The Campaign

When you first start the campaign, you view Ezio’s trip to Masayaf, the first Assassins location. you find that it is under Templar control. After he escapes the Templar’s and finds out that the door to the Assassins library is locked, he must find all the keys to it that are spread throughout the Middle East, and the one key that the Templar’s already have.

After that, he makes his way to Constantinople, where he meets up and joins the local Assassins, and aids their struggles against the Templar’s that are trying to take control of Constantinople. As the game progresses you get the ability to use, and make bombs. There are bombs that can kill large groups of guards, bombs that can distract guards, allowing you to slip in previously defended areas, and bombs that could be smoke bombs, allowing the player to quickly eliminate the guards while they choke on smoke. Another new item is the hook blade. This allows the player to climb faster, slide down lines, and can be helpful in a fight.

In Assassins Creed Brotherhood, you could destroy templar towers, making that area your own. It is taken to a new level in Assassins Creed Revelations, You capture a templar den, making it your own, but, you will occasionally have to defend it when Templers try to recapture it. You get to send assassins and decide where they do, and what they fight with.

In Brotherhood, once you kill a guard, you would be able to quickly, and easily dispatch the reaming guards with a series of one hit kills. But in Revelations that is not the case, you can get a one or two streak going but it usually stops. This makes the game a little harder when fighting hordes of people, and causes you to change your strategy.

Overall I like campaign; it is fun, and addictive.

Rating: 9 out of 10

The Multiplayer

The multiplayer in Revelations is booth good, and bad. The multiplayer has all new characters, some new maps, and game types. The 4 game types are wanted, assassination, death match, and artifact assault. Wanted is just like it was in Brotherhood, except you have different characters, new maps, etc. Then there is assassination, where you choose who you kill, and kill them for points. But if the person you choose isn’t a real player then you don’t get points. So be careful when picking someone. Death match is a new game type, with the same objective as wanted, but it is very different. There are no other NPC’s that look like the character you choose, you do not get a compass that leads you to your target, and the maps are very small.

In multiplayer you can customize the characters, change the weapons they use, choose what they look like, and more. However you have to have abstergo points. You have to buy the new stuff for your characters, and you also have to buy custom classes, and the perks and items in those classes. It is pretty much like Black Ops. You earn these points after every game, and the amount depends on how well you do.

I don’t really like death match, I am fine with all the other things that this thrilling multiplayer has. I am also very pleased with how fast you can get in a game now, because in Brotherhood it would take a while, but in Revelations it goes quite fast.

Overall it is pretty good, and I look forward to playing it later.

Rating: 7 out of 10

I like the game a lot, and I believe that Ubisoft did an excellent job continuing the critically acclaimed Assassins Creed series.

“It gives you something to look forward to doing more of, with all the improvements they’ve made from last year’s FIFA. It requires skill to play now, other than pressing a few buttons.”  said Adiel Bartolommeo.

 I was so excited to play my first game, only to lose 4-1. Pretty embarrassing, but with all the new additions to the game, it’s like playing a new soccer game. The passing has changed so much. You have to look at the player you intend on passing to in order to make an accurate pass, along with holding down the passing button for increased power.

 Shooting is very similar to FIFA11, but most of the shots stay on the ground. It might just be me, but I happen to have a lot of shots that roll into the net, rather than going into the top corner. Crossing the ball on the run of play is difficult. The player has to be in the right body position in order to make an accurate cross. But on corner kicks, it is a bit easier to make a good cross and get the right header to go on target.

FIFA12 also improved the manager mode season. The startup menu looks like a realistic team page. I generally use Manchester United as my manager mode squad, and the page for the manager mode looks similar to the one on the actually website. The players can comment on your coaching ability, For example, I was not using Johnny Evans at all, not even for my reserve matches, and I received a pop up from Evans saying “Boss if you do not have me in your team, I intend to leave at the next transfer offer”. The players have more freedom, and that causes more drama on the team, making it seem like it’s a real life simulation of what it’s like to manage a team in a managerial campaign. The manager mode has also increased the time of transfer offers and get back to you quicker, but also have the freedom to increase wages, and amount for a player. Players also can send transfer requests without notice, and leave the club without any notice to the manager (you). The players are also added a new feature, other than energy levels and overall score, they have morale and form. If a player has not been playing well, or is not in the squad reguraly, there form may dip, along with the moral for the team causing them to want to leave on a loan deal, or terminate their contract.

They also have a different collision engine. For those of you who are not FIFA fanatics, this means that when two players collide in a slide tackle, 50/50 or any other type of fight for possession, the players can fall over. Injuries are more frequent, both on the field and on the training ground. Mostly there not massive injuries like broken legs and fractured skulls. Most of the time its just a hamstring strain that will last for 3-6 days, depending on the player.

A youth development system has also been added. The whole concept is to have under aged players (18 and younger) who legally can’t be given a professional contract a chance to play in a reserve type setting. You must first buy a scout, and send him throughout the world to seek out youth talent, and bring in some young players. But don’t wait too long, because some other teams can take the next youth star. 

The money earned in tournaments has not changed for FIFA11, so you still receive the same amount, regardless of what team you are. Transfers are also very fast, and a lot of players come and go from team to team. FIFA12 also introduces a new feature, the online pass. It’s 10$, for unlimited uses. The online pass includes joining online leagues, 1 v. 1 plays, and virtual teams. I have not explored this feature yet, but I plan to eventually.

 “It’s a wonderful game, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves the fantastic sport of soccer,” said Max Ohle, RB’s varsity team goalkeeper.

 As both a soccer player, and fan, I recommend this game to any athlete. It’s easy to get hooked onto, and a great way to put your love and passion for the game, as you can take charge of a team and see what it’s really like.

Infamous: Festival of Blood is the downloadable follow up to Sucker Punch’s open world game Infamous 2.  Festival of Blood was released on October 25, just in time for Halloween and is a PS3 exclusive (just like the other Infamous titles).

At the beginning of the game, Cole Macgrath is rushing through the catacombs of a cathedral.  He heard screaming, so he decided to help whoever was in trouble.  Various people were injured after being trapped behind debris blocking their way out.  One of the women that Cole tries to help though turns out to be a vampire, who thusly knocks him out.  When he comes to, he is on top of the shriveled corpse of Bloody Mary, a female vampire.  He is then restrained by a few other vampires as one of them opens a vein on his neck.  This allows blood to drip into Bloody Mary’s mouth, causing her to come back to life.  Since he was bitten, Cole is now a vampire.  He must defeat Bloody Mary by the next day or else she will gain complete control over him and then the other citizens of New Marais.

Similar to Infamous 2, Festival of Blood takes place in the southern Louisiana city of New Marais.  This time around though, we have a date (kind of).  In New Marais it is Pyre Night, a festival where hordes of people, drunk or not, roam the streets dressed as monsters.  The city is decorated accordingly too, with straw “monsters” burning at the stake.  One of the major differences regarding the setting is the fact that you only get to run around the first area from Infamous 2.  This means that you only have about a third of the original map to explore.  It’s okay though, since Festival of Blood is much shorter than its predecessor. 

In Festival of Blood, the upgrade system for powers has been majorly downsized.  Instead of unlocking powers by performing a specific stunt multiple times and then having to buy them with experience points, you are just given the upgrades directly.  Upgrades are obtained when you kill a certain number of vampires.  Also, since the game isn’t as large as Infamous 2, there are not as many upgrades and you cannot switch between them.

Even though there are fewer upgrades for Cole’s electrical abilities, he still gains new powers in Festival of Blood.  Being a vampire actually has some perks.  One of the vampire powers that Cole gains is called Shadow Swarm.  This power allows you to transform into a group of bats to fly long distance across New Marais.  Shadow Swarm basically makes Cole’s parkour skills and Static Thruster power irrelevant.  The only downside to the vampire powers is that to use them, you have to drink the blood of civilians. 

One of my favorite improvements in Infamous 2 was the melee.  Festival of Blood keeps the improved melee virtually the same.  There are only minor aesthetic differences this time around.  Near the beginning of the game Cole loses the Amp, which was a weapon that harnessed his electric powers into a deadly, brute force.  He replaces it with a metal cross he finds right after losing the Amp.  The cross can effectively conduct electricity and it has a spiked, wooden tip so that Cole can kill vampires by staking them through the heart.

One of the features that makes the Infamous series unique is its karma system.  In Festival of Blood, the karma system is left out.  At first, this seems wrong, since the karma system was what set the Infamous series apart from other games.  When you think about it though, Cole needs to drink the blood of civilians, so he would always be getting bad karma.  Even though it makes sense that they would leave it out, it still feels like Festival of Blood is missing something.

Overall, the game is pretty good.  While Festival of Blood doesn’t have the same variety of upgrades that Infamous 2 had, it adds completely new vampire powers that sort of fill the upgrade gap.  The melee is still great, but it’s lame how using an ultra combo doesn’t kill vampires.  You just can’t get as immersed into the game like how you could in Infamous 2.

If you played Infamous 2, you should definitely download Festival of Blood.  If you are a newcomer to the Infamous series though, you should play the first two games before getting into Cole’s latest adventure.

Infinity Ward is known for the remarkable side features that they put in their last games. I was glad to see that they brought them back. The “Spec Ops” feature was brought back again, and it didn’t fail to impress me. Spec Ops is great for co-op gaming, so I would recommend it if you are with a friend. The newest addition to Spec Ops was a new game mode called “survival mode” which is relatively similar to “Nazi Zombies” from the past Call of Duty games. The difference is, instead of hordes of zombies rushing at you, you are faced off against waves of armed soldiers, attack dogs, and helicopters. As you progress through the waves, the difficulty and skill levels of the enemy forces increase and you have to upgrade your weapons, and hope that you survive.

Added Features rating: 8 out of 10

One of the great things about the Modern Warfare series is that the campaign from the first game leads into the second game, and then the third. This is nice, because it’s like a big story, and if you’ve followed the series, playing the add-ons to the first two campaigns is exciting. The campaign takes you all over the world, from England and France to New York. Your Battle you’re way through cities, trying to stop the evil Makorav (villain of the story) from taking over the world. The plot of the campaign was very exciting, never had a dry spot, and was full of action. As soon as you start the campaign you are put into battle. The best part of the story line is that it’s not predictable, which keeps you interested all the way to the end of the campaign.

Campaign rating: 9 out of 10

The graphics of MW3 are fantastic; the detail is realistic, just like the previous Modern Warfare games, and made me stare in awe. The graphics not only made it a real treat for the eye, but it made the game play a lot more fun, and intense.

Graphics rating: 8 out of 10

The final part of the game is the multi-player game mode, where you can play split screen with friends or play online against people all over the world, on Xbox Live. The split screen option is basically the same thing as playing online, the only changes are smaller scale battling, and a max of four players vs. online which has the capability of having 18 man battles. The online experience has always been the most important part of the Call of Duty series, and it managed to improve, three games in a row, in my opinion. The game play is graphically beautiful; the experience is adrenaline rushing. Most importantly though, it’s fast paced, easy to play and has purposed, the fun factor of all over games.

Online Experience rating: 8.5 out of 10

MW3 is a great extension of the Modern Warfare series. The game is fresh, fast paced, and most importantly, fun. I would recommend you to pick it up, especially if you we’re a fan of the previous Cod’s, it will not disappoint you.

When a mysterious ship from a different dimension crashes on Kirby’s planet Popstar, five pieces break off and scatter over the world. Magolor, the ship’s only passenger, cannot return to his home dimension without the missing pieces, so naturally, Kirby and his friends Meta Knight, King Dedede, and Waddle Dee offer to help.

On planet Popstar, you have to travel through five different areas, each containing at least four levels, before you can collect all the pieces. At first, the game seems fairly easy, but it gets harder and harder, and things get even more interesting when Magolor takes you back to his home world.

It’s really fun to be able to play with so many characters. Player one is always Kirby, because some parts would be impossible without him. The other players can choose between Meta Knight, King Dededee, Waddle Dee, and different color Kirbys. When you’re a Kirby, you can swallow enemies to gain their abilities, or swallow blocks to spit at people. When you’re another character, you constantly have an ability, but you can’t change it.

Some things that make the game interesting are the different enemies you can swallow. You can gain any ability from fire to ice, including rock, ninja, and sword. Each ability allows you to do different things, and enter secret areas. For instance, with the water ability you can surf on lava to reach a secret door. Many levels have giant enemies that you need to defeat in order to continue.

Also, some levels have super enemies you can swallow, that give you incredible power! Using these powers, you can smash you way through a level, and even unlock a door to another dimension.

There are also energy spheres to collect in every level. Finding enough lets you unlock bonus challenges and mini games that can be played with 1-4 players. They are a nice break from the story, without being out of place.

The music is traditional Kirby music, and according to my brother is one of the best parts of the game.

I only have a few criticisms of the game, one of them being that both Kirby and King Dedede are very slow when they fly, which can be annoying. Also, I think that player one is made too much more important that the other players. For instance, if players 2-4 lose all their health, they can rejoin the game in a few seconds. However, if player one runs out of health, the whole level needs to be restarted.

Overall, Kirby’s Return to Dreamland is a fun game. At first it seemed easy, and looked like it would be over soon, but many levels later I found myself battling a huge four headed dragon, hurtling through an inter-dimensional area, and saving much of the known world. It’s nice to be able to play with so many characters.  I would recommend this game to almost anyone. And so would my brother.

Rating 9/10

Mark Ingram, a former All-American and Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Alabama, was named as the cover athlete, and was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 1^st round of last spring’s NFL Draft.

What’s not commonly known is that the cover athlete of the NCAA Football games is never a player that is available in the game itself. The creators of the game choose a player, often times the Heisman winner, that has already been drafted into the NFL because the game is made months in advance.

EA Sports, the company that puts out the game every year, decided to bring back one of the most popular features in the series; Road to Glory. In this game mode, you are able to create a player and edit him anyway you want, whether you want him to be a 6’5” wide receiver, or a 5’7” offensive lineman. The possibilities are endless. The fun part is that you are not able to edit any of the attributes. So no, to all you cheaters out there, you cannot make the players speed and catching both 99’s. You are not allowed to edit any of the player’s attributes.

After you’re doing editing your player, your career starts as a high school senior, beginning with the state playoffs. From here, you play roughly 4-5 games, as long as you win, and try to play as good as possible to try and impress college scouts and earn a scholarship to some of the top programs in the country. Once you sign with a school, everything is up to you. You fight to get a starting job, and then perform on the field to keep it, all en route to the Heisman trophy.

What makes college football better in real life and in the game, are the authentic gameday traditions that make every University experience unique. For example, when playing as Florida State, as the Seminoles take the field, the gamer is able to experience a real treat.

You are able to watch Chief Osceola ride his horse to midfield and plant a spear in the ground, a tradition that dates back to 1977. Some other cool traditions include the Notre Dame players touching the “Play like a Champion Today” sign, Tommy Trojan from USC, and Boomer Sooner riding out of the tunnel at the University of Oklahoma.

My favorite feature, Dynasty mode, is by far my favorite, and for good reason. It hasn’t really changed much in the past few years, but to me, that’s ok. The gameplay is fantastic, and the recruiting process continues to get more detailed. I find it fun to recruit players from high school, and watch them progress throughout their career; maybe you do too.

Many people are a fan of playing games online against other gamers, which is completely ok, but I guess I’ve never really been a huge fan of it. I’ve always loved playing Dynasty mode, and I recommend you give it a shot.

There are a few negatives to this game, though minor, they can impact the game in a big way. When running with the ball on offense or special teams, if the player you are controlling a player who’s speed rating is 95 or above, it is often very unrealistic. These players are able to make cuts or perform spin moves that are, well, impossible. It probably sounds silly, but it’s true.

Another negative within the game is the extreme amount of injuries that happen over the course of a game. If you run the ball a lot, especially with your quarterback, you can count on at least 5-6 injuries throughout the course of the game. You might say, well, its football, injuries happen. I understand that completely, but the injuries in this game are a bit extreme. It seems like my running back has a “bruised shoulder” every other play, but don’t worry, he’ll “return soon”.

All in all, this was one of the best video games I’ve ever played. If they could fix those small problems, this game would be perfect.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

Infamous 2 is an open world video game for PS3 developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment.  It came out this past summer on June 7.

At the start of the game we find Cole Macgrath at the docks in Empire City.  He is about to leave
with his friend Zeke and NSA agent Lucy Kuo to get stronger for his fight against the Beast.  Suddenly, the ground begins to shake because the Beast has shown up earlier than expected.  Cole isn’t ready yet, but he tries to see what he can do.  It is to no avail, he must flee Empire City as its fate has been sealed.

Later, Cole arrives in New Marais, the setting for the rest of the game.  New Marais covers a fairly
large area and is divided into three areas: New Marais (starting area), Flood town, and the Powerworks.  Similar to the first Infamous game, you must turn the power back on for these new areas to be safe.  The process of powering up new areas in Infamous 2 is much different than how it was in the first game though.  Whereas in the first game you went through a sewer to power up a large generator, now you have to activate multiple small generators throughout the area and defend them while they go back online.

One of the major improvements in Infamous 2 is the greater variety of powers that Cole has access to. Instead of just upgrading different effects of your attacks, you can unlock different forms of each attack. Also, you can swap between the powers you have bought to customize your
move set or to be ready for any occurrence.

Another major improvement is the melee.  Originally you had to run at enemies with
just your fists.  This is not the smartest or most effective thing to do when all of your enemies have firearms.  Now Cole has a new gadget at his disposal, the Amp.  After the opening
part of the game, Cole’s friend Zeke gives him this cool and highly effective invention.  The Amp is a weapon shaped kind of like the letter Y that harnesses Cole’s electrical abilities.  With it you can string together combos, use devastating finishing moves, or surprise enemies below you by slamming the Amp down on to them.

While not as significant, there are a few more changes that improve the game.  One of these is that, the karma system that was instituted in the first game now has a larger impact on the story.  Another improvement is Mocap cut scenes.  These cut scenes demonstrate how much the
graphics have improved since the first game. Also the voice actor for Cole has changed.  At first, the change in Cole’s voice is very noticeable, but after playing for a few minutes you realize that the new voice is better suited to the character.

Though there are many improvements that make Infamous 2 so much more enjoyable than
the first game, there is still one problem experienced throughout the game.  One of Cole’s main methods of transportation is using his parkour skills to climb up buildings so that he can
jump from rooftop to rooftop.  If you jump off while climbing you run into the problem.  Cole sticks to everything.  To explain more thoroughly: if you are hanging on to a ledge and jump off, you will grab the nearest thing that you can hang on to (if it is within reach). This problem can be helpful if you learn how to use it, but for first time players it can be frustrating.

Overall, the game plays really smoothly.  The upgrade system adds variety to your
attacks and the Mocap makes the cut scenes just that much more watchable.  While still retaining the annoying problem of sticking to everything, there are way more improvements than problems.  Once you play this game, you will actually get lost in it.  New Marais is the kind
of place that you want to explore compared to the dull, drab place known as Empire City.

Infamous 2 is one of the best PS3 games of the summer.  If you don’t own this game or just haven’t ever played, you need to pick it up as soon as you are done reading this
sentence.

BAM! It dawns on you: “Home is where the war is”.

Homefront grabs the player and thrusts them into a world most would rather leave unexplored. From the opening scene the message is sent that this is a battle worth fighting. The game exposes the atrocities of a totalitarian occupation as well as the adaptation of a nation changed for the worse. Nothing is more emotionally engaging than fighting on your own soil, and that’s Homefront’s greatest strength.

The game play is playable but uninspired. Seldom were there any innovations. Most of the time you moved at a snail’s pace because your allies got their feelings hurt if you tried going on alone. It often felt that any innovations in the game were just something the developer thought was cool at the time. For example towards the end of the game the player is given control of a C-130 gunship. This lasts less than a minute… Another example is around the halfway mark you are given control of a “Little Bird” helicopter. However, for being the climax of the game it is uninspired and is annoying to play.

Homefront’s multiplayer is fun, but gets old. Yes it’s fun to defend a position until you’re out of ammo. However the game is plagued by snipers. It suffers from sudden death almost immediately after spawn and causes major problems for the player.

Homefront’s story is amazing. The settings, and the sound, all prove themselves. Homefront’s focus was misplaced and that’s its greatest weakness.

Crysis 2 takes place in a post apocalyptic New York where an alien threat has the means to wipe out humanity. You take on the role of Alcatraz, a Marine, turned super hero when he is given the coveted Nano Suit.

There are a few things to spice up the action such as the ability to turn invisible and some acrobatics.  The acrobatics, however, aren’t that practical. Yes, you feel like a superhero jumping from one building to another, silently taking out a sniper, and then using his weapon against his friends. However moments like this are few and far between. The action just doesn’t seem as fluid as it should be.

Another gripe is with some balancing issues. When using the “Stealth” ability, you can’t move faster than a crawl. It would have been much more enjoyable to be able to smash into an enemy alien that never saw you coming rather than silently creeping up on him to get a “stealth kill”. The armor ability just outclasses the stealth one.  For example, when using the armor ability you are immune to damage for a short period of time. Surviving explosions and high caliber fire is much more enjoyable than avoiding them.

Another issue is with a few glitches, mainly with the melee system. A glitch would often occur where the player could not melee at all. It often led to situation that would’ve been much easier if the character would have just hit the alien in the head. It is an unneeded challenge that ruins much of the flow of the game.

This is not to say the game is bad. It simply means that its expectations were too high. The game’s predecessor revolutionized gaming. It made the player believe that their character could destroy any threat. It often gives you that same feeling in the sequel, just not enough to warrant a perfect score. It’s still one of the most enjoyable games of the year, though the year is still young. Still, you won’t find a more beautiful game anywhere on the market.

The main character of Dead Space, Isaac Clark, has been rescued from deep space after destroying the ship the first game took place on, the Ishimura. Three years later he finds himself in the midst of another necromorph (mutations of humans outbreak). The player must struggle to find his way to anyone they can trust, and to figure out the source of the madnes

The story of Dead Space 2 is phenomenal. The player feels for the protagonist, and wants him to survive the deadly ordeal. As the story progresses you come across a small but very diverse cast of characters.  From Eli, an engineer whom survived the initial outbreak, to Nicole, Isaac’s “dead” girlfriend.

The game play of Dead Space 2 is refined from the first but more of the same. You still have to cut the limbs off of enemies. However the addition of new types of enemies spices gameplay up.  Nothing is more satisfying then using the contact beams giant beam to one shot enemies that once were too strong to destroy.

On the multiplayer front, Dead Space it is a game of teamwork and communication. Every player to survive in order to win. Each also only has access to different weapons. So teams need to strategically decide what weapons will be most potent.

 Dead Space 2 is a fantastic ride through a world unlike our own. If a story and scares are what you want look no further.