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Fatal Frame 2 / Project Zero 2 - Crimson Butterfly (Xbox)
by AverageJoseph Project Zero 2: Crimson Butterfly: Directors Cut (Origins) A couple of years after playing the first of Tecmo's Fatal Frame series, I wandered into my local game store and found this grinning at me on the shelf. I had got fairly far into the first game, but seeing as I was still getting used to the original Xbox console, I was far ... busier playing the likes of Halo with friends and KOTOR alone.. Plus I was probably stuck on one of the games tough enemies or trivial minigames.. Anyway, this time around, 2 restored my interest enough to pay more attention and get an eyeful of one of the scariest games on the system. When gamers think of titles in the horror genre (for xbox & ps2), the top results are usually Resident Evil & Silent Hill. Although, unlike both of those games, there is significantly less physical gore. PZ2 plays on the nerves, making you question your eyesight, hearing and bravery as you attempt to tackle a fantastically creepy story. The first game's plot revolved around a young woman searching for her brother who had set out to explore an old mansion, encountering ghosts and monstrosities along the way. 2 sticks with the lost sibling idea, however this time, is far more menacing. "Didn't we always promise each other... that we would always be together forever" (Plot) The very first introductory video stars two young twin girls, Mio & Mayu taking a break in a secluded forest near a pleasant little stream. The pair reminisce about their location, (soon to be destroyed by the building of a dam) revealing that Mayu had an accident that left her leg weak due to the negligence of Mio. Suddenly, in the middle of a question, Mayu strolls off... drawn out deeper into the forest by a crimson butterfly... well actually is more lava orangey than crimson... Anyway Mio easily catches up to her limping sister, seeing troubling images as she approches ever closer. Together again, day turns to night and a black and white filter engulfs the screen. Now lost, the two girls edge their way towards a once lost village, blanketed in endless night. Things grow increasingly worrying as both girls witness spirits wandering around and find mysterious documents lying about one of the houses... along with the fabled 'Camera Obscura' - a device used to see and capture spirits on a different plane. Just in time too, as unsettling noises arise from the next room! After combatting and escaping several ghosts, Mio & Mayu find several diaries, newspaper clippings and tomes all divulging on one thing - 'The Crimson Sacrifice' Ritual. This is where the game gets seriously grim. Every so often, this ritual must be performed in the village to 'appease the Hellish Abyss'. To do so, twins must partake in a cruel ceremony, to keep the location safe from this 'Abyss' - by having one twin kill the other. The last attempt was a failure, as one twin simply ran away, abandoning her sister, who would suffer the same fate regardless. It appears that the previous sacrifice was insufficient and so the ghosts of the past, including Sae, the sacrificed twin, spilled out into the village and went on a murderous rampage. With Mayu showing signs of possession, you (Mio) must follow her exploits whilst attempting an escape. Cameras, Herbal Medicine, Spirit Orbs & Miniskirts (Gameplay) One thing that the PZ series has made trademark is the idea of having the main protagonists as young, naive girls. So instead of traversing the horror as a bulky bloke with a machine gun or 2x4, you float about like a little powder puff, raising your arms as you daintily jog away from moaning bloodthirsty demons. This lack of self preservation and pace makes every escape a close call, every fight even more one-sided. The games viewpoint is normally stable, with a clear shot of an area which you can navigate in 3rd person. This is one of the many reasons why playing can be a nail-biting affair because you often turn corners blind, unknowing to what lurks beyond. Thanks to this view style, the surrounds are of far greater detail as they aren't really intractable (so they have been illustrated, painted and look far better than anything computer generated - in 2003). To battle the ghosts, the game switches to first person mode as you ogle your opponents through the camera lens. Again, with this switch of view comes more suspense as now, ghosts can circle around behind you, pop in and out of walls and doorways, grabbing you by the ghoullies. To damage the spirits, you simply take photos - the better the photo, the more damage dealt, along with stronger film, spirit power and lenses. The majority of the game is endlessly searching dark rooms and creaking buildings for, Mayu, Safety and Answers. There is a bit of reading to do - albeit interesting & insightful, puzzles which require patience and more hunting down items - and of course ghost fights getting tougher with each reel. You can come across a couple of different items such as medicine for healing and new equipment (camera abilities to slow, stun and knock back spirits), but the majority of useful goods are orbs to power up the camera, which are essential to spend points gained from photos - which by the way are viewable in an album, which is nice.. or a traumatic memory. Lightning Bolts & A Bloody Kimono (Ghosts & Environments) Like the characters, ghosts and story, the locations are equally frightening. You're neither safe in or outdoors as there are likely to be creatures waiting for both. Outside there are chilling ideas used in many stories such as a well, which is heavily strapped down and closed, a misty graveyard, fogged bridges and underground passages. Indoors you've got dimly lit rooms adorned with traditional Japanese luxuries and clothing plus the odd blood spatter. Lightning often cracks into life when you pass by windows, lighting up rooms and its contents. The sounds are yet another positive (besides the voice acting which is rather generic) not always having a clear melody in the background, its usually whirling wind and cool air, but when things get serious you'll hear a heartbeat and the cries of anguish from the trapped souls. The silence makes it far more tense as you're expecting things to leap out and get you for long periods and as you settle down, contorted ghosts head your way and get the heart racing again. There are 25 different attacking ghosts you can come across, but unfortunately several look similar and are a bit uninspiring. Consequently, it is the ghosts who look most human that are the scariest, often with disfiguring scars and broken limbs - not that they are distracting them from tearing you apart. The ghosts 'Yae' & 'Sunken Woman' are some real terrors, one a little girl covered in blood, cackling away atop grotesque strewn corpses, the other bubbles up and floats innocently on the surface of a lake you must cross, inevitably getting closer and revealing her lifeless face upon attack. The Lingering Scent (End) This Xbox version features 4 endings, which is one more compared to the PS2 version, although not one I particularly care for. The 4 conclusions all vary in mood and offer real choices that people would consider. These endings can make for better longevity, but I think for most, 1 play through is enough as others must be done on harder difficulties, and its stressful enough on normal as save points are scarce. Its definitely a fright fest, but if you have no time for the spiritual side of horror than you could breeze through the game only picking up a couple of scares from the jumpy moments. Get engrossed in the story though and the game works its magic. If you had to kill your twin whilst being eyeballed by a village of evil ghosts, would you? or would you do what I'd do, LEG IT! Read the complete review |
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Dynasty Warriors 3 (Xbox)
by AverageJoseph Justice Will Prevail (Origins) Sequel to the 2000's Dynasty Warriors 2 (1 and the 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms'), the third installment offers much more than endless hack and slash gameplay. DW3 may have lifted move-sets, levels and the odd song from its counterpart, but it also included several improvements and additions to make ... it a far superior game, including more playable characters, music, levels, items, weapons, moves, FMV's and the possibility of Co-op. As before, anyone can pick up this game and get the gist of it within minutes, essentially mastering the controls and being drawn into massive historical (and fictional) battles. The intention of the player should be to finish a specific characters storyline (taking part in battles that said character may have participated in real life), finding better weapons and items along the way, whilst improving your warrior's stats and unlocking related generals for future 'Musou Mode' play. There are also 'Unique' weapons to be found by enduring levels on hard difficulty and meeting specific requirements - this is where the co-operative mode comes in VERY handy... "In peace you are an able subject, in chaos you are a crafty hero." (Characters) 32 Generals, each with their own set of related levels, 9 additional 'Free Mode' warriors (which have story modes in the 'Xtreme' expansion) who are outside of the main 3 kingdoms, making a total of 41 playable characters. Though the depth in story is lacking, each character does have different locations and tasks to complete on the battleground, some with protection roles or search and destroy missions. Everyone has alternate costumes (by pressing X) which aren't too special but they are helpful should you encounter generals of similar stature. They all have original initial stats for Life, Musou, Attack & Defence which make for differing play through's as some are quick with low defence whilst others are like tanks. It's in their weapons that the warriors excel though as they unlock new creative moves (6) that enhance and freshen gameplay by adding more moves and building stats for your player. The majority centre around the three kingdoms who were historically at each others throats in ancient China. The Romance of the Three (Kingdoms) 'Wei' are the overwhelming army led by the hero of chaos, Cao Cao and his loyal cousins Xiahou Dun & Yuan. In-game they are pictured as the ruthless baddies who rule the land with an iron fist, pretty much being the exact opposite of... 'Shu' are led by Liu Bei, a bumbling pure soul who claims to stand for the people. Their participation in battles usually include retreating, worm like tactics, over relying on their generals (Guan Yu & Zhang Fei) and collaborating with bigger forces such as... 'Wu' feature the most unlockable and diverse characters in the game. Historically, they were a match for Wei, however in the game it seems they are more of a band of scallywags, relying on fire attacks, piracy and luck. They also have 4 characters under the Sun name, so they tend to keep it in the family. Personally, I don't agree with the way the creators have cast their opinions on the factions, as they overpower the underdogs and downplay the ability of true legends. So its pretty clear that I prefer the kingdom of Wei as they have quality characters, a strong leader and in the end, historically, they are the last ones standing. WEI Cao Cao, Dian Wei, Sima Yi, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Huang, Xu Zhu, Zhang He, Zhang Liao & Zhen Ji. SHU Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, Jiang Wei, Ma Chao, Pang Tong, Wei Yan, Zhao Yun & Zhuge Liang. WU Sun Jian, Sun Ce, Sun Quan, Sun Shang Xiang, Da Qiao, Xiao Qiao, Zhou Yu, Gan Ning, Huang Gai, Lu Xun, Lu Meng & Taishi Ci. OTHERS Diao Chan, Dong Zhuo, Fu Xi, Lu Bu, Meng Huo, Nu Wa, Yuan Shao, Zhang Jiao & Zhu Rong. Try listening to "I have defeated an enemy officer" 1000 times... (Gameplay) With its easy controls and goals, DW3 defines the term 'Pick up & Play'. Use 'X' to swing your weapons, 'Y' to power up a special attack, 'B' to charge your musou metre and 'A' to... jump! 'R' trigger aims your bow and arrow (which are limited and go into 1st person view) 'L' is to block and black and white buttons alter the minimap and turn on/off enemy health bars. First off, you set up your character in preparation, choosing your best weapon (out of 4) equipping items (maximum of 5) and selecting your very own body guards including various troops and weapons - in either attack of defence stance. When the battle gets under way you generally leg it towards the nearest enemy general and take them down (killing them with a combo of 8 or higher tends to result in improved Attack & Defence drops, as well as item stats). It's this basic style of play that makes the game too easy - unless you put it on hard which predictably makes enemies tougher, but also makes gamers think twice before jousting through hordes of troops and archers before meeting a menacing general in battle. Instead, you can choose to take out 'gates' and their captains, effectively blocking the routes which endless troops pour out of. What makes the game great though is its inclusion of co-op - 2 players only, you can help each other out when situations get dire and even combine musou attacks for epic, over the top action. It generally improves the game if you aren't prone to playing single player. One major problem though is the games famous 'fogging' - this really effects gameplay in a bad way.. By having numerous enemy troops on screen, the game struggles to 'visualize' them all at once and so, some become invisible, making them impossible to see, hit and 'juggle' if you're trying to improve the drop. As you can imagine, it makes life hell in hard mode since you can't block from behind. Ride horses and elephants, shoot arrows, hit, slice and stab people with weapons, dodge boulders and navigate mazes. 184-234AD (Levels & Modes) There are a total of 20 levels which can be played by 1, 2 or even a third force involved so you can experience both sides of the coin. The layouts of the maps are just one of the many reasons why I prefer this game to any other in the franchise - they are memorable - with defining moments and climactic events, whereas newer releases are faceless hallways. You encounter flooded castles, farming fields, grassy hills, snowy mountainous regions, central bridges, stone mazes, midnight plains and even pirate ships! Outside of the standard Musou and Free modes, is the Vs mode for rather dreary 2 player fights and Challenge mode which allows for setting records of speed, survival, and number of 'K.Os' (interjection: this has bothered me from DW2 to DW7, as 'KO' stands for knock out, something thats not really attainable when striking someone with a gigantic blade or stabbing someone in the face with a spear). In the options you can set difficulty, controls, BGM's and even create your own original video with the games cast.. for a laugh I suppose. The Database is handy too as it features some historical information about warriors and lists all your items and weapons. "Feeyaal duh powwa ov myyee.... MAAA-GAAAIIIRK!" (Music & Voice Acting) I'll be the first to praise the soundtrack and first to poke fun of the hilariously appalling voice acting. If you want an example of some of the guitar solo face melting music that accompanies legendary battles, then check out either 'Lu Bu's Theme' or 'Arena'. However, you're more likely to come across more forums and videos documenting the poor dialogue. If anything, the voices make the game rather comical and cult like.. The music though i hugely original and well matched to some of the fights as they often switch in between battles to suit the morale and momentum. Even with the games glaring faults, idiotic dialogue and dated graphics, it easily stands tall among most of Koei's other releases. I reccomend this to anyone who has experience of the series or preference for the original Xbox era, as it is far better than any of the recycled versions on newer generation consoles... aka 6 and 7.. Read the complete review |
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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Xbox)
by radis9 GTA San Andreas - A brief guide. In short - Cars, Guns, Faster Cars, Rocket Launchers. This game is brilliant! I love the easy going story line. It isn't demanding nor brain washing. It's simple and easy to follow. It gives reason for the characters actions in the missions to come. Some are easy and ... fun going; others are challenging. GTA SA has plentiful side mission, though oo many to list on here. There is the typical find and collect all 100 items, like in vice city. Only in this instance its Oyster shells and Horse Shoes. These are scattered around the map for you to stumble across. Collecting them unlocks rewards like weapons or jet pack spawn points. The driving school is great fun too! There are several challenges upon where your driving skills are tested. Drive accurately through cones, on two wheels or hand brake it into a parking space. Some of these are incredibly difficult to achieve the gold medal. But like the Oyster shells/ Horse shoes. Collecting all gold gains you reward. These are in the form of concept cars. In the harbour side, there's a 'car boosting board' with a list of wanted cars to ship. Find these cars, load them onto the boat and reap the cash. GTA offers a wide range of weapons, all of which are available from certain shops or found during missions. You casually smile as you Waltz around with a RPG in hand. The police just walk on by. But if you punch someone...all hell breaks lose. These wacky rules make the GTA SA that much better. A none serious game with serious hours to be played. The map size is huge! To drive from one side to the other, I would hazard a guess to take up to 15 minutes by Sports Bike. The landscape changes throughout the map from Forrest, mountains, urban town areas, big cities, and open desert. GTA is famous for its title, now better known as a brand (GTA) which is an acronym sometimes forgotten (due to many mission not actually involving cars other than to reach mission starting points) that GTA stands for Grand Theft Auto. Talking of which, leads us on to cars in the game. Drive'em, steal'em, crash'em, jump'em, roll'em, drift'em, shoot'em, shoot out of'em, sink'em, tune'em, race'em, sell'em ....or just park them.... if that suits? Driving characteristics in GTA are superb. Many games go from one extreme to the other I.e. too Arcady with basic steering and limited throttle control. (on or off). Others go for the serious simulation where by the slightest tap of the kerb, brush of another car or splash of a puddle and the car becomes a write-off. However GTA SA has it spot on! Every car handles differently. The Coaches steer from behind the over hang of where the driver sits (as you'd expect)... the Semi's steer like ocean liners (as you'd expect)...and the garbage trucks float like ocean liners (as you'd expect- For a brief time anyway). Sporty cars can be drifted with a well timed application of the hand brake. Motorbikes can pull wheelies, and the Monster trucks ...pretttty much do all of the above. It isn't just all 'Cars' either. There are trains and planes to high jack; golf cadies, boats and awesome Military vehicles to acquire. Plotted around the map are tuning garages. With these, you can modify your car. Though it is only fair to say that the game was never designed to be a street racing game and so the modifications are basic. However, I will say the different design of fender/bumpers, body kits and wheels are quite funky and you can get some cool looking muscle cars from it. Nos and hydraulic suspension are also possible. ( take note however ) If you crash your lovely new street passion wagon to destruction. You lose it. It really is a one of a kind car in the game. There are many jumps to drive off at high speed which gain you stunt bonus points and if you jump them all you gain achievements. In the Desert you have an opportunity to own your own private runway. In the Forrest, your own truck company. Or take part in a timed crosser track. You can even enter betting shops but win or lose, that's up to you! The variants of law enforcement are similar to that of Vice City where 2 stars involve two police cars, maybe 3 on crazy afternoons, or the extreme 5 stars with the entire Military army after your cheese sandwich. GTA San Andreas has so much to offer. Even now when its 7 years old, it's an excellent game. Read the complete review |
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Genre: Driving & Racing / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / Release Date: 2003-11-28 / Published by Sierra |
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Genre: Driving & Racing / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / Release Date: 2004-05-21 / Published by Microsoft |
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Genre: Action & Shooter / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / Release Date: 2004-11-19 / Published by Electronic Arts |
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Genre: Action & Shooter / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / Release Date: 2003-08-29 / Published by Eidos |
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Genre: Fighting / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / Release Date: 2005-10-14 / Published by Activision |
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Genre: Simulation - Life / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / To Be Announced / Release Date: 2005-11-04 / Published by Electronic Arts |
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Genre: Arcade & Platform / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / Release Date: 2004-07-09 / Published by Activision |
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Genre: Action & Shooter / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / Release Date: 2004-10-01 / Published by Activision |
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Genre: Action & Shooter / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / Release Date: 2005-02-04 / Published by Microsoft |
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Genre: Action & Shooter / Xbox Game / Video Game for Xbox / Xbox 360 / Release Date: 2005-12-02 / Published by Microsoft |
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