-
The Walking Dead//”Home” Review
Tension has been rising for weeks since the return of The Walking Dead. And this episode, the tension has been broken with Zombie Apocalypse style warfare.
The episode began with the continuation of Rick’s diminishing mental state. As he was shown chasing ghosts all episode, it proves that it may not be in the group’s best interest to keep Rick in a role of power of the group. It was an interesting take in the episode to see Glen step up and try to take charge. If it was only for an episode. But he is also having relationship problems with Maggie since their escapade at Woodbury. Glen seems to be stuck in an unhappy rage all episode.
On the other side of the yard, in Woodbury, The Gov seemed to be weak, and unwilling to confront Rick’s group. But we know how wrong I was. With the climax of the episode giving yet another shocking death (even though Axel wasn’t that important).
Literally mid-sentence Axel was shot in the head by the Gov, and his forces opened fire upon the prison. This proves many things with the Woodbury V. Rick’s Group conflict.
1. Woodbury has a new found psychological edge over Rick’s Group. This latest attack proved to Rick’s Group that they are out-matched in guns, ammunition and fighters. Every aspect to keeping the group safe.
2. The prison is not the safe haven the group thought it was.
3. Rick’s mental health may cripple the group in the coming conflict. Although after the attack on the prison, Rick’s determined (and a bit scary) look on his face may prove that the old Rick is back!
4. Human versus human conflict has taken center stage in this season.
Of course it’s always a good episode when the best character ever made returns to save the day. Daryl Dixon and his brother save Rick in the nick of time. With Daryl and Merle back at the prison, does this mean that the less liked Dixon is on Rick’s side in the coming conflict? Or is this the Gov’s plan all along to have someone infiltrate the opposition’s side? Only time will tell.
This episode proves that The Walking Dead has put conflict and high tension at the middle of the show. Whereas Season 2 took way too long to get the action going, this season takes no time in giving you the problem. I consider this a great episode for raising the action and setting up a great conclusion to this season!
-SW
-
The Future of PlayStation: February 20th
More to come when announcement happens!
-SW
-
New PlayStation Controller Completed?
With what seems like the announcement of the PS4 coming next week, February 20th. Have we received the first image of the newest Dualshock Controller? Recent leaks to the internet have show this image everywhere.
This may be the weapon of choice for PlayStation users in the future. The model looks to be legit, due to the earlier patented model of the controller that has PlayStation Move functionality built in. We won’t know very much until the announcement on February 20th.
-SW
-
Soul Sacrifice Release Date and Box Art!
Sony’s had more problems in recent memory than A.S.A.P. Rocky (get it?) and the Vita is no exception. Having problems getting units into the hands of the consumer since its launch. But the one solution to all of Vita’s problems is so simple in concept, but so hard in reality: put out great games for the Vita. Finally, Sony may have a golden egg here in Soul Sacrifice. This game is the love child of legendary video game icon Keiji Inafune (creator of Mega Man) in his newest studio. You can see gameplay footage of Soul Sacrifice, and make your own opinion. But this is looking to be not only the best reason to purchase a Vita this year, but may be one of the best system sellers for the Vita internationally since the release of the handheld.
THISis the box art for Soul Sacrifice. Epic, right? The game boasts of great game-play, and multiplayer features that will leave always wanting more. This is the kind of grand entrance the new game needs to start getting people interested in it and the Vita. A release date has been set for the game as well, which is going to be April 30th, 2013. This may be the best reason yet to purchase a Vita if you don’t already have one. Look for it and more coverage of the game in the coming months!
-SW
-
Evoland: A History Lesson of the RPG
Back in August of 2012, a competition was underway called Ludum Dare. Where game creators of all caliber come together and create a video game in a weekend based on a theme suggested by the community. Nicolas Cannasse entered and won the competition by creating a game called Evoland (hyper-linked is the game he created, it’s really awesome!). The theme was evolution, and he hit it right on the head. Gaining over 300,000 players in the first few months! This game is a history lesson in technological advancements and gaming conventions introduced since the very first quest back in the day. Through the game you gain more and more features to the modern day RPG, like: 64-color, NPC’s, and scrolling. Such innovation has led to the new project by Shiro Games (Cannasse’s team) which is a remake of the original game. Enhancing the elements of the game like the overall evolution and the scope of the game.
The Evoland website is quoted saying:
The game will enhance and continue the story started in Evoland Classic, taking you further along the history of action adventure gaming, adding collectible items, new monsters and bosses, and more importantly new play styles and full 3D environments!
The team has stated that they will be releasing the new version on their website www.evoland.shirogames.com, and an iOS version. The team also stated that they are exploring the options of releasing a Steam and Android version. No confirmed release date has been revealed. But make sure to keep Evoland on your radar this year if you are looking for a unique RPG history lesson!-SW
-
Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Box Art Revealed!
Amongst the chaos storm of failures and horrible PR that is Square-Enix, something does seem to be going according to plan (for once). The box art for the HD remastered version of Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and all the cinematic from 358/7 (why they don’t have the full game included I have no idea) has been revealed.
This game is very exciting because for this to come out means that Kingdom Hearts III may be in the early stages of development (or so we can hope). The game is set to be released in Japan on March 14th, 2013. No official release date for a North America or European version yet. But we can expect it to be announced later this year. Prediction: E3.
-SW
-
Top 5 PlayStation 3 Games Ever.
Ever since it’s introduction in 1994 in Japan, the PlayStation name has become a gaming industry icon. Introducing the Dualshock controller with analogs, and ditching cartridges for disc changed modern gaming in a big way. PlayStation, along with Nintendo and other major companies are responsible for video games becoming more of a form of art/entertainment rather than a child’s hobby. Now in 2013, we are facing the end of the PlayStation 3’s life cycle. As it’s successor’s announcement seems imminent later this summer. I want to go back and rank the top five games that were released on the PlayStation 3. These games have become legends this generation and will always be in the conversation as some of the greatest games ever.
Honorable Mentions: Little Big Planet, Journey, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, God of War.
5. Dark Souls
Games in the current generation have become soft. To be honest some games have become more of an interactive roller coaster ride rather than a video game. But in late 2011, a video game put it’s boxing gloves on, and punched gamers right in the face. A sequel to the 2009 Demon Souls, Dark Souls was a well polished death match. The game was an instant hit because of it’s unforgiving nature and the boss fights are pretty cool too. The player created their character and was thrown into harms way almost immediately. The only help the player got along the way was an innovative online function in which players could leave warnings on the floor of any location with a short message. Also if you approached a spot where another player has died, you see a ghost of the players last few seconds alive. Giving you a sort of “heads up” on what your up against. This game is a great example of risk/reward in current games. Proving you don’t have to hold the player’s hand to give a good gaming experience.
What does it take for a game to become more than just a game? For a choice that you made to follow you to bed at night. As you stare at the ceiling fan pondering if what you did was the right choice? inFamous has made me do this many times. Because in inFamous, choices are everything. This game takes the karma system and builds an incredible story around it. A story of a regular joe who is gifted (or cursed) with super natural powers. As the story progresses you have to make decisions on whether you want to save the world, or destroy it all. The game is an open-world 3rd person action game. The combat is tight, and the lightning shooting is very similar to a 3rd person cover shooter. Controls are great, and the climbing is head and shoulders better than Assassin’s Creed. This game excels in gameplay, story telling, character development, and overall just flat out amazing. Do yourself a favor, and buy this, NOW.
3. Fallout 3Isolation. Defined as to set or place apart; detach or separate so as to be alone. Being isolated not by choice but by how the game was designed. And being alone has never made a game and environment feel so right before now. Fallout is set in a post-apocalyptic world after atomic bombs have destroyed the modern world as we know it. Now the survivors live on in this terrible place full of radiation, and mutated creatures that would like nothing more than to make you it’s dinner tonight. But before the bombs dropped, the US government had created these underground safe houses called “Vaults”, and this is where your story begins. You play a Vault Dweller who grows up in the vault and everything seems right. But by a series of events you are thrust outward into the Capitol Wasteland (The ruins of Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas) and this is where your journey begins. The game mechanics are basic really: You can customize your character, you scavenge for supplies, weapons, ammunition, armor, and everything else in-between. The 1st person (you can toggle between 1st and 3rd person) perspective give you a personal feel to your character as well as the environment. I have sunk about 200+ hours in this game (including the amazing DLC) and i still find new stuff to go explore or trophies to hunt down. If you are looking for a game with re-playability — this is the gold standard. This will always be one of my favorite games of all time. Because when it comes to war, war never changes.
2. Heavy Rain
What would you do to solve a murder case? Would you injure your own body to find any clue you could? Would you risk everything? How far would you go to save your son? Heavy Rain is an achievement in story telling, kudos to Quantic Dream. From start to finish this game is more of an interactive story book, by the only actions the players do are maneuver the environments looking for objects to que the next quick time event. You play as four separate (but inter-mingling) characters, who are well developed and you end up caring for each of them deeply. Depending on how you do throughout the game the four characters can stay alive, die, get arrested, or never solve the story’s mystery. It really depends on how you play. If you miss a quick time button by a second, the story can change drastically. This adds a sense of urgency to the action. Because what you do during the action is what really happens. You can’t restart from a checkpoint. It molds the story on how you perform. It’s simply one of the best storytelling games I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing. This game sports multiple endings as well, adding to the re-playability. So if you are someone who could careless about story, characters, and just want pure action, this is not the game for you. But if you are the opposite, than this game is perfect example of how gaming can tell a story that can rival any Hollywood blockbuster.
“Fortune Favors the Bold”
Coming in at number one in the list is Naughty Dog’s action adventure masterpiece Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. There is so much to say about this game. From the gorgeous locations, to the amazing scripted scenes, all the way to the spectacular multi-player mode. This game has it all.The game is in essence a 3rd person cover shooter. Mix in some platforming and some puzzles and that’s the basic formula to Uncharted. The gameplay is amazingly tight in Uncharted, but what is really the selling point here is the overall package of Uncharted. It’s the ride you experience with these characters that grow on you. The locations are beautiful, and the story is on par with Indiana Jones best. Characters that you’ll love and ones you’ll love to hate. And the best part of this game, when you are finished with the single player story, you can hop online and use the skills you learned in-game to help you dominate the online mode! I’ve never been one to spend my nights locked to a multiplayer mode, but this is one of the only games I played online religiously. The online has multiple features. You unlock skins and characters, perks, and much more. Multiplayer also has a co-op mode which is also great. From the story, to the characters, to the overall gameplay, Uncharted is an amazing game. One that should be played by anyone who considers themselves a dedicated gamer. All in all thisis the best game on the PlayStation 3, and possibly one of the best of all time.
-SW
-
Yet another reason why the 3DS is going to dominate in 2013. This is the first TV spot Advertisement for the new Fire Emblem: Awakening. Sporting jaw-dropping visuals, and amazing game play, Fire Emblem is going to be the first big game of 2013 for Nintendo’s handheld. It is going to be released on February 4th, 2013. Look for it!
-SW
-
Crysis 3 Announcement on 1/23/13
Posted at 2 pm on the Crytek Twitter today 1/21/13:
This Wednesday, January 23rd.. Get ready for a huge #Crysis3 announcement.
Rumors are going around that it could be the open beta testing. But would a company make such a hype for just beta testing? Come back on Wednesday to find out what Crytek is hiding!
-SW
-
Tomb Radier Achivements Revealed
The upcoming reboot of the classic adventure game Tomb Raider is on it’s way to consoles and PC in North America later this year. But while fans await the return of Laura Croft, Xbox360achivements.org has leaked the achievement list for the game. We can speculate that the achievement list and the PS3 Trophy list are going to be identical. But there is one interesting fact about the list. About a quarter of the achievements/trophies are going to require you to go online and get competitive. This seems like it could be quite the time sink in order to 100% the game. A notable one is the achievement where the player must reach level 60 (not sure if 60 is going to be the level cap or not.) But with Crystal Dynamics developing the single player, Eidos Montreal is developing the multi-player portion. This is not a surprise at all. But completionist on a budget can rest easy. Because the game has been reported as not requiring an online or season pass to access the online portion of the game. So a used copy can still get you 100% completion you cheap bastard. Tomb Raider will be released on March 5th, 2013 in North America. Not sure if an international release date has been confirmed. Stay posted for review in the coming months.
-SW
