Treyarch Defense Force

June 24, 2008 – 1:41 pm

By: Kevin Larrabee

Despite what many gamers and game journalists have said, Treyarch makes good games. Anytime that Call of Duty 3, or the upcoming Call of Duty 5 are mentioned the negative comments begin to pour in. There is very little basis for these comments, here is why the naysayers are all wrong.

Treyarch’s last COD game didn’t live up to Infinity Ward’s, but it wasn’t a bad game. In fact, it was pretty good. Don’t believe me? Just look at COD3’s metacritic score of 82. That’s only seven points lower than COD2, yet gamers act like Treyarch peed in their cornflakes and made fun of their mom whenever COD3, or COD: World at War are mentioned.

I didn’t love the single player in COD3, but the multiplayer was easily the most enjoyable WWII experience I have had online. That includes COD1 and COD2. The introduction of vehicles, including tanks, vehicles with machine gun attachments and motorcycles, added another dynamic to the game that allowed for players of all skill levels to play on an equal battlefield. You know how you can call in air strikes in COD4? Guess where that feature was first used? Yep, COD3. And, in terms of graphics, COD3 was a few notches above COD2.

People are still playing COD3 online. More and more gamers are joining the fight thanks to the fact that COD3 is now a Platinum Hits title. Currently the game can be found (as of June 24) on Amazon.com for $11.02. You will be hard pressed to find a better game for less than $12 on Amazon.com.


If you still are not convinced that Treyarch makes quality games, just review some of their previous titles. Here is a quick list for you.

  • Call of Duty 3 (360, PS3)
  • Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (PS2, XBOX)
  • Ultimate Spider-Man (GCN, PS2, XBOX)
  • Spider-Man 2 (GCN, PS2, XBOX)
  • NHL 2K3 (GCN, PS2, XBOX)
  • Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2x (XBOX)
  • Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 (Dreamcast)
  • Tony Hawk Pro Skater (Dreamcast)

Not a bad list. Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 received 9.8 and 9.9, respectively, from IGN, the two highest scores given to Dreamcast games by IGN. Although they are ports, they were fantastic ports. Spider-Man 2 also received very positive reviews (9.0 from IGN) from the media and gamers because it was the first game to really make you feel like Spider-Man.

There are some bad games in their portfolio, like Minority Report, and some Triple Play ports, but nothing to warrant a perceived legacy for making bad games from the gaming media and gamers themselves. In the case of Minority Report, Treyarch had to do without Tom Cruise’s likeness or voice acting and was too ambitious with the game. For the development time that was allotted, Treyarch did not have the time to polish a fighting system, a unique story, and interesting environments. In Hilary Goldstein’s review from IGN he stated that,

Perhaps the first mistake was trying to find a balance between the movie and doing something new. Treyarch should probably have decided to either do a near-direct translation of the movie or done a wholly different story, one that borrowed the context of the world but not many of the plot elements of the movie. Instead, they did a bit of this and that and the result is a weak story and overall mediocre level design.

It is very possible that Treyarch was pressured by Activision to finish the game to coincide with the DVD release of the feature film. Even great movie makers like Stephen Spielberg have had a flop or two (A.I., The Lost World) especially when being over ambitious.

All of these gamers on forums, and even the game journalists who haven’t played COD: World at War, are already expecting the worst. Many took shots and made sarcastic comments simply at the announcement that Treyarch was making another COD game. The drag on COD3’s development was that Treyarch only had one year of development, while Infinity Ward had two for COD4.

This time around Tryearch will have those two years of development for COD: World at War. What’s even more encouraging is that the COD:WaW team has had two years to refine the Modern Combat engine that was used in COD4. Gametrailers.com had the exclusive for the first trailer of the game. Take a look for yourself and make up you own mind.

Treyarch recently announced that COD: World at War will feature up to 4-player co-op through the campaign (up to 2 on one system). This is the first time in the COD franchise that co-op will be featured. Also the return of vehicles to multiplayer is a welcomed announcement.

Many gamers will not be hyped up for Treyarch’s latest tour of duty, they will be pleasantly surprised. When COD: World at War is released this fall, gamers and gaming media will have to check themselves before they make comments about Treyarch’s games in the future.

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in Editorials 1 Comment

Blog: Sonic Unleashed Video Makes My Dreams Come True

June 20, 2008 – 10:50 am

By: Kevin Larrabee

For the first time since the release of Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast, I am looking forward to a Sonic game. I know this is only a trailer but it looks like Sonic Team has finally listened to the critics, and more importantly the fans about what has been wrong with Sonic for the last 9 years.

Things that make me excited:

  • The game is lightning fast and Sonic never stops moving.
  • No sign of Sonic’s lame ass friends (although we should expect to at least see Tales)
  • Great Music
  • 360 degree loops
  • SIDE SCROLLING!!!
  • And it is FAST! (This must be reiterated)

Remember that article about games I want to see on XBLA/PSN/Wii Ware? I called for a side scrolling Sonic game with 3D environments, Sonic Unleashed seems to fit that description quite well. Thank you Sega.

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in Blog No Comments

Sony Drops the Ball Once Again

June 19, 2008 – 7:28 pm

By: Kevin Larrabee

I am amazed at how many times Sony has screwed themselves over with seemingly simple decisions in regards to the PlayStation 3 platform. Sony discontinued the sale and production of all backwards-compatible, albeit via software and 85% of the PS2 library PlayStation 3s in the beginning of the year, leaving the $399 40GB version as the only available option. Soon after this decision, the price of used and new backwards-compatible PlayStation 3s skyrocketed on eBay with buyers paying a premium just for that feature. Then leading up to the release of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Sony appears to have had learned their lesson as a 80GB PlayStation 3 with Metal Gear Solid 4, and software backwards-compatibility was announced. Nope.

As of June 19th, 2008, you cannot find the 80GB MGS4 bundle anywhere. You may find one online, but you will be forced to buy a bundle with accessories that you may not want. I ordered through CircuitCity.com, and to secure my pre-order I had to buy a bundle with a Blu-ray remote (the dual shock 3 works just fine with Blu-rays). In the case of Amazon.com, they sold out in FIVE MINUTES, I had no chance to even add the bundle to my cart.

Metal Gear Solid 4 is the PS3’s biggest title to date, and many potential PS3 buyers were waiting for this game before dropping $400-500 on a piece of hardware with only a small handful of great games. How could Sony not know that there was going to be a huge demand for this bundle, if not just because of MGS4, but because it had the PS2 backwards-compatibility that a vast majority of gamers want? How could Sony not plan ahead and manufactured more of the 80GB PS3s leading up to the launch of MGS4? Why don’t they ask gamers these things? It boggles my mind; seriously, this was their chance.

Lets look at some data while we are on the subject of console sales. Even with the one-year head start, the PS3 still had 2/3 amount of time as the 360, but again, they have only sold half as many pieces of hardware. This was their chance to catch up.

(Consoles sold in America in Millions)

They could have sold close to 400,000 of those bundles as almost 209,000 consoles were sold in the month of May (NPD Group via Joystiq.com) and there were no MGS4 or 80GB bundles.

(MGS4 Units Sold by Territory)

Alexander Sliwinski from Joystiq.com did some investigative reporting on the issue. It turns out that Sony planned for this bundle to be a “limited-edition” and that they are, “working to ensure that additional shipments are provided to retailers” (Joystiq.com). Limited Edition? Is there someone in the upper ranks of Sony being paid by Microsoft to sabotage the PS3? No? Well it sure seems that way sometimes when shit like this happens. Gamers want this bundle, and are willing to wait if any of the discussions at popular sites such as NeoGaf.com and CheapAssGamer.com are to be considered.

This issue doesn’t just hurt gamers looking for the MGS4 bundle, but also all of the current PS3 owners. Sony needs to sell more consoles if they want more exclusive AAA titles from third-party publishers that are going to the 360 instead because of their install base. I wish Sony would simply have some common sense in the future. Holiday 08 is fast approaching; Sony must take advantage of MGS4, a backwards-compatible console and their upcoming exclusives (Resistance 2, Little Big Planet) to have a shot at beating Microsoft in America this generation.

Sources:

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in Editorials 2 Comments

Blog: A Lesson Learned at GameTrailers

June 17, 2008 – 11:42 pm

By: Kevin Larrabee

Today at GameTrailers I spent most of my time decorating the new offices (the move takes place next week). The guys from “I Am 8-Bit” have been given the duty of decorating the new offices and already the place looks amazing. The best way I could put it is that it is clear that this office has to do with video games. I will post pictures after we move in two weeks from now.

I needed to give that back-story to setup the lesson that I learned today. Jeremy Hoffman (the produced of Game Trailers TV) brought some guests up to the office to show them around. When I saw the four people that accompanied Jeremy I instantly had a smile on my face. The four were Geoff Keighley of Game Trailers TV, N’Gai Croal of Newsweek, Brian Crecente of Kotaku, and Stephen Totlio of the MTV Multiplayer Blog. If you follow the video game industry at all, you know these people, because they are the ones who’s work provides said news. I honestly didn’t know what to do; these guys are celebrities to me. Since moving to Santa Monica I have seen Tim Medows of SNL, Junior Seau from the New England Patriots and the Rock, personally, none of them compare to this quartet I saw today.

As they walked around the floor and checked out the paintings on the wall I tried to decided if I should approach the group and say how it is an honor to meet them and how I was a huge fan of all of their work. After four or five minutes the group left floor two and exited the building, I never had the courage to approach them. I regretted that decision so much that I was compelled to write this blog post tonight. You never know when and where you will learn life lessons, you can even learn them at GameTrailers!

Lesson Learned
-Kevin Larrabee

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in Blog 1 Comment

Retrospective Review: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

June 15, 2008 – 11:59 pm

By: Kevin Larrabee

When asked what franchise symbolizes the PlayStation brand, most gamers will give one of two responses: Metal Gear Solid or Grand Theft Auto. I have Grand Theft Auto covered in terms of experience. Metal Gear Solid, on the other hand, has not pulled me into the franchise as it has many of the PlayStation loyalists.

With the recently released blockbuster title, Metal Gear Solid 4, hitting store shelves this week, I decided to return to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty to make sure I was caught up with the story line — and pray that I could comprehend it. I had already played about half of Metal Gear Solid 2 on the Xbox five years ago. My reason for abandoning the game back then now escapes me.

Most of the loyal fans of the Metal Gear Solid series and the Metal Gear franchise see Metal Gear Solid 2 as a disappointing stepchild simply because the main character of the series, “Solid Snake,” was not the main character this time around. Instead the player was introduced to “Raiden” about 90 minutes into the game. Raiden was a younger soldier who believed that he received all of his training from VR simulations. I didn’t mind that I played as Raiden for most of the game. It was quite similar — almost exactly, in fact –  like playing as Snake, but Raiden was more aerobatic and a smart ass.

I believe that Hideo Kojima, the creator and director, wanted the player to relate to Raiden. Like the player, he had no real memories, just his VR training. And that made him into the badass soldier that you play as. This becomes even more apparent when the player is receiving messages from the Colonel and Rose after being captured. The Colonel says things to convince Raiden that this is just a video game, that he has lost, that he should turn off the console. The following video is a compilation of those messages. This part of the game sealed the deal for me. It was one of the more uncomfortable moments I have experienced in a video game.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pZWiDKho-w[/youtube]

One negative is that the controls are not perfect, although they are improved over the PS1 Metal Gear Solid. The camera can be devastating when you are being attacked. That being said, maneuvering through the areas and even swimming underwater is a breeze after an hour or two playing.

I believe Metal Gear Solid 2 is one of the top five PlayStation 2 games overall, as well as in terms of graphics and detail. From the bird crap that can cause you to slip and fall into the ocean, to the individual bottles of liquor in the crew’s lounge, Metal Gear Solid 2 set the bar for every high budget game that would precede it in that generation.

The story is all over the place. And it has the same number of 180 degree plot turns as the  “24” and “Lost” television series. But the most important thing is that it is still fun, and for the most part interesting. The final act of Metal Gear Solid 2 is too long, clocking in at about 40 minutes just for cut scenes before the final battle, which was short and unimpressive.

After ten hours with Metal Gear Solid 2, I was in love with the game. It boggles my mind as to why I put the controller down five years earlier. Everything impressed me, from the movie-quality cinematic cut scenes to the detail of the environments to the excellent voice acting from David Hayter and the rest of the cast. The action is intense throughout and the pacing is spot on. Even with its minor flaws, Metal Gear Solid 2 is a masterpiece; a game that warrants the hype and fanfare it has received.

Score: A

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in Retrospectives, Reviews No Comments

RZG Podcast: Episode 9 (We Are Back!)

June 15, 2008 – 4:37 pm

Download Episode 9 here: RedZoneGamerPodcast009.mp3 (Right Click and Save As to download)

or Subscribe through iTunes!!!

Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee and Chris Picard

Website

  • We Are Back
  • LTTP: MGS 2 Substance
  • Target and cheap games
  • More guests for the podcast
  • And Finally changes to the site/update about my career


What we are playing:

  • MGS 2
  • MGS 4
  • Resistance
  • Beyond Good and Evil
  • GTA 4
  • Mario Kart Wii


NEWS

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in RZG Podcast No Comments

Blog: The Best Place to Buy Cheap Games…is Target?

June 14, 2008 – 6:41 pm

By: Kevin Larrabee

What is there not to like about the current generations of games? So far we have seen gems like Call of Duty 4, Uncharted, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Resistance, The Orange Box, Rock Band, Halo 3, Super Mario Galaxy, Gears of War, and most recently, Grand Theft Auto 4. For those who don’t like looking into the past here are a few upcoming titles: Metal Gear Solid 4, Resistance 2, Ninja Gaiden 2, Too Human, Gears of War 2…do you get my point?

I just listed sixteen games, and those are just the must buys in my opinion. Lets do some math together:

16*$60 = $960

This will be the only math you will ever see on my blog, I promise. But look at that; $960. That is a lot of cash. What do you do if you are a hardcore gamer and want to play more games then those that I just listed. Well my friend, I am going to let you in on one hardcore gamers secret shopping paradise…Target.

Yes the big red bull’s-eye is the best place to buy your video games when you only have an Andrew Jackson to spare. Here is a recent haul that I brought home this past weekend.

  • Stranglehold (360): $14.98
  • Monster Madness (360): $9.98
  • PGR 3 (360): $7.48
  • Tony hawk Proving Ground (PS3): $12.48
  • Dead or Alive 4 (360): $14.98
  • Blue Dragon (360): $14.98

I just picked up six games, with an average metacritic score of 76 (Monster Madness killed it with a score of 55) for under $75. In the past I have also found Jericho (PS3) for $7.98 and Meet the Robinsons (360) for $3.99.

You will not find Halo 3 for $12 or GTA IV for $15, but you will find those games that fell through the cracks like Lair, Crackdown, and for some reason a lot of Naruto games…

Next time your mom, your significant other or you yourself decides to hit up the big red dot, make sure to head to the back of the video game section and look for the end cap of clearance products.

And for all of you “picture or it didn’t happen” people, feast your eyes on those luscious red clearance stickers.

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in Blog No Comments

Review: Condemned 2: Bloodshot (360)

April 15, 2008 – 1:28 pm

condemned2-1.jpg

By: Kevin Larrabee

The Xbox 360 launch lineup wasn’t very impressive. It, in fact, had a handful of letdowns (I am looking at you Perfect Dark Zero!). One of the standout titles, and really a surprise hit, was a game coming from Monolith, published from Sega called Condemned. This is one of the few games that I will never forget. I can remember every game setting, from the abandoned department store littered with mannequins to a skipping Christmas music record playing over the intercom. A video game had never made me afraid to peek around the corner in fear of a something attacking me – until now.

Read More »

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in Reviews No Comments

Blog: So I Bought a 80GB PS3 Lunchbox…

April 11, 2008 – 9:31 pm

ps3_80gb_box.jpg

By: Kevin Larrabee

I know, I just bought a 40GB PS3 a few weeks ago… But I saw that NewEgg.com had some 80GB Motorstor Bundles randomly so I had to jump on it. Why? Because I want to play some PS2 games I missed out on. Mainly God of War II, which just dropped to the “Greatest Hits” price of $20, and Shadow of the Colossus (and eventually ICO if I can find it). So far the experiance has been great. I was able to painlessly back up my 40GB PS3 saves to an external hard drive, and restore the new 80GB Ps3 with those files.

god_of_war2.jpg

God of War II is simply fantastic. I have played 8 hours of the game in two days so far. Sadly I have only defeated the first Colossus in SotC, but I plan to get back to that as soon as I beat God of War II. Amazing, I have played PS2 games (with some MLB 08: The Show) exclusively the last few days, all while being a confessed graphics and achievement whore. The PS3 does a decent job in upscaling the PS2 graphics and to my surprise, God of War II even had Progressive Scan support.

I will happily take the $150 hit from the difference in price after selling my 40GB on Ebay.

It still blows my mind that Sony even has a SKU that doesn’t have PS2 backwards compatibility on it. There are at least a dozen games I am looking to pick up to revist or experiance for the first time. Let’s just hope that they all work on my 80GB PS3 that only has limited BC (about 80%), maybe Sony will continue to update that list. But personally, I don’t think they give a shit.

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in Blog No Comments

RZG Podcast: Episode 8 (April Fools Means Little News)

April 6, 2008 – 5:54 pm

 Hosts:

Kevin Larrabee and Chris Picard

Download Episode 8 here: RedZoneGamerPodcast008.mp3 (Right Click and Save-As to Download)

or Subscribe through iTunes!!!

What a jam packed episode even with the little amount of news that we had to discuss on this week’s show. We discuss my review of Rainbow Six Vegas 2, God of War: Chains of Olympus, the odd joy of Army of Two, the new Call of Duty 4 maps and much more!! Hit the jump for all of the show notes===> Read More »

By Kevin Larrabee Posted in RZG Podcast No Comments