■ Video game review
This year proved gamers shouldn’t ‘Narc’ on ‘God of War’
Most developers have put their recent focus on new
consoles, leaving consumers with an array of bad games
BY ANDREW MCCOLLUM
PULSE REPORTER
Aside from a few outstanding ti
tles, 2005 was a weak year for gam
ing, especially when compared to
2004, which saw the release of three
highly touted sequels: "Halo 2,"
"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,"
and "Half-Life 2." 2004 also gave us
"World of Warcraft," a gaming habit
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UNIVERSITY
OF OREGON
JSAusic & Dance
CALENDAR of EVENTS
School of Music and Dance
Thursday, Dec. 1-8 p.m., Beall Hall
HOLIDAY CHORAL CONCERT
UO Choral Ensembles; $5, $3
Friday, Dec. 2 ■ 8 p.m., Beall Hall
OREGON JAZZ ENSEMBLE and
JAZZ LAB BANDS
UO Jazz Ensembles; $5, $3
Fri., Dec. 2 • 8 p.m., Dougherty Theatre
FALL TERM LOFT
Department of Dance; $5, $3
Saturday, Dec. 3 -1 p.m., Collier House
CHAMBER MUSIC ON CAMPUS
UO Chamber Ensembles; Free
Saturday, Dec. 3-3 p.m., Beall Hall
HARP CLASS RECITAL
Harp Students of Laura Zaerr; Free
Saturday, Dec. 3 - 5:30 p.m., Beall Hall
CONTEMPORARY CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
Music of Arnold Schoenberg; Free
Sun., Dec 4 - 2 p.m., Room 198 Music
UO PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
UO Ensemble; $5, $3
Sunday, Dec. 4-5 p.m., Beall Hall
UNIVERSITY GOSPEL ENSEMBLES
UO Ensembles; $5, $3
For our complete calendar, check: music.uoregon.edu
that many can't seem to kick.
It seems that in 2005, many compa
nies shifted their focus to the next con
sole generation, leaving consumers
out in the cold. But there were a few ti
tles that bucked this year's trend.
2005 GAMING STUDS
'Resident Evil 4'
"Resident Evil 4" is 2005's game for
dedicated gamers. In "RE4" players
take control of Leon, a special forces
agent on a mission to rescue the presi
dent's daughter from an enigmatic
Spanish cult
"RE4" approaches perfection. The
game's weapons are solid, satisfying
and fun to upgrade. The combat is fran
tic, and the boss battles are intense
and memorable. Butthe game's stand
out element is its atmosphere: players
getthe feeling that it's them against the
world asthey shoot their way through
old Spanish villages and dank castle
corridors. The graphic engine does a
great job of rendering the horde of
creepy not-quite-zombie villagers.
The fun doesn't end when players
complete the campaign, either. There
are loads of unlockables on both the
GameCube and PlayStation2 versions
of the game. "Resident Evil 4" is one of
best single player games that has been
released in years. If you haven't played
it then go out and get it. Now.
'God of War'
"God of War" is2005'sgameforall
gamers. Players take command of
Kratos, a Spartan soldierturned hit
man for the gods. Kratos flays his way
through ancient Greece, gouging out
the eyes of Cyclopes, beheading gor
gons and impaling Minotaur on a
quest to kill Ares, the god of war. Com
bat in "God of War" is amazing.
Kratos takes on his enemies with one
of gaming's coolest weapons: the
Blades of Chaos, a pair of large
blades attached to Kratos' arms by
chains. "God of War" showcases
some of the best boss battles ever
seen in gaming. Even the game's puz
zles are entertaining. Although the
game is a little on the short end, odds
are players will want to play through
this masterpiece more than once.
'Guitar Hero'
Anyone who has ever watched
MATURE 17+
Courtesy
someone play "Dance Dance Revolu
tion" or any of its ilk will be familiar with
the concept of "Guitar Hero." Music
plays as colored dots scroll down the
screen. These dots correspond with
buttons on the neck of the game's cus
tom guitar controller. All you have to do
is hold down the right button and pluck
the "string" atthe righttime, simple
enough. That's the beauty of "Guitar
Hero": it's simple. Anyone can pick up
the game and play through a few
songs, which include more than 30 de
cent covers of artists ranging from
Boston to Megadeth. The game starts
players with three buttons and a
whammy bar, but as the difficulty
ramps up players will use all five but
tons. "Guitar Hero" is an excellent play
and it's almost impossible to put the
guitar down after one song.
"Guitar Hero" is retailing for around
$70, but it comes with the game and the
controller. With over 30 songs, and four
difficulty levels ranging from easy to
punishing, "Guitar Hero" is a good
choice for any music lover with a PS2.
'Shadow of Colossus'
"Shadow of Colossus" is 2005's cult
classic. It isn'tfor everyone, but those
who get into it are in for a treat
"Shadow of Colossus" feels like no
other game. Many games make play
ers slog through a horde of menial ene
mies as they work their way to the
boss. In "Shadow," the enemies have
•
been replaced by 16 colossi, stat
uesque creatures that are often the
size of skyscrapers. Players will climb
and slaythese monumental beasts.
Like "RE4," "Shadow of Colossus"
benefits from an amazing sense of at
mosphere. The game is quiet and
beautiful, and there is an overwhelm
ing sense of solitude as players explore
the game's vast countryside. If you find
yourself bored over winter break, go
rent "Shadow of Colossus." It's defi
nitely worth a few (or more) hours of
yourtime.
GAMES, page 7
1
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