select

The game is very linear and makes no attempt to disguise it. Set in a war torn city, the levels are mostly destroyed buildings or battlefields, and the player will find rubble often obscuring all paths but one. Enemies are met in scripted encounters and not a continuous flow. Players can therefore expect to encounter enemies usually in larger groups, although huge hordes are disappointingly rare. Occasionally Titus will be given a jet-pack that enables high jumps (not flying) and leads to minor platforming gameplay; as well as a new attack that lands on enemies.

The space marines are the elite warriors of the universe; feared by their enemies and revered by their allies. Space Marine works this into the gameplay everywhere and the player is left in no doubt that they are taking the role of a strong and unstoppable warrior.. Of course the player is not invincible, but almost every aspect of the gameplay encourages a feeling of power and capability. The Ultramarines are solid and detailed, and they walk with slow determination in heavy stomping footsteps; sometimes covered in the blood of their enemy. Slow-motion is used frequently to emphasise battle prowess. Allied NPCs kneel reverently and refer to them as "my lord", elevating them to an almost religious status. However space marines talk and act with a sense of duty and respect that makes them likeable and not just mindless killing machines; Titus in particular is the embodiment of wisdom and honour. Upon death, Titus will speak some space marine proverb which inevitably is honour and duty themed.

A space marine death proverb

I started playing with my 360 pad, but switched to Keyboard and mouse as it felt more intuitive. Mouse smoothing can be turned off and all keys can be rebound. The camera is good and swaps from 'over the shoulder' for shooting, to moveable for mêlée and executes. The player can move, toggle sprint and roll (no crouch or jump).

The sound effects are very solid and help provide weight to the combat, and the music is "battle and honour" themed. In my opinion, the voice acting falls flat. The script is fairly clichéd and there is a distinct lack of emotion in the dialogue, although as Titus is voiced by Mark Strong, the character certainly has gravitas. The enemies have clear, but unvaried, speech and it may get a little annoying after a while to hear "Get them space marines!" from every enemy, even if Titus is alone.


Wrap Up & Negatives
If you have no knowledge of the Warhammer 40k universe, the plot is thin and almost irrelevant. The clichéd script and unemotional voice acting coupled, with predictable dramatic twists, make it hard to identify with any characters.

The game is really linear; often only opening the way when it is time to proceed. Wandering off the main path is occasionally allowed, and can uncover secrets, but the player can never wander far. The campaign was fairly average in length and took me 9 hours on normal difficulty.

Chainsaw-sword mêlée combat

The combat is varied but the difficulty level is all over the place. Some sections are mindlessly easy and some are comparably very hard; particularly any section with enemies that use rockets. There is nothing bad about having hard sections but I felt this broke the flow of gameplay. The checkpoint system is also unforgiving and death will set the player back usually far at times.

Sections with no fighting get boring quickly - there is nothing else to do except travel to the next encounter. Over use of cutscenes does not help to draw interest. As the game progresses, large groups of easy enemies are replaced with smaller groups of harder enemies, and I found myself using mêlée attacks less in order to survive; leading me to feel I was missing out on some of the core gameplay.

The game also has fairly frequent pathing bugs. Allies and enemies can get stuck easily, as well as accidentally pushed through walls sometimes. Space Marine's VSync mysteriously locked my FPS  to 30 randomly, and I had to manually set the VSync outside the game to get a steady 60 FPS (once that was done the game was fine).

Chainsaw-Sword to the face...

Personally
I did enjoy it, but there is a lot that could added to the game - as well as some polish. The flat voice acting un-immersed me, and I did not have knowledge of the franchise to counter. However, a space marine is one of the more enjoyable characters I've played and for the most part the combat is fun and quite visceral (in a good way).

I do not recommend this game at a full price release just for the single player but I would on a decent sale. The combat is worth trying out.

A chainsaw-sword will just never get boring...

Dead Space 2

The Title Screen

Introduction
Dead Space 2 is a third person, horror shooter by Visceral Games. Released in 2011 on PC, Xbox and PlayStation, it is the sequel to the 2008 Dead Space. The PC version is available on, but not exclusive to, Steam. Multiplayer and other online features requires an EA Online account.

The game features a single player campaign and multiplayer team deathmatch. This review will be on the single player only.

Disclaimer:  This is an adult game, with occasional strong language and quite graphic violence. There is also psychological horror that will not be suitable for some. 


The First Thing
As a big fan of Dead Space 1, what struck me first was that the main character now speaks. The 'silent protagonist' approach of the first game has been replaced with the more modern trend of having the player's character voice acted. The developers knew it would be an important step and a professional actor was used, allowing for a more believable and enjoyable character. Dead Space 1 and 2 serve as a useful comparison of how it is easier to relate to a voice-acted character, over a silent one.


Plot & Devices
Isaac Clarke (you) awakens in a mental asylum to be questioned about his experiences on the USG Ishimura (Dead Space 1). An unexpected Necromorph outbreak allows him to escape and he discovers he is on a space station called The Sprawl. An unfamiliar woman, who is trying to help, informs him that he is suffering from a dementia that will consume and kill him, due to his exposure to the marker. Left with no choice Isaac must battle his way through the space station and escape; never knowing who to trust and suffering demented hallucinations of his deceased girlfriend, Nicole. Isaac must find out what happened to him and why he is the centre of a Necromorph massacre - again.

Isaac Clarke

The plot is a character story; it is the story of Isaac. The events are explained in due course, but seem unimportant compared to development of the main character. Isaac is a 'nice guy' who is again forced to confront a nightmarish situation and to deal with his emotional past as his mind slips away. The player, like Isaac, will probably not fully understand why things happen but will understand enough to frame the events. 

The Dead Space franchise also features films and other game titles, set in the same universe with a continuous story. However, Dead Space 1 and 2 are the central games and the other material is really just plot filler that hardly overlaps. I would strongly advise that for enjoyment Dead Space 1 should be played before this game. Familiarity with the characters, knowledge of the emotional issues (Nicole) and events will put the player in a better position to continue the story.

Plot progression is done through video calling, or in-game sequences that blend seamlessly into the gameplay. During these sequences, the player will lose control and character interaction will take place, then control will be returned. This changeover is usually signified with Isaac removing, or replacing, his helmet. Information is revealed through dialogue but can also be found in audio and text logs; however as characters have different perspectives and motives, it can take a while to discover what really happened. Although Isaac will frequently interact with characters, it is rare for him to spend much game time in their actual presence - it is not a cooperative game.

The Necromorphs

The Game
Dead Space 2 is an 'over the shoulder' third person, horror-shooter. There is no HUD (heads-up display) and information is displayed through holograms on the relevant objects: health, oxygen time and stasis is displayed on Isaac's back, ammunition count on the weapon and inventory/video calls displayed in front. Unlike many 'over the shoulder' shooters, the camera is unfixed. The game has save points and a checkpoint system, however players can only start a session from the save points. Occasional quick-time events occur, where a single button must be repeatedly pressed to save Isaac from death.

For the most part the game is a linear corridor shooter. Necromorphs will attack from walls, floors and ceilings and are varied enemies, requiring different tactics. True to form, Dead Space 2 encourages players to aim for specific limbs. Mindlessly opening fire is inefficient and will result in no ammunition. Legless and headless enemies will still pursue the player, and sometimes fake their death to surprise attack. Enemies drop items when receiving damage after they have died (solving the Dead Space 1 problem of knowing an enemy was 'playing dead' because an item had not dropped).

There is no regenerating health, so health management is part of the gameplay. Isaac can carry 4 weapons (out of a total of 8) and each weapon has an alternative fire. The player can also mêlée attack and stamp on the ground. Isaac's RIG (his suit) stores breathable air and can survive for a limited time in space. Again, Isaac's Telekinesis or Stasis modules can be used for combat situations or puzzles; allowing him to manipulate small objects, or slow objects in time.

The Power Node upgrade system

Power Nodes are found throughout levels and can be permanently affixed to weapons or Isaac's RIG to upgrade power and efficiency. Power Nodes also can be used to open infrequent special doors that might contain secrets. It is impossible to get all upgrades in one playthrough and players can start a new game with previous upgrades (except hard core difficulty). The same Shop returns and is used to buy and sell unwanted items, as well as functioning as a bank. Finding schematics throughout the levels will unlock new purchases. Each RIG suit has a fixed inventory size and each item takes up one slot (except weapons, power nodes and money). Inventory space and defence is upgraded through discovering schematics for new suits, and then purchasing from the Shop but everything else is upgraded through Power Nodes.

There are three difficulty settings and a hard core mode. Hard core is unlocked after completing the game, and in addition to a difficulty increase the player can only save the game three times and there are no checkpoints. This is a nice addition for players who want a hard challenge but will not suit the majority. There are in-game rewards for completing this.

Isaac can move and sprint (no jump or crouch), but one of the big changes is the new zero gravity gameplay. In areas of no gravity, Isaac has the ability to float and fly in any direction, instead of the opposite-style jumping from the first game. This is a nice change and allows for new puzzles and innovative gameplay.

A Unitologist church

Music is only really used atmospherically to heighten emotion. The sound effects are very solid and the weapons feel that they have a lot of weight behind them. Unlike the first game, the mouse and general PC support is good. The art design is quite varied and is relative to the part of the space station the player is in. Unlike Dead Space 1 there are no graphical problems; this is a good looking game.

Wrap Up & Negatives
Although much better than the very bad port of the first game, Dead Space 2 still has some minor problems. Keyboard and mouse support is mostly fine (not perfect), but occasionally console relics will appear. Reading "Push B to cancel" does not break gameplay but will annoy PC users. Most of the launch problems were patched a month or so after release and PC users were awarded the DLC items for free as an apology.

The horror derived from the gameplay has been toned down in favour of more action, but psychological horror persists thematically throughout. Players after a strong terror experience may not be content, but there is enough to satisfy most. Unfortunately enemy's 'surprise' attacks can become quite predictable, as players learn to spot the signs but this just makes the game more action based and a little less scary - which seems to be a slight shift for this sequel in general.


Personally
This is possibly my favourite game of all time.

I also loved Dead Space 1 (you may need to force Vsync on; I use D3DOverrider for terrible console ports). My first playthrough of Dead Space 2 took about eight and a half hours, so an average length for a modern single player campaign. Isaac is a superb and believable character, who at times displays the emotional levels found in film and TV. A couple of intense moments may certainly stick in your mind. The focus on precision shooting, in a horror setting, is a nice combination and makes for satisfying gameplay. This is one of the games I have replayed the most.

If you are looking for a game just to terrify you, this may not be it. If you want an action game in a horror environment, with a story focused heavily on an excellent character - this is one of the best.