A revamped Career mode and some fine racing are offset by some strange AI quirks in Capcom’s latest two-wheeled racing game.

Some call it bravery, and some call it insanity–that particular willingness of MotoGP racers to strap themselves in the saddle of a two-wheeled, 800cc monstrosity and rip around some of the world’s toughest tracks with nothing more than a helmet and thick leather coming between them and oblivion. For the rest of us who might lack that particular fortitude, there are video games like Capcom’s MotoGP 09/10 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This is the third MotoGP game from the company, and unlike the straightforward previous efforts, MotoGP 09/10 introduces some new features that add depth to the racing experience. However, those additions are offset to a certain degree by some strange AI quirks and an overall organization that makes it tough to get to the game’s best content.

The biggest additions in MotoGP 09/10 are found in the game’s Career mode. You are responsible for more than just your performance on the track here; as your career progresses, you need to hire a staff of press officers and engineers who are responsible for securing sponsorship opportunities and researching new technology for your bike, respectively. Money from sponsors is important, because as your team grows, you need more than your race winnings to keep the team afloat. Different sponsors have different requirements you need to meet on-track in order to get paid (such as finishing 8th or above in qualifying or in a race). Failure to do so can mean missing out on quite a big payday; miss too many of these goals and you might even be reduced to laying off staff to make it to the next week.

Read the rest of this entry »

Last Rebellion is a role-playing game that relies on a novel combat mechanic to differentiate itself from the crowd. You take control of two separate characters at the same time, attached by one durable soul, and can switch freely between them as you pound your enemies into submission. But while this certainly sounds intriguing, the results are far too predictable. The action does not vary noticeably when switching up your hero, which make this game feel much less inventive than the core concept would have you believe. Furthermore, unfair difficulty spikes erect an all-too-frequent roadblock, and the dry story is little help in pushing you through this adventure. Last Rebellion initially stands out because of its wealth of zombies and crazy soul-sharing protagonists, but the rest of the game is too bland and boring to hold your attention for long.

The game opens in the Kingdom of Lorvin, where someone has upset the delicate balance of life and death by raising the dead and transforming all corpses into zombified monstrosities. You’re cast as Nine, a spiky-haired prince joined by Aisha, a priestess capable of sealing the souls of the undead. When a sneaky usurper slaughters the king and flees, both Nine and Aisha embark on a mundane and predictable quest of revenge. The story is vapid but confusing, and the minuscule cast and boring, cliched romantic themes will keep you from getting invested.

The turn-based combat is slow-paced and tedious. Aisha and Nine operate as a duo sharing the same soul, meaning that they share health points and mana but each receives a distinctive turn. Instead of just tossing you against standard monstrous hordes, the game splits each enemy into set body parts. Attacking a single part spends a chain point (CP) and temporarily “stamps” the part for magical attacks; the idea is to stamp as many body parts as you can before casting spells, which target all stamps on the field. “Sealing” is an interesting and unusual mechanic with which you seal a dead monster’s soul before it can regenerate, but it’s annoying when your seals miss for no discernible reason. For more irksome novelty, body parts implement a strike order system; attacking three parts in the correct order triggers a combo, which increases your damage. Unfortunately, determining the strike order is a slow and arduous process involving some luck, since enemies have anywhere from seven to 10 parts, resulting in an aggravating guessing game that’s worsened by your enemies’ enormous amounts of health. This means that you frequently run low on CP because you’re practically forced to combo–and thus must master each enemy type’s strike order–to deal any significant damage. The overall difficulty therefore hinges on your allotted chain points, which is especially irritating because you’re initially given so few to work with. The artificial difficulty eventually plummets when you’ve secured sufficient chain points, making even bosses pushovers, but at this point the game is nearly done.

Read the rest of this entry »

Though it can seem dilapidated at times, Metro 2033 is a dark journey saturated with an enthralling atmosphere that will reward intrepid adventurers.

Beneath a frozen city ruined long ago by its own weapons of destruction, humankind clings to survival. In dirty overcrowded stations, women haggle for scraps at the market as old men mourn the world they lost and children run underfoot, knowing no life beyond their meager subterranean existence. The hardier souls stand at the gates, vigilant against the beastly offspring of Armageddon, while the bravest venture out into the tunnels to trade, scavenge, and scout the dark reaches of the man-made underground wilderness. The rich world of Metro 2033 is not free of technical flaws, but the oppressive atmosphere is so well cultivated that it successfully draws you in and spurs your onward. Your journey is a lengthy and intriguing one, full of dramatic moments and tense action. The relentless gloom can be wearying, and the shooting and movement mechanics feel a bit dated, but the overall experience endures despite these blemishes. The immersive world of Metro 2033 is not for the faint of heart or short of patience, but those whose brave it will find a fresh and entertaining new adventure into the postapocalyptic future.

And make no mistake, this future is bleak. The aforementioned station-villages are dreary, but you’ll come to regard them as welcome beacons of light in the pervasive darkness of the tunnels. As you venture away from the comforting firelight and busy soundscape of the crowded stations, you enter tunnels that echo with the howls of murderous beasts, where the only illumination is provided by glowing radioactive fungi or your own headlamp. Light, or lack thereof, plays a huge role in creating Metro 2033′s engaging atmosphere. Passing through a dark, foggy tunnel can be harrowing, and entering the warm glow of an electric lamp can relieve the palpable tension, until you look down and see a freshly mutilated body at your feet. Grim scenes, inescapable shadows, and an omnipresent sense of desperation help create a powerful sense of gloom and doom. Though this world is not without hope, it is a dark one, and it can be overbearing at times. Soldiering on can be difficult, but sometimes all it takes is a worn out record player to lighten your spirits. Darkness can also be your ally, providing you have some night-vision goggles handy, allowing you to sneak past foes or position yourself for a silent kill. Lightscape is just as important as landscape in Metro 2033, because not only do they combine to create the rich subterranean atmosphere, but each is an important tactical consideration.

Read the rest of this entry »

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Somebody must have scribbled that cheesy old catchphrase on the wall at Visual Concepts sometime in the past year, because the developer has made Major League Baseball 2K10 look and feel a lot like recent entries in the Sony-only MLB: The Show series. Ripping off the competition seems to have been a great idea, too. The result of this copycat-itis is the best game in the decade-long history of 2K Sports’ baseball franchise, a more realistic and more fully featured effort that delivers diamond delights in just about every possible way. Gameplay isn’t quite as clean as it could be, especially in the new My Player career option that lets you guide a rookie from the minors to the majors. But this is still a great re-creation of the national pastime that stands head, shoulders, and batting helmet above its predecessors.

Where MLB 2K10 most resembles its crosstown rival The Show is in the addition of My Player mode, an option that lets you create a rookie and take him to the bright lights and big cities of the Major Leagues. Those who have played The Show’s similarly role-playing-game-flavored Road to the Show will find themselves in familiar territory. You create a rookie phenom, pick a fave franchise to be drafted into, and then set off to try to become an MLB legend. Skill points are awarded just about every time you slip into your spikes. Hit a single, and you get points for hitting. Make a putout or record an assist, and you get points for fielding. Cross home plate with a run, and you get points for baserunning. Strike out the side, and you get points for pitching. And so on. Special objectives and clutch situations provide additional points. You might be called upon to record an out in under five pitches, for example, or work a hit-and-run when standing on first. You take part only in the plays that your player is involved in, which allows you to zip through entire seasons while manually playing nearly every game on the schedule.

Read the rest of this entry »