Notes de presse

• PSP
• 8.5 / 10
• Allemagne

Das erste Star Ocean wurde für sein Comeback aufwändig modernisiert: Neben wenigen, aber äußerst stimmungsvollen Animesequenzen von Production IG, erwarten euch komplett neu gestaltete Renderschauplätze, aufwändige Spezialeffekte, üppige englische Sprachausgabe und sogar ein verbessertes, weil direkteres Kampf- sowie erweitertes Skillsystem. Allerdings ist nicht alles besser als früher: Vor allem die karge und sterile 3D-Oberwelt hat gegenüber dem zwölf Jahre alten SNES-Original deutlich an Charme und Glanz eingebüßt. Das Spiel selbst hat die Zeit allerdings erstaunlich gut überstanden. Die ausgeklügelte Story weiß auch heute noch zu gefallen, die rasanten Echtzeitkämpfe sorgen trotz teils lästiger Zufallsbegegnungen noch immer für Laune, während Skill-, Crafting- und Beziehungssystem nach wie vor Vorbildcharakter haben. Schade nur, dass Hauptplot und Spielwelt trotz einiger Streckungen nicht besonders umfangreich sind. Dafür finden ambitionierte Sammler und Forscher jedoch serientypisch einige Bonusdungeons, -aufgaben und -charaktere sowie individuelle Enden. Auch mit der Charakterpflege, Item-Erstellung sowie den Fertigkeiten kann man sich lange beschäftigen. Allerdings solltet ihr über solide Englischkenntnisse verfügen, da First Departure auch hierzulande komplett auf Englisch erscheint. Dennoch sollte sich diesen kaum gealterten und erstmals außerhalb Japans erhältlichen Klassiker kein Rollenspielfan entgehen lassen!

• X360
• 8 / 10
• Italie

• WII
• 60%
• Espagne

• X360
• États-Unis

• WII
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

In the end, Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 is a better game than 2008, but it still has lots of room to grow. The modes are there, the added features this year such as online, interactive entrances, motion finishers, and Road to Wrestlemania all make the overall package much, much stronger, but in wrestling games it's all about making a core design that can be played for hundreds of matches over, and that's all about gameplay. The new motion changes are stronger for the most part, but it's still somewhat limited due to its simplicity. Hopefully THQ's design will evolve, as there's only one type of real wrestling fan out there, and they don't need casual controls or "anyone can play" designs as much as they want a deep, fun experience. Interaction with items and objects in the world could be better, AI is often pretty moronic in the Road to Wrestlemania modes, the camera is a real pain (oftentimes not even showing downed opponents outside the ring) and the lack of free running in-ring and out is really a shame. There are piles of changes and bug fixes that can be changed for next year, and hopefully Yuke's can find a more Wii-specific identity for the game along the way. It visually isn't very impressive, most of the VO was used in Road to Wrestlemania mode, leaving a lot of repeats when fighting in standard matches, general combat is still pretty rough and limited, and matches end way too quickly due to the game's generic health bar for characters, cutting out the region-specific damage. If an "Arcade" mode needs to be left in for causal gamers, that's perfect, but Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 will be a much better game if THQ spends 10% of its time on the casual gamer, and the other 90% on making SVR a better game for the hardcore. After all, if games like Wii Sports have proved anything, it's that casual gamers don't need huge, expansive products to have a good time. Develop something fun and simple for them to enjoy, and then flesh out the bulk of the game for those that really care about seeing and playing it all for years on end. If you've got the choice, this review would encourage you to pick up the PS3/360 version of SVR this year. If Wii is your only system, or if you are looking for a game that appeals to everyone at the sacrifice of more depth and strategy, Nintendo's system still has a very different take on the WWE, even if it isn't as refined or polished just yet.

• PS3
• X360
• 7.5 / 10
• Allemagne

Das ist die beste Spracherkennung, die ich bisher erlebt habe – meine Befehle werden selbst dann akkurat umgesetzt, wenn ich sie schnell hintereinander oder etwas undeutlich spreche. Auch die anspruchsvolle Spielmechanik kann sich bis auf die ärgerlichen Probleme in der Wegfindung sehen lassen: Sie sorgt für intelligentes Erobern mit Rücksicht auf Nachschub, für langfristige Aufrüstung sowie für rasante Raumtaktik. Umso tragischer ist es, dass EndWar an seinem eigentlichen Auftrag scheitert: Kriegsstimmung ins Wohnzimmer zu bringen, Mittendringefühl und Spannung am Mikro zu erzeugen. Irgendwann spielt man EndWar eher wie Schach aus der kühlen Distanz als wie Krieg aus der packenden Explosionsperspektive. Erstens ist die Kulisse auf dem Schlachtfeld einfach zu fade, als dass man sich wie etwa in World in Conflict gerne in die Darstellung der Gefechte zoomen würde. Es gibt sogar einige dilettantische Darstellungsfehler im Deckungsbereich, die einem das nähere Hinschauen versäuern. Zweitens führt die strategische Karte das Spieldesign rund um die Spracherkennung, den Einsatz einer 3D-Engine sowie das Mittendringefühl ad absurdum: In dieser Perspektive spricht man nämlich kein Wort mehr, braucht keine Panzermodelle oder Explosionen und verschiebt seine Truppenicons tonlos mit dem Gamepad, weil es einfacher, bequemer und effizienter ist – und genau diese Methode würden auch altehrwürdige Strategen wie Napoleon, Clausewitz und Sun Tsu empfehlen, weil sie das wichtigste Ziel des Krieges erfüllt: Den Feind zu besiegen. Man muss festhalten, dass die Grafik-Engine sowie die hervorragende Spracherkennung vor die Säue geworfen wurde. Sie hätte als zentrales Element des Spieldesigns intensiver genutzt werden müssen, um die Hektik des Krieges und die Spannung in der Kommandozentrale besser zu simulieren. Ich habe von EndWar erwartet, dass es mich als Kommandeur an die Couch fesselt. Aber letztlich macht man es sich dort als General mit einem Tee gemütlich, futtert seine Routinekekse und schickt brav Schere auf Papier, Stein auf Schere. Das motivierende Aufrüst- & Erfahrungssystem, das intelligente Erobern sowie der Risikostil auf der Weltkarte sorgen jedoch dafür, dass unterm Strich eine langfristige sowie anspruchsvolle strategische Erfahrung daraus werden kann. Auch der saubere Online-Modus lockt nach der Kampagne noch mal in den Dritten Weltkrieg und sichert EndWar eine gute Wertung.

• PS3
• 8 / 10
• Italie

Motorstorm 2: Pacific Rift è un prodotto immancabile nelle ludoteche degli appassionati. La formula di base è la stessa del predecessore, e prevede una certa varietà e profondità garantite dalle tante variabili in gioco: conformazione dei tracciati, reazioni delle vetture e varie tipologie di turbo dipingono una scena ludica corposa e sostanziosa, che si sposa ottimamente con un gameplay immediato e rende il titolo davvero completo. Chi ha amato l'originale Motorstorm troverà poi in Pacific Rift ambientazioni vitali, colorate, variegate, e dal design spesso eccellente (salvo qualche caduta di stile). Sfortunatamente i problemi che riguardano l'IA avversaria, e la generale mancanza di verve della modalità principale (le variazioni a partire dalle gare classiche non riescono a soddisfare in pieno), potrebbero rendere il prodotto meno appetibile per qualche utente. Che siate appassionati o no, cercate comunque di lanciare qualche sguardo all'ultima esclusiva Sony, perchè i risultati visivi sono fra i più impressionati di questo periodo. Chi non frequenta assiduamente i server online potrebbe trovare la modalità Single Player un poco ripetitiva e non molto stimolante, ma se siete amanti delle sfide online, non esitate: navigando in rete si trovano piloti agguerriti, pronti a coronare la già buona esperienza globale di Pacific Rift.

• WII
• 6 / 10
• Pays-Bas

• WII
• 7.5 / 10
• Italie

Se Nintendo avesse seguito questo prodotto come uno dei suoi giochi di punta anche dal lato tecnico, ci troveremmo davanti a un titolo di primissimo piano del panorama della bianca console della casa di Kyoto (e non solo?). Purtroppo Disaster è andato incontro a uno sviluppo travagliato che ha minato l'appeal visivo, un po' come accadde come Eternal Darkness per GameCube. Come in quel caso, però, il valore complessivo del prodotto si rivela ugualmente di grande interesse. Adrenalina, coinvolgimento, varietà, buoni controlli, longevità più che discreta rendono Day of Crisis un prodotto imperdibile per chiunque voglia affrontare un'avventura esaltante ma allo stesso tempo estremamente divertente.

• X360
• 9 / 10
• Italie

• PS3
• X360
• 7.8 / 10
• États-Unis

In the end, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a good game but one that falls short of its potential. The Roster Editor is a welcome addition, Create-A-Finisher could be deeper but is a great first effort, the Inferno Match is over-the-top but fun, and Road to WrestleMania is one of the best story modes I've seen in a wrestling game in years. However, I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing last year's game when we get down to the nitty gritty match mechanics. Entrances, match list presentation, animations, and even a couple crowd members are recycled from SVR 08; pixilated audience members in the upper deck and six-man matches causing framerate drops haven't even been addressed; and the ECW Extreme Rules match has been gimped. These issues shouldn't be deal breakers for fans of squared-circle action nor do they detract from the fact that this is better than last year's game, but the problems do leave me without ever feeling "wowed" while playing SVR 09.

• X360
• 7 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

• WII
• 5.2 / 10
• États-Unis

Candy Factory is a functioning puzzle game ported directly from its PC counterpart with a few Wii-centric waggles thrown in. The waggles are randomly responsive and can slow down your daily candy production. The graphics could have used an update or overhaul, as playing this retail title feels a little underwhelming compared to several Wii Ware titles. The audio and music could benefit greatly from some variety. In the end, the most commendable thing about Candace Kane's Candy Factory is her refusal to exploit vertically impaired indigenous peoples for cheap labor (looking at you Wonka).

• PS2
• 7 / 10
• États-Unis

In the end, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a fun game that falls short of its potential. The Roster Editor is a welcome addition, Create-A-Finisher could be deeper but is a great first effort, the Inferno Match is over-the-top but fun, and Road to WrestleMania is one of the best story modes I've seen in a wrestling game in years. However, I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing last year's game when we get down to the nitty gritty match mechanics. Entrances, match list presentation, and animations are recycled from SVR 08. Sadly, the graphics don't do the franchise or the PS2 justice thanks to a crowd filled with undefined blobs, so-so wrestler faces, and belts that hover about people's shoulders. SVR 09 on the PS2 is clearly a toned down version of the game found on the PlayStation 3. If this is your only option, it's a decent wrestling game, but the visuals hold it back from the heights previous PS2 SVR titles have reached.

• PSP
• 6.5 / 10
• États-Unis

In the end, WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is fun, but it falls short of its potential. The Roster Editor is a welcome addition, Create-A-Finisher could be deeper but is a great first effort, the Inferno Match is over-the-top but fun, and Road to WrestleMania is one of the best story modes I've seen in a wrestling game in years. All that's fine, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing last year's game when we get down to the nitty gritty match mechanics. Entrances, match list presentation, and animations are recycled from SVR 08. Sadly, the graphics aren't a bright spot and aren't interesting to look at thanks to the ugly crowd and sharp edges of the wrestlers. The straight truth is that SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 on the PSP is a stripped down version of what's on the home consoles, and it shows. It's not bad, but it's nowhere near as solid as or as entertaining as its brethren.

• PS2
• PSP
• WII
• 4 / 10
• États-Unis

There's just nothing to Ben 10: Alien Force that's worth taking a look at. Everything about the game is entirely uninspired, from the bland visuals and awkward physics to the sleep-inducing music. It's a shame, really, considering the fact that the game could have been fun had it offered refined platforming and an interesting (and especially exciting) battle mechanic where you constantly change forms to vary your combos. I can't even recommend this to fans of the television series, though I imagine a young gamer might overlook the numerous issues just to have fun playing as the different characters.

• PS3
• 7 / 10
• Royaume-Uni

• PS3
• 8 / 10
• États-Unis

• PS3
• 16 / 20
• France

• X360
• 7 / 10
• Allemagne

• PSP
• 14 / 20
• France

Moins réussie que ses grandes soeurs, cette version PSP de Smackdown vs Raw 2009 devrait toutefois contenter son public, notamment en raison de ses nombreuses nouveautés et de la générosité de son contenu.

• WII
• 6 / 10
• France

• PS3
• 16 / 20
• France

• X360
• 19 / 20
• France