Half Life 2: Deathmatch Review

After releasing Half Life 2 in 2004 alongside the famed Counter-Strike: Source, Valve Software threw fans two free multiplayer games. Both of them remakes of original GoldSrc games. Those being Half Life 2: Deathmatch and Day of Defeat Source.

There is a notable deficiency of internet reviews for games like this, but read on. This game is definitely worth a download for those with computers with low specs.

Introduction

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch is a fast-paced online deathmatch multiplayer first-person shooter in the vein of Quake III. Using weapons from Half-Life 2, players are tasked with amassing kills in a variety of maps. Two maps are preinstalled, both based off areas in the Half-Life 2 single-player campaign. Thus, the community is responsible for developing the great majority of maps with the Source SDK.

Combat is very fast-paced. Players can run while shooting with minimal effect on accuracy. Thus, combat is radically different from more recent shooters like Call of Duty or M.A.G. Camping is a recipe for failure and constant movement is required for success. Thus, the gameplay evokes classic deathmatch arena shooters like Quake III.

The Community and Gameplay

Upon joining a game, I was warmly welcomed by the sever admins. In an age of homophobia and harassment in online gaming, this is a refreshing change. Community-made maps and modifications are very well done. A map named killbox_dm is particularly fun to play with and conducive to chaotic combat. Low-gravity mods can be found frequently and enhance the experience greatly.

One of the greatest concerns regarding Half-Life 2 Deathmatch is the use of the Gravity-Gun, a weapon that can pick up any physics object and fling it at an enemy to deal damage. The Gravity-Gun makes for good combat and takes a good deal of skill to master, one-hit kills using toilets, desks and cars are frequent occurrences. Despite this, the Gravity Gun is difficult to use effectively because it requires the player to slowly pick up an object. Thus, this gun will not be replacing other guns in the Half-Life 2 deathmatch arsenal.

Speaking of the arsenal, Half-Life 2 Deathmatch includes a wide variety of weapons, all from the single-player campaign. Upon spawning, the player starts off with a USP, sub-machinegun, crowbar and gravity-gun, none of which are that powerful. Spawning around the map are weapon and ammunition pickups. Such weapons include the classic SPAS-12, a crossbow with mounted sniper-scope, a revolver, plasma rifle and laser-guided RPG.  Most of the weapons have alternate-fire modes that can be triggered with the right-mouse button. For example, the SPAS-12 can trigger a powerful two-round burst, the SMG can fire a small grenade and the plasma rifle can fire a vaporizing orb of dark energy. Half-Life 2: Deathmatch’s arsenal might be small, but it holds a great deal of variety.

If there is any criticism to be held over Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, it is that it is shallow. Cover is virtually useless and combat usually becomes a run-n-gun affair. There is no deep character-customization system like those found in Battlefield or Call of Duty. No Steam-Achievements or stat-tracking are present. It is also limited to only two gametypes: deathmatch or team-deathmatch. This simplicity makes the game accessible and easy to pick up, but it also limits the game’s lasting value.

Conclusion

Half-Life 2: Deathmatch cannot compete with deeper shooters out there because of it’s lack of depth. But the fun combat, warm community and fantastic community-maps make this arena-shooter a fun throwback to Quake III. Plus, it’s free for both ATI and nVidia users.

The Good

• Likeable Community
• Great custom-maps
• Accessible and fun gameplay
• Varied Arsenal
• It’s free, FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

The Bad

• Shallow and limited
• Only two game types

Metroid Prime Trilogy Review

Hey there, it’s Kevin with yet another Radical Reviewers Review. This time, for what is in my opinion, one of the greatest collectors edition products in video game history. We’ll be reviewing Nintendo’s Metroid Prime Trilogy for Wii.

History

After skipping an entire generation, Nintendo decided to reboot the Metroid series on the GameCube. To do this, they purchased a Texas-based independent development company called Retro Studios, made out of alums with portfolios varying from Half-Life to Starcraft. The decision to use an American studio to develop a Nintendo game was already a radically different decision. It would only continue to change from there.

In 2001, a trailer was revealed for the final build of the game. It showed gameplay from a first-person perspective. This immediately drew a huge backlash from fans of the series, who feared that their beloved Metroid would turn into shooter like Quake or Halo. These fans decried the game, feeling that it was dishonest to the adventure themes of previous games. Nonetheless, Metroid Prime succeeded in drawing a massive amount of hype, with a live-action advertisement and a marketing ARG. 

When it was finally released in 2002, Metroid Prime defied all expectations. Drawing a metascore of 98, it is the highest rated game of the sixth generation. Critics praised the tight controls, atmospheric visuals, intense action and adherence to the Metroid formula. Metroid Prime made a perfect transition to the third-dimension, and would soon spawn a series.

Retro immediately agreed to create two new games in the subseries. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes was released in 2004 for Gamecube to rave-reviews, praising its darker atmosphere and gloomy story. Nonetheless, Echoes failed to generate the record-breaking sales of its predecessor. A Wii sequel was released in 2007, bringing the best graphics of the series, perfect pointer-based controls and improved action.

Changes

Historically, Metroid Prime games have all brought high metascores of 98, 95 and 92 respectively. Noting this, Metroid Prime Trilogy rivals The Orange Box in terms of value.  For fifty dollars you are receiving nearly eighty hours of gameplay and three of the finest Nintendo games ever created. Even if sold in a standard white plastic box, Metroid Prime Trilogy would still be an epic deal. But in addition to the games, a Collector’s Edition tin-casing is supplied as is an art-booklet printed on glossy photo-paper.

The list of upgrades and bonuses does not stop there. Metroid Prime 1 and 2 have been ported to the Corruption Engine, featuring stylish bloom lighting, 16:9 widescreen and updated textures. This effectively makes the aging Gamecube games look state-of-the-art on the visually challenged Wii. Of course, precise pointer-based controls have been implemented along with a new difficulty level. Topping it off is an integrated achievements system, which gives the player tokens for accomplishing certain objectives. These tokens can be traded for concept art and music. These additions make the Gamecube games far more enjoyable than before.

Gameplay

Despite the first-person perspective, the Metroid Prime games can hardly be considered first-person shooters. Emphasis is moved from linear-combat to exploration of an open world. Metroid games revolve around the collection of items and upgrades. New items give access to new areas, which behold boss fights, platforming challenges and adventure aspects. Simply put, few other games provide the experience of developing from a feeble bounty hunter to a one-woman army with integrated rocket-launchers, cloaking-mechanisms, personal anti-gravity devices, grappling-beams, morph-balls, bombs and energy cannons.

By far the most important aspect of the Metroid Prime games is the scanning-mechanic. By using an item called the “Scan Visor”, Samus can collect information about enemies, environments and items as well as decode logs. All information is saved into an internal logbook, which tells a gripping backstory. This mechanic effectively makes Metroid Prime one of Nintendo’s strongest story-telling games.

Many first-person action games have made attempts at integrating platforming into their gameplay. Half-Life is infamous for attempting to integrate platform challenges in Xen, to no avail. The first-person perspective and lack of visible feet made platforming imprecise and frustrating. Unlike its influences, Metroid Prime provides the best first-person platforming in gaming history. To compensate for the first-person perspective, platforms are amply-sized and spaced from each other. Making movement a speedy and pleasant experience. This contributes to an excellent shooting mechanic. Pointer-based controls make combat more intense and fun than it has any right to be. A large variety of foes with varied AI scripts makes shooting radically different from other games.

The Metroid Prime games are very well known for their atmosphere and backstory, and this is easily echoed. Numerous effects and details have been added to make Tallon IV, Aether and the GF System one of the most inspired, detailed, memorable and believable virtual-worlds ever made. Extensive craft has been placed in giving the world a history and a backstory. The player can simply spend hours at a time researching the backstory of Metroid’s sci-fi/fantasy world. Thus, exploration is fun and rewarding and the player is given great motive to thoroughly scour each area for secrets.

Recently, Nintendo has announced that Metroid Prime Trilogy will soon go out-of-print. Go after it now to pick up this fine collectors-edition before it becomes super-rare.

Conclusion

Metroid Prime Trilogy is easily one of the finest compilation titles ever made. Three history-making games have been put into a package of legendary value. To be rare in the future, the only reason not to buy it is if one has played the compiled games before.

The Good

• Insane value, 80-hours of gameplay, plus Collector’s-Edition Specials, for the price of a standard game.
• The games serve as the paragon of first-person action-adventures
• Gamecube games ported to Corruption Engine with motion controls.
• Incredible story and atmosphere
• Much improved multiplayer

The Bad

• All old games
• Not much value if you’ve already played the entire trilogy

 

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword Review

After losing popularity in the fifth console generation, beat-em-up action games grew rare, almost to extinction. However, Capcom revitalized the genre by releasing Devil May Cry on the Playstation 2. Since then, several new beat-em-up series have sprung up, including God of War and Bayonetta. In addition, the resurgence of popularity in beat-em-ups was responsible for the revival of one of the hardest action-adventure series of the 8-bit era: Ninja Gaiden.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is a stylish beat-em-up action game for the Nintendo DS. Like its console based cousins, fast-paced, intense combat is the name of the game, and Dragon Sword delivers such combat. Stringing massive, hundred-hit combos together is an effortless task here. The action is visceral and intense, made possible by a perfect, entirely touch-screen based control scheme.

Like The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, movement and combat is controlled through the DS’s touch screen. Touching a point on the map will cause your character to run to that point, sliding the stylus up makes him jump and slashing with the stylus will cause him to slash with his sword. Lightly tapping a point will cause your character to throw projectiles in that direction. Special moves and magical attacks are handled with specific directional stylus combinations. For example, slashing down, then up, then up again will make your character throw an enemy into the air, then jump after it to perform a brutal pile-driver attack. Pressing any button will cause your character to block incoming attacks. Tapping point while blocking will bring about an evasive roll. The entire control scheme is precise and easy to pick up. Without a doubt, gamers with little experience can pick up this game and start banging out lengthy combos.

Despite the accessibility of the combat, this is no mere button-masher. Enemies are numerous and susceptible or resistant to certain attacks. Predicting the movement and attack patterns of enemies is a must on the difficult later levels, giving combat a tactical edge to round off its fast-paced intensity. Nonetheless, the intense combat grows repetitive quickly. Dragon Sword’s thirteen levels boil down to sets of connected arenas for enemies to respawn and fights to take place. Variety is unsuccessfully forced in through simple environmental puzzles and gorgeous boss fights. The attempts at variety are uninteresting compared to the intense, but repetitive combat. Graphically, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword blows nearly every other 3-D game on the Nintendo DS out of the water, often coming up to a near PSX level of quality. The 2-D cutscenes are fantastically drawn in a manga-style. In normal combat areas, 3D models are used on a prerendered 2-D backdrop in a Final Fantasy VII/Resident Evil fashion. The backdrops are impressively drawn and detailed, effectively disguising the fact that the levels are almost all the same. The 3-D characters are all fantastically animated, moving fluidly at 60 frames-per-second, action is made satisfying and visceral through amazing sword slashes.

Easily the most impressive parts of the game are the full 3-D boss battles. Where the engine is pushed to render large arenas with textured models and animated characters. Each special move is made even more intense in 3D and combat is absolutely beautiful. It is a shame however, that the entire game couldn’t be rendered in this fashion.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is also a treat for the ears. Sound effects are well-done, with violent sword slashes and shuriken plunges being precisely synthesized. Characters are voice-acted, roars, grunts and screams are made as they do battle. The music is also very good. Traditional Japanese-styled music is used for the central hub areas and adds atmosphere to the environments. Ethereal environments are accompanied by echoes and wind and boss battles are made intense with anachronistically contemporary techno-metal.

There is a story buried within Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, but that story fails as a motive for progression through the game. Even the beautiful cutscenes fail to tell an already uninteresting story. The plot is forgettable and best left ignored

 

Overall, Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is a fantastic game for those seeking a portable action game. Nearly technical aspect of the game shines, from its unsurpassed visuals, tight controls and fun and fast fights. However, repetitive combat, recycled level design and forgettable story weaken this game, preventing Dragon Sword from entering the upper echelon of DS classics. 

Overview

The Good

• Best Graphics on the DS
• Intense action
• Controls well

The Bad

• Repetitive gameplay
• Weak story
• Short at six hours
• Average replay value