IT’S BEEN A WHILE

It’s been around 9 months since my last update. During that time, I’ve played several games including Warframe which I’ve gotten very much into. Now, I won’t be covering all the games I’ve played during that 9 month period because it would take too long (and also I’ve forgotten some of them), instead I’ll talk about the last 4 I’ve finished and I’ll keep it short.

• LIFE IS STRANGE
  Loved this game! I went into the game expecting great things since I’d heard how good it was and was gladly not disappointed. Great story with great characters and a soundtrack that’s become part of my playlist.

• WHAT REMAINS OF EDITH FINCH
  A walking simulator focusing on the Finch family and the curse that surrounds them. Again, this was a game that I’d heard lots of positives about and it didn’t disappoint. Learning about each member of the Finch family and exploring the Finch house was amazing. What makes it beautiful is the fact that each family member’s tale is told in a different manner which keeps the game fresh and gripping.

• WATCH_DOGS
  It’s a Ubisoft game which means you can expect a minimap filled to the brim with icons and objectives, that made my eyes hurt. The story is same old revenge for the death of a loved one and I might have been better disposed to Aiden Pearce as a character, if he weren’t so bland and generic. I wouldn’t picking up Watch_Dogs for its story but gameplay-wise, it is a solid game. I found the shooting to be a very clunky and it took me a while to get used to it. However, moments where you have to rely on hacking is where this game comes into its own and those are the instances that I enjoyed the most, to such an extent that I found myself forgoing combat and focusing on hacking and stealthing my way in. The online is pretty fun as well especially where you invade other players to hack them and steal data. Nothing beats the thrill of watching your opponent running around the street shooting at random civvies as you’re hacking them while hiding behind a hedge. So all in all, an okay game to spend some time in.

• NIER: AUTOMATA
  Oh where to begin with this one. This (along with LiS) has quickly become one of my favorite games. I’ve only just completed the game at the time of writing and the roller coaster of emotions that this game took me on was beautiful. I won’t talk about its story, mainly because it’s something that should be experienced firsthand. Gameplay-wise, it’s a mix between hack-and-slash and sections with bullet hell shooters. This gets a strong recommendation from me. Damn, what a beautiful soundtrack this game has.

UPDATE AFTER A REALLY LONG TIME!

• GONE HOME
  A walking sim with a great story. It’s pretty short; I managed to finish it within 2 hours, but I had a pretty good time with it. I won’t talk about the story since that is the main pull of the game itself but it is worth a play.
  Of course, the achievements get added after I finish the game. Oh well, gives me an excuse to revisit the game sometime later.

• MEDAL OF HONOR: AIRBORNE
  A pretty fun WWII FPS game focused on the Airborne units with each level starting out with the player parachuting into the battlefield. I have a soft spot for WWII shooters since I grew up playing them, so this scratches the nostalgia itch for me. However, it is really short which kind of disappointed me, lasting only 5 hours. I suppose you could lengthen the playtime by going after the landing challenges but that didn’t particularly interest me. Still, a good time if somewhat short.

• FIREWATCH
  Another walking sim with a great story, though I’d prefer this to Gone Home. I adored the beautiful visuals adorned with bright colors. I loved the way the characters interacted with one another and the rapport you could build between them. Not to mention, the feeling of isolation it creates. I replayed it immediately after my first playthrough. I’d fully recommend getting it, because studio Campo Santo did a great job with this one.

• SALT AND SANCTUARY
  A 2D action game that wears it Souls-like inspiration on its sleeve. I had the most amazing time with this. It plays quite similarly to Dark Souls, though it brings originality in the form of brands which grant you different abilties to traverse the world. The visuals are great, with some of the bosses ranging from imposing to frightening in terms of design. Many of the bosses, much like Dark Souls, can destroy you in seconds, forcing you to fight them several time to figure out their attack patterns and gain an edge. The lore is very interesting as well, though again like Dark Souls, most of it is hidden in the descriptions. All in all, a great game specially if you enjoy Souls-like games.

4 GAMES DEFEATED!

• BROTHERS: A TALE OF TWO SONS

A simple puzzle game with a beautiful atmosphere and a pretty sad ending. I had fun playing the game even though none of the puzzles were very hard or required a lot of thought. The ending, on the other hand, was heart-breaking and tugged at my heartstrings. It’s a pretty casual game lasting about 4 hours. I imagine somebody not interested in the achievements might finish it sooner. I recommend the game, especially if you have a few hours to fill before starting another big game.

• HOMEFRONT

Got this in the winter sale and only just managed to play it. It focuses around what would happen if North Korea invaded America and puts us in the shoes of a resistance fighter. It’s a pretty short game with only 7 levels and I’d say the story is quite mediocre. The multiplayer is dead, though I did manage to find one server, where I played for a few hours. The multiplayer is actually fun, where 2 teams, the Resistance and the Koreans, are pitted against each other. You are supposed capture points and kill enemies, which earns you battle points that you can use to buy vehicles and other additional things. However, since the multiplayer is dead, you’ll have a hard time finding a match.

• HOMEFRONT: THE REVOLUTION

Another game I picked up in the Winter sale, even though, it was mostly negative at the time, iirc. I’m honestly glad to say that I enjoyed the game quite a lot, evident by the 77 hours I spent on it. The story is nothing special, focusing on the resistance effort in Philadelphia, and us playing as Ethan Brady, a new recruit. The Revolution is not a direct sequel to the previous Homefront. It is a reimagining which is based on what would happen if the technological boom had occurred in the Silicon River in North Korea, instead of the Silicon Valley. It features 3 separate zones; the red zone where there is no civilian presence and KPA patrols are very frequent along with giant airships in the sky; the yellow zone which is populated by normal citizens and where KPA presence is lower; and the green zone where the elite of the regime live. It is quite a fun game to play as most of the bugs have been patched out. There are still some bugs, like enemies just randomly vanishing but nothing game breaking.

I also managed to grab the expansion pass for this that contains all of the 3 single player campaigns. The first one called The Voice of Freedom is a prequel to the game and lasts about 45 mins to an hour. It’s story is mediocre and has Benjamin Walker, leader of the Resistance, navigating the subways while battling the 9-0, a group of survivalist nutters who’re against the KPA and the Resistance. The 2nd campaign brings back Ethan Brady, but this time he’s voiced! It’s set after the main game and involves rescuing, and if failing that, eliminating Benjamin Walker, who after being captured by the KPA, has been broken and is now being broadcast while spouting anti-Resistance propaganda. It’s a pretty good story campaign and I enjoyed it quite a lot. I won’t go into detail about the 3rd campaign since it is the best of the bunch and should be experienced firsthand.

The game also features a resistance mode where you and 3 other players are part of the Wraiths, a special resistance strike team and are tasked to perform missions in several areas of the main game. It has a skill system where after completing each mission, you gain money, which can be used to buy better gear, weaponry and attachments; and XP which can used to buy skills of your choice from 4 skill trees. It is pretty enjoyable but sadly I had to play this mode solo, since it is dead.

Homefront The Revolution was 10$ in the recent sale, which I think is a fair price for it. I suggest getting the expansion pass for about 5$ with it since it features some very good content.

• LARA CROFT GO
  I picked this up in the recent sale since I had some money left and it looked fun. The game is more puzzle-oriented rather than focusing on action like the recent tomb raider titles. You walk from node to node, which counts as a single move, solving puzzles and avoiding enemies. There is a variety of enemies and puzzles which made me sit and think for a while. It has a great art style with brilliant colors that are just beautiful to watch. For about 3$, it is a steal if you’re in the market for a casual puzzler that won’t take up a lot of time.

4 GAMES COMPLETED!

• INSIDE

Another gem from the makers of Limbo, Playdead. INSIDE is a great platformer that features no narrative or dialogue much like Limbo and requires the player to make their own assertions about the plot. I had as much fun reading up on the theories about this game as I did playing it. I’ll keep it short and recommend it as a must play if you enjoyed Limbo, even though the puzzles are much much easier. The visuals are great especially when you’re traveling through shades of black and grey and finally see a bit of sunlight. If you managed to grab this from the Monthly, do play it.

• CROSS OF THE DUTCHMAN

I picked this up in a trade because it looked like a fun top down hack n slash. It was surprisingly short, only lasting 3 hours before I completed it. The story revolves around a farmer defending his family and home from the encroaching Saxons. The story was pretty mediocre because I predicted what would happen in the first hour of the game despite having no information about any of the lore involved in it.The combat is nothing special either. You can use your fists or your sword (which is given to you in the 2nd last chapter of the game iirc) and both have 4 special moves that consume stamina. It has a regenerating health bar which makes the game very easy, as you can just stand behind and recover health while your allies clear out the enemies. All in all, I’d give it a 6 out of a 10. A good choice if you’re looking for a quick finish, that doesn’t require much effort on your part.

• PORTAL 2

I’ve already played the game before and this was a trip down memory lane. I’m sure no one needs me to describe what the game is like since most of us might have already played it. If you still haven’t, what are you waiting for? :P I do have to say though, the “Professor Portal” and “Friends List with Benefits” achievements were a bit of a pain.

• PORTAL STORIES: MEL

As my hopes of ever playing Portal 3 or Half-Life 3 dwindle, I turn to mods to fill that gaping hole in my metaphorical gaming heart and let me tell you, Portal Stories: Mel does a great job at filling those holes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). The story is set in the time between Portal and Portal 2 and features Mel trying to find a way out of Aperture Sciences. I loved the plot, especially the way they connected it to the the beginning of Portal 2. I found the puzzles to be much more challenging than Portal 2 and if you want a greater challenge, you can turn to the Advanced maps. My absolute favorite thing about this mod, however, is the music. Portal Stories: Mel has one of the best soundtracks I’ve listened. In fact, I’m listening to it right now as I write this! So, if you have a craving for all things Portal, give this mod a chance which does a very good job of capturing the essence of the main series.

P.S. I really like the Portal gun design.
P.P.S. If you know of any Portal 2 or Half-Life 2 story mods like this one, let me know!

BATCH 4 COMPLETED!

MIDDLE EARTH: SHADOW OF MORDOR: I’ve had this game sitting in my library for a while now (a gift from the Great Llama :P) and I only just got around to playing it. I have to say I had a lot of fun playing. The game’s combat system is influenced heavily from the Batman Arkham series but Mordor manages to add bits of originality into it and make it seem different. I loved the idea that I could build and control my own Orc army to rival Sauron and the Nemesis system makes for some interesting interactions. Visually, the game is beautiful as can be expected. My only criticism is with the mediocre story and lackluster boss fights. I expected to see more LotR lore feature in the game and Celebrimbor’s story was a great step in that direction but it wasn’t enough. The story is by no means bad, but it could definitely have been better. I still enjoyed it nonetheless and it has hyped me up for Shadow of War. The boss fights, however, detract from the experience. The first boss battle is the only one that feels like a battle while the other two feel like cop-outs. Overall, I’d recommend the game especially if you’re a fan of the Batman Arkham play style.

SOMA: I haven’t played a lot of horror games (in fact I haven’t played any horror games), not because I’m not a fan or anything, but because horror games give me a sort of anxiety that cause me to put off starting the game. I finally decided that I would play a horror game and chose SOMA since I picked it up in the Monthly and it seemed like a good horror for a beginner. I have to say this game has easily made it into my list of favorite games. I won’t say anything about the story because that is what SOMA does so well and what makes it worth playing. The gameplay is much like many horror games where you can’t fight and have to avoid or evade monsters. Most of the time, getting caught by the monster doesn’t kill you but it damages you making you slower and blurring your vision. At most, you can survive may be one more hit. I went into the game expecting you die a lot due to my inexperience with the genre but ironically enough, I only died once and that was because I fell off of a ledge into the Abyss. The monsters are varied and have different strategies to deal with them but most of them are easy and though many people might not like that, I didn’t mind since it let me explore more and find more bits and pieces of the story. SOMA does an incredible job at immersion and the visuals are again stunning. The game’s ending is one of those that will be unforgettable. It’s devastating but also hopeful at the same time and really does a great job at making you wondering at what being human actually means. I’d recommend this game strongly for anyone that loves horror games with an excellent, thought-provoking and unforgettable story. I’ll probably be playing this again in a couple of months.

Most of the screenshots that I have from SOMA would spoil the game, so I’ll just put up this one.

NEXT UP: Before I start up Batch 5 with INSIDE, I’ll play and 100% the Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel since I got the Season Pass. Then I might also play campaign for Battlefield 1. So, I’ll be juggling my playing time between several games including Overwatch.

Again, I’m pretty far behind with this update, as I’m almost done with Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

First off, is Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Assassin’s Creed has been getting a lot of flak recently since the release of Unity and rightfully so. Syndicate is a good attempt at damage control but it does not compare to Ezio’s series. The game features new ideas like controlling two twin assassins, riding carriages and gang-wars for the control of London’s boroughs but this installment comes with its own share of bugs. I faced several crashes mostly at the end of a sequence and driving a carriage cause major stuttering (my FPS would drop to single digits). I had to lock my FPS to overcome that bug. But despite this, I still had quite a lot of fun with it. The story isn’t the best but it kept me entertained and the characters were actually interesting enough for me to like them, also featuring famous characters from that time, like Charles Darwin and Karl Marx among others. London looked beautiful and the soundtrack was really great. Even the out of Animus story was good, though a bit sparse. Honestly, the game is a major improvement over Unity and fans of AC would generally enjoy but without comparing it to Unity, I’d say it is about a 7 out of 10.

Set 150 years in the future, ENSLAVED™: Odyssey to the West™ Premium Edition tells the story of Monkey and Trip who must navigate through a world destroyed by ‘Mechs’, and get Trip back to her village. The game is a 3rd person hack and slash where you control Monkey, who’s basically the acrobatic muscle, and get help from Trip, who’s quite good with tech. Their isn’t much gameplay-wise to set it apart from other games of its type but Enslaved tells a great story and shows beautiful colors and scenery. There’s also DLC telling the story of Pigsy in search of a friend, which is very humorous and is more stealth-focused. All in all, it is a good game to spend some time on even though collecting the tech orbs is a pain.

After we’re done with Mordor, I’ll be playing my first horror game, SOMA.

DOOM & BROKEN AGE ENDED!

To be honest, I ended both of them almost 2 weeks ago but I forgot to update it here.

DOOM is a great game and there isn’t much to be said about it that hasn’t already been said. The game is a fun gorefest where you, the Doom Marine, single-handedly take down the Legions of Hell that somebody thought was a totally safe method for energy production. I had loads of fun playing this since it goes back to its roots of straight-up demon murder. There is a story in there, which is quite interesting, told through character monologues and data pads, but one will probably forego all of it, to punch a demon in the face so hard that it explodes. The game’s weapon and suit upgrade systems are pretty good, though I thought that it made a game easy even on the Ultra-Violence difficulty, once you got the micro missiles or the rocket launcher. But still it’s a great FPS especially if you play just for the sake of killing things in multiple different ways.

I only played the multiplayer for the 2 achievements but it did take a while for me to find a match, but I still had a lot of fun, especially playing as a demon or in freeze tag.

I don’t play a lot of point and click games but this one was very very fun. I played it a 2nd time for the achievements and I still had fun. Broken Age is a fun adventure divided into 2 episodes where play as Vella and Shay (you can also switch between them). I won’t go into much detail about the story since it’s really good and should be experienced first hand. This game made me laugh so many times and this puts it in my good books. The puzzles in the first episode were easy but the ones in the 2nd episode, increase in difficulty and had me thinking for a while. It has great artwork and a star-studded cast of voice actors including Elijah Wood and Jack Black. It’s a must play in my opinion.

2 MORE GAMES DEFEATED!

TO THE MOON is a great emotional roller-coaster of a game. I won’t go into much detail about the story, since that is its ultimate strength and because of which I highly recommend this game. This game gave me a very bad case of the feels and I had to punch a wall to feel manly again. XD It’s a game made with RPG Maker and though, there may be many of them, this one is light-years ahead of the others.

CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS is part of a franchise that doesn’t really need much introduction. This installment does not deviate far from the others in terms of gameplay and though I had fun playing it, I’d say the story is mediocre at best. The ending for Ghosts was an obvious hook to make a sequel, but regardless the game was still interesting enough for me to venture a 2nd playthrough on Veteran difficulty. Haven’t played the multiplayer yet.

UPDATE: Multiplayer is mostly dead, so I just gave up on it.

2 GAMES DOWN & BATCH 3 COMPLETED!

GRAND THEFT AUTO SAN ANDREAS is a game that doesn’t really need much of an introduction. And so I won’t say much about it. I originally played the game on my old PS2 and my opinion of it hasn’t changed. I still despise the flying school missions and any mission remotely related to flying but I managed to do it, after crashing several times.

Up next is another gem that I enjoyed dearly, BIOSHOCK INFINITE & BURIAL AT SEA. After playing the first two games, I was already a fan of the series and this game only cements my love for this series. Bioshock Infinite is a step away from below the seas and into the clouds, featuring a great story that had me reading through forum posts to better understand it. I love the look of Columbia with its beautiful bright colors and how they slowly darken to reflect the state of the city itself. Booker and Elizabeth’s dynamic, to me, is this game’s strength. The way the two interact one another made me get emotionally invested in their story. Only criticism I’d have is the 2 weapon limit they imposed as opposed to having all usable weapons on a wheel. I finished the game on 1999 mode without using Dollar Bill vending machines, which was a welcome challenge, though it made me rage quite a few times, especially during the Handyman fights. The satisfaction at having finished it, however, was immense/

Having purchased the season pass this sale, I started up Burial at Sea right after finishing the game. As the name suggests, we start our journey in Rapture, looking for a girl (sound familiar? :P). I won’t go into much detail about the story to avoid spoilers, but the massive 21 GB download is in my opinion worth it. The first episode features the same type of gameplay that you’ve already experienced in the original game, though, this time they brought back the weapon wheel (thankfully!). The second episode has us playing as Elizabeth and is more stealth oriented. I played this in the 1998 mode which limits the player to just the crossbow, removing the shotgun and hand cannon, while also making enemies stronger. It has a pretty sad ending but it works out in the bigger picture. The DLC does take care of some loose ends from Infinite while presenting a lot of new questions. It is definitely worth a play.

Clash in the Clouds is another DLC which involves 4 arenas where you battle 15 waves of enemies, while trying to finish the Blue Ribbon Challenges (which are possibly the worst thing imaginable). You defeat enemies to earn money which can be spent on concept art and other behind the scene items and also to buy upgrades for your weapons and vigors. The difficulty for the DLC is preset to Hard and can’t be changed which isn’t the problem. The problem is that you cannot choose to replay a specific wave in case you miss the ribbon. So, if you were to, for example, fail to complete the Blue Ribbon challenge for Wave 14, you’d have to start all the way from the start and get to Wave 14 and hope you can get it. Also, dying automatically fails the challenge and you cannot restart the wave. You can restart from Wave 1, which is pretty useless and makes 100%ing the game a pain in the ass.

Overall, it’s a great game if you’re up for a story that’ll fuck with your head, and I’d definitely recommend it but Clash in the Clouds will definitely make you swear loudly and quite often (atleast it did in my case).

VALIANT HEARTS DEFEATED!

Usually, I would’ve written this after finishing another game, but Valiant Hearts deserves the spotlight.

Valiant Hearts - The Great War is an adventure game set during the First World War, featuring Emile, Freddy, Anna, Karl and your faithful doggy companion, Walt. I won’t go into the details of the story since that is something one should experience on their own. However, the game tells a beautiful story about the people fighting this war, instead of the war itself. It details the horrors that war unleashes and how useless it seems to ones in it, in a way I’ve never seen any video game do. The game tells such a beautiful story that it gave me chills at times and had me so invested in the characters that I found myself hoping they’d all make it. The artwork and classic musical numbers during the taxi scenes set a humorous tone to the game, evoking a panoply of emotions. This game is the closest I’ve come to almost crying (The Walking Dead S1 included), yes, I admit it. I almost cried. T.T.

I think this is something that anyone who enjoys a good story should play through. But beware, onion chopping ninjas await thee.

Also, possibly, the best use of a farm animal? :D