KINGDOM UNDER FIRE: CIRCLE OF DOOM (M)
Rating: **
Microsoft
Xbox 360
I’d like to take a moment to comment on the pointlessness of randomized dungeons. A decent dungeon-crawler will have its levels painstakingly designed to insure that the map you traverse adds to the fun and challenge of combat. Randomized dungeon maps are always generic, with the CPU randomly placing a wall here and a group of enemies there, with no thought as to how this will influence gameplay. This does make the experience completely different the second time around, but if that first experience is randomly bland and thoughtless, there won’t be a second experience.
This is one of the many problems with Circle of Doom—the latest in the Kingdom Under Fire series, which is growing dangerously close to the mindless hack ’n slash action of the Dynasty Warriors games. Combat is as random as level design. Just mash the X and A buttons, and you’ll probably make it through. If you don’t, it’s probably because you haven’t equipped the proper weapons. The game does a poor job of telling you how to combine your spoils into stronger weapons, but eventually you learn that, as complicated as the weapon-making system is, there are pre-forged armaments that are even more effective, thus guaranteeing that you can get through the entire game without a smidgeon of thought—just as the designers did.
NFL TOUR (E)
Rating: *1/2
Electronic Arts
Xbox 360
NFL Tour is supposed to be a retooling of NFL Street—sort of a simplification of EA’s button-heavy Madden NFL formula. In other words, this is Madden for Dummies. EA got that part right. You’d have to be a certified dummy to pay $50 for this garbage. Not only have they removed the complicated control scheme; they’ve also removed full rosters, player selection, build-your-own-team mode and any semblance of current generation graphics.
SONIC RIVALS 2 (E)
Rating: **
Sega
PlayStation Portable
Sonic Rivals 2 will take gamers back to the days when they played the original Sonic games, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. The problem that has plagued the blue hedgehog’s adventure throughout the years is that he’s too fast for his own good. By the time you discover your objective in each level, you’ve already sprinted past it, forcing you to play again. This time, you’ll have a buggy AI rival to keep you company.
DRAGLADE (E10+)
Rating: ***1/2
Atlus
Nintendo DS
At first, it seems that Draglade is yet another generic tale of a spiky-haired anime boy fighting to become the best in some combat competition—almost like Pokemon without the Pokemon. But quickly you’ll notice the Dance Dance Revolution influence. Massive combos are delivered in sync with a musical beat and rhythm-game prompt. The result will be music to your ears … and eyes as well.
When Las Vegas Weekly contributor Matthew Scott Hunter realized his career as a lab technician was seriously interfering with his gaming, he pink-slipped himself into a successful career as a freelance writer. Bug the hell out of him at [email protected]