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Tron: Evolution’s Glow Quickly Fades (Review)

admin — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:16:59 +0000

Between Disney’s 1982 classic Tron and its flash 2010 sequel lies Tron: Evolution, the video game that seeks to bridge the gap between the two films. This is one shaky bridge.

Tron: Evolution puts players in the digital shoes of Anon (short for Anonymous), a faceless system monitor that gets caught up in the struggle between the original movie’s hero Kevin Flynn and Clu, a program created in Flynn’s likeness to represent him inside the digital world of The Grid. Clu has gone rogue, and it’ll take all of Anon’s free-running parkour skills and disc combat proficiency to set up the plot for Tron: Legacy.
Ideal Player

Players intrigued by Tron’s glowing digital world will find plenty of backstory lurking within Evolution’s extras, while devotees of Prince of Persia-style action adventure games might enjoy the action, as long as they don’t mind repetition.
Why You Should Care

Tron: Evolution is the direct sequel to what many consider the world’s first great video game movie, and elements from the game are said to give extra insight into scenes from the upcoming feature film Tron: Legacy.

How does Evolution fit into the Tron story? Evolution seems to take place way before the events in Tron: Legacy, mainly because Flynn is still a relatively young man, the mirror image of his evil avatar Clu. Olivia Wilde’s Quorra appears as she does in the film, though not nearly as sexy thanks to the game’s rough character models. Evolution basically establishes the status quo as seen in Tron: Legacy, showing us how Flynn became trapped in the Grid and how Clu transformed from a loyal program to an evil digital dictator. The meat of the Tron fiction found in the game comes from data files unlocked along the way, with the story often taking a back seat to the action, such as it is.

So that’s the adventure, what’s the action? I spent equal time in Tron: Evolution battling glowing enemies with my deadly disc and navigating the convoluted architecture of the grid using parkour-inspired wall running and climbing moves. Combat was dynamic and compelling at first, but soon it became clear that the best tactic to win was spamming energy-fueled power moves, transforming battles into a dance back and forth between enemies and energy wells. Likewise jumping, climbing, and wall-running about the environment was entertaining initially, quickly becoming stale as I realized the obstacles weren’t really evolving as the game progressed. Towards the end of the game the only real excitement came from being blinded by bad camera angles.
Surely there’s more to it than that, right? Well there is the odd light cycle segment, though they’re a far cry from the tense light-trail based battle arenas of the original film. Here the light cycle is merely a method of conveyance, transporting Anon from point A to point B, often as the world is crumbling around him. These segments would be more enjoyable if the world were less monochrome, which would in turn make obstacles more visible. There are also a couple of tank-driving levels, which, while slow and plodding, were probably my favorite moments in the single-player campaign

Is the multiplayer just as tepid? Not at all! The multiplayer is actually where the action is in Tron: Evolution. Getting together with a bunch of players and tossing discs at each other or trying to trick them into running into your light cycle trail is a real blast. Unfortunately it’s a real unbalanced and repetitive blast. See, as you play through Tron: Evolution in multiplayer or single-player, you earn experience points which give you memory to spend on upgrades. These upgrades carry back and forth between the story missions and online modes. These upgrades are substantial, granting players massive chunks of extra health and powerful new weapons. Since there is no way currently to limit online matches to people of similar levels, I often found myself playing my level 21 character against lower-level players, and I tore through them like tissue paper. Conversely I could barely scratch a level 50 character. Between the unbalance and the fact that the game only comes with four maps (two more with the day-one free DLC), I can’t see multiplayer being a source of lasting entertainment.

The Bottom Line

Tron: Evolution wants to be a sexy, high-gloss Prince of Persia, trading desert sands and Arabian castles for the shining neon of the Grid. Sadly that aspiration is never fully realized, leaving us with an experience that’s dull despite its brilliant glow; a game that’s most impressive accomplishment is making a four to five hour adventure seem long and drawn-out. Multiplayer offers a spark of hope, but that spark dies out too quickly. It’s true that the game contains scenes and background information that could enhance your appreciation of both films, but those revelations will still be fresh when Tron: Evolution hits the bargain bin.

Tron: Evolution was developed by Propaganda Games and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC, released on December 7. Retails for $59.99 ($39.99 PC). A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played through the entire story on average difficulty, earned level 22, and participated in multiple lengthy multiplayer matches.

Send an email to Michael Fahey, the author of this post, at fahey@kotaku.com.
via [kotaku.com]

The Bottom Line

Send an email to Michael Fahey, the author of this post, at fahey@kotaku.com.

Star Ocean: Second Evolution Review

admin — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:09:00 +0000

Second Evolution is an engaging action role-playing game that’s just as enjoyable as its PlayStation forebear.

Star Ocean: Second Evolution is an enhanced remake of developer Tri-Ace’s Star Ocean: The Second Story, a popular PlayStation role-playing game. It shares much with First Departure, a recent remake of the original Star Ocean, highlighted by incredibly striking anime sequences courtesy of Production I.G., full voicing, and even an updated, smoother translation. The two games look and feel nearly identical, but while First Departure suffered from gruesome backtracking, Second Evolution frees itself from the constant barrage of pointless globe-trotting by focusing on engaging gameplay and a cohesive plot.

Stunning anime sequences highlight a superb presentation.

The game casts you as either Claude, a reluctant Federation ensign following in the footsteps of his powerful father, or Rena, a young girl who is desperately trying to locate her parents. Their fates intertwine as Claude accidentally sends himself through an interstellar gateway and awakens near Rena’s village, where the locals are far too eager to adopt him as their prophesied hero. The story branches between the two characters for a more interesting twist, and while you’ll observe only slight changes in the overall plot depending on your choice, the difference is enough to encourage a second play-through to flesh out both characters and to access all anime segments. There are numerous superfluous conversations between characters (“private action scenes”), but aside from giving your ally friendship levels a slight boost, these scenes won’t do much for you. Nevertheless, the story and characters are all well done, and make this grand adventure one worth taking

You spend most of your time traversing a 3D world map that’s just as bland as First Departure’s and also suffers from occasional pop-up, which you’ll spy whenever huge landmasses suddenly appear at your feet. It’s a nuisance, but the convenient minimap and its excellent zoom feature help you navigate with ease. The incredibly mundane and exhausting backtracking from First Departure is utterly absent in Second Evolution, and the game is better for it; this equates to very little time wasted on the field defeating underleveled foes en route to a town you’ve already visited, which is refreshing. The standard quests still culminate in fetching items or talking to a famed non-player character the next town over, but more interesting side quests have also been implemented for optional characters and keep the adventure lively.

Battles are randomly generated real-time affairs that occur on a barren 3D battlefield. They’re usually fast-paced and place you in control of the party leader while the adequate AI effectively manages your teammates, supporting your attacks with dependable melee allies and attentive spellcasters. You can adjust party tactics if an ally is giving you trouble, or assume direct control of the offender even in the midst of battle, a helpful feature that grants you immediate tactical control over any party member. Battles typically involve using overpowered spells and newly added three-hit combos to succeed, but the game avoids becoming just another button masher by offering progressively more challenging enemies, which encourages more strategic play. Unfortunately, tougher enemies and lengthier battles make casting somewhat annoying because your party members are frozen for the duration of any spells; the simple option to either shorten or skip these animations is sorely missing. The targeting system maintains a free-roaming option that gives you full view of your surroundings, but for the most part, autotargeting–when your reticle latches onto the nearest opponent–operates quite smoothly unless you happen to get surrounded by enemies, in which case the reticle bounces between them in confusion.

Extensive crafting and skill systems provide fun alternatives to straightforward monster hunting and questing. You can create items, write articles, cook delicious food, or even take up sculpting for quick cash. Crafting is an interesting activity, and serious item collectors will find plenty of depth here. Fortunately, it is unnecessary for completing the game, as you’ll find it very easy to acquire excellent gear just by looting random chests. The skill system is even more exhaustive, enabling you to customize nearly every aspect of your favorite characters by awarding you skill points for leveling. These points can be spent on a full spectrum of abilities that can directly modify character stats, raise your skill points earned per level, increase or decrease your enemy encounter rate, and unlock a plethora of convenient specialties to make your travels easier. Mastering numerous skills and specialties with several characters will eventually unlock super specialties, which are unique skills that the entire party uses to pitch in to increase the success of a certain feat, such as book publishing.

A generally fast-paced battle system and flashy spell effects keep fights interesting.

Anime house Production I.G. has once again applied its creative talent to produce jaw-dropping anime sequences for a Star Ocean remake. A very impressive new opening and a new Japanese musical theme illustrate the game’s most popular events and make for a special treat for fans. There are roughly 10 of these beautiful clips; however, some are a little short, and you’ll have to thoroughly investigate every location to view them all. Despite these gorgeous sequences, the game often relies on the original’s crude CG cutscenes for important segments, which somewhat cheapens key moments. The prerendered environments are highly detailed and feature numerous intricate touches, like sparkling streams, lush greenery, and even birds flying overhead. Character sprites now look sharper and complement the great anime segments, and while some character quips are overexaggerated, the voice acting is still a drastic improvement on Second Story’s.

You can finish the main quest line in about 30 hours, but activating private action scenes, exploring the game’s intimidating secret dungeon, crafting, and completing character quest lines can easily triple this amount. You can also unlock a difficulty option for additional play-throughs if you’re interested in acquiring new party members and seeing events from the other main character’s point of view. With strong replayability and a stunning presentation, Star Ocean: Second Evolution is a competent remake that offers a great opportunity for experiencing this PlayStation classic.

Source [ GameSpot ]

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 Review

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:42:53 +0000

Pro Evolution Soccer has become an established franchise on the PSP, and the 2009 version is the fifth for the console. This year’s edition makes a few new additions, including the new Become a Legend mode, online play, and a soundtrack that doesn’t make you cringe. But with outdated visuals, as well as an absence of licensed clubs and leagues, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

We hope you’re a Manchester United or Liverpool fan because they’re the only licensed Premier League clubs in PES 2009.

The gameplay in PES 2009 remains largely unchanged from last year, but matches are still challenging and fun to play, and the controls are still intuitive and responsive. It’s easy to link passes and moves using the face buttons, but tricks are awkwardly performed by double-tapping the shoulder buttons. Matches feel fluid; you can easily pass and cross the ball to teammates, setting up some spectacular goals in the process. You’ll need to keep an eye on Pro Evo’s always-challenging AI, which is constantly looking for opportunities to snatch the ball from you, and this makes scoring goals all the more rewarding. There are plenty of game modes packed onto the UMD, with Exhibitions, Leagues, Regional Cups, a World Tour and the Master League all vying for your attention. The latter allows you to take control of your team’s management as you play all of the league and cup matches a real team would play. The only really disappointing game mode is Training, which offers no tutorials to provide tips to Pro Evo newcomers; just the opportunity to hone tricks without hassle from opposition players.

Become a Legend is a brand new mode for this year’s game, which shifts your focus from controlling an entire team to just one individual player. You take a fresh-faced teen from obscurity to the international spotlight as you work your way up from a minor team through to a professional club, international stardom, and eventually retirement. You can customise player attributes for your virtual self, including name, appearance, footedness, and you can even choose from more than 70 different goal celebrations. On the pitch, the camera focuses on your single player, while the rest of the team is controlled by the AI.

Ultimately, Become a Legend is a novel but dull take on Pro Evolution Soccer. At the start of your career, you can spend a considerable amount of time on the bench, and while you can speed up the game when spectating, it’s still a boring process. Once your team’s had some on-field success, you’ll be able to move to more impressive clubs, but you’re not rewarded for being a team player by performing passes and making tackles. The result is that much of your success comes down to the effectiveness of your AI teammates, which makes for an unrewarding experience.

PES 2009 features online play for the first time, pitting you one-on-one against players from around the world. This is a welcome addition, because playing real people is certainly more rewarding than playing against an AI opponent. However, with occasional lag and an archaic registration system that makes you type in your login credentials every time you play, it can be a frustrating experience. If you find a decent connection, then online gameplay can offer the same enjoyable feel and experience as local multiplayer, but with only five- or 10-minute exhibition matches on offer, it’s a basic mode that offers little in the way of longevity.

While the Dutch, French, and Italian leagues appear in full this year, Liverpool and Manchester United are the only officially licensed Premier League teams. The rest of England’s top leagues are stuck with generic regional names. For example, Tottenham Hotspur is back to being named North East London, despite making a brief licensed appearance in last year’s edition. The Scottish Premier League suffers even greater indignity, with only Celtic and Rangers present in licensed form and only as extra teams to be added to custom leagues. Other popular leagues, including the German Bundesliga, USA’s Major League Soccer, and Australia’s A-League, are completely missing. It’s also a shame that Konami’s much-touted Champions League licence hasn’t made it to the PSP.

The new Become a Legend mode switches focus from an entire team to an individual player, who you’ll take through his professional career.

Pro Evo 2009 isn’t an ugly game, but the player models and animations are starting to look a bit dated. The character animations lack fluidity and variation. Although players are easy to control, they certainly don’t look realistic. The main menu has received a pop-art facelift this year, but the pregame menus and in-game displays look stale. Thankfully, the pervasive menu advertising from PES 2008 is gone. While there are regular advertising billboards around the pitch, they’re not obtrusive and fit the setting. The soundtrack has also undergone an overhaul, replacing the J-pop numbers of PES 2008 with a mix of alt-rock and pop, which suits the tone of the game.

At its core, Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 doesn’t deviate from previous entries in the series, and while there are new game modes this year, they don’t offer a compelling reason to upgrade. The new online mode, while shallow, is still fun to play, and the Become a Legend mode is a novel but boring take on the standard game. This is still an enjoyable football experience at heart, but it’s only for those willing to look past the game’s flaws.

Source [ GameSpot ]