It is quiet this time of year for game releases, I decided to go through all the games released in the last 7 weeks to see if I missed anything and I had. Bladed Fury by NExT Studios, a beautiful looking game with side-scrolling action. It was on Steam for only €5 so I thought why not give it a go.
Crunchie is a very underrated chocolate bar, growing up I was not huge into them as the honeycomb felt weird on my teeth. When I got older and especially at Christmas time I really got to enjoy them especially the little ones in selection boxes. They are a nice treat, small, pretty and tasty. Playing Bladed Fury I found myself asking was this the little tasty treat I needed?
Story
The story is set in Ancient China and sees you take control of Princess Ji, who in the first few minutes of the game is accused of murdering Duke Kang Qi and as a result is exiled. Demons seem to be entering our world and Ji has to find out why and try to save the kingdom.
Overall the story is fairly rich and provides a lot for such a short game. It's a good story that focuses on the folklore, demons and the evil that is man.
Visuals
The visuals in the game are impressive, a beautiful art style mixed with Chinese Art and filled with woodblock tapestries. The demons are interesting design and sometimes random, like a chest of drawers coming to life, in other circumstances, it may come off as comical but in Bladed Fury it just comes across as dark. The movement and look of Ji are really smooth even when in fast-moving battle sequences. The cut scenes are works of art depicted as paintings that changed as the story is told.
Overall the visuals are fantastic and they really stand out as one of the most impressive parts of the game.
Music
The music is described as 'Future Bass + Ancient Instruments', which sounds almost impossible but Bladed Fury managed to achieve it. The music is composed by Austrian composer Edwin Wendler, whose credits included the soundtracks for; Iris Fall, Into The Blue, Unknown, and X-Men Apocalypse to name but a few.
The soundtrack is a little over thirty minutes in length, and while it may seem short it packs a lot in. Easily my favourite soundtrack of the year so far, and while most of the time I can pick out specific tracks that are highlighted for me this time I just can't, all the tracks are strong and work well with the game.
Gameplay
The gameplay is side-scrolling fun, Ji has both light and heavy attacks depending on what the situation calls for. She has an awesome slide movement which allows her to pass by any enemies and avoid attacks. A really cool feature of the gameplay is that as you beat bosses you capture their spirits and can use their moves in battle, this is particularly helpful with boss fights.
The game has a levelling up system for your abilities, which can be obtained in one playthrough. One of the most helpful abilities being rejuvenation which allows you to carry more health vials. Saving the game and upgrading abilities can be done at lamp posts throughout the game which are never too far away from you.
The boss battles start off simple-ish and then get crazy towards the end, the most impressive being the serpent battle where I had to use everything I had to stay alive.
Overall the gameplay is play is fast and fun, while it offers a challenge at times I never felt like was going to pull the few remaining hairs in my head out.
Final Thoughts
So, after just over four hours how did I feel? Really happy! The story was interesting, the visuals were amazing, the soundtrack was fantastic and the gameplay was smooth and fun. Overall it is hard to find fault in it and certainly the chocolatey treat I needed after Gears Tactics. This one gets a solid 4 out of 5
Superhot is a game I have been curious to play due to the minimalist art style and the random name. Up until recently (say in the last week) I thought it was a VR game, only this is not true it turns out. One I saw it advertised on the PlayStation Store I couldn't help but whip out my debit card, punch in the numbers and download Superhot.
I like pizza is the same as saying everybody likes breathing, who doesn't love pizza and breathing? While Goodfella's Stone Baked Thin Chicken with Herb Dressing may not be the most exotic pizza in the world but is damn tasty. But to spice it up I like to add a little (a lot) of Frank's Red Hot Original Sauce to it. The combination of these two flavours arouse my taste buds to the extreme and turns something simple and tasty into something supremely tasty. Playing SuperHot I found myself asking was this supremely tasty yet simple dish I was looking for?
Story
The story immediately had me curious, the menu screen loads and look like an old DOS command prompt. A friend contacts you and tells you about this new game they found on the company server called Superhot.exe, he sends you the file and tells says; '...you have to check out this game. It's the most innovative shooter I've played in years.' After scanning the rest of the files available in the menu I launch Supershot.exe, the story is suggestive, creepy, thought-provoking and many other things combined. In earnest, it is hard to talk about the story without giving things away but suffice it to say things are not what they seem.
Overall the story is extremely interesting, playing it brought to mind games like; The Rub Rabbits!, Past Cure, Hot Line Miami, Observation to name but a few. If any of these are games you enjoyed even small elements of the story you will love Superhot. Super. Hot. SUPER. HOT.
Visuals
The visuals are very minimalist, the levels you are thrown into are all white, that doesn't mean the look is bland as there are a lot of details in the environment, the subway and bar particularly stood out for me. The enemies are all in red, weapons and objects that can be picked up are in black or grey. Enemies that you damage or destroy explode and shatter like glass. The visuals both look like you are in a simulation but also have a realness to them which I think is part of the appeal for me, knowing something is a simulation but at the same time doubting if it really is one.
Overall the visually are interesting and intriguing, adding to the story and leaving you wondering just what the heck is going on?
Music
There is something about the music that gets into your head and makes you mistrusting of the world you are in (not the real world, I mean the Superhot world, or do I?). A mixture of drum, bass, metal, electro and no doubt other styles that I likely missed. The music is created by Venezualan keyboardist, DJ, composer, producer and mixer Zardonic.
The soundtrack is shy of being an hour in length and can be downloaded and listened to on Steam for free. It was only listening to the soundtrack independent of the game that I realised how much music was in the game. Without a doubt, the track 'SUPERHOT' is my favourite and even hearing the words Super Hot will stay with me in the same way Portal's 'the cake is a lie' will.
Gameplay
The gameplay mechanic is unique, the world moves when you move. Move your head, move forward, any movement and time will move forward by an equal amount. For example, you can see an enemy, he has shot a bullet at you, if you don't move it won't move. It can be avoided by sidestepping it slowly (or quickly depending on how brave you are feeling) and fire off your own shot if the enemy is standing still easy, if he is on the move you will need to compensate for it.
There are a number of weapons including; pistols, shotguns, machine guns, katanas and there are random items that will not kill an enemy but will stun them. Each weapon can be fired a set amount of times before you run out, at this stage you can throw it at an enemy which will stun and allow you to knock them out or steal their weapon and kill them with, which is really badass. Later on, you are given the ability to slow jump and even jump into enemies to avoid near-death or just for fun.
Once the game has been completed you will unlock an endless mode along with a challenges mode which is pretty cool.
As the story progresses the gameplay becomes more intense and difficult, you will die but never feels frustrating as such and makes you plan better for the next time. Overall the gameplay is amazing and makes me was a PlayStation VR just so could get to explore the world more and likely as it was tended to be played.
Final Thoughts
So, after over fours of playing how did I feel? SUPER. HOT. The story was really interesting and had me both doubting and questioning what was happening. The visuals manage to be both minimalist and exciting, the way enemies are shattered looks intense and cool. The music is perfectly sewn into everything else in the game and moves between adding to the carnage of the gameplay itself and making you feel uncomfortable in the world you are in. The gameplay is very different from anything that I have played before or likely will in the future, and it is something I really admired. Overall this one gets a solid 4 out of 5
I really love that to some degree FMV games are making a come back, one studio in particular stands out, Wales Interactive. I played Late Shift a couple of years back and enjoyed that, and then played Erica which was also really enjoyable. I love when a game is heavily story based and you have to make decisions that will potentially effect the overall story in minor and often major ways, it is a big reason I like TellTale Games The Walking Dead. When I saw that Wales Interactive had released a game around potential virus and pandemic outbreak it really resonated with me, can't imagine why!
I recently tried Cadbury's White Chocolate Oreo Bar and I loved it! I love white chocolate and like a fungus Oreos have grown on me over the years. The combination of the two means I scoff it down so quickly I worry I might lose the tip of one of my fingers. In summary, it's damn good. Playing The Complex I found myself wondering was I in danger of losing part of a finger?
Story
There is a new potential drug that could be used to help heal people with limited supplies, in particular an upcoming mission to Mars. Turns out if someone break in, steals it and get infected by it before it has been completed it makes for a nifty bio-weapon. The game has you take control of Dr. Amy Tenant, the scientist responsible for making the drug/weapon, along with a slightly old untrustworthy colleague you are stuck locked in the facility with, trying to figure how who, how and why this all happened. Can Dr. Tenant figure it out or are we all doomed to stay in lockdown permanently?
There are lot more decisions to be made verses Wales Interactive's previous games, it is not quite as clear cut as good and bad decisions and instead goes for something deeper. If you had created something and it was then used as a weapon how would you feel, how would you deal it?
Overall the story is pretty solid and offers multiple endings, characters can even die based on your decisions so choose wisely, or don't.
Visuals
The FMV quality featured in the game are great, high production values and even with the lockdown element there are still a few different locations you will get to see. My favorite part visually is the lab you are locked down in, it has a very real feel to it with some mildly futuristic instruments, doing this creates a blend of being both grounded and futuristic without pulling you out of the story.
Overall the visuals and locations used are really good, the only thing that was occasionally jarring is when choosing a decision there was sometimes a solid 1-2 seconds where it stutters and while it was far from being a deal breaker it certainly could have been a little smoother.
Music
Unfortunately, there was no sign of a soundtrack being available to listen to outside of the game itself. The music is sparse, but in a game so heavily focused on the story it is not really a big deal. There are few snippets of music used often when a bigger decision is being made, nothing to write home about it.
Gameplay
The gameplay and story are almost one and the same. There will be a lot of decisions to make, everything from who should get the vaccine, whether or not to ignore someone or give them a snarky response, or picking to use a microscope to open a vent (?) over using science and a little brain power. Some of them are a lot of fun and did have me smiling in places.
The lead character is very strong and likeable but unfortunately almost no one else in the game is, but I think that was by design rather than an accident. As the game progress it give you percentages stats on your relationships with others and what kind of personality you have based on the responses and decisions you make.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the game are the endings, there are quite a few and some of them are pretty intense and there are more than a few unexpected turn of events.
Overall the gameplay was pretty solid and definitely makes me interested to try more of Wales Interactive games.
Final Thoughts
So, after six hours of playing how did I feel? Not bad. The story is pretty solid, it is a shame the only likeable character was the one you play as. The visuals are high quality and some decent productions values, the occasional stuttering when making decision was a little jarring but not the end of the world. The lack of music was unusual, but if you look at episode of a TV show you would not expect to hear a lot. The gameplay like the story is pretty solid and the multitude of ending provides some great replay value. Overall this one gets 3 out of 5
Last year developers The Coalition and Splash Damage created a new game in the Gears of War Series - Gears Tactics. Being a Gears of War fan since the early days I was naturally curious, the only thing that put me off was the turned based combat. Until now Gears of War has always been played out as a third person fast-paced shooter so the idea of changing gears so much (couldn't help it) seemed a little strange. All that being said I liked The Bureau: XCOM Declassified so why not Gears Tactics?
I love many types of chocolate and chocolate bars, one of my favourites being Kinder Bueno, especially the white ones. Naturally when I saw that Jacobs had something similar called Elite Special Moments Hazelnut Cream Wafers I thought they would be tasty. They look the same, smell the same but are vastly different. From the outside, it all seems good but once I bit into it and had the first taste I was not impressed. The chocolate had a weird consistency and there were bits in it that tasted more like sawdust rather than hazelnut. Playing Gears Tactics I found myself asking was more like a tasty Kinder Bueno or just a poor imitation?
Story
Gears Tactics is set after emergence day and over a decade before the original Gears of War. The game features a new character to the series, Ukkon, a Locust Scientist. Becoming more unstoppable as the days pass Chairman Prescott sanctions Sargent Diaz and Major Redburn to take him down with extreme prejudice and by any means necessary. A small way into the story you manage to recruit militia to your cause who also isn't a fan of Ukkon. Its hard to say much more without giving away spoilers, what I can say is things are much darker then they seem and some of the COG's deepest secrets are going to come to light but will anyone be alive to talk about them?
Overall the story is pretty good and helps expand Gears lore - and the story has a similar theme/feel as Gears 5 which was really cool. The characters are not massively memorable which is a shame but I get the impression there won't be a sequel.
Visuals
The visuals are very different from the rest of the Gears games but equally, they are very similar. The world is still in bad shape between the COG using the Hammer of Dawn to destroy most of their cities and the constant battles taking place. The big thing that has changed is the perspective, with it now being top-down rather than third-person. Similar to XCOM you get to see up close animations when carrying out actions; like cutting off an enemies head with a bayonet, using a chainsaw to cut them in half or watch a grenade decimating a group of enemies. As the game introduces enemies (some of them never seen before) you get a really cool intro of them and what abilities they have.
Overall the visuals are pretty strong, the only thing that lets them down is that many of the levels are rehashed a number of times, not just inside missions but also main missions which gets boring over time especially with the games having a large number of missions.
Music
The feel of the soundtrack feels very removed from the rest of the series, it's more sci-fi, and doesn't use any of the classic gears music that remade and reinvented in other games. The soundtrack is composed by British based composer Edward Patrick White. White has a rather varied background having worked on an animated movie called Battlesuit, documentaries' All You Need Is Love and Nine Lives, along with creating some of the music for Bear Grylls TV series.
The soundtrack is less than an hour which seemed short for a game that takes around thirty hours to complete. My favourite tracks were; 'The Wrong Gear', 'Brumak' and 'Asshole Factory'. Overall as a soundtrack, it is okay, as Gears soundtrack is the least memorable to date.
Gameplay
The gameplay moves from being a fast-paced third-person shooter to a top-down turn-based strategy game. The change is refreshing even if it a little jarring to start with. The team consists of four players (some missions are reduced down to two), each has a number of action points (AP). These can be used to move, attack or set up overwatch. The overwatch ability is one of the most useful in the game as it allows a character to cover an area and if any enemy walks into it then they get wounded or killed altogether.
What was really interesting is that each character has their own special abilities and can be upgraded and new ones earned as they gain experience points. Especially later in the game, you can end up having a great healer, and sniper, and you are going to need them. If you are unhappy with how you have used your experience points you can redistribute them.
There are main missions and side missions, side missions often entail holding an area for a set amount of moves, destroying an objective, rescuing prisoners in a limited number of moves, and collecting cases before being bombed into oblivion. The main missions are also similar to the side missions, when I say similar they are almost the same except for the boss fights. There are few slightly frustrating things with side missions, firstly you have to pay x amount of them before you can proceed with the main mission, making them feel less like side missions. There is also the oddity that if you use one of your main characters in a side mission they will then not be available to use in the main mission. This issue is a pain as it means you don't get to gain additional experience for those characters and then use them in the main mission, which seems bizarre. This means for side missions you have to use recruits that are never as strong. I learned much later on that if you fail all the side missions you can then just proceed with the main mission like normal, with no penalties. It seems strange to not allow your main characters to take part in side missions without sacrificing being able to use them in main missions (you know the time you actually want and need them).
Some missions can take around half an hour or less, others significantly more. An example of this would be the boss fights. The last boss was a giant pain in the ass and took me many, many attempts to beat it and even more hours. By the time I was done with it, I could not have been happier, not because of beating the boss (although that was part of it) but also to be finished with the game.
Overall the key mechanics in the game work really well, but some odd choices and repetition of maps really let them gameplay down.
Final Thoughts
So, after in excess of thirty hours how did I feel? Glad the experience was over. The story adds new lore to the gears universe which was quite interesting, but the unmemorable main characters certainly took a little away from it. The visuals are strong, the addition of new enemies and animations are very welcome. The music is underwhelming, not just for a Gears soundtrack but even in general. The gameplay has some really strong mechanics that have clearly been borrowed from XCOM, sadly those some strange choices and level repetition stopped the game from being all it could be. Overall this one just about slides in with 3 out of 5
