I enjoy writing game reviews in my spare time and encourage you guys to check them out. That being said I often try and take a critical look at a game. In fact, in looking at my past reviews, I think I need to definitely be more critical of the games in order to give you guys', the viewers a more concise review. Regardless let me just explain a few of the tens I have rated and their justifactions.
God Of War 1 and 2. - Whereas Drakes Fortune only received an 8 from me, these two games both received tens. Why? Because of the epic story, exceptional gameplay, platform defining graphics, and original storyline with a savage badass central character. I often find myself rating games on the few moments that simply take your breath away, leave you awe inspired, and lets us remember just why we love games so much. God of War 1 and 2 both had many of these moments, and to be quite honest, are two of the best games created in my eyes.
Call of Duty 4 - How could you rate a game that had a "short" single player campaign a ten? Well, being an avid gamer myself, I opted to finish the game on the first plow through on the hardest difficulty. It therefore expanded my playing time well into 20-25 hours, much more than the 6-8 it would take to complete the game on easy. Also the wealthy supplement of multiplayer offerings, innovative ranking system and customization options, and great stability lead me to highly tout this game. Again just touching on my previous statement of awe inspiring moments and their impact on my reviews, Call of Duty 4 was loaded with them. From the adrenaline filled intro on the sinking ship through the stealthy ghillie suit sniper mission, through the climatic finale, COD4 was loaded with exceptional moments that reached the level of acclaimed filmmaking. Of course all of this was fleshed out with photo realistic immersive visuals, animation and artificial intelligence.
Resistance : FOM - Looking back at this review I do not think RFOM deserved the 10 I gave it. However, at the time it was the cream of the crop for the PS3, and it really did push boundaries in the genre. Innovative weapons, a solid multiplayer offering, and visceral gameplay made Resistance the must have launch title for the PS3 and was its best game for many many months. That being said, it probably should be toned down to a 9 as it was a solid game, and worthy of acclaim and praise, but was not a timeless classic as a ten should be.
All of that being said, overall I feel a game must have a certain timelessness to be considered a ten, to be considered a "classic." Oftentimes sequels fail to garner the awe inspiring and genre defining edginess that their predecessors exhibit. However, God of War 2 and COD4 both prove that sequels can indeed push genres into new heights.
As far as GTA IV, as the ten is likely implied about I can share a few thoughts before I post my review upon finishing the game. The single player is exceptional. As far as the freezing issues are concerned I have experienced none. I have a launch 60GB and have not encountered a frame rate drop, much less a game freeze. The game manages to engulf you in a virtual world unlike anything you have ever seen. I had many doubts when reviews and previews claimed that every pedestrian seems unique and individual. However, this is completely true. Each pedestrian is uniquely dressed, and carries about personalized activities. Cell phones ring and conversations take place, people load their groceries into the trunks of their cars, and police walk around and eat donuts, brandish their straps, and take care of civilian dissent.
The city seems alive and breathing, and is convincingly realistic. One of the first humps I had to get over with was how different it was than other GTA's, its actually quite realistic. You won't dive out of a car and get right back up to run around, or barrell down a flight of stairs as if you skipped right over them. Instead the convincing RAGE physics engine provides a realistic animation palette for Rockstar to make beautiful and convincing artwork. Niko will hold cringe in pain on the ground after a ghost ride, and carefully walk down a flight of stairs in a realistic manner.
The action and story are exceptional thus far, and I every right to beleive that this will continue throughout the game. Gritty, realistic, and excellently paced, this game makes you want to push through it in a way that other GTA games simply did not achieve. The cinematic framing, writing, and pacing makes this character driven story an Oscar worthy tour de force.
The controls and gun play are phenomenal. It manages to squeeze in the tight feeling schemes of shooters like Gears of War into the sandbox formula that made GTA so popular. Again, the emphasis on the realistic animation engine and RAGE physics really make the shotgun sing as you put it into a gangster or pedestrian. You will not be dissapointed with the action in this game.
I have not finished the game nor have I even touched on the multiplayer features. To be quite honest, GTA IV is shaping up to be a monumental title, one that pushes the boundaries even further than GTA II to GTA III. For that all the praise and attention it is receiving is quite legitimate and I cannot wait to get off of work in order to get back to living the American Dream, Liberty City style.
In the mean time, I regress for this absurdly long post, but encourage all of you to check out my reviews and stay posted as their are many new ones on the way!
KJANSICK.COM
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