The Evil Within - Review

I have never been huge into the horror genre, well at least with movies but with games, it's slightly different for me.  Perhaps it's the deeper level of engagement and control?  There are a number of standout horror titles for me; F.E.A.R. series, Until Dawn, Alan Wake, Condemned, and Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil 4.  Recently, my work brah Ivan offered to loan me The Evil Within developed by Tango Gameworks and published by Bethesda, I was intrigued so I said why not.


I love steak (yes I have used it before as an analogy but it's different this time).  There is never a bad time to eat steak unless you have just eaten steak and even then I can usually chow down another.  There is something challenging about a steak, especially a large one.  Imagine the slab of meat below all cooked up and you have to eat it all.  I mean if it is was there I would challenge myself to eat it, doesn't mean it wouldn't be a struggle or sweat a bunch, but could  I finish it all?  Playing The Evil Within I found myself asking could I devour this steak or was it more likely I would pass out?

Story


The story is starts out in an old mental asylum, a classic horror staple and immediately put me on edge.  The protagonist is Detective Sebastion Castellanos, who has had lost his wife and daughter, along for the ride is Detective Joseph Oda mild-mannered and the brains, then there is Detective Juli Kidman cold, distant and doesn't feel like part of the team.


I was stabbed, chainsawed, driven off a hillside, strapped to a bed, and molested by something that didn't look human, that was the first twenty-eight minutes of the game. The story is unrelenting and certainly does not want you to feel at ease.  The director of the game is Shinji Mikami who was the force behind Resident Evil 4.


The story is fantastic and constantly had me questioning the world I was in and what was real. Even after finishing the game I was still left curious, luckily there are three DLC which expands on the story...well two really.  'The Assignment' and 'The Consequence' focus on Detective Juli Kidman and what her role was in the story and what she was doing with everyone else was doing their thing.  It definitely adds more depth to The Evil Within world, and there are some shocking revelations in it. 'The Executioner' focuses on a dad trying to find his daughter but in honesty, it doesn't really add a lot to the overall story.

Visuals


Playing The Evil Within it reminded me of Resident Evil 4, not that they look the same but that feeling of constantly feeling encased by the darkness that could swallow you at any moment.  The enemies look human but are either a little twisted or completely deformed into something that left me genuinely creeped out.  One of the most interesting character designs was the Safe Head, which is exactly what it sounds like and also where a butcher's apron covered in blood - lovely.  There are a couple of areas where the sky is dark and the rain is heavily pouring down that felt so real it was almost like being in Sebastion's shoes.


Overall the visuals are eerie and quite unnerving, which is really what you want from a horror game.  However, The Evil Within manages to do it better than most which really is saying something considering the number of good horror games available.



Music


With a horror game having the perfect soundtrack is key and the soundtrack is certainly perfection. There is something about it that made my heart pound and that was without the visuals or gameplay.
The soundtrack is composed by Masafumi Takada, who created the sound for Shining Soul 2, God Hand, No More Heros and Vanquish to name but a few.

The soundtrack is short and sweet or terrifying depending on which way you look at it and runs at just shy of an hour.  My favorite tracks include; 'Clair De Lune (by Claude Debussy), 'Them', and 'Lurking In The Dark'.


Overall the soundtrack is great and certainly made my experience playing all that more terrifying.

Gameplay


Where to even begin?  Firstly, the game is a third-person horror, initially, you start with nothing but a knife, kind of like the first Assassins Creed. This makes things extremely challenging and I ended up dying more than a few times, normally this would be annoying but I liked the challenge.  Then you finally get some weapons which made me feel unstoppable, for all of five seconds.  The enemies get much faster, smarter and tougher and ammunition is in short supply so if you are going to pull the trigger you better hit something.  Most things can be upgraded by using brain goo? You sit in what can only be described as a torture chair, shocked and then you're upgraded.


The controls at times did feel a little awkward, for example when you are disarming a trap it takes ages to disarm it and it takes a second to stop and often run to avoid getting bludgeoned.  I didn't think too much about it until Ivan informed this was not done by accident and in an interview with Shinji Mikami, he confirmed it was intentional.  Detective Castellanos is far from the top his game and he has hit the bottle hard meaning sometimes even basic things can be tough, this is personified in the controls which I love.  It isn't broken controls due to oversight or poor planning but a very intentional effort to put you in the shoes of Detective Castellanos.


While the entire game is challenging (not in a Bloodborne or Dark Souls way) I was able to overcome everything with a little perseverance.  The only section that got a little frustrating was during the final chapter where there is an onslaught and with so little ammo it took me more than a few tries to get past it.


The DLC is a mixed bag.  'The Assignment' and 'The Consequence' focus on stealth more than anything else as you have no weapons for the most part.  It did feel frustrating at times especially after playing as Sebestation who has a small arsenal. 'The Executioner' on the other hand was a lot of fun, you play as a Dark Keeper (the guys with a safe for heads) in first-person.  All missions involve you beating the hell out of enemies, and you can upgrade yourself which was a lot of fun.


Overall the gameplay is amazing and manages to splice old school gaming with more modern games.  If you are up for a challenge this game is for you.




Final Thoughts

So, after nearly thirty hours did I manage to devour the oversized steak?  Yes, yes I did, even if I did gain a few pounds and sweat the same amount out of myself.  The story is intriguing and kept me hooked throughout, the visuals are creepy and cool, and the music is on another level.  The gameplay is frustrating good and certainly curious to see what has been done in the second installment.  This one gets a very solid 4 out of 5

Anthem - Review

At last years E3 (or maybe the year before) BioWare announced their new game, Anthem. The idea of going around in an Iron Man suit appealed to me a lot.  When the game was released this year it got a lot of flack and I had other games to play (as I always do) so let it fall by the wayside.  Recently, Sinisa, one of my favorite technicians at work, let me know that Anthem was on sale for €10 on sale in Smyths. Naturally, I did not have to spend much time debating about the purchase.


Does anyone remember having Nerds as a kid?  Coloured, sugary balls of E numbers. They weren't really nice but at the same time, I couldn't get enough of them. I had a friend, Harry, in secondary school, and one day while waiting for his mum to pick us up he ate a whole box of them in minutes. The results were amazing, he puked hard and in multicolor like a rainbow.  It makes me wonder when they depict unicorns with rainbows coming out their mouths have they simply eaten too many Nerds? Playing Anthem I wondered was I going to be puking like a unicorn?

Story

BioWare has always been well known for its great storytelling abilities, interesting characters and dialogue choices that could really shape the game.  This is all largely absent from Anthem.  The game features you and a bunch of Freelancers who are wearing suits called Javelins.  There is something called the Anthem that seems to be almost alive, if someone can control it then they could remake the world.  There are also artifacts that need to be kept in check so they don't destroy the world. A load Freelancers go to take on a major artifact and it goes badly.  The story from that point is about trying to go back and finish the job.  

There are many characters in the games but I didn't feel invested in them, with the exception of Mathais, a historian/archaeologist/scientist type. He's the only one whose storyline provoked enough interest that he was memorable at all. Conversations and the answers you choose seem to have no bearing on what happens at all.

Overall the story feels like an unfinished novel, there are some interesting parts that could offer potential if only BioWare bothered to finish it, and it smacks of an incomplete EA release to get as much money as early as possible.

Visuals

While the story is lacking BioWare have at least tried to provide some great visuals. The world you traverse is full of lush forests and some cavernous places.  In 4K they look really good and the Javelins themselves are very detailed.  The character designs are pretty good and for the most part, it feels like you are interacting with an actual person rather than just an NPC.

Overall the visuals look great, the only thing lacking is a bit more variety with the world itself, one area can look very much like another - all high cliffs and lush forests with some rocky terrain. Different times of day would have added to this as well, missions at night perhaps.

Music

The soundtrack has an almost cinematic sound to it, featuring lots of strings, a choir, and the occasional electro sound. The music is composed by Sarah Schachner responsible for; Assassin Creed Origins and Unity, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019.

The soundtrack runs at just shy on ninety minutes.  My favorite tracks include; 'Strong Alone, Stronger Together', 'The Monitor', 'The Titan', 'Outlaw Ambush', and 'The Chimera'.

Overall the soundtrack is good but not quite as strong as Schachner's work in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019.

Gameplay

There is so much to discuss, so let's get it into it.  The game can be played solo, in co-op or with up to three other players. There are four types of Javelin, Colossus, Storm, Interceptor, and Ranger. Each with their own specialties and you can unlock all of them as you level up.  They each feel quite different and each provides a slightly different experience. The javelins can be fully upgraded, from weapons to appearance.  Weapons can be collected or crafted but for the most part, crafting isn't really necessary.  The javelins each have a power number and can increase as you add better equipment and weapons.

The enemies are varied and while a large number of them can feel a little intense at times it never feels hard even when the difficulty is on hard. There are only a few bosses in the game which are fun to be fair and offered more of a challenge.  By far the most challenging areas are the Strongholds which offer lots of enemies and even more experience points.  It was this element of the game that really kept me wanting to play more and is a really great co-op game. I suspect if I hadn't been playing it with my Nollsy, I wouldn't have gotten nearly as much enjoyment out of it, and she felt the same. Co-op is really the thing that saved the overall experience.

Okay now for the bad.  The load times are horrendous, which is made even worse through the matchmaking element which nearly takes as long. With side missions especially they can be completed so quickly that you can spend at least a third of your time waiting for the game to load.  This part of the game needs a massive overhaul and hopefully, be fixed in BioWare big redesign/update.

Once the game has been completed you can play missions on Legendary difficulty and take on all manner of challenges.  It because of things like this that I will keep going back and playing more of the game.

Overall the gameplay has a lot of work to make it all it could be, that being said I can't enough of playing it!

Final Thoughts

So, after twenty-plus hours how did I feel? Confused.  The story is far from epic, the visuals are pretty good but could use more variety, the music was good.  The gameplay is addictive even though it really needs work.  It is really tough to rate this one, I like giving round numbers so this one gets a 3 out of 5

Gears 5 - Review

I have been a fan of Gears of War since the beginning so I feel compelled to play each and every one of them that has come out.  Gears of War 4 wasn't bad but definitely did not excite as much as the previous games in the series.  Perhaps this was due to Epic Games not being at the helm and instead Canadian based game's developer The Coalition taking the reins.  Naturally, I wanted to play Gears 5 but was slightly dubious, one day I thought to hell with it I'm just going to buy it and give it a go.


Oreos is something I have had a mixed relationship with.  Their normal cookies are a little dry but still tasty, the white chocolate covered ones are amazing! Then there are the new Oreo bites mixed with Cadbury's chocolate.  Initially, I was unsure but quickly I found myself really drawn to them and alas before long the bag was empty.  Playing Gears 5 I found myself asking what kind of relationship would I have it, would it be dry but manage to stay tasty or was it so it going to be my new addiction?

Story


Gears of War 4 saw the return of any long since dead and the world still very much in the process of being rebuilt.  In Gears 5 you get to see civilization like never before in New Ephyra.  The COG have grown strong again and their new city is definitely a testament to that.  The story heavily focuses on Kait, her mother, and her family. She won't be doing it alone though she will have JD, Del, Fahz, and Jack watching her back.  The story sees the all-powerful Hammer of Dawn brought online, however, this quickly goes bad. Shortly after this Kait leaves the group along with Del to try and find out who she really is and why she keeps getting visions. It seems that the Locust are back and this time they want to stick around.  Right, that's all you get, no spoilers!


Overall the story is amazing, I felt a real bond with all the characters and what happened to them mattered to me. The story starts a little slow but after that, it kicks into first gear and there is no stopping it.  One of the best Gears of War stories since Gears 2.

Visuals


The visuals are very different in Gears 5 and Gears of War 4, there is more color used in the game, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The series has always focused on darkness, which I have always really liked.  That being said I really like the new art direction, the visuals are more detailed than before and it very much feels a new world.  The enemies are more detailed, the armor you wear looks more impressive and is generally just pleasing to look at it.  I like the new art direction but only hope that Gears 6 (they are totally making another one) does not go the way of New Dawn which feels way too colorful.


Overall the visuals are very impressive and have helped create a very new feeling world which is the fresh coat of paint the series needed.



Music


I'm not going to beat around the bush, the soundtrack is amazing.  Each track has this underlying somber tone but in the foreground, it has a very 'keep fighting, keep pushing forward' feeling. Which suits the game perfectly as that is what the whole campaign is about.  The soundtrack was composed by the amazing Ramin Djawadi.  He has an impressive body of work and scored the soundtracks for; Iron Man, Pacific Rim, Game of Thrones, Person of Interest, Medal of Honor and Gears of War 4.


Listening to the soundtrack again I realized that I did not have a favorite track, I loved them all.  The soundtrack is probably one of the most impressive if not the most impressive in the Gears of War franchise. It worked so well and really hope Ramin Djawadi returns for Gears 6.

Gameplay


The gameplay, where do I even start?  Let's starts with weapons, they feel better, more accurate and overall more satisfying when using them.  In fact, I almost forgot to use the classic chainsaw attached to the Lancer as I was having fun trying the other weapons. Jack is back, your little robot friend, but this time he is badass.  He can be upgraded with components and modules, he has your back and is much a teammate as anyone else in the group.  He can attack enemies, heal the team and use a variety of special abilities. Not happy with how you have upgraded him? No problem, respec him without any penalties.


The cover system feels more dynamic, this time it does not just have small barricades but multilevel ones that are often very destructible so don't get too comfortable. It made the gameplay more challenging and forces you to engage with the environment more.


The enemies go from straight forward to bordering on brutal. A new addition is The Warden, super armored, can only be shot in the head and carries maces that will annihilate you if you are not too careful.  There are many more new enemies each looking to wipe you out.  The AI seems to adapt more than in previous games in the series meaning you have to be always focused and not get careless.


There is now an element of exploration to the game, you can use a skiff which basically a retro-looking jetski with a sail attached to it.  Exploring means more fights, but also more rewards which are pretty cool. I made sure to go everywhere I could just to see what might be on offer.


Similar to the other games in the series there are collectibles in the world including COG tags, documents, and history about the old and new world.


Overall the gameplay is awesome and while sometimes fights felt almost unwinnable a little bit of patience and tactics went a long way to beating certain sections of the game.





Final Thoughts

So, after twenty-five how did I feel?  Amazing!  The story was great and there was a real feeling of being part of a team rather than just lifeless AI.  The visual was new, different and exciting and brought a new element to the series.  The music was perfect!  The gameplay was challenging but a little work and you would be just fine.  I can't wait to play this in co-op with Nolls in the future, I think we will have a blast with it.  Overall this one gets a delectable and tasty 5 out of 5