Orca
10-30-2008, 02:16 PM
It arrived Tuesday, but I didn't get to play it until late Wednesday. I was going to play for an hour or two, but wound up playing for five hours.
The game started off slowly. I wasn't overly impressed by the graphics - expecting more after hearing 'it's the CoD4 engine!' over and over - and the aiming seemed off, zoom in to shoot and I was continually aiming low of where I expected. I've had two days of non-stop Gears of War 2 though, so I think that's what was throwing me off - the aiming in the two games just 'feels' different.
The aiming adjustment was out of my system by the end of the first level and my disappointment with the graphics was gone by the end of the second. The game's worst level is (at least so far) the first, it just keeps getting better as you go.
Good:
• Graphics keep improving through the levels - lighting and smoke effects are impressive when used heavily in certain environments
• Variety in the levels - it's not all 'stop and pop' shooting from cover. You'll run through levels in an almost action-game style sequence from time to time
• Variety in combat - it's not just shooting, get up close and trigger Takedowns (click in the right stick, then do a single prompted button press)
• Stealth! You can use silenced weapons or Takedowns to sneak through levels - haven't made it through an entire level without being seen, but it might be possible
Bad:
• That first level isn't a very impressive intro to the game, though it ends strong with the classic 'spin and shoot'
• X-ray enemies - once alerted they seem to always know where you are, even when distance and darkness are on your side
• Some confusing level layouts - it's not always easy to know where you're supposed to go, though the guide arrow is pretty good about showing you the right direction
The game started off slowly. I wasn't overly impressed by the graphics - expecting more after hearing 'it's the CoD4 engine!' over and over - and the aiming seemed off, zoom in to shoot and I was continually aiming low of where I expected. I've had two days of non-stop Gears of War 2 though, so I think that's what was throwing me off - the aiming in the two games just 'feels' different.
The aiming adjustment was out of my system by the end of the first level and my disappointment with the graphics was gone by the end of the second. The game's worst level is (at least so far) the first, it just keeps getting better as you go.
Good:
• Graphics keep improving through the levels - lighting and smoke effects are impressive when used heavily in certain environments
• Variety in the levels - it's not all 'stop and pop' shooting from cover. You'll run through levels in an almost action-game style sequence from time to time
• Variety in combat - it's not just shooting, get up close and trigger Takedowns (click in the right stick, then do a single prompted button press)
• Stealth! You can use silenced weapons or Takedowns to sneak through levels - haven't made it through an entire level without being seen, but it might be possible
Bad:
• That first level isn't a very impressive intro to the game, though it ends strong with the classic 'spin and shoot'
• X-ray enemies - once alerted they seem to always know where you are, even when distance and darkness are on your side
• Some confusing level layouts - it's not always easy to know where you're supposed to go, though the guide arrow is pretty good about showing you the right direction