Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Simply put, this game was very well put together.Storyline, animation, graphics, control, and music were all expertly crafted to bring one of the most enjoyable experiences on the PSX to the gamer.At no point does thisgame overwhelm the player with mundane intricacies or fruitless hours ofcombat.Instead it combines the right mixture of hack-n-slash withexploration and puzzle-solving. Definitely a leader in the developingaction/rpg genre.Be warned that this game is geared towards a matureaudience and that the game itself provides plenty of gore.

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Product Description:
Cast down to the material world, the mysterious entity 'Raziel' seeks vengeance for betrayal by his master: Kain. Cursed to stalk the dark realms of Nosgoth, he must slay his undead brethren; only then can he absorb their souls for the energy he craves. Moving between the spectral and material plane, Raziel must negotiate puzzles, overcome traps and defy blood-chilling enemies to reach his goal - the final battle with Kain!

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The Lost Crown: A Ghosthunting Adventure Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)= PREFACE =

If you have played DarkFall I: The Journal, or DarkFall II: Lights out, then you don't need to read this review, you have probably bought the game immediately anyway. Yes, the entire game is one mans' job, Jonathan Boakes', and its not just acceptable; it is magnificent!

= SCENARIO =

You are Nigel Danvers and you find yourself limited to an interesting treasure hunt session in a somewhat isolated town called Saxton. Very soon some weird things will begin to happen. Will you survive these horrible events? Will you find your way in hunting down the hidden treasure? You are abount to find out SOON!

= GRAPHICS =

This time it is a 3rd person view, better in my opinion. It is almost full screen, with some space down for inventory (i 'd like titles in inventory items) , and some space up for the "Control Panel" Icon (The author *could* put there some option to quick save/load/quit) The graphics are mostly gray/screen, something that enhances the games mystery
theme, with a few nice drawn color additions. The ghost drawing an animation is very good, PLUS, almost all screens include some very very nice animation. Especially nice is the movement with the night vision of a camera on. Thumbs up and the best animation I 've seen!

P.S. You will be looking for some items in the forest at some point of the game, do not assume that all these items are colored.

= SOUND =

Being a professional musicologist, I have to judge that section stricly, and sound in this game is really good. Mysterious, ghastly and evil sound effects and music will compose a great atmosphere. However I (almost) missed what it hit me in The Journal and Lights Out: The sound isn't actually a part of the game action, it is there for a nice background - you can get the same pleasure by turning the sound off, something that would ruin the Darkfall's atmosphere.
Voices are good and clear.

= CONTROL =

No keyboard. Yes, I don't like that. Everything is mouse-driven, and, although you have a map, you can' move with the map, you have to walk to the locations manually. Also, it is not clear the fact that you don't have entire access to the town at certain points of the game (for example, in night 1, you can't go to a specific location but you don't get a warning message).
Subtitles are provided :)
Go top left and you have a menu which opens Save/Load etc. Only 8 saves ! :(

= ATMOSPHERE =

When a game is a masterpiece, reviewers are cruel. The game's atmosphere is very very good, but I still think that DarkFall I and II (and Darkness Within) is better in that section. There is nothing wrong with Lost Crown, but .... how should I tell? DFs were more evil, more frightening, whereas Lost Crown is more like a mystery than a horror game. This is not bad at all; but when you have played the DFs, you are somewhat expecting to be terrified even more!
It seems that Nigel finds the entire adventure more exciting than frightening... Well perhaps I will change my mind after I replay it a few times, but If I knew that the place I wondered around was haunted and there were evil ghosts everywhere kidnapping cats, I 'd get my a$$ outta there ASAP, not stay and even sleep in it!

= PLOT and RIDDLES =

This is the area in which the battle between this game and DarkFall I and II ends. DFs were very good, but relatively short. This game has a big plot scene (and I MEAN big) and lots of (inventory based, with one or two exceptions) puzzles. Also, because the game limits your access, you don't have to consider wandering around the entire town if you are stuck, so this effectively reduces your frustration. There are no tough puzzles, just a common sense of logic. Yes, this is my small complain, DFs were a lot tougher to finish - but also a lot quicker to finish.

= Vote For =

* Big plot
* Animation in almost all screens
* Great graphics and sounds
* Will run even in lower-end PCs
* No bugs/crashes (Well, don't try to use the walkie talkie at the night after you have used it previously in the day, or suddently the sun will appear again !)
* Subtitles allowed

= Vote Against =* Not scary. No match for DarkFall I, II, Darkness within, Shadow of the comet etc... Perhaps not being scary is an advantage, but I miss it nevertheless.
* Only 8 saves (No comments...)
* No method to bypass the text - very annoying when you make the mistake of asking something that you have already asked. This thing would prevent me to play the game again.
* I don't like the way that Nigel reacts to horror events; For example, I wouldn't be that 'cool' to simulate a call to the spirit as he is in first night; It seems to me that he was already aware to what would happen.
* No keyboard; yes I don't like the mouse. Especially when you have to click some times to save your game. At least, double click works :)

= OVERALL =

A piece of excellence. Get it, its really worth your $. It is a masterpiece, perhaps lacking the actual horror element, but a very fine job nevertheless.

==== [SPOILER] ====

I didn't like the ending. I don't know why, but I never like the endings in most games. Can't anyone ever create a magnificent ending like that in Monkey Island 2 or Laura Bow 1 ?

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Product Description:
Nigel Danvers is on the run! Two shadowy agents are on his tail, pursuing him across London to the grand train station at Liverpool Street. Nigel suspects that afternoon-s activities may be to blame.Travel with Nigel Danvers to an eerie seaside town on England's east coast. Learn to use advanced techniques used by real paranormal investigators, and uncover an ancient mystery and treasure. But, beware, not all of the towns residents will help in your mission, whether they are alive or dead.Inspiration from the haunting works of Charles Dickens, M.R. James, Arthur Conan Doyle, and E.F. Benson combines with real ghost-hunting gadgets to bring this frightening story to bone-chilling life. Success or failure in locating wandering spirits depends on your skill as an investigator. Placing motion detectors, night vision cameras, and temperature gauges correctly will reveal a location-s haunted past, and expose terrifying apparitions. With nerves of steel, and wits to match, you will soon discover long lost secrets, previously known only to the dead!

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Alan Wake Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It seems that David Lynch missed the boat somewhere.With the current rush of thriller style horror games hitting the market, he could have produced a game of epic proportions.In his absence, however, Remedy Entertainment has stepped up to the plate.If Deadly Premonition managed to capture the quirky characters and almost farcical style of Twin Peaks, Alan Wake has nailed the foreboding, fear-filled side of the series.

Author Alan Wake is trapped in a story that he doesn't remember writing and his wife's life is at stake.Armed with his trusty flashlight and an assortment of weapons, he must stave off the forces of darkness lurking throughout the town of Bright Falls while uncovering the clues to his own memory loss, his mysterious, new novel Departure and the location of his abducted spouse.And it all plays out as cinematically as any game has ever managed to do.

The Story

Penned by the deft hand of Sam Lake, there are definite echoes of Max Payne within this game--primarily the ongoing introspection and voice-over that narrates the story as it unfolds before the gamer.Otherwise, Alan Wake is a completely unique experience.Twists and turns in the plot manage to keep the story within grasp while introducing new and interesting tidbits throughout the game.

Game levels are scripted as 'episodes'--much as they were in Deadly Premonition--beginning with flashbacks of what has happened previously in the story/game.It gives the game a television-like vibe that brings to mind series like Lost and the X-Files--and is spoofed by the game itself with glimpses of a popular program (called Night Springs) that resembles the Twilight Zone on in-game televisions. In addition to the 'what happened before' flashbacks, gamers are also treated to a unique song between each of the episodes (such as the eerily appropriate In Dreams by Roy Orbison that also made an appearance in David Lynch's Blue Velvet).

Admittedly, the game is a little long on cut-scenes/cinematics--but they are absolutely forgivable within Alan Wake as they enhance the game experience and almost give the gamer the feeling they are 'playing within a movie.'Don't ignore the cut-scenes in this game; they are as beautiful as they are relevant.

Sights and Sounds

If Alan Wake is not the most gorgeous game ever released on the Xbox 360, then I don't know what is!Daytime in Bright Falls reveals a rustic Pacific Northwestern town that has been exquisitely detailed and constructed--but when night falls, the game is drenched in some of the best uses of light and shadow ever included within a game.Seriously, just watch how the flashlight bursts through the mists rising from the woodland trail in front of you, and take a peak at the white-capped mountains in the distance rimmed with moonlight and dare to disagree with me.

The sound design of the game is equally evocative; choosing to feature ambient music and sound effects for the background pays off with a steady build of fear and dread throughout the game.Enjoy the 'between the episodes' music for what it is:A break from the tension!

One last thing I want to mention in this section is the fine detail of facial expressions and character mannerisms throughout the game.They give a uniqueness to every person you encounter and make interactions throughout Alan Wake a pleasure.

The Game Play

Alan Wake's game play is structured much like other Third Person Shooters, so if you have fears of the tough-to-handle style of movement associated with other horror games (think Silent Hill and Alone in the Dark), you can rest easy.The mechanics involved with using the dual weapon system (flashlight/gun, etc.) are extremely user-friendly as well:Point the light at the enemy and that's where your bullets will hit.

In addition to the main storyline of the game, there are other, ongoing mini-missions as well--though they are mostly of the 'collectibles' variety.So be sure to pay attention to your surroundings and don't be afraid of leaving the well-trodden path to search for hidden caches of ammo, manuscript pages or the occasional thermos of coffee.

While the vast majority of this game is a pleasure to play, there are a few short comings that I would be remiss in not mentioning.The driving element of this game is mediocre at best; the drivable vehicles (not every car/truck is available to Wake) are a bit sluggish and handle a bit clumsily--though this, admittedly, does add to the tension of the game when bad guys are swarming you.But this is a minor thing since Wake is rarely forced to use a vehicle.

The continuous navigation of woodland paths (with the occasional handful of enemies jumping out) can also get a bit repetitive--though the game does manage to stay (for the most part) fun.And it would have been nice to have had a bit more of a map, rather than a simple GPS dot to follow--especially when you are trying to navigate through some of the more open areas of the game.

Summation

Though no game is perfect, I have to admit that in a lot of ways, Alan Wake is damn close!I give it 4.5 stars out of 5 (due to the minor shortcomings already mentioned).Alan Wake is the perfect mix of story and game play--and a fine example of how applying cinematic film techniques to a game can give it a depth that other titles can only dream of achieving.Do yourself a favor:Buy Alan Wake, fire it up and turn down the lights.Just don't forget to catch your breath during the musical interludes...

You can check out more of my game reviews on my Amazon Author's Page (http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JRWEAC).

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Product Description:
When the wife of the best-selling writer Alan Wake disappears on their vacation, his search turns up pages from a thriller he doesn't even remember writing. A dark presence stalks the small town of Bright Falls, Washington pushing Wake to the brink of sanity in his fight to unravel the mystery and save the woman he loves. With the body of an action game and the mind of a psychological thriller, Alan Wake is a pulse-pounding thrill ride.

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