DarkSpore PC Review

I came across this game while looking for a co-op RPG for me and a friend to play that wasn't a fantasy or middle ages type genre. We were mainly looking for scifi so this kind of filled the slot.
How did it fare? Well I will get to that.

Over all it was enjoyable to play though it was the demo version. I think it could be quite a bit more fun with a buddy hacking away with me but not much different over all. It felt like most other dungeon crawler Hack-N-Slash RPG games I have played in the past. Nothing besides the fact that my character was a monster and the environment reminded me that it was a scifi setting. The only thing that stood out a little bit to me was that it wasn't just one hero I brought into combat, it was a team of 3 that were hot swap-able at any time during play with a cool down of a couple seconds. Besides that it was the typical fare of special powers that were usable from an action bar after being gained from leveling up. Kill your way through the map to the end point, picking up DNA(experience) and loot along the way from dead enemies, chests and the randomly placed and seemingly useless destructible structures. Enemy types were quite varied, though besides the actual models, nothing drastically set them apart from run of the mill monsters.

So besides being quite meh in most other areas, the game controlled fantastically well! The smooth flow of combat and control tightness was really the only thing that kept me playing as long as I did in the demo. Though I will probably return to see which monsters I unlock next, I got enough of a feel for the game to write about it. Obviously the love of loot collecting was there but it wasn't a super special affair.

The story is really non-existent. You are a super scientist woken from millenia of cryo sleep to find that your genetic experiment that wiped out most of the universe has finally evolved into usefulness. These useful creations (your heroes) must be tracked down and unlocked in order to purge the galaxy of the mutated menace side effects of your experiments. That's about it, in the load screens the game tacks on some back story and history to each location but seeing as there aren't any NPCs that you converse with, it is mostly forgettable.

The main cool feature of the game is the crazy amount of customization you can do with the loot you pick up and equip on your characters. Each piece as usual goes on a specific slot, but the look and feel of that item on your monster and be custom sized, colored, and placed. I can see endless amounts of fun and combinations involved with this as long as the equipment is varied.

All in all it is a fun game and fairly entertaining, it would be more so with friends. Having found this on steam for $15 I've decided that I am going to wait for the price of the game to drop. Can't honestly say that I would be willing to spend more than $10 on this game.

7.5/10

Budget Co-op Fun!

Multiplayer gaming is all the rage these days! I remember when split screen was the only way it was possible. Now split screen is a rarity, but online co-op is still around. There are still a few gems out there, if you are willing to look past the less than blockbuster development budget. This time I will be focusing on disc based PS3 games. I will add videos for these games as soon as I can so be sure to check here for updates or keep an eye on the youtube channel!

So without further ado! Great bargain bin co-op action!

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2

Personally I have never played any other Dynasty Warrior games, but I have been told they all play fairly similar. It is pure mindless hack and slash action game. The game play is pretty basic but, there are combos for each Gundam that can be learned to maximize you kill count. There are several reasons I picked this game up, for one it was cheap. Also I always like games with big robots, even though I never really knew but about the Gundam universe. The amount of bots/mechs/gundams you can choose from to fight with is enormous.

The game supports split screen co-op and online PvP. Although most of the missions in the game can be played split screen, there are a few that can only be played solo. The online PvP supports up to 4 players in free for all shootout. Playing split screen farming for better parts for your favorite gundam is where the bread and butter of this game becomes addictive. The PvP is fun for a while but overall it is pretty dry.

Co-op Fun Score 8.5/10

Army of TWO: 40^th Day

This game got a lot of bad press due it its semi homoerotic nature. There does seem to be an excessive amount butt slapping and high fiving. Lame 90s “bro” one liners aside though, the game play is fun as long as you bring along a friend. It is your typical cover based 3^rd person shooter. Local split screen as well as online split screen is supported. Standard online multiplayer options are also present. There is a decent amount of customization for weapons and your face mask armor.

The enemy AI is pretty standard across all difficulties, only thing that really changes is damage taken and given. Personally for pure enjoyment normal difficulty is the best choice. Having a human partner not only makes the game much more enjoyable but it can significantly up your chances of survival in this game as an AI partner is next to useless.

Co-op Fun Score 7/10

Disney Universe

Great game to play with the family as supports 4 player co-op local. The screen can get pretty hectic though. It’s basically a Disney themed “beat um up” adventure game. The puzzles are light and if you have kids playing, or people who never play games; you can turn on the in game hints. Though calling them hints is an understatement as the game tells you exactly what you need to do every step of the way. Even though the game over all has an extremely low difficulty there’s enough cuteness and fun here for everyone. Each world has items you must collect to unlock other worlds or costumes.  Each world and of course costume is a Disney theme of some kind. The costumes each have a unique weapon that can be leveled up which in turn dishes out more damage and changes the weapon entirely.  The DLC support for the game is also surprisingly strong. Shortly after launch several costumes were available for download for free.

Co-op Fun Score 9/10

Fear 3

Great game great story line! Though not exactly fear inducing like the last 2 titles in the series, it is still a very twisted for mature gamers only story. That being said, the co-op play for this game is fantastic! Sadly there is no split screen, but the community is still thriving for this game so no worries really. This co-op however works a little different than most games. Instead of each player choosing the character that they want to play the host of the session always plays “Front Man”, the main protagonist for the story. Whoever joins their session becomes Fetel, the psychic younger brother of front man. The cool thing is that you don’t have to start a session and sit there waiting for someone to join before playing. Drop-in drop-out is supported regardless of what point in the story either player is at normally. Plenty of replayability thanks to the rank system which gives each of your characters new skills and strengths.

Co-op Fun Score 9/10

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel

This game is basically Diablo for consoles! Top down view HacknSlash dungeon crawling loot fest! For me personally I think the best part is that you can host a game and let people drop in and out of the game world you have been playing in, but not have to stay within a certain distance of each other.  Up to 4 people can play together online like I just described or you can play local one screen with one other person and 2 can join online. There are tons of hidden quests, easter eggs and, dungeons to be found. The max level you can reach is 250 and there are 4 classes to choose from. All of that together makes a great game to play with friends for hours and hours!!

Co-op Fun Score 10/10