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Catherine Review

Published on August 11, 2011 by in Reviews

PLATFORM: PS3

PUBLISHER:  Atlus

DEVELOPER: Atlus

ESRB: Mature

MULTIPLAYER: 2-player coop or versus

RELEASED: 7/26/11

 

When I first heard of Catherine earlier this year, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.  It looked like a Japanese anime with a quirky style that I just wasn’t interested in.  When the game released in Japan on February of this year, it garnered so much attention that Atlus decided to bring Catherine to an American audience.  Now that I’ve had a chance to play this bizarre 10-12 hour puzzle game, I have to thank Atlus for taking such a huge risk.  Catherine is unlike anything you ever dreamed you’d play and I mean that in the best way possible.

Players assume the role of Vincent Brooks who is 32 years old and is currently going through a mid-life crisis. Vincent isn’t your typical hero, on the contrary he’s a slacker who is afraid of change and prefers to just coast through his life without any commitment or responsibility. That is until his beautiful girlfriend Katherine questions Vincent about his life and the possibility of marriage.  Vincent feels uneasy about this question and rather than accept a future exclusive to Katherine, he chooses to dodge her questions altogether.  Later while Vincent has some time to himself, he begins to question his future with Katherine.  Then one night while Vincent is drinking by himself at a local bar, he meets a beautiful and sexy woman who has the same name as his girlfriend.  The only difference is that this girl’s name is Catherine with a C rather than a K.  Throughout the course of the night the two drink and enjoy each other’s company.  Vincent finds out that Catherine and him share a lot in common.  It seems Vincent has more in common with this Catherine than his current girlfriend Katherine.  The following morning Vincent wakes up shocked to find Catherine naked in his bed…

 

This is where Vincent’s dilemma begins.  It seems that Vincent can’t remember what he does with Catherine and every night he has bizarre nightmares that he also can’t seem to remember.  Even worse the news broadcasts a series of murders on a daily basis, which involve men being found dead in their beds. To top it off Catherine doesn’t know that Vincent already has a girlfriend.  Vincent has no idea how he is going to be able to juggle two women without the other finding out that Vincent is in fact cheating.  It is up to the player to lead Vincent on this highly entertaining journey through relationship hell.

The core gameplay in Catherine consists of Vincent surviving his nightmares by climbing a tower of blocks.  Each night Vincent has one of these nightmares that could potentially kill him. In Vincent’s nightmares he strangely converses with sheep that seem to be in the same boat as Vincent; they have no clue how they got there or why.  Nightmares are broken up into trials and there are usually about 3 trials or more each night.  In between these trials Vincent can form alliances with these sheep and learn new techniques for climbing towers. Before each trial, Vincent must also answer a question about himself that will change his inner conscience meter for better or worse.  The puzzle block towers themselves are quite complex and each area gets significantly more difficult than the last.  Vincent must climb these towers by any means necessary while avoiding obstacles and the collapsing blocks beneath his feet. Players are given only a certain amount of time to climb these treacherous towers before the tower falls into oblivion.  Therefore players must push and pull blocks to form a path to the top of the tower as fast as they can.  Prepare to die frequently throughout these puzzles as you try to figure out the best course of action.  Thankfully the game offers checkpoints and power-ups to aid in your favor.  In addition, if you play in easy mode, you can undo certain block movements so that you can try again.  I completely recommend playing in easy mode the first time because the game’s later towers are just brutal.  At the very last trial of the night, Vincent will have to escape a boss.  Boss battles are awesome and involve some monstrosity from Vincent’s imagination chasing him while he makes his way to the top of the tower.

 

After each nightmare Vincent is returned to his normal life and players are treated with an animated cut scene that further advances the story.  Every evening Vincent also returns to his local bar hangout called “ The Stray Sheep” to relax and recollect the problems he’s been facing.  Here players can enjoy conversations with Vincent’s friends and learn interesting information about Vincent’s past life.  Vincent can also order drinks and learn interesting trivia about alcohol.  Be sure to take advantage of drinking because the drunker Vincent gets, the faster he is in the dream world.  Vincent can also leave his seat and speak with other customers who are also having strange dreams they can’t remember.  Texting on Vincent’s phone also plays a huge part on Vincent’s conscience meter.  During this downtime, Vincent will receive texts from either his girlfriend Katherine or his newly found lover Catherine.  Players can choose how to answer their texts and these choices will affect the outcome of the game.  There is also an arcade game at the bar where you can play a mini-game called “Rapunzel” which is similar to Vincent’s nightmare towers.  Here you can practice your techniques for the difficult nightmares ahead.

Catherine is an amazing experience and is unlike any other game out on the market. It has a catchy soundtrack that will stick in your head and has some of the most beautiful cel-shaded graphics I’ve ever seen.  Catherine succeeds in immersing the player in the life of Vincent so well, that you begin to care for him and the characters that inhabit his world.  It perfectly mixes addicting puzzles that will test your skill with an expertly crafted story so “human” in nature that you can’t help but feel as if it were you making these difficult relationship choices. There’s a certain feeling of accomplishment when you finally figure out how to make it to the top of the tower and survive another night in Catherine’s challenging puzzles.  The world of Catherine and its characters are so deep that once you finish the game, you’ll want to go back and replay the game for one of its many alternate endings.   Catherine is something special that is not easy to describe simply because of how bizarre and weird it is.  It’s an experience filled with metaphors and twists that keep the story interesting. Even when you think you know what’s going on, there’s something new happening that can make you wonder if what your doing is right. Catherine’s adult orientated subject material is fascinating and at times can hit a little close to home if you’ve ever been in a longtime relationship.   Catherine is not intended for everyone and the challenge will definitely turn some gamers off but it has one of the most unforgettable stories I’ve ever experienced in recent memory.  Do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in one of the biggest surprise hits of the year!  I guarantee that Catherine will spark some kind of emotion in you.

SCORE

8.5/10

 
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BrandKnew Music #1

Published on August 2, 2011 by in Music

Shad is a Canadian rapper with just pure dopeness. This song is filled with clever punchlines and a beat that’s just…raw.

 

Reposted with permission from http://brandknew.tumblr.com/post/8361790630/shad-flawless

 
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Alice: Madness Returns

Published on July 31, 2011 by in Reviews

PLATFORM: Xbox 360

PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts

DEVELOPER: Spicy Horse

ESRB: Mature

MULTIPLAYER: None

RELEASED: 6/14/11

When American McGee’s Alice was released for PC in 2000, it took gamers on a dark twisted journey through a reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  For its time, the game had amazing graphics and psychedelic scenery.  However after recently playing American McGee’s Alice, I can honestly say that the game did not age very well and was actually quite terrible. So now that its successor Alice Madness Returns has released in 2011, we finally get a sequel that improves all the mistakes found in the original right?  Well not exactly…

::SPOILERS FOR AMERICAN MCGEE’S ALICE::

 

If you haven’t played the original game, it’s included as a free download if you bought Alice Madness Returns brand new. However you really wouldn’t miss very much if you skipped that god awful game.  For those of you who just want to get up to speed, I’ll go ahead and spoil the first game for you.  At the beginning of the game we find Alice in an insane asylum years after the untimely death of her family due to a house fire.  Alice feels responsible for the accident, which causes her to become even more crazy.  Meanwhile, in Wonderland, the Queen of Hearts has taken over and its up to Alice to delve into her shattered mind to redeem the peaceful wonderland she once knew.  Throughout the game, Alice meets twisted versions of classic characters that help or hinder her progression.  After defeating the queen, Alice wakes up from her wonderland and we witness her smiling as she leaves the asylum.  Alice has finally cured her madness… or so we think…

 

::END SPOILERS::

 

At the beginning of Madness Returns we find our heroine Alice living in an orphanage somewhere in Victorian London.  She comes under the supervision of a psychiatrist named Angus Bumby who attempts to aid her with the re-occurring nightmares of the night her family died.  It seems that Alice is still a serious wreck and the townspeople don’t quite take nicely to her condition.  After pursuing a white cat through the city, we are transported back into Alice’s Wonderland once again.

The first thing you’ll notice when you enter Alice’s Wonderland is how amazing the world looks. The developer Spicy Horse did an outstanding job of creating imaginative worlds for the player to explore.  The game is fitted with such a unique visual style, it’s hard not to appreciate the beauty of the world, even when the world looks like something out of a nightmare.   The character Alice herself looks fantastic and for each new world she enters, she gains an appropriate new outfit rather than just her standard blue dress.  The graphical punch of the Xbox 360 does make everything look a lot prettier but there are some cases of rough textures littered throughout the game.

Combat in Madness Returns is much more improved than its predecessor and allows Alice to wield up to four different weapons. Weapons include the Vorpal Blade (knife), Hobby Horse (Hammer), Pepper Grinder (Gatling Gun), Teapot Cannon (Grenade Launcher), and Clockwork Bomb.  Each weapon is upgradable (excluding the Clockwork Bomb) with teeth that are collectible throughout Alice’s journey.  Alice also has the ability to shrink herself to reach new areas and dash to avoid dangerous situations.  While in Wonderland, Alice can also collect bottles, memories that provide background story, and pig snouts that reveal hidden areas.  In addition, Alice can also enter secret areas throughout the world where she is given a certain task. If the task is completed correctly Alice gains a fragment of a red rose.  These red roses serve as Alice’s life bar and if you collect four fragments, you gain an extra rose.

At its core Madness Returns is an action/adventure platformer.  Gameplay mainly consists of jumping from area to area and combating enemies.  The platforming is fun for a while, but quickly gets old and frustrating.  You will definitely die hundreds of times trying to jump or glide around obstacles and invisible floors.  This is due mostly to the fact that Alice can’t grab a ledge, which is shocking considering that she could in the original game.  Thankfully the checkpoint system is forgiving and loading times are fast, otherwise these cheap deaths would be unforgivable. Enemy encounters are fast and fluid at first, but quickly fall prey to repetition.  That’s because each enemy has a certain weakness to expose before they can be destroyed.  It’s not very noticeable at first, but by the end of the game you’ll groan at having to fight the same enemies over and over.  This becomes even more annoying when you’re in a room filled with different enemies that require you to wait for their own unique opening just to kill them.  Luckily if you’re beaten to a pulp and manage to still have one rose of life, you can trigger a special that makes Alice invulnerable for a short time.

If only the gameplay could have matched the impressive visual style, Alice Madness Returns could have been something great.  The developers tried to mix up the gameplay by adding mini-games throughout the story, such as a side-scrolling shooter but they are ultimately forgettable.  Another gripe I have was the fact that there weren’t even that many boss encounters.  There were two instances, I remember in the game, where the developers chose not to include a boss when it looked like there was about to be an epic battle.  It baffles me why they chose not to consider these confrontations with classic Wonderland characters as boss battles.  Also, the game just feels too long for its own good.  Alice Madness Returns really drags its way to the end, and it takes a patient gamer to want to reach its conclusion.  The only thing that motivated me to finish this long game, was to see what world I’d be taken to next.  If you’re a fan of Tim Burton’s dark style, or the trippy tale of Alice in Wonderland, then you’ll probably have some fun exploring American McGee’s twisted sequel.  Gamers who are impatient should probably stay clear of this game, or rent it before you buy.  Alice Madness Returns has some amazing worlds, but suffers from poor game design and repetitive gameplay that runs out of “wonder” about halfway in.

SCORE

5.5/10

 
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NCAA Football 12 Review

Published on July 31, 2011 by in Reviews

Remember those days in the science fair? If you repeated the same project the year before, you had to improve on it in some way. NCAA would not have received a ribbon this year.

Before you gird your loins from a ranting review, let me say I am strangely indifferent to NCAA 12. If you jump right in and play an exhibition game, your first thought may be, “ I think they sent me NCAA 11.” Barely anything has changed other than menu layouts.  We can expect the juke stick to roll down the hill, but what’s original this year? I distinctly remember previews revolving around the newly done grass. That may have been the only “new” thing worthwhile.

Lets start at what returns, specifically team significance. Second year in a row and NCAA is trying to incorporate unique styles for every team.  They may say this, but it just feels lazy. Mascots are the only real alteration. Georgia for example now has the Bulldog run alongside the players, and that’s it. Ohio State’s traditional swinging in the back end zone is poorly done, as in not at all. The rest of the pregame footage is recycled from last year making it repetitive and dreary.

TANGENT STARTS NOW: Those same cut scenes from last year just make me bristle. Really, we’re recycling game footage now like some type of 60’s vegan save the world hippie? It showed up in Madden and NCAA! You know the scene, where one player jumps awkwardly in the middle of a circle, while his surrounding teammates berate him with laughter due to his obvious lack of rhythmic sensibility. Yeah, it’s back. END


 

The better changes in the game become apparent after hours of play. This is refreshing, finally a nod for the late night gamers (and yes people who play sports games are GAMERS!).  The new collision system Madden has been prancing around so wildly seems to be on NCAA as well. Blocking, tackling and catching all benefit highly from this simple change (simple not in programming, but in commonsensical). Although, if Madden and NCAA are both implementing this new element to the game, something must distinguish them from one another other than overpaid athletes (wait they both have that in common).

Creativity and originality are the ideas that should help differentiate these two games. Quite a challenge, especially with two equal sports game that are so unidirectional. So ok, focus on the gameplay and fix a number of things constantly ignored such as stadium fan quality, touchdown celebrations, improved gang tackling, blocking system, no huddle offense, onside kicks etc. Best move would be to take a note from Forza, Gran Turismo and even NHL; create a realistic experience, forget the gimmicks.

Case and point: “Coach Mode”. To sum it up: it’s bad. It projects a vibe of Madden Head Coach and is miles from delivering.  Coach Mode is basically demo mode, but you choose the plays. You watch as if you were playing, and sob uncontrollably. You don’t even have the cool assortment of camera angles offered in Madden Head Coach. Just leave it out then. To have Coach Mode in the game in such an early developmental stage for the only reason of having a “NEW” above it is disheartening. Possibly a promising feature, but execution only differentiates your number of sales.

Other amenities the game offers are not as glum. Receivers finally make ample efforts to catch balls within bounds and the back of the end zone consistently. Become a Legend is revamped and better than ever, with an entire high school football season and skill upgrades. The Online Dynasty has received the tune-ups it deserves. So maybe it’s not all bad.

My only conclusion is this game is a stepping-stone. Maybe we are reaching a point where biyearly development is the only reasonable solution. The big challenges have already been completed; as the game progresses so does the amount of hours required to maintain it.  NCAA 12 is too similar to past year’s title to justify a full purchase. On the other hand, it offers good additions to the gameplay lacking from the year before—its obvious dominant strength. We will see where the future takes NCAA, but it best have something spectacular in the works otherwise…you know.

 
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F3AR Review

Published on July 27, 2011 by in Reviews

PLATFORM: Xbox 360

PUBLISHER: Warner Bros. Interactive

DEVELOPER: Day 1 Studios

ESRB: Mature

MULTIPLAYER:  2-player coop story/ 4-player online

RELEASED: 6/21/2011

Gamers who played the original F.E.A.R back in 2005 on PC or Xbox 360 were treated to a delightfully terrifying experience. The first F.E.A.R combined the bullet time action of games like Max Payne and used its horror elements uniquely to distinguish itself from gaming juggernauts such as Resident Evil or Silent Hill.  This was largely due to F.E.A.R’s creepy atmosphere and a mysterious little girl named Alma who constantly frightened us throughout the campaign.  The next entry in the franchise F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin was a lackluster sequel that tried too hard to be scary and is arguably the series low-point.  The latest installment F.E.A.R 3 definitely provides the best gameplay of the three but doesn’t come close to the terrifying experience found in the original.

::SPOILER ALERT FOR FIRST TWO F.E.A.R GAMES::

 

The story of F.E.A.R 3 follows protagonist Point Man and psychic villain Paxton Fettel working together to witness the birth of Alma’s new child.  The story leading up to F.E.A.R 3 is definitely a bizarre convoluted mess. Basically in the first game, Point man is a member of a Special Forces squad sent to investigate paranormal activities.  His mission is to eliminate a terrorist named Paxton Fettel who is in command of a legion of cloned-soldiers killing innocent civilians.  As the game progresses we come to learn that Point Man and Paxton Fettel are actually brothers and that their mother was the creepy little girl Alma.  At the end of the first F.E.A.R Point Man kills Paxton Fettel with a bullet to the head.  The story of F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin takes place just minutes before the end of the first F.E.A.R.  This time players assume the role of Michael Beckett who is a member of a squad sent in to apprehend a suspect and bring her into protective custody.  Long story short—Michael Beckett somehow impregnates Alma at the end of F.E.A.R 2.  At the beginning of F.E.A.R 3 Paxton Fettel has somehow returned from the dead to form an unlikely alliance with his brother who killed him.

 

::END SPOILERS::

 

Confused?  Don’t worry.  Sure F.E.A.R 3 has a ridiculous plot, but that’s not where this game shines.  Where F.E.A.R 3 does shine is in its coop and multiplayer modes.  If you have the chance to play the game with a friend in split-screen or online, I highly recommend doing so.  What’s great about the campaign is the fact that even if you begin the story solo, you can take your saved game and experience points online with you.  I personally played the game with random strangers, who willingly joined my game session and I still had a blast.  First player assumes the role as Point Man and Second player assumes the role as Paxton Fettel.  Point Man is able to slow down time and has access to all guns throughout the game.  Fettel is not able to pick up weapons or ammo in his main form, but instead possesses unique and awesome powers.  These powers allow Fettel to pick up enemies, shock them till they explode, or possess them entirely for a short time.  These two characters unique powers combined allows for a co-op experience unlike any other.  For example, my co-op partner would suspend an enemy in air for me to shoot, or I would weaken a larger enemy and my co-op partner would possess him.  In addition my co-op partner would scout around looking for ammo and weapons for me to use.  While playing F.E.A.R 3 players are awarded experience points for completing certain challenges such as killing 10 enemies without taking any damage.  Upon completing these challenges throughout the game, players are rewarded with experience points that increase their level.  Gaining a level provides access to stronger powers, new abilities and increased health. Throughout F.E.A.R 3 there are also hidden dead bodies containing paranormal energy and Alma dolls that can be collected for experience points.   Players don’t always have to work together and there is an option where you can either share experience points or just take them all yourself.  Teamwork is not just a gimmick in F.E.A.R 3 but actually provides an overall better experience.

While F.E.A.R 3 excels in co-op, the experience only lasts about 5-6 hours and it definitely sacrifices horror for action.  The problem with F.E.A.R 3 is that it plays too much like a military first-person shooter than a traditional horror game.  That might not sound like such a bad thing, but the fact that F.E.A.R 3 is supposed to be scary really distracts from the overall experience.  F.E.A.R 3 plays like a solid shooter but often feels like it’s having a bit of an identity crisis.  The few horror elements it does have just feel tacked in and slow down an otherwise amazing action game.   The campaign takes you through prisons, destroyed neighborhoods, retail stores, and subways but some areas are just better designed than others.  Unless your afraid of satanic candle rituals littered throughout a retail store or what look like screaming zombie bums with bombs attached to them—you will be pretty disappointed.  When F.E.A.R 3 is not trying too hard to be scary, it actually becomes a pretty awesome action game.  Fighting off waves of enemies and big super armored soldiers who can teleport around the room is definitely a blast in co-op.  However my favorite areas in the game have to be the moments where players enter mechanical robots and rain down havoc on opposing forces.  These areas are few and far between, but they provide some of the most destructively fun moments in the game.

The icing on the cake is F.E.A.R 3’s diverse multiplayer offerings.  While there are only four modes to choose from and only support for up to four players, each is completely unique in its own way.  The first mode called Fucking Run is a race through an enemy infested level while a steady approaching wall of death pursues players.  Soul King let’s players assume the role as specters that must possess enemies and kill other players for points.  Soul Survivor pits one player as a specter, against the other three players and the main goal is to turn the other players into specters before time runs out.  Lastly there is Contractions, which is similar to Call of Duty’s Nazi zombies or Gears of War’s Horde mode.  In this mode players must stop oncoming waves of diverse enemies while re-supplying weapons and boarding up windows between rounds.

In the end, F.E.A.R 3 is a polished shooter that offers some amazing multiplayer opportunities for players sick of the same old things.  Although the story is lacking and most horror fans are likely be disappointed, there is enough content here to keep most gamers glued to their televisions for the rest of the summer.   While F.E.A.R 3 is not a horror masterpiece, it’s definitely worth a look for gamers that are fans of action and co-op.

SCORE

7.5/10

 
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Duke Nukem Forever Review

Published on July 24, 2011 by in Reviews

PLATFORM: Xbox 360
PUBLISHER: 2K Games
DEVELOPER: 3D Realms/
Triptych Studios/Piranha Games/
Gearbox Software
ESRB: Mature
MULTIPLAYER: up to 8 online
RELEASED: 6/14/2011

If you’ve been a gamer since the early 90’s, you’re probably familiar with the egotistical badass known as Duke Nukem.  If you haven’t, then you’ve probably at least heard of the new Duke Nukem game and are wondering why there is so much buzz surrounding it.  After a 14-year hiatus in development hell spanning three console generations, Gearbox Software has finally done the impossible.  Gearbox Software has finally recieved the rights to Duke Nukem and has finally finished development on Duke Nukem Forever.  Duke Nukem Forever picks up after the events of Duke’s last adventure Duke Nukem 3D, which released on the Sony PlayStation in 1996.  Duke has saved the world from the perverted alien race abducting earth’s chicks and has now become somewhat of a celebrity hero.  However, this celebration of Nukem’s heroics is cut short when the aliens return to earth once again to impregnate the women of earth. 

 

     The introduction of Duke Nukem Forever starts out relatively slowly. Most of the early moments in the game wallows in Duke Nukem’s past achievements by having groan-inducing conversations with fans of Duke.  The dialogue is intended to be funny with Duke’s egotistical charm and some are worth a chuckle. However, most of the jokes fall flat and are generally not very funny.  This brings me to the voice acting, which is actually quite terrible.  Its great that they brought back the original voice actor for Duke Nukem, but his one-liners will make you wonder why the developer’s tried so hard to be funny.  If you can excuse the developer’s attempts at humor, the action more than makes up for it.  Once the alien-invasion kicks in, Duke Nukem Forever becomes somewhat enjoyable.  The weapons are fun and responsive which range from your typical military gear to advanced alien weaponry.  I had a blast blowing away aliens with twin arm-cannons and shrinking enemies with the shrink-ray.  Duke is also able to use power-ups such as beer and steroids, which increase Duke’s offense and defenses.  These power ups are essential, especially since the latter of the game can become quite difficult.  While playing Duke Nukem Forever, you will die multiple times.  This is partly due to the lack of cover and the slow regeneration of health.  Dying multiple times wouldn’t be so bad if the load times weren’t so painfully long!  I figured installing the game onto the hard drive on my Xbox would reduce the problem but I barely noticed any difference at all. 

 

     There are a variety of alien baddies to blast throughout the 8-12 hour campaign.   Some of the aliens you encounter are classic revamped models from Duke Nukem 3D such as the pig cops. There are also others that are new to the series and just as deadly.  The only problem with the enemies in Duke Nukem Forever is their Artificial Intelligence.  The enemy AI in Duke Nukem Forever isn’t very intelligent, and that’s just putting it mildly.  Some enemies’ just charge right at you and avoid cover all together, while others just stand in one spot and fire.  Enemies don’t work together or even try to flank your position. Some enemy character animations are also laughably stiff and robotic in nature.  The real highlights though are the boss battles encountered throughout Duke Nukem Forever. When encountering one of these huge beasts, you often have the chance to humiliate it before it dies.  Boss battles are fun and some are more challenging than others.  However, most of these boss encounters are limited to strafing back and forth while dodging bullets and collecting ammo when you can.  Duke Nukem Forever’s gameplay isn’t always just running and gunning down aliens.  There are definitely some much needed action sequences sprinkled throughout the lengthy campaign such as driving a small RC car around a destroyed building or driving a monster truck off cliffs and broken freeways.  There are also a couple of puzzles thrown in, but nothing really special.  These sections help add some variety to the overall experience.

 

     The visuals in Duke Nukem Forever are definitely not it’s strongest selling point.  In other words, the game looks horribly dated when compared to other recent releases.  This is especially noticeable when you get close to a wall or enemy.  There is simply not enough detail and most surfaces look fuzzy or just plain ugly.  The environments and character models could have used much more polish.  Although the graphics are not intolerable, they will definitely distract graphic whores from the overall experience.  In addition, Duke Nukem Forever suffers from poor game design choices that might have been revolutionary for their time but cannot hold their own today.  Who here remembers having to swim underwater and waiting by an area releasing bubbles just to catch their breath?  How was that even possible?  There’s also a valve puzzle in the game where Duke states, “I hate valve puzzles”.  Me too Duke.  Me too… Duke Nukem also sports a multiplayer mode for up to 8-players which is playable online, but it’s offerings won’t hold your attention for too long. 

 

     It seems the developer’s wanted to stay a little too close to the source material for Duke Nukem Forever.  The humor and game design might have fit perfectly in the 90’s but the same just can’t be said today.  Gearbox Software really had a chance to reinvent an icon from gaming’s past and bring Duke to a new generation.  Sadly though, Gearbox Software failed to do so by delivering a game that feels somewhat unfinished.  Duke Nukem Forever seems like it was intended for those of us who grew up playing his games in the 90’s.  While others who are experiencing Duke Nukem for the first time will wonder what the big deal was about these games to begin with.  That’s a shame too because I enjoyed Duke Nukem Forever for what it was—A mindless yet fun shooter with its fair share of flaws.  Duke Nukem Forever is not a terrible game and by no means is it a very good game, but fans of Duke’s past will be pleased to see the “King” back on next generation consoles.  Duke Nukem Forever will appeal to fans of the series but for the rest of us, we’ll just have to wait for the inevitable sequel.-Steven Chapa

Score: 6/10

 
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LA Noire Interrogations Suck

Published on July 23, 2011 by in Reviews

Sorry for the lack of content. I’ve been busy (read: not avoiding homework by working on this stuff). No more excuses, except for this bit. I recorded it about 6 weeks ago and I wasn’t happy with it then either. Still, if you can find something of merit here, then my job here is done.

 
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TBC 45: Neo, come and make this Pizza!

Published on May 15, 2011 by in Podcast

Finals are Final-ly done….ah..thanks Matt. Anyways, join us as we tackle the leaked info of Modern Warfare 3, delays abound, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations details, and more like Mama Rage. Email any questions to mattsblackcouch@gmail.com

Song Used:
Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People

TBC 45: Neo, come and make this Pizza! [ 1:19:04 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (385)
 
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Homefront Video Review

Published on May 7, 2011 by in Reviews

In this long-awaited review, we tackle the disappointment that was Homefront.  I think Matt’s being a little too nice, but that’s just me.

 
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TBC 44: A Casual Stream

Published on April 28, 2011 by in Podcast

Chris, Rudy, and Edgar stop by to give the casual gamer’s take on Project Cafe/Stream/Wii2/Wiiii.

Song Used:
Dreaming of You by The Corral

TBC 44: A Casual Stream [ 56:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (298)
 
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