Gears of War 2 – Review November 22, 2008
Posted by Lyle in Must Read, News, Now Playing, Reviews.Tags: Gears of War 2, Review, Xbox 360
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Drum roll, please. One of the most highly anticipated games for 360 users came out on November 7th. Gears 2 picks up the story from about 6 months after the events of Gears 1. How is it? Should parents be concerned about it?
THE GAME:
Well, folks – the game is good. If you liked the first one; you’ll more than like the second. The story is stronger, the graphics are prettier, the gameplay is enhanced (co-op is awesome), and the multiplayer feels more strategic and well balanced – though many people on LIVE have disagreed about that one (many like the old [insert weapon here] better).
No spoilers here, but let me just say that it almost succeeds in every way to make you care about the characters and the plot. When the story is working it compels you to continue plowing through the impossible odds. The locust army makes for a very evil enemy that you love to hate. The heroes have suffered so much, and humanity is on the brink of extinction. I felt genuinely connected to the plot for most of it, but there were two points that I absolutely hated and felt that the developers were trying too hard to get me to cry (manly, manly tears). So I guess I didn’t like some of the plot direction, but apparently it was powerful enough to make me sad and mad, so kudos to EPIC for sucking me in.
It was a blockbuster in every way and I can’t wait to get to certain parts of the game in co-op mode…
The graphics are absolutely beautiful. The first game was amazing and set the bar incredibly high; Gears 2 is impressively better. The attention to detail and the artistic direction in the architecture make the game-world of the planet Sera completely believable and very down-to-Earth (even though it’s not Earth). The bulky/beefy character models are ridiculously so, and sometimes look awkward – but the facial details and armor/clothing are simply amazing.
The gameplay is where the hooks really sink in for me. While the game, at first glance, looks like all brawn and no brain; it’s quite balanced between the two. If you’re good at shooters you’ll do well; if you’re smart with positioning and weapon tactics you’ll do way better. The cover mechanic that was revolutionary in the first game is honed to buttery-smooth in this one. If you find yourself with the right angle and the right weapon at the right time, you’ll acheive a serious level of satisfaction when the firefight is over. In single, co-op, or multiplayer – tactics and quick thinking will win you the game.
That’s why multiplayer is so amazingly fun for me. You have so many ways to play: versus, capture the (living) flag, king-of-the-hill types, 5 teams of 2, and then there is Horde mode. Horde mode, if it were released by itself as a stand alone product, would be worth the price of admission. You and 4 friends face off against 50 waves of increasingly tough bad guys. This mode forces you to talk, and makes you better friends with the people you’re playing with. I got to wave 50 with four buddies last week (on normal difficulty). It was difficult, and we thought about giving up multiple times but kept on going, adjusting our strategies and thinking of ways to use new parts of the map to gain advantage. When we finally beat it there was this intense feeling of accomplishment (and if it hadn’t been early morning on a weekday, we would have plunged right back in).
PARENTS:
This game is not for kids. It’s particularly bloody, gory, and scary. When your Lancer (a gun with a chain-saw bayonet, yes really) saws into an opponent; very thick, gooey blood splatters everywhere and kind of blinds you for a moment. Explosive decapitations are the result of headshots, body parts are often scattering everywhere, and I didn’t know it was possible to dismember a torso (?). The game also has some serious swearing. It’s not as bad as GTA (and you’re not playing a criminal, just a grumpy good-guy). Also in the game’s story there are some very hard to watch scenes involving unsettling deaths and torture. There are scenes of alien ickiness that I can’t even begin to describe properly, but will try to in the spoiler section. I just can’t recommend it for anyone younger than ___, well that’s up to the parents. I urge you to try it first, before you let your kids play it. The good news is you can turn some of the mature stuff off – more on that later…
If you are reading this and don’t want spoilers – skip this next paragraph completely. If you are a concerned parent; don’t skip – these events in the story are very intense and may be too much for your kids. Select the text to read it.
*SPOILERS*
The game’s violence sometimes plays second fiddle to the game’s intensity. In the story you will see and experience a level inside a giant monster; complete with more blood than I have ever seen and some seriously gross and squishy organs. I’ve heard many Xbox LIVE friends say that it’s the grossest thing they’ve ever seen. You’ll see main characters die – one in a particularly disturbing suicide. And you will not witness visually, but still experience a powerful and disturbing mercy-killing. I was actually in tears at first (yeah, it’s that intense), and then mad at the writers because I felt it was kind-of a cheap shot.
*END SPOILERS*
Chances are, your kids will want this game. It is a contender for game-of-the-year and most gaming youths keep up with these blockbusters. The good news is that EPIC games usually include filtering systems in their software. Gears 1 had a “mature content” filter that turned the blood to sparks and the F-words to, well, silence. I was thankful for that. Gears 2 is a little better. Separate options for blood and language mean that if you have the option to turn one or both off. The blood toggle turns all the blood to sparks and bodies of victims stay in one piece. The swearing toggle does not eliminate all words, but the words that are usually considered the worst are silenced, even in the subtitles. The filter options will turn the game down to an intense PG-13 from an unrelenting R rating. What cannot be turned off or down is the intensity and the subject matter. And I don’t believe you can skip the gross level in the belly of the monster… And when you chain-saw an opponent, it still looks like you chain-saw an opponent.
I am giving it 4 and 1/2 stars for being awesome and at the same time, cautioning parents to thoroughly preview the game before they decide. Maybe you’ll be OK with it because of the content filters. You will then have to decide if your kids will use them and if you can trust them to do so.
Gears of War 2
Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Wii Review May 16, 2008
Posted by Lyle in Reviews.Tags: Nintendo, Review, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wii
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Wii is king console of the party games; and this game is just one of the many reasons why. Super Smash Bros. Brawl is an excellent game for people of all ages. I haven’t really played the previous games in the series – but I’ve heard no complaints from the Nintendo devotees in my youth group that have – they even remember some of the moves and it’s usually impossible to beat them!
The basic core of the gameplay has not changed much at all. Up to four players, using a variety of controls (the Wiimote alone, the Wiimote and Nunchuck, a classic gamepad, or a Gamecube controller) can jump around crazy interactive maps with cute and cool Nintendo characters (including some fun cameos from other game-worlds), trying to knock opponents out into the heavens. That’s it – and it’s simple – but oh so fun! It’s easy to pick up and play, but tough to master – which most people say is the best thing about the best games. Tons of characters to unlock and different moves for each means that when you do master one character you have 30+ more to explore.
Options are plentiful! There is a very fun single player mode with a co-op option that works great, and you can unlock all of the characters by playing through this silent-film of a story. You can take the smashing online if you’d like. You can make your own levels and download other people’s custom levels. You can tweak the gameplay rules and settings in vs. matches in a dizzying number of ways. There are so many options to choose from that you will likely never get bored. The kids in my youth group love the game and play it often (they’ve unlocked lots of the characters for me – hehe).
On the content side of things there is lots of “smashing” going on in various silly and cartoony ways. There is no blood, but the action is relentless. If you have kids that might be inspired to carry on beating each other up after the game is over then you might want to be wary of the game’s influence – but it’s so zany and light-hearted that it shouldn’t be a problem for most. There is no language or sexual content that I’ve seen. There is the descriptor of crude humor. All I’ve seen in that regard is that some characters fart and smack others with their tails. The game is rated T for Teen for cartoon violence and crude humor by the ESRB.
I’m giving the game 5 stars even though I’m not the world’s biggest NIntendo fan. I can’t really find anything wrong with the game to complain about. The game is funny and fun and the gameplay is flawless. Maybe I’ll see you for some online smashing once I get my friend code sorted out! For content I’m going to give it a green light for being a very family-friendly game; but I’ll add a caution to parents that their kids may be inspired to start a pillow, food, or sock fight if the power goes out!
Christiangamer Score: 
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Grand Theft Auto IV: Christiangamer Impressions May 3, 2008
Posted by Lyle in Must Read, News, Now Playing, Reviews.Tags: Extreme Content, Grand Theft Auto IV, PS3, Review, Xbox 360
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I’m at about 10 hours in according to the game; so this isn’t a full review.
As a Christian minister for 13 years I have seen many things; some great, some awful. I’m currently reading a book by Randy Alcorn simply called Heaven. Let me tell you, reading a book on Heaven while playing a game based on humanity’s current hell is an odd but thought-provoking experience. And the hell that the game portrays is a convincing one. GTA IV is cynically and broodingly spoofed from today’s real-world crises and is incredibly well imagined and artistically rendered. From a technical and gameplay standpoint – it’s actually pretty amazing. I’ll save the other praises for the actual review (yep there are parts of the game that I like).
I don’t advise you to go there however – I can’t. It’s the American-Dream-Nightmare come true in 3-D. And the content is really, really rough. This game grabs the M rating by the throat and squeezes it into submission. It’s only by the thinnest strips of clothing possible that the game doesn’t venture into AO territory. I don’t really get all that offended by R-rated movies as long as there is some depth in them (“Saving Pvt. Ryan” vs. “Saw”). But honestly, I was not prepared for the degree of, or the amount of, content I have experienced so far in the game – more on that in a minute.
Getting to know Niko:
Niko Bellic is a tormented soul, wracked with memories from the past that bring him pause in his pursuits. He acts like he is trapped by the world and the rampaging guilt, anger, addictions, and love of money that seem to make it go round. He knows that the things he’s doing are wrong but so far, at around 10 hours into the dark adventure, that knowledge won’t stop him from whatever it is he has to do. He’s definitely driven by something; he must be. He came to America to escape the kind of life he is tragically plunging right back into. That sounds a lot like Hell.
And it’s a real tragedy. The character of Niko Bellic could be transformable. He looks like he wants to find some redemption, but he doesn’t – at least not yet. These tragic stories rarely have a happy ending so I’m not holding out that much hope for Niko’s tale. But there was one conversation in the game that was actually meaningful to me: one of the many bosses of the game has a wife (and he treats her terribly) that believes in God and holds onto hope. She tells Niko to not give up on either. It was a short, but refreshingly sweet moment in the game.
As a character in a linear story progression, Niko obviously struggles with the situations he is in and is given some options to be mean or merciful. So far, though, it’s only been one time that I have been given a choice to kill a target or let him go. That seems to fly in the face of what Niko usually does. I’m wondering why there haven’t been more missions that can end in mercy… (I guess that would make him a low-quality criminal or something…)
Back to the content:
I can’t really recommend the game to anyone. I’m not going to tell adults what they should do, but here is some honest critical thinking about it. There is some interesting stuff in there – but you have to wade through all kinds of junk to get to it. I was very naïve about how full of content it is and how depraved it could get. One reviewer stated that GTA is the sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll of video gaming. I think that’s being pretty gracious, actually. Here’s a quick run-down:
Language – strong and unrelenting. For a crime drama that’s pretty typical in the movies, but it gets to ridiculous levels here. Think of the foulest R-rated flick you’ve seen. This is worse (blanket statement generalization there – but you get my point). The f word alone is used to a degree that its’ shock value as the ‘king of swears’ gives way to a kind of ear-and-mind-numbing stupidity. Yeah, these are low-life characters we’re talking about here, but surely some real criminals have a broader vocabulary. Is it realistic? I don’t know. Is it necessary? Surely not.
Tasteless humor – I haven’t heard and seen this many dirty jokes since middle school. Pervasive use of slang (for body parts) and objectification makes women sound like worthless toys. It’s everywhere – Ads, TV programs, business names and bowling pins all band together to make you giggle – which is funny – because it’s not funny. Even if I wasn’t a Christian, I would be seriously disappointed in the ‘humor’ as being senseless locker-room-quality stupidity. They package it up as genius-level satire and all the critics seem to agree with that; and while I see the satire in some of it, it still seems juvenile.
Sex – I’ve seen footage of the worst parts of the game on gaming websites online, so I have no desire to re-visit this in my living room. This stuff is in the game.
In the opening scene of the game you see a half-naked girl beating a tied-up guy with a whip. In the tutorial for the optional activities you see scenes from the strip club. According to whattheyplay.com, there is no nudity in the game. But there is tape-for-clothing…
You can go to a strip club and order a lap dance. Apparently if you pay up enough you can have multiple girls dancing for you (if you can call it dancing – it’s more like simulated sex). That’s pretty embarrassing stuff to have in a game. I’ve heard some of my fellow Xbox LIVE players bragging about this – I just don’t get it. Most people think it’s funny. Thankfully it’s optional; but it’s still in the game.
You can hire a prostitute. The camera stays outside the car while three levels of service can be bought. Due to the open-world-do-anything-you-want nature of the game, you can then kill the prostitute and get all your money back. This will be shocking you on the news networks soon as videos of this so-called “refund gameplay” have been surfacing all over the internet. I have a feeling that this will get some serious political attention. Defenders of the game will say that these videos are taken out of context to get people riled up, to which I respond, “In what kind of context could you justify that?!” The message here is: sex is cheap, women are cheaper.
You can also go on dates (it seems innocent enough at first) and if the date is “successful” you may be invited in. The camera pans out to a beautiful view of the apartment building and the sky (epic moment I guess) and you hear the sound of your date yelling your name. Classy. Also, if you remember the “Hot Coffee” controversy from GTA San Andreas there is a nod to that debacle in the game. When you have a ‘successful’ date – you unlock the “Warm Coffee” (“Successfully date a girl to be invited into her house”) achievement on your Xbox 360. So Rockstar is flaunting their own controversy. The bottom line is that the sex in GTA IV is so suggestive that it would only take a bit less clothing to be considered at least somewhat pornographic.
Violence – It’s not the most violent game on the market, but it is realistically violent. In the movie “The Departed” blood spray after a headshot looks real, as does a murder flashback scene in a CSI episode. It does in GTA IV as well. When you injure a specific body part, the characters will react accordingly. Due to the new technology of the euphoria engine – people move and act realistically within their environment and make futile attempts to save themselves. It’s almost creepy. Because of the incredible quality of the animations in the game – when you hit somebody with a car and send them flying, whatever their head hits next is splattered realistically with blood and their lifeless body ragdolls to a slump. Not too much to be over the top – but not too little either, it looks exactly right. That’s why I think it’s fairly disturbing. I’m no doctor or CSI, but to me it looks real.
In an execution, which you can perform on some main characters, you can take it a step further. In one scene Niko heads to the character, shields his face from the inevitable blood spray and shoots his victim through the eye. It’s pretty rough and I’m not a squeamish guy – except when it comes to spiders. *shudders*
Now for the bigger issue (and maybe a soapbox):
Many people believe that the game is OK for kids. Parents believe it; and parents buy it for their kids. Rockstar Games will shout it from the mountaintops that this is a mature game not meant for kids to play; but kids will play it – because it’s a video game – and it’s obviously a popular one. Odds are many of the other kids at school are playing it – cue the “but Mom’s” and the “I only like it for the driving…”
As of this writing, users on the website whattheyplay.com have stated they believe that it would be appropriate for 13-year-olds to play this game (read the review then scroll down). Erm… What? 13? That to me is more offensive than the game itself. It’s not the website’s fault, but it brings to light some real issues. Even some of the most liberal friends I have agree with me on this point: GTA is not appropriate for kids. I can’t really believe that people think it is, and some of them will get offended at me saying that. Sorry. In my opinion it’s wrong and irresponsible to let your kids play this game. That’s my opinion. Where do you stand?
I guess the best thing about this game and the controversy surrounding it is that people will be talking. I would say to both sides of the argument: we need to talk it out, be rational, be honest with ourselves and each other, and get to the bottom of it. Christians and critics of the game shouldn’t ignore it, nor should they blindly bash it. Defenders of the game shouldn’t automatically jump to Rockstar’s defense in blind worship just because they made a blockbuster video game.
As I said before, there are components of the game that I like and can appreciate as a gamer; especially the technical aspects of Liberty City. The multiplayer is very innovative as well. I will cover the good stuff more in the final review, but for now I’m just kind of thinking out loud…
I leave you with questions to consider: What is the pull of the game? What is the reason kids want to play Grand Theft Auto? Is it the story? Is it the graphics? Is it the gameplay? Is it the mature content in and of itself? Where do you draw the line in what’s acceptable in interactive entertainment? Is it any different than watching it in movies? Is the rating system good enough? If the story turns out to be as good as every critic agrees that it is, is it worth playing through the junk to get to it?
I hope to answer some of these questions for myself as I get back to reviewing the game…
In the meantime you can check out these eyebrow-raising articles that are basically chats with teenagers about GTA IV:
http://www.whattheyplay.com/features/no-parents-allowed-grand-theft-auto-iv/
http://www.whattheyplay.com/features/kids-talk-about-grand-theft-auto-iv/
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 – Review March 27, 2008
Posted by Lyle in Reviews.Tags: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, PS3, PSP, Review, Xbox 360
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ESRB Rated: T for Teen
Blood, Mild Language, Violence
Review based on the Xbox 360 version of the game – PS3 should be similar – PSP is apparently not so good…
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is a pretty amazing game based in a slightly futuristic, it-could-actually-happen Tom Clancy setting. The real-world guns and futuristic-yet-real army tech are very interesting to play around with and the story is good enough to keep you interested. The graphics are great with awesome lighting effects, cool animations, and big, beautiful explosions and smoke effects. I recommend this title from a gameplay standpoint wholeheartedly. The Multiplayer adds a huge amount of value to this game and it’s been around long enough that many of the downloadable content packages are becoming free (I think there are 4 map macks now; 2 are free). The amount of maps that come with the game is pretty awesome; as are the options given for types of gameplay. 4 players on 1 console is a rare thing these days and this game has it. You can play online or off versus and cooperative with an amazing array of customization to the rules and options. I’m a big fan of this game.
Content: The game is rated T for Teen and I agree. The game is not gory, nor is there a plethora of obscene language (there is a some language). I would liken it to a mild PG-13 rated movie. However, parents should realize that although the game is not gory; the amazing graphics make the violence look very realistic. You use real-world guns and explosives. There is very little blood (this is where the realism takes a hit – but I actually prefer it that way). You can be hit by a grenade and you just sort of fall over. There is a ‘wounded’ mechanic for when you are hit but not killed in which you roll around in an awkward manner waiting for a teammate to come and heal you. That’s about it. I always recommend that a parent play a game before you let your kids play in order to check it out.
The best factor by far in playing this game is the teamwork needed in order to succeed in multiplayer. The game plays out much more like real-life than say, Halo (in which it takes a whole clip of bullets to take you out) because if you get shot – it actually hurts. Tactics and communication are key and I like that in a game.
Because of it’s teen rating it serves well as a game that kids can play when they are bummed about not getting to play an M-rated game.
Christiangamer Score: 
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Warhawk – PS3 Review February 16, 2008
Posted by Lyle in Reviews.Tags: PS3, Review
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ESRB Rated T for Teen
Blood, Violence, Mild Language
Warhawk for PS3 is one of the most youth-group-friendly games with guns I’ve seen. Plus its a blast to play; although it may seem too arcadey to some.
You can buy it in stores with or without a Jabra bluetooth headset for your PS3. You can also download it from the PSN Store if you’d rather not drive somewhere and don’t care to have the disc. There is one issue that you need to know. If you download it (like I did) you cannot play the game unless you are signed into the PSN network on your Playstation 3. If you want to be able to play offline (like I do) you need the real-world version. If I had known this would happen; I would have gotten my lazy rear off the couch and gone to the store.
THE GOOD: The game is a just plain fun multiplayer-only title that can that can be enjoyed online with PSN friends or offline via 4 player split screen. You can also take those other 3 buddies online into the game with you on unranked servers. You get to run around infantry-style, drive tanks and jeeps, and fly the unfriendly skies in futuristic hovering planes in an old-school cartoony way that will have you giddy with Playstation-networked joy. You have four flavors to enjoy: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Zones; and you get to play with up to 31 other people. So there is something for almost everybody. If you have a PS3 and a broadband connection this game is pretty much a must-have. They’ve also already released an expansion pack for it and continually maintain the game with patches.
THE IFFY: You can fiddle with two different types of controls with your SIXAXIS controller: motion sensing or analog sticking. I much prefer the latter cause I’m old-fashioned and also because the former is really hard to get used to. Its really neat; but most I’ve talked with agree that its just not ideal when it comes to the combat. I have heard some argue that it gives you more precise control in a Warhawk after you do get used to it – but I can’t agree or disagree because I can’t get used to it.
I believe the learning curve in the game is pretty steep to begin with without using the motion-sensing controls. It’s not that controls in the game are unwieldy or frustrating – but rather because they are somewhat complicated. You have slightly different controls for walking, driving, and flying. And then there are two types of flight modes. It takes a little time to get used to it all. I’ve had members of my youth group tell me that its just too hard for them to get it. To which I reply: keep trying kid – if you can ace an expert song on Guitar Hero (just makes me sick), this should be a breeze!
THE CONTROVERSIAL: There is absolutely no single-player or story mode in this game. Not at all. Nothing. It’s straight up red team versus blue team in endless multiplayer madness. This may have been a good decision by Incognito, or you may think that it stinks. Personally I thought that a tacked-on story line for a multiplayer game was unnecessary, and that they made a good business move. Unfortunately you will not have any ideas at all about the war you’re fighting and who your team is which means zero immersion. But the gameplay itself is enough to stand on its own.
CONTENT: There really isn’t much that parents should have to be concerned with. As with any online game the biggest issue will ultimately be the other gamers spouting out profanities in your kid’s headset. In this the PSN is not any fundamentally different than Xbox LIVE. The violence is pretty tame compared to most games as the look of the visuals is so cartoony and kind of goofy actually. There is some blood and you use lots of different kinds of guns to take out those jerky red team guys – u b the judge. If you have a rule of no M games in the house, but your kids want a warring-game; this might just be the best Playstation 3 software there is to fill that void. In a gaming-world full of mucho-blood-soaked shooters; Warhawk is a family-friendlier change of pace.
BOTTOM LINE:
- A great old school style/new-school technology fun-filled multiplayer action game
- The controls may be difficult for some to get used to
- Flying Warhawks is fun!
- Not all that violent; but you still shoot guns at other guys
- No single-player
- Make sure you buy the version that’s right for you; download or disc…
- May have to not use the headset to avoid profanity online
Christiangamer Score:
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Xbox LIVE Parent Guide – Xbox 360 Review February 11, 2008
Posted by Lyle in Must Read, Reviews.Tags: Online Multilplayer, Review
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Xbox LIVE is not a game; it’s Xbox’s online gaming service and its great; mostly. LIVE comes in 2 flavors; Silver and Gold…
SILVER: Silver is absolutely free; provided you bought a 360 and have it hooked to a broadband connection (Cable, DSL, maybe satellite – no dial-up). It comes with everything that Gold comes with EXCEPT the most important feature: online multiplayer gaming. You can do things like download stuff: demos, arcade games, gamer pictures and themes. You can even rent movies and TV shows; some even appearing in High Definition. You can have a friends list, send messages (text and voice), and MSN messenger is now integrated into the dashboard so all your fellow co-workers can see you playing games on your day off while they’re at the office! Good times! But it does fall a bit short if you are any sort of multiplayer fan. So it’s probably time to cough up another 50 dollars for:
GOLD: This is what you buy if you want to play your games online. 50 bucks isn’t cheap; but it lasts a full year. Relatively speaking, the price isn’t as bad as it sounds since you COULD pay 15 dollars a month for one game such as World of Warcraft; and here you get all of the multiplayer games on 360 for one flat fee per year. Also worth mentioning is that the service itself has had a very good record for working properly. Its had bad days, but they don’t happen often.
THE BAD NEWS: Sounds good up to this point, doesn’t it? Unfortunately there is one major issue and quite a few mostly non-ideal ways to compensate for it. The issue is not the service. The issue is other gamers. In all my life; in all the gas-station bathroom graffiti, all the high school locker rooms, and all the potty-talk I have ever heard in movies – I have never heard anything like what I’ve heard over voice chat in an Xbox LIVE game. There has never been a more potentially abhorrently vulgar place for young ears than Xbox LIVE. I HATE saying that; because if it weren’t for that issue I would recommend it to everyone because it’s a great service. Swearing, racism, rampant pervasive sexual crudeness, unfriendly trash-talk, and threats are all easy possibilities for your average evening online. I was recently playing with my friends against another team in Call of Duty 4. I had apparently irritated one of our opponents because, well, I got him. He began to swear and shout at me in the next lobby as we waited for the next match to begin. A friend of mine spoke up in my defense and asked him to stop – and the guy just lost it. He then threatened my friend in ways that would get him thrown into jail if said in the real world; involving the rape and murder of my friend and his family. This is by far the worst thing I’ve ever heard, and is the rarest form of Xbox LIVE insanity – but it exists. It is my opinion that you cannot allow your children to enter this environment unless you get some serious control over it, which is possible, but only if you know what to do.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: You can still allow your kids to play online (which is up to you), but you need to know the tools available for their protection.
1. Xbox 360 has a feature that limits voice chat to friendlist-only chat; or you can simply turn chat off. The downside is if you are playing a strategy-oriented team game, and some on your team are not on your friends list, you can’t communicate with them. Still this is the absolute best way to avoid LIVE verbal assault, without completely pulling the plug. By the way – if you simply unplug the headset from the controller, the 360 senses that and will direct the voice chat to come through the main speakers; and you probably don’t want that. Listening to swearing in surround-sound is not advised…
2. You can mute unruly players so you never have to hear them again by viewing their gamercard in-game and selecting mute. This is what I do personally when playing with friends against non-friends. Problem is, the nastiness has already been done by the time I get to muting said unruly players. Also the method to do this in-game is kind of clunky and takes time to accomplish; so it is not the most fun or efficient thing to have to do. And then there are times when there is more than one knucklehead in the game; and that’s a lot of work to mute them all.
3. You can review and avoid a player by visiting their gamercard and submitting a player review. Theoretically you will not get into any matches with them again. I’m really not sure how effective this is, but I haven’t seen that threatening fellow since we all gave him some negative feedback that evening.
4. You can contact Microsoft (my friend did) and report a serious issue. They will apparently tell you that they’ll watch said player and see if they need to take action; but that’s about all they will tell you. I sincerely hope that they think of some more realistic and effective ways to deal with the issues.
5. The family settings of the 360 itself allow parents to limit the ratings level that your child is allowed to play (M, T, E). If you don’t want your child playing M rated games – make it so! I’ve heard nasties in teen rated games as well as in M rated games online, however, so this is definitely not fool-proof.
6. The family settings also allow you to set limits on time played each day as well. Afraid your kid will get up at 3am and venture into vulgarity with his friends online? Tell the 360 not to let him. It seems harsh, but it’s your call, by all means necessary protect your family!
7. The power of a good friends list is not easily thwarted by jerks. As long as your kid has real friends on LIVE, this will be easy. If they are always playing with people they know there is much less chance of nastiness. Personally, however, I only have 10 or so people I know in real-life that play on LIVE that behave themselves, and that I can trust. Most of the people on my friends list are nice folks that I have met on LIVE, but I know nothing more than that about them. Scary possibilities, eh? Make sure your child does not engage in talk about personal info on Xbox LIVE (not really much different than myspace, or any other social-yet-anonymous online space).
8. Some of the worst mouths I have heard were on people who sounded like kids. Know that just because your kid says that he’s playing with other kids, that those other kids can be just as scary as adults.
9. In the home option = Don’t underestimate strategic placement of the 360. Yank it and the TV out of his or her room if you feel that the rules won’t be obeyed. It will look nicer on that big TV and sound nicer on the surround in the living room anyway.
I love Xbox LIVE. I hate the talk of some of its lower denizens. I want parents to know what it’s like and be prepared to battle against the hordes of potty-mouths online. I have had matches full of blissful teamwork-oriented chatter, and I have had matches full of verbal abuse that makes some R-rated movies look like Disney films.
BOTTOM LINE:
Parents: Be careful out there. The pseudo-anonymous nature of Xbox LIVE is apparently too irresistible for the immature gamers of the world. There is a terribly good chance that something nasty will be heard online…
EDIT – I changed the title from merely a review to a guide, which better describes the article’s focus…
Halo 3 – Xbox 360 Review February 9, 2008
Posted by Lyle in Reviews.Tags: Halo 3, Review
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As a basic piece of entertainment Halo 3 is a phenomenon. It broke crazy big entertainment sales records and people bought 360 consoles just to play this game. You can read Microsoft tooting its own horn here, and they kinda deserve it. The video game release made more money in it’s first days than Spiderman 3 did (170 million – whoa). And besides all that hype – Halo 3 is a great game and a great way to end the trilogy that began on Microsoft’s big black box so many years ago. While the gameplay itself hasn’t evolved into anything incredibly new – it’s still some of the best fun to be had on 360 – especially the single player campaign. And while the moving and shooting hasn’t been altered much, the other innovations are downright incredible.
SINGLE PLAYER: Halo started Microsoft’s Xbox off with a bang and for good reason; it had a cool story. It wasn’t necessarily the deepest book in the library, but it was awesome nonetheless with it’s cool characters, scary plot twists, and “did you see that??!!” moments. Halo 2 was great, but not as good as Halo. Halo 3 is the upgrade it should be. Its fun sci-fi storyline and still-cool characters are all great fun and the ending is much more satisfying than your average action tale (be sure to stay after the credits). Also, though technically you might consider this belonging in the multi-player section, you can experience all the fun with a friend: from beginning to end on one console. It’s kind of an easy game unless you pop the difficulty up a notch; but that doesn’t make it any less fun. It is, however, a little on the short side. I teamed up with some friends on my day off and we played through it in 6 hours our first time through. You could beat it in less time if you know where you’re going.
CO-OP MULTI-PLAYER: While you can play through the campaign with a friend on one box; it’s even cooler that you can play through it with 3 others over Xbox LIVE or system link. Yep, the awesomeness of 4-player co-op is here, and it should be in every game from now on because it’s a blast! This is how I experienced it the first time through, and playing any other way is just not the same. This was my favorite aspect of the game by far. I have now played through it about 4 times and yep, I’ve beaten it on Legendary (with some help…).
VERSUS MULTI-PLAYER: Although the single co-op multiplayer campaign is my favorite part of Halo 3; no doubt most people came to play the world-class versus multiplayer. It is in my opinion a great upgrade from Halo and Halo 2; but at it’s core it’s still the same running and gunning you’ve come to know and love or hate. I am personally somewhere in the middle, and this is purely a taste issue. I love Halo 3 at LAN Party’s. I personally host a LAN Party for the game regularly. We all know each other; it’s a non-threatening environment; and you can have 4 players per Xbox 360 and up to 16 in the same game. It’s a great time and may not be toppled by another game anytime soon.
Put me up on Xbox LIVE, however, and I just get kind of tired of it. Yep, it’s the same game – but I prefer playing this one with close friends. It may be the uber-competitiveness of it all; it may be that 12 year old that can snipe you whilst in the crest of a 20 foot jump; or it may simply be the crudeness of the players that seem to gravitate to these types of games (Note to self – write an article about the idiots, er, I mean idiosyncrasies of playing games on Xbox LIVE); or maybe I just like my versus-play to be more tactical. And then there’s those times when you empty a clip into your foe only to have to race towards him and mash the B button to win the duel. At any rate – if that’s your thing -then this is a must-have title for you. And that’s a matter of taste.
On the account of the actual game and it’s technical merits – wow is it awesome! Usually it’s lag-free; the options are plentiful; the friends and party systems are great (as is the fact that you can mute the other team completely with one setting change); the level design has something for everyone; and a new game mode (infection) is great fun! Really, there is a supporting cast of amazing options that take the game to new levels. You can record every game you play and save it to your hard drive. You can take screenshots and make movie clips and share them with your friends. You can completely redesign the layout of a level. You can create a new gametype and download new gametypes from bungie.net. All of your statistics are captured and displayed at bungie.net. Check out my service record so you know what I’m talking about. All this is pretty awesome; and even though as stated above it’s not my favorite gameplay style, I still love it!
CONTENT: Halo 3 is rated M for mature by the ESRB. Halo 3’s content is at the same level as past games in the series; so if you played those you know pretty much exactly what to expect (except now it has prettier graphics). If you haven’t played it then you need to know why it got the mature rating. Its descriptors say ‘blood and gore, violence, and mild language’ and that’s pretty accurate. There is animated blood that mists and spatters from time to time. It depends on what you shoot as to what color of spray you see (aliens don’t have red blood). There is a moderate amount of PG-level swearing in the main campaign. There is a computer “AI” hologram in the shape of a sort-of-naked female (think: Tron) which is not really offensive or sexual. That being said, I’m not a teenage boy and I’m not attracted to animated girls. Your young’ens might see that differently. There are also quite a few scary and gooey alien creatures that try and kill or eat your character throughout the game, but most teens won’t be scared off by that.
Parents should check it out via rental first; but for the most part it’s pretty tame. Even though it garnered an M rating from the ESRB, it would probably get a PG-13 from the movie ratings board.
BOTTOM-LINE:
- Amazingly fun co-op/single player campaign (4-player co-op is great fun!)
- Awesome production values all around
- Good way to end the trilogy (good story)
- Sci-fi typical violence and alien scariness with animated blood
- Some swearing involved in the single player campaign
- Should be OK for most teenagers
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Call of Duty 4 – Xbox 360 Review February 8, 2008
Posted by Lyle in Reviews.Tags: Call of Duty 4, Review
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I am currently playing Call of Duty 4 for Xbox 360 more than any other game. So I thought I should start with this title for my first review. Let’s start with single player:
SINGLE PLAYER: If it had no multiplayer mode whatsoever, it would still be a worthy addition to your 360 library. The single player story is an intense and adrenaline-producing romp through a not-so-impossible world-crisis scenario that has you jumping back and forth between U.S. Marine and British S.A.S perspectives. It’s gameplay is sublime. It’s story is powerful a (my mouth was on the floor at least four or five times). It’s technical merits are incredible. I love this game. If you like military-based shooters, I imagine you will too. There is a decent amount of content that warrants the title’s M for mature rating; but we’ll save that for the content section.
MULTI-PLAYER: This is in my opinion, the best online multi-player game on any system (ever). There are some technical problems that the developer Infinity Ward still needs to iron out (some party-dropping issues, and an invitation error that still pops up); but aside from those somewhat aggravating problems, the game is pretty much perfect. When you first step into a match you will feel very much like the new kid going through boot camp, but tread on soldier and you will be rewarded. The game has a class-based level up system swiped straight out of the most addictive role-playing game you can imagine; and it’s not just for a fancy rank or level. You get rewarded with new weapons, new perks for your class, and more. You have quite a few game types to choose from; a meticulously balanced game to get your competitive juices flowing, and 55 levels and numerous challenges to compel you to never look at another shooter again. In short it could be the perfect game, if only it were as compelling offline as it is online:
MULTI-PLAYER OFFLINE: as in LAN party options? NOPE – Not really viable at all. You can system link like in Halo, but only one player per 350 dollar Xbox 360???!! Bummer. You can split screen up to 4 on one 360 (no system link) for some free for all or 2vs 2; but you cannot take guests with you online on Xbox LIVE ala Halo 2 or 3. To top all of that madness off; you don’t get any of the leveling-up or customization options that you get online. Darn shame, because this game could very well top Halo 3 as LAN party king if it weren’t for these grievances.
CONTENT: This game is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. The content in question is violence and language, but far more potentially damaging (in my opinion) for young eyes and hearts is the intensity of the story. In the single-player campaign you are treated to a very well-crafted scenario told in an unflinching and brutally realistic manner. I won’t spoil any specifics; but in the real world the game tries to portray: Good guys die, bombs blow up, and friends don’t make it. In one scene towards the beginning of the game you witness an execution from the perspective of the victim. It’s not really gory or distasteful, but man it is intense. There is a little animated blood, and swearing that would get a PG rating from the movie people. It’s the intensity and realism of the story that gets and deserves the M rating. Parents should check it out before buying by renting it or viewing some online video footage (I’ll see if I can find some for you).
BOTTOM LINE:
- Could be game of the year for story and action
- I can’t quit the multi-player
- Awesome graphics
- Perfect gameplay
- May be too intense for teenagers
Christiangamer Score:
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