 Before I get down to the "nitty gritty" and offer my views on Fallout 3's strengths and weaknesses, I want to make one thing clear. When I write a review, especially an RPG, know that unlike many mainstream publications I actually spend the time to beat it first. That means my reviews are based on long play sessions which sometimes even include reloading game saves to explore alternate choice paths. I find it hard to use reviews for reference these days, especially for games longer than 20 hours or more. I couldn't count how many games that started off slowly, got bad reviews for it and ended up being fantastic games if one has the patience to ignore the reviews and find out for themselves. So as you read this, you know that this review covers the entire game with 100% completion. Maxed characters, all quests etc etc.
Continue reading Tan's Mini Reviews: Fallout 3 - Xbox 360
 First off, let me say that my expectations of this game were moderate. I, like many others, was disappointed when Fable came out on the original Xbox and many of Peter Molyneuxs promises failed to materialize. So I approached this game with a bit more caution, not wanting to fall prey to the hype machine and Peters ambitious sales pitches. Fool me once and all that.
The biggest thing I found with this game, is that to me it felt like the Fable I had expected four years ago. The choice/consequence system, the social interaction and the size of the game as far as explorable landmasses were all things we thought wed get with the first game. This time around it actually delivers. There is a lot more humor, more things to do and more interaction with the various NPCs throughout the game. The downside of that is with so many more options, you dilute the overall experience. Like Oblivion, it felt like there were 5 NPC models, Woman A, Child B, Man C that sort of thing. Coupled with the voice acting of the cookie cutter NPCs, its great for the first few hours, but then after a while you tune it out when it gets repetitive. On the flipside of that, is the voice acting of the unique characters. Those characters essential to the storyline had a good selection of Hollywood/theatre actors including Ron Glass of Firefly fame who provided a fantastic performance and Stephen Fry who voiced a hilarious narcissistic character.
While the AI for the most part was solid, the NPCs didnt really do anything spontaneous other than mill around wandering aimlessly or running in fear. The canine companion you got, was on one hand very realistic in its behavior and mannerisms, on the other, a hindrance because sometimes he just didnt follow you or just sat there like a lump and did nothing. I also found even when maxed out, I constantly had to heal him after a lengthy battle which was just a tedious chore post-combat. If you didnt, the whining would drive you nuts until you did.
Dont get me started on the amount of bugs and glitches in this game. Some are game breaking like having your characters stats wiped, others would interrupt the story progression like the infamous Monk quest. Then other times while exploring youd get stuck by so many invisible environmental barriers you felt like you were navigating a river with a Galleon at midnight. Most of the points lost in my final score are attributed to these unacceptable issues that beta testing should have cured.
Graphics and sound for the most part were really well done. There was special attention to provide lots of humor in the townsfolk and their comments would adjust to your characters morality, infamy and appearance. The soundtrack was well chosen and the music always suited the event or area you were in. There was some frame stutter at times and the camera would go all snafu when you least expected it, but the scenery is quite nice and the vegetation lush and colourful. That alone sets it apart in this age of drab colours this generation. Details like firelight on rain or shadows on the buildings really add a nice touch and a sense of realism as does the really nice water effects. A great looking game and a great sounding one as well.
Gameplay is a mixed bag also. Combat is pretty straightforward and simple and inventory management is solid, but theres no ability to assign quick slots. Meaning when you need to heal, its pause, inventory, scroll, select, confirm to do so which breaks up the pace of the battle. See, in a game where you have food, drink and potions, its always the lesser items that show up on your D-pad quick keys. Meaning if you have a piece of celery which would give you a paltry 80 points of healing, it takes priority over your life saving potions that will give you 700 and fully heal you. You basically have to either do the pause menu thing or eat everything from lowest to highest by pressing the button several times until your healed which means running off somewhere so you left thumb can get to the pad instead of the stick for movement. I also found the character always automatically putting his weapon away rather annoying.
Now for the flipside of gameplay, there was lots of variety. Puzzle solving, gambling, real estate & decorating, raising a family, exploring, entertaining etc etc. There is lots to see and do and many ways to enjoy yourself without even touching the main quest. The achievements for the most part are fun. One minute your hunting Gargoyle heads and exploring, the next your stripping your clothes off and risking a fine to perform a stunt of public indecency. Then youll find yourself on a treasure hunting mission and an hour later stopping by to see your wife/husband and kids while upgrading your furniture and bearing gifts.
The game as a whole package is solid and worth checking out. Its an action RPG/social experience with a Charles Dickens/Harry Potter feel to it. As a gift I felt I got my moneys worth as it were. If your on the fence about it, wait til it drops to $30 or so. If you want a true RPG experience and intend to skip the social fluff and diversions this game offers, itll be a short one. 10 hours or 40, your mileage may vary.
7.5/10
 Now I have to say, for BioWares first handheld game, they did a great job! Sonic has suffered lately as the good games, few as they may be, are lost in the sea of really crappy ones that seem to be pushed out year after year tarnishing his name. So for one of gamings greatest mascots to have a really great game after 2 decades while crossing into a new genre, it gives one hope for the future of the character and the franchise at large. I can just imagine if a Sonic RPG ever hits consoles, what a sweet day that would be!
So to start things off, heres what I didnt like about the game:
- I never seem to amass a good amount of money or items, no matter how much I grind or steal during combat.
- I wish the side quests were more varied and numerous.
Now heres what I did like about the game:
- Each character was different and it made the combat and exploration more interesting.
- It felt like a console experience, which to me means a deeper game than I expected for a handheld.
- The franchise felt fresh without rehashing or leaning on the past like a crutch, at the same time had plenty of things that felt like I was playing a classic Sonic game.
- Enemies respawned, which for a BioWare game is remarkable in itself. It allowed me to spend time building stats which gave me a comfortable lead as I reached more difficult areas and battles.
So overall Im more impressed with this game than I had expected. So much so that I even started a new game file right after beating it. When you do your characters carry their stats into the new game. Hopefully there will be sequels and if Im lucky, even a console version at some point. Though there is still room for improvement here, its a great start and I give this game an 8.5/10.
 First off, let me say I'm a huge BioWare fan. I'm also a Sega fan in general and while Sonic isn't super high on my top lists of titles or franchises, especially lately, I still enjoy the Sega Genesis titles from that series. So while you read this, keep in mind that these impressions come from someone with no particular loyalty to the series but instead, from an RPG fan, a BioWare fan and someone who doesn't get as much use out of his DS for lack of games suited to his tastes. In fact, this is the first DS game I've bought this year.
Now I admit, I was a bit hesitant on picking this up. This is after all BioWare's first title on the DS and also it's first ever handheld title period. Sonic as a franchise seemed almost un-salvageable as a quality series and it has earned some harsh criticism due to it's overall downfall. Don't get me wrong, I was looking forward to it's release, but that's as much from curiosity as it was the prospect of a DS RPG from my favorite developer. In the end it was my faith in BioWare as a developer while owning and loving every game they've made so far that convinced me to take a leap of faith and plunk down the $40.
Continue reading Initial Impressions: Sonic Chronicles for the DS
 Remember when a Limited/Collector's/Special Edition of a game meant something? Remember when it was truly "Limited"? It seems now that the industry is torn between rewarding the fans and making a quick buck. It also appears like the beginnings of a gamer "caste system" is in development, where you have "coach", "mid-class" and "luxury", all depending on what your willing to shell out for it.
Oh sure I have my fair share of these "upgraded" editions. In fact I have a dozen or more, mostly from the last couple of years. Some are totally worth it from a fan's perspective. Others I find are just thinly veiled attempts at price gouging. Some have a little of both but at a reasonable price that a game collector can justify indulging themselves. The difference being that the ones I have didn't cost any more than $79.99. Now they've upped the bar and have begun shooting well past the $100 mark, many hitting $150 or more. Are they justified? Well that's in the eye of the beholder.
Continue reading Are Limited Editions getting out of hand?
 Now first off, let me say that I'm not really a fan of the Star Wars movies per se. As I drop that nasty bit of flamebait in your lap, let me say it's because it's so empty as opposed to other science fiction franchises I enjoy. The scope of background to draw from and the mythos in it's size and complexity is a far cry from that established for Babylon 5, Stargate, Doctor Who or Star Trek.
Having said that, I've always enjoyed the Star Wars games. I suppose in a way, I see the games as deep as the 90 minute movies they are based on. If you've ever played Rogue Squadron, Knights of the Old Republic, Jedi Knight series, Bounty Hunter and Shadows of the Empire, you know what I mean as they fill in so much more info and back story than the movies ever did.
Continue reading Tan's Mini Reviews: Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga
 OK so after I had wrote my last entry on this game, a couple more hours of playing and I had beaten it. Apparently the 3rd chapter is a lot shorter than the previous two. That's fine because it wrapped up the story and allowed me to begin a new game for better grinding and yoinkage. So here's my review of it:
I've enjoyed this game enough now that I have beaten it, that immediately following the ending and credits, I began a new game using the same character under the "Elite" mode which makes all the enemies of the game 50 levels higher than they were previously. So I haven't stopped playing it yet and that doesn't happen often after I beat a game.
The fact that you can grind and that enemies respawn gives this game a deeper depth and more play value. I suppose on one hand it makes the game easy if you level up well past that of the enemies as you progress through the story. Or you can think of it as a bonus for all the time you spent grinding for new items and EXP points.
Compared to the PC versions of Dungeon Siege, this one has a more Dark Alliance/Champions of Norrath feel about it. A bit glitchy at times and not overly complicated, the game has a laid back quality that makes it an easy game to just pick up for a few minutes and do some yoinking. Just be patient with the load times, even the 2nd model PSP has a bit of a wait while loading levels.
Graphics and sound are surprisingly good. Even the voice acting is well done and the character animations are fluid. The levels themselves are a bit generic but they are varied and there is a keen level of attention to detail to them.
Leveling up is fun because not only is there level specific loot, but there are many choices for attributes and abilities to put your earned points into. That gives you some flexibility in customizing your character and later on you can augment that with subclasses.
There are also crossover codes used between this game and Dungeon Siege II: Broken World for the PC. These codes unlock bonus items such and armour and weapons.
If I had to wrap up an impression of this game in one sentence, itd be: Level grinding & looting without the burden of long story dialogs.
Tan's score - 9.0/10 or an A-
Ive been playing the hell out of this game lately. If I had to guess Id say Ive put in well over 15 hours by now, maybe more than 20. This is actually my wifes game as she bought it new when it came out intending to dive into the PSP head first. I suppose in a way Ive been using this game to ease my disappointment that the Two Worlds sequel wasnt released in September and maybe not even in 2008 at all.
The fact that you can grind and that enemies respawn gives this game a deeper depth and more play value. I suppose on one hand it makes the game easy if you level up well past that of the enemies as you progress through the story. Or you can think of it as a bonus for all the time you spent grinding for new items and EXP points.
Compared to the PC versions of Dungeon Siege, this one has a more Dark Alliance/Champions of Norrath feel about it. A bit glitchy at times and not overly complicated, the game has a laid back quality that makes it an easy game to just pick up for a few minutes and do some yoinking. Just be patient with the load times, even the 2nd model PSP has a bit of a wait while loading levels.
I think Im 2/3 of the way through at this point. Right now Im messing around with the crossover codes used between this game and Dungeon Siege II: Broken World for the PC. These codes unlock bonus items such and armour and weapons. If I had to wrap up an impression of this game in one sentence, itd be: Level grinding & looting without the burden of long story dialogs. Great game so far. As far as money value per PSP title, Id say this one will more than justify the high price of the title ($49.99 when it was new).
So a couple of days ago, an article via www.Kotaku.com pointed out a blog entry on "Check Out" which apparently is an official Walmart blog. In this particular entry, many suggestions were listed on how we can make gaming more "green". Now for the most part I agree with the better thought out ones, saving energy is always good. Of course I also snort in derision at the stupid ideas like this:
Developing software and hardware that allows us to save the game so we do not have to leave it on would allow us to turn it off during a meal break or overnight without loosing our place. Additionally, come clever programming would allow the console to go into a lower power, standby mode when not in use.
Hi, welcome to the 1980's pal. 
Continue reading Is Gaming ready for Green?
 Yes that's right, it's time to "gather ye around the fireplace" and swap stories of powerups, gigantic bosses and bonus stages. Or maybe just big rocks you destroyed. You know, asteroids and those types of things.
Shmups, specifically spaceship based ones, have a long and illustrious history. From games like Spacewar! in 1962, to Galaga Legions and Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, we've had the pleasure of playing these games for 46 years. Imagine that, in four years Shmups will be celebrating their Golden Anniversary!
With 2008 being another big year for Shmups with games like 1942: Joint Strike, Aces of the Galaxy, Galaga Legions, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, Ikaruga (re-release), Space Invaders Extreme, Thunder Force VI, shumps seem to have started yet another re-birth for new systems. Not to mention the dozens of great indie-made ones and even those that can be found on our very own Arcade here at RF Generation!
So as usual, feel free to share your list of favorite shmups or your criticisms of them for everyone else to read and comment on. This is and has always been, a group feature! Without further ado, here's my top 5 space shmups in no particular order:
Continue reading List 'em Vol. 13: Space Shmups
 It's kind of ironic that a little over a year since my first blog post here at RF Generation, that I'd be blogging about another Space Invaders game. As you may or may not know, 2008 marks the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Space Invaders in the arcades back in 1978.
To commemorate this milestone, Taito, now owned by Square-Enix, released Space Invaders Extreme for both the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP roughly 3 weeks ago. A re-imagined game in the same sense as Pac-Man CE, that has a mixture of the old gameplay and new modes and elements common by today's standards.
Now et me get the bad stuff out of the way first. There aren't any sound options for turning down the music or sound effects (which are both good mind you). The Ad Hoc multiplayer mode is really simple and not all that feature rich. That's it, that's all the bad I have to say about this game!
The first thing I'll mention I like about this game is it's price. $19.99 is a great value for any game new and this one is no exception. Since the DS has such tiny controls for my hands, I decided to opt for the PSP version instead. It's also my preferred choice because of the bigger screen.
One of the best features of this game are the changes made to the gameplay. Now I like Space Invaders in all it's revisions and spinoffs, but that's not to say that it can't change while maintaining it's identity and heritage. Taito did a great job of keeping the core game intact while adding such things as powerups, boss battles, bonus stages and colour coded enemies and UFOs. In some ways, this game reminds me of a Galaga/Xevious/Space Invaders mashup with all it's parts and pieces of added gameplay elements. The boss battles are cool because they showcase the pixelated form of the aliens on a larger scale as well as adding a bit of strategy as to how each one needs to be beaten.
Control is simple and you won't get cramped thumbs trying to be everywhere at once on the screen. Graphics are crisp and colourful and there is an option to turn the background effects on or off if you find them too distracting. If you do those effects are replaced by a colourful background that doesn't move.
Difficulty is on a more steady curve and those who may not be pros at shooters or twitch/reflex types of games will still be able to enjoy it and survive for 10-15 minutes at a time. In other words it's equally suited both as a short diversion as well as a marathon high score challenge. Also as you play you'll unlock Stages which you can always go back to later on and rack up more high scores.
I think Taito did an amazing job in re-invigorating an old game for it's third decade of play. This has to be among the most addictive, simple and enjoyable games on the PSP system and one of my favorite games of the year so far. As far as this wave of retro remakes is concerned, Space Invaders Extreme sits very high on the quality list and sticks to it's roots while adding something new at the same time. A feat not easy to accomplish when you have 3 generations of gamers to try to appeal to!
9.0/10
 Now before I get to my review, I want to say that I bought this game at a bargain bin price a month or so ago because my instincts told me it wasnt a full price kind of game. Although late to the party in terms of writing a review (4 1/2 months after release) I can honestly say Ive beaten it and have experienced all four player classes. This game has gotten a bit of a bad rap by the gaming press and much of it undeservedly so.
Now as many of you know, Im a sucker for WRPGs (Western RPGs). Thats a bit of a stereotype Im afraid but it has since taken root and is generally used on a wide scale to describe these type of games. A WRPG is basically a sword & sorcery type role playing game, usually developed by a European or North American company, and has plenty of Dungeons & Dragons or Tolkien inspired elements to it.
This game is a port of the 2006 PC Dark Messiah title and is more simplified and altered to better match the console experience. You have four player classes (Fighter, Archer, Mage & Assassin) and have no real customization of your character other than the equipment you choose to use. Leveling up is linear and since there is no respawn of enemies, its carefully spread out throughout the game.
Gameplay if I was to formulate an analogy, would be something like a cross between Thief, Tomb Raider and Oblivion. The combat is pretty straight forward, the controls work well and the platforming aspect of it using the rope bow can be very challenging and rewarding. It lets you explore and challenge yourself on a scale I wish more games would offer. This exploration is a combination of acrobatics, skill and puzzle solving and is one of the best virtues of this game.
This would be what Id call a Lite RPG, where one could argue this to be a action RPG or an unsophisticated dungeon crawler. Theres even a bit of humor in the game from time to time to keep the dark story in check. The story itself is pretty simple and really unimportant, and there are two different endings to the game for you to explore as well as a few in-game story paths you can follow.
The sounds & voice acting is generally well done, the graphics look a bit dated but still work well for the type of game and considering its a 2 year old port. There are a couple minor bugs but nothing game breaking or overly aggravating. You can expect a solid 20 hour game give or take a few hours depending on how you play it and the multiplayer is simple, mindless fun.
If you can find this game for $20 or less and would enjoy a Lite RPG, or a simple game with a fun laid back single player, I recommend this game wholeheartedley. Few instances in gaming does a Jack of all trades, Master of none type of title work out so well. Just dont spend a lot of money on it hoping to get your WRPG fix until Fallout 3 or the Two Worlds sequel comes out.
8.0/10
 As a sort of unofficial part II to a great blog entry Dave wrote in January called "Game Music through the Ages... Why is Game Music so Popular?", I've decided to write one focusing on custom soundtracks and user recommendations.
In the last decade or so, custom soundtracks in video games have increased in popularity both due to the digital age as well as advances in game systems and personal computers. Of course there are also the memories and nostalgia of times when one would have their 8-track, LP, Cassette, or CD playing in the background. Add digital files to that and you've come all the way across 30+ years of gaming. Any of you listen to Pac-Man fever while chasing ghosts? Or "Gangsta's Paradise" when Ridge Racer came out for the PlayStation and you found out you could take the game disc out and pop in a music CD? No shame in that, we've all made mistakes in the past. Hell I remember when "U Can't Touch This" was all the rage a few months after Super Mario Bros. 3 came out 18 years ago. Did that make you feel old, or maybe really young? Just wait until the 25th anniversary of that song and the game when you, or one of your parents, break out the elephant pants and make an ass of you/themselves, hopefully all in good fun. Maybe Fred Savage will reprise his role in the sequel: The Wizard II: Arthritic Speedrun Pwnage.
That's not to say the default game music that is included in a title is bad, in fact in many cases far from it. It means that if a game's soundtrack doesn't suit you, you can always change it. So if your willing, feel free to share with your fellow RFGen members, your favorite custom music you listen to while gaming. Everyone's tastes are different and it's always great to find new songs or albums that may make a particular game that much better, or a song that really suits a genre perfectly. So here's a few favorites of mine and the games I like to play while listening to them:
Continue reading Play 'em: Custom Game Sountracks
 Ok so Ive played a few games in my life. Different genres, game systems, from different countries, even different languages. One thing that never seems to escape my attention is the simple fact that game stories tend to be one trick ponies. Not to say that game stories arent well written or imaginative, but there seems to be several taboos, clichs, stereotypes, whatever you want to call them, in place in most instances.
Now humans have a wide range of motivational excuses, reasons etc for doing things. Now prudence says the same could be said of non-humans. So it seems to me that games should be exploring this a bit more.
Let me give you an example. Say your playing a D&D like game. Your standard sword & sorcery fare. Magic, armour, dungeons you know, the usual. Why does every story have to be of revenge for family lost, to defeat a cruel villain or seeking glory and title through deeds and battle?
2004s The Bards Tale did a great job of poking fun at those very things. The motivation for the story was coin and cleavage, which ironically enough would be a more believable reason for questing than saving the world. At one point your character inadvertently causes mayhem because of his own ignorance, the result of which is recognized by the NPCs later on. Now that made this game refreshing because in the real world, whether your an optimist or not, there seems to be more ignorance and greed than virtue and righteousness.
Unfortunately, there are few games like that. Another nice option is to have a moral system like BioWare games tend to have, or Bethesda games. Oblivion, Morrowind, Mass Effect, Jade Empire, Knights of the Old Republic etc. are a few specific examples. You can choose to be a neutral rogue, an evil person, or a good Samaritan. But whether good or evil the stories still have that stereotypical motivation thing going on, mainly good versus evil.
How about a story where your tracking down a lost family member? Or maybe your really pissed off at another character and your motivated simply by the desire to beat the crap out of them? Maybe even tackle a few real issues in game form. Like crusading to eliminate racism, or bring a rapist to justice, or something like that? These games are rated M anyway, there are worse things in games these days than tackling real issues thats for sure.
While we are at it, how about fewer awkward teen love stories for main characters and fewer somber main characters? Would a jovial easygoing warrior be so hard to fathom? Or a character who already has a family, very much alive, throughout the whole story? It seems to be that if your pushing for realism in games these days, you need mental realism as much as physical. All the polygons on the screen cant compensate for hollow characters with little backstory or identifiable traits the players can relate to.
It really doesnt matter how the story turns out, its how its motivated. Like say your doing quests or missions to pay for your car or a house for your family. Through circumstance, you become mixed up in a conspiracy or conflict of some kind, or maybe a grand destiny. The point is not everyone has such a clandestine purpose in doing the things they do. Sometimes the motivations of people are simple, sometimes primal and always have consequences good or bad.
Heres a good example to consider, the movie To Hell and Back which is a biopic about Audie Murphy and starring him as himself. Heres a brief synopsis from IMDB:
True-life account of the military career of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII. Native of Texas, he was placed in charge of his many younger siblings on the death of his mother and decided to join the military at the age of 18 to provide for them. His many acts of bravery and heroism during the US military advance through Italy, France and into Germany earn him increasing rank and responsibility as well as the respect of his comrades in arms. Eventually he receives two dozen of the highest medals the US and France can bestow, culminating in the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Simple, believable and you can even relate to him. You can even understand him a bit just from reading that. On top of that its a helluva story. Im surprised there hasnt been a WWII game made about him already, or about someone like him.
Or how about this as an angle. Your already a King/Commander, leader of some kind. Since youve already got the title, you can concentrate on the story of why you made a good one. Seems to me most of the games Ive played where you gain power and influence, you only get at the end of the game meaning you really never get to use or enjoy its privileges. Or maybe you had it, retired from it, and had to pick up the mantle once more, dealing with all the issues and trials that being out of the loop would cause for you.
OK Ive rambled enough. Its late and I need to get some sleep. Ill leave this disorganized mess as is, a testament to my exhaustion and disappointment of the ending and stories of otherwise fantastic games.
Yes, late to the party but better late than never no? The one thing about being a game collector is the enormous backlog of games you have on your shopping list. When you have 35+ game systems (a small but proud number in collecting circles), you have to split priority between new games and old. Right now with the Xbox/Gamecube/PS2 slowly disappearing from shelves, those have been my priority at the moment.
I initially wanted to buy GHIII for the PS2. One of the many perks of collecting, is that we can indulge ourselves in a little obsessive compulsive behavior and make matching sets. I already have GH and GHII both in the guitar/game bundle form and I also have the 80's Encore version as well. So having the GHIII guitar/game would have been a nice completion to a music set that would have included Rock Band in the future as well. Unfortunately I was unable to find a PS2 version without resorting to online purchasing. Oh well. Since part of the reason was also because I have two guitars from the previous games, buying the Xbox 360 version screwed that up. So I bought the Guitar Hero II bundle as well since it's now only $30-40 more for the bundle than a second guitar by itself.
I'm not a journalist, nor a member of the gaming industry. I won't pretend I'm a hardcore reviewer or an industry analyst. I'm just going to throw a few observations and criticisms out there based on my own experiences, as much for my future self to read over as entertainment for you, the reader who has stopped by to check out our humble site. I'm going to compare GHII with GHIII, as I see them as not only separate games, but a turning point in the evolution of the series both game-wise and hardware-wise.
One of the first things I noticed is how it's packaged. GHIII doesn't have the same kind of semi-case that II has and probably can't take the same beating. It has a thin sleeve over a plain white box, which without digging out my PS2 GH boxes, is similar to the comparison between I and II. That isn't so much a concern for the average gamer as it is for collectors who like to keep everything intact.
Once un-boxed, I really like the look of the Les Paul guitar controller more so than the X-plorer that comes with GHII. Though I have to admit that the X-plorer feels more solid and better built than the Les Paul and a bit heavier as well. I like the fact that it's wireless, but I don't like the fact it comes in two pieces. It never feels quite solid when the two are locked up. Not that I think it could come undone while playing, but it has too large of a tolerance when you wiggle the neck while connected to the body for my tastes.
The game itself plays great. The wheel wasn't re-invented here, but for their first time out Neversoft who took over from Harmonix, played it safe and kept it familiar while adding a bit of personal flair which worked out well. I was split as to which game had a better song list RB or GHIII. I like Rock Bands soundtrack equally for a couple reasons. The Guitar Hero III soundtrack in my opinion is better than Rock Band, but Rock band has way more master tracks which by itself is an impressive boast.
The tempo of the game is pretty much the same as before. Hardcores may tell you otherwise but for those of us who play the game without over-analyzing it, we won't find too many differences in that respect. I admit I skip the "caveman band" cutscenes where your band apparently can't speak in anything but a series of grunts, I think it just slows down getting to the gameplay.
I'm also not a fan of the boss battles, which luckily are few and far between. The whole "attack and whatnot" thing just distracts from the game. No worries though, the boss battles are spread out and there's only three of them.
My only other negative critique is the "Star Power". Maybe it's just me but it seems to activate whenever it wants to, and sometimes not at all. That can be a major issue if you were playing multiplayer or trying to complete achievements. I figure that it's either the angle that I hold the guitar which isn't completely vertical, or the guitar itself doesn't have all that great of a tilt sensor. Sure I could hit the back button when I wanted it, but what about the 75% of the time when it activates on it's own? Also the crowd noise drowns out the song when in star power mode, I just like to hear the music while I play so it's a bit distracting.
All in all GHIII is a good addition to the series. It may not revolutionize the genre, but it doesn't suffer from Madden syndrome either or seem like a half-baked sequel with nothing new. Those who haven't played the previous games shouldn't feel like they couldn't jump into it. Each game is user friendly for first time shredders and offers different songs for different tastes.
I give it a 9.0/10. I would have given it a 8.5 just to put it slightly under GHII, but "Knights of Cydonia" kicks so much ass and it was a major incentive for me to buy it.
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