Review: Bioshock Infinite

Bioshock Infinite

for the PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3
Developed by Irrational Games
Published by 2K Games
Released March 26, 2013


Creating a rift in itself

The beauty of video games is that they are a type of media that encompasses all other forms of entertainment; literature, cinema, music.  As long as it's interactive it's still considered a video game.  People complain that visual novels like Katawa Shoujo or cinematic dramas such as Heavy Rain are not video games because they focus on literature or cinema rather than gameplay.  I believe it's wrong to assume that a video game is good or bad based on how many cutscenes it has but rather how well it's able to engage the player in whatever it's trying to accomplish.

Bioshock Infinite is a game that plays with this idea that a video game can be something more than just gameplay by trying to bring the player a riveting narrative and engaging FPS action.  Unfortunately, its achievement in presentation overshadows its effort in gameplay which leaves the game unbalanced.

From first entering Columbia to the mind-numbing finale, the game embeds your brain with beautiful imagery, symbolism, and narrative through its gorgeous graphics, stellar musical numbers, and believable voice-acting. Every line of dialogue and event appear to be carefully scripted and well thought out.  Every character and their intertwining fates, the backstory and subplots, and every situation comes about in such a cinematically, methodical and beautiful manner that it's obvious that the developer's first priority was to tell a story as exploration is compromised for almost on-rail story-telling.

The main and most damning problem that Bioshock Infinite has stems from its methodical story-telling.  As stated earlier, the story appears to be Irrational's first priority making the gameplay an obvious second.  This becomes a problem for two reasons; with a story that's the main focus the gameplay becomes a glaring distraction, and the gameplay loses a ton of potential.

While the story may have some problems, it's evident that the developers put forth the time and effort to bring the player a thrilling cinematic experience and they succeeded.  The player has a reason to continue, not because they want to shoot mindlessly at random enemies but because they want to continue the tale of Booker and Elizabeth.  The problem here is that the gameplay is not thrilling enough to compete with the game's cinematic elements and therefore becomes a distraction.  The same problem arose with Spec Ops: The Line where the bland third-person shooting felt like a hindrance in the wake of the narrative.  While the gameplay of Bioshock Infinite definitely has a lot more depth than Spec Ops', it, nonetheless, becomes a hindrance as well.  While vigor combinations and dimension-tearing are amusing for a bit it all starts to lose its shimmer when with every room comes a wave of the same enemies that can be killed with the same vigor/weapon combination.  While experimenting with vigors, I found that Shock Jock and Possession are really the only ones needed.  As far as the weapon choice goes, I found very little difference with each weapon or not preferring one over the other.  The only reason I would switch a weapon was when I exhausted my ammo, then I would continue the assault the same as before.

All of this brings a lack of strategy among other things that really would have other-wised balanced out Infinite and made all of its parts shine.  Picking up a certain weapon should bring about a sense in the player that they should switch up their style of gameplay to suit the gun or choose a gun based on the situation.  All Infinite offered was a sniper rifle, the only different gun in the game.  Every other gun from the pistol to the rocket launcher felt exactly the same albeit the blast radius and that was a problem.  There were also other elements in Infinite that felt like they could have been expanded upon.  Using sky-rails could been implemented better as they were only used as a way to progress the story or for a quick escape when a wave of enemies became too tough.  I imagined entire fights above the skies on the rails, switching from one to the other, using melee and grapples, or electrocuting them through the metal with your vigors . . . but no, none of that.

The world of Columbia is such a strikingly beautiful place but as you play through the game it becomes apparent that all Columbia was meant to be was a setting.  The game itself is very linear not just in a narrative sense but in a gameplay sense as well.  There is no emphasis to explore the beautiful city and lacks the ability to backtrack and explore Columbia in spare time.  I find it unforgivable, given this gorgeous world rich with lore, that an emphasis on exploration was not accentuated.

Infinite suffers from being a mindless shooter as the game is composed of wave after wave of enemies.  There were a few tiny portions, and I mean tiny, that if expanded upon, could have really improved the gameplay.  One was a stealth sequence in which an enemy would be on look out and if spotted, he would call a wave of creepy prisoners to attack you.  It was a breath of fresh air to be able to use the environment as cover and sneak your way passed, or if you'd rather, just rush in and take them all head on.  There were only two instances of this and they occurred near the end of the game.  The other example of lost potential being the controlling of allies on the battlefield (I'm not talking about Possession and I can't say who you control exactly with the fear of giving away spoilers).  Controlling an ally, only happens once, while was not the most thrilling, it was a change in gameplay that was another breath of fresh air.  Infinite's problem comes down to a lack of variety.

With such a strong narrative, it's a shame that the gameplay, while not the most thrilling but by no means awful, disrupts the flow of the entire game and leaves the latest installment of the Bioshock series an unbalanced loss of potential.  The narrative and presentation are so engaging that the gameplay, as fulfilling as it may be, becomes a distraction.  Bioshock Infinite's brilliant story and mediocre gameplay leaves the game far from perfection but has enough substance to keep the majority of players entertained.

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Gameplay 7/10:
-Simple FPS gameplay expanded slightly with the use of vigors.  The gameplay is focused on simply defeating waves and waves enemies by using a balance of weapons and vigors to dispatch them.  Unfortunately, I found strategy to be unnecessary when simply blasting away enemies with any weapon you have and spamming Shock Jock will get the job done about 90 percent of the time.  Elizabeth also simplifies fights to the point where I had to stop using her assistance. As soon as you run out of ammo, health, or salts she will instantly replenish them. After accepting a few of these items from her, it will take her a few seconds before giving you anymore. There is literally a price to be paid every time you die. Upon death, you will lose a reasonable amount of money before the battle once again restarts (from where you ended off and with the enemies' health slightly restored).  The only boss fight in the game is very dull and the final standoff left more to be desired.  There is a small change-up during the final moments of the game where some stealth elements were implemented but only lasted for a few sequences leaving the player to return back to the monotonous gunfights.

Playability 9/10:
The game plays quite well with the only complaint being that turning is a bit slow especially when you need to get out of a top spot and running only works when moving forward.

Camera 10/10:
The camera really shines when trying to move the player through the narrative.  It worked in a very cinematic way to focus on the narrative.

Fun 8/10:
The enjoyment stems from the desire to continue the story and exploring the world and is held back by the sometimes monotonous gameplay.  Not to say the gameplay is bad, it's just not as in depth as the narrative.

Lasting Appeal 6/10:
Infinite is a good-sized game, taking your time it'll probably give you over 15 hours but after that the only thing to do is play a higher difficulty or try 1999 mode.

Graphics 10/10:
Stunning visuals that bring the bright and grim world of Columbia to life.

Sound 10/10:
Top-notch voice acting, musical score, and 1900's renditions of modern songs add to the brilliance of the presentation.

Difficulty 6/10:
Pretty constant but things like Elizabeth's aide and tears give the game unnecessary dips.

Flow 5/10:
The gameplay slows down the gameplay especially when the main focus of the game is the story.

RANK: B-

Review: New Super Mario Bros. U

New Super Mario Bros. U

Wii U
November 18, 2012

"Same Old Mario Bros. U"





When the New Super Mario Bros. series debuted nearly eight years ago, Nintendo promised a classic and nostalgic look back at Mario's 2D platforming roots.  The first installment was received with great praise and sales; Nintendo's focus on nostalgia for its advertising worked and rightfully so.  The series offered classic sidescrolling gameplay with new power-ups and modern mechanics (such as the triple jump) and melded it all into a formula that worked.


With every installment that followed, the nostalgia moniker began to fade while the implementation of innovative ideas remained at a near stand still;  New Super Mario Bros. Wii offered four player cooperation and New Super Mario Bros. 2 gave the player the ground breaking opportunity to gather as many coins as possible.  While it did offer a lot more than 2 had, New Super Mario Bros. U left me with a desire for something more.  Much more.

Nintendo's key launch game for the Wii U, Mario U's biggest innovation is the utilization of the Wii U gamepad not for controlling Mario or any of the other players but for creating platforms and halting enemies for your friends who are actually having fun playing the game.  It's a neat idea if there are five people around that want to get in on some 2D Mario action but I cannot fathom why anybody would want to play in Boost Mode for any other reason than to just "check out how it is."  Boost Mode can also be used to help you out with all your speed running needs but good luck convincing your friend to sit down and waste time just so he could poke the gamepad to make useless platforms that you probably won't even use anyway because none of the levels are designed with Boost Mode in mind.

The core game revolves around a gripping tale of woe, loss, and redemption where Mario and friends cross fire, ice, and valley to overcome not just the hellfire Bowser inflicts but the doubts and darkness within the heroes' heart themselves.  JUST KIDDING! It's about rescuing stupid Peach again but this time everything looks like Super Mario World!

Actually the aesthetics in the game are really gorgeous.  The art style of the backgrounds show off the theme of a modern Super Mario World that the developers intended to achieve.  The levels, Accorn Plains and The Painted Swampland in particular, display a potential in creativity that I hoped to see throughout every aspect of the game.  Unfortunately, everything in the foreground and all of the character models look just like they were ripped out from the Mario Wii and glazed over with a shinier finish.

Despite all of my complaints, Mario U does give the player a solid platformer.  The final levels are tough especially if you're trying for a 3 star coin run (which is the only true way to play the game) and call for some quick thinking and tricky jumping.  I replayed Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World before getting my hands on Mario U and found the difficulty to be on par and at times even harder than those Nintendo classics.

New Super Mario Bros. U stays true to the Mario formula, perhaps too true.  The strategic platforming and nostalgic homages are held down by static innovation and it's apparent need to play it safe.  If you've never played a New Super Mario Bros. game is definitely worth a buy as it is, without a doubt, the best in the series but if you're looking for a unique experience that truly builds upon the classic side-scrolling foundation then you best take your hopes and dreams elsewhere because Mario U is just the same old Mario game you've been playing for eight years.


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Statistics:

Gameplay:
7/10
Reused mechanics and virtually nothing new brought to the table. The core Mario game remains solid.

Playability:
10/10
Feels just as great as it it always had. Wiimote waggling to spin jump has been put to a trigger input.

Camera:
10/10
Great panning in and out for visual emphasis and stays with the character throughout.

Fun:
8/10
Questionable cooperative play and reused gameplay mechanics but otherwise a joyful platform experience.

Lasting Appeal:
10/10
Plenty of extras collectibles to gain, secrets to discover, and new modes other than the single player to sink your teeth into.

Graphics:
7.5/10
The graphics look that they were copy-and-pasted straight from the Wii. The backgrounds are the only sign of artistic and graphical power.  The HD makes the game look more colorful and vibrant.

Difficulty:
10/10
The beginning world is very Baby Mode easy but the final few levels see it that you discover what true hell is.

Sound:
5/10
The memorable chimes and jingles are dragged down with uninspired tunes and awkward Mario vocals.

Flow:
10/10
The game won't halt or stop you on your way kick Bowser's butt.

RANK:  B

Review: Sonic Colors (DS)

Full Review:

Sonic Colors

Developed by Sonic Team & Dimps

Published by Sega

for the Nintendo DS

Released November 16th, 2010

Sonic's Truest Colors:

Like his life long mustachioed rival before him, Sonic takes it to the stars and gives Sonic fans something new and unique with Sonic Colors. Everyone's favorite (or most tolerated) hedgehog has had some trouble reliving the glory days of the past by either attempting to rekindle the elements of his 16-bit era (Sonic 4, Sonic Advance) or by taking him out of his element all together and putting him in a type of game that's simply weird or unnecessary (Sonic Riders, Sonic and the Black Knight). Fortunately for gamers everywhere, Sonic Colors breaks the streak of awful Sonic games by combining high speed platforming with innovative game design to create Sonics greatest adventure since the good ol' Genesis days.

Let's get the story out of the way first since I know that absolutely no one plays a Sonic game for its ever so intuitive story telling. Dr. Robotnik, being the generous psycho-genius he is, decides to create an intergalactic amusement park to make up for all of his past sins. Sonic and Tails, suspicious of their arch nemesis, check into the matter only to find out that, sure enough, old Ivo is stealing energy from a group of aliens called Whisps in order to create a mind control device. Sonic, along with the help of the Whisps, must now stop Dr. Robotnik and put an end to his treacherous amusement park for good.

The Whisps give Sonic plenty of new power maneuvers to utilize on his journey, which sounds a bit off putting to old school Sonic fans but actually offer an absolutely fun experience. Of course, it wouldn't be a Sonic game without the mindless speeding and dashing through miles of exotic levels and spin homing badniks to pieces and trust me, there's plenty of it. The main game plays like a charm with only minor physics errors such as air dashing when you mean to jump and vice versa.

After every world or so you gain the powers of new Whisps such as boosting, rocket blasting, fire booming, drilling, etc. By gathering energy from enemies or trapped Whisps, Sonic can boost with Y or transform into any of the other colored powers with X. The game greatly utilizes these powers by making the player perform certain energy maneuvers in order to complete a level (although some levels give the player the option of using the moves or just speeding to the finish.) Whether you're fire booming your enemies to oblivion, boosting at top speed through the level, or drilling the boss badnik to death, it's a fun experience that adds a lot to Sonic's worn out gameplay.

Of course, we can't forget about the classic special Chaos Emerald stages. In these special stages, Sonic runs through a half-pipe (very reminiscent of Sonic 2) as you try collecting as many colored orbs as possible before Sonic makes it to the finish. Colors utilizes the stylus in these stages which is a blast aside from the occasional stylus-to-screen lag. The biggest problem I have with the Chaos Emerald stages is that they are way too easy. In most other Sonic games, it would be unlikely to complete your first run of the game with all seven chaos emeralds, but Colors is an unfortunate exception as it is rather unlikely that you won't be snatching the emeralds before the end.

The main game itself is incredibly easy and can actually be completed in literally, one sitting. I would mark it down for this grueling flaw except that Colors offers so much replay value you'll be spending hours and hours trying to get S ranks on every level, finding secrets in each level with the new powers you obtain, collecting all of the star emblems, and finding all of the hidden unlockables. Not to mention just trying to complete a few of the games many side missions will have you shaking your DS violently for hours. I suppose it's a better idea to have these time attacks, enemy & Whisp hunts, and ring collecting missions not mandatory. They're challenging; which is nice but I just wonder to myself why the actually game is humiliatingly easy while the missions create sudden difficulty spikes.

The one thing I hate about every Sonic game is the hedgehog's voice. It's just too damn annoying. I thought I had all I could take with his whiny, high pitched voice in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. When I booted the game up and prepared myself for the opening dialogue, I prepared for the worst. I was shocked to find out that I wasn't annoyed at all with his voice. Sega actually found a guy (Roger Craig Smith) who could provide a voice to Sonic I can actually listen to. In fact, all of the voice actors do a pretty good job and that's a definite plus in my book.

The music itself is corny. I'm not too fond of the opening track or much of the music but there were a few tunes that seemed melodiously out of place which had me tapping my foot. The sound effects are the best part, though. The booming blasts, the crackling fires, and the awesome "Burn!" or "Rocket!" screams Sonic makes before transforming are, dare I say, cool.

The graphics are gorgeous, vibrant, and colorful. The backgrounds are beautiful as are their animations. Everything seems to jump off the screen. The replacement of sprites with 3D character models are a pleasant surprise. It works very well. The biggest problem with the visuals is the use of the duel screen gameplay. Both screens are used to play; with Sonic switching between both during certain areas of each level. Sometimes, my eyes follow Sonic like magic and swiftly switch between screens (which feels awesome) but other times my eyes stay on one screen while Sonic speeds far into the other. It's a small annoyance that can cost you all of your collected rings.

Sonic Colors offers gamers a Sonic experience like no other. The new gameplay offers so much that it will make you wish the actual game was more than five hours long. Colors not only gives Sonic fans the okay to wear their Sonic shirts and backpacks with pride again, but it also reminds gamers everywhere how great Sonic was and potentially can be.

Graphics: 2/2

Sound: 1/2

Controls: 5/5

Lasting Appeal: 2/3

Fun: 5/5

RANK: B

Review: Alan Wake

Alan Wake

Playing a novel.

Developed by Remedy Entertainment

Published by Microsoft Game Studios

for the Xbox 360, Windows

Released May 18, 2010 (360), February 16, 2012 (PC)

As we inch closer to a future where the Resident Evil franchise has all but devolved into a cawadooty action shooter, the times beckon horror fanatics to look elsewhere for a good heart-pounding thrill. While PC gamers have enjoyed the likes of Amnesia: The Dark Descent and The Killing Floor, the horror library for consoles has been rather abysmal this generation. Ah, but behold, as you shine thine overpowered flashlight through the darkness, there reveals Alan Wake, a gleaming example of how to tell a horror story the right way.

Alan Wake is labeled as a Psychological Thriller, which in my opinion, is the best kind of horror. Just having an enemy jump out at you every few steps may make your heart skip a beat but it's still just a cheap scare. Now, remember that feeling you had as you looked up in the sky at the falling moon in Majora's Mask and knew the end was coming. Remember the eel in Super Mario 64, the Regenerators in Resident Evil 4, Earthbound (that entire freaking game?) and feeling a type of fear that felt more legitimate than having a skeleton popping out and saying boo? It's the subtlety and it's the constant ingraining of uncertainty, thrill and fear in the back of your head. It's this kind of psychological fear that Alan Wake creates so well. Alan Wake excels at telling an intriguing and thrilling tale that keeps the player's hands grasping the controller.

The story of the game tells of Alan Wake, a famous author of multiple best-selling novels, and his wife Alice, who decide to take a vacation in the remote mountain town of Bright Falls. After making their selves at home in their cabin in the middle of Cauldron Lake, darkness casts its presence over the island and takes Alice. Alan soon finds himself living through the events of a story he has not yet written in a search for his wife and in a fight against the all consuming Dark Presence.

The story and the game's overall presentation is its shining aspect. Alan Wake is split up into six chapters that are presented as episodes of a tv series with Wake himself as the narrator (recapping each episode with "Previously on Alan Wake"). The game did a great job of balancing the story telling and the gameplay; mostly placing cutscenes and the majority of the story during day scenes while giving the player back control during the nights when the feeling of vulnerability kicks in. Scenes of falling trees, and boats meld with the sounds of revving chainsaws, distorted voices, and a creepy yet brilliant score to create a gorgeously horrific atmosphere to immerse yourself in.

The environments are absolutely breathtaking. I often found myself gazing out across the mountains and lakes and admiring everything around while listening to some of the haunting tunes that they incorporated into the game such as Nick Cave's "Up Jumped the Devil", Among the Oak and Ashes' "Shady Grove" and even David Bowie's "Space Oddity".

While the gameplay isn't awful by any means, it is very limited and can be repetitive at times. The action consists of fighting the Taken who are drenched in darkness and must be bathed in the light of a flashlight or lantern in order to be made vulnerable to gunfire. The flashlight can simply be pointed at a Taken to gradually deteriorate their defense or focused on one using the left trigger to rapidly drain them of darkness. The only problem with this mechanic is that the left trigger is also used to aim your weapon so when I am focusing on taking out an enemy I find that my flashlight will unintentionally drain out of battery and I must wait to recharge it or use up a whole new battery if a new enemy comes along. The flashlight can be prevented from being used if the trigger is only slightly pressed but during intense moments there is no way I could keep myself from dying while carefully feathering the trigger to just the right pressure. The aimer is also very sensitive even when I have it toggled to the lowest possible sensitivity causing sporadic movements during tense situations.

If you think you can avoid combat by running away, think again, because every enemy runs much faster than you making escape futile. Luckily, though, dodging is quick and fluid. If an enemy is about to attack simply press the dash button and Alan will avoid the attack with a stylish visual which leaves you enough time to shine your light and take the upper hand. The game will also show you if an enemy spawns behind you by slowing down the action and zooming out to give you a better look at the playing field. The camera will also focus on certain puzzle elements which can be helpful, unless you're fighting enemies. During these moments, you will not be able to see yourself and during the confusion you can be easily taken out by a few hits. Beacause of this I had to make sure I killed every Taken before I moved on to any area.

I wouldn't have too much of a problem with the few flaws that the combat has if I had some variety in gameplay. Yes, puzzles are sprinkled here and there but they are so simple that they seemed non-existent. Driving sequences let you run over hoards of Taken as you throw caution to the wind. Too bad there's only about three driving sequences in the entire game.

Throughout the game there are coffee thermoses and manuscripts to pick up. The thermoses serve no purpose other than to collect but the manuscripts add more depth to the story and the game. The manuscripts come from the book that Alan is living out during the game. The manuscripts will give you a more in-depth look at an event that has already occurred or a person who have already met. They give you insight on enemies you are currently facing or puzzles your are about to solve. They will also tell you about future events so you are better prepared to face whatever it is. " . . . things were looking up. But then I heard the chainsaw." And sure enough, a huge psycho busts through a wooden gate and comes chasing me with a chainsaw. Sometimes, however, the manuscripts will spoil the story for you by telling you what happens at the end of a chapter before you're even halfway through it and if you're constantly reading the manuscripts there is no way to avoid it.

Alan Wake doesn't need gore or mere scare tactics to instill fear in the gamer. It gets into your head and places the fear in the back of your mind. Alan constantly states that no character especially the protagonist is safe and that there can be no happy ending. Fate is determined by the story as is the appeal of the game itself. Alan Wake is a horror novel disguised as a video game. While the gameplay is solid, there is no denying that the true selling point of Alan Wake is its psychologically thrilling tale.

RANK: C+

Fun: 3/5

Lasting Appeal: 2/3

Controls: 3/5

Graphics: 2 /2

Sound: 2/2