Nier Automata - Review

There are a number of reasons I wanted to own a Playstation 4 & one of those was to play Nier Automata.  The original game, Nier was released back in 2010 & is a spin-off of the Drakengard Series.  I remember seeing it & thinking 'this looks interesting', I wasn't wrong.  I fell in love with the game; the story, characters, gameplay & music were all so good.  Naturally, when Nier Automata was announced I got very very excited, I may have even wet myself a little.


You know what's great?  Roast dinners.  There are different views as to what makes up a good roast dinner, for me, it has to have; meat, carrots, peas, stuffing made with sausages, potatoes (mashed & roasted if I really want to spoil myself), a generous serving of gravy & some red wine.  In my eyes you can't go too wrong with a roast; classic, filling, tasty & masquerading as something healthy but it knows it's not & it doesn't really care.  On occasion though, a roast can loose thread of itself, a good example of this would be fig & pancetta stuffing or triple nut & apple stuffing.  I have no problem with someone being a little creative with their recipe but apples, figs, nuts, pancetta?  Nope, that's a bridge too far for me.  Playing Nier Automata I had to ask myself was I eating a classic roast with a little creativeness thrown in or was eating something that should have been tasty but ended up just confusing my taste buds?


The picture below is of a Christmas challenge roast made at The Gravity (Hinkley, UK), it comes with a jug of gravy & contains 3000 calories.  Challenge excepted - skip the sprouts though.

The game is set many, many years in the future, 11945AD to be exact.  Aliens have invaded & all the humans have been forced to live on the moon.  Naturally, humanity wants it's planet back but how can they do this?  Well, the answer is simple - YoRHa, a small army of specially created androids with superior abilities, their sole purpose - reclaim Earth.


There are three main characters you can play as; 2B, 9S & A2. 2B is the central protagonist; combat unit, killer instinct, no time for small talk, has a nice dress.  There is 9S, a scanner used for recon, somewhat happy go lucky, very chatty & likes wearing shorts.  A2, rogue combat unit, catty, not very friendly, has lost her dress & doesn't seem to have noticed.  Playing as each character helps better understand their motivations & their role in the main story.


The game is full of genuine emotion & heart, this is most notable with the robots in the world. There are very real subjects tackled in the game, most notably; science, religion & philosophy.  The game manages to do all this without coming across as preachy which I really respected.

The good & bad thing about the story was the multiple endings, some of them were interesting & a lot of fun, others were - meh & overly convoluted.  While I like the concept of multiple endings 26 is far, far too many for any game to have.

The visuals were not what I was expecting from a triple A title, that being said they were far from poor.  The colour scheme & details used in the world are subtle & understated, a good example of this would be the City Ruins.  At first glance it looks like a dull dead city but then you notice how nature has taken over the area, the old buildings now have water flowing through them to create waterfalls & under the old freeways are rivers of fish.  The combination of these two elements work really well together.  Overall though one of my favorites areas is the Amusement Park, the visuals are impressive, fun & it made me smile just being there.


The designs of the main characters were not very inspiring with the exception of 2B, I am unsure if this was purposefully done as to not detract from the story itself.  The robots on the other hand looked interesting & had a lot of character.  The game may not be the most visually stunning but it some ways it was quite beautiful & I enjoyed traversing it, apart from the desert area because lets be honest deserts suck.


The soundtrack for the game is fantastic, epic & above all beautiful.  It is difficult for me to say it had one distinct sound that stuck out in my mind but it did remind me of the music used in the original Nier game, but this is no surprise due to a lot of the same artists working on both games. There were some pieces that reminded me of different anime I had watched over the years which I really liked. The artists that helped create this masterpiece were:


Keiichi Okabe;  who worked on the original Nier Game, Tekken 6/7 & the anime series Hourou Musuko.

Keigo Hoashi; who worked on Happy Wars (XBOX 360) & multiple anime series including; Money No Tenshi & Nanana's Buried Treasure.

Marina Kawano; who performs the vocals in Nier Automata & multiple anime series including; A-Channel, Natsume Yuujinchou & Nekomonogatari: Kuro

Nami Nakagawa; who also performs the vocals in both Nier Automata & original Nier along with other games such as; God Eater 2, Drakengard 3 & Tekken Tag Tournament.

It is worth noting both Okabe & Hoashi are part of the musical group Monaca along with; Satoru Kosaki, Keiichi Hirokawa, Hidekazu Tanaka, Kakeru Ishihama,Kuniyuki Takahashi & Kazuhiro Nakamura who compose & work on anime music.


There are so many great pieces of music some of my favorites are; 'Alien Manifestation', 'Song of the Ancients', 'Goliath', 'City Ruins', 'Resistance Camp', 'Amusement Park', 'Beauvoir' & 'Weight of the World'.  It is hard for me to truly do justice when writing about the soundtrack due to it shear size & epicness, the soundtrack itself is spread over 3 CD's & is over 5 & half hours long.  I still think overall I prefer the original Nier score, but only marginally.

The gameplay was very interesting, I was expecting it just to be an open world hack & slash but ended up being a lot more.  I was really surprised when the prologue ended up being an old school side scrolling shooter.  When I was inside buildings the angle often changed from 3rd person view to a side scroller to a top down view & this was all done seamlessly.


The combat for the most part worked well & the weapons feel great, my favorites were the; Virtuous Treaty sword & POD C which basically fires out missiles.  There were some small things that were done in the game that I really liked.  If you are connected online you will come across players who have been killed, you can then retrieve their bodies, repair them & have them fight along side you or ignore them. Respawn areas called access points look like old vending machines.  I noticed that when 2B slides down ladders she hangs from the side when doing so,  I know it's only a small thing but it looks cool & it is the little things in life.  Then there is the cool mini game used when 9S is hacking that looks really good & makes up for him not being as nimble as 2B & A2.  The menus are easy going on the eyes due to the colour scheme, I will say initially I found them difficult to navigate. There is also little explanation given on how exactly the chips work & how they are set up.


The side quests on offer were really good & a lot better than many open world games, I really felt they were not just a distraction from the main story but instead added to it & the world around you.  I thought the Game Dev side quests were a nice touch & an interpretation of Romeo & Juliet performed by robots was priceless.  There were a lot of interesting side characters, two of my favorites were Pascal & Father Servo.  Pascal was great not only because of his old looking design but also I just really liked the character.  Father Servo is a warrior monk that simply wants to be the best fighter & needs your help to achieve it.


The more you play the game the more you are rewarded with story & insight into other characters including the robots themselves.  The gameplay as whole was pretty solid with exception of a few minor bugs it was very enjoyable.




So after 40 hours & getting 6 of the 26 endings how did I feel?  Pretty good, it was an enjoyable experience with very little to complain about.  Will I go back & play the other 20 endings?  Probably not but after checking some of the others out on YouTube I don't think I have lost out massively. Overall I would give this one a big monkey thumbs up.

The Order 1886 - Review

There are many, many games that come out each year that I want to play, but due to time & financial restraints it is not possible for me to play them all.  So it's really great when your work buddy Siniša says, 'Hey man want to borrow Order 1886?' - the answer of course was yes.


Have any of you tried those Old El Paso Stand 'N' Stuff things?  They are also called Old El Paso Boats in other parts of the world, which to be fair is a much cooler sounding name & makes more sense considering their shape, but I digress.   I like Mexican food & have enjoyed Enchiladas & Fajitas for years so when I saw these cool looking things I thought to myself, yes I must try them. Unfortunately they ended up being disappointing because while they contain many great things like; meat, peppers, spices, garlic, cheese & other goodness when you bite into them the stuff goes everywhere, no matter how careful you are & just makes a mess.  The question I had to ask myself while playing the Order 1886 was is it something that looked great but when I bit into was is it just going to spill out all over the place & end up being a mess? Well, lets find out.

Welcome to Victorian London 1886, well sort of.   It is Victorian London but with a mix of steam punkish elements, oh & of course half breed humans running around referred to as Lycan's, more commonly know as Werewolves.  As if that were not enough there are rebels trying to tear down the city & Jack The Ripper is stalking the streets.  Who will protect the people from them?  Arthur & his Knights of the Round Table. Arthur himself is long since gone but his Knights still continue his work.


The half breed humans do have the upper hand against the well trained Knights due to their strength & tenacity.  As it turns out the Knights have access to an elixir which allows them to regenerate their health & mend their bodies.  This is also a nod to the Holy Grail & one of the many theories that it had the power to provide healing properties.


You play as Sir Galahad; a gruff, weather beaten, bad ass with a mighty moustache.  Don't worry you are not alone in your battle.  There is Sir Perceval your old mentor, an intriguing character with many secrets.  There is Marquis, who is very likable, offers some minor comic relief & has a way with the ladies.  Then there is Lady Igraine, who was Sir Galahad's student, she comes across as tough & smart but I found her character quickly waned for me.  One of the cooler characters was Nikola Tesla who of course needs no introduction,  I did feel he was not utilised as much as he could have been in the game.


While the premise was interesting the execution lacked a certain something & the ending I found to be poor & left many unanswered questions.  The studio clearly set the game up to be part of a Trilogy but they should have focused more on this game before worrying about possible future installments.

While I felt the game clearly fell down on story & character development it did not fall down on the visuals.  The places you visit & the general surrounding looked fantastic, two of my favorite areas of the game were; inside White Chapel Hospital & the Airship.  White Chapel Hospital is an old condemned building which feels grim & not just because it's a hospital.  There are old beds & wheelchairs littering the place, the paint work & tiles are wearing away & there is generally an eerie feeling as you navigate it.  The Airship was awesome, from the outside you get to view the city of London which looks impressive, inside you get to traverse the inner workings of it before entering the luxurious areas.  Outside of that the characters designs & outfits look good with the exception of the Lycans which I found to be a little dull.


The music has a very old & classical sound that makes great uses of stringed instruments especially violins.  A choir is used in some pieces & helps give a more dramatic feel to the game. The score was composed by Jason Graves.  Graves has previously worked on; Far Cry Primal, Dead Space, Tomb Raider & Fear 3 to name just a few.  Austin Wintory also features on the piece 'A Knight's Theme', who previously worked on Assassins Creed Syndicate & Journey.


As a whole it was nice solid soundtrack, my favorite pieces included: 'The Knight's Theme', 'Airborne Pursuit', 'Agamemnon Rising', 'Darkest Hour', 'A Knight's Burden' & 'The Edge Of Sanity'

The gameplay was a bit of a mixed bag for me.  Let's talk about the weapons first, the M2 Falcon Rifle looked & felt good, it also featured a stun ability.  There was the Thermite gun which allowed you to fire out thermite powder with one trigger & then another let you shoot off a flare which ignited it.  I really liked the design of the crossbow but the ammo was scarce & for some reason you could not retrieve the bolts from enemies which seemed odd.  Slow-mo seemed like an unnecessary ability especially consider how infrequent the combat was.


There were a few mini activities you can complete, one of which was lock picking. There were two types of locking picking,  one was using electricity to override locks.  Lock picking seem liked an interesting idea but you can only preform the action on certain doors, one of the mini games is fun (thumb sticks), the other reminded me of a bad version of Elder Scrolls IV locking picking, only not fun.  From time to time in the game you had to examine objects using the left thumb stick but it always felt clunky & unnecessary.  Searching for clues was so bad it was almost genius.  Basically you push papers around messily from the left to the right & let a few books fall over, it definitely felt like the Scooby Doo school of detective work - 'Good one Shaggy'.

Overall the gameplay moves from cut sequences, to quick time events to action but never transitions between each of them well & instead ends up feeling awkward.  There is barely time to enjoy or get used to elements of the gameplay as they change too often & feel jarring.





So after 10 hours of playing what did I think?  Well to call the game outright bad is unfair but had it not been for the visuals & mild intrigue in the story that is exactly what I would have called it.  My rating for this game was - 'meh'.

Metroid Zero Mission - Review

Recently I have been thinking about Metroid Zero Mission & how I really wanted to play it again. I first played it when I was still living in Galway about 10 years ago, a friend of mine loaned it to me & I remember thinking how awesome it was at the time.  Metroid Zero Mission is an updated version of the original Metroid released in 1986, featuring a lot more colour, story & gameplay.  While sometimes updated versions or remakes of games feel unnecessary this is definitely not the case with Zero Mission.


Have any of you ever eaten Findus Crispy Pancakes?  I remember eating them as a child & really liked them, they are minced beef wrapped in a pancake & covered in breadcrumbs.  Simple, cheap, tasty.  A few years ago I tried them again for the nostalgia value & to see if I still liked them. They were terrible; filled with cheap fatty meat, overly crispy, no substance, no flavor & nothing like a pancake.  I should have left them in my past as a good memory.  Playing Metroid Zero Mission I had to ask myself was it like the tasty Findus Crispy Pancakes I used like or what I now know them to taste like?

The story is simple but that is not a bad thing. There are space pirates who have set up shop on the planet Zebes, their plan: to capture samples of the creatures know as Metroids & use them to crush any enemies who oppose them.  You play as Samus Aran, bounty hunter, your mission:  stop the pirates & destroy the mechanical life form know as Mother Brain.


While I enjoy a good story in games sometimes simplicity is key.  I think this is proven with Metroid Zero Mission.  The additional storyversus the original really helps expand the Metroid story & that of Samus Aran.

While the game is 13 years old it still looks really good & beside the original 1986 classic it looks fantastic.  I think Mecha Ridley is one of the best looking enemies (see above), he is bird like with giant claws to destroy you & that glowing red heart is just begging to have missiles shot at it.  There are many interesting looking areas visually, two of my favorite are the Chozo Ruins & the surface of Planet Zebes.  The Chozo Ruins look great as they have an Ancient Egyptian feel with a slight twist. Being on the surface of planet Zebes is really cool as it feels so open & is a nice reprieve from being inside.  There are short animated sequences in the game that look as good now as they did before & really help build on top of what the original Metroid created.


Visually I didn't have many flaws with the game apart from maybe one near the end of the game. When you escape from the Space Pirate Mothership you get on what can only described as a blue computer mouse which just looks really terrible, especially when so much of the design used in the rest of the game is so good.


The musical score is created by; Kenji Yamamoto & Minako Hamano. Yamamoto previously worked on many game including; Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Donkey Kong Country Returns, The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.  Hamano has worked on; Wario World, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country Returns & Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening DX.


I feel the game moves between two very different sounds; a creeping foreboding & a powerful unstoppable force.  The two sounds helps balance the gameplay & offers a nice mix of darkness & light.  My favorite pieces include: 'Space Pirate Assault', 'Final Attack', 'Deorem/Mua Boss Theme',
'Mecha Ridley Boss Theme', 'Kraid's Lair', 'Brinstar Theme', 'Prologue', 'Main Theme' & 'Staff Credits'.

The gameplay is a lot of fun, going into an area & not being able to fully fill the map is exciting as I could not wait to get the upgrade that would let me clear the area 100% later on.  Finding the upgrades for your suit & increasing health & missile capacity was a great feeling.  My favorite upgrades were; screw attack, morph ball & power grip.


There were small things when playing the game that made me smile, one of the best examples of this is when you are on the Pirate Mothership & there is a barrel in your way.  When you hit it with your weapon it sprouts legs & starts walking away from the area it is blocking really slowly.


Mecha Ridley was my favorite boss, not only as he is the last boss but also it actually feels like when you defeat him there is more skill used unlike some of the others bosses that just felt like a lot of it was based on luck.


There are definitely good reasons to try & replay the game, one of them is that there are multiple endings to the game.  The ending you get all depends on item completion percentage & how quick you finish the game.  Finishing the game on normal unlocks the original Metroid game.


All in all some solid gameplay & a lot of fun to play.





So after 5 hours, 38 minutes & quite a few deaths what did I think?  Honestly it was a lot of fun playing it again & I can imagine playing it again in the future.  If you own a GameBoy Advance & never played it I would buy a copy right now.  A big monkey thumb up for this one!

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier - Review

A few years back when everyone went crazy for a new game by Telltale Games called the Walking Dead I didn't see the appeal.  The whole zombie apocalypse thing has been done to death & the little I had seen of the TV show did not really grab me.  So the Christmas Season One was released it was on special offer on XBOX Live so I thought, why not give it a go - I was not disappointed. Season One was fantastic, there were so many great characters & what happened to them really mattered to me.  Naturally when Season 2 was released I was all over it & once again I loved it.  Unfortunately though there were big delays when it came to Season 3: A New Frontier & there was even talk of it being cancelled at one point, but luckily enough in the end that never happened.


Let's take a moment to talk about Ham & Cheese Toasties.  First off you get some nice thick cut bread (or thin depending on your preference), some tasty carved ham & a ton of cheese all heated together to perfection.  It's something so simple but yet truly satisfying, it  makes me feel warm & happy inside.  Playing A New Frontier I had to ask myself would be I left feeling warm & happy inside by something so simple?

As you know traditionally I don't spend significant time talking about the story of a game as I don't want anyone who has not played it to have a dampened experience.  However as with all previous seasons of the Walking Dead they are heavily story driven & I really need to spend a little more time than normal taking about the story.  I have split it all up by the episodes & have given a little taste of what they are about while trying not to give away any spoilers.


Episode 1 - Ties that Bind Part 1

The episodes starts with flashback to before the outbreak, brothers Javier & David Garcia are fighting after a death in the family.  This episode is interesting as it primarily focuses on family & helps to establish the character of Javier.  We see Clementine returning (yay!), a little older, a little wiser & a little tougher.  Episode 1 rounds out being both intense & shocking.


Episode 2 - Ties that Bind Part 2

This episode gives us a look at how the world has changed & moved forward since Season 2, but not for the better.  We get introduced to the New Frontier who are one bad group of people. We also get to see what has been happening with Clementine since Season 2, she is deeply troubled & her life has continued to get harder.  A new character enters near the end of episode 2 but can the newly assembled group trust him.  The closing of episode reveals a shocking revelation.


Episode 3 - Above The Law

Javier & the group have to deal with a wounded member of the group by entering the belly of the beast - The New Frontier's base of operations.  Javier's fiery temper helps risk the groups safety & they narrowly avoid getting killed.  We get to see a flashback featuring Clementine & the heartbreak she has suffered.  Friendships are tested & betrayal is around every corner, episode 3 was a slow start but finished strong.


Episode 4 - Thicker Than Water

The episode starts with a flashback of David & Javier that I felt really helped you see things from Davids prospective.  It left me thinking a little better of David & slightly less of Javier. After some of the group is kicked out of the New Frontier's base we see Javier trying to break back in to rescue the rest of the group.  Getting in seems easy but getting out is a whole other challenge.  There is a good section in the episode featuring Javier & Clementine working together, I felt a real bond growing between them.  We get to see another flashback with Clementine & her complicated past with the New Frontier.  Episode 4 ends explosively & slightly unexpectedly.


Episode 5 - From the Gallows

This episode takes us back to the past & shows the Garcia house with David, Javier & their father. Some bad news deals a blow to the family & some handle it better than others.  After this we pick up were episode 4 left off & everything is descending into chaos.  Everyone loves shouldering the blame for everything on Javier even for things he is not really responsible for.  We see family ties tested & severed.  A sad ending but for everyone still alive but there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.

The visuals are fantastic & this time have a little extra polish, but it does not take away from the charm of the art style we have grown to love.  The world feels bigger than in previous seasons & a lot of this comes down to the details.  The abandoned cars & derelict buildings each adds to the atmosphere of the game.  I could not fault the overall look of the game & it stayed in keeping with the previous seasons.


The music is definitely more prevalent than in previous seasons but does not feel out of place.  There is a lot of use of somber tones to help punctuate the atmosphere in the game.  There is heavy use of electronic sounds to create a sense of panic & pressure.  These sounds were created by American composer Jared Emerson-Johnson; who worked on; The Walking Dead, Wolf Among Us, James Bond: Everything or Nothing & Poker Night at The Inventory.


While I would consider for the most part the music to linger in the background there were pieces that really stood out, my favorites were; 'Credits', 'New Frontier Part 1', 'Attack', 'Prescott Bar', 'Intruder Parts 1 & 2', 'Tense Part 1', 'Action', 'Clementine Part 1' & 'Mystery'.  Sorry for the lack of album cover art but I just couldn't find any.

Onto the ham, I mean meat - the gameplay.  The quick time events (QTE's) are much cooler than the first two seasons & some had me with my heart in my mouth.  I really liked the way QTE's are displayed, sometimes they appear from the cover you are hiding behind or erratically appearing on the screen when things are tense.  I felt like it all really helped add to the urgency & franticness of what was happening in the story.

There is more opportunity to explore than before & this really helps the world feel more real.  Playing as both Javier & Clementine was an interesting touch, I was dubious initially but it actually worked really well. I liked Javier but no matter what happened he just was not as awesome as Clementine. I liked the use of flashbacks throughout the game, it often felt like you were witnessing accounts of war stories.  Despite the constant darkness there is humor in the game which helps break the tension of everything that is going on.


As a whole the game play was great with very few bad things to mention,  that being said they are worth mentioning.  I was unable to import my saves from Walking Dead Season 1 & 2 instead I got the option of answering questions to create my story, I didn't really like that much. Some of the dialogue options are a lot more harsh, in episode 4 especially I felt the selected option did not always represent what was said by the character & I found this to be a little jarring.

How did I feel after 12 hours of playing Walking Dead A New Frontier?  Pretty happy & eager for the next season.  There were a lot of likable characters, the gameplay for the most part was great & as always I love the art direction.  Is it as good as Season 1 & 2?  No probably not but I know I will play it again without a doubt. I would give this one a big monkey thumbs up.

Horizon Zero Dawn - Review

A new game, a new horizon & a zero dawn.  Yep that sounded better in my head but I'm not going to press back space, no sir, not me - anyway moving along lets talk about Horizon Zero Dawn.  Was I excited about playing the game?  Let me see, a future where machines roam the earth like animals, some of them are as big as buildings, you get to hunt & even ride some of them - yes, I was excited. Guerrilla Studios is best know for the Killzone series & this is there first attempt at an open world game so I was very curious to see what they could do.  I actually got the game free when I bought my Playstation 4 Pro but my friend Nate kept distracting me from playing it.


So what food based analogy will I use this time?  A tomato, cheese, white sauce, minced beef with pasta sheets one.  Of course I'm talking about Lasagne, a tasty, meat filled pasta pie delight that is filling & healthy, well at least some of what I said was true.  I have had many lasagne's over the years, some good, some bad. It's not just the ingredients used or the quality of them it's how they are arranged.  Playing Horizon Zero Dawn I had to ask myself was I eating a tasty ensemble of meat, sauce, tomatoes & pasta or a sloppy mess of ingredients thrown together leaving a bad taste in my mouth.  Let's find out the answer.

The story is set about a 1000 years in the future, the world we know is gone.  It has been claimed back by the Earth, along with a ton of animal like machines & tribes of humans.   Those of the past are referred to as the Old Ones & where they all are now or what happened to them is unknown.


Enter the protagonist Aloy, she is considered an outcast, this means she has been kicked out of her tribe (The Nora), in her case this was due to no one knowing who her parents were (seems a legitimate reason).  The term 'outcast' being used in the game seemed strange to me especially as there seemed to be quiet a few outcast in the world & in many cases they banded together like a tribe, so maybe they are not really outcasts at all (insert thoughtful emoji).  Anyway lets get back on track, so, Aloy is compassionate, a fighter in search of answers about her past & the Old Ones, she is also occasionally whinny.  She is raised & supported by her tough but caring father figure Rost.  Alright let's take a moment here, what is with names?  I mean I'm all for different names but Aloy, Rost? Aloy is obviously a take on the word Alloy but some reason calling her Alloy would have what sounded weird?  Rost?  Call him Rust, the 'U' key is only two spaces left of the 'O'. I know it seems like a strange complaint but it just seems lazy.  It's like a parents deciding to call one of their kids Larry & the other Barry, really? All the names in the world & changing one letter is as far as you are willing to go?


Mocking aside there is some really enjoyable story but I felt the best parts either came too late in the game or in some cases were not capitalised on enough.  It's a game about giant machines roaming the world, the tribes stuff seemed small & unimportant by comparison.  I felt it hard to feel much compassion toward some characters in the game especially as so many of them show disdain towards Aloy.  That all being said the post credit story was interesting & certainly has me curious about what they could do with a sequel.

Visually speaking the game is superior to the actual story,  everything from the character designs & outfits to the machines & scenery itself.  Aloy's design was inspired & not the typical look of a central female character which I found to be a good thing.  The outfits worn by the tribes were interesting, it combined a tribal look with a slight twist.  The environments themselves were beautiful with many breath taking views especially those featuring mountain & forest areas.  There are areas in the game later you discovered called Cauldrons,  I can't go into detail but lets just say they look really cool. One of my favorite things visually were the machines themselves, the designs were interesting & the way they moved was fantastic.  My two favorites were the Thunder Jaw & Rock Breaker.  The Thunder Jaw is like a T-Rex covered in metal & loaded up with guns.  The Rock Breaker is like a giant scary worm that's teeth can not only destroy rock but fling them at you with high speed accuracy.


The music features heavy use of stringed & wind instruments along with an occasional futuristic sound.  The overall sound moves between a heavy, emotional & often somber tone to a more epic & action filled one. There were a number of artists who helped create the sound for Horizon Zero Dawn, they are:


Joris De Man;  a Dutch Composer who has worked on a number of games including the Killzone games, Velocity, & some smaller features likes Raging Balls of Steel Justice & Code Hunters.

Niels van der Leest;  is also a Dutch composer who worked on, Phoenix 2, Damian Filigree: The Book of Thoth & an interesting album called Percussive Adventures

The Flight; is made up of the duo Joe Henson & Alexis Smith who are based in the UK.  They are not only composers & song writers but also producers.  Their works include Alien Isolation,  Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag & have worked on music by artists such as; Lana Del Rey, David Bowie, Elbow Rufus Wainwright & many others.

Johnathan Williams; who has worked with many artists including, Sugar Hill Gang, Mobb Deep, Tara Key & Thelonious Monk as a composer, artist, engineer, producer & a photographer.

Julie Elven; is based in Munich & has worked on a number of game scores including, World of Warcraft Legion, Star Citizen & Total War: Warhammer.


Some of my favorite pieces from the game included:  'Aloy's Theme', 'Motherland: Seal Your Lips', 'Years of Training', 'The Proving', 'Hologram Myth', 'The Good News' & 'Homecoming'.


As whole I really like game soundtracks, I don't think they get enough attention especially as they can help really shape a game & set the tone.  That being said the soundtrack for Horizon Zero Dawn is just over 4 hours long which I think is way too long for a game that is only about 40 hours long & I often heard the same pieces played over & over.

Onto the meat, the gameplay.  There were may things I liked about the gameplay & unfortunately quite a few that I didn't.  I liked that you had the choice in some conversations to choose the answers, you could pick; aggressive, peaceful or thoughtful.  Unfortunately the dialogue options you picked did not always sync up with what was then said, which I found to be frustrating.  I also found the answers chosen had no bearing on the story or gameplay.  When it came to what approach to take in combat I found stealth to be the smartest approach but after a while going balls out seemed to work out just fine - I died more but it was a lot more fun.


There were some interesting weapons but without a doubt the most useful for me was the spear & bow. I found upgrading you carry capacity for ammo was vital especially for the later battles in the game.  I was not blown away by the modifications, there were far too many & often one did not seem any more exceptional than the other.  Later on you get an upgrade for your spear that allows you to override machines but as a whole I did not find it that helpful, although it was fun on occasion to see one of your machines destroying another.  The combat itself especially against machines was a lot of fun, without a doubt my favorite thing to do was take on a Thunder Jaw.  They are so powerful that taking one down really felt like a victory.


Like all open world games the are plenty of side missions that really helped flesh out the game & added to the world itself.  Each one felt a little different but I often found my interest wandering as it was never as interesting as the Ancient One's plot & felt like an unneeded distraction.


A game does not always have to have an end boss but when it does I want it to be epic, fun & really help finish the game with a bang.  Horizon Zero Dawn did not do this & it felt like a rehashed enemy rather than the grand finale it should have been.





So after 40 hours of play how did I feel? Was I look forward to playing more & being a completionist or was I happy to hang up my boots & be done with it.  Unfortunately & disappointingly it was the latter.  There were many great things in the game but a slight lack imagination & some unutilised features stopped it from being all it could be.  It was not a bad game but if I had to sum the game up with one word it would be meh.

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End - Review

I recently finished the Drake's Uncharted Collection, so what's next?  Well naturally I need to test the power of the Playstation 4 & a great way to do that is to play the conclusion to the Uncharted Series. I remember the E3 trailers & watching some of the gameplay thinking, damn I want to play that.  For the most part I have enjoyed the Uncharted series, lots of great action, entertaining story & some great visuals.  That being said Drakes Deception really soured things for me,  not as much with regards to the story but the gameplay I felt was rather weak & was hoping a Thief's End would not make the same mistake.


Who likes pizza?  Everyone that's who.  When it comes to pizza I think its hard to have an out & an out bad pizza, mediocre sure but truly bad I don't think so.  Even a plain cheese pizza has it place especially if you have some sides with it.  Then there are truly awesome pizza's like Duck Hoisin. The pieces of meat are soft & both moist & dry, smothered in hoisin sauce, sprinkled with spring onion & cucumbers, even the thought of it makes my mouth water.   So playing Uncharted 4 I had to....sorry I will be right back I wanted to see if there was any Duck Hoisin pizza left from last night. No, no there was not, might have to go to the shop later, hmmm.   Anyway back on track, I had to decide while playing Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was I eating a mediocre pizza or one cover in duck, hoisin sauce & other goodness.

So, let's discuss the story a bit.  Two words; yes, yes - that is all.  Alright fine I will offer a little more detail.  The story is fantastic & as a whole is as close to perfect as you can get.  This time around the games focuses on Nate's past which deals a lot with his family.  The intrigue & mystery that is Nathan Drake's life is revealed more than it ever has before & really helps to answer some questions I had.


After a loss early in the game we see Nate 15 years later working for a salvage company, for lack of a better word he is now retired from his adventurous life.  We get to see what regular life looks like for him playing the chapter 'Normal Life'.  I found this to be great not only because of the story but it also gave you time to enjoy some the visual details that normally running around may cause you to miss.


As you can imagine Nate gets dragged back into the fray.  Unlike previous times it is not just about the glory, but how much is he willing to sacrifice in the process?  Nate is on the hunt for Henry Avery's treasure but he won't be alone,  I can't say much more than that as it would spoil the story for you.  The new bad guy is Rafe Adler, the problem I had with him is that he acted like an insolent child through out the game which made me really dislike him.  Being fair I think that was the idea but I guess I like my bad guys to be more....bad.


The story has a nice sprinkling of comedy from all characters especially from Nate himself & as we all know; once a wise ass always a wise ass.  Overall there were only a few minor bumps along the way.  I really liked the ending, including the epilogue.  Right, that's all your getting from me, story wise anyway.

Where do I begin when discussing the visual masterpiece that is this game?  The back drops are amazing & often breath taking.  The lighting & attention to small details is simply inspiring.  While I expected it to be better visually than Uncharted 3 I did not realise simply how much better it would be.


There are so many great things to discuss about the visuals, let's take for example the scuba diving chapter.  As you majestically traverse the ocean floor schools of fish pass you buy, the coral feels like it is bustling with life & as you glide over the seabed the sand is kicked up around you in a cloud.  It all looks so fantastic.  I really loved the art style used for the opening credits, watching it reveals the adventures Nate has had so far & made me feel nostalgic.  Madagascar was so visually impressive, the mix of terrain was beautiful I could barely believe I was playing a video game.


Normally I worry about revealing too many details about the story in my reviews but being honest this time I worry about discussing too much about how great the game looks.  If you own a Playstation 4 & haven't played it yet go out & buy it now.


This time around Henry Jackman helmed the musical score.  I think as a Thief's End was the conclusion in the series the studio wanted something more epic, well they got it.  Jackman has worked on many scores & has also worked closely with the legendary Hans Zimmer.  His works include; Captain America: Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Kong Island & the Kick-Ass movies.


There is heavy use of strings & horns to help create an action packed score.  Listening to the music again I could certainly hear the influences of some of the larger film scores Jackman has worked on.   Some of my favorite pieces included; 'A Thief's End', 'Lure of Adventure', 'Cut to the Chase', 'The Twelve Towers', 'New Devon' & 'Nate's Theme 4.0' which is a beautiful piece with some great piano work.


Additionally there is some music used during the Auction House mission which was really good & is described by one character as European Dub Step.  I have seen many posts online asking why it was not included on the soundtrack but perhaps they will add this in the future to a definitive edition.


There are some great sound effects in the game, my favorite is example of this is when Kid Drake is sliding down a roof & kicks a shingle loose.  The sound it makes when sliding down the roof & the breaking as it hits the ground is amazing.  These sound effects help give the game a very rich atmospheric feel.


I found the score to be truly enjoyable & is easily my favorite score of the year so far, it has an epic sound accompanied by some pieces that are simply beautiful.

Onto the awesomeness that is the gameplay.  How would I best describe it?  Balls out I think, think of Uncharted 2 but with so many extra balls you could fill 6 meatball foot long subs & still have balls left over.  That is how much balls the gameplay in A Thief's End has.


A lot of the issues I had up to this point with the series & more specifically with Uncharted 3 Drakes Deception have been well & truly quashed.  This time around Kid Drake's movements don't feel over exaggerated &  he even needs help from time to time getting to areas which feels more realistic.  The hand to hand combat is what it should have been previously; balanced, brutal & fun.  The journal this time felt useful & was actually used like one rather than being tacked on there for the sake of it.


There are new weapons & accessories including a grapple hook.  This is great not only for swinging across large areas but also for climbing, dragging objects & looking cool while shooting.  Switching weapons looks realistic & the aiming system is a lot more accurate.


While the gameplay overall is fantastic there are a few standout areas like; during the heist at the auction & the driving sequence in Madagascar - enter the unstoppable armoured truck.  There are less puzzles then before which I feel is a good thing & the ones that are there are much more enjoyable than in previous installments.


The big downer for me was Scotland, nothing against Scotland but some of the gameplay was not great, especially all the unnecessary sliding.  It may seem a small thing to complain about but when the rest of the gameplay was so great it really stood out as the weak link.  All in all though the gameplay was amazing & I am sure I will revisit the game at some point in the future.





So after 15 hours plus of the main campaign & finishing the final chapter in the series what did I think?  I thought it was fantastic & inspiring, it was all I could want from a sequel & more.  I am sad that this will likely be the last adventure I will have with Nate but we will always have El Dorado, Shambhala & Ubar.

Uncharted The Nathan Drake Collection - Review

After months of saving I finally bought the Playstation 4 PRO.  A few people have asked me why I waited so long to buy one as they know how much I love games, the honest answer is that I was happy with my XBOX One & had enough games to play on it.  However, over the last 4-6 months there have not been enough good exclusives to keep me occupied, whereas the Playstation 4 has so many.  I easily have 15 games that I already really want to play on the Playstation 4.  Bottom line, YAY!


So, you buy one of the most powerful consoles on the market & the first game you decide to play is Uncharted The Nathan Drake Collection, why?  Well, I really want to play a Thief's End & wanted a bit of context for the game as I have only really played Uncharted Golden Abyss on the PS Vita.  I also feel playing the other games would help give me a greater appreciation for the not only the series but for the new game as well.


I'm sure at this stage you have got used to me comparing food to video games, I sometimes wonder what that says about me?  Anyway here goes, while playing Uncharted The Nathan Drake Collection I had to ask myself was I eating a tasty KFC meal including sides & a drink or was I eating a kid's Happy Meal?

This time I have decide to do the review a little different, I'm going to discuss the highs & lows of each of the games but instead of giving final thoughts on each title I'm going to do one overall one.
It only makes sense as I am reviewing this game as a collection rather than just three separate games.
Let's get the ball rolling with Drakes Fortune.

How best to describe Nathan Drake (also known as Nate)?  He is a lovable rogue, mixed with parts Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, Prince of Persia & Nathan Fillion.  His partner in crime is Victor Sullivan better know as Sully.  He comes across as a little cold & ruthless to start with but slowly you see a different side to him & you get to see what Nate might become in the future.  Then there is the spunky reporter Elena Fisher, who is fishing for her big story (see what I did there...forget it) & is hoping that Nate' search for Sir Francis Drake's treasure will give her just that. She never shy's away from danger & is never afraid to wade into the thick of things.


The opening scenes show Nate & Elena finding Sir Francis Drake's coffin but what do they find inside?  Is it a body?  No, instead there is a notebook that indicates not only did Francis Drake fake his death but also seems that he may have found the City Of El Dorado.  Que bad guy Gabriel Roman who seems to be looking for City Of El Dorado too.  He is calm, collected, ruthless & British.


As always I wont reveal any more about the story but I will say this, it starts out interesting & full of promise but near the end it wains a lot.  Overall a promising story that become a little boring.

I won't be over critical of the visuals as the game is almost 10 years old but being honest it doesn't look bad.  The environments are interesting & colourful but sometimes lack detail. Some of the character movements look a little off, this is especially noticeable when Drake is swimming.  On the plus side the character designs & lighting effects look great.  I also really like how on occasion loose leafs will blow across your path. This may seem like a minor thing but it really helps make the environment seem more organic.


The music is composed by Greg Edmonson who has worked on movies & TV series including; Martian Law,  Lucky Town, Bounty Killer, King of The Hill the animated series & hold your breath, Firefly.  Him being a part of Firefly already makes him awesome, if you haven't watched the series & you like the idea of space bandits/cowboys/pirates then you will love the show - also watch Cowboy Bebop & Outlaw Star.


While listening to the soundtrack again the other day I could definitely hear the influence of Firefly. There is nice use of brass & pipe sounds to give a jungle like sound, it also helps to create a great feeling of action & exploration.  My favorite pieces included; 'Nate's Theme', 'Uncharted Island', 'Plane Wrecked', 'Drowned City', 'Treasure Vault'

Onto the tasty meat that is the game play.  I really liked that there were so many difficulty options to choose from, it reminded me some of the old school games & immediately made me think of replaying the game through at a later date on higher difficulties.


The weapons were fun but I wished there had been a greater variety of them. Grenades were easily my favorite weapon.  Explosions looked awesome & I love how enemies are often launched into the air from the force of them. While it may seem like a minor detail I really liked that some cover was destructible, I felt it added an intensity to the gameplay.  I liked the over dramatic deaths especially when enemies throw themselves in different directions.


There were however some negatives to the gameplay. Some areas looked climbable but aren't & often made the game feel very restrictive & linear.  Shooting while driving the jet ski I found to be a giant pain in the behind & was very happy when those sections were over.  As a whole though some very solid gameplay & I genuinely had fun.

by XMenouX on Deviant Art

The sequel doesn't pull any punches & had me hooked straight away, from the opening scene it's clear to see that Drake is already in a bad state.  Of course misery needs company & Sully returns, this time he feels a lot more fleshed out, he can be wise cracking & seems like he is a bit of ladies man. The bond between him & Drake is much more apparent than in the first installment & helped me invest in both characters more.  New comer Chloe Frazer help adds to the team dynamic; sassy, cheeky & maybe a little untrustworthy.  Of course I couldn't not mention Harry Flynn, who provides Nate with an offer he cannot refuse.  He is overly confident & I found him no where near as likable as the other characters.


This time you are on the hunt for Marco Polo's lost fleet, but why?  Well it's turns out Marco might of found the city of Shambhala (also known as Shangri-La) & perhaps may have take the Cintamani Stone which is a really massive sapphire - who doesn't want one of those?  Naturally Nate is not the only one looking for it, our bad guy this time is Zoran Lazarevic a badass to the extreme & makes Gabriel Roman look like a teddy bear by comparison, a really small one not those six foot tall ones, they are scary.


The darker story of the sequel is balanced well with light hearted moments & comic relief from the characters.  The story is very engaging & has a pretty good ending apart from the slightly annoying boss.

Without a doubt Among Thieves is a lot more visually impressive than Drake's Fortune.  This time around you get to experience Mountains, Jungles & Nepal.  The character designs look more refined, the snow looks realistic as you walk through & it is one of the many details like this that really make the game immersive.  It's hard to believe that Among Thieves was only released just two years after the original, the improvements on the visuals is remarkable.


Greg Edmonson brings his musical talents back for Among Thieves & this time with a more broader sound.  I found the music to be more noticeably present than in the original but this is not bad thing especially during action sequences.


The music this time around often had a more serious & somber tone which works well with everything that is happening in the story.  I really liked the heavier use of strings used this time around which was great for creating different atmospheres in the game.  My favorite pieces include; 'The City's Secret', 'Reunion', 'The Monastery' & the 'Gates of Shambhala'.

The game play was much improved over Drake Fortune, Nate is in the thick of it from the beginning & the action is definitely more frequent. The paths that can be taken aren't as obviously highlighted as before, handholds for example don't look as artificial & look more part of the background.

This installment focuses more on stealth & tactics, sometime this work really well, other times...not so much.  At it's core Among Thieves is an action adventure game.  I found the melee combos were more polished & the combat flowed a lot better. There is much more variety with weapons this time around, they also feel & handle much better.  The new running sections are a lot of fun along with feeling pretty intense.


There were not too many bad points but one of the biggest I felt was Nate's notebook. For the most part it seems pointless, I would prefer they either remove it as a feature or have Drake utilise it more.
While it seems a strange thing to complain about I just don't like things that seem pointless or under developed.  All in all though some great gameplay & a great improvement over the original.

by Nanaga on Deviant Art

This time around you get to see & play as kid Nate & you find out how he first meets Sully.  I like the way Naughty Dog have focused on the relationship between these two characters because in my mind there is no Nate without Sully.  There are familiar faces who return for the third installment there are also a few new ones.  Charlie Cutter is one of my favorite new characters; a geezer, a hard man & he doesn't like small spaces.  Nate opposing force this time is Katherine Marlowe & her right-hand man Talbot, they also seem to have a small army at their disposal.


The story this time returns to Sir Francis Drake & his secret Voyage to Arabia to find the lost city of Ubar.  Nate looks to follow in his foot steps but this time he seems to be more driven & slightly obsessive, something that those around him aren't afraid to point out.  Nate's struggle & need for answers seems more real than in the previous two installments, he isn't just doing it for thrill of it, he needs to do it.


There were some negatives to the story, I felt overall the the bad guys motivations seemed a little weak although they did help to flesh out his back story.  I also feel while it is not always necessary to answer every question it would have nice to see what happens to some of the other characters in the game.  The story is good but I felt Among Thieve did it better.

The visuals in the Uncharted series just keeps getting better & better, it makes me really excited to see what the next installment looks like.  Drake's Deception has even more varied backgrounds than previous installments & the desert areas looking fantastic. While the game looks great there are two areas that really showcase how impressive the game looks. One area is through a set of caves, it looks amazing the way daylight comes through at certain points & some parts are just jaw dropping. The second is later in the game & features a ship graveyard, I won't mention anymore that that but wow just wow.   Once again another visual spectacle.


Greg Edmonson returns for Drake Deception & with a new sound direction.  It is hard to fully put my finger on it but the score this time definitely sounds more deserty? Is that a word? Sounds likes a word.  It feels more fast paced & intense than the games were previously & utilises a more varied arrangement of instruments.


Some of my favorite piece were; 'Atlantis of the Sands', 'Badlands', 'Iram of The Pillars', 'Arachnophobia', 'Sink or Swim', 'Shootout'.  While it was a great score I couldn't help feeling Among Thieves was better.

Hmm what I can say about the gameplay?  Well it wasn't awful but certainly felt like a slight step backwards.  The fighting felt very loose, no real power in the movements & the close up camera angles helped to draw attention to this.  While there are more actions you can preform I didn't feel they greatly improved melee combat.  Kid Nate's movements felt wrong, he almost seems to be able to move faster & jump greater distances than his adult counterpart.  I know what you are thinking 'that is only natural he is a kid', the issue I had is that Nate's movements as an adult were often overly aggregated so the kid version came across as a little ridiculous.  The puzzles are a little annoying, in the previous games they were far & few between but now there is an over abundance of them that just feel unnecessary.  I feel maybe Naughty Dog took a lot of flack about the first two not having many & over compensated in this one.


While there are quite a few negatives there were many positives. Killing enemies stealthy or in close quarters results in a slight slow-mo & Nate stealing the enemies weapons or pulling a pin on their vest & kicking them out of harms before they blow up.  There are a number of new weapons that look & feel great, they have also improved the other weapons.  The drug sequences are pretty cool & are very trippy.  The chapters containing ships are fantastic, not only from an action perspective but also from a visual one.


Overall it was a mixed bag with the gameplay, the parts that were good were really good & the parts that were bad were, well really bad.  Not an unpleasant experience but I was hoping either for more of the same or more improvements but definitely did not expect to go backwards.

by JokerSyndrom on Deviant Art

So after 40 hours plus of playing I came to the end of it all & what did I think?  If I take it as one complete game then I would say that it was really good, with many great characters, stunning visuals, some great musical pieces & for the most part great gameplay.  However if I measured them as individuals games I don't think I would have been so kind.  As a whole the series has gotten better, aside from a few missteps & I'm certainly looking forward to playing A Thief's End.