Pokemon Black Review

Pokemon Black  Review for the Nintendo DS

.                    The Pokemon series is back in Black and it just got serious. Do Pokemon truly benefit from being captured, trained and pitted against one another? Are the relationships between trainers and their Pokemon symbiotic or are Pokemon being subjugated and abused? Team Plasma, the latest antagonists in the Pokemon series think so. In Pokemon Black its up to you to stop Team Plasma from freeing all the Pokemon as you explore the Unova region and attempt to fill your Pokedex which can now contain a whopping 649 entries!

.                   Philosophically it seems Team Plasma may have a point, after all Pokemon battles are startlingly similar to dog fights when you think about it. Pokemon Black sidesteps this irony by gradually revealing more sinister motives behind Team Plasma as the game progresses. Raising this ethical objection to training and battling Pokemon is refreshingly thoughtful for the series. Unfortunately the game chooses to attack a straw man in the form of  Team Plasma’s disingenuous goals rather than engage in this moral argument head-on.

.                    Narrative logic aside, this is the most heartfelt and well-told story in the series. Pokemon Black pushes the player to see the value of accepting the differences of others. The plot and themes in Pokemon Black are good if not a bit heavy handed.

.                   Pokemon Black follows the original Pokemon game formula closely. You catch wild Pokemon, battle gym leaders, and collect badges. Many of the locations and Pokemon in the game are reminiscent of those in the original Pokemon games. For instance, near Mistralton City there is a tower filled with ghost-type Pokemon similar to the tower in Lavender town from Pokemon Red and Blue. However, there are no Pokemon to catch from previous games until after the credits roll. Instead there are 156 new Pokemon to collect during the main story. This keeps the story feeling fresh because every Pokemon you encounter is new. This approach extends to other content like sidequests and encourages the player to keep playing long after the main storyline.

.                    Pokemon Black has a steeper learning curve than previous Pokemon games. The first gym pits you against Pokemon that have an element advantage regardless of what starter you chose. If you choose a fire Pokemon as your first Pokemon then you will have to face strong water-type Pokemon early in the game. It is harder to get away with using Pokemon of only one type than it was in the past. This forces you to train several Pokemon and pay close attention to their types and the elemental attributes of your foes.

.                   Routes between towns and other game locations are far shorter than in previous Pokemon games. However, each route is aesthetically distinct and each usually explores a unique gameplay twist. For instance, one route has narrow wooden walkways that allow the player to bypass grassy areas as long as you don’t misstep. Pokemon Black also features fewer minigames and places to explore than previous entries to the franchise.

.                   The real focus of Pokemon Black is its competitive multiplayer battles. The addition of triple and rotation battles as well as 2-on-2 matches give battles greater variety. The game makes it very easy to challenge players all over the world. Pokemon Black has the most impressive multiplayer suite of any DS title with numerous features and superb balancing.

.                   Touch controls seem underutilized in this title. Hardly anything in the game requires you to use the touch screen nor can you move your character with touch controls. This is a minor gripe but worth mentioning. Pokemon on your side of the screen still look pixelated during Pokemon battles. This is another minor complaint against what is otherwise a visually stunning DS title.

.                   Game Freak and Nintendo refuse to rest on their laurels with Pokemon Black. While not without its quirks Black exceeds expectations and makes numerous refinements to the series. Pokemon Black’s high difficulty and focus on competitive multiplayer make it hard to recommend to casual gamers or newcomers. But for returning players that have never explored the multiplayer aspects of Pokemon this is by far the best entry point to date.

Immersive – 9 – The deepest story in the series and highly addictive gameplay despite underused touch controls.

Technical – 9 – Possibly the best looking game on the DS which makes the pixelated sprites all the more out of place.

Value – 9 – Shorter and more linear story than previous Pokemon games but Pokemon Black has content and replayability in spades.

Average = 9/10

Crysis 2 Review

Crysis 2  Review for the PC

.                    Is playing a game like Crysis 2 for the storyline and character development like expecting substance in a Michael Bay film? Yes, but even a paper-thin storyline should serve to heighten the experience of a truly great action game. Crysis 2 is a lopsided experience; its impressive graphical presentation is ultimately undermined by a weak sense of purpose and poor storytelling. The question is, do the jaw-dropping visuals and the gameplay make up for this shaky foundation?

.                    In Crysis 2 you play as Alcatraz, the sole survivor of a marine unit dispatched to New York City to recover Nathan Gould. Gould is a scientist with valuable information concerning alien attackers called the Ceph. The Ceph’s namesake derives from their appearance of squid-like cephalopods. The first Crysis game had the player swimming though surreal alien vessels with crystalline environments and fighting these distinctive adversaries. The Ceph in Crysis 2 bear little resemblance to the enemies in Crysis and are far less iconic. They are less intimidating because they are more humanoid, slower, and make less noise. Why Crytek ditched robust and original antagonists for run-of-the-mill bipeds with guns is beyond me. Alcatraz gains an edge in combat with the Ceph from his nanosuit. This nanosuit grants the player superhuman strength as well as armor and stealth modes that can be activated at the cost of energy. 

.                    The original Crysis was released exclusively for PC in 2007 and has since earned an infamous reputation for bringing even the most powerful computers to their knees. Graphically, Crysis was years ahead of its time. It’s easy to get carried away by the explosions and effects in Crysis 2 and overlook the myriad ways it doesn’t live up to the original Crysis. You can no longer customize graphical options from the menu beyond a few presets, which on a console is expected but for a PC title of this caliber it is almost unheard of.

.                    Destructible environments have also been nearly universally abandoned. Unlike the first game, trees and structures do not realistically disintegrate from gunfire or explosions. Many buildings and objects are destroyed in the game but these occurrences are usually part of scripted events. Only a few objects, like concrete barriers and cars, can still be destroyed. Crysis 2 also fails to improve in-game physics with this sequel. For Xbox360 and PS3 users this is acceptable because Crysis 2 is one of the most graphically advanced games on those consoles. A diluted and condensed version of 2007′s Crysis still makes for impressive console game. However, for PC users this is a giant leap backwards for the series.

.                    Any extended thought on the game’s plot will lead to frustration. When playing, it seems that entire segments of the game are missing because the storyline lacks continuity. There is so much wasted potential here, and it is disappointing that all of the technical horsepower behind Crysis 2 wasn’t used to tell a more interesting story.

.                    The fact that the core plot of Crysis 2 is cliched is only the beginning of its storytelling woes. The cliches could be forgiven if it weren’t for the poor delivery of the story in almost every respect. The music, graphics and gameplay come together to create a compelling package. These elements reflect a level of mayhem and urgency that doesn’t always extend to the dialogue. Mission objectives given between missions are often boring and lack meaning. The voice actors deliver these lines in a very over-the-top fashion that simply isn’t supported by the poor writing. Most missions seem to end with Alcatraz passing-out and begin with him regaining consciousness. The game has a meager cast of characters that can be counted on one hand, and the plot has more holes in it than Swiss cheese.

.                   Despite all this it’s hard not to enjoy such an action packed adventure. Smooth controls and gameplay that allow for stealth and aggression interchangeably keep the ten-hour campaign feeling fresh.

.                   A good sequel improves upon the original, trimming fat and playing to the previous entry’s strengths. Crysis 2 is more of a console-friendly re-imagining of Crysis than a sequel. EA has given console users an impressive looking game but they’ve sold their PC fanbase down the river in order to do it. Four-year-old gameplay, and an underwhelming story are not enough to distinguish Crysis 2 from the slew of FPS games being released.

Immersive – 6 – Poor storytelling prevents Crysis 2 from being memorable.

Technical – 8 – A technical marvel on consoles but in several ways a step backwards for PC users and for the franchise.

Value – 7 – High production values but anemic voicework, writing and a shorter more linear campaign than the original take their toll.

Average = 7/10