Terraria Review

A randomized world that plays like Castlevania and has the longevity of Minecraft. Another version of Minecraft? Not really. It shares similar base qualities, but that's as far as that goes. Both of Minecraft and Terraria share crafting and mining but they feel entirely different. Terraria worlds are filled with bosses to fight, items to find, regions to uncover, merchants to acquire and items to craft. You create a character first, which you have a decent amount of customizable options available to you, and then you create your world. One of my favorite qualities of this game is the persistence of your character; whether you take him/her into a new world, your world, or someones world online, you still maintain all your items with never any errors or problems. They even have a persistent piggy bank. Terraria is created by a small group of developers, 4 to be specific, but they have installed a lot of great qualities into this game.


Gameplay
My favorite aspect of Gameplay is how it feels familiar, in a good way. If you have played Castlevania Symphony of the Night it feels akin to that. Unlike Symphony of the Night there are always a lot of challenges, you can still easily die even with great items. You move around with simple controls (W A S D or Arrows), that can be changed, and strike down your enemies with the left mouse button, like you would expect. Unlike Minecraft there are many different types of monsters, many bosses and many different areas to uncover. They are not entirely as random as Minecraft is. Bosses are brought about in specific ways, one of which is in a specific area, but that area is random on the map. There are meteors that fall from the sky when you do destroy corruption orbs, which can be mined to make special weapons/items and armor. There are also falling stars which you can collect to increase your mana, among other options. Dieing is not so bad. You lose half of your money, which you could store various places, but you lose nothing else.The game is pretty difficult though, but a easily tolerable difficult, nothing like Demon Souls or Ikaruga.

Get used to seeing this screen

The World
You can choose to create a small, medium or large world. I have only tried medium worlds and let me say they are massive, so I cannot imagine how long it might to take to explore a large world. There are many different area types in the world: Dungeon, Underground Forest, Underground Jungle, Hell, underground, corrupted zones and floating islands. All of these areas are at specific levels, but their location is random. There are chests to find containing anything from common stuff to unique rare items. Chests and other objects to find are all randomized, like most everything else. Like Minecraft, you should not be out at night. Even with improved equipment it can still be fairly challenging to fight the continuous undead assault that comes every night. There are also special events, like the blood moon, in which the undead assault is extra strong and they can break down doors.

Multiplayer

Multiplayer works very similar to Minecraft. There are no server lists, you have to use a IP connect to someone who is hosting a server. Like singleplayer, everything is persistent between multiplayer worlds. You may use the same world as your singleplayer one or create a new one. The odd thing about hosting is that you have to have two instances of Terraria running; one to host the server and the other to play on it. There is no lag that I have seen, nor heard of. You can host up to 8 players at the moment and you can do PVP, but it is toggled by each individual player. The only negative to multiplayer is that you have to compete for prizes from bosses, otherwise everything is easier, better and loads of fun.


Last Comments
Terraria is a expansive game, filled with enemies to fight, places to find and items to create. On top of that there are many merchants to acquire and a plethora of options for creating your home. A example of something neat you can do is creating underground mushroom farms next to a safe house. So you have somewhere safe you can respawn and a supply of healing supplies right outside, very useful near the lowest levels of the world. Many portions of the game are randomly generated and that is a great thing. It gives each world a feeling of uniqueness, especially with the biomes that exist. Terraria may only be four developers, but they are dedicated. They made this game in around four months and it is very well done for that short amount of time. They also are very vigilant in providing a new patches, they also promise to do a constant stream of new content, but we will see if that turns out like Minecraft's promise of content. Not to bash Minecraft, great game, but there hasn't been a ton of new content added to it in a year, especially for the amount of new people they have acquired. In the end if you like coop games with a lot of action and creating then you will probably like Terraria. The only snag you may run into is if you cannot handle the graphics and art. They definitely aren't mind-blowing in any regard, but they fit the setting well. Also, Terraria sold 200,000 copies in it's first week and that's pretty amazing.

Violent Score: 9

Written by Sean Cargle

Game of Thrones Episode 6 "Golden Crown"

*Spoiler Alert* The Golden Crown is a moment and the end of a life. This great episode starts out where we left off in Episode 5, with Ned. Ned is alive and the first we see from him is Queen Cersei and King Robert standing in front of his wounded form. Cersei demands actions against Ned and his wife for the taking of her brother Tyrion, while Ned demands action taken against Jaime for attacking him, but Robert refuses to hear both parties and tells them to leave it be in a moment of firmness. With Cersei Robert crosses the line and slaps her hard across the face in order to get the point across. I don't know about any of you, but I could just see Cersei plotting revenge behind her resolute eyes. She seems to take the slap like a knight and shoots daggers at Robert in return. I expect the next episode to show the ramifications of Roberts action.

With relation to Ned's injury we see its effects on his girls. Arya has taken it quite hard and Syrio gives her a wonderful lesson about using her anger to train harder, because enemies will strike no matter how you feel that day. We see Joffrey starting to put his mothers wishes into action and wooing Sansa like a kindly prince. Ned comes to the decision to have his daughters leave for Winterfell, feeling it is safer for them there, but Sansa just complains while Arya quickly accepts this turn of events; showing that despite her being younger than Sansa she is more mature.
We also get a little back of Winterfell action in this episode and the growing divide between Greyjoy and Starks. We are starting to see the continually rejection of Theon from all of the Starks, mainly Robb. He is reminded time and time again that he is more of a prisoner than part of their family. We hear some more of the North and we hear the name Mance Rayder for the first time in this episode, although we do not know who he is. Tyrions contraption worked and Bran is thrilled to be riding outside with Robb and Theon nearby. They lose sight of Bran for a moment and Bran is attacked by four bandits, seemingly from The Wall or north of it. Robb bravely takes them on and shows that he is competent swordsmen and kills two of them with ease, while the leader takes Bran hostage. It looked to be a tricky situation till Theon sends a arrow through the leaders chest and ends that dilemma. We also see how good Theon is with a bow and his confidence in such matters.

Early on we also see Tyrion lingering over the cliffside of his Eryie jail cell, sleepily waking up at the last moment before falling to his death. A lot of Tyrion's sections from the book have been put into the show so far and this episode is no exception. Tyrion show's his persuasive abilities by eventually getting the jailer to deliver a message to Lysa. He manages to get everyones attention by saying he will confess his crimes, of course not the crimes they want to hear. He pisses Lysa and Cat off quite a bit retelling stories of when he had done awful things when he was young, like masturbating into his sisters soup. It was a pretty enjoyable and funny moment.

Tyrion claims he has done no murder and demands a trial by combat. His plan was to name his brother, Jaime, as his champion but to his dismay Lysa refuses the request due to how far away Jaime is. Just when it looks like no one will step up for Tyrion, who there would, then Bronn comes stepping out of the shadows. Bronn remembering Tyrion's previous offer of gold and rewards, while also possibly liking Tyrions character enough to fight for him. Bronn fights with only one sword, no shield, and light armor against a knight in full armor and weaponry. Bronn wears down his opponent with "dishonorable fighting" according to Lysa and wins the fight. One of the most interesting parts of this fight is Lysa. Once Bronn defeats his opponent he looks to Lysa and Cat to tell him whether or not to spare the knight, but they say nothing and he ends the man and pushes him out of the sky door. Lysa begrudgingly lets Bronn and Tyrion leave. Tyrion shows he is a honorable man by paying the jailer on the way out, like he said he would, and his last words being, "a lannister always pays his debts."
Now for Daenerys off in the distant east. We start with her in a revolting scene. They don't explain this a ton, but she has to eat a certain horse heart in order to bless her son and become infused with the power of her people. Disturbing as it was seeing her covered with blood almost throwing up it was great to see her strength continually building as she manages to keep it all down and smiles triumphantly. We also see that she now knows Dothraki tongue quite well in a speech that speaks of her son, which disturbs Viserys. Viserys sees that the situation is not something he cannot control and goes to Daenerys room to steal her dragon eggs to sell so he can buy an army. Thankfully, Jorah Mormont stops him and shows who his loyalties lie with. That doesn't stop Viserys though, he then walks straight up to Daenerys and pulls out his sword, pointing it at her pregnant belly. He then demands respect be given to him and that the Khal live up to the deal and give him his army and crown. During this moment we see the true madness behind Viserys eyes, we see what kind of King he could become.

The Khal agrees to his demands, but secretly has his men encircle Viserys. They use their whips to pull Viserys away and disarm him, showing how helpless he always was in a real fight. Now we are to the climax and ending my friends. Viserys yells out once more he wants his crown and the Khal laughs knowingly and say's a golden crown, while throwing gold into a pot over a fire. He melts gold and pours it all over Viserys head. I must say, excellent job to Harry Lloyd for playing Viserys so well. In the moment he gets "crowned" he screams with a scream that you could hear for miles. Thus ends Viserys with a great line from Daenerys saying how he wasn't a true dragon because he was burned by fire, referring to a scene earlier when Daenerys picks up a dragon egg from a fire and is not burned.

This was a great episode, in a series of great episode. From what I hear from all the people who have early access to episode 7, which is only the HBO website (if you own HBO) for free a week early, is that next weeks episode will be even better. My one complaint for this episode is the lack of Jon Snow, but we will get to him soon enough I'm sure. I expect episodes centering on him often in the second season. I cannot wait to see the rest of the season, yet as a reader of the books I also fear it.

Violent Score: 9

Written by Sean Cargle
Photos copyright of HBO

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Hands On

I took a day to play as much of the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, by CD Projekt Red, I could in order to get show you all how the game works and how it looks so far. I've just barely started Chapter 1. The prologue was quite long, possibly 4 hours. It's been mostly linear story so far, but that has been hardly a bad thing. The story is interesting, especially to those who played the Witcher 1, but it does have it's cliches already. For instance, you Geralt of Rivea, have amnesia. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to be full blown amnesia and only pertains to his distant past. With that aside the story has drawn me and made me interested so far. The game runs pretty well and looks excellent. I also haven't seen a abundance of people complaining on the forums about bugs or framerate issues, so that bodes well.

If you cannot tell from the video the prologue is quite difficult and the tutorial is a little lacking. You cannot access information, ingame, about what the keys do. The tutorial pops up during certain parts of the beginning to tell you how to do everything, but it is not evenly distributed and you cannot bring back old messages. In specific, I didn't know how to block until the third battle. Fighting without knowing how to block in the beginning is a pain in the ass, still fun though. I am playing the game on normal and I've died a dozen or so times by Chapter 1. That's pretty rare for me because I tend to be a cautious and defensive player, in most games. It does get easier and you level up and get familiar with the layout.I should also say that magic plays a big helping hand in keeping you alive. There are 5 Aards, which are types of magic. One is flame, one makes a trap on the ground, one is sort of like force push (actually very much like force push), one creates a protective barrier on you for 30 seconds, but it saps your power (which you use for blocking and spells), and the last confuses people. All of these are upgradeable and can seemingly can do a lot of different and more powerful effects later on. In the beginning though, it is essential to use the protective Aard often; I would have died many more times without it. It does possible feel a little overpowered, but necessary in some situations.

Music and sound are really well done. There has only been one time so far that I thought someones voice acting could have been better and the music often complements the situation, or area, very well. The UI, Inventory, character management, and menus have all been very well done. They are all easy to use and look great. The conversation system, while being fairly typical to games like Mass Effect or Dragon Age, works well and doesn't seem entirely overused. There is even a stealth system, while not great, does it's job well.

This is a long game and I've barely scratched the surface. There is a plethora of things I haven't touched, like crafting, boxing, dice or whatever unforeseen situations may arise. It's been a great five hours. I haven't enjoyed a RPG this much in a very long time. By the way, combat plays out much differently than The Witcher 1. It is more action based, which initially sounds like a negative thing, but it works really well most of the time. It feels smooth, slick and most importantly makes you feel like your kicking ass. If you haven't checked out the video, check it out. Be back with more later once I delve into this promising game some more. Thanks for reading.

Average FPS: 35 on high settings

Specs: GTX 460 Graphics Card

8 Gigabytes of Ram

Phenom II X4 Processor

Windows 7 64 Bit

Video taken with Fraps

Written by Sean Cargle

The Witcher 2 Unveiling

Behold the retail version. Some sweet extras they send with the normal, $49.99, version. It's been a while since I've purchased any games except for digital copies, but this is a great looking compilation. It should be noted that the digital copies of the Witcher 2 have almost all of the same extras, but they are all digital/files. On to the pictures!

Unveiling


Game Guide

A graphic/text description of a King

A coin that came with the above picture/text

A fantastic looking double sided map


A fantastic looking map, second side

How to make your own Papercraft dolls!

On top of all that there is a bonus dvd, doesn't say whats on it, but I will check it out later. There is also a soundtrack dvd and a manual on top of the game guide. I will be back, hopefully tomorrow, with some video and screenshots. Thanks for reading.

Written by Sean Cargle

Justified Season 2 Review

Cowboys are not invincible. There are many times when a certain Marshal taunts death and barely dodges the bullet, often literally. Justified Season 2 ramps up the action and intense scenes that weren't too common place in season 1, although Justified Season 1 did a good job on both accounts as well. Season 1 was pretty good but the writers and directors definitely improved upon many aspects of the show in Season 2. Side characters often get a spotlight and many of them are pretty good actors/actresses. Justified is a "cop" show on FX with Timothy Olpyhant as the main character, Raylan Givens, who is a US Marshal down in the good old south. The first season of the show did pretty well and Season 2 just ended this last Wednesday, May 4th. If you haven't watched Season 2, or all of it, you probably shouldn't read on due to spoilers.

Spoiler Warning!

Season 2, thank you for continuing exactly where you left. The first episode solves the problems for Raylan Givens with his old enemies down in Florida. This episode also introduced us to all of the important characters of the season: Loretta McCready, Kaitlyn Denver, and all of the Benetts, played by Jeremy Davies, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Brad William Henke and Margo Martindale. It also dealt with Boyd, played by Walton Goggins, escaping from the hospital, and Raylan's ex-wife Winona, played by Natalie Zea.

I really like how they took Raylan's relationship with his boss Art, Nick Searcy, this season. They put their relationship into difficult situations, like Raylan putting it all on the line for Winona and Art figuring it out but not firing Raylan. Their relationship becomes tense but they never really directly talk about it and they both still hold a sense of respect for each other that stops them from doing so. It get's to the point by the end of the season where Raylan doesn't know whether or not Art will let him transfer to work at Glenco, the shooting school/range that Raylan used to work at, and teach shooting again. Their interactions throughout this season are really enjoyable though. They did a great job making you feel the tension and wanting them to just say what stays unsaid.

Givens versus Bennetts
This is a ongoing feud throughout the season; a feud starting from before Raylan was even born, but it didn't help that he mangled Dickies, Jeremy Davies, leg. There are up's and downs all seasons between Raylan and the Benett's but everytime it look's like the feud might be subsiding it crops back up again, often violently, but not always directed at Raylan. Of course the many altercations between Raylan and Coover Benett, Brad William Henke, are a main point of tension for the large part of the season. It only ends when Coover is killed by Raylan when he is trying to save Loretta from imminent death. That is it ends thanks to Raylan's step mother, Helen Givens, making a pact with the head of the Benetts, Mags Benett. The feud explodes again only at the end, once again with Raylan trying to save Loretta. I really like how they made his character willing to cooperate with the Benetts. It added to Raylan's character. It showed how he doesn't want to fight, yet he always ends up in fights. He would rather everything be peacefully resolved, unfortunately for him that rarely happens.

The Resurrection of Boyd
I don't care for it. I do enjoy how apt Boyd Crowder, Walton Goggins, is at being a criminal, but I enjoyed watching him try to become someone that Raylan wouldn't hate. Boyd certainly tries pretty hard to not be a criminal, but in the end he cannot resist his calling. At the beginning of Season 2, and the end of Season 1, we watch Raylan and Boyd work together in order to save each other and Ava, Joelle Carter.It was pretty enjoyable to see Boyd and Raylan working side by side, both of whom are competent gunmen. I was a bit angry when Boyd turned back to his criminal ways near the end of the Season. It made me even more upset when he got together with Ava, which just seemed cliched to me. They lived together most of the season holding some kind of respect and trust for each other, but they have to break all that and make it a typical romantic relationship. Although, they have done interesting things with their relationship.

Winona
Some of my least favorite moments this season involve Winona, Natalie Zea. It is not due to acting though; it involves plot. I, among many other viewers, got pretty tired of Winona getting into fights with Raylan. On top of the fights there were many scenes that made the viewer want to look down on Winona as a character. In specific, the whole situation with Winona and the stolen money. If you don't recall, Winona stole some of the money from the evidence locker because she thought no one would miss it and she needed the money. This is what essentially got Raylan into troubled waters with his boss Art. It did create some interesting and enjoyable scenes as a result of that plot choice, but for the most part it made me dislike Winona's character. I did really enjoy Natalie Zea and Timothy Olyphants acting with each other. They both were pretty convincing when it came to their relationship and their concerns for each other. Especially at the end of the season when Winona goes to Art to get help for Raylan; her acting there was quite excellent.

Overall
For the most part this season upped the ante on Season 1 in terms of action and big scenes. Big scenes like Boyd's ambush on the Benett's "ambush". That was certainly one of my favorite scenes. During that same episode there was also the tense, quick, violent and realistic moment with Raylan, Dickie and Doyle. The moment where Raylan damn near lost his life and Doyle was pegged by a sniper, probably the Marshal Tim Gutterson, right in the forehead. Just like season one there was plenty of comedic moments as well in this season that added to the overall enjoyment of the show. One of my favorite moments was during the bank robbery when Raylan confronts the cocky bank robber and pretty much laughs in the guys face when he threatens Raylan with "dynamite" strapped to his chest. I also cannot forget the fantastic moment when Raylan tells Gary Hawkins, William Ragsdale, that he wouldn't care if he got murdered and then the look on Gary's face. There were also plenty of sad moments during this season, the murder of Helen Givens, Mag's suicide, or the murder of the Loretta's father. In the end it was a really good season, but it could of been better. If you haven't watched the show at all I really recommend it, although you would have just read through a whole ton of spoilers. This is not your average law show, it is much better. The acting is almost always superb and I cannot wait to see what they make of the next season.

Violent Score: 8.5
Written By Sean Cargle
All photos copyright of FX

Playstation Network "Welcome Back" Package

Now that the PlayStation Network has finally been restored, Sony has announced their "Welcome Back" appreciation program in more lengthy detail.  This program will be available to all registered PlayStation Network and Qriocity users in North America.  Users will be able to select two PS3 games from the following list, and will be available for 30 days when the PlayStation Store is back online in coming weeks.

PS3 Games:

• Dead Nation
• inFAMOUS
• LittleBigPlanet
• Super Stardust HD
• Wipeout HD + Fury

PSP games will also be available to pick from the following list:

• LittleBigPlanet (PSP)
• ModNation Racers (PSP)
• Pursuit Force
• Killzone Liberation

Additional rewards for PSN users:

• A selection of “On Us” rental movie titles will be available to PlayStation Network customers over one weekend, where Video Service is available. Those titles will be announced soon. 
• 30 days free PlayStation Plus membership for non PlayStation Plus subscribers.
• Existing PlayStation Plus subscribers will receive an additional 60 days of free subscription.
• Existing Music Unlimited Premium Trial subscription members will receive an additional 30 days of free premium subscription.  
• Additional 30 days + time lost for existing members of Music Unlimited Premium/Basic subscription free of charge for existing Premium/Basic members.
• To welcome users Home, PlayStation Home will be offering 100 free virtual items. Additional free content will be released soon, including the next addition to the Home Mansion personal space, and Ooblag’s Alien Casino, an exclusive game

No doubt PS3 owners have lost some faith in Sony, but with this package I feel they are doing their best to regain trust from the millions PSN users.  Leave comments below and tell us what you think of the "Welcome Back" package.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Review

What is supposed to be a reboot of the beloved Castlevania series will leave fans confused and maybe a little angry.  Disguised under the Castlevania title is a different game entirely.  Lords of Shadow doesn't feature any of the common gameplay mechanics or a story you would expect from this series.  What you will find is a decent action adventure game with beautiful visuals and a generic storyline.

Lords of Shadow introduces Gabriel Belmont, a member of the holy order known as "the Brotherhood of Light."  The Brotherhood are sworn to protect the innocent from an evil darkness that is a constant threat to the world.  Gabriel sets out to destroy this evil, but also has a more personal mission- to kill the ones responsible for the death of his lover (where have we heard this before?).


After about five minutes of this game you will no doubt ask yourself "Where the hell is the castle?!"  Well, there isn't one till the very end!!.  Lords of Shadow is set in an open world environment with level to level progression and doesn't allow a free roam map exploration (Metriodvania) like previous games in the series.  The game does encourage backtracking to reach previous unreachable items once you upgrade your skills, but I found the benefits of doing so are not worth the time.

Stunning environments

If you've played any of the God of War titles, the fighting mechanics are more or less the same.  Gabriel is equipped with a chained cross weapon that will extend with light and heavy attacks.  Killing creatures will gain you experience points used to unlock new weapon upgrades, combos and magic abilities.  Even with all the combos unlocked, I found the best way to kill mini bosses and small creatures is by spamming light and heavy attacks while using the roll ability to evade enemies.  The magic system is broken down into light and dark magic, with light magic being heals and dark increasing your melee damage.

Marlyn Manson?

Boss encounters vary - some are extremely fun and others are just stale.  This game features a lot of mini boss encounters in which you must use the environment around you to defeat them.  Bigger bosses (just like Shadow of the Colossus) have you climbing around to hit weak spots on their body while they try to shake you off.  These fights would have been more exciting if we hadn't experienced similar encounters in so many other games.  I was also very disappointed with the last boss, SATAN!  Not only was it not Dracula, but I couldn't help but laugh that he looks like a singer in a heavy metal band that isn't wearing any clothes!


Lords of Shadow features some of the best graphics I've seen in any game.  Developers did a spectacular job creating a dark environment with such high level of detail.  Each level will feel entirely different from the last, ensuring your eyes wont be bored through level progression.  In addition, climbing on walls and using your cross as a grappling hook was an enjoyable addition to the game, this really made me appreciate the level design and architecture used in each level.

Captain Jean Luc Picard

Lets not forget the appearance of Patrick Stewart as Zobek, Gabriel's Brotherhood companion who is also the narrator though the game.  Stewart does a great job with the narration but gets a little melodramatic with his acting.

If you're a fan of the old Castlevania titles, I wouldn't suggest this game.  You wont find anything related to the franchise other than the games title and the family name Belmont.  I would suggest this title if you enjoy action adventure games such as God of War or Shadow of the Colossus.  What this game really lacks is identity.  Developers did a great job with level and graphic design but failed to take any innovative steps with the gameplay.  Castlevanias' 3D titles have been severely lacking. I hope in the next installment they go back to the 2D landscape with castle exploration that made the original Castlevania what it is today- a CLASSIC.


Presentation: 7
Not associated with other installments of the franchise but a fun action adventure title.

Graphics: 9
Stunning visuals with some frame rate hiccups.

Sound : 7
A great performance by Patrick Stewart but a little too melodramatic.

Gameplay: 6
God of War gameplay with Shadow of the Colossus Boss fights.

Lasting Appeal: 7
A very long game that encourages backtracking for unlockable treasures.

Violent Score: 7 (out of 10)

The Witcher 2 Is Coming

Four more days till the sequel to the 2007's The Witcher, for PC, comes out. It was favored by critics and many people. It was dark gritty RPG that often left you on gray moral grounds. There was often not a good guys or a bad guys, but more of a feeling that both sides were bad people for specific reasons. It is a high fantasy rpg, with dwarves, elves, castles, monsters and all that good stuff. You played Geralt a monster hunter called a Witcher, which are modified humans who are part monster in order to be more effective against them. For those who did not like the The Witcher that much they have changed quite a few things in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings to accommodate many of the complaints from The Witcher. Specifically they have revamped the combat, no more having to time your attacks by clicking the mouse at the right moment. They also have changed around conversations a bit and generally improved on most aspects of the game. The engine for The Witcher 2 seems to be revamped quite a bit as well, it looks a lot smoother and cleaner than the slightly buggy and rough The Witcher. One complaint many people had with The Witcher was with quests. Quest's are now supposed to be pretty different; less traditional rpg quests and less kill x number of quests. The Witcher one was pretty great looking, but the Witcher 2 has improved upon that and looks gorgeous. Check out these comparison screenshots.

The Witcher

The Witcher 2

This game is looking to be pretty popular for PC, a lot of people are clamoring for a great RPG due to Dragon Age 2's failure to appease many RPG fans. According to Neoseeker.com the Witcher 2 already has over 100,000 preorders, that's pretty impressive. If you wanna check out that article take a gander , http://www.neoseeker.com/news/16424-the-witcher-2-pre-orders-exceed-110k/.

The Witcher 2 is created by CD Projekt RED and also published by them.They own the digital distributing website Good Old Gamers http://www.gog.com/en/frontpage, which some of you may know. They are also very kind to their fans. For instance, they never charge for DLC, very attentive to community, provide lots of patches and supported The Witcher all the way up to 2010. They also released a enhanced version of the Witcher, which was massive and free of course, a year or two after it was released.

I personally really liked The Witcher, it is one of my favorite rpg's in the last ten years, but a lot of people had their grips about it. CD Projekt Red is trying to address many of those complaints with The Witcher 2 and it's looking to be very graphically impressive as well as having great gameplay and story. Bosses look to be menacing, large, difficult and really enjoyable to take down based on the trailers. It could be a let down, but chances are this is going to be a great rpg. Here is their release trailer that just came out today, which is pretty much all cut scenes but it is using the engine. I'm looking foward to The Witcher 2 and I hope I got someone out there interested as well. Check back later, once it's released on May 17th, for a preview and possibly a review.Written by Sean Cargle

Video is property of Youtube and IGN.com

Outland XBLA Review

The sky in the background shimmers and shines through fallen ruins and temple like structures as you climb continually upwards into the unknown, all you know is that the sisters are waiting and they no longer wish to create, only to destroy. This is a scene you encounter fairly early on in this game. First off and foremost, this game's background and environment are breathtaking. The environments are dark and often confined but the world in which you traverse is filled with the energies of light and dark, which are represented by blue and red. That may sound like nothing, but they way in which they combine and use those energies is what makes the world interesting. The game of which I speak is Outland, for Xbox Live developed by Housemarque and published by Ubisoft.

Game Information

Outland is akin to side scrolling games like Prince of Persia and the Castlevania series except it has a touch of Shadow of the Colossus and a touch of the shooter Ikaruga. Ikaruga because of the energies of the light and the dark, which are very similar looking to those which you have to evade and adapt to in Ikaruga. Shadow of the Colossus for several reasons. First off, the first boss is a colusses, but not as complicated as a colusses you may fight in Shadow of the Colussus but you do have to climb him and he has the same look and feel as a particular colussus from the aforementioned game. Secondly, the world of Outland resonates with the world of Shadow of the Colussus. There are no other people of your kind that you meet, but there is plenty of minor enemies besides the bosses, and much of what you travel through is in ruins, but it is often stunning ruins with overgrowth or impressive displays of immersible background environments.
Intro Information
You progress through a story that takes you five bosses and five different area's. Each area consists of 4-6 sections, some of which are quite expansive. There are many abilities that you unlock through the story, one of which channels a beam of mixed energy that destroys almost everything in it's path. You have health, which are represented by green individual hearts, and energy, which are yellow swirls that are displayed right under your health. Both of these start pretty low but you can find shrines that allow you to spend money, which you collect by destroying containers and killing enemies, to increase your health and energy. By the time I had gotten to the last area and last boss I had nine health and five energy, while you start the game with three health and one energy. Money is only used on those upgrades but it works out pretty well. Rarely did I ever have excess money and only once did I have to go out of my way to get enough money to buy a upgrade I had found. There are also marks that you can find, secret collectabiles, that mostly unlock pictures in the gallery but it also does some pretty nifty things when you collect enough, like letting you see all the major containers on any given map.
Bosses
I love them. They are challenging, huge, interesting and fun. I could add annoying to that list but it's not fair that I lost to the second boss twice and the third boss three times. One of my favorite bosses was the fourth, a dragon that looked similar to a Chinese dragon not a traditional medieval dragon. You start out running from it and uses many of the skills you learned to escape and it destroys everything behind you, but then it progresses into a fight upon it's back. Energies rain down from the sky to try to destroy you as you attempt to eliminate it's weak spots on it's back. This boss was interesting because all of the other bosses before it were different, they are all different. The first of which requires the most simplest of strategies but he can still be challenging. Each boss is diverse in the way's it tries to kill you and you actively have to figure out it's patterns and be quick on your feet in order to outwit them. The last boss in particular, which took me five tries to beat, is frustrating but in a challenging way that proves to be satisfying. Boss fights are also very graphically impressive. Often displaying a lot of different actions going on at the same time while also having impressive backgrounds going on at the same time.

Modes
There are three modes, arcade, singleplayer story and cooperative. Singleplayer story is fairly long , 5-8 hours depending on your willingness to collect everything and find all the hidden areas. Arcade unlocks after you beat the first area, the jungle, and each area you beat will subsequently unlock as well. Arcade is timed and it is played for points. Monsters still drop money but those are now points and they also drop multipliers which apply to your overall score. Multipliers are tough to keep high because if you get hit once the multiplier lowers by one. You have 20 minutes to finish the entire area and beat the boss. I sadly lost at this twice in the first area, the second time I lost by about 10 seconds. For me it is hard to play arcade because I want to rack up points by going off the path and exploring, but that doesn't seem to be a good idea unless you are very quick with the boss. Cooperative is also unlocked through the singleplayer story but in a different way, also it is not split screen only multiplayer online. You find cooperative portals in singleplayer and once you touch it, it then unlocks permanently. Cooperative challenges are pretty tough, but also really enjoyable, even with random people online. Some of them are also pretty long in length, usually less than a arcade level which is usually 15 to 20 minutes long. Cooperative challenges are specific levels designed for two people, that are not just reworked levels from the singleplayer. They are pretty unique and still share the same quality as many of the single player levels.

Even after playing Outland for a couple hours it still didn't lose it's drive. This game makes it really fun to find secret area's while also making it easier for you to find more areas once you obtain a certain amount of marks. The whole game is pretty satisfying and when you throw in the fact that it is a xbox live arcade game and it is only $9.99 it just makes it all the more fantastic. If you liked other high quality XBLA games like Shadow Run or Prince of Persia Classic than you will probably like this. At the very least you should check out the free trial which gives you the first twenty minutes of the game. Thanks for reading and of course drop me some comments.

Presentation 9
-Story is presented in a interesting narrative and is well done.
Graphics 9.5
-Cannot possibly get much better looking for a XBLA game
Sound 8.5
-Sound effects fit well but not too much stood out, music ranges from good to great.
Gameplay 8.5
-There is only a limited number of ways you can fight, but it stays pretty fresh. Combat is pretty enjoyable and is fun to master.
Longevity 9
-Arcade mode and Cooperative mode add a good deal of length onto the moderately long singleplayer.

Violent Score: 9

Written by Sean Cargle

All photos/screenshots copyright of Ubisoft

Game of Thrones Episode 4 "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things"

*Many Spoilers Ahead*

Westeros history, if you want it, this episode's got it. They spend a bit of time going over backstory for Viserys, the Hound, Theon Greyjoy and others. Theon Greyjoy was never talked about much before this point, but he has been around. In the book's he is already slightly well known to the reader but they chose this episode to make you thoroughly aware of his presence as part of the Stark household. They also showed more of Ned Starks investigation into what the previous hand, Jon Arryn, was up to before he died. Ned discovers that Arryn was investigating the possibility of the King having a bastard son. Ned searches and finds the boy who he claims is the bastard son of the King, but what that means to the overall plot, we don't know yet.The only thing we do know is that it may have something to do with why Jon Arryn was murdered.
We are shown that the King, and the council, decided to go along with the tournament to honor the new hand, Ned, despite Ned's protesting. The only part of the tournament we are shown, at least so far, is a joust between Gregor Clegane, "The Mountain", and Jon Arryn's squire. It is important to note that Ned was looking to get some information out of Jon Arryn's squire and he was coincidentally killed during the joust by Gregor who works for the Lannisters. During this joust we get to see Petyr Baelish encroach upon Sansa and Arya and tell them a wonderful little story about how the Hound, Sandor Clegane, got his face burned by his older brother Gregor. This little story does seem to have ramifications for Sansa if she were tell anyone about the story, especially the Hound.

They opened the episode with Bran walking in a dream. In the books this took place previously when Bran had first woken up. He had seen the crow with many eyes and heard it's call and then woken up to that very call with a crow sitting at his window. Since the episodes are so close together it work's out pretty well to do it here. They also introduce Hodor, the giant dumbfounded yet gentle man who carries Bran around. We also get to see Tyrion and Bran interacting with Tyrion looking genuinely interested in whether or not Bran remembers anything, not showing fear of what he might remember. Tyrion also gives Bran a present, a schematic to fasten him to a horse so that he will not need his legs to ride. Robb Stark treats Tyrion with anger but after seeing this interaction he is confused and shows that he may not believe Tyrion is the source of Bran's injury.
I've seen a lot of people complain that this show doesn't have enough action and that this episode in particular lacks anything exciting, but if you are looking for that kind of show you probably shouldn't come back till the second and third seasons. It starts off slow, building the world and the characters in it that you come to care for, hate, despise or love. Action comes later at the culmination of a buildup of events. We see in this episode how Tyrion is kind to Bran despite everyone thinking that Tyrion is behind Bran's fall and attempted murder. This is a integral moment for Tyrion's character, it reflects upon him for the entire series. Tyrion is constantly questionable, you may want to hate, you may want to love him but in the end most people will end up in some kind of a middle ground. Tyrion is one of my favorite characters and will always be. I'm thrilled that his actor, Peter Dinklage, does such a fantastic job of displaying his many different sides and his intelligence.
Sansa get's a little bit of time in this episode, but so far she has oddly been a left out a bit. Although, I expect that to change due to her role in the rest of the season. Arya on the other hand is showing off her strong will when she say's to her father that the life of marrying some prince or noble isn't the life for her. All the while Ned is off investigating and trying to keep the king out of trouble. I liked the scene between Ned and Littlefinger, when Littlefinger is walking through a courtyard telling Ned how everyone is has spies all over King's Landing even Littlefinger. Ned doesn't seem to take his advice to heart though, he seems to feel that because he is the Hand than he will just have to deal with being watched.
Viserys has a unique scene in which we see him be playful and gentle with one of the female servants. He almost sounds nice until he gets pissed and becomes a bipolar dragon again. There is a scene later, that does not follow the previous scene, despite the fact that it looks like it does, in which Viserys threatens Daenerys again but we see that she is started to feel like a Khaleesi. She shows her brother that she is no longer scared of him and threatens him for once with a new founded power and voice. We get to see the strong Daenerys that will become more familiar than the weak scared one we were presented with in the beginning.

Sam was introduced in this episode. Sam is the pudgy coward noble that is a new recruit into the Night's watch, like Jon. Jon starts to show his leadership qualities when it comes to Sam. Jon recognizes that Sam is weak but not a bad a person, he stands up to Thorne and tries to protect Sam from the beatings and harsh lessons Thorne had tried on Sam. We see that Jon and Sam warm up to eachother over the length of this episode and the beginning of their friendship. We also see that get interrupted by Thorne who lets in some history about himself and the previous winter. He talks about how in the last winter he was out there with a group of the Night's Watch and they get stuck in a storm that lasted for weeks, in which they had to eat people..apparently. Thorne is hard to like, but he is a necessity. He is the grizzled old soldier that has little love for games and little kindness in his heart, but he is not being a jerk to the recruits just for fun, he is trying to mold them into soldiers that might just maybe survive.
There is also Catelyn. I have to say, when I read the books I liked Catelyn Stark while most of my friends disliked her and thought her foolish. Maybe the way they present her is in line with my friends way of thinking, because I no longer like her at all. Her actions at the end of the episode are just stupid, she is like a child that thinks nothing of the ramifications she might cause. She get's spotted by Tyrion Lannister when she is heading back up north, in a Inn, and while he is heading south to King's Landing. Tyrion, of course, is approatitely welcoming to her but she instead notices how many knights there are in the room and how they almost all from her land. She then proceeds to call upon the knights to arrest Tyrion and it ends with Tyrion looking pretty confused and worried while swords are all drawn towards him. All I have to say about that is that many events unfold as a result of this hasty and unjust action by Catelyn. She has no real proof that it is Tyrion behind Bran's attempted murder; while Ned wanted real proof she just acts impulsively.
This episode was pretty good, maybe a little too much background. I don't recall the Hands Tournament being so short in the books, but they could bring it back in the next episode. If they had spread the background information more evenly across the previous episodes than the pacing wouldn't have felt so slow, for those who thought it was slow, in this episode. I thought it was fine and really enjoyable but it's a mixed bag out there. My major concern is for the rest of the season. Based on the preview for the next episode the rest of the season is going to possibly be oddly paced. That is all I'm going to say on that. Hope you enjoyed the review, please leave comments if you wish to discuss anything or point out something.

Violent Score: 8.5

Written by Sean Cargle

All photos copyright of HBO, Home Box Office Inc. 2011

Sony Dated PSN Full Return

On the Playstation Blog, Sony has stated that  full functionality will be restored to the PSN by May 31st.  While this includes full use of all online features including the Playstation Store, Online Gaming, Quor, and online media, Sony says that online gaming could be available before the May 31st restore date.

"The company is in the process of adopting an improved security system and its plan to restart the services fully by May 31 is unchanged."  - Shigenori Yoshida

Sony has also offered its PSN users with a full year of "All Clear ID Plus" identity theft protection.  This will be available to all PSN users in the United States.  E-mails will be sent out the following weeks on how to sign up for this program.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Episode 4

Last week episode 3 nearly killed the Mortal Kombat: Legacy series by giving us a weak story line with a performance by Matt Mullins (Johnny Cage) that left something to be desired.  Not only was the episode censored, it was also sloppy and was a poor introduction to one of the most important characters.

To my surprise Episode 4 was a complete turn around. This episode brought a lot to the table and is easily the best of the series so far. Not only were we introduced to characters such as: Shao Kahn, Baraka, Mileena, Kitana and Sindel, we also got a  brief history of Outland and how it came to be.
Watch the episode below and read the rest of the review.






Unlike last weeks episode, this one is uncensored and rated TVMA.  It is filled with the blood and violence Mortal Kombat fans expect. What really drew me to the episode was the beautiful motion comic book cinematography that was used during most of the episode.  Some of the live action sequences fell short due to the small budget Keven Tancharoen (director) has to work with. In addition, the makeup used on Barakas character looked nothing like the original concept, or what was shown in the Rebirth trailer.

Personally, this episode makes up for the disappointment that is episode 3.  I am really looking forward to next weeks episode to see how the story progresses.  Come back next week for a review of Episode 5!!  Make sure to leave comments below and let us know what you think of this episode.

Luther Season 1

It's British! I cannot claim to have watched even one full British series or even a movie but I gladly watched all of Luther. It originally aired on BBC UK but was also aired on BBC US and Australia. I don't quite understand how they do their show line ups in the UK or how their content moderating works, especially since Luther is six one hour episodes and it is equally violent as a HBO or Showtime series. What is Luther you may be asking; It is a crime drama show. When I see that description I think of Law and Order, Castle or Bones but it is very different from any "cop" show I have seen before. If you have seen The Wire it is easy to compare the level of quality between the two and the level of excellent writing and acting. This show's theme is dark, mysterious, violent and gritty. It also has strong ties to reality, although it is a little hard to relate to somewhere when I don't understand their laws, they do not screw around in this show.
*Spoiler Free*

The main character is Luther played by the very talented Idris Elba, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0252961/, whom is quite popular. You may know him from The Wire, The Office, Thor (apparently), Obsessed or 28 Weeks Later among many other things. There are also several other British actors whom I recognized one of whom is Steven Mackintosh who has a impressive resume, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0533599/.

This show does a lot of things right and on top of that is very interesting. Every single case that is presented in the season are difficult ones. All the cases presented are essentially all murder cases and none of them are bland or uninteresting. The killers are very intelligent, often more intelligent than most of the detectives. Not every case is a happy story, some of which still end sadly despite the police catching the killer. Luther is a detective (DCI) in London who is very intelligent and skilled at his job but he is very emotional. He has a lot going on in his life and right from the start you are shown his inner turmoil about his job and killers.

There is a recurring theme of whether murders deserve death for the horrible things they have done. This is blatantly presented in the first and last episode but it also is in the subtext of many other episodes. You join along in the struggle of deciding what these serial killers, cop killers, rapist's deserve, do they also deserve to be sent to prison or should someone of them be rid from the Earth? That aspect of the show makes me immediately think of Showtimes Dexter, in which the main character chooses the criminals, like the ones mentioned above, deserve death. If you have read The Song of Fire and Ice series, by George R. Martin, then you will understand what I mean when I say that this show is not scared of killing off characters in the face of reality and circumstance. There are no magical coincidences coming to save the day, if someone messes up it means that there are serious ramifications for someone.

The show is not flawless, it does have some annoying plot having to do with Luther and his wife Zoe. It is not very serious though, even the slightly redundant marital issues that are often covered in other shows like no ones business, still has interesting takes on it. By the end of the series it becomes embedded into the many good aspects of the show and is well done, like most everything else. I also have a issue about some of the character decisions/writing. There are several times when things happen that, in the US, would result in police quickly heading to a area or going after someone. In Luther the police often seem very undermanned and almost never call in back up or assistance. Some of the time it is for good reasons but other times it just left me bewildered. It may be that way in the UK though, they may have slow reaction times and policemen/detectives may often try to use minimal manpower.

The writing in the show is very good for the most part. The situations feel authentic and the characters are layered and complicated. The plot decisions and twists are very well done. Other than the weird police issues I mentioned before, almost everything clearly has a lot of thought put into it. They do a great job of presenting a real police force that cannot magically solve every case or find that key piece of evidence. The intelligence of the detectives, especially Luther, shows how they try to work around the legal system and solve the cases through unorthodox methods. Although, even with their intelligence and unique methods they cannot win every time.

On top of the thorough and detailed writing there is excellent acting. Almost every episode requires a lot out of the actors. Idris Elba does a wonderful job, a performance which won him a NAACP Image Award. His display of pain and anger are some of the best I have ever seen. He also does a excellent job of showing how someone would go through dealing with personal issues with his wife at his work place, and trying to stay calm. I know that sounds like a simple uninteresting thing but many actors do not have the talent to probably display emotions without complementing lines to explain their emotions. When Luther displays something you get exactly what it is and it is moving and convincing. In specific there is a episode with a solider in which the acting challenges would be too much for any but the best. The way in which Luther struggles in this episode brings out so many emotions that are display in incredibly convincing ways. His anger, sorrow, hate, fear and pain are so aptly produced by Idris that he has raised my bar for what great acting needs to be.

The show has a great deal of violence. The way they display gunshots wounds, among other things, is surprising. The way in which they display gun fights is very realistic, from the little I know about gun fights. It is quick and incredibly violent. There are no long drawn out shoot outs, it's always quick, dirty and bloody. They must be allowed to show a lot on the BBC because this show doesn't seem to hold back out, for example there is a episode in which a individual gets their head smashed in by a hammer and when the hammer strikes his head blood flies out in appropriate looking blood pattern splattering all nearby. Thing's like that are pretty commonplace, but they are not as violent as American shows like Starz Spartacus series.

In Luther there are also many other considerably good actors and actresses. In specific, Luther's wife Zoe, played by Indira Varma, does a great job showing her struggle of dealing with a angry and violent husband. There is also DCI Ian Reed, played by Steven Mackintosh, one of Luther's fellow detectives whom he has worked with for a long time. Mackintosh is a integral part of the show and in the last several episodes his display of acting skill is endearing. There is also DS Justin Ripley, played by Warren Brown, and DSU Rose Teller, played by Saskia Reeves, who both work with Luther. This actor and actress, while not being main characters are in every episode and they both do excellent jobs. Rose Teller is Luther's boss and you don't see that many women head detectives but she does a compelling job at showing that she is strong, devoted, conflicted yet willing to do what needs to be done. Justin Ripley is Luther's apprentice, who starts out slowly but becomes a major character by the end. His acting, while he is a younger actor, is very convincing and appropriate for the world he is part of. There is also one more major actress, and character; Alice Morgan, played by Ruth Wilson. Her character is the most interesting, besides Luther, because of her relationship with him. Which I cannot say anything about unfortunately, due to this being spoiler free. She does a wonderful job playing a intelligent independent women that is very unique, she was nominated for many awards (including golden globes) but has yet to win. I cannot forget Mark North, played by Paul McGann, Luther's wife Zoe's boyfriend. I know that sounds like a spoiler, but it's not, you learn about that immediately in the first fifteen minutes. Anyways, he starts out playing a typical defensive boyfriend but grows into something much more interesting in the later episodes. His acting was underwhelming at first but his display of acting skills became impressive after the first two episodes.

Luther Season 1 is six episodes long, one hour each. It is currently on Netflix instant and it was airing on BBC America but I am uncertain if it still is. It also seems to be up online on other various sites for free, some episodes at least. Season ended in 2010 and Season 2 has finished production and should be airing sometime this fall. Season 2 will have two episodes, 2 hours each. I strongly recommend this series to anyone who is looking for something much more unique, dark, realistic, and filled with strong acting, than generic common law shows like Law and Order (insert many titles). This show was very refreshing after seeing so many American television cop shows where everything almost always turns okay and police protocol and reality are often disregarded.

Violent Score: 9

Any questions, disagreements or opinions, please leave me a comment. Thanks for reading.

Written by Sean Cargle

Portal 2 Review

When Portal was first released as part of Valve's Orange Box collection, it introduced an extremely unique first person puzzle game.  It was short, fun, original and well executed.  Portal 2 has more to offer than level expansions, it concentrates on character development, exciting new puzzle elements and one of the best co-op experiences on the market.  

Single player in Portal 2 is a fun and exciting experience.  From start to finish there was never a dull moment! There were, however, moments of extreme anger when trying to solve the more difficult test chamber puzzles.  The facility is larger, the puzzles are harder and the characters are unforgettable. GLaDOS is back along with her wit and sarcasm that keeps the game devilishly humorous.  This is some of the best voice acting I have heard in any game.  When making your way though the Aperture facility be prepared to laugh most of the way through.

We’re a lot alike, you and I. You tested me. I tested you. You killed me. I—oh, no, wait. I guess I haven’t killed you yet. Well. Food for thought.
―GLaDOS



Portal 2 takes place after the events in the original game. You play as Chell, Apertures' most ambitious and defiant test subject.  After waking up in a small apartment we are introduced to Wheatley, a small robot voiced by Stephen Merchant who wants to help you escape from the facility.  With GLaDOS out of the picture, Aperture Laboratories has become dilapidated and overgrown with wildlife.  Once she is mistakenly activated, she scrambles to get everything in working order.  Moving between test chambers, walls and plates will move and she will blame you for the mess.  As you progress through the game, environments change, new puzzle elements are added and you are allowed to explore the bowels of Aperture Laboratories.


Gameplay is like the original Portal,  running through test chambers and solving puzzles using your portal gun.  As you progress, the rooms get more challenging and new tools such as: speed gel, bouncy gel, lasers, light bridges and tractor beams are added to tease your brain.  The test chambers are not impossibly hard, but you will however find moments where you cant seem to find the solution that has been in your face the whole time.  Either way you feel a sense of accomplishment for getting to the next stage. 

The best gameplay you will experience is in co-op mode.  The start of co-op picks up where single player leaves off.  It's no secret that GLaDOS is obsessed with continuous testing, so she builds two robots to keep her occupied.  Though co-op doesn't offer an enriched story line, you are still continuing through the facility as her test subjects.

Communication is key to completing co-op mode.  If you play with anyone that is not going to pull their own weight you can expect a world of headaches.  Each character gets two portals each, and Valve does a great job utilizing them through each test chamber.  Also included are commands that each player can give to one-another, such as: the ability to highlight areas where portals are needed, a visual countdown if  2 things are needed to be done at once, etc.   I believe you will get the most out of co-op if you play it with a friend.  This will give you hours of shouting and good times followed by a great sense of accomplishment.

Valve is one of the best game developers out there because they take their time making memorable and enjoyable games.  Portal 2 is one of their best achievements yet!  It's surprising that this game is still running off of the same Source engine used on Half-Life 2. Other than part 2 of story mode, (where I feel the game slows down) I have absolutely no complaints. Portal 2 is a fantastic experience through and through.  If you're sick of your standard first person shooter and want a little variety, Portal 2 is the game for you.

Portal 2 will also be receiving DLC coming this summer.  It will be at the low low price of FREE!!

Presentation: 9.5
A great experience from start to finish.  Some of the best characters in any game.

Graphics: 8.5
Valve still gets some mileage out of its Source engine.

Sound: 10
This is some of the best voice acting I have heard in any game.  Also, music and sounds progress as you move through puzzles.

Gameplay: 10
This is one of the most unique styles a first person perspective can offer.  Co-op will blow your mind.


Lasting Appeal: 7
Once you beat single player and co-op, there isn't much else to do. 


Violent Score: 9 (out of 10)

Two Worlds 2 Review

Redundancy is not always a bad thing, but in this case it's a mixed bag. The positive is that there is always a lot to do in this game, until the end. The negative is that many parts feel drawn out and many quests are very similar. Two Worlds 2, developed by Take Two Interactive, is made for the Xbox360 and PC. There are some thrilling things about this game though. As a big fan of roleplaying games I loved the rpg and adventure elements of this game. It is a expansive world filled with unique area's and various enemies. On top of the singleplayer there is also quite a bit to do in the multiplayer, versus and cooperative modes. One of the oddest choices in Two Worlds 2 is the decision to make shields cosmetic. You do not block with them, always with the weapon and it looks and feels very odd and out of place. It makes me wonder if they just ran out of time to make a block animation or if they intended it.

I have played Two Worlds 2 on both PC and 360, but on the PC only up to the end of the first chapter. It does fair better on PC for numerous reasons I will list.

Xbox360 Vs PC Comparison
PC
+Solid Framerate for most setups
+Minuim requirements are low compared to newer titles like Shogun 2/Crysis 2
+Online community is more active and easier to access
+Graphics are better, since you have the option to max things out
+Controls feel better
+Inventory management is more accessible
+Lots of patches and updates
-No achievements (big whoop)
-More technical problems due larger variety of hardware variety

Xbox360
+Achievements
+Reliable and streamlined
+Easy access to bonus content (most of which are items)
-No patches, at all
-Framerate is a little jumpy
-Graphics are good, but not as good as high settings on PC
-Controls aren't very user friendly
-Inventory is a pain to manage

So, as you see. I recommend the PC version over the Xbox360 version. The only reason I got the 360 version was that I found it on sale for $30 and it is still $40-50 on PC. You can imagine my surprise when I put in a game that is several months old and I do not get a single patch.

The game itself is really fun if you haven't played a rpg in a long time and are dieing to fill that gap, but let me tell you, by the time you get halfway you start to get tired of certain things. Two Worlds 2 basically takes you from city to city giving you quests, along with a main storyline quest. It follows this pattern the entire game unfortunately. I know that's a typical rpg pattern but I wish they could have done something more with it and make it more dynamic. You can use boats in this game but it is disappointing. There are only two or three places worth boating to and boating is infinitely slower than the quick teleport system.

The story in this game isn't particular interesting. You start your adventure in a prison, locked up, with your sister. Some orcs, the last few orcs left in the world, come and save you; you then begin a quest to rescue your sister and defeat the evil Emperor. The ending of the story feels a bit forced and odd but it is a nice twist to a otherwise generic story. Thankfully, all of the character interactions are fully voiced. For those of you who enjoyed the awful voice acting from Two Worlds 1 I am sorry to tell you that the voice acting in Two Worlds 2 ranges from mediocre to convincing. There is a also a instrument system in SP, in which you can play various instruments and collect various songs. There isn't much to it, it earns you a tiny bit of money if you play well in populated areas, but it can be very difficult. I never got to use instruments in the PC version, but I imagine it is easier to manage then holding 5 buttons on a xbox 360 controller.
There are three or four classes, depends on how you look at it; Thief, Archer, Mage and Warrior. The Mage is the most difficult to use, but they consist of several types of magic which can be modified and shaped based on the games card system; which lets you add attributes to your spells like more damage, protection, time, ricochet and homing. The archer is really useful early on but becomes less useful in late game, due to the fact that the best archer abilities rely on some kind of element and most enemies near the end are immune or resistant to most elements.

The warrior is the easiest class to use and is very useful late game, they can tear down most enemies defenses and are versatile. The warrior has various abilities retaining to blunt weapons and sharp weapons and then also two handed and one handed weapons. The warrior can not only take a lot of hits but generally does the most damage out of any class and they also have the best area of effects abilities, although the mage can get very good ones as well. The thief is more of a skillset than a class. The game forces you to either lockpick chests, which there are very many, or bash them and bashing them can destroy or damage your weapons. You can assassinate (death strike) enemies but only humanoids and it doesn't work very well. You may also sneak but the enemies are very good at noticing you. The thief class is not something you can truly rely on but more extra abilities that you may use to complement other classes. You can use traps as thief though and those do quite a lot of damage, but there are so many enemies in groups that it seems impractical.

Singleplayer is pretty long, but not super long for a rpg, around 25-30 hours if you do everything. There is a couple guilds that you can continually work for throughout the game, but is optional. If you stick just to the main story it probably only runs around 10 hours, although I don't think you could possibly beat many of the later story monsters and bosses without leveling up and getting equipment through side quests. There are quite a few unique armor and weapons. The nice thing about the "crafting system" is that you can continually upgrade your armor and weapons with materials that you can collect through breaking down armor and weapons that you do not want. The bad thing about it is that you have to spend a lot of skill points to upgrade your equipment really well, also weapon's often become outdated (even with upgrading) every 4 or 5 levels. Much of the game seems to scale to your level, equipment does and sometimes enemies but for the most part enemies do not scale at all. Almost every area of the game got to the point where I would find 90% of the enemies to be easy and then run into one enemy, often a boss of some kind, that is very difficult. So the difficulty scale is all over the place unfortunately, but that could be a good thing if you tire of systems like Oblivion's level scaling.

Multiplayer is a quite a bit different. You make a separate character from singleplayer, choosing from various races (some of which aren't even in singleplayer) and you choose a specific class. They have versus, which is a player versus player arena type mode that isn't very fun or balanced. The few times I tried to play it I ended up against enemies 10-30 levels higher than me, if not more. The most interesting and fun, in my opinion, multiplayer mode is adventure cooperative. There is a story that progresses through missions, which you can play through cooperatively with several others. The story missions are put together pretty well and lengthy, the only bad thing about them being lengthy is that you must start them from the beginning if you run out of time. There are also around seven missions, so it can keep you and friends busy for a long time. By the end of adventure mode your character will be pretty high level and you have will have plenty of money to spend on your village.

Village mode is a great little mode where you build and protect your village in a large valley. There is a system of income, upkeep and space available. The income/upkeep doesn't always make sense but there are some pretty good guides online to getting a really great income for your city. You can use the income from your village on your character or on upgrade and building more. Your village also has moral which must be kept up by getting sent out mini quests to eradicate troublesome animals or monsters; if the moral drops then so does the income. You have to be careful with income/upkeep because you can easily get ambitious and end up with a negative income, due to too much upkeep. Village is pretty fun for people like me who love building and creating.
Two Worlds 2 isn't much in individual parts but when you combine singleplayer and multiplayer it is a enjoyable rpg. At the very least, it is a much better game than Two Worlds 1. I have played many similiar low budget, small company, role playing games and Two Worlds 2 fairs better than most. Although, I did enjoy Risen equally as much but games like Gothic or Divinity 2 fall below the level of quality of Two Worlds 2. They try to do a lot of things in this game and some aspects don't pan out very well but it is a solid game that is a good find for anyone on a budget. Two Worlds 2 is anything from $20 to $40 dollars if you are going the used route, also for PC users Steam often has good sales for this game, last time it was somewhere around $30. I recommend this to anyone who is feeling a rpg lull in their gaming life right now and is up for something that is cheap but good quality and a lot of re-playability. For this I will be doing two scores.

Xbox 360
Presentation-7
Few bugs and solid framerate most of the time.
Graphics-8.5
Environments look great but weapons/armor don't have the best details.
Sound-8
Voice acting is hit and miss, music is fitting.
Gameplay-7
Annoying controls, mediocre battle system, non-user friendly inventory management
Lasting Impression-8
Long singleplayer and fairly lengthy multiplayer options, although no patch support

Violent Score 7.5

PC
Presentation-8
Good PC setup compatibility, very few bugs.
Graphics-9
Looks fantastic on maxed out settings, mostly smooth framerate
Sound-8
Same as Xbox360. Voice acting is mostly decent, music works well.
Gameplay-7.5
Annoying controls, but better than 360. Inventory management is more user friendly than 360.
Lasting Impression-8.5
PC community is active, good patches and support.

Violent Score 8

Written by Sean Cargle