Flatout 2 Review

Flatout 2 Review

Flatout 2 is a racing game published by Empire Interactive and released in 2006. It was developed by Bugbear Entertainment. It is the sequel to Flatout (the previous game). The music is still good in this game. Every song is rock music with lots of guitar to match the action. The graphics are better, and the cars handle better. Which means the game is easier to play. The game involves physics everywhere and items fly around everywhere, sometimes it is hard to see. Every time you hit objects or other cars you get nitro and also for going over jumps.

You have to win races and events to progress. Coming 3rd is enough to progress and you earn money for new cars and upgrades also. There is a single player and multi-player aspect to the game. Single player has a career mode with 4 different stages. Derby, race, street and a grand-final. Each stage has cups with different races in each cup. You win the most money for coming first. The multiplayer mode has a party mode and on-line mode. The on-line mode does not work.

Like Flatout, it has destruction derbys, high jump, long jump, darts and figure 8 races apart from the cups. You earn money in those too.

Its best to save up for a new car and upgrades because it gets harder towards the end. There is always something happening in this game with objects flying everywhere. This can mean your can loose your place if one car knocks you off the track. The A.I. in this game is okay but sometimes you see a car at full speed just keep going off the track instead of breaking. In this game the driver also flies out the window when you hit something hard and your car can explode if you damage it enough.

This game was made in 2006 but the graphics and music make if okay to play nowadays if the graphic settings are on high. A good game if you want a lot of action but not for people who just want a racing game like project cars.

6.9/10

Flatout Review

Flatout Review

Flatout is a racing game published in 2004 and 2005 by Empire Interactive and Vivendi Universal Games. It was created by Bugbear Entertainment.

The game involves races and other challenges as well as lots of destruction. Destruction is an important part of the game. Hitting other cars and destroying fences and smashing through objects gives you nitro which you can use to go faster for a moment. But the objective of the game is to win races. You can do this easier if you upgrade and buy new cars. There are other challenges away from racing, such as: long jump, high jump, demolition derby, darts, bowling, bullseye etc. Most of these involve throwing the driver out the window to achieve the task.

The game is quite old now and it can be difficult to control the car. I played this game with a controller, but you can use the keyboard as well. The graphics are not that good, even at the highest levels but the sound is good with some rock music playing all the time.

This game has races grouped into bronze and silver races, each race unlocking the one below. The bottom one is the final for each.

There was one race on ice that I just could not control the car. This emphasises the difficulty in handling of the cars. If you crash hard the driver flies through the wind shield and you have to reset to continue driving. There is a career mode as well as single race mode and time trial mode. There is multiplayer for up to 4 players and the on-line multiplayer does not work. Sometimes it is annoying when other cars get in the way and make you crash so you don’t get in the top three to progress. Its an old game. If you want the same fun you can probably get flatout 2.

5.6/10

Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review

Test Drive Unlimited 2 is an open world racing game. It was published on Feb 2011 by Atari. The game was developed by Eden Games.

The open world game includes the Island of Ibiza and later in the game, Hawaii. On both Islands there are many roads to explore.

You progress in the game by passing licence tests. Each licence allows you to enter racing events that consist of time trials, average speed time trials, races and elimination races. The licences get harder as the game progresses. So do the races. You are given a small amount of money at the beginning of the game to buy a car and a place to stay.

As you earn more money by completing races and random tasks on the maps, you can start to buy move expensive cars and houses.

The most fun I had in the game was exploring for hours while listening to the music. I remember I once spent a whole day just driving around and listening to the music. The game has one of the best soundtracks in a game. None of the songs I have heard of before.

The graphics are still okay if you turn the settings up to the maximum levels. The game is quite old, and the map is not as detailed as these days open world games. Some of the houses just repeat over and over again. There are some nice places on the map that you can take a photo of to earn some money.

The voice acting in the game is bad and does not happen that much. The game has time passing with day and night and rain.

I did not explore the online parts of the game and the servers are probably shut down by now.

It takes a while to finish the game and the final race in the game can take up to an hour.

There is also a system in the game called F.I.R.M. where you earn money for near missing cars and traveling at high speed. The bar keeps growing until you hit something, so its better to cash in early.

Overall the game was very enjoyable to play. I played this game for hours and hours. If I played it today I probably would not find it as enjoyable as the graphics are outdated. The most enjoyable part of the game was just exploring and listening to the soundtrack.

7.3/10

Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed Review

Shift 2: Unleashed is part of the Need for Speed franchise and a simulator style racing game. Developed by Slightly Mad Studios and published by Electronic Arts in April 2011.

Shift 2: Unleashed follows the release of the previous game, Need for Speed Shift. With updated graphics and driving physics. Shift 2 aims to create a more realistic driving simulation than previous titles.

Like in the previous game, you start with a limited number of races and have to get a podium in those to progress to the next set of events. One thing I noticed straight away is how difficult it is compared to Shift 1. In the previous game you could get away with drifting around corners at high speed. In this game you go careening off the track. The opponents are also more difficult in this game and the upgrades don’t give you as much of an advantage. At the beginning of the game you are given a race to determine your difficulty level. You also have the option of changing the difficulty level as you progress.

I was not able to completely finish this game. The final stages were just too difficult for me. I even tried a racing wheel but it would not be recognised correctly as there was too much dead zone when turning the wheel (even though the dead zone was set to zero). The reason I could not complete the game is because the high speed cars used in the final stages are just too hard to control. Even if you are doing well, another car will hit you, sending you off the track and ruining the race. With the older game you could drive supercars to your hearts content and not worry about hitting other cars or making a small mistake. In my opinion, this game is neither a simulation or an arcade game. It is something in between. There are still rules during races for cutting corners but they are quite lenient. It takes four times cutting corners before you are disqualified and there are no time penalty’s or anything like that. Most of the tracks that are in the previous game are in this game with the addition of some new ones. There are over 145 cars in the game but only a few available when you start out and that grows as you progress through the game. Unlike the first game there is no racing music in Shift 2. That is a bit of a disappointment as that was one of the factors that made the first game so enjoyable. The graphics have made a noticeable improvement but is does not add to the enjoyment of the game when you compare it with Need for Speed Shift. There are still nice sun effects with some lens flare as you move in and out of the sun. Most cars can be upgraded and works converted as you earn credits. I suggest you do this as you might find it too difficult otherwise. Once again events are split into Races, time trials, drifting and drag races.  When you start new events, this time there are cut scenes with videos from well known personalities introducing the event. There is also a new view available called the helmet cam. This camera view is the perspective from the drivers head, so when you turn left, he turns his head left a bit. When you crash the camera rocks forward as well.

One thing that annoyed me about the game (apart from the handling) is the night time driving. There is simply too much of it. Sometimes the whole event is comprised of night time driving. This makes it hard to see in the distance and it would be much easier and look a lot more spectacular if you were driving during daytime hours rather than at night. If I were to compare Shift 2 to the original Shift. The original would win hands down. Shift is much more enjoyable to play even thou it is older and the graphics aren’t as good. There is also music while you race which adds a lot to the ambiance. If you were a racing simulator fan you might think that the original was too arcadey and Shift 2 a more realistic experience. I definitely found the original Need for Speed Shift more enjoyable than Shift 2: Unleashed.

6.9/10      

Assetto Corsa Review

Assetto Corsa is a racing simulator. It was made by Kunos Simulzioni and released November 2013. Assetto Corsa is just that, a simulator. If you were to treat it like an arcade racing game you would find yourself disappointed. A simulator means realistic physics and mechanics. For example, how the heat of the tyre affects the grip on the track. That being said, the career mode of this game is a real let down for me. Your first car is an Abarth 500 which is not a high performance race car by any stretch. The handling is easy and it is not too fast so it’s easy to progress. Once you progress to the BMWs things start getting difficult. There is just no grip for those cars and no option to have slick tyres so you will find yourself slipping and sliding everywhere destroying any enjoyment you may have. Its only when you make it to the high performance racing cars and super cars where it actually starts to get enjoyable. In my opinion, I would skip the career mode altogether and focus on the special event stages. Most of the cars there can have soft slick tyres so I found it much more enjoyable doing those events rather than slipping and sliding around everywhere.

Being a simulator I played this game with a Thrustmaster racing wheel setup. The results were very realistic and responsive. Rocking the wheel small movements left and right would cause the car to lose control, just like it would in real life and overuse of the throttle around corners would also make the car slide out of control. The game was released in 2013 so the graphics are outdated compared to modern games but are not too shabby. The sound is alright. I noticed that when you drove in the dirt and made it back on the track you would hear a bit of the crunching  sound of the dirt and rocks in the tyres for a while. I also noticed the weather affects did not include rain at any time, or a wet track.

There is not many selection of tracks and cars in the game unless you buy all the DLC. This will decrease the length you play the game because without all those tracks and cars I lost interest pretty quickly. The game mainly consists of races, time trials and a few drags. The game is also very customisable. For example; you can choose the time of day, the weather and wind (excluding rain), the track condition, temperature and there are driving assists included such as an automatic transmission and traction control. The vehicle setup is also highly customisable. Everything from tyre pressure to fuel and the choice of tyre compound.

The most fun I had with this game was the quick race. I normally chose a high performance race car with soft, slick tyres and the full length of the Nurburgring. I would rarely win any races in this game as it was too realistic. One small mistake would normally cost you the race and there is no option to reset your car or flash backs etc. It is a simulator after all.

For those people who like simulators or are very good at driving games, I would recommend it although it is a bit outdated. For those of us who are average gamers or who play for entertainment value I would give it a miss. You will find not winning any races and continually slipping off the track not very enjoyable at all.      

6/10

Saints Row IV Review

Saints Row IV is an open world action game released in August 2013. Published by Deep Silver and developed by Volition, an old game by today’s standards but one full of humour and originality.

In Saints Row IV you play the role of the leader of the Saints and President elect who is just named “The Boss”. The game starts in a situation where you are trying to stop the launch of a nuclear weapon. After this short mission is finished you find yourself in the White House, about to give a speech to the masses. But before this can happen aliens invade Earth and all hell breaks loose. With over the top action and a dose of humour its up the Boss (President elect) to save the day. This does not go to plan and you find yourself in a simulator created by the evil aliens (Zin). It is now up to the Saints to break out of the simulator and get revenge on the evil Zin empire.

Most of the game is played in an open world style of play with primary and secondary quests. To finish the story, you need to accomplish all the primary missions. As a 3rd person shooter, you can expect it to be like other games in that genre, the exception being you can customise your character and in the simulation of Steel Port city (where most of the game is played) you have the ability to upgrade to super powers such as running really fast and jumping really high. These powers also translate into weapons like super stomp and fire balls as well as telekinesis. The weapons are the usual. SMGs, rocket launchers, pistols, shotguns etc. With some interesting inclusions involving a gun that shoots music and an all-American gun painted in stars and stripes that shoots just about everything at once.

The game stays interesting if you play through the story missions as a lot of them are different. For example, there is one mission that is just like the scene from the movie Tron with the motorbike and there are levels that are just like a 1980’s pixelated side scroller of yesteryear. There is even a level that is just text dialogue with a series of pictures. This makes the game quite funny and original and I like how they just called the actor who played Vice President by his actual name in real life, Keith David. There is also an appearance by the professional wrestler “Rowdy Roddy Piper”. To add to the humour, during the most action intensive missions they normally play some old classic song that everyone knows but does not relate to what’s happening on the screen in any shape or form.

The graphics are starting to get a bit outdated for this game. Still looks ok but by today’s standards it defiantly detracts from the enjoyment that could be had from the game. Also, the aliens all look the same. I mean they all look the same, every last one of them, and they are just called the Zin. That is a bit boring. But the game makes up for that in its outrageous action especially during missions where they attack you from the sky, on foot, in tanks, robots, lager shooting nearly indestructible robots and at the end Zinyak himself (the evil alien leader). The open world aspect of the game also has many hours of things to do like hacking shops to buy guns, customise your character. The character I customised had a George Bush mask in a tuxedo with a hello kitty backpack on my back. The options are endless. If you want you don’t have to follow the main story at all, you can just cause death and destruction in the neat little city called Steel Port.

Overall if you just played the main story missions you will probably find the game ended a bit abruptly otherwise there are plenty more hours of enjoyment to be had with the side missions and the cheesy one liners. All in all, I found this game fun to play (due to the humour) a nice change from the more generic triple A titles out there. The only reason it didn’t score higher is mainly because it’s a bit outdated as its from 2013.

7.5/10   

Need for Speed Shift Review

Need for Speed Shift Review

Need for Speed Shift is an arcade racing game made by Electronic Arts. Part of the Need for Speed franchise, it was developed by Slightly Mad Studios and released in 2008.

This Need for Speed game does not contain a world map. Instead, what is included is a number of tiers, each made up of a number of categories and within it, a number of races. There are five tiers in total and together it is called the “NFS Live World Series”. There are well known tracks from around the world and some not so well known. Some of the tracks include: the Nurburgring, Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Spa and Laguna Seca. There are nineteen tracks. In each tier there are different cars you can purchase. From entry level racing cars like the Audi TT, Infiniti G35, Porsche 911 moving up to the supercars like the Lambo Gallardo and hypercars such as the Pagani Zonda.

Now to the gameplay. The game starts off fairly easy and bear in mind there are difficulty levels that can be changed. If you choose your cars wisely and fully upgrade them there is nothing stopping you from finishing this game. I really liked the racing style of this game. I found it very enjoyable. A mix between arcade and simulation and I think EA got it just right. Mistakes were not overly punished and if you made a mistake the AI was a bit lenient to let you catch up. There are also basic racing rules in place. For example, cutting corners more than three times will get you disqualified from the race. The physics were quite realistic (except the Lamborghini Gallardo with which I found myself overtaking cars by scooping them up and throwing them over the top of me). If you had the music on during the race (off by default) it added to the ambiance of the game. I used an Xbox controller for Windows. The car sounds were realistic as well as the environment. For an old game the graphics were really good but did not tax the system. Nice effects were evident like the lens flare from the sun and the effects the sun had on the clouds in the afternoon. Like most racing games there were a number of camera angles with which you can play with. I started with in car dash cam and settled with the behind car cam. I chose this because you could see the turns and cars further ahead. It is a fairly long game to progress through all the tiers but it's just one of those games that you don’t get sick of that easy.

As well as racing, there are upgrades and tuning that can be performed to most cars. It’s a good idea to upgrade the car as much as possible as this will make racing a lot easier (even up to a point where you win by 20 seconds or more). The last event in each tier normally ends with a more difficult one on one race, consisting of best of three. There is some drifting in this game but not much. Most of the events are races with some time trials as well as endurance and maybe a few drag events thrown in. The only mildly annoying thing to consider is when you hit the wall or crash, the screen goes black and white and out of focus and takes a few seconds to get back to normal again. The other thing to remember is that there is not a lot of cars to purchase in each tier. If you are a car lover you may find this annoying. I played the game with all the detail settings turned on the highest level.

This is probably the most fun I have had playing an older game for quite a while.   

8.2/10

Bioshock 2 Remastered Review

Bioshock 2 is a first-person shooter made in 2012 by 2K Marin. It was also published by 2K Games. It is 8 years after Bioshock and you find your self as a big daddy this time. The game revolves around the same storyline as the original Bioshock. But with better graphics and better game play. The areas are all new to explore and you still must fight off the mutated humans and other big daddies and bosses you run into.

The music is from an older period but newer than the original Bioshock sound track. The music still goes well with the game. If you played the original Bioshock you would not find this game as interesting. But If you play only this one the first time it would be more interesting.  The game also has a multiplayer mode included but is quite a basic death match style of play.

The game engine is the Unreal Engine 2.5 but the graphics are updated quite a bit. (The eye candy is better in other words). The art is still quite good and original similar to the style of the first game. There is a large amount of advertisements on the walls among other things. The game has better environment mechanics as well including the movement of the ocean and water effects.

There are machines in the game like the Coke dispensing machines only older and they are scattered about the place for ammo and upgrades.

One of the ways you can destroy enemies is to freeze them and shoot them so they explode. Also, you can electrocute the water they are standing on to kill them.

The gun mechanics are easier this time as it is easier to shoot with both hands (a plasmid in one hand and a weapon in the other hand). This is an evolvement from the first game.

I found that being the big daddy was not that interesting as you move slow and the screen is blocked which is not as clear. I did not like the story as much either. I also think the first game had more content and went for longer. I found it a bit boring compared to the first Bioshock.

If you are going to play this game I would suggest that play the remastered version as it is better than the original Bioshock 2.

6/10

Bioshock Remastered Review

Bioshock is a first-person shooter made in 2007 by 2K in Boston and Australia. It was also published by 2K.

It is a game about an underwater world called Rapture. Based in the 1960s, a man named Jack is involved in an airplane crash in the ocean. He swims to find a building which has a sub. This leads him to the city called Rapture. The trip to Rapture suggests that the city is in bad shape and this is the beginning of the story. The city is meant to be a utopia but he soon finds out that there is something wrong with the people of the city.

The story of Bioshock is interesting. You have normal gun mechanics but there are also special abilities called plasmids such as electricity and wind and freeze which can be injected with something called ADAM. The people of the city are crazed because they have taken too much of this stuff. These are the people you have to fight. There are no monsters in this game, only other mutated humans. You have very clearly marked missions to follow as there is a yellow flashing arrow to find your way around. This makes the game easy to play. There is a bit of horror involved as the game is set mostly in the darker areas of the city. The graphics are outdated because the game was made in 2007 but the remastered version is quite a bit better graphics wise. If you were to play it in 2017, the story and gameplay would be okay, but it would feel outdated and not that enjoyable unless you don’t care about graphics.

The interesting part of the story is that the bosses in the game are called Big Daddy’s which are mutated humans in underwater suits which make them strong. Alongside them are little sisters which can be harvested of rescued for ADAM depending on your decisions through the game (which is the genetic material that gives people the ability for the superpowers).

The weapons are a little bit different as they are modified weapons like a modified shotgun and rocket launcher and pistol. You have a health meter. In order to regenerate your health you need to collect items along the way. Most of the items are collected along the way. You also get more abilities as you progress so at the end of the game you are very powerful to your enemies.

The soundtrack contains some really old music older than the 1960s and the quality is made to sound like it’s from a record player. It also uses the Unreal Engine 2.5 and 3.0.

The game is quite original in the way it was made. So, I will give it a higher score because of this.

7/10

Dirt Showdown Review

Dirt Showdown was released in May 2012 by Codemasters.

It is a racing, smash-em up game with endless action. The game consists of a series of races, destruction derbies and a mixture of circuits and tracks with obstacles such as blocks to smash and donuts, power slides and jumps. The game is a bit old now but it still works on Windows 10 (although I have had a few crashes). 

I used a Xbox controller for this game and the controls were normal for a game of this type. The graphics were good and I liked the sound of the music as you race. The game didn't take many hours to finish but it was fun during the whole process. The car selection was a bit limited as there were not many well known brands, they were mostly custom games the game creator designed. There was a lot happening on the screen at one time during races. The destruction derbies are the most fun as you get to hit other cars and you have limited health and boost available and you have to hit the cars as hard as you can for the most points.

The game was not hard to complete. If you concentrate you can win most of the races. The final event is not hard to win either, after that the game credits appear. 

The game has good mixture of events to keep you interested and has good entertainment value.

7.3/10

Half-Life 2, Ep1, Ep2 Review

Released in November 2004, Half-Life 2 was developed by Valve Corporation and follows the events of the 1998 game Half-Life. The game is a first person shooter and follows the scientist Gordon Freeman waking up after the events of Black Mesa only to find the world has been taken over by the aliens that appeared in the first game. Humans are being oppressed in small cities controlled by the empire known as the Combine. It is up to Gordon Freeman to save humanity and take down the combine.

"Welcome to city 17" form the opening words of this game which captures your imagination and continues to do so through the entire series. There were also episodes one and two that continue on from Half-Life 2 and they are just as good as Half-Life 2. In the game Gordon wears a suit called a HEV Suit. This suit acts like a shield against various elements in the game such as radioactive water and bullets etc. and can be charged using charging stations on some walls. There are also health packs to collect in order to restore your health. Ammo is in the form of crates you destroy to collect and there are quite a few different weapons available in the game. The game was made using Valves Source engine. The graphics are a bit outdated today but on the highest settings looks good. The game also works on Windows 10. 
There are many different levels in Half-Life 2. From urban centres to dark and scary abandoned towns. There are levels where you speed through canals and dodge bombs dropped by helicopters and different vehicles to control through the game. There are plenty of puzzles and they are not too hard. 
In the game you meet a bunch of interesting characters - the most important one being Alyx, the daughter of one of the scientists from the first game. Most of the game is played by yourself but there are some levels where Alyx helps you. 
One interesting weapon Gordon has is the gravity gun. This device can pick up or pull an item from a distance and throw it at an enemy.
The game is not that linear, meaning you can explore around a bit as well but not as much as an open world game.

This is a great journey from the start, through episode 1 and 2.
If I rated this game a few years ago I would give it a 9.5/10. 
Today I would give it a 9/10.

Duke Nukem Forever Review

Duke Nukem Forever is a first-person shooter and a sequel to the 1996 game Duke Nukem 3D. Developed by 3D Realms, Triptych Games, Gearbox Software and Piranha Games. It was released 2011 and took 15 years to develop. 
Duke Nukem comes out of retirement when aliens start kidnapping the women of earth. He must save the human race from the aliens. 
For a game that took 15 years to develop you would expect it to be a well-polished game. This is not the case. The most disappointing thing I noticed about this game were the basic graphics. The visuals were not appealing to me. The game engine used was the Unreal engine. Most games made with the Unreal engine are from the early 2000’s. That’s why it seems outdated. The second most disappointing thing was when he shrinks and you have to control a mini Duke Nukem in a car. There are lots of “one liners” in the game that aren’t that funny anymore.
The combat system is quite basic. Instead of health Duke Nukem has Ego. Once his Ego is depleted he starts to incur damage. He can increase his ego by interacting with objects like looking at himself in the mirror and by defeating bosses.
At the end of each level there is a boss fight and they progressively get harder. There is actually a boss fight right at the beginning. There are other items that effect Duke. Steroids increase his strength and the holoduke makes him invisible to the enemy. There are some funny aspects to the game and a few levels are enjoyable to play. Some of the levels include the Duke Cave, a sports dome, a mother ship, a destroyed Los Vegas and the Duke Burger. Also there are strip clubs and the worst level is called crash course which is outdoors and the visuals are not impressive.
 There is some nudity in the game and rude one-liners. Also he pees in a urinal.
I played the game on easy difficulty and only had trouble completing the last boss fight.
I can only recommend this game if you are a Duke Nukem fan.
I give it 5.5/10

Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne

This game is a sequel to the original Max Payne.  It was released by Remedy Entertainment and Rockstar Games in October 2003. Just like Max Payne it is a third-person shooter. You assume the role of Max Payne, a DEA agent for the NYPD. After the events of the previous game he has been reinstated back to the NYPD. The game continues the story two years after the events of the first game. Max Reunites with Mona Sax (assumed dead after the first game). They work together to find the hitmen called the cleaners who want them dead. The story also contains some other characters from the first game as well.
Most of the game mechanics and graphics are the same as the previous Max Payne game. The way they tell the story is the same comic book style. The story is mostly new with little ties to the story of the first game. It’s partly a love story as well between Max and Mona Sax. 
I found the story to be good. I found it was a bit short in length. I played this game a long time after playing the first. This was because I never knew this game existed as the sales were very poor. It has problems running on windows 10 and sometimes the max character will run forward continuously with no way to stop. If you save the game when this happens he will continue to run when the game loads. With the exception of these minor flaws it is a pretty good game. It even won some awards when it was released. Its fast paced action and bullet time make it enjoyable to play. A bit outdated but worth playing if you liked the first Max Payne. My review of Max Payne can be found here: Max Payne Review. 
The game is rated M.
6.7/10

Max Payne Review

Max Payne was made in 2002 by Remedy Entertainment and published by Gathering of Developers. It’s a third-person shooter action thriller video game. 
The game is about a NYPD Detective called Max Payne whose family is murdered by a group of thugs under the influence of a drug called V. The point of the game is for Max to find out who is responsible for distributing the drug and who is really responsible for his family’s murder. It is set in New York in the snow and the cut scenes are in comic book style with a voice over explaining the story. This original way of narrating a video game works well in this game and adds to the feel of the game. 
There is an aspect of this game called bullet time and slows down time so you can shoot the bad guys in slow motion. It recharges after time and was a neat aspect of the game. An example of how you use bullet time would be if you walk into a room outnumbered by the enemy you can use bullet time to pick them off one by one. When you shoot the last guy it shows a close up of him being shot in slow motion.
There is no aiming with the right mouse button, it is just point and shoot. 
The graphics are outdated by today’s standards but the game is still worth playing due to the story and gameplay. The falling snow made the game look really good a few years ago.
You can save whenever you want and to recharge your health by collecting pain killers normally located in draws or cabinets. There are many weapons to choose from including machine guns, sniper rifles and grenades. The story is very good although a bit sad. Max has a sad life. 
You can move around pretty freely in the levels, a lot of the dors you can open and explore. There closest thing you come to a boss fight is fighting one of the head honcho bad guys at the end of each chapter. 
I couple of times I got stuck in a place with no way to progress. I had to use a walkthrough to get a different perspective on things to advance. On the easy setting it was quite enjoyable to play through the story with the bullet time being the most enjoyable aspect of the game.  Once you complete the game you unlock different playing modes such as New York minute and dead on arrival.

The game was very good when it was released. It’s a bit outdated now but the story and bullet time still make it enjoyable to play.
Rated M.
7/10

Dirt 3 Review

Dirt 3 is a rally driving game made by Codemasters and released in May 2011. It is the third instalment in the Collin McRae Rally series.
There are various modes to this game. The most popular being the dirt tour. In this mode the main objective is to earn reputation by participating in races, rally’s and drift tournaments. They are split up into different events and are organised into 4 prisms. Each prism unfolds into triangles which you unlock by completing the events. This is an interesting way of organising all the tournaments in a graphical way. 
You have to gain a certain amount of points in order to unlock the next event. Normally by finishing at least 3rd in some events. When you do something new there is a small cut scene explaining what you have to do. 

I would recommend playing this game with a controller or wheel but the keyboard works ok. It depends what driving assists you have turned on.
Even though this game was released in 2011 the graphics still hold up and look quite good. I was able to play with the settings maxxed out and have 60 frames per second while playing. The game is not too hard and not too easy, they struck a nice balance there. 
Drifting is the hardest aspect of the game but you don’t have to compete in all those events to progress.
The flashback is a nice feature if you crash you can hit a button and rewind a few seconds and continue from there. There are only 5 flashbacks you can use in each event.

In each event you can choose between a selection of cars, each having different power and weight and different bonus reputation points for completing a certain goal.
This game is more of an arcade game than a rally simulator. If you want a more rally experience I would suggest dirt rally. Don’t get me wrong, the rally aspect of the game is good, the pace notes are accurate and the handling of the cars are real enough. But the rally events are mixed with racing, drifting, truck racing and smashing events where you have to smash all the targets for points.
There are also other modes to the game. Single player and multiplayer.
Both these modes have time trials of races to compete in with the multiplayer having split screen or play with other players online.

Overall I found this to be a very entertaining game with enough different events to keep you interested for a long time. 
I give it 8.5/10 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was released in 2011. It’s a first-person shooter by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games. Published by Activision. A direct sequel to 2009’s Modern Warfare 2.
Once again you play as different characters throughout the game. Continuing straight after the events of Modern Warfare 2, Captain John Price, and Nikolai evacuate an injured Soap MacTavish to a safe-house in Northern India. Makarov (from the previous game) has sent out a force to kill them. That’s where the game starts. The war between Russia and United States soon ends when the U.S. regains control of their military infrastructure. Meanwhile Makarov attempts to take hostage the Russian President who is brokering a peace deal with the U.S.
The missions of the game are separated into Acts. With multiple missions in each Act. 
The combat system has not changed since the last game. Health regenerates quickly after being hit, showing a red splatter on the screen to show how bad you are hurt. The ammo is plenty with no real need to resupply during the game. Once again moving forward is how you progress through the game.
Using the IW5 Game engine the weather and environmental effects are much improved as well as the visual quality of the environment. The story is overshadowed by the continuous action packed style of the game play.  I enjoyed this game more than Modern Warfare 2 but not as much as the original Modern Warfare. I like how you get to control modern military equipment like helicopter guns, UAV’s and laptops that control air strikes etc.
There are many locations throughout the game and the change of scenery kept me interested. I thought the story was getting a bit old in the tooth and boring after three games. Voice acting and cut scenes were all done well, same can be said from the performances of the soldiers who accompany you throughout the game.
Overall I found this game enjoyable to play and worth the money I spent. 
Rated Mature.
I give it 8.9/10

Crysis 2 Review

Crysis 2 is a First-person shooter developed by Crytek and published Electronic Arts. It was released in March 2011. The game is a sequel to the 2007 video game Crysis and the second main instalment of the Crysis series.
Set in New York 2024, the main character is a Force Recon Marine named "Alcatraz". The Ceph, an alien race has invaded earth and are trying to destroy humanity. Alcatraz who gains the Nano suit form a character called Prophet (from the original Crysis) is tasked with missions to destroy the Ceph. As well as fighting the aliens there are people who want the suit and you will be fighting off the soldiers who are ordered to retrieve the suit. 
The best part of playing the game was using the Nano suite. I mostly used stealth mode and Nano vision. The Nano suit has three modes: Stealth, Armour and Nano vision. You can only use them for a short period of time as the suits power drains quickly when you use them. The suite recharges over time so you can use them again.
There are multiple ways to reach the objective. Using the visor can help you choose to take a more aggressive approach or to use stealth. Also it is necessary to use the visor to view which direction the objective is.
For 2011 the graphics are outstanding. The game engine it uses is the CryEngine 3 game engine.
The story is okay. You won’t remember much of it afterwards due to being distracted by the continuous action and sensory overload. The artificial Intelligence is smart on the higher difficulties.
The version I played was Crysis 2 Maximum edition which uses Direct X 11.
The game is rated Mature.
I give it 8.7/10

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Review

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released in November 2009. It’s a first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Modern Warfare 2 continues on from the story line of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The Russian ultranationalists have taken control of Russia. Imran Zakhaev (the bad guy from the previous game) has been made a martyr. Vladimir Makarov, loyal right hand man to Zakhaev starts a campaign of revenge, committing acts of atrocities against the west.  
The player assumes various roles throughout the game, the two most prominent characters being Private First Class Joseph Allen, a Ranger for the U.S Army, and Gary Roach, an elite special forces Sergeant of task force 141. John Soap MacTavish makes an appearance in the final 3 missions.
 Using the IW 4 Engine, not much has changed from Modern Warfare’s IW 3 Engine. The quality of the graphics has improved slightly since the previous game. The weather effects are better and trees and grass are more realistic. It still works on Windows 10 on a modern PC.
You never get stuck in the game as there is always a way point symbol on the screen to follow to the next objective. The game mechanics are the same as the previous Modern Warfare Game. You are given a lot of ammo to start a mission and should never run out, but if you do there are ammo crates scattered about the map and other weapons are also scattered about.
The story is not as good as the previous game but still keeps you interested throughout. Action packed and adrenalin filled, you should be entertained from start to finish. The sound track is very good, adding to the atmosphere.
Once again the game is quite short and can be completed in under 5 hours.
The game is rated Mature. One of the missions may offend some people but there is an option to skip it.
Overall I found the game very enjoyable.
I give it 8.7/10  

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Review

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a first-person shooter developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It was released in 2007. This game was the top-selling game in the world in 2007. 
It was the first modern military game made in the Call of Duty Series. 
Modern Warfare takes place in the year 2011. The president of an unnamed Middle Eastern country has been executed by a radical leader. Ultranationalists in Russia are conspiring to start a civil war. There are two main protagonists in the story. A U.S. Marine and an SAS commando called Soap. The missions in the game overlap each other in places and continue over to the next game Modern Warfare 2. 
The gameplay from Modern Warfare is very linear but it works in a way in which story and action continues in a continuous fashion. The game does not progress unless you keep moving forward. If you don’t move forward you can get bogged down in a continuous firefight with the enemy. 
There are many aspects to the game that make it appealing. The use of modern military equipment and weapons, the continuous action and interesting story line, the fighting mechanics and the different locations. 
The beginning of the game has a movie style intro where you are in a car being driven through the streets of a Middle Eastern city during a coup and you can see the soldiers lining the streets rounding up people and people running to escape. The scene ends with the arrival at a stadium where the president is executed. 
This sets up an experience that is rare for me in video games: I was captivated by this introduction. 
The graphics still look okay compared to today’s standards and the in house game engine (IW engine) performs well. There are different difficulty settings to suit most people. 
One thing I will say is that it’s a little on the short side from start to finish. It was the best game I had played from all the games that came before it and the first time I played it I was amazed and knew it was money well spent. It still works with windows 10 on a modern computer.
Its Rated Mature.

I give it 9.5/10