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  • “Skyward Sword” soars above expectations

    January 31, 2012 | Posted By: | Entertainment · Video Game Reviews |

    Photo Source: Nintendo

    By: Danny Hovanessian

    After 25 years of throwing bombs, breaking pots, slinging arrows, pulling out the Master Sword, and saving princess Zelda, “Skyward Sword” arrives to change the formula in the Zelda games while still using some traditional elements to create a wonderful mix of the old and new.

    Yes, you are still trying to save the princess Zelda, there is still a focus on solving creative puzzles, and there are still bombs and arrows at your disposal. “Skyward Sword,” however, does try quite a few new things to keep the series from feeling stale.

    As usual, Link is the “chosen one” destined to save the world, and, of course, Zelda (who is his childhood friend in this installment) is by his side. I appreciate this game’s more cinematic presentation with its scenes, but the story is lacking and basic.

    From the very start, the plot seems familiar. This kind of story would be acceptable a decade ago, but in today’s generation where games try incorporating a great story along with great gameplay, “Skyward Sword” falls short. It undoubtedly has the charm that many Nintendo games have, and the characters are endearing for the most part, but the story line is too shallow and unoriginal compared to other games like Final Fantasy.

    Fortunately, “Skyward Sword” excels in almost everything else. It requires the use of the Wii Motion+, a peripheral that is designed to make movements more accurate and precise, and while I think Nintendo should have gotten it right the first time with their original controller, it now significantly improves the experience in the game.

    In previous Zelda titles, combat was relatively mindless—a few clicks of a button did the trick and there was not much else to worry about. In “Skyward Sword,” combating is a lot more interesting because of the Wii Motion+. Now, enemies guard the attacks of players and actually require them to think and use tricks (as they try calculating their next move) so they can deal some damage. Any movement that players make are emulated on screen, and I found that to be very interesting because most other Wii games simply have players fling or waggle the Wiimote for an inaccurate response. Even boss fights (more powerful enemy encounters, usually found at the climax of a certain section) are much more formidable this time around and are an actual challenge.

    Another great thing about the game are the visuals. The Wii is very much visually inferior to the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360, but “Skyward Sword” is still a delight to look at most of the time. Characters feel more alive this time around with their animations and facial expressions. Aside from the occasional muddy and low-resolution textures, the game as a whole looks phenomenal and will be one of those games which may stand the test of time longer than most due to its strong visuals and artistic elements.

    “Skyward Sword” also satisfies when it comes to its soundtrack. Previous Zelda games’ soundtracks all consisted of “beep boop boop beep,” using computerized instruments and tunes instead of real ones. This was unacceptable considering that games started to incorporate orchestrated tracks back in the late 1990′s. With this game, Nintendo has gotten with the program and given us a fully orchestrated soundtrack. There are quite a few memorable tunes, and the game benefits from it greatly. The soundtrack adds much to the game’s charm, personality and the experience as a whole.

    Strangely, Nintendo still hasn’t added voice acting. It feels a bit bizarre watching a scene with lips moving but nothing but the occasional gibberish or grunt coming out of their mouths. I could see every character but our mute hero Link having a voice, and I hope Nintendo does this for future installments.

    I do have gripes with the game, though, and unfortunately, they aren’t small. The biggest problem is the sheer amount of fillers that make the already poorly paced plot even worse. It already takes hours to reach one of the several dungeons in the game, but more than once you find yourself needing a key to open doors that lead to dungeons—a key that has somehow been split into five pieces and is scattered over all corners of the entire area, which you will now need to retrieve if you want to progress. I haven’t even scratched the surface on the fillers in this game, but it’s absurd.

    The flying sections in the game is another part of the game riddled with flaws. Not only are the controls for flying a little wonky, but the sky itself is very empty and there is almost nothing to do and almost no one to talk to. How could the residents of Skyloft believe that they are the only living things out there when there’s a grand total of 30-35 people living in the sky?

    Despite its shortcomings, “Skyward Sword” is a wonderful experience, which is surprising, considering that the fact that I didn’t enjoyed the past few installments. Dust your Wii off, buy the Wii Motion+, and buy this game—give it some time and look past its faults and you will find yourself having a great time.

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    Enter into “Portal II”

    June 9, 2011 | Posted By: | Entertainment · Video Game Reviews |

    By: Daniel Massey

    The cake is a lie. This seemingly irreverent phrase has found its way into the hearts of gamers everywhere, thanks to the charming title that is “Portal.” Originally intended as a tech demo, its publisher, Valve, decided to throw it into the now best-selling game bundle, The Orange Box, which also includes “Half Life 2” and its expansions, and the multiplayer-only “Team Fortress 2.”

    The first “Portal” saw the player assuming the role of Chell, a woman who was trapped in the Aperture Science Facility (a futuristic complex that looks like it belongs in a sci-fi movie, while still remaining realistic), forced to complete puzzle-based test chambers by a faceless AI (artificial intelligence) named GLaDOS.

    Long story short, the AI’s true nature is revealed, and eventually the player’s task is to escape from the facility, and GLaDOS’ numerous attempts to murder the player. Voiced by the excellent Ellen Mclain, GLaDOS continually taunts the player with sarcastic remarks.

    With writing that is refreshingly clever and hilarious, you may often find yourself laughing aloud at some of the dialogue, a rare feat in the sometimes predictable gaming industry.

    “Portal 2” continues in this vein, picking up 100 years after the end of the first game. Chell’s freedom was short-lived, as she was recaptured and placed in cryostatis indefinitely. In the time she was asleep, the facility was left in decay, untouched by human hands and without an active AI to maintain it.

    You are awakened by Wheatley, an infinitely likeable robot who needs your help to escape, voiced by a particularly enthusiastic Stephen Merchant, who is featured on the Ricky Gervais Show.

    After a sequence of events I would prefer not to spoil, GLaDOS makes her triumphant return, and you are once again forced to solve a mind-boggling variety of test chambers while simultaneously looking for an opportunity to escape.

    Although the plot is extremely strong and intriguing, the gameplay is what differentiates “Portal 2” from the Halos and Call of Duties that are currently flooding the market. Although the game is in first person perspective, much like a shooter, the portal gun, the game’s only tool, is far from your average firearm. Instead of shooting bullets, it shoots two interconnected portals, which can be placed on flat surfaces with the pull of a trigger. It may seem hard to describe, but a basic example is placing a portal on a wall in front of you, and then placing the other in another room. When you walk through the portal on the wall in front of you, you come through the portal and end up in the other room.

    This mechanic is the basis of the entire game, and you must solve increasingly difficult puzzles using not only the portal gun, but outside factors such as light shields, spring boards, and colored gels that make you jump higher or run faster when stepped on. There is truly no other game out there that feels like “Portal,” and its stunning originality is a breath of fresh air for gamers looking for an intelligent challenge.

    The game has only two modes, a single player story mode, and a two-player co-op mode, but they are long and rich enough to make up for the lack of variety (mostly).

    While the first game’s story clocked in at about three hours, “Portal 2” takes around nine hours to complete, and the story is miles better, with charming and humorous characters, and unexpected plot twists. The puzzles are quite difficult, especially in later sections, but they never feel unfair or broken. This leads to an intense sense of satisfaction upon completing a particularly challenging puzzle.

    The co-op mode, while less heavy on story elements, take the puzzles to the next level, as the addition of a second player brings the possibility of four portals at once. Cooperation and coordination are musts, and it is safe to say that some of the most challenging, yet entertaining sections in gaming are featured in “Portal 2’s” multiplayer.

    Although the writing and gameplay are among the best in the industry, the replay value is sadly lacking, as once you have finished both campaigns, there really isn’t anything more to do except replay them. Despite this, “Portal 2” is an early contender for Game of the Year in my book, and I definitely plan to revisit the intriguing world of Wheatley and GLaDOS once again.

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