Games Cheats and Reviews

Game: Bood Bowl
Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
Developer: Cyanide
Genre: Turn Based Strategy
Price: $29.99
Pros: Good adaptation of the table top game.
Cons: Limited appeal, steep difficulty curve.

I’m not sure exactly why Blood Bowl exists. That may sound harsh, but allow me to explain. Blood Bowl is based on a table top game from Games Workshop. Games Workshop’s other properties include both Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000, both of which have enjoyed successful forays into gaming. There is very noticeable difference between Blood Bowl the other games spawned from Games Workshop’s table top war games. But where Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 have deep and rich universes to draw from, Blood Bowl does not.

Instead, Blood Bowl is a game that takes the races from the Warhammer universe and throws them into sports arena, playing a game that resembles football or rugby. On paper, that doesn’t sound too bad. In a world where the Madden series has exclusive rights to the NFL, many companies have tried to create football games with a lack of star power. Why not take this classic table top game and create an action packed football game full of orcs, elves, and other fantastical creatures, as they beat, bribe, and blitz their way to the end zone?

The unsuspecting gamer might then be surprised to find that this is not an action packed sports game, but rather, a turn based strategy game. Instead of adapting the table top game for the new medium, Cyanide seems to have ported it to the PSP, dice and all. Blood Bowl is the variety of sports game that is more likely to interest the Chess team then the Football squad.

That being said, it’s a pretty damn good turn-based tactical sports game, which is to be expected considering that Games Workshop has some 35 years experience in this sort of thing. The basic mechanics of Blood Bowl are fairly simple. Each match takes place over 16 turns that are divided into two, 8 turn halves. On each of your turns you may individually move or block with each of your players. A die is rolled every time you try to perform an action such as picking up the ball, throwing the ball, catching the ball, moving through an opponent’s “tackle zone” or attempting to move further than you normally would. Failing a die roll on one of these actions or failing a block will result in your turn ending.

A quick tutorial will guide you through a turn where you perform these actions, as well as demonstrating how you can kick a player while he is down, bribe the ref, and utilize sideline features such as re-rolls and apothecaries. While it may take a match or two to get this down, over all, the rules of the game are fairly simple. Mastering them is quite another story.

Each race emphasizes a different aspect of the game. Wood elves are nimble and have a great passing game. The Chaos team is made up of big angry brutes that are better at pummeling the opponent into the ground than worrying about the ball. Humans are a jack of all trades, while the goblins are great at losing in spectacular fashion. It will take many matches to discover which of the eight races is best suited to your play style. Expect to lose a lot while trying to figure out the nuances of each race and how to play them. It is best to establish which race you like best and figure out a general strategy before you even think about committing to one in the campaign mode.

A campaign is a long and grueling affair. You start off with a sac full of gold and must use it to hire your team. From there you compete against 64 other teams in 15 different championships and tournaments. As you play, your characters will gain experience, increase their stats, and gain new abilities. Mercenary players will also be available to hire for a single match. The more matches you win, the more fans and prestige you gain. This also leads to an increase in your rank. Fans increase the chance that a positive event will happen for you at kickoff, while prestige unlocks more tournaments and championships to compete in.

Suffice to say, there is a lot of game here… A LOT OF GAME. Some might go as far as to say that there is probably more game then you will be interested in playing, unless you are a big fan of turn based tactical games.  While Blood Bowl is definitely aimed at a niche audience, it does a tremendous job of filling that niche. Unfortunately, every match takes place in the same arena and looks almost exactly the same. This is a limitation that may draw gamers to the PC or 360 versions of the game simply for the change in location from match to match. The most redeeming quality is that the slow pace is easy to drop in and out of, making Blood Bowl convenient for the gamer on the go. The game admittedly has limited appeal, but it will certainly satisfy its target audience.

Sharing: It’s Win/Win

Kokugamer: "Several people don’t understand the craze that has swept the gaming consoles: achievements. Those who quest for ‘perfect games‘ are avid and obsessed players.

But not everyone understands these ideas of playing a game for three hours just to get 20 gamer points and JewWario was one of those who just didn’t get it."

Stephen Kelley of VGchartz writes: "Back by popular demand! You wanted more of these, so I was able to pull together ten more. For first time readers the premise is simple for this series. These are moments in videogames that make you feel uncomfortable, especially if someone happens to walk in on you at that moment in the game. Imagine playing a game and a crude sex scene suddenly pops up on the screen. Imagine if you will that you are in a room next to your parent’s room, and don’t want to alert them to this scene’s presence. That’s what these are all about, and they are in no particular order."

Publisher: Square Enix
Platform: Wii
Cost: $49.99
Genre: RPG
Acquired: Review copy provided by publisher
Pros: Innovative and true to the Final Fantasy legacy.
Cons: May be frustrating for veteran/perfectionist gamers
Verdict: If you like Final Fantasy, and you like the Wii, you’ll love this game.

Final Fantasy has a history of knowing what gamers need and when they need it. They’re like the sweet spot seekers. So it comes as no surprise that they brought an RPG with easy controls and amazing graphics — as well as innovative gameplay — to the console that needed it most: the Wii. To me, the Wii tends to be the console of choice when I’m looking at games for my 5 year old; nothing against them. Really, it’s a compliment that I would rather have her playing the system that involves more movement, and more bubbly characters, and the games released for the Wii generally give me the same vibe, validating my bias. Lately, though, it seems that there are a lot of games coming out to challenge that stereotype. The problem is that if someone is going to get those games, they either already have a preferred system on which to play them, or they didn’t get one of those systems for a reason; they don’t want it. This game is a brilliant mix of both grown up and childlike; the Tween of the Final Fantasy games, if you will.

There are a LOT of new things introduced in this game that are key to enjoying the gameplay, so you need to know that understanding them from the beginning will save a lot of pain and frustration. The storyline itself unravels very easily, and not a lot of effort is necessary. In fact, there are so many movie sequences, one may forget they’re playing a game (I know I did at one point). Another slightly different element is that you’re not always supposed to get things right in this game. The game allows for some imperfect play, which is fortunate if you aren’t a fabulous gamer to begin with, but may get frustrating for the veteran gamers. Honestly, it’s not a game I would necessarily advise veterans to worry about in the first place. This is a great game, however, for someone who has yet to be introduced to the world of Final Fantasy. I mean, where else are you going to be properly introduced to Chocobos?

Controls in this game are very strange and very Wii. The main character you play as, Layle, is controlled with both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The ‘B’ trigger allows you to use Layle’s energy stream. Do this by placing the green squiggle (you’ll know it when you see it) on your target, holding down the ‘B’ trigger, and either flicking your wrist, or pushing ‘A’. This is the key to everything within the game: talking to people, opening chests, throwing things, fixing things, trashing the monsters, etc. It reminds me of the little pen that Dr. Who uses on everything he comes across. [Editor's note: The Sonic Screwdriver, for those in the know.] The ‘A’ button is your action button. When you are supposed to perform an action you’ll generally be grabbing it with the stream ’B’ and then manipulating it with ‘A’. Only on the Wii could this work, and although most games on the Wii tend to get frustrating in the controls department, this game seems to work fairly well. The only issue I really had with the controls was the camera (which you use the D pad to manipulate). Once I changed the direction from normal to reverse (I can’t do anything inverted), I was fine. It does get frustrating that the camera angle reverts back to it’s “home” position no matter how many times you move it. Makes me wish it had the WoW controls for this particular thing. Yes, I’m a nerd; I just made both a WoW and Dr. Who reference in the same paragraph.

Other gameplay elements include differing random events, almost like mini-games, that include things like 3rd person shooting, throwing things at people, controlling monsters and their powers, controlling the people around you, etc. The further away the object/monster/person you’re wanting to interact with is, the less power your energy stream has, so keep that in mind when you’re getting overly excited about throwing one baddie at the other one. Another thing to keep in mind, especially when you’re using Layle’s powers to interact with others, is that every person you come across can show you emotion. Yes, they emote. If you pick someone up and throw them, they might get pissed, so make sure you’re paying attention to their emotes. This a kind of cool aspect about the game, but less so regarding the interaction with Layle, more so in that you can watch a brother and sister, for example, start fighting; emotes and all. It’s entertaining, and makes you much more a part of your environment than a lot of the other FF games.

The storyline is very slow to develop, and didn’t keep me compelled to learn more. It has been my experience that RPG’s generally have a fairly quickly developing storyline. You watch the opening movie, or sequence of movies, and you spend most of the game playing it through. Sure, sometimes there is a twist at the end, but you have to want to get to the end in order to endure the endless fighting and character progression. This storyline just didn’t do that for me. While I loved the innovative game play and graphics, I have a short attention span; I wasn’t enthralled.

The voice acting was great most of the time.  Just as with any other FF game, the characters’ sounds match their personalities and looks. My only complaint is the inflection that Layle doesn’t have when he talks. One of the coolest things I noticed while listening to the characters voices is the sound of an old friend. Michael McConnohie is the voice of Jegran, high commander of the Lilty army. Not sure who he is? Think anime (I’m an anime-aholic). Think Transformer’s Ironhide; old school. He’s also been in Lupin the 3rd, Naruto, DBZ, Trigun, Vampire Hunter D, Bleach.. get the picture? A pretty impressive and extensive resume.

The background sounds that come from game play are a little on the mystical sounding side, but nothing you wouldn’t expect, especially coming from a game that has energy streams as a main function. The graphics are gorgeous, of course, and feel like a cross between Skies of Arcadia and FF X for me. You don’t get the individual strands of hair (that I’m so incredibly fond of), but I would be willing to bet that you won’t be disappointed.

Bottom line, if you’re interested in something a little different that retains the Final Fantasy feel, this is a great game for you. Likewise, if you’re new to the Final Fantasy world, this is a great way to get started; if you’re a veteran gamer needing an introduction, I would suggest something different. Playing this game is like watching a cartoon movie: you don’t really have to think too hard about it, and it’s definitely enjoyable, but it may leave you numb after a while due to a lack of “hardcore” challenge. Unless, of course, that’s what you’re after. Either way, this game is definitely worth picking up.

Sharing: It’s Win/Win

Not just a Real Time Strategy game, but a Meta-Time Strategy game (world’s first, according to developers), Achron for the PC looks pretty interesting. From the developer website:

Like many other games, Achron allows the player to view an overhead map of the surrounding area. However, Achron also shows a map of the timeline. If the player is attacked at a certain point in time, the timeline will show the amount of damage received at that point by a large amount of red on that portion of the timeline. The timeline also shows information including damage dealt and chronoports. Being able to see the amount of available resources at any point in time helps the player figure out the best points in time to construct more units.

Even the purchasing of the game takes place out of real time. Not only do you get to pay for a game you get in the future (which makes you playing a game you paid for in the past), but you get, right now, five full single player levels. Purchasers will get all future major builds up through the final release, plus mod and development tools. Pretty sweet, right? Of course, back in our day, we used to call that a “beta.”

Check out the screenshots below for a glimpse backward through time into the game’s development.

Just recently a list surfaced that gave more detail to the features Sony will be introducing with their Premium PSN service. After looking this list over I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed with what was offered. The Cloud Game Storage and Catch TV features stuck out the most to me. Who knows, if 2010 proves to favor me financially maybe I will give the service a try. There is one feature on that list that a good number of PS3 fans don’t want to pay for because they believe it should be free (for understandable reasons), and that feature is Cross Game Chat.

When was the last time you got nostalgic while playing a game? Did you grow up in the NES, Genesis, Super Nintendo, Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Sega GameGear, Sega 32X, The Atari consoles, Gameboy Color and Nintendo 64 days? Fear not, GamesThirst has started an original series that will take you down memory lane and help you relive all those fun moments.

So sit back and enjoy the show.

Haven’t downloaded pirated versions of Forza 3 and Borderlands? Of course you haven’t — you’re decent human beings. But for those miscreants who did, here’s a practical reason to stop playing immediately: Microsoft is permanently banning any gamers they determine are playing illegitimate early copies on Xbox Live (via VG247).

“You know, when you play a pre-release title on LIVE when I know you shouldn’t have it, it’s not hard for me to figure out,” ominously tweeted Stephen Toulouse, Xbox Live director of policy and enforcement. But if you somehow managed to purchase a copy of Forza 3 or Borderlands early, you’re in the clear, as Toulouse clarified that “in general, if you got a receipt, play away. These are illegit copies we’re hitting.”

So in summation: Playing a game you paid for: Safe. Playing a game you stole online: Unsafe. So even for your own good, don’t do it.

gorillajumpers.com lists the developers they would like to see collaborate together to create the ultimate gaming experience.

"Ever been playing a game and thought to yourself, "This would be so much better if a different developer had worked on the story/graphics/gameplay/etc…"? Well this is what happened to me while I was playing the Brutal Legend demo this weekend. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved the demo, and Brutal Legend is now my most looked forward to game of the season. I did however nit-pick a little and here we are."

Gamesthirst Articles writes: Ladies and Gentlemen, it is here. A game that has taken the industry to new heights with stellar storytelling that leaves Hollywood struggling to match; graphics not seen on any other platform, gameplay more polished and refined than the best of them, and a cinematic experience so real, you would think you’re not playing a game, but rather, battling it out among thieves in an action packed big budget feature film. Oh, don’t take my word for it, let’s take a read at what the IGN reviewer (Chris Roper) had to say: