Blogcritics.org Best Games of 2004 - Page 4

And hey, who doesn't want to go around beating people up with a purple dildo?

Metroid Prime 2 Echos, GCN: Retro Studios really beat any expectations with Metroid Prime in 2002, and this year's sequel manages to quell some of the biggest complaints of Prime, namely more boss fights. Metroid Prime 2 is a much darker tale then the original Prime; it is also a lot harder to complete. Prime 2 returns with great puzzles and some really spectacular art direction. There are plenty of power-ups to search for, just like Metroid Prime, but this time the Screw Attack is back. New visors and new weapons are yours to find, too. You really feel a sense of accomplishment finding all these power-ups. The Light and Dark suites really add a lot to the game play. There is more to find and do this time around, and the boss battles add a lot to the game play.

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, GCN: It does not really matter if you played Metal Gear Solid on the PSOne or not: this was a much anticipated game. Konami and Silicon Knights did a wonderful job in this remake of the original. The graphics really shine on the Game Cube. It is hard to believe all the cut scenes are rendered in real time. This is one of the best looking games on this system. Twin Snakes benefits from the new moves introduced in MGS 2. It is nice to be able to use First Person View to shoot, but this sort of feels like cheating throughout the game and in boss battles. The new moves made it into this remake, but sadly analog control did not. It is great to relive this epic PSOne game; the improved production values and same solid story make this a very satisfying game to complete.

After completing Metal Gear Solid 3, I am finding The Twin Snakes a much more enjoyable and understandable game this second time through.

Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords, Xbox: Knights of the Old Republic 2 (KOTOR 2) came out too late to be played enough to be reviewed for our Best Games of 2004. I have my first impressions over here. In the end, however, I do not think KOTOR 2 will be regarded as highly as the original KOTOR is. KOTOR 2 is a great game marred by horrible load times and a story that is not as brilliant as its predecessor. But enough with the gripes. I cannot put KOTOR 2 down. The new additions to the gameplay and this new story keep me up till way past my bedtime. If you are a KOTOR fan, or simply want an amazingly great Star Wars RPG, then buy this game. If you have never played through KOTOR, it's only $20.

Article Author: Ken Edwards

Ken Edwards is the Gaming Editor at Blogcritics, and calls Breaking Windows home. Ken works part time for Student Publications at BGSU as the Webmaster and System Administrator. He is also a freelance web developer.

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