In general, the Survival horror genre has been fading away for the past few years thanks to the numerous titles of action/Rpg, Adventure, First person shooters and so on. I remembered back in the late 90's early 2,000's when big names like Silent Hill and Resident evil racked the nerves of young gamer's and was a nightmare for my Mom and Dad's wallet. Thanks to a well renowned game designer ,Shinji Mikami, "Fear" was the greatest motivator. But not by modern day obstacles or unforeseen consequences called "Life", but fear of losing your life, fear of losing your chance not getting to know what happens next, fear of not letting that god forsaken monster/entity programmed to murder you, fear of the unknown, fear of not having the resources to carry on. Now that was survival horror back in the day for video-games and Shinji is back with his latest chapter of the horror genre. Will he have what it takes to rack our nerves one last time? Or shall this title stay amongst the dead? Well, lets dissect the innards of this game and take out/analyse the story, graphics and overall game-play to see what makes this project come alive!
"Oh, hell no!"
Before we get into the nitty gritty, we need to share some of the history of Shinji Mikami, who played a huge role in the days of Horror/Survival genre. He was involved since the beginning and peak of the Resident Evil series plus other projects like Dino Crisis and Outbreak. He's been doing other action packed games like Vanquish/Killer 7 and has been away from the "horror" Franchises since 2005 (Except for Shadows of the Dammed which he co-produced and does not count). He is definitely well known for the production and design of Resident Evil 4 which is known to be the "best" and "Height" of the RE series. His comeback resonates an echo throughout his previous work onto this current project and it shows.
"Evil Within" 2014
"Resident Evil 4" 2005
The story revolves around "Sebastian Castellanos" who is a veteran police detective accompanied by his two partners, Julie Kidman and Joseph Oda, who are at the scene of a mass murder taken place at the Beacon Asylum. Just minutes within the game a powerful, unmovable force strikes them hard and out of nowhere. They are hurled into a "nightmare" like rabbit hole and the answers seem to be spiraling downward into the unknown. The story does grab you from the beginning and it just forces you to move on because you really want to know what's happening in those "WTF!?" moments, and let me tell you, there are quite a few of those. Even though the story towards the end of the game kinda crumbles a bit, just the true horror in the beautifully crafted environments/enemies and traps truly take the cake.Its funny to also notice that the protagonist loves to state the obvious. Even when you are on chapter five and six when you slay various monsters and chainsaw maniacs, he states "there is something wrong with this place". No shit Sherlock. No wonder you are a detective. Anyways, if the story does no scare you or is of no importance, the monsters and environments with the situations they put you through are more than enough.
"I dont know...something in this place does not feel right...hmmmm,
the dead bodies perhaps?"
Now I have to admit. The graphics where horrible because I made the mistake of playing the game while it was downloading without the day one patch!!!! (This is with the PS4 and XBOX-ONE) Make sure that you download the game completely and if not, it will look choppy like a PS3 game, no kidding. I was greatly disappointed but I did not know until the game magically updated and installed the patch further down my play-through. Once that's done the game looks beautiful.The lights and shading give it the perfect dreary outlook in certain tense situations. The gore also has texture and it looks thick once you blow the head of any baddie while it sticks to your clothes.There are some beautiful levels with daylight landscapes which gives the feel that terror has no boundaries. Night or day, no matter what, you are not safe around any corner.
"Forget a shotgun, I need a lawnmower!"
The game play is a "over the shoulder" third person survival horror. If you have played RE4 like I explained earlier then you are right at home. The aiming is precise and the item swapping is pretty tight once you set that up.You can also upgrade Sebastian's abilities and weapons once you collect this green jar liquid which are scattered throughout all the levels. You must know that this game does not include the macho suplexes or spinning round houses (Like Leon Kennedy in RE4) once an enemy grabs you, it has the "get out of my face" action like when you are trying to push away your grandma when she tries to smother you with wet kisses. Simply, horrifying!! You just frantically try to wiggle your way out of any situation with the minimum ammunition that you have. I got to admit, some areas were tough. Once you reach that certain difficulty the game will test you. Every obstacle you overcome feels like a mini victory. Although there are some traps/puzzles/areas that have no sense and no way of knowing what to choose or do. You just die instantly from time to time. In these cases its just sheer luck or the processes of elimination to claim your victory.
"Not this time, Grandma!!"
The Verdict.
I thoroughly enjoyed this game. It can take 20 to 24 hours to beat which is a great length. Now if you are looking for a game that is innovative or raises the bar in game-play, then you will be very disappointed. This game does not have slow-mo shooting, multi-player, exotic gear, loot caves, nemesis system and so on. But if you are looking to return to the survival horror's roots and you want remember how it feels like to get your head ripped off with a chainsaw, then this is your game. And there is no one other than Shinji Mikami, who can hold the wheel and take you on a ride that you will never forget!! If you have any questions or comments, please leave a message or follow us on Twitter: @Reb00t_R0b0t or on FB: https://www.facebook.com/updowngamereviews.
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor kinda crept onto my radar when I heard about its release. Reviews were popping up everywhere like an emergency public announcement. I'm not surprised due to the fact that it reflects from the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, giving it another path or view of this rich and deep fantasy world. (This man actually created full fictional languages for his fantasy novels) But i'm not here to talk about Lord of the Rings lore, (that would take forever) i'm here to talk about the game that everyone is talking about. The game that will put hair on my chest and see if this is the game to rule them all!!!
"Combat needs some getting use to, but don't lose your head!"
I read the story ahead and it does seem enticing and interesting, but any LOTR expert may be a bit confused to what, when, and where this is taking place. Any how, this does not depart on how interesting the story is and how the character development rolls out. From the beginning you witness a brutal sacrifice and a birth of an unlikely hero who is gifted with wrath like combat and abilities. Basically, its a typical story of vengeance and gore. There are around 20 story missions and its possible to beat the main story which has been clocked around 12 to 14 hours, but there so much to do in this open world map and its almost insane thanks to the side missions and newly implemented "Nemesis" system.
Before I get into the Nemesis system, lets talk about the familiarity of the combat this game provides. It plays alot like Batman from the Arkahm series. Gamers who are new to this type of "Free flow" combat may be quite skeptical and have to practice the timing of battle. But as for me, this was not unmarked territory. I was jumping, hopping around from enemy to enemy like a flying squirrel on crack doing these insane acrobatics. There is the attack, jump/dodge, stun attack, and grappling just like the caped crusaders game. There is nothing wrong with this. This game actually does it better by adding the gore and dismemberment to the mix. ME: SoM also has the detective mode/Wrath vision to see details and enemies through walls. You could think that this game was from a excellent mod that's derived from the Batman Game itself. Once you start building your character up and opening
"Shadow of the Bat or Mordor?"
skill trees you will feel pretty powerful, but you are still very vulnerable to death which is a good balance and not boring. Now lets get to what really stands out in this game; The Nemesis System. Last night I played for 3 hours straight due to a feud I had with a group of Uruks with constant random battles of blood thirsty revenge and I loved it! This totaly stemmed away from any main mission or side quests, this was random generated fun! The Uruks have a constant power struggle for rank and power which you can manipulate in various forms in your favor. When one defeats you (high or low rank) the are promoted and they level up in armor and get a random abilities. You can hunt them down or inevitably see them on the battle field to settle the score. The opening sequence of each duel is awesome. Taunting you on how they kicked your ass from here to Mount Doom and they are ready to do it again. I actually felt a rage inside of me which gave me the motivation to stomp them like the cockroaches they are. Now this still is not over. Once defeated they can actually come back to hunt you and this time their appearances are different. They can have cuts, bruises, armor pieces, and a real hatred towards you. This was going on back and forth and I was not getting tired of it.
"I ain't afraid of no ghost....of Mordor."
Overall, this game is a blast and worth the $59.99 plus tax. (for me at least, I cannot speak for every gamer) It gives a strong story plus the proper material and mechanics to back it up. Plus, the Nemesis system, and the messing around with the Uruks battle ranks, is fun and gives hours of more game-play. (Set aside the various side missions, collectibles, and trials.) You can check out my video below on one of my first sequence fight 15 minutes into the game. Now i'm off and I hope to see you on the battlefield! Happy hunting! -Charly M.
The Hype machine has been rev'd up and Bungie's name has spilled forth. From the makers of the hit franchise "Halo", which is the flagship of Xbox/Microsoft, has once again called upon their creative design and forces to create a Sci-fi MMO/Shared shooter called "Destiny". The PR in this product is amazing. I think I even saw an advertisement on my cereal box and at a church sermon. Its hard to escape the reality of you, me, our Destiny. Now the real question is, does this game live up to the hype? Does it deliver the goods and burn bright? or does it flicker out like a dying star, light years away only to be forgotten. Lets see what makes this game tick throughout my experience of the game and see what it takes to become a Legend...
"Space...the final frontier in a galaxy far, far away..."
My first hands on impression on this game was far too familiar. Now this is not a bad thing since I am a great Halo fan and I have been through hell and back with "Master Chief" himself and this games mechanics shares a lot of the DNA from Bungie's well renowned series. Its like a parent (Bungie) had kids with a wife/spouse (Microsoft), kids become very successful but the parent (Bungie) says "i'm not happy with this relationship/marriage. You are too demanding, controlling, and jealous" then divorces Microsoft because Bungie found a more "Sexier and profitable" partner to sow their seeds with (Activation), thus giving birth to this bundle of joy that we now have. Even how the enemies dodge and how the fallen's guided lasers seems like the needlers from the grunts on Halo. Plus i'm having a blast with the PvP multi-player and the classic level designs from the labyrinth to open wide areas which have a true Bungie feeling to them. If only someone can mod Blood Gulch in Destiny I would die a happy man! The graphics are also quite breathtaking. From the sky box to the lovely desolate horizons, Bungie gives the impression that there is more out there than the level you are in. I wish that where true because the levels are huge, but not open-world/MMO material. Its like being a fish in a in a well equipped aquarium. You can see the beautiful outside world, but you are restricted by an impenetrable force (which would be the glass for the fish).
"Draw Me Like One of Your French Girls"
This game is binary crack and I cannot let the pipe, I mean controller down... I have to warn you that the story is not what hooks you into this game. Actually the story is VERY lame and practically non existent. Have you every played an MMO where you are doing numerous fetch quests? Gets to the point that you don't even read what the character says and you just ignore the nature or reason of your task? All you need to know is that I go from A to B and kill him/it or mail/drop off this and then give me my damn experience points!!!! Its a pretty simple formula, really. Now the real addiction here are the level ups and the loot. Many people have labeled this as a mix of Borderlands gun porn and the RPG elements/dungeon crawling of Diablo. There are three classes to choose from (Titan/Warlock/Hunter) with a different skill tree and tons of random level weapons and armor to choose from. You can only use certain equipment depending on your level, but no classes have restrictions on gun types and you are always looking for that special blaster with the boots to match.
"I'm sexy and I know it"
Reaching from Level 1 to 20 is actually very simple, but after that its a whole new ball game. You need to equip special and rare armor that have +points of light which goes towards your level progress meter. There are various ways such as rare drops, doing bounties for you team, or even strike missions. But I have heard horror stories about reaching Level 25-26 which you are at a stand still. People are dumping over 110 hours and still not reaching their goals. Me, personally, i'm level 22 so i'm just starting to feel the grind. I kinda like this idea because it makes you change on how you develop your character and change your activities. For example, instead of playing the story I am now focused on doing bounties and joining factions which is a totally different area in the game. I would have actually ignored this whole area if it weren't for this change. Now I hate it because its time consuming. I don't have the time anymore to sit in front of my T.V. without my wife attacking on one side and the Destiny infested enemies attacking on the other. Its a war-zone here and i'm all out of ammunition!!
VERDICT:
Overall, this is a great game if you are into getting what you put in it. The world seems to suck you in even though the story is non coherent. Its better played when you actually have your own fire-team to rely on and strategize your attacks on strike missions. This game is missing a few important elements in chat and communication with other unknown players and a lobby to create PvP matches which will be added in the near future. There are also some awesome dance parties!!! Check on the video below to see how to start one!! And if I missed anything, which a pretty much did, I only had time to write this during work hours (I have no time, remember!?) so its whatever came to mind! Thanks for reading and until next time. -Charly M.
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