Borderlands: The Secret Armoury of General Knoxx Review

Borderlands: The Secret Armoury of General Knoxx

Information
Developers: Gearbox Software.
Publishers: 2K Games
Platforms: PC (Windows, OS X), Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Type: DLC/Add-On.
Modes: Single-Player, Co-Op Multiplayer, "Vs. Multiplayer"
Genres/Perspective/Flow: First Person Shooter, Role Playing game, Science Fiction, Action-Adventure
Rating: ESRB - M, PEGI - 18
Series: Borderlands
Average Completion Time: 8-9 Hours
Trophies/Achievements: 5 in Total
Additional: review based on Xbox 360 version.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Synopsis:
The Secret Armory of General Knoxx is an add-on pack for Borderlands that raises the level cap to 61, adds new guns, vehicles, Class Mods, shields, enemy types, and missions. In other words...best add-on ever. Of all time. Forever. The End. (Source:howlongtobeat.com)

Review:
The third DLC of the Borderlands video game featured the return of the Crimson Lance as primary enemies with General Knoxx as their leader, adding new vehicles, new enemies and more LOOT!

The continuation from the original Borderlands story, the main antagonist Atlas come back to the planet to restore order and take their revenge upon you. In all the plot of the expansion despite being several time shorter is much better than the main game, thanks to a goal that is for filling to obtain and a well written antagonist who is likeable and understandable. Plus the pay-off from beating the DLC is a whole room full of loot from the common kind to extremely rare gear, which is hard enough to obtain in the main game, so you do get something for it, even if the plot isn't to your liking.

Since the DLC brings back the Crimson Lance as the main antagonist faction, there are some new types that are added to their ranks, which equals more variety and more tactical gameplay or at least you’d think that as even with all the new enemies (jet-pack units, elemental units, medics etc.) they don’t strategically play well with each other; instead they behave like the types from the main game like walking forward in a straight line while shooting or hiding in cover which I found to be a bit of a disappointment since they are supposed to be a military unit. However these aren't the only new enemies as some new creatures and bandit varieties are added with my favourite’s defiently being the midgets riding on Skags which are a blast to fight as well as challenging and the towering Drifters found in deserted deserts that fire deadly corrosive attacks capable of destroying cars in just 4 hits. Not to mention the new bosses and newly introduced raid boss that almost impossible to defeat but offers great rewards.

Though I wasn't to impressed with every change, mainly in the prison you must infiltrate in the main story, there are inmates you have to beat however these aren't what they seem since there just re-skinned bandits with different names, this I felt was a really bad attempt by the developers to trick the player into thinking they’re new enemies, to which I was thoroughly disappointed.

One of the main issues I had with the base game was lack of characterisation and movement in character, well this is fixed in this add-on as characters have better introduction sequences as well as more funnier and interesting dialogue, to keep you engaged in them. Also the slight addition to their overall movement where conversing with them adds more of a human element to them rather than being static objects.
There have been quite a few changes gameplay wise as well from an increased level cap going from 50 – 61, to more vehicles that feel more for combat rather than getting from point A to B though that’s still all they do and even more quests which still feature the same as ever quests (go kill something, go pick up something) but there were some new ideas to add more variety as well more collectable quests to spice up gameplay.  Though in the visuals department not much has changed with the same boring brown n dark colours and bad textures here and there, although it’s not completely bad as the new locations available are fun to explore and play around in.

In conclusion the third expansion is a must have if you’re looking for more LOOT to grab, more reasons to play and a better storyline then the original despite it being three times as short. 

Final Scores:

Story/Setting/Characters: 7.0

Gameplay:  7.3

Visuals: 7.0

Final Verdict: 7.1/10 (Good)

Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned Review

Borderlands: The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned

Information
Developers: Gearbox Software.
Publishers: 2K Games
Platforms: PC (Windows, OS X), Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Type: DLC/Add-On.
Modes: Single-Player, Co-Op Multiplayer, "Vs. Multiplayer"
Genres/Perspective/Flow: First Person Shooter, Role Playing game, Science Fiction, Action-Adventure
Rating: ESRB - M, PEGI - 18
Series: Borderlands
Average Completion Time: 5-6 Hours
Trophies/Achievements: 5 in Total
Additional: review based on Xbox 360 version.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Synopsis:

The Jakobs Corporation would like to invite you to experience the splendor of a corporate owned small town known as Jakobs Cove. Any rumors you may have heard about the "undead" walking our streets are completely preposterous and we officially deny them all. If those rumors turn out to be true simply purchase a firearm from the conveniently located Jakobs Brand Vending Machines and aim for the head. Also, would you mind saving our employees? (Non-union only please) (Source: howlongtobeat.com)

Review:

The first downloadable content for Borderlands brings lots of new ideas on to the table: from new enemies, a good storyline, more quests and even more LOOT!
As the name implies “Zombie Island” the primary enemies you will fight are zombies which come in a few different design and varieties to not get too repetitive but due to their only being around three different designs for the regular zombies and no differences in “special” zombie forms which was a slight disappointment. Though while where on the topic of the zombies, one of better points about them is how their A.I works as they will try to work together such as: one group of regular ones will slowly group around (These are slow moving zombie type), then a spitting zombie will blind and slow you down allowing slower ones to catch up and kill you. These sorts of combination are great and really add to the gaming experience, making you think about to engage in each encounter.

Though zombies aren't the only things you’ll be fighting on this nightmarish island, as you encounter Wereskags, Frankenstein like monsters that carry loot crates on their backs and freaky bosses like Pumpkinhead. All fit nicely into the environment the DLC is based in which takes a different route especially in colour palette which features dark greens, dark blues, dirty greys and browns to create a realistic but quirky Halloween type location, which is only strengthened by the dark abandoned spooky towns that all have lights on to add to the creepiness, the pumpkins that litter the landscape and the winding trees that give of a strange vibe. This is only completed though by the environments design which confuse the player into how to navigate the areas available as you have to walk to each area, yes there’s no fast travel which is a pain but it does add to the experience as a whole, since you keep having to fight ravenous monsters as a result.

The plot surrounding this add-on is much better than the main game, as it features plot twists, interesting back-story found in ECHO recordings and a likeable antagonist. All this is told during dialogue in both main quests and side quests in a believable way with just the right amount of length to keep you from getting bored. However as for the quests themselves they aren’t that brilliant since they just feature objectives either are, “go kill something” or “go collect something” though what you go collect is quite fun in indeed from ECHO recordings mentioned before to Brains; yes brains which might as well be collectables as collecting with last you the whole main quest and beyond which was a nice addition.

Now for the topic you've waited for: THE LOOT! Yes there is new loot however while you get much from enemies loot wise, in the main game you no very often from them. Well in this DLC you get loot from just about every zombie which is nice at the start, but gets overwhelming later on as you feel you have to collect it all, and they’ll be one piece you use while the rest you sell for money which by the way still doesn't have use.   

In conclusion the first downloadable content for Borderlands is a great addition to the game having a more colour and diverse environment, a better storyline and new enemies to kill, which  is only held back by minor changes to gameplay that become boring very quickly.  

Final Scores: 

Story/Characters: 7.0

Gameplay: 7.2

Visuals: 7.6

Final Verdict: 7.2/10 (Good)

Borderlands Review

Borderlands

Information
Developers: Gearbox Software. Additional: Shadows in Darkness, Darkside Games, Demiurge Studios. 
Publishers: 2K Games
Platforms: PC (Windows, OS X), Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Type: Stand Alone
Modes: Single-Player, Co-Op Multiplayer, "Vs. Multiplayer"
Genres/Perspective/Flow: First Person Shooter, Role Playing game, Science Fiction, Action-Adventure
Rating: ESRB - M, PEGI - 18
Release Dates:
X360 & PS3
NA: 20/10/09
PAL: 23/10/09
PC (Win)
NA: 26/10/09
PAL: 30/10/09
PC (OS X)
03/12/10
Series: Borderlands
Average Completion Time: 33 Hours
Trophies/Achievements: 51 in standard + 30 in DLC
Other Editions: Game of the Year Edition.
Additional: review based on Xbox 360 version. Game accessible through Xbox One backwards compatibility.
Alternate Recommendations: Dead Island, Fallout 3.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Synopsis:
A sci-fi/action RPG from acclaimed developer Gearbox, Borderlands combines the best in first-person action gaming with elements of a traditional role-playing game (RPG). The excitement of this hybridization is further magnified by the game's groundbreaking content generation system which allows for a near-endless variety in missions, environments,enemies, weapons, item drops and character customization, making the game's single player, multiplayer and online campaigns not to be missed. ( Source: howlongtobeat.com)
Review:

The game that made loot dropping mechanics in the modern First person shooter possible; you know that game Destiny well think off borderlands as its grandfather. Being the game that made loot dropping guns popular overall, with the game having over millions of different guns both in shape and statistics, so no getting attached to your weapons because you’ll be constantly swapping and selling them.
But before I start on anything else I’ll start this off, before you even load up the game, at the options menu. So in terms of customization there not much to change just the standard stuff like sensitivity, controller layout, music and such which is all well and good but I would have liked a bit more since this game to be fair is very over the top, so some more silly options would have been nicer but what’s there is fine I guess.

So once the game has booted up, the first you’ll notice is the strange art style known as cel-shading, this really if the game a distinct look from any other first person shooter games that all have a more realistic approach. The art also blends in well with the overall tone of game as it has a really over the top and silly atmosphere that make the game more fun to play, with exaggerated character introductions that partners well with the immature but well written humour. However the overall look of the game can be summarised quickly as just brown since every single area with the exception of two or three have this colour palette which can be a bit of a turn especially if you played the sequel before this one, but if you like the palette like I do it gives off a good sad tone like “there’s no hope” which mixes well with the game world as it is full of hostile creatures, shabby towns and psycho cannibals which also have these dirty and dark colours that fit them into the game world effectively.

Speaking of the game world, the designs of the creatures mainly are superb with there being a good amount of variety in this department that give the world an organic feel like it could survive in the harsh wastelands thanks to their overall appearance to the way they act, one good example is the Skag: the first creature seen in game; has a month that splits open three ways, a long tongue to whip the player and powerful legs to leap at you and this is only the very basic versions later there ones that spit acid or have strong body armour that make you think about how to fight them. Which can also be said about any of the creatures or even other enemies in game like the bandits who you will be fighting most of the time, which are made up insane and dangerous humans and cannibals which are fun to fight as there’s just enough variety to think about how you’ll tackle them but still even with the amount of variety given, I would have liked a bit more as by the third quarter potion of the game you will have fought close to everything and start to get bored during some combat situations especially if you’re higher levelled then them, the challenge & thrill disappears.

The levelling itself is quite fun to do as it can be earned in a ways from shooting enemies, completing quests and completing challenges. Now I know this doesn’t sound like much and let me tell you it isn’t as these ideals quickly get old really fast since enemies with the exception of bosses don’t yield much experience, while quests do but these quests get over repetitive as the game goes on from tasks like: kill this, big up one item or pick many or get to this location/ talk to someone, which does sound like a lot but trust me it’s not. When it comes to the challenges as well there’s no real variety as it’s mostly just made up of: killing so many of something, using guns and looting and that’s only if you notice there are challenges as unless you explore the menus screen you won’t know about since the game gives you no hints towards its existence. However there is another type of levelling up in the game, that you’ll notice but no what it does: Weapon Proficiency. This is levelling up for your weapon classes which adds various bonuses to each class of gun, that the game neglects to tell you about.

Now before I get to the real meat of the gameplay, there are a few problems I forgot to mention one of which is the use of invisible walls (a true gaming taboo) featured in a lot of quests and areas of the map, that mainly occur when the game doesn’t want you getting somewhere, getting up to an item a certain way or driving into non-drivable areas. For the first point it’s completely understandable but the second and third it isn’t as sometimes you’ll find easier ways to reach location/items in some quests but then the game says “no you have to go up this way” which totally breaks immersion causing frustration; while with the third point there are a good few areas where the developers but down blocks to keep you from going in locations with cars, this is okay yet in others they totally didn’t bother add all leaving “gates” completely open except with an invisible wall in place.  

Another issue I had was the car combat which while being a great way to flatten enemies faster as well as get somewhere easier there’s no other use for them which is shame and an overall untapped source of expanding upon the mechanics. One other point I forgot to mention was the lack of customisation both on the character model and the car as both are just change the colours in which you get a limit of eight for the car while with the character you get a view colours options on the clothes and the option of changing your name which doesn't affect much whereas you won’t even see your character colours in game unless you’re on spilt-screen.

Time for the meat of the title now: The Loot dropping system. (Featured in many modern games as well as good old hack n slash games). This feature allows for continuous guns to be dropped that differ in appearance and constantly change individual statistics of: gun’s damage, rate of fire/ amount fired and accuracy this leads to some pretty interesting mixes. Though this isn’t the only thing you can loot as there are various shields, grenade modifications, class modifications, elemental modifications, health pick-ups, ammunition and money to collect which change in very similar ways. Though I will say that money has no place in the game, as you get from most items from chests and containers, you’ll never use it except to buy ammunition from vendors at early point in the games though from there on you’ll just collect it. On point I must praise is how they implemented the statistic changes into the game world, as the guns featured in game are manufactured by various companies which each are strong at certain statistics or modifications such as Maiiwan weapons all carry elemental bonuses on them while Jakobs weaponry has high damage rates but low accuracy, while overall adds to the game world. On the note of immersing features in game, the fast travel system was added superbly as an actual function machine that allows people to travel across the planet which can also be said for re-spawning system which is also a functioning machine in the game world that reconstructs your body each time you die as well as takes a fee every time, this I felt overall adds to the context of the world.

Now for the combat which plays like any other shooter but with the enemy variety and loot system makes these experiences ten times as fun than a regular shooter which is only increased by the soundtrack included in game that fits battles to a good effect. However during the larger battle sequences the frame rate can drop drastically which will break your immersion.

The point I will bring up is the setting/story and characters also known as the games lowest points since it feels like they exist just for the sake of the gameplay with the setting just being there to allow for all the crazy designs while the story is non-existent told mainly through small captions included when taking quests or turning them in with small amounts of dialogue from NPCs that by the way are know more than static models with barely enough animation to call them characters.

In conclusion Borderlands is a successful experiment in FPS/Loot System hybrid game that is held down by having zero story and small mechanical error but on another hand uses a different art style and over the top humour to stand out from the crowd. I'd recommend to any who wants a game they can turn their brain off too-to play for a bit of fun. 

(Additional: There no section on the multilayer, cause you apparently need friends for that!)

Final Scores:

Story/Characters: 4.7

Gameplay/Mechanics: 7.2

Visuals: 7.1
Sound: 7

Final Verdict: 6.7/10 (Alright)

Game of Thrones: Episode 1 - Iron From Ice Review

Game of Thrones: Episode 1 - Iron From Ice

Information:

Developers: Telltale Games

Publishers: Telltale Games

Platforms: Android, iOS, PC (Windows, OS X), PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Average Completion Time: 2 hours

Type: Stand-Alone, Episodic
Modes: Single-Player
Genres/Perspective/Flow: Episodic, Point and Click, Interactive Drama, Graphic Adventure
Rating: N/A
Release Dates:
PC
WW: 2/12/14
PlayStation 4
NA: 2/12/14
EU: 3/12/14
Xbox 360 & Xbox One
WW: 3/12/14
PlayStation 3
NA: 9/12/14
EU: 10/12/14
Series: Game Of Thrones Telltale Series
Average Completion Time: 2 hours
Trophies/Achievements: 8 Trophies out of 49.
Other Editions: N/A
Additional: Review based on PlayStation 3 version.
Alternate Recommendations: Walking Deads, Wolf Among Us.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Synopsis:

Game of Thrones - A Telltale Games Series is a six part episodic game series set in the world of HBO's ground-breaking TV show. (Source: howlongtobeat.com)

Review:

Is Game of Thrones episode 1 a good representation of the universe in an interactive media or is it an enormous failure on the scope of the Walking Dead Survival Instinct?

Well to start this off by addressing the most important matter, the plot which centres around a briefly mentioned house in the Game of Thrones universe, known as House Forrester supporters of House Stark where it centres around key members of the household, in separate locations from King's Landing to the Forrester's Keep Ironrath.

The game starts on the night of 'The Red Wedding' and then proceeds to jump around the various characters of the house which the player will control from the Young Lord Ethan Forrester, who controls the house after his father's passing having the more interesting and dramatic parts that proves the more interesting and exciting being a more engaging character out of the three playable characters that is both fun to play and fun to watch; where on the other hand is Gared Tuttle who serves as squire for the house and has some of the most boring parts in the game despite them being action focused the character is just average and has no exciting characteristics about him. Lastly in King's Landing you get to play as Mira Forrester the eldest daughter of House Forrester, who serves Lady Magaery from the main series and while, not having the most interesting points of view she does have the most interaction with characters of the TV series, which leads to some fun results depending on your choices. 

Supporting character on one side can be great pieces of art having a range of traits that can be loved or hated from the calm and collected, Duncan to the fierce Royland who's temper made me shudder, but on another side characters like the Maester and Lord Gregor where boring and didn't draw me in very well. 

Now having got the main characters out the way, let's get on with the plot which while slow at first goes fast paced and enjoyable keeping me at the edge of my seat for most of the ride, right up until the dramatic conclusion, which was also helped by the amazing soundtrack most of the way with great scores that helped increase the drama and action scenes that will cause me to purchase the second part immediately due to a dripping and a great interactive narrative, even though some parts lost their touch mostly when playing as Gared for reasons mentioned above though at times I did feel that new comers to the Game of Thrones series could be thrown of as it relies heavily on the plot of the television's narrative. 

Not to mention the great performances of the cast of the Game of Thrones television series who play some characters from the original series starting with Ramsey, who mixes well into the plot as well as showing of his crueller side and sadistic nature well within character interaction, and lastly characters Tyrion and Cersei are featured within the plot greatly with Cersei's manipulative being as strong as ever and Tyrion's wit being just as funny despite their character models looking like a candle was squashed against there face. 

Now linking of what I previously said the character models of those two characters is not something to be desired while both Ramsey and Margaery having great models looking just like the actors from the show. While the main cast and supporting cast of characters had great models and designing that fit well within the universe of Game of Thrones while having unique look to them having the famous Telltale style. 

The environment though while looking great at times has a few issues mainly in the texture error department from textures popping in and out to some going pixelated, at times either on purpose or not, doesn't matter though, as it looked really ugly and breaked my immersion often.

Now as you know this is a Telltale episodic game so mechanics stay the same, and if you don't know this is a point and click adventure game with some quick time events and dialogue choice options that can have great effect on the rest of the story depending on player choice, no matter how small or large which is great but I would like to see at least something different as the formula is starting to get boring and feeling like a copy and paste as time moves on.

 But there was one problem I had with game which was during some of the more hectic scenes the frame rate would drop drastically, causing me to fail many quick time events and broke my immersion often.  

In conclusion Game of Thrones is a great addition to the Fire and Ice Universe thanks to some good story telling and character engagement, but falls short in immersion breaking thanks to texture issues, poor character models at some moments and copy n paste game play. 

Verdict:

Characters/Story: 8.4

Gameplay: 6.6

Visuals: 7.4

 Soundtrack: 8.2

Final Score: 7.8/10 (Good)

Entwined Review

Entwined:

Information:

Developers: PixelOpus

Publishers: Sony Entertainment

Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita

Type: Stand Alone
Modes: Single-Player
Genres/Perspective/Flow: Rhythm
Rating: N/A
Release Dates:
PlayStation 4
NA: 9/06/14
PAL: 10/06/14
JP: 19/06/14
PlayStation 3 & PlayStation Vita:
NA: 22/07/14
PAL: 23/07/14
JP: 24/07/14
Series: None
Average Completion Time: 1 - 2 Hours
Trophies/Achievements: 14 in all.
Other Editions: None
Additional: Review based on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions.
Alternate Recommendations: "Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions".

(Source: Wikipedia)

Synopsis:

Entwined is a beautiful game about a bird and a fish that are in love but can’t be together. Learn to guide these two souls simultaneously then unite and transform them into a magnificent Dragon. Over the course of nine unique lifetimes can you become Entwined forever? (Source: howlongtobeat.com)

Short Review:

To start of my review of Entwined I will first give a quick run-down of the central plot; which follows the never ending inter species love between a fish and a bird that forever together but forever apart. And that's about it there's no real plot as they get together by the end of each of the nine levels representing various lifetimes and then are broken apart each time in time for the next level to start or next lifetime in which by the end of this journey nothing really happens by the end, but like I said there is no real plot and it shouldn't be taken seriously.

Next is the most crucial aspect of the game, which is the gameplay; which can be divided into two segments. The first one being the more gameplay focused area, where you control both the fish and bird using the left and right thumb stick which are used to move them through colour coordinated portals on an on-rails like tunnel environment; so you move the orange fish through orange portals, blue bird through blue portals and by moving the two close together they become green allowing access through green portals, in which in-between portals you have to collect small orbs in order to fill up each creatures respective bar, that when filled opens up a sequence where they combine allowing them onto the next part of gameplay.

Now let’s talk about this gameplay; starting with that while the game is both fun and challenging as you manoeuvre each respective animal through increasing more difficult and precise tunnels the case does fall victim to heavy repetition, as you feel that after about 20-30 mins worth of gameplay that they ran out of ideas with the only changes being the shapes of the portals and the orbs as well as the varying sequences they run in which can range from easy to challenging. However an aspect I would like to bring up is the after failing a 'portal sequences' you lose some of your progress on the bars above adding more difficulty and the need to use good precision.

After this comes the other segment of the game that acts as a relaxing area to play between area in which you play the combined form of the fish and bird which is sort of like a dragon ish like creature, in which you fly around an open area picking up more orbs so you can progress to the next level, and that's about it; gets a bit boring. All in all a good idea that wasted it's potential.

Now for the better part of this review in which I'll start by talking about the graphics which simply put look amazing, easily making this one of the best looking games I've seen for the PlayStation; using a wide arrange colours and effects to create some of the best looking environments in recent history, making each chapter feel different from each other creating various moods throughout the game.

In a similar fashion this is also helped by utilising the games soundtrack which helps create amazing moods during each chapter making each life time unique and different by using a mix of electronic and flute music that is true candy to the ear both in-game and on its own.

Final Scores:

Story & Characters: 5.5

Gameplay: 7.3

Visuals: 8.9

Soundtrack: 7.8

Final Verdict: 7.4/10 (Good)

Beyond Two Souls Review

Beyond Two Souls:

Information:

Developers: Quantic Dream

Publishers: Sony

Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4

Alternate Recommendations: Heavy Rain, The Walking Dead.
Type: Stand-Alone
Modes: Single Player
Genres/Perspective/Flow: Interactive Drama, Action-Adventure, Quick Time Events, Point and Click.
Rating: "ESRB: RP", "PEGI - 16"
Release Dates:
PlayStation 3
NA: 8/10/13
EU: 9/10/13
AUS:  11/10/13
JP: 17/10/13
PlayStation 4
WW: 24/11/15
Series: None
Average Completion Time: 11 - 12 Hours
Trophies/Achievements: 46 in total
Other Editions: Special Edition
Additional: Review done in Playstation 3 version.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Synopsis:
Beyond: Two Souls is a single-player Adventure game that utilizes a combination of a superior storytelling and gameplay mechanics, and cutting edge motion capture techniques to present a stunning adventure that is not to be missed. The game is a PlayStation 3 exclusive and features an in-game timeline set across several years of the player character's life and experiences, several possible endings and outcomes, a unique and powerful in-game companion, and in-game contributions by top Hollywood talent. (Source: howlongtobeat.com)

Review:

To start of the review the Story of Beyond Two Souls follows Jodie Holmes as she struggled with her life while being haunted by the entity Aiden taking place across all portions of her life from early childhood, teenage years to adulthood while allowing you, the player to decide how the events of these periods in her life play out and will affect the overall end of game that will result in a player getting one of twenty different endings. The story will tuck at your head strings as you watch Jodie go through traumatic, scary, sad and happy experiences over the course of the 10 hour long campaign while deciding how she deals will each of them such as big plot points like does she start a romantic relationship with this guy, or does save certain characters from smaller options like choosing how to present yourself during a date to choosing want music should be played at a party; these decisions will all affect the story further on and make it a fun interactive experience you will play over and over trying different options in the game to get different endings.

Characters in game are great and lovable from the good to the bad and even the ugly are masterfully done to fit in with the narrative and are fun to interact with no matter how small their role in is the plot they will affect Jodie's life from the bullying teenage part goers to Jodie's abusive parents all feel alive and have real depth rather than seeing a bunch of polygons moving on screen.

The gameplay can be broken down into two core elements the first being when you the player are Jodie which works similar to Heavy Rain's gameplay which plays from a third person perspective and you can explore game environments and use the right analog to interact with different things with that environment such as opening doors to more smaller things like choosing clothes to sitting down but unlike Heavy Rain's it doesn't tell you the direction which can lead player to randomly moving the stick in all directions until you find the correct one which can be rather tedious. Another mechanic similar to this one is the combat mechanics which by the way if you like heavy action games I don't recommend this to you but back on track the combat is similar to the interactions mechanics I mentioned earlier as you use the right stick to fight against enemies which your supposed to move in collaboration with Jodie's body which sound easy but it’s not as it can be difficult to tell at times and will lead to doing the wrong actions which becomes rather frustrating later on.

The next core gameplay is Aiden which the player can control in game who is an entity who is always round Jodie who helps her do thinks such open doors and interact with objects in the environment but don't be fooled as Aiden just isn't just a help tool he has his own personality and can go against Jodie's wishes as you see hid from ruining dates to sometimes attacking Jodie herself.

The graphics in game are simply amazing and it's hard to tell at first what is cut scene and what is gameplay as they use the same graphics as each other which simply pushers the limits of what the PS3 can do looking better than some next-gen games of today (Currently 2014 as I write this) and forever stand as I pinnacle in what games can accomplish from breath taking realistic character models looking just like their voice actors to amazing environments that vary from deserted labs, modern houses to big wide open deserts all look amazing and are simply art in themselves.

The OST is amazing making all known scenes in game feel great and worthy of praise with breath taking emotionally orchestra music directed by world famous Hans Zimmer making all scenes in game feel alive and refreshing where ever the player is. On that note the voice actors also deserve worthy praise after being strapped into motion suits they give a heart-warming performance whether they be great voice actors to world famous actors like Ellen Page who plays Jodie wonderfully from her teenage years to her adult life no matter the scene she is in as well William Dafoe who also does a wonderful role as Nathan Dawkins really making the characters feel alive.

Final Verdict:

Story & Characters: 9.0

Gameplay: 8.5

Visuals: 10

Sound: 8.7

Final Score: 9.1/10 (Excellent)

Ghostbusters The Video Game Review

Ghostbusters The Video Game:

Information:

Developers: Terminal Reality (Single Player), Threewave Software (Multiplayer), Red Fly Studio, Zen Studios, Rainmaker Entertainment.

Publishers: Atari, Sony.

Platforms: OnLive, PC (Windows), Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360.

Type: Stand-Alone, Adaptation
Modes: Single Player, Multiplayer
Genres/Perspective/Flow: Third Person Shooter, Action-Adventure.
Rating: ESRB: T,
Release Dates:
PS2/PS3
16-19/06/2009
Xbox 360, Wii, DS, PC
NA: 16/06/2009
EU: 06/11/2009
PSP
NA: 30/10/2009
EU: 6/11/2009
AUS: 12/11/2009
Series: None
Average Completion Time: 9 - 10 Hours
Trophies/Achievements: 51 in total
Other Editions: Special Edition, Slimer Edition
Additional: Review was done on PlayStation 3 version. The review of the multiplayer is not on this and I no longer own the game.
Alternate Recommendations: The Bureau: XCOM Declassified GhostBusters: Sanctum of Slime.
(Source: Wikipedia)

Synopsis:
Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise and featuring a completely new story, is coming to six game systems in 2009. Coinciding with the 25th anniversary celebration of the film’s original theatrical release, the game reunites original cast members to recapture the unique blend of humour and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation. Remember, don't cross the streams. It could end all life as we know it! (Source: howlongtobeat.com)

Review:

To start this review I will discuss the story which follows a new recruit of the Ghostbusters crew as helps the original Ghostbusters fight against various types ghosts both old and new while uncovering a sinister plot; the plot itself is interesting and funny but isn't really that engaging or interesting as it only comes into play about mid-way through the game and is only noticeable properly on the last level making it easily forgettable.

But there are some elements in the story that are fun and enjoyable which overall makes it a great ride but boring at times.

The characters are made up of original members from the film franchise who help make the game feel like a true Ghostbusters game as well as having a nostalgic feeling to the atmosphere.

The gameplay is kind different to anything I've played as well as feeling familiar in a way like I've been there before, broken down gameplay can be summed up as TPS (Third Person Shooter) that instead of guns uses ray like weapon with 4 different fire modes the uses a cool down period instead of ammo pickups or weapon changes which has its advantages as you will worry about ammo during the course of the game but it makes combat and overall gameplay easy and becomes boring after the first few hours after the game start which will make new enemy encounters less exciting as all you have to do is blast with a ray then capture or sometimes not which was a waste of a potential challenging gameplay mechanic; which in turns even ruins good boss battles make them extremely easy even on the highest difficulty with the player just concentrating on dodging attacks and watching the cool down.

The game does feature some collectable mechanics that are interesting and fun with the player hunting down various haunted artefacts made of everyday life objects like toasters or painting but sadly these is ruined by the 'goggles' mechanic that is used to find collectables and ghosts in game ruing the hunting experience but on the other hand they do serve a good mechanic which is ghost scanning mechanic where you scan ghosts to learn their name, information, attacks and weaknesses which can make gameplay more fun as you try to change play tactics to deal with different ghosts.

The character models in game and overall animation is amazing with an overall performance and character lip syncing is done great making them feel like worthy video game adaptations.

Graphics in game do not feel up to standard as other 2008 games do but was also better looking than some games but did not have outstanding graphics like Dead Space or Assassin's Creed but felt more closer to GTA IV's graphics. But the environmental graphic were amazing later on in games with a wide a range of set pieces from ghostly graveyards to dark dirty sewers making you feel right at home in game expecting ghosts to come from anywhere.

The OST is amazing having a very 90s soundtrack making players feel like they are playing the films as well as helping set up the time period very well mixed in with some amazing voice work making characters feel very real. And don't forget the classic Ghostbusters theme played in credits making you feel great after finishing the game.

Verdict:

Characters & Story: 5.6

Gameplay: 7.3

Visuals: 6.3

Sound: 8.5

Final Score: 7.0/10 (Good)

Enslaved Odyssey to the West Review

Enslaved Odyssey to the West

Developers: Ninja Theory

 Publishers: Namco Bandai Games

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 & PC (Windows)

Type: Stand-Alone, Adaptation

Modes: Single Player

Perspective/Flow: Third Person, Hack n Slash

Genres: Action Adventure, Platformer

Rating: ESRB T, Pegi - 16

Release Dates: 

PS3 & X360: 

NA: 5th October 2010, 

AUS/JP: 7th October 2010, 

EU: 8th October 2010

PC: 23rd October 2013

Average Completion Time: 10 Hours

Series: None

Other Editions: Premium Edition

Trophies/Achievements: 

Additional: Review is based upon the PlayStation 3 Version.

Alternate Recommendations: Jak and Daxter Trilogy & Heavenly Sword

Synopsis:

Enslaved is a future post-apocalyptic plat-former with hack n slash combat based on the book Journey to the West by Chinese novelist Wu Cheng'en in which it was developed by Ninja Theory who have done other games like PS3 Exclusive Heavenly Sword and the 2013 DmC Devil May Cry and was published by Bandai Namco Games. The game follows the characters Monkey and Trip as they journey across the post-apocalyptic ruins of a city and beyond while being attacked by slavers and mechs who attack for reasons unknown.

Review:

 To start of the review story is quite unique for its time as you take on the role of a guardian for Trip through most of the game, which in present day is used by a lot of developers like the game Bioshock Infinite and The Last of Us, the character the player takes of control of is Monkey a survivor in the post-apocalyptic world an angry and annoyed character at the start who 'accompanies' Trip a vulnerable 'computer girl as they attempt to reach a ship crash site so that Trip can get home. The story itself is quite simple and plot twists are a bit predictable but the characters are what made the game good with realistic facial expressions and good voice acting the characters are believable and give of real life but this can all be ruined by lip syncing problems which can ruin bits of the story but not make it unplayable.

Enslaved looks amazing with lovely scenery all throughout the game from a crumbling city to a bog like junk yard the amount of detail is amazing and Ninja Theory did a wonderful job on this game as well as the characters who look more alive and are greatly detailed plus the mechs and cherry on the top with dark and dirty colouring which fits them in better to the setting. But this game does have its fair share of problems with a poor frame which mixed with the level of detail can make the game unplayable as well as texture popping in as you walk through the level which can be make the atmosphere worse but I have only experience this on PS3 so I don't know what it’s like on other consoles and PC keep this in mind.

The gameplay is mainly made up of two large elements with smaller ones mixed in, one half of the game I spend platforming across various environments hold in an environment and then placed in another and retextured but the platforming can feel a bit constricted as the game only lets you jump in the linear path and will not let you jump of a platform in any other direction unless there are collectable that way, also the platforming can be ruined by a poor response so instead of jumping of platform you will role in to it which can feel a bit frustrating. The other half of gameplay is hack n slash combat which has a fluid system that doesn't feel repetitive in each fight but can feel a bit easy even on higher difficulties.

Now for the smaller elements of gameplay which I will start with the RPG like upgrading system in which after a couple of chapters you will have option to upgrade your character for example having more health and being able to counter which may seem basic but offers a better game experience once your maxed out; other elements include a jet board like system called cloud in certain location which reminded we of the jet board in Jak II, it also offers chase like events that are fine at first but seem a bit repetitive and frustrating later on and another piece of gameplay is the boss fights which are fun and interesting don't have any challenge except for the last boss; and finally the last thing is the collectable system which I found to be unique as when you collect some of them on one playthrough they not appear on the next but this does have a problem as you be left searching for the last orb on a level.

The animation for the game was nicely done and is shown to its best in the character and enemy movement animation as some like Trip will move like a regular human which fine but really shows its best is Monkey who moves quickly and climbs like a Monkey which is pulled of really well in the platforming as you watch him swing from place to place similar to an actual Monkey which fits his character better.

The Voice actors in this did a wonderful job and make the characters seem believable with Andy Serkis as Monkey, who is best known for his work as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings Franchise, in which he pulls of Monkey's character well as well as Lindsey Shaw who voices Trip who does an equally good job. The OST is well done and helps set the mood for many of the events in show such as fast music for the chase scenes making them feel more real.

Overall Enslaved had some potential but then failed and what is left is a game full of restrictions, repetition and glitches.

Ratings:

Characters and Story: 6.3

Gameplay: 6.2

Visuals: 6.5

Sound: 7.0

Verdict: 6.6/10 (Alright)

Dead Island Review

Dead Island Review:

Information

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC (OS X, Windows)

Developer: Techland

Publisher: Deep Sliver

Type: Stand-Alone
Modes: Single Player, Co-Op Multiplayer
Genres/Perspective/Flow: Action, Role Playing Game, First Person Shooter, Zombies
Rating: "PEGI: 18", ESRB: M
Release Dates
NA: 6/09/11
PAL: 9/09/11
Series: Dead Island
Average Completion Time: 25 hours
Trophies/Achievements: 48 in stand alone + 10 in DLC
Other Editions: Game Of the Year Edition, Definitive Edition
Additional: Review was done Xbox 360 Version
Alternate Recommendations: Dead Rising & How to Survive

Review:

To start of the review the story of Dead Island follows 4 Playable as they try to find out what started the zombie apocalypse of the island of Bonai as well as how to escape from it as well, now this may sound pretty interesting but it's not as the story doesn't really start till half way through and even then it’s not that great and is extremely boring with it being one of the lowest points in the series while also being combined with boring, plain main and support characters who have no really interesting points. The characters can be separated by the roles which are main characters and supporting or Quest givers and are really plain and boring with no real personality aside from the main characters who at least have some back story and interesting dialogue but compared to supports who just sprout the same lines at you every time you pass them left we disappointed that they could have done a better job.

The gameplay can be described as a FPS Hack n Slash that is fun and enjoyable for the players as they scavenge weapons and make their own with the gameplay being Dead Island's highest point, with a flowing and fun combat system that has the player use a wide variety of options to each zombie encounter like do you want just wail on the zombie till it dies, or to you want break it limbs or simply cut them off or maybe for the more destructive you can set them on fire or electrocute them and listen to their cries as they die they choice is up to you. But all in all it plays like any other FPS will the ability to sprint, jump and move how you like but it does come with a twist that changes the gameplay: a stamina meter, which drains when you sprint, jump or use your melee weapon and will leave you defenceless when fully drained which can lead to you the player having to think of different ways to enter combat while fighting of a good range of zombie types and special infected similar to Left 4 Dead's as well as fighting against humans who can be challenging to beat but have stupid AI where they repeat moves and will eventually lead to them being easier to deal with.

Another feature of the game is it's RPG element which is very standard and has the very simple three skill trees set up that focuses on the elements that will help the player unlock new moves, weapon upgrades and other features; also to fit in with the RPG like mechanics the game can be broken down into quests that are fun and range in difficulty but also get more repetitive as time goes on. Another smaller element in Dead Island is its crafting interface in which you can make additions to your weapons from scavenged parts which will remind you of Dead Rising craft system except the weapons are more serious and less goofy like electrocuting a machete so that it can shock enemies when hit or crafting gun bullet as they are hard to come by but the amount of 'Mods' are limited and doesn't have a wide variety to choose from as well as having the same mod twice with one making the special feature more powerful than the previous.

Aside from this the game does have its share of problems like phasing issues like characters hand going through ladders when climbing and having the player do a stomping move of a zombie as its getting up so even though you’re hitting the ground its head will still explode as well as wooden animation which makes character look more like do models talking rather than people.

The graphics for Dead Island are amazing even for a 2011 game with amazing and diverse environments locations that the player fits in the game from a lush ocean resort to a dense like swamp jungle like make lovely eye candy but can all be ruined by the game texture popping issue where textures will not be loaded after leaving a building which can ruin the experience but will load within a few seconds. Aside from this the zombie models had incredible detail and looked like corpse that had rose up from the ground with skin with, muscle and bone exposed which made the game feel all the more real.

Sound:

Now the soundtrack can be summed up really quickly as I barely heard it when playing the game except in survivor camps where it fit well will a sad tone as you walk past a dozen depressing people but aside from this I don't remember the rest until listening to it separately, in which I found it amazing and fits the whole tone of the game extremely well done, As well when you can't hear the music the atmosphere of the show can make the game feel alive and amazing with the wind and rain that can make resorts and cities feel deserted with zombie howls in the background to keep players on edge as well as character voice work that fit the game's depressing feeling that bring the game to live.

Final Verdict:

Characters & Story: 4

Gameplay: 6

Visuals: 7

Sound: 7

Final Score: 5.3/10 (Mediocre)

Lost via Domus Short Review

Lost Via Domus:

Information

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Publisher: Ubisoft

Genre/Perspective/Flow: Third person Puzzle Solver

Platforms: PC (Windows), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360.

Alternate Recommendations: 

Type: Stand-Alone, Adaptation
Modes: Single Player
Rating: "ESRB: T", "PEGI - 16+"
Release Dates
US: 26/02/2008
CAN: 28/02/2008
EU: 28/02/2008
AUS: 29/02/2008
Average Completion Time: 5 hours
Series: Lost TV Series
Trophies/Achievements: 30 in total
Other Editions: N/A
Additional: Review done on Xbox 360 Version

Synopsis:

Lost via Domus the video game adaptation to the hit TV series LOST is a disappointment, but how? Well this review will describe just that.

Short Review:

The story focuses on a survivor of Flight 815 after an aeroplane crash on a deserted Island in which the game takes place over 7 episodes which follow the Television show to some degree but overall the story is plain with a WTF ending and not that interesting with the characters back-story being the most mysterious parts of the plot; the characters on the other hand can be well done adaptations of their TV counterpart that help immersive you in the LOST universe but then there are the characters who are nothing like the ones in the TV series and will really throw of fans of the series but will not harm your experience if you are not.

The gameplay can be summed up as a third person puzzle solver with some shooter mechanics but the game does not focus on this; instead it focuses on puzzle like pieces that requires the player mainly to do electricity like puzzles that focus on getting the correct number of volts to a certain system alongside a point and click like mode where the player can click on various objects through the world to learn about locations and for story progression which fits the gameplay well. The game also has some smaller features such as RPG like talking system where the player can talk to various characters to help with quests as well as general chatter to learn more about them and world the player is in. But there are various problems to the game must be addressed that primarily focus around the characters being boring and bland with poor animation during cut scenes and dialogue that make them feel like planks of wood with some speech as well as the lines appearing in darker areas that show where the map ends which can ruin the experience.

The OST can feel nostalgic to fans of the series as well help immersive players into parts of game whether they be the fear of the black smoke or the quiet like beach camp; the rest of the sound for the game can help set the atmosphere the locations and moments that also makes the games immersive but the real problem with the sound is the voice acting as the majority of the cast in replaced by stand ins and as such have the wrong voices which can ruin the immersion and experience of any fans who play while some actors do return to the play there role in which pull of flawless.

The visuals in LOST can be summed up as mediocre with nothing wrong with the graphics but also nothing to big but was able to capture the forest of Island quite well as it looks just how you would imagine it with dense foliage and peaceful nature as well being able to capture the mysterious hatch well but does not have great amounts of detail which leave players disappointed.

In conclusion don't buy this game if you don't have too, unless you want a good laugh on how bad it was or are desperate for something to kill time for a few hours. 

Final Verdict:

Characters & Story: 5

Gameplay: 6

Sound: 6

Visuals: 5

Score: 5.4/10 (Mediocre)