Full Game Early Impressions

Hydrophobia Prophecy – Early Impressions

Hydrophobia Prophecy was available on PSN+ for free so i really had no excuse not to download it. The extent of my Hydrophobia experience before this came from a demo on Xbox Live many months ago. Hydrophobia Prophecy supposedly has better graphics and supports Move motion controls. Its suppose to be the definitive version of the game. Hydrophobia Prophecy is a horror action adventure game developed and published by Dark Energy Digital.  It released as a PSN arcade downloadable title November 1, 2011.

The main menu screen featured sub-menus of New Game, Load Game, Challenge Room and Leaderboards. The default button via Duel Shock 3: LS-move, D-pad-flashlight, waypoint, open MAVI, ammo select, tools menu, L1-zoom, L2-hydro kinetic power, RS-camera, Square-reload, stealth takedown, use/interact, X-jump/climb, Triangle-roll, R1-fire weapon, R2-detonate remote device. The controls are average. Hydrophobia Prophecy seems as if it has too many controls that aren’t used. At least early on that is the case.

Kate Wilson is the protagonist and a graduate with an engineering degree from Oxford University. She is an avid mountain climber who has anxiety induced nightmares. Hydrophobia takes place on a massive cyber punk city ship called the Queen of the World. The ship’s purpose is to help humanity succeed, in what i have no idea. The game does have a rich sci-fi setting with some cyber punk art mixed in. Early in the game the Queen of the World is attacked by a fanatic terrorist group hell bent on genocide. A huge explosion rocks the ship. As one of the chief engineers on ship, Kate Wilson gets involved right in the thick of things. Early in the game you learn of a woman named Mila and her role in the bombing.

Hydrophobia Prophecy is a third person action adventure game. The gameplay is composed of hacking using the LS+RS to line up waves that unlock security hubs. After you perform your first hack successfully the Tinker trophy unlocks. There is also platforming that is pretty decent. You have a holographic ipad called MAVI that you can use to decipher invisible messages with. Collectibles include replicas of the Queen of the World.

There are also documents and journals to collect that helps you learn more about the in-game story. 72 collectibles in all that you can find in the game. There is gunplay as well. However the star of Hydrophobia is the water. The atmosphere and much of the presentation revolves around water. Wether your swimming or trying not to drown from a flood. The water effects are easily the most impressive visual aspect of Hydrophobia Prophecy.

Now for the some negatives. Hydrophobia prophecy screams low quality. From the visuals, animations and especially the voice actors. The controls at times feels awkward while climbing and swimming. The terrorists are dressed like clowns practically which makes me not to what to take them serious. What offsets the latter is the atmosphere and gameplay. I always say gameplay trumps graphics and Hydrophobia Prophecy so far proves that i’m right. Its not a bad game at all, so far. Thanks for reading.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – Team Deathmatch Early Impressions

I just finished up playing a few competitive online Team Deathmatches in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. I decided to write this article right after playing so the information remains fresh in my head. Before logging into matchmaking i decided to visit the Profile menu and customize my Hero and Villian characters. The clothes and accessories are expensive, each item costs atleast $10,000 in gamer money lol.

If you are new to Uncharted 3′s competitive multiplayer they have a deep deep system of Boosters and Kickbacks you can unlock as you rank up. Boosters are like perks. You have Booster 1 and Booster 2 and also one Kickback. Kickback abilities are activated when you attain a certain number of in-game medals for performing well. Before i played any match today i went ino my Competitive Loadout and customized one loadout. You can customize up to four separate loadouts with guns, boosters and kickbacks.

Since i pre-odered this game from amazon i was rewarded with a special kickback that otherwise you would have to unlock at a high rank called Carpet-Bomb. I added that kickback right away and then added for Booster 1: Let me See, Booster 2: Power Hunter. I also got a code for the Para-9 (pistol) Extended Clip mod so i modded my pistol with that. Yea you can also unlock mods for each gun. My long range main weapon i choose was the noob gun AK-47.

With my customized loadout finished and with my character looking good i decided to play some Team Deathmatch. I know most of you probabaly know Uncharted’s multiplayer features 3rd person shooting, cover and platforming elements. You can sprint, jump, taunt and climb practically anywhere on all maps. You can hang from ledges and pull somebody over a cliff to there death. Basically the multiplayer is unique and i love it to be frank.

My first match was on Chateau map. I played Chateau on the beta a few months back so it wasn’t anything new. The map consists of two courtyards with machine gun turrets separated by a huge old destroyed Chateau. The action was fast in my first match. Before i knew it i was using both my boosters and activated a kickback. The booster Power Hungry shows where all the weapon spawns are so that helped me quite a bit. It was a fun match since everybody had mics and the game went into overtime. My team ended up winning and i finished second on my team with a 13/13 KD ratio.

The next couple of maps i did alittle worse via London Subway and Museum maps. The Museum map was in Uncharted 2 as DLC. In Uncharted 3 the map has more sunlight thats all. Otherwise exact same map. Team Deathmatch will be the most played gameode in multiplayer when its all said and done. Finding matches through matchmaking took a minute (literally) which was fast enough for me since i watch Uncharted TV during the entire process.

Some things of note as i played through some team deathmatches. The game looks great in multiplayer. For the most part the game runs smooth like butter. A few times it stuttered which isn’t a big deal. The connection is stable which it wasn’t the first day in the beta. My run & gun melee tactic works well in Uncharted 3′s multiplayer just like in Uncharted 2. Its always good to shoot down the sights but when in a rush run towards the enemy firing then melee, instant kill almost always. As i rank up i will play around more with custom loadouts with boosters, guns and kickbacks. Its all about testing to see which makes you the deadliest killer in Uncharted 3.

With all of that typed Team Deathmatch in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is better than Uncharted 2′s incarnation. Mostly thanks to the Kickback system and gun control. I had fun but now its time to play some Plunder, Free for All, Team Objective, Three Team Objective and Hardcore modes. Thanks for reading.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – Co-Op Adventure Impressions

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception features a unique story co-op mode mode called Adventure Co-Op. The mode pits three different protagonist from the main story into a unique adventure unrelated to the main story campaign. After playing a few story co-op chapters in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception its safe to say they are more layered and fleshed out than the story co-op portion of the previous game. I played allmost every chapter each time with two strangers through PSN. I must say even on normal some chapters in adventure co-op can be difficult if the person of your team isn’t on the same page it can get rough. You do get 11 or 12 lives (can’t remember exact number).

The matches do not take long to find in multiplayer. I participated in the beta and it seems to have paid off. I played around with practically every facet in Uncharted 3′s online multiplayer and it runs smooth as butter. Ok enough with that, so what is on the lobby screen when your waiting during matchmaking? You have Uncharted TV you can watch. Facebook, Profile and a Tips section in the upper right. After your match gets enough people you can choose between two different chapters along with its difficulty.

The first match i played was called Airport Chap 5. Every story co-op level features opening cutscenes with a plethera of cutscenes as you progress through the level. This particular Airport chapter had the return of Eddie, Lazarevic and Flynn. They are basically the bosses of the chapter who you fight at the end (all at the same time). The story has something to do with the three of them stealing a special idol and trying to escape using one of the planes at the airport.

You play as Drake, Sully or Charlie (new character in U3). Most Co-Op Adventure chapters do have different characters from the main story that you must play with. Its kind of a mix and match deal depending on the chapter. The maps are big in every co-op adventure chapter. Airport featured big cargo hold sections, buildings and a huge airport runway area. The map featured more than enough room often times too much where you can’t reach your co-op buddy to revive them in time. After my partners and i took out the three bosses a cutscene ensued. Afterwards, all of your unlocks and rank pop up. Even the Buddy System trophy popped up (first completed co-op match). The level took 20:12 sec to complete. Some levels take longer, some shorter it really depends on a few key factors.

Syria Chapter 4 takes place at night around a old looking castle with huge tower structure in the distance. Here you play as Elena, Sully and Drake. The opening cutscene shows Drake using a special deciphering gadget that tells him to reach the tall tower in the distance. Syria featured diversity witin its gameplay early on. You must swim early into the chapter leading to huge shootouts in a big pavilion like structure. Near the end you must traverse a huge tower shooting up at enemies. As the enemies fall over the ledge they can hit you knocking you off the tall tower. The latter would look nice in 3D. For much of Syria’s chapter you are lifting up statues and taking/implanting idols on altars activating your next clue.

After playing through some of the adventure co-op levels its clear Naughty Dog just didn’t tack it on. The chapters are actually different from they’re stories, settings and gameplay standpoint. Some will leave you with memories regarding each one. Some are more fun than others and will  leave a lasting impression on you. You can rank up pretty fast playing adventure co-op. First match i played i ranked from 1 to 4. Nothing feels super cheap either, sure the enemies can come out of nowhere and grab you. Pressing the O button will take them out within seconds.  That is it for now, thanks for reading.

Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – Early Impressions

Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception arrived in the mail a few hours ago and needless to say i was very excited. This particular article will detail the single player story campaign of my experiences with the game so far. I made it up to Chapter 6 before calling it quits to write this article. Believe me, it was difficult to put the controller down as the game is just flat out spectacular.

Before i inserted the disc i redeemed my amazon pre-order codes for Clip-size Mod for Para-9, Clip-size Mod for G-Mal and Carpet Bomb Kickback which allows you to throw three grenades with a single throw. Uncharted 3 also comes with  a access  code for the Starhawk beta. I will try out my new multiplayer goodies immediately after i write this post. The main menu screen was simplistic enough showing Campaign, Multiplayer and Co-Op options.

The opening sequence in Uncharted 3: Drakes Deception shows Sully and Nate making a deal with some shady people for a ring they (Sully and Nate) have. After some bickering about fake money the deal goes bad and combat ensues. And here is where this game already improved. Just by pressing Square, Triangle or Circle you can fight, counter and escape grapple. What i was blown away by was how cinematic the sequence was as Drake and Sully fought in a run down English tavern. It looked like i was watching a brawl in a movie except i was controlling a videogame. Camera work and subtle animation nuances have made me more of a believer that Naughty Dog has sealed their place as one of the best developers this gen.

The story (so far) has to do with a ring a mad English woman named Kate (Catherine) Marlowe. T.E Lawrence, Sir Francois Drake and the Queen of England. What i like most so far about Uncharted 3′s story is how the bond of Nate and Sully started. Not only do you play a chapter that takes place in Columbia when Nathan Drake was a young boy. You finally see exactly how Sully and Drake met and became close friends twenty or so odd years ago. Cutscenes come often early which fleshes out the story at a good pace.

Your probably thinking so how good is the gameplay? Its as great as Uncharted 2 so far. The action set pieces come hard and often with blended cinematic sequences scattered about. While playing as young Nathan Drake there is a scene where you must run from Catherine Marlowe’s thugs from rooftop to rooftop. Marlowe wants the ring young Nate just stole from a museum. You run through apartments while being chased with many men. While running through a particular apartment Drake swings a refrigerator door into a thug’s face while trying to escape. The entire time it feels like your watching an action movie but your actually playing it.

Platforming is really good much like in every Uncharted. The animations are flat out godly in this game. The subtle hand movement, turning of the character’s head and neck while twisting their bodies. The movement of the legs and feet is so blended into the atmosphere and terrain it seems almost as if the character you’re controlling is living. I’ll just say it, the animations in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception are the best in videogames. Another big improvement i noticed early in the single player campaign was how great the camera work is. Subtle bobbing and weaving of the camera during certain sequences was very impressive. Zooming in while sliding or crawling through tight passageways or zooming out when following someone from a rooftop. The camera also shifts and takes movie-like cinematic angles while fighting.

The guns have kick and punch now. It was immediately apparent when i picked up and shot a few rounds off with the KAL-7 and Sawed-Off. The feel and kickback of the guns absolutely destroys past Uncharted games. I really like the Sawed-off so far. Then again i like any sawed-off in any videogame. Gears of War 3 ring a bell? The pistols have kickback and punch now. I’m so glad Noughty Dog improved the feel of guns as it was the only real flaw i could point out with past games.

The visuals are the best in videogames. The lighting is much improved. I have never played a videogame that looks as good as Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. While walking around in Columbia it looked so vibrant and realistic. The texture detail, the lighting the character models, the fruit on the stands everything looked amazing. Noughty Dog must be magicians or something i have no idea how they are able after five years make the best looking game on the Playstation 3….again.

If i had to sum up how good or bad Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception’s single player campaign is so far, its borderline flawless. The first five chapters in this game are better than the first five in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves in my opinion. Thanks for reading.

Rusty Hearts – Early Impressions

Rusty Hearts caught my attention a few months back for its anime artstyle and wild spectacular combat. Its a far cry from Orcs and Elves which is perfectly fine by me. I personally am into anime and was excited by Rusty Heart’s anime style take on MMOs. I’ll be the first person to tell you that i’m not the biggest MMO gamer out there. However, i have dabbled in a handful of MMOs mostly F2P ones like Rusty Hearts. This fantasy online action game was developed by Stairway Games and published by Perfect World Entertainment. Rusty Hearts released September 20, 2011. For this particular article i played the game through STEAM.

I want to make it clear that this article is detailing very early impressions of the game. I haven’t leveled up super high or put a bunch of hours into the game yet. Now that we’re clear lets do this. After going through the normal sign-up processes associated with MMOs you can select the world and channel that you want to play on. I selected West and Level 1- Level 20 Gorgon.

The game is limited in one aspect. The classes/characters are extremely limited. There are four and everybody kinda looked the exact same in the worlds i played in. The characters are a rag-tag group of strangers who met up in hopes of destroying Vlad. Led by Frantz Kruger. Frantz is a vampire who’s past is filled with turmoil and despair. He is more balanced with good physical skills and can perform dark magic. I personally picked him for my playthrough.

Continuing on with the class/characters you have Angela Straigend who is a witch apprentice. Sent from the Fog Forest to battle Vlad. She has wild spikey red hair and is a strong magic user as you would’ve guessed. Tude Macloud is a lone wanderer with an ancient Wolf’s Tooth embedded in his chest. Tude Macloud is all about speed and strength. Last but not least we have the beautiful Natasha who is a gun toting con artist . To be fair she has a real reason to join the group and kill Vlad. Every character look like they could star in the latest and greatest anime series. Just plug them in seriously. No customization for characters. You can make multiple characters to level up for each game.

There is a tutorial after you select your character but i chose to skip it. I immediately jumped into the main game which was actually ok since its not overly difficult to learn. You start out at the Rusty Heart’s hub located in a base/village in front of a female lieutenant who hands out missions. She gives me an order to “Meet Vincent” i meet Vincent (gained some XP) which triggers a voiced dialog cutscene between us. Apparently Vincent wants myself and my team to Scout the Canals B3 (that’s the mission name).

Some things of note relating to my playthrough up to this point. The game looks good. I really do enjoy the anime artstyle. I also like the overall atmosphere and presentation so far. I know its really early but so far no technical issues of note. The atmosphere is that of hunting, spooky, creepy, vampires with dark anime tones everywhere you look. You can drag skills to hot-keys and use a wired controller. Midway my first mission i plugged in my generic xbox 360 PC controller (barely works properly) and finished the level. I really really enjoyed using a gamepad for this game.

The actual combat Frantz Kruger was performing made him look like Dante from Devil May Cry. Acrobatic spinning sword attacks while in mid-air with special over the top attacks screams anime action. The dungeon i ventured in was inhabited by skelatons with the boss being a Red Skelaton. I played the mission alone which wasn’t a problem since you can select the difficulty before each mission. The skeletons rise from the ground in groups. Taking them out with simple sword attacks were enough.

Its early, but its ok. Rusty Hearts does lack some depth regarding characters and classes. I will say this, its an exciting visual feast compared to some of the MMOs i played. Thanks for reading.