GYG Blog

Mushi mushi, gamers!  Grant’s back again this week with another big look, this time at the game Pure for the Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms.  So throw on your helmet and suck down another Mountain Dew, gamers… because it’s go time.

You know that feeling when you think you’ve got something all figured out before you begin, and then find out things aren’t quite what you thought they were.  I went into this game expecting another ho-hum ATV game… and what I got instead was a well-balanced game where fun is front and center during the whole thing.

I know this shouldn’t come as any surprise, since Black Rock Studio was responsible for its development.  They’re the guys that did the ATV Offroad series.  Unlike the Offroad titles, however, this game spends more of its time on big air, awesome tricks, and face-melting speed.  They literally took everything that was awesome from the previous games, and eliminated everything that wasn’t cool.  It’s like catching an episode of Baywatch where it’s just 60 minutes of girls running down the beach.  A pleasant surprise.

I could spend an undue amount of time talking about the various single-player and online modes, or the scenic vistas, or any of 100 other little wins in this title… but honestly, the game is just really a big bucket of fun from beginning to end.  I recommend it highly this week, possibly even higher than Lego Batman.  If you’re a racing fan of any stripe, this is way more than a rental.  If you’re a casual racing fan, though, give it a rental.  I don’t say this lightly — f you can play this game without smiling, then you are dead inside.  Big thanks to Black Rock for turning me into a true believer.

Anyway, that’s my time, and my name is Grant.  If you want to see more of my reviews, drop by Get Your Gamez at dubdubdub-dot-trygyg-dot-com.

Later gamers!

Okay gamers, so we’ve been a little busy here at GYG and the reviews have fallen behind…but no more!  We will be back to posting weekly video game reviews here on the site and in the mean time we’re posting a bunch that we’ve done for Level Up Radio on Sirius Radio.  So here goes!

Grid is my kind of racing game. Available on the 360 and Playstation 3, Grid is brought to us courtesy of Codemasters, the same developer that released the wildly under appreciated rally game, Dirt. It is important to note this, because the games share quite a few similarities. The “tree” course mode will lead you through the Grid career mode, and the driving mechanics / physics are very similar.

Grid has some of the best visuals I have seen on the 360. The cars take on visible damage, and too many bumps along the way will disable your car completely. There is quite a bit of variety to the courses, and one of my personal favorites is the destruction derby segment of the game.

Grid is lacking in the number of cars available, especially following the likes of Forza, Gran Turismo V Prologue, etc. However, I enjoyed Grid because it suits my driving style much better than the other games. That is to say, it doesn’t punish you for a little bumping every now and then.

There’s not much to Grid’s story mode, but that seems to be par for the course in racing games. You will create a racing company, earn sponsorships, and eventually hire a team of drivers to help you on your course for the championship. I do enjoy the achievements being displayed (and your progress towards each) during the loading screen; it gives me something to look at while waiting to race.

Beautiful graphics and fun gameplay make Grid a must for racing fans. You won’t find the realism and upgrade options of other games, but that’s usually not what I’m looking for. I like to have fun and crash my way towards first place. Overall I’d give Grid 4.5 spinouts (and there will be a lot of them) out of 5.

Welcome back gamers… Uncle Grant’s here for you this week with another big release, Atari’s “Alone In The Dark” available this week on all the major platforms. So turn off the lights and find your security blanket… it’s go time.

Alone In The Dark is the newest edition in a long-storied franchise that goes back 16 years now. The newest edition puts you back in the shoes of Edward Carnby, the hero from the very first PC game, which — let’s face it — nobody remembers. I’m still trying to forget all the fashions I was rocking in 1992, much less the games I was playing. Just realize it was a different time then, and nobody thought it was weird to wear spandex shorts under denim overalls with one strap hanging off.

Now Edward’s got some serious problems, in that the city is being overrun by some creepy horror that nobody can really explain. Take some of the events of Silent Hill, multiply it by 11, and drop them smack in the middle of New York. And of course he’s the only one that can kick ass and take names, so he’s off to go wreak hell on the hellions.

Now I want you to know the reviews for this thing are all over the place — some critics are giving it a 3 or lower, others an 8 or higher, and mostly that’s to do with how invested you are in the storyline. If you’re invested in Edward’s journey through this horrifying backdrop, then you’re probably going to be able to overlook some quirky gameplay decisions and some sketchy voice acting. Or, you’re not, so you won’t.

In my opinion, Alone is a very playable game. It’s not going to win any originality awards, but with the next Resident Evil not expected until 2009, what else are you going to do to get your horror fix? It’s got some genuine scares, and some very cool weapon combos and effects. Rent it first, see what’s what, and then decide if you want to buy.

Welcome back gamers! It’s your old Uncle Grant back in June with this week’s big release, Lego Indiana Jones, available Tuesday, June 3rd on all major platforms. Sit right back and don’t get too busy “polishing the idol”, if you know what I mean… because it’s go time.

If you’d told me a few years ago that the Lego series would have succeeded where the other Star Wars titles failed, I’d have called you a liar. But truth be told, Lego Star Wars did everything right. It provided solid game play that would challenge both new and veteran gamers. It also didn’t take itself too seriously, and poked fun at the venerable franchise in ways that gave the series a fresh fun spin. Sure, the game play wasn’t Shakespeare, but what’d you expect? It was based on a world where Luke wanted to schtupp his sister for two full movies. Some stuff you just gotta let go.

So when Lego Indy was announced, I for one was hoping they wouldn’t find a way to screw it up.

I’m happy to announce if you liked Lego Star Wars, you’re going to LOVE this one. It’s pretty much the same level of game play set in the Indiana Jones-i-verse, but with some important changes to accommodate Mr. Jones’s inimitable style. In each sequence, you control Indy and a partner as you whip, punch and pummel the cutest little enemies this side of Candyland. I mean, seriously — they made Nazis cute. I’m sure Steven Spielberg’s really pleased about that, but whatever.

Sure, the game’s good, but this is no time for love, Dr. Jones. One of the major complaints about the Star Wars titles is the control scheme of switching between characters. Well, I’m happy to say they fixed it somewhat — there’s no longer a proximity requirement to switch — but you’re still going to be plenty pissed at your computer-aided cohort from time to time. They’re not the sharpest knives in the drawer, and some puzzles will require you to use a variety of annoying characters to get by.

Still, I can’t say this game is anything but a total win for all kinds of gamers. Just don’t plan on playing The Kingdom of the Crystal Hip Replacement or whatever it’s called — original trilogy only.

Anyway, that’s my time, and my name is Grant. Want to read more of my video game reviews? Drop by GYG.com.

See you on the flip-flop, gamers!

Let’s get one thing straight: I’m a big fan of the Lego games. The Star Wars game was very well done, and I have been looking forward to Indy for a long time. (Although, I must admit, I’m a much bigger fan of the Star Wars movies than the Indy movies, so that may factor in to my review.) Now that I got my hands on Indy, I am not disappointed in the least.

The gameplay is what you would expect if you spent any time with the Star Wars games. Control scheme is identical, and you can expect similar puzzle solving aspects in this version. I thoroughly enjoy breaking everything to unleash the rain of Lego bits inside (and, if you’re on the 360 version, there’s even an achievement for this destruction!). I am finding it more difficult to locate each mission’s 10 treasure chests (think mini-kits).

The boss battles are very interesting and add a nice wrinkle to the game. Graphics are excellent, and the humor built in to the story is excellent. Watching the various characters cope with their phobias is outstanding!

It’s been a while since I saw any of the movies, so my memory is a bit fuzzy. But, Grant was watching me play (you’ll see his review soon) and was impressed with how it followed the movies.

My favorite part of this game also brings out my one complaint: multi-player. I love the fact that this is a game that I can play with my son and my wife, and that we all enjoy it. But, for some reason, the developers chose to remove the online co-op aspect of the game. I’ll never understand why that decision was made, and I hope it is fixed before Lego Batman (which I’m really looking forward to…) comes out.

Overall, I’d give this game 4 “why did it have to be snakes” out of 5.

Konichi wa, gamers!  Uncle Grant’s back with an in-depth look at Rainbow Six Vegas 2, available on the Xbox 360 and PS3 platforms.  So toss your chips in the table and go all-in, guys… it’s go time.

Let me tell you folks, it’s rough getting old.  You start to notice hair growing in weird places… little aches and pains pop up in muscles you didn’t even know you had… and game developers just flat-out stop producing stuff you like anymore.  Case in point — just what in the hell is happening to single-player games, eh?  Seems like every week I get to review some brand-new first-person shooter that cares less and less about the singular experience, and it’s beginning to look like I’m the only person out there that gives a damn.

So let’s start with the good news — there’s finally a new multi-player game worth turning off COD4 to play.  Vegas 2 has a truckload of new modes, among them the highly-touted and interesting Team Leader mode, as well as a bunch of new maps to make your way through.  It’s easy to forget that Vegas 1 was the game that started the whole “leveling up during multi-player” angle of gameplay, but they did, and you ain’t gonna forget it in this edition.  That part of the game has been made fuller and meatier.

The bad news is the single player campaign feels pretty much tacked on and really doesn’t enhance the experience in any kind of meaningful way.  If you’re tired of me using COD4 as a yardstick, then I’ve got news for you — it’s my review, so shut your pie hole.  COD4’s single player has just as much weight, if not more, than the multi-player.  Ignoring that, Vegas 2 instead becomes all sound and fury that holds no real meaningful appeal once the next FPS comes out.  Which, knowing the gaming industry, will happen in about 19 hours.

Herein is the appeal AND the problem with this game – the entire title doesn’t really feel vastly different or unique from Vegas 1.  Beyond a couple cursory enhancements, it’s really more like Rainbow Six Vegas 1.5, and that’s kind of a shame.  You coulda been a contendah, Vegas 2.  You coulda been somebody.

Anyway, that’s my time, and I’m Grant.  If you want to shower me with praise or pelt me with garbage, drop by Get Your Gamez dot com, home of good reviews and great rentals.  That’s games with a “Z”.

See you later, soldiers.