Fun and Addicting, While it Lasts That Is

Fable 2 comes closer to realizing Peter Molyneux's ambition for the original Fable, but still falls a little short. The scope of the world is much larger and there is more to do, from larger-scale pursuits like affecting a town's economy to smaller details like keeping your family happy. These little 'extras' are the main attraction of the game and are what sets Fable 2 apart from other console RPG's, and while they are fun, they unfortunately didn't quite leave me satisfied enough to forgive the incredibly short and easy main story. I only 'died' twice in the game, that is, I was defeated and instantly revived with full health to continue my battle twice. And that was only because I was stripped of all my items and given a crappy sword + a couple of potions and then asked to defeat waves of some of the tougher enemies in the game and then a boss. I do have to admire the game's little details like novels and diaries that you can read as quick summaries for a little more insight into some of the characters and the history of Albion since the events of the original game, and I still come back to play every now and then to check up on the world and the goings on within it. There is lots of fun to be had with the game, especially for people like me who like to explore and complete every aspect of the game and get all the achievements, but I still go back to the game and can't believe that I'm already done with the entree and am now just licking my fingers. And the multiplayer sucks, I'll just leave it at that.

Greatest Star Wars Game Yet

This is one of the few Star Wars games I would recommend to those who are not fans of the saga. It's simply a fantastic and innovative RPG on its own, even without the Star Wars license. Of course, the fact that it's a Star Wars game just takes the awesome factor that much further. There is a truly deep and engaging story here, which takes place roughly 4,000 years before the events of the films, and so it obviously does not lean on established storylines. That's not to say that there is nothing familiar though, as the game features Tattooine, Twi'leks, scoundrels, and even a character who resembles a blue Yoda. It's the best Star Wars spin-off I've experienced, even without the excellent gameplay. The depth of each character's personality and background is matched by the very deep traits and abilities that each character can learn. For instance, there's the proud Wookiee, Zalbaar, who is great with a bowcaster and machines, and although he is slow he can take a lot of damage (a la Chewbacca.) The dialogue is deep and well-written to back up the story, with options for how to continue the conversation. You can even choose to follow the path of the Jedi by being courteous and helping others, or you can bully others and become a Sith. The battle mechanics are also deep and satisfying, as there are many different special abilites for each class of character that can be learned and used in real time. The action is surprisingly smooth for an RPG, as you can either order simple commands or pause the action while you select up to four consecutive turns for each character. You don't feel overwhelmed trying to switch between characters and navigate menus, nor does the action necessarily slow to a turn-based crawl. If I have one complaint about the game, and this is a minor annoyance, it would have to be how your character misses enemies that are standing still less than a foot away at times, and at other times he stands completely still himself and just lets enemies attack away without even trying to defend himself. I know it's an RPG and all, but come on....

Just Read the Novel

Let me just start with what I liked about this game. As a chapter in the Expanded Universe, this game is a very addition. The locations are AWESOME, with great graphics and details. They're inspired by the films, but not taken directly from them. I'd love to talk about them, but some are just too awesome to spoil. As a Star Wars geek, I love the little touches like being able to pull an X-Wing out of hyperdrive plasma on Raxus Prime. The story is also good, with many familiar characters and a decent protaganist, who is a good man although he has been raised as a Sith Apprentice by Vader and knows no other path.

As a game, however, it's completely BROKEN. Without regurgitating the Gamepro review, which I agree with, the game simply plays like a turd. It relies on an awful auto-targeting system to direct your Force abilities, so your character seems to do what he wants rather than you feeling like you're in control. For instance, you'll be surrounded by enemies and desperately trying to use lightning on them, and he'll shock a rock instead. It's not helped by the awful camera that remains way too close to your character, and so you can't even see most of the enemies that are attacking you, or during the boss fights where the camera remains fixed and you constantly run off the screen and can't see your own character and/or the boss you're fighting. As for the hype about all of your Force abilities and everything you can do with them, it's surprisingly shallow and repetitive as you typically either grab and throw objects or Force push them, with a little lightning or "lightsaber" action thrown in for some extra flair. Your "lightsaber" looks and sounds like a lightsaber, but takes several hits to kill most enemies and doesn't cut anything unless it's part of a scripted event. It rumbles like a pool toy when you hit something, and it feels as empty and nerfed as the toy sword in Dead Rising rather than the thrilling feel of using the real swords that actually cut things. The terrible controls and auto-aim turn the combat into button mashing, which can be fun against stormtroopers and the like, but obviously becomes problematic and frustrating against stronger enemies and bosses where you need to be precise and careful. Just wait until you get to the Star Destroyer fight from the trailer, it sums up the game beautifully; AWESOME concept that is completely ruined by BROKEN game design.

Forget the hype, just enjoy it.

Probably the most ballyhooed game of the year, GTA IV simply is what it is and not what people expect it to be. It's neither the perfect game nor the devil on a disc that it has been labeled as in the media, but it's great on its on merits. If you simply play it without expecting to be blown away, you're likely to have a lot of fun. What has always separated GTA from its less successful clones, at least to me, was the satirical humor which Rockstar has delivered once again here. It's almost like playing an episode of South Park, where the non-playable characters are extreme caricatures and stereotypes, and it's hilarious. You have the violent and drunkard Irishman, the 'roided-out macho mechanic, the corrupt weasel politicians, and so on. The shocking violence and lack of morals are also extreme satires of American culture, which sadly is misunderstood by the mudslingers in the media. I think the key is that the game doesn't take itself too seriously, and neither should the player. Even so, the main characters (Niko and Roman) are well-rounded and likeable this time around.
There's loads of content that's a blast to play, whether you're doing the roughly 30 hour long story mode, the plethora of multiplayer modes, or just running around and blowing things up. However, the control is oddly loose and floaty in this installment, especially when driving a car, and takes some time to get used to. Some have also complained that many of the new features in San Andreas have been omitted here, such as flying airplanes and working out, but I thought that the much more "alive" Liberty City and fun multiplayer modes more than made up for it. So the game is not perfect, but as long as you have enjoyed GTA and don't get too swept up in the hype, you will enjoy this one.

A Worthy Game Adaptation

Let me just say that as a huge fan of The Godfather Trilogy, this game is very true to the film. I was very impressed that EA got every voice and likeness from the film (with the glaring exception of Al Pacino as Micheal) and managed to take only small liberties with the plot of the film in order to make a game out of it. I also believe this was Marlon Brando's final appearance before his death. Anyways, the setting and mood of the film are here, and it really feels like The Godfather. Gameplay-wise, you play as an original character and work your way up the ranks in the Corleone family by doing jobs for the family in a very GTA- fashion. Many of the missions you will do are the behind-the-scenes dirtywork for memorable scenes in the movie, such as placing the horse's head in the film director's sheets. As far as GTA-clones go, this is a pretty good game but it takes some time and patience to learn and appreciate the clunky controls. In addition to working your way through the story missions, there are numerous businesses and rackets that are fun to take control of, but they get repetitive. All-in-all I enjoyed this game, but I wouldn't really recommend it for those who are not fans of the film.