Billed as a digital palate cleanser of sorts, The UnderGarden is designed to be the anti-Call of Duty. With its rich colors, methodical pacing and mellow music, it’s clear that developer Artech Studios was trying to deliver something more along the lines of Flow or Zen Bound, where patience and relaxation are at the crux of the experience.

But unfortunately for The UnderGarden, that experience just ends up feeling like a one-sided exchange with the player coming up short. For a game that’s supposed to be about mellowing out and enjoying the ride, there were just too many technical, communicative and design-related problems for me to derive any enjoyment from playing the game. Despite its good intentions and lovely aesthetics, The UnderGarden is unfortunately more trouble than it’s probably worth.

While exploring the UnderGarden, you’ll bring flora to life and manipulate fruit and fauna to progress. But there’s a catch to all of this: The more objects that you’re actively moving, the slower your character moves. And because as you progress further into the game you’ll need to be manipulating more and more objects, the going gets slower and slower. This is ameliorated by a drag-and-release dash move, which the game fails to mention to the player in any way. Still, it’s rare that you’ll be moving in a straight line for very long, and the speed boost you get is comparable to what you’ll get from repeatedly clicking to swim around, so it ends up feeling a bit out of place.

The game’s use of color is pleasant, with a subdued, cool palette that springs to life in rich, neon tones. There’s a problem that arises from that, though: Because everything lights up when you pollinate it, it’s difficult sometimes to discern which plants are fruit-bearing and which ones aren’t. Because manipulating fruit is critical to solving puzzles, that created quite a few frustrating moments for me where I’d be circling through the level, trying to hunt down the one plant that produced the fruit I needed for the switch I was required to activate. An inconsistent camera compounds that frustration; viewing angles and zoom levels are sometimes problematic. Either the game will zoom out so far that you can’t see objects on the tops or bottoms of terrain or it’ll zoom in so close that you get disoriented.

The UnderGarden features dynamic music that generally works well, but it’s not seamless. When you encounter musicians — little creatures you carry and use to progress — they’ll each play accompaniment to the background music on their specific instruments. However, there are noticeable stutter points where their loops repeat, interrupting the flow of the experience. It’s nothing game-breaking, but it’s a shame that something as minor as a music loop couldn’t have been fixed for a game that’s so significantly focused on its ambience.

It’s possible some of these problems are hardware-related. In fact, this was originally going to be Aaron’s review, but he was unable to play the game more than a few minutes before it would crash. After corresponding with the developer, it emerged that there’s a known incompatibility with computers that have X-Fi sound cards. Because I’ve always been too cheap to pick up a sound card, I’ve been playing through the game without any crashes. But as I played more, I noticed the sound would cut out altogether for longer periods of time — nearly a full second at times. On the second level, the music died completely about halfway through, and nothing I did would bring it back.

The characters look cute at first glance, but they’re bland and even a little creepy. The musicians — monkey-like, infantile creatures — all have the same basic animation cycle. You’re able to customize your own avatar (a strange little spotted thing that looks like a cross between a scaly dolphin and a human baby) with unlockable colors, features, and so forth, but they don’t change the fact that the player character is largely devoid of expression. It smiles constantly and its tongue lolls about, and that’s cute, but that expression is unchanging. It’s the sort of thing that sticks out like a sore thumb when a bomb explodes next to it or it’s struck by an orb that siphons off its pollen. No matter what happens, it doesn’t change expression. It makes it really difficult to become attached to your character.

At its heart, it seems like The UnderGarden is trying to be a smooth, seamless experience that wants to evoke a mood rather than bark orders at the player. It’s a philosophy that resonates with me, and I think it’s a good concept in modern game design. However, The UnderGarden stumbles in attempting to build that sort of seamless experience of mood and feeling by failing to communicate exactly what’s expected of the player and what the player is capable of doing.

For example, the central hub world tracks your completion rating for each level, but it never explicitly states whether there’s a reward for blooming every single plant — a task that seems potentially very tedious. Without any indication of whether that’ll amount to any sort of explicit, tangible reward, what’s there to motivate the player to hug every wall and double-check every plant before moving on? That’s not to mention the other vague categories for completion. What happens if you find every special flower on a level? How do you unlock whatever the music note icon means? And try as I might, I just couldn’t figure out what I was supposed to do with musicians. Was I supposed to carry them all to the end of the level? Can I bring them together at a specific point to make something happen? It wasn’t clear, and thanks to the game’s largely unhelpful built-in manual, I never figured it out.

As frustrating as the sparse in-game manual was, the lack of a full explanation of controls for PC players is just unacceptable. When the game first asked me to push the “boost” key, I had no idea what it was asking me. I checked the options screen and, as it turns out, the game doesn’t tell the player how to boost.  The only place you’ll see a “boost” button is on the Xbox 360 controller layout. Well, that’s helpful.

It’s probably pretty clear that I was kind of miffed with this game for the majority of the time I spent with it. However, I think it’s worth noting that once I plugged in a wired Xbox 360 controller, the game took on a significantly different feel. Rather than clicking repeatedly to gain momentum like I was playing a Diablo game — a control scheme that’s just baffling when paired with a game that’s supposed to be relaxing — I could simply tilt the left analog stick and press and release the A button to move around effortlessly. Of course, it didn’t do anything to assuage the grievances I have with the game’s structure and flow, but it certainly made the experience less frustrating to control.

What makes relatively wordless games like Braid, Flower and Limbo so successful is that they feature a subtle but clear means of informing the player of the game’s goals, boundaries and expectations. The UnderGarden is an example of a game that tries to sweep all those things under the rug and deliver a pure, immersive experience, but it just ends up throwing  the baby out with the bathwater. The result is a game that’s far more confusing to understand and frustrating to play than it needs to be.

The UnderGarden isn’t a bad game as a whole, nor is it a collection of bad ideas. It’s just an underdeveloped concept that fails to draw in the player with meaningful objectives or a compelling environment, and because of its fundamental problems it’s not something I feel comfortable recommending. Based on the time I spent using an Xbox 360 controller instead of a keyboard and mouse, it’s probable that the game could be more enjoyable on a console; regardless, the PC-specific problems were too serious and frustrating to deal with for me to be able to recommend this game to anyone.

Not Recommended for:

• Bland, monotonous gameplay that fails to immerse the player or build upon itself
• A general lack of polish, ranging from audio and art issues to an incomplete help and options section

The UnderGarden is published by Atari and developed by Artech Studios. It is available on PC and Xbox Live Arcade for $9.99/800  Microsoft Points. The publisher provided Silicon Sasquatch with a review copy.

Read our policy on reviews here.

The headline says it all, friends. Steam is running one of its beloved Weekend Deals on Torchlight, a game we at Silicon Sasquatch hold very dear to our hearts — even though we’ve only played the demo (a lot). But now everyone can have the clever action RPG from Runic Games for just $9.99 (normally $19.99) until Monday! It’s a steal, so go grab it right now. Don’t have Steam? Get it. Don’t have a PC? Buy one — or at least put Windows on your Mac. Linux…sorry?

And did I mention that you can have a dog or cat companion cart your loot back to town for you? I’ll let Penny Arcade explain.

Read after the break for more details.

Critically, Torchlight has been given its fair share of praise. Called “the best Diablo clone in years,” it’s no shock considering the developers’ pedigree. Runic employs some key staff who worked on the Diablo series. But Torchlight is still its own unique and refreshing experience, despite its strong resemblance to Blizzard’s franchise.

If you miss this weekend’s sale, there’s a chance that Torchlight will be going for $9.99 again on Direct 2 Drive during their “24 Days of Christmas” extravaganza. Check out this Cheap Ass Gamer thread for potential evidence (scroll to “List of possible upcoming deals” and click the “show spoiler” button).

I’ll stop writing now, and let the official Torchlight website detail the rest:

The adventure is set in the mining settlement of Torchlight, a boomtown founded on the discovery of rich veins of Ember – a rare and mysterious ore with the power to enchant or corrupt all that it contacts. This corruptive power may have dire consequences however, and players set out into the nearby mountains and depths below to discover the full extent of Ember’s influence on the civilizations that have come before.

Players will choose from among three character classes, and venture from the safety of the town of Torchlight into randomly generated dungeon levels, with a huge variety of creepy monsters, endless variations of loot to find, and quests to complete. The endless randomization ensures a long-lived gameplay experience.

KEY FEATURES

• Randomization – Our level layouts are randomly created, so each adventure is unique. Monsters, treasures, puzzles, and items are also different each time you embark on an adventure.
• Easy, approachable interface – Torchlight is designed to be easy to play right from the beginning. The intuitive interface gives players easy access to a rich and varied world.
• Retirement System – Once characters are sufficiently leveled up, they can “retire” and bestow specific benefits and perks to new characters.
• Pets – Players will choose a pet to accompany them. Pets can level up along with the player, and will help in battle, carry items, and perform a variety of helpful services.
• Character Classes – Players will create and customize a character and choose an animal companion. Through cosmetic choices, skill path decisions, and the treasures they acquire, each character will be custom-tailored and different.
• Fishing – Players can take a break from the high-energy pace of adventuring to visit one of the fishing holes and relax and see what they can catch. Fish have interesting benefits for the player and pet, and other rewards can also be discovered
• Editor – Runic Games is embracing our modding community by providing an editor so our players can create and design their own content.

Note: We aren’t being paid for this at all. We just really like Torchlight.

What more can be said about the so-called largest entertainment launch in the history of mankind?

It’s tempting to boil down Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to a vaporous obligation, an experience that divides gamers into the haves and have-nots. But that’s putting blind faith in a product based on its advertising blitzkrieg. Aren’t we supposed to be discerning consumers?

The climate around Modern Warfare 2 is now adequate, a month after release, for a steady-handed dissection of gaming’s latest chart-topping champion — far removed from the pre-release hype. This critique won’t convert the detractors or embolden the fanatics, but it will hopefully read as an alternative education on the latest Call of Duty, a game that flirts with failure as much as it tastes success.

War. War never changes.

We’re now at the sixth main entry in the Call of Duty franchise and the second Modern Warfare title. The games have upped the adrenaline in each release (including CoD substitute developer Treyarch’s Call of Duty 3 and CoD: World at War), and at this point the franchise can almost out-Michael Bay the actual Michael Bay. But is this what we want? Yes, according to the numbers and charts. Modern Warfare 2 is exactly what gamers want, and want more of. And that’s precisely what we’ll be getting. Case in point: Electronic Arts has jumped back into the big budget FPS arena, and they’re out for blood with a “me too!” modernized Medal of Honor title set for release in 2010.

To be fair, I’ve never wanted the Call of Duty series to be anything but a set of flawlessly produced cinematic action games. Infinity Ward was founded under that mindset when key members of 2015, Inc., the studio behind Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, split from Electronic Arts to make games their way. From the beginning, Infinity Ward wanted to outdo Medal of Honor, the most movie-like shooter series in the early 2000s.

The most hardcore ride to a paintball match, ever.

There’s no doubt that Modern Warfare 2′s filmic set pieces will stick with me. From outer space to suburban Virginia, to Pacific Ocean oil platforms and the Middle East, this is quite the Carmen Sandiego (or Matt Lauer) treatment. I applaud Infinity Ward and Modern Warfare 1 and 2 writer Jesse Stern for taking such a risk by juggling multiple locales in a brief, six-hour campaign. However, the spastic story makes for forgettable personal interactions amongst the more memorable explosions. I don’t exactly care that Soap is back. I wasn’t floored by the surprise return of a main character from Call of Duty 4. New characters like Ghost are cookie-cutter archetypes seen too many times before. And I certainly can’t forgive recycling the “Let’s shoot this player character in the face to kill him off” plot mechanic. The twists in Modern Warfare 1 worked because of their initial shock value. No one expected the nuke to actually go off and kill Sgt. Paul Jackson. But thanks to Call of Duty 4, the expectation of death appearing at any moment during Modern Warfare 2 dissolves what was once a clever tool. Stern and the other writers might find this life-and-death uncertainty to be “emotionally charged,” but it instead comes off as simplistic and tired.

While I don’t expect deep, philosophical pondering from Call of Duty, I do expect the series to show me things I’ve never seen in a videogame before. And in that regard Modern Warfare 2 more than succeeded. I’d never felt so uneasy playing a game as I did when firing on civilians in “No Russian.” I’ve never dodged a land mine in slow motion before. I also can’t say I’ve pushed through a crowd of enemies with a riot shield. And I certainly haven’t breached and cleared, in slow motion, a room filled with explosive barrels and terrorists guarding hostages. Modern Warfare 2 is simply bursting with numerous classic moments like these.

Then why am I so frustrated at the single player story? Because this is the industry’s future. This is what we encourage; because we’re addicted. We think that as long as the gameplay is tight it doesn’t matter if the story is weak. Infinity Ward can’t be faulted for being good at what they do, and this review is no place to sit in my tower of perceived superiority, but gamers aren’t advancing the medium forward — they’re hindering it. Astronomical sales beget more games like Modern Warfare 2, which sounds absolutely fine in the short term. But when you consider the uneven plot of Modern Warfare 2, and realize this was just a giant action flick, the potential for more of it makes my enthusiasm slip into apathy.

Infinity Ward's next project: a realistic remake of Ice Climbers.

Still, Modern Warfare 2 was fun. Pure can’t-put-it-down-even-though-it’s-3 a.m. fun. I finished the campaign twice, once on Veteran even, and marveled at the visceral gameplay both times. Infinity Ward is at the top of its game with the latest in the franchise. But is this all we want from our sequels? Just because something was “badass” doesn’t mean it’s worthwhile. Games like Modern Warfare 2 — all flash and polish — are brittle, fleeting even. These games do well until the sequel comes along. Because think about it: Will Modern Warfare 2 be a replayable game 10 years from now, a game that will defy age and achieve a Tetris-like status? The recent Call of Duty 1 re-release on Xbox LIVE and PlayStation Network has brought up this question, as reviewers tend to comment that the game, while an impressive feat of development during its time, hasn’t aged well. The original title is still playable, but its impact today is in showing us how far gaming has come in six years. So I’m sure Modern Warfare 2 will play well years from now. But who’s going to care when we’re pre-ordering Call of Duty: Future Warfare 5?

Some gamers might fail to see my point in criticizing Modern Warfare 2, and will likely say I’m overreacting or being hypocritical. I’m aware sequels are what drive the industry, and more of a high-quality series is generally a joyous thing. But that’s why I feel a few jabs at Modern Warfare 2 are warranted: We need to expect more from these $60 blockbusters, so why not start with the current king? Asking little of talented people is ruining a portion of the film industry, where cheap remakes and bare-minimum sequels are encouraged by ignorant audiences.

Then again, a lot of Call of Duty players don’t care what either Infinity Ward or Treyarch do with their stories. It fascinates me that many of Modern Warfare 2′s multiplayer gamers haven’t finished the campaign. Try checking random players’ Modern Warfare 2 achievements: some haven’t even progressed past “The Pit.”

Plot is only a back-of-the-box feature to these types, something read but never experienced. They just want the multiplayer.

Looks like someone's finally taking out the Whale Wars crew.

Back in the saddle (on a slightly different horse).

If you loved Call of Duty 4′s genius multiplayer, be thankful: Modern Warfare 2 adds enough to the same experience to feel new again. The riot shield, third-person perspective matches, death streak rewards and customized killstreaks are the most impressive additions, and each helps you feel even more in control of your online soldier.

And despite a recent crop of frustratingly abundant bugs, multiplayer remains a major reason to purchase the game. You still gain experience, you still make your own classes and you still unlock new weapons and perks on your way to the increased level cap of 70. Infinity Ward took a risk and failed with its handling of the single player plot; however, they built upon the strengths of Call of Duty 4′s online portion to improve the original concept.

The pull of Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer is strong at first. Playing with friends every day can encourage an extreme investment in the process of ranking up to keep up; unlocking gear, tweaking perks, testing attachments and completing challenges can melt the hours away. It’s so fast-paced that there’s rarely time to realize you’re trudging through frustration and anger for a small bit of satisfaction via the occasional killstreak or “Oh man, did you see that?” moment.

I only start losing interest once I’ve played the same maps, killed the same classes and defeated the same tactics hundreds of times. So I’d be ignorant if I didn’t recognize how much value Modern Warfare 2′s multiplayer mode has when I’ve played it for nearly three days total. It’s expected that the well will run dry after so many return trips.

But Call of Duty multiplayer is frustratingly ironic in its insistence on rewarding the lone wolf player. The gameplay is too fast — too hectic — to provide the sense of camaraderie Infinity Ward wants in its single player campaigns; originally in opposition to Medal of Honor and its invincible soldier defeating battalions of enemies alone. Online players with the most kills in the first two Call of Duty games were those who didn’t work with their teammates — opting instead to hide, camp and snipe. The same mentality applied to Call of Duty 4, and continues to apply to its sequel. While I do believe an organized clan can dominate any battlefield situation online, Call of Duty team games have never felt truly organized.

So to fill the co-op gap in their own Call of Duty titles, Infinity Ward took cues from Treyarch’s Nazi Zombies to create the new Special Ops mode. The result is my absolute favorite part of Modern Warfare 2.

Spring Break 2009: Overdressed at Lake Havasu!

Table for two.

Special Ops is a one to two player co-op mode containing 23 missions split into military alphabet categories, ascending in difficulty from Alpha through Echo. The goal is to collect all 69 stars (I hope someone at Infinity Ward is proud of that), which are rewarded based on the difficulty each mission is completed on — one for Regular, two for Hardened, three for Veteran. Missions pull from locales seen in the single player campaign, meaning there are snowmobile races, stealth missions, blow-up-everything challenges and extremely difficult breach and clear tasks to name a few.

I have a hunch this is the future of Call of Duty, or at least a very important part of its growth. In a way, Special Ops feels like a series of tiny user-created mods for a PC title like Operation Flashpoint or ArmA II. You and your partner actually rely on each other to beat these challenges, and it’s imperative to keep an open line of communication and plan your tactics in advance. All of the current missions are substantial enough to take a week or two to complete at Veteran difficulty.

Cooperative gameplay is extremely popular right now, but Special Ops manages to cement its own place amongst a slew of similar experiences. It isn’t Left 4 Dead, it isn’t horde mode and it certainly isn’t Nazi Zombies. Those examples encourage a sort of long form experience; horde mode and Nazi Zombies have checkpoints within a persistent gameplay session, and the Left 4 Dead games are about working toward an end goal across multiple chapters. As an alternative, Special Ops missions can be finished in anywhere from two to 15 minutes depending on the specific task and your pacing. Each mission is independent from the others within its difficulty class (i.e., don’t expect to see two snowmobile races on Bravo’s list). It’s such a fast mode that I can see doing one or two of these with your pal during a lunch break from work — assuming you work near your home, or have an amazing boss who lets you play your console at work.

Infinity Ward’s unique take on co-op gaming is a welcome surprise considering the studio’s pedigree of making gigantic scenarios to showcase their development skills. Say hello to “micro-op” gameplay.

Soap: fully armed and running late to a Mr. T cosplay convention.

All things considered, Modern Warfare 2 is a behemoth of a game. And while I do believe it will easily be replaced by its eventual sequel, I can’t pretend like it didn’t provide hours of entertainment. Be it my fleeting addiction to the multiplayer or the clever co-op of Special Ops, there’s a lot to like about the latest Call of Duty. Let’s just hope Modern Warfare 3 finds Infinity Ward able to write a story just as impressive as the graphics engine will be.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available for a suggested retail price of $59.99 on the Xbox 360, PC and PS3. The reviewer reached 100% completion on both the campaign and Special Ops modes, and registered nearly three days worth of time played in multiplayer. He feels slightly embarrassed by that fact. A copy was given to the reviewer as a gift by an independent party.

Recommended for:

• Call of Duty diehards, of course
• Shooter fans
• Multiplayer enthusiasts who like RPG elements
• Activision would want me to say “everyone,” right? Well, practically everyone bought it already.
• Special Ops

Not Recommended for:

• Those who appreciate good writing
• Gamers tired of another batch of bombs, bullets and buddies fighting the good fight
• Anyone who hasn’t cared about Call of Duty up to this point — MW2 isn’t enough to convince you to join the masses

Read our policy on reviews here.

The Holidays approach. For some that means quality time with family members not seen for a year — maybe more. Others, well…can I get a “what what” if at some point during your life you hid away in the midst of celebrations to finish Earthbound (or, insert other game reference here). However, my adult years have made me more personable when it comes to the holidays; I’m now infinitely more interested in the going-ons of my kin.

Still, I won’t lie that this year I’d prefer to mow down more of Left 4 Dead 2′s cajunized zombies with a giant plate of delicious turkey and fixins on my lap. I’m thankful for me.

We’re back on track for backlogs, and this week is mega-sized to make up for our absence. To summarize: Nick informs us he essentially played everything ever released this month, Doug gushes about his beloved Forza 3 between study sessions, and I write about why two wonderful November-born titles should be played on the PC.

Do the Mario!

Nick:

Life served up a particularly hellish week for me, so it was fortunate that I had a slew of excellent games to escape with.

I spent a few fantastic hours in New Super Mario Bros. Wii in its fantastic cooperative/competitive mode earlier this week. What Jerry Holkins said about this game’s debilitating effects on a relationship is true, to a point; while we were able to help each other out for the most part, there were times where my attempts to “take the lead” or “get us through this tough spot” often led to one or both of us being killed, prompting my girlfriend to say some things about me that are rarely included in the same sentences used to talk about a Mario game. But it was all in good fun — something this game has in ample supply. It’s Mario in his best form ever, and anyone who grew up playing these games should purchase it without hesitation.

This week also brought another sequel to a game I adored: Assassin’s Creed 2. Transporting the game to Renaissance Italy is perhaps the most significant shift in story and setting that I’ve seen in a franchise in quite some time, and Ubisoft Montreal deserves some commendation for crafting an incredible sequel to an already ambitious debut title. There’s so much I could say about how things were improved — combat, economy, actions and consequences, exploration, story — but I’ll lay it out like this instead. If you loved Assassin’s Creed, you’ll love Assassin’s Creed 2. And if you hated the original? You’ll probably love Assassin’s Creed 2 anyway.

Having completed all five campaigns in Left 4 Dead 2, I’m happy to pronounce myself an official fan of the series. Although I bought the first game and had my fair share of fun with it, I always felt a little uneasy playing it. And it wasn’t because of the game’s tension, or horror-film veneer, or anything like that; it was just that the game sent a constant message that your survival was entirely at the game director’s mercy. In the sequel, the tone has changed significantly for the better. If Left 4 Dead was Valve’s attempt to make an interactive zombie movie like Dawn of the Dead, Left 4 Dead 2 is Valve making a balls-out Zombieland-style game. Melee weapons encourage close combat, lending a sense of strength and confidence to the survivors that was sorely missing from the first. All four of the characters in the sequel have stronger personalities than the first game’s survivors, and their determination on getting to New Orleans to be rescued encourages the player to keep slogging it out through hell and high water. It’s one of the most improved sequels of the year, without a doubt.

And when you consider that Left 4 Dead 2 was developed in just one year, it’s disappointing that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 didn’t shape up to be more substantial. To be fair, Infinity Ward’s last game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, not only reinvented the series — it raised the bar significantly for what an online multiplayer experience can be. I sank a “mere” 40 hours into COD4′s multiplayer mode, which pales in comparison to most of the people on my friends list. Multiplayer in Modern Warfare 2 is technically just as good as COD4′s, but after a solid six hours online in a variety of modes I’m struggling to stay interested. The mantra in developing this sequel seems to have been “more options in every aspect of play,” which is a good thing, but the core sensation of Call of Duty 4 has dulled for me. I was hoping lightning would strike twice, and I suppose it did, but I was hoping for a more risky and adventurous update to multiplayer — not a mere iteration. If I wanted that, I’d have bought last year’s Call of Duty: World at War. If there is one area that received a substantial improvement, though, it’s the single player. Rather than attempt to keep things within the bounds of reality, Infinity Ward opted to create an over-the-top global conflict that was flawlessly paced from start to finish. It’s ludicrous, but it’s so, so much fun. At about six hours to complete, it’s shorter than COD4′s — but considering how tedious replaying that game’s campaign was for me, I’m much happier with the new game’s approach.

I’m still slogging through Dragon Age: Origins with my city elf rogue. Steam says I’ve played for quite a long time, but I’m only at about 15% completion. Maybe it’s because I love reading every entry in the admirably written codex, or because I can’t help but talk to every NPC, but I’m getting an astronomically entertaining experience for my money with this game. I’m really struggling to fathom just how Mass Effect 2 could top the quality of this experience once it hits in January.

I also sank a few rounds in with the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 beta. I’d been hoping for a return to the glory days of Battlefield 2, and instead what I got was Bad Company with a moderate graphical upgrade; it’s good, but there are better options available. Looks like I’ll still be holding out for Battlefield 3 after all.

Doug sums up his feelings on this picture with an articulate "WEEEEEEE!"

Doug:

While I’ve been way too busy finishing up the majority of my grad school quarter, I’ve still found time to play a little bit of…erm…Forza Motorsport 3. And nothing else.

But it’s so good! I still love pretty much everything about it, even if I haven’t been able to play online with my friends at all. The rewind button is a godsend — it erases single-player frustration with the ease of control-z functionality. The selection of cars and tuning options are superb; I’ve made an old-school Volkswagen Rabbit into a fire-breathing, turbocharged four-wheel-drive monster that could eat a Ferrari for lunch and spit out its bones.

It’s been said that Microsoft and Turn 10 gets things right in the third iteration, and this particular game is a great example of that. It’s almost strange to think that all three Forza Motosport games have been released since Sony and Polyphony released Gran Turismo 4 on the PlayStation 2. It’s scary to think how much Forza has moved ahead certain aspects of console racing games.

Along with Forza, I’ve tried out a few of the Xbox Live improvements from this week’s update — namely the implementation of Facebook and Twitter. And that’s really the extent of my interaction; they’re there, they work just as advertised, but I feel like I’m kind of missing the point. It’s nice to have both services everywhere at all times, but until a real killer use for either blooms on the 360 they’re going to feel like tacked-on additions.

I don't think James Brown had this in mind when he wanted to take us to "the bridge."

Aaron:

Let’s get down to it. Left 4 Dead 2 and Dragon Age: Origins are two amazing games that deserve to be played on the PC only.

Now, I love consoles. This isn’t a fanboy thing. And I fully understand that not everyone has a modern computer capable of playing the latest releases — Boot Camp Macs included. So, let’s assume you’re a lucky gamer who has the following: a home console of the PS3 or Xbox 360 variety, and a gaming PC. Let’s also assume you enjoy co-op zombie shooting and in-depth fantasy RPGs. You’re excited about the aforementioned titles, but you’re hesitant to commit to a particular platform. Here’s the answer: Play those games on the PC, or you’re not getting your money’s worth.

That may be a blatantly ignorant statement to some, but these words come from a person who, before this month, more or less abandoned PC gaming over the past year (aside from Dawn of War II and Left 4 Dead 1). PCs get the short end of the doomsday stick these days. People say the PC as a gaming device is dead, no one makes money off of the games anymore, and pirating is ruining developers left and right. Controversies aren’t helping the perception of PC gamers amongst the general gaming populace either. So that’s why I’m glad to see Electronic Arts promoting the platform with a definitive version Dragon Age, and Valve doing their thing by releasing such a quality computer title as L4D2.

Dragon Age works best on PC because of the following: the overall better performance (higher frame rate, less glitching, faster loading), a more sensible control/camera mechanic, and a BioWare community toolset that paves the way for future user mods. If Neverwinter Nights is an example to go by, expect years of free, quality content flowing from the collective mind of an invested fan base.

Now, Left 4 Dead 2 deserves to be experienced on the PC because it’s a Valve title first, console port second — plain and simple. The Steam service is consistent in its ability to match like minded players and bring friends together promptly. PC gamers are spoiled when it comes to online play. Thanks, dedicated servers.

I’d also wager the community on Steam is better than Xbox Live’s. Actually, it is better. Left 4 Dead 2 even has a section specifically for add-ons, and it’s exciting to think of the campaigns an active community will create using the sequel’s assets. The original’s user-made maps were generally great, so expect a longer lifespan if you pick up L4D2 on the PC.

Oh, and PC versions are cheaper than their console counterparts. That’s a plus.

Aaron:

Let’s get the praise out of the way: Borderlands is a monumental success, a title overflowing with charm, style, solid combat and addictive gameplay.

And now, the condemnation: Despite its quality, Borderlands’ longevity is questionable upon subsequent playthroughs. What was so impressive at first becomes a chore later on. If I were an economist I might call this a case of diminishing returns; however, numbers scare me.

It seems desperate to scan for criticisms after spending over 35 hours on one game. But in the end, Gearbox’s accomplishment in creating a polished loot-fest for consoles is a fleeting bit of impressive technical fancy.

That’s not to say Borderlands isn’t worth purchasing. You’ll enjoy it, and your money will have been well spent. Day after day, you’ll keep coming back to look for the next elusive upgrade. Maybe that Badass Brawler will drop a revolver with a 2.2x magnification scope that can rapid fire corrosive bullets in a fraction of the time your last gun took. Or you might pick up some chump change and a health pack. Don’t be alarmed by the game’s subtle insistence on gambling your time away: You’ll find yourself playing “just a little more” to find the next big cache. That’s the point.

Shootin' at the dock of the bay

Borderlands is unequivocal gun pornography — a sensory overload of randomized statistics packed into each computationally different piece of ballistic hardware. That’s what made Diablo so successful. That’s why, to this day, the press and the fans refer to any game containing random treasures and frantic mouse-click combat (or controller trigger depressions in the case of Borderlands) as being Diablo-like. Gearbox even added a reference to Blizzard’s franchise with an enemy named Rakkinishu, a fully modeled pun of a classic Diablo II enemy. Its loot: a cracked sash. If you don’t get the joke, Borderlands might be the most original game of the past 10 years for you. Just remember that PC gamers have been slaughtering hordes and filling relic coffers since 1996.

Yet the Diablo parallels aren’t a negative trait. That pedigree, one valuing the pursuit of loot above all else (and the belief that all classes are created equal until skill points are allocated), is the strongest aspect of Borderlands. This game is a nod to the tradition of obsessive item collecting coupled with deep action-RPG elements. It works because the concept has always worked iteration after iteration, and it’s somehow fun every single time. Though to be fair, I can’t think of another FPS title that so perfectly incorporates the isometric stylings of the Diablo franchise into a shooter’s ground-level perspective.

How else can we dissect a title so obvious in its goals? If you can’t find joy in the slaughter of thousands of enemies and the endless hunt for better gear with a few friends, Borderlands isn’t for you.

The vehicles, while a bit awkward, certainly pack a punch

Nick:

Never underestimate the importance of a good ending. No matter the faults a game may have in structure or design, a great narrative escalation leading up to a satisfying conclusion can accommodate for any number of hiccups along the way.

Unfortunately, when an excellent game is tethered to a half-hearted final sequence with not even the slightest hint of closure — not to mention no sign of what’s to come in a sequel — the player is left with such a sour feeling that there’s no way in hell they’re returning to that same game environment.

Borderlands falls squarely in the second category. Despite its brilliantly calculated pacing, engaging variety of firearms and intense-but-rarely-unfair combat, the thirty or so hours it took me to arrive at the vault on Pandora felt entirely negated by the abortive conclusion. It’ll ruin nobody’s enjoyment of the game to explain that the final boss is located at the vault; you kill it, it drops some inconspicuous loot, and…that’s it. The mysterious windswept lady says you can go sell the vault key for some money and it’ll be openable again two hundred years down the line. There you go. Time to start a second playthrough, right?

Wrong. For such a brilliant Diablo-like game, Borderlands missed one crucial component: A gripping conclusion. It’s the part that tugs not just at your brain’s obsessive impulses but at its emotional receptors as well. Why did anyone go back and play through Diablo 1 on Nightmare or Hell after killing the prime evil himself? Because in order to truly defeat him, the hero had to take on his curse — and we all know that can’t last forever. It makes the prospect of a repeat playthrough exciting because a sequel is inevitable, and the ending (admittedly poor as it was in the first game) was enough compulsion to add purpose to a second venture into the abyss.

Skills = kills

Diablo II did an even better job with the betrayal of Marius at the hands of Baal. Even though Diablo was once again killed, his soulstone remained — allowing Baal to deceive Marius, murder him in cold blood, and begin his march toward Mount Arreat and the ominous Worldstone. With an expansion imminent, Diablo II offered plenty of reason to keep venturing back throughout the world of Sanctuary in search of better loot, more robust skills and more challenging duels. And it’s probably safe to say that its expansion, Lord of Destruction, wouldn’t still have the massive fanbase it holds today without a similarly compelling conclusion: Tyrael’s destruction of the World Stone and the unpredictable, dramatic future that would follow. While Diablo is undoubtedly the genre-defining series for hack ‘n slash RPGs, it very likely would have lost its place at the top to other admirable contenders (Titan Quest, Sacred, Torchlight) without having developed a solid purpose and alluring narrative within the world of Sanctuary.

They may look like great hosts, but bandits really aren't your friends

The thirty-odd hours I spent with Borderlands were an absolute blast. Whether going it solo or with a group of friends, the game scaled intelligently and always provided something fun to do or exciting to kill. But I realize now that I was only enjoying the raw design of the game, and not the Borderlands mythology itself. Even the world itself is devoid of character; while its sarcasm is deeply entrenched in the characters and missions themselves, and it certainly benefits the game, it’s no substitute for a real soul or purpose.

Gearbox demonstrated a first-class understanding of what makes gamers tick, and what makes playing a game with friends fun. They nailed the science — and the next time around, with any luck, they’ll discover the soul as well.

Borderlands is available for a suggested retail price of $59.99 on the Xbox 360 and PS3, and for $49.99 on the PC. The reviewers completed the story mode, and each began a second playthrough that adds different enemies and more difficult encounters. The multiplayer was tested throughout much of the game in varying numbers of two to four participants.

Recommended for:

• White-knuckle, trigger-depressing action
• The lack of shame in being a total loot fest
• An initial sense of style and humor that separates Borderlands from other titles
• A drop-in/drop-out multiplayer mechanic that makes the concept look easy
• Those with a lot of friends

Not Recommended for:

• A lack of longevity — it’s great while it lasts, but who cares about getting to level 50? (Aside from me. – Aaron)
• The ending: a complete letdown that nearly ruins the earlier fun of getting there
• It’s almost there, but not quite — Gearbox showed a lot of potential here, but missteps in the tone and pacing of the game after a wonderful honeymoon period make for a bit of head-scratching

Read our policy on reviews here

Mmm, Backlog-y

What legends of game-playing intrigue do we, the stewards of Silicon Sasquatch, bring you this week?

There’s more of the same (Titan Quest) with a nice lime twist of newness (Borderlands); there’s the late-to-the-party-but-enjoying-it-anyway epic (Brütal Legend); and then there’s the dreaded blackness of managing grad school responsibilities (Portland State University — rated “M” for mature).

There ain't no rest for the wicked

Nick:

If you’d asked me two months ago whether I was excited for Borderlands, I’d have scoffed. Sure, Gearbox made a couple Half-Life expansions I enjoyed and delivered a real overlooked gem of a game in Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, but they haven’t come up with many surprises in the past few years.

As PAX 2009 was drawing to a close, I wandered over to the Gearbox booth to get a ten-minute hands-on demonstration with Borderlands. In that brief span of time, my apathy transformed into elation — this was the first-person shooter/ role-playing game hybrid I’d been yearning for all these years. I walked away from the booth convinced the game would be worth owning, and I waited out the next month and a half as patiently as I could.

Now that it’s here, I’m pleased to say Borderlands is everything I had hoped it would be. It’s full of wit, style, and finely tuned action-RPG mechanics that, while a bit unoriginal, are executed with quality. It’s almost enough to wash the sour taste of the disastrous Hellgate: London out of my mouth.

You know something's really interesting when people are opting to not stare at the giant wings of the demonic Eddie Riggs

Doug:

Along with playing “Oh god I’m halfway through my first term of grad school,” I’ve spent time alternating between shaking my fist at and being thankful for the Europeans who got Forza 3 this week — it’s validating my pre-order decision many times over. Foreign coverage hasn’t influenced me this much since Gran Turismo 4.

Also, I played a bit more NCAA 10 and Brütal Legend. But, mostly, I’m trying to survive my classes.

Lucky you — here's a bonus Borderlands screenshot

Aaron:

I’m still playing Titan Quest. Yeah, I know. Best $5 I’ve ever spent though — on a videogame.

But this week’s titles of actual interest didn’t find their way into my disc drive until the tail end: Brütal Legend and Borderlands. Slowly, but surely, I’m scratching away the surface layers of each game with dilligence and child-like excitement. What’s going on, 2009? You’ve produced almost too many surprisingly great games so far.

Should I accept each game’s hype without taking that grain of salt everyone always warns me about?

Yes, I think it’ll be OK.

There’s not much else to say yet, unfortunately. Installing Windows 7 took away some of my PC gaming time this week due to reinstalling and optimizing, so finishing TQ and getting to know Champions Online were put on the back burner.

You’ll have to excuse me, but it’s time to go giggle at Brütal Legend and cause severe eyestrain from grinding away in Borderlands.

My gCal for this week: The green arrow represents the days without posts on Silicon Sasquatch. Everyone likes an effective graphic!

Unfortunately for you, dear reader, our goal of posting fresh, thirst-quenching content at least once a day didn’t occur this week. We apologize for that; It’s a busy season for those of us in graduate school and those of us looking for jobs. But you’re not here for excuses! You’re here to about read what videogames we’ve been playing — the most important segment of our daily lives, of course.

Nick’s been hoarding mad “lewt”, I’ve been rekindling my passion for zombie killing and Doug’s been using his DS to hone his prowess with the Japanese language.

Wait…is that even a game?

Despite the obvious similarities, this is not an homage to The Secret of Monkey Island. This disembodied head is just irritating.

Nick:

You’d think that I’d be knee-deep into Titan Quest, having picked it up for a mere five bucks last weekend. Or maybe you’d assume I’m relentlessly improving my Firefight scores in Halo 3: ODST. At the very least, you’d be absolutely certain that most of my free time has been spent feeding my fetishistic love for the Rock Band Network beta.

The truth is, I barely touched any of them. I’ve got two reasons for that, and neither of them is gonna make any sense.

The first reason is the oft-maligned Too Human, Silicon Knights’ biggest gamble and most controversial release. Critics and gamers alike expressed almost universal disdain for the game, and I can see why: The plot is baffling, the voice acting is pathetic, the art and enemy design are painfully uninspired and the game is incredibly short.

It is, by most accounts, a colossal failure. So why can’t I stop playing it — even after I already beat it?

Between the ludicrous amounts of loot to gather, the relatively replayable dungeons and the adrenaline rush from taking down hundreds of enemies in mere seconds, Too Human has brought me closer to the euphoric destruction of games like Diablo II than anything else has in recent years. It’s a very uneven package, and though I’m a little ashamed to admit it, I’ve gotten way more than my money’s worth out of it.

The second reason why I’ve avoided the mainstream in gaming is the officially licensed Skee-Ball game for iPhone. Developed by Freeverse, the 99-cent app delivers a surprisingly deep physics-based game with hilarious bonuses redeemable with tickets won in the game. Glittery pencils, fake mustaches, little cheap plastic dinosaurs, Peruvian Flute Band CDs — all the crap you coveted as a child at Chuck E. Cheese is lovingly reproduced. The game also features clever integration with ngmoco’s Plus+ network, a sort of Xbox Live for various iPhone games.

Aaron:

As I mentioned last week, I acquired Titan Quest for $5. I have to say it’s much more fun than I expected. Nick may be satisfying his craving for Diablo-like gameplay through Too Human, but I’d wager Titan Quest is a better companion for those loot-oriented needs. It’s a shame that the title faded from most gamers’ memories.

It’s been another slow week for me otherwise — most of my time has gone to reading, being social and looking for work. But I’ve surprised myself with a new-found appreciation for Left 4 Dead. The game wowed me when I first played it, but the honeymoon was incredibly short. Since January I’ve rarely touched it, instead turning to Team Fortress 2 for online FPS fun. But with the release of the Crash Course DLC this week I’m reminded how clever and sustainable the L4D concept is. Thanks to L4Dmods.com and its collection of well-made community campaigns like Death Aboard and Heaven Can Wait, I’m actually anticipating the upcoming sequel.

Next week, Halo 3: ODST will be arriving from Amazon. Thanks to a 10% Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) discount and an Amazon sale that took $10 off the game, I feel much more comfortable spending $44 on what I largely feel is an expansion to the core Halo 3 game. Debate that point with me all you want, but I’ll at least be able to enjoy co-op and Firefight with my friends now.

Doug:

In an ironic turn, the most time I’ve spent playing games this week has actually been for class! Along with an online marketing simulation game for my marketing class, I’ve been taking advantage of one of the most useful games I have — DS Rakubiki Jiten — in my Japanese classes.

Anybody who’s studied a foreign language knows how essential dictionaries are. Especially with Japanese and Chinese, having access to an electronic dictionary that can provide both meanings and how to write words in both languages is an extremely useful tool. DS Rakubiki Jiten, then, turns your average humble Nintendo DS into a Japanese-English electronic dictionary. At the relatively good price of $50, I bought my copy of DS Rakubiki Jiten through an import shop a couple of years ago and have found it vital to my study of Japanese ever since.

Considering that most electronic Japanese dictionaries cost at least $200 — and that, unlike those entry-level models, the DS Rakubiki Jiten allows you to use the bottom touch screen to write in kanji that you don’t recognize — it’s highly suggested as a valuable way to improve one’s study of Japanese.

I’ve also gotten a bit more seat time with Madden NFL 10 — that game suffers from terrible rubber-band AI trying to keep games close — and Peggle on iPhone. I also got the chance to go to Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade in Portland on Wednesday; it was a night where a $5 cover charge got you into the arcade and from there, all the games were set to free play. I spent some time with my friends on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons, a little bit of Street Fighter II, DDR, and Bubble Bobble.

It’s hard to believe that, at one time, Adam West in his campy 1960s Batman television show was the best portraiture of Batman creative minds had to offer.

Even then, when “Biff! Pow! Zing!” became a clever way to spice up awkwardly choreographed fight scenes, the tragedy of Bruce Wayne was a much darker affair than fluorescent purple and cheese-ball dialogue. A boy witnessed his parents’ cold-blooded murder and, once grown, pledged to annihilate the evil in his city. The Batman rose from the ashes of a once-spoiled life to be the protector of a seedy metropolis called Gotham.

Spandex doesn’t sound like a good idea under those circumstances.

Yet over the last few years the concept of what and who Batman is to a mainstream audience has experienced a revolution in reassessment thanks mostly to director Christopher Nolan’s two movies, 2005′s Batman Begins and 2008′s The Dark Knight. Both films washed away a decade of popular culture nay-saying after the franchise hit a lull in the mid-1990s because of two awful movies by Joel Schumacher et al. Thanks to Nolan, Batman’s been given a clean slate for a new generation of consumers.

Unfortunately, the Caped Crusader’s forays into videogames haven’t assisted in improving his image. A plethora of developers and publishers have been handed the property over the last few decades to produce titles vacillating from mediocre to awful. It’s easy to think there would never be a quality Batman game available, especially after seeing the most recent films and realizing how great a Batman project can turn out.

Well gamers can officially chill and count their blessings in batarangs, as Rocksteady Studio‘s Batman: Arkham Asylum is not just the unequivocally best Batman videogame to ever sit on store shelves — it’s also one of the most engaging titles released in a very long time, let alone 2009. Arkham Asylum treats its source material with the utmost respect, and successfully blends the comics with a cinematic atmosphere to create an exciting and near-perfect interactive experience.

The old bat-gadget standby, the batarang, gets the star treatment in Arkham Asylum — it's always a satisfying tool to use

Being Batman is one of those requisite fantasies most kids (and still some adults) have growing up. Even if your favorite hero was Spider-Man or Superman, Batman represents what it is to be human and what one normal person can do — without superpowers — through determination and iron will alone. Oh, and that rad car made quite the impression as well.

Arkham Asylum empowers fans to, for the first time, feel like they’re inhabiting the mind and suit of Bruce Wayne instead of simply performing a pantomime with a 3D model of the Dark Knight. It’s an entirely wish-fulfilling experience with bursts of developmental genius spattered throughout, and one that’s quite addictive.

Even though you’ll never drive the Batmobile in the game, the gorgeously fluid martial arts combat, instantly familiar gadgets and surprisingly clever Detective Mode more than make up for the missing aspects of Batman’s superhero lifestyle.

Batman broods in a cloud of industrial steam: something he does quite well

One of the most impressive things about Arkham Asylum is even if the Batman mythos was stripped away from the game, what remained would still be a solid action title that plays well, sounds good and certainly looks fantastic. Rocksteady deserves an astounding amount of praise for its capability to construct an impressive framework that could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the larger-than-life character on the box. This dichotomy extends to the combat in Arkham Asylum; it’s gameplay that feels and looks like Batman, but is good enough to stand on its own.

Batman is a martial arts master, proficient in multiple forms of melee combat. Rocksteady has accordingly created and coined the FreeFlow combat system to keep up with Bruce Wayne. On first glance it seems like a basic series of punches, kicks and blocks with some numerical combo tracking thrown in. Fortunately, combat evolves into an exceedingly deep experience as the game progresses.

Combat can quickly turn into a giant mutant slugfest, which is a good thing

Those seemingly simple kicks and punches are thrown via the X button (on Xbox 360), a stun attack using Batman’s cape is performed with B, the life-saving counter moves are tied to Y and quick lunging dodges are executed with A. It all sounds commonplace; boring even. And that’s kind of a theme with Arkham Asylum: Because of the spotty history of Batman videogames, one would expect this title to be average and unimaginative. Not the case with this Batman game — low expectations foster big surprises, time after time.

As far as combat is concerned, the simple button commands work in tandem with a sophisticated animation system. Clearly a lot of physics work went into making Batman move like he does in the comics, and it pays off. There’s a true sense of weight behind each kick, elbow and somersault. This isn’t a stiff character model rehashing the same type of punch each time X is pressed; it’s dynamic, varied and extremely satisfying.

The rush of a brawl — Batman tumbling from enemy to enemy, countering both a knife stab and behind-the-back kick to toss a batarang at an unsuspecting thug to finish by flipping onto another one’s chest, knees first, to incapacitate him — feels exhilarating every time. Later in the game, combat upgrades can be purchased to help deal out more damage and increase the game’s combat multiplier, which, if high enough, speeds up fighting into a flurry of punches, kicks and rolls.

Arkham Asylum’s combat is, sans hyperbole, the best part of the game, and unlike a lot of action titles the enjoyment never wears thin over time.

You'll be doing this a lot, but thankfully it's amusing each and every time

Besides being a nimble adversary in combat, Batman’s known for one of the most varied and sometimes weird collections of technology, tools and gadgets in all of comicdom. Thankfully, Arkham Asylum has thrown out the obscure equipment for the most logical old favorites and a few new variations. Adam West may have had bat shark repellent, but Rocksteady has a sonically pulsating, explosive batarang.

Gadgets essential to progression are acquired during the game’s story, while luxurious, non-essential upgrades are unlocked via Arkham Asylum’s RPG-like experience system. After each fight or investigation of clues Batman will receive experience points. Fill up the gauge and earn a point to spend in the game’s upgrade menu: reinforce the Dark Knight’s armor, add new combo moves to his combat repertoire or go for broke and unlock three batarangs to throw at once. Though rather limited in its scope, the experience system encourages some form of customization. Still, players will more than likely obtain every available upgrade by the end of the game, so there’s no risk in experimenting with whatever sounds fun.

It’d be cruel to spoil the fun in uncovering all of the new gadgets, but each one truly serves a distinct purpose — their individual usefulness will depend on your playstyle. One player may prefer to incapacitate Joker’s henchmen with explosive gel placed on weak walls; another might enjoy luring Joker’s henchmen away with sonic batarangs to take them out one at a time with glide kicks or hanging takedowns from the game’s many gargoyle statues. Any way you slice it, it all feels like something Batman would feasibly do himself.

One of the most Batman-like actions in the game is the inverted takedown — unadulterated coolness

Detective work is an integral part of Batman’s identity. After all, he was introduced in the Detective Comics series, which is still published today. He’s quite the dogged gumshoe, and some of the best moments in Batman’s career involve him hunting down crooks with the tiniest bit of evidence. Batman made forensics cool long before CSI and Gil Grissom’s beard made CBS relevant again. Rocksteady has such a grasp on who Batman is that they implemented the Detective Mode to help him live up to the title of World’s Greatest Detective.

Technically speaking, the mode isn’t much more than what feral sense in X-Men Origins: Wolverine was — a clever way of moving the game forward without relying on too many obvious visual clues or an omnipresent mini map. But in Arkham Asylum, how Detective Mode is used makes all the difference. Batman will track down clues to lead him to the next section in lieu of pulsating directional arrows flooding the screen, which is thankfully a very clean and minimalistic space.

Detective Mode can be activated anytime with the left bumper, and it allows Batman to see x-ray of enemies’ skeletons (those with firearms are colored red) and interactive objects (colored a bright orange). It all seems typical; then players start tracking a kidnapped Commissioner Gordon via his tobacco droppings in such an intrinsically Batman experience that it feels innovative. Visually the mode is fantastic with its own distinct aesthetic: blue and purplish film grain brighten the darkness of Arkham’s halls.

To make up for characters not included in the main game’s plot (sorry, no Mr. Freeze to be seen…physically), the developers have filled the disc with audio files and character profiles to be found through the Riddler Challenges — Arkham Asylum’s variation on hidden collectibles.

What are generally tedious collect-a-thons in other games turn out to be enjoyable deviations from the main plot. Sure, some challenges are frustrating (Sasquatch tip: if you’re stumped on a riddle, try looking around in Detective Mode for a question mark painted onto a surface — find the separate period and align the two images to form a full “?”, and scan away), but the reward is admiring fantastic concept art, collecting 3D model trophies and listening to asylum doctors interview Batman’s most famous foes. Players can’t help but feel deeply ingrained in the world of Batman after hunting down every last riddle.

Once in awhile a videogame comes along that is a success because of its strong story; this is certainly one of those titles. The plot is a great one-off story that incorporates many elements from the comics while being wholly original. Batman trapped in Arkham for the night with some of his greatest foes? It works, and works well.

And while it may seem lazy to leave out specific details which can’t be learned by reading the back of the box, it’s because Rocksteady’s work deserves to be played spoiler-free. Sure, there aren’t any reveals of a caliber like Revan’s identity in Knights of the Old Republic, but this is a game certainly worth making your own way through. We all know Batman wins in the end; you’ve rightfully guessed he defeats the Joker once the curtain falls, but how it all transpires makes for quite the treat.

The Joker is the lead architect of Arkham Asylum's night of mayhem — Mark Hamill portrays the character perfectly

The tiniest details reverberate the most to make Arkham Asylum a memorable game. Batman takes a lot of beatings throughout his hectic night in the asylum, and Rocksteady changes his model on more than one occasion to reflect that. In one night, Batman’s iconic costume rips — the well-modeled cape perforated with holes and his chest logo deeply scratched — and stubble starts appearing on a face mottled with flecks of blood and bruising.

As a result, Batman seems more human in this game than in films where a living person portrays the character. That’s because, thanks to one luxury of the videogame medium, players are permitted see Batman, second by second, experiencing the evil of his enemies over several hours of fierce encounters. There aren’t flashy, cutaway film scenes to move the plot ahead a day, and there aren’t comic book panels condensing a full range of movements during a brawl — in this videogame, the player does everything Batman does and truly sees who this person is. Fans have never seen a more accurate representation of Batman outside of the comics; it has never felt so real, and — to be blunt — it’s extremely cool.

What else is there to say about such a great game? Small nitpicks like the occasionally frustrating camera and the questionable end boss battle only serve to make this review sound less biased, but in truth Arkham Asylum stands tall above even the most minor of issues and remains a proper example of how to treat a licensed property.

Gamers have rallied around 2004′s Spider-Man 2 as an example of a superhero videogame that embodies both the comic and filmic spirit of the titular character. While that assessment still holds true, I think it’s about time we’re given a superhero game that does more than exceed such a precedent. How does playing one of the most polished and fun action titles to come out in years sound? Good?

Then I have one thing to say to you: Holy-go-out-and-buy-Batman: Arkham-Asylum, Batman!

Apologies to Burt Ward, and our readers.

Recommended for:

• Comic fans, and even the non-Batman inclined — after playing Arkham Asylum you’ll wish more superhero titles could be so generous
• The polished, addictive and wholly original experience
• Those who’ve never played a competent superhero title — this game will blow you away
• Action title fans who love a solid combat system
• Basically everyone: nerds (like myself) and non-nerds alike can take something away from this experience
• Voice acting: Kevin Conroy (of Batman: The Animated Series fame) and Mark Hamill (also Batman: TAS; oh, and he’s Luke Skywalker) are phenomenal as Batman and the Joker

Not Recommended for:

• Unless you truly despise Batman and/or action games, there’s not a single person interested in videogames I wouldn’t recommend Arkham Asylum to

Read our policy on reviews here.

Why hello there, future purchase

What a week it’s been. The inaugural Gamescom in Cologne, Germany opened on Wednesday and guess what: Sony kindly unveiled the new PlayStation 3 Slim. Media outlets weren’t exactly surprised by the announcement, but I think we’re all glad the rumor mill has finally ceased its incessant turning about the damn console. Looks like I finally need to go get a PS3.

Oh, and a little event in Anaheim, California called BlizzCon flung its +10 Doors of Nerd Barricading open to the (literally) unwashed masses of Blizzard fanatics today, and so far we’ve already been made privy to the next World of Warcraft expansion, a new Diablo III class and StarCraft II being confirmed for release in 2010.

You know, as a gamer I like it when these big gaming-related events run back-to-back with one another. The ESA might as well wedge E3 2010 between next year’s Gamescom and BlizzCon to mentally and physically destroy every games journalist in existence. That could be Silicon Sasquatch‘s in!

An image so good it makes the prequels look half-decent

Aaron:

For some odd reason I’ve devoted a large amount of my gaming time this week to Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga. I’m under the deluded notion that I can reach 100% completion in the game without going insane. It’s not a particularly hard title, it’s just tedious…incredibly tedious. Still, I have to hand it to Traveller’s Tales for making what’s overall a fun and goofy title. Just don’t ruin the experience by trying to do what I’m doing.

Other non-block-themed bytes I consumed this week were Fallout 3′s Point Lookout and Mothership Zeta — mostly for review purposes. Go ahead and check out each write-up for my impressions of Bethesda’s final two post-nuclear roleplaying simulator DLCs. Now, to be completely honest, I’m glad to wash my hands of the game. Hundreds of hours sunk into one title (that’s not an MMO) makes you feel way too involved. Strange, I know. I’m ready for Fallout: New Vegas, though. Get to it, Obsidian Entertainment!

Next on my gaming queue: Halo Wars, Shadow Complex, Batman: Arkham Asylum (which is getting many glowing reviews) and…more Lego Star Wars.

Doug's local sports pride is fantastic. But why are they called the Vikings anyway? Vikings usually burned and pillaged, I recall.

Doug:

This week has been busy — class Monday, finishing homework, quizzes and team projects for accounting on Wednesday, then a test in Finance on Tuesday, more class Wednesday, being social (bars, basketball and more bars) and finalizing some back-end paperwork stuff for grad school. I haven’t fired my 360 up since…maybe Monday. All I’ve done gaming-wise is play with the NCAA 10 TeamBuilder — it’s super powerful and, being the kind of person to toil over minor details regarding team jerseys, it’s right up my alley.

Above is a photo for the work-in-progress team I’ve created; the fun part will be editing the roster from head to toe. Thankfully, you can now do that through a web browser instead of on a console.

Nathan Drake/The Prince takes flight in Shadow Complex for Xbox Live Arcade

Nick:

With this scorched-earth Oregon summer winding to a pleasantly breezy conclusion, my gaming backlog is finally getting the attention it deserves. Having made my way through the wonderfully crass House of the Dead: Overkill and Namco’s doting recreation of PlayStation platforming classic Klonoa, I’ve almost finished clearing out my GameFly queue. I hope to finish Killzone 2 and Punch-Out!! this weekend.

Of course, that all depends on whether I can release my vice grip on Shadow Complex. Chair Entertainment created a game that went right for my Achilles’ Heel: side-scrolling, Metroid-style adventures. While I’m not convinced it’s the greatest game of its kind, it’s a pleasant surprise and a nice homage to some of the finest games ever made.

And hey, it’s always nice to hear Nolan North playing another character who looks an awful lot like Nathan Drake; maybe it’ll hold me over until Uncharted 2 struts in and dictates how I live my life for the next few months.

Here we are, dissecting the final downloadable addition to the Fallout 3 universe.

Throughout the year, Bethesda Softworks has given gamers a grand total of $50 worth of extra content to one of 2008′s finest games. The finale, Mothership Zeta, is certainly a bold move on the studio’s part to try to go out with an edge-of-your-seat bang. Putting Fallout in space, even with the series’ trademark exorbitant scenarios, is definitely a head-tilting decision. But cosmic setting aside, don’t expect any climactic end to the story of the Lone Wanderer here; the developers are smart enough to realize that after rectifying Fallout 3′s ending with Broken Steel, setting a finite conclusion to the mythos would kill the immersion.

Unfortunately, the end is nigh…and not that great. Zeta is a linear and uninteresting bookend to a fairly massive collection of expansions. It’s not as bad as Operation: Anchorage, but that’s not saying much.

Thanks to Zeta, most gamers are going to feel like their wallets have been probed. Take me to your refund counter, please.

Domo arigato, soon-to-be-exploding roboto

To be absolutely clear, Mothership Zeta isn’t bad DLC, it’s just unimpressive and extremely devalued when compared with its immediate ancestor, Point Lookout. After crafting an expansive, intriguing and thoroughly disturbing trip to the swamplands of Maryland, Bethesda decided to next release what amounts to a repressed collect-a-thon of powerful weaponry.

Sure, most fans won’t complain when by the end of Zeta they’ll have a suit of samurai armor, a cowboy outfit and roughly a metric ton of alien weapons, crystals and worm food (disgusting but nutritious!) to pad their hidden caches — but for $10/ 800 it amounts to a lot less content than Point Lookout. This isn’t a complaint about the overall value of the downloadable content market; it’s about a company setting expectations high with one title, and then somehow failing to deliver on those expectations a little over a month later with the next (and final) release.

The problem with trying to review Zeta as a piece of individual content and the final piece of Fallout 3 DLC is in what each individual may think is worthwhile about it. Like I mentioned, the items and weapons are fantastic. But on the other hand the plot is boring and practically non-existent. Even Anchorage, which I’ve harped on numerous times, had the overarching war between the United States and China to lend a bit more credibility to the entire scenario.

This looks way more interesting than it actually is

It’s disappointing in many ways to be left with Mothership Zeta. The alien captive audio logs are Zeta’s steel ingots, and while they aren’t nearly as tedious to collect, the fact that another achievement is tied to finding easily missable items is frustrating.

The quests themselves are hard to distinguish from one another, and you’ll only happen to notice when one transitions into the next by the popping of an achievement. The singular quest chain sends players around the massive spaceship to do the same thing over and over again: blow up alien generators. Even the ship’s massive death ray (which can be pointed earthward and fired to produce a massive, Texas-sized nuclear explosion — easily one of the best moments of the DLC) is effortlessly conquered by shutting off four generators. Let me reiterate: you shut down generators to get to the death ray, and then to turn the beam off, you do the same thing four times over again. Extremely lazy design? Absolutely.

Perhaps the best thing Zeta has going for it is its scenery. While you’re trapped in the spaceship for the entirety of the add-on, the interior at least looks like a corny, classic sci-fi movie. Lots of “beep boop” lights and big red buttons contrast well with the silver and stainless steel look of the walls, ceilings and floors. The aliens themselves are stereotypical little green men, and speak in a harsh gibberish reminiscent of Mars Attacks!.

Zeta is more or less an homage to 1950s sci-fi, just like much of the Fallout universe. References to probing, human experimentation and abducting cows (though they’re brahmin in this case) are all over Zeta, and they’re good for a few laughs. It’s a cheeky add-on for sure, but it’s easy to wish Bethesda had gone farther with the idea of killing aliens in a spaceship than it simply being “cool.”

Hey, I can see my charred ruin of a house from here!

Take it or leave it, Mothership Zeta will always be the last piece of Fallout 3 DLC Bethesda released. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s not the worst add-on for the game. Bethesda accurately created a 1950s-type of alien abduction story, but managed to leave out the plot, fun and excitement. The finale will impress, but that’s not enough to make this a for-sure recommendation.

If you must absolutely have every expansion to the core Fallout 3 title, then you’ve already made your choice. But if you’re on the fence about how worthwhile Mothership Zeta actually is, ask yourself this: Is $10 is worth it for what boils down to a four-hour, super weapon shop-till-you-drop marathon? Save those Microsoft points and get Point Lookout instead. Or, pick up Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition, which includes all five DLC packs, when it drops on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC this October 13th.

Recommended for:

• You crazy people who need each piece of Fallout 3 DLC
• That one Mars Attacks! fan who’s been waiting for someone to remember the movie, and as a result will go and buy the game right now

Not Recommended for:

• Value-conscious gamers
• Fans of Point Lookout expecting Mothership Zeta to be equally as good
• Someone with only $10 to spend: Go grab The Maw or ‘Splosion Man instead!
• Humans who’ve been traumatized by probing at some point in their lives

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