I started doing something similar to this with Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer component, but now I’ve decided to go all out with it. Instead of a single “review”, I’m going to do a series of mini reviews or “reports”. I think it’s a much better way to convey my thoughts on the game.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2’s multiplayer demo (or beta as DICE labelled it) convinced me to buy a retail copy. Team play was commonplace and people were working towards the objectives. In the real world, that is not the case at all. Snipers are rampant, people ignore objectives and if you’re not used to treating Conquest and Rush modes like glorified Team Deathmatch modes, you’re going to get shot down repeatedly.
My first two hours with the game were less than ideal. I died often, I was ambushed from everywhere and I was even spawn camped. It was not the first impression I wanted and if I didn’t know any better, I would have sold the game right then and there.
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Update: An odd bug involving plugged in USB peripherals was causing a number of the performance issues I mentioned. I’m leaving the text relatively unchanged and updated my final verdict. Thanks to Joel of FrozenByte for the fix.
I’ve been wanting to buy the physics based puzzle platformer, Trine, since mid-2009. But I was always waiting and waiting for the eventual PSN release. When it was finally made available in North America, it was right in the middle of the 2009 holiday gaming blitz. I also heard unflattering things concerning the game’s performance. At $19.99? I’m wasn’t going to take the gamble on that. So I decided to wait and months later I was able to download it for $9.99.
I’m so glad I waited for the sale. This game does run like garbage and is fine example of a great idea marred by technical issues.
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BioShock 2’s multiplayer is a bit of a guilty pleasure. It isn’t like other shooters at all. It may have similarities, but it’s unique blend of plasmids and traditional shooter weaponry results in some of the most interesting multiplayer games I’ve ever played. If only the technical issues would kindly step aside and let me enjoy it consistently.
Is it video lag or network lag? BioShock 2’s multiplayer has both. The netcode isn’t especially strong and the framerate isn’t all their either. These would be real deal breakers if it were any other shooter, but BioShock 2 multiplayer. For you see, it doesn’t matter if you’re a great shot or not. BioShock 2 allows the clever to reap more rewards than the twitch marksman.
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I’d like to thank GameStop/EB Games for giving me the opportunity to pick up BioShock 2. Without their “Power Trade” promotion, I wouldn’t have given it the time of day. I wasn’t hankering for a sequel to BioShock; it felt like a complete experience and I was satiated from a narrative perspective. I also didn’t want a sequel which wasn’t handled by the original development team, Irrational Games. Discovering that the sequel was being handled by five developers and will include a multiplayer mode certainly didn’t calm those worries for quality either. But alas, for the most part, those fears were quickly put to rest once I stepped foot onto Rapture.
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I recently wrapped up my time with three re-releases for the PlayStation 3: Call of Duty: Classic & the God of War: Collection which includes both God of War I & II. They were interesting experiments to say the least. The idea of re-releasing old classics with visual touch ups and fixes is fantastic. I can enjoy the gaming of old without having to endure the technical hiccups or deficiencies of the past — well, that’s the idea anyway. The three titles I played were fine examples of the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of re-releasing titles like this.
Call of Duty: Classic
Call of Duty: Classic was supposed to be an enhanced console port of Infinity Ward’s popular PC shooter of 2003. I thought the PlayStation 3 would be able to handle this game, but I was wrong. The game barely maintains 30 frames per second at times let alone 60. These technical problems are mind boggling.
I can handle the need to lean and shoot via the directional pad. I can also handle the unforgiving checkpoints. What I don’t understand is the total lack of care that went into this port. Modern Warfare 2 loads faster and runs better; a 2009 game can somehow stream and load off a disc faster than 2003’s Call of Duty. And as a cherry on top of this putrid mess, they permanently assigned the L2 and R2 triggers as aim and fire.
Do yourself a favor and play the PC version if you want to relive Call of Duty.
Verdict:
Stay Away
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Every developer has a franchise or game which they are known for. Infinity Ward has the Call of Duty franchise. Ubisoft has Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell and Assassin’s Creed franchises. I associate Insomniac Games with the Ratchet & Clank series. It’s what they’re good at and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a testament to that. They’ve improved on nearly every aspect of its predecessors which can be tough when considering the fact that this is the sixth featured length game they’ve created with the Lombax and his robot companion.
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I’ve accumulated nearly a day’s worth of Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer and I thought I would share some of my thoughts with the game. It’ll be brief and segmented for easy digestion.
Here goes:
Perks
Commando – This perk reminds me of the Plasma sword found in Halo 2; the lock on and teleportation towards the target. I feel the range for this is a smidgen too much
Marathon – Is there a reason why this couldn’t be “Extreme Conditioning”? If there’s one thing which highlights how arcadey Modern Warfare 2 is, it’s this perk.
Weapons
Akimbo – It’s a fun ability in any other game, but it feels so out of place in Modern Warfare 2. Especially when you pair up Model 1887 shotguns.
M16 – The M16 was my ‘Long Range’ weapon of choice in Call of Duty 4, but it is (understandably) less effective in Modern Warfare 2. What irks me about this weapon is the inability to actually hit someone from a great distance. I see them, but I can’t hit them with the M16’s bullets.
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