Reviews by Danteblack

Dante's Inferno (Xbox 360) review

Dante’s Inferno is brought to you from Visceral games, the same studio behind the critically acclaimed ‘Dead Space’ but the similarities end there; where Dead Space was a claustrophobic horror themed shooter, Dante’s inferno is a hack n’ slash in the same vein as Sony’s God of War series. You are Dante, a crusader during the 12th century. Through your own actions and an unfortunate wager your true love Beatrice is killed and her soul is trapped in Hell. In an unlikely opening you acquire the Grim Reaper’s scythe and pursue after her. The story is told through a combination of high quality CGI, comic book style anime and in game engine. It’s not award winning stuff buts it’s relatively interesting at least. In this genre combat comes first and in this regard Dante’s Inferno holds up quite well. The combination of light attacks and heavy attacks works well but even with a maxed out level tree there is still a lack of variety and the game can be beaten easiest by spamming certain combos. You have one melee weapon and one ranged weapon during the whole game. The aforementioned scythe is the melee and Beatrice’s cross can be used to send out a projectile. As well as this you have four spells to collect; two are very useful and the other two are far less satisfying. A type of morality system is featured in the game; from time to time you will come across damned souls and upon reading of their crimes you will have the option to punish or absolve them. Pushing them will unlock more mores for your scythe and absolving them will unlock more moves for your cross. There is only one ending so your choice should only depend on which weapon you use the most. Graphics are solid although far from mind blowing. Sometimes the game looks great during big set piece battles but too often you’re funnelled through similar corridors. Most of the voice acting is passable but special note goes to Lucifer as his voice was perhaps the best in the game. Grunts, slashing, cries and screams are appropriating unsettling as they should be given the setting. Frame rate is a perfect 60FPS throughout (except during cinemas). The nudity in this game has been well publicised and really it’s not that bad. There is a lot of it at the start of the game and just as it starts to become a bit tiring, it starts to wind down; by the third circle things get back on track and giggling can be put to rest. Fans of the genre should give this game a chance. Despite annoying timed puzzles and a poor last couple of hours it’s still worth picking up at a discounted rate.

Devil May Cry 4 (Xbox 360) review

Devil May Cry 4 is the series first entry on the current generation of consoles and with it comes some familiar and some new. First thing series veterans are likely to notice is that you play as a character called Nero (more on that later). Nero and Dante could be brothers, not that the game directly says this but because they look so alike. This may be deliberate on Capcom’s part to usher in a new character without straying too far from what players are used too. The story initially revolves around Nero chasing Dante following Dante’s attack on a seemingly innocent priest. As the story progresses, the focus shifts. The combat is much slower paced when compared to a game like Boyonetta (which came out sometime after). There aren’t too many attacks when compared to similar games but what is here is useful. Half the game is played as Nero when you’ll have access to a large sword, a revolver and the main new attraction; the Demon Arm. The Demon Arm allows you to grab enemies from a distance and is especially useful during the excellent boss battles. Dante is controlled in a more traditional method but the with the added ability to switch your combat styles on the fly with the D-Pad. As touched on earlier half the game is played from Nero’s perspective; the other half from Dante’s perspective. Both characters are great fun to use; the biggest issue however is with repetition - Dante’s levels are basically just Nero’s levels in reverse; even the boss battles are recycled (although with different intros and outcomes). Graphically the game looks fantastic. It runs off Capcom’s current generation proprietary engine which affords it a crisp colourful look. The game holds a steady 30FPS throughout and despite this being low for the genre, the enemies attacks are designed to suit this slower pace. The same cheesy dialog you’ve come to expect from the series is delivered by the actors with just enough charisma for the game to retain its ‘tongue in cheek’ nature. Nero does get a bit over dramatic at times though. It’s not as difficult or as good as Devil May Cry 3 but it’s still worth every minute of play. It’s a great game overall and one that shouldn’t be missed.

Shadowrun (Xbox 360) review

Shadowrun is an online only shooter based on an RPG. Initial impression is that this wouldn’t stand much chance of success but thankfully this negatively can be put to rest; Shadowrun as a FPS is a success. The game pits two teams against each other; the RNA and the Lineage. As both sides play identically the difference in teams is really quite superficial. Let me just put this out there – this game has excellent balance. It employs a fantastic ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ method which is almost perfect. The game uses a combination of magic and guns. Many of the spells are actually inspired by other game glitches such as the teleport which allows you to clip through walls and the smoke which temporarily makes you invulnerable. As previously mentioned, everything has a counter; smoke can be broken with gust and teleport can be stopped with anti magic grenades. This is a small example but rest assured the tactics have been well thought out. Four classes are available to you. The human, all rounder; the elf, most nimble; the troll, meat shield and the dwarf, spellcaster. Each class serves their purpose well and each is useful. The elf is the favourite online as he can regain health (where the others rely on a spell); this is offset by the fact that he also has the least health and is easiest killed in a head on shootout. Graphics are solid if somewhat uninspired, characters models don’t look the best but spell effects are a highlight. A good variety of gun sounds and a ‘Halo’ style announcer round out the sound package nicely. At £40 Shadowrun had a difficult time justifying its price tag with no campaign and only 6 maps (not counting variants). At its current lower price it’s a steal. Unless you’re incapable of winning without some cheap weapon then you’ll find plenty to like in Shadowrun.

Flatout: Ultimate Carnage (Xbox 360) review

Flatout Ultimate Carnage is brought to you by Bugbear ….I’ll give you a moment to see if you’ve heard of them – no? Doesn’t matter; that shouldn’t put you off playing this great arcade racer. Flatout is realistic racer in the same way that playing Burnout will help you prepare for a driving test. Like Criterion’s acclaimed series, Flatout is all about loose handling, crazy tracks and chaotic racing. Unlike Burnout, Flatout features lots of destructible objects in races (which can be used to hinder the progress of other racers) and the ability (whether on purpose or not) to launch your driver through the windscreen. Controls feel great and the twisting tracks always keep you on your toes. You’ll find lots to bang into and plenty of ramps to jump off. There is also a great variety of tracks available and branching paths to take advantage of. Graphics are surprisingly good when you consider the destruction, cars on screen and steady frame rate throughout. Sounds is rounded out nicely with a great soundtrack of rock tracks (mostly), throaty engine sounds, crashes and explosions. Online is available with support for both ranked and unranked matches and allows for up to 12 players to join at once. While single player AI may just allow you to overtake, opponents online will not let you past so easily and this makes the experience all the better. Unlike most racers where the focus is coming first, Flatout often makes causing the most destruction to you opponents the most rewarding. Racer fans will have to decide what camp they belong in before purchasing this game. If you only want licensed cars and accurate physics then this isn’t for you. If you love to destroy first and worry about a podium finish next, then Flatout should be in your collection.

Red Faction: Guerrilla (Xbox 360) review

Red Faction has been gone for a while but now it returns and does so in a big way. Veterans of the series will immediately notice the games switch in perspective. No longer a first person shooter; Red Faction has switched to a third person perspective - fortunately, this pays off well. In the story mode you play as Mason. A traumatising event early in the game quickly encourages you to join the resistance. From here you’ll be tasked by your comrades to complete a series of objectives in an open world environment. This could work really well except that far too much of this ‘open world environment’ is, well….open; there’s nothing there. You’ll too often find yourself driving long distances with little more than a couple of other vehicles in view. This becomes much less of an issue when you reach your destination and break loose. The excellent destruction in this game is currently unmatched. You can take down entire buildings and no cover is safe. Instead of running through a structure eliminating targets, just rig the supports and watch it from a safe distance. Various firearms (most standard, some unique), vehicles and mechs keep the destruction from going stale before the end. The thin but serviceable plot does a decent job of driving the action forward. Multiplayer proves to the main attraction here. A good variety of multiplayer modes coupled with in game ‘packs’ that serve as boosters not to mention full destructibility from the story mode and you have a game with lasting appeal. ‘Packs’ are (literally) strapped to your back and allow various effects. Rhino lets you charge through people and buildings, Jetpack gives you momentary flight and (my favourite) Concussion blasts out a radius charge that knocks over anyone in range. Many more packs are available in game and are unique to the multiplayer (with the exception of the Jetpack). Red Faction’s graphics look great; they’re sharp, clean and make good use of anti aliasing. Sadly the aforementioned open spaces can hurt the overall presentation. Destruction is physics based meaning buildings fall based on how you hit them – no canned animations here. Sound is solid; voice acting may lean on the B movie a bit much but then it’s not unlike its story. I recommend Red Faction Guerrilla to anyone interested in third person action adventure / open world games. Even if you’ve skipped previous entries in the series, this is still a good place to start.

Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360) review

- This review contains light spoilers. Mass Effect 2 kicks off just shortly after the events of Mass Effect 1. The status of the galaxy depends on how you load up. If you import your save file from the original game then you’re decisions from that game carry over. If you start fresh, the game will create the back story for you with some clever questioning. Following an attack from an unknown vessel the Normany is destroyed and Commander Sheppard is killed. Two years pass and Sheppard has been revived and ‘rebuilt’. From here you joined a group with a sole purpose is to destroy the Reapers. As before Mass Effect 2 allows you to make decisions in battle, conversation and now even in cut scenes. From time to time you will be given a ‘Paragon’ or ‘Renegade’ option and you can choose to use it or ignore it. These moments are important as they can have lasting consequences; depending on how you play lead characters can die. Graphics are excellent and make great use of the Unreal 3 Engine. Sound is a highlight as you’d expect from a Bioware game. Voice acting especially sounds great, everything from Sheppard to the more bizarre characters you’ll meet along the way. Controls have been streamlined to be more accessible and although this might seem basic at first (especially to the RPG enthusiast), it does open us as you progress and the game is better off for it. Mass Effect 2 doesn’t disappoint. It corrects the technical issues of its predecessor and greatly improves the graphics along the way. The absence of the Mako is not something you’ll miss. Clocking in at between 20-30 hours, it may not be the longest RPG out there but with constant drive, narrative, areas, characters and no grinding, there isn’t a dull moment to be found.

Battlefield: Bad Company (Xbox 360) review

Battlefield returns to duty and brings with it a new destruction system. Battlefield Bad Company puts you in the boots of Preston Marlow. From the opening cut scene showing Preston meeting his new ‘B’ squad mates he immediately becomes a likable character. His eagerness to show ranking respect is immediately shot down by his superior who doesn’t quite care and he begins to relax from there. Single player is enjoyable enough thanks to dialogue between the characters as you play and the cut scenes that bookend each level are usually entertaining to encourage you onto the next. Unfortunately the campaign just feels like a series of large multiplayer maps with respawning enemies and your only objective each time to move from point A to B while blowing up target C. Thankfully then it should be noted that Bad Company is to be played for its online multiplayer. The main mode - Gold Rush is where one team fights to defend gold crates as the other team fights to destroy them (and presumably, take the gold). Players will have available to them load outs, vehicles and kits (repair, medic etc...). This isn’t necessary something you’ve never seen before but the destructibility does make it special. For example; someone camping behind a door? – Simply blow a hole in the wall and knife them in the back (this never gets old and rewards you with their dog tags). Graphics are built upon Dice’s ‘Frostbite’ engine. They look great for the most part even if it’s not the most stunning game you’ve ever seen. Consider the destruction, 24 man multiplayer and particle effects on screen and it becomes more impressive. Sound is excellent, especially good on a Dolby 5.1 surround setup. Think of the campaign as training for the multiplayer. Of course if you’re like me, you’ll invest a dozen hours in the multiplayer before even playing the first level – and this is fine too. Fans of competitive, balanced multiplayer will find something to like here. The learning curve can be steep as other players rank way above you but give it time and you’ll eventually see the beauty in this battle.

WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2010 (Xbox 360) review

Having purposely skipped last year’s instalment and despite buying it, rarely playing the 2008 instalment I went into Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 with high hopes. In my eyes the team had two long years to improve the formula to become something fresh and exciting again. Sadly, within 30 minutes of play it soon becomes apparent this isn’t the case. To paint a picture for you, the game brags (with a big flashing NEW) that there is now a training feature. This just screams of desperation that such a basic thing should be considered in such high regard - unfortunately things don’t get any better from here. Graphics look great in pictures but in motion they still look like plastic dolls with unwavering hair. Animation carries over the same issues every instalment ever has; moves look fine except that we’ve seen 90% of them before and while I appreciate every year can’t have a whole new move set, it’s still tiresome to see so much rehashed. Implication of Havok physics that allows ropes to bend and clothing to flow helps but its only being pasted on top of old tech. The problem isn’t that the developers aren’t doing enough with what they have; it’s that they’re not stepping outside their comfort zone; this series is in desperate need of a new engine. The Smackdown series had some short lived competition in the form of TNA Wrestling, unfortunately for TNA, Midway have since bankrupted. TNA is by no means the best in the genre but it was heading in the right direction. With fluid animation and great graphics it showed this genre can make use of the technology available to it. The less said about the “Road to Wrestlemania” mode, the better. The campy plot and voice acting make it embarrassing to even be seen playing. The online is a laggy mess and barely passable, every connection comes up as red - even if you join a 1 vs. 1 match with someone in the same town as you. Simply put Smackdown’s online fails at the basics. The ability to create your own story sounds better than it is. With no voice acting and only pre-canned scenes available to you, it’s a lot of work for little payoff. The highest rated created stories online are still terrible. Forza 3 shows how community creations can thrive, Smackdown can’t even touch it. Downloading created superstars is one welcome addition however. With 3 – 5 million units of Smackdown Vs raw being sold each year, THQ clearly feel they don’t have to try anymore. People need to vote with their wallets and stop buying this rubbish every year. THQ – ‘Take a 2 year development cycle, build a new engine and once again set the standard’. ‘Even the most hardcore fan has their limit’.

Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3) review

Batman Arkham Asylum is brought to you by a relatively unknown studio known as “Rocksteady”. The developers lesser known 2006 title Urban Chaos: Riot Response would never have led you to believe that Arkham Asylum would turn out to be the excellent game that it is. Batman (like many comic book titles) have a sordid past when it comes to video game adaptations, that is to say they’re usually bad. Just as Chronicles of Riddick on the original Xbox did for movie game tie-ins; Batman Arkham Asylum bucks the trend. Not only is this an excellent comic book game, it’s one of the best action adventure games ever made. The story, voice acting, graphics, sound and controls have an exceptionally high standard. Things kick off with Batman’s capture of the Joker. As he escorts the clown prince of crime into Arkham Asylum, things go bad. It’s from this point Batman makes his way through the Asylum meeting and facing off against many well known figures (as well as nods to several others). Joker (who is joined by Harley Quinn) will frequently commentate on events over the loudspeakers which prove to be some of the game funniest and surreal moments. The voice acting doesn’t falter from start to finish but special mention still goes to Mark Hamill for his excellent and disturbing depiction of the Joker; he’ll truly have you believing he’s crazy and in control at the same time. The graphics, running on the Unreal Engine 3, showcase some of the best work with the engine outside of Epic’s own ‘Gears of War’ series. You’ll find yourself taking on up to a dozen enemies at once in excellent (but simple) hand to hand combat. Other times will have to taking down your opponents through the use of stealth; naturally this is where Batman’s many gadgets prove useful. Also employing use of Batman’s tech is the puzzle aspect. Puzzles provide just enough challenge to be thought provoking but not frustrating. ‘Riddler’s Puzzles’ can offer more challenge but are completely optional. It may not sport any online multiplayer (aside from leader boards) but this shouldn’t be an issue. The 12 – 15 hour campaign will keep you busy and entertained from start to finish. After completion you’ll be able to hone your skills in the games many ‘Challenge Rooms’. It’s not the most difficult game out there so I would recommend those familiar with this genre to start on hard mode. Rocksteady have made a name for themselves with Batman Arkham Asylum and this reviewer hopes they will maintain that high standard for the inevitable sequel.

Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360) review

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 follows the template set by its predecessor very closely. Its tightly scripted campaign and highly addicting multiplayer are back and this time joined by a separate co-op mode. The campaign, as before, puts you in the boots of several soldiers from various locations around the world. Each level is a tightly scripted series of events and despite this killing replay value (unless you count higher difficulty settings); these range from interesting to exhilarating. The campaign will only last you between 5 and 6 hours but its all killer and no filler. “Spec-Ops” is the name given to the new co-op mode. This mode allows you and one other (offline or online) to complete 23 stand alone missions. Like the campaign these are great fun, some better than others but no bad ones. With varying difficulties affected “Stars” earned, there is much encouragement to try for the highest difficulty. Multiplayer is unsurprisingly the best aspect of Modern Warfare 2. Given the success of the original the sequel follows much the same way. Despite having more perks, classes, guns and attachments it doesn’t take long before you find yourself getting déjà vu – this isn’t intended as a complement nor a detriment; it’s just the case for those us who poured countless hours into the original. I have played almost 3 days of multiplayer and I’m still going. Despite some unbalance issues such as overpowered grenade launchers and thermal snipers that provide a bit too much assistance, this is one multiplayer experience no shooter fan should be without. Graphics are sharp, clean and the frame rate rarely drops outside of 50FPS (usually sits at a smooth 60FPS). The voice acting and weapon sounds have the same high quality you’d expect from recent iterations in the series. Fans of the Call of Duty Franchise (and especially the Modern Warfare series) will surely have bought the game before ever seeing this review. For those who choose to study it more closely before buying consider this; if you have no interest in the multiplayer then rent first as the campaign and spec ops can be beaten in a weekend easily. For those looking for a long term multiplayer then look no further.