Spring training is finally here and it’s time to strap up your batting gloves and pine tar your bats because it’s Baseball Season for MLB 2K10. In their 10th year, 2K Sports revamped their fielding system and improved on their pitching mechanics then they previously used in MLB 2K9 only keeping the “hold and gesture” for pitching accuracy and quality of pitches. Developed by Visual Concepts, a new hitting system called Total Control Hitting is used flicking the right analog stick.  This means your swing controls become more timed than ever. For the first time, you’ll be able to create your own ball player in the “My Player” mode and groom yourself into a future first ballot Hall of Famer making your way up through your farm team of choice.  The noticeable enhancements from MLB 2K 9 are great.  But should you draft MLB2k 10 and let it try out for you?

Total Control Pitching. I’ve always questioned precise timed pitches.  The ones where you press a button to start your power meter then again for your release.  I applaud MLB 2K10 for creating this new style of pitching because it works.  It’s called Total Control Pitching (TCP).  Throwing a fastball this year is easier and fun.  Pulling your right analog stick down then flicking it up produces a fastball.  Pushing the analog stick to the right then moving it clockwise to the 9 o’clock position creating a “U” shape will throw a slider.  You get the picture, move the analog stick similar to how you throw it mimics that type of pitch.  You’ll find yourself in a pitching situation where you’ll need some baseball knowledge and when you get yourself out of 2nd and 3rd with two outs, you’ll breathe a sigh of relief.  But with rewards there are risks.  You won’t cross every pitch over the plate for a strike and that’s when TCP can become challenging.  If you do not move your analog stick in accordance with the pitch, the result is a wild pitch.  Throw enough of those and your pitcher will get rattled.  With Pitch analyzer you’ll be able to view your stick movements on a graphic and that should show you what you did wrong.  Another improvement is the Inside Edge scouting system that can help you decide what pitch and where against that batter gives you the advantage.  It can slow down the flow of the game, but it is helpful at times.  Remember, be sure to visit the mound to improve the pitchers performance and calm him down.  Just don’t visit him if you going for the $1 Million, it’s one of the rules.

Batting the cage. While I wasn’t a fan of MLB 2K10 hitting style, it was manageable with three types of swings.  Using the analog stick, flicking upwards produces the swing of the batter with a contact swing.  Power swings are performed by pulling your analog stick back and flicking it forward at the right time.  And last are the defensive swings moving the stick right or left.  Defensive swings just prolongs an at bat and it’s a bit annoying since it can fouled off almost any pitch.  I hope they fix this.  I did enjoy the batting assistance letting me know if I was too early or too late on a swing.  Good thing I didn’t hear “good cut” cause every knows that just means you swung and missed and now, embarrassed.  Directional hitting is also possible using the left analog stick.  Pull it to third with a movement to the left; hit it on the ground with a pull down on the left analog stick.

Graphics could be better. Graphically, MLB 2K 10 is better than 2K 9.  But it’s not quite there yet.  Jagged lines, empty spaces and hats not sitting correctly on heads all contribute to the OK graphics.  The stadiums were scaled correctly and were the best graphics ok MLB 2K10.  I visited both Fenway Park and Camden Yards last year and I was impressed with most of the accurate depictions in the game except the Gulf sign behind the green Monster was missing.  Advertising or lack there of most likely contributed to that.  Come on Gulf!  The facial expressions and excitements after a pitch were nice compliments.  The copy and paste crowd made for a visual nightmare.

Play with “My Player”. Want to know what it’s like to audition for an MLB Club?  MLB 2K 10’s newest feature “My Player” does just that.  I created two separate players; a Catcher and Pitcher and of course favored the Pitcher due to the fun factor of staying involved.  You first begin your stint in the Minors A, AA or AAA of the desired ball club you choose.  I selected to be random and it landed me in the Cubs farm system.  My first player, the catcher, was only called on when I selected “Sim to next appearance”.  Most of the time, it involved me batting while on offense for 3 or 4 at bats or catching a pop out in foul territory behind the plate.  As a Pitcher, you get to experience all the fun.  I chose the role of Closer to experience the tight jams over the calmness of starting a game.  Challenges will be addressed before every batter you face, and they vary from “Get a first pitch strike” to “Get a groundout”.  I failed several times after I induced a double play on the first pitch which to me is a first pitch strike.  Your goal is to make it to the Majors and I found that after several successful appearances my MLB call up meter increase and changed from red to blue.  After the first season I was called to Spring Training and made the club.  I maintained an ERA of 1.79 but had a high WHIP of 1.75 with 36 strikeouts.

MLB Today = Live Play. Playing today’s match ups is now possible thanks to MLB Today.  Upon starting the game you’ll see the list of games that are slotted for play today.  I couldn’t figure out out to advance the day to the next, but I don’t think that’s possible.  Which brings me to the MLB 2K 10 menu.  The cumbersome navigation to view game type, options, or even play Home Run Derby games is not fluent.  Same when trying to exit a game.  They tried too hard by offering the right analog stick as a convenience, but it surely backfired and made looking for things more difficult.

Online Play. At the time of this review, many have complained of the inaccessibility of online play.  I was able to login and search for an opponent but did not play a full game to notice any glitching.  As a matter of fact, I did not see a problem with the innings I did play.

Comparisons to MLB 10 The Show. See here how MLB 2K 10 matched up against MLB 10 The Show in our Pros / Cons.

Game commentary – adv. MLB 2K 10 – Gary Thorne, Steve Phillips and John Kruk fill up the booth for MLB 2K 10 MLB games.  They give accurate and detailed play-by-play calls and keep the game entertaining to listen to.

Graphics – adv. MLB 10 The Show – I’ve mentioned the OK graphics that needs a bit more cleaning up and polishing compared to The Show. Jagged lines for infield grass or waves of people in the stand means MLB 2K 10 still needs work.

Pitching – adv. MLB 2K 10 – By far, Total Control Pitching dominates over The Shows “sweet spot” pitching.  Pitches that resemble the arm movement add to the realism and fun factor.

Batting – adv. MLB 10 The Show – Total Control Hitting (default) was not my hitting preference.  Much easier to time a pitch pressing a button (precision) than flicking the analog stick.

Crowd/atmosphere – adv. MLB 10 The Show – Sounds of the game have to go to The Show.  Realistic enough that when hitting a foul ball, some fans will even fall into the field trying to get themselves a souvenier.

Menu navigation – adv. MLB 10 The Show – The simple things in life are easier and MLB 2K 10’s right stick menu navigator is a deterant.  Not only did I forget where things were, but I found myself stuck not knowing to hit “return” or “exit”.

RTTS or My Player – slight adv. “My Player”. In My Player, your goals are relevant to your player’s position.  For example, if you’re a pitcher you’re asked to maintain an ERA below 4.50 and WHIP below 1.50.  In RTTS you’re asked to improve your hitting, drag bunting etc. Making some goals unattainable complex.

Keyboard typing – push – MLB 2K10 and MLB 10 The Show both disapointed me when it came to typing.  On the PS3, MLB 2K 10 does not use the classic PS3 keyboard and does not use a Qwerty keypad.  MLB 10 The Show also decided to use their proprietary keyboard which prolonged typing.  Both should feature their respective console’s keyboard.

Final Thought: Playing MLB 2K 10 before MLB 10 The Show allowed me to play all the features that MLB 09 The Show boasted last year and were used in this game including “My Player”.  Total Control Pitching alone makes this game stand out and propels MLB 2K 10 into the right direction for the baseball game genre.  Some in game decision glitches and visual blunders still keep this game far from perfect.  It’s a good baseball game for those who like baseball games and know baseball. For 360 fans it’s a must buy.  For PS3 fans it’s a good comparison game to compliment MLB 10 The Show.

8/10

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Needing very little help, the action-adventure hack-n-slash genre just got whole lot better because of EA’s Visceral Games adaptation of The Divine Comedy starring Dante himself in Dante’s Inferno.  So far, action games are the rage this year with Darksiders and Bayonetta hitting first quarter.  But if you’re looking for originality, consider Dante’s Inferno a great clone instead.  Comparisons to Santa Monica Studios’ God of War have been made and with good reason.  With that, controversy is not something new for this EA game.  Heck, at E3 2009, EA themselves protested the creation of Dante’s Inferno and vowed to show us that hell isn’t all that great after all.  Real smooth EA! In turn, this ended up being a self-promotion move for Dante’s Inferno in peeking gamers interests.  Sure, DI is a copy and paste with a hellish skin overlay of Kratos and God of War, but don’t let that deter you from the great story and detailed visuals because this game is good, real good.  Hell Awaits…

Poetic Justice. You begin playing as the protagonist, Dante Alighieri’.  I avoid using the word “hero” since many aspects of the game would have disagreed with that title, so I’ll be Politically Correct for once.  Set in a massive world known as H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks, you battle your way through the nine circles destroying tormented souls and passing judgment on many of the characters from The Divine Comedy.  At the end of each circle, you’ll be confronted by that boss which take precise controls thanks to the games QTEs.  Quick Time Events are the buttons pressed sequentially when the on-screen menu prompts you.  All boss battles run you through QTEs and if you press an incorrect button you have to begin the button sequence again.  Including the prologue you’ll slash your way through these nine circles in order; City of Acre (prologue), Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and finally Treachery.

Sew in your faith. Embedded into Dante’s chest is the Holy Cross which displays his allegiance to the Crusades which he battled in.  His sins are depicted through 2D cartoon artwork similar to comic book style which then go to narrated cut-scenes.  As the story continues, many of Dante’s corrupt history will be visited here and the turn of events that followed.  The graphics here are well blended and show off the hidden talent behind the Visceral team’s artists.

Swing your stick. Within the first level of the game you’ll be greeted by none other than Death himself.  Much like Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey, this death wants your soul and has no regards for your past.  Battling him and successfully killing Death will gain you your main weapon of choice, the scythe.  Light attacks and heavy attacks can be performed with square and triangle respectively.  Attacking the enemy is responsive but not as much feedback for bigger blows in comparison to weaker attacks.  The secondary weapon Dante will be equipped with is the Holy Cross.  I found myself spamming this form of attack since it did not require any magic nor did it restrict you in any way.  So when in doubt, attack with the Holy Cross.

Kill or Kill Holy. There are two types of final attacks that can gain you Holy or Unholy experience points.  When you choose “punish” the enemy is pummeled down to the ground in a fierce attack obliterating the body to a bloody mess thus gaining you Unholy Exp.  If you choose to “absolve” the poor soul, Dante will press the Holy Cross to their body and send them to paradise (or heaven) to which you’ll gain Holy Exp.  It’s a shame you’re not able to expand on your decisions.  I would have loved to see “what if” situations for punishing or absolving certain characters.  Although some trophies/achievements depend on your decision.  Your max level will be level 7 on both the Holy and Unholy.  Be sure to upgrade your skills as you reach the next level to ensure increases to both “health” and “mana” bars.

Look for Relics and Magic. As you progress, you’ll gather relics by absolving souls which can be used to enhance a weapons attack (Death Blade), prolong a hit combination window (Coins of Plutus) or increase a grab attack damage (Arrow of Paris).  Not as easy as it sounds, since some relics require a minimum holy or unholy level before using.    One relic I found particularly helpful was the Range of Farinata which broke fountains immediately instead of mashing the “O” button.  Magic is not the strong suit of Dante’s Inferno especially since I found myself only using “magic” sparingly.  But you can slot up to four, one for each button.  Pressing L1 + O, X, [] or ^ will activate the spell.  To each his own, but your carpal tunnel will remind you it’s been awhile since you pressed a button repeatedly.

Massive Scale. Dante’s Inferno feels huge.  The scale of the game is massive and you’ll feel the surroundings are done in proportions way larger than any game you’ve played.  Yes, I know, God of War’s Atlas scene was massive but you’ll agree DI competes with GoW in this aspect.  Hearing the cries of these tormented souls that make up the walls and ropes for climbing while hearing whispers of “Dante” in surround sound literally creeped me out.

Pros:
- Captivating story
- Art renderings of the Nine Circles
- Risque scenes
- Similarities to God of War (attack combinations, QTEs)

Cons:
- Short game (7-8 hrs to complete)
- Repetitive combat

Final Thought: Dante’s Inferno will push the envelope with blood, gore, sex and nudity. But today’s market can handle all the above as long as you package it with an “M” for Mature rating and classify it as a form of entertainment which it truly is. Understand that re-creation of games has been done for years and I say if another developer pulls it off, we, the player wins. Throughout the story you’ll cross paths with biblical figures from Pontius Pilate to Lucifer himself. Keep the kiddies away from him and look above the belt for those scenes, geeez! Lastly, for those who picked up the PS3 Divine Edition, you’ll be treated to know that come March there will be a DLC named Dark Forest and it’s the prequel that will hopefully shed some light on Dante’s life. Hold onto those codes.  For those who would like to nibble on this appetizer that is Dante’s Inferno before the big meal ticket God of War III, this will be your last chance.

8/10

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Travis Touchdown is your everyday otaku assassin living out of the No More Heroes Motel in Santa Destroy, California.  Some might consider his obsession with anime, professional wrestling, action figure collecting, and pornography borders on unhealthy.  Others would consider it’s what makes him unique among other assassins.  Regardless of what he does in his personal life, one thing is for certain: Travis Touchdown will kick your ass.

No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle takes place three years after the events of the original game.  After rising up to the #1 spot of the United Assassin Association (UAA), he returns for revenge and is made to battle through 51 of the UAA’s strongest and most unique assassins to get to the man responsible for his friend’s death.  No More Heroes 2 drops the open-world feel of the original title and replaces it with an overview map where the player can pick where they would like to go.  Players can either take on the main story and choose to enter a “Ranked Battle”, earn extra cash with some mini-games, or even work out with a man of questionable sexuality named Ryan.

Travis’ iconic beam katana returns along with new beam katanas that can be changed on the fly and offer a slight difference in combat.  Depending on how you hold your Wii Remote, Travis can perform either a “low” or “high” positioned attack by hitting the ‘A’ button.  Combos are easy to pull off as they can be chained together by mashing the ‘A’ or ‘B’ buttons, then finishing them off with either a wrestling move or a “death blow” which requires players to follow on-screen prompts with their Wii Remote & Nunchuck.  If Travis connects with his attacks without receiving any serious damage, his ‘Ecstasy Meter’ will rise.  Once the Ecstasy Meter reaches full, Travis becomes invincible and can then unleash a barrage of quick attacks that can deal some serious damage.  There are times when Travis’ beam katana might become weak.  Thankfully, a quick jerk of the Wii Remote will quickly charge the batteries in the beam katana.  Certain missions will allow players to assume the role of Shinobu or Henry as they assist Travis in defeating some of the 51 assasins Travis must defeat.  Both characters offer a similar fighting style to Travis’, but each have their own secondary attack.

Overall, I enjoyed the combat system for its fast pace and how satisfying it was to finish an enemy off with either a wrestling move or death blow.  One issue I had was the location of the button to change targets on the Wii Remote.  Why on Earth the developers would decide to bind the ‘2′ button to change enemies is beyond me as it’s location can make changing targets difficult, especially during heated battles.  I found myself letting go of the ‘Z’ button, which is used to lock on to enemies, and then hitting it again in order to attempt to change targets.

The assassins Travis will face during his adventure are some of the most unique characters I’ve witnessed in a game.  Travis will battle Gothic Lolitas, football stars, and even a Russian astronaut.  These are just three examples of the very unique 51 assassins that Travis will face.  The unfortunate thing is since there are so many assassins to fight, there really isn’t much of a back story to any of them besides being someone that Travis needs to fight through in order to get to the top of the UAA.  With how unique each assassin was, I would have loved to learn more about them.

Nearly everything in No More Heroes 2 screams satire.  Travis isn’t only deadly with a beam katana, but his tongue is as deadly as he insults and curses at enemies during battle.  Many of his wise-cracks are actually pretty funny and offering a refreshing perspective.  As Travis slices and dices his enemies, blood will shoot out of nearly every orifice, which just goes to show how over-the-top this title really is.

Many of the mini-games in No More Heroes 2 pay homage to old-school 8-bit NES games.  Each mini-game has its own little story as to why you need to play them such as being a pizza deliveryman or gathering up coconuts.  The purpose of the mini-games is to earn money which can be used to upgrade Travis’ weapons, clothes, and even help train him to be a better fighter.  Other mini-games, such as helping excercise your cat, offer bonus items or moves that can only be achieved by completing the mini-game.  Compared to No More Heroes grind-tastic mini-games, No More Heroes 2’s mini-games are a welcome change and don’t feel as grind-y.

FINAL THOUGHT: No More Heroes 2 is a breath of fresh air as far as hack-n-slash games go.  Travis is a character most gamers can relate to, which is why most gamers will enjoy this title.  The combat system, even with its minor shortcomings, is fast-paced, fun, and offers just the right amount of gore.  With mini-games a-plenty, a slick and unique graphic style, and a lot of humor, No More Heroes 2 is a great improvement over the original title.

8/10

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In November of 2007, BioWare’s Mass Effect was released.  The years leading up to its release were full of promises of an RPG experience unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.  Stunningly beautiful graphics, a highly deep and rewarding dialog system, and a story that can change in the blink of an eye. That was just the tip of the iceberg.

Mass Effect 2 is an action-RPG sequel to 2007’s Mass Effect that puts you in the shoes of Commander Shepard once again.  Shepard and his crew on the Normandy are on patrol for geth, when the ship is attacked.  Shepard does not survive the attack and his lifeless body lands on an unknown planet.  The story doesn’t end there though as a shadow broker group known as Cerberus collects Shepard’s body and spends two years attempting to reanimate it.  They are successful with reviving Shepard and recruit him to fight for the organization.  The story from then on out can differ as Mass Effect 2 allows you to import a Mass Effect 1 save, which can offer some rewards depending on how much time you put into the original game.  Decisions made in Mass Effect will continue to effect your experience in Mass Effect 2, both small and large.

Mass Effect 2 features six different classes with varying strengths and weaknesses.  Each class plays different from the other so most players should feel comfortable as they progress through Mass Effect 2’s massive story.  When Shepard levels up, he can apply points to his talents.  Depending on the character class chosen, talents spent can be used for various upgrades such as learning new biotics or bonuses to Shepard’s stats.  The customization doesn’t stop there as you can fully customize Shepard’s face, armor, and even his sex.  There is no bonus to being either a male or female Shepard, instead, the way they interact with others can vary slightly such as Shepard’s love interest.

Character interaction plays a huge part in Mass Effect 2, as it did in Mass Effect.  The dialog system stayed true to the original game’s, allowing Shepard to converse with others in order to obtain information that can help with his missions or to progress the overall story.  The Paragon & Renegade dialog options also make a return and unlock specific dialog options, depending on how many Paragon or Renegade options you’ve chosen.  One addition to the dialog system is the context-sensitive controls, which allows Shepard to take either a Renegade or Paragon action that will interrupt the current conversation.

If actions speak louder than words, then Shepard’s improved combat skills can be quite deafening.  When Shepard shoots, you’ll now hit what you’re aiming at, similar to First-Person Shooter controls.  Shepard is still able to sprint and hide behind cover, but now he is also able to vault over small obstacles which improves the flow of combat.  The HUD to perform biotic attacks also received a slight tweak as it no longer completely blocks the action on-screen.  Players can also bind buttons to Shepard’s and his squad’s biotic ability so the pace of combat isn’t ceased every couple of seconds in order to input a new command.  Not only did the combat receive an improvement, but the variety of weapons as well.  Mass Effect 2 has approximately nineteen different weapons, some of which include new heavy weapons and sub-machine guns. Also gone are armor classes, which are replaced by simply researching upgrades to your squad’s armor.

Researching new weapons, armor, and other various improvements requires resources that Shepard must obtain during his travels.  Shepard can either stumble onto these resources during missions, or take the more practical approach and probe planets for their resources.  Probing planets may sound like a bore, but it’s actually quite entertaining, especially if you’re dying for the latest and greatest improvement.  Shepard can use the Normandy to orbit over a planet, scan for resources, and then extract those resources with a probe.  When Shepard has met the requirements to research the upgrade (often ‘x’ amount of resource), depending on the item researched, it will either be applied automatically, or, in the case of armor and weapon upgrades, be made available for use.

Exploring the many galaxies in Mass Effect 2 is a more interactive experience as you’re able to fly the Normandy via the Galaxy Map.  Exploration is made easier as the game helps guide you where each quest lies by highlighting galaxies, systems, and even the planet a particular mission is on.  You can even explore the unexplored to gather resources or stumble on to side missions.  The amount of missions & side missions in Mass Effect 2 are amazing and can keep players busy for hours.

As important as the missions are, there’s no way Shepard could do any of it alone.  Much of your time spent in Mass Effect 2 will be used to assemble your squad.  As you progress through the story, Cerberus will supply dossiers on potential squad candidates.  Each squad member has their own purpose as to why they choose to help Shepard, as well as their own strengths and weaknesses in combat.  You can also take your relationships with particular squad members to a higher degree by taking the time to help them in various side missions made available later on in the game.  Completing these missions aren’t necessary to the main plot of Mass Effect 2, but completing them will allow your squad members to trust you, which unlocks a new talent specifically for that squad member.

Mass Effect 2 pushes the Xbox 360 to its limits with its detailed and unique environments.  Much of your time will be spent traveling from planet to planet gathering intel for your missions, but Mass Effect 2 does a fantastic job at giving each location its own persona.  Whether you visit The Citadel, Omega, or Illium, every location is easily distinguishable and that’s not an easy feat when you consider how grandiose Mass Effect 2 is.  Character models are also given a lot of detail and, in Miranda’s case, very pleasing to the eye.  This is especially evident during moments of dialog, as the camera zooms in to focus on the character’s facial structures and mannerisms.

What good are gorgeous character models if the voice acting is terrible?  Thankfully, the voice acting is top-notch as not one character, whether they be important or just someone passing by, gives a sub-par performance.  Hollywood elites Yvonne Strahovski & Marteen Sheen lend their voices for two important characters and their performances are flawless.  It also benefits players to pay attention to small details in the game, such as the Galaxy News kiosks or hearing a recording of Shepard endorsing his “favorite store in the citadel” as these little gems can really make the game more enjoyable.

FINAL THOUGHT: As massive and critically-acclaimed Mass Effect was, Mass Effect 2 improves on many aspects of the original title.  Combat is smooth, the story keeps players interested from beginning to end, and the character development is done so well, you actually care about each and every one of your squad mates.  Being able to carry over decisions from Mass Effect assist in engrossing the player into the game world.  Mass Effect 2 is a shining example of how deep and enriching a video game can be when it achieves perfection.

10/10

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After numerous delays and disappointed people, myself included, Trine finally launched on the PSN but does it deliver? In one word: yes. Simply put, Trine is a 2-D side scrolling RPG/Action adventure in a 3-D environment. Throw in a mix of secret treasures, upgrades, and some interesting teamwork and you have yourself quite a downloadable game. Coming in at a steep $20, the price may turn off some people but don’t let the price deter you.

Trine’s story isn’t heavy but rather simple in a good way. A thief, wizard, and warrior all become transported into a new world and must work together to find a way out. In between levels you are introduced to the game’s narrator who fills in some gaps with the story and gives some insight to each character. The three controllable characters do speak to each other briefly normally at the beginning and end of the levels and their interactions grow when they rely on one another to escape. And that’s where this game shines, the teamwork that must occur in order to conquer each level.

Whether you are playing a single or multiplayer game, you must use each character’s unique abilities to win. Each of the three classes start off with small, minor abilities but over time learn more and can be upgraded after leveling up. For example, the wizard can conjure a box that can be used as a stepping stone or to crush enemies, as you level up you can conjure up to 4 boxes when maxed out. The warrior is your main attacker as all his weapons and abilities are designed to handle the enemies. The thief (my personal favorite) is a balance of an attacker and supporter as she can attack with her bow and arrow and use her grappling hook to cross large gaps or avoid traps. The wizard is your supporting character as he is able to conjure bridges, boxes, and levitating steps and manipulate certain objects. Each character has their own benefits and mastering their skills is key to success.

How and when you want to use each character is entirely up to you. With a quick press of either L1 or R1 you can toggle between the characters. Wizard created items are still present if you switch to the thief or warrior when you don’t want to press on as the wizard but just need his skills. An onslaught of enemies can be easily fought off with some quick thinking and use of your team. If one or two of the team members die, you are obviously unable to use them again until you reach a checkpoint. Here’s an early tip, don’t let the last person on your team be the wizard; just easier if it’s the thief or warrior to be your saving grace.

There’s about 15 beautifully created stages to play through and each stage has its share of experience and secrets to collect. Experience is gained two ways: one through green vials located throughout the stage and the other way is through killing enemies. Each stage has its own cap for both collected and battled experience that is needed in order to level up and upgrade your characters. It takes 50 forms of experience to level up and your characters level up as the same time so it doesn’t matter who collects the experience. Almost all stages have two secret treasure chests that, when found, will enhance your characters through customizable equipment. Some equipment will give you more health or higher defense and who you want to give the gear to will be up to you. There is a limit to how many pieces of gear each character can wear so be weary when customizing.

Final Thought: Overall, Trine is a great purchase. The graphics are colorful and vibrant for a downloadable game. The enemies become repetitive since it’s mostly skeletons and bats but that can be overlooked. The teamwork aspect is really fun even playing alone but if you are playing with a friend, I’d advise using a mic. Replay value is increased if you are the kind of person who wants to go back and collect everything and beat it on higher difficulty levels. It’s also one of the few downloadable games to feature a platinum trophy if you are a trophy (ahem, whore) enthusiast. Trine may have been delayed over and over but better late than never.

9/10

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With Street Fighter IV & King of Fighters XII rejuvenating the fighting genre, it was time for the Tekken series to step into the ring and show other fighting games how it’s done.  With the largest character roster in Tekken history, HD graphics, and competitive online modes, is Tekken 6 the best fighting game our current generation of consoles has to offer?

When you first fire up Tekken 6, one of the first things you’ll notice is the huge list of playable characters.  Unlike most fighting games, Tekken 6 wants players to get into the action as quickly and as painlessly as possible.  There are no boxes with question marks in them that require players to spend hours upon hours to unlock.  The complete 40 character roster is playable from the get-go.

Tekken 6 is split into 3 main game modes: Scenario, Online Modes, and Offline Modes.  Online Mode allows you to play others in either Ranked or Player Match modes.  Online play was surprisingly very quick, although every so often, a laggy game would pop up.  Offline Mode comprises of the traditional Arcade Mode, VS Mode, Ghost Mode, and Training.  Each character has their own distinct fighting style and unique moves.  The action is fast and very rewarding.  Tekken veterans will appreciate a deep, fighting experience, while newcomers will still be able to button-mash their way to victory (while pissing off veteran players in the process).

Scenario Mode attempts to put a story behind all of the fighting goodness that’s the main focus of Tekken, but it fails miserably.  One positive from the scenario mode is the opening cinematic, which reminds us what the overall story was for the previous Tekken titles.  The Tekken 6 scenario has poor voice acting, poor combat, and a hard to follow story.  Also, for some reason during cut-scenes, everyone can speak in their native language and yet completely understand one another.  I applaud Namco-Bandai for attempting to offer something more than just a fighting game, but I wish they would have delivered as much quality in the Scenario Mode as they did the one-on-one fighting modes.

The amount of character customization offered in Tekken 6 is incredible.  Players unfortunately can’t create their own fighters, but they can customize the aesthetics of all of the characters.  Items for characters are unlocked by the amount of gold players accumulate across all of the game modes in Tekken 6.  My one complaint is the amount of gold each item costs.  I would like to customize my characters, but in order to get a new hair-do, I need to shell out 1,000,000 gold.

Tekken 6 is a definite feast for the eyes.  All of the characters animations are smooth and highly detailed.  Every kick, punch, and throw has an equivalent reaction from both characters.  If you thought the facial animations were good in SFIV, then you’re going to love some of the reactions from the Tekken 6 characters.  Stages also offer a good amount of variety in fighting locations.  Some even have destructible environments that will allow players to crash their way into another part of the level to complete the battle.

FINAL THOUGHT: Tekken 6, without a doubt, is the best Tekken game yet.  It does so much right, but the Scenario Mode is one of the few wrongs on the disc.  If you’ve ever enjoyed any Tekken game, then you owe it to yourself to play the best version of the series to date.

8.0/10

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“So Insomniac is doing me like this with their latest, huh?”

That’s the first thing that came to my mind when I started playing Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. The thought that the great marsupial-robot duo would be split apart for the title brought me great concern. Fortunately, those worries were quickly dissuaded as I stepped into the roles of hero Ratchet and — no longer just a backpack — Clank.

Yes, A Crack in Time is the same game you’ve been playing for the last seven years but with a slight wrench thrown into the equation via Clank’s own call to adventure. It’s still a fun platformer, of which is seen so little of nowadays, that has you shooting, jumping, and upgrading your weapons to save the day.

This time around, the story revolves around Ratchet going to look after his robot buddy who’s been called on to make sure the “very fabric of time is not ripped.” It’s not the most original story, necessarily, but it comes across with great characterization and animations that pop out of the screen with humor and charm rarely seen in games.

As with the previous R&C games, the progress you make in the titles are multi-tiered where one is going through the motions of the story and — all the while — upgrading Ratchet’s attributes, weapon efficiency, and ship attachments.

New to the series are three base “Constructo” weapons that you can fully customize through your adventure along with the crazy assortment of guns that litter the typical R&C game. In reality, though, you can make it through the entire game with only the occasional upgrade and come out on top. But the customization is there for those who want to wholly up their arsenal.

The greatest change is the inclusion of time-bending puzzles when you’re in the role of Clank. At first an annoyance, Clank’s puzzles become a welcome change of pace from the frenzied action of his counterpart. It’s like managing several ghost runs that eventually unfold as you fumble about and make you feel smarter when you come out the other end. Don’t be dismayed in thinking that that’s all you do with Clank; even he needs a break from repairing fried wires to do some old-fashioned platforming.

What should be frowned-upon are the numerous fetch quests that you come across. THIS needs three energy cores to turn THAT on. The ship needs THIS many Zonis to make it through THAT barrier.

Rinse. Repeat. Spit up.

Initially, they aren’t so bad and serve as a nice motivator to explore the worlds you traverse but when it seriously hinders your ability to continue the story? Unnecessary filler. The “optional” spherical levels — reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy’s — suddenly become mandatory and a chore when you don’t have enough points to get to the end boss.

Final Thought: A few niggling issues aside, R&CF: A Crack in Time provides a solid, almost-Pixar quality platformer out of the norm in the current gaming climate. It doesn’t cut too far from its series’ roots, but a few puzzles here and a leaderboard there gives you a lengthy palette cleanser to tide you over well before your next time sink hits.

8.5/10

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No more pennies to weigh down the needle from skipping, Activision’s DJ Hero is the real deal without scratching your vinyls.  Growing up in the late 80’s to early 90’s everyone either wanted to be a DJ, were friends with a DJ or tried scratching on their grandparents old turntables.  Heck, my older brother, DJ Gonz, mixed it up in the 90’s snatching up every milk crate he knew of within a 10 mile radius.  Fifteen years later, how will this DJ simulation game compare to the real thing?

Hardware worth gaming on. Before even inserting the DJ Hero disc, I examined the turntable controller bundled in with the standard version of DJ Hero.  Amazingly, the turntable controller felt sturdy and the feedback for the wireless connection was spot on.  Included are two AA batteries for the turntable, a wireless USB adapter and game disc including 93 original exclusive mixes.

Last night a DJ saved my game. Everyone knows a DJ can make or break a great party, well it’s no different in DJ Hero. The 93 original exclusive mixes come from none other then the best, Grand Master Flash, DJ AM, DJ Jazzy Jeff and DJ Shadow are just to name a few. While some of the playable  DJ’s in the game are fictional Activision provides a biography and gives them comical and entertaining personalities. Customizing your turntable, headphones and outfits are all unlockable as you attain more stars upon set-list completion. You can also play as the famous real life DJ’s as well.

If you mix it they will come. It doesn’t get any better in DJ Hero then when you’re asked to mix artists across several decades. My favorite mix has to be Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby”, versus MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This”. Although Black Eye Peas’s “Boom Boom Pow”, versus Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction” was pretty hot.  I challenge you to not bob your head while playing — go ahead, I triple challenge you!

Learn to Scratch-n-Mix. By far the most interactive tutorial in the “Hero” series, DJ Hero’s Grandmaster Flash takes you into his recording studio teaching you how to crossfade, scratch and master the effects dial. Using the perfect tutorial song, you’ll practice with Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust” and Daft Punks “Da Funk”.  DJ Flash’s condescending tone makes you think it’s easier than it is.  Pay him no attention, he’s only a founding father of record mixing.

Attention to detail. Playable track looks like classic vinyl record. When a mistake is made you’ll hear a sound like a needle on a blank record.  Similar to Guitar Hero — playing the track on the neck of the guitar — DJ Hero features a spinning vinyl as your track surface.  Strategically placed advertising has become a stitch in the industry and DJ Hero shows them here as well.  The included “resume countdown” is a nice feature.  If you pause during any set-list song it gives you a “3, 2, 1″ count down before the track resumes.  Clever set list names shows you thought went into them, i.e. Scratching the Surface.  During loading time in between saves and set-lists you will notice the old record insert our parents and grandparents would use to convert their old 33’s to 45’s. The Euphoria button, or as the Guitar Hero people would know as star power feature, blinks red on the turntable controller when ready to be used to double your points in an attempt to get that fifth star!

Merging of two worlds, don’t put your guitar away just yet. You know a “Hero” game would not be the same without the inclusion of the Guitar. While all tracks are not guitar compatible some are which means double the fun. The Activision folks didn’t want Guitar Hero to lose its rock roots so the song selection that’s let’s you rock out with your DJ comrade are strategically selected. Some artists that you can rock out with are:  Foo Fighters, Motorhead, Foreigner and Zakk Wylde.

Party game for home use or clubs. DJ Hero is already getting the popular reception it deserves.  During set lists there’s no break in between songs, just like being at a club the DJ goes right into the next song.  The entire package will cost you $120 for the basic and $200 for the “Renegade Edition” featuring Eminem and Jay-Z.

Spin it back. By far the best feature is the “Rewind”.  When you play enough beats in a row you’ll be able to spin the turntable backwards allowing you to replay the track and getting double points for it.  This is just one more aspect of DJ Hero that brings out the realism in the game.  When I “Rewind”, I tend to spin the wheel similar to a clown with plates.  Let it rip baby!

Pros
Turntable feels solid
Song combination’s
Number of playable tracks
Rewind/Scratching feature

Cons
Long load/save times
PS button access panel
No online lobby

Final Thought: DJ Hero could very well be the next musical instrumented game with the most potential. Thanks to the classic Guitar Hero franchise look, DJ Hero steps in with a solid foundation of gameplay, originality and a fresh re-birth for music games. I was never a fan of the cumbersome hardware for complete band games, but this compact yet sturdy turntable fits the bill. Songs made for parties, I’m confident in saying it’s the most well rounded playlist created in the genre. Believe me, you’ll want to pick up DJ Hero up and work out your carpal tunnel (the good kind). After all, its DJ Gonz approved. Wicka-Wicka, REWIND!

9/10

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Namco-Bandai recently released the sequel to their popular Magna Carta: The Phantom of Avalanche which was released in 2001 on the PS2.  Even though the game is titled Magnacarta 2, this isn’t a direct sequel of the original title.  Magnacarta 2 will have players fighting their way across the Lanzheim Continent, but will players have any fun doing so?

Magnacarta 2’s story takes place in the war-torn Lanzheim Continent where the tyrannical Northern Forces Army are slowly taking over the continent.  The only opposition is the Southern Forces, which are comprised of liberation fighters who wish to free Lanzheim of the Northern Forces Army.  You play as Juto, who coincidentally was stricken with amnesia and can’t remember anything from his past.  He was found by villagers of Highwind Island, to which he made his new home.  When the war between the Northern Forces Army and Southern Forces makes its way to Highwind Island, that is when Juto meets his future colleagues and vows to put an end to the war once and for all.

The story sounds like a typical RPG, and although it’s slow to start, the story certainly picks up a couple of hours into the game.  Each character has their own reason for their fight against the Northern Forces Army and interact with each other in interesting ways.  For example: Juto and Crocell for the most part don’t like each other since Juto is amnesiac, Crocell gets easily annoyed with the constant questions from Juto.  On the other hand, Crocell is a sarcastic jerk who Juto doesn’t care for due to his thick sarcasm.  The interaction between the two brings some fun conflict during some hard times.

The gameplay mechanics have you traveling from point to point in order to progress the story in a linear fashion.  Points of interest are shown on the map as flags, which indicate an area where a cutscene will occur that will progress the story.  During your travels, there will be side quests a-plenty as nearly all new areas you discover will have a couple of people who require your assistance.  Rewards for completing side missions vary from experience to valuable items, weapons, or accessories.  The battle system is where Magnacarta 2 becomes really fun.  The combat system is action based and rewards players who use strategy over simply mashing the buttons.  The system relies heavily on stamina.  Every character’s attacks use up a particular amount of stamina.  Once you fill up your stamina bar, your character enters ‘Overdrive’.  In overdrive, characters attacks deal 1.5x more damage than normal, although you need to attack continuously before entering ‘Overheat’ mode.  In overheat, your character is completely worn out and unable to move which makes him highly vulnerable to incoming attacks.  That is where your companions come in.  When one character overheats, you can then use another character to either defend them while they recover or perform a chain attack which pushes the next character into overdrive, then activating their special attack which brings both characters back to normal.  It might sound a bit complicated in text, but trust me when I say it’s very rewarding to master the combat system in this game.

The inventory system isn’t as cluttered as most RPGs are.  You can outfit your characters with weapons of two different fighting styles depending on the character you use.  A support slot, which is similar to armor in typical RPGs, highers your defenses.  There are also two accessory slots which can be used to allow for more powerful upgrades to your character.  Each character has their own skill tree as well which skill points (or SP) that is collected during battles can be used to unlock upgrades.  The final section is the ‘Enhancement’ menu, which allows you to upgrade your weapons with ‘Kamonds’ that can boost your weapons with boosts to your attack, defense, or spirit.

The art style for Magnacarta 2 might seem a little strange to most people.  For the first couple of hours, I couldn’t help but stare at the characters during dialogs.  The reason for this is because the heads of the human-like characters seem awfully small compared to the rest of their body.  This doesn’t add or detract from the enjoyment of this title, but I just thought I’d warn you there is some weird stuff going on with some of the character’s body proportions.  Regardless of the freaks walking around, graphically the game looks great.  All characters have a high amount of detail to them and the world around them looks beautiful and inviting.  Loading times were also very short compared to how much detail there is in the world.  Character voices during cut-scenes and moments of dialog are all done with vocal soundtracks.  The voice actors do a good job with their performances, but sometimes some of the dialog can seem cheesy.  It would have been great if a Japanese audio track and subtitles could have been an option, but I’m one of those people who prefers hearing RPGs in their original soundtracks since English soundtracks of Japanese games can sound like nails on a chalkboard to me.

FINAL THOUGHT: With the lack of JRPGs coming out in time for the holidays, Magnacarta 2 is a title that should satisfy any fan of JRPGs.  The combat system is simple to understand, but takes much practice to master and can be rewarding when done so correctly.  The story doesn’t seem that unique, but it still offered some interesting twists and turns along the way.

7.5/10

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EA’s Need For Speed: Shift has been around the block to bring us their latest driver game. Slightly Mad Studios has polished their development skills when making Need For Speed: Shift and it shows very well. The enhanced detail of NFS: Shift is amazing.  By far the best feature are the much needed road arrows.  Now, you can clearly see when a sharp turn is too sharp for your vehicle thanks to “green”, “yellow” and “red” arrows clearly marked for you on the road.  You’re first race sits you in the most realistic cockpit view I’ve ever seen of a sleek white BMW.  By the way, have I given you the impression these graphics are amongst the best in the racing franchise? Good.

Vehicle selection. After your first race you’ll be able to purchase your very a vehicle and store it in your garage.  Not much to choose from for now, but if you’re able to win your first race you’ll net 40k.  That picked me up a Red BMW 135i Coupe.  You can choose up to 65 vehicles from the following makes: Ford, BMW, Audi, Chevy, Honda, Infiniti, Mazda, Nissan, Renault, Scion, Seat, Toyota and Volkswagon.  These are your Tier 1 vehicles to choose from but once you reach Tier 4 you’ll see: Lamborghini Reventon, Bugatti, Mercedes Benz and Porsche.  Don’t spend all your winnings cause you’re gonna have to upgrade that baby too.

Racing Competitions. You have a clear objective in any race you decide to compete in — cross the finish line in 1st place — but not in NFS: Shift. Yes, you’ll want to win your races, but it’s how you “perform” in these races that count.  You can be an aggressive driver and bump cars from behind or drift into a corner all while gaining points.  These points allow you to upgrade your driver profile.  As you progress you’ll unlock venues only offered to higher Tier drivers which bring in serious cash.  With your winnings you’ll want to enter “Upgrades” to fully deck out your ride.  Yes, you can paint your vehicle and change your rims, but the performance of your ride wins races.  Upgrade your tires, install a spoiler, or reduce your vehicles weight all play an important role to making your car a faster one.  Don’t forget the Nitrous Kit!

Aggressive or Defensive driver, it’s your choice. The Need For Speed franchise uses a new innovative approach towards each driving style.  Similar to Forza, where you rewarded to drive carefully and avoid the bumps and bruises of the road, Shift follows those ingredients but adds their own spice by encouraging you to drive aggressive.  Points displayed for which type of style are represented in two colors. For a “Clean Overtake” (pass opponents without making contact) the points awarded will show blue as opposed to a “Dirty Overtake” (make contact to pass opponent) the points will show red. Choose your style wisely because your Driver profile icon will be prominently displayed showing the world (ie. the EA Network) what type of driver you are. I know from experience that my Aggressive icon initiated several battling ram matches which I can say I provoked… and succeeded… once.

No Carpool here. The friends leader board has a neat and noticeable feature.  Once your friends compete on their single player campaign, the race times will show over the invitational.  For once, the friends leader board isn’t tucked away behind some “other” option screen.  You can finally compete with friends’ time scores, and when you’ve beaten their score the once “red marker” above the event will now display a “green marker” with your PSN username to boast!

Hear No Evil, See No Driver. I love attention to detail.  So when I think it’s needs mentioning, I’ll do just that.  The collisions in Shift are brilliant.  While I’d never want to know what it feels like to collide into into a corner at over 100mph, this game makes me feel like I was there.  At first the screen gets blurry where you can hardly tell what’s in front of you when at the same time altering the visuals to show grey images.  Cracking the windshield has been done but Shift’s obstruction of a spider web crack makes you wish you drove more careful.  The circuit tracks are challenging yet rewarding and only show off NFS:Shifts impressive graphics.  And finally unless your playing with a surround sound system, you’re truly missing out on the tire squeals, heartbeat pounding and the eerie sounds of crashing into walls.  Disturbing but I felt I needed a helmet sitting in my living room.

Difficultly behind the wheel. I’ve played other racing games, so I’m familiar with a virtual steering wheel. But Shift is tough. Leaving my settings on Normal handling mode and Easy AI still left me in the dust when I graduated from Tier 1 and raced in Tier 2.  I’m not complaining how tough it is — well maybe a little — but a beginner driver or even casual fan may find that this game is difficult.  In a way, the realistic value for Shift interrupts the “fun value”.

Pros:
Amazing visuals
Road guided arrows
Friend Leaderboard
Trial race sets customizes difficulty
Camera blurs
“Select” button resets car on track

Cons:
Online glitches required power off of console
Load times, PS3 required HDD install
Unreasonable “Warning Cut Track” decisions

Final Thought: There’s a new driver game in the market, and it’s NFS: Shift. The hardcore fans may whimper with some of the lacking details in the game but the casual gamer will enjoy what it has to offer.  True, the game is difficult but what’s a good racing game without a challenge.  In 10 hours you can beat career mode, but like other games that offer online gaming, you’ll want to take your vehicle online.  Careful though, the competition is fierce so don’t pretend to audition for the chauffeur role in Driving Miss Daisy.

8.5/10

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