Vector Conflict: The Siege, Review

Vector Conflict is an intense 3D shooter set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic retro world. You are in control of the defensive systems for the vast SOTER underground bunker. You are the last line of defense for the survivors taking refuge below – protect them at all costs.

Though Vector Conflict: The Siege has no exact storyline, you appear to be in a post-apocalyptic retro world, in attempts to fight off the 3D enemies and save the small civilization, in your vast SOTER underground bunker. You being in charge of the large defensive systems, mainly the turret, although there are missiles and other explosives, to fend off the blitz of enemies, coming in all directions.

There are 3 different difficulty types, in Victor Conflict: The Siege, each one, obviously, more difficult than the last. There are also a wide variety of enemies, such as planes, tanks, (and automobiles!) any real war vehicle you can think of seems to appear in this game, drop-ships, kamikaze bombers, and the list continues! So really there is definitely a large array of enemies, which is always an attractive feature to a game.

The only problem I see with all the enemies is that most of the time, there is so many coming out at one time, you end up, going in circles, slowly destroying one by one. Sides of War, the third or second level, is when you first going to experience this, though I guess this is what make a game, action packed, the thought of, if your going to live or not. Obviously, this isn't enough of a problem to rate the game down, it just a minor, annoying issue for me at least.

The gameplay consisting of you controlling the defensive systems and operating the large turret through 10 different level, or waves is a enjoyable, simple task. I loved the idea of Victor Conflict, though there seems to be a ton of first person shooters, out there. Victor Conflict, I think, in my mind, is separated from other first persons' mainly because of the graphics, don't get me wrong the feeling is the same, like you could easily compare this to Last Stand 2 or More Mindless Violence, but this game's graphics are that significant of a change or difference you wouldn't normally compare it to a couple of the other first persons out there. If I was to compare this game to any other game I can possibly think of it would be that old Atari game, called Battlezone, another first person shooter with 3D graphics, that was released in the 80's, a lot like Victor Conflict: The Siege. There is no doubt about it Victor Conflict: The Siege is a more modern version of Battlezone, though lacking originality.

The graphics are top-notch in my opinion, sporting a 3D style. There isn't much to this game graphics wise, a couple of enemies and the radar lines are the only things visible in this action packed first person. The only thing that I will criticize on the graphics is that, the game is dark! Literally, you can barely see, well, not bearly see, but let's say it's empty. The game could have done much better in my opinion if there was some sort of terrain, like hills and mountains in the background and a large field or desert were the turret is.

The eerie music playing in the background is some what calming. I really enjoyed it, though it seems at some points it completely stops, leaving you with the roar of the simultaneous homing bullets, fired by by the SOTER bunker defense system. If the music had just continued, it wouldn't have some of the more boring times, compared to when there is some of the eerie rock, going on in the background, while enemies are coming from all side, leaving you in a frantic attempt to survive!

The controls are really simple, rotate with arrow, or WASD keys, and fire with your mouse! Of course there is a couple other buttons to use missiles, and other explosives, though they're all relatively easy to catch onto. You can't really go wrong with the controls in Victor Conflict, or any other first person shooter in my opinion, for they're all simple and easy, nothing you have to learn or catch onto. The only real problem that I faced with the controls were, that some enemies seemed to be right on the line of north and east or south and west and they were practically impossible to destroy, considering the fact, that if you rotate you're going to go exactly 90 degrees! Besides that, the controls work perfect and the I only encountered that problem once or twice...

In Victor Conflict there is a perfect difficulty ramp. Like most games, the first level is filled with the overwhelming crowd of annoying, wimpy, enemies setting the nice and easy feeling. Slowly they introduce some of the more difficult enemies such as tanks and drop-ships as the game progresses. In between levels you can upgrade your weapons, buy some explosives, such as nuclear bombs, missiles, EMP cells, and the list continues, to keep you alive.

The only thing this game lacks is replay-ability. I wouldn't, honestly, go back and play this game through each mode, and actually find it amusing. It's kind of harsh, but Victor Conflict has hardy any replay-ability at all, unless your going for all 8 achievements in-game, which is fun, enjoyable, but not enough for me to play through each difficulty to get a couple of in-game achievements. Don't get me wrong the game is fun, but it's one of those, been there, done that, games.

Overall, Victor Conflict is an amazing 3D first person shooter! I love the graphics and the sound gives an eerie survival mood to the game. >Play Victor Conflict

Atomic Super Boss, Review

Blast the boss to shreds in this intense, retro, shoot them up!

Though this game has no real storyline, all we do know is that you need to destroy the boss! Play as a lone space ship, in the barren wastelands of the dark and mysterious space, in your never-ending fight against the colossus boss. The boss, obviously alien, or a futuristic enemy, has multiple attacks darting across the screen at a time.

There are 3 different difficulties, the normal old ''Easy'', ''Normal'', and ''Hard'' modes, ''Easy'', obviously, is already unlocked, but ''Normal'' and ''Hard'' mode require some skill to get! The only enemy being the boss, is quick and agile as it fires multiple lasers and bullets your way, in attempts to obliterate you. As the difficulty goes up, the boss gets tougher, quicker, and a whole lot more deadly!

The game-play, consisting of dodging the multiple projectiles produced by the monstrous alien (or human) ship, and the small task of collecting points from damaging the alien (or human) craft. As the game progresses, (like I said before) the enemy become quicker with it's attack, leaving you in a frantic struggle to stay alive! Your ship's aiming system, is homing, although your weapons are not heat seeking missiles or some crazy rockets, they will always hit their target, the boss, making it easy to score those points opening up ''Normal'' and ''Hard'' mode.

The graphics, 8-bit retro style, just how I like them are perfectly created, creating a sense that you might as well be playing the Atari, or at an arcade popping in a few quarters here and there. Although the graphics are quite astonishing, the text is sometimes hard to read, at some points almost impossible, besides that the graphics couldn't get much better in my opinion. The sound, your classic adventure game tune, works well with the game once again giving you the old school feeling of this well designed, arcade game.

The controls only requiring arrow or WASD keys and the spacebar (or the ''x'' key) are simple controls allowing you to control your companion-less fighter, as you fight the boss. the gun, (as I earlier explained) is homing allowing you to easily evade the onrush of attacks without aiming!

In Atomic Super Boss, there really isn't a difficulty ramp. If you want the game to be any harder you have to select different modes, I was kind of hoping for the game to slowly advance in difficulty as you are playing ''Easy'' mode or any other mode.

I wouldn't say that there is too much replay-ability in this game, although there are a couple of stats, but they are only for the different ways you've died, percentage wise. If there were also some smaller enemies, for you to destroyed there would be a lot more opportunities for the developer to make achievements for, but I guess that would be straying from the point of the game.

It's pretty absurd that you are awarded things for dying, (like Karoshi). In Atomic Super Boss, after being killed by all of the boss's attacks, enter the ''Options'' menu and hit secrets, it's a wondrous new feature to the game, (I wish I could tell you, but it's most likely more fun if you find out yourself)!

All in all, Atomic Super Boss is your original retro styled game that you find once in a blue moon. The game itself is great, though it has little replay-ability to keep you coming back for more. The controls are simple, and the music is terrific, but might not have been the best choice for Atomic Super Boss. Anyways, be sure to check Atomic Super Boss out it's a fantastic game, taking place in the deep depths of space as you fight an unstoppable force!