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<!--Generated by Squarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/) on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:05:27 GMT--><rss xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Reviews</title><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/</link><description></description><lastBuildDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:11:58 +0000</lastBuildDate><copyright></copyright><language>en-US</language><generator>Squarespace Site Server v5.11.81 (http://www.squarespace.com/)</generator><item><title>RAGE Review</title><category>XBOX360</category><category>rage</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><category>xbox360</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:49:21 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2012/1/30/rage-review.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:14791081</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 320px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/rage.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327946967009" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span><img style="width: 35px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/esrb-rating-images/esrb-m-mature.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1293811220618" alt="" />&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=31416&amp;searchkeyword=RAGE">For more information on the rating click here</a></p>
<p>It took me a bit of time to finally get this game in my XBOX 360, but when I finally got it in I was excited. This was going to be an adventure that would bring me back to the old school id games, in the new generation. You will be putting on the personal of an Ark specialist, a person who was put into a hibernation chamber for the coming apocalypse and who is just now waking up to a whole new world. You'll find a world full of bandits and an organization with an agenda, the Authority.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Graphically this game, at first, looks top-notch. There's a lot to this game, and even though most of it is a barren wasteland there's something about it that draws you in. Well that is until you notice that there is something going on with the textures in the game. There are a ton of different geometry in the game that have an infinite refresh cycle. You'll be looking at a gray box, that will then bet some texture to it, and then you get to see the finished product, and then for some reason it resets itself. Now if you're trying to move quickly through the game chances are you're not going to catch how often this happens, but it happens much more often than I would like. The different enemies you face definitely put some fear in you, or make you think you're going up against some badasses, so in that regard that got it right.</p>
<p>The music not really something that you're going to be paying attention to, but its there, and it works. I do like the fact that everyone is voiced, though it is wierd that you're going to hear certain voices recycled, especially when the voice starts off as a random NPC and then later takes on a role as a major player in the game, and yet its the EXACT same voice.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The controls in the game for the most part feel about right. There were times where other FPS controller layouts would entry my head and I'd end up throwing a grenade instead of doing something else, but overall I really can't complain all that much. I do wish that during the driving portions that the controls were a bit tighter. I understand the need for the racing mechanic, but I felt that this aspect didn't get the polish it needed.</p>
<p>So as a just woken up Ark person, you find the world has changed dramatically. You've also learned that there have been others just like you who have either join a resistance movement, been experimented on and died, or have go to join the Authority. You'll have to face off against outlaws that have splintered into packs to try to carve out their own place, and you'll have to battle mutated beings who don't like to be disturbed. To advance through the game you're going to have to win different vehicles, which to me seems like a really odd way to deal with quest progression. You'll also get an ever growing arsenal of weapons to play around with, from a rocket launcher to a pistol. I know this might spoil a little of the game for people, but you're going to have to join the rebels because the Authority has done something to stack the deck in their favor. You'll have plenty of missions to keep you busy, and then you'll have a final showdown. Well at least that's what happened, to me it felt as if the true game was about to open up and then the credits rolled. So my recommendation to all is that even though the game is on three discs, once you're on disc number 2 you're already halfway through the game. The third disc will not come out of the case.</p>
<p>Sure there's multiplayer in this game, and I'm sure its quite fun, but after dealing with an ending like that, I had no desire to give that piece a spin. This game definitely has/had potential, with a little tweaking here, and there, and perhaps a better ending to the single player, my review would be better, but for what I got I'm going to have to drop my score of this game to a <strong>6.5 out of 10</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/ragegame.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1327947060230" alt="" /></span></span></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/rss-comments-entry-14791081.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Run Roo Run Review</title><category>Apple</category><category>Apple</category><category>ipad</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><category>roo</category><category>run</category><category>undefined</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:43:01 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2012/1/18/run-roo-run-review.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:14633214</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/runroorun.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1326894898395" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p>The makers of Scribblenauts are back, and this time they come bearing a new iOS game called Run Roo Run. In this game all you're going to have to do is tap the screen, you won't need to be creative, or try to come up with impressive words, this time all you'll have to do is tap the screen. Yes I know I said it twice, but that's literally all you'll have to do in this game. In this game you will play the part of a parent kangaroo who has their Joey stolen from them. You'll have to jump your way through at least 300 stages across Australia to try to rescue the Joey.</p>
<p>Graphically you can tell this is the same engine that was used for Scribblenauts, and because of the simplicity of the game, it works. Everything has that cut out feeling and it works for the game.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Sound-wise you're going to have some cheerful music to help you along your way through the game.</p>
<p>The controls are you tapping on the screen at the correct time to make your character jump. They are going to be auto-walking, so you don't have to worry about that aspect.</p>
<p>I think it is really hard to see such an innovative company pull a 180 on the type of game I associate with them. I'm not saying that they shouldn't have done it, but man this game had very little challenge to it. The entire 20 levels felt like a tutorial to me, and then you get to play the extreme levels, which in my mind are filler that was thrown in there so you'd think there was a ton of game there as you fail over and over again. In the extreme levels you have to be so precise about where you tap the screen that the enjoyment that could have been had by the game is gone. On the flip side the normal levels are so short, most of them you're aiming for a 2-3 second finish of the level, that you just never get to truly enjoy the game. In a span of around an hour I beat the entire set of normal levels. Sure they will be releasing new levels to you to keep you interested, but I think that this game just misses the mark. The only saving grace for this game is the low price value. I wish I could say there was something else to this game, but to be honest besides the fact of a solid graphics and physics engine for a 2D platforming game (which I really don't think this game is much of a platformer) there's nothing else to write about.</p>
<p>If you want to help support 5th Cell, like I do, then get this game, just don't expect to have your mind blown away. Perhaps thier next title will cause both joy in the game and joy in supporting the company. This game gets a <strong>4.8 out of 10</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/runroorungame.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1326894913391" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/main/">Home</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/">Reviews</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/apple-i-pod-touch/">Apple</a></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/rss-comments-entry-14633214.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Assassin's Creed: Revelations Review</title><category>3</category><category>PS3</category><category>PlayStation</category><category>assassin's</category><category>creed</category><category>revelations</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:36:11 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2012/1/13/assassins-creed-revelations-review.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:14571863</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 320px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/assasinscreedrev.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1326498965626" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span><img style="width: 35px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/esrb-rating-images/esrb-m-mature.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1293811220618" alt="" />&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=31639&amp;searchkeyword=assassins%20creed%20revelations">For more information on the rating click here</a></p>
<p>In the fourth installment of the Assassin's Creed series you will once again be playing as Desmond, Ezio, and Altair. You will have to journey, this time, to Constantinople, as well as a couple other locations. You will spend the majority of the game as Ezio. It will be up to you to take on the quests, and memory sequences to try to fit the pieces back together that you encountered in the previous game. You'll also get the chance to reclaim the city, take back the shops, assassinate many who stand in your way, and perhaps you will once again fall in love.</p>
<p>Graphically this game definitely shows that its willing to try to pump out some good graphics. Sure there are some issues with the cutscenes, most notably the syncing of mouths, but overall they were very well done, and very informative. The character model for Ezio was exactly what I would expect him to look like when he was older, and the several different models of Altair definitely allows you to see even through age he was still a strong individual. There's also the historical figures, now I can't say that they are spot on as I've never seen any of them in real life, but they seem to have the correct cultural influences to make them feel correct.</p>
<p>The music was appropriate for the game. There was of course your usual music, and your battle music. I will also point out that there will be a hushing of the music at certain times, when this occurs check your surroundings, otherwise you might find yourself on a blade, and not in a good way.</p>
<p>The controls were pretty solid for the game, with the introduction of the hook blade control timing was essential in certain sequences. There are times where you're trying to jump further up a wall and if you're not careful you'll push off into nothingness, and there are times where you're trying to line up a jump off a rooftop and Ezio will stumble and cling to the edge, but the majority of the time what you want the controls to do is exactly what they will do.</p>
<p>As stated before you're going to spend the majority of the game in the body of Ezio, well older Ezio, and you'll be journeying to Constantinople. You are going there in search of keys hidden by the Polo family. Now of course the Templars are also looking for said keys so you're going to have to beat them to it. If you can you will be rewarded by entering the library of Altair. Just like Brotherhood you will be able to purchase landmarks, banks, tailors, blacksmiths, etc and all of that will help fund your growing assassin empire in the city. Of course you'll also be tasked with taking back the dens around the city to spread your influence, but that's not too hard if you've played previous games you already know what to do. Sadly you won't get to do much early on in the game but after a while in the city you'll find that the open-ness will become just that. You can take the missions at your own pace. There are plenty of side-missions to keep you occupied as well and they range from assassin guild missions to thief guild missions.&nbsp;</p>
<p>There is just something about this game that had me constantly coming back, I wanted to gain complete control of the city, I wanted to gain complete control of the areas that you can send your assassin's off to, and I wanted to make sure that any enemy unit walking on rooftops accidentally perished from a hidden blade. Now there are a lot of missions in which you have to follow specific rules in order to have 100% sync, and I'm going to tell you right now that even though I didn't complete many 100% that didn't stop me from enjoying myself. Sure there were a couple of times where I swore a bit after a mission because I thought I did just what it said, and just missed out, but in the end, I was able to complete the game at over 50% sync, so that's something, I guess.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you've played a game earlier in the series and want to know if you should pick this game up the simple answer is yes, this is a very well made game, there's even a little bit of history you can learn about the actual historical people and buildings that you will encounter. Sure the journey of Altair and Ezio are ficticous but that definitely doesn't take away from the fact that you're going to be playing around in history, even if you don't know it. This game is a definite purchase in my opinion, and through the meat of the game, you'll find you're going to enjoy it. I do have to say, however, that the ending will leave you wanting. This game gets a <strong>9.3 out of 10</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/assasinscreedrevgame.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1326499140267" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/main/">Home</a><span>&nbsp;|&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/">Reviews</a><span>&nbsp;|&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/playstation-3/">PlayStation 3</a></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/rss-comments-entry-14571863.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review</title><category>Wii</category><category>Wii</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><category>skyward</category><category>sword</category><category>zelda</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:39:38 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2011/12/30/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword-review.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:14381678</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 320px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/box_art/zeldaskywardsword.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1325264439331" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span><img style="width: 35px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/esrb-rating-images/esrb-e10-everyone10plus.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1293811310454" alt="" />&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=31627&amp;searchkeyword=skyward%20sword">For more information on the rating click here</a></p>
<p>This has to be one of the more complete Zelda games I've ever played. You're going to start in a city named Skyloft, a city somehow suspended above to clouds, the ground has long since be forgotten. You'll enter in on the day of the Festival of the Goddess, and of course Zelda is the main star. Well something happens and Zelda gets sucked down to the world below, and this is where the journey begins. You'll have to traverse several different areas, defeat several types of enemies, and collect items that will help you win the day, and of course defeat the ancient evil that plagues the world.</p>
<p>Graphically this has to be one of the best looking Wii games I've ever played, I'm wondering if they just maxed the crap out of the system, or what they did to achieve the look of the game. There really aren't that many of your usual enemies popping up in this game, so you'll have fun getting to know some of the newer ones as you slice them with your blade. The look and feel of each of the areas that you will visit look amazing, and well done, I really enjoyed all the temples.</p>
<p>The music is always top notch in this series, so expect more of the same, and if you play in sessions as long as I did you're probably going to be whistling or humming some of the area music. As seems to always be the case don't expect any voice acting, you're going to have to do the reading to find out what is going on in the game.</p>
<p>The controls make this game a very unique entry to the series. You'll be utilizing the Wii-motion plus, and for better or worse that is going to make the game for you. For some reason I had to continuously reset the calibration of where my indicator was on the screen, there were also times where when I tried to do a specific sword swing I didn't get the desired response because of the calibration issue. I really do wish that there was a jump button in the game as well, but there is not, so you'll have to run at stuff to caused a jumping action to occur.</p>
<p>You'll have to chase after Zelda for the majority of the game, as she tries to stop the rise of an evil power known as Demise. There will be one other that will constantly get in your way, a servant of Demise, but if you are strong enough you will win in the end. There was an extra layer to this game, and that was the collecting and side-quests. The collecting was basically retrieving items from fallen enemies, capturing bugs, and being rewarded with rare items. All of those pieces you'll get to use for upgrading equipment, or strengthening potions. You'll also have to be on the look out for extra pouches so that your inventory can grow and you can be as armed as you want to be. The side-quest thing I never really did, you could gain a special item that you were of course collecting for someone, but I never felt the need to do so. It could give something extra to break up the flow of the game, but I wasn't interested in that. There's also the issue of shield durability. Now when you try to use your shield it takes damage, enough of it and it breaks. Fear not there is someone who can repair the shields for you, but it definitely throws an interesting twist into how you play the game.</p>
<p>Now I know everyone is interested to know what items other than a sword and shield will you have access to. Well you'll get to have the bow and arrow, slingshot, whip, digging claws, bombs, grapple glove, &nbsp;bug net, and wind bellow. You're going to get to use all of these items a ton in the game as you try to solve all the puzzles that have been put in your way.</p>
<p>As much as I was annoyed by the calibration issue of the controls, I couldn't get enough of the game, and I didn't want to stop playing. Sure there were times where the answers were a bit out there, but in the end this was yet another solid game, and something we've grown to expect from a game with the name Zelda on it. If you have a Wii, this is the game that will breath life back into the system, or for me a chance to dust off the system that has not been turned on in a year. Get this game if you haven't already, this game gets a <strong>9.6 out of 10</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/box_art/zeldassgame.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1325264679611" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/main/">Home</a><span>&nbsp;|&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/">Reviews</a><span>&nbsp;|&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/wii/">Wii</a></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/rss-comments-entry-14381678.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Apple: Ticket to Ride Review</title><category>Apple</category><category>Apple</category><category>ipad</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><category>ride</category><category>ticket</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:31:26 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2011/12/28/apple-ticket-to-ride-review.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:14357803</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 230px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/tickettoride.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1325091245314" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p>Days of Wonder decided that the iPad would be a perfect platform to have their game ported to, and I couldn't agree with them more. I've spent way too much time playing the game, when I probably could have been writing this review, but this game is just too good to stop playing, especially given the high scoreboard. In this game you will be taking on at least one opponent as you try to claim the railways across the map. There are several different maps that you can purchase, but the one that comes with the game is the US. If you can connect the most routes, you might just find yourself coming out on top.</p>
<p>Graphically this game doesn't require much, but what it does give you is elegance in simplicity. You'll be able to see the board, the cards you can draw from, your routes highlighted, and your hand. Each piece of the game has a good clear spot on the screen and won't leave you guessing about anything.</p>
<p>The sounds of the game are on the simple side.</p>
<p>The controls of the game just have you tapping on the screen, or dragging and dropping. You'll be tapping to gain cards to your hand, and you'll be dragging and dropping to lay down tracks in the game.</p>
<p>As stated before your job is to try complete routes that are on cards that you'll be drawing throughout the game. You're going to have 3 different actions you can take during your turn. You can draw 2 cards, or one face up wild card, you can lay down tracks between two points (if you have the correct number of cards), or you can draw three route cards, but you have to choose one. You'll have 45 trains to work with, and once a route is taken by an opponent you will not be able to use it during the course of the game. The beautiful thing about this game is it takes strategy, and the ability to change at the drop of a hat. You'll also have to hope that the cards fall just right for you as well. You'll see on the board that there are colored routes, which you'll have to have the right cards for, and there are the grey routes where you can use all of any color to complete the route. Oh and one more thing, once a player gets under 3 trains left to play the game goes into the final turn.&nbsp;</p>
<p>So if you're looking for a great board game on the iPad that is a different than your average board game you're going to want to pick this up, and you'll also find that once you get the hang of it you might not want to stop playing, or perhaps you'll want to get more maps to see if your skills can translate to those maps as well. This game gets a <strong>9.2 out of 10</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/tickettoride.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1325091270075" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/main/">Home</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/">Reviews</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/apple-i-pod-touch/">Apple</a></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/rss-comments-entry-14357803.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review</title><category>V</category><category>XBOX360</category><category>elder</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><category>scrolls</category><category>skyrim</category><category>xbox360</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:11:49 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2011/12/20/elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-review.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:14195717</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 320px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/box_art/skyrim.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1324392318289" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span><img style="width: 35px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/esrb-rating-images/esrb-m-mature.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1293811220618" alt="" />&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=31575&amp;searchkeyword=Skyrim">For more information on the rating click here</a></p>
<p>This was probably one of the most anticipated games of the year for me, and I have to say that having put so much time into it, and planning on putting more time to seek out random dungeons that this game not only had me from start to finish, but left me wanting more. In the game you start off as a captive of the Imperials, this is going to be your execution day, but something happens. A Dragon attacks and all hell breaks loose. Somehow you're going to have to manage to fight your way out, and once on the other side, you're going to have the entire land of Skyrim at your disposal. Explore the lands, take on quests, join guilds, join a faction, and ultimately save the realm.</p>
<p>Graphically this game looked amazing, the amount of scenary/buildings/mountains/etc was more than a little impressive. Sure there's some texture and structure loading issues when traveling out in Skyrim, but for the most part you're going to find that there's a lot to explore, and a wide variety of stuff to look at. You're going to have glaciers, snow, mountains, fields, forests, caves, and more. This is the type of adventure game you can easily get lost in. The NPC faces do get a bit generic if you do a good amount of exploring, especially when it comes to enemies that you come across. There's so much to see though, that you're probably not going to wonder why a huge chunk of city dwelling people look like they came from the same mother at the exact same birth.</p>
<p>The music in Skyrim is also top notch. You have orchestra pieces to listen to, and you also have changes in music to denote different events. If you're being attacked, if you've entered into a cave, if you're just exploring Skyrim, there's a good variety of music to listen to. I will recommend one thing, if you enter an inn or a place where there is someone singing, just ask them to take a break, you'll thank me later.</p>
<p>The controls in the game will have you utilizing every button the the controller. You'll have a trigger for one hand (be it for a shield, a spell, or another weapon), and of course the other trigger for the other weapon. You'll have a button to jump, a button to select/pick up/talk with, and of course a cancel button. You'll be using both shoulder buttons once you're a bit into the game, and the analog sticks are going to be your friends when you're trying to track dragons flying in the sky.</p>
<p>One thing that this game promised was a ton of a dragons, and man did they deliver. You're going to have to face quite a few just to get from the beginning of the game to the end, but there's also the chance of just going out into the world and hunting dragons. There's dragon nests scattered across the land that you can go to a take down some of the meaner dragons. There's just so much to this game I don't even know where to start. You're going to get to craft your character and level them up with the actions that you take. Unlike Oblivion where you can cheat the system with your skill selections, this time around you're going to level up skills by utilizing that action (lockpicking, one-hand fighting, blocking, smithing, etc), and as you level skills up you're going to level up your character which in turn will allow you to boost a stat (magic, health, stamina) and then also give you a perk point to give you a little something extra in one of the skill fields. Now to stop you from just choosing the best perks of different skills there are skill level requirements (separate from your character's level) that have to be met in order to unlock that perk. Personally I made sure that most of my perks went into lockpicking, as that seemed to be a game inside the game for me, and allowed me to gain the riches that my character finished the game with. There are a couple of groups that you can join throughout the game, you have the Companions (basically the Fighter's Guild, but with a dark twist), the College of Magic, the Thieves Guild (this too has a twist), the Bard's college, the Stormcloaks (basically the renegade faction), the Imperials (the ruling and conquering faction), and/or the Dark Brotherhood (Assassin's Guild). With so much to do, plus a ton of other quests this game will eat up hours of your life, but in a good way.</p>
<p>There are, however, a few issues I have with the game. First off there were some bad bugs that could become your undoing, and cause you to restart a good ways back in your game, so don't be afraid to use multiple saves and save often. My personal issue with the game was that there was a quest that once turned on you could no longer fast travel (which once you've started to play Skyrim, you'll see makes the game almost unplayable), there has as been texture issues, weird geometry stuff going on, dragons flying backwards, and characters that you have to converse with that either don't ever appear or disappear when you need to talk to them to continue a quest. Then there's the other issue in the game, the main storyline. Maybe it was just me, but I wanted to do anything but work on the main storyline, it just didn't feel up to par with some of the side quests. Sure it had its interesting parts, but there wasn't enough substance to it, I didn't feel as invested in it as say the later Thieves Guild quests. There's also the Misc. quests that you'll get, those can screw you over royally simply because there are way too many times when you can't remember who the hell you have to turn the quest into, there's never an indicator, and sometimes it will make items stay in your inventory forever, as they are seen as quest items, and you can't drop quest items.&nbsp;That being said, completing the main quest doesn't mean that the game will end, thankfully you'll be able to continue on exploring to your heart's desire. Hell if you play long enough I'm sure you can just start killing everyone in Skyrim and just have the place to yourself, if that's something that interests you.</p>
<p>In the end, with its flaws, and it's not quite epicly awesome main storyline, this is a game that I couldn't get enough of. Sure there were some game freezes, and sure there were some glitches, but it says something about the game when I simply said a string of curse words, then restarted the 360 and started playing again. I became invested in the world, I wanted to explore every nook and cranny, I wanted to become that hero that could make all who oppose me feel my wrath. So I think it's safe to say that if you like open world RPGs where you get to fight dragons, save the world, and have a good sense of adventure, you're going to have already bought this game, or if you haven't you need to get this game pronto, like right now, as soon as you're done reading this, go get the game and get lost in it like so many others have before you. This game gets a <strong>9.4 out of 10</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/box_art/skyrimgame.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1324392341912" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/main/">Home</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/">Reviews</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/xbox360/">XBOX 360</a></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/rss-comments-entry-14195717.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Super Mario 3D Land Review</title><category>3D</category><category>3DS</category><category>3ds</category><category>Mario</category><category>Super</category><category>land</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:44:30 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2011/12/6/super-mario-3d-land-review.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:14005099</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 320px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/supermario3dland.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1323215976770" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span><img style="width: 35px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/esrb-rating-images/esrb-E-Everyone.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1293810646897" alt="" />&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=31562&amp;searchkeyword=Super%20Mario%203D%20land">For more information on the rating click here</a></p>
<p>Mario is back in his old school style, and his desire to rescue the Princess from the clutches of Bowser. You will have to fight your way through levels upon levels that will have you remembering the good old days of Super Mario World 3, except this time it's in 3D and there's a little extra depth to the actual levels.</p>
<p>Graphically this is the first game that I really liked in 3D, so I left the 3D ability on the 3DS while I played through almost all the levels. There is some serious variety in the levels too. There's the desert levels, underwater levels, the castle levels, the moving levels, the warship levels, and more. There are definitely a couple of levels I liked the look of but really didn't want to have to fight my way through as the overall difficulty saw many a life lost. The different costumes that Mario dons looked pretty good. You will get to become a boomerang brother at one point, but most of the time you're going to be relying on the leaf, the flower, mushroom, and star. I think we all know what to expect when it comes to Mario's appearance in those outfits.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The music was once again your good old Mario, and I have to say that as simplistic as some of it is, I couldn't turn it off, perhaps it was as simple as remembering my youth, but there was something to the music. Now of course there were no real voices to the game, but this one didn't need it.</p>
<p>The controls are your standard Mario control layout. You're going to have a button to jump, one to do an action (fire a fireball, throw a boomerang, etc), and of course the D-pad or analog stick to move around. There was also a slight use of the shoulder buttons to tweak the view of the level ever so slightly.</p>
<p>Overall I really like playing this game, though I don't think it should have been called Super Mario Land (I know that's what distinguishes it as a handheld game), it felt much more like a Super Mario World. There was also one other small thing that kind of bothered me about the game. You had to collect hidden and sometimes hard to reach coins to unlock some of the levels, and a couple of the castles near the end of the game. Purely getting through the level wasn't enough for this game, which I think kind of took a bit out of the fun. I wanted to see what the next level would be, not "man I've got to play that level again I didn't find any of the 3 hidden coins". The fact that the game had you moving in all 4 directions on the screen (back, forward, left and right) definitely made the game feel more up to date, and as I stated before the graphics looked good, and crisp. The real great thing about this game is that there's a little something extra for the gamers who want to keep going after you've successfully vanquished Bowser, and saved the Princess, but that's all I'll say about that.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you're looking for something solid to play on the 3DS, and love the Mario franchise (which I think is almost a given if you're going to be investing in a Nintendo product), then you're going to want this game to add to your collection. One point of advice, if you see one of the three special coins per level, try to find a way to get it, you're probably going to need it in the long haul. This game gets a <strong>9.2 out of 10</strong>.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/supermario3dlndgme.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1323216086906" alt="" /></span></span></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/rss-comments-entry-14005099.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Kinect Sports: Season Two Review</title><category>Two</category><category>XBOX360</category><category>kinect</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><category>season</category><category>sports</category><category>xbox360</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 25 Nov 2011 16:05:24 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2011/11/25/kinect-sports-season-two-review.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:13861870</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 320px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/box_art/kinectsportss2.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1322239430644" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span><img style="width: 35px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/esrb-rating-images/esrb-E-Everyone.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1293810646897" alt="" />&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=31405&amp;searchkeyword=Kinect%20Sports:%20Season%20Two">For more information on the rating click here</a></p>
<p>Microsoft has come out with a sequel to their sports game to show off the Kinect. In this game you'll get to play Football, Golf, Darts, Skiing, Baseball, and Tennis. As you play the different games you're going to be able to unlock difficulties to increase the experience and also the challenge.</p>
<p>Graphically this game looks exactly like the first, with the exception of the change in sporting equipment. Everything was clearly done, and the informational videos told you exactly what you need to know to get the job done in the game that you're currently trying to play.</p>
<p>The sounds of the game were for the most part hit songs from different eras, when you did something good, and an announcer of some sort to tell you what's currently going on in the game.</p>
<p>The controls of the game involved your body, but for some reason I felt that they were worse than they were in the first game. Trying to do the actions to serve a tennis ball, I could never get the Kinect to see exactly what I was doing, and as a result I never felt comfortable in that aspect. There were other games that suffered from the same disconnect I felt, but not to that large of a degree.</p>
<p>So you have all these sports games, and to be honest there's only one that I would recommend coming back to, and that's Darts. The simplest one is the best one to play because you can figure out what the game is expecting and then play as if you're playing the real thing. Now for the other games.</p>
<p>Let's start first with Football, it's anything but football. You have 4 plays to march down the entire field, there's no such thing as a first down. You're either going to have to score a touchdown, kick a field goal, or I'm guessing turn it over on downs. You're going to have these different passing indicators that will light up when its the correct time to throw it to a receiver, but I felt as if sometimes my throwing motions didn't get the ball going in the correct direction. There's also the fact that you've got to squat before each play, and sometimes if you squat too soon it didn't register. There's also the fact that you couldn't play defense in the game, so you were at complete mercy of the game.</p>
<p>Now lets hit up baseball. This is yet another broken game. I do get that they wanted it to be cute and cool to have indicators tell you which type of pitch the batter was bad at hitting, but it makes no logical sense for a left-handed person to have to constantly pitch with both hands depending on the batter. There's also the fact that even if you got it right it wasn't going to equal to much. The fielding mechanic was also screwy. I understand that there's an achievement for bobbling the ball and then catching it, but I never felt comfortable with that mechanic. There's also the fact that its a severely shorten game when it comes to innings, which is probably for the best, as when I played against a human opponent the actual inning would take about 8 runs bare minimum before a change in sides.</p>
<p>I've already hit a bit on tennis, but overall it just feels a bit sloppy. I do like the overhead slam feel, but other than that the game doesn't really like I wanted it to feel.</p>
<p>The other games golf and skiing did what they were suppose to do, but once again I felt that the controls weren't tight enough to make them overly enjoyable. There are also some challenges to try to extend the game, but to be honest you can get through those rather quickly, and then you're left with the game again. A good thing that each of these games should have had is more options, more than setting the difficulty. I would have love to change up dart system, to change up inning numbers, to be able to play defense, to have more of a game than a bunch of half done carnival games. So with that I've got to give this game a <strong>5.7 out of 10</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/box_art/kinectsportss2game.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1322239504404" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/main/">Home</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/">Reviews</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/xbox360/">XBOX 360</a></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/rss-comments-entry-13861870.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>NBA 2K12 Review</title><category>2k12</category><category>3</category><category>PS3</category><category>PlayStation</category><category>nba</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:17:25 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2011/11/6/nba-2k12-review.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:13615101</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 320px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/nba2k12.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1320597113172" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span><img style="width: 35px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/esrb-rating-images/esrb-E-Everyone.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1293810646897" alt="" />&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=31424&amp;searchkeyword=NBA%202K12">For more information on the rating click here</a></p>
<p>It is yet another season for basketball, and for fans out there this game went from a simulation of the real thing to a simulation of a fantasy. With the NBA lock out still going at the time of this review this game, in my mind, should be noted as strictly a fantasy. The selling point of this game was the different covers that could be found for it. You have Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and my favorite, Larry Bird. The unfortunate thing is that this is truly the highlight of the game.</p>
<p>Graphically this game isn't going to blow many away. I don't feel like they tried to push the graphics to what they could have been on the PlayStation 3. The other thing is that they did very strange things to NBA players' likenesses. Kevin Durant appears to be just entering the nursing home, and for another example Jason Collins, from the Atlanta Hawks, who in real life is always smiling, appears to have a permanent attitude problem. They have put a focus box around the court, so when they take shots of fans on the first row they look fine until the sit back in their chairs and then all of a sudden they are completely blurry.</p>
<p>The sounds of the game are going to grate on your nerves. The music selection is ok, though there are some fans out there that are going to find muting the TV during all the menus is the only course of action. There also seems to be a very limited amount of voices when it comes to the building your own player mode.</p>
<p>The controls are an issue. They don't feel right at all, there's no way that there should be so many shot fake buttons in the default setup. There's also the issue of the passing, it doesn't feel right. Finally the shooting mechanics with trying to time your release feels off.</p>
<p>This game has issues, and maybe just like the actual NBA, this game should have taken a season off. The graphics were sub-par to what I expect from a sports game, there were serious glitches in the load screens. There were too many load screens for a sports game. The menu layout didn't feel right. The quick game should ALWAYS have your favorite selected team as one of the opponents, and when it is, it should be the home team. To actually start playing the game you have to fill out this lengthy informational piece so that you can play online. Well I hate to break it to 2K Sports but not everyone is dying to play online, so that screen should have been optional, or introduced when someone actually tries to play online. The biggest thing that ticked me off though was the fact that when you get to create your own player. The camera angles felt wrong, the gameplay made it feel like a recreational league, not a game of All-Star talent, and if you're going to allow for selection of college schools that your player comes from, have all the school names recorded. Winthrop University is NOT nor will it ever be South Carolina. Yes, they are in the state of South Carolina, but that's just some lazy moves on 2K's part.</p>
<p>If you're looking for a game that you can display with a picture of one of the greats, get this game, and seal it in a box. If you want to play a professional basketball game, go find another game. I am really disappointed in the lack of awesomeness in this game, this is more mediocre then anything else, and I'm usually the one who will readily jump on the 2K band wagon. This game gets a <strong>4.3 out of 10</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/nba2k12game.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1320597133988" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/main/">Home</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/">Reviews</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/playstation-3/">PlayStation 3</a></p>]]></description><wfw:commentRss>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/rss-comments-entry-13615101.xml</wfw:commentRss></item><item><title>Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception</title><category>3</category><category>PS3</category><category>PlayStation</category><category>Uncharted</category><category>deception</category><category>drake's</category><category>review</category><category>review</category><dc:creator>Charlie</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:02:41 +0000</pubDate><link>http://www.alteredconfusion.com/reviews/2011/11/5/uncharted-3-drakes-deception.html</link><guid isPermaLink="false">313743:3279251:13605996</guid><description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 320px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/uncharted3.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1320506497119" alt="" /></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span><img style="width: 35px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/esrb-rating-images/esrb-T-Teen.png?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1293810111975" alt="" />&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.esrb.org/ratings/synopsis.jsp?Certificate=31586&amp;searchkeyword=Uncharted%203">For more information on the rating click here</a></p>
<p>The new Uncharted has come out and you'll get to see some of your favorite characters. You'll get to play as Nathan Drake, treasure hunter, and all around finder of trouble. This adventure will actually have you reliving a little of your past, and also why you even got into the treasure hunting game. Once again you'll have to scale walls, figure out puzzles, and try not to die to get to the ultimate discovery for your character. That of course is what happened to Sir Francis Drake during his travels. You think you have half the puzzle, but that's only the beginning.</p>
<p>Graphically this game contines to blow my mind. I seriously think that the team that works on the Uncharted series is always trying to find a way to squeeze just a little bit more out of the PlayStation 3, and they continue to succeed. The different locations that you'll get to travel through, and the effects are amazing. You'll get to see plenty of different looking climbs in this game, and the look and feel of the puzzles (or obstacles) set in your path. The character designs of course look amazing. The one thing that I think sets them apart from the rest is the fact that they modeled in imperfections, a not so nicely tucked in shirt, a little bit of extra hair on the neck showing that the last haircut Drake got was a while ago, and so much more.</p>
<p>The sounds of the game belong in a movie, and sometimes I feel like I've almost heard the tune playing in a movie. The voice acting is also beyond solid. There is emotion in the voices, and with everything being voiced you really start feeling for the characters, be it love or hate, only you'll know as you go through the game.</p>
<p>The controls of the game are the same as usual. I did feel that there were times where I felt like the controls got confused. There are times where triangle will do one thing, while other times it does something else, if you find yourself in a situation where you're faced with 3 choices at the same time, you might find that you just did the wrong action.&nbsp;</p>
<p>I couldn't wait for this game to come out, and it didn't disappoint with its story. I was hooked once I started, and I didn't look back until the credits were rolling. I will say this though, there was a blemish in the game, and that was the combat sequences. You're going at a break neck pace through the game, where you're climbing, solving, and discovering what happens next, and then you get into a gun fight, and there were several times when I found myself in a gun fight that it felt almost random when it came to my chance to succeed. I know you can't go Rambo though the parts, though your first instinct might be to do so as you've just come off some high paced action, but those were really the only pieces of the game where I had to fight myself to try again.&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you're looking for a action packed, adventure game, that feels like a movie, you need to check this game out, you might have trouble with the combat, like I did, but you're going to want to fight to the finish to discover what mysteries you'll be uncovering. This game gets a <strong>9.0 out of 10</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="full-image-block ssNonEditable"><span><img style="width: 400px;" src="http://www.alteredconfusion.com/storage/uncharted3game.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1320506513290" alt="" /></span></span></p>
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