Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2

A Fool's Errand

Platform: PS3
Completion: Platinum
Graphics: Great
Sound: Good
Story: Good
Bugs: Some
Frustration: VIOLENT
Replay Value: Some
Verdict: Don't Bother

This game was just about what I expected it to be. The story mode, which has some pretty graphics and is fun enough if you are a fan of Naruto, is for the most part a cheap rpg. You waste tons of time running around, talking, opening then closing menus and collecting things that you don't really ever need. It covers the story pretty good and I really liked the quick time event fights for boss battles. The fighting was a lot of fun, but you have the typical AI that cheats and moves that only seem to work properly for the opponents.

Overall the game was pretty fun for a fan of the series, unless.......

Getting the platinum in this game was the most frustrating one yet. They just made you waste time for most of them, I finished the game like 3 weeks ago but just now got the trophies done.

The online mode killed what fun this game did have. You have the usual quitters, the cheaters (lagswitches), the trash "pros" who just pick the cheapest characters and win all day for no reason etc. The ranked matches don't matter since you can pick who you fight and quit if you start to lose.

The worst part was the matchmaking. This game has some terrible design for menus and too much loading, no excuse for it now days. You wait for it to find sessions, by the time you get to one its full and then it kicks you back to the menu to search again instead of letting you try a different person, or you get stuck transmitting. In 20 minutes you might get one or two 50 second matches and when you need 50 wins (looked like just 10, but they hid more in the titles you have to get.....) you are in for a long, frustrating, annoying, anger filled experience that might cost you a few controllers.

With the new game out already, don't bother with this. From what I hear it has the same matchmaking, but you don't need it for the platinum.

inFAMOUS 2

Sucker Punched!

Platform: PS3
Completion: Platinum
Graphics: Great
Sound: Great
Story: Great
Bugs: Some
Frustration: Too Much
Replay Value: Low
Verdict: Rental

Just like the first, inFAMOUS 2 is a great game that gets RUINED, this time INTENTIONALLY.

Almost all the problems from the first game have been fixed, the game is a lot of fun to play through and complete, great graphics, story and sound, but if your going for the platinum and full completion get ready for some more frustration. Last time around, it was blast shards and xp farming that really made it hard to get a platinum, this time around they added a new power that shows where the nearest blast shard is to fix that, bonus points, as for the xp.....

UGC, User Generated Content, basically they are allowing players to make new missions. This fixed the need to exploit xp by redoing a mission over and over again if you were lucky enough to have it left at the end of the first game. Looked like it could have been fun, especially the xp missions where you just blow everything up real fast, but they decided to remove the ability to earn xp from UGC missions........ the only reason to have them..... They have no leader boards or multiplayer, so most of them, even the Sucker Punch ones, suck.

I wasn't smart enough to leave missions to exploit this time and after spending two days just trying to earn my last 10k or so xp to unlock powers, I found out that I could camp by the ice tower blowing up gas tanks, entering and exiting the UGC to cause them to respawn, getting about 70 xp each time. In the end the UGC did fix the problem... barely, but we are still required to exploit in order to finish, just like the first game.

Overall both inFAMOUS games are great and worth playing, if you rent them or get them bargain priced. I will be trying Festival of Blood from the PSN eventually as well.

inFAMOUS

Shockingly Aggravating

Platform: PS3
Completion: Platinum
Graphics: Decent
Sound: Great
Story: Great
Bugs: Many
Frustration: EXTREME
Replay Value: Low
Verdict: Rental

inFAMOUS is a great game ruined by game flaws and bugs. One second you will be enjoying the game, which should be excellent, the next you want to smash your controller.

Getting the Platinum is a real pain for this game and imho required for a actual review. Bad climbing, annoying ai, aggravating missions and fights just ruin the game. The enemy's try to shoot at you through buildings with unlimited ammo and accuracy and will run screaming around chasing you even if you are not close by. The radar doesn't even show things close enough to be much use in combat. Dying and failing rarely feel like its the players fault, but the game does help by not making you redo everything when you do (huge plus).

Overall the game is great and is worth playing both ways, but its one of those games that make rentals, used games and piracy important.

Rent it or buy it bargain used, then play the sequel.