Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2 - Retribution

Yeesh!  That's a mouthful.  I know this is a bit late since this game was released over a month ago but I thought since my attention has been somewhat monopolized by this title it was worthy of a review in this week's Wednesday Low-Down.

                Alright, I'll admit it.  I'm no stranger to miniature wargaming.  It all started back in 1999 when I attended a convention at the Westin Los Angeles Hotel.  I was sucked into the concept by a cunning salesman.  He assured me that this would be a fun way to spend my youthful afternoons.  After pooling in the $60 with my brother, we purchased the 3rd Edition Warhammer 40k starter set.

                And what a ride it's been since.

                So, after dueling on the harsh dice rolling battlefield, I became psyched to hear that there were going to be Warhammer 40k PC games in the works.  Being an RTS (Real Time Strategy for the less endowed) nut and aficionado (go ahead and challenge me in C&C: Generals...  I'll make you cry), I knew this would be an instant classic.  I've played a few of the previous titles in the past but none of them drew me in quite like Dawn of War 2 - Retribution.

                First of all, people can rejoice.  Unlike most RTS or RTT expansions, Retribution is a standalone title.  There is no need to purchase previous versions or even play them to understand what is going on.  The modes available are fairly simple and straightforward.  Campaign nurtures you into the game by providing a series of missions that does not overpower beginners to the franchise/genre.   There are 6 armies to choose from: Space Marines, Chaos Space Marines, Eldar, Tyranids, Orkz, and the Imperial Guard .

                Multiplayer is where this game truly shines.  Being a part of the Steam network automatically connects players to thousands of potential teammates/opponents.  Skirmish mode allows for various forms of competition including Annihilation and Victory point conquest for players to do battle in 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3 matches.   A unique feature to the genre is The Last Stand where a group of three heroes take on wave after wave of enemies in order to achieve a high score, earns experience, and set a record on the leader boards.

                So, after doing that dissection, I bet you're asking "what makes this game fun?"  Well, I hate to admit it but only fans of the RTS or RTT genre will get a kick out of the Retribution experience.   The campaign is furious and somewhat fast paced (unusual for the genre) so the ability to quickly respond as the tides of battle turn is a must.  Multiplayer is frantic and enjoyable.  The modes are simple and easy to understand while the maps are cleverly designed so that one area does not have a distinct advantage over the other.

                Sadly the game comes with a few flaws.  Multiplayer matchmaking takes a bit of time (up to 20 minutes in some cases) and the level of current competition is fierce that may dissuade newcomers from jumping on board.  Also, the single player campaign is essentially the same for every race.  While the story differs, every mission objective remains the same.  If you're looking for that deep and enthralling story experience, Retribution is not for you.  But, after the campaign is cleared with one race, it becomes easier to do it with a second is you wish to branch out and become a versatile army player.

                As far as offering my "Official Seal of Approval" I unfortunately have to balk on that.  This is only due to the fact that this game is catered to a specific audience.  But who knows?  Maybe you are an RTS gamer and haven't discovered it yet.  Steam is currently offering a free demo of Dawn of War 2.  It'll get you into the basics of the game without overwhelming you.  My advice is to give it a shot.  It's definitely worth an hour of your time regardless of what types of games you enjoy.  For core RTS and RTT fans, what are you doing still reading this?  Go pick it up, find me, extend a challenge, and prepare for extermination!

Final Rating: B+

The Wednesday Low-Down 4-20-11

Since this blog is all about me and my journey through the waves of publication glory I thought it would be best to take some time out and talk about some different aspects of my life.  One of them I greatly enjoy is (what I like to call) Launch-Tuesday.  From DVDs to Video Games, almost everything is released on this faithful day.  Sadly, I'm usually so engrossed by the choices that day tends to fly fairly quickly.  I'll try to keep these up every Wednesday or Thursday if possible and provide you just a little more insight on what makes me tick.

So, without further ado, here are some short reviews about my latest purchase/play testing endeavors:

SOCOM 4

                I'll be honest; I've never played a SOCOM game in my life.  I was enticed by this offer because they had a Full Deployment Edition that bundled everything in the Playstation Move Starter pack (Minus Sports Champions), the Sharp Shooter attachment, and the game for only $150.  It's pretty much like getting SOCOM for free.  I was very impressed with the Playstation Move when I demoed it at Best Buy so this was a win-win situation.

                Unfortunately, after playing with it for a few hours, it's more like a so-so situation.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the SOCOM beta and the new perspective it took on tactical shooting games.  Without playing the originals, I set myself apart from the core members of the franchise.  While so-called "SOCOM 2 vets" abhor this new direction, newcomers like myself welcome it.  However, my actual experience with the final build was a letdown.

                The key feature I was hoping to use and abuse was the Playstation Move/Sharp Shooter combo.  I don't know about everyone else but to me, FPS and Shooter games alike need to be played with a keyboard and mouse, no ifs/ands/buts.  You lose a tremendous amount of precision fiddling around with the thumb sticks hoping to set up a clean aimed shot.  The Sharp Shooter alleviated many of those precision issues but caused horrible pain after usage of more than 20-30 minutes.  My wrist would begin to feel soar and I wouldn't want to play much longer which is sad because the button mapping on the Sharpshooter is brilliant.  I flawlessly transitioned from the controller and really don't see a reason to go back to it.

                Playing online is a lot of fun.  Definitely a change of pace from the shooters I'm used to (Team Fortress 2, Counterstrike: Source) but welcomed.  If only the Sharpshooter wasn't so much of a drag on my hands I'd probably be out there playing it right now.  Overall, it's a solid game and worthy of shelf space on any PS3 enthusiast's shelf.  Just be weary of the Sharp Shooter and you're golden.

Final Rating: B

Mortal Kombat

                I have a tenured history with this franchise.  Mortal Monday fell on my brother's 9th birthday and my father was 1st in line at Toys R' Us to pick up a copy.  When we came home from school we were treated to the most memorably lackluster experience of all time.  Granted, this may have been because we purchased the toned down SNES version but also because the game itself wasn't as good as people made it out to be.

                So here we are, almost 20 years later and what does the new developer NetherRealm bring to the table?  The exact same game with a shiny new coat of paint.  I swear, it felt like I was playing the old arcade version with the same clunky jump mechanics, robotic hit detection, and painfully complex special moves.  Now, I love fighting games.  Over 50% of my Dreamcast collection is filled with them.  I've played them all from the amazing (Project Justice, Capcom vs. SNK) to the less fortunate (Plasma Sword).  I'm definitely no stranger to the genre.  After playing Street Fighter 2 to death on the SNES, Mortal Kombat was supposed to be a refreshing change.  But sadly, the mechanics and fighting system were borderline terrible.  After that experienced, I could never be a true fan of the franchise, and that's what I believed when I was only 10 years old.  Now this rendition of Mortal Kombat takes the same tried and true formula which sadly only appeals to fans of excess and downright ridiculous violence.

                I'll admit, NetherRealm completely stepped up their game by producing some of the most horrendous and creative fatalities of all time.  Noob Saibot takes the cake with a devastating move in which he clones himself and splits the victim in half by pulling their legs in the opposite direction.  Watching the opponent gasp in horror as they reach the neck is downright painful and hard to watch the first time through.

                This is the essential flaw with Mortal Kombat.  Everything seems cool and original...  At first.  As soon as you are used to seeing everything (in this case, being desensitized) then what are you left with?  A mediocre fighting game not even worthy of being on the Annual Evolution Fighting Tournament.  Fans of GTA will enjoy watching all of the fatalities and bone crunching hits for a good month because afterwards, things become stale and boring.  If anything, this is a rental at best.  Spend a weekend ripping out the each other's intestines and then take pleasure in the purity of a true fighting engine with Super Street Fighter 4 or Marvel vs Capcom 3.

Final Rating: D

I really...  REALLY wanted to buy Portal 2 this week as well but sadly my budget constraints and common sense did not allow any wiggle room this week.  That and I'm waiting for a price drop.  I played the original when the Orange Box launched back in 2007 and it was worth every penny.  I just couldn't see myself dropping $40-50 on it.  Definitely a $30 and under purchase though.  Owners of the game, no spoilers please to maintain my sanity.

Truth be told, I'll probably break by the end of the week.