Spore | PC Review

Platform: PC/Mac
Genre: Adventure/RTS/Simulation
US Release Date: September 7, 2008
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ (Animated Blood, Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence)
Developer: Maxis
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Number of Players: 1
Copy Protection: Yes
System Requirements

The Good

• The concept is astounding. You start as a cell creature, in the aptly named Cell Stage, where you gobble up smaller cells to become larger. You eventually become a land (or air) animal, and venture through jungles in Creature Stage. Following that is Tribal Stage, where you form small villages, hunt for food, etc. And in the penultimate Civilization Stage you must conquer (or unite, through religion) surrounding civilations in a Real Time Strategy environment. You then move on to Space Stage, where the universe is your sand box, and you can do whatever you desire, whether it be visit planets, encountering UFOs or aliens, to inhabiting your own solar system. Overall superb concept.
• The Creature Creator (what you use to create your mystic beings, buildings, boats, cars, and spaceships) is amazing as well. There are infinite combinations, and no two creations look alike.
• Online integration is quite good. You have the ability to view, comment on, and download a fellow player's creature, building, and vehicle creations. And you also have the ability to share your own, which is very easy to do and user friendly.
• The graphics are very fresh, with a unique design to them. Very crisp (on higher end systems), bright, and vibrant. 

The Bad

• With such a good concept, one would think good gameplay could follow suit. Unfortunate this is where Spore falls behind. Gameplay within stages gets quite repetitive, and what is being repeated isn't really all that fun. In cell stage, pretty much all you do is move around clicking the mouse button to eat things. In Creature Stage you do much of the same. Walk around, kill (or converse with) enemies, eat food, repeat. It doesn't get interesting until you hit Civilization Stage, which in turn becomes monotonous after you take over a few towns. But, the player is rewarded in Space Stage, when, or if, you happen to get past the boring journey.
• Some online multiplayer elements would have been excelent. Creature vs. creature capture the flag sounds like a great time.
• This wasn't as much as an issue with me, but the game does have DRM so that you can only install it on a few computers. I didn't mind, but some people might.
• As with many upcoming PC titles, you will need a hefty machine to unlock the full potential that Spore's visuals have. 

The Verdict - Try It. If you are very imaginative, and like creating things, Spore is your game; buy it. But, if you are looking for an in depth game with good gameplay and replay value, I would skip this one.

System Requirements
PC (Windows XP or Vista) / Mac OSX 10.5.3+
CPU: 2.0GHz P4 Processor / Intel Core Duo Processor
RAM: 512MB-1024MB RAM
HARD DRIVE: 4GB for game install, 1GB for creations.
VIDEO: 128MB Video card with Pixel Shader 2.0

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Grand Theft Auto IV | PS3 Review

Platforms: PS3 (Xbox 360, PC)
Genre: Third Person Action
US Release Date: April 29, 2008
ESRB Rating: M (Intense Violence, Blood, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Partial Nudity, Drugs and Alcohol)
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Number of Players: 1 (Up to 16 Online)
Trophy Support: Yes. View Trophy List
Hard Drive Space Needed: At least 3.5 GB

The Good

• The story is great, engaging, and deep. You play as illegal immigrant Niko Bellic whom has come to Liberty City (A pseudo New York) with hopes to pursue the American Dream. You perform criminal acts for various acquaintances and move up the social ladder. Throughout the game Niko is confronted with moral issues, and his character often comes into question. Very unique story.
• As per normal with the Grand Theft Auto series, number IV has fantastic voice acting, as well as cinematics for each mission. Dialogue is well written, and hilarious. Radio DJs, in particular, are my favorite.
• Comparatively, the game's graphics are great. With it being a free-roaming game, you expect sub-par visuals, but GTA4 does not disappoint. Liberty City itself is beautiful. Buildings are crisp, city inhabitants are all unique - no repeats, and cars look awesome.
• Gameplay is essentially the same as previous GTA's, but drastically improved in the arena of realism. Cars drive better, running is more realistic, a cover system was implemented, and the killings of people are more visually pleasing.
• Finally Rockstar added multiplayer in this iteration. With 15 game modes, a ranking system, and up to 16 players, it is quite fun. 
• Music, as always, was superb in this GTA, with over 18 radio stations. 
• Relationships were a welcome addition. You could schedule meetings with friends, or girlfriends, to play games, or go see a comedy show.
• The game has amazing replay value, with a 30-40 hour campaign, multiplayer, and the sheer open-ness of the world.

The Bad

• Some missions in the game can get quite frustrating, and are often drastically unbalanced when compared to other missions in the game.
• There is no checkpoint system. If you fail to complete a mission, or die during a mission, you have to start at the very beginning of that mission. Very annoying when performing lengthy tasks.
• There is significantly less content when compared to the previous game in the series, San Andreas. This isn't too much of a big deal, but more character customization options, vehicles, weapons and activities (like arcade games) would have been nice.
• The cover system was often an issue, with difficulty finding a cover point, or moving from that point.
• PS3 users unfortunately do not get the DLC expansion packs that Xbox 360 users get. Which is quite ridiculous.

The Verdict - MUST BUY. Often considered as the best game of this generation of consoles, Grand Theft Auto IV is the epitome of the gaming medium. 

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Gran Turismo 5 Prologue | PS3 Review

Gran Turismo
Platforms: PS3, PSN
Genre: Racing Simulation
US Release Date: April 15, 2008
ESRB Rating: E (Mild Suggestive Themes)
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Number of Players: 1-2 (Up to 16 online)
Trophy Support: No
Hard Drive Space Needed: Around 5GB

The Good

• The visuals in Prologue are stunning. Cars are virtually flawless by design. Environments are beautifully done, and lighting is amazing. One of the best looking games on the PS3, and best looking racing game I have ever seen.
  
• For racing simulation fans, the gameplay is solid. Very realistic. Has a good balance between ultra-realism and playability.
• Has online play, which many Gran Turismo fans have been waiting for.
• Vehicle upgrades are done well. There are plenty of options, but it is not too overwhelming.
• Menus in the game are great, easy to maneuver through, and easy on the eyes. Music while in these menus is also very good.
• Supports all PS3 compatible racing wheel peripherals.

The Bad

• Though Prologue has added many features, it is lacking one major thing that all Gran Turismo's before have lacked: damage. Hopefully to be introduced in the full version of Gran Turismo 5, damage modeling is not apparent in Prologue.
• Unfortunately this game is in spirit a glorified demo. It has only 60 cars, and few tracks. It's only a taste of what GT5 will be.
• Online play, though included, is not what it could have been. It is way too easy for competing drivers to mess you up, thus basically pulling you out of the race. It needed to be based on time trials, akin to Trackmania United.
• The game may be a little too realistic for some fans new to the series. It is by no means a thrilling, fast paced game. It is first and foremost a driving simulation.

The Verdict - Buy it.  Though it is essentially a demo, at the  Greatest Hits price of $29.99, Prologue is a worthy addition to any racing fan's collection. 

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Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 | PS3 Review

Rainbow Six
Platforms: PS3 (Xbox 360, PC)
Genre: First Person Shooter
US Release: March 18, 2008
ESRB Rating: M (Blood, Intense Violence, Strong Language)
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Number of Players: 1-2 (Up to 16 Online)
Trophy Support: No
Hard Drive Space Needed: At least 3 GB

The Good

• The story is decent. You are in the elite counter-terrorist group Rainbow Six, and you must once again go to Las Vegas to eliminate the terrorist threat.
• Online play is very deep. Many modes, maps, weapons, and a great upgrade and level system, which in fact coincides with your single player campaign. So all the experience you earn solo combines with your multiplayer experience. Which is a fantastic feature.
• Voice acting is above average.
• Gameplay is typical, and not much different than any other shooter, but Vegas 2 does have a solid cover system as well.
• Entire two player Co-op campaign is included, and is great fun.
• The atmosphere is great. You would never think of a shooter in Vegas, so it is quite a refreshing environment.

The Bad

• Vegas 2 runs in at an around 7 hour playthrough. Which is quite short.
• Multiplayer is incredibly laggy. Many a shot was missed due to dying at odd times as the result of massive lag spikes, as well as various bugs and glitches. Very poorly executed, though full featured, multiplayer.
• The graphics were quite lackluster. Though an improvement from the previous Vegas, I thought they were merely average.
• Objectives you have throughout the game are really repetitive, and usually don't have any meaning. This makes for a boring campaign.
• Your team mates can get quite annoying. At times they do nothing, and then they will clear out a whole room of enemies without you taking a shot. Very inconsistent.

The Verdict - Rent It. If you are a fan of the Rainbow Six games, I would say this is a worthy buy. But if you are choosing between this and another next-gen shooter, give this one a rent to see if you like it.

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