Game Review: Tekken 6

Over the past 15 years or so, the Tekken franchise from Namco has established itself as one of the premier fighting games in the world, rivaled only (and debatably) by Mortal Kombat and Soul Calibur (don't even try to say Virtua Fighter). So when the programming company announced that their latest version, Tekken 6, would be available for the first time on consoles other than PlayStation, we were curious to see the result.

Well, now the answer is in and it's official: the newest version of Tekken is the best yet.

What makes it so good is the increased depth across the board. First off, just about every character in Tekken history is available to play; while there are some omissions for story reasons, such as Jun Kazama or Doctor Boskonovitch, the game offers a whopping 40 playable characters for enthusiasts to choose from.

The depth is also apparent within each character as well, with most of them possessing over 100 unique moves or combos and some characters boasting over 160 moves. Mastering the playstyle of one specific character would take dedication; figuring out how to play every character to their best capacity would be borderline insane.

As in previous games, each of the 40 characters also comes with their own cinematics and unique storylines, but Tekken 6 adds to the individuality by allowing players to customize the characters with dozens of different outfits and accessories. From cowboy hats to swords to extra chest hair, you can pimp out your character in multiple ways, none of which affect game play but all of which add a layer of fun and interaction for the player.

This is especially helpful when trying out the game's new online mode, where you play against any of the tens of thousands of Tekken enthusiasts around the world. Normally you'd run into hundreds of other, identical characters, but thanks to this customization you can ensure that your Yoshimitsu is unique among the crowd.

Of course, most casual players might be a little fearful of dipping their toes into the online waters where Tekken sharks are likely waiting to pound them into oblivion; nobody enjoys getting stomped in a one-sided game. Lukcily, though, the developers took this into consideration, implementing a ranking system that tracks your wins and losses and what rank your opponents are to ensure that you end up getting matched with other players in your skill range. Better, the game tracks all 40 character separately, so if you've gained a high rank with Lee and want to switch to King, you don't have to worry about being overmatched; with King you'll start back off as a newb and get to build rank with each new character as you learn.

Online mode isn't the only option available, though; the game also offers a story mode, which takes you through the game's storyline in a combination side-scroller/rpg that allows you to gather in-game currency to buy different costumes for your character and also allows you to unlock those items through drops and fight rewards.

Of course, the game isn't perfect and even with so many innovations it does fall flat in a couple areas. The biggest of these is a unusually long load time between battles, which can lead to some frustration and boredom at times; why it takes so long to load each fight is beyond us. The game's story mode also has some issues with game play, as the camera angle (a 3/4 overhead shot) doesn't perform well with moves designed for a side-view fight system. Since the game doesn't allow you to rotate camera angles during story mode, this can lead to some issues when trying to fight mobs.

Overall, though, those are fairly minor nits to pick. If you enjoy Tekken, or fighting games in general, Tekken 6 is a fantastic addition to the genre and one of the most in-depth fighting games ever made.

My Grades: Overall the game gets an A-. That's an A+ for the actual fighting and the customization of the characters; a B- for story mode, which should be awesome but is hindered by linearity and weird controls; and a C- for the stupidly long load times.

Read More

Game Review: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

At long last, the comic book event of the decade is finally here and the seemingly endless wait is over. And funny thing: it's not even a comic book. No, it's Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, the most hotly anticipated super hero video game of all time. Lucky for you, I've spent the last few days slaving and toiling over this game in order to bring you all the news you need to know about this game. So what are we waiting for? Let's get right to the review.


Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
Marvel Comics and Vicarious Visions

For those who have been living in a cave for the last few years (and weren't able to build a Playstation with a BOX OF SCRAPS), Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is the sequel to one of the most popular games of 2006. The original was a tour de force action role playing game (in the grand tradition of, for example, Gauntlet) which explored the farthest corners of the Marvel Universe while allowing you to play any number of classic Marvel superheroes (and if you wanted to spring for the character expansion packs, even some villains). For comic fans, it was about the most perfect blend of video games and superheroes that had ever been attempted.

So how does the sequel fare in comparison? Well, for the most part it does pretty well, though there are a few slips here and there. Let's start right up at the top with the storyline.

Unlike the first game, which featured a totally original storyline, MUA 2 uses the infamous Civil War story as the basis for the game's plot. Now, Civil War is one of the most popular (and at the same time, most controversial) comics of the past decade, so this decision makes sense in a lot of ways. Mostly, it allows the game to feel current and relevant to comic fans; as awesome as the first game was, it was very rooted in classic Marvel characters and storytelling. Unfortunately, that's not really how Marvel rolls these days, so even when the game was new it already felt a bit nostalgic (which to be honest was one of its draws for some players such as myself). The new game, then, manages to seem much more contemporary by tapping in to this Civil War setting (and also by incorporating some elements of Brian Michael Bendis's Secret War limited series).

Have no fear, though: if you're one of those people who didn't care for Civil War, you're in luck, because in many ways the version in the game is actually better written than the comic was. A few small changes were made which result in the characters seeming to be, well, more in character than they were in the comic. For example, Cap's first thought when faced with the Superhero Registration Act is to go to Congress and testify against it, and even after he begins his rebellion (triggered by his fight with Maria Hill, which in this version takes place after the act is passed rather than before -- another small but important change) his focus is on trying to convince the voting public to repeal the law. Likewise, the pro-reg group seems more understandable and sympathetic here, thanks in part to Mr. Fantastic sharing his future history theorems with everyone prior to sides being chosen (rather than keeping it to himself until it's too late for anyone to care any more).

From a storytelling point of view, then, the game gets a big thumbs up, because it actually improved upon the source material. I won't give too much more away, but suffice it to say that the lame ending to Civil War is also gone, instead replaced by an outside threat that forces everyone to realize how stupid they are all acting -- a sentiment anyone who has read Civil War can probably agree with.

As nice as the story is, though, adhering to Civil War does cause some issues with the actual game play. Because some characters are important to the storyline, they become unavailable during specific sections of the game. Even if you select the side that the character conforms to (i.e. Captain America is on the anti-registration sid,e of course), you still may not be able to play them. My plan to play Cap through the whole game was derailed when, due to a plot point, he was "unavailable" on my team roster -- and remained that way for about a quarter of the game. Needless to say, this was kind of annoying, and if you want to play other heroes (such as Luke Cage, Mr. Fantastic or Iron Man) you should be prepared to swap them out, because chances are you won't be able to actually play them the whole time.

Another thing that is less inviting in this game compared to the last game is the team bonus. One of my favorite things about the first game was the ability to create your own Marvel hero team, complete with name, roster, logo and special team bonuses. That seems to be completely missing from the sequel. Likewise, the alternate costumes are for appearance only, rather than having different abilities that allowed for more strategy. Instead of each character equipping items for specific boosts, the entire team benefits from the use of items. And the new fusion system -- where each hero supposedly has a unique interaction with any other hero -- is a slight letdown, as there are really just a handful of interactions depending on what type of character you have (i.e. energy powers, martial arts, super strength, etc.).

Beyond the character play, a couple other small things irritated me. Being able to rotate the camera seems like a simple, vital part of pretty much any game these days, but while you can sometimes do it here, other times you get stuck with specific camera angles that make it very difficult to figure out what you're doing (for instance, when a giant truck is blocking your view of the battle). And there are places where the environment conforms to a linear storyline -- there's no reason why I shouldn't be able to, say, walk down that hallway over there or fly up onto that rooftop, but for some reason, I can't do it. Instead, an invisible barrier prevents me from exploring, as if I were playing Castlevania of something.

That's not to say the game isn't enjoyable, though; most of these are fairly minor points. If you liked the first game, chances are you'll like this one too. It looks great and the story is interesting. I do have to add that, on the normal difficulty mode, it didn't seem as difficult as the first game (which itself wasn't particularly difficult). And while the voice acting is uniformly good, watch out for Thor, who sounds eerily like the Ben Franklin from those Ask a Freemason ads on the radio. I'm not sure why they decided to cast Ben Franklin as Thor, but that one voice really doesn't work at all for me. But if little things like this don't bother you, then by all means, grab your shield and start slinging it.

Because Lord knows that Tony Stark needs to be taken down a notch.


My Grade: This gets a B. I thought about slipping it down to a B-, but I suspect that playing this with four people instead of solo is going to be a blast, and that will make up for the disappointments.

Read More

Game Review: Madden 2010

You know, some people just enjoy punishment. Or maybe enjoy isn’t the right word, but there’s a certain guilt that people have that drives them to seek penance, and for some this leads them to debase themselves in all manner of degrading ways. Personally, I’ve never understood this, but last week I discovered myself unintentionally participating in one of the most severe acts of contrition you can undertake. So let me give you this bit of advice: if you ever feel the need to undergo public humiliation, there can be no more complete a venue than trying to win games in Madden 2010 as the Detroit Lions.

Yes, it’s fall and that means the return of America’s most gripping obsession. No, not football, silly – simulated, video game football. And the undisputed dominatrix of the genre is John Madden, who for years has provided casual football fans with just the kind of whippings they’ve deserved. But after playing the newest version for a week, I should warn you: this year, there is no safe word.

Okay, that’s probably taking the metaphor too far (or… not far enough… hmm) but the fact remains that while Madden remains the best football video game in the world, and possibly the best sports video game period, 2010 may have gone just a little overboard trying to top itself. Every year the game adds more and more features in an attempt to both remain fresh and also become as realistic as possible. Madden has said in interviews that part of his intention is to make this as much a football simulator as a game – i.e., he hopes it can actually be used as a teaching tool for people learning the intricacies of the game.

Well, it certainly succeeds on that front. The only problem is, unless you are a hardcore Madden player or a literal student of the game, like an offensive coordinator or something, chances are you’re going to have a harder time playing this version of Madden than you did with earlier iterations. One example can be found in the reworked audible system. In years past, I have done my best Peyton Manning impersonation – line up, check the defense, then audible to one of the three plays preset for such a situation. That took a bit of knowledge about football and some gaming skill, but you don’t need to actually be Peyton Manning to pull it off.

Now, though, when you hit the audible button, a giant menu of different plays pops up, closer to a dozen than three. And you certainly don’t have time to actually check what those plays are, because when you come out of the huddle now (in games against the computer, that is), the timer will speed ahead to 15 seconds left on the play clock unless you are in a situation where you can run down the game clock as well. This means that you have to read the defense, decide to audible, hit the correct play and have your guys shift positions in 15 seconds – and you have to have memorized all dozen different audible calls in advance in order to select the right one.

Now, again, for those hardcore Madden fanatics like the dudes who play it on ESPN for money, this is probably another evolutionary step towards one day actually fusing Madden with real football players somehow. It’s great for the dedicated. But for casual players who just want to bang out a few tough yards in Shawn Merriman’s bloated roid face, it’s a frustrating experience. So too is the tweaked defensive AI, which now excels at reading the quarterback, meaning even if you have Reggie Wayne in single coverage with no help over the top, having Manning throw it deep isn’t going to result in a long gainer but rather is more likely to be a pick. Maybe not if the DB is Ellis Hobbs, of course, but more often than not, which makes it pretty difficult for a casual player to beat the D.

That’s not to say there aren’t some nice improvements this year. The designers have tweaked the rating system for each player so that there’s a bigger gap between A level stars and C level journeymen. And besides the sims actually looking like the real players, then, they play like them too. For example, every single game I played ended up with Joseph Addai getting sidelined due to injury, so score one for the dev team. It’s almost more realistic than the NFL itself.

Some of the other changes are also reasonable. In Franchise Mode, for instance, it’s no longer a simple task to bilk the AI teams out of their best players for pennies on the dollar; the trade system has been beefed up so that the other GMs aren’t all Matt Millen level executives. And the best change is probably is at the line of scrimmage; now when you check to see what routes your players are running, there are decoy routes you can select instead so the person you are playing against can’t easily defend your play calls.

This year also marks the first year the Madden doesn’t do the play calling; instead, it is handled by Chris Collinsworth and some other dude. Collinsworth is pretty good in the booth and I think is a good choice overall, though there are some glitches in the audio track. For instance, if you have the Ask Madden feature up to help you with play selection, Madden and Collinsworth will sometimes talk over each other, making it seem as though Tony Kornheiser is also involved. Also, it’s clear that some of the bits of dialogue are standard and then are mixed and matched to whoever you are playing at the time, meaning Collinsworth sometimes ends up praising complete a-holes like Philip Rivers in a way that no self-respecting journalist or football fan ever would.

Overall, then, it’s a nice enough package, but unless you have the time and interest to really devote yourself to the game, chances are you’ll be better off sticking with an earlier version of the game and letting the real NFL handle the business of serious football.


My Grades: A- for being the best sports game around, but a B for actual playability. At best.

Read More