I checked out Socom 4: U.S. Navy Seals a little while back at a Sony event, but got my hands on it and decided to spend a little more quality time with it. The game has some great hits and some minor misses. Check the below for the details.
Likes:
In-Game Gun Customization
After missions, the game allows you to make customizations to weapons you have earned. This way, you can get to know your weapon more…intimately. This also helps taking out the enemy easier. In many shooters, I don’t really get the ability to customize until you get online so this is a welcome characteristic
Always Knowing Where to Go
So there is this diamond that is always onscreen. Its main purpose is to point you to areas of interest. Since the game is pretty linear, you end up following it to the end of the mission. Stay sharp though because it doesn’t alert you to ambushes.
In Depth Team Commands
As a guy who likes to play war-strategy games on the pc, I really liked the ability to command your fellow comrads. Socom 4: U.S. Navy Seals takes it a little further by giving you a little more than many other games in the same genre. You can delay attacks to coordinate kills as well as set way points so you can be a little bit more strategic with the way you play the game. Two thumbs up for tactics!
Dislikes:
Too Linear
As I mentioned before, the game is linear, and this can get to be a little annoying at times. You find yourself in one of two situations. Either being lulled into a pattern of game-play then someone suddenly shoots you or you being frustrated by not getting to explore and finish the level in your own way. It’s not very “sandboxy” so you pretty much have to do what the designers had in mind.
Environment Interaction Very Low
very little environment interaction. I took away from being brought into the Socom universe. The shrubbery doesn’t move when you’re hiding in it. You kind of phase right through the leaves. It’s small, but I thought that was a detail that adds to the ambiance of the the game as a whole. Also, you don’t seem to get burned by fire when its smoldering on the ground, and you can’t do a ton of exploring even though you can do some. Also on one of the early stealth missions, silent kills weren’t so stealthy but none of the guards seemed to notice the guy yelling or the splattered blood on the ground. Again, not a huge deal, but it detracts from the believability of the game scenarios.
Controls can be complicated
This is something that most will probably get over with trial and error. But if your new to the franchise get ready for a big learning curve. zooming in to kill the enemy literally takes three button presses and keeping track of your gear is simple but time consuming when in battle. Switching between first and third person views can be disconcerting as well. It’s doable ofcourse but very tough at first.
Wrapup:
Very good, but I’ve played better. Got to say that the command system was one of the best I’ve played with so far. I’m a big fan of war strategy games and this power is definitely for those who like to control the action at a micro level. However, so many controls felt cumbersome at times especially when in the middle of a large fire fight. Oftentimes I had to die a couple times just trying to get my controls down. That said, it was quite enjoyable taking baddies down with precision and control and it’s definitely worth checking out and adding to the collection if you like shooters.
We tagged along with some folks from Sony to see some of their upcoming titles and gear, and we were not disappointed. They have a great line-up coming down the pipe and they are really putting some muscle behind 3D Technology. To be honest, I’m not sold on 3D just yet, but last night was definitely an eyeopener. I got to demo Virtua Tennis 4, Kill Zone 3, along with U.S. Navy Seals all in 3 D and they all looked fantastic.
Kill Zone 3:
This game is awesome! Not only were the graphics visually stunning, gameplay was relatively smooth and intuitive. I got to play with the Sony Move Sharpshooter apparatus which gives you the ability to play the game standing up and pointing a gun towards the screen. It has shooting options such as automatic, and semi-automatic, and you can reload by striking the bottom of the apparatus as if you are actually changing a clip. Very cool.
Virtua Tennis 4: It looked great in 3D and can definitely become a good work-out with the playstion Move Controller, especially if you play against anyone good! They have completely revamped the Virtua Tennis world and you can now look at a map of events which makes it feel RPG-ish. Your character suffers from fatigue as times goes along as well. There are also a bunch of mini games to sharpen your skills.
U.S. Navy Seals: I was most impressed with their use of 3D with this game. There are images on the screen that represent where your team is and enemies as well as ammo etc that seemingly float above the action. So your most important information is right on the screen with you, but not in the way. The shrubs and other objects in the game really pop out at you and I enjoyed sneaking up on enemies and executing a well thought out plan with my computer teammates!
We did get to check out the XPeria Play which is Sony’s Playstation phone. I think it looks great and it will definitely resonate with gamers who want a more serious gaming experience on their phones. It runs Android Gingerbread which is the latest Android release from Google, and also sports full directional and action button pad. It also has two analog stick touch areas which I thought was a great addition. It will be coming out for Verizon fairly soon.
Have you played Batman Arkham Asylum? No? Stop reading and play it now. Once your done, this game should be out and you can buy it too. Ok, it may be too early to tell, but Asylum was so good I have high hopes for Arkahm City. Judging from the trailer, I don’t think I’ll be disappointed either.
Captain America: Super Soldier
To be honest, I was afraid of this. Captain America wasn’t my favorite character, but he wasn’t my least favorite either. Never really liked how he was the embodiment of everything “good” which really meant blond, blue eyed, and American. However, after reading the Ultimates Comics with good ole Steve Rogers re-imagined I began to gather more interest. I saw this trailer back at comic-con.to be honest, it’s not half bad. Strangely enough, the combat system sort of reminds me of Batman Arkham Asylum a bit. Very curious and can’t wait to give it a try.
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon
I love flight syms…especially really arcade-like ones. When it gets too real, it kinda takes the fun out in my opinion, but not to worry with the new Ace Combat game. It looks so much more gritty, and the flight combat system with “Steel Carnage” as they call it looks darn right awesome. You really feel like you are doing cool moves with the different camera angles and the machine gun is finally worth switching to. Judging from the trailer – this will probably be the best flight game of the year.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Metal Gear anyone? Ok, my bad, but the stealth and the heavy emphasis on tech begs the comparison. However, the stories are completely different and I am quite intrigued. The game looks like a thinking man’s game, however, thankfully, the weapons look great so you won’t be bored to death by rambling story line. I’ve never played the original, but count me on this go-round.
Mortal Kombat
Remember when you were either a Street-Fighter guy or a Mortal Combat guy? Then it seemed like Street-Fighter took the crown for a while. Well, it looks like the folks over at Warner Bros. have something to say about that. they have revamped the characters and even added new surprises. Will definitely be a great alternative to the other fighting games out there.
I love this game so much that even though it came out earlier in the year, I still had to put it on the list. This game has the original voice actors from the series of the Joker, Batman, Harley, and more which ads to the overall feel of the game. The gritty textures, and dark scenery paint the perfect picture of an insane asylum that you get to explore while picking up clues following trails. My favorite part of the game is the fight system. You can literally, if your nice enough with the timing, chain an infinite combo on Joker’s henchmen.
4. Mafia II
You play as Vitto, a WWII vet with apparently nothing better to do than be a thieving bum. The story line is pretty compelling, but the game really shines in its overall free-roaming feel and ambiance. The music is great and the graphics are awesome. You can drive around town in fancy cars and carry out Mafia jobs. The fight system could use a little work, but it does the job. Overall a very great game to play if you have a summer to waste.
3. Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit
This game could easily have made the top two picks if not for one fatal flaw…the absence of race replay. It wouldn’t be such a big deal of the game play wasn’t so blasted good. After you beat your lap record, you will really want to replay all the close calls and impressive driving skills you displayed while tearing up the track and you simply can’t. Frustrating is an understatement here.
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops
You get to kill people in really cool ways. Nuff said. Naw, but really – don’t let the whole “Black Ops” title fool you. You aren’t Solid Snake. There might be some sneaking for like 2 minutes tops…but the rest of the game is a fast paced frenzied race to the end. Story line is quite intriguing as well. Couple that with awesome graphics and you get a great game that only Activision could produce.
1. NBA 2k11
Michael Jordan. He’s in the game. That’s it. If you are a sports fan and haven’t purchased this game then shame on you. The living roster is great, it gives you updates on real games and the game play is superb. You get the player’s nuances and even their tendencies throughout the season! You also get access to all of Jordan’s old classic games and you get to play them out! I think this is the number 1 game of 2010.
If you’re into Mafia flicks and games like Grand Theft Auto, then Mafia II is definitely up your alley. The trailers were good and all, but we wanted to know if this game really lives up to the hype. Is it just another run and gun, or does it deliver the goods?
Well, lets just answer that question now so we can get it out of the way. Does the game live up to the hype? Absolutely. No question about it. The game pulls no punches. Its rating of mature wasn’t for show. The story line is engaging, and has you begging for more at every turn. Graphics are great, and game play is amazing -besides a crazy camera angle or two so lets take it from the top.
What We Liked:
The Cars
You will find yourself driving for a lot of the game. And when we say a lot, we mean A LOT! However, there are some pretty cool cars, and since this is an era piece, you will see some classic beauties. Taking cars is a simple as breaking the glass, picking the lock, or yanking the driver out of the front seat. Driving them is quite fun, as they’ve added realistic damage and handling but be very careful as a short joy ride can turn into a car chase at the drop of a dime because the place is crawling with police. So be careful with the throttle and obey the laws when they are around or you may have more trouble then you intended. Whats cool is that the more trouble your in the more forceful the police become. If they have your description, you have to avoid getting spotted. You should also change cars or get the plates changed at a garage if they know your license plate. Once you get caught you have the option to fight it out, or bribe! At the garage, you can also detail the car anyway you want if you have the money. color, plates, tires, and even engine upgrades to help with outrunning the po-po. Lastly, if you have a favorite car that you use often, don’t forget to fill ‘er up because you will run out of gas.
The Guns
You get access to a number of time-specific guns like the ever famous Tommy-Gun, or the .38 special. You’ve got a couple other guns from WWII like the MP 40 and the M3 Sub Machine Gun. I personally like the pump-action shotgun myself. The guns, as you would expect, have different ranges and are better suited to certain environments so take this into account when in a shoot-out. There are a few gun stores in the area where you can stock up on guns and ammunition between missions.
The Clothes
You can go to the clothing store to get new threads whenever you want. Some stores are more upscale then others and offer different selections. You can change your clothes at your apartment whenever you want to, and depending on your mission, your clothes can get dirty. However, the damage isn’t permanent so if you chose the same outfit the next day, dirt has usually gone. The clothes don’t really add anything to your hit-points or anything like that, but that level of customization is a welcome aspect of the game.
The Music
The game designers added licensed music to the game which worked marvelously. If you love oldies, I’m sure a lot of your favorites will come on the radio. We played this game nonstop for something like two weeks and the radio never seemed to get old. The songs were well spaced and every now and then you would get breaking news interruptions that detailed a job you just did, or war reports which was a great touch. Songs from the Drifters, Muddy Waters, Buddy Holly, and Little Richard (to name a few) added to the overall feel of the game. With these songs, you get the sense that you are really living in that time period. You end up getting immersed in the game-play and forgetting reality for a while. It definitely makes for a memorable experience.
DLC (Down-loadable Content)
This helps to explain bits of the story and keep it fresh. Love this addition, but hate having to pay for it. However, the story is quite compelling and this helps to keep game play going after you beat the game. I tried Joe’s Adventure which shows some of the same time period from Joe’s perspective. There are also a few new things that get added, like new cars new songs, new clothes etc… Game play is a little different as well. You have more control over the missions you can play so this adds a level of control we felt was missing from normal game-play. Most of the gaming controls stay the same so you can get right back into the swing of things with no problems. Here, you get points for beating people up and completing missions, whereas before you didn’t really get anything more than satisfaction that you made it to the next part of the story. We like this arcade approach because you don’t feel rushed to complete the story and you still get rewarded for doing your own thing. It also fleshes out the game a bit, and you get to know more about the characters.
What we Didn’t Like:
Character Development
Besides your good buddy Joe, you never really got to know the other characters. I never felt like you got know your family or anyone else in the Mafia Family very well. You never really get to interact with your family at all during the game and so some of the heartwarming moments seem contrived. As a matter of fact you we never get the sense that you know anyone really. Now this could be on purpose, but we would rather more interaction between characters or at least a little more back story on some characters to make you feel empathetic when they show up.
Freedom
Now yes, this is a free roam game, however, it doesn’t really matter if there isn’t anywhere to go. Now, maybe we missed it, but there really isn’t much to do in the city except get gas, make a phone call, buy a gun, buy clothes, and maybe crush a car for money. The rest are missions that drive the story forward. We think the game designers could have added a few mini games to make you feel like you really lived in the town. Wish you could enter more buildings. The city is pretty extensive area-wise so you MUST drive everywhere, but that also takes away from the exploration a bit as well. We never really got the feeling that we could just roam around and find something interesting to do.
Boobies
I know you guys are wondering why this is in the “Not Like” section. Well so what! We weren’t feeling the Playboys littered around the city that you can collect and browse at your leisure. Thought it was an interesting feature, but we thought that it cheapened the game a little bit. Nudie pictures everywhere, aren’t we above that? No? O.K. well if that’s your thing you can try to collect all the pin-ups. As a guy trying to clean up his act, I’ll try to pass on this one.
Wrap-Up
All in all we thought this was a great game. I was apprehensive at first, but the story-line is top notch, a place where GTA falls short in our opinion. It was so compelling that it was on my mind even after playing. It was fun, but I wasn’t smiling a lot of the time because the game was so gritty. I wanted to know a little more about the characters, but the Down-loadable Content answers this call and keeps things fresh. This is an absolute must have for that Mafia buff in your family – especially if that Mafia Buff is you!
So I’ve been playing NBA 2K11 on the old Xbox 360 and to be honest with you, the game has lots of surprises. The predominant theme of the game centers around Michael Jordan mostly – and his career over the years. For me personally, this was the main reason to check the game out. It’s been so long since there was a true Jordan presence in any basketball game and to finally get one worth mentioning was definitely worth the 60 bucks. That’s not to say it was a perfect game however. But first lets take a look at the things it does well.
Here are some things that I love.
Signature Hightlights
After your game you can take a look at the highlights of all the key players of the game by choice. It does so stylistically as well, and it really is a pleasure to see you dishing it out on opponents.
Game Reel
This is a collouge of the different highlights of the game.
Press Book
I thought this was a cool addition. It takes snapshots of the game as well so you see key plays from a photojournalist’s point of view. Very similar to what you would see at NBA.com or ESPN.com when looking through pictures of a past game.
“My Jordans”
The game actually has you collecting Air Jordans throughout your career! Different Jordan’s give your player’s different abilities. There are 40 in all to collect.
Living Roster
To me, one of the coolest aspects of the game. The living roster is just what it sounds like. Players and league stats are updated in almost real-time. I’m playing a season with the Knicks right now (hapless Knick fan – what can I say?) and the interface is giving me live info on what has transpired around the league. Injuries, trade rumors, scores…its all there.
Jordan Challenges
In my opinion, the second coolest aspect of the game. You get to relive all the Jordan great moments like “the Shrug”,the 1991 NBA Finals, 69 points against the Cavaliers, and more. The game actually starts you off in Jordan’s shoes. If you are not used to the game – go ahead and exit and practice a little bit before you start playing in Jordan mode ’cause there is a lot to learn.
How it Comes Together
Why do I think the Living Roster is the coolest aspect of the game? Well its not new but it works really well this time because of the juxtaposition between the new teams and the old teams. You are solidly placed in the “here and now” because of the reference point of the old heads. The game never really feels stagnant and you aren’t stuck with buyers remorse because you just bought the game and someone got traded and now your game is out of date. I just played the Wizards and Gilbert Arenas was in the line-up. Not only that, but it also tells you about up coming games in much the same way you would see them broadcast on television.
Moving on to game-play, controlling your player is pretty easy and intuitive. You can also try your own skills with the “shot stick” (the right stick on the 360 controller). You can control how your player shoots based on your own preferences. If you get good at this – it definitely pays dividends. Everything is pretty much what you would expect up to a point. However, the more complex moves require a bit more finesse. Ball handling becomes a bit more complicated when trying to step in and do a turn move to lay-up or some other similar move. It’s not impossible, but I wonder what the percentage of pulling that move off every time you wanted would be. However, the move transitions were great, and I definitely got excited every time I pulled something off.
Each players’ real-time stats definitely meant something. I definitely felt it when a team was doing well, or doing poorly. This can be frustrating because a team that you feel you could normally beat all of a sudden becomes a challenge because they are on a real-life run. However, this is not a negative aspect because it ads to the overall realness of the game.
I also enjoyed the customization elements of the game. You can change shoe types and colors as well as appearances. I left most of it alone so that I would keep everyone’s appearances as close to their real-life counterparts as possible. However, the possibility is there.
You can also play different modes like blacktop pickup games, dunk contests, or three point shootouts. You can also team up with your friends online and start or join a “crew.” Announcer speech has been improved once again. They are generally interesting and at times I wonder if they are being updated in real time as well! The crowds have been re-worked so that they don’t look like the same 1 person duplicated 1,000 times. This time its the same 10 people duplicated 100 times each. Its not huge but its something. Plus the noise swells and decreases just like a real game depending on who is winning.
What I Didn’t Like
In an effort to make movement more lifelike, I feel like the designers went a little overboard with the player’s physics when it came to momentum. When you reach, be careful because you may end up near the half-court line for simply trying to swipe the ball. Of course that’s an exaggeration, but you get the point. Also, it passing is inaccurate, and turnovers can get ridiculous. Some people will say you need to protect the ball more, but it can really get frustrating. A lot of the game is spent either stealing the ball or getting it stolen simply because passing is so inaccurate. Some reprieve is that you generally won’t find yourself passing it to a player who is out of bounds. I am so glad they fixed that issue, or play could have been unbearable.
I also wasn’t immediately wowed by the graphics this time. Not saying graphics are atrocious but they I felt like no huge strides were made between 2K10 and 2K11 in terms of realistic facial expressions and jersey movements. There are some weird moments where your jersey is shaking all over the place while the player is standing still or when your clothes and body are indistinguishable. However, these issues are few and far in between and certainly don’t detract too much from what does make this game so awesome.
Wrap-up
A solid game and must-have for a Jordan admirer. The Jordan presence alone makes it worth it. The other stuff is bonus! Real-time stats and as much customization as you can stand and there really isn’t too much to shake a finger at with this game. Transition between game and real-life games are almost seamless. Playing this game makes you more interested in real games and real games makes you interested in playing the game. If that was the intention, well played sirs…well played.
Look! It’s Machete (not to be confused with Danny Trejo) at Club Mighty playing “The Fight:Lights Out” with Sony’s new PlayStation®Move motion controllers and the PlayStation®Eye. It appears no one real suffered any violence, however, the same can’t be said about his pixilated opponents.
Mr. Trejo actually plays a trainer in the game. There are different moves to master including throws, combos, locks, and of course the art of dirty fighting. One thing we want to know – can we have one?
Oh yes, you read right. If you haven’t heard by now, you will probably be surprised by this news. Apparently Capcom is developing a crossover title with Streetfighter 4 Characters as well as characters from the Tekken Universe. The art style will be the highly paintbrush themed 3d characters of SF4 since Capcom is in the driver’s seat. Should make for great competitive play by die-hards from both franchises.
NBA 2K 11:
One word… Jordan! I love playing these games, but never really shell out 60 bucks for them so I end up playing the title a year late or so. Probably not this time. The “NBA 2K” Franchise has been markedly improving everyear – even downloading relevant stats in real-time, but Jordan has always been missing. The fact that he’s been absent for so long makes this moment sweeter, plus there will be some other oldies as well! Count me in this round.
MGS Rising:
I know what you’re thinking…”Not again with the old/young snake.” Well, doesn’t look like Liquid or Solid snake will be in this one (not that there probably won’t be a cameo) but it looks like you’ll be playing as Raiden. Not only is Raiden cool as an icebox, you get to use his sword that can cut anything. Let me repeat that…ANYTHING. Stop reading now and watch the video.
Virtua Tennis 4:
I like the Tennis games, but a lot of times it really is more of the same. Besides slightly improved AI’s I don’t feel like there are a whole lot more to the Virtua Tennis world that will have me buying every iteration. Some may disagree here, but c’mon. How much more like Federer are you gonna make the 3D Figure be man!? Enter stage left…3D TVs with Playstation “Move” controller and we have ourselves a brand new experience that promises to be quite entertaining and possibly painful.
Normally, I wouldn’t put a NFS title here as the franchise has taken a turn for the worse with weak storylines and a lack of what made the original series so fun ala “Shift” and “Carbon”. Well it seems that EA has wizened up and returned to what made this game fun…breaking the law! The game looks great, and the cars are amazing. Love the fact that you can play a career as a cop as well which is kinda cool. I’d give it a shot.
By the looks of things, this will probably add a lot to the StarWars Universe in terms of story line. You think the Force control and combat was crazy in the first one??? Well they like quadrupled the effects in this game. So much so, I’m kinda wondering who would win between this guy and Goku from DBZ!
Notable Mentions
Deus Ex:
To be honest, the bionically enhanced human is nothing new in the gaming world. In fact it’s pretty standard. So what is so cool about Deus Ex? Well graphics look pretty cool, but more than that – it promises to be a thinking man’s game. I sorta like games which drag you into the universe and make you really feel what’s going on rather than just simply punching and kicking the crap out of everyone with a red bar above their heads. That’s what makes the Persia and Mass Effect Games so fun. It looks to be, if it lives up to the hype, to be cerebral in a similar way Ghost in the Shell is.
Yes, another Call of Duty Game. Well, it says Black Ops – so I wonder how much stealth will be in the game. Doubt it will be anything like MGS, but I would be interested in seeing what they come up with here, and if it is any different from the other Call of Duty games. However, from the looks of things…I wouldn’t hold my breath if you are looking to be a Ninja in this game!
Just another FPS game? How about from the guy that started the FPS Genre as we know and love it today…Mr. Shinji Mikami. Honestly it looks cool and kinda corny at the same exact time. Guess we will wait and see but the concept is kinda cool.
Remember we wrote an article about Tony Hawk’s new video game called Ride? We barely do too, but its coming out soon, and we got a chance to check it out briefly.
To be honest, its one of those things where you know its a hot concept, but your iffy on real-life use. Don’t get us wrong, we think it’ll be tons of fun for the true gamer and/or skater – as well as the posers. However, it seemed little cumbersome… seems like it takes lots of activity to pull off tricks, and personally, I’d rather be in much more relaxed position whilst wasting time playing video games. Also, the board felt a little less sturdy then we would have liked. But to be fair, the board we checked out wasn’t production. Still, we just aren’t too sure we are willing to mack out $120.00 bucks for the bundle. We’ll probably step in when it gets below a hundred. Let us know how you feel in the comments section.
If you thought the PS3 was a bit bulky for your taste, you have company. That’s been a complaint for a while…that along with the hefty price tag. However, both have been addressed by Sony which will be offering a slim version of its PS3 in September, as well as a price cut of the 80 gig model of the original PS3. You can find more details over at Engadget. This is most-likely what the procrastinators have been waiting for. Time for some blue-ray goodness!
