MashButtons goes nostalgic with Transformers:Devastation

It is time for another game review and this time around we have the latest from Platinum Games and Activision a provided us a complimentary copy of Transformers: Devastation. Like previous games in their lineup we have another visceral, lightning fast action title which will bring back memories to us 80's babies as its inspiration comes straight out of Generations. Devastation comes in a bright cell shaded look and with the ability to play as a handful of your favorite Autobots, voiced by actors of the original tv series, so let's see if it is a trip down memory lane.

From the start, I immediately felt a strong sense of nostalgia with Peter Cullen's distinctive voice of Optimus Prime and once I got past the tutorial is where the fun really started. On top of being a strong action game, the vast customizations that come with the gameplay is what had me coming back for more. Each level is fast and action filled, making it incredibly easy to both pick up and play for short amount or to play for extended periods with varying types of Decepticons and bosses. I was a bit apprehensive with how the gameplay between vehicle and ass-kicking robot would feel but after the tutorial and a few missions under my belt, it felt like it was always meant to be.

There were a few items in which took away from my experience and the first would have to be the linear level designs and the invisible walls. The majority of the level structure is making your way from point A to point B and killing everything between. There is also a lot of repetition in the levels while making your way to the big boss fights, and while they big battles are very satisfying, they are far between. 

All in all, I had a great time with Tranformers: Devastation, nuances aside. My entertainment came largely from the nostalgia value in which PlatinumGames and Activision delivered in spades by focusing on Generations in which most of us grew up watching as children. My satisfaction came from playing as my favorite Autobot in which the movies destroyed, Grimlock, and he along with the rest of the playable Autobots were very very satisfying to play as. Transformers:Devastation is available now for $29.99.

GoldenEye 007: Reloaded | Review

Some may believe that it's blasphemous to update historical properties with new actors likeness, in a sense that it tarnishes the original.  See the recent releases of Star Wars on BluRay, wherein George Lucas digitally adds Hayden Christensen to the end of Return of the Jedi.  It's minor, but I can understand the arguments.  In the case of the new "remastered/re-envisioned" GoldenEye 007, some may say that replacing Pierce Brosnan with Daniel Craig ruins the integrity of the original; but I say "nay" - Daniel Craig is a better Bond than Pierce was any day.  Though, GoldenEye was his best, the others lowered the bar pretty dramatically.

Continue reading our full review of GoldenEye 007

James Bond 007: Blood Stone

In sort of a strange turn of events, Bizarre Creations, best known for their work with racing titles like Blur, and the Project Gotham series, gets picked up by Activision, who has the license to kill for the James Bond franchise and sets out to create the next game in the legendary series.  Will this one be as good as Goldeneye from days of yore (circa 1997), that happened to also get a Daniel Craig face-lift (sorry Pierce), and re-released on the Wii the same day as it's newer brethren?

If you play it, like me, you'll find a lot to love here.

Daniel Craig in full polygonal action!

We haven't had a Bond movie since Quantum of Solace released in theaters for over 2 years now, so those that are in need of the hero really need to look no further than the latest game, Blood Stone.  While the story doesn't pick up after Quantum, it does star the likeness (and voices) of Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, and Joss Stone as the obligatory female lead, this IS a Bond story after all, so it definitely feels like the natural next entry into the series.  I also love the feeling of the added soundtrack that really puts you in the shoes of Your Majesty's Top-Secret Agent.

It's not James Bond without a pretty lady in tow

You begin the game, as the G-20 Summit is about to begin in Greece (eery timing), and you have to interrupt an attack on the meeting, that leads into a full-on boat chase through the channels.  From here, you're paired with your "partner", a socialite/fashion designer, Nicole Hunter, who you can bet will be the object of Bond's desire, if he so chooses.  She will facilitate the next few missions of yours, and plays a role throughout the rest of the game.  As you chase down your target, a man named Pomerov, you'll globe trot and hop from Athens, to Istanbul, Monaco, Bangkok, and Siberia.  Lastly, you'll end up in Burma, navigating the dense jungle, leading up to a pretty epic showcase of a finale.

Drive fast and see lots of explosions.  Oh Bond

Gameplay is in the third-person, and borrows from the latest in "bullet-point" features.  A cover system is integrated well.  There's even a Splinter Cell: Conviction-like "Mark and Execute" feature, that works more in real-time, rather than setting the mark, and executing it, and letting the pre-set marks go down.  As you take out enemies in hand-to-hand combat, you earn "focus aim" that you can use to basically auto-lock onto an enemy, and provided they're in your line of sight, no matter what weapon you're wielding, Bond always gets his man.  You can queue up to three, and string them together to make quick work of a room before anyone really knows you're there.

The action isn't limited to the sneaking variety either, oh no, there was more than a few times where the enemies in an area just kept coming.  The AI leaves a little to be desired, as you could just duck behind a strategically placed wall, and take them out one at a time.  I was sorta hoping they would try to flank me from time to time, but that didn't happen.  Overall, In usual Bond fashion, there's a lot of action here, and the franchise was ripe for Bizarre Creations to add their own signature to the legacy - great car (vehicle) chases.

Multiplayer is here, and if that's your thing, you'll find the standard fare.  With Activision's other release already taking place - I don't think there will be anyone playing the Bond variety, when they can get their Call of Duty on.

All in all, Mashbuttons.com gives James Bond 007: Blood Stone an 8 out of 10.  Clocking in around 8-10 hours, and filled with hallmark Bond moments, fans of the franchise will find this one worth checking out.  Or those of you who just like to avoid the popular things in life.

Call of Duty: Black Ops | Review

Synopsis: It is that time of year again when Activision throws out their newest release for their highest selling franchise title to see how many records they can break with their newest entry to Call of Duty. Guess what, looks like they did it again with Black Ops, but how does this title compare to the previous entries? In Black Ops, you will once again go behind enemy lines, however, this time you play as a member of a Special Forces unit, engaging in covert and classified missions. Like the others before it, this release includes the cinematic single player, the always popular multiplayer with RPG elements including new wager abilities, and the returning zombies gameplay mode. Time to go back to the Cold War and see if Black Ops can hold a torch to Modern Warfare in the seventh Call of Duty entry.

Praise: Where do you start reviewing a game that has repeatedly been great for any fan of the FPS genre? This is the seventh entry to the Call of Duty series and what can I say aside from WOW? The graphics and sounds of battle are amazing, making you feel like you are the lead in an exciting war flick full of explosions, close calls, and nonstop action. Aside from the visuals, the gameplay is fast, smooth, and practically flawless. The multiplayer is the same as the previous titles, but with new kills streaks and maps to keep it fresh, and weapons, while not perfect, few games come close in providing a comparable experience. Zombies, I have nothing bad to say about that, though it isn’t a new feature, it is always fun to work cooperatively to keep the zombies away from your brains by blowing the crap out of them.

Gripes: The story feels more like a movie than being in battle, especially when you hear Fortunate Sun playing as helicopters are raining fire on villages and enemies as you work your way to the next objective. Though the cinematic experience provides that high production value but what I liked about the previous entries was that it felt like a gritty against all odds experience and not a Michael Bay movie. The online is great, but the majority of matches, Team Deathmatch being my flavor of choice, do not use much if any teamwork. The reason for this is that a lot don’t use headsets, for probably good reason at that due to the unsportsman like audience you are likely to find in most matches whether it be a 10 year old prepubescent child screaming obscenities or the middle age gamer rapping nonsense into the mic. It still takes a number of matches to unlike character customization and perks so your kill/death ratios may be less than you like until you level up.

Overall, Black Ops is just what you would expect from a Call of Duty title, a strong FPS full of action, online with a huge community, and replay value out the wazoo. Though most of my issues come from the online side of the game, it still provides a dominant online experience you aren’t likely to find in any other recent shooters out there. This is almost the same experience we have grown to expect from the franchise but like the saying goes, if it isn’t broken, there is no reason to fix it, so if you’re a fan of the series or genre, you will not be disappointed.

Mashbuttons.com gives Call of Duty: Black Ops a 9 out of 10.

Call of Duty: Black Ops is available now for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Nintendo Wii and the DS.

DJ Hero 2 | Review

Synopsis: What is better than playing a song on a music game with a plastic peripheral, well that is an easy one, the answer is mashing up two songs together at once on a plastic turntable. This is of course the sequel to last year’s DJ Hero title, but with a gaggle of new features, it is far from being the same game. Activision sent us the two turntable and microphone pack to review and after playing against the developer’s at E3, I am ready to see what the finished product has to offer. With the new title, comes new DJ and vocal multiplayer modes, battles, and over 70 new mixes to get down to. Party mode is also a new feature with the title that let's the games mixes play themselves while allowing player to jump in and out of tracks without stopping the music. So let's put on the cans, man the ones and twos, and rock this joint to grow your empire.

Praise: It seems as though the development team behind this title took a lot of time into the sequel fixing issues and making gameplay a lot more fun. Freestyle actually feels like freestyle as you are able to use your own creativity at certain parts using the crossfader and sound effects. Battles are tougher and more hectic against real all star DJ's leading to unlocking more venues, accessories, and mixes as you build your empire while becoming a world renown trackmaster. Online also seems to have more of a community, making it easier to find opponents of all skill levels and battle with authentic back and forth gameplay or a number of different game modes to master.

Gripes: After many hours of play through along with just leaving it playing in the background for some tunes while typing up reviews, I do not feel that the track list was as good as the first entry's lineup. Another thing that took away from the online fun was that most of the time I would be put up against someone playing on a different difficulty, sometimes easier, sometimes harder, so why is this a bad thing? Well it can make the matches less of a challenge for people playing on easier difficulty levels rather than challenging themselves and doesn't always pair you with someone in your class.

Overall, I had a lot of fun with DJ Hero 2 and plan on playing this for a long time, whether to try and unlock as much as I can or to play online. With a larger online community over the first entry, it has more replay value and generally more to offer all around whether you choose to play by yourself or with a group. DJ's, fans of the series, and newcomers alike would enjoy DJ Hero 2 as it is a very polished game, proving that the developers are listening to the fans providing the best product they can offer.

Mashbuttons.com gives DJ Hero 2 a 9 out of 10.

DJ Hero 2 is available now for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions | Review

Activision threw us another title for review, this time it's in the form of a Beenox-developed new Spidey title.  Beenox has mainly been responsible for Windows/Mac ports, and a few original titles, most recently, the Activision Franchise, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits.  Tasked with reinventing the aging super-hero franchise, they've changed up the formula enough to prove this isn't just your usual friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.  In fact, this isn't even you friendly same-world Spider-Man, as Shattered Dimensions follows 4 different Spidey incarnations, in a parallel-universe bending storyline as they try to contain the power of the broken Tablet of Order and Chaos.

Madame Webb, acts as your "mission control", as she brings all 4 Spider-Men together to fulfill the destiny of tracking down the pieces of the just broken Tablet of Order and Chaos (Thanks Mysterio).  Control Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man Noir, Ultimate Spider-Man, and lastly, Spider-Man 2099 in parallel universes all driven by the same goal.

Each universe pulled directly from the different comics of the same name have unique game-play elements to them.  The Amazing Spider-Man is very run-of-the mill (though the clever comments from Spidey, are voiced by one Neil Patrick Harris, so that's always a plus).  Spider-Man Noir takes a more stealth approach, as you navigate "Solid Snake-style" (or even more topical, Batman AA-style) through each level, taking out baddies one at a time in the shadows.  Very cool stuff here.  Next up is Spider-Man 2099, in which you spend the majority of the levels "free-falling" as one level feels like one long boss-battle.  Lastly is Ultimate Spider-Man, who uses the power of the mysterious black suit, that adds a unique element of gameplay with tendrils available to shoot out all around him.

As you take on each dimensions levels (each dimension has 4 acts) you'll unlock challenge points, (like mini Achievements), that will allow you to bank and buy upgrades, both of the offensive and defensive variety.  Focus on challenges to really build up your skill set to help you through the later, more difficult levels.

Many of your favorite villains are here in full-effect!  From Hobgoblin, Deadpool, Doc Oc, Sand man, Carnage, and on and on.  Fans of the series will find a lot to love here.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed myself playing, and Mashbuttons gives Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions an 8 out of 10.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is available now for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock | Review

Synopsis: It is time to save rock in the new Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and since Activision gave us a review copy with the new guitar, you lucky viewers get a mashbuttons review of the recent music game. Boasting a solid ninety plus tracks and a new gameplay features like quest mode, Guitar Hero now has more content than previous entries. To make this title as hardcore as possible, the developers have made Gene Simmons, from KISS and not the aerobics guru, the narrator in your quest to become a rock god. Quickplay+ is also a new feature to the Guitar Hero series, which is similar to the previous quickplay mode, with thirteen challenges to complete for each song. Along with a handful of new features, Warriors of Rock also has a new guitar peripheral, complete with a more hardcore rock god look. When all is said and done let’s see how Warriors of Rock compares with the previous Guitar Hero titles.

Praise: I have been a Guitar Hero fan from the beginning, playing Incubus on the original breakout entry on the PS2 with a wired guitar. Oh how far this franchise has come, from wireless instruments, addition of online play, a wider variety of instruments, and bigger more epic playable songs. Though it seems that the hype has died down significantly for these music games, it still seems like there is a strong demand and a large online community supporting each entry. The track list in Warriors of Rock is by far the best in my opinion with the large number of familiar songs and a handful of song that I am unfamiliar with, but almost equally good. I grew pretty fond of the quest mode throughout gameplay as you pick one of the available characters and each character has a set list of a specific genre, once you earn a required amount of stars you will transform into your character’s god form. The new guitar is not required but it does stand out from the previous guitars as is it customizable and the part in which you strum feels like it has more tension, which is a huge plus from the previous guitars.

Gripes: The downside to another Guitar Hero title, well, it is the same title we have been playing for years, with different background animations, peripherals, and tracks. Though it seems like each time one of these games come out, I look forward to the available tracks, play through all the songs in a matter of days, and then not play it again until there is a group of people around. Unfortunately, this is no different, as after sending each character into their warrior form, I tried out the quick play and quickly stopped trying to complete the challenges. In regards to the guitar peripheral, the change in which I am not a fan of is the shape as with the way I have held all the previous guitars was never an issue until now as the new guitar hurts my right wrist after three to four songs. You have the ability to import songs from other Guitar Hero titles, but I find it hard to pay Microsoft Points to import tracks from games I have already purchased once, but hey, to each their own.

Overall, this is another Guitar Hero title, not great, and not bad. Toting a strong track list, Warriors of Rock does stand out from the previous entries. Having a fresh title is always nice to have new songs to play either alone, online with other players that have not mastered the songs, or just to play at home with friends and family. Though fun to play through the first time, unfortunately I did not find a lot of replay value after the first playthrough, though I do see myself playing it from time to time when entertaining or trying to find out which Salido family member is the best until the next title is released.

Mashbuttons.com gives Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock a 6 out of 10.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is available now for the Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and PlayStation 3.

Blood drive trailer reveals contestants and cars of upcoming action driving title in Las Ruletas

In the upcoming title from Activision, Blood Drive is a tournament where a number of contestants compete to mow down, shoot up, and blaze destruction in the desert of the fantasy city of Las Ruletas. Below is the the debut trailer for this action driving mash up.

Okay, whose first thought was Gunship for the PC?

Yup, that's right, I am going way back, who remembers the helicopter combat titles like Gunship and Jungle Strike? Obviously Activision does as they are working on releasing Apache: Air Assault to be released in November in a genre that hasn't received much recognition in the past. This will feature other helicopter model besides the well known Apache fighting both air to air and air to ground combat across the world in 16 multi stage missions.

Singularity | Review

You know, we just received our review copy from Activision on their latest FPS, Singularity, and I admit, I had little to no knowledge going in on what to expect.  Developed by Raven Software, (latest Wolfenstein, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, etc), I did have a high expectation of a solid game with plenty of polish.  I was not disappointed.  In fact, I'm going to come out and say, this is one of the greatest games of the year that most will never even play.

It's a shame really, that there hasn't been any real marketing put behind this game, and I'm not sure where the blame falls there, but that's why it's our jobs to let you know which games to pick up.  So continue reading for the full review, but I understand if you want to go out and pick it up first.

Welcome back, Singularity is a FPS, but one with a time-manipulation element that sets it apart from the growing list of FPS available today.  Set on a fictional island, Katorga-12, off the cost of Russia, in current times.  Back in the 50's, a newly element (E-99) was disovered on this island, which posses powers, that when harnessed, give the ability of manipulating time.  What starts as a fairly standard opening, quickly changes when you arrive on the island after an EMP goes off, downing your helicopter and separating you from your crew.  Shortly after you try to make your way back to your partner, you are swept up in a time-wave that sends you back to when the island was populated with Russian scientists.  You're in a burning building, and the events that unfold will alter the very timeline of history as we know it.  After you phase out of this event, things already look a little different than when you first arrived, setting the stage for a pretty fantastic sci-fi story.  Add in a dash of horror, and you have one of the best games that no one knows about.

Gameplay consists of plenty of firefights, but soon you'll gain access to the TMD (Time Manipulation Device) which has been miniaturized, and now rests on your left hand, a'la the Nintendo Power Glove from that '80's movie, The Wizard.  This device allows you to revert objects back in time, or to progress them forward.  A neat concept that opens up the way for some light puzzle-elements into the game.  Oh, you can also use it to literally turn enemies to dust, if that's your thing.  As you progress, you find TMD blueprints and other weapon upgrades that allow you to "spend" your E-99 tech on much needed enhancements and abilities.  This system borrows heavily from Dead Space, in that you have to earn Equipment Upgrade Tech and then find a Weapons Locker to upgrade your various available weapons.  By the time you reach the end of the game, you're arsenal and powers are so strong that you literally feel unstop able, and the game does an excellent job of conveying that feeling of power.  I imagine this is what it'd be like to have enough midi-cloreans to call upon the Force.

Graphics and presentation are pretty top notch here.  Utilizing the now-infamous Unreal Engine, Raven has designed a quality game, that uses the full color palette, where most games that use the Unreal tech, look brown, and grays, Singularity really takes a more colorful approach and in my opinion, the game looks sharp. 

The only negative that I'd have to point out, is the single-player game isn't terribly long, the average FPS gamer will get through it in about 8-10 hours, but the story may even benefit from the restricted play time.  Also, the game is a little linear, and once you come to the conclusion (of which you'll have three choices), you'll likely not play it again, as the twists are most impactful upon first play-through.  Stick around for the after-credits video as well for a little surprise, and hope that there's a sequel on the way.

Singularity is available now for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

A blurry review | Blur Review

When Activision sent us their latest game Blur, I attempted to figure out the best way to write up a review.  Considering the beta was out for some time, countless users on Xbox Live had their chance at the reigns just as we did.  The multiplayer addiction that is the online racing infused with that "just one more race" leveling up component, was known about months ago.  So what more can I possibly tell you?

Well, considering the fairly low numbers of the gamers online last time I checked in to play a few rounds, apparently, I need to tell you all about this game.  Blur being "just another racing game" couldn't be further from the reality here, and even I admit, I was in that camp initially...that was until I played a few races.  You've no doubt seen the latest commercial airing, taking on a comic approach touching on the nostalgia that we've all played Mario Kart in our days.  This is boiled down to Mario Kart for Grown Ups.  Not "grown-ups" as in you have to be old and proper and talk down to kids (though that's always fun as well), but more Mario Kart, Grown Up.  The game-play itself has seen an evolution, an aging as it were, with the polish you expect from Bizarre Creations (the devs that brought us the Project Gotham series on Xbox), who have a little experience with the genre.

So what's different?  Well, there are two main game-modes.  The single-player, and the multiplayer.  The Single-Player career mode plays out in similar fashion as we've seen before.  Start off with a few (slow) car options, and work your way through the "level" as you compete in a number of gameplay events.  From straight-up racing against 19 other cars, to a checkpoint mode, just you and the stop-watch, careering to each gate with as much time left as possible, to the destruction mode; where you just chase after spawning cars, and destroy as many as you can while you make your way through the track.  You gain levels by earning "fans" by driving in style, utilizing your power-ups, competing in specific fan challenges, and overall just winning races.  As you level up, more cars open up, as you work your way towards each level's "boss"; a one-on-one race to the finish, winner take all event.

Single player is a good time, and if you're socially inept, you can find a lot worse to waste your time with, but where the meat of this game really shines (can meat shine?); is the multiplayer.  The devs did a fantastic job of easing you in, and you can start in the kiddie pool/bunny hill online, where you're limited to levels 1-10.  Play a handful of races, and you'll soon be graduating out of the room and moving on to bigger and better players.  The multiplayer gameplay is the same as the single-player, but the element of human opponents really ups both the challenge and reward payout.

Power-ups include a number of what you'd come to expect in an action-racing title.  Shooting projectiles forward (or backward), a heat-seeking missile, speed burst, repair, and a few others; a nice selection, though I was hoping for something a little more unique to the series.

Mashbuttons.com gives Blur an 9 out of 10.  Graphics are arcade-y, but also vibrant, and the animation maintains a smooth FPS throughout.

Blur is available now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC