Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Lie
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Due Date
In his new film Due Date, director Todd Phillips (Old School, The Hangover) stages a rather audacious cinematic experiment, placing two enormously talented actors, Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, on a mostly deserted island, handing them an assortment of blunt and broken tools, and charging them with constructing a free-standing, fully-functioning Hollywood comedy.
To his credit, Phillips was at least considerate enough to supply his comic Crusoes with a detailed blueprint. An odd-couple/road trip movie hybrid, Due Date unapologetically mimics Planes, Trains and Automobiles, one of the John Hughes' rare “grown-up” comedies, in which Steve Martin starred as a straightlaced family man forced to travel cross-country with a gratingly affable slob, played by John Candy, in order to make it home for Thanksgiving. (Surely there have been other such films before and since, but Hughes’ work is the one Due Date most vividly recalls.)
The film’s script, co-written by Phillips and Adam Sztykiel, adds a handful of 21st-century twists to the formula: A baggage snafu while boarding an airplane leads Peter Highman (Downey), a type-A architect with a history of anger-management issues, into a confrontation with a Federal Air Marshal that subsequently lands him on Homeland Security’s no-fly list. Stranded without reliable transport, lacking the means by which to procure any (he left his wallet on the plane), and desperate to be reunited in L.A. with his pregnant wife (Michelle Monaghan) in time for her scheduled c-section, he reluctantly agrees to hitch a ride with the same tubby schmuck, Ethan (Galifianakis), who moments earlier was the catalyst of his security debacle.
The unlikely travel companions embark on a calamitous road trip from Atlanta to L.A., during which Ethan proves to be something of a disaster magnet, with Peter bearing the brunt of the damage that occurs. Their navigator, Phillips, lazily guides them through an uneven obstacle course of comic scenarios, some of which are embarrassingly predictable (Ethan stores his beloved father’s ashes in a coffee can, and they’re later accidentally used to make coffee!), all of which are designed to showcase Downey’s caustic wit and Galifianakis’ sublime daffiness.
Few actors today deliver choice insults better than Downey, and even fewer absorb them better than Galifianakis. They make for a truly marvelous collision of opposites, and their interplay is what elevates Due Date above its often puzzlingly flat material. (That, along with Galifianakis’ gift for physical comedy; no actor outside of the Jackass crew can better sell a collision with a car door.) The film's supporting cast, meanwhile, criminally underachieves. Conspicuous cameos from the likes of Danny McBride, Juliette Lewis, and Jamie Foxx are either unfunny, unnecessary, or both. On this road trip, they’re little more than baggage. Thankfully, Downey and Galifianakis are more than capable of shouldering the burden.
Big Mommas : Like Father, Like Son
Hall Pass
Men and women, as every chick flick and buddy-slob comedy will tell you, don't just come from different galaxies — they're locked in a battle for supremacy. But Hall Pass, a light comedy of horny marital woe from directors Peter and Bobby Farrelly, makes a novel statement about the sex wars: It says that they're essentially over. And that the guys — in case there was any lingering suspense about it — have lost.
Rick (Owen Wilson), a real estate agent who dresses in amazingly dweebish plaid shirts, and Fred (Jason Sudeikis), a life-insurance salesman as genial and square as Howdy Doody, are suburban schlubs devoted to their wives and (in Rick's case) family. When Rick isn't taking out the trash or disciplining his children with textbook New Dad sensitivity, he, like Fred, has one topic on the brain: all the sexy, gorgeous women who, as faithful and loving husbands, they will never, ever get to sleep with.
All of which, I know, makes them sound like the most common and boorish of male movie characters. Except for one thing: These two, though they spend their hours fantasizing about straying, would never dream of actually doing it. They're like neutered dogs who carry their own leashes. When it comes to satisfying their libidos, they're whipped, defeated — by the demands of family life (who has time for sex when you're trying to get the kids to bed?) or just by their loyalty. The raunchy chatter spills out of them, and some of it is funny, but mostly because it's so pathetically vicarious.
Hall Pass presents these men as a new archetype: the frustrated middle-aged husband as randy adolescent virgin. Wilson, geeked out in super-square hair, knows how to use his gentleness to turn himself into a figure of soft desperation. And Saturday Night Live's Sudeikis, in his first major movie role, has an agreeably dorky, bootlicking officiousness. (Fred thinks that he's scored a victory if he figures out how to look at a woman's behind without his wife seeing him.) They are so domesticated, the joke is they don't even know their pent-up sexual frustration is driving them nuts.
It takes their wives, Maggie (Jenna Fischer) and Grace (Christina Applegate), to figure that out, and, under the influence of a pop psychologist (Joy Behar), to propose a solution: They will give their husbands a ''hall pass,” a week off from marriage during which the two will be allowed to sow their wild oats — and, in theory, purge all those demons of roving-eyed desire. It's a kind of high-concept therapy for a high-concept comedy that views the hidden and buried lusts of married men in the age of Internet porn as a ticklishly normal state of affairs.
The Farrellys, working from a script they co-wrote with Pete Jones and Kevin Barnett, set all this up with an innocent dirty-minded aplomb. Still, if Rick and Fred's dilemma is the film's amusing appetizer, the main course ought to be what they actually do when they're let loose. And the punchline is: Out on their own, Rick and Fred are such hapless, inept womanizers that even when ''freed,” they're still trapped — imprisoned — in their overgrown-teenage heads. They treat Applebee's as a pickup joint and eat themselves into a food coma. They scarf pot brownies on a golf course, with even uglier results. And when they do try to hook up, they're so wild-and-crazy clueless about how seduction now works (''R-O-C-K in the USA!” says Rick, thinking that he's just said something cool, which makes you want to dive under your seat) that women look at them as if they were another species.
That, however, is a joke of diminishing returns. Hall Pass would like to be as dunked in reality as Judd Apatow's best comedies, but the movie is thin. The Farrellys can't quite nudge the characters from two dimensions to three. When Rick and Fred get lessons in humanity, the movie seems to be about two sketch-comedy characters learning they have souls. As one of the girls they keep approaching might say, Ewwww! It would have helped if the women on screen, from the wives to the ''perfect” Aussie coffee-bar babe (Nicky Whelan), were remotely interesting. But they're not. Which raises the question: How shrewdly can a comedy satirize the arrested male gaze when the movie itself is trapped in it?
127 Hours
Danny Boyle doesn't believe in doing the same thing twice. After the rousing success of the romantic fantasy Slumdog Millionaire, he has switched not only gears but continents to tell the true story of Aron Ralston in 127 Hours, an "action film with a guy who can't move." The film's similarities to Buried are striking in that both movies rely primarily on the performance of the lead actor and both challenge the audience's stamina to stay with a character under trying circumstances for 90 minutes. The level of tension in 127 Hours does not reach the intense level achieved by Buried, but it contains a scene so disturbing in its blistering, realistic gore that some will be forced to turn away. 127 Hours is unflinching in its depiction of what constitutes the "will to live."
The rest of this review assumes that the reader is at least cursorily familiar with the real life story of Aron Ralston, whose ordeal was the subject of numerous news stories in May 2003 (as well as subsequent network TV and cable documentaries). Those who don't recognize Ralston's name and/or don't recall the news reports may find my discussion of the film to be highly "spoiler-ish."
As is suggested by the title, 127 Hours covers a period slightly longer than five days lasting from the end of April to the beginning of May 2003. Maverick adventurer Aron Ralston (James Franco), 27 years old at the time, ventures into Utah's Blue John Canyon to do a little climbing and exploring. The film's first fifteen minutes, which are bright and colorful with glorious landscape shots accompanied by A. R. Rahman's throbbing score, serve the dual purpose of introducing us to the cocky main character and showing off the setting. Aron encounters a pair of lost female hikers (played by Amber Tamblin and Kate Mara, in what amount to cameos) and helps them find their way to their destination before he continues on his own. It's not long, however, before a mishap results in him tumbling down a shaft and becoming trapped at the bottom when a boulder crushes his arm against a tunnel wall and becomes lodged there. He tries everything within his power to free himself but the tools at his disposal are limited. As his supply of water dwindles, Aron realizes he may die here.
As with Buried, 127 Hours remains with the protagonist for the entire running time, never flashing to scenes of concerned friends or relatives wondering where their loved one is. There are a few brief flashbacks early during Aron's ordeal and, as dehydration and fatigue begin to take their toll on his mental state, he experiences dreams and hallucinations. The film, attempting to get into the character's mindset, represents these as parts of a half-crazed reality. Aron, who has a camcorder with him, records a video diary of some of his thoughts and experiences, with the hope that whoever finds his body will return it to his parents. (In real life, the videotape exists. Although it has never been shown publicly, Ralston allowed Boyle and Franco to view it as part of their preparation for making the movie. That, along with interviews and his autobiographical book about the experience, provides the narrative's basis.)
James Franco, who is on screen for nearly every frame of the film (often in close-up), gives the performance of a lifetime, overturning his reputation as a dramatic lightweight. He carries the movie. For more than an hour, we're down in a hole with Aron, and the tautness and intensity of Franco's performance keeps us engaged. It's his interpretation of the character that gets us to the point where we understand why Aron chose the path of self-amputation as the sole route of survival.
Needless to say, that scene is difficult to watch, and Boyle doesn't truncate it, turn the camera away, or do anything to lessen its impact. We see Aron break both bones of his forearm then use the dull penknife of a cheap multi-utility tool to saw away at the soft tissue. It's a bloody and unpleasant scene. There have been walkouts at some screenings and many have closed their eyes or turned away. Although less gruesome than the goriest images in some horror movies, the "reality" of this scene makes it more difficult to watch (in much the same way that it's almost impossible to view a fingernail be ripped off in a motion picture, even though it's a relatively simple special effect).
Although 127 Hours bears little resemblance to Slumdog Millionaire, it is made by largely the same crew. Boyle wrote the screenplay with Simon Beaufoy. Anthony Dod Mantle did some of the camerawork. And A.R. Rahman, the famous Indian composer, wrote the score. It's a testimony to the talents of these men that, if not revealed, one would not guess the connection between the films.
Boyle succeeds in documenting Aron's ordeal and in chronicling the difficulties he faced while in the hole: wild extremes in temperature, physical and mental fatigue, numerous failed attempts to free himself, and the anguish of waiting for death. His eventual act was part courage and part desperation, and many viewers will wonder (while hoping never to have to learn the answer) if they could do something equally extreme in a similar situation. The movie tosses in a little philosophy (about predestination) that doesn't resonate and some black comedy that does. One thing almost entirely absent (at least for those who know the basics of the story) is suspense. Not only do we know that Aron is going to survive but we're aware of how he's going to do it. So watching 127 Hours becomes not an exercise in finding out how things end but in studying the details of what went on during those five long days. Labeling the movie as a "thriller" or an "action" film could be deemed misleading because of this. Regardless, Boyle has made a singularly intense motion picture that tells in narrative form the same tale that has been related in TV documentaries. This is a fascinating story of determination and survival that deserves to be told. It is ultimately uplifting but it's tough going to get to that point.
Unknown
Biotech scientist Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) and his wife Lisa (January Jones) arrive in Berlin for an international conference. However, he accidentally leaves the briefcase containing his passport and other important papers at the airport. Letting his wife check him in at the posh hotel, Harris catches a cab to go back to the airport. But on the way, the cab is involved in an accident and plunges into a river. Martin is pulled from the water by Gina (Diane Kruger), the courageous driver. Since she is an illegal Bosnian immigrant, she leaves the scene after making sure he is taken care of by a medical team.
Harris falls into a four-day coma and wakes up with a mild case of amnesia. Without his passport, he has no way of proving who he really is. When he finds out his wife is at the hotel in Berlin, he is thrilled to be reunited with her. The only problem is that Lisa claims to have never seen him before and that she is at the scientific conference with her husband Martin Harris (Aidan Quinn). The hero's problems are multiplied by having assassins on his trail. He finds allies in Gina, in a nurse, and in Jurgen (a scene stealing Bruno Ganz), a detective who was once an East German secret police official.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra tries to pump up the action in this identity-loss thriller with too many car chases. Although the film doesn't add any fresh insights into the complexities of the brain and the mysteries of memory, Liam Neeson's imposing stature on the screen is enough to carry the thriller to its surprise ending where all the details are explained by the scientist's close friend (Frank Langella) who has a few secrets of his own.
I Am Number Four
Monday, February 28, 2011
Red Dead Redemption
"A damn fine rental"
Rockstar can build a hype machine like none-other, but what about their games ? If you've played GTA 4 you've seen this engine, Red Dead of course was what this engine was built for - so naturally it runs at a better framerate and can dish out some better draw distances and character models than GTA 4 did.One of the biggest improvements from it's predecessor (GTA) are the aiming and shooting mechanics. The new "normal" aiming lets you pick your targets much swifter and precise than the lock on from GTA, it doesn't do all the work for you fortunately leaving you with lining the headshots up real clean. Handling your horse takes some time to get used to, but once you've got it down it's nice and responsive. Something that isn't as responsive is the general walking/running/jumping - in fact it even seems more sluggish than GTA 4 O_O .
My biggest complaint about the single player is the campaign itself. The writing, nor the missions contain really any variety at all. Everyone you meet follows the same exact formula. Marston meets eccentric character, they say they can help him with something, but they need a favor. Marston does favor, goes back and what do you know they aren't ready to deliver on their end of the deal, so Martson does another favor ? Marston does a couple more favors and gets pissed, then he does a FINAL favor. (this happens pretty much with every character you meet).
The actual missions are all pretty much the same exact stuff every time. Go here, shoot these guys, protect a carriage while shooting guys, do a dumb race. The big set piece shootouts have taken a big step down from those of GTA, leaving them hard to distinguish from each other. A few missions that are distinct from the pack are the ones at the ranch, they're also really annoying and boring. Herding cows, breaking in horses, and protecting crops from rabbits are probably less fun here than in real life. You'll be thanking god by the time you're done with Bonnie's chores. It should also be noted Redemption doesn't make up in quantity, what it lacks in quality. The main campaign is MUCH shorter than GTA 4's.
The sandbox in Red Dead is that of the southern-most part of America and tip of Mexico. It's very expansive (Rockstar says four times bigger than GTA 4's Liberty City - although I really doubt this) and full of landmark cities and locations. Vast plains, hills, and canyons are scattered throughout - although not neccesarily waiting to be self explored. Most of your free roaming will leave you solitary, removed from almost all civilization. Random encounters and wildlife are Rockstar's answer to loneliness. There are around 15 different random encounters (which you'll come across uncommonly) inside and out of towns. You'll often hear them or see them on your mini-map, sometimes a man will attempt to kill a hooker, othertimes people will have just gotten robbed and require your help. How you settle these encounters is always up to you. There also many side-missions which you'll bump into (which are often times better than the main missions).
Killing rampages come with much more severe consequences in this game, not only do you waste a lot of money and ammo, the bounty on your head is permanent until you either pay your way out, or go to jail. If you're trying to see how big of a ruckus you can cause - well it'll probably end by the time you shoot your last bullet. There just aren't nearly enough cops to ever stop you - especially with the slew of tools you have. Your Dead Eye meter fills with every kill you get, the meter allows you to slow time and pick your targets in a calm. It also refills at such a constant rate, you are hardly ever without it.
Even in a giant release like this is missing some really major stuff. To quick travel you have to set up camp somewhere and THEN do it, it's just pointless and a waste of time. Some missions are unavailable at certain times, yet there is no pass time feature. The save system sucks, my multiplayer rank went from 31 back to 0 because of a corrupt game save - yep Rockstar doesn't actually keep track of your MP data. None of the cutscenes are properly aspect-ratioed for 4:3 televisions, I don't know why it wouldn't just switch to 16:3 for cutscenes. Oh yeah, the multiplayer, it's not good.
They haven't learned a whole lot from GTA 4. The netcode is actually passable now, it's not the broken lagfest GTA was - but most of the same problems remain.
Free Roam lets you gather 16 players and explore a super-empty version of the single player world. There are almost no NPC's or wildlife to be found - anywhere. Gang hideouts, which are just human vs NPC co-op missions - are pretty much the only thing to do in free roam. There's only seven of them, so after about a day or two - they are very stale. Players can rack up bounties by killing what few NPC's there are and taking on waves of cops - which makes them a target for other players wanting to collect on the bounty. But this is pretty pointless as it leads to no XP.
XP unlocks new characters, weapons, and rarely a new mount. There are 50 levels in total (I got to level 31 and was only on the fourth mount of 13). The only way to actually level up is doing gang hideouts, which give an unfair amount more XP than anything else in the game. Grinding these for about a day or two will get you to max level.
As for the adversarial modes, well they just don't work out that good. Many of the maps are briefly edited areas of the single player world. For such an large world map, there really are only a couple maps (around 8-10). Some gametypes can be a lot of fun, others not so much. All of them start out with a standoff, with both teams staring down each other from 5 feet - unfortunately you have to watch a tutorial on "how to duel", EVERY SINGLE MATCH. Team Deatchmatch and Bag Return work pretty good, Capture the Flag has the burden of just not ever working on certain maps. In the multiplayer you use the normal-aim, which isn't really fine tuned enough for multiplayer - often times letting you shoot people through trees or bushes. Close range combat is also really messy, instead of executions from single player - you whack each other with your guns. Picking up the right gun can also give you an enormous advantage, some guns are just too good. The semi-auto pistol shoots at an incredibly fast rate, with big range and big damage : beating pretty much anything.
Another big problem is you don't spawn with explosives or AOE items. So most times, anyone can just hide behind cover without being punished. The framerate isn't nearly as smooth online either, slowing down whenever things get hectic. The leveling and XP system is pretty much absent from PVP gametypes. You get a tiny bit of XP (even if you're MVP) and none of it benefits you anyway since it picks your character and guns for you.
Matchmaking has made a big improvement thankfully, finding matches much faster than GTA 4 and actually keeping you with the group you just played with. Although it unnecessarily wastes time going in and out of the lobby every match.
I know this review seems to be giant list of complaints, but there is plenty to chew on in Red Dead Redemption. It doesn't take giant leaps from the GTA formula, or really move it into next-gen territory - but for a game that makes plain shooting folks so much fun, it's got a lot of content to explore. The multiplayer, which is really shallow - is still good for hours of stupid fun.
Mass Effect 2
"The Empire Strikes Back of video games...."
There are no spoilers for either Mass Effect 1 or Mass Effect 2 in this review except for a basic plot description of the second game (which says less than the back of the box).The Good:
-Incredible storytelling with one of the best casts in gaming
-Unprecedented presentation, especially the star-studded voice work
-Updated combat system rivals the best third-person shooters
-Overall streamlined design makes it supremely polished
The Bad:
-The text on SDTV's could make you go blind
-Mining is a chore
Sequels are a tricky thing; especially the ones bridging a trilogy together. Though flawed, the original Mass Effect had a charm and freshness unrivaled by other console RPGs at the time of its release in 2007. A common problem with sequels is that they change little to the initial winning formula, following the mentality “if it ain't broke, don't fix it” and because of its familiarity, the charm and freshness that made the original so beloved is all but gone. Luckily, the team behind Mass Effect, veteran RPG hit-makers BioWare, recognized this and made a bold move to overhaul the gameplay for its sequel. And what do you know, they pulled it off. Not only is Mass Effect 2 BioWare's masterpiece, it is a landmark title in video games, successfully combining streamlined third-person shooter gameplay with one of the deepest and most thoroughly satisfying narratives in gaming.
Welcome Back to the Milky Way, Commander Shephard
It's obvious from the opening minutes of the game that BioWare aren't slouches when it comes to presentation. Two years ago, the original Mass Effect was lauded for its breathtaking graphics and sound. Mass Effect 2 continues the trend with some of the best production values in the business. From start to finish, Mass Effect 2 will keep jaws on the floor with the almost creepy realism of the game. The characters move more fluently during conversations and the locales you'll be visiting on your trip are simply awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, there is a minor and fairly annoying flaw. The game was designed to be played on HDTV's and because of this, the in-game text and subtitles will suffer on SDTV's. The text is small, blurry and very difficult to read. Also, the load times can drag on a bit. Fortunately, they usually don't occur in the middle of missions, just between levels.
Though this will sound like a complete exaggeration, I simply cannot think of a game that's performed better when it comes to voice acting. The characters, though terrifically written, are pushed to the next level because of the incredible voice talent. It's startling how spot on these actors are with each character and there are plenty of them, both minor and major. Each one, no matter the size of the role, is complimented with a poignant performance by the actors and actresses. The cast is absolutely jam-packed with talent: Carrie Anne-Moss, Michael Hogan, Yvonne Strahovski, Adam Baldwin, Tricia Helfer, Shohreh Aghdashloo, returning funny-man Seth Green and of course, the incomparable Martin Sheen. If there is a game with better voice talent, please forgive my exaggeration, but I really think BioWare knocked it out of the park with this aspect of the game. As far as the music goes, the compositions are as strong as ever, further driving home the classic sci-fi thriller feel.
Previously on Mass Effect…
The story was ultimately the main reason to play the original Mass Effect. Yes, the combat was new and fun at the time but the story was doing things unheard of in the gaming world, especially with the player's involvement in the story. So obviously, Mass Effect 2 has a lot to live up to as far as storytelling goes. Though it's simple, the story of Mass Effect 2 is an emotionally gripping second act, showing the different emotional colors of each character and making it a more than worthy addition to the trilogy. Commander Shephard, the returning protagonist, is tasked to put together a team to embark on a suicide mission. The amount of character development that occurs within the game is what gives the seemingly thin plot a lot of weight and by the end of the game, the story feels as heavy as the original.
Every character in this game is brimming with intrigue, both human and alien. Where you may have skipped over some conversations in Mass Effect 1, you will feel compelled to learn absolutely everything you can about these rich characters. The games main focus is building a team for a suicide mission but once you've recruited team members, you are given the option to go on a character-specific mission to gain trust in each other. These loyalty missions are often the best and most rewarding in the game, revealing the emotional core of the characters and really fleshing them out. And when I say every character, I absolutely mean every single character. In Mass Effect 1 (and most RPG's actually), I had obvious favorites. But in Mass Effect 2, I wanted to talk to everyone an equal amount.
Mass Effect's greatest strength is still the open-ended character development. The first game presented many moral dilemmas for the player; choices that affected either individual people or whole species as well as affected the way people thought and interacted with the player's character. One thing BioWare made clear long before Mass Effect 2 was released was that you would be able to import your character from Mass Effect 1 into the game. The mind-blowing aspect of this is that all the decisions you made in the first Mass Effect crossover into its sequel. It's astonishing how something seemingly so simple could elevate the narrative to new heights. The references, both minor and major, are so rewarding and make the galaxy of Mass Effect 2 feel even more massive. BioWare ups the ante with decision making in this game. At one point I had to stop playing and think about what decision to make for around twenty minutes, especially since I knew the decision I was making was going to have consequences in the next game. It's rare that a game make the player care so much about a virtual decision but that's exactly what Mass Effect 2 will do.
The Paragon/Renegade system returns where strong morals add to the characters Paragon bank while depraved actions garner more Renegade points. This has been expanded with the exciting Interrupt System. You still have heavy Paragon and Renegade speech options now and then but you also have more physical options now. During certain conversations in the game, you will be prompted with performing either a very strong Paragon or Renegade action. The game doesn't tell you what will happen if you interrupt, only that it'll be intense and undoubtedly entertaining. You also don't have much time to think about the action; you have to choose on the spot or the opportunity disappears. I'll admit, a lot of these moments literally made me giddy as a school girl. I personally described the two as either pulling a Jack Bauer or pulling an Obi-Wan Kenobi (or a Qui-Gon Jinn if that's your cup of tea) but you can refer to them however you like I suppose…
Change We Can Believe In
The initial feel of Mass Effect 2 is a shock. Highly influenced by the modern king of third-person shooters Gears of War, the frenetic and quickly-paced action of Mass Effect 2 is in stark contrast to the slower, less hectic mold of the first Mass Effect. In the first game, it was common to pause the action to change a weapon or use a biotic/tech skill. Though the option to pause is still in the game, they also allow you to map powers to certain buttons. This makes the combat faster, more cinematic and a whole lot more fun. Where as you didn't really need to use the cover system of the first game too often, you need to employ the overhauled cover system in Mass Effect 2 to survive the many battles you get into throughout your journey. Enemies are faster and smarter and the player will have to keep their wits about them to make it through. Luckily, your team is a lot smarter, requiring little if any managing.
Of course, this hybrid of third-person shooter and light RPG will undoubtedly ruffle the feathers of traditionalists looking for a more RPG driven combat system. Though I still believe the combat system is highly influenced by your traditional RPGs (using certain ammo to take down certain defenses, still have plenty of biotics and tech to strategize with), if you want to have a more strategic and RPG-driven combat experience, boost the difficulty up to Insane. Unlike the first game, this difficulty truly is insane and it will require players to formulate the best possible plans of attack, use the smartest combination of teammates, and use often the very valuable biotics and tech at your disposable to survive.
There are lots of small tweaks and additions to the gameplay that ultimately make the game smoother and quicker, one of them being redesigned side-quests. Besides the main quest, there are plenty of fun side-quests to get involved in, all of which do not involve the terribly made Mako vehicle from the first game. The developers made the wise decision of eliminating the use of this chore of a vehicle. Instead, you find anomalies by scanning planets and land right at the missions start point (with a flying car no less). The side-quests feel more substantial this time around, having more variety and better rewards.
Another small change which helps make a big difference is a mid-game option to relocate your earned stats. I for one often get stressed during RPG games when I need to place stats on my character. Things that I think sound interesting turn out to be a waste of points and I'm never quite sure how many stats I have to work with until it's too late. With this option (which can be done multiple times), the stress and risk put into placing stats is gone. You're free to experiment with no penalty. I really hope this system is incorporated into future RPGs.
A consistently annoying aspect of the first game was the inventory system. The screen was unnecessarily messy and convoluted. In order to fix this problem, BioWare decided to eliminate the inventory screen all together. Instead, it's replaced by a load-out screen accessible when going out on missions and from lockers scattered in levels. When you obtain a new gun, it's added to the load-out screen for everyone on your squad to use. Guns that are deemed improvements over the previous models are automatically equipped. Now, not having an inventory screen in an RPG sounds utterly ridiculous but in Mass Effect 2, it works very well. It is simple changes to gameplay like this that makes Mass Effect 2 feel so polished. Pausing the game constantly to switch your faceless gun with another faceless gun would have killed the flow of the game.
And finally, upgrades for your weapons are no longer small pieces of equipment that get added to slots in your guns. Instead, you have a research bay on your ship where you combine schematics you either purchase or find during your missions with resources found while mining. The upgrades work very well, simplifying things the way the eliminating the equipment screen does. There is one problem, however, and it's the biggest flaw of the game. Mining is completely mind-numbing, offering no real substance or fun factor. Mining involves traveling to enriched planets, scanning for heavy resource deposits, and probing the area (and in case you were wondering, yes, you can in fact probe Uranus). Mining is time consuming and really bogs the games tempo down.
These updated features do present a slight problem, however. The game's economy has to be tight in order for all of these new features to work and if you're not careful with how you spend your money, you could run out of it all together. But there are a few obviously useless items in the game so as long as you avoid them and get store discounts (very easy to do) you shouldn't have much of a money issue.
To Be Continued…
Like in 2005 when Resident Evil 4 was released, 2010 may have just seen the release of the Game of the Year within its first month. Put simply, this is BioWare's magnum opus and stands proudly with the best sci-fi from any medium. They break rules and boundaries to deliver a streamlined experience that shouldn't be missed by anyone. Of course, if you try to plow through this game, not doing the loyalty missions or getting to know your crew, you won't have nearly as rewarding an experience as someone who does. Though the combat is completely visceral and worth playing the game for, it's still the open-ended storytelling and characters that makes the Mass Effect galaxy one of a kind. And besides that, most of the replay value (and there's a lot of it) comes from experimenting with different characters to see how it will affect the story. I can only imagine what BioWare has in store for the conclusion to this already outstanding trilogy.
Overall Score: 5/5 or 9/10
*Downloadable Content: There are two gameplay downloads available right now. Both of them add new items and side-quests to the game but one is clearly better than the other. A new character and loyalty mission is the crux of one download. The character is another great personality to have on deck and the loyalty mission is very intense and offers some tough decision making. The other download is a short, but poignant mission (further explanation may spoil a few things in the story so avoid the download list until you're past the prologue). Since they're both free, there's no reason not to pick them up.
Fallout : New Vegas
"Viva New Vegas!"
Welcome to my review of Fallout: New Vegas (from this point on referred to as F:NV), the spin-off of Fallout 3. This game was developed by Obsidian, under supervision of Bethesda.I really loved Fallout 3 (also the first Fallout-game I played; I bought the other Fallout-games later on PC) and like Obsidian's recent games, so I decided to get this on release date despite several other games (and DLC) being released around the same time.
I started writing this review when I was about 20 hours in. I'm playing on the Normal-setting with Hardcore-mode on. My goal is to more or less focus on the main story-line and do side-quests whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Story and setting
The game puts you in the role of The Courier who, after a deal went terribly wrong, ended up with two bullets in her (his) skull and was left for dead. The main quest of the game starts with you trying to find out what exactly went wrong and why, and getting bloody revenge of course. Pretty soon you'll find out that you were nothing more but a pawn between several factions, all fighting for the control of the Mojave Wasteland...
The game is set in the Las Vegas-area (dubbed New Vegas after the nuclear war). This place was more or less spared during the war so it has a totally different vibe than F3. Instead of walking around the desolate Capital Wasteland with its caves, subway-tunnels, industrial complexes and the ruins of Washington, you're walking around the Mojave-desert, which houses several intact small settlements, rest stops and the city of New Vegas.
Several areas are under the supervision of factions. Unlike F3 where you only had “The Brotherhood of Steel” and “The Enclave” (and the main story always had you siding with the Brotherhood), there are a whole lot more. Depending on choices you make during quests your fame or infamy with those factions will decrease or increase and you can side with any number of them. Even wearing faction-armour can have a significant outcome on the way people perceive you.
The faction-system more or less replaces the entire Karma-setting from F3, making it more dynamic and realistic as you “shape” the game-world, something that was non-existent in F3 (attempts were made with some of the DLC-packs, namely the Pitt and Broken Steel, but certainly not on this scale).
A nice example of the faction-system is when I first arrived in the Crimson Caravan compound. The first time I entered wearing a Great Kahn-outfit. Within seconds people were screaming “murderer” at me, and I was assaulted by at least a dozen armed CC-guards and some NCR-troopers which just happened to be there. The second time I switched to some random-, non-faction related armour before I entered, and people simply welcomed me, but in a really indifferent way.
It doesn't always work as intended though. Early on, I angered a certain faction (the Great Kahns) so occasionally they would send hit-squads after me. So far, so good. After progressing through the main story, I had formed an alliance with Caesar's Legion (well, not really, I'm just playing all sides). When I was exploring I just walked right into the Kahn's camp (honest mistake) and no-one was shooting at me. Strange, although a possible explanation could be that the Kahns were working for the Legion themselves and therefore didn't dare harm anyone who had Caesar's favour. I then started working my magic to break the alliance between the Kahns and the Legion, something the Legion didn't quite appreciate. For another quest much later, I went back to the Legion's camp, and I was greeted with the utmost respect. Weird.
Gameplay
Not many surprises here, this game plays exactly like F3... with some new features. I'll assume that if you're playing F:NV, you're already familiar with F3, so here's a quick rundown on these new features:
- Introduction of Hardcore-mode, which is supposed to add difficulty to the game (stimpaks healing over time; you need to eat, drink and sleep at regular intervals; you can't heal crippled limbs with stimpaks anymore; bullets and caps add weight to the inventory...). But for a F3-veteran it doesn't really add that much difficulty.
- Lots and lots of crafting-possibilities, as opposed to the six or seven unique weapons you could create in F3.
- A better way to command your squad-mates (2 max) by means of a command-wheel. But I played through F3 without the need for companions, and that's not about to change. I did have two companions at one time (for the achievement), but they died within seconds after attacking a nest of Giant Rad-Scorpions. Weaklings!
- Gambling to make more caps. The moment I arrived in Vegas, I immediately went to the tables and racked up over 35000 caps within half an hour (an insane amount compared to the 1500 max I had in F3). What am I going to be spending it on? More guns? More ammo? I already have more than enough of these.
- Some new perks (which are basically variations of other existing perks, and aren't that useful).
- Fixed difficulty for speech-checks, and if your skill is too low, it shows how much you should have to pass the check. A superb improvement over F3 in my opinion.
- The faction-system (as discussed in earlier paragraphs), which doesn't always work as intended.
- The ability to add scopes and different ammunition for your weapons.
- Magazines (which temporarily add 10 points to a related skill) and skill-books (which permanently add 3 points to a related skill). The skill-books were around in F3, but in this game there are fewer of them.
- Raised level-cap. Right now, you can level up to level 30, as opposed to level 20 in F3. Yes I know the level-cap was raised to 30 eventually, but only if you had the Broken Steel-DLC.
Despite the game being so similar, I find that skills such as barter and speech are a lot more important than they were in F3, because they often give you the opportunity to resolve matters without conflict. I spent over 4 hours in New Vegas itself and managed to get by on speech-checks alone, gaining three levels in the process. Beat that, Fallout 3...
Enemy-scaling is more or less dealt with, because early on there areas that are already populated with high-level critters. Try going north, right after the tutorial. You'll soon be running south again because you ran into a nest of Giant Rad-Scorpions or Cazadors at level 2. That doesn't mean enemy-scaling is completely out of the picture, but entering certain areas at a low level is basically suicide.
Glitches
This game has several issues. Luckily, most of it is negligible (people posing as ventriloquists, people gliding through the desert instead of walking...). Keep in mind this game was made by Obsidian (a firm that doesn't have the best reputation for delivering technically perfect games) and that it runs on the same code / engine Bethesda used for Oblivion and F3 (games that had their fare share of glitches as well).
And there were some major issues as well. On the day of the European release a patch was released, said to fix up to 200 issues within the game. People that were close to Nipton and then installed the patch (I was one of them) were having consistent freezing issues when going into VATS-mode and fast-travelling. And then there were a lot of random crashes as well. Deleting the patch, moving to another area far away from Nipton and then re-installing the patch, seemed to fix these problems though. And I haven't encountered any problems since.
To summarize, most issues were already present in both Oblivion and F3. Sad really that after all those years they still hasn't been able to fix them.
Graphics / sound
Recycled and outdated graphics...
Well, let's be honest. Compared to many other games released two years ago, F3 will certainly not be remembered for its stunning visuals. The graphics of F:NV are only a small step up. The graphics aren't that bad, but they certainly aren't up to today's standard.
If I have to make an analogy with another game-series, the games in the GTAIII-verse come to mind. GTAIII spawned two spin-offs (or four, if you insist), both using the same graphics as III. The first spin-off, Vice City, already had outdated graphics compared to III and San Andreas was really outdated when it came out. That didn't stop me from having more fun with the spin-offs than I had with the original though.
Several times though you'll notice things like rock-formations or run-down houses that were recycled from F3.
Voice-acting and recycled music...
Unlike Bethesda's previous games (F3 and Oblivion) this game stars several (emphasis on several) well known film- and TV-actors for the voice-cast (Matthew Perry, Ron Perlman, Danny Trejo...). Yes, I know all about Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson, but they were the only well-known voice-actors in Bethesda's games and Patrick's character is killed 5 minutes into the story and Liam's character disappears for twenty hours and is killed 5 minutes after he reappears again.
While the voices of important characters are done well, the voices of most NPC's aren't. There is just too much repetition: in Novac at least 7 characters, all speaking with the same voice, insisted on telling me that Primm had a new sheriff. And several hours later when I walked into the Crimson Caravan-complex everyone insisted on telling me exactly the same thing. Good to know, I made it happen after all. A little more variation in NPC-dialogue couldn't have hurt anyone.
And then there's the issue of the in-game music. You can once again listen to 50's music on the radio but the amount of songs is really limited (expect no more than 10 different songs). Near the compound of the Kings (a small faction that worships Elvis Presley!) I've only heard one song being repeated endlessly. And while I was running around the Mojave-desert I could swear I heard that background music before... in Oblivion. Hey, recycling is good and all, but this is just cheap.
Replayability
Replayability is pretty high.
There is a large world to explore. It may be of a smaller scale than F3, but it's still pretty big and there's definitely more variation in the landscape.
Choosing which faction to side with will result in a different experience since several quests may or may not be available to you. Want a new experience? Side with someone else... or with everyone... or choose to be standing alone on a large smoking pile of all the major factions you eliminated and rule the Wasteland as Queen Courier... Alright, I may be exaggerating on the last bit, but there is a lot more room for variation.
Or build a different character. Be a genius with zero strength... or a mentally challenged brute with a maxed-out luck stat.
And DLC is coming. Whether or not you will be able to continue after the end-game or not is not yet known at this time. And more Fallout is always a good thing... unless it's Mothership Zeta Strikes Back of course.
Summary
+ More Fallout!
+ Story is a strong-point and a major step up from Fallout 3
+ The faction-system
+ More variation in quests, which adds to replayability
+ New features...
- ... which don't add much to the game
- More of the same
- Graphics aren't spectacular
- Game does have some issues here and there
In short (because the differences between Fallout3 and Fallout: New Vegas aren't that great) chances are that if you liked (hated) Fallout3, you'll like (hate) this game.
It may seem outdated on a technical level, but don't let that hold you back. So far, there haven't been any EPIC moments like walking out of Vault 101 and seeing the Capital Wasteland for the first time or seeing Fawkes wreaking havoc on the Enclave when you escape the Enclave's base. It's still a good game and overall I enjoy it more than its predecessor.
This game once again proves that Obsidian is one of the better developers out there and close to the level of Bioware (my favourite RPG-firm, despite drivel like ME2). If only they would pull their act together and start making games that not only look as good but also play as good as they should be, because only glitches and mediocre graphics are holding Obsidian back from being the absolute top. Until they do, we're stuck with a game that has a ton of unfulfilled potential.
Dragon Age : Origins
"Bioware's Next Great Adventure"
Let's start this thing by me explaining one very important thing: I have never done a game review before. I've done movie reviews however, and from that I can say that as a professional critic I suck, so there is no risk of me deliberately searching for faults in a game and being an elitist snob about it. To me games are a form of artistic expression and a source of great fun, so if it's fun it's good and if you readers think it sounds like fun then game on. Introduction over, let's move on.Story: I've seen a lot of stories in games before, most can be split into two types. One is the type of deep, engrossing story that players are just along for the ride for, the ones where all we can really do is control the non-story aspects of the game. Then there are the ones that are more basic and are only significantly fleshed out by the actions and choices of the player; this is one of those stories. This kind of story is important for an RPG, because you're supposed to be playing a role here. It's your standard swords and sorcery world where you have to lead a group of heroes on a quest to save it from an ancient evil, quite familiar really. Again, the ability to choose your race, gender, and class isn't exactly new, and neither is the ability to craft your character's physical appearance. However, the interesting bit here is the choice of your "origin" story, which is effected by your race and class. The major impact on the story here only happens in the beginning, but it does effect everything afterwards regarding how you play and interact with party members and NPCs in the game, so you almost never play the same game twice. Very important for a role-playing game I think.
Controls: I have the PS3 version of the game, and the controls are very simple to get your head around. Mostly the controls are just basic but it's the battle controls that're more noticeably refined: a basic attack, spells and talents activated from either a menu or from hotkeys on screen, regular movement, and switching between party members. It's easy to control yourself and your party, and even easier if you can master the tactics system and get your party to move the way you want them to without telling them to. And if you are a PC gamer, then don't whine; buy the PC version and be happy!
Characters: I won't go in depth here about what the characters are like, but I will tell you that they all have differing personalities and they will change depending on who you are and how you interact with them. This is emphasized by the approval rating system; do something that someone likes and they'll like you more, might even fall in love with you at some point, and do something they don't like and they'll like you less. Get their rating so low and a "crisis moment" occurs, during which the character will leave the party unless you convince them to stay. It doesn't look like there's too much risk in that happening a lot unless you go out of your way to be a jerk to everyone though. They've also taken the Bioware RPG concept of romance, as seen in the KotOR series and Mass Effect, and expanded on it. In addition to romances being affected by the characters themselves it is also possible for gay/bisexual stuff to happen too, if you're into that sort of thing. Once again, still more variety to add to the depth of this game's story. Another thing to note is that it's possible to advance through the game without getting and/or keeping all the characters in your party, which adds further possibilities with the ending.
Sound: The sound is decent enough, fits the mood perfectly in most places. I'm not the kind of guy that will overanalyze something like this and tell you every little reason why it's good or bad, but I didn't have any major complaints. The voice acting is pretty solid as well, though I would've like it if they made the main character talk like they did in Mass Effect, I honestly thought they got past the whole silent protaganist thing by then.
Graphics: The graphics are beautiful, both in gameplay and during scenes, though I have seen slightly better graphics in other games. Still above average at any rate. The framerate does suffer a bit if there's a lot going on on-screen, but it's not too bad really.
DLC: Most of the downloadable content can be gotten for free with the Collector's Edition of the game, and while it's not required to have a good time it's still fun to have so if you can find the CE then get it.
Collector's Edition perks: Other than most of the DLC being free, the game comes in a shiny metal case without a slide off plastic cover, has a bonus disc containing such things as "making of game" information and other goodies, and a cloth map of the game world of Ferelden which would look lovely if framed and mounted on a wall. Those're the only differences between the CE and the normal game though.
Final Note: So that's it then, I'm not here to tell you what to play, just to tell you what you need to know to make an informed decision. If all this sounds good to you then don't let the inevitable haters stop you from having a good time, go play already. Play hard, or don't play at all.
Dead Space 2
"Horror has a new name"
EA has been busy with Dead Space these last couple years. After the success of the first game they responded quickly to produce a Wii game, (Dead Space Extraction), a PSN/XBLA game, (Dead Space Ignition), two animated feature films, comic books, it seems there is even talk of a big budget Hollywood movie in the works. If I didn't know any better I would say EA is extremely proud of their new IP. What I admire about the way EA has handled this franchise though is that they really took their time to produce this next big game. Dead Space 2 isn't a sequel for the just for the sake of having one, this is the continuation of Issac's story, a rollercoaster ride through hell set in space. Not only does it improve on the first game in nearly every way, it takes the entire IP to new heights and seats it firmly at the top of the horror games genre.For those unfamiliar with Dead Space listen up. Dead Space 2 is a 3rd person shooter, action/ survival horror game, meaning ammo and health are very limited making every shot count. Aside from the obvious fact that this game is set in space, this series distinguishes itself from the resident evil franchise in that to kill your enemies you have to dismember the limbs off them almost completely. Shooting them in the head will simply either do nothing or make the enemy harder to deal with. This creates some extremely fun combat sequences. The controls are much tighter in that you can shoot and move at the same time as opposed to resident evil's stiff combat where you have to stop first and then aim to shoot. The weapons in Dead Space 2 are also very unconventional because Issac is an engineer, not a soldier, and the futuristic setting allows for even cooler weapons to exist.
Gameplay: 9/10
The gameplay is the same necromorph dismembering mayhem from the first game, and it never gets old for me. However, the few tweaks that Visceral made are huge improvements. Combat is much smoother now. All of the original guns from Dead Space make a return here and many of the more useless ones you might remember now have an improved alternate firing mode. For example, the somewhat useless pulse rifle now has an alternate mode allowing it to fire grenades which makes it fantastic. You can also “re-spec” an entire weapon if you decide you do not like it anymore or maybe you just did not like the way you had the upgrades picked out. Re-specing returns all the power nodes you placed into the weapon for a small fee in credits. In addition to all of the original weapons making an appearance four new weapons were added and they all have their uses. I personally think the Detonator is best new addition. It allows you to strategically place proximity mines with trip wires around areas you think will be dangerous providing some protection for Issac.
Issac's Statis field now regenerates, (very slowly at first) overtime which makes it pretty reliable now. You can always upgrade Issac's Statis field generator at workbenches with power nodes. The regeneration time bothered me until I had it fully upgraded. Zero gravity is completely revamped and it is a blast to play with. Issac can now remain suspended in full 360 degrees now and move in any direction you want by boosting ,which pretty much equates to being able to fly. Lifting off and landing is still a breeze and it feels great. The zero-g areas are also more expansive than they were in the first game since they often take you outside the Sprawl. The areas and the puzzles that go with them are easily my favorite parts of the game.
I feel the need to mention that all the puzzles in the game are great even if they were all a tad on the simplistic side. There is an exceptionally gruesome and truly memorable mini-game near the end of the game, but I won't spoil it. The only puzzle I did not care for was the doors that you need to hack frequently throughout the game. This re-wiring puzzle was fun the first time couple times you play it but quickly becomes repetitive since there is probably 30 or more reoccurring throughout the game.
The pacing is very good, as new types of necromorphs will challenge you until you figure out how to deal with them. I moved along very quickly through the game's 15 chapters as the difficulty slowly ramped up. Then all of a sudden I hit a brick wall in Chapter 14 as I dealt with a new invincible, relentless enemy that followed me through the entire chapter. This was extremely annoying since the amount of times I died was probably close to twenty for that chapter alone. It should also be noted that Issac's death scenes are usually drawn out and brutal to watch so this added to the frustration. I can appreciate some good challenge but it almost felt a little unfair.
The variety of necromorphs is much better than the first, but by the game's final chapters they all start to reappear just in stronger versions noted by the black color to them. My one complaint with Dead Space 2's gameplay is the non-existence of boss battles. There are many “mini-bosses”, (which are basically just stronger necromorphs), the new Tri-pod necromorph and the returning Brutes, but hardly any bosses that have an epic feel. Even the last encounter was underwhelming for me.
Presentation: 10/10
First off, the interface in Dead Space 2 is easily the coolest in the series. I love the sci-fi feel to his power suit. All the information you need to see appears on Issac. The remaining ammo appears on the gun itself. The health and oxygen bars are on his back. Also the game does not pause when you want to look into your inventory. This keeps you from breaking the gameplay since you can still hear growling of necromorphs moving is the distance as you scan your inventory or mission objectives.
The Sprawl is a perfect setting and it adds plenty of futuristic areas with a just enough of a human touch to make it seem like people lived there. Not only does the game look great it also sounds great. The music builds up tension at times when there may or may not be a scare waiting for you around the next corner and it does not let up. The creepy ambient noises heard throughout the sprawl are back and better than the original. Voices whispering throughout deserted areas really ramps up the creep factor. Some of the sounds the necromorphs make are downright disgusting.
Voice acting is top-notch, and I personally thought Issac's voice was pitch perfect for his character. Him having a voice this time around actually added to the game. Issac's dead girlfriend follows him around and whispers crazy stuff constantly trying to break him down and you get to witness verbal exchange throughout the game.
Story: 7/10
When Issac wakes up three years later from the events of the first game he realizes there is another necromorph outbreak happening and he must escape. Dead Space 2's story starts out with some heart attack inducing moments right from the get go. New characters enter the story and help Issac through his mission to destroy the newly rebuilt Marker. Issac also makes his own decisions so there is a lot of character development here. Of course there are a couple twists here and there as well as some shocking discoveries. However, the biggest problem with Dead Space 2's story is that it raises too many more questions. Judging from watching the ending credits it seems that EA is hinting at plans for a third game. This is fine with me but what really bothers me is that virtually all the questions I had hanging over from the first game were all left unanswered. I really expected the plot to open up in this one and find out why the Markers were created by man in the first place and the whole reason behind the Unitology religion explained. A newcomer to Dead Space 2 might not care as much as I did but since I followed the series entire history I just couldn't help but be disappointed with the ending. It was just very un-fulfilling for me. At the very least it was nice to see Issac's more personal problems put to rest.
Replayability: 9/10
Yes, there is a multiplayer, and yes, it is quite fun, but it's probably not where the bulk of your hours are going to be coming from when you go back for more from this game. I completed the main story in about 11 hours. After completing the game the first time they reward you with a couple options. You get New Game Plus which basically encourages you to replay through the game on any difficulty setting with all of your weapons and upgrades that you earned in the first playthrough. Believe me, it is extremely enjoyable blasting through the game on a harder setting with a fully upgraded plasma cutter. Of course if you are also an achievement/trophy hunter like me you will be very busy. New and better suits are unlockable in the second playthrough including one for the multiplayer. Hardcore mode is also offered to you as the hardest difficulty which restricts you to only three saves throughout the game.
I actually enjoy the multiplayer in this game. It's a 4 v 4 humans versus necromorphs. The human team is given a simple objective which they must complete in a short amount of time. It is the necromorphs job to stop the humans. It is fun and allows for creative tactics to be employed by the necromorphs, like picking certain air vents to spawn behind the human team. The human team usually will not make much progress unless they stay together. The map selections are limited to five but they all have very different objectives for the humans and have to be tackled in separate ways.
You will probably die more as a necromorph in multiplayer depending on where you choose spawn and what type of necromorph you choose to spawn as. The better necromorphs require you to wait longer than usual to respawn as them (up to 10 seconds for the best one). Either way, at the end of the match both teams will flip sides and the previous human team is now necromorphs, and the necromorph team will play as the humans.
Overall: 9/10
For survival horror fans this game is going to be a must have since it is the best of its breed. The scares are bigger and the action is better this time around. The story might have fallen flat on its face by the end but it doesn't keep the game from being extremely fun throughout. The presentation was excellent just as I expected from Visceral Games and the improvements made to the combat were all great additions. Multiplayer provides a new fun distraction from the main storyline and adds plenty of replayability to an already great game. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
