Update Message (New Reviews Soon!)

G'day there guys and gals!

Holy crap it's been over a month since I posted anything!

First off, I want to say I'm sorry for not posting or reviewing anything for the last month or so, there have been many titles I still need to do and unfortunately I've been utterly busy, not only with University but with my personal life as well.
I haven't mentioned it on here yet but last month I was diagnosed with Diabetes, and while this isn't a death sentence to me, I've had to have a massive life style change in order to bring my blood sugars under control. I had to cut all sugars out of my diet, start a routine, daily exercise and actually start taking care of my body.
With all of that, I've also still continuing my University studies, with my spare time spent either trying to have a social life or drawing/writing in my spare time between conversations with my Tutor.

So, what's the point of me telling you all this?
I'm going to restart reviews as soon as I can.
I recently got a Soundcloud account and an idea came to me: Why not make reviews in audio form?
That way, you folks don't have to read through a whole bunch of stuff and this way, you can download it and listen to it anywhere, in the car, while you're working or studying, even physically hand it out to your friends!

I've done a few demo versions and I'm not too crash hot about them, so I may have to still write out scripts and such. But even then, why wouldn't I just post the script?

So I leave it to you folks. Stick with written or go to audio?

A LOT of people have been requesting video reviews but making/editing/rendering/uploading them takes a lot of time, much of which I don't have. I'm barely able to do Vlogs anymore. I've been wanting to start Gameplays up again but Blogger switches my YT accounts to G+ so that's fricking annoying.
Either way, reviews will be coming soon. The holiday season has given me a bit of time off but I'll have to figure out a new timeline for this sort of thing.

Okay, that's too much reading.
Lastly, you folks are awesome. 15'000 views and we're quickly approaching 16'000. 
I am tremendously thankful. I'd make my own website but meh!

Thanks very much everyone, happy holidays, and as always have fun and game on!
See you in 2014!

Day One Xbox One & Accessories Unboxing

G'day folks!

Since posting this blogger, I've been able to FINALLY post videos onto blogger even with a different Youtube account!
You can view the video on this site here: http://thegamecavereviews.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/day-one-xbox-one-and-accessories.html

Have fun and game on!

Review: Greg Hasting's Paintball 2

G'day there guys and gals!

I was inspired to play this game simply due to a video by Roosterteeth in which Michael raged on and on about the game. For as long as I remember, I've always had a fascination with Paintball and in later life found that I had a talent for the game. Greg Hasting's Paintball 2 offers a unique experience for all but one that doesn't appeal to all.
The real thing this game only offers in abundance is gameplay. Quick, simple and nice to move through, the gameplay is capable to kill a few hours upon. However the AIs are the most ridiculous and fun-killers I have ever faced. Characters glide on the ground and start physically walking three seconds later, they fire blindly at close range and become snipers at long range. Even when crouched they glide and blindly fire which makes for poor gameplay, especially with the bulky HUD. Multiplayer is something I can't even cover with barely anyone online, so unfortunately I'll have to pass over that coverage. Graphics are extremely poor, especially so since the game was made barely three years ago. Overall they can't be much of a factor but seeing as the game was released in 2010 (And with other titles such as Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Alan Wake, Dead Rising 2 and more) compared to the other titles coming out at that time, it's well below the par line.
Musical score and sound effects aren't much either; the music is decent but repeats often and quickly becomes irritating, whereas the sounds are realistic but sound faded and dull. Vocal acting is quite poor also, sounding forced or contained. Other than the tolerable gameplay, the game offers customisation for your crew; details are small but definitely effective, especially with your Paintball gun and equipment, even down to your symbol.

To be frank, while the game is worthy of wasting a few hours with friends or by yourself, by the standard of the time, there isn't any question why it wasn't very popular. Sub-par graphics, musical score, AI and voice acting, decent gameplay and customisation and a multiplayer where gamers avoid like the plague.
If you're going to play this title, prepare to play it solo, unless you convince your friends to suffer along side you. Even as a fan of playing the sport, I cringe by seeing the title.

Out of 10, I give Greg Hasting's Paintball 2 an 4/10

+Decent Gameplay
+High levels of customisation/unlockables
-Extremely poor graphics
-Ridiculous AI
-Repetitive musical score
-Vocal acting (Other than narration) is dull
-I'd rather play RL Paintball

GH Paintball 2 is out now for the standard price of $20

Review: Metro Last Light - Chronicles Pack DLC

G'day there guys and gals!

***Warning! This DLC review will have some excessive spoilers for the main storyline and this DLC. Read at your own caution!***

The fourth and final DLC for Metro Last Light has been released; The Chronicles is set on three secondary characters - Pavel, Khan and Anna - and their stories of other happenings alongside the tale of Artyom's mission to save D6 and the people of the Metro. Not only does this DLC give much needed insight on the characters but also fixes the plot-holes and mishaps throughout the main story.

First is the Pavel mission: After encountering Artyom in Venice and escaping him, he is once again captured (To which he remarks on this in the opening sequence) by the bandits at Venice and set to torture. Escaping, he sneaks and fights his way through, desperately trying to get back to the front line. This is by far the longest part in the DLC, but keep an eye out for collectables and a scarcely old woman, trust me on that.
The Khan mission is a bit of a tease to the fans of the series, featuring only a small amount of time playing as Khan himself. Instead you take on Ulhman, a Ranger in the Order on a mission to destroy a Red train full of supplies and soldiers. This train is the same one Khan and Artyom is chasing to find the Dark One; this meaning it's Ulhman who causes the train to explode and nearly kill him and the Dark One. After quickly finding Khan, the two set off back to Polis, encountering Anomalies and deadly, deadly rats along the way. Khan is only playable by the end of the mission and this is extremely rushed and quick. Only one good thing came out that experience to which I dub: "The Shotgun Revolver", a six barreled shotgun that works like a revolver. It's AWESOME!
The Anna mission completes the tie offs of the plot-holes as you return to the very first mission. Seeing Artyom from a different perspective is a little odd but quite welcoming and fun to sit and snipe Watchmen around him. After Artyom collapses, Anna makes her way down her perch and wades through a few platoons of Red soldiers, only to watch Artyom and the Dark One whisked away, leaving her stranded in a storm. This mission is reletively short but definitely fun; seeing an iconic scene in a different view was quite nice and good for the nostalgia to kick in. 

In reality, Chronicles Pack offers fans a deeper look into the history of the Metro (And Khan's past, woo!) and the continuing stories of the main characters. While the DLC offers no additional content for the main story (Which is a bummer because the new weapons would've been useful and revamp gameplay), Chronicles is a fun way to kill an hour - a short hour - but a fun one.

Metro Last Light - Chronicles Pack DLC rating: B

Blogger Updates 15/10/13

Howdy folks, some serious news to bring to you all.
And as always, you are the first to know.

In life we must all move on, whether for the better or not. Fortunately this is a situation where the best of both worlds is possible. Quite recently I've been offered to finally have a chance to study a University course and I have taken that opportunity. For the next 16 months I'll be studying Digital and Interactive Games, which covers everything from producing and making your own video games to film producing. This however will take up a lot of my time and require a lot of my attention first and foremost.  

In short, what I'm saying is that I won't be able to post as much as I usually do. I haven't been posting a lot due to the small game releases, but I assure you I'll still do my best to bring out what I can, when I can.
Video releases will definitely slow down and will be under the same treatment; when I can do them, I will. I'll be releasing a short vlog tomorrow explaining this in further detail.

This isn't adieu, hopefully, but everything will be released when I can. 
For now, enjoy this time lapsed video I made of me drawing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klN2aNHXO2M

Take care everybody, as always, have fun and game on!

Blogger Upload Issues

Howdy folks!

So I finally figured out why I can't post any of my videos here on Blogger: With Google+ (Seeing as it forces me to use it these days) it acts like a different account to my actual YT account. While FatmanXVII has over 260 videos, my G+ account has none. And since this account was made with the same email address as my Blogger, the accounts overlap. No matter how hard I try, my videos can't be posted unless it's uploaded.
Issue with that is, uploading is failing each and every time. Whether this is due to the size of the video's length or the HD, the only way to post videos for now is simply post the URL.

SOOOOOOO, I recently began a Game Review in video form! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di0WhLEzs2U
Go give it a watch if you'd like!

If this issue keeps up, I'll start writing both reviews on here and posting a video form on YT.
Oh Google+...how you like to f**k up something so simple....

Game on folks, take care!

Al

Review: WSOP: Full House Pro

G'day folks!

There is usually nothing to complain about when given free things. Usually it's for a gift or as a present for doing a task well. However, the old sayings stay true: all things worth having aren't meant to be free. This applies directly to World Series Of Poker: Full House Pro.
This is a sequel to the highly praised game Full House Poker, and like it's predecessor, it too is free. My original complaints with Full House Poker were fixed eventually over time; such as the connection issues and graphics problems. This being said, the same issues apply to this game as well. Gameplay is more or less the same as it was, for veterans there is no need to look over the controls. The A button will be your dominant one over time. A nice little feature is the commentary; while playing two commentators will read off who leaves in what position or if positive or negative things happen during gameplay. This also applies to the beginning and end of a players match. There isn't too much to say about the sound effects and the musical score; once again it seems to be more or less the same with tooting trumpets and jazz like music. What Microsoft seems to have focused on is the customisation and graphics themselves. 

While the new areas look clean and clear cut, it's unfortunately the avatars that give away the look of the game. Due to the multitude appearances of a player's avatar, expect the usual white lining around the edges of your character. It simply boils down to the choices of the player and what to change and customise what they'd prefer. Sadly, this too is massively flawed. Originally, Full House Poker allowed players to unlock these choices by simply playing the game and unlocking them with each level. This time around, players can choose to unlock things with either chips or blocks of gold. Yes, you read that right, gold. However, even after unlocking an item (Mostly by doing a specific task or leveling up), you must still pay for them with either chips or gold. The game rewards players who have Full House Poker with free items and accessories for their arena, but yes these too must be paid with by chips or gold. The reason I mention this is that the prices, just like the meme, are too damn high. Most being either in the fifth or six digit figure. True, it is easy to climb to that amount, leveling up is difficult and slow, even in single player. The game counters this with a new feature For simply logging into the game every 12 hours, you'll receive a lump sum and some XP to which these can be use for in game condiments, which increase experience for a set amount of hands. This helps but not enough - With the addition to custom avatar gear specifically for the game itself, it's almost a big tease.

The single player, while good to play, is more of a practice mode than anything else and barely offers anything other than outfits to wear during multiplayer as the character you have won against. Multiplayer, while as fun and simple as before, is just as flawed. Expect a lot of error issues and the words "Due to connectivity issues, voice chat will be suspended until the end of the match." or most of the time, simply disconnecting. Over time, I came to like Full House Poker more and more, even to the point of almost maxing out my level, something I very rarely do. This may not be the case with WSOP: Full House Pro. More chore than fun, I think I may just go back to playing poker with my friends at the pub again. 
Brownie points for being a free game but sometimes free doesn't mean good.

Out of 10, I give WSOP: Full House Pro a 4/10

+Simplistic and enjoyable
+Commentary is a plus
+Massive customisation overhaul
-...Yet sadly flawed unlocking system
-Navigating menus is slow and repetitive
-"You can customise!...only when you have $195'000 worth of chips at level 1."
-Connectivity is damaging and redundant
-Less single player usage and rewards
-Ending game session takes almost a minute due to the commentators
-Avatars look bulky and unrefined

WSOP: Full House Pro is out now for free

Review: Saints Row IV

G'day there guys and gals!

*This review is 100% spoiler free. Feel free to read freely*

For nearly a month, Australians have waited to get their paws on a copy of this game. Some did by eBay, ordering overseas and multitudes of other ways while the Attorney Generals fluffed around with "issues" with the game. But finally, gamers rejoice as Saints Row IV finally makes its way to our consoles. It is no secret that I've been a massive fan since the very first game, especially so since it was my first game ever played on my Xbox 360. The first Deep Silver game in the series, it's obvious to see that no matter the outcome, you'll definitely have a dropped jaw at one point.
Saints Row was all about making a name in the gang community, it's sequel was rebuilding that reputation. Saints Row The Third enhanced on that by making their name worldwide with ever more ridiculousness and then there's Number 4; compared to the last installment, they took everything about the previous title, grabbed several cans of energy drinks and other random items and churned them together in a giant blender. Let the adventure begin!

Saints Row sees players begin on an international assassination of a deadly, and recognisable foe. With this person no longer a threat and the US saved by the protagonist, the Saints become beloved by all and the leader becomes the President. Five years later, right before a press conference, the Zin Empire and their Emperor Zinyak invades Earth and takes all the best and brightest humans prisoner. But I shall reveal no more!
While it's well know that SR4 was a double crossed joke (April Fools joke which later turned out to be a real DLC in production), the production eventually became so big that a sequel came into works, much like many other DLCs in the industry. Because of this, gameplay is very similar to the predecessor; This applies to many of the key components of the game such as sound effects and the obvious likeness to other small time games such as Prototype and Crackdown (For power bases). The menu bar holds all of your needs in game and is simple to use. The Back button will lead you to the multitude of the game's features such as the Map, Powers, Upgrades, Cache and of course, the Options and Cheats menu. In that retrospect, the game is quite familiar to the touch and easy to handle, even with the usage of powers and abilities.
Super powers are definitely a massive plus in the game, adding a definite edge to the game entirely.
Where escaping or weaponry doesn't help, Powers will become your best friend in combat as well as travel. This however is a hindrance to some of the game mechanics. With Super Speed and Super Jump (The very first two powers you get), it definitely makes travelling and exploration fun but makes driving pointless and only as a leisure or task assessed usage. The same goes with your powers; they can be utter devastation to enemies but make most weaponry useless. Alien weapons will quickly become your most used weaponry, doubly so for your specialty weaponry such as the Disinegrator, the Dubstep gun and so on.
The storyline is one of ridiculousness but is quite decent and holds together well. Fans will welcome the craziness and often cheezy punchlines but as the story progresses, it turns into one of revenge, justice and a massive "f**k you" to Zinyak, the added Shakespeare was just the cherry on top for me. Gamers should expect 41% of Storyline gameplay without playing any side missions. The voice acting was, as always, over the top and utterly crazy. Troy Baker makes his return to main role (A first for the SR series), while many others also make an appearance, even the legend Nolan North. This being said, a lot of the older cast from the original game return, whereas some could not. Benjamin King was originally voiced by Michael Clarke Duncan (RIP) but was replaced with Terry Crews. Tonya Winters originally voiced by Mila Kunis, however she too was replaced with Ursula Taherian and so on. Many new and old faces make an appearance but I'll leave that as a surprise for you. Just remember to keep an open mind and enjoy the nostalgia.
Sound effects aren't something you can boast much about as a lot of the weaponry is similar if not tweaked slightly, the only fresher sounds being Powers or alien weaponry. As a man who doesn't like Dubstep, even the Dubstep Gun was fun to use. Speaking of which, the musical score is a nice touch of both modern and classic music, with fans happy that this includes the return of Reggae radio station. Mixtapes also make a return but what makes this even better is a feature returning from the very first Saints Row. Mixtapes and now even radio stations can be played without being in a car. Jumping rooftop to rooftop while playing "Opposite's Attract" will definitely fill in some of your free time. 

With extra customisation, a mass amount of side missions and plenty of things to do, this will equally kill some time on par to most games over 20 hours of gameplay. And while the game is fun, addictive and great to play, it's also saddening to a degree, especially so with the amount of audio, visual and console freezing. Saints Row IV is a game of a lifetime that bars no hold on the insanity, yet it's difficult to think of how Volition will be able to top themselves here or where to go from here. Saints Row has come far from gangas killing each other to a universal killing spree of all things that stand against the Saints. The depth and sincerity of Saints Row is long gone but in this gamer's view, let the madness continue!

Out of 10, I give Saints Row IV a 8/10 

+So much nostaliga...
+Musical score was brilliant
+SUPER POWERS
+Shoutouts to Star Wars/Trek and Mass Effect
+Unlike SR3, tutorial won't be 3/4 of the game
+Effective and cheezy jokes are awesome
-Powers overdone and make weaponry/vehicles useless and pointless
-So many damn glitches for a delayed game
-Two rescue missions, none for the other four? =/
-Many of the new faces from SR3 don't/won't return
-Narration gives away a lot of the main plotlines

Saints Row IV is out now for the standard price of $80

Review: Payday 2

G'day there guys and gals!

There have been plenty of titles under the label "First Person Shooter" and each has few similarities between each other. Some see you fight a nation, others fighting a team or conclave of enemies, the list goes on. However never before have I seen a game where you directly play as the robber, as the thief in the modern world. With the sequel, Payday 2, players will feel the addicted experience once more.

I have never played the original game in the series (Payday: the heist) due to it limited console and PC release, I had no idea what type of game I was diving into, I was only going off gameplay I saw in a Youtube video. What I came to realise was how addictive and fun this game can be.
First off, storyline. This game has got a small amount of storyline but this doesn't effect it that much; you will meet with different people hiring you for specific jobs on different days and specific Paydays, each with tasks to perform from standard jewelry robbery to cocaine, stealing valuable paintings and so much more. While little storyline, the gameplay and multiplayer is pushed beyond a point of brilliance. Simple yet great.
Before each heist, weapons, gadgets and all sorts of options can be chosen (but I'll get on that in a little bit) and then it begins. For example, let's take Nightclub. Players must make their way (either guns blazing or sneaking through it all) to the owner's office, break into his safe and make it out with the cash to the escape van. Players can interact with many things in each map such as picking locks on doors, breaking their way through chicken wire fences and of course, searching through cash registers and various other things for money. Civilians also play a massive role in the game: if they are brought to an alarm, they will try to run and escape like chickens in fright. Players can either tie them down or force them down by demanding them to do so, however they will eventually try again. Police officers and various other enemies can also untie or free them BUT less civilians means more SWAT and FBI enforcement to come bearing down on you. This is what keeps the gameplay dynamic; each mission brings new objectives and different ways to tackle it.
The multiplayer itself (The new feature Crime.Net) is one of the best connecting multiplayers I have ever seen. Crime.Net gives players the option of joining any ongoing or set up match with friends or other gamers. I have truly never seen a multiplayer (even when I was using other equipment with internet accessed) run so fast and efficiently. It's clear to see that Overkill and 505 have worked hard on this new feature.
If you feel like ranking up alone, the Crime.Net offline is the way to go. I will warn you however, even simple missions can be extremely difficult.

Customisation is extremely detailed and fun but can be a little tedious. Weapons can cost a hell of a lot to unlock but the higher rank you go, the more money you can earn. Weapon modification is slightly annoying, even when unlocking different equipment for your weapons, you still need to pay for them. You can have several silencers in stock but still have to pay over $60'000 for each weapon you use it on. Mask customisation is the same and unlocking them seems to be even more rare. Their choice on how to do so is brilliant (as there are so many shoutouts to other popular games and series from Portal to Harry Potter) but higher payouts are a must even when unlocked. Graphics aren't much to shake a stick at, shading only renders when you're a few feet from it and NPC faces tend to repeat. Audio and sound effects are something to marvel over. NPC's cries for help, weapon firing and even drills sound are quite realistic and add good atmosphere, the musical score is also something to admire. There are very few games that have electronic or dubstep in their vocabulary and while I may not be a fan the music is very suiting to the moment, each beat synchronised with fighting off the police, cracking open a safe or even teabagging civilians in the nightclub.

While the game offers nothing more than a multiplayer experience with very little difference solo, Payday 2 is definitely an underrated game. What small issues it has with graphics and flawed customisation, the game can make up hours of fun with friends or the extremely courteous community. Payday 2 is definitely worthy of a purchase.

Out of 10, I give Payday 2 an 8.5/10

+Gobsmackingly good multiplayer
+Creative musical score, from classical to dubstep
+Gameplay is simple but in a refreshing way
+Item unlock is as simple as choosing a card...literally
+Customisation is wide and rich...
-But slightly flawed in unlocking
-Graphics, while refined, are fairly dated

 Payday 2 is out now on the Xbox Games Dashboard for the standard price of $60

Review: Black Ops 2 Apocalypse DLC

G'day there folks!

The fourth and final Downloadable Content for Black Ops 2 was only just released only a few short hours ago and I've been playing it to give you folks a quick review. And while this is the final DLC, Activision and Treyarch have definitely gone out with a bang on the road to Call of Duty Ghosts.

The four multiplayer maps are as follows:
Pod: Set in a broken down future town made in the 70's on the side of the cliff. Players can run on the run down boardwalks and edges or head straight through the rust and ruins. While it is open aired and spacious, the center and the few corridor like places around it are great for close quarter combat.
Frost: Players find themselves in a typical European town during the middle of winter, with snow overhead and a frozen lake. This map is mostly for mid to long ranged players, the lake gives a lot of breathing room and quick access to either sides of the map but leaves you mostly exposed. While it's well formed and structured, this is definitely weakest out of the four, since it's mostly a corners map, where gamers hiding behind corners with shotguns are bountiful and spawns are poorly chosen. Prepare for spawn camping on this map.
Dig: Two dig sites near Afghanistan, players can expect a lot of fun from this map. Dig is a reimagining of the World At War map "Courtyard" and is my personal favourite. Very quick paced with many areas to duck, dive, dodge, climb over and move around the large map in a snap. This map is definitely welcomed for short range players but areas towards the centers allow snipers and assault rifle users to shine while heavily exposed to either side.
Takeoff: Possibly a shoutout to the main campaign, players find themselves on a floatable aircraft station in the middle of the Pacific ocean. This map is also a reimagining of the popular Black Ops map "Stadium". Players can expect quick recognition of the area and adapt well. The corridors and open air areas have been extended by a slight bit but this makes the gameplay all the more easier and fun. This map is mostly favours long range weapon users but does have the odd close encounter here and there.

Now onto the beginning of it all. Origins for the zombie fans is exactly that; the storyline is set in 1918 when the original "ancient horror" is unleashed upon humanity and explains some much needed storypoints. I won't spoil them all or what happens but the beginning cutscene is nothing short of genius and brilliance. Collection and crafting items are much larger this time around, even with helpful collectables also to be found. The newest item is the dig option: in the spawning area, a slightly glowing shovel can be found and be used to dig up items on small dirt mounds. However, while these dirt mounts can have goodies like modern weapons or ammunition, others can contain set grenades. This make the dig option both exciting and also much like a Russian roulette. While one mound held a golden shotgun, the other had grenades. Tread with caution!

Overall, the multiplayer maps are what you would typically expect for the Call Of Duty series, however with Apocalypse, the team at Activision have definitely been hard at work to deliver a fun and enjoyable pack. Origins is definitely a Zombie map to return to over and over while the extra maps add a hint of nostalgia with a twist.
And so ends Black Ops 2 but this DLC will still keep fans around after the release of Ghosts.

Black Ops 2 - Apocalypse DLC: B

Update - Going Back To Work (+SOPA issues)

G'day folks.

First of all, let me just say thank you for all the support over the last few days. I've received a lot of encouragement and love and I really do appreciate that. It's helped me out a lot and filled me full of joy. I'm not good when it comes to death of people I care for but I'm doing much better than I was.

But that's not what this is about. First off, I am still working hard on bringing you content. Monday-Itis and Gaming Tales will be out next week as per usual and I will be starting gameplays again. HOWEVER because of all the issues with the return of the SOPA bill, I might put them off until that is settled.
For the folks who don't remember, in 2011 a bill was nearly passed forbidding copyrighted content to be displayed. This includes everything from books and movies to poems and video games. That means no more parodies, no more gameplays, no more skits or even TALKING about copyrighted content. 80% of Youtube content is parodies or gameplays, a lot of people will go out of business.

And the American government wants to bring this back. Be warned, this effects worldwide so even I would be effected. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-sopa-2013/LMzMVrQF
So give that a click and petition up folks!

Also, big news, I'm working on a secret project that's gonna blow you away! I'm even writing a script and screenplay! I haven't done that in many years but I did get high grades in Media for that.
So I'm gonna go start my review for Apocalypse DLC which came out only 3 hours ago and back to Payday 2, which I'm enjoying immensely.

Take care folks
THE GAME IS BACK ON!

Taking A Break

Hey everyone.

I've been talking about this briefly on YT, but I'm going to be taking a week off.
Recently a good friend of mine passed away and I'm not taking it well to say the least.
I'm feeling better than what I was but I definitely need some time.

I'll be gone for a week and won't be coming back until Sep 2nd so keep an eye out for that. All reviews will be pushed back past that date. First on my list will be the last Black Ops 2 DLC and then Payday 2 and Saints Row 4. By the time they're done, GTA 5 will be out.

Thanks for the patience with me. I've lost friends and family and I never deal with death well. So please, bare with me.

Take care folks.

Review: The Brigmore Witches DLC

G'day there folks!

For those who don't know, I've been a big supporter of Dishonored since it's release; with an overwhelming gameplay, a storyline very usual to Bethesda Games players and a lore as large as Elder Scrolls to dive into, Dishonored quickly became one of the instant classics of our time. The Knife of Dunwall was the first DLC to add onto the single player experience and originally, I wasn't too impressed. Barely an hour of gameplay and the same routine once again. My exact words were: "I won't be waiting for The Brigmore Witches with bated breath." and sadly, this comes into the case too many times. 
The Brigmore Witches takes place shortly after the events of the last DLC, you are greeted by Corvo who aches to kill you in cold blood. After a short fight, Daud wakes up in his bed choking a fellow assassin. As he comes to his senses, the game begins.
While nothing new has been added into the game since the last DLC, the new gadget of a small blade was attached to Daud's wrist. This may possibly be a shoutout to the Assassin's Creed series but whether or not is it, fans of both sides are highly criticising the game for it. Regardless, the return of Arc Mines and all the other add on content was a massive plus and a major help.
The gameplay is more or less the same, with a massive help coming from your previous save in the KoD, but still the game holds a challenge one way or the other. The first mission requires you rescue Lizzy Stride, the leader of the gang The Dead Eels and one of the only people to have a working boat. The mission to Coldridge Prison is a fun one but relatively quick. I found Lizzy accidentally and the controls weren't guarded in a difficult way. Even in finding the evidence to Lizzy's whereabouts or how to turn off her safeguards, veteran gamers won't have much to do otherwise.
The second mission was the main bulk of the DLC is set with The Dead Eels who control most of Draper's Ward against the Hatters who wage an ongoing street war to control the richest part of town. She only asks to dispose of her usurper Edgar Wakefield from her boat and she will loan it to him. Aiding her continues as you need a new fuel engine which, funny enough, the Hatters have a spare. There are many ways to work through this; he can kill the leader of the Hatters (an old man named The Geezer who has his HQ rounded up to expel toxic gas at his death), bribe his nurse or the quickest way, simply ask for it. I'm unsure whether or not Hatter followers deaths come into play but this option is by far the easiest. Since I've given away half the gameplay/storyline already, I'll stop there.

Once again, this mission can be damn short if you choose it to be. With the final assault on the Brigmore Witches and the ending in sight, there isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said. The gameplay is as great as ever, the new animations for AI deaths and killing motions are brilliant and the set up for the new areas are interesting and unique. The Gravehounds and the abilities of the witches are top notch and add in great character to the game, but they are slightly overpowered for such simple characters, especially seeing as their leader was under hyped, practically powerless and her abilities are mostly just for show (if you take the Low Chaos option especially) and do little to nothing compared to her followers. The storyline is interesting and can capture fans easily but that doesn't excuse the flaws such as the cracked gameplay, rendering time between scenes, flat-toned audio and vocal cast and so on. In the wise words of a fellow review: "A game's a game, it's supposed to be fun not feel like a chore." I was joyful for the last chance to roam in the city of Dunwall and while it was a good ride, it wasn't worth it. Little more over an hour once again: maybe it should've been put out together, maybe a little more time in the oven but either way, for fans or people just generally interested, this can be fun but it can be a little more of a chore than it should be.

Dishonored - The Brigmore Witches DLC - D+

Gamer Rants - Call Of Duty Ghosts Multiplayer Reveal

G'day there guys and gals!

So last night I sat up to watch the CoD Ghosts Multiplayer reveal and I cannot deny, I was impressed.

It's quite rare to see a game stand alone in a special reveal but if anyone could pull it off, it's the CoD franchise. While the crowd were less than reactive, Twitter was going nuts on the screen and the die-hard fans were rearing up in excitement.
So let me dive into the details!

Customisation - Infinity Ward has truly gone all out this time around. While Activision has had the corner in customisation, Ghosts will definitely satisfy all tastes. With literally over 20'000 possible customisable options, players can now even create their own characters. Head, torso, arms and legs can be picked from different options as well as different accessories for your character to wear such as headgear, clothing and more. Even Emblem Making makes the leap from Black Ops to the Infinity Ward side. Not only that but you can finally play as a woman, a CoD first. There hasn't been that much hype over a playable female character since Nintendo introduced the same for a Pokémon game.  I applaud Infinity Ward for all these changes, they will definitely make the game more enjoyable. Customisation is a huge step but a necessary one, what's not better for a gamer than to include the game on how they want to appear and play the game?

Online Detail- While very little of the campaign has been shown, what we've seen from the multiplayer is just absolutely gob-smacking. Maps shift and change from each and every action: players can use C4 to break down obstacles and walls as an advantage point to fire upon enemies below, they can interact with traps (such as tied down logs) to kill enemies and even go as far as to blow up buildings to collapse on the map below. New editions to the multiplayer have been made such as the seven new modes, the main two promoted being Search And Rescue and Cranked, but I'll explain those in a little bit. With 20 new killstreaks, the death of Deathstreaks (goodbye Martyrdom) and a brand new weapon class, things are shaping up nicely to be the greatest CoD in the series yet.

There is so much more I can touch on about. The two new modes were demonstrated during the hour long presentation. Let me talk about the new modes. From what we can see in the trailer, we have names for the new modes, despite that they weren't touched upon in the reveal. Infection, Blitz, Grind, Safe Guard and Hunted are the few that were shown. While there isn't any confirmation on what they are, from the name we can loosely guess what they are...the exception being Blitz and Grind, I have no idea.
Search and Rescue touches on the Kill Confirmed mode very lightly. Two teams battle against each other and when players kill an enemy, they drop dog tags. If the player picks them up, that person is out of the round. However if you are killed and an ally from your team picks up your dog tags, you respawn in that round. This promises fast paced matches and what I assume will be three round games. A different twist on a familiar concept.
Cranked is a new form of Team Deathmatch with a handicap. When players kill an opponent, a thirty second countdown clock begins for them to achieve another kill. If successful, the clock restarts. If not, they explode. There isn't any info whether or not an ally's explosive death will also damage you but for now it's a wait and see.
There is so much to touch on: players can have up to 10 perks, a large amount of weapons are brand new, audio and AIs are enhanced greatly to the point of AI's telling you where enemies are invading from and sounds can be muffled or echo in different areas of the map and so much more that is simply smaller detail.

But this is a Gamer Rant, over all. What are my thoughts about this? Well, I cannot deny I was surprised with all of this. There are a few issues such as a lack of recoil with assault rifles in the trailer but for the majority of what we've been shown, I'm quite impressed. Looks like I'll have to eat my hat. While it still looks like a CoD game graphic wise, the new mechanics both in character animation and map gameplay looks much like a mix of Battlefield and the environmental issues of Gears of War 2. Ghosts has taken what makes the FPS-TPS genre into a mixing bowl and made a game that can appeal to so many tastes. New but old too, simple but exquisite as well. Don't get me wrong, I've never been a massive CoD fan or praised the series for it's "originality" but I won't lie here, this may be "the best of a bad situation" if the game fails to deliver. I won't be holding my breath either way but until November, that answer will have to wait.

Check out the video below for the Multiplayer reveal.

Gaming Tales - Gameboy Color

G'day there guys and gals!

This is a brand new series that I'm bringing out here and on Youtube called, simply put, Gaming Tales. This is a short blog where I talk about key moments of gaming in my past; questions will be asked and your replies will be featured in the next episode. But here on Blogger.com, you get the written version BEFORE the video is out on YT. So enough of this, let's go!

One of the key moments as a kid was when I became hooked on gaming and one of main events in

my life that gave me that nudge was Pokémon. I was only 5 years old when the anime came out in Australia and I was instantly hooked. While I loved Dragonball Z and all the other cartoons on the kids morning show Cheeze TV, Pokémon is what made me get up every morning at 5am just to make sure I didn't miss the next episode. I was a huge fan, enough so to sing the theme song in front of my entire school! And thank god it wasn't filmed cause I was terrible: every note was hit with vibrato...trust me it was bad. When I eventually discovered the games my love for Pokémon grew even more. I come from a relatively poor family, especially back in the days of my youth: my parents lived paycheck to paycheck, budget foods and family friends helping us out, such as the local hairdresser Chizza of Chizza's Scissors (Which still exists today) would give us discounts or free haircuts from the trainees when we needed them. Being the youngest of three children, I was the Hand-me-down kid, all my clothes up to the age of 16 were all hand-me-downs and I was picked on relentlessly for being poor, chubby, having ratty clothes and all the mean things kids do. My saving grace was Pokémon, no matter who was playing it, kids would crowd around a person with a GameBoy to watch them take down a Gym Leader. Eventually the years went by and I'd spend every cent I earned to buy Pokémon stickers, books, colour-ins and guides despite the fact barely playing the game in ten minute intervals from friends.
By the age of 8 I finally decided that I would spend every second I could earning cash to buy a

GameBoy and cartridge. For months I pulled weeds, I worked with my parents, I washed dishes, I'd do tasks my siblings didn't want to, I worked my butt off to earn as much as I could. By Christmas, I was close but still too short of my goal so I approached my parents and handed every dollar over to them and said: "I don't care if I don't get anything else for Christmas just please get me a GameBoy."
And when Christmas Day came my parents handed me the few gifts I had. The joy on my face was just utter bliss. I finally owned a GameBoy and a copy of the newest Pokémon game at the time, Gold. That moment early Christmas morning truly did change my life for the better. Later in life I found out that the GameBoy I had was rare, a limited edition but even then I wouldn't mind. The amount of hours I spent playing that game over and over, I can't even fathom how many hours I've killed playing on that device. Eventually I had a collection of games that I enjoyed immensely but I'll forever remember how hard I worked to get that device. Where is it now you ask? I loaned it to my grandmother so her Foster Kids had something to play with and I haven't seen it since.
Yep.
I still have my Pokémon Gold cartridge but the chip inside has dislodged and is now forever unplayable. A sad thing but I'm overjoyed it lasted that long. Despite that I don't have kids (yet), I've been trying my hardest to get my nephews into Pokémon but he's still too young for that just yet. The eldest already has an iPad so I think I'll wait till he's a bit more mature.
The moral of this story is that no matter how old you get or what upbringing you have, remember to look back at your youthful years with fondness instead of misery and regret. So much good was poured into you to make you the person you are today.
Did you every play any of the earlier Pokémon games? Have a similar tale? Tell me in a comment down below.
And as always, have fun and game on!

Monday-Itis - Banned and Censored Games

So I get really passionate and ramble on, even more so since I didn't sleep for 24 hours before filming this.
Enjoy!

7am Updates

Goooooood mornin' Internet!
(Geddit? Good Morning Vietnam reference? ...I'm old...)

It's been a majorly long time since I've written one of these here so let me bring you all up to speed on what I've been doing as of the last few months.
1: As you might remember, I'm currently in the works to reinvent Five Easy Achievements (Which was quite the popular segment on this blog) into video form. While the video itself will feature no actual gameplay of earning the achievement, I'll still be able to guide you. And, if you're lucky, they may return in written form too. I'm hoping to have that out ASAP, at least in the next two weeks, so keep an eye out for that.
2: I'm also working on a new show called Gaming Tales in which I recount all my past experiences in gaming. This one will be more like blogging and will most likely replace 95% of all the vlogs I currently do (Which is usually two vlogs per month), while I hope to involve all of you too. The show will feature questions in which you can answer if you wish and all will be featured in the next episode. My current show Monday-itis seems to be a fair bit popular and I hope Gaming Tales can follow suit, but on a more gaming wise area. And hopefully, this can lead back to the revival of some of my older shows, in particular, Ask Fatman. I quite miss that.
3: Since I've been unable to post videos on this blog for quite some time (the reason behind this I still don't know), my gameplay videos have fallen behind here so I may do a massive post to finish them all here in the next few days, including my recent work.
4: Before I forget, Gaming Tales and Five Easy Achievements will also become featured here whenever I post a video. They won't be scheduled to a specific date release but more to when a new game comes out or people request it. If you enjoy them, I'll start posting Monday-itis here too.

And that raps it up in a nice and neat bow. I've done an all nighter planning all of this out and more so hopefully I can get it all together soon. Please have a bit of patience. Planning, scripting, editing, rendering, uploading, all this is done by one guy who doesn't have much of a social life. I'll get stuff done but I'd rather get it done when I'm happy with it. Trust me, the amount of awful, unwatchable content I've deleted would be at least in the 100's by now. Same goes for reviews, there have been games when I've played them and they were just too damn terrible to review. Some of them are in my "List Of Shame" Gamer Rant I posted a little while back.

Okay, enough blabbering, time to get back to work. I'm only waiting for the sun to rise to film then it's off to bed! I'm getting too old for all nighters.
Thanks for reading!

10'000 VIEWS ON YT

I made this video a few days ago to show my appreciation to all you folks who watch my YT channel. So I decided to post it here (Since Blogspot is finally allowing me to post videos again).
Enjoy!

Review: Faction Pack DLC

G'day there guys and gals!

On a side note, I'm writing this with a bum arm/hand so let's see how much I can write!

While Koch is still suffering the after-effects of the Ranger Mode controversy, DLCs galore have been popping out of the company and making a first in Metro history, add on Campaign missions. While the three missions do not effect the main storyline of Metro Last Light and don't feature/mention Artyom in the slightest (except for the fact that they partake in the same modern age of Moscow), Faction Pack focuses on the stories of three new characters in a shorter sense from the main three groups inside the Metro: Reich, Red and Polis Rangers.

In order we have the Reich mission, which sees players set in the shoes of a Heavy Gunner, fighting off wave after wave of Red soldiers attacking D6. While this mission is absolutely a ton of fun, it's incredibly short. Switch to the new weapons when prompted do, go back to the mini-gun on occasion and it's over quickly.
Secondly we have the Polis Rangers mission, the largest mission by far. As a new scouting recruit, you are sent out into the ruins of Moscow and better yet, the fearful and terrifying Library. Without a doubt the greatest mission in the pack, the Polis Rangers are very unhelpful (at times) and ask nothing of you but to gather as many items as you can (such as toys, books, weapon parts ect) and with what little money you receive after each trip, you spend on air filters, bullets and other helpful things. The armor and radiation suits are a definite must so remember to save up. However while this mode is massive fun, it can get massively repetitive running back and forth through the same areas. While being able to remove the contents of the mutant's stomach for supplies and lighting up different areas with light globes is a nice touch to the game, this doesn't stop the principle: run out, fight off Nosalises, find a few items, return to base, spend most of your money on filters, repeat.
Lastly is the Sniper mission as the Reds, two men trying to take over a Reich outpost on the surface. Definitely my favourite by far, this part of the DLC forces players to sneak through the base as quietly as possible, failure to stay stealthy will result in mission failure. From in the inner buildings to the bottom of a ditch, this mission is much longer and more developed than the first.

While I have yet to find/buy any of the new weapons in the main mission (and sadly still unable to finish the Polis mission in the DLC), this DLC is agreeably fun but a teeny bit dull around the edges. Taking into consideration that the budget for Metro Last Light is a lower budget game than most A List titles, Metro Last Light has seen extreme popularity. This DLC is definitely worth the buy, especially for it's price, but don't expect to be wowed.

Metro Last Light - Faction Pack DLC: C-

Gamer Rants - My List Of Shame

G'day there guys and gals!

Now while I admit that I'm an avid gamer, I too have raged at a game so bad that I never picked it up again. I've had a game now and again that I couldn't finish or simply had to return it, or
others that I just couldn't crack. While this isn't truly a rant, I'm simply writing this in order to amuse myself and you too!

To the younger folks who don't know, here's a quick summary: Each and every gamer has a List Of Shame, a list that consists of all the game titles you have never completed. The most common (And
the one I'll be using) contains of games with an uncompleted campaign. From here, the list can grow to uncompleted 100% Campaign, unlockable secrets, Multiplayer ranks and 100% Achievement List
in a game. If I chose Achievement Lists, each and every game I've owned would be on that list! So Campaign it is and here we go!

1: Goldeneye 64
This game came out when I was five years old and my fear of blood was still majorly strong at that point of time. While I rarely played the game myself, I'd tend to watch my father and brother
play the missions over and over. And let me tell you, they SUCKED. My father died almost every ten minutes but my brother lasted a little longer, ether way the red screen would slowly inch
on the screen and I would run away in fright! Embarrassing, but true. The graphics of that day look realistic enough to send me running and whenever I played, I tried my damn hardest not to die.
While I have finished the game in it's remake for, I have never finished the original, I got stuck on the Forest mission and I never played it again. Why?
Because years later our N64 and games was stolen.

2: Diddy Kong Racing
This was the game my siblings and I paid most of our attention to. We each had our own favourite characters: My brother had Banjo, my sister Conker and myself, Pipsy. We each played equally, one
save file to each of us and we had fun playing the multiplayer parts together. However eventually we all got stuck on one area; The Silver Coin Dragon challenge. Eventually we all started
playing together to try, one after another we took turned to try and beat the bastard but to no prevail. Eventually after moving house twice in the span of a month, we were all too busy to
play the game and we never picked it up again. I have tried on an emulator to finally put the game at rest but to no luck.

3: Blinx The Time Sweeper
While my brother had fallen out of the habit of playing video games together, my sister and I were determined to beat this game. I found it fun and she found it fascinating gameplay wise. While
she got ahead of me (As I got stuck on one particular area for a time) my sister was nearing the end but eventually got stuck herself. After catching up to whichever world it was, we played back
and forth, trying to defeat the level but continuously getting stuck to the point where my sister never picked up another video game controller again and I placed the game away.
I have repeatedly gone back to try and get back to that level but to no luck.

4: Worms 4 Mayhem.
While it's kind of odd to add this in, it is a game I never could finish. After travelling to the Dueling Western World, I eventually got bored and gave up the game to complete others. While I
still enjoy the game immensly, the storyline was a bit too ridiculous for my tastes at the time. I have gone back to play the game but made no attempts to try and beat the campaign.

5: Alone In The Dark (2008)
This game was much fun to play over time. The gameplay was great and the story was decent but there was one massive flaw with the game itself. If you ever wanted to save and quit for a day,
then you better kiss your equipment goodbye. I'm not sure if the game had a glitch or that was part of the survival aspects of the game, but after saving and leaving the game, upon returning
I would find my pistol, weapons, equipment and other necessities gone. This was extremely frustrating but it happened so randomly that each save was a scramble to see if I kept my findings,
as weapons and other things needed were DAMN hard to find. Eventually I reached the near end of the game, which required you to destroy 50% of these odd Stalks in order to reach a particular
area. I saved and stopped playing after a particular part of the game. I came back a few days later to find everything gone. The only way to destroy the Stalks was with fire, the only way to get
fire was bottles, alcohol and rags. The only way to get two of those items is from killing enemies. The only efficient way of killing enemies was a gun or a blunt weapon and the only way to get
those was explore. With hundred of the damn things everywhere and no health equipment, it lead to some major rage quitting. And after spoiling the ending for myself, doing all that work would
not have been worth it. Trust me.

6: Tom Clancy's EndWar
My parents bought me this game a few years back and I won't lie. This game is TERRIBLE. All you need to do is speak and press A once in a while. But the game doesn't pick up on voice, accent or
different actions too well. I rage quit after the first few missions. Here's an example:
"Bravo. Head to. Site. Designated. Attack. Enemy. B. *Click A*"
It was that dull. In order for anything to work, you needed to stop for three seconds after each command for the game to pick up on it.
And that is why I hate Stratergy games.

7: Operation Flashpoint Red River
To be perfectly honest, I just got bored of the game not 20 minutes into playing it. Sticky controls, boring characters and utterly outright disgusting gameplay. It's not worth it, second worst
next to EndWar.

8: Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic 2
Technically, I had never played this game until I bough both KOTOR 1 and 2 almost a year ago. After beating the first game for the first time in years (As I originally only played the game through renting it from a video store), I picked up the second game in the title. However, I only played for ten minutes and just stopped. I was unable to get into the storyline and to this day, the game sits in my collection until I pick it up once more.

9: F.E.A.R.
The game that got me on the series, I started playing the original game through, once more, renting the game from my local video store. I was able to get a partial way through until I was forced to return it. Since then I've had several attempts to beat it but fail due to loosing interest or the friend I borrow it from asking for it back.

10: 007 Legends
I lost interest within the prequel. Horrible game graphics, gameplay was utterly terrible, dodgy and glitchy controls - not to mention the terrible acting. Even Daniel Craig seemed less than 100%.
Overall, a waste of money.

11: Dragon Age 2
I've never been a huge fan of the series itself and after much bugging, I tried picking it up. Shortly after the intro I lost interest, placed the game on my shelf and never touched it again.
I don't know why but I just got sick of it. Dragon Age isn't much interesting to me.

And that pretty much sums it up. There might be a few I'm forgetting but there are some I have completed on other accounts from my main account due to reviews. This list would've been longer if I didn't go back and replay a fair few of them just to pass them. There are a few more on my main account that aren't complete but they have been completed on other accounts.
How far does your List of Shame reach? Remember folks, we all have one because gamers gotta game.

Review: Black Ops 2 - Vengeance DLC

Howdy guys and gals!

As some may recall, I personally have never been a huge Call of Duty fan - while I do prefer the Treyarch/Activision versions more - and that goes doubly so for DLCs. Their can be no mistake that the COD series is both well known and one of the most highest grossing games in history. With all this in mind I must admit that Vengeance is one of the more enjoyable DLCs of the game so far.
Let's start off with the multiplayer maps: The four maps are Rush, Cove, Detour and Uplink. By far Rush is my favourite overall - quite large with many different routes and passages. Set in a modern day Indoor/Outdoor Paintball Arena, battles between teams can lead from the closer quarter hallways and course to the long range parking lot.
Cove is set on a deserted island with a destroyed plane smashed into the dead set middle. Players can battle in close quarters in and around the plane or fight in the large open areas in the sand and in the water.
Detour sees players on a half destroyed highway beset by a security checkpoint. The map is mostly close quarter fighting with a medium range stretch of highway, with gamers (mostly in my experience) sticking to the sides and interior middle of the map.
Uplink is a remake of a classic map Summit. The map is the same as always with the difference in cover and a cleaner cut of gameplay in the area. While the map has a futuristic look about it, the nostalgia won't last too long.
Now onto Zombies - Buried takes place with The New Crew, featuring a comic-book style look and an impressive change of gameplay pace. A new feature includes Chalk Drawing, allowing players to draw on specific areas the classic chalk outlines of available weaponry to buy as well as what appears to be a giant who, when fed or given alcohol, can smash down barriers. Other features can be covered by the more pristine player as, unbeknownst to the public, Zombie matches - while I do enjoy them immensely - are my Achilles Heel.

To tally it all together in a simple way, for those who crave multiplayer matches you won't be disappointed with the new maps. Each have their own uniqueness and playing style. For the Zombie fans, Buried will not disappoint, even my first match in Buried lasting for hours on end solo, team and battling wise. Overall, the Vengeance DLC is definitely the best so far but I'll leave the new weaponry as a secret for you to discover.

Black Ops 2 Vengeance DLC - B+

Vengeance is out now for the standard price of 1200 MSP

Review: Walking Dead - 400 Days

G'day there guys and gals!
***WARNING: Possible spoilers for topics/main storyline from the original Telltale game, ending and DLC. Read at your own caution***

The series of The Walking Dead television show is damn popular by it's own and the Telltale game was a massive hit; the story of Lee and Clementine was a tearful, heart warming and thrilling experience for all and personally, this gamer even named his first car Clementine in honour of it all (As all first cars should). And while Survivor's Instinct was hounded by critics as a horrible game, 400 Days may have saved a bit of face for the franchise.
The DLC tells the story of five different survivors and how they came together to form their own survival group. Vince, Wyatt, Russell, Bonnie and Shel have placed photos of themselves at a nearby diner, with a note telling whomever found it that they were still alive. This note is found by a sixth person, to which you'll find out about later. While the game can be played at any order, the game follows a pattern of timelines: Vince starts at Day 2, Wyatt at 41, Russell at 184, Bonnie at 220 and Shel with two at 236 and 259 - the game finishes at Day 400.
Each character has their own story to tell but each are linked together by similar means. Russell, while walking down the road, is forced to choose between hiding or standing his ground. If he hides, you'll find either Doug or Carley dead on the road (Depending on your choice in the previous titles), but this isn't where the similarities end. To avoid spoilers, I'll say this - keep your eyes open for details. Hiding from the truck on the road is also linked to one of two non-storyline achievements, the first two in the Telltale series.
There isn't much that can be said without spoiling the entire DLC. For fans, you're looking at just over an hour of gameplay, seeing as Shel's story is definitely longer than the others and Vince being the shortest. The storyline is definitely Telltale standards, each character having their own attractions and definite warmness around them. Some in bad situations from their own weakness, others for family and some looking for others. Each character's story is unique and adds to the ending nicely.
For a cheap price and fun gameplay, 400 Days is definitely a recommended DLC, despite it's shortness. Check it out before Season 2 is released and when it is, I hope Telltale can make the experience of their award wining game even better.

The Walking Dead: 400 Days - B+

400 Days is out now for 400 MSP

Review: Remember Me

G'day there guys and gals!

***This review is 100% spoiler free. Some words have been removed to avoid spoilers.***

Whenever a fresh game comes into the mix of each year's latest sequel, it's always nice to - in simple

words - "give the new guy a chance". Remember Me has only recently made it's debut into the gaming world and even so, it's already making a splash.
Remember Me is set in 2084 in a futuristic Paris called (Wait for it) Neo-Paris and follows the story of Nilin. She is a Errorist (A gang of rebellious youths) who has dedicated her life fighting Memorize, a company that has harnessed the ability to record the memories of a person inside a device at the back of their necks called a Sensen. With this technology, Memorize have complete control over everything; from the media and advertisements up to the military and government.
The game begins with Nilin waking up in the Bastille Fortress, near everything forgotten except her own name. Confused, dazed and with nothing but the voice of Edge (the leader and fellow Errorist) to guide her to freedom, the game and the story begins.
Let me begin with the storyline; while it does start out rather slow, the eventuality definitely a decent payoff. While the name "Neo-Paris" is a cringe-worthy, unsettling name, it doesn't deter to the fact that world around you is one filled with story. Remember Me is one of the only games that comes to mind that fleshes out the stories of even the lowliest NPC. With Nilin's special ability to write new memories and re-write old ones, the game definitely takes you on a twisting tale that the voice cast tries to bring a more meaningful depth.
"Tries" is such a big word for the voice cast, yet the proper term would be "attempts". The voice cast, which consists of generally newer actors in this profession, I'm being extremely generous when I say half of the cast was mostly successful in their roles. Nilin (Voiced by Kezia Burrows) has mostly a flat voiced expression when it comes to a large majority of the game. Unless an extreme emotion is being expressed, her voice is flat and straight to the point. Granted, as her first video game role, it is terribly hard to express many emotions with just voice but a teeny bit more emotion would have been appreciated. Whereas her helpful partner Edge (Voiced by Nathan Nolan, NOT to be confused with Nolan North), while brings much needed lightness and definitely helps set the mood to each new Episode, can tend to be a teeny bit Melodramatic at points while the rest of the cast does help to ease into both the feel and development of the game, storyline and plot.
Gameplay is a great mix of some of the more modern games of this generation. The best way to describe it would be this; with the combat style of Arkham City, parkour and free-run of Assassin's Creed and leveling system similar to Prototype, the game is familiar to the touch of gamers, especially with controls that are simple and easy to remember. This being said, the controls can tend to do you over with the camera angle changing with each step and move, being very similar to the issues with Assassin's Creed. That being said, many of the in-game moments such as rewriting memories are something to look forward to and become more frequent as the game rolls on. This truly is an innovative type of gameplay, allowing the gamer to rewrite and replay a single moment how they choose it to happen.
The leveling system allows players to shape the way they like to play the game and I absolutely love that feature. With healing, extra damage, chain fighting and more as you fight onward against the enemies. Combat is fun and addictive but it can be quite so frustrating against the few enemies that the game presents. With the main three, two specials and the few varieties that the game presents, each are easy in their own accord or simply frustratingly overpowered, with much emphasis on "frustratingly" as there is now a permanent crack in my controller.
The only true issue was the sound effects and musical score. Running and movement was simple enough but when it came to the grander moments it seemed almost lacking. The Leaper monsters to the mechanical kind, sound effects seem to fade or distort almost as if an ending for one wasn't possible. The musical score wasn't much to shake a stick at either sadly; while staring at this beautiful and gorgeous recreation of Paris (with graphics similar to Deus Ex Human Revolution), the slow and stiff classical music was beautiful in itself but did not suit the mood, tone or severity of the game in a whole. The more meaningful and deeper moments are captured perfectly by the music but these moments are few and aren't seen until near or right at the end of the game. A clean classical music score doesn't truly suit a boss fight without heavy trombones, tuba or bass line.

With graphics to follow a story and immersive world to lose your head into, Remember Me will bring you a world where everyone's memories are just fingertips away. Despite all it's faults and failures, Remember Me is a game you will definitely remember for years to come.

Out of 10, I give Remember Me a 8/10

+ Fleshed out story and characters
+ Rewrite memories as you see fit = gameplay genius
+ Controls are simple and very similar to the touch
+ Customisation in fighting style is a massive plus
+ A believable and gorgeous looking world.
- Acting was lacking in place
- Sound effects weren't too great
- Musical score even less so
- Some enemies are harder than boss fights
- Forever a crack in my controller = Not happy Jan.

Remember Me is out now for the standard price of $70

Gamer Rant: Xbox Removes DRM

Howdy folks, prepare for a rant.
If you'd like to follow along, here's the link I'll be talking about.
http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/06/microsoft-is-removing-xbox-one-drm/

For the people who have yet to hear, Microsoft have released a statement that, simply put, they are removing the DRM in their upcoming console, Xbox One. In their statement, they've also announced that game can be resold, traded and borrowed. 24 hour log in has been removed and the console now allows offline gameplay, even on downloaded titles. Mainstream games can also be downloaded on day of release and regional restrictions are removed. And with all of this the internet is celebrating like the Ewok party at the ending of Star Wars VI. And while I see this as a positive thing, there are certainly negatives when it comes to this.
Microsoft is pretty much saying "Okay Internet, you win." While I support this change, it's just disappointing that it took hundreds of anger filled Youtube, Tumblr, Twitter, Blog, Forums, Petitions and other forms of online media content to reach this easy and simple decision. While they made the right move, the company has definitely caved, making them look even more weak than they already appear now.
Personally, I didn't care about the 24 hours thing, I'm on my Xbox once a day anyway to check messages or to play. I didn't mind about the Kinect issues, there's an off switch on the side you can use when your Xbox is off. I didn't even care about the DRM, I only have one second hand game anyway out of the 105+ hard covers that I own. To be perfectly honest, to me the internet was complaining for the sake of complaining; even if they kept the DRM in, most people were going to buy an Xbox One anyway. It's... almost like the gamers who complain about COD's unoriginality yet still buy the newer game every year. As a user commented after reading the Kotaku post: "We're not getting the Xbox One, we're getting the Xbox 360 V2". Microsoft, the internet will never be happy. You now appear weaker and more susceptible to caving in to change. Even if you were the losing horse of this next-gen console race, you have to back your horse, no matter how much criticism or hatred comes your way. Even though you've changed the Xbox One for the better, the views of history will forever see the Xbox One as the horse the company simply shot in the back of the head for the sake of profit.

 As my dear friend Mr. James Mills once said to me: "You can't question how something is made in the eyes of the developers. It's almost as if you buy a CD, not like some of the songs and then throw it back to the band, demanding them to remake those songs."
Internet, whether you're a fan of Xbox, Playstation, Wii, PC or whatever else is out there, simply put - we're all gamers. Playing games is what brought our community together and this console war is tearing us apart. The average age of a gamer worldwide is 28 and yet we're fighting like nine year olds over the favourite toy in the playground. It's time we got back to doing what we love the most: Play games for the good times with our friends, family and simply to escape reality into a great story.

Whether or not you play games for a campaign or multiplayer, to have fun doing silly things or wanting to have a meaningful playthrough, we're all gamers looking for a great time, it's time that we band together for our love for gaming then tear into each other.
Long live gamers!
  

Review: Army Of Two: The Devil's Cartel

G'day there folks!

***WARNING: Some minor plotlines are revealed. Read at your own caution!***

With the world being in crisis, heroes will step forward to save the damsel in distress and defeat the bad guy once more. With Army Of Two, the story has always followed the tale of Rios and Salem, one of the best T.W.O. teams the company has to offer. But in time, all men age and grow weary of the fight, with this it leads to the next and possibly last game in the series. The Devil's Cartel follows the story of T.W.O. recruits Alpha and Bravo who are under the guidance of Rios and Salem. After the tutorial, the game begins with the four men heading off on a hostage mission, and of course as cliché as it is, the plan eventually goes horribly wrong. With only one hostage still alive, Salem abandons the mission as near hundreds of enemies surround them. After fleeing in a car he dies in a fiery crash, the other men and hostage Fiona barely escaping themselves after a failed attempt to save Salem from his burning wreck. Five years later, T.W.O. agents are hired by Mayor Cordova, a Mexican politian who wants to rid his town of La Guadana (The Scythe) and their leader, to which you find out his reasons for this later. As the convoy rolls on and the sharp commentary continues, Alpha and Bravo (quite like Rios and Salem), continue the witty banter about how nothing can go wrong. As if just like out of a cliché Shoot-Em-Up Hollywood movie, the convoy is thoroughly attacked, leaving many T.W.O. agents dead and Alpha and Bravo stranded in the heart of Mexico.
It's no secret that the game has always supported Co-Op and The Devil's Cartel is no different. What is different is the gameplay even in single player mode. The predecessor, The 40th Day, was hounded by critics about it's buggy AI system during single player but DC has greatly improved from this with a more smooth system. Speaking of which, Gameplay is still as fun as ever, even more so with the more diverse and different enemies to fight. While Shield-Hogs (As I like to think of them) and Heavys make a reappearance, Melee fighters, snipers and other variants make an appearance and can truly spice up a more dull area in the game. What truly makes it more as fun is the customisation.
EA has truly gone all out on customisation; in the predecessor, players were able to customise masks through their website. DC allows in-game mask creation, changing a characters clothes and even tattoos. Weapon customisation also returns to a greater degree, with more options and colour pigments and even down to shading. Speaking of shading, the game's graphics were of top notch quality; the mission placement was truly clever and enjoyable to look at. From missions in dark and damp basements to night time skies with flames all around you, this add truly needed atmosphere to the game.
The storyline itself is a decent and amusing one, but doesn't carry much other than that. While there are a few jaw dropping moments in the game, there isn't much there to keep you glued to your seat the entire time as the storyline drops harshly often, especially so when you'd like to customise your gear (Which forced you back to the main menu) or do anything in that regard. Other than personal choices however, that can be avoided.
Sound effects and musical score are of decent quality but don't add much into the storyline. While the music swells around large fights, bosses and cutscenes, the game is generally quiet when travelling even down to the sound effects. If Alpha and Bravo are not creating some witty banter, this can be extremely dull and downright boring.
Joe Flanagan and David Sobolov bring in new light with Salem and Rios while Zack Ward (Alpha) who makes his first video game role here and Emerson Brooks (Bravo) joins along side him do create quite a good duo during the gameplay. It's hard to warm up to the pair until late into the game - as the characters seem cold and uncaring during most of the gameplay. Until they truly start opening up to each other about their fears and dreams, it's hard to form a bond with these two like Rios and Salem.

The Devil's Cartel is a game with fun gameplay, decent acting and a bearable storyline and even without the game's glitches (such as the Ending glitch with told me over and over that Bravo had died midway during the ending cutscene), it's still a decent game with customising your character to your heart's content, playing together with a friend and so much more. While the game is a decent addition to the Army Of Two world, there are just too many places it lacks to ignore them.
Out of 10, I give Army Of Two: The Devil's Cartel a 6/10

+ Fun Gameplay/Enchanting graphic-work 
+ Storyline was decent
+ Customisation = LOVE
+ Waaaay better AI and NPC characters/movements
- Sound Effects too standard/lacking musical score
- Solo/Co-op gameplay tends to glitch
- Loading screens are frustratingly long
- Many points in the storyline are too cliché
- Not a lot of replay value...
- Ending, while meaningfuly, is rushed and forced

Army Of Two The Devil's Cartel is out now for the standard price of $60