https://www.youtube.com/user/EthosReviews?feature=mhum#p/a/u/1/IkMxuWfxrXs

-Kurt L.

_________________________________________________________

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4HQ1nhXgl4

-Kurt L.

___________________________________________________________

    Halo: Reach tells the tale of the planet Reach, before the events that took place on the Pillar of Autumn and Master Chief’s awakening from his cryogenic sleep in the original Halo. Reach is invaded by the Covenant, all human life on the planet is being systematically, brutally executed. Obviously this doesn’t sit well with the super soldier Spartans that call Reach home, and Noble Team is going to fight back, hard.

    For the entire game, players will take the perspective of a rookie Spartan known only as Noble 6. This time around, players will create their own Spartan from the ground up. They will choose either a male or female soldier, and pick from a variety of customizable and upgradeable armor options. Like other Halo games, players will also design their emblems and color palates for their armor. These customizable options appear in full in the game’s amazing cut scenes, as well as online play.

    After players settle on a look for their Spartan, Noble 6 is quickly acquainted with his (or her) new squad mates. It doesn’t take too long for things to turn sour, and Noble Team to discover that the Covenant has indeed invaded Reach when they find farmers have been brutally murdered. Unfortunately for them and the planet, things only continue to get worse from there. As Noble Team progresses through Reach’s darkest days, their true characters begin to show. The formula in how each member of Noble Team is presented is similar to that in Halo: ODST, as Noble 6 will often be partnered up with one of the other five Nobles during each mission. That is where their similarities end however. Noble Teams world is literally being torn apart around them, and each character sets itself apart in the chaos that ensues. In their own way, they tell a story of courage and sacrifice when things are bleakest. Players will have no problem identifying with this cast, as they add a layer of humanity to the super human mystic of the Spartans. This helps concrete Halo: Reach as one of the best told stories in the franchise. For anyone who picks up Reach as their first Halo experience, they will have no problem following the straight forward plot. Hardcore fans will obviously find the experience deeper, as they will notice some of the more subtle moments that foreshadow events to come. There are also plenty of familiar faces that pop up and revelations that occur in reach that will please everyone, but I’ll leave it at that as to prevent any spoilers. This story really needs to be experienced first hand, and its well worth the investment.

    When it comes to game play, Halo: Reach is surprisingly rich. Reach is a culmination of everything that was great throughout the entire course of the franchise, along with some new additions that make those great elements even better. Before I even picked up the controller, Reach was a guarantee to be an outstanding first person shooter, and the first person aspects are indeed rock solid so there is no need to go into too much detail on that. New comers and veterans alike will have no problem popping off headshots with the good old M6G-Magnum pistol. There is also a large variety of alien and human weapons, with each having several new additions like a Grenade launcher or Needle Rifle just to name a few. Unfortunately, dual wielding weapons has yet to return to the Spartans. It is a missed opportunity, although really doesn’t effect the game. Reach’s AI as with many Halo games is spot on when it comes to the Enemy AI. The Covenant are cunning, lethal killers that will stop at nothing to take you down. The fact the Elites are back in action with the Covenant this time around makes them all the better. The human AI, isn’t quite as sharp for some reason although is better than what it was in ODST. The two most refreshing additions to Halo Reach however, is the use of armor abilities, and assassination attacks.

    Armor abilities are special items that are either issued at the start of a level, or picked up in the field. They allow your Spartan to have key skills that can give you the upper hand against those nasty alien invaders. The armor abilities are used with the LB button, and players will begin with the basic Sprint ability. Sprint obviously allows your Spartan quick bursts of speed, which can either save your life or thrust your straight into the heat of combat. Possibly the most interesting part of these armor abilities is there is something for every play style. Stealthy players who want to sneak up on enemies will probably want to use Active Camouflage the most, more aggressive players might enjoy a drop shield or Armor Lock that will protect them from incoming damage. All of these Armor abilities change the scope of game in Halo Reach, and each player should spend some time experimenting with which one they like best because these abilities now transfer into other modes of play.

    Easily the most entertaining addition to Halo: Reach is the use of assassination attacks. In every Halo, players have had the ability to give an unsuspecting grunt a good swift pistol whip to the back of the head. Alone, this was highly entertaining. Bungie has finally decided to develop this a bit more, and add a flashy animated kill to those who sneak up and take their enemies out silently. This seems like such a simple addition, but feels right at home in Halo. Its actually hard to believe that stealth kills are just finally showing up now this late in the franchise, but I digress. There is one draw back to these stealth kills. Players will still take damage, and can possibly be killed themselves while trying to pull this off. So choose when you want to sink that knife into an alien wisely, especially in firefight or online play!

    It goes without saying at this point, that Halo: Reach has extensive multiplayer options. The campaign can support up to 4 friends to join in either through a LAN network or Xbox Live. Although I can’t verify this myself being the game is still new, the campaign will apparently adjust its difficulty to the number of players that join into your game. So heroic or Legendary difficulties will remain just that. Firefight mode has also seen a dramatic revamp from its introduction in ODST. It is much more customizable, and features different equipment kits for players to choose from. In terms of the fights themselves, they feel much more dramatic and live up to the full potential of what this mode can be. I can say with absolute certainty Reach’s Firefight mode will get seriously more play time than its predecessors. And then there is of course the competitive online scene, where players join one another to see who really is Top Spartan. Many of the usual match ups remain the same, although they are on a much grander scale. Anyone who has played Halo online competitively will tell you it is incredibly addictive, and the quality of play hasn’t changed at all in Reach. One downside is, that several of the multiplayer maps players already have from the other Halo games have been recycled in Reach. There is nothing wrong with this per say, although it does feel kind of cheap. This isn’t just something that is tied to Halo however, and is something that is becoming common in all franchise that feature competitive online modes.

    Graphically, Halo Reach is one of the best looking games I’ve seen on the Xbox 360. The attention to detail is superb, whether in character and weapon design, or level design. Reach is truly a beautiful looking game, although there is a flaw. Yeah, you read that right, a flaw. Throughout my play time, I noticed a problem with motion blurring. At first, I though it was a problem with my TV or possibly my 360 which has had issues in the past. Fortunately, and unfortunately neither one of these was the cause. It is in fact an issue with the game itself. From time to time, Reach’s beautiful graphics are marred horribly by this motion blurring that resembles the “Ghosting Effect” from LCD/Plasma TVs that aren’t really designed for gaming. Although when this motion blur does occur it is rare, it is noticeable and shouldn’t have even made it into the finished copy. Hopefully, Bungie will issue a patch to correct this. If so, I will make comment on it at a later time in this review. Finally we come to one of my favorite aspects of the Halo franchise, which is sound. Excellent sound effects, and musical scores are a staple to the franchise. Halo Reach only continues that legacy with some of the best effects and music featured in any Halo game.

    Halo: Reach is a game that truly rewards its players. Everything you do in game helps earn you points to unlock new gear, and rank. With many ways to play, players will undoubtedly be spending a lot of time on the planet Reach and with good reason. Bungie pulled out all the stops in their final moments in the Halo universe they delivered us nearly a decade ago, and now they’re going to move onto new things. With that said and done, they once again delivered perhaps one of the best Halo experiences in the franchise. Anyone who has the ability to get their hands on a copy of this game owes it to themselves to do so, as it could contend for one of the best titles of this year.  Halo: Reach, reached for the stars and it paid off big.

Written by RB

Over and Out!

_______________________________________________________

     Universally hailed as one of the greatest video games in history, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the subject of the newest Ethos Video Review. It is my honor to review this game, and it is also my pleasure to announce that this marks the 25th Ethos Video Review. We've discussed a lot of games, movies, music albums, and even our own website over the course of 25 videos, and it has been a blast working and developing each one throughout the course of the year so far. Let's hear it for another 25 videos and beyond! To kick off the new beginning, check out the newest Ethos video by clicking the link below. Thank you all for watching!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YpM7EatnpM

-Kurt L.

_______________________________________________

     Pitfall! is an incredibly challenging game as to beat it, you must survive all 255 different screens with only 3 lives. Unfortunately, you will never have more than 3 lives as their is no way to earn new ones. These improbable odds make the game nearly impossible to defeat, but you'll have a blast either way. It is one of the definitive Atari 2600 games, and one of the best on the system.

     One of the best elements of this game, is that is has personality. So many of these old games are just bizarre and confusing in their presentation and seem like archaic pieces of technology not able to keep up with todays uber-evolved games. Yet Pitfall! still seems so playable today. Sure, it is ancient, and games have really come a long way, but it is still fun and that is a testament to the power of this old Atari cartridge.

     Pitfall! spawned various sequels and re-makes for the NES, the SNES, the Genesis, and more modern versions on the Wii. While some of the sequels were valiant efforts, like the one for the SNES, none of them were able to recapture the magic of the Atari original. As a side note, Super Pitfall for the NES is atrocious - stay far away from it. Anyway, there is a unique charm in Pitfall!. Take the moment when Harry jumps onto vines to swing past lakes and whatnot, and you'll hear like a sort of Tarzan like cry in that old blippy sound effect glory.

     Apparently, a profound influence on this game is the great Indiana Jones adventure, Raiders of the Lost Ark. There was an Atari game based on that movie, but it was awful. Pitfall! does a much better job at capturing the excitement of a Indy-like adventure.

     A rather difficult video game, but an undisputed classic. Pitfall! is a ton of fun to play...though expect to go through a bit of trial and error to get through some of the tougher screens. Best of luck to you if you can sucessfully survive all 255 screens - the mark of a true legendary explorer and adventurer!

-Kurt L.

_______________________________________________

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeUB8daNzOg

-Kurt L.

____________________________________________

     I remember when MGS Touch came out. Numerous gaming websites revealed a vague announcement made by Konami and speculated on what this meant for fans of the franchise. It was an elusive green circle with the trademark exclamation point in the center (pictured above)...and that was it. What could it be? Was this a new console Metal Gear game? Who knew! Well, less than a year after MGS4, Metal Gear Solid Touch was officially known to the public. I was very much intruigued by such a game, as who wouldn't want a portable version of one of the best games ever made? Unfortunately, it did not live up to such hype and anticipation.

     While MGS Touch does a lot of things right, the core gameplay is where the game ultimately suffers. Of course on the iPod, a game can live or die based on how intuitive the control is. Loosely based on the events of MGS4, Touch allows players to visit various locations from the aforementioned PS3 title - but you won't get to fully experience the environments as the game is a rail shooter. There is nothing wrong with a rail shooter, but when Konami plays coy with a vague announcement and then dares to boast a $7.99 price tag for this Metal Gear app, you'd expect a much more involved gaming experience. And for 8 dollars, that's a mighty steep investment considering that many incredible iPod app games are under 2 dollars.

     The graphics are quite stunning in MGS Touch, and you could say it is the best looking iPod game out there - just like its PS3 counterpart, as it is the best looking console video game out there to date. The game also contains many little different bonus features such as Drebin's Shop where it has a slew of wallpapers and such available, but some of the content is blocked until you complete certain portions of the game - you must also have enough Drebin Points to purchase them - so there is incentive to carry on with the game. In addition, there is also a bonus section entitled "Special" that explains the history of the entire franchise game by game and I must say that is a nice touch.

     As I mentioned earlier, the gameplay is subpar. When the PMC soldiers you are shooting at pop out from different cover areas, you have to drag Snake's gun across the screen to fire at him. It is a rather slow drag and the gameplay isn't just quick paced, you just feel stressed trying to drag your weapon from one side of the screen to another. The aiming must also be very precise, you have to be directly centered on the enemy if you want to take it down and that can be a nuisance considering how difficult it is to drag the weapon all about.

     MGS Touch is a decent game. But it is colassally overpriced, and if you can adjust and live with the fairly rigid and stiff controls, then you may have some fun. Otherwise, you may just be frustrated and disappointed. I also recall at the origin of its release, there was no "Lite" version available, which is for free. Now I check back and a free Lite version is indeed available. If I were able to screen this game ahead of time, I likely would have declined spending 8 dollars on this product. If it were cheaper, it'd be worth the time.

-Kurt L.

_______________________________________________________

     Mega Man II for the iPod really intrigued me. As it is one of my favorite NES titles, I simply had to try it on my iPod Touch. While it features all of the sights and sounds in a crisp manner, the game suffers from its busted control. The touch screen on the iPod is generally very well implemented, and it goes without saying, this is an impressive little device. However, to play Mega Man II, it is a let down. If you hold the iPod in a vertical fashion you have the option to play the game with a tiny joystick at the bottom of the screen. I would avoid that control scheme as the joystick feels very constricting and difficult jumps are made nearly impossible.

     Fortunately, you can flip the iPod to its side and play horizontally. That allows you to control the game like a miniature NES controller, and this works far better. It doesn't entirely solve the delicate movements required to make some tough jumps in Mega Man II and also to negotiate the numerous patterns by the oncoming enemy. The NES version of the game seamlessly blends the action onscreen with the good old boxy NES controller in your hand, and all is well.

     In the end, the question is - is it worth our time? Well, for 2.99, while still cheap in the grand scheme, it's a bit pricey considering its flaws. There are some truly brilliant games out there available on the iPod for a mere .99 cents. However, fans of such nostalgic classics such as Mega Man II will, like me, download it anyway. Though, I would reccomend downloading the "lite" version of the game for free as to screen it ahead of time to see if you like the controls. If you can look past its shortcomings, you are clearly in for a treat with this classic and legendary NES title.

-Kurt L.

_______________________________________________

     In my lifetime as a gamer, I have found it incredibly difficult to find Star Wars games that were up to par. That’s not to say they aren’t out there, but anyone who has spent any time playing such a beloved franchise like Star Wars in video game form will probably agree with me. Luckily, when I have come across a Star Wars game that is any good they usually exceed all of my expectations or come pretty darn close to doing so. That was certainly the case for Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast.

    Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast features the return of the former Jedi turned New Republic mercenary, Kyle Katarn. Kyle Katarn is no stranger to Star Wars games, and several of the better games in the franchise had Katarn as it’s protagonist. Luckily, I have these games in my own personal collection and will all eventually get their own separate review right here on Ethos Reviews.

    Anyway, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast takes place several years after the events that took place in the Valley of the Jedi. Kyle Katarn, and his mercenary partner/love interest Jan Ors are on route to their next assignment for the New Republic. They are going to investigate what is supposed to be an abandoned Imperial outpost on the planet Kejim, unfortunately when they arrive Kejim is still crawling with Imperials. It is there, they find the Imperial Remnant have been doing some sort of experiment with crystals that are very much like those found inside a Jedi’s lightsaber. Being that Kyle Katarn cut himself off from the force after nearly falling to the dark side, he isn’t overly interested getting involved in anymore “force business.” But being the mercenary that he is, he and Jan follow the crystal’s back to their source on the mining planet Artus Prime. It is here Kyle and Jan are confronted by two Dark Jedi named Dessan, who is a brutish raptor-like man lizard, and his apprentice Tavion. Jan is captured by the new Sith, and after a brief confrontation between Dessan and Kyle, Katarn is easily beaten. Dessan orders Tavion to kill Jan. With Kyle knowing he doesn’t stand a chance against Dessan and Tavion in his current state, he has no choice but to return to the Valley of the Jedi, the place where he chose to sever his ties to the force, and regain his lost powers. It is here where this tale of revenge really begins. I won’t go into much more detail on the events that take place in the main plot of Jedi Outcast, but it is easily one of the most mature and well developed stories ever put into a Star Wars game.

    In terms of game play, Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast is very diverse. It is a mix of both standard First Person shooter, and Third Person styles. This combo has a lot of depth to it, although admittedly it doesn’t start off that way. The first few levels of the game, game play is very basic. The main perspective in use during these levels is the First person mode, as players will use a variety of weapons like the Bryar Blaster pistol, the Imperial E-11 Blaster Rifle, a Wookie crossbow, and thermal detonators among other things. There is nothing wrong with the weaponry itself, or even the game mechanics. The problem is how the first few levels are laid out. The are essential the same thing over, and over again. Kyle Katarn shoots up wave after wave of storm troopers, which have an impressive AI system that makes the troopers run in fear, try to flank Kyle, or numerous other features that add realism to the game. But, players are also forced to complete variations of the same key puzzles to unlock doors and gain access to new areas. This really isn’t bad, its just basic. After a while it can get a little old, but if you stick with the game through these few brief levels of averageness, you will be rewarded.

    This game doesn’t truly begin to shine until Kyle Katarn regains his force powers and lightsaber. This is where for the majority of the time the Third person perspective takes over, and game play becomes addictively epic. Now I know Jedi Outcast isn’t the first Star Wars games to feature the use of force powers and the lightsaber, but in my opinion this is one of the first games to pull it off successfully enough to allow the player the feeling of actually being a Jedi. Once the lightsaber and base force powers are acquired, the scope of the game changes simply because the challenge of non-Jedi enemies goes down. The game itself isn’t any easier, its because Kyle has become more powerful. In no time you’ll be taking down countless storm troopers with the lightsaber, or in later levels force lighting with out even taking damage. The force is truly a powerful ally. Possibly the most addictive aspect of the force/lightsaber combo, is when facing off against Dark Jedi. While fighting an enemy who can also wield the force, your edge against your opponent begins to level out. This results in some pretty outstanding lightsaber battles, that feel equal to those found in the movies. When fighting with the lightsaber, players have full control of attacks and swing direction. This allows for pin point control, so with a little practice you can become very proficient with the lightsaber. This proves useful when bringing your skills online in the multiplayer mode.

    For its time, Jedi Outcast’s multiplayer mode was just as addictive as its single player mode. Players could take their skills online to face off against others in a variety of game styles, which all felt true to the Star Wars brand. Being this game was released in 2002, many people no longer compete online. That’s not to say there isn’t those still playing it, I’m sure there are, but from what I could tell the variety in players is no longer there. Luckily, there is modes where you can go up against bots. True this isn’t the same as going against another player, but if you just want to get in some lightsaber action, this is a pretty nice feature to have.

    Anyone looking to get this game, its well worth the investment. It is available for PC, Nintendo Gamecube, and the Microsoft Xbox. Although it is a worthy purchase on any platform, in my experience is was pulled off the best on PC. Those of you who do want it for the PC, a word of warning for anyone running Windows 7 or Vista. Jedi Outcast might not run properly with Windows 7 or Vista. By switching the program to run windows compatibility mode XP, any errors you might run into will be resolved.

    Since I first got my hands on this game, I’ve found myself returning to it time and time again. Sure its not entirely perfect, but its better than the vast majority of other Star Wars games on the market. I could be very tacky and end this review with a comment like “the force is strong with this one”…but, ah what the heck. You get the idea.

Written by RB

Over and Out

______________________________________________________

     While the best in the NES series of games remains to be Mega Man 3, Mega Man 6 is certainly not a slouch by any stretch. In fact, it is indeed more advanced graphically than any other of the previous games - and once again the music remains top notch. There are various upgrades available in MM 6, such as the BEAT upgrade - which is a flying bird that essentially kills everything on screen when utilized. Also, Mega Man's faithful robot dog Rush plays a new role as he transforms into the Jet and POW upgrades. The Jet is exactly what it sounds like - a jet pack - and is a blast to use. POW transforms Mega Man into a hulking powerhouse capable of busting through some bustable walls and much more.

     A lot of things seem the same about Mega Man 6 than they do for the previous iterations of the series, but that is a good thing. However, if you for some reason you were not a fan before, there isn't much to convince you otherwise about liking this game now. In any case, the long running Mega Man series on the NES spanned almost the entire life span of the system and are regarded as some of the best games for it. Even with its 6th game in a long line of sequels, you could see that Mega Man is not only prolific, but longevity and quality are on its side as well.

-Kurt L.

_______________________________________________________