tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20341777658576552962024-03-05T16:17:27.131-08:00An Evil Gamerevilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-4725881475125885072015-10-21T04:12:00.003-07:002015-10-21T04:12:27.926-07:00Review - Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection | Rediscovering the Uncharted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Remastered games have been popping out like hamsters this year - joining the fray are Naughty Dog’s original Uncharted trilogy, which have been graphically enhanced with high definition textures, improved lighting, 1080p support, running at 60fps, and no less of Drake’s loveable personality. Nathan Drake, the game’s protagonist… not the uninspired monotonous rapper.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Remastered by SCE Bend Studio, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection for the PlayStation 4 contains all three games generously packed into a single blu-ray disc package (over 40GB if you’re planning to get the digital release instead). With the fourth sequel currently in development for next year, will this trilogy remaster keep us hyped up for it?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>Drake’s Chronicles</b><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
A quick refresher for existing fans, and an introduction to newcomers; the Uncharted trilogy follows the action and adventures of Nathan (Nate) Drake - the descendant of Sir Francis Drake, the famous British explorer from the 16th century. Nate has always been viewed as a modern representation of Indiana Jones; complete with a smart aleck personality, and a wonderful cast of characters. His journey takes him around the globe ranging from South East Asia to Europe; seeking clues and links to forgotten treasures, and even lost cities. Aside from well presented stories, the whole trilogy itself is nicely coated with various gameplay elements such as combat, platforming, and puzzle solving. As a person who followed the series since the beginning, it was a pleasant experience to see the franchise improve after each instalment, and this can still be observed in the remaster.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>A Restored Artefact<br />
</b><span style="font-size: x-small;">The graphical enhancements in Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is not entirely phenomenal such as the excellent Homeworld: Remastered, but they’re still pretty to look at in glorious high definition. Aside from the cosmetic upgrade, the key elements of these games were mostly left untouched - except for a notable few. To fit nicely in a single disc, extra content such as the behind-the-scene videos, as well as Uncharted 2 and 3’s multiplayer modules were omitted entirely. That said, all three games played out as they originally did, but with some welcoming tweaks to gameplay. For the record, the annoying motion controlled grenade mechanic from Uncharted 1 was removed, and thank god for that. It’s also interesting to note that cut-scenes presented in the trilogy are now rendered in real-time unlike the original’s pre-rendered FMVs.</span></span></div>
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<b>New Discoveries</b><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Unfortunately, there are no major additional contents in this remastered release. Live streamers and speedrunners will be delighted to know that the Collection has included a Speedrun mode to record their best times from start to finish for each game. Other minor additions include new difficulty settings, unified controller layout across all three games (based on Uncharted 3), the inclusion of Photo Mode, and new trophies for dedicated achievement hunters who probably have too much free time on their hands.</span></span></div>
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<b>Charted Territory</b><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Playing the Uncharted trilogy again has reminded me of the things that I love about the series, and the improvements included in this remaster adds up to it even more. Granted that most of the things it has to offer are all too familiar, but rediscovering the excellent character developments, and reliving key moments such as Uncharted 2’s explosive prologue, strengthens my appreciation for Naughty Dog’s franchise. If you’re new to the series, then picking up Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is the best choice to kick it off. Although excluding the original bonus contents was unfortunate, SCE Bend Studios did a great job with the remaster and port to the PS4 regardless. Also, I can’t help but wonder: where’s the HD remaster for PS Vita’s Uncharted: Golden Abyss? Well, scratch that. Now we wait for Uncharted 4.</span></span></div>
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evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-12160477794417024382015-10-13T04:04:00.002-07:002015-10-13T04:22:49.568-07:00Review - Transformers Devastation | COME GET SOME, DECEPTI-CREEP!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Remember when we were kids, we picked up our Transformers toys, and made them battle out in the most coolest ways possible? Like making Optimus ram Decepticons in his truck mode, proceeded to uppercut Megatron straight to his chin, and then pummel him with a flurry of punches and kicks?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">No? It’s probably me then.. BUT ANYWAY..</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Transformers Devastation is pretty much all that, and then some. The game is developed by Platinum Games (known for their hit titles such as Bayonetta, Vanquish and Metal Gear Rising), and is an unexpected gem for 2015. Most would agree that little expectation were given to the title, but all of that changed when it was actually played.</span></span></div>
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<b>Nostalgia Galore</b><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
Something big’s happening and Decepticon leader, Megatron, has a grand plan of terraforming Earth into a bio-mechanical planet for producing Energon - the Transformer race’s source of.. well.. energy. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are determined to stop the Decepticons’ plan from happening.</span></span></div>
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Sure.. the good-versus-evil plot isn’t award winning in any way, but for an old-school fan like me, playing through the game’s story felt like watching an all-new Generation 1 Transformers episode rendered in beautiful cell-shaded graphics. Heck, I didn’t even mind the campy dialogue and voice acting, because they totally nailed the feel of the original TV series. Speaking of voice acting, most of the original cast return to reprise their Transformers roles for the game. Kudos to Scott Whyte for nailing Starscream’s voice in the likeliness of the late Chris Latta.</span></span></div>
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<b>Heavy Metal Fight</b><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">
The various ways of combat in Devastation is what makes the game so enjoyable. For instance, you’re able to string together light and heavy attacks into hard hitting combos, and then finishing it off with a vehicle mode attack. Thanks to Platinum Games’ history of excellent combat mechanics, expect a variety of chained and stylish combos as you pummel Decepticons into scrap metal. Don’t expect it to be easy; in most cases, Decepticons will fight in teams, and have attacks that ignore the damage dealt towards them, but fret not - these attacks can be dodged with precise timing. Dodging successfully grants you a brief slow-mo moment to execute your comeback. </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Some enemies require certain tactics during confrontation: Snipers and flying enemies are dealt with ranged weapons, while the latter can be finished off with melee combos once fallen to the ground.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Boss fights also add tons of variety in combat tactics. Devastator is hard hitting but slow, so utilise the dodges. Our first encounter with Megatron saw him defending himself with a kinetic shield, and the only way to break his defence is by performing a Rush Attack. This is done by transforming into vehicle mode, rushing him at maximum speed, and then delivering a furious uppercut, which sends him flying - vulnerable to your generous combos that you have in store.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0px;">If that didn't convince you to pick up the damn game and play it, I don't know what will.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Hell, watch me </span>geek the hell out in my playthrough of the game:</span></div>
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<b>Roll out!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Devastation has an incredible cast of characters, with five playable Autobots: Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Wheeljack and Grimlock - each with their own unique move sets and campy dialogue. Another neat feature is the ability to customise your Autobot’s weapons by collecting parts during missions to upgrade or replace existing ones. The main game itself is considerately short, but optional challenge missions are available and separate from story mode for your enjoyment, and if you want to spend more time with it.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; letter-spacing: 0px;">It has the touch<br />
</b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; letter-spacing: 0px;">Unfortunately, Stan Bush’s memorable song, “The Touch”, from Transformers: The Movie is not featured, but that doesn’t stop Devastation from being one of the best Transformers game ever made. My only complaints were some camera issues, the lack of a Decepticon campaign, the small roster of playable Autobots, and no co-op play. <b>This game screams out the need for co-op play!</b> But oh well.. maybe in the sequel, which I’m crossing my circuits to hopefully see another one by Platinum Games. Transformers Devastation is definitely a great game developed with the love of the original TV series close at heart.</span></div>
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evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-65868308914133059582015-10-08T02:13:00.003-07:002015-10-08T03:32:15.271-07:00Review - Persona 4: Dancing All Night | Step Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Persona 4: Dancing All Night feels like a reunion.. well, not like those awkward high school reunions that you’ll eventually turn down. The game gives out a nostalgic vibe of familiar friendship and silliness from your time spent in the original Persona 4. Developed by Atlus and the team behind Hatsune Miku: Project Diva for the PS Vita, we return to the P4 universe once again in an unexpected way: A rhythm game. Who would’ve thought, eh?</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Catching Up</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Dancing All Night is set after Persona 4’s fighting game spinoff; P4 Arena and its sequel, P4 Arena Ultimax. Rise Kujikawa - teen idol and fellow team member - returns to showbiz after a long absence and has asked the P4 team to assist her as backup dancers for the “Love Meets Bonds” (LMB) event. Meanwhile, a rumour of people disappearing after viewing LMB’s website at midnight caught the team’s attention, and unfortunately enough, members of a collaborating idol group recently went missing. Well, you know what that means! We’re bringing the band back!<br />
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Following the steps mentioned in the rumour, the team was then transported into a closed dimension called “The Midnight Stage”, which is eerily similar to the TV World in Persona 4. Shadows return as well; not as adversaries, but.. audiences? Long story short: a whole lot of dancing is involved to defeat the Shadows and whatever else is kidnapping people into this bizarre world. You may be baffled by the plot, but hey.. it works in a Persona kind of way.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Bust-a-move</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Controls are pretty straight forward in Dancing All Night, and you may find similarities with Project Diva in most ways. Despite the game’s emphasis on the term “dance”, its all-in-all a rhythm game which requires you to accurately press corresponding buttons prompted on screen. Blue and “Fever” rings will occasionally appear on screen prompting you to flick either one of the Vita’s analog sticks. Blue rings grant bonus points, while Fever rings fills up your special gauge. These rings are totally optional, thus missing these won't give you any penalties. Once the special gauge is filled up; you’ll enter Fever Mode, where a dance partner will join you and you’ll earn extra points for a limited time. Characters will summon their Personas after each dance, but they serve nothing more than just eye candy finishers than anything else in game.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are two primary modes in Dancing All Night: Story Mode and Free Mode. Story Mode presents itself in a visual novel style format, following our heroes’ attempt to solve The Midnight Stage case, with the dance gameplay included as battle segments. Honestly, the story can be a bit draggy in the beginning, so expect a lot of story presentations before you actually get into a dance gameplay.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Free Mode allows you to play out any song with your choice of difficulty. Each song is specifically assigned to a character, but allowing you to choose whomever to be your dance partner for Fever Mode. After completing each dance track, you’ll unlock more playable songs and earn cash for purchasing costumes, accessories and items in the in-game store. Note that store items can only be equipped by your characters in Free Mode.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 11px;">Persona 4 is also widely known for its catchy soundtrack, and Dancing All Night is no short of these. Original songs from P4 and its spinoffs return, along with some original tracks and remixes made specially for the game. The remixes are kind of a mixed bag; some songs are memorable with added beats and funkier tunes, while some others are quite bland. That said, the collection is still good enough to warrant me to acquire the soundtrack regardless. I might actually dance to them myself.. if nobody’s watching.. </span></span></div>
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<b>All Night Long<br />
</b><span style="font-size: 11px;">Its without a doubt that</span><b style="font-size: 11px;"> </b><span style="font-size: 11px;">Dancing All Night is catered for fans and especially for those who loved Persona 4, yet it still packs a load of fun for being a rhythm game. The story is considerately good in Persona standards, with its great cast of characters and dialogue. Even after completing the story, you’ll find yourself returning to the game by jumping into Free Mode to replay your favourite songs and to unlock items for your characters. For those itching for more; extra songs, costumes and characters (Marie, yay!) are available as free or premium DLCs in the PlayStation Store. As a fan myself, Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a worthwhile addition to my PS Vita library.</span></span></div>
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evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-61009511924926739582015-10-02T02:44:00.000-07:002015-10-08T03:33:02.757-07:00Review - Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain | A Game By Hideo Kojima<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;">Firstly, I would like to thank radkliler for the additional input and screenshots for this review. Cheers, mate.<br />
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M</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.3px;">etal Gear Solid has come a long way since it first saw the light of day in 1998. The original title was an ambitious game with blocky polygons and muddy textures, but jam packed with great voice work, excellent gameplay, tremendous story and over-the-top cinematic action extravaganza. All these crammed into a two-disc PlayStation video game. Metal Gear Solid has indeed redefined video gaming into what it is today.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The mastermind behind this vision of video game evolution is none other than Hideo Kojima – game designer, screenwriter, director, producer, and potential Bond villain. Not only has he revolutionised cinematic presentation into video gaming, he also introduced clever game mechanics that may seem outlandish to traditional gamers, but still made sense in every way possible. Examples: A mind reading boss character who can predict your every move? Plug your controller into the Player 2 slot instead. Lazy to backtrack to a far off section of a map? Hide in a box and hitch a ride on a transport truck that goes there. A century old sniper out-gunning you? Save your game, wait a week later and he’ll die of old age. No, really…</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">It’s this level of gameplay design that encourages player ingenuity made the Metal Gear Solid series its own game. A Hideo Kojima game. A lot of developers have tried to imitate Kojima’s creativeness in design, but few have surpassed his cunning. Sorry, Peter Molyneux. So if you’re ever playing a Metal Gear game that lacked Kojima’s design essence, you’re probably playing the one that was outsourced to Platinum Games.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Years and sequels later, we now have Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Sadly, it’s also the final Metal Gear Solid game by Kojima. Is it worthy to be his last and greatest hurrah in the franchise?</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.1px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last year’s Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, felt like an over-glorified demo with bite-sized content and story, which left much to be desired. Released more than a year later, The Phantom Pain fulfilled its promise by being a more polished and larger game compared to its predecessor. Players get to explore the open-world of Afghanistan and Central Africa with enormous map sizes. The Mother Base management segment from Peace Walker returns with refined mechanics that’ll keep players busy even when they’re on the field. Another welcomed return from Peace Walker is the Fulton system, which allows you to rescue prisoners, steal resources and kidnap soldiers while conducting operations. Players can now customise their load-out, choice of vehicle and time of departure before starting a mission. A buddy system is introduced, which allows you to bring along a sidekick of your choice. The wait for The Phantom Pain was long, and we’re glad to say it was worth the wait.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>V for Vendetta</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">The Phantom Pain takes off after the events of Ground Zeroes, which saw the obliteration of the Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF), Big Boss’ now-former private military. Awoken from a coma nine years later and missing his left hand, Boss now shoulders the title of “Punished Snake” due to his crippled state and for his failure to save the MSF. He later survived an assassination attempt by XOF, the rival military group led by Skullface, who were responsible for the attack on the MSF. Rescued by Ocelot, Snake was then outfitted with a bionic hand and the duo travelled to </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;">Afghanistan to reunite with former MSF comrade, Kazuhira Miller. Together, with a new base of operations, they regrouped the remaining MSF members and formed the Diamond Dogs military company. With Snake at its helm, Diamond Dogs continuously grew in strength with hopes of delivering vengeance upon XOF and Skullface.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Gameplay in The Phantom Pain is a massive departure from the other Metal Gear games due to the fact that the game is now an open world sandbox of sorts. A mission gives you objectives that you need to complete. How you achieve those objectives is entirely up to you. Do you want to be a pacifist and knock out or tranquillise every enemy you see? Go ahead! Do you want to emulate John Rambo’s finest moments? Do it! Do you want to bring a tank into a gunfight? If you have a tank, sure thing! Apart from getting a lower rank at the end of the mission, the game really doesn’t restrict you in terms of how you want to get it done, so long as it is done. Choosing to be a pacifist does comes with it benefits, since knocking </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;">an enemy soldier out allows you to extract them to Mother Base and add him to your list of guns-for-hire, via the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system. These additions to your crew benefit you by way of giving you access to higher tier research options, or increasing the efficiency of your combat support.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">As stealth is a major part of the game, you would expect the game to be unforgiving in the stealth department. Surprisingly, this isn’t the case as the moment you are about to get spotted, the game goes into Reflex Mode. Reflex Mode is basically Bullet Time, which allows you to neutralise the person that spotted you before he alerts his teammates about your presence. Failing to do so will result in the traditional Metal Gear warning and a hail of gunfire, mortars and other armaments bearing down on you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">When you’re not out doing story missions, you’re able to mess around in the operating area of your choice. You can complete Side Ops, run between outposts trying to find new recruits for Mother Base, or just go around killing everyone. Travelling between places on the map may seem daunting at first thanks to the scale of the operation area, but once you learn a few tricks, navigating the world becomes much easier. Hint: it has something to do with the cardboard box.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.1px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">For the first time in a Metal Gear Solid series, Snake is able to bring a sidekick along via the “Buddy System”. These companions have distinct abilities, which he can use in his operations. And the more they missions they participate in, the bond between Snake and his buddy will grow stronger. Stronger bonds allows him to give additional commands to his buddy, and eventually customise their look and load-out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Your first companion, D-Horse is... well, a horse that could transport you around the map, and is a stealthier alternative from using a noisy vehicle. While on the move, Snake could even hide by repositioning himself to D-Horse’s side to avoid the enemy’s line of sight. Finally, D-Horse has the ability to relieve itself at Snake’s command. Well, this may sound like a load of horse crap (ba dum tish!) but it actually has its usefulness. Wait, hear me out! When placed on roads, these biological land mines could cause a moving enemy vehicle to lose control and crash. Having a tough time interrogating information from an enemy soldier? See if he’s all that with D-Horse answering nature’s call in his face. Oh sh-!</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">D-Dog (DD) is a personal favourite. Originally a stray one-eyed puppy found on the battlefield. After being rescued by Snake, DD grew up to be a loyal and deadly companion to have on missions. He could mark enemies and medicinal plants within his range of smell, distract guards by barking, and even knock out or kill an enemy soldier on command. Remember to pat him on the head for a job well done.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">D-Walker, as the name implies, is Snake’s Walker Gear. It’s fully customisable with your choice of primary and secondary weapons, armour type, head functions and so on. It’s drivable, thus allowing Snake to cover more ground in either Walking Mode or Drive Mode. In comparison, D-Walker can mount weapons and could take more hits than D-Horse, but is way less stealthy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Finally, we have Quiet, the mute sniper that caught everyone’s attention during her first reveal in promotional materials for The Phantom Pain. Yes, her appearance is highly questionable, but not without a reason. Just don’t hold your breath for anything ground breaking or dramatic. Moving on, Quiet acts as Snake’s spotter and sniper cover. Command her to scout an enemy base, she’ll mark soldiers, prisoners and critical targets. If you’re merciless, you could ask her to clear out an entire outpost on her own. While providing sniper cover, she’ll immediately react (shoot) if you trigger the Reflex Mode when spotted by an enemy. It’s not ideal for the pacifist approach, but you could equip her with a non-lethal sniper rifle later on.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Besides the main stealth gameplay, The Phantom Pain also comes with some micromanagement tasks in the form of Mother Base. As mentioned earlier, you are able to recruit soldiers on the field to add to your PMF. The base management side of things allows you to shift recruits around to maximise base efficiency, quarantine them, or fire them if they prove to be troublemakers. Once you cross a certain threshold in the game, you’re allowed to send the troops you recruited into the field to conduct their own operations. Achieving success in those operations rewards you with materials and cash that you can spend on upgrades or deployment costs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">While the base management section of the game is really engrossing once you get into it, navigating the menus for it can be difficult as there are so many options that are given to you, making it feel very cluttered at times. If you manage to stick through the initial learning curve though, you’ll soon be able to trim the fat from your army and make it into a lean, mean, no-nonsense fighting force.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>..Are Belong to Us</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">After a certain point in the main story missions, you will unlock the Forward Operating Base (FOB). These bases are, simply put, a second Mother Base, allowing you to expand your staff and in effect, enables you to research higher tier weaponry from the menu. You can construct multiple FOBs, but to do so, you must spend special currency that can only be gotten via real world money. To be fair, a single FOB is usually enough to unlock almost everything the game has to offer, but the option to get more is there if you want to.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The FOBs are also the centre of The Phantom Pain’s pseudo-multiplayer mode. Once you’ve unlocked the FOBs, other players can choose to assault your FOB in hopes of stealing your resources and staff. If you’re online during the invasion, you will be sent an emergency mission to defend your base. If you’re not, the game would inform you of the invasion and gives you a mission where you assault the culprit’s own FOB in order to gain back what you’ve lost. If you’ve failed to take action within one week after the invasion, your resources and crew are forfeited to the invader.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">In theory, this mechanic is very interesting as you can interfere with another person’s progress through the game. In practice though, this gets incredibly annoying, particularly if you have numerous high level staff and are stockpiling resources on your FOB. There is no way to opt out of this experience the instant you get pass the FOB tutorials, and the game forces you to clear those tutorials before you’re allowed to continue on. If you want to bypass this part of the game, your only choice is to not connect the game to the internet once you built your first FOB. With that, you’re able to gain the benefits of an FOB without it constantly being invaded by other players.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Played Like A Damn Fiddle</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A gentle reminder that we are at the mercy of Hideo Kojima when playing The Phantom Pain. We won’t spoil the story, but you can expect his infamous takes on the twists and turns in storytelling. The Phantom Pain has a strong build-up with revelations that will knock most fans off guard, but we wouldn’t say its flawless. Some story elements are predictable and will lose steam after hitting the second half of the game, but despite its setbacks, The Phantom Pain is not without its strong story moments that will keep fans on the edge of their seat.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.6px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">While the first half of The Phantom Pain is pretty great, the missions in the second half of the game were not so good. It’s due to the fact that they’re mostly harder variants of missions that were in the first chapter. These missions are harder due to the game disabling some of the game mechanics such as reflex mode and the ability to bring buddies along. Intersperse between these “challenge” missions are a few story missions that attempts to tie up the story completely. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite manage to do that as it was obvious that the story was rushed in order to ship the game to market. What this means is that the late game content is sparse and the story is subpar for people expecting something more.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Phantom Pain does contain a multiplayer section, which is to be released soon. Based on what we’ve seen from footage during this year’s Tokyo Games Show, Metal Gear Online looks to be a fun addition to the base game that allows you to abduct other players in a game of team deathmatch. We only hope that the servers don’t spontaneously combust when the mode is eventually released.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><b>We Are Diamond Dogs</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.2px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Most will expect The Phantom Pain to be Kojima’s magnum opus, since it’s his final involvement to the Metal Gear series as a director in Konami. With all due respect, while the game is indeed his final masterpiece, it’s a wee bit shy of being perfect. Aside from those mentioned earlier, driving physics weren’t the best, and controlling D-Horse wasn’t entirely fluid either. To top it off, there were news circulating that a critical story element was cut out by Konami because.. Konami. However, like Punished Snake, the scars and disabilities did not stop the game from being an excellent one. Like its predecessors before it, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is a game worthy for fans and newcomers alike. A game by Hideo Kojima.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, Kojima-san. We liked it.</td></tr>
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evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-883359619247788752015-09-28T04:15:00.001-07:002015-09-28T04:17:51.804-07:00Officially a Video Game Journalist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Well, it's been a while.<br />
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Since April this year, I've been working as a designer and journalist for a local tech magazine. I wasn't appointed as a writer yet when I first joined, but thanks to the excellent team I was in, and the fact that we were all gamers; I was given a chance to contribute. This opportunity is a stepping stone for me to finally delve into something I was very passionate about: gaming.<br />
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It's not the most glamourous of jobs to be in, but it was something the team enjoyed doing. At this time, commoners will immediate assume that having a job that pay you for playing video games every month is the most laid back and easiest job ever. Well.. not really.<br />
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Being a local magazine, we rarely get the chance to get first dibs on certain titles. So unlike more established brands like IGN or Kotaku, we usually get our games during or even days after launch date. By that time, our impressions and reviews would be later than most, hence could be considered stale or redundant. Also adding to the fact that we're a monthly magazine, so whatever news or reviews will only be published by month's end.<br />
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Reviewing games is also not the "perfect job" as most would hope. Yes, getting games to play every month is considered a benefit, but remember - you play it, you write it. As mentioned, we get games later than most, thus theres always a rushed feel whenever we have to write our reviews before the deadline starts biting us in the ass. The more games in hand, the more rushed it feels. To top it off, my fellow writers have other tech related materials to finish up, and as the designer for the magazine - I've got the entire mag's layouts and creatives to worry about. Let's not forget the possibility of having to review a game you're not even interested in. Oh yes. There's that.<br />
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Why the huge amount of responsibility and stress, you ask? Yes.. the free games is one reason, but the most important reason for me is the passion involved.<br />
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It's something I enjoy doing: talking about the games I play. Whether its pointing out the best features of a game to nitpicking its faults, errors or even dissing Nomura's ho-hum character designs. It's the editorial equivalent to talking to a friend, and recommending them to get a game or to tell them to avoid it like it was a month old unrefrigerated opened box of milk.<br />
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Well, my writing exposure didn't just stop at games. For the same mag, I've written others such as tech reviews and pop culture related event coverage. I've pretty much warmed up to these, and I definitely look forward to doing more for experience's sake. That.. and getting new gadgets to play with, and even media passes for events. Mmmm.. media passes.<br />
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Well, it first started out as a dream, and now it's a reality for me. So, to those out there:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll just let this photo deliver the damn punchline</td></tr>
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Till the next post, folks.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-60414947483758531782015-09-01T02:20:00.000-07:002015-10-08T03:33:32.774-07:00Review - Until Dawn | Till Morning Comes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 11px;">Never have I cringed so badly at horror movie cliches’. Believe me, I cringed plenty of times in Until Dawn by Supermassive Games. Hopeless teenagers? Check. Cabin in the woods? Check. Token jock stereotype? Check. Annoying female character by the name of “Emily”? Check. The list goes on. Now.. I’m not saying that this game is utter bollocks; because it isn’t. It’s surprisingly entertaining and a whole lot more.</span><br />
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<b>From Dusk till Dawn</b><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Until Dawn follows a group of teenagers trapped on a remote mountain getaway. Predictable as it is, their winter retreat turns awfully wrong as the night went on. While in the beginning, there are plenty to poke regarding the game’s setting and story. Those familiar with the horror genre will undeniably roll their eyes at every cliche’ tossed in their face, but this is when it gets better. Things unexpectedly turn out for the best later on that makes Until Dawn stands out from the rest. I won’t spoil much details on the story, but instead I’ll give the developers and writers a lot of credit for this.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Save the.. Cheerleader?</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 11px;">The cast of Until Dawn is definitely a mixed bag. The good sorts. Using real actors to portray the characters in both motion capture and voice acting, the cast wonderfully brought their characters to life in the game. One of which is Hayden Panettiere - previously known for her role as the indestructible cheerleader, Claire, from “Heroes” - made her video game debut as one of the eight playable main protagonists. You know the actors and writers are doing a damn fine job when you’re actually rooting for a character or even wishing certain death upon them. Oh yes.. for the latter, I’m talking about you, Emily.</span></span></div>
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<b>Action and reaction</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">While we’re on the subject of wishing for one’s demise, Until Dawn can be compared to good ol’ choose-your-adventure style games, where your actions and decisions made while playing will be reflected in the game’s story. If you’re a perfectionist like me, you’ll opt for having all of the characters (yes.. including Emily, sadly..) survive in the end. Else, you might have some of them killed or even have no survivors at all. Character interactions and relationships are affected as well through this, which really does encourage a lot of experimenting and promotes high replayability. The game is said to have around a hundred possible endings, thus making each playthrough somewhat unique.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Interactive Fright Night</b><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;">
It’s hard not to bring up games such as Heavy Rain or Beyond: Two Souls during my time with Until Dawn. The major similarities being their heavy emphasis on Quick Time Event gameplay presented in a cinematic experience. I’m glad to say that this game utilised this gimmick pretty well with some cunning additions of its own. Being totally horror oriented, you could imagine the intense situations you’ll be put through.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 11px;">
The game is played with either the Dual Shock 4’s thumbsticks or solely on its motion controls. This applies to aiming a flashlight at dark areas or even a weapon while attacking. Personally, I prefer the motion controls to complete the experience. Another notable gameplay element are horrifying moments when you’re required to keep the controller still. Well, you know what’ll happen if you accidentally moved an inch. Genius, I tell you.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>More than meets the eye</b></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are plenty of secrets, clues and collectibles to be found in Until Dawn. Some clues will piece together mysteries that even adds over the game’s story, thus adding more depth to it. One of these collectibles are Totems, which will give players vague hints of future events. This includes the various ways of how certain characters may die, so use these as warnings and guidance for the dangers that may come. Another nifty content addition are the making-of videos which are unlocked as you progress through the game.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>Love letter to horror<br />
</b><span style="font-size: 11px;">Like a Friday night horror movie, Until Dawn has enough tricks up its sleeve to jump scare the hell out of you with well scripted events. The game’s brilliance is also visible in its remarkable nods to various troupes of the horror genre. Again, I won’t spoil the best parts. I seriously recommend gamers to pick this game up and experience it themselves. Plus, it makes a great party game when played with friends and I’m pretty sure they’ll agree to kill Emily off too.</span></span></div>
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evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-9912204814759992672014-12-16T21:57:00.002-08:002014-12-16T21:57:51.426-08:00Command, Elite: Dangerous has officially launched. Over and out.First. Watch this.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dwvjElmFCfE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Now.. breathe, grab a snack and watch this.<br />
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/ygTgA_Y-m2Q/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/ygTgA_Y-m2Q&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/ygTgA_Y-m2Q&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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Got you excited? Did it awaken your inner space pilot?<br />
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Good.<br />
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IT'S OUT NOW. GO <a href="https://www.elitedangerous.com/" target="_blank">GET</a>!<br />
<br />evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-13759074272650890352014-12-16T02:25:00.002-08:002014-12-16T02:35:05.818-08:00Review - Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2012) | Rubbish on wheels<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnU6G-YxAoIC4ATWt90H3R_zDZUTwWgFiAzl-bYpZACyw6tZ2jdDgjjgR744lV0-C3iyabqUj3uRWIk-IEd6kTN9CsuHji0Za4KUjXihT27fHrrWASg5chRNb_idpvemp09dN-C753VQ/s1600/need-for-speed-most-wanted-2012-walkthrough.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnU6G-YxAoIC4ATWt90H3R_zDZUTwWgFiAzl-bYpZACyw6tZ2jdDgjjgR744lV0-C3iyabqUj3uRWIk-IEd6kTN9CsuHji0Za4KUjXihT27fHrrWASg5chRNb_idpvemp09dN-C753VQ/s1600/need-for-speed-most-wanted-2012-walkthrough.jpg" height="325" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: EA | Note the cars are drifting with their front wheels facing forward.. huh..</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1513752029"></span><span id="goog_1513752030"></span><br />
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Better late than never but then again, I never intended to get this game in the first place. Since it was made FREE for the Vita via PSN during the PSX expo last week, I nabbed it anyway.<br />
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I'm just glad I didn't have to pay for it.<br />
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I've played a lot of racers ranging from arcade to simulation throughout the years. The NFS series has been one of my favorite arcade racer until it evolved into the "Fast & Furious" inspired Underground and beyond. NFS Shift brought back my faith into the series but it all went downhill again afterwards.<br />
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NFS Most Wanted, developed by Criterion Games, is actually a 2012 reboot with an open world concept and a vision of mixing Need For Speed with Burnout. NFS is known for it's arcade paced racers and Burnout (originally developed by Criterion) is an over-the-top racer with illogical physics and fuck awesome explosions. A marriage of both games will be a dream come true, right? Nope. It's like a clash of ideals.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAfWlzWTiZrrr64J-S8u3pQJbR2bfXlkEknKJdTZRcWQyzaIc08b0_PFPWfB1tkzEgc73vXsbeCJDwsc_Rg-_cygNh6yAwZjeiJer_ikVyswr-yS92MFdaoXzxl4UhiUCBF3T3SaCYjM/s1600/need-for-speed-most-wanted2012-crashcam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAfWlzWTiZrrr64J-S8u3pQJbR2bfXlkEknKJdTZRcWQyzaIc08b0_PFPWfB1tkzEgc73vXsbeCJDwsc_Rg-_cygNh6yAwZjeiJer_ikVyswr-yS92MFdaoXzxl4UhiUCBF3T3SaCYjM/s1600/need-for-speed-most-wanted2012-crashcam.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NFS + Burnout? What can go wrong? ..well</td></tr>
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Rather than greeted with a main menu screen to select the type of game modes and which car you wish to use, you immediately start the game in real-time. Your D-pad buttons act as an on-the-go menu system where you can check available races, upgrades, challenges and access to the game's online/ad-hoc multiplayer. Multi-tasking with this is not entirely possible and I'd rather a screen solely dedicated for everything that makes up a main menu.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm8CC8B6rWariohXvTOV-PehEyKaxyJt0YeyNNKHnsUT0V2ykzYhpg_MdAGLCcuNvGvlNtkNsOdOnwOlWLsKgVmOIGbNElFeaI7RiXCbXGK0N_EIH6AMeqq6uRGFgsTKRzVpT_dIypoo/s1600/468px-Mod2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm8CC8B6rWariohXvTOV-PehEyKaxyJt0YeyNNKHnsUT0V2ykzYhpg_MdAGLCcuNvGvlNtkNsOdOnwOlWLsKgVmOIGbNElFeaI7RiXCbXGK0N_EIH6AMeqq6uRGFgsTKRzVpT_dIypoo/s1600/468px-Mod2.png" height="359" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The menu is shown in real-time rather than having a dedicated screen</td></tr>
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You do get to change cars later on in the game but with a catch - you have to find the damn cars hidden in the city first. Each car will have it's own exclusive races and challenges in order to earn NFS points and unlockable car upgrades. There are no currencies to spend in-game and NFS points are for unlocking upgrades, races, and determining your position in the leader board. Races that you've not participated in will require you to drive to their locations and those that you've already participated in will have a "start race" shortcut instead. While it does keep things engaging in a sense, completing these races for each car can be rather repetitive. Especially when the racing itself is not fun.<br />
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Playing NFS: Most Wanted reminded me of Midnight Club so much, and I hated that series thanks to the retarded checkpoint race system and cheap AI. Two of these elements are present in Most Wanted.<br />
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Due to the open world concept, the roads that make up the race circuits is determined by a flawed checkpoint system. You won't know the next turn will be a gruesome 90 degree junction until you see the check marker indicating that you should refer to your minimap. Other details such as roadblocks, incoming traffic and spike traps are so small and unnoticeable in Vita's screen. By then, it's already too late and this will force you to restart the race. Restarting races will be something you'll do often in this game.<br />
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In typical NFS fashion, you start the race last and you have to overtake all of your opponents to get pole position. The AI in Most Wanted can be extremely unforgiving and cheap. Based on the difficulty setting of the races, opponent and cop cars will have superior acceleration, top speed and impact. While challenging, it's infuriating that they can suddenly catch up with you in no time and smack you around into a crash or nonchalantly zip pass you.<br />
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So, you got competitiveness and challenge in this game. That said, it should make Most Wanted a decent racer. It doesn't. There's no fun found in this game. After playing this game for hours and restarting race after race just to get pole position and the best race times, I felt like I just wasted time and effort to achieve something because I hated the system so much. It didn't have any "Wow!" moments or anything that can be categorized as "having fun".<br />
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Not to say I hate games with insane difficulty. I had huge amounts of fun playing playing Demon's Souls and the Dark Souls series. That's saying something.<br />
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The NFS series really lost it's touch. Perhaps, there will never be another NFS game with Hot Pursuit's level of awesomeness and fun. The newer games barely hit the mark and let's not mention the god forsaken film adaptation. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-8rytDGTyP2HLNcuIwH2roajpxM5wLKAMjkb3gP68dv7IoqGrh_Zwe_gXuRxTmLRJHzIOWn5ix5zzn-1YVinz6wBAf3ViBd8MGJvfA9LDiOMbqL4nCYySY4mrP7i9x1kVADaBqw8LMU/s1600/need_for_speed_2014_movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-8rytDGTyP2HLNcuIwH2roajpxM5wLKAMjkb3gP68dv7IoqGrh_Zwe_gXuRxTmLRJHzIOWn5ix5zzn-1YVinz6wBAf3ViBd8MGJvfA9LDiOMbqL4nCYySY4mrP7i9x1kVADaBqw8LMU/s1600/need_for_speed_2014_movie.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of all things. A Need For Speed movie. I know right?!</td></tr>
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<br />evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-60493710709333993592014-12-08T02:22:00.002-08:002014-12-08T02:24:08.489-08:00PSX 2014 - Final Fantasy VII for PS4 | In high definition..of bullshit.<br />
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Were you expecting an actual remake? Really?<br />
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Gotta hand it to Square-Enix though. They had the balls to take center stage and announce a half-baked port from Steam to the PS4. Cloud save, super easy mode and all that crap.<br />
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Sad thing is: there are those who would actually buy it. For what? World peace?evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-15388911235528195972014-12-08T02:03:00.002-08:002014-12-08T02:03:26.416-08:00King's Quest announced | Sierra is not the only thing that returned<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Are you an oldfag gamer who loved point-and-click adventure games like me? Then the name "King's Quest" will give you goosebumps.</div>
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Sierra Studios whom recently revived from the dead also brought back a familiar face. And boy.. aren't we thrilled to see who it was.</div>
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GOOSEBUMPS, MAN! GOOSEBUMPS.<br />
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You may consider it a reboot but I couldn't care less. Developed by The Odd Gentlemen, I'm excited for the new King's Quest and I hope it will capture the hearts of new gamers as the original series did for us. Impressions from the trailer suggests that it will be QTE and platform based. I really hope it'll inherit the original series' highly interactive environment of point-and-click nature.<br />
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King's Quest is to be released in fall 2015 (still a long way to go..) for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox One and Xbox 360.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-37727408731284963192014-12-07T22:31:00.001-08:002014-12-07T22:31:44.198-08:00PSX 2014 - Until Dawn | Hayden Panettiere in a towelIf the standfirst got you reading this, you're a goddamn perv.<br />
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A girl in a towel being hunted down by a psycho killer is textbook in every goddamn slasher flick. This slasher flick is a video game.<br />
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That aside, yes.. She's in a towel and she's starring in Supermassive Games' Until Dawn for the PS4.<br />
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Much like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls, Until Dawn is an interactive movie experience focused on the horror/slasher genre. As seen in the video, you'll be presented with various ways of Quick-Timed Events to progress through the game-movie hybrid. Some choices might lead to new branching paths while some will lead you to your death. Like any good slasher flick would.<br />
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While some argue it will be a Quantic Dream style clone (of Heavy Rain & Beyond: Two Souls fame), I'd consider this gameplay style to be it's own genre. Heck, it'll be one hell of a great game to play during a gaming night with a bunch of friends yelling which decision you should follow. The presenter sure looked like he was having a blast playing it in front of the audience.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-19831788316522549322014-12-07T22:09:00.000-08:002014-12-07T22:34:29.170-08:00PSX 2014 - No Man's Sky | Awe struckJoining the ranks of ambitious open world space sims such as Star Citizen and Elite Dangerous, the PS4 exclusive Hello Games' No Man's Sky has wow-ed gamers since it's debut trailer in E3 2014.<br />
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Hello Games has released a new trailer for the PlayStation Experience 2014 expo showcasing more gameplay elements that are to be expected. It's strong presentation with beautiful art direction, promise of seamless space exploration and outstanding music is indeed a feat to behold.<br />
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We've yet to see if NMS features an actual combat module for on-foot and space faring, social elements and other features that could set the game apart from it's competitors. Hello Games promised an explorable galaxy(ies?) that would actually take 5 billion real-life years to fully explore. In what way such vast content can be made possible? Or is it merely an over-exegerration? We've yet to find out.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-67686272262709708502014-12-07T20:34:00.004-08:002014-12-07T22:34:41.549-08:00PSX 2014 - Uncharted 4 gameplay | That is all.Do I really need a standfirst? IT'S UNCHARTED 4, MAN!<br />
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We finally get to see the game in action after it's first announcement during E3 2014 earlier this year and man.. it looks gorgeous.<br />
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A whole new dynamic style of gameplay has been introduced with the addition of the grappling hook and a new climbing mechanic. It's good to know that it's now possible to avoid confrontation with mercenaries by fleeing the combat area unseen rather than having to plow down every enemy you'll encounter (although trigger-happy gamers will do the opposite).<br />
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Not much known about UC4's story but we are introduced to Drake's older brother, voiced by Troy Baker, at the end of the gameplay trailer. Honestly, I think he somewhat shares a similar presence as Uncharted's regular and fan favorite, Victor Sullivan. Speaking of Sully, he remains nowhere to be seen in the trailer but his dialog did appear in the E3 teaser, confirming his involvement in this new game.<br />
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Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is to be released in 2015. Looking forward to more announcements.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-77048614719979405582014-12-05T02:56:00.000-08:002014-12-07T20:36:40.449-08:0020 Years of PlayStation | Five favourite games of each PS Generation<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQV8vUEm8z-ngj2Dj5VzdgPnwYZuN-Nd9Y-70oV96Fn6bsYcyFXhWjeBUF2yjHBlMM6kLn563mgDNOGSp27J7IJ0RE-SAWUdfh6Alg1vU3UrZw5PzhbB0ZRZTcSHtz94DivMBtFbhjfVY/s1600/PS-20th-Ann-Vid_11-12-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQV8vUEm8z-ngj2Dj5VzdgPnwYZuN-Nd9Y-70oV96Fn6bsYcyFXhWjeBUF2yjHBlMM6kLn563mgDNOGSp27J7IJ0RE-SAWUdfh6Alg1vU3UrZw5PzhbB0ZRZTcSHtz94DivMBtFbhjfVY/s1600/PS-20th-Ann-Vid_11-12-14.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Sony</td></tr>
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On 3rd December 2014, Sony celebrated the 20th anniversary of the PlayStation gaming console. The PlayStation may not be as old as Nintendo's NES but it stands proudly beside it's competitors as a memorable and loved home console among gamers.<br />
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For it's anniversary, I decided to share five of my favorite and memorable games on each PS console that I grew up with, and five games that I'm looking forward to for the PS4 (Add all that up is 20. Get it?). So sit back and enjoy the nostalgia trip. Oh and these are not in any order.<br />
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<b><u>Playstation (PSX)</u></b><br />
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<b>1) Metal Gear Solid</b><br />
The hallmark of excellence in terms of presentation, gameplay and story during the PSX generation. I never imagined a game to have cinematic and action packed cutscenes (real-time too!) accompanied by a deep driven story to boot. The stealth mechanics were amazing and the amount of interactivity was mind-blowing. Everyone remembers the boss fight with Psycho Mantis! Switch to the 2P controller so he can't read your mind? THAT'S GENIUS! That and all the other brilliant easter eggs in this game made it a must-have for the PSX. Truly a masterpiece.<br />
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<b>2) Tekken</b><br />
To be fair - it came out in the arcades first, but having a home console port is always a welcome for fans of the 3D fighting game genre. Tekken is one of the major titles for the genre apart from the Saturn exclusive, Virtua Fighter. It was more fast paced, emphasized on combos and juggles. It was also backed by flashy special effects and a cast of awesome characters. It still remains as a fan favourite on the PSX and soon enough the sequels (Tekken 2 & 3) were also released on the console.<br />
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<b>3) Tenchu</b><br />
The short version: A MOTHERFUCKING BADASS NINJA GAME, MAN!<br />
What was there not to like about this game? You play as ninjas in feudal japan and each level requires you to traverse buildings, landscapes and idiot guards to assassinate your target. The coolest thing about Tenchu is the arsenal of items in your inventory, which you can use to your advantage against guards and bosses. Overwhelmed by guards? Smoke bomb! Boss being a dick? Landmine his path and grenade him! It's definately a game that allows you to tackle it in a variety of methods and paths that you see fit. Sadly, the Tenchu franchise didn't age well but the first game will always be in my fondest memories.<br />
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<b>4) Final Fantasy 7</b><br />
Would you believe FF7 is my first ever JRPG? It's true. This was me back in the day without knowing who Hinorobu Sakaguchi, Yoshitaka Amano or Nobuo Uematsu are. Importantly, Tetsuya NO!mura was still an up-and-coming character designer in Squaresoft so I had little reason to hate him.<br />
FF7 was a revolutionary title for JRPGs in the 3D gaming era. It's presentation was delivered in then-beautiful pre-rendered cutscenes, it's adorable in-world chibi characters and glorious action packed in-battle character models. It had features such as the Materia system that allows you to summon creatures and also customize your character's attributes, the ATB system that fusions real time and turn based combat, and the Limit Break system that grants every character an exclusive special move in combat.<br />
With all that, FF7's story and music will forever be etched in our memories. Remember Aerith? Good. I'm not sorry.<br />
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<b>5) Grand Theft Auto</b><br />
Before it made headlines as one of the most controversial game in the modern world (several times too!), GTA was a top down car-jacking, people-killing, hit-and-runnin' and objective based game on the PSX. It was a blend of 3D environments with 2D sprites of people, vehicles AND BLOOD! It didn't have cutscenes or established characters as it's sequels but it was loads of fun with lots of activities to do. Looking back, I was amazed at how huge this game was. The original versions of Liberty City, Vice City and San Andreas are all packed in this one game. Sure, they are not as distinctive as their current counterparts, but it was impressive back in the day.<br />
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<b><u>PlayStation 2 (PS2)</u></b><br />
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<b>1) Devil May Cry</b><br />
The action game that revolutionized action games. No other games before the original DMC allowed fast action sword wielding mixed with gun shooting combat mechanics accompanied with a dash of retardedly cool over-the-top cutscenes. It had the campiest of characters and story but it was tough and fun. A whole new experience and challenge to gamers of that generation, it was a must have for PS2 owners. There was never a Devil May Cry 2. Nope. Never. Don't talk about it.<br />
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<b>2) God of War</b><br />
After DMC's success. Over-the-top action games spawned furiously, but not as furious and merciless as God of War. GoW innovated the fast-paced combo driven combat mechanics and then some. It also showcased the most goriest of kills in a video game, and could satisfy any male teen that just came out of puberty. It's graphics were mind-blowingly gorgeous that ran at 60 fps and it was hard to believe the PS2 was capable of powering this game. GoW is truly a masterpiece that belongs in the must-have title for the PS2.<br />
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<b>3) Silent Hill 3</b><br />
I know it's kinda weird that I favoured SH3 rather than the groundbreaking SH2. I loved SH3 because of it's story and how it relates to SH1. The graphics and cutscenes were rendered beautifully in real-time with advanced lighting tech of it's time. I actually liked Heather as a main character and she managed to break the whole damsel-in-distress cliche' by being a badass in her own right. SH3 may not have good ol' Pyramid Head but it had it's best scare moments and surprises.<br />
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<b>4) ICO</b><br />
A system seller, this game was. ICO was a whole new take on adventure games. Not only you had to solve environmental puzzles, you were tasked with the responsibility to keep your companion, a mysterious princess, safe from harm. ICO was beautiful in terms of graphics as well as the world it was build on. An interactive work of art.<br />
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<b>5) Metal Gear Solid 3</b><br />
Kojima never fails to impress with his ideas and innovation. MGS3 stepped back in time and re-introduces one of the most important character in the series, which is Big Boss, in his younger days. MGS3's story is as strong as ever and the overall game system is filled with delightful elements to keep you occupied. Features include a camouflage system to keep you stealthy, a new CQC combat system, stamina which you have to refill by eating, and a medical system for healing your wounds. MGS3 has it's fill of memorable boss fights with The End's sniper battle being in the top of the list. What other boss in any game dies of old age if you left his battle hanging for a week? Brilliant.<br />
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<b>PlayStation 3 (PS3)</b><br />
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<b>1) Metal Gear Solid 4</b><br />
Yup. Another Kojima and MGS game in the list. It truly deserved it.<br />
MGS kept on getting better and better as the series grows. An emotional entry as we greet farewell the game's protagonist, Solid Snake. Old and battered due to his rapid aging caused by cloning defect, Snake still remains an awesome and respectable character to the end. With more innovation to the stealth mechanics and combat system, the game feels much more improved compared to its former titles. The final moments of MGS4 is truly one of the most memorable moments and packed full of feels in any video game played.<br />
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<b>2) Uncharted 2</b><br />
An action adventure game done by the same guys who did Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter? People had doubts, but when the first Uncharted was released - it blew people away with incredible graphics, fun combat and a lovable protagonist with his supporting cast of characters. Uncharted 2 basically one-upped it's predecessor by miles apart. It boasts improved graphics and combat, clever puzzle solving segments, brilliant platforming and a lot of additional content. UC2 also introduced players to various locations to explore unlike first game, which was based only in the South East Asian tropics. Uncharted 2 has always been my favorite entry from the series, thanks to it's memorable moments and awesome final boss battle.<br />
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<b>3) Killzone 2</b><br />
Killzone 2 was controversial thanks to it's too-good-to-be-true graphics when it was first revealed in a tech demo trailer in E3 2005. The talented developers at Guerrilla Games slapped everyone in the face when Killzone 2 was released. They successfully proved that the graphics in the demo was possible on PS3 hardware. And man, they blew us away with not only gorgeous graphics but with an amazing game in it's entirety. The gunplay of Killzone 2 vastly improved compared to the original Killzone on the PS2. The experience was fun and the story was full of engaging moments. It's multiplayer feature was also magnificent. Namely the Warzone mode, which changes multiplayer objectives in real time (such as capturing control points to assassination to team deathmatch and so on) as the match goes on.<br />
KZ2 is one of the console exclusive games that truly proves what a powerhouse the PS3 can be.<br />
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<b>4) Demon's Souls</b><br />
The predecessor to Dark Souls and it's sequel. This game was a revolutionary action rpg title that had a unique control scheme and combat system. Not only the player is able to play the game with their preferred play style, this game was infamous thanks to it's insane difficulty. Like it or not, you will die constantly in this game. It's a video game example of being thrown into the wilds and you have to teach yourself how to survive and triumph it. Oh, this game has tutorials, but it won't hold your hand after the first 10 minutes. I'm not joking. After you learn the basics, BOOM! motherfucking game throws a boss at you. Usually the level of unfairness within a game will make one rage quit in a heartbeat, but for Demon's Souls - this game taunts you to beat it.<br />
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<b>5) Heavy Rain</b><br />
Quantic Dreams, the developer behind Heavy Rain claims that this game is to be considered as an interactive movie. Truthfully enough, it does feel that way. Presented in a cinematic style but rendered in stunning real-time graphics, Heavy Rain wants you to enact the story interactively as you watch it play on screen. Aside from the basic movement controls, the game relies heavily on Quick Time Events (QTEs) by involving every button on the Dual Shock 3 and it's six-axis motion feature. It's story is also well delivered as it revolves around four different playable main characters and how they coincide with each other's paths.<br />
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<b>Games I'm looking forward to for the PlayStation 4 (PS4)</b><br />
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<b>1) The Order 1886</b><br />
Developed by the same people behind God of War, The Order 1886 is a third person shooter based in an alternate universe of a steampunked Neo-Victorian England. The game's amazing trailer and gameplay videos caught my attention. Will be looking forward to the final game.<br />
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<b>2) Uncharted 4</b><br />
The latest entry to the Uncharted series. The teaser trailer suggested a darker tone to the story while presented in a glorious next-gen graphics engine. Not much else is known about the title aside from the teaser. Expect more to be revealed in 2014's PlayStation Experience Expo.<br />
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<b>3) No Man's Sky</b><br />
A space sim MMO that goes beyond any other. It promises a whole new level of exploration ranging from on-foot, to spacecraft, to inter-planetary, to inter-galaxy and then some. Just a trailer as far as that was revealed. Keeping my eyes open for anymore updates on gameplay and features in future announcements.<br />
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<b>4) Project Cars</b><br />
I'm sorry Gran Turismo but Project Cars totally caught my attention. Amazing attention to detail in terms of graphics. I can't wait hop-in and give it a drive.<br />
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<b>5) Bloodborne</b><br />
Considered a spiritual successor to the Souls series. From Software promises the same brutal level of brutality and a whole new combat experience which involves gunplay. No sunshine and rainbows here, just darkness and a lot of gore.<br />
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So there you have it. 20 Games - 15 games I loved to play on 3 generations of PlayStations and 5 games I'm looking forward to when I get a PS4. Happy 20th, Sony PlayStation and thank you for the wonderful experience.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-33377584777217622492014-08-26T04:12:00.004-07:002014-08-26T04:12:52.853-07:00Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed Review - Undress to kill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This review is based on the PS Vita version of Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed by ACQUIRE.<br />
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Despite the localized title, this game is actually the sequel to the original Japan-only Akiba's Trip, which was released back in June 2012, for the PSP. Unfortunately, the first game never saw the light of a western release due to the number of licensing and collaborations with Japanese anime & manga, as well as Japanese stores and brands.<br />
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Fortunately for us, XSEED Games managed to license and localize it's sequel, Akiba's Trip 2. The game has been released as Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed for the PS3, Vita and a PS4 version coming this October.<br />
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<b>OVERVIEW</b><br />
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A clever play on words, the game's title can be pronounced as "Akiba Strip", and stripping is the main focus in combat. No.. Seriously! Why, you ask?<br />
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Bare with me on this one. Still here? Ok, here goes.<br />
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Vampires. Or in Akiba's Trip (AT), they're called Synthisters. Man-made vampires who are created to harvest life energy from Akihabara's citizens. These vampires are protected from sunlight by the very clothes that cover them and when exposed, they disintegrate. Hence, the stripping.<br />
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Perverted! Indecent! Immoral! But a whole lot of fun! And hey, finally a new mechanic to make combat interesting rather than button mashing to no end. Relax, its just a game (see: Grand Theft Auto, Postal, Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat etc).<br />
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More on komba- err.. combat in a moment. Lets talk about the story and setting of AT.<br />
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<b>STORY & SETTING</b><br /><br />
Akihabara (or Akiba for short) is a district in Tokyo city and is also the mecca of all things otaku. As mentioned earlier - Synthisters, under the guise of normal inhabitants, roam the streets of Akihabara to harvest life force for their own evil purposes.<br />
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You play as Nanashi, an average joe in the wrong place and the wrong time. Believing that he signed up for a normal part-time job, but instead was dragged into a dodgy organization to be converted into a Synthister drone. Fortunately, a mysterious girl named Shizuku, a Synthister Hunter, barged in time to stop that from happening. Suffering from a fatal attack while saving Shizuku, Nanashi's life was saved yet again by forming a pact with Shizuku by becoming her familiar. Get where this is going? Good.<br />
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Later on, we are introduced to the characters of the Akiba Freedom Fighters who'll help our two protagonists throughout the story. One character to note is Nana, who is the protagonist's little sister. Her snarky remarks, cute attitude and her various ways to refer to her brother (Brotagonist, Brotector, Brotographer, Brobocop etc) is one of her major charms. <br />
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To go along with the Freedom Fighters are the wonderful cast of characters and the citizens of Akiba to enrich the virtual experience of the district. Though some are cliched and far-fetched, but they fit so well with the theme and silliness of the game. Yes, the game wont take itself seriously but thats all part of the fun.<br />
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AT is explored in a semi-open world system restricted to only the locations in Akiba. The district itself is divided into smaller individual parts for in-game exploration. Think a lighter take of the Yakuza series minus the testosterone filled manliness and gangsters. Each part of the district have their own charms - from the type of inhabitants to the different stores you'll encounter. These locations are based on their real-life counterparts and a good number of stores collaborated with ACQUIRE to have their likeliness and mascots to be included in the game. Travelers who've actually been to Akiba will most likely familiarize themselves with the in-game locations as ACQUIRE did a good job creating a virtual version of the district. My only gripe is that NPCs take a while to be loaded/appear everytime you enter a location.<br />
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<br /><b>HOW DO I SHOT WEB?</b><br /><br />
Aside from the virtual tour of Akiba, the game is full of rich pop-culture references and memes. Those familiar with the references will instantaneously have a good laugh or have a smile on their faces. While the original japanese release was full of 2chan (a popular Japanese imageboard) memes, the localization by XSEED Games did an excellent job of incorporating western (read: english spoken) pop-culture references and memes from 4chan, Reddit and 9gag instead. I've no problem with this, and I see that only the weebs get butt-hurt for the exclusion of the original 2chan memes. See what I did there?<br /><br />These references can be found throughout the game. From the in-game encyclopedia, events, emails dialogues and a fictional amalgam of twitter and 2chan called Pitter.<br />
<br /><br /><b>MISSION MECHANICS</b><br /><br />
The game progresses by completing key missions tasked to Nanashi in order to dispose of the Synthister threat in Akiba. Players are also given optional side missions from Akiba's citizens and also from Nana - how can I say no to my dear little sister?<br /><br />Side missions are rewarded with money and some rare items and clothing. Nana's missions, should it be completed properly, will unlock an additional ending for the game. There are multiple endings in AT as it encourages replayability by giving different routes (read: girls) to complete.<br /><br />All previous achievements, items and cash are carried forward to New Game+ after each succession. Worry not, there are plenty to collect and unlock in this game to make it worthwhile.<br /><br /><br /><b>COMBAT SYSTEM</b><br /><br />Combat consist of attacking three parts of the body: head, torso and legs. The Triangle button will attack head, Circle will attack body and X will attack legs. These attacks can be stringed for combos or used separately on its own. These are for weakening the clothes on the enemy's body so it will be easier to strip it off them. Attempting to strip off lightly damaged clothes part will activate a button mashing mini-game to forcefully pull it off. Once you've obtained a good weapon or level-ed up enough, the button mashing and attacking will be a breeze. Unblockable special attacks are also available. These will damage every body part but are executed slowly and can be interrupted by normal attacks.<br /><br />Defense consists of dodging and counter-attacking/stripping. Dodging is assigned to the R1 button. By holding down R1, you're able to dodge incoming attacks and can dodge in any direction the left thumbstick points to. After successfully dodging, you can immediately counter your enemy with an attack or strip their clothes off if already weakened. Remember, special attacks cannot be dodged when you're standing still.<br /><br />Don't forget, these things go against your character as well. You get stripped, game over. Thankfully, "healing" in combat is just by holding down the L1 button so your character will readjust his clothing and thus, restores health completely. Not easy as it sounds since you need to steer clear from attackers as you attempt to heal. Although, at times, the game will overwhelm you with multiple aggressive attackers that could instantaneously wipe you out. Its not game breaking, but it will be impossible to those who have not familiarized themselves with the combat mechanics.<br /><br />Fret not, at most times, you'll be exploring and fighting with one of the girls from the Akiba Freedom Fighters. You can issue commands by using the D-Pad and you can perform a Unison Strip combo attack together once their Unison Gauge fills up. Be warned, if they're overwhelmed by enemies, they will be kicked out of battle until it is over.<br /><br />Weapons in AT are whacky. They range from various items such as plastic baseball bats, toy guns, keyboards, monitors to even Maid Cafe signs. Most of them are unique as they come with individual moveset combos and special attacks.<br /><br /><br /><b>BE THE ULTIMATE HIPSTER</b><br /><br />Character customization is by the motherlode in this game. You can customize Nanashi with different head accessories, shirts and pants. And yes, you can crossdress later on in the game. Fabulous~! Clothes have different defense stats and can be obtained from stripping your enemies, as rewards from missions or purchased from stores.<br /><br />Other than clothing, you can equip other interesting items such as different idle/walking/running motions (walk like a yakuza thug!) and new stripping techniques (pro-wrestling style!). However, these tweaks are merely cosmetic and does not add any advantages in combat. It does make you look ridiculously cool or silly in combat.<br /><br />Later, once unlocked, you'll be able to customize your partner with better clothes and accessories that you've obtained throughout the game.<br /><br />Nanashi can also level up after gaining experience from every battle. Stats like defense and offense will rank up the more you fight. Stripping skills for every type of clothing can be leveled up if you've stripped a good number of these respective clothes or by buying clothing guides (don't ask) from shops. The lower your strip skill, the most likely the clothes will be ripped apart rather than pulled off. So on and so forth.<br /><br />
<br /><b>VERDICT</b><br /><br />It's a different type of game and it might not appeal to everyone. A must buy? It depends really. Those who are looking for deep story telling and an expansive world to explore might not like what AT has to offer. The combat can be infuriating if not practiced properly.<br />
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The graphics are still pretty to look at but don't expect much for a handheld release (aside from the dynamic shadows, you won't get much out of the PS3 and PS4 versions either by the way).<br />
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Loading times between locations and events can be slow. A playthrough with little exploration and side missions could last around 8 hours or so.<br />
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Overall, I liked this game very much and had lots of fun playing it. The story and whacky yet lovable characters got me replaying AT again to get the other endings and obtaining other items I've been missing out. It also got me interested to visit Akiba if I travel to Japan sometime.<br />
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<br /><b>WHY VITA BTW?</b><br />
<br />The main reason I got AT on the Vita is because - lets face it - we need more games for the Vita. The only difference I see comparing the PS3 and PS4 versions versus the Vita is a higher resolution and dynamic shadows which is not present on the handheld version.<br /><br />Aside from that, everything else looks and works well on the Vita. It was originally made for it in the first place. Sure, there are some framerate drops here and there during intense battles but it never actually bothered me.<br /><br />This game has got me returning back to my Vita from time and time again. I actually forgot to charge my 3DS at times. As a Vita user, it has been a worthwhile purchase.<br />
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<br />evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-27369647226539808042014-01-24T20:31:00.001-08:002014-01-24T20:31:46.758-08:00Delivering Deliverance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Boom. Almost 2 million dollars and counting for Kingdom Come: Deliverance's Kickstarter.<br />
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"Dungeons & No Dragons" is their catchline and I'm not complaining one single bit.<br />
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Since the likes of War of Roses and the awesome Mount & Blade series, Deliverance promises a realistic medieval First Person experience with innovative combat, open world exploration and a war system.<br />
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Their Kickstarter page has recently revealed a number of stretch goals for additional contents. For more information, do visit their KS page <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1294225970/kingdom-come-deliverance" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Deliverance's announce trailer was enough to knock me off my horse and I will keep an eye on their progress.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-46784996786167241242014-01-24T00:49:00.003-08:002014-01-24T20:39:36.910-08:00One does not simply PARKOUR into Mordor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is Middle-Earth : Shadow of Mordor developed by Monolith Productions (of No One Lives Forever and F.E.A.R. fame). Shadows is exactly what you'll get when you cross-breed Tolkien's literature, Assassin's Creed and Batman's Arkham series.</div>
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Players will be in the shoes of Talion, a ranger with wraith abilities. The story is set in between The Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy.</div>
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Funnily enough, aside from the magical powers of the main character (and the fantasy setting), Shadow resembles Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series in more than one. Hell, if you skipped the title of the game and viewed the gameplay, this could actually pass as a new AC game. </div>
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It's not really the first time a different studio copied (or in professional terms; inspired by) another developer's gameplay system. I vividly remember 2007's Ghost Rider and the recent Castlevania: Lord of Shadows had a similar combat and exploration system as Sony's God of War series. Hell.. Talion, the game's protagonist, sort of resembles The Witcher's Geralt.</div>
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As observed in the gameplay footage of Shadows of Mordor, the exploration system is akin to the style of AC (parkour, eagle vision etc) while combat is comparable to Batman's Arkham series. Talion can also level up his skills as a Ranger or Wraith through two skill sets. The game will also be open-world, thus players are able to explore Tolkien's LOTR world.</div>
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The game makes use of an interactive system known as the Nemesis System, which the game will keep track of the player's interactions with characters they encounter. Characters will react differently depending on the player's actions towards them throughout the whole story. Very much similar (again) to the likes of Mass Effect and Telltale's The Walking Dead.</div>
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Aside from the noticeable "inspirations" of Shadow, I am interested in this and would give it a shot when its released. Its been a long time since there was a proper triple-A LOTR game, so fingers crossed that it delivers.</div>
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Here's to hoping for a Boromir skin DLC.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-85818457980700452902014-01-23T17:33:00.000-08:002014-01-23T17:33:22.470-08:00My kingdom for Deliverence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />This game looks amazing. Lets all hope it Delivers. Definitely looking out for this.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-67148962804868531772013-10-02T02:40:00.001-07:002013-10-02T02:41:25.389-07:00Late for the whole 3DS partyI've recently purchased myself a Nintendo 3DS XL. Not only was I late to the whole fad but I'm actually glad I got it. To make it much more interesting, this is the first Nintendo console I ever owned.<br />
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I confess, unlike most of you, I grew up not playing any Mario, Zelda, Metroid or any Nintendo exclusives. Not even Pokemon, although I did watch the show when I was a kid. From the 8-bit era to recently, I've only gamed on the Atari, Sega Genesis, PC and all of the Playstations (including the portables). At the time, I wasn't really exposed to any of the Nintendo consoles so I lacked the interest. Also, financially, my family and myself aren't really well off to own multiple consoles per gaming generation.<br />
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Another confession - I sucker at graphical prowess, thus the N64, Wii and Wii U was out of my list.<br />
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Why the 3DS and not a Nintendo home console?<br />
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Easy answer: time. I'm really caught up with my work. Really long working hours especially when deadlines are involved. Even after work, I'll opt to go back home to sleep or hang out with friends instead. But with the 3DS, I can game on the go. Especially when I commute to work or on break. The same reason why I got myself a Vita.<br />
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Speaking of which - its inevitable, but I had to compare the Vita and the 3DS. Hands down, the 3DS wins because of its extensive library of games as well as it's arsenal of features and gimmicks are well utilized in almost every game that was developed for it. The Vita's features felt forced and under-utilized in most games. As presented on the Wii, Wii U and the original DS - Nintendo's winning point is the innovation to give gaming a whole new and different experience.<br />
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The game library for the 3DS actually placed a big smile to my face. From RPGs, shooters to casual games - they're made to fit the console just nicely. Another plus point is the various types of RPGs you can play - turn based, tactical, action, simulation etc. I'm just so sick and tired of all the Monster Hunter-wannabes currently available on the Vita. The only RPG I spent most of my time on my Vita is Persona 4 Golden. I just couldn't be bothered with the rest.<br />
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Now on to the best part of the 3DS: The features. The glorious features.<br />
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For most games, the 3D screen display really blew me away. The ability to adjust the 3D depth slider located on the right side of the screen to your liking is just bloody convenient. The environmental effects in Fire Emblem: Awakening, such as fire burning to an eagle soaring in the sky was visually striking viewed in 3D. Some games didn't work well in 3D (well.. for me, personally). My eyes just couldn't keep up with all the 3D effects in Kid Icarus: Uprising and I just had to play the game with the 3D switched feature off.<br />
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Another beautiful thing about the 3DS is that you have tons to do without even booting up a game cartridge. Pre-installed and AR games aren't the best around but its one of those things you will go back to just to waste time. Although the AR games are great to showoff to your buddies of what the 3DS is capable of. And then theres the Mii plaza, containing mini games and puzzles to complete which encourages you to utilize the 3DS' main attractive feature:<br />
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Streetpass. Streetpass should be a sin, a form of addiction or even a disorder. With this feature, you'll be able to tag and add other 3DS users into your Mii plaza to play games together and to share and collect puzzle pieces. Consider this a fine warning: YOU WILL CHECK THE NOTIFICATION LIGHT ON YOUR 3DS EVERYTIME YOU GO OUT. YOU WILL HAVE A SENSE OF HOPE THAT IT FLASHES GREEN TO NOTIFY A STREETPASS. YOU WILL BECOME FURIOUS THAT YOU DON'T GET ANY STREETPASSES AFTER A WHOLE DAY OF BEING OUT. YO- *froths from mouth*<br />
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Streetpass is not necessarily a bad thing. Its actually a great social feature when you own a 3DS. Its like having OCD or like taking cocaine. You will come back for more.<br />
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So consider me another proud owner of the Nintendo 3DS as well as a newcomer to Nintendo gaming. I can finally join you guys playing series like Phoenix Wright, Fire Emblem, Legend of Zelda and maybe Pokemon as well.<br />
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<br />evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-71325016637654329002013-09-25T13:27:00.001-07:002013-09-25T13:37:03.121-07:00They say - Bad Influence. I say - Inspiration.From Jack Thompson, FOX News, and recently - my country's (Malaysia) media. From time to time again whenever violence occurs, they'd point fingers to video games. Most notably with Grand Theft Auto as the primary suspect.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"...so I told my mom that we're going to library to study. Tee-hee~"</td></tr>
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I remember back in the 90s, the world was shocked and awed by an extremely violent video game that made parents, the media and parents of media people drop their jaws. The game featured the ability to tear off limbs, impale people on spikes and shit loads of blood that could fill a swimming pool. That game was Midway's Mortal Kombat. Parents warned their kids not to go to the arcades to play Mortal Kombat and banned them from purchasing a home console copy of the game. Still, they did it anyway (exhibit A: moi).<br />
But looking back, the gore of yesteryear's gaming was very cartoon-y and quite laughable. Also interesting to point out that the media and parents did not say anything about Wolfenstein or Doom which was released even earlier than Mortal Kombat.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OH MY~!</td></tr>
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Indeed, video games gives you the sense of experiencing what we can never do in real life but that doesn't necessarily have to do with only violence. Role playing, exploration, fantasy, adventure, horror, simulation and so forth. There's plenty of elements that makes a video game what it is, but the most common one that gets nit-picked is always violence.<br />
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In reality, gamers see more than meets the eye whenever they dive into gaming. For me, its inspiration.<br />
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I'm a graphic designer (in before "generic gamer profession ever!"), and most of my designs are influenced from gaming. The art direction that comes with the game are done by extremely talented people of the industry. From character design to interface design - all these gave me great sense of inspiration for my creative work. These inspire me to keep up, innovate or try harder.<br />
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While game graphics are always the eye catcher, I look more into the detail. From the architecture, colour selection, fashion, fictional or existing cultural references and influences, user interface and even in-game graphic designs. Most video games are rich in these details and almost impossible for me to ignore.<br />
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Bioshock and Fallout provides a retrospective feel to its world and its interesting to see how modern designers imitate retro-like poster and commercial item designs for the games.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: Pre-war search engine called "Google"</td></tr>
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Futuristic/Sci-Fi games such as Wipeout and Deus Ex extends one's imagination on how future graphic and interface designs would look like while maintaining the current modern-style design.<br />
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Wipeout's futuristic influence is much more unique. In the 90s -The Designer's Republic, the creative team behind the original Wipeout actually imagined how graphic design might look like in the future. Although its not 2048 yet, but for a mid-90s design, they totally nailed how designs look like in the 21st century - single to three tone colours and minimalist. Even in the current time, Wipeout's graphic design is still great to look at.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behold! Graphic design porn!</td></tr>
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The user interface used in games are generally inspiring. I loved the futuristic art style and interface designs in Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Persona 3 and 4's user interface is much more pop, funky, cheerful and colourful. Gran Turismo's has a more sleek, modern and technical taste to it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, this is a screenshot of a loading screen.</td></tr>
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Mirror's Edge had a lot of great architectural, colour and graphic design influence. Bright colours upon an isolation of whites. Minimalist at its finest. The city, the posters, billboards and logos was a feast for my eyes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJL6Ho89eNq0wHuqF1MkVz2es-WdaQVMplI7jRfxP2YSqQmx85jJZseq9-b2HYvsfOvoMKCi2BYXjmEIprnH93pNI_PLF9rY0i-S5lCL9_jpucUByMC3NTWDSNy-UME_CJ_RbwJLvDLM/s1600/mirror's+edge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJL6Ho89eNq0wHuqF1MkVz2es-WdaQVMplI7jRfxP2YSqQmx85jJZseq9-b2HYvsfOvoMKCi2BYXjmEIprnH93pNI_PLF9rY0i-S5lCL9_jpucUByMC3NTWDSNy-UME_CJ_RbwJLvDLM/s400/mirror's+edge.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keep running. I'm sure theres a M somewhere in all the C, Y and K.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Character design also provide plenty of inspiration for me. The uniqueness and detail of the costume, accessories and weapons. Hyung Tae-Kim's design is one of my biggest influences and his sense of bizarre yet unique costume design is brilliant. All of his characters are distinguishable on their own and have their own appeal.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD4hdXoYMJ8A0a1E6RrOa3OWHg-tgy8z6FaMK1hFad__xBwXnGG4ZZoT9PoRjuUHHC9KIzlHNmamERXu-kF3ngYez20ojZ5UeCH4908O2iBD7JfW0RcdPY1OCyqi2rm15meWXIyogEPU/s1600/magna_cart_ii_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXD4hdXoYMJ8A0a1E6RrOa3OWHg-tgy8z6FaMK1hFad__xBwXnGG4ZZoT9PoRjuUHHC9KIzlHNmamERXu-kF3ngYez20ojZ5UeCH4908O2iBD7JfW0RcdPY1OCyqi2rm15meWXIyogEPU/s400/magna_cart_ii_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HTK's designs is most likely an after effect from taking shit loads of LSD</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
An interesting note on my behalf aka THE MOMENT YOU ALL BEEN WAITING FOR - bizarre and uniqueness has its limits and the one that's trying too hard with his designs is Tetsuya Nomura. I've always hated most of his designs. His designs varies from being overly ridiculous (BELT N ZIPPERS! oh and have you seen Lightning's new costumes lately?) and to totally uninspired (place Snow Villiers and Seifer next to each other). His imagination is built from belts, zippers, one face template, recyclable-but-don't-make-it-too-obvious fashion, light grey and emotional facebook status updates which he later used to base his characters upon.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYZRYXahHC3Jx9bUYOqG_L-zbDqo9snTheKCK0bup7Kq9_jEknKocwbap7RJenp5T6MCToppxni_LvWneEuRk0g7XatCrICeZQNn6cecVZ5ZpbXtzb0G066GRJsgy-WTMgcE_gZkHLaw/s1600/shitmura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYZRYXahHC3Jx9bUYOqG_L-zbDqo9snTheKCK0bup7Kq9_jEknKocwbap7RJenp5T6MCToppxni_LvWneEuRk0g7XatCrICeZQNn6cecVZ5ZpbXtzb0G066GRJsgy-WTMgcE_gZkHLaw/s400/shitmura.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left - Snow Villiers, Right - Seifer Almasy ....wait</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Its not the blood, the massacre, the gunfire or the car jacking that made me who I am and what my career path is today - Its the beautiful details found in these games. These treasures hidden in plain sight and usually ignored. Treasures consisting of art and design.<br />
<br />
And if asked during an interview or a regular conversation, I will answer that my major source of inspiration for my design and artwork has always been video games.<br />
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evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-58956148075062419532013-09-18T02:02:00.000-07:002013-09-18T02:02:52.914-07:00Backtrack Review : Resident Evil 6While slow to pick up, I finally got my hands on Resident Evil 6. Even before I acquired the game, RE6 was already bombarded as the worst installment of the long running survival-horror franchise. So this time, I'll be judging the game for myself.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
God damn, them reviews were right.<br />
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RE6 has four playable campaigns (each with their own individual chapters) to choose from while not required to play in order. Each campaign - Leon's, Chris', Jake's and Ada's - has their own unique play style. Leon's more towards survival, Chris' is more action packed, Jake's is like a mix of both with "special powers" added and finally, Ada's which is more towards stealth. Although it sounds promising on paper, however, every campaign feels flat. Importantly, even with all these varieties given to the player, the game fails to deliver one important factor - <b>horror</b>.<br />
<br />
<b>There's no sense of horror or the need to survive in this game.</b><br />
<br />
There are senses of urgency thanks to scarce ammo and scripted QTEs (Quick Time Events, you nonce) but never once the game delivers the strong sense of horror as the original trilogy of the franchise.<br />
<br />
Also, gone are the puzzles. As mentioned before, problem solving has been deducted to mere QTEs just to keep the action up. Your inventory serves nothing more than ammo and herb storage. Even the medical elements of the game has been dumbed down to health bars which require your character to nom on tablets to refill each bar. Medical sprays works as a super health item which refills the entire health gauge.<br />
<br />
I also have a gripe with the camera. Its ruddy annoying compared to RE5 and RE4. Unless tweaked in the settings, the game has the tendency of switching camera from right handed to left handed after moving into corner cover. While aiming, the camera zooms far into your character's shoulder view and it annoys more than trying to add suspense (ala Dead Space 1). Its like the damn developers intended you to see how gloriously rendered each strand of hair swaying around Leon's scalp.<br />
<br />
Cover system is useless (especially when you're playing as Leon). Most of the time, it just doesn't work. Unlike Gears of War series or Metal Gear Solid series, covering will only activate when you're in a "hot spot" part of the wall or cover. Else, you'll be pressing the cover button until you actually find a suitable position.<br />
<br />
Why do you need cover in a zombie-based survival horror game, you ask? Chris' campaign. Nuff said. As mentioned earlier, his campaign is more action packed. Action is what it lacks. Trying jump genres from survival horror to action shooter doesn't work well for RE6. Generic brain dead enemies and even idiotic AI allies that acts nothing more than just gimmicks for the level backdrop.<br />
<br />
So all-in-all, RE has reduced itself to a linear shooter which brings players from point A to B in every chapter. Oh and don't worry. There are boss fights too but non too brilliant. RE6's story is not compelling nor memorable either.<br />
<br />
So there you have it. Resident Evil 6 is indeed a big leap from the series but falls totally short from its intended goal. Its a given that this franchise suffers from the disorder of trying to keep up with current gaming standards but fails tragically in trying to innovate itself.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-46594320722270331162013-04-25T14:30:00.000-07:002013-04-25T14:31:25.737-07:00Updated at last<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A long hiatus, I know. I was actually considering on updating when Half Life 3 gets released.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In anycase, I have been gaming but not so much in writing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throughout 2012 till now, I've been playing various games such as X-COM, Spec Ops: The Line, Dark Souls PC, Street Fighter X Tekken, Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, Dishonored, Assassin's Creed III, Black Ops 2, Dead Space 3, Far Cry 3, Tomb Raider, DMC,other games and currently Bioshock: Infinite.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm quite satisfied with last year's line-up of games and I have a feeling that this year's would be even better.<br /><br />As a 2012 personal review, these are the games that I enjoyed the most:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best game of 2012 - Dishonored</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loved the gameplay, the setting and the story. Almost endless possibilities to complete a mission or to kill a goddamn person in the game. Corvo's just badass and I'm looking forward to play the latest <strike>expansion</strike> DLC - The Knife of Dunwall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best story - Spec Ops: The Line</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, the gameplay is as generic as a shooter on rails and the AI co-op is unnecessary (beat the game without even relying on it) but it had the most intense and gripping story that I've ever experience. Well told and delivered.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best Shooter - Far Cry 3</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From stealth to gung ho and melee, this game takes the cake. A big improvement over FC2 and I really enjoyed going through this game. Lets not forget how beautiful this game looks. Oh and having a virtual DSLR can be very distracting (pics first, raid camp later ..OOH A COW!). On the other hand, using the bow and arrow was... meh.<br /><br /><b>Best RTS - X-COM: Enemy Unknown</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeap, most of you could've seen this coming a mile away. X-Com won my heart in many ways in this one. Permadeath really encourages you to choose your tactics carefully. Its not fun to see a soldier you grew fond of die forever in the game. The game is all about choices and the wrong ones lead to terrifying consequences.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best RPG - Final Fantasy XIII-2</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">HAHAHAHA OKAY I WAS SHITTING YOU</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best RPG - Dark Souls</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like its predecessor (its called Demons' Souls, you ignorant Final Fantasy loving dimwit), the game is merciless to any player. The combat relies a lot on the player's common sense of the game, equipment, skill, luck, tact and most importantly, patience. A well made masterpiece with some flaws but overly a great experience. You will die, by the way. A lot. And it will make you even more stronger.<br /><br /><b>Honorable Mention - Faster Than Light</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A short simple looking game with difficult progression. Addictive and wants you coming back for more. It makes you care for your crew and the choices you make on upgrading your ship. The choices you make will affect your progression and the thought of the next warp point may be your ship's last is always terrifying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Best Sequel - Mass Effect 3</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a big fan of Mass Effect and it does break my heart that Shepard's tale has come to an end. For 3 games we've been placed in Shep's N7 boots, fought wars, made decisions, meet wonderful characters, explored the Milky Way, romanced our respective love interests, kicked several gigantic synthetic squid asses and probed Uranus. A great journey and experience. A hard book to close and be put away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Worst Game I played in 2012 - Medal of Honor: Warfighter</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Authentic bullcrap of a shooter. What? You expected me to say more?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aight, thats all for this update. Hopefully I'm still eager to write and actually have the time to do so.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keelah Se'lai.</span>evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-42535131632908981322012-06-29T07:23:00.000-07:002012-06-29T07:28:16.880-07:00The Never Ending 7th Fantasy<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Mfi1h2i2U3zNs4TqPNsGbBu8QUltnvSyNpnJ9XI8SwpVioTYmg-k2RxVnlFIuFxIPitPn68n9MKCxsV0KWyDBCDrfZw3XUtM1nSNuFWo8vnTCc87kfDrLVbep4mjHu5-5BslNS_onRE/s1600/nomore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Mfi1h2i2U3zNs4TqPNsGbBu8QUltnvSyNpnJ9XI8SwpVioTYmg-k2RxVnlFIuFxIPitPn68n9MKCxsV0KWyDBCDrfZw3XUtM1nSNuFWo8vnTCc87kfDrLVbep4mjHu5-5BslNS_onRE/s400/nomore.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>If I see another goddamn "VII" behind these final fantasies..</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<text-align: justify;"=""><br /></text-align:><br />
<text-align: justify;"="">I loved Final Fantasy 7 (note: past tense)<br />
</text-align:><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
When it first came out for the PSX - I was wow-ed with the graphics, the combat system, the characters, the cutscenes and the story. It pulled me in and kept me playing until I finished the game. Newcomers would come and ask me what games to get for the PSX. "Get FF7, man! Its awesome!", was my reply.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>Square-Enix</i>.. or back when they were known as <i>Squaresoft</i> (before they had sex with <i>Enix</i>), realised FF7's potential and popularity. Even after successful releases such as FF8, 9 and 10 (oh and it's god forsaken dress-up sequel) years later, they would still return to FF7 because of it's huge fanbase.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is when they decided to milk the cow.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>In 2005, <i>SE</i> released a 3D animated film called <i style="font-weight: bold;">Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children</i> as a sequel to the original game. Familiar in-game songs have been remastered to headbanging metal tracks, characters are given an updated look, new characters are introduced, Sephiroth got his ass handed over again and Cloud is still a emo fag.<br />
<br />
I had mixed feelings when <b><i>FF7: AC</i></b> was released. It kinda felt unnecessary. It was more of a forced extension of the original plot. Cloud still regrets for not being able to save Aerith (after all these years? thats kinda pathetic), Tifa's love is still unrequited, dumbass plot device to bring back Sephiroth and finally, round 2 of Cloud VS Sephy. Simply put, it was nothing more than just fan service.<br />
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Just when you thought SE would place their focus on other things, they still held on to FF7's udders for more milk.<br />
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<b><i>Dirge of Cerberus</i></b> was then released. The story -- based after the events of <i>Advent Children</i> -- now revolves around Vincent, our was-then cool vampire buddy. I swear, SE loves to degenerate their characters into emotionally depressed individuals. Imagine Vincent going into a pub and talk about his boring and sad past. Yeap, that pretty much summarized the story. Oh and don't get me started with the gameplay.. Ironically, Vincent was supposed to be a hidden character. What if some players never did find him?<br />
<br />
By this time, FF11 and 12 were released. FF12 had a spinoff of it's own for the GBA. BUT WAIT! The cow is still producing milk for FF7! Thus, <b><i>Before Crisis</i></b> and <b><i>Crisis Core</i></b> was born~<br />
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Long story short -- never played <i>Before Crisis</i> because it was for mobile phones. <i>Crisis Core</i> was awesome because of Zack and Cloud will forever be an emo fag.<br />
<br />
With all these damn spin-offs for FF7 just got too old for me. Slowly but surely I began to hate FF7 because of the ridiculous amount of times SE decides to return to it.<br />
<br />
During the hype building for the PS3, SE decided to show off their brand new tech demo. How did they do that? Surprise! The remade the FF7 intro with current gen graphics. The demo made some ejaculate and some ovaries explode. Everyone started to beg for a FF7 remake.<br />
<br />
As a fan of the original - <i>HELL! I came to like JRPGs because of FF7</i> - I say, stop. Quit it. Thats enough. Let that goddamn franchise die. Focus on the newer games. And to my relief, SE said that they're not interested in remaking FF7. Or are they?<br />
<br />
As most of you know, SE has trademarked a website and leaked information on a remastered version of FF7 for the PC. <b>FOR PC!</b> I sure as hell don't know what the fuck they've been smoking but it sure as hell created a shitstorm.<br />
<br />
If this is all true, then I really have lost my respect for SE. They're milking the cow and they're milking her dry. If all of these talks about a FF7 remake is fake, I doubt they'll stop there either. We'll probably be seeing more FF7 spin-offs until Midgar is all covered in nature with Red XIII's kids running about (refer below for those who forgot or never bothered to wait after FF7's ending credits).<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/J2srKV5WTRk" style="background-color: white;" width="420"></iframe></div>
</div>evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-54693256338101055642012-06-26T12:14:00.000-07:002012-06-29T05:15:37.375-07:00The End of Mass Effect. FOR REAL.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGK1g0xotSBYrx-1Otv5fGhwzp8uqgPrqciUpKR3tUzKeFl_k8O8GCkywOIEssmghuk0eRvqgZS4zmFuA8IS0m27oaP2cjaTxA91MY1q7ID-jOvLjs0IfM_LPyrycFSdpcAHjDR3jkwTQ/s1600/marauder_shields_by_draggeta-d4una91.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGK1g0xotSBYrx-1Otv5fGhwzp8uqgPrqciUpKR3tUzKeFl_k8O8GCkywOIEssmghuk0eRvqgZS4zmFuA8IS0m27oaP2cjaTxA91MY1q7ID-jOvLjs0IfM_LPyrycFSdpcAHjDR3jkwTQ/s400/marauder_shields_by_draggeta-d4una91.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Hello again, Shepard.. do what you must.."</i> - artwork by Dragetta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was skeptical at first.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It would hurt any gamer out there to kill good friend Marauder Shields yet again to find out the new endings that was prepared by Bioware. Is it enough to redeem themselves after three months?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Spoilers ahoy.</div>
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The answer?</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">YES</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What makes an ending awesome? <b>Consequence, outcome, closure</b> and most importantly: <b>emotional impact.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In version <i>1.DUURRHHH</i> of the ending, all players were left hanging with a half-baked ending that supposedly closed Shepard's chapter once and for all. Fans were outraged and petitioned for Bioware to remake the endings entirely. Thankfully, they listened.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A huge franchise with a bummer ending? Yeap, they fucked up bad. This time, they atoned for their mistake.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Like the original, all these endings differ from each other depending on the player's decisions through Mass Effect 1 to 3. Although varied, all 3 of them are now satisfying. My personal choice & favorite would be the Synthesis ending.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So dust off your savegame and replay your final moments of Mass Effect 3. This time, keep in mind that Marauder Shields is smiling and he knows his sacrifice is now necessary for your happiness.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For the lazy bastards out there, here are the videos of the endings:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Control</b>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/m5J-QDTM8Zk?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Destroy</b>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GgYYYmzr7_A?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Synthesis</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CFzrRz6Dc0Y?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe>
</div>
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There you go. I'm sure there are nay-sayers out there who still find the endings disappointing, but to me, I liked them regardless. Gave me a reason to start a new game from Mass Effect 1 all over again to see how it ends in 3.</div>
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Thanks for listening, Bioware. It may be the end of Shepard's legend but I'm sure we'll be seeing more of the Mass Effect universe in the future.</div>
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<i>Keelah Se'lai.</i></div>evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2034177765857655296.post-82376357362968720382012-06-19T04:05:00.002-07:002012-06-19T04:05:46.999-07:00(Film) The FP - In the future, we dance like dorks<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JK-Fbj_FV2I" width="560"></iframe>
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Post-apocalyptic. Chaos. No government. No security. Gangs fight to claim territory ....by playing Dance Dance Revolution.<br />
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Well, in this case, its called Beat-Beat Revolution to avoid any unnecessary copyrights but you get the idea.<br />
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This film is called The FP. Think Dodgeball but with dorky dancing. It seems like a bad movie but thats the whole point. I watched the first 10 minutes preview in youtube and I fuckin loved it. A videogame inspired movie done right. Check it out.evilmatterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02735707986519013368noreply@blogger.com0