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This site "kongregate's" all others in the 'game'
I began playing on Kongregate last year or so when they had a few decent flash games I liked to play. Soon enough I signed up to an account and began playing for points, achievements and badges. Most of my mates began playing on Kongregate as well which made it more fun as we use to play it while in school and tried to beat each others scores on games. It was also a great site to go on when there was nothing to do in class or when we were just really bored.
Now Kongregate happens to have more than 18,700 flash games and 15,260 players on their site. It definitely seems to be the biggest flash game website out there today and in my opinion by far the best!
The Games
As I have already mentioned Kongregate has a massive choice of online flash games. There is so many in fact that you would sadly never have time to play them all. The games are split into their respective categories (e.g. - Action, Shooting, Puzzle etc...) and this makes it very easy to search for your preferred types of games.
The games are rated by the players on a rating system based out of 5 stars, 5 of course being the best and 1 being the worst. These ratings then get averaged out and show you the overall average score. In my opinion these ratings are a very good judgement to how good the game will be because whenever I have played a game with a rating of 4 or above I find it very enjoyable and often highly addictive.
The Layout
Kongregate has a great layout for their website, as I already mentioned the games are placed into categories for ease of finding. Another good thing about the layout is the homepage style. It has a slideshow of featured games at the top, a side bar of "Hot New Games" underneath and adjacent to that is the "Highest Rated Games" on the site which also happens to tell you how many plays it has had.
Nothing can really be faulted with the layout of this site as it truly is a joy to navigate through. It has a search bar to help you find games you want, various tabs to locate you to another menu that you are needing to find, various so called "Hot Picks" of random games on the site, slideshows of featured games and newest games and even has all this put into respective categories to make it even easier overall.
The Achievements
One of the main reasons I prefer this flash game website to so many others out there is because of the achievements system. It is much like X Box Achievements whereby you have to do certain things to be rewarded with achievements. You get points, badges and awards which are then saved into your profile which enables others to see what games you have played and also which achievements you happen to have unlocked.
There are various achievements added to many of the games on the site, usually this happens to the most popular of games. Once you have got enough points you move up levels on the site as well. I am currently at level 13 soon to go onto 14.
These achievements really give you something extra to play for and seem to make the whole experience of playing flash games more rewarding because it is as if you actually have something to show for all your 'hard work', if you really want to call it that. It's also great for being an incentive to beat your mates by winning more achievements than they have.
The online community on Kongregate is great. The help service is easy to find and easy to ask questions through if you're confused about anything in particular. Also, it is very easy to set up an account and edit details on your account such as adding pictures, details, information and contact details (if you wish to put that on)
There is also a friend system on Kongregate which is used for adding your mates on so you can keep track of what games they have played, their scores/details and also their status, as in whether they are online or offline. As well as this it also shows you how what game they are currently playing and what chat room they are in.
So in my opinion everything in the community is top notch. It's simple to find, easy to get help through, very easy to edit your account details and also easy to add friends. The forums contain lots of helpful information and are also a joy to navigate through.
If anyone that happens to be reading this has an account on Kongregate then please feel free to add me, my name is - "Geddesi"
So overall, Kongreagte is great. It's easy to navigate through, contains an excellent choice of online flash games, happens to be very fast at loading, contains an excellent community, has many players online and also contains a top notch achievement based gaming system. It's for all these reasons that I love Kongregate and find it the most enjoyable flash based gaming site out there. Oh and I forgot something, all the games are Free to play :D
Website address just in case - www.kongregate.com
Remember and add me as a friend if you have an account
Iain Geddes
14 September 2009
! Emerge Yourself !
Emerge is a cheap alternative to Red Bull energy drinks and tastes almost exactly the same. I always have a few in my fridge and would always choose it over Red Bull simply due to the difference in price. Emerge is sold mainly in Asda but I have also heard it being for sale in Tesco. I am going to write a brief but accurate review here on Emerge and let you decide if you will buy it in the future.
The Taste
Let's get right into it, the taste. Let's be honest you wouldn't buy this if it tasted horrible and thankfully, it doesn't. Considering it is so cheap when I first went to try it I really thought it would be disgusting. I also thought it would be extremely gassy (which is to an extent true) but if I am being honest, there is not too much of a change in taste of this compared to a Red Bull. It's quite a hard taste to describe and to know for sure what it's like you really do have to try it for yourself.
It is a sweet taste and also has a pungent sweet smelling scent. Funnily enough it tastes just as it smells. It is very fizzy and gassy, much gassier than Red Bull, but as far as I can tell that happens to be the only real difference between the two brands. Put it this way, if you like energy drinks like 'Red Bull', 'Red Rooster', 'Blue Charge' etc... Then chances are you will like Emerge (Your wallet will definitely prefer Emerge)
So overall, Emerge is a sweet, fizzy and slightly fruit flavoured energy drink. Emerge is very similar to Red Bull, Red Rooster and Blue Charge. Only notable difference is that Emerge happens to be quite a bit gassier.
The Cost
By far the best thing about this drink next to the taste is its price. It is only 29p a can, yes that's right, only 29p. When you think that a standard can of Red Bull costs as much as £1.69 (especially in garages) then you can easily tell that Emerge happens to be by far the best value for money energy drink out there today. You could buy roughly 5 cans of Emerge for the same price it costs to buy just one Red Bull. Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not against Red Bull, but I am against the price of Red Bull. For me personally I would much rather go for the better deal and buy Emerge, especially since it's near identical to Red Bull anyway.
Is It Really Stimulating
Now you may be thinking since Emerge is so cheap it won't actually be that stimulating. Well to me I never really notice that big a difference in energy levels after drinking a can anyway, whether it happen to be Red Bull, Red Rooster or Emerge. Maybe I just don't particularly respond to energy drinks that well, although on saying that there is times when I feel physically drained and drink a can or two of these and happen to feel a lot more perked up. But I think this could be something to do with your mind thinking that just because you're drinking an energy drink you're instantly going to feel more vitalised. So it could be some sort of mind trick in advertising, for example look at Red Bull and the claim of "Red Bull gives you wings!" You could just be tricked into thinking you're going to be more stimulated because of the advertising.
Anyway in my opinion I feel Emerge does give you more energy as after drinking a can I do happen to feel more awake and stimulated.
I love Emerge; it's cheap, tasty, much like Red Bull and is found all the time at my local Asda. For me it ticks all the boxes. I know energy drinks are not good for your health but I don't happen to drink too many of them thankfully. I would always buy these over Red Bull and that is purely down to the difference in price, I think your only paying for the brand name of Red Bull.
So I urge you if you happen to be a fan of energy drinks to give emerge a go, I'm sure you will like it, who knows, it might eventually "Emerge" as the best energy drink out there!
Well, Here I go again, back after a long break from my review writings. I just checked back and I am absolutely shocked to find my last review (on Coors light beer) was written on the 25th March. Since then many things have happened in my life which explains why I have been away so long from my reviews and DooYoo :(
These things included; finishing my exams and school, going to my school prom, having many driving lessons, passing my driving test (with only 1 driving fault I might add :D) going to various parties and night's out to celebrate both finishing of school, exams and the passing of my driving test.
There are more things but I'm sure me telling you that will only bore you.
Anyway, almost 4 months on I'm back to write another review. And this review is on Eminem's newest album titled "Relapse". This album deals with Marshall Mathers (that's Eminem's real name to those of you who didn't know) addiction with prescription drugs. This album as usual deals with Eminem's very personal thoughts and feelings and is brought out through use of his powerful, catchy and quite frankly brilliant lyrics.
I must say upon first hearing of this album I wasn't very pleased by it, it just didn't sound like the Slim Shady I use to listen to. But after a few listens my views upon it changed and for the last month it is all I have been listening to. And that is the truth, I have heard it over now so many times that I know the lyrics to near enough every song, and this is the reason why I chose to review it. Now, onto the review of the album itself.
Relapse, Track by Track Reviews
1. Dr. West (Skit)
This skit deals with Marshall getting discharged from Rehab after overcoming his drug addiction. This skit basically sets the scene for the album and lets the listener understand what has happened to Eminem over these last few years.
This song deals with Eminem in the mind state of a psychotic serial killer. His lyrics are very powerful and detailed, so detailed in fact that we get such an accurate picture of what the song deals with, such as dead bodies, drugs, killings etc...
The beat to this song is very catchy, which is probably the reason it is one of the bigger songs on the album. It also happens to be one of the darkest and most controversial songs on the album, but Eminem puts across such a good picture resulting in the listener's attention being grabbed from the very start.
My Song Rating - 4/5
3. My Mom (5.19)
This song deals with Eminem talking about his mother (yes again) and her addiction to drugs when he was a child. He blames her for his own drug addiction and therefore has some very disturbing things to say about her. He also says how his mother happened to put drugs in his food deliberately when he was a child.
This song again is very catchy, the beat and lyrics go very well together. It has a sort of repetitive funky beat all throughout. The lyrics are easy to pick up which makes it more enjoyable to listen to. Again, this song is pretty disturbing but let's be honest if it wasn't it wouldn't be Eminem.
My Song Rating - 4/5
4. Insane (3.01)
In this song Eminem talks of how he was raped by his step father when he was a child. I am not sure whether this is true or not however many believe it was fictional whereas others think the exact opposite. It is definitely a shocking song, the lyrics are very disturbing, too disturbing for me to even quote in this review.
However despite that it is one of my favorite songs on the album. The beat is again very catchy, the lyrics are very easy to pick up (in fact this was the first song on the album I learnt off by heart) and that results in me finding It very enjoyable. This however as I said is a shocking song, and should not be listened to by anyone easily disturbed.
My Song Rating - 5/5
5. Bagpipes From Baghdad (4.43)
I like this song and the way it is introduced to the listener. It has as the title suggests bagpipes from the start and all throughout playing along with a catchy and quite powerful beat. This makes Eminem's lyrics quite hard to pick up, however still easy enough to listen to.
I enjoy this song but find it one of the weaker ones on the album, on saying that though I still find many of the lyrics catchy and rather comedic.
My Song Rating - 3/5
6. Hello (4.08)
This is one of my favorites on the album for various reasons. It is also a more relaxed song compared to the other songs on the album. It tells the story of Eminem in a trance and seems to explain how he is after having parties in his living room. He explains all he wants to do is let his "little friend" say hello (little friend being his penis I can only assume.)
Again, the lyrics are punchy, the beat is very catchy and it also has a good bass line along with it. It is an easy song to memorize and an enjoyable one to listen to. As, I said it is one of my favorites.
My Song Rating - 5/5
7. Tonya (Skit) (0.42)
This skit sets the scene for the next song "Same Song and Dance" and lets the listener understand the scene. It also acts as a break from the songs.
8. Same Song and Dance (4.06)
This song deals with plotting on killings of girlfriends and is very detailed again, like the others on the album. It is not too enjoyable to listen to and I find it rather boring compared to the others on the album such as "My Mom, Insane, and Hello etc..." It is quite a worrying song as Eminem depicts how he would go about killing various females.
My Song Rating - 2.5/5
9. We Made You (4.47)
This was the first single to hit the charts from this album, here Eminem aims at the celebrity lifestyle and throws much comedy and offense towards it. It is the most light hearted and comedic song on the album and also has the funniest video. It is different to any of Eminem's other songs and comes across much more of a pop song than anything else.
Although it is a very catchy song it just does not fit in with the overall theme of this album. Seriously, when you listen through this album you wonder what it's even there for, my guess being it's just thrown in to take much of the darkness of the various messages in the album. But I think if it was removed "Relapse" would be that bit more complete.
My Song Rating - 3/5
10. Medicine Ball (3.57)
Eminem's insanely crazy thoughts are present in this track. He speaks of the "late Christopher Reeve" and other famous people such as Rhiana and Madonna. I disliked this track a lot upon first hearing of it but I find it has grown on me quite considerably. It has a punchy beat with relevant breaks of clapping noises throughout it. The lyrics are great and detailed as usual. Although it is not one of my favorites I still find it rather enjoyable
My Song Rating - 3/5
11. Paul (Skit) (0.19)
This is a short skit from the manager Paul Rosenberg and how he happens to dislike many of the songs and messages on the album, so much so, that he cannot handle it and hangs up the phone.
12. Stay Wide Awake (5.19)
This song is introduced with an interesting piece of trance like music; it then jumps into Eminem rapping very fast before going into a slow chorus. The contrast between the fast paced lyrics and the slow trance like chorus makes this song very enjoyable and interesting to listen to.
It is not one of my favorites on the album as it just doesn't feel like it continues the flow from the previous songs we have heard so far. Still being said it is not that bad a song, just average.
My Song Rating - 3/5
13. Old Time's Sake (ft. Dr. Dre) (4:38)
This song features both Eminem and Dr Dre going back and forth with rhyming lyrics along to a catchy beat. It is quite a relaxed song compared to a few others on the album. It is good that Dr Dre is involved with the lyrics on this song as Eminem and Dre work well together resulting in this being a song to really appreciate. This song also acts as a good break from a lot of the dark themes on the album such as drugs and murder.
My Song Rating - 3.5/5
14. Must Be The Ganja (4.02)
This song is introduced with Eminem's lyrics of "I smell something in the air that's making me high" this something being the 'ganja' This song seems caught in a drug induced trance and has no heavy beats along with it making it a very relaxing song. It also allows Eminem to display his full use of lyrics and lets the listener see that Eminem has his lyrics top notch.
I find this song grows on you a lot, as I use to dislike it, however after a few listens I find it enjoyable. It is definitely one of those songs you have to pay attention to, but thankfully this is easy to do.
My Song Rating - 3.5/5
15. Mr. Mathers (Skit) (0.42)
This skit takes place after the song "Must Be the Ganja" and deals with paramedics trying to revive Eminem from a drug overdose. It sets the scene for the next song "Déjà Vu" and also acts as a short break from the tracks.
16. Déjà Vu (4.43)
This song is introduced from the paramedic in the previous skit before as they make their way to the hospital with Eminem who is stuck in an overdoes. It is one of the most thoughtful songs on the album and definitely one of my personal favourites.
Eminem mentions how drugs have messed up his life and the relationships with people he has in his life such as his daughter Halile. He talks of feelings he has had in the past and mentions a possible reason why he is taking drugs. He talks of how he might not even be on these drugs if Proof didn't die before discarding it as just an excuse. I find this song very memorable and lyrically brilliant. It also has a genuinely brilliant flow of music with it.
My Song Rating - 5/5
17. Beautiful (6.32)
This is another highlight from the album which is slowly climbing up and up to overcome the popularity that "We Made You" gained. It is confirmed as the next single to be released from the album now that the official music video shot entirely in Detroit has been released.
It happens to be another of my favourites on the album thanks to emotionally powerful lyrics and very descriptive and memorable images. It again genuinely is a fantastic piece of music that maintains a good flow and pace all throughout as Eminem talks of stages through his childhood such as trying to fit in at schools, make friends etc...
It has many memorable lyrics throughout such as "But I already told you my whole life story, Not just based on my description, 'Cause where you see it, from where you're sitting', It's probably 110% different..." and again thankfully Eminem tells it as it is, allowing us to understand as well as we can what it was like for him growing up to the stage he is at in his life now.
My Song Rating - 5/5
18. Crack A Bottle (ft. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent) (4:58)
This song is very catchy and has some sort of pop like reference like "We Made You" has. It contains lyrics from Eminem, Dr Dre and 50 Cent and thankfully due to a solid production it comes across as an enjoyable song. Although not one of the best songs on the album it is still a highly enjoyable song to listen to. It also has a comedic video to go along with it.
My Song Rating - 3.5/5
19. Steve Berman (Skit) (1:29)
This skit deals with Eminem returning back to music and having a conversation with Steve Berman. It is an enjoyable skit and is pretty funny to listen to. It is one of the best skits on the album in my opinion due to its comedy value.
20. Underground (6:11)
This song is introduced with Eminem stating he is back to music after his 4 year gap from the industry. It then delves into a very powerful and heavy beat with Eminem's heavy and punchy lyrics. It is a fantastic way for Eminem to end this album and leaves a heavy mark upon it. It is clear to see after listening to this track that Eminem is back, and back on top form. It happens to be another of my favourites on the album thanks to the wonderful lyrics yet again. The flow in this song is top form as well and ties in perfectly with the lyrics.
My Song Rating - 5/5
My Personal Opinion
So there we go, Eminem's latest album Relapse. I find it one of the most enjoyable albums he has ever released. It is let down by some weaker tracks but the others on this album more than make up for it.
I am very glad Eminem is back in the music industry after his long 4 years gap. I just cannot wait until his next album scheduled to be released later this year titled "Relapse 2" is released. I just hope it will be as good as or even better than this album was.
My Favourite songs on this album are: 3 A.M, My Mom, Insane, Hello, Déjà Vu, Beautiful and Underground. I think if you have heard these tracks you will understand the reason why I rate these as my favourite.
Overall, this is a solid album and a great production. It is clear to see that Eminem and Dre have worked very hard together on this and the end result has paid off extremely well. As I have said there are some slightly weak tracks on the album but nothing too bad. The lyrics from Mr Mathers are brilliant and the vivid images and descriptions present all throughout this album make it a very enjoyable listen.
If you are a fan of Eminem's work then this is 100% for you. If not, I suggest you give it a listen anyway as I am sure you will find at least a few of the songs enjoyable.
My Overall Album Rating - 4/5
Many Thanks for Reading This Review
Iain Geddes - 17th July 2009
When The Mountains Turn Blue It's As Cold As the Rockies
Coor, that's a light tasting beer !
As some of you already may be aware I recently just turned 18 (as of Saturday the 14th March to be exact) granting me the pleasure of legally being able to purchase and consume alcohol (on top of other things)
So to mark this responsibility I have decided to begin reviewing certain alcoholic beverages that I have tried, one of these being "Coors Light" The beer with the cold activated bottle/can which we know is cold when the mountains turn blue.
The Taste
Arguably the most important factor when it comes to buying any type of alcohol (next to cost I guess) is the taste. I mean surely you would not buy a beer if it tasted disgusting resulting in you wanting to throw up and get a new set of taste buds.
Now yes I know I may not have tried many beers in the past (believe that if you want) but I can certainly say that out of the ones I have tried, Coors Light is among the best, and this is for various reasons; refreshing, crisp, unique, smooth and of course light would be the best, if not the only, ways to describe the taste of this beer. It's not too strong, yet it also isn't so weak that it tastes like water; Coors manages to find a happy medium between strength and delicacy within the taste.
I am looking really forward to drinking Coors when the summer days are in full swing with warm weather, the sun beating down on your neck and of course that lovely fresh, gentle summer breeze that's blowing through the air, unfortunately I live in Scotland meaning that I will probably not get granted the chance of enjoying this beer in the warmth like I have been hoping for.
The Cost
Now the original reason why I began buying Coors was because of the cost, it was cheap, well at my local Asda anyway. It's especially cheap when they have it on a special offer price like I have seen it before.
For a box of 20 bottles at 275ml per bottle the cost came to around about £10.00, now to me I think this is great value for money, especially when you consider just how great it tastes.
I am also currently on the Asda website searching for the cost of a 4 pack of Coors and have just discovered that for 4x300ml of Coors light the cost is = £3.67, so that averages out at £3.06 per litre (I bet you really wanted to know that) So as you can see Coors is very cheap especially compared to other beers I have seen for sale such as Miller and Carlsberg.
Now obviously the price differs depending on where you go, however I must admit that it appears to be cheapest bought from Asda. Other factors come into the price such as whether or not there are special offers available at the time or whether the price has been "rolled back" recently, which I guess we can only hope for.
The Bottle Itself
The bottle itself ? What the hell is he on about you must all be thinking. Well you see I am solely on about both the design of the bottle and of course the unique "cold meter" which when turned blue shows it's ready to be enjoyed.
Now the bottle has a very appealing look to it; sleek, silver and unique just like the taste. It has the logo of the famous Rocky Mountains on its label along with important information such as the volume size, alcohol content and units present in product. In this particular 275ml bottle I am reviewing there are 1.2 UK units and 4.5% VOL alcohol content.
The "cold meter" as I call it is both a unique and welcoming feature. Just stick these beers in the fridge and leave until the mountains on the label turn a chilly blue, and when this has happened Coors claim it will be " As Cold As The Rockies" resulting in you being able to enjoy it at its best.
Well there we go, my first and hopefully not my last review on an alcoholic beverage. Depending on whether people think I did a good job reviewing this will factor out as to whether I will do another review on some alcohol beverage in the future. So everyone your comments are vital to me here, tell me what you think of my review please.
I will leave you with my personal thought at this present time as I am sitting here enjoying a bottle of my beloved Coors.
I take a sip and "ahhh...Damn, That's A Light Tasting Beer"
Thanks goes out to y'all for reading this, please comment and rate :)
Iain Geddes - 25th March 2009
Kleenex Balsam Tissues - Look forward to sneezing, I know I did
Since last week I have been cursed with a horrible cold (is there such a thing as a good one) which started last Saturday on my 18th Birthday, mild flu symptoms were present as well, you know the classics; migraine, fever, sweating, light headed, dizziness now and then etc..
Anyway on top of this I was coughing a lot and sneezing (Achoo) and I needed tissues constantly, thankfully my Mum came in from shopping at Asda with a box of Kleenex tissues for me, I was finally looking forward to a good sneeze.
The Tissues Themselves
Kleenex Balsam tissues are well known for softness, and that's a great thing (I was getting sick of blowing my nose into toilet paper/kitchen wipes)
On top of this softness comes a great durability factor, the tissues are strong and don't tend to rupture like others when you blow your nose into them. These tissues come with three separate sheets (3 Ply) of tissue joined together to make one, so really its tripled in terms of softness, quality and strength. I am aware there are 60 x 3 Ply tissues in this box.
Now these tissues in particular come with Balsam, this is in the words of Kleenex themselves "A protective balm containing Calendula"
I googled Calendula to see exactly what it is and it turns out that: "Calendula is an annual plant with angular branched stems and prominent pale green spatulate or oblanceolate sessile leaves with widely spaced teeth"
It's used in these tissues because "Calendula is an extremely effective herb for the treatment of skin problems and can be used wherever there is inflammation of the skin" inflammation caused typically by blowing your nose.
So to sum up, these tissues are soft, durable and strong. They also contain Calendula, which we have learnt is an extremely effective herb for the treatment of skin (sorry if you already knew this, just keeping you informed)
The Packaging
These tissues come in an attractive box which has faded green/blue colours and a hint of yellow. This could be the colour choice for a number of reasons such as; represents the soothing properties within the tissues, relates to the colour that people feel when unwell with flu (blue/green) or simply for the aesthetic reasons that it looks good and stands out.
The box itself is very handy. It holds the tissues snugly, and allows you to pull out a tissue one at a time with great ease and without any tissues ripping or getting stuck in the box. The box also fits easily around the home, school or workplace in traditional places such as cabinets, table, and dining room.
It also comes in two versions, the big one shown in the picture for this review, or the one I have which is a smaller cube shape size. The cube shape size is my favourite as it fits easier around the home.
Where to buy + Cost
Now tissues are available everywhere, everyone knows that. I got these (well my Mum got these) from Asda; they cost £1.37 which I find is great value for money. You can also buy this from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrison's, Co-op (depending on outlet) but from what I have seen, Asda remains the cheapest, at least Asda is the cheapest for the ones I have which is the small box.
Concluding Point
"Huh...ahh...ahh CHOOO", believe me this feels great, sneezing that is, if you have good quality tissues like Kleenex. I look forward to a good old sneeze when I know I have a reliable brand of tissues that won't rip easily, that feel super soft and also don't irritate your nose making it go red like Rudolph.
If you have a cold/flu or an allergy making you constantly needing to sneeze or blow your nose, then I highly recommend "Kleenex Balsam Tissues"
Go on, have a sneeze on a Kleenex next time you have the cold.
Many Thanks for reading my review :)
Please rate and comment
Iain Geddes - 22nd March 2009
Ok, Firstly let me say it's been a long time since my last review, or at least so it feels, so to all those who know me I'm back writing my reviews (After a long break over the Christmas and New Year)
Now onto my review of the brilliant, laugh out loud comedy "Scrubs" (you can probably already tell that I like it due to my choice of words, but still please read on)
Scrubs Outline
To those that have never heard of Scrubs I will give a brief outline of it here; Scrubs is a hospital comedy/drama thought of by Bill Lawrence. It is based on the lives of those who work at Sacred Heart hospital. It mainly follows the outlook of the characters J.D (John Dorian played by Zach Braff) and his best friends Turk (Donald Faison), Elliot (Sarah Chalke), Carla (Judy Reyes), Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley), Janitor (Neil Flynn), Dr Bob Kelso (Ken Jenkins) and many other wonderfully hilarious characters.
The show deals with every emotion you could think of, the obvious one being comedy. It can bring out every emotion in you in the space of 25 minutes which is just brilliant. The reason the show works so well is due to the brilliant characters and the excellent writers behind the show. They never seem to be running out of ideas to make you laugh, cry (either with laughter or upset) and then laugh some more. It truly is a very well put together show.
The show is now into its eight season over in America although it has shown up to season eight over here in the U.K, It is able to be watched on many different channels (I watch it on E4) although it is usually on Paramount Comedy (unfortunately I don't have sky, only freeview) It can also be watched online on various different websites for your viewing pleasure, however you will have to search for these sites as they are usually few and far between.
I must go into detail on the characters in scrubs as they are the true gems behind the show and its popularity.
'John Dorian' aka J.D
J.D is brilliant, he's the lead of the show and always shares his point of view through voice over's that are constantly going on in his head. There are also many scenes that deal with J.D daydreaming up hilarious scenarios of things he is thinking of that always end in hilarious ways guaranteed to make you laugh. He is very immature most the time and usually goofs about with his best friend Turk; while they play pranks, joke with others or just chill out.
'Christopher Turk' aka Turk
Turk is a truly cool guy, he play a surgeon in the show married to Carla with who he has a kid in the later series. He is also very immature like J.D but he is also great fun and an excellent dancer (those who watch the show will know what I mean) He has loads of great scenes and moments and plays his part very well. He is highly confident and very cocky which is why he is brilliant.
'Dr Perry Cox' aka Dr. Cox
Dr. Cox is my favourite character due to him being a real hard ass who deals with his issues in very powerful ways. He is J.D's mentor and he hates it, he never wants to show his sensitive side and hates any sort of affection especially if it's coming from J.D. He does excellent rants to various characters and hates when he is wrong, although he rarely is wrong. He gives excellent nick names to everyone and constantly calls J.D girls names (Betsy, Sarah, Alice etc...) and despite the fact he hates to admit it, he is proud of how J.D has progressed as a doctor.
'Elliot Reid' aka Elliot, Barbie (named by Dr. Cox)
Elliot plays the clumsy, loveable blonde who is always getting amidst various problems (relationships, friends, arguments) although she is great. She is looked up to as being the attractive one that everyone wants. J.D and Elliot sleep together on various occasions, resulting in them dating in many seasons. She always likes her point to get put across and lets everyone know how she feels about anything that comes up.
'Carla Espinosa' aka Carla
Carla plays the head nurse at sacred heart hospital who also happens to get married to Turk. She is funniest when in an argument or stating a point. She deals with various issues throughout the show and is liked by everyone. She loves to help people out (as she did with J.D when he first started at the hospital) and also loves giving people advice on life and relationships.
'The Janitor' aka Janitor
The Janitor is hilarious; this is partly due to the fact that he is insane. He never really does his work and gets given brilliant ideas throughout the show. He is constantly trying to make J.D's life a misery which is always funny. He thinks of himself as being a winner and of high importance throughout the hospital despite the fact that everyone thinks of him as only being a janitor. His crazy ideas sometimes get him in trouble but he usually convinces people that his ideas are logical. He also gets given great one liners which adds to his hilarity.
'Dr Bob Kelso' aka Bob, Dr Kelso, Bob-o
Dr Kelso is the chief of medicine and is in charge of the hospital and all of its going on's. He is a real hard ass like Dr. Cox and doesn't seem to have a soul. He is referred to as being the most evil man in the world according to various people. He has hilarious one liners and speeches that make him stand out. He also loves coming out on top (much like Dr Cox) and is in conflict with various people mainly being Dr Cox since they share the same views resulting in them saying to each other "I hate you Bob" followed by "Same here Perry"
There are many other excellent characters that I will add in this review in the future such as Ted the lawyer ( referred to as a 'sad sack'), Todd the sexual deviant, Hooch "Hooch is crazy" the crazy doctor, Laverne Roberts (nurse), Jordan (Perrys wife) Keith (Intern doctor) etc..
The soundtrack to scrubs is of high importance. The music is very carefully chosen to fit each scenes sense of emotion perfectly. I will be doing a review on the soundtrack on a later date so I won't mention too much here other than to say it's brilliant. The title music of "I'm no superman" by Lazlo Bane has became very famous due to this show, there are other songs throughout scrubs that are now instantly associated with the show such as 'Diner' by Martin Sexton (Diner my shiny, shiny love) and 'isn't she lovely' by Stevie Wonder etc..
There are various types of music and I find that they all fit each individual scene perfectly. Many different artists feature giving a nice sense of variation throughout each episode and out with the show. The songs range from pop to rock and everything in between. Zach Braff's college friend Joshua Radin features in various episodes with many oh his songs. Each episode usually ends with a musical montage summing up the various points of the episode.
The soundtracks can be purchased from various places and are well worth a look if you are a fan of the music from the show.
Scrubs is produced by ABC, even though it was aired by rival broadcaster NBC. The main crew behind the production feature; Bill Lawrence (show's creator, executive producer, and head writer), Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan (producers of various episodes), Bill Callahan (executive producer), Angela Nissel (supervising producer), Mike Schwartz (co-executive producer)
Zach Braff has also directed six episodes of the show despite playing a main role. He also directed the landmark 100th episode "My Way Home", which won a George Foster Peabody Award in April 2007.
Scrubs is filmed on location at the North Hollywood Medical Centre which happens to be a real hospital which has now been decommissioned (obviously). The location of the show is - 12629 Riverside Drive in the North Hollywood neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California. (A place I would love to visit)
Awards and Ratings
Scrubs have been a major success resulting in various nominations and awards. To give you an idea - In its first three seasons, Scrubs received Emmy nominations for casting, editing, and writing of a comedy show. Another example of its success would be winning a George Foster Peabody Award for its 2006 season. Scrubs also won a 2008 Humanitas prize for the season 6 episode "My Long Goodbye" (the episode where Laverne passes away sadly)
Scrubs have received many high ratings from various websites, T.V stations and members of press. As a rough guide for you the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) gave scrubs a rating of 9.3/10 based on 45,512 votes. Now if you ask me that's highly successful showing it to be popular to many people.
My Conclusion
Scrubs to me is fantastic and is definitely one of my favourite shows on T.V due to the way each episode is wrote and the way they bring out the story through use of the hilarious characters. Every episode is unique and is very well put together. It is always capable of making me smile even on really bad days that I have.
I personally find that Scrubs has at least one thing which appeals to everyone, if not then maybe you need a check up at Sacred Heart to see if your funny bone is broken (sorry for my bad sense of humour)
My Concluding Point
Many Thanks for reading my review this far down, I'm shocked to notice I have wrote this much and even more shocked to realise I could write a whole lot more (which I shall do in the future)
Cheers again
Iain Geddes (6th Feb 2009)
Kanye West - 808's And Heartbreaks
Fresh, Unique, Full Of Spirit and Brilliance (although electronics are overused)
I have all Kanye West's albums and enjoy them all. I use to dislike his music a long time ago however I find him to be the best hip hop star out there today. With his style, freshness on his music and the spirit that lives through his songs is brilliant. I have recently been to his glow in the dark tour in Glasgow and loved it. He is full of energy on stage just as is the case with the energy he puts into his songs (some more than others)
I was very sceptical about his new album, no rap and all singing, however I actually enjoy it and think its got great tracks and potential. Maybe the use of electronics and all that other gadgets used in the music business today in order to keep pitch and all in tune is much overused, it seems far too overused in this album however it doesn't stop the songs having a good beat to them.
# 1. Say You Will
This song is good in terms of preparing you what the rest of the album is about, it introduces us to the beat and electronics (evident throughout whole album) in this song early in. This is a slow song with a slow tempo making it seem long which to tell you the truth it is. At 6 minutes 17 Seconds long I would say its too long for an intro to the album as by the end of it your really bored of that electronic beat.
# 2. Welcome To Heartbreak Ft. Kid Cudi
This song is brilliant. Opens very well at a great speed and slowly drags you in to its edgy and exciting beat and tempo. Kanyes lyrics come across very well over the music and results in a powerful combination of music and lyric harmony, well at least used in the context of this song. The chorus is excellent and Kid Cudi is a very welcoming addition to this song as he makes it sounds more upbeat and exciting with his lyrics of "And My Head Keeps Spinning". At 4 minutes 23 seconds long its also a perfect length for this song, not too short, not too long. This is one of my favourite songs on this album.
# 3. Heartless
Another powerful song with use of great lyrics and a great fresh and modern beat that keeps the song flowing along. The pace and tempo is perfect and is used at such a good rate that it results in this song just being great to listen to. At 3 minutes 31 seconds long its one of the shorter songs on the album but it doesn't matter as its so well put together that it results in it also being one of the best.
# 4. Amazing Ft. Young Jeezy
This song has a pretty good beat and rhythm to it, but Kanye uses electronics far too much in this song to change his voice. The lyrics are also rather repetitive and due to them being too electrical it ruins the song. Maybe if he was rapping to this it would be ok but he isn't so as a result its not that good. It's a pretty slow song with a slow tempo and it doesn't go very well with the lyrics. One of the poorer songs on the album.
# 5. Love Lockdown
This song is one of the best if not the best known on this album. I personally prefer other songs over this one but it should still be listened to as it is still good. It opens with heavy bass followed by kanyes lyrics shortly in. The bass is really heavy and sounds great if your system can handle it. The bass remains evident throughout this song and is repeated over and over but it works as the lyrics as well as those powerful Indian like drums tie in perfectly with it. The song ends as it opens with the bass slowly fading out. The more you hear this song the more it grows on you, when I first heard it I didn't like it however now I actually enjoy it. Not the best, but certainly not the worst.
# 6. Paranoid Ft Mr Hudson
This song is great, upbeat and very modern. Great beat, great sounds and great lyrics again. This song is much faster paced than others on the album but its great as it really goes well with the lyrics. This is one of those songs you really like to sing along with as its got such a catchy and modern beat that you cant help but join in. Mr Hudson is great in this song as they help to flow it along although you don't hear them too much. This is also another of my favourites on this album and one that really sticks out due to it being so much faster paced. But believe me this fast pace works, and It works well. As a side note Kanyes supporting band for his glow in the dark tour was Mr Hudson and Santogold so we can see that he has worked with Mr Hudson off stage as well.
# 7. Robocop
A hyped up beat opens this song shortly followed by Kanye's lyrics, Again this song has a decent rhythm to it but seems slightly ruined by use of electronics again, which is a shame cause if Kanye rapped to this and didn't use electronics then it might be pretty good. At 4 minutes 31 seconds long it's a good length but unfortunately due to the lyrics its slightly ruined.
# 8. Streetlights
This song is quite slow and chilled. Kanye has good use of lyrics along with a powerful beat and rhyme, this song shows a lot of potential but again it can be argued that electronics and auto-tuning of Kanyes voice has slightly ruined it perhaps. It's a real shame because it could be so much better if he turned off all those gizmos to change his voice and just focused on rapping along with the beats like he has done in his previous albums.
# 9. Bad News
Once again, a good beat and rhyme scheme along with electrical voicing of Kanye. When you focus on purely the beat of this song it shows real great potential just like many others of his songs on this album however the use of electronics again (you must be sick hearing me talk about this) slightly ruins the lyrics which results in this song not being as good as it could have. Beat eventually gets repetitive and boring and lasts too long after kanye stops singing.
# 10. See You In My Nightmares Ft. Lil Wayne
I seem to remember this song being one of the first to be leaked off the album before it was released meaning I have heard it a lot of times by now. I thinks its first 3 minutes is great however after this it seems to die out and get rather annoying and boring. The song is 4 minutes 18 seconds long and as I have said the last 1 minute 18 seconds of it is poor. Lil Wayne does seem to try well with this song which is great however even he has been using electronics to overcome this.
# 11. Coldest Winter
This song has a great feel and beat to it. The occurring beat of those drums along with the lyrics is a welcoming sound. The lyrics are good and although repetition of some words is evident it's great as it sets the tone to the whole song. Great lyrics, great beat and pace along with a great tempo used in conjunction with those drums makes this song one of the more enjoyable on this album.
# 12. Pinocchio Story (Live From Singapore. Bonus)
This song is Kanye recorded live in Singapore freestylin with his lyrics to a very chilled piano rhythm. His voice and lyrics is surprisingly powerful and are great together. Although I wouldn't class this as a real song towards this album as its really a bonus recorded live I still am glad its in the album as it shows off how kanye is live and not just in a studio which adds a good sense of variety to this album.
Personal Opinion
As I said I didn't expect this album to be good, I thought it would be Kanyes worst album however after hearing it over at least 2 times I must say I was slightly wrong. It's a whole new style for Kanye it seems but I must admit, I actually enjoy most of it. Sure 'College Dropout', 'Late Registration' or even 'Graduation' may be favoured to some over this (they are probably better) , however if you closely listen to this album and think how this style of music compares to his other albums then you truly might come to appreciate it (eventually).
The truth is Kanye cant sing, he overcomes this with electronics which is quite bad (T-pain) but even though he does this, this album still eventually grows on you. I still prefer late Registration and College Dropout as oppose to this as that's Kanye doing what he does best - Rapping. Not singing.
Next time I think he should stick to rap/hip-hop but on the up-side at least he has ventured further into music with this album.
I personally feel this album is Kanye truly emphasising himself as oppose to trying to make a great album, this album focuses a lot on his feelings and emotions (evident from album title) as oppose to other things which his previous albums have had.
Any fan of Kanye will have probably heard or purchased this by now, if not then you need to have a listen, I think you will be very surprised by the greatness of it just like I was. If your not a fan of Kanye I suggest you listen to this anyway as its different to anything he has done before so as a result you might actually like it. If not then you can always go off to what you really do like. The only thing I don't like about this album is the CD case (more of a cover) that it comes in like many of the 'Graduation' albums did. It looks and feels cheap which truly is a shame as it sort of ruins the package it comes with. But under this case and on the CD is great and that's what your buying it for. So go buy, borrow, or sample this online to see what you think. I have seen it in Asda for £8.99 so if you think its worth it, buy it.
Half Life 2, Episode Two - Stunning Follow On Of A Masterpiece Series Of Games
As you may already be aware I am currently reviewing the Half Life Series of games. My last review ended with Half Life 2 Episode One so as a follow on I am continuing with its brilliant sequel being Episode Two. This game continues where the last one left off being where Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance have escaped city 17 and the citadel as it nears a massive explosion due to the inner core of the citadel over reacting. As you have escaped the city the train gets de-railed by the blast that comes off the explosion just as you have reached a vast area of forest. From here on you are more or less in the deserted lands out of the city that compose of tunnels, mountains, woods, forestry and buildings etc... I am not going to go into anymore further detail of the story other than to mention that your main goal is to successfully reach white forest where Eli Vance (Alyx's dad) and his researchers are at in order to give them the data disk you received from the citadel. As with the other reviews I have done I am not mentioning the whole story as I am here to reveal my thoughts and feelings on the game as a whole. Not the story, although let me say this, the story is shockingly good.
Valve know how to make games highly playable. This is relevant in any of their games, particularly the 'Half Life games'. Half Life 2 Episode Two is again brilliant in terms of the gameplay factor. Highly immersive, very addictive, very well played and also well thought out. This along with fluid controls all add up to this having brilliant gameplay like all the others in the series.
Episode two seems to have improved enemy A.I even further. This is evident with the new addition of the 'hunters' enemies that are programmed to come and hunt you down. It was in Half Life 2 that players really noticed a massive improvement to the A.I system. For example in Half Life 2, some of the big advances were when the non-player characters were aware of what you were looking at and what you were doing, a great example of that was when you went to Eli's Lab, and you were looking at the pictures of his family, and he would say, "you remember my wife, don't you...?" and stuff like that. That instantly made the players think wow how did he know what I was looking at ? Well these features are again relevant within Episode Two and its very welcoming when you notice these events of well programmed A.I happening around you as it adds a great deal of surprise to the player.
The enemy troops also have slightly improved in terms of A.I as this time they seem really determined to kill you (as if they weren't determined enough in the others within the series) One particular bit comes to mind within this game when they are trying to stop you; as you are on route to White Forest in the tuned up car (which is great to drive) you eventually get forced to stop due to an electronic barricade that comes into effect in order to stop you going any further. As this happens you get bombarded by enemy forces such as troopers and hunters. You are forced to take cover in an abandoned house that you have stopped beside in order to stay alive. The troops come in to attack you while the hunters stay patrolling outside. This game is full of excellent moments like this that are able to grasp your attention from the intriguing story while you get thrown into full out action blown sequences. Another excellent part that is rather near the start of the game is when you are underground in the tunnels with Alyx Vance who is seriously wounded and two members of the resistance who you have to help in order to fight of a massive array of ant lions. This part is very clever and is one of many excellent parts that are just brilliant fun to play out. Don't even get me started about the finale battle with the striders, it really is beauty within a game itself.
The physics of this game are intense to say the least. For example in Half Life 2 if a building was going to get destroyed then it would only be a building that you could not enter, however this time round taking the strider scene at the end as an example you are able to go into a building and think your safe while the strider comes and just tears it down on top of you. This is all thanks to the wonderful 'source' engine and the use of 'direct X 10'. Crates, chairs, enemies and all objects within the game have the usual great physics that makes this game appear so real. Walk into things they fall over, shoot someone at different points and they will fall accordingly to where they were shot. Were talking realism at its finest here.
Weapons remain unchanged but you wont care. Use of the gravity gun again come sin really handy which is great as it also happens to be great fun to use. The assault rifles, shotguns and the legendary crowbar are back to help you get through the many enemies within the game. The crossbow is great for long distance shots and has an awesome noise upon being shot.
Again the characters element in this game is strong. The voice acting is perfectly fluid and in sync with the characters mouths as they move, their actions that they undertake are very well developed and realistic plus the characters themselves look real. The characters also move and change positions in order to get a better viewpoint of the enemies and there locations which is very helpful if you are undergoing a massive attack that you don't think you will be able to undergo yourself. The facial expressions is very real and well detailed. As a result of all these points the characters are a very strong point within this game. It adds to the gameplay being even more enjoyable than you would have thought possible.
Half Life 2 Episode Two takes place mainly in outdoor environments. So were talking open, fresh, new, exciting and mostly damn good fun. Full of trees, tunnels, caves, mountains, and other outdoor terrain episode two never feels dull. You never have to back track in order to find stuff as there is always options open to the player in order to proceed. It constantly feels fresh and new and as a result of your environment your enemies tend to have to adapt new techniques to reach and kill you. Thanks to the massive outdoor areas, the use of the car (modified 68 dodge charger) that you get hold of comes in extremely handy as means of transport. Its also extremely good fun to drive and packs a lovely, gritty noise as a real tuned up dodge charger would.
Unlike Episode One, Episode Two features much wider use of outdoor environments which is very enjoyable to say the least. Its much more fun being in an outdoor environment in this game than being inside as was the case for Episode One. Since much of the game takes place outside it is clear to us how important the graphics were for this. Beautiful spanning views across hills and mountains can be seen in this game. That is until your view is spoiled by a pack of hunters coming rampaging after you which results in your view being composed of your carefully aimed weapon and well placed feet in order to survive.
Stunning visual improvements are seen thanks to use of direct x 10. The people behind this game really have worked on all details of graphical importance including the minor ones. The whole environments look so realistic, the characters are very well detailed just like your weapons. Even everything right down to a basic crate box looks good. All you have to do is look at a screenshot of this game and you will see that the graphics are visually brilliant and well defined. They play so smooth as well all thanks to the marvellous source engine which is handy if you have quite a out of date computer as you are still more than able to play it (within reason)
The various effects are again very real and detailed. The fire, water and smoke effects are all brilliant as they are all being well used with the help of Direct x 10. Buildings fall apart piece by piece as if it was real life and the overall effect of things within the game getting destroyed looks visually stunning.
Again the sky has a key importance as it transforms due to the explosion of the citadel. It changes vastly and differs at various points and times throughout the game. Its really interesting to notice the effects of the sky when you get the chance to take a break from all the action.
Along with the exceptional gameplay, graphics and physics comes excellent sound. The soundtrack again is composed by Kelly Bailey who has made an exceptional job at doing the soundtrack so far for all the games within the series. This game is the one that features the best soundtrack to date in my opinion as it is very well driven throughout the whole game and as usual ties in perfectly with the games main action sequences and events. The music is very well placed again usually leading up to a battle, sequence or key moment that will change everything for the latter.
As usual the voice acting is spot on, very crisp and clearly defined, there is no mumbling of the characters voices here meaning you are completely able to hear what all the characters are saying to you as you progress through key areas of the game. The sound of the car you drive is exhilarating and really makes you enjoy using it.
Weapons, movement and environmental noises are astounding. They are spot on in terms of detail making you as the player feel very immersed in the games environment. The gun shots, recoils and reloads are excellent and very well defined. Each gun has a unique sound that makes using them all the better as there is a immense sense of realism added to the game.
Half-Life 2: Episode Two Minimum System Requirements
CPU: 1.2 GHz Processor
Graphics Card: DirectX 7 capable graphics card
Windows 2000/XP/ME/98
Internet Connection
CD or DVD rom drive
Half-Life 2: Episode Two Recommended System Requirements
CPU: 2.4 GHz Processor
Graphics Card: DirectX 9 capable graphics card 256 MB
Windows 2000/XP/ME/98
Internet Connection
CD or DVD rom drive
Half-Life 2: Episode Two Ideal System Requirements
CPU: 3.4 GHz Processor
Graphics Card: Radeon X800 or Geforce 6800
Windows 2000/XP/ME/98
Internet Connection
CD or DVD rom drive
As you can see thanks to the 'source engine' this game is not demanding at all in terms of graphical and gameplay qualities.
My Personal Thoughts
This game is definitely the most fun to play out of the whole series. The very fine balance of outdoor and indoor environments is a great success and is very well used in conjunction with the gameplay. The final battle in the game is the best ending battle I have ever seen in a game, especially in a first person shooter. The ending battle leaves you full of adrenaline and excitement and by the end of the battle you are left sitting in pure awe, also the ending sequence is one of the most dramatic (for me personally) ever to happen in a game. The ending of the game seriously leaves you wanting a whole lot more and makes the wait for episode 3 even harder.
This game is a certain must buy for any fan of the Half Life series. You simply must get this if you have played the others in the series. Without this one in your memories and game collection you are seriously missing out on one of the best FPS ever to have hailed on the PC. As I always say, if you cant play this on your PC or you just don't have one, then get it for the console (either PS3 or Xbox 360) as you seriously cannot afford to miss out. I suggest getting it along with the orange box package and this gives you a great deal for truly amazing games.
This game on average has managed to score 9.4 and above out of 10 on most websites I have seen. Hugely popular and after playing it is very easy to see why. Prices for this game range from £3.99 as I saw it for on ebay however if you are to be getting the orange box then you will be paying around £30.00 for all the games in one. Still that is a deal that cannot be missed out on.
Half Life 2, Episode One - The Thrilling Aftermath Of Half Life 2
I am currently reviewing all of my favourite PC games focusing on First Person Shooters at the moment. I am reviewing the Half Life series so far (having already reviewed 'Half Life', and 'Half Life 2') so to follow on from this I have moved onto review the thrilling sequel to Half Life 2 = Half Life 2 Episode One. This game follows on the story from the end of the last game leaving Gordon Freeman and Alyx Vance in the citadel of city 17 (or shall I say what's left of it) I am not going to mention too much detail on story cause it will ruin it for the player and if you want to read about the story then google it and search. Im here to review my thoughts and feelings on the game itself, not the (brilliant) story.
Half Life 2 Episode One has much the same gameplay to Half Life 2. There is nothing wrong with this as the gameplay has always been a rock solid strong point for all the games in the series. If it works (which it does) and works well (which it does) then why go to the bother of changing it ?
Episode One's gameplay is fluid, exciting, tense and thrilling. It is constantly making you the player adapt to the enemies movements and strategies until you have devised a particular tactic in order to either defeat or retreat. One of the great aspects of the gameplay relevant in all the half life games is enemies A.I, its clever and fast. The squads and aliens in the game move quickly, unpredictably and cleverly in order to kill their target, shame that target happens to be you, Gordon Freeman.
The various weapons in Episode One are brilliant. They feature the same ones from half life 2 since it's a continuation from the previous game. The best aspect of the weapons this time round is when you get to upgrade your gravity gun allowing you to pick up enemy troops and toss them around freely. Its great fun and also very handy as it would be rather difficult at points if you could not do this (due to the sheer number of troops at one point early on)
The shooting element in this game is much more strongly featured this time round I feel. In Half Life 2 it was usually just you against the aliens and troops, however this time at various points in the game you can lead a squad of followers that help you kill your enemies and ultimately escape City 17 which is what your really trying to do anyway (while blasting a horde of enemies along the way)
The characters aspects in this game are very strong (particularly Alyx Vance as you are moving through this game a lot with her.) As usual the facial expressions, details, and movements of all the characters is brilliant, fluid and most of all realistic. They move and change positions in order to get a better viewpoint of the enemies and there locations. The voice acting is solid and the speech is as usual very well in sync with the characters mouths while they move. All these minor details add up and add a big aspect to the realism of the whole game.
This time round you are trying to escape from City 17 so as you can guess the location is yep.. City 17. Were talking urban, gritty and detailed. Outside environments as well as inside environments such as facilities, wherehouses, underground tunnels etc.. you get the 'Urban Idea' i am putting across right ? I personally like this environment as its different however it can begin to feel a tiny bit tedious, unlike Black Mesa in the original Half Life for example. This is probably due to the fact that we are already use to City 17 from the last episode however don't be fooled, the gaming environment is still brilliant and very well designed.
Think Half Life 2. Think a bit more minor details and scaling. Now put it together and you have the graphics of episode one. Visually brilliant ? Yes, most certainly and its very pleasing to know that this game doesn't require a monster of a machine to play it smoothly. The visuals are very detailed, defined, designed and solid. The locations, buildings and streets are all of high detail just as the characters and the weapons. The smoke effects and fire effects are very realistic just like the explosions and flashes.
The sky in this game is very interesting to look at as it deforms and screws up due to the citadel over reacting. At various points its interesting to note how much the sky has been affected and how impressive it looks in terms of graphics. Shadows are also well created and implemented into this game's urban environment adding more to the sense of realism and aesthetical qualities of the game.
Full of various sounds that are crisp, audible and clear. From the uniqueness of each weapon being shot and reloaded to the much loved eerie noises coming from the aliens. Just like Half Life 2 this game has exceptional sound quality and effects.
The soundtrack is exciting and has that half life uniqueness to it. Again the music is composed by Kelly Bailey and has again done an excellent job in doing so. Its very exciting to fight alongside Alyx with this games soundtrack kicking in. Its also great when you hear it just kicking in and you realise that something big is away to happen such as a huge battle. The soundtrack can be bought separate from valve just as you can with many other of their games.
The sounds are a big part of this game and can be played using Dolby Digital sound 5.1 but if you do this you will need a pretty good sound card. Never worry though as the sounds are great with your standard 2 stereo speaker set up. They fit in perfect with the action on screen and are very well implemented with everything that's going on.
1.2 GHz processor, 256 MB RAM, DirectX 7 compatible card
2.4 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, DirectX 9 compatible card
As you can see the specs are not that demanding so don't worry too much about them. This is a great looking game and does look best on high settings obviously but if you cant play it like that then don't bother. Getting this game for console (PS3, XBOX 360 is another option if your PC just isn't powerful enough.
My Personal Thoughts
I love all the half life games. The blend of action, adventure, story, characters and tactics is very welcoming and pleasing to play. They have always been among my favourite of FPS games and this one remains no exception. Although I personally prefer Half Life 2 as it's much longer and fuller this one is definitely not one to miss out on as it gives vital points to the storyline as well as provides the player with much fun. So a Brilliant game once again, just a bit on the short side
Half Life games always will remain treasured in the hearts of FPS gamers all over. The way the games continue on from one another is a critical part to being able to follow the story and the development of the lead characters. Episode one is fantastic, just rather short. It can be bought for roughly £7.00 on its own via ebay, amazon and even in some game shops such as game station. Best deal is to get the orange box as you get HL2, HL2 ep1, HL2 ep2, Portal and Team fortress for around £30.00 !! Unmissable offer. Also available on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 so everyone should be able to play it !
Half Life 2 - Beauty In Its Own Aspect
Half Life 2 is a game that completely redefines the FPS genre for me. Half Life, Half Life 2, Deus Ex and Far Cry are the games that really make full use of the FPS genre and as a result are completely brilliant for me. Half Life 2 is a brilliant sequel to the original masterpiece for all the right reasons. Brilliant gameplay, great story, Gorgeous visuals, undefined sound etc.. It has to be played by yourself to experience the true perfection of it all. It runs so smoothly together and plays so well. It really is one of my favourite First Person Shooters.
Half Life 2's gameplay is brilliant. It is fluid, dynamic, unique and most of all unmatched. It plays great and the controls are great. Its very immersive and the whole environment in the game is approachable in the aspect that you can pick up many things and throw them. This really comes into use when you get your hands on the much loved 'Gravity Gun' as this gun allows you to pick up anything in the environment and toss it around as if it's status was unimportant. As well as the gravity gun you get a whole load of brilliant weapons from the original pistol to the classic Crowbar, the single weapon that defines Gordon Freeman himself. The weapons are great fun to use and come in very handy when a host of aliens are chasing after you in the streets of ravenholm or wherever you happen to be.
The vehicles in the game are great fun to drive, the speed and sound of the buggy makes it pure bliss. Not just the buggy but also the aliens in the game as well as the many troops and forces are both challenging, clever and perceptive. They judge your movements and actually come after you to hunt you down instead of just standing around like idiots would do. So the A.I is seen to be a big improvement from the last game in many respects and as a result is very enjoyable to go hunting down all the enemies in the game. Ok maybe it can get annoying if you are constantly dying but if that's the case then obviously you just need to change and adapt to new tactics in order to pass your enemies.
The locations within the game are great and highly enjoyable to play through. It takes place in an urban like city called "city 17" but within this city are many shut down complex facilities, wastelands and info structures that all play a pretty important part in Half Life's 2 overall gameplay.
Wow. That is the single word needed to describe the graphics in Half Life 2. There pretty damn impressive all right especially if you are able to play at Full graphic capability settings. However even if you are only able to play on medium settings they are still visually fantastic. I was able to play on high settings on resolution of 1280x1024 and the game looked brilliant and that's without anti alaising enabled at all.
The set pieces such as streets, buildings, vehicles and the environment is very realistic looking and really makes you feel part of the gaming experience. Also the weapons have amazingly high details on them just as the enemies, including troops do especially their faces. Even when you are speeding through the deserted wastelands in the sand buggy the graphics are able to hold a steady foundation. Now if your thinking, damn I wont be able to play that on my computer then possibly think again. I played this on high using just a Radeon 9600 SE, 1 gig of ram and was able to play on resolutions of 1280x1024 as I already stated. So maybe you will be able to play it even if you doubted that you would. So the graphics are amazingly high up there with me and must be seen to be believed.
The sound in Half Life 2 as you might have guessed is brilliant, just like everything else. The guns are punchy, accurate and sharp. The speech is excellently put together and very audible and clear to the player and the music used in the game manages to retain that special quality the original Half Life had which is the sense of originality.
The tracks used in the game were all composed by Kelly Bailey who has done an excellent job. The music gives you that sense of action and pace when you are playing the game as well as the extra bit of hype factor. There was also a CD containing all the music from the game that came with Half Life 2 if you purchased the gold package of the game however it can also be bought separate from the Valve store.
As for the sound effects used in this game ranging from the whirring of the gravity gun to the squirms, screech's and grunts from all the aliens added along with the brilliant, addictive gameplay and you have one hell of a greatly playable game. The sounds are a big part of this game and can be played using Dolby Digital sound 5.1 but if you do this you will need a pretty good sound card. Never worry though as the sounds are great with your standard 2 stereo speaker set up.
System Requirements
Here is the specifications required to be able to play the game:
Processor: 1.2 GHz Processor
OS: Windows, 2000/XP/Me/98
Graphic card: DirectX 7 level graphics card
Hard Drive: 4.5 GB
Memory: 256 MB RAM
Other: Internet Connection, DVD-ROM Drive
As you can see this game will play on the very modest of PC's meaning that if you can play it you have no reason not to.
My Personal Thoughts
For me Half Life 2 is a game that really does redefine FPS for ever just like the original masterpiece did. Its full of everything you could want from a FPS and considering there my favourite type of games you can begin to understand how much I love this game along with all the others in the series. Its got great graphics, brilliant gameplay and a very enjoyable story to play through making it FPS heaven for me.
This game won over 35 game of the year awards for 2004 ! That's some achievement. And this didn't happened for no reason. Its evident to see when you play this game why it won so many and why it has and still is praised so much by gamers and critics all over. As of July 14, 2006, the Half Life franchise as a whole has sold 16 million units. Considering its now 2008 you can imagine how much those figures have increased by. It scored 10/10 from many companies and got ratings such as 98%, 100% etc... You may think its over rated but I think its bang on.
This game can be bought new for around £5.00 from ebay, however I highly recommend you buy it along with the orange box deal allowing you to get half life 2, episode 1 and 2, portal and team fortress all for around £30.00 new. Never have I seen a deal like this for games in my life. Its well worth buying plus it can be played on Xbox 360 and PS3 as well as PC. I prefer it in PC personally but if your PC aint good enough play it on the console versions.
Timesplitters 2 - Outnumbered but never outgunned !
First Person Shooters are defintely one of my favourite genres of games ever to have existed. With the full up action, guns, explosions and the fantastic view as if you were in the midst of it all makes FPS a pure joy to play. This is partly the reason why when i heard that a sequel to the original Timesplitters was going to be released I was dead excited. My excitement only grew as screenshots were released in all the mags as well as details on the game and the games structure. I must say that all my excitement paid off when I finally purchased it. Timesplitters 2 really is a pure joy to play. Its full of everything the original was plus a tonne more. More guns, characters, locations, game modes, missions etc.. plus its bigger, faster and a whole lot more furious than it ever was before ! This is why Timeplitters 2 was such a hit with me and many others i knew, in fact I think this game is one of my most played playstation 2 games.
Gameplay was dramatically improved from the original. It has a balanced structure when in single player mode. There is many missions and sub missions to be taken care of instad of just the one key goal like the original Timeplitters had. There was 9 single player episodes that ranged from the wild west to neo tokyo. Each episode featured a story with certain charcters in it. It combined past, present and future time scales which were very appreciated and full of fun (Time scales reanged from 1853 - 2315). There was over 100 characters that featured original cast from the first game and a tonne more new ones that are great fun to blast. Each character had something very unique about them making them all great fun to play.
As well as the single player story mode you could undertake the missions co-operatively with a friend. You both play through the game's missions. While one player focuses on one task the other goes for something else. This worked really well and guaranteed fun if you were sick of playing through yourself. On the other hand if you were sick of working together as a team go head to head in a all out explosive deathmatch. Up to 4 players could join in as well as the bots. With various game modes such as team deatmatch, deathmatch, assault etc.. you will never be bored as the variety within the game modes are immense. Plus you could choose a load of different maps to play on. If you were sick of the games maps you could even create your own and personalise it any which way you like guaranteing even more variety and fun !
The gameplay is bang on, full of eerything you could possibly want. Great missions, multi player fun, fantastic charcters, unique time frames.. i could easily go on ! Gameplay is Brilliant
Timesplitters 2 actually amazed me on the graphics front of things. It really seemed to push the PS2 into new heights showing it to be a great console. The graphics were done in a cartoonish style effect which works brilliantly. They are actually very well detailed, full of colour and life and well drawn out. The stuff in the distance even looked good and as for the weapons and characters, well lets just say they were and still are amazing. The charcters faces contained unique traits that are well detailed right down to the last spec. The explosions are vivid and lively just like the gameplay itself. Timeplitters 2 is as much fun to look at as it is to play (ok maybe not) but they really are brilliant. Look at screenshots if you dont believe me. You can tell by playing this game that a lot of work went into the graphics side of things and it sure as hell paid off !
From the bangs to the wacky voices, Timeplitters 2 has it all. The guns had a great, realistic sound to them that made shooting them all the more fun (ok i dont know for sure what a laser gun sounds like but this game gives you a pretty good idea). The various kinds of music was well related to the location you were in, for example in neo tokyo you heard very futuristic sounds and as a contrast in the wild west you heard old western sounds. The charcters all have unique voices which are generally funny to hear. They have there own speaking parts that you hear in missions as you play through the game. Some voices were annoying while others were brilliant. From high pitched voices to low pitched ones, nervous, cool, relaxed, tense, angry ... all these were styles of voices used by many of the games characters. The various sounds used in this game is a very worthwhile joy to hear.
My Personal Thoughts
For me Timeplitters 2 was amazing. It gave me and much of my friends immense fun to play when we were bored. I loved everything about it from the missions to the multi player and single player game modes. I remember creating many maps for 2 player mode so me and my friends could try them out. The overall story was great, the modes were fantastic and the characters were highly loveable or hateable depending on who it was. Shooting people in a game has never been so much fun as Timeplitters 2 easily proved to many owners of the PS2. It managed to win 10/10 from many magazine companies and for good reason. The graphics and sounds incorporated into the game are bliss just as everything else about it.
This game should be owned by all FPS fans and especially fans of the original Timesplitters. It pushes the PS2 to the top and it pays off. Immense fun to play for so many reasons. It can be bought for as cheap as £1.50 from certain places such as ebay and many of your high street gamestores so there is no reason why you should not own this marvellous game !
Manhunt - The Hunter Becomes The Hunted
Manhunt, perhaps one of the most contoversial video games of all time and certainly one of the sickest and darkest ever to be released. Released under Rockstar (the genuises behind Grand Theft Auto Series) comes Manhunt, the game where the hunter becomes the hunted. You play James Cash, a man facing the lethal injection under death row. You appear to be injected and die but soon awaken to what only can be described as utter madness. You hear a man talking claiming he can get you out of this whole mess alive before the night is over. He describes himself as 'The Director' but we soon discover his real identity later on in the game as 'Mr Starkweather'. Starkweather is a sick, psychotic director of Snuff films (Films that are surprisingly dark and sick that feature real deaths on camera !) And you become his latest project for his new movie. You get guided through many levels killing off many freakish people from weird gangs under instruction from the Director. He claims if you kill those people you will be released back into society a free man. This is where the story begins.
Manhunt's gameplay is sick. But in a good way. By that I mean the killing system, the gore and the utter violence of it all is sick but at the same time highly enjoyable. The levels are rather big with certain places to explore and there is amny weapons to collect for your executions. Weapons include Baseball Bats, Knifes, Cleavers, Glass Shards, Plastic Bags, Pistols, Shotguns, Fiber Wire, Rifles, Chainsaws etc... These weapons all get used for you to perform your killings in many different ways. The way you kill is determined by how long you are able to sneak behind someone with the 'execute' button held down. The longer you hold it down, the more ferocious and sick your kill will be. There is many different ways in which you can carry out the kills and many different ways in which you can evade kills. The levels are well planned out and are very dark and gritty which is just perfect for a game like this. Locations featured are: run down flats, ghetto parks, underground train stations, abandoned streets, alleyways, mansions, estates etc... (I think you get the picture) The combat system in this game is pretty well done apart from the aiming system, I think it needed some work put into it as it felt a bit off and rather easy.
So the gameplay is solid and well constructed overall.
Dark, Gritty, Eerie, Messed Up, Shadowed, Scary, Dim, Gloomish (Shall I go on ?) The graphics are meant to be like this for a delibrate effect which is to make the game darker as a whole (as if the lethal executions werent enough) But I must say the graphics are good at giving this effect. They seem grainy in a good way and are still able to provide you 'the player' with detail and visual enjoyment. They can be bland and empty at times but your mind is going to be so focused on escaping from that crazed, heavy breathing, fat gang member that your eyes will focus more on your legs than the surrounding graphics. The graphics from this game sure give it a great scary and most of all Dark/Draconian effect but its meant to be like this making them great as a whole.
Manhunt features many sounds that will make you jump. From heart beats, gates slamming shut, wind, breathing, pipes dropping, shouting, gunshots, screaming, the constant running you will be enduring on the gravel, the sick sound of a man chocking on his own blood as you literally chop his head off, the bones breaking and cracking... (Ok i'll stop) Manhunts sound is as sick as its gameplay and graphics but this is obiviously done for obvious effect and its really well done, thats something i guarantee. This game focuses on so many realistic noises (breathing, heart beats, shouting) other than soundtrack and music, making this game as scary and realistic as possible.
My Personal Thoughts
A sick game that also happens to be very enjoyable to play. The use of clever gameplay and tactics as well as the variety of weapons, eerie locations and darn right freaky people that you would pray never to meet in real life make this game a very worthwhile playthrough. It might be too scary or too sick for some people but if i was you, Just take comfort in knowing its only a game !
A great game that should be owned by people who are looking for something different and scary. Forget zombies, vampires and cannibalistic freaks, this is real, messed up lunatics chasing you through darkened alleys and unlit streets making this much scarier a game than and of your resident evils. Plus its as cheap as a fiver these days so buy it now, or just forget about this review and my thoughts and go play your light hearted stuff like Sonic, Pokemon and Mario !
Deus Ex - Mind Blowingly Good
Deus Ex is a First Person Shooter/RPG game set in the not too distant future. Its set in New York and revolves around JC Denton on his first day of work at UNATCO (United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition) You are sent in to New York to uncover a cure for the gray deth that is sweeping around killing hundreds of people. The NSF (National Secessionist Forces) have claimed a shipment of the cure known as Ambrosia and are hoping to distribute the cure evenly to those who need it most such as poor working class families. UNATCO on the other hand want it for the upper class people such as the president, vice president and many bureacats. So your sent in to clear up the mess and find the cure. Sounds simple ? But along the way you discover many conspiracys which need answering leading you into an ever increasing plot which grows bigger and bigger as you play on. JC Denton and Paul Denton are both nano augmentated agents (basically many parts of their bodies are super increased through use of roboticular cells and processes) This adds an exciting element to the game as upgrades and skills become available.
Deus Ex wasnt voted game of the year over and over again for no reason you know. Its success comes mainly from its gameplay and its easy to see why when you play it. Its extremely well balanced and structured no matter how you tend to play. Every action you make during the game has a consequence (kill somone early on and they cant offer info later on, hurt and annoy someone and they will hurt you, run into ladies bathroom and you will get reported as a perv to your Chief in command etc...)
The way the actions you make infulence the gameplay is brilliant and enables much variety as every choice is your own. Instead of being told how to do a mission, you pick your own way of doing the mission. For example you need to access a building and interrogate someone, you can either:
A) Go in all guns blazing shooting everyone in sight (including hostages)
B) Sneak in through use of stealth by finding back entrances, secret tunnels
C) Find additional info from various people including pedestrians walking the streets on ways in
D) Get all the guards outside and blow them up by using a grenade, TNT box, LAM etc..
E) Gas grenade the entrance and sneak in under cover picking off the guards 1 by 1 with silent pistol, baton, crowbar or stun gun. Make sure to hide their bodies.
Etc.... As you see there is so many ways of tackiling a situation and depending on how you do it will depend on the amount of skill points you receive and the credit you recieve from many members within your orginisation.
Another pleasing aspect of the gameplay is the upgrades available. You can upgrade all your skills such as computing skills, weapon skills, swimming skills, electronic skills etc... as well as upgrading your augmentation skills allowing you to get stronger (lift heavier things) hold breath underwater longer, better vision enhancement, better combat strength etc.. The way you upgrade these skills is by obtaining skill points which are achieved by doing various tasks and sub tasks in the game. The more you have the better your upgrades so it really is worth playing through fully and finding every sub task possible.
Multiplayer is even available with this game and although not as good as Single Player its still well worth a go. There is much variety to be had on multiplayer and fun plus many of the aspects used in single player are used in multiplayer.
Graphics arent the strongest point in this game but to be honest when your playing it you dont care as you are so gripped in the immersive gameplay and depth within the missions that much emphasis is taken off the graphics. The indoor locations look quite decent as well as the outdoor ones but the main point with the graphics is lack of detail and everything can look rather bland. There is patches available to increase the asthetic look of the graphics if you are really fussy (which I doubt you will be) the graphics are solid and well constructed but just lack detail.
Deus Ex has an amazing array of weird and wonderful sounds, from the basic reloading of a clip, to the upgrades of nano technology and the noises from the robots as they move. Sounds play a big part in this game and even the music that goes along with the on screen action is well thought out. Some of the guns sound poor when they are fired but its really not a big deal cause if you worry about that then you shouldnt even be reading this review.
My Personal Thoughts
Its no wonder Deus Ex is winner of over 50 game of the year awards. The beauty and depth contained in this game is pure genius and once you play this game it will change your perception of video games forever as you will constantly be wanting the same aspects from this game to appear in every game. The ability to free roam the environment, explore, upgrade, collect, talk to people, make friends and plan out your missions etc... I personally love this game and I think you will as well if you are a fan of strategy based games or first person shooters, hell even both would be best. This game adds a whole new element to the PC gaming genre just like the way Half Life redifined the FPS genre forever.
A game that is pure genius. Everything that a game needs is here and everything you want a game to contain is here. In short this is one of the best games available in this genre (along with half life) and its easy to see why. This game can be bought for around £1.99 these days from your high street gaming shops or better still from the internet. At that price its an absolute MUST and should be owned and cherished by every PC owner out there !
Second Sight - It Will Blow Your Mind
Second sight is a stealth based action game on the PS2. Its developed by Free Radical (the genius's behind Timesplitters) Its also available on other formats (such as Xbox and Gamecube) however i find it is most enjoyable on PS2. This game revolves around John Vattic a patient who has just woken up in a mental hospital. Its not before long that he realises there is more to himself than he first thought. He soon realises he is capable of many pshycic powers such as telekensisis and the ability to heal himself. He is in complete denial of these powers as he thinks its all fake, but these powers begin to play a massively important part in his life as you will find out. As the past plays into the future in this spectacular game you will see pure genius unfold through excellent gameplay and brilliant story telling thats told like one of your blockbuster thrillers.
Second Sight has absolutely mind blowing gameplay. Everything from the control structure right down to the rag doll physics within the game. As you progress through the game you gain more control over your powers, develop better skills within the enviroment and learn to evade your enemys using stealth or cunning or go right in all guns (and powers) blazing. The best thing about the gameplay i find is the way it folds in perfectly with the compelling and spectacular storytelling. The characters within the game all have very unique traits making them a big part of the game. Another brilliant thing with the gameplay is the way in which you can progress through the various missions. You can tackle the missions in any way you like which is fantastic. For example you can sneak in, go full assault in, use your powers to control various things in the environment etc... all this is highly enjoyable much like the varied gameplay in Deus Ex.
I must say i was highly impressed with my PS2 and the graphics this game gave out. It pushed my PS2 to its limits (I think) and I love the way they are constructed. Its the same sort of graphics used in the excellent Timesplitters games as its developed by Free Radical. The graphics are highly impressive as there is shadows, minor details on the environment and close ups on characters faces. They are very well constructed and appear very solid even during the various cutscenes
I love the sounds featured in thius game. It sounds much better through the use of Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. If you dont have access to dolby digital then dont worry as even stero speakers sound great with this game. The sounds are crystal clear and crisp, the speech is well acted out, the gunfire is very realistic and the noises that various of your powers (e.g psi blast) make is genius. I love the sound in this game especially during the cutscenes, the music is also excellently composed and fits in perfectly with this game. So overall the sound in this game is as good as the fantastic story and gameplay.
My Personal Thoughts
I love this game, easily one of my favourite on the PS2 (along with others i will be mentioning soon) I love the story, gameplay and the graphics as they are all pure genius. The blockbuster storyline had me gripped all the way through and I am sure it will have you gripped as well. I loved the various psychic abilities you could perform in this game as well as the way you learnt how to control your powers and use them against your rivals.
A fantastic game that should be owned by everyone that has a PS2. It truly is one of the PS2's best games in my opinion due to everything contained within it. The aspects of this game are groundbreaking even for the PS2 standards, making it a very worthwhile purchase. Plus it can be bought for as cheap as £1.99 these days (unlinke the £39.99 i payed for it new from Asda !) from places such as ebay or even some of your retail game shops that you will find on the high street.
Thanks For Reading !
Freedom Fighters - They Took Your Freedom. Its Time To Take It Back !
Freedom Fighters for me was an excellent game that gave me much fun and excitement from my PS2. It tells the story of Christopher Stone who is a plumber working in Brooklyn (this is the charcter you play throughout the game) The game starts as you get a call for a job requiring a plumber at a flat in Brooklyn. You go along to it with your brother Troy who usually helps you out. You find out the flat is owned by Isabella Angelina a 29 year old woman with strong political views against the Soviet army. You arrive at the flat but no one is home, you go in to find its the sink needing fixed but soon the flat is overrun by soviet guerillas.
This is where the game takes off, you get thrown into the action as bombs and tanks are crushing through the streets of Brooklyn. You join up with a bunch of freedom fighters in order to get back at the soviets by destroying many of there plans and lead your way to freedom as you become the leader of a group of freedom fighters. The game is played out through various missions that can be taken in different orders and depending how you play them out will affect the games story and difficulty level. For example will you destroy the soviets head of supplies first or go right into to there headquarters ?? (destroying the supplies being most sensible as fighting is easier)
Freedom Fighters has an excellent gameplay structure that has been well developed and worked on and as a result is a pure joy to play. The gameplay is carried out through various different missions taking place at very different locations. Your decisions affect how the gameplay turns out. You can sneak through levels as best as possible or go in full guns blazing with your freedom fighters that you have recruited. Your player - Chris can recruit many people into his group (a max of 12 at certain times) depending on his charisma status. The higher you are rated among people as a leader the more people you can recruit and hence the stronger you will be. This 'recruit and command' system is a great addition to the game and is one of the best aspects to it.
The game is played out in 3rd person giving you a great viewpoint of all the action going on around you. Its better done as a 3rd person other than 1st as it makes it more pleasing to play as you can see various routes that can be taking around the levels. It also lets you see all the action going on around you.
Tactics you use are well featured in this game as the way you plan how to fight will lead to your victory or your death. The weapons you get are well used in carrying out the tactics as they can be used for a variety of things. You get a huge choice of weapons ranging from Pistols, grenades, shotguns right up to snipers, rocket launchers, molotov cocktails and heavy machine guns. The weapons are fantastic and are a real joy to use against the soviet forces.
There is also a 2 player mode that lets you battle against your friends at various different maps and locations using different weapons and strategies. The 2 player mode is great fun to play with your mates and makes a worthy addition to this game as a whole.
So the gameplay is rock solid consisting of various elements that all lead to an excellent game to play.
Freedom Fighters also has impressive graphics. They are full of colour and life especially when your sprinting down the back alleys with gunfire blasting past your face. The explosions look realistic and the long ranging draw distance is much appreciated. The cutscenes even look good unlike other games that sometimes have bad graphics in a cutscene but not in the actual game. The maps are well drawn out and the games enviroment as a whole is very impressive right down to the weapons featured.
Freedom Fighters boasts impressive sounds. The various explosions, sizzling fires, rockets getting shot, guns going off, buildings blowing up etc.. are all great sounding especially if you get the chance to play it through Dolby Surround Pro Logic II. Its best played with Dolby as you hear the gunfire coming directly behind you just as real life. The speech in this game is well played out and very clear so you can understand everything the characters are saying. The music is composed by legend Jesper Kyd who also composed the legendary music for the Hitman games. The various pieces of music played throughout the game ties in perfectly with the action. The sound in this game adds to the experience as a whole making it very enjoyable to play
My Personal Thoughts
Freedom Fighters was one of my favourite games of 2003 as it was excellently told and played out. It featured great gamelay, graphics and sound into one making it highly enjoyable. The 2 player mode is full of fun as is the single player campaign. This game is defintely worth buying if you own a PS2 as it truly is pure genius. Perhaps the only bad point I have against this game is there is not much replay value other than the 2 player mode.
An excellent game that is well worth buying. It can be bought for around about £2.99 off of ebay now or even from some of your gaming stores such as 'Game' and 'Gamestation' It truly is one of the PS2's best action games that is very well played out.