Amped 3, Xbox 360 - £6 delivered
Review by Amitai Winehouse
I don't like Snowboarding. After all, very few people who are inclined to video games do. The very idea of risking life and limb for very few rewards, not even a few additional achievements, seems foreign to most of my geek brethren. That is not to say that video game companies do not release video games about this sort of sport. EA "Big" has had a lot of success with the SSX franchise, spawning several games. Therefore, almost two years ago when Amped 3 was purchased, I was slightly perturbed, but not yet totally put off.
Never getting further than the end of the 'tutorials', I set the game down until only 3 days ago. Looking for something to play, I picked up on this once more, started afresh and began 'boarding'. There's no doubt that this game is one thing, and that is fun. The wholly realistic route is not the idea for games of this sort, and therefore I can take great happiness out of performing two backwards flips followed by a corkscrew 180.
The game was never going to be a story masterpiece unlike my last review, and therefore the creators set about taking the Michael as much as they could. From 8-Bit sequences featuring an evil overlord (who's face we never see, merely his hood and silver arms, looking for all intents and purposes to be a faceless Dr. Doom) to overly stylized animé style sequences which thoroughly parody animé traditions. The addition of being referred to as "Player 1" throughout also is a nice 4th wall break. The story itself is fairly funny, and whilst not being Hollywood quality, ties things together nicely.
One feature which is also nice is the character creation, which is expectable seeing as most games of this sort have that, and this is no different with a wide selection of clothes and bodily features spanning both genders. The challenges which give you "Coin" to purchase new clothes are also fairly challenging, and the game can be played even after the story ends, meaning a longer experience. There are also several unique challenges, which involve things such as riding a Sled, a Snowmobile, and also a Hang Glider on occasion.
A big thing lacking from this game is LIVE versus mode. I think this would have made an awesome addition to the game, and to leave it out is just mind-numbing. Who wouldn't want to laugh at someone over a headset as they wipe out, or perform a 100,000 point trick that leaves your friends gasping.
Another problem is the repetitiveness of some of the challenges in the game. The difficulty curve very much stays the same throughout each section, and therefore when gunning for respect, at times you may find yourself sensing a small amount of Deja-Vu. However, if the game is played as I believe it is intended to be (e.g. in short bursts) then this is not a problem, and the game remains what it is meant to be, fun.
I say that if you are looking for something to kill a few hours with, then this game is worth what you can get it for know. It's likely better than SSX: Beating a Dead Horse, and the tongue in check nature of the brings it up a notch. A recommended buy.
Amped 3, Xbox 360 - £6 delivered
Amped 3, Xbox 360 - Review
I am in LA
I am currently stealing WiFi from the Santa Monica Apple store. It's hot day, just been to the beach, and had some pizza. I'm here with my friend Josh, and have met up with Sheldon (from PA), having a wicked time! I was partying with Ant and Dec, Fern Cotten and the host of New Zealand Idol (bit of a creep) last night, at a private party we crashed. Peace and love!
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots, PS3 - £28.99
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots, PS3 - £28.99 delivered
Lost Odyssey, Xbox 360 - £7.99
Lost Odyssey, Xbox 360 - £7.99 delivered
Not heard of this site before, anyone got any experience with them?
Gears of War, Xbox 360 - £7.99
Gears of War, Xbox 360 - £7.99 delivered
Not heard of this site before, anyone got any experience with them?
Tomb Raider: Underworld, PC - £23.51
Tomb Raider: Underworld, PC - £23.51 delivered
Apply code "B4U" for 2% off
Ubisoft condone and endorse video game piracy.
Anyone who has bought any Ubisoft game ever, and in fact, anyone who ever buys any games, should read this.
Have you ever bought a game, and then not managed to get it working on your machine? Have you ever had to resort to download a no-cd crack to get it to run? I know I have, and I know that the games industry considers me a massive pirate due to buying their software, then running it in a way they don't like.
Which makes this thread over on the Ubisoft forums all the more entertaining. When faced with a version of Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 that wasn't working on lots of machines, ubisoft did exactly what you would have done. They when and got a no-cd crack of the internet and released it as an official patch.
Continues here.
The games of E3 2008 you might have missed
Update: Apparently rehosting game trailers on Vimeo breaks their user agreement, who knew?
I'll be on the look out for a decent resolution video service that will let me host game trailers, let me know if you have any suggestions.
This year's E3 is drawing to a close, and there have been lots of huge game announcements, biggest of all is probably the announcement of Final Fantasy XIII on the Xbox 360.
But E3 is not just about the big games, there have been a ton of really interesting smaller games shown off too.
Here is a roundup of some of the games that have really caught my attention that don't seem to be getting as much press coverage as I think they deserve.
Rhythm Heaven, DS
The follow up to the import only GBA cult hit "Rhythm Tengoku", Rhythm Heaven makes you focus on the what you hear, not just what you see. It's made by the Warioware team, and presented in a similar format, and certain to make you crack up with laughter.
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, Xbox Live Arcade (and PC?)
I have literally sucked hours into the original Retro Evolved, both on the PC and the version included with Galaxies on the Wii. A bunch of new modes, Multiplayer and a remixed soundtrack is enough to interest me.
Wario Land: The Shake Dimension, Wii
I absolutely adored Warioland 4 on the GBA, and this looks like it is the natural continuation. Stunning 2D animation, and great looking cut-scenes from Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Blood: The Last Vampire). Viva la 2D renaissance. Speaking of which...
Megaman 9, Wii Ware/PSN/XBLA
I always preferred the Megaman X series to Megaman classic to be honest, but even still, this is just brilliant. I am a little disappointed about the lack of aslide too, but I really have faith that this will live up to it's legacy.
Kirby Super Star Ultra, DS
Kirby Super Star was easily one of my favourite SNES games back in the day. There was enough game there to keep you entertained for hours. No doubt some of the screen sharing coop fun might be lost in the transfer to the DS, although I am sure wireless multiplayer will be include, and even as a single player only title it will be fantastic to replay it. They also seem to be adding a whole load more content, hence the ultra. If nothing else the battery won't run out on this cartridge after 10 years or so. Also, 3D cut-scenes and production values out the wazoo.
Dark Void, PS3/Xbox 360/PC
I don't care that this is brown.
We have only really seen one level of this so far, and I am more than happy to give the level design the benefit of the doubt. It is like Gears of War. In fact, it is a lot like Gears of War. But then, multiply the scale several hundred times. It's hard to tell from gameplay videos, but if the controls are solid, and they mix things up enough to keep it interesting, this game could be epic.
It really feels like E3 is a lot less about big announcements than it used to be, remember the 2004 Twilight Princess announcement?
I guess it isn't the conference it used to be, it's far smaller, far more press orientated. It's also more about games that are going to be out in the next 6 months, rather than far away titles on the horizon.
Still, we have Develop Conference and Expo in Brighton in a few weeks (and Bungie, Epic, Rockstar, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony and maybe even SavyGamer will be there!), Leipzig Games Convention and PAX in August, Tokyo Game Show in October and then GDC in February 2009, so there is plenty to look forwards to in coming months.
Subscribe to SavyGamer via RSS