Superman Returns Review

Lot's of left over birthday money, so I went out and got Superman Returns. I had played the demo a lot because I enjoyed the Superman sandbox feel of it. You can fly all over Metropolis with more freedom than ever before. Superman Returns, while fun, is a decent game at best because it suffers some graphical glitches and problems that EA should know by now to fix.

The Powers

As Superman, you have all his powers. You can fly, lift heavy objects, use heat/ice vision, and have super strength. Not all are well-made though. For example, if you lift up a street light and smack a civillian with it, you'd expect them to go flying or crumble under the force of the blow. Not so here. They'll fall over, then simply get up and run away. Huh?!

Not so "Super" graphics

C'mon EA. You're super rich, and it's the next-gen. Are good graphics too much to ask for? Average at best.

Overall, Superman Returns is a decent, worthwhile purchase. Expect plenty of old-school superhero fun, but with the glitches and sub-par graphics we've come to expect from EA.

Graphics: 6/10

Gameplay: 7.8/10

Sound/music: 8/10

Overall: 7.7/10

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Achievements: (courtesy of Xbox360Achievements.com)

Hero of Metropolis
200 GS
Complete All Metro Events And Mini-Games

Armageddon Averted
30 GS
Complete Level 01: Meteor Storm

Mr. What's-his-name
50 GS
Complete All Mini-Games

You Am Bizarro!
20 GS
Complete The Bizarro Mini-Game

Super Sonic
20 GS
Finished All Fast Flyer Mini-Games

Mr. Whiskers
50 GS
Find All Kittens

Souped-Up Superman
30 GS
Obtain All 15 Power-Ups

Frequent Flyer
30 GS
Travel For 10,000 Miles

Roadside Assistance
30 GS
Pick Up 100 Cars Throughout The Game

The Greatest Day
30 GS
Play A Total Of 12 Hours

Heavy Lifting
30 GS
Lift 10,000 Tons Throughout The Game

Secret Achievements


Warworld
50 GS
Visited and Dominated Warworld

Twisted
100 GS
Saved Metropolis from the rampaging tornado.

The Mongul Hordes
100 GS
Vanquished Mongul once again.

Me aM savE yOU!
100 GS
By you is Bizarro not undefeated!

Metallo Mastered
100 GS
Stopped Metallo in the name of justice.

Versatile Fighter
30 GS
Perform 99 fighting combos.

Not that Super
0 GS
Entered a cheat code in a desperate plea for help.

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Cheats:

Code:
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Y, X
Enter code:
Fortress of Solitude
Effect:
God Mode

Code:
Left, Y, Right, X, Down, Y, Up, Down, X, Y, X
Enter code:
Fortress of Solitude
Effect:
All Powerups

Code:
Left, Up, Right, Down, Y, X, Y, Up, Right, X
Enter code:
Fortress of Solitude
Effect:
All Unlockables

Code:
Y Right Y Right, Up, Left, Right, Y
Enter code:
Fortress of Solitude
Effect:
Infinite City Health

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Review

Just went out and bought GRAW 2...first off, I'll start by saying it's much more fun than GRAW was. There are more, better modes, more Co-op stuff, skin edits, weapons, maps, everything. A favorite (so far) of mine is "Helicopter Hunt", a game where all the players team up to battle increasingly difficult waves of attack helicopters.

The campaign, like in GRAW 1, has a cheesy "Yay America" storyline, which I won't even attempt to recount. It is more fun this time around though. I started off on "Elevated Risk" (hard mode) and got through the first level slowly, but by only dying once. The levels are better because they don't all take place in the same boring urban setting. Some are in mountainous areas, and they are actually fun. Your squad is much smarter than before, and they can perform more actions. For example, I took a hit, so my health was yellow. I ordered the squad medic over, and he healed me back to green. One button, one simple way to heal.

Now for the multiplayer. A noticable difference is how you can be "downed", ALA Gears of War. You then wait for a teammate to come heal you, like Gears of War. Unlike Gears of War, there are PLENTY of multiplayer game modes. To name a few, there are Co-op missions, Helicopter Hunt, Firefight, CTF, Territories, Base Defend, Team Elimination, and standard Elimination. Plenty of modes should help to keep this one fresh for a long, long time.

Graphics: 8.9/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Replay Value: 5/10 (Campaign) - 9.5/10 (Multiplayer)
Overall: 9.4/10
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Achievements: (courtesy of Xbox360Achievements.com)


Station (Co-op 1) Perfect
20 GS
Complete Co-op Campaign Mission without failing an objective, no respawns, on default or hard

The Cut (Co-op 2) Perfect
20 GS
Complete Co-op Campaign Mission without failing an objective, no respawns, on default or hard

Locks (Co-op 3) Perfect
20 GS
Complete Co-op Campaign Mission without failing an objective, no respawns, on default or hard

Caldera (Co-op 4) Perfect
20 GS
Complete Co-op Campaign Mission without failing an objective, no respawns, on default or hard

Outpost (Co-op 5) Perfect
20 GS
Complete Co-op Campaign Mission without failing an objective, no respawns, on default or hard

Hideout (Co-op 6) Perfect
20 GS
Complete Co-op Campaign Mission without failing an objective, no respawns, on default or hard

Perfect Co-op Campaign
40 GS
Complete all Co-op Campaign Missions without failing an objective, no respawns, on default or hard

Team Veteran
25 GS
Win 30 Team matches with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Solo Veteran
25 GS
Win 10 Solo matches with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Co-op Veteran
25 GS
Win 30 Co-op matches with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Ultimate Defender
40 GS
Win a 60 minute Co-op Defend match on any map

Helo Hunter
20 GS
Shoot down 20 helicopters in the Helicopter Hunt game type

Demo Expert
20 GS
Plant 10 demo charges in Team Mission matches with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Combat Medic
25 GS
Heal 10 teammates wounded by enemy fire in a multiplayer match with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Team MVP
15 GS
Lead your team in kills in a Team match with at least 5 gamertags on your team

Team All-Star
35 GS
Lead your team in kills in 10 Team matches with at least 5 gamertags on your team

Enforcer
20 GS
Eliminate 5 different human opponents in 30 seconds with at least 10 gamertags in the room

Threatening
10 GS
Get a total of 50 kills in Team or Solo matches with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Dangerous
15 GS
Get a total of 150 kills in Team or Solo matches with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Lethal
20 GS
Get a total of 300 kills in Team or Solo matches with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Ruthless
25 GS
Get a total of 500 kills in Team or Solo matches with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Sniper Expert
20 GS
Get a total of 100 sniper rifle kills in Team or Solo matches with at least 5 gamertags in the room

Single Player Master
50 GS
Unlock all other 'Single player mode' achievements to unlock the 'Single player Master' achievement

Tutorial Walkthrough
5 GS
Complete the whole tutorial at least once

Challenge 1 Complete
10 GS
Complete the first tutorial challenge with the highest appreciation

Challenge 2 Complete
10 GS
Complete the second tutorial challenge with the highest appreciation

Challenge 3 Complete
10 GS
Complete the third tutorial challenge with the highest appreciation

Challenge 4 Complete
10 GS
Complete the fourth tutorial challenge with the highest appreciation

Mission accomplished
30 GS
Complete all the secondary objectives in 'Campaign mode' or in 'Quick Mission mode'

Act 1 Complete (low risk)
10 GS
Complete campaign Act 1 in 'low risk' or higher

Act 2 Complete (low risk)
15 GS
Complete campaign Act 2 in 'low risk' or higher

Act 3 Complete (low risk)
20 GS
Complete campaign Act 3 in 'low risk' or higher

Act 1 Complete (guarded risk)
20 GS
Complete campaign Act 1 in 'guarded risk' or higher

Act 2 Complete (guarded risk)
25 GS
Complete campaign Act 2 in 'guarded risk' or higher

Act 3 Complete (guarded risk)
30 GS
Complete campaign Act 3 in 'guarded risk' or higher

Act 1 Complete (elevated risk)
30 GS
Complete campaign Act 1 in 'elevated risk'

Act 2 Complete (elevated risk)
35 GS
Complete campaign Act 2 in 'elevated risk'

Act 3 Complete (elevated risk)
40 GS
Complete campaign Act 3 in 'elevated risk'

Bull's eye (Quick mission)
30 GS
Finish a mission with a 100% accuracy statistic

Iron man (Quick mission)
30 GS
Finish a mission without being hit

Team 'ELITE' (Quick mission)
30 GS
Finish a mission with no team mates wounded and +50% enemies killed by them

Hawk's eye (Quick mission)
30 GS
Finish a mission with all your intels acquired while out of combat

Predator (Quick mission)
30 GS
Finish a mission with all fights engaged by you

New Arcade Purchase/Review- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released on the arcade today, so naturally I trialed it. There was one thing I noticed as I went to download it: this game takes up a little over 90 MB, meaning it's the first ever arcade game to break the previous limit of 50 MB. As I loaded up and played SOTN for the first time, I was not disappointed.

This arcade game appears to have something others lack completely: a plot. There are cutscenes, messages, and conversations that all occur throughout the game. Graphics are nice (creepy looking, which is a good thing when done right), musical score is excellent, and gameplay seems like it'll be VERY long. So, my only complaint is the inability to save from anywhere. I've gotten pretty far in so far, but have not yet found a savepoint, meaning I'll have to start from scratch again tomorrow. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it'd be nice if I could save whereever I want.

Overall rating: 9/10

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night releases tomorrow, XboxRewards, and some BulletWitch fun!

Castlevania: SOTN will hit the arcade tomorrow for 800 points. Looks like a good game, I'll definitely trial it at least and see how it is. Review to follow here.

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The downloadable XboxRewards are now available! I logged into their website earlier, and there were the codes for my level 3 gamerpic, 200 MS points, and Contra game. Too bad I already own it. If anyone has an Uno code and would like to trade for Contra, send me a message through my xbox live profile and we'll work something out.

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Now on Act 4 in BulletWitch, and it's getting tougher. Enemies come in packs and more frequently. Now up to a part near the middle/end, where you exit the bridge onto a construction area swarming with Geists and a trigger-happy Giant. If he doesn't kill me, the snipers do.

Earth Defense Force 2017: Release Tomorrow

Earth Defense Force 2017 releases tomorrow, and it looks pretty good so far (seems to be a futuristic Sci-Fi third person shooter...what's not to like?). I'll wait for reactions or reviews, then consider a rental or purchase. In the meantime, I'll be downloading and playing a G.R.A.W. 2 multiplayer demo to see if it's a buy.

The Godfather: The Game Review

I now have the Godfather DVD Box Set, the movie soundtrack, and gamer pic, so I recently decided on 2 more additions to my Godfather collection. I changed my gamertag from Mr Darke to Don Corleone 72, and decided to buy The Godfather: The Game. I had rented it previously and nearly beat it, but I bought it anyway to replay it (it was so much fun the first time). So, here is my review:

The Godfather: The Game is an open, GTA-style sandbox game. Taking place in the early 1900's New York, you start off as an unknown "Outsider" and rise through the Corleone family ranks, going through such positions as "Enforcer", "Soldier", "Capo" (caporegime), "Underboss", "Don", and finally "Don of NYC". You have some excellent character customization options, such as facial features, hair, and clothes.

There are several ways to play this game. There are different mission types, such as Favors, Family (or "Story" missions), and Contract Hits. You can also go around taking over rival family shops by clever use of intimidation, collecting Film Reels to unlock clips from the movie, rob banks, and crack safes. There is also the Mob War feature, which begins when you target members of a rival family. You can end this by bribing an FBI agent, or by bombing a store controlled by that family.

So now I've gone over basic gameplay, here are the mechanics. Graphics are decent for any other game, but perfect for this kind. I'll try and add some screenshots soon to show what I mean.

Sound is excellent. The Godfather soundtrack is used, voice acting is good, and weapons fire is accurate. In other words, perfection.

Graphics: 9/10

Gameplay: 9/10

Replay Value: 9.5/10

Overall: 9.3/10

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Achievements: (courtesy of Xbox360Achievements.com)

First Sign of Respect
5 GS
Reach Respect Level 10

Gaining Respect
10 GS
Reach Respect Level 20

Making an Impression
15 GS
Reach Respect Level 30

Demanding Respect
20 GS
Reach Respect Level 40

Jack of All Trades
25 GS
Reach Respect Level 45

Public Enemy Number One
50 GS
Reach Respect Level 50

Assassin
10 GS
Earn 5 Execution Styles

Petty Theft
10 GS
Crack 10 Safes

Negotiator
5 GS
Bribe a Police Chief

Smuggler
10 GS
Hijack 10 Racket Trucks

Real Estate Investor
10 GS
Purchase a Safehouse

Bodyguard
10 GS
Hire a Crew Member

Earner
10 GS
Extort 10 Businesses

Enforcer
10 GS
Take Over 5 Rackets

Arms Dealer
10 GS
Purchase a Firearm Upgrade

Forced Entry
10 GS
Heist a Bank

Demolitions Expert
10 GS
Bomb a Business

Knockout King
15 GS
Win a Prize Fight

Entrepreneur
15 GS
Collect 10 Film Reels

Neighborhood Control
20 GS
Take Over a Neighborhood

For the Family
25 GS
Complete ALL Missions

Contract Killer
25 GS
Complete ALL Hits

Service Provider
25 GS
Complete ALL Favors

Diplomat
20 GS
Help ALL Merchants

Total Domination
50 GS
Extort ALL Businesses

Front Man
50 GS
Take Over ALL Fronts

No More Narcotics
30 GS
Bomb ALL Drug Rackets

Warehouse Wrecker
30 GS
Seize ALL Warehouses

Transport Takedown
30 GS
Seize ALL Transport Hubs

Rival Family Elimination
40 GS
Destroy ALL Rival Compounds

Real Estate Mogul
20 GS
Purchase/Own ALL Safehouses

Bank Robber
10 GS
Heist ALL Banks Once

Heavyweight Champ
25 GS
Win ALL Prize Fights

Safecracker
30 GS
Crack ALL Safes

The Don
25 GS
Reach Don Rank

Don of NYC
50 GS
Reach Don of NYC Rank

Executioner
40 GS
Complete ALL Execution Styles

Debt Collector
30 GS
Collect ALL 100 Film Reels

Recent XboxLive Arcade Purchases- Upcoming games

Recently I bought 2 new games for the Xbox Live arcade: Aliend Hominid HD and Worms. Both are fun, but Worms is a bit better.

Alien Hominid HD- Funny but good graphics, decent gameplay, but the steep difficulty brings down the score. 8.2/10

Worms- the best arcade game to date, Worms has it all: online multiplayer, local play, and an actual campaign. 9.3/10

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I've been considering a new game lately, mainly since I need some good multiplayer fun. I've been looking at G.R.A.W. 2, Crackdown, and F.E.A.R., but so far the first looks the best. More info to come.

BulletWitch Review

I recently bought BulletWitch since I'd seen some cool video's for it online. The big review sites didn't like it too much though:

IGN: 4/10

Gamepro: 1.5/5 (3/10)

Gamespot: 5.5/10

G4: 3/5 (6/10)

GameSpy: 2.5/5 (5/10)

Gameshark: C+

Gamezone: 5/10

Anyway, you get the idea. BulletWitch wasn't too well received here in its Western release. I bought it, expecting it to be a short, easy, decent game that would help to pass my time before the bigger and better games arrived. It was better than I'd thought, but not amazing.

I'm now about half-way done, and it's been great. BulletWitch is a third person shooter with 2 main things: guns and magic. It overall feels like Lost Planet, just with no snow, worse graphics, and cooler weapons.

BulletWitch takes place in 2012-2013, and it depicts the near-future Earth on the verge of "Humanity's Dusk", or the end of all life. Various apocolyptic events (earthquakes, uncurable viruses, war, and armies of undead/demons) have appeared worldwide, resulting in the Earth's current population of under 1 billion. Now, at the end of the world, the Bullet Witch (named Alicia) appears to save the day.

BulletWitch is an overall very good-great game with great music, cool plot, good gameplay, but below average graphics. It is still worth a purchase or at LEAST a rental to see if you'll like it. If you can't find it to rent, I'd advise watching some gameplay vids.

Graphics: 5/10

Gameplay: 8/10

Replay Value: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

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Achievements: (courtesy of Xbox360Achievements.org)

Stage 1 Cleared.
10 GP
Unlock by beating stage 1 in any difficulty mode.

Stage 2 Cleared.
10 GP
Unlock by beating stage 2 in any difficulty mode.

Stage 3 Cleared.
10 GP
Unlock by beating stage 3 in any difficulty mode.

Stage 4 Cleared.
10 GP
Unlock by beating stage 4 in any difficulty mode.

Stage 5 Cleared.
10 GP
Unlock by beating stage 5 in any difficulty mode.

Stage 6 Cleared.
10 GP
Unlock by beating stage 6 in any difficulty mode.

EASY Difficulty Mode Cleared.
50 GP
Unlock by beating all stages in EASY mode.

NORMAL Difficulty Mode Cleared.
100 GP
Unlock by beating all stages in NORMAL mode.

HARD Difficulty Mode Cleared.
150 GP
Unlock by beating all stages in HARD mode.

Secret Achievements


CHAOS Difficulty Mode Cleared
250 GP
All stages were beat in CHAOS mode

HELL Difficulty Mode Cleared
1 GP
All stages were beat in HELL mode.

Total Play Time of 15 Hours
99 GP
Game was played for over 15 hours

All Stages Cleared
140 GP
All stages were beat in some difficulty mode.

Full Power-Up Completed
150 GP
All in-game power-up elements were collected

3/16/07- First Post

Hi all, and welcome to my blog. Here I'll talk about video games, including reviews, trailers, upcoming games, game progress, etc. I hope to have the second post up later tonight or tomorrow. Thanks for reading!

Sincerely,
Don Corleone 72 (Zach)