A continuation from Awake, A Brave New World examines the effect of individuals with a profound effect in a specific point in your life. Returning as Chloe once more, players are left in her world absent of her best friend and father. This episode in particular hits high notes reminiscent in the first game, but moments in between don’t stack up as well and lead to an overall “filler” like episode. In the fallout of Awake’s conclusion, players are thrust into Chloe and Rachel’s second day as the mystery of the latter’s father continues. To be frank, the events in this episode come to an extremely slow start and nothing particularly of interest happens until almost an hour in. Even then, the story developments that do occur are pretty interesting for the most part especially towards the end. However, the high notes don’t feel as impactful because of the lack of time for these characters to develop or bond together in a believable way. In a span of barely two days, the main leads hatch up a plan that feels far too reckless despite the story’s reasoning behind it. The dynamic between Rachel and Chloe feels somewhat better in this episode especially in the more memorable scenes which serve as the only reason to power through this episode. By no means does it feel like a slog, but many situations Chloe finds herself in lacks as much impact this time around because no stakes have been risen. At most, the themes of love and loss are still present with a poignancy uncommon in gaming, but getting to those moments feels by the book by comparison. The final twist in the end caught me off guard, but its buildup is somewhat unwarranted considering the side characters still aren’t that much interesting. Your choices from the first episode bears fruit in consequences in Brave New World in subtle but noticeable ways, adding a hint of replay value. On its technical side, Brave New World isn’t much different from the previous entry. The lack of detail is still jarring and the use of colors gets the job done without doing anything exceptional. The music still carries a solid quality with the accompanying soundtrack setting the mood in a number of scenes. Brave New World’s cinematography surpasses my expectations with scenes framed expertly and grabbed my attention without feeling ingratiating. Brave New World still possesses many of the same qualities that the first episode, and to an extent the first season, did that made it so engrossing. It’s not anything that will stick in your mind for a long time, but the 2 or so hours you spend on this episode serves as a solid bridge for a potentially satisfying final act.
Hopeful to ride off the success that is Amnesia: The Dark Descent, developer The Chinese Room’s A Machine For Pigs at many points feels genuinely unsettling, but this feeling washes away all too quickly when the game never does much more than that and instead opts to remove the elements that made the first Amnesia a classic without any substantial replacement. It’s easy to infer right from the start that you’ll be playing a character who’s done something awful but doesn’t quite remember it, as is the case for any story featuring a protagonist with amnesia. In this story, you step into the shoes of Mandus, a wealthy industrialist and butcher in search of his two sons. While the mystery isn’t as deep as the first game, it manages to stay interesting for the most part until the huge plot twist that quickly loses its luster as the story progresses. It’s not that the plot twist was bad, it’s more so the resulting events that follow it become too complex for its own good. What I expected to be a small tale about a father in search of his young children turned into a philosophical hogwash about the end and rebirth of mankind that reeks more of pretentious than enthrallment. Yes I get it, mankind is evil (a direct comparison to pigs). It’s overall not a poorly told plot, but one that would have benefited more from a smaller scale story wise. While The Dark Descent’s story eventually became more complex as well, it did so at a much slower and deliberate rate making it much easier to settle in the player’s attention span. Despite the lacking story, Amnesia’s bread and butter has always been it’s survival mechanics that compliment it’s breed of horror, which is the explore-hide-solve puzzles brand in an oppressive and downright dreary setting this time being set in Victorian England. A welcoming return to form is the use of light in the form of electric lamp till you realize that it never runs out of battery. Soon after you’ll realize that many of the mechanics that made the original so unique is absent. Yup that means the sanity effect and inventory management, which were staples to the survival horror of the past game have been removed for the sake of streamlining to its detriment. Without said mechanics, the entire game really boils down to a whole lot of walking which erases much of the terror that was enabled by them. Even when it comes to enemy encounters, you can count on your hand the total number of times you run into an actual adversary. The monsters in this game don’t put up much of a fight and sneaking past them requires little effort. Puzzle solving also **** you can even call it that. All that’s required of the player is within their vicinity and are as simple as putting an item into a slot and activating something. With all these stripped away elements, A Machine For Pigs offers no challenge and a noticeably less terrifying experience. The aspects of this second entry which are commendable for the most part is that it continues the unsettling atmosphere and ambience. Victorian England serves as a good backdrop and the game looks quite nice. My major gripe with the visuals is that the color palette in addition to the game’s lack of true light sources regularly makes the game look rather muddy in darker environments. I will admit the score is of the same quality as the original that the audio alone can incite brief moments of fear. For what it is, A Machine For Pigs is a barebones Amnesia experience lacking the components that made it a hallmark survival horror game. Make no mistake, the game can be scary and shows the potential of it in its set up, but it never quite lives up to its predecessor while not making much of a name for itself. It’s not a particularly long game (4 hours in total), but even in such a short span it managed to engrave disappointment long before the credits rolled.
Back in 2010 Frictional Games popularized the first person horror experience with its release of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. The indie scene became a bastion for horror during the lull of scary triple-A titles last generation. Amnesia: The Dark Descent is one of the main games to thank (or blame) for the resurgence in creepy, atmospheric games. Arguably one of the scariest first person horror games, Amnesia finds strength in keeping you at unease despite a few stumbles. Players awake in a castle in the 1800s, their memory wiped due to the titular malady. Amnesia begins a slow, steady burn toward the first frightening monster reveal – a tortured beast that cannot be killed directly. You play as Daniel, a man with the sole task of killing the baron of the castle, the reason why comes together as you venture further into the castles depths. Amnesia’s story is told primarily through notes and diaries scattered about with a sprinkle of environmental cues. It’s a dark, extremely twisted tale that continuously peaks your curiosity as you continue to uncover the more morbid details. It’s backed by solid voice acting and the story displays a Lovecraftian vibe for those into that sort of mythos. The only major gripe I have for the story is that the endings fall well short of expectations. It’s anti-climactic and fairly unsatisfying to say the least because of the lack of payoff. Amnesia’s lasting legacy is due to its oppressive atmosphere and truly effective horror elements. The influence of Lovecraft is etched into every corner and the fact that it’s so consistently dark and foreboding speaks to the commitment of the developers. Gameplay centers around Daniel traversing through the castle as he attempts to reach his supposed target. Only thing is, he must maintain his sanity, solve environmental puzzles, and conserve his resources all while being pursued by grotesque monstrosities known as the Gatherers. Forget about fighting them as this game places an emphasis on Daniel not being a willing combatant, he must either flee or hide. The focus on flight over fight only amplifies the omnipresent sense of dread. Not being able to battle the abominations stalking you might be infuriating in other games, but Frictional handles it with unsettling elegance. This is due to the various setpieces and how wonderfully setup they are. Dead ends paired with chase sequences kept my adrenaline booming without even seeing my pursuer once. One major gripe I have regarding such encounters is that the enemies become predictable and easy to exploit, often diminishing what would otherwise be terrifying moments, but these moments are rare. Daniel’s sanity meter must also be balanced as he will begin to suffer hallucinations and attract the attention should he spend too much time in the darkness. Advancing through the game is the only method to regain your wits, which creates a feedback loop that pulls you ever forward rather than encouraging the meticulous scavenging behavior that is a hallmark of so many other horror games. His use of resources such as lamp oil and tinder boxes become more valuable than bullets in other games. It’s this balancing act that never becomes too forgiving or punishing that makes Amnesia a fantastic survival horror game. The various puzzles you encounter never ask of you to solve a riddle, instead forcing you to think outside the box about your surroundings. They aren’t brain tickling, but are solid enough to stop you in your tracks and think throughout the game’s well paced 7 to 8 hours. Visually, Amnesia has very average looking components, but it’s supremely effective use of light and darkness coupled with its commitment to its aesthetic of a foreboding 19th Century European castle propels it’s lauded atmosphere even further. The sound design follows this same excellent quality from the ambient noises to environmental reactions. It keeps you on edge throughout and its accompanying music serve the setpieces very well. Much of Amnesia’s horror is a result of its pitch perfect audio design and I couldn’t be more glad for that. This indie project is an expertly crafted tale of horror and discovery that uses its interactive nature to enthrall players as deeply as any tale in videogames. Amnesia is barely a game in the traditional sense, leaving the nearly two decades of horror gaming tradition since Alone in the Dark by the wayside and forging its own twisted path. It’s ending and predictability of encounters marr some of its more stellar moments, but many games as of today still try to recapture its same horror brilliance since.
Contrast more than anything on the market, feels like a passion project. Without the need to cater to a franchise loaded with sequels, the story of a young girl traversing a world of shadows is a fresh spin on the indie scene. It’s lack of polish and competent level design however relegates Contrast to a game enjoyed for its more stylistic features than its mechanical. The plot of Contrast revolves around the journey of Didi, a young girl engulfed in the struggles of her family and her persistence to put them back together. Along the way she is aided by the silent protagonist Dawn, an elegant and slender female acrobat who has the ability to leap into shadows. The story is a treat and while not something to remember for a long time, is engrossing and tells a deeply poignant tale about family. The perspective of Didi highlights the innocence, wonder, and fear of the cabaret-noir inspired setting through a child’s eye. Unfortunately, despite being full of character and film noir inspiration, Contrast ends up asking a whole lot more questions than it answers, especially towards the end of the story. Near the end of the last act, the focus turns from Didi’s plight to concepts about Dawn and the shadow world. The questions are intriguing ones, but aside from some hints introduced in collectible items, they feel more than a little undercooked. Thankfully the game is brief, but it never feels incomplete. Besides from trying to delve too deep in the realm of science, Contrast tells an engaging story befitting to its setting. While the story reflects a level of quality and competence expected from a passion project, the gameplay doesn’t fulfill its potential and creativity of the setting. You go about Contrast constantly shifting between the real 3D realm and the 2D shadow plane, all with the press of a button. The execution is unsound at best when switching between the two realities, often resulting in my death or a missed platform jump. The platforming at best is unintuitive and often janky to control. Additionally, you’d expect the puzzles to be of a reasonable quality given the concept, but most don’t offer any challenge whatsoever and most are completed as a result of trial and error. They’re okay at best, in which you navigate the real world by manipulating light sources and objects to provide Dawn a landscape to solve puzzles in the shadow world. While the aforementioned basics are introduced early, advanced puzzle-solving tactics, like taking objects with you into the shadow realm, don't appear until later on. Most of the early puzzles are simply droll and require fighting the controls more than requiring actual thought. The open area design also falls short of its potential as most levels, while visually remarkable, don’t translate well into gameplay. Most areas in the game are devoid of anything and often times I found myself praying for something to distract me along the way to my next objective. Whatever downfalls in gameplay Contrast might have, it makes up for in its unique style. The world and the way everything seems to be falling apart provides an ethereal sense of childlike wonder to the game’s levels. Coupled with the clever use of minimalist shadows, Dawn and Didi’s short journey never got visually stale. The music and effects, while sparse at times when exploring, provides a quality ambiance and doesn’t overwhelm. The voice actors however are of the excellent variety and lend a hand in making me care for the characters of Contrast be they a washed-out, hopeful father or a distressed, single-mother all without a facial expression to show. As it stands, Contrast is simply a shadow of what it should be; the ideas are there, but the unsound execution hurts the immersion of such a thrilling world. Despite this, it doesn’t take away that Contrast is a unique game deserving of your time if you’re looking for a promising premise and a lovely story centered on family.
The original Life is Strange by DontNod holds a special place in my heart. Few games explore a relationship like Max and Chloe's in such a captivating, meaningful detail that I still think about it long after completion. So fast forward then to Deck Nine's Before the Storm, a prequel set 3 years before the main game. I had strong reservations before playing, believing that no developer could replicate that same feeling of absorption I had for the main game and that a prequel couldn't possibly deliver anything more than fanservice. By the end of Awake, I'm convinced that BtS is a worthy addition, with similarities and differences in the right places despite its stumbles. Before the Storm puts you in the shoes of a 16 year old Chloe Price, the deuteragonist of the original LiS. In this installment, she meets Rachel Amber, the missing girl from the original game, as they develop an unlikely friendship. The story isn’t immediately enjoyable, the first dozen or so minutes were uninteresting, but the game’s plot eventually picks up. I won't detail any further but know that the crux of the game still centers around its main leads. The chemistry between Rachel and Chloe is engaging, but I don't think it's quite as profound and memorable as the relationship between Max and Chloe, some of their interactions can feel forced because of their brief amount of time together. What Awake absolutely nails is the writing which is filled to the brim with strong personality and detail, although Deck Nine took a less subtle approach to storytelling. If you never liked Chloe in the first game, I doubt BtS will change your mind, but what's here is special and emotionally charged. BtS takes place two years after the death of Chloe's father (and three years before Max’s return), and she's still grieving. Her depression has taken a toll, causing her to rebel and not care much about anything or anyone. Playing as a younger Chloe is a refreshing change of pace, as she isn't completely the confident free-spirit she was in the original. She's still figuring herself out, and has more naivety and vulnerability that makes her more sympathetic. BtS explores her state of mind in her lowest moments and the subtle details surrounding that highlight the game's gut punching moments. Her perspective on the world and its people is different from Max, but it feels just as authentic. While one may pass it as simple teenage angst, BtS tastefully navigates her thoughts of both abandonment and discovery. I was captivated by her character in LiS, but BtS bolsters that feeling to new heights. Its cast is just as remarkable as the original. Rachel Amber, while not as relatable as Max, is charming as she is mysterious. While Max Caulfield had the ability to rewind time, Chloe has no such powers. Without the rewind feature, you're mostly exploring and making choices as you did before. It makes sense for the story, and I didn't mind. Dialogue plays a larger role, and Deck Nine does a good job creating interesting interactions, such as Chloe playing D&D and allowing you to pick her moves and responses. One new addition that I like is the backtalk mechanic. During certain conversations, you can talk your way out of things by being brazen. You need to pick a string of "correct" dialogue options that relate to what the person just said and goes with the tone of the conversation. Mostly, this is Chloe throwing insults and threatening people, including talking back to her principal to avoid an after school visit and convincing a bouncer she's tough enough to enter a shady concert. While it's simple, the game’s writing keeps the engagements funny and in character. However, BtS fails in providing any real puzzles or challenge, relegating the game to a purely interactive story. Among other things, the replacement VAs solidly portray each character, despite some sour sounding lines on occasion. One of the more recognizable components of Life is Strange is the soundtrack, and BtS fully delivers with a score composed by Daughter. While Max's indie folk tunes reflect nostalgia and longing, Chloe's more grunge electronica elevate feelings of melancholy and loneliness. It’s injected into the right moments for that extra emotional punch. On technical side, Before the Storm avoids the original game's mistake of horrifying lip sync. The game's animations have also improved, but the game isn't always pretty. While the art style is hand brushed and the environment detailed, some textures look ugly and the amount of load screens towards the end was jarring to the storytelling flow. Awake shows you a broken Chloe, someone at her lowest. Everyone hits those trying times in their lives, and what Awake does best is illustrate how much another person can make a difference, the emotional pull is immense in both its subtle and blatant story bits. BtS has quelled my doubts of it living up to the original. While not perfect, it has me anxiously waiting for more.
It's been 5 hours straight and not once did my eyes leave the screen, constantly glued to the mayhem as my team pulled a victory after forcing overtime. Overwatch lacks "traditional" features that would normally create all time great games. You won't find a compelling narrative or dozens of quests but what is here easily solidifies Overwatch's mark on gaming w/its perfected mechanics and style that have become synonymous w/Blizzard's name. Overwatch’s strength lies in its simplicity and polish. Much like Team Fortress 2 or League of Legends, two teams of heroes battle on a handful of maps, and modes all boil down to some form of escorting, capturing, or protecting an objective. Other modes are available, but the game is at its best keeping things close to the core, with maps everyone knows and easy-to-understand modes. While expectations today may call for a single-player campaign or a wide variety of modes, Overwatch’s consistently chaotic gameplay stands on its own, giving players the tools to ensure that no game ever plays out the same. These elements form the canvas where players paint unique experiences, match after match. One thing to celebrate about Overwatch is its imaginative cast of heroes, all of which are diverse and amazingly designed. They might not have pages of lore, but they all are insanely creative w/abilities that make sense to their character. Time-traveling Tracer spews quirky British quips as she blinks across the battlefield, while tanky Winston roars and pummels enemies as he leaps about. All of them have interesting personalities, and you'll favorite a good amount just by playing the game, a rare achievement for a multiplayer-only game. These heroes have unique skillsets that ensure no heroes play the same; you’re not just embracing the sniper rifle or the rocket launcher, but ability kits that come together to form each of the 24 heroes. This establishes that each character isn't relegated to a single role, but rather one that adapts to rapidly changing conditions, all without the need for a clunky progression system. Maps are also well designed and balanced, keeping the flow of action constant. This is all supported by controls that are quick and easy to get a hang of, and it speaks volumes to Blizzard's craft that all heroes feel perfect to play, not once did I get frustrated b/c of how a hero controlled. Whether it was playing point defense as Bastion or denying area control from the enemy as Junkrat, neither felt clunky to handle. Team play is the focus, and Overwatch encourages players to swap characters constantly to deal with the ever-evolving nature of a match. You and your friends can assemble a traditional or any combination of tank/support/damage group to push the payload to victory. Rallying together for a last second push to win the game after a brutal team wipe provides an enjoyment level equal if not more to the most engaging of videogame narratives. Actual progression is tied to the unlockable skins, emotes, sprays, and voice lines all earned by loot boxes at each subsequent level up. It's a fair system and the fact that Blizzard is onboard to support the game w/free updates and events in the years to come ensures that Overwatch is going to stay installed for the foreseeable future. Overwatch's visuals are lovely w/its colorful art style and simplicity. While there isn't buckets of gore or a menagerie of special effects, it's distinct and fitting to the universe Blizzard created. This approach also feeds into gameplay. Without an unnecessary amount of visual noise, it's easy to interpret what is going on even in the mayhem. The UI and menus are quick and clean to navigate, a rather underappreciated feature nowadays. The presentation is backed up by a spirited score which enhances the action, I felt like a kid watching his favorite heroes listening to the Victory theme, a feeling of both wonder and kickass unseen in many games. Audio cues by characters are also utilized to inform players of the shifting battlefield and whether or not an ally or enemy is unleashing their ultimate, which coupled w/excellent voice acting, further highlights the personalities of these heroes. For many gamers, it's easy to dismiss Overwatch as another multiplayer title lacking in features. While I do wished for a campaign that tapped into the potential of the story hinted, I'd ultimately rather have a game solely crafted from strong components than have a weak link dragging the game down. What Overwatch lacks in evolution, it exceeds in perfection of game enjoyment. Its profound ability to provide drastically different experiences with each hero ensures that fresh explorations and hours of renewed enjoyment are a single click away. Like watching your favorite heroes, Overwatch feels inspired and instills a genuine sense of fascination all w/o the need for a cutscene. It's polished panache and scores of fun will leave a legacy known for endless nights of entertainment.
Despite not caring about soccer or the NASCAR scene, Rocket League, against all my preconceived notions, pulled me into its addictive matches and reward system, ensuring that hours upon hours would be lost not in search of cosmetics or perks but pure unadulterated fun. Play a few Rocket League matches and you see more than a few similarities between the game’s RC-car action and pre-K level soccer. A mass of players follows the ball wherever it rolls, teammates steal from each other, and accidental own-goal shots are almost expected. Even after your skill level advances and you’re able to make exhilarating mid-air saves and coordinated attacks, your car (and team) looks adorable in post-goal replays. Its game face may be set in a goofy grin instead of an intimidating snarl, but Rocket League’s beautifully balanced gameplay is one of the best competitive games I’ve played in ages. Whether you're rushing back to get on defense or trying to poke the ball out of a crowd, the controls never let me down in a single instance save for the times of my own incompetence. The tutorial ensures that you get these basics down and before long you'll be wanting to wall ride and using your boost for aerial strikes, both of which are difficult to master. When you’ve finally gotten the hang of driving, Rocket League is an absolute joy. The rules are the same whether you’re playing 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4 matches: earn the most points in five minutes. You nudge, slam, bonk, or bash the ball into your opponents’ goal. The arena walls are banked into high walls, so the ball is in play no matter how exuberantly it’s been hit, which keeps the action moving. The arenas are sized nicely, too. They’re small enough to where you can assist on defense if you see an opponent tearing toward your goal, but they’re large enough so players aren’t unnecessarily trading paint just driving into position. The sense of momentum is exhilarating and every moment feels like a highlight reel, thus I'd recommend a controller since it is slightly easier to get a hang of the controls. As the case with any of these multiplayer games, having friends along to coordinate with is just an added layer of fun, although the ingame text options do a good enough job of communicating information. Matches are short and players are given a steady drip of cosmetic upgrades for their vehicles by simply participating. None of them affect gameplay, but a variety of hats, paint effects, body types, and smoke-trail designs let players show off their personality during the slow-motion replays. This sort of progression isn't a highlight, but still serves as a reason to continue outside of the adrenaline rush. On the audiovisual spectrum, the in-game action goes by too quickly to appreciate the visual details, from the textures on the arena floors to the flecks of glitter in the paint. It’s all beautiful without being distracting, and is performance friendly. This is supported by the ability to save replays, something I care to admit doing at least a dozen times by now. The electronic music is saved for menus, but the in-match audio capture that same atmosphere you would find in actual soccer matches, making even 0-0 matches thrilling from start to finish. The only few complaint I have with Rocket League are the bot AI who fill in when not enough players are in the match. They perform decently, but you'll be yearning for some real teammates after a single match with them, they seldom play offense and their defense is passable. This sort extends to the season mode, where you can face off against the AI in a sort of regular season of customizable amount of games and teams, all of which can keep you busy, but closer on the lackluster side due to the relative easiness of it all. Don't play Rocket League to have fun on your own w/bots, which is possible, but you'll be doing yourself a disservice. Luckily the matchmaking is solid w/only a few instances of me getting frustrated at the lack of getting connected to a server. Rocket League is a tight package that managed to convince me that cars and soccer are the best thing to happen to either one. It's visual appeal, responsiveness, and replayability showcases that you can have fun without a sodium overdrive or need to kill something, something plaguing a good amount of online games today. Don't expect any appeal in it's single player experience, the multiplayer will keep you up begging for just one more.
An example **** that took Youtube by storm on the back of its own absurdity, Goat Simulator is an interesting look on what passes for entertainment. It becomes a shame then that all this $20 title devolves into is the same enjoyment you would get from listening to fart jokes all day long. Goat Simulator's premise is simple. You play as a goat dropped into an area littered with rag doll humans and objects and there's literally no objective. It becomes up to you to cause mayhem, which racks up a total score and multiplier. The fun to be had here is in how stupid you could things play out. Whether you're riding a rollercoaster with a DeadMau5 helmet or blasting people away with a dragon shout whilst body boarding across the map, the game won't fool anybody that it's a simulator, and nobody's unironically pretending it to be. That ultimately becomes the crutch and only point of the game, to pass off some laughs for a good hour at the silliness of it all, preferably with friends. Once that initial hour wore off for me, laughs diminished into uninterested smirks and eye rolling boredom. There's nothing else to the game save for a few modifiers, although I expect the modding scene to spice it up slightly more, but with the same results. Make no mistake, it's an intentionally bad game, but it becomes up to your volume of tolerance for this sort of amusement. Like Minecraft, it's limited by your imagination, and unfortunately, I don't have much tolerance for this kind of hilarity. Goat Simulator is painfully aware at what it set out to be, stupid fun. The music speaks volumes of its comedic tone. The rag doll physics are 'fine' tuned for maximum ridiculousness. Despite what it's got going for it, Goat Simulator's form of entertainment didn't last long at all for me and only served to highlight the problem with games of this caliber: poorly made games are passed off for only giggles rather than addressing that they do indeed ****.
Few horror games nowadays ever really unnerve me, often not properly setting up tension or giving me a reason to care, but Layers of Fear manages to buck that trend in its first dozen or so minutes. Mind you I only say first dozen because the rest of this descent into madness is riddled with recycled horror tricks and visual effects. It loses steam very early and drags on far too long for its own good, but hidden underneath its blemishes is a decent story. Playing as an artist in his own empty home, you come across an unfinished painting, supposedly his masterpiece. From that point on, Layers of Fear engages you in its story of love gone wrong, how obsession ruins things, and how the character copes with the tragic events surrounding him. The artist isn't a blank state, but he is decidedly generic enough for a player to fill their own take on what happened. Much of the story is uncovered through visual cues and notes/documents/items strewn about the decaying and ever changing household. You'll know something awful has happened at the start, but the real treat is at uncovering the details behind it, and when you do is a genuine heart breaker. It's no Silent Hill 2 levels of enthralling, but it's a driving force that keeps you going and the game's endings are worth seeing to the end. Beyond that, Layers of Fear falls apart. It's riveting in its first dozen or so minutes when the horror is little more than jumpscares and instead are compiled of visual effects that are unseen and quite extraordinary, showing what the Unity Engine is truly capable of. You might think this is where the game shifts gear into another level, but that other level is sadly headed for rock bottom. Not every game needs to be subtle, having some obvious scares or clues are quite okay, but when your whole game is just trying to throw a brick at your face that says 'boo!', expect diminishing returns. When you’re playing a horror game, you already know something scary is going to happen. The best ones are able to frighten you despite the fact that you are expecting the attempt – something that requires a subtle balance between tension and surprise. Unfortunately, Layers of Fear is not so deft. Instead of carefully and deliberately hitting the right atmospheric notes, this experience just bangs on the keys loudly and frequently. The problem is Layers of Fear shows no restraint. After a scary moment, it doesn’t allow players enough breathing room, because the next one is always immediately around the corner. Every time you enter a room or a hallway, something happens. An object falls. A painting melts. Something jumps out at you. This inevitability results in a boring and predictable rhythm, making it impossible for a sense of dread to take hold and becomes the game's biggest fault. While the scares are of no real value, the visuals are quite a looker. The Unity Engine has never looked better, the amount of detail and visual effects are definitely of a high order, despite the game reusing much of its assets through its short length. However, this comes at a cost, the Xbox One version constantly stutters, dropping below the 30fps mark whether out of lack of optimization or lack of power, it certainly never fails to make my eyes strain. The sound design is a mixed bag, while they are of a high quality, they aren't exactly scary since they are used in the variety of either loud noises to startle you or generic horror noises. The score is hardly noticeable, but is appropriate for the most part. Layers of Fear's intent is right from the start is clearly to be Youtuber bait, but even they would notice how shallow the horror is. Even with this, there is still an okay atmosphere and decent story to experience in addition to the 3 endings, which you're better off just watching online. In its title, Layers of Fear implies an ability to inspire multi-faceted terror. Unfortunately, it only succeeds on the surface level: Sometimes I got pretty surprised when something creepy happened (invariably accompanied by a loud noise), but even that layer eroded over time, replaced by an ever growing feeling of boredom and eye rolling at its attempts to scare me. Despite some creative visual tricks, Layers of Fear doesn’t have sharp enough teeth to maintain its bite.
A horror game that shouldn't be scoffed at as an Amnesia clone, Red Barrels' slaughterhouse take on an insane asylum is surprisingly solid. Where Outlast succeeds, it absolutely hits it out of the park, with visuals and sound design second to none and a few mechanics sure to get your adrenaline on overdrive. Sadly, some notable shortcomings stemming from design in addition to a fairly weak story keep Outlast from reaching its true potential. Playing as the world's most bat**** dedicated journalist Miles Upshur, you investigate Mount Massive Asylum in hopes of uncovering a story following a tip about inhumane experiments being conducted there. Outlast succeeds in hooking you right from the start, with you asking questions as to what happened in the asylum. The game, for better and worse, tells you a story hidden in its collectible documents and environment. It really ingrains the mystery and incentives you to hunt for clues as a journalist should, but you'll be scratching your head at the underwhelming plot. There is a sense of effort in the plot, but it's a shame where it heads (somewhere really stupid). The finale is absolute dog **** not because of what occurs, but rather the lack of payoff. The game makes a sudden 180 turn towards the end and replaces the intriguing mystery for pseudoscience and corporate backstabbing, both of which failed to get me invested. The real bread and butter of Outlast is how it plays. Encountering the game's numerous monstrosities, Miles cannot fight but rather must rely on his ability to run and hide from them. Equipped with your camera, you can use night vision in the dark spaces littered throughout the game which drains batteries faster than my savings. Said batteries are scarce until the end of the game, which highlights the risk-reward system and increases the tension when snooping in the dark. When you're spotted, the game's music cranks to dial 9 which is an indicator for you to get the hell out of dodge and book it. Luckily, Miles is quite a runner himself with the game allowing you to vault over objects as you try to flee your pursuers. There are plenty of instances in the game such as this which serves as Outlast's strongest aspect. It gets your blood going as you make split second decisions turning corners and choosing to hide or risk being torn to pieces. Unfortunately some mechanics don't hold up quite as well. For instance, crawling in the game is absolutely useless as you move slower than a snail's pace, which makes sneaking useless compared to just running past enemies. And speaking of running past enemies, Outlast's AI is quite predictable, to the point of zapping the tension and horror out of the game. It's easy to tell that they don't actually follow you, but rather the path you take and it's through this that you can juke them out, making the rest of the game a breeze even on higher difficulties. One other sin the game commits is that at every obstacle, the game asks of you to either: find a key or turn 2-3 valves to advance. It's not exactly bad, but it often pulled me out of the experience over how video-gamey it felt juxtaposed to the lack of any other mechanics, making the exploration/running/hiding combo your only means of interacting with this world. It's solid, but bare bones which isn't bad at all when you're focusing on your strengths, to which Outlast excels. If there's anything that's almost flawless about Outlast, it's the visual and audio. The graphical fidelity of the game many times borders on photorealistic and while an insane asylum isn't an exactly original horror setting, it's filled with enough variety to keep it fresh throughout. This sort of quality extends to the audio which trades subtlety in exchange for a brash and blood curdling score. The music absolutely hits its stride as you're being chased and when you're not, accompanies the game's sometimes effective jumpscares and quieter moments. It won't win any awards, but it's extremely fitting. Among all things, hearing that Outlast is one of the scariest games ever has me scratching my head. I know that fear is subjective and all that , but Outlast's failure to scare me isn't so much how little it did rather how hard they tried. Throughout the entire 4.5 hour campaign I was bombarded by an endless amount of corpses, blood, and jumpscares that it ultimately desensitized me about 1/3 of the way through. This slaughterhouse approach to horror is more disgusting than terrifying. The lack of scares also extends to enemy design, which is intimidating at best. The best thing I can say about Outlast's attempts at horror is that it's thrilling, which I attribute more to fun, not s***ing my pants. Even with its shortcomings, Outlast is a solid game with it's chase sequences and audiovisual design worth the discounted $5, just don't expect a "horror masterpiece". If you also came to see hulking madmen wielding cleavers with their dongs hanging out, Outlast delivers.
One of my earliest Xbox 360 games, Lost:Via Domus was a pleasant surprise with its remarkable (for the time) graphics, faithfulness to the TV show, and a plot that genuinely intrigues you at first. All this eventually becomes naught as you peel away the layers and discover a bare bones game that works better as an interactive episode rather than a satisfying gaming experience. Taking place within the show's first two seasons, Via Domus pits you as a survivor of the titular plane crash that sets up the game's events. Once again they play the amnesia card which works well enough, you genuinely want to know what the heck is going on as the game goes back in forth in time as you try to piece together who you are and your role in the story. Notable characters form the show's first few seasons make a return though most of them are there simply for fanservice as they rarely do anything other than hint on future events and subtle references to the TV show, you'll care for none of the characters, but they get the job done of moving the plot along. At every turn of the story you'll be curious as to what happens next only to be stupefied at the game's underwhelming ending, quite meta if you ask me. To tell a good story you need a good medium for the player to experience it, and Via Domus' medium is basic at best. For a show about survivors exploring an island in the middle of an ocean, the game is severely linear with little room for deviation from the main path. The game stresses survival mechanics, but none of them are used all that much and none of them are difficult in the slightest. From the trading system to the stealth and hunger mechanics, there is some promise, but none were explored well enough to create a fun, lasting experience. The game also totes puzzles, but there's a grand total of two of them and none were that difficult to solve. Included as well is a conversation system, which ultimately boils down to asking questions and no way to shape your character. The most fun you'll have with the gameplay are the flashback sequences which task you in finding a specific angle to capture a snapshot to get the full picture and gain some insight of the plot. The game's visuals are dated nowadays, but for 2008, it was good looking and remarkably detailed. The game's music is something you'd expect from the show, a nice touch from the generic music from other show based games. Via Domus' presentation as a result is pleasing, just not anything special. The greatest sin this game commits aside form the empty gameplay mechanics, is the length. I know the game wasn't based off all the seasons of the show, but this was an opportunity to explore new things yet the game clocks in at 5 hours, with me taking my time. The game ends before it starts to become good and when you charged over 40 dollars at the time for this, it's just insulting. Lost: Via Domus, while better than many games based on TV shows, is still lengths away from being a good game itself with its plot that that doesn't quite reach its potential and gameplay that might be better off not existing for how little player interaction it asks of you. It's okay at best, which is more than what most cash grab show based games can even achieve.
Alpha Protocol is both a "what if" and a legitimately good game. You see flashes of its potential in its well developed RPG and conversation mechanics, both of which have an adverse effect in how you experience this game. Sadly some significant flaws such as a lack of interesting cast, brain dead AI, and general lack of polish keeps this game from becoming another one of Obsidian's gems. The story centers around Michael Thornton, a secret agent who starts off working for a black ops organization named Alpha Protocol. After a mission goes awry, he is forced to go rogue in events that yet again put a threat to world peace. While the plot for the most part is of the 'espionage' schtick, it gives enough context for the game's various setpieces It's how you affect the story that serves as Alpha Protocol's strongest link. Your relationships with characters and organizations are affected based on you want Thornton to react to a situation, and it's this degree of control that should be implemented in more games today. The biggest pitfall regarding the story is the cast of characters, they're all generally forgettable. One crucial sin the plot makes is that the only traits the characters exhibit are those that only tied to the plot, rather than making the characters interesting themselves. They're voice acted convincingly, but none of these characters will stick in your mind even a day after the credits roll. The gameplay has flashes of excellence with a surprising amount of depth in what sort of secret agent you want Thornton to become. From a sabotage technician to a martial artist soldier, the game more than encompasses your preferred playstyle by making every point you put into a certain tree of actual value, not just a minute passive bonus. A fatal flaw in this department is not so much the RPG mechanics themselves, but rather how it translates to gameplay. Enemies in this game are so stupidly exploitable that I had to pinch myself, the AI is atrocious. If they're not running into walls or spotting you from impossible angles, they're running into you're gunfire with no real desire for self preservation and can absorb bullets like a champ. They make the game laughably both easy and frustrating, and bring down what is an otherwise great system that has plenty of potential for future installments. When it works, Alpha Protocol's gameplay forces you to consider your route and tactics through a level, something most games don't even dare try. When it doesn't, Alpha Protocol becomes a slog and an exercise in patience. One aspect that you'll forget quickly is the game's music, it's fitting regarding the game's tone, but none of the tracks are memorable or scintillating. In the visuals department, the Alpha Protocol does not hold up today. Facial animations are actually well done, but everything else is decidedly last gen. Level design works well for the gameplay, but is absolutely basic looking, along with the textures, effects, animations, and art design. The gist of how the game looks: unmemorable, even for 2010. Alpha Protocol does show promise should there be a future installment of the same design, a potential fantastic game that realizes player choice while providing flexible gameplay, but it falls well short of that. It's lackluster components really stick out, but the game gives you enough reasons to ignore them in lieu of player control over story and gameplay, it's an idea that deserves a second shot and is quite enjoyable for most of its 14 hour campaign, a replayable one at that.
Based on the tabletop-RPG of the same name, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a curious story. Shortly after launch, the highly talented Troika Games closed after a poor commercial release due to the incomplete state the game was released in, courtesy of Activision. It's bug ridden, clunky, unfinished, and absolutely laborious towards the end, but V:TMB prevails as a masterwork in video game writing and one of my favorite RPGs ever. Set in the modern backdrop of night time Los Angeles, V:TMB is a dark fantasy that depicts a vampire society more or less unknown to humans, only able to thrive as the sun goes down. While it seems like fairly simple fiction to take on, the setting the game exists in is so well realized and captivating that it feels plausible. This is thanks to the writing which is, for lack of words, easily the finest in any game I've played. Many babble on how great writing should make you emotional and connect with characters, but V:TMB's writing is a darkly beautiful exception. It's script embraces its source material, an enthralling mix of exposition, criticism, foreshadowing, tragedy, satire, and even philosophy. One moment you're hypnotized in the seductive nightlife, then thrust in palpable unease, giving you food for thought the next, and cherry topped by making you laugh your ass off. It's all conveyed in a way that rewards your curiosity and respects your intelligence. The characters that inhabit this universe also benefit from the game's script. From the witty Smiling Jack to the pompous Prince LaCroix to the flirtatious yet playful Jeanette, all of V:TMB's characters have interesting personalities. Everyone has their own little idiosyncrasies and each feel like they've existed long before you arrived. You'll listen to what they have to say not because they might have a reward for use, but because you're so invested in learning about this world and its inhabitants. It's a critical, yet honest in-depth take on vampire society in this strange, fascinating world, all without trying to be superficially mature or cheesy. It helps that the characters are superbly voice acted, elevating the god-tier writing that much more. If any game can make a character in a comical, sociocritical horror story with an abusive childhood lead to a jaw dropping twist, whilst maintaining a tactful undertone of cynicism and playful humor, it's this game. The gameplay, despite its rough look, is true to its pen and paper origins. You begin by picking a clan, and each vampire has their own set of skills and bonuses to suit your desired play style, not to mention a noticeable effect in how the world reacts to you. From the charming Toreador to the insane Malkavian, the game gives plenty reason to experience multiple playthroughs. Quests you take on are diverse and each task completed nets you skill points, and these can be spent on both passive and active abilities, all of which have an immediate effect in how you play the game. The level design adds to this by making exploration rewarding but also granting you a range of ways to tackle your objective from persuasion, stealth, and brute force if need be. And speaking of levels, The Ocean House Hotel mission alone is an experience worth the price of admission. Staying true to the universe, the game lets you harness your vampire abilities in a believable, yet gameplay sound fashion. Blood serves as a gauge for your abilities, and balances it out by your need to feed. On the downside, the combat isn't as successful. Against moronic AI, landing blows with melee weapons feels awkward as hell and firearms lack punch. Among other aspects, the game definitely looks its age. Based on the early build of the Source engine, characters' facial animation are still better than many games today. Other than the decent textures and pleasing color palette, everything else resembles 2004. Level geometry is basic and characters' faces appear comically stiff. The game's overall presentation is fairly nicked, but is saved by an immersive atmosphere and a sublime soundtrack. The composer incredibly manages to craft a soundtrack that oozes feelings that encapsulates this sinister, intoxicating LA nightlife. Despite it's triumphs, V:TMB's is far from perfect. The last fourth of the game is plagued by awful level design that doesn't cater to multiple playstyles, instead forcing you into either combat or light stealth, resulting in frustrating boss fights towards the end. The game is peppered with bugs and glitches for days, and an endgame plot that rushes itself. The finale, while fitting, lacks input from earlier choices due to the rushed development. V:TMB had plenty potential to be one of gaming's finest works, but its unfinished state and overall lack of polish makes downloading a fan patch essential. Even with all it gets wrong, V:TMB gets so much right. It's a hidden gem that invites you into its world of darkness, an experience worth the eventual sunrise.
An essentially stripped back version of the core shoot n' loot experience, the original Borderlands started a well recognized franchise now known for off the wall humor and endless fun grinding for gear with friends. However, this was apparently at the expense of an interesting setting and polish, with poor performance on the 360 and little incentive to continue playing other than to receive a minuscule increase to your weapons' stats. Borderlands smells of promise form the getgo, with you taking the role of a treasure hunter in the apocalyptic-esque planet of Pandora in search of a famed Vault filled with endless amounts of wealth. Even with this, Borderlands doesn't so much fall flat in telling its story, more so having a story to tell. Plot threads are so bare, it honestly feels the developers cared little for this aspect, which would be fine if the game didn't have a pathetic ending to make all your grinding go to waste. You really won't care what happens, and for a game with definite strengths elsewhere, the story won't sting as much. Unlike the plot, characters in Borderlands receive slightly more attention with discernible characteristics and sometimes genuinely funny things to say. Nobody other than ClapTrap will stay in your mind, but they serve as cool looking quest vendors, so there's that. The meat of Borderlands and for the series in general has been the endless grind for loot in the same vein as the Diablo games, and Borderlands absolutely excels in this. As exaggerated as a "bazillion games" might seem, there's enough variety in your tools of destruction to warrant continuous hours of play. You get your standard arsenal of destruction but it's how on the fly you can tweak and spec your character that supports this grind for the best loot, which is further heightened with friends along. Upgrading your character is definitely something to consider since you can generally play any sort of combat role you wish, which is admirable and makes multiple playthroughs with the four different characters a good time sinker. What's not so fun? With a game only about shooting baddies in the face, shooting baddies eventually gets monotonous. It's understandable that you can't make every enemy encounter unique but when your solution is to add more hit points to your enemies, often times resorting to bullet sponges, the once competent combat just fades into a chore. Borderlands is definitely alot more fun with friends for the ride, so that's your best bet for an optimal experience. Overall, the gameplay has its bright spots, but hasn't aged well for a game from 2009. For the more recent games in the franchise, Pandora served as the biggest character with its interesting set of locations, and this much is true for the first Borderlands..most of the time. For 2009, Borderlands' cell shaded look and larger scale helped cement Pandora's personality as a desolate, campy apocalypse, but for an 60+ hour experience going through most of these locations wear you down quickly. The color palette is often times either rust brown or ashy grey, and the game's overall art style borders (no pun intended) on boring. On the technical side, the game runs like complete ass. Whether its the aging Unreal Engine 3 or the lack of optimization on consoles, Borderlands' frame rate can tank when you add more than 5 enemies on screen at once. The frames can dip below 10 in the most hectic of situations and when you're getting peppered from all sides by gunfire and you go into last stand with a character giving you quest details over a radio, it just becomes too chaotic to be any substantial fun. Make no mistake, Borderlands is a genuine good time when you just don't care about blasting away at enemies, going into a predictable rhythm of killing and looting, but when even that becomes tiresome in a slew of other problems, Borderlands just lacks the staying power of other titles in the series. This can only be a good sign for the franchise that made substantial improvements moving forward, but the original title still isn't a bad way to pass the time, just don't look beyond skin deep.
When adding period appropriate firearms to a base game that didn't need it in the first place to thrive, you only get a relatively small bonus to the overall experience. Of course, it's hardly the only new feature. An entirely new landmass, set of factions, and weaponry are welcome additions, but With Fire & Sword adds nothing substantial to the overall Mount & Blade experience, which is to say is still a good thing since the core mechanics that made this series addicting are still here in abundance. The Mount & Blade series were never known for story or technical prowess and it never pretended to be, but anybody hoping for this one to break the mold will find little improvements, if any at all. Running on the same engine, With Fire & Sword's technical strength is catering the massive battles, but everything else ranging from models to effects to texture work are all still very poor. Even the land map looks decidedly worse, and the shift to real world countries as factions ensure that the diverse locations you could explore are now limited, since the developers attempted to keep it as realistic as possible. The game this time around attempts to invest player in several plots (depending on your faction) that try their hand in a story, but the lifeless characters and general boringness of it keeps a decent story miles away. With Fire & Sword carries the same excellence in emulating large scale warfare, often with lines of footmen clashing with cavalry breaking lines. The addition of firearms gives you more strategy, allowing you to formulate lines of muskets to suppress enemy lines, and given that they can also be wildly inaccurate, firearms can't always be relied on. Other than that, the way combat is handled by way of momentum and direction of attack is still highly entertaining and landing blows on horseback is oddly cathartic. Outside of combat, you take on quests ranging from caravan escort to total conquest. The latter is much more fun given that conquest in this game is a great challenge and somewhat ****. You are able to affect your relationships from companions to towns to full blown kingdoms, most of which boil down to whether or not you were a jerk to them. The factions, while not as interesting as the diverse set found in Warband, give you enough reason to side with them if you know your European history. The most impressive feat of the overall amalgamation of the mechanics means that no two players game worlds will ever be the same. It's closer to a simulation than anything else, with so many moving pieces that while visually absent, convey that this is a real world that has some place, and that I believe is this series high point. With Fire & Sword isn't charged for much, so the few additions aren't as difficult to swallow. The mechanics that made this game grindy fun still exist, and are bound to soak up some serious hours. Don't expect much from this entry in terms of taking the next step, but rather riding the success of strong mechanics and features.
Peggle is a mechanically simple game that perfectly blends the hardcore with the casual into an addicting experience. Peggle is simply oozing with personality. The colorful and expressionist art style really blends with the characters who accompany you. Not to mention the music that beautifully walks the line with beauty and humor. Of course we play Peggle for its simple but masterful gameplay. Simply shooting balls into pegs has never been this fun. It remains strategic while adding a healthy dose of an arcade feel. And when you nab that slo mo sequence and hit the last peg along with a flourish exit, this game exceeds more than the sum of its parts. Peggle comes with a ton of replay value as well. With this package all tied together into a game that is polished and outstanding that just consists of balls hitting pegs, I'll be more than happy to keep playing time and time again.
After 52 hours, Mass Effect: Andromeda is quite perhaps the biggest fluctuations of enjoyment I've ever had. In some points, I was genuinely having a good time toying with the revamped combat and exploration and other times I am absolutely apalled at its technical state, with the stilted and uncomfortable facial animations sadly ringing true. Even more than that, the story and the characters that participate in it are of a lower quality than what we have come to expect from perhaps the greatest trilogy in gaming. Make no mistake, this still feels like Mass Effect with the core components present, but it is also the weakest of them. Taking control of Ryder, players venture into the Andromeda Galaxy in hopes of starting a new life with the Milky Way races. The first hours don't leave a very good impression, swapping smart and intelligent dialogue of the games before with hammy, awkward dialogue that would be more right at home with an FX drama/comedy. It's not bad, and it's certainly allowed to be different from Shepard's adventures, but none of the characters made as much of an impact as Garrus, Liara, or Legion did and before anyone says "Well Shepard had 3 games!", this game is easily twice as long as any of the games in the Original Trilogy. It's not a matter of length, it's a matter how effectively you use that time. The story eventually goes somewhere and picks up, but it's more in the realm of movie blockbuster, with really predictable threads and a fairly cookie cutter villain. The story and dialogue is further hampered by the technical issues, none that made it unplayable, but definitely noticeable. If anything, you'll enjoy Andromeda's length and where it takes you. And the aforementioned facial animations are back, and they are quite sub-par. It doesn't bother me as much it did others, but when you combine that with dialogue that seldom delivers, it really gets to you. The main focus this time seems to revolve around exploration and combat, both of which are significantly better. Classes are more or less done away with and instead you are allowed to mix and match however you please among the original 6 classes with a newly added one. The addition of the jump jet keeps the action frantic. It's amazingly still Mass Effect, but definitely evolved. The exploration also has seen a boost with absolutely large worlds to explore (though there aren't as much as you might think). Traversing with the nomad is leagues better than the mako and it always was entertaining if not for the fact that fetch quests are in abundance and most are as unengaging as the name implies. Overall, the quests flow more in the vein of Dragon Age: Inquisition than the Original Trilogy, and that's a damn shame. In addition, the menus are clunky and comparing equipment is a chore. The loyalty missions are what we've come to expect from a Mass Effect game, but it's the characters that sell it decently, rather than great. It's important to also note that the developers of the Original Trilogy did not work on Andromeda, and it shows. The games is absolutely gorgeous while still retaining its large scale, but are inhabited by quests that do little more than mediocrity The characters (while interesting) aren't as memorable, and the plot (which is supposed to be a standalone and set a foundation for future titles) is only good enough instead of breaking the mold. Despite my criticisms, I very much enjoyed exploring the galaxy map (its rendition of Uncharted Worlds is amazing), combat and exploration are great, and the game is gorgeous. However, there is no denying that Andromeda is disappointing, not because it's a bad Mass Effect game, but because it stumbles in key components that takes any game beyond great. As it stands Andromeda is merely decent, a stepback from the constant amazing the OT delivered. This is not Shepard's favorite game in the Citadel.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning had the tools to create a truly unique rpg. With highly revered members involved in its development, Reckoning manages to be far from bad, but it commits a sin of a similar magnitude, it's boring. It's boring in its world design, characters, lore, and eventually its combat. It makes solid first impressions but ultimately overstays its welcome by a long shot. The plot isn't terrible, and instead has a good setup. You're resurrected from the dead and discover you're fateless in a world bounded by fate trapped in the middle of a war between mortals and evil immortals named the Tuatha. Beyond that, the story tries desperately hard to fall back on the lore these developers have created and it becomes a pitfall. The crazy amount of jargon the game requires you to remember makes it cumbersome to connect the story threads together. You'll be scratching your head as you hear "House of Ballads, Winter Fae, Mel Senshir, and The Great Cycle for the nth time. The biggest problem with the storytelling is that its always exposition heavy. Rather than seizing the opportunity and exploring the amount of lore they crafted for this universe, the characters that inhabit it tell rather than show. They lack interesting depth, most of them feeling outright boring. It doesn't help that most of them are assigned one character trait and even that's a stretch. The people that inhabit this universe exist solely for the purpose of either spewing something you already knew/could infer or giving you quests. By God, the amount of quests in this game is absolutely massive, so much so that it's a negative. It's not so much the amount, but rather how much of it is mundane and is a variant of either a "go here fetch/kill this" sort of quest. Even the people handing you the quests all feel the same. You accept quests not to learn more, but only to rid the exclamation point from your map and to gain some exp. The saving grace of this game is strangely the combat, which is great for an RPG. It's a satisfying blend of number crunching and skill for the first dozen or so hours. Building your character is also enjoyable, with the mix of skill trees, abilities divided among three classes, and destinies that you choose and develop that provide passive bonuses. It's significantly better and instantly more enjoyable than most open world RPGs because of how responsive and fluid it is and how you always feel the impact of your strikes. Despite this, the combat and skill system eventually fizzle out towards the end because enemies don't quite scale to your level as you progress, ultimately making the game laughably easy towards the end. Creating your own weapons and gear is remarkable, giving use to most items in the world and the ability to name your own gear is a nice bonus. Loot is constant and while a good amount of them you just sort to the junk pile, the variety of weapons ensures that you can tinker with any playstyle you desire, so far as to providing stealth as a valid option at times, which works well enough. Wanna be a stealth mage? A pure warrior? All three? It's up to you, and it's refreshing and why I kept pushing through the end despite any setbacks. Other than that, gameplay is relegated to exploration and talking to people the former of which is spent in fairly open MMO like zones peppered with enemies and loot and the latter being drowned in exposition and a dialogue wheel that has little effect on the outcome. The former is much enjoyable, but outside of combat, the game offers nothing else to keep your interest for very long. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning on the visual end, is a decent looking game. While the textures and geometric detail are nothing to marvel at, the color palette and art style is striking, for the first several areas. Eventually the overly WOW inspired look becomes monotonous, and its not until near the end does the setting shift enough to ease your eyes of the overstaying colorful palette. The music is even more forgettable, consisting of terribly vanilla RPG tracks that is serviceable at best. One good note I can point out is that Kingdoms of Amalur is generally bug free, keeping the experience as polished as possible and it runs like butter, a nice bonus. If I told you that you can easily spend over 60 hours in this game, you might imagine a thoroughly engaging game throughout, but truth be told, a good chunk of that time was spent in autopilot, breezing through battles and skipping every piece of dialogue after the 20 hour mark. There is obvious love and hard work put into this project, but Kingdom of Amalur's main weaknesses of poor writing and the general averageness of everything else besides the combat ultimately keeps the experience from becoming anything more than vanilla. It might not be bad, but it sure can be boring.
Metal Gear Solid V is the best stealth action game ever made. The myriad of options it gives you is mind boggling. How you approach your mission, how to get there, how much you wanna do, what you wanna use; each of these disparate elements are often toted by other games as selling points, but none give you as much freedom as The Phantom Pain does. Kojima's sendoff for the Metal Gear franchise is rife with controversy, and infuriates a number of fans over lack of content and story decisions, but no other game in so many years gave me so much fun and accessibility as this one. While I am not an avid follower of the Metal Gear franchise, I can say I have a basic understanding of the game's chronology. Taking place before Metal Gear, The Phantom Pain pits you in the shoes of Big Boss, the legendary hero who is now engaged in a proxy war against a shadow ops organization named Cipher in order to quell yet another threat to world peace. Where the story continues from here is a culmination of all the past Metal Gears in terms of theme and tone (although this entry has the most disturbing content), ending in a plot twist that divides fans and newcomers alike. I somewhat saw it coming, but I can't say I'm upset over the reveal. It puts the whole game in a very different context and even cheapens your actions a little by the end, but it's still a genuine head turner. The other plot points the game goes through is actually quite sparse given that most mission story content is contained in mission briefings and debriefings. Much of the actual story and context is hidden in the endless amount of tapes that is essential to understand just what the hell is going on. This results in the lack of cutscenes that have way more impact, and the narrativve ultimately suffers because of it. There also comes the controversy of the lack of story content, which is true given the the second chapter of the story is often devoid of story and instead peppered with repeat missions and a plot takes place out of order. It's not bad, but it's painfully devoid of anything. The story might not win fans over, but the gameplay is light-years ahead in quality. To begin, the controls are smooth as butter. It's easy to command Big Boss from an action hero to a stealthy op in a heartbeat. This carries over to the gameplay which for only better, give you complete reign in how you want to tackle a mission. While the objectives are often the "go here, extract/rescue/kill that" shtick, it's always fun because it's dynamic. Guard placements, reactions, and equipment are tailored to how you've been playing, which ends up giving me a challenge. Best of all, this is all tied in to the Mother Base, you're safe haven to develop your growing private army and equipment. It's this sort of minigame that takes place within your iDroid that will surprisingly take up an astounding chunk of your time. It feels like an RPG in the development sense, without the number crunching. Capturing enemy soldiers to fulton and make them work for you incentives stealth play, and adds a layer of depth to the gameplay. All these parts combined make Metal Gear Solid V such a fantastic experience to play, and even repeating missions, which is often a headcase in other games, is another opportunity to build your private army and Big Boss himself. Among smaller details, the music is quite bombastic and serves the game's setting well in addition to the game's time appropriate licensed soundtrack. Sound effects are crisp and pop, making firefights always engaging, but it's the visuals that stand out. Never before has there been as much cinematic flair contained in the visuals, and the Fox Engine supports that and more. There is a surprising amount of detail to everything and leans towards the more photorealistic side, with ultra detailed character models and environments. This is all wrapped in an insanely well optimized game that saw me close to maxed out settings and an always constant 60 fps. While the swan song of Kojima isn't perfect with long time fans, it's a more than capable game that can keep you entertained dozens of hours on end while still giving you control. For me, it's the best stealth action game ever made, and I've been waiting for something like this for a long time.
Dead Island: Riptide isn't so much a sequel, but rather a giant DLC. Riptide retreads almost everything about the first entry from setting, gameplay, and even the same problems it contained. For starters, Riptide still revolves around the four survivors from the previous entry but get stranded on, you guessed it, an island. With the addition of an extra character whose sole purpose is to grate my ears with his voice performance, the plot is still woefully absent and pretty terrible in general. These two games will not be known for engrossing plots by any sane person, and I'm totally fine with that. Even without me caring much for the story or its characters, Riptide falls short in many other aspects as well. The setting, while at times gorgeous because of the good use of color, is marred by the absolutely dated engine. Character animations aside from the undead are just poor and the addition of motion blur hurts more than helps. Textures are often low-res and character models are just ugly looking. Add to the fact that the frame-rate drops like crazy with an absolutely horrible screen tearing and you have an inconsistent game from the visual standpoint alone. The audio design is a good amount better, with appropriately disturbing zombie noises and hearing the dismemberment as you cut away at their flesh is equal parts satisfying. The music isn't anything special, but you don't notice it half the time. The main sticking point is the gameplay, and for both good and bad, it's still largely the same from the first Dead Island. Tweaks have been made to make it less frustrating such as longer melee weapon use and expanded skill trees, which is a good amount of fun to allocate skill points into. Combating the dead is still the same fun and bore as it was. While dismembering zombies are fun, the mediocre hit detection and level scaling make certain sections an absolute chore to plow through. Riptide is still as grind dependent, and if that's your cup of tea, it's suitable. It just becomes monotonous when that's all there is to the game, even with the newly added defense sections. Exploring the island is enjoyable, but doesn't help much when you feel disconnected. There's a lack of personality and interesting stories contained within Riptide, a noticeable issue that remained from the first iteration. When this game is clicking, it's a joyous hack and grind game, but when it's not, it's a frustrating and inconsistent mess. The two Dead Island games are essentially twins, choosing one over the other bares little difference other than Riptide providing a slightly tweaked experience. But there's no justifying the absolute lack of substantial improvements in many of the game's aspects from visuals to design. It's mindless fun when you really don't care, but observing any closer just reveals how muddled the experience is.
Silent Hill: Origins is a testament to how fantastic Team Silent was in crafting the first few games in this series, because this entry has almost nothing of the same level of quality. Being a port of the PSP, Origins on the PS2 fails on key aspects on both being a Silent Hill game and as a survival horror game in its own right. To begin, Silent Hill: Origins falls short in visual design. Being a port of the PSP hurt enough, but Origins also lacks creativity in creating an appealing art style. The Team Silent games, despite the limitations of the PS2, found ways to make the game great-looking on the artistic scale. The Silent Hill portrayed here lacks grit and visual cues to draw in players. The various levels and their Otherworld counterparts lack terror or nuance for them to be any excitement to trod through. Textures are visibly low res, and the character models are undoubtedly below average looking. To top it off, there's an unbearably distracting film grain that covers the screen throughout and the inability to disable it is a big fat minus. It's far from the worst game from a visual standpoint, but it's barely average. This same mediocrity carries over into the gameplay, where enemies are either stupidly blind or easy to dispose of. The fact that you can walk by most enemies in the game in addition to their lackluster encounters doesn't help. Because of this, much of the survival element is lost. But how do the puzzles fare? They are slightly better than the combat, but that wouldn't be saying much. They're decent, but shockingly easy to figure out, it's only the cleverness of the puzzles that carry it along at a ho-hum rate. The best aspect of the gameplay is the exploration, which is largely the same with the exception of uninteresting level design, which brings down the whole aspect to an average feeling. This is further marred by the level design, which lacks any genuine surprises, even in the Otherworld, which only serves to pad the game because there is almost no difference in design and quality of the levels. Combine all this together and you get a painfully boring ride through the once terrifying Silent Hill. The story this time centers around Travis, a trucker who serves as the catalyst for the series events given that this is an origin story and how that came about is the driving force of the story. Because of this, most of the characters from the first Silent Hill make a return, but for the worse. Their encounters are brief, but so out of character that it betrays their essence and makes me wonder if they were the same characters at all. So the falling point of this plot is Travis's backstory, which makes a valiant effort in getting the player invested, to which I did for the most part, but nowhere close to same level I had for the first few games. It's not bad by any means, just hardly as compelling considering it copies Silent Hill 2's backstory. The events that lead to the first game is quite frankly stupid and has little emotional connection to the character/player experiencing it and feels disjointed. Much of the subtle nuances are absent in favor of completely conventional storytelling and a lack of surprises or things that we already didn't know. There is a clear plot, but also a severe lack of heart or even logic. Near the end, you'll be unsatisfied and wishing it would finish sooner. Silent Hill: Origins, above all else, isn't scary and isn't even remotely close. This is because of the lack of emotional connection to the events at hand as well as the lackluster enemy design which range from meh to just downright stupid. Absolutely nothing will scare you in this game, if you can see anything because this game is too dark to even know where to go. The audio design from Akira Yamaoka isn't as good, because of a lack of ambient sound design to make you at unease. The musical score, however, is quite good and reflects some of the great work that he's produced in the past. Silent Hill: Origins won't win fans or newcomers over at all. It's flaws are too obvious too ignore, but it's the severe lack of what made the previous games special is its greatest downfall. It all too much feels like Origins is filling a checkbox on the mechanical aspect of what comprises the Silent Hill name without adding the more thematic nuances or smart use of them in conjunction with the game design. It lacks heart and creativity and you'll be wishing it's over before it actually is.
The third iteration to the beloved Silent Hill franchise is looked upon with heavy expectations. Does it continue what made the previous two so loved and memorable? To put it shortly: absolutely. More than anything else, Silent Hill 3 carves out its own identity while improving upon the last game, which is already a tall order in itself. While not perfect or even as engrossing as the second Silent Hill, this entry is a superb addition that does things quite differently and does it extremely well. Silent Hill 3, unlike the second, isn't a departure, but rather a continuation on the first game's plot. Playing as Heather Mason, the adopted daughter of Harry Mason, you are thrust into a nightmarish version of reality right from the get-go. The plot has the most striking personality mainly because of Heather herself, who is easily the most likable of the protagonists so far. While I enjoyed the freedom the last two protagonists provided in terms of allowing the players to project themselves unto the characters, having Heather give her own take on the events that surround her journey is fantastic and interesting throughout. The plot returns to the "demonic cult" roots of the first game, but the addition of Heather along with a more interesting cast of characters than the first game had me glued to the screen much longer than the first did. The story is still wonderfully subtle in its delivery, but isn't afraid to tell you some of its answers straight up. While I did not enjoy the game's conclusion as much as the game wanted me to, the journey up to that point was just as fantastic as the games that came before. The returning Akira Yamaoka's audio design has reached peak levels with regards to Silent Hill 3. The audio is just mixed to a fever pitch and is absolutely terrifying. Rather than the feeling of emptiness, Silent Hill 3 returns to its roots and is an absolute terror-fest, which is reflected in the audio design. Noises are much more unsettling and disturbing, and the monster noises still send a chill to my bone even after encountering them countless times. With regards to the more conventional tracks, Silent Hill 3 is also different in personality. There is a softer punk rock tone that easily relates to the character and the scenes that contain these tracks are much more impactful as a result. They carry a much more direct emotional tone because of Heather's personality and I love it. It goes without saying that Silent Hill 3 is the scariest out of all the Silent Hill games, prior and after, because of how it fuses its gameplay along with audio, pacing, and creative design. Monster encounter is much more frequent and their unsettling design mixed with how the level design makes you come into close contact every time is a horror opus. This is only further heightened by the fact that the survival elements are much stricter this time around. Ammo and health items are extremely scarce to the point where avoiding enemies becomes necessary for survival. It's both frantic and exhilarating at once. The areas Heather must traverse, is equal parts terrifying, littered with disturbing or unexplained imagery. The visual design conveys a world marred in blood and rust, and its non-stop. The puzzle design is equally impressive, requiring players to not only solve cryptic messages but rather interpret them with the environment around them, an improvement over the first two's puzzles. With all its improvements towards building a terrifying atmosphere, Silent Hill 3 contains a few missteps that keep it from greatness. The boss encounters suffers the same problem as the first, but more so that they don't really require much from the player to overcome, although they are at least tied to the story at hand. In addition one particular voice actor was so out of place that it actually took me out of the experience whenever his character spoke. Also, the train level design in particular, while terrifying never really gave enough information to the player for me to know what to do next. It becomes an annoyance when I actually have to look online to figure out. Despite its few shortcomings, Silent Hill 3 is one of the best Silent Hill games while being the scariest of them. Even if it doesn't reach the levels of poignancy and enthrallment Silent Hill 2 constantly rode, this third entry set out to create an experience unlike any other in the horror genre and improves on the more important aspects that made Silent Hill so great. It's not the symbolic opus of the series, but rather a masterpiece in terror.
In the history of games, few games come close to Silent Hill 2 in design communicating with gameplay to craft an experience not wrought with fun, but with a lasting impression of both melancholy and ardency. The follow up to the first Silent Hill contains similarities and differences in all the right places to ensure players guiding the protagonist through the eponymous town not leave without food for thought. Remaining from the first Silent Hill is an improved take on its survival horror gameplay. Players explore the fogged town, survive its monstrosities, and solve a greater number of puzzles than ever before. Each element is tweaked to an ever higher quality, and considering the game's greater focus in immersing the players, the complete lack of a HUD serves to accentuate its mechanics which is designed to communicate an omnipresent feeling of dread. Despite the much functional similarities, Silent Hill 2's differences from the first is what marks it as the magnum opus in the survival horror genre. This time around players guide James Sunderland, a man who traverses the town in search of his dead wife, only driven by a letter sent by her which is deemed impossible. I won't delve into further story details, but it is Silent Hill 2's greatest aspect and the reason to continue. The journey undergone by James Sunderland will send him through severely dark moments and one that expertly explores the human psyche without being blatant. It is a genius take and by the game's conclusion, you as the player will feel changed to an extent in addition to being exhausted. It is a draining experience that is both beautiful and dreadful as a result of its story points and how it conveys it to you. Not one moment is spelled out for the player, and much like the first Silent Hill, ultimately trusts the player in uncovering the town's mysteries and why James is there in the first place. It is much more effective and nuanced in its subtlety and themes, and stands as a hallmark in how to tell story in videogames. Rather than a blanket of terror, this iteration communicates a greater sense of emptiness, and it works beautifully. Much of the time, players will hardly engage in combat, but rather walk the empty town and its buildings. When you do come across the town's monstrosities, they are disturbing in how unconventional they are. Gone are the blood and rust stained enemies of before replaced with creatures that are more intricately tied with the plot in hand, and serves to tell a player a story without words. James isn't totally alone in here, but the few souls he comes across contribute in allowing the player to learn the story at hand, while unmasking the themes tied to both James and the few people he comes across, sane or not. Like the first game, Silent Hill 2's audio is a lesson in how to build terror. But this time around, the few musical tracks scattered throughout are masterfully crafted and thematically tied to its tone and feeling. The feelings of emptiness and melancholy is captured to a fever pitch by Akira Yamaoka, and this iteration is easily his best work. Some of these tracks will long remain in your mind by the game's conclusion and that is a testament in audio design congealing with feeling. But among all things, Silent Hill 2 is still a horror game at heart, and while some may walk away unafraid at what the game threw at them, it was hardly a matter of conveying fear. Silent Hill 2's story wasn't one to terrify, but rather unsettle, not out of the monstrosities that inhabit the town, but instead what sickeningly dark secret and motives drew the player in the first place. It's explicit, but so overt that it's tasteful and well thought out. It's unsettling in the sense it guides the player not through a blood soaked hallway, but rather a hallway filled with symbolic apertures waiting to peered in. It guides you along while giving you no return till you finish what you started. It's a horror game that defeats you and allows triumph in scant moments. In as few words as possible, Silent Hill 2 is a work of art, one that is symbolic and tied to design. It lacks any fun and enjoyment to rack any GOTY awards, but it is magnitudes higher in delivering an engrossing experience that will stick with you long after you have left the game. It isn't a sole classic in the horror genre, but games in general in providing a storytelling experience like no other. James Sunderland's journey through the eponymous town is wrought with stilted voice acting, long stretches of nothing, and cryptic messages, but every element crafted for this game has purpose, and everything fits so perfectly, including parts that appear to be flaws heighten the experience to perfection. Even returning again brings about new insights in addition to endings shaped by the player's actions in subtle ways. It's perfect through its imperfections. 16 years after its release, no other videogame has been quite as cerebral and effective.
The original Silent Hill began what was once considered the greatest horror franchise in videogames, but what did it do specifically to spark this? For one, it crafted an atmosphere so thick and dreadful, nothing could match it for the time. Combine this with horror that delivers through subtlety and anticipation, a complex but hidden story, and a haunting soundtrack, this first entry would undoubtedly pave its way into the horror classics. The focus point of Silent Hill centers around its own name, the eponymous town in which the game takes place. Once a peaceful resort town now has been corrupted by demonic forces and the protagonist, Harry Mason enters the town in search of his daughter following a car crash. For the PS1 era, Silent Hill was a technical marvel in crafting ambiance because of the hardware limitations. What was once terrible pop-in as a result of the poor draw distance has been masked in darkness and fog. This design choice only served to heighten the tension when traversing the town, either running or confronting its monstrosities. The visuals do not hold up today, but they work for the game well enough and conveys enough information amidst all the low resolution textures. I won't delve anymore into story details, but do know that it is a well-crafted story that at first seems to ride the "evil cult" schtick, but it is great at drawing in the player to learn more. The voice acting is monotone and flat and doesn't carry acceptable quality for a modern day playthrough, but the strangeness of it does exemplify Silent Hill in general. The soundtrack however is something to marvel at. The genius behind the ambient soundtrack is Akira Yamaoka, who would go on to craft the soundtrack for the other Silent Hill games. The mix of dark ambiance exudes mystery and uneasy foreboding, but when it wants to draw in the feeling of horror, the soundtrack melts into a rhythm of noises that shouldn't qualify as music, but is ever so effective at heightening the horror. It's not something to listen to on a slow day, but it accomplishes the feeling of horror like no other. The same can be said for the sound design in general. Absent are the loud crashing noises accompanied by a jumpscare, instead only subtle noises and complete silence compliment the game's different areas and it works fantastically, even for today's standards. Complimenting the horror is the gameplay, and this is where many today would find fault with (aside from the now blocky visuals). Silent Hill utilizes tank controls which at first is frustrating, but is ultimately easy to accustom to and almost necessary to make maneuvering with the constantly shifting camera angles that much easier. The main gameplay revolves around guiding Harry Mason around Silent Hill, taking him from locations such as a hospital to an elementary school. The game really pushes the survival aspect more than its predecessor. Ammo and health items are scarce to a point where I genuinely avoided enemies as much as I could which in turn added to the tension and horror aspect of the game. Confronting enemies isn't a frustrating mess as many would make it out to be, it's simply the game encouraging you to avoid it if possible. There are boss encounters in the game, though I would describe them as the worst part of the game. They do little to serve the game's purpose other than remind me I'm playing a videogame. On occassion, Harry Mason would come across puzzles, though these puzzles revolve more around deciphering text and messages on its own context. They are well-crafted and my complaint only is that they are sparse and few in number. Silent Hill, unlike Resident Evil, is so much more effective in horror not purely because of its seemingly arbitrary control scheme or mechanics, but how it uses them in conjunction with sound, atmosphere, and storytelling. Every monster is tied symbolically to the town and every line of dialogue isn't there to pass the time, but to hint at character motives or reveal subtle clues on the greater story at hand. It's psychological horror in full swing, and not a single mechanic is there as filter. Exploring the town is a test in itself and reaching the game's multiple conclusions is a direct result of the player's actions, not a stop in time and allowing you to choose one of two binary decisions. It respects the player's ability to beat it, and even if you find no challenge, the game's multiple difficulties surely will with the enticement of new endings and use of equipment. Silent Hill is far from perfect. It's dated look would hardly terrify you if it bothered you throughout. The bosses do little out of the ordinary. The controls, while intended, occasionally let me down when I needed them most and is an unfortunate tradeoff for the scares to take place. The voice acting is hardly average. But Silent Hill was above and beyond for its time and impresses to me to this day. It's a classic tale in how to create horror.
Transistor's strengths and disadvantages lie in its departure from Bastion. Its story structure and combat system is alien to Bastion, but what remains is easily one of the best games of 2014 coupled with one of the greatest soundtracks in gaming. My favorite aspect of Transistor (aside from its soundtrack) is its absolutely superb combat system. It's unlike anything else I've played and the closest comparison I can draw is the VATS system from the Fallout games. You have to manage real time and paused turns in addition the many abilities granted to the player via the Transistor. It allows you to mix these "functions" as a main ability, upgrade, or a passive ability. Options like these grant over 100 different combinations if not more. The Process, which serves as the game's enemies compliment this system very well and the addition of limiters and the ability to customize your own difficulty for higher rewards trumps Bastion's fully real time battle system. The Transistor's battle system is like solving a puzzle every enemy encounter and the game's addition of its "backrooms" which offers challenge tests and a place to wind down speaks volumes of the strength of this game's combat. It's equal parts satisfying, rewarding, challenging, and even fantastic for a New Game+. There is a slight learning curve, most especially at the beginning, but getting past that point won't take too long. The story of Transistor is also a departure from Bastion in the sense it doesn't give you any details about the world and setting right away. It's vague in the best definition, and I can't fault it for that. Much of the narration revolves around the mysterious voice omitted from the Transistor, who serves more like a sidekick since he's not omnipotent. You control a stage performer named "Red" who lost her voice after an incident by her assailants. I won't discuss plot details any more than that, but many of the details surrounding the characters and the world they inhibit come from text that you read in terminals scattered about in addition to the game's menus. This style of storytelling trusts the player's to piece it together but still leaves plenty of room for their own interpretation, especially at the game's conclusion. I will say that I didn't enjoy the game's ending as much as I wanted to, mainly because it felt a little too sappy for me, but given that it's open for interpretation, it's fitting for the game's themes and the character of Red and her relationship with the mysterious character that accompanies you throughout. The real problem with the story actually lies in how it clashes with the combat system. The stop-and-go style of gameplay interrupts with the fast paced story, which Bastion did not suffer from since everything was in real-time. The flow of it ends up jittery more than graceful, but it's a design decision that ultimately benefits the game in the end in favor of its amazing combat system. The story, while not perfectly paced, trusts the players without being nonsensical. It's not vague for the sake of it, but rather to suit its style and themes, and I applaud it for that. Speaking of style, Transistor is absolutely gorgeous. You hear plenty of people scoff **** sports an "artistic style", but the work of Supergiant games in creating Transistor's setting is unlike anything I've seen. The game is viewed from an isometric standpoint and the art paints a picture closer to virtual reality that a painting, but this same art style appears to be achieved by means of brush. It's difficult to describe, but it is utterly gorgeous. Every inch of this game is packed with so much visual love that it seems no other aspect in the game could surpass it, except for its soundtrack. Darren Korb's work in crafting Transistor's soundtrack is nothing short of legendary. I understand that everyone has different musical tastes, but it is incredibly difficult to spot anything wrong with Transistor's soundtrack. I love every track but the ones containing Ashley Barrett's vocals are equal parts haunting and beautiful. It also helps that the lyrics allude to the game's plot, which is always a neat touch. Korb's mixing of different instruments create Transistor's own identity, while making me buy the soundtrack of the game, which is a sign of an amazing soundtrack. Transistor has flaws, specifically of those tied to the story and how it's way of telling it may turn players away and clashes with its battle system's but I wouldn't have any other way. It's triumphs are of a high order and succeeds as a worthy follow-up to Bastion and even surpasses it in key aspects such as style and soundtrack, things that Bastion was already revered for. Transistor is also replayable, and tied with its superb combat, makes it an even sweeter deal. It is easily one of the best games of 2014, and a shining example in style blending well with function.
Her Story breaks the conventional barrier with how unconventional it is. It subverts your expectations of what constitutes a game and might infuriate you, but it is well crafted and commits to its purpose of letting you uncover its story. Going into it, I had initial expectations of playing detective and piecing together evidence, which is true to an extent. However this small title achieves this by simple watching of short clips as short as a few seconds to a little over a minute. The only "actress" plays a woman being interviewed regarding her husband's death. It's easy to assume who the culprit is, but the meat and backbone of this story rests on the believability of the character and the details that surround the story. It's as simple as typing in keywords you observe and watching the clips that correspond, but it was very interesting and learning most of her motives by the end is a challenge. It's not chronological, but it's designed in a way that it tailors your interest until you pull the curtains and reach a poignant conclusion only described in text. Her Story isn't exactly astounding, the actress isn't always spot on in her delivery and because of the total reliance on her performance, it hurts some key story "clips". It's not exactly fun either and can be frustrating when you become stumped at conjuring words to obtain more clips. Some of the clips drag on, and others are insanely short and irrelevant (even to the smaller details that matter) it boggles me as to why they were included. It's definitely under fire by the community for not being a game and this backlash isn't totally unfounded, there isn't anything that resembles game mechanics aside from an othello clone you'll play for one achievement, but Her Story is an engaging experiment that succeeds in what it set out to do. We need more games like Her Story not for the sake of telling a story, but for how it conveys its story to its players, trusting them to piece it together.
Isaac Clarke is quite literally the unluckiest engineer in the universe, having to fend off the unrelenting hordes of the necromorphs while uncovering a rather macabre cult centered around offing themselves can be taxing. Dead Space provides this premise in one of the more memorable survival horror games of the generation. The gameplay of Dead Space is centered around Isaac utilizing everyday engineering tools to fight off the necromorphs not by simple chest shots, but by dismemberment which doles out more punishment. Using the third person control scheme, Dead Space's combat is extremely satisfying since every shot feels like it has impact and the dismemberment of enemies is astounding in an audiovisual standpoint. Backing this up is the game's attempt to immerse you with the lack of a distracting HUD. Everything is displayed in real time or displayed on Isaac's person himself, increasing the immersion and tension twofold. The setting where the game takes place, the USG Ishimura, is a deeply interesting and terrifying place to explore but gods be damned if they don't have half of all the flickering lights in existence. Despite that, it is a believable place where people lived once and takes Isaac into countless memorable places. The necromorphs that inhabit this decrepit setting serves as the real star of Dead Space. They're expertly designed while being just as disturbing. The regenerator in particular served as an exciting setpiece with how it cannot be killed with conventional means forcing you to use the environment to dispose of it. Enemy encounter is well paced throughout the Ishimura although I wished there were a few more enemy types to vary the encounters a slight bit. The story which serves as the driving force of the game centers around Isaac Clarke navigating the Ishimura in search of his girlfriend Nicole, who is somewhere in the Necromorph infested ship. The story takes cues from films like Event Horizon and the original Alien by instilling a fear of both dread and mystery. While slightly on the predictable in terms of who double crosses who, the plot is enthralling and serves the mood and tone of the story incredibly well. Although I didn't enjoy the ending as much as I would like considering it ends too much like a horror film. The layer of intrigue and memos scattered about covey just enough information to the player to prod them about without getting too exposition heavy, though at one point the supposed villain delivers an unnecessary exposition dump. The characters that inhabit Dead Space deliver some eye rolling lines but behave appropriately for the given situation and their voice acting is well above average. Despite the number of praises I might have for the game, Dead Space fails to deliver in one key area: horror. The first few hours of Dead Space are without a doubt excruciatingly terrifying given that this is the player's first encounter with the Necromorphs supplemented by the phenomenal sound design, which is an excellent mix of ambient and panic. However, the game loses much of its horror towards its conclusion not as a result of non-terrifying enemies, but rather how you encounter them and the tools the game gives you. Playing Dead Space on normal was shockingly easy to get by and because of that, enemies don't terrify you if you don't fear dying in-game. This is added by the fact the game throws enemies at you like mad. It's important to convey horror by pacing the horror to build suspense, and instead Dead Space throws enemies at you whenever possible. It becomes predictable to guess where they may come about and because of this repetition, the horror aspect become almost a distant reality and makes way for the fun of the game, which becomes its saving grace. Dead Space failing in this cornerstone should not detract players from enjoying one of the finer survival horror games in a long time. The gameplay is excellent and gratifying backed by an upgrade system that encourages a second run (though the lack of changing difficulties is a bummer). The sound design is pitch perfect. The plot is interesting and ambitious, which caters an awesome setting to explore. Dead Space more than makes up its shortcoming by being that game in the unorthodox survival horror game which prioritizes fun over scares, and I'm more than happy for that.
Playing Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition would be my first time experiencing the undercover cop journey of Wei Shen, so naturally first impressions would be key at setting the tone. Sleeping Dogs delivers on good impressions for the first few hours by showcasing solid graphics and an inviting setting which happens to be the bustling center of Hong Kong. The gameplay, which involves a quite compelling Arkham-esque fighting system of attacks and counters keeps you entertained for the first few hours you spend in the shoes of an undercover cop battling loyalties and rival triads. Despite this solid first impression, Sleeping Dogs's plot falls into the predictable realm while its gameplay almost threatens to fall apart, but it holds itself together until the solid ending which reminds me of the good Hong Kong gangster films. While many might pass off Sleeping Dogs's gameplay as run of the mill and copy-paste, it's extremely fun (referring to the hand to hand combat). The driving doesn't really fall into the realism spectrum instead opting for a more aracdey handling that ultimately lends to its classic action film vibe. When guns do come about, the shooting feels solid and this combined with the sections where you shoot and drive, is visually appealing. Sleeping Dogs is hardly challenging and the AI is rock dumb, but the systems in place work well enough to carry the game for its first several hours before encounters become predictable and laughably easy towards the end. The story of Wei Shen deciding between his loyalties as an undercover cop is backed by solid voice acting, though I wished they utilized Cantonese more rather than a heavily accented English with Cantonese quips every now and then. Wei Shen is a decidedly interesting character for the most part although he won't be stuck in my mind for very long. The rest of the cast is surprisingly cookie cutter though with predictable motives and actions. It became monotonous when I called every story bit and with little story twists, much of the emotional impact was lost as a result. Despite this, there was a valiant effort in at least capturing that undertone of tested loyalties and action movie prowess. The setpieces when they're good are thrilling and are reminiscent of good action movies, when they're not it becomes busywork with easy gameplay to accompany it. The open world of Hong Kong, while not as expansive as San Andreas or other sandboxes has a unique identity of its own. Shopkeepers and citizens bustle about in a believable fashion and the locations you visit are visually interesting enough to make you want to explore. However the activities that inhabit this world are not as successful. Drug busts and favors are hardly challenging, but yield satisfying enough rewards for you to complete them. Most activities in the open world feed into the upgrade system, which is divided into three different trees in which certain activities feed specific trees, which help push the player into doing these activities, despite most of them actually amounting to busy work. The cop jobs are surprisingly lame, but the races in addition to the handling of the cars had me scrounging cash to purchase a new car, a feature that I found Sleeping Dogs does way better than other open world games. Sleeping Dogs shortcomings are one of story miscues and gameplay that doesn't back it up or reinvents itself along the way to stay refreshing. It feels closer to an action game set in a pretty open world as a result of ts mundane side activities (save for the races). However, there are certainly things to enjoy here. The humor often feels appropriate, the gameplay is an action movie throwback, and the setpieces are well scripted enough to carry you along despite the lack of challenge. The two DLCs packed in this edition are well below average as they lack any substance since they are a glorified collection of side missions with somehow even worse gameplay, so their addition does little to help the overall game. With that said, there is a remarkable amount of polish in the game as I experienced very little glitches of hiccups. It runs very well and looks very solid and appropriate. Sleeping Dogs won't be breaking the bank or any awards show, but it is a solid game with a good amount of polish. Spending close to 20 hours in Hong Kong is a good value for a game that does things a little above average at best.
Oxenfree is among all things, an experiment into the familiar that works out mostly in the end. For one, it's not particularly original since the essence of time loops and teenagers are as familiar as vanilla. However, it is the way this short title achieves is its achievement. The use of dialogue and visual/audio appeal lend to at times unsettling atmosphere, that is until you figure out where the story is headed towards the end. The characters in Oxenfree won't be stuck in my mind for years to come, but they are fleshed out and serve the story very well and the fact that you can alter their outcome in the end is more than welcome. For a small title, there is a shocking amount of detail put into the game from the amount of dialogue to the literal detail in the environment you explore. Edwards Island has very discernible locations and the music that accompanies you is of superb quality. Despite this, Oxenfree does shockingly little out of the ordinary in terms of storytelling. As I mentioned before, the time loop caveat is quite predictable but the well rounded cast makes you want to see it through to the end. It's replayable but more so in the sense of what different choices you make rather than actual game mechanics, which is fine. It is important to note that Oxenfree is a pure story based adventure game; it isn't fun but it is engrossing at times. When Oxenfree isn't hitting it's high notes, it's run of the mill and almost yawn inducing, but when it hits its high notes its oddly poignant and touching and the music alone makes me want to purchase the soundtrack, so that's a definitely plus for a story that relies on Groundhog Day (the film) mechanics.
Fallout: New Vegas grants players the freedom to tackle the world the way they wish and this is in no way a hyperbole. What many RPGs lack in actual player freedom, New Vegas offers in droves. While this absolute ambition eventually causes the game to chug in some areas and its overall stability, its other parts more than make up for what is the best Fallout game to be released. Taking place in the Mojave desert, Obsidian does right by not continuing the story of Fallout 3, rather just having a new setting altogether with its own lore, mechanics, and factions. Speaking of factions, they are much more fleshed out and less clear cut as opposed to the black and white factions of The Enclave and The Brotherhood of Fallout 3. The NCR, Legion, Mr. House, and the Brotherhood are deeply interesting and have a vested interest in controlling the Strip where your character decides the fate of the Mojave. Unlike Fallout 3, New Vegas's mechanics support any build you can think of rather than just the typical combat savvy wastelander. New Vegas also does right by having much more gray decisions as opposed to the farcically binary choices present in Bethesda's version of the Wasteland. In total, Fallout: New Vegas is a much closer vision to the originals while expanding upon them. The mechanics in addition are more RPG centric, meaning it is much easier to build a specific class. The inclusion of a survival mode further notions the post-apocalyptic feel to the universe that Fallout 3 couldn't achieve mechanically despite it being visually more representative of a post apocalypse. The Mojave Wasteland, while not as bleak as the Capital Wasteland, is a much more appealing and mechanically sound area to explore with its design centered around funneling the main character to specific areas of interest should they choose to enact on it. The areas and vaults are much more enticing to explore this time around as they each have either a visual or lore based story to tell in addition to being cooler to look at. Your companions this time around are much more interesting with their own story and sidequest to accompany each of them while they can chime in on the main quest on hand. The main quest pits you as a courier who at first is looking for the man who shot and left you for dead at the beginning of the game but it eventually shifts to siding with one faction over who controls The Strip and eventually the Mojave Wasteland. It's well paced and filled with enough twists and turns that remain in theme with the Fallout name but its the freedom granted in how you tackle this quest that makes it so memorable. Despite the praises New Vegas might accumulate, it has faulty aspects as well. For one, the ambition and freedom the game possesses leads to hiccups in the now outdated engine used in Fallout 3. Numerous glitches including broken quests, broken AI, and visual oddities to the point of needing a patch. Without mods, the game has a rough look resulting from the use of that same engine. When you finally reach the Strip you'd expect a lively area, but instead you get the feeling that a tumbleweed would eventually roll in. Given these faults, Fallout: New Vegas more than earns the moniker of the "best" Fallout game since it sticks to what makes the Fallout name so great while expanding upon it with dark humor mixed with serious undertones wrapped in a game that gives player freedom in droves, something that many games who tout the same fail to deliver. Patrolling the Mojave doesn't make you wish for a nuclear winter, it gives you a damn good time.
Old World Blues is easily the strongest of the New Vegas DLCs. It sports a healthy dose of sidequests, new weapons, lore, and monikers the classic Fallout dark humor in all its glory. Speaking of humor, the ones that exist here are the strongest in the franchise with more brilliant fourth wall breaks and expositional dumps that aren't as hard to chew through as one might imagine. Although that seems pleasing, it takes an incredibly long amount of time for the game to actually get started and it hurts the overall pacing of the game. Your companions (appliances) are some of the best characters in the Fallout universe by downplaying their serious motivations given that they are household electronics. They are a lovable bunch and actually play a role gameplay wise. Gameplay wise, Old World Blues does its absolute best to integrate classic New Vegas gameplay into the mix given it takes place in one giant complex and it **** the most part. While the usual caveat of stealth action and some new perks are great throwaways, the enemies do very little to challenge you and makes encountering them monotonous for the most part. The locations you are confined to explore in addition are not particularly interesting save for the lore that exists within this decently sized area that should take you about 5 hours to see all the ins and outs of Old World Blues. The funniest Fallout addition has quirks in keeping you interested when playing and exploring, but its combination of classic humor and general nuttiness is something so refreshing if you tire of the spells of seriousness that exist in the other DLCs, which makes this one the strongest of the bunch,
The first thing I noticed about Deadly Premonition, and something that has remained true, is that I love its soundtrack. A few select tracks are used maybe a little too often, but the music perfectly fits the odd tone of the game, and is pretty damn catchy. Even as I am writing this review, I find myself humming a few of its tunes. This is a case where the soundtrack isn't just good, but is a big part of this game. I am convinced the game may not have been as well received by as many if it didn't have this off-kilter soundtrack that really gets you into the mood for the oddness the game throws at you. The next thing I and about anyone else will notice is that this game looks dated. It's something of a miracle that a game in this graphical condition was released as a published disk-based console title in this day and age. It looks dated, but then controversially I would say the look fits the game. It sort of sets you into a set of expectations for the sort of game you're about to play. This may be backwards logic, but if the game had looked amazing I feel a lot of people would of found the actuality of the game to be lackluster to its looks. And as the game goes on, the odd facial expressions and clunky animations become very amusing. Notably, the Director's Cut does update the graphics some, but honestly its hardly noticeable. The rest rolls from there. The controls are a bit awkward, but you adjust. The first chapter isn't all that great, but it gets better. And before you know it, you start getting hooked into the game. I know I did. And it's the type of game you want to talk about. Heavily inspired by Twin Peaks (to a point in development the game got in legal trouble for far too many similarities that they had to change it, back when the game was known as Rainy Woods), the story follows the same basic premise; An FBI agent goes to investigate the homicide of a local high school beauty in a small pacific-northwestern town, but the town has a darker side the FBI agent discovers as he gets deeper into the case. The town is Greenvale, and our character in Deadly Premonition is Agent Francis York Morgan (but just call him York, that's what everybody calls him), an offbeat FBI agent who solves cases through odd measures, particularly of note in the fact he uses a system he calls profiling (that basically results to magic to figure out what happened by collecting clues), and see's shapes and messages in his morning coffee and newspaper that gives him clues to things to investigate. He also talks regularly to some unseen person named Zach. Many will quickly put together that 'Zach' is actually York's way of talking to the player, who only he seems to realize is watching everything, and who only he interacts with. Deadly Premonition has unforgettable characters. York stands out, as the player really begins to form a connection with their odd agent, but the rest of the cast are just as good. The likes of Emily, George, Thomas, Mr. Stewart, Polly, and the rest of the colorful cast will last with you long after the game has been completed. And the story legitimately begins to get gripping. Like the rest of the game, Deadly Premonition tells an odd tale, and honestly some of what occurs in the game is absolutely ridiculous, but somehow you'll legitimately care what's going on. That is when you're not laughing your off, as the game is somehow both intentionally and unintentionally hilarious at the same time. But it's more than just that, this game manages to actually be touching, and I found myself more emotionally involved with this game's story and characters than most any other game I've played in the last few years. And while I don't want to get ahead of myself, the last few hours of the game's story are unforgettable. Saying bye to York and the rest of Greenvale is up there as one of the hardest things I had to do as a gamer. Deadly Premonition is not just, 'so bad it's good' (though definitely parts of the game are just that). The game does some things absolutely wonderfully, really stellar and uniquely. But it does other things terribly, absolutely horribly. It has flaws, a lot of them. But somehow most of these flaws become strangely part of the whole experience. They sort of blend in with everything else and become part of the overall experience of Deadly Premonition. Not everyone will like Deadly Premonition, but the title since I've played it has taken on a fairly big cult following, for good reason. Deadly Premonition is more than the sum of its parts. It is an experience that can be absolutely despised or adored, but no other game will make you smile as much as DP does.
Lonesome Road serves as the final DLC for Fallout: New Vegas and it goes out in a literal bang. Tasked with one last assignment, the Courier must travel through the Divide while receiving messages from Ulysses, another courier armed with nuclear payloads. In many ways, its themes and tones are the most grim among the 4 DLCs. However, its gameplay elements do little to pick up the pace. Unlike previous DLCs, Lonesome Road is incredibly narrow with few opportunities to deviate from the main path. Unless you dumped enough points into your sneaking ability, you will do a hefty load of shooting, which becomes numbing throughout this 3 hour ride. The lore is the reason any Fallout fan would appreciate in this DLC since the catchphrase "War never changes." is reflected beautifully in the desolate landscape of the Divide and the stories that lie within. Ulysses himself is a great character but he is your only cache of story bits in terms of direct storytelling aside from the recurring ED-E who accompanies you for this final journey. In many ways Lonesome Road has the credentials to be the best of the DLC bunch with the amazing tone, characterization, and action setpieces. Too bad it does not support playstyles and it becomes numbing from all the gung-ho destruction in replacement of the occasional dark humor, which is painfully absent.
Fallout: New Vegas is in many aspects a true RPG. Respecting player builds and catering a game around whatever the player decides to do is an amazing achievement. Honest Hearts continues this achievement but does so in smaller increments and a much less compelling world and design. For $10, very little is added to the overall experience. In terms of world design, the change in scenery is certainly refreshing. However, the Zion Valley in which Honest Hearts takes place is unfortunately void of much interesting locations. At least a third of the area is littered with caves and there isn't much incentive to explore the 30+ different marked areas on the map. In terms of story, the introduction of Joshua Graham and the two tribes that are vying for control of the region is interesting, albeit brief distraction that I was able to finish all available sidequests within 3 hours. Nothing is different much in terms of gameplay, which is a good thing. The biggest disappointment comes in the underwhelming content. What's available is serviceable, just not groundbreaking in any way and at times, boring.
World at War for its time, looked to return the franchise back to its WW2 roots almost a year after its most critically acclaimed entry ever. Despite the use of the much loved IW 3.0 engine, which enabled smooth 60 fps despite all the ruckus on screen happening at once, the 5th entry into the mainstream franchise couldn't be much more carbon copy. If you want the best explanation of how much of its campaign and multiplayer goes, it's basically a World War 2 skin with bland setpieces and competent era based armaments. Scarcely throughout its 3 (yes I mean THREE) hour campaign did I feel ever feel adrenaline rush. Waw foreshadows what the other COD campaigns would emulate: following this one NPC to the next firing range until you clear it of enemies. The only standouts I could recall were an AC140 copycat mission and a copycat All Ghillied Up mission, albeit both of them being a lower quality. The rest of the brief missions were slogs through explosions and gunfire of killing enemies in front of you and blowing up an artillery gun. No characters ever make you want to remember them since you only get three hours to hear them spout orders and take infinite bullets to their invincible NPC bodies. Luckily, the multiplayer is still the classic COD formula with its twist coming from its weaponry. Fewer automatic weapons entails more tense gunfights, but other that, not much is really elevated or improved. The only reason people ever remember WaW is the zombies mode, which is arguably the biggest reason much of the Black Ops series still has relevance. It's incredibly satisfying, tense, and addicting. Joining up with four other players, you fight the undead and stay alive as long as possible. Defeat is inevitable but playing before you reach there is an undeniable blast. Technically WaW for 2008 was very good. Utilizing the engine of COD4 has only helped it with smooth gameplay and the gore manages to pack a punch to every shot. Fans who claim that a return to WaW should be mindful that not everything brought back from the past manages to be successful. If the franchise ever comes back to its roots, it should do so by undergoing an identity change. Flashy, scripted setpieces and linear gameplay would only sour the trip back. WaW encompasses everything that haters of this franchise love to poke at: linear campaign, big and constant explosions, characters you can't care about, and identical gameplay. Zombies is its only savior and the only reason this entry isn't looked upon with total disdain.
Dying Light presents a clear disparity with what it wants to be and what it actually is. On one hand, the game wants to be treated like a serious, mature story set in an unexplored setting engaged with the zombie apocalypse yet manages to hit almost every zombie cliché that I started to wonder if it was satire. This proves to be the spiritual successor to Dead Island's greatest weakness, which is a rather uninspired plot that hardly picks up the pace until the last fifth of the game. This hardly distracts to what I would consider one of the best sandboxes I have had the pleasure of spending the zombie outbreak, killing zombies with electrified cricket bats while traversing city blocks via grappling hook. The gameplay is well balanced and is complemented with a deep progression system which has an immediate effect in gameplay rather than it being passively mundane. The visuals, without a doubt, are stunning. The city of Harran where the game takes place is well realized and is accentuated with great details and superior lighting effects. Speaking of effects, the day-night cycle, which is Dying Light's biggest draw, works very well with night time being a rewarding, yet terrifying venture when Volatile zombies chase you in the dark streets. The combat system, while being relatively simple, is made all the more satisfying with every crunch and splatter of zombie limbs being well realized. Another well realized feature is the parkour mechanic, which I have to say is actually among the best among first person games, even passing Mirror's Edge. It's forgiving, yet still makes your heart race given how many zombies are able to chase you through the rooftops. The one thing I loved most is the music, its techno synth reminds me of John Carpenter's soundtracks and that's always a good thing. It's subtle and appears in the right moments. These upsides do not downplay the aforementioned last fifth of the game, which is a tense, exciting dash towards the ending which tests all your skills and has proper buildup unlike the rest of the story, which is drowned with below average acting and poorly written characters. At one point, a certain character death triggers an unnecessary drug induced sequence which really goes nowhere and evokes no real emotion. The sidequests are very good though, with them being multi-staged quests that continue later on rather than them being one and done on the spot sidequests. Dying Light is a major step up from the Dead Island games in almost every department except storytelling, which at this point should just go satirical rather than serious, macho undertones. Other than that, Dying Light is an amazingly fun game to play with yourself or friends that has strong foundations in game design and is a step in the right direction for Techland and shows great promise in a genre that is seemingly saturated.
The Witcher 2, in many aspects, puts hardcore back into the rpg while simultaneously offering a vastly replayable game set in a dark fantasy world. The story of Geralt, a master monster slayer, is one rife with politics, adult themes, and intrigue. Right at the start the writing is stellar and written very well. No single character is an archetype, and everyone has a motive that may or may not help you. The element of choice surpasses even today's standards as a decision literally at the beginning of the game could literally send you down one of two vastly different paths throughout the rest of this 40+ hour adventure. This is also no game for children as topics of ****, murder, assassination, and torture are only some of the more mild ones, it makes other similarly rated mature games look like Disney films. Accompanying this game is a dynamic combat system that can swing both ways depending how far you get into the game. If you quit the game rather early, you would've had the impression that this game was frustrating and unforgiving. But the true fun lies with preparing for your battles through potions and reading up on enemy tactics. While not stellar and ultra responsive, the combat of using two swords and a dark souls-esque is welcome over the more vanilla combat system of the first Witcher game. With all I've said you would imagine The Witcher 2 to be a near flawless game but some real flaws hold the game back from achieving real greatness. For one the game is absolutely stunning as in it still makes the PCs of today work to run it even on high. Even then the game overkills with bloom effectively conveying a very fantasy tone but to me it looks rather odd. But among the most frustrating is the inventory and a lack of tutorial. The inventory at best is cumbersome and unintuitive. You'll eventually get used to it, but for the first few hours it can be a nightmare to handle. And the potion system for the most part is an integral part but without knowing what enemies you might face next, it becomes impossible to determine which potion you need for the next fight since you can only take them out of combat through meditation. combine this with the lack of a fast travel system and you have a recipe for a bevy of problems that only irritate players. But for the most part, The Witcher 2 is an adult game that respects player choice and is a strong rpg in its own right and of 2011.
Following up on 2008's multiplayer funfest just a year later, Valve hopes to bring the masses with a compelling and addicting zombie survival shooter in Left 4 Dead 2, and they succeeded oh so well. What may seem like a ding off the point scale is how similar everything in Left 4 Dead 2 feels compared to the first. Almost all the game mechanics have been almost unchanged and the whole game at a glance seems to be a simple reskin. But the real meat and flavor derives from how Valve makes the small changes and gives you so much more to play with. A quadrupled arsenal that includes melee weapons, weapon buffs, special ammo, new special infected, better map designs, a southern twang setting, better setpieces, improved graphics after just a year, a plethora of modes, and improved balancing rocket Left 4 Dead 2 into a multiplayer masterpiece. It's how you refine a game while gaining a new identity after a single year in production. Like the first, the second game's most tantalizing feature is a completely dynamic AI that changes the game experience everytime you play, and relying on your coop partners is the absolutely only way to succeed. If one were to go lone wolf, sign your grave cause the undead are unforgiving. If the first Left 4 Dead never grabbed you with its simple Point A to Point B zombie survival romp with a completely dynamic gameplay and AI, then Left 4 Dead 2 will do little to change your mind. But the sequel has gallons of fun with friends to offer and zombie guts needed to fill it.
As the conclusion of Max's story comes to a close, the themes of lifelong friendships and destiny come full circle and the game ends with those ideas hammered in your head, and most truly as people have said, the ending is polarizing. What cannot be debated however is how the rest of the episode is panned out, many of the sections of the game not meshing or congealing with what the other episodes excelled on. Gone are the well paced events that drive the story. In the beginning of the game Max picks up right from where she left off, in the clutches off the supposed antagonist. While I was concerned over the tone shift at the final quarter of Episode 4, they handled it well without being overbearing. The villain in the first 30 minutes could hardly be more "psychopath murder villain" token. He hardly adds to the plot and is just there to give Max a situation of peril. He's bland to put it simply. What hurts however is the whole sequence in the Dark Room, where much of your time is spent listening to the token dialogue and minimal interactivity, it's painfully slow for what should have been an explosive start. LiS really utilized the reverse time mechanic very well even for the most menial of tasks throughout the first four episodes, but in EP5, Max uses it for simple, but awful stealth sections, trial and error (in a bad way) fight scenes, and meaningless choices. And speaking of meaningless choices, Polarized probably summed it up the best. It's easy to understand that DontNod aren't big time developers and not everything will see come to a close, but absolutely everything, Rachel's story, Victoria's fate, Nathan's fate, Max's powers, the storm, and even Jefferson's motives, see little to no closure whatsoever in addition to the few dozen other choices that you have made throughout the series. If you played LiS's last 5 minutes, you would've played the entire game as your choices have no effect on the binary endings, both if which sell the concept well enough, but choice is disappointingly thrown out of the window. What really drove the events of the game was the craftsmanship of Max and Chloe's relationship, whether platonic or romantic, there was no denying it was the driving force of the series and the reason LiS is so amazing in the first place. Here, it takes a smaller backseat to a more "meta-nightmare-introspect" of Max overusing her powers, which is best summed up with the mixed bag of a nightmare sequence. On one hand, the final sequence of the game really presents the final two choices in the game with polarizing evidence that makes the choice much tougher to swallow for many players, but getting there was a chore. LiS didn't need to break the fourth wall b/c it had a world/atmosphere beautifully developed that was one of the main sticking points, and to abandon that in favor of an annoying stealth section paired with pseudo time travel wackiness that hurts more than peaks interest. Chloe's character arc, imo, is the most interesting in the game, as her tragic backstory and her relationship with Max is what drives the game forward, but the writing takes a dip. Most dialogue exchanged consists of Max prioritizing Chloe and putting her above anything else, which is compelling, but the dialogue with Jefferson, Victoria, David, Warren, and hell even herself felt lower quality. Knowing that the writing of the beautiful intro of Episode 4 has dropped is gnawing. Other than that there exists nitpicks. The Warren romance subplot feels shoehorned in without proper context, the many red herrings the game teases like Rachel and the doe, how one ending throws logic out of the window, how Nathan's character takes a sudden 180 turn just to satisfy fans, and the amazing music is sparse. Many can disagree on these minor infractions, but what cannot be denied is that Polarized is a disappointing conclusion to what might've been one of the best narratives told in gaming. LiS is still an excellent series, and the first four episodes are some of my favorite experiences, despite them not being plot concluding as episode 5, they understood what people loved most, the gentle world building/atmosphere and the small moments between the game's two protagonists that is among the most fleshed out in gaming. Polarized is still an emotional roller coaster in bursts, and the open ending actually works better than an overexplained one, but there was so much that could've been done better. As for the ending? Bae over Bay.
Section 8 Prejudice offers a lot with its asking price. With a mere $15 you get a full single player campaign, a fully featured multiplayer mode, and an implemented survival mode, and anyone without a clue to the substance of the game will buy it without a doubt. That said, those who know what the game truly offers and how it holds up will find that despite a generous asking price, Section 8 doesn't really do anything extraordinary or even good to begin with. For starters the single player is downright embarrassing with a campaign that ultimately plays like a multiplayer game with bots, it doesn't help that the game looks subpar at best and there is lack a real story incentive or leveling system to play through it. It lacks setpieces or any real high point to begin with. Save yourself the trouble and just head straight to multiplayer and survival, where the crux of the game really shows. While not doing anything terribly special, the joy of dropping from orbit was novel the first few matches until everything fell into a familiar monotonous tedium. The gunplay no doubt, has a very weighty feel to it and the inclusion of power ups and the ability to call in support via drop is very cool. Add to that a by the numbers survival mode, and Section 8 is a title that offers content for the long run. However, Section 8 lacks the elements that makes other titles standout, it's a generic sci-fi shooter at heart and there is an audience for that, but for those who are looking for something to wow us, it's not present here.
L.A. Noire, for its time, was a technical marvel, impressing the gaming community with its facial scan technology and almost uncanny recreation of the corrupt 1950s Los Angeles. Backing up its gameplay was the slew of detective work playing as Detective Cole Phelps, an incredibly flawed yet nuanced character that you spend your time doing interrogations, linking clues, and chasing/shooting perps. Through almost 20 cases, you perform these tasks in tandem, which over the course of several cases is refreshing, but eventually loses steam towards the end over how monotonous it can be. The real treat lies in the immersion of the city, where every single detail is succinct down to the last hairbrush and the music is on point with 50s classics. Advertisements hint at the corruption in the city and the cars are incredibly faithful to the time. Another sticking point would have to be the script in which it evokes the true noir that many games fail to emulate what LA Noire delivers in spades. Of course this is also lent by the incredibly lifelike facial animations which in turn is not voice acting, but acting in a technical sense. While there exists an open world, it's devoid of anything to do for the most part aside from optional police missions and even then those are brief. For a game so bent in immersing you, LA Noire teases you with much but gives you little and sets you on a straight path towards its narrative conclusion, to which is kind of disappointing. Nonetheless, nobody can deny the amount of work went into this landmark achievement of technical and artistic design that is the corrupt city of Los Angeles.
Blues and Bullets already screams crime noir from the title alone, but does it really have the guts to delve into its inspired roots or is the title simply misleading? Rest assured that this episodic adventure game from a Spanish team really picks up and shows promise in a genre long forgotten by gamers. Right off the bat in the first scene alone, the game has this stark contrast between black and white with touches of red dotting in once in a while. It's poignant and nostalgic and serves the setting well but mostly it's to mask the really crude texture work hidden in the darkness and the poor shadow work, though this isn't made with a big budget, so it's understandable. What the game gets right in the first few minutes it's the score. It's noir soul basically but the tracks in this game are very powerful and more fitting with the dark undertones of the game. The protagonist, Elliot Ness (who seemingly sounds too much like Geralt of Rivia) is your typical down on his luck detective with a love for violence and whiskey. It's typical in films and tv but seeing this sort of character in gaming with as plenty of backstory is rare and it's breath of fresh air to walk in his shoes. The writing also follows up on the positive side with it being relative to the genre once more. Sardonic quips and comebacks mixed with self hatred and dark comic saturate this game, and it works fantastic. Each character has their own identity though they have yet to be fully fleshed out since this is the first episode. The dark nature of crime noir gets a notch up in this game with one particular sequence being bathed in blood and gore so caution for those weak in the heart, this is not a game for fun. The mechanics in contrast to this game however reveal the weakest aspect of the game. I understand that there are limitations given the small company, but even moving the character felt sluggish, shooting (while not an important aspect) was incredibly stilted and uneventful, and the animations range from passable to awkwardly stilted. The choices made in this game have yet to bear fruit, but I doubt I will be making a second run till the next episode fans out since you pretty much play the same scenes through and through. The games I can compare this most to are Life is Strange and The Walking Dead since they too were episodic and focused on your choices. Blues and Bullets is instantly captivating and compelling from the start and rears you into an adult tale of missing children and violence that has me excited for the next episode.
Blues and Bullets already screams crime noir from the title alone, but does it really have the guts to delve into its inspired roots or is the title simply misleading? Rest assured that this episodic adventure game from a Spanish team really picks up and shows promise in a genre long forgotten by gamers. Right off the bat in the first scene alone, the game has this stark contrast between black and white with touches of red dotting in once in a while. It's poignant and nostalgic and serves the setting well but mostly it's to mask the really crude texture work hidden in the darkness and the poor shadow work, though this isn't made with a big budget, so it's understandable. What the game gets right in the first few minutes it's the score. It's noir soul basically but the tracks in this game are very powerful and more fitting with the dark undertones of the game. The protagonist, Elliot Ness (who seemingly sounds too much like Geralt of Rivia) is your typical down on his luck detective with a love for violence and whiskey. It's typical in films and tv but seeing this sort of character in gaming with as plenty of backstory is rare and it's breath of fresh air to walk in his shoes. The writing also follows up on the positive side with it being relative to the genre once more. Sardonic quips and comebacks mixed with self hatred and dark comic saturate this game, and it works fantastic. Each character has their own identity though they have yet to be fully fleshed out since this is the first episode. The dark nature of crime noir gets a notch up in this game with one particular sequence being bathed in blood and gore so caution for those weak in the heart, this is not a game for fun. The mechanics in contrast to this game however reveal the weakest aspect of the game. I understand that there are limitations given the small company, but even moving the character felt sluggish, shooting (while not an important aspect) was incredibly stilted and uneventful, and the animations range from passable to awkwardly stilted. The choices made in this game have yet to bear fruit, but I doubt I will be making a second run till the next episode fans out since you pretty much play the same scenes through and through. The games I can compare this most to are Life is Strange and The Walking Dead since they too were episodic and focused on your choices. Blues and Bullets is instantly captivating and compelling from the start and rears you into an adult tale of missing children and violence that has me excited for the next episode.
Episode 4: The Dark Room in many areas is a rocket ship up in intensity and emotional payoff in the ever growing beloved world of Max and Chloe. But a big warning to those following the story so far, this is quite one of the darkest episodes not just in Life is Strange, but in gaming in general. Instead of using buckets of blood and violence, The Dark Room bathes in creepiness, the unknown, and general paranoia of something much darker on the horizon. The beginning I have to admit however, is an emotional roller coaster, probably the best I've ever experienced in a game so far because it harkens back to the relationship between Max and Chloe and manages to bring me to tears at several points in this Episode alone. Episode 4 more than the other 3 Episodes sees the culmination of your past choices and actually alter the little stories in the game rather than the overall arching narrative. What this Episode does absolutely right is setting up powerful scenes. I can recall at least three times within the 5 hour frame where I was ready to spill tears because of how wonderful of a job the VA for Chloe did. Also the shift to a darker tone while not an easy transition sells itself really well in letting you know something awful will occur. So what does EP4 stumble with? Well, for one, it's the least polished episode with numerous audio glitches, a broken time mechanic, and a certain sequence which really underwhelmed. But I do appreciate DontNod for adding to their gameplay by having Max do somewhat detective work even if it's just connect the dots esque. The music does not always hit the right notes, but when it does it keeps hounding you until the Episode has wrought you free of all your tear ducts. In many ways, Episode 4's shocking conclusion will set up to be what is most likely to be an ending for the ages in terms of video game storytelling.
Despair is the only feeling I can use to describe this game. Despite already using the over used Unity Engine and there being only one developer, almost no thought went into game design. A large blue meter at the bottom of the screen as a stamina meter is distracting, shadows are nonexistant, it's poorly optimized. Even with my machine that can run most modern games at high settings, my PC fails to even make this game run at 25FPS. Much of the gameplay revolves around going through vents, and......that's it. The game is very uneventful and the story nonsensical. You may be wondering, why review crapware? Well, if a crapware goes on sell on Steam for $2 you better give me an experience equal to eating 2 McChicken's. It stands as a runner up to one of the worst games I played and I have played many bad games.
Postal 2's black humor and insane violence at short bursts provide cathartic release while still being a relatively challenging experience despite its numerous slogs through its uninspired open world that requires a loading screen every two minutes. While the warning at the beginning detailing offensive content is welcome, I found much of the humor in the game relatively lax compared to what conservatives have been telling me. Overall the game's pace is what keeps it from becoming enjoyable all the time since action is only available in setpieces, while you can cause mayhem in the open streets, much of it just devolves into pissing and killing people till you hit the next loading screen. And the Apocalypse Weekend portion of the game is so dragged out and stretched that I almost gave up on the game. The shooting mechanics work really well for the time and the weapons and their feel to use are on point despite the hit detection not always being on point. Postal 2 deserves its cult following but only because it parodies everything that wants to be politically correct, and I had good laughs while doing playing.
Heroes and Generals gave me a good first impression when I played my first few games, utilizing competent shooting mechanics and squad based teamwork to capture points in a dull looking World War 2 backdrop. However, the pay-to-win tactics that give unfair advantages to other players is borderline insulting and grinding to even get anything in this game is a chore as objectives are nonexistant unless you also rank up. Even playing great games had me shaking my head at the OP Russian faction and the need for my grenades to repair. I'm not kidding, grenades need to repair.
With the release of Episode 3: Chaos Theory, Life is Strange from DontNod has may have already taken the episodic gaming crown from TellTale. Rather than doting on plot twists and shocking character deaths, Episode 3 finds its strengths in the exploration of the relationship between Max and Chloe while not excellently lip synced, makes up for in the small moments, interactions, and dialogue. Once more the Life is Strange series boasts the impressive design of its world and the little details that populate. Stepping into the shoes of Max Caulfield, experiencing the world through her eyes and thoughts provided me with a sense of melancholy, in a world that I may never live in but continue to be fascinated by. The art style and music still bring that small town/Twin Peaks vibe with a dash of Juno while creating an identity of its own. Interacting with the world through point and click mechanics while serviceable, is carried by the young, charming nature that the game tries to set itself upon. And once you reach the jaw dropping conclusion in this tale, Episode 4 seems like thousands of years away. The little details, mood, and the relationship of the two main characters propel Life is Strange into a cult classic status despite its shortcomings.
Dead Effect sees the transition between mobile game to PC, and while there are some truly noteworthy things, it is muddled by what it gets wrong. To begin on a positive note, this game is absolutely stunning. at least for a phone to PC port. Details are numerous and the resolution is really crisp. However it does not excuse the almost satirical awful voice acting, OP enemies, f2p on a paid game, and numerous bugs and glitches. Gunplay is basically inspired but for the price they're offering, it's one of the better alternatives to having mindless stupid fun without much consideration into the quality of the game.
Nba 2k12 manages to prove that not only it can improve upon its predecessor, but it shows that this is the best version of basketball simulation to date. The presentation is improved significantly from 2k11, as I would sometimes mistake it for a real game on Tuesday night. The players animate better, and I found the controls easier to come into wit the new shot stick mechanic. What I remember most though, it the new My Player mode, which easily trumps 2k11's version. All in all, 2k12 proves that anyone can enjoy basketball. (probably not).
