Cam's Eye View: 3D Dot Game Heroes for the PS3 review

Ah, yes, Legend of Zelda, the first game in the long running Nintendo franchise to appear on the NES and still considered a classic. It had an open-ended world, great music, fun gameplay. Then, Link to the Past came out, and it was awesome and was the number 1 game for the SNES 5 years running. It’s hard to beat that. Then we also have games like Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and Ages, Four Sword Adventure, Phantom Hour Glass, Spirit Tracks, and the Minish Cap that kept the top-down perspective and are really good games. However, today we are not talking about Zelda. You might be asking, “ Then why did I take up minutes of your time and nostalgia talking about Zelda when I am not reviewing a Zelda game?” Well, before I answer that, let me just say you won’t get those minutes back, though I will say that we will be talking about a game that took the Zelda formula and slapped it on a different console. No, I am not talking about Legendary Axe or Final Fantasy Adventure. No, this is much more recent. The Zelda formula this time was put on a PS3, and called 3D Dot Game Heroes! While you can say it isn’t an original game, I think it has a pretty original concept being a parody of the old NES and SNES adventure games of the time. It definitely stands out as a game that deserves to be in the top 20 PS3 games. Well, maybe in the top 10 for me personally. So let’s dive into a 2D world that’s gone 3D, and review 3D Dot Game Heroes.

The main story in 3D Dot Game Heroes takes place in a fictional 8-bit world called Dotnia. It tells of an evil being that was sealed away by a brave hero in the past. Fast forward years later, and the king has finally had it with being 8-bit, and decides to go 3D 8-bit! It’s hard to explain. When all of Dotnia was turned into 3D, the evil being was released. Seems like they forgot to lock the jail door or something as he now plagues the land of Dotnia. It is up to a lone hero to get all 6 sages and fight the evil being and lock him away once and for all! It’s a basic story that doesn’t take itself seriously, so just like Deathspank, you shouldn’t take it seriously either.

The gameplay in this game takes the form of action adventure games like Zelda, Final Fantasy Adventure, Legendary Axe, but mostly Zelda. You go around finding swords, solving simple puzzles from the 8-bit days of action adventure games, fight giant bosses, and find unique items to help get through the huge overworld. Of course, with games like A Link to the Past, there are side quests to be completed so you can get more health or weapons. Another thing to note is when you have perfect health, your sword is huge, and depending on which ones you get, can pierce through walls and do a spin attack faster. You can also go to the blacksmith in certain towns, and upgrade your sword’s size and length. Another main form of attack is the magic you get after meeting each sage, but it is kind of overshadowed by the main hero’s huge sword. I’ll let you come up with a sex joke for yourself with that last message. The final thing I need to mention is that you can create your own hero or choose from a selection of already made characters.

The graphics are really unique. Everything is made with little squares or called bits. When I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING is made of tiny blocks. Even the water is made of little blocks and it definitely looks like an NES game with a 3D face-lift. The creature design is clever and some even look like they were taken right from an 8-bit Zelda game. I also like the heavy amount of game references that you see in the game. It gives the game a comedic edge. I bet you that old gamers can find a lot of references and find them really funny. Like I said, you shouldn’t take this game’s story seriously, kind of like Deathspank. The music is also well done with some pretty catchy tunes mixed with bleeps and bloops to give it a very unique feel, but it does get repetitious so be prepared. I also like how everyone’s movements are like two frames of animation, which reminds me of games like Zelda. The game is right in the middle of difficulty, but I’ll talk more about it in the paragraph below.

It’s time now to talk about the bad parts of this game. While I said the difficulty is in the middle, sometimes the game can be downright tedious. I know the main point of adventure games is to talk to EVERYONE, but it’s hard since the text is too small unless you have an HD television, or else you won’t know what they need you to do. I also find the attack movements of the main hero limited. I know it’s supposed to be a tribute to old games and such, but it makes the game a tiny bit more difficult than it should be. I also find it annoying that even though you can save anytime, I recommend you save inside a village inn or else you will start right back in the middle of the overworld. My final complaint comes from a common one I have with a lot of games that everything is way too expensive, and you don’t get that much money unless you slay a boss. I don’t like it where the first game in the series has items that are way too expensive to get.

Overall though, 3D Dot Game Heroes is a wonderful PS3 game that I would recommend to ANYONE who has a PS3 or the love for old-fashioned action adventure games. I say, if you want to buy it, wait for it to go down in price then pick it up, but in the meantime, rent it and play it for yourself. It’s really fun to play, and I enjoyed my time with the game. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

This game gets an 8 out of 10



Cam's Eye View: Red Dead Redemption for the PS3/360 review

Recently, I have wanted to see a lot of western films. I want to see films like Tombstone, Unforgiven, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, that one awesome Samurai Jack episode parodying that last film I mentioned, and you get the idea. I have also been wanting to play some western-set games like Samurai Western, Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, and even a game I am currently playing called Wild Arms. Overall though, I want to play a really good western game. I am still currently playing Wild Guns, so don’t email me about that game. I also wanted to find a copy of Sunset Riders for the SNES, but there is one game from Rockstar that has gotten critical acclaim and I have actually been looking forward to reviewing it. What is that game? GRAND THEFT AUTO 4! No, I’m kidding. It’s Red Dead Redemption. That is right, people. I am actually going to play a Rockstar game. Don’t get your hopes up since I don’t really care much for Grand Theft Auto series, but I just like the idea of a free-roaming open world set in the Wild West. I mean, who didn’t want to be a cowboy when they were a young kid? It was like one of the big fantasies next to being a cop and a firefighter. Heck, sometimes I dream of being in those stand-offs and then wake up right when I hit the guy with a bullet. So, let’s put on our ten-gallon hats, get on our horse and ride into Red Dead Redemption!

The main story centers around bounty hunter John Marston who is sent to New Austin to kill members of his old gang he used to be a part of. If he doesn’t, the government will never release his wife and son back to him. This story is unique, since it’s like watching a marathon of western films all in one game. Granted, the beginning can be a bit sluggish in pace, but once you get going, the game sets you in an interesting world with great and memorable characters.

The gameplay is of a third person sandbox game that stretches through New Austin to Mexico, as you ride around stopping robberies, saving civilians, taking down bounties, skinning animals, playing poker, shooting down powerful men, and doing anything you want. Like I said, this is a Rockstar game, so this will give you A LOT to do since it will take about 30 hours or even more to do everything. John Marston’s main forms of attack are multiple varieties of guns, like a sniper rifle, rifle, handgun, and shotgun, to name a few. You can hoof it through the entire game by foot, but it’s more fun to grab yourself a horse and ride around. Sometimes, you will be able to ride on carriages to either get to locations or to defend people. On your down time outside the main missions, you can do multiple side quests like I listed above. You can collect bounties, play a lot of gambling games, or just take care of random encounters. You can also kill or capture animals to skin them and sell the meat and fur to shops to buy items and more guns. While gun fighting, you can slow down time and choose multiple targets and then shoot them all down like they were nothing! Outside of the main game, you can go online and do mostly the same stuff you can do in the main game, but with more people, like multiplayer poker, horse racing, shootouts, and liar’s dice. You will be getting a lot of playtime that is worth the price tag.

The graphics are pretty impressive with everything getting a lot of detail and shine. There are a lot of funny little glitches from time to time, and they are fun to find also. The voice acting is top notch as everyone sounds like they are supposed to, with not a lot of hiccups in the script. I also like the animation on everyone since it looks like everyone was motion-captured, including some of the animals. Horse riding during the sunrise in the game is so much fun. I have good memories of just running through the sunrise on the back of your horse to get to your family. The music is also nice to listen to, like stuff you would hear in a western film with a few songs that are pretty cool to listen to when you’re in certain areas of the game.

This is a pretty good package with very few low points that I am going to address. One thing I just don’t like about the game is its pacing. It just seems rather slow, and I don’t mind it most of the time, but it’s a really REALLY long game, and it just seems like some points in the story could have been easily cut out, since in my opinion, some areas didn’t really progress the story that much. From my time of playing it, I thought it never ended. It goes like this 1. You go kill a bad guy, 2. You go kill another bad guy, 3. You think you’re going home, but you then are forced to kill the main leader of the bad guys, 4, You think you have finally beat the game, you see your family, but you still do work around the family farm. Does this game ever end? It does, but it just seems like there could have been some way to make the official ending where you meet up with the family. It’s a little overwhelming how long the story is, and I just wanted to get it done. It also doesn’t help that most missions are time-based, meaning you have to be there at a specific time to do that mission. It’s just tedious and, in my humble opinion, not that fun to wait around. Well, there you have it. My review of Red Dead Redemption. It’s a good game with a lot of things going for it. You will definitely get major playtime for the price tag, so I say go get it unless they come up with a gold edition or something. Overall, it was really good and I wonder if there will be a sequel for this game. For the time being though, I won’t touch the game for a while. Thanks for reading and have a good day.

This game gets a solid 9 out of 10



Gaming with Killatia Front Mission Evolve

For the first time in god knows how long Killatia plays a very disappointing game by the name of Front Mission Evolve.

Cam's Eye View: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves for the PS3 review

2009, while having a lot of great games, wasn’t as big as 2007, with releases like Super Mario Galaxy and Bioshock to name a few that defined 2007. However, we did get a lot of A-list titles like Infamous, Prototype, Punch Out!!, Ratchet and Clank Future: a Crack in Time, Muramasa: the Demon Blade, New Super Mario Brothers Wii, Left 4 Dead 2, Brutal Legend, Assassin’s Creed 2, and of course, Batman Arkham Asylum. While those are all great games in their respective genre, one game kind of took over the spotlight for the title for Game of the Year. What is this game that took the world and critics by storm as the best game of 2009? Well, this title is just simply known as Sonic and the Black Knight. No, I’m kidding. That game sucked. The actual name of the game is called Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. I have never seen such critical acclaim for a third person shooter. I mean, I enjoyed the first Uncharted even with its small faults that held it back, but check these awards out that this game has won. Best PS3 game of E3 2009 by 1UP.com, Best Third Person Shooter, Best Graphics, Best Story, and Best Single Player Campaign by Gametrailers.com, and multiple Game of the Year awards from other sites and magazines. Gosh dang, this game better be as amazing as everyone says it is. Let’s dive right into what people consider one of the single best PS3 games of all time.

The story takes place with Nathan Drake waking up in a train car, hanging off the side of a mountain in Nepal. It then turns to flashbacks to show what happened to Nathan Drake to get to where he is now. It turns out that he has teamed up with two old companions to find the lost treasure of Marco Polo. However, during this adventure Nathan encounters betrayal, and has to get the treasure while trying not to get killed by a psychopath named Zoran Lazarevic. It then turns into a race to the treasure, kind of like how the Indiana Jones films are set up, except I think I prefer this story to the Indiana Jones films though. While not an original idea, since like I said, it’s like Romancing the Stone or the Indiana Jones franchise, but it works and it is executed really well. Now, I am going to go in-depth with the story of a minute so I don’t care if I spoil it for people who haven’t played this game. The thing with the first game was that it was a good story, but in the end, the twist was, I think, not that good. Don’t get me wrong. Nathan realizing that people who touch the El Dorado statue turn into zombie vampire things is an interesting twist, but I didn’t like it. The same kind of twist happens here in Among Thieves. Nathan is actually trying to find this giant gemstone that Marco Polo found, but then he realizes that the gemstone isn’t really a stone. It turns out that the gemstone is actually blue amber from the tree of life. What happens this time is people who eat the amber turn into these buff blue warriors who guard the tree of life. Now, what I like about this is that it’s a little more reasonable twist than the twist in Uncharted, where it turned the crew of Nathan’s ancestor into creatures. I was expecting something more like the Aztec Indians that were still alive in the final area of the game. It just made me feel like I was playing Resident Evil 4 or 5. In Uncharted 2 however, I think its handled more, since the blue warriors are still strong, but don’t overwhelm you in numbers like in the last game. The story is also longer which means the game is longer, which is always a bonus. Give me a long story over multiplayer any day.

The gameplay featured in Uncharted is more of the same stuff that you would do in the first game. You go around solving environmental puzzles, collecting treasure, platforming, and shooting enemies. The shooting is, of course, done in Gears of War-style third person shooting. It’s basic, but it works well, unlike Dark Void. Another interesting gimmick that the game has added is stealth, but it’s not all perfect, and I will explain later. The fist-to-fist combat has also been fixed better, and it works really well. The multiplayer is nothing that I have ever seen in a game. I have played some Modern Warfare online, but I think Uncharted 2 blows Modern Warfare’s multiplayer out of the water. You get a lot of variety in online modes like a 3 person co-op campaign mode, variations of capture the flag, Horde, and other multiplayer modes that you can find on other shooters. Recently, like a few months back, they have come out with more maps and a new siege mode, but I haven’t been able to play that, so I can’t talk much about it.

The graphics in the game are just amazing. It’s definitely right up there with games like God of War 3 and Heavy Rain, which happens to be two of my favorite games of all time. It is amazing to see all the details, like Drake’s legs getting covered in snow, or when his whole body goes in the water. They put a lot of hard work in this sequel and it shows. The only thing that would be more amazing is after beating each chapter or for each amazing graphical detail you can spot, you would get 100 dollars. The voice acting is also very well done with, of course, Nolan North, Emily Rose, and Richard McGonagle returning in their respective roles, and new actors like Claudia Black, Steve Valentine, and Graham McTavish doing, in order, Chloe Frazer, Harry Flynn, and Zoran Lazerevic. The humor in the game is good, but sometimes it is downright hilarious. Another great thing about the acting is that the script is written so well that you get enlightened by everyone’s past relationship with each other without it being shoved in your face like other games. Overall, the presentation is one of the best I have ever seen on a single game. The music is once again amazing, and I just love it. Composer Greg Edmonson who is famous for the soundtrack for Firefly once again does an amazing job with this game’s soundtrack.

However, there are some chinks in this game’s strong defense that kind of bothers me. The intelligence in the enemies is really questionable. During the stealth segments, it seems like the enemies are just stupid not to notice you’re right there next to them. Granted, the blue Avatar buff enemies are smarter and will come at you with force, but it doesn’t make up for the rest of the enemies in the game. That is basically the only thing I think is wrong with this game, though it makes up for it with enemies who will outnumber you if you stay in one place too long. It makes you push forward and go through the fight.

Uncharted 2 was just amazing to play. This has to be one of the best experiences that I have ever had playing a video game. This is definitely an unexpected addition to some of my favorite games of all time. If you own a Playstation 3 and don’t have this game, there is something wrong with you. I would buy this game on the spot if I saw a copy of it. It’s fun, intense, filled with action, and is all around wonderful to play. Don’t just take my word for it, go check it out yourself

This game gets a 9.8 out of 10

Gaming with Killatia BlazBlue Continuum Shift

A year has passed since we last played BlazBlue Calamity Trigger. Now the sequel to the hit fighting game, BlazBlue Continuum shift, is out for the rabid fans to play. But is the newest installment to the series worth your $40? Watch to find out!