Assassins Creed 2: The 1/2 Way Impressions

My name is Mathew, and I liked the first Assassins Creed. I know, I know. That makes me an idiot, a moron, etc. Because the 'voice of the internet'(TM) deemed it an over hyped game that when upon reflection is repetitive and shallow. Those things it may have been, but it was also fun. Fun from the beginning right up to the end (the final act was a let down, ill concede that point).

As much as I liked AC1, I think AC2 improves in every possible way. If you could give an award for most improved game, I cannot think of a more deserving sequel. Everything seems to be improved from the first game.

This time around Desmond goes diving into the memories of Ezio, who unlike Altiar, is a fuller more fleshed out character. You are introduced to your abilities more slowly in this game which improves the pacing, it also gives you more interaction with the character before he becomes the stone cold killer we all know he will be. Ezio is the son of a wealthy man of Florence, during the Renassaince. He quickly finds himself friends with one of the great thinkers of the time, Leonardo Da Vinci.
Having Da Vinci as a friend may seem a little gimmicky, trying to crowbar in a famous face, however it adds to the game, making Ezio seem more like a person who actually existed.

I wont go and spoil the story, as it is the reason to play through the game, however I will say that things did just kind of happen until I had a few hours to sit down, play a few missions and read through the database to find out what is going on. Also it should be noted that I thought you got revenge early on, now you seem to be more on a mission of bloodlust than revenge. Looking to eliminate not just the people directly responsible for your tradgedy, but for anyone even remotely associated.

The biggest change you will notice is that there is so much to do. In the last game it was a fairly linear in terms of mission progression. Go thought the three or four activities a few times, then kill someone. Rinse and repeat. If you were really obsessive (I was) you could hunt down all the templars and flags, but they weren't exactly innovative or exciting.
This time though, in-between missions you can go for a race, buy paintings, armour or upgrades to your villa.
You can go hunting for feathers or treasure (the feathers replace the flags from the first game, the treasure though is marked on your map).
You can hunt down codex pages, or glyphs on landmarks (Once you find these glyphs, they unlock their own mini games, which are just challenging enough to make you feel like you have earnt the reward.
You can chase down pickpockets and couriers, loot corpses.
You can search for codex pages, or take the platforming challenges that seem to be assosciated with finding the Assassins Seals (which you need to unlock the armor of Altiar). All this and I am less than half the way through.

The good thing about it is that it does have variety. There is a lot of treasure to hunt down, however it is not in the HUGE numbers that nazi bases were in The Saboteur, and you can always take a break to do a race, a quick assassination, or hell, even a mission.

I should also mention the other things you can do, not so much activities, just things that are there. Pick too many pockets, kill too many guards and your infamy goes up, this means the guards are on the lookout. To fix that you can bribe the town criers or start ripping down wanted posters.

Another touch that makes the world seem more genuine. You can also change the clothes you wear. A very superficial touch, but one that helps you to project just a little bit of personality on to Ezio.

Which brings us to the missions. They are rather standard so far. Go here, meet this person, find this person, kill them. You do not notice if they are repetitive as there is so much that can be done in between.

What else to mention? The game does include some humor, which is nice. Meeting your uncle for the first time got a genuine laugh from me. Its nice to see your villa look more presentable as you spend money on it. Money itself is also a good addition. Although after a few upgrades the villa seems to make it almost inconsequential, I am still stealing the 3 florins from corpses, still grabbing some handfuls as I walk past others.

What I am Looking forward to:
Seeing what else there is. I know there are some more weapons to use, and I can't wait. So far its a solid ride.

Best things so far:
Ezio. As a character in the story, as a puppet to control. He seems much more alive, MUCH more likable and more relatable than Altiar.

Worst things so far:
Some of the missions where you have to follow someone seem a little, trial and error. I didn't think there was anyway you could do them in one go. However, that may have just been me. I have gotten better at tracking those damn pickpockets and couriers.

Bioshock 2. Final Review. ** Spoilers **

"Who watches over sleeping Angels? I do, I do."

You have to give it to the Bioshock games. They have atmosphere.

So it's all said and done. I followed Subject Delta's adventure right through to the end. It was a ride of highs and lows, but overall I think that it is valiant effort, that only ends up proving that it was not needed. Although it does some good things, and It was fantastic to return to Rapture, the story never pulled me in like the first one, the settings, while good, were not as thought out and unique as the first, and the antagonist was, in my opinion, poorly delivered. At no point did I feel hatred towards Lamb.
I think this comes from the fact that the first shocking event, you being forced to kill yourself, came about too early. If we had spent some time following 'our' daughter, protecting her, seeing her interact more, we would have felt more of a connection, which would give us more reason to want her back.

The story is delivered in the same style as the majority of Bioshock 1 was, with a faceless voice directing you through the radio, urging you forever forward towards your next goal. Occasionally we see these voices, and are able to interact with them, but they are all rather bland, not one engages you like Cohen did from 1.

I mentioned in my half way impressions that I was also looking forward to the resolution of the Mark Meltzer storyline (he was the focus of the viral marketing, his daughter was stolen to become a little sister, he found Rapture). Well I'm lucky I wasn't holding my breath. I damn near missed it. You hear a few audio logs, hear him fighting once and then I happen to catch his name as I searched an Alpha Series corpse. You get the audio diary which states that he has been turned into a Big Daddy so he can be with his daughter forever. Except I just killed him. Then adopted his daughter, and freed her. Hmm. That whole story line seems rushed and wasted.

If you don't think to hard about the story, you will find a damn good shooter underneath. The mix of guns and plasmids keeps things interesting, even if I did rely on basically two guns. I played on medium difficulty and rarely was challenged. Although I would have liked your enemies to regain health if you are brought back by a Vita Chamber, it would not have made sense from a story point of view, but it would have made it more challenging.

One thing that Bioshock 2 does FAR better than the original is the ending. Bioshock 1 gave you a zelda like boss battle. It felt tacked on and ended up feeling awkward and game breaking. Bioshock 2 gives you instead a battle with a lot of top end enemies. I know it isn't an original idea about how to end a game, but feels so much more fitting than the ending of 1.

My Final Thoughts: If you loved Bioshock 1, this will pull you back into Rapture, ultimately for a less fufilling expereince. If you never played Bioshock 1, you will find a shooter that rises above average thanks to its atmosphere and high production values. If you didn't like Bioshock 1, then...I will never be able to add to what Tycho from Penny Arcade has said:

I don't remember exactly where the critical dialogue on the original Bioshock ended up. Last time I checked, it was considered a black rift in the earth where red devils clawed their way up from hell; a warped creature of great lineage, withered by drink and dissolution. If your apparatus is returning a verdict like that, one that could take all that Bioshock was and deliver this result, I might have it calibrated. If you don't emerge from Bioshock having considered it a net positive, that doesn't make you smarter than other people. All it means is that you've mastered the unique gymnastics required to shit in your own mouth - to dilute your own joy, or the prospect of joy. I don't ever want to be smart enough to learn that trick, and I suspect I'm in no danger. I'm old enough now to settle for the merely great, which I recognize is grotesque and counter-revolutionary.

Retro Review: WWF No Mercy (N64 - 2000)

Realistically, what more do I need to say in my review for this game other than, despite it being 10 years old, I still play it, every year, for months at a time.
Ok, a little more is needed.

Lets jump in the way back machine, lets travel all the way back to the year 2000. It was a wonderous time. Sydney had just hosted the greatest Olympics of all time. A dashing young man by the name of Vladimir Putin had just been elected President of Russia and the world was a buzz over the newest comedy smash, Scary Movie.

It was also at this time that the World Wrestling Federation was reaching a dizzying height. Riding on the success of Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock, the WWF was doing big business, riding roughshot over its competition, World Championship Wrestling. The WWF had ventured into this console generation earlier with its WWF Wrestlemania 2000 game. Which used the same engine (Developed by AKI) as the WCW games, WCW/nWo Revenge, and WCW vs nWo: World Tour.
This engine had proved wildly popular, as it allowed for a large number of moves, which are easily executed. It allowed moves from the ring apron, moves through the ropes, it allowed back moves from the turnbuckle, putting your opponent in the woe and it allowed two people to work in unison for a 3D or Doomsday device. While they may not seem like much now, it was huge when it launched. No Mercy was also the first game using this engine to feature a ladder, again a fairly standard feature now days, but this was the first, or at least, the first to bring it to the mass market. No Mercy also featured a working backstage area. You fought with your opponent up the ramp, into the back and were then able to fight in any of four backstage areas, a carpark, a bar (with destructable pool table) a lockerroom and a utility area.

What really set the engine apart though was its customisability. Not only did it have an easy yet detailed create a wrestler, it also allowed you to customise the wrestlers provided. Didn't like having the American Bad Ass Undertaker? Then change him to his old look. Didn't want HHH to wear DX colors? Change it. Wanted to make Chris Benoit 400 pounds? Do it. Although there were some limits when editing the established wrestlers (Couldnt change their moves etc). You could change their names and likenesses. When you consider that every wrestler had four alternate identities, and that each id could be customised seperately, you reaslie just how many wrestlers could be created.

The story mode was also revolutionary for its time. Before No Mercy, you chose a belt to go after, fought about 8 people one after another and then bam, you were the champ. No Mercy had actual stories. You didn't have to win every match, the story would change depending on what happened. The stories mirrored some of the ones that were happening in the WWF at the time.

So what happens when you combine the greatest wrestling engine ever made, with the most customisable roster ever. You get fun. You get matches that flow back and forth. You get blood and run ins, you get weapons. You get it all. You get a game that I would suggest over any other if someone wanted to play a wrestling game.

Just Cause 2 Demo Impressions

Over the weekend I ran through the Just Cause 2 demo about 3 times. Here's what I picked up.

Things I liked:

• The 'toys'. The two gimmicks that sell the game, the parachute and the grappling hook/cable. Firing the cable at gas tanks/people/vehicles is very cool. Zipping over distances reminds me of Spiderman and Zelda. Using the parachute in tandem with jumping from cars/base jumping is also very cool, although it takes a while to get the controls down.
• The action movie moments. Dropping onto the roof of a generals palace. Engaging in a firefight with him and his guards. He hides behind an explosive barrell. I blow it up, so he retreats next to a crate, but in line with a propane tank. Shoot the tank, which hits the crate and kills the General. Grappel to the roof, jump in a helicopter. Gain as much altitude as possible, only to be fired on by two other helicopters. Mine bursts into flames, so I jump ship and grappel to the underneath of one of the attacking choppers. I shoot out the passenger and pilot and jump in, unfortunately by now this chopper is almost dead as well. I grappel to the last helicopter and just stay beneath it as it flys around. I let go and float down to the nearest town. The helicopter persues, but stops once I cable it to a statue. Very cool.
• The car controls. Comparing this to the last 3rd person game I played (The Saboter), it was so nice to have cars that turned when you wanted them to. It makes such a difference.
  

Things I Didn't:

• The pea shooter. Either the guns you are given shoot spit wads, or every soldier is wearing seven layers of kevlar, even over thier head, since it takes a solid amount of shots, even to the head (Sometimes a headshot will kill them) to bring someone down.
• The voice acting. The voices sound horrible. They sound exactly like a south park episode where someone does the most stereotypical asian voice. Awful and border line insulting.

Things I need the full game to really judge:

• The land. I realise that there is a large area for you to zip around, parachuting and hooking your way to crazy adventure, and that there was only a small area shown in the demo, however from the look of things it looks like the island(s) are kind of deserted. There are a few towns, but no real metropolitan area. I realise this could be a design choice, done to reflect the economic situation of the setting, but just one city would change things up enough to keep it fresh.
• The gameplay. Sure its fun grappeling from one area to the next, jumping on top of cars, etc. But what makes up the rest of the game. If it just destroying the little towns then I might give it a miss. I just finished The Saboteur, I think one game of endless destruction per six months is enough.
  

Bioshock 2: The 1/2 Way Impressions

Just to give everyone an idea of where I am in the game while writing, I am just about to leave Paupers Drop. I have 55 Audio Diary's (out of 100) so I figure I am about 1/2 way through the game.

First thing to mention is that I LOVED Bioshock. It stands as, in my opinion, the best game on 360, and the best FPS since the first Half Life. It had atmosphere, it had a fantastic setting, it had a nifty idea mixing plasmids with weapons and it had some of the best moments in games I've ever played. (The water filled basement with the 'statue' splicers, the dentist, 'Would you Kindly?'). Loved it. So the sequel had some pretty big shoes to fill, if it wanted me to like it as much as I did the first.

What I Like:

• The weapons. They are not just a rehash of Bioshock's weapons. The Rivet Gun is fantastic, the shotgun still feels awesome. The drill doesn't really do much for me, since you run through fuel pretty quickly.
• Protecting the little sisters. - I create elaborate trap rivet filled death traps when I have to guard one of the little sisters as she collects ADAM. It's a lot of fun, and a little bit of strategy goes a long way to changing the flow of game play.
  
• Rapture - The WOW impact from the first game is gone. No matter what you have been here before, you have fought the splicers before, but it is a testament to Irrational Games (Who designed the first Bioshock, and I am giving them credit for creating Rapture itself) skill that even on the second visit Rapture is still such an intriguing and exciting idea that I find my self being drawn right back in.
• Mark Meltzer - The marketing/hype for Bioshock 2 was built up with the website 'There's Somethine in the Sea' it focussed on Mark Meltzer as he searched for his daughter Cindy, a search that eventually leads him to Rapture. So far I have picked up a few of his audio diary's, but the idea of an X factor like a surface person running around Rapture makes things much more interesting. I cannot wait to see what happens with him.
  

What I Don't Like:

• Delta - Yes, you. You're a Big Daddy, but you still have to go running for a med kit if you take a handful of bullets from a lead head splicer. Funny, the Big Daddy's I fight can take CLIPS from my super charged Rivet Gun. I understand making the player damn near invulnerable would break the game, so have the splicers attack in bigger groups, at least that way it would kind of make sense when you get attacked.
• Lamb - This is the problem with the sequal to a self contained game. It breaks the reality of Rapture that Lamb was not seen or heard of once during the first game. Its a minor detail, but one that does pull you out of the game, something that never happened during the first one.

All in all, I am still digging Rapture. It doesn't pull you in as quickly as the first game did, but at this point it definately has its hooks in and doesn't look like it'll be letting go any time soon. :)