Thought I'd do some more game reviews and I also thought for a practice I'll do the first game I got for the PS4;Watchdogs. I have recently been playing it again so I thought why not review it, also like with some of my reviews I'm not going in depth I' m just going to go over the good points and bad points to save time and then give my final thoughts on it.
Good
Open world/side missions: Glad that it decided the take the free roam route like GTA and The Witcher for example because there was plenty of place to explore and plenty of side missions that the first time I played it, it took me a while to finish everything.
Hacking: They really glamourize hacking in this that it makes me wish I knew how to do it IRL lol. As for gameplay it is great that you can hacking a lot of electronics to turn combat to your advantage.
Gun fights/variety of weapons: I did find the gun fights to be really enjoyable and intense, it is cool when you have one in the street and everything explodes around you. Then of course there are plenty of weapons for you to chose from.
Story: I have finished the game four times now can that is because I just really like the whole story and the characters you interact with.
Car chases: These can be really fun especially when you are running away from the police ad how much damage you can cause to other cars and yourself.
The racing multiplayer: I am not really a fan of the other multiplayer modes but the races I enjoyed because they have a mix of cars and bikes and you can hack everything around you to win.
Bad
Should have had more hacking: I know this is the first game (hopefully there will be a sequel) and I know I said I enjoyed it but still there should have been way, way more stuff to do with it. For example the mission where you have to get into DEFAULT's club and you can distract the guard; it should have been more like Hitman where there are several more ways you can get in. I just feel that hacking doesn't play an important role as it should have in missions where most of the time you can just use your gun.
Enemy A.I/Not too difficult: I have finished the game four times now (like I said above I really like the story) but the last three times I have set it on it's highest difficultly with no auto aim assist. It's not like it's very easy but it really isn't much of a challenge for me now.
No shooting out of car window: This one is so annoying because I just hated only bashing cars to stop them, I know you can hack obstacles but the A.I can shoot out of windows so why not us?
Not much to do when you finish: After the story and side missions there really isn't any permanent things to do besides poker and repeating side missions. Sure there is a lot of side missions but they it is just a repeat of the same type of missions over and over again.
Notoriety meter didn't have much of an impact: On two of my play throughs I decided to get my meter red but I swear I barely noticed any difference. I think only a few civilians noticed me and called the police but that was the only thing that changed, even when the meter is blue they don't really do anything else. For example when you do keep doing good things maybe the civilians will protest against the police or cheer you on and maybe if you do bad things the civilians will attack you or A.I. bounty hunters will keep coming after you.
The multiplayer should have been more expansive: Besides the racing I really didn't enjoy much of the other game modes. They should have picked classics like TDM or CTF but instead they tired these unique hacking ones that I wasn't a fan of, plus the teams could have been way bigger.
Overall Watchdogs has come really great moments and had some great potential in some of it's areas but because that potential isn't fully realized I feel this game was just a test for it's hacking style gameplay. That if this test proved popular they would (hopefully) improve the hacking and some of it's gameplay in a sequel. I would recommend this game if you are a fan of ones similar to this like GTA however only for the story mode since their is a lack of content in comparison to other open world games, for example the multiplayer in this does not even compare to GTA's.
Showing posts with label GAME. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GAME. Show all posts
Wednesday, 2 December 2015
Tuesday, 25 August 2015
The Arkham Knight Character: My Thoughts (SPOILERS)
Thought I'd do something different and that is giving my thoughts and opinions on the infamous Arkham Knight character that was the in latest Batman game of the same name. This might seems that it is coming a bit but I was late getting the game any way because I went on holiday not long after it's release and I decided to get The Witcher 3 first before I went anyway. Plus the good thing about this is that by now everyone has played the game and probably don't care about spoilers much.
For those who don't know the Arkham Knight was the secondary antagonist in the latest Batman Arkham game; he wore a his own version of the Batman suit, was equal to him in skill and controlled the military that took over Gotham for Scarecrow. His identity was one of the biggest attraction of the game for many Batman fans (including myself) because of his unique design and that Rocksteady promising it was a original character for the game series. So imagine my disappointment when the man behind the mask turned out to be Jason Todd, the second Robin who wanted revenge on Batman.
Now for those who don't know who Jason Todd is he was the second Robin to work for Batman but was really violent, insolent and disagreed with Batman's views many times. He was kidnapped by the Joker and beaten almost to death with a crowbar before being blown up along with his mother. However he was indirectly resurrected by Superboy Prime and taken in for a while by the League of Assassins and even bathed in the Lazarus Pit. He then became the violent vigilante known as the Red Hood who returned to Gotham to get his revenge on Batman.
You know I thought the Arkham Knight was so freaking awesome when I got the game and I still do don't get me wrong; he was badass, his suit was such a great design and he was a match for Batman. I had so many theories to his identity (will list them) before the game's release and while I was playing it and to find out it was Jason Todd was so lacklustre and kind of lazy. It is almost the same story line as in Under the Hood where Jason, thought to be dead, comes back as a new persona in Gotham except that instead of becoming the Red Hood he becomes the Arkham Knight. What is annoying however is that Jason still becomes the Red Hood anyway at the end when part of the Arkham Knight suit is ripped off and it looks like the same Red Hood mask. What was also pretty annoying was that it wasn't even much of a surprise because halfway through the game Batman hallucinates seeing Jason tortured by the Joker and I thought after seeing something like that Jason just had to be the Arkham Knight. Why else would they have shown those flashbacks because if they wanted the Arkham Knight to be someone else then by that point in the game they would have gave hints of that someone but no they flat out tell you it's Jason. In the end Rocksteady decided to play it safe and just repeat a storyline used in the comics when the true identity of the Arkham Knight could have been lots of other Batman characters.
Here is a list of characters I think would have been better for the Arkham Knight, most of these where my theories before the game's release:
Damien Wayne: The son of Bruce with Talia, Damien could have become the Arkham Knight as revenge against Bruce and to prove he is a worth successor to Batman, which is why his suit is similar.
Thomas Wayne Junior/Owlman: Since this character s so well known in the comics and not featured as much as other villains I thought they could have change as much as the want about him without spoiling the character.
Thomas Wayne Senior: Was featured a lot in the commercials so I thought it could be possible he was still alive in the games. It could have been similar to Flashpoint where he was Batman but had no problem killing criminals.
James Gordon Junior: Because Gordon and Barbara where heavily involved in the plot like tricking Batman into thinking Barbara committed suicide and Gordon turning against you I thought it might have been someone close to them. James Gordon Junior his a psychopathic killer who does torment his family in the comics and while he has never been portrayed as a fighter who can stand up to Batman they could have changed it a bit for the game.
Hush: A side quest in Arkham reveals that Hush performs surgery on his face to make him look exactly like Bruce Wayne so he can ruin him so why not be his own version of the Batman while he is at it? But no they just gave him a silly five minute side quest in the game which was a shame.
Clayface: We never did get to find out if Clayface survived his fall into the Lazarus Pit or if it changed him in the end. He could have become the Arkham Knight to get revenge on Batman for his defeat in the last game.
Jean - Paul Valley/Azrael: This character actually was Batman at some point in the comics but was a lot more violent than Bruce. Like Hush I thought Azrael would be featured in the main storyline of the game instead of just being a side mission.
There you have it just a little rant about the Arkham Knight character.
For those who don't know the Arkham Knight was the secondary antagonist in the latest Batman Arkham game; he wore a his own version of the Batman suit, was equal to him in skill and controlled the military that took over Gotham for Scarecrow. His identity was one of the biggest attraction of the game for many Batman fans (including myself) because of his unique design and that Rocksteady promising it was a original character for the game series. So imagine my disappointment when the man behind the mask turned out to be Jason Todd, the second Robin who wanted revenge on Batman.
Now for those who don't know who Jason Todd is he was the second Robin to work for Batman but was really violent, insolent and disagreed with Batman's views many times. He was kidnapped by the Joker and beaten almost to death with a crowbar before being blown up along with his mother. However he was indirectly resurrected by Superboy Prime and taken in for a while by the League of Assassins and even bathed in the Lazarus Pit. He then became the violent vigilante known as the Red Hood who returned to Gotham to get his revenge on Batman.
You know I thought the Arkham Knight was so freaking awesome when I got the game and I still do don't get me wrong; he was badass, his suit was such a great design and he was a match for Batman. I had so many theories to his identity (will list them) before the game's release and while I was playing it and to find out it was Jason Todd was so lacklustre and kind of lazy. It is almost the same story line as in Under the Hood where Jason, thought to be dead, comes back as a new persona in Gotham except that instead of becoming the Red Hood he becomes the Arkham Knight. What is annoying however is that Jason still becomes the Red Hood anyway at the end when part of the Arkham Knight suit is ripped off and it looks like the same Red Hood mask. What was also pretty annoying was that it wasn't even much of a surprise because halfway through the game Batman hallucinates seeing Jason tortured by the Joker and I thought after seeing something like that Jason just had to be the Arkham Knight. Why else would they have shown those flashbacks because if they wanted the Arkham Knight to be someone else then by that point in the game they would have gave hints of that someone but no they flat out tell you it's Jason. In the end Rocksteady decided to play it safe and just repeat a storyline used in the comics when the true identity of the Arkham Knight could have been lots of other Batman characters.
Here is a list of characters I think would have been better for the Arkham Knight, most of these where my theories before the game's release:
Damien Wayne: The son of Bruce with Talia, Damien could have become the Arkham Knight as revenge against Bruce and to prove he is a worth successor to Batman, which is why his suit is similar.
Thomas Wayne Junior/Owlman: Since this character s so well known in the comics and not featured as much as other villains I thought they could have change as much as the want about him without spoiling the character.
Thomas Wayne Senior: Was featured a lot in the commercials so I thought it could be possible he was still alive in the games. It could have been similar to Flashpoint where he was Batman but had no problem killing criminals.
James Gordon Junior: Because Gordon and Barbara where heavily involved in the plot like tricking Batman into thinking Barbara committed suicide and Gordon turning against you I thought it might have been someone close to them. James Gordon Junior his a psychopathic killer who does torment his family in the comics and while he has never been portrayed as a fighter who can stand up to Batman they could have changed it a bit for the game.
Hush: A side quest in Arkham reveals that Hush performs surgery on his face to make him look exactly like Bruce Wayne so he can ruin him so why not be his own version of the Batman while he is at it? But no they just gave him a silly five minute side quest in the game which was a shame.
Clayface: We never did get to find out if Clayface survived his fall into the Lazarus Pit or if it changed him in the end. He could have become the Arkham Knight to get revenge on Batman for his defeat in the last game.
Jean - Paul Valley/Azrael: This character actually was Batman at some point in the comics but was a lot more violent than Bruce. Like Hush I thought Azrael would be featured in the main storyline of the game instead of just being a side mission.
There you have it just a little rant about the Arkham Knight character.
Monday, 6 July 2015
Final Fantasy VII Remake: What I Want To See/What I Want Them To Keep
When I first heard of the FFVII remake I was so surprised because it has been teased for years and years but now they are finally serious. At first I was unsure if this could work because FFVII is my favourite game of all time and it is absolute perfection. I still play it a lot now though not as much as I used to when I was younger because there is a lot of new games I got to play. So I thought I'd give my thoughts on what changes I want to see but what I also want kept.
To Stay
The Materia system: One of the best ways to customize your characters in all of the FF games and maybe they might make even more materia even though there are lots already.
The light - hearted humour: Though the overall story is serious there are a lot of fun times with the group like the (obvious one) Cloud's crossdressing, the time in Costa Del Sol, the Chocobo Race, hunting Yuffie in Wutai and many more.
Vehicles/airship: Bring back the airship in these modern FF games! I want to fly the Highwind again!
World Map: Stepping out of Midgar for the first time is one of the best moments in gaming so I just hope they keep the massive, open - world map but of course improve it for the more modern era.
The Golden Saucer: Who doesn't like blowing off some steam in the various mini games at the Golden Saucer or fighting in the battle arena? They have got to keep this theme park but of course like the world map they have got to make it even bigger.
All it's mini - games: Besides the Golden Saucer I want all of the other mini games to stay as well.
Side Quests: FFVII had tons of extra side quests to complete either for more powerful gear or just for the fun of it.
WEAPONS: Some of the best bosses in the FF games and I want to fight them all again!
Aeries's death: Though it is sad to see her go it is also one of the most pivotal and important moments in gaming and we can't just throw it away in the remake.
Infiltrating the Shinra building: Maybe my favourite part of the whole game! Loved the music, the atmosphere, the different floors, the enemies, the sneaking, the part when you are captured and the whole look of the building itself. While of course I want them hopefully to add even more to this part I really want the while rescuing Aeries subplot to still stay.
Chocobo breeding: A side quest that you have to invest a great amount of time in (which I don't mind because I like quests that take ages) and should still be included. I mean who doesn't want to raise their own champion racers again? to race them in the Golden Saucer and breed all of the different colours that have different abilities.
Changes/Add - on
Yuffie and Vincent are permanent characters: I want to see these two in the CGI cutscenes so I want the side missions to get them to be mandatory. Vincent of course will stay the same and I think a good time for Yuffie to join would be on the way to Junon (I always get her at that earliest point).
More WEAPONS: These have got to be some of the best bosses in Final Fantasy and if possible I just want even more of them to fight.
Monster Arena: The monster arena in FFX was one of the best side quests in all of the FF games because it took ages to do, you unlock powerful enemies to fight and you get great rewards. Always wished future FF games would include this and I hope VII remake does.
Ride a bike like in Advent Children: Now this would be cool for a new vehicle.
Real Time Combat instead of Turn Based: While I still really enjoy the turned based combat with it's strategy I admit the combat has to change with the times and be like FFXV And Kingdom Hearts. I mean wouldn't it be really cool to slash away with Cloud's sword then perform one of his Limit Breaks?
Control the summons: I liked it in XIII but it would be cool to control one in a non turned based battle.
Better Chocobo Races: They where great in the game but they have to improve the controls and include way more race tracks,
More expansive equipment menu: What I mean by this is that instead of just equipping a Weapon, Armour and Accessory let there be more stuff to equip them with. Like in FFIX and FFXII they had Chest, Arms and Legs as well.
Costume changes: While they can only be deco rational and have no impact on stats I would really like to be able to change the team's costume for combat and cutscenes.
More expansive Midgar: I absolutely loved Midgar but I would like to visit more of it in the remake like all of the different Sectors; the slums and the upper plates.
Card game: This just needs to make a comeback!
Improved underwater missions: The parts in the submarine where really great in FFVII but there was barely anything to do and you where really limited in where to go. So if they bring this back it should be way more expansive.
There you a quick list of what I want though there are probably more. I really can't wait for this remake and I hope for some gameplay videos soon!
To Stay
The Materia system: One of the best ways to customize your characters in all of the FF games and maybe they might make even more materia even though there are lots already.
The light - hearted humour: Though the overall story is serious there are a lot of fun times with the group like the (obvious one) Cloud's crossdressing, the time in Costa Del Sol, the Chocobo Race, hunting Yuffie in Wutai and many more.
Vehicles/airship: Bring back the airship in these modern FF games! I want to fly the Highwind again!
World Map: Stepping out of Midgar for the first time is one of the best moments in gaming so I just hope they keep the massive, open - world map but of course improve it for the more modern era.
The Golden Saucer: Who doesn't like blowing off some steam in the various mini games at the Golden Saucer or fighting in the battle arena? They have got to keep this theme park but of course like the world map they have got to make it even bigger.
All it's mini - games: Besides the Golden Saucer I want all of the other mini games to stay as well.
Side Quests: FFVII had tons of extra side quests to complete either for more powerful gear or just for the fun of it.
WEAPONS: Some of the best bosses in the FF games and I want to fight them all again!
Aeries's death: Though it is sad to see her go it is also one of the most pivotal and important moments in gaming and we can't just throw it away in the remake.
Infiltrating the Shinra building: Maybe my favourite part of the whole game! Loved the music, the atmosphere, the different floors, the enemies, the sneaking, the part when you are captured and the whole look of the building itself. While of course I want them hopefully to add even more to this part I really want the while rescuing Aeries subplot to still stay.
Chocobo breeding: A side quest that you have to invest a great amount of time in (which I don't mind because I like quests that take ages) and should still be included. I mean who doesn't want to raise their own champion racers again? to race them in the Golden Saucer and breed all of the different colours that have different abilities.
Changes/Add - on
Yuffie and Vincent are permanent characters: I want to see these two in the CGI cutscenes so I want the side missions to get them to be mandatory. Vincent of course will stay the same and I think a good time for Yuffie to join would be on the way to Junon (I always get her at that earliest point).
More WEAPONS: These have got to be some of the best bosses in Final Fantasy and if possible I just want even more of them to fight.
Monster Arena: The monster arena in FFX was one of the best side quests in all of the FF games because it took ages to do, you unlock powerful enemies to fight and you get great rewards. Always wished future FF games would include this and I hope VII remake does.
Ride a bike like in Advent Children: Now this would be cool for a new vehicle.
Real Time Combat instead of Turn Based: While I still really enjoy the turned based combat with it's strategy I admit the combat has to change with the times and be like FFXV And Kingdom Hearts. I mean wouldn't it be really cool to slash away with Cloud's sword then perform one of his Limit Breaks?
Control the summons: I liked it in XIII but it would be cool to control one in a non turned based battle.
Better Chocobo Races: They where great in the game but they have to improve the controls and include way more race tracks,
More expansive equipment menu: What I mean by this is that instead of just equipping a Weapon, Armour and Accessory let there be more stuff to equip them with. Like in FFIX and FFXII they had Chest, Arms and Legs as well.
Costume changes: While they can only be deco rational and have no impact on stats I would really like to be able to change the team's costume for combat and cutscenes.
More expansive Midgar: I absolutely loved Midgar but I would like to visit more of it in the remake like all of the different Sectors; the slums and the upper plates.
Card game: This just needs to make a comeback!
Improved underwater missions: The parts in the submarine where really great in FFVII but there was barely anything to do and you where really limited in where to go. So if they bring this back it should be way more expansive.
There you a quick list of what I want though there are probably more. I really can't wait for this remake and I hope for some gameplay videos soon!
Monday, 4 May 2015
Anime Review: Sword Art Online
In the year 2022 the virtual reality game Sword Art Online has been released to the public who play the game by wearing the Nerve Gear which allows them to enter the fantasy world. Kazuto Kirigaya (who goes by the username Kirito) was a beta tester for SAO and is one of thousands of players who purchased a copy of the game. However soon after he enters he and the other players are trapped in SAO by it's creator and must complete the 100 floors of Aincrad to free themselves but it does not end there.
SPOILERS. I guess I shall start off by saying that as a hardcore gamer the idea of SAO really appealed to me when I first heard of it, I'll even go as far as saying that I wouldn't mind being trapped in SAO like Kirito lol. Because the first half and second half of the first season are set in fantasy worlds to me the anime kind of felt like a cross between World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy, however what really surprised me was how serious the entire anime was overall. Death plays a major role in the first half of the season so while this anime may seem colourful and fun in the description it really is a matter of life and death for the players. Then there is the second half and Kirito has to deal with some serious problems in the real world and the stuff in Alfhiem with Asuna and the 300 captured players deals with a lot of torture, mind control and potential taking over the world. I'm defiantly not saying that this is a bad thing because major consequences and a realistic tone despite it being about trapped in a game was something I wasn't expecting.
I do really like the settings for the first half and second half of the season because they both come with their own rules and experiences. Aincrad, as I mentioned above, is a death game and that issue is addressed a lot and through different ways; for example Kirito watches a lot of people die which drives him to become stronger and protect everyone but there are also insane players (Laughing Coffin) that ruthlessly murders other players. Then there is the levelling system which is an important factor for strength, there is the lack of magic so the game relies completely on melee combat and there is the 100 floors that must be conquered to finish the game. However what I didn't like was the pacing while the anime was set in Aincrad because months would pass in between each episode and the whole two years the players where stuck there is done in 14 episodes when the whole 25 episodes could have been dedicated to it (we could have seen more bosses or see Kirito go one quests for his massive funds and equipment which where all done off screen). As for Alfhiem it was quite different from Aincrad in a good way because we got magic, a new growth system and warring races of fairies. However because of Kirito's mission to save Asuna the warring fairies isn't addressed as much as I would have wanted but we got to spend some time in the real world which is something different from the SAO arc.
As for the character Kirito is a really likable protagonist; sure he starts off as a loner and a solo player and still mostly stays that way at the end but the majority of this anime (like 90%) of it is through his perspective and through all of his trials and experiences you get to see him grow as a character. What I really liked about him is that he is portrayed as this really invincible character because he is so good at games, he is a superior player to everyone and he knows it (he probably represents the unfair level system found in most MMORPG). The second protagonist is Asuna and she is a great, strong female lead for this anime and I really like the chemistry between her and Kirito and watching their relationship grow. However what I didn't like is that during the second half of the season she is this constant damsel in distress who gets caught in tentacles and is almost raped which is a real let down after she kicks a lot of ass while in Aincrad. There is Kirito's cousin Suguha who is a major character for the Alfhiem arc who mostly takes the place of Asuna and while she is likeable enough her feelings for Kirito created one annoying (and in my opinion unneeded) love triangle. Finally there is the secondary antagonist Sugo who takes the form of the Fairy King of Alfhiem and while we know his motives more than Kayaba the guy is a completely unlikable, perverted ass. Sure his master plan his kind of dark and elaborate (though generic for a villain) but he comes across as this whiny brat, I really did not like any of his perverted scenes with Asuna and there is no good or redeeming qualities about him whatsoever. There are a lot of secondary characters but I'm not going to go through them because of the rushed SAO arc they barely get any development and may only get one episode focused on them and that's it.
As for the animation what can I say; it looks absolutely specular! In my opinion probably the best looking anime that there is because there is no flaws in it at all. The worlds of Aincrad and Alfhiem are just really beautiful, well thought out and is full of bright colour which is in contrast the to death game that they are playing, while the real world is kind of grey and flat which like above I think is done on purpose to maybe show how the virtual world is better. Since the animation is just perfect the fight scenes are just so epic such as the bosses or Kirito's duel wielding and facing off against human foes in both games. Another thing that links with animation that I like is the interface they made that comes up in both games to inspect a character's skill, items etc. however it is not explained in much detail. For example we barely brush the surface of blacksmithing and equipment in Aincrad while in Alfhiem character creation was just random, we don't know how exactly a skill is increased and the not much Elf races is explored. Finally the soundtrack for the anime is just spot on; from the fights to great first opening and the perfect English voice cast!
Overall I highly recommend this anime for fans of video games and fantasy anime who want to see spectacular duels. I realize though that it is not for everyone because of it's rushed plot, that Kirito is too OP a character and that secondary character barely get any development.
SCORE: 8/10
Highlights: Kirito and Asuna are great characters
Perfect animation which leads to some awesome fights
Really like the detail which is put into both games
Kirito's whole adventure through both games is just so great
Let - Downs: The time in Aincrad was just so rushed
Asuna not as good in the second half/Suguha forcing a love triangle on us/Sugo was just a bad villain
Especially in Alfhiem the mechanics of the game is barely touched upon/ secondary characters barely get any development
SPOILERS. I guess I shall start off by saying that as a hardcore gamer the idea of SAO really appealed to me when I first heard of it, I'll even go as far as saying that I wouldn't mind being trapped in SAO like Kirito lol. Because the first half and second half of the first season are set in fantasy worlds to me the anime kind of felt like a cross between World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy, however what really surprised me was how serious the entire anime was overall. Death plays a major role in the first half of the season so while this anime may seem colourful and fun in the description it really is a matter of life and death for the players. Then there is the second half and Kirito has to deal with some serious problems in the real world and the stuff in Alfhiem with Asuna and the 300 captured players deals with a lot of torture, mind control and potential taking over the world. I'm defiantly not saying that this is a bad thing because major consequences and a realistic tone despite it being about trapped in a game was something I wasn't expecting.
I do really like the settings for the first half and second half of the season because they both come with their own rules and experiences. Aincrad, as I mentioned above, is a death game and that issue is addressed a lot and through different ways; for example Kirito watches a lot of people die which drives him to become stronger and protect everyone but there are also insane players (Laughing Coffin) that ruthlessly murders other players. Then there is the levelling system which is an important factor for strength, there is the lack of magic so the game relies completely on melee combat and there is the 100 floors that must be conquered to finish the game. However what I didn't like was the pacing while the anime was set in Aincrad because months would pass in between each episode and the whole two years the players where stuck there is done in 14 episodes when the whole 25 episodes could have been dedicated to it (we could have seen more bosses or see Kirito go one quests for his massive funds and equipment which where all done off screen). As for Alfhiem it was quite different from Aincrad in a good way because we got magic, a new growth system and warring races of fairies. However because of Kirito's mission to save Asuna the warring fairies isn't addressed as much as I would have wanted but we got to spend some time in the real world which is something different from the SAO arc.
As for the character Kirito is a really likable protagonist; sure he starts off as a loner and a solo player and still mostly stays that way at the end but the majority of this anime (like 90%) of it is through his perspective and through all of his trials and experiences you get to see him grow as a character. What I really liked about him is that he is portrayed as this really invincible character because he is so good at games, he is a superior player to everyone and he knows it (he probably represents the unfair level system found in most MMORPG). The second protagonist is Asuna and she is a great, strong female lead for this anime and I really like the chemistry between her and Kirito and watching their relationship grow. However what I didn't like is that during the second half of the season she is this constant damsel in distress who gets caught in tentacles and is almost raped which is a real let down after she kicks a lot of ass while in Aincrad. There is Kirito's cousin Suguha who is a major character for the Alfhiem arc who mostly takes the place of Asuna and while she is likeable enough her feelings for Kirito created one annoying (and in my opinion unneeded) love triangle. Finally there is the secondary antagonist Sugo who takes the form of the Fairy King of Alfhiem and while we know his motives more than Kayaba the guy is a completely unlikable, perverted ass. Sure his master plan his kind of dark and elaborate (though generic for a villain) but he comes across as this whiny brat, I really did not like any of his perverted scenes with Asuna and there is no good or redeeming qualities about him whatsoever. There are a lot of secondary characters but I'm not going to go through them because of the rushed SAO arc they barely get any development and may only get one episode focused on them and that's it.
As for the animation what can I say; it looks absolutely specular! In my opinion probably the best looking anime that there is because there is no flaws in it at all. The worlds of Aincrad and Alfhiem are just really beautiful, well thought out and is full of bright colour which is in contrast the to death game that they are playing, while the real world is kind of grey and flat which like above I think is done on purpose to maybe show how the virtual world is better. Since the animation is just perfect the fight scenes are just so epic such as the bosses or Kirito's duel wielding and facing off against human foes in both games. Another thing that links with animation that I like is the interface they made that comes up in both games to inspect a character's skill, items etc. however it is not explained in much detail. For example we barely brush the surface of blacksmithing and equipment in Aincrad while in Alfhiem character creation was just random, we don't know how exactly a skill is increased and the not much Elf races is explored. Finally the soundtrack for the anime is just spot on; from the fights to great first opening and the perfect English voice cast!
Overall I highly recommend this anime for fans of video games and fantasy anime who want to see spectacular duels. I realize though that it is not for everyone because of it's rushed plot, that Kirito is too OP a character and that secondary character barely get any development.
SCORE: 8/10
Highlights: Kirito and Asuna are great characters
Perfect animation which leads to some awesome fights
Really like the detail which is put into both games
Kirito's whole adventure through both games is just so great
Let - Downs: The time in Aincrad was just so rushed
Asuna not as good in the second half/Suguha forcing a love triangle on us/Sugo was just a bad villain
Especially in Alfhiem the mechanics of the game is barely touched upon/ secondary characters barely get any development
Monday, 9 February 2015
My 20 favourite protagonists from recent TV show I watch
Here is a list of my 20 favourite protagonists, who are all from TV series that have aired recently (or are still airing) and am watching. None of these characters are villains because I might do a separate list for them however there are some characters in this list who are in the grey. (I don't have screencaps for Game of Thrones so I only put two in this list)
20. Michonne
The badass, katana - wielding zombie killer who is a fan favourite in the comics and has been portrayed really well in the TV series. She always keeps her head in a crisis and I have to give her credit for picking a sword for her main weapon; smart choice because it doesn't use bullets. She is at the bottom of my list because I admit I didn't like her too much at first but that is mainly because the writers just had to pair her with that stupid Andrea and I just didn't like the storyline those two had.
19. Jim Gordon
Was not sure how good Gotham was going to be (a Batman series without Batman?) however Gordon was one of the reasons that proved the show can work. They gave the comic book version of Gordon justice by making his younger TV version exactly how I imagined he would be.
18. Harvey Bullock
I like Bullock a bit more than Gordon because he isn't just as straight forward as him. He may have started out corrupt and uncaring but he really has changed with the episodes and I especially liked his small flashback in the goat episode.
17. Dan Weaver
Tom may have become the most important person on earth since the show started but Weaver will always be the leader of the 2nd Mass who does anything and everything to protect those under his command.
16. Jamie Lannister
You may think that Jamie should be on my villains list but he has earned a space on this list because of his redemption story which started in season three. He started out as a cocky knight who would do anything for his sister to a more honourable sort of character, besides in Game of Thrones basically every character is in the grey.
15 Felicity Smoak
I just had to have Team Arrow on this list because they where the first hero team in the new DC tv series universe. Felicity is everything you want in one; beautiful, funny, reliable and really, really smart to name a few. She may not be a vigilante but she is none the less the kind of person you want on you team and she does attract a lot of heroes; Arrow, Flash and ATOM.
14. John Diggle
The first person Arrow recruited for his team and the one everyone can depend on either to talk to or to take into a fight. Diggle is Arrow's reliable backup on his missions and someone who deserves his own costume and hero name more than anyone!
13. Rick Grimes
May have started out as a cop but through the course of the show you see zombies and the need for survival take their toll on Rick has he is willing to do anything to protect his family. He is a natural leader and one of the best zombie killers in any zombie fiction.
12. Black Canary (Sara Lance)
Black Canary is a great comic book character and she was soooooo great in Arrow. She kicks lots of ass with her staff and her costume is really great. I also liked that she had a connection with the League of Assassins and it is because of her and Malcolm that they have such a presence in the show.
11. Tom Mason
The invasions was probably good for Tom because it turned him from a college professor to literally the most important person on the planet. I like how Tom always seems to put the needs of other before his own and fights to protect everyone.
10. Charlie Matheson
She can sometimes be stubborn but I do really like Charlie as the strong female lead in Revolution along side Nora (Rachael never should have existed). I really liked Charlie's journey from being a sheltered child to quite the capable fighter as she travels across America and gains new experiences.
9. Cochise
The only non human on this list but I really like him all the same. He is such a great character and ally to the human race and to Tom especially, it is really interesting when he is on screen and that his race have their own plans.
8. Arsenal (Roy Harper)
For starters I actually like his costume a lot more than Arrow's but that is mainly because I like red better than green lol. I liked Roy ever since season one and I liked what he had to go through to become Arsenal. However now that he is Arsenal he defiantly needs a new story arc since I don't think he has had one yet in season three.
7. Sebastian Monroe
If he didn't redeem himself a bit in season two than he would be in the villains list, I know he still does some questionable things to get results but so does Miles anyway. Monroe is kind of a tragic character because he was a villain at first because of a lot of other influences e.g. Miles, losing his family etc. He is also a great leader and one of the best fighters in Revolution, would have enjoyed a season three where we watch him reform the Monroe Republic.
6. Daryl Dixon
Michonne and Rick are great zombie killers however they don't compare to Daryl because he is just a natural born survivalist. If there is anyone more equip to survive the end of the world it is Daryl because he is a tracker, hunter, gunfighter, archer, stealth fighter and the list goes on. He isn't even in the comics but he has just become so popular in the TV series that they can just never kill him off.
5. Tyrion Lannister
The outcast but one of the most smartest manipulators there is and also the most popular character in the show. Tyrion is good natured while his family and those around him are not and is one of the most powerful players in the game of thrones.
4. The Flash (Barry Allen)
Like Felicity I count Barry as an extremely "likable nerd" type character and I also like that the chose Barry Allen for the Flash in the TV series since he is the best one in the comics. I have really enjoyed watching Barry understand his powers more and more and I he was the character who introduced super powers in to the Arrow universe.
3. Arrow (Oliver Queen)
Arrow was the first to prove that heroes work on the small screen and not just in a film and for that I will always be grateful. They did a great adaptation that has so far spawned one spin off and there are talks of several more soon. Marvel was dominating the live action film universe but DC really hit back with their TV series and is all thanks to Arrow. The character himself is just so cool showing his hardships on the island to a dark vigilante in the present.
2. Miles Matheson
Quite literally a one man army, Miles Matheson could face off against fifty Militia with only his sword and still win. Again all characters in Revolution have a great story and I liked how in the Flashbacks Miles was this cold - hearted Militia leader to the drunk we see him in the present. He does a lot of questionable things in the series (some might be viewed as evil) however I have always thought of him as one of the good guys.
1. John Pope
"Life hands ya lemons, ya blow his freaking head off." Pop is defiantly my favourite TV series character because he is just a damn badass! He fully accepted the humans had lost to the aliens and just wanted to go out fighting but eventually accepted being apart of the 2nd Mass. Still that doesn't stop him from butting heads with everyone but when the s**t goes down he is always there getting his digs in. As much as he probably tries to deny it Pope is a real hero to the human race as much as Tom and I just like every scene he is in.
20. Michonne
The badass, katana - wielding zombie killer who is a fan favourite in the comics and has been portrayed really well in the TV series. She always keeps her head in a crisis and I have to give her credit for picking a sword for her main weapon; smart choice because it doesn't use bullets. She is at the bottom of my list because I admit I didn't like her too much at first but that is mainly because the writers just had to pair her with that stupid Andrea and I just didn't like the storyline those two had.
19. Jim Gordon
Was not sure how good Gotham was going to be (a Batman series without Batman?) however Gordon was one of the reasons that proved the show can work. They gave the comic book version of Gordon justice by making his younger TV version exactly how I imagined he would be.
18. Harvey Bullock
I like Bullock a bit more than Gordon because he isn't just as straight forward as him. He may have started out corrupt and uncaring but he really has changed with the episodes and I especially liked his small flashback in the goat episode.
17. Dan Weaver
Tom may have become the most important person on earth since the show started but Weaver will always be the leader of the 2nd Mass who does anything and everything to protect those under his command.
16. Jamie Lannister
You may think that Jamie should be on my villains list but he has earned a space on this list because of his redemption story which started in season three. He started out as a cocky knight who would do anything for his sister to a more honourable sort of character, besides in Game of Thrones basically every character is in the grey.
15 Felicity Smoak
I just had to have Team Arrow on this list because they where the first hero team in the new DC tv series universe. Felicity is everything you want in one; beautiful, funny, reliable and really, really smart to name a few. She may not be a vigilante but she is none the less the kind of person you want on you team and she does attract a lot of heroes; Arrow, Flash and ATOM.
14. John Diggle
The first person Arrow recruited for his team and the one everyone can depend on either to talk to or to take into a fight. Diggle is Arrow's reliable backup on his missions and someone who deserves his own costume and hero name more than anyone!
13. Rick Grimes
May have started out as a cop but through the course of the show you see zombies and the need for survival take their toll on Rick has he is willing to do anything to protect his family. He is a natural leader and one of the best zombie killers in any zombie fiction.
12. Black Canary (Sara Lance)
Black Canary is a great comic book character and she was soooooo great in Arrow. She kicks lots of ass with her staff and her costume is really great. I also liked that she had a connection with the League of Assassins and it is because of her and Malcolm that they have such a presence in the show.
11. Tom Mason
The invasions was probably good for Tom because it turned him from a college professor to literally the most important person on the planet. I like how Tom always seems to put the needs of other before his own and fights to protect everyone.
10. Charlie Matheson
She can sometimes be stubborn but I do really like Charlie as the strong female lead in Revolution along side Nora (Rachael never should have existed). I really liked Charlie's journey from being a sheltered child to quite the capable fighter as she travels across America and gains new experiences.
9. Cochise
The only non human on this list but I really like him all the same. He is such a great character and ally to the human race and to Tom especially, it is really interesting when he is on screen and that his race have their own plans.
8. Arsenal (Roy Harper)
For starters I actually like his costume a lot more than Arrow's but that is mainly because I like red better than green lol. I liked Roy ever since season one and I liked what he had to go through to become Arsenal. However now that he is Arsenal he defiantly needs a new story arc since I don't think he has had one yet in season three.
7. Sebastian Monroe
If he didn't redeem himself a bit in season two than he would be in the villains list, I know he still does some questionable things to get results but so does Miles anyway. Monroe is kind of a tragic character because he was a villain at first because of a lot of other influences e.g. Miles, losing his family etc. He is also a great leader and one of the best fighters in Revolution, would have enjoyed a season three where we watch him reform the Monroe Republic.
6. Daryl Dixon
Michonne and Rick are great zombie killers however they don't compare to Daryl because he is just a natural born survivalist. If there is anyone more equip to survive the end of the world it is Daryl because he is a tracker, hunter, gunfighter, archer, stealth fighter and the list goes on. He isn't even in the comics but he has just become so popular in the TV series that they can just never kill him off.
5. Tyrion Lannister
The outcast but one of the most smartest manipulators there is and also the most popular character in the show. Tyrion is good natured while his family and those around him are not and is one of the most powerful players in the game of thrones.
4. The Flash (Barry Allen)
Like Felicity I count Barry as an extremely "likable nerd" type character and I also like that the chose Barry Allen for the Flash in the TV series since he is the best one in the comics. I have really enjoyed watching Barry understand his powers more and more and I he was the character who introduced super powers in to the Arrow universe.
3. Arrow (Oliver Queen)
Arrow was the first to prove that heroes work on the small screen and not just in a film and for that I will always be grateful. They did a great adaptation that has so far spawned one spin off and there are talks of several more soon. Marvel was dominating the live action film universe but DC really hit back with their TV series and is all thanks to Arrow. The character himself is just so cool showing his hardships on the island to a dark vigilante in the present.
2. Miles Matheson
Quite literally a one man army, Miles Matheson could face off against fifty Militia with only his sword and still win. Again all characters in Revolution have a great story and I liked how in the Flashbacks Miles was this cold - hearted Militia leader to the drunk we see him in the present. He does a lot of questionable things in the series (some might be viewed as evil) however I have always thought of him as one of the good guys.
1. John Pope
"Life hands ya lemons, ya blow his freaking head off." Pop is defiantly my favourite TV series character because he is just a damn badass! He fully accepted the humans had lost to the aliens and just wanted to go out fighting but eventually accepted being apart of the 2nd Mass. Still that doesn't stop him from butting heads with everyone but when the s**t goes down he is always there getting his digs in. As much as he probably tries to deny it Pope is a real hero to the human race as much as Tom and I just like every scene he is in.
The great screenshots of the episodes where provided by the great site Screencapped. You can look for yourself from the link below;
Friday, 16 January 2015
Game Review: Lightning Returns
Finally, finally a review on the last entry of the XIII series.
The story of Lightning Returns is set five hundred years after the events of XIII - 2 and the old world was been completely erased and a new world now stands in it's place. The Chaos that was unleashed has stopped humans from aging and the death of Etro has stopped any new humans from ever being born. Lightning has returned from her crystal sleep after all this time by the God Bhunivelze who informs Lightning that the world has only thirteen days left before it's destruction and she must save as many souls as she can so they can be reborn in the new world the God wants to create. In return for this service Bhunivelze has promised to return Serah to her so Lightning, aided by a now young Hope, must do the God's bidding and save the human race.
Like with the other two XIII games I will first start off with my thoughts on the story and in my opinion it is stronger than XIII -2 but not as good as XIII. Overall XIII's story with Fal'Cie, artificial world and a rag - tag group of misfits trying to save it is better, this is probably to do the fact that besides the supernatural elements its was a lot simpler. What I mean by that is that in XIII - 2 they add in time travel and made the whole game feel episodic where you jump from one time to the next dealing with other problems. In this one they basically got rid of the entire world of Gran Pulse and Cocoon and included more powerful Gods etc. It just felt like the whole thing has gotten out of hand from the first entry. Many characters from the previous games return however most of the time they are against Lightning and usually serve as the final boss for one of the storylines.
Now for what makes Lightning Returns really great is the gameplay; out of the three games in the XIII series they put the most effort into the gameplay for this one. Firstly they have finally created a massive open world that the previous two entries didn't have, it was so massive that it felt like you where playing a MMO but single player (like Skyrim!). They may have had only four areas but like I just said they where just so big and I like the diversity in them because you have two cities, a grassland and a desert. There is lots to do in these areas such as finding items, fighting monsters and completing side quests. Side quests are actually more important now then they have ever been before because completing them increases your stats. The good thing about this is that it gives you a lot of things to do in the game however in my opinion I would have preferred some kind of levelling system because that is just more traditional really.
Also just like with the massive world there is now more freedom with the main quests as you can complete part of it, do something else and then comeback. This is a really enjoyable way to approach the main missions and reminded me of a lot of the older Final Fantasys however this is hampered by the 13 day rule. You only have 13 in game days to complete the main and side quests which actually seems pretty long when I was playing it and I get why they have done it because it ties with the main story however I really wished they didn't include this because it feels restrictive about what I can do. Again you have more freedom to complete the missions then any of the other XIII games however I kind of felt a bit rushed sometimes to make sure I fit in all I can.
Now for the best part of Lightning Returns and that is the battle/garb system! You may only control Lightning in the game but it is one of the best battle systems in Final Fantasy, just as good as the Dress Sphere system in X-2. I think the ability to change outfits and in to different job roles is the best way to fight in Final Fantasy because it offers so much variety and different styles of fighting the enemy. Lightning has lots of garbs in this, each one having it's own strengths and weakness and Lightning just looks great in all of them too. You can even customize them in the menu for new abilities, change their colours and even add accessories; wish the last one was a bit more flexible as you can only equip one accessory per garb. You also have a wide array of weapons and shields that offer their own abilities or stat increases and can be gain from shops or side quests.
Overall Lightning Returns certainly stands out from the previous XIII games and was a great way to end the series. This review defiantly wasn't as in depth as I would have wanted but that it because it is a quick one I wanted to do while I was writing all the Arrow reviews.
SCORE: 8/10
Highlights: Battle system
Bigger map and more things to do
Garb system
Let - Downs: The first XIII game still has the best story
The 13 day time limit
The story of Lightning Returns is set five hundred years after the events of XIII - 2 and the old world was been completely erased and a new world now stands in it's place. The Chaos that was unleashed has stopped humans from aging and the death of Etro has stopped any new humans from ever being born. Lightning has returned from her crystal sleep after all this time by the God Bhunivelze who informs Lightning that the world has only thirteen days left before it's destruction and she must save as many souls as she can so they can be reborn in the new world the God wants to create. In return for this service Bhunivelze has promised to return Serah to her so Lightning, aided by a now young Hope, must do the God's bidding and save the human race.
Like with the other two XIII games I will first start off with my thoughts on the story and in my opinion it is stronger than XIII -2 but not as good as XIII. Overall XIII's story with Fal'Cie, artificial world and a rag - tag group of misfits trying to save it is better, this is probably to do the fact that besides the supernatural elements its was a lot simpler. What I mean by that is that in XIII - 2 they add in time travel and made the whole game feel episodic where you jump from one time to the next dealing with other problems. In this one they basically got rid of the entire world of Gran Pulse and Cocoon and included more powerful Gods etc. It just felt like the whole thing has gotten out of hand from the first entry. Many characters from the previous games return however most of the time they are against Lightning and usually serve as the final boss for one of the storylines.
Now for what makes Lightning Returns really great is the gameplay; out of the three games in the XIII series they put the most effort into the gameplay for this one. Firstly they have finally created a massive open world that the previous two entries didn't have, it was so massive that it felt like you where playing a MMO but single player (like Skyrim!). They may have had only four areas but like I just said they where just so big and I like the diversity in them because you have two cities, a grassland and a desert. There is lots to do in these areas such as finding items, fighting monsters and completing side quests. Side quests are actually more important now then they have ever been before because completing them increases your stats. The good thing about this is that it gives you a lot of things to do in the game however in my opinion I would have preferred some kind of levelling system because that is just more traditional really.
Also just like with the massive world there is now more freedom with the main quests as you can complete part of it, do something else and then comeback. This is a really enjoyable way to approach the main missions and reminded me of a lot of the older Final Fantasys however this is hampered by the 13 day rule. You only have 13 in game days to complete the main and side quests which actually seems pretty long when I was playing it and I get why they have done it because it ties with the main story however I really wished they didn't include this because it feels restrictive about what I can do. Again you have more freedom to complete the missions then any of the other XIII games however I kind of felt a bit rushed sometimes to make sure I fit in all I can.
Now for the best part of Lightning Returns and that is the battle/garb system! You may only control Lightning in the game but it is one of the best battle systems in Final Fantasy, just as good as the Dress Sphere system in X-2. I think the ability to change outfits and in to different job roles is the best way to fight in Final Fantasy because it offers so much variety and different styles of fighting the enemy. Lightning has lots of garbs in this, each one having it's own strengths and weakness and Lightning just looks great in all of them too. You can even customize them in the menu for new abilities, change their colours and even add accessories; wish the last one was a bit more flexible as you can only equip one accessory per garb. You also have a wide array of weapons and shields that offer their own abilities or stat increases and can be gain from shops or side quests.
Overall Lightning Returns certainly stands out from the previous XIII games and was a great way to end the series. This review defiantly wasn't as in depth as I would have wanted but that it because it is a quick one I wanted to do while I was writing all the Arrow reviews.
SCORE: 8/10
Highlights: Battle system
Bigger map and more things to do
Garb system
Let - Downs: The first XIII game still has the best story
The 13 day time limit
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Film Review: Resident Evil Afterlife
Finally got round to reviewing this one!
Afterlife takes place a year after Extinction and Alice (Milla Jovovich) has destroyed the Umbrella Tokyo base and seemingly killed Albert Wesker (Shawn Roberts) but at the cost of all her clones and her powers. She then spends six months trying to find any more survivors but only succeeds in finding Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) who has lost her memory. The two must battle new types of zombies and monsters within a prison in L.A. along with Claire's brother Chris Redfield (Wentworth Miller) and other survivors led by former pro - basketball player Luther West (Boris Kodjoe). They try to get to escape and reach the haven called Arcadia but it might not be the salvation they are looking for...
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| "Few more lessons and I'll be able to fly" |
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| "Okay who wants to go first?" |
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| Three Milla Jovovich......yeah I've had that dream loads of times! |
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| Just as badass from the game |
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| "Bring it on!" |
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| Surprise cameo |
SCORE: 7/10
Highlight: Heavy influences from 5 which are adapted perfectly in this
Shawn Robert as Albert Wesker and Wentworth Miller as Chris Redfield
Awesome action sequences throughout the film
Let - Downs: Not much monsters
Don't care for much of the side characters
After such great locations in the Nevada Desert I don't like that its set mainly in a prison and them just trying to escape from it
You can find all of the great screenshots I used right here;
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Game Review: Final Fantasy XIII - 2
Finally got round to reviewing the second game in the Final Fantasy XIII series. Thought I'd say that there will be no screenshots in this and for anime reviews because it is harder to find then for films and TV shows. SPOILERS
Final Fantasy XIII - 2 takes place three years after the fall of Cocoon and the crystal pillar still supports the artificial world. The residents of Cocoon and Gran Pulse now co - exist with each other with many of Cocoon citizens moving down to Gran Pulse. However all is not well because Serah Farron, younger sister of Lightning, believes her sister to still be alive even though everyone remembers her giving up her life along with Fang and Vanille to form the crystal pillar. She is right however as Lightning is guardian of the Goddess Etro in a world called Valhalla and is constantly defending it from a powerful man named Ciaus Ballad. One day a mysterious youth named Noel Kriess enters the world of Valhalla and Lightning tasks him with finding Serah and saving the world from Valhalla. Their journey will take them across many different times in history as Ciaus does not wish to just destroy the world but time itself.
In my previous review I said that XIII strong point was that it has such a compelling story that I can still play it over and over again despite it being mostly walking in a straight line. With its sequel however I find that to not be the case, don't get me wrong it is enjoyable but I don't find the idea of time travelling as good as Fal'Cie Gods in XIII. I didn't find the whole story of Yuel, the Guardians, Chaos and Time Paradoxes to have been as well thought out. Also despite there being a whole overarching story it feels overshadowed by events in each timeline that don't feel relevant to it. For example in one time you have to stop a giant flan and in another one spot an out of control A.I., they try to weave it into the main story but it feels poorly done. Also the game feels a lot shorter as well because take away all the side quests and optional time periods then it won't take anyone too long to finish it.
As for the settings and environment it is all nicely done however despite the maps being a lot more flexible and big it still does feel like you are moving in a straight line. When you enter another time period it really is just one big area and it never really feels all that big once you reveal the whole map. Another thing is that even though all of the areas do look really beautiful and it is interesting to travel throughout all of them they reuse a lot of the same areas in different time periods. For example the very first new time period you enter is three years in to the future to face a boss called Atlas however that exact same area is re - used three different time in later time periods and all they did was change the weather to snowy or covered in more trees.
With the characters in this game I have no issues with them because most are returning from the previous game and I really liked them, it was one of XIII strong points. The first playable character in this game is Serah and it was interesting seeing them turn a side character, who was really only in the previous game in flashbacks, become the main protagonist. Its good seeing her start off with constantly worrying about her sister in the beginning and trying to find her but no over time she comes to realize that she can't be that selfish and wishes to create a better future for Noel. Noel is the second playable character and he was born at the end of days; in his time, 700 years in the future, Cocoon has fallen and when it did the world went to hell pretty fast. Noel and Serah make a great duo because of how they constantly help each other in the game with Noel surprisingly being the optimist and cheers Serah up a lot despite being born on a dying world. Last we have Mog who is a Moogle who guides them through the portals and is also Serah's main weapon, I like Mog because its always good to see Moogles in Final Fantasy.
Now to go one about the side characters a bit and first we have Lightning and she is a bit underused in the game because you only control her in the prologue but she's supposed to be this badass guardian now and you kind of wish it changed to her more often. Next we have Ciaus as the main antagonist and I really like him because, apart from a badass design, you kind of understand why he is doing the things he does. He does it so Yuel never has to die and be reincarnated again and again but is will to destroy everything to get it however like I said you do understand more because his more relatable than Gods from the previous game. Lastly we also have all the main characters from the previous game being used but like Lightning they feel a bit underused like Snow and Sazh and I kind of felt that Hope takes up way to much of plot.
As for gameplay it is a real strong factor in this game because once again they bring back the Paradigm Shift system of changing between roles in combat. I think I mentioned in my previous review that changing roles in battle is one of my favourite Final Fantasy combat systems, this is why the Dress Sphere Change in FFX - 2 is probably my one of my favourites, and it kind of makes me wish they can also change costume in this game. Combat is a lot more fast paced in this one and you can switch between Noel and Serah anytime you want so when one gets KO the battle still continues. An interesting feature is that you can capture monsters and use them in battle, increase their stats and they even have their own strengths and special moves. This is one of the best features in the game because I would spend a long time hunting down specifics monsters for my party and using different ones in each play through. However overall I never found the game to be all that challenging because I think you gain CP points a little bit too much and easily from enemies and side quests so you can level up really fast.
Something I really have to praise the game for is its outstanding visuals and music, even if a lot of the areas are reused they are a treat for the eyes. Some of my favourite places to visit is Noel's time (when the red sky vanishes and we get the beautiful morning) and Sunleth Waterscape. Also the music, like all Final Fantasy games, is a real strong point because I don't think there is a single one I disliked. Whether it is New Bodham, Noel's world, Ciaus's battle music or New World (my favourite) you can just listen to it again and again.
Before I finish I just want to say that the ending was something that I never really expected; the bad guy won in the end. Serah actually died, time itself was destroyed and those who got the special ending, like I have, will see that Ciaus is still alive and "free" of his curse. I do have to praise this ending because like I said Serah dies and I really thought she would find a way for her powers not to kill her and it happened when you didn't even expect it to.
Overall while this XIII -2 is not as strong story wise to XIII it makes up for it with a strong combat system and it's visuals and music being just as good.
SCORE 7/10
Highlights: Combat
Visuals/Music
Characters
Let - Downs: Reused areas for new time periods
Not a better story than XIII
Is easier to complete overall because they don't restrict stat growth this time
Final Fantasy XIII - 2 takes place three years after the fall of Cocoon and the crystal pillar still supports the artificial world. The residents of Cocoon and Gran Pulse now co - exist with each other with many of Cocoon citizens moving down to Gran Pulse. However all is not well because Serah Farron, younger sister of Lightning, believes her sister to still be alive even though everyone remembers her giving up her life along with Fang and Vanille to form the crystal pillar. She is right however as Lightning is guardian of the Goddess Etro in a world called Valhalla and is constantly defending it from a powerful man named Ciaus Ballad. One day a mysterious youth named Noel Kriess enters the world of Valhalla and Lightning tasks him with finding Serah and saving the world from Valhalla. Their journey will take them across many different times in history as Ciaus does not wish to just destroy the world but time itself.
In my previous review I said that XIII strong point was that it has such a compelling story that I can still play it over and over again despite it being mostly walking in a straight line. With its sequel however I find that to not be the case, don't get me wrong it is enjoyable but I don't find the idea of time travelling as good as Fal'Cie Gods in XIII. I didn't find the whole story of Yuel, the Guardians, Chaos and Time Paradoxes to have been as well thought out. Also despite there being a whole overarching story it feels overshadowed by events in each timeline that don't feel relevant to it. For example in one time you have to stop a giant flan and in another one spot an out of control A.I., they try to weave it into the main story but it feels poorly done. Also the game feels a lot shorter as well because take away all the side quests and optional time periods then it won't take anyone too long to finish it.
As for the settings and environment it is all nicely done however despite the maps being a lot more flexible and big it still does feel like you are moving in a straight line. When you enter another time period it really is just one big area and it never really feels all that big once you reveal the whole map. Another thing is that even though all of the areas do look really beautiful and it is interesting to travel throughout all of them they reuse a lot of the same areas in different time periods. For example the very first new time period you enter is three years in to the future to face a boss called Atlas however that exact same area is re - used three different time in later time periods and all they did was change the weather to snowy or covered in more trees.
With the characters in this game I have no issues with them because most are returning from the previous game and I really liked them, it was one of XIII strong points. The first playable character in this game is Serah and it was interesting seeing them turn a side character, who was really only in the previous game in flashbacks, become the main protagonist. Its good seeing her start off with constantly worrying about her sister in the beginning and trying to find her but no over time she comes to realize that she can't be that selfish and wishes to create a better future for Noel. Noel is the second playable character and he was born at the end of days; in his time, 700 years in the future, Cocoon has fallen and when it did the world went to hell pretty fast. Noel and Serah make a great duo because of how they constantly help each other in the game with Noel surprisingly being the optimist and cheers Serah up a lot despite being born on a dying world. Last we have Mog who is a Moogle who guides them through the portals and is also Serah's main weapon, I like Mog because its always good to see Moogles in Final Fantasy.
Now to go one about the side characters a bit and first we have Lightning and she is a bit underused in the game because you only control her in the prologue but she's supposed to be this badass guardian now and you kind of wish it changed to her more often. Next we have Ciaus as the main antagonist and I really like him because, apart from a badass design, you kind of understand why he is doing the things he does. He does it so Yuel never has to die and be reincarnated again and again but is will to destroy everything to get it however like I said you do understand more because his more relatable than Gods from the previous game. Lastly we also have all the main characters from the previous game being used but like Lightning they feel a bit underused like Snow and Sazh and I kind of felt that Hope takes up way to much of plot.
As for gameplay it is a real strong factor in this game because once again they bring back the Paradigm Shift system of changing between roles in combat. I think I mentioned in my previous review that changing roles in battle is one of my favourite Final Fantasy combat systems, this is why the Dress Sphere Change in FFX - 2 is probably my one of my favourites, and it kind of makes me wish they can also change costume in this game. Combat is a lot more fast paced in this one and you can switch between Noel and Serah anytime you want so when one gets KO the battle still continues. An interesting feature is that you can capture monsters and use them in battle, increase their stats and they even have their own strengths and special moves. This is one of the best features in the game because I would spend a long time hunting down specifics monsters for my party and using different ones in each play through. However overall I never found the game to be all that challenging because I think you gain CP points a little bit too much and easily from enemies and side quests so you can level up really fast.
Something I really have to praise the game for is its outstanding visuals and music, even if a lot of the areas are reused they are a treat for the eyes. Some of my favourite places to visit is Noel's time (when the red sky vanishes and we get the beautiful morning) and Sunleth Waterscape. Also the music, like all Final Fantasy games, is a real strong point because I don't think there is a single one I disliked. Whether it is New Bodham, Noel's world, Ciaus's battle music or New World (my favourite) you can just listen to it again and again.
Before I finish I just want to say that the ending was something that I never really expected; the bad guy won in the end. Serah actually died, time itself was destroyed and those who got the special ending, like I have, will see that Ciaus is still alive and "free" of his curse. I do have to praise this ending because like I said Serah dies and I really thought she would find a way for her powers not to kill her and it happened when you didn't even expect it to.
Overall while this XIII -2 is not as strong story wise to XIII it makes up for it with a strong combat system and it's visuals and music being just as good.
SCORE 7/10
Highlights: Combat
Visuals/Music
Characters
Let - Downs: Reused areas for new time periods
Not a better story than XIII
Is easier to complete overall because they don't restrict stat growth this time
Monday, 20 October 2014
Upcoming Reviews
Thought I'd give a run down of some reviews that I really want to get round to writing. Bear in mind that this list may change because I might not be able to do them all or I might decided not to review them.
TV Shows
Finish Revolution: You all know that I am reviewing all episodes of season one of Revolution because it is one of my fav shows however I probably won't do season two straight afterwards. The reason for this is because since there is no season three (and the likely hood of it drops every day) there is no real rush to do it.
Arrow: Like Revolution, Arrow is a show that aired before I started this blog so I couldn't review it straight away. However I thought why not review it now but also review all episodes like I do with Revolution because the amazing site, screencapped has all seasons. Since I want to start on Arrow soon I might hurry up in my review for Revolution episodes, maybe upload two a week, and finish it before the end of the year.
Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Falling Skies, Gotham: Maybe do individual reviews for these episodes as well but Arrow comes first so I don't know when I will get round to these. Also screencapped hasn't got screencaps for three of them and when I review individual episodes I would really like to use screenshots in them.
Films
Rest of Resident Evil
Battle Royale
Hammer Horror films (really like them)
Marvel films
Games
Rest of the Final Fantasy XIII series
Rest of the Silent Hill series
Anime
Code Geass
Death Note
Redo Sword Art Online and Btooom!
There you have it a list of some of the things I would like to review next and I really hope that I get round to doing them all.
TV Shows
Finish Revolution: You all know that I am reviewing all episodes of season one of Revolution because it is one of my fav shows however I probably won't do season two straight afterwards. The reason for this is because since there is no season three (and the likely hood of it drops every day) there is no real rush to do it.
Arrow: Like Revolution, Arrow is a show that aired before I started this blog so I couldn't review it straight away. However I thought why not review it now but also review all episodes like I do with Revolution because the amazing site, screencapped has all seasons. Since I want to start on Arrow soon I might hurry up in my review for Revolution episodes, maybe upload two a week, and finish it before the end of the year.
Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Falling Skies, Gotham: Maybe do individual reviews for these episodes as well but Arrow comes first so I don't know when I will get round to these. Also screencapped hasn't got screencaps for three of them and when I review individual episodes I would really like to use screenshots in them.
Films
Rest of Resident Evil
Battle Royale
Hammer Horror films (really like them)
Marvel films
Games
Rest of the Final Fantasy XIII series
Rest of the Silent Hill series
Anime
Code Geass
Death Note
Redo Sword Art Online and Btooom!
There you have it a list of some of the things I would like to review next and I really hope that I get round to doing them all.
Tuesday, 14 October 2014
Film Review: Resident Evil Apocalypse
Time for a review of the second Resident Evil film!
Resident Evil Apocalypse is set after the events of the first film and the T - Virus has made it's way out of the Hive and has now infected most of the population of Raccoon City. The Umbrella corporation has locked the city down, evacuated their most important personal and are even taking advantage the viral outbreak to test their latest Bio - Weapon; Nemesis. Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory), a disgraced member of the elite S.T.A.R.S unit with a grudge against Umbrella, tries to survive in the zombie infested city. Meanwhile Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr), an Umbrella commando, is trying to combat the zombie menace with his squad but soon begins to question the corporation he works for. In the midst of this former Umbrella employee Alice (Milla Jovovich) awakens after being captured at the end of the first film and finds out that Umbrella as done something to her.
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| It would be so cool to be there right now |
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| "Time to blow some zombie heads off!" |
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| One of my favourite Resident Evil characters ever right here! |
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| If I saw Nemesis walking down the street I'll be like "Hell no!" and gotten out of there |
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| We're back b***hs! |
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| "Even if where supposed to just be a medical company, lets slaughter all these civilians" |
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| "You looking at me?" |
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| Run Alice! |
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| Oh Yeah! |
Highlights: Characters/Cast (Jill, Carlos, L.J.)
Story (Influenced by the games more)
Locations
Let-downs: Nemesis could have been a bit better
Needed more gore and monsters from the games
A longer run time to fit in more events from Raccoon City
SCORE: 8/10
You can find all of the great screenshots I used right here;
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Game Review: Silent Hill 2
Been a while since I reviewed a game and I thought I would review one of the most classic horror genres; Silent Hill. Thought I'd start off with 2 because I admit I haven't played 1 in years and years and I was going to review some of the Resident Evil games but I'm currently reviewing the films of them now.
Silent Hill 2 is not a direct squeal to the first because while it is set in Silent Hill it has it's own original plot and uses no characters or events of the first game (that is a job for 3). Instead this game follows the protagonist James Sunderland who lost his wife to a fatal disease three years ago but mysteriously receives a letter from her. The letter tells James to go to their special place in Silent Hill; a town they have been to before and that his wife loved very much. So we follow the story of James as he makes his way through the dangers of Silent Hill, meeting characters who are also drawn to the town while evading the stalking Pyramid Head.
The story of Silent Hill 2 is probably one of the best and well thought out ones that I have come across but that is to be expected when published by Konami; Metal Gear series anyone? But what really is great is the psychological horror aspect that leaves you questioning everything you come across. The game starts out kind of simple; a man searching for a supposedly dead wife but as the game processes there is a deeper story to it. Subtle hints are thrown in, in cut scenes and during game play, either written on walls, in notes, trivial examines you might find etc. It is not a game you can just pick up and play, you really, really have to pay attention to what is around you and you have to invest yourself in to the story to appreciate it.
We also have a great assembled cast here that really compliment the story; James works well as the main character because a first you think that he might be just some regular joe but that is far from the truth. As he develops over the course of the game and we get to understand him better and at the end form a definitive opinion of him; while he is a determined character in finding his wife he does hold secrets you might not have expected. We also have the seductive Maria who tags along with James for a portion of the game and has a mysterious connection with his wife which is interesting to figure out. Then there is the three side characters, Angela, Eddie and Laura; each have their own reasons for being in town and blends in to the main story nicely, none feel like they are just shoved in there.
As for the monsters they all have some great designs which are scary and down right disturbing, like Pyramid Head who follows you with an over size sword while making some weird grunting noises and who also likes to rape monsters during the cut scenes. They are also a part of the story as well and I liked how most are all a representation of James. For example the Bubble Head Nurse and Mannequin represents James's sexual desires and frustration while Lying Figure represents him being trapped. Each one also has their own strategy and weaknesses to defeat them and they can be rather aggressive in combat (like a whole group of Bubble Head Nurse!).
The game also has typical survival horror elements such as collecting guns, ammo and melee weapons to fight the monsters while collecting health packs to heal your injures. It also has puzzles to solves for keys and passageways however none of them are really hard on any of the puzzle levels. This is the type of elements that makes a horror game a horror game something more recent games have been forgetting. However I must admit that the gameplays lets it down slightly and that is because the controls do feel a bit clunky and stiff (especially in melee combat). Also whether it inside or out monster can be easily out run so you can avoid fighting them for most of the game and even if you do fight them you do find a awfully lot of ammo and supplies.
For the graphics in the game they are some of the best for the PS2 at the time however some of it looked a little grainy and the fog might have been a bit too thick and hid away too much environment. The soundtrack for this is absolutely awesome, creates a really dark and suspenseful atmosphere and the voice acting is some of the best I have heard. That's the thing about games in late nineties - early two thousand, you haven't really heard of any of the voice actor before and you never really hear from them again.
Silent Hill 2 is defiantly for mature audiences only and earns that rating because of its dark themes such as murder, rape, sex and violence but I highly recommend anyone who doesn't mind that to play this game at least once in their lives. Overall this is a classic survival horror game and one of the most influential of its time that is let down slightly by its gameplay.
SCORE: 8/10
Highlights: Story/Characters
Monster design
Soundtrack
Let-downs: Controls
Easy Puzzles
There screenshots you see here where provided by;
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| What better place to start a journey than in a dirty public bathroom |
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| "You killed him, who is the real monster here!?" |
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| My god Pyramid Head |
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| "James, I think those monster nurses are either trying to kill us or coming on to us" |
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| Pretty disturbing; constantly trapped in your own skin |
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| "Should be OK as long as I shot anywhere by the helmet" |
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| A box that protected must have something unbelievable inside |
SCORE: 8/10
Highlights: Story/Characters
Monster design
Soundtrack
Let-downs: Controls
Easy Puzzles
There screenshots you see here where provided by;
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