Posted on November 30, 2009 at 12:24 pm by
RyanDC
Following my impressions post, i played for quite a few more hours and finished the game. My thoughts haven’t changed much since then, so I still believe it to be one of the year’s better games, but I don’t think it’s a game for everyone…
There’s definitely a lot to like about this game, but there’s also a lot to put people off. It’s very much so a game for people who love the experience/leveling of an RPG, and the run and gun game-play of first person shooters. Everything pretty much stays the same in-terms of gameplay so, if you’re not keen on those things, this definitely isn’t for you. However, if you do, then read on for the full review…
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Posted on November 18, 2009 at 11:34 pm by
RyanDC
This is going to be a quick review, as you’ve no doubt already read multiple gushing reviews of Batman Arkham Aslyum, months ago. But until i finish Borderlands, i wanted to test out the new review summary format.
Surprisingly, this game has become one of my all time favorites. Surprising because it’s reborn batman in a brilliant way which combines the over-the-top stories and characters of the comics, with the dark and gritty reality of the 2 recent films. It’s setting, environment, visual style and story created an engrossing game, which is just as good as the master piece Bioshock. The gameplay is balanced between close hand-to-hand combat, detective like scenarios using various gadgets, exploring areas for secrets and stealth sections (which actually work). I thought the length for the game was good, but it definitely wasn’t a big game. The only downside? That i have to wait a few years for a possible sequel…
Batman Arkham Asylum (xbox 360)
Design
Gameplay
Graphics
Sound
9.2
9.4
9.2
8.8
Overview
A must play for any self respecting gamer. Excellent environments which feel alive. Great story and use of Batman universe characters and themes. Gorgeous graphics & animations. Good length. Varied gameplay.
Posted on November 11, 2009 at 10:59 pm by
RyanDC
I decided to get Borderlands when i traded in the uber disappointment that was Brutal Legend. Not sure what to expect i entered the world of Pandora with an open mind. The only expectations i had, were that it would be an open world, FPS with RPG elements. After only a few hours of play i was pleasantly surprised.
Firstly, it feels a lot like an MMO in the way you progress and play the game. You collect quests from bounty boards and characters, which simply list the quests in a menu, most being explained in text. It’s this sort of loose story telling which makes everything you do less about a desire to see what happens, and more about gaining XP. Thankfully, it’s all pretty fun. You travel to an target area on foot or in a buggy, find/kill A, and take it back to B, killing C, D, E ,F etc in between. It’s pretty mindless fun which doesn’t take much to get used to or become efficient at.
The presentation of Borderlands is top notch. They changed the visual style towards the end of the development cycle, from realistic to a cartoony, painted style, which works brilliantly with the humour of the game. The sounds do get a bit repetitive, with the vehicle sound being particularly awful, which just sounds like a landmower.
My main criticism after nearly 20 hours of play, is that there isn’t enough variation. Mainly in the enemy types. There are 5 main type of enemies in the game, with each having a handful of varitions. This just isn’t enough for a game of this size. And secondly the missions tend to send you to the same areas over and over, which does get a bit tiresome towards the last few missions of an area.
Overall though, it’s a surprisingly good game which is great to play through with friends. Expect a full review soon.
