So on a whim I decided to download 3 demos from the X-Box Live Marketplace last night. I'm slowly playing through Fallout 3, so I wanted something that was a bit more diversionary (and less immersive) than Fallout. I'm mainly looking for a fighter/brawler, so with that in mind I thought I'd share my thoughts on the three demos I played. Wathmen: The End is Nigh: First up in my game list is Watchman, an arcade game that I'm considering just because of the price point - $20 bucks. I came away a little underwhelmed. The camera seems to be a little bit bonkers, and the cool over-the-top action from the film doesn't really translate all that well to the videogame version. I can't help but feel like I've played this game before - it felt a lot like Warriors from the original X-Box. I would have preferred a Watchman game that would give you access to more than just Nite Owl and Rorshach, don't get me wrong they're great but a game with Silk Spectre and Comedian as alternative characters would have been nice. Still considering purchasing just based on cost alone. Afro Samurai: Next on my list of demos is Afro Samurai, a title based on the anime series of the same name. Oddly enough, it controlled almost exactly like Watchmen, which meant to me that it felt like I was playing the same thing, That said, the extra money had to go towards the visual look of the game, which is pretty awesome, with beautifully rendered effects that make it look hand drawn. The soundtrack seems to be top notch, and it's nice to see that Samuel L. Jackson came on board to voice Ninja Ninja. My biggest complaint was that the camera is left-to right inverted, meaning that when I want my character to turn left I have to push right on the control stick. Consequently, I ended up taking a lot of 270 degree turns when I meant to turn 90 instead. I like it, but I think it's one of those games I can find used in a couple months for half the price. Legends of Wrestlemania: Last on my list is Legends of Wrestlemania, a game that I'm both very excited and very fearful of. To me, there hasn't be a decent console-released wrestling video game since No Mercy on the N64, though I've played Fire Pro on my DS and I love it. I've never cared for the Smackdown series, it's simply too arcade-like for my tastes. Legends seems to be a mix of the two, with more realistic chain wrestling sequences (which use QTEs to be executed). I played as Hulk Hogan, and I ended up pinning Andre the Giant before I could pull off the Big Leg Drop, which leads me to believe that the game is still going to be a little too arcade based for my tastes. Still, I love the idea behind this game, with classic wrestlers from the 80s and 90s making up the roster. It was also a nice touch that the ring entrances for the wrestlers corresponded to the timeline of the event. Overall, none of the games blew me away in terms of their overall package. I probably liked Wrestlemania the best, mainly for the nostalgia factor, followed by Watchmen and then by Afro Samurai, mainly due to the games feeling similar but being priced $40 apart. If I end up buying any of these it will likely be the Wrestlemania game.
Oh yeah ... he swears ... like I said I liked the game but I'm afraid it (and Watchmen) may both get repetitive.
