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Bioshock (Xbox 360)
by Shellshocker
Although it has been released back in 2007 in the early years of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 generation, and I've had it in my collection in about 2010, I've still failed to get the motivation to play the game, although I've been told numerous times that it is one of the best games around and it's been recently put up for debate as ... being the best game in the current generation of consoles, which made me think that this game must indeed be something special to have millions of video game players agree on this single game as being the best out of the many that come to mind as being my personal favourites, so I blew the dust of the game case and placed it in the console with quite high expectations, which in past experiences has never been good, as I expect too much and never feel fulfilled to the level of my expectation.
---Story (Minor Spoilers Included)---
The game starts with an introductory cut scene in which you first meet the protagonist of the game, a passenger in a commercial aircraft in the year 1959, looking at a picture of his assumed family and smoking, when suddenly the trip takes a turn for the worst and the crash lands into the sea (I assume it's the Atlantic Ocean), and looking like the only survivor the protagonist swims towards what you later find out is the entrance to Rapture. Upon using the supplied submarine to drop down to far below the sea level, you are welcomed by a character called Atlas whom you communicate only through radio and discover this amazing underwater city, created by Andrew Ryan to be a place where each person is free and there is no government intervention, "a person can be what they want", but as you arrive there is far from a utopian society as you witness a "Splicer", a deranged citizen of Rapture rip apart another "Splicer".
You are then lead through an "as you experience" tutorial through the game where you discover that the whole place is depended on "ADAM" which is a substance which "Little Sisters", essentially possessed little girls who harvest "ADAM" from dead Splicers, and are protected by "Big Daddy's" who are guys in the 1950's Scuba diving equipment, also possessed to protect the Little Sisters as they collect ADAM. (In Bioshock 2, you find out that the Big Daddys are workmen who built Rapture and repaired it before it all went into chaos).
As the Protagonist you follow directions from Atlas to help him find his family battling Splicers and discovering more about Rapture as you progress in the Story as well as history of different people and what went on in the city through recorded messages discovered around the city.
---Gameplay---
The game is set from the aspect of a first person shooter, with a difference. You go around killing Splicers whom are out to get you at every corner, following direction from different characters via radio to complete goals in Rapture. This can vary from finding an item to taking pictures of the Splicers for "Research", either way I found it quite entertaining and gripping, although the concept of the game seems quite simple, it is challenging enough to require some effort, but at the same time you'll be gripped to continue playing it (few games have this effect on me).
When I mentioned it was an FPS with a difference, it was due to the fact that although you discover basic firearms throughout the progression of the game, such as a Revolver, a Shotgun, a Machine Gun as maybe one more, you are also collecting Plasmids, which you use with your left arm, these are essentially "Special Powers", which are developed by altering your Genetic Code with an Injection, allowing you to shot Electricity, Fire, cause Tornados and many more, providing you've collected enough Eve to use these powers, in essence the ammo for the Plasmids.
Essentially the Plasmids are related to the RPG system character development, the more you progress the more options are open to you, but in order to stand a chance against the newer enemy you come across, you need to advance the character, this either being through upgraded Plasmids or by finding the "Power to the People" stations and upgrading your weapon, doing all this will allow you to blow through the Splicers much easier, but as you progress the Splicers will come in greater numbers and pose a bigger challenge.
One of my favourite things about Bioshock is the "respawn" method, unlike other games were you come back to a checkpoint, Bioshock will drop you off in a Vita-Chambers scattered in numerous locations around the game rather than starting from a checkpoint or from a Save, this makes the game a little less stressful.
Among finding Plasmids and upgrading your weapons, you'll find numerous other stations such as the U-Invent allowing you to create ammo and other items from junk you find from scavenging around, as well as vending machine shops and ammo vending machines to spend your money in for health packs and Eve among other things.
Research is unlocked a bit into the game when you acquire the camera, this is used to take pictures of the different splicers and gain a researched advantage, basically the more picture you take the more damage you inflict and you'll get awarded different Plasmids.
As the Story progresses the more Plasmids you collect and the more challenging the enemies become, although if you check every corner, box, enemy or whatever else you might come across you will find money and items which help you and make the game fun as you're not constantly being over powered by Splicers.
The most interesting element of the game which is linked to the overall story of Rapture and what has caused the mayhem, is the Little Sisters who are possessed little girls how collect ADAM and Big Daddys who are as I mentioned possessed Workmen in Scuba Diving suits. To get Plasmids and develop in the game you must either Rescue or Harvest the little sisters, harvesting gives you more ADAM, but kills the Little Sister and Rescuing gives you fewer ADAM but takes the possession away (Note, your choice may matter). Admittedly when I first played it, I thought it was a bit "strange" to essentially have a goal of finding little evil girls who syringe out ADAM from dead bodies and they have a large guy protecting them whom you have to kill in order to drain the ADAM out of this little girl either killing her or freeing her from her evil way. But I promise it's really interesting and griping with lot of twists and turns and it's a game which encourages you to investigate. I had not once just done a goal straightforward, I divert and investigate everything I can find to make sure I've got lots of ammo and health at all times, due to this, what may be a medium length story, turns into a long and fulfilling game.
---Achievements/Trophies---
Only having played this on the Xbox360, I can't comment on the Trophies included in this game but 9/10 it's usually the same.
Being quite old makes this game perfect for most achievement hunters like myself, since it has no online features, it has no online based achievements and this makes it perfect for 100% completion as it is very doable and quite easy with only potentially requiring 1 play through to get the full 1000g.
This game will give you around 700g for just completing it on Easy/Medium, further achievements can be gathered through completing the game on Hard (which isn't all that challenging) and completing a number of collectables in the game, which with the help of a guide will probably get a few extra hours out of the game, as well as some "as you play" achievements.
I quite liked Bioshock's achievements as they are realistic to get and just require some dedication and time.
---Replay Value---
The game has got 2 endings depending what you do with the Little Sisters, having seen one ending I was compelled to find out what happened in the other ending and this gave me and excuse playing the game again and picking up the other achievements throughout the game, mainly the collectables. Having completed it twice, I am still not ready to part with Bioshock for some odd attachment has formed, maybe it's another GTA 4 in my eyes and I can come back after a few months or realistically a year and replay it.
---18 Rating---
The best part of Bioshock except the captivating storyline and the unique aspects the game has taken which vary it from anything else available, is exploring Rapture. But due to the mayhem in which you are thrown with Splicers fighting over every bit of ADAM they can find, you come into a very dark world where everyone is killing each other and you aren't anybody special. This means you'll be seeing a lot of gruesome things on your journey varying from dead bodies decapitated on the ground to entering a room with a person hanging from the ceiling, but eventually it becomes second nature.
Either way, it's not a game I'd recommend to the light hearted and easily disturbed and especially younger children.
---Overall---
As I've mentioned many times throughout this write up, I love this game, the story, the way it's presented and the fact that there isn't anything like this. Although it's set as a first person shooter with special powers, of which there are many about, Bioshock has that special flare which distinguishes it from any competition. It is a game which you simply want to keep on playing as the action and development is constant and there isn't many if any moments in which I was bored.
It does take some time for the game to reveal its true fun self at the beginning as it can seem a bit dull, however you must stick with it and soon you'll become as enthusiastic as me about it.
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Jumper: Griffin's Story (Xbox 360)
by Seven17
So on a recent gamerscore binge I bought this, and I was warned by fellow score junkies that the game is so bad, you wont actually want to play it to the full 1000G. Now I played Avatar, King Kong and other rubbish games to 1000G, but this was just unbearable. Dare I say it, unplayable.
I'll start with the bad points (since ... there is only one good point). The camera is glitchy and often gets stuck in walls and various other objects meaning a fight is going on somewhere off screen that you're meant to be controlling and you can't see it, or even play the game in order to actually get anything done. The camera often wanders off or simply swings about on its axis uncontrollably between two points on the map where the camera should change angle.
The graphics are shockingly terrible. The people have weird deformed faces, objects are low resolution and the attention to detail is simply nonexistent. I absolutely hated the brightly coloured low resolution textures and the weapons, and even the collectables which look like blobs of mush.
I really don't understand the fighting in this game. One button does one thing one minute and the next it does something else. There are hundred of combinations for each move and they all change within seconds. Plus you're always jumping about across the maps so if you press B to attack with your stick, you fly about 20 feet to the other end of the room, for no obvious reason. Then you get killed, and have to start all over again. Its more luck based than skill based.
The script is terrible, the voice acting is very obvious, half arsed and repetitive. The grunting noises Griffin makes are the same three ones, every single time he hits someone. The footsteps on gravel sound like he's walking on tarmac and don't get me started on the SFX from weapons. Hit someone with a stick and it sounds like an earthquake. Where's the logic in that?!
You will need to play this game twice (as if once wasn't bad enough) to unlock the XP achievement and fully complete the game. Maybe even a third time if you miss collectables or finish a couple hundred XP down.
The only good thing about this game is the easy 1000G, you could probably finish this game in a few days with a bit of luck and if you follow a collectables guide. If you pick up any collectables though, you should write down where and when, because finding collectables that aren't there, is no fun at all.
Overall then, a disgrace. I can't believe games can be made this bad, and seriously who tested this game? Were they blind, bribed, stupid or was there no one to test it at all?
For gods sake do yourself a favour and avoid this game. I know it's an easy 1000G but you won't want to play it after five minutes. Even I, the most dedicated person could not bring myself to unlock all the achievements.
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Alan Wake (Xbox 360)
by Bullydc1
Alan Wake is a thoroughly atmospheric and nightmarish role planning game, likely to suck you into what is a very good storyline and leave you biting off all of your nails.
First off it is a cross between a horror and a thriller film, it is very cinematic, including allot of cutscenes that get you pulled into the storyline ... and make you want to know every little facet of the plot.
You play the character of Alan Wake , a previously successful writer of horrors and thriller novels, much like Stephen King, and now he is having a creative block. His wife suggests they visit a tranquil new England town in the hope of relaxing in order to be able to start writing again. The storyline is split into 5 episodes , with episode one setting the pace (as it is esentially a nightmare- but is it a prequel of things to come ?) As the episodes plod through the story becomes more and more complex and there are many questions to which answers need to be found. In this way it is also like some american drama series. The story revolves around
Alans waking nughtmare, his yet unwritten, but subconciously known novel and lots and lots of running - the game essentially has you wondering whether it is all a nightmare, or is it all real, or are you actually playing through Alans book in his mind whilst he is awake and typing it ?
This game is a good one for film fans and those who like 'lost in the woods' stories. I like it because unlike other role playing games you dont have to keep talking to hundrds of characters about inane things, there is a little of this but not much. Mostly you are running, jumping, moving through forests, alpine lodges, loggin sites etc and solving physical problems to get from point A and point B. All the time you are pursued by the 'darkness' a sort of black tornado and the 'taken' - members of the logging community wielding chainsaws and axes that can be repulsed but not entirely destroyed and keep coming back again and again....like any nightmare.
Along the way you meet towns folk, people looking to help you who are either obvious to the darkness or those that can also see it. These people sometimes get taken and themselves become the manifestation of the darkness. Your weapons are minimal- handguns and shotguns, the amuntion is low - you need to ration it, you main 'gun' is a flashlight or flares, used to repulse the taken and strip them of the protection the darkness gives them, you can then plug those mothers !
The town and surrrounding woods provide a massive playground and the graphics are impressive and provide an eerie backdrop that makes you see shadows in the trees.
The soundtrack is likewise suitably scary and has you in a real panic when things get hairy. You also have songs on the radio by Poets of the fall, one of my favourite bands, who in homage to their contribution made their music video for their song 'War' in the style of Alan Wake, with all the band members playing the 'Taken'-- very good.
There are only a few annoyances - the game I think is a bit too long, there are long tracts where you are running for too long, looking around in the dark, or fighting off the taken for too long. There is some inane chatter on the radios you pass, but this isnt too bad as you can continue to play the game anyway. My main critisism is that as the game is developed a bit less then perfect, the graphics are slightly rudimentary compared to more modern games and sometimes the programming has 'holes' in it...that is you could be trapped between a rock and a crane and then get swipped off a mountain side too easily without being able to jump up off it or save yourself, and when you fall you fall standing up in the previous position, you dont actaully fall....it just reeks of rush.
Other than that, this game would be a great passtime for those interested in playing something plot based, not focused on guns blazing every second and where you dont mind getting the bejesus scared out of you every now and then.
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