Mists of Pandaria (MoP), Blizzard’s latest expansion to World of Warcraft (WoW) is astronomical. They have launched expansions like this before, but this one seems to be bigger and better than ever. This being said despite the flack that Blizzard got for the central theme and it’s comparison to Kung Fu Panda. On one end of the new expansion you have level one, with a new starting area and a new race. On the other end of the spectrum Blizzard has really raised the bar with a level cap increase and an enormous amount of high-end and end-game zones. Given this, it is best two look at the expansion from two perspectives, and rate them separately. Let’s take a look at the new player experience.

Making the rounds from the bottom level

WoW is, not by any stretch of the imagination, a bad game. It does a lot of things very, very well. Sadly, many of these things are focused on getting players to that level cap as quickly as possible so that they can begin the end-game content. With eight years of reigning supreme in the MMORPG world, it is not all that surprising that WoW would be concentrating its focus on its loyal subscriber base. As a result, it doesn’t always feel very inviting for new players. This is demonstrated by the fact that you need to purchase the base game and all previous expansions, and then purchase an MoP key in order to access the MoP content.

The early-level Pandaren content also doesn’t really add very much to the new player experience. Although the Wandering Isle itself is beautiful, it gives players a dose of WoW’s many irritations early on. Every task needs repeating slightly too many times, is just an example. Still, the story arc that leads you through the Wandering Isle does a good job of setting up the importance, and purpose, behind Pandaren and it introduces both the Horde and Alliance as worthy partners for the new race. But once the Horde and Alliance are introduced, that’s it. The jig is up. Right around level 11 or 12, you depart Wandering Isle, never to see it again, and head straight into the familiar content we all know and love (or loathe).

In the end, I ended running through the low-level content after Panderan the same way I always did. I go through the motions of completing quests, unsure of why I am doing things, only keeping my eye on that prize of the next level.

Graphically, WoW still manages to look decent despite its age. Compared to other expansions and the world of Azeroth in general, the starting realm of Pandaria has the best detailed environments to date. The attention to detail gives Pandaria a very exotic feel and does quite an outstanding job of creating a sense of intrigue and amazement and the desire to explore. Something I haven’t felt since my early days with the game. On the sound design side, there’s a myriad of appropriate music that creates a unique feel for the new continent. There seems to be more cut-scenes and voice acting in the beginning stages, which is welcome as I became a big fan of it in another MMORPG launched around this time last year.

For this new starting content, I give MoP 3.5 stars out of 5. While I enjoyed the Wandering Isle content, it felt like there wasn’t enough of it and once you’re done it’s all about the familiar, redundant and old.

GoldenEye 64 was my absolute favorite game when I was teenager. Last year, we were delivered GolderEye: Reloaded which, in my humble opinion, was a great reboot of the franchise as it was the best James Bond games since the original GoldenEye. And then this year, we get this… well I am not quite sure where I land on calling this an actual game.

First off, the idea of the game is spot on. Poor execution is what’s to blame for this catastrophe. Here’s the low-down on the single player mode. We start in a scene from the upcoming Skyfall. Daniel Craig’s version of 007 is mistakenly shot by a sniper as he is in combat with an enemy on the roof the moving train. Bond then falls into a river below them, and he has the all too common “life flashing before your eyes” event. He flashes back into 5 of his previous assignments, each of which serve as the five different missions in the game.

The assignments are taken from Goldfinger, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, License to Kill, Die Another Day and Moonraker. There will be a sixth mission based on Skyfall that is set to be released as free DLC (presumably after the film’s release). Now this idea in and of itself is great, even if the campaigns are portrayed out of chronological order. However, each mission, instead of being in its time period, is set in modern day since it is Daniel Craig’s Bond replacing the great Connery and others. But even with that being the case, it still feels odd watching Goldfinger’s henchmen fly out of the ejector seat in a modern Aston Martin.
The whole game just feels out of sorts. While there some experiences in the game that feel faithful to the original, such as the infamous scene from Goldfinger where Bond has a laser working its way towards his private pouch of gold, for the gist of it 007 Legends is hardly a true Bond experience, and is not what I thought would serve as a great homage to the series’ proud heritage. Honestly, this really shouts more Call of Duty than Bond, as there are so many concepts and mechanisms that are taken directly from Activision’s other series.

It unfortunately doesn’t even do a mediocre job of copying from the Call of Duty series. The game is boring. There is nothing memorable about the surroundings and backdrops and all of the missions are essentially the same. There’s no variety that brings it to life, and as I said before, it doesn’t feel like a true Bond experience in the same manner that GoldenEye did.

They’ve also added stealth to the game, which is its biggest failure by far. As with any other game, you can move silently while crouched down and take your enemies down. But that’s where the ease of this feature ends. Here’s how my first experience with stealth went. “Look, I just killed this dude, now it’s time to move his body out from the open so it cannot be discovered. Wait… where’s my ‘pick up body’ choice?” That’s right folks, it’s not there. Oh ho ho, and if you get caught… good luck surviving the rush of every enemy in the area and the firefight that brings on. This wouldn’t be too bad if you had a choice between stealth or “guns-a-blazing”, but you don’t. There are mandatory stealth sections in the game. And in these areas, it’s instant mission failure if you are spotted.
Let’s not forget the over complicated upgrade system, which I still haven’t figured out. The idea is that you can purchase upgrades at any time during the game, but you can only equip equipment upgrades at supply crates scattered through the levels. I bought a laser sight to attach to my pistol. When I got to the supply crate, it didn’t show it as part of my available attachments, despite it being showed as purchased in the store. So I thought, “let me try to purchase something through the supply crate and see how that works.” I only ended up with the same results. So I have just stuck with upgrading my attributes instead purchasing equipment upgrades.
The only good thing about 007 Legends, and I am sure (hoping) that many will agree is the multiplayer. While the player count was cut down to 12 from the 16 supported in last year’s GoldenEye reloaded, it’s the four-player split-screen mode that makes the game winning play. But this is only because this style of multiplayer (same-screen) has become so rare in modern gaming. This is perfect for me as I prefer to trash talk my friends from across the room, rather than through a headset.
Then there’s the yet unplayed Skyfall mission DLC. It’s important to note that this isn’t just an optional extra. It’s actually the end of the game. If you play through the five available missions right now, you finish Moonraker and immediately move to game credits. One can only make an assumption, but it looks like the Skyfall mission was not delivered with the released product so that the movie is not spoiled. Well, they’ve already destroyed five old movies, what’s sixth new one while they are at it.

The Final Say
Eurocom was not able to capture the greatness that they presented in GoldenEye: Reloaded and put into 007 Legends. This movie was supposed to be a tribute to the history of the dashing spy, but it fails in many aspects. It’s really too bad. The film versions have been at their greatest level since the Connery days (in my opinion), how come we can’t have the games coincide with the movies to make a complete franchise success? If you have GoldenEye: Reloaded, just stick with that one as you will not be missing much with 007 Legends. If you don’t have it… buy that one. It’s cheaper and will leave more money in your pocket for Black Ops II, which releases in a few short weeks.

Medal of Honor: Warfighter is the latest combat simulation from Electronic Arts and combines a deep and action-packed storyline with cutting-edge graphics.
Based on the Frostbite 2 engine which power last year’s Battlefield 3, the game is extremely impressive looking.

For this review I use the PC version of the game and I did have a few issues on launch day primarily the inability to connect to a multiplayer game or have one launch without crashing or locking up. This issue was quickly addressed a little over a day later with a patch which allowed me to connect online and play several multi-play games without incident.

Told the series of flashbacks, players will fight through various international hotspots ranging from Pakistan to Somalia with the latest weaponry available.
One mission required me to come ashore off Somalia with my team fight my way to a strategic location eventually pinpointing it with a laser to: the big guns. Another mission had me go through a terrorist training regiment complete with storming an airliner mockup.

The biggest issue for me was that I had a hard time really getting into the character as he much like my fellow team members for too often came across as anonymous grunts and did not really earn any compassion or sympathy from me toward their ultimate fate. Too often I found myself simply wanting to stay alive to complete the mission and see what is next rather than any compassion for my character or their companions.

The plot while engaging didn’t grab me and let go as much as I wanted it to. The game certainly has a lot going for it from the graphics and gameplay, I just wish that the bugs could have been worked out prior to launch because they honestly were deterrent to me during several parts of the game.

While the graphics and setting or solid, I did struggle with the Origin system, as I still find it a bit laborious and cumbersome when starting a game or attempting to find an online game. The game does allow for rankings and leveling and there is a solid amount of customization available.

The multiplayer experience for me was very rewarding as once we resolved the connectivity issues, being able to become part of a fire team was very rewarding. The different classes such as snipers, assault, etc. allow gamers to find a style of play that best suits them but also to experiment with different styles and weaponry. Fighting to take and maintain strategic points in a Philippine village as well as a Eastern European Stadium were definitely high points. On one hand I had to use the camouflage of the jungle and village to advance all the while being mindful of open spaces less any enemy sniper decide to make an example of me.
The nighttime setting of the Stadium worked exceptionally well but the shadows also provided ample areas for the bad guys to get a drop on you.
Suffice it to say for me the online experience was the real high point of the game for me as with numerous options the game as high replay value in this area.

While the grain graphically looked good, I did have issues with the control system even when I customize my controls, I did it time had issues with things such as grenades throwing on their own. A remap the keys did help alleviate this problem and allowed me to have a better gameplay experience.
The scope of the game is extremely ambitious and the team is to be commended for not doing just another run and gun shooter. The enemy A. I. did leave a lot to be desired as they far too often just lined up in charge blindly toward me. Adjusting the difficulty setting did help slightly but with a minimal amount of strategy they often one down fairly easily.

This is not to say that the game is a bad game by any means, as I’m sure that by the time a few more patches are applied to it it will be one solid game.
As it stands now it’s a fun game in need of some polish that could have been a true classic with a little more development time.

3 stars out of 5

FIFA Soccer 13 captures all the action, skill, and spectacle of the most popular game in the world. While it is known as “Football”, to the majority of the world, Soccer has been making tremendous inroads in popularity in North America in no small part to the growth of professionally as well as exhibition matches, World Cup, and other telecasts which are becoming more and more prevalent.

I myself played soccer up through high school, but like many young players once I got to college my athletic direction was steered toward baseball and basketball. As such I have a tremendous appreciation for the skills and discipline needed for the game but must admit that I do most of my viewing of the sport during the Olympics and World Cup.
That being said, I was tremendously excited to get my hands on the game and I can certainly see why it won so many awards at E3 and other exposed prior to its release. I was absolutely blown away with what I saw during our time at E3 as well as what I saw at PAX Prime, but nothing compares to the hands-on action of the game.
One of the things that really impressed me was the A.I. of the game which allowed me a greater level of strategy than I had ever had in a previous soccer game as I had analyze defenses and find ways to break them down. This could be done by using precision dribbling which allowed me a true 360° of mobility allowing you to fake an attack and then deftly move the ball to another player in an attempt to pull a defender out of position and open up the passing or shooting lane.
Naturally like in the real game, quality passes are ideal as poor passes are difficult to control which will allow defenders time to get into position or to scoop up errant passes. The touch control system of the game factors in such elements as velocity trajectory and defense which puts greater emphasis on perfect passing. Too many games just place the ball any general area and allow the player to run to it. FIFA 13 puts the onus on skill, requiring players to think rather than simply pushbuttons and kick in the general direction of their teammates.
Now naturally when players are fighting for a ball, contact will occur. The game employs a player impact engine which will allow players to use their body to win possessions and maneuver opponents. Thus players with size and strength will have an advantage. Players must be careful not to be too aggressive as penalties are part of the game and as such free kicks can happen which allow players to position up to three attacking players in an attempt to confuse the opponent.

Naturally things such as dribbling, passing, corner kicks, curving the ball, etc., are going to take some time to learn. As such, FIFA 13 offers a skill mode to become a better player which also allows players to compete against their friends over 32 mini games to enhance their skills.

Players who want an ultimate experience will want to take advantage of the career mode where they can play for manage a team through a whole gamut of schedules including Friendly’s, qualifiers, and international tournaments. The game is so advanced you can even get rid of your manager midseason if you wish to add to the drama of the league.

There are numerous modes as well ranging from football clubs, match day, FIFA Ultimate Team, season, pro clubs, and more as the game features 30 leagues 500 officially licensed clubs, and more than 15,000 players.

So now that we’ve gone over the nuts and bolts of what’s included in the game, it’s important to answer the big question, how does it play?
From my experience the game was close to the actual soccer as one can get without actually lacing up the cleats and taking the pitch. The new ability to either dink or loft a pass was very nice touch and the game is visually spectacular.

I understand that there are hard core fans out there that may find issues to complain about in the game. My big issues for that the defenders did seem to be faster than the offense of players throughout the game, and there were at times little glitches that popped up now and again.

To me this is minor as this will likely be addressed with updates, but the sheer volume of options the game allows combined with the, stunning graphics and updated control and passing system, as well as numerous team and career options makes this an outstanding achievement in soccer simulations and a must own for fans of the game everywhere.
4.5/5

Gearbox Software and 2K Games have teamed up once again to create a new gaming classic in Borderlands 2. The game is the rare sequel that actually improves upon the original in almost every way. For those who are not familiar with the game, it is set on the world of Pandora I don’t like James Cameron’s “Avatar”, this Pandora is a savage frontier planet with hostile bandits comprising the largest percentage of the population.

An opening narration updates players on what is happened in the land since the conclusion of the previous game. The aftermath of the opening of the Vault, has caused a rare and valuable element to spread across the planet. This is attracted the Hyperion Corporation to Pandora with the stated intent of cleaning up the lawless land as well as making quite a profit for themselves from the harvesting of this valuable material.

Mixing elements of a team-based first-person shooter as well as a role-playing game, players get to select one of four characters to face the numerous dangers that lay ahead. There is the Gunzerker named Salvador, a massive figure who wields all manner of weaponry but deadly skill and includes dual wield abilities.

There is also a Siren named Maya who has several psychic abilities at her disposal as well as being quite good with weaponry. The remaining two characters are a commando named Axton and an assassin named Zer0 was quite deadly with various sniper and pistol weapons.
The opening cinematic sets the stage as the team is taking on a hover train runs afoul of the villain Handsome Jack.

Playing solo to start as Salvador, I found myself in frozen tundra with only a robotic Claptrap to keep me company. My robotic sidekick divided a running narrative as well as some comic relief to the action and also worked well as a guide during my initial missions. From hunting dangerous wildlife to taking on dance of marauders I was instantly captivated by the immersive theme that blended elements of Mad Max with the science-fiction Western theme. The extremely impressive soundtrack even included the twangy Western themed music that made me feel like a gun toting cowboy when taken on the enemies the game through at me.

As the game unfolds the RPG elements of trading, crafting, then in some cases bartering comes in to play. The original game had over 10 million different weapon combinations and we were told prior to release of the game that over 17 1/2 million different combinations are possible in Borderlands 2.
One of the real choice but challenges the game is selecting the weaponry that works best for you and your style of play. Do you want rapid-fire weaponry that does not do as much damage at first but has a high rate of fire, or do you want something with a slower rate of fire and frequent reloads that has incredible stopping power? You can also be very creative and unleash incendiary weaponry on your opponents or use things such as destructive barrels and grenades. The great thing is that you will have no shortage of options at any time. In fact the only shortage I ran into was ammunition but thankfully you’re able to purchase or salvage ammunition throughout the game.

One of my biggest frustrations with the original game was that I found it very hard to get myself immersed in the story. The game offers a great co-op ability Reagan have friends or other people from online joining the adventures with you. That being said I found myself replaying the same levels over and over, or having to join up with players who were much further along in the story which made it difficult for me to get any continuity.
This time out, players have the options to skip over to their groups point in the story and then return to their previous place, jump over it entirely, or choose to remain at their current story level and wait until others join them in their current place.
At first I found it a little tricky finding someone to join in my online experience and this led to my only real frustration with the game as I found that I’d lost progress in my gameplay. I’d encountered the boss that was a particular challenge and I found myself outgun for the task at hand. I attempted to locate some assistance and dispatching him and when I was unable to do so I found myself at a point in the story roughly 30 min. before where I originally was. The game uses a checkpoint save system in the form of a resurrection where when death is encountered, you’ll respond that the nearest check station that you had automatically been registered at. While I would prefer to be able to save my game at any point, this is at least an acceptable way to keep you fairly close to where you were at the time of death. The developers also give players a chance to fight for their life by dispatching an enemy while they’re dying in order to gain a second wind and continue the fight.
With a mix of body armor and personal shielding, as well as my impressive array of weaponry I was able to put up quite a fight but I would strongly suggest that players take advantage of the company of other players is going Lone Wolf definitely is a challenge.

Graphically the game shines as it uses the same cell style animation that gave the first game such unique and distinctive visual style. What really impressed me was the extremely smooth gameplay and frantic mix of action and humor which drew me in and never let me go. I’m not one for micromanagement so the notion of having to deal with side question inventory management isn’t always a top priority for me. In Borderlands 2, I was able to find my comfort level as I took additional quest when I needed funds, and I was able to trade up or drop items from inventory that were not of use to me. Oftentimes I would acquire a large weapon and finding combat that it did not meet my style of play. Being able to sell the weapon or drop it when I came upon a new one allowed me maximum flexibility as well as the joy of discovering the pros and cons of the numerous weapons I encountered.

The enemy A.I. was solid as some enemy stayed in character and maniacally charged right at me, while others did attempt to take cover and even lays traps. I highly recommend taking advantage some of the covers specifically cargo carriers which are early in the game allowed me to take down a pack of creatures as I was able to fire out of the container and they were not able to get in.

The soundtrack of the game is also a real hit as not only is there great musical accompaniment to the action but there is plenty of humorous banter and other standout moments from the conversations and dialogue that pop up throughout the game as well as the extremely impressive sound effects. On more than one occasion had to be careful to continue fighting instead of listening to what was being said by my opponents.

The control system in the game was very well designed, and I was able to customize the controls in the PC version of the game without any problems to my ideal configuration.

It is clear that the developers put a lot of time and effort into the game as well as listen to the feedback given to them from players of the first game. Outside of the saved game issue I encountered early in my gameplay, there was absolutely nothing about the game that I could find any type of fault in. I am eagerly looking forward to being able to play with staffers and friends as well as experience the game from the perspective of one of the other characters.

I will not spoil the remainder of the game but suffice to say there are plenty of surprises along the way and the game is without a doubt one most enjoyable gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time as well as a solid contender for our Game of the Year award.

5 stars out of 5

The Sims is been a very popular and enduring franchise for E.A With three games in the series and several expansion packs for the series I am constantly amazed at the amount of new content that is made available.

The latest in the series, The Sims 3 Supernatural arrives just in time for Halloween I not only provides some fantastic new features but also provides tons of holiday themed options. Set in the town of Moonlight Falls, The first time players can play as supernatural characters which run the gamut from werewolves, vampires, wizards, witches, and other things that go bump in the night. Players not only get to have the look of their favorite supernatural characters but they also gain the ability to have traits, abilities, and interactions appropriate to their characters.

For example, wizards can learn to craft potions and elixirs, cast spells, or unleash these on the vacation spell. Which is on the other hand can zoom around on their broomsticks or converse with her magic mirrors.

Those are just a few would’ve countless examples that are available to players. One of my favorites is being able to deck out the Sims home in a very Gothic setting complete with the secret, sliding bookcase and hidden lair.

There’s some really clever touches like the Gypsy Caravan and skeletal maid Bonehilda which provides a lot of fun to the gameplay scenarios.

The graphics in game are sharp and if you are a fan of the series, you will know what to expect from the interface and gameplay. You will need to own a copy of The Sims 3 in order to play, but for hours of fun the entire family can enjoy. You will want to check this out.

5/5

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By Ben Reuter

Looking at what Tony Hawk has become today it can be hard to remember the original game kickflipped sports video games and paved the way for what is now known as “extreme sports games.” Without Tony Hawk Pro Skater’s attention to combo building and over the top tricks we probably wouldn’t have SSX among other classics.

At last, Activision is taking a step back and revisiting the Tony Hawk franchise after Tony Hawk: Ride’s crashing failure. They are going back to the beginning and giving it an HD overhaul while they are at it.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD takes the best of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1, 2 and ties them into an almost complete package.

The gameplay you remember is still killer good. Can you remember your perfect run on Warehouse where you were nailing each trick, keeping that combo rolling and collected S-K-A-T-E? If you’re fingers aren’t too rusty you’ll be back at it in no time. If you are looking to relive these simple pleasure of a long gone era of gaming, this will be enough for you.

Activision in some respects didn’t go as all out as they should have. Major errors would include the removal of the custom park editor. It seems like a no brainer. I want to see my friend’s rad skate park and then go from that to skating in a park created by Tony Hawk himself. This is a glaring exception.

In fact, customization has become a huge part of gaming today. It gives players a sense of identity in the online world. Back in the late-90’s, the most we had was a character creator. Which is also absent from the HD remake. But you can skate as your Xbox Avatar…

A few other minor exclusion would be a few tracks here and there from THPS 1 and 2. Also, a few old school skaters have been replaced with more modern skaters. Though, for the most part your ska-rose-tinted-glasses should stay intact.

Activision did include an online multiplayer mode that is entertaining, but doesn’t make up for the lack of split screen fun. The multiplayer is simple and it all takes place online. Graffiti and Trick Attack return and the new mode added is Big Head Elimination. It’s quite silly in its execution. Players need to string together tricks in order to deflate their skater’s inflating head. Can’t keep up with your skater and POP! It’s frantic and a refreshing take on a head-to-head trick-off.

While THPSHD my not offer the overhaul of features we expect from a remake it still remains as fun as it was in the 90s. This is more of a testament to its buttery smooth control and approachable learning curve the original game established. Activision should have done more with this classic and it’s a shame some of the features left out may come as DLC. THPSHD serves more as a greatest hits collection from previous Tony Hawk games, but not as a true HD remake of the classic series.

3 out of 5

Retro Replay
SNK PlayMore has released two more retro games into their lineup: Gang Wars and Time Soldiers. These have been released as PlayStation Minis titles on PSP (also compatible with PS3). These games can be found in the “New Releases” category and the “SNK NeoGeo” featured publishers page on the PSN. These are two titles that were available on the immensely popular NeoGeo arcade machines found across America in the 80s and 90s. Both of these games hail from the former decade.

Gang Wars:
In this title, you play as Mike as he battles his way through several of the “seedier” parts of New York City against a gang known as The Jaguar. These gang members have been terrorizing the city and have kidnapped a pretty young woman named Cynthia.
The beauty part of games that hailed from this generation is exactly what I just did: being able to describe the game in two sentences and have a clear understanding what it is about. There was no convoluted plot, or twists and turns. Your objective was clear and precise, and there was no messing around.

Having played through this game now, when the last time I attempted to play was over 15 years ago, I do have a bit of appreciation for the nostalgia games. And as much fun as I had reminiscing, it is a very repetitive game. You just punch and kick your way through baddies and each level they get a little bit harder. There are weapons you can pick up here and there, but forget about trying to jump with them in hand. And once you get hit once, you lose it (it was nearly impossible to keep a weapon during any of the boss fights). Overall, though, it was nice to relive a bit of my childhood in this game. Definitely worth the purchase if you like simple time-killing games.

Time Soldiers:

In this title, is a vertical scrolling shooter in which you travel through time to rescue captured and fallen comrades all the while trying to restore peace the galaxy.
This one I could do in one sentence.

I never played this one as a child, but I found it to be very frustrating. It was difficult to figure out to turn your character to aim in a different direction. My first round playing I became irritated when an enemy would end up on my side and I couldn’t figure out how to turn and shoot him. I will save many of you the time and let you know that R1 and L1 turn your character. Given that this is an update of an old classic, I never would have thought to use these buttons to do anything.

Both the games were fun to play (once you got past the irritation in Time Soldiers), but something was missing and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Then I realized… half the fun of playing these games was trying to service as long as you could on that one or two quarters you had to feed in the machine. With both of these titles, simply tapping Triangle would add credits to your tab and so it takes all the suspense and excitement out of the game.

Bottom line: While the look and feel of these games is not up there with other retro games such as Metal Slug or King of Fighters, they will probably be worth a little play for nostalgia buffs. Or if we ever want to show our children what we were playing when we were there age.

By Ben Rueter.

There is a slew of table top and miniature set RPGs out there and all of them seem to eventually be adapted into a video game. Cyanide’s Confrontation is a another entry in the top down perspective RPG games but it doesn’t offer anything unique to keep the experience fresh for RPG fans. Everything here you can find in Baldur’s Gate or Diablo 3.

With a game titled Confrontation you can believe the focus is on the action and not much else, which happens to be one of the main problems with the game. The story is rather dry and names and location are filled with so many vowels it’s like reading fantasy alphabet soup. The world of Aarklash doesn’t really have much character and this spreads to the game design. For new players entering into this vast world it’s a bit jarring. It’s obvious this is a deep world but as a newcomer to Aarklash you are not eased into it very gracefully.

Players choose from four characters with 12 possible classes. Your team have names and back stories, but after playing the game long enough their individuality is lost and they become a vessel for better stats for better loot. This seems like a missed opportunity to establish some connection with the character and further more the world you are interacting with.

Having said that, the limited character development can be overlooked if you are in it strictly for the RPG/RTS gameplay. Once you ignore the plot and characters and see Confrontation as a stripped down RTS the game offers some limited enjoyment. You have your choice of ranged and close combat characters in your party of four. While it’s not very deep or does anything new it has a few thrills. When the action gets too heavy you have the option to pause the game and decide how to use your skills or plan a new course of action in the downtime.

Don’t expect a high level of strategy though mainly due to the game’s flaws. Path finding is terrible in Confrontation. For a game that relies on strategy, players need to be able to expect characters to be where they should be which makes microing easier. It makes the strategy more like you are battling the game mechanics rather than your enemies. The rewards and loot make your struggles anything but climatic. There is not a big pay off for the player’s struggle, which makes the combat frustrating at times. Add in the awful path finding and you will lose interest quickly.

The graphics are dated to say the least. There is no reason to pause for a moment and marvel at the location and art. Everything is very trite to your characters and action. Especially when it comes to the cut scenes. Major story elements are told through standstill frames with special effects and limited movement. The character models don’t seem to be integrated into the world around them and disconnects you with the world even further. Graphics and art design should have been pushed further given that this is an established world from the table top game. More risks with the art would at least give Confrontation a sense of style and marketability in the heap of fantasy RPGs and RTSs.

There is also simple multiplayer mode that pits two teams of four against each other. It’s nothing worth your time, in fact no one is really playing it unless you have a group of friends you plan to play with. Competitive play is non-existent simply because there is no community to embrace it.

Confrontation just doesn’t have the punch to keep interest levels high and it’s hard to give this game a recommendation to people who aren’t fans of the tabletop game. Confrontation feels like a game for the fans and it stays firmly in the land of the mediocre for everyone else. It doesn’t do anything with the genre and what’s there isn’t too inspired when it comes to fantasy storytelling and action. Even if you are a fan I would think that you maybe looking for some more depth and higher production values. Regardless, Confrontation doesn’t do a whole lot wrong but it’s hard to think of a reason why players should pick this game up at full price when there are better click-fest RPGs out there more worthy of your cash.

2/5

I have a long history with this franchise, but when you really think about it, what respectable PC gamer doesn’t? I was an avid player of video games in my youth, but when Diablo was introduced into my life, I began the long journey to become the gamer that I am today. And Diablo III is a great addition to the franchise. It offers gameplay for the many different styles of gamers out there. Despite its rough launch, it has surpassed all sales records for the PC.

For all intents and purposes, Diablo III plays just like Diablo and Diablo 2. However they have thrown in a more diverse skill system so long as you know how to manipulate it, which with one minor change in the settings really isn’t that hard to do. But overall, this is still the same addictive game that we all (mostly all) love and remember.

To me, the story wasn’t really the highlight of the game. It is filled with cheesy lines and clichés and often predictable twists and turns. But maybe that’s the charm of this game. But even with the cheesiness of the story, it still shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the gorgeous cut scenes. Some may view the voice acting as superb, and while agree that the narrative during the cut scenes was stupendous, it kind of seemed to fall short in the rest of the game. It was largely comical, especially given the actual script, so all-in-all it was still entertaining.

This game did actually provide a degree of difficulty… once you get past the first act. I actually found myself having to plan out and grab the freshly dropped health globe so that I make sure I use it to my advantage. I found that your gear is definitely a deciding factor in the game. If you are not keeping up with the latest and greatest of gear in the area you are at, you will have a tough time of making it through. And gathering your loot is one of the more fun aspects of the game.

I know, it seems like this would be a minor part of the game. But all in all, it’s really the point of the game to begin with. I still giggle a little and get excited every time I see a monster take its final blow and spew out fountains of gold and loot. There are three basic levels of loot. White, which will be your basic gear, could have some great stats, but you can usually find better. Blue, which are your magical items, come with an assortment of stat gains ranging from additional damage/protection, to lightning damage, even to a bigger radius for grabbing gold as you are running around. Then you have your yellow loot. When you pick up any yellow item, you do not immediately know what stats the item has. You have to identify the item by right clicking on it in your inventory to “discover” its attributes. But nothing beats that giddy feeling when you’re waiting the second and a half for that identify progress bar to fill up so that you can discover the stats.

The white items in the game are pretty much useless. They can (and should) be sold to the nearest merchant at the earliest opportunity. Unwanted magic items can be sold also (I would recommend the Auction House), or you can visit the blacksmith to break it down for crafting materials. Gold comes from this and in loot drops from monsters, which is typical of the Diablo franchise. But unlike the preceding games, gold is a much bigger commodity and a lot harder to amass. It drives up so much in this game and can be used to level your artisan skills (blacksmith and jeweler), to purchase items from other players, purchase additional space in your inventory and stash and to repair your equipment.
I have not had much experience with the auction house yet, and given that Blizzard has postponed the real-currency portion of it, I will not dabble on this subject at this time. Look for my follow up on this subject after full functionality of this feature becomes available.

So all this loot has to be applied to the most important part of the game, your hero! There are five classes of heroes to choose from in Diablo III: The Witch Doctor, The Barbarian, The Wizard, The Monk and The Demon Hunter.

The Witch Doctor is a new class that is reminiscent of the necromancer from Diablo 2. However, the skills and abilities are more associated with the shaman or voodoo. The Witch Doctor has the ability to summon monsters, cast curses, harvest souls, and hurl explosives and poisons at enemies. The Witch Doctor draws on mana to cast its spells, which is slow to generate. It is important to note that Blizzard is adamant that the Witch Doctor is not the evolution of the necromancer, and it’s very possible that we might see the necromancer in a future expansion.

The Barbarian has a variety of revamped abilities at his disposable based on the use of his incredible strength. Fury powers his ability to cleave through crowds of monsters, whirlwind through swarms like the tops we played with as kids, and crush anything that stands in his way. This fury is generated by attacking enemies and attained through using certain abilities. Unused fury will degenerate over time.
The Wizard, another new character, is similar to the sorceress from Diablo 2. The Wizard can shoot lighting, fire and ice at its enemies. It can even slow time and teleport around enemies and through walls. The Wizard fuels his skills with arcane power, which quickly regenerates.

The Monk is a true melee class. He uses martial arts to combine the elements of Diablo 2’s assassin class with that of the paladin. He is fueled by spirit and is slowly generated through attacks like the Barbarian. But unlike the Barbarian’s fury, the Monk’s spirit does not degenerate.

The Demon Hunter combines elements of Diablo 2’s assassin and amazon classes. Demon Hunters use crossbows as their main weapon and also have an assortment of bombs to throw at enemies. The Demon Hunter is fueled by discipline and hatred. Hatred is a fast generating resource that is used for attacks, while discipline is a slow regenerating resource used for defensive abilities.

Each hero has an array of abilities, which are accessed upon leveling in the game. The great part is that whatever you choose when you level is not permanent. You have the option to change them at any given moment during the game. At every level your character will receive a new power, a rune that will augment these powers, or a new passive ability. It is best to experiment with all of these as they become available to see what works best for you. Runes are a very welcomed addition to the franchise. They breathe new life into skills that you earn pretty early on that appear to be useless by augmenting them to become awesome.

Multiplayer is very easily accomplished in the game too. You can find your friends very easily with their new Battle Tags, or by searching for them with their email address. Hopping in and out of your friend’s games is seamless. And it doesn’t matter what level you are, you can help them with any quest that they be working on, all the while earning experience for yourself as well.

In Conclusion
There is so much to do in this game, it’s absolutely great. I am the type of player who really likes to take his time and play through everything I can. Which can be very time consuming in Diablo III thanks to randomly generating dungeons. But after 12 long years, there are many who are rejoicing about the arrival of this game. Granted many are not so happy, especially about the always online portion of the game. But that is the evolution of the gaming industry.

So many things have been improved in Diablo III from the previous games in the franchise, but it’s still an approachable and enjoyable game experience due in large part to its familiarity. It is a pure addiction to me, and I am sure that many others will agree. I am looking forward to many hours of playing through this game over and over, and to the expansions that will inevitably come our way.
Because there is so much to explore with each class, this is will not be the end of my review. Be on the lookout in the future for my write-ups on each character class. In the meantime, I’ve got to get back to the game!

4.5 out of 5 stars.