12
Jul
2009
Battlefield 1943 Review
Overview
Battlefield 1943 is the latest entry on the classic Battlefield franchise, this time developer DICE have decided to take a different approach and make a download only title for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Controls
The controls in BF1943 are the same as other shooters on the consoles like Battlefield: Bad Company and Call of Duty, you aim and shoot with the triggers. You can also take control of different vehicles like jeeps, tanks and airplanes, in here the controls also feel very solid but you will have a hard time maneuvering your bomber.
Graphics
Considering that this game is a downloadable title the graphics are great, the maps are very detailed, the water looks awesome and the explosions on vehicles and airplanes also looks very good. The Frostbite Engine makes a good job to keep the frame rate solid while a lot of action is happening on the screen. Also the character models look good with great animations and very detailed uniforms. Another thing that I liked from the overall presentation of the game is the menus; they are very stylish and work really well.
Gameplay
This aspect of the game doesn’t come with any surprises, it is classic battlefield gameplay so everything that you liked (and hated) of older Battlefield titles is still present in this game; this is not something bad at all, you will still have loads of fun playing this title. Initially there are 3 maps on the game, I say “initially” because DICE added a community challenge where the objective is to reach 43 million kills between all the people that are playing the game, when this happens a new map named Coral Sea will unlock for everyone. The game features 3 different classes (Rifleman, Infantry and Scout) each with different guns, explosives and melee weapons. DICE has managed to balance the whole game adding weaknesses to all the vehicles and the classes.
The Bottom Line
9.0/10
Battlefield 1943 is one of the best titles that have been released on the PSN and the XBLA, it blends great graphics with extremely fun gameplay, resulting in a package that every shooter fan should get.
23
Apr
2009
TPR Preview: Dante’s Inferno: Pros/Cons
Ever since EA first announced their upcoming hack/slash title: Dante’s Inferno, there’s been a lot of talk both good and bad about it. Let me be the first to help clear this up. Like every game, it’s going to have its pros and cons, most of it is going to be speculation from the limited screenshots available and what EA has told us.
Pros:
o Looks good: Graphically, it is a very pretty IP considering it is still in production. The environments are filled with dark, rich colors that almost reminded me of what the Diablo 3 screenshots were like when they were originally release (minus the rainbows). The game currently is running at up to 60fps, but dips down to low points of only 35. Not too shabby!
o It will sell: Especially on 360 since they don’t have GoW3 coming out, 360 owners will see this as the next best thing. EA is making the right moves here, because there is a gap in the market since GoW3 is a PS3 exclusive. They are stepping up to the plate and delivering a multiplatform title that will try to fill that void.
o Great Name: I’m not sure how many loopholes EA had to jump through to secure the rights to this name, but I’m sure it will pay off. I can’t think of a better name to express that this is going to be a mythical hack/slash title that’s going to take you to the depths of Hell and back.
o Good Marketing: Simply because the game is in EA’s hands, this is almost inventible. The marketing team knows that they’re going to be running up against a juggernaut when it comes to God of War 3, so they’ve decided to take a different approach to it as well. The game is also being developed for the PSP. This throws a monkey wrench in the mix that as or right now is a one up on GoW3, but that’s still to be seen.
Cons:
o Unoriginality: This is the biggest criticism that this game is going to get from anyone. It looks, plays, and even feels like a game that should be called GoW 2.5. It also doesn’t help that the giant monsters than have been shown in some of the footage are eerily similar to some of the Titans in the other mythological game that follows along a similar story arch.
o Storyline: Judging from the screenshots and trailers, this game is almost nothing to do with Dante’s epic work of literature. Which makes me confused as to why they pulled the rights for the title in the first place. It is catching, but if you are going to go out of your way to secure a title like this, you might as well use it to it’s full advantage and base the story off of the plotline as well.
This game is looking right now like it will be released some time in 2010. From the little information that is out about it right now, I can’t say that I’m too overly excited, but this is a niche’ market that is slightly lacking at least in the 360 game library. I see this game selling very well on the 360 platform possibly even 3-4x what it sells on the PS3, because there is no reason that a PS3 owner would buy this blatant knock of a title that is exclusive to their console.
Look forward to hearing more information about this title from EA at E3.