Price: $4.99
Publisher: Gameloft
Buy now on
If your expecting to read about a watered down version of the console Call of Duty(by Activision) games, Modern Combat: Sandstorm is in every way, shape and form what you would expect it to be. Its missions are so worn that I can clearly remember thinking, I wonder where the car chase scene is going to happen, and when the next level loaded up named, Death on Wheels, I knew I had found it. It's not so much Modern Combat: Sandstorm is a bad game, it just leaves you with a strong feeling you have done all of this before.
As with Gameloft's other FPS, the graphics and controls are nicely done. Unfortunately Gameloft decided to yet again try their hand at a story to go along with the action. The storyline is pretty bad. Some bad middle eastern guys want to destroy the west.,..and so on. The storyline doesn't hurt the game too badly but it’s unfortunate that their script wasn't better. After all, they took the time to create cut scenes and do bad voiceovers throughout. At least give those guys something good to say. Something other than the captain constantly calling his soldiers "knuckleheads" at every opportunity.
The controls work. Nothing else to say really. You are totally in charge of using two virtual analog sticks and everything works as expected. Turning around can be a bit challenging but overall the controls are solid. The music in the game is decent although nothing special. The bullets, missiles, kill sounds, etc are all par for the course. I know it sounds like I'm being lazy and not giving you the scoop but I'm serious, the sound is exactly on par with other iPhone FPS shooters. Nothing more, nothing less.
The ai throughout the game is fairly standard. Duck, cover, yell something Arabic sounding and shoot. Most of them are dumber than bricks but the game throws a million at you to try and make up for it. Dying repopulates you in the last checkpoint. For me, this is really where the game’s value takes a tumble. Sometimes the last checkpoint will be 4 or 5 minutes back in gameplay. 4 or 5 minutes isn't a lot when you’re playing a console game but just several minutes at a time is how a lot of people play an iPhone game. It's definitely an issue. Adding insult to injury, the checkpoint saves that are made by the game are not kept if you leave the game to take a phone call, quit or check your email. This makes the levels, which average about 15-20 minutes, sometimes take 2 or 3 tries to beat even though you were near the end when you were called. Imagine receiving a phone call, RING- 15 minutes of work down the drain. Try answering that phone call in a pleasant voice. "Hi honey" (through gritted teeth) all the while thinking in the aforementioned captain’s voice, "you knucklehead".
The single player game is fairly long and once you have completed it, you might want to check out the multiplayer mode. Every time I tried multiplayer it didn’t connect very well. Which was a bit surprising because Gameloft usually doesn’t have online connection problems. Rather than put down a mode I wasn’t able to review, I’ll just I wasn’t able to review it enough to make it determinant in my overall score. You can also unlock a tougher game mode but that is basically it. For 4.99, Modern Combat's value is middling. While it does give you 3 hours of so of content, after the initial play through there isn't anything left to see. I would only recommend this game to people that have never played a Call of Duty game on a console or PC (all 3 of you). For those of us who have been around the block a few times, Modern Combat: Sandstorm won't give us anything we haven't seen before and to add to that, this time it's on a 3.5 inch screen.
Overall Value for it's $4.99 price point
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Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta FPS. Mostrar todas las entradas
Mostrando entradas con la etiqueta FPS. Mostrar todas las entradas
miércoles, 23 de diciembre de 2009
domingo, 20 de diciembre de 2009
N.O.V.A Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance Review
Cost: $6.99
Publisher: Gameloft
Buy now on
I guess I should start this review with a disclaimer. I don't like HALO. I think it's bad. I think the single player mode has an embarrassingly poor story line (in all of the HALO games) and the multiplayer mode isn't much better than some of the first multiplayer games ever developed for PC gamers. I know people like it. I am not one of those people.
The reason I mention all of this before reviewing N.O.V.A is that for all intents and purposes, N.O.V.A is another 4 letter name for HALO (complete with a stupid acronym). That doesn't mean it's all bad. In fact, parts of the game are surprisingly fun.
N.O.V.A starts off its single player mode with some decent looking cut scenes and with some half thought out story about aliens in the future. I have no problem with this. Just a typical sci-fi plot. The first thing you'll notice as you go through the opening tutorial level is that it's pretty. In fact, the graphics are among the best of any game I have seen on the iPhone. The colors are bright and clean. In fact, the levels you play through in the game (12 or so) all look good on the iPhone's screen. Each is distinctive as you go from a jungle map to a space ship to an alien planet.
The sound is standard fare for a science fiction FPS. The background music is nice but some of the alien noises are a little over the top. My wife overheard me playing and thoughts I was killing dinosaurs. Unfortunately there are very few different alien types in the game. So even though you travel all over the galaxy, you’re likely to see the same foes again and again.
The controls are ok. However, in some places it is almost impossible to turn quickly enough to not be killed or grabbed (some of the aliens can pick you up). That brings me to one of my most hated parts of this game. The ubiquitous enemy pop-ins. Like an old Nintendo game, if I walk 1 more foot I know another enemy will fall through the ceiling or magically teleport behind me in a room and begin shooting. The publisher, Gameloft, has trouble with this in quite a few of their games (another example is Modern Combat). Being shot suddenly from behind occurs throughout the entire game and can become quite frustrating.
Along with the enemy pop-in, there are other annoyances that keep the game from being as fun as it could be. For example, as I run through a level, I may miss killing one or two baddies. The game will allow me to go up the elevator, into the next room but not allow me to progress. What’s wrong? Oh, I get it. I forgot to kill an alien and he is down the elevator waiting for me to kill him (literally). Wow, how fun.
Once you leave the single player campaign, things do get a bit better. The game offers the standard Bluetooth multiplayer and local Wi Fi options but it also offers online Wi Fi mode that allows you to play 3 other people around the world in 1 on 1 (on 1 on 1) death match. For this mode, it uses Gameloft's excellent online server service. The game connects you quickly to an online lobby and I was able to connect immediately each time I tried a new game. Multiplayer offers several maps that allow you to see everyone at the same time. Death comes quickly to those regardless of their skill. You have the ability to use 6 weapons to maim and kill your opponents in any way you can. This part of the game can be fun for a few minutes.
Unfortunately the only multiplayer option available is deathmatch. It would have been nice to offer co-op mode (at least someone else could share the experience of that awful story) or team deathmatch. perhaps these will be future additions but for now, you should get a good 30 minutes of enjoyment out of deathmatch. Probably a lot more if you really like HALO.
All in all, NOVA isn't necessarily a bad game. I think it's a bit disappointing that it wasn’t better. When are we going to see story telling on the iPhone like we do in games like Half Life or Deus Ex on a PC or console? If you play through the whole single player game and give multiplayer a shot, the game should give you a good 2 or 3 hours. It also offers some achievements and other rewards for playing the game that will give some people enough reason to replay it. Overall, N.O.V.A is decent in a pinch but I doubt I'll run back to it anytime soon.
Overall Value for it's $6.99 price point
Overall Value:
Graphics:
Sound:
Controls:
Publisher: Gameloft
Buy now on
I guess I should start this review with a disclaimer. I don't like HALO. I think it's bad. I think the single player mode has an embarrassingly poor story line (in all of the HALO games) and the multiplayer mode isn't much better than some of the first multiplayer games ever developed for PC gamers. I know people like it. I am not one of those people.
The reason I mention all of this before reviewing N.O.V.A is that for all intents and purposes, N.O.V.A is another 4 letter name for HALO (complete with a stupid acronym). That doesn't mean it's all bad. In fact, parts of the game are surprisingly fun.
N.O.V.A starts off its single player mode with some decent looking cut scenes and with some half thought out story about aliens in the future. I have no problem with this. Just a typical sci-fi plot. The first thing you'll notice as you go through the opening tutorial level is that it's pretty. In fact, the graphics are among the best of any game I have seen on the iPhone. The colors are bright and clean. In fact, the levels you play through in the game (12 or so) all look good on the iPhone's screen. Each is distinctive as you go from a jungle map to a space ship to an alien planet.
The sound is standard fare for a science fiction FPS. The background music is nice but some of the alien noises are a little over the top. My wife overheard me playing and thoughts I was killing dinosaurs. Unfortunately there are very few different alien types in the game. So even though you travel all over the galaxy, you’re likely to see the same foes again and again.
The controls are ok. However, in some places it is almost impossible to turn quickly enough to not be killed or grabbed (some of the aliens can pick you up). That brings me to one of my most hated parts of this game. The ubiquitous enemy pop-ins. Like an old Nintendo game, if I walk 1 more foot I know another enemy will fall through the ceiling or magically teleport behind me in a room and begin shooting. The publisher, Gameloft, has trouble with this in quite a few of their games (another example is Modern Combat). Being shot suddenly from behind occurs throughout the entire game and can become quite frustrating.
Along with the enemy pop-in, there are other annoyances that keep the game from being as fun as it could be. For example, as I run through a level, I may miss killing one or two baddies. The game will allow me to go up the elevator, into the next room but not allow me to progress. What’s wrong? Oh, I get it. I forgot to kill an alien and he is down the elevator waiting for me to kill him (literally). Wow, how fun.
Once you leave the single player campaign, things do get a bit better. The game offers the standard Bluetooth multiplayer and local Wi Fi options but it also offers online Wi Fi mode that allows you to play 3 other people around the world in 1 on 1 (on 1 on 1) death match. For this mode, it uses Gameloft's excellent online server service. The game connects you quickly to an online lobby and I was able to connect immediately each time I tried a new game. Multiplayer offers several maps that allow you to see everyone at the same time. Death comes quickly to those regardless of their skill. You have the ability to use 6 weapons to maim and kill your opponents in any way you can. This part of the game can be fun for a few minutes.
Unfortunately the only multiplayer option available is deathmatch. It would have been nice to offer co-op mode (at least someone else could share the experience of that awful story) or team deathmatch. perhaps these will be future additions but for now, you should get a good 30 minutes of enjoyment out of deathmatch. Probably a lot more if you really like HALO.
All in all, NOVA isn't necessarily a bad game. I think it's a bit disappointing that it wasn’t better. When are we going to see story telling on the iPhone like we do in games like Half Life or Deus Ex on a PC or console? If you play through the whole single player game and give multiplayer a shot, the game should give you a good 2 or 3 hours. It also offers some achievements and other rewards for playing the game that will give some people enough reason to replay it. Overall, N.O.V.A is decent in a pinch but I doubt I'll run back to it anytime soon.
Overall Value for it's $6.99 price point
Overall Value:
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sábado, 19 de diciembre de 2009
Doom: Resurrection Review
Cost:$6.99
Publisher: ID Software
Buy now on
Doom: Resurrection is a tough game to judge. It has quite a few good qualities but one major downside, especially when comparing it to other first person shooters on the iPhone. That downside, depending on who you are and how you enjoy playing games, could be considered a big one.
The specific downfall is one that plagued early iPhone games. You control the crosshair and the aiming of your gun but you have no control over your movement. If you have ever played House of the Dead or any other "rail shooter" you know what I mean. Your character moves around a lot but you are not the one doing the moving. If you can get past that hurdle, Doom can be a pretty good experience.
First off, the graphics are great. Pretty clean cut and if you ever played any of the original Doom's, you will ap0preciate that all of the textures and graphics have been vastly improved. The sounds are creepy and can give you a decent idea of what type of monster you’re facing before they even show up on the screen.
The monsters also do vary quite a bit. There are at least 8 or 9 different monsters in the game and if you count some variations, even more. Each of them moves differently, sounds different and takes a different amount of damage. The variation is nice and makes the game more interesting as you move along. The game play is also varied by the boss battles that ensue through several portions of the game. The boss battles really are generally much tougher and a couple of them may take you a few tries. Thankfully the checkpoint system doesn’t make you start too far back.
The controls for the game are very good. The one I ended up using was motion based. Depending on which way you turned the iPhone, the crosshairs move with you. Calibration resets at the beginning of each level and can be reset at anytime through the option menu. It's easily the best control system on a FPS that I have seen but since it’s a rail shooter, it can't be compared apples to apples.
Though the game only has a single player mode, it is quite long. I was able to play it for just about 3 hours so before finishing it. There isn't really much replay value for the actual campaign, especially since this game plays on rails (literally). There are a few things you can do after beating the game. There are several interesting challenges built into the game along with some maps you can play separately from the campaign. The amount of content packed into Doom: Resurrection puts other games like Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies to shame. If you get past the shooter on rails limitation, you will find yourself having a very good time indeed.
Overall Value for it's $6.99 price point
Overall Value:
Graphics:
Sound:
Controls:
Publisher: ID Software
Buy now on
Doom: Resurrection is a tough game to judge. It has quite a few good qualities but one major downside, especially when comparing it to other first person shooters on the iPhone. That downside, depending on who you are and how you enjoy playing games, could be considered a big one.
The specific downfall is one that plagued early iPhone games. You control the crosshair and the aiming of your gun but you have no control over your movement. If you have ever played House of the Dead or any other "rail shooter" you know what I mean. Your character moves around a lot but you are not the one doing the moving. If you can get past that hurdle, Doom can be a pretty good experience.
First off, the graphics are great. Pretty clean cut and if you ever played any of the original Doom's, you will ap0preciate that all of the textures and graphics have been vastly improved. The sounds are creepy and can give you a decent idea of what type of monster you’re facing before they even show up on the screen.
The monsters also do vary quite a bit. There are at least 8 or 9 different monsters in the game and if you count some variations, even more. Each of them moves differently, sounds different and takes a different amount of damage. The variation is nice and makes the game more interesting as you move along. The game play is also varied by the boss battles that ensue through several portions of the game. The boss battles really are generally much tougher and a couple of them may take you a few tries. Thankfully the checkpoint system doesn’t make you start too far back.
The controls for the game are very good. The one I ended up using was motion based. Depending on which way you turned the iPhone, the crosshairs move with you. Calibration resets at the beginning of each level and can be reset at anytime through the option menu. It's easily the best control system on a FPS that I have seen but since it’s a rail shooter, it can't be compared apples to apples.
Though the game only has a single player mode, it is quite long. I was able to play it for just about 3 hours so before finishing it. There isn't really much replay value for the actual campaign, especially since this game plays on rails (literally). There are a few things you can do after beating the game. There are several interesting challenges built into the game along with some maps you can play separately from the campaign. The amount of content packed into Doom: Resurrection puts other games like Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies to shame. If you get past the shooter on rails limitation, you will find yourself having a very good time indeed.
Overall Value for it's $6.99 price point
Overall Value:
Graphics:
Sound:
Controls:
Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies Review
Cost: $9.99
Publisher: Activision
Buy now on
Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies is a FPS built in the vein of the other Call of Duty games. The script; Nazis have turned into Zombies and apparently want to eat your brains. You need to kill them to survive. First person shooters have been tried on the iPhone with a varying degrees of success. COD: Zombies has its ups and downs. The ups would easily outweigh the downs if it only the game included more value for the money.
The game includes both single player and multiplayer components. The single player mode is built on the idea of killing zombies, lots of them. In fact, the mode revolves around the idea of continuous swarms of zombies trying to break down barricades and killing as many zombies that make it through. You run around the house, spending the points you earn for killing zombies on new guns and to open up new portions of the house. If you think it sounds really basic, you would be right but it is also a great deal of fun. The problems lie in the fact that there is simply one level in the game and just the one single player mode (survival mode). Inevitably you will die; it’s just a matter of trying to make it as long as you can before a zombie kills you in cliché zombie fashion (again with the brain eating).
Activision promises new maps and levels but unfortunately they will charge for the additional maps they release. In other words, you are spending 10 bucks for 1 mode and one map. A steep price to play in my option. That being said, the controls are great and offer 3 different control schemes for killing zombies. In an iPhone FPS, nothing is more important than fluid controls and one of the three control options is likely to be a good fit for you.
Multiplayer is hit and miss. The online component usually has games available where you and 3 additional players try to fight off the advancing zombie horde but unfortunately disconnects are common. The game also offers Bluetooth and local Wi-Fi options. The only multiplayer mode offered is co-op which is fun and welcome in most FPS, but no deathmatch mode means replay value is less than it could be.
If my reviews only dealt with the graphics, controls and the sound of an iPhone game, Call of Duty: World at War Zombies would be rated much higher. As it is, the value just isn't there and the money you spend on this game could be better spent on several other, lower cost games. That all being said, if you have the money and are looking for an hour or two diversion (and not much more), Zombies is a top notch fit.
Ratings for this game at $9.99
Overall Value:
Graphics:
Sound:
Controls:
Publisher: Activision
Buy now on
Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies is a FPS built in the vein of the other Call of Duty games. The script; Nazis have turned into Zombies and apparently want to eat your brains. You need to kill them to survive. First person shooters have been tried on the iPhone with a varying degrees of success. COD: Zombies has its ups and downs. The ups would easily outweigh the downs if it only the game included more value for the money.
The game includes both single player and multiplayer components. The single player mode is built on the idea of killing zombies, lots of them. In fact, the mode revolves around the idea of continuous swarms of zombies trying to break down barricades and killing as many zombies that make it through. You run around the house, spending the points you earn for killing zombies on new guns and to open up new portions of the house. If you think it sounds really basic, you would be right but it is also a great deal of fun. The problems lie in the fact that there is simply one level in the game and just the one single player mode (survival mode). Inevitably you will die; it’s just a matter of trying to make it as long as you can before a zombie kills you in cliché zombie fashion (again with the brain eating).
Activision promises new maps and levels but unfortunately they will charge for the additional maps they release. In other words, you are spending 10 bucks for 1 mode and one map. A steep price to play in my option. That being said, the controls are great and offer 3 different control schemes for killing zombies. In an iPhone FPS, nothing is more important than fluid controls and one of the three control options is likely to be a good fit for you.
Multiplayer is hit and miss. The online component usually has games available where you and 3 additional players try to fight off the advancing zombie horde but unfortunately disconnects are common. The game also offers Bluetooth and local Wi-Fi options. The only multiplayer mode offered is co-op which is fun and welcome in most FPS, but no deathmatch mode means replay value is less than it could be.
If my reviews only dealt with the graphics, controls and the sound of an iPhone game, Call of Duty: World at War Zombies would be rated much higher. As it is, the value just isn't there and the money you spend on this game could be better spent on several other, lower cost games. That all being said, if you have the money and are looking for an hour or two diversion (and not much more), Zombies is a top notch fit.
Ratings for this game at $9.99
Overall Value:
Graphics:
Sound:
Controls:
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