Go give a listen to the episode where Chris and Kelly talk to me about winning. It's full of PAX goodness. And me winning. A Xbox.
BAM!
Super Mega Podcast Giveaway
,
Labels:
giveaway,
outlook.com,
skydrive,
super mega podcast giveaway,
the married gamers
Go give a listen to the episode where Chris and Kelly talk to me about winning. It's full of PAX goodness. And me winning. A Xbox.
BAM!
Walking Dead Survival Instinct Review
,
Labels:
daryl dixon,
merle dixon,
review,
survival instinct,
the walking dead
I'm not going to try argue that The Walking Dead Survival Instinct is a good game. I'm also not saying it's the worst game I've ever played. As other reviewers have stated, it has some good ideas that obviously didn't get the development time they deserved. What is there isn't terrible but it's not phenomenal either. It's what you should have expected if you followed any press on this game.
I do have to give credit to Survival Instinct for giving me a genuine scare. I was in a level where I was going through a hospital looking for some penicillin for Merle. Since it was my first time through the level (meaning I hadn't died cheaply and been sent back to the start of the level) I was checking in every room trying to find the medicine. I probably checked 10+ rooms when I hit X to open a door and the music came up and a zombie was in my face, giving me an adrenaline rush and a wet spot on my pants! I went through the little minigame and stabbed him in the face, then had to pause the game to collect myself.
Nearly had the urine scared out of me by Survival Instinct. #walkingdead #DarylDixon
— Rane Pollock (@GeminiAce) April 5, 2013
I think it may be because the level was so mundane and repetitive that it made the scare that much more effective or maybe it was because up until then I was just going through the motions of going room to room mindlessly. Either way, I had never been so genuinely scared by a game up until then.
I also have to give credit to Survival Instinct because it does a good job of creating tension and making you truly feel in danger. When I saw a small group of zombies I knew I could take them out without getting myself killed. When I saw any more than 4 or 5, it made me act that much more deliberately because I did not want to have to confront that many with my limited supplies.
Speaking of that, stopping for supplies is almost always not worth the trouble. They are scarce. And sending your survivors out to look for supplies during missions almost always ends in their deaths.
My other main gripe with Survival Instinct is how far in the game you have to get before you get your crossbow. We're talking having to get almost halfway through before you finally get it. Aside from the end sequence where you finally get an assault rifle to mow down zombies with extreme prejudice, the crossbow is the most satisfying thing in the game. I found a total of 6 bolts and ended up with 1 at the end of the game due to missing my target and losing the bolt. When I was down to one, I just had to switch back to the melee combat I relied on in the first half of the game, which was a downer.
For all its faults, Survival Instinct does some things I like. For instance, it doesn't wear out its welcome. Listen, I'm 37 years old. I don't have time to sit through all the artificial game lengthening driving sequences or protracted cut-scenes that a lot of games throw into the mix to show off their development prowess. I want to get in and get out and experience a story with characters that I enjoy.
My recommendation is to snag this at Redbox or wait till it hits the $10 bin at Best Buy. I would say give it a rent if you're into the TV show at all. Don't be like me and wait to play Lost: Via Domus until...well...whenever I get around to playing it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
