Welcome to a brand new Co-Optimus feature! Lets face it, we're all gamers at heart and we don't ONLY play co-op games. We wanted to give you guys our opinion on some of the bigger releases out there in the single and multiplayer gaming world for all the systems. Welcome to Beyond Co-Op Reviews.
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Explanation of Scores:
- Golden Billy - This is a must buy title. Truly excellent in almost everyway.
- Silver Billy - A solid title with a few flaws.
- Bronze Billy - An ok title. You might not want to pay full price for this game.
There's a moment in Mirror's Edge when you find yourself standing on a rooftop overlooking an immaculate city of whites, reds and blues; the trance soundtrack thumps in the background and the sound of wind echos from your tv. You realize that in a moment those rooftops in front of you are your playground, your life line as you do the things you've only seen in Hollywood chase scenes. Running along walls, sliding under pipes, and leaping over gaps all in an effort to escape what is likely certain death. There's many moments in Mirror's Edge where your adrenaline kicks in, and it's only interrupted by the sometimes frustrating combat scenarios. The game was intended to be played without firing a gun at enemies, instead you are meant to run, run run. I highly recommend you try playing this way, it's a very rewarding experience.
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EA changed their portfolio this fall to include not only sequels, but brand new ambitious and original IPs. Dead Space's space survival horror meets action game offers quite a bit to keep players entertained. The production values of this title are high, and the in game interface is something I hope to see replicated in many titles moving forward. And while this is a horror title, it keens a bit more towards action. Sure you'll jump in your seat from time to time, but the moments are a bit predictable. By the time the story culminates you may be a bit tired of some of the mechanics like shooting apart enemies limbs or constantly hitting up stores to upgrade your player. This doesn't mean it's not a wild and worthy ride from start to finish, there's just a few asteroids you have to overcome along the way.
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Casino Royale launched a new style of Bond movie. Bond became a much more visceral experience, something closer to the Bourne movies. The latest Bond game, Quantum of Solace, also seems to follow this pattern with darker and grittier action, and plenty of quicktime event hand to hand sequences. The good news is these sequences are optional and if you want to simply shoot everything that moves you can.
The game actually follows both Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace storylines, and despite packing two movies into a game you'll be finishing the experience in about the same time it took to watch both movies. Luckily there's some really great multiplayer modes and maps here to keep things interesting, my personal favorite is the everybody vs Bond mode.
Everyone is looking for the next Golden Eye, and this game isn't it, but honestly - do you want it to be? Quantum of Solace defines itself in both movie and video game form, and frankly I think it's for the better.
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Pure is an ATV offroad arcade racing game that will remind you a lot of the earlier SSX snowboarding games. How does Snowboarding mix with ATV Racing?
Both games feature very over the top action with big jumps and insane tricks that seemingly defy gravity. Purecertainly puts you as close to the action as possible and it is a lot of fun to play, just be ready for some semi-difficult AI challenges as you go through the World Tour mode.
The game is a bit of a surprise coming from Disney Interactive as it features some pretty impressive production values including some beautiful graphics and a licensed soundtrack with bands like Queens of the Stonage and more. There's also some depth here as you can upgrade and customize your rider and ATV with new parts as you progress through the single player.
Pure was a nice surprise this fall, and with a budget price tag it's definitely worth checking out for racing fans.
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This is one of those games that will probably fly under the radar for most folks. I personally think this is one of the best FPS games of the year. You are dropped into a 50 square kilometer part of Africa with one mission: take out the Jackel. You are also infected with malaria that you have to take pills for every once in a while. The world is your oyster as you play through all the story missions and side missions. An innovative real-time map that can be pulled up as you are walking/running/driving along truly brings the game to the next level. Also the number of options available to you in order to finish your mission such as going into it in the dark instead of the day, blowing everything up versus being stealthy, etc.
This game is really fantastic and is rather long, clocking in easily at 20+ hours and even longer if you decide so. Everything is extended by an awesome map editor and multiplayer as well making this one of the most in depth shooters to come to consoles since Halo 3.
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When Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe was announced, most folks scoffed at the idea. Two things couldn't be more opposite than comic book characters and Mortal Kombat characters. But somehow, someway, Midway has pulled off a unique fighting game that is not only fun to play, but has somewhat of a coherent story that ties everything together.
While the cast of characters is significantly trimmed down, there's only about 20 total fighters, the characters that are there are mostly everyone's favorites from Scorpion to Raiden, and Superman to Batman. Each side, DC and MK, has a story mode that takes you through 25 or so matches complete with 3D rendered cutscenes and dialog explaining how this most unusual meetup has occurred.
If there's a downside to the game, it's that the fatalities and violence a bit toned down from the Mortal Kombat side, no doubt a concession for a Teen rating and comic book characters. Despite that hiccup you'll find this game as one of the more solid fighters to be released in the past few years.
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