Caesoose.com

Author: Dan

  • Weekly Gaming: The Witness (PS4 Pro)

    Weekly Gaming: The Witness (PS4 Pro)

    I’ve been wanting to play The Witness ever since Ryan Davis talked about it years ago. He, and Brad Shoemaker, managed to get a secret tour of Jonathan Blow’s studio years before the game even had a proper name. Everything the guys said about the game sounded right up my street – an entire island made up of little puzzles where they all interconnect with each other and expand on each others rules sounded amazing.

    Suffice to say, after 30+ hours in the game with my other half, The witness delivered on most, if not all promises that were made in the run up to the game’s release, and in interviews afterwards.

    So what is The Witness? Simply put, it’s a walking simulator whereby you walk around an island and solve line puzzles. If anything, that simplification may actually be doing something of a disservice to The Witness, because it’s so much more.

    You start off in a tunnel, where the only way your player can go is forward. From the very offset, The Witness is telling you that there’ll be no hand-holding in this adventure, with everything you need to know being conveyed using the world and the environment itself. This point is pushed home not just 5 seconds later, when you come across a door which has the first puzzle you need to solve on. Before you can begin the game properly, you need to press X on the first puzzle, which is impossible to fail. On this first board/screen, you’re presented with a simple line – at one end, a circle, at the other, the end of the line. Simply pressing X within the circle at the left begins a line to wherever you direct it – pressing X again once you’ve directed the line to the end solves the puzzle. Simple right?

    Well, whilst it starts off simple, this premise soon gets expanded upon no end, with other boards adding symbols or colours to represent new untold rules. These new rules will always be introduced in a nice, gentle manner; similar to the way the first ever puzzle was introduced. Once you start to get used to a new rule, the proceeding puzzles will push your knowledge of this new rule to the limit, even pushing you so far as to combine your knowledge of other puzzles too. This introduction -> expansion -> mastery loop is genuinely fantastic, and constantly makes you feel like a genius each time you master a new rule. There are times where a few guesses will successfully get you through a few puzzles, but these moments , if anything, help you to master a new rule even more – as you’re constantly looking at why your guesses succeeded, and what the difference is between new puzzles.

    I seem to have gotten ahead of myself a little – as I haven’t explained why you’re solving these puzzles. The genuine answer is intrigue. As per the core gameplay loop whereby nothing is explained and it’s up to you to figure out the meaning of the puzzles, the same happens on the island you play upon. As you explore and walk around the island finding new boards, you’ll notice little structures and untold stories – all of which are, as their names imply, completely untold. It’s up to you to decide, or interpret what happened on this island, and why all these boards exist.

    On top of this, there’s many hidden tapes to find throughout the island. When found and activated, the tapes go ahead and play a fantastic, and somewhat unrelated speech by a philosopher or scientist in the real world. Whilst I enjoyed finding this hidden tapes, my other half was certainly confused, and found their presence annoying, as she couldn’t make sense as to why they existed. For what it’s worth, whilst I agree they felt a little abstract, I enjoyed listening to these thought provoking statements whilst stretching my brains capacity in trying to figure out puzzle solutions.

    The island you explore is huge, and the amount of variety in the puzzles you find is insane! I was about to go into detail in how they all differentiate from each other, but I feel in knowing what to look out for would ruin the surprise and satisfaction you get from learning a puzzles rule by yourself. Don’t take these words lightly; The Witness will have you feeling like an idiot, and a genius, all at the same time.

    Graphically, The Witness is stunning. Minimalism is the theme here, but it’s not minimalism without detail. Everything on the island is bright and saturated to high heaven, with geometry standing out to make sure you notice subtle environment cues which could help solve puzzles. It’s not a stretch to say that any screenshot you take within The Witness is frame-able, with stunning views and amazing attention to detail even in every nook and cranny. All this stunning art on display becomes all the more vibrant on a PS4 Pro with a 4K HDR screen – so much so that when I tried to play the game again on PC I couldn’t get over how much of a difference the transition made.

    There is one cause for concern – the core of the game itself. Whilst I personally loved the theme of The Witness, and lavished every moment I spent figuring out puzzles or exploring, I can see why for some people this type of game would rub them up completely the wrong way. The lack of instructions, direction, or anything to propel you along any given path can be seen as a disadvantage to some gamers. Bear this in mind if you find “walking simulators” like Dear Esther a little too dull or non-linear.

    So should you go out and buy a copy of the Witness? Wholeheartedly yes. Even if it’s just to experiment with a puzzle game to see how far you can get,  The Witness pushes the limit of what it means to be a puzzle game, making you as a player feel simultaneously clever, and stupid, all at once. I didn’t finish every puzzle in the game, and certainly didn’t find all the island had to offer me, but I know for a fact I’ll keep coming back to The Witness, just to chip away at it time and time again.

    5/5

  • Weekly Gaming: Killer is Dead (PC)

    Weekly Gaming: Killer is Dead (PC)

    Growing up, I loved the concept of “weird”. I would love to describe myself as weird, and would consistently go out of my way to do weird things, both to differentiate myself in school, but also to see and feel different experiences. Being almost 30, I’ve toned down in that regard, but “weird” is the only word that comes to mind when I think of my time in Grasshopper Manufacture’s Killer is Dead.

    The game, boiled down to it’s core components, is a hack and slash interlaced with a dating simulator. You play as Mondo, an emo gentleman that has a robotic arm that no one takes notice of, and who is pretty agile with a sword. Mondo works for an execution firm (as weird as that may sound) and so takes on contracts to kill nuisances in the paranormal (and normal) world. The first mission, for example, is to explore a house reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland, complete with upside down stairs, rose gardens, and a blonde lady named Alice. By the end of the mission you’re taking on Spiders with human faces, and destroying all in your way, all to complete the contract.

    This weird state of affairs may seem odd at first, but you soon get used to it, mainly because no one else in the world gives a shit or thinks it’s normal. This weird and wonderful premise means that the developers were able to go crazy with some ideas, like having a palace on the moon which people can visit with no issues, or skeleton monsters which nick peoples ears to listen to music more easily. Once you get immersed in the weirdness, it’s strange how little it all phases you when new things come up, so much so that I’m even now, weeks after finishing the game, thinking about some of the moments I saw, and realising how awesome they truly were.

    Aestehtically, Killer is Dead’s Noiré vibe fits right at home with the paranormal and technical elements on display. I couldn’t help but get vibes of Devil May Cry, or even Cowboy Bebop throughout my whole time in the game. It felt, and looks incredible, even when some areas are so dark you find it hard to see enemies – aesthetics above all else as they say.

    So whilst it’s weird on the setting and aesthetics front, how does the gameplay hold up? Well, I for one love hack and slash games, with Killer is Dead easily being on of the most stylish, and enjoyable ones I’ve played in quite a few years. The usual controls work out fine here: press the X button to attack continuously, Y to break enemies guard, and B to dodge or deflect attacks coming at you. Dodge an attack at just the right time, and you’ll have the ability to slice and dice your opponent for quite a while – a god send in boss fights and brilliant for getting your combo up.

    What’s worth mentioning in this standard action affair is the absolute style pouring out of every action Mondo performs. Every movement to begin with is slow and melodic, making combo breaking all the more frustrating should it ever occur. But should you get into a rythme of dodging enemies attacks and dealing a huge amount of damage, Mondo proceeds to move around the stage in more exuberant and stylish ways, with him even going so far as to do flips and somersaults with each attack he performs. This style is stunning, and kept me well in awe even in the final moments of the game.

    Music wise, the game is absolutely stellar, with Killer is Dead’s soundtrack all feeding back to the Noiré feeling. During fights and the many, many cutscenes I couldn’t help but get engrossed in the gorgeous presentation and soundtrack that all made the world of Killer is Dead feel so real. The fact that the music manages to jump between mellow noiré and action tempo’s so quickly is also commendable, and had me engrossed all the way through. One things for certain, I’m going to be listening to this soundtrack for a long time to come.

    The romantic side quests are funny, and fairly entertaining, but do little to add to the game itself. My biggest annoyance with them was the fact that they were more buggy than the actual game, and as such, every time I participated in one the game froze so I had to restart the PC (couldn’t even get back to windows it crashed that hard). This may be because the romance missions are side-objectives and not actually essential to the game (so less care was given to bugs), it’s just annoying I wasn’t able to unlock every weapon (which are given as rewards for successful side quests) due to the annoying bugs present.

    Overall, I’m annoyed at myself for not having played Killer is Dead sooner. Everything about the game, from it’s characters, to it’s gorgeous environments, to even the weird ways in which the world finds new ways to surprise you, talked to me on an emotional level. Weird is certainly one word for Killer is Dead, but that’s what makes it unique, and as such, a true delight to experience.

    4/5

  • Weekly Gaming: Kamiko (Nintendo Switch)

    Weekly Gaming: Kamiko (Nintendo Switch)

    Hi all!

    This week I take a look at Kamiko, a cheap-ass game for the Nintendo Switch which is fairly enjoyable and actually gives quite a lot of value for it’s money. It may be repetitive, but when you’re only spending £4.49 on a game (the equivalent of a coffee!) for your new platform, you know it’s actually a good deal.

    You can read my full thoughts and opinions on the game over at VGChartz.com below:

    http://www.vgchartz.com/article/268141/kamiko-ns/

    Until next week guys and gals!

    -Dan

  • Weekly Gaming: Little Nightmares (PS4 Pro)

    Weekly Gaming: Little Nightmares (PS4 Pro)

    Hi all!

    This week I’m linking back to a game I played a few weeks ago; Little Nightmares. Whilst the game may be short, it’s certainly engrossing, and creepy, so should you want to spend 3-4 hours playing in a unique and weird world, give Little Nightmares a look; you won’t regret it.

    You can read my full impressions on the game by clicking the link below:

    http://www.vgchartz.com/article/268003/little-nightmares-ps4/

    Hope you have a great week, and until next time, stay classy.

    -Dan

  • Weekly Gaming: Puyo Puyo Tetris (NS)

    Weekly Gaming: Puyo Puyo Tetris (NS)

    Hi all!

    This week I take a look at two of my favourite franchises of all time, Puyo Puyo Tetris, both of which are in the same game!

    I loved the idea of Puyo Puyo Tetris so much that I was even tempted to import the game from Japan for the last year (since it’s been out for a while over there).

    Whilst the price on Nintendo Switch may certainly be a put-off, the game as a whole is a fantastic package, one which takes advantage of the fantastic franchises it incorporates.

    If you wish to read my full review, you can do so by reading the link below:

    http://www.vgchartz.com/article/267988/puyo-puyo-tetris-ns/

    Hope you have a fantastic weekend, and as always, I’ll see you next week!

    -Dan

  • Weekly Gaming: Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch)

    Weekly Gaming: Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch)

    The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Review.

    How does one review Zelda? The game series has been going on for so many years and has so many fans that any word said on the game is going to be scrutinised in everyway possible. It’s for good reason: The Zelda games, for a long while, pushed their respective consoles forward into the limelight of the gaming world, and even proceeded to hold games up as a legitimate art form many times when other games were content with exploding limbs and gratuitous violence.

    But the series hasn’t been without it’s downfalls. Twilight Princess didn’t exactly set the world on fire, with skyward sword receiving middling to negative reviews. So does Breath of the Wild mix the formula up enough to become an instant classic once more, or is Zelda losing the power it once had?

    Well you’ll be glad to know that Zelda has turned away from it’s linear formula of the last few years and has instead embraced the rogue like gameplay mannerisms of years past. After an hour of playing around within a starting area, getting you used to how the world behaves and what it does (and doesn’t) expect of you, you’re able to embark in any which way you want. Your only objective is to “Kill Ganon”. How you go about doing this main objective is completely up to you. This disregarding of a linear narrative with a specific route in which you take on dungeons is pleasing, and makes the game feel so much more special than many other open world games like Skyrim or even Horizon Zero Dawn.

    This open world formula ensures that you’re constantly looking for things to do. The game never once makes you go in any one direction, you simply explore and move towards what interests you most. A typical hour in the game would comprise of me starting to walk to the other side of the map, having my other half see something in a field which looks interesting, proceeding to deviate over to the interesting ruin, and then getting muddled up in a new fight or puzzle that I never anticipated being in.

    It’s invigorating, and pushes you on to explore the world as much as possible. Especially given the fact your weapons die so quickly; encouraging you to find as many useful replacements in the environment. It’s even more exciting when you make your way to the end of a cave that didn’t look interesting and find a chest which has a new powerful weapon for you to try. Yes the weapon will die quickly, but the fact you have many and they all get destroyed pushes you to experiment with your whole inventory, as well as encouraging you to explore more.

    The aesthetics of the world too, are absolutely lovely. Each time breath of the wild was shown at conferences I had no interest in the graphical fidelity at all. This changed when I started to explore the world, as each and every bit of detail in the environments is meticulously detailed. I’ll never forget getting to the end of a long canyon, just to find some carvings on a wall, each of them lovingly rendering to look like they were actually etched and using polygons to do so. Nintendo really should be commended for how well they’ve done on the graphics standpoint with what limited hardware they had available to them.

    This showcase of graphical prowess really stands out when it comes to the sheer size of the world. For a game all about exploring, Zelda gives you plenty of reasons to explore, as well as a lot of space in which to do so. The producer, Eiji Aonuma, made it clear that Breath of the wild was based on the freedom of exploration first invented in the original Legend of Zelda. My god have they gone above and beyond that freedom. Me and my other half put over 65 hours into the game, exploring every nook and cranny of the world until our sense of adventure had been fulfilled. It’s a marvel, to put it bluntly, and one that really will stand up to the test of time when historians look back and wonder what we were playing in 2017.

    With all this exploring, you’d be forgiven for thinking the traditional Zelda tropes like dungeons are gone. Alas they are still here, although they are broken down into two distinct categories: Shrines and Guardians. Shrines can be found throughout the world, and once activated, allow you not only to fast travel between them (a god send considering the sheer size of the world) but also to embark on a mini adventure. When entering the shrines, you’ll be tasked with solving puzzles, or even taking part in combat, all to earn a spirit orb which can then be traded in for more stamina or hearts. These mini sections were a fantastic reward to finding a shrine after spending hours exploring the land, and as such, are brilliant ways of breaking up the game.

    Guardians on the other hand a few, but complex and gratifying when taking them on. They’re huge structures that proceed to roam the land, cursed by Ganon into hurting the local inhabitants. Once inside these monstrosities, you’re able to use their sheer size to affect the dungeons within themselves, making for some great puzzles that had me stumped for ages. Whilst they harken back to Zeldas of yesteryear, they’re so few and far between that you can let them off for being more linear than the rest of the game.

    The characters found throughout this world are just as interesting and charming as ever, making you want to talk to them more and more. I would consistently come back to villages after having done quite a few missions to get some characters take on what’s gone down, a delightful experience each and every time. Whilst the characters are great, thinly thing that could be said to let the game down is the story. Whilst I enjoyed what little was there, it certainly felt bare, pushing you to make your own stories in the journeys between locations rather than giving you a proper narrative. For some people this is fine (I for one loved it), but for others I can see this being a point of contention, especially when the triforce isn’t mentioned once in the whole game.

    So, if I haven’t made it clear enough yet, Zelda Breath of the Wild is an absolutely phenomenal game. It’s mechanics, from the gigantic world where you actually feel like an adventurer, to it’s new fighting mechanics, and even charming characters make it easily one of the best gaming experiences you can have in 2017. Screw Game of the Year, Breath of the Wild manages to rate so highly on my list that I believe it may even be my game of the generation.

    5/5

  • Weekly Gaming: Yooka-Laylee (PC)

    Weekly Gaming: Yooka-Laylee (PC)

    Hi all!

    This week I’m posting another piece for Yooka-Laylee that I recently reviewed for VGChartz.com. Overall the game was alright if you were looking to play an N64 game, but if you’re looking for anything more (maybe an update on the platforming genre) then it’ll be a bit of a let down. Don’t get me wrong, I managed to sink many hours into the game, but overall I felt like a lot of the gameplay itself was mindless, without it necessarily being fun.

    You can read the review below:

    http://www.vgchartz.com/article/267920/yooka-laylee-pc/

    Until next week!

    -Dan

     

  • Weekly Gaming: Late Shift (Xbox One)

    Weekly Gaming: Late Shift (Xbox One)

    Hey all!

    For this week, I’m posting the review I done this week for VGChartz.com on a “game” called Late Shift. It’s a film game where the footage gets you to make decisions on the direction of the plot, a nice and novel approach that worked fairly well.

    You can read the full review at VGChartz.com below:

    http://www.vgchartz.com/article/267930/late-shift-xone/

    I hope you enjoy the article, and have a great weekend!

    -Dan

  • Weekly Gaming: Shovel Knight (PC)

    Weekly Gaming: Shovel Knight (PC)

    I know I know. I should’ve played and reviewed Shovel Knight many years ago. But in my defence, I always have a massive backlog of games to get through, and purchasing one that’s full price (most of the time) doesn’t warrant high on my list of things to do.

    So when Yacht Club Games announced that they would be breaking the original Shovel Knight up and instead putting all of it’s freely available DLC into separate versions, I decided to jump on it asap to make sure I got the best deal possible £6.89 (with my 10% humble store discount) was definitely more like what i was willing to spend, especially when I wasn’t sure if the game would live up to the lofty expectations the internet’s put upon it.

    Having completed the game, I can now, with confidence, say that Shovel Knight is by-far one of the best 2D retro games of recent memory, maybe even since the start of the indie revolution.

    So what makes it so good?

    You may find what i’m about to say hyperbolic, but it’s genuine.

    Everything.

    Everything about Shovel Knight is fantastic, and harkens back to a by-gone era that we all used to love. Now this isn’t to say that Shovel Knight has no flaw, far from it, but I’ll get the good stuff out of the way first and then say my little niggles later.

    Just like games of yester-year, Shovel Knight starts out with a lovely intro made up of scrolling images. Shovel Knight used to be a great adventurer with his best friend/lover Shield Knight, until one day the latter was killed by a terrible curse in a faraway castle. Having lost his other half, Shovel Knight spent many years just attending to the land with his shovel, all whilst the world around him befell to darkness thanks to a dark enchantress. This short but sweet introduction set up the game perfectly, and had me set and ready to go on an epic adventure.

    The first level, much like the rest of the game, helps you acclimatise to the controls Shovel Knight will have you employ. They’re relatively simply: A to jump, X to swing your Shovel, and a pressing down whilst jumping to perform a stabbing motion downwards. Each level will introduce new variants of the traditional platforming formula, but you’ll be rest assured that the developers will make sure you know how to approach each challenge without dying.

    For example, the first time you ever come across a new enemy type, it’ll always be in a big, open environment for you to get used to how the enemy moves. This is then made more difficult by where the enemies are placed within each level, pushing you to evolve as a player in order to overcome the new challenges. 

    This constant barrage of learn and evolve is the core of Shovel Knight, and never gets old even when you’re venturing into the final moments of the game. You’re constantly tested on your ability of mastering these short simple techniques, ensuring when you do overcome a hard area you’re ecstatic at the feeling of triumph.

    You travel from level to level using a top-down map, not too dissimilar to Super Mario Worlds level selection screen all those years ago. Whilst it’s just as lovely to look at as the rest of the game, the overworld is great for going back to previously visited locations with brand new items, or even going back to town’s where you can proceed to purchase power-ups and upgrades.

    And speaking of those power-ups and upgrades, Shovel Knight has plenty! Throughout each level you’re constantly gathering loot from chests and enemies, which can then be used to purchase bits and bobs in towns; these range from Health Upgrades, to magic upgrades, to even brand new abilities for your shovel or even new armour. These upgrades will incentivise you to be more careful in each level, as dying makes you lose some gold with the chance of getting it back (should you make it back to the same location once more).

    Then there’s the new weapons, which allow Shovel Knight to traverse the world in new and exciting ways. One weapon, for example, are some gloves, which use mana, but can easily be used by holding up whilst also passing X. The gloves are awesome for destroying blocks of stone, and, as long as the level allows it, bypassing a lot of enemies below as you destroy blocks across the top of the stage.

    Another exciting weapons which helped me out tremendously was the Propeller Dagger, a weapon that, as it’s title suggests, allows Shovel Knight to propel in any direction you like, effectively making him fly if you wish. It’s uses may seem limited at first, but as the game progresses and you come across harder platforms that have little wiggle room, it’ll definitely help you out.

    The overworld has one other distinct advantage that harkens back to a by-gone error: random encounters combined with random locations. As you navigate Shovel Knight all over the place, you’ll notice new characters pop up, moving across the map as you do. Should you bump into one of them, you’ll be taken into a fight with them, pushing your skills to new levels. These jolly bits of combat aren’t necessary (you can ignore the characters walking around the screen if you wish) but they help to flesh out the world and add some excitement to navigating the map.

    I don’t wish to be over-the-top here, buttttt the music played throughout is absolutely phenomenal! I couldn’t help but get hooked on each soundtrack I encountered, humming each tune well after the fact I had stopped playing for a while. I can see why there’s such a craze about Shovel Knights music across the net: it’s just genuinely that good. Listen to a sample of it below and seriously, tell me with a straight face it’s not good. You won’t be able to:

    So now we come onto my only grievance with the game (if you could call it that): the story. Whilst I loved the characters I met throughout, I couldn’t help but feel there was a lot more to each of them, so much so that the story doesn’t do a good enough job of fleshing them out. Maybe that’s actually a testament to how great the character design is throughout, but I just couldn’t help but feel that I wanted more.

    So, almost 3 years after it’s initial release, I’ve finally played Shovel Knight. Has it aged well? Most definitely. Next to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild it’s by far one of my favourite games I’ve played this year, and I look forward to digging into the DLC available. Shovel Knight is special: it takes what we loved most about games from yesteryear and distills it in such a way that the result still feels original. If you were to go back to the 90’s, and show kids Shovel Knight, they’d be just as impressed back then as we are today, a testament to how bloody good the game is. Yacht Club Games should be proud; they’ve made an absolutely stunning game.

    5/5

  • Weekly Gaming: Snake Pass (Nintendo Switch)

    Weekly Gaming: Snake Pass (Nintendo Switch)

    Hey hey all!

    Welcome back to another weekly gaming! This week, as the title implies, I’m taking a look at Snake Pass, a game that’s both challenging and oh so endearing. You can read my full review over at VGChartz.com at the link below:

    http://www.vgchartz.com/article/267762/snake-pass-ns/

    As always, thanks for visiting, and be sure to catch my next review dropping next Friday, 10am!

    If you have any questions, or have any ideas of content I should cover, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me over at twitter.

    Til next time!

    -Dan

  • Weekly Gaming: Star Wars: Battlefront (Xbox One)

    Weekly Gaming: Star Wars: Battlefront (Xbox One)

    Whilst it may have been released many eons ago, I have fond memories of the original Star Wars Battlefront for the original Xbox. Not when it was released mind you, no no no, years later when I was at university in 2007 is where most of my memories come from. A close friend had the game, and with university being the time where you laze around a lot I visited his house often to play epic multiplayer games against each other, especially with bots on. Whilst I loved these hectic nights, I never personally bought the game, mainly because I didn’t have a need to and moved on to other games once I finally got Xbox Live.

    Fast forward to 2017, and with a new Xbox One S in my possession which came with a free 30 day trial to EA Access, I decided to plunge head first into the game which shaped the multiplayer experience of fall 2015.

    Starting out I had an idea what I was in for, but decided to start with the training missions anyway. These missions take you through what each multiplayer stage will encounter, from kill all the enemies to capturing all the objectives, and were a good introduction to the series. Vehicle controls were examined, with all the extra controls available such as third person camera angles properly trained on. Having played through all they had to offer, as well as 3 starring a lot of them, I was properly primed and ready to get online to face the countless other players enacting their Star Wars fantasies.

    Holy shit is it a joy to get online and take part in epic battles. After a long-ass loading screen (more on that later), you’re dropped right into a fight that lasts the best part of 20 minutes to half an hour, without ever encountering a dull moment. Tie fighters, AT-AT’s and all manner of Star Wars characters are constantly around you, generating massive explosions, unique firefights and all manner of spectacle as you proceed to try and win each different objective for your team. It’s exhilarating and down right fun each and every time you join a match, no matter which game mode you join.

    Take for example the walker run, whereby a AT-AT is walking across to a rebel base to kill their escape vehicles. You would think this would be quite boring, but it’s far from it. As the Rebels you’re continuously calling in Y-wing strikes on the walker, protecting your communications array so that targeting systems can home in, all whilst the empire troops are preventing you from doing so. No matter which side you’re on, rebels or empire, you’re bound to have fun, and are constantly charging into action to ensure your side wins.

    Throughout each game mode you’ll find random powers across the field which’ll either change the tide of the battle or make no difference what-so-ever. Some may be extra weapons you can deploy mid-game, for example a rocket launcher or even a turret, which are all useful should you use them at the correct time. Others could be more essential to the battle, for example should you be on the Empire’s side, you could get an AT-ST, a powerful vehicle which can easily take out dozens of foes before being felled. Then there’s the vehicles, like a famous Tie fighter or even an X-Wing, both of which can deal devastating damage to ground troops and vehicles alike when in the right hands.

    One of the most powerful power-ups though is the Hero pickup – an ability which allows you to choose from a set of heroes (related to your current team) and play them on the field. These epic characters will be familiar to fans of the Star Wars universe, and are extremely powerful should they be used correctly. For example, during any matches I would get the pickup, I’d choose to be princess Leia, a fantastic support character that can deploy shields at will, and that boosts the strength of all allies firepower should you kill enough enemies. That was just my personal preference; in my time on the battlefield I saw just as many competent Darth Vader or Luke Skywalker players that were able to wipe the floor with everyone as I saw good boba felt players.

    One things for certain with Battlefront: no matter which game mode you get put into, you’re bound to have a fun time with epic moments throughout. The amount of times I’d see a tie fighter crash into the ground, narrowly missing a teammate was astounding, even more so when you think about the size of the levels. Something is always happening, and I for one loved almost every moment that I was in the game.

    I say “almost” every moment, because there were plenty of times when the game genuinely infuriated me. The aforementioned loading screens were one such annoyance, as they last so damn long. For some of the single player challenges I’d load a level up at 11pm, only to still find myself waiting for the same level 5 minutes later after making a tea. This waiting also happens should you restart a level, meaning should you fail a challenge you’ll need to watch the loading screen once again.

    The game also has quite a few bugs still, with myself getting stuck in the level’s geometry multiple times, or even being thrown out of matches randomly. These issues aren’t as prevalent as the loading, but certainly detract from the fun you’re having whilst playing a level. I suppose what’s more shocking is that after almost 18 months since it’s initial release, and with 5 dlc packs being released, the developers at DICE still haven’t fixed these issues.

    Minor issues aside, Star Wars: Battlefront is one hell of a game. I loved getting home from work each night, sitting down, and just proceeding to take part in epic battles across the Star Wars universe. Even though I didn’t play with friends, I never felt the game had any repercussions as a consequence, meaning even when finishing one match, I was looking forward to the next. The endless loop is intoxicating, so much so that I’m tempted to pay for a year of EA Access just to jump straight back in. If you’re a fan of multiplayer games, and generally like the Star Wars brand, you owe it to yourself to buy Star Wars: Battlefront.

    4/5

  • Weekly Gaming: THE VIDEOKID (PC)

    Weekly Gaming: THE VIDEOKID (PC)

    Hi all,

    This week I take a look at a new little indie game called THE VIDEOKID, a paperboy inspired game that managed the hook me for a few hours due to it’s extreme difficulty.

    You can read my full opinions on the game below:

    http://www.vgchartz.com/article/267372/the-videokid-pc/

    You can also watch my video review on the game below:

    Anyway, I hope you’re all well, and if you have any questions, by all means shout at me on Twitter, or comment below.

    -Dan

  • Weekly Gaming: Lego Jurassic World (PS4)

    Weekly Gaming: Lego Jurassic World (PS4)

    Whilst playing through Lego Jurassic World one thing constantly surprised me; everytime I brought up that I was playing the game to friends and family the absolutely universal love all people (gamers and non-gamers alike) have for the series is shocking.  I was surprised for example that my own girlfriend, a lady who rarely plays games, loves the Lego series, so much so that it was her that bought this copy.

    There has to be a reason for this universal love, and one which by the end of this review, I hope to get to the bottom of.

    First up, the graphics, which given this is a Lego game, you can imagine there’s not much of the stuff. It doesn’t take much to make simplistic figures with next to no geometry look like real-life plastic, and Jurassic world does it with ease. Oddly enough, despite the lack of need for pretty graphics, the developers have actually managed to flourish the world with highly detailed environments, so details in fact that it can look a little jarring when compared to the characters themselves. Overall the graphics suit the gameplay perfectly, which is to say they’re not the reason you’re here, but they’re ok to look at too.

    Speaking of gameplay, it’s your standard lego affair. You play through each of the films, albeit with lego figures, and proceed to beat up baddies and solve puzzles by inventing fantastic lego contraptions to get past the current road block. There’s lots of destroying of items around the environment, and lots of Lego stubs to collect throughout (the stubs are currency), along with multiple collectibles which can help you progress through the game.

    Whilst this gameplay is slow, simple, and repetitive, I can’t help but think this is the core reason the Lego games are looked on in such high regard. You see, whilst the campaigns don’t push you as a player, and are so lenient that you can never lose, they’re great ways to sink your time into some mindless fun. There are times for all of us where life can get us down, maybe we’ve just had a bad day at work, or someones annoyed us, regardless of the reason, we sit down and put our time into games to forget the world, and, more importantly, waste time until the next day.

    Lego Jurassic World (and other Lego games) manage to take away all the sharp edges of a difficult and challenging game, and as a consequence, give you a good time that anyone, no matter how old or young, can enjoy.

    It’s a fantastic time sink. Plain and simple.

    This isn’t to say it’s boring because of that fact. Far from it. Not having to worry about dying, or failing quick time events free’s you up to participate in the game at your own rate, even going so far as to let you sit back and appreciate the finer details of a lego game. The jokes, for example, are given a chance to shine, since not even the characters or dinosaurs themselves care too much about the overall narrative, allowing everyone to have a good time with great jokes.

    My favourite joke was easily based around the tall grass section of Jurassic Park 3. The velociraptors are hidden in the grass, and it’s your job to successfully navigate past them without being seen. At one point, you create a lawn mower, prompting the raptor that was blocking your path into chasing it down. This in itself wasn’t funny, but later it comes back, with the velociraptor itself now being chased by the small device. It’s jokes like these that come back time and time again that help everyone to laugh together, family and characters in the game included.

    Once the main campaign was out of the way, it was on to collecting all of the collectibles, and my god were there many! From Red Bricks that give you “cheats” to use throughout the game (such as a stub multiplier) to camera opportunities that need to be found, the whole world requires so many replays that it feels labourious at times, albeit fun too when you’ve managed to complete an entire level after searching every nook and cranny.

    Freeplay mode will help out a great deal in getting everything on offer, with the game allowing you to hot-switch between characters at a moments notice. Considering there’s plenty of collectibles hidden throughout the environment that can only be accessed by certain characters, you’re going to be hot-swapping a lot.

    Then there’s the drop-in and drop-out nature of the multiplayer, which I must admit is a god send. Lucy would be playing the game when I got in from work, and without any faffing around I was able to pick up a controller, and jump straight in, helping her out and completing levels as and when needed. When I’d had enough, I’d just drop out, allowing her to continue without any hesitation. This form of multiplayer is hands-down fantastic, and needs to be done in other games more regularly, allowing for friends and family to participate in a challenge together is always going to be fun, and I’d love to see it done in other genres.

    Overall, I can certainly see why there are so many fans of Lego games out there. Lego Jurassic World may not be breaking any conventions, and isn’t pushing any barriers in the graphics department, but my god is it fun and a fantastic way to lose an evening without realising. With this in mind, I’m definitely going to play more Lego games in the future, especially given how easy it would be for me to drop-in and drop out at a moments notice should Lucy be playing it. Should you be able to get the games for cheap and have a console able to play them, definitely buy Lego Jurassic World, you won’t be disappointed.

    4/5

  • Weekly Gaming: Leaving Lyndow (PC)

    Weekly Gaming: Leaving Lyndow (PC)

    Hey all!

    So this week I’m linking back to a review I published a few weeks ago over at VGchartz.com.

    Leaving Lyndow is a fantastic little game that made me want to spend more time in the world, it’s a shame that it doesn’t last that long. Hey ho, Eastshade (the full game) will be out next year.

    You can read the review below:

    http://www.vgchartz.com/article/267322/leaving-lyndow-pc/

    But if you’re more inclined, watch my video review of the game!

    (link to video)

    Thanks for visiting, and I hope you have a lovely weekend!

    -Dan

  • Weekly Gaming: Call of Duty Infinite Warfare (PC)

    Weekly Gaming: Call of Duty Infinite Warfare (PC)

    Holy crap, who would have thought it. A Call of Duty game with a bloody great story? Colour me surprised. Last year I made a point to play each Black Ops game, and came out the other side feeling “meh” about what Geoff Gerstmann described as one of the best Call of Duty campaign’s in recent years. Infinite Warfare blows all that away by making characters that you care about, and backstory’s worth listening to, all whilst giving you the freedom to pick what missions you go on, and how you attack levels.

    As the name implies, Infinite Warfare is set in the far distant future, when humanity has developed faster than light travel and is able to colonise the whole solar system. No reason is ever given (or hinted at) as to why we haven’t expanded past our own solar system, but each of the planets and moons suffice for good, varied destinations. Mars, a settlement which has a population matching Earth, wants freedom from the oppression of Earth, with their own SDF (Settlement Defence Front) proceeding to start an all out war with Earth’s Army, the UNSA.

    The first thing I found odd about the campaign was how few inter-stellar warships the UNSA had on hand. After a parade which shows off all of the ships on earth, and after “half” of them are destroyed from an initial bombardment, Earth is left with just 4 ships. Maybe the team at infinity ward were going for more “realism”, feeding off modern times where there are a limited amount of battlecruisers roaming the seas at this very moment in time.

    Regardless of the jaunting amount of army vehicles, the graphical fidelity on display is absolutely astonishing, as usual I might add. Whilst I wasn’t a massive fan of Black Ops 3 last year, I consistently reiterated that it’s graphic’s were amazing. Infinite warfare takes those strong art assets and stretches them further, giving epic space battles, explosions, lasers, and even massive scopes of playable areas, with some ground fighting eventually taking flight to space itself. These massive expansive environments are full of detail, and whilst some areas may harken back to Doom or other space horror games, it’s not through the fault of infinity Ward’s trying; there just isn’t much you can do with a massive metal spaceship, eventually, all metal walls are going to look the same. 

    Graphics only go so far, and it’s the amazing characters that Infinite warfare has you fighting alongside that truly helps to elevate this campaign above the rest. You’ll be introduced to your ship and crew fairly quickly, and whilst it all feels a little too contrived to begin with, you soon start to like the back and forth between each crew member. Everyone has their own personality, and own background that shows itself in new and subtle ways. You can tell this crew knows each other, so nothing is laid out like typical games; it’s only through subtle cues that you notice two characters relationship to one another.

    *Note: Skip over the next paragraph if you don’t want spoilers*

    That’s only the start. Throughout the campaign your playable character (Captain Nick Reyes) is constantly struggling with the decisions he has to make, wanting to never lose a friend of colleague. Towards the end of the campaign most of your characters will unfortunately pass away, due to the extremity of this war and your characters decisions, but it’s with each sacrifice that you realise each character has more personality than any age that came before, with each of their losses feeling genuine and true. It hits home even harder when the credits role, and you get to listen in to each characters death letters to their loved ones or the captain himself. This sentimentality caught me off guard, so much so I felt choked up, bringing fantastic personalities to all characters, no matter how big small their role was in the campaign. I mean, the game was able to make me care about a robot companion for christ sake, if that doesn’t show you how detailed and well thought out the cast are I don’t know what will!

    It cannot be understated how well Infinity Ward nailed the story then.

    Gameplay wise it’s the standard Call of Duty affair albeit with some space battles thrown in and a “hub” world whereby you can choose to do as many (or as few) side missions as you’d like. This freedom is welcome, as some players would like to just run through each main mission, not caring about the side objectives of taking down key SDF members, or rescuing resources needed for Earth. Space battle settings are vast and varied, with multiple obstacles to avoid whilst shooting ahead of enemies to damage and kill them. These sections, whilst varied, can be tough, especially should you forget to fire your flares at the right time to avoid homing rockets. I found myself having to revisit these missions multiple times due to silly deaths on my part.

    Weapon variety is certainly pushed up a notch, especially given the fact infinite warfare is set in the future. You can choose from normal bullet based weapons, energy based ones, and special weapons, all of which have different advantages against different enemies. The Energy based weapons for example will kill a normal human foe, but will take it’s time to do so, where as the same weapons will take down a robot fairly quickly. Before each mission you’ll need to choose your weapons, with the game usually picking the best recommended one for you beforehand, so it shouldn’t be too hard to pick the right weapon for the task at hand.

    Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Infinite Warfare. Managing to complete the game within 3 days, I constantly wanted to come back to it, even when I was away. There are the typical Call of duty tropes sprinkled throughout, for example never ending enemies in some sequences, but otherwise the game’s campaign manages to do something it’s never done before: making you care. Previous games may have had an end of the world scenario taking place, but not once did you feel it was real or that anything would happen should you failed. Infinite warfare managed to make me care about my actions, pushing me on not only to see the conclusion of the game, but to also see more of the crew that I fought alongside. I know Infinite Warfare hasn’t sold well, but if you can pick it up for cheap, do so; it’s certainly something special, and deserves to be played.

    4/5