Appletell review - Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Section: Software + Apps, Games, Features, Review Genre: First-Person Shooter Format: DVD Developer: Infinity Ward Mac Port: Aspyr Studios Mac Publisher: Aspyr System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.5.4, 2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1GB RAM, 128MB ATI Radeon X1600 or Nvidia GeForce FX 7300 graphics card, 8.0GB free hard disk space plus 1GB swap file, mouse and keyboard Review Computer: 2.4GHz 24” Intel Core 2 Duo iMac, 2GB RAM, 256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 Network Feature: Internet (TCP/IP) or LAN (TCP/IP) multiplayer supported Processor Compatibility: Intel only Price: $29.99 ESRB Rating: M (intense violence, strong language, blood and gore) Availability: Out now Official Website: www.callofduty.com As has been noted numerous times here at Appletell and throughout the gaming world, there are three things you can kill in computer games without fear of reproach: Nazis, zombies and Nazi zombies. If you like, you can lump aliens in with the zombies, and you can lump robots in with the Nazis. But you can’t use cops, hookers, marching bands or video game reviewers without expecting to eventually stand before Arlen Specter to explain why the downfall of modern civilization is not because of your little video game. And yet, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (CoD4) is set in a realistic, timely world in which the battles you’re fighting don’t really stray from those you might hear about on “All Things Considered.” The developers get away with this for two reasons. First, then invent militant organizations to serve as their bad guys. Second, this game is a brutal depiction of war. Brutal to an unsettling degree. It doesn’t glorify war, and it doesn’t even really lionize soldiers. If this were a movie script, John Wayne and Chuck Norris would run from it in terror. Is that the appeal of CoD4? Not entirely. It’s the gameplay itself that drives CoD4 to the upper echelon of first-person shooters. More specifically, the multiplayer gameplay, because although the single player are varied and intense, they never really feel like more than a training session for the multiplayer game. In CoD4, you play the role of a United States Marine and a British S.A.S. operative. As with other Call of Duty games, you’re sent on different missions in which you will have different roles, usually assigned to you by your commanding NPC. Sometimes you’ll snipe, sometimes you’ll lead an attack, but almost always you’ll be accompanied by a squad of fellow soldiers who help you in your quest. Keeping your comrades alive can make things easier for you, but there’s never really an emotional involvement with them. You don’t get to know the bulk of them, you just see their names over the head as they run in front of you. Although there are some powerful story elements that make this game smarter than most war games, a little more care with the story leading up to these moments would have greatly improved their emotional impact. But, the developers made the decision—and probably correctly—that a combat-based game should focus on combat. Here, CoD4 delivers. You thought previous Call of Duty games were wild? Huh uh. The action on many of these levels is just insane, with enemies attacking you from all angles and using terrain and weapons better than any AI characters I’ve ever seen. Yes, they’ll occasionally poke their head out from around the wall to give you a chance to shoot them, but by the time they do, you’ve already been killed by a grenade that seemed to come from nowhere. Even a lot of the cover provided in the game won’t protect you long. In CoD4, bullets can travel through items such as wood, so it’s no longer enough to hunker down behind a table and wait for your shot. You’ve got to create your shot by making better use of the terrain and your weapons. This makes CoD4 quite difficult. In many cases, you’ll have to die multiple times before you can even figure out who’s killing you, let alone develop a strategy for killing him/them. It’s frustrating in that matter, and I anticipate that some gamers will be turned away early. Those who stick around, however, will be rewarded with a satisfying gaming experience, and the practice necessary to compete in the multiplayer game. Thankfully, there’s a lot there to satisfy. Mac users can play PC users online, first of all. And, unlike most multiplayer first-person shooters, CoD4 is somewhat RPG-like in its approach; the character you create is rewarded for kills, assists and such, allowing you to accrue experience points that unlock further levels. These, in turn, unlock new weapons, accessories and abilities. My favorites are “Martyrdom,” in which a dying character can go all Jennifer-Grey-in-Red Dawn by blowing up the enemy with a grenade, and “Last Stand,” in which a dying character will be able to get off a few more shots before dying. It’s all very Hollywood. I expect it won’t be long before they release the “I can’t move my legs, go on without me” mod or the “Tell my wife I was thinking about her” extension. What brings all of this together, of course, are the visual and audio effects. If you’ve got the system for it, CoD4 looks fantastic, even when the action is at its most intense. The smoke and particle effects are especially amazing, and really do become strategic elements. The audio is equally stunning, totally immersing you in the action in a way that graphics alone couldn’t accomplish. Using just my iMac’s speakers, I was impressed. Playing the game with headphones, I was floored. If you’ve got a decent set of speakers, your neighbors will be hiding in their basements. Of course, all of this comes at a price. My test computer is at the high end of the system requirements, and I still couldn’t max out the graphics. My home computer, which is my normal test system, is at the bottom end, and I had to dumb things down to the point where I knew I wasn’t doing the game justice. The game still plays, but it looses a lot of its punch. I’ve read numerous reports/reviews that claim Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the greatest first-person shooter of all time. I attribute that more to the emotional impact of the surprising turns along the way, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t an amazing game. The single player game seems shorter than previous Call of Duty games (setting aside all the restarts, of course), but flows well and serves as excellent training for the multiplayer version. There, you’ll be able to kill hours at a time, if you’re inclined to do so. You could also pop in and out within half an hour and still have plenty of fun. Well, as much fun as one can have in a game without zombies and robots. Appletell Rating Buy Call of Duty 4 Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Appletell review - Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties

Section: Software + Apps, Games, Mac + Computers, Software, Features, Review Genre: Real Time Strategy Format: DVD Developer: Ensemble Studios, Big Huge Games Mac Port: Microsoft Game Studios Mac Publisher: Macsoft Games System Requirements: Age of Empires III full version, Mac OS X v10.4 or higher, 256 MB RAM, 1.4GHz processor, 2GB free hard drive space, 64 MB video card with support for hardware transformation and lighting, 56K dial-up Internet access or LAN for online/multiplayer Review System: Apple 13” MacBook, 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4GB RAM, 64MB VRAM Network: Yes ESRB Rating: Teen, for Blood and Violence Official Website: The Asian Dynasties Price: $29.99 Gather ‘round, folks, for the latest installment of the acclaimed Age Of Empires series is upon us. Whether its the intricate plot line or the strategic gameplay that floats your boat, chances are this game won’t disappoint the AOE fanatic. Whether you’re conquering Feudal Japan, or fighting the betraying Zamorins, a lot goes on in this one little game. When I first received the review unit, my first impressions were something along the lines of “sounds like a cool game, but not really my type.” I went in optimistically, hoping to find a fun game. Overall, The Asian Dynasties was a pretty decent game, albeit boring and repetitive at times. And, for those of you who get bored with the game and have destruction on your mind, there are some wonderful little cheats to help the game along (I won’t spill the beans here, but you can easily find them through Google). On my MacBook, one thing that I noticed was that it always took a bit of time to get from inserting the disc to the main menu. Overall, it takes about 45 seconds. Within that time, there is an intro video to familiarize yourself with the plot and characters throughout the game. Once at the menu, you have options to learn how to play the game, play single player (more on single player game modes later), play multi player, view options, and quit. The main menu is well-organized and not too busy. I always find a neat and pleasant-on-the-eyes interface to be a big plus.  If it’s been a while since you’ve played through Age of Empires III, I suggest you refer to the how to play tab in the menu to re-familiarize yourself with the game. Here, there is a tutorial and a practice game mode. My only complaint about this section is that the tutorial is quite limited. I went through it in about 3 minutes, and did not get nearly enough information. Many times throughout the game, I had to refer to internet resources. This may be due to the fact that I am very un-versed in the way of the gamer, or maybe it is expected that you have extensive past knowledge of the game before you install the expansion pack. Either way, should the makers of this game want to successfully attract and maintain a playership, they should look into expanding the tutorial. Once you have finished the tutorial, it is suggested that you play a practice game. For this mode, no complaints. It is pretty much a skirmish match with hints given along the way. Now, on to the many single player modes. The first mode is Campaign Mode. From this, you can play the actual game, in which you slowly progress through the levels of Japan, China and India. Each country has about eight levels which increase in difficulty. In each country, you assume the identity of a “good guy,” and subsequently lead your troops on land and sea to victory. If Campaign Mode isn’t for you, you can try the next mode: Skirmish. Skirmish Mode presents the user with a randomly created terrain and enemy, and the idea is simple: destroy the opponent’s Town Center before he destroys yours. Finally, there is Custom Match, in which you can customize your own skirmish to your likings. For Multiplayer, you have the option of playing against fans from around the world.  The multiplayer version of the game is pretty much the same thing as the single player game, only some people find it more interesting to play against a living person. For this game, my main complaints had to do with the game play. I couldn’t stand how close the camera view was zoomed, and even on Far View, I felt that the view was very cramped. Another gameplay complaint I have has to do with confusing and ungainly controls.  t took me about two hours of playing the game to finally master the basics of building and controlling units.  Overall, this game was somewhat enjoyable, but those who aren’t fans of the genre may find it sometimes getting repetitive and boring.  Appletell Rating: Buy The Asian Dynasties Full Story » | Written by Mark Rowland for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Of gyroscopes and gaming: the tech behind the Wii MotionPlus

The new "MotionPlus" add-on for the Nintendo Wii is supposed to again revolutionize motion-controlled gaming. Check out this exclusive look at the tech in the MotionPlus direct from the source of the unit's powerful brain, InvenSense.Read More...

The week in gaming: Fallout 3 Google maps, WoW, and Valkyria

This week in gaming brought us the advent of a Google Maps utility for Fallout 3, reviews of Valkyria Chronicles and Mortal Kombat vs. DC, as well as word of a potential retro revival of some old classic PC franchise by Stardock.Read More...

Appletell review - Sid Meier’s Pirates

Section: Software + Apps, Games, Features, Review Genre: Action/Sim Format: DVD Developer: Firaxis Mac Port: Robosoft Technologies Mac Publisher: Feral Interactive System Requirements: Mac OS X v10.4, 1.6GHz PowerPC, 512MB RAM, 64MB video card, 1.4GB free hard disk space Review Computer: 2GHz 20” Intel Core Duo iMac, 1GB RAM, 256MB ATI Radeon X1600 Network Feature: No Processor Compatibility: Universal Price: $29.99 ESRB Rating: E Availability: Out now Official Website: www.2kgames.com/pirates/pirates/home.php This review was a long time coming. I started preparing for this review 18 years ago when I first played Sid Meier’s Pirates on my Apple II GS. I also recall playing Pirates Gold on my LC II, but I didn’t like it as much. Can’t remember why, other than that it seemed the sea battles were relentless, and got in the way of the… Oh, wait. I’m not reviewing Pirates Gold. I’m reviewing Sid Meier’s Pirates for Mac OS X. From Feral Interactive. In 2008. It’s all just so weird, especially considering I’d given up hope that the 2004 remake for the PC, Xbox 360 and PSP would ever come to the Mac. But then, Feral announced its Legends Series, with Sid Meier’s Pirates as the flagship game. Joy! Come Friends Who Plough the Sea Rather than try to explain what type of game Pirates is, it may be easier to just say that it’s not a first-person shooter, and it’s not a hidden puzzle game. It is pretty much everything else. Pirates combines action, adventure, turn-based strategy, resource management, people sims and rhythm games (yes, rhythm games) into one unit. Each element stands on its own, but they work together well. The story is that your happy and apparently well-off family was about to sit down to a tasty meal, when the traditionally evil government-types barge in and send everyone away to prison. You escape, and grow up resorting to a life of piracy to get by. Throughout the game, the locations of various family members is revealed. Find them, and you’ll be rewarded with treasure tips and such. But, you don’t have to find your family. The beauty of Pirates is that the goal is simply to retire rich and married, and it’s completely up to you on how you get there. At the very beginning, you’re asked if you’d like to align yourself with the French, English, Spanish or Dutch. Once you decide, you’ll be told with whom your country is at war, so you’ll know whom to attack. The more enemy ships you plunder, the higher you’ll rank. National alignments change, though, so you may find yourself having to smooth out relations from time to time. Or, you can forgo any alignment and decide to live life as a true pirate, attacking everyone. I Am A Pirate King Attacking ships and towns yields money and goods. The money pays your crew, the goods can be sold for money. As you acquire more and bigger ships, you’ll need a larger crew, and keeping them fed and happy isn’t always easy. The unhappier they get, the harder it’ll be to keep them on and to hire new sailors, and it could even lead to mutiny. So, you attack the enemy. By sea, Pirates becomes an action/arcade game with you utilizing your best ship and wind direction to fire canon salvo into the hull of the enemy ship. Do enough damage, and the enemy will surrender. But, if you plan to add the ship to your fleet instead of sinking it, damaging it too much will lead to costly repairs. So, best to board it early and engage in a sword duel with the captain. Here, Pirates becomes a rhythm based game. Using the number pad, you dodge your enemy’s attack by hitting the appropriate button at the appropriate time (indicated by which attack he’s about to use), then use an attack of your own while he’s off balance. Score enough hits, and you win. Lose or take to long (your sailors are fighting all the while, and their numbers will be dropping), and you’ll find yourself walking the plank. When invading towns, battles are fought in real-time strategy mode on grid-based land. You move a squad of pirates on the grid, then attack those you can reach. Do this for each of your squads, then the computer gets its turn. If you eliminate the enemy or send them screaming into the woods, the town is yours. How Can I Live Without Her? In said towns, friendly or otherwise, you can visit the tavern to get important gossip and recruit sailors, go the merchant to sell or buy supplies, get your ships repaired or enhanced, and talk to the governor. The visits to the governor are very important as they lead to promotions and, well, the ladies. Apparently governors’ daughters are all smitten by pirates, and they all love to dance. You’ll be doing a lot of dancing in this game, and it’s played just like a sword fight. Your partner indicates which direction you’re to turn, and you quickly hit the corresponding number key to move in that direction. Dance well, and you’ll get more juicy gossip and perhaps a wife out of it. Dance badly, and you’ll be laughed out of town. You know, because pirates were always pretty big on dancing and marriage. These elements come together in a great package that plays quite a bit differently from most sim style games. The goal isn’t to set up a thriving economy or character you can tinker with forever. Rather, because the end is always in sight (retirement, you know), the game is about making as much money as possible in the short period of time you’re given. Pirates can be played in one sitting, or you can stretch it out over a couple of weeks. Finish it, and you just start again with a different affiliation in a different time period. Pumpin’ and Blowin’ Unfortunately, not everything is smooth, here. You spend a lot of time exploring (looking for people, buried treasures, specific ships, etc.), but there’s no handy map to help you along your way. You can pause the game to pull up an on-screen map, but it’s clunky and hard to read. The constant pausing gets in the way of game play, too. I’d rather a printed map be included, as with the old version. The note system is also a mess. At times, you’ll be given so many things to do that it’s easy to be overwhelmed. Key bits of dialog are saved to your journal, but there’s no way to separate your mission goals from random bits of gossip you may have picked up at a tavern. After trying for a week to make sense of the mission goals, I finally had to start writing them down on a piece of paper: ships with tremendous treasure, locations of key figures, which towns are paying the most for various goods, etc. It’s too much to manage without notes, and there’s simply no reason I should have to be writing them down myself. The game looks attractive enough, but dated. Some nice water and cloud effects enhance the sailing portion, but it’s the ambient sound effects that really carry the game. The wind and the surf are almost relaxing, and the music reminds you that these are happy pirates. Fun pirates. In other words, the type of the pirates that never actually existed. Happy Ending (version 1) Robosoft again did the port for Feral, and they continue to be one of the best porting houses out there. The game ran very well on my iMac (of course, Pirates being nearly five years old, it had certainly better run well on my iMac) and is built to run even with GMA graphics cards with shared RAM. Good to know that if you’re forgoing the new MacBooks to keep FireWire, you can still play some good games. Happy Ending (version 2) Sid Meier’s Pirates does feel dated at this point, which is not surprising considering the core gameplay hasn’t changed much since the 1980s. Hard core sim players will be put off by its simplicity, while hard core action gamers will grow bored with all the sailing and dancing. But for all of us in the middle, Pirates is a fantastic blend of genres, requiring just enough strategy and skill to keep it challenging while providing just enough adventure to keep the game moving. Yes, it’s old, but there’s a reason a game like Pirates continues to be updated 20 years after its initial release; because it deserves to be. Appletell Rating Buy Sid Meier’s Pirates Full Story » | Written by Kirk Hiner for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Mad Catz wants one thing from gamers: another chance

Mad Catz suffered from quality and perception issues in the last generation of consoles, but a new push for quality and big-name licensing deals may help turn things around. The company asks gamers to take another look at third-party. Read More...