 |
| โดย ผู้จัดการออนไลน์ | 25 กรกฎาคม 2550 10:58 น. |
|
|
 | ||||||||||||||
|
26/7/50
เกมวางแผนดัง "Company of Heroes" แปลงโฉมลงตลาดออนไลน์
เกมวางแผนดัง "Company of Heroes" แปลงโฉมลงตลาดออนไลน์
25/7/50
ยูบิซอฟท์ได้สิทธิ์พัฒนาเกม"Avatar"หนังฟอร์มยักษ์ของคาเมรอน
|
| โดย ผู้จัดการออนไลน์ | 25 กรกฎาคม 2550 12:43 น. |
|
|
| ||
|
เนื้อเรื่องของ "Avatar" จะเกี่ยวข้องกับทหารนอกราชการที่ต้องตกอยู่สถานการณ์ลำบาก เมื่อจิตใจของเขายังคงเป็นมนุษย์และมีสติครบสมบูรณ์ แต่ต้องใช้ชีวิตอยู่บนร่างที่เป็นเอเลี่ยน
ภาพยนตร์เรื่อง Avatar ใช้เวลาในการสร้างตลอดช่วง 10 ปีที่ผ่านมา ซึ่งในโปรเจคภาพยนตร์เรื่องนี้ "เจมส์ คาเมรอน" ก็ได้ร่วมงานกับ "Sigourney Weaver" นักแสดงนำจากภาพยนตร์เรื่องเอเลี่ยน นอกจากนั้นยังร่วมงานกับ "WETA Digital" ทีมเอฟเฟกที่เคยผ่านผลงานมาแล้วกับภาพยนตร์ไตรภาค "ลอร์ด ออฟ เดอะ ริง" และ "คิงคอง"
"Yves Guillemot" ผู้บริหารระดับสูงของยูบิซอฟท์กล่าวว่า เนื้อเรื่อง , ฉากแอ็คชั่น และเทคนิคพิเศษของภาพยนตร์เรื่อง Avatar ถือเป็นแรงบันดาลใจที่ดีในการนำไปพัฒนาเป็นเกม ทีมงานของยูบิซอฟท์จะสร้างนำผลงานภาพยนตร์ของคาเมรอน มาสร้างใหม่ในรูปแบบเกมให้โดนใจคอภาพยนตร์และคอเกม
ภาพยนตร์ "Avatar" จะเป็นผลงานแรกในรอบ 10 ปีของ เจมส์ คาเมรอน หลังจากที่เขา ฝากผลงานไว้กับภาพยนตร์เรื่อง ไททานิก เมื่อปี 1997 นอกจากนั้นเขายังเคยสร้างภาพยนตร์ฟอร์มยักษ์ออกมาแล้วมากมาย อาทิ Aliens, The Abyss, True Lies, The Terminator และ Terminator 2: Judgment Day
"Avatar" เวอร์ชั่นภาพยนตร์และเกม จะเปิดตัวพร้อมกันในช่วงเดือนพฤษภาคม ปี 2009 อย่างไรก็ตามทางยูบิซอฟท์ยังไม่ได้เปิดเผยว่าเวอร์ชั่นเกมจะลงในแพล็ตฟอร์ม ใดบ้าง
ข้อมูลและภาพประกอบจาก
www.ign.com
www.gamesindustry.biz
news.yahoo.com
24/7/50
Xbox 360 Messenger Kit
This year's Xbox 360 Spring Dashboard Update brought MSN Messenger contact-list integration to Xbox Live, but many of us have been waiting for Microsoft to release the chatpad accessory before making full use of the service. Microsoft knows that messaging isn't going to be widely used on the Xbox 360 unless the system has an input device to make texting easier for those of us who don't keep USB keyboards on the coffee table.
;)
Xbox representatives dangled the chatpad in front of us when they first announced the Spring Update back in April but waited until E3 2007 to announce its availability. We now know that anxious texters will be able to get their very own Xbox 360 Messenger Kit for $30 on September 6, 2007.
The Messenger Kit will include the keyboard chatpad and a new wired headset. The chatpad is designed to slide into the base of the Xbox 360 gamepad. The pad feels a little awkward as you fit it into place, but it snaps on with a satisfying click as the pad's plastic retention pegs find their corresponding holes on the gamepad. The snug fit makes the pad feel like it's a part of the gamepad. The unit adds some weight to the controller, but the heft seems manageable. We played a few games with the chatpad installed and found that it didn't interfere with game controls. The edge of your palms will rest on the left and right sides of the chatpad, but you'll still be able to use the buttons and analog sticks just fine.
;)
The chatpad itself feels solid. The keys provide adequate, clicky feedback and are spaced well enough for fast typing. It uses a standard QWERTY layout, and many of the keys have special alternate values that you can activate using the green and amber keys on the bottom left and bottom right of the chatpad. The pad also has a messenger button that can open up the messaging window onscreen. For players who like to game in the dark, the pad has a built-in backlight that will illuminate the keyboard whenever a key is pressed. We tried plugging a USB Xbox 360 gamepad with the chatpad into a PC desktop system, but we couldn't get Windows to recognize the chatpad as a text input device.
The chatpad has a headset pass-thru jack at the base of the unit, but the single 2.5mm audio jack can't accept the triple-pronged connector on the old headset. That's probably why Microsoft bundled a new headset with the chatpad. Aside from the audio connector change, the new headset is almost identical to the original except the microphone mute and volume controls have moved from the base of the cable connector to an inline module. Older Xbox headsets and 2.5mm mobile headsets still work with the chatpad. We were able to plug our Plantronics Halo 2 headset into the chatpad without a problem.
The Xbox 360 Messenger Kit looks to be a solid product for system owners interested in taking advantage of the Xbox 360's communication options. Players who stick to gaming and voice chat won't need to pick up the chatpad, but the peripheral might become more compelling if Microsoft were to release more text-heavy applications on the 360, such as a Web browser, for example.
How often do you use your Xbox 360 to write messages? What do you think of the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit?
23/7/50
Burnout Dominator (PSP)
Burnout Dominator (PSP)
| แนวเกม | รถแข่ง |
| ผู้พัฒนา | Criterion |
| แพลตฟอร์ม | PSP |
| กำหนดการวางจำหน่าย | มีนาคม 2007 |
| ภาษา | อังกฤษ |
| ราคาหน้ากล่อง | 990 บาท |
คุณสมบัติ
 เป็นจ้าวแห่งทัวร์นาเมนต์ระดับโลกชุดใหม่ - ต่อสู้ฟันฝ่าสนามใหม่ๆ ที่สร้างขึ้นมาสำหรับทุกสไตล์การแข่งรถ โชว์ดริฟท์ผ่านการจราจรบนท้องถนนในเมืองและแข่งรถในเลนตรงข้ามที่เต็มไป ด้วยรถที่พุ่งสวนทางคุณอยู่ |
| ความเร็วเหนือขีดจำกัด - ขับรถอย่างบ้าระห่ำเพื่อทำให้หลอด boost bar ของคุณเต็ม ปล่อยพลังให้หมดหลอดเพื่อทำการ Burnout แล้วทำการรีชาร์จ boost ใหม่ทันที ทำการ Burnout หลายๆ รอบเป็นลูกโซ่! |
| วิธีการ Burn ใหม่ๆ - ในโหมด Maniac - ซิ่งรถที่ขีดสุดของความอันตรายในโหมดการแข่งรถที่ท้าทายที่สุดที่เคยเห็นมาแล้วดูคะแนนของคุณพุ่งพรวด! |
| ทางลัดสำคัญๆ - จงมองหาทางลัดสำคัญๆ ในทุกสนาม อัดคู่ต่อสู้ผ่านที่กั้นทางเข้าทางลัดเพื่อปลดล็อคมันแล้วเฉือนวินาทีที่ สำคัญออกจากเวลาที่ใช้แข่งของคุณ |
| รถที่มีเอกลักษณ์ - รถทุกๆ คันจะให้ประสบการณ์ที่แตกต่าง และคุณจะต้องขับรถเหล่านี้ให้ช่ำชองขณะที่คุณดริฟท์, พุ่งชน, และซิ่งรถแข่งผ่านทัวร์นาเมนต์ระดับโลก |
| แต้ม Domination - เอาชนะการแข่งรถ, จัดการกับคู่ต่อสู้, และก้าวผ่านความท้าทายที่ถูกโยนมาใส่คุณขณะที่คุณมุ่งหน้าสู่การแข่ง Dominator Series |
| Party Play - ส่ง PSP หรือ จอยควบคุมอนาล็อก ให้เพื่อนผลัดกันเล่น และเอาชนะการแข่งขันในโหมด Party Play หรือจะแข่งกันเองในโหมดผู้เล่นหลายคนแบบแบ่งครึ่งจอบนเครื่อง PlayStation 2 และโหมด Ad Hoc บนเครื่อง PSP |
| ความสามารถในการรวมข้อมูลแต้ม - พิเศษเฉพาะเครื่อง PSP คุณสามารถรวมสถิติแต้มในเกมของคุณกับของเพื่อนเมื่อจบเกมเพื่อเป็นที่หนึ่ง บนเครื่องของเพื่อนด้วยแต้มเหนือกว่า |
| ดาวน์โหลดเนื้อหาเกมเพิ่มเติมได้ - ขยายประสบการณ์เกมของคุณบนเครื่อง PSP ด้วยการดาวน์โหลดสนามใหม่ๆ หลังจากที่เปิดตัวเกมแล้ว |
Clive Barker's Jericho Hands-On
We shoot our way through a six-level demo version of this squad-based shooter.
By Justin Calvert, GameSpot
Some of the enemies in Jericho could only have come from Clive Barker.
At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that Clive Barker's Jericho is little more than a garden-variety shooter with especially dark visuals, but the various abilities of the squad members promise to really set it apart from the crowd. For example, Lieutenant Abigail Black is a telekinetic sniper who can control bullets midflight and move large items out of the way when they're impeding the squad's progress. In one of the later levels of the demo, she also has the ability to set enemies on fire. On the other hand, Captain Xavier Jones employs astral projection to recon upcoming areas and also has the ability to take control of enemies. Thus, the playable characters in Jericho are an eclectic bunch, and every single one of them has already proved useful in our time with the game. We're told that characters will be able to combine their powers as you progress through the game, but because we only have access to six disjointed levels right now, we're not entirely sure how that's going to work.
Perhaps the most unusual gameplay mechanic in Jericho, besides Corporal Simone Cole's ability to hack into reality and seemingly conjure up ammo for the squad out of thin air or force enemies into slow motion, is every character's ability to heal incapacitated comrades. You only "die" in Jericho if your entire squad (bearing in mind that, at times, you might only be playing with two or three characters) is incapacitated, so as long as you have one character who's able to move around and reach his or her fallen colleagues, there's a chance that you can have everyone back up on their feet in no time. Healing incapacitated characters requires you to do nothing more than stand next to them and push a button which, even with enemies doing their best to stop us, we've only rarely failed to do while playing on the default difficulty setting. We've also noticed CPU-controlled characters healing each other on occasion.
In fact, as gruesome-looking and as intelligent as many of Jericho's enemies are, it's the game's "survival events" that have been giving us the most trouble to date. These brief, scripted sequences play out in much the same way as the cinematic "super action" sequences that were featured in Tomb Raider: Legend. Without warning, you'll be prompted to press a number of buttons in sequence as they appear on the screen, and your failure to do so invariably results in an untimely demise. For example, during one sequence in the Temple of Pain level, we had to perform a lengthy sequence of button pushes to navigate a narrow, crumbling ledge over a spike pit. Missing any one of those button pushes, which incidentally, were a little unforgiving in our demo version the first time we encountered them, sent the squad member in question plummeting to her doom. But then, seconds later, we were resurrected back at the start of the event.
You can switch between the various Jericho Squad members at any time.
Survival events aside, Jericho's controls (at least on the Xbox 360) are standard as far as squad-based shooters go. You have primary and secondary attacks (using very different weapons in some cases) mapped to the right and left shoulder buttons, respectively; parapsychological abilities on the bumpers; a reload button; as well as the ability to crouch and zoom in on enemies by depressing the left or right thumbsticks. You can also issue simple orders to the three-man Alpha and Omega squads that make up your group using the D pad. There's a melee attack, of course, and because Jericho is every bit as dark as you'd expect a game from Clive Barker to be, we're pleased to report that every character has a flashlight. Noteworthy control features in Jericho include the ability to take control of any character at any time, and when using certain characters, the ability to customize weapon settings for different situations. For example, when playing as Jones, you'll be able to set your gun for single shots, burst fire, or automatic fire. Furthermore, Jones' grenades can be set to detonate on impact, on a timer, by remote, or with a proximity detector.
Since we've been playing the Xbox 360 version of Jericho, those of you with a penchant for achievement points will be pleased to learn that the game appears to offer a good mix of point-scoring opportunities. For example, many of the 42 achievements will be unlocked simply by playing through the game, but others will require you to kill a number of enemies using specific methods or to complete levels without ever being incapacitated.
Clive Barker's Jericho is headed to the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, and the PC. We look forward to bringing you more information on the game as soon as it becomes available.
-GameSpot
Posted Jul 19, 2007 5:29 pm PT
---------------------------------------------------------
Currently scheduled for release in September, Clive Barker's Jericho is a squad-based first-person shooter in which you'll be tasked with destroying an ancient evil that's threatening the world in multiple time zones. Time travel and Barker-inspired visuals aside, Jericho's most distinguishing features are the different parapsychological abilities that each of the squad members use in tandem with their more traditional weapons. We've been putting some of those abilities to good use in a six-level Xbox 360 demo of the game recently, and we've come up against some pretty horrible enemies while doing so.---------------------------------------------------------
Some of the enemies in Jericho could only have come from Clive Barker.
At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that Clive Barker's Jericho is little more than a garden-variety shooter with especially dark visuals, but the various abilities of the squad members promise to really set it apart from the crowd. For example, Lieutenant Abigail Black is a telekinetic sniper who can control bullets midflight and move large items out of the way when they're impeding the squad's progress. In one of the later levels of the demo, she also has the ability to set enemies on fire. On the other hand, Captain Xavier Jones employs astral projection to recon upcoming areas and also has the ability to take control of enemies. Thus, the playable characters in Jericho are an eclectic bunch, and every single one of them has already proved useful in our time with the game. We're told that characters will be able to combine their powers as you progress through the game, but because we only have access to six disjointed levels right now, we're not entirely sure how that's going to work.
Perhaps the most unusual gameplay mechanic in Jericho, besides Corporal Simone Cole's ability to hack into reality and seemingly conjure up ammo for the squad out of thin air or force enemies into slow motion, is every character's ability to heal incapacitated comrades. You only "die" in Jericho if your entire squad (bearing in mind that, at times, you might only be playing with two or three characters) is incapacitated, so as long as you have one character who's able to move around and reach his or her fallen colleagues, there's a chance that you can have everyone back up on their feet in no time. Healing incapacitated characters requires you to do nothing more than stand next to them and push a button which, even with enemies doing their best to stop us, we've only rarely failed to do while playing on the default difficulty setting. We've also noticed CPU-controlled characters healing each other on occasion.
In fact, as gruesome-looking and as intelligent as many of Jericho's enemies are, it's the game's "survival events" that have been giving us the most trouble to date. These brief, scripted sequences play out in much the same way as the cinematic "super action" sequences that were featured in Tomb Raider: Legend. Without warning, you'll be prompted to press a number of buttons in sequence as they appear on the screen, and your failure to do so invariably results in an untimely demise. For example, during one sequence in the Temple of Pain level, we had to perform a lengthy sequence of button pushes to navigate a narrow, crumbling ledge over a spike pit. Missing any one of those button pushes, which incidentally, were a little unforgiving in our demo version the first time we encountered them, sent the squad member in question plummeting to her doom. But then, seconds later, we were resurrected back at the start of the event.
You can switch between the various Jericho Squad members at any time.
Survival events aside, Jericho's controls (at least on the Xbox 360) are standard as far as squad-based shooters go. You have primary and secondary attacks (using very different weapons in some cases) mapped to the right and left shoulder buttons, respectively; parapsychological abilities on the bumpers; a reload button; as well as the ability to crouch and zoom in on enemies by depressing the left or right thumbsticks. You can also issue simple orders to the three-man Alpha and Omega squads that make up your group using the D pad. There's a melee attack, of course, and because Jericho is every bit as dark as you'd expect a game from Clive Barker to be, we're pleased to report that every character has a flashlight. Noteworthy control features in Jericho include the ability to take control of any character at any time, and when using certain characters, the ability to customize weapon settings for different situations. For example, when playing as Jones, you'll be able to set your gun for single shots, burst fire, or automatic fire. Furthermore, Jones' grenades can be set to detonate on impact, on a timer, by remote, or with a proximity detector.
Since we've been playing the Xbox 360 version of Jericho, those of you with a penchant for achievement points will be pleased to learn that the game appears to offer a good mix of point-scoring opportunities. For example, many of the 42 achievements will be unlocked simply by playing through the game, but others will require you to kill a number of enemies using specific methods or to complete levels without ever being incapacitated.
Clive Barker's Jericho is headed to the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, and the PC. We look forward to bringing you more information on the game as soon as it becomes available.
-GameSpot
21/7/50
All-Pro Football 2K8
source from gamespot.com
The Good
* An exciting, highly realistic gameplay engine
* Over 200 classic players to choose from
* Building up teams and taking them online is a lot of fun
* Largely excellent animation
* Great on-field sound effects.
The Bad
* Much of what makes All-Pro's gameplay so great was done just as well in NFL 2K5 three years ago
* A distinct lack of offline modes
* Player models look ancient (and not just because they're old players)
* Commentary is mostly recycled from 2K5
* Could have used more in the way of customization options.
Game Details | About Our Rating System
ESPN NFL 2K5 is one of those games that have developed a seriously hardcore following in recent years. That's because it happens to be one of the most tightly crafted football games ever made, and also because it happens to be the last NFL-licensed game made by 2K Sports, following EA's snatching of the NFL license into the land of exclusivity. For just about three years now, fans of the 2K brand of football have been wringing their hands in anticipation of what 2K might do to bring back an alternative to Madden. The answer is finally here in the form of All-Pro Football 2K8. All-Pro is precisely the kind of football you remember from NFL 2K5--maybe a little too much like it--but with a roster of classic players from NFL yore. The premise? Build your own team out of your favorite old-timers, and compete against other teams full of heroes of the gridiron, both offline and online. It's a very cool idea for a game, especially in the way you build your team, but some niggling issues with the gameplay and presentation, as well as a stripped-down package of modes, prevents 2K8 from being a truly great return for 2K football.
2K Sports returns to the gridiron in All-Pro Football 2K8, and they've brought some old friends with them.
First, let's look at who you're working with in All-Pro. The roster of classic players goes well over 200, and you'll see plenty of big-time names like Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Mike Ditka, and more. There's also a nice variety of players that aren't quite as immediately recognizable, but certainly deserve their all-pro status, like Lem Barney, Len Dawson, Chuck Muncie, Jessie Tuggle, and the like. However, there's also a decent chunk of players in the game that kind of leave you scratching your head about why they're in there. Mike Golic, for instance, is far more notable for his ESPN broadcasting career than his playing career; Korey Stringer is better known for his death at training camp than his role on the field; and what, exactly, did Brian Bosworth ever do besides play well for about two seasons before getting injured, retire, and go on to star in bad movies? Still, several weird choices aside, the number of honest-to-god legends vastly outweighs the goofy picks, and while one could argue endlessly about various omissions in the roster, this collection of players is plenty good for a starting entry.
But what do you do with all these classic players? Essentially, from the moment you first boot up the game, your task is to build the team of your dreams. To build this team, you're provided 11 empty slots with which to fill superstars, and the remaining slots are taken up by generic players. The classic players are ranked in gold, silver, and bronze tiers. You get two gold, three silver, and six bronze players for any team you create, and they can fill whatever positions you like. Want a potent offense? Grab Jerry Rice and Walter Payton, toss in a silver-tier quarterback like Joe Theismann or Randall Cunningham, and you're in good shape. Prefer the defensive game to be the focus of a team? Pick Ronnie Lott, Dick Butkus, Lem Barney, and Ed "Too Tall" Jones, and you're looking pretty scary. Of course, it's all about balance. Go too far on one side of the ball or the other, and you may suffer in the end. Likewise, if you don't fill out your less sexy positions, like offensive line and kicker, you could find yourself in a difficult spot in certain situations. Difficult a balance as it can be to strike, it's a fun one to experiment with. You can create as many teams as you like, and edit any one you create over and over again until you feel like you've gotten it right.
Once you get your team on the field, any fan of NFL 2K5 is going to be able to settle into a groove pretty quickly. That's because this game might as well be 2K5 with a handful of gameplay tweaks. Some of those tweaks include a new gang tackling system that actually looks and feels superior to anything found in recent Madden games, and a new right-analog-stick tackling mechanic that essentially lets you do big hits, high and low tackles, or reach tackles (the last of which rarely ever seems to work very well). There's also a new kick meter that tries to turn the right analog stick into a kicker's leg, having you pull back on it to start the play, and then push forward to kick (provided you time it and aim correctly). Nifty idea, but it doesn't work well at all. Kickoffs seem to work fine, but kicking field goals is a lot more scattershot than it should be. You know something's off when you're timing your kicks nearly perfectly and putting little angle on the ball beyond where you set the arrow pointer, and you're still missing kicks from 35 yards out.
Finding the right combination of star players is half the fun.
Interestingly enough, it's not the changes made to 2K8's design that really sell it--it's the stuff you remember. It probably speaks best to how fantastic a game 2K5 was that 2K8's gameplay can still be considered great fun, and still feel realistic, considering how much of it is identical to that game. The running game is still the best in the business, with moves and blocking that look and feel just about as spot-on as you could ever hope for. The passing game is no slouch either, though there's a weird bit of delay between when you press the button to throw to a receiver, and when the pass actually launches--one that might be somewhat realistic, but feels overwrought when you're just trying to get the ball out quickly. Defense is stingy and mechanically sound. Defensive backs tend to drop a few too many "gimme" interceptions, and defensive players still like to stand dead still in one spot when assigned to zone coverage (wide receivers tend to do the same thing on certain types of routes), but those quibbles aside, it's hard to complain much about the defensive game.
So, if the game still plays so well, what prevents it from being truly great? It's a lot of things, many of which are elements that are missing. As an offline, single-player game, All-Pro is a weak effort. You get a quick game mode, and one season to play through against a series of pre-made teams, and once you win the championship (or don't), that's pretty much the end of it. There's no franchise mode, no crib, none of the amenities 2K Sports fans have become accustomed to over the years.
More reviews
The Good
* An exciting, highly realistic gameplay engine
* Over 200 classic players to choose from
* Building up teams and taking them online is a lot of fun
* Largely excellent animation
* Great on-field sound effects.
The Bad
* Much of what makes All-Pro's gameplay so great was done just as well in NFL 2K5 three years ago
* A distinct lack of offline modes
* Player models look ancient (and not just because they're old players)
* Commentary is mostly recycled from 2K5
* Could have used more in the way of customization options.
Game Details | About Our Rating System
ESPN NFL 2K5 is one of those games that have developed a seriously hardcore following in recent years. That's because it happens to be one of the most tightly crafted football games ever made, and also because it happens to be the last NFL-licensed game made by 2K Sports, following EA's snatching of the NFL license into the land of exclusivity. For just about three years now, fans of the 2K brand of football have been wringing their hands in anticipation of what 2K might do to bring back an alternative to Madden. The answer is finally here in the form of All-Pro Football 2K8. All-Pro is precisely the kind of football you remember from NFL 2K5--maybe a little too much like it--but with a roster of classic players from NFL yore. The premise? Build your own team out of your favorite old-timers, and compete against other teams full of heroes of the gridiron, both offline and online. It's a very cool idea for a game, especially in the way you build your team, but some niggling issues with the gameplay and presentation, as well as a stripped-down package of modes, prevents 2K8 from being a truly great return for 2K football.
2K Sports returns to the gridiron in All-Pro Football 2K8, and they've brought some old friends with them.
First, let's look at who you're working with in All-Pro. The roster of classic players goes well over 200, and you'll see plenty of big-time names like Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Mike Ditka, and more. There's also a nice variety of players that aren't quite as immediately recognizable, but certainly deserve their all-pro status, like Lem Barney, Len Dawson, Chuck Muncie, Jessie Tuggle, and the like. However, there's also a decent chunk of players in the game that kind of leave you scratching your head about why they're in there. Mike Golic, for instance, is far more notable for his ESPN broadcasting career than his playing career; Korey Stringer is better known for his death at training camp than his role on the field; and what, exactly, did Brian Bosworth ever do besides play well for about two seasons before getting injured, retire, and go on to star in bad movies? Still, several weird choices aside, the number of honest-to-god legends vastly outweighs the goofy picks, and while one could argue endlessly about various omissions in the roster, this collection of players is plenty good for a starting entry.
But what do you do with all these classic players? Essentially, from the moment you first boot up the game, your task is to build the team of your dreams. To build this team, you're provided 11 empty slots with which to fill superstars, and the remaining slots are taken up by generic players. The classic players are ranked in gold, silver, and bronze tiers. You get two gold, three silver, and six bronze players for any team you create, and they can fill whatever positions you like. Want a potent offense? Grab Jerry Rice and Walter Payton, toss in a silver-tier quarterback like Joe Theismann or Randall Cunningham, and you're in good shape. Prefer the defensive game to be the focus of a team? Pick Ronnie Lott, Dick Butkus, Lem Barney, and Ed "Too Tall" Jones, and you're looking pretty scary. Of course, it's all about balance. Go too far on one side of the ball or the other, and you may suffer in the end. Likewise, if you don't fill out your less sexy positions, like offensive line and kicker, you could find yourself in a difficult spot in certain situations. Difficult a balance as it can be to strike, it's a fun one to experiment with. You can create as many teams as you like, and edit any one you create over and over again until you feel like you've gotten it right.
Once you get your team on the field, any fan of NFL 2K5 is going to be able to settle into a groove pretty quickly. That's because this game might as well be 2K5 with a handful of gameplay tweaks. Some of those tweaks include a new gang tackling system that actually looks and feels superior to anything found in recent Madden games, and a new right-analog-stick tackling mechanic that essentially lets you do big hits, high and low tackles, or reach tackles (the last of which rarely ever seems to work very well). There's also a new kick meter that tries to turn the right analog stick into a kicker's leg, having you pull back on it to start the play, and then push forward to kick (provided you time it and aim correctly). Nifty idea, but it doesn't work well at all. Kickoffs seem to work fine, but kicking field goals is a lot more scattershot than it should be. You know something's off when you're timing your kicks nearly perfectly and putting little angle on the ball beyond where you set the arrow pointer, and you're still missing kicks from 35 yards out.
Finding the right combination of star players is half the fun.
Interestingly enough, it's not the changes made to 2K8's design that really sell it--it's the stuff you remember. It probably speaks best to how fantastic a game 2K5 was that 2K8's gameplay can still be considered great fun, and still feel realistic, considering how much of it is identical to that game. The running game is still the best in the business, with moves and blocking that look and feel just about as spot-on as you could ever hope for. The passing game is no slouch either, though there's a weird bit of delay between when you press the button to throw to a receiver, and when the pass actually launches--one that might be somewhat realistic, but feels overwrought when you're just trying to get the ball out quickly. Defense is stingy and mechanically sound. Defensive backs tend to drop a few too many "gimme" interceptions, and defensive players still like to stand dead still in one spot when assigned to zone coverage (wide receivers tend to do the same thing on certain types of routes), but those quibbles aside, it's hard to complain much about the defensive game.
So, if the game still plays so well, what prevents it from being truly great? It's a lot of things, many of which are elements that are missing. As an offline, single-player game, All-Pro is a weak effort. You get a quick game mode, and one season to play through against a series of pre-made teams, and once you win the championship (or don't), that's pretty much the end of it. There's no franchise mode, no crib, none of the amenities 2K Sports fans have become accustomed to over the years.
More reviews
20/7/50
Game Flash
|
| ||||||
|
| ||||||
|
| ||||||
|
|
สมัครสมาชิก:
บทความ (Atom)