Review of Rayman Origins for Xbox 360

Before those creepy rabbids stole the spotlight, what were Rayman games all about? Read on to find out!

Sound: The music for this game is as diverse and cartoony as it gets. Twangs of fiddles and even the occasional banjo are seemlessly intertwined with mariachi bands and even solos from the electoons and Rayman himself. It’s the ideal music for what I think classic video games were all about, and is a welcome change of pace from all of that orchestrated nonsense. Sound: 10/10

Presentation: Realistic graphics? Nope. Crazy cartoonish insanely twisted disturbingly creative comic-esque? YES! Rayman Origins sports what is the most original and creative visual style that I can remember. It’s as cartoony as it gets, with the colorful and expressive visuals just popping out at you in HD. Presentation: 10/10

Gameplay: It’s flying. It’s hopping. It’s running. It’s Super Mario times a million! There’s hovering, diving, and everything that you need for a great 2D platformer. With that said, all of these creative elements don’t detract from the basic fact: You need to be skilled, quick and GREAT at platformers to handle this game. All those other elements only add to the already fun and basic experience Rayman delivers, being a deceptively difficult and uniquely crafted adventure that showcases what platforming is all about. That includes the enraging challenge levels, the wickedly tricky bosses, and the overall challenging yet rewarding style of the game. The game takes a few tips from current day though, giving you unlimited lives and a fairly generous (for the first half of the game, at least) checkpoint system. I like it, because it makes things extremely challenging but not unfair and/or cheap. My only gripe whatsoever with this game’s gameplay is that you can tell the developers crafted this adventure for two players, not one. Riding solo adds a challenge veteran gamers will love, but having two people exponentially eases the struggle of getting through levels. Gameplay: 9.5/10

Multiplayer: Four player co-op? Yes please! I found four people was a bit much, but the two player sweet spot was where this game rides high. Single player is a blast, but two Raymans is equal to, if not better than one. Multiplayer: 9/10

Length: What I was expecting and what I got were two extremely different things, leaving me pleasantly surprised. Rayman Origins sports loads of levels and lots of different locales, offering hours of fun just for the main adventure. With six different goals to reach throughout every single level, completionists will have their hands full for far longer than I’ll ever be willing to put into a game. My only gripe with the length is that some of it is gained by the game forcing you to compulsively collect “electoons” (the rewards for meeting certain conditions in a level) so much that the replaying of levels can become slightly tedious. Length: 9/10

Overall: Rayman Origins gets 9.5 electoons out of 10. This game was a blast. Rich with content, extremely challenging, and overall a fun platformer that puts some of Mario’s best outings to shame. I recommend you pick up Rayman Origins no matter who you are, because this game is great for any gamer.

Halo: Reach “Totally Worth It” Achievement Video Guide

Wondering how to get one of the most annoying and difficult online achievements in Halo: Reach? Well click here to go straight to my Youtube’s video guide of it!

Mario Kart 7 Tip Guide

This’ll be a small tip guide for MK7 on the 3DS!

Unlockable character tip: Clear every cup (on either 50, 100 or 150cc) to unlock your Mii as a playable character.

In-Game tip: If you collect ten coins during a single race, you’ll get a small speed boost!

Review of Mario Kart 7 for Nintendo 3DS

With a lull in good console games, I decided to pick up a 3DS title. So is this handheld kart racer as good as its other Mario Kart brethren? Read on to find out!

Sound: Lots of classic Mario soundtracks and even some new are all compiled into the game, so the nostalgia factor is high. Sound effects are great too, making you sweat when you hear that blue turtle shell closing in… Sound: 9/10

Presentation: At first glance, the graphics don’t look like anything special. But play long enough, and you’ll start to see that these visuals rival quite a few Wii titles. On top of the impressive graphics, the 3D looks great. Not so great that it’ll be worth using enough to make you sick (read my Nintendo 3DS review for the full scoop) but good enough that it’s worth turning on once in a while. Presentation: 9/10

Gameplay: The gameplay of Mario Kart is identical to its past games, easy to play, hard to master. The controls are basic as can be, but that simplicity adds up to a lot of fun when you throw in the dangerous items and new underwater/sky gameplay elements. The hang glider is a fun new addition that adds a new level of depth to each track, and the underwater segments are always some of the best and most original parts of each course. New items have been added so that things are even more unpredictable during races, and there’s a fair amount of unlockable characters and kart customizations to get. My only gripe with this is that it takes forever to get new customizations/characters, so gameplay becomes a little stale before new unlockables are obtained. Gameplay: 8/10

Multiplayer: Coin battle and balloon battle are just as frantic as ever, especially on the new eight player online multiplayer. I encountered no lag and everything worked perfectly, my only real problem being how long the matchmaking took. But other than that, a great online experience that shows what MK7 is all about. Multiplayer: 8/10

Length: If you’re into grand prix mode, this game will keep you busy for a few hours. The online is great too, being the most addicting part of the package. If you don’t have an internet connection and don’t get a lot of fun out of versing AI through four-track competitions though, this game will be over within the first two hours. Length: 7/10

Overall: Mario Kart 7 gets 8.4 coins out of 10! A great installment to the series, and is a must-buy for any racing fanatics who own a 3DS.

Review of Halo: Reach for Xbox 360

After playing the HD remake of the original, I decided to take a gander at the most critically acclaimed Halo of all time. Is it as good as they all say? Read on to find out!

Sound: The music is amazing. It’s eerie, it’s tense, it’s everything that should compliment a snooping soldier with a wicked big gun marching into uncharted alien-infested territory. I actually jumped a few times due to the music becoming so tense at certain moments in the game. Sound: 9/10

Presentation: Reach looks amazing, to put it simply. Not the best I’ve ever seen, but pretty slick none the less. I think there could’ve been a little more detail, but that’s my only gripe. Presentation: 9/10

Gameplay: The gameplay is summed up by shoot. Walk around an area. Shoot some more. Like Anniversary, I find this simple and repetitive gameplay extremely addicting, so I enjoyed its simplistic nature for what it was. Although the first-person platforming got a little tedious at times, it didn’t ruin the experience. There’s lots of different guns and lots of different locations, so things never feel like too much of the same. I also thought the massive array of vehicles to drive and fly were a great addition the game. I only have two major gripes with this game. A.) That it’s almost impossible to do on your own in terms of difficulty, and B.) there was a terrible glitch at one point which cheated me out of an achievement and stopped me from progressing through the level. But it was fun almost all of the time, with these few minor exceptions. Gameplay: 7/10

Multiplayer: Reach has one of the best multiplayer experiences I’ve ever played. There are loads of modes (over twenty at first glance), plenty of maps and hundreds of character customizations to be made. There are a few minor kinks (online lag, bad respawn points) but other than those the online gameplay is amazing. Multiplayer: 9.5/10

Length: The campaign is really short, ending at just under five hours. The online multiplayer though could keep you busy for hours upon hours. Length: 8.5/10

Overall: Reach gets an 8.6/10! A great game that I think everyone should check out. It’s definitely one of the better first-person shooters I’ve played.

Review of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary for Xbox 360

Does this HD remake of the original show how far the series has come, or is it a rehash you shouldn’t spend a penny on? Read on to find out!

Sound: It’s Halo. Not exactly the most amazing soundtrack I’ve ever heard, but for a somewhat generic first-person shooter it’s pretty good. Dialogue is bland and the story is pretty much one big explanation as to why you’re shooting everything in sight. So in all honesty the biggest sound this game delivers is gunshots. Sound: 6.5/10

Presentation: On top of the totally redone and visually impressive new HD graphics, there’s also the option to switch seemlessly to the classic XBOX graphics, which is a really cool feature which really goes to show how much graphics have improved over the years. Environments are surprisingly varied, which keeps things feeling fresh. Presentation: 8.5/10

Gameplay: It’s about as basic as an FPS goes. A little first-person platforming, then random spraying of your gun, and rinse and repeat. Again and again. Now, I’ll admit the gunplay, although repetitive, is addicting and fun. But what I’m not so fond of is that during missions after you’ve worked your way through an entire level of mowed down and bloody-ed up aliens, most objectives have you backtracking the entire area to get right back to where you started. In my opinion, it’s a REALLY cheap way to lengthen the amount of time you play. Like, it seriously pisses me off. But other than that, the game is pretty good about offering fun variety with a large array of vehicles to drive, and a huge mass of different guns to loot from dead alien bodies. Fun stuff. Gameplay: 7/10

Multiplayer: A collection of what are supposedly the best six maps in Halo multiplayer history, there are a handful of different modes and settings so that the basic four on four battles stay fresh for quite a few hours. Although there definitely needed to have been more maps and modes for this new addition to the Halo series to live up to its predecessors. Multiplayer: 7/10

Length: Unlike most FPS’s out there, this game actually bothers to make a decently lengthy campaign (although because it’s a remake that was sort of granted). Ironically enough, in this game it’s the online experience that I thought was lacking a little. Still, quite a few hours to be had with Anniversary. Length: 7.5/10

Overall: Halo Anniversary gets a 7.1/10! A great HD remake that has enough new and nostalgic touches to make it a worthy purchase for any fan of the series.

Review of Final Fantasy XIII-2

Is the newest Final Fantasy any good, or should it really be the FINAL Fantasy? Read on to find out!

Sound: Cool music, from mad rock n’ roll to great orchestrated pieces. If there’s something Final Fantasy does right, it’s the music. Sound: 8/10

Presentation: The game looks super slick from a graphical standpoint, and the visuals are just outright amazing. Not the best I’ve seen, but very close to it. On another note, I also really liked the immense amount of CGI cutscenes. Really, first Soul Calibur V and now this… I hope this trend continues. Presentation: 9.5/10

Gameplay: This is where things get dicey. First of all, the game starts you off with almost no tutorial, leaving you to fend for yourself. Now, if you’re like me and have never played a Final Fantasy before, you’ll be caught way off guard and totally unprepared for the challenge this game throws at you right from the beginning. Final Fantasy does NOT hold your hand, whether it be when you’re trying to figure out your objective or when you are struggling in a terribly unbalanced battle. The game even neglects to tell you that there’s an upgrade system! I mean seriously, I had around ten thousand upgrade points by the time I found out I could enhance my characters. Aside from that, there are loads of repetitive fights due to enemies that constantly appear out of nowhere, and it just downright ruins the pace of the game. All complaints aside, this game does have good RPG mechanics for the most part, and has some really cool Cinematic Action (Quick time event) moments. From a beginner’s standpoint though, this game is brutal on first time Final Fantasy players and is probably the most unexplanatory and harsh game I’ve played in a very long time. Gameplay: 2/10

Multiplayer: What multiplayer? N/A

Length: Well, if you play the full twenty hours, ten of which is just mindless grinding to rack up XP, you’ll get your money’s worth. If you don’t care for grinding and boring, repetitive encounters this game will probably last you somewhere around… an hour and a half. Length: 2.5/10

Overall: Final Fantasy XIII-2 gets a 5.5/10. A pretty bad kick-off to 2012′s gaming year, but maybe that’s just because I’m a beginner. With that said, if you liked previous Final Fantasies this game will probably be similar enough in style to enjoy, but if you’re new to the series this is a terrible game to start with.

Review of Sonic Colors for Nintendo DS

Although it isn’t the newest game, I thought it was one worth checking out. So is this older title a gem that sparkles even now, or is it just another missed opportunity of a Sonic game? Read on to find out!

Sound: Well, similar to the Wii version, this game sports an amazing soundtrack that is as amusement park-esque as it gets. Aside from that, the DS version even has a sound test menu for listening to specific songs, not to mention an amazing and DS exclusive “Reach for the Stars” 8-bit (or 16-bit?) remix. Sound: 9.5/10

Presentation: Same exact graphical style of the Sonic Rush games with almost no visual variation except for when wisp powerups are active. One thing I particularly liked about this version though is that there are loads of stage specific gimmicks that just look right in place with the level and really add on to the theme of that location, which is a nice touch that the Wii version could’ve used a little more of. Presentation: 8.5/10

Gameplay: Again, Sonic Rush rehash. The wisps are fun powerups that make gameplay feel slightly varied, whether it be cyan laser bouncing off walls of red burst popping all over the screen (red burst and violet void being DS exclusive might I add) but other than that it’s the basic boost to the goal gameplay that Rush had. With that said, if you liked the Rush series this will be right up your alley, even with the somewhat gimmick-y feeling wisps. I guess the reason the wisp powerups just don’t feel good in this version is because the controls are slippery and the wisps just don’t feel very powerful. One last thing to mention is that I especially like the DS exclusive bonus at the end (I won’t spoil it) and I really wish the Wii version had had something like it. Gameplay: 7/10

Multiplayer: A really fun versus mode, quite a bit thicker in content than Generations for the 3DS. A lot of tracks and modes are sure to keep you and a friend busy for quite a while. And you can even play against a computer! Multiplayer: 8.5/10

Length: I completely wrecked this game in under two hours, no joke. But after blazing through the story, there’s also the red rings which are given almost no incentive to get in the DS version. So yeah, other than the addicting gameplay factor this game should be done within the time it takes to watch a standard-length movie. Length: 3.5/10

Overall: Sonic Colors DS gets 7.4 golden rings out of 10, being a nice handheld addition but still lacking in both content and gameplay in comparison to it’s console big brother. I suggest you get both if you can though, because they both have their unique and enjoyable quirks.

Review of Soul Calibur V for Xbox 360

Before I start the review, just want to mention this is my 100th post and my official one-year anniversary of Gamerrob! Now onwards with the review.

Giant flashy fighters? Check. Explosive new gameplay mechanics? Check. Ezio Auditore? Synchronized. But do all of these components add up to be a mean fighting machine, or is this one fighter you should pass? Read on to find out!

Sound: When I first heard the AC remix, I fell in love with this game’s soundtrack. Since then, I’ve heard plenty more entrancing and mystical tunes, and this game no doubt has some of the best music I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing to. Sound: 9/10

Presentation: Definitely a step up from the last Soul Calibur game, because the graphics are superb and some of the most revolutionary I’ve seen to date. Stages and environments are differed and varied (especially when “ring out” brings you to a whole new level of the stage), and I congratulate Soul Calibur for being one of those rare games that has a lot of CGI cutscenes throughout its story mode. Presentation: 10/10

Gameplay: I’m glad to say for the most part SC gets it right. Gameplay is fast, frantic and intense. The eightway running and barrel rolling mechanic works great, there are hundreds of flashy combos to unleash, and the new “critical edge” (super move gauge) works great and although its hard to pull off when you do it looks phenomenal. There are loads of fighters, adding up to about thirty in all. But on top of that, character creator has seen some major improvements, allowing you to make billions of different characters that suit your style. On the topic of stage design, they look great. I especially like the “ring out” mechanic where you get dropped into a totally new stage, adding to the already huge variety. Overall, this game has a character, stage and difficulty for everyone which is something most games can’t say. Gameplay: 9.5/10

Multiplayer: Now, although this was the big hook for most people, for me it’s a damper to the real fun. Although there’s never any lag and the online itself is great, online matches have you sitting in lobbies for ten minutes, and when you get into a match your opponent will slam you into a wall and repeatedly pummel you leaving no room for escape. Some games find ways to avoid move-spamming and cornering, but here the minute my opponent gets his hands on me I go to my kitchen to get a drink and come back when the match is over. Oh, and there’s only two online match modes. Multiplayer: 5.5/10

Length: The fairly large array of singleplayer modes and the two hour story mode kept me busy for quite some time, and I’ll admit I even got about an hour out of online multiplayer. Character creation was an extremely fun time killer though, adding a couple extra hours onto the total amount of time I spent playing. Length: 8/10

Overall: Soul Calibur V gets an 8.4/10! A great fighter that rivals some of the best I’ve played *coughSuper Smash Bros. Brawlcough* and is definitely worth checking out.

Review of Deus Ex: The Missing Link DLC for Xbox 360

After the amazing adventure that was Deus Ex, is the downloadable content that continues the adventure for a price of $15 worth it? Read on to find out!

Story: “The Missing Link” fills in the events of what happens to Adam after he boards the Belltower ship in a stasis pod and before he arrives in Singapore. It fills in all of the gaps of what happened and ties up enough loose ends well enough that I forgive it for the few ends it unties.

Sound: It’s the epic and eerie techno Deus Ex soundtrack, what do you expect me to put here? Soundtrack: 9/10

Presentation: There are only two locations in this DLC, which means environments aren’t going to be extremely varied. But there are enough wicked cool set pieces to make every revisit feel just as cool the second time around… or third or fourth. Graphics themselves are still superb. Presentation: 9/10

Gameplay: Since there are only two locations in the DLC, on top of repeated visuals the gameplay and backtracking will be repetitive as well. Honestly, I didn’t find it that bad but it would’ve been nice if the settings were slightly bigger and not reused as much. The other handful of issues with The Missing Link are the difficulty spikes during the first half hour or so (enemies are relentless and supplies are scarce in the beginning) and the body scanners. The body scanners aren’t that bad but they chop up the flow of the game a bit, although I think they are a more stylish alternative to the traditional loading screen. With all of the gripes out of the way, the original gameplay is back and better than ever! The Missing Link definitely favors hacking and stealth, but I found things to be a lot less frustrating when I had a fair amount of guns and weaponry at my disposal. Speaking of weaponry, supplies are limited and praxis kits aren’t given out that generously, so it’s a smart idea to stock up and grab what you can when you can. The AI is a little more challenging than that of Human Revolution’s campaign, but I’m happy to say that the difficulty only adds to the fun. Gameplay: 9.5/10

Multiplayer: N/A

Length: The DLC lasts about three and a half hours. Not the longest downloadable content for a game I’ve ever encountered, but definitely nothing shabby. Length: 7/10

Overall: The Missing Link gets an 8.6/10! Not quite as vast and expansive as the original, but for anyone simply craving more Deus Ex, it’s a must buy.