Which is the Better RPG?

Skyrim or Amalur?

First Impressions: Mass Effect 3

February 14th marked the release of the demo for Mass Effect 3, one of the most anticipated games of 2012. Players will once again get to suit up as Commander Shepard and fight against the Reapers. My expectations for this were high and I wasn't disappointed.

Breakdown:


Developer: Bioware
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Genre: Action Role-playing
Release date: March 6th (North America)

At the start of the demo players are given 3 choices, Action, Role Playing and Story. Action mode allows you to experience the combat and conversations played as cut scenes.  Role Playing mode delivers the classic Mass Effect we are used to, with full control of the dialogue and combat. Finally, Story mode lets you fully control the story without having to worry about combat.

The demo is broken up into 2 sections. The first part take place on earth and is basically a tutorial. It also sets the stage for the beginning of the game. The second part takes place at a later point in the game. Shepard must escort a Krogan to safety, but that's easier said than done.

The overall look of the game is what you would expect, similar to its predecessors, but with some improvements.  Even with that said , Mass Effects 3 is the best looking game of the series. Both the environments and character models look great. Level design seems more diverse than in the previous two games and I hope this pattern carries throughout the entire game. Some of the menus and visuals have been revamped and these changes are for the better in my opinion.

One of the new additions to Mass Effect 3 I was curious about were the voice commands. Through Kinect, you can issue voice commands to both Shepard and his crew. For example if you want Liara to use warp simply say "Liara Warp", and she will cast it on the enemy you're aiming at. It can also be used in dialogue scenes and to do things like open doors. The addition of voice commands really makes the combat in ME 3 feel like a free and seamless experience. Players no long have to open up another screen to switch weapons or use their biotic powers. I do suggest that you check your Kinect settings before you play, just to ensure that mics pick up your voice.

Now that I've played the demo, I am even more excited for the full games release. I have seen no glitches after a couple play-throughs. Everything about this game feels and looks better than in the previous titles. Players should be able to clear both missions in about 35 - 50 minutes. That's plenty of time to get a feel for the game. This is going to be one of the best games of 2012. Make sure you check out the demo for Mass Effect 3.

Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning: Review

I admit that after playing the demo, I wasn't overly excited about the release of KOA: Reckoning. Now that I've had a chance to really get into this game, I have to say that Amalur is one of the best games to come out this year.

Breakdown:



Platforms: PS3, Xbox, & PC
Rating: M for Mature
Genre: RPG
Mode: Single-Player
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: February 7th, 2012


Story:

Penned by 22 time New York Times best selling author R.A. Salvatore, the story in KOA: Reckoning is one of magic, fantasy and destiny. The opening of the game is a little dark considering you're dead. After being thrown out like Tuesday's trash, you awaken in a dumping ground of dead bodies with little idea of what happened. As you seek answers you become intertwined in a tale that feels like an epic fantasy novel.

Presentation:

KOA's cartoonish look will draw comparisons to the Fable series. Just about every environment is filled with vibrant colors. From mist filled caves to lush forests, each diverse setting looks wonderful. Visual effects and lighting are cleverly used and draw players into an immersive world. While it doesn't have the same look as a game like Skyrim, the settings are beautiful in thier own right. The world of Amalur feels much more fantastic. For the most part NPCs fit their settings, however some of their movements are stiff at times. Also, your character doesn't speak or do much else when interacting with them. It almost makes your character seem like a bystander while you choose conversation options. While this doesn't kill the experience, I felt it would've been more engaging to have a character that doesn't come off as a mute.

Game-play:

Just about everything you expect to get out of a good RPG you will find in KOA. There's plenty of quests and tasks to keep you occupied. If you need a break you from the grind, there are 3 types of crafting available. Blacksmithing allows you to create weapons and armor. Sagecrafting allows you to make gems that enhance your equipment. Finally you can create potions using Alchemy.

There are 4 playable races to choose from, each with their own perks. There are plenty of customization options to give your character its own unique look. Players can also choose from 3 talent trees. Might is the Warrior class, Finesse is the Rouge class and Sorcery will take you down the path of a Mage. You will be able to mix and match skills from each tree to build a character to suit your style of play. As you progress in the game, you will earn Destiny Cards that further compliment your skills. Players are free to experiment with a wide variety of skills to create a character that feels like it's tailored to them. If you aren't happy with your set up you can simply pay a Fateweaver to start you over from scratch.

While most RPGs have somewhat simple or boring combat systems, Kingdoms of Amalur stands as the antithesis. Not only is the combat system great, it's what sets it apart from every other RPG on the market. Players can chain together insane combos using standard attacks, ranged attacks, special skills and magic. Not only do these combos do a-lot of damage, but they look cool when you pull them off. I found myself looking for things to kill just to see what kind of moves I could pull off.

Rating:


Saying that Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a good game is an understatement. This game has everything you are looking for. A great story that is well told, addicting combat and a world full of wonder to explore. The number of quests and the high replay value will keep you busy for months. There are a few glitches here and there, but nothing that takes away from the game too much. If you're a RPG fan this game is a must have. I give this game an 8.5 out of 10.

Samsung Galaxy Note

Our thoughts and feelings on the Samsung Galaxy Note

Samsung Galaxy Note: Bridging the Gap?

We've seen this before haven't we? A smartphone & tablet hybrid that promises to give the ultimate mobile experience. Enter the Samsung Galaxy Note complete with built-in stylus.

The Note has a 5.3 HD Super AMOLED touch display that is absolutely gorgeous. It runs Android 2.3.5 (AKA Gingerbread) with a Touchwiz interface. Combine this with a 1.4GHz dual core processor and the Note promises to be not only fast, but responsive as well.

Samsung has decided to include a stylus called the SPen along with this device. It can be used to start apps, select options in menus, and write notes. All of this is nothing new. However the SPen also allows you to annotate PDFs and take screen-shots. There are also a number of apps that have been created for the stylus such as SPad and Smemo.

For you media junkies out there, the Galaxy Note comes with a 8 MP rear facing camera and a 2 MP front facing camera. It's capable of recording video in full 1080p. As far as memory this Android device comes with 16GB built-in and supports up to 32GB with a micro-SD. Powering the device is a 2.500 mAh battery. I have seen varying times, but the battery life seems to be clocked at about 9 hours.

This devices dimensions (146.9 x 83 x 9.7 mm) make it bigger than a Dell Streak, but smaller that a Nook Color. It's also not quite as portable as you might want, but it not as bulky as other tablets on the market. It's surprisingly light weighing in at 178 grams.

Smartphone or tablet, which one is it? I have to say that ultimately this is a phone. You aren't going to be buying this just to sit at home and play Angry Birds. You're buying this because you want to be able to make calls and have the functionality of a tablet as an added bonus.

The Samsung Galaxy Note comes state-side on February 19th for $299 with a 2 year contract with AT&T. It's also expected that the OS will be updated to Ice Cream sometime soon. The big question is how this device will be received by the public. Other hybrid devices haven't exactly set the world on fire. When you make a portable device this big, it almost becomes an inconvenience. Ultimately, only time will tell if this truly is the device that Samsung claims it is.

Underworld Awakening

This past Friday marked the release of Underworld Awakening. The 4th installment of the franchise and the follow up to 2006's Underworld Evolution.

Breakdown:


Directors:
Mans Marlin & Bjorn Stein

Stars:
Kate Beckinsale (Selene)
Theo James (David)
Micheal Ealy (Detective Sebastian)
India Eisley (Eve)
Stephen Rea (Dr. Jacob Lane)
Charles Dance (Thomas)

Genre: Action
Rated: R
Run-time: 1hr 29mins
Released: 1/20/12

Plot:

The story picks up six months after the events of Evolution. The war between Vampire and Lycan has changed. Humans now know that these races exist and set to exterminate both of them. Realizing that there is little hope for them Selene and Michael attempt to flee however things go awry.

I like the idea of humans entering the war between Vampire and Lycan, but the movie didn't really do much to build on this. Throughout the course of the movie, this idea just seems to get lost. With this movie the focus here is on action. Awakening is the most action-packed of the series. The fight scenes are frequent, over the top and stylish. It will definitely keep you engaged.

Visuals & Sound:


Let me start by saying there is absolutely no reason to see this in 3D. The majority of the scenes in this movie are so dark, you might not even notice some of the effects, so save you money. The CG was good, but nothing spectacular. The Vampires' blue eyes give them a menacing and supernatural look. Some things looked a little awkward, especially the transformation of some of the Lycans. The sound is good and is well used throughout the movie. This was most noticeable in the scene between Selene and Quint. Overall Awakening has an ominous and dark feel that lasts through the entire movie.

Performances:


Kate Beckinsale reprises her role as Selene who is the focal point of this movie. Her performance was serviceable. She does bad-ass well enough, but when not punching their faces in, her interactions with most of the other characters come off a bit stiff.

I thought India Eisley did well as Eve. Although I never felt the deep connection that Selene and Eve are supposed to have, Eisley displays just enough range to make you care about her character.

Micheal Ealy's performance as Detective Sebastian is largely forgettable and empty. As the movie started, I was intrigued as to what part he plays, but by the end of the film I didn't care.

Theo James plays David, the prodigal son of Thomas. David is a young and brash vampire that aides Selene throughout the movie. James performs well enough to be believable but not truly memorable .

Rating:


Underworld Awakening is a good action film. Beyond that there isn't much else other than watching Kate Beckinsale jump around in a skin-tight rubber suit for an hour and a half, which I am a big fan of. This movie isn't going to win any type of awards for its story. The plot is predictable and plays more like an afterthought. Additionally there is such a focus on Selene and her actions that it stunts the growth the other characters in the film. The action scenes are great and ultimately make this movie worth seeing for action fans. I give this one 3 stars out of 5.

First Impressions Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

The demo for the much anticipated Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning was made available this week for Xbox Live and PlayStation Network gamers alike. When I first started playing the demo I had lukewarm feelings about the game, and playing through the demo hasn't changed that. Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning promises to be a new type of single player Action RPG. It brings together the creative talents of game designer Ken Rolston, artist Todd McFarlane, and New York Times best selling author R.A. Salvatore.

Breakdown:

Platforms: PS3, Xbox, & PC
Rating: M for Mature
Genre: RPG
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: February 7th, 2012


Graphically this game reminds me of Fable. Characters look cartoonish and environments are filled with lots bright colors. It doesn't have the same polished look as a Final Fantasy or Mass Effect. Character creation is nice providing for a lot of customization options. There are plenty of NPCs to talk to along the way, however your character doesn't have a voice. Much like Dragon Age, players must choose from a list of different responses. This isn't the most engaging experience as you character almost seems like a mute when interacting with other characters. Additionally, conversation was glitchy as many times characters voices didn't sync up with their lips.

What will set this game apart from other RPGs is the action packed game-play. Combat is based on a combo system in which players are free to build combos using both weapons and magic. Fighting in the demo was fun, however I could see how it could get repetitive in the full game. Hopefully the talent trees will have enough diversity to keep combat fresh.

The demo was pretty solid aside from the glitches. To me the game feels more like a jumble of borrowed ideas rather than a finished product in its own right. Once you complete the demos main mission you are given 45 minutes to explore the landscape. So players can really get a good feel for the game. While Kingdoms of Amalur doesn't excite me as much as  other RPGs on the horizon, I think its worth a look.