Firewatch - Review

It's that time of year again, the Steam Summer Sale!  I have already purchased a few games and have started to work through them.  The first game on my list is Firewatch, when it was released just over two years ago I paid little attention to it mostly due to having a slew of other games to play at the time - but in honesty, there is always a lot to play.


Mmm, ham and cheese sandwiches.  They are simple yet satisfying, good quality ham and cheese caught between two great pieces of bread.  If you need something to jazz up you can throw in some mayonnaise, mustard, spread or a little sauce.  The only issue that can arise from this humble snack is the ingredients used in its creation, go too cheap on the ham or cheese and it can taste awful, choose poor quality bread and it can be dry - long story short, poor ingredients can lead to a bad taste being left in your mouth.  Playing Firewatch I found myself was this a humble snack with great ingredients or one that would leave me reaching for mouthwash afterwards?

Story


The game has you play as Henry, who due to certain events in his life has sought out a job in the wilderness.  The job entails you being on the lookout for fires and any other potential shenanigans.  It is a lonely job and the only contact you have is from a voice coming from your walkie-talkie.  In the early parts of the game, everything is almost peaceful, as it progresses mystery and intrigue build and you wonder if there something more going on?  Similar to TellTale Games the Walking Dead the story and gameplay are so closely linked that it is difficult to say more without spoiling it.


Overall a great and engaging story that's only real flaw is the last half hour where everything tapers off and left me feeling a little disappointed.

Visuals


The visuals could best be described as beautifully simplistic.   There is detail and there is none.  When you're in the watchtower you can see the all the little details, books, cooking equipment, pictures and all the standard bits and pieces you might expect to see.  However, when you are outside, the woods, plants and flowers have a low level of detail but still managed to look really good.  There are moments while playing that I came across sunlight splitting the trees, water flowing into a sparkling lake, burned trees with fresh flowers growing out of them and beautiful fire red skies.


Overall a visually impactful game that made me really rethink what makes a game beautiful.



Music


The soundtrack features haunting guitars both acoustic and electric, along with something that sounded like a cross between a piano and an organ which turns out to be a Fender Rhodes.  The composer is Chris Remo a Video Game Designer, Composer and Writer, some of his previous work includes the soundtracks for Gone Home and Captain Bubblenaut.


The score runs a little over thirty minutes, it is subtle and only reveals itself at certain points in the game.  My favourite pieces include; 'prologue', 'stay in your tower and watch', and 'new equipment'.


Overall a haunting and deep soundtrack that well suited for the game.

Gameplay

The game has you play from a first-person perspective.  The biggest part of the game is exploration, you will have a map and compass to start with but as you progress through the story you will acquire more equipment.  Navigating the world I found it a little restrictive at times being unable to pass small obstacles and being halted by the 'invisible wall'.   One of the best parts for me were the conversations you had on the walkie-talkie,  for the most part, they seem simple, almost mundane but feel very real.  In a world that felt very lonely, the dialogue had a real impact.


The game is relatively short, there are two additional games modes that are offered, one of them allows users to explore the world with all equipment available straight away without being bogged down by the story, there is also an audio commentary mode.


Overall some interesting and meaningful gameplay, it would have been nice not to be as restricted but considering the story length perhaps it was good the way it was?




Final Thoughts

So, after little over five hours how did I feel?  Overall I was pretty happy, there were some great visuals, good music, and some interesting story.  The ending for me fell a little short and occasionally the gameplay felt a little awkward but as a whole, I felt pretty satisfied.  In honesty, up until the end of the game, I was looking at giving it top marks but in the end, I settled on 4 out of 5

God Of War - Review

I've played a little of God of War 1 and 2 but none of the others in the series, it was normally friends who owned a copy, at the time I was more focused on the Prince of Persia series.  In honesty, the two series are not a million miles apart, with Prince of Persia I just really liked the crazy parkour and deadly traps.  All that being said I was really excited to play the new God of War, it seemed really different to the other games, visually stunning, heavily focused on story and the combat looked intense yet smooth.  I was lucky enough recently that my buddy D to the G loaned me his copy so I could give it a go.


I like Indian food, I wouldn't want it every week or anything but I do like the intensity of it.  One of my preferred dishes is a Chicken Vindaloo, the meat is generally marinated the day before in ginger, garlic and spices, the next even more spices are added and ends up creating a more dry finish compared to a lot of other curries.  The issue is that depending on where you buy it they can taste remarkably different, some you can taste heat but none of the other ingredients, others are so mild they are almost like a Korma.  In a nutshell, it can be a gamble, no matter how good it may look the proof is always in the pudding, or curry as the case may be.  Playing God of War I found myself asking was this the intense tasty burn I was looking for or was it all flash and no substance?

Story

Part of the genius of the story is its simplicity, a husband and son go on a pilgrimage to spread the ashes of their recently departed wife and mother.  The story is a lot more than that, it's sombre and it is clear early on that Kratos A.K.A Husband, Father and God of War has not been around much for his son Atreus A.K.A. BOY!  I genuinely cared about the two characters and wanted their relationship to improve while on their pilgrimage.  I liked that this relationship was almost mirrored by two feuding blacksmith brothers Brok and Sindri, who you will get to know quite well throughout the game.

There were some interesting characters I met along the way, some of them were larger than life.  While I had no real issues with the main story I wasn't really a fan of the sidequests, some seemed a little too long and the pay off given was too small, others just seemed like a distraction.  Atreus will encourage you to go exploring but for the most part, I just didn't have the desire.  Overall a great story with interesting characters, unfortunately, the side quests were underwhelming. 

Visuals

God of War is a visual spectacle, it is genuinely difficult for me to pick out the best parts as there were simply too many.  The landscape is awe-inspiring, beautiful mountains, woods, and so much snow.  If I had to pick my two favourite visual delights it would have to be the Tree Turtle, which is exactly what it sounds like and the World Serpent (see above).

Overall a visually stunning game, an organic world with a variety of landscapes and many fantastic creatures.

Music

The soundtrack has deep and sombre tones, this is achieved using a classical style of music and choirs.  The soundtrack itself was composed by American composer Bear McCreary, some of his previous work includes; The Walking Dead, Battlestar Galactica and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series along with doing the music for Assassins Creed Syndicate: Jack The Ripper.

The soundtrack runs at just over an hour and features some great tracks including; 'God of War',

'Ashes', 'Deliverance', 'A Giant's Prayer' and 'The Ninth Realm'.  Overall it was good soundtrack but I felt like during combat sequences it was missing something, perhaps some battle music?

Gameplay

The game has you control Kratos in a third person perspective, for the most part, you will be walking, running and battling enemies but on occasion, you will have to solve a puzzle.  There are two key weapons that Kratos has in his arsenal, which is an axe with the same returning property as Thor's Hammer, and a Shield Bracer.  Both items can be upgraded by collecting money, materials and experience points.  BOY! I mean Atreus provides secondary support in the form of shooting arrows, you can get him to select targets and even specify points on their bodies to attack.  The only annoying thing is that he can have a tendency to do nothing at all if you don't direct him, during busy fights it is easy to forget him.  There are lots of types of armour to collect and craft, some of them are simple to attain, others will require you to do significant scavenging.  Armour can be upgraded and even have runes put in them should space allow.  Outside of this, you have many abilities to unlock, this can easily be done by playing through the main storyline and side quests.  Even though I barely scratched the surface with side quests I managed to unlock more than 95% of all abilities.

The combat is fantastic, fast and smooth, along with all the standard fights there is a slew of bosses and sub-bosses.  I found the end fight to be particularly entertaining.

The side quests are numerous but often don't involve anything more than running to an area killing enemies and collecting an item.  In some side quests there will be multiple parts to them and for the few I played, I honestly felt they were not worth the effort.  It won't be uncommon for you to spend time in a boat paddling from one place to another.  What I enjoyed about that is Kratos and Atreus will tell stories, jokes and generally bond.  

Later in the game, you will find doors you need to open, to do this you will use a chisel and use the thumbstick to scan for the sweet spots and then press the required button.  In honesty, it seemed unnecessary and was not entertaining in the slightest.

Overall God of War offered fantastic gameplay with very little to complain about, perhaps in the future, I might even attempt it on a hard difficulty.

Final Thoughts

So after just over thirty hours how did I feel?  Pretty damn good, it was entertaining, the story kept me intrigued up to and during the end credits.  The game fell short when it came to side quests but in earnest, this is not that unusual these days.  It was visually stunning with some great music and some very entertaining gameplay.  This was fairly easy to score, this one gets a 4 out of 5

Iconoclasts - Review

I was recently looking at a list of all the games released this year, among them was a game called Iconoclasts, available on PS Vita and Steam.  I recently played Detroit Become Human and wanted to go for something lighter before engaging in the next big game.  I watched the trailer for Iconcoclasts and thought it looked fun so away I went to download it.

Mint is great and has many uses, my favorite being when it's used in plain old mint sweets.  They are a great palate cleanser, whether you have just consumed garlic and don't want to kill someone when talking to them, or if you have just got sick and want to forget you did.  Playing Iconoclasts I found myself asking was this the refreshing cleanse I needed to get my mouth feeling right?

Story

The game is set in a world that is controlled by one belief system.  Doing anything outside of this system will get you hurt, maimed, re-educated or killed.  This fanatical group called Concern,  after years of harassing people on the streets for money to send to the third world which then actually goes towards paying their wages they got bored, added a 'The' to their name and took over the world.  I'm joking, of course, that would never happen...they have spies everywhere so I can't say anything further.  The Moon is cracking apart and people are losing it, they feel that their god referred to as 'Him' (spoiler alert it's not music group) is a little upset at the non-believers and is coming to reap vengeance on everyone.

The game has you play as Robin, a mechanic, that in itself makes her a rebel.  In the early part of the game you are interrogated by Agents Black and White, one complains of their head hurting, the other throws out statements like 'someone's been twisting nuts - harlot!'.  That doesn't stop Robin wanting to investigate recent events and generally ends up throwing a spanner in the works.  She does have 'help', I use the term lightly as your sidekicks disappear frequently and don't ever seem to provide any real support.  The biggest pain is Royal, A.K.A. Dead Weight, A.K.A. Pain in the Ass, he is supposed to be powerful but gets knocked out a lot.

Overall I found the story to be pretty underwhelming, there is a lot of dialogue in the game but it feels drawn out, unnecessary and in more than a few places dull.  The companions you have are pretty annoying, occasionally you will be able to take control of them but they are so underpowered by comparison of Robin it just feels like a slog using them.

Visuals

The visuals are done in a cutesy 8-Bit style, trees and bushes have either a cube or pyramid design which is quite fun.  Playing through the game some it reminded me of Zelda and Metroid, which wasn't a bad thing.  I liked the look of the Isiligar, a town under the sea, almost like a fish tank but for people...a people tank?  Some of the enemies were really great, two of my favorites being; The Silver Watchmen, a Samurai with a purple laser katana and Mother who has the ability to make a giant tiger out of concrete and cars.

Overall the visuals were really good and were definitely one of the stronger elements of the game.

Music

I found the music interesting as it had the ability to switch from cute and peaceful to dark and sinister in a heartbeat.  What was impressive to me was that it was done so seamlessly and gave the game an interesting feel.  The music was written, produced and composed by Joakim 'Konjak' Sandberg,  who is also the creator and developer of the game, a Swedish man with many talents.

The soundtrack runs at over two hours which I found to be pretty amazing for a smaller game, especially when everything was done by one person.  My favorite tracks included:

'Nuts and Bolts Title'

'Robin (Blockrock)'

'Controlled Cacophony (Battle 1)'

'Whiteout (VS Agent White)'

'Indoctrination (The Tower)'

'The Greater Good (One Concern)'

'Jet Black (VS Black)'

'Mother (VS Oedipus)'

'Castle Doctrine (Final Battle)'

Overall a strong soundtrack that manages to blend light and darkness together without missing a beat.

Gameplay

The game can be best described as a 2D side-scrolling puzzler and playing through it I could definitely tell it took its cue from games like Zelda and Metroid, unfortunately, it doesn't do it nearly as well.  The puzzles, for the most part, don't feel like puzzles but more annoying obstacles.  The controls are not always as responsive as they should be and sometimes basic movements like climbing a ladder or picking up a box feel like a hardship.

Robin can upgrade and collect new weapons throughout the game, the wrench has some great abilities, and the gun has a cool swapping mode later in the game.  Outside of this, you can collect schematics which are used for creating tweaks, in honesty I found them to be disappointing and did not enhance my experience.  If you never used them you would not miss them.

During my time playing I found there to be a few points where it felt like I was on a desert island and somehow managed to stand on a plug and I thought to myself 'why the hell is that there?'.  There is an area where you have to be stealthy or you fail, not only did it feel out of place but it was supposed to be training for something that you never need.  The other point was where you play as Mina, she has a slow firing gun, moves slowly and can't crawl, so playing as her was infuriating and felt like a handicap. 

Complaints aside I did enjoy many of the boss fights and felt this is one of the stronger parts of the gameplay.  The final boss was interesting and offered a challenge without being frustrating.  Overall the gameplay wasn't great and I found myself way too often wanting the game to be over. 

Final Thoughts

So, after eighteen hours of gameplay how did I feel?  Underwhelmed and happy for my journey to be over with Robin and Co.  The story was a little all over the place, the other characters, for the most part, did not enhance the experience but instead diminished it.  The visuals and music were really good and were by far the strongest part of the game.  The gameplay itself was lacking and I feel a little more polishing could have made it a far better experience.  It is important to note that this game was built from the ground up by one person and I greatly respect that as I do Fez creator Phil Fish.  While I had to really debate this one the game narrowly scraped a 3 out of 5

Detroit: Become Human - Review

I won't lie, I have been excited to play Detroit Become Human ever since I saw the short film Kara back in 2015.  Of course, at the time I had no idea the short film would develop into a full game but I always hoped.  Quantic Dream is the French Studio behind the game, at its helm is David Cage who is best known as a writer and director.  The studio has produced a number of noteworthy games including Fahrenheit, Heavy Rain, and Beyond Two Souls.


Bread rolls. That's right, that is what I'm going to use as my food analogy.  I am sure you might be thinking 'bread rolls, that's a little bland'.  Well without some context I can certainly understand why you might think that.  My mum used to make bread rolls at home and they were fantastic, especially if they had just come out the oven; a liberal application of butter and you have a little piece of warm buttery perfection.  Then, of course, there are the bread rolls you can buy in shops and heat up in the oven - they look pretty good but when it comes to taste they miss the mark every time.  Playing Detroit: Become Human I found myself asking was this like the bread rolls my mum used to make or the shop bought ones that offer a mediocre taste at best?

Story

The game is set in the not too distant future of Motor City Detroit.  The world, or rather Elijah Kamski, has created androids, and they are used as servants to either complete chores or satisfy certain desires.  Over the past nine months some androids have been running, hurting or even killing their owners and this is where our story begins.

The story focuses on three androids, Kara, Connor, and Markus.  Kara has recently been repaired after an 'accident' and is used to keep house for a delightful man called Todd along with taking care of his daughter Alice.  Connor is an advanced prototype who has been sent by Cyberlife (the company who created androids) to investigate why deviants have started appearing and stop them. He is partnered with Hank, a washed out detective who is not a big fan of androids.  Markus helps take care of kind, aging artist Carl Manfred (played by Lance Henriksen). Unfortunately, others are not quite the same as Carl and we get to see Markus experience the distrust, anger, and hate felt towards androids.

The game is filled with genuinely heartbreaking moments, tough decisions and life and death situations.  I really enjoyed getting to move between three characters and help watch their stories unfold.  Overall a fantastic and thought-provoking story.

Visuals

No matter what your thoughts are on Quantic Dream no one can argue about the quality of their visuals, and Detroit: Become Human is no exception.  There is so much attention to detail, whether it be in their character designs, background visuals or even some of the most simple items that populate the world.  The city itself has a futuristic yet dilapidated feel showing both the positive and negative effects of this new android filled world.  One of my favorite visual spectacles was watching the sunrise over a shipyard in the early part of the game.  The characters are so detailed from their clothes to the colour and movement of their eyes.

In earnest it is hard to really capture and describe how good this game looks without playing it for yourself.   Overall it is the most visually stunning game I have had the pleasure of playing so far this year. 

Music

Quantic Dream was rather ambitious when it came to creating the score for Detroit: Become Human.  They brought together three composers with very different backgrounds to try and create a great soundtrack - it paid off. 

Each of three composers helped create a different sound for each of the characters.  Philip Shepard who has worked with the likes of David Bowie, Unkle, and Jarvis Cocker made Kara's Theme.  Nima Fakhrara who composed the score for Resident Evil Revelations 2 and The Signal made Connor's Theme.  John Paesano who composed the music for Ben 10, Mass Effect Andromeda, Netflix's TV Series Daredevil and the Maze Runner films made Markus's theme.  Each character's theme is very different to the other and all help in creating a very distinct sound.  

Outside of Shepard, Fakhrara, and Paesano, additional music is provided by The Britemores, Rocket 455, White Shag and Model 500

The score runs shy of two hours and features some great pieces including, 'Kara Main Theme', 'Conor Main Theme', 'Something You've Never Seen Before', and 'Dark Night'.

Overall a great soundtrack that works well in conjuction with the story.

Gameplay

Heavy Rain presented a lot of questions that need to be answered quickly and when this wasn't happening there were quick time events.  In Beyond Two Souls there was a greater focus on exploration and interaction with the world around you. This time the best elements of both Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls have been brought together.

Other than quick thinking and fast reflexes there is another element to the gameplay which is your investigation tool.  Holding R2 brings up items of interest - it is worth checking all of them as even small things such as the magazines help give you an insight into the current state of the world.

There is a flowchart you can use that is visible in the pause menu, showing the decisions you have made and the branches where different, unspecified choices and outcomes can occur.  While this wasn't for everyone it was an element I enjoyed mostly because it made curious about what things I could have done differently.  Each chapter you complete gives you points which can be used to unlock some really good extras including, artwork, music, documentaries, and shorts.

The main menu itself was really interesting - there is an android who periodically will ask you questions, comment on actions you have taken or seek your advice.  I found this very unique and was quite engaging.

Overall fantastic gameplay and I look forward to exploring the many other decisions I didn't make in this playthrough.

I hope you will excuse me for going off on a tangent but I wanted to address some of the negative feedback I have heard and read about the game.  The most prevalent are the people and groups who commented on the use of domestic abuse towards female characters in the game.  There was some who suggested that abusers would get off on this and a quote by Andy Burrows who is part of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children stated, 'any video game the trivialises or normalises child abuse, neglect or domestic violence for entertainment is unacceptable'.  

As with many things without context, it is easy to see why people could be outraged or angered.  However, if view something in its entirety, for example, Detroit: Become Human you can understand some of the intent of the writer.  It would be both arrogant and insulting to David Cage for me think I know how his mind works, that being said the story he has created and the things he is trying to represent seem clear.  In my opinion, he put focus on child abuse and domestic violence, for two reasons, firstly to draw attention to something that many of us don't like to think about, the reality is many homes have experienced this and in some cases continue to do so.  Secondly, to draw on our emotions and help create a bond not only with those on screen but feel an anger towards those that have suffered in real life.  

If we zoom out further and look at the game it a terrifying insight into a possible future and study into humanity.  The reality is that if artificial general intelligence existed and androids created there would be anger, fear, and hatred towards them because in every conceivable way they would be better/more than us.  There would be those who would see them as lesser and abuse them because of it.  If history has taught us anything it's that 'those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it'.  Detroit: Become Human is a possible future history at best, but it does take a look at who we are as people and how some would behave in this new world.

I will finish off with a response from David Cage regarding the use of domestic abuse: 'Would I be doing my job as a creator if I was making the game you want me to make?  I don't think so - I'm creating something that I find moving and meaningful.  And I think people should see the scene, play the game and see it in context to really understand it.  The rule I give myself is to never glorify violence, to never do anything gratuitous.  It has to have a purpose, have a meaning, and create something that is hopefully meaningful for people'.

Final Thoughts 

After playing for over twenty-five hours how did I feel?  Fantastic, all the individual elements joined together to help create a perfect experience and one I looking forward to trying all over again in the future.  I feel so strongly about this game and my time playing it that I will give 5 out of 5