Game Reviews
Transformers (PC) $19.99:
I was a little disappointed in this game that it doesn't have co-op multiplayer, as the web site announcements had implied. The other disappointment is that the rendering configuration is limited. In a game that has lots of explosions, this plays like mechwarrior on a 386 on my machine, which can handle the real-time physics of painkiller with no lag. The other problem with the game is the controls. I re-configured the controls to my liking, instead of the crappy WASD default, but there's only one configuration for mouse sensitivity for all modes. It would be nice to have mouse sensitivity differently when in flight mode, where it's more sensitive to movement, than in robot or vehicle mode. Driving itself is difficult, as well, using what appears to be semi-modified version of the Havok engine, where something like Forza would be better. Hitting a mailbox and knocking it over should not fall down in slo-mo. I understand it would be difficult to transition the physics, going directly from vehicle to robot and back again, but it would be greatly worth the effort. For a game from Traveler's Tales, who also created Lego Star Wars, I expected more. We'll have to see how the PS2 and PS3 stacks up.
The Ugly Prince Duckling (PC) $19.99:
This is a fun adventure game where you'll enjoy talking to those fairy-tale folk. There's limited adult humor, but there is humor adults will enjoy. It has a simple point-and-click interface, alternative to the keyboard interface, using the arrow keys. Using the mouse, however, does get you "stuck" at some places, and if young Hans Christian Anderson can't get to a place, he simply won't walk, or be blocked by silly things, like birds or rats. Luckily, there is a green dotted arrow that turns red to indicate if he can't make it to a place on the screen. Don't expect Monkey Island or Grim Fandango out of this game, but you can expect it to be worth the 20 you pay to buy it and the $17.00 you get back from reselling it. Look for it at my amazon store in a month or so.
Harry Potter (PC DEMO):
The reproduction of Hogwards amazed me. The characters rendered as well as the actors themselves, but the animation still looked somewhat robotic; almost forced. They also never blink. The gameplay isn't hindered by this, but there are certain not-so-cutscenes that would transition more smoothly if they at least blinked. The best part about the game is the wand. You have to use the mouse to move the wand, and the movements you do are the spell you cast. For example, moving it left to right will cast Wingardium Leviosa (I'm pretty sure it's supposed to have a flick in there somewhere, but it's kind of hard to do with a mouse). Once you've levitated what you want, you use the mouse to manipulate it, with real-time physics; the physics are beautifully done. The demo allows just about full range of what you can do with the game, but it's time-limited, for a very short time. One other complaint about the demo is its marketing. Yes, we know you want us to buy your game, but don't force us to sit through the opening animations, and the closing credits; afford us the opportunity to skip past these, or at least skip to the next one. I look forward to trying this on a Wii, because if there were any reason to buy a Wii, it would be Harry Potter.
I was a little disappointed in this game that it doesn't have co-op multiplayer, as the web site announcements had implied. The other disappointment is that the rendering configuration is limited. In a game that has lots of explosions, this plays like mechwarrior on a 386 on my machine, which can handle the real-time physics of painkiller with no lag. The other problem with the game is the controls. I re-configured the controls to my liking, instead of the crappy WASD default, but there's only one configuration for mouse sensitivity for all modes. It would be nice to have mouse sensitivity differently when in flight mode, where it's more sensitive to movement, than in robot or vehicle mode. Driving itself is difficult, as well, using what appears to be semi-modified version of the Havok engine, where something like Forza would be better. Hitting a mailbox and knocking it over should not fall down in slo-mo. I understand it would be difficult to transition the physics, going directly from vehicle to robot and back again, but it would be greatly worth the effort. For a game from Traveler's Tales, who also created Lego Star Wars, I expected more. We'll have to see how the PS2 and PS3 stacks up.
The Ugly Prince Duckling (PC) $19.99:
This is a fun adventure game where you'll enjoy talking to those fairy-tale folk. There's limited adult humor, but there is humor adults will enjoy. It has a simple point-and-click interface, alternative to the keyboard interface, using the arrow keys. Using the mouse, however, does get you "stuck" at some places, and if young Hans Christian Anderson can't get to a place, he simply won't walk, or be blocked by silly things, like birds or rats. Luckily, there is a green dotted arrow that turns red to indicate if he can't make it to a place on the screen. Don't expect Monkey Island or Grim Fandango out of this game, but you can expect it to be worth the 20 you pay to buy it and the $17.00 you get back from reselling it. Look for it at my amazon store in a month or so.
Harry Potter (PC DEMO):
The reproduction of Hogwards amazed me. The characters rendered as well as the actors themselves, but the animation still looked somewhat robotic; almost forced. They also never blink. The gameplay isn't hindered by this, but there are certain not-so-cutscenes that would transition more smoothly if they at least blinked. The best part about the game is the wand. You have to use the mouse to move the wand, and the movements you do are the spell you cast. For example, moving it left to right will cast Wingardium Leviosa (I'm pretty sure it's supposed to have a flick in there somewhere, but it's kind of hard to do with a mouse). Once you've levitated what you want, you use the mouse to manipulate it, with real-time physics; the physics are beautifully done. The demo allows just about full range of what you can do with the game, but it's time-limited, for a very short time. One other complaint about the demo is its marketing. Yes, we know you want us to buy your game, but don't force us to sit through the opening animations, and the closing credits; afford us the opportunity to skip past these, or at least skip to the next one. I look forward to trying this on a Wii, because if there were any reason to buy a Wii, it would be Harry Potter.