Review Category: Games

REVIEW: DAYLIGHT / DEVELOPER: ZOMBIE STUDIOS / PUBLISHER: ZOMBIE STUDIOS / PLATFORM: PC, PS4 / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

As Zombie Studios’ first foray into the horror genre since the Saw games, Daylight had a lot to prove. You see the world through the eyes of Sarah. Awakening in an abandoned hospital with no memory of how you arrived, you are forced to hunt through the darkness for a way out. Yet even as you do, things long-dead stalk your every step.

Daylight will immediately feel familiar to fans of horror games. You stalk through abandoned hospitals and haunted areas, scrabbling for scraps of information as the monsters hunt for you. Some give you indicators of what happened to the people there, others unlock the mysterious sigils which block your path.

So yes, it’s Slender with Outlast’s setting but there are a few things which make it stand out.

Its foremost strength is the unique light source system whose function extends well beyond illuminating the decaying environments. Glow sticks will unveil hidden items and points of interest, while flares actually allow you to fight back. The latter especially helps the game dodge the issue of Amnesia, where fleeing and hiding from monsters devolves into tedium long before the end. However, as both are in extremely short supply and the spirits are procedurally generated, you cannot simply rush through on a violent exorcism spree.

The other much-touted mechanic is Daylight’s randomly generated level designs. Each small area you encounter is randomly constructed and helps Daylight have some degree of replayability, an extreme rarity in the survival horror genre. Unfortunately for this step forwards, the game immediately takes three back. Along with causing incredibly repetitive objectives of “find object X to escape the level”, it means Daylight needs to include all mechanics from the beginning. Consequently there is no progression or real sense of escalation as you have access to everything at once, and no time is given over to building up the ghouls hunting you as a threat before you find a way of setting them on fire.

These failings would be fine were it not for the atmosphere. While many effective and creepy elements are present, from the stick men to the tree of dead children, they are constantly undercut by Sarah and her mysterious guide. Speaking at every turn and never allowing a moment’s silence, they rarely give you a moment to experience a true sense of isolation or dread.

The sad truth is that Daylight is a combination of many ideas which almost worked, with several ingenious concepts unfortunately undercutting one another. This could have been something revolutionary, but instead it’s just an entertaining release with a few truly outstanding moments.

REVIEW: BATMAN – ARKHAM ORIGINS – COLD, COLD HEART / PUBLISHER: WARNER BROS / PLATFORM: VARIOUS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Work may be well underway on Arkham Batman’s swansong with Arkham Knight, but he’s not quite done with this generation just yet. The sulky young Batman of Arkham Origins is back, battling Mr Freeze for the first time in this DLC add-on story.

Arkham Origins had the frostiest reception of the Arkham games, thanks to its glitchy mechanics, repetitive story and lack of Rocksteady polish. While it worked well in places, few could argue that it’s up there with the greatness of Arkham Asylum and City. Still, any excuse to pull on the cape and cowl will do, even if it is far from Batman at his prime.

Cold, Cold Heart throws you into the middle of Batman’s first encounter with Mr Freeze, the villain attacking during a fundraiser at Wayne Manor and kidnapping wealthy entrepreneur Ferris Boyle. Kidnapping a guest and attempting to burn the place to the ground, it’s hardly the best icebreaker for a first meeting between Batman and Victor Fries. Trapped in the middle of a grudge-match between Freeze, Boyle and the Penguin, a quick tour of Gotham is in order for Batman (thankfully not via that tedious bridge) to settle their collective hashes before one – or all of them – can do something terrible. Not forgetting, of course, to pick up some new threads with which to battle Fries and his freeze ray.

Where Harley Quinn’s Revenge felt rushed and inconsequential, Arkham Origins’ add-on tale is a surprisingly lengthy and story-orientated affair. Comics aficionados will recognise the story as a fairly faithful retelling of Mr Freeze’s origins, albeit with added Penguin and some padding in places. As the most tragic of Batman’s villains, Freeze is a good choice as Big Bad, making a nice change from all the Joker-centric stories we’ve had of late, as well as providing a counterpoint to the series’ aggression. Still, it would have been (n)ice to see a villain we’ve not fought before. The Penguin is quickly becoming overexposed to this universe, entertaining as his cockney antics might be.

You’ll fight your way through Wayne Manor (the semi-destruction of which Batman seems fairly unconcerned about), Penguin’s nightclub and a couple of other new locations, battering bad guys and skulking through stealth sections as you go. The gameplay is as gratifyingly punchy as it’s ever been, while the goons are treated to a nifty new weapon with which to really disrupt your flow. Seems everyone in Arkham has a freeze ray of their own, making combat a slightly more frustrating affair. You could always cheat and use the electro-charge punching gloves (now with heat mode) but doing so will make you feel a little cheap and un-Batman like.

Fun, well-paced and surprisingly substantial, Cold, Cold Heart is well worth the relatively small price tag. Where Arkham Origins left many feeling cold, this DLC is pretty cool.

REVIEW: WAR OF THE VIKINGS / DEVELOPER: FATSHARK / PUBLISHER: PARADOX INTERACTIVE / PLATFORM: PC / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Promoted as a standalone entry in the War franchise, War of the Vikings turns from the 15th century to the age of the Saxons. Built on the same engine, the game sees players taking up axes either as marauding Vikings or Saxon warriors as they attempt to plunder or defend coastal villages. While sharing many traits with War of the Roses, the title is hardly the old game with a new coat of paint. Which is unfortunate as it would almost certainly be all the better for it.

Let’s be clear, War of the Vikings does have its strengths. It’s a solid title which offers brutal combat, fantastic attention to visual details and treats PC users especially well with a great options menu. The problem is that many elements which worked so well in its direct predecessor are entirely absent or have been stripped down to the bare minimum.

Take customisation for example. Weapons are limited to only a handful of types and you learn little to nothing about new ones you are buying. What there is beyond this consists almost entirely of cosmetic options for your character, none of which improve fighting save for perks. Already this is a major step down, but then we get to the combat. Mounted fighting has been removed entirely, executions are gone, and many maps simply cannot support large fights. A 64-man deathmatch rapidly devolves into a messy zerg rush as a result, with areas transforming into teeming mosh pits. The second you spawn you might as well kiss your Viking rear goodbye, as you’re almost certain to be dropped into the midst of players hungry for your blood.

This is the real problem here: it feels like an extremely simplified version of War of the Roses with little of value to really justify you buying this over the previous game. The new dodging system, a vast improvement over blocking, the better animations and a risky unique special attack are all solid additions, but they don’t make up for the lack of variety of weapons or modes. Without that, the game rapidly becomes repetitive, unless you are absolutely focused upon levelling up. Even then, you run into the problem of the levelling being unrewarding as the progression system focuses almost entirely upon cosmetic items.

Ultimately War of the Vikings is a game which asks too much from the player’s wallet and offers too little to buy it over Chivalry or its predecessor. Wait until a few developments have been made or the price drops if you’re dead set on buying this one, otherwise look for gore-strewn feudal fun elsewhere.

REVIEW: THE LAST FEDERATION / DEVELOPER: ARCEN GAMES / PUBLISHER: ARCEN GAMES / PLATFORM: PC, MAC, LINUX / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Best known for their work in AI War: Fleet Command and its expansions, Arcen Games are no stranger to high concept science fiction titles. The Last Federation sees a similarly bold move on the part of the developers, and they hit it out of the park.

You play as the last of your race, the Hydrals, who were wiped out in a conflict with another planet. In command of a powerful warship, you must prevent history repeating itself. Your task is to unite the various warring races of this solar system, build alliances and construct a lasting Federation. It’s effectively Andromeda the video game.

The concept behind the game is obviously brilliant and the programmers take full advantage of the options available to the player. Every race has a different political standing, from a robotic autocracy to a warrior race who only respect martial honour and usually can only be won over by killing their ruler in combat.

You do not command each world so much as direct and coerce them and every action results in new developments from anti-Federation insurgents to massive political shifts. Atop of this there is no sure-fire method to success, with different factors thrown in each time, some generated by your starting choices, others purely at random. These elements alone would make the title fantastic, but it is backed by a great combat system.

Spaceborne combat is something truly bizarre but innovative, playing out almost like a turn-based Bullet Hell. Yeah, there’s a combination no one would ever expect to see. You choose which actions to make, which direction your ship will fly in and what commands to follow, and the game plays out for a few seconds before pausing for new actions. It’s an astoundingly effective system, allowing you to control power levels FTL-style while simultaneously manoeuvring to avoid attacks.

Unfortunately the game does have a number of notable problems, even in the basic concept. Despite every race already knowing one another and having engaged in an interplanetary war, none have access to space flight at the start. This would be fine but other choices arise which are very curious. Everyone will turn on you for putting slaves on the market, but turn a hostile planet’s world into an inhospitable radioactive hellhole? No one bats an eye. It also has this nasty habit of chugging when there is too much going on, a common issue in many late game scenarios.

Despite these minor issues, this is a fantastic addition to the strategy genre which anyone remotely interested should buy. With great combat, choices and an outstanding visual design, it’s a true masterpiece to behold.

REVIEW: FTL – ADVANCED EDITION / DEVELOPER: SUBSET GAMES / PUBLISHER: DIGITAL RELEASE / PLATFORM: IOS, LINUX, MAC OS X, PC / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The very mention of 2012’s FTL: Faster Than Light stirs memories of death and sheer carnage. With the odds stacked against you to the point of absurdity and conjuring up ever more inventive ways of wrecking the player’s vessel, it was Dark Souls with spaceships. Your stalwart band of ragtag followers could be killed by sheer attrition, oxygen starvation, boarding actions or even fires burning their way through the vessel. Now things have just got that bit harder with the Advanced Edition.

Building upon FTL in a way we’ve not seen since XCOM: Enemy Within, this version might as well be a sequel in and of itself. The way you fight has been completely revamped thanks to some game-changing systems which will completely alter your tactics. You can now gleefully watch the same looming Mantis cruiser self-destruct as you mind control the crew to sabotage its engines. Many new weapons now offer multi-firing options, with cluster ion cannons or the shield-shredding Vulcan turning volley firing into devastating crippling broadsides.

While the many major chances are easily the most eye grabbing, especially the oxygen draining Lanius, the Advanced Edition has further streamlined many previous elements. Thanks to indicators for how paths between jump points connect, it’s effectively impossible to accidentally pilot yourself to a dead end. Many of the previous ship-acquiring quests, previously pointless, now greatly benefit players. Rewards now offer money, missiles and even an envoy maxed out in all stats.

The sheer number of random encounters has effectively been doubled, with completely news ways to interact with certain species. While many offer certain bonuses and advantages, others push the title’s roleplaying aspect. They may offer no bonuses to your crew or ship, but they still give you a chance to make an impact on the worlds you visit. Some even go so far as to present scenarios where fighting the Rebels will put lives at risk rather than saving them for once.

The many changes to the game have all clearly been carefully balanced against one another, with no item being either completely powerless or turning your mission into a walk in the park. The only real criticism to be found here is the lack of an adventure mode without the Rebel Flagship heralding the end to your journey. Beyond that though? It’s easily one of the best games of its kind released in the last several years with few to no true failings. Buy this one without hesitation.

REVIEW: THE WOLF AMONG US – EPISODE 3 – A CROOKED MILE / DEVELOPER: TELLTALE GAMES / PUBLISHER: TELLTALE GAMES / PLATFORM: PLAYSTATION VITA, PLAYSTATION 3, IOS, OS X, XBOX 360, PC / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Just passing the story’s halfway point with this latest episode, A Crooked Mile sees a number of major developments take place in the The Wolf Among Us. With many establishing points now covered and an impression of Fabletown’s social structure established, there is a definite push towards raising the stakes further.

Following directly on from where Episode 2 left off, Wolf has to contend with a ticking clock and developments which only deepen the mystery. Sticking to its guns with old-fashioned detective work in a fantastical world, the episode has the player following up leads. With a major plot element from past stories violently removed and a character now fleeing town, the addition of a ticking clock only enhances the sense of desperation. It gives a much greater sense of purpose and makes the game feel as if it is truly progressing towards something.

The small conversations and interplay between characters stand out extremely well, with dialogue and delivery shining through at every point. The noir influences which are evident at every turn continually make your investigations a joy to play out, brilliantly juxtaposed with the nature of the characters themselves. There’s rarely a scene you’ll feel no desire to return to at least once.

Yet in many respects A Crooked Mile is more of the same from Telltale games. While keeping up a strong narrative and presenting an interesting world, it fails to truly improve upon past flaws.

While it utilises quick time events in a clever way, the combat itself is still frustratingly poor. Also, A Crooked Mile’s exceedingly short length is not worth two months’ wait, and you’ll have finished it within a scant couple of hours.

Furthermore, a real sticking point by this episode is the lack of answers to certain nagging questions looming over the narrative. You keep being told “The Huntsman Will Remember This” and the like in response to your choices, but you’re never any the wiser as to how this is impacting your experience. While they impact the scene itself, later events seem unable to fully take your decisions into account. Similarly, the other characters’ attitudes do not seem to significantly change despite your choices. Regardless of how you behave in your investigations, your actions barely seem to change anything.

Despite some definite failings, A Crooked Mile is a solid addition to the ongoing story, but it could have been an outstanding one. Buy it if you’ve enjoyed the series so far, but don’t expect any real improvements over last time.

Review: InFAMOUS – Second Son / Developer: Suckerpunch / Publisher: Sony / Platform: PS4 / Release Date: Out Now

Developed by much loved game creators Suckerpunch, InFAMOUS: Second Son puts you in control of the rebellious Delsin Rowe. Delsin spends his days doing what he shouldn’t and getting morality lessons by his brother. That is until the D.U.P (Department of Unified Protection) come looking for conduits, the name given to those imbued with special abilities. When Deslin accidentally becomes one of these conduits, he becomes a target and must work to protect those he loves. This sets the stage for an exciting true next gen adventure.

The visuals are very clean; you are reminded that this is a next gen title in the truest sense. Textures have an extra polish, foliage looks more life-like and lighting is expertly subtle. The city conveys civility, yet this is a clever deception: the people are lifeless zombies who merely exist. It is the powers of our protagonist which give life, show light and convey a sense of hope in the beaten city of Seattle.

The abilities are well varied and all have a distinct look. There is Smoke, Neon and Video powers for Delsin to use on the enemy and each power changes the way the game is played. The smoke allows you to traverse buildings by using air vents from ground level to the tops of buildings, which helps for those quick getaways. The neon power allows you to run at light speed, which enables the speedy dispatch of small groups of enemies. The video ability allows you to hover over a large area, which also on the ground allows for quick movement. This can be used to either escape quickly or, as with the neon power, to dispatch groups of enemies. When all powers are acquired, their combined use makes for a well balanced game play experience.

The fighting at times does get overwhelming and while a challenge is welcome, occasionally it can be frustrating. Another negative point is that the story has its dull patches, which is a shame as the voice acting is some of the best to grace consoles in a long time.

Given that there isn’t much on the market for PS4 owners, this counts as a very strong release. With many possible endings, a well-realised open world and hours of gameplay this is definitely a worthwhile purchase.

 

Review: BioShock Infinite – Burial at Sea – Episode 2 / Developer: Irrational Games / Platform: Various / Release Date: Out Now

Taking place directly after the shocking cliffhanger of Episode 1, the second part of Burial at Sea has the player taking the role of Elizabeth. Trapped far from Rapture and surrounded by psychopaths, she is forced to make a deal with the devil. Haunted by images of the past and the future she denied by coming to Rapture, things take a turn for the strange once she starts hearing the voices of the dead.

A new protagonist to any series can change many things, but this second episode takes full advantage of this. With Booker typically providing the muscle in previous BioShock Infinite games, Elizabeth is less a brawler and much more of a tactical fighter. Utilising plasmids and a few new weapons, the player is expected to sneak and plan their way through each area and this does wonders for it.

BioShock as a series has typically suffered from weak combat, often having little need for plasmids or tonics in any fight due to high stamina and reliable firearms. By turning to a more Dishonoured style approach of stealth and guile, you are forced to rely upon them far more. While it doesn’t handle stealth as well as that last game, or even the recent Thief, it’s competently handled and it makes Splicers a dire threat rather than mere cannon fodder. While still as linear as the rest of BioShock Infinite, the beautifully grimy and decayed levels are competently handled with this in mind and there are far more openings to explore than before.

In a first for the series, the failings do not come from the mechanics, but the story. Attempting to further bridge the gap between Rapture and Columbia, Burial at Sea – Episode 2 just can’t help but keep changing things. While people complained about BioShock 2’s retcons, here we have entire character motivations and histories being altered at the drop of a hat. Hand-waved away under the justification of quantum mechanical nonsense, the elements added largely weaken the overall story. Major rebel characters especially suffer from ill thought out additions to the tale, and the revelations here are pointless at best. Everything here really comes down to fan service, with the plot being more an excuse to see everything one last time. While this may well have been what Burial at Sea offered, it’s hard to appreciate when it weakens the overall work.

Easily weaker than the first episode, Burial at Sea is more interesting than it is truly good. The ideas are there and there are some admirable pushes for innovation, but poor decisions to alter the story hold it back from greatness.

Review: South Park – The Stick of Truth / Publisher: Ubisoft / Platform: XBOX 360, PS3, PC / Release Date: Out Now

Remember all those attempts at making a South Park game? Fans have had to endure snowball first-person shooters, karting spin-offs, tower defence titles and even a mini-game compilation curated by Chef from his Luv Shack. But now with Matt Stone and Trey Parker finally determined to see their obscene universe given video game justice, they have jumped aboard with Obsidian entertainment to write and creatively oversee the RPG epic, South Park: The Stick of Truth.

Luckily for them (and us), it is a move that has yielded wonderful results. The Stick of Truth works not only as an incredibly enjoyable RPG experience, but it might also be the finest use of a creative license in video game history. The town of South Park has been fully realised in an open world, references to episodes litter the environment and you can even summon Jesus to deliver barrages of gunfire against an unborn foetus. It’s everything you’d want from an interactive version of South Park.

The gameplay itself is traditional, yet refreshingly simple, turn-based RPG akin to a Paper Mario title. It cleverly streamlines a lot of the complexities associated with modern games in the genre to focus on the brilliantly absurd humour and plot. You play as a blank slate, a voiceless and customizable South Park character who moves into the town and soon has to start making friends with the locals. After a promotion to “douchebag” status and a few lessons in the art of dragon farts, you’re soon wrapped up in the kids’ quest to control the all important stick of truth.

Whether you’re a seasoned RPG player or a genre newbie, you probably won’t find too much of a challenge in The Stick of Truth. The combat is relatively basic and if you explore all the side-quests it doesn’t take long to acquire special weapons and items which slightly overpower most of the enemies in the main story. But whether you’re ripping farts on “the ginger kids” or watching Butters unleash the might of Professor Chaos, it’s an experience that never becomes dull over its concise 13-14 hour campaign.

This is largely because it feels exactly like an episode of South Park. The shoddy animation style, the shuffle movement of the characters and even the show’s transition jingles all feature in The Stick of Truth. Every bedroom closet hides an abundance of references and you’ll smile every time you hear ‘Kyle’s Mom’s A Bitch’ or Jennifer Lopez’s ‘Taco-Flavored Kisses’ playing on a shop radio. The majority of fan favourite characters get at least a little bit of screen time too, from Mr. Hanky’s hilarious domestic issues to Al Gore who’s still ‘super serial’ about hunting ManBearPig.

It perhaps isn’t surprising that South Park: The Stick of Truth might also be the funniest game ever made. Humour has been executed well in games before, as Portal 2 or The Stanley Parable have shown, but nothing has quite achieved the belly laughs on offer here. Matt Stone and Trey Parker haven’t simply written a great extended version of the show, they’ve used it as an opportunity to provide satirical spins on game mechanics and trends that have emerged over the past few years. It’s safe to say, you haven’t faced Nazi zombies quite like these before.

There a few technical issues with slowdown and jugs in the frame rate, but it isn’t enough to stop this being an absolute must-play for any South Park fan. It’s outrageous, filled with unforgettable moments and is a complete blast from beginning to end. While the game’s appeal might be lost on the unconverted, this isn’t designed for them. This is for every fan who has ever dreamt about tossing farts at Kyle or calling upon Mr. Slave to violently ingest a homeless man through his anus. If that doesn’t sound like fun, then sorry guys but you’re going home.

 

Review: Titanfall / Developer: Respawn Entertainment / Publisher: Electronic Arts / Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One / Release Date: Out Now

As easily the most anticipated next gen title besides Watch Dogs, Titanfall has a lot riding on it. Produced by a company of former Call of Duty devs and mixing high speed combat with mechs, it looks like a match made in heaven. For the most part, it actually lives up to these expectations…

The story is your fairly generic fare. Effectively serving as Firefly with less Joss Whedon and more Starhawk, you have the mega corp on one side and a ragtag alliance of frontier worlds on the other. It’s brief, forgettable and ultimately what you’d expect from the people who brought us previous Modern Warfare titles, with the real meat lying in the multiplayer option. In all likelihood you’ll only play through it once, just so you can get your hands on the two, otherwise locked, titans.

The multiplayer itself serves as some insane combination of modern military FPS and Brink, with just a touch of Star Wars: Battlefront. Each side consists of a handful of experienced players backed by a metric ton of weak AI bots which can be farmed for quick kills. Killing enough foes allows you to drop titans onto the battlefield, which allows your free-running pilot to start wrecking everything in sight.

While one certainly has more firepower, the surprising thing is that both choices are surprisingly well balanced. You can easily be just as effective, if not more so, on foot, free-running along walls and picking off enemy units one at a time. You’re definitely a smaller target and the fluid speed offered is something which has not been so perfectly executed since the days of Quake III.

Along with a wide assortment of big guns, even bigger guns and explosives, Titanfall has the strangely effective addition of burn cards. These offer single use bonuses which can greatly augment each player, providing everything from permanent cloaking to more minor boosts. As with almost any launch title, there are balance issues and certain cards are among them. Wifi Virus, Spider Sense and Double Agent all give far too much of an edge for what they are. Other weapons modifications like the smart pistol’s enhanced targeting make life far too easy for certain players, especially when farming bots.

As a whole however, Titanfall is a very solid release. While not completely revolutionising FPS, it puts a great spin on it and is well worth anyone after an explosive shooter. If you’re going to get an Xbox One, get it for Titanfall.