Assassin's Creed 2 Review

Touted by Ubisoft as a "gaming masterpiece," the original Assassin's Creed for Xbox 360, PS3 and the PC delivered and likewise fell short of gamers' lofty expectations when debuting back in 2007. Accompanying its stellar visuals and intriguing storyline was stagnant and repetitive game play which led some to label it "amazingly boring." In returning to the franchise two years later with Assassin's Creed II (or Assassin's Creed 2), Ubisoft's Montreal studio must convince gamers returning to the stealthy world of the assassin is a worthwhile investment.

Continuing soon after the events of Assassin's Creed, the sequel sees Desmond escapes the Abstergo facility and go into hiding with the help of Lucy Stillman. There he and Lucy team up two more modern day assassins to enter their upgraded Animus 2.0 where, in a nutshell to avoid too many spoilers, he enters the life of Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

Ezio lived in 15th century Italy during the Renaissance, approximately 300 years after Altair's time. Living the life of a noble in Florence 1476, Ezio's world is turned upside down with the murder of his father and brothers where he is thrust into a world of betrayal, treachery and revenge. Within this world are wonderfully complex characters, a plethora of background information on buildings, historical events and more. Ubisoft has succeeded in creating a fully realized and engaging narrative.

Assassin's Creed 2 features Italian Renaissance cities including Florence, Tuscany and Venice. The cities are massive open world areas with nonlinear game play environments. Buildings and landmarks are impeccably modeled right down to cracks in stone work from penetrating foliage, to beautiful stain glass windows. Lighting and especially shadows are near perfect. The streets of these beautiful cities are filled with citizens, shop keepers and guards alike. Major city squares or streets easily showcase upwards of thirty or forty NPC's living around you. If anything the only complaint to find visually is the excessive cleanliness of the cities. In a century without running water or proper sewers, and frequented by disease, it appears brand new instead of appropriately weathered by filth.

Further adding to the sense and scope of realism of the Italian Renaissance in Assassin's Creed 2 is the fantastic audio. Little complaints can be found with any of the voice acting. Every character's accent or line of dialogue sounds authentic to the time period. If you fancy even more authenticity, then feel free to choose to play the game fully in Italian.

Thankfully Ubisoft has remedied most of the stagnant game play elements from Assassin's Creed. That is not to say that the core game play in Assassin's Creed 2 drastically differs, but many new additions help push it forward. Florins (money) can be spent at local vendors for many items such as weapons, upgrades, armor, and colored dyes for their character's outfit. A young and idealistic Leonardo da Vinci is present in the game, aiding Ezio by creating new weapons and translating various items. While da Vinci provides the player with new weapons such as a poison blade, there are also several types of swords and maces, as well as axes and spears that can be bought or obtained.

A day and night cycle has been added for more depth to the mission structure. Certain mission objectives can only be accomplished during certain times of the day. The game features a notoriety system, with Ezio becoming more recognizable depending on his behavior, his location, and the current mission. This infamy can be reduced by bribing, removing wanted posters, or assassinating corrupt officials. The latter is not recommended in broad daylight. Trust me; it does little to reduce your notoriety.

Mission structures feature a much more expanded variety. A simple courier job can quickly turn into a chase or assassination. Investigation is much more open ended then just eavesdropping. You will have to follow conspirators, explore structures and find clues any way you can. Hiring prostitutes or mercenaries to create distractions further adds to the player creating their own experience. Assassin's Creed 2 is not a fast paced action game, but the varied approach to accomplishing goals breaks up the monotony of how you play, something sorely lacking in the original.

One of the best new features is the "Villa." While seeking refuge with your Uncle at the Auditore family's countryside villa, you are given the opportunity to use your game play money earned by Ezio to upgrade and rebuild the small town. Merchant shops, the church, brothel etc. can be renovated or rebuilt. The better the town thrives, the more money and benefits you receive from its prosperity. You will witness a near abandoned town, full of boarded up buildings and dead greenery become a lively bustling trading post with each upgrade. It is a nice addition for a change of pace and a great distraction to the main story.

AI intelligence can be hit or miss during Ezio's missions. For the most part it is excellent, but occasionally you will experience extreme examples of AI stupidity. Simply running around a corner or hiding behind a rooftop chimney can result in the guards giving up chase. You may also toss a body from a rooftop to the guards on the streets below and garner no reaction from them. Most of these problems are not prominent, and for the most part the enemy AI is quite aggressive. The general populace reacts to you and their environment extremely well which is a welcome added touch that easily could have been overlooked.

The controls are solid and very similar to Assassin's Creed but offer a bit more complexity. Combat has added the ability to disarm opponents and use their own weapons against them. Killing moves are more elaborate in display but retain their one button attack method, as do most of the movements. Climbing and jumping in each city's vastness is exceptional, but moments of frustration are present; especially during chase sequences. The controls seem more unresponsive when the action takes on a faster pace, and you will find yourself falling or jumping where you do not want to in the heat of the moment more often then not.

Repetitive game play aside, the original Assassin's Creed packed a healthy dose of great looking graphics. Assassin's Creed 2 is noticeably superior to its predecessor visually which is quite apparent at the game's startup as you see flashbacks from the original. It is a testament as to how far game engines can improve in two years time.

Character models are quite varied and detailed right down to nondescript background NPC's. Ezio and the rest of the main cast feature excellent facial models, and superbly intricate costume details such as jewels, lace, ruffles etc. As Ezio dons his assassin robes in a busy torch lit marketplace, storm clouds swirl overhead blowing his cape in the wind. Few games can match the dynamic and compelling atmosphere.

Assassin's Creed II is a unique and detailed gaming experience with over roughly 200 missions and side quests. The missions and game play elements are much more varied then its predecessor while retaining the franchise's signature atmosphere and attention to detail. Ubisoft has created a worthy sequel which surpasses the original in every aspect claiming a top spot as one of the better games of 2009.

Loccus

9.0/10

Bayonetta Hands On Preview

The Bayonetta demo is coming to Xbox Live Marketplace and the Playstation Network for PS3 across North America and Europe on December. Before unleashing it to the masses, SEGA has opened up a beta program with the demo on Xbox 360 to select individuals and we were able to secure a spot.

Developed from the mind of Devil May Cry and Viewtiful Joe series creator Hideki Kamiya at Platinum Games, Bayonetta is a hopeful new IP designed to take frenetic hack-and-slash action to a new level of orchestrated chaos. It is set in and around the fictional European city of Vigrid and features a female lead character that is a sort of warrior witch who has been awoken after a 500 year slumber with little to no memories of whom what, or where she is. In and around this general premise is the typical overload of needlessly complicated mythology and back story found in most Japanese designed RPG's.

Bayonetta herself is a fairly unique character with heavy Japanese influences. The titular warrior possesses four handguns: two hand-held, and one attached to each heel. She can shape shift as well as perform various magical attacks including dispatching enemies with her own hair. Apparently most of her tight fighting uniform is made from her hair as I successfully dispatched a dozen angelic warriors with it while nude, only to have her crazy locks settle back down and reform the clothes. Yes, I said killer hair, and yes, I said nude. Bayonetta definitely is vying for a "most original" character crown.

Visuals are a mixed bag and given the short window to release probably indicative of the final product. On the one hand there is so much going on simultaneously that it is hard not to be impressed. At the same time textures are flat, as are some of the enemy models. Bayonetta looks good, but most of her appeal is the originality of her design and not the quality of her model. Her hair and fabric is weak compared to games like Heavenly Sword's Nariko, or even current fighting game characters. The real treat visually is the shear chaos on screen with Elemental particles, debris and explosions filling the screen from corner to corner.

While visuals are a mixed bag the orchestral music is nothing short of wretched. The score is completely wrong for the game and was absolutely annoying after only a few short minutes. I doubt this will be improved or remedied by release.

If you have played the Devil May Cry series then you have basically played with Bayonetta's control scheme. Control is extremely fluid but is hampered by a fairly restrictive camera. More often then not during the demo the camera is not in the best position which further complicates trying to keep up with the action.

Combat is filled with a massive arsenal of devastating attacks. A seemingly endless list of melee, combos, finishes, and executions are at your disposal. This adds a ton of variety to how you fight off the mythological beasts, and you are encouraged to rain down death and destruction with as much pizzazz as possible. However, even with 5 difficulty settings, Bayonetta can easily become nothing more that a button masher. Bosses provide more of a challenge, but I was still able to easily handle the demo with either strategic moves or one-move button mashing. A button masher approach to the hack n' slash game play could get old fast.

Bayonetta has potential to be a spectacular action title but may not appeal to a broad audience. It has great elements with its original heroine and fast action, but significant issues such as the camera and button mashing capability can bring down the experience. We will know by January if the complete game offers more challenging scenarios and a stable camera.

Loccus

Modern Warfare 2 Review

Poised to be the biggest game of 2009 and predicted to break all videogame sales records for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 with healthy PC sales too, Infinity Ward's sequel to critically acclaimed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has completed its two year journey to completion and deployment. Should you join the fight and buy into the hype overload for this highly anticipated shooter? Heck yes you should.

Yes, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is that good.

Set not long after the original Modern Warfare, the sequel begins with a bombardment of intel to bring you up to speed on the world's current events. Russian Ultranationalist Imran Zakhaev has been turned into a martyr by an even more dangerous associate after his death, Vladimir Makarov. He has taken over leadership of the radical group and garnered plenty of support for his cause. His influence is global, and his hatred for America and its allies is no secret. To counter Makarov's nefarious plans, Allied nations have created an elite task force known simply as ‘141' to take him down.

Infinity Ward has spoken volumes of late about how their emphasis while building Modern Warfare 2 was to create and tell a compelling story. In playing through the campaign, it seems as if the forefront thought during development was to pack in as much chaotic and intense combat as technologically possible on a single disc. Whether done with great difficulty or ease, Infinity Ward has succeeded across the board.

After a very short training drill, you are thrust into the meat of the campaign. It quickly becomes apparent that like the first Modern Warfare, this is no "run and gun" shooter. The chaos of battle strikes early and frequently, where even on the "casual" difficulty setting your live span can be cut short in an instant. Enemies, explosions and gunfire surround you, and rushing hero advances will only get you filled with lead. You may get a headache from the insanity but you will do so with a grin from ear to ear.

Rookies of the ‘First Person Shooter' genre and perhaps even seasoned players will have their moments of frustration during the campaign. Not because of cheap AI or glitches, but because of the shear chaos during many of the missions. Modern Warfare 2 immerses you in combat and expects you to strategize and improvise your tactics in the blink of an eye. Enemies will constantly flank and out maneuver you to stay one step ahead. Cover will only save your sorry hide for so long when most is destructible or can be penetrated by weapon fire forcing you to advance. You and your squad never seem to have the high ground and are almost always outnumbered and surrounded by what seems like 10 to 1 odds or worse. It is fast, frenetic, insane, and man is it fun. Few games this generation can come close to matching Modern Warfare 2's intensity for one level let alone an entire campaign.

The original Modern Warfare has a pretty short campaign experience that carries forward in duration to Modern Warfare 2. Experienced players can push through the campaign in around 7-8 hours but the fun before jumping into multiplayer online play does not stop there.

Special Ops is a new mode to the Modern Warfare / Call of Duty franchise that feels like a new game within a game. It has its own independent missions – with shared environments from the campaign - which can be played solo or cooperatively with a mate. There are four separate groups of missions: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta. Each offers multiple scenarios of difficulty and tasks. One of the first is simply defending a position with only a sniper rifle, claymore explosives, and a Predator drone to repel wave after wave of enemy reinforcements. The result is instant gratification of seeing how long you can last and is an absolute blast to play. Stars are awarded based on the outcome and are collected to unlock the next Special Ops mission to keep a high replay value alive.

Multiplayer is as much a part of Modern Warfare as campaign and is available with six online game types are including Free-For-All, Search & Destroy, Demolition, Domination, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag. The same experience points and unlockable reward system of Modern Warfare are retained with added different kill streak rewards. Imagine after a 5 person kill streak unlocking the ability to call in an A130 air strike. Prepare for crazy online battles.

How does all this thumb straining, mind numbing combat look? It looks jaw dropping amazing, to put it lightly. Modern Warfare 2 is capping off 2009 with the best graphics of this generation thus far. The quality of the character models, textures, lighting, particles, and everything presented is unmatched in its realism. Environments are massive and extremely varied. You will find yourself frostbitten in the snow, sweating under the sun in Rio, and seemingly everywhere in between. Dozens of enemies and allies are on screen simultaneously as walls crumble and windows shatter from gunfire. Vehicles explode in a hail of debris as gunships streak overhead. Garbage, dust, rain and shrapnel details are constantly assaulting your senses. All this polish and detail with zero frame rate drops. I am still in awe and would love to see this graphic engine utilized elsewhere in the future.

Turn up your 5.1 surround sound because you cannot get any closer to real war than this. Highlighted by a Hans Zimmer score, explosions threaten to melt your subwoofer as bullets and soldier chatter draw you deeper into the experience. The stellar audio also works extremely well for drowning out your myriad of curse words as you realize you have been flanked or fragged yet again. Modern Warfare set a bar for gaming audio excellence and its sequel rightfully raises it.

I have no qualms anointing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as game of the year right now. It is as close to perfection in gaming as current console technology can offer. The polish and production value is top notch and unrivaled. Admiring the attention to detail and playing through the myriad of modes, all of which are strong, will have you playing for months. The campaign can be frustrating, but all that melts away from enjoyment. Modern Warfare is a "must buy" game no matter how you look at it.

Loccus

9.8/10

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Review

There are plenty of great games out there for all the console owners, but titles that can simply be labeled “masterpiece” are few and far between. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has burst onto the gaming scene as one of the most anticipated and critically acclaimed games of the 2009 holiday season.

Uncharted 2 picks up a year or two after the events of Drake’s Fortune. Having not had the pleasure of playing the first Uncharted, it was easy to pick up the controller and begin the expedition. The charismatic Nathan Drake returns from what seems like an extended period of “laying low”, and runs into fellow thieves from his past. A simple job turns into a whirlwind adventure that whisks Drakes across the globe. Anything more would spoil a story that must be experienced.

The key feature here is that you are no longer trekking through the jungles on a single tropical island. As the story plays out, Nathan will be traversing through a half dozen different locales which only benefits the game’s pacing. I always felt I was moving forward towards an ultimate goal, not just zig zagging across the same landscape. Nathan and his friends had to get to the mountain pass, to find and explore that temple, to make it to that village, etc. Everything flowed, and contributed to the bigger story arc.

The fantastic story in Uncharted 2 could only have been possible with strong, likeable characters. Nathan Drake, who to me comes across as a carbon copy of actor Nathan Fillion, is one of the most enjoyable game personalities I’ve known. Sure I love the bad asses like Marcus Fenix as much as the next guy, but there’s something very appealing when you’re playing as an everyday guy. Interaction between the characters seemed real, as well as reactions to the crazy situations they’re being thrust into.

“Best visuals ever” is a phrase fans and critics seem to throw around every five minutes this console generation. Uncharted 2 is an absolute feast for your eyes. Is it perfection, no, but it’s pretty darn close and as of right now it sets the new bar for console graphics.

In all honesty, when I first put in the disc, I was impressed but didn’t think I was witnessing a graphically leap above something like Resident Evil 5. But once I reached the jungles of Borneo, my jaw went slack and remained there for most of the game. The massive environments are likely the most detailed and gorgeous you’ve ever seen. Textures and lighting are nothing but insane and each chapter seems to out class the previous. The visuals alone warrant picking up this game as a Playstation 3 showcase.

However I did come across some odd environmental omissions. I say omissions because I don’t believe these were isolated glitches in the visuals. It may seem trivial to some, but when a game looks this spectacular, gamers want to see how good the details look; bullet holes, water, smoke, fire, glass etc. On more than one occasion I emptied full clips into a perfectly rendered vehicle and didn’t so much as crack the windshield, or shoot at a tropical bird standing two feet away from my AK-47 and have it squawk and nothing more. Or why do some bodies or objects not splash when thrown into the water? Minor details from someone who likes to explore everything, and yes I agree they’re picky gripes.

The visuals are complemented by an amazing score, voice cast as well as sound effects. Watching some of the bonus videos, developer Naughty Dog performed an immense amount of field recording, to maintain that sense of realism, and it shows. The subtle sounds in the background help draw you into this world.

Game play is a hybrid of the best sort. Uncharted 2 is a third person shooter, a cover and stealth game, and an adventure platformer. Although you will be required to perform the same basic actions from chapter to chapter, your experience is never dull. From sneaking up on your enemies, to scaling cliffs, to urban combat and solving puzzles, Uncharted 2 immerses you in the game. “Active Cinematic Experience” is what the developer calls their approach to Uncharted 2. Once you start, you never really leave the game. All the cinematic cut scenes are using the in game rendering engine, meaning players will go from game play to cinematic and back in the blink of an eye. Whole levels will change around you or be destroyed while you’re playing. The player is never removed from the action.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a must buy, pure and simple, and I haven’t even dug into the multiplayer yet. It’s not very often that a game comes along where you can’t put down the controller until the credits roll. A title that shows polish in every aspect of its design is a rare gem. Sure I can be picky with a few missing visual details or repetitive enemies, but none detract from how good, and how fun this game is. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is probably the best game I’ve played in 2009, and Hollywood could take a lesson from what the team at Naughty Dog created here.

Loccus

9.4/10

The New Freddy Krueger

The teasing continued this afternoon as IGN revealed the teaser poster for the new Nightmare on Elm Street movie.  Jackie Earle Haley takes over the reigns of dream killer Freddy Krueger from long time horror actor Robert England.  

I'm still very hesitant on this actor choice.  In other iconic slasher movies like Friday the 13th or Halloween, the killer has always been a silent masked menace, that anyone could play.  Freddy Krueger is different, he has a personality, a voice, and emotion.  Sure most of the Nightmare sequels sucked, but Robert England IS Freddy Krueger.  The look of the "new" Freddy looks to be very similar from the shadowy image to the original incarnation.  Will Krueger's personality be the same with Haley merely imitating Robert England's portrayal?

First Prince of Persia Posters!

A bit generic for what should be an epic Bruckheimer adventure, as Disney unveils its first promo art for Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.  Stay tuned for more info and material, as we close in on this years Comic Con.