Latest Entries »

Unreal Tournament 3

Filed Under: Uncategorized by fruitsalad — Leave a comment
October 2, 2010

Sorry for the delay, all! I haven’t been the best on keeping things up to date. :D

Welcome back all to my site. Today, I’ll be reviewing a bit of an older game. Unreal Tournament 3. Well, I guess not THAT old..but you catch my drift.

The Unreal Tournament games is basically a long series of games that revolve around a tournament, that everyone fights in like every year or so. Whoever wins it gets amazing..things. And stuff. The UT3 game works around a different system than the past ones, with a storyline instead of a tournament. This has its ups and downs, like every game, but it’s different and new. Unfortunately, this didn’t make the game sell as well, and most people went back to UT2k4, because it was superior (at least to them) Onto the review, we go.

Gameplay – 8.5/10

The gameplay is good, and one of the best things about it is the fact that it lasts a very long time aside from most other FPSes, which are done after you get bored of them. Each mode is different in its own way, and each of them has its own qualities and other things about it. I’m not going to go through the whole list, because there’s a LOT of them, but I’ll go through each of the modes and each of their respective qualities and backgrounds.

The single-player campaign is a little different in this game, with you playing a specific character with a specific campaign attached to him. In the past games, the game followed a more “tournament” style, but now it’s moved onto a mission styling of ways. Personally, I thought the other games worked a little better in this aspect, but its new and different, and change is usually a good thing.

The multiplayer was almost exactly like the other games, although, I usually don’t play online. The bot battles were definately a lot of fun when you turned up the difficulty enough, and from there, it just got better and better. I can’t say much for the online, as I’ve only played it once or twice, but from there, it was a very good game.

Other than that, I can easily say that the gameplay was successful. The score I didn’t go higher was because it does eventually get boring after a while, which is obvious, but from the amount that I’ve played, I can easily say that the gameplay is something to look forward to in new games that they may be releasing.

Graphics – 9/10

Now this was EXTREMELY surprising. I can max out the game very well, and the game’s graphics have a very Gears of War type of graphic to it. For a game that came out at around 2007, the game’s graphics are absolutely amazing. I was amazed when I first started playing, and it looked like the Unreal Engine, among other things, made its appearance obvious. Overall, the graphics were extremely fantastic, and I give them a 9 for effort and overall quality. I still think though, standing up to other games, that it doesn’t come as close. One prime example is Crysis, which for its requirements, the game delivered. Another example is Burnout Paradise, which is another game I have recently reviewed, which even on the Xbox 360, it has prime graphics.

Other than that, the game stands out. The graphics were stunning.

Sound: 8.5/10

The sound, really there isn’t that much to review. I can easily say that the gun sounds sound.. not so realistic. For example, a rocket launcher doesn’t sound like.. a gun. And a pistol doesn’t sound like a rocket launcher. The music that plays in the background of the games is much like the rest of the games music, so there wasn’t really anything new except for a few new songs. That still doesn’t change the fact that the music is still pretty good, so I think a 8.5 is suitable.

Replayability: 9.5/10

The game is a FPS that has online capabilities. I shouldn’t have to say more.

The game lasts a while, along with user support and everything else in the game, the game is quite the mod base. Since it’s made using the Unreal Engine, you can do a lot of things with it, if you have the editor. I can’t vouch for the online community currently though, as, I haven’t really done much online. But with the EXTREMELY LONG campaign, and the bot battles that you can do, the game lasts a while.

Buy or Rent: You don’t have a choice. At least, not now anyways. I’m sure there’s a demo of some sort out there, so try that out before you go too far. If you like it, buy it.

Final Score – 8.5/10

The game stands up to the rest of the series (notably UT2004) and it does a better job of most things. I spent a lot of time playing this, and I occasionally still do. The game was worth the money I paid for it (which was 20 dollars for 5 games during a sale :D ) and I enjoy it a lot.

Comment

Alien Swarm

Filed Under: Gaming by fruitsalad — Leave a comment
July 24, 2010

Hey all.

Today, I’ll be reviewing Alien Swarm, one of the newest games produced by one of the companies under Valve. It used to be a mod for Unreal Tournament, and not too long ago, they released it as a standalone game. It’s a overhead look game, that involves killing swarms of aliens. I know, the idea isn’t that original, but the game does have a few things going for it.

Gameplay – 7.5/10

The gameplay comes off as a little awkward at first. It’s unique, in a way. There are 4 classes, and each class has 2 people that you can use. They have their own unique stats, and abilities. Most maps are going to need a Tech, which is a class that can hack through doors and computers. As such, it’s a very important class. Unfortunately, one of the downfalls is that when the tech dies in certain maps, the map ends and you have to start over. It was definately an overlook on Valve’s part, and it gets extremely annoying on some of the later levels.

The maps are usually unique. Each map has it’s own environment and specific map styling. Another negative part is that the maps are exactly the same, and have no random map layout like games like Left 4 Dead (Further detailed later). To make it worse, there is only 8 maps shipped with the game that are relatively short in length. It’s a disappointment, to say the least. For a Valve game, I was expecting more.

The actual gameplay is pretty good, until it turns into..not good. It gets repetitive. Fast. The ranks in the game add to the fun, however, but it presents a system like Modern Warfare 2′s, which I didn’t like (once again, see that review), with “prestige mode” in disguise as a promotion. However, it is very easy to max out your level within a few hours, if you do it fast enough. Whether that is for the better or worse remains to be discussed.

Other than some of these flaws, the gameplay isn’t horrible, I guess. It held me over for a while.

Sound – 8/10

I’m not so sure about this. The commander sounds realistic, but… the monsters and everything else aren’t that amazing. The potential is there, but it was cut down.

Gunfire is somewhat realistic, but it wasn’t everything I expected. And by not everything I expected, I mean not even close to my expectations. Come on, it’s Valve we’re talking about here… we should see a little better than this.

Graphics – 8.5/10

Again, nothing special. One of the games biggest flaws, at least in my mind, is the fact the marines look like..untextured Spartans from Halo. The environment is pretty decent though, with the walls and the flames.. and the stuff.

The monster textures were actually surprising. Where the marines failed on graphics, the monsters picked it right up. The aliens textures look like something you would see out of a movie. Not those crappy old movies, either, one of the newer ones. Iwasn’t entirely impressed with the graphics, but they didn’t do horrible.

Replayability – 8/10

Like I mentioned before in gameplay, the game has the option to “promote” you. Technically, this offers unlimited replayability, but its only so long before you realize how repetitive it gets and quit.

Rent or Buy – Neither, it’s free. :)

The game, I think part of the fact I forgot to mention, is downloadable free on Steam. I would try it out, anyways. It’s not horrible for the first few days.

Final Score – 8.5/10

One of Valve’s first “good” games. It’s not great, like the rest of their games, and it doesn’t have the potential to be a hit like most of their other games. However, it is free. It’s worth a download, if you got the space.

Comment

Team Fortress 2

Filed Under: Gaming by fruitsalad — Leave a comment
July 21, 2010

It’s been a while. I need to get back into the swing of things here.

Today, I shall be reviewing the game, Team Fortress 2. There’s a lot of things that could be said about this game, whether it be negative or positive. I’ll try and stay on the positive side for this review. Because I like the game.

Team Fortress 2 is made by the people at Valve, who are most likely some of the most awesome developers out there. They made Counter-Strike, Half-Life, any good game, all that. They’re also the people who made Steam, which is most likely the most popular game transferring/buying site/program out today.

Team Fortress 2 has turned from a regular FPS into an unlock-able weapon, different kind of things, almost a RPG/FPS hybrid in a way, without the level ups and the stuff like that. It has really changed, and in my opinion, its for the better. It now appeals a bit more to casual players (not me, of course, but other people), and hardcores all over the world.

Gameplay – 9.5/10

Why a 9.5? Why not a 10? Well, let me explain the details of the gameplay.

It really, in reality, is a basic FPS. When you first buy the game, you have NO weapons aside from the defaults. As you keep playing, you unlock weapons, whether it be through the achievement system and the milestones of each class (which there are 9 of, go into further detail later) or by random drops.

The drop system works (now, at least) that every week, you have a certain alloted time for drops to occur. If that time is not used up, it is transferred to the next week, and so on from there. It also does not look for weapons that you already have. For example, I think at the moment I have 4 of the same weapon. Not to worry, however, these extra weapons can be used to craft things.

Crafting is another major component of the game that was only recently released. Crafting allows players to make weapons, hats (go into further detail later as well..) and other items, such as tokens. When you  have 2 or more of an item in the same class as each other, you have a chance to make those into scrap metal, which can be used to make reclaimed metal, which can be used to make refined metal, which, most of the  time, is used to make hats. There are many other combinations to be found as well. It resembles something of the Horadric Cube from Diablo II, in my opinion. Onto the next topic, however, is hats.

Hats, are completely useless. I’ve gone out and said it. The only value they have is to look cool on your head. So why do so many people like them? Well, for one, they are collectible, and extremely rare on the drop system. In fact, I have never gotten a single random drop hat yet, and 1/3 of the way of making one in the first place. It’s long, tedious, and a bit annoying to make a hat. And yet they are worth so much.

That’s the basic mechanics of the item system. There’s also things like tokens that specify what class/slot you want your item to be made for, but sometimes their just even more of a pain in the ass. Especially for hats. Gaaaaah.

Onto the GAMEPLAY part..

The reason I gave this a 9.5 is because of balance. Because of how the item system works and the fact that this game is pretty harsh to new players, it turns off many at first. Valve doesn’t even give the lowbies something good until like 2 weeks after they start playing. It’s scary in a sense, because we’re talking about Valve here, not Infinity Ward. (see MW2 review)

The game in itself, after a week or so however pays off. It’s fun. It’s a FPS. It’s a win win situation. 9.5.

Sound – 10/10

It sounds funny, and death-defying at the same time. There’s nothing to explain about it. It’s realistic (in a way) it’s humorous (YOU ARE LOOSE CANON SANDVICH) and it’s just overall pretty nice. I got what I expected, needless to say.

Graphics – Umm..I’m not going to give this a rating.

The graphics, is the biggest point why people don’t buy this game. It’s cartoony. Yes, a FPS thats filled with gore and violence, is a cartoony graphical game. The reason I’m not giving this a rating is because even though I think it is an artistic value in its own way, I can see the ton of people that would think otherwise. So I’m just going to leave it at that. I like the graphics, but it’s not sutiable for a FPS. Sutiable for the game, however.

Replayability – 10/10

It’s a fully online FPS that a lot of people play every day. You get good people, and you get bad people. The community isn’t that pretty overall, but the fact that the game runs on dedicated servers is a plus, and you can go back to the same server over and over again if you really want. When you finally find that one server that you love, the game gets good. So the replayability is a maxed out because of the flexability of game servers.

Rent or Buy – No choice.

You have to buy it, no renting is available. When you buy the game, the game is tied to your Steam account. If you want to play it, get it, because you don’t have a choice in the matter.

Overall, TF2 is a game that shows Valve’s true potential. They spent over 5 years in the making, and it paid off. A lot.

Overall Score – 10/10

Comment

Burnout Paradise

Filed Under: Gaming by fruitsalad — Leave a comment
July 13, 2010

This is one I’ve been wanting to do for a while. :P

Yes, I’m doing the popular game Burnout Paradise. This one, the current Burnout game, is definately a major step in the Burnout series. Instead of a career mode, you now have a free roam mode and you have to find the events to do to upgrade your license. Sounds cool, right?

Haha. We will find out. 

First things first, you start out on a Learners License. You start out with one main car to go screw around with. As you do events, your license gets upgraded, from a D license, all the way up to a Burnout license. As such, this is MUCH different then the other games. Really, I actually like this more then the other games way of doing this, and I’ll explain why later.

Gameplay : 10/10

This is pretty much what the whole game is about. Hell, this is what most games are about, right?  Anyways, this game really shows that if you put enough time into it, you can really pull something off that is worth it. As the modes are different, the way of playing this game is different. I, for one, like the free roam ability the most. The way you can just go around and do stuff, such as one of the main replayability factors, smashes, billboards, and jumps. (explained later) Most of the time, there isn’t a certain time limit or anything. This gives you the absolute opportunity to just go out and play. It’s really where the game shines, and obviously, the developers really did a nice job of thinking of this. 

Sound : 6/10

Why did I give this a 6? One, because it has rap and pop in it, I’m sorry, but this is really where ANY game takes its downfall. (note: opinion has been stated) Secondly, actually because it has a amazing amount of classical music. I actually like classical music, as long as it is GOOD. Thats the problem, some of the classical music isn’t good, and thats where this game screws up horribly. The sounds on the main game itself are great, but when it comes to music, the game really screws itself over.

Graphics : 9/10

For a game that came out in 2006, I was surprised. The graphics look AMAZING. Literally, I didn’t think they would be that good. I was surprised IMMENSLY when I got to see the stuff that was in this. The city really looks the way it should.

Replayabilty 10/10

Smashes, billboards and jumps. And DLC. Makes for a great game, doesn’t it? 

The smashes and the billboards are all found in certain places. The smashes indicate shortcuts, and the billboards you can see easily, but you gotta find a way to get to them. The jumps are just fun altogether, although it takes some patience to find them. 

Buy or Rent – Buy

At the low price of 20 dollars, this game is a steal. Great all around racing game, and if you like destroying stuff and having fun, this game is for you. 

Final Score – 9/10

Comment

World of Warcraft (WoW)

Filed Under: Gaming by fruitsalad — Leave a comment
July 13, 2010

Hey guys.

Anyways, today I’m going to be reviewing World of Warcraft, mostly known as the most popular MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game).

World of Warcraft revolutionized the MMO community. As much as there is PROBABLY better MMO’s out there, this is the one that mostly started it. Pretty much every MMO that has came out not too long ago is trying to copy WoW (except for Warhammer), or at least trying to base off the same concept of it.

In World of Warcraft, you make your account and what not and some other random crap.

Then, you get to choose your race and your class. After doing that, you start in the starting area of the race you chose. As whatever class you are playing, you get a certain number of unique abilites. At level 10, you get to start choosing things called talents. They enhance your abilites that you already have and possibly may give you some new ones.

I’m getting a little ahead of myself here..

You get a few minutes or so to look around, and do whatever you want. Then, you should probably start your first quest. Quests are indicated by a exclamtion point above a certain NPC (Non-Player Character)’s head. You get a task to do, then you must finish it, and go back to the person who gave it to you. When you talk to them again, you notice that there is now a orange question mark over his head. Talk to him, go to the quest again, and choose your rewards.

Basically, thats what happens. You kill monsters, do quests, and fight to get the best gear. Does it sound boring? Yes. Is it incredibly fun and addicting? Ohh yea.

Once you hit around level 15-20, you can do a instance. These instances are places that may or may not have quests associated with them. Most of the time, they involve bringing 5 people through a shimmering portal, that brings you inside the instance. Then, you fight for loot, experience, and getting quests done.

The monsters inside of here, are known as Elites. They are unique creatures that are MUCH harder then the regular creatures. That is why you need 5 people to do instances. After so many creatures, you come across a Boss creature. These are even stronger versions of the Elites you have been fighting. Some of these take extreme thought and time to master, or even defeat.

As you rank up in the world, you hit level 60. Thats the level cap for the first game. Of course..thats not all of it.

2 other expansions are released already. Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King both increased the level cap by 10, and added in a pleathora of new quests, items. and other things.

One expansion, titled “Cataclysm”, has been announced. This expansion brings the level cap to 85, and just might be the only expansion that improves on content already there. It is said that Azeroth, the main contienent, will be torn apart, and many other important things will happen. Since the full details have not been released yet, I don’t know what to think.

That was Gameplay alone.

Graphics: Eh…

The graphics in World of Warcraft, when set at the highest setting..pretty much aren’t all that great. Admittingly, it can’t stand up to other games, such as Crysis, and even Dawn of War.

Sound: The sounds and music of this game really fit in perfectly. They blend in with the enviorment that you are in, and generally, in my opinion, enhance gameplay.

Replayability: Its a MMO. Nuff said.

Worth the buy?: FIRST….try the 10 day trial. Some people, seriously, will not like this game. I can name a few of my friends that don’t like this game, even after so much trying to get them play.

Gameplay: 9/10

Graphics: 5/10

Sounds: 9/10

Replayability: 10/10

Final Score: 8/10

Comment

Xbox 360

Filed Under: Gaming by fruitsalad — Leave a comment
July 13, 2010

Rawr.

Hey all, this time around in my blog, I shall be reviewing the Xbox 360.

I had first gotten the Xbox 360 when I got Halo 3. I was hoping to get it for PC instead of Xbox, because I play on my computer more, but its a Xbox exclusive.

So I got a Xbox.

Best investment ever.

Game Selection: This has the largest and best game selection (other then PC) of any gaming kind of thing I know. Some of the Xbox exclusive games really SHOULDN’T be exclusive, but hey, if you have a Xbox, its wellworth it. 10/10.

Graphics: Only rivaled by the PS3. PS3 does have the best graphics. Xbox still has some great graphics, especially in HD, or even just plain standard. 8/10.

Controller:For a first time, this seems really odd. I mean, even LOOKING at thecontroller just makes you say “What?” Its much different then say, PS2 or something. As you get used to it though, you realize how awesome it is. Perfect for FPS and racing games. As it takes a little to get used to though, I’m giving it a 7/10.

Multiplayer:The ONE thing that I hate most about the 360. The fact that if you don’t have Xbox Live, there’s almost little to no point of getting a Xbox. Luckily, I have it.

Playing altogether online or offline though is amazing. 8/10, because of Live.

Overall, the Xbox is a great investment, and is well worth the money needed to get it.

Total Average Score=9/10

Comment

Hey!

Filed Under: News by fruitsalad — Leave a comment
July 13, 2010

This is Maeglbagel, also known as It’s Fruit Salad!, starting posts on the wonderful site savingthrow.org. I shall be posting all of my other blogs on my old site on here (again) to be seen by further people.

Comment

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Filed Under: Gaming by fruitsalad — Leave a comment
July 12, 2010

Salad here.

Got a new one for the looking at of the blog. That’s right. The recently popular Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Basically, this game is anything like the other Call of Duty games, war, shoosting, so on. I really like how they improved from Call of Duty 4, with new playlists, LOTS of new guns, machine pistols, more rockets (), so on.

Anyways, on to the actual review…

Gameplay: 7.5/10

The gameplay is unexpected. They inheritied the gameplay from Call of Duty 4, added new maps, new guns, new armies, and made it even better, for the most part. Because of the “better part, there is now tons of glitches that the developers refuse to fix, and the multiplayer is almost completely ruined therefore. However, for all you gun fanatics,  there is almost 20 new guns that have been added into the game, whether it be the Raffica, FAMAS, or the F2000.

Single-player wise, this definately took a major step above the last games. The new co-op game mode, Special Ops, gives you certain cut parts from the campaign in the main game, and even 2 levels from Call of Duty 4. There are also 2 missions that REQUIRE 2 people to play, which involve one person shooting from a heli/AC130. The actual campaign offers a completely new storyline. Soap MacTavish from the last game takes a lead role in the game, as he is now one of the commanders. He didn’t die in Call of Duty 4, contrary to popular belief. You now play as, once again, 2 different characters. However, one of the characters is different than the other for a huge reason. If you play the game, you’ll see this.

Multiplayer-wise, it was good for a while. Then it got to the point where I was just trying to get the new guns, and killing people and getting killed so much wasn’t the way it used to be. Along with the thousands of glitches that I previously mentioned in the Xbox version, this game now offers map packs for 15 dollars a piece! Yay! So far, there has been 3 maps in each map pack, which aren’t HORRIBLE, I guess, along with 2 recycled CoD4 maps. Now, if I wanted to play CoD4 maps, I would go play CoD4, not Modern Warfare 2. So Infinity Ward is trying to tell me that I have to shell out an extra 5 bucks for maps I already have? I say go screw yourself. Maybe if they worked the DLC system a little better I might still be playing, but that and the fact that the multiplayer just started to completely suck, I have no reason to.

That is exactly why I gave the gameplay a 7.5. They screwed up the multiplayer, and they can’t do anything about it.

Sound – 9/10

Well, at least they did something good here. It does for the most part sound realistic, and the reason that this isn’t a 10 is because of the annoying voice actors. “GO DO THIS, RAMIREZ!” “DEFUSE THAT BOMB, JOHNSON!” or some other witty comment from the commander. THAT gets annoying.

Other than that, the guns sound somewhat realistic, the explosions sound realistic, and the voices don’t get to me that much. They did a nice job on this.

Graphics – 8/10

They could have done better.

Well, lets see, its on the Xbox, and its 2009. In my previous review I noted the graphics of Burnout Paradise. That came out in 2006, and that has much better graphics then this. Ok, the buildings look realistic, in some way. But the explosions on the other hand just look like big fireballs. What about the ground exploding, what about the explosion bringing up a ton of dust? Come on, IW. Think harder.

They tried, at least. I give a 8 for effort.

Replayability – 8/10

After you beat the single player, as much as it is a lot of fun, there’s really no point to going back to it. Same with completely beating Spec Ops. Multiplayer is the only replayability, and I got pissed off enough after being shot to death over 9000 times. The times I had playing multiplayer were fun until the hackers and the glitchers and the everything that sucks about the internet world came to kill off the multiplayer as we know it.

Rent or Buy? – Rent

The only reason I see to buy this game is if you are going to spend 16 hours a day playing the multiplayer. If not, rent it and finish the single player and bring it back. Thats the only good part of this game, and in the rest of my review I’ve shown that.

Final Score – 7.5/10

Infinity Ward, you let me down. Why couldn’t you make a game more like CoD4 and not screw up everything in the process? If only you did, I might be still playing your game.

Comment
Powered by WordPress | Theme: Motion by 85ideas.