Had a great time at the music and game festival this year and I can’t wait for next year.

A badge of greatness.

$20!

Magnet Man and friend(s)

Too many tetriseses

Worst d-pad ever!

Kind of neat but where would they go?

Objects in mirror will be less nerdy than this vehicle

I want one of these.

Some geeky gifts for wifey and my girls

I got them some pillows too.

Be good to yourself. BTW THPS4 was free

Mario and Koopa turtle in time.

Ok, you asked for it!

This shouldn’t exist.

Samus was silent in the rain.

Really?

-by BigRob

I suck at Role Playing Games.  I like leveling, stats, and story as much as the next guy but games like Fallout 3 and Borderlands don’t really appeal to me.  Crimson Alliance takes a more simplistic approach to the genre.  It is actually an arcade styled action-rpg.  It has weapons, hacking and slashing, and it even has multiplayer co-op (couch and online) complete with leaderboards.  But, let me start at the beginning…

Boom! ...Killstreak!

Crimson Alliance, from Certain Affinity, is a hack and slash style dungeon crawler that pits your crew against a slew of creatures of the underworld who have taken over the city of Byzan.  Your crew consists of a Wizard, a Mercenary and an Assassin.  You can take on the world alone or with friends to traverse the lands and defeat the evil chick that took over…. disclaimer: as a “Level 2 Review”, I have not finished the game and am kinda fuzzy on the exact game details.

This is standard fare for arcade slashers- pick your character (they each have their own abilities and special moves), revive your friends, buy and use better items, and dont get killed.  You hack and slash your way to victory- then rinse & repeat. Crimson Alliance spins this formula by adding stat tracking leaderboards and a pretty neat scoring system.  The game rewards you like a shooter would- as you kill enemies you get kill streaks, the longer you go without taking damage the more you can rack up points with bonus multipliers.  Getting through the level is fine, but getting through with the highest score is how you beat your friends.  You can finish each level with a bronze, silver or gold score.  The world map also shows you your friends scores compared to yours for each level.

BigRob’s Gripes:

-Why can’t I sell my stuff back to the store? You find and pick up weapons and equipment from chests scattered around the levels and you can buy them at various stores but you cant sell any of it back.  This game is basically what Torchlight should have been on the xbla, (though I’ll only play it on pc anyway) but at least it knew how to let you cash in on your junk and low level items.

-Where is the Loot? I see money all over the place… but my stacks on stacks never seem to add up, I’m always underfunded at the armory. I can’t pile my money sky high in part because I have all this junk that I can’t sell… I guess they want me to spend a dollar to get more loot from the marketplace. Yeah right!  Come on Certain Affinity, that’s ballsy, you’ve got more dignity than that.  Don’t let Microsoft microtransact your gamers to death. ​

Decked out and ready to kick butt.

BigRob’s Protips:

-spend your cash wisely… you can’t cash in later.

-shield bash like a mad man, use weapons infused with magic as they will make everything you hit die faster.

-if this is your style game and you want to play with friends with even the possibility of playing through more than once… buy the 1200 point edition. Worth it.

​For now…

Crimson Alliance is a great hack and slasher that’s a great addition to XBLA with just enough depth and hooks to keep you playing.  I have not tried the multiplayer yet and am definitely looking forward to it.  I’m about 5 or 6 levels deep and its starting to get a little crazy.  Having a couple players in game with me would be very helpful with crowd control and miniboss battles.  Despite the overall money issues, real and virtual, Certain Affinity’s Crimson Alliance gets my Level 2 Stamp Of Approval.

Louie Approves.

Pinball FX was released for XBLA in April 2007.  The game was very well received. But Zen Studios not wanted to rest on their laurels took it upon themselves to create not only a sequel the the original game but a platform as well. Pinball FX 2 not only updates the original tables(DLC too) and their physics but it also includes a table for free.  Might I add that Pinball FX 2 is a free download and Zen Studios will be releasing “DLC” as stand alone demo enabled tables.

For those not overly familiar with Pinball FX, you’re in good company.  I too was very unfamiliar with the original but I purchased most, if not all, of the DLC to prepare for the sequel.  Having only a week or two to play the first game and not being very good at it I can say confidently that the “old” tables do play significantly better in PBFX2.  The visuals appear sharper, crisper and the overall game play feels smoother. Not only are the visuals up to par but the sound effects as well. The audio notifications of the story elements each table is trying to tell come through quite well and really make the tables that much more engaging. PBFX2 contains an excellent single player representation of video pinball but also has local split screen and online play. If you are a pinball purist this may not be  your cup of tea however the ability to try tables out may give you a change of heart.

The overall objective of pinball, of course, is to play as long as possible while racking up points.  If the competition with yourself is not sufficient then perhaps being reminded of the scores your friends have attained will keep you flippin’.  I must admit that several people on my friends list have scores that only depressed me when the game would encourage me to gain the 15-17 million points I’d need to beat them.  Not only are you scored on individual tables but Zen has included some meta-scoring that branches out into every table you’ve played. The tables have visual queues, sound effects and voice overs that attempt to tell you a story and provide hints to the player about how to progress. Being somewhat of a pinball noob I appreciated the help. When starting a new table and it takes me longer than I’d like to admit to effectively learn a good portion if its secrets. Therein lies the fun.

Marvel Tables

Zen studios announced and quickly released a four table DLC pack for the 360 and a standalone game for PSN. These tables feature Wolverine, Blade, Spider-man and Iron Man. Despite not wanting to appear shallow, I must admit that I was instantly more engaged in these four tables because of the characters. The same could be said of the Street Fighter table. Rocky and Bullwinkle, not so much. Voice over miscasts are the only detractor in this new content. Wolverine’s voice comes to mind as the greatest offender. Nevertheless these are great tables and well worth the $10 or 800 MS points.

Ups

-platform implementation is great and consumer friendly

-plenty of outstanding tables to choose from, ex: SF, Earth Defense, Agents etc

-meta-score and individual table scores create great competition with friends who also play

-the Marvel tables are especially enjoyable due to inclusion of iconic characters

Downs

-I can’t quite get the hang of the tilt

-Some of the voice overs for the Marvel tables are a bit off

-having pinball savants on your friends list can be discouraging,  as you are encouraged to beat their scores, which can be distracting and often humbling

Bottom Line

Download PBFX2, try out some table demos, buy as many as possible, if not all of them. I highly recommend buying the Marvel tables.

Full Disclosure

- I did not play the online or split screen multiplayer

- GameEnthus.com received this game from Zen Studios

A hero awakes to find they have been roused from their slumber by an omnipotent elder to save the realm from an unknown but evil entity. While the hero is weak now, in their travels, they will become stronger with others that will assist the hero on such a noble quest of discovery.

Sound familiar? Yup, it’s the basis of most Role Playing Games and Faery: Legends of Avalon is no exception. The story takes the player through four beautifully rendered and distinctly different realms through a main quest line  while treating the player to epic music. In each realm, the backgrounds and environments are very well rendered and quite varied. The main character’s look also changes with gear choices and metamorphoses.

The game has neither economy nor shops. The inventory is dependent upon finding hidden chests and completing quests. Equipment will boost spells/skills and when a full set is equipped the boost becomes even stronger. Metamorphoses are how the main character gains new skills. With each level gained, an earned skill point can be used to gain a new skill, grant a passive ability or augment an already acquired skill. Players should be aware that these metamorphoses are permanent and that they are pre-requisites for skills and abilities that are unlocked in later levels. Poor upgrading choices can hinder you character’s effectiveness towards the end of the game.

The battle aspect in Faery has been developed in the hopes it will be more accessible to new gamers. The difficulty can be lowered to the point where battles are nothing more than “Mash A, Kill Baddies” or raised to lengthen the battles, requiring more thought about skill and spell selection. The battles employ a VIS (Visual Initiative System), so the player can see in which order attacks will take place (think Final Fantasy: X) , chain attacks that become larger as the player gains levels (think Final Fantasy XIII) and if a chain attack takes out your target, any subsequent attacks in the queue are negated.

Ups
-Some quests can be solved by either fighting or other means
-As you change your equipment and skills, your character’s look changes
-Good music
-Skill/Spell/Attack Animations are done well

Downs
-No Money, No Shops
-Metamorphosis is permanent and later skills which are not revealed until later levels are reliant upon previous choices
-PROOFREAD YOUR SCRIPT!!!
-No Random Battles
-Seemingly finite number of battles and monsters and items

Bottom Line
For an XBLA game, it satisfies a hunger for classic turn based RPGs. It is easily accessible and appropriate for all players. I enjoyed my time playing it and while the possibility for replay is available, I do not think I would go through multiple times.

Over the past couple of weeks I have attempted to play Sonic 4 to completion. I fully understand that Sonic 4 is a game and that there are objectives and obstacles. These obstacles almost proved to be too frustrating for me to continue to play the game. I am no spring chicken and am quite familiar with Sonic’s origin and introduction into the gaming world. However I do not recall past Sonic games being as difficult and expletive inducing.

Sonic’s latest sequel begins with music that feels uninspired. Of course this could be due to the double-edged sword called nostalgia. Unfortunately this lack of inspiration can be felt though the whole game. The levels just didn’t feel right. I am no Sonic expert or fanatic but if memory serves Sonic games are fun because of the speed and quick action. The sense of speed is still present but it’s not as instant. The HD graphics look quite good but the additional frames of animation cause our favorite sneakered mammal to appear to accelerate much slower. Once things are moving if you don’t use the new(for 2D Sonic) lock-on correctly you could find yourself stuck and your progress impeded. If I can fall in some sections and have more chances to progress could I get some assistance with sections where I need to defeat enemies that I can barely see let alone lock-on to in order to reach platforms? These annoyances coupled with getting items in locations where they are anything but useful just made me want to hurl something. Beneath the layers of questionable level design, awkwardly placed items and enemies, there is a fun Sonic game to be had. I just wish I had more of it and less of an urge to kill after dying repeatedly due to bad design and cheap end game boss battles. The game is by no means horrible. The casino level, in particular,  is one of its best moments. The few bright spots do make it worth a look but certainly not a blind buy.

Ups

- great graphics

- save system

- it’s Sonic in 2D!

- lock-on

Downs

- in-game physics can be a bit wonky

- cheap boss battles

- awkward enemy and item placement

- lock-on

Bottom Line

Try the demo

Full Disclosure

- GameEnthus.com received this game from Sega for review

In 1981 Atari released what was essentially one of the pioneers of the survival horror genre called Haunted House. The game consisted of three floors where the hero is only depicted by two floated eyes(to project just how dark the house was). The player guides a character named Zachary Graves through a dark mansion to acquire an urn while fighting off bats, spiders and ghosts.

The 2010 Haunted House remake’s story involves a brother and sister,Jacob and Silvia Silverspring, as they search a ridiculously dark mansion for their grandfather and the scattered pieces of his urn. The gameplay consists of searching treasure chests, shelves, bookcases and desks for keys, journal pages, treasures and various light emitting apparati. You must use matches, candles, torches etc to defeat ghosts, gargoyles, rats, bats and other creatures that constantly pursue you. The simple matches and cellphones you have in the beginning are quite weak compared to the torches, candles and lanterns you acquire later. Haunted House is somewhat enjoyable in the early stages as you discover your first item upgrades and see ghosts and rats vanish in the light of the fireplaces you ignite or torches you drop. But that initial fun fades quickly as the game gets rather repetitive.  You may find yourself just searching for the keys or levers to open doors to complete the levels as opposed to exploring for treasures or journal pages. I did appreciate the simple bit of puzzle solving gameplay using lanterns to walk through walls. The game also has a Clue reference as some of the treasures you acquire are clearly weapons from the popular board game. There is also a bit of a twist that would likely be appreciated by fans of the original game. If you are a fan of the original I would suggest trying the XBLA demo and seeing if the update is for you. If you are not familiar with it, the XBLA demo is still worth a try if you have some time to kill and nothing else to play.

Full Disclosore

-This game was provided to me by Atari

-I did not complete the game, hence these are my impressions and not a review

Having had several false starts last week with Sony Move purchases,  I finally went to my local Kmart to pick one up on Saturday. My rationale was a deal that Kmart was offering for a $25 PS3 game coupon with the purchase of the Move bundle. I will freely admit that I am a sucker for a deal as well as a new gadget. So I am now the owner of Sony’s Wii reaction.

The bundle remained unopened until the following Monday. Early that morning I opened the packages and connected my well-crafted Move controllers(gotta have two) to my PS3 to be charged. The charging took a bit longer than I expected but I didn’t want to use them until they had been fully charged. The setup was fairly painless and was aided with the use of high-quality, according to the package, velco.

The first and only title I had a chance to play was Sports Champion. Having briefly played the gladiator game at a local Sony event, I decide to try that first. To my surprise playing with one movemote(don’t you just hate that name?) is fun despite the game’s ability to map the shield control to another movemote. I spent the next 20-30 minutes making my way through the Bronze level tier. When that mode concluded I went on to try frisbee golf. Sports Champion has another winner. Eventually I tried all the different modes and enjoyed them all except for table tennis. I could not get a handle on where and how I needed to hold the movemote to play effectively. Nevertheless, the difficulty I had with that single mode was not enough to ruin the overall enjoyment I had with Sports Champion. It is good at what it does even if sometimes I felt like I had done it before. Which is not necessarily a bad thing but a $100+ investment can alter one’s expectations.

Overall the move is very solid and even the XMB control works pretty well. I still find it difficult to recommend to those who want fresh and new motion gaming experiences. But if your expectations are in-line with the current software’s offerings, dive in. The many would-be Move owners need not worry. Those new, exciting and HD experiences are coming and will likely be worth the wait.

Part 2 will focus on my kids and our initial experiences with Eyepet

A quick demo of the MediaMall’s(Themediamall.com) PlayOn Wii web browser interface. I couldn’t get WinTV to record so I had to use Camtasia to capture the WinTV window, which explains the choppiness. Hopefully Windows 7 drivers for WinTV will be coming soon. Also I forgot to mention that the site to access on your Wii to access PlayOn is www.playon.tv.

Perfect Dark will be returning this fall/winter to XBLA. The post’s title is somewhat of a misnomer only because I want it now. Honestly this was one of the most exciting bits of news from last week’s E3 (for me at least). I minored in Pefect Dark, GoldenEye and Aki wrestling games in college and I know there are some PD heads out there ready to toss a couple laptop guns around. Soon the ricocheting grenades and slapping Sims will once again be the bane of our existence.

Ah memories