Originally Published: July 27, 2010 on Lundberg.me, Sportsrev.tv, and NationalLampoon.com
This week I reviewed Batman Beyond #2 (of 6), Singularity from Activision, and in honor of San Diego Comic Con, had Jessica Nigri as my hot chick pick of the week.
Originally Published: July 26, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com, PlayerAffinity.com, Original-Gamer.com, Lundberg.me, Examiner.com, and Newsday.com
My bad play on words aside, it is easily one of the most anticipated video games of not just the year, but possibly all-time. It is a prequel that takes a more in-depth look at the start of what has become one of the greatest video game canons to have ever been conceived. And with this being Bungie’s last official foray into this space-age realm they’ve created for us, they wanted to make sure they went out with a bang.
Of course, I am talking about Halo Reach. We are about seven weeks still from this being available far and wide, but I had a chance a couple of weeks ago to sit down with our old friend, Brian Jarrard, the Community Director for Bungie, to talk about what they’ve done specifically to make this the biggest and baddest Halo yet.
And so with no further delay, I am going to help start your mouth watering a little early for this sweet piece of gaming goodness by imploring you to check out my Halo Reach preview with Brian Jarrard, the Community Director for Bungie, below!
Videos by Jared Bodden and Lee Elias
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: July 22, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com, Lundberg.me, PlayerAffinity.com, Newsday.com, and Examiner.com
Microsoft officially kicked off their Summer of Arcade 2010 last night with the release of Limbo, but considering my next review subject was just released last week, I don’t see why it couldn’t be part of this awesome event highlighting original XBL titles. Of course, I am talking about Spike Games’ Deadliest Warrior: The Game available now.
Based on Spike’s TV show of the same name, Deadliest Warrior: The Game takes seven combatants from the first season and the Roman Centurion from the second and pits them against each other in one of the most fun and brutal fighters to have come along in some time. With only eight fighters and five arenas to do battle in, this game works perfectly as a XBL title; available for 1000 Microsoft points (roughly $8).
The gameplay is near flawless as you can hack and slash your way through a difficult arcade mode to unlock new weapons and costumes for your favorite warriors or try your hand at proving that you are the deadliest in online versus and tournament modes. And trying to unlock new weapons can be surprisingly addictive due to each weapon having various attributes in terms of damage they can deal and the speed with which they can be wielded at so that it is unlikely you’ll have two exact fighters even if they are selected from the same class.
A unique aspect to Deadliest Warrior: The Game is the chance of a one-hit kill due to the realism the game focuses on (a spear through the face is an instant kill and for good reason). The realism that the game incorporates makes many fights faster than most fighting games, but this also makes you less likely to go in swords-a-swingin’ and make you think some before you actually attack. Include a simple, straightforward combat system that features high, mid, low, projectile, and signature attacks each assigned to their own button and Deadliest Warrior: The Game is the best kind of fighter, one that is easy to pick up but difficult to master.
The graphics are also very impressive. From limbs being hacked off and blood gushing around the arenas to the facial expressions of the warriors themselves, Deadliest Warrior: The Game is very pretty. There are a couple of minor glitches, but extra effects like dead bodies twitching at the end of each round more than make up for it.
There are some flaws to the game though. The game lags on occasion and the audio is very bland as a whole. It would have been nice if the game could have been livened up a bit with commentary from the hosts of the show, Geoff Desmoulin, Max Geiger, and Dr. Armand Dorian, or the show’s narrator Drew Skye. With only some generic music, roars of pain from the combatants, and the anticipated SFX of metal on metal leaves you wanting a little more from the audio side of things.
The plot is also non-existent really compared to your standard fighting game. It’s hard to critique it though since it’s the same premise as the show, to find out “who is deadliest?” In that aspect it has more of a simulation feel because the player really decides the storylines. What would happen if a knight took on an Apache? Or how about a samurai against a ninja?
Something that makes this game one of the best XBL titles out there though is the replay value. Aside from your standard online versus modes, there are promises of increasing the fighter roster as the show goes on and more medieval fighters are revealed. You could have a roster of 30 fighters before the show is done. If that happens, I would hope that the developers also include some new arenas.
The only other thing that fans of the show may be wondering is why all the fighters are of the medieval variety. Well, it wouldn’t be very fair to have Al Capone tear a Viking apart with his tommy gun now would it? Maybe they’ll come out with a sequel for modern warriors. I call dibs on the IRA!
Although flawed, Deadliest Warrior: The Game is a fun, unique fighter that is a bargain considering it is only going to cost you $8. Nevermind Limbo, Deadliest Warrior: The Game is the way you’re going to want to kick off your Summer of Arcade.
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.
Graphics: 9.0: A couple of minor glitches crop up here and there, but twitching dead bodies and blood spurting by the bucketful more than makes up for it.
Audio: 5.0: Generic music, expected SFX, and no commentary take away from the overall experience unfortunately.
Gameplay: 9.5: Unique fighter aspects like one-hit kills and the ease with which you can pick this game up make it a great overall fighting experience. Lag does crop up on occasion though and that’s the only thing that keeps this from being perfect.
Plot/Plot Development: N/A: After giving it some thought, I list Deadliest Warrior: The Game more as a simulation and therefore plot is a non-factor.
Replay Value: 7.5: You have your standard online versus and tournament modes, but the promise of more fighters for download as the show continues will make you come back to this more often than typical fighters.
Overall (not an average): 8.0: A few minor flaws can’t overshadow the legitimately solid experience that Deadliest Warrior: The Game delivers and I know I can’t wait for the first batch of new fighters to be released.
Deadliest Warrior: The Game is available now on Xbox Live.
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: July 21, 2010, on Lundberg.me, SportsRev.tv, and NationalLampoon.com
This week I reviewed Blur from Activision for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC and X-Force: Sex and Violence #1 (of 3) from Marvel. My hot chick pick of the week this week is Joanna Shari.
Originally Published: July 21, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com
I don’t usually spend a lot of time reviewing iPhone games, but I’ve been spending a lot of time in airports and waiting for delayed flights the past couple of months, so my iPhone has become my savior on some of the worst trips. So, I figured it’d be nice if I reviewed a couple of iPhone games for those out there who may read my column and run into the same problems that I have recently.
The first game I want to talk about is called iBailout!!. Basically, imagine Ms. Pac-Man set to the theme of the recent economic crisis where a yellow ball and pink bow have been replaced by a large corporation building set out to gobble up all of the Federal Reserve’s funds instead of little yellow dots. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Ms. Pac-Man style adventure if there weren’t things to avoid and iBailout!! provides that in the form of us, the American people. But do not fear! By collecting AK-47s and arming themselves to the teeth, your vacuum like corporation building will easily mow down the unsuspecting citizens as it continues to gobble up as much cash as possible.
Now, I’m not usually one to use my reviews to make any kind of grand statement, but I did find a bit of humor in the one that Marroni Electronic Entertainment made with the creation of this game. A simple, well-designed homage to a true classic, fans of Ms. Pac-Man and conservatives everywhere will probably want to take a look at iBailout!! when looking to kill a few minutes with their iPhones and is available for $1.99 at the iTunes Store.
The second game that I want to talk about will probably stir up a little less controversy. In honor of the recently completed FIFA World Cup, I present Flick Kick Football (Soccer). Part of a whole series of sports games brought to us by PikPok, Flick Kick Football (Soccer) gives you a chance to test your skills in a variety of common free kick and penalty kick situations from The Beautiful Game by simply dragging your finger across the ball. Depending on how fast and what angle you flick the ball at will determine its trajectory as you attempt to curve the ball around and through more and more defenders as the game progresses and you try to beat your high score. If you miss your shot though it could be game over, but you can earn extra lives by burying the really difficult shots to make up for when you maybe mis-flick an easier kick.
Including a time-trial mode, target practice mode, and an achievements list Flick Kick Football (Soccer) offers you a chance to not only kill some time as you try to perfect bouncing the ball in off the inside of a goal post, but to also compare your high scores (my high score is 66 goals) and scoring streaks with friends as you try to become the ultimate Flick Kick Footballer. Flick Kick Football (Soccer) is available now for $0.99 at the iTunes Store.
So there you have it folks. A couple of cheap and effective ways to kill time on your iPhones if you’re like me and end up getting stuck in an airport while waiting for a thunderstorm to pass or maybe if you just don’t feel like breaking out a controller for your console games. Both games are available for purchase now.
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: July 15, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com
The beliefs and mythology of cultures long since past have a habit of still influencing much of our media today. From the Clash of the Titans movie from the beginning of the summer to many of our video games like God of War 3, mythology is a favorite of creators everywhere to tap into when coming up with different concepts. In that vein, I present to you Sega and High Voltage’s latest exclusive for the Nintendo Wii, Tournament of Legends.
A budget fighting game (only $30 brand new), Tournament of Legends takes random mythological beings from all over the world, like Baath, the Egyptian god of the sun, or Jupiter, King of the Roman Gods, and pits them against each other in a battle for the enchanted sickle of Thanatos (the god of death) in a bid for power that will propel them to a legendary status they had only dared dream about. So, basically, the standard fighting game plot where all the characters are looking for some form or another of ultimate power.
As fighters go, even for a budget title, this is a bad game. There are only eight playable characters to start with and two unlockables as the game goes along. Last time I checked, there were a lot more legends and mythological creatures out there than 10. For this to even be considered as a decent fighter, it would have needed at least five more playable characters.
And much like Sega and High Voltage’s last over-hyped Wii-exclusive, The Conduit, the graphics are abysmal. They look like something from the last generation of consoles with loose polygons and a lack of detail rarely seen in games nowadays. Include a lack of blood or anything overly graphic in terms of some of the big hits you can deliver and the game comes across as too childish to be taken serious as a fighter.
At least the audio is tolerable though to help even out the peripherals. A great job by all the voice actors involved makes the taunts of each character come across as much more personal that you typically see in a fighting game and the narrator does a good job laying out the story and the conclusion with each fighter’s end scene. Add in solid SFX and some decent instrumentals that try to make the game feel like the epic it was promoted to be and at least the composers seemed to have given their best effort with this one.
As for the gameplay, this is where Tournament of Legends leaves me most on the fence. If you use the Wii’s Classic Controller, then the controls are passable. You have your standard high, low, heavy, and light attack combinations. You have some really cool and unique special powers, like the Roman Centurion throws a slab of beef at his opponent (which I’ve nicknamed the “beefcake” attack) who then gets swarmed by lions if it hits. And you also have some great level design that incorporates traps like giant griffins and kraken that attack both players randomly. Unfortunately, if you use the Wiimote and Nunchuck control scheme though, the game is unresponsive and difficult to handle, making it harder to appreciate those glimmers of brilliance that Sega was able to fit into this game.
The game also really suffered with the replay value. As mentioned above, there are only 10 total characters to play with and unfortunately the game lacks an online vs. multiplayer. Without a lot of characters and being able to play against people online, there is very little to bring you back to this game should you be foolish enough to buy this in the first place.
Originally this game was supposed to be a 300 inspired action game that somehow morphed into this lackluster fighter. After playing this game, you only think of what could have been had Sega stayed with their original idea considering how awful this turned out. I know Sega has the potential to pull off great games for the Wii as I keep looking back at the gem that was Madworld, but Tournament of Legends does not even hold a candle to that masterpiece. I feel dirty even mentioning them in the same sentence as Tournament of Legends is just another example of Sega producing a game that does not live up to the hype or its fullest potential.
Ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best.
Graphics: 4.0: No blood, no guts, and a lack of detail not seen in modern console games anymore. This game is one of the worst looking games I’ve seen since the last time Sega and High Voltage fell flat on their face with The Conduit.
Audio: 9.0: The instrumentals tried their best to convey the feeling of this being an epic game. It’s not their fault it wasn’t. Add in some well-done voice over work and the audio is one of the few aspects of this game that actually delivered all the goods.
Plot/Plot Development: 7.0: Your standard fighter plot where all the characters are looking for a form of ultimate power for some reason or another. Nothing special.
Gameplay: 7.0: With the classic controller, this is a solid fighting game with some creative and humorous elements thrown in to differentiate itself from the crowd. Unfortunately, if you use the Wiimore/Nunchuck combination, this game is a joke to play due to unresponsiveness and difficulty in pulling off maneuvers.
Replay Value: 2.0: Only 10 characters to play with (8 from the beginning) and no online modes makes this one of the flimsiest fighters I’ve ever played.
Overall (not an average): 4.0: A lack of fighters, no online mode, poor controls, and shoddy graphics show that this game didn’t just lack polish, it lacked all the essentials. Avoid Tournament of Legends at all costs.
Tournament of Legends is available now (not that you should care) for the Nintendo Wii.
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: July 14, 2010, on Lundberg.me, NationalLampoon.com, and SportsRev.TV
This week I reviewed Batman Odyssey #1 (of 12) and Tournament of Legends from Nintendo Wii. My hot chick pick of the week this week is Daisy (or Daysi, still not sure on that one) Araujo.
Originally Published: July 7, 2010, on Lundberg.me, Examiner.com, Original-Gamer.com, PlayerAffinity.com, and ESPNNewYork.com
I know that E3 was three weeks ago, but with the craziness of the World Cup, NBA Free Agency, and the approaching MLB All-Star break, to say we’ve been a little busy here at ESPN would be an understatement. But in our spare time, my expert cameraman/editor Jared Bodden and I, have been toiling away trying to finish these videos to show you some of the great games we saw at E3 and bring you some exclusive interviews with the people behind those games.
One of the most difficult things in this process has been whittling down what we felt were the most worthwhile games to look at, so we broke it down into four videos. The first video is a compilation featuring online and DLC games with the following three videos being a summary of the rest of the best from each day. For the games that we had to cut for the sake of time, I apologize tremendously. I also wish we could have given every game we did feature their own special video.
On that note, without further ado, below is the culmination of my three days at the L.A. Convention Center for E3 2010. I hope you all enjoy.
The first video was my online/DLC game special that features looks at the new Deadliest Warrior game from Spike Games that comes out next Tuesday, DCU Online from Sony Online Entertainment, QuickHit.com and their brand new NFL license, and Blacklight: Tango Down from Ignition Entertainment.
Our first day at E3 was a special day overall and had us see some spectacular looking games for consoles. Our video of Day 1 features Tron and Epic Mickey from Disney Entertainment, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow from Konami, and Test Drive Unlimited 2 from Atari.
On the second day of E3, console games and their peripherals were well represented once more as we looked at Vanquish from SEGA, Shaun White Skateboarding and Ghost Recon: Future Solider from Ubisoft, WWE All-Stars from THQ, and the new Wii Exercise Bike from Big Ben Interactive.
On the last day of E3, we had a chance to look at some of the most hyped games for consoles and some sweet accessories when we looked at Call of Duty: Black Ops and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions from Activision and some sweet products from Nyko and iGUGU.
Videos by Jared Bodden
-Ray Carsillo
Originally Published: July 6, 2010, on Lundberg.me, SportsRev.TV, and NationalLampoon.com
This week I reviewed Astonishing X-Men #34 and Crackdown 2 for Xbox 360. My hot chick pick of the week is Tehmeena Afzal.
Originally Published: June 29, 2010, on ESPNNewYork.com, PlayerAffinity.com, Original-Gamer.com, Examiner.com, and Lundberg.me
He revolutionized the extreme sports video game genre and put skateboarding on the map in a way no one else could. Of course, the only man I could be talking about is the legendary Tony Hawk.
I had a chance before E3 officially got underway, and Activision threw their mega-concert, to catch up with the skate legend and to talk to him about his new game coming out this fall, Tony Hawk’s Shred from Activision. We also chatted about what he thought his legacy was and what it was like to turn the video game world on its head.
Check out my interview at E3 2010 with skate legend Tony Hawk below!
RayCarsilloWrites.com 