Review: Heavy Rain (PS3)

Heavy Rain is a PS3 exclusive that differs from most current video games in that it is better described as an interactive movie or drama than a traditional video game. The game focuses heavily on characters and story, and there is no "game over" like traditional games.

Quick Facts:

Platform: PS3
Genre: Interactive drama
Developer: Quantic Dream
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date (NA): February 23, 2010
Rating: M


I have mixed feelings about Heavy Rain, as will be documented in the next few paragraphs. The game came out back in late February, but I just finally got a chance to play through it now. Overall, I was actually a little disappointed with the game. I've followed the game a lot since well before it was released, so I pretty much knew what I was getting into. So with that in mind, I wouldn't say it was a bad game, but it definitely didn't exceed my expectations from what I had seen like I was hoping it would. The majority of the media reviews were pretty positive, but I would say I'm somewhere more neutral on my feelings towards this game.

On the plus side, the graphics in the cutscenes were amazing, and the story was decent, but I still didn't feel that it was captivating enough for a game that is almost completely based on story and not gameplay. As for the actual non-cutscene gameplay (aka walking around between action-packed cutscenes trying to figure out how to trigger the next one), most of it was awkward and could be boring and confusing at times, and the walking around controls were pretty bad.

Also, on a very negative note, the voice acting was some of the worst I've ever heard in a recent game. Many of the main characters are voiced by French (or other European) people trying to fake American accents, and you can really tell how awful it is at some points. This game is almost completely based on its story and characters and all happens in a present-day American city (Philadelphia, to be precise), so to have the characters have terrible fake American accents really ruined the setting and mood of the game (which is supposed to be very dark). They sound ridiculous. This game is basically an interactive movie, so imagine a movie trying to be serious where most of the cast are French but are pretending to be American and doing really bad accents. Yeah, it would pretty much destroy many of the scenes that are supposed to be serious, and it did the exact same thing in this game.

The story itself wasn't bad. Your actions can determine what happens in the game, and there are many different endings that can be seen depending on what happens in your unique playthrough. Overall though, I have a feeling many of the people got similar endings. Unless you were trying to get your characters killed off on purpose, most of the parts were pretty simple in keeping your person alive and advancing the story in the best possible direction (where everyone survives at the end). The story itself (which I wont mention in detail here) was pretty good for a video game, but like I said before, for a video game that bases itself almost completely on story, it still wasn't amazing. I guess a good way to put it is that even though I liked the story in Heavy Rain, I've played other games with better stories and characters that also had good gameplay to go along with it, which Heavy Rain (for the most part) did not. That basically summarizes my overall feelings towards the majority of the game.

Also, the game isn't very long (it took me around 8-9 hours to beat), so keep that in mind when you see the price tag. A lot of people online say it has great re-playability because you can try to see all the different endings and decisions, but honestly, once I had beaten it I had very little desire to go through it again anytime soon (and I did enjoy it the first time around). I guess that will vary by person though.

With that in mind, there are some good things about the game, and you have to give Quantic Dream and Sony props for trying something new and different in a market that is definitely over-crowded with genres like shooters or RPGs. That is certainly a redeeming quality for Heavy Rain: even though it's only a decent game on its own, it was refreshing to play something different for a change. That's probably the best thing Heavy Rain has going for it.

In Summary:

Pros: decent story, great cutscene graphics, something different than most games

Cons: horrible voice acting, bad non-cutscene gameplay, fairly short game to pay full retail price for


Heavy Rain is best described as an interactive drama that is both innovative and different, but Quantic Dream has a lot of work to do before they perfect the formula that started they with this game (and somewhat with Indigo Prophecy).


Final Score: 3 out of 5

Review: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

"Not Enough of a Good Thing"




I was obviously a big fan of Dragon Age: Origins (seeing as it was my favorite game from the year 2009), so I was very excited when they announced there would be an expansion pack not too far into the year. Unfortunately, this was not nearly the expansion pack I had hoped for, especially given the untypical high price.

Quick Facts:

Platform: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: RPG
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date (NA): March 16, 2010
Rating: M


To be blunt, this expansion is only mediocre, which would be okay for some games, but I had much higher hopes for a game I loved as much as Dragon Age. Also, I feel the $39.99 price tag (which is unusually high for an expansion pack) is not justified by the content (both in quantity and quality) found in the expansion. The expansion is not terrible, but it is definitely lacking many of qualities that made the original title such a great game. While short and underwhelming, Awakening also is not nearly as engrossing or enticing as the original game, and yet costs 2/3 of the original title's price.

*Minor spoilers are ahead if you haven't finished the original game (by which I mean Dragon Age: Origins; there are no spoilers for the expansion I'm currently reviewing), read on at your own risk*


The main plot of Awakening is that even though you ending the blight by killing the archdemon, the darkspawn have not all retreated back underground. Something is keeping them here attacking the surface, even though the blight should be over. Also, they seem to be gaining an intelligence that they had never possessed before, which makes them even more dangerous. While this story has potential, the execution which the game carries it out is not great. You can either create a new character or import your character from the original game. You start at the same spot for both options, there is no new origin story for a new Grey Warden character. Also, if you import your character from the original, regardless of what happened at the end of that game, you come in alone. It doesn't matter if you had a dog imprinted on you, or if you told your love interest you would stay by their side, the only thing that carries over from the original is (most of) your inventory and stats. A few decisions from your game may carry over, but these are usually insignificant, and the game is mainly streamlined so that every player will have almost the same experience.

The story's execution is only okay, and besides the new story, there's not much else that comes with this expansion pack. The level cap does rise a little, and there are a few new specialization classes/skills which can at least be interesting. There is a new cast of party members, and while they all have their moments, because the expansion is so short there really isn't enough time to get to know them like you could with the characters in Origins. And, without spoiling anything, I found the ending to be very abrupt and unfulfilling, which (come to think of it) is a great way to summarize the game as a whole.

While this review has had a mostly negative tone, there are some good things. Like I said, the story has potential to be great, it's just not fleshed out enough. There are also a few things, like running the justice system of your land, that were interesting and really took me back to Baldur's Gate II. And, even though the gameplay hasn't changed much, that's okay with me because I loved the original so much. My main complaint with Awakening is that it feels rushed: there isn't enough content in it, and the content that is there is decent but would have benefitted from having more time and more content to go with it. The lack of quantity itself affects the quality of the stuff that is there, if that makes sense.

My recommendation would be to wait on this. It's not a bad expansion pack, but (especially when the price is considered) it's not great either. If the price tag had been lower, say $25-$30 (instead of $40), then I think this would have been a more positive review. Chances are if you loved Dragon Age as much as me and some of my friends did then you already have it; but if you did enjoy Dragon Age and you haven't bought this yet then I would say to wait a while until it drops by at least $10.

In Summary:

Pros: The story and characters have a lot of potential, the gameplay is slightly tweaked and improved and great as ever (assuming you liked Dragon Age: Origins), you can import your character from the original and keep most of your stuff, some interesting side quests.

Cons: The story and characters (as mentioned above) aren't given enough time to develop and be fleshed out, other side quests are short or just plain uninteresting, lack of content for such a high price point, visually many of the areas look the same - it looks like they're recycling scenery, abrupt and unfulfilling ending, overall feels rushed.


FINAL SCORE: 3 out of 5





Note: All reviews on this site are solely the subjective opinion of the author. If you disagree with my review please feel free to post in a polite manner and state your opinion. I welcome respectful discussion on my blog and would love to get feedback on my review and also read yours. Thanks!

Review: Contra ReBirth (Wii)

"Just like the good ol' days?"




Contra ReBirth is a downloadable game available exclusively through the WiiWare service on the Nintendo Wii. It is not a remake of the original Contra (NES), but a new game based on the gameplay and mechanics of Contra.

Quick Facts:

Platform: Wii (WiiWare)
Genre: Action/2D Side-Scroller
Developer: M2
Publisher: Konami
Release Date (NA): September 7, 2009
Rating: E10+


The game plays and feels much like the original Contra. The graphics and music are also very similar, and purposely so. Like Mega Man 9, Contra ReBirth is a retro sort of a game: a game that's new but emulates a classic older game. The game definitely succeeds in this respect, because it feels very much like Contra. Everything about it screams "Contra!" They've also added a few new things, like the ability to hold two different types of guns and switch between them. These changes were nice and didn't take away from the old school feel of the game.

There are complaints though. The game only costs $10 to download, but even for that seemingly small amount of money it is far too short. A friend and I beat it in about an hour (one sitting) on normal difficulty, and that was with many deaths and continues (meaning we had to replay many portions of different levels). We both love the original Contra, and even though ReBirth has some unlockable characters and harder difficulty settings, after we beat it we really had no desire to play it again. $10 is usually a pretty reasonable price for a full downloadable game, but in this case there's just not enough to justify even the $10 purchase unless you're an absolute Contra nut. Even then, while the one hour of gameplay was fun, you might just be better off playing through the original Contra again on an emulator or something if you really need a Contra fix.

My other complaint about the game was the lack of the 3D "moving into the screen" style of levels from the orignal Contra. Those were my favorite levels in the original, and I was really hoping that they would throw in at least one short level in ReBirth to pay homage to the original game. But none of these levels were to be found. Adding a few of these levels would have rounded out the gameplay and added to the length of the game, but it appears that it was not meant to be.

In Summary:

Pros: gameplay, mechanics, graphics, sound, nostalgia (all assuming you like the original Contra), level design, can be played locally with a friend.

Cons: game length, lack of replayability, lack of any 3D levels.


Hardcore Contra fans may find something here worth the price of admission, but everyone else will probably just want to steer clear.


FINAL SCORE: 3 out of 5.

Review: Shadow Complex (Xbox 360)

"Metroidvania"



Shadow Complex is a download-only game available for Xbox 360 users via the Xbox Live Arcade. The game is a 2D action/platforming game that somewhat resembles old school classics like the Metroid and Castlevania series (hence the nickname some people are using "Metroidvania"). Available for only $15 (1200 Microsoft Points), the game offers good play time and a lot to do over the course of the game. The left analog stick moves your character while the right one aims where you are shooting/looking, so unlike older platformers of the genre you can actually move and shoot in two different directions.

The game is fairly fun, the gameplay works well and you unlock better weapons and upgrades as the game goes on which helped to keep me interested while I was playing (more on that a little later). The whole game takes place in a large, secret underground complex, and as you get more powerful and get new gadgets you unlock new areas you can explore. The platforming part is fun, and there are secrets all over the map (much like Batman: AA) that you can take the time to try to find, which adds some extra challenge and playability to the game. While you are playing the game (not the cut-scenes), the graphics are good and the sound is alright.

This game has its fair share of problems too. The story is garbage. The intro level is a waste, it has only a very minor connection to the actual game. The way the main plot starts is lame. The ending scene and the plot twist are terrible and stupid (yes, not just one or the other, but both terrible and stupid). While the level design as far as platforming and secrets go is good, the levels/areas get very repetitive and everywhere just starts to look the same. Navigating the complex can be hard and frustrating, even with the help of the map. They make you retrace your steps a lot near the end of the game to find things you couldn't get to before, and that part is even more frustrating and boring.

There are some other gripes too, besides the awful story and level/world presentation. The cut-scene graphics didn't look very good to me. Something was just off about the people and the way they spoke. There are several boss fights in the game, and only one or two of them stand out as being challenging or interesting at all. Most boss fights just have you lobbing grenades at the boss until his health meter is gone. Even the final boss fight was incredibly easy (although the idea was interesting). Sometimes I'd kill all the enemies in a room, and come back to it two minutes later (usually back-tracking to try to figure out where the freak to go) and all the enemies would be respawned in their exact original locations, like nothing had happened. That really helps to take the realism out of a game. The enemy AI was also lacking; among other things enemies would often just keep shooting at you from the same place even if you were in cover and they obviously couldn't hit you, not thinking to move or try anything else.

This game got a lot of hype at E3 and other places, and while it's not a bad game, it definitely didn't live up to it for me.

In Summary:

Pros: gameplay, good value (only $15), decent platforming/action, cool items, lots of secrets to collect.

Cons: bad story/characters/cut-scenes, weak boss fights, bad enemy AI/respawn, repetitive/frustrating level design (at times).


FINAL SCORE: 3 out of 5.





Note: All reviews on this site are solely the subjective opinion of the author. While I try to look at media objectively, this is pretty much impossible (everyone has bias whether they admit it or not), so if you disagree with my review please feel free to post in a polite manner and state your opinion. I welcome respectful discussion on my blog and would love to get feedback on my review and also read yours. Thanks!