Tuesday, November 12, 2013
| 11/12/13 3:30PM |
-Review Disclaimer-
Copies of the game were provided for reviewing purposes
-Review Disclaimer-
Copies of the game were provided for reviewing purposes
Killer Homework
Originally meant to be a new title in the Obscure series of horror games, Final Exam makes its way to 360, PS3, and PC as a downloadable 2.5D co-op game with colorful visuals and fun combat. The title features four characters who must work together to fend off various mutated foes as you progress through the eight levels of the game and seek to end the monster threat.
Clocking in at about 30 minutes per level, Final Exam is a nice game for $10 with added replay value due to its combat, unlockable items and skills, and the main factor of playing with friends via the online co-op that will give you hours of entertainment.
Clocking in at about 30 minutes per level, Final Exam is a nice game for $10 with added replay value due to its combat, unlockable items and skills, and the main factor of playing with friends via the online co-op that will give you hours of entertainment.
Each mission in Final Exam gives you a few main objectives to accomplish, with each usually having sub-objectives of their own to accomplish. In order to open a door, you may have to find a few items to get this done, so everything you do will directly involve the main objectives of the levels. Most of these are fairly straight-forward to complete, and contain frequent stops in order to deal with the the various mutated foes in the game as you increase your score while pulling off various combinations.
The 2.5D element of Final Exam is put to great use, as every level will require you to hop forward or backward in the environment to reach different areas in the game. Most of the time you'll be front and center in the foreground, but there are additional areas to explore that require you to move into the background. Switching between areas when needed is done quite easily with the press of a button, and after a few times, it'll feel natural moving between the planes as you look to complete the game's main goals and look for extras items hidden throughout as well.
The 2.5D element of Final Exam is put to great use, as every level will require you to hop forward or backward in the environment to reach different areas in the game. Most of the time you'll be front and center in the foreground, but there are additional areas to explore that require you to move into the background. Switching between areas when needed is done quite easily with the press of a button, and after a few times, it'll feel natural moving between the planes as you look to complete the game's main goals and look for extras items hidden throughout as well.
Most arcade titles seem to have a scoring system, and Final Exam is no different. There are the standard leaderboards that we are used to, but the game also has the ability to save certain scores based on how well you've done with combo attacks. Variety is key, and switching things up from shooting, throwing, and special attacks will do great things for your score in the long run. Once you've reached a certain level, you can use the the D-pad to add a combo to your overall score, which should help give you a nice boost on the leaderboards as you compete with friends and other Final Exam players.
Aside from the co-op gameplay and scoring system, combat in Final Exam may be its best feature in my opinion. With it, you're able to knock enemies up in the air and shoot them reminiscent of Capcom's Devil May Cry, pick them up and throw them into objects and other enemies, dodge and deliver strong counter-attacks, and learn new skills with the game's experience tree. Each of the four character's have unique abilities too, so mixing things up and switching between them will offer up new ways to take out the enemies and view all that Final Exam offers in terms of the game's combat mechanics.
I only came across a handful of areas that were troubling difficultly-wise, but I didn't mind them once I learned new skills and took advantage of the fun combat system in the game as I went along with other players.
Aside from the co-op gameplay and scoring system, combat in Final Exam may be its best feature in my opinion. With it, you're able to knock enemies up in the air and shoot them reminiscent of Capcom's Devil May Cry, pick them up and throw them into objects and other enemies, dodge and deliver strong counter-attacks, and learn new skills with the game's experience tree. Each of the four character's have unique abilities too, so mixing things up and switching between them will offer up new ways to take out the enemies and view all that Final Exam offers in terms of the game's combat mechanics.
I only came across a handful of areas that were troubling difficultly-wise, but I didn't mind them once I learned new skills and took advantage of the fun combat system in the game as I went along with other players.
The game's levels can be played both locally and online, and are the best ways to enjoy the game. Most of the objectives are scattered in separate areas of each level, so splitting up and completing them is very recommended. Playing by yourself is an option as well, but you may think that the game is a bit more tedious, as you have to bring several objects to an area that were meant for others to pick up.
Visually, Final Exam looks quite nice with its cartoony and colorful visuals -- From the green of the mutants to the red of the blood and visuals of the special effects, you'll have a nice looking game to accompany the fun combat throughout the experience.
Visually, Final Exam looks quite nice with its cartoony and colorful visuals -- From the green of the mutants to the red of the blood and visuals of the special effects, you'll have a nice looking game to accompany the fun combat throughout the experience.
Recent Reviews
Final Exam is another great downloadable title that held my attention even after I completed the main campaign. It's fairly easy to go back to as well, since I can use my experienced character and play with friends on a tougher difficultly level, or better my score in the Time Attack mode which unlocks after completing the game.
I don't mean to sound like a broken record from my recent reviews, but this is another great downloadable title you can get for the fair price of $10.
I don't mean to sound like a broken record from my recent reviews, but this is another great downloadable title you can get for the fair price of $10.
+ Fun combat and co-op gameplay
+ Scoring system and colorful visuals
+ 2.5D aspect of the game
- No main incentive to upgrade weapons, the starting ones do just fine!
Reviews on the thebuttonpresser.com are based out of a '1-5 controller' Scoring system. Purchased games by the reviewer contain no annotation, but review copies are always known to the reader via a review disclaimer.
Publishers- Focus Home Interactive
Release Date- November 8th, 2013
Price- $9.99 MSRP
Review Platform- Xbox Live Arcade
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