I never really got around to this DLC, and I was not missing out on anything. The DLC is about 1 hour long, and you play as a replica soldier who gets called to Paxton Fettel (I’m not sure if it’s a prison cell or just his soul in the epicenter of the nuclear blast from the first game) and has to blow through your own kind to get to him.
The game mainly consists of large firefights that are actually quite tough (I died a few times here) with tons of enemies, mechs, and even a turret sequence thrown in. The game starts you out in a mech, and you go from there. It’s a short rollercoaster of every element created for F.E.A.R. 2, and it’s fun while it lasts, but a disappointing DLC as it adds nothing new to the game; even playing as a replica doesn’t change the gameplay one bit.
As it stands, play this just for the heck of it because you own it, but otherwise you can pass if you missed out all these years.
I remember when F.E.A.R. 2 was first announced, and it blew up the gaming world. It was a long-anticipated sequel to one of the best FPS games on PC, and surprisingly, it was also coming to current consoles, which I felt held the game back some, and this infuriated some longtime fans. You continue where the first game left off and must go back into the destruction that the nuke caused and try to stop Alma once and for all.
The story and characters are worse than in the first game and make absolutely zero sense. I still don’t know why Alma wants to kill everyone or who Beckett really is (your main character). The game focuses more on action than atmosphere and scares, unlike the first game. There are some really creepy scenes, with the elementary school being by far the best, with poltergeists chasing you in dark hallways. It’s sad that the horror element took a back seat, and the game just doesn’t feel as good as the first game.
The shooting, however, has improved a lot with more responsive controls, faster-paced gunplay, and a slightly higher variety of weapons. The enemies are still generic soldiers called replicas that are just bullet sponges and don’t offer anything interesting to the game. There are two mech sequences added to the game where you can crawl inside one and devastate foes. Outside of feeling powerful, these scenes felt more like filler than anything else. Another continuing issue is the level design. The game is full of generic, desolate city streets, hallways, metal and concrete buildings with catwalks, and industrial decor. It’s the same as before, just with more detail and better visuals.
Slo-mo does make a return here, but I didn’t need to use it as often as in the first game as this one is much easier. Instead of hoarding 10 medkits, you get up to 3 and body armor to help absorb damage. You can still upgrade your Reflex meter by finding syringes and data pads scattered everywhere for story tidbits. I have to say I miss the answering machines and Alienware laptops scattered around, as it felt more organic and required less reading in such a fast-paced game.
The game looks really good, even today. Larger environments, higher resolution textures, better models, physics, and overall lighting effects really stand out, and this game looks far from ugly, just boring and generic. The game tried to switch up the setting with more outdoor environments and less indoor environments, but it doesn’t really matter as the game is still highly linear. It just doesn’t feel like F.E.A.R. did, and that’s a shame, as you can tell there was careful placement of each scare and less focus on action.
Overall, F.E.A.R. 2 is a great sequel and worth your time for a weekend playthrough. It isn’t memorable; there’s nothing special, but the occasional scare and interesting horror elements, as well as fantastic shooting, make for a good game.
Lights, Camera, Action! The three cliche words that everyone knows from childhood. You will hear these three words over and over again as you restart level after level to itch that completionist OCD. Joe Danger is full of hidden items, trial runs, and fast-paced and tense levels. Joe Danger also has a fun-level editor, but the impatient may not find much in this mode. There are extra deleted scenes for PC users, as well as improved graphics.
First, I have to say, I hate Joe. He’s an ugly, unlikeable character, and I hated playing as him every second I was in this game. With that said, the game itself is a lot of fun and can be really addictive. As you fly through the levels, you get to use various vehicles. Bicycles, quads, dirt bikes, jetpacks, jet skis, snowmobiles, skis—you name it. They all pretty much feel the same, with just varying degrees of speed, but the jetpack is a lot of fun. As you’re speeding around the levels, you can collect stars, clocks for time trials, letters that spell out DANGER, bananas, hit certain objects, do simple tricks, jump and duck, and an assortment of other little moves. These all add up to exciting and tense levels, but the game doesn’t come without its problems.
Some levels are extremely difficult, while others are way too easy; in fact, most are really easy, but finding every object in the level can sometimes be nearly impossible. If you don’t get every item in every level, you can blow through all six episodes and all the deleted scenes in just a few short hours. The game is light on content. I also didn’t like that some levels can’t be unlocked unless you do other things in the game, like build a level. I’m not a level-builder; I don’t have the patience or time for that, and many other people are the same way. Why lock out content and force me to use a mode I may not be interested in? I also felt the trick system was too simple and just got in the way. I’m trying to duck, jump, dive, and maneuver my way around the level; I honestly don’t need to be bogged down with stupid tricks. I also felt many levels repeated way too often; no manner of rearrangement helped.
These are minor issues, but by the end of the game, you end up getting bored of it. All the tricks and fun run out about 3/4 through, and you end up moving on to the next game. Joe Danger himself may be an unlikable character, but the game is worth every penny for a couple of days’ enjoyment. People who are patient enough for the level editor will find even more value. The graphics in Joe Danger are actually pretty nice, and the PC effects look really good. You don’t need the most powerful rig out there to run it, but the additions are fine.
Overall, Joe Danger 2 is a fun motorcycle physics game and is perfect for people who think trials are too hard. There is enough content to justify the price, and there are plenty of hidden items to find for the completionist. The level editor is just icing on the cake. If the game wasn’t so easy, had too many unbalanced levels, and didn’t have too much repeated content, it could be so much more. The trick system feels like it gets in the way, and Joe Danger himself is a horrible character. Despite all that, this is a great game to relax with.
The first three MK games saw dozens of ports over the years, and not all were very good. The latest port of the three is all packed into one tight collection, and they are perfect arcade ports. I won’t go into each game in detail, but it’s great to see the progression over the three, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses. People who are used to the new fighters with tons of combos won’t like the first two as much because combos weren’t implemented until MK3. The first two are just spamming special moves and getting someone stuck in high-punch spam. The good old sweep and uppercut move worked, and the feeling of nostalgia came back.
While each game has great “alities” and characters, each game suffers from some visual quality because these are arcade ports. You can turn on various filters, but overall, don’t expect the games to look amazing. MK1, for example, is very pixelated, but what can you expect? Each game has online play, and that is what will keep you coming back. The CPU is cheap when fighting solo, and I always hated MK’s AI system, with MK2 being the worst. I also loved how all the “-alities” and special moves are on the pause screen, which prevents you from having to have an FAQ near you.
Arcade Kollection could have used more features, such as being able to play Test-Your-Might mini-games separately from MK1, throwing in the great Puzzle Kombat, and maybe even adding some more online modes. Including the Mortal Kombat Trilogy would have been nice, despite it never being in arcades. I’m also not sure why MK4 wasn’t included because it was the last arcade MK game. What is here is excellent, but only hardcore MK fans will really appreciate this collection.
thebinarymessiah.com 
Yep! The fact that I forgot about this game until you made a comment proves that.