The Stanley Parable - Review

Over the past few months, it has been suggested that I play a game called The Stanley Parable (big shout out to Nolls).  It is a game that has an interesting if not simplistic sounding premise, looking to take a short break from console games this seemed like it might be a bit of fun.

I have a bit of a sweet tooth, one thing I like in particular is a chocolate tart that Marks & Spencers do.  It is small in size with a deep base filled with soft smooth chocolate & sprinkled with nuts.  It is sweet, tasty & goes great with coffee.  Playing The Stanley Parable I found myself asking was this the tasty sweet nutty treat I wanted or just some tart?

The story is about a man named Stanley, a man who sits in an office pushing buttons all day who one day realises there might be other options.  The best description for the game is the one used on Steam, 'You will play as Stanley, and you will not play as Stanley.  You will follow a story, you will not follow a story. You will have a choice, you will have no choice. The game will end, it will never end'

The whole game is narrated by Kevan Brighting, who tries to 'help' lead you where you are supposed to go but that doesn't mean you always have to listen or do what you are told.  The writers for the game Davey Wreden & William Pugh have created 19 multiple endings.  Most can be obtained in a few minutes, others can take a few hours, my favorite endings were; whiteboard, out of map, confusion & museum.

To say any more than this would ruin the story for you but in terms of story I cannot recommend it enough.

Visually the game is simplistic but that doesn't mean it looks bad, you are in an office building & most of them have a slightly generic feel.  That being said as you can see from the image above there are some very interesting areas to see.   It may sound odd but visually one of my favorite things was the start menu,  you are looking at an office desk & on it is a monitor with the start menu also showing the office desk while you look at it most likely on an office desk - it just made me smile.

The music is fleeting & moves between many different sounds including; whimsical, upbeat, dark & contemplative which is impressive for a score that is not even an hour long. 

There a few artists who helped create the music for the Stanley Parable, they are:

Blake Robinson - who created the Stanley Blake Orchestra who performs orchestra versions of video game music.  Some of his work includes; Dexter for Orchestra EP, Duke Nukem 3D Mixes,

Chrono Trigger: The Last Day of the World & he is also the composer for the game Portal Knights.

Christiaan Bakker - composer, 3D artist, computer programmer & technical artist who created a number of interesting works including; Estranged Act 1, From Earth & Jaykin' Bacon Episode 3.

Yiannis Ionndes - composer, sound artist & audio programmer but with exception of his work on The Stanley Parable I struggled to find information on what his other works were.

While there is not a lot of music I don't think it is a game that requires a lot due to the narration used throughout the game. That being said I did have a few pieces that I really liked, they are; 'Introducing Stanley', 'Following Stanley' & 'Stanley was Happy'.

The gameplay, where to start?  The story is the gameplay & the gameplay is the story.  I think only someone who played this game will be able to make full sense of this statement.  The narrator is Kevan Brighting who has a fantastic voice & has also worked on; Black Messa  (voice of the scientist), Procrastinathan - (narrator) & Ocean Horn - (voice of the Hermit).  His voice is always present as you play, sometimes to praise you, other times to scald you & sometimes to sing for you.

The gameplay is simplistic & uncertain, one choice might cause something minor to change or something major.  Some of the details in the background are fantastic, one of my favorites was the slide show in the board room.

While it is or was once was an over used phrase The Stanley Parable could be compared to the Matrix, 'unfortunately no one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself'.  This statement could not sum up this game better & I would highly recommend anyone play it no matter what kind of games you normally play or how much or how little you play games, everyone can appreciate this game.

Well I played the game for less than five hours but I had more fun with it than I have had with many games over the years.  It is an instant classic & definitely worth the €11.99 I paid for it.  My recommendation would be to buy it, play it & just try to tell me you don't like it.  Another easy game to score, this one gets a 4 out of 5

The Last Of Us Remastered - Review

Back in 2014, a new game was being released by Naughty Dog, it was getting an amazing amount of attention & positive feedback.  Now, whenever anything gets this much attention I find myself sceptical & feel it can't possibly live up to all the hype.  So when it was released I gave it some time before picking up a copy & playing it.   I have to admit it the game blew me away, in the same way, Bryan Cranston's performance did in Breaking Bad.  This is the studio that made Crash Bandicoot, this isn't a slight against the studio or the game but to go from that to The Last of Us was simply inspiring.  Naturally, I was pretty excited to play the remastered version of the game & lucky enough my favourite technician, work colleague & friend Siniša loaned it to me.


Have you ever tried a battered potato pie? What is it you ask? Well simply put it is a lump of potato that has been deep-fried - something like a giant chip.  It is something that is really popular down here in Cork, when I heard about how good it was I found myself shrugging my shoulders & thought 'meh, how good could it be?'.  When I did finally try it I could not believe how nice it was, soft potato battered to perfection it was so different from what I thought it would be.  I guess as I have already revealed I enjoyed the game I can't use my 'when I was playing The Last of Us I had to ask myself....' spiel, I will just let the review do my talking for me.

The game starts off in the grips of a deadly virus outbreak, we are introduced to Joel & his family who are trying to escape the madness.  After a heartbreaking & tragic beginning, we fast forward to 20 years in the future & we see Joel is now a smuggler in what is left of humanity.  This time he & his partner have to smuggle something very different, a girl named Ellie to a resistance group called the Fireflies.


The two central characters in the game are Joel & Ellie.  Joel is a man who has become hardened due to a troubled past & hasn't got much time for other people.  Ellie is an obnoxious teen with a mouth on her that & no problem standing up to people.  Naturally, the two don't get on together at first but as time goes by they become reliant on each other & form a partnership.


While there are differences with the remastered edition versus the original one of the biggest is that it comes packaged with the DLC Left Behind.  Which adds another 3 hours of content & not only helps to fill in some blanks from the main story but also allows us to see a little of Ellie's past.  The flashback storytelling method worked well & helped at times to make for some tense storytelling. We get to see Ellie & her friend Riley hanging out together & having fun rather than just fighting to stay alive.


One of the biggest & in some ways the best part of this game is the story, it is an emotional roller coaster. I like that it makes no qualms that things are not always black & white.  The ending of the game made me have some mixed feelings, the DLC helped give me a bit more perspective & made me more settled on some of earlier thinking.

The visuals in The Last of Us always looked great but the overhaul on them for the remastered edition changed them to stunning.  There is so much more detail & definition in everything.  The characters look more defined & make them look more real.  The world itself looks more post-apocalyptic, the way wooden floors looks more beaten up & rotten, the paint on the walls is peeling & chipped off & all help to show that humanity is at its end.  The wilderness is lush & green but always manages to carry a slight undertone of darkness.  There are horses in the game that look great, it reminded me of my lovely horse, with its fetlocks blowing in the wind (I have to watch Father Ted again).


I really liked the music in the game, it uses a lot of moody guitar solos which helps to create a downbeat sound which suits the atmosphere of the world you are in.  While the sound is more simplistic than other games it makes everything feel more poignant & that much more important.


This sound is created by Gustavo Santaolalla, who is from Argentina & has a very rich musical background.  He has been part of a number of bands including; Acro Iris, Soluna & Wet Picnic. Outside of this, he has worked on a number of films & TV series including; 21 Grams, Brokeback Mountain & the series Making A Murder.


Also accompanying Santaolalla is session violinist from Nashville Alan Umstead.  He has worked with many musicians including; Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks & Elton John, along with many others.  He has also worked with composers such as; Austin Wintory, Jason Graves, Bear McGeary & Jesse Harlin.  If this wasn't enough his contribution to the video games industry has been massive & has worked with all the big video game companies.  Some of his works include games such as; Ratchet & Clank, Unfinished Swan, Dragon Age Inquisition & Mafia III.


The score is just under an hour long but that doesn't mean it isn't good, in fact, it is very much the opposite & would have to be one of my favourite soundtrack that I have listened to this year. My favourite pieces included; 'Quarantine Zone', 'The Hunters', 'The Choice', 'Last of Us (Never Again)', 'Infected', 'Last of Us (New Dawn)' &' All Gone (No Escape)'.

Onto the meat or lack thereof as it's a post-apocalyptic world...anyway onto the gameplay.   Something that has always struck me with The Last of Us even when I played it on the Playstation 3 is that the game gives you time to enjoy your surroundings rather than feeling like you are being rushed through it.  That may seem like an odd observation to make but I feel when so much time & effort has gone into something I want to take the time to take it all in.


The combat has plenty of high points, the gun-play & cover system for the most part work well. Upgrading your weapons feels worthwhile, especially the flamethrower.  Shotguns are loud & proud, Shivs are sharp & stabby - you can't ask for more than that.  On occasion when Joel is being overpowered by an enemy Ellie helps you during combat by jumping on their back & stabbing them -which is handy.


The enemies can vary in difficulty. Clickers are still a pain in the ass if they get too close to you & the cut scenes are a harsh reminder for you to be more cautious next time.  Occasionally the human enemy AI can be a little dumb, they will stand facing a wall not moving just asking to be killed. There is a strange 'glitch' where enemies can see you but they can't see the people you are with, it is something I hoped they would iron out from the original as it throws off combat/stealth sections.


The sections where you get to play as Ellie are really good & help flesh out her character.  It helps her & Joel feel more like a real partnership, rather than her just being his sidekick as some other games tend to do.


The gameplay itself didn't feel largely different from the original but that's not necessarily a bad thing although it would have been great if they knocked out a few the kinks that the original had.  Overall though solid gameplay & the additional content really made it feel like a more rounded game.


Warning - There are spoilers in the trailer below!



So after nearly 20 hours how did I feel?  Pretty damn good, I probably enjoyed the game more this time not only because of the overhaul on visuals but also because of the additional story content.  A really solid game & still one of the best titles released on the Playstation 3, I am looking forward to The Last of Us 2 next year.  This one was easy to score 4 out of 5

Milkmaid of The Milky Way - Review

The other day I decide to go online & check all the games that had been released in 2017.  Some of them I had played, some I was going to play & others I had never heard of, one of them was a game called Milkmaid of The Milky Way (available on iOS, Android & PC).  The premise seemed like an interesting idea, normally I don't play many phone games but I thought, let's give it a go.

Milkyway's are awesome, I don't just mean the cosmic kind I mean the chocolate one too.  They are tiny fluffy little bars which are kind of a snack or maybe an appetiser before your main course - maybe a Yorkie for example.  I often find though if it is the only treat I am having one of them is not enough & having a few is sickly.  Playing Milkmaid of the Milky Way I found myself asking was this a tasty little treat or was it too much of the same.

The story is simple, well sort of, well at least it starts that way. Ruth has recently taken over the family farm since her father passed away a number of months ago.  It's a tough life doing it all by herself but she never complains about it.  Ruth has her cows for company, her favorite is Lykke.

Things get crazy early on & you end up having your cows abducted by aliens (which isn't as cliche as it sounds).  Your mission; retrieve your cows & survive contact with an alien race.  If I say anymore than that it will spoil the story so that's your lot.

Visually the game goes for an 8-bit style which looks really well, being both simple & beautiful. The mountains where the farm is located looks really well especially with the combination of snow & lush green areas.  The ship & interior look really cool & there is some great use of colour, there are also random alien looking items that are just fun.

The soundtrack has two very different sounds, the first is a nice tranquil one featuring strings, the other is more a sci-fi type sound, which sounds a little cheesy but works well & features; synths, keyboards & the Theremin. 

The composer/creator of the music & game itself is Mattis Folkestad who is from Norway.  I tried finding a little more about his previous works & could only find out he was the director of two films; Halvseint & Joy meg for en Jul.

The soundtrack is just under an hour-long but there are some interesting pieces, my favourites include; 'Milkmaid Theme', 'Lykke Is Drowning', 'Ship From Above', 'Old Ruth' & 'The Oracle'

The entire game was created by one person, Mattis Folkestad.  I think it's important you let that sink in for a moment, one person created the whole game & the music, solo.  I looked into making a game before & I found the sheer undertaking of it to be overwhelming so I really have to tip my hat at Mr Folkestad.

The gameplay is old-school point & click adventure.  The touch screen actions work most of the times but there were points where I checked a walkthrough to make sure I was doing something correctly.  I am unsure if this was because I played it on a mobile device or was this something that was present in the PC version too.

While I liked parts of the game I found it frustrating there were no objectives that you could read like in many other games.  While I don't need my hand held it was sometimes days between playing & I found it difficult to remember what exactly I was doing.  Additionally some of what you had to do was not the easiest to figure out, for example; you need to get an oil can, naturally, you need to catch a frog put into a machine, poke him with a needle to make it croak & then the mechanic comes along with his can of oil to fix the machine but really you just tricked him.  This has to be done multiple times until eventually he empties the can & leaves it behind him.  These kinds of things stopped the game being more fun.

I played the game for just over 4 hours, but was it worth it?  Initially, I really liked it but as time went on I got frustrated with the game.  While it has a lot of charm & I respect the fact one person alone created the game I just didn't really enjoy the puzzles they were overly awkward & took away from the game as a whole.  In all honesty, I can only givethis one 3 out of 5

Life Is Strange - Review

Back in late 2015 I played the opening chapters of Life is Strange, I had meant to go back & play the game in its entirety but as normal got distracted by other games.  Recently I was remind about the game & thought now was a good to time to get playing it.  The biggest reason for wanting to play the game was that I had always wanted to know what it would be like to be an awkward teenage girl with time manipulating powers.  I also quite like episodic style games, it reminds me of watching a TV show.


As we all know doughnuts are awesome, of course if you say otherwise, you are dead to me.  I really like having them with a cup of tea or coffee it just feels like a perfect match.  One of my favorite types of doughnuts are apple & custard filled ones.  The only thing that can be disappointing is that sometimes you bite into them & there is almost no filling at all.  While playing Life Is Strange I found myself asking was this a tasty doughnut so full of stuff it was dripping off my chin or was it just dry & disappointing.

There are many characters in Life is Strange, some likable, some not so likable. The main character is Max who is; kind, caring, shy, & loves photography.  Then there is her best friend Chloe who is; self centered, angry, childish & is kind of a punk rocker.  There is Kate, who is; quiet, troubled, sweet & comes from a heavily religious family.  Let's not forget the Queen Bee - Victoria, who is, lets say not very nice.


The biggest part of the game is the story, like with any previous reviews I have done I will try to keep it all spoiler free.  That being said I will spend a little time discussing each of the five episodes as they really are the meat of what makes up the game, without further ado here they are:


Episode 1 - Chrysalis


Enter Max Caulfield, who is returning to Arcadia Bay after living in Seattle for the last few years. She loves photography & Blackwell Academy is one of the best places in the country to study it. After a slightly dramatic experience Max discovers she has the ability to manipulate time, as we all know nothing bad can ever happen from doing this.  Of course if this was not enough Max needs to adjust to life at Blackwell, she manages to make some friends & enemies straight away.  She also manages to be reunited with her best friend Chloe that she had to leave behind years ago (which she mentions, a lot).  The end of episode one is rather intense & the whole episode feels absolutely jam packed but in a good way.


Episode 2 - Out of Time


Max is still reeling after episode one but like a trooper she is determined to move forward.  We find out pretty quickly that Victoria is not only Queen Bee but is also a massive beeatch!  The best part about this episode is that we get to learn about Kate who is probably my favorite character next to Max.  Kate is having a tough time of things & is clearly being bullied.  We also & unfortunately get to learn more about Chloe who I don't know if it is just me but does not come across as a very likable character.  This episode is a lot slower paced but does help to round out some characters & gives you a better idea of both Arcadia Bay & Blackwell Academy.


Episode 3 - Chaos Theory


Max needs to break out of Blackwell Academy so she & Chloe can then break into Blackwell Academy before later breaking out of Blackwell Academy - say what?  The missing girl Rachel Amber is discussed more & you are trying to slowly workout what happened to her & how it is linked to Blackwell Academy.  Max being the kind person she is tries to help Chloe with her problems but inadvertently creates some dire consequences.  The end of the episode gets really interesting & takes a surprising turn.


Episode 4 - Dark Room


The start of episode 4 is quite heartbreaking, both Max & Chloe have to suffer more pain than they can possibly endure.  Max as always does her best but is met with a grim decision.  We get an insight into Chloe's family & the kind of people they are.  A darker shadow grows over Arcadia Bay & it seems like there is no way to lift it, some shocking discoveries are made.  There are some man size beat downs, a crazy pool party & a killer ending to episode four.


Episode 5 - Polarised


Things go from bad to worse & it's hard to see how Max can get out of things this time.  Max must go above & beyond to do all she can to make things right.  We go back to the past & forward onto what can only be hoped is a better future, but at what cost?  The lines of reality blur & it becomes harder for Max to know what to do next.  If this was not enough already there is death everywhere.  There is only one way to fix everything but will Max be able to do it?

When I first started playing Life Is Strange I found it to be a little under whelming visually, it just looked really plain & overly simple.  Part way through the first episode I realised how wrong I was, the characters & backgrounds all look hand painted.  If you really look at the characters you can almost see the different brush strokes that make them up & give a great artistic look.  Arcadia Bay looks like a sleepy town that has fallen on some tough times but there is still a beauty there.


Throughout the game Max has the opportunity to take pictures of certain things, I really liked this as it forced you to slow down & take a moment to enjoy the visual delights of the game.  I was glad my first impressions were proven wrong, I feel games like these mean they will never need to be remastered.

The music in the game has a very indie folk sound & features a lot of acoustic guitar, as the game darkens so does the music but the acoustic sound is always present.  While the style of music is not really for me, probably due to years being spent in Galway & being unable to move with out falling over someone playing an acoustic guitar I cannot fault the musical style chosen for the game as it suits the game really well.

The musical score is split into two parts; the main composition & licensed songs.  The main part is assembled by French composer Johnathan Morali who has worked on a number of film scores including; Möbius, Long Way North & The Adopted.  

Outside of this he is also part of the group Syd Matters, the other members are; Jean-Yves Lozac'h, Olivier Marguerit, Remi Alexandre, Clement Carle.  Their albums include; A Whisper & A Sigh, Some Day We Will Foresee Obstacles, Ghost Days & Brotherocean.

The artists who make up the licensed songs are; Syd Matters, José González, Angus & Julia Stone, Sparklehorse, Local Natives, alt-J, Breton, Bright Eyes, Mud Flow, Message to Bears, Amanda Palmer, Mogwai & Foals.

  

Between the main composition & licensed score the game boasts over 3 hours worth of music, my favorite pieces included; 'Track 7', 'Track 19', 'Track 31', 'Timeless', 'Max & Chloe' & 'Obstacles - by Syd Matters'.

As with any episodic game it is more about the story than the gameplay itself.  That being said there is definitely more to do than in most games using this style which was refreshing.  The ability to go back & change certain decisions was interesting & for the most part I enjoyed, however I did feel on occasion there was certain lack of control when rewinding time.


There were a number of times in episode 2 that I got a little annoyed with what you were asked to do by Chloe & if anything just soured my feeling towards the character.  I had a helluva a hard time hearing Chloe say 'hella' every 5 minutes. I realise teenagers can use annoy phrases a lot but come on.


I am sure this will sound like a weird complaint but when two characters were standing beside each other & you went to talk to one of them the other never seemed to notice even if you were talking about them.


While the picture taking element was really interesting & added depth to the game I felt the last two to be really awkward & really helped disrupt the atmosphere of what was happening in the game.


When the ending came I had mixed feelings about, I didn't hate it but there was something that nagged at me.  It's like when you have a loose tooth & keep running your tongue over it, you know you shouldn't but you do anyway.




So after 15 hours of playing how do I feel about Life Is Strange?  Was it the best game in the world? No, but it was far from the worst, there was some interesting concepts, great characters & the music was in sync with the game.  Unfortunately a slightly under developed ending, one really annoying character & some off putting gameplay stopped it being all it could be.  Perhaps the follow up can rewind back time & correct some of these issues. Overall I would score it 3 out of 5

Binding Of Isaac Rebirth - Review

In the early hours of this morning I finished The Binding of Isaac Rebirth, well sort of.  It is hard to fully complete a game that is so large in scale & has so much to offer, but I think I'm getting ahead of myself.  Who here has played Super Meat Boy?  I have, it was awesome, challenging & at times kind of cute.  The creative minds behind Super Meat Boy are Edmund McMillen & Tommy Refenes.  After enjoying Super Meat Boy so much I was curious about the new project Edmund McMillen & Florian Himsl were releasing, The Binding of Isaac.  When it was first released a number of years ago I played it but due to other distractions I did not invest the time in it that it truly deserved.  Lucky enough though I recently saw the The Binding of Isaac Rebirth on the Playstation Store, I thought to myself here is my chance to try it again but properly this time, so here am I am just about to review it.


Sour sweets are bad for you, they are terrible for your teeth, can damage your stomach & can make your eyes water.  I love them, there, I said it, it is now a fact & forever recorded on the internet for all time.  Anyhoo, while I do like them they are sometimes so sour I want to spit them out, on a rare occasion I am ashamed to say I have, but most of the time I fight through it & enjoy the challenge. While Playing the Binding of Isaac I had to ask myself was this an enjoyable sour sweet or did I just want to spit it out?

The Binding Of Isaac's story is simple & not at the same time.  Little Isaac & his mother are living a happy little life in a small house on a hill.  He keeps to himself, drawing & playing with toys.  His mother watches Christian Broadcasts on TV.  Everything is perfect until one day a voice from above commands her to kill her son, Isaac scared looks to escape into the only place he can, the basement & so our adventure begins.   There is a bit more going on that but that is the crux of it.


I like the story, because while simple it makes you feel for the character straight away & all you want to do is keep him safe.  This of course will be a challenge.

While there are many positives in the game the visuals have to be one of the biggest of them. While Isaac himself looks helpless & cute everything around him is not that way.  Enemies come in all shapes & sizes each as deadly looking as the other.  The blood & sometimes poo covered rooms create a grim feeling & that's before you have enemies like Larry Jnr. attacking you (seen in the shot above).  Watching Isaac's tears killing enemies looks cool & is also sad at the same time, take just a few minutes to play it & you will know what I mean.


If you are hoping the music will be upbeat to help counter the dark content of the game you will be disappointed.  The sounds used are eerie & pulse pounding, from time to time a choir can be heard which really highlights the biblical references scattered throughout the game.


The original composer of the Binding Of Isaac score was Danny Baranowsky (dB Soundworks) who also created the music for; Canabalt (which is where I first heard his work, it's also a great game) & Super Meat Boy.  When the game got remastered & (then some) Ridiculon took over the music side of things, they have also worked on; Super Meat Boy 5th Anniversary & End is Nigh (which is on my Steam Wishlist).


While the soundtrack may not be one of the most amazing it certainly suits the tone of the game, my favorite tracks include; 'Ventricide', 'Diptera Sonata', 'Sodden Hollow' (Caves), 'Matricide' (Mom Fight), 'Sketches Of Pain (Chest Room)' & 'The Fallen Angel'.

When it comes to the gameplay it reminds me of a tasty Christmas Dinner, you keep eating & no matter how much you eat there is still more left to go.  The game is roguelike which means if you get killed you get to start from scratch, initially this can be frustrating but as time goes on you get used it & see it as a way of improving how you play.


Keep moving, keep shooting & most importantly don't lose heart - what I really mean is don't lose hearts.  Your health is your wealth in the game, you will need to be conscience of it & not get complacent when playing.  Of course there are items that will help you which improve your tears, gives you followers & changes your form.  Unfortunately though some items actually makes things worse for you; reduced health & moving slower are only two possible effects.


The enemies are varied which I really liked & add to the challenge. One of the crazy things I found with the game is that some enemies get scared & cry which I found to be really unnerving.  Every room has one of two things; fire or poop & in some cases both.  Initially I was like, there is poop everywhere this nasty, then I thought to myself look at how many creatures there are down here of course there is poop everywhere.


Rebirth adds new elements compared to the original including; hard mode, challenges, seeded runs, new items, revamp of the graphics & tons more things too.  There is literally 100's of hours worth of gameplay which means there will always be something new to do.



So far I have only put a meager 15-20 hours into the game & look forward to playing a ton more. There was very few flaws I had with the game; the initial load time is a little slow & the soundtrack was so so for me but apart from that everything else was gold.  I am giving this one 4 out of 5

Shadow Of The Beast - Review

Every now & then I browse the PlayStation Store to see if anything catches my eye.  Recently I noticed a game called Shadow of the Beast which looked pretty cool & reminded me of an old school side scroller - of course, this is not surprising as this is a remake of 1989 classic of the same name.  So for less than €10, I thought to myself why not download it & give a go.


I like salty snacks, I know they are not particularly good for you & are no substitute for a good meal but I like to indulge in them all the same.  I am quite partial to roasted peanuts but you can't eat them alone, you need a good to drink to go with them.  While playing Shadow of the Beast I had to ask myself was I enjoying a tasty salty snack with a drink or was I eating them solo & left feeling dried out & horrible?

The story puts you in the shoes (or he would have shoes if not for his clawed feet) of Aarbron; weapon, killer, slave.  The mage Maletoth has sent you out on a mission;  capture a special child who is the seventh son of a seventh son that will help to create an ultimate weapon.  After remembering how you were created you free yourself from your captor & hunt down the one who created you.


As a whole, the story is not very engaging & while you do get information on the beasts you are fighting, which is a little interesting I just found it hard to get fully invested in the characters or the story.  Perhaps had I played the original growing up I would have found the story better, but as a newcomer I found it hard to get excited.

While the story may not be the most exciting the game certainly makes up for it with some of the visuals.  The world has a mixed look; part sci-fi, part medieval & part fantasy.  The back drops in the game vary massively, some of them include; the beauiful plains of Karamoon, the murky depths of the Swamp of Decay, the barren Arid Wastes & the grim soul despairing Graveyard of the Fallen. Each with a very unique & often dark feel.


Aarbron's cool design along with the many beasts in the world make for a nice visual spectacle.  One feature that I felt looked cool was the blood splatter on the screen, the more kills you get the higher the chance of it happening.


While I like to hear good musical scores in games I felt this one was a little out of place, heavy use of strings & brass made it feel more like a movie soundtrack which did not really suit what I was seeing on screen.


The composer for the score was Ian Livingston his works are very varied & include; Batman Begins (Game), Boom Boom Rocket (Game), Napoleon: Total War (Game), My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding (TV Series) & The Great British Sewing Bee (TV Series).  The composer for the original game was David Whitaker & there are definitely nods to it in the new score which I  think is a nice touch.


The score as a whole is not bad but overall I just did not think it suited the game, my favorite pieces included; 'Shadow of the Beast (2016 Theme)', 'Grass Plain of Karamoon' & 'Kingdoms of the Dyrad Queen'.

The gameplay is good & the combat is pretty solid I only wished there had been more fighting in it. Your main weapon in the game are your claws, as the game progresses you add to your arsenal but additional weapons are nothing to write home about.  I felt the jumping & climbing to be a little awkward & clunky feeling.


I liked that the studio went for an old school game set up having a boss at the end of each level,  I sometimes miss not having bosses at the end of levels in modern games.  The end boss battle was a little strange & random,  while normally I like that kind of thing the whole game felt very different so it just felt out of place.


There were a ton of extras which you can unlock/buy, for example; you can play the original 1989 version of the game, listen to David Whitaker's original score, buy a translator so that you can understand what the various races are telling you.


Overall the combat felt good but the rest of it felt a little so so, the ending really turned me off the whole thing, by the time I finished it I had no real drive to replay the game despite there being many extras to unlock.




I won't lie when I started the game I was intrigued, maybe even excited but after just over fours I had lost interest.  I would love not have given this game such a hard time but there was just so much that felt below par.  Overall I finished the game feeling dry & empty inside, with that being said I can only give the game 2 out of 5

Yakuza 0 - Review

I remember playing the original Yakuza on the Playstation back in 2005, while I liked it there were a few things that annoyed me about it.  In fairness though I never completed the game because there was section I kept dying in, I kept trying to run & buy health but always got attacked by a random group of thugs before I could.  That being said I have always meant to go back & try it again.  Yakuza 0 was a great chance for me to start from scratch. 


I like appetisers, they are a great way to get you ready for your main course. Sometimes though the appetisers are almost better than the main course a great example of this for me is Buffalo Wings.  I really love them, my favorite in recent times has been from a restaurant called Soozis, they were just so damn tasty.  Playing Yakuza 0 I found myself asking were the appetisers better than the main course?

The story takes place in 1988, in both Kamurocho & Sotenbori.  Kazuma Kiryu is a small time debt collector for the Yakuza.  Shortly after a simple debt collection the guy you collected from turns up dead & everyone is looking to you as the guilty party.  The police are after you & the Dojima family want to throw you under the bus.  It's clear you are being framed, but by who & for what reason? Lucky enough you have some allies, most notably your main oath brother Akira Nishkiyama, who seems a little innocent for a Yakuza but is as loyal as you can get.


Not so far away you have an ex-yakuza who is not having a great time of things either.  Enter Goro Majima, manager of the high end cabaret club called The Grand.  He is doing all he can to get back to his former status , no matter how close he gets another new road block is put in his way.  This time he is being asked to kill & it is something he may not be able to do but if he doesn't he will be killed.


I enjoyed getting to play as both characters & watching them develop but as a whole I found Majima's story to be far more satisfying.  I even found a lot of his sub stories to be more engaging. This is not to say Kiryu was boring but I think I already knew what to expect from him after playing the original game.


There are some many great side characters in the game including; Bacchus who is bad at paying his debts & his friend Kamoji who is apparently a fisting artist (his words not mine), Nugget who is a brilliant financial manager, Miracle Jackson (aka Jack Michaelson, aka Michael Jackson) a singer, a dancer, a lover but not a fighter, Mr Libido, who is well....ummm, interesting.


The ending is bitter sweet & while it kept me wanting more I did not finish the story feeling unsatisfied (that's what she said).

Visually there are both highs & lows.  The highs would have to be the bright lights, down & dirty feel of the city.  There are fluorescent lights everywhere at night & the streets look dirty, there are people selling all manner of things & some of the outfits have that classic 80's feel.  There was an interesting feature used sporadically throughout the game, when some characters are interacting with each other the look changes to a kind of film Noir style.  The camera pans from one character to another, no lip or body movements just the occasional change in facial expression, I felt it really worked well but would have like to see it used more.


The lows were that some of the character designs almost look unrendered at times during gameplay. It made the characters looks flat & lifeless, considering the look of the rest of the game I wonder was this used to convey how young the two protagonists were or did the studio simply go over budget on of the other parts of the game?


The soundtrack is a varied one & includes many genres; pop, rock, dance & romantic. Take for example Kiryu's battle music, it is has a very rock sound which worked well with his character & fighting styles.  Often when going into a fight I thought the music was saying a lot about the character; he is a tough guy that can take whatever you throw at him.  Then there is Majima, his battle music often had a more dance/trance sound which again worked well with his character & fighting styles. The music spoke to his character, I felt it said; the more violent the better & if things get chaotic or bloody I won't be disappointed.


The composer of this very eclectic mix of music is Hidenori Shoji, who's has worked on; Super Monkey Ball (which is an awesome game on the Playstation 2 that I cannot recommend enough),
Fighting Vipers 2 & The Yakuza Series.   He is also part of a music group called [H.] who are made up of the Sega Sound Team which includes:


Akiko Nasu
Chihiro Aoki
Chiho Kobayashi
Eisei Kudo
Hiroshi Kawaguchi
Junpei Mishima
Keitaro Hanada
Mitsuharu Fukuyama
Susumu Tsukagoshi
Takahiro Kai
Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
Yasuhiro Takagi
Yuki Takatsuto


They have worked on; OutRun 20th Anniversary, After Burner, Fantasy Zone: Ultra Super Big Maxim Great Strong Complete Album, Galaxy Force 2, Thunderblade & others.

Listening to the score again really got me pumped & made me want to start playing the game again. The soundtrack is just over 3 & half hours long & is packed with great pieces, some of my favorites included;


'Substory Theme A'
'Substory Theme B'
'Pandora's Palace'
'Force Addiction'
'Crash Addiction'
'Fatal Conflict'
'Customer Creed'
'One Eyed Slugger'
'Try To Have Some Fun For Me'
'Fever Time'
'Misery Comes on Beat'
'Archnemsis'
'Two Dragons'
'Breeze Time'
'Ignite Your Spirit'
'Friday Night'
'Judgement'
'時間シンデレラ'
'怨魔の契り'

The gameplay, where to begin?  There is simply so much to see & do.  I suppose lets look at the fighting side of things.  Each character has three main fighting styles & one legendary one.  They play very differently from one another & work with whatever playing style suits you best.  Two of my styles were; Kiryu's Rush Style, which offers speed & evasion at the cost of power & Majima's Mad Dog Style, which to me felt like the best of all his styles with a little extra thrown in. My two favorite moves were; Kiryu's recovery flying headbutt & Majima's triple take down finisher using Demon Fire Dagger to stab the third enemy.


Making money is a big part of the game, you use it not only to buy items but also to unlock abilities. Kiryu's money making game is real estate; buy properties, upgrade them, protect them & take out the King of each area.  The money is slow to come in at first but after a while it flows nicely, there are also there a few sub stories attached to it that are quite fun.  Majima's money making game is a helping a failing hostess bar take over the town; find hostesses, upgrade the club, train the girls, get support from the local businesses & keep the customers happy.  I found the hostess bar to be more rewarding from a story point of view but financially Kiryu's I think was more rewarding.


There are so many mini games available, here are just some that are available:


Karaoke - which works alright & can be quite funny
Baseball - I found this to be fun enough but got bored of it quickly
Space Harrier/Outrun - getting to play the original classics was great & also reminded me how tough they were
UFO Catcher - a game I really like playing in real life as well as in the game
Pool/Darts - a lot of fun & many options for both
Bowling - great fun & good mechanics
Fishing - fairly straight forward, quite fun & it's crazy what some people through in the water
Telephone Club - the 1980's version of Tinder which had some hilarious endings


One of the past parts of the gameplay were the sub stories, they actually provided you with stories rather than just being a set of side missions.  There were so many characters I got to like & learn about.  Some of the stories were really funny & many offered real emotions & depth.  I finished more than 80% of both characters sub stories, half the reason I did not go for 100% was because I wanted to leave some for the next time I played it.


The game offered so much & each time I thought I had discovered everything it had to offer something new popped up.  The gameplay was really good & while on occasion I found Kiryu's fighting styles to be a little stiff overall I had very little to complain about.  There is a healthy amount of Japanese comedy which I really enjoyed.  All in all some great gameplay & I look forward to playing it again in the future.





I knew finishing the game that I had been playing it for a while but I never realised I have been playing for 70 hours. To me this is a testament to how good the game was - time flies when you are having fun.  While there were a couple of things that I was not as pushed on gameplay/visually/story wise as a whole the game was really really good.  I am looking for to playing Yakuza Kiwami (remastered version of the original Yakuza with a bit more thrown on top). I would like to give this game a big monkey thumbs up or 4 out 5 (the conversion rate is about the same).