Nightmare Reality -- Alan Wake Review

A light shines faintly in the distance. The forest is dark and the fog envelops you. Instinctively, you know that you must head toward the light. If you know nothing else about your surroundings, your friends, your foes, or yourself, you do know at least one thing is true: Go into the light. Like a child in his room at night, the light can protect you from the monsters, from anything. But also like a child, you eventually grow to understand the reality of your fears, and the darkness is suddenly less frightening, less ominously secretive; the only thing left taunting you is the incoherent complexity of your nightmares.

Alan Wake is "a little heavy on the metaphors," says supporting character Sarah Breaker in Remedy Entertainment's highly anticipated third-person thriller. The same might be said of the game's writer, Sam Lake, who has crafted a wildly imaginative, captivating, enjoyable, yet frustrating plot for the studio's first game since the 2003 pulp shooter, Max Payne 2. When the literary technique is on, it works wonderfully, sustaining the story for at least half of its arc, depending on how one reads into it. But as the opening lines of the game -- "...nightmares exist outside of logic, and there's little fun to be had in explanations...there can be no explanation, and there shouldn't be one..." -- suggest, there may be no correct interpretation for the nightmarish mess in which author Alan Wake becomes entangled over the course of six short "episodes."

Although it seems that any type of cohesive logic applied to the game's narrative breaks down and falls apart at some point or another, sections of the plot make it a stellar title with one of the best first halves I've experienced in some time. This instantly captivating experience began to lose some of its magic in the second half, largely because of the demystification of the events surrounding Wake's retreat to Bright Falls: his wife's disappearance, the strange darkness possessing his enemies, the lapse in his memory, etc. The abstract seemed to become more concrete, and what I initially pegged as strictly psychological shifted more and more toward the supernatural. These changes were slightly disappointing and disenchanting, but even after finishing the game, a substantial degree of ambiguity still plaguing my perception of the experience tells me that the story is at least impressive, if not exceptional. Again, from the game's opening lines: "The unanswered mystery is what stays with us the longest, and it's what we'll remember in the end."

The one-paragraph, non-spoiler-free plot is ostensibly about an author with writer's block who comes to a small town in the Washington mountains to clear his head and calm his nerves, but instead winds up staying on an island that has been gone for over 30 years, where his nyctophobic wife is kidnapped by a Dark Presence lurking in the volcano below, which has been awakened by his arrival. He then spends a week in the non-existent cabin, writing a manuscript edited by the Dark Presence in an attempt to save his wife, the content of which penetrates the real world and plays out exactly as it is written, casting him in the role of a semi-amnesiac, nearly narcoleptic protagonist fighting the aforementioned evil with light, occasionally receiving aid via dream sequence from a man in a diver's suit who has been dead for as many years as the imaginary island. But it's not exactly as simple as that.

The early part of the game is about learning the story, revealing the reality of Alan Wake's situation, so stingily pieced together by scattered, non-sequential manuscript pages. Alongside plenty of deadpan narration that explores events, expectations, and emotions, the manuscript pages expand on character development, gameplay elements, and overall plot. They subtly knock on the fourth wall, and tell a meta-narrative that recapitulates what the player has already seen, predicts future events, and at times describes Wake's current situation: "He took out his hip flask when he reached the page that described how he reached the page that made him take out his hip flask." The player is driven to find these pages because Wake is driven to reveal what is happening to him. The pages feel like more than just cleverly tied-in collectibles; they are integral to the experience. As the secrets are revealed, however, the journey becomes more about just "getting there," reaching a prescribed goal rather than unfolding the plot. This shift is not a bad thing, but may have happened too early in the game's timeline, leaving the second half to drag its feet in terms of depth and allure.

Otherwise, the game is paced incredibly well, remaining consistently compelling throughout the mix of cutscenes, combat, exploration, and narration. Wandering throughout the majestic mountain forests of the pacific northwest as the atmosphere vacillates between serene and foreboding dominates the experience, with intermittent moments of tense, frightful combat, and driving segments that surprisingly don't detract from the rest of the game. These remain short enough to not be intrusive, and don't abandon the core gameplay, instead allowing Wake to step out of the vehicle and go on foot any time something in the environment interests him.

Combat, for the most part, is used very effectively to add to the overall experience. For the majority of the game, there is just enough to stress players into a state of alert, but rarely enough to become monotonous. One could argue, though, that the greater frequency of fights late in the game dampen the sense of suspense built earlier on. Conflicts are almost always foreshadowed by a change in atmosphere, which becomes increasingly dark, foggy, and obscured by blur effects before darkness-possessed locals called "Taken" quickly close in on Wake. The game uses a tight and responsive two-tiered combat system that requires Wake to cast away his enemies' shrouds of darkness with flashlights or road flares before dispatching them with hard ammunition. The flashlight has an excellent lock-on function and its persistent beam acts as a natural reticle for Wake's guns. Other weapons like flashbang grenades and flare guns, items usually considered secondary in video games, are now deadly, and quickly dematerialize even Wake's tougher opposition.

Encounters become increasingly formidable as the game progresses, as stronger Taken attack in greater numbers with more dangerous weapons, and inanimate objects propel themselves across the landscape in attempts to pulpify the protagonist. This demands the use of improved light sources (e.g. spotlights, headlights) and weaponry, but also makes flight an appealing option more often than in most games. Because there is nothing to gain from killing enemies aside from peace and safety, simply running to the next protective light source can be preferable to annihilating every last foe in the middle of the dark woods.

Relentless forward progress is encouraged in Alan Wake, tying into the author's description of how he must keep writing, lest he fail to save his wife. The beacons of light that dot each level provide Wake safe haven from his enemies and always show him where to go next, but also burn out as he passes them, ensuring that the only path to safety is ever ahead, not behind. Retreat is never an option, a theme that is further emphasized by the bridges that continually collapse behind Wake, leaving him to advance across the next figurative island in his disturbingly disjointed nightmare reality.

Alan Wake is a great game with nearly all of the elements one should expect in a thriller. Whether it cleverly incorporates literary technique into videogame storytelling or intentionally obfuscates any true meaning just to harass players is a mystery, but it does start one thinking, and that's an important step for the medium. Otherwise, inventive and effective gameplay mechanics combine with excellent art and sound design to make what is an enjoyable game, regardless of the intellectual (or pseudo-intellectual) stuff.

Punch, Kick, Slash, Cast -- Final Fight: Double Impact Review

Some classic games are best left in the past, never to be heard from again. The pair of side-scrolling action titles in Capcom's Final Fight: Double Impact are not that type of game at all; with this downloadable double pack, old-school fans will love to revisit Final Fight and Magic Sword, and newcomers will get a glimpse of early-90s awesomeness without the usual downers associated with arcade cabinets, and with some added features for the online gaming era.

The two games are represented in-game as virtual arcade cabinets, and players can either go solo, create a local or online multiplayer game, or simply drop into an existing session with a random partner. There's also an option to search for games that meet specific progress and difficulty criteria before jumping in. Along with online leaderboards, achievements/trophies, remastered music, and multiple display options to accommodate both arcade purists and HD gamers alike, these updates make Final Fight: Double Impact more than just a flashy, two-game emulator, and a viable purchase at ten dollars for PS3 and Xbox 360 owners.

No matter what the packaging, though, it really comes down to the games, and the two included here are rock solid.

Final Fight is one of the most acclaimed beat-em-up titles of all time, and a standard by which many later games in the genre have been measured. Mayor Mike Haggar's daughter is kidnapped, as required by the late-80s/early-90s beat-em-up bylaws, and he, Cody, and Guy beat the crap out of every thug in Metro City until she is safe. These three heroes cover the big-and-strong, "Arnold Schwarzenegger," small-and-quick, "Bruce Lee," and somewhere-in-the-middle, "Jean-Claude Van Damme" archetypes and each have a distinct feel about them. In fact, much of what makes Final Fight so effective is the way players can feel every punch, kick, axe handle, throw, suplex, piledriver, and of course, spinning lariat.

Even with a simple two-button control scheme, pummeling the colorful cast of lowlifes never seems to lose its appeal, but Double Impact doesn't think twice about reminding players just how difficult that can be. This is the arcade version of the game, which was obviously designed to rob kids of their hard-earned allowances. That means that the difficulty is not scaled back like in the SNES port, and players will be surrounded by mobs of knife-wielding maniacs, bull-charging fat men, and Andre the Giant lookalikes all the time, not to mention the game's six tough bosses residing in each area. Luckily, players have unlimited continues this time around, like an endless stream of quarters keeping Haggar and company fighting until the very end. Some might consider that a flaw because it removes the tension of the original arcade game, makes this reproduction far more beatable than ever before, and shortens the duration of a single playthrough. Final Fight is indeed a short game, but if replaying it hasn't gotten old in 21 years, I don't think it's going to anytime soon, especially with Double Impact's enhanced co-op component.

The other game, Magic Sword, may be less of a household name than Final Fight, but is just as enjoyable to play. This side-scroller takes place in a fantasy world where players take control of a barbarian known only as "The Brave One," and must battle to the top of the 51-floor Dragon Keep to destroy the evil Drokmar. Eight cpu-controlled allies can join The Brave One on his quest, but only after being rescued from prison cells and only one at a time. These warriors run the traditional fantasy gamut -- knight, thief, priest, wizard, amazon, ninja, etc. -- and each have unique skills and attacks specific to their class standard. Enemies are varied and plentiful, as well, including eight boss characters, although strategy generally remains the same throughout the adventure; it's straightforward hack-n-slash all the way.

The size of Magic Sword is impressive for an arcade side-scroller from 1990, and will provide players with more novel playing time than Final Fight. Even with a number of secret paths that allow The Brave One and company to bypass multiple floors at once, making it to the top will take some time, and is the most likely reason for players to employ Double Impact's option to save either game at any point. The diversity of characters and character abilities, and constantly swapping them out for one another throughout the game is a particularly captivating aspect of Magic Sword, and the lesson that treasure chests don't necessarily require keys, but will respond just as well to tempered steel is always entertaining.

The two games included in Final Fight: Double Impact are both 20 years old, but still manage to carry the same appeal as when they were first introduced. Of course the technology behind video games has advanced since 1989, so one can't expect ultimate control precision or impressively complex AI routines, but for classic arcade fun, Final Fight and Magic Sword both deliver, especially when played with a friend. A solid remake, for sure.

Hit Rewind -- Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Preview

Over PAX East weekend, fans and critics were treated to a hands-on look at the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, Ubisoft's long-awaited return to the Sands of Time saga. I was among those lucky players, and came away from the demo kiosk pleased with what I had played, looking forward to more.

The Forgotten Sands, or "How the Prince went emo," takes place between the Sands of Time and Warrior Within, and recounts the tale of the Prince's involvement in the defense of his brother's invaded kingdom. Of course, this brother carelessly releases the Sands of Time, turning soldiers into sand warriors and unleashing other, bigger baddies, all of which the Prince has to mop up.

Two segments were available at the show, and were tacked together to give players a taste of a few different game mechanics. The first part of the demo was what appeared to be an opening scene, much like that of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Here, the prince navigated a Middle-Eastern palace exterior as soldiers clashed with him and each other and catapults pelted the stone walls and walkways in his path. This environment provided a perfect backdrop for learning the most basic of the game's controls, such as wall-running, wall-jumping, shimmying along ledges, sliding down flags, etc. It was very straightforward, with little planning involved -- a point A to point B affair -- but the controls felt tight and responsive, improved from the previous Prince of Persia and that game's delayed responses to player input.

The game's button layout will be quite familiar to Prince of Persia veterans. The face buttons make the Prince jump, drop down from his current perch, swing his sword, and kick his enemies, while the shoulder buttons make him run up or along walls, rewind time, and activate special abilities like the water-freezing mechanic that was showcased in the second part of this demo.

After switching from the opening scene to an interior location from later in the game, I had the opportunity to make use of one of the Prince's major elemental powers -- the ability to freeze and un-freeze water at will. By holding the left trigger, I was able to freeze waterfalls and cascading water columns into solid walls and climbable pillars to help the Prince navigate his way forward. Thin streams spouting out of walls at timed intervals could also be frozen into the horizontal, ripe-for-swinging poles the franchise is known for. This, just one of the new platforming powers, will clearly expand the possibilities in The Forgotten Sands, especially as sequences become more complex. For example, the Prince may have to freeze a waterfall, run across it, unfreeze as he jumps through another fall toward a water column, freeze time again before latching onto that, leap to and swing from a frozen pole, unfreeze long enough for the next hole to spout, refreeze to grab hold of the newly created pole, and swing to safety. Players will have to think differently when entering each area, considering new platforming options provided by water, as well as the more obvious solid structures in the environment.

Continuing the game's elemental theme, the Prince will have new powers mapped to the controller's directional pad, such as rock armor or the devastating, area-of-effect tornado he can call upon in battle. These will be acquired from a Djinn residing in a mystical dimension over the course of the game, and will draw from the same power bank as the Prince's rewind ability each time they are used.

As far as combat is concerned, it seems Ubisoft has once again focused on challenging the Prince with large hordes of enemies, this time flooding the screen with up to 50 foes at once. Combat will be quick, rather than methodical, with much dodging involved. I was sad to see the block button removed from this entry in the series, and there seemed to be fewer opportunities to pull off flashy moves, a la The Two Thrones. I specifically tried to spring off of walls and over/into my enemies, but to no avail; most of the combat was a matter of "slash, slash, slash, power...." The Forgotten Sands is still an unfinished product, however, so I hope a little more complexity can be infused into the Prince's swordplay before release.

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is shaping up to be a welcome return to form for the Prince after 2008's aberrant Prince of Persia. Come May 18th, gamers will be rewinding time and running through the Middle East all over again.

So You Wanna Be A Fighter? -- UFC Undisputed 2010 Preview

"So you wanna be a fighter?"

This question opened THQ's New York press event on Thursday for the upcoming sequel to what has quickly become the company's biggest franchise, and what THQ considers to be the catalyst for its rebirth. The game, of course, is UFC Undisputed 2010, and from what was on hand for members of the press to see and play, it looks like it will be another great success when it launches in May.

Developer Yuke's aims to completely outdo its previous effort with the new game by implementing substantial updates to character creation, fighting styles, and career mode, as well as by greatly increasing the sense of immersion and translating the UFC atmosphere fans have come to expect from the sport. At the same time, however, the game will retain the general feeling of its predecessor, thanks to more subtle changes to the actual in-ring gameplay.

The first aspect of the game THQ highlighted during the event was the create-a-fighter mode, which has actually been used to create every one of the 100+ fighters in the game. This means that the system will be more in-depth and extensive, and potentially allow players to create much more detailed custom fighters. It will feature new color spectrum sliders, improved facial construction, drag-and-drop tattoos and logos, and greatly expanded selection of body types, hair options, etc., as well as new lists of first, last, and nicknames to be announced by the game's commentators. Players will also be able to choose from a list of fighter voices for cutscenes, as well as assign fighters' taunt, introduction, glove-touch, and victory animations.

One of the biggest and most welcome changes to UFC 2010 is the abolition of fighter archetypes -- standard fighting styles and move sets. Now, each fighter will come equipped with a unique arsenal of techniques that define his individual style. This carries over to created fighters, whose punches, kicks, throws, grapples, and submissions can all be selected, a la carte, for each button command. Adding a bit of strategy, each technique will cost a set amount of character creation points, and each will have three levels of effectiveness, with the higher levels costing more points to select. The range of customization will be far greater than in UFC 2009, and is reminiscent of THQ-published wrestling games of the N64 era, but more in-depth. And if a player isn't digging the idea of assigning every single move, the game does provide base templates for a number of general fighting styles, too.

"The game is watching you," THQ representatives told us. This theme will surround the game's career mode, which will be far more cinematic, and will force players to make choices at key moments, during cutscenes. This will include showing respect or disrespect to opponents, calling out specific fight camps, and simply responding to questions regarding fighters' careers. The game will remember these choices as fighters progress from the amateur arena to WFA to UFC, and they will have an effect on fighter relationships and how certain events play out over the course of the career. Along similar lines, the specific fight camps players choose to train with will dictate which new techniques their fighters learn as their skills improve.

Other additions to the career mode include character aging and attribute decay, which will be tied into one another. As careers progress, fighters' stats will decay in the absence of consistent training, which will make players remain conscious of their training regimens and encourage them to maintain at least somewhat well-rounded fighters. This rate of decay will increase as fighters get older, and will stop at a few key milestone attribute values: 30, 50, and 70 out of 100. UFC 2010 will also feature "game plan," a strategic, pre-fight stat alteration based on the strengths and weaknesses of the upcoming opponent.

In the ring, changes have been made to the way fighters strike, grapple, and perform submissions. According to THQ, strikes will chain together more fluidly this year, eliminating some of the choppiness of UFC 09. There will also be a new system of sways and leans to avoid incoming attacks. These will require players to be very precise with their timing and anticipation, and were not easy to consistently execute with efficacy during the time I had to play the game. "Adrenaline rush" is another new feature. This temporary state lets a fighter ignore any fatigue he has built up throughout the fight when he has an opponent rocked. This will allow him to effectively move in for the kill on dazed opponents in order to finish the fight, but will fade once his victim has recovered. If a fighter survives a round in which he takes a huge beating, the possibility of a doctor stoppage is now present in UFC 2010.

On the grappling end of the octagon, UFC 2010 now includes flash submissions to go along with last year's flash knockouts. Particularly skilled grapplers will also have the ability to switch from one submission to another without breaking the hold. When this happens, a player on the receiving end of these holds will have to reverse the rotation of the analog stick in order to continue to fight out of danger; button-mashing escapes have been eliminated entirely. Visually, the nearness to a tapout or an escape will be represented by a subtle zoom effect during these tense moments. This feedback is a big improvement over the static views of the previous game.

All of the updates to UFC 2010 sound extensive, and they will add a great deal to the overall quality of the game, but the short time I had to play UFC 2010 prior to GamerNode's trip to PAX East felt very much like last year's game. Of course, this is to be expected in most sequels, and as evidenced by the overwhelmingly positive critical response to UFC 09 and the 3.5-4 million units sold to date, it is not at all a bad thing. Still, the updates to the combat mechanics are evident, if not entirely game-altering, and it's easy to see how the various tweaks and updates can be capitalized upon as players learn the game and grow accustomed to the flow of the fight.

Fans can get excited for UFC 2010, which looks to be a more complete game than its predecessor. On top of core updates to the gameplay, THQ plans to support the title with a robust community website, tournaments, an in-game UFC news ticker, and on-the-fly fighter updates for players who stay connected via Xbox Live and PSN. Check back for more coverage around the game's May 25 release date.

Chainsaws And Parkour; What Could Go Wrong? -- Shank Preview

I had never played a game billed as a "cinematic brawler" prior to stepping into an off-the-beaten-path hotel room at the Sheraton adjacent to the Hynes Convention Center in Boston during PAX East this weekend. Shank, from Klei Entertainment has left me quite optimistic about such a prospect, though, thanks to its smooth mix of platforming action and bloody side-scrolling brawling.

"Brawling" may not be the best term, although it's the company's preferred description, because Shank is really a whole lot less brawling and a whole lot more stabbing, shooting, and chainsaw massacre, with some abusive, manhandling grapples, throws, and slams folded into the mix. In between all of this, integrated in an effort to create a different gameplay cadence for each level, is plenty of jumping, swinging, wall climbing, and sliding down poles at all angles. This platforming aspect, although not Shank's primary focus, is a noticeable distinction between Klei's game and similar side-scrolling beat-em-ups.

Also impressive at this stage in development is the game's combat, as it should be, considering the sheer amount of fighting players will be doing in Shank. Face buttons make Shank, the game's protagonist, jump, shank, chainsaw, and shoot, with grapples and "pounces" mapped to the right shoulder buttons. A grapple in Shank is a close-range grab, from which the player can continue to stab and saw enemies, or opt to throw them across the screen onto others. A pounce does the same, minus the throws, but only after Shank makes a long-range leap that pins opponents to the ground. In either tie-up, he can momentarily break from his onslaught to shoot oncoming foes, without ever letting go of his current prey. Klei CEO Jamie Cheng also demonstrated the special uses of grenades and parries, which are mapped to the left shoulder buttons. Besides simply throwing grenades at enemies, Shank can also stuff the pineapple-shaped, explosive delights right down their throats after grabbing them. Blocks and parries defend the player, and open up opportunities for free attacks and the initiation of melee and ballistic combos.

Chaining attacks, explained Jamie, is an important aspect of Shank. Not only do combos increase one's effectiveness in combat, but the myriad ways in which the different moves can be linked together seems like something that players will make their own game out of, always trying to be more stylish fighters and simply do more badass things with the tools they have at their disposal. One such badass maneuver is Shank's cross-handed, bi-directional gun-slinging move, where players can seamlessly gun down at enemies approaching from behind while maintaining steady fire at their original target. By simply tapping the control stick backward as they fire, players will cause Shank to aim one gun behind him and continue shooting in both directions. He also has the ability to shoot at angles, which played a part in the one boss fight available during the hands-on demonstration.

The never-before-played meat-packing plant level culminated with a fight between Shank and a hulking, maniacal, chain-wielding butcher, who would easily snatch Shank out of the air to counter any grapple or pounce, and who took minimal damage from Shank's regular attacks. The key here was to get the brute to sink his morning-star-like meat hooks into hanging carcasses by shooting them down from the ceiling before he made his attack. Shank could then charge, grapple, and deal massive damage from the clinch, rounding out a Zelda-esque, pattern-based boss encounter with a quick button prompt and a bucket of blood, in all its graphic-novel-style animated glory.

I enjoyed my time with Shank, and look forward to playing more when the game is released for XBLA, PSN, and PC this summer. Especially for nostalgic, NES-era Double Dragon (and ilk) players, this is certainly one to watch.

All Action -- Resident Evil 5: Desperate Escape

Capcom has taken a very interesting route with the two recent downloadable extensions of last year's Resident Evil 5. While Lost in Nightmares, released two weeks earlier, was essentially a throwback to the slow-paced, suspenseful design philosophy of older RE titles, Resident Evil 5: Desperate Escape takes the action-oriented style of the latest game and turns the dial all the way up. Both are appealing for different reasons, while each falls a little flat for its respective omissions.

Desperate Escape fills RE5 players in on the events that occur between Jill Valentine's rescue from Wesker's control and her arrival via helicopter with BSAA agent Josh Stone to pick up Chris and Sheva in the main campaign's final scene. The simple explanation is that they quite literally blast their way out of the Tricell facility in about an hour's worth of nonstop action.

The game features no new enemies or weapons, but certainly throws enough of both at players to make this an enjoyable splatter-fest. One fairly easily attainable achievement rewards players for single-handedly stopping 150 non-zombies by the time the mission is over. That's a lot of shooting... and grenade-tossing... and knifing; Desperate Escape reveals that Jill happens to also be a master of knifing.

One thing that is nice about Desperate Escape, considering its focus on streamlined action, is that Jill and Josh begin with different weapons, and will continue to carry complementary arsenals throughout the mission. This means that there will be very little ammo sharing, and less wasted time managing inventory; whoever has a particular gun picks up that type of ammunition. Simple. On the other hand, because the game steadily hits players with an ocean of ammo, grenades, and herbs, the inventory screen will likely be filled to capacity the majority of the time. Only in the game's final moments does ammo ever seem to dwindle, which significantly ups the adrenaline for that scene, but also exemplifies the relative lack of tension during the only slightly less-heavily populated earlier portions. Those parts are action-packed, but not white-knuckle style, like the DLC's climax.

The climax is one of the more hectic parts of all of RE5, playing out much like the title's Mercenaries minigame, or like a chapter in Valve's Left 4 Dead. The duo must defend against an onslaught of all manner of antagonists as an on-screen timer counts the minutes until an escape chopper arrives. Here, players will be challenged to bring their A-game against axes, sickles, Molotov cocktails, giant warhammers, chainsaws, chain guns, etc. on a small and very hazardous (and notably explosive) rooftop. It's pretty intense.

In addition to the lost chapter of the RE5 story, Desperate Escape also includes two new playable characters for the Mercenaries Reunion game mode, newcomer Josh Stone and Rebecca Chambers of Resident Evil and Resident Evil 0 fame... and the minigame itself for those who don't already have it. These two extend players' Mercenaries options, but are simply not as much fun to play with as the characters unlocked by the previous DLC are.

Desperate Escape is essentially a concentrated dose of Resident Evil 5's action-based gameplay, and is quite enjoyable for the short time players will spend with it. If you're looking for puzzles, start walking the other way, but if you just want some solid, new-era Resident Evil action, you will not regret giving Desperate Escape a whirl.

Good Cut -- MLB 2K10 Review

Developing a great videogame simulation of one of the world's most complex professional sports is not as easy as one might think, as evidenced by the numerous baseball titles that have seen ho-hum critical reception throughout the years. For the franchise's tenth anniversary, Visual Concepts and 2K Sports have set out to rectify whatever failings MLB 2K games have suffered from in the past with an overhauled product, and one that mostly succeeds in bringing the series back to relevance.

Maybe the most important aspect of any baseball videogame is making the player feel that they are actually involved in America's national pastime, and thanks primarily to its pitching and batting interfaces and new "My Player" mode, MLB 2K10 does this just as well or better than any game out there. While baseball games have traditionally been very much about cursor alignment, meters, and other input mechanisms that constantly remind players that what they are doing is artificial, MLB 2K10 simplifies its core gameplay in such a way that players still have a high degree of control and influence over what is happening on screen without separating them from the experience.

Pitching and batting are both controlled with gestures on the right analog stick. Pitches are performed via two-step motions, such as back/forward, forward/quarter-circle, right/semicircle, etc. These determine both speed and accuracy while keeping players' eyes in the strike zone at all times, where a simple expanding circle indicates proper timing, with "weak" and "overthrow" penalties for early or late input and wild pitches resulting from completely botched motions. This is one of the few baseball games that makes pitching actually enjoyable as you work the batter with an arsenal of differing weapons.

Batting has further eliminated on-screen overlays, and is instead based primarily on timing and analog motion. Tapping the right stick forward executes a normal swing, while pulling back prior to the forward swing takes a heftier power cut. This extra motion works just as one might expect, providing great rewards, but making it far more difficult to meet the game's strict timing requirements. In fact, although it appears to be simple, what's under the hood of the batting system makes for a much more realistic battle between offense and defense, effectively tempering the slug-fest of the juiced-ball era of virtual baseball. An excellent addition this year, and something baseball players will definitely appreciate, is the defensive swing. This lets players fight off close pitches and work the count just as they would in a real batter's box, in hopes of getting a better pitch to hit on the next delivery, or perhaps drawing a walk. Patience pays off in MLB 2K10; players can actually draw those walks by paying attention to each pitch and exercising some discipline. The game's highly customizable camera, which lets each player view the action from the perspective best for him (about 300 variations from the plate alone!), further demonstrates 2K's efforts to get this pitcher-batter battle just right. Somehow, though, the development team managed one unbelievable failure in this department by completely omitting check swings. There's absolutely no excuse for that, especially considering the precision with which the game is able to detect pitching motions..

Overall baserunning control is excellent, allowing the player to toggle runners easily and direct them to the appropriate base no matter where they are on the basepath. Hit a sure double and you can immediately direct the batter to second or send a runner home by highlighting the appropriate on-screen blip and moving the right stick in the direction of the base. Another feature, along with the defensive swing, that should have been included in baseball videogames ages ago, is the display of 1, 2, 3, or H on each runner icon to indicate their intended destinations. Stealing is a bit trickier, mostly because the game does a poor job of explaining its controls, but also because pitchers seem to have a touch of clairvoyance going on and will pick runners off like it's their job (because, well, it is). Without impeccable timing or Olympic runners, players are often caught in rundowns, which are not the game's forte; it's way too easy to reach base safely in such situations. A runner should rarely get out of a pickle like they so regularly do in MLB 2K10, especially at the major league level.

There is far more to any baseball videogame than just its core mechanics. The bottom line for most players is the quality of the complete package. Features and presentation, statistical and managerial depth, and, as the genre evolves, individual player career modes are all imperative. On top of home run derby, franchise, postseason, drill, and roster management modes, MLB 2K10 adds the "My Player" mode this year to satisfy the needs of baseball role-players, and it is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the game.

In My Player mode, a custom-created ballplayer is brought up through the minors and into the bigs by performing his individual duties on a double-A ball club in a MLB team's farm system. The player hits, runs, pitches (if applicable), and plays the field only during the plays that involve him, and earns points by completing certain goals set by the game and for generally good performance on the field. These are divided into specific batting, running, pitching, and fielding categories and are used to increase ratings that fall under those headings. Once certain goals are met, it's up to the majors, and later, hopefully, into the Hall of Fame after a lengthy, multi-season career. Throughout, the pressure of each appearance is always a heavy, "do-or-die" feeling, because you'll only have a few opportunities to perform per game.

The whole experience is quite captivating, although sometimes the prescribed goals are sometimes at odds with what is actually best in a particular situation, like when "get ahead in the count" leads you to watch a pair of strikes before marking "K" in the books. In such instances, the choices are to ignore the goals or possibly hurt your performance in an attempt to achieve them. The other big problem is in the point allocation itself. Because a player can only earn baserunning points by actually running the bases, a speedy, base-stealing type must also be a threat at the plate in order to ever have the opportunity to improve his running. The game needs some sort of fleshed-out training option to significantly improve stats aside from the occasional drill day, because diverse player specialization suffers without it.

Another major area of interest is the game's Franchise mode, which functions exactly as one might expect, managing a ball club through multiple pre-, post-, and regular-season campaigns while managing every aspect of the franchise. The player can be as involved or uninvolved as he would like, choosing to manually manage, automate, or ignore nearly every aspect of the game, including major and minor league rosters, trades and injuries, call-ups and send-downs, player contracts and franchise staff, and special inside edge scouting reports that can be purchased for individual teams in the league. Involvement in matters far on the business end -- managing parks, marketing, and injury rehab -- are not included, as in MLB 10: The Show. Games themselves can be played or simulated, or a combination of both, with the jump-in, jump-out Super Sim option. Worth noting here is the menu system and organization, which is unnecessarily obfuscated and labyrinthine throughout MLB 2K10, potentially confusing players or preventing them from taking advantage of all aspects of the game. It is at the same time conveniently integrated into every part of the game, however, available no matter what the player is doing.

MLB 2K10's presentation, in general, has its strong and weak points. The game's visuals are a step up from last year's offering from 2K, but are still notably aliased, still lack detail in some areas, and are certainly inferior to competitor Sony's product. Occasional clipping and misplaced runners detract from the mostly impressive broadcast-style presentation, and although fielding controls are smooth and manageable this year, animations in between the lines are often more awkward than you'd hope to see in the majors. Conversely, MLB 2K10's commentary and soundtrack are both excellent, with great background tracks and Gary Thorne, Steve Phillips, and John Kruk talking about everything but the players' latest bowel movements during games. Occasionally, though, the guys in the broadcast booth speak inaccurately about the action (like saying a player kept the ball himself when he really flipped it to another player), and all audio tends to hiccup during save and load operations, which can be minimized by playing from the Xbox 360 hard drive.

MLB 2K10 does a great job of making players feel as though they're playing baseball, rather than watching a telecast or playing a videogame. It falls short of its competitors in visual presentation and overall depth, but gets the most important aspects of core gameplay and immersion just right.

Know Your Roots -- Resident Evil 5: Lost In Nightmares Review

In the first of two planned downloadable episodes to be tacked onto last year's Resident Evil 5 (which both require the original game disc to run), Capcom has revealed the details of Jill Valentine's previously unexplained disappearance during a mission with Chris Redfield prior to the events in Africa. Lost in Nightmares tells the story of Chris and Jill's search for Ozwell Spencer, one of three men who discovered the original Progenitor virus and subsequently founded the infamous Umbrella Corporation. This mission takes the duo back to an abandoned mansion in the woods, and in some ways, back to the franchise's roots.

Lost in Nightmares abandons the action-heavy gameplay and mob-based combat pioneered by Resident Evil 4, and arguably over-implemented in Resident Evil 5's main campaign, and instead opts to draw on the style of earlier entries in the series, leaving players to explore a mostly desolate environment with only a few enemy encounters. Rather than being constantly active, as in the most recent game, the players' state of alertness in Lost in Nightmares is more of an anticipatory fearfulness that keeps tension high throughout the entire mission. It is less about responding to the inevitable onslaught of virally afflicted hordes of townsfolk, and more about the shock of being ambushed by the occasional, more dangerous foe. The contrast between the temporary safety of exploration through most of the mission and the severely disproportionate danger when a threat finally appears is far more effective with regard to the horror genre.

The latter portion of the game switches to a weaponless confrontation in a dank sewer with a few of the same, anchor-wielding abominations that exclusively roamed the mansion earlier. There, Jill and Chris must work together to destroy the beasts using little other than a few key environmental mechanisms. Again, because they are not armed to the teeth and must avoid confrontation more than pursue it, the sense of danger and fear is enhanced... initially. In this case, however, the repetition of the same kill strategy a handful of times tempers that feeling, and can leave the player wishing that multiple different tactics on a single, stronger enemy could be applied instead. Still, the tandem effort and ultimate success is quite enjoyable, and a refreshing change of pace. Unfortunately, that feeling doesn't hold through the mission's end, because the final encounter features comparatively weak gameplay.

Longtime Resident Evil fans will get a little bit more out of the DLC than will other gamers. Numerous references to the original game are sure to delight those players in particular, as will a hidden trick to convert the over-the-shoulder camera of modern Resident Evil games to the static camera system of old. What makes little sense though, is why this was not included as a regular option, and why it was not made available for the entire mission. The old camera style would be a welcome addition; the change from the game's default perspective gives it a distinctively different feel, and once again serves to re-horrorize the franchise. Instead, players must investigate the mansion's front door three times to make the switch.

Regardless of shortcomings -- some may complain of too little combat, others of too little environmental description, and still others (like myself) of a crummy boss fight -- Resident Evil 5: Lost in Nightmares is worthy of a purchase. Playing through this DLC is certainly better than not doing so. And on top of the main mission an updated Mercenaries game, Mercenaries Reunion, is included, giving players the opportunity to provocatively roam through a shanty town as Excella Gionne or make Majini-brain pudding with Barry Burton's devastating head-butts. All of this costs a mere $5, so longtime and recent RE fans alike should definitely give it a try.

Kratos In Hell -- Dante's Inferno Review

Just because a product lacks originality, or even if it's nearly a direct copy of another, that doesn't automatically mean that it's quality is diminished. After playing Visceral Games' Dante's Inferno, I have found this assertion to hold true. Despite the fact that the game does have a few major flaws of its own, Dante's Inferno is very enjoyable, with a fine combat system and skill progression, and truly impressive world design. Where it falls short is not in its unoriginality, but in what appears to be a late-game rush job that the developers would be silly to believe no one would notice.

The similarities can't be denied. While January's Darksiders was an exercise in Frankensteining together gameplay elements lifted from other franchises, including many from God of War, Dante's Inferno is so similar to Kratos' games that it's nearly a re-skinning of Santa Monica Studio's work. It becomes difficult to say that Visceral is actually responsible for creating this game, because if I had no prior knowledge of the developer while playing, I would, without a second thought, assume it to have been made by the God of War team. I feel like David Jaffe, Cory Barlog, and company may deserve some royalty checks.

With these not-so-keen observations out of the way, it is not hard to praise Dante's Inferno for refined and tangible combat that gives players a variety of differing ways to dispatch demon spawn and monstrous boss characters. Dante wields a scythe and a magical cross as his two primary weapons, these representing the diametrically opposed forces of Inferno and Paradiso, and also learns magic spells along the way that consume mana when cast during combat. What makes the combat effective is the way that Dante's techniques differ from one another and become more or less useful depending on the situation and opposition. The breadth of options also makes for far more interesting gameplay than something like Bayonetta, where many of the basic, pawing combos feel identical to one another. Each strike in Dante's Infeno, like the God of War games, has a heavy "feel" to it, and the sense of contact is intensely satisfying. The way enemies are thrown at Dante, however, is not perfect, with curious combinations making battles lack the sense of dramatic pacing that can be found more broadly over the course of the game.

A light "good and evil" system is incorporated into the game, and determines which skills Dante will learn as players progress through Hell. From a raw gameplay perspective, this game's pick-and-choose approach works better than a more severe morality system where the two sides operate like scales on a balance. Here, regardless of decisions, the player earns rewards equally and concurrently on both the light and dark sides of the coin. Unlike some other systems, this means that radicalism needn't be practiced in order to build Dante into a more formidable warrior, and players can play how they wish and make decisions as they like. The problem with the system, though, is that the choices amount only to either absolving or punishing enemies and NPCs for their sins, and have very little bearing on the game's overall plot.

Dante's Inferno does an excellent job of using finely-crafted representations of the circles of Hell as an invigorating and interesting interstitial fluid through which players will enjoy travelling between combat sequences. The attention to detail in these thoughtfully designed environments, which are viewed through a semi-static, yet always well oriented and dramatic camera, once again remind us why this development studio calls itself "Visceral." In the second circle, Lust, Dante battles naked demonettes who make sexually provocative gestures, touch themselves, and sprout tentacles from between their legs to capture him as he climbs a phallic tower to confront the area's boss characters. The third circle, Gluttony, is essentially a long digestive tract, featuring intestinal worms and fat, putrid enemies covered in mouths, including ones that replace their hands. These images will undoubtedly leave an impression on gamers, even though the actual narrative feels somewhat underdeveloped and doesn't reach its full potential.

The majority of the game's setting rivals the aforementioned examples in aesthetic quality, but its creative and immersive design takes an extreme nosedive as players near the end of the journey. The final circles of Inferno are characterized by repeated arena battles in a series of nearly identical rooms, each with specific requirements and limitations. It makes absolutely no sense why this would be so, especially at the end of the game. This design leads one to believe Dante's Inferno wasn't ready when EA and Visceral needed it to be (possibly for a head-start on God of War III, due next month), so the developers spit these sub-par bits out, slapped on an end-boss, and rushed the game out the door. It's quite unfortunate to have experienced this, after the care that went into the design of everything in the first seven or so of the nine circles.

Finishing Dante's Inferno is like playing two games. The tight, polished, interesting, and enjoyable God of War clone switches suddenly into a boring, forgettable, hack-and-slash game with no inspiration or variety, and the change can certainly leave a bad taste in the player's mouth at the end. Still, the value of the earlier stages and the core gameplay mechanics shouldn't be ignored, because those aspects are excellent. Fans of the genre should absolutely experience Dante's Inferno, but overall, the recently released Darksiders delivers a better, more complete package, and the upcoming God of War III sports a very promising pedigree that is also worth considering.

The Legend Of War -- Darksiders Review

To say that the combat in Darksiders is much like that of God of War and its dungeon design is a near-facsimile of modern Legend of Zelda games would be a fairly accurate description, but there is much more to this game than only simple analogies. Although very little is truly original about Darksiders, the final product carves out its own unique identity by successfully combining, and in many cases refining, the elements of all the works from which it borrows, and the amalgamation of gameplay mechanics in Vigil Games' debut title is a near-perfect love letter to gaming enthusiasts.

Darksiders is a tale about War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and on top of its mostly borrowed game design, it also takes creative license with the stories and characters found in Abrahamic mythology. In Darksiders, War's goal is to serve the Charred Council and restore the balance between heaven and hell, at the same time exacting revenge on those who have prematurely ignited an earthly "Endwar" and set him up to take the fall for that treachery. The story is a bit hard to follow at first because it throws so many names and events at the player at once, so it is not unlikely that one will find him- or herself cluelessly wandering forward until more is revealed and key plot points are clarified. Then again, story is not the primary appeal of this game -- it is all about gameplay: combat, character enhancement, puzzles, etc.

Darksiders features an excellent system by which War's power builds over the course of his journey. Shopping with the demon Vulgrim unlocks new abilities and combat maneuvers as War progresses, defeating enemies and collecting their souls for use as currency. This makes combat an ever-complexifying and increasingly enjoyable aspect of the game, especially as new weapons are earned, doubling and tripling War's attack options and turning battles into almost artistic exercises in stringing together as many different attacks as possible and vanquishing foes in efficient, yet stylish ways. A problem with going this route, however, is that in order to compound combat skills, the system must be overly simple to begin with... and it is. Early in the game, mashing the X button is just about the only option, aside from a single Wrath Power, and battling many of the same opponents feels a bit mundane. Unfortunately, in the explosive and action-packed opening scene, Vigil does not offer a glimpse at War's full strength, so the player is never fully aware of what goodies to expect later on, even though what awaits is ultimately enjoyable angel- and demon-slaying.

For all of its high-energy combat, button-prompted kill animations, mythologically dark, yet colorful enemy design, dramatic cutscenes, huge bosses, and varied, hellish environments, all on an epic scale, Darksiders is not the God of War clone these aspects might suggest, particularly in its overall structure. Like Zelda games, Darksiders is organized into self-contained "dungeon" areas where War must navigate rooms and defeat enemies on his way to that location's final guardian. In each of these unique, themed areas, War will find rooms that remain sealed until all enemies have been defeated, locked doors that are only passable after finding keys hidden elsewhere in treasure chests, and environmental puzzles ranging from connect-the-dots simplicity to genuine thought provocation and clever design. There are even maps and hoardseekers (like Zelda's compass, these note the locations of treasures on the map) tucked away in more chests, and special items such as a boomerang blade and grappling chain (hookshot, to Zelda fans) to find within each dungeon. These areas, as well as the more central parts of the game world, feature open layouts that unfold and allow further access as play progresses and War acquires new items and abilities. And although the dungeon design occasionally lends itself to backtracking, for the most part the game leaves the player just where it should when a new way forward becomes accessible, successfully making his or her gamer-sense tingle with approval.

Darksiders, in blending these two well-established videogame formulas, improves upon some of the weaker components of each, but at the same time creates new and noticeable shortcomings of its own. In focusing so much on great core gameplay, Vigil has crafted a world that is arguably too light on non-player character interaction, but does not convey a sense of isolation or desperation, either. The result is that the game world simply feels depopulated -- like it is missing something. It does reinforce the idea that this is purely a gamer's game, but maybe the world would feel richer with something more than hordes of enemies and strongholds full of puzzles. Even the overwhelmingly satisfying combat has a few minor issues. Blocking enemy attacks is less fluid than one might hope; War must stand perfectly still in order to successfully block incoming blows, and he cannot cancel out of his own attacks to defend himself. And when it comes to finishing foes off, players will undoubtedly love the kill animations, but repeating the same motions with enemy after enemy loses its appeal. It would be nice if there were a little more variety than the one-animation-per-enemy-type thing Darksiders has going on.

In the end, any complaints about Vigil Games' first outing are far outweighed by the reasons to praise it. If for no other reason than its ability to seamlessly fuse the best aspects of two great formulas, Darksiders is a triumph in game design, a platform to build upon (the ending hints at a sequel!), and something everyone who truly loves video games should try, because you'll likely love it.