Time out on tumblr

Funnily enough though I’ve been blogging and using social networking for longer than I can remember with tens of thousands of contacts to boot I never joined tumblr until just recently. My main reason for not joining was not liking the idea of having too much of my photography out there, surely flickr is enough.

Instead what I’ve done is created a tumblr profile which I’ll mostly be using to post pictures or links I like, I’ll have some of my own work on there now and then but its really just for a visual time out, expect anime/cars/paranormal & the occult.. pretty much anything from the daily mundane to the overly insane. Feel free to follow my tumblr if you like, or if you have one yourself drop me a link and I’ll have a look. – LisaTiffany

www.lisatiffanygellar.tumblr.com

Grand Theft Auto 5 - Details Released

The web is a flutter tonight as Game Informer disclose what gamers everywhere were waiting for.. insider details on Rockstars latest instalment of the ever popular highly successful Grand Theft Auto Series ..GTAV.

The announcement of GTAV back in October of last year started the rumour mill off, but while loose details started to leak that same rumour mill went right into overdrive. Mostly the loose details could not be traced back to developers and instead were wishlists and wantings by GTA fans. Now with a number of high resolution images on the table, a sneaky trailer and Game Informers fantastic coverage its clear the GTAV will be one of the best selling games of all time. Game Informer went into great detail over its 18 page feature so I naturally devoured every page so I could cut down on the bulk of the article and instead post some of the top need to knows that will make GTAV one of the most memorable games you will ever play.

Who ya gonna be?

The early pictures of the game were dissected by gamers to try and find out who was the protagonist of GTAV. The answer is not as simple as you would think, you don’t just play as 1 main protagonist, you play as 3!. Trevor, Franklin and Michael. Trevor is a drug addict, Franklin is a hustler, and Michael is a bank robber who left the life but gets drawn back into the action.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Each of the three protagonists live miles apart from each other, come from different backgrounds but either of them can be accessed at anytime, some missions can incorporate all three. 

No place for old men

In the past GTA have employed the voice acting talents of many actors and celebrities including, Dennis Hopper, Ray Liotta and Sam the man Jackson. Rockstar have decided to ditch this approach and have instead have gone with regular no-name voice actors that won’t appear familiar to gamers.

It’s a Big Big World Out There

Word has it that GTAV will be far bigger than any other game Rockstar have made, they are saying it will be bigger than GTA4, Red Dead Redemption and San Andreas combined ..how is it even possible? well they promise there will be the usual urban setting but included will be the following: a lush and vast wilderness, vibrant beach fronts, military bases, the triumphant return of Mount Chiliad and deep a ocean floor that can also be explored..

The ocean floor will feature the following: coral beds, rocky canyons and caverns, and even deep ravines.

Only The Lonely 

Each of the three characters you control have their own mini games unique to only them, no real information has been given on what games will feature but word has it a fully functional golf course will feature and be available for actual golfing.

All three have their own personal assortment of friends and contacts, skill sets, and while you are playing with one the others will go off and busy themselves with other activities.

Unbreak My Heart

While previous games allowed you date, and wine and dine a number of ladies from all walks of life Rockstar have decided to shelve relationships insisting that it only slows the game down and can be too distracting from the main game, will gamers miss it? I know I won’t, it felt more Sims than GTA.

Dude You Just F#d Up Your Ferrari ..It Wasn’t Mine

One of the best features of GTA have always been the ability to jump into any car you see and take it for a ride, even if there may have been someone previously in the drivers seat who is now laying in a pile on the side of the road. Boosting cars has always been fun but in GTA4 no one will argue with me when I say the vehicle physics were appalling at best. Cars felt like they were unrealistically weighted and being behind the wheel just wasn’t a joy. Rockstar have rebuilt and enhanced the driving in the game making cars handle more realistically, even high speed racing has been given a serious overhaul and promises to be a blast.

And the Rest:  

Flying can be done early in the game if you are playing as Trevor, he is after all a veteran of Vietnam so its one of his skills.

Some of the many vehicles available include, cars, trucks, planes, helicopters, dirt bikes, bmx’s, atv’s and even jet skis.

Ammu-nation is making a welcome return, gun lovers everywhere won’t have to go far to beef up their cache.

Cellphones that were very popular in GTA4 are back.

Instead of splitting up the city into sections linked by tunnels and bridges it is now one major expansive area.

The inclusion of a TV to watch random shows and adverts on is back, they have even expanded on the running time and content.

Multiplayer is back though specific details on how they will evolve or effect the main game are murky at the moment.

You won’t be able to purchase property (damn!) but Rockstar promises that cash earned can be used on other pursuits, a huge problem with GTA4 was having so much cash but nothing to spend it on, I can only assume cars/clothes and jewellery?.

With GTAV officially announced for Spring 2013 there is still plenty of time for Rockstar to make improvements and put a final polish on their most wanted title yet. Perhaps one of the most exciting updates to soon follow is the addition of a new trailer which is to be released on the 14th of November.

Fallout 4: New Vegas [DLC] [PS3 & 360]

Dead Money

This was without a doubt my favourite of the Fallout New Vegas DLC releases. Unlock all the other releases and indeed the main game Dead Money really makes you fight to stay alive. The DLC is set with the Sierra Madre Casino being the main backdrop of the proceedings, however you have to make your way through the streets of a nearby town before you can gain entry. The town is unlock anything you have seen before in the Fallout universe. Bathed in a strange red glow the town is covered in all kinds of dangerous traps, hazardous gas and is populated by a very creepy new enemy known as “Ghost People”.

When you first encounter the area you can be forgiven to think it looks like something from a Lovecraft novel, I’d be surprised if that’s not what the developers were aiming for. The story is a lot more engaging than I expected and if I was to sum it up I’d call it a mix between SAW and Oceans 11. most of your time will be spent in the streets cautiously navigating your way through traps and past the Ghost People, but that’s not all. At the start of the game you are knocked unconscious and when you recover you find that an explosive bomb collar has been attached to your neck, (think The Running Man) the collar is triggered when you come within range of certain speakers, this too makes the difficulty increase and really keeps you on your toes. As I already stated this was by far the best DLC in the pack, it was extremely hard and tests you right to the brink of sanity.

There are a number of characters in Dead Money that play key roles in you completely the game, the dialogue is rich and really well drawn out. What Dead Money does differently is an overhaul of pace and tension, it makes you carefully watch each step and think about your next move rather than carelessly wander through the game. I’d recommend the DLC for players who are at least at level 30, it will try and test you to the very end and once you start Dead Money you cannot go back to the Mojave until you completed your business in the Sierra Madre Casino. [9 out of 10] By far the best DLC going, a solid storyline with interesting characters and a whole new approach and pace to the game.

Honest Hearts

Before you set out to play Honest Hearts you need to remember to carry only what you need because the game caps our weight allowance at about 70 or 80, why? well because to get to the area where the game takes place you have to squeeze through narrow corridors and caverns. When you arrive you find yourself in the middle of Zion National Park, Utah of all places. This is where you quickly learn that Honest Hearts plays out a lot like a western complete with tribes and the kind of landscape you see in a typical Cowboys and Indians movie.

At first missions are kind of interesting and hold your attention for a while, but after that its easy to just forget about what you are doing and who sent you, you still get the job done but caring about why you were doing it really goes out the window. So the storyline is nothing special but the map and lush terrain makes up for it. Zion is a very beautiful place, helped of course by the fact that its waters and rivers have not been polluted by radiation and chemicals.

Another thing that instantly became apparent was the addition of changing weather patterns, Zion not only gets showered in rain storms it also has a star filled sky at night that will make you stop and stare the first time the sun goes down. Included with the natural beauty is all manner of tribal art and murals, you see them scrawled and painted onto walls and cliff faces and while its only a small item of detail its the kind of thing that makes the game all the more special. It’s not all wine and roses though, what Zion has that I don’t like is roaming swarms of Cazadors that seem to spawn in the most random locations, and except for a few other varieties of beasts that’s really all you will find. It’s a shame they didn’t put in some new animals or mutants because if anywhere on the map would benefit from such things it would be Zion. All in all its an okay DLC pack, it has its faults but you do receive an even higher level cap and Zion is the perfect place to visit when you just want to get away from the dry dustiness of Mojave. [6 out of 10]

Old World Blues

This was one of the oddest DLC’s Fallout has ever received, even in terms of the alien encounters in Mothership Zeta this still wins in terms of weirdness. Old World Blues plays a lot like an old cheesy science fiction movie that probably cost the price of the game to make. It’s all very strange yet kind of exciting at the same time. You wake up after what seems like a serious operation to find your brain along with other body parts have been removed, but by who or what? Well as crazy as it sounds by a bunch of robots. These plucky piles of scrap metal are inform you that you can get your organs back by doing specific tasks for them, there are all kinds of mini missions that thankfully take up a lot of time so you do actually feel like you get your moneys worth from the missions and story alone. The game is set in huge crater that’s been sealed off from the outside world, its called Big Mountain and as you explore it you start to see that it’s where much of the technology featured in the game was developed.

It’s full of secret test labs and facilities to pillage and plunder, once you can get past their occupants of course. Old World Blues features a great mix of enemies that challenge even the most accomplished players. Robot scorpions and robot dogs are some of the foes you will find roaming through Big Mountain, along with yourself there are also test subjects armed with guns and melee weapons and as you may have guessed they are bent on annihilating you. The DLC’s strong points are its heavy on new items and weapons, the humour and wackiness is seriously off the scale, Big Mountain is fantastic to explore. All that aside there is always one DLC pack that seems to suffer the most from bugs and freezes and this time around it’s Old World Blues. I lost count how many times the game slowed down to a snails pace, most of the time it was a specific area of the map and reloading a previous save fixed it right up. Even with the dire freezes which drove me crazy countless times Old World Blues is fantastic, the dialogue is beyond hilarious and its all very challenging. [8 out of 10]

Lonesome Road

This DLC ties in a lot more than the others in terms of the games main story. In a nutshell you are offered a quest by one of the original couriers who didn’t take the job that you did, this courier calls for you to traverse the dangerous terrain of an area known as The Divide in order to learn secrets about your past. And so coaxed with such an offer you set out into The Divide and as usual cannot bring a companion with you. The story is not that great and you can tell that they tried to do something gigantic but it really didn’t pan out, I found myself losing interest and my concentration diminishing as the game went on. It’s in no way a safe location, The Divide is home to many death claws who's razor sharp claws will tear even the highest level characters into shreds in a matter of seconds. Along with “the wildlife” there is a new enemy that resembles the ghouls and carries serious heavy firepower.

They aren’t too hard to defeat and raiding their remains nets some nice hardware and items which can be sold once you leave the area, thankfully unlike all the other DLC packs you can leave The Divide whenever you chose. This works great because you can sell off all the spoils you find and top up on health or ammo whenever you are lacking in it. Just like Honest Hearts I wouldn’t buy it for the story, I’d only buy it for the extra level cap and the challenge of making it through this new volatile area of the Mojave. [5 out of 10] Uninspiring landscape, flat story and dialogue, only worth it for the extra level cap small change of scenery.

Gun Runners Arsenal

When you first see this DLC it’s easy to get excited for the wrong reasons, it promises a lot of extra weapons and never before seen items. However many of the weapons ion the pack are already in the game, the difference is they are tagged with GRA and come with mods that their counterparts don’t have. The problem here is you can only use GRA mods on GRA guns, while one gun might be the exact type unless it’s from the DLC pack you can’t use the mod on it. Luckily not every single weapon falls into this category and some are new previously unseen weapons. While most come premade a few come in the form as weapons you craft at workbenches and the like. While it’s a decent enough pack if it hadn’t have come with the Ultimate Edition I wouldn’t go of my way to buy it separately because the game already has so many items and weapons that these don’t make too much of a difference.

Fallout 4: New Vegas [PS3 & 360]

Fallout New Vegas was one of those games I wanted to review when it was first released but for different reasons it slipped through the cracks. After so long the developers have finally put together the ultimate New Vegas collection that includes not just the award winning game but also a number of DLC packs that contain an almost endless supply of new items to collect and areas to explore. While that’s all good and well New Vegas originally suffered from countless bugs and glitches that made a lot of people rage quit and never go back to it, thankfully the game has had a number of fixes and patches, the updated Ultimate Edition includes all of these. And so with my back to the vault and my eyes open wide I started out into the vast wastelands once more to experience what could only be one of the biggest RPG’s ever made.

The story of New Vegas is simple enough but it changes depending on how you want it all to play out, this is done primarily through your dialogue and actions with other characters. Like most RPGs its up to you to determine how a conversation or action effects the game as a whole. New Vegas itself is no different here giving you the freedom to not only be who you want to be, but to also mould the world as you see fit. At the start of the game you are just a regular vault dweller living a normal enough existence with a number of other survivor's who found sanctuary in huge underground compounds while the world world outside was struck with nuclear war bringing the earth itself to its knees.

Growing up in the vault you learn to fear the outside world and never venture out into the bleak empty wastelands beyond the walls of the vault. Things in the vault don’t go to plan and you soon find yourself having no choice but to leave the sanctuary of the vault for an uncertain future in the wastelands. Unfortunately unlike Fallout 3 the story is not as memorable, while its a lot of fun to change the outcome of events it feels like it’s always trying to play catch up yet never quite gets there.

The game does its best to gently coax you into the right direction at the start so you can learn the basics of weapons handling and wasteland survival, being an RPG you can choose to avoid the help and go wherever you chose, though while this might not be the smartest plan it really is entirely up to you. On your epic journey through the game you will encounter different people from different factions, some will like you straight away and trade with you or even offer side quests, while others will be hostile to you straight away for something as simple as being in their area of the map. While human enemies can be reasoned with through dialogue the mutants and animals subjected to years of radiation cannot be reasoned with and will attack you on sight.

Everything from wild dogs to large mutated scorpions and rats all roam the road ahead of you and while some might look easy to defeat that’s not always the case, keeping your distance and taking them out at range is one of the ways to do it but you are not limited to the type of weapons or fighting styles you want to cultivate so up close and personal can equally get the job done.

Fallout New Vegas borrows a lot from the previous game Fallout 3, if you have any experience with 3 then NV becomes a very easy game to get to grips with. Getting around the gaming world is all done on foot, after all you are in the middle of a wasteland destroyed by post nuclear war and nothing with wheels moves anymore. The great thing about moving from location to location is once you find an area on the map that has been designated by the developers as a point of interest then as long as there are no enemies nearby you can fast travel back and forth with ease. If you want to get items in the game such as weapons or health packs its as simple as trading with someone or finding them among the thousands of other items scattered everywhere, some are hidden in lockers or drawers while others can be found on the bodies of fallen enemies or characters. Like Fallout 3 I rarely found myself having to trade with people or caravans because I always found everything I needed in random locations.

Getting your characters stats and level up are a core part of the gameplay, you earn points by defeating enemies and by completing all kinds of missions be they huge story driven affairs or simple little side quests like finding certain items for someone. Levelling up grants your character different kinds of perks that are essential in making it to the end of the game. Some perks give you better lockpicking skills while others give you more of a chance to do critical damage in your attacks. There are tons of perks to earn and each one helps make not just the game a lot more fun but your character a more serious force to be reckoned with.

New Vegas uses a system called VATs which is used in combat situations, you go into VATs by a simple button press and while in there you have a number of hit points to assign on different parts of the body, when used you attack those points often leading to a messy end for the person or monster on the receiving end. Their is a karma system built into the game so acting like a saint will naturally mean people will like you more, while acting like a sinner and terrorizing the Mojave's inhabitants will mean a more hostile welcoming from people. 

Visually the game is not the best looking you will see, if anything its very similar to Fallout 3 and there have been no giant leaps or bounds in the graphics, but that’s fine because the visuals were never really broken in the first place. What is broken however is the number of freezes the game sometimes suffers in various areas of the map. The developers have released a number of patches to address these freezes but it seems like a few are still there lurking. One particular freeze kept happening to me on one of the final missions of the game, it took a number of reloads until the game finally got past it and I could get on with the fun. As annoying and cumbersome as some of the freezes and glitches can be it should still not put you off playing because for those who are willing to enter the wastelands a virtual treasure trove of adventure and danger awaits.

Just like Fallout 3 I really enjoyed the game, there was so much to do that it took me months and months to finally finish everything and even then there is a chance I missed some things here and there. New Vegas does have its faults and when it comes to the overall story it can be quite weak, but even still in terms of gameplay and lifespan it earns top marks. I’m giving Fallout New Vegas an 8 out of 10, if the story was a little more compelling and bug/glitch free it would definitely earn a 10.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (Revisited) [PS3 & 360]

I first played MGS4 in 2008, back then it had just been released and having played all of the previous titles in the series I was very anxious to get into the game. Now in 2012 Konami have decided to make a few changes. When MGS4 was originally released it came with Metal Gear Online which was and in my eyes one of the best multiplayer games ever made. Times have changed and Konami have closed the servers for the game making it a relic of the past.

A new update on MGS4 completely removes all traces of the online, which basically means no menus leading the player to a dead server. It’s not all just cuts though, Konami have added a feature where you can install the whole game in one segment making for a smooth playthrough.

While that’s a handy thing to have the real difference now is that the game finally has trophy support! for years gamers called for trophy support on MGS4 but time and time again were told it would never happen. So spurred on by the trophies to hunt I decided to go back to MGS4 to find out what trophies they added and if trophy support really can breath life into an old game, but not just that I wanted to see if years later it was still as powerful as it had been all those years ago.

The story of MGS4 is one of the most complex and sometimes confusing stories I’ve ever tried to follow in a game, whereas I do know the history of the MGS universe and the pieces fell into place every now and then, that wasn’t the case for my boyfriend who watched a lot of the cut scenes and found it all very confusing. It is a good story, don’t get me wrong there but if you don’t have previous knowledge of the other games you can be easily swept up in a wave of confusion. The dialogue still sounds really well done and it rarely seems to get tiring listening to the story unfold, helped of course by the hugely cinematic visuals and over the top action and combat sequences.

Visually the game still stands up to the more recent games on the market, things like running water and smoke look fantastic and grass moving in the wind makes you stop and take a look. Without giving too much away of the story when Snake encounters chilled weather conditions the snow blowing through the wind caking his sneaking suit and camouflage still looks as realistic as always. For it’s time MGS4 was one of the best looking games on the Playstation 3 and even now you can be forgiven to think it was only released a week ago. It’s Konami’s highly stylized attention to detail that really makes the game shine both in terms of visuals and in audio. Of course it has its moments of quirky strangeness and oddness, Konami like many Japanese games developers have always been a little quirky when it came to their representations of western culture and character development.

Controlling Snake can be a task at first but the game does everything in its power to teach the player how to manoeuvre efficiently enough to survive on even the most brutal of battle fields. It’s no secret that Snake is a little worse for wear, he resembles an old man on the box and that’s exactly who you play. I remember when I first saw Snake like that and immediately thought he looked ridiculous, I’m still not a fan of the look but as you progress through the game you unlock facial camouflage that mimic characters from the game one of them being snake in his younger years. It’s the little tricks like that which make the game memorable, obviously the developers knew the hardcore Metal Gear fans wanted to see the Snake they knew and loved so with the camo equipped that’s the look they get. Another strange little addition is an iPod which can be used while you play to hear podcast segments and music tracks from previous MGS and Konami games. I’ve always said a portable music player like that would be more at home in a Grand Theft Auto game but so far Rockstar haven’t implemented such a gadget.

For playability it scores top marks because you really do feel like not only are you a part of something big but that you yourself are the one determining how it all plays out in the grand scale of things. It is a very in depth story and at times the video cut scenes can be a little overwhelming but there is never any rush in a mission so you can take it all at your own pace. The emphasis on all MGS games is stealth, Snake as the name suggests is a sneaky slippery character who uses his terrain and equipment to infiltrate enemy areas and strongholds.

To aid Snake in his slipperiness he is decked out in the latest sneaking suit which not only masks the sounds of heavy footsteps but can adapt to the environment by mimicking textures such as grass and concrete. Another new feature is the solid eye, a state of the art eye patch that gives the wearer night vision capabilities/radar and an enhanced view of Snakes surroundings. Along the way he encounters enemy troops and all manner of super soldiers or bosses, sometimes cunning is not always the only way to do it, but when heavy firepower is needed there is no shortage.

One of the main characters in the game is an arms dealer named Drebin, he and his creepy monkey (he has a monkey that wears silver pants, smokes and drinks soda) are tied in with you as you go through the game. Guns and ammunition can all be bought off of Drebin at any time by simply going to the pause screen and navigating through the generous list of hardware. Depending on your play style you may only ever use a standard pistol and combat knife but should you chose to there are a number of rifles/sub machine guns/rocket launchers and much much more, all of which can be modified with things like silencers/grips and scopes.

I always go for Snakes standard gear which basically means a silenced pistol and combat knife, sometimes just using a tranquilizer gun seems to do the trick better but then like I said it all depends on your intended playing style. You could just buy the biggest and baddest guns and blast your way through the game but you would be missing out on the games intended pace and style, jumping out of the shadows to grab an enemy soldier by the throat never gets old. Whether of course you knock them out of go for the jugular, its still all up to the player.

I enjoyed my time going back through the game and I was surprised how much of the story and gameplay I’d forgotten. In a way its a good thing because it helped see the game all over again just like it was the first time around. There is a lot of incentive to go back and replay the game again as you can stack save data which means items and weapons you unlock carry over to a new game. I came away from the game with eight trophies in total but at the end of the day the real prize was experiencing the action and excitement again. The only bad thing I can say about the game is some of the cut scenes can be heavy going to the point where you forget you are playing a game. I like my games to be 90% real time playability and the rest to be taken up by video, MGS4 doesn’t just blur the line it completely decimates it.

If you enjoy long cut scenes or just prefer to press “skip” then all of that shouldn’t be too much a problem, though at times during a cut scene you have a limited amount of seconds to press a button to glimpse a flashback from one of the older games. I found out afterwards there is a trophy for missing none of them which goes back to why I don’t like it being heavy on cut scenes. Other than that its absolutely perfect and offers countless hours of fun and excitement. I’m giving Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots a 9 out of 10, I revisited the game because of trophy support but in the end got something a whole lot better.

Saints Row The Third [PS3 & 360]

Steel Port for the taking! welcome back to Steel Port the home and city wide stronghold of the Saints. In Saints Row 2 the gang successfully annihilated their enemies that came in the form of gangs and police, with all of their rivals out of the way they have become superstars to the people of the city. Think sponsored energy drinks, clothing and jewellery lines and you have the picture. Right from the get go you find yourself in the middle of a bank robbery that goes wrong and you have to regain your image and power from an international  crime gang known as the Syndicate. Much like GTA and Scarface the story concentrates on your characters rise to power while of course all the chips are stacked against them.

Saints Row and Saints Row 2 offered huge expansive maps that gave the gamer a virtual playground to explore and a city full of inhabitants to terrorize, this latest chapter of the series follows the same formula except right away I noticed some changes. Terrorizing the public is actually encouraged and there are a number of stunts and tricks involving unsuspecting members of the public that will boost your experience points and respect on the street. It' starts off small like streaking through crowds of people but then elevates into various types of assault and hooliganism. That’s not to say its not fun! it’s all there for a reason and it can be a lot of fun driving the AI crazy.

Saints Row The Third is about a lot more than just mere pranks, after all the city needs to be reclaimed and its up to you to do it. As the leader of the Saints you are given a jaw dropping arsenal of weaponry and tools to get the job done. Strangely enough the developers decided to give players a lot of the high end gear early into the game instead of making you really work for it. In most games that would affect the games lifespan but not here, even when you do get a ridiculously powerful assault rifle or machine gun you can always upgrade it later when you have enough cash on hand. If you don’t want to use the obvious firearms stash you can go for something a bit more unique like a dildo, a chainsaw or if you don’t care about collateral damage a fully functional reaper drone unit – this rains down explosive damage on anyone or anything unlucky enough to be within range.

As with most sandbox games vehicles and cars play a big part in the game, obviously because without them getting around such a huge open world would take too long and kill the pace of the game. There are all manner of vehicles all over the gaming world and jacking them has never been as much fun, see a police car you want and with a few button pushes you will be kicking your way through the windscreen and sitting in the drivers seat in no time at all. The vehicles control better than they ever have in any SR game before, each car or truck etc moves and reacts as you would image it would, weight and speed are all carefully taken into consideration. If you don’t feel like using a set of wheels you can always go for air travel, there are plenty of planes and helicopters around just waiting to be stolen and as the game progresses all manner of futuristic jets and bikes start to show up.

The city itself is not as impressive as I’d hoped for, it looks good and a lot of the buildings are interactive serving as safe houses and stores but its a very flat location that really needed something other than skyscrapers and rows of houses, I get that Steel Port is that kind of town but something more bumpy or out of the way really would have enhanced the game. Instead you are seeing a stream of endless buildings and stores. The stores are there for a reason though, you can fully customize your character in all manner of outfits and trinkets available to the player, don’t have the cash for it? rob the store next door then speed off ..lose the pursuing cops and return to make your purchase. The shops were always one of the strong points of the game for me, what girl doesn’t love trying on an endless amount of clothes and jewellery even if its virtual? from suits and dresses to furry cat suits and dominatrix outfits SR3 has it all. It doesn’t just end there, you can ink your character up with tattoos and go for a little cosmetic surgery should the mood take you.

It’s easy to take a step back from a game like this and not play it on the grounds that it might be a little too crazy but if anything the game plays to suit your style, you don’t have to run around the streets beating someone to a bloody pulp with a dildo, you don’t have to surf a cop car naked ..but its fun if you decide to do it!. And that’s what SR3 delivers in the bucket loads, its ball outs unadulterated over the top fun that never really gets old. There may not be a lot to see in Steel Port as like I mentioned its kind of bland but there is a lot to do, pretty much every aspect of your character can be upgraded or modified. You can have plastic surgery at any time to change the look of your character, if you connect to the online community you can then download premade characters from other players. You can mod your cars with the obvious enhancements like rims/tinted glass and then there is the less obvious like armour and nitros. As you gain experience in the game you can spend your points on unlocking physical abilities like better strength/running/fighting styles and so on making it easier to dominate the streets.

If you don’t want to go it alone SR3 offers one  of the best and most fun co-op modes I’ve ever seen in a game. You can jump into a friends game and carry out random acts of insanity or violence like the good lord intended or you can help each other out in missions and mini games as maybe the developers intended?. Whatever your choice of action the co-op really stretches the lifespan and adds hours of playability to the game. I used the co-op quite a lot and never ran into any issues or glitches on either side of the connection.

SR3 is also one of the best games for DLC with extra content seemingly flowing from the developers on what feels like a monthly basis. I’ve bought most of the first wave and it really did add  lot to a game that in my eyes already had everything. The DLC scenarios are just as wacky and zany as the main game, in the main game its all about your rise to power while the DLC is all about having a blast.

Visually the game looks quite lush, its not the most stunning game out there but it does have a nice modern look and feel to it, compared to the first two SR games its a huge improvement. The sound isn’t bad, everything sounds like it should from engine revs to clips of various handguns and rifles being unloaded. The music in the game is solid and features bands like The Deftones/Amon Amarth/Otep/Mastadon/Job for a Cowboy ..but who are they? Metal. If you want something a little less brutal there is always Feeder/Motley Crue/run DMC and Bush to name a few, whatever your taste its got a great selection.

I find it very hard to say anything negative about SR3 because there is just so much in the game and everything seems to go together perfectly, it provided me hours of non stop fun and it seemed to go from strength to strength as the story progressed. The missions didn’t feel too repetitive but maybe could have done with being a little more challenging. There are gang members from the various factions you’ll face on most street corners and even something as simple as fighting to take back turf is enjoyable and doesn’t get old when you consider the different ways to dispose of them.

You don’t have to be looking for a filler before Grand Theft Auto 5 to buy Saints Row The Third, its one of the best sandbox titles available to date and for the price offers almost twice as much gaming content than anything else in the same category. I’d highly recommend the various DLC packs too,  they aren’t too expensive and add some fun extras to the experience. It’s easy to peg SR3 as just another GTA clone laced with immaturity and pranks but its a lot more than that, underneath all the craziness its a solidly built game with more than enough missions/collectibles and mini games to meet the demands of any gamer. I’m giving Saints Row the Third a well deserved 9 out of 10 – its losing marks for the rather flat landscape, but other than that its perfect.

SAW II: Flesh and Blood (PS3 & 360)

I know what you are already thinking, after the ordeal of the first game why on earth would anyone play another one of them? well to put it simply I had to see what it was like. SAW suffered from sloppy controls and utterly ridiculous fighting abilities, by the time you hit a button a random psychopath has caved your head in with a baseball bat ..lovely. So is SAW II as bad as the first? and has it got any redeeming features? – keep reading to find out!

As per usual with SAW once the game begins you are already given an awkward choice, you either stay there and get crushed or willingly put yourself through hell as you try to survive a set amount of tests and endless traps by the infamous Jigsaw killer. So on with the show, SAW II picks up right after the first game so you can actually play one and then go straight into the next one. Again the player is given a speedy introduction to the character, I don’t want to spoil any of the story or character evolution. From the get go the game did feel almost identical to the first one, it was after all a rushed title with not too much time put into the development, all that aside it still stands on its own two feet quite well. You play a SAW game to experience a complete and utter barrage of hair pulling and mind melting  scenarios that will have you swearing like a sailor in the first hour alone.

The character controls a lot better, thank god for that. The overall controls are a lot more responsive now so instead of frantically bashing buttons to get him to do anything you just have to be good with your timing. The broken mechanics of the first game was one of the main reasons so many people avoided it, it’s clear there has been a huge overhaul and its certainly for the better. That doesn’t mean the game is a walk in the park, apart from the various traps there are victims of Jigsaws games lining up to take you down in the hopes it will earn them their freedom, so head on a swivel seems to be the best option. The tools and weapons are pretty much the same and are all used for causing serious hurt and death to whoever is unlucky enough to cross your path. To top up your health you have to find and use syringes, they are dotted around different rooms on the map and are essential in making it to the finishing credits.

As for the traps and puzzles, they seem to be a lot harder than the first game, you can’t just start randomly press buttons and hope it works. The logic that goes into some of the more intelligent traps is mind numbing, and of course when you mess it up the person on the other end of the trap meets a very ghastly end. Save points can be found scattered around the map and even if you think you don’t need to save its always worthwhile, I found myself wishing I’d saved so many times. Another thing I found with the puzzles is that though they might appear to be easily solved that’s not always the case, many of the puzzles seemed to have more than one stage so just as I was pausing to have a breather more terror ensued.

As with the first game I really enjoyed SAW II, I bring to my gaming experience my love of the films so I’m already happy that the games even exist. That’s not to say I didn’t find any problems with the game, constant circuit board puzzles to open door after door got old quick, one or two puzzles seemed almost identical to past traps in the previous game, the floor puzzle with the flickering pictures must have showed up 5 or 6 times.

In the end you really won’t play the game unless you are a fan of the movies or the previous game, no one wanted to be in the same room as me when I played because they could feel the frustration I was going through. It was a real test of temper and patience, there weren’t as many broken elements this time around and visually there was a bit of improvement in graphics and sound. To make the game last longer there are collectables such as tape recorders and billy puppets hidden off the beaten track. Instead of the usual constant same same corridors there are wider open rooms and areas full of traps that just look so much better than the first game.

Thrown in for good measure are shoot outs with various characters, arsonists bent on turning you into a fireball, psychopaths with long spikes protruding from their explosive vests and a lot more. If you are a fan of the films or liked the original game I’d say go ahead and give it a try, but only if you are ready for skull shattering traps and patience testing puzzles that would drive even the most level headed gamer completely insane. I’m giving SAW II Flesh and Blood 6 out of 10, its a lot better than the first one but there is still room for some serious improvement.

What I’m Listening To: August 2012

Music plays a big part in my life and over the last few months I have been listening to a lot of new and old material from some of my favourite bands, mostly Metal.

“Human Remains” – HELL

The debut album by NWOBHM band HELL is quite simply perfect. The vocals and presentation are all top notch delivering thrills and chills in a way that no other band ever could. HELL are a band I’d seriously recommend for Metal lovers everywhere, you will be kicking yourself wondering why you waited so long to discover such a brilliant band. 

My favourite track off the CD would be “plague & fyre” a powerful song about England’s darker days, “the oppressors” and “let battle commence” are worth a notable mention too. For their time HELL were years ahead of everyone else in terms of music creativity and genius, on first listen to Human Remains it’s clear that even now they are still way ahead of the competition. [10/10]

HELL recently played Dublin [©LisaTiffanyPhotography-HELL]

“Relapse” – Ministry

This is Ministry’s newest album since The Last Sucker back in 2007, Al seems to have lost none of the spark which made Ministry such a powerhouse to begin with. His views certainly haven’t changed, the distain for the political wrongness in the world has always fuelled their work. This time around he seems to be addressing more recent events like the occupy movement, that’s not to say the drugs and addiction aren’t part of the mix, as the title suggests it’s still a big part of the lethal concoction that Ministry deal so well to its legions of fans and willing listeners.

Tracks like “99 percenters”, “ghouldiggers” and of course “relapse” all have an instant click quality about them however the remaining tracks take a few listens to sink in, I’ve always found Ministry's previous material to work the same way but to me that’s always been a bonus because it’s always kept me coming back for one more fix time and time again. [9/10]

“Antennas To Hell” – Slipknot

Unfortunately this release wasn’t a studio album full of new material, rather it’s a carefully selected compilation of Slipknots greatest tracks and fan favourites. For good measure they included a second CD which features their entire set from  2009’s Download Festival in the UK. Since I already had the previous CD releases from the band I listened to the 2nd Disc a lot more.

Slipknot themselves are adamant in the idea that its a showcase of where they came from, their struggles and victories since they originally joined in the mid nineties. While I do wish they would release a new album I have to say there is a lot of value to be had in Antennas to Hell, the tracks that were selected are some of their best work hands down and its a great addition to any fans collection. To be honest I’d buy it for the bonus CD alone. [8/10]

“Born Villain” – Marilyn Manson

I was wary when Manson’s newest album was released, he pretty much owned the 90’s with albums like Antichrist Superstar and Holy Wood. His more recent releases have seen a drop in quality, the usual mix of violence, sex drugs and rock n roll were there but were hidden under layers of personal pain and suffering that many just wanted to avoid. Born Villain is more than a revisit to the older days its a perfect comeback from a band that still has more than enough in them to keep making great music. It’s a lot heavier and more aggressive than the likes of The High End of Low, tracks like “hey, cruel world” and the excellent cover of “your’e so vain” really stand out and call for repetitive listening.

Manson has always been an artist that most people have gotten the wrong idea about yet he has always possessed a unique way of providing social commentary in his work, in this comeback album he seems to be returning to that complex way of making music. It may not be another Antichrist Superstar but it will provide Manson fans the closure they needed after The High End of Low and Eat Me Drink Me made so many doubt that they still had what it takes. Legal battles and personal relationship nightmares behind him Manson is back on track, the only downer is the artwork, considering his older albums its rather lacking in personal artistic originality. [9/10]

“Avengers Assemble” – Various Artists

I used to be a real sucker for soundtracks that were as the label states “inspired by the film”. I haven’t actually seen The Avengers movie so I don’t know how much of the music features in the finished picture. I didn’t have high expectations for the soundtrack and to a lot of people it seems overly mediocre, however its the gems like “live to rise” by Soundgarden and “I’m alive” by Shinedown that really made it stand out to me. Even Bush makes an appearance with the fantastic sounding “into the blue”.

I think with this kind of line up you either love or hate it. It’s easily accessible to most listeners and definitely radio friendly, as with most soundtracks that’s exactly what the record company looks for so its no surprise that so many people are at odds with the soundtrack. [8/10]

And the rest:

“Dead End Kings” – Katatonia   [9th album from doom kings Katatonia, some great tracks on there but I always find with doom Metal it can be a little heavy going with constant listening.]

“Harakira” – Serj Tankian     [Serj’s 3rd album seems a lot more loose than his previous work, its catchy but I still prefer his days with System of a Down.] 

“Band Of Brothers” – Hellyeah     [The songs don’t have a lot of meaning to them but that doesn’t hold it back from being a hard rocking album. The title track Band of Brothers is the ultimate stomp your feet and put your fist in the air kind of song.]

“Fight Like A Girl” – Emilie Autumn     [She’s always had a unique approach to both making and performing music, this album is no different and perhaps one of her best to date.]

“L’Enfant Sauvage” – Gojira     [5th album by French Metal band Gojira, its a pretty much flawless CD with great vocals and killer guitar work.]

“Holiday At Lake Bodom” – Children Of Bodom     [More of a compilation than a new album, the new cover of “shipping up to boston” is one of my favourite tracks on there.]

“Opus Eponymous” – Ghost     [The debut album by Swedish Metal band Ghost is quite simple brilliant, its a hauntingly beautiful album for someone looking for something a little different than mainstream Metal.]

“Blood Of The Saints” – Engel     [Another Swedish band this time with a 3rd album, not as catchy as their previous 2 albums but great all the same.]  

“Dark Adrenaline” – Lacuna Coil     [Like most Coil albums this one instantly jumped out at me, it’s not as heavy as some of their other albums but songs like “give me something more” and the fantastic REM cover “losing my religion” put it up there with some of my favourite albums of the year.]

“Bye Bye Lullaby” – The Murder Of My Sweet     [Sweden again with yet another female fronted band, there are some guest appearances from members of bands like InFlames/Soilwork and Opeth. While there are a lot of similar styled bands out there TMOMS seem to have a fresher approach to gothic and melodic music.]

Photography 2012–Highlights

I’ve been shooting a lot of events and gigs this year so I thought I would arrange some of them in an easy to read and accessible list, to view one of them just click on the link, it’s that simple. I’ll add to the list as I shoot more shows/etc.

Music Photography

HELL / Elm Street / Twisted Wrath / RBOTN / Bakken

Trash Talk / Wounds / Loose Nut

Sepultura / Pagan Riot

Iced Earth / Absolva

Dead Aeon / Shattered Skies / Aeternum Vale / Taibshe / Eazy Tyger / Aesect / Hostile Ground

Belt Buckle Overdrive / Wolf Regime / Pagan Riot

Snowblind / Kerouac / Taibshe / Faith In The Autumn / The Forbidden Itch

Venus DeVilo / Beau Peekaboo / CJ Skyes / Sinestro

Xeronun / The Lizzy Experience / Venus DeVilo

Music Promo & Portraits

Events

Dublin Zombie Walk

Dublin Zombie Walk (promo work)

Bray Air Spectacular

Bavaria Dublin City Races

Dublin Offline Conference

American Pie: Reunion

Air Corps 90th Anniversary

Easter Rising Commemoration

Irish Model Convention

Acta / Sopa Ireland

Copyright © 2012 LisaTiffanyPhotography All rights reserved.

Playing Catch Up: Gaming [ps3]

I have been ridiculously busy over the last few months (year?) and haven’t posted since February. I’ve been working on countless shows and gigs shooting all kinds of bands and events all over Dublin and elsewhere. As for gaming the summer has made it take a serious backseat but with the coming winter months down the line I’ll be getting back into gaming soon. And because as everybody knows the games companies always try to flaunt and flog their biggest titles for Christmas I’ll be adding a bunch more titles to my collection. 

I’m looking at the list of games I’ve reviewed versus those that I’ve actually played and so far the ones that have been played and lack a review would be the following:

Batman Arkham City
Assassins Creed Revelations
The Sims 3 Pets
Battlefield 3
Modern Warfare 3
Skyrim
SAW 2
SSX
Saints Row  The Third
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare
Fallout New Vegas: Old World Blues / Honest Hearts / Lonesome Road

Along with those I should be buying the following when they are released and reviews should hopefully follow:

Grand Theft Auto 5
Borderlands 2
Hitman Absolution
Aliens Colonial Marines
Assassins Creed 3
Far Cry 3
Metro: Last Light
Sniper 2: Ghost Warrior