Game Review: Saw II: Flesh & Blood

 

Saw II: Flesh & Blood is a third person survival horror video game that is sequel to 2009's Saw: The Video Game, both of which are based on the popular Saw films. Saw II picks up just after Saw and is set between the second and third movie. If you’re a big fan of the Saw series, chances are you’ll enjoy this sequel.  Make sure you grab a copy just after you read my review!

Plot

Flesh & Blood is set between the second and third movie in the series. The new lead character, Michael, is the son of Detective David Tapp, who begins to investigate the cause of his father's death which eventually makes him a target of the Jigsaw Killer and his apprentice Pighead. The game will supposedly take the player to a number of locations including factories, hotels, sewers, and other places to capture Jigsaw and find clues behind the detective’s death.

Gameplay

Saw II retains the same style of gameplay as the first game, being basically a third-person survival horror game with very intense action elements. Puzzles from the original game return, such as the "circuit puzzles"; but instead of matching them with the same colour, the player needs to match wires of opposite colour (yellow to red and vice-versa). Lockpicking also returns, but uses a new mini game that gets the player to manipulate the tumblers to unlock. Also, environmental puzzles are presented in a new way, like having to turn the flashlight on-and-off in certain areas to reveal certain clues. Quick-time traps are back; in addition to shotguns being hidden behind doors new lethal traps have been introduced such as closing walls, swinging scythes, and loose floorboards. They are placed throughout certain areas for the player to avoid by pressing a button in a timely fashion.

For this sequel, the entire combat system was revamped from the original game. There are two types of combat: puzzle-based and melee. Puzzle-based combat encourages the player to make use of traps or the environment to kill enemies, like opening an elevator shaft as the enemy charges into it to eliminate them. Melee combat, on the other hand, consists of the player using their hands and feet or weapons to neutralize an enemy. Quick maneuvers and defensive repercussion to defend the player from aggressive enemies is the basis of the combat. Timing is also very essential in fighting and neutralizing enemies.

The "Case Files" from the first game also return. The files’ subjects are varied but a few focus on Detective Tapp’s testimonies on his raid of Jigsaw’s hideout and his entrapment in Whitehurst Asylum. Also, Billy the Puppet dolls are a new collectible which can be found scattered in different locations in the game.  There are several areas in the game where you have to solve more difficult puzzles to obtain the dolls. Multiple endings are back, only this time around players should complete the game again completely to unlock a different ending due to the decisions made throughout the game that affect the final outcome of the game.

Source: Everything Zombie 101

Not So Classic Games: Juggernaut (PS1)

Juggernaut, a psychological horror adventure game that I consider one of the best games I played with my PS1. It suffers a bit from some very dated graphics, but its deliberately slow pace and constantly frightening atmosphere will draw in those looking for a big change of pace. I wasn’t expecting too much of this games since I heard from a few people that this game was pretty lame. But after establishing some quality time into this one, I came to the conclusion that some reviewers seem to be forgetting that the games that they play are not just for them, but for fans of that particular genre or for people looking to expand their gaming horizons! Let’s go on with the review now!

The Plot

The game begins as you arrive at your girlfriend's house after receiving a phone call from a strange man. You get there, only to find out that the man who called is a priest, and your girlfriend is possessed! You find out that an 'evil force' has entered her body and the only way to save her is to enter her soul and cleanse all the evil forces that are there!  And before you know it, the priest is sending you off on your journey (by plunging a knife into a bible?!), and you arrive on a beach, with a bloody-red sun in the sky. And that's only the first four or five minutes of the game!

The Gameplay

Juggernaut’s gameplay is purely point and click, which is a really major turn-off for those who don't like games like Riven or Myst, but the disturbing storyline is a big draw. As you make your way into the game, you will notice that the sound design is quite excellent. It has some of the strangest sounds and music that will ever come from your TV. The backgrounds, while static screens, have an unusual life to them, and the puzzles were some of the most logical I've ever played. Games like Resident Evil and the like usually have the kind of puzzles that are way too abstract in the context of their respective storylines. The puzzles in this game feel just right. After solving the first sequence of puzzles, you end up in a creepy mansion, but without your body! You find yourself only able to pass through tiny holes in the walls until you find a suitable body. Searching for a new shell then becomes the object of the game and the mission to destroy each part of the evil that is inhabiting your sweetie.

My Final Words

It's just not possible to go into more detail on the story without giving it away- except to say that there's a very long journey ahead of you, if ever you decide to take it. From solving cool puzzles and finding and creating necessary items, there are more than enough to keep any gamer with an open mind busy. The cinematics move things forward and things get weirder as the game progresses, and that was just enough to keep me playing! This isn't just the type of game where you blow away lots of stuff or shoot laser beams from your fingertips -- but as I mentioned before, if you are looking for a different type of challenge (and you still own a PS1), then Juggernaut is something I would highly recommend!

Source: Everything Zombie 101