Endless Bag of Games

Mario Kart has held the throne for Kart racing games for a long while now and many attempts has been made to usurp Mario Kart from its throne. Few months ago, Endless Bag of Games gave a review to a decent attempt: Sonic & SEGA All-Stars racing, but the game shared some minor mishaps since the online feeling was not quite there (tournaments and cups missing from online). Modnation Racers however is a different story, the game shares not only excellent gameplay and online play, but also “Play, Create, Share” mantra, the same first outlined by platformer LittleBigPlanet which made it a hit.

The use of UGC (User Generated Content) is a feature which is becoming more common among the game developers and I cannot blame them. UGC allows flexibility and freedom to interact with the game thus multiplaying the game’s lifespan. Few million levels in LittleBigPlanet made by gamers is a good example of this. Modnation Racers is a title, which will do the same to racing kart genre as LittleBigPlanet did to platform genre. Modnation Racers thus could be called LBP on wheels and the potential is substantial.

Once you have unfolded the game and put it in your PS3 you find yourself in a kart driving through the track for your first MDR experience. The game teaches controls and all the necessary elements which help you to overcome what is yet to come. Once animation sequesences ends, you find youself in the menu, which is you sitting in the cart at Modspot and around you, you’ll be seeing other racers at the same spot. To selecting what you want to do, you drive to different stations and press square for options. There is also possibility to quickly “skip” the driving and press select to bring up the quick menu. So of you go to create your Mod, Kart or Track.

A substantial part of the MDR’s appeal comes from the character and kart customization. There are various ways how characters can be customised via different materials, colors and accessories. The combinations are virtually endless and the ability to download Mods made by others and rate them is fantastic. I’ve already downloaded a dozens of funny Mods including Mario, Spiderman the Monopoly guy and even Kermit, all exceptionally well made. The same goes for actual Karts and Tracks. The tools available to you here are very easy to use and you can always test your creations any time.

The customization enablers of the game really make the hours around the game worth your time.

There is a good amount of game modes available for you to choose from; online, split-screen (2-4 players), quick-play and single player career modes. The campaign mode is hard enough giving you some challenge to play the career mode. It also unlocks various parts and equipment to be used with the mods, karts and tracks. The racing itself is great even against AI opponents and the gameplay is good and similar or even better than in Nintendo’s finest. There are boost pads, power-ups and weapons to pick-up and unleash against your opponents.

Modnation Racers truly is a an online-game and you find enjoyment racing other racers online racing officiall or custom-made tracks. The only thing that I’ve found lacking in the online experience is the ability to have a cup in casual mode. Everything else is superb, if the connections are good that is.

Modnation has really been a Modtastic! experience being most enjoyable kart game that we’ve seen for a while. The more we play, the more we want to play since the gaming experience seems to become richer every time. Sonic and SEGA All-stars racing was a good attempt to usurp Mario Kart from its throne, but I really have to say that Modnation Racers was more than a simple attempt. Buy this game and try it out yourself.

My latest experiences with PBeM (Play-by-e-mail) are from a Pathfinder campaign that has recently started. So far I’ve enjoyed quite much since due the tight schedules, the possibility to roleplay when I have the time for it, really works. One thing which has made this PBEM possible is that my friend and I, have tried this before and we have taken time to find the common tune. Finding the right tune in PBEM campaigns takes a lot more effort than it takes around the table. It has been “learning to play” style of process which was required in order to PBEM to succeed. It also helps if you’re both catergorized as “storyteller” as a player.

In this campaign, we have mutually agreed “the big picture” which is something very broad in each chapter. I.e. our first chapter is: Finding the lost chronicle of King Adgar. The “gaming sessions” advance in chapters, and in each chapter is played in the perspective of the player character. So in a way, there are two perspectives to the same story and both players have their time as a narrator and as a player.

All the rolls we’re required to roll, the gamemaster only asks rolls when there is a bigger event (i.e. fight or solving a puzzle etc.) and they are in the form of skill challenges. Other rolls the player can use as a guide of their own actions when they’re describing their actions. This way, the pace of our game is actually not too slow at all and the story advances in a smooth way.

The thing is, that this PBEM game is, in some way, even more rewarding, than one around the table. Don’t get me wrong, I would never “change” to play only BPEM style of games, but the depth of such games are completely different. The world around is detailed and rich and the characters are also much deeper.

I think I’m going to like this Pathfinder campaign and this player character.. a lot.

It is time gouge out some eyes and diesebowel some mythic beasts when Kratos returns in the final instalment in the God of War (GOW) series. So now Kratos has returned and he is more brutal than ever before and buckets of blood are spilling once again. In fact, the brutal and gory graphics are occasionally on the verge of bad taste so it is almost disturbing… almost, but since it is done so well over-the-top that you cannot help but laugh. Plus, it is available in HD!

GOW is (Playstation only) single player hack and slash action adventure game for adults. The Mature rating is earned almost immediately when the game begins. The game takes place in ancient Greek mythology and the story follows Kratos and his tale of vengeange against the gods. In the hands of Sony’s Santa Monica studios it turns to GOW 3 which equals Brutality, puzzles, awesome finishers and epic boss battles. Plot is a lot simple and very straightforward which works well with these kinds of games.

When the game begins the visual scale hits the player to the face by its excellency. GOW is a visual parade starting from the beginning lasting until the end. As the gameplay is, the animations are equally amazing and I’m not only talking about animating the fantasy creatures, but the full animation of human being has also been breathtaking; male and female both. Each level is expertly designed and cut-scenes unfold very smoothly and there virtually are no loading times.

While the visuals are top notch, the presentation isn’t without its problems since the GOW3 shares the same problem that the previous two did. The camera sometimes gets bit lost, and there were times that left me somewhat puzzled because of the camera-angle. In overall it was not a big problem since GOW actually uses the camera to reveal Kratos’ path and enhances the gaming experience.

The combat is fast, furious, bloody and in short: excellent! Grappling system works like a charm for latching to enemies and recovering from knocks and closing the gap for combos. And sometimes it’s just fun to use opponents as battering rams! The ability to manipulate enemies brings enjoyment to the battle. And yes, like in the previous God of War games, Kratos has weapons to choose from to wreak havoc. This time he has double-chained Blades of Exchile, Claws of Hades, Nemesis Whip and gauntles of Nemean Cestus which are collected during the game play. Each weapons has their own perks and strengths and provide a somewhat different style of play which is great since it gives the player quite amount of variety to hack and slash foes. In addition there are various other collectibles during the game. These collectables include ‘Gorgon Eyes’, ‘Phoenix Features’ and ‘Minotaur Horns’. Collecting three of the same item either increases a player’s health, magic or special item meter.

This has been a short review, but games such as Gof of War 3 doesn’t need a long one. Every moment in the game (Sony sunk almost 44$ million to the development) counts. The series has never looked so good, the game play is polished to deliver a most enjoyable experience and the trilogy has received a worthy ending. In overall, the game is a sum of many factors and for the fans of action/adventure genre, this game is a must. Newcomers will also find plenty to enjoy from and have hands full with many memorable moments of awe and extras to unlock.