Walking Dead Survival Instinct Review

First of all I would like to thank Redbox for sending me a free one nights game rental code, effectively making the cost of adding this game to my #yearoffinishinggames list a whole $4.33.  Now, whether this game is worth almost $5 is another story altogether.  As it stands right now, it was roughly $1 per hour of gameplay, which is a pretty good return on the investment.  If you paid $60, I feel sorry for you.  But, if you bought this game blindly, you only have yourself to blame.

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.

Walking Dead Survival Instinct Review

Under The Sea

The other day I had the chance to watch a couple underwater monster movies from back in the day. I watched them back-to-back, which is really the way to go when you think about it. Watching them separate would be like eating the chips one day then the salsa the next. Everybody would be all "where's the chips" and I would be all "I ate them yesterday" and they would be "why the hell didn't you eat the salsa?" and I would be "maybe I didn't want salsa, dammit!".

Anyway, I watched Leviathan first, mainly because I love Peter Weller. With the exception of this and the Robocop movies, he can really pick the shitty movies. (And yes, I'm talking about Buckaroo Banzai. Damn, that's a piece of shit.) It also has Richard Crenna and Hector Elizondo, both of whom I enjoy.

Funny thing about Leviathan is that the monster never gets that big. Not to what I would call Leviathan-sized. Regardless, it's a pretty decent movie for what it is, which is basically Alien underwater. And I'm ok with that. Mainly because of the end scene and Peter Weller yelling, "Say ah, motherfucker!" Totally worth it.

I saved DeepStar Six for second because I wasn't aware of any Peter Weller-caliber actors in it. That is until I started watching it. It's got goddamn Miguel Ferrer! That checks him off on my "People I Like From Robocop" list. Only one I need for the hat trick is Kurtwood Smith.

Anyway, while we're talking about cast, let me blow your mind. It's got fuckin' Lloyd Braun in it! From Sienfeld! I sat there staring at that guy trying to place him for like 10 minutes. I finally IMDB'd him and figured it out. You want to know the best part? The diving suit in the poster there gets bitten in half by the monster. Guess who's in it?! Lloyd Braun! I was ecstatic!

I guess what I'm saying is, 1989 was a good year for underwater alien-monster movies.

Under The Sea

Godfinger

Godfinger is silly. It's repetitive. It often feels like more of a job than a game. It's also the best thing I've played on the iPhone so far.

I really don't see the appeal of games like Farmville, Fishville, Frontierville, Yoville, Townville, Crackville, or VilleVille. The managing of all these little things in order to harvest, feed, and eventually level up just feels boring and contrived.

Now, I can't complain anymore. I get it.

Godfinger removes a lot of the crap you have to deal with in Farmville type games and instead charges you with being an actual god over a small planet. You have followers and the power to make them do your bidding. This usually ends up with you forcing them to farm for gold until they are exhausted, at which point you can let them rest at a tent, tavern, or fishing hole. Rinse, repeat.

The thing that makes Godfinger different are its charm and ability to visit other planets. I say charm because the game is long on cute little things that, by themselves, wouldn't matter, but taken as a whole show a nice attention to detail. The noises your followers make when you toss them or while they are resting is adorable. When they are at a tavern drinking you hear them burping and farting.

Hey, Godfinger. You had me at burping.

Visiting your friend's planets allows you to enchant one follower on their planet. Doing this nets you a gold bonus for you and your friend. It's simple, and it gets you out there seeing what other people have done with their little patches of terra firma. Once a certain amount of time has passed, you will get a postcard from your friend with the gold attached. That is unless they've allowed the gold to rust by letting it sit too long.

What Godfinger does exceptionally well is keep the carrot on a stick placed firmly in front of you. At any time I usually have a few different goals to accomplish. Each goal you accomplish gives you a reward. The reward could be more gold, another follower, or an expansion of your planet. And, with a few exceptions, they are goals for things you were probably going to do anyway, so they don't feel forced.

In the long run, I don't know what will happen in the game. I don't know what the level cap is or what happens when you hit it. I'm at level 29 now and still have some buildings to unlock. Until then, I'll keep collecting gold, tossing my followers, and just playing god. Not bad for a free game.

Godfinger

Crackdown 2 Review

I reviewed Crackdown 2 for Platform Nation. Give it a read!

Crackdown 2 Review

Split/Second

One of my favorite games of all time is Burnout Revenge. So much so that when Burnout Paradise released, I spewed nine kinds of hate towards it for changing the formula and jettisoning everything good that was in Revenge. Having since played it on the PS3, my hate has softened like a gallon of ice cream left out at a birthday party. It's still there, but everyone has forgotten about it.

Enter two new contenders to the Burnout Revenge throne. Not that they were being marketed as such, but in my mind both Blur and Split/Second were being developed to fill the void that the Burnout franchise abandoned several years ago. The only recent contenders for the position of "full-on destruction smash racing game" have been Full Auto and possibly Motorstorm, and as you know neither fit the bill or fill the shoes of Burnout.

I played the Blur beta and enjoyed it quite a bit. Since I don't have a Wii anymore I can't play Mario Kart, so Blur scratched that competitive itch and did it with gorgeous graphics and real cars. The Split/Second demo was also good fun, so it was pretty much a toss-up as to which one would be spinning in my console sometime soon.

Best Buy recently had a sale on Split/Second, dropping the price to $40. Decision made!

So this brings me to the reason for this writing. Split/Second IS the new Burnout. I'm only 3 episodes in to the campaign and I'm loving the racing, destruction, and explosions. Blur might give you different weapons to use on your opponents, but Split/Second makes the entire track your weapon. It's amazing.

The only thing I wish it has is the Twitter integration that Blur has. It is cool that the achievements you unlock show up as decals on your car. This is an awesome idea and something that should be implemented in other games (Reach, I'm looking at you).

Bottom line is, if you've been wanting a good racing game, the wait is over. It's been quite a dry spell, but Split/Second is like a shot of Gatorade to the face. Gatorade and gasoline.

Split/Second