Review: Duke Nukem Forever (Part 2)

With stellar graphics, smooth game-play, great dialogue, and challenging puzzles this game is spectacular. The game I'm talking about of course is not Duke Nukem Forever, but the game we hoped it would have been. Unfortunately it has none of these things. Duke Nukem Forever was a game that was announced in 1997 and feels like a game from that era. The game-play and movement is clunky and slow and Duke seems to get hung up on every pebble he walks over. It also abandoned all the exploration aspects of Duke Nukem 3D and is very linear. After a while you don't quite remember what your eventual goal is (Rescue earth's women? Something about the Hoover Dam?) and it feels like you move forward, kill aliens, move forward, kill aliens, until you reach the next level. The game also make a few jabs at modern games with the most obvious one being the jab at Halo , where Duke is offered Master Chief's armor and responds by saying how only a wuss would wear it. The issue with that is Halo came up with most of Duke Nukem's game-play mechanics such as: regenerating health and holding only two weapons. The weapons of Duke Nukem Forever are one of the...less bleak aspects of the game. I enjoyed the over the top weapon's such as the Devastator, but didn't enjoy the clunky aiming system. Where the game really dates itself is the graphics. For a game that was released in 2011, it would have a hard time competing with any game's graphics that had been released since 2003. While not every game can look like Crysis , it is nice when a game tries to differentiate the look of the scenery and enemies so I know what I'm supposed to be shooting. The game also has some sort of childish, immature addiction to boobs because they are thrown in everywhere. And while Duke does have some funny dialogue, most of what he spits out is uninspiring and forgettable. But I could almost forgive every one of those things I talked about if the friggin' loading times weren't so long! My tip if you're playing Duke Nukem Forever is don't die because you'll have to wait anywhere between 40 to 60 seconds. So my second tip is to have a book ready because you're going to have to keep yourself occupied every time a level loads or you die. What I don't understand is when you die in your monster truck you instantly re-spawn with no wait times what so ever. Why couldn't they add that to the rest of the game?! So if you're even considering playing this game I would only recommend it if you can get it cheap and are trying to find spare time to read a good book.

Score:
Graphics: 4/10
Gameplay: 4.5/10
Story: 3.5/10
Innovation: 3/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 5/10

OVERALL: 4/10

www.dukenukemforever.com/

(Don't know why you would want to visit the site but just in case you do)

Review: Duke Nukem Forever (Part 1)

It sucks.

Part 2 coming shortly.

Preview: Dead Island

You kick off your vacation on the remote island of Banoi by heading to a club. You're having a good time but your a little tipsy and decide to head back to your hotel room. When you wake up, the whole hotel is deserted and there's an horde of the un-dead crawling around outside. Welcome to Dead Island. A game originally announced in 2006, Dead Island is a first-person zombie survival game based heavily around customizable melee combat. The game is said to be an "open world" game with RPG elements such as an experience system and a skill tree. The goal of the game is to protect any remaining survivors as well as trying to find a way off the island. To do this you can combine weapons and items, for example in the trailer below you can see an electrified machete. But well fighting you will have to watch your stamina as you can get tired and have to wait before resuming fighting. There have been special zombie types confirmed and you will be given a flashlight to help you see in very dark places, i.e Half Life series. I always felt a flashlight added another element to games and would be very beneficial to the atmosphere in a zombie game. This game hits shelves September 6 for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Trailer


The origonal logo, on top, was deemed not suitable for release in North America by the ESRB so another on, on the bottom, was released instead.

Prediction:
Graphics: 6.5/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Story: 7/10
Innovation: 6/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 6/10

OVERALL: 6.5/10

www.deadislandgame.com

Preview: Gears of War 3

It's been delayed several times since it's original April release but gears fans, rev up those Lancers because we are almost a month away until the highly anticipated release of Gears of War 3! The third and final installment in Epic's Gears of War series will features the adventures of Marcus Fenix and the rest of Delta squad as they try to exterminate the Locust and Lambent forces. During this third person shooter game, not only will you play as Marcus Fenix but many other characters as well. This third person shooter is the successor to the first two Gears of War games, which are said to be two of the best games for the Xbox console. This game also features many multi-player modes like the new and improved Horde 2.0. Essentially you pick a base in the map and use points from kills to upgrade defenses around your base while holding out as long as you can. "Beast" mode is a new mode similar to Horde 2.0 except from the other point of view. As the Locust you will have to kill survivors until you gain enough points to upgrade into a stronger Locust. For example you could go from a Ticker to a Wretch to a Drone and then a Kantus. This IS one of the most anticipated games of 2011 and what will probably be the best game on the Xbox 360 this year, Gears of War 3 is a must have for any Xbox owner. September 20th 2011, will be a day to remember because we will have been blessed with the graces of Gears 3.

Trailer



Prediction:
Graphics: 9.5/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Story: 9/10
Innovation: 9/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 9.5/10

OVERALL: 9.5/10

http://gearsofwar.xbox.com/en/

Preview: Resistance 3

I thought I would start by saying I'm one of the rare breed of people who didn't like the first Resistance. I hated the health system with a passion, found the multi-player atrocious, and thought the characters from the campaign were about as dynamic as a cardboard box. However I did enjoy the campaign's story, which was good enough to support the sequel Resistance 2. And now the latest (and maybe not the last) installment of the Resistance series is on it's way, slated for a September release. The setting of Resistance 3 is Haven, Oklahoma, during the later half of the 1950's. The Chimeran race has almost completely taken over the earth and is no longer on the offensive, they're more occupied with finding the rest of the survivors and exterminating them. A mysterious spacial rift they have created also occupies their time and resources. You play as Joseph Capelli, a recently dishonorably discharged sentinel, who is among a small cell of survivors just doing what it takes to evade the Chimeran. But when Dr. Fyodor Malikov arrives with a desperate plan, the game really gets going and Joseph is going to have to come out of hiding and take the fight back to the Chimerans. The graphics look great and this only compliments an new "smarter" A.I. The game also features a new progression, objective based multi-player, which looks fantastic, and a two player co-op campaign mode as well as 3-D and sharpshooter features of the Playstation. And even though I found the first one lack luster, I believe that this game will be a standout in anyone's game collection. So for all you Playstation fanatics waiting for the next Killzone 3, I believe you should seriously consider another PS3 exclusive, Resistance 3.

Gameplay



Trailer




Prediction:
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Story: 9/10
Innovation: 8/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 7.5/10

OVERALL: 8.5/10

http://www.insomniacgames.com/games/resistance-series/resistance-3/

Preview: Deus Ex - Human Revolution

Sorry I haven't posted in a long time but I've been extremely busy with work. But before I continue on this preview I just wanted to tell you to go watch the trailer at the bottom...was that not epic?! The story is fresh, the graphics look amazing and the game-play itself looks great, plus did you see the way he broke that guy's neck after punching through the wall? Wow. Dues Ex: Human Revolution is actually a prequel to the original Deus Ex and Deus Ex: Invisible Wars. The protagonist is Adam Jensen, an ex-SWAT specialist who is hired to protect a scientist working at a controversial biotechnology firm. But when that scientist is killed by a black ops team, Adam is badly wounded during the attack and the only way to keep him alive is to attach human augments to him. These augments give people super human capabilities and are causing great amounts of controversy in the year 2027. People are being slowly dividing themselves into those who can afford the enhancement and those who can't. Human Revolution is primarily a first person shooter with third person elements during the use of cover, certain augments and instant-kill melee moves. The game also has major role-play elements such as being able to expend experience into skills like social, stealth, combat and technology. This game allows you to play through it with many different choices: do you want to fight your way through? Sneak around? Steal information? Or interrogate people during the level? The choices you make can be made easier with the upgrading of the skills listed above. This game come out for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on the 23rd of August. Circle that date on your calendars because this could be one of the biggest games of 2011.





Prediction:
Graphics: 10/10
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Story: 10/10
Innovation: 9/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 8/10

OVERALL: 9.5/10

http://www.deusex.com/

Preview: Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time 3D

I've received several requests to do a Nintendo DS game, so I decided to choose the Legend of Zelda - Ocarina of Time 3D, partially because I played the original when I was younger. The other reason was so I could take a look at the new Nintendo 3DS. For me, the 3D doesn't add much to the graphics or effects of the game, but where you will really notice it is in the game-play. For example: to line up a shot with your slingshot you might have to move you device around. This game will feature the same plot from the Master Quest version of Ocarina of Time, which features Link trying to rescue the Princess Zelda from Ganondorf. No surprises there. Essentially you must collect and upgrade your weapons as well as defeat enough dungeons before you can fight the final boss. (Essentially the same story of every other Legend Of Zelda game.) So for everyone who jumped on the 3DS boat, look for this game on June, 19th.

Movement Demo


Trailer


Prediction:
Graphics: 6.5/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Story:8/10
Innovation:7/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 6/10

OVERALL:7/10

http://zelda.com/ocarina3d/

Review: Brink

Brink is a first person shooter that is in a class of it's own. What I mean by this is, the game is totally a new type of shooter. The only other game I can think about that is remotely the same is Team Fortress 2. Brink bravely compares to this game but unfortunately falls up short of TF2 because of the sheer originally, gameplay and replay value of Team Fortress 2. Not to say Brink is a bad game. The game features class types, similar to TF2, with the only differences between the classes being the abilities you have. The campaign is short and can get frustrating as the A.I is weak at best. The campaign is essentially multi-player mixed with Killzone's botzone feature. But the game was never designed for offline play. Brink would shine in online multi-player if the lag is cleared up, look for updates to the server as Brink is currently experiencing issues, especially on the Xbox 360. It also features it's S.M.A.R.T (smooth movement across random terrain) system that allows you to climb and jumb over anything. Customization is another feature in Brink where you can customize your look, guns, and abilities. Guns and accessories can only be unlocked through the challenge modes, where clothes and abilities can be unlock through gaining experience, online and offline. If you've played Brink you may know the game can get extremely frustrating as you tend to die everytime somebody aims their gun at you. This really encourages traveling in groups, upgrading your health and weapons, and following Brink's number one rule: never stop moving. If you are looking at this game, I would recommend it for the online and only when the bugs get fixed.


Score:
Graphics: 7/10
Gameplay: 7/10
Story: 6/10
Innovation: 9/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 7/10

OVERALL: 7/10

http://www.brinkthegame.com

Review: Portal 2

I truely didn't know the meaning of jizzed in my pants until I played this game. Portal 2 is a continuation of the very successful Portal game. It is well known for it's humour and innovative and spectacular game-play. GLaDOS and Chell are back along with other characters such as Wheatley and Cave Johnson. This game has really focused on creating a plot, where as the goal of the first one was to beat tests and escape. New features such as physics altering gels, hard light bridges and areal faith plates make this game an epic adventure, that features some very surprising plot twist. It also features a co-op mode that has it's own story which was a blast. Me and a friend would spend so much time trying to plan out rooms and how to beat them, even if we weren't playing. The thing with the co-op is the second player has to participate or you won't get past the first level. Portal 2 will take you a combined 8-14 hours depending on if you are playing the co-op and want to take your time. If there is one fault to find in this game it's that it doesn't quite live up to the massive shadow cast by it's prequel. As good as this game was, Portal just had a certain charm and left such a lasting impression. Not to say Portal 2 doesn't, as it is easily one of the greatest games I have ever played. Another thing I didn't like was the ending song in Portal 2, probably because it made you compare it to the original which was so great.

GLaDOS won the nobel prize for longest grudge held

The very simple-minded but hilarious, Wheatley

Still watin' on my cake...

Score:
Graphics: 9.5/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Story: 10/10
Innovation: 10/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 10/10

OVERALL: 10/10

http://www.thinkwithportals.com/

Preview: InFamous 2

A sequel to the 2009 Playstation exclusive, InFamous 2 is a direct follow up of the first one, with the main character Cole who gained electrical abilities. The game will feature a new location however, New Marais. The game features a good or bad system, (similar to the Fable series) which will effect the type of new ability you are granted during the game as well as other aspects. The plot features Cole trying to master his old and new powers to take on a beast who is destroying Empire City and everything in it's path. Along the way, Cole will have to fight the Militia, formed by a man named Bertrand, and the Corrupted who are horribly mutated beings. The game will feature user created levels that can be distributed online. You can choose any place, enemy, or challenge to create the levels and can change whether it's a fighting mission or a stealth one. This game also features a first look at Uncharted 3, if you're still not convinced. Personally, I don't think this game is going to be stellar, but by no means will it be bad. June 7th is the release date for this game as well as a hero addition which is also available, with extra features and add-ons.

Trailer


Gameplay


Prediction:
Graphics: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Story:8/10
Innovation:9/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 7/10

OVERALL:8/10

http://www.infamousthegame.com

Preview: DiRT 3

DiRT 3 is another addition to the super fun racing, rally car series by Codemaster. This game has been packed full of new goodies like: cars, locations, routes, events and over 50 new rally cars. If you want to see a more in depth view of these features, watch the Rally Trailer video below. This game has double the tracks of its predecesors and the campaign is pretty cool to. You start as a rally car driver and start your career to work your way to the top of the racing world. The trailers have shown some great, high-octane racing and some pretty stellar graphics. The thing that makes this series unique is the rally races and campaign, a great change up from games like Need For Speed. You may notice the 4 youtube videos below. I didn't want to use that many but I felt that they were all spectacular and had to show them, I could have chosen from way more. So if you love rally racing, lots of cars and tracks or Travis Pastrana keeps you up at night, I would highly recommend heading to the nearest gaming store on May 24th.

Debut Trailer


Rally Video


In-game trailer...wow


Gameplay


Prediction:
Graphics: 8.5/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Story:8/10
Innovation:8/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 8/10

OVERALL:8.5/10

http://www.codemasters.com/games/?gameid=3240

Preview: Duke Nukem Forever

When I first watched the trailer an some of the gameplay for the new Duke Nukem game I had so much testosterone in my body I punched through a brick wall and challenged Chuck Norris to a fight. And when I awoke from my coma I decided to do a preview of this game. Duke Nukem Forever is a new FPS coming out June 14 for the Xbox 360, PC and PS3. This game has been 12 years in the making, gone through numerous setbacks and changes and it's finally coming. The whole premise for this game is simply aliens invade...no big whoop, aliens take women...now it's personal. With the last Duke Nukem coming out in 1996 and this one originally scheduled for somewhere around 2000, gamers have had an exceptionally long wait for this game but Jason Hall, host of The Jace Hall Show, says "This might be the only game in history worth waiting 12 years for, perhaps longer.... It was good." Duke Nukem will be one of those games you really just have to buy, with 12 years in production, how can it not be good? This game promises to have more outrageous gun fights then The Matrix, more versatility than Batman's utility belt and more balls of steel than...anything! Versatility such as car driving sections and multi-player. That's right, up to 8 people can engage in such modes as: Dukematch, Team Dukematch, Capture the Babe and Hail to the King. Duke Nukem also happens to feature some of the best one-liners in gaming history, next to GLaDOS. If you don't believe me check out the Ventrilo Harassment video posted below. So if you want a game that's going to kick ass (and chew gum) look for Duke Nukem Forever on July 14th.

Ventrilo Harassment


Best Trailer Ever


Gameplay


Prediction:
Graphics: 7.5/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Story:8/10
Innovation:6/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 10/10

OVERALL:8.5/10

www.dukenukemforever.com/ (Even the website has some pretty badass music!)

Preview: Darkspore

This will really be the first PC exclusive game that I'm going to preview and you know what? It looks pretty fantastic. Darkspore is an action RPG game created by Maxix Software, the same company that made the Sims series and Spore. This game will contain multi-player, cooperative and single player modes. But I think the main feature to this game is the Spore creature customizer. In Spore you could create thousands of unique creatures with bundles of different options. In Darkspore they upgraded that system for more variety and better combinations. You can also create squads, which means not only are you creating one awesome original character, you're creating lots of 'em. The essential plot of the game is to travel to alien worlds, win battles and save the galaxy from the mutated forces of Darkspore, and on the way you can collect more parts for customization like: body parts, armor, weapons, facial features and coloration to create a totally personal character. I'll be the first to admit after hearing about this game that I thought it would be ok, maybe something to do when your bored. Then I watched some game play(below)...and put some money aside for when it comes out. And I'm not really a RPG kinda guy. The game looks pretty slick and it looks like it would be pretty intense to, not just for your casual gamers. So for all you PC gamers out there lookin' to brag to all the console owners that you have a game on the PC that is pretty damn awesome, this game is for you.

Who wants to go outside when you could be playing this?


Prediction:
Graphics:8.5/10
Gameplay:9/10
Story:7/10
Innovation: 9/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 7/10

OVERALL:8/10

http://darkspore.com/

Preview: Brink

If any game has the power to change the way video games are designed I believe this will be the game to do it. Brink is a First Person Shooter made for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Brink introduces a new S.M.A.R.T system that basically allows you to move around everywhere you want. It also introduces a character customization system that is incorporated in the single and multi player modes. This game also features a futuristic campaign about a new city created above the Earth called Ark. Essentially resources are running low in this new place and you have the option to choose who you want to play as: the resistance or the security. And while playing you have tonnes of guns to chose from and several archetypes to choose from that effect how you play. This game has me really excited and promises to shake up the new waves of FPSs. I found this quote on youtube and I thought this was the best way to sum up this game, "Team Fortress 2 + Assassins Creed Brotherhood + Battlefield Bad Company 2 + crack = Brink :)"- Soulcatcherteej. So if your looking for a fun, innovative, customizable game that won`t disappoint, look for Brink to hit shelves on May 10th.

The Cinematic Trailer


Customization Trailer


S.M.A.R.T Trailer


Prediction:
Graphics:9/10
Gameplay:10/10
Story:8/10
Innovation: 9/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 9/10

OVERALL:9/10

http://brinkthegame.com/

Preview: SOCOM 4: U.S Navy Seals

For Playstation users, SOCOM 4: U.S Navy Seals might not be your highest priority game to buy this year but I defiantly believe it should be one, simply because it features the Sony Move controls. I’m a true believer that these movement peripheral games, Xbox Kinect and Sony Move, will only get better with time. I have played Killzone 3 with the Sharpshooter Move controller and enjoyed it but found the controls a little sketchy. But I believe that SOCOM 4 will improve on these controls, which should be good but not great. But that's not the only reason to buy this game. In the new instalment it stays true to the series as a tactical third person shooter featuring, squad based combat. To any that have played the SOCOM series you`ll know that the main feature of the games is online play but this year they`ve tried to do something different: adding a solid single player mode. It will contain over 12 hours of playing time the campaign spans from the Pacific Ocean to Southeast Asia. The game features a new Command mode and a more intelligent AI for a more challenging game experience. But rest assured this is a SOCOM game and will feature online multiplayer but Zipper Interactive, the developer, is being tight lipped on any new additions to the already stellar multiplayer of SOCOM 3. So if you haven’t played the move controls on Killzone 3 or are a major fan of the SOCOM series look for this game in stores, April 19th.

Trailer


Demo


Prediction:
Graphics:8/10
Gameplay:6/10
Story: 6/10
Innovation: 7/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 6/10

OVERALL:6.5/10

http://www.socom.com/?url=%2fen-us

Review: Killzone 3

It's been a month and a half since the release of Killzone 3 and after beating the campaign I feel that I have spent enough time playing it to give it a review. Killzone 3 was one of the first games to feature a 3-D option and one of the first serious shooters on the Playstation to include the move controls. Now I haven't played on the 3-D mode but from what I've heard it is kind of disorienting and makes the graphics a little dull. The move controller was a fun feature but unfortunately it was only fun and made the game a little "challenging". The move controls were sketchy and it took loads of configuring before they became comfortable. Not recommended for the campaign. But controls aside,the graphics were fantastic and the new weapons were cool. Have you tried the arc cannon? And you are given a jet pack for a level . I was pretty excited to try that but unfortunately, it was only in one level. They introduced a new melee system that had a slight delay to it, but was well worth waiting to watch your character gouge out some Helghast eyes. The story wasn't that engaging and it felt like I was just playing through levels. But Killzone 3 was a spectacular game that was loads of fun. The campaign was challenging, and a little short but very good. There is an offline co-op and "botzone" (offline multiplayer against computers) and a regular online mode. You have to try this game, it won't disappoint!

The beautiful moment before the double eye gouge

Eye gouge deluxe: knife edition



An example of the Arc Cannon

Pros: Cool guns, some good variation in levels, move controls were kinda fun, botzone and multi-player modes.
Cons: Story, no offline multi-player, move controls were sketchy.

Score:
Graphics: 9/10
Gameplay: 8/10 (Move Controls: 5/10)
Story: 7/10
Innovation: 7/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 9/10

OVERALL: 8/10

http://www.killzone.com/kz3/agegate.html

Preview: Portal 2

One of the most promising looking games for this year, the sequel to the hit Portal, Portal 2. A first person/ puzzle game that will be released for all consoles (minus the wii), this game promises to be good. With extra features like: co-op and physics altering gels this game could be one of the biggest titles of the year. And you only have to wait 10 days! (Although anyone who know's Valve, knows they have a habit of delaying games) A must buy!

"Phenomenal in every sense of the word."
Game of the Year, Joystiq

The game-play demo


The co-op trailer


Prediction:
Graphics: 8/10
Gameplay: 10/10
Story: 8/10
Innovation: 9/10
Buying Appeal/Replay Value: 9/10

OVERALL: 9/10

http://www.thinkwithportals.com/

First Post!

Hey guys, I'm super excited to be doing this. The purpose of gamefutures.blogspot.com is to give you a preview of upcoming video game for all consoles, and to maybe do a review of them once they come out.
Once again, super excited and I'll have the first game up shortly!