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