Review: DiRT3

A smooth rally experience

DiRT has become a name that we all know means quality. Without really playing much of the latest games from Codemasters, i know that they have been in a pretty high class. Starting this up the first time, it’s not hard to look that the game is trying to sell itself in a young and modern setting. High-Tech menus and so on, maybe a little bit too much? Anyways it’s not the menus this game is about, it’s the driving.

So Cold: The winter in Norway is no problem in DiRT3.

I got money: Drifting at det docks in Monaco. Life couldn't be better.

After a couple of races there is no doubt. DiRT3 is a fantastic game on the tracks. You notice what surface you’re driving on and it’s sometimes a little bit too real. The graphics is also top notch here, as expected from a title like this. They also managed to get a lot of licensed drivers in the game, or at least a couple of the real rally drivers.

Hmm...Block?: Something tells me i've heard that name before...

Favorite cam: The in-car cam sure gets the job done!

DiRT does now also let the player compete in different modes. There is drifting, a new gymkhana mode and capture the flag. Flashbacks are also back in DiRT 3( A mode that make you travel back in time if you crash your car or drive out, but it can only be used five times and it costs you reputation points) This is mostly used in the story mode. The main thing here is drive like hell and you get money, experience, new cars and other bonuses.

The Kenya countryside: There's not much to see but sand.

Gamescore

DiRT3 (2011)

Graphics:  DiRT doesn’t disappoint. Great quality on the vehicles is a must, and the most cars look amazing. Credits also for not making the backdrops ugly and it’s awesome to drive when it rains and snow, when it’s as beautiful as this. 9/10

Audio: Did their job! Motors sounds real and when driving in a hole with water, you’ll hear it . 9/10

Gameplay: The ultimate driving experience when it comes to rally. If this game had more modes, it could take over for a lot of other driving games. But it’s a rally game and it’s best if it stays that way. This part of the game is also very good done, but I can get a little tiring in the end. 8/10

Controls: Works good to play this with a keyboard. You should change a couple of buttons though, didn’t find the brake before it was too late. Alternatively you can turn on auto braking, so the cars brake their self when you’re going to fast in a turn. 8/10

Overall Score: Well, no surprise that this is a good game. If you played DiRT before you know what you get and it’s a must to have it for you. If you didn’t play DiRT before? Its about time! Can well be the best racing (rally) game out there. 9/10

Review: Virtua Tennis 4

Back in business

It took a good four years before the Virtua Tennis series continued, if we look away from the Virtua Tennis 2009 game. The game is still the ace of Tennis games and it doesn’t take long time before we start to recognize the same old. Not much new has been added, but there is something to take a look at.

You know who this is: Close up views of the players are amazing. Roger Federer it is.

When starting a career mode with your tennis player, you start from scratch with an inexperienced player. The map is no longer more and has been replaced with something that looks like a game board. In good old Virtua tennis style you build your players skills and experience in mini games such as taking penalty shots with a football, breaking plates, running around and catching eggs and shooting balloons. After a year or two in the game (About couple of hours) this gets a little boring and then theres nothing much to do except playing exhibition matches or matches online.

Penalty shootout: One of the mini games that are new in Virtua Tennis 4. Play tennis with footballs.

Game: The player models keeps coming to you in a fantastic way.

If you take a look at the tennis matches, it is clearly the best tennis game out there (Not many competitors though) The matches runs well and the game progresses naturally. It also has a lot of stars and the graphics look amazing at close range, Roger Federer actually looks a lot more like him in this game than in real life. The sound is horrible as usual and I feels like were back to the 90’s with the typical Japanese arcade game sounds and music, but at the end, it’s absolutely worth a couple of hours of gaming.

Double it up: If you find it hard by yourself, let the CPU assist you.

Gamescore

Virtua Tennis 4 (2011)

Graphics:  One of the greatest graphical sport games I guess. Close up of the players makes you think you’re actually at a tennis game. 9/10

Audio: The good things first. The game sounds like a tennis game when you play matches. The music in this game: Awful! Turn off the music, the game is actually a lot better then!. 3/10

Gameplay: Tennis is tennis, one match is never like the other, but very similar. Fun for a while of course. Gets boring after one or two seasons in career mode. 7/10

Controls: Just like last year’s tennis game, pretty good. One problem can be that players don’t always react the way you want them to, but this does not happen often. 8/10

Overall Score: Virtua Tennis doesn’t disappoint me, it was what I expected. It would have been fun to see the game grow a little until the next one, as it feels pretty much as the same game as the last years. Several problems with the games save game function have been reported and SEGA newly dropped a patch for the game. The graphics is the most positive thing in the game and the gameplay is also fun for a while. It’s worth a try. 6/10

  

Review: Angry Birds RIO

Welcome to Rio

What do you do when everybody’s favorite birds gets kidnapped and sent to Rio?  You go after them of course! Angry Birds Rio keeps on from the big success of Angry Birds. The game has gotten a bit easier, but the level design has got a bit better. The latest version are out on the market, but the latest 15 levels have still not been added for download, so we have to wait to see if the Angry birds get free. Hard to compare this to other games, but it’s clearly the most fun one!

More levels: Angry Birds RIO featuring different levels in comparison to the first one.

Help is on the way: Other animals also try to help to catch those damn monkeys.

Birds on a plane: The last level in RIO. The kidnappers are close to getting away.

Gamescore

Angry Birds RIO (2011-2012)

Graphics: Straight forward 2D graphics, but better details on the levels this time. Good details also on the angriest birds on this planet. 7/10

Audio: Great birds sounds no and then, but turn your sound off and put on some music instead. 5/10

Gameplay: Weird how fun it is to sit an shoot some birds at some monkeys for some time, then take a break for 5 minutes and realize it was to fun to leave out on. 8/10

Controls: You don’t need a keyboard for this game and the mouse controls on the PC works excellent. 10/10

Overall Score: Angry Birds was a fun game and I have to say that I never really got tired of it. RIO gives the Angry Birds game a new soul and hours awaits this fun and simple point and click game. Looking forward for more Bird fun in the future. 7/10

Review: The Sims 3

A whole new world to explore

The Sims 3 doesn’t really do anything different than the prequels, but It adds stuff and things that the prequels maybe didn’t have. You can’t go wrong In a game like this and people seem to like this more than ever before. The graphics have gotten a pretty good lift since The Sims 2 and the “sims” looks more lively now. The world that before was only in your house is now everywhere. You can go everywhere in the neighborhood and travel various places, without loading times. So it’s pretty great.

Workout: It is now possible to go and work out at a gym, at the game thankfully, not in real life!

Basic farming: You can "play" that you have a farm.

The Sims 3 also got a new personality system to make sims from. You choose from a bunch of preset personality moves and makes your sim special when you put this together. The producers didn’t rest their case in making expansion packs either and we have now have opportunity to travel to a foreign country (Egypt, France and China), Go on the job with the sims (Never been done before), Go to a bar and maybe own a bar someday? The last installment is pets, which also came to the two prequels. The next pack, Showtime, is also an old pack, that could be seen in The Sims Superstar.

New Skills: The new personality system seems to work pretty good. This sim is going to be a pain in the ass.

Expansion and stuff packs for The Sims 3 at the present time:

High-End Loft Stuff

Fast Lane Stuff

Outdoor Living Stuff

Town Life Stuff

Master Life Stuff (24 January)

World Adventures

Ambitions

Late Night

Generations

Pets

Showtime (March 9)

The Sims 3 Showtime Debut Trailer

Gamescore

The Sims 3 (2009) (Expansion packs are still made)

Graphics: Pretty good, but I have to say, I did want something more. Anyways, games like these don’t need to be extreme when it comes to graphics. 8/10

Audio: The good old sim language is back, but It gets a little boring after a time. That’s probably why the editors took nowadays music and made it simlish. In Late Night, Rise Againsts Savior can be heard on the radio in its very own sim language. 8/10

Gameplay: This is what you make I yourself. If you want to live a boring life with your sims, do that. But that’s what so charming about this game, you get to do exactly what you want to do. 9/10

Controls: Point and click with your mouse. Don’t remember if I actually touched the keyboard during this game. 10/10

Overall Score: If you know the basics of the sims, you know that you won’t probably see all the material in this game, because it has to many opportunities. That’s a good thing. You basically decide yourself how long, or how short your story or life will be. Some minor bugs have been seen along the way, but it doesn’t take away the good feeling. The Sims 3 doesn’t let you down. It gets better and better. 8/10