Double-Take 2010

Hello & welcome to Jay's 2nd Annual Double-Take! 2010 Edition!

Lets face it, livin' in mom's basement can be stressful, especially for your wallet; hot pockets are expensive, Starcraft 2 just came out, and your step-dad is yelling at you to get a job...again. It's ok though, because you can still play the newest games at a fraction of their original price! All you have to do is follow my simple guide below. All of the following was released this year, so have it. Happy shopping!

Mass Effect 2
Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 (Coming Soon)
Genre: Third Person Shooter, Sci-Fi RPG.
1 Player
Price- $29.99

One of the greatest action RPG's to be released in quite some time, Mass Effect 2 builds beautifully upon it's predecessor. Top-notch graphics, thrilling gunplay, an enganging story, and an epic universe, are just some of the things that make ME2 a 'must-play' for every gamer.

Scott Pilgrim VS the World: the Game
Platform(s): PSN, XBLA (Coming Soon)
Genre: Beat 'em up, RPG.
1-4 Players
Price- $9.99

If the movie is any indication, Scott Pilgrim VS The World: The Game won't sell too well, and it's a shame. Scott Pilgrim is a spiritual successor to the popular River City Ransom. Featuring a deep combat system, retro 16-bit graphics, elements of your favorite NES and SNES games, and one of the absolute best video game soundtrack of all time, You owe it to yourself to pick up Scott Pilgrim for only $10.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
Platform(s): Wii, PS2, PSP.
Genre: Survival Horror.
1 Player
Price- $19.99 (PS2 & PSP), $39.99 (Wii)

A re-imagining of the original Silent Hill, Shattered Memories will remind you why you fell in love with horror games in the first place. The game will alter itself based on your performance and choices. Ensuring a different experience each and every time. Though not entirely original, Shattered Memories is a great game that can stand on it's own merits.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
Platform(s): PC
Genre: First Person Shooter, Survival Horror.
1-32 Players
Price- $19.99

Call of Pripyat is the third installment of the well-received Stalker series. Receiving grand reviews from many major critics; the game stays true to the original, while adding many features and fixing previous ones. It's also one of the most immersive games I've ever played. You won't want to play with music just so you can listen to the elements. Part Fallout 3, part Crysis Warhead, and part Dues Ex, Stalker is a true living & breathing world that shouldn't be passed up by the hardcore PC gamer.

Mount & Blade: Warband
Platform: PC
Genre: Third Person Action Adventure, RPG.
1-64 Players
Price- $29.99

Warband is a stand alone expansion to the vastly original Mount & Blade. Fixing many aspects that plagued the original and adding a robust multiplayer. Including an open-ended campaign featuring it's own economy, politics, and factions, that can be enjoyed for easily over 50+ hours. Pick it up from Steam for a measly $10 for this weekend only.

Hopefully this list will tide you cheap losers over until next year. Now go get a job.

Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins is BioWare's latest escapade into the famed role-playing genre. A genre they (arguably) introduced into the mainstream. No one could have meshed together massive entities like the fantastic Star Wars universe, with turn-based and very nerdy, DnD-esque rules, giving us 2003's -award winning- The Knights of the Old Republic. So it's no surprise I've been eagerly anticipating Dragon Age's release. Such expectations can obviously mean a high bar of approval, but I took a deep breath, put the disc in my console of choice, and tried my best to come into the experience with an open mind and realistic expectations.

Genre: Third-person role-playing
Platforms: PC, Mac, PS3, Xbox 360. (Reviewed using PS3)
Players: 1
Rating: Mature
Developer: BioWare, Edge of Reality
Publisher: Electronic Arts

Like most games of the genre, you start your adventure by forging the protagonist. Thankfully the options are well varied. About 10-20 hair options, an assortment of eye colors, 3 races, 3 classes, and in-depth facial customization not unlike that of Oblivion's or Fight Night's character creation. I immediately tried to make the most horrendous Dwarf man I could. Once I created a face not even a mother could love, the game makes you choose your class. Being a Dwarf, magic was not available to me, so I settled with being a warrior. Dwarfs and axes go to together like pie and whipped cream, I thought. After you're finished with that, you are thrust into an exceptionally detailed background story, which is dependent on what class and race you picked. e.g. Human warrior's start off as a nobleman in their own castle, whereas Elven warriors begin as commoners in the capital city. Each origin story sets the narrative up and introduces the player to the rules of the world. The background system is also the most original implementation in the entire game. More on that later.

Make no mistake, Dragon Age is as dialog heavy as they come. Since this is the same guys who did KOTOR and Mass Effect, I'd expect nothing less. It certainly helps the immersion affect when you get to pick just how to converse with the world's inhabitants. Without being too black and white. You can still be a massive jerk if you want, or a goody two-shoes, but I thoroughly enjoyed the wider gray area presented in the dialog options. It made me feel as if my own personality could reflect my playing style and character much more. Besides, isn't that the point of an RPG? To role-play?

The Combat I have a real problem with however, you hit the attack button, and wait til either you or your adversary fall over. The game's loading screens did encourage me to set traps and strategize, but it's largely a waste of time playing on the default difficulty setting. Only on the game's few bosses, does it seem to be worth the effort. Why waste precious experience points on poison making or trap setting when I can dump it in strength and beat my opponent with just pressing the attack button? There's no real encouragement for experimentation within the battle system besides some advocating loading screens. It's a shame too, because I WANT to be a badass stealthy rogue, taking out my foes before they even know I depleted their health bar. But I can't, because it would mean crouch-walking gruelingly slowly through the various dungeons, and who wants to do that besides the most hardcore among us?

Thankfully the story telling is where Dragon Age shines magnificently. The main plot, side-quests, and character backstories, are phenomenal for gaming standards. Ultimately it's you saving the world, yeah, blah blah blah, but the way you go about that, presents so many clever twists and turns and revelations that I'll forgive the narrative. Besides, open-ended stories are kinda rare. I would've liked to of cared more about the fictional world, and all it's fictional people, but the colorful cast you'll meet along your adventures, help paint the experience. This is never more true when you listen to some of the voice acting. Which for the most part, is raw and teeming with emotion.

"So it's an RPG? Yeah we get that, but how long is it!?". Well I did a good number of side-quests, and it took me 30 hours (approx). And I'm a pretty slow player. There are 4 characters in total to have romances with, if you choose to do so. 2 men and 2 women, and depending on your relationship status with them, the ending will change accordingly. I would explain more of that, but this is a game I rather not spoil for anyone. It's a fine RPG in it's own right, but the formula is getting stale.

Rating: 4/5

Holiday 09!

Every holiday season, gamers are bombarded with so many great titles to choose from. It can all be hard to keep track of, so, here's a quick list of what's coming out this end-year. Keep in mind I only included games with solid release dates, as well as big name titles.

Ninja Gaiden: Sigma 2- Sptember 28

Dead Space Extraction- September 29

Spore Hero- October 6

Brutal Legend- October 13

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves- October 13

Borderlands- October 20

Forza 3- October 27

DJ Hero- October 27

GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony- October 29

Band Hero- November 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2- November 10

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex- November 10

Assassin’s Creed 2- November 17

Left 4 Dead 2- November 17

Tony Hawk: Ride- November 17

Dragon Age Origins- November 17

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks- December 7

Guitar Hero: Van Halen- December 22

Review: Fat Princess

Fat Princess is a PS3 exclusive downloadable game on PSN for about $15. It's an isometric RTS experience where you control only one unit on your team. Online multiplayer is the focus but there are A.I. controlled bots and a simple campaign mode for some fun and easy trophies.
The main game mode is called 'Rescue The Princess'. The objective is to rescue your princess from the enemy's base while simultaneously defending their princess in your base. It's capture the flag with a few refreshing twists and it works almost flawlessly.

Genre: Third-Person Action
Platforms: PS3 (Reviewed using PS3)
Players: 1-32
Rating: Teen
Developer: Titan Studios
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

I've already put over 10 hours into this game, so it's obvious I enjoy it, but let me start with some of the bad to get it out of the way.
There are only 8 maps, which for a $15 RTS-like game feels a tad low. however The levels are very unique and each one it's own style. Some feature lava which rises and lowers to cover certain parts of the map, some have water hazards, others have instant death cliffs. They're all equally fair to both teams because they're always mirrored.

Online however, it's hard to jump in a game. Too many network errors and 'failed to connect to host' messages bringing you back to the main menu. Once you're in a game everything is smooth, little to no lag is always welcome. I just wish there were a matchmaking and party system, that's what updates are for I suppose.

As for classes, there are 5. The Worker, the Warrior, the Ranger, the Mage and the Priest. all are balanced besides the wizard who's area attacks are a beginner's best friend. It's really annoying and unfair when you have say, 2 warriors and an archer, and the mage is constantly freezing (thus damaging) them.
Other then that they all work great, every class has it's role the player must fill for your team to succeed. Priests must be weary of their teammates health, warriors require the support of the ranged classes, workers need defenders like the warriors to gather resources. It's this rock-paper-scissors gameplay that make this title standout. Not only is it original, it works, something only a few IPs can say.

There is classic team death match and a few other game modes if capture the flag isn't your fancy. You can also semi-customize your avatar, you gain new hair colors and styles depending on your performance. A new direction Fat Princess goes in is how the class system literally functions. You don't pick a class when you die like many games today. Instead you have 'hat machines' that dispense hats that you can pick up and wear, these turn you into that class. Picking up a warrior's helmet will transform you into a warrior complete with shield and sword, also their own stats including speed and health. Grab a wizard's cap to gain a magic staff and robe, or snag a priest's ornament and start healing.

So how do these classes cooperate and what's so RTS-like about Fat Princess? Well as a worker, you collect resources such as trees and diamonds to construct castle doors, human catapults, ladders, bridges, and your base's hat machines, which when upgraded, give their respective class an alternate weapon or ability. Warriors get a spear, Priests can drain enemy's health, Mages gain ice abilities, etc. This is where teamwork becomes essential, if your team neglects resources for example, you won't have castle doors to keep the other team out of your base. Voice chat is also supported, which is a must to stay competitive.

Thankfully there is a lock-on system, and it's near perfect. Holding L1 aims your character towards the closet enemy which will also display the target's health. This can be problematic however if you are playing as a ranged character like an archer or priest, as you cannot heal or attack anyone without moving yourself near your target.

The graphics are cell-shaded and the characters all look like they would be fitting in an animal crossing title. Don't let that little detail fool you though, this game can get pretty gruesome. Bombs will go off leaving nothing left but a pool of blood and a few empty hats on the ground. It gives Fat Princess a certain charm, the game has quite the quirky sense of humor.

There is room for improvement here, but Fat Princess is well worth the $15 price tag. If you're an action fan who fancies some strategy, you'll feel right at home. Fat Princess's flaws are easy to look past and once you do that, you can enjoy a truly fresh take on video games.

Rating: 4/5

*End Notes*
PSP version announced.

Double-Take 09

Lets face it, games are expensive these days. Keeping up with new releases can cost a fortune. $60 for one game? That's just crazy, but fear not (cheap) comrades. For I have compiled a list of pushed aside titles that are ripe for the takin'.

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
Platform(s): PC, Xbox 360, Playstation 3
*1-24 Players, WW2 First Person Shooter*

Unfortunately Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway was overlooked when it first came out, but with solid reviews and fast-paced strategic gameplay, BIA continues to improve upon it's original style that paved the way for a truly unique and yet familiar FPS experience. You control your squad via easy point and click commands, issuing orders like 'take cover' and 'suppress the enemy' take only seconds to learn. Yes it's another World War 2 game, but its great story and fresh take on the shooter genre make this ride well worth it. Unlike most FPS's or even action games in general, BIA's deep character building and phenomenal voice work make you actually care for the men under your command and their plight. There are no nameless soldiers that constantly plague the average war game. BIA is a lengthy experience and at only $20 it's well worth it.


Final Fantasy XII
Platform(s): Playstation 2
*1 Player, Japanese Role Playing*

This Final Fantasy is unlike others in the series in a good way, it was done by Yasumi Matsuno. The man responsible for the spectacular FF: Tactics and Vagrant Story. You play as Va'an, a street kid who dreams of becoming a sky pirate. You end up getting intermingled with some powerful people and off you go into another great FF storyline. What's different is there are no random encounters, you choose who you want to fight and when. If you want to level up your character, you can do that. If you want to get somewhere quickly, there are no annoying battles in your way anymore. This is a natural evolutionary step for role playing games and it's just in time. One of my biggest gripes with older FF titles was being forced to waste time, fighting laughably weak enemies I didn't want to fight in the first place. Not anymore though, oh no sir, this game addressed numerous problems that have kept past RPGs back, and at only $12, it's a must-have.


Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection
Platform(s): Playstation 2
*1 Player, Third Person Stealth Shooter*

Metal Gear and the Metal Gear Solid series has been going strong for over 20 years now, why not catch up with the best MGS collectors package to date? At only $30 for three of the biggest games of the PS2 era, this collection is a great deal.
One of the coolest features here, is the included Metal Gear Solid 2 which is actually the revamped MGS 2 substance, and Metal Gear 3 is the updated MGS 3 Subsistence. Sadly, MGS 3's multiplayer is not included and you must have an original PS1 memory card to save MGS 1, even though the disc is PS2 formatted. Which is just plain regrettable on Konami's part.


Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
Platform(s): Xbox 360, Playstation 3
*1-16 Players, Third Person Action Adventure*

One of the first, and best, Xbox 360 games is now only $10. Lost Planet is an amazingly cool single-player adventure with 16 player multiplayer to boot. I haven't seen snow so realistically rendered, whether you're trudging through it on foot or in one of the many battle mechs, its fluffiness will entice Floridian and Canadian gamers alike. Featuring 11 single player missions and countless online opponents to face, you'll rarely put Lost Planet back into it's case once you start playing.


Other Mentions with Listings...

$10-Far Cry
$10-Resident Evil 4
$10-Dragon Quest VIII
$15-Mass Effect
$15-Dark Cloud 2
$15-Blue Dragon
$15-Devil May Cry 4
$15-Kingdom Hearts 2
$18-Skate
$20-Chrono Trigger
$20-Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
$20-Army Of Two
$20-Assassin's Creed
$20-The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Game of the Year Edition)
$20-Ninja Gaiden 2
$20-Burnout: Paradise
$20-Battlefield: Bad Company

It's not a budget title, it's not even technically a game, but Valve's complete pack is a one time fee of $100 which gives you every game they've ever made. This includes an insane amount of titles like Half-Life 1, 2, all the expansion packs, Left for Dead, Day of Defeat, Day of Defeat Source, Counter Strike, Counter Strike Source, Portal, Team Fortress, Team Fortress 2, and more. If you're a PC gamer, there really is no excuse to pass this up.

$100-Valve Complete Pack