Deliver Us The Moon - PlayStation 4 Review

 

Deliver Us The Moon has been on my to playlist for a while, after just completing Metroid Samus Returns on the 3DS I really wanted to stick my teeth into a console game. What attracted me to the game is the intense name and that it reminded me of Observation (available on the Epic Games Store) which was a fantastic game. With my spacesuit on I was ready to play Deliver Us The Moon.

Sometimes for lunch, I can't quite decide what to eat. At those times I might go for something noodle based. I recently tried Naked Noodles, they were not as bad Pot Noodles and tasted pretty good, but the whole time I felt something was missing? Where is the meat? Now they are called Naked Noodles so I knew what I was letting myself in for, that being I thought they would be better. Playing Deliver Us The Moon I found myself asking is there something missing?

Story 

The story is set in the not too distant future, the Earth has depleted almost all sources of energy and the planet is quickly turning into a wasteland. But there is hope, The Moon. It contains Helium-3 that could provide enough energy for the Earth for decades to come. Quickly a base is set up on the moon along with an ingenious way to transport it to Earth. For a time it was great and then they lost communication with the moon and stopped getting Helium-3. The Earth looks doomed once more until a small group manage to get enough resources together and send one person to the moon to try and fix everything, that person is you.

Overall the concept is really interesting, and while there were moments that were interesting it always felt like it needed to be fleshed out a little more is wasn't really until near the end of the day that I started connecting with the story. It is not a bad story, it isn't great.

Visuals

The game is powered by the Unreal Engine and the visuals are pretty solid. The setting is bleak and is hard to make the moon itself look that exciting. That being said I did really enjoy my time roaming around it. The manmade buildings on the moon feel futuristic, not crazy Ironman technology but certainly up there. One of my favourite areas visuals was the reactor, it felt impressive and a little scary.

Overall the visuals are pretty solid, nothing standout but nothing to complain about either.

Music

The music used in the game is by far one of the strongest elements. It feels like a cross between classic and electronic music turning into a powerful symphony. The composer is Sander van Zanten, this is his first video game score to date and is a great debut. I went onto his website and read something that resonates with me and is why I love video game music:

"Music serves a twofold purpose within games; it reinforces a games world-building and it set the mood. Done correctly, this results in a more engaging and enthralling game experience: music makes the fictional worlds of video games come to life."

Overall the soundtrack is phenomenal and is well over three hours in length, strangely while I am sure it was not intentional (or maybe it was) the sound create an ASMR effect and even fell asleep to it the other night.

Gameplay

The gameplay is a mix of exploration and puzzle-solving. The game, for the most part, feels like a rail shooter giving little opportunity to explore. The puzzle element can be fun and most can be completed in a few minutes. As the game progress, you pick up a little robot friend who I grew quite fond of and not just because he could reach areas that I could not.

There are no enemies as such apart from some evil Roombas, there are no weapons and outside of your robot pal and a laser, there are no other tools. The laser is used to open seals and cut cables and the robot can essentially help open doors that are inaccessible to you.

There are little mini-games where you need to align towers which is quite fun and tough especially near the end game. One of the biggest parts of the game is finding evidence of what happened on the moon and other miscellaneous bits and pieces.

Overall there is nothing particularly bad about the gameplay it is just a little lacking. It can't really truly be called an exploration game and does not have enough puzzles to be called a puzzle game either. If the developers had put more time into one element or the other it would have been a more enjoyable and engaging experience.

               

Final Thoughts 

So, after eight hours how did I feel?  Underwhelmed. The story was okay but a little lacking, the visuals were solid but far from exciting. The music was the highlight of the game and if the other elements had been as strong it would have been a fantastic game. The gameplay was okay but very limited. If I was describing the game as colour it would be grey. This one just managed to slide in with a 3 out of 5

Carrion - PC Review

 

Early last year developer Phobia Game Studios and publisher Devolver Digital revealed a game called Carrion. Essentially you are alien/experiment that breaks containment in a lab that has to kill and attack the scientists and soldiers inside. The gritty and pixelated visuals had me hooked along with the gameplay itself. While I wasn't familiar with Phobia Game Studios, Devolver Digital has a keen eye for games so was more than willing to try it.

Many, many years ago I used to work for Super Valu as a teenager (dark days). Before work each day I would run home and throw on a frozen curry first. They looked pretty good and I like curries, at first, it seems okay but then it becomes tasteless and an unappealing and end up being just pure substance. In reality, it was just a sad excuse for a curry and fooled myself into thinking it was even in the same league as a real one. Playing Carrion I found myself asking was this a real tasty curry or was I just eating a frozen one trying to fool myself?

Story

The opening scene is focused on a containment unit marked with a biohazard symbol. Inside is an experiment or perhaps a being from another world. Its mission (and also yours) is to destroy anything that stands in your way, become stronger and try to find a way out.

Overall the story does not provide much detail but that is okay, the only downside for me was the ending which felt a little underwhelming.

Visuals

The visuals are intense and gritty, not only the look of the creature with its many tentacles but the dark underground you navigate. While there are different areas within the facility you are imprisoned some of the areas can feel the same, the greatest strength of the visuals is also its greatest weakness. It can get extremely tiresome on your eyes and made me reminisce of when I got the GameBoy first and if the light was low in the room at all it could be a real struggle.

Overall the visuals are good but the only way to play the game is in short bursts, trying to play it a single sitting would just be a little too much (I played it over two sittings). 

Music

The music to me can be best described as a horror scape, spine chilling sounds, creeping danger and music you may hear in a horror to create a tense atmosphere and let you know the bad guy is coming. But what happens when you are the bad guy?  Instead of it being scary it becomes exhilarating, and for me could be compared to the feeling I get from listening to the music used in the latest instalment in the Doom series. The music is created by American composer Cris Velasco, who has worked on and created the music for; Darksiders, Mass Effect, Assassins Creed Unity Dead Kings, Bloodbourne and Borderlands to name but a few.

The soundtrack runs just shy of being an hour, and features a number of great tracks including; 'The Hunger', 'What's Yours Is Mine', 'AMD (Armoured Tech Drone), 'Metamorphosis IV' and 'Attack Of The Peacekeepers'. Overall a great soundtrack with really good sound effects.

Gameplay

The game is a side-scrolling horror game with some Metroidvania style gameplay. The game starts you escaping from a containment unit before killing and absorbing a few scientists. As you consume so shall you grow and the more hideous and horrifying you become. 

There are a number of abilities that can be unlocked in the game by finding other containments units scattered throughout the facility. The creature undergoes a number of metamorphoses, each time unlocks new abilities. Interestingly it is sometimes necessary to reduce your mass to get through certain areas which is quite interesting and unique to the best of my knowledge.

The save points are pretty frequent so you never need to worry too much if you die and later on you will, a lot. The enemies start with handguns and get's a lot tougher. The biggest downside for me was the lack of a map, so try to remember which areas you need to revisit and where exactly they are located can be tough. Including this feature would have made Metroidvania elements more fun.

Overall the gameplay is good, the only downside is the lack of a map.

Final Thoughts

Soooooo, after eight hours of playing how did I feel? Mixed. The story has an interesting concept but fizzles out, the visuals are great but become really tough on the eyes after a relatively short time. The music is really good, the gameplay is pretty strong and was certainly interesting getting to play as the bad guy. Overall, this one get a 3 out of 5

Metroid Samus Returns 3DS

 

Last year my kind little Starfish (known by other people as Nollaig) purchased me Metroid Samus Returns on the 3DS for Christmas. I was looking forward to playing it for a long time and while I started it last year it ended up falling to one side, until recently. 

I like Pringles, so many different flavour options, in the last few years they have added even more. Some of the flavours are good, some not so much. I recently tried their Katsu Curry flavour, the first few were okay but was not sure I wasn't fully sold on it but quickly I ended up consuming the entire can. Playing Metroid Samus Returns on the 3DS I found myself asking was it this actually tasty or was the flavour just not for me?

Story

One of my favourite games in the Metroid series is Zero Mission, which is a remake of the original Metroid. Samus Returns on the 3DS is a remake of Metroid 2 on the Gameboy. The story sees the bounty Samus Aran sent to the planet SR388 to investigate the disappearance of a reconnaissance unit.  It is time for Samus to suit up and take on the Space Pirates and the Metroids again. 

Overall the story is fun and simple. I have always been drawn to the Metroid series due to the setting and gameplay, the story is just the icing on the cake and I don't need much icing.

Visuals 

The visuals look really good, and unlike many 3DS games where the 3D can be so-so in the case of Samus Returns it looks awesome. The different areas you visit are mostly under the surface of the planet and features a lot of caves and caverns, along with lava pits of death and the familiar Chozo statues that hold your next coveted power up. 

Overall the visuals look good, and while some areas can look a little samey Nintendo has done a lot to set it apart from the original release on the Gameboy.

Music

There is something very classic Nintendo when it comes to the Metroid music, it could never be mistaken for another series, and Samus Returns is no different. The music always has a retro sound even the newer games in the series and remakes. The soundtrack is created by Japanese composer Daisuke Matsuoka, who works include; Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Super Smash Brothers on Wii and 3DS.

The score is just over an hour, or two depending on which version you find online (I went for the longer version). There are some great tracks, my favourites being; 'Title', 'Samus Appearance Jingle', 'Item Obtained', 'Alpha Metroid', 'Area 1 Caverns', 'Diggernaut Chase', 'Verses Diggernaut' and 'Verses Proteus Ridley (Phase 1-3)'. Overall a fun soundtrack steeped in nostalgia.

Gameplay

Metroid Samus Returns is a 2D/3D side-scrolling game. Any fan of the series will be used to the format of the game. At a Metroid games core; explore an area, if come across something you need a power-up for, move onto another area, later on, once you get the power-up return to the area. This type of gameplay not only pushes the player to explore but gives a reason to go back to areas already visited to try and get 100% completion.

As Samus traverses the planet there will be the opportunity to upgrade your health, power-ups and missiles. New (for me anyway) is the ability to activate abilities for a time such as; rapid-fire, increased protection and one that allows you to reveal the map around you including hidden areas. 

Samus has a ton of great weapons, my favourites being the morph ball and the full upgrades three-way laser beam. The accuracy of weapons is great and taking a moment to aim helps you use a lot less ammo. 

The areas are littered with enemies, while most of them are fine there are some poor ones most notably the bosses themselves. The bosses repeat themselves, a lot, and while I can only imagine it must be difficult to come up with so many different devices in my opinion less is more. There are some cool bosses later but not enough to make up for the repetition of the earlier ones.

Overall the gameplay is classic fun Metroid, and while the repetition of bosses could be annoying it wasn't a deal-breaker either.

Final Thoughts 

So, after thirty hours how did I feel? The story is nothing exciting (apart from near the end), visuals and music are great. The gameplay is awesome with very little to complain about overall. This one gets a solid 4 out 5

Shadow Tactics: Blades Of The Shogun - Review

 

A couple of years ago a friend loaned me a copy of Shadow Tactics: Blades Of The Shogun by Mimimi Games, sadly it kept having issues running on my computer. Unfortunately, I ended up forgetting about it until I recently saw it on sale in the PlayStation Store. The thing that drew me to the game is that it reminded me of years ago when I used to play Commandos. Wanting to feel a little nostalgia from my childhood I decided to purchase it.

Growing up something I really loved eating was toasted peanut butter sandwichs, the combination of toasted bread, crunchy peanut butter, and some additional butter to go with the peanut butter. It was simple, tasty, and went well with a glass of milk. I have had them since and I am still taken back to my childhood. Playing Shadow Tactics: Blades Of The Shogun I found myself asking was nostalgia a good enough reason to try something and would it feel as good as when I was a child. 

Story

The game is set during the Edo period, after years of turmoil and war, Japan is finally united due to Shogun. There seems to be a growing conspiracy to destroy this peace and the only name whispered is Kage-sama. The Shogun assigns Oshiro Mugen, a trusted samurai, to investigate and stop this new threat to Japan. He gathers four allies in his mission, ninjas Hayato and Aiko, a thief named Yuki, a crack shot and gunsmith Takuma and his fluffy tanuki companion. Things grow ever darker as the story unfolds, and you start wondering will five allies be enough to halt the unstoppable force. 

Overall the story is fantastic and had me hooked from start to finish. Watching the characters develop was really interesting and added a lot of depth to the game, some points in the story are really gut-wrenching. 

Visuals 

There are many great backdrops in the game, there are beautiful lush forests, flowing lakes and busy towns. There are no two levels that look the same, and each provides a lot of diversity from both a visual perspective and a gameplay one. The character models are good but could certainly use a little polish as the game looks a lot older than four years old. The only other trouble I had is sometimes it was difficult to see my character and had to pan the camera around and zoom in to get the perfect angle.

Overall the visuals are good and while they could use some polish and a little bit of camera work it definitely wasn't a deal-breaker for me.

Music

The music for the game has a beautiful oriental feel to it and one I enjoyed listening to multiple times. The music is created by German composer Flippo Beck Peccoz, who worked on; Desperados 3, Growrilla, Light On Earth and Fox N Forest to name but a few.

The soundtrack runs at almost ninety minutes, and not a moment of it is wasted. The soundtrack is perfect for the game and for me was one of the highlights of the game as a whole.

Gameplay

The gameplay is a top-down strategy and anyone familiar with playing Commandos will easily see the comparison. Mimimi games have created a modern-day Commandos with an Edo Period backdrop. The game has you command five units, with unique skills across a campaign of thirteen missions. Some missions you will only have two or three of the units other times the whole squad. What makes a game like Shadow Tactics: Blades Of The Shogun so great is that there multiple ways to complete each level. Most levels took me one hour to, well, quite a few hours, others online seemed to finish some missions in as little as twenty minutes!

Each level has a main mission and submissions that will generally help make the final objective easier. While the game is very much a strategic one the strategy employed is entirely up to you. For me, Yuki was one of my favourite characters has her trap skill was great for thinning out enemies and was handy with a knife. That being said all of them are very good in their own way. The game allows you to see how far the enemies vision goes with a press of a button, this is invaluable throughout the game. The next most important thing is the Shadow Mode which allows you to coordinate your entire squad and execute a plan at the same time, it can really change a mission.

One of the most things in the game is that if you are going to kill someone make sure to hide the body afterwards as the last thing you want is an alarm going off. If you do set off alarms it will cause more soldiers to appear on the map, stealth is optional, but also advisable.

Overall the gameplay is fantastic, my only regret is that I played in on PlayStation 4 rather than PC as it would have likely improved the fluidness of the game.

Final Thoughts

So, after almost forty hours how did I feel? Pretty damn good! The story was solid, had a lot of heart and certainly hooked me. The visuals were one of the weaker elements of the game, but that isn't to say they were bad overall. Whatever shortcoming the visuals may have had were certainly made up by the solid soundtrack and gameplay.  Overall this one gets a 4 out of 5

Tearaway - Review

 

Back in 2013 Tearaway was released on the PlayStation Vita, I remember playing the demo and while it piqued my curiosity it never completely sucked me in. Recently, my brah Ivan was getting rid of a few games and one of them was Tearaway. I really like the PS Vita and had not played it in a while and thought why not give it a proper go.

Growing up I loved jelly, it was brightly coloured, when you shake it it jiggles, has a simple yet satisfying taste what's not to like?  As I grew up I stopped liking it, the simple colours and jiggles just didn't do it for me. I think I just grew out of jelly. Playing Tearaway I wondered did it taste like when I was a kid or how it does now as an adult?

Story

The game has you take on the role of Iota a messenger from a world where everything is made from paper. Iota's head is made from an envelope that carries a message that needs to be carried to the sun. The sun is made of paper but in the middle of it is you. When I say you I really mean it, the game uses the PS Vita camera to make you then sun which is quite fun. There are little pieces of paper called scraps trying to stop you from reaching you.  Along the way there will many creatures looking for your help, a number of them are optional but does make things more interesting.

Overall the story is simple but sometimes feels like it trying to be bigger than it really is, which seemed kind of strange. It felt like animated movies that are aimed at kids but try to throw in an adult theme that never quite hits the mark.

Visuals 

The visuals in the game are really interesting, everything is made from paper, like South Park but not as much fun. That's harsh, I mean it is fun to look at but in a different way. It's very cutesy, small squirrels, and crazy looking creatures, the downside is that due to the world being created it can all feel very flat even in a three-dimensional world. Some of the visuals elements that I really liked was when you could push your finger into the world (use the back panel of the PS Vita), sometimes used to move something or to bounce Iota up into other areas of the world.  The end sections of the game get very otherworldly and definitely a positive change from the sometimes overly cutesy world, I only wish there had been more sections like it.

Overall the visuals while interesting lost there appeal fairly quickly, in my opinion in a game where there isn't a lot of story, it is important the other elements help balance it out.

Music

The music reminded of a cross between Bagpuss and a kids TV show, sometimes creepy and dark, other time light and fun. The soundtrack was composed by Scottish composer Kenneth Young, Canadian Composer Brian D'Oliveria and British composer Ed Hargrave. Between them they have worked on the music for; Little Big Planet, Heavenly Sword, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Resident Evil VII Biohazard.

The soundtrack runs at over an hour and while there are many tracks within it there was nothing that really wowed or excited me which is a shame as I really enjoy video game music. Overall the soundtrack was a little underwhelming.

Gameplay

While there are certainly a lot of weaknesses in the game the gameplay is not one of them. Iota is fairly simple to control, he can jump, pick up and throw, which at least in the beginning is all you need. As the game unfolds it utilises many features of the PS Vita such as the camera and touch panel to manipulate objects to help Iota navigate the world. Die is not an issue as you have an infinite number of lives and the checkpoints are fairly frequent.

A big thing you can do in the game is craft items using pen and paper and cut them out. Sometimes creatures in the game will ask you to make them a hat, a face, eyes or even some gloves. It is fun but as a fairly non-crafty person it didn't excite me a huge amount but for people more crafty than myself or younger people it would likely be tons of fun.

The world sometimes has shiny surfaces with fingerprints on them, these can be used to open gifts or help unlock new areas or platforms. This was particularly fun in faster-paced areas as it required you to be quick on the mark.

Overall the gameplay and while the crafty parts were not for me personally for many others it would no doubt be very appealing.

Final Thoughts

So, after nearly seven hours how did I feel?  A little underwhelmed, the game got a lot of positive write-ups at the time but when you look at Zelda The Phantom Hour Glass which utilized all the elements of the 3DS it did it a lot better than Tearaway. The story was simple but sometimes felt the story was trying to be more than it was, like a child wearing trying to get away wearing their parent's clothes. The visuals while interesting at first glance quickly became mundane until the latter areas of the game. The music was far from exciting, so it was bad is unfair, to say it was good might be pushing it. The gameplay was the most exciting element of the game but was not enough on its own to make up for its shortcoming.  Perhaps this game was simply designed for a younger generation than me and if that's the case fair enough, but if it was designed to attract all ages it failed. This one slips in with a 3 out of 5

Titanfall 2 - Review

 

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

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

Story

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

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

Visuals

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

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

Music

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

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

Gameplay

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

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

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

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

 

Final Thoughts

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

Ghost of Tsushima - Review

 

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

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

Story

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

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

Visuals

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

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

Music

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

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

Gameplay

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  

Final Thoughts

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

Elite Dangerous - Review

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

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

Story

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

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

Visuals

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

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

Music

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

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

Gameplay

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts

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

Jotun Valhalla Edition - Review

Last year I played Sundered Eldritch Edition by Canadian based Thunder Lotus Games. It was a phenomenal game, part horror, and part Metroidvania, to me it was a perfect game. It had a great story, beautifully hand drawn visuals, an epic soundtrack along with challenging gameplay that toed the line between difficult and hair pullingly frustrating. The only downside about the whole experience is that I didn't buy the physical copy when it was released by Limited Run Games.


I love chocolate, but then again who doesn't? In the last five to ten years I have really started getting into Oreos, I tried so many varieties of them and there are few I did not like. A couple of months back I tried Cadbury's Oreo Mint Chocolate, it combined three things I love; chocolate, mint and Oreos, little to say I loved it. I didn't think it was possible to enjoy any of those parts any more than I already did but somehow combining these great things made them even greater. Playing Jotun I found myself asking was this the perfect combination of great ingredients?

Story


Jotun comes from Scandinavian Mythology and means a member of the race of giants and enemy of the Gods. The game follows Thora a Norse Warrior who is killed at sea when a storm destroys her ship. Unfortunately, dying of old age or as Thora did is considered an inglorious death and means you are unable to get into Valhalla. She is given a second chance and must defeat five Jotun and impress the Gods. Thora discusses the different areas she visits and how she came to be on that ship and her family.


Overall the story is intriguing and left me wanting to read more into Norse Mythology. A well developed story that had me care not only who Thora is but also her journey to try and reach Valhalla.

Visuals


No matter what I say about the hand-drawn visuals in Jotun it will not do them or the artists that created them justice.  The cave area feels so enclosed and treacherous, and Fe the cave boss looks amazing. Two of my favourite Jotun were Hagalaz who controls lightning and on first look seems fairly innocuous but that changes quickly. Then there is Kaunan who is a fiery smith who is the most overbearing enemy and really gave me pause.


Overall the visuals are up there as some of my most favorite and can't wait to see more games in the future from Thunder Lotus Games.


Music


The soundtrack is easily as epic as Lord of The Rings and in my opinion better, I am already listening to it for the third time today.  The music when exploring the levels differs in intensify to those of the boss fights and make each track really stand out on it's own. The score is composed by Canadian Maxime Lacoste-Lebuis, who worked on Thunder Lotus Games Sundered.


The soundtrack comes in at around an hour and there is not a single second wasted. It is by far my favorite soundtrack I have listened to this year. There is no point beating around the bush I love all the tracks and gun to my head I can't pick a favorite one. Overall the soundtrack is magnificent and even during boss fights I found the soundtrack helped keep in the zone and focused.

Gameplay


The gameplay moves between exploration and boss fights. Because of this, the boss fights feel more intense and the exploration feels more relaxing. Thora is equipped with her mighty axe which has a light and heavy attack. Then she has her roll ability, which saved my life more than a few times. Each new area you explore offers the chance to gain new abilities, improve them and increase your health bar.  Thor's Hammer was one of my favorites and can really help major damage, use it at the right time and you can really turn the tide of battle.


The boss battles are well balanced and offer a good challenge that while often tough feel achievable. Hagalaz was one of the first Jotun I took on and to me is still one of the toughest, maybe it's because he seems unassuming at first or because he can create two of himself, or maybe it was that I had to really focus on his attack patterns and my own. In case the battle was intense and defeating him was all the more satisfying.


Overall the gameplay is fantastic, well balanced and hugely enjoyable. Once you have completed the game Valhalla mode opens, give you the chance to have all abilities and upgrades and take on the Jotun again but this time much tougher.





Final Thoughts

So, after six hours how did I feel?  Pretty damn good! An intense and fun experience. The story was great, the visuals were beyond amazing, the soundtrack is one I will listen to again and again, and the gameplay was perfect.  Overall this one is a slam dunk and easily gets a 5 out of 5

Streets of Rage 4 - Review

I have been so excited for Streets Of Rage 4 to be released. I wanted a physical copy so made sure to order it from Limited Run Games. It has been over a quarter of a century since Streets of Rage 3 was released, and the series was one of my favourites growing up. I expected it would be weird playing it on the PlayStation 4 as previously I had only played it on the Mega Drive. It finally arrived last week and I could not be more eager to play a game.


In the nineties when I lived in London I went to Beanos in Croydon (long since closed) with my best friend at the time Dave. Beanos was a great music shop which managed to be small and large at the same time, it was like a mini-tower. On the top floor, there was a large TV that played movies and a couch. They sold American chocolate and made fresh milkshakes and malts. This was the first time I tried Hershey's Cookies N Creme, it was amazing. All these years on when I have one I still have fond memories and still tastes good. While playing Streets of Rage 4 I found myself asking was it just nostalgia or was it still tasty?

Story


27 years ago Mr X was finally defeated once and for all by Axel, Blaze, and the gang. The city experienced peace once more until a new syndicate took control, this time led by the children of Mr X -  Mr and Ms Y. Axel and the gang must take to the streets and take down these new powerful foes. This time sees the return of characters like Adam and Max, along with the introduction of new characters like Cherry (Adam's daughter) and Floyd - a beefcake with bionic arms.


Overall the story is pretty straight forward and simple with a few 'ooooo' moments. I really loved the story especially the fact they played homage to the previous games.

Visuals


When I first watched the trailers for Streets of Rage 4 I was unsure about the art style. I had gotten so used to the 16-bit graphics from the Mega Drive it was hard to process this new art style initially. Quickly that faded, I really like the new look, it was fresh but also had an old school feel. The levels are so vibrant and colourful, the characters look new but also so familiar. Honestly, I could not have asked for more.  Even the older bulky looking Axel looked perfect and made sense, I think the only character that did not really age was Blaze. Even the animation for attacks look fantastic, just look at the images above and below. One of my favourite looking levels was one where you are in a glass elevator which is really intense, along with being on top of a train watching the city go by.


Overall I have zip/zero to complain about, the game looks great and is a great addition to the series.



Music


I cannot overstate this but I loved the Streets of Rage soundtracks for the first three games. Kuzo Koshiro created the sound for them and it as important as the gameplay itself. He has helped create the sound for many other games including Sega's Revenge of Shinobi (another fantastic soundtrack and game).  I was excited to hear he would be returning to work on Streets of Rage 4, this time he brought some friends: Olivier Deriviere, Groundislava, XL Middleton, Keiji Yamagishi, Harumi Fujita, Mothiro Kawashima, Yoko Shimomura, Scattle, Yuro Koshira, Das Mortel and H-Pi.


The soundtrack is over an hour long and features many great tracks, in fact so many I stopped writing them down. If I had a gun to my head and could only pick five tracks they would be; The Streets, They're Back, Mr Y, Nora, Barbon, and Double Divas. Overall a great soundtrack, and while I don't like it as much as the others once I have listened to it for over a hundred hours like the others that might change.

Gameplay


The gameplay is classic side-scrolling beat em' up action, that anyone who played the previous games will be familiar with. There are however a few changes that add a new dynamic and a new level of replayability. As always there are a number of different difficulty levels from easy to mania. There is a boss challenge mode, level select mode, and a versus mode. This time you can play up to 4-players in Co-Op which is really neat. The more you play the more you can unlock, everything from the soundtrack to more characters including some of the classic look characters and for the first time you can play as Shiva, Mr X's right-hand man.


The fighting is a lot of fun, the animations and in general, the fighting is really smooth. Special moves can eat your health but if you knock out an enemy quick enough you can recoup the loss. Similar to previous games each character have their own strengths and weakness along with special moves. There a lot more weapons this time and it seems the enemies are as free to use them as you are.


There are eleven stages in the game which is the most any game in the series has featured to date. Each of them has a very different look and feel along with more than a few hazards that can be used to your advantage. Each stage has its own boss and sometimes two, this can be extremely challenging as you only have two lives per round but you can get more if you are willing to reduce your score.


Overall the gameplay is fast and tons of fun and cannot recommend it enough!




Final Thoughts


So, after just a few shorts hours how did I feel? Like I wanted to play the game over and over again. The story was fun and a nod to its predecessors. The visuals managed to be both new and retro at the same, great soundtrack (even though it not my favourite..yet). The gameplay is fun and the new modes give it a lot of replaybility. This one gets a smooth 5 out 5