Review: Peggle 2

G'day there guys and gals!

One of the smallest but most popular games on the Xbox 360 was Peggle, a simple yet addictive game to perfect and play against the Masters of the game. Although having a lackluster and, shall we say, less than enthusiastic reveal, Peggle 2 has made its way to the Xbox One (for now) with massive results seen around the world.
There isn't much to say about the game itself other than it's improved dramatically from the low budget sequel. Six Peggle Masters await you with 10 different challenges along the way, each character having their own ability. We see the return of Bjorn, the rainbow unicorn from the original title. His gameplay is mostly tutorial like and his ability of guided shots stays the same. However, the rest of the cast features brand new Masters such as Luna the Ghost, Jeffery the Troll and more. While the main characters have 10 set levels each and three criteria each, 10 challenges with each level also become available, although not necessary to move on through to the new characters. By completing these criteria and challenges, customisations for the characters are available for each Peggle Master in the Multiplayer, set at around three to four different costumes. With small animations and brightly coloured drops, this sequel has definitely taken a great turn in the right direction, keeping gamers entertained through the loading screens. The Multiplayer features four friends playing against each other in randomised or set matches from the character's chapters with ten shots each from every player. With no save balls, each shot is a large attempt to boost your score any way possible. While players can enter and leave at any time, players will resume at a score of 0 but with less balls depending o the round. In the end, whomever has the highest score wins, and even those who complete the challenge may not always win. There are some frame rate issues along with the Multiplayer and some bugs such as Menu Dropping (The game automatically leaves the game and exits to the Xbox One Menu), hopefully these issues are solved soon.

There's nothing much more I can say on this game without you exploring it yourself. With Kinect controls coming soon outside North America and DLC promised, there is still so much more that the game can offer. One quick match can turn to hours upon hours of perfectionists' addiction.

Out of 10, I give Peggle 2 a 9/10

+Improved graphics and menu arc
+Highly structured yet simple gameplay
+New elements and abilities
+Very addictive, extreme replay value
-Some slight bugs

-Character animations are few and limited

Review: Ryse Son Of Rome

G'day there guys and gals!

Warning! Some storyline spoilers ahead.

Ryse: Son of Rome has been in development for roughly over 5 years, well before the technology of the Next Gen consoles. Now released on the Xbox One, Ryse takes the opportunities and capabilities from the Xbox One to deliver a strong, well made game.
Players take control of Marius, a war hardened soldier fighting for his men in a battle over Rome and it's emperor Nero in the 1st Century. Retaking his palace and guarding Nero to a secret vault, Marius recounts his life in the Roman Army as the battle rages on outside. 

From a young recruit witnessing the murder of his family by barbarians to sacrificing himself to save his fellow soldiers from a large scale attack, the storyline develops well and keeps to historical accuracy where it is appropriate. Acting is extremely well done and executed with such names as Nathalie Cox, Rachel McDowell and John Hopkins joining their voices into the cast and makes the game unique. The gameplay, while however fun, can be slightly repetitive at times. Unless fighting in the large battle scenes or a timed theme, most fights will be repetitive following the formula of "Fight, move, checkpoint, cutscene, repeat". This is where the voice acting and storyline help to keep interest alive with a fair amount of "What-The-Hell-Just-Happened?" and "What-The-F-Is-That?" moments.
The musical score holds a classical theme, adding the perfect touch of the deadly battlefields to the quiet moments walking through the woods of York. The sounds effects summate into this element and truly help the feel, flow and movement around in the world of the game.

Onto to two main topics. First off, the Kinect. While originally Ryse was meant as a Kinect Only title, after large demand it was moved to Kinect Supported and I do highly suggest using the Kinect for this title. It not only makes the realism of the game more accurate but also helps control of the battlefield. Fighting off multiple soldiers while screaming "Fire Volleys!" in the midst of battle drags you into the world of Ryse. The Kinect can be buggy and not pick up your voice exactly but these moments only happen once or twice per level. The graphics are also something to marvel over; since this title is Next Gen, the game looks absolutely stunning not only in cutscenes but also throughout gameplay. Facial features move fluently and without delay, while the world is bright and more lifelike than looking out a window, especially during Australian Summer.
Lastly, Ryse's multiplayer features a large amount of Co-Op in the major battle scenes of the main storyline. This is furthered with customisation and creating your very own Gladiator to fight alongside your friends. Sadly thought, with the repetition of the main story arc, long gameplays of Co-Op can be difficult to play through, despite the fun of playing with your friends.

Ryse: Son Of Rome is one of the few Xbox One titles since the console's release a few months ago. If you can work through the repetition of some parts in the game, I assure you that you'll come for the storyline and it's excellent plotlines but you'll stay for the Co-Op and fun of the game.

Out of 10, I give Ryse: Son Of Rome a 8/10

+Great graphics/gameplay
+Excellent Storyline and musical score
+Sound effects truly open the world

+Voice acting is superb 
-Can be slightly repetitive.
-Kinect voice commands are buggy

-Enemies bland into the same three types

Review - Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

G'day there guys and gals!

Warning! This review has possible spoilers ahead!

It's no secret that I've been a fan of the Assassin's Creed series since the beginning, the Creed tattoo on my arm isn't much of a hint.  But as much as I do enjoy the series in a whole, I write these reviews in order to give you folks an unbiased review on the games in question. So with a clear conscience I can say that Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag is definitely a game to buy this year.
Before I continue this review any further, let me say that I have played the game on both Xbox 360 and the Xbox One and I do highly suggest playing the game on the next gen consoles.

First off, into the gameplay. Over the years of AC titles, Ubisoft has been able to perfect and fine tune the performance of their A Grade titles and Black Flag is no exception. Veteran gamers will feel the familiar movements of its predecessor Assassin's Creed 3 with the play style of Assassin's Creed Revelations. New gamers will have no trouble finding them easy and quick to learn, as Black Flag gives often reminders on control schematics. Of course, the big change in gameplay would be the Jackdaw and exploration. Fans demanded more sea battles after the success of the mini missions in AC3 and Ubisoft delivered with excellent results. Taking control of the ship gives a sense of being in control, with movements and commandeering very well similar. This new change has been praised so much that Ubisoft is now even considering making a standalone shipping game. With the weather and sea changing, making each trip a danger, you will definitely be wanting to explore the world. Mass exploration will lead you into legendary ships, restricted areas, diving for treasure, whaling, capturing enemy outposts and much more to see.
The storyline is set almost 40-50 years before the events of Assassin's Creed 3 and players take control of Edward Kenway, grandfather to Connor and father to Haytham; a once average sailor turned pirate, seeking riches and gold to make a wealthy life for himself and his wife back in Wales. A different character gives new shades to the AC series, but fans looking for classic Assassin storyline will be slightly disappointed. Edward is not the standard Assassin, let alone follows the Creed or Order's wishes, to which you'll find out very soon as the game progresses. While modern day gameplay has been reduced, players take the lead of a nameless Abstergo Games recruit, beginning his work on the project from "Sample 17". Since that's way too big of a reveal already, I'll stop myself there. 

Voice acting is extremely well done by a wide ranged cast of virtually faceless voice actors, each giving a well rounded performance that gives the game a larger experience overall, especially with the interaction with Blackbeard, Calico Jack and other legendary pirates. The modern day acting was especially interesting, even with a few surprises along the way, and while there is a lot of pirate vocalisms and expressions that are definitely cringe worthy, their portrayal is what makes it great.

Sound effects are averagely normal when it comes to an AC game, the musical score is definitely a strong point in the game. While the sound effects are beautiful in the forests and on the open ocean,the music sticks to the roots of the series while living up towards the pirate theme. Particularly my favourite is the sea shanties: during gameplay the crew members will begin to sing old fashioned songs which are very catchy and fun, even so to the point of myself tracking down more shanties in my free roaming time.
Multiplayer is a definite improvement since the last game: with new modes, weapons and even a "lab" option to make a game style to how you like to play, the multiplayer offers a lot by yourself or with a group of friends. The customisation options, while similar to the previous title, are a lot more diverse and have plenty of options with profile pictures, titles and larger options to customise your favourite character from clothing colours to weapons. You can unlock these options through progress of playing the game or you do have the option to use microtransactions.

So far, I have personally experienced several bugs in the campaign such as enemies not dying, enemies not despawning on the Jackdaw and so on. There have been other larger bugs such as the Jackdaw sinking randomly or the AI spawning through the world but I have yet to see any large multiplayer issues and these issues I've stated above won't affect the gameplay entirely.

In summary, the sixth game in the series offers much more than the sneak and stab ways of the past. The last seven years has seen a massive change to the series and one that Ubisoft has made well.

Out of 10, I give Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag a 9/10

+Well developed storyline
+nostalgia for fans
+Gameplay is incredible
+Rounded game overall
-Few bugs here and there
-Campaign ends abruptly

Review: Call of Duty Ghosts: Onslaught DLC

G'day there guys and gals!

In a long standing series of games, there are always bound to be downloadable content ready for the mass of fans eager to revisit their characters and explore the new worlds. Onslaught is no exception, delivering on four new Multiplayer maps and a new chapter in the Extinction mode: Nightfall.

Ignition is a remake of Modern Warfare 2's popular map Shipyard and is recreated in interesting ways, featuring different elements such as danger areas (such as a firing jet engine), underground facilities and more to see. Despite the changes, it's still quite recognisable and favours mid ranged players.

Bay View takes place in a Californian bay, offering open sniping areas and intense closed in areas, giving the option to hide in plain sight or hide in the twists and turns of the many shops and different areas. The moving trolly on the far left of the map is a great addition to the gameplay, giving fleeing players a place to hide or wait for an unexpected enemy.

Fog is by far the most popular out of the four maps so far; in a unknown, threatening area, players desperately rush through catacombs, spiked vine gardens, pitfall mines. Mid to short ranged players will find themselves at home in the fog, but be warned! While I'm unsure still how to become him (Most evidence leading to enough kills/killing the previous Michael/picking up the red tropheys), suddenly you become the axe wielding maniac. Don't get me wrong, it's a blast to sprint through the fog to kill your enemies, Myers is incredibly overpowered, and having a one hit kill marker, the first player to become Michael has a massive advantage to stay this way.

Containment takes place in a small city inside Mexico and by far is my personal favourite map.Sitting in the middle of the map on a bridge is nuclear material, which distorts your satellite image of the map until you leave the area. This map offers the best balance to short to long distance fighting, with players fighting on the rooftops to brawling in the stairways at the corner of the map. 

The new Extinction map, Nightfall, will definitely satisfy fans of the new series. Offering a large amount of lore and new backstory to the events in the mode, the map layout also features map elements to help control the aliens attack your drill such as electric fences, mounted weaponry and so on. These items, and a multitude of weaponry from the get-go (The new Maverick will definitely come in handy for some), Nightfall is a great map to play on your own or with friends.

While there are some issues such as map spawning (especially on Ignition and Fog) where enemies instantly spawn behind you, this DLC is a must by for horror or COD fans alike. For those wanting a little more bang for your buck, I'd highly suggest watching a few videos to make your own decision. $20 for five maps ($4 per map) is a little bit of a stretch in order for price.

Call of Duty Ghosts DLC - Onslaught rating: B- 

My Top 10 Games For 2013

G'day there folks!

Since it's been a while writing some reviews (And I'm still working on a lot of audio reviews) I decided to write down my top 10 games for 2013. This is my own personal list from my seven standard view points: gameplay, storyline, musical score, sound effects, voice acting, graphics and multiplayer, when the game allows it.
Let's get started!

Number 10: Tomb Raider
It's no secret that I've never been a fan of the series, that I downright disliked them. But the simple matter of fact is the remake for 2013 was sublime, capturing the necessary elements of both action and puzzle solving. While the storyline is interestingly enough (even with a terrible, but predictable for TR, ending), there are plenty of elements that will keep you for more, from the gameplay to the excellent multiplayer.

Number 9: Remember Me
This game lacked in many areas, having some moments downright silly, and the repetitiveness of the gameplay was a nightmare, but overall this game is definitely a game to check out. A storyline to melt your heart and shock your core, what really sets this game apart from my list is it's construction. Tapping into the memories of people to review and change the outcome is an excellent, but too few of moment, feature.
Even if that's not enough for you to purchase it, it's definitely easy for achievements and a fun game overall.

Number 8: Army Of Two: Devil's Cartel
I've been a fan of the series for quite some time now, and in recent years, it's shown that having a game in a modern day era of Mexico seems to be a massive mistake. However, Devil's Cartel will not disappoint. While the acting is less than average, the gameplay is fun, quick paced and definitely a fun ride. The storyline is one that will have some jaw dropping moments at times, even for newcomers, as always the Co-Op is where the genius of this game hides behind.

Number 7: GTA 5
Now you're probably thinking "WHY THE HELL IS THIS SO HIGH UP MOTHERF**KER?! I HATE YOU, YOUR REVIEWS ARE STUPID!", first off, calm down. Secondly, there is no doubt this game is a butt ton of fun, the storyline, acting and graphics are excellently done, but what truly kills this game for me is the Online mode. There is plenty to do, with so much at your disposal, but so much that Rockstar offered is still being in development, months after release.
The storyline is a masterpiece, but it's online mode drags it down a lot.

Number 6: Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag
Now this is coming from a man with an Assassin's Creed logo tattooed on his arm permanently for life, this new addition for AC, while fun, adventurous and exciting, it has steered from the path of the Assassin path. The game features new combat, searching a world of water for you to literally dive into but it lacks so much so. There are even times where the HD looks almost...way too overdone, or the ending, while satisfying for fans, end abruptly. For an award winning game, there is still so much to see in the AC universe and while the pirates life is for me, I hope for more roots next time around.
Again, don't get me wrong, I wrote an entire alternate novel off this game! It lacks, but it's truly worthy for hours of enjoyment.

Number 5: The Cave
While this game is an arcade title, I have wasted so much time on this simplistic platformer. Filled with humor, the puzzles and challenges inside the game are something unique, stretched out evenly over six main characters. The game also offers different stories and endings for the characters, turning a simple runthrough into a mad dash for finding out the truth in the heart of these characters.
This game forces the player to look upon their deeds, what they've done with their lives and reflect as the Cave does. Massive props to Double Fine for making such a stellar game.

Number 4: Bioshock Infinite
Filled with controversy, confusion and down right bufuddling the world with it's ending, Bioshock Infinite has a love/hate relationship with the world, some praising it for ingenuity while others striking out in anger. Regardless, Bioshock Infinite follows on as a prequel to the popular series and despite being high in the sky, the game's content cannot be darker. With Troy Baker as the protagonist, the voice acting is superb, even much so to convince a voice actress to not leave the business. If you're after action, a meaningful story or a game to leave you with a bitter taste in your mouth and a confused brain, this is definitely a must by for you.

Number 3: Payday 2
Payday 2 has been called simplistic, egotistic, buggish, idiotic and so many things, each with a little bit of truth. Regardless of all of this, the game offers a lot more than that. With plenty of missions to earn your cash, the storyline is mostly set in one word: money. What really holds this game together is the customisation and development of the gameplay. By yourself, with friends or strangers, there's so much more than meets the eye. The graphics, while simplistic, are overshadowed by the terrific gameplay. The same mission can be tackled multiple ways, making each experience with different crews so much more interesting. This game earnt two purchases off this gamer.

Number 2: Call Of Juarez - Gunslinger
This game has been mostly overlooked by the gaming community and so far, under appreciated. After it's failed modern day adaption, the developers went back to it's cowboy roots and for a simple Arcade game, it offers so much. A storyline that will leave you speechless, voice acting and brilliant naration, fun challenges, this game has plenty to satisfy any gamer. By far I would highly suggest you to play this game.If I say any more, it would be too revealing for you to experience.

Number 1: Metro Last Light
There is no hiding that I've been a fan since the original game. I have the books, I have the collectibles, but Metro Last Light is a well deserved game that gives it's all for so little gain in the community. Gameplay is the same style of the previous title but with new elements and enemies to face, many gamers will lose themselves in the storyline as the Metro digs you deeper into the lore. Voice acting is more or less the same as the previous title and young teens will enjoy "Venice" very much so for the subjugation of women in a broken world. In a world of it's own, Artyom still battles his own consciousness as well as his guilt in what he has done, with the endings to Metro Last Light completely in the hands at how you play. Graphics, sound effects, so much of this game was close to perfection yet overlooked. This is my utter recommendation for 2013.

Okay! It's 2am, I'm heading to bed! Do you have any other suggestions or changes? Let me know!
And as always, have fun and game on!

DayZ Alpha - Review and Suggestions

G'day there guys and gals!

Taking the entire world by storm and still be in the early stages of development, DayZ has captured the attention of both PC and Console gamers alike around the globe, with the team at Bohemia Interactive and Dean "Rocket" Hall setting a new milestone in the Horror genre.

In a short summary, DayZ is set in a fictional Post-Soviet state Chernarus with players being one of the few survivors after an outbreak of zombies. It's not yet known what has caused this change to happen but players must survive in the brutal new world.

Now before I continue this, let me just say for the record, this game is in Alpha form and there are A LOT of bugs that I'll be pointing out but that's simply to warn you and the developers about. 

DayZ will see players in a massive free-roam world and the goal is simple; survive by any means necessary. Players can create their own characters, choosing gender, clothing and skin colour, with the customisation taken even further the more time players explore the world, such as weaponry, items or even new forms of clothing and equipment. Upon entering the world, your character will spawn in a random location around the map, at night or day, with only a flashlight and battery. From there it's purely up to you to survive. 

However, you are not alone in this new apocalypse. Up to 40 players can join to your server, but not all will be friendly and choices must be made. What truly makes the game is the realism: The slightest choices in what you pick up, eat, drink or do can hinder or help you over time. Eating rotten food will eventually lead to your death, sometimes even a single blow from a zombie or hostile human will cause a fatal injury or perhaps a stranger will be kind enough to part with some water to save your life.

Regardless, searching houses, bunkers, outhouses and more will further your survival.

The following are suggestions and revisions purely to aid the development crew.

1: Current bugs: Doors seem to be a bit of an issue, especially while exploring smaller houses. Most of the time this can lead to spawning outside the house or useable doors becoming unresponsive. This also applies to some ladder issues, the climbing action will not take place but characters will automatically spawn to the highest point.

2: Level height: While only a suggestion, furthering the world height limit would be grand. Although I do not know the exact location, there is a Radio Tower where players can climb to gain some sight advantage. The ladder however continues up the tower. The same can be said for the crane near the beachhead. Allowing players to reach that height to see further would be excellent.

3: Quantity of items: The desperate hunt for items is a great feature of the game but perhaps a risk factor effect could be used. For example: more homes in a town could equal more zombies risk, but each house having a good item to have such as backpack, large amount of food, weaponry ect.
Out in the mountains with only one house, perhaps have fewer zombies with less necessary items such as clothing, ammunition ect.

4: Careful spawning points: More than a one time occurrence, I have spawned near feet away from a zombie or face first with one. Randomising them more (such as in the mountains or in a barn) may reduce this problem.

5: NPC/Backstory? I only recently discovered a "Pride and Prejudice" book inside the game. If this is possible, perhaps maybe adding in some paperwork or civilian backstory could bring in emotional attachment from players. Imagine if while raiding a house if a player found a child's note with a bloody doll next to it with drag-marks all along the floor...

These are simply the thoughts and ideas of a fan of the game and the work Dean and Bohemia is doing is beyond indie titles. I expect great and brilliant things to come from DayZ and I highly encourage you to check it out too.

For more information, check out their website here: http://dayzgame.com/

DayZ is out now for $29.99 and price may increase with further development.

Verdun Beta - Short Review and suggestions

G'day guys and gals!

This being my very first PC gaming review, a change from console, I decided to pick a game that I've been so infatuated with, a game with appeal and one I truly believe has potential. Enter the Verdun beta and here we are.

To the history buff in me I can't continue this review without a little information. The game directly drives from the Battle of Verdun, which took place between February and December of 1916 between the French and German armies. Over the course of eleven months, the forces wore each other out with such means of mortars, heavy machine gun fire and even introduced the fierce flamethrower to the world. Eventually the French would take control of the field but not without massive losses to each side, to which the game comes in.

Taking place in strategic areas across the line of Verdun, players can assume the role of four different classes within the field of battle. In short they vary as Commander, Scout, Heavy and Soldier in a team of four. Basically, Commander takes on the role of a military officer, directing troops on where to go and also takes control of Mortar shots. Scouts are those who clean out advancing enemies from a distance (Depending on which side you are on) with or without a scoped weapon. Heavies are the slowest but strongest of the four, carrying large machine guns across the battlefield (which was a rariety in WW1). Although they make a big target, with some patience they can take out whole squads at a time. Soldiers are the standard, the cannon-fodder if you will, basically leading the charge and advancing on enemy position, using grenades to open up the areas.
The game features four maps; Vauquois, Argonne, Vosges and Caures. These maps are quite unique; with the shells of planes in the dips of the mountainside to bunkers in the forest and even graveyards. With such large maps, one can only hope that with the full development brings more people into the mix. 



Even despite the expected bugs, the game is fluent and one soldier can literally change the result of a game. To say any more would be to spoil the great features the team at Blackmill Games and M2H Studio have been working on. Keep in mind the game is in it's early stages of development.

The following is a simple list of what I'd really like to see in future development
1: Customisation: If this game will be purely Multiplayer, then customisation is key for the soliders. Players creating their own characters using level unlocks would be a great feature, even if it's as subtle as extra ammunition, different weaponry or different clothes, a single change will bring a buzz and further the competition between gamers.
2: Underground Bases: While not necessary, officers of the First World War were known to have deep holes covered by tarps or debris. By doing this, hurt players could hide temporarily inside these bunkers or possible a "Capture The Flag" element could be introduced, a mode where players have to capture their leader from the opposition's bunker perhaps?
3: Weather Elements: As we saw in your "Christmas Truce" video, snow was a very real element that could take place in the battlefield. Rain would be an excellent choice; by adding in rain and mud textures, players running in sloped or dipped areas could be slowed down while walking or running. Explosions or heavy gun fire could also tip over trees or debris.
4: Award System: Now I know the first idea to mind is "ACHIEVEMENTS!" but no that's not what I mean. Small mid-game awards to boost either customisation progress or leveling progress would be excellent. Perhaps scoring a headshot without using a scope, or killing the same person three times in a row, things like that that add extra experience.

Otherwise, let me finish this off by writing this.
To the people behind Verdun, as a University student studying to make games, I truly admire what you're doing and let me assure you, you're succeeding in your goals. Verdun is a game that you can easily lose hours of time within. I'm not the very best PC gamer but I'm sure that Verdun will be a smash at full release.

Check out the Verdun Beta website here: http://www.verdungame.com/
The beta is out now for the standard price of $9 on Windows, OSX and Linux