Ninja Gaiden 2 review

Wednesday, 11 June 2008

This review was a long time coming, and I'm breaking one of my own rules by reviewing the game before I've completed it.

Either way, here we go.

Ninja gaiden is from the lovely fellas at Tecmo who produced the Dead or Alive series, you know, the one with the boobs bouncing everywhere. The first Ninja Gaiden was the hardest game on the Xbox, and also regarded as the best action game on the platform. So obviously, when it came to the sequel, there was quite a bit to live up to.

The game is heavily styled: think a blood soaked Ninja edition of Devil may cry 4, and you're halfway there, limbs fly off in all directions and walls get sprayed with arterial blood as you hack your way through the levels, and its all alot of fun. You feel really cool bouncing off walls, and cutting off arms and legs.

There's a wide selection of weapons for the job, and I am really enjoying the game, despite wanting to chuck my TV out of the window because of some of the bosses [YES I'M LOOKING AT YOU ELECTRO FISH], but by and large its a nice challenge, without being too frustrating. The characters looks very Japanese, with a CIA agent wearing barely anything but a smile and a pair of over sized handguns, and the level design is a little.. confusing. A few times I had to stop and retrace my steps because I'd gone the wrong way, but as Darkshadowfang tells me, "I have no sense of orientation". This is true.

Interestingly enough, this game practically vomits Gamerscore all over you if you play it, little 5g chunks for mastering the "Reverse wind" or "Swallow". Not a big deal for me, but still a nice incentive to keep playing, if one were needed.

Mainly, I was attracted to this game for the difficulty. The first one remains the only xbox game I couldnt beat [I really tried], and I fondly remembered the first level being ridiculously fun, before the first boss being ridiculously, insanely difficult. And of course, Ninjas. The second game lived up to this well. The game engine was fluid, and it is alot of fun. The difficulty seems to have been dialed back for the sequel - which I could argue was a good thing as I never surpassed the second level of the first gaiden.

All in all, I really enjoyed the game. My main complaint, was that the difficulty curve as you fought the bosses was abit much. Well, when I say abit much, it was like having a lovely stroll in the park, followed by you single handedly trying to climb out of the inside of a volcano while doused in petrol. Aside from this its proving to be a rather enjoyable venture, and although I doubt what future it has on the gameshelf after i've finished it the once, it's proven a blast so far.

8/10

Labels: 8/10, Ninja Gaiden 2, Xbox360

Author: DW | Comments: | Leave Your Response?

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Thursday, 8 May 2008

Hi everyone, me again, for my second review. All though last week i said i'd be reviewing iron man, but i decided after all the hype i'd wait a couple of weeks for it to die down, so i could take it in a bit better instead of trying to idealise everyone else's expectations and opinions.


Instead i chose a light hearted comedy, one of many that seem to be sprawling out of America these days, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", introducing a relative new comer, Jason Segel to the screen along with the rather tasty Kristin Bell and supposed funny man Russel Brand, i say supposed because personally he does my fucking nut in; although he does have his moments within this feature, along with the other stars, spliced in with many other up and coming American comedy names who seem to be appearing in each others movies every other second, mainly bill hader and Jonah Hill of critically acclaimed comedy Superbad. I did at first have low expectations but this after all did genuinely make my laugh my tits off, as these racy comedies become ever more daring but frequently showing me Segel's penis, along with vivid images of sexual activity and some very harsh and brash things that you would not expect to hear from a film like this, and to that i say... bring it the fuck on! cos i'll be damned if we don't need a modern society that isn't afraid to speak and make inexcusable jokes.

Overall it was an extremely funny film that i by and large could not predict, thoroughly enjoyable. See you next week folks.

8/10

Labels: 8/10, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Movies, Review

Author: Anonymous | Comments: | Leave Your Response?

In Bruges

Wednesday, 30 April 2008

Greetngs citizens, movie review numero uno today, about.. well, the title of the post says it all. A doubtful first impression, but my spirits were lifted as the movie progressed, it's most charming feature being that it's a movie made out of fuck all, with humour very easy to understand, i mean who doesnt enjoy watching an angry midget get twatted, and listen to offbeat comments about retards, americans, or sometimes even retarded americans; saying that racial slur does play a part, so bear that in mind before you see it. Overall a very kinda 'up skirt' kinda cheeky like 'black', and i mean black as in dark, not black as in ethnic minority thankyou very much kinda comedy with just the right amount of blood to tickle me cringe button and more than enough fucking's to fucking last a fucking lifetime, and if you didn't know where bruges was... it's in belgium... but who the fuck goes to belgium? Just see the film.

Stay posted for a possible and probable sighting of the hopefully equally, if not more so, recomendable, iron man next week. Peace. A good 8/10

Labels: 8/10, In Bruges, Movies

Author: Anonymous | Comments: | Leave Your Response?

Condemned 2 Review

Wednesday, 16 April 2008

I wanted to write a blog about Rainbow Six Vegas 2's story mode today, hoping to have gotten it finished on realistic difficulty, but my co-op partner never showed up.


So, i'm going to talk alittle bit about Condemned 2.
The single player keeps dragging me in and keeping me up long into the night, and i'm finding it a refreshing change from my usual diet of straight up FPS games.

The first Condemned was a pretty average game that i got with my 360 I enjoyed it quite alot, and thought it showed alot of promise, despite a few little flaws which in my opinion, stopped it from being an outstanding game.

My main problem with the first Condemned was the overly basic combat. You picked up the nearest bit of wood and hit the nearest enemy with it till they died. Occasionally, you got a firearm, in which case you shot the nearest enemy with it until they died. then you went back to your trusty bit of wood. this is not the case in condemned 2, here theres a wide variety of melee attacks, combo's and the added ability to throw your weapon ,which makes the games combat far more then a simple "hammer the right trigger" affair.

And then there was the forensics. In the first game, they were widely flaunted as a big aspect of the game, but by and large, this boiled down to getting a glowy blue UV light, and shining it over the wall. In the second, this too has been improved, with multiple choice questions at the crime scene.

I have a vague issue with games asking me to analyse blood splatters and exit wounds like a modern day sherlock. But the side effect of this is that i think i'm REALLY fucking clever when i manage to pull it off. so, nice touch Sega.


So far, so good right? Its taken the original condemned, polished it up, sent it on its way for its place as Undervalued gem of 2008.

this was, until they started talking about an ancient mythical cult. Now, correct me if im wrong, but i didnt notice an ancient mythical cult in Condemned 1. what i had, was a city full of mental homeless people, and a serial killer, who was probably a little mental himself, and this culminated in a rather scary chase round a farmhouse. Then you battled some crazy metal guy in your own head, and pulled his jaw off. I went O_o at this point, but then the game was over, and i went back to play Ghost recon, Job well done.

Now, in condemned 2, again the city is filled with nutcases. this is fine. However, theres also a mythical cult of people who control sound, and your main character becomes what is basically a motherfucking Ghetto blaster.

Yeah, someone at Sega's gonna get fired for that. This pisses me off, because, condemned was pretty solidly rooted in realism until the point i had to defeat suicide-bomber doll's, and then the whole experience took the wrong turn to Batshitcrazy-land.

I'd recommend renting this game, it is alot of fun, its just a shame the last third of the storyline turned into utter dogshit.

I'd give it a pretty solid 8/10. but im starting to get a little tired of Sega whispering promises in my ear and then palming me off with a watered down version of the awesome.

Labels: 8/10, Condemned2, Rant, Review, Xbox360

Author: DW | Comments: | Leave Your Response?