Talk Is Cheap – 6/21/10

While E3 2010 has come to a close, there’s still plenty to discuss and debate over whether it’s about Kinect’s motion controls or the 3DS’ retro lineup or capabilities.  Joel, Nick, Justin and special guest Nick Bristow of Team Carney (you can visit his site, VG Sandwich, here.) express their opinions about this year’s event while also talking about LevelFortyTwo’s latest reviews and features.

This week on What’s New on Lv42 is Ian’s New Game+ retrospective on the underground fan favourite, Killer 7, as well as NIck’s review of the updated Shattered Horizon.  On Indie Compendium the gang briefly discusses Super Meat Boy at E3 and LeVar Burton’s (the dude from Star Trek and Reading Rainbow) MCing at this year’s IndieCade Showcase.  On Reviewer’s Rant and Rave the guys talk about Matt’s review for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker.  For the discussion, Bristow tells the gang about his work experience and how he ended up where he is today, Team Carney.  To wrap things up, the guys talk about Doctor Who, Torchwood, girls in gaming and tons more.

Send us your thoughts to podcast@levelfortytwo.com.  You can direct download the episode , or subscribe to the podcast in iTunes here.

 

Shattered Horizon Update

Since my first review of Shattered Horizon, a lot has changed. Weapon loadouts have replaced the single assault rifle / sniper gun. Three new kinds of grenades, along with four new maps, and voice chat have all been implemented. What started out as the bare bones of an online shooter has grown to a much fuller title.

Celebrate with Lv42

Yesterday we broke 100,000 hits. Some people might consider it a large number, while others might consider it to be quite small. Regardless, we're very pleased to have reached this milestone. Tomorrow will be our 7-month anniversary, if you will, and in that time we have published nearly 200 features, previews and previews. Our podcast has nearly 7,000 subscribers and we're also about to break 30 episodes. It's hard to believe we've already been around for this long, but we figured we should celebrate.

LevelFortyTwo Contest – Shattered Horizon

Shattered Horizon

It's not very often a competitive online shooter will make you rethink how you look at the entire genre. Shattered Horizon, on the other hand, forces it upon you. Set in the near future, all of the battles take place in zero gravity, around space stations, mining facilities, and asteroid belts. Since there is no 'up' in space, everything is relative, and thus combat tactics become almost limitless. 

A lot of unique elements have been incorporated into a game like this for it to function properly. Players can land and walk around on any surface (in any direction). This is a necessity to be able to have accurate aim, especially when sniping. Simply floating around, the recoil will cause problems. Normally sound cannot travel through space, but since audio cues of gunfire or explosions are so important in a game like this, the developers have sidestepped the problem with your suit's 'audio simulation' which effectively gives you sound. 

However you can engage in a 'Silent Running' mode. This shuts down your entire suit, your audio simulation and major maneuvering abilities, along with your HUD. This allows for a lot of stealth abilities, especially if you stay in shadows, but without your suit powered on recoil is brutal. With the audio simulation turned off, all you hear is your breathing, blood pumping, and vibrations of your gun firing. This adds an eerie level of realism, and when used properly you can sneak around anywhere. 

All of this combines into a very enjoyable game that really takes some time to get used to. There is only one weapon, the assault rifle, which converts into a sniper once you are zoomed in and doesn't need extra ammunition, just reloading. The use of grenades are also done well, seeing as they don't do direct damage but have more tactical uses, such as smoke, EMP (which shuts down anyone's suit in the blast radius) and the MPR which sends out a shockwave pushing everyone further into outer space. 

Instead of a skirmish depending on the weapons used, they rely more on the player's skill. While this was intended to provide a more strategic approach to combat, it doesn't expand up to the entire team. Without voice chat, most players simply strike off on their own, and the entire team suffers. When a team does pull things together, miracles can happen, and battles are intense. Until that though, battles that are intended to be coordinated are naturally messy. 

Shattered Horizon excels in its simplicity. It's easier than it looks to pick up and play, and the sheer uniqueness of it will keep you coming back for more. More maps are promised to the four that come with the game, and the entire game is well balanced. Once you get used to the idea of zero gravity combat, it suddenly feels quite natural. At a price tag of only $20, Shattered Horizon worth getting. 

 

Likes

• Beautiful visuals and sound
• Well planned out maps and locales
• Unique gameplay

Dislikes

• Mean system requirements may lead to crashing
• Slight learning curve
• Long loading times to join games

Level 42 Review Score

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You can also win a free copy of Shattered Horizon. Find out more here.

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The review scale at LevelFortyTwo is between 1 and 5. A score of 5 is considered an amazing game, 4 is a well-done game with only minor issues, 3 is in the middle; not great, but not bad, 2 is a very problematic game, and 1 is absolutely terrible.

Talk Is Cheap – 11/23/09

It's the second episode extravaganza! Erika Szabo joins Michael Brown, Joel Cornell and Nick Tringali to talk about her review of New Super Mario Bros Wii, as well Au Sable and some other indie games including Shattered Horizon and League of Legends. The guys also talk about Band Hero, Left 4 Dead 2, Assassin's Creed II, as well as our Holiday Gift Guide and Nick talks about our first contest.