retroidrogue

[retroidrogue]

A Quick Complaint About GameStop

Usually, I try to defend GameStop as a company. They're usually trustworthy, and their trade-in offers aren't THAT outrageous, though there are certainly better options out there. This time, however, I am at a loss for words. 

As most of you know, the Order: 1886 came out yesterday. Between school and work, I had no time to run to my nearest GameStop, which is roughly half an hour away, so I asked my mother to run and pick up my copy for me. 

About five months ago, I put $20 down on the Order so that I could get a copy on day one with GameStop pre-order exclusives. 

My mother returned late last night with a copy of the Order: 1886 that had no special packaging on it. I opened it this morning to find that I had received a regular copy, and therefore did not receive my pre-order bonuses. 

If this had been Evolve, where the pre-order bonus was a free Monster DLC, or Mortal Kombat X, which will come with the fighter Goro, I'd be livid and would drive back just to correct the mistake. But seeing as the only bonuses were a weapon pack and "endless blackwater", which basically means you can't die, I'm not too upset. But from now on, I'll be sticking to Amazon and the PlayStation Store when it comes to pre orders. 

[retroidrogue]

I've heard this phrase somewhere before...

[retroidrogue]

Multiplayer Evolved

After nearly two weeks of the game's being released and only a week of play, I've finally unlocked every single character, monsters included, earning me a trophy titled "Collect Them All!". The game is still fun, but is slowly losing its touch. Keep in mind, however, that I've only played Hunt, and haven't so much as glanced at the other game modes: Rescue, Defend, and Nest. So I'll have to give those a try now that I have every character at my fingertips. 

The full game is just as great as the beta, only better because of how much more content it has. I'd like to take this time to inform you of how I feel about each character. 

My favorite role is easily the monster, second being a tie between the Support and the Medic. Trapper and Assault are tied for third as well. My favorite Monster has to be the Kraken, my favorite Support just might be Hank, my favorite Medic is Caira, my favorite Trapper is undoubtedly Griffin, and my favorite Assault is between Hyde and Parnell. 

Now that I've said that, please understand that I've hardly played as Abe or Cabot, as my first games with them weren't entirely favorable. 

For monsters, the easiest to use is absolutely Goliath. He's slower, but he's big, powerful, and durable. He's primarily close-range, but his rock throw will extend his range just enough. Kraken is the opposite. He's faster, but less durable, and his melee attacks do more knock-back than damage. His abilities are primarily ranged except for an Aftershock that electrifies an area about him. The Wraith is the most interesting of the Monsters. She's the fastest and the least durable. Her melee attacks are the weakest yet the fastest. Her abilities don't focus on damage-dealing but strategizing. Instead of brute strength, the Wraith uses stealth to overpower the hunters and pick them off one by one. 

The Support class is designed to buff the hunters in some way. Hank does this with a shield projector that will protect any one ally from all incoming damage. His Orbital Strike and Plasma Cutter deal some serious damage when he's on the offensive. Cabot buffs the hunters with a damage amplifier. So long as he can keep the laser beam on the monster, the other hunters do twice as much damage to said monster as normal. Cabot can also call in a strike of radioactive dust that tags all life forms in the targeted area, the monster included. His only weapon, however, is a rail cannon that can fire through walls. Bucket is the third Support, but instead of buffing the hunters, he acts as more of an Assault. He has a UAV that can track the Monster, but other than that, he has a laser-guided missile launcher and sentry turrets. Every Support character has a team cloak ability. 

The Medics all have a healing field ability. Lazarus and Val both act as snipers, only Val has a medgun to heal damage over time and Lazarus has his iconic Lazarus Device that can bring allies back from the dead. Caira has a dual-purpose grenade launcher that can fire napalm or healing grenades. 

The Assaults are built to withstand and deal damage. Their personal shields protect them from all incoming damage for a short time. Markov is equipped with a powerful lightning gun, ark mines, and a basic assault rifle. Hyde holds a mini-gun, a flamethrower, and toxic grenades. Parnell wields a missile launcer, a combat shotgun, and has a Super Solider ability that will take some health away but will increase his movement speed and gun damage. 

The Trapper's mobile arena is an essential tool in any Hunt. Maggie has a partner trapjaw named Daisy who will sniff out the monster and will revive fallen teammates. Maggie herself has a machine pistol and may lay down harpoon traps that will momentarily stick the monster in place. Griffin differs in that he has a much larger harpoon gun that attaches to the Monster, using himself as an anchor as opposed to a trap. He has a submachine gun and sound spikes that will detect nearby movement. Abe is the only Trapper without harpoons. Instead, he has stasis grenades that will slow the monster considerably so long as it's within range. Tracking darts will track the Monster as well as any wildlife the Monster happens to eat. His only weapon is a custom, sawed-off shotgun that increases its spread the faster you shoot. 

Now that I've completed my goal, unlocking all the characters, I'll probably take a break from Evolve for a day or so to continue my Grand Theft Auto V playthrough and start the Order: 1886, which I picked up yesterday. Any questions? Wanna Hunt with me? Feel free to ask! 

[retroidrogue]

Did Anita Sarkeesian write this?? IDIOTS

[retroidrogue]

Life is Strange: Episode 1 - My Thoughts

Toward the very end of January, Dontnod, creator of Remember Me, released the first episode in their five-part video game known as Life is Strange. The first episode was titled "Cryssalis" (I don't know how to spell that and I'm too lazy to look it up). The premise is simple: an eighteen-year-old girl goes back to her hometown of Arcadia Bay in Oregon in order to attend a prestigious private school. The girl, you, is named Max Caulfield and she quickly learns that, for whatever reason, she is able to rewind time, but only so far. 

The game is set up similar to many of TellTale's titles. The choices you make influence the story. But if you can reverse time, wouldn't you be able to make all the perfect decisions on your first playthrough? My favorite part of TellTale's games, after all, was making a poor decision and then having to deal with the consequences. Well, you see, that's where the part of only being able to rewind time "so far" comes into play. Every choice has two consequences: an immediate consequence and a long-term consequence. Typically, the long-term consequences are more severe, and I already regret one decision that I made early on. 

Otherwise, the game is slow. You have to be interested in the story in order to get any enjoyment out of this game. I was sick and half-unconscious when I played, so I sped through. That, however, was not a good decision, as I missed many opportunities to interact with others around the school and really take part in the world. 

The interface was much smoother than that of TellTale's titles. That, I was very pleased with. However, you have significantly fewer dialogue options, making the game less immersive. Life is Strange allows you to make the big decisions, but Max enters auto-pilot mode during conversations. There are, however, exceptions. At times, you have the ability to rewind time during conversations and utilize newly-gathered knowledge to your advantage. Really, it's when the conversations carry the most weight, and it's absolutely genius. 

However, the events presented in Life is Strange are much more realistic than those in the Walking Dead or Tales From the Borderlands. You are simply a teenage girl trying to survive high school in a brand new boarding school. 

It's hard to tell where, exactly, the game is going. It feels like it'll quickly become more than a simple high school drama, but I'd hate to assume too much. All I know is that I'm gonna make sure I'm NOT sick for Episode 2: "No Time Left" (I believe that's the name of the episode). 

[retroidrogue]

My Thoughts on Phantom Pain's Quiet

This topic is old by now, but Metal Gear Solid V: the Phantom Pain has recently caught my attention once more. And so, I shall give my two cents worth. 

I've never been a big fan of the series, as Revengeance was disappointing at best and the little that I played of Guns of the Patriots failed to immerse me entirely. However, the Phantom Pain just might be another story. 

Its "absolute freedom" approach intrigues me, to say the least. Gunplay looks smooth, takedowns smoother, and everything looks just plain beautiful, thanks to Kojima's new Fox Engine. 

I'd go into more detail for those of you who haven't kept an eye on the title, but I'm hoping to keep this post shorter. If possible. 

Basically, I wish to share my thoughts an a character named Quiet. Quiet is a deadly sniper who is both "one who does not exist" and mute, hence her name. I love that idea for a character, but there's one aspect of her design that has been criticized severely, primarily by the feminist community. Though, I will admit, for once, I don't blame them for being a little upset. Here is Quiet's official design: 

Now, I'm a teenage, male gamer. Yes, I enjoy this design. She's not half bad. But, I will admit: it IS a little sexist. Common arguments include, but are not limited to, the fact that the outfit is impractical for warfare, that she's the ONLY female character displayed in Phantom Pain, and, well...she's a mute, half-naked girl. A girl-hater's dream, no?

First things first, it is seen in gameplay that she is superhuman and shares many traits with the super soldiers known simply as "those who do not exist". It's very likely that she can shrug a bullet or two. Also, this warfare is taking place in Africa (Somalia, if I'm not mistaken). Not only would this outfit help with the extreme heat, but it might even help with dust storms and, potentially, camouflage. Add that to the fact that less clothing means less restrictions when she's beating the crap out of six dudes, and her outfit MIGHT be more practical than you'd think. 

So, for the most part, I am perfectly ok with Quiet's design. Granted, I'll have to see how the game pans out to know whether or not my thoughts are justified. 

The one problem I do have with it, though, is that Quiet is the only female character in MGSV and she's sexualized. Metal Gear IS an over-the-top japanese game, but most anime have more than one female. Granted, I believe DD, Snake's wolf companion, is female, but non-sentient animals don't count. And so, I have a hard time justifying this point. I WOULD point out the fact that Eli, a male character, is also sexualized, but he's, like, twelve, so I'm not sure if it really counts. Plus, it depends on your definition of "sexualized", as Eli simply has his chest and abs exposed. Also, he's the ONLY male character that, as far as I can tell, comes anywhere close to sexualization. 

Regardless, I'm willing to deal with Kojima's questionable decision. But, this IS one of the rare times where I can understand where the feminists are coming from. 

What do YOU think of Quiet? 

[retroidrogue]

Multiplayer Has Evolved

My last post felt a little...harsh, so I shall share with you all one positive thing that came out of buying the Xbox ONE: the Evolve Open Beta. 

I read reviews of the beta, and I must say, I'm severely disappointed with the reception. Many "professionals" and "experts" said that Evolve isn't worth your time. 

I would like to disagree. 

As a fan of a good story, I wasn't TOO interested in Evolve to begin with. Multiplayer-only games turn me off. But, the Beta WAS free, and I was waiting for the release of Dying Light and Life is Strange anyway. So, I downloaded all thirty GB of it. 

I now have the Premium Edition of Evolve pre-ordered for my PlayStation 4. 

Evolve is absolutely genius. I LOVED Left 4 Dead, and my favorite parts were the battles with the Tanks and Witches. Heck, my favorite part of any first person shooter is when you fight a three-story-tall master of destruction, be it a machine, an alien, a mutant, or a monster. 

With Evolve, you can do just that OR you can play as the monster itself. 

I must say, I cannot decide which role is my favorite: Support or Monster. The variety of Hunters ensures your experience as the Monster will always be different, while the several tactics available to the Monster ensure the same for the Hunters. 

Unlocking characters is even fun, as it requires you to utilize all of your character's abilities. Before the weekend was over, I had a powerhouse Bucket at my fingertips and was a match away from meeting the Kraken. 

Evolve is certainly a game I could play non-stop for quite some time. I just hope I can finish Grand Theft Auto V before its release next week. It was nice knowing you, Shin Megami Tensei. The Order: 1886, you'll have to take a step back and stand next to Bloodborne. I'm sorry, friends, but there's a monster inside of me. 

And it can't wait to Evolve into something more. 

[retroidrogue]

Xbox Sucks, and I'll Tell You Why

My second returning post, and I'm already full of the vinegar. This post is probably going to tick lots of people off, but I don't care anymore. This is something that must be shared. 

Just prior to Christmas, I bought myself an Xbox ONE, primarily so that I could play Sunset Overdrive, Project Spark, and upcoming exclusives like Quantum Break, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Halo 5: Guardians. 

Three months later, I'm already regretting my decision. 

I have had my PlayStation 4 for nearly a year and a half now, if I remember correctly. I love it, but I quickly ran out of hard drive space. Sure, I delete games here and there, but with so many new games and so little time to play them, I found myself wanting to upgrade. 

Instead, I bought another console: the Xbox ONE. Not only would I get more space, but I'd get access to exclusives. With the new space, I bought games that had little to no online appeal to me, as I don't plan on being a GOLD member forever, but I WILL hold onto Plus for awhile. I bought Game of Thrones and Life is Strange on my ONE. 

As most of you know, Game of Thrones: Episode 2 came out today. Or at least, it was supposed to. But apparently, the Xbox Marketplace decided to withhold my game, which I already paid for, for another day, maybe even longer. Who knows. Meanwhile, the episode was ready for purchase AND download on the PlayStation Store. Thank GOD I didn't buy Tales From the Borderlands on the Xbox ONE. 

Naturally, I decided to play another game while I waited for Episode 2 to arrive. I recently upgraded from Xbox 360 Titanfall to Xbox ONE Titanfall, and I wasn't sure if my data transferred. 

But my Xbox ONE refused to load Titanfall. 

I was angry at this point and wanted a story to immerse me. I loaded up Life is Strange. 

Guess what didn't load. 

As if that wasn't bad enough, my ONE decided to stop working entirely, refusing to accept my WIRED controller as a proper way to traverse the menu. I restarted the system to learn that Microsoft thinks that a menu is better black and void of options. 

Screw me. 

Now, I'm sitting in front of my computer, angrily typing away while listening to Michael and Gavin yell at each other. Why they prefer the Xbox, I'll never know. 

Needless to say, I've NEVER had these issues with my PlayStation 4. 

I'm tempted to sell my ONE and re-buy Game of Thrones and Life is Strange on my PlayStation 4, but I try to be more practical than that. I'll give it another try tomorrow. If it still doesn't work, I was planning on a trip to GameStop on Saturday anyway. 

[retroidrogue]

What Have I Been Doing?

That's a good question. Playing video games and planning for college, mostly. The feminazis sort of drove me away from Tumblr for a few months. But now, after a discussion with the beautiful and talented NintyStar, I've decided to give you people another try. 

Let's see...my last post wasn't long after P.T. came out, meaning it was somewhere around August or September. 

Since then, I've bought all the big titles, like Destiny, Assassin's Creed: Unity (I encountered ZERO bugs on day one. You're all high), Alien: Isolation, Borderlands: the Pre-Sequel!, the Evil Within, Far Cry 4, and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. Loved them all. 

Also, Tales from the Borderlands and Game of Thrones came out. TellTale, I don't know what you're doing or how you're doing it, but I'm loving whatever you're putting down. 

Since then, I've also had the opportunity to continue playing Grand Theft Auto V on my PlayStation 4, I bought Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions, I was able to play the Evolve Beta (everything I could ever ask for in a game), and I finished Dark Souls II (Suck it, Drangleic!). 

I've also found a series that's so amazingly good, it rivals the Last of Us and Outlast as my favorite: Persona. 

But that's a topic for another post. Lately, I've been playing GTA V non-stop, though I'll have to take a break tomorrow to play Game of Thrones: Episode 2. I bought Life is Strange after I saw its decent review scores, but I'm afraid to start a third episodic game series, especially with Resident Evil Revelations just around the corner. 

Also, Team RogueStar beat P.T.! Liza ain't got nothin' on us. 

I've also played Max Payne 3, Wet, Resident Evil 6 (that game is NOT as bad as people say), Sunset Overdrive (did I say that I got an Xbox ONE?), and Hitman: Absolution. All solid games. 

But above all else, what's on the forefront of my mind? 

Upcoming video games. Evolve. The Order: 1886. Bloodborne. Mortal Kombat X. Metal Gear Solid V, whenever Kojima decides to release it. 

2015's looking to  be a good year. 

I'll try to post daily from now on, but with my work schedule and an upcoming family vacation, I don't think I'll be holding true to that. But, only time will tell. 

[retroidrogue]

My Top Ten Favorite Video Games - Part Two

I don't have an idea for an intro this time. So the list continues! 

I was never interested in the Borderlands series until I heard about the excitement for Borderlands 2. The original was fairly cheap, so I decided to buy it. Never regretted that choice once. But then Borderlands 2 came out, and it made the original look and feel like pure garbage. I've never seen such an intriguing blend of RPG and FPS. Given that plus the numerous, intriguing classes, separate skill trees, and dynamic environments, the game was hysterical fun. But on top of that, I've never seen such a genius blend of hilarity and serious, heart-wrenching moments. Borderlands 2 was absolutely brilliant. It's available for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, and now PlayStation Vita, the first of which I own it for. It was developed by Gearbox Software and 2K Games. 

The next one on my list of sorts comes from my childhood. And yes, it is Pokemon. My favorite Pokemon game was Pokemon Emerald. Now, who doesn't like Pokemon? As far as why I choose Emerald as opposed to FireRed or Platinum is most likely because Sapphire and Emerald were the first Pokemon games I ever played, but I also loved the map and the Pokemon of Hoenn much more than any other region. Although, I must admit, Kalos comes in close. As everyone knows, Emerald was for the Gameboy and was made by Nintendo. 

This next game is also from my childhood. Ever since I was little, I kept an eye on the Metroid series. I tried the 2D stuff, but it never spoke to me. Metroid Prime, however, was different. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii was one of my favorite games to play as a kid. Sure, it was strange and confusing, but isn't anything that comes out of Japan? It was my first FPS, and while its abilities were limited, it was extremely fun. 

When writing a story, there's nothing I love more than killing a character. Some games let you tell your own story with your own characters, and when one dies, you feel like a reader and the writer at the same time. This is the case with XCOM: Enemy Within, a turn-based strategy game that I love. With a fairly in-depth character creator, I can bring my characters to life and take them to the fight against aliens. The game itself has virtually no story, but the one you create is better than any that the game could tell. 

Number ten is probably the most difficult choice of this list. A lot of games speak to me, particularly Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mortal Kombat (2011), Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, or even Titanfall. But over all, I'm gonna have to decide on Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist. The level of real-time strategy put into the game is insane. Every enemy posts a threat, every bullet counts, you can be stealthy, you can run in guns blazing, or you can do a bit of both. Sure, their was no story to it at all, but the fun of analyzing every inch of every level more than made up for it. 

So, I hope you liked my list. For those of you wondering why most of these titles are fairly recent, it's because I never truly got into games until I was fourteen-ish. Any questions? Feel free to ask! Stay tuned for more!

[retroidrogue]

My Top Ten Favorite Video Games - Part One

Everyone has something at their heart, something that gives them purpose or simple happiness. For some, this source of pride comes in the form of knowledge, for others, sports. But for me, it comes in the form of video games. Sure, to the naked eye, they're no more than mindless colors rearranged in the form of people with a mix of pointless blood and gore. But in truth, they're so much more. Sad, yes, that I spend so much time and effort on my games, but they give you experiences that, otherwise, you would never be able to, well, experience. But if you're following me, you already know how passionate I am about video games, so I'll quit my rambling and get to the point. While it's true that I play all sorts of games, anything from Mario to Mortal Kombat, but I do have my favorites. I've decided to share them with you all. 

Starting big, my favorite video game thus far is the Last of Us for PlayStation 3. Sure, it's fairly mainstream, and everyone plays it, but its breathtaking visuals, intense action, gritty realism, and, most of all, amazing story. From start to finish, I was completely immersed in the game's post-apocalyptic world, only tearing myself away to eat, sleep, and go to school and work. In fact, the only complaint I truly had about the game was regarding the immense loading times. This problem, however, was fixed in the Last of Us Remastered for PlayStation 4. I own both versions, and refuse to get rid of either. The Last of Us was released back in the summer of 2013 as an exclusive to PlayStation consoles from Naughty Dog, my personal favorite video game developer. 

My second favorite game is the indie hit Outlast from Red Barrels for PC, PlayStation 4, and now Xbox ONE. Another game that everyone's playing, Outlast is a pure horror title, and it had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I played it on the PlayStation 4 and I must say, it is infinitely better with a headset. Sure, I love horror, but is that the only reason why I love Outlast? No. Red Barrels did an amazing job researching information for this title. The inhabitants of Mount Massive feel alive and dynamic. You can find files that give you insight to what's wrong with them. For example, in the Whistleblower DLC, there is a patient known as Dennis. You find files saying that Dennis is multi-personality disorder, with four people living in his head: two brothers, their father, and the father's father. But this depiction is extremely realistic. When you finally meet Dennis, there's no one personality controlling his body, but they all work in unison, as they all have one goal: survive. Sure, their voices differ, but it's so slight that it's clear that they're all the same voice actor. Much like Dennis, every patient has their own story, and none of them are villains. In fact, the patients chasing you to try to eat you or disembowel you are the victims. You don't WANT to fight back, because none of this is their fault. The only complaint I have about Outlast is that the story, as far as the driving point behind the insanity, is unclear. Is it a supernatural force? Or is it the result of the experiments? I'm sure Red Barrels meant this to be vague, but it leaves me wishing I knew more. 

From this point forward, I have no numbered these games, so I will simply refer to them as they come to mind. 

Every so often, I enjoy a good challenge. I often go back and play some of my favorite games on harder difficulties, or I make up rules to make it harder on myself. So when a game boasts punishing difficulty, it quickly draws my attention. As was the case with Dark Souls. However, I found myself more immersed in the world of Dark Souls II, probably because I actually figured out how the game works in the sequel, while the original confused me. As of right now, I have spent a total of 46 hours, 48 minutes, and 43 seconds. I am currently working my way through the Shrine of Amana. Dark Souls II is an amazing and beautiful game that I play nearly once a day. Nothing is more frustrating than dying, but once you finally accomplish your goal, nothing feels better. But more than that, combat is engaging and fun, and the number of items and equipment is intriguing, encouraging exploration and experimentation. Dark Souls II is available on PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, the last of which I own it for. 

One of the first games I ever got for the PlayStation 3 was Dead Space 2, followed soon thereafter by the original Dead Space. These two titles were my first taste of horror, and they nearly instantly got me hooked. But seeing as this is a list of my favorite video games, not video game franchises, I must say that my favorite game in the Dead Space series is Dead Space 2. I played it over and over again to the point of near memorization of enemy spawn points, power node locations, and even signature dialogue. The story is nothing too impressive, and I must admit that my favorite part of the game was the combat. Every shot counted, to the point where one pull of the trigger could mean the difference between life and death. Moreover, the large variety of enemies made every fight different, as every enemy has different weaknesses and strengths. Watching and learning was a key part of the game, and I loved it. 

Shortly after I fell in love with Dead Space, I looked into Bioshock, a series that I had heard nothing but good things about previously. Sure, the original and its sequel were good, but personally, neither compared to Bioshock Infinite. Its combat was intense, fast-paced and almost desperate while giving you a sense of overwhelming power. This dynamic system of guns, ammo, and magnetic rails would have been enough, but, since it IS a Bioshock game, the story is truly the highlight of this amazing title. At first, everything makes perfect sense, and the story appears to be nothing special, but by the end, you realize that there's an entire underlying layer that twists, contorts, and blurs the original story line to the point where it will undoubtedly confuse the player, at least initially. But upon further inspection, it all makes sense, and the truth is so much better than you initially thought. Bioshock Infinite is available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (I'd imagine the PC as well, but I'm not really big into PC gaming), but I own it on the PS3. 

In an attempt to shorten this post, I will post the final five of my top ten video games in a second post. Stay tuned!

[retroidrogue]

The PlayStation Mystery Game P.T.

As it turns out, P.T. stands for "Playable Teaser". What does that mean? Well, basically, all of P.T. is a trailer, with the ending revealing the true title of the upcoming game: Silent Hills. 

Yes, you read that right. A brand new Silent Hill title is in development for the Next Generation of video games. Excited? I know I am!

First things first, Silent Hills is being developed by Hideo Kojima, vice president of Konami, and Guilliermo Del Toro, director of movies such as Hellboy. The main character will be given the voice and likeness of the Walking Dead's very own Norman Reedus. 

As far as the type of game P.T. is as compared to Silent Hills, I'm a bit concerned. Sure, P.T. felt extremely inspired by Silent Hill, with the main character facing past traumas turned into horrific monsters, and the player is even given a flashlight, but P.T. was given a first-person perspective, where as Silent Hill has always been third person. Similarly, P.T. saw that the player was defenseless, but in the Silent Hill games, players could defend themselves with a number of crude weapons. 

Granted, Hideo Kojima, after the fact, said that he changed P.T. to mislead players so that the final reveal was more shocking, but nothing is currently known about Silent Hills. Will it be first person or third person? Will it be more akin to Amnesia or the original Silent Hill trilogy? Only time will tell. 

Silent Hills currently has no release date, but given Hideo's devotion to Metal Gear Solid V, which is set to release early 2015, I would say that we can expect it to be released sometime in 2016, more likely later as opposed to earlier. P.T. is available only on the PlayStation 4. Does this mean that Silent Hills will be PlayStation exclusive, or did Konami run out of time to port it to the ONE? No one knows for sure. 

Silent Hills certainly does make the future of horror look bright. Perhaps Survival Horror's future does not rest solely on the shoulders of the Evil Within anymore. Silent Hills is being developed on the Fox Engine, same engine as Metal Gear Solid V, and P.T. looks positively gorgeous. Sure, Alien: Isolation, the Evil Within, S.O.M.A., and Until Dawn look impressive in their own rights, but with Silent Hills, horror has never looked this good. Stay tuned for more. 

[retroidrogue]

A Condemned Origin Story

As a big fan of the survival horror genre, I've had an eye on the Condemned series for quite some time. Previously, I've heard nothing but good things about it, and as it was made by Monolith, co-creators of the F.E.A.R. series, a series I loved, it only seemed natural for me to play Criminal Origins. But what lied beneath the surface wasn't what I expected. 

Condemned: Criminal Origins sees the player as a detective investigating a recent series of homicides. Throughout the game, you can use several tools to analyze crime scenes and retrieve vital information. Great idea on the surface. 

But the game starts out slow, both literally and figuratively. Moving about in the world, I felt less like a police officer and more like a prisoner, weighed down by shackles. As if the player movement in Beyond: Two Souls or Heavy Rain wasn't bad enough, you move at a frustratingly slow pace. Sure, you can sprint, but the sprint feels more like what the walking should have been. 

As far as the tools, I was curious as to how they would work, Thankfully, the game lets you know when something worth observing is nearby. You can take out a green light to search for evidence. Evidence worth your attention is highlighted green. A green light to find green evidence. I'll just let you digest that for a moment. 

But what makes Condemned a horror game? That's a very good question. Sure, it has its fair share of dark hallways and gory sequences, but the enemies are drug addicts. Yes, real, breathing, people who are so beyond help they attack you on sight. Now, I will admit that a few of the models make my skin crawl, but human enemies just don't do it for me. There's a reason F.3.A.R. was inferior to its prequels. 

Also, the back cover boasts "intelligent enemy AI". Riddle me this, Batman: what's so intelligent about charging straight at your enemy in plain sight? Sure, a few enemies run away to hide behind a wall, but move over an inch and you'll see their pantleg around said corner, waiting to ambush you. 

And how does the combat work? Guns are as rare as water on Mars, but melee weapons are everywhere. You fight your drugged opponents by blocking their attacks and then waiting for the right time to counter. Sounds like Dark Souls, but when you combine that with a first-person view and lack of maneuverability, you often feel that your nimble opponent has the upper hand. Granted, you do have a tazer that can stun enemies even at range. It definitely helps in desperate situations. 

And how difficult is the game? The first so many chapters aren't too bad. Once you get a hang of the combat, it can be a breeze. But then you find yourself in a lengthy segment void of enemies. Sounds good, right? In theory. But once this segment is over, you are ambushed by countless enemies that leave you feeling overwhelmed and suffocated. Moments later, you loose your tazer AND your flashlight, leaving you with nothing more than the occasional bonfire and torch to light your path. And I do stress occasional. From this point on, you will never receive either of your tools, and big, brute-like enemies alongside more elite enemies with a weapon in either hand will bombard you from all sides. 

Frustrating, yes. Fair? The game likes to think so. And in the end, you come face-to-face with the biggest baddie of them all: the final boss. To be honest, this was the highlight of the game for me. The constant fighting against a single target was entertaining, but then you learn that you must beat him three times in order to kill him. Not abnormal, by any means, but what happens when a glitch in the game forbids you from using weapons for the last two rounds? All I have to say is that this glitch is NOT uncommon. 

Sure, Condemned has its moments, but overall, it was a disappointing adventure with a fairly boring story and an ending that attempted to terrify but only succeeding in confusing me. Do I plan on playing Condemned 2: Bloodshot, which is said to be worse than the first one? Well, I already own it (compulsive buying FTW) and if I disagree with the majority about Criminal Origins, who said I won't disagree with them on other topics? Stay tuned for more. 

[retroidrogue]

The Rogue Assassin

Ubisoft announced Assassin's Creed Rogue, previously known as Assassin's Creed Comet, a new Assassin's Creed game set to release alongside Assassin's Creed Unity later this year. Though no release date was announced, it is known that Rogue will release on the 360 and the Playstation 3, but NOT next-gen consoles in order to compensate for Unity ONLY being on next-gen consoles. 

The protagonist of Assassin's Creed Rogue will be an "Assassin who went rogue and joined the Templars". Not an uncommon course of action to us Assassin's Creed fans, as we're all aware of the assassin who did the exact same in Black Flag. But this game couldn't possibly be about him, because Kenway murdered him before his journey truly began. 

So who IS the new protagonist? 

Ubisoft announced that Rogue will take place in colonial America and will work to bridge the gap between Assassin's Creed III and Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. The gap between Connor, Assassin son of a Templar father, and Edward Kenway, the Assassin grandfather of Connor and father of a Templar. 

Who will be the new protagonist? I have no idea, but I'm certainly excited about this entry in the Assassin's Creed universe. Make sure to stay tuned for more details!

[retroidrogue]

A New Digimon Game

People often assume Digimon is nothing more than a cheap rip-off of Pokemon, but in reality, it's so much more. As a child, I loved the digimon shows far more than the Pokemon shows, but I was upset by the lack of good Digimon games, where as Pokemon thrived on my DS and Gameboy. Ever since then, I've wanted to play a good Digimon game, but none have come to see the light of day. 

None, that is, until November 11th of this year, when Digimon All-Star Rumble releases for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Sure, it's timing feels odd and the game looks to be an awkward stab in the dark by BanDai, but the thought of a Digimon fighting game excites the child inside of me like you would not believe. You see, unlike Pokemon, Digimon types mean next to nothing. How could this help? Balancing is made easier. 

Now, before you start pointing fingers to remind me of Cartoon Network Punch-Time Explosion and PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale, allow me to inform you that I LOVED PlayStation All-Stars, even if Super Smash Bros. is far superior. And All-Star Rumble is a three-dementional fighting game, not a two-dementional. This means that environments are more open and manuveurability just might play a larger role in this title. 

Not to mention that the game features an All-Star cast from the various television series. Sure, Adventures and the others are obvious contenders, but could we see characters from Digimon Frontier, possibly my favorite rendition of Digimon? Unlikely, but I'll keep my hopes up for now, thank you. 

Within combat, Digimon can digivolve, becoming more powerful. How this will be balanced has yet to be seen, as little more than a brief trailer and a release date have been spoken of, but you can rest assured that I will give you all the details on it once it comes out this fall. 

[retroidrogue]

Is Survival Horror Dead?

The term "Survival Horror" is often the center of controversies, as its definition is not exact. Which games are considered Survival Horror? In my mind, there are three types of horror: Action Horror, Survival Horror, and Classic Horror. Action Horror is simply an action game with horror elements, such as F.E.A.R.. While it CAN be scary, not every moment is pulse-pounding. Classic Horror is where the game throws you into a horrific scenario with no means to defend yourself, such as Amnesia. Survival Horror is half way between the two, where you are able to defend yourself, but just barely, with extremely limited ammunition, if any. 

As one of my favorite genres of my favorite form of entertainment, I own plenty of horror games. I own all Penumbra games, both Amnesia games, the entire F.E.A.R. series, the Dead Space series, both Condemned games, both Alan Wake games, Outlast, Jericho, both Metro games, and a few Silent Hill titles. Now, I will discuss each of these, but I will NOT include the Last of Us OR Left 4 Dead, as I believe that neither of those games are scary enough to be considered even Action Horror titles. Now, I'm not saying those games aren't good, they're amazing, but they ARE NOT true horror titles. 

Now, here's the issue that horror fans such as myself are faced with: Survival Horror, my favorite of the horror subgenres, has not seen a game worthy of a 9 out of 10 for quite some time now. Why is this such an issue? In a market dominated by action-oriented titles such as Call of Duty, it's clear what the majority wants. The gaming industry is, after all, an industry. Companies need to put their financial needs before the wants of the fans, and if action will sell more, action will pay more. 

You see, certain companies such as EA or the recently bankrupt Capcom have stated openly that there is no profit in the Survival Horror genre, as not enough people buy said games. 

Irritating, sure, but is it true? The Classic Horror genre is certainly more terrifying and easier to make a low-budget game off of, making it a perfect breeding ground for Indie developers looking to traumatize gamers everywhere, and given Outlast, Amnesia, Penumbra, and similar games' popularity on popular YouTube channels such as PewDiePie, Tobuscus, RoosterTeeth, and so on, Classic Horror can make a fortune for a small team such as Red Barrels (creators of Outlast). But can the same be said for Survival Horror? 

Dead Space was an amazing game and a great Survival Horror game, but its sales were unimpressive, especially for a large-name company such as EA. Dead Space 2 did better, but at the same time its sequel was a bit more action-oriented than the original. Get where I'm going with this? So, Visceral turned Dead Space 3 into a full action horror title, if you could even call it horror, and its sales plummeted. 

Similarly, Resident Evil, the series that DEFINED the Survival Horror genre, stayed true to its roots through the third entry in the series. 4 was considered a good horror title, but it was a tad bit more action-oriented than its prequel. The next three titles (5, Operation Raccoon City, and 6) turned the series into an action series. Again, the sales suffered. 

Now, money isn't the ONLY reason why Survival Horror is at risk. Some companies, such as Konami, have simply lost their touch. The Silent Hill series was one of the most influential horror titles, and it quickly became an iconic horror franchise. Not only did it force the player to scrounge for every last bullet, it gave the world an odd atmosphere that uneased the player to the point where the suspense was more terrifying than the monsters. More recent titles, however, have lost their way, turning what could have been great games into sad, glitchy, suspenseless dumps that no one much cared for. As for right now, Konami has, apparently, given up on the franchise, as no new Silent Hill game has been announced. My hopes and dreams for the series, however, will be covered in another post. 

So, with developers losing their touch and financial problems tearing away at the very essence of Survival Horror, what hope is there? Certainly Monolith, the creators of Condemned and the first two F.E.A.R. games, has something in store for us? Unfortunately, we have no word from them. 

For horror fans such as myself, it would seem that Survival Horror is truly dead, and that there is no hope for the genre. So why continue to voice my love for these titles? 

The not-so-silent majority has voiced their opinion loud enough to catch the attention of two developers: The Creative Assembly and an individual by the name of Shinji Mikami. But what makes them so important. 

The Creative Assembly, backed by Sega, has announced Alien: Isolation. A less traditional survival horror title, the upcoming game is, at first glance, a classic horror title, but then you realize that you can, in fact, defend yourself in the game. Your tools are simply limited to an extreme degree. You see, Alien: Isolation steps away from Colonial Marines' focus on action and makes your experience more akin to that of the cast in the original film, where you are constantly being hunted by a single Xenomorph. On top of that, you must deal with other human survivors, who react differently, and security androids, the latter two of which can be killed. The Xenomorph, however, is a constant threat and cannot be killed but CAN be evaded or fought off temporarily. Alien: Isolation is set to release October 7th, 2014. I'm not too confident in the game, as the Creative Assembly, creator of great RTS games such as Rome: Total War and Shogun, has no business in the horror genre. Sega, however, oversaw the development of both Condemned titles, which were made by the aforementioned Monolith. Personally, I played Criminal Origins and can appreciate it, but the controls were clunky and the game itself was too slow-paced to be scary. But who knows, maybe Alien: Isolation with surprise us. 

Now then, for the real spark of hope: Shinji Mikami. Shinji worked on the Resident Evil series, leaving Capcom shortly after the release and poor reception of Resident Evil 6. Having been one of the head developers of the early Resident Evil's, he has been officially crowned the Father of Survival Horror. Sure, his more recent work has strayed from the genre, but subsequent to his departure from Capcom, he created a new development company, Tango Gameworks, under the eyes of Bethesda, a great company that seems to have its hand in everything. This is not meant to be an insult, as it proves that Bethesda knows how to make a variety of great games, whether they be outside of their comfort zone or not. 

Tango Gameworks is currently working on the Evil Within, which is set to release on October 14th of this year. The Evil Within makes several respectful nods to the early Resident Evil titles, including limited ammunition, zombie-like, powerful enemies, and enemies that don't like to stay dead for very long. The Evil Within, from what I've seen, looks promising and much more akin to the early Resident Evil titles as opposed to the later, but there are a few reasons why I'm anxious for its release. First off, the game features an RPG-style progression system. Not bad in of itself, but this also means that, as you level up, you'll need to put your points into certain areas, such as critical damage or speed. One thing I love about Survival Horror games is that one bullet can mean the difference between life and death. But with this sort of system, that's not likely to be the case with the Evil Within, meaning that you're likely to get more ammo as opposed to less throughout the game. Also, I've noticed that, in the gameplay demos, the main character, Sebastian, doesn't like to react to events around him. Sure, not a huge deal, but I find games like Outlast more immersive when Miles will breathe heavily after a sprint or when he'll gasp at someone spotting him. Even Alien: Isolation features the main character, Amanda, reacting to those around her in small yet realistic ways. 

Still, I haven't given up hope on either of these titles. And as far as the eyes of the public, the survival of Survival Horror hinges on the Evil Within, as Alien: Isolation is more akin to Classic Horror. Should the Evil Within succeed, we just might see a new era in the Survival Horror genre. Should it fail, it is likely that Survival Horror will die alongside Shinji Mikami's legacy. What will become of the Survival Horror genre? Only time will tell. 

[retroidrogue]

Is the Last of Us Remastered Worth Your Money?

The Last of Us released for the PlayStation 3 back in July of 2013. A little over a year later, it has been remastered and re-released for the enhanced PlayStation 4. Skeptics say this is nothing more than a money grab by Naughty Dog and Sony alike, which analysts say this could help move people away from the Wii or Xbox 360 and toward the newest addition in the PlayStation Console family. So, what do I think? 

First off, let's state the facts. The Last of Us Remastered is worth $50, $10 less than the original title, and includes roughly $15 dollars, maybe more, worth of DLC, including extra multiplayer maps, a side, single-player campaign entitled Left Behind, and a new Grounded difficulty mode for the campaign. That right there is a bargain. 

But what else does the Remastered Edition include? 

A few new mechanics, making stealth a tad bit easier for us not-so-stealthy fans, and a brand-new photo mode. With the press of a button, the player is able to freeze the action and can move the camera freely to see the game from different angles at different distances. Sure, this has been done before, but in Photo Mode, you can add a gradient, a border, and plenty more photography-related stunts (Sorry, I'm no camerman). Either way, I fully enjoy the new Photo Mode and have already taken several pictures, all of which save straight to your PlayStation 4's hard drive and can easily be moved to a USB device. 

But did the Remastered version IMPROVE anything? Why yes, it did. The game looks even more beautiful than before, which I previously thought impossible. Facial expressions are so much more life-like, the environment sways and alters ever so slightly in the wind, objects react realistically to your motions and the actions of those around you. It's truly a masterpiece. That being said, there was only one issue I had with the original game: long loading times. It seemed to me that between every section of the game, the screen would fade to black to show spores floating harmlessly in the air. Sure, an ominously beautiful sight, but after staring at it for nearly a whole minute, it gets old. And this happened every time you loaded up a save game. 

But not anymore. The Last of Us Remastered features shorter loading times, which practically seem non-existent. 

But every game has its issues, right? Sure, I'll admit a few animations feel awkward and some textures don't render properly, but that's a small price to pay for such a beautiful, heart-felt journey through humanity's downfall. 

So, is the Last of Us Remastered worth it? If you own the original, you could wait awhile for its price to drop. If you've never played the original, I would highly suggest picking up a copy of the Remastered version. This is one incredible Sony exclusive that you can't afford to miss out on.