Batman: Arkham City

Night has fallen in Gotham City, and supervillains are running wild. Who will save us? Nana nana nana nana BATMAN! In a sequel to one of the most surprisingly successful games in recent memory, the Caped Crusader has returned in an even better open-world action game.

After the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Asylum's warden, Quincy Sharp, has been elected mayor of Gotham and has quarantined a section of the city to build a super-prison to hold all of the inmates from both Arkham Asylum and Blackgate Prison. This new monstrosity is called--yep, you guessed it--Arkham City. While hosting a protest rally outside the gates of the super-prison, Bruce Wayne is kidnapped by TYGER security forces, the authority figures of Arkham City. Wayne overhears Dr. Hugo Strange, Arkham City's big cheese, mentioning "Protocol 10" to his goons and fears the worst. He manages to escape his captors and retrieves his Batman suit via an airdrop from the Batplane. Oh snap, it's on now!

Like in the previous game, Batman can easily travel across the map quickly using the grappling hook and glide ability, and can easily see nearby enemies through solid matter with his detective vision. Unfortunately, he still can't swim. But not everything is the same. Remember the repetitive mini-boss battles from Arkham Asylum? Yeah, they're gone. Instead, each boss battle is unique and well designed.

The scenery is excellent. The rundown section of Gotham that makes up Arkham City feels so alive and dark with all of the anarchy that floods its streets. Classic supervillains The Joker, Two-Face, and The Penguin are caught in a three-way gang war, with their henchmen at each others' throats. Plus, lesser known villains like Deadshot, Victor Zsasz and The Black Mask are on the loose as well. And don't forget, The Riddler has scattered plenty of collectables for you to find.

The score is also pretty good. It gives that dark, ominous feeling you should feel when you're traveling through Gotham City.

The voice acting is great all around. Talent includes Kevin Conroy as Batman, Grey DeLisle as Catwoman, and Tara Strong as Harley Quinn. But who could forget the man who always manages to steal the show? That's right, Mark Hamill returns in (what he claims to be) his final appearance as Batman's arch nemesis, The Joker.

Also returning from the previous game's control scheme is the combat system. While it doesn't feel too different, it's not that much to complain about. There are plenty of ways to subdue your foes, both head on and stealthily. Most of the Dark Knight's gadgets are back as well, and he'll pick up a few more, like the electric gun and the freeze grenades. As you complete missions, defeat enemies, and find collectables, you'll gain experience points, which can be used to upgrade your equipment and abilities.

If you buy this game brand new, you'll get an online code to download the Catwoman content, which allows you to play as Gotham's master thief in a few side missions in story mode, as well as challenge mode. Otherwise, you'll have to download it separately for a $10. While Catwoman fights and travels across the map in many ways similar to Batman, she has her own set of weapons and upgrades, including razor-sharp claws that allow her to climb on the ceiling.

When the story is over, you're free to roam around and swap between characters as you please. There are also plenty of side missions to keep you occupied, although the augmented reality training is ridiculously hard. Challenge mode is also also available, and you can use both Batman and Catwoman. Rocksteady Studios has also promised future DLC allowing you to play as Robin and Nightwing in challenge mode.

The only complaint I can make about Batman: Arkham City is its lack of co-op in story mode. Seriously, with all of these characters that we are able to play as in challenge mode, why wouldn't Rocksteady think of this? Hopefully, if there's a sequel, we'll get to see something like this soon enough.

Are you still reading this? If you're a Batman fan, you'd be crazy not to buy this game and shout, "I...AM...BATMAN!"

Available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. (Wii U version scheduled for 2012 release.) Rated T for Teen. Developed by Rocksteady Studios, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Image provided courtesy of PosterCollective.com.

Rage

Tasty, refreshing, makes you wish for an apocalypse...however you want to describe it, Rage is a barrel 'o fun that combines elements of a first-person shooter and a role playing game. From the makers of Doom and Quake (seriously, it's right there on the box), Rage is a post-apocalyptic first-person role playing shooter that both looks and plays great. Though I must admit, the title makes no sense, and has nothing to do with the plot. It seems to be there just to look cool. Oh well.

In Rage, you play as a nameless, voiceless (it's a shooter, what did you expect?), lone survivor of a cryogenic spaceship crash. Your ship is called an Ark, and it's one of many. It's about a hundred years after the great asteroid catastrophe of 2029. What's left of humanity has evolved into a wacky mix of post-apocalyptic characters from Mad Max and Fallout. NPCs basically break up into three categories: bandits, The Authority, and sane people who won't try to kill you. As an Ark survivor, you're worth a lot of dough to whoever can turn you into The Authority, the ruling faction of the Wasteland. Needless to say, it's up to you to do what you gotta do to survive.

The first thing you'll notice about Rage is that it looks fantastic. Both the camera and the characters move smoothly across the screen, and the scenery shows a great level of detail. Seriously, you need to see this in HD. The sound effects are also well done. Each gun sounds different, and the voice acting is pretty good. In fact, the first person you meet in the game is voiced by John Goodman...yeah.

But don't think this game is all show, because the gameplay is excellent as well. Sure, most of the missions are the same--go here, get this, come back--but it doesn't get old, mainly because every dungeon looks unique, and you get to travel across the Wasteland in suped up offroad vehicles complete with machine guns, rocket launchers, and other fun toys. Vehicles are upgradeable through winning races. To make some extra cash you can play gambling minigames, including a futuristic, wild west version of craps, and Rage's own knockoff of Magic: The Gathering. There's also plenty of id Software Easter eggs to uncover.

The controls are easy to pick up and are very responsive. Looting is easier than ever; just point at a corpse and click, and you've cleaned it out. Even loot laying around in bunches can be gathered all at once, and you can carry as much as you want. You can also carry all of your weapons.

The weapons of Rage vary from traditional arms like assault rifles and shotguns, to awesomely crazy ones like exploding RC cars and boomerang blades (but not the one from that piece of crap, Dark Sector). Most of them are also upgradeable, and some of them can be built with the junk you find around the Wasteland. Many of them can also use different kinds of ammunition, including armor piercing and exploding. Weapons also show a convincing amount of weight when fired.

Enemy AI is also very well done. Every encounter feels different, and they come at you from all sides, including the ceiling and the floor. That being said, they don't always seem to respond correctly when they take gunfire. Before you die, you'll also have a chance to play a button command minigame to get right back into the action.

When campaign mode is over, there's two multiplayer modes: Road Rage and Legends of the Wasteland. Road Rage is an online exclusive mode focused on the game's cars. You can either race or battle your friends, and unlock new cars and upgrades by gaining points. Legends of the Wasteland is about you and a buddy letting the bullets fly in a dungeon overrun with enemies, and the best part is that it can be played on splitscreen.

Alright, so it sounds like a good time, right? Well, what about the neutered third act? That's right. Just when the game's epic conclusion begins, it suddenly ends. I dare you to finish this game without saying "That's it?" out loud. You could probably blame id Software for running out of time or money or whatever, but an ending like the one this game offers is just unacceptable. Hopefully they can fill with gap with DLC or a sequel.

To sum it up, Rage is a great game. Despite the horrible ending, the game looks and feels excellent, and is definitely worth a try.

Available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Rated M for Mature. Developed by id Software, published by Bethesda Softworks.

Image provided courtesy of WikiMedia.org.

Duke Nukem Forever

If the only thing that kept you from killing yourself over the last 15 years was the foolish hope that a sequel to Duke Nukem 3D would come out, get ready to learn the meaning of disappointment, because Duke Nukem Forever is one of the worst comebacks in the history of comebacks. Seriously, after a decade and a half of delays, company budget cuts and development responsibility transfers, this dying horse has finally limped onto retail shelves worldwide, and it suuuuuuuuuuucks.

Twelve years after the events of Duke Nukem 3D, the aliens have returned to earth (possibly for revenge against the title character, but it's never made clear), so it's up to Duke to save the world...again. And Duke hasn't changed one bit. He's still a trash talking, beer swilling, stogie sucking, 'roids raging chick magnet that loves to quote movies after a kill and never takes his sunglasses off. What's different now is that he's a global phenomenon. He owns The Lady Killer, a Las Vegas hotel and casino intended solely to boost Duke's ego. Everyone walking the face of the Earth knows Duke, and loves him like he's all four members of The Beatles rolled up into one.

I will say this, Duke Nukem Forever will definitely give a feeling of nostalgia for those who were playing shooters in the 90's, and it's got plenty of funny moments. However, while the character Duke Nukem passed as a parody of the uber-masculine heroes that were clogging pop culture at the time, in this game he's almost required to be a parody of himself in order to still be passable in a time where video games are prominently more politically correct than they once were, particularly when it comes to female characters. And in case you were wondering, yes, this game has a strip club, and yes, there's plenty of bare breasts to behold. Apparently Duke Nukem's target demographic hasn't changed: adolescent boys who can't find any porn.


The story itself is pretty limited outside of the jokes, and it feels longer than it needs to be. Seriously, the entire game itself feels like one big joke.

The gameplay seems torn between the past and present. Level design is still simple and confusing, and enemies go down pretty easily. However, instead of running around looking for health packs, Duke's "ego" slowly regenerates over time. Maximum "ego" can be increased by interacting with objects in the game, such as dumbbells, porn magazines, and urinals (not kidding).

Multiplayer is also available in Duke Nukem Forever, but it's nothing outstanding compared to what else is out there right now.

Before I finish, I feel I should give my warning to any parents of young children that find this review. Please, for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT let your children play this game. Gaming already has enough targets on its back from politicians, pundits, preachers and parents who go crazy whenever they find something to be offensive in this medium. Now that a game as openly (albeit humorously) sexist as this one is on the market, and is getting mainstream advertisement, the industry could be seriously crippled if parents don't take responsibility for what media they allow their kids to consume. And if you still don't understand the USRB rating system, here's all you really need to know: M rated games are (basically) equivalent to R rated movies. Need I say more?

Now that that's out of the way, if your craving a re-imagination of treasured memories of the past, or you're looking for a good laugh, or if you just want to finally play this game after waiting for so long, save your money and rent it, then pat yourself on the back for being so thrifty.

Available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Rated M for Mature. Published by 2K Games, developed by 3D Realms and Gearbox Software.

Image provided courtesy of Wikipedia.org.

Bulletstorm

If Halo and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater had a baby, not only would the conception be impossible to explain, but it would probably look something like Bulletstorm. From the mind of Cliff Bleszinski, the man who gave us Unreal Tournament and Gears of War, comes a wacky, unapologetic festival of murder where points are added for creativity. However, while Bulletstorm is definitely a fun ride, it's not exactly something you'll want to go after right away.

Set in the 26th century, the game's protagonist is Grayson "Gray" Hunt, foul mouthed space pirate who loves to spend time at the bottom of a bottle of liquor. Ten years after he and his black-ops team went AWOL when they realized they were killing innocent people the whole time (whoops), they crash land on Stygia, a planet completely covered by a resort that's been overrun by mutants, gangs and giant monsters. Coincidentally, the same sailor-mouthed general who used Gray and his team for so long is also stranded on the planet. As the only surviving members of their team, Gray and his cyborg buddy, Ishi, decide to hunt the general down in the name of vengeance. Along the way they run unto Trishitaka, a potty mouthed chick who can hold her own with a gun. (Do you see what I'm getting at? Everyone in this game curses like Eminem after he's been set on fire!)

The main gimmick of Bulletstorm is the "kill with skill" mentality. Sure, you can just shoot someone in the head or the body like you normally would, but wouldn't it be more fun to set them on fire, or impale them, or shoot 'em in the nuts? Why not all three? You'll get more points that way! And with your plasma gravity whip, also called a leash, you'll be able to pull distant enemies toward you so you in slow motion, or your gravity boots to kick them far away in slow motion. Every trick, called "skillshots," has their own funny name and value. The points you earn can be used to purchase ammo and weapon upgrades from dropkits scattered across each level. My personal favorite is gang bang: when an enemy attaches grenades to you, run up to a group of enemies to blow them up instead.

OK, sounds fun, right? Sure, for a while. But there are times when there seems to be a lack of variety and the skillshots get repetitive and stale. Enemies also tend to run around a lot, as if they're begging for you to go after skillshots. And did I mention the adult content dialogue?

Another issue I had with Bulletstorm was the cover system, because it's pretty much non-existent. You'd think that the makers of Gears of War would know how to create such a system, but that's just not the case. All you can do is hold down your left thumb stick to crouch. You can't press it once to stay crouched or twice to go prone. And even that rarely makes a difference. Sure, you can slide across just about any surface, but it doesn't really make up for the weak cover system.

But other than that, there's not much to complain about. The characters are pretty entertaining, especially Gray and General Sarrano. There's also a fun area in chapter two when you get to control a robotic T-Rex that shoots lasers out of its eyes...seriously! Campaign mode is also co-op enabled. And while there's no real reason to play it again (besides the achievements, YOU WHORES!), it's still pretty tempting.

When you're done with campaign mode, you can go into "Echo" mode to improve your skills and beat your best time. There's also multiplayer for those of you who want to challenge the world in a contest for the best combo, but it's nothing special.

While Bulletstorm is definitely a good time, I'd advise you to try it before you buy it. And even though most of the humor and images seem like they came from a child's head, do not, I repeat, do NOT, get this for your kids. I know where you live...

Available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Rated M for Mature. Published by Electronic Arts. Developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly.

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West

You know how a lot of third-person games involve the annoying task of protecting an NPC one or more times in the game? Well, imagine doing that for the entire game! Now you can with Ninja Theory's latest lackluster title, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, an action-adventure/platformer that seems to have all the same flaws as Heavenly Sword.

The game takes place 150 years in the future, where the world is a wasteland ruled by machines and slavers. You play as Monkey, your typical lone badass who wanders this post-apocalyptic world while fighting for his own survival, blah blah blah. One day he wakes up imprisoned on a slaver airship, but manages to escape when it crashes in what used to be New York City.

He awakens to find himself wearing a slave's headband. It was applied by another crash survivor, Trip, a techie who looks suspiciously similar to the main character of Heavenly Sword. (Guess Ninja Theory has a thing for scantily clad women with red, braided hair.) Trip has modified the headband to work for her. If Monkey doesn't follow her orders, she gives him a headache. If he still resists, the pain kills him. And if she dies, so does he. So...basically they're married. Zing!

Anyway, if Monkey wants his freedom, he'll have to help Trip get back to her village, which is located somewhere west of New York. Along the way, they have to help each other fight their way through hordes of mechs that know only one thing: kill all humans.

What makes Enslaved different from Heavenly Sword is it's smaller focus on combat and story, or greater focus on platforming and puzzle solving. Does that make it any better? Of course not. It only takes about seven hours play, and there's zero replay value. While everything is upgradeable, the combat is still pretty stale. And the story balances between unoriginal and boring.

Now, I can't say I hated everything about Enslaved. Like Heavenly Sword, the backgrounds are breathtaking. The enemy AI is also descent, and weapons like the laser shooting staff and the hover board are fun for a while. You'll also occasionally have the chance to choose stealth over direct combat, which can sometimes make things more interesting. There's also a third character who brings some comic relief to the game about halfway through, making the dialogue a bit more entertaining.

Besides the main story, the only other thing there is to do is the downloadable content, and it's not even out yet!

While I can't say I can't say this game was completely horrible, I also can't even recommend renting Enslaved:Odyssey to the West. There's nothing original or impressive about it, so don't waste your time.

Available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Rated T for Teen. Published by Namco Bandi Games, developed by Ninja Theory.