Driver: San Francisco Review

I do not know where to start off with this game, as I always thought of myself as a fan of the Driver series. This installment takes a weird twist when John Tanner ends up in a coma. A majority of the game is spent from your hospital bed dreaming you are chasing down your arch nemesis Jericho.

I want my life back.....Me too John!

If that is not confusing enough you basically have no idea your in a hospital bed, and the game leads on like you are fine prowling the city pasting together clues so you can catch Jericho before his huge plot is hatched. Finally, you awake for one final chase scene to bring down the man, which is very lackluster 5 min chase, and you do not even get to run him off the road.

DSF also introduce a new aspect called "shifting" which allows you to jump from your car to take control of another driver's body. It was fun about the first five times I used it. I guess when your just messing around it's not too bad to switch to whatever car is driving on the road that you want in that point in time. It does, however, make the story mode extremely easy. When your in a cop chase you can simply "jump" into an on coming car's driver seat and smash the pursuers. The same can be said for race activities which pretty much renders them useless. If there is no one to race what's the point?

DSF does have some bright spots. The car physics a done well, and turning at high rates of speed makes you enter a drifting mode. There is also a large selection of vehicles ranging from Dodge Rams, to Super Sport Chevelles. DSF offers no shortage of activities and dares including police chases and stunt jumps (although i do find it very repetitive). You may also update your abilities for speed and ramming cars inside garages which you must buy to purchase your own selection of vehicles to use for side missions.

If you're a Driver fan, you may find yourself disappointed with this game. If your just looking for a game to kill some time or mess around this could do it for you.

Overall this game was not worth my time for the story, and the secondary activites become stale after a couple of plays.

6.5/10

See you on the front lines!

~Casual

What G4F Is

Hey there everyone!  I don't have any new reviews for you today, but I assure you that we are working very hard to put something new out before the end of the month.  In the meantime, I thought I spend a little bit of time to explain exactly what G4F is really about, and why we are trying to break into the video game journalism market.  Any time we post our blog address on a forum or link an article on Facebook, we worry that people will just look at our posts and think "oh boy, another one of these sites" and immediately move on without clicking through to our page.  In reality, our vision for G4F is very different than what you might expect. 

Anyone can write a video game review, and most sites that are already established do a very good job of offering criticism of games, but we don't think this is enough.  Of course we will write reviews, and we will play popular games, but for the most part we want our audience to become part of the process.  We want all of the people who visit our blog and our upcoming website to make suggestions about new games we should try or old games that we may have missed.  If you find yourself on the fence about buying a game, let us know and we will be glad to give our own opinion about it. 

Keep in mind that G4F is still very small.  There are still just two of us at the moment, and we don't even have a fancy office or unlimited funds to buy games.  It's just two guys who love to play games, and we want to leave our own mark on how this industry works.  We will focus on console games exclusively right now due to our lack of a capable gaming PC, but as we continue to grow expect to see more variety from each of our sites.  For now, we play games in our spare time and go to our regular jobs during the day, but we are always open to game suggestions from all of you. 

In the coming weeks we will be working on getting some videos posted, and we will be adjusting the format of our website as we prepare for the official launch.  For now, here are the titles that we are looking to pick up in the next few weeks for new release reviews.

• Never Dead
• Soul Calibur V
• Kingdoms of Amalur
• The Darkness
• UFC Undisputed 3

We will also be looking back at some of the popular games of 2011 as we head into the relatively light new release schedule of spring 2012.  This looks to be a promising year, and we hope you all enjoy the material we are putting out.  If you have any suggestions for current titles sound off in the comment section below.

Keep it realzzzz

~KGB

Rayman Origins Review

Let me start off by saying at first i wasn't sure what to expect with this Ubisoft plat-former mainly because i have not played one in a very long time. This game has slowly sucked me into some relaxing hours of play time mainly because there are a few different things you can do, from time trials (after you beat the level you can replay it as a time trial) to a multi-player game with your friends and family.

He is a pretty happy guy for being a captive.

Rayman offers an array of different settings from the jungle to hot boiler room atmospheres. The main objective of this games is to collect as many Electoons to replenish one of your owns power. Each level you play you try to collect up to 5 Electoons to fill your medal you usually get 3 by way of saving the Electoons from capture by defeating semi bosses at the end of each stage, or by finding there hidden cells throughout the map. You will also gain bonus toons from scoring so many points per map by collecting Lums (mosquito looking characters).

One of my favorite parts of the game is when you get to fly on your mosquito side kick to complete levels and fight some bosses. It reminds me of a centipede flash back where your trying to kill the enemy as they are coming at you and the screen moves at a constant pace. The more challenging parts in the game are brought on by trying to find the Electoon cages hidden throughout the map, be careful because once you pass them its hard to turn back.

Overall i say this game holds true to plat-formers every where. If you need a break from your shooter life, or to escape from your RPG for a more relaxing no pressure atmosphere. I highly recommend giving this game a try. You may buy it for your kids, but you will be playing it by the end of the day.

8.5/10

Until next time, Stay Frosty.

~Casual

Call of Duty: Treyarch Vs. Infinity Ward



Show me yer mean face, boy!!



Umm...I can't make a mean face with all of
 this gear on.

       VS. 

  

Far be it for me to hammer this first person shooter debate into the ground, but recent rumors have cropped up regarding Treyarch and the possibility that the next Call of Duty title may be released on next generation consoles.  However, the popular opinion of many gaming enthusiasts seems to be that current gen consoles will be here to stay for at least one or two more years due to the continued climb in sales figures for the XBox360 and Playstation 3 platforms.  Keep in mind that Microsoft's XBox360 system continues to put out increasing sales figures year after year despite the long life span the console has already endured. 

With all of that said, what does this have to do with Call of Duty's two main development studios?  The answer lies in the fact that the last two Call of Duty titles, Black Ops by Treyarch and Modern Warfare 3 by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Studios have broken sales records for every known video game release for 2 years running.  MW3 single handedly holds the title for the most successful entertainment release of all time above all other releases including sales figures reported by the Hollywood film industry.  Whether you love CoD or hate it, the fact remains that it is the most successful franchise in the gaming world hands down and Activision is loving every minute of it.

However, one can't ignore the fact that since CoD is solidly the top dog of gaming, Treyarch and Infinity Ward have only each other to compete against with a new CoD title being released annually.  Each studio makes games that feel very CoD like, but each title also feels decidedly different in terms of general game play and artistic direction.  Ignoring the fact that Black Ops is a 60s era Cold War themed shooter, and that MW3 is a near future World War 3 scenario game, each system tweaked the multiplayer game play in ways that set them leagues apart.  What makes things even more interesting is that fans of the franchise have developed loyalties to titles released by one camp or the other, but what factors make consumers gravitate to one camp or the other?

To clear things up, Infinity Ward Studios created the original CoD games, and Treyarch borrows most of their game play elements directly from IW.  However, which studio does CoD best?  I will only focus on Black Ops and MW3 in this comparison for the sake of my own sanity, but the following is a list of features that helped make my decision regarding which of these two record breaking titles suits my tastes better.  I'll break the discussion into 4 separate categories of comparison including perks, leveling, weapon unlocks, and map design.  Let's kick this thing off!

Perks:

Blops perks......look familiar?

Perks, in one shape or form, have become somewhat of a staple in many military first person shooter titles and CoD has fully embraced them as gospel for every release since Call of Duty 4.  But what is different about how Black Ops and MW3 use perks?  Blops essentially maintains the various effects and names of perks as they were implemented in CoD 4 with unlocks hinging directly upon a player's rank and earned XP.  Each perk has a basic effect like quicker reloading, silent footsteps, etc., but the way that pro versions of perks are unlocked is what sets Blops apart from the rest of the franchise.  Pro perks are unlocked by completing a variety of tasks that force players to explore other game modes found throughout the multiplayer suite, and they even encourage team oriented play styles over lone wolf tactics in some cases.  The result is that in order for a player to earn a pro perk effect, he or she must step outside of game modes that they may find comfortable thereby encouraging more varied gameplay.

The downside to this strategy is that some players may feel alienated by the complex, challenge based unlock system.  The result is that players get shoehorned into unlocking only the easiest of pro perk combinations thereby diluting the general play style of casual fans of the series.  Lobbies are commonly rife with players who stick with the most exploitative perk combinations, and joining matches such as these can be frustrating for those looking to explore more rounded class setups.



MW3 mixes things up a little.

MW3 takes things a step further and essentially multiplies the number of available perks by having the original perk system as well as a newly implemented weapon perk system.  Some perks from CoD 4 and MW2 have returned, but others have been completely re imagined to address issues that consumers had brought up regarding their implementation in MW2.  For example, the "slight of hand" perk from previous games still allows players to reduce the reload time for any equipped weapon, but the pro version no longer leads to the faster aim function of previous installments.  Instead, "slight of hand pro" reduces the time that it takes to switch weapons and cuts down recovery time after a player tosses a tactical or lethal grenade. 

MW3's new weapon leveling system, which I will discuss later, employs more weapon specific perks such as less recoil or better the ability to employ 2 weapon attachments at a time.  If you are the kind of player who pours over perks trying to find the most perfect combination to improve your game, this system is probably perfect for you.  However, some may feel that the ability to have as many as 5 active perks (including secondary weapons) cheapens the experience.  MW2's perk system allowed players to choose their perks, but players often played with weapons that played upon their play style's strengths.  In MW3, a perk that allows a weapon with higher recoil to perform more like a ranged weapon can dilute the variety of options players were previously given with previous titles.  So much variety also has the possible side effect of enabling exploitative behaviour where players are sticking with cheap perk combinations rather than exploring less familiar options that encourage team oriented play styles.

The winner in my book: Blops

In my opinion, the fewer perks the better.  I have always felt like CoD perks take too much away from the importance of gamer skill, and even though the balance of some perks has been adjusted to a certain extent in MW3, they have added other weapon perks that nullify many of those adjustments.  Some people say, if it ain't broke don't fix it, but in this case it's "well it's already broken, but let's nerf it so we can break something else in its place".  Perhaps that's a bit extreme, but then again it's just my opinion. 

Leveling:

MW3 hasn't really mixed things up too much in terms of how XP is gained in comparison with previous installments, but weapon leveling is new  to the franchise.  Previously, weapon kills were solely responsible for unlocking weapon attachments, but now time spent with the weapon holds a great deal of importance in how the weapon handles regardless of what current attachment is equipped.  Leveling your gun is dependant on XP, and is only gained when said weapon is being actively used during matches.  Unlocking gun levels makes more gun perks available over time thereby creating more perk variety. 

The biggest benefit to this system may apply to players who don't care to "prestige" their profile after maxing out their rank level.  There are those amongst us who don't care to start from square 1 weapon wise after reaching the highest rank, and weapon leveling is definitely a viable way to funnel the otherwise wasted XP.  The only drawback to this system is mentioned in the previous "perks" section, but that has little to do with leveling in general. 

Blops sticks to a more traditional leveling system, and nothing really sticks out about how rank levels work for Treyarch's endeavor other than the wagering system.  XP isn't the only thing to be gained in Blops, and CoD cash was a welcome addition to the franchise.  Instead of having everything tied to XP, CoD cash provides players with a different angle on how to play Blops. 

Thank goodness I don't have to waste
real dollars on crap like this.

Instead of sticking with traditional lobbies, players can play wager matches for virtual cash.   How this affects weapon unlocks will be discussed later, but players can use cash to customize their emblem, or camouflage in ways that aren't available in IW titles.  Furthermore, players are given more incentive to prestige by making some customization tools available only after several levels of prestige.  However, beyond the implementation of CoD cash and some customization options, there is nothing really new here.  As far as CoD games go, Blops leveling is basically more of the same. 

The advantage goes to........Blops again (let the flaming begin)

I know that this seems like a Treyarch love fest so far, but my reasoning for this one breaks down to grinding.  I'm not a huge fan of maxing everything out just to see how it would work with every different unlock.  The implementation of CoD cash on top of XP made playing through matches just a little more rewarding for me, and I don't care for having to scroll through menu layers just to see everything I have unlocked  after hearing that metal guitar riff twenty times during a given match.  Ok......breathe.  Some may enjoy the extra satisfaction of maxing every level of every gun, but I just want to unlock it and use it.  If I don't like it, I don't use it.  There you go.  Satisfied?

Weapon Unlocks:

Realistically, both games use the same system in this department, with different weapons and tactical equipment being unlocked at different ranks.  The biggest difference is that Blops requires that you use CoD cash to purchase weapons and attachments after they are unlocked.  It's no longer enough that you reached the required level, but you also have to decide if that weapon is valuable enough to burn your hard earned cash on instead of buying more camo, or attachments for your current stash. 

The problem with this system is that once the gun is purchased, all of the attachments are unlocked with the exception that they need to be purchased.  This system virtually ensures that if a weapon/attachment exploit exists, most players will be using that exploit as soon as the weapon is available.  MW3 brings back the trusty attachment unlock system that forces players to accomplish specific tasks before further attachments can be made available.  Therefore, exploits might still be available, but they are just a little bit harder to get to without going through the same steps that everyone else had to (hackers and modders excluded).

Who wins the chicken dinner here?  Modern Warfare 3!



It's a bad picture, but I love the variety here.

 I enjoyed getting familiar with my guns in MW2, and I was glad to see this mechanic return in MW3.  In fact, playing this way made it so using newer weapons forced me to adjust my play style a little when I was switching from one gun to another.  Granted, there are some weapons that feel somewhat generic across the board, but all together, MW3 makes sticking to your guns just a little more rewarding.  See what I did there with the "sticking to your guns" thing?   Pretty clever if you ask me.....oh never mind.  Just keep reading.

Map Design:

To be fair, MW3's downloadable content cycle doesn't officially start until January 24th, and Blops' maps are all out there for consumption, but it stands to be argued that a game's first run maps are usually a pretty good indication of things to come.  With that said, MW3 maps are a bit of a step away from those featured in MW2.  MW3's current maps seem to favor smaller arenas with multiple levels of vertical development.  In short, there are more buildings, stairs, ramps, ladders and tunnels than previous maps.  The result is that rather than having maps that have a few well known choke points, the entire map can feel like a choke point maze. 

There are one or two maps that have open spaces for more long range confrontations, but when compared to MW2's maps which featured a fair balance of long viewing angles and frenetic choke points, MW3 seems cramped for a lack of a better word.  The obvious disadvantage is that players without good twitch reflexes may find themselves frustrated with the pacing that the new levels promote. 

Blops maps are built in such a way that each environment presents open area engagement opportunities as well as close quarter clutch points pretty consistently across the board.  There are a few maps (Nuketown for example) that were built specifically for more frenetic pacing, but most of the others seem to feature an equal ratio of indoor and outdoor areas to move through. 

Perhaps the biggest limitation here is that if players from each team prefer one environment or the other, they will tend to stick to what they know best, and the result can often be camping.  Those who prefer to run and gun will find themselves at the mercy of snipers in outdoor areas, or corner campers in indoor areas which can cheapen any experience.

And the Oscar goes too.......Blops (Gasp)!

The truth is that this is really a half formed opinion due to the fact that I really enjoyed the map design that MW2 used, and I actually preferred most of those maps to the ones found in Blops.  MW3's DLC cycle has not yet begun, and it is quite likely that rehashed versions of maps found in either Modern Warfare or MW2 will come into the fray which would be completely fine with me.  However, it is also entirely possible that MW3 will stick to the current design model that IW has been following which would be unfortunate.  Nonetheless, Blops employs maps that appeal more to my own run and gun play style regardless of whether or not my face is getting sniped off or whether my back is being peppered with sub machine gun fire in narrow corridors. 

I stole your sweet roll. 
What you gonna do about it?

If I were to consider these two titles as being representative of the direction that CoD will be taking for the foreseeable future, I would have to side with the Treyarch camp in this particular discussion.  If the rumors of the next CoD being developed for the next generation of consoles is true, then there is a possibility that either developer may take things in a completely different direction all together, but what do you think?  Do you have a different view about how things are moving along for the most popular video game franchise of all time?  Sound off in the comment section below and let us know what you think.  What do you think we can expect from the next CoD?  Also, do you want to see more articles like this, or should we stick with nitty gritty reviews?  Your input will help us build G4F, and any input would be appreciated.

Keep gaming comrades!
~KGB

Modern Warfare 3 Single Player Review

Today we are taking a look at the most recent addition to the Call of Duty franchise, Modern Warfare 3.

The MW series has always been about war. Love it or Hate it, war is a part of life, and MW3 brings that war close to home with an all out world war.  When a Russian Rebel devises a master plan to make world powers bend there knees, it’s up to you to set things right.

In the following review, I will highlight the game play, graphics and general feel of the game. I won’t get into the storyline much as I’m not one for spoilers.

Game Play:

MW3 follows its predecessors closely when it comes to game play. This FPS throws a lot at you with an onslaught of enemies ranging from Russian rebel infantry, to African militia spanning over several continents. One thing that I kind of believe is a downfall for this installment is that it runs on the same engine that MW2 used which leads me to believe that the game needs longer wait times between editions.

MW3 does offer a variety of different first person combat scenarios ranging from regular infantry fighting your way on the front lines to taking on the role of AC-130 gunners paving the way through waves of enemies providing an escort for a getaway vehicle.

There are a few sections of the game that provide you the adrenaline rush you are looking for specifically when your fighting your way to the Russian President when your airplane loses altitude sends everyone in the plane flying through a zero gravity environment. Come to think of it, the most exciting sequences in this game revolve around trying to retrieve the Russian President from the clutches of the evil Makarov.

There were definitely parts of the game that just grinded me the wrong way and felt like I was wasting time instead of doing anything productive. A good example of this is the sequence when you are in scout mode and have to sneak through an African village on the river bank or sneak into Paris from the water. I feel that these sequences could have been eliminated or at least shortened as it takes about 15 min to wait for guards to move in order to make your way to a rally point. The levels usually end with a huge escape scene or a massive shootout anyway thereby nullifying the point of all the secrecy.

AI also plays a big factor in enjoyability. I can’t count the times I had to restart a mission because of friendly fire when the AI walks into your line of fire. They present other problems such as giving you a “lead the way” order and they stay stuck in front of you, or if you are following a NPC character they seem to creep along like snails.

Total game play time is around 6 hours on Veteran difficulty, but replay on this game is minimal as it represents more of the same the basic modern shooter formula. You get that feeling of “oh here we go grinding through this game again”.  One play through should be sufficient for most unless your looking to beat the campaign and then go back and pick up miscellaneous achievements which is actually pretty easy. For most achievements you can select the exact level of where to find that achievement and lower difficulty before playing through.

Visuals\Sound Effects:

Graphics in the single player campaign make MW3. The character modeling in the single player campaign is really second to none. The lighting, building design, and weather effects make this game come to life. The set piece for me was trying to get to a chopper rendezvous point as a dust storm is rolling in. To me it portrays what it would really be like to be caught in a dust storm under those crucial circumstances.

The sound design in this game deserves praise too. From the buzz chopper gunners to the destructive blasts issued but the AC-130 the sound effects are some of the best I have heard in a modern shooter. The one gripe I have about sounds in every military game is how they portray suppressed weapons and how close you can use them before alerting enemies.  This isn’t the case with real weapons.


Conclusion:

Overall this game is pretty much what I expected with the same basic playing style as the others, and a lackluster story mode that provides enjoyment for maybe one or two plays. This game is more catered to please the mass action fans\ multi-player addicts. I will say so far I have enjoyed spec ops on this game more than the campaign.


Over all rating:   7 / 10


~Casual

Just finished COD:MW3 check back in the next few days to find out the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Next on the list Rayman Origins a nice little break from the first person shooter life as i go back to the past with this plat former.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations Campaign Review

I have tried to write this review several times over, and each and every time something has not felt right about it.  I came to realize that I was trying to hold Assassin's Creed: Revelations up to the light in a way that would allow me to analyze the title as a stand alone effort, and this proved an impossible feat.  There is absolutely no way that I can objectively review this game without looking at the series as a whole.  The fact is that Ubisoft has dedicated itself to producing and releasing the Assassin's Creed games as an annual event, and the series is suffering for it.  The original AC game was an experimental foray into the world of sandbox action/platforming and puzzle solving , and AC2 polished and reinvented the series so that it was less repetitive and tedious than its predecessor.  Then, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood came along and brought a new level of polish and replay value to the series that made up for the fact that it was basically an expansion to AC2 with relatively identical mechanics and a few innovative game play features. 

The trouble with ACR is that feels anti-climactic in many ways in comparison with the innovations that made the previous games feel special.  ACR borrows many elements from its forbears and makes its own changes to established mechanics, but the new additions seem contradictory to the vision that the series has been following up to this point.  For instance, ACR brings back the assassin towers/territories sequences from Brotherhood that challenged players to liberate sections of the city from Templar rule before they were safe for exploration or economic development.  ACR's spin on this system allows the rival army to contest your hold on established territories if the assassin's notoriety level gets too high.  As if this weren't enough, returning to the assassin's den to reclaim the territory triggers a tower defense mini-game that has players spending morale points to fortify your ranks as waves of enemies attack.

I must defeat the Templars, and......um.....oh boy.
Sorry, I was staring at your clevage.

Don't get me wrong, I like tower defense strategy games as much as anybody, but the inclusion of an almost RPG like mini-game in the middle of a dynamic sandbox game takes away a lot of the freedom that the rest of the game promotes.  To top it all off, if the tower defense segment is failed, the territory can be reclaimed simply by killing the enemy captain and lighting the territory beacon.  Hence, the aforementioned mini-game (which is skip-proof) is rendered completely unnecessary.  The process isn't game breaking, and I only bothered to initiate the mini-game a handful of times, but it feels like a departure from the series staple free flowing combat system. 

There are a number of things that ACR does well, and after playing through the story mode it still feels like a well balanced Assassin's Creed game.  Nonetheless, Revelations doesn't really rock my world the way that AC2 or Brotherhood did.  Navigation controls and combat mechanics received some tweaks that help to smooth out game play a bit, but overall there is little to no innovation in this game that sets it apart from the others in a positive way.  In many ways, it feels like successful elements of the previous two titles have been incorporated but reigned back to a level that dilutes their appeal.  The tomb challenges are present once more, but the challenge level has been scaled back somewhat in favor of a more cinematic feel in some instances.  ACR definitely has more of a scripted feel than its predecessors, and freedom of choice has been toned down in favor of a more director driven vision of how sequences can be played out. 


Assassin's Creed: Revelations is not a bad game, but it does a poor job of setting up future additions to the series in regard to single player mechanics.  The franchise is still relevant and has the potential to offer a great deal in the way of innovation, but the last few installments have stretched the formula a bit thin.  Perhaps now that the focus has moved away from its focus on Ezio's back story, the story can move into a more modern setting.  It would be interesting to see a world where the Templars have forced the assassins into hiding and stealth techniques play a more important role.  Desmond's story may hold more importance in coming games, but will most likely serve as a backdrop for a different assassin's introduction.  With that said, Assassin's Creed seems to have hit a wall of sorts for now, but perhaps that can be chalked up to the fact that Ezio's story is played out.  The franchise still has plenty of potential, and it would be a shame to see it reduced to something of a conforming nature.  

Our first day!!!!

Hey everyone!  We just wanted to welcome you all to our new venture into the world of video game journalism.  Casualfiddle (aka Josh) and I will be posting reviews to our new site for the foreseeable future, and we hope that all of you will enjoy the material that we will be putting out.  Our website is a work in progress, but you can be sure that we will be posting articles and videos of increasing quality as we polish our skills as internet commentators.  I will be posting my first article shortly after this one, and it is a little bit old.  However, it is a quick way to get an initial post out of the way.  I'll skip the introductions right now, but we should have more stuff out in the coming weeks.  Stop on back at any time, and we look forward to the future of our site!