What I played of Mass Effect 1, I enjoyed. But something about it did not grab me like other cames can. It was a little too slow, clinical and old-fashioned, even though the concept was an intriguing one. You see, the Mass Effect games are basically Star Trek in all but name. You take control of the captain of a starship (replace Kirk for Sheppard, and the Enterprise for the Normandy) and travel the galaxy completing missions, hiring new crew members, and over the course of the game building up your abilities and upgrading weapons, whilst following a deep and complex narrative.
This was one of the big games I had heard a great deal about when first buying my PS3. Yet only this Christmas have I finally gotten around to playing it. With Killzone 3 on the horizon, this was something that I had to check out, and I’m so glad I did!
On the surface this looks like any other gung-ho marines verses an evil race first person shooter, and to be honest, it is, but the production values here are off the chart, with highly detailed environments and some of the best character animation I have yet seen. Killing the Halghast, the Nazi-like opposing force is a joy as they look and sound so alive and add much to the already satisfying gunplay. Weapons on offer range from your average machine guns, rocket launchers etc, to grenade launchers, electricity guns and (most satisfying) flame throwers. The game spans about 8-10 hours of gameplay depending on difficulty setting and ability, and I’ve barely been off it. The large battles on war-torn beaches or claustrophobic corridor gun fights hark back to the finest moments from Call Of Duty and Medal Of Honor series, and although for my taste the game felt a tad short, the variety, from driving tanks to commandering exoskeletons makes this a game that just keeps on giving.
I haven’t really touched the multiplayer, which I imagine is fairly polished, but as a single player game this is impressive and gorgeous, a sure-fire show off title for the PS3 (although whether the XBOX 360 could do this or not is open to debate) and definitely one for the collection.
I love the horror genre, and videogames are no exception, with some prime examples over the years from Konami’s brilliant Silent Hill series (especially the unnerving, brilliantly paced SH #2), the much acclaimed Resident Evil franchise, and now this from Electronic Arts, a publisher I have come to despise due to their endless revenue and their buying up of talented development houses only to rip them apart until little of the initial talent remains. Oh and their yearly sports updates and mainstream marketing leave a bad taste in my mouth. Yet word has it that this publisher has begun to turn its game around with some promising titles on the horizon (including the fantastic looking Mirror’s Edge) and so we come to this, EA’s toe-in-the-water attempt at a survival horror.
I liked the look of this, claustrophobic corridors, inventive weaponry, eerie atmosphere and ‘things’ to kill on a haunted space ship. Harks back to the forgotten classic horror movie Event Horizon (which is brilliant – don’t let anyone tell you different), as you play some Marine who thankfully is not bald or muscular, but kinda looks a bit f***** up with a bizarre suit and helmet. This is an example of the game’s top-drawer art design with some great H.R. Geiger influenced imagery and stunning attention to detail. Yes, it was done just as well in ID’s brilliant shooter Doom 3 (which this game resembles in all but perspective), and for me, the whole place is a joy to explore. Add to this some inventive creature design (they kinda look like mutated survivors of the space ship, at first guess at least), and some intense confrontations and jump moments – I’m already completely sucked in.
I will report back soon with more on my impressions as I play through the game. So far so brilliant.
Mensen maken de samenleving en nemen daarin een positie in. Deze website geeft toegang tot een diversiteit aan artikelen die gaan over 'samenleven', belicht vanuit verschillende perspectieven. De artikelen hebben gemeen dat er gezocht wordt naar wat 'mensen bindt, in plaats van wat hen scheidt'.
writ·ing ˈrīdiNG/ noun 1. the activity or skill of marking coherent words on paper and composing text. 2. written work, especially with regard to its style or quality.
Craig's Movie Report 