The Last Of Us Review

VISUAL - 5 out of 5

CONTENT - 5 out of 5

AUDIO - 5 out of 5

CONTROL - 5 out of 5

 

 

Developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, The Last Of Us is a visceral, dark, human narrative on "life after death", so to speak.

 

We start in rural Texas. A simple man and single father of an auspicious and witty daughter enjoy an evening in. Only these two have no idea the chaos and insanity that has already started plaguing their town.....and the rest of the country for that matter. Waking up with anarchy on the rise and attempting to flee your home sounds like a good idea until fatal consequences befall you and yours.

 

20 yrs. have passed since that day and we open again with Joel. A man like many others just trying to survive in a world that has turned in on itself. Segregated colonies, factions and normal people are in a constant state of panic and general malaise. By way of unfortunate events and a little bit of back-stabbing, you are forced into taking on a mission in order to get back what's yours. Your mission is simple (or so it seems). Ellie. One boisterous and foul mouthed pre-teen needs to be escorted across the rot and ruin that is 2033 USA. Outside the safety of one of many secure compounds, you must brave humans that have been infected with the Cordyceps Fungus (essentially really badass zombies), looters, cannibals and every other psycho that has chosen to live outside the safe walls. Sounds simple enough. Right?

 

VISUAL

 

The Last of Us is one of the most stunningly gorgeous games I have played this console generation. Seems fitting it be so as we are on the break of the next generation. Its almost a love letter to gamers and a great send off for the PS3. Everywhere you look there is something to discover. The level of detail attached to this title from the visual standpoint cannot even really be compared to any other survival/horror game or most other games from this or many previous years. Cities have been overgrown with plant life. Cars and homes are abandoned. Even being a linear game, the hard work and detail given toward creating these environments, suspends your disbelief and allows you to enjoy the massive scale and overwhelming flood of emotions the developers wanted to portray. Its really a marvel what Naughty Dog was able to accomplish with only half their team in the mix. You really have to see for yourself.

 

CONTENT

 

This masterpiece plays out like a movie. Much as Playstations other exclusive titles in the Uncharted series. Although where Uncharted is a light hearted and playful excursion, The Last of Us is the polar opposite. The sense of dread that one encounters here is unparallelled. The scarcity of ammunition and supplies has been done before, but for me has never hit the mark as this game has. Not only is ammo in short supply, but the impact of using it on the characters really makes you feel the pain of taking a life. AI characters truly push every emotion you would expect in any given situation. An AI system Naughty Dog has dubbed "Balance of Power" allows your enemies to react accordingly to your every move. From taking one hostage at gunpoint and the others trying to talk you down to running out of ammo, them hearing that dreaded "click" and yelling "HE'S OUT!!!! GET HIM!!!" and following through.

The game makes Joel and Ellie vulnerable. Of course you can take a moderate amount of damage, but you aren't a super human. This is where crafting comes into play. Along your adventure you happen upon supplies such as lighter fluid, liquor bottles, cloth and other such items that can be used to make Molotov cocktails, medical wraps, bombs, etc. Also there are crafting tables strategically set through the world where you can modify your permanent weapons cache for larger clip sizes and reload times and those temporary items such as a bat, 2x4 or lead pipe can be modified. For example, nails for the end of your bat and other fun stuff.

The part about what they've slapped on the table that I love is real-time inventory. Not unlike in Dead Space, accessing your guns and supplies is done on the fly. You really have to make sure you are safe in order to heal or craft because you can be attacked while doing so. This adds so much to game play in that you almost always have to be looking over your shoulder. Another gem and probably my favourite is Ellie. So many games I've played with an almost incomprehensibly useless AI "side kick" are wiped from memory with her. Although not always, Ellie attempts to distract enemies and even attack them to help you out of a bind. Also done in a very human way, as Ellie acts and reacts as a girl her age would in these situations, but with a level of maturity and confidence as the game progresses.

 

AUDIO

 

The soundtrack, although tepid at times serves more to the ambiance of your surroundings. There really aren't big flamboyant scores that you would find in most titles, which actually serves the game very well. Its more of a compliment to the immense size of the world, allowing what you see to impact you. A larger score I believe would have taken a lot of the fear and uneasiness that is prevalent throughout. More emphasis was spent on the interactions between the characters and their relationships along with the world that encompasses them.

Naughty Dog has the right, and to me, the only formula for an immersive single player experience. Taking the time and effort to mokap the actors while they play out the scene is a lot of work, hence why others don't do it. Also hence why others aren't winning awards on every title released. (not to mention the sick bank they're pullin) The voice acting in Last of Us is excruciatingly professional and real and has me gripped to their every word. The writing and delivery with this development team and their actors is always on key and is relatable in almost every sense. Lets just say that I was drawn in and completely invested in The Last of Us before the title came up on the screen. That opening segment had me from the start.

 

CONTROL

 

The game play for those who have played the other Naughty Dog games is fairly similar to Uncharted, but tweaked and perfected. I never felt a loss of control over Joel and Ellie. The combat and cover system were highly intuitive and flows so well that it allows you to focus more on your objective and less on whether the enemy can see you or not. If I have one complaint, it would be with Ellie in cover. It's really just more of a nit pick, but in cover situations for the most part Ellie sticks right with you. Sometimes not. I had a few moments behind cover where she is around the cover in plain sight of the enemy. Luckily, the AI is focused on you so it doesn't matter if they see her. That was kind of a let down, but really didn't really negatively affect my experience too much. I actually thought it would have been sweet if AI stumbled upon Ellie and maybe held HER at gunpoint. Maybe making ME talk HIM down. A quick time event where she punches him in the nuts and I have a second to take him out or he kills her.

Overall, the controls were flawless and fun. I just really wish there was more. I think I'll have to play it again!

 

 

OVERALL RATING - ANOTHER 5 OUT OF 5

WAY TO GO NAUGHTY DOG!!!KEEP IT COMIN!!!

 

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Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Review

VISUAL - 5 out of 5

CONTENT - 5 out of 5

AUDIO - 5 out of 5

CONTROL - 5 out of 5

 

 

A stand alone expansion retro fitted with all the retro fittings one could hope for, was not what I think anyone was expecting. Alas, this is what we got. Developed and published by Ubisoft Montreal, Blood Dragon is a visceral and jaw dropping culmination of delightful nostalgia.

 

Meet Rex 'Power' Colt. Your run of the mill super awesome, asskickingist half robo man. Set in a dystopian 2007, Rex sets out to take on his nemesis Col. Sloan. A rogue elite agent and leader of  Omega Force (An army of cyborg assholes), hellbent on returning the world to its former prehistoric state. Dabbling in science extracting the dna of the Blood Dragons that roam the island, he plans to create an army of half dragon zombies called 'The Running Dead' to aid in his treacherous plan.

 

It is up to you to take on this army and all its evil to get the girl, kill the badguys and save the world!!

 

VISUAL

 

Well lets start with the initial presentation. FREAKIN AWESOME!!! You open with super sick retro nintendo like 8 bit swiping cut scenes like this;

 

Amazing enough these are more entertaining now then they were back in the nintendo days. Along with the over the top voice acting and dialogue, this was a creative, really fun and totally cheap way of telling this story. On a side note though, some of these tended to last a little too long for my taste chipping away ever so slightly at the games pacing. Small issue overall.

The fleshed out, tron like, 80's style visuals are what make this bad boy stand out. Trading in the lush tropical jungle landscapes of Far Cry 3 for a 'high tech' digital, everything seems to glow look was an ingenious idea. The game takes a 'Quantum Leap' in a great direction with this look and really sets the tone for what I believe is arguably the greatest DLC in this console generation. You'll have to check it out for yourself because I could never do it justice!

 

 

CONTENT

 

Blood Dragon is just bursting with fun stuff to do. The game being mostly a 're-skinned' version of the original title, has a predictable but welcomed feel seeing as how we are already familiar with how gameplay worked in FC3. The approach to gameplay has all the similarities like capturing enemy camps, looting enemies, small side quests, open world concept and main campaign, but its done with great care and differs enough from what we've played to make it a whole new experience.

Everything about this game screams nostalgia. From weapons you will recognise from movies and pop culture references to foul language and seriously incredulously lude one-liners. ie; nailing a headshot followed by your robotic middle finger.

The weapon selection in BD is phenomenal. Every weapon is 'Futurised' for your pleasure. All of them looking and sounding great. My personal favourite is Robocops handgun. So crucial lol. SPOILER!! Weapon upgrades have taken a slight turn in this dlc, as before you would just have to buy them. Now you do missions to acquire them. Not unlike the hunter or assassin missions from FC3. Each encampment you take will have a couple of these missions for you to undertake, making side missions a little more rewarding and worthwhile.

I believe the star of this game, aside from the visual take, is the cheeky and often downright the knee slapiest quips, puns and general shenanigans one encounters on this journey. BD doesnt take itself seriously which really allows you to more easily suspend your disbelief long enough to soak in all the badassery. Taking after 80's style action movies, this plays out as one itself. The hero, the badguy, the love interest and the violence really play together well. You will enjoy this....unless ur a dbag.

 

 

AUDIO

 

 

Probably the craziest and outlandish soundtrack of any next-gen title to date. Most of which was helmed by one of the greatest bands in the world......ready for it?!! POWERGLOVE!!!!MUAHAHAHAHA!! Powerglove is simply put a speed metal band that does mostly video game and t.v. show covers. Look em up, you wont regret it.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good the soundtrack fits the gameplay.....not at all lol. Its just a whole lot of fun every step of the way.

And oh the VO (voice overs). Wow!! Over the top and under the table, hand in hand with the ridiculous dialogue. There is something for everyone in BD. Almost everything said in this game is effin hilarious. (again, unless ur a dbag) ie; [(over the intercom) "Just an update....our new grenades will only arm after you say 'Hot Shit' (or something like that) "Oops, sorry I just said the arming words over the intercom. I apologise to whoever I maimed"] Just play the damn game....I dont have time for your meanderings!!!

 

 

CONTROL

 

 

FPS

 

 

OVERALL RATING - A FUCKIN 5 OUT OF 5 BITCHES!!!

 

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Bioshock: Infinite Review

 

INTERFACE - 4.5 out of 5

VISUAL - 5 out of 5

CONTENT - 5 out of 5

AUDIO - 5 out of 5

CONTROL - 4.5 out of 5

 

From the city of Rapture deep below the sea, to the city of Columbia soaring through the skies, Bioshock Infinite is a marvel of great imagination and visual delight. Developed by Irrational Games and published by 2K Games, Infinite is the third title of the Bioshock franchise.

Not being a continuance of Bioshock 2, we start off with our new protagonist, former pinkerton detective Booker Dewitt. Booker is hired by the Lutece twins to travel to the floating metropolis of Columbia to retrieve Elizabeth, a damsel whom has been imprisoned there for seemingly her whole life. Upon landing in this sky borne city, you quickly find that all isn't as it seems. Aiming to remain unnoticed, a civilian finds the initials AD emblazoned on your hand. It seems the cities leader, Comstock, had prophesied the coming of a False Shepherd with the same markings that would terrorise the city and bring it crashing down.

Now wanted for crimes you didn't commit, you battle your way through city guards and incredible open environments to reach the cities main tower and take your prize, Elizabeth. Many troubles await you though, as Elizabeth's power to "Warp" through and manipulate time and space give advantages, but also open a can of worms. Can you escape the city with your prize and your life?

INTERFACE



A colourful and creative backdrop is what I want to see in the main title menu. Infinite does not disappoint. A simple, but worthwhile touch to any game is its opening menu being that this generations titles have for the most part done away with an intro cut scene. Making a great first impression, Infinite not only gives a small peek at some of the textures and design of the world, but also displays your options in a simple straight forward way.
In-game interaction is on another playing field entirely. Taking alot from Bioshock's previous titles, Irrational has done a number on the way you toggle through your arsenal. Vigors (previously plasmids) are activated through the L trigger as before, but an "on the fly" addition allows you to customise what Vigors you have equipped using the left bumper, allowing for a more fluid experience. Weapon toggling is the same as with the other 2 titles allowing you to hold 2 weapons at a time switching between them with the right bumper.
The very intuitive control scheme was obviously well thought through.

VISUAL

 

A Bioshock game would not be complete without its impressive environments, detail and overall creative genius. Again, Infinite takes this to a whole nother level. The seemingly never ending world that is Columbia is comprised of a vast array of textures and impeccable sense of belonging, meaning that nothing seems like it doesn't belong. At any point throughout your adventure there is almost always something to look at and admire. I found myself in certain areas just looking. Walking into a bathroom and being able to flush the toilet, or use the sink and seeing cockroaches skittering around the floor. The level of detail put into this game is staggering, almost letting me forgive Irrational for missing their launch date 2 times. Also, all of the character models a building placement/textures seem to flow together in a way that I can only describe as formidable. Lets not forget the set pieces.....OH THE SET PIECES!! This is something that I felt was lacking in the previous Bioshock titles. Moments of utter insanity were always prevalent before, but now they've taken a bright and refreshing turn, making MY experience that much more worthwhile. The art style as well just floats out of the screen and pulls me in, in a way most games cannot.

 

CONTENT

 

Bioshock Infinite is just oozing with stuff to do, areas to explore, weapons with which to wreak havoc and a story that will blow just about every ones mind. Its very hard in today's gaming world for a developer to create a game with such an intellectual plot and story line. I was taken aback with the lore of Infinite and the endless political and social tie-ins under its skin.

Starting with the "Vigors", I was a little apprehensive at first with the new name and format to our heroes "Powers" as it were. But given a very little bit of time, this world of possibilities blasted open in front of my eyes. Not only was I eagerly impressed with the amount of powers one can accumulate, but the fact that each Vigor has multiple abilities made for a gamer-gasm I will never forget. Just pressing the L trigger will perform the Vigor's main task, but hold and let go and you get a second more powerful attack.

Weapons in this game are beyond spectacular. There are so many to choose from that I got a little overwhelmed at times as to which to keep or throw away. That may be the only gripe I have for Infinite, is that like many other titles it suffers from over exposure. Even with the Vigors, when there are too many options on the table, one tends to pick favourites and stick to those. That may very well be the intention, but I find it is more effective to have a smaller set of options that are all useful in different circumstances. That being said, Irrational did not cheap out on any of them. Each and every weapon or Vigor are meticulously rendered in a way only hands on experience, not the written word can divulge.

Another genius addition to this world is Elizabeth. Hands down the greatest AI companion that I have ever had the pleasure of playing with. Not only does she have fantastic cleavage, but she helps you in ways I've only ever dreamt of in other titles. Liz can open "Tears" in time to unveil weapons, health and cover among other things. She also in times of great need will throw you ammunition, health, money or "Salts" (that you drink to replenish your Vigors) in a believable way. The movement of Liz is also astonishing. She stays right with you at any given time to assist and when I run to an objective, be it a main or side objective, she almost seems to know exactly where I am headed and almost always gets there first. 

Other games need to take notes on this. An AI companion is very important in a single player experience, and needs to be on point. They need to actually help your progress, not just be around, not killing anyone, letting you finish killing everyone and then join in celebrating victory. lol

 

AUDIO

 

The proverbial hammer has struck the proverbial nail in this outstanding and life changing orchestra of awesome! Right from the main menu down to the water flowing out of a bathroom sink, Infinite jumps, leaps and bounds past all of its competitors. I had to turn my T.V. up to theatre volume, so as not to miss even the slightest ping of ammo casings hitting the ground. (add over exaggeration here) The main score of Infinite blew me away. My favourite score of all time is that of the UnCharted series on the PS3.......Infinite almost took number 1 away from it. Even right down to the weapon report, situational ambiance and......footsteps....ya I said it. lol Everything is right on key.

 

CONTROL

 

Controlling Booker was a breeze. Probably for the better part being that the control falls in the vein of most if not all FPS games. I love the FPS format as it is, because it allows you to seamlessly join the world and focus on the games individual accoutrement. The only problem I had with control was on the "Tram" lines throughout the game. A great achievement in its own right, navigation seemed at times tedious and unnecessary. I found myself opting out of using them unless it was for platforming purposes. Other wise, movement is easy as pie, (I still don't know what that means) weapon and Vigor selection/execution and overall travel remain as tight if not tighter than before. It is something to be said when a game can make movement and combat so approachable that it doesn't even have to, for the most part, enter your mind.

 

 

OVERALL RATING - A VERY WELL DESERVED (AND MY FIRST) 5 OUT OF 5

 

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O

Hitman: Absolution Review

 

INTERFACE - 3.5 out of 5

VISUAL - 4.5 out of 5

CONTENT - 2 out of 5

AUDIO - 4.5 out of 5

CONTROL - 2.5 out of 5

 

 

Many titles during the console wars have been able to survive the test of time. The Hitman franchise, regrettably among them. This new iteration of a tried and tested series developed by IO Interactive and published by Square Enix, attempts to "Refresh" the pile of memorable games before it, but sadly to say falls short of expectations.

 

In this "Re-Imagining" of Hitman, Agent 47 is sent under the command of the "Reformed" Agencies new leader, Agent Benjamin Travis, to assassinate 47's former "handler" Diana Burnwood, whom deemed it necessary to publicly expose "The Agency" to rob them of their anonymity. After barely completing your mission and inherently abandoning The Agency, you find she leaves a young girl named Victoria in your capable hands. Victoria is special and an important asset to the agency and anyone else who might know her secret.

 

After leaving Victoria in a "Secure" location, you set off to find out who wants this girl and why in a series of perplexing environments and impossible situations. (Yeah, that's about it.......seriously?!!)

 

INTERFACE



 

The menu system in this game is all too familiar as one would expect. A title page with your main options as in most games. (Besides the sexy shower scene depicted behind the text) The inner game interface is one more often than not has been seen before. Weapons and ammunition are shown using the D pad and there are multiple slots within for your stored armoury. In an easy, although somewhat derivative manner, weapons are accessible on the go, giving 47 a lot of choices.

 

VISUAL

 

Hitman Absolution is a game to be remembered by its graphical textures and impeccable environments. 47 himself looks fantastic. Although seeming limited in facial expression, (47 and everyone else) the mood and emotion of the characters still shine through. Enemy combatants are well rendered, but have a lack of variety one would hope for. It seems as though developers were expecting you to focus more on 47 visually than on whom he was killing. Aside from this, the environment textures and civilians brought a sense of a world that was "lived in", so to say. Weapons and kill sequences gave a great variety for me, making my experience occasionally worthwhile.

 

CONTENT

 

Hitman Absolution seems with this title that they want to take a new "stab" at this franchise by introducing some new gadgets, but also falling back to what they "assume" their core fanbase would like. In doing so, IO totally alienates anyone who has never played a Hitman game before. Lets go over the pro's and con's.

PRO: The weapon system in this game is remarkable. Almost anything can and will be used as a tool or weapon/projectile. From drug syringes and baseball bats to axes and fire extinguishers, can be your ticket to a satisfying termination. Also, the disguise system is an exceptional part of Hitman. Being able to wear the clothing of a man you've killed to bypass others like him is a welcome mechanic and can create many fun challenges. Hiding or disposing of corpses is also a fan favourite. It can be very rewarding and allows for more options for tackling an objective.

CON: The cons are ashamedly the same as the pros sorry to say. The weapon system, a lot like many other titles, suffers from over exposure. Too many options leads to either confusion to a casual gamer or favouritism in a seasoned vet. You find yourself using the same weapons over and over to take out enemies, because unlike other big name titles, Hitman decided to use a board to board campaign. At the end of every "Chapter", you are scored on what weapons you were able to use, costumes you wore and level of kill you were able to achieve. To some this is the spice of life.......to the other 95% of gamers......hell in a hand basket.

I was taken out of the game completely after every acheved goal in order for them to tell me how bad or good I was doing. Most games leave that part until the end and/or have a selection in the menu screen allowing me to track my challenges and point level. Then I encountered the "Disguise" mechanic. On the surface this idea seems like it would make for a phenomenal advantage for our unstoppable assassin, but what lies underneath is a total fail. Sure you can change clothes and blend in with your enemies.....for about 3 seconds. Somehow everyone on the police force for a metropolis knows what every other police man looks like. Even using the "Instinct Mode", which is supposed to hide your identity as you cover your face and slink past, doesn't fool these guys. Its frustrating to a large degree in my opinion. Not only did these things ruin the game for me, but the staggering incline in difficulty was unsustainable.

I didn't feel powerful like an ultimate assassin or super human, until I changed the difficulty from normal to easy. I feel as though IO Interactive was waining on familiarity for former Hitman players and were not trying to make advancements to the degree most "Re-Imaginings" are taking these days. ie; TombRaider (check previous review) The game also has an "Assassination" mode, where you take on individual and/or multiple targets in competition for the leaderboards. Although an interesting addition, I for one did not want to play anymore after finishing the main story.

Okay...enough with my rant.

AUDIO

 

Hitman in the audio department, aside from its lack in game play ingenuity, hits the right note. From the main score down to the situational ambiance, they are on key. The proper emotions are depicted at the proper time as you would hope. The weapon report are astonishing against the flat and at most times boring VO's (Voice Over). All weapons sound and look as invasive as they should. If only the actors weren't so slow and robotic during main scenes. There seems to be an attempt to bring out emotion and variety in the characters, but they fall short. I've had a hard time connecting to our protagonist Agent 47, as one should seeing as how he shouldn't emote, but from the "get go" he emoted way too much. (Spoiler Alert) After he didn't finish off Diana at the beginning of the game for some untold emotional reason, I just fell off caring. Probably another reason why I just went to easy mode and started blowing f*%kers away. The enemies are by far the worst. Great scripting with shitty actors = shitty story. All I wanted to do by the end of this heap was just get it over with so I could find out how the story ended.....not unlike skipping to the last chapter of a crappy book cause you've already invested time in reading it.

 

CONTROL

 

Controlling 47 was about as fun as a root canal. Being a cover based shooter, I would have expected more. The cover system did have its advantages, but was also flawed in many ways. For instance; coming to the edge of cover, instead of stopping with the option to turn the corner, 47 automatically turns the corner opening him up for bullets. Having to inch forward trying not to turn and be seen was distracting, especially in a game where strategy is the key. Hitman acts as many 3rd person shooters do, with an over the shoulder reticule, able to switch from left flank to right with an analogue click. This is familiar, so in most ways the combat was easy to adjust to. Trying to sneak up on an enemy and "Garrote" him with your wire left me almost sitting on his left shoe panicking that he would see me...scrambling to get behind him.....AND THEN HE DIDN'T EVEN SEE ME!!!!

Up your life game IO Interactive.......all your bass are belong to us!!!



 





OVERALL RATING - 2.5 OUT OF 5 

 

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Tomb Raider (2013) Review

INTERFACE - 3 out of 5

VISUAL - 4.5 out of 5

CONTENT 4 out of 5

AUDIO - 3.5 out of 5

CONTROL - 4 out of 5

In the vast expanse that is the gaming world, few if any main protagonists stay in the forefront of the human mind,let alone one of the female persuasion. One of the exceptions of this paradox would be Lara Croft. Two decades of half mediocre and half progressive titles with this buxom temptress, have left most gamers wanting more. Until now...

Published by Square Enix and developed by Crystal Dynamics, comes Tomb Raider (2013). A solid and incomprehensible leap in a franchise more bountiful and rich than most can appreciate. Beginning in the 90's on the PS1, Tomb Raider was a marvel in technology bringing gamers into a 3D world they had not seen before. Looking back it was a monumental achievement for its developers and for consumers the like. Square Enix though has taken an evolutionary step as to "Reboot" this title and breathe a whole new life into a seemingly dying empire.

We start with Lara. A twenty something, exceedingly gorgeous wannabe adventurer setting off aboard a sea faring vessel known as the Endurance. Along with a crew of science and muscle, Lara sets off to help a desperate (and bankrupt) archaeologist find the lost kingdom of Yamatai, to uncover the resting place of its former ruler the Shaman Queen Himiko aka The Sun Queen. After dubious debate with her crew, Lara convinces them that they are to head toward a treacherous domain not unlike the Bermuda triangle, aptly named "Dragons Triangle". After hitting a life threatening storm we find ourselves shipwrecked on an unknown island.

With no supplies or ammunition to spare, we set upon this questionable landscape in search of our goal. But all is not as it seems. This mysterious land is inhabited by a group of lost souls, a cult that call themselves the Solarii. A group that plans to release the demon Sun Queen in hopes of lifting a curse on the island allowing them to escape. But the only way to do this is to sacrifice the rightful heir to the Queens throne. Sam. Lara's best friend and counterpart is kidnapped by the Solarii and it is up to you to save her and the rest of your friends or the world is lost.

INTERFACE

The menu's and inner game interface are not unlike any you have seen before. This is not a surprise seeing as many if not all games fall back on what people know. Unlike my previous review of Dead Space 3, Tomb Raider uses a basic menu system and somewhat intuitive system for inventory. Gadgets and weapons are easily accessible so as not to leave Lara vulnerable in tight situations. Being able to switch weapons on the fly is not a new concept, but it seems as though Crystal Dynamics made it easy and necessary to do so.

VISUAL

Tomb Raider in a few words is visually stunning. Right from the lighting effects and character animations down to the terrain and environmental textures. The opening cut scene alone gives foreshadow to the gritty, bloody and often times downright smutty violence found within the single player experience. This pugilistic endeavour is matched only by the use of a dynamic camera (along the likes of the Uncharted series PS3), making your adventure seem alot more like a movie than a game. The only thing that holds this title back at a visual stand point is the lack of colour. At most points and areas throughout this world, the colour pallet suffers into a depressing and often bland use of earthy tones tied with the dark of night. It seems as though they were going for a darker tone to set the mood, but it would have been nice to get some greener vistas to break up the emotion.

CONTENT

The level of content in this game however, left almost nothing to want. The RPG style upgrade system (known to most next-gen titles now) makes for and enjoyable progressionary jump that previous Croft titles were missing. It seems most big budget titles emerging nowadays, are taking a more complete approach to their projects. Including weapons upgradability and character upgradability was a smart choice on behalf of the developers. From silencers and increased ammo capacity with weapons to environmental awareness (treasures, hidden rooms and animal detection) to hand to hand combat upgrades and combos, all making Lara seem more "BADASS" as the game moves forward. The aspect that grabbed my attention were the main weapons of course. Leading the pack was the Bow. The way they integrated the bow in Tomb Raider was ingenious. In most games the large array of weapon choices leaves you tied down to your favourites, leaving all the others almost useless. Every weapon in this game has its desired usefulness and you find yourself going back and forth between them depending on your situation.I cannot forget to add that the Survivor Instinct button helps indelibly in almost every environment you find yourself in. Being able to locate your current objective and/or hidden treasures in the area is a remarkable addition. The AI was also an immense achievement as I never felt as though they were scripted and tied to a point of reference as I know they were. I wont spoil too much, as discovering these things for yourself will bring a satisfactory reward.

AUDIO

The score in this game was not all I had expected it to be. It doesn't fail by any means but also doesn't leave me in awe. The situational ambiance and main track are fluid and convey the proper emotion, but I didn't find myself humming the tune after Id turned off the game. ( As I did with Uncharted) On the other hand, the weapon and environmental sounds made this game come to life. I felt that all the weapons sounded powerful, although didn't seems as powerful visually. That said, effects were as one would expect. To talk of VO however, (Voice Overs) I felt they were lacking. In intense action sequences the actors seemed to have the proper motivation, but in regular dialogue is where the talent seemed to drop off. Lines were delivered in almost robotic fashion at times leaving me feeling nothing for the supporting characters. Lara's character representation was almost without a doubt flawless with leaving you a little underwhelmed at times.

 

CONTROL

Controlling Lara was a treat. The Dynamic camera gave a feeling of humanity at most points and didn't really take away from the experience more than it added to it. Forcing you at pinnacle cave raiding moments  to adhere to their camera choice gave a feeling of entrapment and unsureness's one would expect from being in her place. I never felt trapped by the camera, especially in combat sequences and always felt empowered to impose my will on opponents. From the traversing obstacles and opponents to puzzles, Tomb Raider has a little bit for everyone and I implore you to give this title a chance. ( Please do not support multiplayer for games that don't need it.....thank you)

OVERALL RATING - 4 OUT OF 5

Feel free to leave comment or suggestions below
Also check out this already released demo of the game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBt7m3aYZw0

Dead Space 3 Review

INTERFACE - 4.5 out of 5

VISUAL - 5 out of 5

CONTENT - 4.5 out of 5

AUDIO - 5 out of 5

CONTROL - 4.5 out of 5

If you are in the market for an immersive, gory, 3rd person survival horror shooter epic set in space.....then look no further! Dead Space 3 is the third (obviously) in an incredible series following the journey of our unlikely hero and engineer Isaac Clark. Developed by Visceral Games, this instalment continues our adventure along with some new characters, including soldier John Carver.

Isaac has come a long way from being just an engineer on an interstellar mining ship, the USG Kellion. After discovering an alien virus had taken over fellow USG mining ship the Ishimura over the planet Aegis VII, Isaac has been through hell and back to survive this strange disease. Now plagued with the knowledge of the construction of the Markers (a collection of monoliths spread throughout the galaxy that turn dead bodies into mutated killing machines known as Necromorphs), Isaac has had to hide from earths government and a sepratist group known as "Unitologists" (a religious cult that worship the Markers power). Though when these Unitologists rise up in a terrorist fashion, earths last resort is to find and call upon you to use your forsaken knowledge to help destroy the plague once and for all.

Along with a crew of scientists, Isaac and Carver must burst through space in search of the origins of the Necromorph outbreak and a way to destroy the Markers. Taking place mainly on the frozen planet Tau Volantis where it is said its people had found a way to defeat the outbreak, this crew must brave harsh weather, fantastic battles and life or death situations in order to find a way to destroy the Markers and the plague along with it. With no shortage of nail biting suspense and phenomenal set pieces this game delivers a little bit of everything one could ever want, and more!

INTERFACE: Evolving from the first and second titles, the menus in and outside of this game are intuitive and for a lack of a better word easy to navigate. Outside menus give you an ominous glimpse into the atmosphere that is found within. Inside, as in the previous titles, the lack of a HUD (Heads Up Display) help the feel within the experience stay active as you do not have to leave the game to a menu screen to view your inventory or ammo supply. This also leaves you vulnerable in a good way. Having to pick and choose while on the move adds to the games provocative tension. As well, putting the health and stasis meters on your RIG (Resource Integration Gear/Life support) was a genius decision from the first title on.

VISUAL: Despite the fact that this sequel as its predecessor is on 2 discs for the Xbox, I understand the necessity and applaud Visceral for not "cheaping out". The graphic content (pardon the pun) is matched only by the use of the visceral engine. I am in no way a techo genius, but it seems to be working for them so far, and its only getting better. The visuals in this title are far superior to many other games in this generation. One of my favourite aspects are the facial expressions. The believability and humanity of these characters really shine when you can relate to their emotions, and DP3 achieves this in glorious fashion. For me being only matched by such titles as Mass Effect and L.A Noire. Aside from this, every other area or room you walk into seems to have had alot of time, effort, blood, sweat and tears poured into them. From the environment textures down to animations of both main characters and enemies, Visceral nailed it!

CONTENT: For those of you who have been following Dead Space from its conception, the content remains the same, except for some sweet additions. Starting of course with the crafting and weapon customization options. Previous Dead Space players will be familiar with the BENCH, a way station, if you will, that allows you to unlock new weapons and upgrade ones you have. That is the same here with a few changes. The new BENCH allows you to craft custom weapons with parts you loot from enemies and the environment or to craft these parts with scraps you find along the way. One problem I had with this system is that I got 2 pretty awesome weapons with a download code in my copy so I didn't feel the need to create weapons until later on. It didn't seem to be necessary to me to use this system, although it is a really nice touch. Another familiarity for Dead Space fans will be the Suit Changes and upgrading of the RIG. RIG upgrades remain the same except for that your upgrades are also done with found objects instead of NODES as in the other games. Although I didn't play it in abundance, the jump in jump out co-op multiplayer was something I feel is an aspect that is open to your own interpretation. I didn't feel it was necessary, but for you multiplayer junkies out there I'm sure you will appreciate playing this game with a friend. Adding Carver into the campaign at times was odd. The added dialogue made sense in a way, but also seemed to be tossed in. I could go on for days, but you get the idea. There are tonnes of new things to explore and fiddle with.

AUDIO: As in many big name titles, the VO (Voice Overs) and the score have as much an important place as any other part of a release, if not more so. Again DP3 does not disappoint. The music in this game is among the best I have yet to hear. Especially with a game like this that depends so much on the atmosphere. Ominous tones and eerie creeks and groans are abundant through the whole campaign and not so much as to overwhelm the senses. The things here that pop the most for me are the voice acting, enemies and weapon sounds. The music is great, but tip toeing through dark passages hearing moans and wails, not knowing when you will be attacked are what give this game its gravitas. Along with this are the incredible gun acoustics. All of the basics are covered like shotguns and machine pistols, but the originals like the line gun and rivet pistol are made to sound believable and powerful. With the voice acting though, you couldn't ask for more. Everyone in the game delivers emotional and unforgettable performances. The actors in any game can make or break the whole of the experience. You will have to see for yourself, but I believe they were shooting for an emmy with this one. lol (In a good way)

CONTROLS: Last but not least, controlling Isaac in this instalment was a pleasure to say the least. With the addition of the "Dodge Roll", comes the best the series has had yet. No more do you feel trapped into running away and turning your back on enemies. The controls seem quicker and more responsive. This makes sense because the game itself has become a quicker experience. Not taking away from the slow methodical hallway creeping of the other two, DP3 has added faster enemies and gigantic boss battles that desire this newer better control. I never really felt trapped in an area, unable to navigate my way out of a bad spot. I love what they've done and I hope they continue to innovate for the next project Visceral sets upon, be it Dead Space or hopefully, another franchise!

OVERALL RATING - 4.5 OUT OF 5
Feel free to leave comments or suggestions below

 Also check out this already released look at the game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlnQftc7w5M
 

 

Far Cry 3 Review

First of all, check out any of these links for a Real Life Far Cry experience;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_618758&feature=iv&src_vid=ryA5Ck0psNg&v=2igrpesVr28

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKfXatOMMXY&ytsession=HFugug7Y94xlxWtLp4AXPsmHxnfT1BoM89G8JMVdoXN-ZIFlCXyU69xwX6EMEiLhmQmax19McUK0fLeYe7nz9s9r9AALNXCW_XEGgjsgsjBGeMTET7VDye4QwA2kKuL8HBFlD1P6_oywGUpTc7auNTUjL9-Sx7YxsSODJ3-hQA89AUqLsGWLQBMdIMcXy_rPLhdvTWBAwszou281POjZqTq0X-23W9ncR5ZkIHEjSPYaE3KnxKZ_vv0lfaLj-QRm7Ev2unK_BXMtIYiNw4gGb55WfgyYIyPt3XwF1KHTVQvFHAf-LdhT1QmE2tFdPgGNpg2q3FWQA8x0FjPp0XxmEtIoZQSMqbUlrFgqH8js6Rq8hBYkajAsKmlxbo-lLJN6__oSEFdZAVdqqkdbTuQtZ0PNI35m6VsdsJHaAo6bFgp0c2MZC7SGE_9-Fh0BZuGe6A2qksIH7VmRxjw5_FTu0DMUZs8PXsQ2OsCZfKEBMvc98-4ILVd3dM6GTbUeIgC43suivxMzrqYpuiH_IaUP58g8rUHjXAIOlRQI-yWqt8AgpqJEA_aLvFziz1c5L45A7xYCm8dae2Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryA5Ck0psNg

Im going to start off my blog with a review of Far Cry 3 for the Xbox 360, PC and PS3. This is not my most current gaming experience, but one to forget it is not. Currently being ranked one of the Top 5 FPS's of this console generation its an evolutionary jump for "Big Name" titles. Aside from all of its incredible achievement's, it is overall, one the greatest and most immersive titles I have played on the 360 to date.
I'll start with talks of the extreme and unpredictable open-world concept they seemed to have mastered. Although standing biased, I have never been a fan of RPG's or the like. Having missed the Fallout and Oblivion titles almost perpetually, I have seemed to warm up to the idea of a sprawling RPG with the way it's parts are displayed within this game. The intuitive wildlife was one of the larger grasps for my attention as I was constantly surprised with how this "interfered" with the gameplay. For intstance; creeping up on an enemy camp and out of the corner of my eye witnessing a tiger also creeping into the camp and then watching from the bushes as this tiger eliminates all of the enemies within. Along with bursting animals out of cages in enemy outposts and battling them in this incredible and vast landscape I have to say that overall the animal AI was pulled off astonishingly.
With that said, the AI altogether created a fantasy world come alive. Enemy AI didnt just stand around waiting to be killed. On the contrary they were able on many occasions to flank my character in an attempt to out-smart me. But as I am a seasoned veteran in this shit, I demolished all who encountered my awesomeness.
Something I've also noticed is that these islands seem to be inspired by Papua New Guinea. This game, im sure, has already been played by most whom would be reading this, so you would already know what all this game has to offer in terms of weapon and inventory crafting, along with hunting and side missions, so I won't bore you with the details.
This "experience" is also in my mind one of the greatest achievement's in console history among the likes of game changers like Assassins Creed, Shadows of the Colossus and Mario Bros. if I am to be so bold.
As a lowly gamer and a fanboy extraordinaire, I solute all whom support the gaming industry and this game and its developers.

HACK THE PLANET!!!!