It's been a while since I posted anything on this blog, so here's an update of my latest reviews. Two of them, GTA IV and Tomb Raider Underworld are featured in the blog complete with screenshots and a video for GTA IV. About my GTA IV review, it's long... really long. By far the longest review I've ever written. So long I had to split it into two blog posts.

Here are links for both the regular reviews and blog reviews. As always, if you're gonna leave any feedback make it constructive based on how well written the reviews are, not on whether you disagree with a certain score or opinion.

(GTA IV Blog Review) (Underworld Blog Review down ahead)

Tomb Raider Underworld Review

A thrilling conclusion to the Legend trilogy.

When Crystal Dynamics took over the Tomb Raider series back in 2006 they pretty much threw the entire Tomb Raider canon out the window. Tomb Raider Legend started a new story arc that had little to do with the previous games. Actually the first game in the series wasn't ignored given how the events of Anniversary (a remake of the first game) are tied in to those of Legend, to help further develop the Lara Croft character as well as her relationships with some of the existing characters (Anniversary is essentially a prequel to Legend). So Underworld can be rightfully viewed as the third chapter in this saga and based on how the events unfold, the final chapter of this particular story arc. Aside from bringing closure to the trilogy, Underworld features more of the same exciting gameplay introduced since Legend only this time there's a much heavier emphasis on puzzle solving, reducing the combat to a minimum, as well as a few other subtle changes that help keep things fresh. Overall, Underworld is a must play for any Tomb Raider fan, both for its thrilling gameplay as well as the satisfying conclusion to the storyline.

This lady just can't keep herself out of trouble.

Underworld literally starts with a bang (I don't want to spoil anything so just be prepared for an "explosive" start), with a brief tutorial section that's actually part of a latter chapter. As the section ends a particularly intriguing encounter occurs, one that you'll have to wait until you reach the middle point of the game to fully understand. The story delves into Lara's unfinished quest to find out what happened to her mother which means she'll cross path with both of her main enemies from the past two games (Amanda and Natla), while doing some more globetrotting to find clues that will lead to her mother. Unfortunately for Lara, her journey won't be a smooth one and there will be quite a few shocking occurrences as the story unfolds (one in particular may cause a lot of grievance for long time fans of the series). Without spoiling anything I'll say that the conclusion of the story is not only satisfying but also a rather unexpected one, certainly not the merry-go-round conclusion of other games.

Tomb Raider meets CSI.

Tomb Raider Underworld plays very similar to the previous two games from Crystal Dynamics, but this time around the game is much more puzzle oriented and very light on combat. For instance, traditional boss fights are gone. You read that right, there are no boss fights at all in Underworld. This decision makes Underworld the fist Tomb Raider game without any boss fights. If I may be honest here, I really missed the boss fights quite a bit, especially considering how good and memorable they were in Legend and Anniversary.

To the game's credit though, there are plenty of climatic moments that come through puzzle solving and the ending in particular features a scenario that manages to end the game on a spectacular note despite the lack of a major battle (it's one of the most impressive sights presented in the entire series).

Boss fights may be a thing of the past but huge menacing creatures still show up in Underworld.

That's not to say you won't get a chance to make Lara whip out her pistols because scattered through the levels are quite a few enemies. These come in the form of wild animals, mercenaries sent out to kill Lara, or in the latter levels freakish monster type thingies. A typical arsenal of weapons is at your disposal (pistols, SMGs, Rifles), as well as a new tranquilizer gun that allows you to take a more humane path when dealing with wildlife. Towards the end of the game however, Lara will get her hands on a mythical weapon, one that's truly a "blast" to use. It's a pity there wasn't a proper boss fight to make good use of it.

During combat Lara can also make use of the "adrenaline shot" which is essentially a slow-mo ability just like bullet time. This feature can lead to some really cool animations as you try to time a headshot while in slow-mo to perform an instant kill. Lara has an energy bar that needs to be fully charged in order for her to be able to make use of the adrenaline shot.

The adrenaline shot is a joy to pull off.

Prior to the start of each level you have the option to select what gear you want to start with as well as the outfit you want Lara to wear. This doesn't mean you can't switch weapons mid level, all you need to do for that is pull the PDA and select the desired weapon. The PDA also offers some additional features like a sonar map which in theory should help you get acquainted with your surroundings, but I for one hardly ever felt the need to use it.

As with every single Tomb Raider game before, scattered through the levels are several secrets which in Underworld take the form of treasures and relics. Treasures are the most common, while there are only a few relics in each level. Finding these items unlocks bonus features such as concept art, while relics allow Lara's health bar to go up. Should you find all the relics in the game you'll effectively double Lara's health bar. This can essentially turn Lara into a menacing fighting machine for the foes she'll encounter.

Is that Lara's shadow?

The most challenging enemies in the game however, come in the form of some expertly designed puzzles that make the most of the surrounding environments. Solving most of these puzzles requires some careful examination of the surroundings as well as some clever thinking. In case a puzzle feels too hard or is hindering your process, the game provides some helpful hints through Lara's PDA. Some hints will point you in the right direction while others will flat out tell you what to do. It's a great feature that will save moments of frustration to certain people, but it's certainly much more rewarding to solve a puzzle on your own.

Underworld features some truly awe inspiring environments. There are several imposing structures that make Lara look like a mosquito. Standing at the top of some these structures could produce some vertigo (really), but it's a breathtaking experience. The statue of Shiva in Thailand is simply gorgeous and intimidating as well, and is a central part of a very clever puzzle.

The statue of Shiva is just one of the many imposing structures in Underworld.

The environments in Underworld are somewhat less dangerous than before (save for any enemies lurking around). There are practically no death traps to be found, which can save some frustrating sequences. Navigating through them can still be dangerous as climbing a ten story tall structure is no laughing matter, something that keeps you on the edge of your seat as you try to help Lara avoid a deadly fall. There are also several mechanisms that may not have been designed with the purpose of killing intruders, but can be just as deadly nonetheless.

Graphically, Underworld looks spectacular. The game runs on a new engine (though it still shares a similar look to Legend and Anniversary), which leads to much crispier textures and detailed environments. Lighting and shadow effects are done superbly, as well as underwater sections. Lara's model has never looked better and her animations are fluid and feel natural. The game doesn't require a monster rig to look at its best, but if you fall right at the minimum requirements you'll miss out on plenty of eye candy, something that can actually deter the experience since it could make it harder to spot certain elements within the gameworld.

She better hang on tight, unless she'd like to join that fellow on a stick.

Underworld features less musical themes than Legend, giving certain sections a bigger feel of isolation, but there's still plenty of great tunes that play during the game's most thrilling sequences. Most of the soundtrack consists of orchestral tunes that convey a pompous feel. The voice acting is really good too. Once again, Keeley Hawes lends her voice to give life to the Lara character and she's just as phenomenal as she was in the previous two games. All the other characters are properly voiced too, particularly the main antagonists Natla and Amanda.

Finally, a word of warning for potential players, there are quite a few bugs in Underworld. This is nothing new for the series actually as virtually every Tomb Raider game has been marred by a few bugs, something that can be attributed to the sheer nature of the game. However some of the bugs in Underworld are game breaking, so caution must be taken. Eidos already released a patch for the PC version which fixes most of the bugs, but at any rate it's recommended to read a walkthrough first to get an idea of what must be done to avoid potential bugs. For the record, certain website's such as this one, offer some spoiler free sections describing how to deal with such bugs.

You can be sure this ain't the last we've seen from Lara.

With Tomb Raider Underworld, Crystal Dynamics has brought closure to the Legend story arc and has also succeeded at delivering another memorable outing for the series. Their experiment in tweaking the Tomb Raider formula was a bold move, and though I wish they bring back the boss fights for the next installment, they proved that they are more than capable of shaking up the series. For Tomb Raider fans this is a must-play title, while action adventure fans will be rewarded with a thrilling experience.

So a couple of days ago I finished Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines (a 2004 RPG developed by Troika Games using Valve's Source engine) and decided to post a little tribute to the game.

My thoughts on this game? Short version, it's awesome. The longer version (the review) can be found here. But because I'm so in love with this game I decided to do a music video with gameplay footage (all captured by me) in honor of this forgotten masterpiece. A couple of my friends here had told me this game was pretty good, but I had not idea just how great it really was. To all RPG fans, or anyone who likes great games (so long as you're mature enough), give this game a try. It's a cIassic. [video=cn02xmT45bIOuTTY]

Just watch the video and see why dogs (and animals in general) are more humane than most "humans". Simply amazing.

Hero Dog.

Though slightly less epic than the original, Warhead is a stunning game that delivers on all fronts.

Released just under a year after Crysis stunned the entire gaming community, Crysis Warhead is everything the fans were hoping for. It's packed with more of the same exhilarating open ended gameplay that made Crysis such a joy to play, along with a more focused, action oriented level design, and visuals to die for. It's a slightly less epic ride and it carries a few of the quirks of the original (regarding enemy AI), but it's an outstanding action game nonetheless that delivers on all fronts.

Stand still Mr. Alien, we're just taking some pictures.

Warhead's story runs parallel to the events after the midpoint of Crysis, but this time the action centers around the character Psycho, who was a bit part player in the original. Psycho is a no-nonsense type of soldier who isn't afraid to disobey orders and do things the way he sees it. And while he has no problem defying the establishment, there are certain codes of ethic he does respect. He also cares a lot for his partners and friends and will go beyond the call of duty to protect their lives. Part of the back story in Warhead centers on a past incident involving one of Psycho's close friends, something that allows the game to dig deeper and develop the Psycho character. There's also a particularly important artifact Psycho must prevent the Koreans from acquiring, a mission that will stretch itself through out the entire game. Though the story is a bit confusing at parts and isn't as developed as the story in the first game, it doesn't detract from the experience and it's fairly enjoyable even if it somewhat prevents the game from reaching the same epic heights of Crysis.

The open ended gameplay on the other hand is back with a vengeance. Though the level design in Crysis Warhead is bit more linear this time around, you still have all the freedom in the world to tackle missions in any way you want. Be it guns a blazing like Rambo or stealthy like the Predator (my personal favorite), you'll always be able to come up with something different every time you're in a firefight. Perhaps you want to sneak into a camp undetected and hit everyone when they least expect it. Maybe you want to setup a few land mines, sit back and lure your enemies towards them, laughing as their bodies fly into the sky. You could also soften the opposition first by sniping them from a distance. How about hijacking one of their vehicles and giving them a taste of their own medicine? Or maybe all that's too fancy pants for you, so you just activate your maximum strength suit function, walk in with your chin held up and choke them to their deaths.

Apparently some North Koreans were standing there...

What's best, the gunplay has been improved from the original game. As good as the gunplay was in Crysis, there were times when you'd hit a regular enemy several times from close range and he'd still be hard pressed to fall down. That's not the case in Warhead (at least from my experience). Enemies absorb a realistic amount of damage which makes for less frustrating situations, even when faced with dozens of enemies at a time. That's not to say Warhead is easy, because it certainly isn't. The combat in Warhead can sometimes be much more intense and you'll have to make smart use of all your abilities and weapons to make it out of a battle alive. But with the refined shooting model, every gunfight feels like a fair fight. If you want the best possible experience I strongly suggest you play the game on the Delta difficulty, as it offers the highest level of immersion due to the intensity of battles and the fact that Koreans actually speak Korean.

Unfortunately one negative aspect of Crysis that remains on Warhead is the occasionally buggy AI. First of all, on the vast majority of situations the AI in this game is spectacular. Koreans will try to flank you and will run to take cover if they feel overwhelmed. They will also make good use of grenades as well as run away from yours. And should you warn them of your presence too early, they will come out and look for you. But there are times when it's as if they'll stop making use of their brains and just stand there gladly taking that nice bullet you sent to their heads. This is especially true when you're sniping them from afar. Sometimes they'll run to take cover, but other times they'll just stay in their positions even as they just witnessed one of their buddies get killed right beside them. It's a minor annoyance on the whole and it doesn't happen too often, but when it does happen it's very jarring.

Cutscenes are now viewed from a third person perspective.

On the other hand, the alien AI has been vastly improved. While in the first game aliens mostly charged straight at you, here they'll exhibit a more complex behavior, flanking you and doing their best to take cover or stay out of your weapons range. This makes the alien firefights a challenging proposition and you'll want to make use of all your heavy weapons when you encounter them (especially since you'll always fight them in large swarms).

Vehicle handling has also been improved, but what's best is that you'll never be forced to use a vehicle if you prefer not to. This is certainly a good thing since many people complained about the vehicle sections in the original game. It's also another example of the open ended gameplay the game offers. On certain occasions you will be prompted to use a vehicle or sit a top of one (such as a train ride), but you're totally free to ditch the vehicle and complete the mission on foot, something that I found to be a very entertaining challenge.

Sneaking into Korean encampments is still a viable strategy.

The campaign in Crysis Warhead could be completed in little over five hours if you decide to stick to the main path, but you're always free to wander around searching for hidden goodies or just do some sightseeing. It's shorter nature make this experience feel somewhat less epic than the campaign in Crysis, but rest assured it's a thrill ride from beginning to end.

Warhead is also the perfect game for sightseers. One year after it's debut, there's still nothing in the gaming world that comes even close to matching the technical prowess of the Cry Engine 2. This is the very best looking game out there, no arguments. It's incredible how close Warhead can come to looking photo realistic with all the settings turned all the way up. But make no mistake, as much as a technical marvel as the game can be, it's backed by a terrific art direction. The game delivers stunning sights one after the other, so much that it will be easy for you to deviate from the main campaign and just sit around enjoying the beautiful vistas. Be it the lush jungles, beautiful sunsets, frozen tundras, underground mines, everything is packed with meticulous detail.

Sightseeing is a game of its own in Crysis Warhead.

You probably want to know how well it runs too? One of the most hyped aspects of Crysis Warhead was that it was a more optimized game and would run much better on PCs that struggled with Crysis. If you've searched online for information on this subject you'll find some very mixed opinions, with some claiming it runs much better, while other saying it runs exactly the same. What I'll say is based strictly on my personal experience. First of all, my setup consists of a Core 2 Duo @2.4GHZ, 2GB of RAM, a 256MB Geforce 8600GT, and I was running the game on Windows XP. Not a high end setup by any means, but decent for all of my games (all the screenshots in this review are from my playthrough of the game on this PC).

I played the original Crysis with all the settings on High (except Shadows on Medium) at a resolution of 800 * 600 with an average of 30fps. With Warhead I was able to turn all the details to "Enthusiast" (Very High), except for Shadows which I kept on "Mainstream" (Medium) and Objects which I lowered to "Mainstream" (I had it on High in Crysis), at the same resolution of 800 * 600, and I was still getting an average of 30fps. What's best, even when the framerate dipped, the game still felt very smooth. With Crysis anything around 20fps felt too laggy, but with Warhead the slowdowns weren't really felt until the framerate dipped into the mid teens. So to sum it up, in my experience Warhead did run significantly better than Crysis. Mind you, Crytek can't work miracles and if your PC was choking with Crysis it won't magically run Warhead at max settings, but odds are you'll experience a much smoother experience with Warhead.

Oh yeah, this guys are back too...

Switching the attention to the sound department, Warhead also delivers here. Guns and vehicles sound realistic and the ambient sounds are always there to keep the atmosphere alive. Warhead doesn't feature the same orchestral score of Crysis, but rather a more techno soundtrack. It does the job alright, though I preferred the orchestral sounds of the original. The voice acting is great. Psycho's voice sounds a little more subdued than in Crysis, but his voice work is nonetheless terrific. The same goes for all the other characters in the game, something that helps sell the story during the cutscenes and audio diary sections.

Crysis Warhead is every bit as amazing as Crysis. It's more focused on frenetic action, yet it still allows for a cerebral approach, while serving us the most delicious graphics outside of a Pixar studio. If you haven't played Crysis I recommend you play that game first, but by no means let Warhead pass you by. It has all the pizazz and intensity of a blockbuster movie and will keep your adrenaline pumping long after the credits have rolled.

Welcome to Rapture, where your sweat is valued, lunatics abound, and little girls suck juice out of the dead... it's glorious!

Is a man not entitled to the sweat of his own brow? That's the question you'll be greeted with as you first enter Rapture, where great ideas and visions were once contemplated, but the very men and women behind those ideas proved to be the end of that city. It's a place that was envisioned to be heaven on earth, but instead it turned into a living hell. And in Bioshock, it'll be your playground, where you'll attempt to uncover the mysteries behind it's downfall, fight for your life against the remaining mentally deranged inhabitants of the city, as well as debate on the moral implications of turning yourself into a larger than life human being. Though not without it's faults, Bioshock is an incredible game that features a fantastically well written and unique storyline that will constantly surprise and probably even challenge your own personal beliefs, as well as a deeply immersive gameworld that's practically begging to be explored.

Petrified ballerinas in a bathroom... only in Rapture.

In Bioshock you play the role of a nameless man (at first, eventually more information about him is revealed), who happens to be the sole survivor of a plane crash in the ocean that coincidentally (or not?) took place near a lighthouse that signals the entrance to the underwater city of Rapture. At first you'll be treated to some spectacular views of Rapture, as well as a brief introduction by Andrew Ryan, the mastermind behind Rapture, but the minute you actually enter the city you'll notice that Rapture has seen better days. It won't be long before your first encounter with a Splicer, the mutated inhabitants of Rapture that have experimented too much with genetic modification and are now mentally insane and ready to kill anyone who steps into their path. What's worst, you won't have anything in the means of self defense so it's now you by yourself stuck in a torn city with lunatics on the lurk.

You will have a guide of sorts however, as some mysterious man named Atlas will contact you via a Radio and attempt to help you get out of the location you're in so that you in return can help him rescue his family. Though at first it doesn't make sense why this man is helping you or how he managed to contact you, everything will be explained later on. In fact, one of the best things (or worst, depending on your point of view) about Bioshock is how the story will unfold little by little. You will encounter numerous audio diaries scattered through the city that will reveal small tidbits about the history of Rapture, its many characters, and the events that unfolded prior to its downfall.

Most of the story will be revealed via audio diaries.

There really is a lot of story to digest here and it can be really easy to miss out on a lot of Rapture's background if you don't dig deep for those diaries. It won't be quite clear what was on everyone's agenda, and you'll have to make the most of Atlas' help, but it will be very clear that morality wasn't much of an issue here and that most everyone's intentions on Rapture weren't exactly pure. Every character in Bioshock is truly memorable and the story is carefully woven so that it manages to keep you in a state of suspense where you simply must know what happens next. And while I'm not going to spoil anything, there's a certain twist in Bioshock that is truly masterful. Though part of that twist can be foreseen, the other part is just shocking and I was honestly in a state of "WTF?" for several moments after it happened. This is one story you won't soon forget.

As you explore Rapture, it will be clear enough that in order to survive, you will have to mutate yourself. In order to do so you'll need to acquire all sorts of plasmid powers and gene tonics. The plasmids will give you supernatural abilities like shooting fire, ice, or electric blasts from your hand, while the tonics will enhance your regular abilities. But to get them you need to gather a substance called Adam. Adam will not just be your currency to obtain plasmids and tonics, but it will also be the source of a moral dilemma. Adam can only be found on the bodies of little girls roaming around the city, affectionately called Little Sisters, who will always be accompanied the big bruising Big Daddy, a genetic freak of a different kind. The Little Sisters themselves can't be dealt with without you killing the Big Daddy first, something that won't be easy. But even more difficult will be the decision to kill the Little Sister so that you can obtain the maximum amount of Adam, or save her and only obtain half of the aforementioned Adam. It's a tough choice where regardless of your decision, there will be good and bad consequences, and will also determine the cutscene you get at the end of the game.

Twisted individuals are the norm in Rapture.

But while genetically enhancing yourself is a priority, you'll also have plenty of conventional means of defense, or in other words, a full arsenal of weapons. Most of the weapons are the standard fare of modern FPS games, but given that the game takes place in the 60s (and Rapture itself was built in the 40s), some of them are of the post WWII era, like the revolver, submachine gun, and shotgun. Others however will sport a rudimentary homemade look, such as the grenade launcher and the chemical thrower, the reason for it being that weapons weren't actually permitted in Rapture and the citizens had to make do with most of their trash to craft more powerful weapons. Also, there will be multiple types of ammo for each weapon, which will vary depending on the weapon, and each type of ammo will prove of particular use during specific situations.

Unfortunately enjoying all this weapons will prove to be tough, because if there's one flaw in Bioshock is the combat. It just never manages to feel right. Part of this has to do with the fact that your weapons need to be upgraded as your progress through the game, which means that at first they will be very weak and it'll be hard to take out multiple Splicers. For instance, at first the shotgun might as well be substituted by a peashooter since it takes multiple close range shots to bring down an enemy. The revolver itself won't be of much help either. To make matters worse, the Splicers move very fast which makes accurate aiming almost impossible. In order to survive during the early stages you need to make smart use of both your plasmids and your weapons. But this is also something of a chore because unlike other recent FPS games (Crysis, F.E.A.R., Call of Duty), Bioshock goes the old school way of allowing you to carry every weapon at the same time. Managing eight weapons as well as switching to plasmids on the fly as you get charged on by splicers is a hectic task. I really think Bioshock could've benefited by limiting the amount of weapons you could carry at once. Though not awful or too detrimental to the experience, the combat really isn't the star of the show.

It appears that empty spot in the wall was reserved for you...

And there's also the issue of the Vita-Chambers. Though their purpose in the game is to make things easier for you, personally I hated them. Every time you die you will respawn at the nearest chamber which means there's no death penalty aside from taking a few steps back to your previous location. But while I appreciate the effort on part of the developers, I just felt the chambers to be detrimental to the experience since they reduced the tension of battles and effectively killed any challenge. I also felt it affected the level of immersion, since it was jarring to only see yourself get resurrected at the chambers and not any of the Splicers. Of course, you can always ignore the chambers and load up a previous save game which is the route I chose to take. To the game's credit, though not explained at first, there is a very rational explanation as to why you're the only one who can use the chambers (I actually found that answer on an FAQ, but it appears to be something that's mentioned in the game).

However the deeper you immerse yourself in Rapture, the easier it'll be to forgive Bioshock's few faults. Rapture is an incredibly absorbing gameworld, where you won't want to miss a single thing. Despite being a broken city, the place just feels alive and you can almost hear the walls cry stories of the tragedies that have taken place here. You'll get to explore most of the city during your main quest, but certain areas require that you stray from the path. Deep exploration is rewarded, since some of the hardest items to find in the game are located in places you won't be forced to go through should you stick to the main objectives. Among this rewards can be audio diaries, hard to get plasmids or gene tonics, rare ammo, or plenty of spare cash. Some of the most bizarre sights will also be found in hidden areas.

This guys apartment (as well as himself) has seen better days.

Money plays an important role in the game since there will be plenty of vending machines scattered everywhere where you can buy health items, ammo, or Eve powerups (whereas Adam allows you to obtain plasmids, Eve functions as the "ammo" for your plasmids). You can even have plenty of fun hacking those vending machines to obtain discounts on the items as well as access to previously unavailable ones. It's also possible to hack gun turrets, cameras, safes, etc. The hacking minigame consists of rearranging a set of circuit tubes to make the charge flow from one point to another. It's a very simple game at first but eventually some tubes will be broken while others will be replaced by alarms that will release attacking bots on you should they be triggered, forcing you to think fast as you rearrange the tubes in a proper way. Strangely, in the latter stages of the game there will be occasions where hacking a certain puzzle will be impossible due to the way the tubes are arranged. It's a relatively minor issue, but it can be frustrating. If hacking puzzles isn't up your alley, you can bypass them with autohacking devices or with money.

Aside from being an incredibly immersive game, Bioshock is a feast for the senses. The art direction behind the design of Rapture is simply astonishing. There's just so much detail in it that you'll want to sometimes just stand back and enjoy the views (as dark and grimmy as they may be). Whether you're in the forests of Arcadia, the casinos and theaters of Fort Frolic, the boiler rooms of Hephaestus, you'll always be treated to something different and spectacular. It also helps that Bioshock is powered by a modified version of the Unreal Engine 3. Though not as cutting edge as other games, the technical aspect of the visuals in Bioshock is without a fault. Ok, maybe you could complain about the bodies of people having a bit of a plastic look, but it's something that actually helps them look creepier.

Would you kindly play this game?

And the sounds of Rapture are even more disturbing and delightful. The voice acting is masterful and it really manages to sell the story. You won't go long in Rapture without hearing deranged Splicers talking to themselves (twisted things nonetheless) or singing (which is even creepier), and there will always be plenty of moans or bizarre sounds emanating from the city to comfort you in. And nothing will be more intimidating than hearing a Big Daddy walking just around the corner.

Though Bioshock doesn't quite nail it when it comes to the shooting aspect, it delivers on all other accounts. Between a deeply immersive gameworld, plenty of character customization options, a terrific and intriguing story, and delightfully twisted characters, Bioshock is a true masterpiece.

(Disclaimer: Thanks to Gamespot's introduction of Gamespot Wide, posting a blog with images has become a nightmare due to the way blogs differ in width when viewed through the main profile page and as separate blogs. I chose to keep the images in tune with the width of the main profile page, so if the blog looks funny when viewed separately, blame Gamespot.)

A perfect remake of a timeless cIassic.

Remaking a cIassic game can be viewed as both a safe approach to making a game, as well a a risky one. It's a safe approach because the ground has already been paved for you and not a lot of creative juice has to be spent. But it's also a risky one, because a simple job of updating the graphics and leaving the gameplay unaltered won't sit well with demanding fans, while changing too many things about the original game can upset long time fans. With Tomb Raider Anniversary, developer Crystal Dynamics has hit a perfect balance between paying homage to a series (as well as its fans), and refreshing the gameplay to deliver a game that's up to contemporary standards. Plain and simple, Tomb Raider Anniversary is the best game in the series, and is now one of my favorite games ever.

Lara's quest for the Scion is revisited in Tomb Raider Anniversary

Though it follows the same basic storyline and structure of the original Tomb Raider, Anniversary is more of a reimagining of that game, which means that most of the gameplay has been heavily reworked to make the game much more accessible and enjoyable, as well as fit in with the events of Tomb Raider Legend. It is here where my biggest praise for the games comes in: the amount of creativity invested in reworking virtually every puzzle is staggering. The developers didn't just tweak a few aspects of those older puzzles, they pretty much rebuilt them from scratch. Some puzzles share the same idea as the original ones, while others are completely different.

A good example is a section in the Midas Palace level where the original game featured three successive pillars of equal height with fire breathing from the top of each pillar, and Lara had to cross them by traversing around their edges. In Anniversary, those three pillars have been replaced by five pillars of different heights (which make for a spectacular scene the moment they lit up), and this time around the pillars can be climbed from top to bottom, but in order to reach the desired spots you actually have to make use of the walls surrounding the room as well as Lara's grapple. Also, one of the pillars contains a hidden relic that can only be accessed after completing a very challenging timed run. This is an example of how the developers retained the concept of the original puzzle, while totally reworking it to make it much more exciting.

It's hard not to be in complete awe of some of the imposing structures Lara will come across in the game, as well as her breathtaking moves.

The story has also been slightly tweaked. Whereas in the original, Lara's quest for the Scion was a case of fetching ancient items for sport, in Anniversary Lara believes the Scion to be a source of power and information that can help her solve the mystery of her mother's death (or disappearance), something that ties in this story with the occurrences of Tomb Raider Legend. Given that Legend was something of a reboot of the series, it's not unexpected for Crystal Dynamics to try to jiggle the story to their needs. Also, considering most of the previous Tomb Raider games had stand alone stories, this doesn't really affect the canon that much.

The actual gameplay in Anniversary is very similar to the one introduced in Legend, which means most of the moves and gadgets introduced in Legend make an appearance here. The controls are as smooth as ever. The keyboard and mouse combo works really well here, as the game features a layout similar to most third person games. Pulling off all the crazy moves in Lara's arsenal is a breeze since the game doesn't require you to count your steps or aim Lara's body with pinpoint accuracy, unlike in the original game where the grid based gameplay was something of a detriment. And just like in Legend, you're able to make Lara climb or traverse through ledges at a quicker pace with the simple tap of a button, something that eliminates the tedium from climbing high structures and actually makes it a thrill. A minor issue lies in the camera which can go occasionally haywire, but it's easy to reorient it with the mouse (though sometimes it'll keep battling with you even as you reorient it).

Things are about to get ugly...

A neat addition is the ability to run across walls while hooked to something with the grapple. This move plays a very important role in several twitch based puzzles. However certain gadgets, such as the PDA and binoculars of Legend are gone, as well as her headset that allowed communication with Allister and Zip (two characters from Legend that don't show up here). This was obviously made to keep the game more in tune with the feel of the original, and it was a successful move. The original game conveyed a sense of isolation that is perfectly recreated here. Lara will hardly come across other humans as most of the enemies consist of wild animals or ancient creatures.

Dealing with those enemies will be a blast, as the combat in Anniversary has received an excellent addition in the form of the "Adrenaline dodge" move, where Lara must dodge an incoming enemy in time, while carefully timing a headshot that if successful will result in an instant kill. The adrenaline dodge certainly makes even the most basic of confrontations much more exciting as it's both a challenging move to pull off as well as a spectacular one. All of the boss fights will require that you make use of this move too, so it's a good thing to practice it frequently.

The boss battles, particularly the one against the centaurs, are thrilling.

Speaking of which, the boss fights in Anniversary are terrific. The first one is the highly memorable battle with the T-Rex, which is much more impressive and menacing this time around. There's also a battle with two centaurs, which was my particular favorite. This battle requires a lot of quick thinking as you must find out how to inflict damage on the centaurs while avoiding their petrifying rays. The last two battles take place in the final level and are highly reminiscent of their original counterparts, but are much better executed this time. And unlike the final boss battle in Legend, which was sadistically hard (at least on the highest difficulty), all of the battles here feel like a fair fight.

Perhaps the only thing that doesn't feel fair in Anniversary are a select few twitch based puzzles (some of them under a timer) that require pin point accuracy at the time of making jumps and hanging from ledges. While most of this are optional, as they are only required to reach hidden objects, such as relics and artifacts, some of them are necessary to advance in the game and you're bound to feel some frustration by having to repeat several of them a few times. This is only aggravated by the implementation of the same checkpoint system introduced in Legend, where manual saves will always bring you back to the closest checkpoint. But while those sequences may feel a bit frustrating, they never feel impossible and it's always clear from the beginning what you have to do in order to clear them. To be honest, a Tomb Raider game without a few highly challenging sequences wouldn't be a Tomb Raider game, and most fans won't be bothered by them.

The comparison screenshots are among the best rewards in the game.

Visually speaking, Anniversary has the same look as Legend, which means the game is gorgeous. The lack of a "next-gen" graphics option means Anniversary doesn't look quite as spectacular and sharp as Legend did, but it's still a graphically impressive game, thanks in no small part to the terrific art direction behind it. The sheer size and scope of certain structures or statues are bound to leave you jaw gapingly impressed. The audio is also impressive, although the soundtrack is a bit toned down in this game to help convey that feeling of isolation and exploration. But there's still a lot of music to enjoy, particularly during combat and boss battles.

Unlike Legend, Anniversary is a much longer adventure, with around 15 hours of gameplay to be had here, and that's not counting a lot of the time you'll spend retrying certain sections. Anniversary also features a plethora of rewards such as concept art, character biographies, new outfits for Lara, developer commentary, the ability to listen the game's soundtrack on the Croft Manor, cheat codes, a mini-level that was used for testing purposes, and my personal favorite, comparison screenshots between the 1996 game and this one. To obtain this rewards you must find the artifacts and relics scattered through the levels, some which are easy to obtain, while others will require quite an excursion. Between the meaty adventure and all the rewards, Tomb Raider Anniversary is a very complete game package.

The image speaks for itself.

As someone who has been with the series from the very beginning (through the good times and the rough ones), not only was I very grateful at the chance of reliving the original adventure, but I was completely blown away by this game. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this remake other than a graphical upgrade, but the developers showed just how much intent they had on leaving their own mark on this remake. It's hard to believe it, but Anniversary is better than the original game in every way, not just because of the technical advances, but because it's simply a much smarter and well designed game. With Tomb Raider Anniversary, Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider series have finally reached their full potential.

It's coming baby... it's coming!

Okay, I realize I'm probably the only person in the world crazy enough to say this, but I actually like it when most games wrap it up quickly. What!? How can I possibly like it for a game to offer me less "bang for the buck"? Allow me to explain.

How many times have you played a game where a couple of levels just don't feel in tune with the rest of the game, like they were just thrown together haphazardly? I'm sure that would be plenty. Filler levels are a common sight in virtually every game, and I must confess, I HATE them. You see, instead of enhancing an enjoyable experience, all a filler level does is actually delay my enjoyment of the good stuff a game has to offer. Let's say a game consists of 10 levels, 6 of which are amazing and 4 that are just average. Let's also assume each level would take around an hour to finish. Instead of delivering 6 sublime hours of gameplay, I'll be stuck with 10 hours of which 6 will be good and 4 not so much, but the bigger problem is that those 6 hours that could've been sublime, will be dragged down a few notches due to the tedium of having to drag myself through mediocre filler levels.

The point I'm trying to make here is that instead of trying to please gamers by just offering more content, developers should focus on delivering the best gameplay experience possible, and if it happens to be that a shorter experience is better, then so be it. Artificially lengthening a game does not do it any favors, it only drags the overall experience down. Of course, the ideal solution would not be to wrap the game in 6 hours (or 10, whatever your definition of a short game is), but rather try to come up with a few more hours of equally amazing gameplay, but if the developers truly run out of ideas, it's better to keep the experience "short but sweet".

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I want all my games to be short. I obviously crave the occassional "epic" experience (any Grand Theft Auto for instance) that goes on for much longer than the average game, but pulling off that feat is something that's not necessarily withing reach of all developers. A great story with great characters that you don't want to part with are essential to such epics, and unfortunately, not all genres lend themselves to proper charcter development, which is why it's usually more story driven genres like RPGs or Adventures, that benefit from being longer games. As far as shooters go (which I admit, is the genre I spend most time with), I believe that 10 hours is the sweet spot for length. Going beyond that length can be tricky. Half Life 2 for instance, succeded at it thanks to its amazing characters and immersive gameworld. Doom 3 on the other hand (a game I love nonetheless), could've benefited from shaving off a few levels that brought nothing new to the table.

One game that most people criticized for being too "short", though at around 10 hours I don't deem it to be short, is Max Payne (check my review here, feedback appreciated). Max Payne combined amazing gunplay with great storytelling and it never dragged down. It would've been real easy for developer Remedy to add some filler levels to prevent people from complaining, but there's a good chance that could've ended working against the game. By keeping it "short and sweet", the game is fondly remembered by all of those who played it.

So now that I've let off that pointless rant, does anyone here think I'm insane?

Those who've known me for a while should be aware that I like to write game reviews. I do it both for fun (I really enjoy it) and as a service to the community, since I feel I'm capable of writing fair, well structured, and objective reviews. So it would be logical to think that if the opportunity presented itself, I'd like to write reviews for a professional website or magazine, right? Well, unless said editorial source was willing to allow me to write reviews without a deadline and I was allowed to ditch any game I didn't want to review, then no, I wouldn't take a job as a reviewer.

Here are my 4 reasons not to be a professional game reviewer:

1/ You're forced to rush through games.

First of all I'm going to point out this article that discusses the issue of finishing a game before reviewing it. It's no secret that just like game publishers are in a constant race to ship out their games before the competition, reviewing sources are also in a race against time, craving that "world exclusive" first review. This is nothing new, and quite frankly, there's nothing wrong with it. But for me, it's one of the main reasons why I've always felt that a job as a games reviewer is a very sucky one. From the moment you start rushing yourself through a game you're effectively killing the experience. Granted, considering that this is your job you're gonna have much more time to play games, but still, playing a 40 hour game in a single weekend is not my idea of fun. Not only are you likely to miss out on most of the story details (provided the game has a story), but odds are you're not even going to enjoy everything the game has to offer since you're too concerned about finishing the game and then finding the time to write a decent review, which more than likely won't even be decent since just like the playthrough, it will be rushed.

2/ You'll have to play games you don't want to play.

Let's say Big Rigs Over the Road Racing 2 has just been released; as obvious as its suckiness can be implied, it still needs to be reviewed. Would you really volunteer to play such game? Ok, maybe in that particular case you would, if only to witness a masterpiece of the odd kind, but when you're forced to play through dozens of bad games, you're likely to get jaded and probably even bitter towards the industry for releasing so much crap. And it doesn't even have to be bad game, maybe it's just a game of a genre you're not too fond of, but since the crew is short staffed, you're assigned the review. Fun...

3/ You're not in the mood to play anything... too bad!

It's one of days where not even a Nude Miss Universe Pageant would cheer you up, but your duty calls and you have to get the job done. Perhaps you have to finish a game you're actually enjoying, but those last few hours will be tampered by whatever event had you down in the first place. A lack of motivation can always lead to a poor job, so considering that reviewing that game is your job, there's also a chance you'll do a poor job. And that leads to the main reason why I believe reviewing games for a living isn't fun...

4/ It's a job.

No matter what spin you want to give it, or how fun the job can be at times, it's still a job. There will be deadlines, there will be pressure, there will be bosses you'll have to answer to, etc, etc, etc. While for many people a line of work related to one of their favorite hobbies can be appealing, for me it's quite the opposite. I don't want my hobbies to become a job. As a regular gamer, I enjoy writing reviews because it's something I do by choice whenever I feel like it. The minute it becomes work, it stops being fun.

(Disclaimer: In quite a coincidence, just as I was ready to post my third blog review, and 25th review overall, I received today the coveted Top 100 reviewers emblem. While I'm not obsessed about such things, I'm grateful someone deems my reviews in high esteem. I also noted most of my contacts got the emblem as well, so it's safe to say we're all pretty good writers. Anyway, to celebrate the emblem I'm posting a review for a somewhat controversial game, Assassin's Creed. I know several of you hated the game, and I even quoted Monco in the review, but like always I ask that your feedback focuses more in the editorial quality of the review. If you feel like debating some of Assassin's Creed issues, please do so without lambasting the review.)

Flawed as it may be, Assassin's Creed is one of the most immersive, unique, and memorable experiences you'll ever have.

Assassin's Creed is a perfect example of how immersion can make you forget you're playing a game, to the point that the experience is so rich that you end up easily forgiving faults that could kill lesser games. This game features a terrific and engrossing story, one that is strong enough to fill any logical gaps the game may present. It's also set in an incredibly lifelike gameworld, one where you'll literally lose yourself in, both thanks to the incredible attention to detail as well as some of the most stunning graphics ever seen. And it offers gameplay so exhilarating that it'll be hard to put the game down. Unfortunately the game seems to run out of gameplay ideas as it progresses, so it ends up being very repetitive towards the end. Still, the strong storytelling as well as the always enjoyable gameplay (repetitive as it may get), will keep you compelled enough to see the game through the end.

Altair gets a good view of the city prior to embarking on his mission.

Assassin's Creed presents a dual story, (in one of the most bizarre and memorable story presentations ever devised), where you step into the role of a young man called Desmond, who has been kidnapped by a group of researchers from Abstergo Labs to be a part of an experimentation with a nifty device called the Animus. The Animus allows a person to relive memories by examining their DNA, but as it turns out, your DNA also stores all your ancestors' memories, which is exactly what Abstergo is interested in. Desmond's ancestor they need information about is Altair, a member of an eltie group of assassins from the 12th century who fought the holy war against the Templars. Unfortunately for Abstergo, Desmond can't access Altair's relevant memories without first reliving previous events, so your memory recollection will start with Altair sent on a mission to recover an artifact of great importance (later in the game you'll learn just how important it is). This mission doesn't go as planned, thanks in part to Altair's initial arrogance, so as punishement he must redeem himself for having failed the creed by embarking on nine assasination missions against men that are all considered enemies of the creed.

As the assasination missions go, Altair finds himself confused by the motives of these men (who not always seem as evil as depicted) to the point where he ponders on the legitimacy of his actions. His faith keeps him going on however, and eventually many things will be revealed to him, including the importance of the artifact he was initially sent to recover. As Altair's memories are recollected, Desmond finds himself in an equally confusing situation, not knowing what does Abstergo really want for him, nor what will they do with him when they're finished. While the story may seem a bit convoluted, it's actually quite easy to follow, and the Animus twist makes up for any inconsistencies you may notice as you recollect your memories. Needless to say, the story will keep you hanging till the very end. Actually, it will keep you haging beyond the ending, because the game ends in a cryptic cliffhanger note. While some may take issue with this, I found myself loving the ending, since it offered enough resolution to make sense of most of your actions through the game as well as keep me interested for the next installment in the series.

The draw distance is unbeleivable, which leads to some stunning sights.

The events recollected through the Animus take place during the 12th century in the middle east (the main cities being Jerusalem, Acre, Damascus, and Masyaf). And from the second you set foot in Masyaf, you will realize just how stunning this gameworld is. It's not just the technical quality of the visuals, but also the incredible attention to detail littered all across the cities. The cities truly feel like a living, breathing place. Hundreds of peasants will wander across the streets, all serving a different role (merchants, beggars, thugs, lunatics, scholars, etc.). And they're not there just for show, since they'll react to any of your actions, be it throwing rocks at you should you perform socially unacceptable behavior, or calling for the guards when they witness a murder. Beggars will constantly pester you asking for charity, thugs will join in on any ongoing fights, while drunks an lunatics will shove you around begging to be on the receiving end of a kick to the teeth. The cities are also greatly realized, with market stalls, fountains, temples, convention sites, harbors, etc. But above all else, it's your ability to freely move across any place in the cities that makes them feel like the real thing. You can leap across walls, jump from one rooftop to the next, or climb some crazy high stuctures to get a better view of the city, only to later take "leap of faith" and fall hundreds of feet into the ground (or better said, a stack of hay). The combination of all this factors makes exploration in Assassin's Creed a breathtaking endeavour.

The combat is brutal and satisfying.

And while you can let yourself loose in the gameworld for as much as you like, you must keep focus on the task at hand, or better said, assasination at hand. Gathering information about your target will make up the bulk of the gameplay. When you reach a city, you'll find several ways of acquiring knolewdge about your target: Interrogations, pickpocketing, eavesdroping on conversations, and informer challenges (which come in various flavors, some exclusive to the PC version of the game). You usually need to perform three of this missions to obtain the necessary information, but you're free to do any missions available.

There are also several view points (tall structures that can be climbed to obtain a better view of the city, which will be displayed in your map) that must be cleared, and side missions, such as rescuing citizens harrased by guards, collecting flags scattered across the cities, or killing templar guards. While a stealthy approach is the recommended one when performing most missions, sometimes brute force will be needed, be it because your cover was blown or because the mission demanded it (saving citizens for instance). And you won't want to stay away from combat too long, because the combat is a blast. It's a relatively simple fighting system, but one that is forever satisfying. Even when pitted against dozens of guards, you'll never feel like you're doomed, since counterattacks can save the day.

Some of your assasination targets are quite paranoid, which leads to some bizarre moments.

Assassin's Creed gameplay is refreshing and addicitve. Unfortunately, the game seems to follow the same pattern for every single assasination mission, which means that you'll perform the same types of missions over and over again. This is by far the game's biggest flaw, and some people may find the final chapters of the game overly tedious (I'll quote one of my contacts, Monco59, who said after the tedium set in "you'd gladly wash your uncle's privates to avoid touching this game again..."). I for one even memorized most of the lines used by citizens when you saved them (and at times it was irritating to hear the same phrase repeated over and over). Granted, since you're not required to do every single mission in the game, you may end up finding enough variety across the different chapters, but it's a shame the development team couldn't come up with more ideas to spice things up as the game progressed.

But it's here where I praise the way the game immerses you in it's world. Repetitive as they might have been, I never wanted to let a mission (primary or secondary) slip by, because I felt a need to do them. Any time I found a citizen being harrased by guards I wanted to help them. The same applied for helping out members of the clan in their respective endavours. And god knows I never grew tired of climbing to all the view points, because the vistas were so beautiful, and the climbing so exhilarating, it was always a joy. I truly embraced playing the role of Altair and living by the creed's commandments. One can only wonder what could be achieved if the game was fulfilling all of it's potential.

The crowd screams for blood...

As mentioned before, the game is a pleasure to look at. Aside from the great attention to detail and tremendous art direction, the game is a technical marvel. It's incredible how such a level of technical prowess can be achieved while rendering such a huge gameworld. The draw distance seems to go on forever, which means there's virtually no pop-in effects, and you'll be able to see cities in their entirety when you climb a view point. The textures are rich and vivid. The character models all look great, especially Altair, whose movements are fluid and realistic. Even horse movements are terrificly executed. From a technical standpoint, I only place Crysis above this game. Perhaps the only slight detriment of the graphics, is that while all three cities have a different feel, they still look relatively similar, so you won't enjoy a huge amound of visual variety. But that's just nitpicking.

And to top it all, the game's sound is wonderful. The voice acting is believable and well handled. Altair's voicework in particular impressed me, but so did the voice acting of your fellow assassins, or your targets. Even the beggar women put in a great performance, making you feel their desperation for some help. And you could literally feel the pain when a guard screamed as you drew a blade across his chest. All other sound effects are also terrific, be it sword clashes, horse gallops, crowd chatter, or the eagle cry heard while your perform a leap of faith. The music is also outstanding, changing from pulsating high tempo stuff as you attempt to escape from guards, to tense sections as you try to peform a silent assassination.

The most breathtaking leap of faith in the whole game...

Assassin's Creed is a game that elicits mixed reactions. Some people can't tolerate how repetitive the game gets, while others ignore that, for the fact that the game is so immersive. I find myself in the latter group, and while I do feel that the game isn't reaching its full potential, I believe Assassin's Creed is a terrific game that can be considered a work of art. I do warn potential players that you must enter the game with the right approach to truly enjoy it. If you can look past its flaws, Assassin's Creed will be one of the most immersive, unique, and memorable experiences you'll ever have.