There Is No F.E.A.R. On This SmackDown

F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is the sequel to F.E.A.R obvisouly. F.E.A.R. 2 picks up where the original left off--with a bang. The city is in tatters, and as Michael Becket of Delta Force, it is up to you and your squadmates to capture the elusive Genevieve Aristide, president of the nefarious Armacham Technology Corporation. Too much description would risk spoiling the game's few surprises which I would rather not talk about, you just have to play the dam game.Your weapons of survival aren't spectacular, but they're varied enough to make shooting a pleasure, even when the flow of time takes its normal path. The two shotguns are beautiful together; they feel weighty and dispatch most enemies with a single bloody blast to the head. The hammerhead is another delight, filling your foes with neon barbs and potentially affixing them to the wall behind. However, tigger fingered newbies should consider playing at higher difficulty levels, given that F.E.A.R. 2 feels way easier than the first installment. The AI can offer occasional challenges, particularly in levels featuring running in and out of rooms in which human enemies will flank you, use cover, and tumble to the side should they find themselves gazing down the barrel of your automatic shotgun. They will also tip over furniture or other objects and use them as cover. However, enemy behavior is inconsistent; a table-tipping guard may not follow through, running away from his improvised cover rather than ducking behind it. Some enemies will blindly fire from behind low obstacles but may also do so when in plain view. The best enemnies are those not bond by rules of phsyics, such as ethereal foes that take shape as you enter reflex time. And in some cases, your enemies are so visually elusive that you're better off finding a way out of the dark environs that spawn them. The GoodS low-motion shootouts are good, gory fun Mech sequences provide welcome variety Some cool, spooky imagery. The Bad Story offers little mystery or suspense cliched random scares and level design Multiplayer is drab and disappointing. Should you buy this? The Smackdown king says: Rent it first if you enjoy it get it but you defintiely should not just go out and buy this game.

The Predicted Top 10 Games of 2009 by the Xtreme Gaming Zone

1. Bioshock 2: The Sea of Dreams- The incredible sequel to Bioshock. We don’t know too much about this game other than its coming out for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Also know is that the release could be possible around the holiday season. There was a teaser trailer exclusively for the PS3 version showing barely any information except that the game is a prequel and a sequel at the same time. Developers 2K also stated Bioshock 3, which would come out around the same time as the Bioshock movie previously announced. If this game is as good as the original it could blow every other game out of the water, or the sea. A sea of dreams filled with a new and amazing sequel.

2. Resident Evil 5- One of the biggest sequels this year staring Chris Redfield and his new sidekick Sheva Alomar. They are fighting infected humans in Africa who wield melee weapons. The game looks insane. It looks like the best co-op game of the year. You and either your friend at home or online can play together and work side by side knocking off heads and solving a horrifying mystery. This game might be one of the best games of 09 and it comes out before every single game on this list. It comes out on March 13, 2009, a day in my mind that will be always remembered.

3. God of War 3
- The PS3 will live on this year! The long waited God of War 3 will be coming out at the end of 2009 exclusively for the Sony PS3. Kratos is back and with a sick vengeance. Game Director Stig Asmussen stated “We want this to be the game that shows people what the PS3 can do” and if it does PS3 could be back on top fighting for the number one spot in the next gen consoles. The game announced that the fighting system will be similar to the last two games and you can still kick the same amount of butt like the previous games.
4. Batman: Arkham Asyslum - This Batman game looks amazing! The game looks like it might be the best game that Batman has ever been in. When I first saw screenshots for this game I was already looking for release dates and more and more information. The info I already know is that you are in the famous Arkham Asylum and Joker has taken over. Do you really need to know more? Other than it coming out for PS3, 360 and PC and that it might come out on May 1.

5. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves- One of the three powerful PS3 exclusives this year. If you played the first game you would be excited to see that this game might be twice as good. The graphics already look better than the last game and so do the cinematics. Nathan Drake is back and still searching for treasure and risking his life more and more. I am pretty sure this game might become a movie and if it doesn’t than I’ll just record me playing the game and make my own. It is set to release for the fall 2009 season.

6. Final Fantasy XIII- We have been waiting years for this game. It might supposedly released this year in Japan and 2010 for the North America and Europe market. The game has been in making for so many years and little is known. It might be a powerful game which could possible be one of the best graphic wise game of the year. The game has brand new characters and centers on a different storyline. I'm not a huge fan but the people who are will drool over this game as soon as it arrives. Prepare for a huge game this Holiday season or 2010.

7. Infamous- The third giant exclusive for the PS3 where you can become a super hero or a villain. regular city guy struggling to make ends meet as a courier. The main character is Cole McGrath. One day he gets super powers, and his entire world changes in a heartbeat. It's this event that really defines Cole as a person, as he struggles to learn how to control his powers and to learn what his future will bring. The game is set to release in the Spring of 2009.

8. Alpha Protocol
- The game revolves around Michael Thorton who is screwed by his superiors and is being hunted by the U.S. government. He begins to work undercover to uncover a conspiracy against him. The game is set for a summer 2009 release that comes out on the PS3 and 360. This game looks like a pretty sick game that could being a very powerful spy RPG.

9. Prototype- The main character is Alex Mercer, a genetically mutated shape-shifter. He is searching for information while fighting the good and bad. The game comes out for 360, PS3 and PC for the summer 09. This game looks like a sick action game that is worth playing anytime.



10. Mad World- I thought I should throw up a Wii game because there are some games that are worth playing. You play as Jack who has a chainsaw that’s connected to his arm. Your are competing in a sick television show where you have to kill to win. The game is a wii exclusive and comes out March 10, 2009. This game could be a exciting gory game. Something the wii really needs.

Other games not mentioned
Ghostbusters
Marvel Ultimate Alliance Fusion
Brutal Legend
Legends of Wrestlemania
Resistance: Retribution

Games out that should be looked at that are already out
Killzone 2
Street Fighter 4
Damnation
Bionic Commando

-T

Bioshock: Come on, Mr. Bubbles we need more ADAM!

This game came out a while back when the Xbox 360 was just starting to warm up to its next-gen surroundings. This past week I’ve have been “sick”, well to my parents thought. So I had to stay in my house and since I haven’t bought any new games lately I decided to play some games that I haven’t played yet. The game is Bioshock. Now I’m not going to give you my story why I haven’t played the whole game but this week I beat the game. Well actually in three days between my sneezing, coughing and endless hours of sleep. Now what kept me actually playing this game unlike Spiderman Web of Shadows and Legendary (other games I have bought recently and in which barely played). I played this game continuously. I always wanted to search through rooms and the thrill of such an epic story drove me to keep picking up my controller over and over again.

The game circulates on you as the main character who is not given a name but you are so lucky to be in a plane crash that you land in the ocean right above an underwater city called “The Rapture”. You head down and now you’re in a crazy world run by Andrew Ryan the creator of this marvelous but insane city. As soon as your get down there you can already tell that the atmosphere is dark and mysterious. Also you are affected by a crazed splicer running around and attacking your bathysphere. Let’s just say, the game starts off with a bang.


What I really enjoyed was the striking storyline. It just kept me asking for more and more. Why was Dr. Suchong doing these experiments? Why is Dr. Steinman so stinking crazy? And who the heck is Atlas? Questions that were answered only by me killing thugs left and right. I usually used a shotgun because I felt it was the best gun to use. I also liked to hypnotize a big daddy to beat upon my foes. But the game was filled with intense environments with blood on every wall and obscenities written in more blood. Did I mention blood? Yeah, they could’ve maybe taken the tone down a little but it still was awesome.

What was really cool was the amount of customization to your character, whatever his name was, was pretty unique. You can choose what you want and how your character feels in certain situations. What I also like was you having the choice of either saving or harvesting the little sisters. Because I had a soul my first time through the game I rescued them but it left me with less ADAM (the genetic money) so the game wasn’t too easy. What I didn’t like was that every time I killed a Big Daddy or fought more than three enemies I would practically be out of ammo that I would have to use my wrench which wouldn’t help me half of the time. But the game was ridiculously intriguing and better than many “scary” games. I’m not a fan of the freights and screams but this game wouldn’t let me put it away for good. For my final score this marvelous game gets 5X points out of 5. But last I would like to say that this review leads me to my soon to next article Top 10 games of 2009 by the Xtreme Gaming Zone.

-T

Left 4 Dead: Witches, Hunters and Boomers! Oh My!!

Why do zombie games never get old? You run around blasting zombies heads off and you keep doing the same thing over and over again and its fun, right? Well not really...The game today is Left 4 Dead. A game released exclusively for the Xbox 360 in November. What actually makes this game different from any other run and gun zombie killing game is the online play. You can play the campaigns online with up to three of your friends. The game consists of running and splattering most of the time. But you have to work as a team during the way. You can also play a online battle where you can play as the "infected" aka Zombie or as a human with a few weapons at your arsenal. So is this game as good as its said? Is running and shooting boring for a while but ten times better when you play online with your friends? Can we be so happy with the same thing over and over again where you just shoot, say something to your friends, run and than die? I don't think that's a good reason.

Okay so the game does feature some cool infected people though. You have the boomers. Huge like twice the size of Ruben Studdard that have giant boules and vomit green stuff on you so you can't see for some time. Also when they die they explode all over the place. Than you have smokers. They have large tongues and are obviously by there names in general have smoke around them. When they die it becomes smokey. But they can use there tongues and bring you toward them so they can kill you quicker. Then you have your hunters who are quick zombies who jump on top of you and punch the living snot out of you. There are also the giant bosses who take alot to kill and destroy everything in its way. The last enemy other than the regular infected humans would be the witch. Not like Sabrina the teenager or the wicked witch from the east either. I don't even know why she is called the witch. She cries until you put your light on her and then jumps and beats you to a bloody pulp. But if you can take your glock out and pop her in the back of the head, she is no task at all.

So for this game the whole concept was pretty cool. I mean the ideas for the zombies were one of my favorite reasons to play. But I do get bored after playing the same thing over and over again. I kill and kill and then get a little bored. The graphics were good and the environments on each level were really detailed. But I don't think it was as good as it was hyped up to be. Anyway this game gets 3X points out of 5. But you know what? Sometimes I might like to walk out at daytime. I didn't understand that? Why is every level at night? Do the infected only come out at night? This was the (made up completely) conversation at the Left 4 Dead development facility:

(Between two developers for Left 4 Dead)
"Why is it always nighttime?"
"Because that's when the infected come out, duh"
"But why would they go out at night if its when the infected comes out?"
"Because its the only way to get help...is it that hard to understand, sheez!"
"But they can search for help during the day too.."
"You know what, just shut up! its at night!!"

-T