Author: huntergilbert

Review: Final Fantasy Type 0 HD

Immediately, as I boot up the game, I am met with a dying soldier and a bloodied Chocobo (an animal used like a horse), an incredibly violent scene for a Final Fantasy game. From the very beginning sequence in-game, Final Fantasy Type 0 HD makes the player aware that the themes and topics in this installment will be far darker than before. Final Fantasy Type 0 HD is the remastered and rebalanced version of the PSP game; Originally released in Japan exclusively back in 2011, Type 0 HD reiterates its dark themes. In fact, Type 0 was the first and only Final Fantasy title to receive a Mature rating from the ESRB. Unlike previous iterations in the franchise, Type 0 depicts a gritty and graphic war between four nations. The added gore and blood sets this game apart from the rest and is absolutely geared toward a more mature audience.

The game takes place in the world of Orience, which is divided into four kingdoms. Each kingdom has its own magical crystal that grants the specific kingdom a certain magical ability. One of the kingdoms, the Milites (white on the map), sparks the beginning of a war between the other kingdoms. The protagonist of the game hails from the first kingdom that was attacked, Rubrum (red on the map). To be specific, the playable characters in the game are all cadets for a special military academy near the border between the two kingdoms. This special academy trains students to wield deadly magic with utmost precision. In total, 14 cadets are playable; each one uses a different play-style and excels and struggles at different situations and fighting specific enemy types. The cadets range from a katana-wielding student by the name of Jack, who is incredibly slow but deals an immense amount of damage, to the quick and agile Ace, who uses a deck of magic cards to eliminate enemies at range and teleport from enemy to enemy.

The voice-acting cast could have been a little better, but it still brings life and diversity to the 14 characters, not to mention the incredibly memorable journey that the students embark on throughout the entire world of Orience during the war. I found the story compelling and even quite tragic in the last two acts.

Unlike previous games, Type 0 HD takes place during a brutal war. Gameplay and main story missions reflect this motif. Unlike other Final Fantasy games, you aren’t searching for a special weapon or a hermit that holds secrets that could save the world. In Type 0 HD, you wage raids and military campaigns with the only goal in mind being the extermination of Rubrum’s enemies. The cinematics are incredibly saturated during military combat scenes, much like recent war films, which helps encapsulate the different tone of this game. On top of this, the game narrates itself like a war footage documentary. In other words, the game helps explain battles and tasks through diagrams and voice-overs during cutscenes.

The game itself has two different kinds of cinematics, the fantastic-looking CGI cutscenes and the in-game engine cutscenes, the latter of which isn’t that incredible to look at and is the consequence of the game being a port of the original Japanese PSP game. I felt as if further anti-aliasing and reworked textures could have saved this game from mediocre in-game cutscenes because they put the pre-established CGI cinematics to shame. That being said, the graphics in Type 0 HD truly couldn’t be capable on last-gen systems. Though it isn’t the best looking game at all with some muddy textures, the sheer amount of things happening on screen do not cause the game to ever drop frames. At times I counted 30 plus enemies all moving independently combined with environmental effects and aftereffects from weapons and magic. In nearly any other game so far on the next-gen consoles, a setting like this would cause the game to slow down and drop frames. Yet, time was obviously spent more on performance and gameplay over graphics, which isn’t bad since the gameplay is an absolute blast.

Type 0 HD takes the normal party system that is quite common in the Final Fantasy series and adds a more high risk theme. Unlike other Final Fantasy games that allow party members to be revived using various items, Type 0 HD penalizes the player and forces the player to trade in a different cadet to take the fallen one’s place. On top of this, the cadets do not come back to life until the mission is completed. This can prove to be a significant problem if, for example, your top 3 party members are all slain at once. This would then force the player to equip a B-team of under-leveled cadets to continue the fight, which normally doesn’t go well for the player. To combat this, I tended to use one of my top cadets with two lower level ones, and I attempted to keep all of my party members near the same level. This made the mission perma-death a lot easier to manage. After missions, all cadets are revived and you as a player return to the Academy, which acts as a hub for all interactions in the game. In the Academy, players can buy new gear, attend class for experience, and do other things that a student would do in a college setting. Interactions between members of Class Zero (the group of cadets you play as) also occur behind the safe walls of the Academy.

When compared to the main installments in the numerical Final Fantasy games, Type 0 HD holds its own. It adds new features and aspects to gameplay such as insta-kill strikes and a unique perma-death for cadets in mission. However, since the game is a port of the PSP version, it fails to truly reach next-gen level graphics and ends up being a muddy mess at times. Yet, performance-wise the game does not show any signs of FPS drop or tearing so I commend the developers on that. At its core, Final Fantasy Type 0 HD is a fun game when it comes to gameplay. It took me a solid 40 hours to beat it, and that honestly didn’t require that bad of a grind. In summary, the game is fun and the story is great, but the visuals, however, could have used some reworking.

Verdict: 7.6/10

Review: Mortal Kombat X

With graphic fatalities ridden with copious amounts of gore along with impalements and screams of agony, few franchises have impacted the gaming industry as much as the Mortal Kombat series. Parents and kids alike can either curse or praise its violence, which ultimately led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB for short. In summary, the rating system used by all games in North America was the result of the gratuitous amounts of blood and dismemberment, both of which were delivered in the latest installment of Mortal Kombat X. Taking what they learned from fan feedback about their previous game, NetherRealm Studios took the great ideas from Mortal Kombat 9 and implemented them along with several new features to form this game.

From a graphics standpoint, Mortal Kombat X does not look as good as the reveal trailer made it out to be. That being said, the game truly looks and plays better on newer consoles and the PC. The game on max settings on my PC does not disappoint me in any way, but I do feel as if the developers could have done a better job optimizing it on the PC. Yet, this game still looks phenomenal. The attention to detail and careful attention the developers put into the detailed textures of the characters and environment truly returns a crisp and clean display to the player’s eyes. There are some outliers to this, such as clipping of player models and collision between articles of clothing and the characters, but that is expected in a fighting game that is so dependent on movement and animation. The animation on the other hand is executed perfectly in nearly every single way. The developers obviously took their time to use motion capture to recreate each punch, jab, and kick to best of their ability. For example, a punch in real life, if executed with the right technique, draws a lot of strength from the puncher’s legs and feet; NetherRealms took their time to model each movement as realistically as possible even when there are no punches being thrown. Unlike other fighting games that feel snappy and quite choppy when it comes to animation, Mortal Kombat X makes each fight feel like a well choreographed and incredibly violent dance. Some assets are used from previous Mortal Kombat games in regards to punches and basic attacks, but I do not see this as a bad thing. Why would the developers change something that already works? In summary, the animation is phenomenal and the graphics look great, but I was really wanting the amazing graphics from the E3 reveal trailer.

The roster for Mortal Kombat X couldn’t be any better, honestly (excluding the absence of a playable Baraka). Old favorites are still in-game, which is expected, but the newcomers also surprisingly fit in with the series’ regulars. Trademark moves also return for the most part but some of the button combos have been changed (I’m mostly talking about Scorpion’s “get over here”). New characters such as Kung Jin and Erron Black have some awesome and unique moves that actually help them stand up against more powerful characters. But most importantly, the brutality of the fatalities remains intact when it comes to character design and the overall atmosphere of the game.

This wouldn’t be a Mortal Kombat game if it didn’t have absolutely over-the-top fatalities. To be honest, they are so graphic that I wasn’t comfortable putting any in this review. All I can say is that the game uses every bit of its engine to make the gore and blood look as realistic as possible, which is honestly disturbing but cool at the same time. Some fatalities are let downs, though, but some absolutely go above and beyond and made myself cringe from the thought of these kind of attacks actually happening to a real living being. The fatalities range from simple wounds to bodies being split in half, which explains why I couldn’t put any in the article.

Story mode-wise, Mortal Kombat X has nothing to brag about. The story simply pits all of the characters against each other, but let’s be honest- nobody is playing Mortal Kombat for the story. The main appeal for this series is the idea of sitting down on your couch and beating the senses out of your friends’ characters. This game is successful in allowing players a chance to experience this. Furthermore, I will simply state that the story mode isn’t worth playing unless you have absolutely nothing else to do to pass your time by.

In summary, Mortal Kombat X plays like the other games in the series. However, the game looks better than ever and plays smoother than ever. Though it lacks a compelling story, the overall experience of the game and its brutal atmosphere remains intact and better than ever.

Verdict: 8/10

Review: Bloodborne

Up until Bloodborne’s release I had yet to play a game that was as polished and unique in regards to gameplay on the current gen consoles. Bloodborne by FromSoftware is relentless and unfair at times but likewise incredibly rewarding. I previously wrote a Preview article for the game back in February (before it came out) which was based on information provided by gameplay trailers, interviews and live demos. (You can read the Preview Article here) For the most part my predictions regarding the gameplay were spot on. Bloodborne takes place in a unique Gothic environment blended with aspects of Victorian age England architecture. From the surface, Bloodborne may seem like a normal hack n slash game, a poor mistake that looks over the amount of detail the developers put into the game engine, combat, and overall world.

For those unaware, Bloodborne is the spiritual successor to the PlayStation 3 exclusive Demon Souls. Demon Souls in turn was the inspiration for Dark Souls and its sequel. The Souls series is recognized as one of the most difficult games of the last console generation. This is a consequence of its high risk – high reward combat system. The games champion patience and foresight when it comes to building your characters skills and abilities tree. Yet, the games as described by Junior William Chu are simply “eloquent”. Eloquent by definition: is vividly or expressively moving or revealing; at times even forcefully. Bloodborne retains these aspects and then takes it to another level.

Unlike previous Souls games Bloodborne has a more concrete story and plot. Non playable characters are far more helpful when it comes to delivering objective information. This was and still is the largest complaint when it comes to criticizing the series. But the series makes up for this by telling stories through the environment and weapons/item description in game. This leaves the plot up to the players interpretation, contrasting the hand holding story telling style used by basically every other game on the market.

The plot of Bloodborne is simple at the surface level. The player’s character is seeking a cure to a disease that cause insanity and slowly turns those infected by it into mindless beasts and monsters. The player has been afflicted by this disease and seeks a cure which he/she is told can be found deep within the city of Yharnam. Yharnam itself is a chaotic and broken city with the majority of the population having already succumbed to the disease. The populace as the player ventures deeper into the city become even more frightening and difficult to combat. The further the player travels within the story, the less human these citizens appear visually. Grotesque and foul beasts add to this nightmarish setting and provide the players with ample amount of jump scares and heart stopping surprises. The player in the beginning of the journey becomes a Hunter, a sort of order dedicated to cleansing the town and realm of beasts. However, the motives without spoiling the game become blurred later into the game. The equipment and abilities tie in significantly to the overall gameplay of this incredibly well made game.

As stated previously Bloodborne by no means is an easy game. According to the game faqs and trophy guide system for the game only 48.7 percent of all owners of the game have received the trophy for beating the FIRST BOSS. Let alone only 3 percent at the time of writing this article have beaten the game which has been out for more than a week. I myself am on the final two bosses but simply haven’t had the time to beat them. This is the result of the high risk – high reward gameplay. Players health is minuscule and can be depleted in some cases by one hit from some enemies. In return the player does deal a lot of damage to enemies if they have properly balanced out their skill tree and abilities for their character. The consequence of dying still remains as a hurdle for player just as it has in previous games. For each enemy the player kills they are given a form of currency required to level up their character and upgrade weapons and items. However, upon death the player looses all of these and they are left where the player had died. The player can recover these by going back to where they died and picking them up after they respawn. The difficult aspect of the game reveals itself if the player fails to recover their items by dying, the result is the hard earned currency used to level your character vanishes forever.

The gameplay’s attention of detail is not limited to the environment and style of the world. The exquisite weapons and attires that can be equipped by the player’s character also add to the brooding atmosphere of Yharnam. Unlike essentially every other RPG or Hack N Slash game on the market, Bloodborne’s weapons can be upgraded and used through the entirety of the story. Hundreds of games require familiarity and constant use of a weapon for several hours at times. Eventually, once you feel comfortable with it, the weapon is too weak or under leveled to actually be useful in a fight. Bloodborne has a relatively small amount of weapons that can be used in multiple kinds of engagements. The developers accomplish this task by giving each primary weapon two modes to engage with enemies. On the PS4′s controller this is accomplished by pressing L1 to transform your weapon into an alternate form. For example, one of my personal favorite weapons, The Threaded Cane, is a cane with a serrated edge that can be swung in shallow quick strokes. If the player presses L1 to transform the cane, he/she will be met with the surprising whip alternate form to the weapon (hence The “Threaded” Cane). This weapon is one of the three starter weapons and its whip form has arguably the farthest reach out of all of the weapons. For players that dislike getting up close and personal to their targets, I highly suggest selecting this weapon. The trick weapons that are equipped in the player’s right hand are only half of the fun in regards to the weapons. Players can equip a gun, torch and even a flamethrower in their left hand. It is foolish to think however that guns would make this game any easier. Since there is an absence of shields in the game (excluding a wooden one that is a joke of a shield), the developers turned to gun (ie a flintlock pistol or blunderbuss) in order to allow the players to stun or parry opponents mid swing. Once the player perfects the timing needed to accomplish such a task the game will become a little more easy. The outcome of equipping a weapon in each hand along with the absence of a shield to cower behind leads to fast paced and aggressive combat. In fact the game rewards the player’s that are relentless. For example, when you are struck by an enemy and lose some of your health pool, there is about a 1-4 second delay on the actual loss of health. During this time if the player decides to strike their opponent they can gain some or all of the lost health back through quick slashes. At first this may seem relatively broken and alien to this style of game but the fact is this isn’t the easiest task to accomplish. Once the player “masters” this technique the game becomes far more manageable.

However, as much as I would like to not touch on the few flaws of this wonderful game, they are still worth noting as this is a review and not just a rant as to why you should buy this game (You still should though). Bloodborne suffers from both game design and game engine flaws. The game engine flaw is currently being reworked though and will be patched soon. I am of course talking about the frame rate during online play. It dips around about 20 FPS during online play when large amounts of enemies are on screen. The developer is aware of this and is already working on solving the problem. This is quite an easy fix according to FromSoftware. Thankfully this isn’t a new issue for them either, all of their games initally suffered FPS problems but patched the game up afterwards. The other only real flaw in this game is the level design. Despite the various and sometimes truly terrifying levels, I myself just find some of the enemies as re-skins of older enemies from past games. This is both good and bad: On one hand it provides veterans with a since of nostalgia and confidence boosting while also lacking originality. However Bloodborne’s more nightmarish settings than previous games allowed the designers to engineer some truly terrifying monsters. For example there is a walking reptilian beast that has a snake head with smaller snakes attached to it or some grotesque giant spider (my least favorite). Werewolves and man-beasts (however no man bear pigs) also litter the streets of the decrepit city and emote a feeling of repetition.

What Bloodborne lacks in some enemy designs it absolutely compensates and exceeds by miles. The unique Gothic and Victorian age setting helps the players descend into a hellish realm retaining familiar traits. The game by no means holds the players hand and forces proactive thinking, particularly in the final frames. The unique weapons and faster combat style improves upon the fair but “unfair” Dark Souls esque combat system. On top of this Bloodborne has a far less abstract story, a meaningless fact compared to Dark Souls. Nonetheless this game delivers a quality and truly epic adventure to gamers on the PS4.

Verdict: 9.8/10 Bloodborne is essentially everything it was set out to be as a game in general. It’s highly effective delivery makes it One Of The Best Games I have played in the past three or four years. Though it shares many aspects with the Dark Soulsseries, Bloodborne distinguishes itself by proving to be a more difficult and darker game. I honestly couldn’t recommend this game enough, if you have the patience to die a lot but also seek great rewards for success this game is for you. The players decent into the darkest regions of Yharnam is executed with up most precision by this veteran team of developers at FromSoftware & Studio Japan. This game is honestly on my radar for game of the year and likely many other reviewers due to vast critical acclaim.

Review: Battlefield Hardline

After the rough release of Battlefield 4, expectations were relatively high for Visceral Games. The outcome for this game’s release however went quite smoothly. This was the outcome of several lengthy Betas that were offered by the developer. Compared to Battlefield 4, Battlefield Hardline lacks the game breaking bugs and glitches which is an absolute joy considering I myself am an incredible fan of the franchise. Yet, this game did have some let downs, which I will go into further details regarding its highs and lows.

Most first person shooters lack a compelling and overall good/great story. This is a side effect of the industry’s market regarding competitive multiplayer gaming. Developers in the gaming industry are spending a larger portion of their time working on balancing their multiplayer game modes, which isn’t a bad thing. It provides gamers with a unique social environment where they can team up with friends and compete in a diverse community. On the other hand this lack of time focused on campaigns or singleplayer story modes often leads to boring and uneventful stories. Battlefield Hardline has one of the best singleplayer experiences that I have played in most recently. It absolutely tops any FPS that has come out in the past two years when it comes to providing the player with a unique story.

BFH_3

Instead of being a stereotypical gung ho special forces soldier, the protagonist is a detective/agent in a Police Force. It is a nice new theme that already makes the game stand apart from basically EVERY OTHER shooter on the market in the FPS genre. Without going into spoilers for the story, the game begins in Miami, but over time it begins to encompass a larger spectrum. Thought the game does of its stereotypical characters such as a witty one, a pretty awful bad guy, etc, the game’s story is memorable. Unlike other games where the protagonist is out to kill every single person between point A and B, Battlefield Hardline’s enemies can be arrested and spared from a typical death via gun. This adds another feature to the game since I personally didn’t want to kill people unless absolutely necessary. Ordering crooks to “Freeze, and hit the ground!” honestly is more enjoyable than senselessly killing them. This is because for once you are a cop, you are a person behind a badge. You aren’t out to kill, you are merely attempting to fulfill your duty of protecting and serving the populace. The episodic nature of the campaign also makes the overall feel of the game like of an episode of “Cops” or even “Burn Notice” with its action themes. In summary Visceral really outdid themselves when it came to crafting a unique story for a FPS title.

Gameplay in Battlefield Hardline is nothing too difficult to comprehend if you have played previous games in the series. There are some new aspects such as ziplines, tasers, and basically everything else at a police force’s disposal. This has advantages and disadvantages when compared to other Battlefield games when you have access to the hardest hitting weapons in existence. It forces players to be more like tacticians and it requires a lot more planning on higher difficulties because unlike the military, Cops don’t have access to LAW rocket launchers and tanks. I personally felt as if the combat in Hardline was far more precise and at times harder than previous games in the franchise. For example there may be a dozen enemies in the next room. In Battlefield 4 one could simply fire a rocket into the room or throw a pack of C4; Hardline on the other hand forces the player to utilize tactical grenades such as flash bangs and FMJ rounds to take down enemies of the state. But the ability to destroy one’s environment isn’t absent; it just isn’t always the best option (at least in singleplayer. The same can’t be said for multiplayer).

Unlike previous games, Hardline utilizes a currency system to acquire new weapons and gear in multiplayer. This however doesn’t exempt players from actually unlocking the gear; it has to be first unlocked then purchased. “Cash to Spend” is acquired by killing enemies, completing challenges and following objectives while in game. Though the prices in the image above do not reflect the same ones in game (This is from an Alpha photograph by EA), the overall idea is present. Some guns are more expensive than others and they obviously perform differently. For example, SMGS have little to no range while Assault Rifles can hit targets from farther away if the right attachments are equipped. The same currency model is applied to the previously mentioned attachments as well. Everything from grips to sights are all acquired by spending some cash.

Multiplayer in Hardline is one word: Chaotic. It plays like a hybrid of Battlefield & Call of Duty. It has the awesome graphics and tactical feel from Battlefield and the unskilled chaos like fast paced action of Call of Duty. Though I don’t care for the latter’s aspects of the game, Hardline still feels like a Battlefield game—Just a more fast paced one, which it seems at times is easier for new players to venture into. The absolute chaos that is an outcome of the addition of fast cars and trucks, and the ability to lean through the window sills of the fast cars adds an adrenaline filled experience. Vehicles such as choppers also provide a feel of tension since they can come out of nowhere when fighting in a crowded city. The scout chopper can absolutely devastate a pack of crooks on the ground and the lack of equip-able heavy launchers can prove to make engagements with them extremely difficult. But if you shoot it enough it will eventually drop out of the sky. Finally, the addition of new game modes adds a breath of new life into the franchise which all FPS’s constantly require.

Overall Battlefield Hardline is everything one can expect from an FPS game, especially a Battlefield one. It however in my opinion is far more enjoyable than Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare since no matter if you are losing or winning it is still INCREDIBLY EASY to have fun.The multiplayer has a variety of aspects open to all skill levels of players and it requieres actual patience and skill to a degree when compared to Call of Duty. I was honestly surprised by this game’s performance and look forward to continue playing it on my PC.

Verdict: 8.3 Battlefield Hardline is proof that the generic military shooter isn’t the only genre that can fit the FPS genre. It has everything a Battlefield game has and more. Yet, it still feels very much like Battlefield 4. I still suggest this game if you are fan of FPSs since no other FPSs come out until this Fall.

Review: GTA V Heists

“Get Rashkosky into the plane! The Cops are right behind us!” I exclaimed to my Heist crew over my headset as we attempted to flee from the police in a 6 seater prop plane. My three teammates moved the prisoner into the back of the plane as bullets pinged off the wing and fuselage of my plane. I began to panic as the sirens grew louder, the propeller on the plane struggled to come to life as the wheels began to roll beneath the plane. However, after several hairsplitting seconds the plane was in the air and all 5 of us including our target were safely in the air.

GTAOH_3

That was a retelling of one of the many cinematic experiences I encountered in Grand Theft Auto: V’s Heist Update. After over a year’s worth of waiting the highly anticipated update came out last Tuesday on March 10, 2015. Over the weekend I was fortunate enough to have worked with a tight knit group of players that I frequently play with online, because of this we were able to beat all of the heists at least once and repeated several ones for the fun of it. The process of completing all of the Heists is a lengthy one, each one for the most part becomes more difficult and complicated. Yet, this is reflected in the increased rewards for the progressively difficult missions.

For those unaware, Grand Theft Auto Online has been out for quite some time, furthermore the deal making concept or gamemode of the online play, Heists, has been absent for the entirety of the game’s lifespan up until last Tuesday. This was the consequence of countless delays by the developer, Rockstar North, regarding issues for development and overall server strength required to run the Heists online. This combined with the fact that the developers were making these heists for both last gen and current gen consoles further increased the development process. But after a long period of waiting the Heists have arrived and are surprisingly well polished.

The shear amount of detail and lack of game breaking bugs (there are still bugs though, it isn’t bug free) for such a large and complicated process required to allow four players to cooperatively accomplish several Heists is astonishing to say the least. In a day and age of gaming when developers sloppily update their games and to an extent release completely broken ones (IE Assassins Creed Unity) the amount of debugging done by Rockstar North is impressive. The release for Heists could have been awful, bug filled and maybe even impossible to launch yet the developer took the time to optimize the gamemode and content.

The other positive aspect of the Heist update is the fact that it is completely FREE OF CHARGE. Content on this scale would absolutely cost money if it were in the hands of publishers such as Ubisoft or EA. This merely adds to the overall positive feeling and joy that comes from playing these missions. On top of this tons of costumes, cars, planes, and even a flare gun have been added for free as well. My personal favorite out of all of the content added is the Insurgent APC, an armored truck that has a .50 BMG machine gun on a swivel mount on top of it. The truck is simply a tank, capable of taking several rounds from RPGS and even a blast or two from a tank.

As a whole the entire Heist experience feels complete and well polished. The crew’s ability to change their attire to match their situation or on the other hand to match their psychotic nature. The planning and overall prep for the main Heists is tedious at times but it is worth it in the end during the finale. Other smalls aspects such as the ability to equip your mask on the go using the depad adds to the criminal and professional feel of being a crook in a Heist. The Heists open up to players once they reach level 12 if I am remembering it correctly, but they can be invited to them before they reach this level. The consequence is lower level characters are at a significant disadvantage since they lack the heavy hitting weapons that level the playing field when outnumbered by the entire Los Santos Police Department. Bullet proof tires and helicopter access also help make the process a lot easier, both of which are attained at higher levels.

In summary I highly suggest taking Grand Theft Auto V out of its case again in order to play this phenomenal addition to the sandbox game. The Heists add a degree of teamwork and have a decent reward for accomplishing the missions only if you are willing to do them.

Review: The Order: 1886

Too Short to Enjoy: The Order: 1886 Review

The Order: 1886, created by Ready at Dawn has been facing harsh criticism for over two weeks now. The game was rumored to be incredibly buggy and short (About 5 hours), the latter of which would not have been an issue the game was not exclusively single-player. In addition, other reviews by notable organizations killed any of my hopes for this game. Needless to say there are no games out that I want to play since Evolve is repetitive as can be, so I decided to risk it and buy The Order: 1886. This led to mixed feelings.

The Order: 1886 takes place in an alternate version of London, England during a steampunk revision of the Industrial Revolution. Weapons and technology are far more advanced than what they were in the actual historical time period. Zeppelins and machine guns that look like the Lewis Machine gun are present in the game. This allowed the developers to be more creative when it came to the overall weaponry, story, and aesthetics of the game. Ultimately this leads to one of the pros of the game, the weapon variety. Guns that fire arcs of electricity, assault rifles with huge magazines, and automatic steampunk-esque pistols all have unique sound bits which are not merely cut and paste sound effects that one would find in Call of Duty or Battlefield. Each weapon looks carefully crafted, the mere attention to detail and creativity are noteworthy and enjoyable. My favorite weapon in the game uses thermite to engulf waves of enemies in an AOE like attack. And all of these weapons are crafted by this alternate history’s version of Nikola Tesla.

Visually speaking, The Order: 1886 is stunning. One could compare this game to the Xbox One’s Ryse: Son of Rome, since it showcases the early hardware capabilities of the PS4. I found the scenery and overall aesthetics of the developer’s version of London appealing to the eyes and incredibly detailed. The game transfers from cinematic cut scenes to gameplay seamlessly. The overall visual integrity, combined with the film like filter, truly made the game feel like a movie or an extravagant cinematic experience. Notice that in the picture above, there are black bars. These were added to give the game a widescreen aspect ration and, therefore, a more cinematic feel. At first, I was annoyed by this, but after the first hour of the game, I had grown relatively used to it. Furthermore, I would like to see more story driven games attempt to replicate this visual design as it appeals to the eyes far better and allows better visuals by the decreased resolution.

If I were to stop writing about this game now, it may seem as if it was a decent game, but The Order: 1886 suffers from two major problems: the game’s length and the lack of variety in the gameplay. I beat the game in one 4 1/2 hour-long sitting and was impressed by the visuals of the game, butI felt cheated out by its abrupt ending and obvious hook for another game. Not to mention that for $60 I would normally expect to get at least 8-10 hours out of a single-player only game. The Order: 1886 has a cool and unique story of monster hunters who fight half breeds, and the steam punk London is great and all, but it does not justify the price tag. If the game had a 30$ price tag, it probably would have seemed more reasonable. But the developers did succeed in making me want more. The game literally ends with a gunshot transition fade to black, followed by a cut scene after the credits. I, myself, as a gamer wanted more. For how much it costs, I deserved more as does every other person who bought this title.

Gameplay was the other challenge this game faced. Early reviews claimed that the game was riddled with hundred of quick time events, moments and actions in game that are accomplished by the simple press of a button. I found this statement to be untrue. It had just as many in game prompts as any Batman or Uncharted game. So people who dislike this game purely because of that are too narrow-minded to acknowledge that the amount of quick time events in The Order:1886 are negligible when compared to other triple A titles. What made gameplay suffer in The Order: 1886 was the lack of freedom, aided by its generic shooter gallery combat. The whole game is essentially an on-rails shooter where you go from point A to B and kill all rebels and half breeds alike. It lacks the variety that many other shooters have. The weapons, as stated earlier, are fun, but I felt as if you only got to use the really cool ones for a limited amount of time. For example, halfway through the story you recover an amazing railgun-like weapon during a sequence where you take on waves of rebels. The gun performed phenomenally, but after that sequence was over the gun is never seen again. Enemy variety was limited. I mowed down dozens of them without difficulty. They felt too easy and lacked proper armament to fight the well equipped player character. The half breeds on the other hand were enjoyable to fight. Being hunted and having to hide in a corner while lycans circled around you was executed perfectly, but it grew repetitive the further you got into the game. The two boss fights in the game were exact copies of each other that happened during very different segments of the game. This felt out of place and unneeded since they were both glorified quick time events. Overall, the gameplay for this game was not very memorable, but it looked visually amazing and had a lot going for it.

Verdict: 6.2 The Order: 1886 is a new promising IP by Ready at Dawn, but it was poorly executed when it came to its length and gameplay variety. It is also impossible to defend the 60$ price tag. I do however recommend it if you want to play a unique story, but please buy this game when its on sale or used, DO NOT BUY IT NEW!

Preview: Bloodborne

Dark Souls But Harder: Bloodborne: Coming Soon

The Souls series is anything but easy; its trademark difficulty has led to countless broken controllers from hundreds of gamers. The next project from FromSoftware titled Bloodborne comes from the same mind who was the inspiration behind Demon Souls & Dark Souls. Bloodborne, a PS4 exclusive, takes place in the ancient fictional city of Yharnam. Here, the player is looking for a cure for a curse/illness that maddens those it infects and makes them almost act like shambling hollow beings that are not quite zombies but certainly no longer human. It appears that the illness also infected the other creatures lurking in this Gothic styled city, a city where the players will fight mobs of enemies and deranged creatures.

The Souls series is a Dungeon-RPG, utilizing skill points gained from leveling up to allow players to build a character play style unique to their needs. The immense difficulty is characteristic of the series and can be found in every iteration. Specifically, the placement of the enemies that are encountered is simply unfair; however, this appeals to many gamers who seek a challenging game with a steep learning curve.

From what was shown at the Tokyo Game Show this past September, Bloodborne will not depart too far from the series (Link to Video). Unlike the other Souls games, the player will no longer have a shield to hide behind which would allow players to examine their foes before attacking, speeding up the feel of the game. Now players will have to analyze their foes on the go, and decisions in combat will be more split-second than planned. But, to compensate for this change, the developers decided to make the player characters incredibly quick, far faster than previous game. This offsets the inability to block with a shield by “turtling” behind it. The new, fast-paced play style will force even veteran Souls players to adapt and change how they play the game and how they perceive these new enemies.

The players of Bloodborne will be equipped for a quite a fight: weapons revealed include lances, swords, hammers, scythes, and even a flintlock pistol of some sort. There is, however, a unique feature for some of the weapons. From gameplay revealed to the public, some weapons have shown to have shafts extends and blades folds out, allowing players to use a single weapon for multiple forms of engagement—a short shaft for close quarters and a longer one for when you are farther away. Not much is known as to how the player will be able to switch modes, but from what has been revealed from gameplay trailers, it appears to be able to function on the fly, allowing for quick transformations. This new feature will also affect how players will build their characters stats and strengths.

Another gameplay aspect that has been associated with the Souls series is the ability to summon other players in order to beat portions of the game such as a horde of tough enemies or a boss that you keep dying to. In Bloodborne, players will be able to summon other players with a bell-like item which will be heard in other player’s world. If the person who hears the bell wants to join in they will ring a smaller bell-like item and will be sent into the other player’s world. Once in the other world they can assist the host of the world with killing monsters and abominations. However if the summoned players are to die they won’t respawn in the hosts world but instead will return to their own. This form of cooperation will provide struggling players a means to conquer a challenging area in game. The feeling of beating a difficult boss or area in the Souls series is quite a triumphant feeling, especially if you have been fighting a boss for an hour or two due to the relentless difficulty.

From a graphics standpoint, Bloodborne is amazing to look at for a game, its gritty appearance juxtaposed against the Gothic style architecture provides gamers with a unique atmosphere to explore and fight in. Fighting will range from ruined streets, to infested sewers, to enormous graveyards and to other areas one would expect to find in a Renaissance-era city. The game will be in 1080p and will stay locked in at around 45FPS. This, combined with all other elements going into this game, packages it into a truly unique and innovative entry into the series as a whole. Bloodborne, in my opinion, is the first noteworthy game of this new year when it comes out on the PS4 on March 24, 2015. It will be followed by several other big game releases such as Battlefield: Hardline (which comes out the same day) and The Witcher 3 (which I will focus on later) in the month of May. Too bad it doesn’t come out before Spring Break because this will be a time consumer.

Preview: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Few books turn into good, let alone successful, game series. The Witcher series by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski is one of the few that has accomplished just this. While the author was able to create a diverse and unique fantasy world that includes humans, dwarves, elves and monsters, the most unique aspect of the series is its extreme focus on magic and detailed characteristics of its uses and conjuring. Andrzej was also able to create a unique character type that could act as a means of bringing his interpretation of magic to life, these warriors are called Witchers. Witchers are monster hunters that receive special training and are exposed to deadly positions and training at a young age in order to make them deadly sword wielders and powerful conduits of magic.

The first game adaption of the books came out in 2007, titled simply The Witcher and was developed by Polish developer CD Projekt RED. The fact that they are based in Warsaw allowed the developers easy access to Andrzej since he himself is a Polish national, which made the interpretation and story of the game so spot on and accurate. The Witcher was released on the PC, Mac, and Linux and was a well received RPG game since it was the developers first game to be published. A sequel was released in 2011 titled The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings on the PC, Mac, Linux and Xbox 360 and it continued The Witcher story beyond the books and was also well received. Now the final installment in the trilogy will be released on May 19, 2015, titled The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

The story in the game series and the books follows a particular witcher named Geralt of Rivia as well as to several of his close friends and fellow witchers. The white haired witcher is a skilled swordsmen and hexer; this allows the players to use either magic or blades in combat. In order to be relatively good in the game however you will need to combine the two for various situations. CD Projekt RED announced that even though this is the 3rd and final game in the series, new players won’t be subject to a steep learning curve or confusing story since they are able to flush out the story in an easy-to-understand fashion in the beginning of the game to catch up new fans with the series. This will more than likely be achieved through in game dialogue and a intro cinematic, so don’t be afraid to try this game out. Though lacking in multiplayer, the previous games have a deep and truly unique story written by the author of the books, and this absolutely makes up for the fact. The only known plot lines revealed thus far talk of a war in the north of the kingdom that the game takes place in and of the raiding and sporadic attacks by an elvish cavalry unit called The Wild Hunt. Geralt will be tasked to fight both as they apparently tie into one another to a certain degree. CD Projekt RED has also announced that a female witcher in training named Ciri will be a playable character during different acts of the game, but the exact length of this is unknown.

Gameplay in the series is a simple to learn, hard to master, hack-n-slash RPG with tactical elements thrown in to provide variety in combat. Like many other RPG games, The Witcher’s HUD includes a health bar and a bar that represents your magic reserve and active spells/abilities. Players will discover that different combinations of magic and attack strategies will be more effective on various enemies whether they are griffons, werewolves, vampires, humans etc. For example, if the player uses fire based spells with a silver sword while fighting a vampire, they will deal incredible amounts of damage. This brings up another aspect regarding the game. All witchers are equipped with a silver sword and a iron sword with fragments of meteors for increased durability. Silver swords are more effective on monsters and in some cases are the only means to hurt some enemies, while the iron sword is more effective on humanoid enemies (ie Humans, Elves, Dwarves). Potions and elixirs will also be present on the HUD in order to be used to regain health or buff your attacks or increase your magic reserve. In contrast to several notable hack-n-slash games, this series’s gameplay requires the player to dodge and block. This is different since most mainstream hack-n-slash games force the player to block or simply run from enemy attacks. In The Witcher series there is a dedicated button for dodging much like theDark Souls series. In other words, players will find the game difficult if they rely solely on blocking and taking hits. This is a result of the gameplay mechanics since the player can’t block every attack let alone receive little damage alone from a strike, so be prepared to dodge and role quite a bit in order to escape your enemies’ attacks.

CD Projekt RED has out done themselves again with this game. Gameplay revealed has depicted a diverse and unique environment ranging from snow covered towns to lush green countrysides. The game will also be one of the first to truly utilize all assets set aside on the next gen/ current gen consoles. This is because the game will not be coming out on neither the PS3 nor Xbox 360, but instead solely on the PC, PS4, and the Xbox One. The resolution and FPS differ on all platforms, yet visually, unless you are running the game on ultra with a PC, there is hardly a difference between the three. CD Projekt RED also announced that all 16 DLC’s for the game will be free, a nice alternative to publishers such as Ubisoft and EA who charge outrageous amounts of money for minimal extra content. This is a trend I would like to see more often. In fact most gamers would enjoy this (the 40% drop in Ubisoft profits defend this). I also included a simple graph chart above that CD Projekt RED made in order to explain the changes in the game compared to the rest of the series.

Gamers should expect a climatic and epic ending to the series as a whole with the release of this game. Because it comes out right before finals, I would suggest playing it after the fact in order to do well on the finals and since it is such a long and immerse game. Plus you will enjoy it more if you are able to play it in large chunks rather than 30 minute incriminates. It will be a good start for the summer and is actually the only notable game coming out in the summer release window. So I suggest picking up the game and playing the final chapter of The Witcher series.

Trailer link here for those wondering.

Most Anticipated Games of 2015

Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2015

*Note that this list is purely my own opinion. I’m basing it off of originality, past performances by developers, and released content thus far.

10.

Just Cause 3 – Avalanche Studios (PS4, Xbone, PC) 2015

Just Cause 2 was one word: chaos. Heck, the currency system collected by destroying a dictator’s military facilities was even called Chaos. The series is an open-world, action adventure game, and the previous game’s map of islands took about 50 minutes to drive from coast-to-coast depending on the vehicle and route. The combat is easy and action-packed. Any gamer who just wants to blow off some steam and help usher in the collapse of an evil dictatorship will enjoy this series. The new game with be set in the Mediterranean Sea and will star the games protagonist, Agent Rico Rodriguez, who works for an agency similar to the CIA. There is no doubt this game will be fun to play but it will more than likely lack a decent story. But this is Just Cause, when has story ever really mattered?

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege- Ubisoft Montreal (PS4, Xbone, PC) 2015

The Rainbow Six series has always been tactical; players require the utmost communication and precision in their squad if they want to complete a mission. Rainbow Six: Siege takes this idea and goes deeper—Siege‘s headline feature is its 5 v 5 multiplayer which pits 5 counter-terrorist soldiers against 5 terrorists, who in the premier gameplay trailer take a hostage which the good guys need to rescue. The catch? You only have one life. At first this seems like a Counter Strike Spin off; yet as revealed in the trailer, the entire environment is destructible, including ceilings, walls, stairs, etc. The gameplay and interviews provided by Ubisoft don’t show that much, but knowing the Rainbow Six series, this game will be difficult and will require a ton of communication between teammates if you want to win. Trailer for the gameplay is here.

Batman: Arkham Knight- Rocksteady Studios (PS4, Xbone, PC) June 2, 2015

The final game in the Arkham series looks quite promising. I myself still find the first one to be the most memorable but from what gameplay gamers have seen thus far, combined with the fact that Rocksteady Studios is developing this one (unlike Origins which was a let down), gives me high hopes for this installment in the franchise. The combat engine has been redone and will play a lot like Shadow of Mordor when it comes to combat since the two games share the same quick time combat system. If you weren’t a fan of Mordor‘s combat I would stay away from this game. From the trailer it seems that Gotham is in a state of utter anarchy and it’s up to Batman to save Gotham one last time. If you enjoyed the combat and can’t wait to drive the Batmobile through Gotham, I suggest picking this game up as soon as it drops exclusively on the next-gen—which I guess is now the current gen. Here is a link to an awesome cinematic trailer.

Rise of the Tomb Raider- Crystal Dynamix ( Xbone, PC, PS4?) 2015

The newest reboot of the Tomb Raider series was one of my favorite games of 2013, with gameplay that mimics the Uncharted series but far more gruesome and brutal. The combat and stealth, not to mention the sick use of a bow and arrows, made the first game in this reboot set it apart from other action games in 2013. It was my second favorite game after the DICE 2013 game of the year, The Last of Us. Yet Tomb Raider gave players a new origins story for Lara Croft. Over the course of the first game, players see her transformation from a naive archaeologist into a ruthless killer as she kills hundreds to get off an island. However, the trailer for this game (here) shows that Lara apparently suffers from PTSD after the events of the first game. Not much is known about the story but if it is anything like the previous one, this game will be a contender for one of the best action adventure games of the year.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt- CD Projekt RED (PS4, Xbone, PC) May 19, 2015

I personally would have put this game farther up on the list since it looks the most finished and ready for release, but few at Jesuit have heard of this franchise. This series, in a few words, is The Elderscrolls V: Skyrim on steroids. The game is far more difficult and complex and makes the latter seem like child’s play. Players will find themselves controlling the series’ protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, for the third time in the massive world that is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. I don’t want to spoil any plot elements but this game’s action RPG-style combat and story will provide players with a memorable experience. It also has a nice spring release right before the summer. Here is a link to a trailer (Mature Content, you are warned)

Star Wars Battlefront- DICE (PS4, Xbone, PC) December 2015

Star Wars Battlefront I & II were incredible games that came out on the original Xbox, PS2, PC, and the PSP. The games allowed players to engage in battles of 16 v 16 (32 v 32 on PC) throughout the Star Wars universe. Its 3rd person and 1st person action felt a lot like the original Battlefield, which is ironic since the new Battlefront is being developed by Dice, the people behind the series’ “Frostbite” engine that allows the games to have destructible environments. Imagine Battlefield 4 re-skinned and debugged combined with the Star Wars universe, forming a Battlefield-Battlefront hybrid. Since no non-alpha gameplay has been shown to the public, all we know about this mysterious yet promising game is that it will play like Battlefield. Teaser Trailer here.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End- Naughty Dog (PS4) 2015

Naughty Dog has been busy since they finished The Last of Us,which was the DICE game of the year in 2013. Since then, and probably before then, Naughty Dog has been working on Nathan Drake’s next adventure. Taking place 3 years after Uncharted 3, Nathan Drake (voiced by Nolan North) is approached by his older brother, Sam (voiced by Troy Baker), who he believed to be dead. Apparently, Sam needs Drake’s help in order to obtain a treasure for an unknown third party. The game itself will play a lot like The Last of Us but will be far less brutal. The series is known for its lighthearted humor, and Nathan Drake is almost like a modern-day Indiana Jones so he won’t suddenly become a cold blooded killer like Joel in The Last of Us. The same writers are also working on the game, so expect an amazing story, and not to mention the 2 best male voice actors. Both Nolan North and Troy Baker have hundreds of past noteworthy rules in video games, cartoons, and anime, including Troy Baker as Joel in The Last of Us. And besides being Nathan Drake, Nolan North was Desmond Miles in the Assassins Creed games. So expect an incredibly detailed and action packed adventure. Here is a link to some gameplay.

Halo 5: Guardians – 343 (Xbone) 2015

Several thousand players already played the beta for Halo 5: Guardians this past break. I, along with multiple other critics, weren’t fond of the changes to the once simple shooter, but all of my criticisms of this series’ past mistakes by 343 could be a review on its on. Anyone who has grown up with the Halo franchise is well aware that what kept people playing the game was the story that is arguably one of the best in the FPS genre. 343 is milking this franchise like a cow when it comes to gameplay, and they have provided some decent story elements that don’t even rival that of Bungie’s entries in the series. Yet this game will finally provide Xbox One owners a reason to own their console, as the graphics are simply amazing. If I wasn’t a Halo purist who enjoys the older games more, I would argue that this game’s gameplay is impressive, although I would never compare it to the Classic Halo games. The scoping-in feature, reminiscent of aiming down the sights, and the quick movements ruins the game. The armor that players wear weighs roughly a thousand pounds according to the lore of the franchise. Halo’s 1-3 took place over a 2 week period in which the Spartans were hulking giants, and only a few years have passed since then. The Spartans have turned into acrobats. It complete tears apart the whole super soldier idea made by Bungie and provides plot holes and questions to players who want to play the story. Despite this, I have a feeling this game will hopefully have a decent story, and if not this is my last Halo game. Reveal Trailer link.

Bloodborne – FromSoftware (PS4) March 24, 2015

From the mind of Hidetaka Miyazaki, the man behind Demon Souls, and Dark Souls I, & Dark Souls II, comes Bloodborne. Taking after his past creations, Miyazaki has created another game that has the Soul’s series’ combat and difficulty. The game itself takes place in a gothic, Victorian-esque town where all of the natives have become tainted and mad. The player attempts to gain a cure for a deadly disease said to be housed deep inside the city, past countless ghouls, monsters and zombie-like natives. Gameplay for the game thus far shows grueling and strenous combat that will provide players with the utmost challenge, and unlike the other Soul’s games, players have no shield to hide behind. Combat will be incredibly fast-paced, on the fly, and absolutely unforgiving. Yet players on this PS4 exclusive will be able to summon other players to help them during their dangerous and epic journey through a town plagued with madness. On a final note, this game is a dungeon RPG that can’t be beaten by normal hack-and-slash since if you run out of stamina, you can’t move and will probably die since this game is all about precise dodges and counters. This is my personal favorite exclusive that will be coming to either consoles. Here is a link to some awesome gameplay.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain – Kojima Productions (PS4, Xbone, PC, PS3, 360) 2015

Hideo Kojima, the mind behind the Metal Gear, series has been planning this game for about 28 years, and the story he has told through all of the previous games leads up to this final, climactic story intertwined with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. This action-stealth game which created the stealth genre in past games of the franchise has a rumored world that is apparently 8 times larger than that of Grand Theft Auto V. The game follows Big Boss, a former green beret turned mercenary, who is out for vengeance against those who killed the people close to him and destroyed the place that he loved in Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. The game and story will be a tragedy, since from previous games, which take place in more current years than this games early 80′s timeline, we know that Big Boss ultimately becomes the villian through a long and painful transformation that leads to the deaths of thousands, including those close to him. The game will more than likely be rated M for Alcohol, Sexual Acts, Violence, Language, and brutal uber realistic gore and blood; not to mention things such as human trafficking, blood diamonds and child soldiers will all play a role in this game. For more information on the game that I am already betting will when game of the year, check out my Preview Article on The Roundup here and a great trailer here. Fantastic Fan Made compilation trailer here as well.

Notable Games of 2014

2014 was kind of a disappointment when it came to video games. In fact, some of the best games were in fact re-releases of older games, but this article isn’t about those. This is because there were many good games that attempted to fill the void of bad ones, so many that one cannot decide what game truly deserves the title of Game of the Year. Therefore I deemed it appropriate to talk briefly about each game that appealed most to gamers this year. The list and descriptions below are purely my opinions and are in order by when the games were released, with newer games at the bottom and older ones at the top.

Final Note: Any game that was previously released such as GTAV, The Last of Us, and all of the Halo games will not be on this list because they are merely the original games remastered on next gen. Also, no sports games- they are relatively the same thing every year, and they are always enjoyable.

IE: Game Title – Developer (Platform)

The Games

February

Bravely Default- Square Enix (3DS)

In my personal opinion, Square Enix’s Bravely Default was the first noteworthy game of 2014. Combining aspects that all JRPGs are known to have, Bravely Default was a great nod to the older Final Fantasy games and brought much nostalgia to everyone who I know has played it. A friend of mine recommended that I play this game. She told me it was a ton of fun but takes a very long time to beat. Both of these facts are true. The grinding of levels needed to level up your party is quite a hassle, but in the end makes the game a worthwhile experience in this turn-based RPG.

March

Dark Souls II- FromSoftware (360, PS3, PC)

Bringing the trademark frustration FromSoftware is known to have, Dark Souls II was everything I could have hoped for as a veteran player of both Demon Souls & Dark Souls. In the third installment, the player is tasked with finding a king of a once proud kingdom that now lies in ruin. Challenging bosses, numerous enemies, and gravity itself will cause you to die multiple times. As the series tagline goes, “Prepare to Die and Die Again” in this dungeon-adventure RPG game. This is one of the games I would highly recommend if you have the patience and are willing to play a game that truly is anything but easy, but hey, it’s FromSoftware, all of their games are meant to be incredibly difficult. If you attempt this game, I wish you luck; you are going to need it.

South Park: The Stick of Truth- Obsidian Entertainment (360, PS3, PC)

The Stick of Truth combines the crude adult humor one can expect from South Park specials with aspects of a tactical turn-based RPG. The player controls a new kid in the town of South Park, who has to decide which faction he will fight for, whether it be Cartman’s kingdom or Kyle’s. The animation and art style of the game truly makes the player feel as if they are in an episode of the show. If you are a fan of the show, you can’t let this one slide by.

Titanfall- Respawn Entertainment (360, Xbone, PC)

Microsoft attempted to set the bar of next gen FPS shooters in this fast paced run and run, free running shooter. Titanfall comes from a team of experienced developers whose works include the first couple of Medal of Honors (the good ones) and several games in the Call of Duty franchise, including the most well-received and, in my opinion, best Call of Duty game ever: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Titanfall attempts to set itself apart from the normal FPS shooter as it allows players to call in Titans, giant mech suites that carry a lot of firepower. The free running aspect of the game also adds something that really hasn’t been used in any other FPS successfully (Looking at you, Call of Duty). Titanfall provides a nice starting point for what is to come in the next gen games, although this game does have its flaws (but we won’t talk about those).

May

Watch_Dogs- Ubisoft Montreal (360, PS3, Xbone, PS4, PC)

Watch Dogs (Stylized as Watch_Dogs) depicted a rather uncomfortable and brutal reality of a world where intellectual digital property has practically no privacy whatsoever. Secrets and opinions believed to be safely kept in “the cloud” act as reasons to kill for, and the game itself is a giant power struggle of a file containing encriminating evidence on a major public figure. The game plays like Grand Theft Auto, yet it ties in hacking street lights or police barricades, etc., into the gameplay, adding another unique aspect to the gameplay. This game, if observed closely, may shine light on our world as the information age and hacking becomes more relevant. What kept this game from really being the fantastic game it was previewed to be was the fact that it was delayed twice, which killed the hype for its release. But if you have the money and nothing better to play, go pick the game up. Warning: Does not have a high replay value.

Mario Kart 8- Nintendo (Wii U)

Nintendo went all out in the latest instalment of their trademark kart game. With returning characters and maps, this game blends overall positive aspects with new ideas regarding gameplay. Tracks now occupy an entire 3D space. The karts, which now defy gravity, allow for some truly vertigo-inducing moments, such as driving upside down or at a complete 90 degree angle from the track. In addition to this defining change in the overall atmosphere of the game, players can now receive an item that can counter the infamous Blue Turtle Shell. This will surely change the conversations one has with friends on the couch in this classic racing game.

June

Shovel Knight- Yacht Club Games (Wii U, 3DS, PC)

Some may disagree with this game being on my list but in all honesty Shovel Knight was a fantastic throwback to traditional 8-bit plat formers. The somewhat simple nature of the gameplay, however, reveals a difficult game. Taking ideas from games such as Megaman and Zelda this game is hard to describe in a few words, but the plot is simple to explain: the player controls a knight with blue armor who wields a shovel that also acts as a sword and/or club. I suggest looking up gameplay if you want a more in depth description.

Valiant Hearts- Ubisoft Montpellier (360, PS3, Xbone, PS4, PC)

Having been released near the centennial of the beginning of the Great War, Valiant Hearts attempts to capture the horror that was World War I. The art style of this 2D puzzle adventure game adds a lighthearted atmosphere to the difficult topic. Playing as five different characters throughout the game who all end up meeting one another ties the knot to this story that many critics believe is a commentary on the effect social status had on the war. For example, one of the characters is an upper-class man with no combat experience sending men of working class background to slaughter in the trenches of western France. The game’s story itself was enough to make even myself, a history buff, question the morals and reality that took place in the wretched trenches at the beginning of the twentieth century.

September

Destiny- Bungie (360, PS3, Xbone, PS4)

You either loved it, or you hated it. Bungie’s Destiny had mixed reviews criticizing its repetitive story missions, but you have to understand that this isn’t a normal game. MMOs aren’t known to have amazing stories; you play them for the social and gameplay aspects they provide. Destiny provided players with arguably the best run-and-gun fluid controls that have been lacking in the FPS genre the past couple of years. It’s hard to describe, but Destiny simply plays exactly how I would want an FPS to play. The controls are responsive and can be tuned to your specific sensitivity and layout and the social aspect of the game regarding the idea that you can simply drop into your friend’s game really helps bind this game together. If you are looking for a good story filled with huge cinematic cut scenes, I suggest playing another game. But if you are playing games for the gameplay and are fond of shooters, then I highly recommend this game.

Warning: Do not get it on the last gen systems, it looks awful and watered down. Get it on the next gen. You can read my full review here.

Forza Horizon 2- Playground Games (360, Xbone)

After the lack of cars, tracks and content that was Forza 5, Microsoft finally nailed the racing simulator with an increased amount of car and tracks. Forza Horizon 2, the sequel to Forza Horizon, is the best racing simulator since the PS3’s Gran Turismo 5, which surprised everyone with its catalogue of over 1,000 cars and stunning visuals running at 60FPS 1080P on a PS3 all the way back in 2010. Forza Horizon 2 is everything I wanted Gran Turismo 6 to be. (Sorry to you Sony fans, I myself am impartial.) It hits the idea and gameplay of the ideal racing simulator head on and gives players hours of content in a nice $60 dollar package, and trust me, this game is worth so much more. If racing simulators are your thing or you are in the mood to fly down the track in an exotic sports car, I suggest picking this one up as soon as possible. Here is a link to our full review.

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor- Monolith Productions (360, PS3, Xbone, PS4, PC)

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor takes the combat system of Assassins Creed (note: it is not made by Ubisoft), makes it more fluid, and drops you in the wonderful fictional world of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series. The player controls a Ranger (voiced by veteran voice actor Troy Baker, whose works include Bioshock Infinite and Final Fantasy) who also has wraith-like abilities. This open-world game allows the player to explore Mordor and conquer Uruks and Orcs who are responsible for his families deaths. If you want more, as in an in depth review click right here.

November

Far Cry 4 – Ubisoft Montreal (360, PS3, Xbone, PS4, PC)

As a sequel to Far Cry 3, Far Cry 4 had some very big shoes to fill. In this case it did its best to do so but still felt very much like Far Cry 3. The environment and small additional features to gameplay however made it distinguishable from the previous installment. Troy Baker did a phenomenal job by portraying the antagonist Pagan Min, the evil king who rules the Himalayan inspired country of Kyrat. Like other Far Cry games this one is a free roam FPS game with tons of fun side activities and a chilling amount of violence to quell your inner bloodlust (if you are into that kind of thing). The game maintains its feel from previous games and is definitely worth buying if you were fond of the past games or want to play an actual FPS game. Full review is right here.

Dragon Age: Inquisition- Bioware (360, PS3, Xbone, PS4, PC)

Honestly, this is a game I wish I had more time to play. Dragon Age: Inquisition is the third installment in the series of the game. The game itself plays like a standard third-person RPG but it has traces of features one would normally find in MMOs like World of Warcraft. The game itself takes place in a fantasy world where the player, his party, and up to 3 other friends embark on an epic quest in order to keep demons from devouring the land. I have the game on my PC, and I have to say this game on max settings looks absolutely breathtaking. Bioware truly wanted to immerse players in their world. Since the title is made by Bioware I’m making the judgement that it is basically Mass Effect but set in a fantasy world where multiple dialogue options are available.

Warning: this game requires a lot of time and commitment, only play it if you feel you can hang around for the incredibly long but satisfying story. (I don’t have the time but wish I did.)

Super Smash Bros – Nintendo (3DS, Wii U)

Having been released earlier on the 3DS this past October, the classic beat ‘em up style game that is Super Smash Bros finally made it to the Wii U this past November. A new addition to the Wii U version of the game is the ability to play 8 person smash all on the same screen. That’s twice the amount of action and you will no longer have to switch out and rotate controllers with friends. This feature, however, does put a large amount of objects on screen making the game even more chaotic, but hey it’s Smash Bros. If you have a Wii U and have plenty of friends (kind of boring by yourself), pick up a copy of smash and have a blast venting your anger out on friends. Full review is right here.

The Conclusion

2014 was a relative let down when it came to video games. Ubisoft went too big this year and paid for it with their 30% stock drop after Assassins Creed Unity & Rogue came out. Not to mention The Crew is simply an awful racing game. Luckily EA didn’t screw up this year when it came to releases. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was a poor attempt at reigniting the franchise and overall all of the big name games that were supposed to be released this year ended up being pushed back to next year. (Specifically The Witcher 3 & Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain)

However, gamers can still enjoy re-releases such as GTA:V & The Master Chief Collection in order to maintain their gaming passion, because new awesome games are right around the corner. These games include Bloodborne, a Dark Souls-esque game made by the same people coming to the PS4 in March. The Witcher 3 is a huge game to look forward to and will be out in February. But my most anticipated game of next year has a solid release window of 2015 and will be the biggest console game ever made: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (screenshot Above), which I am already predicting will be one of the best games of next year. So gamers shouldn’t worry, great games are coming soon. You can check my preview for it here.

Video Game Hunter

A Non Bias Source For All Triple A Games