Crysis 2

Developer: Crytek Studios
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Rating: M

Reviewer: Jester

Story:

            Crysis 2 takes place in the near future where New York is under attack by an alien force. You take the role of a marine, call sign Alcatraz. Through a series of events you are forced to wear a nano suit, which drastically increases your effectiveness in combat. I went into Crysis 2 hoping it would have a great story about mankind's struggle against the alien invasion and I have to say I was a little disappointed. The first half of the game starts off pretty slow but as you near the end the story starts to pick up a little but not enough. There is a small cast of characters you meet throughout the game but they seem too generic. You got your gruff military leader, and the conspiracy theorist scientist along with a couple others. Overall the story was lackluster at best.

Game play:

Single player:

            Most people will say that the graphics are what makes Crysis 2 but for me the game play is really its standout characteristic. There are just so many options when it comes to dealing with encounters with the enemy. You can choose to go stealth and sneak around quietly taking out enemies one by one, you can armor up and go in guns blazing and blast apart targets, or you could just throw an object to distract the soldiers and slip by avoiding the conflict entirely. Another cool game play element is the ability to customize your weapons on the fly changing them to fit the situation you're in. Similar to the weapon customization you can buy and use different suit enhancements to help you in combat. You buy the suit upgrades by using nano catalyst you pick up from aliens you've killed. Fighting the aliens is a nice change of pace after facing CELL Operatives. The aliens are smart and will try to flank you in order to take you out. One of the most satisfying things is sneaking up behind an alien and executing a stealth kill on it. The game also has a strong standing with re-playability, with hidden collectables and finding more gun attachments you will be able to have fun for a while.

Multiplayer:

            Crysis 2's multiplayer mode is very entertaining. It has certain similarities too other major games that are already out right now but that is a good thing. You get experience and level up unlocking new dog tags (emblems), weapons, and custom classes. There is a wide variety of standard game modes to choose form and a great selection of beautiful maps. The game is very fast paced seeing as every player is equipped with a nano suit. I found the kill streak system very exemplary. When you kill a player they drop dog tags which when you pick up count towards your kill streaks. The kill streaks are not over powered and its fair because everybody has the same ones. There is also a lot of customization you can do on your classes. You get to upgrade your guns with attachments and you can also buy new suit modules to increase your effectiveness. The game play itself revolves around how you use your suits energy. You can go into armor mode which makes you tougher to kill, stealth mode which makes you almost invisible but still able to be spotted, or you can use your energy on sprinting and high jumping. Managing your energy consumption is very crucial. Overall the multiplayer is a satisfying experience.

Graphics:

            Crysis 2 is one of the best looking games around. The graphics are very crisp and attractive. The environments are all very nice to look at and experience. New York City itself is displayed in great detail. I would find myself exposing my character to incoming fire just to go check out a car or building. There are only two minor gripes I have. The shadows can be a pixilated mess when viewed up close and the character models are a little on the uncreative side. Other than that Crysis 2 lives up to the hype in the graphics department.

Sound:

            The sound design is top notch. From the rumbling of a collapsing high rise, to the sound of enemy rounds whizzing by your head, all the sounds are very clear. One important thing to me is the sound of the guns when you shoot them. I like to feel like a bad ass when I'm clearing a room with a thunderous LMG or hear the quiet snap of a my silenced sniper as I head shot an enemy on another rooftop and that’s where it delivers.

Overall:

            Crysis 2 is a great game and I recommend it to anyone who likes FPSs and is looking for the next best game in the genre.

Story: 7

Game play: 9

Graphics: 9.5

Sound: 9.5

Overall: 8.7 

Nintendo 3DS

Developer: Nintendo

Rating: N/A

Reviewer: Christian

            The 3D revolution is finally in full swing throughout the gaming market. We have brand new wallet burning 3D televisions, 3D enabled gaming, and even movies are starting to jump in on the craze. Then on top of all that as of March 27 in the U.S. and March 25 in the UK we have seen the first full glasses less 3D support in a handheld device with the launch of Nintendo's 3DS. Which they hope will be the next big thing after their money printing DS and Wii hardware.

            I personally go the first 3DS here over at 8BO and have been playing some games, and checking out its features for about a week now and felt a review was in order. If you already picked it up then you know the 3D does work and most of Nintendo's promised features were delivered on day one.  The system itself is built with a similar ultra durable plastic as with their DS lite and DSi models. The system as a whole feels relatively sturdy when being held and won't be breaking anytime soon unless that is your goal. The device is built with a very very similar layout to its older siblings. The directional pad, A, B, X, Y buttons, 2 screens , the shoulder buttons… you get the idea. This system however has plenty more to it. With a sliding analog control stick, motion and gyro sensor, 3D camera, adjustable stylus, backwards compatibility  and the new placement of the power, start, and select button added alongside the new Home button.

            With the home button functions similarly to when you would just tap the power button on the DSi. It takes you back to your main screen where you can choose from one of the many options the device enables you to do.  These new features are the mii creation tool,  camera, street pass mode,  mii plaza,  AR Games (augmented reality games),  the Face Raiders mini game, and much more to come. The mii modes are exactly what they sound like although you have done it all before the mii creation tool is still a key aspect to most of your first party Nintendo software. The AR games allow you to place cards that came with the system on a flat surface and watch the world change right before your eyes through the DS screen. It features target based games as well as viewable 3D models of your favorite Nintendo icons.  Last, but not least the face raiders game allows you to take a picture of anyone including yourself or a picture of a picture. It then takes that picture and renders it into the character models used within this AR style shooter where an onslaught of faces is coming after you. Your goal is to knock them back with tennis balls.

           

            Beyond the built in software however the system is (at launch) lacking any real motivating software for you to buy. The reviews on other sites have all shown these games as mediocre at best, with Nintendo falling really low with its current presence on the system. This is intentional however. Nintendo did not want to pull away from 3rd party games sales right off the bat. Their reason is simple, stealing sales also takes away from the 3rd party developer's drive to create for the platform and in the long run would hurt sales of the 3DS and all the first party software as well.           

            At this point the only games we have out here at 8BO are Super Monkey Ball 3D, Pilot Wings Resort, and Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition. All of which are not horrible by any stretch of the imagination, but aren’t the most compelling titles either. Especially when you look back at where the DS is currently sitting with its software lineup. It may be difficult to convince many to take the leap of faith into this new hardware update. All in all I give the 3DS as a system an A+ for everything it has added onto the already solid hardware of the traditional DS systems. With the built in software, the first party games currently in development, and other features like an internet browser soon to come it is hard to call device anything but magnificent. Then again on the Software launch titles I will give it my personal C- while comparing it to the other more recent hardware launches. 

Features:9.8

Build Style: 9

Launch Titles: 4.5

Expectations Matched: 8.9

Overall: 9.4 

Minecraft (Beta)

Developer: Mojang

Rating: Rating Pending (esti. E)

Reviewer: Christian

            Ever wonder where the mystery and wonder that gaming once used to be filled to the brim with has gone? Well it's not gone. It has just all collected into one man's indie project turned indie gaming masterpiece.  With a world of creativity imagined by a man we know as Notch (Markus Persson) and developed by his team at Mojang, we gain one of the most creative games of the past decade.

            On the surface Minecraft looks to be a crudely rendered world of games past. However this charming title will soon have you praising the choice in art direction and how it all flows with the simplicity and then again overall depth of the game. Booting up Minecraft  for the first time is something to behold as you choose to create a new world and the system itself randomly develops a seemingly infinite world for you to explore. The games most basic features are also some of its longest lasting. You can harvest resources and build whatever your little blocky heart desires.  We have seen wondrous and gigantic (not even beginning to truly explain the size of some constructions) features from 8-bit portraits of characters from gaming's past, castles, and even 1:1 scale replicas of anything from full maps of games like legend of zelda or the Pokémon games from the game boy color era. Just the other day I even saw a 1:1 scale replica of the USS Enterprise of Star Trek fame. I however never watched the series, but no matter what your taste in shows, movies, and game you find that there is much more to this game than meets the eye.

            Along with its building mechanics the game offers some other options. Whether it's just exploring above or below the worlds surface in search for precious ores, fighting for your survival against one or many of the game's mobs (or enemy creatures),  or testing out the multiplayer features in online survival mode there is much to do and experience in this indie game. Accompanying the game play is a light hearted ambient music that has a nice flow with the game. However more epic and suspenseful pieces would be a nice addition whenever being chased by the monsters.

            Although the graphics and fighting mechanics may seem simplistic from the beginning, you will soon find yourself fully immersed in this world that is truly yours for the taking. Bringing more creativity to the gaming industry than many games have in the past five to ten years. We fully suggest you at least check out this game's free trials at "minecraft.net".  A full review of the game once it is completed will be posted, however at this time the Beta is in session. The game is cheap at only €14.95 or $20.94  for the time being with all updates up to launch being free. We highly suggest you check it out before its launch price is hit at €20.00 or $28.02

Graphics: 8

Game play: 9.5

Re-playability: 10

Sound: 7.5

Overall: 8.8