BioShock: Infinite is out now for all those interested. I just wanted to say, well like the title says...WOW. It seems to be everything we expected, maybe more. Its fantastic so far. Of course, I have barely scratched the surface of what this game has to offer. Once I have finished, I will be doing a full review right here.
On a side note, can anybody remember a Q1 quite like we have had this year. Its been simply amazing. First it was DMC and Dead Space 3, then we had Crysis 3, Now over just the last 2-3 weeks, weve had Judgement, Tomb Raider, Ascension, and now Infinite. This is just incredible! Not to mention two great sports games thrown in there with Tiger 14 (review coming soon) and The Show. Speechless...
FragTagRadio.com
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
GoW: Judgement progress erased!
All of my character progress, rank, medals, ribbons, etc. was erased today out of nowhere. I am very pissed to say the least. If this has happened to anyone else, or if you have a fix please let me know. You can email me through the link on this site or leave a comment. Now its time to write "People Can Fly" and Epic Games a sternly worded email!!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Dead Space 3: Awakened Review
Again, I am going to keep this review short (unlike my Tomb Raider review). Awakened picks up right where the main game leaves off. It was advertised to be the scariest, most insane dead space moments yet. While not quite living up to its billing, it definitely has a more horror feel to it than the main game did.
My biggest gripe about "Awakened" was its length. Totaling about 1.5 hours at most, there isn't much meat in there to justify its price. Thats not to say that I don't think that you should check it out. Unlike "Severed" from DS2, you actually play as Isaac this time and have all of your goodies at your disposal. Basically its like this, if you really enjoyed Dead Space 3 then you will enjoy "Awakened", if you weren't impressed by the main game then you could probably skip this mini expansion.
For my full review, check out the next episode of Frag Tag Radio.
-------------------
3.75 Frags out of 5
-------------------
My biggest gripe about "Awakened" was its length. Totaling about 1.5 hours at most, there isn't much meat in there to justify its price. Thats not to say that I don't think that you should check it out. Unlike "Severed" from DS2, you actually play as Isaac this time and have all of your goodies at your disposal. Basically its like this, if you really enjoyed Dead Space 3 then you will enjoy "Awakened", if you weren't impressed by the main game then you could probably skip this mini expansion.
For my full review, check out the next episode of Frag Tag Radio.
-------------------
3.75 Frags out of 5
-------------------
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Judgement Day is here!
Just wanted to send a quick reminder to all fans of the series. Gears of War: Judgement is out today. It has been getting some pretty good reviews. Listen to the next podcast to hear our thoughts and reviews. GO GET IT NOW!
Mass Effect 3: The Citadel DLC Review
I am going to keep this review pretty short overview on the next episode of Frag Tag Radio. I just wanted to quickly say that this DLC Is something special. Something that will sit in the hearts long time mass effect fans forever. The entire thing is a big thank you to all of the fans of the series. Just about the entire cast from all three games makes an appearance in some way. You also have a very interesting villain to fight in this entry. If you always liked navigating the ship and talking to your squad-mates, Then this DLC is definitely for you.
The tone is much different from the main game. It is definitely meant to be played after your finished with the game itself. The first half of the DLC is spent an normal mass effect fashion, with the basic combat mechanics that we are all familiar with. However it is during the second half where this really shines. The second half you spend most of the time on a new floor of the citadel. During which you will spend quality time with each of your squad me doing different things Ranging from playing arcade titles, drinking games, or gambling and more. The DLC finishes with one big party and a sort of final goodbye.
This is all I will say about it for now. If you would like to hear more about what I thought please listen to the next episode of FragTagRadio.
--------------
5 frags out of 5
--------------
The tone is much different from the main game. It is definitely meant to be played after your finished with the game itself. The first half of the DLC is spent an normal mass effect fashion, with the basic combat mechanics that we are all familiar with. However it is during the second half where this really shines. The second half you spend most of the time on a new floor of the citadel. During which you will spend quality time with each of your squad me doing different things Ranging from playing arcade titles, drinking games, or gambling and more. The DLC finishes with one big party and a sort of final goodbye.
This is all I will say about it for now. If you would like to hear more about what I thought please listen to the next episode of FragTagRadio.
--------------
5 frags out of 5
--------------
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Tomb Raider Review!
Ahhh, Tomb Raider. The name alone stands as iconic as any in the video game world. Since 1996 when the original was released for Sega Saturn and Sony's original playstation, Lara Croft has been a mainstay in the industry we love so much! I must admit, when I first heard about this origin story/reboot from Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, I wasn't really all that interested. From Angelina Jolie playing Lara Croft on the big screen; to countless versions spread across dozens of platforms, you could say we've had our fair share of Lara. You could say, We usually know what we are getting. A descent third-person platforming action adventure game, with plenty of puzzles to wet your whistle. After seeing the game at E3, my interest peaked. Maybe this could be different! If there is anything that the series needed, it was a clean slate. Someone just needed to walk up to that Sega Saturn and press the reset button and start over from scratch. Well, I'm hear to tell you, that is exactly what they did. The results are phenomenal.
The first thing you will notice when playing Tomb Raider is how beautiful it is. Scratching every last spec of power from this current generation, it runs silky smooth and looks completely stunning. The lighting is fantastic and the textures are as smooth as as a 3-piece combo from Muhammad Ali. Instantly, this game struck a resemblance to the Uncharted series on Playstation 3 that so many people love. Trust me when I say, this is a good thing. There is nothing that fits the Tomb Raider style better. Thats not to say that this game is just Uncharted with Lara substituting for Drake. It quickly shows its independence. The game is far from linear, which is something I certainly did not expect. There are large areas to explore, tombs to search (hence the name Tomb Raider), hidden collectables galore, challenges, and more. You will definitely not lack of things to do.
One of the most incredible aspects about this game, is how emotional it is. Lara, played by Camilla Luddington is incredibly humanized; from her first kill, until the end of the game you take the journey with her in becoming the icon that we know today. It's a spectacular road that is filled with some really intense, emotional, and dark moments. Rarely in gaming have I been so engaged to a character. Luddington does a spectacular job portraying this young, very green pre-hero. I was first introduced to Luddington when she was on the Showtime TV series "californication"(which she appeared completely nude in, for those interested). She is undoubtably talented, and it shows throughout the game. In fact, she is so incredible, and they do such a great job of developing Lara's character, that it shows through on the other characters. None of which are nearly as complete or developed. This was perhaps one of my very few complaints from the game. The game's voice acting from some of the secondary characters just isn't quite up to par compared to Lara or some of the major characters. This isn't anything major, and most people probably wont even notice.
The gameplay is surprisingly, extremely tight. The controls are top notch, something we have rarely seen in Tomb Raider games of the past. The shooting has weight to it which makes each gun feel different in its own way. The AI is fantastic as well, especially on higher difficulties, which cant be said for all action adventure games nowadays, thats for sure. The jumping mechanic is very responsive, although can be ever so slightly choppy looking from time to time, again, minor at most. Hand to hand combat felt great as well, although rarely used. Climbing, dodging, rolling, all of it was just top notch. There are a few Quicktime events throughout the game, but they are done so well, that they never become tiresome or boring. Another thing that is incredible about the game, are the spectacular set-pieces. Again, a lot like "Uncharted" the set-pieces resemble more of a Blockbuster movie, than a Video Game. This brings me to the death animations. There are few things more satisfying than sneaking up on a baddie and taking him out with a quickness, while remaining undetected. Although, these aren't the ones that stand out. Lara certainly has many faces of death in this adventure. Whenever failing to make a jump, or move out of the way of a falling bus, there is always an extremely gruesome death animation. While this might be a little too graphic for some, it certainly shows the level of authenticity that this game has from top to bottom. When you find yourself hanging by the neck after being impaled by a wooden spike, you will know exactly what I am talking about.
The upgrade and camp system is also something new to the series. While not very robust, it serves its purpose very well. At camp sites , which serve as save and fast travel points, you can make upgrades to Lara in 3 different categories. Survivor, Hunter, or Brawler. Survivor focuses on scavenging, and her survival instincts, hunting is pretty self explanatory, and Brawler is health and hand to hand combat. As you level up, you can unlock more "perks" or "moves" with skill points awarded with each rank. You also have gear. Gear can be modified and upgraded with weapon parts that can be unlocked with "salvage" which is collected by Lara throughout the game. New gear and weapons are constantly being gathered by Lara as she progresses through her adventure. The game also had a sort of "Mega Man" or "Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet" feeling to it, where you can go back to previous places that you have been, and access new areas that weren't possible before by using new gear that you have collected, such as a Rope Arrow or Climbing Gear. This gives the game some replay ability and a reason to revisit old areas to collect things you missed.
The single player campaign is roughly 12-20 hours depending on how much time you wanna spend exploring and collecting treasure. This is definitely a game that is very healthy with content. There is a multiplayer mode for those that are interested. The multiplayer of Tomb Raider is your typical run of the mill competitive multiplayer. While not bad, it fails to achieve anything new or memorable. Let me be clear, it is descent, and most certainly isn't "Dead Space 2" in terms of the MP, but I would be very, very surprised if anybody is still playing it in a couple of months. There are just way too many games that are similar, more popular, and well known for they're multiplayer. Most notably Uncharted and Gears of War. The MP feels ALOT like uncharted, but slightly dated. It has your typical standard team deathmatch that every game seems to be required to have now days. There is also "Rescue" and "Cry for help" both of which are objective based game modes that bring a little bit of originality to the game, though not enough to matter. I couldn't help but feel that the multiplayer was something that just didn't need to be there, its definitely more of a novelty than anything. Check it out, its worth that atleast!
Tomb Raider in some ways has a name and legacy with more weight than its worth. While there have been plenty of good ones, theres never really been a GREAT one. Until now that is. After 17 long years, Tomb Raider finally has a game worthy of its name.
How many Frags?
---------------------
4.75 out of 5
---------------------
+ Graphics/Visuals
+ Incredibly deep, emotional
+ Lara is fantastic
+ Gameplay is tight and fluid
- Multiplayer fails to deliver anything new or worth spending any real amount of time with
The first thing you will notice when playing Tomb Raider is how beautiful it is. Scratching every last spec of power from this current generation, it runs silky smooth and looks completely stunning. The lighting is fantastic and the textures are as smooth as as a 3-piece combo from Muhammad Ali. Instantly, this game struck a resemblance to the Uncharted series on Playstation 3 that so many people love. Trust me when I say, this is a good thing. There is nothing that fits the Tomb Raider style better. Thats not to say that this game is just Uncharted with Lara substituting for Drake. It quickly shows its independence. The game is far from linear, which is something I certainly did not expect. There are large areas to explore, tombs to search (hence the name Tomb Raider), hidden collectables galore, challenges, and more. You will definitely not lack of things to do.
One of the most incredible aspects about this game, is how emotional it is. Lara, played by Camilla Luddington is incredibly humanized; from her first kill, until the end of the game you take the journey with her in becoming the icon that we know today. It's a spectacular road that is filled with some really intense, emotional, and dark moments. Rarely in gaming have I been so engaged to a character. Luddington does a spectacular job portraying this young, very green pre-hero. I was first introduced to Luddington when she was on the Showtime TV series "californication"(which she appeared completely nude in, for those interested). She is undoubtably talented, and it shows throughout the game. In fact, she is so incredible, and they do such a great job of developing Lara's character, that it shows through on the other characters. None of which are nearly as complete or developed. This was perhaps one of my very few complaints from the game. The game's voice acting from some of the secondary characters just isn't quite up to par compared to Lara or some of the major characters. This isn't anything major, and most people probably wont even notice.
The gameplay is surprisingly, extremely tight. The controls are top notch, something we have rarely seen in Tomb Raider games of the past. The shooting has weight to it which makes each gun feel different in its own way. The AI is fantastic as well, especially on higher difficulties, which cant be said for all action adventure games nowadays, thats for sure. The jumping mechanic is very responsive, although can be ever so slightly choppy looking from time to time, again, minor at most. Hand to hand combat felt great as well, although rarely used. Climbing, dodging, rolling, all of it was just top notch. There are a few Quicktime events throughout the game, but they are done so well, that they never become tiresome or boring. Another thing that is incredible about the game, are the spectacular set-pieces. Again, a lot like "Uncharted" the set-pieces resemble more of a Blockbuster movie, than a Video Game. This brings me to the death animations. There are few things more satisfying than sneaking up on a baddie and taking him out with a quickness, while remaining undetected. Although, these aren't the ones that stand out. Lara certainly has many faces of death in this adventure. Whenever failing to make a jump, or move out of the way of a falling bus, there is always an extremely gruesome death animation. While this might be a little too graphic for some, it certainly shows the level of authenticity that this game has from top to bottom. When you find yourself hanging by the neck after being impaled by a wooden spike, you will know exactly what I am talking about.
The upgrade and camp system is also something new to the series. While not very robust, it serves its purpose very well. At camp sites , which serve as save and fast travel points, you can make upgrades to Lara in 3 different categories. Survivor, Hunter, or Brawler. Survivor focuses on scavenging, and her survival instincts, hunting is pretty self explanatory, and Brawler is health and hand to hand combat. As you level up, you can unlock more "perks" or "moves" with skill points awarded with each rank. You also have gear. Gear can be modified and upgraded with weapon parts that can be unlocked with "salvage" which is collected by Lara throughout the game. New gear and weapons are constantly being gathered by Lara as she progresses through her adventure. The game also had a sort of "Mega Man" or "Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet" feeling to it, where you can go back to previous places that you have been, and access new areas that weren't possible before by using new gear that you have collected, such as a Rope Arrow or Climbing Gear. This gives the game some replay ability and a reason to revisit old areas to collect things you missed.
The single player campaign is roughly 12-20 hours depending on how much time you wanna spend exploring and collecting treasure. This is definitely a game that is very healthy with content. There is a multiplayer mode for those that are interested. The multiplayer of Tomb Raider is your typical run of the mill competitive multiplayer. While not bad, it fails to achieve anything new or memorable. Let me be clear, it is descent, and most certainly isn't "Dead Space 2" in terms of the MP, but I would be very, very surprised if anybody is still playing it in a couple of months. There are just way too many games that are similar, more popular, and well known for they're multiplayer. Most notably Uncharted and Gears of War. The MP feels ALOT like uncharted, but slightly dated. It has your typical standard team deathmatch that every game seems to be required to have now days. There is also "Rescue" and "Cry for help" both of which are objective based game modes that bring a little bit of originality to the game, though not enough to matter. I couldn't help but feel that the multiplayer was something that just didn't need to be there, its definitely more of a novelty than anything. Check it out, its worth that atleast!
Tomb Raider in some ways has a name and legacy with more weight than its worth. While there have been plenty of good ones, theres never really been a GREAT one. Until now that is. After 17 long years, Tomb Raider finally has a game worthy of its name.
How many Frags?
---------------------
4.75 out of 5
---------------------
+ Graphics/Visuals
+ Incredibly deep, emotional
+ Lara is fantastic
+ Gameplay is tight and fluid
- Multiplayer fails to deliver anything new or worth spending any real amount of time with
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Microsoft cancels Kinect game "Matter"
Gore Verbinski's Kinect-only game "Matter" has been scrapped by Microsoft today. Looks like we wont be seeing this game on 360 anymore. Bad news for anybody who was actually looking forward to this game. It was originally suppose to he a motion controlled game on XBLA. The original trailer stated a release of 2013! They might wanna change that to "Never" now.
For absolutely nothing on "Matter" and more on video games in general, check out our podcast at fragtagradio.com
For absolutely nothing on "Matter" and more on video games in general, check out our podcast at fragtagradio.com
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