User Reviews

All Reviews by ViciousJ

Europa Universalis III - PC

Europa Universalis III

Europa Universalis III, like its forerunners, covers the early modern period in a day-by-day real-time turn-based mode from the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the start of the French Revolution in 1789. Unlike other games in the series, the developers have let users select the date they would like to start a new game on - resulting in historically accurate monarchs, existing countries, boundaries and easily allowing players access to a period or event they'd like to partake in. Many of the game's core fundamentals have been redesigned, the most significant being the movement away from strict historical observance and towards a system of fluid dynamics. Although lacking some of the informative aspects of the old system, it has the distinct advantage of removing scripted events and instead having events occur automatically and in a dynamic fashion. Nations can therefore mold themselves far more realistically as time goes by. Several other changes have allowed the furtherance of personality within your selected nation. First, as your nation increases its knowledge, progressively more advanced forms of government become available. Also, with the introduction of 'National Ideas', you may further specialize nations and allow them unique advantages; for example you may adopt the Scientific Revolution and receive reduced technology costs. For Better or Worse? PROTIP: If you've got the resources, stake your claim in the New World and grab the best provinces first. One of the weaknesses the series suffered in the first two iterations was its model of land and naval warfare. Europa Universalis III manages to improve to a small extent by copying many ideas seen in other Paradox games. Land combat is now organized around the regimental system, and your technology will advance with research. Naval combat has likewise improved and now nets players captured prizes. Despite these additions, both forms of combat are largely hands off and determined by numerics rather than skill. In a major change from previous games, Paradox has ditched the half-decade old graphics engine in favor of a totally new 3D engine. Unfortunately, it's sometimes best to stick with what you've already got; textures and units are now muddy and lacking detail, while province borders are jagged messes. There are some improvements however, as many of the overlays prove more adept at conveying critical pieces of information, such as what provinces are disputed. Sequels often forsake innovation to become cash grabs, but Paradox Interactive has certainly not taken this path with Europa Universalis III. While it covers the same ground, there has been enough of a shift from the old roots to ensure the experience stays fresh while maintaining the features that have made the series the premier example of grand strategy on the PC today.

Death Jr. 2: Root of Evil - PSP

Death Jr. 2

Gigantic waffles and an ocean of acidic syrup. Chickens that shoot lasers Cyclops style, llama farms, and massive hamsters. Best of all, a flame-thrower that launches fiery toilet paper. Sound enticing? Well, you got it all in the fabulous world of Death Jr. 2: Root of Evil on the PSP. Death Jr. 2's unhindered creativity, amazing art direction, and dark humor make it a unique PSP experience. Death Jr. and his quirky buddies are back for another adventure in this up and coming game when they accidentally release a Hulk-like evil spirit. Unfortunately, this time, the spirit takes Evil-Plus supplements that make it especially formidable. Madness and Mayhem PROTIP: Ice your enemies with your freeze-gun and smash them to smithereens before they thaw! PROTIP: Ice your enemies with your freeze-gun and smash them to smithereens before they thaw! The game smoothly combines FPS elements with platform action for fun play. The updated camera system allows you to rotate views and get a better view of your enemies and surroundings. The graphic elements are top-notch (especially the flashy particle effects). Added to the vivid artwork of the course layouts and a groovy soundtrack, Death Jr. 2 is a treat to the senses. Unlike its predecessor, Death Jr. 2 now has the improved option to play the game as either Death Jr. or Pandora. This allows for a two-player mode where each player can pick one of the two. The game experience differs depending on which character you choose. Pandora carries a whip as a melee weapon and can nimbly cross narrow paths while Death Jr., with his multi-purpose scythe, can swing across gaps and slide down ropes at a faster pace. Both characters can learn multiple melee attack combinations as well as create their own long-range weapons depending on the materials you collect in each level. There are a total of eight weapons for each character. Weapons are diverse and include freeze guns, flamethrowers, gas mines, electric guns, and rocket launchers. As an added plus, both Pandora and Death Jr. can perform hover jumps. By pressing X twice, they can twirl their melee weapons in the air for a long distance leap. Take out your enemies with a crack of Pandora's whip. Take out your enemies with a crack of Pandora's whip. Death Jr. 2 is definitely a game that works for those of you who just love hacking at things. Levels spawn swarms of enemies with complex AI that keep coming at you unless you attack their regeneration area. The creative randomness of the enemies is delightful. After all, not too many games have llamas, chickens, hamsters, gorillas, possessed trees, gigantic centipedes, and mechanical spiders going for you all at once. These situations give good reason to master the attack combinations gained through experience. The unique blend of wonderfully bizarre settings and enemies make Death Jr.'s return a fresh gaming experience. It's Nightmare Before Christmas meets Alice in Wonderland. Prepare yourself for one crazy trip.

Elebits - Wii

Elebits

What is Elebits? Is it like a game or something. Or is it a movie? Well I don't own the Wii and I don't plan to get it so I guess I'll never find out.

Thrillville - Xbox

Thrillville

The concept behind Thrillville is appealing: take an amusement park simulation, marry it to a simple interface and wrap it around a deep management system. You start out by inheriting a theme park and your job is to maintain and improve it. You can build food stalls, games, and rides, including roller coasters which you can fully customize. You can also run around the park on foot and ride any attraction or play the games. A huge obstacle of building/management games is making the management not feel like a chore. In Thrillville, not only do the individual tasks feel like chores, but navigating the menus is inconvenient and lacking in helpful text. When selecting a build mission, text describes the specific stall or ride you are supposed to build. Once you go further into the menus, there is nothing showing the item's name, so if you forget it, you have to go back several pages, find the tiny text within a paragraph, then go back to the build menu again. Sometimes, you select a build mission, and a window pops up telling you that you need to exit out of your current menu, then switch over to the separate build menu. PROTIP: If a track doesn't connect from beginning to end, the coaster stays closed, wasting dollars and not earning more. Why the mission doesn't take you directly to the build menu is baffling. At other times, a window pops up telling you that you may have already researched the item in question. Of course, you have to exit out and open the separate build menu, and lo and behold, the item is NOT researched yet! You have a mission that cannot be completed, but instead of it being grayed out, you have to find out by going through no less than five different windows. If you think this is irritating, think of how it would affect a young child. Does vacuuming up garbage and washing vomit sound like fun? Well too bad, because you'll have to do it. And the mechanics simply involve pointing a reticle at the ground and holding a button. We are talking about an unavoidable mini "game." You also have to talk to park guests, going through dialogue trees featuring boring small talk and a lot of guessing because the topics are vague and often you'll have no idea whether your selection will provoke a good or bad response. The best part of the game is building coasters, and luckily, this aspect is well-designed. Laying down different pieces is extremely intuitive and you can create exactly what you want quickly. There is also a handy track-assist feature that automatically fills in any gap at the end so you don't have to tediously line up the final pieces.

The Da Vinci Code - PS2

The DaVinci Code

I'll sum it up in one sentence: GAY GAY, NO GAME BASED ON A BOOK IS GOOD. YOU TELL ME ONE? ERAGON. THAT'S IT. THIS SUCKED. NOTHING WAS GOOD ABOUT IT.