PC Review: "Valiant Hearts - The Great War"

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montpellier

Release Date: June 24 [PSN], June 25 [XBLA, PC] 2014 (USA)

Premise:

Valiant Hearts is a Puzzle Adventure game set during the First World War (World War 1). Unlike most war games, this one doesn't involve shooting or killing, but rather focuses on the people affected by the war as well as the war itself.

Gameplay: 

The game is a 2D Side-Scrolling Adventure. You move from left to right, sometimes pushing and pulling objects in the world, climbing over some and going up and down ladders to reach your objective.

The main gameplay involves Puzzle solving. You play as multiple different characters throughout your journey in the game, as well as temporarily giving commands to a Dog through one of the characters who can help you solve puzzles. Puzzles in the game can be as simple as climbing atop ledges to reach the next doorway to as intricate as having to give commands to another character to move while pulling objects and raising platforms to reach the next part.

The violence in the game comes from the environment and the world itself, rather than from the characters you play directly, aside from a few times where you bonk a few soldiers on the back of the head with a rifle butt, a cooking ladle or whatever item your current character happens to have on him or her.

Graphics:

The graphics are 2D based on the UbiArt Framework used most recently in Child of Light. If you're looking for 3D Crysis graphics this isn't it, but that's not what this game is about. The art style is of just that, art. Characters appearing drawn into the world and which move as such. 

Sound:

I really enjoyed the soundtrack in this game. The music was composed perfectly for the environments in which you're playing. It's all really what you'd expect during scenes like a chase sequences with fast paced, hurry-to-make-it tones and the like, but what really brings it home is the somber tones during the more touching moments in the game that help you connect with it. 

Length:

Valiant Hearts is a strictly Linear game with collectibles to be had with each character in every level. There is also a wealth of information to read about that tells you the true history of the war as you progress in the game. The further you get, the more diary entries you unlock for the characters, which give you an even further glimpse into their psyche. Including all of the collectibles and reading material combined with the actual gameplay, you can easily squeeze between 3-6 hours of game time out of Valiant Hearts, depending on your play style this could even be more.

Value:

Overall I was pleasantly surprised with Valiant Hearts. I went in expecting an emotional tale of loss and pain and although those moments are there, I feel that the developers chose to include more light-hearted moments in the game as a way of reducing what some would call "monotony."

 In my opinion, the game would have been perfect if it stuck to the dark depths of the war and kept its stride of portraying the war as the rotten, horrible thing that it is, rather than throwing in up-beat music during car rides, for example, just to change the pace up in a game that didn't need its pace changed.

All in all, the game was well worth it and should be played by any who enjoy games as art and can appreciate a story about the horrors of war and mankind's persistence to survive when being torn between love and battle.

PSN Review: "Rainbow Moon"

Publisher: EastAsiaSoft

Developer: SideQuest Studios

Release Date: July 10, 2012 (USA)

Premise:

Rainbow Moon is a traditional, "old school" RPG; bringing in all of the elements from days gone by and putting them into Next-Gen settings with crisp visuals and an enthralling Gameplay experience.

Gameplay: 

The camera is always a Top-Down perspective. You control your main party character as he traverses the world he's in, completing many Side Quests/Missions along the way for all of the folks around the many towns you visit.

Combat is completely Turn-Based and "Action Point"-styled. Coming across enemies you have multiple choices as to battling them. Some are mandatory fights that are hard to dodge and others are "Random Encounters" you get. As you walk around you will see a popup saying there are enemies nearby and you have the choice of battling them or ignoring them, which is unlike most RPG's where you run around and automatically have to battle whoever you meet.

Following the On-Screen Tutorial/Hints really helps a lot.

Your character can earn "Turns" which allow the player to move around the battle field on a grid and also to attack. You use up your "Turns" as you move around and attack enemies, and your "Turns" replenish after you use them in battle. So, for example, in the beginning you get 1 "Turn" point, which means you can either move 1 space on your turn or use that turn to defend, use a skill or attack a nearby enemy.

As you progress in the game and level up, you will earn more "Turn" points. This means you will be able to do mutliple moves/attacks for your turn. Later on in the game you can find several other members to join your party. You can also increase your chance of using Turns more quickly in battle by upgrading your character's skills.

Aside from the Retro Turn-Based Combat, there's a whole lot more to this game. A pretty detailed Loot system, upgrade system, Merchants and much more really help you get dragged into the story without the want or desire to ever leave. You can complete many Side Missions throughout the game that can yield you additional pieces of equipment, spells/skills, money and other unique items you can use against your foes.

Graphics:

I was surprised at the overall Graphical Look of this game. It looks as if its Cel-Shaded at first-glance but it's not, and once your eyes open and you see the worlds for what they are, you'll be astounded. From deserts to jungles and everything in between, the journey you take in this game is designed beautifully from start to finish.

Sound:

The only big gripe I have with the game is the Sound. There is no way to adjust the volume of any of the sound in the game, you can only turn the SFX ON or OFF and the MUSIC to ON or OFF. So as you run around you have to listen to the same musical score for most the game, only changing when reaching cities and during battles.

Thankfully, though, you can disable the sound for the Music which can become annoying at times. All-in-All, the Sound FX really saved the game, as they really sound superb at bringing together the atmosphere

Length:

Rainbow Moon is advertised as an Open-World game, although the first part of the game is really based around training. As far as length goes, I've played for several hours and have yet to reach all of the worlds available for it. According to the Game Publishers/Developers, you can rack up over 100 hours of gameplay with the game, and others who've played more have said it's easy to get over 50 hours in if you choose to do all the side missions, which brings about even more entertainment.

Value:

I was a bit turned off at first by the game, but after seeing Gameplay footage and the Trailer I was excited, and decided to give it a download and I'm not regretting it. For $14.99 USD this game gives you a great value for your money. There are so many great games on PSN out there today, but you'll kick yourself later if you pass this amazing Action-RPG up.

Even though the story may be lacking in some people's minds, I find it more than good enough and would recommend this to anybody who's interested in a completely new take on the Action-RPG Genre.

I would highly recommend purchasing "Rainbow Moon" for all of the unique and amazing experiences the game offers, especially since it's only $14.99 and you get so much bang-for-your-buck.

Purchase: Sony Playstation Network Card - $20

Xbox 360 Review: HD-DVD Player Accessory

This is a review of the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player Accessory. This add-on has been out for a few years but support for the device has fallen completely off the map, as has support for regular HD-DVD Players, especially ones for the PC.

Although it is possible to use the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player connected to a PC, all of the Video Player Software has dropped support for playing HD-DVD movies. I could not find any older versions that still supported it so I will only review this on the Xbox 360.

Click on the pictures for the High-Resolution Version of them.

Installation

Installing the HD-DVD Player was very easy. All I did was plug in the power cord and plug in the USB cable to the back of my Xbox 360. After that I put in the included Software Disc and loaded it up and let it install the drivers. I do not know if the Xbox actually NEEDS that disc, especially since it could just download an update, but nonetheless I used it.

It took just a few minutes and after that I never needed the disc again and could load the movies up right away.

General Information

I picked up this Boxed, Complete Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player for $25 at a local game store. The prices for these have gone up since they're no longer made (as far as I know) and although the MSRP is now $49.99 most places charge more and they're also pretty hard to find.

As you can see the unit isn't very big and it fits nicely on a desk next to your Xbox 360.

Xbox 360 Dashboard Location

The place where you activate the HD-DVD Player has changed with the new dashboard. It is now under "My Video Apps" instead of on the same screen as your Game Disc.

HD-DVD Player In-Action

Once you select "HD DVD" in the "My Video Apps" page, it will take a few seconds to half a minute sometimes for the movie to start loading. Once it loads it gets right into the movie after a brief introduction logo.

The Movie Menu seems to be the same for all HD-DVD Movies, at least all of the ones I have. The response time for it is pretty slow and lags behind a bit, so it can be frustrating trying to get to the right place in the menu.

Overall Quality & Thoughts

The movie quality is superb. Each movie looks really good in High-Def and I don't notice a difference between the HD-DVD Movies on the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player and Blu-Ray Movies on my PS3.

If you were looking to get into Next-Gen Movies, you should obviously stick to Blu-Ray and not bother with HD-DVD, as it's dead technology and no new movies are being released. The only value I can see for this HD-DVD Player for the Xbox 360 is Collection purposes, which is the reason I bought it.

Whether you pay $25, $50 or more, it's a neat little accessory to have to compliment your Xbox 360, though you'll probably find yourself never using it like me, but nonetheless it's a needed add-on for those wanting a complete collection.

XBLA Review: "Trials Evolution"

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: RedLynx

Release Date: April 18, 2012 (USA)

Premise:

Trials Evolution is the Sequel to the popular Trials HD Arcade Game. Trials Evolution brings riders out of the warehouse and into the open landscapes of the world, up mountains, over rivers and around many other areas to give the player the feeling of increased freedom.

Gameplay: 

The gameplay for Trials Evolution is identical to Trials HD, with the main difference being the change in landscape. Levels take place all across the world in many different locales. There are several new Game Modes and Abilities included, such as a level where you're not on a Motorcycle but rather on Ski's and you must Ski down dirt slopes to the finish line while attempting to pull off aerial maneuvers.

There are several dozen pre-made tracks in the Single-Player "Campaign" to overcome that get increasingly difficult as you move up the levels, all the while learning how to utilize advanced tricks and maneuvers to overcome the new obstacles. You can also partner up with up to 3 other people in Local or Online Multiplayer to race against each other for the fastest times on tracks in the "Supercross" levels.

A vast improvement to the game comes in the form of the revamped Level Editor. This time around, players can not only create their own custom levels, but they can also enter an Advanced Professional Editor that affords players the abilities to create scripted sequences of explosions and other effects, including the ability to manipulate the camera to create a First-Person-Shooter-type custom map.

Players can also visit an in-game Marketplace where players can freely upload and share their custom-made tracks as well as download new tracks and challenges from other people. The overall emphasis of the game is on aerial maneuvers and super speed mixed with super challenges that is sure to not only entertain for hours, but to frustrate you to hell.

Graphics:

The world of Trials Evolution are improved over Trials HD, even if only slightly noticeable to most. The bike textures and rider character models are very well done, and the tracks and their respective obstacles, ramps and physics-based mechanics fit in very nicely with the overall tone of the racing game.

Sound:

The engine sounds are spot on and sound amazing. The explosions and ambient noises you hear constantly really help you get into the moment of your intense races. You can use the Level Editor to create all sorts of commotion for each track that always seems to fit in perfectly with the tone of your tracks, no matter what your imagination can create.

Length:

It's hard to describe the length of a game like this. There is a "Campaign"-type mode where you get to go through the motions of the tracks/races that were created by the development team and earn medals and points to advance along while learning new tricks and methods to climb obstacles that will take you a few hours to complete.

With the added Level Editor and Pro Editor, the ability to play and customize Skill Tracks and create a near-unlimited amount of tracks will give you hours upon hours of replay value for the game, helping to ensure you don't get bored easily.

Value:

At $15 (1200 MSP) Trials Evolution seems like an easy purchase to make. The fact that you'll have so much fun playing the pre-made tracks for a few hours and then knowing that you can download thousands of tracks from other members free of charge as well as create your own, it becomes a very simple choice to make for purchasing this game.

PC Review: "Alan Wake's American Nightmare"

Publisher: Remedy Entertainment (PC)

Developer: Remedy Entertainment

Release Date: May22, 2012 (USA) (PC)

Premise:

Alan Wake's American Nightmare is a Spin-Off type title based around the Alan Wake Franchise. The player once again controls the titular character as he becomes entrapped inside an episode of Night Springs. Alan Wake is lauded as the "Champion of Light" who is chasing after his evil doppelganger Mr. Scratch who is the "Herald of Darkness."

Gameplay: 

Gameplay is identical to that of the first Alan Wake game. You control Alan in a Third-Person perspective, fighting The Darkness as you search for clues to the whereabouts of Mr. Scratch and to rewrite reality as he has been transported to Night Springs after rewriting reality following the Cauldron Lake Incident.

Gameplay revolves heavily on "rewriting reality," in that you will visit Three (3) locations in the game and after your first playthrough in the level, you will return later with new information that allows you to unlock your powers to recreate the scenes that happened but with a better outcome. The finding and reading of Manuscript Pages makes a return, as you will need to scrounge around the environments to find all of the Manuscript Pages so you can use them to unlock weapon and item chests spread throughout the game.

Apart from the addition of several new weapons, such as the Uzi and other Machine Guns, the overall core Gameplay hasn't changed from the first game. But, even though it's the same, it's still very fun.

Graphics:

Perhaps the only difference between the two versions of American Nightmare is the Graphical abilities of the PC version. Compared to the Console version, the PC version of American Nightmare allows you to add on Anti-Aliasing, High-End Resolutions, Depth of Field, FoV, etc. All of these aspects make the game look quite a bit crisper compared to the Console release. With this version you are truly able to play Alan Wake's American Nightmare with amazing models and effects and textures that further immerse you in the game through its brilliant and vibrant world.

Sound:

The overall Musical Score for the same is generally the same, though the tone has changed dramatically to focus more on the supernatural aspects of the game. Between the crazy videos you see on the TV screens and the ominous sounds from the environment as well as the horrifying noises The Taken make when they appear all blend together to create a wonderful atmosphere.-

Length:

Alan Wake's American Nightmare was never meant to be a full-length adventure like the first one, and therefore the length of the game is drastically shorter. An average playthrough will see you spending about 4-6 hours, though you might be able to extend it by another 30 minutes or even an hour if you focus on collecting all of the items and Manuscripts in the game.

There is also a new Arcade mode that lets you play through the game with the intent of having a challenge to earn points to be at the top of the leader-board for highest overall score, which can increase the replay-ability for those who enjoy those game modes.

Value:

I have always applauded Remedy Entertainment for their games, which include the original Max Payne games. I was a bit skeptical before the game came out because I heard about the addition of the Arcade Mode and I was getting worried that the game would be stripped down into an Action-Shoot-Em-Up game. Thankfully I was wrong and the game has a great Single-Player Story Mode to enjoy.

Even though the game only lasts for about 6 hours roughly, I feel it is worth the $15 price-tag to both support Remedy as a company and because the game offers a good fix for all Alan Wake lovers out there, including myself.

If you're debating on whether to get the PC version or the 360 version, it will really come down to whether you have a Powerful PC to handle Alan Wake at Highest Graphics, which is the only reason to spring for the PC one over the Console one (unless of course you don't have a 360, than the choice becomes easy.)

XBLA Review: "Alan Wake's American Nightmare"

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios (360)

Developer: Remedy Entertainment

Release Date: February 22, 2012 (USA) (360)

Premise:

Alan Wake's American Nightmare is a Spin-Off type title based around the Alan Wake Franchise. The player once again controls the titular character as he becomes entrapped inside an episode of Night Springs. Alan Wake is lauded as the "Champion of Light" who is chasing after his evil doppelganger Mr. Scratch who is the "Herald of Darkness."

Gameplay: 

Gameplay is identical to that of the first Alan Wake game. You control Alan in a Third-Person perspective, fighting The Darkness as you search for clues to the whereabouts of Mr. Scratch and to rewrite reality as he has been transported to Night Springs after rewriting reality following the Cauldron Lake Incident.

Gameplay revolves heavily on "rewriting reality," in that you will visit Three (3) locations in the game and after your first playthrough in the level, you will return later with new information that allows you to unlock your powers to recreate the scenes that happened but with a better outcome. The finding and reading of Manuscript Pages makes a return, as you will need to scrounge around the environments to find all of the Manuscript Pages so you can use them to unlock weapon and item chests spread throughout the game.

Apart from the addition of several new weapons, such as the Uzi and other Machine Guns, the overall core Gameplay hasn't changed from the first game. But, even though it's the same, it's still very fun.

Graphics:

The world space hasn't been improved beyond the original Alan Wake, though to be fair the original was quite amazing in its own right. The lighting effects are incredibly eerie and the character animations are still very nicely done. The textures of buildings, vehicles and character models are also top-notch. My favorite graphical effect in the game is the use of Flares or the Flare Gun. When those light up the red hue beams through the blackness to create an awe-inspiring beauty of contrasting lights that makes it look as if it's real life.

Sound:

The overall Musical Score for the same is generally the same, though the tone has changed dramatically to focus more on the supernatural aspects of the game. Between the crazy videos you see on the TV screens and the ominous sounds from the environment as well as the horrifying noises The Taken make when they appear all blend together to create a wonderful atmosphere.-

Length:

Alan Wake's American Nightmare was never meant to be a full-length adventure like the first one, and therefore the length of the game is drastically shorter. An average playthrough will see you spending about 4-6 hours, though you might be able to extend it by another 30 minutes or even an hour if you focus on collecting all of the items and Manuscripts in the game.

There is also a new Arcade mode that lets you play through the game with the intent of having a challenge to earn points to be at the top of the leader-board for highest overall score, which can increase the replay-ability for those who enjoy those game modes.

Value:

I have always applauded Remedy Entertainment for their games, which include the original Max Payne games. I was a bit skeptical before the game came out because I heard about the addition of the Arcade Mode and I was getting worried that the game would be stripped down into an Action-Shoot-Em-Up game. Thankfully I was wrong and the game has a great Single-Player Story Mode to enjoy.

Even though the game only lasts for about 6 hours roughly, I feel it is worth the $15 price-tag to both support Remedy as a company and because the game offers a good fix for all Alan Wake lovers out there, including myself.