Reviews - SourHyperion1

The circle has been broken...

Bioshock returns, but this time it forces you to leave that comfy chair you stole from Andrew Ryan's office and throws you into Columbia, the Rapture in the sky... sans the splicers.

Story: This is probably one of the best and most beautifully crafted stories one can find for the Xbox 360 or, for that matter, and current generation console (PC included). The story forces you to connect ideas and bond with your "partner" Elizabeth. The story builds well and the ending does not fail to deliver and is on par with it's oldest brother, Bioshock 1.

Graphics: The game is visually stunning. The early game is full of bright and colorful streets full of wandering people having side conversations allowing the reader to delve into the world. However, there are better looking games. There were some things that just fell flat for me, but in general the game did not fail in any form of its usual abstract style.

Gameplay: I do have a few issues with this one. See, I loved seeing your weapons change and look more steampunk-esc as you upgraded them in Bioshock 1, and I believe it was that way in Bioshock 2 also. I also felt that the new Eve Hypos were not as neat as they were in Bioshock 1. I'll admit, it was nice to see some new ones and the way your hands changed was fairly neat, but constantly seeing your hand going all weird like that kind of bugged me. Especially when you have Shock Jokey out and your crystals are clipping through the weapon, it just takes from the experience. Aside from that, it is, for the most part, a fairly standard shooter. Run and gun through hordes of enemies and end up with some harder ones. Such things led to some very predictable battles, namely the one at the big one at the end of the game.

Summary: Bioshock Infinite is definitely a defining moment for this generation. It combined a beautifully unique style with an amazingly compelling and deep storyline. Buy it if you want a great game that'll keep you invested.

Welcome to a tropical paradise. Our Hero, Jason Brody, seems to think this is the perfect spot to skydive. Turns out he didn't learn anything from Jack Carver.

Gameplay: It is pretty much a refined and improved version of Far Cry 2. The map being something you have to hold has been replaced, however, for a HUD map and a pause screen map. This game seems to return to Far Cry's roots of stealth as well as action making it more tactical and a lot more fun. They also took a few ideas such as the radio towers and base capturing from Assassin's Creed, but it worked pretty well in this. There was also crafting from hunting which was a great addition as well. One problem I have, though, is capturing radio towers gives you free weapons which removes the need to save money and work hard to get the better gear. There's also a much improved map editor that allows you to make multiplayer or singleplayer maps giving you many weeks of extra fun.

Story: The story is pretty amazing in this game, compared to its brothers. I will admit, Jason is fairly rude at times and is a coward at the beginning. The story does have some really great moments, though. Vaas is also a character that makes the player want to push forward just to see him again, sadly he dies a bit too soon.

Multiplayer/Coop: The Coop is a great addition. I've found it to be challenging at times, but a great way to spend some time on Xbox Live. FC3 does have the typical pick-your-loadout deal, but it isn't too bad.

Summary: This is a great game filled with great moments and amazing characters. The Graphics are beautiful and create an incredibly immersive world. The story does have a few short comings and the game has an excessive amount of language and a bit of nudity, but that's not a big deal. All in all, I highly recommend buying this game. You will have weeks of entertainment just from one game. On top of that, you have a map editor to keep you playing for a lot longer.

ID Software rejoins those of us living in the 21st century with their latest experiment and let me tell you, this is amazing.

Gameplay: The Singleplayer campaign follows a survivor of what is called the ARK project in a post-apocalyptic world. In the game, you will find many exciting things to do. There is racing which is reminiscent of Mario Kart and Grand Turismo/Need for Speed. There is also combat which combines ID's traditional style with a plethora of weapons which produce beefy noises to top of the satisfying crunch and splat when they hit their targets. The addition of a Defibrillator makes the game seem easier, but the need to charge balances that. All in all, the story is incredible and gripping, while it may seem familiar, it is an interesting and fantastic take on a Post-Apocalyptic Resistance conflict.
Graphics: The ID Tech 5 engine is simply amazing. The engine allows for awe inspiring landscapes and incredibly realistic characters. This engine allows for a fantastic level of atmosphere, realism, and beauty. This engine is far more beautiful than any other engine I've ever seen. I've only ever encountered a few glitches, but they are few and far between.

Summary: Rage is an absolutely brilliant game. It quite literally has something for everyone. The noises in the game help the incredibly gorgeous ID Tech 5 engine create an amazing atmosphere, but also are quite satisfying for those using bassy headphones or even listening through regular old speakers. The story is gripping and a very unique take on a common idea. I highly recommend purchasing this game to anyone searching for a great game experience. You will not be let down by this game.

From Goldsource to a Fullfledged game, this FPS/RTS game keeps players on their toes and demands solid teamwork. This shooter is definitely not for everyone.

Gameplay: The gameplay revolves around two teams: The Humands and the Aliens. Both have their pro's and cons allowing for balanced gameplay rarely found in any commercial title. Some will prefer the gun wielding humans while others might prefer the smaller, sneakier, but much faster aliens. Either way, Technology upgrades for the humans and evolving for the aliens provide an equal chance to counter the enemy attacks.

Graphics: This game really is quite beautiful. It took the dark, grim environments found in the Goldsource mod and turned them into tense mazes filled with vents for aliens to flank humans and side passages for humans to flank the aliens. Even these smaller areas look amazing, though. This game has incredible graphics for an indie title.

Summary: This game will present a challenge for newcomers to the series. Unlike most modern games, you cannot set your goal to be the top of the score board. You have to focus on helping your teammates and following the Commander's orders to successfully destroy the enemy forces. The graphics are incredible as well allowing for the environment to grow and thrive. I highly recommend this game to veterans of the FPS genre, but I would also recommend this to fans of RTS games as well. The combination of FPS and RTS is rarely found in a game and in some cases where it is, it fails. This game, however, allows such a system to thrive incredibly well. If there is any doubt in your mind about whether or not to purchase this incredible title, whether it be steam which turns you away or are unsure for any other reason, buy it. You will not regret it.

Assassin's Creed 3 returns the player to the shoes of Desmond Miles and his incredible family tree... In America.

Story: AC3's story did keep me interested, even though the sections played as Conner's Father were rather tedious and boring, and it had so much potential. I loved seeing people from America's history come to life and interact with our fictional hero. The story does, however, let you down several times. It builds up to these tense points such as the assault on Fort George and the assassination of Charles Lee, but they both don't meet that climax.I expected some big battle to the death with Conner's Father that made me question my motives, but no... You counter him a couple of times, he gets on top of you, you press X, he dies... Charles Lee? You chase him, he gets away. You find him in a bar? You both take a drink, and then Connor (their wounds make this look hilarious) sort of shuffles over and stabs Lee... What a let down.
Gameplay: Combat grew in possibilities and difficulty, but was still rather easy. It is still your basic, counter-kill and stab everyone. The addition of the attacks on the move also made running through a group of redcoats with your tomahawk ridiculously easy. The naval combat did surprise me, however. It is pretty good and comparable to, say, Sid Meier's Pirates.
Multiplayer: Not much has changed since Revelations and Brotherhood, really. It is the same old formula.
Graphics: This is a topic people disagree on. I've found the engine to be fantastic and excellent to sit in the frontier and stare. Other people, however, have said the engine is terrible. Assassin's Creed has never been known for brilliant graphics, but this engine is exceptional. Sure, it is no CryEngine 4, but it is brilliant.

Summary: The game's story is gripping, but lets the player down on occasion. The gameplay is brilliant, but still a bit too easy. The multiplayer is what you'd expect it to be and the Graphics are arguably exceptional.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 is the direct sequel to Bad Company 1, but it fails to live up to BC 1's great moments.

Story: BC 2 takes place after BC and has the boys going on another crazy set of missions all over the place. The problem is they tied it in with a group of WW2 commandos, which for me just made me lose interest. The game tried to take itself to seriously and BC 1's cheap comedy is what really made it a fun game.

Gameplay: The game basically plays the same as its predecessor. Everything blows up, everything has a grenade launcher.

Multiplayer: While a lot of people enjoy this, I really don't. The multiplayer is very dry and usually envolves you charging with an XM8 at a Recon with an M9 and dying after unloading a magazine into their face. The vehicles often make deathmatch horribly unbalanced forcing you to die a couple of times while firing five or so RPG rounds into it. Another issue is the knife. It is just like Call of Duty's except it doesn't work. You can knife at somebody all day, but unless you get that really lucky hit, the enemy is bound to stab you first.

Graphics: This is really the only high point for me. The graphics are pretty good. The characters are very well detailed and as is the world. My only big issue is the view model of the weapons. Your character basically has the stock through their shoulder so the trigger is right next to your face.

Summary: Bad Company 2 failed as a sequel for me. Gameplay was dry and didn't share BC1's humour. Multiplayer is ridden with ridiculous deaths leaving you annoyed and wondering why you are playing this and not Battlefield 3 or even Call of Duty. If you're looking for something to pass the time, go for it. If you want something to enjoy, you are better off buying something else.

Crytek returns to the open Jungle FPS with Crysis and what a brilliant job they did.

Gameplay: Fantasitc. It is an even balance between difficult and hard, and the multiple paths add for a high level of replayability. Usually, Nomad is faced with the option of going in, guns blazing, or sneaking in with a silenced weapon and taking the guards out quickly. Both are fun and allow for people with the different styles to enjoy it equally.

Campaign: Once you get into the later parts the story becomes pretty gripping but it does sort of start off slow. Just keep pushing forward because this story is pretty amazing. Don't ever get too comfortable because Crytek pops that comfort zone bubble just as quickly as it forms. The ending is a cliffhangar, sadly, that will probably never be returned too. We never know what happens to Nomad, Prophet, and gang when those credits roll because Crysis 2 throws everything away except for Prophet's design and character. There never really is a reference as to what happened.

Multiplayer: It is decent. Windows 7 users can only play Crysis Wars multiplayer, but that's okay. It's pretty fun anyway and the sandbox editor allows you to make fun maps to battle in or have fun in.

Graphics: Incredible. The foliage reacts to your movements, the game looks brilliant and it can run on nearly any computer.

Summary: A brilliant tactical shooter. I recommend buying the Maximum Edition for the best experience, but if you cannot afford that just try the game out. Don't go to the console version, it is a ruined experience with Crysis 2 elements.

Crysis 2 is the sequel to the beautiful, open-ish world, Sci-fi FPS Crysis. You'd think that after playing such a fantastic game this would be great, too. Well, it isn't. I am having the worst time finding positives for this game because it has so many bad parts of it.

Gameplay: The gameplay is okay. The cover system is neat and all, but Compared to previous Crytek titles this game is incredibly linear. Sure, you get told to look at the battlefield for options. Sure, you could try stealth. But then you think, Darn! My cloak ran out in the middle of the field! Better run to cover and activate maximum armor! Well, you could, but you'll lose energy for that, too. Whereas Crysis 1 kept that on all the time with no cost of energy unless you get hit. The suit is completely different too, and not in a good way. All of those nice modes have been changed or removed. Cloak looks terrible, Strength doesn't exist. You can jump high, but not activate it to hit things hard. Speed doesn't exist as well. You get to sprint... How fun. Another annoying point: No driving in First-Person...

Story: Dry. It has you scrambling together scraps of Crysis 1 with a mess of new information.

Multiplayer: Another terrible area. I can't count the number of times I've emptied a magazine of SCAR ammo into someone's skull and died from a pistol round.

Graphics: Cryengine 3 is fantastic. The engine is beautiful, I do miss Cryengine 2's foliage reacting to the player, but I do recommend buying a higher end graphics card.

Summary: The game is nothing like its forerunner. Gameplay is boring and linear. The campaign sucks. The multiplayer is atrocious. The graphics are great. As is the cover system, but the game lacks charm and what made the first Crysis such a hit. If you want a tactical, stealthy, open FPS go play Far Cry 1, 2, or 3 (When it comes out), or Crysis 1.

Welcome to the Imperial City! You, prisoner, are in jail for something you cannot remember, but don't worry! It was destiny that brought you here! Or at least that is the explanation I got from the Emperor. Oblivion is a beautiful game for its time with the loads of wildlife and how beautiful the area was. The civilians will even have conversations on the streets about events that have been going on. The story is a fairly good one, so this makes it a fantastic game, right? Well, no. Not really. The gameplay grows to be repetetive after a while and I cannot count the number of times I've been arrested for having no stolen items and being a law abiding citizen. The combat system is fairly difficult as well. I constantly have to sit and heal myself after a fight with the little buggers from Oblivion. The ranking up system is something I do not understand either. You'd think it would be as easy as kill a few things, rank up some skills and you're good to go. Well, no. I've ranked up 3 or 4 of my skills and I cannot continue because I am still a level 1. The sidequests can be fun, too, but I'd like to be able to carry on with my primary mission. Either way, It's a fun, but difficult game that I would recommend trying if you're into a little challenge.

The Most Anticipated Game of 2010! Boy, was that wrong.
Fallout: New Vegas puts us back into the Fallout universe in this rendition of Nevada and California. As someone who lives in that area, I thought it would be neat to see that area in Fallout, but man, was that a mistake. The story itself starts of great. It really brings you in and gets you excited, but no less than 15 minutes later you are bored out of your mind doing repetetive quests and dealing with buggy gameplay. This game really does feel a lot like the Batman & Robin film. It was rushed, but before they could polish it and make it complete, it was thrown onto a disc and sent out to us. This is another game that suffers from what I call Bethesditis. The game has great potential, but the bad textures, poor facial animations, poor player animations, and boring, repetetive missions bring the game down. I'd love to give this an eight or a nine, but I can't justify that over the problems that disease this game. Bethesda needs to realize that it is no longer the late 90's to early 2000's. There is such a thing as facial expressions in video games and that us gamers are beginning to demand more than the quality of a Free To Play MMORPG.