Titanfall 2 - Review

 

I played Titanfall 2 when it was originally released and remember loving it, the only reason I traded it in was that it had a high trade-in value and I was consuming games like an addict. I vowed that at some point I would purchase it again and luckily enough the PlayStation Store was selling it for under €5 which is a steal for most games but especially Titanfall 2. The question is, is it as good as when I played it a few years back?

Maltesers, ever had one? Of course not because it is impossible to have just one unless you hate yourself. For those of you who have not tried them shame on you. They are malt balls covered in chocolate, okay, even when I reread that it sounded underwhelming but trust me they are good. They are made up of the perfect amount of ingredients, there are even different varieties that are available and they are all awesome. Playing Titanfall 2 I found myself asking was this the perfect balance of ingredients.

Story

I opted not to play the original Titanfall, why you ask, well I love single-player campaigns and the original did not feature one. For me, games will always be, primarily, a single-player experience the multiplayer is just a bonus. Part of me does not like to rely on others to enjoy a game, though that's not to say multiplayer cannot be fun. Anywho, Titanfall has you take on the role of Jack Cooper, a pilot in training. A pilot in the Titanfall universe is a badass, fast, lethal, and has a neural connection with a giant mech robot called a Titanfall. After things fall apart in the first few minutes of gameplay you are made an acting pilot of Titan BT-7274. It is not just a simple machine but an AI-infused mech, who can fight solo or with you in the cockpit. The two are who is part of the militia try to stop the IMC (essentially the Empire from Star Wars). The IMC is tired of battling the militia and has decided to use/build a planet-destroying weapon to wipe out the militia's homeworld. It's up to Jack and BT to stop this happening, but don't worry the militia won't be far behind. 

Overall the story is fantastic, I felt a real bond with BT and even got to share a conversation with him by choosing different responses on occasion. The execution of the story was well thought out, it started hot and finished hotter making me yearn to play Titanfall 3.

Visuals

Technology moves quickly in our world so very quickly gaming visuals can look aged and sometimes even downright bad after only a couple of years. I am happy to report this is not the case with Titanfall 2. The visuals are sharp and the levels feel varied, two of the coolest moments that stood out for me were; when the world freezes around you and you get to move around bullets, explosions, and debris and was essentially like being in a diorama. The second was when you are in the skies moving from ship to ship with BT and sometimes he throws you from place to place which both tense and cool.

Overall the visuals look great with many standout moments, the Titans look impressive and in later levels when there are many of them attacking you and the militia it looks jaw-dropping.

Music

If I had to describe the soundtrack in one word I would say it was epic. The use of strings, and build up in many of the tracks creates a tense and a momentum that really pulls everything forward. The use of percussion really helps makes battle sequences even more epic. The music is created by British composer Stephen Barton. Barton's has a rich body of work, having created the music for films, TV series, and games including; Call of Duty Modern Warfare Remastered (and the original Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare, Apex Legends I, Robot, Jennifer's Body, Man on Fire, the 12 Monkies TV Series, and Motor City.

The soundtrack is around ninety-minutes long and I can tell you that is not a minute wasted. It creates an epic movie feeling soundtrack that helps keeps you pumped while playing. In terms of which of the twenty tracks are my favorite I would have to say, all of them.

Gameplay

Let's be honest there are a ton of first-person shooters on the market, because of this it can be easy to miss really good games. I sort of felt that way about the Wii, there were some good games but there was so many poor and mediocre games it is not an especially memorable console. Respawn Games, Sucker Punch have managed to create something fun and different. 

The gameplay moves between you being on foot killing bad guys and then being BT killing bigger bad guys. Now when you have access to something like a Titan it would be easy for the sections you are not in one to feel dull. For me though that was never the case, it could be because of the good shooting mechanics, the ability to run along the wall during combats, jumping high into the air with your jet pack, or perhaps it is the ability to cloak which can really help restore your health and give you a moment to breathe.  That being said nothing quite beats being in a Titan, you can get different load-outs that are easy to switch on the fly. Titans are big and they feel it but never feel sluggish as you can dash towards enemies or evade attacks. Each loadout offers it is own special abilities which you will need. Something really smart is electric smoke which can be dropped to kill smaller enemies or those trying to hijack your Titan.

The multiplayer is a lot of fun and feels well balanced. It's not as crazy as Call of Duty or some others where you have to kill a lot of players before getting rewards and if you get killed you start all over again. Initially, you start on foot but within a few kills, you can call in a Titan. The team element is a lot more fun than may other games and has gone to a new level with the new frontier mode which has you take on waves of enemies while you protect an objective.

Overall I cannot say enough good things about the gameplay, it fun fast exciting, and part of it reminds me of when I played Vanquish a good number of years ago (must play it again soon).

 

Final Thoughts

So, after ten hours plus how did I feel? Pretty damn good. I could not ask for the story, visuals, music or gameplay, it was the perfect package. My only disappointment is that there is not a Titanfall 3, yet. Luckily I can still spend time playing the multiplayer which should keep my appetite whetted. Overall this one gets an easy and very solid 5 out of 5

Ghost of Tsushima - Review

 

It feels like it has been ages since I reviewed a game. There has been a lot going on the last while and one thing, in particular, that has occupied my time is Ghost of Tsushima by Sucker Punch Productions. Initially, I was a little cautious about playing it as the gameplay initially reminded me of Nioh and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. I could not have been more wrong and will get into why shortly.

Anyone reading these reviews will know I love food, a lot. One food I really enjoy is BBQ Ribs, whether they be Chinese, Dominican, or some other style. They are messy and makes me feel slightly like a caveman. Some meat is nice and tender, others need a bit more force, and others feel like a battle that just isn't worth the effort. Playing Ghost of Tsushima I found myself asking was it like tender ribs or a battle that just wasn't worth it?

Story

The story follows Jin, a Samurai that lives on the island of Tsushima. The Mongols have invaded and after a brutal battle the Samurai of the island fall. Jin himself is badly wounded but is nursed back to health by a friend. Jin, unwilling to let his people be slaughtered and the island was taken, set about gathering some unlikely allies and building an army to take it back. Very quickly I was drawn into the story and Jin's plight. There is a constant struggle for Jin, not right or wrong, but rather whether following the way of the Samurai will save the island. I don't want to give any more away than that, but suffice it to say the story is really good. The side quests are good and don't feel like filler but something that actually adds to the story and brings you closer towards the people of the island.

Overall the story is really good, full of conflict and emotion, and watching the characters of Jin and his allies develop over the course of the game was really interesting.

Visuals

The backdrops for the game look amazing, lush fields (great for hiding in), bamboo forests (not so great for hiding in), large mountainscapes, many many cute foxes, and lots of wildlife. Seeing the wind blow leaves around your feet, particularly in duels, is brought to a whole other level and is like watching an old samurai movie or anime. The enemies look badass and quickly go from wearing simple armor to more robust iron and steel armor. The game looks really good, the only minor thing I noted is that it was not as sharp as it could be. It made me wonder was this due to hardware limitations with the current generation PlayStation 4 and if/when the game is released on the PlayStation 5 will this be improved upon.

Overall the visuals are really good and enjoyed my time exploring the island of Tsushima. While it is true the visuals could use a little extra polish it never stopped me enjoying my experience.

Music

The music is cool, really cool. The soundtrack features Japanese instruments to help provide a very authentic sound. Sometimes the music feels peaceful and tranquil, other times intense and exhilarating but always manages to switch between them seamlessly. Britsh composer Ilan Eshkeri and Japanese composer Shigeru Urebayarhi help create this perfectly balanced score. Eshkeri's work is diverse ranging from the original The Sims soundtrack, to Layer Cake, Ninja Assassin, and 47 Ronin. Urebayarhi's work is quintessentially Japanese and has created the soundtrack for many movies and TV series including Curse of the Golden Flower and Hong Kong Paradise.

The soundtrack is shy of two hours and features some really great tracks. With any soundtrack of this magnitude, it is hard to simply separate parts of it as being better than others, that being said if I had to pick a few I would say, 'The Way of the Samurai', 'The Fate of Tsushima' and 'The Way of the Ghost'. Overall the soundtrack is well balanced and could not imagine it being bested.

Gameplay

So, much, juicy gameplay. The game has a lot to offer and initially as noted at the beginning of the review I was slightly nervous about approaching it as I did not want it to be a painful slogfest where I was going to have to fail a lot before making any meaningful progress. I was glad I was so wrong. In some ways, the controls remind of Assassin Creed, within a very short time of playing the controls felt comfortable and immersive.

The combat is fantastic and easily among the best I have experienced in recent years. There are four stances in the game, each of which is good at attacking and defending against a particular enemy. The stances are quickly learned and can be switched in battle easily. There could be a brute that requires a more powerful stance, then you need to defeat an enemy with a spear and need a stance that gives you distance and speed. On top of the stance themselves, you also have smokes bombs, kunai, and other throwable items. Rarely did I have any issues when taking on enemies whether it be one on one or a larger group. Patience is required because button bashing and rushing in just won't do the job.

Movement is fairly solid outside of combat whether taking the form of running, horse riding, climbing or using the grappling hook. The only problem I came across is that if you were trying to walk over a log you had to almost jump onto it even it was almost level with you. Naturally, your character should be able to move between them easily but was not the case for poor old Jin. Not a deal-breaker but would help improve the experience.

Upgrades, upgrades, upgrades. Almost everything can be upgraded in the games, from your weapons and armor to each of the four stances. Outside of that, you can also have a skill tree that focuses on a variety of things including stealth, assassination, sword skills, and much more. If you are willing to put in the work you should be able to unlock all the upgrades for your skills in one playthrough.

When it comes to open-world games each of them offers a navigation tool. In driving focused games there will be a line on the roads which you follow like a GPS. Other games have a compass that you can use to select an objective and move towards it. The Ghost Of Tsushima's is unique, if you brush your hand over the touchpad on the Dual Shock Controller a wind will blow in the direction you need to head in. I loved this touch and helped keep me immersed in the gameplay.

There are plenty of side missions, doing this helps you get a better sense of the people and the destructive nature of the Mongols. They never take long to complete and there are often great rewards from completing them. If nothing else each one gives you the experience to buy those much-desired upgrades. 

Similar to Assassins Creed, and Far Cry, you can liberate areas. This takes the form of destroying an enemy camp and often completing other secondary tasks like collecting banners or blowing up something. It is fun to do and helps reveal areas of the map. The map starts by being covered in fog save for a few major story related points. There are other ways to fun, explore, and help gain experience including; visiting fox shrines, writing haiku, chilling in a hot spring, and cutting bamboo to help increase your resolve.

Overall the gameplay is fantastic and offers so much. To get the most out of the game you need to commit to doing pretty much everything, it may seem daunting to start with but is well worth the effort.

  

Final Thoughts

After well over fifty hours how did I feel?  Happy, sad, and much more. The story is really interesting, it moves in different directions not only the main story but also the side missions especially those relating to your allies. The visuals are beautiful and often very artistic and while yes slightly sharper visuals would not go amiss it is by far from being a real issue. The music is the perfect fit for the game and adds to every element of the game in particular the storytelling element. The gameplay is bordering on being perfect and was a lot of fun, it certainly makes me curious to play the sequel should that be something Sucker Punch Productions invest in. Overall this one gets a solid 4 out of 5

Elite Dangerous - Review

It's never a good idea to have a few drinks and go looking at what's on offer in the PlayStation Store. Doing this (at least for me) results in a large dent to my bank balance; this happened quite recently to me. While I purchased many games one, in particular, stood, a space simulator called Elite Dangerous, it looked impressive, intense and I thought this was exactly what I needed.

I like a bit of seafood, it's good for you and tastes great in bread crumbs or batter (not so good for you) One thing I have always struggled with is mussels, they don't look great, you are not supposed to chew them but swallow in one go, while I like shots that way I want to chew my food a bit first. The texture of mussels is a bit like snot. That all being said I really do want to like them but they just aren't for me. Playing Elite Dangerous I found myself asking was this really for me?    

Story

 ......loading story......loading.....loading....loading failed, file not found. Elite Dangerous opted to not to have a story and while this is not a huge surprise with there being such a big focus on multiplayer it does seem a massive flaw. I want to have a story especially when the game offers hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gameplay. There is lore you can find on law and slivers of information appear but are in no way conducive to a story.

Overall pretty disappointed there was no attempt to have a story especially when looking online there is a lot of lore around the Elite Dangerous Universe.

Visuals

Darkness, so much darkness and then pretty coloured planets and pew pew laser beams.  The visuals are good but as with any space simulator, there is going to be a lot of blackness and stars. On the plus side, it makes you appreciate the colour planets you come across, other ships and space stations. The set out of the various cockpits do give a feeling of flying a real ship and it is not static either with information constantly coming in from others nearby and reads out from weapons, shields, speed and many others.

Overall the visuals are good, all the space exploring means when there is combat or space stations they seem more exciting.

Music

The music for Elite Dangerous was exactly what I would expect from a space exploration game. What I mean by this is that the music is fleeting but when it does come forth it gives the feeling of exploring a new frontier and reminds of some sci-fi shows set in space. It works really well and as we all know in space no one can hear you play music. Swedish composer Erasmus Talbot (awesome name) create the soundtrack for the game, while he has worked on other projects I could see no mention of other video game soundtracks.

The soundtrack is around two hours long. While the soundtrack was good there was nothing that especially stood out to me personally, but, that's not to say to it was bad either. Overall, the soundtrack was well suited to the game.

Gameplay

So...much...game...play. It earnest it is hard to cover everything in this review but will do my best. Essentially there are three superpowers in the galaxy, completing missions for them will put you in better standing with them, this will give you access to more areas and more ships (until you manage to get to Jameson Memorial which gives you access to everything if you have the credits). Ideally, you want to get up to 100% with all of them, this will be constant work as the percentage drops over time, the old 'what have you done for me lately' routine. Outside of this, there are different trades/jobs you can do which are; explorer, miner, pilot, and trader. All of them you start at 'pitiful' or an equally shaming rank name, focusing on improving these will bring you higher accolades, the top spot being elite. Essentially, if you get Elite in all of the trades/jobs, max out your relationships with the superpowers, and land on every planet you could say you completed the game. While the first two are not impossible the last one is a big ask. This kind of game does not have a classic beginning or an end and is designed to be open-ended.

Show me d'way! There are a few tutorials and you best make damn sure you go through all of them, they are very helpful. The game does not believe in holding your hand and while there are things you can work out yourself there is a huge community on hand to help. One part of the community I was extremely happy existed was a group called 'Fuel Rats'. I ran out of fuel partway through a job, my ship was dead in the water, but their whole purpose is to come to your location and top you up free of charge. They then gave me tips to avoid the issue in the future. It was really awesome.

Missions come in a few different forms, deliver from A to B, destroy something, source something, and deliver it. The missions are not that exciting but what is exciting is exploring the different systems. The more missions you do the better rank you get and the more credits you can earn. One of the best ways to earn money is by mining, it is a crazy detailed process, especially if you want to get the most out of it.

Overall there are many elements to the game, it makes impressively large but also daunting unless you are prepared to play multiple hours a day and even then there is always more to do. While it is good unless you are very dedicated you will not get to yield all the game has to offer without a lot of time and patience.

Final Thoughts

So, after fortyish hours how did I feel. Well, there are great elements to the game but as a whole, it just was not for me. The lack of story wasn't great, the visuals are okay but it's easy to get sore eyes staring at blackness for hours on end. The music works well with the game but never stood out for me. The gameplay is huge and is many respects is the best and worst part of the game. There is a lot of gameplay but is not for the faint of heart, if you not prepared to sink many many hours into the game you will find yourself ejecting quickly. This one gets a 3 out of 5