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Feb 9th, 2008 at 00:05:07 - Devil May Cry 4 (360) |
Two
Gameplay
For my second attempt at the game I started on the fourth level which culminated with a very difficult boss fight. The boss would go through various patterns, but would switch things up when I got comfortable with his current pattern. Beating him took several tries, but finally I over game his evil ways and vanquished the mighty foe. This game was meant to be played through multiple times, but with the difficulty I have, and my inability to play the game for hours on end I will probably beat it only once or twice before never playing it again.
One feature that I'd like to delve into is the revving the sword. It is similar to Squall's gunblade where a carefully timed trigger press and your attaxks will do more damage. The biggest difference is DMC moves much faster, making it worthwhile for me to simply spam the left trigger and hope for the best. That method more often then not yields better returns then me thinking about the trigger and when to squeeze it.
Design
This iteration of DMC was made to show off the power of the current gen systems. The game runs beautifully through fast moving scenes with many entities on screen with no notable framerate chops. The game can do this by providing usually smaller, static spaces, with minimal camera control. The art direction and the quality assurance people must have worked very hard to create a game that is so visually pleasing and virtually no bugs.
One major design decision that has been prevelent in all of the games (except maybe 2) is the scarcity of health. Upon levels changing you get a recharge and before bosses you usually pick up a fuull health orb, but for the meat of the game you are running with what you have. Enemies rarely drop health, so it mostly comes from breaking pots or other inanimate objects. Because of this the player does not want to get hurt, and when fighting multiple enemies of different types this can be very difficult.
The game was made to be difficult, and Capcom did exactly that, they give an easier difficulty for the feint of heart, and let the rest trudge through usually with difficulty.
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Feb 8th, 2008 at 20:08:44 - Devil May Cry 4 (360) |
First
Summary
This game is jawesome, it has everything from almost naked women to flaming swords. The game is amazing graphics, with multiple difficulties that lead to almost never ending replay value. The game has two difficulties to start, human and demon hunter, the former is only chosen by old people and women. The game combines fast action swordplay with projectile weapons with unlimited ammo. As you progress through the game, you collect different orbs which allow you to buy items and abilities. After playing through on the demon hunter difficulty a new difficulty opens and you carry all the items from your previous play throughs.
Gameplay
The gameplay is astounding. When a skilled player is at the helm Dante's and Nero's attacks are seemless, no matter the enemies you can juggle, and just completely trounce looking like a pro. As you beat down on enemies the game gives you a letter grade that you can increase by performing quick combos, and the meter resets if you get hit. This lets players know how they are doing in real time. All enemies drop red orbs, which buy items and some enemies drop green orbs, which give you health. After each mission you're given a letter grade based on how much time you took, your style points, and how many red orbs you collected. You then get soul points which can buy abilities based on what letter grade you got on that level.
The game starts out with a somewhat enigmatic character named Nero and his interactions with a group that looks like the catholic church and Dante, the hero from all three previous games. The game starts out with an epic fight between Nero and Dante where both learn the other has demonic powers, and Dante is clearly the stronger of the two. The player then controls Nero who adds several new abilities to the table. Most notably his right arm is called the devil bringer and can be used to phantomly grab enemies, and hurl them with superhuman strength. His sword also can be revved up and used to burn enemies in a fiery explosion.
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Jan 26th, 2008 at 02:54:50 - Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES) |
Two
Gameplay
The gameplay of second run of Donkey Kong Country two was just as fun and frustrating as my first. I played the second area whwere the theme is lava. Levels here consisted of jumping on alligator's heads and getting blasted from barrels avoiding bees. Some new enemies were introduced here like kremlins who shoot barrels and cannonballs at you. There are also pirate hat wielding birds who seem to be related to the previous boss.
I found myself dieing a lot on a level with a lot of barrels because of those damn bees. The few levels that had the spider, were much easier as he had a fast moving projectile that completely destroyed all of the enemies. I sadly never made it to the boss of this area as I kept on running out of lives. What I played was very fun, but also impossibly difficult, for me anyway.
Design
The design of this game is revolutionary for its time. It was one of the first games to include 3d sprites, and have ridable creatures. You also have the two character dynamic where you can hurl your teammate to kill enemies and pick up items. These design ideas put this game on an entirely different level than the standard platformer.
Most games of its time revolved around one character fighting enemies in similar environments, while in DKC2 you have 2 characters who can interact with eachother taking you through all kinds of levels. Probably one of the most fun and memorable levels is a mine cart ride. The level combines speed, enemies, and point gathering to make for a fun worthwhile experience. Design ideas like that are what makes this game into one of the best of all time.
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Jan 25th, 2008 at 02:59:21 - Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES) |
Part Uno
Summary
This game is a classic platformer, where the player controls two monkeys in a quest to collect bananas and banana related paraphernalia. This game is the sequel, and usually considered an improvement of Donkey Kong Country. Captain K. Rool has captured Diddy's friend Donkey Kong and you must save him, with your sassy sidekick Dixie Kong. Diddy finds help along the way in the form of fantastical animals like a slinky snake and a tennis shoe faring spider. Your elders may help you out if the price is right.
Gameplay
In this first play through I vanquished the entire first world, which takes you through all kinds of different environments. The game starts you out on the deck of a pirate ship, but quickly takes you to underneath the water, then up to the top of the ship. One level stands out in particular where you have to jump on the riggings avoiding bees and other pests. This level gave me an extreme amount of trouble, and my roommate much enjoyment. I used most of my lives playing the latter half of the level, but on the plus side I got a lot of banana coins.
I found it a little annoying that Dixie can float in the air, while Diddy does not have that ability. I found myself trying to float with Diddy, and dieing because of it. On the other hand character variation gives players the option of character preference that is more than just aesthetic.
Much of the gameplay relies on you picking up barrels or other objects and using them as projectiles to kill groups of enemies or sometimes is the only way the enemies can die. The animals are an interesting choice because for the most part they make the game simpler and much easier. I wonder how much more difficult the game would be without their addition.
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spoo has been with GameLog for 16 years, 3 months, and 12 days |
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