September 2008 Archives

While others are ensnared in the beta for LBP, I'm getting an ahead look on Fracture, another game from LucasArts. I'm actually a little timid about LucasArts these days, given the life-shortening experience that was "The Force Unleashed."

While embargo rules prevent me from formally reviewing Fracture until early October, I can at least take solace in the fact that the game works. Instant plus. No random freezing, glitches or anything else that would make the think the game wasn't finished. The terraforming mechanics take some getting used to, and I get the feeling that playing with dirt is going to get old, no matter how cool the weapons are. We'll see when I plunge further into the game. One thing that's making an impact are the physics. I like seeing how stuff falls here.

I still owe you guys some stuff about Resistance 2. I'll get that up when I carve out a little more time over the weekend. I'm also waiting on approval to check out E for All.

Some people want to fly like Superman. Others want to climb walls like Spidey.

But me? I wanted the Force.

You can move stuff with your mind, shoot lightning from your fingers and carry a light saber. What's not to love?

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was supposed to represent the apex of that fantasy, and for chunks of the journey, it did. But a funny thing happened while I was living this dream -- this game made me want to punch holes in the wall.

While the Force is strong in this piece of work from LucasArts, so is its penchant for frustration. Whatever greatness it has is neutered by glitches and other problems that would require a Jedi-like mindset to even tolerate, much less ignore.

I'm going to get some hands-on time with Sony and Resistance 2 in Los Angeles later this week, which is good considering I spent much of my E3 visit staring at Killzone 2 and LBP. I'll be sure to take pics, share thoughts, etc. when I get back. You'll see it Thursday night or Friday morning.

EDIT: Because I can't read, I didn't notice the embargo note at the bottom of the invite I got. So, I really can't talk about Resistance 2 until next week. My apologies.

You've probably seen some of the commercials already, but yes, there will be a midnight release of "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" tonight. It's been called a mix of Psi-Ops and God of War. For those of you who have pre-ordered, good job.

I managed to get a copy a few days early. Expect to see a review here later this week. I'm going through it twice.

You could compare the "Mercenaries 2: World in Flames" playing experience to eating barbecue -- very enjoyable for a short time, but really, really sloppy.

In some ways, I wish more games were like it -- simple, unpretentious and with lots of stuff blowing up.

In a gaming world where designers are hellbent on getting players emotionally involved, the most emoting you might do when playing this piece from Pandemic Studios is the rush you get when you call in your first artillery strike. What holds it back is a litany of glitchy behavior that sometimes kills the gameplay.