Section 8 Review

-Section 8

Gameplay:
This game is fresh. New. Great ideas...on paper. But in game...still great! This is the best new game of 2009 (so far). It eliminates spawn camping, and turns everything about shooters upside-down and it just delivers perfectly. No matter what mode you're playing, it's fun. The campaign starts out okay, but really picks up after the first couple levels. But the multiplayer is really what this game is about. Best multiplayer game I've played since Halo 3. Since Gears. Since...a while. This game has a lot to offer, and feels a lot like what Halo Wars would be like in first person. It's interesting, and the game just works great!
20/20

Story:
In the campaign, you play as Alex Corde, a guy who (spoiler) gets promoted in Section 8 while defeating the Arm of Orion, and goes on a revenge mission with his squad to take out the guy who (spoiler) killed one of his squad mates in the first level. It's a good story if you can pay attention to it. And the universe that Timegate created is so cool, too.
9/10

Graphics:
The graphics are the worst part of the game. They are pretty bad for a 2009 game, and they look like they would go well with Halo 2. It's made with the Unreal Engine (Gears of War), so it does have that loading textures effect that Gears did. But in this game, it doesn't come in grainy and in random places. In Section 8, it fades it pretty quickly, and it doesn't have to do it for the rest of your "life". And it's not all bad. Everybody moves realistically, and some of the things look great. Grass is very realistic, and water can splash on your screen, which looks great. Shadows are good, too.
7/10

Replay:
You can keep playing this game like it's Halo 3. Just pop it in and go into multiplayer. It's so great. It's really fun to just play. Games made this well don't come around often.
10/10

Total: 46/50

Awesomeness %: 92%

Recommend? Yes! I was able to get the game early, and it's so great! It comes out tomorrow (9/1/09), so pick it up! If you don't want to, try the demo. You'll see why this game makes the "Best Games" list. Again, if you didn't understand...get this game! Support Section 8! By Section 8, I meant the game...you can play as Section 8 or Arm of Orion if you choose (MP). Get the game!

Guitar Hero: Metallica Review

-Guitar Hero: Metallica

Gameplay:
Although very fun, it just feels like World Tour. It's just about exactly the same, with little improvements made. It's basically the same, which is extremely fun, though, so the gameplay is good. It's great to finally have a BUNCH of Metallica songs.
18/20

Setlist:
Most of the songs are Metallica songs. If it was all Metallica, it would get a 10/10. But they did leave a couple great songs out, and a lot of the songs aren't even Metallica. It's still great to have a whole Metallica game, though!
8/10

Graphics:
Same as World Tour. And in this game, everyone looks exactly like themselves, and move like them, too, so it's pretty great!
8/10

Replay:
It for some reason feels like there isn't as much replay as World Tour. It doesn't feel as big of a game, and so the replay isn't as good. You can still have lots of fun for a long time jamming as Metallica, though, which just may never get old.
9/10

Total: 43/50

Awesomeness %: 86%

Recommend? Well, yes. But only for those who like both music games, and one of the best bands in the world: Metallica! It's a great game on all instruments. Go get it!

Guitar Hero: World Tour Review

-Guitar Hero: World Tour

Gameplay:
This GH is the first to add drums and vocals. With that fact, it is wildly better than GH3. Even if you didn't get GH3, it is still a very excellent game. You can finally create your own character, songs, and you earn money every time you play a song, and there are also a bunch of new features that make this a great game. There are tons of songs, too, and you can really play for a long time.
19/20

Setlist:
The setlist is good, but doesn't have as many good songs as GH3 did. It has a lot of good songs, though, but it still doesn't have that "rock-ness" that GH3 did. There will be some songs that you want to play over and over, and there are some that you may only play once or a few more times.
8/10

Graphics:
The graphics are slightly better than GH3. The drummer finally acts like a drummer, and overall, things just look more real than before. But, as with all music games, the graphics aren't the center of the game, but they are pretty good for a music game.
8/10

Replay:
Just as good as GH3, only better. You can replay all songs on all instruments, which makes the replay excellent. Eventually, you may want to stop, but that will take a very, very, long time.
10/10

Total: 45/50

Awesomeness %: 90%

Recommend? Yes. If you like music games, you will love this one. It's really good in every aspect. And, with 90%, a new game makes it into the best games list!

DLC Review: Fallout 3: Point Lookout

DLC: Point Lookout

Gameplay:
I loved playing this DLC. It is so huge and has a lot to explore, and feels to me like a small expansion. It is definitely worth the money and more to me. There is so much exploring to do and it's really fun, and a lot of quests and side quests. There is so much to do, and it really adds a lot to the game. I didn't feel like leaving. I loved the swampy bog feel of the DLC. It fits in with Fallout quite well, and it's fun to learn the history of Point Lookout. There are new weapons and so much to do, that I can't believe it was only 800 MS points. It should have been way more.
10/10

Story:
You enter Point Lookout, and end up fighting for a ghoul named Desmond. He tasks you with helping him win a war that he's been fighting for a very long time, and in the end you get a moral decision worthy of the 800 MS points. I won't give it away, of course.
Although I found the story very fun and worth many points out of ten, I found it quite odd that Desmond's war that has been going on for (I believe) about 200 years in finished within a few days (or even a day if you're really into it) after you arrive. But overall, it didn't hurt the story, so it still is a very good DLC.
9/10

Total: 19/20

Awesomeness %: 95%

Recommend? Yes. this is definitely the best DLC (although The Pitt is my favorite) for Fallout 3. You must get this DLC no matter what people tell you. It is worth the money and much more. You can spend days exploring Point Lookout, and do many of the quests and side quests, and still have many hours left to play in Point Lookout. It's so mysterious and so fun, I still can't believe it was only 800 MS points. Get it.

DLC Review: Fallout 3: The Pitt

DLC: The Pitt

Gameplay:
Woo-hoo! This is (although not by far) my favorite Fallout 3 DLC. It is so fun to play, and I enjoyed moslty every minute of it. There are only slight problems. One is getting lost (not too easily, but it happened to me once or twice). But overall it has almost no problems compared to its awesomeness. New armor, weapons, and quests make this a great, great, must-have DLC, and it fits right in with Fallout 3 so well, I'm speechless.
9.5/10

Story:
You are found by a guy who wants you to find a cure slaves who are turning into monsters. The cure is quite funny, but I won't give it away. You'll meet some interesting people along the way, and you'll have a nice moral choice that really makes Fallout 3 what it is. You also have to free the slaves, and the slaves who are starting to turn into monsters have awesome skin textures that are so cool. You have to own this DLC among most of the other five.
10/10

Total: 19.5/20

Awesomeness %: 97.5%

Recommend? YES. I can't say yes enough. I don't regret getting this one at all. Not one little tiny bit. Get this DLC if you haven't already, and if you haven't, I can't believe you haven't.

Mirror's Edge Review

-Mirror's Edge

Gameplay:
Wow. The gameplay for this game is SO fun! You go around on top of buildings, trains, train tracks, everything you can think of, and you just run and jump. You play as Faith, a "runner", who can do amazing stunts. Just about everything in the game is actually possible for humans to do (except slow down time at parts, but that's just cool so it doesn't take away from anything, and you don't have to use it). I really enjoyed just running around and having fun. You rarely get confused, too, because pressing "b" (360) points you to where you're supposed to go. I really liked having that, along with the part where you're chasing the guy on rooftops. And breaking through glass to get outside. The whole game is just awesome! There are some downsides, and frustratingly difficult parts.
18/20

Story:
The story is a little iffy at times. It's hard to understand sometimes, and difficult to pay attention to because you just want to keep playing. But if you do pay attention, it's a pretty good story. You're a runner who has to do a bunch of stuff. Hard to explain, along with me being forgetful (I played it a while ago and forgot the story). But pretty good if you can follow along.
7/10

Graphics
The game looks so great. It's kind of like a big white world with really saturated colors to let you know where to go next. And some of the inside parts are cool colored rooms. And the graphics aren't bad either. For this type of game, the graphics surprised me and are definitely worth a look.
9/10

Replay:
This game has lots of replay value. You can try to beat your high scores on levels, or beat the time trials. All of it is fun to replay, when it's not too hard. Also, it's a fun game to just pick up if you're bored and just play sometime. It can get boring at times, though.
8/10

Total: 42/50

Awesomeness %: 84%

Recommend? Yes. This game is one of those brilliant games that only comes around once in a while. Everything about it is great. Even not carrying a weapon throughout 98% of the game didn't bother me. You should definitely pick this up if you haven't already. It really changes up the first person game, and I hope to see sequels soon. If you're considering it, try the demo, and you'll know you have to get this game.

Portal Review

-Portal

Gameplay:
Be warned: I did not play this game. My brother did, but I basically watched the whole thing, and played a little, so I get the idea. Okay, back on track: The gameplay is like a whole bunch of puzzles that you have to figure out. Some are easy, but most are hard. It can take you maybe three hours to complete the whole game, but professionals can complete it in about fifteen minutes. It's fun to try to figure out the puzzles, but only when they don't hurt your brain.
17/20

Story:
I really liked the story. You are a person who is sent through a bunch of different tests using a portal device. Someone is helping you along the way, (spoilers), but you never see them until the end when you destroy them in a big boss battle. The ending was about as long as the whole game, which is really cool. The end credits is the sole reason to buy the game (not really, but they're pretty awesome).
8/10

Graphics:
The graphics are surprisingly good. The game is made by Valve, who made Left 4 Dead. And although L4D came out after Portal, Portal has better graphics. The lights and shadows are really good, and everything looks great. They have a really good engine, called the Source Engine, and it works great with Portal.
9/10

Replay:
Because you've already solved all of the puzzles, the replay isn't too good. There are other modes, and you may try to beat some records, but overall, it's solving the puzzles the first time that really works with it.
5/10


Total: 39/50

Awesomeness %: 78%

Recommend? This game is good. It got a 78%, which is good, but this isn't an FPS. It's a puzzle game, so if you go into it thinking it's an FPS, it sucks. But if you're a fan of puzzle games, this game is for you.

Guitar Hero 3 Review

-Guitar Hero 3

Gameplay:
I was addicted to this game since the first time I played it. Excellent all the way through. There are some frustratingly difficult parts, but they are still fun. You can easily lose track of time playing this game. It's that fun. Something about hitting buttons and listening to music...it just works. There are some problems. You can't create your own character, and you only earn money the first time you play a song (both fixed in the next game).
18/20

Setlist:
With music games, I'll do a setlist instead of a "story". While GH3 has a story, I wanna focus on what's more important. Music. Most of the music is great. Whenever I hear a song that was on GH3, I instantly become very nostalgic of when I played this game. Most of the songs are good, although some are bad. But this game has done great things for me. I won't get into it, though. Let's just say that this game changed my life for the better. And mostly because of the music!
9/10

Graphics:
The graphics are bad. If compared to the previous GH games, it's a lot better. But the drummer looks terrible and can't move correctly. Other small things too, but overall, not too great. But it's not really about what's in the background for music games.
7/10

Replay:
This game has some of the best replay of any game. You can try to beat your old score, do harder songs, play a harder difficulty, play to listen to a good song, or even just play because a song was fun. Always great!
10/10

Total: 44/50

Awesomeness %: 88%

Recommend? I would recommend this game, but at the same time not. Although it is one of the best games I have ever played (ever!), you may want to go with the next one, Guitar Hero: World Tour, if that's your thing. But I think I'm gonna go with yes. Get it.

DLC Review: Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta

DLC: Mothership Zeta

Gameplay:
The gameplay for this game feels natural. Even though it's totally different from Fallout 3 regular playing, it still feels like Fallout 3, which is great.
The new alien enemies can be either super tough at times, or just go down with one shot.
The new weapons are also cool, but not as cool as the alien blaster.
It is just a little bit repetitive, and slightly confusing at times.
8/10

Story:
Great story. Beamed aboard the alien mothership, Mothership Zeta. Fight your way out. Awesome. Although I felt like a couple things weren't explained in the end.
8/10

Total: 16/20

Awesomeness %: 80%

Recommend? Why not...sure. Go ahead and get this awesome DLC for Fallout 3.

Halo Wars Review

-Halo Wars

Gameplay:

Well, the gameplay is okay. It's not a boring game, but because it has the name "Halo" in it, everybody thought it would be awesome. So my expectations were a little too high, making his game seem a little bad. I'll be honest, I wouldn't have gotten the game if it didn't have "Halo" in the title. Anywho, some gameplay elements are good, some aren't. Some of it works, some of it doesn't. Overall, the gameplay is just plain okay.
14/20

Story:
The story takes place in the Halo universe, so it's gotta be good, right? Well, kind of. Basically, you command an army of UNSC guys destroying the Covenant and finding the flood, and killing the then-Arbiter. Sorry...it's easier to follow when you're playing it.
7/10

Graphics:
This is odd. The gameplay graphics are about a 6/10, not great. But the cutscene graphics are the best graphics I have ever seen. Better than Halo 3. I would give it an 11/10 if I could, but that's not right. It would get a 10/10. So what do I do here? It's time for math: 6/10 + 10/10 = 16/20. That's 8/10. So overall, the gameplay graphics are okay. But the real money is in the cutscenes.
8/10

Replay:
Replay is fun. There are skulls to collect, which you may not have seen before. Also, there are black boxes to collect. Those unlock timeline events, while skulls make the game easier or harder.
7/10

Total: 36/50

Awesomeness %: 72%

Recommend? Not really. If you REALLY want to, go right ahead. I enjoyed this game. It was fun, but it's not really worth the money. Go ahead and skip this one.

Left 4 Dead Review

-Left 4 Dead

Gameplay:
This game starts out as incredibly fun. You're killing zombies! How can that not be fun? It is fun. But it slowly goes downhill from there. Remember: SLOWLY goes downhill. There's definitely enough to keep you going. There's a nice small array of weapons, and different ways to get your health up...it's really a well put-together game. There's also a free DLC called Survival Mode: it's like Horde in Gears 2. It's pretty fun! Overall, this game has some good gameplay, with enough to keep you going. The only problem is that the game is a little repetitive.
15/20

Story:
The game doesn't really have a plot, but it has a story, which is told in two ways: The cutscene at the beginning of the game, and then the writing on the walls of the safe rooms. The story is that there's been a zombie apocalypse, and it has reached these four people who have to fight their way to freedom...while getting dropped off at a few different places for no reason...It doesn't make a lot of sense. They get saved at the end of each level, then are put right back in danger for no reason. Weird.
4/10

Graphics:
Unfortunately, the graphics reminded me of Gamecube graphics. Not too good. Not too bad, but not too good either. The first person part of it was good, but everything around you wasn't.
6/10

Replay:
This part is cool. First of all, you can replay the campaign with your buddies online, which is awesome. If that's not awesome enough for you, don't worry, there's more...there's this thing called "The Director" which changes up the gameplay every time. So now, the witch spawns in different places, you get attacked at different times, and other stuff is mixed up too. Also, the game knows you. If you're sucking, it makes it easier. If you're doing well, it'll make the game harder. The replay is fantastic.
9/10

Total: 34/50

Awesomeness %: 68%

Recommend? Well, this is weird. The game got a bad score, but I do recommend it. Why? It was a lot of fun, and the only reason it scored so low was because of having no plot. So go ahead and get it. If you don't want to, I hear Left 4 Dead 2 (coming in November) has a plot...