Far Cry 3

System: PS3, Xbox 360*, PC
Dev: Ubisoft Montreal
Pub: Ubisoft
Release: December 4, 2012
Players: 1 (2+ Online)
Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p	Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs

Like A Butterfly, But With More Killing And Nudity.
by Josh Engen

A few hours into the Far Cry 3 campaign, we're introduced to a side character named Agent Huntley, an ex-CIA operative who is secretly investigating the illegal activities on Rook Island. Huntley is holed up inside of a secret room underneath his tropical hut, and refuses to do any investigation on his own, relying instead on external operatives to report back. But even though Huntley's miserly disposition characterizes him as a bit of a screwball, his fears are irrefutable. "This Island will change you," he warns, and he's right on the money.

See, Far Cry 3 isn't just another first-person shooter; it's an investigation into the process of natural selection and a study on psychological transformation. As grandiose as this may sound for a video game, it's the truth. Ubisoft has managed to create a game that forces players to evaluate their own ethical boundaries, and then break them.

The campaign starts like so many terrible teenage horror movies: with a group of young, attractive coeds on an extravagant vacation to some tropical island. Predictably, the picturesque location soon becomes a backdrop for something far more sinister, and one of the coeds is tasked with leading the group out.

But that's where the similarities end. The movie version would quickly descend into a mindless horror-porn slasher-fest, but Far Cry 3 becomes something much more terrifying.

When we're introduced to our protagonist, Jason Brody, he is trapped inside of a bamboo cell with his brother Grant. The two, along with the rest of their group, have been taken captive by a gang of privateers who plan to ransom them back to their families.

Grant is an all-American pretty boy, whose military training quickly comes in handy. He's the type of character that you'd expect to see in the starring role of any first-person shooter. Jason, on the other hand, winces when Grant makes the first kill of the game and becomes queasy at the thought of any more killing. In fact, as I was playing through the opening sequence, I turned to my wife, who likes to eat giant salads and watch me play video games, and said "Why can't I play as Grant?"

But that's the beauty of Far Cry 3. Jason Brody is the perfect protagonist, and it's because he's a weakling.

As the story unfolds, Jason is forced to make a series of difficult decisions that fundamentally change his psychology. After you've known Jason for a few short hours, he's already become something much more deranged than he was in that bamboo cell. And it all crescendos to a scene where Jason must decide who he wants to be: the person he was, or the person he has become.

Like I said, grandiose.

Now, I've already heard people referring to Far Cry 3 an "FPS Role Playing Game." And even though it does have some RPG elements, Far Cry 3 is a shooter at heart. Sure, there's a crafting tree, and a skill tree, and the campaign often feels like a quest line, but it has a linearity to it that no open-world RPG could ever dream of. The campaign is articulate and compelling, and contains very few unrelated side quests.

However, even with its linear feel, Far Cry 3 still plays like an open world shooter. The single-player campaign itself contains about 35 hours of gameplay, depending on how many times you fail a quest or run off in search of a wild animal to turn into a wallet. There are a handful of side quests and minigames, but you'll get your money’s worth even if you stay on the main path.

The crafting tree is pretty self-explanatory if you've ever played an RPG. Hunting animals and gathering plants nets you the resources to craft bags, holsters, syringes and a number of other things. The syringes deliver a potion-like effect that wears off after a short time.

Skills are gained by spending the experience points that you've acquired throughout your various travels/battles. As you learn each skill, a new tattoo is etched into your left arm—a physical representation of the psychological transformation that Jason Brody is undergoing.

But, and it pains me to say this, Far Cry 3 is not without its drawbacks. The controls, for instance, have a natural, responsive feel, but the built-in auto-aim function, like most auto-aims, is often handicapping. On occasion, like when trying to hit a long-distance shot, auto-aim is just what the doctor ordered. But in a massive firefight, it's best to put that Call of Duty skill set to good use.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Ulasan

Sistem: Xbox 360 *, * PS3, PC, Wii U *Dev: TreyarchPub: ActivisionRilis: November 13, 2012Pemain: 1 (2 + Online)Resolusi Layar: 480p-1080pDarah dan Gore, Kekerasan Intens, Bahasa Kuat, Tema sugestif, Penggunaan Obat

Finally, A Call Of Duty Game That’s More Than Just A Call Of Duty Game
by Josh Engen

By now, even if you're reading this at midnight on launch day, you've probably already managed to get your hands on a copy of Black Ops 2. If so, anything that I say in the following paragraphs will have very little influence on how much of your paycheck Activision is going to get their hands on. But if you're one of the few people waiting until the review scores come in, it's probably safe for you to go and pick up a copy. Trust me.

Now, I know that what I'm about to say will probably make me sound like a mindless Call of Duty fanboy, but Activision's latest outing is quintessentially different from anything they've ever done in the past. Sure, Black Ops 2 has that unmistakable CoD flavor, but it's also a bit angrier, and it as more depth and more surprises than any of the previous incarnations.

The single-player campaign, for instance, is arguably the most impressive in the Call of Duty franchise. Obviously, there will be those who argue in favor of MW1's superiority, but the replay value in Black Ops 2 is what edges the competition.

The story itself was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous Black Ops script and penned a couple of small, indie movies called Batman Begins,The Dark Knight, and The Dark Knight Rises. The story arc builds heavily on Black Ops 1, but where the first BO's storyline was incoherent at points, BO2 manages to stay focused without becoming monotonous.

The timeline in Black Ops 2 is split between the recent future (2025, to be exact), and the recent past (the 1970s and 80s). This time the narrative follows David Mason, who is the son of Alex Mason. You might remember Alex as the guy who spent most of Black Ops 1 being tortured and interrogated.

The thing that makes BO2's single-player campaign genuinely unique within the CoD franchise is Treyarch's decision to add branching plot lines. Throughout the campaign, you're going to make some difficult decisions about which characters live and which ones die. These choices will change the way the narrative progresses and can drastically affect the end game outcome. A few weeks ago, I got that chance to sit down with Mark Lamia, Studio Head at Treyarch, and he mentioned that the game has roughly six primary endings. However, the way that the Black Ops 2 plotlines interweave with one another will have a surprising effect on the overall outcome.

I ran through the campaign twice, making completely different decisions both times, and was genuinely surprised by the aftermath (literally, in some cases). Also, the fact that Black Ops 2 also allows you to customize your single-player loadout (to a certain extent) makes playing throughout the campaign a second time almost as interesting as the first.

Another one of BO2's defining elements is probably going to be its most controversial feature: Strike Force Missions.

Treyarch created these missions in order to insert a level of sandbox-style RTS gameplay into an otherwise FPS experience. Players control squads of soldiers and equipment from a top-down “Overwatch" viewpoint. But, at any time, you're able to select a unit and take over first-person control.

The Strike Force Missions are non-linear, meaning that you can choose not to play them if they're not your thing. However, given the branching story lines, avoiding them could have certain consequences within your campaign.

Now, as much as I wanted to love these missions, I couldn't bring myself to overlook their flaws. If you've had any past experience with real-time strategy games, these missions are going to be incredibly frustrating. The A.I. of your friendly units makes them uncontrollable. If you don't tell your squads, with incredible specificity, where to go and who to kill, they will be dead within seconds of finding an enemy. Eventually, I would simply just horde them all into a corner take control of them individually in order to complete the mission.

In fact, if I'm being honest, there's a good chance that I would have given Black Ops 2 a higher rating if Treyarch had removed the Strike Force missions altogether.

However, whatever frustration I had during the single-player campaign was quickly forgotten when I loaded up the multiplayer. Treyarch has really done an amazing job taking the CoD franchise and carving out unique title within the overall framework.

They've axed the standard perks/attachment loadout system in favor of what they're calling a "Pick 10" system. This allows players much more control over the individuality of their loadout.

For instance, if you're the type of person who prefers gunplay to perks, the Pick 10 system would allow you to add a third attachment to your gun in favor of a third perk. Or, if you'd rather have 2 extra perks, you have the option of removing your weapon attachments altogether.

Now, hardcore CoD players are going to love the customizability that the Pick 10 system offers, but I think there's a good chance that it will eventually cause some unforeseen balance issues when people start to get the hang of it. Hopefully Treyarch will keep an eye on the way certain types of unbalanced loadouts affect the overall gameplay, because CoD players love exploits.

Fans of the previous Treyarch titles will be happy to know that the mechanics and gunplay feel familiar. Explosives may be toned down a bit, but that's probably a good thing. Actually, I know for a fact that it's a good thing. Screw everyone who likes that grenade attachment.

Treyarch has also taken it upon themselves to create a new league-play system from the ground up. Players who want to participate simply need to create a team and log onto the matchmaking system. After a few qualifying matches, your team will be added to a ladder where you'll be continuously matched up against teams of your specific skill level.

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