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Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon [Review]

Submitted by Casey White on Tue, 04/30/2013 - 15:25
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Overall Feeling: 

Blood Dragons is a love-letter to b-movie sci-fi films from the 1980s. It is genius in its satirical take on the iconic sub-culture of the material itself as well as video games in general. Fans of action movies, the 80s, satire, or just goofy action games in general will fall in love with this game before the tutorial is completed.

The Pros: 

+Great sense of humor. 

+Sense of loyality its inspiration (80s action films).

+Same great gameplay of its predecessor (Far Cry 3). 

+Stunning visuals (both the neon in-game, and the 16-bit cut-scenes).

The Cons: 

-Character customization has been almost completely removed to make way for a straight forward leveling system (earn a level, get a new game-choosen ability).

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
10

Far Cry: Blood Dragon is a perfect, or rather the only, example of what fans of the 80s sci-fi/action b-movie genre have been hoping for out of video games for about the last 30 years. Of course that’s a pretty ridiculous standard for Ubisoft to try and live up to… but it was refreshing to see how serious, or rather not-serious, the team building the game took the project.

Star Trek: The Game [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 04/30/2013 - 11:15
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Overall Feeling: 

Dull, repetitive, and lifeless. These are words I would’ve never associated with the Star Trek franchise but they perfectly encapsulate the experience that’s to be had in Star Trek: The Game.  As a companion piece to the movies there may be an ounce of enjoyment to be had since the film cast actually reprises their roles, with some actual luster and energy to boot, yet that isn’t enough to save a game that feels dated and like it missed every ounce of potential it held. 

The Pros: 

+ The film cast does a good job retaining the vibe found in their theatrical performances, especially that of Chris Pine.
+ Some of the locales do provide a nice visual style worthy of the Trek franchise.
+ Music is absolutely stunning.
+ If you ever wanted a co-op Star Trek game then now you have it.

The Cons: 

- Levels drag on endlessly and it doesn’t help that the actual variety is low.
- Visuals are below average and fail to convey the style found in the movies.
- Gameplay is dull and overly repetitive.
- A.I., both that of the companion character and enemies, is shoddy and often glitch prone.
- Story is passable, but has some major weak points and an enemy that’s nothing more than a tool rather than an integral narrative component.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
4

For the last sixty years we’ve had the Star Trek franchise as a key part of our culture, or at least our pop/geek culture.  Starting off small in a TV series that was in some cases ahead of its time, which is partly why it got the boot, Star Trek has gone on to become a major element of both the sci-fi world and genre TV in general.  Now rebooted under the direction of J.J.

Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Thu, 04/18/2013 - 17:54
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Overall Feeling: 

Failing to build upon any of the established game mechanics or possible narrative elements that could’ve been explored, The Devil’s Cartel is an empty game that features some passable shooting which is plagued by lackluster controls, scenarios that feel repetitive, and a lack of any replayability outside of earning more cash to buy pointless upgrades and superfluous wardrobe changes.  Instead of improving on things we simply have a game that has somehow regressed and in turn assures that the Army of Two franchise will die with a whimper rather than going out with a bang like a true boss.

The Pros: 

+ Action is somewhat passable on a very base level.
+ Campaign is short so it’s easy to blow through in an afternoon and gain a hefty amount of Trophies/Achievements.
+ There’s a button/mechanic that allows you to blow stuff up. BIG EXPLOSIONS!

The Cons: 

- Plot is silly and characters lack any true chemistry or likeable traits.
- Action scenarios get repetitive due to shallow game mechanics.
- Glitches and random crashes are abound.
- Visuals boast a diversified color palette, but the fidelity is poor and borders on below average at times.
- Big Boi and B.o.B are in this game. Why?  What purpose do they have?

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
5

Sometimes even the best game concepts can result in an experience that’s completely and utterly stupid.

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Fri, 04/12/2013 - 04:58
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Overall Feeling: 

Developed with the best of intentions, it’s clear that Terminal Reality wanted to do something special in The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct but couldn’t under the guise of the powers that be.  Such a scenario has ultimately resulted in a game that has interesting elements such as survival gameplay which includes survivors who can be left to die or thrive, but such a thing is coupled with dull level design and combat that is clunky and poorly designed.  Fans of The Walking Dead will likely be disappointed with what Survival Instinct does, but those wanting to experience a different type of zombie FPS should at least rent the game or pick it up once it’s in the $5 bargain bin.

The Pros: 

+ Norman Reedus delivers a solid voice performance as Daryl Dixon.
+ Some of the survival gameplay/survivor elements are interesting.
+ The game is short.

The Cons: 

- Combat is painfully dull and doesn’t feel that good.
- Level design is built around fetch quests that have contradictory design logic.
- Graphics are way below average.
- This isn’t the game fans of the series deserve.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
4

When a video game is bad word quickly spreads about just how terrible it truly is. In this social media powered era it’s somewhat shocking that in a span of a day or two the reputation of a game, or developer in the case of Sweet Billy, can be tarnished since gamers are indeed an ever chatty and analytical bunch.

The Last of Us: American Dreams - Issue 1 [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 13:32
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Overall Feeling: 

Expanding upon the lore of The Last of Us, American Dreams delivers a brilliant narrative focused on character building and making us, the readers, immediately care about what’s going on.  Presented with some beautiful art that blends an element of style with reality without ever going over the edge, it’s nice to receive a comic that simply isn’t a marketing tool.  It may be too early to peg The Last of Us: American Dreams as a breakout hit of 2013, but as of now the comic is certainly on the path of such a thing if the first issue is indicative of the overall quality of the series.

The Pros: 

+ Writing is perfect in the tone it captures.
+ Faith Erin Hick’s art style really creates a wonderful mood in the game along with being nice to look at.
+ The story isn’t being too obvious in laying out clues or point blank telling us the history of everything.

The Cons: 

- This was only the first issue and I want more immediately.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

Taking something from one medium to another is by no means an easy feat nor is it one that results in immediate success.  At times some rather brilliant moves can be done when a film/TV show is expanded upon by becoming a novel or something else, yet most of the time it’s obvious we’re only receiving a franchise expansion as a means of a marketing tool.

The Art of Bioshock Infinite [Product Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Wed, 03/27/2013 - 08:11
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Overall Feeling: 

Fans of BioShock Infinite won’t want to miss this chance to take an inside look at what Irrational Games sought to achieve with their latest project and what sadly made the cutting room floor. Featuring images that are truly beautiful, The Art of BioShock Infinite features an amazing glimpse at the creative process of video game design leading up to when everything is in a playable form.  With a hearty amount of pages and a manageable price tag, gamers and lovers of video game art owe it to themselves to pick up The Art of BioShock Infinite.

The Pros: 

+ Layout is perfect since it features plenty of full-page art highlights.
+ Nice amount of focus on concepts that aren’t in the final game.
+ Brilliant art from beginning to end.
+ Price is very reasonable for the content that’s provided.

The Cons: 

- A bit light on the full creative process and development stories.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
10

Going through the creative process of a video game is always fun since so much stuff occurs during the three or sometimes five year cycle a game may be in active development.  If we can notice key differences when a game appears at an event like E3 and then finally hits retail then what could’ve gone on during a more extended time period?

God of War: Ascension [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Sat, 03/16/2013 - 07:51
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Overall Feeling: 

Once again technically impressive, the ever amazing visuals can’t save God of War: Ascension from being a rather tepid and disappointing game.  Lacking a true sense of soul and direction, Ascension seems to be all over the place with pacing that never finds its footing, combat that is riddled with small issues that prevent it from feeling refined or evolved, and a story that literally does nothing to advance or deepen the existing God of War mythos.  Aside from a surprisingly deep and fun multiplayer mode, this latest entry in the God of War series sadly shows major franchise fatigue that will likely have the biggest fans of Kratos disappointed with what has been delivered to them.

The Pros: 

+ Beautifully rendered worlds with varied art design.
+ Set-piece moments are impressive for their sheer size and scope.
+ Voice acting is solid as always, even in the case of Kratos being scaled back.
+ Multiplayer mode is implemented well and is rather addicting.

The Cons: 

- Pacing feels uneven and in some cases comes across as padded to lengthen the experience.
- Story is disappointing as it fails to expand the lore and further build up Kratos as a character.
- Combat feels uneven due to weak sub-systems and frustrating enemy habits.
- A lot of the puzzles and even the boss battles feel like they’re on autopilot since there’s no spirit to them.
- Sound design is horrendous and the soundtrack is lackluster compared to the works of Gerard K. Marino.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
7

The ever fierce warrior that is Kratos has returned for battle once again, yet this time the adventure he embarks on isn’t as memorable as his past efforts. As gamers I think we always have a lingering fear in the back of our minds that one of our favorite franchises may grow tiring, even if it maintains a level of quality that puts other titles to shame.  Rarely do we see top-tier games fall into a rut of things seeming complacent, but with God of War: Ascension such a thing is apparent in a game that despite the stunning visuals feels a bit stale and simply tired.

Tomb Raider Signature Series and Limited Edition Strategy Guides from BradyGames [Product Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 11:09
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Overall Feeling: 

The action may be the forefront of this latest reimagining of the Tomb Raider franchise, but there are still plenty of secrets to find and the new strategy guides from BradyGames do an excellent job at making the quest both easier and more manageable.  Filled with information that is actually useful to the quest provided by the game, the strategy guides may be a more old-school way of tackling things but they’re nonetheless effective compared to more modern offerings.

The Pros: 

+ Layout of the guide is easy to read and is presented well thanks to good in-game screenshots.
+ Specific breakdowns of enemies, weapons, and multiplayer abilities is nice.
+ Tagged maps do an excellent job at showing where every secret on Yamatai is.

The Cons: 

- The Limited Edition guide is missing some of the more unique extra content one usually associates with BradyGames past efforts.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

No matter how long we’ve been playing games for, there always comes a time in which we’re utterly stumped once we come across a particular section.  While the possibility of entering a cheat code may have entered the minds of gamers during the heyday of items such as the Game Genie or the Game Shark, one ever trusty standby has come in the form of strategy guides.

Tomb Raider [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Mon, 03/11/2013 - 09:14
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Overall Feeling: 

The direction may be new and somewhat unexpected, but the experience delivered in Tomb Raider is one that is thoroughly enjoyable and doesn’t stray away from the essence of the franchise so much that it’s only a Tomb Raider game in name only.  Filled with unexpected moments that are exciting to experience, Tomb Raider is a well-crafted game that goes in some interesting directions all while maintaining and evolving the core elements of the Tomb Raider franchise.

The Pros: 

+ Atmosphere on the island is superb thanks to some stunning visuals and art direction.
+ Lara controls wonderfully as she doesn’t feel too automated whilst platforming.
+ Combat sections feel cohesive and feature different ways to tackle things.
+ Narrative is good in providing believable characters and building the mythos of the universe.

The Cons: 

- Certain parts of Lara’s character could’ve been built up better.
- QTE scenarios are hit and miss.
- Multiplayer mode is rather terrible and seems tacked on.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
8

When something becomes legendary it’s often for good reason. Whether it’s in the mediums of literature, film/TV, or in this case video games, the connection made within an experience and the immediate appeal of it is often what helps propel something to a level that people often dream of. 

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance [Review]

Submitted by Ian Fisher on Tue, 03/05/2013 - 07:09
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Overall Feeling: 

Keeping a few of the longstanding Metal Gear elements such as stealth, cardboard boxes, and hidden posters of Gravure models, Metal Gear Rising injects an amazing amount of personality and gameplay depth to the franchise.  Platinum Games clearly have molded the new exploits of Raiden around their strong suit of dazzling action, but the studio has done an excellent job at making the combat accessible yet skillful all while not forsaking everything by making it too easy.  There may be a few minor rough spots here and there, but Metal Gear Rising is a simply brilliant game that easily ranks as one of the best games in the Metal Gear franchise.

The Pros: 

+ Zandatsu mechanics and combat offer some amazing scenarios due to the amount of depth that’s provided.
+ Boss battles offer some nice variety and stunning combat choreography.
+ Controls are perfect since nothing is complicated or clunky.
+ Special graphical effects such as chopping stuff up is convincing and looks cool.
+ Plot has some good character flourishes all while featuring the standard serious Metal Gear narrative.
+ Voice acting is a bit corny in some spots but it works since each character is memorable.

The Cons: 

- Camera is a bit too close to Raiden which results in it being difficult to view everything.
- Enemy lock-on could use some work.
- Some of the environments look a bit drab and are missing a sense of character.

ShogunGamer.com Rating : 
9

One of the many goals of any video game is to immerse the player into the experience.  Usually the key thing a development team often strives for, immersion within a game is not an easy goal to achieve since there are so many factors to take into consideration.  With things such as the narrative, gameplay, and visuals to take into account, making the player feel truly connected to the character they’re controlling is something that truly sets the great developers apart from the rest.

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