Wednesday, February 11, 2009

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin Review


This somewhat scary sequel is a solid shooter, but it can't keep pace with its lauded predecessor.

The Video Review

Alma's brings back the F.E.A.R in this video review for Project Origin.

The Good

  • Slow-motion shootouts are good, gory fun
  • Mech sequences provide welcome variety
  • Some cool, spooky imagery.

The Bad

  • Story offers little mystery or suspense
  • Cliched random scares and level design
  • Multiplayer is drab and disappointing.

The image of a pasty-skinned, greasy-haired young girl has become an iconic image in horror films like The Ring, and the original F.E.A.R. introduced a similar figure with great success. Of course, that game gave its ghostly visions a chilling context, drawing you into the unnerving story of a paranormal prodigy named Alma and the horrific suffering to which she was subjected. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin returns to this fertile universe, but rather than scrutinize even darker reaches of the soul, it merely skims the surface, offering up a series of eerie visions without delivering a good mystery to bind them together. The good news for shooter fans is that the bullet-blasting core of the experience is sound, propelling you forward with enough intensity to keep the single-player campaign engaging. Most of what's here has been done better before, but the unspectacular elements have been stitched into an enjoyably moody first-person shooter that relies on rock-solid mechanics rather than true inspiration.

After a short exposition, F.E.A.R. 2 picks up where the original left off--with a bang. The city is in tatters, and as Michael Becket of Delta Force, it is up to you and your squadmates to capture the elusive Genevieve Aristide, president of the nefarious Armacham Technology Corporation. Too much description would risk spoiling the game's few surprises, which are better experienced than narrated, though as it happens, there are few enigmas to unravel. F.E.A.R. 2's story paints itself into a corner, offering very little new to players already familiar with the Project Origin referred to in the title, and nothing compelling enough to wrap newcomers into its fold. With Alma now a known quantity, paranormal secrecy has been replaced by a series of near-cliche bump-in-the-night scares and murky visions that do the unthinkable where a horror-themed game is concerned: They become predictable.

Because the pacing and story layout of the game can be a bit predictable at times, F.E.A.R. 2’s real scares come from its atmosphere--and this actually works, sometimes. Expect to jump out of your seat on occasion, when your flashlight flickers and ghostly visages surround you, or when staccato orchestral chords signal the emergence of abominations as they break free from their confining cells. Other attempts at scares just seem stale, given that the game's pacing and level design foreshadow these encounters, therefore emasculating the necessary sense of surprise. However, the excellent sound design is never to blame. A variety of creaks and groans gives ebb and flow to the sense of tension, and musical swells and increasingly hectic clatters and clangs will get your pulse pounding when needed. Unfortunately, the visuals don't paint a picture dour enough to match. Some areas are shrouded with moody environmental shadows, in which light and dark contrast to excellent effect. In other levels, the lack of ambient lighting and accompanying silhouettes are noticeable, and the surrounding frights just feel flaccid. F.E.A.R. 2 simply doesn't match its FPS peers from a technical perspective, so though it looks good, the simple textures, inconsistent shadows, and occasional clipping and other glitches detract from the atmosphere.

The level design also falls victim to a fair bit of predictability, though to F.E.A.R. 2's credit, you'll break away from the endless office corridors of the original and journey through a greater variety of environments. These areas are usually just as claustrophobic, but they won't often deliver that spine-tingling fear of the specters lurking beyond the reach of your flashlight. Trekking through the rubble of decaying city streets is a good change of pace, but the ultraconvenient manner in which the debris holds you to your narrow path is a familiar design ploy. Similarly, there's no more excitement to be found in F.E.A.R. 2's same-old subway than that of any other game. It's at its best when it leaves these stale tropes behind and builds on its roots as a corridor shooter, such as in a nail-biting sojourn through the halls of an elementary school that hides unspeakable horrors. Entering a dusky music classroom to find a hideous mutant pounding on the keys of a piano with abandon is a singular moment, and the ensuing battles are ripe and exhilarating reminders of the series' explosive origins.

Those same inhuman atrocities will spawn clones while emitting ear-splitting, disorienting roars, and others scurry about at super speeds--though as it happens, you've got a helpful skill at your disposal that helps manage nimble and sluggish foes alike. Like the protagonist of F.E.A.R., you can activate reflex time, which slows the action to a crawl and lets you battle your enemies in a bullet-time ballet. You've seen a similar mechanic a lot by now, but it's skillfully done here. Grenade explosions create impressive visual distortions, bullets leave an airstream in their wake, and spoken dialogue and sound effects grind to a muffled crawl. Landing headshots in reflex time is particularly enjoyable and gives F.E.A.R. 2's gruesome levels of violence a temporary starring role. Foes erupt in red gushers, staining the walls with blood and flailing around in their final moments, an effect made even more effective by robust (and occasionally oversensitive) rag-doll animations.

Your instruments of destruction aren't spectacular, but they're varied enough to make shooting a pleasure, even when the flow of time takes its normal path. The two shotguns are particular delights; they feel weighty and dispatch most enemies with a single bloody blast to the noggin. The hammerhead is another delight, filling your foes with neon barbs and potentially affixing them to the wall behind. However, shooter fans should consider playing at higher difficulty levels, given that F.E.A.R. 2 feels noticeably easier than its predecessor.

The AI can offer occasional challenges, particularly in levels featuring intersecting corridors in which human enemies will flank you, use cover effectively, and tumble to the side should they find themselves gazing down the barrel of your automatic shotgun. They will also tip over furniture or other objects and use them as cover (a trick you can use, though will likely never need). However, enemy behavior is inconsistent; a table-tipping guard may not follow through, running away from his improvised cover rather than ducking behind it. Some enemies will blindly fire from behind low obstacles but may also do so when in plain view. The best adversaries are those not governed by rules of human behavior, such as ethereal foes that take shape as you enter reflex time. And in some cases, your enemies are so visually elusive that you're better off finding a way out of the dark environs that spawn them.

The cool melee attacks of the first F.E.A.R. are gone, but other varied gameplay mechanics are here to fill the gaps. The most notable additions are a couple of armored-suit sequences in which you climb into a giant metal mech and riddle your attackers with machine-gun spray and rockets. These sequences aren't tough--you're a powerful death machine plowing down your weakling foes--but the mech controls nicely and you'll be treated to some impressive displays of environmental destruction and general chaos. You can move through these areas on foot if you like, so these levels do offer a bit of replay value, though you should take great pains to wreak fun robotic havoc when given the possibility. You'll also take control of the turret atop the squad's armored vehicle, but this weapon isn't all that enjoyable to use, and these bits feel like filler.

F.E.A.R. 2's multiplayer component also feels like filler, and though we've come to expect online play from most of our shooters, there's nothing special about this suite of lackluster options. For fans of the original, the most notable omission is that of the slow-motion modes, which brought reflex time into an online arena and made for some clever and enjoyable showdowns. Without these modes, F.E.A.R. 2 feels a bit hollow online, serving up helpings of Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, a couple of Conquest variants, Capture the Flag, and a mode called Failsafe that owes a large debt to Counter-Strike. The best of these is Armored Front, in which a player on each team can hop into one of those robotic exoskeletons while his or her teammates capture control points. Otherwise, the shooting mechanics don't translate as well to a multiplayer environment, and the by-the-numbers levels are unimpressive. You have the ability to customize your loadout and level up in ranked matches, but this just isn't enough to breathe life into the musty online play.

You'll get the occasional heebie-jeebies from F.E.A.R. 2, but the magic of the first game hasn't been re-created here. It’s true that some of the changes in the new game seem like they were intended to address criticism of the first F.E.A.R.: tedious and claustrophobic environments, lack of enemy variety, and so on. Sadly, though these changes were made, the resulting sequel, while fun and well-crafted, seems to have lost sight of the strengths that made its predecessor so unique. Nevertheless, playing F.E.A.R. 2 is a worthwhile way to pass the time while we wait for the inevitable next installment.

Friday, February 6, 2009

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Hands-On

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Hands-On

We slice, dice, pounce, and heal in Activision and Raven's upcoming Wolverine action game.

Interview

Get a glimpse at the design behind X-Men Origins: Wolverine in this interview.

We've been anxious to get our hands on Raven Software's upcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine game since getting the rundown on the promising game from our Australian compadres. As longtime comic-book fans, we've pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that Wolverine would likely always be neutered in some fashion as far as games were concerned. A slightly mental Canadian killing machine with a short temper, an indestructible metal skeleton with matching claws, and the ability to heal just about any wound doesn't fit into your standard game archetype. That said, Raven seems to be finding its way with its upcoming take on the mighty mutant. We had the chance to get our hands on a few levels of the Xbox 360 version of the game and were very happy with where Raven's going with the game.

We had the chance to try out four levels--Jungle, Alkali, Spillway, and Agent Zero--that let us get a proper feel for the upcoming M-rated action game. As we noted in our last look, Raven isn't shying away from Wolvie's penchant for slicing, dicing, and general goring. The jungle level was, wait for it, set in a jungle filled with mercenary types eager to perforate everyone's favorite Canadian mutant. The level is essentially the start of the adventure and featured the expected tutorial messages to walk you through Wolverine's move list. Although the game features an experience and leveling system that will amp up your various attacks and abilities, we're pleased to report that Logan doesn't feel neutered at the start of the game. You'll be able to kick butt with a respectable amount of bad assery using normal and heavy attacks, grabs, and, what is easily our favorite move, the pounce attack. The level kicks off with a cinematic that shows our boy heading off to a mission in a helicopter that is eventually shot down. At that point you take control of Wolverine as he falls to the ground in a pseudo-skydiving sequence, sans parachute. Thankfully, if you're able to aim your fall properly, your landing will be cushioned by an unfortunate merc who definitely should have stayed in bed that day. Once you're on the ground, you'll guide the clawed Canuck through the jungle, slicing and dicing your way through the enemy forces like a hot knife through butter. The action varies from down-and-dirty combat--which finds you facing mobs of foes that you deal with by using attacks, grabs, throws, and the environment (such as throwable or exploding objects as well as unique kill spots)--to stealthier bits in which you sneak up behind unsuspecting saps and gut them up close and personal.

The level also let us try out the incredibly satisfying finishing moves that reward timed button presses with shudder-inducing cinematics of gory death. Aside from the basics, the game features dodge and counter systems to let you avoid or reverse attacks. As if that wasn't enough, Wolverine's healing factor and enhanced senses are used very smartly. The healing factor does what you'd expect and heals a fair amount of the damage that you receive, letting you go toe to toe with some heavily armed enemies. That said, there are some limits to how much it can save you, and an onscreen bar will let you know if you've taken too much damage and have to hide for a bit to heal up. Once your healing-factor bar is whittled down, your proper health starts to go rather quickly when you're attacked, which can lead to death if you're not careful. Wolverine's enhanced senses, triggered by hitting up on the D pad, show you the world through a blue filter and let you see useful areas to climb, direct you where to go next, and even let you spot hidden or cloaked enemies. Honestly, we can't go on enough about how well all of the systems capture Wolverine's abilities. Unlike other games that have taken a stab, pun intended, at capturing the mutant, this one doesn't feel like it has compromised much for the sake of a game formula.

As you take out enemies in the various creative ways that the game affords you, you'll earn experience that will enhance different attacks, abilities, and attributes for the surly antihero. In the work-in-progress version of the game that we played, this also meant that Wolvie would spontaneously sprout a spanking-clean tank top every time he leveled, which was a funny sight to see. Given how much punishment he takes, Wolverine's clothes take a pretty hefty beating. As much of a badass as Wolvie is, gaining levels is essential because the enemies that you face become smarter and much more powerful, and some even have superpowers, which forces you to fight smartly as the game progresses.

The Alkali level found our boy punching his way out of a military installation (which is something he seems to do awfully frequently) and facing off against assorted soldiers determined to keep him in. The level is a bit further into the game and showed off the enhanced combo attacks that Wolvie can do. We have to say that we were really pleased by the flexibility of the combat system and the different death-dealing options available to the creative player. Timed deflection of bullets and unique pounce combos are very cool things that we discovered while playing.

The deflection mechanic is key for the Spillway level, which follows Wolverine as he tries to beat an oncoming rush of water by leaping onto moving jeeps that are also trying to get out of the rush of liquid. Pouncing your way from car to car is essential, but after a few cars your foes take to shooting rockets at you. Although the incoming projectiles are almost impossible to dodge, especially if you're in midpounce, you can clear your way through without much fuss if you wait until you're shot at and then simply deflect them back at your enemies. The timing on the deflection takes some getting used to, but it's a breeze once you master it.

The Agent Zero level plays a bit with the skydiving section that we saw at the start of the game and has you leaping in the air between moving helicopters. Though the concept is somewhat similar in spirit to the Spillway level, the gameplay is very different and fun. Once you make it onto a helicopter, you'll have to dodge gunfire from the pilots, who can pretty much guess what's coming once you land on their copter, and do enough damage to fell the vehicle. As the helicopter you're currently on goes down, you'll have to leap and control your fall to the next one. Pro tip for prospective players: avoid the rotors while landing, trust us. The last helicopter that you land on, with Agent Zero on it, changes up the mechanic some and has you shoving Wolvie's claws into the moving rotors to jack them up. The sequence is tricky but very satisfying when over.

As far as the story goes, the game has some ties to the movie but does its own thing in a number of places. The action is a mix of flashback and present-day events that follow chunks of Wolverine's unique life. Although we weren't able to get a full grip on what was going on because we jumped around a bit in the game for the various levels, suffice it to say that our boy has led a rough life. The dedicated CG cinematic sequences as well as the interactive cinematics in which you take control of Logan are looking quite good and should please comic and movie fans.

In terms of the game's look, the visuals are coming together greatly, with Wolvie looking very much like Hugh Jackman. This is especially true in the sweet cinematics done by Blur, the same group responsible for the movies in the original Marvel Ultimate Alliance. The environments and effects are all looking very sharp. We like the effects used for his enhanced-senses vision, and we can't go on enough about the inventive displays of gore, especially the finishers. The lovefest also extends to the way that the game shows off Logan's healing factor. Raven is using a procedural effect for how it displays on his body; you'll see him get progressively perforated, even to the point where there's some decent-sized holes in his skin that you can see through, exposing the adamantium skeleton. Once he starts to heal, the various wounds and holes will slowly close, shifting to gashes, then bruises, and then returning to normal. Not only does it look cool, but it also nails the way that his abilities have been shown in the comics. Key to our enjoyment of all of this has been the game's frame rate, which is fast and smooth. There's nothing worse than getting your killing groove on only to be brought to an awkward stutter by a choppy frame rate. That said, there are definitely some issues with the game's camera, which, if you go on a pouncing and killing frenzy, can make it tough to follow the action.

The audio is coming along well and serves as a good complement to the action. You'll hear plenty of satisfying snikts and claw effects as you go about your business. The same is true for weapon fire and ambient effects, such as grown men dying and some shouting of orders tossed in. The game's score definitely has a sweeping feel to it in spots, which is perfect for setting tone and harkens to the film. Hugh Jackman is on hand to voice Wolverine, which helps give the game that extra layer of cred.

Based on what we played, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is the closest that we've ever seen a game come to delivering the Wolverine experience that we've wanted. The combat is brutal and fast, and his powers are represented authentically. Although we're hoping that the problematic camera can be tightened up, the sheer fun of gutting fools is there. Movie and comic-book fans will most definitely want to check out Wolverine when it ships this May for the Nintendo DS, PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP, and Wii in time with the movie. Look for more on the game in the coming months.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Super Bowl Sim, Plus First Madden 2010 Details

Quite the Super Bowl, huh? I honestly had given up on that game about midway through the third quarter, only to be pleasantly surprised with a Cardinals comeback and a great Steelers win. It wasn't the best Super Bowl of recent years but it was entertaining and turned into tightly contested game. My prediction from Friday wasn't that far off the mark, as it turned out.

And speaking of predictions, while I normally avoid "Madden sim" stories like the plague, this year's EA Sports-run Super Bowl simulation with Madden NFL 09 turned out to be pretty darn accurate. Check out these numbers

Ben Roethlisberger
Sim: 21/28 for 286 yards
Real game: 21/30 for 256 yards

Kurt Warner
Sim: 27/38 for241 yards
Real game: 31/43 for 377 yards

Santonio Holmes
Sim: 8 catches for 131 yards
Real game: 9 catches for 131 yards

Larry Fitzgerald
Sim: 9 catches for 105 yards
Real game: 7 catches for 127 yards

Score at Halftime
Sim: 21-7 Steelers
Real game: 17-7 Steelers

Final Score
Sim: 28-24 Steelers
Real game: 27-23

Nice job, fake football game!

Of course, the real Madden news out of Super Bowl XLIII was the halftime posting of the first details on Madden NFL 10 on the EA Sports blog. In the post, Ian Cummings, lead designer on Madden NFL 10shows off a new technology that will make its way into the game, and into other EA Sports games this year: procedural awareness. As I understand it, PA allows for an in-game character to accurately follow something--a ball, a defender, a receiver--in a way that doesn't require canned animations; instead, it's generated on the fly by the game engine. As Cummings defines it:

"Alright, so what's Procedural Awareness in a nutshell? 'The ability to procedurally manipulate the spine, neck, head, and eyes on a player in the game; and also add layers of emotion/attitudes on top of those manipulations'."

There's no in-game footage of Madden NFL 10 using the PA system yet, but there is a pretty cool tech demo that shows a rough quarterback model turning his gaze to four illuminated objects in sequence. At one point, as the object is moved by a mouse cursor, the QB's head moves accordingly left, right, up, and down. It's pretty easy to expand that out to how a virtual Ben Roethlisberger might follow his receivers along their routes, running through his progressions until the player choose someone to throw to. As Cummings says in the blog:

"This is definitely pretty cool stuff…we can tune how fast the player switches between different targets, and then also how he behaves when he locks on and follows a target. You can already envision this being used by DB's and WR's when the ball is thrown, QB's as they go through progressions, safeties as they drop in zone, and obviously many more cases. In terms of visual fidelity, PA is also a major step up from any other normal IK head tracking solution."

A second video on the page shows a more fleshed out model of Dwyane Wade following objects, complete with eye blinking and realistic-looking neck movement. A third shows a video of ways to use the PA system to generate facial animations procedurally, which seems like it be a handy way to add more emotion to a sports sim (like after a DB gets burned by a speedy wideout) but also seems like it has uses in many other game genres as well.

So, a bit of a tech demo for our first look at the game and it's only the beginning of our six-month wait until the next version of Madden. In the meantime, I'd suggest EA thinks about changing the name of the game. What, after all, is wrong with 'Madden NFL 2010'?

What do you think of Procedural Awareness and how do you think it can be implemented in Madden to improve this year's game?

Sony should build the next Xbox


We all know that being being a console manufacturer is a capital intensive business. The fact that there are only three companies currently in the business shows just how much of an investment it takes. Now that the world is dealing with a massive economic downturn the cost must pinch that much more. At the turn of the year we had plenty of stories about how the video game industry is recession proof. That belief appeared to be borne out by record breaking sales over the past Holiday season. All three platform holders, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have boasted about their performance recently. Recession? What recession, seemed to be the message sent out by the sales figures. However, fast-forward a few weeks and the picture seems to have changed somewhat. Both Microsoft and Sony are talking about massive lay-offs and/or closure of entire divisions. Hardly the actions of recession proof companies.
Meanwhile, despite a recently disclosed drop in profits the money is still pouring in for Nintendo. The foreseeable future looks assured for Nintendo as both the Wii and DS continue to set sales records and three-year old software like Mario Kart DS still riding high in the charts. In truth, it appears that Nintendo are the only recession proof company in the industry. Now lets assume that Sony wants back on top of the industry and Microsoft want to get there for the first time. What would they have to do to achieve this? Remember that with both companies so far behind and only falling further, it would have to be something very drastic. I think, and here comes the crazy bit, that Sony should build a new console in partnership with Microsoft. With the combined expertise of both companies, what could go wrong? Well quite a lot probably but lets ignore that for now. The division of work would be the most important decision, so who would do what exactly?
I might as well just say it; Sony make better hardware than Microsoft. That statement is hard to argue against for several reasons. Not least among them is the reliability of a console and the PlayStation 3 (PS3) is certainly a more reliable machine than the Xbox 360. The Red Ring of Death (RRoD) is a problem that has plagued the 360 since it's launch in 2005 and it is only recently with the Jasper configuration that Microsoft has gotten on top of it. The PS3 also runs quieter than the 360, which is nice considering it is likely housed in your living room. Coupled with greater reliability and quieter running is the fact that it is more fully featured (built-in WiFi) and more advanced than the 360. The PS3 launched with the then cutting-edge Blu-ray drive as standard, while the 360 is stuck with the tried and trusted (some would say limited) DVD format. When it comes to graphical and processing power it is more difficult to declare a clear cut winner. I could talk ad nauseam about Cell Processors or Tri-Core Xenon Processors but there seems no point. More technically minded people than myself have argued this point at length and have not yet come up with a definitive answer. I am going to side with the PS3 for one simple reason, Killzone 2. This game is without doubt the best looking game on any console at the moment and the 360 does not have a game of comparable graphical quality. Finally, the design of the console itself is a more subjective issue but I believe that the PS3 is an infinitely more appealing design than that of the 360. It is just a sleeker, sexier looking machine.
At this point I'm pretty sure you are all think this article is nothing more than the ramblings of a rabid Sony fanboy but it isn't. Microsoft would have an equally vital role to play in the alliance – marketing and online services. Microsoft have done a remarkable job of marketing the 360, they really do seem to have their finger on the pulse of this gaming generation. As a perfect example, look at the way they handled the RRoD debacle. They emerged from the issue virtually unscathed in terms of sales. How many other companies could handle such a situation so well? They also know how to properly support a game, via marketing and turn a release into a full blown event. The release of Halo 3, was guaranteed to be big but with the might of the Microsoft machine behind it it became a phenomenon. Compare that release to the one that Sony is currently orchestrating for Killzone 2, the most important PS3 release this year. No contest here really. We should be seeing Killzone 2 everywhere we look at the moment but we don't. With some of the Microsoft magic, this game would get the launch it deserves and needs to become a blockbuster.
There is also the issue of the way that Sony is perceived. Either fairly or unfairly they appear to have developed a reputation for being arrogant towards both developers and consumers. They may have abused their position of dominance during the PSOne and PS2 era by not being as accommodating towards developers as perhaps they could have been. Meanwhile Microsoft have gone out of their way to listen to and please developers by making the platform easy to develop on. As a result, the consensus seems to be that 360 is the preferred development platform. There are also charming public utterances such as, “for consumers to think to themselves 'I will work more hours to buy one'”. This comment from Ken Kutaragi regarding the high-price point of the PS3 at launch does little for the public perception of Sony. For this reason, Microsoft would play the main role in selling the console, while Sony would concentrate on building a console to match expectations. As a nice little added bonus for Microsoft they would save themselves a small fortune by retiring the money-hat they use to bribe developers to secure exclusive content over Sony.
Okay, time for a little reality check. I am aware, as I am sure you are too that none of what you have been reading is ever likely to happen. This article is merely intended as an exercise in thinking outside the box for two reasons. How can both companies provide more value to the consumer and genuinely compete with Nintendo for top spot, all in a very tough economic climate? Crazy as it sounds, I do believe that it could work, certainly it would be beneficial to the consumer. Among the many benefits would be piece of mind when choosing a console as there would be no need to worry about platform exclusive games and/or DLC. One question remains, what would they call such a machine?

X360