Guitar Hero: Metallica - Review

Yes, it kicks serious ass. Guitar Hero: Metallica is the second iteration of the Guitar Hero franchise to be focused entirely on the career of one band. Rather than talk about the gameplay which for the most part is still the same as Guitar Hero: World Tour, I'm just gonna mention the improvements or changes to this game.

First and foremost the setlist is PHENOMENAL. With 28 Metallica songs and 20 other guest acts very few music rhythm games can boast such an excellent track list. Add in the Death Magnetic DLC with 10 extra tracks and it makes one meaty set of hard rockin' anthems. One difference I noticed is that the songs here are all fun to play, there were one or two moments in World Tour (the Tool songs come to mind) that were really boring to play. Also the motion capture is top notch, with really authentic animations and representations of the band. Not a huge step up from World Tour, but fans will appreciate it.

Other added bonuses include the Metallifacts videos after you complete a song, the lyrics sheets and photos and videos from the various tours. It really is a game for the fans, and any Metallica fan would be a fool to pass it up. The interface is mainly the same except this time the developers have added in the star performance meter above your score, and for the band mode it is now more clear how each member is performing.

Career mode has you as a member of band playing before Metallica at the various venues. This story is actually based on a real life band who followed Metallica round during the 80's. Progression is different from World Tour where you no longer need to complete all the songs in one show to proceed. You simply have to earn an overall number of stars from the various songs of your choice in that venue to move on.

I know this is a short review but there isn't much more to say than what's already been said in past reviews and previews. If you're a fan of Metallica and have any gaming system, buy this now! You won't regret it.

~The Damo

The Big 3 - Hardware Review

Here it is. The Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii all in one blog, compared, contrasted and analysed as best as I possibly can to see which of the 3 is best value for money, i.e. the best piece of hardware.

Please remember this is a HARDWARE analysis, not software, and for the record I will never be comparing software as I feel this is totally to the taste of the consumer and realistically reviews in general mean jack shit to me when it comes to making a purchase. I should also point out that I won't be delving into the various different processors and so on (partly because I'm not fully enough educated in this regard and also because the quality of the processors and RAM can sometimes mean nothing, example being God of War 2 on PS2 - whoever thought the PS2 could do that!!), so the affair will be more focussed on a features and functions style idea as well as reviews of each console's controller.

So let's kick it off going from smallest to largest with the Nintendo Wii:

Aesthetically it's a nice looking machine, it's hard to fault it really. Compact, shiny white and functional. Personally I'm not a huge fan of the tray it sits in, both the 360 and PS3 can sit on their own, but hey, no biggy. My only problem as such with the machine is the sensor bar. Now I know this is essential to the how the Wiimote works, but seeing as the PS3 pulls off motion control without a sensor bar one has to wonder if it is 100% essential. It uses automatic disk feeding for the Wii Optic Disc and has a liftable flab to expose four gamecube Dolphin controller ports. It has no harddrive with storage carried out by internal flash memory and can use SD cards for storage aswell.

The Wiimote itself is a well designed piece of equipment, comfortable and it looks great. I'm not a fan of the speaker that's built in as most of the time it comes across as poor audio quality and I really don't think it's necessary, especially when the game's primary sound filters through the TV and/or speakers anyway. However, out of the 3 the Wiimote is my least favourite to use and it boils down to one solid fact. The Wiimote is not essential to play the majority of Wii games. Now before you stop me, I'm still not commenting on the quality of the games, this bit relates to the controllers functionality with the games. Besides the launch title WiiSports, very few (with a notable exception of BoomBlox) REQUIRE motion controls. Smash Bros - non existent. Mario Kart - tacked on. Mario Galaxy - tacked on. Zelda - imposed on a game that already came out on Gamecube. And that's just four games off the top of my head. The cold hard fact is that these games would still be top quality even without the motion ability.

This critical flaw was realised by many gamers very early on, and even now the casual audience is starting to look upon the Wii as more of a fad than anything else. With motion-plus on the horizon at an additional cost it's hard to know what the future holds. What we do know is that the Wii is a solid machine with as far as I know a non-existent hardware failure rate. The Mii service is great and adds to the party-style orientation of many of the Wii's games. The different channels are excellent additions but compared to XBL or PSN, the Wii's online service has to go a long way before it should even be in the same sentence as the other two. Damn, I put them in the same sentence!!!

The Xbox 360

First thing you'll notice looking an Xbox is its smooth concave design. This one at home is an Elite Model, so it's black, but the other two 360 models are white. The console uses a disk tray, has slots for memory cards and large power button. This button not only indicates whether the power is on but each quadrant of the outer ring represents a controller that is linked and switched on with the machine. This particular model comes with built in Wi-Fi and a 120GB harddrive and utilises wireless controllers. This isn't consistent with other models, as the Arcade has no harddrive at all, no Wi-Fi (which needs to be bought at an additional expense) and wire controllers (though I have heard to the contrary in this aspect). The other model comes with 60GB storage.

The 360 unfortunately is well known for one fatal flaw - The Red Ring of Death. This alone is a serious issue and requires you to return your console either to the retailer or Microsoft, depending on terms of the warrantee. To pile on the misery another error, the E74 has begun to crop up as well. If you haven't got it by now, the 360 is possibly one of the worst designed machines ever (from that perspective, it's cores perform rather well). This extends to motherfuckin' fan that sounds like a jet engine taking off, and trust me when I say you will be raising the volume on your TV a few notches just so you can hear it! Also, take a look at the power adaptor... :O

Having said that though, both the NXE (despite being half a rip-off of the PS3's XMB and half the Nintendo Miis) and XBL are terrific services despite the fee for Gold Membership. The additionof the bundled headset only adds to the multiplayer immersion and for the most part makes the experience all the more enjoyable.

The controller is excellently designed, with a very comfortable grip and layout. The triggers work well but the D-pad is less than stellar and the requirement of batteries isn't the greatest either, though a lithium battery can be gotten at, yes, you guessed it, an additional cost. The positioning of the left analog adds to the comfort as it predominantly controls movement in the games and both thumsticks have a concaved centre to improve grip.

Playstation 3

First thing you'll notice with the PS3 is just how large it is. It's a little bigger than the 360 but it compensates its size with its arching curves and piano black finish (look how shiny it is in the pic, you can see ME in it!!). I have a 60GB model, with inbuilt Wi-Fi and bluetooth connectivity. This is standard across all models except you can now only get a 40GB and 80GB model (and possibly a 160GB region depending). Like the Wii it has a disk feeder. All the buttons are touch sensitive. Below the disk is a flab which allows for portable storage units like SD cards or Memory Stick Duo. On the front are four USB ports and two at the rear. At this point I should point out the PS3 uses entirely USB2.0 for all connections.

Unlike the 360, there's no mother of a power adaptor and the fans are quiet enough, though the system can get quite warm after extended play. Also, all models have wireless controllers as standard which come with an in-built rechargable battery which is charged via a USB cable with the system. Also unlike the Wii and 360, the PS3 can sustain up to seven controllers at any one time and it is the only system of the 3 to support Blu-Ray and DVD. My particular model can play PS2 games but this feature is no longer available.

However, the PS3's online service PSN isn't quite up to XBL standards, though it is entirely free of charge. More than likely you'll notice this very early on when you have to download an update. For whatever reason the damn thing is RIDICULOUSLY slow, though I must say it IS getting better. Xbox games sometimes come with the update on the disk, and install rather quickly, why this hasn't happened for PS3 games yet I don't know. Also, because headsets aren't bundled with the console - though I believe it is compatible with a lot of bluetooth headsets - the online experience isn't always up to 360 standards, though again, it IS improving with each firware update. As it stands currently there isn't a huge amount between the two online services, but there IS a difference nonetheless.

What can be said about the controller? I'm sure most of the planet has held a Playstation controller before, the design hasn't changed much except for the removal of the wire, the inclusion of the PS button and swapping L2 and R2 for throttle like buttons as opposes to the 360's triggers.

Conclusions

From a strictly hardware perspective, taking into account value for money, reliability, aesthetics there really is only one winner, and that's the PS3. The phrase "You pay for what you get" has never been more apt. The PS3 is the most expensive but with built in WiFi and a harddrive as standard, not to mention an internet browser built into the system with video support for most flash players, you simply can't go wrong. It uses all the latest technology, Blu-Ray, Bluetooth and USB for transfer and storage of data. The fact that PSN almost offers the same experience as XBL without any yearly subscription fee also weighs in Sony's favour. With its curving designs and piano black finish it looks well in any room with a TV and is the perfect hub for home entertainment in this modern era. It might cost a lot but I can guarantee you won't be a disappointed customer with the features and service on offer.

~The Damo

P.S. - Photos are poor quality as camera is on the blip

Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga - Review

I remember when I first heard there would be a Lego Star Wars game that I had serious doubts about how "Lego" and "Star Wars" and the PS2 would work. Needless to say, those doubts were crushed when Episode 1 Level 1: Negotiations loaded up on the screen.

How the developers could've have made this game so "right" is beyond me. It had been a long time since I had played something that was simply "fun" and satisfying. I don't know what it is but there's just something about going around the Geonosian Arena as General Grevious hacking up loads of battle droids that's so entertaining!

And then we heard there would be a sequel involving the original trilogy, and somehow.... SOMEHOW it actually got BETTER!! The sequel included usable vehicles, new powerups, longer levels and just more....FUN!

So when I heard there would be a new improved game, compiling both games into one and redesigning the first game to accomodate improvements made in the second, I had it down as a must buy for the PS3 this year. And despite the fact that my brothers have the original two on the PS2, I don't regret buying The Complete Saga for myself in the slightest.

The menu is the same as the one in The Original Trilogy, using the Mos Eisely Cantina as the link way to each of the six episodes. Here you can also edit your own two customisable characters and purchase unlockable ones and extras which can make the gameplay more fun (believe it or not!). It's perhaps the lack of intensity that makes this game so successful. If you die, you just break apart, lose some coins, then come back to life.... And believe me, you will die..a LOT! Most enemies die with one hit of the lightsaber or blaster or bitch slap (if you're Princess Leia) though some can take two or three hits, depending on who they are. Generally speaking the game isn't exactly challenging, but that's what makes it so much fun. The Jedi Battle level can be a little tricky and the jumping for the Obi-Wan VS Anakin duel can be annoying aswell, but that's not sufficient to detract from the enjoyment of the game.

The game uses the "Gold Brick" system again, one for completing the level, another for finding all ten canisters and a final one for getting "True Jedi". In total there are 160 Gold Bricks to be found, which are then used to unlock bonus levels. In total there is 160 new characters including Indiana Jones to promote the forthcoming Lego: Indiana Jones game. There are 36 standard story levels, a number of bonus levels specific to their respective film, aswell as 6 other bonus levels (including two lego cities) and 20 Bounty Hunter Levels. Out of 36 standard levels there are 4 key things to be achieved (not including the actual completion of the level), to achieve "True Jedi" which is collection a certain amount of lego coins (of which there are many, so achieving True jedi is rarely a problem, though sometimes can be a little tedious), to collect all 10 canisters which make a Lego Mini-Kit model, which usually corresponds to the level played, to find the red power brick which enables you to buy upgrades extras such as Invincibility or Super Slap or whatever, and finally to collect the ten bonus canisters under 10 minutes. The last one is a new feature, which upon completion gives you a certain number of coins.

At the moment I'm at about 85% by the way. When you've bought all the characters they'll roam around the cantina, and attack them if you wish. Obviously Free Play has returned, which I should've mentioned earlier, which allows you to replay the level with any characters you want, so if you feel in the mood to have Anakin and Yoda fight the Emperor in Return of the Jedi you can. In fact, Free Play is essential if you want to find all the canisters and red power bricks.

In conclusion, if you don't have Lego Star Wars, but are into the Star Wars, then there's just no excuse for you not having it. It is truely a very enjoyable experience suitable for all ages. And if you're not into Star Wars, you should still get it, as it'll give you a taste of the forthcoming Lego: Indiana Jones and Lego: Batman. One would think that the developers are onto a winning franchise here. The Complete Saga is available on all seventh generation consoles.

Graphics: 10

Gameplay: 10

Sound: 9

Unlockables: 10

Longevity: 10

Multiplayer: 8

Overall: 9.8

Seriously...BUY IT!

~The Damo

Top 10 Games Coming Soon!!

With so many hot releases on the way over the next six months, I thought I'd write up a brief summary of the Top 10 games you should be looking into on the 3 main consoles!

10. Half Life 2: The Orange Box

Whilst the PS3 wasn't around for the initial forray of Half Life titles and expansions, Sony now have on the way the entire Half Life back catalog all on one glorious Blu-Ray disc!!! JOYGASM!!! Oh yeah and Microsoft has it too....but what's the point when they've had to buy each one seperate up till now?

9. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

Who ever thought Lego and Star Wars would be such a success? The Complete Saga combines both the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy games into one, expanding the gameplay in the Prequel game aswell as adding tonnes of new characters! With them comes new improved graphics with a shinier gloss and Indiana Jones as a secret promotional character for Lego: Indiana Jones.

8. Mario Kart Wii

*edit: there WAS a picture for this but it won't load anymore and I'm not arsed to look for another!*

What could be better than playing Mario Kart on the old Nintendo 64??? Why playing a whole new Mario Kart on the Wii with a new specially designed steering wheel of course!!!! Vrooooooooooommmmmmmm!

7. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Lucasarts have created a brand spanking new phyiscs engine for the most revolutionary Star Wars game to date. Players will control Darth Vader's secret apprentice and fight on planets all over the galaxy utilising the force in ways only previously dreampt of by gamers.....let me see, I'll pick up that stormtrooper there and fling him into the other one at the side of the ledge...then pick them both up and crush their skulls......

6. Smackdown Vs Raw 2008

Although I had left the wrestling fanbase for a few years, my welcoming return was gifted with the chance to play SVsR 2007, and what a game it was. With 2008, the game expands and updates the rosters of both Smackdown and Raw as well as ECW for the first time ever. With even more new features and enhanced gameplay, and exclusive content for both the PS3 and Xbox360, WWE look like they're about to deliver another big one to the gaming world!

5. Haze

Set to be Playstation's answer to the incredible Halo 3 online gameplay, Haze looks to be all that it promises in a futuristic Earth governed by PMC's with fast paced gameplay and a multitude of online gameplay modes and features.

4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Quoted as the best game to buy after Halo3, COD developers took the age old World War 2 first person shooter and decided to do something totally different. A MODERN war, more accurately set in the Middle East. With the reams of WWII games out there, practically every aspect of the conflict has been covered and it is a breath of fresh air to finally play something different with a whole arsenal of modern (and realistic) weaponry!

3. Super Mario Galaxy

Coming soon to the Wii, Galaxy has been cited by the top guns at Nintendo to be a worthy sequel to Super Mario 64! With hugely inventive level design and creative gameplay, Nintendo once again looks set to deliver a lasting classic!

2. Grand Theft Auto 4

What could be better than a next generation console version of the worlds favourite 18's violent crime game? Set in Liberty City once again and with a hole heap of new controls abilities and elements of realism only better by the MGS Series, GTAIV is poised to set new free-roam gaming standards for years to come!

1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

Those of you keeping with my blog are surely aware of all the posts I've made about this game, so you can look back on them for videos and stuff. This is set to be the game of all games ever since video games were first created like Pong. Seriously, if there was an award ceremony like the Oscars for games....this would win them all. What's better...oh yeah, there's a demo on the way before Christmas...and once again...its PLAYSTATION ONLY!!!!!!!

In fact, here's the HD Gameplay Video, take a looksie!

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22702.html

~The Damo