The new year has come and gone, and January was the start of what is looking to be one of the greatest twelve months of gaming we’ve had in some time. Whilst most post-holiday months tend to be on the quiet side, twenty-ten started off with a bang as major games released in quick sucession. So, in order of appearance, here are some thoughts on what the new decade has offered so far:
Bayonetta‘s titular heroine burst onto the hack-and-slash scene with a style and grace all of her own, telling the throwaway story of Witches vs. Angels in a world heading towards destruction. Besides all the sex appeal and style that Platinum games lavished on this game (our heroine clothes fall away as she exacts larger combos against her foes) at the heart of the title is a fantastic combat system. Thanks to Bayonetta’s ability to dual wield weapons on her hands and feet, she is able to unleash different move-sets for each of the many pairings and leaves the player with countless possibilities. It’s a shame, however, that such a competent system is spoilt by later enemies being so aggressive that their defeat relies heavily on the slow-mo mechanic, or ‘Witch Time’, Bayonetta recieves by dodging an enemies attack successfully. Also, the boss characters tower so high over Bayonetta that the fight descends quickly into ankle slashing, disconnecting the player from their colossol enemies. Regardless of these flaws, Bayonetta bleeds awesomity, a greatness that can be felt throughout the entire production. It boasts stellar graphics and wonderful slow-mo effects, a catchy, upbeat soundtrack and addictive, I-want-to-get-better gameplay. Not to mention introducing the freshest, sexiest lead since director Hideki Kamiya’s last – Dante. It’s a game that any fan of the genre will love and the inevitable sequel holds infinite promise.
Spent 35hrs with title, beaten 3 times, “100%’d”.
+ Absolutely excellent combat system
+ Stylish and sexy; fantastic presentation and graphically sound.
- Poorly balanced enemies and repetative waves
- Boring boss fights, regardless of size.
[8/10]
Darksiders is another new IP, a welcome change in our current trend of sequels. You play War, horseman of the apocalypse and all-around badass. When armageddon begins prematurely and you ride in only to get blamed for everything, you set out to find out who set you (and the world) up the bomb. The title has been likened to God of War and the Legend of Zelda (and even Portal, for some of the later puzzles), and rightfully so; the two main aspects of Darksiders are combat and puzzle-based dungeons. The combat starts simple and the few additional moves you can buy in the store, and even additional weapons, don’t really mix it up that much. It’s deceptive in it’s simplicity though, and what begins as a button masher becomes better as the enemies, rather than your moveset, become more complex, and you adapt your gameplay in regards to what you’re fighting. Still, I would have appreciated a larger roster of attacks. The dungeons, exploration and puzzles elements are all excellent. The Zelda formula is one that hasn’t been mimicked very succesfully (Okami being the exception) in the past, but Darksiders nails it. The art style, however, is what really blew me away. The game was developed by comic book artist Joe Madureira (or Joe Mad) and his roots really show through in every asthetic aspect of the title. The wonderful style pops with artisitc definition and the entire cast is brilliantly designed and awesome to behold. There’s also an extremely visceral feel to everything, especially the killing blows you can perform on weakened enemies. It’s both extremely bloody and satisfying to watch War cut his way through the twenty hour game. It’s strange and annoying, however, that such an all around great title is frontended by one of the worst introductions I can recall in recent years. You have to slog away for the best part of an hour through a sequence that doesn’t end up feeling like the rest of the game at all, and I nearly gave up on the title entirely, thinking “If this is the game I’m not interested.” Luckily I was wrong, but I hope other people have the patience to get past it to reach an otherwise fantastic experience from start to finish. Plugged 20+ hours into Darksiders on one playthrough, “100%’d” game.
+ Cohesive blend of great gameplay mechanics from other industry giants and a sheer joy to play from beginning to end.
+ Outstanding art style and character design
- Simple move set
- Dangerously boring opening.
[8.5/10]
Mass Effect 2, the second of the epic sci-fi trilogy, suffers from middle-child-syndrome. It’s neither a beginning nor an end, but this doesn’t get in the way of being an incredible game. Bioware’s world is the true gem here, continuing to build upon the foundations the original Mass Effect crafted to create a unique set of alien races, a deep and rich history, an acute attention to detail and a wholly believable universe. As with any Bioware game, it’s the writing that takes front and centre. The storyline, with it’s branching dialogue trees and limitless voice acting – all of which is stellar through and through – couldn’t feel more personal. It’s a shame that we see so little of the original cast throughout the sequel, and sometimes it feels unlike a sequel at all, having cut ties with so much of your original 30+ hours of gameplay aboard the original Normandy. But Mass Effect 2′s new cast and Bioware’s wonderful storytelling draw you back in all over again, and surprises you occasionally with anything from a referential nod to a referential punch in the face to your ME1 playthrough – which can be carried over from your original save. At the heart of ME2′s gameplay is a strong shooter/role-playing mix.The former has been significantly improved with Shepard’s second outing; all weapons now have a real kick to them, a meatiness that was definetely absent from ME1. AI has also been overhauled – truly difficult battles are no longer the result of ridiculous life bars, which you could pour clip after redundant clip into, but aggressive and intelligent coding of your enemies. Tank-like Krogan’s will rush you, tech-head Salarians will send mechs and drones to flank you whilst they keep you pinned under cover with constant fire, the deceptively simple Husks will rush you until you’re surrounded completely, whereupon they beat you to death. How you defend against these attacks, where you station your AI partners, when to use biotic powers and when to push forward is up to you as commander, and whilst it’s stop-and-pop action seems inspired by games such as Gears of War and Uncharted, it puts these titles to shame, whose battles suddenly seem linear and tame in comparison – two forces, ever behind one set of cover, shooting and hiding until the opposition falls. It’s a shame then, with such great improvements on the shooting, that the RPG elements of the game had to suffer. The player no longer gains experience from enemy kills, therefore allowing the game to have complete control of their character progression in terms of levelling and power. Character customization has also taken a hit, with players no longer able to find new weapons or armour to equip themselves with, instead introducing a simple upgrade system to take it’s place. But these are minor quibbles with what really is an excellent game. It was another fantastic 30 hour experience and I can’t help but feel it’s ruined me for games for a while; with something as personal and deep as Mass Effect 2, it’s hard to go back to the run of the mill games we’re expected to accept. Finished veteran playthrough, 30+ hours invested, most sidequests completed.
+ Incredibly crafted Universe and the best writing we’ll see until Mass Effect 3.
+ Personal story shaped by the player to carve out unique experiences.
+ Visceral stop-and-pop combat supported by really great AI.
- Simplified, watered down RPG elements are a real sacrifice.
[9/10]
