Mobile Game Review: Grand Theft Auto III

Introduction:

Over 10 years after its original exclusive release on the Play Station 2, Grand Theft Auto III has gained new life in its Android and iOS release. It's the same old game but with a touch screen. If you enjoy the classic open crime universe then this game is for you. While the graphics are totally 2001 by comparison to new games, the game still retains its play ability. It holds up to the test of time, and it's incarnation on the two most popular mobile platforms has added significantly to its life.

Controls:

With the standard D-pad on the left side of the screen movements is typical of mobile games. The D-pad will appear where you place your finger so long as it is on the left side of the screen. Upper right corner is a mini map.  When you tap the map it brings up a larger map. The lower right contains action buttons what are determined based off of what is around your character. There is a jump, run, fight and car door button. When pressing the car door near cars (occupied or not) this prompts your character to open the door and take control of the vehicle. Above that is a camera angle button. This button makes life easier. Above that is your wanted rating, health, money, a timer and what weapon you are using. Over all the controls work well enough. My biggest complaint is the camera angle. There are times when it doesn't change fast enough. The camera angle button helps, some times.

The Story:

You control the character Claude. He was broken out of prison and now is trying to make a name for himself to work himself up ladder in the various criminal organizations in Liberty City. By completing missions you gain money and prestige. You can also complete side missions for money or for fun. What's more, if mayhem is your deal, you can just smash and grab to your hearts content. Missions are a combination of driving and action violence such as fist fights, baseball bats or shooting. The game allows you to be as "bad" or "good" as you want. So you can administer vigilante justice, save people with ambulances, or be a jerk as much as you like.

Game Play:

Honestly, if you have ever played Grand Theft Auto III, the game is exactly the same. The game stands up to the test of time. I do wish there was a indicator to point you to your next mission, but over all it is a fun game. The environments changing was an impressive feature in the original game. This is kept in the mobile version of the game as well. The fact that it will start raining while your in the middle of a job is a nice touch, but not unique in gaming any more.

Maturity Rating:

I personally wouldn't let my kids play this game until they at least 16. The violence is up close an personal. While there isn't any obvious sexual content in this game, there are prostitutes walking the streets in skimpy clothing. From a parent's prospective this game not suitable to children at all. The rating is PG-16 and I'm leaning towards making it higher.

Final Assessment:

The game has stood up to the test of time. There have been some updates that make it work well with a touch screen device as well. Still, I can't help but think the game could have had some things added to it. Perhaps better graphics or maybe some new missions or capabilities. Since it's just a port of the original game I can't help but think I could have pick up the game on my PS2 and played it for less money. I could pick this game up for a dollar at most thrift stores or garage sales. It is novel for me to play it on a tablet, but not novel enough. Over all I give the game a solid 2 out of 3 Triforce. If you are interested in dropping money on this game you can get it through the Google Play store and iTunes for $4.99. If you played this back in the day, it may be worth it for you to drop five bucks on the game. Me personally, I'm glad I got it on sale for $0.99 because anything more and I would have felt a little cheated.

Additional Screenshots:

 

 

 

Correction on Mobile Game Reviews

First an apology. I realized that I was posting reviews of Android games and posting links to where you can get them without including the iOS version of the games. While I am partial to Android, this does not mean I do not respect or enjoy iOS devices. While they are not for me, I really enjoy what is added from Apple's flagship mobile OS. As such, I have back tracked and added links to iTunes for all games that have both an Android and iOS version. Please forgive the mistake. I will endeavor to include both major OS's in my reviews.

I prefer to encourage harmony between the mobile OS community rather than to promote disharmony. I must admit I do prefer Android over iOS but this is primarily because I am invested into the OS. I can see how someone who is a iOS user would feel the same way if they have a lot of apps purchased through iTunes. My wish is that both ecosystems have a long and healthy life to encourage competition. Now if only Apple and Google OEM's would stop fighting in courts and get on with making high quality mobile products.

PC Game Review: Krater

You may not have heard of the company FatShark, but after playing Krater you will agree with me that they should be a gaming company to be watched. This game has a lot of the features that make a game a classic. While there are some things lacking, this is a young company so they have room to grow. 

The Story

Krater is a top down RPG dungeon crawler set in a post apocalyptic world.  Humanity has settled around a giant crater created by some long forgotten war or cataclysm.  This crater leads into the Underside. This is where treasures of ancient technologies can be found and this is what drives conflict in the game. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. Those who have the pie don't want to share. The resulting tensions drive deadly competition. Top this off with mutated animals and you have a recipe for awesome! Krater has a great feel. It's pretty, quirky, and everyone wears masks & dress weird. Its this atmosphere is what drives me to go deeper in to the game.  The problem with this is that the story is not driving me deeper. The story is not compelling. The world is. But good games are defined not only by the quality of the graphics and mechanics, but also by the story. I get the tingle of a potential good story but it feels lack luster after a while.

Game Play 

The combat mechanics in Krater are very well done. You control a squad of three soldiers. You choose between 4 classes to fill the ranks. They are
1) Bruiser: This is your damage soaker, your tank, your decoy.

2) Slayer, melee damage per second unit. 

3) Regulator, ranged damage per second unit. 

4) Medikus, the medic/healer of the group. 

Each soldier has two skills and a gadget. This allows you to manage 9 different skill sets at one time with them from different sources.  The squad tactics are well thought out and fun. This makes you think about how you use your soldiers and their skills & tech. Large battles can get really frantic, since you are making sure that the right soldiers are taking damage, getting healed while the others are dealing damage. This is why I feel the 3 unit squad is a good limit. Additionally, you can add depth to your characters and their skills by upgrading each soldier and skills. You find boosters and implants, or craft them as the game progresses.  Krater gives you a ton of crafting items and taking advantage of the crafting system is simple and strait forward. While I haven't found any weapon blueprints, I have relied on what is dropped in game to put things together. This isn't that bad because a lot of the weapons are pretty epic. The names for them are awesome as well.

Culture

The beauty of this game is it makes a lot of Nerd culture references.  I have seen Star Wars, League of Legends, and Clutch references in the game so far. I am sure I have probably missed or not understood others as well.  It adds to the quirkiness and fun of the Krater.

Final Assessment

This game is fun, but a weak story holds it back, as well as a fair number of bugs.  When this article was written multiplayer was still lacking. Since the video review below there have been some updates that have solved some of the graphical bugs and added a boot camp was added to give some tutorial where it was lacking. This in turn helped to to understand how to use certain items and level up a couple of my soldiers that would not otherwise level up. Still. something that I don't really like is the lack of variety in skills.  You can find unique characters with different skills, but most of the soldiers within a class all have the same two skills.  It gets a little stale after a while.  Krater is still a great game for the price paid.  The music and sfx are good, the gameplay is fun, and the atmosphere is well designed.

With bugs and all I give Krater a solid 2 Triforces out of 3.

You can get Krater on Stream for $14.99 for the standard edition and $19.99 for the collector's edition.

Video Review

Mobile Game Review: Aftermath XHD

Introduction:

Zombies have been on my mind. It may have something to do with me being friends with Dr. Bishop, an English professor who has published a scholarly work on zombies. Or maybe it's because of my zombie themed children's book I've written and that is in the process of being illustrated. Also, I have recently posted an article on my blog Something Geeky This Way Comes. Either way, zombies are everywhere and I can't seem to escape them! So one can see that when confronted with another Zombie Apocalypse game I had to jump on it. 

The Story:

Your standard story line for a Zombie Apocalypse game. You are, as far as you know, the last living person on Earth or at least in your area. Starting out with a pistol, you must navigate the undead infested cityscape. The story progresses from there. And there is a story. I would presume to ruin it for you.

Controls:

Standard d-pad on the left hand side of the screen. The right hand of the side of the screen controls the view but is not limited to a d-pad. This was a wise move. To throw a grenade you simple tap the location you want it to land. The problem is that sometimes by swiping the screen you can accidentally throw grenade. Still, this isn't a game changer, just a petty annoyance. On the top right is the weapon and ammo indicator. You can change weapons and reload ammo by tapping the related image. The upper left shows health, grenade counter and pause button. The bottom left is the sprint button. Considering the game is not optimized for controllers (yet...) it is a well designed interface. The reason for the yet is because it seems that the game is well supported and very well designed.

Game Play: 

I love it! The game is third person high-up prospective. The system for firing is simple. You have a flashlight. You aim the beam at your target and you fire. You move, you run, you shoot, you throw grenade. You swear as you get cornered. You pray when you see a horde coming at you. There are objectives you have to achieve. This is part of how the story moves on. You pick up weapons as you go. You can run out of ammo. By picking up a "gun" image you gain more ammo. Same goes for grenades.

The zombies are well done. There are slow and fast ones. There are VERY fast as well. There are also hard to kill ones and the type of zombies that throw projectiles. All in all, a good balance. Since there are no difficulty modes the game is rather difficult at times.

Guns are good as well. A pistol with infinite ammunition is the only one that does not run out. Then a submichine gun, shotgun, sniper rifle and a typical battle rifle. Combined with the grenades, it is a good balance of weapons.

Graphics:

Not the top of the line, but it is well done. Honestly, I think it does well enough and actually adds to the game play. The darkness combined with the flashlight beam makes it wonderful.

Maturity Rating:

This game is rated as PG-16 ( Parental Guidance for ages under  16). The level of graphic violence merits this rating. There is no mature language, just gun use and some gore. There is no sexual contant.

Final Assessment:

In the end I give this game 2 2/3 out of 3 Triforce. At $5.99 in the Google Play store, this game is quite amazing. You can also purchase the game from the Amazon Appstore for the same price. The iOS version is $2.99 and works for both iPhone and iPad. I do advise you play it on a tablet for best experience, but it could also be played nicely on a large phone's screens. I do suggest you be running a dual core processor at least. This will ensure the game play remains zippy. I don't give it a full 3 out of 3 because of the one annoyance of the grenade mishaps. Still, perhaps that is due to my sausage fingers. In either case, if running from and at zombies while shooting them, this is the game for you my friend.

Mobile Game Review: BloodLand

The Ingress

Zombies! Either you love them or hate them. They've been around for a while, but the zombie genre has really been growing in the last decade. So it was a real please to find a monetized zombie game called BloodLand popping up in the Google Play Store. Now this made my day! Nothing like blowing off a little steam by blasting the un out of the undead. So this free little gem gets its justice and time in the Triforce lime light.

A Tale to Be Told?

The game is basic in its story. You're the last person alive so far as you know. The undead are moaning for your flesh and you must survive. Armed with your boom sticks you must fend off the walking dead or die trying. Nothing much beyond that.

Graphics

The game play is a high third-person prospective. Much like Dungeon Siege or Diablo series, you see things from high up and at an angle. This can limit your viability on walkers that lurk behind items. That being said, the graphics aren't half bad. They aren't extremely detailed, but I'm not complaining. Based off of the credits this appears to be a game that wasn't designed by a big company but rather a few guys in a home office. And honestly, the graphics isn't really the reason to play the game. Those are just a bonus.

Controls

This game has the typical touch screen d-pad setup. Left for movement, right for aiming. The thing that makes the right d-pad different is it also controls firing. Rather than auto fire or a trigger button you have to drag the d-pad to an extreme direction to get your character to shoot. This makes for very quick finger fatigue. I hooked up my PS3 remote in hopes this would solve the problem but no joy. The game does not support controllers. Playing on the Transformer Prime wasn't so bad, but on a phone screen it was a bit cramped. Looking at reviews in the Google Play Store there were a lot of people who complained about the fire controls not being responsive. I think this has more to do with how it is set up more than anything. The d-pads are both static. Unlike other d-pads that are based on where you place your finger, either you place your finger on the required d-pad or not. If the developers were to ask how to solve this I would suggest making it so the movement d-pad is the left half of the screen and the aim/view d-pad is the right side with a fire button on that part of the screen. The d-pad setup in my mind is one of the biggest minuses to this game.

Game Play

Likes:

The zombies! There isn't just one type. You have shufflers, you have walkers, fast walkers, runners, jumpers and some sort that throws glowing ball things. The variety really does the game a lot of justice! 

The environments are varied as well. The buildings, barriers and cars can help and hinder both you and the undead alike. 

The weapons are varied as well. There is a 9mm, 7.62 (I can only assume they mean 7.62x39mm since it looks like an AK-47), a flame thrower, 12 gauge and .338. On top of this there is a melee attack you can use if you need to. I would suggest holding the melee for when you are swarmed and have no other choice though. All have their positives and negatives, but the balance of what each weapon can do is well though out. They all require reloading and that is done automatically. I actually like this feature because it adds a sense of realism to the game play.

The power up crates. It would be better to call them traps really, but these big crates unleash different types of destruction on zombies close to it. They are activated by moving your character into them. They are nice to have for when you are getting swarmed.

Dislikes: 

How I feel about the
character movement.

The character's movements seem sluggish. Almost like he is running in water. I think this may be due to the exaggerated movements of the character, but either way it throws me off even after playing it for a while.  

Stupid weapon box!

The weapons swapping system is the strangest I have ever seen. Rather than giving you the option to collect the weapons and swap between then when you want it works like this. If you walk over a weapons box you lose the previous weapon. But there is no way you can tell what is in the weapons box so if you would rather keep the 12 gauge but you get the flame thrower you are stuck with it until another box is dropped when you kill a zombie. It's annoying to the max. I wouldn't care if you only started with one weapon each level but at least let me switch to the weapon I feel I need. Even if they only allowed me to carry two weapons, it would be preferable to the current set up. Still, this does make game play more interesting, all be it frustrating.

Money? You earn it with kills and power up boxes. Why? You don't need money if your the last one alive and there is nothing I can use it for. There wasn't any store of option to spend it. I don't see the point of it. 

Game Modes

You have the option of playing Quests, Rush and Survive. You can play how you want when you want.

Maturity Rating:

This game is rated as PG-13 ( Parental Guidance for ages under 13). It contains gun use and violence. The level of gore is very minimal. There is no mature language or sexual content.

Egress

As previously mentioned, the Android version of the game is free through the Google Play Store. The iOS version of the game is free through iTunes. If dealing with the odd advertisement is something you just can't handle then you can spend $1.25 to remove the adds or spend $1.99 to remove the adds and unlock some other features. Both are in app purchases so you don't loose any of your progress by having to download a premium version. Either way you have the opportunity to try this game for free before you have to drop any of your hard earned cash on it.

Looking at the game as it exists at this moment I can't help but give it 1 2/3 our of 3 Triforce. The game is a great one, but there are some things that are lacking in it. When it is updated I may revisit it to see if these issues are resolved, but until then the rating stands. That being said, all you risk in playing the game is time so give it a shot. You may just enjoy putting the dead in their place. Until next time, this is Justice signing off.

Additional Screenshots:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mobile Game Review: Shadowgun

Introduction:

This is what I like to call a third person "duck and cover" shooter. It is a great game, but it is designed for duck and cover action. Don't get me wrong. I like the game, its just felt a little repetitious at times. Minions run out and you find cover. Firefight ensues. The redemption for this game was controller integration options. But I'm releasing the squall before the first game. Let's get into it then.

Controls:

Customize your controller.

The touch screen work well enough but it was not a joy like with Mass Effect Infiltrator. Sure the game worked, but there were times when my character was podding along and I was thinking, "I wonder if I should watch grass grow or maybe catch a senior citizens wheelchair baseball game." Okay, it wasn't THAT bad, but still. I felt like I had deja vu several times during the fighting and the pace the game lagged in places because of the touch screen controls. There was the classic left hand moves, right hand changes perspective. Fire button is static so moving view while firing was a little rough. No auto aim. I actually like that. There's a dive button so you can dodge rockets. I felt the touch controls could have been done better. As mentioned above though, the game is redeemed by the option of using a Bluetooth or USB controller. Since I was reviewing the game with the Transformer Prime with keyboard dock, I was able to use an after market PS3 controller. With the controller I was able to customize what each button did in settings. After I set that up the game moved a heck of a lot faster.

Game Play:

Narrow approach with limited
movement. Just they way I like them!

Spider bots, my (least) favorite baddy.

I still wish there was an option other than the plodding pace that the on screen character moved at. Why there isn't a sprint option boggles my mind. The minions I fought were a bit repetitive as well. My least favorite are the spider bot bombs. While easy to kill, they are fast and tend to swarm. The game makes up for the predictability of said minions with quantity though. Also the environments were diverse and enjoyable. Maybe I got up on the wrong side of the bed today so I'm sounding grouchy, but I have to say the game was fun. Boss3es tend to be tough and require a little bit of lateral think on occasion. See the additional screenshots at the end to get a peek at a couple of the bosses.

Close combat's best friend!
The shot gun!

The weapons were good. You get 4 by the end of the game. A classic assault rifle, shotgun, grenade launcher and rocket launcher. The assault rife is your primary weapon. The other guns hold not nearly enough ammo. When  you change difficulty settings the ammo levels go up or down on the secondary weapons in addition to bad guy difficulty going up.

As you can see, I've shot this guy's
cover to hell.

The one thing I loved about the game is that not all cover is created equally. Depending on the type of cover, position of the enemy as compared to your position the cover can be more or less effective. This applies for both sides.

Hacking a door lock.

Another aspect of the game that I enjoy is the hacking feature. This is how you get weapons ahead of time and get past some locked doors. Other little bits I enjoy are the exploding canisters placed around the environment. I love things that go BOOM! Also fun are the mines that are placed on some of the levels. Some people may be annoyed by these, but I like playing chicken with them. If you step withing the sensor ring and then dive backwards once the mine is launched into the air. Lots of fun!

A mine with moving sensory ring.
It moves outward from the mine like
sonar. You can walk past them
without setting them off.

But playing mine chicken is
just too much fun!

When played with the controller, the game is a lot less duck and cover and a lot more fluid in motion like the standard third person shooter. Again, this is a redeeming factor. Still, I am comparing to other games that feel more fluid with the touch screen interface and I also am not as big a fan of duck and cover shooters. Call me fat fingered if you want (My mom says I'm big boned. Lol.) but I expect these higher end mobile games to be better programmed since most players don't have or know about the controller option.

Story Line:

Where the game lacks in those little annoying bits I've been gripping about it makes up big time in story. The basis of the story is that in this future there are mercenaries who work for governments and major corporations. The mercs are called Shadowguns. Enter our hero, the character you play. He is hired to "retrieve" a missing scientist. At the end of the first game you are presented with a choice of what to do. I won't spoil the game by telling you what the choice is, but this minor decision changes the end of the game. The story is what made me really want to stick through the minor slow bits.

Bonuses:

Each level you play there is a hidden Shadowgun Skull. If you find and grab it you unlock bonus levels. These bonus levels are in addition to the included expansion called "The Leftovers." Both the bonus levels and the expansion are tons of fun. Game play is similar to the original game, but the expansion was a little bit more interesting. What is more, the expansion has the same feature of finding the Shadowgun skulls so you can essentially triple or quadrupedal game play just by finding the skulls while playing. 

Graphics:

The screenshots you are seeing are based of the standard definition version of Shadowgun. I bought it a few months back and then they released the THD (Tegra High Definition) version. Since I'm a cheap S.O.B. didn't want to drop more bones on a game review. Maybe one day I will, but until then you'll just have to deal with it. Lol. All kidding aside though, for a standard definition game the visuals are great. I had no issues playing this on a tablet. The TF201 is the highest definition screen Android tablet 

on the market as of the writing of this article. That the Transformer Infinity will change that when it is released and I am sure other OEMs are working to take the title from ASUS, but until then I have to say I love this tablet. Heck, I'm sure I'll love it even after. But I digress. As you can see from the screenshots, this is a beautiful game! No glitches, smooth processing and more.

Maturity Rating:

This game is rated PG-16 (Parental Guidance for ages under 16). Its rating is due to graphic violence and mature language.There is minimal gore and no sexual content.

Final Assessment:

To be fair, this game preforms much like the Gears of War franchise games. If you like that sort of shooter, this is the game for you. I personally don't regret purchasing the game. The standard price for the game is $4.99, so it is worth the price simply for the entertainment aspect. The game is available through Google Play Store and the Amazon Appstore. The iOS version is available through iTunes at the same price. Each store periodically have done sales on the game so it is worth it to check and see if it is on sale. As of the writing of this review the game is available in both standard and Tegra processor optimized HD version and standard version for $1.99, but that isn't guaranteed for forever.

All in all I have to give this game 2 1/3 out of 3 Triforce. It is a fun game. It really gave some enjoyment. Maybe I'm just a hard person to please, but I feel like if the game needs an external controller in order for it to be awesome however, I think there is a bit lacking. Like I said, story is solid. It is fun, but I think the touch screen controls and the pace of the game are both a little lacking. Not lacking enough to not get the game, but still. Well, until next time TriForce fans, this is Justice signing off!

Additional Screenshots:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giant Crab Bot anyone?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Ouch! Mine chicken FAIL!

 

 

Walk into that beam &
you'll smell like bacon.

 

 

Run like your butt's on fire brother
because that drill boss is tough!