Print

Mail

wiki links

[ VIDEO GAME REVIEWS ]

	Online Chess Kingdoms Konami Sony PSP Chess players don't have much to choose from on today's portable gaming systems. Konami fixes that with the release of Online Chess Kingdoms for the PSP, a fanciful take on one of the world's oldest games. Those who crave a quick match can choose from five unique sets - Order, Chaos, Magic, Reason and Spirit - duking it out against the CPU or online on a variety of interesting 3-D boards. Taking an opponent's piece triggers a battle animation, which, while initially interesting, can get tiresome. Fortunately, the animations and battle sounds can be turned off. Chess purists can choose more traditional pieces and play on a 2-D board similar to versions used in chess publications. Four skill levels will prove challenging to all players except the most advanced. Those who have studied chess will face a wily opponent that does not "stick to the book" in openings. Oddly, there is no clock or in-game chess tutorial, which, combined with the fantasy world pieces and boards, would have been a good way to introduce the game of kings to a child.
	Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom Sony Online Entertainment PlayStation 3 The latest in the Untold Legends series makes no attempt to be anything more than a visually upgraded version of its hack-and-slash predecessors. By setting the bar so low, it succeeds. But given the hardware and the game's price tag, it could (and should) have been much more. Those familiar with the "role-playing light" genre will feel right at home playing hero in this oft-told tale. The king of a mystical land has fallen prey to evil, and it's up to your character to slaughter a few thousand evil creatures to set things right. Players can choose one of three vanilla character classes - Mage, Warrior and the nimble Scout. Despite outward appearances, the three are similar enough that, once you learn the simple combat and spell-casting scheme, the same button combos work equally well for each. Combat is fluid, and the controls feel responsive, but battles tend to be a letdown. Loot drops are plentiful and include upgrades to weapons, armor and spells, but there are better game options out there. The graphics are merely passable.
	Star Trek: Legacy Bethesda Softworks PC, Xbox 360 "Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise." The words can send chills up the spines of Trekkies throughout the solar system. With each Star Trek game release, these same Trekkies hold their breath and hope the majesty the TV show can somehow be recaptured. Exhale Star Trek fans. This is not it. Legacy is certainly an ambitious saga that spans all five TV series. As expected, the story behind the game's career mode is good and involves the expected Vulcans, Romulans, Klingons and Borg. <P> But the graphics look outdated. Sometimes phasers fire but can't be seen. The controls are frustrating on the PC because they were designed for a game controller, not a keyboard and mouse. Because of this, there are times in the PC version when controls do not work reliably. Players are assigned a fleet of ships, which creates even more problems. There is no "follow me" command. In fact, there is no way to assign fleet-wide commands other than to attack. The player has to micromanage each ship because the other captains are too stupid to order repairs. Battles are too long, and the targeting system has glitches. Missions are pretty long, too - up to 45 minutes. If you fail a mission, you are forced to start again from the beginning because there is no Save option.
	WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2007 THQ Xbox 360, Xbox, Sony PSP, PS2 The first noticeable change in SmackDown - other than improved graphics - is the control scheme, which forgoes face buttons in favor of the right analog stick to initiate grapple moves. Once knocked out of the ring, the newfound ability to smack opponents with folding chairs or bash their heads into stairs or tables becomes obvious, too. The ability to fight amid the audience definitely ramps up the immersion factor. Players enter the "squared circle" as one of dozens of male or female characters. A custom grappler also can be created for a Deep Season Mode featuring more than 40 different original story lines. An expanded General Manager Mode allows the creation of a personal stable of bruisers. Wrestlers and arenas look good, but sometimes the animations hiccup. Load times are atrocious, and tag team matches require five interminable waits. The artificial intelligence appears buggy at times, with opponents standing immobile waiting for some serious hurt or repeatedly taking an unavoidable beatdown. But the game is at its best when it's mano-a-mano.

This story has been viewed 724 times.