IGN released their review of Ninja Gaiden 2, where the game got an 8.7.

Sweet, cool to see that that reviewer liked. I heard EGM have it an A,A,A-.

Cool.

Yea.

Here's a sample of the comment section for Ninja Gaiden 2 on IGN:






Ladies and Gents, this is our fellow gamer. Where an 8.7 is abysmal. Cant believe that. One person goes on to saying it deserves a 9.

WHAT?! Your .3 points away! Hell, what even constitutes a .3 increase?

People need to stop projecting their own thoughts and opinions onto reviewers and their writings. Just because it's not the score you want, doesn't mean that person's opinion is not valid. That makes your opinion not valid, and from reading these comments, it probably shouldn't be.

I leave you with one last comment:


Well said idiot.

After playing Haze for about 5 hours, I seriously have to believe that this isn't the Free Radical that created the Time Splitters series. Why no means a horrible game, and excuse my grammar, Time Splitters this ain't. Oh, and don't mistake this for a review. From my 5 hour playing time, I haven't beaten the game, nor really experienced any multiplayer action. For all I know, halfway through the game, it could turn into a bastion of awesomeness where some enemies become friends, some friends become enemies, while the Mach 5 plows through a wall, beckoning my avatar to jump into its sweet embrace.

Just some thoughts and musings

I say this because Time Splitters was the perfect combination of humor and action. I mean, where else could you play as a Ninja Monkey, while having a brick throwing only match with friends? Or engage in time traveling hijinks with yourself? The weapons and levels in those games were so varied and unique, and more so with the included level creator.

I know it feels like they tried something different, tried to go in a more serious direction and tell a epic yarn, but it all falls flat because around every corner, I feel that this game is not showcasing their strengths. Level design is convoluted and confusing. The characters, save for the rebel leader, are just idiotic.

Everything just feels generic and ugly. For being a PS3 exclusive, this game is not a graphical powerhouse. I don't care that the game isn't "True HD" or anything, but at least make it pretty. Trees looks pixelated and the environments look like they don't have enough textures. Everything feels generic and repetitive.

But like I stated in the beginning, it's not horrible. At the start of the game, your a trooper for the Mantel Corporation, and you can give yourself a dose of Necter to make yourself move faster, light up enemies and heal faster. While that's not exactly a game breaking mechanic, it's what happens when the game decides to do a Necter disruption that it gets interesting. When this happens, the Necter stops pumping and you get a glimpse of what's really going on. While on Necter, bodies disappear, you see no blood, and everything looks sunny and cheery. But when your not, those bodies are still there, lying in a pool of blood, and the environments are drab and grimy. It's a cool effect that makes the games first part interesting. Also, when you become a rebel, you get a cool assortment of abilites, like making Necter disruption grenades, knives, and dodging and rolling.

The game basically gives me a meh feeling. I am glad that Free Radical tried a new IP, and hopefully if they make a sequel, they can make it much better and really play with the Necter effects and such.

I hate to push my Classic Case down so early, but I was doing some cleaning(thats what two cups of coffee do to you when you drink it at 11:30) and I finally found my copy of Grim Fandango, which I have been looking for FOREVAR!!

Oh man, I'm wired, and I have one of the greatest point and click adventure games in my hands.



I thank thee, oh gaming gods.

(Classic Case is a column where I take a classic game, and tell you why it's worth your time.)

Ah, Herc's Adventures. I happened upon this game by complete accident. I had just received my Sega Saturn for Christmas and was at the local Blockbuster looking for a game to fire up on my shiny Saturn. Like every kid with only a couple of bucks in my hand, I had to find something I wouldn't beat in a couple of hours and was still fun. I found Herc's Adventures and amused with the artwork and 2-D animation, I rented it, hoping I didn't get a turd.

Well a turd Herc's Adventures isn't. The game was created by Lucasarts, who back in the 90s, couldn't make a bad game. The company literally ate silver and crapped gold. Sam and Max, Full Throttle, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. All great games that define any gamer's early education.

Herc's Adventures stars three heroes from Greek mythology. Hercules, who is strong but limited to short range attacks, Jason, who wields a slingshot for ranged attacks and a dagger for close scrapping, and Atlanta, a heroine who specializes in ranged attacks. You could chose any hero to suit your liking, or go co-op with a friend. The game plays like a cross between The Legend of Zelda and Zombies Ate My Neighbors. Like Zelda, you have to gain certain items to access new dungeons and bosses, while the top down view keeps you in an action rpg mode. The combat is frequent, with tons of weapons and items littering the landscape which you can use to dispatch your enemies.

The animation is top notch, feeling like your playing a really funny cartoon. Speaking of the humor, the game has a very goofy sense of humor, with the gods popping in ever so often to chastise you our throw ironic statements your way. Even the final boss is hilarious, being revealed to be a giant robot being manipulated by martians.

Death had a humorous approach as well. When you died, you were sent to Hades, and had to fight your way to the top. If you died again, you were sent further down.

One of the only gripes with the game is the huge overworld and no direction. The game marks on your map where you need to be next, but never how to get there or what item you may need. The map can be deceiving as well, no showing if a mountain may be in your way or not. It's a tiny one though, and some people may prefer this method of exploration, just like the original Zelda.

Herc's Adventures was a missing gem in the sea of Saturn and Playstation titles. If you have either system, I recommend you track it down and give it a whirl. It's good way to laugh and scratch your head on a challenging and fun game.