Dead Space - Xbox 360, PS3, PC

From the creepy atmosphere to the engrossing story, Dead Space will hook you as soon as you press start. Not only does the game provide a refreshing new franchise in a sea of sequels, it’s also an absolute blast to play. Nearly everything about the game works, from the strong story to the creepy atmosphere and over-the-top gore, Dead Space is a well-conceived hybrid of what gamers have come to love about action games.
Dead Space is a third person shooter that relies on a dismemberment mechanic to take down foes.
The story is quite good, but it’s up to the player to flesh it out. The emphasis on atmosphere lends itself to creating an organic and engrossing story that rewards the gamer based on their involvement with the world around them. There are a number of audio clips that can be found scattered throughout the infested ship, which help players piece together the mystery of what happened on the doomed Ishimura.
In his quest to rescue a loved one, Isaac (you) will do whatever it takes to bring down the alien infestation and save those in danger. Isaac is a mining engineer with an unconventional arsenal. Instead of standard guns you will have saw and bolt guns at your disposal, among others. And your enemies aren’t the typical target practice you’ve come to expect from shooters. While your character controls much like Leon from Resident Evil 4, a simple shot in the head won’t do it this time around. You must dismember your opponents, which adds to the gory and adrenaline-filled experience. There is no HUD (heads up display) creating a truly cinematic experience. Isaac’s health is displayed on his back in the spine of his space suit and any menu is displayed as a hologram projection in front of your character. You are never pulled out of the action and that sense of urgency in battle situations adds to the horror.
Dead Space may not be on par with the superb Bioshock, but it’s close. Hopefully this game can be an inspiration to other developers to create something new that pushes the envelope in both gameplay and story.
By Alex Osborn
life@eastbaynewspapers.com

Warlords - Atari 2600

Think about this the next time you’re crushing the Chimera or halving the Horde: Warlords did it first.
Well, not first. Not even best. But to the people who remember waiting in line for machines to open up in arcades Warlords was one of the visionary games that brought people together before the word “multiplayer” was ubiquitous. A lot of games in the golden age were multiplayer. Pong could not be played without an opponent when it was first released as a bar novelty. Through the years kids would gather around cabinets such as Gauntlet and TMNT along with a ton of side-scrolling beat-em-ups and lose quarters together. But it was the 1981 release of Warlords for the Atari 2600 that got people together in front of the TV for 4-player action. Other multiplayer games came before it, but none of them hold up as well. Instead of beating a buddy in Combat or besting one person’s score in Pac Man, Warlords let you lay the smackdown on three people sitting right next to you.
And it was fun.
In the game you defend yourself from three other players - preferably human. Each player occupies a castle that they defend with a shield. It’s been a long time since I read the instruction manual for the Atari 2600 version, but I believe each character represents one of four brothers fighting endlessly over the fortune of their dead father, the king. Cool. The object is to chip away at your opponents’ castle until you can strike them dead. When this happens, their “ghost” can be seen wandering the fortress.
None of the upgrades or Atari classic compilations have really done justice to the game. To be played right, you need an Atari 2600, a copy of “Warlords” and two sets of working paddles. Luckily, all those things will cost you around $50 on eBay.
Believe me, it’s worth it. The sad truth is that many classic games are simply not fun to play anymore. Our memories of most games are often better than the games themselves. But as we get farther away from the classic era of gaming, I think it’s important to remember not only the games that made a difference, but the ones that are still fun to play.
Warlords is just such a game.
By Victor Paul Alvarez
valvarez@eastbaynewspapers.com

Pure - Xbox 360/Playstation 3

Pure filled a gap that had been vacant for too long. It’s a fun racer – an absolute blast of a game that takes itself just seriously enough to be a first class title but not so serious that it gets mired in too many technical details. It’s an arcade racer, yes, but it has a ton of customization and options that elevate it way above some of the previous entries in the genre.
The name says it all: Pure is pure fun and excitement and should not be missed.
But how about some details, yes?
Once fired up Pure will want you to build your own ATV. There’s a “quick-build” option, which tempted my lazy nature. I’m glad I decided to build it myself. I typically bore of endless customization options in racers, but Pure is straight forward and enjoyable. I put together and crimson and gold beauty that I called “Stark 1,” sealing my geek reputation once and for all.
Then I was off to the races.
“Pure” allows you to pull off some great tricks without much difficulty but demands serious skills to reach the higher levels of trick insanity. It also forces you to balance your desire to pull of super-human moves with your taste for victory. Pull off some nice tricks and you’ll be rewarded with the boost you need to win the race. Use the boost and your trick set will be limited. Boost sure makes winning easier – but the more you risk, the greater your reward.
You decide.
By Victor Paul Alvarez
valvarez@eastbaynewspapers.com

God of War - Playstation 2

Some books keep you up at night. You plan to just read a few pages, or finish a chapter, but you end up reading into the early morning because you must know what happens next. This is also true of only the greatest of video games, and few compare to God of War.
You are enchanted from the beginning. The menu screen turns into the opening cinematic - Kratos committing suicide by jumping off a cliff into the Aegean Sea - as soon as you press play. This always impressed me. You knew right away you were playing a quality title, one that took everything - presentation included - seriously.
There's been as much ink spilled about this game as Kratos has spilled the blood of his enemies. If you're reading this you probably know the game beautifully blends intense action and fighting with puzzles, platforming and character building. The story is that of Kratos, a former captain in the Spartan army who sets out to kill Ares after the god tricks him into killing his own family. I won't pretend to be able to add some new wrinkly to the legend.
But I can tell you this:
I missed the PS2's lifespan almost completely. (I'll admit it, I'm just not a Sony guy.) But I knew I was missing out on some of the best titles ever made and decided to buy a used PS2. My wife and I had just bought our first house. The basement, or cellar, was an unfinished dungeon with cement floors and walls. I promptly placed an old couch down there along with a 10-year-old television and my Atari 2600. It seemed a perfect place for the PS2 (the big version) when I picked one up. God of War was the first game I bought. Despite having a shiny new Xbox 360 hooked up to a massive HDTV upstairs, I found myself spending the next week in the basement playing God of War. How could a game this good be on a system this old? How did they make the controls so intuitive, the fighting so deep and simple at the same time? Who wrote this terrific story and who are the voices behind these compelling characters?
The blood of my enemies splashed across the screen as I mulled these questions in the back of my mind. When I finished the game it struck me that God of War will likely remain one of the finest representations of what this medium has to offer. It has the courage to showcase relentless violence with no apologies. It features as compelling a story as you will find in popular fiction or film. Finally, it is presented as a piece of art built from the ground up by people who care.
God of War is what the Phoenix Games Project is all about. It is part of the canon of gaming.
By Victor Paul Alvarez
valvarez@eastbaynewspapers.com