Bejeweled 3: A Gem That Shines Brighter Than Ever

Bejeweled is a puzzle game with a simple concept: Continuously match 3 or more like gems to clear them from a field. It's easy to understand, but it can get challenging and very addicting. It was this that made the game from a simple internet game to one that you can play almost anywhere. It soon became one of PopCap's most popular titles, spawning a sequel, Bejeweled 2, and two spin-offs, Bejeweled Twist and Bejeweled Blitz. Recently, PopCap released the series' true second sequel, Bejeweled 3, and it is no less addicting or challenging.

Bejeweled 3 has 8 different modes, some of which are new to the series and put interesting twists on the gameplay. To start, there's Classic, which is like playing the original game, and ends when you can't make any more matches. Zen is a carry-over from Bejeweled 2 and Twist, with some options added to give the player a sense of relaxation. Lightning is also a carry-over of Blitz Mode from Bejeweled Twist, but now you can increase your time by matching certain gems together with regular ones. Fans of Bejeweled Blitz should feel comfortable with this version.

The two new options I enjoyed the most were Butterflies and Diamond Mine. In Butterflies, you must match Butterfly Gems with other like gems before they inch to the top of the screen, where a Spider eats them and ends the game. In Diamond Mine, the player has to match gems in order to dig underground to collect gold and other treasures. They must do so until they dig to a white line to reach the next level before the time runs out. Once you know what you're doing, these modes can become very frantic, which I liked, and I found them to be an enjoyable, challenging experience.

The new Ice Storm mode is one where you have to clear gems in order to destroy pillars of ice before they reach the top of the screen. The size and frequency of the pillars differ as the game advances, and once they reach the top, you have to act fast to destroy them or the game is over. The other new mode is Poker, where you swap gems to create matching hands of cards, which give you more points the better they are. At times, a skull will appear on one of the options, and you must create a higher hand in order to get rid of it. If you create the type of hand the skull is on, the outcome of the game is determined by a coin toss. While these two modes are interesting, I personally got bored with them after a while because they didn't really keep me excited, but you can have your own opinion.

The last new mode is Quest, where you must complete certain objectives in order to recover artifacts. This can be used as a way to get a preview of the various new modes of the main game, to see what tickles your fancy. The objectives can become very challenging on their own, leading to many close calls. Once you know how the challenges work, you can beat it in a short amount of time, but it is still an enjoyable and satisfying mode to play.

Another part of the game is the ability to earn Badges and swap gems while another set of gems falls into the screen. These were introduced in Bejeweled Blitz, but are no less great additions to the game. Badges are earned when you complete certain tasks, which anyone who enjoys getting achievements while playing will enjoy. The aforementioned new modes of play take the new swapping ability to their advantage, keeping them fresh and addicting.

Bejeweled 3 is a game that I would highly recommend to fans of casual games, especially of the Bejeweled series. Some Hardcore gamers might be turned off by the idea of something as simple as matching gems, but I feel they would be missing out on something spectacular. If you have even the slightest interest in this game, I suggest you try it out.

[OLD] God of War: Ghost of Sparta

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2024/03/second-look-god-of-war-ghost-of-sparta.html

Let me start by saying that I am a huge fan of the God of War games. Every game thus far has been satisfying to play and, despite whatever flaws each game may have, even minor ones, the series has managed to remain as epic as ever. Naturally, due to my love of the franchise, I was really excited to hear about the latest installment, God of War: Ghost of Sparta, for the PSP. After playing, I can tell you that this is by far one of the best PSP games yet.

This game's story takes place between the original God of War and it's sequel, more specifically before the events of the mobile game, God of War: Betrayal. Kratos, the new God of War, is still haunted by the visions of his past, as seen at the end of the first game. Because of these memories, he decides it's time to explore his past, thinking of his long lost brother Deimos. In his journey, he makes it his goal to find out what happened to him. As you advance in the story, you come across some new Greek mythological figures and Deities. These include, but are not limited to, Thanatos, the God of Death; and King Midas.

There are also some new powers and weapons you gain to aid you in your quest, such as the ability to set your Blades of Athena on fire with Thera's Bane for more power in your attacks. Fortunately, this new power comes with it's own Fire Meter, placed underneath the Health and Magic Meters. This way, you can use it whenever you feel like it without having to worry about draining your Magic, which includes the ability to shoot lightning with the Eye of Atlantis, generate voids with the Scourge of Erinys, and freeze enemies with the Horn of Boreas. In addition to these powers, you also obtain a new weapon, the Arms of Sparta, which allows you to defend against large attacks and throw spears at distant enemies.

On the visual side, the look of ancient Greece feels like a real expansion on the game's world, using an amazing contrast of warm and cool colors to keep you interested. The architecture keeps with the Greek aesthetic rather nicely, making every location believable upon sight with the amount of detail they were able to put in. The cut-scenes are equally beautiful to observe, with a sort of quality that actually comes somewhere close to the PS3. These aspects are complemented perfectly by a soundtrack that only adds even more epicness to the events on-screen, using a familiar-sounding choir that doesn't seem to get old.

The gameplay for this installment, like the visuals, was also handled really well. Those that have played previous entries should be familiar with how it works, with a few tweaks taken from God of War III, such as having to look all around the screen during Quick-Time Events.

The only main concern I ran into while playing, however, was the shoulder buttons. Since there are only two at your disposal and only one analog stick, it carries over the mapping from the previous handheld entry, Chains of Olympus, in that you have to press both buttons at the same time in order to dodge. Half the time I did this, I ended up draining my Fire Meter whenever I didn't time it right. Aside from that, I felt everything was mapped perfectly to the system.

This game is a real must-have for any God of War fan. It is amazing, in many areas, that the PSP is capable of what Ghost of Sparta presents. Like every entry before it, Ghost of Sparta pushes the limits of its system to the highest, even surpassing Chains of Olympus, making for a mind-blowing experience.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock

Before I start, let me say that I am a fan of Guitar Hero. After blowing countless hours on Guitar Hero III, I have purchased almost every other Guitar Hero game in existence, finding more flaws than successes as time went on. 2009's oversaturation of the Rhythm Game genre certainly did not help this case. However, the more I heard about Warriors of Rock, I found my interest actually rise in the game. With my anticipations of the game at their pique thanks to the preview videos of the setlist, I finally started playing the game on its release date. Was the anticipation and build-up worth it? Well, I think it was, for the most part.

What I can say about this game is that outside of Quickplay +, which I'll explain shortly, the game is Guitar Hero on steroids. The game has gone back to its Guitar-based roots and injected a score of over-the-top elements into the recognizable gameplay. Characters, old and new, can now use their own unique power-ups and transform into their own "Warrior" forms, including Johnny Napalm as a Punk Rock version of Nightcrawler from X-Men, Axel Steel becoming a Mummy, and new character Austin Tejas turning into the Headless Horseman. On top of that, the plotline involves having to slay The Beast with your mighty axe a la Brütal Legend to release the Demigod of Rock, complete with narrations by Gene Simmons of KISS fame.

As for the aforementioned power-ups, these are specific to each character and can really inflate your star levels. These include Axel Steel's ability to generate Ankhs to rescue you from failure, Judy Nail's ability to overflow the Rock Meter for extra stars, and Pandora's ability to generate a x6 Star Power Multiplier, among others. These powers are used during the Quest Mode, which now has you going through setlists specific to each character, as opposed to picking one character and plowing through one big setlist. Later in the game, you will need to combine these power-ups in order to take down the final boss by dividing the characters into two teams of four. Once Quest Mode is complete, you gain access to Dominate Quest. Here, you can play through Quest Mode again, but this time with access to all 8 powers at once, but now you must get all 40 stars possible from every song in order to "Dominate" each setlist. The powers from Quest are also transferred to Quickplay +. I personally didn't mind the powers too much, since I knew I would push myself harder outside of Quest.

But what would Guitar Hero be without the Setlist? The songs this time around were very balanced and diverse during Quest, as each character had their own Genre. For example, Johnny Napalm and his Punk Rock block at CBGBs, new character Echo Tesla and her Industrial setlist, and Judy Nails with more classic Pop songs. In the middle of the game, you get to play through a marathon of Rush's epic 2112, something I hadn't heard before but greatly appreciated afterwards. The setlist for the battle against The Beast at the end is a showdown of three Megadeth songs, including one written specifically for the game, which was a massive difficulty spike from what the game has you playing before. This spike was so large, I ended up having to lower the difficulty a peg just to get past the second song (I raised it back up for the last song). After this, you unlock a bonus tier of Metal songs, which I personally enjoyed maybe half of. The rest seemed tedious at first or even maintaining the massive difficulty spike I had mentioned. Still, I loved the setlist and found myself constantly going back to it on both Quest and Quickplay +.

Quickplay +, which I had brought up earlier, contains enough potential for earning stars that this game might as well be its own galaxy. You can play through the setlist of the game, including some songs which you have to unlock, with challenges specific to each song, or you can play the songs with power-ups taken from Quest and mix-and-match them like Call of Duty's Perk system to find a combination that will give you the most stars or maximize your score. The challenges, however, were more generic, even by the standards of the challenges, for DLC or songs imported from previous games, including Guitar Hero: Metallica. The stars that you earn in this mode add to a pool of stars for the purpose of "leveling up" to obtain more in-game goodies. Some of these unlockables, such as small art galleries of characters and new instruments and gameplay modifiers, were rather interesting to see in action.

A quick note on the graphics. They are very much improved over the last few entries in the series and run a lot smoother, even compared to the Rock Band franchise. If you aren't distracted by the oncoming notes, you will see some very beautifully detailed and life-like environments and characters, including CBGBs and even entire setpieces based on Rush's 2112. Most on-disc songs have their own animations that the characters go through, which is really impressive, especially on something like Bohemian Rhapsody.

While the game can get pretty ridiculous, I found myself getting caught up in it and enjoyed shredding through it. It was a lot more enjoyable to me compared to the last few entries, if only because I liked the return to having more guitar-centric songs. Whatever your taste in music might be, I would love to tell you to buy this game, but I would instead direct you to the setlist preview videos so you get a taste of what you are in for. After all, your mileage may vary with this game based on your own personal tastes. Still, I say it's not a bad idea to give this title a shot, even if you just rent it over the weekend. If you like it after that approach, do not hesitate to buy it; you might miss playing it.

[OLD] True Grit: Coen Brothers + Adaptation = Entertaining Western

I will admit that this is the first movie by the Coen Brothers that I have ever seen and that I have not read the original 1968 novel the movie was based on, and that I have not seen the original 1969 adaptation starring John Wayne. With that in mind, I had mixed feelings about this film from the ads and hearing about the elements usually associated with Coen Brothers movies. However, I decided to give it a chance after seeing the performance of Jeff Bridges in Tron: Legacy. While watching the movie, I began to enjoy this film beyond my original expectations. What I can honestly say is that the Coen Brothers managed to make an entertaining Western movie that embodies a lot of what a Western is.

The film's main character, 14-year-old Maddie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), is seeking revenge against Tom Chaney, the man who killed her father. She wishes to accomplish this by hiring U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges). She convinces him to let her go with him after managing to hire Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Matt Damon). What follows is common with Westerns in that the movie is them giving chase to Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), not actually encountering him until the last half-hour of the movie. The character interactions follow common themes of separation and working together later for the sake of Maddie.

As a character, Maddie is very headstrong and mature for her age, boldly commenting on the behavior and mannerisms of others as well as threatening to "bring in her lawyer" should she not be able to do what she feels she needs to do. Throughout the movie, she continues to act this way towards Cogburn and LaBoeuf, but grows to depend on them as the film reaches its climax. This growth made her character more tolerable to me, especially during the ending. Cogburn is your typical lazy drunkard, but tries to display confidence in his abilities despite having only one good eye. LaBoeuf is the opposite, serving as a deadpan snarker to balance out how hammy Cogburn is. Both of them are acted out very well by both Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon, who also play off the contrasting personalities very well and often very humorously. One scene where this occurs is one where Cogburn attempts to show that he can still shoot well with one eye, by throwing corn bread in the air and shooting it, which prompts LaBoeuf to join in and throw him off.

I have no idea what happens in the book, but I believe that the movie was very well executed in terms of story. It  had the serious and sometimes edgy atmosphere that I had expected, enhanced by the choice of filming locations in New Mexico and Texas. However, the movie was surprisingly also very funny at times. Reviews of the movie made it sound devoid of this, but I found that it was far from it. The verbal humor, mostly from Cogburn's lazy attitude towards things, comes complete with a droplet of visual and slapstick humor. This balanced the story to me, strategically preventing the movie from becoming as serious as it might have otherwise been. I feel I should say that the ending is darker than you might expect compared to the rest of the movie.

*Spoiler Alert*
True to form, or what I can gather, this movie has a couple gory scenes that the Coen Brothers are known for using in their films. This includes a scene where a man in a cabin has his fingers cut off and the man who did this immediately getting shot in the head by Cogburn. The scene is soon followed by one where Cogburn goes through LaBoeuf’s bloody mouth, with most of the shots focusing on the mouth. The dialogue during this scene certainly didn't help relieve the sickening feeling I had while watching. For me, this was made up for by the occasional gun battles prominent in other Westerns, which gave me a slight adrenaline rush from the sudden burst of action, especially the final battle Cogburn has on horseback against four other men near the end of the movie.
*End Spoiler Alert*

True Grit was a movie that had exceeded my previous expectations, surprising me in the right ways to keep me interested and wondering how the eventual encounter with Tom Chaney would go. Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon gave performances that were very entertaining and helped the spirit of the movie. It didn't make me too eager to see more Coen Brothers, but it kept me entertained for a good two hours. If you are looking for a great modern Western or are simply a big fan of the Coen Brothers' work, I can recommend you this movie.

[OLD] TRON: Evolution - System Error

This game has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2020/01/second-look-tron-evolution-ps3.html

Being a fan of the original Tron movie, I was really excited to hear the announcement of Tron: Legacy, and that Daft Punk, one of my favorite artists, was making the soundtrack. As this was going on, I also heard about the game, Tron: Evolution, billed as taking place between both movies. I wasn't too sure about playing it, with the reputation of movie-licensed games, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. After playing it, I think I can safely say that while it was somewhat enjoyable, a few things could've used some work.

As stated, the story takes place between both movies, specifically after Tron: Betrayal, the comic book prequel the Tron: Legacy. Kevin Flynn has discovered a race of programs, called ISOs (Isomorphic Algorithms), which no one programmed. Though Flynn believes they are integral to the Grid, Clu, an avatar he created to watch over things in his absence, has doubts about this. The player takes control of a program created by Flynn, a Monitor called Anon, in order to help him investigate the murder of an ISO named Jalen, believed to have been caused by Clu.

The main story of the game helps to explain some key points that occur during the second film, such as why Clu despises ISOs. At some points, it even takes place during scenes near the end of the comic and during the second film's flashback sequences. I won't give any spoilers, but overall, it felt like it for the most part fit in with the Tron universe.

The graphics were actually pretty good for a movie-based game. However some parts of the scenery felt a little repetitive and could've used a little more variety. The aesthetic, however, was enough to distract me from this, as the look of the Grid impresses me every time I see it. Despite the slight repetitiveness, the game still drew me into the world it created.

The sound of the game is also amazing. The music, composed by Sonic Mayhem, Cris Velasco, and Kevin Manthei, was done rather well, and hopefully I can obtain the vinyl for it. For fans of Daft Punk and Tron: Legacy, a couple of their songs from said movie, The Grid and Derezzed, appear in the game, the former in the main menu and the latter appropriately in the End of Line Club. The voice acting was also done well, with Quorra and Tron voiced by their respective actors from the second film. Jeff Bridges does not voice Kevin Flynn or Clu in the game, though Fred Tatasciore offers a great sound-alike.

The gameplay, on the other hand, was decent, but had problems of its own. To begin with, your weapon in the game is an Identity Disk (referred to in-game as a Light Disk), which comes in four different varieties: the Heavy Disk, which offers more power during a ground slam; the Bomb Disk, which creates a blast and damages nearby enemies when thrown; the Stasis Disk, which slows down enemies when hit; and the Corruption Disk, which corrupts enemies and makes their health loss your gain. The effects of these disks, switched at will with the D-Pad, come into play when the Triangle/Y button is used with a shoulder button. You have to use certain disks at certain times to damage certain enemies, but when you're not forced to use one, you will find a favorite in no time.

There are 3 different control schemes: On-Foot, Light Cycle, and Light Tank. The On-Foot controls, used for most of the game, are pretty tight and fairly easy to use. The Light Cycle controls are done well, but it can actually become hard to steer at times. The Light Tank, however, is a bit difficult to handle, as much of its actions depend on the direction of the in-game camera. This game is also Playstation Move compatible, but I am unable to comment about it, as it is unclear when you are able to use it and how.

My main complaint about the controls is the in-game camera. This camera is a free-roaming one, but the way it works leads to problems during play. The X-Axis is inverted while the Y-Axis is not, and the only way to alter the camera is to invert the Y-Axis. This leads to frustration in that it often does not point in the direction you want it to and it tends to zoom in on your character a bit too closely.

On a lighter note, the game features a straight-forward Level-Up system. You collect EXP by killing enemies, which increases your Level, or Version. When you gain a new Version, you also gain Memory that can be redeemed for Upgrades for Anon at certain points. This also can apply to Online play, as some Upgrades can aid your teammates in battle.

Overall, this game isn't exactly that great, but its decent for a movie game. I'm not sure exactly who to recommend it to, but for sure I believe any hardcore Tron fan will enjoy it. The best way I can say to experience this game is to play it after watching one or both movies, using the Collector's Edition Tron controller. If you purchase the Collector's Edition of the game and don't like it, you will at least get a kick-awesome Light Cycle replica by Sideshow Collectibles, complete with display case.

[OLD] Tangled: Disney With A Hint of Dreamworks

This film has been re-reviewed. Read it here: https://trophyunlocked.blogspot.com/2019/06/second-look-tangled.html

When I had heard about this film, I had an interest in it, but I was turned off by the Dreamworks-esque advertising. When I heard mainly positive reviews, however, I decided that this was a movie I needed to see. I still went in the theater with little expectations, but after actually watching the movie, I can say that I found myself enjoying it.

The story of the movie took the mold of the classic German fairytale and added elements from classic Disney, including detailed settings, a tragic backstory, muscial numbers, and a rather interesting cast of characters. However, the movie followed conventions of Disney Princess movies closely enough that I could spot a lot of the film's events coming at least twenty minutes to even an hour before they actually occured. Even with the predictable elements though, it still managed to provide a few good tear jerker moments that actually made me cry a little.

On another note, the visuals were more lifelike and fluid than a lot of previous Disney movies and kept me watching. The character of Rapunzel followed a lot of common Disney Princess conventions, but worked in the films' favor. The character of Flynn Rider, a wanted thief, is the main love interest and also serves as a guide for Rapunzel outside the castle. When his acrobatic ability is shown at the beginning during a break-in, I couldn't help but think of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, another Disney film. He was well thought out, even if he followed the cliche of caring more for the girl rather than a stolen object. As for the songs in the movie, they were ok to listen to, but they weren't really catchy or memorable.

*Spoiler Alert*
Despite being a Disney film, there was one scene, and everything related to it, that felt like Dreamworks. By that, I mean it felt odd, anachronistic, and out of place. During a bar scene, a musical number begins and we see the dreams of many of the thugs in the bar, ranging from being a mime or a concert pianist to collecting ceramic unicorns. The anachronistic bit comes from mentioning Mozart in a lyric. That would mean that Mozart and other great composers exist in their world despite the film's setting suggesting a time before Mozart's music or even mime-based entertainment would even be invented. These characters occur later, but still with the feeling of being out of place in the world Disney set up.


Also, Rapunzel has the ability to heal people with her hair. This is something I can believe can happen in that world because an explanation for this is given at the beginning. However, near the end of the movie, she was able to bring Flynn Rider back to life with healing tears. It is never explained as to how she can do that, nor is it ever mentioned again.
*End Spoiler Alert*

So despite the forgettable songs, a predictable plot, and the anachronistic Dreamworks elements, Tangled is still very reminiscent of classic Disney films. Considering it is self-touted as Disney's 50th Animated Movie, it is a movie I would reccomend anyone to go see if they are looking for a quick and entertaining animated adventure.

Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 1: It's About Time

On December 22, 2010, Telltale Games released Back to the Future: The Game as part of a licensing deal with Universal. While I had some interest in the game, I felt it would be a better idea to see the films it was based on first. After doing so, I purchased this game and played through Episode 1, entitled, It's About Time. After completing it within a couple hours, which is pretty short for an episodic Point-and-Click game, I can say that Telltale has a good grasp on how to handle the license. It definitely helps that the original creators have some involvement in keeping it like the movies.

This game takes place in 1986, following the third movie, beginning with a scene reminiscent of the first movie. This turns out to be a dream which Marty McFly wakes up from. He then heads over to Doc Brown's house and tries to stop his possessions from being sold in a government auction, as he has been missing for a few months. However, the DeLorean shows up and Marty uses it to go back to 1931, where Doc Brown is in jail after commiting arson on a speakeasy. However, he would be shot to death on the courthouse steps by Kid Tannen the following day. The rest of the plot involves Marty having to enlist the aid of 1931, teenage, Doc Brown to bust him out and prevent his death.

During the game, fans of the franchise will come across many references to the films, such as mentions and sightings of books by Jules Verne and Marty having to use the name of a fictional character as a pseudonym, including a Clint Eastwood character as a choice. There is also continual use of the mythology gags throughout the series, such as Strickland's "slacker" catchphrase and a Tannen always getting covered in manure through encountering Marty. These provide great fanservice for the game, as well as a good source of humor.

The story was written and executed just like it really was another film in the franchise. This is aided by a great voice cast, including Cristopher Lloyd as Doc Brown and a good substitute Marty McFly in AJ LoCascio, who has almost as much energy in the role as Michael J. Fox. Telltale's composer, Jared Emerson-Johnson, wrote music that complements the events at hand. It also helps that they were able to use some of the music from Back to the Future.

The graphics of this game were also very stylized, giving it the feel of an animated series. This isn't really a bad thing, as I got used to them fairly quickly. However, I did encounter a graphical glitch once where the flames from a rocket-powered drill, after blowing up, were suspended by themselves on the sidewalk. At the same time, the game was also choppy when I first started playing it, but it smoothed itself out about five or ten minutes into the game. Other than that, there weren't any problems.

The gameplay was pretty easy to pick up, as it is a Point-and-Click Adventure Game. Still, the interface was very simple to use and the puzzles were pretty straight-forward, but I will admit that I used the Hint button a couple of times. Players who have also retained knowledge of the movies will have an easier time with a lot of the puzzles that require exploitation of such knowledge, including a puzzle where you need to get Marty's Grandfather, Arthur McFly's, hat back from Kid Tannen by distracting him with a "look over there."

As one who purchased the full season off Telltale's store for $25, I can say that so far it has been worth the money. The simple gameplay and fantastic story kept me playing and wanting to see what would happen next. The game ends in a standard cliffhanger, but it is one I can't wait to see get resolved in the coming months. This game is a great purchase so far, but I would reccomend it more to existing fans, as they would get more enjoyment out of this.