Josh Knowles

I wear many hats. Most importantly it's my job to keep Gaming Irresponsibly afloat. I've played games since I can remember and passed the love of gaming down to my kid as well. Working to make a name for ourselves out there in the industry.

Review – Metro: Last Light (PC/XBOX 360) The Most Intense Shooter This Console Generation

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

May 132013

I am running through a mutant-spider infested metro tunnel. The only thing that is keeping these man sized arachnids at bay is my shotgun, which does little to no damage to them, and my flashlight. I find an unlit lantern on the ground and light it so I can get a moment to compose myself and charge my dead battery with a hand operated battery charger. The lantern illuminated the spiderweb filled tunnel and a giant spider that has been stalking me falls from the ceiling. I panic. I fire my shotgun at the overturned spider, spraying guts all over my gas mask but the buckshot also hits the lantern, causing it to explode. I’m left in the dark with a dead battery and an empty shotgun. I can hear the spiders and scorpions skittering along the ceiling and walls. I pull out my charger and desperately start priming it as the skittering noises are now directly over me.

Metro: Last Light is freaking intense.

I’ve spent 14 hours in the post-apocalyptic of a war-ravaged Russia. I’ve dealt with communists and the Fourth Reich Nazis. I hunted bandits that preyed on refugees and became the hunted by deadly mutants. The world of Metro is equal parts beautiful and deadly, but the sum of both parts is how awesome this game is. I like to think that I spent my time with Metro: Last Light playing the game the way it was meant to be played. I finished the game with the Shadow Ranger achievement, meaning I killed no human beings unless being forced to. I also played the game with above optimal settings on my PC, the game is breathtaking to say the least.

The surface is as breathtaking as it is deadly.

In Metro: Last Light you once again take the role of Artyom, the Ranger now known as the savior of the Metro. At the start of the game Khan shows up and informs Artyom that scouts have encountered a Dark One near the Botanical Gardens. This is concerning as Artyom believes they were wiped out in the missile strike that he orchestrated and has felt guild over. While Khan believes that Artyom needs to reach out and contact the Dark One, his superiors would rather see a bullet in it’s head and give the order to Artyom himself to make sure it happens. From there, a wild ride that includes betrayal, duty and humanity takes off that will decide the fate of the Metro as we know it.

Numerous times, while playing the game, I needed to stop and admire the beauty of the environment around me. Be it above ground, in a ruined city, or underground, among the remains of the Metro system, there seems to always be something worth stopping to look at. The world seems to have a story to tell, every character, every room, every corpse and every piece of equipment seems to have it’s own background. Even though it is a first person shooter, your enemies are finite and each has their own story. After I was done playing, most had concussions as well.

While the game boasted some of the best visuals that I have seen on my PC, I couldn’t help but find myself continually pulled into this world. While I strived to make sure Artyom did not take any lives, I also did my best to make sure any and all innocents were safe as well. While cruising along in my rail-car, I heard a cry for help from a woman that was about to be raped. I jumped out of the car and ran into a room to see the woman and her attackers, I snuck up behind them and dispatched them, but not fast enough before for a third man to spot my car and decide to see what his buddies were up to. The woman was inconsolable, so I had to leave her, but I made sure that this third man was at least unconscious before I left. I couldn’t help but hope that somewhere in the game’s code, she is programmed to run back to the safety of the rest of the refugees. Metro: Last Light elicits some seriously strong emotions. There is a massive betrayal that happens early in the game, when the time comes for revenge, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of guilt as well. Literally an “I’m sorry that it had to come to this” moment.

Metro: Last Light is at it’s core a first person shooter with some pretty awesome optional stealth mechanics. While stealth may not be the way people want to play, you can also Call of Duty your way through the game and give any opposing people bullet sandwiches, but ammo and weapons are slightly limited so running around with weapons blazing isn’t going to do much more than let every person in the Metro know where you are. After spending a long period of time playing Last Light, I found myself quite aware of lights on in my house and ALMOST killed the lights in each room before I entered them. Doing so in Metro is quite beneficial. The game also features some of the coolest cinematic action sequences I have seen in video games. There is an escape from trouble that ends up rivaling the “Stand” moment in the Medal of Honor reboot. ‘Boss’ fights are nerve racking and absolutely make you feel nearly hopeless whenever you are thrown into a situation where the odds are not in your favor.

Everything has a story. Did the bomb get this family? Mutants? Rats? Illness?

While a great game (go buy it, seriously), there are a few things that I ended up a little disappointed with. First off, every stealth kill/knockout it exactly the same. I don’t really understand why I have to punch every person in the face to knock them out, I can’t punch them in the back of the head, pistol whip or asphyxiate them? There are also a few moments that are ‘trial-by-error’ which if you have been reading reviews and stories around here, you know I dislike quite a bit. On top of that, while playing PC there were a few inexplicable moments where I had slow down. These moments didn’t happen to during moments where a ton was going on, and at least a few times during empty hallways. These were not gameplay breaking moments, but were slight inconveniences and the game ran phenomenally outside of those moments. The most aggravating thing in the game has to be the fact that I have to hit X to knock someone out but if my gun has any empty bullets, a reload takes priority over a stealth knockout. This lead to quite a few moments where I snuck up behind someone and proceeded alarm them by noisily reloading my weapon. I had to reload way too many times because of this.

Metro 2033 was considered a fantastic game by most standards but Metro: Last Light takes the base concept and ups the beauty, intensity, fear and fun. I enjoyed the hell out of my time playing the game and will absolutely find myself playing through the game multiple times to try to unlock all the other achievements in the game. Metro: Last Light easily features one of the best single player first person shooter campaigns within it’s genre. Are you looking for some chills and thrills? Check this one out.

Graphics 100		Audio 80		Gameplay 90
Creativity 90		Execution 80		Offset 80

8.7

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

EASTER EGGS

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Review: ShootMania Storm (PC) is the Best PC Shooter I’ve Ever Played

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Apr 302013

Call of Duty, Battlefield, Counter-Strike – these are all big names in the FPS market if you are a PC gamer. The thing is, these games are all cut from the same cloth. Military games, the person with the better weapon and more time spent grinding games, the better advantages you will probably have. I still play these games, yet I find it difficult to be engaged with all these interchangeable titles. Fortunately, I was thrown quite a curveball at PAX East and the experience evolved into one of the better FPS games I’ve had an opportunity to play!

When I got my hands on ShootMania Storm, the most obvious thing I noticed was that the learning curve is relatively low right out of the gate. I had already started to grasp the basic ins and outs by the time that my first full game series ended. What did I walk away with? Well for starters, this is absolutely, positively NOT your cookie cutter FPS game. There are no weapons scattered all over the map, so there is no arms race. There are no real choke points or lopsided maps, your own skill will dictate your success. There isn’t any real ‘camping’ either. The game moves at a breakneck pace, standing around will get you killed faster that running into the tornado. Tornado? Yeah, we are about to talk about that.

ShootMania plays more like Laser Tag but still has a collection of weapons that you can use in the game. With that being said, weapons aren’t picked up. In fact, you get different weapons based on where you are standing. Different areas and platforms allow you to have different types of shots but as soon as you move from the area, you are back to the standard vanilla. In fact, the motto of ShootMania Storm should always be ‘location, location, location’ because once you really get the hang of it, you’ll find yourself always moving towards the best areas.

On the topic of moving around, I spent a majority of my time actually playing the Royal game type. This game type takes King of the Hill and mixes it with a traditional Free for All style. The whole point of the match-type is to have players rush to the center of the map and activate the node at the center that causes a tornado to slowly close in on the playing field. If you touch the walls of the tornado, you are instantly out of the game. It’s quite fast paced, and honestly way more fun than I have had in most other FPS games. There are also game modes like Melee, Team-Battle, Elite, Heroes and Joust. The cool thing is, ShootMania Storm has a little something for any type of player, including the competitive ones.

I play a lot of PC games in my free time, often games like League of Legends. The beauty I’ve found with ShootMania Storm is that there is little time commitment to have fun. You simply need to jump in, choose a game type and then get into a match. I’ve played by myself and with friends and to be honest it’s always quite fun.

Unfortunately, there are still those people who will try to go out of their way to ruin other people’s experiences as well. While everything is extremely balanced for the most part, players can earn extra points for doing things like staying alive. While still pretty rare, I’ve been stuck in games with people who find it humorous to play down to 2 people and grind the clock down until they are forced to end the game. That isn’t fun at all but it seems that these issues are dealt with quickly, so many trolls will be out of your hair after their first offense.

Even in my free time, I find myself coming back to ShootMania Storm. I like to throw a game in between articles and reviews and love that I can do it without having to stress about it. If you are looking for a FPS game that is different, yet still very enjoyable, ShootMania Storm is exactly that game!

Graphics 90		Audio 90		Gameplay 85
Creativity 95		Execution 85		Offset 90

8.9

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Arc System Works Launches North American Website

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Apr 262013

Fans of Guilty Gear and BlazBlue franchises now have something special to look forward to. Today, Arc System Works announced that they have officially launched their North American website today. The website will function as an information and social networking hub for Arc System Works’ operations in Northa America. Content from the site will be made available on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube and will allow visitors to browse Arc System Works’ upcoming catalog of products.

President of Arc System Works, Minoru Kidooka, said “We have a very passionate and vocal fan base in North America, so we wanted to give them a direct link to our organization that we’ve never had before.” He also stated, “Our hope is that gamers become part of the dialogue as we begin developing our latest titles with their input in mind.”

Wait, what?!

Hold on.

Let’s make some noise and get Arc System Works to look at doing a Guilty Gear vs. Blazblue. I need that in my life!

Review – Dead Island Riptide(Xbox 360)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Apr 222013

I reviewed the original Dead Island almost two years ago. I thought it was a fun game, a few flaws held it back from absolute greatness, but ultimately a ton of fun. I had just purchased a PC version of the game when I heard the announcement about the spinoff/sequel Dead Island Riptide. I had reasonable hopes for the game, after all the first game was buggy but I am sure there was a lot to do in another game.

The Bad:

I want to explain early that there are some glaring areas of improvement in Dead Island Riptide. The absolute worst issue I encountered is a glitch I was able to continually cause. Whenever I decapitated a limb or head from a zombie when they were in water, the game flows down to about .5 frame a second. It’s pretty bad because they game itself doesn’t actually slow down, this means that if you get the massive slowdown glitch, you are a sitting duck for the undead hordes for a few seconds. It isn’t a 100% sure thing when you kill zombies in the water, but when it happens, it is real bad. The other issue I really had was that there are oddly placed spawn points that seem to get stuck in a constant reset. In chapter 3 there was a spawn point for 3 infected that was pretty much on an infinite loop, if you killed them they would come right back. Needless to say, they made it incredibly difficult to get anything done in the immediate area. Finally, when you use the instant kill attack that can be used when you are above a zombie, you will sometimes miss and end up floating vulnerable for a few seconds. Other than that, I encountered a few audio glitches and enemies getting stuck in walls or underground. Outside of the water issue, nothing else was really infuriating. The interesting thing here was that texture issues from the first game have been completely remedied and the characters look a little better than they did in the first game.

The Good:

I played this game alone and I played this game with friends, the game plays almost completely different in both situations. In single player, it feels more like a survival horror game than anything else. The music is intense, the zombies and enemies show up without any notice and fighting without a plan will lead to an easy death. I had my share of moments where I jumped when I would get a surprise boat visitor or a zombie grabbed me when I least expected it. I was able to notice the improved AI and difficulty more in this mode as I didn’t have anyone to watch my back. The fact that you encounter the different types of zombies much earlier means that you have to stay on your toes constantly, I got ambushed my butchers far too many horrific times.

When I played in co-op, we had tons of fun. Everything aside, we had some amazing moments where we would pull off amazing saves or killer combos when fighting enemies. The strategy in multiplayer made things way more enjoyable as well. Often times we would add mods to certain weapons to work well with each others gear. We did learn that thrown weapons like deo-bombs and molotovs do have a horrible habit of hitting teammates. In fact, I died a few handful of times to explosives that my friend had thrown. Laughs ensued.

I felt that the game was way more difficult, which was nice because Dead Island got way too easy once things got moving. The crafting seemed to take more work as well, I needed to actually seek out certain items that I didn’t immediately have access to. I really liked all the extra areas and special ‘named’ zombies that you can encounter as well as the many island residents that will always be around to ask for help.

The Verdict:

Is Dead Island Riptide a perfect release? No, not at all, although I really wish it was? Is it better than the first game? Yeah, by all accounts I have to say it is. The story may be quite a bit more stale than the first game but the actual exploration in Riptide feels so much more worthwhile. The game provides a great looking backdrop to the carnage and the sense of despair and hopelessness almost is palpable while playing. Single player is a challenging experience that actually has a few scary opportunities while multiplayer is an amazing experience if you can get a few people together. When playing with more people, the game is all about teamwork and watching each other’s backs. It’s what a zombie game should be.

Is Dead Island Riptide the best zombie game ever? Mmmm, nah it probably isn’t. Is it the best multiplayer zombie game that is out for $50? Hell yeah it is. If I hadn’t been sent a review copy of this game, I would still purchase it. Ultimately, here are still some major issues that are in Dead Island Riptide, but the amount of enjoyment I have gotten out of the game itself far outweighs the cons.

Graphics 75		Audio 90		Gameplay 85
Creativity 85		Execution 65		Offset 85

8.1

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

What We Learned About Watch Dogs at PAX East

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Apr 152013

While at PAX East, we had an opportunity to get an in depth look at the game Watch Dogs. Yes, the hype train is correct, this game looks to be every bit of awesome that you have seen in previews, sneak peeks and trailers all over. What we saw at PAX, however, was an exclusive look at some of the mechanics within the game and also a little background on the games protagonist, Aiden Pearce.

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We were ushered into a small theater, where we saw an introduction video from the team behind Watch_Dogs. They explained how the new system works, what ctOS is and why Aiden can use it to control most aspects of the city around him and also the ways in which you can get around the city. They also explained that players could use the internet and other internet enabled devices to access info and manipulate things in the game. While the presentation was great, the information we got was awesome as well.For all we knew about Watch Dogs, the ARG aspects are something almost completely new to me, although we knew there would be some sort of multiplayer experience that would be involved. Here are the things we know for sure:

Aiden Pearce has a checkered history, something from his past hurt his family or has put them in jeopardy. He isn’t playing that game, he isn’t afraid to kill.
The way that you handle situations in the game will reflect in other events and maybe even the ending.
Aiden Pearce has access to over 30 weapons, not counting his access to the ctOS. There are many different ways to deal with confrontation.
There are over 65 different vehicles in the game the Pearce can use. Each has it’s own physics and the studio behind the Driver series, Ubisoft Reflections, put the vehicular aspects all together.
This is real world Chicago, the streets and building will be familiar to those that know Chi-town. Building are more than just decorations as well, yes you can enter them .
Everything is real time, want to mess with traffic so you can use it to your advantage? Go on ahead!

The other major thing we saw was how everything works together. We saw Aiden track a potential crime victim and stop a crime that could have escalated into a murder. We also saw ctOS respond to the prediction of this crime and send the police out to try to intercept Aiden Pearce as well. In the demo, Aiden used his environment and ctOS hacks to escape the police without casualties. Gameplay itself understandably resembles Assassin’s Creed slightly, with a little free running thrown in.

It isn’t a stretch to consider Watch Dogs to be one of the most anticipated games of this year. With what we saw, it damn well should be.

Stinkyboard Foot Controller Kickstarter Launches Today

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Apr 022013

I’ll be 100% honest here, I hate Kickstarters for the most part. With the exception of a few situations, They’ve been filled with empty promises and smoke and mirrors. Now, with that being said, I have no problem backing a Kickstarter on a project I have personally seen, know it works and actually exists.

Stinkyboard, that foot controller that blew my mind at PAX East, is starting it’s Kickstarter today and if prior experience proves accurate, this is a wagon worth getting on. The Kickstarter rewards consist of a considerably cheaper purchase of the Stinky, a limited edition fire-red Stinky (OMG, WANT!) with 4 soft springs, and various Stinky merch. I believe in this, hopefully you will as well and shoot them a little love!

Free Game Friday Returns With a Blitzkrieg Collection Giveaway!

Posted by Josh Knowles 9 Responses »

Mar 292013

Did you know that the RTS game series, Blitzkrieg, just had it’s 10 year anniversary? No? Well fortunately for you GOG.com is celebrating Blitzkrieg’s ten year anniversary by discounting Blitzkrieg Anthology and Blitzkrieg 2: Anthology 60% on GOG.com until March, 31st. But what is this? You are broke? You aren’t sure if you like this classic RTS series? Well these cool folks also let us give away 10 bundles to fans. What do you have to do? Follow the directions below and we will give them out Sunday afternoon. I know you all like free stuff, get cracking!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How I Fell in Love With the Most Curious Controller Ever at PAX East

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Mar 272013

A week before PAX East, I received a quirky email detailing how a controller that could be used with only your feet would be at PAX East. I initially put it with the rest of the clutter in the ‘follow-up if I have time pile’ but then another email came through that said something to the extent of ‘Not a Prank! You Have to See to Believe!’. With such persistence, I figured I should at least humor these people and swing by to see this oddity. What I didn’t know was that the decision I just made would pretty much make my PAX.

I swung by the Stinky Footpad team at our agreed upon time and immediately noticed that this really wasn’t just a tool for disabled gamers. This was an actual peripheral that had the ability to give a gamer an extra edge during games. You see, the Stinky Footpad is a board that has 4 mappable keys or macros on it that can also be set with various degrees of sensitivity by using different springs. Want to trigger a key? Step on that area of the footboard and you are cooking. This durable piece of metal and plastic was about to blow my mind.

I sat down to try to play Battlefield 3 with the footboard. I could still use my mouse and the keyboard, yet the controller gave me quick access to four additional keys without having to leave the WASD setup. The Stinky had sprint mapped to the top part of the board, crouch to the back part, knife to the left and dive to the right. The board effectively allowed me to access those 4 abilities without ever-changing the positioning of my fingers on the keyboard or mouse. Since crouch and sprint are toggles, I could also hold them while I did whatever else I needed to with either hand. While there was a bit of a learning curve to get used to actually using your feet while playing a game, I found myself getting the hang of it pretty quick.

After learning a little bit more about the Stinky, I discovered that it was built to take an absolute beating. I was shown a video where the team ran over the board with a truck and then was shown that board in person, the only damage it had was friction damage. It was also explained to me that the Stinky is resistant to spills, so if you were using it and happened to dump a drink on it, it is built to keep undesirable things like liquid out of the board. Two things definitely came to mind almost immediately, how come no one had thought of this yet and what other games could it help with?

I started theory-crafting in my head, mapping keys in League of Legends would be absolutely amazing! How about HAWKEN? Yeah, secondary fire, heal and dash would also be nice to have quick access to. How about productivity? I already have programs mapped, how freaking awesome would it be to open them with a simple press of my foot? The Stinky Footpad opened up a myriad of different opportunities. However, I was also told about a gentleman that had visited the Stinky team while at PAX. He had an issue with a hand and was easily able to use the Stinky while playing Team Fortress 2 and was “kicking ass” while doing it. That reminded me of how the Avenger Controller was built to make console games more accessible, the Stinky Footboard could easily be poised to do the same for PC.

After expressing my enthusiasm about the board, I was told that their people would be in touch with my people, but one thing was for certain. The Stinky Footboard absolutely knocked me off my feet. Kudos to the Stinky Team, you guys easily deserve the best tech at PAX! We can’t wait to take it out for review!

Review – Tomb Raider (PC)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Mar 272013

I was hardly a fan of the Tomb Raider franchise. I did play a majority of the series but I would consider ‘playing’ to be finding the highest point I can make the polygonal Lara Croft swan dive off of that would result in a painful death. The way I looked at it, the character was a play to get us 13 year-olds excited over a busty character. Game play was as stale as their character design, when Uncharted came out, the series was obsolete. Then GamersGate hooked us up with the new Tomb Raider for PC, I had high hopes but I didn’t expect the game to deliver like it did.

Let’s jump back to last June, I was sitting in a small private showing room at Square-Enix’s watching some of the first live-played footage of the upcoming Tomb Raider title. i was initially apathetic towards it, but by the end of the show I realized there was some serious potential there. By the end of E3 I realized that it was probably the best game I had the luck of seeing there. The longer I waited for the game to release, the more excited I was to play it.

Unlike prior Tomb Raider games, this Lara isn’t the over-the-top eye candy that seemingly ventures through caves and cliffs in nothing more than tank tops, booty shorts and pistols. This is a shipwrecked young archaeologist that is probably more afraid of her situation than anything else. While the characters in the game are blatant tropes, you can’t help but like most of them, and when a ‘twist’ takes place, there really isn’t any surprises. Yet, with that being said, I found myself pushing to get the story advanced, as I just wanted to see what Lara and the crew of the Endurance were going to have to go through next. The story is told masterfully and the amount of over the top visceral moments that Lara is thrust into will keep any veteran player on their toes.

The game play itself has several very important bullet points that absolutely need to be mentioned. First off, the game plays like a Metroid game, with many things hidden away in plain sight and only accessible once you have unlocked a certain item or upgrade. Lara also ‘levels up’ in the game, survival points allow you to actually purchase or augment abilities to make Lara’s 1 v 1000 odds much better. Finally, exploration offers many different rewards throughout the game, from small collectibles to massive tombs that you can explore. It’s like they took the concept of what an action/adventure game should be and followed it to an exact T, something that everyone tried to take a creative direction with up until this point. The game seems to provide the exact right amount of content for the situation, without overdoing it or undercutting the experience.

I can write tons of commentary on how the game plays and feels, or how the sound effects are absolutely stunning but when it is said and done Tomb Raider was one of the first games that actually upset me when I knew it was drawing to a close. Lara and I were on an adventure, we fought off crazed cultists and deadly animals. We climbed mountains and ventured through dark and dangerous caves. When I saw the message “You will not be able to fast travel to any other location on the map after this camp”, I was sad because I knew that it was all coming to an end. I cared way more for this Lara and this Tomb Raider than I ever had for any in the past. This isn’t only the best Tomb Raider ever, this very well may be the best action/adventure game ever. Move over Nathan Drake, Lara Croft has come back to show you a few things.

Graphics 100		Audio 100		Gameplay 100
Creativity 100		Execution 100		Offset 100

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Pros:

This new Lara is much more human than the old, it was a treat to watch her become a survivor
Combat is great, do you hear me? Excellent even!
Fast travel and exploration make the game worth coming back to, even after you have beaten it.

This game was provided by the kick ass folks at GamersGate.com, don’t be a jerk and check them out!

Breaking News: Tropico 5 Confirmed

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Mar 222013

While at the Mad Catz Unleashed in Boston, we had the opportunity to speak with a VERY reliable source that said that Tropico 5 will be unveiled at Gamescom. If you are unfamiliar with the Tropico series, it is a construction/political sim that is a very tongue-in-check experience. While our source has asked to remain anonymous, the team at Project Frontburnr can corroborate this news.

Review – Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (3DS)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Mar 132013

Castlevania is one of, if not the most, beloved franchises to me. When Lords of Shadow came out, I died a little inside, the game was hardly a title worthy of the Castlevania namesake. When Konami announced that they planned sequels to the reboot, I began to make funeral arrangements for the franchise as a whole. When I was at E3 last year, a PR rep excitedly showed me Mirror of Fate at the Konami booth. She told me that all the action of Castlevania would be available on the 3DS, but as I watched the character on-screen hack and slash his way through enemies I couldn’t help but feel that this wasn’t my Castlevania.

forward to nearly a year later, Konami sends my review copy over and I prepare to jump into the game. Names like Trevor Belmont, Simon Belmont, Sypha Belnades and Alucard start to pop up pretty damn quick, all these characters are major players in the original Castlevania timeline. Trevor and Simon relatively their retro counterparts, while Alucard didn’t really look that different at all. I needed to know more about these characters new roles within the new Castlevania universe.

As a continuation of the Lords of Darkness, the game quickly establishes that Trevor is the son of Gabriel and Simon the son of Trevor. It turns out that Trevor’s birth was hidden by the Order from Gabriel because they knew he was tainted goods. When Trevor is of age, they tell him about the truth of Dracula and he decides he needs to kill the tyrant to redeem the Belmont name. Ultimately, it doesn’t look like he is very successful because quite some time later Simon comes to the castle to exact his revenge.

I do have to say, off the bat I was impressed by the story of Mirror of Fate. It seems they wanted to find a way to create the Belmont v. Dracula rivalry without a crazy retcon involving alchemy and some other craziness. Quite simple, the Belmonts want to kill Dracula because he has destroyed their family. Trevor because of the shame it brings and Simon simply to avenge his family. The story itself progresses in cell-shaded animated cutscenes that are very well done. Although the majority of dialogue is not synced at all (hell, characters mouths don’t even move sometimes), scenes are delivered flawlessly and I looked forward to seeing how the story advanced.

The most important thing to note about Mirror of Fate is that while the combat feels a bit more like Lords of Shadow, everything is on a 2D plane and very quickly feels like another legendary Castlevania title. Yes, castle adventure is back and while it doesn’t feel like the size of Symphony of the Night’s castle, it certainly is a welcome addition. As you play through each of the 3 characters (Simon, Alucard and Trevor), you will unlock abilities and items that will allow you to access areas of the castle that hadn’t been accessible prior. So yeah, Metroidvania is back, even if it is slightly different.

I had 2 complaints about the game, well actually 1 complaint and an observation. All movement controls are on the circle-pad. While this isn’t a deal breaker by any stretch of the imagination, controls were certainly less precise that I would have preferred in many different situations. Unfortunately I fell to my death way more times than I would have liked due to an awkward press of the pad. The good news is that you get used to these quirks for the most part. The other issue is that the game is actually difficult. Truthfully, it’s not so much bad as it is a challenging learning curve. Taking a hit from an enemy has heavy consequences, unlike the prior games on the Nintendo DS, in fact it feels much more like Super Castlevania IV than anything else. If you expect to plow through enemies while taking the stray blow or two, you are going to have a bad time.

So you have classic Castlevania gameplay, a great story line and reboots of 3 of the series’ main characters… What more could you want? How about the best graphics I have seen on a 3DS game so far and an amazingly atmospheric soundtrack. While the audio isn’t up to par with some of the best Castlevania games, it is certainly far better than any other 3DS offering I have encountered so far. Graphically nothing on the 3DS has even come close in quality, my only complaint is that the characters and traps are so small on the display.

After playing through the entirety of Mirror of Fate, I ended up being a little upset. I played through Lords of Shadow grudgingly, simply because of the Castlevania name attached to it. After Mirror of Fate, I know that I am now going to get sucked into playing Lords of Shadow 2, because the story was so well delivered that I just HAVE TO see where the series goes next. If you were a Castlevania loyalist like me, you are in for a surprise, it turns out that this Castlevania game is one that is certainly worth playing. In fact it is likely the best 3DS game I have had the chance to play so far. With that being said, the ball is in your court Konami. Can you deliver on this level one more time?

Graphics 100		Audio 90		Gameplay 95
Creativity 90		Execution 80		Offset 95

9.2

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Pros:

Great story
Castle adventure is back!!
The new Simon may actually be more bad ass than Classic Simon

Cons:

Circle pad can get annoying at times
The major twist is easily predictable
A little on the short side

Review – Scribblenauts Unlimited (Wii U)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Mar 062013

We’ve certainly given the Wii U and it’s launch lineup some time to sink in. While there hasn’t been a massive catalog of games available as of yet, we figure it is time to actually discuss the initial launch titles. One of the most intriguing titles had to be Ubisoft’s Scibblenauts Unlimited, the puzzle game that pits logic and your vocabulary against all sorts of crazy scenarios.

This was actually my first Scribblenauts title, so I obviously spent the first part of my adventure experimenting with what sort of oddities I could create. Adjectives made this much more interesting, allowing me to make my solutions to these puzzles much more… creative. I quickly discovered as well that many puzzles in the game could be solved with a dead baby, however we will talk about that later.

The Wii U version of the game boasted a multiplayer mode that was amusing and gave me the opportunity to create my own objects in the game (I made my own fully functional Metal Gear Rex) as well as share them with other players. Nintendo licensed characters were also able to be used, but mostly functioned in the same way that normal people did within the game. I ignored most of these special additional features and usually just added the adjectives “speedy, flying and invulnerable” to Maxwell so that I could progress through things much faster.

It seems that the part of Scribblenauts that make the game so magical is the fact that every puzzle offers a plethora of different solutions. Need something heavy to hold down a button? Try a heavy stone (or a dead baby). Need to the cannibal something that he likes to eat? There is always the good old human arm (or a dead baby). It seems that this mindset is incredible normal for Scribblenauts players, while initially solving puzzles with the most innocent and obvious answers, you will find yourself answering with more colorful and twisted answers. Scribblenauts Unlimited ultimately became a test to see how far I could push the envelope.

While things can be quite creative, I also quickly found out that as I advanced further in the game, I couldn’t shake the `been there’ done that` feeling that started to linger at about 75% completion. That was the issue, after getting so far in the game I really didn’t feel like there was a viable award for actually completing any puzzle. The story is simplistic at best and after the basic introduction, does not serve any purpose other than to provide the semi-comical cutscene on occasion.

On it’s best, Scribblenauts Unlimited is an entertaining play-as-you’d-like puzzle game and a childish and vanilla lesson in mediocrity on it’s worst. If the game had awarded players for actually answering questions in a creative matter, I think that I ultimately would have felt much more fulfilled. Instead, I was given the same pre-canned reaction no matter if I solved a puzzle with the large hadorn collider or a dead baby. I do recommend the game for Wii U owners as the game operates fully off of the Wii U Gamepad and will absolutely provide a weekend of entertainment but after that, most enjoyment will be had by playing the game in short bursts. If you are looking for a revolutionary game that justifies the purchase of a Wii U, this really won’t be it. Fortunately, it is still fun in the end.

Graphics 85		Audio 85		Gameplay 60
Creativity 90		Execution 70		Offset 70

7.7

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Pros:

Puzzles and gameplay can be approached at any style of play
Hey, the game is pretty cute
Multiplayer and object creation inspired even more creativity

Cons:

Puzzles so simple that my 5-year-old son could solve most of the game on his own
No reward for creativity
Gameplay gets incredibly stale about 3/4 through.

From The Editor’s Desk: It’s Second Chance Week!

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Mar 052013

As I sit here writing this, 3 major releases sit on my desk; Tomb Raider, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate and SimCity. It’s been 15 years since the last truly good Tomb Raider, 10 years since the last true SimCity game and up until today, I refused to acknowledge the existence of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, making Order of Ecclesia the last Castlevania game back in 2008. That is 30 years of mediocrity and money milking since these series’ last awesome releases.

I feel the need to point this out because for all 3 of these titles, these are their second chances at relevancy. For example, you cannot convince me that Lords of Shadow was originally written as a Castlevania title. It was far more likely that it was a game that was modified to fit a reboot of the series. It was ok, but it was also far from the series I had come to love. Tomb Raider has had absolutely horrid releases ever since its first sequel and after several lukewarm sequels, the series was rendered irrelevant by the Uncharted series. SimCity? Well outside of Societies, the last SimCity release was SimCity 4, a solid game but also 10 years old. The introduction of the Sims franchise just seemed to make everyone forget about the Maxis title that made this all happen.

While working on reviews for these games, I feel the need to explain why you should be so excited for this release week. Last year at E3, I sat in a small private theatre and watched the first private gameplay demos for the new Tomb Raider. I walked out of that theatre absolutely amped for the reboot, I’ll talk more about it in my review. Castlevania was a little bit of a different experience. I sat at a table with PR for Konami, they asked me why I didn’t like the new Castlevania direction. I told them that the new God of War direction goes directly against what had made the series great since the day I first played the original on my NES. I was then shown gameplay video of the 3DS Mirror of Fate, I wasn’t sold, it still looked hack and slash. Finally, I waited in line to see the first videos and demos of SimCity, a series that I spent numerous hours playing during middle school and early high school. It looked great and seemed to embody everything that had made the original series run great. Well, guess what? Right, wrong and probably wrong.

As I was downloading and installing Tomb Raider and SimCity, I played Castlevania. I had a really good time. SimCity was done first. I couldn’t play it though, there was a queue to enter the server so I could play single player. This was oddly reminiscent on Diablo 3 last year. Finally, this morning, I played the opening act of Tomb Raider and headed out of the house highly satisfied. I know that I need to keep SimCity up in the air as to where we stand, but 2 out of 3 isn’t bad.

This gives me hope for future series’ reboots. After the release of DMC last month, I am feeling quite confident for reboots in general. You should too, and the best way to say that you support these decisions and creative directions is by getting your hands on these worthwhile titles. We should have the reviews available for these titles throughout this week. Until then play hard and be sure to drop a comment or two once they hit. We love the feedback!

Review – Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection (PSP)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Feb 192013

I’ve been sorely let down by most RPG games lately, there just hasn’t been anything (outside of Ni No Kuni) that has really convinced me to sit down and spend ample time with. When Nippon Ichi Software sent us Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection, my initial reaction was “Oh, look, it reminds me of Ogre Battle”. Then I saw another name attached to the title, it wasn’t Idea Factory or even NIS, it was Sting. The game company Sting is well-known for innovative and compelling battle mechanics in their games, as a matter of fact I hold Knights in the Nightmare up with games like Valkyrie Profile or Ogre Battle: Let Us Cling Together. So could these 3 RPG powerhouses pull off something interesting? Oh, just wait.

Let me immediately break the bad news to you. Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection offers a story that is chock full of tired RPG tropes. You have the frail, yet mysteriously powerful girl, the heroic and doting brother, the friendly yet sprite-like younger girl, etc. There are immediate betrayals, friends are foes and foes are friends and when it is said in done, massive power will be unlocked but at great prices. The story is filled with these things, yet it’s actually still quite entertaining. I’ll admit that I was quite concerned when I first started though, as I felt I was going to experience more of the same.

So, now that we’ve gotten that part out-of-the-way, allow me to tell you why Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection is a game that most RPG connoisseurs should not pass up. The game itself plays out like a game of chess had a foursome with Risk, rock-paper-scissors and Guitar Hero. Not a vivid enough picture for you? Let me try to do my best here; You will dispatch your selected units from your base, when the fight starts you will only have a minimal amount of units available on the battlefield at 1 time. You can bring more units onto the battlefield by capturing points or strongholds, doing so can also cause the enemy to lose a dispatched unit if their stronghold to unit ratio falls into the negative. As every unit can carry 2 different types of weapons, you’ll have to pick which weapon ‘beats’ theirs while also creating a big enough ring after combat to allow your other units to jump into the fight as well. I lose you yet? The final part of direct combat are the battles themselves. When fighting, you will select your weapon and the weapon’s strike page comes up. Pressing the X button at the right points will allow you to do additional damage to your enemy, timing is everything. After the battle, the enemy or the hero will be pushed back and a ring will appear that will allow other friendly characters to jump into the fray as well. Positioning becomes important early if you even want to have a chance at beating some of the more difficult enemies. Mix that in with summoning and collecting crystals and you will see that this is one of the most entertaining, yet not too complex battle systems that have been seen in quite a while.

After winning a battle and collecting the spoils, you can advance the story and spend alchemy points. These points allow you to upgrade items and also heal or level up characters as well. Several times I had characters within only a few points of leveling up, so being able to throw a few points in here or there to get that level was quite nice. AP (alchemy point) can also be used to heal characters, which won’t be used at early points in the game but will become a big deal in the later parts. Overall, the system works well and functions more like a pit stop than like a break in the action.

One of the reasons I enjoyed the combat so much was that it takes some pretty serious strategy in order to defeat certain enemies. At a point in the game, it will no longer be any help to run one point with your best unit to head off the enemy, instead you’ll need to send a group of characters over with the right types of weapons as well. I found that the story modes weren’t really the best place to practice this since some story levels can be actually multiple maps, ‘Free Battle Mode’ was actually the go-to mode to experiment in and it worked great!

While not the most innovative RPG on a story-sense, Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection still ends up offering a very entertaining and challenging game that works even better as a portable title. It has a great soundtrack, Japanese voice-overs and stellar sound effects as well. It may not be the next Chrono Trigger or Ogre Battle, but the game is a very satisfying filler until one of those games ever sees the light of day (let’s be honest, they won’t). Check out Generation of Chaos: Pandora’s Reflection, if you like SRPGs you will absolutely not be disappointed!

Graphics 80		Audio 80		Gameplay 90
Creativity 95		Execution 70		Offset 85

8.3

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Hardware Review: Genius Gila Gaming Mouse

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Feb 182013

We’ve had our share of Gaming Mice reviews here at Gaming Irresponsibly; SteelSeries, Roccat, and Mad Catz have been probably the most recognized, but a new challenger has joined the fray. Genuis’ Gila Mouse, a CES award winner, was sent to us to check out. We did just that over the course of a few weeks and here is what we thought.

The GILA features 12 strategically placed buttons all over the mouse. On most mice, these are placed where ever the designers could find free space, sometimes stacked on top of each other. On the Gila, they are all within the vicinity of the traditional finger placement, which was a little sketchy at first. While in optimal positions, I found myself for the first week accidentally hitting the sensitivity and M1 and M2 buttons with my index finger. Fortunately, this was just an adjustment period and after spending a bit more with the mouse, I got into the hang of clicking in the right spots. Now, what makes these buttons super handy is, as I pointed out earlier, they can each be pressed with no effort at all. Smart casting abilities in League of Legends? No sweat. Easily accessing Planetside 2 shortcuts? Absolutely. Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3? You get the point! I was initially skeptical about the buttons, I figured they’d be a pain but the Gila software made things quick and easy. It was even pretty dummy-proof to set up complex macros.

Probably the biggest challenge I face from going from the Roccat Kone+ to the Genius Gila was the fact that the Gila is considerably smaller. Then I put my hand on the Kone+, it is only my wrist that is touching the surface. When I use the Gila, a good portion of my palm can also touch the surface. While this isn’t really a pro or con, it really did take some getting used to. There are two things that the Gila had that made me immediately more interested in it though, 6 4.5g weights that fit in the mouse for 27 grams (7 more than the Kone+) and the awesomely rubberized and textured surface on the sides of the mouse. As far as the weight goes, I like heavy. It allows for greater precision and movement is much more deliberate, so a heavier mouse is always good in my book. The side surfaces of the mouse? It is much easier to grip and hold the mouse than before, plus a bit softer overall. Yes, form and function, indeed.

With the snazzy macro buttons, awesome rubberized grips on the mouse and great crimson and black color scheme what other things could the Gila do to impress? Well, within the Gila driver software is the ability to change LED lighting for 3 separate areas on the mouse. Yeah, it does absolutely nothing to affect gameplay BUT it makes the mouse look freaking awesome when you add your own custom colors to it. I felt it was worth noting, as it’s very easy to do and quite fun to mix and match to find your favorite color combinations.

Is the Genius Gila a good mouse? No, it’s not. It’s actually pretty fantastic. There are actually a few flaws though that will make themselves known rather quickly. As easy as the mouse was to program, it took a few times for everything I set to actually stay programmed after changing the mode. It seemed like after changing the DPI setting, it was dropping the programming. I set and saved the profile and settings and applied it a few times, after which it stopped dropping the programming. The other minor issue was the fact that the mouse is uniquely shaped and a bit smaller that any gaming mouse I’ve used so far, with that in mind I discovered that there was a significant learning curve that I had to go through to get used to the mouse. After I did this though, I am extremely pleased with how it works.

The Genius Gila is deserving of the praise and acclaim it has received. After a significant test drive, I have to say that we give the Genius Gila Gaming Mouse a 4.5/5. It’s really, really, really awesome!

Review – Omerta: City of Gangsters (360)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Feb 122013

The ideas behind the ‘Made Man’ concept has always been somewhat of an interest. This is likely due to the fact that most developed nations’ history is knee-deep in organized crime. Movies like the Godfather and Casino are known as some of the best ever, while TV shows and games have tried to also capitalize on this popularity. Kalypso threw their hat into the ring with the release of Omerta: City of Gangsters, a mafia-sim/SRPG that tells the story of a Prohibition Era made-man. The folks at Kalypso made us an offer that we couldn’t refuse (as in the sent us the game to review) and we jumped into it, honestly not knowing what to expect.

Omerta more or less means ‘unspoken law’, the rules of the underworld and the main theme of Omerta: City of Gangsters. Your character, whom you pick the face and name for, starts out as a small time crook with a few friends and evolves into the traditional Don role. Something that I liked about this was that even at higher levels, he still isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. The story is actually fairly decent in that sense and is told through old photo-style cutscenes. A quick gripe about this concept, the music drowned out a lot of the dialogue, even when I turned it down I still had issues. It’s also the typical mafioso story, so in that sense it isn’t very creative.

When considering Omerta’s presentation, a lot is offered to the player. The soundtrack offers a distinct Roaring Twenties feel (when not glitching up and playing broken, choppy music) and sets the mood well. Graphically, the game is decent. There isn’t any ‘Wow!’ moments, yet there really aren’t any ‘Well, this looks like shit’ moments either. Effects are decent and not too graphic or over the top. If anything, the game is played graphically safe, with no risk to make a mistake here.

The main part of the game is pretty much a crime sim, where you send out your mobsters to extort, rob, attack, strong-arm, offer protection or conduct unsavory business with the city. Early in the game, when you are just a small time criminal, this is pretty straight forward. As you become more infamous these tasks become more interesting, but saying that they are more difficult is a bit of a stretch. The secondary aspect of Omerta is an SRPG in the same vein as games like X-COM and Jagged Alliance. Each mobster is controlled individually and can move and perform a set amount of actions within a turn. This combat system involves quite a bit of strategy and is actually really fun, especially once you get gangsters with different weapon specialities. Taking a few guys and comboing for maximum damage is nice and brings an aspect that isn’t seen in many games.

Omerta offers a few different game modes that range from sandbox-play, allowing you to do whatever you’d like in Atlantic City. There is also multiplayer, which was ok at best. The big thing here is that you really are doing the same thing over and over, regardless of the game mode you play. This becomes an issue when you actually begin to realize how bland the gameplay is, which happened for be after getting a ways into the main story mode. There really isn’t a reprieve and the sandbox mode becomes equally tiresome.

That is the thing with Omerta: City of Gangsters, there is an absolutely promising game under all the dead weight. Unfortunately, after removing all of it, the nice parts just aren’t complete enough to warrant a great score either. There are a fair amount of glitches I encountered, like mobsters never completing their task at a location, and small glitches in things like music got really old far too quick. I couldn’t play Omerta over long periods of time, as I couldn’t find enough combat to keep me entertained and the business management aspects were pretty simplistic. Even with all this said, Omerta isn’t bad and I am sure that people interested in the Gangster genre will find some sort of enjoyment out of it.

Omerta plays and feels like a downloadable title, something you’d pick up for $25-$30 on Steam or Xbox Live. At that price range, it would be a fair pickup, as there is enough game to be a pleasurable experience. Unfortunately, the Xbox 360 version is launching at a $40 price tag, which just seems like too steep of a price for a game that lacks any real gimmicks to keep a player coming back. Maybe there will be some DLC, maybe they can patch a few issues. I hope they do because I didn’t hate Omerta, I liked it, just not enough to tell someone to buy it.

Graphics 70		Audio 65		Gameplay 50
Creativity 55		Execution 45		Offset 65

5.8

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Pros:

The combat is fun albeit short in most scenarios
RPG elements are enjoyable

Cons:

Bugs with music and gameplay get old quick
Sim mode lacks any form of excitement
This shouldn’t have been released in this format, it could have been a great XBLA/Online title.

Hardware Review – Steelseries’ Scope and Desmo Gaming Glasses

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Feb 042013

We often get review requests in our mail box, one of the most common review requests have been gaming glasses. It seems that quite often, people really want to know if they are worth the investment or simply if they really work. Steelseries sent us both their Scope and Desmo glasses to actually take a look at them and decide if they are a legit item AND if they are something worth investing in. Hell, they are made by the premier company for gaming glasses, Gunnar, so this should be interesting!

Desmo

The first thing I noticed about the Desmo glasses I received were the really flashy orange highlights on the arms. They really popped and gave the glasses a truly unique look. I tried these first because the large lenses look like they would fit my big head better than the smaller, slimmer pair. While I could wear the glasses, the nose bridge as a little uncomfortable and didn’t really sit perfectly on my face. If I looked straight at the ground, the glasses would actually move from my face. They just weren’t as snug as I hoped. This was probably due to the fact that the glasses are frameless and the lens is actually held together by a separate piece, so they either fit right or they didn’t. They did seem to fit better on my wife’s face though.

Scope

Holy crap. While the Scope glasses looked smaller actually had smaller lenses, these bad boys were easily my favorite. These glasses have a thin black frame with arms that look like they have a carbon fiber coating. Because of the fact that the lenses were separate and the metal nose bridge help them together, they conformed to the contour of my face much better. The fit quite snug on my face and I could look in any direction, move my head rapidly and even run (hey, I had to try) without them risking a fall. Oddly, smudges were way more noticeable on these glasses however.

What do they actually do?

It took a little bit to get used to playing games with a slightly altered perception. The yellow tint makes most light sources turn to a noticeable amber, while the colors of the display or TV do not seem to be effected as much. For a few sessions, I was unsure if I had any difference at all but after an evening of PC play when I wasn’t using the glasses, I noticed something different. I noticed my eyes were significantly more strained and actually a little irritated from staring at the screen. Upon reflection, I realized that this was actually a common occurrence but since I’ve been dealing with it for so long, I just accepted that it was normal. While using the glasses, that strain was significantly reduced and it was much easier to focus on things that were happening as well. It was like Ritalin for your eyes, and yeah, they work pretty good.

There is a catch here though, they worked great at night and in areas like an average lit office. When used in a brighter well-lit room, they seemed to be much more of a hinderance that good. Direct light (like sunlight for example) would catch on the glasses and create quite a bit of glare which understandably made playing more difficult. I switched to the Desmo to see if they had the same issue and it persisted, although it was noticeably less on those glasses.

Here are a couple of notes I made while playing different games:

League of Legends -

Since colors and motion tended to ‘pop’ more, it seemed easier to spot someone appear on the minimap or from the fog of was than it did before. This helped me avoid ganks and pinpoint enemies faster that I was used to. Map presence went up.
Playing a bunch of games in succession wasn’t as tiring to the eyes as it had been in the past.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 -

With it easier to stare at the screen, small movements stood out more than they did normally.
Red cuts through the yellow glasses really well, alerts for things like mines were easier to spot.

Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm -

This game really hurts my eyes usually since I tend to spend long periods of time just staring at the display. The glasses helped with that a lot.
Unfortunately I am still really bad at this game but it was easier to play more games in succession.

Hawken -

Hud pops a lot better.
Like Black Ops 2, movements stood out better, helping me sometimes catch enemies before they caught me…

I’d have to say that if you spent a decently large amount of time staring at a screen, some form of these glasses may actually be beneficial to you. I won’t go as far as saying that the glasses actually made me better at anything in particular but it gave me the opportunity to play better. I’d say that gaming glasses may help a player reach their potential by increasing small facets of vision. Think of it as PEDs for video games!

Value

If you spend an extended period of time playing games, especially in the dark, I really do think that these work wonders. While the results will probably vary from user to user, the $99 price tag for either pair of glasses doesn’t actually seem all that bad when compared to other gaming peripherals.

We give the Desmo Steelseries Gaming Glasses a 4/5 due to the sizing issue.

We give the Scope Steelseries Gaming Glasses a 5/5. They are freaking awesome and look great!

Review – Anarchy Reigns (360) Is More Like Mediocrity Reigns

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Feb 032013

I never played MadWorld on the Wii, so when it’s sequel was announced, I thought ‘Meh, sounds ok.’. Once Sega sent us a copy of the game to review, I was able to take a crack at it and see what it was all about. As the game was delayed for forever and it debuted with a fancy budget price, there had to be something that would be an amazing draw to this, right?

Anarchy Reigns immediately goes for broke as soon as the game gets past the title screens. The back story of the post-apocalyptic world is told on a silent page with a still landscape that a quarter page of text slowly scrolls on. The text scrolls so slowly that I ended up having to re watch it because I hit a button hoping that I could fast forward it a bit. Overall, this was highly surprising simply because there is quite a bit of voice acting in the game. I don’t see why Platinum couldn’t have recorded the extra 2 minutes of dialogue. After the anticlimactic opening, there is a small movie that concludes with you having to choose either the ‘white path’ or ‘black path’. The black path has you play as MadWorld protagonist and chainsaw armed, Jack Cayman, while the white path makes you assume the role of Final Fantasy reject Leo. After completing the two paths, you are then prompted to complete the ‘red path’ which is more or less 1 final mission that provides a slight bit of closure to the story.

To my surprise, both main paths are not blindly mirrored and there are unique enough to be entertaining to play through. To progress the path, I found that you have to complete missions that usually consisted off killing enemies in a certain way with some form of handicap involved, or some form of escort. After completing enough missions and earning points, you can then progress the story through the story missions. These are usually some form of battle royale that has pits your selected character against the rooster of other characters in the game. Combat is unfortunately a little simplistic because of the ability to exploit combos and the way enemies recover after being knocked down. Now, I will say that combat isn’t completely a wash, fortunately it is also so over the top that pulling off insane combos and gory finishers are enough to keep you pushing on.

I played through both campaigns, and completed the red path as well (which is actually not a campaign at all, just a finale). The story is decently delivered, but I feel that there are a massive amount of things that sour the single player experience as well. Your character’s repetitive dialogue gets incredibly old by the end of the first mission, by the end of their path you are probably trying to find a way to mute them overall. The gae is a ‘Final Fight’ style brawler, yet most enemies can be dealt with by using the same combos over and over, which obviously makes the 1 vs 50 combat a little stale. They try to spice it up by adding environment events, but all that really does is make combat frustrating.

Multplayer is another beast in itself when you discuss Anarchy Reigns. It boasts an incredibly large amount of multiplayer modes that include things like battle royales, king of the kill, team deathmatches, capture the flag and multi team battles. Truthfully, this game mode shines brighter than anything else within the entire game, or it should. My major issues with the online mode are that there is a huge issue with lag to the point where I am beating someone up, only to find out that they are actually killing me when the game catches up. This issue is much more noticeable when more players are in the game, it’s a pity since it’s quite fun to battle it out in the thick of 15 other players. When I got a group of friends together to play, we were able to spend a considerable amount of time beating the stuffing out of each other and having a few great laughs at things that happened. As you play online, you will level up and earn new characters and perks that can allow you to fight more efficiently in these game modes. All in all, these game modes are what should be the selling point for the game.

Anarchy Reigns isn’t a great game, it isn’t bad either. If the game had a full $60 price tag, we’d be having a much different conversation. Fortunately, the $30 price tag is a much more manageable price that seems a bit fairer for the product. While I didn’t hate playing the game, I could only play in moderation. After extended periods of time, I got very tired of the same combat dialog and combat. My best recommendation is to spend that few dollars to rent Anarchy Reigns first, see if it your cup of tea and then spring for that $30 afterwards if it is.

Graphics 70		Audio 80		Gameplay 65
Creativity 70		Execution 60		Offset 60

6.8

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Pros:

Soundtrack is catchy
Online play is fun
Quite a few unique characters

Cons:

There is a lot of online lag
Single player is mediocre at best
Really ugly stereotypes that come off ignorant, rather than funny

Review – DMC: Devil May Cry (PC) Turns Out To Be Dante Done Right

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Feb 032013

If you haven’t been hiding under a rock, you probably know that DMC: Devil May Cry has easily been one of the most controversial titles of the last 12 months. When Capcom announced that it ‘isn’t a reboot, but a reboot’ of the Devil May Cry series, fans went nuts. Once it was revealed that Dante was getting a makeover sans his iconic white hair and red jacket, the Devil May Cry superfans became outright rabid. I’ll be honest, my hopes were not high at all. I loved the first game, the second was ok but had an absolutely shitty ending and I only briefly played 3 and 4 as I just couldn’t get engaged. I felt Devil May Cry needed something different and after GamersGate.com hooked us up with the PC version, I was able to see if the DMC reboot was a blessing or a curse.

The new DMC universe is actually a pretty interesting concept, there are multiple realities layered upon each other. The normal world and Limbo are two of these dimensions, and it seems that demons from Limbo have infiltrated the normal world and are secretly controlling humanity through their own vices. The game takes an interesting stance on things like gluttony, reality TV, sensational media and even pop culture in a way that is pretty interesting. The world of DMC is dark and gritty, Dante is still a wise-ass but not nearly as flamboyant as his predecessor was. Some people may hate to hear this but the new DMC actually was the first Devil May Cry game in quite a long time to grab my attention for long periods of time.

While the older games tended to favor the action oriented hack-and-slash concept more than anything else, DMC is considerably more focused on the platform and puzzle aspect. That isn’t to say that Dante still doesn’t have to fight waves after waves of demons but he will spend quite a bit of his time making perilous jumps and forcing the player to really use their head before charging into a combat situation. Dante is given a new armory that includes a hellish battle-axe, gauntlets, an angelic scythe and twin chakrams along with 3 different guns. Alongside these offensive weapons, he also has 2 different support tools an angelic and demonic grappling hook. These tools are usable in combat and can pull you to or pull your enemy towards you in combat, respectively. They are also used heavily in platforming aspects of the game and at later parts sometimes together. At the height of the game, it takes everything you have to advance, yet the game never reaches the difficulty that the original Devil May Cry titles had. It’s a bit of a trade-off that ends on being ok in the end.

Graphically, the game is amazing on the PC. As I played through the game, I was impressed time and again by the environments that I was in. Limbo is incredibly eerie and always feels quite unsafe, with dark tendrils reaching out of the ground and corrupting the environment. However, the skies range from beautiful blue skies to black and crimson, always setting the mood for the levels. The normal world always seems filthy and cluttered, reflecting the themes in place for the game. There are some very impressive areas that are pretty mind-blowing, my favorites are the Raptor News Network and Lilith’s Club; both of which really break the norm of what you are used to seeing. This game on its highest setting? It’s everything I’ve ever wanted from a game in the series. Wow.

DMC: Devil May Cry’s soundtrack is simply phenomenal, with songs provided by Noisia and Combichrist. The industrial feel meshes well with the game itself and with the gritty visuals, makes an amazing presentation. Sound effects are quite awesome and noises like chainsaws sound quite realistic and alarming. I really enjoyed everything, from the ambient sound effects to the sounds of combat. There was one slight exception to this, Dante has an attack that he yells like an idiot during. It’s a bit annoying and once you notice it, you can never unhear it.

If there was anything that I felt held the game back, it had to be that the enemies and combat can feel a little stale after a bit. There are about 6 or 7 different enemy types, with a few alternates of those types throughout the game. These enemies all pretty much fight the same and after you get the tactics down, it’s pretty much done. I can fight the ‘tough’ enemies in my sleep now, as a matter of fact I think I actually have. The only major deviation is with boss fights, however while massive and fun, they are also quite choreographed and easy only you get the patterns down. One more thing that gets slightly old, the word fuck gets thrown around like a 12-year-old on the playground. ‘Fuck’ doesn’t make you gritty, edgy or cool. Capcom, pls.

I came into DMC: Devil May Cry expecting to be sorely disappointed, it sounded like it was going to be a crappy cash grab by a company becoming well-known for exploiting its consumers. Imagine my surprise when I sat back and realized that the game wasn’t bad, heck it isn’t even good, it’s a really great game. I recommend you check it out, in fact do what we did, get it at GamersGate!

Graphics 90		Audio 95		Gameplay 70
Creativity 80		Execution 85		Offset 75

8.3

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Pros:

Beautiful game, seriously
Kick ass soundtrack
All in all, I really liked the story

Cons:

The word fuck get really fucking old real fucking quick (see what I did there?)
Long term, by the end of the game, you are going to get real tired of combat
The battle in the factory with the multiple fat guys. When you get there, you will know.

Hardware Review: Skullcandy PLYR2 Wireless Headset

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Jan 232013

I like gaming headsets, they offer an opportunity to remove most aurally intrusive elements and allow the gamer to be immersed further into their game. One of my favorite headsets have been the Astro A50 headset, they are pretty much the benchmark at this time that I would hold all other headsets to. Interestingly enough Skullcandy has now acquired the legendary Astro brand and soon after, they released the Skullcandy gaming headsets. While considerably cheaper in price, can the economy class wireless headset ride the wake of the A50′s or are there better and more efficient options?

I kicked things off by using the headset on my PC and ran it through the paces of a few different games. The first thing I noticed while using them on the computer was that there was some frequent popping whenever things started to pick up. It was incredibly noticeable during Far Cry 3, occasionally noticeable during League of Legends and almost nonexistent during Retro City Rampage and Hotline Miami. I compared these results with other headsets to make sure that it wasn’t a defect and didn’t encounter the issue with 4 other headsets. With that being said, I messed around with the headset volume and computer volume a bit and I was able to eliminate most of the disturbance. The mic left a lot to be desired while being used on the PC. The entire time I used the headset on my computer, my teammates complained that I was hard to hear and incredibly quiet. There really wasn’t much I could do to remedy that situation and after a few days of playing PC titles, I chalked the PLYR2 headset up as a workable but not ideal solution to PC gaming headsets.

After the slight disappointment from the PC experiment, I was cautious and a bit pessimistic about hooking the headset up to my consoles. I noticed that the input for audio was ONLY composite stereo, which meant that I was faced with 1 of 2 options: I could locate the component cables and run the analog audio through the plugs or I could keep everything digitally connected and hope that my TV offered an audio out option. Hint: Most HDTVs offer an audio out option and this is what I did. Immediately, I was surprised by the clarity of the audio quality, it is considerable step up from the PC experience. People I played with could hear my voice crisp and clear, everything is plug and play and it even included a cable for Xbox 360 usage. This really seemed to feel like the PLYR2′s intended purpose. Really, I was thoroughly impressed after my initial experience.

When considering the level of comfort that the PLYR2 headset offers, I’d have to say they are decent at most. The headset is quite noticeable while being worn, unlike other headsets that I’ve used. This may be due to the fact I have a larger head or just the kind of odd shape of the cup itself. While they were never painful, they were cumbersome after long sessions and there was a constant pressure on my head. While snug, the headset adjust to sizes even larger than my massive dome and I had to make sure I had it set correctly or it could and would fall off. Now, my Astro A50 headset does the same, so no big deal there. The PLYR2 headset does include my favorite gaming headset feature, the boom mic mute position. Instead of fiddling around with mute controls, flipping the mic up will shut it off. The controls are also easily accessible, with audio control and 3 preset options that can be toggled for different gaming experiences or general usage.

Here is the deal, if I didn’t own the Astro A50 headset; there is a pretty solid chance that the Skullcandy PLYR2 headset would be my go to headset. As a matter of fact, I have been using the headset as my default console headset simply because the flexibility of hooking it up and the wireless features. It doesn’t offer any of that ‘simulated’ surround sound, but the stereo sounds just as good in 90% of all scenarios. This headset won’t be a replacement for high-end wired headsets or a solid PC headset, yet it is completely worth the small investment for any other usage. In fact, I do recommend it.

We give the Skullcandy PLYR2 Gaming Headset a 4/5. It does what it is billed to do well, yet doesn’t excel in anything in particular.

Pros:s

Flexible for numerous gaming solutions
Wireless is indeed awesome
Really easy to set up

Cons:

A tad heavy
Fits a little odd
Wasn’t ideal for PC use

The Dangers of Video Games (or the Lack Thereof)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Jan 162013

For 27 of the 30 years of my life, I’ve been playing video games. I am the second oldest of 4 brothers and my childhood was spent jumping on Goombas and memorizing the Konami code. I remember my first run ins with video game violence, I was huge into karate and I saw Fist of the North Star at my local rental store. My parents thought it looked like a cool kung-fu game and rented it for me. I probably went an entire day without actually realizing that punching people was causing my enemies to explode from the waist up and hitting projectiles were causing people’s head to explode. I’d never seen it before, once I had I immediately showed my Dad because I thought it was funny. Initially, I don’t think he shared my humor. What my parents did, however, was ask me if I understood that punching someone wouldn’t cause them to explode. They took the time to address a concern and 4 or 5 year old me understood.

Fast forward to a few years later, I’d played NARC and other games with questionable content. I also got a Super Nintendo and played games like SMASH TV and Mortal Kombat. Mix that with a healthy blend of 80′s action flicks, ADHD and karate classes, I should be a walking time bomb of murder and destruction, right? I’ve been in a handful of fights in my life, I’ve avoided all of them to the best of my ability. I was a social outcast in highschool, listened to Marilyn Manson and played Grand Theft Auto for hours at a time. I used to film martial arts home movies with friends where we did ‘stunts’ and lit ourselves on fire and such. We always took precautions. I survived my teenage years, my friends did too, only 1 was ever arrested and that was because he played a stupid prank with fake money. We all played video games in our free time. I should be a menace to society or lack an understanding of right and wrong, correct? I should be more aggressive or resort to violence faster than someone who said ‘No!’ to games, right? No, obviously not, because I am not mentally ill, I understand the difference between video games and the real world and I know that harming another person is serious and has consequences. My parents raised me well and took time to talk about things that concerned them, they sat down and played games with me as well.

Now that I am a dad, my 5 year old plays games with me. He can beat every level of Angry Birds, Cut the Rope and many other games. He also plays games like Castle Crashers and Double Dragon with me. Sometimes he is my ‘bad guy spotter’ if I play a game like Battlefield 3 or Halo 4. I’ve sat down with him and told him that you can’t cut someone’s head off, you can’t take a real gun and shoot a person and running someone over with my car would result in indefinite jail time. He understands. He is also the smartest and most advanced kid in his school. His hand eye coordination is astronomically higher than any other kid at his education level. His problem solving skills and deductive logic are amazing. He is a bright kid and honestly, I am pretty sure he inherited his dad’s ADHD as well. I do believe that video games HAVE affected him, although they have helped him develop skills to make him better at things. He also has adopted his dad’s passivity. I am fairly certain that my wife and I are good parents and we do take the time to talk about our concerns when he sees something a little over the top.

Steps in the right direction, but all the right steps?

I tell you this because there are a bombardment of theories about how video games create violent killers. They don’t. Society does. Parents that fail to address concerns with their children, take action when there are issues and allow negative elements to influence their children are far more dangerous than Mortal Kombat. Our government is putting aside 10 million dollars for the Center for Disease Control to research the link between violent media and violence. Want to know what decades of video game use did to me? It made me decide to pursue a career in gaming journalism.

Have I met people that are red flag cases? Potentially. I’ve had friends that came over to my house, played a game like Contra and then talk about shooting people for the entirety of the weekend. They’d say things like ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to shoot all those people over there?’ to which I’d reply ‘No…’. These wackos usually came from extremely sheltered environments, usually they weren’t allowed to play games or watch much TV. I seriously doubt that there were ever really solid conversations that addressed concerns over violence in media and the result was a teenage boy frothing at the mouth for violence and a raging murderboner. I’m fairly sure he grew up to be something successful (or Patrick Bateman) but I pretty much didn’t have people like that over more than once or twice.

Long story short: Kids need role models, they need parents to take an interest in their activities and discuss concerns with them. There are probably kids out there that don’t need to be exposed to games at all, like that kid I mentioned. This point is that gamers aren’t the problem in society, sick people are and until there is a way to help these people in a positive way, people will still try to point the finger at every other influence on this planet. Let’s stop trying to look for things to blame issues on and start trying to find ways to solve them instead.

Bite Sized Reviews – Liberation Maiden (3DS) and Retro City Rampage (Xbox 360)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Jan 142013

When I was informed that SUDA 51 was making a 3DS shooter, called Liberation Maiden, I was instantly excited. SUDA 51′s contribution to the the gaming community had been well documented and a chance to delve into his world on the 3DS shouldn’t be passed up. See, that’s what I said when I found out about the game, after delving further into the game, is it possible that the hype train pulled into the station early?

So, what is Liberation Maiden? Well, definitely not your typical SUDA 51 affair. Liberation Maiden tells the story of Shoko Ozora, the Second President of New Japan, and her Infiltrator mech suit. Apparently in this dystopic future, New Tokyo’s President is the one that fights against the industrialized invaders that are converting nature into barren cityscapes. While a little odd, key points of the game are told using animated cutscenes, which are cool.

Graphically, the game is a somewhat decent representation of 3DS software and ultimately is pretty much middle of the road. It certainly does get extra points for the very cool animated cutscenes within the game though, they are crisp and clear and as I said before, well implemented. Audio in the game is actually quite awesome, the music sounds like it is straight out of a mech-based anime with a few songs even featuring Japanese lyrics.

Gameplay feels quite a bit reminiscent of Zone of the Enders. As Shoko Ozora, you pilot your Infiltrator around and convert your shield into a multitude of deadly lasers that will lock onto targets or a large focused beam that can quickly destroy single targets. Aiming and targeting are all done on the touch screen, while all the action takes place on the 3D display. Although it may take a second to get your aim right, this system is decently interactive and kept me engaged throughout the game.

Most missions involve you flying over a small island and blowing up enemy ships and buildings. After taking out a building or target, the land will partially convert back to a green landscape again, along with a news report on what the public thinks of your feat. In a few areas I was forced to have to pilot the Infiltrator under bridges and though corridors, which was cool because it definitely gave a solid piloting feel to the game momentarily.

While I enjoyed my time with Liberation Maiden, there were a few things that were just huge bummers. For starters, the game isn’t more that a few hours long. Just as I was getting the controls down and figuring out how to use my weapons at maximum efficiency, I was notified that I was on the final mission. In fact, while waiting in line for the Wii U, I actually started and completed the game in one simple sitting. There really isn’t too much in the area of extras and unlockables, just a movie mode and also a time attack mode. So, just to throw it out there, the game is disappointingly short!

Liberation Maiden is an interesting conundrum. In one hand, it is an enjoyable game that is absolutely reminiscent of very popular franchises from the early 2000′s. In the other, we have an incredibly linear and short game that plays throughout more like a mobile game than an actual downloadable game. You’ll have fun playing Liberation Maiden, unfortunately after the couple of hours it takes to beat the game, there isn’t anything else to do afterwards.

Graphics 70		Audio 80		Gameplay 70
Creativity 75		Execution 50		Offset 60

6.8

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Retro City Rampage Xbox 360

A while back Sean took the PC version of Retro City Rampage out for a joyride. During the review he mentions how the game is a love letter to the 80′s gaming nostalgia of the 8-bit generation gamers. With my first dive into the Retro City Rampage world, I can absolutely confirm that his initial observations are correct. But wait! There’s more!

So I got an opportunity to review the Xbox Live Arcade version of Retro City Rampage and for all realistic purposes, it seems to be pretty much the same game as from before. However, it would be boring to just end the review on this point and tell everyone to have a great day, so here are some things that are definitely worth knowing for the Xbox 360 version of Retro City Rampage. The video filters are intact so if pretending you are playing on a collection of old school consoles or throwing your blue and red specs on for anaglyphic 3D, you don’t have to stray from your familiar system. There are also tons of achievements available to be unlocked on the XBLA title, along with a nifty avatar award as well. If you love getting a few extra treats with your games, Retro City Rampage will not disappoint.

With all of this being said, there are a few thing that I don’t think were completely addressed before. The game is indeed fun, and there are absolutely times where gameplay truly tests your patience with repetitive gimmicks and features. Something that I spent more time in that almost playing through the game myself had to be the mini games. At the in-game arcade, I was able to play a Virtual Boy knockoff of Super Meat Boy, a homage to the Mortal Kombat minigames with the cast of Epic Meal Time and even a good solid run at Bit.Trip with a slightly lower class graphical scale. While each one of these games unlocked a special guest character to play in the game (Muscles Glasses? Fuck yeah!), there is also a certain level of enjoyment to be had while chasing the high scores or trying to improve your best. Each game is put together masterfully and are a great way to break up the late game monotony.

All in all the game is still fun, controls are still a bit wonky at times, it will get bland at points and is probably the perfect game to pick up and grind out while you are waiting for the eventual release of Grand Theft Auto V.

Graphics 80		Audio 95		Gameplay 80
Creativity 70		Execution 80		Offset 85

8.2

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Vote For Your Favorite Games of the Year In Our Gaming Irresponsibly Reader’s Choice Poll!

Posted by Josh Knowles 8 Responses »

Dec 282012

Here it is! The fan vote for Gaming Irresponsibly’s Game of the Year Awards! Vote for your favorite nominated Online Game, your favorite games of the year and for one of our Game of the Year nominees! Leave a comment below and we’ll enter you in a chance to win one of the few extra game codes we have lying around!

Don’t forget to take a look at the other award winners! Also, follow us on twitter for updates on the vote!

Unveiling the First Batch of GOTY Winners!

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Dec 242012

Here we go! The announced winners of the Game of the Year Awards. We haven’t awarded 3 awards as of yet: Online Game of the Year, Reader’s Choice and the much coveted Game of the Year. We are going to need your help with these. So keep an eye open in the next day as we need to prep our poling system! We’d love your feedback on the awards!

Horror/Survival Horror of the Game of the Year – The Walking Dead

Telltale Interactive Games unveiled their magnum opus point-and-click adventure in the form of the current super-franchise, The Walking Dead. The game is set in the comic world of the series, before the majority of events that play out after Rick Grimes comes out of his coma. Lee Everett’s quest to survive and also protect the young Clementine creates some of the most emotional and intense moments that you will find all year in any game that was released. One of the greatest things about the game has to be that the decisions Lee makes in the game have long term impact in his story, culminating with a tense standoff that is more or less a monument-of-your-sins moment. If you like good games that you can get emotionally invested in and also get a few scares, The Walking Dead is for you!

RPG/Strategy Game of the Year – The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings Enhanced Edition

Last year saw the release of Geralt’s second quest on PC but fortunately for console gamers, an even better improved edition of the game launched this year on Xbox 360. While the game itself is considerably more adult oriented, The Witcher 2 tells one of the most detailed and thought out stories that can be found in gaming. Geralt is ultimately framed for the murder of his King and embarks on a quest to not only clear his name but also exact revenge for events in his past as well. What makes The Witcher 2′s nomination stand out from the rest of the games in it’s class is that while it is a rerelease, it offers enough new and updated features, along with the amazing original game elements, to create the best RPG available this year!

Sports Game of the Year – MLB 12: The Show

While many sports games are generally lazy rehashes of their prior year offerings, you can tell that the developers behind MLB 12: The Show put their time and love into their award winning franchise to make sure their product was even better than their offering last year. While ‘just a baseball game’, there are also a plethora of different game modes and an RPG-like career mode as well that will allow you to create your own budding Hall of Famer that will have to brave the trials of the draft and minor and major leagues. Boasting impressive visuals, real-to-life stadium experiences, realistic players (none of that plastic crap) and some of the most enjoyable mechanics, MLB 12: The Show easily walks away with that perfect game.

Fighting Game of the Year – Personal 4 Arena

There really wasn’t an overabundance of fighting games this year, yet one of the quirkiest title stood out from that collection this year, Persona 4 Arena. In what could esily be the most creative usage of a franchise tag ever, Persona 4 Arena is actually a direct sequel to the amazing JRPG Persona 4. While it appears that most the elements of the original protagonist of Persona 4′s story is the most canon, Arena gives long term fans of the franchise a way to learn a little bit more about the characters from the last 2 games and how their stories intertwine. While an amazing story and concept, the actual combat in the game is pretty great as well. Controls are very responsive and every Persona User has quite a few moves and combos at their disposal. I’d be lying if I said we didn’t love this game ‘beary’ much!

Action/Adventure Game of the Year – Far Cry 3

What is there to say about Far Cry 3 that hasn’t been said? Well how about this “Far Cry 3 is much better than the movie adaptation” (I Googled it to make sure)! Far Cry 3 took a franchise that pretty much failed on it’s last game and amped up all the good ideas while throwing out the really crappy ones. The end result is a epic action adventure game that has you exploring a massive island while doing everything else you need to survive while the majority of the island’s inhabitants do everything they can to make sure you die. The story is well written, the graphics are amazing and the characters are unforgettable! I don’t know about you but I’d love to see a theatrical release of a movie based off of this game, then again, I think Uwe Boll still owns the movie rights, so maybe not!

Nintendo 3DS Game of the Year – Paper Mario: Sticker Star

The 3DS spent a majority of this year coming into it’s own and it seemed that every major release for it was better and better. With that being said, two of the last games released this year absolutely stood out Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance and Paper Mario: Sticker Star. While the former was an enjoyable game, Sticker Star embraced everything that players have loved about the Paper Mario franchise and actually added some new and unique elements into the game. While still making use of the 3DS features, Sticker Star took it’s time to remind everyone about the quirky-yet-enjoyable world of the Nintendo RPG. I’m kind of sad that this game was only released on the 3DS, yet with the successful release of the latest of the franchise, we can certainly hope for some Wii-U love!

Nintendo Wii-U Game of the Year: NintendoLand

As I sat down to discuss which game should be voted to be the Wii-U’s game of the year, I spent a ton of time scratching my head on whether ZombiU or Scribblenauts Unlimited should receive the award. While doing this, I was actually playing NintendoLand and the thought hit me, “Why wasn’t I discussing the 3rd game that lead the nominations, the one I happened to be playing at that moment”. At this point, I realized that NintendoLand is not only the best game for the Wii-U currently but also embodies everything that the system set out to accomplish at this point. Great HD graphics? Check. Enjoyable single player and multiplayer options? Check. Nods to some of the strongest and greatest games in the Nintendo library? Check. The game is good and worth the purchase if you got a vanilla model, if you got the deluxe, I am sure you are playing it right now!

Playstation 3 Game of the Year: Journey

Every year there is that one game, the one that is more than a game and more of an experience. This year, Journey has to be that game. Billed mostly as an adventure title, Journey tells a beautiful story that can be interpreted as a tale of destiny, life and death or a post-apocalyptic adventure after the fall of humanity. No matter what you actually think Journey is about, the landscapes you traverse are breathtakingly gorgeous and the fact that you can play with an unknown player controlled character throughout the aforementioned journey itself only to get to the heart wrenching ending says more about the game than words can describe. Journey set the bar for artistic videogames, I cannot wait to see what next year holds for the PS3 (and maybe PS4)!

Playstation Vita Game of the Year – Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale

So, you may be initially wondering, “Why is PSASBR winning the Vita game of the year and not also for PS3?”. Simply, the game is absolutely amazing on the Vita while the Playstation version of the game more or less feels like an exact port that fails to utilize anything on the full console effectively. With that being said. the game is still freaking amazing on the Vita and even more amazing when you know that you have an opportunity to play alongside those that felt it necessary to play the game on their consoles as well. After all, who doesn’t love the chance to make Drake and Dante fight it out to the death? With perfect handling and optimization on the Vita console, the game plays out as the perfect killer app for the Playstation Vita.

Big Winners

Xbox 360 and First Person Shooter Game of the Year – Halo 4

Halo 4 walks away with 2 awards? Yes. The FPS genre had some seriously awesome competition this year with Far Cry 3 and also Borderlands 2 (I personally LOVE me some Borderlands 2) but Halo 4 took the icing on the cake. What Halo 4 managed to accomplish was to completely reinvigorate the fan base of an amazing franchise while also taking the story and gameplay elements in a very new direction. While the original trilogy focused on humanities battle against the Covenant and the Flood, this new series seems to be much more focused on the man inside the armor. While a new threat was introduced in this game, the main focus was on how deeply flawed Master Chief has been as a hero. Now, the multiplayer aspects of the game are also phenomenal, featuring a spectacular co-op campaign and also a featuring a completely reworked multiplayer matchmaking and ladder system. This is Halo.

Holy shit. Hotline Miami is an undertaking to say the least. When we first reviewed the game, it was bug filled yet quite enjoyable experience. We wanted to see things like controller support and a few minor flaws fixed in the game. After the review, they repaired EVERYTHING that was an issue in the game. The game that was left was the pinnacle of PC awesomeness. Simple, yet complex. Vicious, yet elegant. Completely amazing. With an amazing soundtrack and stellar gameplay, Hotline Miami is the type of game you can come back to over and over again. and with it’s secret ending, many collectible mini-cheat masks and the scoring system, Hotline Miami is well deserving of the 3 awards it walks away with. We absolutely love this game!

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers is Coming to a 3DS Near You With a April 2013 Release Date! (FINALLY!)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Dec 192012

The 1997 Sega Saturn title, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, is finally seeing a localized release date here in the US! A whopping 16 years after it’s initial release, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers will be finally ported to the 3DS. This is exciting news considering the success of other Megami Tensei universe alums Persona 4 (Golden and Arena) and Catherine. We should all be able to get our hands on this exciting title on April 16, 2013. The official press release explains the title, as well as background on the game itself:

Soul Hackers delivers a first-person, dungeon-crawling RPG experience set in a future where technology and otherworldly forces meet in a macabre fusion of cyberpunk futurism and gothic horror. A first-person sci-fi RPG epic, Soul Hackers tells of a city held up as a beacon of humanity’s triumph of technology, but with an infernal secret. In this would-be utopia, a group of hackers takes on a centuries-old mystic society, and a battle for control over humanity’s fate is about to begin.

In the classic tradition of Shin Megami Tensei, players will have the compelling choice throughout their dungeon exploration to fight the enemy demons they encounter, or negotiate with them in an attempt to turn them into allies and teammates. Soul Hackers on 3DS includes access to 30 additional demons, a new opening animation movie and theme song, improved controls, and quicker loading times. Additionally players can use the 3DS’ bottom screen as an auto-mapping function, and engage a COMP hack to change difficulty levels on the fly and fill out maps without walking through. After clearing the game initially, the 3DS version of Soul Hackers also delivers an extra dungeon, where players will witness the appearance of Raidou Kuzunoha from the previous Devil Summoner games.

So, let me ask you, are you excited to get your hands on this forgotten piece of the Megami Tensei universe? Personally, I am excited to see the handful of extra features that will be accompanying the relaunched title!

Review – Far Cry 3 (PC)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Dec 142012

Real talk: Do you want to know the definition of insanity? Google Far Cry 3 reviews and see how many mention insanity in the opening statement. Yes, I am aware I just did as well. Now, do you want to know the definition of a good fucking game? Well, we’ve had quite a few this year but if you were looking for an awesome first person sandbox romp, your options have been quite limited this year. Fortunately, Ubisoft came through with the final AAA title of the year, Far Cry 3 and it is easy to say right off the bat that this game is quite different than it’s predecessors. Fortunately, Gamersgate let us take their system out for a spin to get a chance to play the game and fortunately, we didn’t have to deal with Steam’s DRM along with Ubisoft’s one-time online DRM. In other words, I liked this option, it allowed me to play such a massive game without jumping through hoops if I wanted to play offline or on my laptop.

Far Cry 3 is absolutely a cerebral and gritty game. You play the role of Jason Brody, a generic late 20s/early 30s bro-dude that finds his friends and brothers kidnapped after an ill advised skydive onto the Rook Islands. This lovely and scenic island is the home to pirates, drug traffickers, cannibal-rapists and a handful of indigenous natives that are fighting to survive against the unsavory elements of the island and it’s even deadlier fauna. After escaping the deadly and unpredictable pirate-lord Vaas, Jason suffers a tragedy that slowly changes him from a whiny, sniveling punk into a person that is as twisted as the denizens of the island. As the insanity that is the Rook Islands slowly taints Jason’s mind, he must work together with a cast of unpredictable, unreliable and untrustworthy characters that will do what they can to use Jason’s hatred for Vaas to achieve their own personal agendas while furthering Jason’s own.

Jason is quite unlikable, he isn’t what is expected as the typical protagonist in a first person action adventure. I like to think that he was created to be rather unlikable as a majority of things he does within the first half of the game seem to be very reluctant. Jason Brody isn’t a killer and as his reaction shows at the beginning of the game, he isn’t prepared to take a life under any means. As the player, it almost feels like you control the darker aspects of Jason’s personality and as the game progresses, his overall madness continues to the point where he becomes a willing partner in the death and destruction that you cause. This is huge, because Far Cry 3 is more than “go to point A and shoot X guys, then drive to point B and deliver an item”. Instead you will hunt to survive, forage for supplies, infiltrate and capture enemy camps and do things like occasionally hang glide across the island. There is quite a bit to do on the island, classifying the game as a “Shooter” almost seems to be a crime.

Combat in Far Cry 3 is generally reserved for ranged weapons but with a large collection of weapons available, I found myself mixing it up often and getting creative with my killing tools. I almost always carried around the bow, a small firearm and a rifle as it is much easier to deal with enemies at a distance but if things started to get rough, I had options to fall back on. Far Cry 3 also takes notes from fellow Ubisoft title Assassin’s Creed with a bunch of stealth kills and multi-takedowns that would make an assassin blush. Killing quickly and with creativity is awarded in this game but also gets super interesting when you can do things like eliminate an entire pirate camp without ever making a single noise. While a majority of combat was with human enemies, there is always the threat of the wildlife on the island. Once, running along the shore of a river or wading through the shallows is an easy way to get snatched up by an alligator and instantly be thrown in a fight for survival. Oceans are even more dangerous with opportunistic sharks always looking to get a jump on you. To survive on the Rook Islands, you have to always be watching your back or you will find a bullet in it or a bite taken out of it.

I hate to say this at risk of sounding overly cliche but Far Cry 3 is something special indeed. At the time of this review, it has only been out for a few weeks at most and is already in the same echelon as games like Skyrim, Fallout 3 and Red Dead Redemption. It’s not a matter of overreaction either, there is so much to do than just running side quests and advancing the main story. There are caves and treasures to be found, easter eggs scattered across the entire island and even creative and entertaining challenges that can be attempted. Hell, a few times I found myself just wandering around the island and checking out the scenery while trying to avoid the deadly animals that were waiting for me in the brush. As much as Far Cry 3 is about the insanity of the island, it’s equally about survival and adventure, I did quite a bit of both in my time with the game. I took every option I could to explore caves, abandoned ruins and even tiny islands as there were opportunities to find all sorts of collectibles everywhere.

Graphically, at least on PC, Far Cry 3 is one of the most beautiful games I’ve had the opportunity to spent some time with. Environments outside are usually lush and bright. Water reflects the sun early in the morning and breath taking vistas can be used to chart your next adventure (or plan an attack on a camp). The game is simply one piece of eye candy after another and I was constantly looking forward to visiting a new location to take in new sights and sounds. Speaking of sound, there is a wonderful level of ambiance that is superb! Nature provides a majority of the games soundtrack, while any actual background music isn’t overpowering, it does support any situation you find yourself in.

I played the Far Cry 3 on PC and although I loved the game, there were some crazy things that kept happening on my PC version. First off, there was a bug within the game that stopped me from traversing through certain doorways and small walkways by any normal means. In fact, in order to get into the initial weapon and gear shop, I couldn’t walk through the front door. I had to turn around, crouch and hop to actually squeeze through the doorway. On a few radio towers, there were a few areas that actually required me to jump and hop over invisible obstacles to get to a certain point. Now, in complete fairness, I am sure these issues will be absolutely fixed and I actually expected some bugs after playing enough of the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series. Two other issues I encountered were an occasional issue when aiming that caused me to spin after trigger was pulled and an issue that stopped me from ever changing the volume from over 15%. Both of these issues were actually patched literally as I write this review, but both are equally worth noting.

Interestingly, Far Cry 3 doesn’t stop with just a superb single player experience either. There is a sizable multiplayer experience to be had outside of trying to escape the island. The more exciting element of this is the amazing co-op campaign, while not as well written as the single player, co-op has enough story and killing that I found myself hopping online often to get some time in with it. I do have to say that the gameplay in the co-op feels a little like Left 4 Dead with a tiny splash of Uncharted 3 co-op. both of which are awesome so that is obviously a good thing! The multiplayer mode itself was a bit more like a traditional multiplayer shooter and I found the similarities to other popular shooters to be rather uncanny. In other words, if you plan on jumping into the multiplayer solution, expect for the common 12 year old to be bragging about his sexcapades with your mom. The good thing here is that the mode itself isn’t bad and does nothing to take away from the game. To be fair, it was a welcome escape after spending a considerable amount of time in both co-op and single player campaigns.

There is always that game that comes out every year. You know, the one that critics can’t stop talking about and fanboys fill forums and message boards to sing it’s praise? Well, Far Cry 3 is absolutely that game this year. It’s simply fucking amazing.

Graphics 100		Audio 100		Gameplay 100
Creativity 100		Execution 91		Offset 100

9.9

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Pros:

Everything! Seriously, I can’t stress this enough. This. Game. Is. Amazing.

Cons:

PC version had a few bugs, they’ve been patched.

This game was provided to us by Gamersgate.com for review purposes. While reviewing this game, we also took their service for a spin as well. It was an awesomely pleasurable experience overall!

Gaming Irresponsibly’s 2012 Second Annual GIR Award Nominees

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Dec 102012

It’s the end of the year, that means it is time for our annual game of the year awards (tentatively the GIR Awards). Each game you see below was nominated by a member of the Gaming Irresponsibly team and will be considered for honors in their corresponding categories. You may notice that the Reader’s Choice vote isn’t on this list, nor is the actual Game of The Year nominees. Well, they’ll both be released this week, we wanted to do something really cool for them though. Plus, I have to finish Far Cry 3… Ubisoft Pls.

When we announce the winners, we are also going to get the staff’s thoughts on each nominee. I promise that it will be something worth seeing!

Nominees for best RPG/Strategy Game of the year:

Nominees for Horror/Survival Horror of the year:

Walking Dead
ZombiU
Slender: The Eight Pages
Alan Wake’s American Nightmare
Lone Survivor

Nominees for Sports game of the Year:

MLB 12: The Show
Madden 13
NBA 2K13
Forza Horizon
WWE ’13
Dance Central 3

Nominees for Best Downloadable Game of the Year:

Hotline Miami
Counter Strike: Global Offensive
Papo & Yo
The Walking Dead
Spelunky
Dust: An Elysian Tail
Botanicula

Nominees for Best Fighting Game of the Year:

Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend
Persona 4 Arena
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Soul Calibur V
Skullgirls

Nominees for Best Shooter of the Year:

Syndicate
Tribes: Ascend
Borderlands 2
Far Cry 3
Binary Domain
Halo 4

Nominees for Best Action/Adventure Game of the Year:

Assassin’s Creed 3
Transformers : Fall of Cybertron
Far Cry 3
Borderlands 2
Hotline Miami
Dishonored

Nominees for Best Indie Game of the Year:

Hotline Miami
Fly’N
Resonance
Spelunky
Natural Selection 2
Cortex Command

Nominees for Best Online Game of the Year:

Hawken
Planetside 2
League of Legends: Season 2
Guild Wars 2
World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria
DOTA 2
World of Tanks
Mechwarrior Online
Hybrid
Awesomenauts

Nominees for Best 3DS Game of the Year:

Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance
Paper Mario Sticker Star
Kid Icarus: Uprising
New Super Mario Brothers 2
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D

Nominees for Best Wii-U Game:

ZombiU
NintendoLand
Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition
Batman: Arkham City – Armored Edition
New Super Mario Bros. U
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

Nominees for Best PS3 Game:

Hitman: Absolution
MLB 12: The Show
PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
Velocity (yes, the mini game)
Papo & Yo
Journey

Nominees for Best PS VITA Game:

Gravity Rush
Persona 4 Golden
Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale
Assassin’s Creed Liberation
Ragnarok Odyssey
Blazblue: Continuum Shift Extend

Nominees for Best Xbox 360 Game:

Nominees for Best PC Game:

Hotline Miami
Cook, Serve, Delicious
Tribes: Ascend
Fly’N
Edna and Harvey: Harvey’s New Eyes
Hawken
FTL: Faster Than Light

Review – World of Tanks (PC)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Dec 062012

One of the things we all love about action/adventure and FPS games are the opportunities to jump into a large combat vehicle and bring havoc and destruction upon your enemies. Think about the joy you have when picking up the Scorpion tank in Halo or grabbing one of the many tanks and Battlefield 3, the feeling of power and control is unmistakable. WarGaming.net set us up with a press account to take their newest 8.1 patch live for their aptly named, World of Tanks. After piloting a collection of different behemoths and blowing up enemies and buildings (while getting junked more times than I’d like), here is what we thought of this wildly popular F2P game.

I spent my first week in World of Tanks driving a little ways up the map and then getting absolutely obliterated by my opponents. In fact, even though we had the full menagerie of tanks at our disposal, fingers and toes could not count the amount that I had wrecked. It wasn’t until I ran into a player that explained to me in a little more detail the process of picking a tank and filling that tanks role, that I was able to effectively start contributing in battles. Most times, I would join a game, get blown to pieces and then have to immediately join a new game with a fresh tank. Fortunately for me, it seemed that the people I played with were more adept than I was because I won far more matches than I lost.

You see the smaller, faster tanks are meant to zip in and spot enemy units preferably without getting into too much combat themselves, I can almost compare these to support characters in MOBA games as they don’t pack a punch but serve an integral role. Medium tanks tend to supplement the light tanks and pick off opposing light tanks that are scouting the area, while also providing assistance to other units to turn the tide of a firefight. I have witnessed 2 medium tanks and a heavy tank take out an entire team. Heavy tanks are the larger tanks that are build for going toe to toe in combat with just about any other tank, they are also build to take a few solid hits. A good heavy tank seems to push the line while the smaller, faster tanks flank enemies and provide distractions so the heavy tanks can finish the job. The tank destroyers are massive tanks that have huge guns that can hit from crazy ranges. While this is quite fun, their speed and maneuverability make them easily dispatched if a medium tank catches them unaware. Finally, there is the artillery which is more or less the annoying little cousin of the rest of the tanks. These little buggers can cause chaos from almost anywhere yet a glass cannons that can be destroyed with one or two well placed hits. While playing, I spent most time using medium tanks, as the had they control to not get obliterated while actually contributing to a battle.

While there are several different game modes in World of Tanks, but even with these game modes, it was rare that I actually saw an objective completed in the manner it was meant to. Whether it is a capture the flag, territory or king of the hill mode, all the games can be ended by eliminating the opposing force, which I guess seems easier. While most games ended in a decisive victory by routing your enemies, it was apparent that light tanks also seemed to excel at attempting to capture important objectives as well. I couldn’t help but feel like objectives were an afterthought, although the team would more split into extermination and objective groups at the start of things.

The F2P model behind world of tanks isn’t as revolutionary as it is tried and tested, You can earn in-game currency by completing matches or by buying gold to purchase new tanks, repair destroyed ones or to upgrade equipment. Something I found mildly interesting was the the fact that purchased currency could be converted into in-game currency for specific purchases. This is the first time I’ve seen this in a F2P title.

With a massive collection of many different real-life tanks from a handful of different militarily from around the world, there is always a new tank to take out for a spin. Maps are expansive and feature destructible environments, such as houses that crumble after taking a hit or so and walls that you can drive right over. On a high end machine, the graphics were pretty good and there seems to be a decent enough community to actively have a great time. I do need to clarify that I really am not a tank combat type of person. With that being said, I enjoyed the time I spent in World of Tanks and thought that being able to join multiple battles was an interesting feature. I would highly recommend this game to anyone who enjoys tank combat and wants to find themselves in the thick of it. With the 8.1 patch active, there are over 20 new British tanks and even more ways to customize your fleet. Meaning there are many different ways to find exactly what you want to enjoy in this game.

Graphics 70		Audio 80		Gameplay 70
Creativity 80		Execution 75		Offset 70

7.4

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Pros:

If you like tank combat and have a computer, you’d be crazy not to be playing this
F2P model isn’t pay-to-win
Awesome support and cool community

Cons:

You are going to junk a bunch of tanks before getting the hang of things
Kinda wish that objectives were a higher priority

Wii U: The Gaming Irresponsibly Review

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Nov 282012

Okay, it’s been over a week and we have been putting in some significant quality time with our Wii U game consoles. With that being said, I’d like to address a few things and also detail the pros and cons of this new system.

Common Misconceptions

Holy hell! This is the actual console!

First off, the curse of E3 2011 is still leaning heavily on this system. It seems that a ton of people I have met don’t understand that the Wii U is a brand new console, not a new controller. It’s not a new fancy portable system either, the GamePad has roughly the same range as an Xbox 360 controller. The system doesn’t play bluray discs, dvds, Gamecube games or anything other than the Wii U and Wii discs. I feel that I have to clarify this as 4 out of 5 times I describe the Wii U to someone in person, their initial response is “Oh, isn’t that the new Wii controller?”.

What is different?

After downloading the SIZABLE update (about 2.5 hours) that I had to complete before playing any games on the system, I was greeted by Nintendo’s brand new social community. While not exactly Xbox Live but way more than the Playstation Network, it’s easiest to describe the Nintendo Network as a massive visual forum that automatically creates a new community for every single title and app available for the console. Users can discuss games, get advice, post pictures or just chat with each other. I expect that this will evolve and grow as time passes, since every other online service has made significant growth since their inceptions. While this is an improvement to the horrible system used by the Wii, it still has a little bit of a learning curve to get the most out of it. I don’t love the Nintendo Network, yet I certainly do not hate it.

Once I actually jumped into a game (holy crap, MORE UPDATES?!), I got to catch my first glimpse of HD gaming, Nintendo style. This was awesomely beautiful and while up to current par with both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, there was something worthg pointing out. On launch day, this system is up to par with the best offerings of the current generation, that means we can only expect progress from here! I experienced the entire launch day catalog and with the exception of a pair of games, was actually solidly impressed with what I saw. If you want a solid feel for some nice HD graphics, play Rayman Legends and Trine 2. If you want to get creative with the GamePad, play ZombiU or NintendoLand. Either way, there is a little something for everyone on launch day and an impressive library of AAA games to boot.

One thing to point out is that the Wii U GamePad doesn’t have a significant battery life, only lasting about 3.5 hours. This can be frustrating in certain games that can lead to extended periods of play. The charging cable is quite long, which helps alleviate some of this inconvenience but with as much movement that the GamePad requires, my patience wore thin pretty quick.

On the topic of the GamePad, it is a higly innovative controller, some of it’s uses are really unique and creative but a few others are quite lackluster. Understandably, I feel that most of the launch day titles really wanted to create a focus and awareness on the GamePad itself, rather than the ability and power of the new console. My concern with this is that a reliance on the GamePad’s touch screen seems to cheapen the overall experience. I am willing to give the mindset an early honeymoon-period pass, as devs likely wanted to play to the console’s strengths. I am pretty sure that most people will enjoy the ability to watch movies and play games from the GamePad, yet I find it a grand waste when I spend a majority of my time looking down at an 854×480 display, rather than my large HDTV that showcases the beauty of the new system.

Software

I’ve touched quite a bit on the launch day software, I don’t want to hold the system responsible either way for the quality or lack there of so we will be covering the Wii U titles on their own merit. With that being said, the launch titles feature something for everyone and NintendoLand, ZombiU, Scribblenauts Unlimited and Sonic & All‑stars Racing Transformed are all great starter games for the system. If you haven’t been able to get your hands on them previously; Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition, Mass Effect 3, Assassin’s Creed 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 are all worth getting checking out but get yourself a GamePad Pro asap, trust me!

After Spending A Week With the Wii U

Wii U Graphics…

Are we all caught up? Hopefully! After a week of playing with the console for a week, here are my thoughts:

I welcome the change of pace that the Nintendo Network offers. However, I don’t feel like it really brings much to the table for a core gamer.
One of the weakest Wii U titles is absolutely New Super Mario Brothers U. If you are considering a Wii U, you may want to reconsider making this a day 1 pickup.
The Wii U absolutely has what it takes to appeal to the core gamer. Games look great, play great and don’t require stupid amounts of work to play online with friends.
The Wii U GamePad… It’s a cool gimmick; it works well with a majority of games, I’d like to see it used less as a crutch and more as a way to enhance gameplay. As of right now, it’s the same gimmick that the Nunchuck and Wii-mote were.
The limited battery on the Wii U GamePad is a bummer, it gives me an opportunity to do other things after a few hours of playing. That isn’t actually a good thing.
The Wii U has one of the largest launch day line-ups available. Oddly, it’s the 3rd party games that shine. NintendoLand is absolutely the exception to this.
I really liked using my Wii U for Netflix and Hulu. The ability to watch a show on my GamePad while my family watches something on the Xbox 360 was pretty cool. In fact, the ability to control my TV with the GamePad is pretty awesome, but not a selling point.
By no means does the Wii U reinvent the wheel, it doesn’t even revolutionize it. My biggest concern is that the Wii U catches a case of the 3DS and takes about a year to get going. We need a flagship title (Smash Bros, Metroid, Castlevania, Zelda etc) as soon as possible. Luigi’s Mansion 2 could be that game, as could Lego City Undercover or Pikmin 3…
The gaming experience is equal to Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. Since those systems are pushing their limits right now, it’s going to be exciting to see what the Wii U does from here.
I hate the fact that the sensor bar is still an integral part of playing with a group of people. There was no other way around this?
UPDATES, UPDATES, UPDATES!!! It takes about 5-45 minutes for the Wii U to download updates for every single game the first time I played it!

So, here is the tl;dr – I think the Wii U is a good system at launch, but not great. It doesn’t do anything “better” than the its major competition, although it really doesn’t have to at this point.

Review – Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (Xbox 360)

Posted by Josh Knowles No Responses »

Nov 222012

“Another year, another Call of Duty title…”, that is is what the internet’s reaction is to the release of Black Ops 2. With that being said, let’s be objective here, something has to be pulling people into the same familiar franchise year after year. If you haven’t been following the news, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is the biggest entertainment launch of all time, those are facts and numbers. There is a question that should be asked and that is “Is this game something I should be picking up?” and hopefully, that is why you are here, reading this.

I never played the campaign for Black Ops, I was too busy playing Halo or Battlefield: Bad Company 2, so I was very worried about if I would be able to keep up with the campaign storyline. Although the story is told like a Tarantino flick, it backtracked enough to tell me what was going on and who everyone was. The narrative is extremely competent and used efficiently to make sure that the player is on the same page. More or less, David Mason, the son of Black Ops’ Alex Mason , is in a whole shitstorm due to some interactions his dad and Frank Woods had with a man named Raul Menendez. When playing as David, there are tons of cool guns, gadgets and tech that can be used to accomplish your missions, I felt like James Bond during the 2025 storyline. The other part of the game has you playing again as Alex Mason and while the weapons are old, the story of why Raul Menendez wants you and the free world destroyed is cleverly made painfully clear.

Raul Menendez ends up being a diabolical villain. His goal is to force the protagonists’ hands to end his life.

I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t expect a Call od Duty storyline to wow me, it had been something that single player enthusiasts have been able to enjoy for quite some time. With that being said, Treyarch did throw a few curveballs to get you off their well documented trail of plot twists. While there are moments within the campaign that are quite graphic or surprising, there isn’t really a “shocking” moment, which is actually nice for once. The storyline is influenced by decisions you make in the game and are not as absolutely clear as a fork in the road, these branches are mostly taken without even thinking. Rush through a facility without searching for intel, miss an opportunity to change the future. Don’t avoid a hazard while driving, horribly disfigure your partner. It’s the subtle things that really make this single player campaign stand out and thankfully, the campaign remains a 1 player affair.

Along with the typical run and gun levels that the world has become accustomed to, Black Ops 2 also features an intriguing side mission system called Strike Force. Stirke Force plays out partially like a RTS and also as a FPS, meaning you can position your force to achieve your goals or jump in and command them directly, like you have already been doing within the game. These missions break up the monotony that you’ll feel after grinding out a few missions and really offer a nice change of pace. Two things to note though, these missions are actually pretty difficult and are mandatory if you expect to receive the best overall ending in the game. Oh, I didn’t tell you? The game has at least five different ending you can get based off the choices you make, meaning this is likely the most robust Call of Duty campaign ever.

More than likely, if you really truly have interest in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, you probably came here to hear a bit about Multiplayer. I spent some quality time in these modes and have a bit to report on. First off, in the the standard multiplayer mode, I liked the improvements that were made to the Skillstreak system. It felt like I had less Rambos on my teams and more people that seemed interested in actually helping us win. That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t the odd 12 year old kid telling me how big his dick was while ridiculing my usage of the ability to shoot things while aiming with my gun, but with the new silence user option, he can talk his crap to dead air. Yes, Treyarch did go out of their way to try to improve quite a few toxic elements of their ultra-popular multiplayer and while not perfect, I think they made leaps and bounds in the right direction.

So, the traditional Multiplayer mode? All your favorites are back for more fun with a mix of objective games, deathmatch games and even league play, which is more of a competitive mode akin to League of Legends’ ranked system. They opportunity to build loadouts returns, having you buy ‘items’ for your loadout that can be anything from a gun or a grenade to a perk or a weapon add-on. When building a loadout, I found myself pondering what gear would be the best for certain situations and after finding the right gear, making a set of immediate ‘go-to’ loadouts. More or less, this is a further refined version of the same multiplayer you have been playing for the last couple of years, with even more unlockables. The wheel wasn’t reinvented here, just filled up with air and rebalanced.

Then we have zombies… Honestly, I couldn’t really get into the zombie killing rampage that is Call of Duty: Zombies. I got to play a little of Black Ops’ zombie mode and while minimal, there seemed to be a little bit more of a coherent story to go along with things. In the new zombie mode you will start in your respective starting zones and attempt to survive through wave after wave of undead onslaught. Now, I am well aware of the slight objectives in Tranzit, they just require some crazily silly stuff to be completed. Add that in with the simple issue that half of my teammates never realized that they have to get back on the bus and you have a recipe for about 6 or 7 rounds before game over. The other levels consist of mundane survival or team survival modes, after it was all said and done I found myself going back to ranked where I felt like I was actually being able to accomplish something.

Oddly, I saved the presentation of the game as the last thing to talk about. That is because this game’s presentation is about as hit and miss as a novice no-scoper. That is to say, I don’t really know what to think. Early on in the game, the visuals are very underwhelming. Characters look like they are plastic, tall grass is nothing more that paper-like cutouts and everything else just seems a tad recycled. However later in the game there are moments of brilliance, places where I was on the edge of my seat on presentation alone, somehow along the line, they decided they wanted to make the game look and play slightly better. The game also features a soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Jack Wall and holy hell, it is seriously great. Long story short, the graphical presentation is on par with Modern Warfare 3, if not worse in some parts, while the audio aspect of the game is dead on and just what the doctor ordered.

While it may be cool to hate on the Call of Duty franchise, it’s pretty hard to say that they are actually making a bad game. I would say that it is a pretty good game with a lot of great ideas that I hope to see in next year’s installment. If you are looking for a good FPS and Halo isn’t your cup of tea, check this one out. The variety of guns and superb soundtrack made the experience well worth it while the branching storylines really gave me something to actually revisit a single campaign for. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, you ain’t bad at all.

Graphics 65		Audio 90		Gameplay 80
Creativity 80		Execution 75		Offset 80

7.8

How do these ratings work? Click here for descriptions!

Pros:

Awesome new weapons and tech
Improved multiplayer
The campaign is pretty freaking cool
Trent Reznor and Wall’s soundtrack

Cons:

Graphically underwhelming
Zombie mode just doesn’t live up to the hype
While the campaign story was great, it jumped around quite a bit. It could have been better just going from past to present.
Multiplayer Strike Force missions would have been worth an awesome addition.

Activision sent us a copy of Black Ops 2 – Hardened Edition to review for the Xbox 360

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