Mature Gaming » storm

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier – Review (360, PS3, PC)

gazzara — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:00:41 +0000

Finally, after many years in the wilderness, a new iteration of Ubisoft and Tom Clancy’s stellar franchise is about to hit the shelves and after waiting five long, hard years, Red Storm and Ubisoft are about to really shout from the rooftops about one of the best cover shooters to date.

Likes
- Fluid control system
- Guerilla mode is outstanding
- Gunsmith will eat your gaming hours
- Its Ghost Recon back with a bang!
- Smooth online experience
Dislikes
- Installing game for best performance
- Cover and shoot camera can get confused

Many were slightly worried about the new tech involved and whether it will destroy the game, namely the multiplayer, but after many, many hours of playing all of the elements MG are proud to say that Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier stands tall and is a big smack on the lips for any Ghost Recon fan.

The game itself has had a lot of press lately, especially with the introduction of Gunsmith and the online multiplayer beta, which we gave our initial impressions to here. A lot has also been said about the active camo and whether or not this may unbalance the game but fear not kids, the active camo adds another juicy layer to an already feature rich game.

You see, the basic movement, techniques and gameplay hasn’t changed that much and everybody that was in awe of the mighty GRAW and GRAW 2 will instantly feel at home. The campaign’s story sees 4 ghosts killed in the line of duty, setup as it were by underhand terrorists hell bent on putting the GHOSTS out of commission. Cue a story rich in plot lines of chasing down weapons dealers, governments being overthrown and all the while your group of GHOSTS tracking down the people responsible and exacting revenge whilst putting some of the world to rights. Although the storyline has a lot of feel, one thing that never changes is that for the most part, the game puts you back into what Ghost Recon titles do best – firefights, tactical combat and a good ol third person, cover shooter romp amongst a couple of other tricks.

A solid introduction and a couple of chapters from the thirteen extensive ones that you’re thrown into will soon have you up to speed with the movement of your character and all of the actions needed to succeed. Active camo appears pretty fast into the story which gives you new decisions on how to progress through each area although some sections require that you do not alert anyone at all. Utilising your drone you will be able to setup strategical hits on targets that you highlight with the help of your fellow ghosts. Once the targets are acquired and have been locked on, it is a matter of holding down the RB button or shooting the fourth target yoursehotslf to set off the simultaneous shots to take down the guards. Get this right and your progress is a lot easier, get it wrong and a body is spotted or you don’t take them out in one hit and all hell breaks loose. What becomes a game of strategy soon becomes what you know happens in Ghost Recons of old, a full on firefight.

Helping you out though is a plethora of weapons and equipment that can be selected through the awesome gunsmith, which is also available on the app stores for your mobile phones for creating your weapon set on the fly. Sensor grenades will pick up signals with the specific area that the grenade is thrown into whilst standard frags, EMP grenades and the like can be selected by scrolling through using the dpad and pressing the LB to deploy and night vision etc can be used with a press up or down with the dpad too.

The array of weaponry on offer and also available to unlock as well as the different attachments, paints etc is quite frankly huge. You could literally spend hours in gunsmith crafting your perfect weapon for battle and adds to an already impressive selection of things to do within the game.

The campaign will give you hours of challenges in three varying difficulties but if you think that you are restricted to a quick run through the storyline in search of the multiplayer campaigns then think again – perhaps ….. Each chapter also has a set of challenges that come with it and dependent on how competitive you are, this may be the sway you need to march on though it again to get each of these challenges. Friends daily challenges as well as your own personal ones are all on offer and are rewarded for completion.

Although the campaign is fun on your own, Ghost Recon’s ability to draw three of your friends in the mix to go through the story with you online or off plays to what Ghost Recon has always managed to do and that is to bring everyone together under one big happy roof. If you tire of the campaign for a while then Guerilla mode may take your fancy. Gears Of War 2 may have breathed new life into holding off and hunting down enemies but GRAW 2 was doing the same sort of thing 2 years before with Coop elimination and although it was more loose than Gears, the cogs were definitely turning and the new evolution of Horde style gameplay fits Guerilla mode perfectly into Ghost Recon: Future Soldier’s arsenal.

Based on four initial maps, with one that can be purchased via the interwoven Uplay server, teams of up to 4 players have to reach certain areas and achieve certain objectives whilst fending off wave after wave of enemies, 50 in fact. Sound familiar? Well, it kind of plays out like most Horde type games but the areas and equipment you can use make it a hell of a ride. Combos and points are on offer for kills, offering help, tagging up enemies etc which will unlock bonuses and weapons to be used in game. A tonne of fun? Hell yeah and something that will be a go to area of the game when you need a break from muiltiplayer.

We have mainly covered the multiplayer before in our beta impressions here but Ubisoft have upped their game a little to produce 8 on 8 action split onto two fireteams on each team. Various objective based games are played for points on a variety of maps, with XP being awarded to each character class you play that levels up at certain levels and unlocks points to trade in to but attachments with.

I could go on and on about multiplayer and how good it is, even if it takes a while to get your bearings (yes, we are old, we can’t play like we used to an we hate a little change – meh!) but inevitably the multiplayer will all hinge on how stable the servers are and what sort of lag, if any, you will get. There are a number of changes to the way the online is played but after getting used to the inner workings and how it all pieces together, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier’s maps, versatility and custom gameplay are as balanced and as fun as ever.

Although the game sounds perfect there are a couple of niggles that need to be addressed. First of all, he game really does need to be installed to the hard drive. Although there is a small install of data I did find that the game’s outstanding graphical achievements were held back by the console’s age in terms of reading data from the disc. Audio lag and cut out, excessive load times as well as texture pop up lag were rife but as soon as I installed to disc, almost everything ran fine with the exception of the odd pop up now and then. The cover system is also a great feature of the game but in some instances the camera would get a little confused as to where I should be aiming when popping out of cover to fire. Small niggles indeed for such a massive game but one that can be fixed via installing the game and one that occurs every now and again but isn’t a game breaker in any way, shape or form.

Overall, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier excels in every direction bringing Tom Clancy’s realised world of future Spec Ops into a gaming environment that will delight hardcore Ghost Recon fans as well as show FPS’s like COD how intense plot lines, stealth and strategy can come together in perfect harmony as well as offering up a master class in how to bring four friends together and engage in battle.

The volume of content on offer, depth of game design, introducing new features into Ghost Recon as well as solidifying the mechanics that make this franchise great puts Ghost Recon: Future Soldier firmly on the must buy list and I will bet anyone now that this title ends up number one in the charts on Monday.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is available in the U.K. on Friday. You can pre order a copy from our preferred partner www.thatgameshop.com

Classic Square Enix PS2 titles coming to PSN

gazzara — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:26:45 +0000

Square Enix today announces a number of classic PlayStation 2 adventures are coming to PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network in Europe, starting today with the launch of Just Cause, priced €9.99 / £7.99.

The eagerly awaited and much talked about Deus Ex will arrive on 16^th May, priced €9.99 / £7.99. In addition Conflict Desert Storm 2 and Conflict Vietnam will launch on 23^rd May and 30^th May respectively, both priced at €6.99 / £5.49.

Ubisoft announce Shootmania Storm

gazzara — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:15:08 +0000

Today, Ubisoft revealed the first details of the highly anticipated ShootMania Storm, an online PC multiplayer first person shooter from Nadeo studio, the creators of TrackMania.

ShootMania Storm is the second offering from ManiaPlanet, following the successful launch of TrackMania 2 in 2011. For the first time in its history, Nadeo have decided to bring to FPS what made TrackMania such a phenomenon: its unique competitive spirit and a sense of fun.

In conjunction with the online competitive multiplayer, ShootMania Storm will also feature extensive map editing capabilities, allowing players to customise, design and share their creations across the community, using the soon to be released, upgraded ManiaPlanet 2.0 gaming system.

A ShootMania Storm open beta is scheduled for the coming months.

Mania Planet announced

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 – review (PS3, 360)

gazzara — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 10:22:51 +0000

This is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever had to do.

I don’t normally deal with Japanese animated ninja kids who can destroy many acres of land with their magical powers and so on. My era was Transformers and Thundercats, not watching little yellow rodents firing electricity out of their bottoms and other pieces of madness from the land of the rising sun.

The other problem is that this is a site for mature gamers and when you do bear in mind that this is mainly set for the teenage market this does leave me in a predicament. Do I treat this as something written for the fan base that we have on the site that go for Forza, Gran Turismo and Call of Duty, or do I aim it towards those who would REALLY play this? I mean, there will be a fair few of us who have kids, right?

Well, the first thing is, I apologise for the fact that I cannot really give you an idea of the plot. It’s not that I can’t follow what I see on screen, but this game is based on the anime series of the same name, so it is more for the followers of that. From what I could grasp within the first 4 or 5 hours or so, we see Naruto coming back to the hidden leaf village after his last epic adventure. It has been 3 years since he left his home and he has now come back a stronger ninja with bigger powers to match.

Suddenly (well, you knew it was coming, didn’t you?) he hears of the kidnapping of the protector of the sand village, who is a boy of the same age and tough upbringing as our hero. He decides to front a group of highly skilled warriors in finding and rescuing him from the clutches if his evil foes.

The one thing I do love about games like these is the graphic style. I might not follow the anime that’s based closer to the children’s market (even though Naruto is aimed at that gap between Pokemon and that other style we shall not speak of in a family review) but I do watch the occasional anime, so when you see some stunning visuals taking over your screen like they do here, ESPECIALLY in the interactive cut scenes of the battles, you cannot fail to be hugely impressed by it all. The colourful screens and the almost hand painted backgrounds really add so much depth to Shippuden that you do begin to think the joypad is more like a remote control for the Blu Ray.

It all sounds right as well, with a mix of power guitars and the softer stringed instrument melodies giving you that feeling of watching the episodes (when you have a friend who watches them a lot and you hear it enough you begin to get an ear for it all (you need to get out more – Ed.)) and as usual with all things anime the English voice acting is a little bit cringe worthy. If I’m playing anything with a slight hint of Nippon, I ALWAYS pick the native tongue of its origin, which I feel makes for a better experience.

The game itself is split into 3 main categories. The story mode is the entirety of the Shippuden Ninja Storm 2 plot. The Free and Online Battles are where this becomes what it primarily is, a beat ’em up. What will throw a lot of people (and I can certainly tell you it screwed my head up quite nicely) is the fact that there is only one major punch button. Every other button on the pad represents the powering up and usage of Shukra, the mystic force that gives your ninja warrior his fancy moves. It does help to produce some wonderful cut scenes in-between fights, and with over 40 combatants at your disposal you certainly won’t run out of fresh legs.

A stern word of warning though, this is definitely an eye opener for the traditionalist. I personally like fighting games, but I do get on better with the more renowned and, yes, more traditional ones, like your Street Fighters and Tekkens. I like buttons for each limb and super moves that require a deft touch rather than the mere press of a button. For all that I‘m into what I know, I can be persuaded to try something new, and I can also see how this works. If you look a little closer you can see a slight hint of a brawling classic in there, Capcom’s beautifully made Power Stone, which is nice to see. It is a popular genre, and those who either liked the first Ninja Storm or indeed the Dragonball Z brawlers will no doubt feel right at home.

If I had to pick at something I would have to look to a rather strange source. That would be a previous Naruto title, and one which I really liked (although I’m a bit old to be sharing that with the class (fat chance of keeping it a secret now, mate – Ed.)) The Broken Bond gave me a pleasurable mix of fighting and puzzle action and there was never really a point where you felt like you were just running around in circles doing the same thing repeatedly. Unfortunately this cannot be said of Ninja Storm 2. I think I must have spent more time running around than I would have ever liked to have done and even with the best interest in the world, boredom would start to creep in. Some of the missions in Ninja Storm were not the most exciting either to be honest and didn’t really feel like they were progressing the story a hell of a lot (give shops their trading licences???), but when the story did get a head of steam it was really nice to see, with some cut scenes taking you along for the ride. Just a shame that it can’t keep it going.

It’s hard to decide what to do with this one. I thought it looked nice and delivered on both audio and visual what you would expect from a Japanese anime game, but the drawn out story mixed with an alien control system for those set in their ways can perhaps deter people from this. It isn’t going to be a classic, but if you can get your head around how it works and find yourself liking this kind of subject matter then you may well begin to see beyond the frailties.

If you want to grab something for your kids then it becomes a little bit complicated. It’s a 12 rating so it isn’t really for the young children, especially when one of the characters is named the pervy sage (not to be confused with some risqué seasoning found on a TV chef’s kitchen worktop.

If Naruto styled gaming isn‘t quite your thing, and you still wanted to get your fix of RPG and fighting game then I would look to two on Namco’s other titles that do their jobs well, Tekken 6 and Eternal Sonata. I cannot fault how Ninja Storm 2 is executed, as it does what it sets out to do very well through some stunning animated visuals, authentic audio and some bizarre yet simplistic controls, but for older folks like us we would need to be looking towards other family members to see if this was up their street, as I don‘t think this is really something we‘d know a lot about unless it was a Mastermind specialist subject. It‘s good at what it needs to be and hits the target audience like one of those earth shattering punches it replicates, but for all those teenage kicks (and punches) you get, perhaps the more mature gamer will look on and wonder what Paul Pheonix and Mitsurugi are up to.

Written by:- Billy Withers

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 demo available now

gazzara — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:50:49 +0000

The playable demo for Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is now available for download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 and PSN across Europe and the PAL regions.

Featuring the 1st boss battle of the game against Kakashi, you will be able to play with Naruto and Sakura as a support character. Avoid the terrible attacks from Kakashi and use your chackra wisely to clear his test and steal the bells from him.

Developed by acclaimed studio CyberConnect2, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is a tour de force of Naruto thrills and spills, and the first game based on the global hit Naruto Shippuden manga and anime to appear on both consoles. Impressively faithfully to the universe of the anime, the game takes players through the Naruto Shippuden story arc with new battle systems enhancing the gameplay. Players must choose the right companions to fight alongside for a greater chance of winning, and together unleash explosive Team Special Techniques to lay waste to opponents. The brand new online mode, a first for the Ultimate Ninja series, takes the full force of the fight to opponents around the world.

The content-packed Collector Edition and standard retail version are scheduled for launch across Europe and the PAL territories on October 15^th 2010 for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Bulletstorm: debut trailer

gazzara — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:07:57 +0000

By now you hopefully would have read our Bulletstorm preview that was shown at the EA showcase in London.

If you haven’t then shame on you! Go and read it quickly so you know where this trailer is coming from here. Read it now? Good. The you can finally take a look at what we saw first thing Wednesday morning.

Excited yet? I thought so. We certainly were and be rest assured that we will bring you all the news as it comes in.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 announced for Autumn

gazzara — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:11:59 +0000

Batten down the hatches, there’s a storm headed this way. Namco Bandai today announced the forthcoming launch of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 for the 360 and PS3, the first game based on the global hit Naruto Shippuden manga and anime to appear on the consoles. Packed with new features and enhancements, a comprehensive character line up and stunning graphics, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is scheduled for launch across PAL territories in autumn 2010.

Developed by acclaimed Japanese studio CyberConnect2, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is a tour de force of Naruto thrills and spills. Impressively faithfully to the universe of the anime, the game takes players through the Naruto Shippuden story arc with new battle systems enhancing the gameplay. Players must choose the right companions to fight alongside for a greater chance of winning, and together unleash explosive Team Special Techniques to lay waste to opponents.

Players will meet a host of criminal Akatsuki characters in the game, and in an astonishing story twist even see Sasuke wearing an Akatsuki costume. With the original Japanese voiceover, an almost endless number of unlockables and power ups to discover, a host of brand new environments to explore, two-player offline multiplayer, amazing visuals faithful to the anime, NARUTO Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is an unmissable tornado of fierce ninja action.