This time around, I'll be reviewing two rather different Ubisoft games I've been playing lately. I bought both of them on a "buy two Ubisoft titles and get a discount" type of sale.
These side missions can also be played in coop, both through the internet and locally, and there are even multiplayer competitive events. I really like how they have seamlessly integrated the coop this time, rather than separating it into two games the way they did in SC: Conviction, however, sadly the main missions are still solo only.
Successfully completing missions and taking down enemies in varied ways earns you money. The money can then be used to buy new accessories, weapons, multiple upgrades and gear. It works as a sort of levelling system and makes Sam more powerful over time. Replaying missions gets easier as such, with upgraded equipment.
The gameplay lends itself a lot to SC: Conviction but brings back more of the stealth elements from older SC titles. Gone is the terrible, black and white filter, that showed your hidden status and in it's replacement, a small light on your suit. It lights up and indicates how visible you are to enemy soldiers.
The infamous execution move, SC veterans didn't like, but I did, is still present. This time it takes a perfect enemy take down, to fill it's bar and use. The take down can be a well executed stealth kill or a perfect headshot. Using the execution move is easy, simply mark three enemies and press fire when they're close enough. But to shake things up, Blacklist introduces enemies with helmets that can't be taken down by a single headshot, making the execution move a little less overpowered than in Conviction.
There's a huge variation in the places you visit throughout the game, both visually, in location and environments. They do a great job in being detailed with lots of entry points to sneak in. They cater for gamers wanting to go more aggressively into firefights and for those who wish to play the game sneaking around in the shadows, completely undetected.
It caters for a wider appeal and can be played by both action and stealth fans. It adds a ton of replay value too. It's also a nice change to see a game, where both you and your enemies, go down with single bullets. Rather than being almost invincible, bullet sponges.
There are some disappointments though. The main story isn't very long to complete, that is, however, if you simply don't do any side-missions. Something I wouldn't encourage anybody to do. The side-missions have some really cool locations and are equally as good as the ones in the main story. The technical side of SC is slightly two-sided, on one side the sheer variation in places you visit, and the design of them, is impressive, on the other hand the Unreal 3 engine is showing it's age. The textures, and especially the facial detail and animations, are average looking. It's a pretty game, but nothing that stands out.
Update: This game has received an update for the Xbox One X and Series X, pushing the resolution up from it's original Xbox 360 720p output, to a super sharp native 4K! Sadly, the framerate remains at 30fps.
All in all, I felt Splinter Cell Blacklist was what I wanted from the sequel to Conviction. It feels like a deeper experience, with more options and variation. It returns with great new ideas, yet manages to return closer to it's more stealth oriented roots.
I really just enjoyed playing each mission and being put in very varied situations around the globe as a special operative soldier. One of the best stealth games in a long while.
I had to order them prior to the online reviews arrived, luckily they're both fantastic titles!
Released: 2013
History seems to repeat itself with 2D platformers. I grew up on them in the late 80s and early 90s. Ranging from the original Super Mario Bros., on the 8-bit NES, through the "totally radical dude" era, with the blue 16-bit icon, Sonic the Hedgehog, on the Mega Drive, and then on to introduction of pre-rendered 3D for Donkey Kong Country, on the SNES.
Now, in the last seven years, since the reintroduction of New Super Mario Bros., in 2006 on the Nintendo DS handheld system, the genre is all the rage again. Mostly, because of young, new gamers which never followed the development from 2D to 3D back in the day. It's a genre that there's still is a lot of life in.
A couple of years ago, in 2011, Rayman Origins breathed life back into the old 2D Rayman, much like Nintendo did with the New Super Mario games. Rayman in 2D had been lying stale since the early PlayStation 1 days. As stunning and entertaining as Origins was, the sequel had to prove to do what it's predecessor did brilliantly, even better. Here we are, at Rayman Legends, after a few delays and platform changes!
Right from the beginning, you cannot be anything but impressed by how beautiful the Legends looks. With it's colourful palette, funny and cute character designs and enemies, Legends looks amazing and it surpasses Origins visually. It's the most incredible looking 2D game to date. If Origins looked like a great hand drawing, well, then Legends looks like a beautiful oil painting.
I just love the art style with it's imaginative and quirky worlds. There's a great assortment of designs in each world, with lots of variation spanning between the levels contained in each one. The distinct look and attention to small detail in each level makes each level unique and atmospheric.
Review
Played on: Xbox 360Released: 2013
History seems to repeat itself with 2D platformers. I grew up on them in the late 80s and early 90s. Ranging from the original Super Mario Bros., on the 8-bit NES, through the "totally radical dude" era, with the blue 16-bit icon, Sonic the Hedgehog, on the Mega Drive, and then on to introduction of pre-rendered 3D for Donkey Kong Country, on the SNES.
Now, in the last seven years, since the reintroduction of New Super Mario Bros., in 2006 on the Nintendo DS handheld system, the genre is all the rage again. Mostly, because of young, new gamers which never followed the development from 2D to 3D back in the day. It's a genre that there's still is a lot of life in.
A couple of years ago, in 2011, Rayman Origins breathed life back into the old 2D Rayman, much like Nintendo did with the New Super Mario games. Rayman in 2D had been lying stale since the early PlayStation 1 days. As stunning and entertaining as Origins was, the sequel had to prove to do what it's predecessor did brilliantly, even better. Here we are, at Rayman Legends, after a few delays and platform changes!
Right from the beginning, you cannot be anything but impressed by how beautiful the Legends looks. With it's colourful palette, funny and cute character designs and enemies, Legends looks amazing and it surpasses Origins visually. It's the most incredible looking 2D game to date. If Origins looked like a great hand drawing, well, then Legends looks like a beautiful oil painting.
I just love the art style with it's imaginative and quirky worlds. There's a great assortment of designs in each world, with lots of variation spanning between the levels contained in each one. The distinct look and attention to small detail in each level makes each level unique and atmospheric.
"...Legends looks like a beautiful oil painting."
To make every level not only look more varied, but play so too, there are hidden levels, containing a queen or king Teensie, the small blue guys you need to find ten of in each level, have even better puzzles and challenges than before! Every boss battle feels distinctly different and have just the right amount of difficulty. I found it fair and balanced when it comes to how challenging it becomes.
There are more checkpoints than in Origins but it still requires that you play your best and progress in your skills. However, some of the extra levels that appear later on in the game, called Invaded, will be make you pull out your hair out in frustration. They're hard, extremely hard!
Speaking about levels, I can't let the music levels go without a mention! These show up as an end-level for each world. They feature a famous song each, covered with the typical quirky and funny Rayman music style. You need to jump and hit things in time with the tune playing. A sort of Guitar Hero made into a platforming level!
They're so fun and put a smile to the face of anybody playing or watching them! There are also daily and weekly online challenges to compete, with highscores from players around the world, simple to jump into and play for short bursts and quite addictive to see how your online ranking increases for each successful try! The game even has a funny 2D football game too, it's truly is packed with content!
Rayman Legends was originally intended to be a Nintendo Wii U exclusive, which shows, with the inclusion of almost the whole of Rayman Origins as a game mode. It was most likely added because Wii U owners never received Origins for their system. For the 360/PS3 owners though, I felt it a little unnecessary to be playing all the Origins levels once again, although they aren't part of the main game. They could have made another Legends world or two instead, stuffed with new levels for the main story. I can't complain for extra content though and it was fun to replay classic levels from the fantastic Origins.
Some Wii U ideas shines through too, when the character Murphy turns up. He's a little helper that can open doors, activate levers and cut ropes to make it possible for your main character to progress through levels. It's kind of obvious his moves were meant for the Wii U touch screen. In the 360/PS3 version, he's simply mapped to a single button. It adds some new variation in the gameplay though, and some of the levels containing him are very fun, especially if you play cooperatively with a friend!
The amount of content and value for money in Rayman Legends is incredible and be in no doubt that this is a solid contender for one of the best games of the year! It truly is one of the best and most beautiful 2D platformers I have ever played and should be picked up immediately.
I found it, just like Origins, to be a fantastic game to play together with someone. There's just so much fun co-operating through every level and helping each other out! If you loved Origins, buy this game. If you love Nintendo 2D platformers, buy this game. Heck, if you love pure, classic 2D platforming, just buy this game! Legends clearly shows this genre still has so much more to offer!
One of 2013's most beautiful, cheerful and addictive games!
Released: 2013
Compared to the Metal Gear Solid series, and it's famous Solid Snake character, Splinter Cell has always followed a more realistic and believable stealth approach in comparison. Inspired by Tom Clancy's popular books, the main hero, Sam Fischer, is back. Voiced and motion captured by a new actor. Will the series bring back the glory to it's most famous titles, spanning back to the original Xbox and PC releases?
Splinter Cell seemed to stir up a bit of mixed feelings from fans and critics alike with the showing of Blacklist, at last years Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). It tried to return to a more espionage realism but seemed to be a continuation of Splinter Cell Conviction's more action orientated gameplay style. Conviction was a game I really enjoyed, read my review here, even though the stealth was put partially to the side for a faster pace and action packed style.
The final build of Blacklist, however, seems to take the best of both worlds. The result is a very enjoyable stealth game. Perhaps one of the best secret stealth titles in years.
Blacklist sees Sam Fischer chasing across the globe after a terrorist group called "The Engineers". Their motive being to get the US out of foreign countries and attacking them through smaller sleeper cells, following a hit list of victims they call a "Blacklist", hence the game title. The game puts you in control of the newly established, counter-terrorism unit, named "Fourth Echelon", which are based in a cargo aircraft called "Paladin".
The Paladin aircraft works as a main hub for the missions, the concept lends itself somewhat to Mass Effect's Normandie spaceship and I found it to be an excellent idea. On board the Paladin, you can talk to crew members, change weapons and clothing to suit each mission and upgrade the aircraft itself. On a centralised control table, with a world map, you have full overview of the main story missions, alongside side missions.
There are more checkpoints than in Origins but it still requires that you play your best and progress in your skills. However, some of the extra levels that appear later on in the game, called Invaded, will be make you pull out your hair out in frustration. They're hard, extremely hard!
Speaking about levels, I can't let the music levels go without a mention! These show up as an end-level for each world. They feature a famous song each, covered with the typical quirky and funny Rayman music style. You need to jump and hit things in time with the tune playing. A sort of Guitar Hero made into a platforming level!
They're so fun and put a smile to the face of anybody playing or watching them! There are also daily and weekly online challenges to compete, with highscores from players around the world, simple to jump into and play for short bursts and quite addictive to see how your online ranking increases for each successful try! The game even has a funny 2D football game too, it's truly is packed with content!
Rayman Legends was originally intended to be a Nintendo Wii U exclusive, which shows, with the inclusion of almost the whole of Rayman Origins as a game mode. It was most likely added because Wii U owners never received Origins for their system. For the 360/PS3 owners though, I felt it a little unnecessary to be playing all the Origins levels once again, although they aren't part of the main game. They could have made another Legends world or two instead, stuffed with new levels for the main story. I can't complain for extra content though and it was fun to replay classic levels from the fantastic Origins.
Some Wii U ideas shines through too, when the character Murphy turns up. He's a little helper that can open doors, activate levers and cut ropes to make it possible for your main character to progress through levels. It's kind of obvious his moves were meant for the Wii U touch screen. In the 360/PS3 version, he's simply mapped to a single button. It adds some new variation in the gameplay though, and some of the levels containing him are very fun, especially if you play cooperatively with a friend!
The amount of content and value for money in Rayman Legends is incredible and be in no doubt that this is a solid contender for one of the best games of the year! It truly is one of the best and most beautiful 2D platformers I have ever played and should be picked up immediately.
I found it, just like Origins, to be a fantastic game to play together with someone. There's just so much fun co-operating through every level and helping each other out! If you loved Origins, buy this game. If you love Nintendo 2D platformers, buy this game. Heck, if you love pure, classic 2D platforming, just buy this game! Legends clearly shows this genre still has so much more to offer!
One of 2013's most beautiful, cheerful and addictive games!
Review
Played on: Xbox 360Released: 2013
Compared to the Metal Gear Solid series, and it's famous Solid Snake character, Splinter Cell has always followed a more realistic and believable stealth approach in comparison. Inspired by Tom Clancy's popular books, the main hero, Sam Fischer, is back. Voiced and motion captured by a new actor. Will the series bring back the glory to it's most famous titles, spanning back to the original Xbox and PC releases?
Splinter Cell seemed to stir up a bit of mixed feelings from fans and critics alike with the showing of Blacklist, at last years Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). It tried to return to a more espionage realism but seemed to be a continuation of Splinter Cell Conviction's more action orientated gameplay style. Conviction was a game I really enjoyed, read my review here, even though the stealth was put partially to the side for a faster pace and action packed style.
The final build of Blacklist, however, seems to take the best of both worlds. The result is a very enjoyable stealth game. Perhaps one of the best secret stealth titles in years.
Blacklist sees Sam Fischer chasing across the globe after a terrorist group called "The Engineers". Their motive being to get the US out of foreign countries and attacking them through smaller sleeper cells, following a hit list of victims they call a "Blacklist", hence the game title. The game puts you in control of the newly established, counter-terrorism unit, named "Fourth Echelon", which are based in a cargo aircraft called "Paladin".
The Paladin aircraft works as a main hub for the missions, the concept lends itself somewhat to Mass Effect's Normandie spaceship and I found it to be an excellent idea. On board the Paladin, you can talk to crew members, change weapons and clothing to suit each mission and upgrade the aircraft itself. On a centralised control table, with a world map, you have full overview of the main story missions, alongside side missions.
"The Paladin aircraft works as a main hub for the missions...I found it to be an excellent idea."
These side missions can also be played in coop, both through the internet and locally, and there are even multiplayer competitive events. I really like how they have seamlessly integrated the coop this time, rather than separating it into two games the way they did in SC: Conviction, however, sadly the main missions are still solo only.
Successfully completing missions and taking down enemies in varied ways earns you money. The money can then be used to buy new accessories, weapons, multiple upgrades and gear. It works as a sort of levelling system and makes Sam more powerful over time. Replaying missions gets easier as such, with upgraded equipment.
The gameplay lends itself a lot to SC: Conviction but brings back more of the stealth elements from older SC titles. Gone is the terrible, black and white filter, that showed your hidden status and in it's replacement, a small light on your suit. It lights up and indicates how visible you are to enemy soldiers.
The infamous execution move, SC veterans didn't like, but I did, is still present. This time it takes a perfect enemy take down, to fill it's bar and use. The take down can be a well executed stealth kill or a perfect headshot. Using the execution move is easy, simply mark three enemies and press fire when they're close enough. But to shake things up, Blacklist introduces enemies with helmets that can't be taken down by a single headshot, making the execution move a little less overpowered than in Conviction.
There's a huge variation in the places you visit throughout the game, both visually, in location and environments. They do a great job in being detailed with lots of entry points to sneak in. They cater for gamers wanting to go more aggressively into firefights and for those who wish to play the game sneaking around in the shadows, completely undetected.
It caters for a wider appeal and can be played by both action and stealth fans. It adds a ton of replay value too. It's also a nice change to see a game, where both you and your enemies, go down with single bullets. Rather than being almost invincible, bullet sponges.
There are some disappointments though. The main story isn't very long to complete, that is, however, if you simply don't do any side-missions. Something I wouldn't encourage anybody to do. The side-missions have some really cool locations and are equally as good as the ones in the main story. The technical side of SC is slightly two-sided, on one side the sheer variation in places you visit, and the design of them, is impressive, on the other hand the Unreal 3 engine is showing it's age. The textures, and especially the facial detail and animations, are average looking. It's a pretty game, but nothing that stands out.
Update: This game has received an update for the Xbox One X and Series X, pushing the resolution up from it's original Xbox 360 720p output, to a super sharp native 4K! Sadly, the framerate remains at 30fps.
All in all, I felt Splinter Cell Blacklist was what I wanted from the sequel to Conviction. It feels like a deeper experience, with more options and variation. It returns with great new ideas, yet manages to return closer to it's more stealth oriented roots.
I really just enjoyed playing each mission and being put in very varied situations around the globe as a special operative soldier. One of the best stealth games in a long while.
