Sunday, July 26, 2009
Friday, March 28, 2008
Review - Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is the first Rainbow Six game I have ever played. A large complaint about the game seems to be that it is too similar to the first game. Seeing as I never played the first game I can't say that the game is identical to the first. What I can say, however, is the game never quite shakes the feeling of being something you've felt like you've played before. However, clever cover mechanics and good team mechanics (for the most part) give what would be an average game a layer of engaging individuality.
The story is typical of all Tom Clancy games. If you pay attention to every little detail of the game, you can probably deduce exactly what's going on and why you're on the missions you're on. Most of the time is spent killing terrorists because you were told to. However, a strong story isn't the reason to play any Tom Clancy game. It's the strategic and robust gameplay that draws you in. In most areas, RSV2 delivers on this note.
When your teammate's respond to what is going on, the game is extremely fun. In most cases, they do. But there are many times where the AI goes haywire to the point where basic things such as trying to get them to stop blocking a doorway become a difficult and aggravating task. But for the most part, the AI in the game works. It's not the best, but your teammates usually will be able to go in a room and take everyone out, provided you support cover.
Where the game truly flourishes is when you're surrounded by terrorists and the only thing keeping you from immediate death is a small slab of concrete. This is when using your team wisely becomes essential. The game does an extremely good job of providing a very heroic feel to every fire fight. Many instances feel like they could very easily be implemented in an action movie. These moments are when the games shine. Hiding behind a door, and popping out for half a second to quickly take down a turret gunner is an immensely satisfying feeling. However, these moments are all too often disrupted by a struggling framerate.
It seems like every game released using the Unreal 3 engine has issues. Some worse than others. Far too often RSV2 feels like it should have spent another month or so being tested and debugged. The single player campaign gets hit hardest. The game is supposed to run at 30 frames per second, but having the game maintain that framerate is a rarity whenever you are in combat. The game can slow down to the point where it feels like you're watching a slideshow rather than watching a movie. One thing I did notice, however, is that the problem seems to let up the farther you get in the single player game. Framerate drops were so frequent at the beginning of the game that I almost stopped playing. If you give the game a chance though, and make it past the third act, the game gets better. The slowdown still exists, mind you, but it isn't as bad.
One great element the game contains is its leveling system. You have an experience bar, which can be leveled depending on how you play. There are three categories: Marksman, Close-quarters Combat, and Assault. Rest assured, no matter how you prefer to play the game, you will find your niche in at least one of the categories. Every kill you get, be it offline or online, goes towards your overall experience. The system works really was, as people who prefer to play offline will still be able to build a good character that is ready for combat for if they decide to go online, and vice versa.
The online play feels slightly dated. While it is fun, the game might seem stripped down in some ways to anyone who has played a lot of Call of Duty 4 online. For one, the absence of any type of melee weapon is a big disappointment. Without it, you are essentially an open target any time you reload or if someone catches you off guard. What really keeps the online from flourishing, however, is the lack of importance the cover system has online. Taking cover is crucial to the single player game, both in terms of survivability and enjoyment. More often than not, trying to take advantage of the cover system online will simply get you killed. Taking away the most enjoyable aspect of the game's structure is what really kept the online play from being stellar. Regardless, the vast amounts of gametypes and maps still make for an enjoyable online experience, even though there are better shooters that can be played online.
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 never quite shakes the feeling that it is stuck in the past. The gameplay has a lot of major framerate issues, and the lack of standard first person shooter elements, such as melee, keep the game from reaching its full potential. Still, despite all of this, it's hard not to love the game once you sink your teeth into it. The teamwork and cover aspects of the game work remarkably well, and despite its shortcomings, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is a great game.
RSV2 hits 4 sniper shots out of 5
The story is typical of all Tom Clancy games. If you pay attention to every little detail of the game, you can probably deduce exactly what's going on and why you're on the missions you're on. Most of the time is spent killing terrorists because you were told to. However, a strong story isn't the reason to play any Tom Clancy game. It's the strategic and robust gameplay that draws you in. In most areas, RSV2 delivers on this note.
When your teammate's respond to what is going on, the game is extremely fun. In most cases, they do. But there are many times where the AI goes haywire to the point where basic things such as trying to get them to stop blocking a doorway become a difficult and aggravating task. But for the most part, the AI in the game works. It's not the best, but your teammates usually will be able to go in a room and take everyone out, provided you support cover.
Where the game truly flourishes is when you're surrounded by terrorists and the only thing keeping you from immediate death is a small slab of concrete. This is when using your team wisely becomes essential. The game does an extremely good job of providing a very heroic feel to every fire fight. Many instances feel like they could very easily be implemented in an action movie. These moments are when the games shine. Hiding behind a door, and popping out for half a second to quickly take down a turret gunner is an immensely satisfying feeling. However, these moments are all too often disrupted by a struggling framerate.
It seems like every game released using the Unreal 3 engine has issues. Some worse than others. Far too often RSV2 feels like it should have spent another month or so being tested and debugged. The single player campaign gets hit hardest. The game is supposed to run at 30 frames per second, but having the game maintain that framerate is a rarity whenever you are in combat. The game can slow down to the point where it feels like you're watching a slideshow rather than watching a movie. One thing I did notice, however, is that the problem seems to let up the farther you get in the single player game. Framerate drops were so frequent at the beginning of the game that I almost stopped playing. If you give the game a chance though, and make it past the third act, the game gets better. The slowdown still exists, mind you, but it isn't as bad.
One great element the game contains is its leveling system. You have an experience bar, which can be leveled depending on how you play. There are three categories: Marksman, Close-quarters Combat, and Assault. Rest assured, no matter how you prefer to play the game, you will find your niche in at least one of the categories. Every kill you get, be it offline or online, goes towards your overall experience. The system works really was, as people who prefer to play offline will still be able to build a good character that is ready for combat for if they decide to go online, and vice versa.
The online play feels slightly dated. While it is fun, the game might seem stripped down in some ways to anyone who has played a lot of Call of Duty 4 online. For one, the absence of any type of melee weapon is a big disappointment. Without it, you are essentially an open target any time you reload or if someone catches you off guard. What really keeps the online from flourishing, however, is the lack of importance the cover system has online. Taking cover is crucial to the single player game, both in terms of survivability and enjoyment. More often than not, trying to take advantage of the cover system online will simply get you killed. Taking away the most enjoyable aspect of the game's structure is what really kept the online play from being stellar. Regardless, the vast amounts of gametypes and maps still make for an enjoyable online experience, even though there are better shooters that can be played online.
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 never quite shakes the feeling that it is stuck in the past. The gameplay has a lot of major framerate issues, and the lack of standard first person shooter elements, such as melee, keep the game from reaching its full potential. Still, despite all of this, it's hard not to love the game once you sink your teeth into it. The teamwork and cover aspects of the game work remarkably well, and despite its shortcomings, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is a great game.
RSV2 hits 4 sniper shots out of 5
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
PC Gaming
What do you think the future holds for PC gaming? To be honest, with WoW aside, I could go the rest of my life and never play a PC game again. I've grown to love consoles so much more than PC, which is crazy. I always thought I would have liked PC best, but I must admit, I prefer the simplicity of consoles.
I think it's rather ridiculous that some people spent hundreds to thousands of dollars upgrading their system to play Crysis. It's crazy that even after those upgrades, no one could run the game with absolutely everything maxed out. I just don't understand where the benefit of spending that much money on something comes from. At the moment, I have a laptop with a 7900 GS (flashed to a GTX and OC'd to 575/1150), an Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5300 @ 1.73 GHz, and 2 gigs of RAM. It's not the best system in the world, but it can handle any game that's thrown at it with decent settings. The thing is, that laptop was $2000. An Xbox 360 is $350 (prices range, but that's the standard model). It's a fraction of the price, yet runs games so much better than my computer.
Take Oblivion, for example. I would have thought that with the power my computer was packing, I could have run Oblivion maxed out and have it go pretty well. That's not the case. While it does run maxed out, the frame rate can chug and the gameplay will stutter. To get the game running smoothly, a lot of the special effects have to be turned off and the graphics have to be toned down. The 360 version, however, looks better, and runs smoother, all on a system that was a fraction of the price. I don't even want to see how my computer would react to something like Crysis being thrown at it.
Another thing that has caused me to greatly prefer consoles is online play. Sure, PC games have been online for ages, but nothing is streamlined like Xbox Live. Getting into games and having fun is usually easy and fast, making a quick match in Call of Duty 4 just a couple button presses away. Now, a lot of PC devotees will say that despite the 360's online set-up, PC gaming is better because it's free and you can use a mouse and keyboard. Yes, it is free. But to me, the $50 a year that Xbox Live costs isn't asking much for the service it provides. As for the mouse and keyboard issue, that's an argument that requires a whole new paragraph.
Yes, a mouse and keyboard is more accurate. However, I believe that that's its biggest strength and weakness. I have never played a first person shooter online on PC and actually enjoyed it. The reason is that are some crazy people out there. I remember back when I tried to play Unreal Tournament 2004 online that it would get to the point where I would die less than a minute after spawning every match. I admit I'm not great with a mouse and keyboard, but I'm not terrible either. There are just some insane people.
The controller may not be as accurate, but it doesn't really matter because it's not like you are using a controller and everyone else is using mouse and keyboard. No, with console games everyone is on an equal playing field with the controller. Controllers are not as crazy accurate as a mouse and keyboard, but they are more accurate than a lot of PC-exclusive players give them credit for. When I play console games online, I usually have a blast. Sure, there are your people who are crazy and take you out pretty easily, but I never get the sense of "holy crap how the hell are they that good?!" that PC games give me. All in all, it's just a more fun experience.
Now, I am not saying PC gaming is going to die out. I'm not saying it should, either. It just isn't for me. Spending thousands of dollars on a gaming peripheral just doesn't make sense to me when I can get the same experience for so much cheaper. If you love the mouse and keyboard set-up, I get why console games would seem retarded. But I'm not a crazy gamer. I can't use the mouse and keyboard like some people can. I can, however, take a controller and go into a game of CoD4 and do just as good, if not better, than most people online. To me, that's fun. But everyone is different. I just don't see the point in spending thousands of dollars on a gaming computer, when you could get the same experience for so much cheaper on a console.
I think it's rather ridiculous that some people spent hundreds to thousands of dollars upgrading their system to play Crysis. It's crazy that even after those upgrades, no one could run the game with absolutely everything maxed out. I just don't understand where the benefit of spending that much money on something comes from. At the moment, I have a laptop with a 7900 GS (flashed to a GTX and OC'd to 575/1150), an Intel Core 2 Duo processor T5300 @ 1.73 GHz, and 2 gigs of RAM. It's not the best system in the world, but it can handle any game that's thrown at it with decent settings. The thing is, that laptop was $2000. An Xbox 360 is $350 (prices range, but that's the standard model). It's a fraction of the price, yet runs games so much better than my computer.
Take Oblivion, for example. I would have thought that with the power my computer was packing, I could have run Oblivion maxed out and have it go pretty well. That's not the case. While it does run maxed out, the frame rate can chug and the gameplay will stutter. To get the game running smoothly, a lot of the special effects have to be turned off and the graphics have to be toned down. The 360 version, however, looks better, and runs smoother, all on a system that was a fraction of the price. I don't even want to see how my computer would react to something like Crysis being thrown at it.
Another thing that has caused me to greatly prefer consoles is online play. Sure, PC games have been online for ages, but nothing is streamlined like Xbox Live. Getting into games and having fun is usually easy and fast, making a quick match in Call of Duty 4 just a couple button presses away. Now, a lot of PC devotees will say that despite the 360's online set-up, PC gaming is better because it's free and you can use a mouse and keyboard. Yes, it is free. But to me, the $50 a year that Xbox Live costs isn't asking much for the service it provides. As for the mouse and keyboard issue, that's an argument that requires a whole new paragraph.
Yes, a mouse and keyboard is more accurate. However, I believe that that's its biggest strength and weakness. I have never played a first person shooter online on PC and actually enjoyed it. The reason is that are some crazy people out there. I remember back when I tried to play Unreal Tournament 2004 online that it would get to the point where I would die less than a minute after spawning every match. I admit I'm not great with a mouse and keyboard, but I'm not terrible either. There are just some insane people.
The controller may not be as accurate, but it doesn't really matter because it's not like you are using a controller and everyone else is using mouse and keyboard. No, with console games everyone is on an equal playing field with the controller. Controllers are not as crazy accurate as a mouse and keyboard, but they are more accurate than a lot of PC-exclusive players give them credit for. When I play console games online, I usually have a blast. Sure, there are your people who are crazy and take you out pretty easily, but I never get the sense of "holy crap how the hell are they that good?!" that PC games give me. All in all, it's just a more fun experience.
Now, I am not saying PC gaming is going to die out. I'm not saying it should, either. It just isn't for me. Spending thousands of dollars on a gaming peripheral just doesn't make sense to me when I can get the same experience for so much cheaper. If you love the mouse and keyboard set-up, I get why console games would seem retarded. But I'm not a crazy gamer. I can't use the mouse and keyboard like some people can. I can, however, take a controller and go into a game of CoD4 and do just as good, if not better, than most people online. To me, that's fun. But everyone is different. I just don't see the point in spending thousands of dollars on a gaming computer, when you could get the same experience for so much cheaper on a console.
Random interesting things
I don't know which update to Xfire initiated this, but I just noticed that my Xfire client has been downloading patches to games I own as they are released, without me even knowing. This can be disabled, but I think it's pretty cool. Xfire has apparently already downloaded the new World of Warcraft 2.4.0 patch, which is cool, even if I don't play the game any more. When/if I decide to play again, I won't have to sit through the drudgery of waiting for the countless patches to download and install. All in all, pretty cool.
Also, Microsoft made an interesting announcement today about "Gamerscore Corrections". Essentially, if you have cheated and downloaded a saved game file in order to obtain achievements on a game, your gamerscore will be "corrected." Corrected is used kind of lightly. Your gamerscore will be completely erased, with no potential to ever earn back those achievements. You can unlock future achievements, however, but any previously unlocked achievement is gone forever. To top that off, your Xbox Live profile will be labeled as a cheater, for the entire world to see. So don't cheat.
Also, Microsoft made an interesting announcement today about "Gamerscore Corrections". Essentially, if you have cheated and downloaded a saved game file in order to obtain achievements on a game, your gamerscore will be "corrected." Corrected is used kind of lightly. Your gamerscore will be completely erased, with no potential to ever earn back those achievements. You can unlock future achievements, however, but any previously unlocked achievement is gone forever. To top that off, your Xbox Live profile will be labeled as a cheater, for the entire world to see. So don't cheat.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Top Ten List: My Favorite Villains of All Time
10. G-Man ("Half-Life" Series) - Before you finish reading this, I will have adjusted my tie, picked up my briefcase, and walked away.
9. Mandark ("Dexter's Laboratory") - I love Dexter's Lab. Mandark was an awesome villain too. He had a trademark laugh, crazy gadgets, and girl obsession - all the essentials to being a trendy bad guy.
8. Lord Zedd ("Mighty Morphing Power Rangers") - Here's the breakdown: he had no skin, his brain was displayed to the world at all times, he wasn't afraid to lay down the law to keep his wife (villain Rita Repulsa) in line, he had a golden armored demon and a talking villainous pig as minions, he rode around in a mechanical dragon the size of the moon, and he spent his life trying to kill a group of high school students, all while being on a show rated TV-Y7.
7. Megatron ("Beast Wars") - The original Transformers television show was long before my time, but I did manage to see Beast Wars, one of the finest pieces of television ever put together. Megatron took the shape of a T-Rex. Not just any T-Rex. We're talking the ass-kicking, baby eating kind. He wasn't afraid to put a gun to the chest to anyone who questioned his orders, or hell, anyone he flat out didn't want to see any more. He ruled.
6. Darth Vader ("Star Wars") - He's big, he's black, he's deadly, he's James Earl Jones. With one of the most recognizable voice acting jobs ever, James Earl Jones helped to make Darth Vader one of the coolest villains to ever be seen in a galaxy far far away. He kicked ass, took names, had breathing difficulties, and wasn't afraid to throw a man into an exploding death star if he tried to hurt his kid. He even murdered both men who trained him in his life (The Emperor and Obi-Wan). You don't fuck with that.
5. The Shark ("Jaws") - Nothing says "holy fuck shit" better than a fin jetting out of water, ripping through waves, heading straight towards you. The few seconds of panic would probably be one of the scariest things that could ever happen to someone. The brutal death that followed wouldn't be too pleasant either. The shark from Jaws made the entire world afraid of the water. That's 70% of the earth. From the iconic fin, to the mass fear he caused, Jaws earns the right to swim his way into the top ten. Corny puns rule.
4. Mojo Jojo ("Powerpuff Girls") - You may be asking why an evil monkey bent on world domination is on the list. Simple: he's an evil monkey bent on world domination. He has a two foot tall brain, to boot. Mojo Jojo was one of the funniest and most unique villains ever created, even if he was a character on a kid's show. I mean, what other villain would level buildings just for hearing someone use improper grammar?
3. Virgil ("Devil May Cry" Series) - The second video game villain to make my list. Virgil is a great foil to Dante. Both demon and human forms were badass in every respect. From his awesome sword to his bitchin hair, he kicked enough ass to open up a tower to Hell and become a full demon. Also he killed Arkham. Arkham was a douchebag.
2. Vicious ("Cowboy Bebop") - He's the only villain on the list who has no super powers, uses no guns, but is still able to go into a room full of men with machine guns and murder them all. His foil, Spike, was the only man who could kill him. This was, of course, after he stabbed Spike, picked him up by the face, and threw him out of a church window. Hell, he even made the opera that was playing during that scene seem badass. Few villains can make opera cool.
1. The Joker ("Batman") - Anyone who knows me could have seen this one coming a mile away. No one is a better villain than the Joker. He's the perfect foil to Batman. He's cheery and whimsical, loves a good joke, but is a psychopathic, albeit genius, murderer. The fact that Mark Hamill played him in Batman: The Animated Series, doesn't hurt either. From his laugh, to his green hair and pale skin, to his purple suit, to his eery laugh, everything about him is what a perfect villain should be. No other villain even comes close to rivaling The Joker.
9. Mandark ("Dexter's Laboratory") - I love Dexter's Lab. Mandark was an awesome villain too. He had a trademark laugh, crazy gadgets, and girl obsession - all the essentials to being a trendy bad guy.
8. Lord Zedd ("Mighty Morphing Power Rangers") - Here's the breakdown: he had no skin, his brain was displayed to the world at all times, he wasn't afraid to lay down the law to keep his wife (villain Rita Repulsa) in line, he had a golden armored demon and a talking villainous pig as minions, he rode around in a mechanical dragon the size of the moon, and he spent his life trying to kill a group of high school students, all while being on a show rated TV-Y7.
7. Megatron ("Beast Wars") - The original Transformers television show was long before my time, but I did manage to see Beast Wars, one of the finest pieces of television ever put together. Megatron took the shape of a T-Rex. Not just any T-Rex. We're talking the ass-kicking, baby eating kind. He wasn't afraid to put a gun to the chest to anyone who questioned his orders, or hell, anyone he flat out didn't want to see any more. He ruled.
6. Darth Vader ("Star Wars") - He's big, he's black, he's deadly, he's James Earl Jones. With one of the most recognizable voice acting jobs ever, James Earl Jones helped to make Darth Vader one of the coolest villains to ever be seen in a galaxy far far away. He kicked ass, took names, had breathing difficulties, and wasn't afraid to throw a man into an exploding death star if he tried to hurt his kid. He even murdered both men who trained him in his life (The Emperor and Obi-Wan). You don't fuck with that.
5. The Shark ("Jaws") - Nothing says "holy fuck shit" better than a fin jetting out of water, ripping through waves, heading straight towards you. The few seconds of panic would probably be one of the scariest things that could ever happen to someone. The brutal death that followed wouldn't be too pleasant either. The shark from Jaws made the entire world afraid of the water. That's 70% of the earth. From the iconic fin, to the mass fear he caused, Jaws earns the right to swim his way into the top ten. Corny puns rule.
4. Mojo Jojo ("Powerpuff Girls") - You may be asking why an evil monkey bent on world domination is on the list. Simple: he's an evil monkey bent on world domination. He has a two foot tall brain, to boot. Mojo Jojo was one of the funniest and most unique villains ever created, even if he was a character on a kid's show. I mean, what other villain would level buildings just for hearing someone use improper grammar?
3. Virgil ("Devil May Cry" Series) - The second video game villain to make my list. Virgil is a great foil to Dante. Both demon and human forms were badass in every respect. From his awesome sword to his bitchin hair, he kicked enough ass to open up a tower to Hell and become a full demon. Also he killed Arkham. Arkham was a douchebag.
2. Vicious ("Cowboy Bebop") - He's the only villain on the list who has no super powers, uses no guns, but is still able to go into a room full of men with machine guns and murder them all. His foil, Spike, was the only man who could kill him. This was, of course, after he stabbed Spike, picked him up by the face, and threw him out of a church window. Hell, he even made the opera that was playing during that scene seem badass. Few villains can make opera cool.
1. The Joker ("Batman") - Anyone who knows me could have seen this one coming a mile away. No one is a better villain than the Joker. He's the perfect foil to Batman. He's cheery and whimsical, loves a good joke, but is a psychopathic, albeit genius, murderer. The fact that Mark Hamill played him in Batman: The Animated Series, doesn't hurt either. From his laugh, to his green hair and pale skin, to his purple suit, to his eery laugh, everything about him is what a perfect villain should be. No other villain even comes close to rivaling The Joker.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Not much to write about lately
Not much has really happened in the gaming industry. I wish I had started this blog last year, when 50 million things happened in the gaming world. I've been working on one huge blog post, which is part of the reason I haven't been updating as often. Once I'm finished with it, I'll publish it, but don't expect that to be for a bit. The other thing that has been keeping me busy is Rainbow Six Vegas 2. It's going to be hard to put into words how I feel about the game, but I'll try.
The game is fun, very fun. But the fun is buried under a mound of problems. The first being the framerate. The story mode walks the line of being completely unplayable at times. I'm talking prolonged periods of about five frames per second. It seems like almost every time there are more than two or three guys on screen at a time, the game begins to chug. Seeing as the average firefight is usually between you and your two partners, and five to ten terrorists, the game slows to a haul quite a bit. However, oddly enough, I've had occurrances where it's been an all out war between my team and ten or more terrorists, and the game has run completely fine. Framerate drops just seem to be very random, but very often.
What is interesting, however, is that none of these problems seem to be anywhere else in the game. I haven't played a lot of online play, but the little I did play ran fine. I've played a bit of terrorist hunt, and even with bodies stacking up, the framerate never dropped to an unreasonable level. It seems like just the story mode could have used a serious bit of refinement.
The other major problem I have with the game is that it just feels stuck in the past. Call of Duty 4 refined and perfect multiplayer gaming with it's clever level system and engaging gameplay. The level system in Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is interesting, but just isn't as interesting or as flashed out. The main reason being that you tend to get some of the best weapons and armor pretty early on. "Elite" is the highest rank you can achieve, but there's no real incentive to work for it. All you get for even becoming Elite are some camos. Nothing major. Also, an even bigger problem is a lack of a melee button. It seems like at this day and age, having some form of physical attack in a first-person shooter is pretty expected. It didn't dawn on me how essential of an addition it is to the gameplay until I played a game without it. I took for granted the amount of times I quickly knifed someone in Call of Duty 4 if they tried to attack me while reloading, or the times I knifed someone in the back so that I could remain stealthed. Without any physical attack in RSV2, you're often left pretty open when reloading, or turning around corners. It's a small addition to the game that makes a huge addition to the gameplay.
Despite all my negativity, the game is still pretty damn great. The cover mechanics work extremely well, and the game has a constant feeling of epicness. In my opinion, it's like what a Die Hard game would be like. It has it's problems, but it's still pretty awesome. However, with some polish and updates, the franchise has potential to be the next greatest thing to happen to first person shooters.
The game is fun, very fun. But the fun is buried under a mound of problems. The first being the framerate. The story mode walks the line of being completely unplayable at times. I'm talking prolonged periods of about five frames per second. It seems like almost every time there are more than two or three guys on screen at a time, the game begins to chug. Seeing as the average firefight is usually between you and your two partners, and five to ten terrorists, the game slows to a haul quite a bit. However, oddly enough, I've had occurrances where it's been an all out war between my team and ten or more terrorists, and the game has run completely fine. Framerate drops just seem to be very random, but very often.
What is interesting, however, is that none of these problems seem to be anywhere else in the game. I haven't played a lot of online play, but the little I did play ran fine. I've played a bit of terrorist hunt, and even with bodies stacking up, the framerate never dropped to an unreasonable level. It seems like just the story mode could have used a serious bit of refinement.
The other major problem I have with the game is that it just feels stuck in the past. Call of Duty 4 refined and perfect multiplayer gaming with it's clever level system and engaging gameplay. The level system in Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is interesting, but just isn't as interesting or as flashed out. The main reason being that you tend to get some of the best weapons and armor pretty early on. "Elite" is the highest rank you can achieve, but there's no real incentive to work for it. All you get for even becoming Elite are some camos. Nothing major. Also, an even bigger problem is a lack of a melee button. It seems like at this day and age, having some form of physical attack in a first-person shooter is pretty expected. It didn't dawn on me how essential of an addition it is to the gameplay until I played a game without it. I took for granted the amount of times I quickly knifed someone in Call of Duty 4 if they tried to attack me while reloading, or the times I knifed someone in the back so that I could remain stealthed. Without any physical attack in RSV2, you're often left pretty open when reloading, or turning around corners. It's a small addition to the game that makes a huge addition to the gameplay.
Despite all my negativity, the game is still pretty damn great. The cover mechanics work extremely well, and the game has a constant feeling of epicness. In my opinion, it's like what a Die Hard game would be like. It has it's problems, but it's still pretty awesome. However, with some polish and updates, the franchise has potential to be the next greatest thing to happen to first person shooters.
Review: Lost - "Meet Kevin Johnson"
In what can only be regarded as one of the most obvious "plot twists" Lost has ever pulled, Michael has returned to Lost. This week's episode focused on how he became Kevin Johnson, everyone's favorite deck-swabbing murderer. While the episode lacked any significant relevance to the story, seeing what has become of Michael and how he ended up in his position was surprisingly interesting. Also, the end of the episode had quite a shock that wrapped things up with a cliffhanger.
So how did Michael become Kevin Johnson? If you did not see the episode, it can best be summed up by saying he was pressured into it due to his extreme guilt from killing Libby and Ana-Lucia. It is revealed that he told Walt that he murdered the two, which caused Walt to sever ties with his father and move in with his grandmother. All throughout the episode Michael, in a heavily depressed and guilty state, tries to commit suicide. However, something keeps him from being unable to.
In Michael's flashback, Tom shows up in New York. In case you forgot who Tom was, he tried to hold Bernard, Jin, and Sayid up at gunpoint, only to wind up on the receiving end of a bullet himself. Tom finds Michael and explains to him that he still has work to do, and that the island will not let him kill himself. After Michael realizes this, Tom offers him a job to help clean his conscience of killing Libby and Ana-Lucia. He is to go undercover on Charles Widmore's boat as a spy for Ben, and eventually, kill all those that Ben deems not innocent. Michael agrees, which is how he became the working-class-hero Kevin Johnson.
The end of the episode led to Karl getting shot in the chest while on the way to The Tempest. Don't remember Karl? He is the boyfriend of Alex. Don't remember Alex? She is the daughter of Rousseau. Don't remember Rousseau? She's the French chick. I should also mention that she got shot too, but I highly doubt she's dead. If she is dead, however, she at least had a prety funny death. In the midst of being shot at, she told Alex that she loved her, and that on the count of three they would make a run for it. It really seemed like they might get away, but before she could even stand up she got shot in the back, which leads me to believe she might have had a better chance if she had counted faster.
The best word to describe the episode is "interesting." Nothing significantly relevant happened to the storyline, but Michael's flashback was entertaining. The episode ended with us wanting to know who shot Karl and Rousseau, and why. In some light, it even helped to make Ben seem like less of a villain. I doubt Ben will last long in that light, but it was interesting to see. Hopefully Michael, or Kevin Johnson I should say, has learned his lesson: You don't kill Hurley's girlfriend and not expect janatorial duties.
4 smokey monsters out of 5
So how did Michael become Kevin Johnson? If you did not see the episode, it can best be summed up by saying he was pressured into it due to his extreme guilt from killing Libby and Ana-Lucia. It is revealed that he told Walt that he murdered the two, which caused Walt to sever ties with his father and move in with his grandmother. All throughout the episode Michael, in a heavily depressed and guilty state, tries to commit suicide. However, something keeps him from being unable to.
In Michael's flashback, Tom shows up in New York. In case you forgot who Tom was, he tried to hold Bernard, Jin, and Sayid up at gunpoint, only to wind up on the receiving end of a bullet himself. Tom finds Michael and explains to him that he still has work to do, and that the island will not let him kill himself. After Michael realizes this, Tom offers him a job to help clean his conscience of killing Libby and Ana-Lucia. He is to go undercover on Charles Widmore's boat as a spy for Ben, and eventually, kill all those that Ben deems not innocent. Michael agrees, which is how he became the working-class-hero Kevin Johnson.
The end of the episode led to Karl getting shot in the chest while on the way to The Tempest. Don't remember Karl? He is the boyfriend of Alex. Don't remember Alex? She is the daughter of Rousseau. Don't remember Rousseau? She's the French chick. I should also mention that she got shot too, but I highly doubt she's dead. If she is dead, however, she at least had a prety funny death. In the midst of being shot at, she told Alex that she loved her, and that on the count of three they would make a run for it. It really seemed like they might get away, but before she could even stand up she got shot in the back, which leads me to believe she might have had a better chance if she had counted faster.
The best word to describe the episode is "interesting." Nothing significantly relevant happened to the storyline, but Michael's flashback was entertaining. The episode ended with us wanting to know who shot Karl and Rousseau, and why. In some light, it even helped to make Ben seem like less of a villain. I doubt Ben will last long in that light, but it was interesting to see. Hopefully Michael, or Kevin Johnson I should say, has learned his lesson: You don't kill Hurley's girlfriend and not expect janatorial duties.
4 smokey monsters out of 5
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