The Seavey Family Blog

Return to Castle Wolfenstein (XBox Reviewed) - Not enough play time here yet for a full verdict, but so far nothing impresses me that Halo 2 doesn’t do better - or Halo 1 for that matter and that’s been out a lot longer. Basically I rented it, and it just didn’t hold my interest. There are better war-FPS games these days.
Verdict: Rent it if you remember the first one.

Gran Turismo 4 (PS2) - Ever since GT1, the series hasn’t changed. I was a big fan of GT1 on PS1 in years past, mainly because of the old Corvette that handled like a dream. Since then, they took my car away and nothing else plays the same. Now - don’t get me wrong, everything handles just like real cars - which to *me* is no fun! Especially since they don’t take damage. The game is ultra-real and if you wanna pick different spark plugs, go for it. The array of cars is sweet - even an Orange Dodge Charger - and the handling is spot on. Even in 480i the game looks good - but 1080i HDTV resolution is beautiful! Sound is spot-on as well - my Dodge Hemi Truck sure sounds…BIG! However, if you’re into arcade racers, this game will not be your cup of tea. If you want to customize your car and race a LOT, there is nothing better.
Verdict: If you’re a fan of the style of racing, buy. Otherwise, buy on greatest hits or rent anytime.

Doom 3: Ultimate Collector’s Edition (XBox Reviewed) - Very few games can pull of something worthy of the phrase “play with the lights off”. Doom 3 is one of those games. The game is creepy! And I found it to be a bit more realistic than I first thought. It’s not the same game you remember from years gone by (though technically it’s the same story as Doom 1), as there is more focus on the story and there are little “puzzles” to unlock supply cabinets, etc that require you to listen to story elements.

There’s plenty to shoot and it comes out of every corner when you least expect it - though in the same “when you cross this imaginary line monster A jumps out from location X” vain as the older FPS’s. Not much in the line of enemy AI thus far. Sound is GREAT - makes great use of surround sound for random sounds and monster noises. What ticked me off at first was how monsters can actually hit you from a great distance. Then I said “Well, I can shoot them from this far - so it’s only fair!” and it all made sense. You take much more damage than you may be used to, but nothing crippling at those distances (as is expected).

Extras in the collector’s edition include Doom 2 and Ultimate Doom 1 - and they’re still fun! XBox Live for the story mode is GREAT [evil stare at Halo 2], but the multiplayer Live game just doesn’t seem as fun to me as other FPSs. It’s no Halo in terms of gameplay, but it’s entertaining.

Verdict: Buy it if you’re a Doom fan (collector’s edition of course), or want to play a story mode online with another person instead of just shooting at people, or want the [beep] scared out of you at night.