Review: Battlefield 1

G’day there guys and gals!

I have always considered myself a history buff, and a nerd for facts, and Battlefield 1 immediately left an impression on me as soon as the announcement was made. Rare is the title set in World War 1, even more so in a AAA developed title, and thus it has captured the attention of many gamers worldwide. While its campaign is a slight stretch of the actual events of the First World War, the accuracy in places, its setting and tone are masterfully done and executed.
Battlefield 1 features multiple stories set across years and borders of the conflict in the early 20^th century, and is intended to prepare players for the multiplayer, while also shedding light on the horrors, tragedies and cost of human life in such an event. From the Alps to the shores of Gallipoli, each character has their own exclusive story to be told. 

To put it bluntly, from its campaign to its multiplayer, Battlefield 1 is a title any gamer should try.

First and foremost, the gameplay itself is by far the best in the series, and stands apart from other shooters currently at release. The shooting mechanic is smooth and clean, with controls in the game just as so. Mantling and manoeuvring throughout the maps and world is simple, yet easily done nearly across the board of every map. Each weapon has an adequately different recoil, sound and look, all the way down to even the smallest of animations on the weapon including bullets and reloading. Sound effects and musical score is incredibly well done, the return of a classical score is beautifully done and suits the tone and setting in both modes. Finally, the graphics; in a word – magnificent. Cutscenes move fluently and add much needed backstory in the campaign. While the gameplay sadly isn’t as detailed, it is still just as impressive, with just the right amount make gamers stop mid fight and enjoy the view.

This brings me to the campaign itself; despite being short, it is an incredibly well done campaign. While it does stand as a preparation for the online portion of the title (introducing the multiple classes you can play as), the short stories of each person are unique to their own and are well planned out. I must mention now the addition of playing as an Australian in Gallipoli as an incredible moment for me as a gamer; few are WW1 title games, and I can name only one that even mentions our contribution to the war, let alone view it from their eyes. The jokes, the references, the accuracy (when applicable) were all incredibly written and performed. This goes across the board for all the campaign moments: a British tank driver, an American plane operator, multiple named KIA soldiers and so on, each story ties around their journeys in the war. In saying this, their shortness was something to be noted, with the entirety of the campaign easily completed in six hours, it did leave more to be desired, which is where the multiplayer comes in.

In a simpler word, the multiplayer is flawed, but gallant. Players have the option from multiple modes, most of which revolving around holding ground ala King of the Hill style, with the exception of two modes; Team Deathmatch and Carrier Pidgeon. Team Deathmatch has teams of ten fighting in restricted parts of each map, allowing a decent amount of both long range and short range opportunities. Carrier Pidgeon has two teams fighting over a Pidgeon coop containing coordinates to fire upon the enemy’s position. One team fights to release the pidgeon, the other to stop it.

The multiplayer does have its fair share of bugs, many of which are screen tears, but the biggest issue is the weaponry and the menu options. While weapons aren’t nerfed, they are all brought up to mostly the same damage. Single shot rifles will take three hits to kill, snipers two, machine rifles fifteen, etc. This does create a lot of unbalance in the classes, with the easiest weapon to score kills off of being the pistol; all are at the same damage, with the exclusion of one. Obtain that one, and your K/D ratio will skyrocket.
However, your ratio does not determine how well you can level up. Playing well in your class can aid much faster than killing many people from the opposite team. For example, choosing the medic, you can kill three people and revive 30 allies and earn more than the top five players. Of course, killing multiple enemies and reviving more would be preferable, but is incredibly hard to pull off, in Medic or any class.
The only real true complaint is the menus in the multiplayer being incredibly hard to navigate. Beginning matches is simple enough, but it is exiting them that becomes the hassle; players will only have the option to leave a match a few seconds after the ending of each match, and navigating away from the ending menu to see the scores or waiting for the unlocks to appear will render this option useless.

It’s rare that a game comes out where I can only nitpick the smaller things, such as these complaints and small issues. There are those in the community that are experiencing issues with their game, such as freezing menus, multiplayer never loading and so on, but as I have never experienced them, I cannot attest to them nor add them to my final verdict on this title.
It’s hard to place a game such as this in a spot that it deserves. As an Australian, I want to rate it for its graceful use of the ANZAC legend. As a gamer, I want to praise its gameplay. As a reviewing journalist, I want to point out its flaws and make sure my audience knows what to expect. Finding that balance between objectivism and being partisan.

So I must be both; Battlefield 1 is a brilliant first person shooter with the right elements for one of the best multiplayer experiences yet this year. Its short campaign leaves you wanting more, its microtransations and locked skins will discourage many, but the content available now – its large maps with terrific gameplay – is definitely something any gamer should try, whether they’re a history fan or simply enjoy first person shooters. Battlefield 1 has enough character for all.

Battlefield 1 - 8/10

Review: Gears of War 4

G’day there guys and gals!

It’s well known among many gamers that the Gears of War franchise improved and popularised two

great mechanics, known now as Cover and Wave mechanic. Every Third Person controlled game has followed in their footsteps, and every game to feature wave-based fighting has been inspired by the series. Gears of War 4 is a continuation from the ending of the main series five years ago; set twenty five years after the end of the Locust war, humanity struggles to survive as the elements and incredibly low population has forced them to live together in shelter. And while groups of Outsiders still remain, a new threat has reared its head from the depths of nightmares, with only a group of deserters to uncover this latest atrocity.

Players control James Dominic “JD” Fenix, the son of previous protagonist Marcus Fenix, who travels with childhood friend Del Walker and Outsider Kait Diaz, planning a raid on a new home for humanity, Settlement 5. These events set in motion the rest of the game, focusing on the conflict around Kait and her journey to save her mother from humanity’s new enemy, the Swarm.
While the former Epic employees at Coalition had developed Gears of War Judgment, this is the first sequel game in the series; while fans and newcomers can nitpick where they please, I cannot deny this new addition to the series is one hell of a return.

First and foremost, the gameplay; while the gameplay itself doesn’t offer anything terribly new, what is does offer is an improved version of the previous game’s mechanics. This goes double for the enemies, as their movements are quite similar to previous renditions, but more about that later. The gameplay is smooth and easily handled, especially for anyone who has played a Third Person title. Newcomers may have some issues with full controls, but the tutorials there definitely do come in handy from time to time. The addition of new enemies and weapons definitely do help and the huge sandbox areas for each mission are fairly well crafted.
While certain Swarm do act similar to previous enemies (Juvies react like Lambent Humans, Drones act like Locust, etc), the addition of DB robots, Pouncer, Snatcher and Carriers add a breath of fresh air into the newer enemies types, especially with the new weaponry the DBs provide. The campaign also features Windflares; wild tornado-like spouts of swirling wind, carrying thick dusted air and lightening, killing anything that comes close to its strikes. These moments in game are incredibly fun, but repeat in a same pattern; fight through two waves of enemies against the wind, race to a building to escape the lightening. It is a shame that these don't show much variation (the exception being midway through), but they are both terrifying and exhilarating.
This brings me to the storyline itself, and it is fairly well crafted. Kait's personal mission of redemption and JD's tasks do add a lot of meaning into the story itself, but the ending itself lacks the heaviness of the upcoming conflicts the world will face. In place of this is a gigantic reveal (one that I won't reveal) that is truly a jaw-dropping moment, and mostly resembles the ending to the original game. In saying this, the story is well thought out, executed efficiently and adds a good mix of both light hearted and devastating moments.
Voice acting in game was incredibly well done, especially by the newer members to the cast. Special mention to Liam McIntyre, who completely drops his Australian accent and performs fantastically. The original cast also return to their roles where needed, and do so in heart-warming nostalgia, bringing both familiarity to returning veterans and insight to newcomers. 

Sound effects are well ranged and clear, with the noises of the Swarm incredible; Snatchers and Pouncers are equally terrifying and fascinating, their screams definitely attributing well to the atmosphere. Musical score is satisfactory to this, creating harsh and strong melodies in the storms and the strings in respect to the original scores of the series where necessary. Finally, graphics have been improved immensely and while the cutscenes do have significantly better touches to lighting and textures, in game is still impressively well done.

For those interested, Multiplayer also makes a triumphant return as players are absolutely flocking to the new Horde 3.0. For the uninformed, Horde is a team based multiplayer system where players fight against waves of enemies and attempt to survive for as long as possible. They aren't stuck with weapons and simple items this time, as Horde 3.0 offers the Fabricator; a new device in the Gears universe that creates objects. By collecting power from killed enemies, players can charge the Fabricator and set up barriers, turrets and more in order to survive the waves and their bosses.
Playing in separate classes (Engineer, Heavy, Scout, etc) creates the need for teamwork more than ever, as players' roles come into effectiveness the better their teamwork handles, and this holds up in gameplay too. Aside from Horde, we also have the Multiplayer modes that ease out the Horde onslaught. Team Deathmatch makes an appearance, with standard 5v5 fight. Dodgeball and King of the Hill also return, with Arms Race, Guardian and Warzone following, each having their separate modes to compete on. Sadly speaking, these final three modes are hard to find a match in, but I cannot hold that against the game itself, as players tend to prefer the latter.

The Gears series has had a special place in my heart for quite some time, with Gears of War 2 still one of my favourite all time games. The fight against the Locust has been well transformed into a new fight against the new COG. I did not experience any technical issues during my playthrough, which does account greatly in Microsoft and the Coalition's name. There are some upset by the usage of microtransations, but of course, these are all optional and can be earned in game with a crafting system that allows you to burn multiples and take back the Scrap needed to craft new cards for each match. My only real critique is in the Multiplayer, where you must return to the main menu in order to find new matches, forcing you to quit after each match, whereas this lacks in Horde after multiple failed rounds. This becomes tedious after the first few hours, but I digress.
While the campaign itself is slightly shorter than the rest in the series, it is by far an improvement into the series. I wouldn't go as far as to say the game is perfect; like many titles before it, it does have its flaws, but The Coalition has listened to its fanbase and has responded greatly to criticism. I await eagerly to see what happens next in this new battle for Sera.

Gears of War 4: 9/10

Review: Mafia 3

G'day there guys and gals!

Mafia 3 is one of the rare titles released that are solely based on single player, as multiplayer titles grow more and more common with each passing year. In that, a single player game needs to have a strong story, terrific gameplay and interesting characters in order to keep players around in the long run or to return for replays over time. While Mafia 3 does have its fair share of bugs, this is a title that many utterly need to experience.

In the fictional place of New Bourdeux in 1968 lives a young man named Lincoln Clay, a returning veteran of the Vietnam War. Reuniting with his adopted family, an event sets his life back down that dark and narrow path, with bloodlust leading his rampant drive through his home, desperately trying to restore something lost that cannot ever be returned.
As far as the gameplay goes, it is definitely well made. Anyone familiar with Shooters in general will be able to pick this game up from the get-go and manage well. The mechanics are also impressive; every gun, car and boat have a distinct difference from one another, and balance out recoil with deadliness very well. I have heard of those criticising the car controls of the game, but as a millenial who has driven vehicles from the 1960s, I can absolutely attest to their accuracy. I will admit that the boats leave something to be desired, while driving trucks with caddies and flipping cars does bend the realism of the game. Regardless, they are all done well. The world is beautifully crafted, the graphics look incredible (especially the character models, and definitely in the cutscenes) and help bring to light the horrors of the 1960s of America’s South.
There is more to be said about the core mechanics of the gameplay themselves, but we’ll get to that later.

The storyline itself is masterfully written, and while it does have its clichés from time to time, the way the story pans out from the beginning is well structured, written and executed. The final scene with Lincoln’s family, while expected by promos, was brilliantly done and still managed to shock me, with magnificent acting from the cast, and this trend does continue throughout the game. While the endings do have their issues (the “alone” choice is incredibly quick and almost a throwaway choice), the cutscenes in the present day definitely aid tie the endings together.
This brings me to the voice cast, which was no less than sublime. Despite featuring a main cast of relative unknowns in the VA world (the exception being a few with minor roles), all of whom performed excellently, particularly scenes regarding Lincoln Clay (Alex Hernandez) and John Donovan (Lane Compton). Their scenes were both golden and hilarious, especially the back and forth banter, which added some much needed light to the situation, with Lincoln slowly descending into darkness while Donovan keeping his humanity in check. The Marcano family were also was voiced just as well and added the right amount of sincerity, brutality and kindness when needed.

Filled with both strings and hits from the era, the musical score kept the balance of forgotten, well known and new titles mixed in the radios. I particularly liked how songs also started appearing the further in game you went!

As mentioned earlier, while I love the fact that this game is irrefutably well done, it’s not without its fair share of bugs. I experienced random ejection from the game, all in mid-gameplay, four times. While the first happened in the opening cutscene, the rest happened during gameplay (generally with explosions of cars), while the few other moments caused temporary freezes, occurring seven times, due to unknown reasons. There was also issues with draw distances and failure to load items, especially in the beginning when entering new areas for the first time: objects such as benches and cars on the road would appear as invisible and cause many collisions.
Putting these aside, probably the biggest issue is the slight repetitiveness for some players. For fans of the previous Mafia games or fans of Saints Row (Particularly 1 and 2), you’ll find no fault in these tasks. However, after the first few missions, taking over an area tends to repeat itself: Find the informant, perform a mini-task (interrogation, kill target, destroy object) several times, take over racket, kill boss, repeat. The main boss fights themselves are incredibly fun and each is unique in their own way, and they will be your driving force to complete each section. I will admit, these do tend to change in the middle of the campaign, each new area only adds one new task. There is also the internal struggle with your lieutenants that you must balance, so I’d suggest definitely slugging through all of it. In saying this, the Leutenants also have scratches that have need of itching, which helps to break apart the slog, but as mentioned earlier, their objectives do tend to repeat. The repetitiveness wouldn't be as obvious or as tedious if not for the lack of a quick travel in game. If a side mission starts on one side of the map and asks you to travel to the other side, the travelling must be done ever time. 

It hurts me greatly when I have to report on these types of things for a game or a series that I enjoy, because I did thoroughly enjoy Mafia 3. There were moments I teared up and moments where I fell out of my chair laughing. There were moments that I enjoyed immensely and moments where I wanted to rage quit. Mafia 3 does have faults, and while I would love to give this game a perfect score, it would go against everything I've been building for six years as a reviewer. In saying this, I still believe due to its strong story and emotional attachment
If you enjoy period games with a lot of lore and personal backstory, games with heartfelt scenes backed by raw emotion, or games where you can just gun down a lot of racist jerkwads, I would absolutely recommend Mafia 3 to you.

Despite its flaws, it is a beautifully made game.

Mafia 3 - 8/10

Checkpoint - October 2016

G'day there guys and gals!

In the past I have been known to write the odd review update now and again, with no catchy title. Now I come to you with "Checkpoint", a quick summary of the goings-on behind the reviews.

With the holiday season upon us and the onslaught of video game titles now pouring their way into our ready hands, it's time for me to begin planning upcoming reviews.
As such, unfortunately, Verdun and Firewatch for the Xbox One have been removed from the lineup.
It has been explained by both developers that delays are mostly with their code or production issues, and while I am a massive fan of Verdun and Firewatch, due to this time frame and their delays, I cannot put time towards them.

As for the months of October and November, I currently have added Mafia 3 to the list, which has a release date of tomorrow. I quite enjoyed Mafia 2 and finally removed it from my List of Shame a few years ago, so I'm quite looking forward to seeing where the series goes from there.

Also, I'm announcing two upcoming Drink videos; back in 2014, I released an unboxing video of Destiny Ghost Edition with the small extra video for an alcoholic drink of my concoction for the game called The Pink Ghost.
With Dishonored 2 and Titanfall 2 on their way, I have created more and plan to release them on YT and here, with instructions and ingredients.

I'm coming up six years reviewing games and that...that is insane. I know a lot of people who still come up to me and tell me they read these reviews and that kind of support is truly appreciated. Maybe one day soon I'll move this to a website of my own!
Either way, I'll see you all in the Mafia 3 review, and as always, have fun and game on!