The Coming Of The False Prophet

Game Mechanics - 2/2

Story-line - 2/2

Graphics - 2/2

Soundtrack - 2/2

Replay Value - 2/2

 Total Score - 10/10

Before we even get any further let me just apologize if this review isn't as similar or informative as some of my other reviews. This is primarily because of two reasons; one I spent most of the day today at a fighting game tournament and two this game really doesn't need a review. Straight up I shit you not; if you are a fan of gaming in general or specifically first person shooters with a solid story-line then look no further than BioShock Infinite. I definitely see this as a strong GOTY (Game Of The Year) candidate. If you still have doubts after reading this review please feel free to check out our play-through video coverage on your YouTube channel at the end of this article.

BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter video game and the third installment in the BioShock series. Previously known as "Project Icarus", it was developed by Irrational Games and was released worldwide on the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 platforms on March 26, 2013. BioShock Infinite is not part of the storyline of previous BioShock games but features similar gameplay concepts and themes. Set in 1912 during the growth of American exceptionalism, the game's protagonist, former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, is sent to the floating air-city of Columbia to find a young woman, Elizabeth, who has been held captive there for the last twelve years. Though Booker rescues Elizabeth, the two are pursued by the city's warring factions; the nativist and elite Founders that strive to keep the city for pure Americans, and the Vox Populi, a rebel grouping representing the common people. Booker finds Elizabeth to be central to this conflict, and that she also holds strange powers to manipulate rifts in the time-space continuum that ravage Columbia. The player controls Booker throughout the game, eventually working with the AI-controlled Elizabeth. Like previous BioShock games, the player uses a combination of weapons, gear, psychokinetic powers granted through vigors and Elizabeth's own powers to fight off hostile foes and make their way through Columbia.

What’s Good:

Graphics: The game utilizes the Unreal Engine 3 graphics engine for its spectacular graphics. Combine that on PC with Direct x11 and you truly have  a visual masterpiece of epic proportions. From the environments to the characters themselves; everything in this game is of a high caliber of graphics design.

Soundtrack: I found myself humming along with most of the ambient music and sounds that are in this game. It greatly helps with the immersible idea of cementing the illusion that you are this character in 1912 going around and trying to rescue this girl. All musical cues were appropriate and help intensify each experience.

Game Mechanics: The effective deployment of  this games weapon system just to make mention of a specific game mechanic is truly something to be praised. From the customization of vigors to the versatility of being able to use melee kills or guns to finish your enemies. Not to mention the ability to level up your vigors to  have them be more powerful and have a wider variety of use.

Replay Value: There is a fair amount of replay value with this game from the customization aspect present to the future single player DLC planned over the upcoming months. Also included in the game is a "1999 Mode" where true fans of the series can challenge themselves to play through this harder difficulty that has permanent effects on the outcome of the game.

Story-line: Granted this is the third installment of the BioShock series you can still enjoy a decent story-line from start to finish with this game. True fans who have played all the games will get a deeper enjoyment from all the intricacies and subtle hints going on as you progress through the game but if you are new to the world of BioShock fear not as you are still in for quite the thought provoking and emotion invoking ride.

What’s Bad:

Absolutely nothing besides the fact that its too good.

What Should Have Been Added:

The game is perfect how it is save for the want of a co-op mode where I could have a friend control Elizabeth. Sadly I understand that wouldn't work as you don't actually meet Elizabeth till about 2-3 hours down into the game. So i'm fine with not adding anything to the game.

Final Thoughts:

As far as good games go this one is pretty damn good. I wish maybe the game had some QTE's to top it all off but that's just my deep rooted love for QTE's being a bit bias. 2K Games have done a great job of keeping the standard of quality expected for their superb franchise. The game brings all the noteworthy aspects of the previous games in the series while also introducing a whole new world  to us. This game is a prime example to other FPS game developers out there that you don't need a multi-player aspect to your game for it to be good.

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Bordering On Insanity

Gameplay - 10/10

Storyline - 10/10

Graphics - 9/10

Game Score : 29/30

Your friendly neighborhood gamer here; bringing you another weekly video game review. This week we are praising the awesomeness that is Borderlands 2. If you aren't already playing this you really should be; this game is just too good to pass up. If you can't play it due to hardware or cash flow limitations feel free to check out our play-through on our YouTube channel. We play through about the first 2 hours of the game so you can get a first-hand look at the game and some of what it has to offer. There is also going to be a bit of co-op game-play footage added later on to showcase that as well. Without further ado let's jump into Borderlands 2...

Borderlands 2 is a space western first-person shooter/action role-playing open world video game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games. It is the sequel to 2009's Borderlands and was released for the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms. Borderlands 2 builds upon the gameplay elements introduced in its predecessor; thankfully though you can play this iteration just fine without prior knowledge from the first game. 

It is a first-person shooter that includes character-building elements found in role-playing games, leading Gearbox to call the game a "role-playing shooter." At the start of the game, players select one of four new characters, each with a unique special skill and with proficiencies with certain weapons. From then on, players take on quests assigned through non-player characters or from bounty boards, each typically rewarding the player with experience points, money, and sometimes a reward item. Players earn experience by killing foes and completing in-game challenges (such as getting a certain number of kills using a specific type of weapon). As they gain levels from experience growth, players can then allocate skill points into a skill tree that features three distinct specializations of the base character.

1. Salvador the Gunzerker, can dual-wield any combination of guns.

2. Maya the Siren, has an ability called Phaselock which suspends enemies in midair.

3. Axton the Commando, is a commando character who relies on turrets to decimate his enemies.

4. Zer0 the Assassin, is an assassin capable of creating a decoy of himself and becoming invisible for a short time. At the end of this process, he is then able to unleash a critical hit on an enemy with his sword or gun.

5. Unreleased as yet there is also Gaige the Mechromancer. The character, available October 16, is the fifth playable class in the game and was available with pre-order for free. Without the pre-order she'll cost $10.

Returning gameplay features from the first game will include the 3-branch skill trees, class-mods, and four-player online cooperative modes. New features include a more expansive and customizable weapons system, reworked four-seat drift-able vehicles and vehicle physics elements, and dynamic mission systems. All in all the game stays true to most the aspects of its predeccessor, obviously Gearbox Software is a firm believer in the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality. My only faults were slight annoyances more than anything else, but if I had to nit-pick. I would have wanted a guiding arrow for quests that points you in the right direction, as well as better driving controls as the cars feel very unresponsive causing me to crash; a lot... That aside the game is superb; the dialog is engaging, and it has immense replay value with all the classes and skills and customization options any gamer could want. Add to that the insane number of gun combinations and quests you have in this game. It is clear to me that this game is easily a candidate for "Game of the Year" status. So what are you waiting for? Come join the fun...

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Lines Were Meant To Be Crossed

Gameplay - 8/10

Storyline - 10/10

Graphics - 9/10

Game Score : 27/30

Ok peoples so slight change in plans; turns out I gotta go back home to help my parents out at the family store so got to write up this review from Thursday and upload the game-play videos to YouTube so y'all can still have a blog to enjoy and game to check out on Friday. Yes I know i'm so thoughtful but that's besides the point. Had initially wanted to review Lollipop Chainsaw but my copy reached a bit later than expected so that will have to be for next weeks review I guess. Works out ok as I have some time to figure out what special treat I may have in store for y'all, so stay tuned to the Facebook Page and Twitter to find out about that. Now that we have that settled lets get into today's review of Spec Ops: The Line.

Spec Ops: The Line is a third-person shooter video game developed by Yager Development and published by 2K Games. The game was released in North America on the Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms on June 26, 2012, and will be released in Europe on June 29, 2012. It was officially announced at Spike Video Game Awards on December 12, 2009. The game is inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness. The Line is primarily a third-person shooter with emphasis on squad-based tactics. As the player progresses, better weapons and equipment will become available to accomplish goals more easily. Squad commands will also be available, allowing the player to direct their teammates to perform certain actions or move to certain areas.

The player controls Captain Martin Walker who is accompanied by a Delta Force bravo team to rescue a U.S. Army Colonel who remained behind in Dubai. Previously, Dubai was a wealthy area with many high profile citizens until catastrophic sandstorms left a majority of the city buried. This caused many to evacuate, leaving only a few behind. One of the people left behind was U.S. Army Colonel John Konrad , a founding member of Delta Force, who refused to evacuate from a training facility in the city and instead remained behind with the men under his command to help protect the citizens that could not evacuate. After several weeks of no contact, the Army fears that Col. Konrad and his men are lost to the destruction of the city until a weak distress signal is picked up. This gives the Army reason to deploy the player and their squad, who must infiltrate the city, neutralize outlaws and survive sandstorms as they attempt to determine what happened to Konrad and his men.

The game focuses on the natural sandstorms of Dubai to provide dynamic terrain changing during gameplay, similar to Fracture and the Red Faction series. This is supported by an unpredictable engine that randomizes when and where sandstorms will arise, as well as how harsh they will be. Sandstorms may open or close paths to the players as well as turn advantages in a firefight. Graphically I must say this game is visually stunning and coupling this with the gripping story-line you get a truly dynamic and rewarding game-play experience. The interactive and destructible environment really helps add to the realism of being in a constant state of action and awareness. The characters are distinct and noteworthy in their persona's and traits which helps you to connect with each on varying levels to which appeals to you more; personally I liked listening to Lugo a lot.

As per usual there are some little snags here and there but nothing game breaking to rob you of the experience. My two main areas of fault would be the run and cover system in the game as well as some of the squad based commands. At times I found maneuverability an issue while running and trying to change direction or stop which i found a bit annoying at time. As far as the squad based commands go at times the team members had issues carrying out the commands due to placement of the target or such and I would have to end up doing it myself anyways. Aside from these slight nuances overall it is a solid game and you would do well to give it a go if you are a fan of military shooters or just a good story-line in general. So give it a look...

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