Recent reviews by Oniell Ford, Kaiju Expert

MIRROR OF FATE REVIEW

Welcome, again, to another instance of Steam Library reviews by Oniell Ford! (Never mind the altered name and avatar. It'll go back to normal in due time.) As usual, the blacked-out areas of the review are spoilers, so avoid them if you want to experience the thrills of the game yourself.

This time, we'll be reviewing "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD", the second installment in Mercury Steam's "Lords of Shadow" trilogy. As many of you know, my review for the previous "Lords of Shadow" installment was pretty negative. Unlike LoS 1 and 2, Mirror of Fate turned out to be a much better game. Without further ado, THE REVIEW!

Characters

Simon Belmont
Voiced by Alec Newman.
A brash and buffed-out barbarian of a man. He is, by far, the most classic character in the game. His main weapon is the "Beast Hunter" whip (a homage to the old school Vampire Killer whip), with Fire Bomb and an Axe as references to old Sub-weapons and to round him out. SPOILER: He later replaces his Beast Hunter whip with his father's Combat Cross. This guy has always been my overall favorite Belmont in all the franchise. Based on the "Castlevania Chronicles" incarnation of the character, Simon doesn't resemble a feminine bodybuilder. He actually looks like a MAN and not a WOMAN! He's got massive muscles, a tough attitude and a straight-forward determination to slay Dracula. The Scottish accent they gave him made the character EVEN BETTER! This is my FAVORITE incarnation of Simon! He's got some really cool secondary abilities and wicked awesome attacks! Love it! SPOILERS: He later finds the spirit of his mother that becomes his own "guardian angel" that blocks attacks against you (called "Spirit of Belnades"). Then he finds the spirit of a holy man who died in the castle and becomes a more offense-oriented "guardian angel" called "Spirit of Schneider" (another old school reference). They both fill the slots of what would've been special abilities of the other characters.

Alucard
Voiced by Richard Madden.
A mysterious vampire determined to find a way of slaying Dracula forever. He roams the castle to obtain all of his lost abilities... or whatever is closest to them. His main weapon is the "Dark Pain" whip (Said to be made from metal close to the underworld and used by the most elite members of the Brotherhood. I've always thought that it was just too silly and the opposite of what they represent. I mean, how are you supposed to defeat Dracula with a demonic weapon? That's like fighting fire with fire!) and his sub-weapons include a Stopwatch (old school Castlevania weapon). He also has the ability to transform into a wolf and transform into mist (both old-school Castlevania references). His bosses are some of the TOUGHEST in the game! When you start out as Alucard he is pretty weak, meaning that you've got to find a way of out-doing your enemies until you've gained more levels and upgraded your abilities (once you've found them). He's more of an indirect fighter as opposed to the more head-on approach of Simon. Despite the difficult bosses, it is pretty fun to outsmart them.

Trevor Belmont
Voiced by Richard Madden.
A knight from the Brotherhood of Light who is also Simon's father. Devastated by the truth the Brotherhood told him, he sets out to bring peace on his family name and end Dracula's horrible curse. SPOILER: He would later become Alucard. He is probably the strongest character in the game. He starts out with the ability to double-jump and slide down walls, and obtains much more. His weapon is the "Sub-Combat Cross" or "Trevor's Combat Cross". It is a replica of the original but has more practical uses than the aforementioned one. He also has some pretty cool sub-weapons like the bladed Boomerang and Electric Bomb. The Boomerang reminds me of a similar weapon used in "Castlevania: Bloodlines", which replaced the boomerang/crucifix from earlier and later games.

Dracula Gabriel Belmont
Voiced by Robert Carlyle.
The main antagonist of the game. I felt that he was a fitting villain more so than the lackluster Lords of Shadow from the previous installment. He is fought twice in the game: once as Alucard and again as Trevor (for the final fight). He can be a pretty tough fight for both characters. I never got past him on Hardcore difficulty for both Story and Boss Rush modes. SPOILER:The ending of the second battle is BULL!!! There's just NO WAY a DEMONIC BEING can use a WEAPON OF GOD to kill a CHRISTIAN!! I was just venting like MAD when I saw the ending!

The Lost Soul
Voiced by Michael Maloney.
The enigmatic being that haunts the castle and guides the way for every playable character in the game. SPOILERS:He turns out to be a spirit from the Mirror of Fate, hence why he guides the characters to their destiny. He's very vital to the game's story. I like to think of this character as a guardian angel (of sorts).

Gameplay

Story Mode
Very well done. Tells the story in an impressive blend of a 2D background with 3D characters. Simplistic animations that still keep you interested. The 2.5D gameplay gives us the feeling of a retro-Castlevania with the style of the modern 3D games. Sometimes, it can be confusing. You'll get stuck trying to figure out where you need to go on the map screen due to it's strange design. But after a while of playing, you'll figure it out eventually. There were some weird issues of enemies not disappearing after death and blocking the way, and the like.

Soundtrack
The soundtrack would glitch out sometimes during the game. I kept thinking the music was repeating only to find that the song was meant to sound that way! After that, I was able to better tell the difference between glitch and intention in the music. While still on the subject of the music, despite having Trevor, Alucard, Simon and Dracula in the game, none of their themes from the original games were not included, much to my disappointment.

Boss Rush Mode
A REAL challenge for players! You're pitted against every boss in the game (from each character's story) and must defeat them all (without healing, refilling magic or regaining more sub-weapon ammo between fights). The damage you take as one character will carry over into the next boss fight. Intense and relentless, just how Boss Rush should be! If anything, this mode will entertain you longer than the Story Mode!

Despite not having multiplayer, my brother & I kept feeling like a multiplayer mode (similar to "Castlevania: Harmony of Despair") should've been implemented.

Achievements
These are throwbacks to the old school days. Some of them are references to the original NES Castlevania's. There are so many games with achievements that I'm not interested in, but this game's achievements actually made me want to play it more! One of my personal favorites is "Quick as lightning".

Conclusion

Pros
+ Inclusion of great classic characters.
+ Beautiful graphics upgrade with nostalgic 2.5D gameplay.
+ Exciting and intense boss battles.

Cons
- Horrible writing. Almost felt like they were trying to remake "Castlevania Legends" with all the horrible plot twists in it.
- Oddly confusing soundtrack.
- Still more unnecessary nudity and anti-God content.

Replay Value
4/5

Overall Review Score: 6.8
Unlike the others in the "Lords of Shadow" saga, "Mirror of Fate" is the ONLY installment that is worthy of the name "Castlevania"!

Afterword
I was impressed so much by this game. In all honesty, I'd much prefer the Castlevania franchise to continue in the vein of "Mirror of Fate".

Thank you for reading!
- Oniell.

CASTLEVANIA REVIEW

***UPDATE*** Due to the sequel's release, my metacritic score at the bottom has changed!

Welcome to my review of "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Ultimate Edition"! I will be giving a brief, spoiler-free (as much as possible) rundown on the pro's and con's of the hit game. Note: The spoiler tag may or may not work in this review. It works in the review, but not on the bottom of the actual store page of the game. You've been warned.

Characters

Gabriel Belmont
Voiced by Robert Carlyle.
The main protagonist of the game. He's dramatic and emotional, but has to be the most doubt-filled and least-interesting Castlevania character since Sonia Belmont from "Castlevania Legends". Seriously, this guy can't get any worse. WARNING!! SPOILERS!!
He goes from doubting God to having faith in kicking Satan's butt to "WOA IS MEH!!!" from start to finish. He also ends up turning into a vampire and calling himself "Dracul" or "Dracula" at the end.
END OF SPOILERS!! Great character appearance, wonderful voice actor, but horrible writing.

Zobek
Voiced by Patrick Stewart.
The mysterious aid of Gabriel's from the Brotherhood of Light. He narrates the start of each level, and gives us an interesting view of events on the progress of the main character. WARNING!! SPOILERS!!
Turns out to be one of the main villains of the game. Zobek is "Lords of Shadow"'s version of Death AKA The Grim Reaper from the main series. END OF SPOILERS!! Has great voice acting due, in no small part, to Patrick Stewart.

The Lords of Shadow
Main villains of the game. Each one was based on random characters from past games. Each one is lord over a division of classic fantasy monsters, with their own story of origin. Despite the creative effort of Mercury Steam's writers, they ended up being a mostly-petty rehash. WARNING!! SPOILERS!!
You battle two of them, and the third is revealed at the end of the game.
END OF SPOILERS!!
Great boss fights, but shameful use of good characters.

WARNING!! SPOILERS!!

Satan
Voiced by Jason Isaacs.
The main villain of the game and a first for the franchise. Though a small appearance at the end of the game, he turns out to give us a fairly interesting boss fight and twist of the plot along with getting a major role in the sequel. His appearance is, simply, a half-naked Ozzy Osbourne with a long black staff. And no, that wasn't a sexual joke. Decent voice acting and tough fight, but I felt like something was missing from him.

Gameplay

Singleplayer
A fast-paced slaughter of a variaty of creatures with a story that unfolded at a good speed. Has some tough challenges that you'll probably take a few days to do and wonderful graphics to keep you dazzled. Has a good array of combos and the franchise-favorite sub-weapons, some with an interesting spin on the classics. And, due to the DLC's, expands the story much more to set-up the events of the sequels. Sadly, no matter what I did, the game ends up feeling a bit too button-mashy.

Replay value
4.5/5

Conclusion

Pros
+ Great voice acting.
+ Good action in both cutscenes and gameplay.
+ If you're a believer in The Lord, you'll love the little bits of Christianity scattered about.

Cons
- If you hate religion, you'll love the ending.
- Terrible plot-twists and repeatitive gameplay.
- Unbelievable amount of nudity. Almost "Duke Nukem"-worthy (and that's a bad thing for Castlevania).

Game Review Score: 5.9
Honestly, you're better off buying "Castlevania: Judgement" on the Nintendo Wii. Even that game was more satisfying than this!

Series Review Score: 3.2
After the release of "Lords of Shadow 2", it shows just how horrible of a job Mercury Steam did creating the trilogy. As a true Castlevania fan, I am very disappointed in them and Konami's allowance to create this!

Afterword
My personal name for the game (which might upset some people) is "Rehashlevania: Lords of Ghetto - Idiot Edition". My friends also use this term.

I'd love to see what IGA (the guy in charge of creating Castlevania games) thinks of "Lords of Shadow"!

Thank you for reading.
- Oniell.

Rogue Trooper.
A good video game adaption of a very great comic! Sure, it's old. Sure, it's got a few bugs. Sure, it's got an awful multiplayer mode. But if you want a legitimate "Rogue Trooper" experience, this game is worth buying!

Characters

Rogue
An interesting character. He's young and feels betrayed. He makes it his life mission to take down the man who exterminated his kind. Pretty straight-forward person, but his ironically-named buddies (biochips stored in his equipment) make playing singleplayer more of a variety. Voice actor was pretty good at playing the character.
WARNING!!! SPOILERS!!!
At the end, he refuses an offer from Millicom (the creators of Rogue and the other GI's) and escapes in a shuttle. I wondered, "What next? What will Rogue do now that he's completed his only mission? Perhaps there are more villains?" Might be interesting, if they make another game.

Gunnar
Pleasing both the serious and silly audiences, the rifle "Gunnar" is cocky and sarcastic. Think of him as a little bit of Deadpool mixed in with FPS Doug (the "BOOM! HEADSHOT!" guy). Makes remarks on your shots and combat skills, and is always eager to kill some Norts.

Bagman
A tough guy with the ability to recycle any salvage you acquire into health and ammo. Also upgrades weapons. This guy is really helpful during combat. He automatically reloads your gun for you in the middle of a firefight and applies a medpack to replenish your health when you get low. Instead of relying on your health and ammo bar, Bagman announces when you get close to running out or dying. Great addition to the game.

Helm
He's a middle-aged character, among the 3 Biochips. He can hack computers, drive vehicles and provides a radar for you. I don't think he talked as much as the others, but he was really lively when piloting a vehicle. Removing him for computer hacking and driving removes your radar, making you rely on plain sight and instinct while he does his work. Great challenge.

Traitor General
The villain that causes Rogue to go, well... rogue. You don't really see his face during the beginning of the game, until you catch up with him for the first time. After that, you'll never forget him. He acts like a stereotypical general or other high-ranking men in the Army & Navy. Runs from the protagonist, sends his little army men to fight his battles and even hides behind a shield and watches people die! Totally makes sense. Hahaha.
WARNING!!! SPOILERS!!!
When you beat the game, Rogue finally confronts the Traitor General and gives him the scare of his life! Despite that, the post-credits scene shows that he survived the huge bombing the Southers did to his building. I've played many games in my life, but that scene seriously disappointed me. Rogue goes after the guy for revenge, kills him, then he lives again? Seriously. That just feels like a dull, rehashed-to-death plot twist.

Gameplay

Singleplayer
Good singleplayer. Collecting salvage and upgrading weaponry was pretty fun. They also give you a few ways to handle a situation. "1. Go in guns-a-blazing or 2. Sneak around, silently killing Norts like a blue ninja." You have the tech and knowledge to help you with both solutions. And characters that provide comic relief!

Multiplayer
Awful. Would've been much better had they spent more time developing the concept.

Review

Pros
+ Good singleplayer.
+ Good story writing.
+ Good cast of characters.

Cons
- Dated graphics. (Remastered version's graphics a plus)
- Short campaign.
- Poorly executed multiplayer mode.

Overall Review Score: 7.1

A hilarious parody of the modern gaming industry with a dark, subtle overtone. Is it so wrong for me to be depressed over it?

A game that could've been so much more. If Rebellion Developments was given more money, more time and someone else to be the lead designer then the game would've been a cult classic.

The storyline is very linear, gameplay is an FPS version of Superman 64, character designs look absolutely awful, the voice acting is 2nd rate, the blood and gore is ridiculous, multiplayer is a joke thus explaining the absence of ANY servers on the server list, only 1% of any replay value and it's more for the brain dead players who like to shoot anything without purpose. Heck, even THAT is repetitive and gets boring fast!

The game is an insult to the comic book and can be taken as a reboot of Stallone's 1995 "Judge Dredd" film.

If anything, this game shouldn't be $7.99. It should be below a single dollar.

Don't buy it.

This is Steam to Remedy Entertainment, you've given us a wonderful game!

Aside with the random & interesting glitches, Star Wars: KOTOR is a terrific game. Not only is the plot fleshed out and the cast & dialogue well-written, but the game gives you a lot of replay value. There's so much to do in KOTOR 1, it's a shame that the sequel had to be rushed.

As for the MMO, it was fun at first but got old fast. Sure, it allowed your character to be portrayed with a voice and a personality, but it wasn't what many people expected it to be. No matter who you played as, what you chose to be and how you handled situations, the outcomes were almost ALWAYS the same. Very little differences. Very little diversity. Very little thought put into it.

They removed the classic RPG elements of the main games and replaced them with overused MMO standards. If only they made it a game with many different ways of completing the quests, the unforgiving consequences like most old RPG's (though not as harsh as FOnline 2238) and combined them with original & balanced MMO mechanics, would they have made a worthy replacement of Star Wars Galaxies.

Star Wars: The Old Republic was, in short, a World of Warcraft game set in the Star Wars Universe with Mass Effect dialogue. Shortly after finding out about Mass Effect 3, I realized BioWare's true beliefs and views on its players & subscribers. I quickly left SW:TOR and vowed never to give them another penny out of my wallet!

The closest we'll ever get to a REAL Fallout MMO.