"Deus Ex: Human Revolution"
Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
“Human Revolution” serves as a prequel to the classic “Deus Ex,” released in 2000. This game focuses on the morality of upgrading the human body with technology, which has become rampant in the year 2027.
You play as Adam Jensen, a man who has been forced to be “augmented” in order to save his life. Adam’s story is certainly interesting, but the real narrative strength of the game lies in the immersive world of 2027. It’s visually and thematically striking, taking inspiration from both modern times and the Renaissance.
The game focuses on variable playstyle; each situation can be dealt with in a variety of ways. You can sneak around using cover and stealth abilities, or you can tackle enemies head-on through combat. In addition, the game encourages you to hack electronics and to use conversation to accomplish your goals. Simply put, there’s a lot to do in the game, and it offers plenty of ways to do it.
“Human Revolution” is easily one of the strongest games released so far this year. The setting is engrossing and unsettling, while the variable gameplay encourages multiple playthroughs, making it a revolution well worth experiencing.
"Heroes' Paradise"
Playstation 3
“Heroes’ Paradise” is an upgraded
version of the original Wii game, “No More Heroes.” It follows a nerdy
guy named Travis who buys a sword and uses it to ascend a ranking of the
world’s top assassins.
Because
“Heroes’ Paradise” started as a Wii game, the visuals are a bit dated,
but they’ve been polished up to look decent enough in HD. The bright,
colorful art style is easy enough on the eyes.
When
this game was on the Wii, players waved the remote to swing the sword.
Sadly, that action hasn’t translated so well to PlayStation’s
traditional controller. With the controls remapped to buttons, the
shallowness of the gameplay shows through. The combat isn’t especially
deep, and you’ll find yourself pressing one or two buttons repeatedly
throughout most of the fights. In addition, the mini-games and
side-quests are repetitive, as they were to begin with.
At
$40, “Heroes’ Paradise” isn’t exactly a rip-off, but it’s still tough
to justify. Sure, there’s an extra mode with additional bosses, but it’s
not that attention-grabbing if you’ve played the original game.
If you’d like to try “No More Heroes” for the first time, give this a rent first.
"Resistance 3"
Playstation 3
“Resistance
3” tells the story of a world where WWII never happened because an
alien race, the Chimera, has all but wiped out humanity. The first two
games are infamous for being rough around the edges, but “Resistance 3”
feels like it finally accomplishes what the series set out to be.
The
story follows Joseph Capelli and his family as they hide out from the
Chimera in a small town in Oklahoma. The tone is appropriately bleak and
desperate, and the down-to-earth cast does a good job of making the
drama relatable. In addition, the game features some excellent lighting
effects that add to the bleak atmosphere.
The
game plays like a classic shooter: There’s no regenerating health and
you can carry every weapon in the game at once. Refreshing! The weapons
are extremely varied (with upgrades useful for different situations) and
fun to use.
“Resistance 3” also
features standard multiplayer modes, complete with character progression
and unlockables, but the real draw is the story. Few shooters these
days show war as something other than a macho kill-fest. If you’re in
the mood for something a little more somber, “Resistance 3” won’t do you
wrong. —Andrew Jerman
