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.

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

Dead Island: game review (ps3/360/pc)

Welcome to the beautiful island of Banoi, situated in the south pacific this lush and picturesque paradise is soon to become a living hell for its many wealthy vacationers who come to the island for a nice peaceful getaway. Out of no where a strange and deadly epidemic hits the island turning all but a few into mindless bloodthirsty walking corpses, the few who are left must work together if they are ever to leave alive. What i like about the story is it goes out of its way to really leave you in the dark about what has happened and how you can stop it, instead you have to either work hard through the story missions or if you are lucky find some of the many news excerpts scattered across the map. What you do learn is this, the royal palms resort is no longer a beautiful getaway with all the trimmings of pure luxury, instead its overrun with hordes of the walking dead who are hell bent on making your stay a living nightmare.

The first thing about Dead Island is this, yes it’s easy to draw comparisons to games such as Borderlands/Dead Rising and of course Left 4 Dead but it’s a bit more complicated than that because really the game adapts and crafts itself to your own choices and so it’s not the same for everyone playing. There are four different characters to choose from each with their own sense of style and special moves, they range from the usual gunning expert/throwing expert/sharp weapons expert and the more in your face brawling expert. As you would expect each character has more power in their chosen field than the others so it makes for a lot of replay value.

At the same time i find it hard and unfair to group the game in with so many others because a lot of what it is actually doing is more original than the usual type of game in its genre. Dead Island is at its core an RPG styled survival horror game, the horror comes in the form of the many hordes of zombies who never fail in instilling a sense of dread and fear in the player, and the RPG comes from the ability to tailor your chosen characters skills and build in order to make a more efficient and deadlier survivor. What really makes the game special is the many moments gamers all over experience one time another in their quest for survival, for some it might be something like diving off a roof only to land on a truck below in a desperate attempt to escape their undead pursuers while for others it might be taking on a whole horde and narrowing escaping death while a thrown knife just misses your head. It’s these little moments that really get the blood flowing and there are an almost endless supply once you take your first step into the infected world of the undead.

Playing the game really is easy and even if you are not that familiar with RPGs you will soon get a hang of the skill tree, it’s a very simple formula and it goes as so: killing zombies earns you XP (experience points) once you have enough you earn a skill point which you can use to enhance your chosen abilities. Abilities help you stay strong and make you a more effective zombie slayer, some will enhance the damage you do while others can help you pick locks on crates/run for longer/and much more. Players familiar with the skills and levelling up in Borderlands will feel right at home here because it’s almost identical to the same system the game used. With my own character i used a lot of skill points to enhance my fighting abilities with edged melee weapons, without these skills and enhancements it really would not have been possible to finish the game because like most RPG styled games once you level up the enemy does too.

Zombies are no stranger to recent and past video games but no where have they been as deadly or utterly relentless as in Dead Island, when it comes to motivation they are on a whole new level. Its brutal how they are so well done, they don’t just look the part they really are the part. The zombies are a huge part of the gameplay and its immense immersive styling so you would expect them to be good.. just not this good. As you explore the island you will see zombies eating many of the fallen victims, banging at doors and windows to kill the remaining survivors hiding inside or just aimlessly roaming around in a world of their own. Like almost everything in the game they are not just there for looks they serve a purpose and the game will try its hardest to make you their next meal. The first time you encounter the infected wearing their beach clothes while their faces rot off they are easily dispatched with a few whacks of a blunt instrument, when the game really gets going they start to move faster and prove to be more ruthless.

Not only that, there are many different kinds of zombies from the early shambling walker zombies to the fast and agile infected whose shrill screams will make you jump even before they come at you with their red eyes glowing. Bigger zombies will make their presence known and when they do you really have to react fast because as you would imagine the bigger ones do most of the damage. The Ram were already insane before they got infected, so kitted out in straitjackets all they can do is charge and ram you ..but that alone is enough, Suiciders are as their name suggests bad news and they go about killing you by exploding once they get within range of the uninfected. Further on in the game other zombies such as The Floaters and the Butchers will make themselves known, the former being a grotesque bloated behemoth capable of inflicting large amounts of damage as it spits up corrosive slime and bile. The Butchers ..well as the name suggests they are good at slicing and tearing their prey, they share the speed and agility of the faster zombies and put serious fear in even the most experienced player.

Combat in the game is quite realistic and you soon discover that even with so many upgrades you are far from invincible, luckily for you Dead Island not only gives you tons of weapons it lets you upgrade and modify them making them the more deadlier. For example early into the game you might pick up a kitchen knife that takes about 6 hits to permanently put a zombie to rest but after upgrading it the strikes needed are halved.. modify the knife to give them an electric shock too and you have a more reliable weapons. Thankfully kitchen knives are only just the beginning, on offer are all manner of weapons including machetes/axes/sickles/samurai swords/hammers/handguns/assault rifles/shotguns, the list goes on. They all serve a purpose and it’s a good idea to use weapons that suit your characters fighting style because you will deal more damage and earn more XP to use in crafting weapons and items. Crafting weapons and explosives cannot be done unless you have the required items and materials that make it possible but the island is packed full of places and things to loot so you will always be stocked up on items – though at times the items might seem useless its worth looting everything you can because you never know when you might need it. Driving is something i never expected to appear in the game so i was surprised to see drivable trucks popping up on the map, they do come in useful on the island as some of the locations are so vast you will need some wheels to get around where fast travel teleports don’t go.

The locations and world the game offers spoils the player in a way unlike anything you would ever imagine. I was quite content to just explore the resort and miles of lush beautiful beaches, little did i know there was more varied locations to come. As the story progresses other areas open up such as cities and even jungles, each one really is a testament to the work that has been put into the game and each one has something new and exciting to offer. Though the story missions are the main focus of the game they are not all that is there, through the player’s journey many side quests are made available and all offer a perfect opportunity to interact with the game world and its characters. Some side quests will require you to search for specific materials or kill specific targets; they all have the fun factor in common and can be done at your own pace with no timers to be seen. What i liked about the missions was the realism, characters will ask you to find them gas for cars, food and supplies and even fuel to burn decaying corpses; they all seem to be things you would expect in a real life outbreak. The realism makes the game all the more enjoyable because you feel like you really accomplished something by helping the people around you and in a way it makes you more aware of what’s happening.

The graphics are not the best the gaming world has to offer but in some parts especially outdoors they are really well done and very vividly portray the island and its surroundings, the trees and vegetation are lush and crisp, the oceans and water are beautifully rendered to the point of calling you to jump in and you will even if it’s just to crush the head of a fallen zombie. One of the most savage examples of the games graphics is the brutally vivid way a zombies body can be taken apart only to leave a staggering pile of limbs. The physics are not perfect but they are no way near horrible, if you toss a propane tank a quickly placed bullet will cause it to explode destroying anything within its devastating range. Throwing a knife at a zombie will result in a walking pincushion, then you can pull the knife back out when they are dealt with. Kick a zombie into water and funnily enough they will start to lose some of their life bar, equally running past with a sword at neck level will cause the head to come right off like a hot knife through butter ..is this all sounding violent? It is.

Dead Island is a not a game for the kiddies it’s a veritable gore fest of mass proportion, heads will fly, arms and legs will fly and it all gets washed down in a river of blood. Similar to Borderlands and Left 4 Dead the story quickly takes a back seat when Co-Op is in session, with or without other players its one of the most addictive games you will ever play. If you are not familiar with Co-Op in games then Dead Island is the perfect place to start, whether it’s with long time friends or just random strangers playing online is very enjoyable and the added company comes in very useful when you are swamped with a zombie horde coming at you from all directions. For the trophy and achievement hunters out there a whole host of challenges and requirements await, some are easier than others but most seem to be picked up through story progression or just random exploration. Levelling up is fun and adds to the games lifespan, along with that the choice of four different characters to play with opens the replay value to a whole new world of possibilities, in short you will never be lacking for something to do or see. I started playing the game the morning it was released and after 70hrs of game time and levelling up all the way to level 50 i’m still finding lots to do, it really is the game that keeps on giving. There are many games on the market which offer the zombie survival horror experience but none have been this fun or rewarding, though it has its small problems (see below) the glitches reported in no way hamper or take away from the real Dead Island experience. I loved this game and everything it had to offer, i’m giving it a much deserved 10 out of 10 and though it’s not even October yet it is already a serious competitor for the coveted game of the year.

Glitches & Bugs

When the game was originally released it was plagued by an infection of its very own, glitches and bugs. People who played before the patch and then installed it reported a loss of progression and even corrupted save data. My own experience was nothing short of brilliant, initially i only played the game offline with the Co-Op disabled on the main menus options screen and i had no problems. I then tried with the Co-Op enabled and i not only lost save progression, my trophies would not activate. Strangely enough now when i play on Co-Op with friends my saves don’t malfunction and my trophies work. Other people have not been so lucky so unless you want to wait for an updated patch to fix the bugs and glitches i’d advise playing it offline to prevent any data getting lost or corrupted. Even with the glitches the game is nothing short of brilliant, and to completely avoid it because of some release day bugs would be a bad idea and a complete loss of possibly one of the greatest games ever made. Dead Island is on sale now and DLC has already been announced.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – game review (ps3/360/pc)

The original Deus Ex was released back in the year 2000, with its ability to blend the world of cyberpunk, intense shooting and all around action packed RPG it quickly became a must have for gamers everywhere. What followed was a whole host of awards winning the game recognition, it was unlike anything of its time. Now over ten years later the series returns with a whole new bag of tricks that is sure to hook gamers everywhere, Deus Ex has again raised the bar for video gaming perfection leaving its competitors in a cloud of dust.

Set in the year 2027, the game follows Adam Jensen an ex-SWAT specialist who works for an american experimental biotechnology firm. Tasked with the job of keeping company secrets and watching over technical aspects of security his life is soon changed when trying to stop a team of attacking mercenaries leaves him half dead. Much like Alex Murphy in Robocop he is saved when the company he works for replaces and enhances his vitals and limbs with enhanced augmented robotics. Obsessed with the attack he soon uses his new found powers to track down and deal with those responsible for what happened to him and the team he was protecting, what follows is a highly adaptable action adventure tour de force that changes depending on how you choose to play.

To pursue his targets he has to face a whole host of bioenhanced super soldiers and mercenaries whose loyalty falls on the mysterious forces who are hell-bent on directing mankind's evolution. While a lot of the story looks and feels like a cross between Blade Runner and Robocop it easily stands up on its own with all the twists and intrigue you could ever want from a game of its kind. Many games claim to have open ended stories where outcomes change depending on your decisions , while most fail Deus Ex sticks to its guns leaving a whole wealth of alternative options and ideas for even the most hardcore gamer.

The gameplay experience is huge and from the very start a lot of questions need to be answered, how you go about getting those answers is entirely up to you. Fans of games like Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell will find a lot on offer here, but you don’t have to be a fan of stealth to progress through the game. If you chose to charge into a room guns blazing and grenades flying you will get the effect you would expect, enemies will be alerted to your presence and open fire on your position. While this works the stealth option can help you get an advantage over your targets, a carefully placed shot from an air vent will take a soldier down while not giving away your position, either way you get the job done.

For fans of hardware there is an impressive arsenal of high-tech weaponry on offer, fans of FPS games should not expect a ridiculous amount of handguns and assault rifles. Kit ranges between a pistol, revolver, combat rifle, sniper rifle, grenades and many more hidden weapons that are found either through story progression or purchased on the black market. Cyberpunk fans will find that the best weapon is Jensen himself, he is fully upgradable enhancing many aspects of combat, movement, vision, etc. Upgrading Jensen is done through a system of implants known as praxis, rewarded for missions, found hidden around the map and even purchased in clinics these upgrades are an integral part of the gaming experience.

On my first play through i opted for stealth using silenced weaponry, sticking to the shadows when i could, the upgrades i concentrated on modified my vision so i could see through walls, made my footsteps more muted, gave me an edge over the enemy making it easier to track their movements and monitor their field of vision. The more fantastical upgrades allow Jensen to punch through weak walls, land from great heights, take down multiple enemies at once, and many more.

The levels themselves are extremely well detailed and mapped out with so many alternative routes that exploring them all will make your head spin, many levels allow you to try multiple entry points to buildings and installations, exploration is highly advised as all manner of gear and equipment is hidden in out of the way places you could easily overlook. Many areas can be accessed by hacking doors or nearby consoles, computers, safes and even robots. Unlike most games hacking appears to be more realistic with the option to take down more important targets on the network rewarding you with cash or even hidden viruses you can then use, its easy to learn and can be greatly enhanced if you chose to award praxis points to the hacking skill. There is no shortage of targets, there are computers filled with hidden emails which will not only give you insight into the shadowy story but give you some chuckles too.

Like many games there is a big emphasise on defeating enemies from grunts to bosses and there is no shortage of both. Special forces patrol installations packing combat rifles and stun grenades, bio-enhanced super soldiers prove more of a challenge sometimes vanishing before your eyes using stealth to their advantage, bigger grunts carry heavy rifles and take many hits to bring them down, robots too patrol many areas and are activated when a security system identifies a threat. Dispatching the enemy can be done in different ways but as expected the bosses prove to be a much more serious task. Some will stomp around peppering Jensen in explosives while others will use stealth and surprise to get the job done, these battles are challenging but firepower seems to be the only way to defeat them, killing the illusion of open gameplay.

Graphically Deus Ex has not been getting the most impressive response from the critics but i really don’t see the distinction, visually the game looks a lot like Blade Runner and at times the cityscapes and environments can be awe inspiring. It’s a darker world indeed its a darker vision of a future that has altered the path of mankind, blinding buildings of neon loom above Jensen as he traverses across streets populated with armed police and enhanced citizens, some offering the chance of a side mission so its worth keeping a close eye on those around you. Though at times the character animations and voice acting can seem a little ropey or repetitive it in no way takes away from the fun, and there is plenty of fun to be had. Visually many of the key characters in the story benefit from a renaissance inspired look, the architecture too blends into the game very nicely.

The music comes as a great surprise, it perfectly fits the world that Jensen inhabits and really immerses the player in a cyberpunk futuristic environment. Voice acting in the game can at times be hit and miss, while Jensen comes across as sounding mostly genuine many other characters some pivotal don’t really suit the voice they have been given. It’s really a minor con and it doesn’t affect the flow too much but its a shame more work wasn’t put into establishing a more solid line of voice acting.

Lifetime and replayability is extremely high inspiring many people to play through the game multiple times for the extra endings, missions and equipment. It’s a little frustrating that on completing the story you don’t hold onto previously acquired upgrades, however it helps keep the player interested and more driven when replaying missions. Even with a lack of multiplayer there is a lot to be excited about and over 20 or 25 hours of play for even the most hardened gamer, on finishing the game the first time i later realized I'd missed many side missions. Alternative paths and events will quickly hook the player into seeking out and experiencing all the gaming there is to be had.

The only real downside about the game is that while most of the game lets you play how you want to, boss fights will be almost unwinnable unless you use firepower and lots of it. By working like this it removes the idea of an open ended battle and the choice is more or less taken. The pros easily overshadow the rather limited cons so really its a small price to pay for an otherwise perfect game. Variety is everywhere from upgrades to the tools at your disposal, the story is brilliant and immersive in very angle, the visuals are crafted to fit the world perfectly and its more open ended than any other game of its type. Though it does have its minor issues they are greatly over shadowed by the vast and highly detailed world of Deus Ex. I loved every minute of the game, pacing as well as major decisions and story progression are all guided by your decisions alone, I'm giving it a much deserved 10 out of 10. 

Alice Madness Returns: game review (ps3/360/pc)

It’s been over ten years since Alice had her last videogame outing, originally it was a pc exclusive and now she returns to grace the world of games consoles. Set just after the events of the original game Alice is back in a desperate struggle to finally put her demon’s to rest, unknown to her she is set to partake in the fight of her life. The magical world of wonderland is no longer her refuge, instead it is slowly being systematically destroyed by a powerful evil force. She soon realizes that the reality around her is not much better and is forced to delve deep into her own darkness in the hopes that she alone can restore balance to her mind and to her beloved wonderland.

Madness Returns draws you deep into a world of darkness and surreal creativity, though at times the game play can lag a little its well worth the ride and when you do really get into it you won’t want to put it down. The story is as you would expect nothing short of brilliant, the writing is superb and the dialogue is perfectly matched to the universe it occupies. Alice is an action adventure game with a serious emphasis on platforming, but it doesn’t stop there along the way players are treated to various mini games that are both fun and testing. Its a challenging world full of jumps, dives and a lot of monsters to give even the most experienced gamers a serious run for their money.

Lewis Carroll originally dreamed up a world of fantasy and wonder, but this world is far removed from that wonder. It is a grotesque and dark world that Alice has to venture trough if she is to ever conquer her fears, her mind and save wonderland. Alice has a number of character moves to use but unfortunately getting her to carry them off at the start can be quite the ordeal, they lag and feel almost unresponsive though it eventually irons itself out this can be a bit of an off putter for new visitors to the game. Its a shame really and probably part of the reason many games reviewers found it hard to warm to but since most of the game really depends on these moves it can really drag the pace down to a crawl. Going slow is not a huge problem, wonderland though ravaged is quite the sight to behold and visually its extremely impressive. Many of the levels call for Alice to leap and glide her way from platform to platform, graceful in her glides and jumps she can at times be a delight to control.

The levels as mentioned are highly influenced by towering platforms you need to either leap to or solve puzzles in order to cross to the next part of the map. Some of the jumps can be very difficult to get to grips with and at times i found myself either cursing the camera or the platforms themselves. The game camera though not always can feel schizophrenic as it chooses to place itself in the most awkward of places making a hard jump even harder, a few times the camera on doing this caused me to miss completely and plummet straight off the edge. Camera aside the platforming elements are enough of a challenge to really keep you trying, many times Alice will discover secret areas that will give her an alternative route helping her bypass such difficult jumps. An integral part of Alice’s moves is the ability to shrink herself down at a time of the players choosing, this helps Alice pass though hidden keyholes scattered around the nooks and crannies of the map. Another ability she posses is a sort of special viewing where hidden bridges or passages show up as a sort of chalky outline, its a nice touch and really adds to the game.

Often these hidden areas contain collectibles such as forgotten memories Alice desperately needs as she struggles to piece together her fragile mind, when found these play out as amusingly good audio sequences that give the player a better grasp of what has happened to cause the destruction and devastation around them. Defeating enemies gives the player rose petals used to fill back up a depleted life bar, while teeth are used to buy weapons upgrades. Being an action adventure game you would expect a lot of action and Madness Returns certainly delivers. Alice starts off with the powerful vorpal blade which was once used to slay the evil jabberwocky but as she progresses various other weapons become available such as a pepper mill grinder which doubles for a gatling gun, a hard hitting hobby horse, a teapot that launches steaming hot tea, and my personal favourite clockwork bombs. All of the weapons apart from the bombs can be upgraded to prove more devastating against your ever-changing enemy.

The monsters and foes Alice faces throughout the game are as twistedly decedent as the nightmare world they occupy, though the game doesn’t exactly feature level bosses as such the monsters change so sporadically that you won’t really think about it much. The first monsters Alice encounters are easy enough to defeat as it teaches you the basics of control and combat but as the game progresses they get extremely hard especially when they hit you in waves. Combat too is difficult and at times the auto aiming can be a bit of a pain as it jumps from target to target leaving you exposed to attack, thankfully the hand to hand weapons are strong enough to not really need to rely too much on guns or cannons. At first Alice faces the likes of leeches and other low level cannon fodder but along the way she must tackle card knights brandishing axes, fire breathing dolls, samurai sword wielding wasps and executioners hell bent on separating your head from your shoulders. They can be tricky enough to deal with but eventually you learn when where and how to hit them effectively, the action part of the game can definitely be bloody but it really adds to the games atmosphere and overall visual look of the game.

Visually the game is absolutely stunning and the setting is unlike anything i have ever seen before, its a beautiful mix of style creativity and true unbridled terror. Alice not only traverses wonderland but also reality, a reality that looks like it is straight out of a Tim Burton movie. London though small and rarely visited is seeped in dark and gothic atmosphere, characters litter the street conversing shadily about this or that while other more sinister individuals peddle their wares. Reality of course is no match for the visual delight that is wonderland, it may be on the brink of annihilation but there are still pockets of pure beauty waiting to be explored. Wonderland at its worst is equally beautiful, and the game goes through an impressively and surprising amount of landscape changes. While one level might look like something straight out of a SAW movie or even Clive Barkers imagination another will place Alice in a scenic frozen tundra where you can’t help but smile happily as you wander through. My favourite level in the game was one where Alice has to make her way through a world that resembles a dollhouse, there is no shortage of level types or designs in this nightmare and shockingly each level is extremely long. Recently the market has been saturated with games featuring half finished short levels that leave the player wanting more, Alice however gives all that and then some.

Apart from a few small elements of the game i have to say i really enjoyed Madness Returns, it was hard to warm to and at times frustrating but having played though it all now and finished the game i feel like i really accomplished something. The story is so well interwoven with this dark fantasy universe, all the characters you would expect are here, the cheshire cat, the caterpillar, the carpenter, the march hare, the dormouse and of course the insanely brilliant mad hatter. The music changes as much as the visuals and levels do, its in no means repetitive and really adds to the game. The sounds too and lighting are very well done, it is not the best looking game on the market but it certainly does not disappoint.

Alice has enough moves and weapons to keep the player busy homing their skills and upgrading their tools, but that’s not all many of the levels come with their own attire to perfectly match the scene. This comes in the form of a series of dresses Alice wears throughout her journey, they are very well designed and though they do not add any special ability to Alice they look amazing and its nice to have the added choice of what costume to wear. Recently a DLC pack was released to buy for the game, it includes a whole host of dresses that give Alice special abilities and a number of weapon upgrades that really help tip the scales in your favour. Loading can be a little bit of an issue at times but its not enough to spoil the mood or the fun, the game may come to stand still followed by an egg timer but its usually for a few seconds so though noticeable it doesn’t really affect the pace.

Madness Returns could easily have been a 10 out of 10 game if the minor issues were addressed, on their own they don’t bring the pace down but all at once can be frustrating. Given the minor shortfalls its still a very good and uniquely creative game and should not be missed if given the chance. Its challenging yet very rewarding, upgrades and collectibles breath new life into the game and since they carry over once the game has been finished you will find yourself wanting to go back through the story again not just to pick up items you may have missed but for the deeply engrossing story telling. I’m giving Alice a 7 out of 10, I'm taking marks off for the reasons mentioned but those alone are not enough to really stop you from enjoying the game. If you are looking for a challenge served with a double dose of platforming action and superior story telling then this is a tea party you will not want to miss, the guests may be stark raving mad but the more the merrier.