Tomb Raider Review

               Tomb Raider is a modern reboot of the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider video game series that began on the PlayStation in 1996.  This game tells the origins of young Lara Croft as she learns to survive and not be a little girl.

                In what may be the worst opening to a video game ever, you are treated to Lara looking into a mirror and then stuff goes bad.  Seriously, if you have seen any of the trailers, the opening is cut just like that. It’s terrible! It was like the creators thought, “Just jump into the action. Let’s not take forever to set up a story.”

                Your boat crashes on an island and you must find your crew mates.  You soon fine that the island itself is keeping you stranded. You find yourself battling the Solarii and Japanese samurai warriors. During the story I did find myself caring for Lara, but I could care less about any other character. The game does try to explain these characters, but does a poor job of doing so.

                I have never enjoyed how other Tomb Raider games played, but this one is enjoyable.  At first Lara seems too slippery to control, but you will get used to it. Lara can also make ridiculous jumps! At times I was unsure how to progress because I knew I could not jump as far as the game wanted me to; but yes, take that leap of faith.

                Along the way you find many weapons that can be upgraded during your adventure. Your arsenal includes a bow, shotgun, handgun, and machine gun. You will always have plenty of ammo. My personal favorite was the bow since you could get your arrows back out of enemies. It also is needed to progress in several puzzles. 

                The game seems like it is a survival game, but do not be fooled like I was. It starts as this, but quickly becomes, “kill hundreds of bad guys.” It begins to feel much like Uncharted, but not as good.

                The game is also filled with quick-time events. These are the worst as the game gives you a fraction of a second to press the Y or Δ button to save yourself. It caught me off guard several times and was a cheap death.

                The puzzles in the game are quiet fun. I liked them because they did make you think, but not frustratingly so. There was only one puzzle that I didn’t like only because my timing was off. See, it was me that was the mistake; that’s how you design a game! Good job Crystal Dynamics.

                If you get tired of just following the story, you are able to find collectables. In each area there are documents, treasures, and optional tombs to find and discover. Completing everything will get you extra XP and achievements.

                At camp sites scattered throughout the island you can upgrade you skills and weapons. You will earn XP during missions and find salvage to use as money. This allows you to use a melee attack, throw sand in enemies’ eyes, or making your weapons deal more damage.

                If there is one amazing thing I must point out, it is that there are virtually no loading screens. This may be because I bought the digital version on Xbox On Demand, but it is remarkable. The only loading screens I saw were after I died or used the teleporting feature to other campsites.

                Overall, Tomb Raider is not impressive, at first. It took some time to warm up to, but I found myself enjoying the game as time went on. After about three hours I didn’t want to stop playing. I give Tomb Raider for the Xbox 360 a 7.9 out of 10. It is also available on PlayStation 3 and PC via Steam.

Phantom Breaker: Battleground Review

               Phantom Breaker: Battleground is a side-scrolling beat-em up that I had never heard of before. I believe it began as an anime, that turned into a fighting game, that became this. The Xbox Arcade exclusive has a wonderful anime style with beautiful sprites and fluid combat. Let’s see if it’s any good.

                I honestly don’t understand the story. It has something to do with you finding a girl, and then you are trapped in some demon world. You fight a bunch of guys to escape with your friend. All the dialog is in Japanese with English dialog boxes.

                The gameplay is where this game shines. You start off with four playable characters. Two are melee specialists, one a sword master, and the last a staff master. I prefer the sword. You have a light, medium, and heavy attack with a special attack that deals damage to all nearby enemies and an ability to slow-down time.

                You travel through 8 levels and several bonus levels to complete this short game. As I said before, it’s a beat-em up. You spend time beating up hundreds of bad guys in every stage with a boss or two at the end of each stage. Once you enter the demon world, you lose all of your powers and strength. Every enemy you defeat leaves XP that you can pick up to level up and improve your character.

                The game has plenty of difficulty levels, should the game get too easy for you.  Nightmare is the best way to level up, but Nightmare+ is impossible. Thankfully there is no XP in this difficulty, but I couldn’t even beat the first boss.

                This game is incredibly fun, but where it shines is multiplayer! It has 4 player co-op and even a V.S. mode where you can fight against each other and test your skills. I played with my brother and both of us had a blast trying to level up all the way to Lv. 99. The game can also be played online.

                The only bad thing about the game is that to level up your character completely, you must buy DLC. Now for $5 you get the extra 50 levels and a new playable character. It’s nice, but it really should have been included.

                All-in-all, if you enjoyed games like Golden Axe, Double Dragon, or Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game, then you will love this. I give Phantom Breaker: Battleground for Xbox Arcade, a 9.5 out of 10. You can buy it for 800 MSP with the DLC for 400 MSP.

Rayman Origins Review

               If you have played video games for a while you may have heard of Rayman. No, not those annoying Rabbids! The real Rayman, who was an action platformer who debuted in 1995 on the Atari Jaguar and Sony PlayStation. The series has had many games and even created the previously mentioned Raving Rabbids video game series.

                Rayman origins is a 2D side-scrolling adventure like his classic games. The game is meant to explain the origins of Rayman, but it doesn’t. To find that information out you have to watch a cutscene on YouTube to find this out. That’s bad!

                The story opens with Rayman and friends sleeping in a tree. The tree happens to be connected to a witch’s home underground and she is fed up with their noisy snoring. To end this she sends an army of dark, evil, creatures to kill you and capture the very busty and curvy Nymphs. Rayman must rescue all the Nymphs, save all the Electoon inhabitants, and stop all the evil in the world.

                As I said before, the game is strictly 2D. It has a very cartoonish style that is amazing to see in motion. The game is fast, fluid, and hard. As you save the Nymphs, they will grant you new powers such as gliding, wall running, and swimming.

                The game is split into 9 worlds with about 7 levels inside them. There are collection and time challenges in each stage. There is even a quick run stage that you must unlock in each stage to unlock the hidden level and true ending to the game. These quick run stages are brutal. You must beat them in one try.

                All the stages are fun and have wonderful music. Every time I entered a new stage I couldn’t help but smile and be reminded of the more simple times of gaming. I really felt like I was playing an old game on the Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo.

                The bosses in this game suck! They are not fun at all. When the rest of the game is so fluid and just feels good, the bosses are really under whelming and unfair. You cannot just sit back and learn their pattern of attack. You have to die about 10 times till you learn how to beat them. I hated all the bosses except the extra boss, he/she/thing/it was easy to predict.

                Rayman Origins is the first Rayman game that I really enjoyed and even completed 100%. For those who have friends, you can play it with 4 player co-op as well.

I give Rayman Origins for the Xbox 360 a 9.5 out of 10. Rayman Origins is also available for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS, and PC via Steam. A sequel will be released later this year titled Rayman Legends for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii U.

Red Dead Redemption Review

                I have never been a huge (pardon the pun) fan of open world games. The Grand Theft Auto series just never felt real enough for me. Red Dead Redemption truly creates a living, breathing world that I enjoy telling people about.

                You play as John Marston, a man robbed of his life. He grew up in a gang and was left to die by his “friends.” He is later hired (or forced) to kill three men from his former gang. To do this you will travel all through the old west and even Mexico.

                This is an open world game where you can do just about anything you want to. To advance the story you must complete missions, which range from killing people, to killing people, to making trades with rebels, to later kill them.

                When you are not completing missions you can run around towns, ride your horse, kill innocent people, complete side quests, and even complete random stranger’s quests. During the day you can break wild horses in, while at night you can follow a dog and stop random acts of crime.

                The game has lots of shops which give you guns and supplies. You earn money by completing missions or looting bodies. The most fun way to get the green is by gambling of course! You can join games of poker, Black Jack, horseshoes, or my personal favorite, Liar’s Dice. These can also be played online with real players.

                There are some issues though. To me the main game was just a tad bit too long and repetitive. I felt like the game pretended to end twice before it finally ended. I thought only Bayonetta could get away with that! I also ran into several graphical glitches that prevented me from doing anything until I killed myself.

                Also, I love and hate the randomly generated animals. I would kill a deer and walk up to kill it, when suddenly a cougar would jump out and knock me off a ledge to kill me. But, sometimes it is fun. I saw a townsperson get chased by a bear, only for the man to get run over by the passing train! I’ve never laughed so hard!

                I cannot even begin to cover everything in this game. I have completed over 25 hours of the game and only gotten 84.8% completed. The environment just feels so alive. The random wildlife attacks and a weather system helps create a real feeling environment. I give Red Dead Redemption for the Xbox 360, a 9 out of 10. It is also available for PlayStation 3.

SpecTech Top 5 Favorite Consoles (#1)

The First 128-Bit System!

SpecTech Top 5 Favorite Video Game Consoles (#2)

The First HD Console!

SpecTech Top 5 Favorite Consoles (#3)

My first video game console!

SpecTech Top 5 Favorite Consoles (#4)

The most highly anticipated system ever!

SpecTech Top 5 Favorite Consoles (#5)

16-Bit Super High Definition Graphics!!

Tech world taking risks

Welcome back to another issue of Spec Tech.  This week Google kills a product, Windows 8 price increases and LG is rumored to have a new phone on the way.

Imagine having the first social streaming media player. In June Google released the Nexus Q, an orb that allowed you to stream music from your phone/tablet to a home entertainment center.  Now that sounds awesome, but not at a price of $300. Upon initial negative reviews from critics, Google refunded customers and stopped selling the product.
 
It is now dead, but could it be revived in May at Google’s I/O conference?

Are you one of those people who like BlackBerry’s?—the phone not the fruit. Well, on Jan. 30, RIM will finally unveil the BlackBerry 10.  This might be RIM’s savior or final nail in the coffin.  I will report more on this as information becomes available.

If you have thought about buying Windows 8, buy it now! The limited pricing of Windows 8 will expire at the end of January.  Right now you can upgrade for $40, but after this month it will cost $120, and Windows 8 Pro will cost $200.

The LG Optimus G Pro is on the way.   It’s rumored to have a 5-inch HD display, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and a 13 megapixel rear camera.  It would also ship with Android 4.1—Jelly Bean.

That’s it this week folks.  Have a great weekend and come back next week for another issue of the Spectator.

Question of the Week: What phone would you like to see more: an iPhone 5S or a Samsung Galaxy S4? Email me at smsetser@valdosta.edu

Mastered 4K Blu-rays arrives soon

Hello and welcome back Spec Techies to a new year.  Glad to know that we all did NOT vanish on Dec. 21. Let’s catch up on new tech from the CES event last week.

First, the show was mostly about 4K television sets.  Don’t know what 4K is?  Well, it is an Ultra High Definition (UHD) pixel resolution.  Its pixel count is 3,840x2160-- four times the amount of pixels in your current HDTV.  Sony is really behind this revolution being the only cable/movie studio to create content for 4K.  In the summer, Sony will launch a 4K video distribution system as well as improve 4K blu-rays. 

Imagine you are at a sit down restaurant, but instead of waiting for a waiter/waitress to take your drink/food order, you simply order on your 22-inch Touch Table PC.  This is just a concept, but the MTT300 Touch Table PC would allow you to touch your desired order, pay and even listen to music all at your table.  Of course the waiters/waitress would still bring your order. 

Do you love playing games on your Android device but find that pesky touch controls are difficult to use?  Then Nvidia has got you covered.  Not only did they announce the new Tegra 4 processor, but also Project Shield.  This is a controller, which looks a lot like the Xbox 360 controller with a touch screen attached just above the controller.  This screen is 5-inches with an output of 720p.  But that is not where it stops.  It can also stream your PC games to the screen.  As a demonstration, they showed Project Shield running Borderlands 2 with no hiccups.  There is no release date or price yet.

Project Fiona was announced at the last CES.  The newly named Razer Edge is a 10-inch, Windows 8 tablet-- a full PC.  It had an attachment for physical controls before they were built directly on the system.  The tablet can be customized with an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor and Nvidia GeForce GT640M LE graphics.  It has a separate dock for USB and HDMI connectors.  You can get an i5 chip for $999 with 4GB RAM and 64GB SSD memory.  It will be available Q1 2013.

Well, hope everyone has a great rest of the semester. Starting Jan. 31, I will begin a new video series for my favorite video game systems of all time.  If you are interested in being a guest in my series, email me at smsetser@valdosta.edu.  The Spec Tech blog is located at http://vsuspectech.blogspot.com/

Question of the Week:  What is your favorite mobile Operating System? Android, iOS, or Windows 7/8?

SpecTech Top 5 Favorite Video Games (#1)

My favorite video game of all time is.......

Come back to see my new top 5 list; my favorite video game consoles of all time!

Games That Missed the Top 5

Old and recent games that just missed the mark in my top 5

SpecTech Top 5 Favorite Video Games (#2)

Save the world by yourself or with another player in this SEGA Genesis Classic

Sandy dampens Google debut

                I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween! Now stuff your face with candy and read about Google and Microsoft in this issue of Spec Tech!

                Due to Hurricane Sandy, Google had to cancel its event to announce new devices, but Google reveled these devices online anyway. 

                The first new device is the LG Nexus 4 smartphone.  It has a quad-core processor, 4.7-inch display, has 8GB of storage, HSPA+ data, and wireless charging.  It is the fastest phone on the market with 2GB of RAM.

 It runs on Android 4.2: Jelly Bean and goes on sale contract-free for $299 on November 13^th. The 16GB version will cost $349. T-Mobile will, however, sell the 16GB version for $199 with a new two-year contract.

                Google and Samsung announced the Nexus 10 tablet.  It is a 10-inch tablet with 300ppi­—more than Apple’s Retina Display—a 16:10 aspect ratio, run Android 4.2, it contains a dual-core ARM Cortex-A15 CPU with 2GB of RAM.  It has two NFC chips, a microUSB, and microHDMI ports.

 It comes in a Wi-Fi only model for now.  $400 will get you the 16GB of storage, while $500 will get you a 32GB version.  The Nexus 10 will go on sale November 13^th from the Google Play store.

                The Nexus 7 no longer has an 8GB version.  Instead, Google lowered the 16GB version to $199 and introduced a 32GB version for $249.  You can also get a 32GB version with HSPA+ connection for $299.  These price changes take effect November 13^th.

                Microsoft showed off more of Windows Phone 8.  You can now customize the lock screen with an App that will tell you information before you unlock your phone.  Bing will now create recommendations for you with local hotspots and events.  There is a child safe interface called Kid’s Corner, where a child can access only certain content. 

They showed off Xbox Music and Xbox SmartGlass.  Windows Phone Apps now replaces the Zune Apps store and claimed that Windows Phone 8 now has 46 of the top 50 Apps on their devices.Windows Phone 8 devices will not arrive until November.

                Lastly, Microsoft celebrated this weekend with having sold over four million copies of Windows 8 since last Friday.  I assume this includes all new hardware as well as customers who upgraded from Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7. 

                That’s it for this week viewers.  Come by the Student Union from 2pm-5pm on November 1^st to meet some of the Spectator writers, including myself.  I hope to see you there!

Question: What device would you like me to review? E-mail your answers to smsetser@valdosta.edu

                

Apple announces new iMac, two iPads

Hey Spec Tech readers.  Welcome to a new week with shocking news from Apple and Android about launching some new devices.

This week Apple gave another press conference where they announced the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display for $1699.  It has a 2.5GHz dual-core i5 processor with 8GB RAM and 128GB flash storage.  It also has a FaceTime HD camera.  You can purchase it now at Apple’s website.

Apple also announced the new iMac which is only 5mm thick!  The 27-inch iMac comes with a 2.9GHz quad-core i5 processor with 8GB RAM and a 1TB hard drive.  It starts at $1799 and ships in November. There is also an i7 processor version as well as a 21-inch version.

Apple has revealed some shocking news.  Apple typically updates products once a year-- but not this time.  Apple has killed the 3^rd generation iPad after only six months! The 4^th generation iPad—now called iPad with Retina Display-- will have an A6X processor, a FaceTime HD camera and have the new Lightning connector.  You can pre-order tomorrow and it ships Nov. 2. The iPad 2 will continue to sell at $399.

Apple didn’t announce one iPad, but two! The rumored iPad Mini is here.  It sports a 7.9-inch screen, an A5 processor (same as iPad 2), 4G LTE, the lightning connector and comes in slate black and silver.

Sprint is also a new 4G LTE carrier for both of these new iPads. AT&T and Verizon continue to provide service as well.

Apple compared it to the Google Nexus 7 proving how much better the Mini is than the Nexus--but the price is not right.  You can pick up a 16GB Nexus for $249 or the new iPad Mini for $329! You can pre-order the iPad Mini tomorrow and it ships Nov. 2.

On Oct. 29 Google will hold its own conference where it is expected to announce the Nexus 10 from Samsung, Android 4.2 and the LG Nexus 4.  The Nexus 10 will compete directly against the new iPad, with a screen better than Apple’s Retina Display.

Lastly, Microsoft has revealed that Xbox SmartGlass will launch tomorrow.  This is an App that you can use with your PC, tablet, or smartphone to control the Xbox 360.  It will also become a second screen with extra content.  Some content that will use this feature are Dance Central 3, Halo Waypoint, ESPN, HBO GO and Univision.

That’s it for this week.  Come back next week for an update on Google’s announcements

Question: Would you buy the new iPad or the iPad Mini? Email your answers to smsetser@valdosta.edu

Top 5 Favorite Video Games (#3)

     Gotta go fast!!!!!

Come back November 8th for my 2nd favorite video game of all time!

Xbox sends out updates, Best Buy announces tablet

                I hope everyone had a great Fall Break.  It is a big week for Microsoft, Apple sets a date, and the Galaxy Note II finds a carrier.

                Xbox is now starting to ship out its Xbox Dashboard update.  Those who were in the best, like myself, have received the update first.  It will roll onto other consoles within the next few weeks.  It is odd that Microsoft did not update all consoles like in the past.  The update included the ability to PIN videos, games, or other content, as well as including Internet Explorer.

                The Windows Surface RT tablet has a price and launch date!  A 32GB version without a touch cover will cost $499, but with a cover it will cost $599.  A 64GB version with a touch cover will cost $699.  You can pre-order all of these models now.  They will ship out October 26^th with the launch of Windows 8 and Windows RT.  The $499 delivery date has been pushed back to 3 weeks because of the amount of pre-orders at the time this article was written.

                Apple doesn’t like Microsoft having all the spotlight, so Apple sent out invites to an event next Tuesday, October 23^rd  with the tag line, “We’ve got a little more to show you.”.  Apple is likely to announce the iPad Mini and a 13-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro. 

                The Samsung Galaxy Note II has found a home on Sprint’s network.  It is expected to launch October 25^th with a $299.99 price tag.  It will launch with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and sport a hug 5.5-inch display. 

                Best Buy has announced its own 9.7-inch tablet.  It will run Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with a dual-core 1GHz processor.  It will launch on November 11^th with a $239 or $259 price tag.

                That’s it for this week folks.  Check out the Spec Tech Blog this weekend for the video for my #3 favorite video game of all time.

                Question of the Week: Would you buy an iPad now or wait for the Windows Surface RT? Email me at smsetser@valdosta.edu

New iPod Touch arrives, PETA against Pokemon features

                Welcome to another weeks of rumors, new phones, and odd news.  This week, Nokia chooses a carrier for the Lumia 920, the iPod Touch launches, and PETA launches a campaign against Pokémon!

                The new iPod Touch seems to be shipping its pre-orders to customers before giving an official release date.  These new iPods should arrive around October 15^th.  The new iPod Nano’s still have no release date and have not shipped.

                An analyst has reported that a new BlackBerry 10 device will not release until March of 2013.  RIM was suggesting a January release, but it looks like it will be a while until the new phones release.  RIM has had phone troubles for a long time and BlackBerry 10 is its last hope to survive.

                The highly anticipated Nokia Lumia 920 will release exclusively with AT&T-much like the Lumia 900 did.  The phone is reported to have a November release date.  It will be running Windows Phone 8.

                Speaking of Windows Phone 8, AT&T will reportedly offer pre-orders for its Windows Phones- the HTC 8X and Nokia Lumia 920.  It will also hold pre-orders for its Windows 8 and Windows RT devices- the Samsung Ativ Smart PC and Asus Vivo Tab RT.

                In the weirdest news, PETA, the animal rights group, is going after Nintendo’s Pokémon series for animal abuse.  PETA says that even though Pokémon are virtual animals, they are still very real.  A Pokémon in a Pokéball is the same as an elephant chained up in a cage.  PETA has created a spoof of the game called Pokémon Black and Blue: Gotta Free ‘Em All on its website. 

                This is not the first time PETA has attacked Nintendo.  A few months ago they attacked Mario for the tanooki animal skin that Mario uses to fly.

                Windows Phone 8 might finally have a device for Verizon customers.  A leaked image of the Nokia Lumia 820, renamed the Nokia Atlas will sell as a mid-range phone for Verizon sometime after October 29^th.

                Lastly, a Samsung executive let slip that a Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini is coming soon.  It will have a 4-inch screen to directly compete with the iPhone 5.

                That’s it for the week, I hope everyone has a fun and safe fall break! Let’s hope the weather finally cools down.

                Questions of the week:  Are you interested in a Windows Phone 8 handset? Post your answers on http://vsuspectech.blogspot.com/ or email at smsetser@valdosta.edu

SpecTech's #4 Favorite Video Game

Welcome...to the Power Stone World!

Come back October 18th for my third favorite video game of all time!