Where are you going, Ubisoft?

Where are you going, Ubisoft?
Posted by: Marcus

As of late, I've been very much engrossed in Assassin's Creed II, and I must say that this game series is quickly climbing by list of favorite franchises. There's something interesting about a science fiction title that uses its roots in history in great detail. I see the game as a sort of cross between The Matrix and Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, except it doesn't suck. However, this is where I begin to wonder as to how the series will continue to pan out.

Truthfully, this is one of the most complex titles I've ever played that isn't an RPG. I thought about trying to explain to my father how the series works, and I couldn't think of a solid way to truly simplify the title to explain to someone who isn't a gamer. The first question that I think of is whether or not this incredible complexity keeps potential players out. In rebuttal to myself, I do think the ability of this game to tell a story within a story with such grace is one of the more redeeming qualities, and you could describe either the historical aspect of the story or the science fiction aspect and possibly hook someone in.

The second question I had was simply wondering exactly are they going to do with the third installment? Truthfully, the most logical line of thought leads to thinking that they could do something in Colonial America, or (if the series is only a trilogy) simply put Desmond into the modern day and let him go at it. Truth be told, I don't doubt that Ubisoft Montreal will make a wise choice when it comes to the game, and we definitely won't be expecting it to be that good. For example, not many people would expect Italy during the Renaissance to be that interesting for a video game, but the second game is so visually arresting, with a great backdrop of conspiracy and murder that it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

My final question is probably the most abrubt, since I'm not going to spoil anything. How on earth do you answer some of the more glaring questions of this game? Most importantly, why did Altair come to Italy? The move doesn't make much sense. Then again, I haven't played the PSP title.

Hmmmm. This entry is a bit shorter than others. Oh well. What I will say is that we'll be having a new member of the Corner soon named Brandon. He's a buddy of mine who has fresh ideas on game reviews and the like, and I'll be putting his introduction on Youtube soon.

Until then, the other announcement is that there will be two Youtube shows. The first is Devil's Advocate, where I will simply do what I do best, and give my position on controversial subjects. The second proposed show is ADHD "After 'Da Hype' Dies" which will be a review show that features Brandon reviewing a title after the adrenaline wears off.

Arrevederci!

New Website Stuff

New Website Goings-on
Posted by: Marcus


Since I established The Cynic's Corner, I've gotten plenty of entries, and even have a copycat out there that is trying his best to be me, but is failing miserably. That's a lot more progress than I thought I would pull off with this blog, but thank the Lord above that everything has gone so well so far.

With all that said, I've finally started putting videos of mine on Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/user/CynicsCorner

I will try to have a couple videos up each month, and I will still be writing weekly entries here on the main blog, so you folks know that I'm not abandoning you who enjoy reading what I write. The entries on Youtube, truth be told, will be more along the lines of unscripted rantings, whereas these entries will probably be much more organized, and thoughtful.

So, enjoy both, faithful readers! Stick around, and I doubt you'll be disappointed.

Halo 3: ODST - Bust or Must-Buy?
Posted by: Marcus

To be quite honest with those of you who read this blog, I don't like reviewing video games. The main reason is that I am not a big fan of what factors into the reviews of popular magazines and websites, and how each site gives more weight to minor issues in some games, and less in others. I'm also not a big fan of the fact that many magazines don't factor in new ideas brought to the table, and if they help the game, or hurt it. With all of that said, I felt that Halo 3: ODST deserves a review from The Cynic's Corner. However, it doesn't deserve a review because of the quality of the game, but rather on the merit that it's become a discussion point amongst gamers.

Before I begin, I will say that at the end of my review, I won't be scoring this on a five or ten point scale. I'll simply be putting a listing of who should consider buying it, renting it, or passing it up altogether. With that said, let's dig in.

Starting off, I have to say that the presentation elements in this game are pretty solid. The overall look of New Mombasa is interesting, and has an odd tech-noir feel to it, similar to the movie Blade Runner, but not quite. The graphical detail is a bit improved from Halo 3, but still lacks polish. Though the facial models and character models are better, they still seem a bit rushed, but at the same time aren't anything to be embarrassed over. However, the gun models, vehicles, and everything else look pretty solid. Then again, I've always considered Halo's game graphics akin to Frank Quitely's comic book art. The art on actual humans isn't very good, but the environments look solid. For better or worse, the look of the game doesn't touch graphical giants like Gears of War 2, Killzone 2, or Metal Gear Solid 4, but it's a better effort than the last game. The game transitions for scene to scene very smoothly, and overall doesn't take you out of the experience, which is actually a first since the original Halo.

When it comes to sound, the player is getting a mixed bag. Most of the classic weapons and sound effects haven't changed over time, and they shouldn't fix what isn't broken. However, the "new" weapons introduced in the game (the silenced SMG and the Pistol) really sound a bit off. The silenced SMG sounds way too loud to be silenced, and the Pistol sounds way too silent to be the classic Magnum. Though you could make the argument that the gun uses soundless ammo, the counterpoint is that you can't make high caliber silenced ammo without shredding the gun, or killing its stopping power. The orchestral score at some points doesn't seem to fit the situation, but at other points it nails the mood of the moment. This has been a problem throughout the Halo franchise, and really needs correcting. However, it's not like the sound quality is consistent MIDI files, and your guns sound like belching warthogs, so I wouldn't say its bad either.

Gameplay is also a mixed bag. The campaign is by no means bad, but it's not going to climb the ranks of best FPS campaigns either. The main issue with it is that the storyline is incredibly short. On Normal difficulty, it will only take you three or four hours to complete. Though there are secrets to unlock, the issue here is that they aren't numerous enough, nor do they carry any weight aside from extra gamerscore. There is a subplot about some girl, and how the city went nuts during the invasion, but you're not given any reason to care, considering you can't do anything about it. Aside from the downturns, what you do have is a good amount of solid action, but it doesn't change the fact that it ends too fast. The new Firefight mode, truthfully, isn't all that its hyped up to be. Without the presence of Matchmaking, it isn't easy to find people to play it with, and some achievements are dependent on having four people to play it with. Though certain skulls will activate at points, it really isn't much different than Horde from Gears of War 2's escalating difficulty. Though the game is fun, it's not much fun when you're playing by yourself. However, I do think that the next game in the series, Halo: Reach, should incorporate the gametype, simply because it would be a lot more fun to play with a team of Spartans instead. If you're wondering why I'm not talking about the Mythic disk, it's because this is a review about Halo 3: ODST, not the previous game. I think it's idiotic for a reviewer to include the two together when they're separate games, despite the packaging.

The storyline of the game, truthfully, stinks. To put it simply, you won't care about any of the characters of this game. Tricia Helfer's character is essentially her character from Burn Notice and Nathan Fillion's character is essentially his character from Firefly, but both in the Halo universe, rather than the respective TV shows. The other characters are, for better or worse, simply archetypes from other action games and movies. You have your whiny tech-savvy guy, the mandatory black guy, the guy who doesn't talk much, and the tough southern guy. Yes, it's essentially a rip of Delta Squad from Gears of War, except with no character development whatsoever. The issue here is that you're never given a reason to care about these characters, or their backstory. You'll simply want to dig into more action instead, which doesn't work for a video game in this day and age. Also, there isn't much of a narrative either, which digs a bigger hole for the game, along with the fact that the "big secret" of the game becomes irrelevant to you if you've played the rest of the series. Truthfully, this game's story seems like it's trying to be a launch point for new players of the franchise, but has the issue that there aren't many people who own an X-Box who haven't played the franchise yet.

Buy It - If you're new to the series, or are a Halo fanboy.
Rent It - If you want something to occupy you for a few days
Don't Touch It - If Halo doesn't interest you.