SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV - review

By Sam Smith

Street Fighter IV was a great success when it was released in February last year, revitalizing the dying genre of fighting games with a much-needed shot in the arm, and reminding everyone why they loved the series so much in the first place. Now, following tradition, Capcom are back with an updated version of the game, with new characters, moves and stages among the upgrades on offer. But is it worth shelling out again, just over a year after the first game came out?

The simple answer is a resounding yes. Capcom have gone above and beyond the call of duty, and this is no mere cash in. For fans of the previous game, this is a must-have, and it also is a great entry point for first timers.

The key draw of Super Street Fighter IV is the ten new characters, increasing the overall roster to a massive 35 to choose from. Of these ten, eight are characters returning from previous Street Fighter games, such as Adon from the original Street Fighter, Cody and Guy from Final Fight, and Ibuki and Makoto from the Street Fighter III series. These characters are all slightly more obscure than those included in the original Street Fighter IV, and as such are sure to be popular with long-time fans.

The last two characters are completely new to the Street Fighter series, and both bring new fighting styles to the equation. Juri is a slightly insane evil-henchwoman, with a suitably crazy style of Tae-Kwon Do, perfect for players who like fast characters. The other is Hakan, a national champion at the Turkish sport of Yagli Gures, or oil wrestling. His play style revolves around finding time to “oil up”, covering himself in oil briefly and enhancing his move properties and damage greatly. He is also bright red. Certainly, Capcom cannot be accused of conservative character design.

All ten new characters are a blast to control, and all revolve around a more offensive style of play, in contrast to most of the original cast of SFIV, whom favoured a more defensive approach. This gives the core gameplay a good shakeup, making all-out assault a more viable tactic than before.

Other balances and tweaks have been made to create a more fast-paced play style. Ultra Combos, a character’s ultimate attack, now tend to do slightly less damage across the board; punishing a player less if he makes a mistake and takes an ultra in the face.

On the subject of Ultra Combos, each character now has two to choose from, rather than just one. This is chosen after you select your character, and the choice allows for characters to adapt and adjust to new scenarios better than before. If one Ultra seems useless against a certain character, the other will probably be more suited to the situation.

The original cast has also seen changes of a less obvious nature. Subtle tweaking and balancing has taken place, in an attempt to make the game as fair as possible. Obviously, some characters will always be stronger than others, but overall, Super Street Fighter IV is very well balanced, and almost every one of the 35 characters is viable in high-level play.

As well as the gameplay changes, new online modes have been added to sweeten the deal. As well as the standard ranked match, the game now includes an “endless battle” mode. This mimics an arcade, with a group of players sitting in an online lobby. Two of them will be playing a match, with the others free to watch and chat amongst themselves. After the fight is over, the winner stays on, and the next player has their turn to battle. This mode is a great way to learn how to improve, and altogether a more social experience than the 1v1 ranked match mode.

The second new online mode is the replay channel. This allows you to upload and download replays of matches to watch. Whilst watching matches will not appeal to everyone, for those looking to learn new tactics and improve their skills, watching replays of the top players can be a great asset.

As with all fighting games, Super Street Fighter IV is best played with an arcade stick, rather than a regular controller. Peripheral developer Mad Catz have once again released a line of sticks to coincide with the game, and for the player aiming to get the true Street Fighter experience, there is no alternative.

There is little to find fault with in Super Street Fighter IV. If you were not a fan of the original instalment last year, then there is nothing to change your mind here. Also, the learning curve of Street Fighter has always been greater than that of other fighting games such as Tekken or Soul Calibur, and as such new players may be put off by the constant pasting they will be sure to get online to begin with. But for those willing to persevere, as well as current fans, Super Street Fighter IV is the definitive fighting game of the generation. The fact Capcom have released it at a budget price, due to the short turnaround between this and the original, makes it essentially unmissable.

10/10

Click HERE to go to the official Street Fighter website.

HEAVY RAIN - review

by Sam Smith

Heavy Rain is a game unlike many others. Indeed, some would struggle to call it a game at all. Even lead developer David Cage has preferred to refer to it as an “interactive drama.” Lacking in car chases, explosions and shoot-outs (although there are a few), Heavy Rain may not appeal to the typical 13 year-old shoot-em-up fan, but is an experience more mature gamers will relish.

Heavy Rain tells the story of four characters connected by the hunt for a serial killer. It begins with architect Ethan Mars, waking up on a sunny morning, and going about some chores and work as he waits for his wife and children to get home. This is an interesting way for players to get to grips with the unique control scheme.

Characters are controlled with a combination of manual control and quick-time events during cutscenes. This is highlighted well in a sequence where Ethan draws up a diagram for his job, with the player inputting button presses, flicks of the analog stick, or movements of the motion-sensitive controller when prompted to successfully complete the drawing. Or, alternatively, the player can mess up, which causes Ethan to fail in turn. The story continues regardless, and this is an interesting facet to Heavy Rain which becomes much more important as the stakes are raised.

Without spoiling much, Ethan’s ideal life is soon ruined by the accidental death of one of his sons, and the game rejoins him two years later, separated from his wife and struggling to connect with his surviving son, Shaun. The act of playing as a broken man as he tries to find solace with his distant son is not a particularly fun one, but it is not meant to be. Heavy Rain is special amongst games in the way it actually evokes emotions amongst players, and few of them are happy ones. This is a dark, brooding game. After all, it was made in France.

Shaun is soon kidnapped by serial child-murderer the Origami Killer, and the story begins to get rolling. Introduced are the other three playable characters, private investigator Scott Shelby, FBI agent Norman Jayden, and freelance journalist Madison Paige. The four characters’ paths all converge and weave together as the mission to save Ethan’s son kicks into gear.

The story presented in Heavy Rain is dark, atmospheric and extremely involving. This is especially important in a game which is sparse on actual, traditional gameplay, in many ways more similar to a film. The fact that the story manages to maintain its intensity when one considers the multiple ways it can diverge is praiseworthy indeed.

As mentioned, choice is a big theme in Heavy Rain. Depending on how players act the story can take one of many different forms. Between choosing their characters actions, and how players perform throughout the game, they essentially create their own, personal tale. Even a playable character dying does not end the story, and they definitely can die if one is not careful.

Achieving a happy ending in this world of constant downpours (hence the title) and overcast skies is not an easy task. Some of the choices to be made are truly excruciating, due to the emotional involvement the game has already stirred up within the player. Without giving too much away, Ethan is forced to undergo specific trials to prove how much he loves his son (an aspect of the game clearly influenced by the Saw films), some of which are almost painful to “play” through. Of course, the player can always refuse, but then what of Shaun’s eventual fate?

So, the story is magnificent, and the graphics compliment it wonderfully. These characters genuinely look like real people, and the way they move and interact just seems natural. The environment is suitably drab and depressing, reflecting what seems to be the general mood. But a few flaws stop the game from fully realising its vision.

One in particular is glaring. This is a game made in France, and as such, the voice actors are mainly British and French. Unfortunately, this is a game set in America. Most of the voice actors have a gallant attempt at an authentic American accent, and to their credit, most get it. Voices that sound a little off will have ceased to be noticeable by the end.

However, there are some that are simply so bad they threaten to overturn the whole experience, putting immersion at risk. This is never worse than in scenes with children. A French child imitating an American accent is something that, as I have now learned, does not sound convincing. Or human. Considering the large budget the game had to work with, would some voice actors of the correct nationality been out of the question?

Annoying bugs and glitches also pop up slightly too often. From minor things, like background characters walking through each other, to major ones like all sound cutting out for a few seconds, all can take the player away from the all-important story. Apparently a patch is on the way to fix the majority of these, but traditionally, games were tested before release.

But these are small annoyances that can be overlooked when the sheer intensity of the experience is taken into account. Heavy Rain is a game that can leave you depressed, disturbed, or, perhaps, relieved. With a story that rivals the best that novels and film can offer, and far more immersion than any other media can deliver, Heavy Rain is an experience that a discerning gamer will devour.

9/10

Click HERE to go to the official Heavy Rain website.