Review: Dungeon Defenders

Most gamers will attest that an entertaining story is one of the most important things to be found within a video game. The way characters interact and change throughout a game can be, well, moving. However, there are some games that simply don’t need to do too much on this front due to addicting gameplay. Trendy Entertainment’s Dungeon Defenders is a great example of how core mechanics can more than make up for the lack of an epic tale.

Dungeon Defenders is a downloadable title (available on XBLA, PSN, and PC) that is one part tower defense and another part RPG. The player is put into the role of one of four classes that most gamers should be familiar with: Apprentice, Huntress, Monk, or Squire. Each class has their own specific abilities that allow them to contribute to the overall task of eliminating all of the monsters that invade the screen. For example, my Apprentice named Akamu is able to cast powerful spells to hit enemies from afar, where my friend’s Squire named Sabyr is able to construct giant barriers to protect us.

The cartoony look and amazing effects in Dungeon Defenders create an entrancing world.

As you conquer each round the number of baddies grows, and the sheer amount of them can become overwhelming. Level designs start out pretty basic, but continue to become more complex as you journey on. Communication is absolutely key when playing Dungeon Defenders; think of it as the Portal 2 of tower defense games. Players must talk during the build phase to protect the almighty Eternia Crystal, as well as when their barriers become damaged. Mana gained from killing opposing forces is used to build and upgrade more barriers.

Even though the task of every level is ultimately the same, Dungeon Defenders still managed to hold my interest throughout my play-through. The way players must work together to take down a horde of enemies is entirely satisfying. Knowing that the success, and demise, of your team depends on how well you work together makes each round exciting. There is also the surprise factor of finding loot that is spread throughout the levels. You’ll find yourself constantly upgrading your equipment and weapons in the middle of rounds.

Your character stats and loot can be found within a series of intuitive menus.

While Dungeon Defenders is an overall great experience, that’s not to say that it is without its flaws. One of my biggest complaints of most RPG titles is that the loot you acquire doesn’t actually change the look of your character. Sure, the weapons do change, and the effects of them are pretty amazing most of time, but the fact remains that other gear doesn’t. The spells that my Apprentice casts are incredible looking, and I just wish that the other gear applied to my character did too. I understand it’s a daunting task for the developers, but I’d gladly do with a smaller pool of gear if it changed my look. That would add to the great sense of player customization that is already seen in the game. Imagine running into players online who are donned in a full purple outfit because it is the rarest of items. You would be pretty impressed!

One smaller complaint is that I feel like the Squire class is a bit overpowered. In an online match, our high level Squire set barriers at most of the major pathways, so there wasn’t much else for the rest of the group to do. He insisted that we sit back untouched by the enemies, which isn’t the most exciting strategy. I feel like the classes could rely on one another more equally.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Dungeon Defenders packs so much content that is hard to believe it is a downloadable game. The blend of tower defense and RPG elements make for an amazing cooperative experience. An intuitive interface and sexy presentation will help draw in even non-fans of the genre(s). The design is unique enough to set itself apart from other games set in similar worlds. Traditional RPG elements like loot hunting and leveling up will keep players coming back for more… and more. All of the above combine to make Dungeon Defenders a great game that will reward you for venturing through the castle walls for hours to come.

RATING: 9.0/10

Amazing!

Dungeon Defenders is available now on Xbox Live Arcade for 1200 Microsoft Points, and PlayStation Network and PC for $15. You can try the demo, purchase, and queue up your downloads here!

Uncharted 3 Review

Story: Nathan Drake finishes the Uncharted trilogy by truly finding out where Francis Drake went and what he decided to hide from the world for the good of mankind. U3 easily has my favorite story of the three in the series and is very cinematic in its presentation. If I had to compare it to something, I would say it is most like Quantum of Solace with its Fire-Wind-Water-Earth motif. The twists and turns it takes in the actual story were actually pretty surprising and unexpected. If you played U1 and U2 then you need to play U3 and see how it ends.

Score – 10/10

Graphics: Let it be said that Uncharted 3 is a very beautiful game. It’s not to say that it’s perfect as some of the faces look a little . . . “off” during cinematic cutscenes. In-game visuals are very nice with storm-torn seas, winding desert cliffs, and worn-out cities. Rain, water, and fire effects all look good. Character designs are also very detailed. Overall it is a very bright and beautiful game.

Score – 9/10

Sound: The soundtrack itself compliments the game very nicely, though at times it gets masked by gunfire and explosions. If you enjoyed the soundtrack for the first and second Uncharted then you will enjoy this one. Voice-acting is also top notch with all of the cast returning to reprise their roles, along with some new faces to help round out the game. My personal favorite is Claudia Black as Chloe Frazer *wink*

Score – 9/10

Gameplay: Both singleplayer and multiplayer play wonderfully. Singleplayer takes you from fighting through city streets, to shootouts on ships, to riding horses through the desert. Drake is still able to make use of all of his combat and jumping skills to progress through the game, as well as his journal to solve puzzles. U3 does introduce a decoder that Drake uses at certain points in the game, but this happens automatically with no real input from the player. Multiplayer is also a solid part of the game with both competitive and cooperative doing their part very well just as they did for U2.

Score – 9/10

Trophies: Probably the most disappointing thing about the game, though not by much. U1 and U2 had very boring lists consisting of get X amount of kills with Y weapon, collecting treasures, beating it on X difficulty, and doing X things Y amount of times. U3 cuts down on almost all of these with less treasure trophies, less weapon trophies, and a few new trophies thrown in for doing things like hitting people with fish or playing in a swimming pool. Overall it’s a better list than U1 and U2, but it could use improvement. And with inevitable DLC trophies on the way for multiplayer . . . ugh.

Score – 8/10

Final Score: 9/10

Amazing!

Dev Diary: The War of the Worlds

Other Ocean Interactive and Paramount Digital Entertainment today released a new developer diary to celebrate the upcoming launch of their latest XBLA/PSN/PC game. The new downloadable title, The War of the Worlds, will be available on Xbox Live Arcade on October 26th. Release dates for PSN and PC services are forthcoming. More information about the game can be found below the video.

The War of the Worlds Details

• Developed in conjunction with Paramount Digital Entertainment, The War of the Worlds is a dark and breathtaking new vision inspired by the classic H.G. Wells novel, retold as a single player, 2D action-adventure and narrated by the acclaimed and distinguished actor Sir Patrick Stewart. Set in London, the gameplay narrative parallels the timeline and events from the 1953 movie adaptation, but introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots. With gameplay paying homage to classic cinematic platformers such as Flashback, Out of This World and Prince of Persia, the game follows the exploits of an unknown everyman struggling to escape the Martian invasion of London and rescue his family. Forced to think through insurmountable odds, players will outsmart an army of alien tripods, spiders and drones as they make their way through a landscape of total devastation.

• The War of the Worlds will be available on XBLA October 26th for 800 MS Points ($10.00). For more information about The War of the Worlds, please visit www.waroftheworldsgame.com or visit the game’s official Xbox page at http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/The-War-of-the-Worlds/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d80258410b64.

Dev Diary: Dungeon Defenders

Dungeon Defenders Details

• Trendy Entertainment has released the fourth developer diary for its upcoming co-op/action-RPG/tower-defense game, Dungeon Defenders! The video features an in-depth look at the RPG mechanics of Dungeon Defenders. The devs show off how players can level the four different character classes, find tons of loot, raise and collect a variety of pets with different abilities, and forge and trade equipment.
• Dungeon Defenders will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PC on Oct. 19 and on PlayStation Network Oct. 18. You can also pre-order Dungeon Defenders right now on Steam:http://store.steampowered.com/app/65800
• Dungeon Defenders is AAA downloadable game which is equal parts tower defense and action-RPG. Create a hero from one of four classes and develop your skills, pets, towers and abilities to fight off the evil from Etheria! Take your character online to share your wares, pets and skill with four-player local and online co-op!

Dragon Age II: Mark of the Assassin DLC Review (Xbox 360)

This latest DLC stars the famous Felicia Day as Tallis, an elf who hires you to help steal a jewel called “The Heart of the Many” from an Orlesian Duke. Throughout your 2-3 hour journey to locate the “Heart of the Many” jewel you will actually learn some stunning revelations as to what the jewel actually is and how it will be used to start a massacre, possibly even a war. You’ll also learn more about the Qunari, the Qun, and exactly why they may not be as bad as they appear to be.

Tallis herself is a very interesting character, even going so far as to have Felicia Day star in a live-action machinima series called Dragon Age Redemption. She cracks jokes, she’s sexy, and she’s exceptional in combat. Tallis is easily the biggest shining star of this DLC and helps it all come together. You’ll also see some old faces in addition to new faces depending on what you did in Dragon Age Origins, as well as Dragon Age II.

The story itself is quite good. Anyone who gets heavily invested in the Dragon Age universe should enjoy it, whereas those just looking to just cut enemies to bits might not pay the story any attention. The DLC also features both a sneaking section as well as some puzzles. The sneaking section itself is quite short and carries no real penalty for failure. The puzzles overall are easy, with the exception of a tile-flipping puzzle that can aggravate players.

Considering the previous DLC has revelations about the Darkspawn and the Chantry and this one contains revelations about the Qunari and the Qun, any future DLC has promise for unveiling even more about the Dragon Age universe. This is a very welcome move. There are many other questions to be answered and it looks like future DLC can bring us the answers.

Final Thoughts

The DLC itself is filled with fun characters, a good story, and nice pace-changing gameplay with branching paths. The only real nitpicks I have with it are that you aren’t penalized for the sneaking section if you get caught, and that the sneaking section itself is very short. For the small sum of $10 I feel like I got my money’s worth.

Final Score: 8/10

X-Men: Destiny Vignettes

Developer Silicon Knights and publisher Activision have released four new vignettes to celebrate the launch X-Men: Destiny, which is in stores today! You can check out the X-Men and Brotherhood vignettes below. The other two, Choice and X-Genes, can be found over on our official YouTube page. Enjoy!

X-Men: Destiny Details

• A new breed of mutant heroes will invade game consoles on September 27, 2011 in X-Men: Destiny, from Marvel Entertainment and Activision. The all-new original video game casts players as new mutant recruits in a rich, branching storyline that features a deep element of choice and gives players ultimate control of their destiny.
• For more information on X-Men: Destiny head to the game’s official website at www.XMenDestiny.com.
• More news will also be shared with the Hero HQ community on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/heroHQ.

SkyDrift Gets New DLC

SkyDrift DLC Details

The newly released arcade racer SkyDrift has received its first set of downloadable content (DLC). The “Extreme Fighters Pack” gives players access to three of the most powerful and deadly planes yet. SkyDrift is currently available on both the Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) and PlayStation Network (PSN) platforms. Details for a Steam version of the game are TBA. Be sure to join the game’s official Facebook page and follow them on Twitter for future updates!

Call of Duty Elite Beta Now Available on PS3

Call of Duty fans who call the PlayStation 3 their home should be on the lookout, as the Call of Duty Elite beta has now begun. Invitations are rolling out in waves, so don’t worry if you haven’t gotten in yet. Call of Duty Elite gives hardcore gives fans the ability to connect and compete with other gamers, as well improve their strategy in future Call of Duty online matches. More information about the service can be found below.

Call of Duty Elite Beta Details

• The Call of Duty Elite Beta, utilizing Call of Duty: Black Ops, will test select features and functionality, including stat tracking, the use of custom player groups, competitive events and video sharing.  A major upgrade of additional features will come to Call of Duty Elite at its official launch on November 8^th with Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 3. 
•  Premium members of Call of Duty Elite will also receive all downloadable content for the new blockbuster title Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.  All of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 DLC, 20 pieces of new in-game content, will be available monthly during the 9-month DLC season.  But for those still waiting to sign-up, DLC will still be available a la carte too.
•  To register for the beta, go to www.callofduty.com/elite.  For additional Call of Duty Elite updates, frequently asked questions and additional information on the premium component to Elite, visit www.facebook.com/callofdutyelite, and also via Twitter@CallofDutyElite.

Grease Heading to Kinect and Move

505 Games has announced that they will be releasing their upcoming motion controlled version of the hugely popular musical/film Grease this fall. The video game version of Grease combines the iconic songs and dance moves from the musical/film, so that fans can reenact their favorite scenes. It also allows contains modes that will allow fans to play solo, with a partner, or a full fledged group of four players. Grease will be available in North America on October 25th, and then worldwide on November 4th. More information about the game can be found below.

Grease Kinect Details

• SING!: The game features 15 song compositions from the original film and 5 bonus classic rock ‘n’ roll tracks.
• DANCE!: Hours of fun with rock ‘n’ roll routines from the movie, including duet choreography and freestyle sections where players can express their individuality and dance for increased points.
• GAMEPLAY MODES: Game includes Dance Mode and Karaoke Mode with both featuring versus and co-operative play.
• COOPERATIVE GAMEPLAY: Up to eight-players can compete in Party Mode — two teams of four players consisting of 2 dancers and 2 singers at any one time.

Developed by Zoe Mode and published by 505 Games under license from Paramount Digital Entertainment, with officially licensed song compositions and timeless choreography from the movie, Grease provides an interactive social singing and dancing experience where players can turn up their style and release their inner rock ‘n roller.

Grease for Kinect for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Move for PS3™ is rated “T” for Teen by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and will launch in North America on October 25 and worldwide on November 4. For more information about Grease please visit www.greasethegame.com

BloodRayne: Betrayal Review

BloodRayne: Betrayal stars Rayne, a half Human half Vampire hybrid known as a Dhampir. In this installment she’s been recruited by the Brimstone Society to investigate why vampires have been gathering en masse. What lies in wait is 15 chapters of challenging fights, aggravating jumping puzzles, and surprisingly little explanation as to what happens with the story.

The first thing that is noticeable about the game is the graphical style. It’s far-flung from the other games set in the BloodRayne series and is much more akin to it’s fellow side-scroller Shank, though with a more Gothic tone. It’s very nice to look at and, despite the fact that the backgrounds are repeated ad nauseam, they are very detailed and add to the gameplay experience and the overall tone of the game.

When it comes to the story there isn’t much to go over. The Brimstone Society recruits you to hunt some vampires. That’s about it. There are only two characters introduced in the game, though one returns from a previous BloodRayne game despite being dead with no explanation as to how he is alive here and now, and the other is shown to us throughout the game like we are supposed to know him but I’ve never seen him before, nor has Rayne. A few ridiculous bosses and some expected story twists later and you are at the end credits. The story is easily the weakest part of the game. There isn’t even a good point in the series to insert this game in, meaning this game is most likely non-canon.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the soundtrack is easily the best part of this game in my opinion. From the splash screen that you see when you go to load up the game, all the way to the end credits, there is some fantastic music going on. Throw in the fact that when you enter a secret code you even unlock an 8-bit soundtrack which also sounds fantastic and you’ve got yourself a great musical experience. I give a big hand to the game’s composer Jake Kaufman. Fantastic work Jake! Fingers crossed that the soundtrack is available for download soon because it really is that good.

Finally, we come to the gameplay. Word around is that this game is hard, but that’s not exactly true. This game is challenging. There is a difference between the two and this difference becomes evident as you actually play the game. When you first load it up you might start tearing your hair out as enemies literally decapitate you and chuck your body all over the screen. Once you make use of the dash button(L2), and trust me you will use this button more than you can imagine, you should adapt to the game’s playstyle and quickly turn the tables on your adversaries.

Final Thoughts

When I first started the game I didn’t like it, aside from the music, but as I played more I warmed up to the game. Sadly it can’t keep my interest as to really want to go back and get the highest rank on every stage, which is very difficult I might add. Overall a $15 price tag feels a tad too heavy for this game and $10 feels much more appropriate. People have said this is much like Castlevania. To that I say go spend $10 on Castlevania Symphony of the Night and pocket the remaining $5 and you’ll have a better experience.

Final Score: 6.5/10