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Post by Blade Runner 07 on May 6, 2013 13:09:27 GMT -5
Going back to the future with neon, and guns.
Presentation: 10/10 You are Rex Power Colt, cyber commando and veteran of Vietnam War II. You are the ultimate badass and it's your job to liberate an island from the control of rogue soldier Colonel Sloan before he carries out his plan for world domination. If that sounds like something you would read on the back of a cheesy 80's action movie VHS sleeve that's because Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is exactly that. An R-rated, interactive 80's action movie. An excellent adventure with countless nods to all things 80's action that shouldn't be missed by anyone with a soft spot for that particular by-gone era of action entertainment.
Gameplay: 9/10 The controls are standard. If you have played Far Cry 3 or any modern shooters you should feel right at home. The bulk of the game is free-roaming a huge island, liberating garrisons, rescuing hostages, and hunting animals, all while gaining skills and weapon upgrades that make you more powerful. By the end of the game you are the "ultimate badass" and nearly invincible as long as you aren't too wreckless. This may break the game for some but being the so over powered in a sandbox is something lacking in today's world that strives for the hyper-realistic experience. A few old-school cheat codes would have been welcome.
Graphics: 8/10 Blood Dragon is a solid game. Despite constant flashes of neon, lasers, and explosions, all going on at once I never experienced a dip in frame-rate. Speaking of neon, the game is filled with it and it brings a unique, electric feel to the game. It's constantly night due to the fact that "the apocalypse has had an apocalypse" so the world of FC3:BD has a constant dust cloud to keep the sun out. This is all for the better though. It allows for some of the coolest fire fights I've ever seen in a video game. When the action heats up with lasers and explosions contrasting the dark red sky makes for a sight unique to Blood Dragon and one not to miss.
"He said "blow me" so I did."
Sound: 10/10 From Rocky, to Rambo, to Blade Runner, to Terminator all these classics are represented in the soundtrack and they only add to the feeling that you are participating in the plot an 80's action movie. The soundtrack is awesome! The voice acting is great too. The quality is what you would expect but the script is what stands out. Rex Power Colt could easily be the new king of one-liners. I know he's at least giving Duke Nukem a run for his money. I dare you not to at least smile, if not laugh out loud multiple times during the story. It's cheesy good humor.
Value: 6/10 If you are a fan of the 80's action scene then you won't feel the $15 price tag. It's a fair price for the quality of the game your getting. If you aren't a fan, then pass for now. I think everyone should experience this game but all but die hard fans of the subject material should wait for a price drop. It's a short experience, but open-ended, you can't miss any achievements and to 100% the entire game can take just under 6 hours if you rush it. I urge you not to though. This is a game I suggest either crawling through to soak in all the 80's nostalgia it has to offer or replaying a few times to replay the games best parts. With this much service to fun-loving fans of all things 80's this game is about as good as it gets. By the time you hit 100% you'll have seen all Blood Dragon has to offer. A multiplayer or co-op option would have been nice, but maybe just a longer story and more things to do or unlock would have sufficed.
For some, the best way to describe this game would be to say it's Far Cry 3, scaled down, reskinned, then turned up to 11. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a simple, stupid, shallow good time. It's not out to impress anyone with technical prowess, deep story, or innovative gameplay. All of these things come naturally enough for Blood Dragon. In an industry that has been spoiled with oscar worthy stories destined to sit on the same shelf as bargain bin shovelware, all for the same $60 asking price, Blood Dragon is one of the most pleasant surprises to hit the FPS genre in a long time. Ubisoft has proved all that is old and boring can be new and exciting again. Here's to hoping development on Blood Dragon 2: Back for Blood gets underway in the near future.
I give it an 8/10.
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Post by JMMREVIEW on May 6, 2013 13:29:19 GMT -5
Thanks for the review blade, I probably should get it the only reason I havent is because I cant seem to get off Dead Island. One question I do have is how do you find shooting from the hip in this game? it seemed pretty good in the demo to me.
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on May 6, 2013 13:56:05 GMT -5
Well of course you want to aim down the sights for the sniper rife in this game but other than that the ADS mechanic is a sugestion more than something you need to do. The soldiers you fight all have fish bowl like heads so headshots from the hip are easily done especially from stealth when the enemy isnt running or taking cover.
I only ever used ADS with precision weapons in stealth like the sniper rifle and bow. When in an all out firefight my gameplay consisted of pulling out my Assult Rifle and firing from the hip at the upper torso for head shots. So what am I saying?
It's good that the ADS is there for precision weapons but as you upgrade the automatic weapons they become so powerful, magazines so deep, and laser bullets so bright that hip firing is pretty easy. All the guns as well as your character are over powered from the start. The game is meant to make you feel like an all powerful badass in an 80's action movie. The enemies arnt all that acurate or smart and there heads explode with blue blood when you head shot them.
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Post by JMMREVIEW on May 6, 2013 15:37:31 GMT -5
Ok sounds good, Dead Island is like that, hip fire can be a little hit or miss at times but so can the ADS but I blame the fact that is hard to see!
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Post by asoldierbear on May 6, 2013 21:31:35 GMT -5
Great review, well put together, I'm thinking about buying it.
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Lenrat117
A Hind D!?
I may have the body of a weak and feeble man but I have the Heart and Stomach of a Queen.
Posts: 557
Now Playing: probably Fallout New Vegas
Favorite Game: probably Europa Universalis 4
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Post by Lenrat117 on May 8, 2013 11:32:31 GMT -5
voiced by michael biehn!
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Post by JMMREVIEW on May 9, 2013 13:56:42 GMT -5
Someone on YouTube said there was a zombie part in blood dragon is this true?
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on May 9, 2013 14:45:39 GMT -5
Um, yeah. Kinda spoilers...
There are Zombie enemies in the game. Like the kind that run at you and swipe there claws of undeadness at you. Then I think there are some "undead soldiers" that shoot at you too but thats all way later in the main story. There are a couple nods to Dawn and Day of the Dead in this game as well. Like 2 little nuggets of reference.
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Post by JMMREVIEW on May 9, 2013 15:07:13 GMT -5
Are these the zombies? I dont mean to be picky but I wouldnt really class them as zombies (sorry I know I might sound like TurboChickenGuy but I am quite particular when it comes to zombies!)
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on May 9, 2013 15:10:38 GMT -5
Yeah thats them. They arnt Zombies in my book but they are the undead hellspawn that people these days call zombies...
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Post by JMMREVIEW on May 9, 2013 15:19:23 GMT -5
We wont split hairs
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on May 15, 2013 13:17:32 GMT -5
Update: The Creative Director of Blood Dragon just hinted that a New Game Plus and/or a reset garrisons option may very well be in the works for Blood Dragon simply saying "Looking at it " To a question asked by a fan on the matter. I have to be honest. As much as I think it was worth MY $15, I stopped playing literally 7 days after it launched. There was nothing left to do. Nothing would please me more than a New Game Plus that allows you to retain all your character progress but replay the main story. Hell, even adding a "Ultimate super mega awesome badass" character level that pretty much grants you God Mode would be something to shoot for and a great addition for the people that have already 100%'d the game. My point being, this game is awesome. I want to keep playing it, there just isnt a whole lot to do once you hit 100%. Heres to hoping for a patch in the very near future. Before the end of the month preferably.
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MMCC0203
Deepthroat
Posts: 658
Now Playing: Fallout 4
Favorite Game: LoZ: Majora's Mask
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Post by MMCC0203 on May 23, 2013 23:05:03 GMT -5
Still debating whether I should get this on PC or 360. Anyone have experience with both versions?
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on May 24, 2013 11:50:31 GMT -5
Though I have not, I got to be honest and say I havent played this game for almost 2 weeks. I still urge people to play it but until they patch it for garrison resets, this game is a 6 hours expereince and after that 6 hours it's dead in the water. If you havent bought it yet then wait for the patch. It should be announced very soon and be out next month.
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Post by Blade Runner 07 on Jul 11, 2013 15:51:43 GMT -5
Update: A patch that allows for garrison resets is out now but I'm not sure I'll be picking the game up again just to clear out the bases for 2nd time. While I stand by the 8/10 I gave Blood Dragon the initial "honeymoon" period has worn off and I've moved on to other games. If I ever go back to this game I will most likely just replay the 6 hour story and have just as much fun that way.
This is still a great game. Read my full review for more details.
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