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Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 01/10/2018

Posted in: Editor's Choice, Microsoft Consoles, PC Reviews, PlayStation 4, Sony Consoles, Steam Deck Verification, Steam Deck Verified, Xbox One. Tagged: bethesda, first person shooter, fps, id software, shooter, the new colossus, wolfenstein ii. Leave a comment

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Machine Games

Release Date: 10/27/2017

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Good campaigns are kind of rare in FPS games these days, but 2016 brought back a ton of great FPS campaigns, and it was glorious. Wolfenstein II is another game that focuses more on its story and characters rather than its multiplayer, which is always a welcome change.

You play as BJ Blazcowicz as the story picks up right after The New Order. It’s 1961 America in which Hitler and his Nazi regime have dug their roots deeper into the world. BJ and his cohorts from the last game are trying to start a revolution and gather the last remaining scraps they can muster. It might sound like another typical FPS, but this game has heart, soul, and character. Every character is memorable, loveable, and downright awesome to experience. The entire cast just works so well together including the villains. The Nazi villains are ruthless, deadly, and just despicable and it takes good writing to feel that way about a character.

The story kept me going through the whole game as there were plot twists and sudden shock moments which had my blood boiling. One moment I thought everything was over only to have the story take a turn for the worse or better. It’s so well written and something you will talk about for a while. Outside of the story, the awesome shooting action is back and slightly improved and streamlined. One important thing to mention is that the boss fights are gone, but this is kind of a blessing as they were mediocre in the last game.

There’s a weapon upgrade system, collectibles, and new contraptions (that you acquire halfway through the story) to change things up. Each weapon gets 3 different upgrades and they are all extremely useful. From less recoil to suppressors, some even alter the ammo and dynamics of the weapon as a whole. The arsenal is broad and strong from energy weapons to grenade launchers, three-round auto-shotguns, and assault rifles. Every type of weapon is covered and they all feel great and unique, you will constantly switch up weapons for different enemies. Enemies are well thought out this time around and are evenly balanced with health. I felt like the difficulty didn’t jump around so much like the last game, the entire game was challenging with a hard section towards the end of each level.

The gameplay also changes with each level as you enter different environments. On some levels you’re underwater a lot, some have you wearing environment suits, and on some you’re weaponless. The entire campaign is mixed up and feels so smooth and well organized I just couldn’t get enough. Each enemy takedown feels satisfying, and I wanted to go out guns blazing, but stealth is easier to do in this game, so taking down commanders without sounding alarms was so awesome. Using takedown moves, ax throws, and silenced pistol shots were the way to go when you were heavily outnumbered. These areas in the last game were a chore to navigate and the enemy placement made it nearly impossible to get through a whole section without being detected.

My biggest complaint would be the level design. While the ideas were great, I got lost often and didn’t know where to go. Hallways all looked the same and there weren’t many landmarks to figure out where to go. The environments are beautifully created, but the layout is a bit dull. There’s at least plenty to do with optional objectives on the hub base, Das Hammer, and some endgame content to work through.

The visuals are stunning, especially on PC with all settings cranked up to the max. Great lighting, textures, and highly detailed models made this game come to life. I honestly can’t recommend Wolfenstein II enough, it’s one of the greatest FPS games made in the last decade.

DOOM

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 06/11/2016

Posted in: Editor's Choice, Microsoft Consoles, Nintendo Consoles, PC Reviews, PlayStation 4, Sony Consoles, Steam Deck Verification, Steam Deck Verified, Switch, Xbox One. Tagged: bethesda, doom, fps, id software, pc, playstation, ps4, xbox one. Leave a comment

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: id Software

Release Date: 5/13/2016

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Well, 2016 seems to be a great year for the comeback of shooters. First Overwatch, now DOOM (well in reviewing order). DOOM could have gone so bad, so quickly. However, id Software went back to its roots, updated it for the 2016 technology, and gave the middle finger to all the rest of the stuff plaguing the genre. DOOM is by far one of the best FPS games I have played in over a decade. It’s fast-paced, challenging, fun, full of secrets for veterans, and is just plain old shooting.

The game actually does have a bit of a story and it’s done just right to where it won’t get in the way of the shooting. You play Doomguy, a UAC Marine, who has to help a robot scientist, named Hayden, stop another researcher from bringing Hell to Earth. Amanda Pierce let the tech and religious aspect of Hell get to her and it overran the advanced Mars facility. Most of the story is told through logs which are actually the best way of keeping the story from getting in the way or becoming a train wreck. There are few cutscenes in DOOM, and when they play out, they are a nice break from the challenging gunplay. It’s light and crisp and isn’t stale ever which is great for the genre. Too many games, Battlefield, and Call of Duty, in particular, try to do this Hollywood sci-fi script of I don’t know what the hell to impress the edgy gamers out there. It doesn’t work, it’s a train wreck, and those stories are a complete mess. The FPS genre is relying too heavily on story and not enough on gameplay.

With that said, DOOM is just like you remembered all those years ago — forget about Doom 3. As soon as I took control of Doomguy I was in heaven. It’s fast-paced, controls amazingly well, and the guns feel fantastic. The slow build-up of your arsenal makes you smile every time you acquire a new weapon. Seeing Doomguy pick up the shotgun brought a “Hell Yeah” smile to my face. Seeing the chainsaw rip through enemies just gave me satisfaction in a shooter I haven’t felt in years. There’s a strong arsenal and not all classic weapons return; a majority are new. The chaingun is fun, the heavy assault rifle, and the gauss rifle is just so much fun. DOOM starts bringing the series into 2016 with weapons mods and Praetor Suit upgrades. These seem unnecessary at first, but with the way, the enemies are balanced and maps are laid out you feel you need them. Each weapon has two different mods which are incredibly helpful. The shotgun can get exploding buckshot or a three-round burst. There’s no reloading ammo in the game so the R key is used for switching between mods. To keep things balanced, there’s a mod switching animation so going into combat with what you want is necessary.

Let’s talk enemies. The game is chock-full of them and all the classics return. Pinkies, Hell Knights, Cacodemons, Imps, etc. They look fantastic, blow up great, and the game is so gory and full of detail. The game isn’t the most technically impressive as some textures are lacking, but the game has incredible lighting, and the game runs at a nice smooth clip at 60 FPS. It does require the latest PC hardware to run at maxed-out settings with Nightmare textures needing a GTX 980 or higher as it requires 6GB of VRAM. If you have the rig, you’re going to be in for a visual spectacle. I also have to commend the audio. The explosions, gunfire, enemy sounds, and gory splats are fantastic. The game also has the good ‘ol heavy metal soundtrack with a techno twist. This is one of the best video game soundtracks this year.

DOOM’s level design is actually very old school and it works well here. Each level is made up of arenas with linear hallways in between. 50 % of the fun in DOOM is finding all the secrets thanks to the excellent map. Once you find the Auto Map all secrets are revealed, but they are still challenging to find. You might see a collectible floating in the air, but you have to find the right switch or path to get to it. I haven’t had this much fun finding collectibles and secrets in a game in a very long time. It was done right here and not forced. Everything you miss can be reacquired by replaying levels. DOOM also features a new Rune Trial mode which are super fun mini-games of sorts that are quite challenging. I was able to beat them all through the first play-through, but a few proved tough. You get timed to complete certain goals such as killing a certain amount of enemies under certain circumstances. They change up the pace and are a warm welcome to the series.

Multiplayer is a bit of a disappointment, but it’s not awful. It’s fun for quite a while, but won’t have you coming back months later like other shooters. You have your classic modes and it’s just plain old run and gun fun online. It just feels like it’s lacking something or something that needs adjusting. Hopefully, the next DOOM will address this issue or we get a stand-alone DOOM multiplayer suite.

DOOM is a fantastic shooter and one of the best to come out in the past ten years. It does have a few flaws, I forgot to mention Glory Kills which are melee kills used when an enemy is stunned and flashing. Pressing F can launch you towards the enemy to acquire health and ammo, but it’s overused quite a bit. Thankfully it’s totally optional and towards the end of the game the novelty wore off and I only used it for health and ammo. The game does get repetitive towards the end, but not in an overly bad way. It’s just part of the genre and series and is a staple that will never go away. Outside of these issues, the game is worth a full purchase.

The Evil Within

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 09/19/2015

Posted in: Microsoft Consoles, PC Reviews, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Sony Consoles, Steam Deck Verification, Steam Deck Verified, Xbox 360, Xbox One. Tagged: bethesda, horror, japanese, Microsoft, pc, playstation, ps4, shooter, Sony, tango gameworks, the evil within, xbox one, zombies. Leave a comment

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Tango Gameworks

Release Date: 10/14/2014

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Right out of the gate I have to say that this game is extremely difficult. It took me nearly a year to get through this game because of just how exhausting the game is to play through. Fifteen grueling chapters clocking in at about 15 hours. You play as a man named Sebastian who enters an asylum with two other detectives to find out why a massacre broke out there. You are then stuck in a bunch of nightmares, you’re chasing a boy named Leslie, and running from a man named Ruvik. That’s it — have a good night. The story makes zero sense, there’s no comprehension, and it’s very disorienting. You go from crazy room to crazy room, down hallways, and arenas, with no sense of why you’re doing this.

Apart from the insanely vague story, the game does give off an amazing sense of atmosphere. Creepy intestines hang from the walls, eyeballs float around on ceilings; enemies are some of the scariest stuff since Dead Space, but I have to say, the atmosphere is awesome. Unfortunately, that’s about all that The Evil Within has going for it despite trying to bring back the old-school survival horror vibe which it fails to do. This is done with a lot of stop-and-go cut scenes, and endless hallways, and then you’re slammed with a bunch of action and no ammo — yeah it’s one of those.

This game wants to bring survival horror ammo scrounging to a game that has a lot of action, and this is very bad. It just doesn’t work, even if you are smart with your ammo, conserve, and use melee when the option is available, it just doesn’t always work. The game is highly unbalanced with long stretches of nothing and then several arenas full of bad guys. Now there is a stealth element added in, but it fails most of the time. Enemy paths are random, they are placed poorly, it’s hard to get to them because the sneak animation is aggravatingly slow, and it doesn’t end there. The game is devoid of puzzles, meaning there is no challenge outside of combat. On top of all this gunplay itself isn’t very fun as the camera zooms too close to Sebastian’s shoulder making quick aim disorienting and difficult, animations are janky and can’t be interrupted, and it takes forever to level up your abilities and weapons — it actually requires a second playthrough.

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I feel sometimes I’m too hard on the game, as it isn’t terrible, just extremely difficult and unpolished. The graphics are also something to be desired, they feel very dated, but have some nice lighting effects, however, the textures and models are all over the place; but nothing in here looks truly next-gen even on PC. I feel that this game is a little hard to explain as there’s so much going on and each area is completely different, that may be the only thing saving this game outside of the gruesome horror scenes and interesting boss fights. With no way to understand the story, players will try to latch on to other elements, but at the end of the day, you sit back and wonder if it was worth it.

Weapons in the game are your standard affair from a shotgun, revolver, sniper rifle (bolt action of course), rocket launcher, magnum, and crossbow. The crossbow is probably the most interesting gun in the game as you can create bolts from scraps you find by disarming traps, these become vital during boss fights and when you’re surrounded by bad guys. One interesting, yet unnecessary, element in the game is burning bodies with matches. If you have some you can do an instant kill by burning the body. This is useful against tougher enemies to save on ammo. There are also your typical secrets to find, hidden keys, map pieces, etc — stuff that most people don’t care to collect.

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Some players may appreciate the hardcore challenge, but most will balk, but the game is worth a playthrough for the atmosphere and roller coaster ride of gore, guts, and weirdness. Be prepared for a nonsensical story, and extremely unbalanced difficulty. If you can stomach the unpolished gameplay then you could have a pretty entertaining experience.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Dragonborn

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 06/04/2013

Posted in: DLC, Microsoft Consoles, PC Reviews, PlayStation 3, Sony Consoles, Steam Deck Playable, Steam Deck Verification, Xbox 360. Tagged: bethesda, dlc, dragonborn, expansion, first person, Microsoft, miraak, pc, playstation, ps3, rpg, skyrim, Sony, the elder scrolls v, Xbox 360. Leave a comment

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Release Date: 2/5/2013

Also Available On

The splashing of waves, the grass between your toes, the ash in your eyes, and Dunmer at your feet. Ah, it’s nice to be back in Morrowind! I was surprised when I found out Dragonborn took place in Solstheim which is a volcanic island just off the coast of Morrowind. You arrive there due to a strange occult thing happening. People are building relics in their sleep, basically, sleepwalking and building. You ask around about a guy named Miraak and people say he sounds familiar, but they can’t quite remember. As you ask around in the main city Raven Rock, you will be greeted by Devin Mallory’s brother and various other people who are very interesting to talk to.

I first have to mention that Dragonborn has some of the best art in any Elder Scrolls game. When you start getting the Black Books and travel to Apocrypha (Hermaes Mora’s territory) you will be stunned. It’s very Lovecraftian with the Lurker and Seeker enemies. There are strange tunnels that move, walls made of sticks, floors covered in paper with arcane writing, and strange magic and objects. I loved these areas and enjoyed them immensely. However, the main quest line is super short, there are more side quests here which is good I guess. The final fight with Miraak (not a spoiler, it’s obvious) is very challenging and you get to ride freaking dragons! This is probably the most powerful thing added to an Elder Scrolls game. I love the new shouts such as Bend Will. This will make enemies fight alongside you. The new Bonemold and Chitin armor looks awesome, as well as some new weapons. There’s quite a bit here and is a nice chunk of the game and a great final goodbye to Skyrim.

Many of the quests are more puzzle-related and quite challenging. It was nice to be really challenged in exploration in Dragonborn. One final quest has you finding cubes in an old Dwemer ruin. You have to place them in a certain order and run around finding them to open new parts up. The enemies are challenging and I found it all quite fun. There’s plenty of Morrowind lore here for longtime fans and newcomers who don’t know much about it.

I warn you though, that you need to be at least level 20 to start this. I came in at level 7 and got my butt handed to me by the Ash Spawn, the first enemies you will encounter. I died in just one hit, so be careful. I also hated how there was no place to train for smithing, and there was only one major town. At least you can fast travel to and from Skyrim via the map and not by boat every time. I was also upset that you didn’t get to ride dragons until the final quest and it’s very brief. Also, be warned, Miraak will steal all your dragon souls if you kill dragons in Solstheim. He’s a real bastard.

Overall, Dragonborn is a solid and final DLC to Skyrim. It is much better than Dawnguard in the sense that the story is more interesting, but there aren’t two sides to play. Being able to ride dragons is a major addition to the game, the enemies are interesting and challenging, the art looks fantastic, and the lore is great.

Top 10 Games of All Time

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 08/02/2012

Posted in: Blogs. Tagged: 2k games, 989 studios, ac2, assassin, assassin's creed, assassin's creed 2, assassin's creed ii, bethesda, big daddy, bioshock, blog, cars, david jaffe, eidetic, elder scrolls, epic games, ezio, fatality, fighter, fighting, gabriel logan, games of all time, gears of war, god of war, gran turismo, greek, guitar, guitar hero, harmonix, irrational, kratos, marcus fenix, Microsoft, mortal kombat, next-generation, oblivion, playstation, PlayStation 2, polyphony, ps1, ps2, psone, racer, racing, rhythm, rpg, Sega, sega genesis, shooter, simulator, sonic, sonic the hedgehog, Sony, spy, stealth, syphon filter, top 10, top ten, ubisoft, unreal, xbox, Xbox 360. Leave a comment

There are hundreds of thousands of games out there, but only a few hundred are considered masterpieces or classics. These are my personal top ten. I know it’s to everyone’s taste, but you can’t deny that these games are great. I have played hundreds in my 20 years of gaming, I have played through three generations of consoles, so at least I can speak on experience. I will try to be non-biased and even address some flaws in the games I pick because I have no problem with that. Flaws are flaws, and not a single game is perfect. There are more that are my favorite, but I would have to make a top 50 list.

10.Sonic the Hedgehog 2

This was one of the first games I had ever played at 2 years old. It helped introduce me to the gaming world and I just fell in love with the fast speed and intense gameplay. StH2 had some of the best level designs out of any game in the series and one of the best soundtracks to date. I remember never being able to actually beat the game because it was too long and too hard. I could never get past the factory level with all the grey orbs floating around Robotnik. I had to beat it many years later using an emulator and quick saves, but I still enjoyed it every time I played the game. I think I actually ruined my cartridge from taking it in and out of the Genesis so many times.

In fact, I even remember my first Genesis for Christmas of 1992. The copy of StH2 it came with kept freezing up in the system, so my mom took it back to Circuit City to exchange it. I remember throwing a tantrum because no matter how many times I blew the cartridge it kept freezing after pressing Start. The series has fallen off the deep end in the past ten years, but nothing can ruin the memories of this classic gem.

9. Gran Turismo

This game changed everything for me when it came to cars. My very first racing simulator actually made me think about every turn and what car I had to choose. I always played arcade racers before because consoles didn’t really have the power yet for realistic physics and graphics. I actually learned some things from this game like how to recognize cars on the street, and basic ways on how cars operate. I was sitting in front of my TV at 8 years old tuning my car and adjusting things like camber angle, toe angle, stabilizers, sway bars and gear ratios like a champ. I then followed the series all the way to Gran Turismo 5 today and have witnessed one of the greatest evolutions in gaming history.

8. BioShock

I remember the skepticism from PC gamers because of the greatness and expectations from System Shock 2. I didn’t have a PC capable of playing any major games throughout my early gaming years. My computer didn’t even run Flash very well, so I solely relied on consoles. BioShock’s narrative and atmosphere made a huge impact on me and the gaming industry as a whole. The first time seeing a Big Daddy and Little Sister was just shocking. You felt trapped in this underwater utopia, but you were also memorized by how it could have been accomplished in such an early time period. The game just worked so well and felt different from the standard military shooters at the time. BioShock 2 was too similar to the first game and just didn’t make the same impact.

7. Assassin’s Creed II

The second game was so much better than the first because it created a whole new world and a much more likable character Ezio is one of gaming’s most familiar faces and the game itself was revolutionary for its time. A huge open world in a historically accurate Rome, Italy was just unheard of. There was so much attention to detail that you had to sit back and just take it all in. The characters were likable, and the story was memorable with a deep and tangled political plot. The game was also violent with a fighting system never before seen in an action/adventure game. This game was almost perfect in so many ways that the rest of the games have yet to capture.

6. Syphon Filter

Syphon Filter was criticized a lot for ripping off Metal Gear Solid plot-wise. The game had unique characters, a memorable plot, and some of the best-level designs ever seen for its time. The stealth was perfectly executed and had some memorable moments. I have played this game numerous times and was actually my first-ever third-person shooter. I remember how confusing the game was because I didn’t understand how shooters worked. I was so used to platformers, adventure games, and puzzle games. After playing this game I felt like I was part of the grown-up crowd. The other two games on the PS1 were just as good but not as memorable as the first game. This has grown to be one of my favorite games of all time just due to the wonderful memories I have had.

I used to beat the game once a week using the one-shot-kill code then again without it. I memorized every enemy, and how to get every kill without being seen in stealth missions. I even went as far as replaying certain dialog scenes because they were just that cool. Syphon Filter is a mostly underappreciated game because of the lack of releases the series has seen. The last game came out three years ago on the PSP, but thankfully Syphon Filter 4 was announced for PS3.

5. God of War

God of War changed my way of thinking about action/adventure games. I remember driving to K-Mart to buy my copy after reading reviews and hearing the game blow up on forums. I didn’t really expect much other than Greek mythology-themed Devil May Cry. I was dead wrong. The game had one of the most thrilling and epic combat systems ever created. I never really even knew what quick time events were until God of War made them cool and did them right. It added a whole new layer of depth and connection to the combat that has never really been done before. The huge boss fights, gorgeous (at the time) visuals, and unabashed nudity and sexuality that few games dare tread. God of War still impresses to this day and with each iteration in the now 5 game series. Kratos is also one of the most memorable and recognizable characters to date. Make sure to pick up God of War Collection and God of War Origins Collection if you missed out on those four awesome games while waiting for God of War: Ascension.

4.Gears of War

Gears of War changed my mind on shooters the way God of War did for action games. The gameplay was just so different from your standard shooter. It was heavy-hitting, atmospheric, and featured some of the most memorable characters and stories to date. For a futuristic military shooter that’s a huge achievement. The weapons were memorable, it was perfectly balanced, and everything had a dark crunchy hit to it. The game was nearly perfect, and the graphics were out of this world at the time. I remember this being the first next-generation game I ever played when I got my first Xbox 360 for Christmas of 2006. Each of the three games in the series is amazing, but nothing compares to when I first played the first game. It wowed me like no other, and Gears of War is one of the few games I have played multiple times.

3.Guitar Hero

Sure this series along with Rock Band single-handedly killed the band instrument rhythm genre, but nothing compares to the first Guitar Hero. This game is the reason why I currently own and play the guitar today. Pulling off complicated riffs, solos, and chords with the then high-tech guitar controller was like magic. I spent dozen upon dozens of hours replaying songs and getting high scores. Sure it cost a lot, but it was well worth it to me. While the songs weren’t originals they were masterfully re-created and the guitar controller responded perfectly. The games later in the series lost sight of the value of mastering songs and just start pumping them out uncontrollably after GH3. This game redefined the rhythm genre and took the entire world by storm. Most people nowadays never played the first game, and they were missing out on a lot.

2.The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

This was the first game I spent over 100 hours on. The world was so rich and fantastic that I felt like I was playing in one of my favorite fantasy novels. The lore, characters, quests, and loot were just so addictive and engrossing I couldn’t put it down. I remember one play session going on for 12 hours when no other game has kept me in front of the TV for that long. The expansion pack was even more amazing, and the graphics blew me away. Of course, there were a lot of technical problems, and the PC version was better, but I sure had a ton of fun with this game. Skyrim is just as good, but it didn’t wow me like Oblivion did because this was my first Elder Scrolls game. To be honest I picked this up for $60 expecting not to like it much and I was dead wrong. Anyone who has just played Skyrim needs to go back and play this. It revolutionized the action RPG genre in my eyes and a lot of games have tried to copy it to this day.

1.Mortal Kombat

Yes, I am talking about the 1992 Sega Genesis/Arcade classic. This is my favorite video game series of all time and this is because it was the first video game I ever played. I remember my cousin babysitting me and seeing him control these characters on-screen at 2 years old. I remember seeing him pull off Scorpion’s mask and burn a character. It was something I saw before, and soon enough I was mastering the controls and beating him at 2 years old. I never knew how to pull off a fatality until years later when the internet became more mainstream, but I loved beating this game constantly. To date, I own almost every game in the series on several different platforms and have pre-ordered every recent game since 2004’s Deception. I don’t think I have played a game more than Mortal Kombat, but I still enjoy Japanese fighters. I find Mortal Kombat more accessible with more interesting characters and a story because they aren’t cliché and generic like most Japanese fighters tend to feel. There’s a whole giant story behind each and every character and they are all unique.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 04/10/2012

Posted in: Editor's Choice, Microsoft Consoles, PC Reviews, PlayStation 3, Sony Consoles, Steam Deck Playable, Steam Deck Verification, Xbox 360. Tagged: bethesda, elder scrolls, game of the year, mods, pc, rpg, skyrim, steam. Leave a comment

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Release Date: 11/11/2011

Also Available On

Here it finally is! I had so many great memories with Oblivion back in 2007. I could go on and on about that game, but the fifth game in the series is before us and has taken the world by storm. From creating internet memes to lots of weird videos on YouTube, Skyrim is a behemoth that even non-gamers couldn’t ignore. Skyrim takes place in well, Skyrim, which is north of Cyrodiil. Cyrodiil was where Oblivion was set in, but Skyrim is also set 200 years after those events. Of course, they are talked about in Skyrim, but time isn’t the only change in the game.

You are the Dragonborn, or Dovahkiin, who has the power of the Thu’um which means you can shout like a dragon. This is actually a major gameplay element in the game as well as fighting dragons. The map may seem smaller than Cyrodiil, but there is a lot more content in the game. I spent 108 hours on Skyrim and that was 90% completion of side quests, areas discovered, and finishing the main story. I finished at level 45 and had almost 100,000 gold. In Oblivion I was able to finish the game about 95% in 50 hours. That lets you know how much more content there is, so you will be busy for months.

Let’s talk about combat first. The game still has the third/first-person melee combat like the past two games, but it has been revised. The combat feels smoother, and not so much like you’re playing whack-a-mole. There are more elements involved behind the engine, but the thing you will see the most is the perk system that is borrowed from the Fallout series. When you level up you look to the sky and have a bevy of different areas to gain perks in magick areas, combat, defense, and even blacksmithing (more on that later). Concentrate on one area and try to get as many perks as you can. This gets rid of the system from Oblivion where you can only level up to something if you use it like jumping around like a bunny to increase endurance etc. If you use light armor you will gain levels (up to 100 in every category) in that area. Use two-handed weapons or destruction spells and you will gain levels quickly. The perks allow you to gain and build on that area instead of solely relying on users to gain levels.

Of course, there are new enemies in the game like Draugrs and dragons. Dragons should be avoided early on until at least level 10 because you will die in one hit. Once you kill these beasts you gain their soul and can use it to unlock dragon shouts. Shouts consist of powers like Unrelenting Force, Slow Time, and Fire Breath. Each shout has three levels, but you need to find those words by exploring dungeons throughout the world. Dragons are just awesome creatures to fight because they are the biggest enemy ever put into a TES game. Of course, you need to watch out for wildlife like bears, crabs, leopards, etc. The world of Skyrim is dangerous and cold so beware. Sneaking is still a huge problem because it seems no matter how high your sneak skill is you still get caught, especially pickpocketing.

Factions are a huge part of TES and Skyrim doesn’t leave you out. The thieves, dark brotherhood, mages, and fighters guild are all here, but bigger and better. The stories are more fleshed out and are a lot longer plus your rewards are better. The Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild stories were my favorites, and show you just how deep into the lore and story you can get. Everything else from past TES games you remember is here like choices during dialog, but thankfully the whole persuasion mini-game is gone from Oblivion. There are a lot more main characters, and the voice acting is more varied, but everyone has Nordic accents because Skyrim has a Viking/Nordic setting which is a huge departure from Oblivion‘s strictly medieval tone.

Looting is a huge part of TES and Skyrim doesn’t disappoint here. There is so much to loot that even 100 hours in you will still scour every nook and cranny for stuff to sell at shops. Lockpicking has been improved and is much quicker this time around. Menus have also been improved with a nice four-way system leading to items, magic, map, and skills. This gets rid of Oblivion‘s awful Excel sheet-type menus. Of course, my complaint here is that you can’t compare items anymore which is a major pain. You have to remember stats which is a bigger pain when shopping.

Skyrim has a forging system where you can get ingots for various medals as well as leather. Use these to forge weapons and armor in different categories like Daedric, Leather, Studded, Iron, Glass, Ebony, etc. You can upgrade these on benches for armor and grindstones for weapons. This makes the whole armor and weapon system feel more custom-made to your liking instead of just what is out there. The armor and weapons are over double what is in Oblivion. Those are all the major changes in Skyrim, but there is so much detail here that you have to play the game to truly see what I am talking about. You can even read every single book in the game there is so much detail here. Fans of the series will love the deepened and richer lore of the races and part of the TES series. There are tons of that here. You even get to explore ancient Dwemer (Dwarven) ruins.

Horseback riding is back, and even the third-person view has been greatly improved as well as animations. There are so many major changes as well as minor changes, that I can’t even remember them all. However, there is a huge issue with this game and that is bugs. There were so many bugs upon release that stopped quests from continuing, quest items being lost, stuck in areas, graphics bugs, dragons flying backward, and everything else you can imagine. Even after a few patches, there are still some bugs, and probably a few that will never be fixed. This is unacceptable even for a large game like this. Thankfully there is a huge mod community that fixed a lot of this first, but the stock game has problems that the console gamers can’t fix.

The models are still ugly, and the woman still looks like men. PC gamers get high-resolution textures which make the game look amazing, but the consoles are stuck with low-res graphics that look kind of dated. The lighting in Skyrim is great, but with so many issues cosmetically you really should get the PC version. Mods out there transform women into beautiful heroines straight out of comic books, amazing new armor, new lighting, graphical effects, etc. The stock game is really lacking technically and that disappointed me quite a bit. If you can look past all this Skyrim is one of my favorite RPGs of all time and sits right up there with Oblivion.

Collector’s Edition: Hardcore fans may want to drop the extra $90 for the monster collector’s edition. You get a giant statue of Alduin that is an in-game model, a giant coffee table style art book, a making-of-DVD, and a steel bookcase. The statue is worth the extra money itself and it looks amazing. Of course, this is for hardcore fans only, but good luck finding one.

Games That Would Have Gotten A 10 — Part 1

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 01/22/2012

Posted in: Blogs. Tagged: action, adventure, arkham asylum, assassin, assassin's creed 2, assassin's creed ii, batman, bethesda, bioshock, blog, comics, DC, elder scrolls, fallout 3, fatality, fighter, fighting, fps, game of the year, games, god of war 3, greek, irrational, kratos, Microsoft, mortal kombat, netherrealm, oblivion, open world, pc, playstation, portal 2, post apocalyptic, puzzle, red dead redemption, rockstar games, rpg, sandbox, shooter, Sony, steam, ten, that would have gotten a 10, ubisoft, unreal, valve, warner bros, xbox, Xbox 360. Leave a comment

There is no such thing as a perfect game. There never will be and that’s just the cruel hard truth. Very few games come close and that’s why I have only ever given one 10 (Gears of War). If I could go back and give games a 10 what would they be? Some almost felt perfect, but there was something there that didn’t quite make it that high. Games that get 9.5’s are usually amazing and probably the best games out, but sometimes games will sit as perfect to you whether they are technically or not. This is part 1 of 2 because there are just too many to list in one sitting. These are the game I have reviewed and sit as 10’s in my heart (in no particular order of course!)

BioShock

This game pretty much changed narratives from here on out because BioShock really blew me away. Not only was the pacing perfect, but the story was dark and terrible and something imagined in nightmares. It wasn’t monsters popping up out of the closet, zombies shambling towards you, but it took humanity’s imperfections and let them loose. The gameplay had an array of amazing weapons to use, the EVE powers were great to use, and who can forget seeing a Big Daddy and Little Sister for the first time? That demo really blew me away and it was one of the few games that I could play over and over and never get bored. At the time the graphics were fantastic and helped you feel claustrophobic in that underwater utopia. With BioShock Infinite coming along I hope it hits me the same way.

Mortal Kombat

Who can deny the fact that this was the true return of Mortal Kombat? The game was everything fans wanted with the best characters, excellent graphics, a simpler fight system, and the inclusion of great content for single-player users. The X-Ray moves were shocking, plus the return of superb and original Fatalities that have been lacking since MK: Deception. The game was silky smooth in the controls department, plus the addition of four DLC characters and a slew of classic costumes. I truly felt like a kid again and was basking in the feeling that MK was back and felt just like it did 20 years ago.

Portal 2

A puzzle game usually doesn’t get as much recognition as Portal has gotten. It has become a household name thanks to one thing that the game is named after. Portal 2 completely turns the game into a full-fledged adventure through different areas complete with scripted cinematic events. What makes Portal 2 as great as it is the voice acting and characters. Never have characters been so memorable, and being game staples is hard to become. The pacing was perfect, there was just enough content not to overwhelm you, but to make you feel like it was new and fresh. The puzzles were laid out perfectly and gave you that “AHA!” moment when you finally solved it. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed playing through the entire game and laughing through the entire thing. Portal 2 will always sit with me as one of the best games ever made.

Red Dead Redemption

Not only is Rockstar the best at making worlds you can totally get lost in, but RDR also made you believe it was real. When I played through RDR I felt like the game came to life with such accurate landscape, wonderfully played out characters, and some great missions that make you feel like they were different every time. The atmosphere was rich and bursting at the seams with depth. I never played a game where I felt like a real cowboy and felt like I was doing cowboy things that made a difference. RDR will always sit as a game that many should be based on especially open-world games because this one was perfect to me.

God of War III

God of War is the father of a lot of things. Cinematic action/adventures, quick-time events, and huge giant bosses in said action/adventures, but nothing could prepare me for GoW3. The graphics were way ahead of their time (even in this generation) and the pacing and story were just perfect. The combat was so smooth and just ran like butter across the screen. The powers you held, the weapons you got, and the puzzles were so fun that you actually savored each moment in the game. Sure, the first game made me think differently about how games should be made, but GoW3 set the standard and still is today. GoW was the first game series I could play over and over again and never get bored, and GoW3 is probably on top of all of them.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

If I had to pick my favorite game of all time this would be it. I had never spent so many hours on a game as I did in Oblivion. It set a whole new standard for RPGs. The interaction with characters, the looting, the lore, the dungeons were all just fascinating and mesmerizing. Over 100 of just minute detail that I had never seen in any game. All the books could be read, random quests from people who actually mattered because the effects would impact you later on. Being able to pick plants, the number of swords, magic, spells, tomes, shields, armor, and riding horses? It was truly a fantasy book come to life and it had never been done before in that much detail. I actually would get lost for over a dozen hours without putting the controller down and no other game could make me do that. Oblivion sits in my heart as something more than just a game, but a world I could escape in and forget about all my problems.

Assassin’s Creed II

AC2 really hit home with me because of the grand scale of the characters, story, and the just sheer amount of content in the game. I really got sucked into this world that beautifully recreated, and for once I felt like I was playing a piece of history. No other game has been capable of that, but what got me more than anything was how free I felt. Running from rooftop to rooftop and seeing and hearing shingles shift under my feet, climbing grand buildings, unfolding a deep mysterious plot, and using awesome kill moves is something of most kids’ dreams (if you’re a psycho kid like I was). The graphics were unbeatable at the time, and it still holds up as the pinnacle for free world action/adventures to this day.

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Arkham Asylum set the standard for superhero games and is declared as the best one ever made. Not only was the combat silky smooth, and the fact that you were Batman, you actually did everything you could in the comics! It was unbelievable using the detective mode, swinging around with your bat claw, and scaring the daylights out of enemies by tossing a Batarang at them. How cool is that?! The excellent voice acting and all the characters from the comic helped make it the greatest superhero game ever made. EVER.

Fallout 3

When I found out Bethesda was making Fallout 3 I knew I would be sucked into another amazing world for over a hundred hours, and I was right. Fallout 3 sucked me in just like Oblivion with tons of memorable characters, a great overarching story, but the setting and environment was the main character and drew me in. I actually felt lonely and scared walking The Capital Wasteland, and no other game made me feel that way before. I looted every corner with caution because the game felt so close to home, and you could wonder about this giant apocalypse. I really felt a sigh of relief when I found a new town and almost dreaded going back out in the wasteland alone. What kind of game can you think of that made you feel that way? Probably none.

2011 Game of the Year Awards — Achievements — Most Disappointing Game

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 12/22/2011

Posted in: 2011, Game of the Year Awards. Tagged: 2011, 360, achievements, awards, best, bethesda, brink, call of juarez, duke nukem, forever, fps, game of the year, gearbox, hunted, id software, Microsoft, most disappointing game, pc, playstation, playstation 3, ps3, rage, rpg, shooter, Sony, steam, the cartel, the demon's forge, xbox. Leave a comment

The first thing that needs to be known is that the most disappointing isn’t the worst. These are games that were greatly hyped and had so much promised, but in the end, didn’t deliver any of it. These games are playable, but barely enjoyable, but also not really terrible either. There weren’t too many disappointing games this year, but the ones that were really made an impact this year.

Rage

Rage had such strong potential over all the disappointing games this year. It had the atmosphere, guns, and even the developer behind it…like the inventor of first-person shooters id Software and they managed to screw this up. The PC version got hit the worst with bugs and glitches that are so bad id won’t even bother patching them. The console versions saw some frame rate issues, but overall better graphics were promised, a fully open-world area to explore, and the game is very repetitive with a terrible ending. Rage put me down more than any game this year so shame on id.

Runner-Ups

Call of Juarez: The Cartel

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Duke Nukem Forever

Brink

Hunted: The Demon’s Forge

2011 Game of the Year Awards — Achievements — Best Atmosphere

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 12/22/2011

Posted in: 2011, Game of the Year Awards. Tagged: 2011, 360, achievements, action, adventure, arkham city, assassins of kings, awards, batman, best, bethesda, cd projekt red, comics, DC, directx 11, elder scrolls, epic games, game of the year, gears of war 3, la noire, Microsoft, pc, playstation, playstation 3, ps3, rockstar games, rpg, skyrim, Sony, steam, unreal, witcher 2, xbox. Leave a comment

An atmosphere is what delivers emotion and overall feelings in the game. The atmosphere can make a game scary, colorful, cartoony, or make you feel alone and sad. Atmosphere much matches and represent the idea of the game. Sometimes the atmosphere isn’t delivered right and can make a game feel boring, or just look bad.

L.A. Noire

The Best Atmosphere category was even harder than last year’s because so many great AAA titles came out with strong atmospheres. There were also some games I didn’t get a chance to squeeze into the runner-up’s area so that tells you how well this category did this year. While some of the others may have better art to back up their atmosphere L.A. Noire does something that most can’t: Make an atmosphere without fancy art or licenses. L.A. Noire is a new IP and pulls off a 1940’s era in realistic detail and really pulls you in and brings you into a time period that most games don’t explore outside World War II. L.A. Noire had amazing visuals to back it, but to make the game feel so true to an era is very hard to do. You don’t need fancy art for that.

Runner-Ups

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Batman: Arkham City

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Gears of War 3

Fallout: New Vegas — Lonesome Road

Posted by BinaryMessiah on 10/05/2011

Posted in: Microsoft Consoles, PC Reviews, PlayStation 3, Sony Consoles, Steam Deck Playable, Steam Deck Verification, Xbox 360. Tagged: bethesda, dlc, downloadable content, fallout, fps, lonesome road, new vegas, obsidian, pc, post apocalyptic, shooter, steam. Leave a comment

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Developer: Obsidian

Release Date: 9/20/2011

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With this being the final DLC in the New Vegas saga this one is about you. You finally get to meet Courier Six, and this journey is a true test of your skills leading up to this release. This lonesome road doesn’t allow you to take companions (you do find an old friend inside, however), you also get new weapons, enemies, and probably the most destroyed-looking area in any Fallout game so far. The game is very linear, but not like Dead Money where you just run around in circles completing stupid tasks. You go from point A to B, but it’s a long road (about 5 hours actually) and there are some surprises along the way.

First off you get a detonator gun along the way that allows you to blow up nuclear warheads along the way (30 in total) to kill enemies from afar or make new paths. This is exactly what I have been waiting for since Fallout 3 and we finally get to do it. Hell, you get to launch 2 different huge nukes in this DLC. The ending also makes a huge impact on the story (even if you did finish the main story). You do get new weapons that are mostly energy-based, but there are some awesome melee weapons, so there is something here for every type of player.

The new enemies are Marked Men which are NCR troops that got stuck out here in this nuclear site and turned into ghouls. These guys have many different weapons (the new Glare gun is my favorite since it acts like a semi-automatic rocket launcher). The Tunnelers are pretty tough little guys that are fast-moving, but you only run into them when you are underground. Deathclaws make an appearance and will cut you down fast if you don’t have some good armor. Overall the game will provide a great challenge, especially the final boss fight (which required several restarts and quick saves for me).

Overall Lonesome Road provides a great challenge, new weapons, and environments, but there are no real quests since you are only going in one direction. There are also only two characters in the whole DLC, so overall the DLC may feel empty to some people and too straightforward. I liked it since it really made you feel alone, and everything was up to you: Survival, the ending turns out, and saving the Mojave from mass destruction (once again). The DLC feels like the exact opposite of Old World Blues (tons of brilliant characters and quests), but not nearly as linear and hard as Dead Money.