MORE OF MY MINI REVIEWS...

[soloist]

As taken f-<
>rom my <
>jour-<
>na-<
>l:<
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>Burnout: Revenge (X-box): <
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>A bit more confusing by way of progression than last year's version... and the new direction seems much more chaotic and less structure than its predecessors serious theme in relation to onscreen action. This version allows gamers to bash through traffic (travelling in the same direction) to set up for traps of opponents attempting to pass by. It adds a new element to the gameplay for an interesting twist. One feature I miss from Burnout 2 which is not included in this version either is the ability to listen to custom soundtrack (or any soundtrack) during two player split-screen races. Still though, Burnout: Revenge is an adrenaline filled racer and a good one at that with the new races and an improved and more difficult crash mode compared to last years rendition. So far, I am enjoying this game more than I initially thought... however, I miss the serious approach to racing that the previous Burnout games presented. Selecting the best vehicle is unorthadox since each unlocked vehicle in the progressive sense may not be the best one to use, and gamers will have to back-track through the same stages over and over again but with different themes. The music available is fitting and mostly adrenaline filled, though I tend to use the custom soundtrack feature. Overall, Burnout: Revenge is fun with its many shortcuts and stages made for vehicular battle along with its multiplayer options and online additions... but I miss the seriousness in terms of racing from the previous two Burnout games.<
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>Urban Reign (PS2): <
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>This game surprised me in two ways - one being positive and the other being the opposite. While I was pleased by the action and the gameplay, the sense of progression was disappointing. I was hoping for more of a Double Dragon/Streets of Rage approach by having the characters travel on a path and defeating opponent in this manner, but in Urban Reign, each "match" takes place in an isolated area and are separated via intermission of text to explain the reason for each fight. I may actually go and get Beat Down again since it progresses more like an old-school
awler and plays how I expected this game to. The second surprise came by way of the action! This is how Beat Down should have played action-wise! Too bad the two games cannot be merged. But getting back to the Urban Reign, the battles are intense and can be short or long depending on the type of "match." The story exists in text with a few FMV's sprinkled in occasionally... so repetition sets in quickly since gamers will participate in a "match," read and repeat. The multi-player mode is great and definitely enjoyable.... but as a whole, Urban Reign ends up being a game that while a blast to play against other players on the same level in the multiplayer mode, the single play mode can get repetitive easily and the difficulty fluctuate depending on the battles. This may deter novices. Getting back to the point, Urban Reign in my opinion is not for everyone both worth a try. Not a neccessity, even for
awler fans.<
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>Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PS2):<
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>Being an actual game conceptually stemming from the Adventure mode in Mortal Kombat: Deception (which I personally enjoyed) comes MK: Shaolin Monks - an adventure game based on the MK theme which takes place between MKI and MKII. Playing as Lui Kang or Kung Lao (both in co-op mode), gamers progress developing their character via new moves, combos, fatalities and even more ways to dispach of foes. In my opinion, this game could have benefitted more if it stayed in developement a few months more. My reason for saying this is that the controls feel sloppy at times and it is difficult to tell which direction the player is facing which focusing on inanimate objects. Do not get me wrong; this game is fun to play for MK fans, but at times, it is difficult to tell where the next objective is or which areas players can traverse even with a map. This sense of obscurity is actual intentional to add to the challenge and mystery... or at least that is how it seems to be represented. With plenty of bonus "kontent" in the form of FMV's, a two player vs mode similiar to the original 2D MK games, and even the classsic version of MKII being present, this game has many reasons to search the environments since such bonuses come in the form of "koins" scattered throughout the realms. The boss battles are enthralling and usually consist of multiple segments that add to the thrill of attempting to best them! All in all... from what I have played of this game so far, it is worth investing in for MK fans inspite the flaws. They may be able to overlook them as I have, but this is not a "must-have" title for the masses.<
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>soloist <i></i>

[bdunn420]

Have you tried Marvel Nemesis? My Buddy went through half of it here last night, then finished it this morning at his place. He thinks it owns, but the story mode seems rather too easy to me if thats all the the time it took for him to go through it. He say's all the character's are unlocked, so I'm looking forward to some epic battles. I hope this ends the reign of Soul Calibur 2. I have played a demo of Shaolin Monk on the Xbox at a Hastings. I did not like playing as Liu Kang. His soundbytes sound exactly like those from Mortal Kombat 2 on the 32x. Very annoying. Other than that, I would say its a step up from Konquest mode (which was very good). <i></i>

[soloist]

A step up in a sense, but a step back in another since<
>Konquest mode featured a more RPG styled exper-<
>ience where as Shaolin Monks is an action/ad-<
>venture title. The Konquest mode is much<
>longer in length, but they both have th-<
>eir pluses and minuses. I never real-<
>ly cared much for Nemesis after<
>learning of the Imperfect ch-<
>aracters and how close t-<
>hey resemble existin-<
>g Marvel characte-<
>rs. If that gam-<
>e featured o-<
>nly Marve-<
>l chara-<
>cter-<
>s, <
>I mig-<
>ht have b-<
>een inclined t-<
>o invest in it. The-<
>n again, after reading <
>about the highly limited a-<
>mount of moves in the game a-<
>nd how poorly done the story mode <
>has been by way of battling a lot of paw-<
>n characters (aka fodder), it is good I chose<
>to wait for this game (laughs). I too enjoyed the<
>Konquest mode in MK: Deception and I feel as if both<
>styles were blended, a perfect MK game it would make! If<
>anything, I am having a blast playing X-Men Legends II tonight!<
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>(more tomorrow) <i></i>