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If you are new to the Katamari universe, the game is quite simple. You normally play as The Prince, using your Katamari (a ball shaped object) you roll up objects to create new stars. You start off small, but then it grows as you keep rolling up new things. Now that’s out of the way, I will talk more in detail about We love Katamari.

Pros:

Story/Great cutscenes- For this sequel, the King of all Cosmos had dedicated his time to pleasing the fans of the original game. Throughout the game, you will go on different missions to roll up whatever each fan requests. It could be building a flaming Katamari to make a bonfire, or collecting fireflies to make a very bright Katamari. The missions are varied and keep things interesting. And remember the cutscenes in the last game, showing the experiences of a Japanese family as you roll things up? In this game, the developers really upped the quality. Through ten small episodes, you will be shown how the King became the King, from boyhood all the way up to the birth of his son, The Prince (you). They are funny and interesting in my opinion, which makes you love the quirkiness of the characters. As you continue, your final mission will need to be completed: rolling up the sun! Also, the King is back full-force with all of his funny comments and oddness.

New playable characters- You can now play as another person besides The Prince. As you roll through levels you may occasionally spot one of your cousins, if rolled up they will become playable. There are quite a few and it is a nice change of pace. Presents are back as well, so you can add accessories to them, like a trumpet or hat, which add a bit of replay value.

Multiplayer- I personally never got to use this feature, but there is a battle mode where you can face a friend in a rolling competition. Sounds fun if you have someone to play with nearby.

Epic ending- This is not really a spoiler, as Katamari games really don’t have a story, but at the end you will be rolling up planets and eventually the sun, which is cool on a whole new level. It really showcases the game’s creativity, much like the previous missions.

More unlockables- The last game struggled a bit in this department (not to say it was a bad game) but now there are secret movies, costumes, and a bunch more for die-hard Katamari fans.

Balanced difficulty- The last game was great, but very easy for my taste. Now there are a few missions that will really test your rolling skills, and give you a feeling of triumph once you conquer them.

Fast load times- Before each level starts there is a pause of seven or eight seconds. This gets you right into the action.

Amazing soundtrack- Much like the original, We Love Katamari brings another great array of music tracks (which can be listened to once the game is completed). It ranges from slow to rock songs, and they are not what you would normally listen to, which is a nice change of pace.

Cons:

Navigation- At times when your Katamari gets to big, it will be cumbersome and unresponsive when trying to move it. This also happens when you slide down a hill. This moments aren’t often, though, so it isn’t a big deal.

Length- When you get down to it, this game could be beaten in one long sitting, which is kind of a letdown. I couldn’t have spent more than six hours playing it.

Conclusion: Despite the very brief flaws I have mentioned, this is really an amazing game. Pick it up as fast as possible if you liked the original, or want something new. I can’t really think of anyone who would dislike it.

Since this was such a short game, I figured I could do the review pretty quickly.

This is “D” a game made by WARP (The work of revered video game creator Kenji Eno, D2, and Enemy Zero might ring a bell)

Here is the storyline in a nutshell: You play as Laura Harris, daughter of Dr. Richter Harris. Laura’s mother was brutally murdered when she was a child, and all she has to remember of her is a blue compact with a mirror (throughout the game it will give you a hint when used, after 3 it breaks.)

The game opens when Dr. Harris (Laura’s father) goes insane and locks himself inside of a hospital with hostages, brutally killing some. Police surround the scene. After hearing the news, Laura (you) springs into action! You drive to the hospital to try and calm down your father. Upon entering, you are transferred to another dimension in an old dark castle.

The game looks promising so far, but takes a terrible turn for the worst.

The first thing you will notice is that you walk EXTREMELY slow, almost to the point of wanting to just quit out. I sort of know what they were going for: increasing tension. But to a gamer now, the graphics barely cause any fear. But as you play it’s sort of like “really?” Especially when you need to go back to a room to use an item you just acquired; it takes forever.

Upon further investigation you will notice that this game is more of an interactive movie of sorts (which is what the creator was aiming for), which doesn’t really work for this kind of game. Here’s an example: Let’s say you just came through a door. There is a door in front of you, to the right, and a chest to the left. “Ok, I’ll open the chest.” Well, since direction is completely controlled by pressing up, down, left or right on the pad, you have to wait for each motion to finish, and you must also find the right turning spot to allow you to turn to the object you want, which is a huge pain, considering you also TURN very slow.

The time limit is self explanatory. You arrive at 10PM and must finish by midnight (how cliche). Not that that’s a problem, since the game is so short.

Cryptic puzzles are also an issue. If you didn’t know what to do with something you find, you’d wander forever. Thank god people like me get a guide and figure out where to go when we are stuck. If you didn’t have a guide, you would be screwed. Here’s an example: After finding a piece of paper, you need to put it in a bowl of water sitting on a table to reveal two numbers, which are then used to open a cabinet. Who would think to put a piece of paper in there? If anything, I would think it would get ruined or something. And other times the puzzles are just downright jerks and are solved by chance, like one similar to a casino machine, which is another minor annoyance.

As Laura slowly walks around she looks like and idiot when you can see her. Almost always the same dumb look smeared across her face. Even when spikes are shoved in her face she barely so much as winces.

The length is also an issue. Unless you want to slowly walk around the same five rooms aimlessly and eventually run out of time, you best look up a guide. I guess the developers were looking to make that the main component to make the game longer. Once you get a guide the game can be completed in a matter of 30, maybe 25 minutes. And with only 2 endings (there are actually three but two are so identical it doesn’t even make a difference) that’s everything completed in less than an hour. Not that you would probably want to play it again…

Well I sure have criticized the game quite a bit, although there are some redeeming qualities to be had.

The storyline of itself is actually interesting, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen in a horror game. At the end of the game you chose to either kill your father (with a revolver), or to do nothing. He proceeds to kill you, and you listen to those sounds as the credits roll.
With that and through the bit of back-story through clues, it’s relatively interesting, so that’s not bad.

The music track was recorded by an orchestra and was done very well, giving the game an ambient feel, along with some good sound effects. Steps are creepy, and sometimes the occasional banging sound makes for a horror inducing ensemble.

Also, what little voice acting there is (mostly just your father) is hilariously badly done. It’s almost as if they were trying to make it as bad as possible. I mean, this is worse than Resident Evil and Baten Kaitos, it’s good for a laugh, especially when he just goes “Laura….LAURA!!!”

So overall, good story and sounds are dampened by bad mechanics, way too slow-paced gameplay, and an overall poor execution that makes this game a rental at best (which is probably worth more than the game :p). I would probably only recommend this to people who love obscure games (like myself) or a die-hard horror fan. For anyone else, it will probably end up being thrown away.

What better way to convey the grit and horror of the civil war than a game taking place in its most famous battles? And with the association and knowledge of the History Channel? I’m sure the people in charge of making this game asked themselves the same question. Truth is, the result hasn’t turned out very well. It’s not the worst game I’ve ever played, but it was pretty bad overall. Lets take a look at a few of the pros first in my review.

Historical Information- When you see the History Channel logo on the front of the game, it’s obvious to see the History Channel did their part. In between each mission, you will be presented information about the next one in a small cutscene along with a map (read by the traditional History Channel “voice”). These bits are pretty interesting for any history buff, and provide good background for some of the more famous missions such as Chancellorsville and Bull Run.

Weapon Realism- A part of the game that shines is the realistic representation of the weapons of the Civil War period. Through the game you will have a variety of weapons including a gatling gun, cannon, knife, swords, rifles, heavy rifles, pistols, muskets, a sniper rifle and even some primitive grenades! Each is displayed well, and the sound effects of each are very realistic. It’s also entertaining to see your character reloading by shoving gunpowder, etc., down the neck of a rifle. Some argue that the loading times are too long for most guns, which I believe is invalid considering the time period; it wasn’t just a matter of slapping another clip in like today.

Helpful Aiming System- When your weapon is over an enemy, pressing the left trigger will cause you to aim at them directly at the head. This is helpful in spots where it is difficult to see, or if you are looking for faster kills.

Voice Acting- I actually think the voice acting in the game is so horrendous that it actually adds to it. I nearly burst out laughing at most of the lines spoken. They are either spoken with too much excitement, too little, or are odd and misplaced. Either way it makes for a funny mix.

There are a few more pluses about the game I couldn’t fit. For anyone that cares, the game is a pretty easy 1000 Gamerscore. In addition, the game also provides a good supply of health packs, and a system that allows you to save wherever you want.

Now onto the cons of the title:

Lack of Character Attachment- Not to seem like a Call of Duty fanboy, but the game fails to make you feel any bit of emotion about each character you play as. In Call of Duty 4, I felt a huge attachment to each character, and the cut-scenes were very glorious and interesting. History Channel Presents does nothing to replicate that, each character feels like a stock soldier pulled out of nothing.

Stupid Friendly AI- When I say your allies are bad, I MEAN it. These are among the WORST teammates I have ever seen in a videogame. They run out like a bunch of useless dolts and are shot down quickly by the intelligent, swift, and in cover enemies. They are also inconsistent; at times they will all run with you, other times they just stare at you like a bunch of morons and barely do so much as move. Respawning also seems random, which is ridiculous, because at times it feels as if you are taking on the whole enemy without so much as a helping hand.

Replay Value- Definitely an issue here, once you’ve beaten the game there is almost no incentive to return. No new weapons, no new missions, nothing. There are a few collectibles, but they are worthless and nothing great.

Little or no Music- Through the game, I don’t think I recall one point where there was music playing, besides the little scenes between each mission. Music can really make a game more compelling, just look at the music in some of today’s titles like (again) Call of Duty, Resident Evil, or Final Fantasy. The music greatly adds to their experience, but you don’t get so much as a generic track.

Elite Enemies- This game did get on my nerves a few times simply from cheap deaths. Like I stated, all of your allies are a bunch of idiots, too busy bashing themselves in the face with a hammer to help you. The enemies in this game are disgustingly accurate, even in situations where it would be impossible. Even if hiding in thick foliage, you will still find them shooting you. In addition, some cover doesn’t work in the game; some enemies will shoot right through it as if it wasn’t even there. Also, enemies seem to kill you from cheap respawns. Here’s an example, let’s say I clear out a huge field of all of its enemies. While focusing on continuing to the next objective, the enemy might decide to respawn right behind you. Then once that has happened, and you are focusing on shooting them, you will again see the enemy spawn behind you. What are you to do when you are attacked from all sides without cover? This makes for a few frustrating moments.

Inconsistent Explosion Damage- Let me give you an example: one level you will find yourself getting rained down upon by artillery, which will explode RIGHT ON YOU and do almost no damage. Conversely, in the same mission, I planted a barrel and stood behind cover from far away, and it killed me. How does this work? I have no idea but it is cheap, especially when enemies shoot explosive barrels next to you for quick cheap kills. Also, your grenades will sometimes be devastating to the enemy, and other times they seem to just shrug it off as if you had thrown a cotton ball at them.

Some other miscellaneous cons are some clipping issues, which will make it difficult to navigate some spots. Also, I want to talk a bit about the difficulty curve. I will then cover the graphics.

The difficulty curve in this game is pretty difficult. The controls are a bit unorthodox (such as reloading being a right stick click), which will take a while to get used to. You will also have to learn when the right time is to attack the enemies, without planning you will end up dead.

The graphics for this game are OK, nothing spectacular. They seem very under par with other 360 games. Draw distances are very close which doesn’t seem to fit. Character models are very un-detailed, and most of the terrain looks grainy. In addition, at times the frame rate will take a noticeable dip, which can interrupt in a high combat situation. Despite those faults, the game is generally very colorful, which is better than the gray scale colors of most war games nowadays.

Overall, I don’t think your typical 360 gamer would enjoy this game, at least not to the end. But if you are a lover of history, or a serious FPS fan looking for something new and interesting, try and find this in the bargain bin. Otherwise…It’s history!