Frayhua Reviews: Wheelman

Wheelman

What was Vin Diesel thinking?

Style:Action-adventure, Driving, Sandbox
System: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC
Developer:Midway Studios Newcastle &Tigon Studios
Publisher:Midway Games & Ubisoft
Release Date: March 24, 2009

Story- You play as a Wheelman name Milo Burik who goes to Barcelona, Spain that is in the middle of a drug war and his job is to break down the gangs.

Presentation

Graphics- At first this game may look Next-Gen, but the lighting in Barcelona in Wheelman is real bright and feels like a high end PS2 game and the cutscenes are poor and almost remind me of Far Cry Vengeance. The only time the graphics are cool is when the screen blurs, when you kill an enemy and pulling of moves like the Cyclone and Aimed Shot. For those two moves times slows down and the graphics are cool. Sometimes, the game has glitches such as cars disappearing and people you want to get into your car don't enter in normally, instead they disappear and pop-up into your car. When you carry other guns Milo can hold gun on his back with no strap.

Sound- The music is forgettable and not exciting. The voice acting is so-so with poor scripting and uninteresting characters. Not even Milo is interesting because he has no personality and he exist in this nonsense story. He can hear people without Bluetooth or cell phone.

Gameplay

Campaign- The gameplay has no exciting missions like GTA or any other great sandbox game out their because in the world of Wheelman, Milo can't do a lot except drive and shoot. He can't swim, can't interact with Barcelona in anyway possible, can't fight people, can't kill civilians and police, can't take cover very well, and gets no rewards after completing missions or side-missions because their is no economic system. The good things about Wheelman are the abilities to Airjack other vehicles, vehicle melee, and pull off other cool moves like the Cyclone and Aimed Shot. The Cyclone and Aimed Shot are done when the Focus gauge is filled up. To acquire the Focus gauge, you must drift, speed, and destroy objects in the environments. These moves are fun, but stupid A.I. kills the enjoyment. The shooting is old school and average. Milo can't stick to cover and can't blindfire either. This game blends other games Pursuit Force, GTA, and Burnout, but by the end of the day Wheelman isn't very enjoyable.

Value- The story isn't great, the missions are boring and uninteresting due to dull A.I. and no rewards whatsoever, and wasted talent by Tigon Games(Developers of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay + The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Dark Athena) and Vin Diesel. If you want to play a great game with him in it, go play The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Dark Athena and it includes the original Butcher Bay game in it with updated graphics.

Overview

- Disappointing Graphics
- Lame Story
- Lame Value
- Missions and Side-Missions are uninteresting
- Wasted talent by Tigon Games and Vin Diesel
- Takes features from other games, but not as remarkable
- Poor use of the Unreal Engine 3

Frayhua Reviews: Devil May Cry 4

Devil May Cry 4

Devil May Cry 4 is here, but is it great?

System: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC
Style: Hack and Slash and action/adventure
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Release Date: Xbox 360 and PS3 (February 5, 2008)
PC (July 8, 2008)

Introduction- This is the fourth DMC game and it's after Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and Devil May Cry, but before Devil May Cry 2 meaning it does suck. Also this is the first time that Devil may cry is a multi platform game.

Story- Devil May Cry 4 has a new protagonist named Nero, who likes like Dante and uses guns and swords. He's on a mission to find and capture Dante after he assassinates Sanctus, The High Priest of the Order and a few holy knights of the Order. Then, later on it is revealed that Dante was actually trying to stop the revived Sanctus from destroying the world with a giant statue called The Savior. The story is good, but I would like to know a little bit more about Nero and his origins.

Presentation

Graphics- Devil May Cry 4 is amazing with solid animation, great character models, enemy designs, and great environments except for the last part of the game. The last level isn't as good as the other environments you travel in.

Sound- The voice acting, sound effects, and good humor are here and they are great to listen to.

Gameplay

I.) DMC4 use has a new currency system containing Proud Souls and Red Orbs. Proud Souls are awarded at the end of a mission and the amount will vary depending on the players performances in the mission. Red Orbs are for buying items.

II.) Nero's Part of the Campaign- The first part of the game you take control Nero. His sword is called Red Queen and his revolver is called Blue Rose. The gameplay is basic DMC: Nero can slash and shoot like Dante and thanks to his demonic arm called the Devil Bringer he grab enemies. In terms of powering to do more damage Nero has the Exceed Gauge where he can power up the Red Queen to inflict more damage because he doesn't have the ability to Devil Trigger like Dante or Vergil because he isn't one of the Sons of Sparta. Meanwhile, later in the game you'll can find Vergil's old katana called the Yamato and it fuses to Nero's demonic arm so he can Devil Trigger to increase it's power. Also the Devil Brigger is also use for getting to the other side, detecting secret missions, and red orb cashes.

III.) Dante's Part of the Campaign- The second part of the game you control Dante and using him is cheesy and fun at the same time because you fight the same bosses the Nero fought and seal them up and you see some good comic relief from Dante after defeating the bosses and showing off his new weapon. Dante is pretty much the same as in Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening and you can switch your four styles on the fly now. The game has great DMC action and the gameplay fun for both characters.

IV.) Complaint- The gameplay is great, but I really don't like fighting the same bosses over and over again. With Dante it's fine, but for Nero is it annoying because that what you do after you take control of Nero again you fight the same bosses again.

Value- Devil May Cry 4 is great action game, but I just don't like repetitive boss battles.

Overview

+ Great Presentation
+ Fun Gameplay
- Repetitive boss battles

Frayhua Reviews: Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: World At War

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty goes from WWII to Modern Warfare with fantastic results.

Style: First Person Shooter/Action
System: Playstation 3,Xbox 360, PC, Mac OS X, and Wii
Developer: Infinity Ward, Aspyr (Mac conversion), and Treyarch (Wii conversion)
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: November 6, 2007 (Playstation 3,Xbox 360, and PC), Mac (September 26, 2008), and Wii (November 10, 2009)
ESRB Rating: M


Introduction- The Call of Duty series was a popular World War II shooter and Infinity Ward decided to go modern because WWII shooters are slowly dying out. This is a solid change for the series because it still has the great feel of a COD game and has some of the best online multiplayer.

Story- The United States Marine Core search for Khaled Al-Asad in the Middle East, while the British SAS rescue a comrade from enemy lines, and the plot later reveals that Al-Asad actions in the Middle East was a diversion for his partner Imran Zakhaev to try to make Russia go back to a communist state.

Presentation

Graphics- Call of Duty 4 has some of the best graphics done very well in 60 fps with no framerate issues in either the campaign or the multiplayer. The character models look great, the guns feel photorealistic, and the smoke and motion blur effects are fantastic.

Sound- The sound presentation is just as good as the graphical presentation with strong, excellent voice acting, perfect sound effects, and great music to feel that your their in the war your fighting.

Gameplay

Campaign- The single player is pretty good with fun, intense action with some good missions and set pieces from the campaign such as firing from an AC-130 gunship, sneaking past enemies to assassinate Imran Zakhaev, a first hand account of an execution by Khaled Al-Asad, and first hand account of the aftermath after a helicopter gets caught in the blast range of a nuclear explosion. The A.I. is great for the enemies because they use cover, flank you, and pretty challenging even on Normal Mode called Regular. Your allies are ok, but sometimes can't waste an enemy that is in front of them. Aside of that the campaign is blast to play and for additional replay value players can Arcade Mode. Arcade Mode is the campaign, but with a scoring system and the amount of lives.

Multiplayer- The MP in Call of Duty 4 is absolutely amazing and it a lot of fun to play because finding a match is simple and fast with no lag at all. There are a total of 16 maps and 4 new maps included in the Variety Map Pack. Their are six game types; Free-For-All, Team Deathmatch, Domination, Search & Destroy, Headquarters, and Sabotage. What makes the muliplayer so much fun? Collecting experience points when killing an enemy, assisting in a kill, having a certain kill streak(the ability to reveal the location of the enemy and air strikes) , completing challenges to unlock guns and weapon attachments for certain guns, leveling up your rankings. When a player dies you see how that player died via a killcam. Also players can create classes and use perks(the abilities of your character such as better aim while firing from the hip, extra bullet damage, extra health, etc.). There is also a mode called Hardcore Mode(Extreme Multiplayer) where their is no HUD, it more realistic, and their is no killcam. here are a total of 16 maps and 4 new maps included in the Variety Map Pack which brings the total to 20. Overall, the multiplayer is excellent.

Value- Call of Duty 4 is great online and off and has great value.

Overview

+ Solid Presentation
+ Great Campaign
+ Great Online Multiplayer
- Infinitely spawning enemies

Call of Duty:Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition


Call of Duty 4 of the Wii is the same game as the other versions on Playstation 3,Xbox 360, PC, and Mac OS X, but with downgraded graphics. Everything is their except for the Variety Map Pack. The Wii version has a lot of customizable control options like The Conduit. The customization is a little bit better because in The Conduit the motion controls are as customizable but it had a great idea for new Wii shooters to follow with it customization options for controls. Also their are some framerate issues due to explosions and using the sniper rifle sometimes. The online is just as good as ever a still a blast to play. Overall this is a great Wii port of COD4 by Treyarch and the modes aren't streamlined like in the Wii version of Call of Duty:World at War.

Overview

+ Not streamlined like in the Wii version of Call of Duty:World at War
+ Everything intact
- Graphics less detailed than the Wii version of COD:World at War

Graphics: 3.5/5
Sound: 4.5/5
Gameplay: 4.5/5
Value: 4.5/5
Final Score- 17/20= 8.5/10= Great Game



Call of Duty: World At War

Modern Warfare in WWII

Style: First-Person Shooter
System: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, and PC
Developer: Treyarch
Publisher: Activition
Release Date: November 11, 2008

Story- The United States Marine Core is in the Pacific and fighting the Japanese & The Russians are fighting the Nazis after the invasion of Stalingrad.

Presentation

Graphics- Like Call Of Duty 4, World At War uses the COD4 engine. The flame effects are awesome when you use the flamethrowers. The characters models and the environments are great at a solid 60 fps with no framerate drops.

Sound- The music is awesome, the guns sound great, and the voice acting is excellent. NPC characters like Corporal Roebuck, Private Polonsky, and Sergeant Reznov are voiced by big name actors such:

Roebuck - Kiefer Sutherland
Polonsky - Aaron Stanford
Reznov - Gary Oldman

Gameplay

Campaign- The gameplay is like COD4 in more ways than one such as: infinitely spawning enemies, the animations, similar missions(Vendetta is like the All Ghillied Up mission, Little Resistance is like the Safehouse mission, and Black Cats is like the Death From Above mission), and the multiplayer is pretty much the same. Besides the similarities COD:WAW is a fun game. World At War also has a fun mode called Nazi Zombies. Nazi Zombies is a survival mode when your up against, you guessed it: Nazi Zombies. This is real fun with a friend. The multiplayer has more game types.

Value- Overall, Call of Duty:World At War is a solid First-Person Shooter that shows that WWII shooter still pack an exciting punch when done right.

Overview

+ Great Presentation
+ A satisfying WWII shooter that is done right and not generic like Medal of Honor.
- Feels recycled from COD4

Wii Version of Call of Duty: World At War

The graphics for the Wii version are great, but their are framerate issues sometimes. The sound is the same. The gameplay is mostly the same except the Black Cats mission isn't in the campaign, no Nazi Zombies and the multiplayer and some perks are streamlined. Their are only 8 maps to chose from unlike the other versions with the original 14 maps and 3 Map Packs that brings the total maps to 23. Also the multiplayer is comprised of Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch variants & only has 8 players.

Frayhua Reviews: Rogue Warrior

Rogue Warrior

What a train wreck?


Style: Single-player First Person Shooter
System: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC
Developer: Rebellion Developments
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Release Date: December 1, 2009

Introduction- This game is based on the Rogue Warrior books by Richard Marcinko.

Story- Dick Marcinko is going to North Korea to stop them from launching nukes.

Presentation
Graphics- The visuals are that of a 2002 PS2 game. The effects are weak and the environments and enemy models are bland. Especially the enemies because the enemies are generic.

Sound- The voice acting for Marcinko is done by Mickey Rourke and the enemies sound ok as well as the guns, the music is very generic because it's the same for every level in the game.

Gameplay

Campaign- The gameplay's is on Marcinko's over-the-top methods and signature execution moves when your near an enemy. This FPS is trying to be like Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas by going from a first person view to a third person view, but with bad hit detection due to blindfiring making cover almost pointless. One time I used a shotgun from 60 ft away and killed an enemy. How is that even possible? Also trying to realistic, but equals frustration as Dick dies very quickly. The game is unrealistic as you charge into an enemy and kill them, but during the kills you're invincible meaning you can do this to enemies nearby. Sometimes doing a stealth kill is delayed by 5 seconds. This brings me to my next complaint: The Enemy A.I. The A.I. in this game is so stupid that it doesn't recognize your footsteps even though you're sprinting at full speed to kill them off. Sometimes they run right by you or look for you if they can't find you to get themselves killed. They also get themselves killed by their own grenades and shooting at explosive barrels. Rogue Warrior is a straight through vanilla flavored shooter where the game is very linear and very generic. Also it's short and takes about 3 1/2 hours or less to complete eight missions. The only positive things I like are the executions and Mickey Rourke's rap at the credits.

Multiplayer- The multiplayer has only Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. Their are no customization options, creative game types, or anything to make online play fun. Also for some reason you can vault over objects, but it's only in the multiplayer.

Value- Rogue Warrior has no value at $60 for lackluster campaign and a tacked on multiplayer.

Overview

- Generic Story, Gameplay, and Multiplayer
- Terrible blindfiring w/ bad hit detection
- Dumb A.I.
- Uninteresting Character
- Terrible Graphics
- Frustrating
- Developed by Rebellion
- Wasted talent by Bethesda Softworks & Mickey Rourke
- Bad value
- Super Linear and Boring
+ Good variety of stealth kills
+ Short
+ Rap Ending