Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Borderlands Review

3.5/5 Stars

Pros:
Cool classes with individual skills. Skill trees allow for some good customization.
Combat is some of the best FPS combat out there. It's fast, furious and intense.
Loot system is one of the best out there.
Good value for the money--lot's of gameplay.
Some good voice acting and some good individual NPC's.
Good humor.
Multiplayer is perfect for this game.
Really cool comic book aesthetic.
Good audio.
Vehicles (not the controls) are cool and add a good dynamic.
Claptraps are funny.

Cons:
Missions are basically go kill this.
Gets repetitive after a while.
Many of the boards feel pretty similar.
Beyond important NPC's, everybody is the same.
World feels very static--it doesn't feel lived in at all.
Vehicle controls are TERRIBLE!
Can't customize character beyond weapons and class.
Claptraps can get annoying (am I contradicting myself?)

Can jump freely!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Psychonauts Review

4.25 out of 5

Pros:
Wonderful, whimsical art style
Excellent sound and music
Top notch voice acting
Solid platforming
Tons of unlockables/upgrades/achievements
Good characters
More than one way to solve problems

Cons:
Might actually have had too many skills--could have cut them in half and used them more interestingly
Map felt confusing to to me for some reason

This is one of the best platformers out there. Go pick it up. It's a pity it didn't sell as well, because we are probably not going to see the sequel it set up, though I'd really love to play it. Support this game!

There is double-jumping!

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Skies Review

3 of 5 Stars

Pros:
Upgradable weapons and armor
Improved engine (sun rays look pretty spectacular)
Less bugs than the original
More emphasis on tactics
Some fun nostalgia from visiting familiar places

Cons:
Didn't feel different enough from Shadows of Chernobyl
Frustrating bugs
Need to do quests in order, so you have to reactivate ones you've completed once you've done the "first in chain" to actually complete them
Disappointing as compared to SoC.
Finding upgrades can be a real pain

Feel free to skip this one and pick up Pripyat instead unless you are a die-hard Stalker fan. It's not bad, it's just that it really doesn't feel like you are getting anything different than Shadows of Chernobyl.

There is jumping.