Games
Review by Dario.
June 16, 2009
Dungeon and Dragons Insider
About a year ago Wizards of the Coast made some bold changes to their marketing of Dungeons and Dragons to the gaming communities. It began with the release of a fourth edition of D and D that drastically changed how the game was played over the last 4 years while at the same time bringing the two magazines about their game, both Dragon magazine and Dungeon magazine back under their publication through electronic format only. Their goal, it seems was to bring everything back under one roof and give the players a comprehensive set of electronic tools to assist and enhance their game experience. Thus Dungeon and Dragons Insider was born.
So what exactly does one get with a membership to Dungeons and Dragons Insider? Well subscribers get complete access to the D&D Character builder for creating characters levels 1 - 30, subscription to the PDF Publication of both Dragon and Dungeon Magazines along with bonus tools to help Dungeon Masters prepare for the game. Subscription prices vary from monthly rates, 3 months at a time rates and yearly rates, of course yearly rates equal the best value. Although as of this writing the rates will be raised on July 2nd 2009 (please visit their website for current pricing).
I've been a subscriber for about 6 months now and had a chance to use everything offered by the site, so heres the break down. Of all the tools offered, their Character Creator Tool and Compendium tool are the highlights. Wizards of the Coast has done a great job in creating these tools and they succeed in doing exactly what they intended, The tools game information is updated promptly each month with whatever new material that may have been published either via their PDF magazines or book store publications while the Compendium tool brings all information on spells, monsters, rituals, etc together neatly in one searchable format allowing Dungeon Masters the ability to print out stats for anything in current publication for use in their games. While running a 4th edition campaign I found myself using the Compendium at least twice a week and as a Player I always used the Character Creator to either make or review my own character sheet. The Character Creator helped a lot when I was just starting as it gets all the math together for you on your powers so players just have to roll the dice and add the number printed on the sheet, no last minute additions or subtractions where needed.
Now, with all that said, I have to bring up the things I don't like about the site. First, the Encounter Builder, Monster Generator and Ability Generator tools are the weakest tools on the site. The Encounter Builder is helpful but only to an extent. I really wished when I used it that it would give me access to monster stats directly from that tool, instead after I created each encounter I had to go to the Compendium, search for the creature I may have been using, find where it was published and print the stats from their. If they could intergrade the two tools together a bit more it would be a great improvement. Next, the Monster Generator and Ability Generator are the two weakest tools on the site. I've spoken to a few Dungeon Masters who informed me that after they checked out the two tools realized they would never use them and I'm inclined to agree. So, there are two tools being paid for that will just sit on the site gathering dust in my mind.
Lastly the Magazine aspect of the subscription. I have to say that Dragon and Dungeon Magazines haven't lost any of their charm, each magazine brings interesting updates to the game and plenty of resources for both the players and the Dungeon Masters. My only gripe here and its entirely personal is reading an entire magazine online becomes a little tiresome on my old eyes and I miss the paper publication. Also, you may have noticed that the Character Viewer and Virtual Game Table information has been removed from the site. In 2008 when I originally joined it was on of their big highlights but its looking more and more like they become abandoned projects.
In closing, it wouldn't be a bad idea for a group to pitch in and buy one membership and get together to use the builder, and for Dungeon Masters, you'll find some of tools really helpful.
Review by Dario.
March 15, 2009
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Publisher: Midway
Cost: 59.99
Platform: XBOX 360
I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical about this game when I originally heard it was going to be released. I mean, come on, mixing DC Universe characters with the bloody violence of the Mortal Kombat franchise didn’t seem like a match made in heaven, that is, until I played it.
Gameplay allows a few different options, a classic arcade style play where you climb the Kombat ladder as in the classic MK games, choosing to fight either pure MK, DCU or a mix of the two, and like the original, each character has its own ending story. Or you can choose to play the story mode, playing through as the MK or DCU side. Each side gives insight to the overall story that leads to the merging of these two different universes and how it affects them all. The story revolves around how the recently defeated Darkseid and Sho Khan merge into a being known as Dark Khan and his attempt to merge the universe through the Rage Forces that run throughout them. Its this Rage that helps give the story its “Fight” mode between both heroes and villains. I really enjoyed each side of the story along with the way each character is presented in the game, getting the best of both worlds. Also, in keeping in line with the Mortal Kombat universe, the MK characters have Fatalities and the Heroes have Brutalities.
Check out their websie for more info the game here: www.worldscollide.com
Review by Dario.
January 25, 2009
Dead Space
Publisher: EA
Cost: 59.99
Platform: XBOX 360
Dead Space is a third person survival horror action game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows. Playing as an engineer named Isaac Clarke you must battle your way through a ship infested with Necromorphs, a virus that changes the dead into almost unstoppable monsters. The game uses holograms to project things like your inventory, mission updates and other vital data in game in an attempt to keep the game seamless. This helps keep the game feeling like your watching a movie or cut scene for most of the game. Along with this aspect the game relies heavily on the sound of the game to keep you both on your toes and scared out of your mind.
Through out the game the player has to deal with difficult environments like zero gravity or limited oxygen along with the threat of sudden attack. Although the game does have many repeated elements such as waves of Necromorphs and missions that can be frustrating, because just when you thought you did everything needed to get off the ship, something else happens and you’ll find yourself running to another part of the ship for another piece of equipment. Aside from these little things Dead Space is a very scary game at times and really an enjoyable game.
Review by Dario.
August 6, 2008
Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition Players Handbook
Let me start by saying that I’ve been a player of Dungeons and Dragons since the 1st edition and seen it go through a LOT of changes over the rich 30 plus history the game has enjoyed. Dungeons and Dragons has single handedly changed the concept of gaming as a dice and board game to a free form story telling game of cooperative efforts of the players and the person running the game. So its safe to say that the announcement last year that Wizards of the Coast would be releasing the newest edition of the game with major overhauls I wasn’t entirely surprised but along with a lot of players we wondered just how they could improve on the well received 3rd edition of the game released 5 years ago.
The initial core books, The Players Handbook, Dungeon Masters Guide and Monster Manuel hit stores on June 6th 2008. And our gaming group (which has about 8 players and one dungeon master) decided to give the new edition a try after spending almost a year reading all the teaser articles and theories on exactly what would change and how the game would grow going forward. I’ll be spending this review talking about the Players Handbook along with the general thoughts our group has on this new edition.
The Players Handbook, written by Rob Heinsoo, Andy Collins and James Wyatt weighs in at 317 pages and has all the information needed to create Arcane, Divine, and Martial Heroes. This core book features detailed chapters on how to create your hero, the various races Elf, Half-Elf, Eladrin, Human, Dwarf, Halfling, and two new races, Dragonborn and Tiefling. The games does a good job giving each race enough background to detail what it would be like to play one of these along with specific powers or bonus each race gives the players. The Class chapter does more of the same detailing the powers and abilities of the initial core classes, Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Wizard, and again, two new classes, Warlord and Warlock. 4th edition also ups the class levels from the standard 20 seen in previous editions to 30, breaking each grouping of 10 to specific adventuring tiers with different elements of play being involved in each tier. The first 10 levels are called the Heroic tier, where players can make a name for themselves as heroes saving villages and exploring dungeons. Levels 11-20 are called the Paragon tier and focuses on the truly heroic levels of play where players will save cities, visit fantastic locations like flying citadels, and generally get involved in large scale action suitable for this level of play. Finally the Epic tier occurs in levels 21-30 where the players can battle ancient dragons, fallen gods and generally do things outside the realm of the fantastic.
The games focuses on giving each character class a specific role in team combat along with giving them each a lot of customization in how they can build their characters so no one is exactly the same.
That being said, it’s the general contentious of our group that although each character has a lot of options on how to build their character, each class is still basically generic. Combats have been dragged into the realm of massive online role-playing games. Its obviously Wizards of the Coast is trying to bring in the millions of players attached at the hip to their PC’s and making this as much like their games as possible in the attempt to get more folks away from the screen and back to the gaming table. We have been very happy with the way they changed the monsters in this edition. Each one is new again and we’re never sure exactly how a combat will go with something as simple as a Zombie nowadays. All in all, we’re still going to give the game a chance for the remainder of the year and judge after that if we should be sticking with this or going back to 3rd edition. I’ll note here that not a single one or our members plans on buying another other Wizards of the Coast 4th edition product going forward, we have enough now to play the game and we’ll judge it based on this. Also, I should note the index is useless and any game that cops out of calling rules errata “updates” is enough to turn my stomach.
Expect updates on thoughts of the game along with the Monster Manuel and Dungeon Masters Guide to follow.
Review by Dario.
June 14, 2008
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction vs.
The Incredible Hulk XBOX 360
The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (called HULK UD going forward) was released August 2005 and was the first open environment hulk game that gave the play total control over the green goliath and "the raging fury that dwells within him". The game centers on Dr. Banner's attempt to find a cure for his infliction with the help of Dr. Leonard Sampson, together the two use post hypnotic suggestion to drive the Hulk to perform the missions necessary to move the story along and gather the supplies needed for cure. Meanwhile General Thunderbolt Ross and gamma hating Emil Blonsky strive towards bringing the raging beast in for study and control. As the game progresses the player gains Rage points that can be used to purchase maneuvers such as Iron Fists, Air Grab, Ground Slam and other Hulk based attacks to bring your experience of the power the Hulk wields to spectacular heights.
Now although there aren't many villains brought directly from the comic aside from The Abomination (a gamma transformed Blonsky voiced by Ron Perlman) this game stands out as one of the top marvel games released in 05. Taking elements from the success of the Spiderman game series and other games there are lots of things to keep the player busy aside from chasing down the primary storyline. Also, the art animation style of the game is more of a comic feel to it then the realistic look of modern games. This decision makes the game easily playable even now in 2008 with the advanced XBOX 360 system and since it can be found for about twenty dollars I suggest this game to anyone for a really fun exciting experience playing The Hulk.
Now that the new Incredible Hulk movie is being released June 13th 2008 the release of a new Hulk game was inevitable. This new game almost looks at first like an updating of the Hulk UD game but the differences are only too noticeable after only a few minutes of playtime. First the game uses the new high end graphics to bring the hulk to a more realistic form rather then cartoon, also the action takes place in New York City rather then the nameless town that Hulk UD takes place in. These things do a lot to enhance the game but where the Hulk UD excelled this new game fails. First, the missions are very easy, I was able to blow through the first two boss battles with no sweat. When it came time to fight the U Foes (some of the many awesome villains brought in from the comic) the combat was over in about 5 minutes once I got the hang of the villains mindless attack patterns. I can only hope upcoming fights with Bi-Beast and the Abomination will prove to be more difficult.
Powers unlock differently then in Hulk UD as well, while in Hulk UD the player could purchase moves like in the Spiderman 2 game, this game powers need to be earned by fulfilling specific requirements like most tanks destroyed or solders thrown, etc. Also, I need to mention that the camera and targeting system isn't the easiest to use either.
All in all, both games have their strong and week points, but if you want to enjoy a great game without dropping sixty dollars try Hulk Ultimate Destruction then get the Incredible Hulk when the price drops to a reasonable amount. Which I suspect will be in a few months.
Enjoy!
Play it!