From Dust Review–Redhead Reviews

Summer of Arcade’s next title is From Dust. Will it blow away in the wind?

A tsunami is heading for my island. I zoom in closely to see my villagers scared shitless. I gather my powers to build a wall around my island, in hopes of protecting them. In a matter of seconds, I build a wall that not even King Kong himself can climb. That’s when I realize that the tsunami is coming from the other side of the island as well. I’m so screwed.

Story:

From Dust, a game from the developer Eric Chahi, creator of Another World. Given the powers of God, you try and fix your mistakes by changing the world and protecting your villagers. You put out fires, make pathways over lava, and even saving them all from a erupting volcano. It’s true that all of the problems are mine to begin with, but I still have a hell of a lot of fun saving their butts. That’s basically it.

Gameplay:

Your objective is simple. Save the villagers any way to can using the elements. Fire, water, earth, wind, etc. Using these elements and such things as plants, you fix these disasters using your “breath” to collect the elements. They gather up into a ball. The more of the element you have in the ball, the bigger it gets. The balls can get so huge that I would be scared shitless if I were a villager. You simply use these powers to do what is necessary to finish the job. While that’s easy, the rest of the game is insanely complex. You have to come up with strategies that would make military generals look on with confusion. You literally have to think of every variable.

However, even god has faults. The path finding system is horrible. My villagers would sometimes just stop walking, despite the 50 foot wave about to crash down onto his pretty little head. The camera was also a issue at times, but that was no biggie.

Graphics and Audio::

This game is simply gorgeous. From the massive tsunamis to the ever impressive fluid water system, it just stuns me that this is an arcade game. Full retail games would kill for the graphics and engine that From Dust uses. It’s just simply amazing.

The sound is also very well done. It really sounds like you are above a island with all the animal sounds, the crashing of the waves, and even the cries of the villagers as lava seeps into their village.

Overall:

From Dust is a beautiful, well done game. Never before have I loved being a god. It’s extremely fun, but complex at the same time. This complexity can either ruin the game for a player or make them smile with excitement. It’s all about preference. There are a few faults, such as the path finding and story, but that can easily be overlooked.

Score:

8.5 out of 10

From Dust was reviewed on an Xbox 360

Dragon Age 2: Legacy Review

The first expansion of Dragon Age 2 is here!
Legacy starts out with Hawke and the guys trying to find out why a criminal cartel is hunting Hawke. Shortly after you arrive at their hideout, you figure out that they are after your blood. Leaving Kirkwall for the first time ever, you journey through a hideout and eventually make it to a ancient Grey Warden prison in order to find out who is behind the attacks.

Playable at any time in the campaign, you face off against a few new enemies and visit new locations. Being one of the many people that hated the level design in DAII, I felt much better hearing that Legacy had much better environments to offer. However, in the end, I only noticed one or two different dungeons, as well as the same enemies from the original game attacking again and again. There are a few enemies that you will no doubt have seen before, but seeing the genlocks, brontos, and more is a fresh change for the eyes.
Legacy itself can be played in under two hours, with an additional hour doing everything in the DLC. The main quest was a fresh change from the original campaign, and offers more on the main character Hawke, which wasn’t a whole lot. Replay value isn’t really there, however, seeing as you can’t return once it’s over.

Overall, I was  disappointed in this. It wasn’t very long for the price of $10 that it was, and it only slightly touched on Hawke’s background. The dungeons were still the same old same old, and the enemies offered nothing new. Bioware failed me once more. They better not do the same for Mass Effect 3.

Score:

7 out of 10

My Top 10 Games That’s Gonna Put A Dent In My Wallet This Fall

Starting Tuesday when Catherine comes out, it will officially  be the beginning of the great video game season coming out. With Uncharted 3 on the way to Batman: Arkham City set to rock the world, this season is going to be one of the best ever. However, with a price tag of $60.00 for each one of them, it’s going to put a massive dent in your wallet. I hope you have been saving up. I’m trying my best to.

 

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – Release date: November 1st

Uncharted 3 is becoming, if not already, one of the most anticipated games of all time. The video gaming world is giving it all the hype it can give, and coming from a studio that has proved itself over and over again, I’m sure Uncharted 3 will live up to the hype. With an amazing multiplayer (read my preview here) and two other games under its belt, it will shock the video game world forever.

Journey – Release Date: Fall

Remember Flower and Flow? Both were simple, yet brilliant. Journey looks to do that as well. Playstation owners are waiting for this baby to come out. The graphics look amazing, and the simple concept of it makes it a must have.

Battlefield 3 – Release Date:  October 25th

Who needs Modern Warfare 3 when you have Battlefield 3? DICE is always striving for perfection and this will be their masterpiece. Using the latest Frostbite engine, its bent on setting the bar in terms of online FPS’s. With destroyable environments, vehicle combat, and more, Battlefield 3 seems like it will take the FPS crown.

Batman: Arkham City– Release Date: October 18

Arkham Asylum was a unseen hit. With graphics that still blow many games out of the water, Arkham City is looking to be one of the prettiest games ever. Being Mark Hamill’s last hurrah as the Joker, it’s already on its way to becoming a classic.

Catherine– Release Date: July 26th

Being a recent fan of Atlus, Catherine looks to take the title for game with the most unique plot. Playing as a guy struggling between two girls, you solve puzzles that are in his nightmares, as well as helping to chose the girl. Catherine is a must if you want to keep that  gaming collection unique.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim– Release Date: November 11th

Skyrim. Do I really have to say much else?

Saint’s Row: The Third– Release Date: November 15th

Being a long time fan of GTA, Saints Row has always been eh to me. The series always seemed like one of those generic clones of GTA. It seems that THQ is set to change that. Saints Row: The Third is going all out in this one. The game is packed with things to do, which will surely keep everyone playing for a long time to come. Besides, it’s a warm-up until GTA V comes out.

Dead Island– Release Date: September 6th

Left 4 dead is mostly guns versus zombies. Dead Island is every melee weapon you could possibly think of against zombies. What’s not to love?

Rage– Release Date: October 4th

Anyone being a fan of Quake and Doom must have this game. It’s what modern RPG’s should all be like. With amazing graphics and gameplay that will knock you on your ass, Rage will set the standard for modern RPG’s.

Metal Gear Solid HD Collection– Release Date: November 8th

Metal Gear Solid 3 is still one of the favorite games of all time. When I found out about the collection, I about passed out from happiness. With achievements and graphics up to high definition glory, this collection will keep you playing for a long time to come. Three games for less than the price of one. Who can beat that?

 

 

Honorable Mentions:

Star Wars: The Old Republic– Release Date: Fall/Winter

ICO and Shadow of the Colossus Collection – Release date: September 27th

Deus Ex: Human Revolution– Release Date: August 23rd

Gears of War 3– Release Date: September 20th

Redhead Reviews: Bastion Review

Is the first Summer of Arcade game any good?

Story:

As usual, the world needs saving once again. Bastion’s main character is known only as the “The Kid”. He wakes up one morning to the world, well, broken. Guess whose job it is to fix it right back up?

I started this game knowing nothing about it. I saw no trailers or read no reviews. I wanted to get the full effect of this game. The one thing I did know is that it was labeled as a Action RPG. That isn’t the case. Sure, there is XP to be earned and leveling to be done, but that’s it. All it does for you is unlock customization slots. However, I do see why it was labeled as such. It’s a brilliant story character driven narrative. It took me a bit to understand that it was. The story is told by a narrator, one of the best ones in recent memory in my opinion.  The story picks up quickly, gathering allies and defeating evil.

As I said, the story is told only through the narrator. It makes the player feel as if he is telling you a story. The game isn’t totally scripted so when something happens, such as a action or killing a opponent, the narrator will sometimes speak up. It gives a greater sense of immersion.

Gameplay:

Fighting. So much fighting. You want to fix this broken world? Well, you got to fight. There is a customization weapon system that’s decent, but could be better. You have three attack buttons, two weapon and one skill. There are ten types of weapons in the game, allowing you to chose which one fits your needs. The skill is kind of limited, being  almost a special rare attack, but it helps out when needed. However, keep in mind that when a new weapon is found, it will replace the one you currently have equipped. It annoyed me to know end, especially after I found parts for the other weapons I had. There is no inventory for the weapons.

How to get to the fighting and all the pretty art work is through your Bastion. It serves as your world map. It allows you to go out and kill some bad guys. Getting sources of energy increases its size and allows for more exploration of the world. In the Bastion, you are allowed to create buildings to aid you, such as a armory and shops. there are six in all.

Located in the Bastion, there are hidden challenge zones and what are known as “Dream” zones. Challenge zones, as you might have guessed, just offer a challenge with a reward at the end. “Dream” zones basically means “Horde” zones. Try to survive waves of enemies for both money and XP. These aren’t required to finish the game, but it does offer some distraction.

Graphics:

The combat may not be revolutionary, but the art style just might be. It’s gorgeous. Think  Braid only with bright colors. However, those colors soon fade away as you near the end of the game. I honestly paid more attention to the art then to the story and combat itself. What kind of reviewer am I?

 

Overall:

 

Bastion was fun. It was gorgeous, and the story kept me entertained. The combat got boring really fast, and its really only good for one play through then you are done. with it. However, there is a New Game+ mode for those that want to try.

 

Pros:

+Well done story

+Exciting art style

+Bastion map was well done

 

Cons:

-Fighting got repetitive

-Extra content was only average

-Little replayablity

-Weapon system had some faults

 

Overall:

7