Note these are first drafts that I haven’t edited.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted. A Bargain bin review

This was the ultimate bargain bin game. Free. I am a sim racing fan, leading strongly toward the Forza/GT simulation racing games. The arcady action of the Need for Speed games provide a pleasant distraction from the more challenging, and sometime frustrating, action of the sim. In classic racing game formula, you have to defeat a series of races and opponents of increasing difficulties. Each victory give you money or cars to upgrade. What sets NFSMW apart is the presentation. The story comes through comically cheesy and bad live action cut scenes. It never takes itself seriously by really trying to take itself seriously. The game also does a great job of upping the difficulty. Many times during the game you will come to a point where you don’t think you can get good enough to beat. But a few upgrades and some practice and you’ll get past that obstacle. In fact, near the end of the game, when I was driving super cars and massive speeds, with huge motion blur, where one mistake meant the end of the race, I went back and played the first race. It astounded me how slow and easy it was to beat. You probably already played this but if not, find it for 5 buck in the bargain bin and have some cheap fun.

3/5

Mirrors Edge

Mirrors Edge is first person Prince of Persia with some bad gun play. You play as this parkour currier being chased by the police. Each level tends toward a series of platforming elements leading toward the end. The level design does a great job of pushing you forward quickly. You rarely have time to passively enjoy the level design or the look, but you have to interact with them at such a quick pace that you experience the game at a more intrinsic level. You don’t think, if I jump from here and slide down here, you just do it. In fact, here’s a big hint. If you are having trouble in a level just go as fast as you can through it. The best way to defeat an encounter with the police is to get past them or through them as fast as possible. I have a hard time explaining why I liked this game. It’s not cerebral it’s instinctive. This is a game of verbs. You do. On a more practical level, I like this game because it hearkens back to the last gen Prince of Persia games. The platforming is difficult and filled with instant kills. There is no hand holding here like in Assassins Creed. You have to be spot on for a jump or splat. It then takes that formula to the next level. Unlike the PoP games, there is not only one way to do a level. The levels allow you to approach the platforming challenges in multiple ways. Part of the fun of the game is trying to find the easiest and quickest way to complete the challenge. The even provided time challenges once you’ve completed the game to try and force you to find the best way through. It’s good to see EA trying no Ips and I highly recommend this game.

5/5

GTA ChinaTown Wars

I have a love hate relationship with this game. They have, I am not going to use the word attempted, put the full GTA experience onto the DS. Doing so they did not do away with the old GTA problems and added one significant one. Sadly, they have not fixed the targeting system. So you suffer from the old GTA problem of being in the middle of a fire fight and suddenly you are shooting some innocent dude across the street instead of the guy with the shotgun two feet from you. We’ve grown used to this in GTA. I wish we didn’t have to. The new problem sit the switch to the isometric view and the driving mechanics. Every car in this game controls like it’s being driven by a drunk chimpanzee that has not passed its driving course. The cars veer from one side of the road to the other at the slightest touch of the controls. Couple this with the isometric view which means you can’t see very far. Each trip becomes a recipe for frustration. You slam into a car, then veer off into the sidewalk killing cop. Now the cops are after you but you can’t get away because you are ping ponging from car to car and then into a building. I’ve always enjoyed driving from place to place in the GTA games, even the PSP ones. Not his one. So, why did I keep opening up my DS and playing this game. Somehow despite its flaws it manages to be fun. It contains a drug lord mini game where you have to buy low and sell high to make tons of money. The mission structure works very well and seems to even be an improvement over GTAIV. And of course the classic GTA writing. This game is full of crazy over the top characters. If you want a handheld GTA experience I will first recommend either of the PSP games, but then I’d say pick this one up.

4/5