Alan Wake's American Nightmare (Review)

Up until this latest Alan Wake title I have been pretty pleased with down loadable titles whether it be on Xbox Live or Playstation Network. We have seen some great releases of past hits and classics like NFL Blitz or Daytona USA to name a few. I would also like to mention the original titles Fat Princess and Stacking which kept me happily busy, but still something seemed missing. All the while I just could not shake the feeling that these down loadable titles games were great and all but missed the knockout punch that comes with a killer retail release. This all changed for me within the first 15 minutes of Alan Wake's American Nightmare.

I was a massive fan of the first Alan Wake title and played it through enjoying almost every moment. Remedy had a lot of responsibility because the fans like myself loved the story style and gameplay which seemed to mesh so well. This game is not a direct sequel to the 2010 smash hit but more side story that is explored following the conclusion of the first game. Alan again is the main character still plagued by the nightmare of his own creation. He is trapped in an episode of Night Springs, which is the in game version of a favorite we all know as Twilight Zone. Alan had written this episode long before he became the accomplished writer we saw in the past.

This time around you play as Alan, who is playing The Champion of Light, as the game refers to you throughout. Your arch enemy Mr. Scratch, who is a clean cut murderous version of you, has trapped you in this Nightmare like cycle which you must escape. Escape will come in the form of finding manuscript pages and rewriting the episode to eliminate the Taken and hopefully Mr. Scratch before it is too late.

This should seem pretty familiar to any AW players saddling up for another ride. The campy quirkiness of the first game is here again and will see a little abrupt, maybe even forced, but remember this is a short title and Remedy did not have the same amount of time in game to build as the first game did so well.

Personally I loved the Pacific Northwest location of the first. There is something so much more scary about pine trees and a forest compared to the desert locations of American Nightmare. This did not take away from the game but gave it a sense of being separate from the original as you really had three areas to visit: The motel, a drive in movie theater and an observatory. All carry a similar level of detail as the last game did.

A lot of people were worried that Remedy was going to make the game more action oriented than the last and with good reason, the story was a main focus along with how it unfolded. Wake now has tighter controls when moving and overall his actions look a lot smoother. Wake's duck move has returned and combined with the tighter over all controls, battling a horde of the Taken can be a real treat. We also see the addition of new weapons and enemies. This gave the battles more variety because now we have added brute like enemies, fast moving spiders and even enemies that split in two when shot. Pick your weapon type and go to town. Personally I loved the sawed off shotgun and it sounded great.

At times you are doing a lot of retrieve this item treks, which of course will be littered with different enemies, rinse and repeat. It seems we also stuck to the core of using the flashlight to break down an enemy and then finishing them off with bullets. I had no issue with this in the first title and it is even better now with the revised controls.

If the story mode was not enough for you we also have the Fight Til Dawn mode, which is a horde style mode, where you must remain alive for 10 minutes while battling waves of enemies. You have a total of 5 maps from a grave yard to an oil field that once a single one is defeated the next will unlock. Each level is laid out with weapons and pick ups scattered for use until the sun rises. In order to score high and hopefully make the leader boards you will need to string together kills and score the multipliers.

The concept here is interesting because you have the choice of killing as many enemies as you can to score high and impress the XBLA world, or just skirt the enemies for 10 minutes until the sun comes up and you can move on to the next level. This mode became real heart racing as you frantically scrounge weapons, all while dodging enemies attacks and stringing together kills. This mode will lead to some serious smack talking among those on your friends list, I know it has on mine.

If you loved the first game this one is a no brainer at 15 bucks. The inclusion of the Fight Til Dawn mode is just a bonus really and also shows how you can do something fun without it seeming like a tacked on no interest mode. This game is easily one of the first to give me the same feeling as a retail release or in this case the original AW did. Yes, the story was not the main focus here but with great combat and smooth controls I can hardly complain about anything in this title.

Pros
Improved controls
Fight Til Dawn mode
Same great Alan Wake feel

Cons
Story was co pilot to the action
Campy, quirkiness seemed forced in story

4/5

Look Out Farmville Here Comes The Walking Dead

It seems social games are all the rage these days and AMC's The Walking Dead will not be left out of the loop. This April we will see the undead smash hit light up computer monitors with its very own game. AMC has partnered up with RockYou to create a game for any zombie fan regardless of gaming experience.

The goal of this game will be to survive the zombie apocalypse by destroying walkers (zombies) and keeping your team on the not so dead and roting side. You will see settings from the show and also create your own camps to scavange what is needed to survive. There will also be interaction with different characters from the show that will lead to a unique adventure for each player.

“AMC's The Walking Dead Social Game is a next generation game for social networks.” said Stephen Griffin, CEO of Eyes Wide Games, which is the studio developing the game in conjunction with AMC and Rock You. “It's got deep playability. It's got drama, and it's still approachable for the casual audience. However, if you're a gamer and you've been looking for a deeper game to play and to experience on social networks then this is it.”

So my fellow Walking Dead fanatics, what do you think? Personally I have yet to cave and play a single game on Facebook and that has a lot to do with how annoying the posts and invites are from others. No I don't want a bushel of apples or a can of gas to start my own farm, but thanks for asking. Thanks to The Walking Dead I will now have to eat my words and join all other hardcore Facebook gamers all while making sure to annoy everyone on my friends list with useless updates/requests.

Resident Evil 6 Demo Packaged With Dragon's Dogma

Nothing sells copies of a sub par game like attaching an exclusive demo. This worked wonders for Crackdown's sales when a Halo 3 beta was included with every copy. Capcom has recently seen this move work when they added a demo for Resident Evil: Revelations to Mercenaries for the Nintendo 3DS to increase sales a bit.

Capcom has stated that a token will be included with the retail version of Dragon Dogma, which allows owners to download a demo of the sure to be a hit Resident Evil 6. Xbox 360 gamers worldwide can download the demo on July 3rd while PS3 owners get the shaft and have to wait until September 4th in North America and Japan. The demo will be available to European gamers the following day September 5th.

We have no other information on the demo outside of the inclusion with Dragon's Dogma. Capcom has stated that Dragon's Dogma is now slated for a May 22nd release.

For more info visit:
Www.capcom.co.jp/DD/

Looks like I now have to care about a game that I previously would not have batted an eye at.

Anyone else out there going for this just to score a demo for RE6?

Feel free to tell us about it in the comments.

Review - The Darkness 2 (XBOX 360)

Right out of the gate you know this is going to be a profane and gruesome action packed ride with the opening scene of an attempted hit on your mob empire. This game does a great job of emitting that raw and real feeling I got from movies like Goodfellas or Casino. To some this whole mob story was stereotypical but once you tie in the Darkness and those who seek it, you have an excellent plot that helps propel even the slowest points in this game. So let's take a step into the Darkness and see if this sequel exceeds the great expectations set by the original.

The game opens with you, as again playing Jackie Estacado, who is about to enjoy dinner with some lovely twin hotties when a rival attempts to take out Jackie and his crew. This was a pretty good opening and start to a ride that most are sure to enjoy. Jackie must loosen his harness on the Darkness to find out who hit him at the restaurant and why. The story takes a turn from the mob family bit and heads for occult territory which shows us they seek what is inside Jackie versus his empire, as we initially thought. You will also learn more about the Darkness itself and how the newly introduced Brotherhood who seeks the Darkness fits into the equation.

As with the first game the story is a big plus here, and many times you will find yourself completely engrossed in Jackie's trials and tribulations. You also see that Jackie still spends a good amount of time thinking about his girlfriend Jenny, which he lost in the first game. The flashbacks/ quick time segments with the two can actually blend the line between cinema and game. I found this to be the case in the flashback scene which has Jackie visiting Jenny at work and they share a dance and then it all crumbles to show him the Darkness is just manipulating and messing with him. This was yet another reminder of how badly Jackie is still suffering from the loss of Jenny. I really enjoyed the alternate reality asylum scenes, made me really wonder if I/Jackie were actually going insane. The fact that your whole world of friends including Jenny had different roles from doctor to patient only made the whole asylum bit more believable. I love how the writers did not shy away from the violence and adult nature of the story, but embraced it tastefully much like the last entry in this series. I did not buy this game intending to allow my child to play it because this is not intended for a younger audience, be warned there will be a whole hell of a lot of violence, profanity and nudity, all of which worked perfectly.

I am a massive fan of games that use cell shading like Thirteen or Jet Set Radio did. Digital Extremes went out on a limb going in this direction with the art but was it was well worth it. Some complain that you lose detail with cell shading but in this case I believe the detail has been increased, everything from faces to inanimate objects carried a great level of detail. There is also a decent amount of variety in the characters you will come across in this game. The macho mob personality gets old pretty quick as almost every male character displays it, but I guess that's how it goes with most gangster flicks and such. I did hear a lot of repeated lines though which became annoying fast. If one more NPC ran for cover while calling me a piece of sh*t, I may as well have wiped myself up with a piece of toilet paper. The art is this game gives off such an awesome feel like you are playing an actual comic book. Those who love the style of comics or cell shading should not miss this one.

The game play when boiled down is really a standard first person shooter. It is all the things sprinkled in that makes this a load of fun to play. This is one of the first games I have ever played where you will "quad wield" weapons or abilities. Initially I was very skeptical because it sounded gimmicky and seemed like a lot to handle while in battle but the learning curve is excellent and will have you dismembering and spraying lead in no time. You can actually shoot two weapons at one time and use both Darkness tentacles or use a piece of debris for a shield and shoot one weapon. The variety of ways to kill is actually pretty awesome. I personally loved picking up a random pipe or stick and using it like a spear to impale an enemy. The Darkness also allows you to use the tentacles to perform different kills by grabbing an enemy and pressing the corresponding button on screen. As you advance you will unlock new kills, abilities, perks etc. via a skill tree. Each kill rewards points similar to Bulletstorm's skill shots. You also receive points for finding relics, which can all be used at essence stations to unlock all the new abilities like swarm, which hits the enemy with a swarm of bees or the ability to launch your darkling sidekick at a specific target which he will attack. The skill tree is actually quite varied and will keep you finding a fresh new ability to spend that essence on.

This time around we also see you have one specific darking companion, where as in the last game there were many, which left little personality or interest in them. Our Darking this time around is one vile little thing, with what seems to be a British accent and odd little outfit. At times you will see him peeing on the dead or talking smack as he helps you deal with the swarms of enemies. I found myself laughing out loud more than once at what he was saying or doing. The decision to go with one darkling left me actually caring for the little jerk as we progressed through the game. When Jackie cannot traverse an area you will get a chance to play as this little monster. He has his own kills and abilities which also helps to keep things fresh all while adding another layer to this gem of a title.

A lot of my initial excitement for this title came with the announcement of multi player that would be deeper than the first game. Hey, say all you want at the beginning but this multi player better be more than an after thought like the last one was. Everyone can relax and put the pitchforks or torches away because this multi player exceeds expectations. We now have a 4 player co-op experience versus the competitive game play of the last game. This co-op experience has been dubbed "Vendettas" and runs through the full campaign story.

We get 4 new characters specifically for co-op who have their own unique weapons, skill trees and story ties into the Darkness. There is a Scotsman named Jimmy Wilson who loves the drink and carries a killer axe, A voodoo man by the name of J.P. Dummond who wields a cursed staff, Inugami who carries a cursed katana sword that must be fed by killing and Shoshanna who packs a killer double barrel shotgun for that up close and personal experience. Each of these characters are unique and interesting enough to have you trying them all out until you find the perfect killer or score all those valuable achievements/trophies.

The online game play was really fun and reminded me of a lot of the same experiences I had with Left for Dead, which I absolutely loved. Getting into a match was actually pretty quick and took no more than a few minutes waiting for the player slots to fill. There was also interesting if not down right funny dialog to listen to in the lobby as the four characters interact around a poker table prior to the match starting. As for connection issues, I saw very few and only had one game time out in the few hours I played.

I would consider this game a must buy for any fans of the last. The core elements of the first game bleed perfectly into the second without dragging along the first games' baggage. If I had a gripe it would be the short single player campaign which clocks in somewhere between 6-7 hours. Looking at the first game though if you removed all the mindless crap like pointless side quests and focused on single player, it was also probably 6-7 hours. So I cannot really complain for a game that tells an awesome story with great visuals that kept me fully engaged all the way through. If you need more game to play do not overlook the excellent multi player which will easily extend your stay as you try to complete the various vendettas.

I will gladly take an extended stay in the darkness if this what I get, hell I may even opt to move in.

Pros

Excellent visuals/comic book style.

Very gore filled and adult in nature.

"Quad Wield" is awesome.

Great story.

Awesome multi player.



Cons

Annoying repeated dialog by enemies.

Short single player campaign.




Originally posted by contributor Christopher Young

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (Nintendo 3DS)

Since the 2010 announcement at The Nintendo Conference in Japan I have been very skeptical of The Mercenaries 3D or M3D. So far I have not felt the grab to get a 3DS for a number of reasons like: horrible initial sales, seemed gimmicky, claims of causing headaches etc. I know there are some Mario and Zelda titles out there but I hate paying full retail price for a rehashing with some features tacked on. But when it comes to Resident Evil I am one hell of a sucker and will buy almost any game or movie with RE on it. I even purchased that stinker RE survivor which was a Playstation shooter released mid 2000. Through them all I have had high hopes and some fulfilled while other crashed but my hope was M3D would be different. I mean come on, it marries aspects of Resident Evil 4 and 5 which I loved. Let's take a peek into this one and see if it sinks or swims.

M3D is a third person shooter combing the mercenaries mini games from Resident Evil 4 and 5. So there really is no story here. The basic objective is to take down as many enemies as possible within a given time limit. This for me is not a positive already, because Resident Evil or RE has always carried a rich interesting story albeit sometimes confusing as hell.

The visuals are very good considering the fact you are on a such a small screen. Personally I preferred to play this title without the 3D on so I could play at an angle versus straight on. The 3D also seemed to disorient me to the point where I had to take a break or I would end up with a headache. I did not have this issue with any other games I tried. The character animations seemed to function as required whether you were being stalked or popping off shots. There is a nice selection of characters from different R.E. titles to choose from with alternate costumes and what not. I did appreciate the ability to upgrade my characters skills as I progressed through the game.

There was also a decent amount of slow down when multiple enemies appeared on screen or something was being blown up. I expected this going in because I had seen this in the past on other Nintendo hand held devices. All of your action is displayed on the upper screen while maps, inventory, etc are on the lower touch screen. I was really hoping for some action on both screens but once again was not shocked to see the usual layout for the screens. The levels are very vanilla and often kinda boring when compared to some of the locales this title borrows from.

The controls stayed in line with what we have come to expect from the series. Personally I felt a lot of frustration in trying to get my character to move his ass without getting it bit off in most of the levels. I am also trying to adjust to using the nub on the system as the last DS I owned did not have this control option. There are also some different control options/schemes in the start menu.

One of my major draws to this game was the online play via WI-FI which promised some intense CO OP action along with new modes and different characters from the R.E. universe. That all sounds pretty kick ass huh? Oh, well too bad I could not find one damn person playing the game to even demo the online piece. I have attempted to find sessions at different times of the day with no luck. With no one playing it online chances are I would have been less than impressed anyway. The other major draw was the demo included for Resident Evil Revelations. You play as Jill Valentine in the demo investigating a ship that seems empty but something has taken it over. The demo was mostly walking around and almost no action. I will not give it away for those who are still looking to play it. What has two thumbs and feels pretty screwed over by the demo? This guy! I just expected more from this because of how rich the R.E. history really is.

Overall this is a decent attempt at ringing a few more bucks out of the rabid fan base that keeps this series hyped. I prefer to call this title a mode as it is really not a game on it's own feet but more a mode borrowed from previous games in the series. If you are a fan of R.E. like I am and own a 3DS chances are you have already played this or will be soon. If this game was sold for less than 20 dollars I would be a lot more inclined to recommend it, but at 40 dollars I have to yell rip off. 

Pros:

Visuals 

R.E. characters/levels of past

Skills/upgrade system

Cons:

Wi-Fi play or lack there of

Slowdown on screen

Realizing you spent 40 bucks for a demo (Should have been a tacked on mode for R.E. Revelations)

Originally posted by contributor Christopher Young

Review - Splatterhouse (XBOX 360)

Very rarely do I feel I missed the boat on playing a game when it is initially released. Unfortunately, like most I am drawn to the over hyped and over marketed triple A titles, which leads to gems like Splatterhouse flying well under my radar. I have plugged countless quarters into the arcade originals and even worked a few summers to save up for that Turbo Graphics 16 which led to my love for the series. So, lets go ass to couch and eyes to screen for the long overdue review of Splatterhouse for the Xbox 360.

We are back in the game as Rick, the nerdy anti hero we all grew up loving in the series. Rick's smoking hot damsel in distress Jen is on her way to interview a Dr. West about his current work as a scientist. The story is told mostly in flash backs throughout the game but we get the gist at the start. Jen has been captured by West at their arrival and Rick was attacked. Almost dead, Rick picks up a talking Mayan mask from a sarcophagus he broke moments before. The mask convinced him that by wearing it he can avoid death and save his little hottie in the process. On goes the mask and off we are into a world of gore, profanity and metal music.If you have played more than 2 minutes of this game you will first notice the adult nature of things in Rick's personal hell. You will be blasted with profanity pretty much the entire time and that is on top if the gore, nudity and perversion that runs clear through this title. **Parents be warned if you blind buy this for your kids and they come to dinner calling you a tit mouse and threating their siblings with anal spikes, it's your own damn fault.**

For me all of the above was perfectly paced and made me laugh out loud more than a few times. If you don't laugh the first time you slam an enemy into an "anal impalement chair and they are carted into a blazing inferno, this game may not be for you. Hell, the game itself makes fun of getting an M rating. I believe all of these things led to the lack of media push and buzz that most titles of this caliber get. I could quickly name five or more 2010 titles that received way more press and praise then they ever deserved but we all know how the business goes when it comes to titles like this. Had it been another title with rap music and 50 cent glorifying the gangsta way of life, MTV would have ran a clip every 29 minutes. This crap always irks me a little bit but I digress.The characters were all top notch. They really put a lot into the characters visually and it shows each time you face a new boss. The Voltron like doll stands out for me from the end of chapter 3 as a really creative and creepy character. I loved how Rick visually showed physical damage with bones showing and flesh torn. Consume a little blood and BAM Rick was like brand new. The weaker enemies were repetitive and pretty predictable as are most in these God of War type games. The levels all felt pretty linear with little area for exploration when it came to finding these elusive torn up pictures of Jen, some even nude. GASP!

All too often soundtracks are either overlooked or just plain don't work. The music over all was paced almost perfectly to the action as you ripped apart the enemies and consumed their blood. The inclusion of actual bands songs was also a plus here, and being metal fit the story and action perfectly. Hearing Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch kick in as I am about to rip a demon apart only jacked me up more for the task at hand. If metal is not your thing get this title on Xbox 360 and play a custom soundtrack so all you Yanni fans can kill to the beat. Sound effects also seemed to work well and happen as planned without drowning or overpowering other sounds. The voice acting for the main characters was good and helped deliver believable performances when needed. The mask itself is almost comedy gold at times and makes you laugh when things get serious.

Between the controls and camera I could have busted about 11 controllers and rewrote the dictionary of profanity. The platforming elements in this game, namely the jumping, were a bust. Why the hell would you expect this hulking, slow walking monster to spring through 7 or so jumps when the mechanic itself barely works? I must have fell to my death a 100 times only leading to more frustration and that damn 30 second load screen each time. Also, if you are going to have a load screen that long and possibly that often, please have something more than a 5 second clip of a beast/enemy snarling over and over. I turned it off more than once for the pure fact I was sick of dying and having to see that damn loading sequence. The other game controls worked pretty smoothly. I especially liked the combat which also reminded me of the God of War series. You will earn blood for killing, and the more gruesome the more blood you bank to purchase new moves and upgrades. The blood also heals Rick and is used for special moves when he goes into a type of rage mode via the mask. You must learn how to use this rage because without it, getting out of the first act could be impossible. There are also a decent amount of bugs and glitches throughout the campaign. I noticed plenty of disappearing items that would reappear, which can really screw you in battle when you need a weapon. The camera also left me "high and dry" plenty of times. I don't know what games they took the camera cue from but it plain just did not work and led to more broken controllers and profanity when enemies come up behind you and killed you in a hit or two (I am looking directly at you neon blue skeleton jerk).

There is no multi-player to be seen on this title and I am perfectly fine with that. Too many developers tack on shoddy multi-player elements or spend too much time on multi-player and the single player campaign suffers. If there was a multi-player option personally I would have played Co-op Ala Dead Island style. Do not fret though we have replayability in the form of arenas. In these levels you have to survive 20 waves per arena to consider it passed. Passing these also unlocks secret objectives and other pictures of Jen for all you pervs.... me included. This is where I saw the most glitches ever. On the second arena I must have had an enemy glitch on me and stick on screen unable to be killed 3 different times. This is an issue because the next wave of enemies could not attack and the match would go on forever.

Overall this kicks some serious ass and was easily one of the best horror titles, if not the best of 2010. Even with the camera, glitches and sometimes shoddy mechanics I would recommend this to any horror fan. If you can find a copy now it should not run you more than a cool 20 bucks. At that cost this ride is well worth seeking out and taking for a spin.

Pros
Slick visuals
Awesome combat/moves
Great soundtrack
Includes all three original titles in the series

Cons
Damn camera
Constant loading screens
Glitches

Review - Rise of Nightmares (XBOX 360)

Ever since the Xbox 360 Kinect hardware was announced my imagination ran wild thinking of all the different horror themes and how the Kinect versions of them would play out. I mean can you imagine a Saw game where you are in the trap and have to release yourself with real world movement?!?! Fast forward to the end of summer and you will see Kinect owners drowning in a sea of party games and sports/action titles. Along comes Rise of Nightmares promising new game play that did not involve a sport and was horror themed. Imagine my excitement after seeing a few videos of these playing. Did R.O.N go the distance and breath some life into a rather stale game assortment for Kinect owners? Does it take the survival horror genre in a whole new direction with an all new layer of game play? Kinda of and kind of not. Read on for "the skinny" when it comes to Sega's latest foray into horror.

Right off the bat this game screams House of the Dead in not only game play, but voice acting, art, and almost everything else. This is not a bad thing because I loved the series, but did hope R.O.N would not be an exact rip off, and it was not. The story is so so and pretty basic. You play as Josh who is on a trip with his girlfriend Kate, who busts his alcoholic ass before the train can crash. And you start the search for a missing Kate. You will interact with others from time to time, all of which felt really stereotypical and once again reminded me of characters from Sega's House of the Dead.The levels are broken out into 10 acts much like another shoot em up Sega title (Ahem.. House of the Dead). The level design was a lot better than I expected and the enemies were varied enough to keep your eyeballs into it. A decent amount of time went into the design of the enemies and some like the zombies look awesome, while other filler types like cyborgs looked cheap. The sound was nothing super awesome but did the trick and voice acting was as expected being on par with House of the Dead.

Oh the flipping controls. Thank god I did not have an actual controller in my hand or it would have went from one to one thousand pieces before act 3. I had plenty of issues while in "flailing combat" where Josh would just start going backward or forward. In battle this was easily the most frustrating thing I found in the game. I did get a little better later on by making my movements more of a lunge, versus the step a normal human would take. The addition of an auto-walk button was a god sent at times but felt like they knew something was broken and just offered a band-aid versus a repair. Recalibrating the sensor did nothing to remedy the movement. Luckily the robust weapon choices and gore filled combat made the trip through each act doable.The Kinect has very little in the way of games that rock outside of the genres already mentioned. If you like the House of the Dead series, as I do, you would be a miss to not at least rent this title. It would also give your Kinect a break from make believe pets and boring ass party games. I really hope to see more developers embrace the Kinect and take a chance at making something different. If it is fun and engaging I have no issue standing all day and flailing like a sweaty fool.

originally posted by contributor Christopher Young